The Pride | Fall 2023

THE ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF ST. MARK’S SCHOOL OF TEXAS

Fall 2023

A FIRM FOUNDATION The experiences, generosity and lessons learned at 10600 Preston Road set the groundwork for lives of fulfillment, service and accomplishment. SEE PAGE 42.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON, AUG. 25, 2023: Young Marksmen enjoy time to play and imagine on the Lower School playground.

UP CLOSE

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A path to play We can’t overstate the importance of play in social development and community building.

Our playground can be a pirate ship, a castle or a mountain. Just give the boys something to climb and their imagination will do the rest.

— LEE-ANN GRAHAM FOURTH GRADE MATHEMATICS TEACHER

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Agenda FALL 202 3

VOL. 2 8 , N O. 2

14

Around the Quad

4

EDITOR'S NOTE

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WHAT’S AHEAD

6 MAKING THEIR MARK 10 PHOTO STORY 12 SCREEN SHOTS

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14 COMMENCEMENT 22 ALUMNI WEEKEND 30 GROUNDBREAKING 32 MADE BY A MARKSMAN

22 Community

Conversations

34 34

74

Marksmen tackle tough topics in the classroom.

FROM THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT

38

75

AROUND THE HARKNESS TABLE

FIRST PERSON

Kurt Tholking on the new Computer Science Department.

40

300 WORDS

Faculty and staff stories in precisely 300 words.

THROUGH THE DECADES

78

LEADING THE PACK

80

CLASS NOTES

87

FACULTY NOTES

76

SPOTLIGHT ON PHILANTHROPY

Alumni and families give back to the School they love.

88

IN MEMORIAM

The Pride is a publication of St. Mark’s School of Texas and is produced by the School’s Office of Development & Alumni Relations. Inquiries should be directed to Ray Westbrook, director of Communications (westbrookr@smtexas.org), 10600 Preston Rd., Dallas, TX 75230.

Features

MENTAL HEALTH

Marksmen lead the conversation on mental health.

Marksmen Across Generations

58 64

PECOS

Upper Schoolers share lessons and exploits from their time in the Pecos Wilderness.

KEEPING CAMPUS GREEN

Efforts to make the world more sustainable are taking root on campus.

THE PRIDE | Fall 2023 | Vol. 28, No. 2

70

A FIRM FOUNDATION

Cover Story

MARKSMAN STORIES

42

Across generations, the experiences, generosity and lessons learned on campus are based on a firm foundation.

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From the editor Bloody knees and turtles... there’s never a dull moment here

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ur cover story this month is a series of stories on alumni whose life trajectories have been changed considerably by their years spent here.

and his contributions to The ReMarker were considerable, earning a spot on the newspaper’s editorial board his senior year in his position of campus editor.

From the first Hispanic graduate of St. Mark’s to recent graduates who are using the tools they obtained here to do great things in the world of finance and industry, Marksmen are soaring in their career choices and in involvement in their communities.

It was my great fortune, too, to have Victor Calvillo ’14 join the Marksmen yearbook staff his senior year, where he quickly learned the intricacies of yearbook production. I fondly remember his outgoing personality and friendly demeanor.

On a personal note, I had the privilege of working with two of these men during their time at 10600 Preston Road:

My favorite Victor story revolves around Marksmen Ball, where early on that Saturday morning in mid-May, the seniors on yearbook staff and I met at school to pack up 100 or so yearbooks and transport them to the Belo Mansion, where the festivities were being held, for distribution to the seniors that night.

IMPACT. The trajectory of two of our cover story subjects (Manny Manzanares ’08, right, as campus editor of The ReMarker, and Victor Calvillo ’14, below-right, as senior member of the Marksmen staff) shows the considerable impact of a St. Mark’s education.

As I approached a curb, I tripped and fell, bloodying my knee and losing my glasses. Vic came over to help me get situated, asking quickly, “Are you OK, Ray?” Well, yes, I was...other than a skinned knee, which was covered by the tuxedo slacks that evening.

And, maybe a bruised ego? Perhaps.

Manny Manzanares ’08 was an outstanding student and quite the accomplished journalist. He joined the journalism program as a freshman

As a former teacher, it is so rewarding to see our alumni going out into the world and becoming good citizens and contributing greatly to their communities. Long after their time here, these men are making huge differences.

The collective deep impact of all five

of these men is inspirational, and I hope you enjoy reading their stories.

••• This issue has several other important stories for you. One is a story package on mental health.

Creative director Dave Carden offers an incisive look at the many ways the School is ensuring that each boy feels supported and is given the tools to thrive here.

Also look for a mini-story featuring

Ray Westbrook, director of Communications, is in his 23rd year at the School.

a turtle — yes, a turtle — in our article on the School’s sustainability efforts along with a first-person look at Kurt Tholking, the new chair of the Computer Science Department.

This 2023-2024 school year marks the 118th for the School, and from my vantage point, it is shaping up to be a monumental one. Construction of the Marksman Athletic Complex began this summer (see page 28) and more than 900 eager Marksmen returned to campus Aug. 21.

It’s always an exciting time to be at 10600 Preston Road, so anytime you are in the neighborhood, please stop by and say “hello.”

Around the Quad

What’s ahead...

Stay connected with 10600 Preston Road

Oct. 9-12

The East Coast Alumni Tour takes place in five cities: Boston, New Haven, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Join Eugene McDermott Headmaster David Dini and members of the Office of Development and Alumni Relations and mingle with alums of all ages. Oct. 9, Boston; Oct. 10, New Haven, Oct. 11 New York City; Oct. 12, Philadelphia; Oct. 12, Washington, D.C.

GAME-ON. Lion footballers cheer on teammates.

REUNITE. Alumni connect in New York City.

Oct. 20

Oct. 25

The Chicago Alumni Event takes place at the offices of Bartlit Beck from 6 - 8 p.m. Join members of the Office of Development and Alumni Relations, hear updates and stories from campus and mingle with alums from the Chicago area.

Return home for the annual Homecoming festivities. The Homecoming Kick-off Party begins at 6 p.m., followed by the varsity football game against Greenhill at 7 p.m.

Nov. 10

Hundreds of grandparents and friends join their Marksmen for Grandparents’ Day. These special guests attend classes with their boys, where many teachers have unique activities planned. Lower School classrooms open at 7:30 a.m. Middle and Upper School registration begins at 7:45 a.m.

Nov. 3,4,5

&

Feb. 16,17, 18

MYSTERY. The fall 2022 musical, The Return of Edwin Drood, showcased the acting and vocal talents of both Hockaday and St. Mark’s students.

Dec. 7

The traditional Alumni Holiday Luncheon will take place at Arlington Hall.

All alumni are invited; registration is required.

Space is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis.

LUNCHEON. Former Alumni Association President Sandy Campbell ’76 addresses luncheon attendees.

Mar. 6, 7

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT SMTEXAS.ORG/ALUMNI OR CALL THE OFFICE OF DEVELOPMENT AND ALUMNI RELATIONS AT 214-346-8800.

Shakespeare’s classic Romeo and Juliet will be presented by Fine Arts students Nov. 3, 4, 5.

And in the spring, mark your calendars for the Tony-Award winning musical Spamalot, Feb. 16, 17, 18. Romeo and Juliet will be performed in the Black Box Theater; Spamalot location to be determined. Admission by reserved ticket. Check smtexas.org for final details and ticket information.

The West Coast Alumni Tour takes place in Los Angeles and the Bay Area.

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Making their mark

Student accolades and athletic achievements over the past few months.

Upper School publications sweep CSPA’s Gold Crowns

Academic Team earns national acclaim The Upper School Academic Team (Quiz Bowl Team) finished in third place at the Small School National Championship (Open Division) in April, followed by eighth place at the High School National Championship in May, culminating in a fifth-place finish at the PACE National Scholarship Championship in June.

BASKETBALL TRIUMPHANT IN SUMMER LEAGUE PLAY The Lions varsity basketball team finished up its summer Brick League season with a 20-point victory in the championship game.

All five St. Mark’s Upper School student publications received the Gold Crown award, the highest award given by the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, at the conclusion of the organization’s annual convention at Columbia University on March 17.

This is the first time all five publications have received Gold Crowns in the same year.

The ReMarker newspaper — which extended its Gold Crown streak to 20 consecutive years, the longest successive streak by a secondary school in the 99year history of the organization.

The Marksmen yearbook — this is the yearbook’s eighth Gold Crown designation and first gold designation since 2013.

Focus special interest magazine — this is the fourth consecutive Gold Crown for the magazine.

The Marque literary magazine — this publication received its third consecutive Gold Crown and ninth in the past ten years.

Scientific Marksmen special interest magazine — received its third straight Gold Crown.

CREW PLACES THIRD AT NATIONALS Lions crew finished third in the C Final at the Youth Rowing National Championships in Florida (Youth 4x Division).

Rowers were Brendan Kelly ’23, Kevon Mostafavipour ’24, Linyang Lee ’25 and Ian McGowan ’26.

Volunteers earn President’s Gold 29 Upper School students received the President’s Volunteer Service Gold Award. The award requires students to volunteer 100+ hours or 250+ hours in a year, depending on their age.

In 2003, the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation founded the President’s Volunteer Service Award to recognize the important role of volunteers in America’s strength and national identity.

Marksmen contributed more than 15,000 hours to the Dallas community during the 2022–2023 school year.

SENIOR LEAVES HIS MARK ON CAMPUS Every year, after a thorough process, a senior is selected to create a work of art to be featured on campus. This year, Winston Lee ’23 submitted the chosen design for the new Senior Sculpture Project installation. Situated between the Chapel and Fine Arts wing, Lee’s sculpture is a three-foot cube with mirrored plexiglass surfaces that rests on a corner atop a three-foot hill.

“What makes the cube so special is that it morphs the landscape to its vantage point,” Lee said. “In a way, it represents a boy’s journey through St. Mark’s, and how we are morphed by the landscapes and environments around us.”

Around the Quad

Spring SPC results Baseball Varsity baseball entered the SPC tournament as the eighth seed. After defeating Greenhill, the team finished in sixth place; Grayson Redmond ’24 earned All-SPC honors.

STOCK MARKET CLUB ACCRUES VICTORIES Middle schoolers earned a repeat victory in the SIFMA Foundation’s spring Stock Market Game. The five boys are part of the Middle School Stock Market Club that recently placed first out of 304 area middle school teams.

The team of Saarth Bagdure ’30, Corbin Reed ’30, Asher Saluja ’30, Dhilan Saluja ’30 and Halston Miller ’30, took an (imaginary) investment of $100,000 and placed virtual stock market trades throughout the spring.

While most of the market saw only losses or modest gains, the Middle School Stock Market Club posted an impressive return of 22.5%, ending the game with a portfolio balance of $122,494.84.

Crew Varsity crew earned a spot at the US Rowing Youth National Championships. The team finished third in its group and was ranked as a top-20 program in the country.

Lacrosse Varsity lacrosse concluded the season with a record of 12-3 and secured a second-place finish in the SPC championship. The team made it to the quarterfinals of the state championship; Henry Boykin ’23, Luke Stallings ’23 and Ian Williams ’23 earned All-SPC honors.

Tennis Varsity tennis went undefeated during the regular season. They finished second in 4A at the SPC Tournament.

Shreyan Daulat ’23 and Patrick Flanagan ’24 earned All-SPC honors.

Marksmen published Ethan Bosita ’24 had a history paper on World War II submarines published in the summer issue of The Concord Review, one of only 11 students worldwide whose papers are published per issue.

Anthony Wang ’23 co-authored a medical-based computer science paper published in the book, Head and Neck Tumor Segmentation and Outcome Prediction. The book is a collection of papers by teams of researchers who took part in the Head and Neck Tumor Segmentation and Outcome Prediction Challenge (HECKTOR 2022), designed to advance research methods for one of the deadliest forms of cancer.

Golf Varsity golf earned a second-place finish in the SPC 4A Championship Tournament. Logan Johnson ’23, Duff McKay ’26 and James Thomson ’23 finished in the top ten and earned All-SPC honors.

Track & Field Varsity track & field improved at every meet. Their hard work led to a third-place SPC finish and All-SPC honors for Julian Carlson ’23, Temi Balogun ’24 and Asa McCaleb ’24.

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Making their mark Dedication drives robotics students

Ten Marksmen recently found success by competing on independent teams in the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC). The FTC has teams from grades 7-12 design, build, program and operate their own robots to compete in head-to-head challenges.

Marksmen competed on five different teams, all of which qualified for the Texas State Championship. Three of those teams eventually qualified for the world championships, with two teams ranking in the top 12 worldwide.

Competitors were Matthew Bybee ’25, Chris Huang ’27, Nicholas Huang ’27, Everett Jin ’26, Andy Li ’26, Vivek Patel ’24, Arav Rawat ’24, Joseph Sun ’25, Michael Yang ’26 and Andrew Ye ’26.

With the St. Mark’s robotics program continuing to gain interest and momentum, the School recently founded its own FTC team and plans to start competing this year.

LATIN STUDENTS TAKE TOP STATE TEAM HONORS St. Mark’s Latin students took top honors for team performance at the Texas State Junior Classical League State Convention, held April 15 at Marcus High School in Flower Mound.

Additionally, 18 Marksmen earned 44 placements in individual competitions.

Students competed in the pentathlon and decathlon tests. The pentathlon tests students’ reading comprehension, knowledge of mythology, Roman history, Roman culture, Roman daily life, literature and geography. The decathlon is similar but more in-depth. It tests an even broader list of topics, including reading comprehension, grammar/language skills, history, literature and mythology.

Continued

DEBATE TEAM COMPETES AT NATIONALS The St. Mark’s debate team concluded an exceptional year, with over 30 students participating in more than 600 debates – a near all-time high. Notably, three St. Mark’s teams (Liam Seaward ’24 and Harry Wang ’24, Sid Bidare ’24 and Anish Guddati ’24, Samuel Posten ’25 and Andrew Jin ’25) advanced to the elimination rounds at the National Debate Coaches Association National Championships. A fourth team (Ahsan Tahirkheli ’24 and Ashrit Manduva ’24) also appeared in the elimination rounds at several nationally competitive tournaments. All eight boys will be returning next year.

Additionally, four students (Liam Seaward, Sid Bidare, Anish Guddati and Ashrit Manduva) have been recognized as Academic All-Americans. The National Speech and Debate Association began recognizing Academic All-Americans in 1999, and it recognizes the top one to two percent of their 20,000 participating students.

Student ceramacists shape success Henry Baxter ’23 and Noah Norton ’23 qualified for the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts Exhibition.

Baxter took home multiple accolades including a grant and a subscription to Studio Potter. Both students took home a ceramic tile from world-renowned ceramicist Richard Notkin.

MIDDLE SCHOOL LACROSSE SCORES DFW TITLE St. Mark’s Middle School lacrosse team defeated ESD in a double-overtime thriller to win the Dallas/Fort Worth Youth Lacrosse League Championship Game (seventh/eighth grade, Division 1 level).

SENIORS COMMIT TO COLLEGE ATHLETICS 13 members of the Class of 2023 made commitments to play college athletics: Henry Boykin – Lacrosse at Bucknell University John Charest – Football at the United States Merchant Marine Academy Radford Green – Baseball at Johns Hopkins University Jack Jackson – Track & Field at Baylor University Logan Johnson – Golf at Sewanee: The University of the South Brendan Kelly – Crew at Bates College Keats Leffel – Football at Rhodes College Luke Noack – Football at Washington & Lee University Jake Park – Lacrosse at the United States Air Force Academy Trey Stager – Track & Field and Cross Country at The University of Miami Zane Wallace – Track & Field at Harvard University Jacob Weinstein – Football at Washington University in St. Louis Ian Williams – Lacrosse at Rhodes College

Junior places in physics olympiad Surya Dinesh ’25 earned a Bronze Medal in the United States Physics Olympiad competition. This puts Dinesh among the top-150 high school physics students in the nation. This is particularly impressive since he has not yet taken a physics class in the Upper School.

Around the Quad

National vocabulary champions The Class of 2031 was named the national champion in its division of the 2022-2023 WordMasters Challenge, an annual national vocabulary competition involving nearly 125,000 students. The fourth-grade team scored a perfect 200 points in the last of the three competition meets this year for a final cumulative score of 588 out of a possible 600 points. This is the third consective year Marksmen have earned the title.

STUDENT COACHES LEAD TEAM TO BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP Henry Estes ’25 and Zachary Yang ’25 took on the roles of head and assistant coaches of the Class of 2029’s basketball team.

Throughout the winter, Estes and Yang held Sunday practices and led the team through ten games, including the playoffs.

The boys’ hard work and diligent practice paid off when they clinched the sixth-grade basketball championship at the Moody Family YMCA. After the final game, Estes and Yang treated the boys to frozen yogurt with one more surprise: championship rings for each player.

27 LANGUAGE STUDENTS HONORED Twenty-seven Marksmen were inducted into the three Language Department honor societies in ceremonies held Wednesday, April 26. The honor societies included the Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica, the National Junior Classical League Honor Society and the Chinese Honor Society.

SOPHOMORE GOLFER CONTINUES TOURNAMENT SUCCESS This June, Duff McKay ’26 tied for first place shooting 2 under par at the All American Tour sponsored by the North Texas PGA. The finish qualifies McKay for regional and national junior golf championships.

Last summer, McKay sunk an impressive hole-in-one on a 316-yard par 4 while competing in the Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship, securing first place in the 14 & under division.

A roaring success for fifth graders

The fifth grade robotics team, RoboRoar, claimed victory at the First LEGO League State Championship.

The team won the Robot Performance Award and earned a third place in the overall competition.

The team’s performance is particularly noteworthy, because the team competed against many seventh and eighth graders.

Student diplomats compete at Harvard A dozen Marksmen traveled across the country to hone their skills in international diplomacy. The members of St. Mark’s Model United Nations Club, accompanied by history teachers David Fisher and Andrea Hamilton, were among the 4,000 student delegates nationwide to attend the 2023 Harvard Model United Nations Conference (HMUN).

Two pairs of Marksmen received awards for their diplomatic service: Noah Asmerom ’23 and Roome Becker ’23 won a Best Delegation award for representing the Russian Federation on the Future Security Council. Dilan Koganti ’26 and Reagan Graeme ’26 won a Diplomatic Commendation award for representing Bangladesh in the UN Development Program Committee.

17 HOUSES AND COUNTING Upper School students at St. Mark’s and Hockaday completed their 17th house as part of Habitat for Humanity’s home building volunteer program.

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Photo story What lies in a typical Marksman’s backpack — and what do its contents say about them? To get a general understanding, we took a glimpse into the worlds of three Marksmen — a lower, middle and upper schooler — as seen through their trusty campus companions.

Octopus figurine, gift from Valentine’s Day

P.E. shirt

Stencil landscape project for art class

Paper airplane made after class

Miscellaneous old papers Sketchbook

Fletcher Carron ’32 I got my little red octopus for Valentine’s Day, and I guess it’s still in there. My Spy School books are my favorite thing in my backpack. I’m reading them to get advanced reading points. If I named my backpack it would be ‘Bob’, because Bob seems like something that is big, and my backpack is big.

Around the Quad

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14

Lego League memento

House keys

Breckenridge, CO ski chain

Toby Hyun ’29 My most prized possession in my backpack would probably be my Etch A Sketch, because I bought it on a “dark-day”/off day on Kids Baking Championship, and it brings back memories from my time on set.

Hyun was a contestant on the 11th season of Food Network’s Kids Baking Championship.

pocket Etch A Sketch

Journal for cooking ideas/ questions

TI-84 Plus CE Calculator

‘Famous’ blue Nalgene water bottle Prize from biology class

Lions fidget spinner for free periods

Sports gear

Calculator charger

Henry Estes ’25 Nearly everybody on campus has seen me with my blue Nalgene water bottle. Hydration is very important to me, and this bottle stays with my backpack everywhere it goes.

It has worn holes in both side pockets of the backpack so that the bottle can no longer be stored in them. That goes to show how much the bottle means to me.

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Screenshots

A collection of posts and comments from St. Mark’s social media.

7.9.23 Eleven St. Mark’s teachers and administrators joined more than 600 fellow educators in Auckland, New Zealand, for the 2023 International Boys’ School Coalition Annual Conference.

8.11.23 The names of the Class of 2023 were revealed in Graduate Hall during the annual graduate send-off.

Welcome to The Wall, gentlemen!

2.24.23 St. Mark’s welcomed best-selling author and award-winning rower Arshay Cooper to campus.

—@NELSON SPENCER ’57

Kudos to St. Mark’s… keep up the great work in shaping young minds and fostering innovation in education!

—@INTERACTIVESCHOOLS

Amazing story of true character and determination coming from an amazing city!

Thanks for bringing your Chicago story to the St. Mark’s community.

—@KJMATZ

5.11.23 The School celebrates Teacher Appreciation Week.

6.2.23 The 2023 summer interns arrive to assist in the Development Office.

The teachers at St. Mark’s truly made my son the man he is today…thank you all so very much!

They join a great line of alumni interns and love how this program has grown!

—@REGINA MOOERS OCKELMANN

—@FRANCOPHILEDALLAS

Around the Quad

3.24.23 The Class of 2031 took a Texas-sized field trip to Austin and toured the State Capital and the Bullock Texas State History Museum.

I swear that coming off that bus after the field trip, each boy seemed much taller than I was expecting.

—@ADRIENNE WAGNER

3.3.23 Campus came alive with the sights, sounds and tastes of numerous cultures represented in the St. Mark’s community at the second annual Marksmen Multicultural Night.

It was the best day at Darver day and a perfect tribute to someone who has made Lower School fun, productive and exciting.

We love you Sherri!!!!

SM does a wonderful job exposing the boys to different cultures and teaching them how to respect the ones they don’t understand. Way to go Lions!

—@EMILY KRYDER

5.19.23 The Lower School turned its annual Blue & Gold Day into a celebration of Sherri Darver, the retiring head of Lower School.

—@CHRISEKENN

7.6.23 While the nation celebrated Independence Day, five graduates from the Class of 2023 began their service to the United States at several service academies.

These are some tough and unbreakable dudes.

—@THEREALJOELBRUIN

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A tradition like no other

One hundred seniors of the Class of 2023 experienced an evening to remember as they celebrated their ultimate goal: a diploma from the School they love.

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n May 25, the members of the Class of 2023 celebrated the conclusion of their careers as St. Mark’s students with the 117th Commencement ceremony. One hundred seniors processed into the Ida M. and Cecil H. Green Commencement Theater boasting their iconic white dinner jackets for an evening they will never forget.

Following Eugene McDermott Headmaster David Dini’s welcome statement and the Upper School Choir’s singing of “America,” Senior Class President Aadi Khasgiwala addressed the class. He highlighted four lessons he learned over his 12 years as a Marksman. Class of 2023 valedictorian Svanik Jaikumar emphasized: “We are not merely men, but Marksmen.”

Then, Dini and Interim Head of Upper School John Ashton presented the School’s three major awards to members of the Senior Class. The Headmaster’s Cup was awarded to Salmaan Hussain ’23, the School Flag was awarded to Aadi Khasgiwala ’23 and the J.B.H. Henderson Citizenship Cup was awarded to George Genender ’23.

The Class of 2023 welcomed Ali Rowghani ’91 as its Commencement speaker. A longtime tech executive, Rowghani served as a C-level executive at Pixar and Twitter before joining the startup accelerator Y Combinator. On stage, Rowghani encouraged the graduating Marksmen, regardless of their career paths, to embrace their creative sides and be “artists.”

“There’s something really special about your current age when it comes to creativity and innovative thinking. You don’t have to be an artist to live as one. Creativity is everyone’s superpower, and, if you learn to cultivate it, you just might make something that really matters.” — Ali Rowghani ’91

Around the Quad

Headmaster’s Cup — Salmaan Hussain ’23

School Flag — Aadi Khasgiwala ’23

Citizenship Cup — George Genender ’23

Valedictorian — Svanik Jaikumar ’23

Commencement speaker Ali Rowghani ‘91 encouraged graduates to “always be producing.”

Thirty-two years ago, Rowghani addressed his own classmates as Senior Class president at the Class of 1991’s Commencement Ceremony.

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In the spotlight One by one, members of the Class of 2023 stood before families, faculty and friends and took that long walk across the Commencement stage.

CELEBRATION. The soon-to-be graduates await the beginning of the ceremony after processing in to the Ida M. and Cecil H. Green Commencement Theater on the evening of May 25, 2023.

Around the Quad

PRIDE. All manner of emotions are apparent as the members of the Class of 2023 prepare to receive their diplomas from Eugene McDermott Headmaster David Dini.

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Wild exuberance

Once their final classmate has received his diploma and the headmaster declares class members as ‘graduates of St. Mark’s School of Texas,’ the celebration begins.

Around the Quad

CELEBRATION. Commencement is a time for preserving memories and celebrating accomplishments. From families and classmates preserving the evening in photos to savoring that long-awaited diploma, the 100 new alumni erupted in joy as they were announced as the “Class of 2023.”

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And they’re off...

College destinations run the gamut — from East to West and all points in between.

College matriculation, Class of 2023 The University of Texas at Austin Southern Methodist University Texas A&M University, College Station Rice University United States Air Force Academy Arizona State University Brown University Dartmouth College Northwestern University Purdue University Rhodes College Stanford University University of Bristol

12 7 5 4 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

University of Notre Dame University of Pennsylvania University of Southern California Vanderbilt University Washington University in St. Louis Washington and Lee University Austin College Austin Community College District Bates College Baylor University Brigham Young University Bucknell University Columbia University

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Cornell University Duke University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Emerson College Florida State University George Washington University Georgetown University Harvard University Indiana University Johns Hopkins University Lehigh University

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Around the Quad

London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London New York University Princeton University Santa Clara University Southwestern University Texas Tech University The University of Alabama The University of the South U.S. Merchant Marine Academy U.S. Military Academy University of Chicago

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University of Colorado, Colorado Springs University of Georgia University of Miami University of Michigan University of North Georgia University of Oxford University of Tulsa University of Virginia Villanova University Yale University

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Back

ALUMNI WEEKEND | GOLF, ALUMNI AWARDS

For three days in April, Lions from all over returned to campus for an Alumni Weekend full of fun and celebration.

The highlights Alumni Golf Tournament Thursday, April 20 Number of golfers: ~ 120 The Ivan Irwin Jr. ’50 Cup recipients: Gross score (58): Peter Addy ’12, Tully Campbell ’12, Will Perkins ’12, Ryan Petty ’12

Alumni Discussion with Upper School Friday, April 21 Moderator: Aadi Khasgiwala ’23 Guest Speaker: Dr. David Vanderpool ’78, CEO & Founder of LiveBeyond and inaugural Lee S. Smith ’65 Courage & Honor Award recipient

Net score (41): Kevin Foster ’93, Brent Jackson ’93, Joe Pruitt ’93, Ron Turner Closest to the Pin: David Maldonado ’76 Closest to the Star: John Podvin Longest Drive: Paul Schneider ’02 Straightest Drive: Cody Dunlap ’08

Spring Alumni Dinner Friday, April 21 Number of guests: ~ 400 Lee S. Smith ’65 Courage & Honor Award recipient: Dr. David Vanderpool ’78 Ralph B. Rogers Alumni Award:

Alumni Chapel Friday, April 21 Number of alumni in attendance: ~ 100 Homilist: Lee S. Smith ’65 Readers: JC Snead ’68, Jamie Rogers ’85, Zach Gilstrap ’18

Recipient: Scott Hunt Finalists: Sherri Darver, Dan Northcut ’81 Alumni Service Medal recipient: Robert Feldman ’65 Young Alumni Service Citation recipient: Drew Nicholas ’09

Around the Quad

Birdies, trophies and Lions

Sights from the Alumni Golf Tournament, April 20 and a surprise visit by the Lombardi Trophy April 21.

HITTING THE LINKS. Arish Gupta ’03, Chase Park ’03, Trip Neil ’03 and Chad Bailey ’03 (above) celebrate a clutch putt. Jim Moran ’01 (left) hits a drive down the fairway.

VICTORY. Upper Schoolers (above) pose with the Lombardi Trophy, courtesy of Kansas City Chiefs, Clark Hunt ’83 and Dan Hunt ’96.

Clark Hunt ’83 (left) visits with Gio Lincon ’13.

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A lasting

impact

Two alumni, Lee Smith ’65 and Dr. David Vanderpool ’78, shared their stories with the community April 21; Smith gave a homily at Alumni Chapel and Vanderpool spoke at Upper School Assembly.

“My life and your life are not defined by the negativity of others — about what we don’t have. Instead, our life journey is defined by making the most of what we do have.” — Lee Smith ’65 HISTORIC. Smith (left) delivered an inspiring message to the community, reflecting on his experience as the School’s first Black graduate. Below, Eugene McDermott Headmaster David Dini presents Smith the Lee S. Smith ’65 Courage & Honor Award named after him.

REUNITED. Left, alumni and family join the Upper School in singing the opening hymn. Above, Rocky Morton ’68 socializes with a fellow alumnus before the service.

Around the Quad

CHAT. Before their conversation for an audience of Upper Schoolers, Dr. David Vanderpool ’78 and moderator Aadi Khasgiwala ’23 share a few words.

“Perhaps you could work at a homeless shelter or a nutritional center.

You can absolutely go out and change somebody’s world.

But to change the world, you’ve got to start with one. And before you start with one, you’ve got to know their name.”

— Dr. David Vanderpool ’78

TALKING CHANGE. During Upper School Assembly, Aadi Khasgiwala ’23 sat down with Vanderpool, the inaugural Lee S. Smith ’65 Courage & Honor Award recipient, to discuss Vanderpool’s experience as a humanitarian and what students can do to help shape the future.

CATCHING UP. Following the assembly, Kayden Zhong ’26 asks Vanderpool about his work in Haiti, where Vanderpool moved his family and stationed one of the bases for his organization, LiveBeyond.

2 6, 27 TH E P R I DE M AG A ZI N E | FA LL 202 3 ALUMNI WEEKEND | SPRING ALUMNI DINNER

a

night to remember

The Spring Alumni Dinner gathered hundreds of alumni and guests, along with current and former faculty the night of April 21. The event honored several alumni and faculty for their various contributions to the St. Mark’s community.

EXPANSIVE. Filling the Great Hall to capacity, the annual Spring Alumni Dinner offered alums spanning nine decades the opportunity to reconnect and recognize awards recipients for Lee S. Smith ’65 Courage & Honor Award

Alumni Service Medal The St. Mark’s Alumni Service Medal recognizes extended, outstanding service to the School. The award is presented each year to an alumnus.

The Lee S. Smith ’65 Courage & Honor Award recognizes an alumnus of the St. Mark’s community who demonstrates courage, honor, perseverance and justice, in the communities to which they belong by using his voice and actions to affect measurable change to elevate humanity.

2023 Robert Feldman ’65

Robert Feldman ’65

2023 Dr. David Vanderpool ’78, the first recipient, who was cited for his humanitarian work in Haiti.

Dr. David Vanderpool ’78

Drew Nicholas ’09

Young Alumni Service Citation Recognizes outstanding achievements by individuals up to their 15th reunion, in promoting the School through volunteer support of such organizations as the Alumni Association, alumni clubs, career networking programs, class reunions, fundraising, and student recruitment.

2023 Drew Nicholas ’09

Around the Quad

OLD AND EVER NEW. Sandy Campbell ’76, president of the Alumni Association (above left), addresses the crowd at the Spring Alumni Dinner. Davis Cable ’78 (above) visits with fellow alums.

RECEPTION. Guests (left), including former teacher Joe Milliet, mingled before moving to the dinner and awards ceremony in the Great Hall.

their contributions to the School.

The Ralph B. Rogers Alumni Award The Ralph B. Rogers Alumni Award is given annually to a teacher or staff member of St. Mark’s School of Texas who has made an important and pioneering contribution to the mission of the School and the School community. This contribution may be in any arena including academic, athletic, and extracurricular efforts that enhance St. Mark’s relationship with the community. “Contributions,” as defined by this award, will specifically exclude contributions made by teachers in the realm of teaching as described by the Murrell Excellence-in-Teaching Award. Contributions are meant to be initiatives taken outside of the confines of the individual’s job description that extend the bounds of the learning experience for St. Mark’s students either inside or outside of the classroom.

Award Recipient. Arnold E. Holtberg Master Teaching Chair Scott Hunt

Finalist. Director of Environmental Studies Dan Northcut ’81

Finalist. Head of Lower School Sherri Darver

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Reconnection Alumni from class years ending in 3 and 8 ended the weekend with class reunions.

CLASS OF 1963

CLASS OF 1968

CLASS OF 1973

CLASS OF 1978

CLASS OF 1983

CLASS OF 1988

Around the Quad

CLASS OF 1993

CLASS OF 1998

CLASS OF 2003

13

CLASS OF 2008

CLASS OF 2013

CLASS OF 2018

PARENTS’ REUNION

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Marksman Athletic Complex groundbreaking ceremony: making history Remarks...

Carl Sewell III ’02 Chair, Athletic Complex Planning Committee: “Those varsity football players practicing behind us there remind me that athletics do so much to bring our boys together. Today, we break ground on the single largest construction project in the 117-year history of our School, a facility that will impact our boys for generations to come and build upon our whole-boy mission that we live and strive for every single day.”

David W. Dini Eugene McDermott Headmaster: “This is a story of resilience and of seeing this community come together. My message here is one simply of gratitude to the families, the donors, the individuals who have come forward to make today possible. Thank you for your partnership and investment in the future of athletics and the meaningful relationships and lifechanging experiences that occur in athletics every day.”

Sean Lissemore Director of Athletics: “These past few years have challenged our community in so many ways, and this new complex will be a shining testament to the incredible strength, perseverance and unity of St. Mark’s School of Texas. A tornado and a global pandemic may have shaken our community, but one thing’s for sure: you can never keep a Marksman down. Our boys responded to all these challenges with the integrity, resilience, and character that we strive to instill in this institution. And they demonstrate the qualities of leadership that are foundational to the mission of the School.”

Around the Quad

On Tuesday, May 9, 2023, St. Mark’s ushered in a new era of athletics as the School broke ground on the Marksman Athletic Complex. The ceremony took place just steps from the former site of Hicks Gym, which was destroyed in a tornado that struck campus in October 2019. Now, following careful planning and preparation, work has begun on a facility that will substantially enhance what was lost.

TURNING THE DIRT. Chair of the Athletic Complex Planning Committee Carl Sewell III ’02, Director of Athletics Sean Lissemore, Student Council President Salmaan Hussain ’23, Dallas Mayor and parent Eric Johnson, President of the Board of Trustees Jeff Hillier ’76, and Eugene McDermott Headmaster David Dini do the honors of shoveling the first mounds of soil.

RENDERINGS. The architect’s illustration of the Marksman Athletic Complex, with the Albert G. Hill, Sr. Family Tennis Center to the north of the new multipurpose building.

OFFICIAL. Trustee Beau Harbour ’01 visits with other groundbreaking attendees.

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Made by a Marksman

A collection of student creations across campus.

Senior’s passion project is a testament to a strong St. Mark’s community.

D “A memorable quote from one of my interviews is that ‘not having all the answers is okay.’”

—SVANIK JAIKUMAR ’23

uring Upper School, many Marksmen begin to ask themselves, ‘What do I want to be when I grow up?’ For Svanik Jaikumar ’23, this journey began in earnest when a family friend inquired about his future plans.

“One day my friend’s mom asked me if I am going to be a doctor like my mom. I shrugged my shoulders and said, ‘Probably.’ Later that day in the car, I started a conversation about this with my parents.”

The passing question set Jaikumar on a long-term journey of discovery. As he considered different career options, Svanik began interviewing St. Mark’s alumni and parents across different professions.

“After I started talking to a few experts in various fields, I decided to share the details I came across in my interviews with other high schoolers like me,” he said.

THE PROJECT BECAME a website:

Pathfinder101.com. As Jaikumar conducted interviews, he posted them online. Each conversation is presented as a podcast, accompanied by a short written overview. They include a description of the job, required education and responsibilities, compensation

details and a ‘day in the life’ in that profession.

Jaikumar was pleasantly surprised by the support he received from the many alumni who helped him along his journey.

“I have always heard of the strength of the alumni network, but through this project, I was able to witness this firsthand,” he said. “I was able to reach out to six decades of St. Mark’s alumni in various fields to get their perspectives and advice. Each alumnus I spoke to was very sincere and eager to help.”

JAIKUMAR HOPES THE website can be a

tool for high school students who are trying to narrow down their list of college majors.

“Many of the guests I had spoken to tried multiple careers before settling into one; a few even think that they might switch to something else in the future,” he said. “A memorable quote from one of my interviews is that ‘not having all the answers is okay.’”

After graduating from St. Mark’s in May, Jaikumar began his freshman year at the University of Pennsylvania.

Now, Jaikumar hopes that his project will help younger Marksmen explore their options and ultimately find the path that is right for them.

RESOURCEFUL. Jaikumar hopes his website will act as a resource for Marksmen.

Around the Quad

These Pathfinder 101 episodes give Marksmen firsthand insight into different career paths EPISODE 44:

Music Composer, Performer & Teacher Gary Boren ’73 EPISODE 43:

Orthodontist & Pediatrician

EPISODE 33:

Trader and Managing Director in Investment Banking Jay Sarkar ’91 EPISODE 32:

EPISODE 23:

Chief Curator

Jon Gross ’77

Jed Morse ’90

EPISODE 22:

EPISODE 10:

Insurance Agent Jeff Stager ’80

Dr. A. J. Ortega ’93 & Dr. Lauren Ortega

Navy SEAL Platoon Commander & Entrepreneur

EPISODE 42:

Bradley Hicks ’04

Hayden Wolf ’11

EPISODE 31:

EPISODE 20:

Neuroradiologist Dr. Forrest Lensing ’99

EPISODE 21:

Agriculture Technology

EPISODE 41:

Patent Examiner, U.S. Department of Commerce

Ken Hersh ’81

Dr. Carlos Barcena ’97

EPISODE 19:

EPISODE 40:

EPISODE 30:

Tower Cook ’12

CEO & President

Psychological Services Dr. Gabriela Reed EPISODE 39

Chaplain Rev. Stephen Arbogast EPISODE 38

Casting Director Josh Einsohn ’90 EPISODE 37:

Electronic Warfare Brenden Frerck ’08 EPISODE 36:

Nurse Practitioner Leticia Khosama EPISODE 35:

Project Management, IT Paige Myers EPISODE 34:

Head of School – St. Stephen’s Episcopal School Chris Gunnin ’90

Teacher, History & Social Sciences Department Chair David Fisher EPISODE 29:

Pastor

Bill Searight ’97 EPISODE 28:

Director of Finance Chase Park ’03

CEO and Producer Doug Mankoff ’81

Lieutenant, U.S. Navy EPISODE 18:

Senior Intelligence Office – USSOCOM Matthew Forrester ’93 EPISODE 17:

CIO and CISO Matt McBride ’76 EPISODE 16:

IT Consultant Will Moor ’13

EPISODE 27:

VP of Acquisitions, Data Centers & Digital Infrastructure Scott Jacobs ’05 EPISODE 26:

Entrepreneur, Investor & Board Member Jon Langbert ’83 EPISODE 25:

Ophthalmologist Dr. Zev Shulkin ’98 EPISODE 24:

Project Manager/ Civil Engineer Phillip Osborn ’14

EPISODE 11:

Geophysicist

EPISODE 15:

Entrepreneur, Business Consulting & Strategy Planning Mitchell Muncy ’86 EPISODE 14:

Entrepreneur, IT Brannin McBee ’04 EPISODE 13:

Mechanical/Aerospace Engineer Mike Norman ’02 EPISODE 9:

Financial Advisor Gil Cassagne ’11 EPISODE 8:

Film Writer/Director Kurt Voelker ’85 EPISODE 7

Product Manager JB Sharp ’08 EPISODE 6:

Entrepreneur at Advertising Agency Kace Phillips ’04 EPISODE 5:

Entrepreneur Peyton Randolph ’11 EPISODE 4:

Business Development & Management Consulting Peter McKenzie ’79 EPISODE 3:

Finance & Accounting Consultant Jay Smith ’92 EPISODE 2:

Product Management Nate Wilhite ’98

Entrepreneur, Commercial Real Estate

EPISODE 1:

Nick Cassavechia ’04

Travis Primm ’08

EPISODE 12:

Physician Assistant Ms. Sharon Joshua

Game Developer

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Conversations

Around the Harkness table Relationships deepen and viewpoints broaden through intense diplomatic and military discussions in and out of the classroom motivated by hearing from those who lived through it.

B

ringing together generals, SEALs, State Department officials, Rangers, combat cameramen and Hockadaisies, the senior elective, “A History of Special Operations” provides savvy perspectives while fostering productive conversations well beyond the scope of the class.

“The combination of speakers, the history of special operations and current events, it’s everything I wanted in a class,” said Jack Gordy ’23.

Starting in 2017, the ‘Spec Ops’ class investigates post-World War II American military and diplomatic history, particularly the use of special operation forces such as SEAL teams and Green Berets as a tool of state power.

“It’s different than any course I’ve taken because there are no tests or major assignments,” said Jack Cohen ’23. “So, when you go to class, you don’t have to worry about that. You can just sit back and have a conversation.”

INSIGHT. Various speakers who visited class during the past school year (clockwise from top left): Ned Price ’01, Christopher Cassidy and Victor Vescovo ’84.

Conversations

FROM THE SOURCE

A huge draw to the class is the myriad guests history and social sciences teacher Michele Santosuosso brings in to present and engage directly with students. They provide a broad perspective of experience and insight from high-level multinational military planners to infantry soldiers on the ground to veterans of World War II and fighter pilots of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).

“It’s easy to look at history as depersonalized facts, events and dates, but it’s a conglomeration of the stories of those who come before us,” Winston Lee ’23 said. “Hearing the narratives directly from those individuals helps to realize that.”

Guests often left a distinct impression on students.

“It seemed like every time we’d have a speaker, we’d say, ‘That’s the coolest guy we ever met,’ and then two days later, there’s another one,” Cohen said.

The class receives a brief biography of each speaker a few days before their presentation. When speakers arrive, they talk about their experiences, sometimes accompanied by a slideshow, a question-and-answer session or even a sing-along.

Don Graves, a World War II combat veteran who provided a quickly vanishing perspective of the Battle of Iwo Jima, led the class in singing God Bless America after his presentation.

“It is crazy to think that at the same age as us, Mr. Graves was at Iwo Jima with a flamethrower on his back,” Lee said.

The variety of guests kept the students fully engaged.

“Every time a speaker would come in they had an interesting backstory,” Gordy said. “They all have different personalities; some are super aggressive and in your face. Some are low-key; they say what’s on their slide and let us talk about it.”

‘I actually try and get in the other person’s head to understand where they’re coming from.

Even if I disagree, I know why they’re saying this and that makes it a lot easier to go forward.’

A PLACE TO DEBATE

Real-world dilemmas with no clear correct answer often fuel spirited debates among the Upper Schoolers. The discussions routinely challenge students’ beliefs and provide an avenue to engage in civil discourse.

“Questions like ‘Would you torture this person or their family to get information?’ Everyone had to say what they would do, and a couple of kids starkly disagreed,” George Genender ’23 said. “There were a lot of conversations that I probably wouldn’t feel comfortable giving my opinion on in other classrooms, but when you’re in Spec Ops, it’s totally transparent. It’s a different environment; when you walk out, everyone’s friends, but once you’re in the class, there’s no judging; everything’s fully transparent.”

— GEORGE GENENDER ’23

Continued, next page

HOCKADAY STUDENTS JOIN IN CLASSROOM DISCUSSIONS

T

wenty senior Marksmen took their seats in Nearburg Hall, ready to play their roles as part of a mock national security council meeting in Michele Santosuosso’s history of special operations class. Only this time, 20 Hockaday students would be joining them.

“Football games and dances are fun, but this opportunity allowed students to engage in an academic setting,” Santosuosso said. “Most (if not all) will attend a co-education college/university.

Engaging in civil discourse with young women is essential to growing up.”

Marksmen hosted the ‘Daisies’ at lunch in the Great Hall before attending Santosuosso’s class. Tables were oriented in a large square allowing students to face one another during class while taking on various advisory roles within the mock security council. The Daisies and Lions debated how best to respond, or not, to a pretend international situation, providing differing perspectives, forecasting outcomes and proposing solutions.

This cherished collaboration between the two schools has existed since Hockaday’s founding in 1913, by supporting one another’s academic, artistic, athletic and social efforts. For many years, Upper School co-ed classes were routine until class schedules no longer aligned. Today, collaboration involves a broad range of events and the occasional co-ed class, including performing arts productions, athletics, cheerleading, pep rallies, socials and community service projects.

“My favorite part of the visit to St. Mark’s was the welcoming environment,” said Hockaday senior Charlie Hamilton. “I was anxious leading up to the mock security council meeting as I knew little about covert or military operations in general—the subject of our discussion. Despite this, the boys and teachers at St. Mark’s ensured that we all felt comfortable sharing our opinions and always offered context and background on topics when needed. Consequently, I left that day with both newfound knowledge and confidence.”

3 6, 37 T H E P R I DE M AG A ZI N E | FA LL 202 3 Continued from previous page

‘The combination of speakers, the history of special operations and current events, it’s everything I wanted in a class.’

— JACK GORDY ’23

PRIDE. Don Graves leads the class in singing God Bless America.

One of the initial class deliberations involved the question of ‘What holds more significant value in war: the human mind or technology?’ Students debated throughout most of the year and only came to unanimity once a guest speaker provided his own perspective.

“I’m pretty sure I said technology at first because you could have a million soldiers, but one nuclear bomb could be more powerful,” Cohen said. “Then, at the end of the year, Victor Vescovo ’84 came in and wasn’t even a part of this discussion plan. He just came in to talk to us, and he started out saying humans run a war and that it was human 100%. There were a lot of times where I strongly believed in something, and then we debate and one of my friends would come up with an intellectual argument or find some crazy source and I then found myself defending his side.”

Students were able to understand how to respect other people’s opinions.

“I actually try and get in the other person’s head to understand where they’re coming from,” Genender said. “I think that’s maybe one of the best skills I’ve ever picked up in my life. Even if I disagree, I know why they’re saying this and that makes it a lot easier to go forward.”

Sometimes, opinions were changed.

“It’s easy to have someone influence your ideas when you’re in there too, because a lot of the time I’ll go in there with my own idea that I believe and then someone else says something new that I did not know, and I switch over to the other side,” said Gordy. “In that class, I can really say what I want to say.”

Genender related these deliberations to other activities on campus.

“If you’re out on the football field, and you’re playing, you got to be aware of everything that’s happening,” Genender said. “You make one wrong move, and that’s going to have a consequence. It’s just like that when we’re having these debates. You love the guys you’re competing against, but by all means, I’m going to win. But it’s also not just that. Here, it’s idea versus idea.”

DEEPER RELATIONSHIPS

The authentic discussions help Marksmen develop vital communication skills fostering more profound relationships. Students use these abilities across campus and beyond.

“One time for lunch, George [Genender] and I went to Chipotle just to talk because we were ‘going at it’ in Spec Ops class,” Gordy said. “That turned into a weekly ritual …where we would talk to each other about life. I think that’s partially due to the debates we had and the environment and atmosphere we created together. We really grew in there as friends because it’s more than just a class.”

The class broadened discussions with peers.

“I actually have a lot more intellectual conversations with my friends,” Cohen said. “Sometimes we’ll just come out of class and talk for an

hour about some political thing or some economic thing. I never really did that before this class, but it’s just because it’s so natural in there.”

One other benefit of the dialogue in class was bringing students together who wouldn’t normally have meaningful conversations.

“We were at a crawfish boil and I’m sitting down next to Trey Stager ’23 talking about the Lakers and that spilled into talking about the next four years,” Genender said. “Things I feel like my 18-year-old self would not have genuinely asked without this class.

Before this class I did not know Trey well at all since he came in the second semester. It’s been three months and I feel like I’ve known this guy my whole life now.”

The value “A History of Special Operations,” provides students goes well beyond a history lesson. The

‘We really grew in there as friends because it’s more than just a class.’

— JACK GORDY ’23

Conversations

RECENT GUEST SPEAKERS

‘I actually have a lot more intellectual conversations with my friends.’

— JACK COHEN ’23

William Atkinson ’95 DOD contractor.

Mattie Boyd Soldier and human intelligence specialist.

Louis W. Bremer Navy SEAL and Homeland Security Council staff.

Christopher Cassidy Navy SEAL, astronaut and OEF veteran.

PERSPECTIVE. Combat cameraman, Jeremy Lock, talks about his experiences documenting combat overseas.

The Honorable Allen B. Clark Green Beret and Vietnam veteran.

Drew Combs Green Beret, OIF and OEF veteran.

experience of interacting directly with those who have lived through what you are studying and creating a safe place for meaningful debate can be transformational, particularly for young men on the cusp of adulthood. The course provides a consistent opportunity to see other perspectives and practice introspection, inspiring who they will become and how they want to shape the future for us all.

“I left that class with more maturity and a more open perspective in every aspect of my life,” Gordy said. “I could not have asked for a better class to take as a senior.”

Don Graves Marine, Battle of Iwo Jima and WWII veteran.

Brad Gresham Navy SEAL, OEF and OIF veteran.

Tom M. Hudgins Green Beret, OIF and OEF veteran.

Jeremy Lock Combat Cameraman and OIF veteran.

Marshall Miles OEF and HOA veteran.

Travis W. Mills Green Beret, MACVSOG and Vietnam veteran.

Scott Moore OIF and OEF veteran and St. Mark’s Associate Director of Communications.

Ned Price ’01 Former CIA analyst, National Security Council official and spokesman for the U.S. State Department.

Gene Pugh Green Beret, MACVSOG and Vietnam veteran.

Dr. Mervyn Roberts OEF veteran and psychological operations warfare expert.

Lieutenant General Steven Shepro (Ret.) OIF and OEF veteran, Joint Chiefs of Staff official and Deputy Chairman of the NATO Military Committee.

Karren Tony Uglunts Former Soviet soldier and Cold War veteran.

Victor Vescovo ’84 Navy intelligence veteran.

Michael B. Wisenbaker, Jr. ’93 Fighter pilot and OIF veteran.

HANDS ON. The class poses for a photo after conducting a mock meeting of national security officials in the Debate Chamber at Old Parkland.

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First person

Computer Science Department Chair Kurt Tholking on his new position.

‘We’re really focused on getting these boys prepared for any job and any major in college.’

Kurt Tholking recently assumed the role of Computer Science Department chair.

He shares his thoughts on how and why the School offers students opportunities to gain diverse computer skills ranging from keyboarding to programming.

We are hiring, and our hire will be teaching most of the Middle School classes, which will allow me to expand and focus more on the Upper School.

Next year my AP computer science A class will have 20 to 21 students, and I’ve had those numbers in my AP computer science principles class for many years. Now we can finally have two sections of the principles class and allow more boys to take it.

As boys are looking to take more computer science classes, we’re starting to offer more. We’re starting with an introduction to artificial intelligence (AI), which is a very hot topic right now. It will be a semester class.

While the classes in the Upper School are electives, computer science is one of the ‘specials’ in the Lower School, and courses are required in Middle School.

When we implemented the new schedule [in the 2020-2021 school year], we almost tripled the amount of computer science time for middle schoolers. Now we see them three times in the eight-day rotation.

‘As boys are looking to take more computer science classes, we’re starting to offer more.’

In February 2023, Kurt Tholking assumed the role of chair of the Computer Science Department, a position last held by the late Dean Baird, who retired in 2015.

Tholking’s colleagues in the department are computer science teachers Ivann Grande, Kendall Murphy and Aimee Whitaker, and Makerspace Director Stewart Mayer.

Tholking, who also coaches

basketball and lacrosse, has taught at St. Mark’s since 2012.

Goals for St. Mark’s IV, which was adopted in 2017, includes a directive to “expand the computer science curriculum in scope and sequence.”

It’s been a long time coming, but we’ve seen the enrollment stay steady throughout many years [in AP computer science offerings]. The School felt it was time to appoint a new chair and expand the program.

Computer science concepts aren’t limited to computer science courses.

Over the past several years we have integrated technology skills into other classes. While we cover the applications and how to use them, that’s one of the skills that is reinforced in other classes like humanities.

Murphy covers creating slide decks and presentation skills in fifth and sixth grade computer classes. I have eighth graders create and give presentations in computer class, and it is a skill we practice in my principles class as well.

Now, especially in the Upper School, science is closely tied.

Math uses technology a lot now.

Our band teacher’s going to be teaching a digital music class next year, and we’ve had digital art and photography.

Computer science is largely taught in a sequence until the Upper School. Computing concepts

Conversations

including computational thinking, proper foundations of keyboarding, the basics of digital citizenship, and even programming start in the Lower School.

In sixth grade they have moved from block-based coding to text-based coding. Murphy has them build a robot — or whatever they want. They put in little motors and program them to move and do things, and that gets them ready for seventh grade.

‘Ethics is a big part of my AI class this year, and digital citizenship is a big, big focus, especially with social media.’

The focus of seventh-grade computer science is building. There’s a programming component, and they build projects using Arduinos and make them move. It’s like a robotics class.

Then in the eighth-grade class we don’t build physical things. We build projects and applications, and that gets them ready for the Upper School. My eighth-grade curriculum is loosely based on the AP principles class, so the boys who have been here

through middle school are wellprepared to take that class.

Mayer does have an elective class for eighth graders for robotics because once we started offering that seventh-grade computer science class, we had kids who wanted to continue.

Tholking is participating in ongoing discussions about potentially adding a computer science graduation requirement.

If we have a requirement, we’ll have many other offerings. If we add a computer science component, it wouldn’t just be classes listed in the Computer Science Department. The information engineering class would fulfill that or maybe there’s a class we could offer in the Fine Arts Department that would fulfill that requirement.

The department aims to educate students to be successful, ethical and effective problem-solvers.

With computational thinking, one of the main things is problem-solving.

It’s not just how to solve the problem, but how do I tell the computer to solve the problem?

Ethics is a big part of my AI class and digital citizenship is a big, big focus, especially with social media. Dr. Gabby [Reed, director of Marksmen Wellness] talks with the boys a lot about limiting social media use, and for many years we’ve given presentations in the Middle School about digital footprints. Especially with the character and leadership here at St. Mark’s, a big focus is having the boys understand that what they put online is no different than what they say in the hallways here.

Tholking has needed to do problem solving himself to keep up with a fast-moving field.

I don’t think I’ve taught the same thing in eighth grade computer science since I’ve been here. It’s always evolving and changing.

Jobs related to computer science are in demand, but even students who wish to pursue non-STEM jobs can benefit from exposure to its key concepts.

Computational thinking and

I don’t think I’ve taught the same thing in eighth-grade computer science since I’ve been here.

It’s always evolving and changing. knowing basic computer skills are a big part of any degree.

You can’t really get around a professional career without having to use a computer these days. In data science, you might have to program a little bit, but you need to know how to use Excel formulas and things like that. In financial fields, Excel formulas may be becoming obsolete, but my wife works in finance and she knows a lot more about Excel than I do. [Computers are] prolific in every career, every college major.

We’re really focused on getting these boys prepared for any job and any major in college.

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300 Words

Get to know some folks around campus — in exactly 300 words.

Never aspiring to be a superhero or professional athlete, Lauren Logan, Middle School mathematics teacher, wanted to be an educator since age five.

L

ogan was initially inspired by her first-grade teacher, Dawn Gilroy, whom she compares to the character ‘Mrs. Honey’ in the book Matilda.

“I wanted to be just like her,” Logan said. “I was fortunate to have her again in third grade and I am still close with her today.”

Logan continued to be encouraged by her teachers in and out of school.

“There is a wooden sign in my classroom that reads ‘Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars,’” Logan said. “A few years ago, when I was visiting my old elementary school, my sixthgrade teacher, Mrs. Taylor, told me she was retiring and walked over to the wall, took down the sign, and gave it to me.”

Born and raised in Encinitas, CA, Logan has long been drawn to St. Mark’s for its reputable education, broad opportunities for students and teachers and the impressive teacher retention rate.

“St. Mark’s was and is the dream job,” Logan said. “I unsuccessfully applied years ago for a Lower School position. Then, I earned a master’s degree in mathematics education, and applied again when I saw the opening for my current position, knowing I then had comparable experience and education as the other faculty.”

Along with teaching mathematics, Logan also coaches St. Mark’s JV volleyball.

“A men’s net is almost eight inches higher – I thought I dislocated my shoulder the first two weeks of practice,” Logan said. “I even needed a box to stand on for drills, and I’m tall for a female! Fast forward two months – no box needed, no sore arms – and the boys even noticed and complimented my progress!”

She was able to get a quick glimpse of the actor Matthew Perry, but Cheray Williams, accounts payable specialist, could not block out the roar of monster trucks echoing through Will Rogers Auditorium.

W

illiams was an extra in a Hollywood movie filming at the iconic Fort Worth complex. She discovered her love of performing in adulthood.

Williams always enjoyed attending shows, never venturing into the limelight until finally giving in to a friend’s persistent encouragement. She ended up landing the role of the ‘doo-wop’ character ‘Chiffon’ in a local production of the musical Little Shop of Horrors.

“She helped me discover the joy of performing,” Williams said. “I’m grateful and would not change a thing. That role was the only time my

mother was able to see me perform before she passed away, so it will always hold a special place in my heart.”

Several years ago Williams took a cruise that included a stop in Cozumel, Mexico. The port offered her the opportunity to check off one of her ‘bucket list’ items.

“I got to swim with a dolphin named Nala,” Williams said. “Moving through the water at ‘dolphin’ speed was exhilarating. I love animals, and found it very humbling to be that up close and personal with such a majestic creature.”

A Dallas native and graduate of Lake Highlands High School, Williams found her way to 10600 Preston Road through another friend who was working as a receptionist at St. Mark’s.

“She knew I was looking for a steady job, and one summer asked if I would be interested in covering for her in the afternoons so she could take a class,” Williams said. “Shortly after that, she decided to move to Missouri with her family. I was invited to take the position, and well… here we are!”

Conversations

A life lived within a close-knit community is a common thread for Admission officer Korey Mack ’00. “

English teachers only made an annual salary of $6,000 at that time so Lynne Schwartz, Trustee Master Teaching Chair in Humanities, was urged to change majors by her college professor.

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y first year of teaching at Life Charter School in Oak Cliff is the most interesting experience I have had in my life because for the first time, I lived and worked in the same community,” Mack said. “The ‘wholeness’ of that experience is memorable because I become more positively engaged in my community rather than a passive observer on my commute to other places for work and leisure.”

Born in Belflower, CA, Mack was raised by his grandparents in Oak Cliff. He later spent time growing up in the Northpark/Bluffview area of Dallas, Addison and Valley Ranch.

Attending St. Mark’s since first grade, Mack has many fond memories from his time at 10600 Preston Rd.

“It’s a tossup for my most significant memory at St. Mark’s between winning the SPC football championship in 1999 after going undefeated, 10-0, to beat our crosstown rival, the Greenhill Hornets on their field, and addressing my class and school community as Senior Class president at Commencement,” Mack said.

Dream job, S monster trucks, undefeated season and $6,000 per year.

chwartz heeded the warning and started careers in sales and retail management before having children.

“After staying home with the kids for a couple of years, I read an article in the newspaper about the Dallas Institute of Humanities’ classics program for teachers,” Schwartz said. “My long-ago desire to become an English teacher resurfaced, and I went back to school to be certified. Though it took me until I was 32 years old to find my vocation, once I had, I never looked back.”

LAUREN LOGAN Year Appointed: 2021 CHERAY WILLIAMS Year Appointed: 1995 KOREY MACK ’00 Year Appointed: 2016 LYNNE SCHWARTZ Year Appointed: 2000

Reflecting on speaking at his own Commencement, Mack said, “I remember Commencement in all its glory, patent leather shoes, white dinner jacket, cummerbund and all.

Though nervous, I took time to listen and thank the faculty and bid farewell to the retiring faculty during the address.”

Fellow alum, Francis Donald ’03, brought Mack back to campus in his current role.

“After a brief stint as a part-time assistant football and track coach in 2005 and 2006, I always dreamed about joining the faculty at St. Mark’s,” Mack said. “But I never envisioned a coffee conversation with a fellow Marksman in 2016 would turn into applying for a position in the Admission Office and subsequently being appointed Admission officer.”

After college she went on a tour of Europe.

“I got to see the places where writers I loved had lived and worked,” Schwartz said. “In London, I went to the place where my favorite writers of the 1890s gathered to read their poetry to one another; Ernest Dowson, Frances Thompson, Oscar Wilde, Aubrey Beardsley and W.B. Yeats. In Paris, I visited the locations

where Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce and other expatriate American writers lived and worked, including where Hemingway wrote most of The Sun Also Rises and where he and F. Scott Fitzgerald met to read Fitzgerald’s draft of The Great Gatsby.”

Schwartz taught at public schools for 14 years including Highland Park where her department chair was David Brown. Brown eventually took the role of English Department chair at St. Mark’s and had an opening he thought Schwartz would be perfect for.

“David urged me to apply for it and invited me to visit the campus for a day,” Schwartz said. “I fell in love with the school and the boys and was amazed and delighted when I was selected to fill the opening.”

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‘

We are extremely grateful to you for your thoughtfulness and your financial support to help our son have the opportunities of a wonderful education, discipline and a path to follow in his adulthood. Because of this opportunity, it affords our son the ability to do something with his life. We are so excited to say that he will be studying engineering. I am not sure that this would be possible without this opportunity that you have provided him. Thank you! I hope after reading this letter you feel the impact of your kindness and understand the importance of your help.

Excerpt of a letter from a proud and grateful parent, received by the Office of Development and Alumni Relations

Cover story

Seven Marksmen reflect on the transformative power of St. Mark’s. Coming from different backgrounds, once they stepped onto campus, the trajectories of their lives were forever changed. a firm foundation

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“What it (St. Mark’s) helped me to do was not to give up, to aspire, to succeed and to go to college.”

Cover story

Already working professionally as a furniture refinisher with his family in Corpus Christi, Tony Diaz ’52 entered St. Mark’s in 1950 as a sophomore through the recommendation and support of a customer and family friend.

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did some (refinishing) work for Mrs. Mary Lou Locher and her neighbors,” Diaz said. “She was impressed that I was working at a very young age. Her son, David Locher, went to St. Mark’s, and she asked if I was interested in going too. I had no idea there was a St. Mark’s. I said, ‘Well, yeah, I’d be happy to,’ and she got me a scholarship. She had such a high influence impacting my life.” Diaz was a boarding student while at St. Mark’s, and continued his refinishing work with the School and for families in the community.

His strong work ethic also translated into the classroom, graduating a year early. “

“I went to night school and summer school, so I graduated a year early,” Diaz said.

Diaz was heavily involved in extracurriculars, being a tri-captain of the football team, playing baseball, soccer, running track, serving as vice president of the Student Council, art editor of the

Marksmen, member of the History Club, social committee, Letterman’s Club and performing in the play, “Heaven Can Wait,” his senior year.

“What it (St. Mark’s) helped me to do was not to give up, to aspire, to succeed and to go to college,” Diaz said. “There was no question that I would go to college.”

Coming from modest means, Diaz returned home upon graduation to continue helping provide for his family, working during the day and attending college classes at night and during summers. He earned his associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s and then a doctorate in education.

Since 1958, Diaz devoted his professional life to education. He was a teacher, assistant principal and principal and held numerous administrative positions within Corpus Christi ISD. He also served as an adjunct professorship at a local university. He has earned ‘Educator’ and ‘Administrator of the Year’ awards during his tenure. Diaz was elected to the school board in 2008, then elected to serve as a trustee in 2014, holding the position of assistant secretary until retiring in 2021. Diaz also served 24 years in the Naval Reserve, including a deployment to Vietnam.

“All the families and the teachers (at St. Mark’s) had a tremendous impact on my life,” Diaz said.

“Failure was not an option.”

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Dick Evans ’57 arrived at 10600 Preston Road as a sophomore from the Millersburg Military Institute in Kentucky in 1953.

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he family moved to Dallas for employment opportunities.

Evans’s mother learned about St. Mark’s through a chance conversation with their new Dallas landlady.

“The landlady said I ought to know about St. Mark’s, and my mother said, ‘Oh, we can’t afford that,’” said Evans. “I think the tuition was $1,000 a year, and the boarding was another $1,000. My mother’s landlady said ‘Why doesn’t he apply for a scholarship at St. Mark’s?’ So, Mom said, ‘Okay, great, we’ll do that.’”

St. Mark’s ended up being a refuge for Evans.

His father had been killed in pilot training during World War II, and he had a complicated relationship with his stepfather.

“Headmaster Iglehart was a very kind man,” Evans said. “Everybody was kind. I was in the dorms there for three years. The first summer I was there, I couldn’t go home because of my stepfather.

They (the School) were kind enough to offer me a job on the janitorial staff so I could stay at St. Mark’s over the summer, which I did, and then the next summer.”

After Commencement and a short stint as a St. Mark’s bus driver, Evans received a full scholarship to attend SMU, where he met his wife, Annette.

Evans completed a degree in comparative literature.

He and his wife later earned master’s and PhDs in the humanities, teaching at SMU and the University of Massachusetts.

“In 1984, we were just not making enough money,” Evans said. “We applied to a program at the University of Virginia for retraining humanities PhDs in the business world.”

Annette entered computing, and Dick focused on the banking and brokerage industry.

“We moved back to Texas, and she (Annette) went to work for UTSA in IT, and I went to work for Merrill Lynch in San Antonio,” Evans said. “We stayed there until we retired.”

Not one to stay idle, at 75, Evans found himself in a familiar position, student. He applied to the PhD program at the University of Bristol in England.

David Rodes ’57, his good friend and roommate during his senior year at St. Mark’s, wrote him a letter of recommendation.

“How do you call somebody after 65 years and say, ‘Would you write me a recommendation?,’” Evans said.

Reflecting on St. Mark’s impact on his life, Evans said, “I would have been crippled by not having decent math and decent language. I don’t know where I would have ended up, but it certainly wouldn’t have been at SMU on scholarship. St. Mark’s meant I had a real education because I was more than prepared for SMU. And, I wouldn’t have met my wife.”

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“St. Mark’s meant I had a real education because I was

more than prepared for SMU. And, I wouldn’t have met my wife.”

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“The St. Mark’s experience and the community itself is priceless.”

Cover story

Casey McManemin ’79 credits his good fortune to a series of advocates, including his mother and his elementary school teacher. This support proved critical during significant challenges in his childhood.

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is father died of polio when McManemin was 10, leaving his mom to raise and provide for three boys alone. The family eventually lost their house. Amid the turmoil, a teacher at McManemin’s elementary school recognized his talent in math and encouraged him to apply to St. Mark’s.

“My mom replied, ‘Are you kidding? I can barely put food on the table,’” McManemin said. “My teacher then mentioned St. Mark’s has a scholarship program. When I got home that afternoon, my mom grabbed me by the ear and dragged me to St. Mark’s and said, ‘This is my son, and he deserves the opportunity to take the test.’”

On his first day at St. Mark’s, McMenamin found another advocate in fellow Marksman Brad Urschel ’79.

“I meet all these guys, and this one guy comes up and says, ‘Hi, I’m Brad, and I’m going to be your buddy, okay,’” McManemin recalled. “And next thing I know, he’s running around introducing me to all these people and all these teachers. That was an amazing beginning.”

Urschel invited him to his house after school, introducing McManemin to several St. Mark’s families who warmly welcomed him. The sense of community and familial aspect was powerful.

Since McManemin’s mother worked long hours to support her family, the community stepped in to help with his commute.

“When I lived quite away from campus, people would give me a ride home or take me to a bus stop,” McManemin said. “Some of those parents would call my mom and say that I could spend the night with

their son during the week from time to time. Then, somebody helped my mom buy a very small house that was close enough so I could ride my bike to school.”

While a member of the Lions soccer team, McManemin was asked by his coaches to play a position he initially thought he was not the right fit for.

“The coach said, ‘I want you to be middle half,’ and I replied, ‘I can’t do that, you have to be fast,’” McManemin said. “The coach responded, ‘We need you to be in the middle because you’re the leader.’

It was the first time I’d heard anybody call me a leader. Today, it’s not that I remember playing soccer.

I remember having somebody say that I had the potential to be a leader as a young man.”

The St. Mark’s community again rallied around the McManemin family when his brother, Mike, was murdered in 1994.

“I remember the day I drove back home at about 11 p.m., and there were so many cars at my house,” McManemin said. “I walked into the house, and 20 to 25 Marksmen were there. To know there were people to say, ‘We love you.’ I will never forget that.”

After graduating, McManemin attended Texas A&M, majoring in petroleum engineering. He found success professionally by being able to effectively communicate mathematically in a business setting. This ability he largely attributes to what he learned at St. Mark’s. His appreciation for the School motivates him to also support its present efforts, including currently serving as a member of the St. Mark’s Board of Trustees.

“I want to contribute because I was one of those kids who benefited from not the campus, not the buildings, not how much money we have or anything, but because the community is comprehensive,” McManemin said.

“The St. Mark’s experience and the community itself is priceless. It will take me through to the end.”

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The path to 10600 Preston Road required a long commute with several bus stops for Otis Jennings ’90.

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t the time, the Boys and Girls Club provided bus services for kids from Oak Cliff and south Dallas to private schools on the north side of town,” Jennings said. “In fact, our current mayor [and current St. Mark’s parent], Eric Johnson, was one of the people who rode these buses. But, if I wanted to go to Math Club in the morning, I’d have to get up earlier, catch the city bus, transfer downtown and get to school so I could train with my math teammates.

People would get to school however they needed to because the opportunity was worth it.” “

Jennings first heard about St. Mark’s while competing in a statewide middle school math competition. After qualifying regionally, he and his team from Alex W. Spence Middle School, a DISD magnet school, competed at the state level in Austin.

Jennings won third individually, and his team won second, losing to St. Mark’s in the finals.

“So, I knew St. Mark’s and I knew that it was producing competition that was beating me,” Jennings said.

His English teacher approached him later about applying to St. Mark’s after being contacted by Evans Mank, a St. Mark’s faculty member who also recruited students citywide. Jennings was eager to take advantage of the opportunity.

“The prospect of going to St. Mark’s and getting access to the teachers that developed the talent that had been beating me, that was exciting,” Jennings said. “I’m going to get their coaches and their resources? Yes, sign me up.”

Jennings applied in his eighth-grade year and was accepted. The School also addressed the financial concerns he and his family had.

“Our financial aid package was incredibly generous my freshman year,” Jennings said. “We

pretty much didn’t have to pay anything.”

Jennings thrived at St. Mark’s as a scholar and an athlete. He was involved in track & field and football, being a co-captain his senior year. His family’s finances improved, which impacted his financial aid offering.

“By the time senior year came around, my financial aid package was smaller, and I had two sisters in college with the prospect of me going to college next,” Jennings said. “We thought about pulling me out of St. Mark’s. We decided to tighten our belts, I worked that summer and did without in certain respects and I stayed.”

Jennings later attended Princeton University for his bachelor’s in civil engineering, where he drew from lessons he had learned at St. Mark’s.

“When I first visited Princeton, the most important meeting for me was with the admission and financial aid offices,” Jennings said. “They laid out what our family contribution would be, and I pointed at the component that was a loan that my parents would have to take out. I said, ‘I don’t want my parents to have to take out loans for me to go to Princeton.’ They pulled out a red pen and scratched it out. St. Mark’s taught me that negotiations happen on the front end.”

Jennings later earned a master’s degree and PhD from Georgia Institute of Technology in industrial engineering with an emphasis on applied probability.

He is currently the senior director of data science at Elicit LLC, a marketing and advertising company specializing in big data and customer analytics services. He maintains strong connections to St. Mark’s, having served on the Alumni Board, as a guest speaker and lecturer and currently serving as a member of the St. Mark’s Board of Trustees.

“As a student, I knew that St. Mark’s was trying to accommodate many families, not just mine,” Jennings said. “Today, I want the School to not be afraid on the front end of the pipeline and to be a little bolder in inviting people to apply. The only way we can do that is to have the resources available to them once they gain admission. We could have lost me, but we can extend further if we have more resources.”

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“The prospect of going to St. Mark’s and getting access to the teachers that developed the talent

that had been beating me, that was exciting.”

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“St. Mark’s taught me how to set goals and how to achieve them, and

the importance of community service and giving back to the community.”

Cover story

Education was always a priority in the Manzanares household. A gifted student at K.B. Polk Elementary in Dallas, the journey Manny Manzanares ’08 took to 10600 Preston Road, started with the recommendation of his fourthgrade teacher to apply to St. Mark’s.

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is parents immediately thought the opportunity was not financially realistic.

“She [his teacher] encouraged them to go and have me at least take the entrance exam,” Manzanares said. “As soon as my parents saw that their kids could get an elite education through receiving financial aid, they took the opportunity.

Even though at the time my parents didn’t speak much English, the people in the Office of Admission and Financial Aid were absolutely wonderful and walked us through every step of the process. If I remember correctly, I even translated sometimes for them.”

His time on campus proved to be transformative.

“It’s hard to describe the impact that it had on me and my family,” Manzanares said. “The eight years I spent on campus instilled in me a love of learning, taught me to aim high and trained me to aspire for excellence in everything I do. I never would have dreamed of even applying to Ivy League-level schools had I not been at St. Mark’s.”

Manzanares keeps many fond St. Mark’s memories, such as working in The ReMarker room

with the newspaper staff, McDonald’s Week, playing mini soccer in the gym, touch football on campus and eating fried chicken on the bus ride home from Pecos “I still think it’s one of the best meals I’ve ever had,” Manzanares said.

He also gleaned multiple lessons that he still utilizes today.

“I learned the value of working diligently,” Manzanares said. “(St. Mark’s) taught me how to set goals and how to achieve them, and the importance of community service and giving back to the community.”

Manzanares earned a bachelor’s at Stanford, then an MBA at Rice. He currently works in energy finance within the risk management sector for Vistra Corp in Dallas. He also helps run his family’s remodeling business, MFM Remodeling LLC. Manzanares realizes the significance the generosity of the St. Mark’s community has had on his life.

“The impact of these gifts is not limited to just until the boys graduate,” Manzanares said.

“These contributions have a transformative effect on these boys’ entire lives. These gifts change the trajectories of their lives and their families’ lives. Soon after I started at St. Mark’s, my parents wanted the same opportunities for my little sister.

She applied to Lamplighter not long after and then transitioned to Hockaday. I am extremely grateful to everyone who made it possible for me to be a Marksman.”

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With the support and devotion of others, the third time was the charm for Victor Calvillo ’14 when applying to St. Mark’s.

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is fifth-grade public school science teacher first suggested he apply, but the young Calvillo had not heard of St. Mark’s and did not take the opportunity seriously, skipping the entrance exam. The following year, Calvillo again did not fully appreciate the opportunity, not completing the application process.

“As a fifth grader …I didn’t really care,” Calvillo said. “I didn’t know the St. Mark’s brand and what it has to offer.”

Not giving up, his science teacher contacted long-time St. Mark’s faculty member Evans Mank, who also focused on student recruitment. Mank’s persistence paid off by appealing directly to Calvillo’s mother, Emilia, during a visit accompanied by several Marksmen.

“My mom said, ‘Maybe you should go,’ so I said, ‘Okay, let’s do it,’” Calvillo said. “It’s probably one of the best decisions of my life.”

The transition from public school proved to be a drastic academic change for Calvillo. The advanced curriculum and faster pace required some getting used to.

“My first day at St. Mark’s with Mrs. Cindy Ferguson’s humanities class, she was going over the syllabus and how many books we were going to read,” Calvillo said. “I raised my hand, and I was like, ‘Did I hear that correctly?’ I struggled for the first couple months. She said, ‘It’s not an easy transition, you’re doing well, but sometimes you just have to get it done.’ I took note. Looking back, I’m glad she did that, because it would have taken longer if she would have babysat me. Things wouldn’t have worked out the way they did.”

St. Mark’s coaches and teachers continued to provide much-needed mentoring in his life.

“Different role models showed what you can possibly be,” Calvillo said. “I didn’t have any role models growing up before I got to St. Mark’s. I think that was one of the biggest things.”

Calvillo continued to benefit from lessons from

St. Mark’s teachers well into college in the Texas A&M business program.

“Joe Milliet was one of my favorite teachers at St. Mark’s,” Calvillo said. “I always took really good notes in his class. He told me to keep these, these are going to be useful in the future. My business calculus and other math classes that I took in college …I felt a little spoiled that I had Joe Milliet’s Algebra II or calculus notes in front of me.”

The support of others continued through his last year at St. Mark’s.

“I was on financial aid at St. Mark’s,” Calvillo said.

“I remember going into my senior year, and I went to make a tuition payment in the summer for the first month, and there was a letter that said, ‘your tuition for your senior year has been paid.’ To this day, I don’t know who paid that tuition for my senior year.”

The generosity continued to follow Calvillo to Texas A&M, where he earned a partial scholarship but grappled with how to afford the remainder. He was featured in a recent ReMarker article about the skyrocketing costs of college.

During a pre-college visit to College Station, Calvillo ran into his close friend, Mac Labhart ’14, and his family, including his father and former St. Mark’s football coach, Russell Labhart. During downtime, Mac’s mother, Mary-Tyler, mentioned reading the article.

“She said, ‘Russell and I saw the story in the newspaper, and we’d love to help out in whatever way we can,’” Calvillo said. “At the time, I didn’t want to be like, ‘Oh, my God, yes, we need all the help we can get.’

I ended up talking to them, and after the four years of college, they helped pay for my college education.”

Calvillo currently works as a senior associate on the finance team of a private oil and gas operator in Dallas. He makes a point of offering generosity to others.

“St. Mark’s alums or Marksmen currently in college will reach out to me and say, ‘I would love any advice or guidance?’ I’m like, ‘Let’s hop on the phone.’

I would never say ‘no’ to a Marksman because there are a lot of people who held my hand throughout my St. Mark’s career and in college, and just in life in general. The least I could do is do the same for them.”

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“I didn’t have any role models growing up before I got to St. Mark’s. I think that was one of the biggest things.”

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“I think i needed to graduate college to really have a

holistic reflection on what St. Mark’s did for me.”

Cover story

Entering in the seventh grade, Shane Ndeda’s ’19 father first heard about the School from colleagues and was enamored with the structure and organization. Ndeda is thankful for the academic and practical wisdom he honed at 10600 Preston Road.

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think a lot of what St. Mark’s offers, you don’t get to actually fully appreciate until you’re a couple of years out,” Ndeda said. “I think I needed to graduate college to really have a holistic reflection on what St. Mark’s did for me.” “

Successfully navigating the rigor of student life at St. Mark’s allowed Ndeda to experience college life more fully.

“I was able to take in the full breadth of the college experience because the academic burden wasn’t intense,” Ndeda said. “I didn’t revisit that level of stress until I was a junior in college.”

A member of the Lions varsity soccer team, Ndeda learned to balance multiple requirements and responsibilities. The emphasis on organization, discipline and being well-rounded formed behaviors and practices Ndeda still maintains.

“Having to both be a student and an athlete daily forces you not to be one-dimensional,” Ndeda said. “The small things that I think translate to the world that seem very simple and not important at the time. In my industry (corporate finance) and even in college, that was extremely useful.”

His final days at St. Mark’s provided some of the most enlightening lessons for Ndeda. Victor Vescovo ’84 was the Commencement speaker that

year and offered ’25 rules to live by’ in his speech – points Ndeda immediately took to heart.

“It was all things from mastering a complex game like chess, doing something for somebody else’s child, being a little elegant …serving your country,” Ndeda said. “It was so good that the leaders of our Senior Class wrote the 25 points down, had them framed and gave every single graduate a copy. I still have that copy to this day.

I honestly think he changed my life with that speech.”

Aside from a solid and rigorous academic background, the social and emotional intelligence he had developed marked him well in the University of Texas business program.

“The emotional maturity that you have when you leave St. Mark’s, this is what people don’t talk about,” Ndeda said. “I was a 19-year-old freshman in college, and I personally felt like I was making better decisions than seniors.”

Ndeda graduated from UT this past summer and works as an investment banker with JPMorgan Chase & Co. in New York City. Although the cultural change can sometimes be challenging, he stays true to the values he gleaned from 10600 Preston Road.

“I’m not letting the ‘New York life’ change who I am; still holding doors for people, asking them how their day is going,” Ndeda said. “That definitely came from high school. That came from the path to manhood.”

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Features

ALL WELL & GOOD Marksmen lead the conversation on mental health.

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imply put, the mission of St. Mark’s is to help boys thrive. Marksmen are expected to be outstanding students, artists and athletes. Expectations for success are high. But helping boys thrive goes well beyond traditional metrics for success. Test scores and championship trophies are clear achievements worthy of recognition. Teaching a boy to thrive, however, requires going deeper and forming a genuine relationship with each and every Marksman.

ANYONE WHO HAS encountered St. Mark’s knows that community is at the core of the experience. On any given day, the campus at 10600 Preston Road is filled with students, parents, teachers, staff, volunteers, grandparents, alumni and friends. Boys regularly refer to their classmates as brothers. Parents have grown so close that they have held reunions.

In the classroom, on the playing fields and in the art studios, the focus is not on individual accomplishment but rather on the whole class, the whole team.

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‘That one interaction served as an everlasting paradigm shift.’

A chance encounter at a refugee camp led to a whole new perspective.

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wo years before receiving the Headmaster’s Cup, Salmaan Hussain ’23 was struggling to find himself. He was having trouble forming meaningful connections or finding areas where he could thrive. The discontent affected his grades as well.

“It felt like I was always drowning,” Hussain recalls. “I wasn’t in a good place.”

Then, in the summer after his sophomore year, Hussain spent time volunteering at a refugee camp in Dallas where he met Ilyas, a young boy who would set his life on a completely different trajectory.

“All he wore were some torn shoes and clothes and a huge smile,” Hussain said.

He later learned that Ilyas was teaching his younger siblings English and had even provided a bone marrow transplant to one of them. “I realized that Ilyas, who was living in a two-bedroom apartment with three other siblings, was more excited about life than I was. That one human interaction served as an everlasting paradigm shift.”

The moment stayed with Hussain as he returned to St. Mark’s for his junior year.

“I realized that if I wanted to have resources to give back to children like Ilyas, I needed to do well in school,” Hussain said. “I needed to connect with underclassmen because they are the future of a school that I care deeply about.”

With this new mindset, Hussain began to thrive. His grades rebounded, and he began to focus on ways to contribute to the school and the community. Getting involved in student leadership, Hussain was elected Student Body President and appointed head yearbook photographer.

At games, Hussain could be spotted snapping photos from the sidelines with

‘Sal’s vulnerability in assemblies was like a tuning fork and it got us to check in with who we were and what we’re about as a community.’

DR. MARY BONSU

a squad of Middle School photographers following close behind.

Throughout senior year, Hussain used his leadership positions to encourage conversations around mental health. He dedicated an entire Upper School assembly to a student-led roundtable discussion of men’s mental health and shared his personal story in a Chapel talk.

“Sal’s vulnerability in assemblies was like a tuning fork and it got us to check in with who we were and what we’re about as a community,” said Dr. Mary Bonsu, Upper School counselor. “The boys are paying attention to what their peers are experiencing and talking about in social spaces within and beyond St. Mark’s.”

Hussain’s transformation and willingness to tell others about his struggles are part of a growing trend toward destigmatizing mental health.

IN RECENT YEARS, discussions around mental health have become more accepted and commonplace. The ReMarker has highlighted individual students who, like Hussain, share their stories in the hopes of spreading a simple message to other Marksmen: “You are not alone.”

The School has also invested more resources into the health and wellness of students. This year, the Office of Counseling and Academic Support rebranded itself the Marksman Wellness Center to better reflect its overall mission of helping boys thrive.

Looking back on his St. Mark’s experience, Hussain points to a single question that altered the course of his life: “How can I leave this place better than I found it? That simple question shifted my energy, my intention and my interactions. It served as a motive to go and sit with a quiet fifth grader who is eating alone in the Great Hall or to spend time with maintenance and security staff to make sure they feel appreciated by the students. St. Mark’s is a place where people go out of their way to see you thrive.”

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“No Marksman, no matter what he is going through, should ever be alone.”

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he editorial board of The ReMarker challenged classmates to better appreciate issues of mental health affecting them and those around them.

The boys encouraged others not to shy away from this difficult topic, writing, “There should not be a stigma around having mental and emotional struggles.”

This editorial was part of a larger cover story on mental health published in its March 2020 issue.

Just above that editorial was a teaser for another article further back in the paper. The headline casually read “The Coronavirus: What it means for the future of America and Marksmen.”

The global pandemic arrived just as mental health awareness was entering the cultural zeitgeist. At St. Mark’s, the School was already working to strengthen its health and wellness programs. The counseling program, a major component in caring for the whole boy, was expanding its services, adding to the curriculum and widening its footprint across campus.

Without even realizing it, the School was preparing itself to face the coming uncertainty of COVID-19 and continuing to help boys thrive even under unprecedented circumstances.

MORE THAN THREE years after the onset of the pandemic, it can be easy to forget how quickly life came to a complete standstill.

While no one was sure when regular campus life would resume, the School took action to reclaim some sense of community. Shortly after virtual learning began, a new webpage appeared on the School website: “10600.” This page soon became a “virtual Quad,” updated daily with content submitted by the community.

Coach Kevin Dilworth shared daily motivations, students filmed their best trick shots, and one boy even documented how he built a Van de Graff generator in his garage. As the end of the year neared, prominent alumni recorded messages of support for the Senior Class.

“The 10600 community page especially helped to foster that sense of connectedness we lost due to quarantine,” ReMarker editor Robert Pou ’21 said.

AMONG THE REGULAR updates on 10600 were Mindfulness Moments, recorded by Dr. Gabby Reed, who currently serves as director of Counseling.

Each week, “Dr. Gabby” introduced boys to new mindfulness techniques like grounding, box breathing and meditation.

“Watching everyone go through this common experience, I have been feeling more like a global citizen while at the same time isolated from the community I love so much,” Dr. Reed said in a Mindfulness Moment posted on April 16, 2020, where she taught open awareness meditation from her home office. “These two feelings push and pull at me, so today’s meditation is all about reconciling those two feelings and reminding you that you’re not alone.”

Behind the scenes, the counseling team was working around the clock to keep an eye on the boys. Each day when boys logged in for virtual class, they were greeted with a “daily check-in” Google Form, inviting them to share their thoughts and feelings. Most important, the form started with a simple question: “Would you like to talk to us?”

“One of the boys I was working with was terrified to go outside,” Dr. Reed said. “So, I asked nurse Julie [Doerge] to make him a video of herself going outside for a walk and waving to her neighbors. It was great and it worked to get that kid back outside.”

Dr. Reed and Doerge worked tirelessly to communicate and stay updated with boys and families.

“We had daily video calls to stay in touch and come up with a plan for any boys who might be struggling,” said Doerge, who served as a key member of the School’s Medical Advisory Committee and Reopening Team. “The mental health of the whole community was important in all the decisions our team made.”

When the 2020-2021 school year began remotely, St. Mark’s replaced traditional Mini-School nights with a livestream from the Science Lecture Hall. Each division’s “virtual Mini-School,” featured its respective division head and, seated six feet apart, Dr. Reed and Doerge. Their appearance side by side reinforced what the School has long believed: mental health and physical health are equally vital to the development and well-being of young boys.

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‘The 10600 community page especially helped to foster that sense of connectedness that we lost due to quarantine.’

ROBERT POU ’21

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WELCOME. Members of the counseling team welcome boys to the Marksman Wellness Center.

The counseling program has expanded into a mental health dream team

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‘I can use play to help them process and cope with whatever they are experiencing.’

BRIDGET REDONDO-DOAN

ince 2020, the counseling program has continued to grow and expand.

Dr. Reed now leads the program and works directly with Middle School boys. With the addition of Dr. Mary Bonsu as Upper School counselor and Bridget Redondo-Doan as Lower School counselor, St. Mark’s began the 2021–2022 school year with a dedicated counselor in each division.

When it comes to counseling, it’s hard to overstate the value of being present.

St. Mark’s counselors are entrenched in the community, serving as advisors, club sponsors, wilderness chaperones and classroom teachers. They attend games and performances, join boys for lunch in the Great Hall and catch up with them on the Quad.

“It’s important to be ‘in the know’ on what is happening with each grade,” Redondo-Doan said. “The more present the counselor is, the more familiar and comfortable the boys feel in seeking out help from the counselor.”

In addition to their work in the office and around campus, counselors here are also gaining a presence in the classroom.

Redondo-Doan regularly leads SEL (social and emotional learning) lessons, touching on subjects like bullying. Dr. Bonsu and Dr. Reed each teach health and wellness classes to boys in their respective divisions, where the discussions range from time management and conflict resolution to substance abuse and the impact of social media.

A STUDENT’S EMOTIONAL HEALTH often affects their academic health, and vice versa. For this, the counseling team relies on Julie Pechersky, director of academic success, who works with boys who are struggling in class. She trains boys to manage their time efficiently and handles testing and classroom accommodations. The School also recently hired Eliza Rosenbloom, an academic and wellness specialist to support the team’s work and provide another person for students across campus to engage.

“Gabby, Bridget and Mary provide therapeutic emotional support and I work with the student to assist with their academic achievement, so they feel supported and cared for as they work through personal struggles,” Pechersky said. “We hope to provide a safe environment where a boy feels comfortable coming to us for whatever resource they may need during a difficult time so that together, we can be there to guide them.”

THE COUNSELING TEAM has forged a close partnership with the faculty, ensuring a robust lineup of professionals looking after each and every boy.

“The boys love the counseling office, and I love that the team has made their office an approachable, welcoming place,” said Anna Gill, Middle School Spanish teacher and sixth-grade class sponsor. “If I ever encounter a student who is struggling outside of what would be considered ‘normal’ developmentally, I know that I have the support of the counseling team to help me. It has helped me be a better teacher in the classroom and offer the boys the right support.”

With counselors involved at the division level, it’s easier for teachers to approach them and it’s also easier for the counselors to work with faculty for the best possible outcome.

“When I help a kid through issues, I now have a far greater understanding of the context behind the behavior,” said Dr. Martin Stegemoeller, Malcolm K. and Minda Brachman Master Teaching Chair.

“This cooperation helps the boys get more consistent help on how they can improve.

We have had some great successes recently in helping boys turn it around.”

Perhaps the clearest example of the counseling office’s advancement is in its name. This fall, the counseling office officially became the Marksman Wellness Center. This reflects their overarching mission: to ensure that Marksmen are developing into healthy young men who will thrive.

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‘This is just one step toward destigmatizing talking about mental health among guys.’

Marksmen take initiative to talk more about mental health on campus

hesitation.”

As part of the week, boys also heard from Jeremy Edge, a licensed counselor who specializes in video game addiction.

“Throughout the week, boys heard their peers talk about issues, as well as key strategies they have found successful,” Dr. Bonsu said. “Our goal was to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues and to model boys’ capacity for emotional depth and vulnerability.”

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hile the counseling team has achieved tangible success in its work, it is ultimately up to the student to identify their needs and seek and accept help.

“A counselor must thread the needle where on one side, I need to respect a boy’s autonomy, agency and need for self-advocacy,” Dr. Bonsu said. “And on the other side, I need to provide scaffolding for skills that may remain underdeveloped.”

As part of its March 2021 cover story, The ReMarker shared some ways that mental health could be better addressed on campus. Among them was a challenge to fellow students: talk about it.

“The continued stigmatization of mental health issues leads students to believe that their problems, many of which are shared by hundreds of their peers, are abnormal,” the editorial reads.

THIS IS A CHALLENGE that students have readily embraced. Brandon Kim ’25 and Burke Gordon ’25 organized a new club centered on mental health. Sponsored

by Dr. Bonsu, Mindful4Life brings together boys interested in being more mindful of mental health issues, gaining skills in active listening and being there for friends who may be struggling.

This year, Mindful4Life expanded its discussions to the entire school through the first Men’s Mental Health Week. The club organized assemblies to promote open discussion of mental health among young men.

At one assembly, eight seniors hosted a panel discussion onstage in Decherd.

“This is just one step toward destigmatizing talking about mental health among guys,” panelist Aadi Khasgiwala ’23 said. “A lot of people came up to all of us afterward, talking about how they really appreciated us talking about a sensitive topic without much

‘Giving advice to them felt as natural as giving advice to my younger brothers.’

WINSTON LEE ’23

THE SENIORS CARRIED this message to Middle School as well. At Dr. Reed’s invitation, several seniors used their free periods to speak with the eighth-grade life skills class. As those boys prepare to enter Upper School, there’s no substitution for the advice of a soon-to-be-graduate.

While Dr. Reed taught lessons about healthy relationships, study habits and emotional wellness, the seniors were able to chime in with their own experiences.

“Giving advice to them felt as natural as giving advice to my younger brothers,” Winston Lee ’23 said. “I wish I had known how willing upperclassmen are in giving help and advice. As a senior, I know many of my peers who are willing to drop what they’re doing to answer an underclassman’s question.”

The results have been palpable. As Spanish teacher Anna Gill notes, “There is no stigma around Middle School boys talking to our counselors.”

In its mission to develop boys into men of character, St. Mark’s embraces the motto “Courage & Honor.”

Courage can take many forms, including the courage to stand up for themselves or others when they are in need. Vulnerability is not an easy trait to foster, especially in young boys. But developing skills of self-care is among the hardest lessons for young people to master.

Thanks in part to students who share their own experiences with peers and the counseling professionals in the Marksman Wellness Center, boys are offered the tools needed to help them succeed.

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Beginning in sixth grade, Marksmen participate in regular camping trips as part of the Wilderness Program. Each trip builds upon a curriculum of sequential skills, which culminate in a trip to the Pecos Wilderness in New Mexico as Upper Schoolers.

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LAYING GROUNDWORK. Scott Ziegler (left) and other adult leaders meet with the Class of 2025 to go over group assignments. Deven Pietrzak ’25 (below) repacks his backpack. Kurt Tholking (below left) provides insight and guidance to his group the day before departing for the Pecos Wilderness. Dr. Dan Lipin (bottom left) helps Will Clifford ’25 take inventory of his gear.

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ONE BY ONE THE NAMES OF RISING JUNIORS WERE CALLED OUT.

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‘Ouyang, group 6; Parker, group 7; Perkison, group 7…,” Scott Ziegler called out.

The atmosphere felt like a sports draft, with anxiety fueling emotions as each name was announced by Ziegler, assistant director of the Wilderness Program. The Class of 2025 was placed into groups of 11 for their upcoming adventure in New Mexico’s Pecos Wilderness. Many boys found themselves with Marksmen they did not know very well but whom they would rely heavily on in the coming days.

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TAKING IT ALL IN. Quina Perkison ’24 takes a moment to look out across the Pecos wilderness during the first day of hiking, en route to Jacks Creek camp. Disruptions caused first by COVID, and last year by fires in the mountains, necessitated two different expeditions for the Pecos adventure — seven days for the Class of 2025 and the same for the Class of 2026.

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‘I’m most excited about getting out of my routine.

Even just through the bus ride and getting here, I’ve already learned how much I’m taking food for granted. Being able to separate myself from the world that I live in right now.

Life is different.

It’s going to be a good experience.’

NICO COSTA ’25

WELL IN-HAND. Students mark the completion of their solo by receiving a Wilderness Program bandana.

GROUPS DISPERSED across campus; Nearburg Hall, Spencer Gymnasium, the Great Hall, Winn Science Center. Marksmen met with their adult leaders, medics and sherpas; many had years of Pecos experience under their belts and plenty of outdoor knowledge to share. Leaders distributed necessities for six days of living in the wilderness – food, shelter, iodine and other supplies. Somehow the items fit into their already stuffed backpacks.

A common fear soon emerged – is there enough food?

“Hopefully, I don’t get too hungry,” Eduardo Mousinho ’25 said. “But on the bright side, I get to look forward to Chipotle when I get back.”

The Marksmen went home later that afternoon only to return early the following day, ready to begin the journey.

They said goodbye to their parents, phones and a shower for the next six days in exchange for the exploits and lessons of the New Mexico wilderness.

“I have never been camping before,” Amar Kakkar ’25 said. “We went on the sixth-grade campout, but it was nothing like this.”

The School’s Wilderness Program for the Class of 2025 had been unique since they had never set up the shelters or even used the camp stoves they would depend on in the coming days. COVID, extreme weather and forest fires had prevented them from that experience in previous years. They would need to rely more heavily on common sense, their adult leaders - and one another.

Buses departed campus for the long drive to Jacks Creek

campground in the Pecos Wilderness, roughly 15 miles due east of Santa Fe, NM, arriving in the early evening on July 31. Campers quickly set up shelters and prepared dinner. Boys practiced knot-tying, sanitizing creek water and honing their outdoor skills.

The time acclimatizing to the 9,000+foot elevation and no technological distractions provided an opportunity to be ‘in the moment.’

“I’m most excited about getting out of my routine,” Nico Costa ’25 said.

“Even just through the bus ride and getting here, I’ve already learned how much I’m taking food for granted.

Being able to separate myself from the world that I live in right now. Life is different. It’s going to be a good experience.”

Mousinho had a message for other Marksmen to remember, including himself.

“Enjoy your time with your friends around you,” Mousinho said. “Get to know someone that you haven’t gotten to know before. Talk to someone new and have the most fun with the camaraderie.”

AFTER A DAY OR TWO acclimating and with full backpacks, groups departed for adventures and campsites throughout the Pecos Wilderness. The rocky hikes up to higher elevations with heavy packs challenged many.

“It was very tiring,” Lukas Palys ’25 said. “It was my first time with a pack, and I felt it everywhere. If I wasn’t with everybody else,

I would have given up hours ago.”

Over the next few days, groups established and broke camps, took day hikes, sampled wild strawberries and, most important, built self-confidence and strengthened bonds with their fellow Marksmen. They were hiking in the same footprints, camping in the same sites and drinking from the same streams Marksmen have for 52 years.

The next leg of their journey would be a Pecos trademark, ‘the solo,’ which requires Marksmen to camp independently for 24 hours, with nearby adult supervision, solely relying on the skills and grit they have acquired through the years. Sites are hand-selected by their adult leader, who carefully arranges locations throughout the surrounding forest. After a big breakfast, the boys depart with only a tarp, rope, sleeping bag with pad, clothes and a notebook to write down their thoughts. Their next meal would be the following morning. Excitement and nerves build.

“I’m looking forward to having time alone to just think and reflect because you don’t get much time without any contact with others and without a phone to distract you,” Deven Pietrzak ’25 said.

“It’s going to be interesting, just having that time to think.”

“Never back down, never give up,” Costa called out, repeating the group mantra of staying motivated throughout the trip.

THE BOYS ARE DROPPED OFF at their locations and start to set up their shelters, settling into their new ‘home’ for a day. The Pecos has dealt some challenging weather in years past – hail, blistering wind, rain and even snow. This year was more pleasant.

“I did nothing for about an hour,” Palys said. “Then I took a nap and felt more appreciative of all the nature. I don’t know why, but I let all the flies buzz around me. I went over to a pasture of wildflowers and just sat there and watched bumblebees and butterflies pollinate, and I wrote a poem.”

NOT ALONE. Marksmen share the wilderness with cowboys, cattle, wildlife and fellow adventurers.

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The following day leaders gathered up each Marksman, welcoming them back to the group campsite and their first meal in 24 hours. A Pecos staple, SPAM, would be on the menu.

“This is my first time trying SPAM,” Mateu Parker ’25 said. “My mom’s probably going to find out about this, but I thought it was pretty good … especially the crusty parts.”

WITH THEIR SOLO COMPLETE, their Pecos journey was drawing to a close. All that was left was to break camp and hike back to the assembly area for the 12-hour-long bus ride home. The boys moved quickly down the mountain with lighter packs and the motivation for ‘normal’ food. En route, they encountered other groups and excitedly shared stories of adversity and adventure. Upon entering the Pecos River Valley, they saw more classmates gathering and the buses that would take them back to Dallas.

The boys took time to think about the impact of the Pecos experience.

‘This is my first time trying SPAM. My mom’s probably going to find out about this, but I thought it was pretty good … especially the crusty parts.’

Cameron Hillier ’13 Director 10 Pecos trips Scott Ziegler Assistant Director 7 Pecos trips

CAMPSITES MARKSMEN

LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE

FACULTY AND STAFF

Dr. Christian Dean ’01 Medical Director 7 Pecos trips

Mark & Sherri Sullivan 38 Pecos trips John Mead 29 Pecos trips Scott Hunt 24 Pecos trips John Ashton 21 Pecos trips Cory Martin 21 Pecos trips

“I think I’m a little different now because I tried to think about why St. Mark’s does the Pecos, especially the solo,” Palys said. “I think it’s partially because we have so much stuff at home that we can always occupy ourselves with. I feel like nature imitates life and the reason we are out there is to learn how to be okay and continue with just ourselves and appreciate everything around us.”

MATEU PARKER ’25

CONFIDENCE-BUILDING. Day trips not only allow for exploration but provide opportunities to further challenge boys and build stronger bonds within their group.

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Back in 2010, St. Mark’s produced a powerful statement of environmental policy with a nod toward “respecting the needs of future generations.”

It notes, “The School assigns significant priority to integrating environmental awareness, understanding and stewardship into its academic mission, campus improvements and operations.”

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Efforts to make the world more sustainable have taken root in many forms on campus.

They’re led by multiple members of the community — including Marksmen themselves.

Here are some ways sustainability is being embraced at St. Mark’s:

Greenhouse provides space for education and growth

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here’s always something exciting growing in the Arthur Douglas Greenhouse, which is part of the Winn Science Center that was dedicated in 2019. The building includes a Feinberg Family Arid Space with plants from desert ecosystems across the globe and a tropical room that has banana trees.

Classroom projects are on display, like the pineapple plants started by first graders and the bur oak seedlings—derived from acorns on campus—started by the AP environmental science class.

The oaks could eventually be used in a reforestation project on the East Fork of the Trinity River.

“The greenhouse is a place

where kids can actually get their hands dirty in soil and do planting,” said Director of Environmental Studies Dan Northcut ’81. “The greenhouse is definitely a sustainability powerhouse when it comes to what we’re doing on campus.”

NATURE’S SYMMETRY.

One variety of ferocactus can be found among the red rocks in the greenhouse.

Among those with dirty hands are members of the DFW Master Naturalist Student Chapter, a nonprofit formerly known as Cultivation Nation.

Participating Marksmen use the greenhouse to grow thousands of plants from seed for the group’s restoration efforts around the Northaven Trail.

“I think the creation of the greenhouse was a really big step in the right direction [for sustainability],” said leader Akash Munshi ’23. “I wouldn’t have done all this if we didn’t have a greenhouse on campus—that’s what got me interested. It would be much harder for me to grow everything without a greenhouse and space on campus, so that’s really convenient.”

Northcut credited the young gardeners for their hard work and persistence.

“It’s very difficult to start that sort of restoration with native plants,” he said. “It’s a long-term commitment, it’s intricate and it’s complicated. A lot of the different species are not easy to germinate, and [the boys] put in the work.”

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SNEAK PEEK INTO THE GREENHOUSE. Commonly known as the golden rat tail, the cleisocactus winteri is one of many cacti in the greenhouse.

PINEAPPLE BECOMES LEARNING TOOL. Lower School science teacher Matt Dillon has found a unique way to incorporate a certain kind of food scrap into the first-grade curriculum. “After talking about sustainable plants we eat for food, we got a few pineapple tops from the dining hall and got them to root,” Dillon said.

“Now they are growing in pots and hopefully in a few years, we might get a pineapple.”

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School sustainability Continued from previous page

Dining services finds multiple ways to reduce food-related waste

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ver in the cafeteria, sustainability is regularly on the mind of SAGE Dining Services. They purchase local produce and products as much as they can.

And, at the request of the Green Team, a Middle School club, and others, SAGE packages to-go options in eco-friendly products when possible.

The SAGE team is also cognizant of food waste, which is one reason they cook in small batches. Doing so also means Marksmen get fresher food. Yet, feeding 1,200 hungry people five days a week creates a tricky balancing act.

SAGE develops menus that appeal to the wide variety of palates and needs on campus, even so, overproduction of food can still occur. Now, when that happens, there is place for the food to go.

SAGE researched local food pantries, including reaching out to Jorge Correa, St. Mark’s community service director and Spanish teacher. Correa connected SAGE with Rob Guild, the manager of food recovery at The Stewpot, who provides thousands of meals every day along with many other critical programs and forms of assistance for the

PURPOSEFUL LEFTOVERS. Guild (below) loads a pan of donated food into The Stewpot’s food donation vehicle.

Guild and Rafael Reyes (right) after loading food donations at St. Mark’s.

homeless and others in need in Dallas.

“You have heard it said, ‘man cannot live on bread alone…’” Rob Guild said. “Let me assure you, the same goes for PB&J’s. Hearing our kitchen manager exclaim, ‘God Bless St. Mark’s, we don’t have to buy beef,’ is exhilarating.”

A partnership was made, and a plan put in place. The School packages and stores leftovers from the day that The Stewpot picks up to serve later that evening.

Strawberries, tamales, drumsticks — whatever is uneaten from the diverse menu that day can potentially be donated. It’s estimated that St. Mark’s donates approximately 250 RESPONSIBLE. pounds of food weekly.

Eco-friendly to-go In a twist of sorts, the food container. recovery exercise led to an eyeopening realization early in the process. SAGE was able to get a better grasp on how much overproduction was happening and employees were thus able to thoughtfully reduce production creating a more sustainable practice. A ‘win-win’ for our St. Mark’s community and beyond.

“I wish you could all feel the love and pride I do knowing how much your donations serve us,” Guild said.

Features KEEPING WINSTON HEALTHY. Middle School boys feed the tortoise as he roams his pen in the greenhouse. Winston the tortoise spends the warmer months living in the backyard of his foster caregiver Mark Adame, the Cecil H. and Ida Green Master Teaching Chair in Science.

SWIMMING OBSERVERS. Three tanks of colorful fish are located in the lobby of the McDermott-Green Science Building.

Eco-minded Marksmen participate in campus composting pilot

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itchell Walker ’27 has been a member of the Green Team.

The group meets weekly to discuss things they can do on campus to be greener, explains the club’s sponsor, Reilly Walker, who teaches seventh-grade humanities.

The boys came up with the idea of recycling food waste during one of these discussions in the spring of the 2021-2022 school year. The concept would come to fruition a year later in the form of a composting pilot program.

“Starting a composting program was what spoke to them the most,” Reilly Walker said. “They knew it would be hard work and they’ve been working on it for basically two years now.”

Indeed, Mitchell Walker said, “I was taught to leave things better than I found them. What better way to leave the world better than it already is than by composting?”

The boys found a partner in a Dallasbased startup called Turn Compost. The company has given presentations to the Middle School about why composting matters and has met with the Green Team to talk through ideas.

In the spring of 2023, the pilot began on campus. About 10 boys dumped their food scraps into special green buckets for six weeks. Turn picked up the containers

weekly and turned the bits into compost.

Turn also shared data on how much waste the buckets contained so the boys could extrapolate the potential impact that a school-wide effort could have.

As the program began, Marksmen who weren’t part of the Green Team started asking why their friends were emptying their plates into the containers instead of the trash.

Reilly Walker said the Green Team members “sort of got up on their little soapbox and said, ‘Here’s how much waste we’re producing.’” Seeing classmates so engaged with the project inspired five other boys to join the Green Team, she said.

The boys were able to compost 237 pounds of food waste over six weeks.

“They really felt this sense of ownership and leadership in this program because they had the numbers,” Reilly Walker said. “When they saw how much waste we create at lunch specifically, it really hit home for them.”

Reilly Walker expects that the Green Team will repeat the project again this year. She has bigger ambitions for the concept, however, and so does Caleb Cathey ’27.

“St. Mark’s produces forwardthinking leaders,” he said. “We aspire to continue that tradition by initiating a school-wide composting program that will keep St. Mark’s ahead of the pack.”

Marksmen befriend a tortoise

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he greenhouse doesn’t only house plants.

Since 2020, a pen in the building’s workroom has been the winter home of a sulcata tortoise named Winston, whose species is native to a desert environment. Mark Adame and Dan Northcut ’81 provide food for the reptile, who weighs about 45 pounds. His meals include aloe plant, squash, collard greens, dandelions and thistle plants.

“Some of the boys have taken a liking to Winston,” Adame said. “I never have to feed him, as the boys take care of that. The boys regularly visit him.”

Northcut added, “Just the look on their faces is what it’s all about. Kids nowadays, especially in the city, don’t get enough wildlife.

They often don’t get enough nature, a real outdoor-type of experience with animals or plants, so it’s great.”

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From the Alumni Association President Jamie Rogers ’85 takes the helm of the more than 4,200 members of the Alumni Association

‘Our collective commitment and service to St. Mark’s directly impacts the lives of so many, and I am truly thankful for your partnership with our great School.’

JAMIE ROGERS ’85

To the Marksmen community: It is a true honor to serve as your Alumni Association President.

The opportunity to work closely with such a wide variety of genuine and impressive Marksmen will continue to strengthen what is already an alumni base like none other in the country.

Our collective commitment and service to St. Mark’s directly impacts the lives of so many, and I am truly thankful for your partnership with our great School.

I want to extend a sincere “thank you” to Sandy Campbell ’76, our most recent Alumni Association President. Sandy’s leadership over the past two years has helped advance our work as an Alumni Board, and more important, as an Alumni Association.

Additionally, I am grateful to the 2023-2024 Executive Committee that will continue to build upon the amazing accomplishments of previous volunteer leadership.

As we commence the 20232024 school year, I want to recognize several highlights from the past few months. In July, our community gathered at Austin Street Center to serve dinner to those in need for the annual Young Alumni Community Service event.

Last month, we celebrated the Class of 2023 at the Graduate SendOff where the names of our 100 most recent graduates were unveiled in Graduate Hall. And, thanks to the tireless work of countless volunteers, we were able to eclipse 50 percent alumni participation in the St.

FAMILY. Celebrating his son James’ (second from right) graduation from St. Mark’s in 2019, Jamie poses with family members at the reception in the Great Hall.

Mark’s Fund for the 15th consecutive year — a true testament to our united belief in the mission of St. Mark’s.

Looking forward to another exciting year, I want to encourage you to continue to engage with the School in meaningful ways. Whether on campus for yearly events such as Homecoming and Alumni Weekend or attending Alumni Leadership Speaker Series events or one of our many regional events throughout the country, we hope to see you soon to reconnect and reminisce over our shared experiences.

Wherever life may take you, please know that our Alumni Association is by your side to cheer you on, support you when needed and to celebrate your accomplishments.

Together, we help to make the St. Mark’s community home to students and graduates alike.

— Jamie Rogers ’85 Alumni Association President

2023-2024 Alumni Board Executive Committee President Jamie Rogers ’85 Vice President Lowell Ku ’89 Secretary Collin Lensing ’01 Activities & Alumni Weekend Nick Cassavechia ’04 Alumni Awards Akhil Kara ’02 Lee S. Smith ’65 Courage & Honor Award B.A. Cullum ’99 Mentor & Networking Fadi Constantine ’00 Ralph B. Rogers Alumni Award Chip Fowler ’05 St. Mark’s Fund Jon Myhre ’96 & Mark Butler ’08 Alumni Golf Tournament Mark Early ’73 Young Alumni Ross Crawford ’12 Ad Hoc Kace Phillips ’04

Community

Through the decades

Looking at key events — locally and nationally — through the pages of archived ReMarker newspapers

1923

The Terrill School Basketball Team enjoyed a perfect 16-0 season, winning the first T.A.A.C. championship and defeating Huey and Philp Independent, the runners-up in the Southwestern AAU Tournament, 33-26. The Terrill School News reported: “After working all season toward this end [a playoff run] it was a bitter disappointment when Allen Academy refused to play Terrill in the tournament, because of her obvious certainty of defeat.”

1959

1942

This wartime edition of The Round Table (right), student newspaper from the Texas Country Day School, a predecessor school of St. Mark’s, featured several stories of military service and wartime efforts by members of the community. A news story shows the uncertainty of the world in this paragraph: “Shortly after the United States declared war, a number of plans were put into execution by the students and faculty here so that all might feel they are helping prepare themselves to be useful in case [the United States] is invaded.”Another picture (below right) showed students honored for their campus defense work.

The 1958-1959 school year began with the appointment of Thomas B. Hartmann as the school’s third headmaster (tenth if the heads of the three predecessor schools, The Terrill School, Texas Country Day School and Cathedral School for Boys, are included).

Hartmann was previously dean of students at The Tower Hill School in Wilmington, DE. He told The ReMarker he hoped to expand the school’s curriculum and introduce a student exchange program in the future.

1968 WAR EFFORT. Archived prints from 80 years ago retell World War II’s impact

1976 1996

Science Club members were offered several opportunities to learn about electricity and computers. Boys were invited to Dallas Power and Light to learn about the different capacities of electricity, and later they were invited to the home of Robert Miller, a teacher at Greenhill, who had a $100,000 computer system purchased from the Chemstrand Company in his home, where they learned about computer operating systems.

A renewed license and staff awaited KRSM, the student-produced radio station, as classes started in the fall of the 1976-1977 school year. The authorization for broadcast was issued by the Federal Communications Commission and was good for three years. The station was on the air from 7:30 a.m. until 8:30 a.m. on school days and from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Saturdays.

The Tony award-winning musical, “Bells Are Ringing,” was presented by the St. Mark’s and Hockaday drama programs. The musical, which tells the story of Ella, who works at an answering service, and the characters she meets there, debuted in November 1956. A film followed in 1960, starring Dean Martin and Judy Holliday. The musical was directed by drama teacher Rod Blaydes.

2010

1999

In a story eerily prescient of what is happening on campus now as work on the Marksman Athletic Complex has begun, The ReMarker’s October cover headline “Please pardon our mess” relayed information on construction of the new Thomas O. Hicks Family Athletic Center. The Hicks Center, comprising of a gymnasium and coaches’ offices, was leveled by the category EF3 tornado that hit the north side of campus in October 2019.

A ReMarker four-page special section, “Slowly Chipping Away,” told in exacting detail the experience of a middle schooler who had been bullied. The story package raised awareness of the issue of verbal abuse and was praised by the school’s counseling team as encouraging boys to talk about their experiences. Copies were sent home to Middle School students, and families were encouraged to read and have conversations on ways to obtain support.

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Spotlight on philanthropy For Blake Estess ’87 and family, giving back to the School wasn’t just a

B

lake Estess ’87 treasures the eight years he spent at St. Mark’s as a student, describing the School as “an integral part of my childhood.”

Years later, he had the opportunity to enroll his two sons, Charlie ’23 and Graham ’24.

“It has been an absolute joy to experience life as a Marksman again vicariously through Charlie and Graham over these last 12 years,” said Blake, whose mother, Sandra Estess, is an emeritus trustee of the School.

The Estess family are among the generous donors who have contributed toward the Marksman Athletic Complex.

“A large part of our family’s motivation to give back to the School was the desire to express our gratitude and appreciation for the privilege of being a part of this special community,” Blake said.

SURPRISED. The Estess family (Charlie ’23, Graham ’24 and dad Blake ’87) surprised longtime coach and friend Dwight Phillips with a gift to the School in honor of Phillips. “As a coach, a friend and a hero, Coach Phillips has taught me how to love,” Charlie said.

‘

THE ESTESS FAMILY experienced the compassion and understanding of that special community in a unique way after Charlie was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in the fall of his eighth-grade year.

That year, Eugene McDermott Headmaster David Dini, Middle School Assistant Head Jason Lange, and members of the School’s basketball team were among the well-wishers who came to visit Charlie. “They really went out of their way to make him feel special and cared about even though he wasn’t [on campus],” Blake said.

In addition, Middle School Head Dean Clayman and other faculty members “could not have been more accommodating and understanding and flexible with respect to Charlie having to be in treatment as often as he was.”

A large part of our family’s motivation to give back to the School was the desire to express our gratitude and appreciation for the privilege of being a part of this special community, — BLAKE ESTESS ’87

Community

way to support its mission. It was also a way to honor a beloved coach and friend.

The young Marksman worked hard during that challenging time, and the School helped him get where he needed to be academically.

“He was able to attend eighthgrade graduation, which was a big deal for him and for us,” his dad said.

Blake added, “There was just a huge debt of gratitude that I felt and that our family felt. We already loved St. Mark’s before that trial, and having had the experience we had … that was just really impactful.”

A FAVORITE TEACHER of both Charlie and Graham, the Estess family made their contribution in recognition of coach Dwight Phillips. He had taught the boys Lions ball and other PE games in Lower School and was later their coach for seventh-grade volleyball.

“The loving and encouraging way he lives life and interacts with those around him carried over to his demeanor as a coach,” Charlie wrote in an essay about Coach Phillips.

Charlie began interacting with the coach soon after arriving on campus.

The two would talk on the bricks in the Commons.

“With each interaction, I would always receive a great big hug with a smile that never failed to cheer me up,” Charlie said.

Coach Phillips would spread that cheer years later when the Marksman was in a more somber place emotionally and physically.

“I will never forget sitting in

ENCOURAGEMENT. When Charlie was hospitalized during his eighth-grade year battling cancer — a battle he decisively won — one of his regular visitors was his volleyball coach, Dwight Phillips.

“The room seemed to light up” when Phillips would visit, Charlie recalled.

the depressing room that was the infusion center and the door opening to reveal the towering symbol of positivity and strength walk in smiling,” Charlie said. “The room seemed to light up.”

That kind gesture and all the ones that came before and after have had a big impact on Charlie.

“As a coach, a friend, and a hero, Coach Phillips has taught me how to love,” the recent graduate said. “He has taught me what strength is. He has taught me how I ought to live my life as a man.”

When the Estess family sought to give back to St. Mark’s, they found a philanthropic option.

Blake said making a contribution toward the Athletic Complex ‘fit nicely’ as “a way to recognize Coach Phillips.”

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Leading the pack

Parents, alumni and friends give back to the school they love.

Finding a home here Coming from Los Angeles three years ago, JoJo Fleiss and her family have made themselves a new home at 10600 Preston Road. Now, as co-chair of Homecoming 2023, she is working with student leaders to provide an action-packed Homecoming for her new community.

Your family is relatively new to St. Mark’s. What was your initial impression of the School and the many parents you met through volunteering?

Volunteering has always been important to me since my kids were in kindergarten and preschool so I really enjoyed learning about the volunteer opportunities at St. Marks during the admissions process. When the school year started our first year, I immediately felt welcomed by how inclusive everyone was; I felt as though my family had been at St. Mark’s for years.

Whether it’s being at a PA meeting or volunteering in the cafeteria, the feeling is straight out of a scene from the old Cheers TV show where everyone knows your name.

NATURAL. For JoJo Fleiss — pictured right with Dana Dunbar and Karin Hoverman — getting involved in the activities at 10600 Preston Road was a natural thing to do. As co-chair of Homecoming 2023, she promises a festive celebration.

Time spent on campus has allowed our family to connect with incredible people from all grades, as well as to get to know the amazing faculty and staff.

Home football games in the fall are an added bonus as the community comes together and has just a good time.

St. Mark’s school spirit is infectious.

— JOJO FLEISS

What kind of opportunities to develop friendships with other St. Mark’s families has volunteering provided you and your family?

Time spent on campus has allowed our family to connect with incredible people from all grades, as well as to get to know the amazing faculty and staff.

Home football games in the fall are an added bonus as the community comes together and has just a good time. St. Mark’s school spirit is infectious.

What’s your favorite part of volunteering?

Getting to see my boys!

What got you interested in volunteering for Homecoming?

I had co-chaired homecoming at our schools in LA so was somewhat familiar with the festivities but was blown away by how it’s done in Texas. I was honored when I was asked to co-chair and work with two great new Dallas mom friends! It’s been a lot of fun planning for the boys.

What big plans are in store for this year’s Homecoming?

I can’t reveal much, but I can promise it’s going to be groovy!

How do the parent co-chairs work with the Student Council, its president and sponsor to make sure all the work involved in Homecoming happens as it should?

It’s been great working with [Student Council president] Sal [Hussain ’23] last year and [Student Council president} Alex [Soliz ’24] this year. They are so creative, coming up with awesome ideas and do such a stellar job leading Student Council. We are always impressed by how they do it all between their schoolwork and all the responsibilities of leading the student body. Mrs. Santosuosso keeps us perfectly on our path and does a great job as liaison between StuCo and the HOCO chairs.

What advice would you give other parents as to getting involved in the School through the Parents’ Association and the many volunteering opportunities?

Jump right in! Being on campus with the boys is one of the most gratifying parts of parenthood at St. Mark’s.

Community

New trustees Please welcome the following new members to the Board of Trustees.

Cynthia C. Brown is the president-elect of the Parents’ Association where she previously served as vice president of communications. She earned a B.B.A. from Southern Methodist University and her J.D. from SMU’s Dedman School of Law. In addition to her private practice, Cindy is a full-time professor in the Government Department at Dallas College where she is on the Government Curriculum Committee and the Judicial Board for Student Discipline. She also serves as a board member of DISD’s Lassiter Early College High School Advisory Board.

She and her husband Ed are the parents of two Marksmen, Franklin ’27 and George ’29.

Christen E.J. Lee ’96 was reappointed to the St. Mark’s Board this year having previously served from 2008 to 2016. He earned a B.A. from Emory University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. He and his family live in New York City where he is a partner and Head of Real Estate Americas for KKR, a global investment firm. Chris is a trustee at the Collegiate School, a board member of the PREA Foundation, a board member for Sponsors for Educational Opportunity and is on the Emory College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Advisory Council. Chris was honored with the St. Mark’s Young Alumni Service Citation in 2010. He and his wife Nyssa have two children, James and Daniela.

Henry R. Perot III ’05 is vice president of Hillwood Development Group. He graduated from Vanderbilt University in 2009 with a B.A. and was commissioned in the U.S. Air Force where he was an F-16 pilot until 2019. Hill served on the St. Mark’s Alumni Board from 20172023 and in 2020, the St. Mark’s Alumni Association awarded him the Young Alumni Service Citation. Hill is on the Board of Directors of Special Operations Warrior Foundation, the National Medal of Honor Museum and the DFW Salvation Army.

James B. Rogers ’85 is the president of the Alumni Association. He graduated with a B.A. from Skidmore College in 1989 and then earned his M.B.A. from SMU in 1993. Jamie is the third generation in his family to serve on the Board. His father served on the Board in the 1970s and his grandfather, Ralph B. Rogers, was one of the early supporters of St. Mark’s School of Texas and president of the Board from 1960-1964. Jamie was appointed to the St. Mark’s Alumni Board in 2015 and served on several committees before being named president in 2023.

He and his wife Anne are the parents of two sons, James ’19 and Robert.

Cynthia C. Brown

Christen E.J. Lee ’96

Henry R. Perot III ’05

James B. Rogers ’85

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Class notes 1964

1979

ALLEN CULLUM ’64 is a new grandfather to Adeline Rose Cullum. First-time parents Hillary and CHARLIE CULLUM ’04 welcomed the 7 lb., 2 oz. baby girl into their family on May 31, 2023.

1981

1968

Driving a 1981 Williams FW07C, CHARLIE NEARBURG ’68 competed in the 2022 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca in Salinas, CA.

1976

Author SID BALMAN, JR. ’76 released his new book, Algorithms, completing the Seventh Flag Trilogy. TOM FAGADAU ’76, BOB ZORN ’75, HAYS LINDSLEY ’76, CASEY MCMANEMIN ’79 and former Headmaster ARNIE HOLTBERG and English Department chair MICHAEL MORRIS joined Balman at Interabang Books on Aug. 10 as part of his book tour.

DANIEL WEINER ’76 has a new position as senior project manager at American National.

JIM WASSERMAN ’79 has authored two books, Behavioral Economics: A Guide for Youth in Making Choices, on how to incorporate behavioral economics and build the skills of optimum decision-making into middle and high school curricula and The Social Media Diet, focusing more specifically on youth applying these skills in the online world.

KEN HERSH ’81, CEO of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, was recognized in March by Stanford’s Graduate School of Business with its 2023 distinguished alumni Ernest C. Arbuckle Award. Locally, he was the featured speaker at the 2023 National Day of Prayer Luncheon. The Thanks-Giving Foundation hosted the event at the Meyerson Symphony Center on May 4, 2023, to celebrate diversity, interfaith prayer, gratitude and goodwill. His remarks focused on restoring trust in our institutions as well as in our community.

Additionally, Ken recently accepted an appointment as the inaugural Distinguished Executive in Residence at the SMU Cox School of Business. This position for distinguished business leaders and preeminent figures is part of an initiative to broaden the school’s influence as a thought leader in business.

1983

The National Association of Urban Debate Leagues honored CRAIG BUDNER ’83 at a dinner in early 2023, celebrating the formation of the Dallas Urban Debate Alliance (DUDA) over 15 years ago, a program

that affords policy debate to Dallas ISD students. Budner is the founder, past chair and current board member of DUDA. Those in attendance included Lori and DAVID BAKER, SCOTT SEGAL ’82, KEN HERSH ’81, EDDY DANIELS ’86, DAVID ACKERMAN ’89, STEVEN SKLAVER ’90, JOSH BRANSON ’02, SAM PAULOS ’82, DAVID STAGER ’83 and BRAD BURDETTE ’83.

Trial lawyer JEFFREY RASANSKY ’83 of the Rasansky Law Firm has been selected for a seventh consecutive year to the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America legal guide for his work on behalf of plaintiffs in three unique practice areas including personal injury law, medical malpractice litigation and professional malpractice law.

DAVID STAGER ’83, a pediatric ophthalmologist, launched the Dr. David Stager Scholarship for students pursuing a medical degree.

1984

Explorer and submersible expert VICTOR VESCOVO ’84 was featured on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.

1990

MATT OSBORNE ’90 is now serving as president and COO of Operation Underground Railroad (OUR). The organization inspired the film Sound of Freedom, a film about Tim Ballard, the real-life founder of OUR and his efforts to free children enslaved by sex trafficking.

Community

1991

ALI ROWGHANI ’91 addressed members of the St. Mark’s Class of 2023 as their commencement speaker in May. Ali was joined by classmate ROBERT EINSPRUCH ’91, his sister, Sara Rowghani, his brother, MOOD ROWGHANI ’95 and Mood’s wife, Tara Dhingra.

1993

BRENT JACKSON ’93 recently opened a manufacturing plant in Grand Prairie that produces modular homes to ship across Texas. Brent is the founder and CEO of HiFAB, as well as the leader of the parent company Oaxaca Interests, a Dallas-based real estate firm.

KEEP IN TOUCH. Class Notes are the best way to share major life milestones with friends, faculty and the St. Mark’s community. Keep the School and your classmates updated with major life events, like marriages, births, graduations and career advancements.

Submit your note at smtexas.org/ClassNotes.

1994

JOSH COHEN ’94 has been writing and producing feature films since 2009 under his banner Cohencidence Productions, LLC, and co-created the Nevada Film Tax Credit program.

CARLTON DIXON ’94 is owner and CEO of Reveal Suits, creating custom suits for nearly 100 colleges and universities. The company is also the official jacket provider for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Former faculty member BYRON LAWSON and his son MATTHEW LAWSON ’16 reconnected with former Headmaster ARNIE HOLTBERG, MATT SILVERMAN ’94 and BRIAN AULD ’95 at a Tampa Bay Rays game in Florida. Silverman and Auld serve as co-presidents of the Tampa Bay Rays.

1996

JOE PRUITT ’93, his wife Jaulik, and daughter Hannah Blythe welcomed a new addition to the family, Hunter Beau Pruitt, on July 13, 2022. Joe is currently a senior manager with Sendero Consulting in Dallas. The Pruitt family resides in the Oak Cliff area.

ZACH ERWIN ’96 married Randall Strother on April 7, 2023. Zach is the Language Department Chair at St. Mark’s.

1998

JIM BOB WOMACK ’98 graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with his Master of Science in Education focused on Independent School Leadership. Jim Bob and his family live in San Antonio where he is the assistant head of school for advancement at Saint Mary’s Hall.

1999

ED MCCULLOUGH ’99 married Amanda Popken on June 17, 2023, in Dallas.

2000

WESLEY THOMAS ’00 was recognized and honored as the Charter School Counselor of the Year for his contributions to his school district. He has completed his sixth year as a school counselor for International Leadership of Texas, a public charter school district with over 25 campuses in the Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston areas.

2001

Founder and CEO of Child Poverty Action Lab, ALAN COHEN ’01, has been appointed as a visiting senior fellow for the Ed Redesign Lab at Harvard Graduate School of Education.

MATTHEW ESHELBRENNER ’01 has a new role as the executive director of Financial Planning & Analysis at CVS. Earlier this year, TRENT WOLBE ’01 founded Climate Hang, a consultancy focused on reducing emissions at the speed and scale demanded by the climate crisis.

The company builds thought leadership, creative marketing and decarbonization strategies for clients ranging from climate tech startups to blue chip multinationals.

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Class notes

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2002

2004

DR. CONNER RYAN ’02 joined Texas Orthopaedic Associates as orthopaedic surgeon specializing in hip and knee replacements.

Ryan, his wife Page and four children live in Dallas.

SCOTT BERRY ’04 married Lauren Gallo on March 24, 2023, at Arlington Hall in Dallas.

Josie and CARL SEWELL III ’02 announce the birth of their third child, Thomas Connor Sewell, who was born on May 30, 2023. Josie, Carl, daughter Virginia and son J. Carl IV “C4” live in Dallas.

2003 On March 23, 2023, MATT WALLENSTEIN ’02 and his wife Nicole Quiterio welcomed a baby girl, Elza Quiterio Wallenstein.

Bixby Roasting Co., co-founded by MILES FISHER ’02, was acquired

by Westrock Coffee Company. As senior vice president, Fisher helps provide innovative beverage solutions to the world’s most distinguished brands. Fisher is also co-founder of Metaphysic, the global leaders in creating photo-realistic content using generative AI.

FRANCIS DONALD ’03 and partner Samantha Noonan welcomed their son, William Frances Donald “Frankie” on March 23, 2023. Francis is the director of enrollment at Pacific Ridge School in Carlsbad, CA.

Aline and STEVEN LOLOI ’04 welcomed their second child on Jan. 6, 2023. Mavie Sage Loloi joined big brother, Luca, age 4.

BRANNIN MCBEE ’04, co-founder and CSO of CoreWeave, is building a $1.6 billion data center in Plano.

CoreWeave is a leading cloud provider specializing in handling large-scale GPU-accelerated workloads.

Jessica and COLE LINBURG ’03 are the new parents of Hayes Michael Linburg and Chloe Burnett Linburg who were born on June 30, 2023.

ROSS RUSCHHAUPT ’04 and his wife Maggie are the parents of a baby boy. Winnie, Isla and Gemma welcomed their little brother, Otto Edmund Ruschhaupt, on Aug. 2, 2023.

2005 Whitney and TRIP NEIL ’03 welcomed a baby girl, Sunny Grace Neil, on Feb. 1, 2023. Trip is a partner at Churchill Capital Company in Dallas and continues to compete for the US Deaf Men’s National Team in soccer.

BRIAN DAUM ’05 works in people data science and analytics at Google in Austin.

Community

HARRISON TASSOPOULOS ’07 completed his Master of Arts in Design and Innovation degree from Southern Methodist University on May 13, 2023.

2008 SCOTT JACOBS ’05 completed the Grand Traverse in April 2023. The Grand Traverse, one of Colorado’s ultimate outdoor challenges, is a point-to-point ski mountaineering race from Crested Butte to Aspen.

Beginning at midnight, the participants race 40 miles across the Elk Mountain backcountry, climbing over 6,800 feet.

Track and field decathlete SHAWN SCHMIDT ’06 returned to St. Mark’s to visit faculty and view his framed uniform on display in the Mullen Family Fitness Center. The Schmidt family lives in Houston.

2007

DREW LASSITER ’05 was promoted to managing director at RBC Capital Markets.

Courtney and BENTON BAGOT ’07 welcomed their third child, Miles Harris Bagot, on Dec. 19, 2022.

Benton is director of strategic partnership at SQream Technologies.

Dao Nguyen and JASON RODRIGUEZ ’05 were recently married in Philadelphia. The couple first met on Capitol Hill several years ago while working for different members of Congress.

2006

Jennifer and DANIEL GRINNAN ’06 welcomed Hadley Virginia Grinnan on Jan. 3, 2023, joining her big brother, Mark. The Grinnan family lives in Dallas.

Sensory Health, a company cofounded by BEN HUDSON ’07, was recently featured in the Bridge Michigan, a civic news provider, educating industry professionals on how to elevate dental care standards for autistic patients.

JOSH RODRIGUES ’07 and JUAN GARCIA ’09 started new roles as associates with Fabricant LLP, spearheading the firm’s U.S. International Trade Commission and International Trade practice in Dallas and Washington, D.C.

Blair Elizabeth Grisz was born on Feb. 9, 2023, to BEN GRISZ ’08 and his wife Zoe. She is also welcomed by her older sister Heidi.

Two Chairs, founded by ALEX KATZ ’08 in 2017, has grown to include over 300 therapists nationwide, providing high quality and convenient psychotherapy.

2009

STEPHEN FRIEDBERG ’09 and his wife, Brittany, welcomed a daughter Kayley Lynn Friedberg on Aug. 28, 2022. The Friedberg family lives in Dallas.

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Class notes

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Candice and RITODHI CHATTERJEE ’10 welcomed Aran Edward Chatterjee into their family on May 3, 2023, weighing 7 lbs., 3 oz. The Chatterjee family lives in Houston.

JORDAN DYSLIN ’11 married Dorothy Burns on June 3, 2023, in Nantucket, MA.

Lanie and DREW NICHOLAS ’09 announce the birth of their third child, Arthur Vaden Nicholas, who was born on Feb. 20, 2023. Lanie, Drew, son William and daughter Paige live in Dallas.

Laine and GETTY HALL ’10 welcomed Margot Jane Hall on June 17, 2023. The family resides in Austin where Getty is the CEO and co-founder of the sports app, CrowdNoise.

2011 JUSTIN UTAY ’09 married Barbara Gass on April 2, 2022, at Marie Gabrielle in Dallas. Several Marksmen served as groomsmen including STEPHEN GRINNAN ’09, DYLAN BIRCH ’09, ANDREW HARRIS ’09, DAVID HENRY ’09 and JARRETT GRECO ’09.

2010

After graduating from Harvard Business School in May 2023, CHARLES BRANCH ’10 moved to Austin and joined Blue Sage Capital as a senior associate.

BOBBY KOUDELKA ’11 married Megan Jodie on Aug. 5, 2023, in Dallas, TX. JOE LOFTUS ’11, JAMIE ROUGH ’11 AND MATTHEW BROWN ’14 were groomsmen while his younger brothers DANNY KOUDELKA ’13 and TEDDY KOUDELKA ’17 were best men. Bobby is co-founder of Green Valley Products, a chemical manufacturing business.

Sophie and BEN CHESNUT ’11 welcomed a son, Luke Branko Chesnut, on Sept. 1, 2022. Ben is an associate with Pharos Capital Group in Dallas.

SCOTT POPPLEWELL ’11 and his wife Kathryn Shinn recently welcomed a daughter, Isla Olivia Popplewell, into their family. The Popplewell family lives in Plano where Scott is a software engineer manager at Capital One.

Community

2013

2012

On June 20, 2023, Eliza and WILLIAM MCGEE ’12 welcomed their twins, James Erik McGee and Charles Patrick McGee.

Allie and ALEX FRANKENFELD ’13 welcomed their second son, Francis Howse Frankenfeld. Francis arrived early on July 21, 2023. Alex is an associate in corporate development and strategic opportunities at ORIX Corporation USA.

TASSOPOULOS ’13, TRAVIS NADALINI ’15, AUSTIN NADALINI ’19 and ALEX NADALINI ’22. Taubert is acting, directing and producing stage and film in Los Angeles. He recently received the award for Best Actor in a Comedy at the 2023 Robby Awards, which recognize Southern California theatre, and earlier this year, Taubert and Sean produced and directed the inaugural play at the Los Angeles LGBT Center.

2014

WINSTON BREWER ’14 graduated with an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business in May, 2023.

Winston started a new position as investment management institutional sales at Morgan Stanley.

PATRICK NG ’12 graduated from Harvard Medical School and matched for residency in neurosurgery at the University of Southern California.

GARRETT WATUMULL ’12 graduated from Harvard Business School in May of 2023.

DANIEL HERSH ’13 married Jessica Westberry on May 13 at Arlington Hall in Dallas.

The wedding was officiated by Director of Communications RAY WESTBROOK, who was Daniel’s newspaper adviser at St. Mark’s.

TAUBERT NADALINI ’13 wed Sean Hemeon on March 23, 2023, in Palm Springs, CA. St. Mark’s alumni in attendance included MATT GENECOV ’13, WILL ALTABEF ’13, BRYCE AHART ’13, ALEXANDER

MALCOLM BOWMAN ‘14 married Morgan Mason in Chicago on June 17, 2023. Celebrating the college sweethearts at the wedding were Marksmen YIMA ASOM ’14, RODERICK DEMMINGS ’12 LUKE WILLIAMS ’14, WINSTON BREWER ’14 and DEAN ITANI ’11.

Malcolm works for Activate Consulting, a boutique consulting firm based in New York with a focus on growth strategy for technology, internet, media and entertainment companies. As part of his volunteer work, he serves on the strategic advisory board of a nonprofit called AT LAST!

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Class notes

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MONTGOMERY ’15, JACK GORDON ’15 and brother-in-law DANNY KOUDELKA ’13 celebrated as groomsmen. The couple lives in Dallas where Corson is a natural gas scheduler at EnLink Midstream.

MAC LABHART ’14, Morgan Labhart and big sister Carter Ray Labhart welcomed Annie Bell Labhart on Jan. 25, 2023. The family lives in Dallas where Mac is an associate at CBIZ Private Equity Advisory.

2016

SAM EICHENWALD ’16 works as a chef at The Newbury Boston, a 5-star luxury hotel in Boston. Sam graduated from the Culinary Arts Academy Switzerland with a Swiss Grand Diploma in Culinary Arts.

JOE LOFGREN ’19 received his commission in May as an ensign in the United States Navy. Joe will continue his training at the Naval Nuclear Power Training Command in Charleston, SC.

2017

2021

FRANK THOMAS ’17 started a new position as a consultant at Deloitte in the Sustainability Climate and Equity practice.

2018

2022

JOHN WEBB ’14 married Allie Love on Aug. 12, 2023 in Dallas.

The couple lives in Nashville.

2015

MATTHEW MEADOWS ’15 began a new position as partnerships marketing manager at Topgolf.

NATHAN ONDRACEK ’15 relocated to New York City and is co-founder and chief product officer at Raylu, a company focused on enabling developers to create powerful AI assistants.

McDonald’s All-American HARRISON INGRAM ’21 transferred from Stanford University to the University of North Carolina, where he will continue his collegiate academic and basketball career.

DANIEL GARCIA ’18 graduated from the United States Army Ranger School and will continue with active service as a specialist with the 75th Ranger Regiment.

Daniel, his wife Cara and son Connor will be stationed in Savannah, GA.

ENOCH ELLIS ’22 was named as the U.S. Track & Field and CrossCountry Coaches Association Men’s Outdoor National Scholar Track Athlete of the Year. Enoch is a chemical engineering major at MIT and captured the 2023 110-meter hurdle Outdoor National Track and Field Championship.

2023

2019

PARKER DAVIS ’19 is newly employed at J.P. Morgan as an investment banking analyst in New York City.

Addie and CORSON PURNELL ’15 married at Brook Hollow Golf Club on June 17, 2023. LANDON

JACK COHEN ’23 was joined by his parents and Jay Hartzell, President of the University of Texas at Austin, as he kicked off his freshman year as a Longhorn.

Community

Faculty notes

DR. KATHERINE MAGRUDER and BRYAN BOUCHER welcomed Cora Lewis Boucher on March 5, 2023, weighing 5 lbs., 12 oz. She was joined by her twin brother Anderson Gerard Boucher weighing 7 lbs., 7 oz. Brian is an Upper School history teacher and Katherine is a sixth-grade humanities teacher.

Isaiah and ISABEL CISNEROS welcomed their second child, Amaia Zelda Cisneros. Born on May 8, 2023, she weighed 6 lbs., 8.4 oz. Isabel is a Spanish teacher and the assistant director of Community Service.

Jack and LAUREN FISCHER welcomed their son, Beau Robert Fischer, on June 12, 2023. Lauren is a fourth-grade humanities teacher.

ERICA and RYAN HERSHNER welcomed Lucas James Hershner into their family on Feb. 26, 2023.

Ryan is the head cross-country coach, assistant varsity basketball coach, assistant varsity track and field coach and a Lower School P. E. teacher. Erica is the assistant cross-country coach, assistant track and field coach and a third-grade teacher.

Philip and ALEX HUGHES welcomed Henry David Hughes on April 2, 2023. Alex is the assistant director of Communications.

DR. GAYMARIE VAUGHAN completed her doctor of Liberal Studies degree from SMU this summer. The title of her dissertation was “Transformation: Establishing Interdisciplinary Support for the Transgender Experience through Historical, Biological, and Religious Lenses.”

GayMarie is an Upper School English teacher.

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In memoriam Community KARL G. ANDRÉN Feb. 7, 2023

Father of former faculty member K. Patrick Andrén, grandfather of Karl Wills Andrén ’22, Henry P. Andrén ’24 and J. Peter Andrén ’28 BEVERLY J. BAKER Aug. 20, 2023

Mother of Gordon “Rick” F. Baker ’83 NORTON BAKER July 10, 2023

Grandfather of Baxter B. Perry-Miller ’24 KATHLEEN H. BATTAGLIA March 23, 2023

Alumni STUART ADAM ’70 May 26, 2023 JAMES E. BARNETT II ’88 May 14, 2023 ROBERT A. HANSCH ’63 March 13, 2023

Brother of Thomas C. Hansch ’65 WILLIAM W. HAY ’51 Oct. 27, 2022 WESLEY M. HEATH ’01 Jan. 6, 2023

FREDERICK S. MERRILL, JR. ’57 Aug. 27, 2023

Brother of Michael M. Merrill ’72 WILLIAM F. MOORE ’59 April 12, 2023

Son of the late Dr. Robert L. Moore ’23, brother of Robert T. Moore ’56 and Dr. H. Leslie Moore ’56 JOHN T. PENNER ’53 Jan. 9, 2023

Brother of the late Henry A. Penner ’64 MICHAEL E. RUDMAN ’56 March 30, 2023

JOHN D. KEYS, JR. ’71 Feb. 21, 2023

Brother of the late Pat E. Rudman ’60

DR. JOHN H. LETCHER III ’53 Feb. 9, 2023

CHARLES R. SCURRY ’60 May 3, 2023

Brother of the late Dr. Frank S. Letcher ’59 and William F. Letcher ’67

Brother of Richardson G. Scurry, Jr. ’56

RICHARD C. MARCUS ’56 Feb. 4, 2023

Grandfather of Charles H. Rose ’20 MICHAEL MCMILLAN ’71 Jan. 19, 2023

Brother of Manuel McMillan ’76

JAMES H. SCHIFF ’63 June 14, 2023

Brother of Steve S. Schiff ’67 MARCUS B. ZALE ’00 Feb. 21, 2023

Grandmother of staff member Alex Hughes HENRY BEHAR May 10, 2023

Grandfather of Gregory A. Cunningham ’27 BARBARA A. BROOKMAN March 16, 2023

Grandmother of Kristopher Lowe ’31 BONNIE CASE

Aug. 23, 2023 Wife of Tom Case ’65 NORMAN A. COHEN May 29, 2023

Father of Emeritus Trustee Helene C. Rudberg, grandfather of Sloan B. Rudberg ’10 ELLEN EINSOHN May 26, 2023

Wife of Robert J. Einsohn ’67, aunt of Joshua S. Einsohn ’90 WELDON L. ESTES Sep. 10, 2023

Father of David H. Estes ’89 and faculty member Angela Hendricks, grandfather of Henry D. Estes ’25 ARMANDO GARCIA Oct. 24, 2022

Grandfather of Nicolas A. Sanchez ’16, Samuel A. Sanchez ’18 and Daniel A. Sanchez ’21

Community

In memoriam SRINIVAS R. GUNUKULA Dec. 7, 2022

DR. HARIHARA MEHENDALE Oct. 13, 2022

WILLIAM W. TUOHY April 23, 2023

Father of Rahul R. Gunukula ’22

Father-in-law of Trustee Dr. Kimberly Mehendale, grandfather of Raja C. Mehendale ’24

Father-in-law of faculty member Alex B. Eshelbrenner ’04

JANIE F. HARRIS June 27, 2023

Sister of faculty member Dwight L. Phillips JANET READ HIGGINS Dec 29, 2022

CAROLINE G. MOODY May 3, 2023

Daughter of faculty member Jonathan E. Moody

Mother of faculty member Liz Kraft

PAMELA J. MOUNT July 1, 2023

NORMA K. HUNT June 3, 2023

Mother-in-law of faculty member John M. Hunter, grandmother of Blake E. Hunter ’32

Wife of the late Life Trustee Lamar Hunt, mother of Lamar Hunt, Jr. ’75, Trustee Clark K. Hunt ’83 and Trustee Daniel L. Hunt ’96, grandmother of Knobel H. Hunt ’21 BARRY N. HYMAN April 23, 2023

Father-in-law of Trustee Alan C. Schoellkopf, Jr. ’91 and grandfather of Alan C. Schoellkopf III ’27 SAMUEL H. R. JACKSON May 18, 2023

Son of former faculty member Fred H. Jackson PATSY R. LEWIS Sep. 2, 2023

Grandmother of Jerry “JBeau” M. Lewis IV ’98 RONALD M. MANKOFF June 27, 2023

Father of Jeffrey W. Mankoff ’79 and Douglas F. Mankoff ’81, grandfather of Bradley S. Mankoff ’14 HENRIETTA MATZ Jan. 22, 2023

Great-grandmother of Mason E. Pedroza ’26 THOMAS E. MCCULLOUGH April 11, 2023

Father of Edward T. McCullough ’99

JEAN MURRAY February 2, 2023

Grandmother of faculty member Anna Gill

ARTHUR I. UNGERMAN June 27, 2023

Father of Josh Ungerman ’83 ROSEMARY H. VAUGHAN May 10, 2023

Aunt of Daniel P. Novakov, Jr. ’99, grandmother of Matthew B. Miller ’10 DONNA A. VANDERWOUDE July 14, 2023

Wife of the late Fred B. Vanderwoude ’68 BEVERLY WALTON Aug. 15, 2023

ZELDA S. NAFTALIS Aug. 17, 2023

Mother of Scott R. Walton ’77

Mother of Dr. Richard C. Naftalis ’75, grandmother of Harrison H. Naftalis ’12 and Benjamin R. Naftalis ’15

MYRON F. WEINER July 17, 2023

NELLIE S. NAYFA Oct.17, 2022

Grandfather of Luke D. Nayfa ’21 CHANA F. ROBINOWITZ June 17, 2023

Father of Daniel R. Weiner ’76 and Gary B. Weiner ’77 SANDFORD ZISK

Father of Jeffrey B. Zisk ’75, Randall S. Zisk ’77 and Craig S. Zisk ’83

Mother of Howard Z. Robinowitz ’80, Donald E. Robinowitz ’82, Kevin P. Robinowitz ’91, grandmother of Jacob M. Robinowitz ’22 SHERRY SCHOENEMAN March 14, 2023

Wife of Barton F. Schoeneman, Jr. ’57 CHRISTINE W. SPENCER April 17, 2023

Mother of George H. Spencer III ’81, Arnold A. Spencer ’84 and John B. Spencer ’85, grandmother of Arnold W. Spencer ’23

Submissions not included in this edition will appear in the next issue of The Pride.

Continued, next page

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In memoriam Continued from previous page

Juan J. Egües

Rolf R. Haberecht

Barbara D. Miercort

Former faculty member JUAN J. EGÜES passed away on May 23, 2023.

ROLF R. HABERECHT, former Trustee, passed away on March 18, 2023.

BARBARA D. MIERCORT, former Trustee, passed away Aug.10, 2023.

During his 14 years at St. Mark’s, Juan Egües, taught Spanish and was the beloved soccer coach for many celebrated teams. In addition to those duties, Egües was a class sponsor and held two administrative positions, dean of students and director of Financial Aid. Egües visited St. Mark’s often to celebrate with alumni classes when they held their reunion celebrations.

He also attended several alumni vs. varsity soccer games held at St. Mark’s to cheer on his former players and maybe coach a little!

Following his time at St. Mark’s, Egües worked at the Westminster Schools in Atlanta until his retirement in 2004. He and his wife Helga then moved to Charlotte, NC to be close to their son, Michael ’83, and two of their grandchildren.

In 2016, his sons Michael ’83 and Richard ’85 encouraged him to move to Madrid, Spain, where Richard and his family lived and where Helga could receive medical care. They enjoyed being close to friends and family there including their three beautiful granddaughters. Helga passed away in Feb. of 2017.

Rolf Haberecht led a remarkable life. Born in the Erzgebirge region of Germany, his parents stressed the importance of education and hard work. He graduated from the Technical University in Berlin with a PhD in physics and chemistry and later earned his MBA from SMU’s Cox School of Business.

He and his wife Ute were married for 62 years and were blessed with two children, Michael ’82 and Caroline. The Haberechts moved to Dallas where he had an exciting career at Texas Instruments. He rose to corporate vice president where he was responsible for the company’s worldwide semiconductor operations. Haberecht eventually started his own semiconductor technology-based company, VLSIP, and spent more than 65 years in that field.

He joined the St. Mark’s Board of Trustees in 1978 and served until 1983. His service to the community of Dallas included memberships on the Board of Trustees of the Lamplighter School, the Episcopal School of Dallas and the UT Southwestern Medical Foundation.

Born in Cripple Creek, CO, Barbara Dolan Miercort graduated with a B.A. from the University of St. Thomas in Houston. She enjoyed an early career as a reporter for several newspapers and as an editor for WYES TV in New Orleans. She was married for 59 years to Clifford Miercort and they had four children, Kevin, Teressa, Jennifer, and David ’86. She was also the proud grandmother of six and the greatgrandmother of four.

Miercort was an active volunteer in the Dallas community. In addition to her service on the Board of Trustees at St. Mark’s School of Texas from 1985 to 1988, she was on the Mayor’s Task Force on Teen Pregnancy, on the Boards of The Woman’s Council and the Cherish the Children Coalition, and was a founder of Topics II. She wrote a novel about the Bronze Age in Ireland called Fires in the Mist, which was published under her Irish surname of Dolan.

Community

Steve ‘Hollywood’ Walker Former staff member STEVE ‘HOLLYWOOD’ WALKER passed away April 3, 2023.

Steve Walker was born in 1953 and came to work at St. Mark’s in 1975 to join the cafeteria staff. He worked in numerous locations as the food service moved from the old gym to a tent called “The Blacktop Café” as the A. Earl Cullum, Jr., Alumni Commons was being built in the mid-1990s.

The new facility included a kitchen and dining facility in the Great Hall.

He got the nickname “Hollywood” from the students who enjoyed his enthusiastic greetings whenever he came across “his boys.” As the headmaster wrote upon announcing Steve’s retirement in 2021, “He never missed an opportunity to greet a Marksman or a colleague with a friendly smile. He brought optimism and good cheer at every turn.”

In 2015, the Alumni Association honored Steve for his 40 years of service to the School at the annual Spring Alumni Dinner. He retired in 2021 as one of the longesttenured employees of the School.

Barney T. Young BARNEY T. YOUNG, Life Trustee and former Board President, passed away May 2, 2023.

Barney Young was born in Chillicothe, on Aug. 10, 1934. He received his BA from Yale University and LLB from the University of Texas School of Law where he was editor-in-chief of the Law Review. He began his legal career in Dallas with the Thompson, Knight, Wright and Simmons firm, which eventually became Locke Lord LLP, a major international law firm. Barney’s practiced focused on corporate and securities law.

In 1957, he married Sarah Elizabeth Taylor and they enjoyed a wonderful life together of almost 60 years before her death in 2016. They raised their three children in Dallas: Jay ’76, Sarah Elizabeth and Serena Taylor.

Young believed strongly in giving back to his community and he did considerable non-profit charitable and governance work throughout his life.

He was a board member of numerous organizations including the Dallas Zoological Society, Dallas Historical Society, Mental Health Association of Dallas County and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

He was a member of the Board of Trustees at St. Mark’s from 1970 to 1995, serving as president from 1976 to 1978.

He was honored as a Life Trustee of St. Mark’s in 1995.

92 THE PRIDE MAGAZINE | FALL 2023

Endnotes

THE

Online giving The St. Mark’s Fund is the School’s most important, ongoing fundraising priority, providing more than 11 percent of the annual operating budget. You may give online through our secure server at: www.smtexas.org/smfund. Every gift makes a difference.

Archives From the Terrill School all the way to St. Mark’s School of Texas, ours is a school with a long and rich history. If you have school memorabilia that you would like to donate to St. Mark’s to be preserved in our school archives, contact the Office of Development & Alumni Relations, 214-346-8800.

Submissions Do you have a great story you’d like to share with your fellow alumni? Have you made any changes in your life such as a new job, new degree, marriage, children or other announcement? Please send your stories, along with any photos to the Office of Development & Alumni Relations so we can include them in our next issue. Submissions not included in this edition will appear in the next issue of The Pride. Submissions may be made in any of three ways: • Send digitally to: smtexas.org/classnotes • Use our online form to send in your “Remarks.” All information, including high resolution photos are welcome. Send to: mallickj@smtexas.org • Use U.S. mail. Send to St. Mark’s School of Texas, Attn: Jack Mallick, 10600 Preston Rd., Dallas, TX 75230

INTERNS. These seven graduates interned in the Office of Development and Alumni Relations this summer and contributed greatly to this issue of The Pride. Pictured are Aadi Khasgiwala ’23, George Genender ’23, Arjun Khatti ’23, Austin Williams ’22, Charlie Estess ’23, Bowden Slates ’23 and Shreyan Daulat ’23.

Cover — Photo by Creative Director Dave Carden of the iconic Lion statue in the Cecil and Ida Green Library represents a strong foundation for all Marksmen.

Inside front cover photograph — Creative Director Dave Carden’s photograph of Lower Schoolers having time to play and pretend on the Lower School playground highlights the importance of social development and community building.

St. Mark’s School of Texas

10600 Preston Rd., Dallas, TX 75230-4047 • 214-346-8800

Provided to the alumni and greater School community of St. Mark’s School of Texas

Office of Development & Alumni Relations ASSISTANT HEADMASTER FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS Scott Jolly DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Tim Crouch SENIOR DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT Alex Eshelbrenner ‘04 AHLBERG & RIBMAN FAMILY DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS Jack Mallick ‘14 ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Jan Forrester DIRECTOR OF THE ST. MARK’S FUND Katelyn Muñoz DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS Ray Westbrook Jeanette Bovenzi, data specialist; Dave Carden, creative director; Dansby Erwin, project manager; Alex Hughes, assistant director of Communications; Sam Insel, database manager; Scott Moore, associate director of Communications; Anna Morris, Development coordinator; Virginia Puckett, St. Mark’s Fund coordinator; Raeann Robertson, Development assistant; Whitney Webb, Alumni Relations coordinator.

The Pride Editorial Staff EDITOR Ray Westbrook ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS Scott Moore CREATIVE DIRECTOR David Carden ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS Alex Hughes The Pride is published twice annually by the Office of Development & Alumni Relations, and is distributed to alumni, parents and friends of the School.

In producing this magazine, every effort has been made to ensure accuracy. Please report any errors or receipt of multiple copies to the Office of Development and Alumni Relations.

St. Mark’s School of Texas does not discriminate in the administration of its admission and education policies on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation or ethnic origin.

LEAVE YOUR MARK

The Daulat family The Daulat family’s involvement with St. Mark’s goes back more than three decades, being passed on from one generation to the next.

S

GENERATIONAL. Dr. Sonak Daulat ‘90 with wife Malisha and son Shreyan ’23.

‘Giving back to the School which has done so much for us was a no-brainer for our family. We always seek to improve the School.’

To learn more or join the Terrill Society, please visit smtexas.org/plannedgiving, or contact Tim Crouch in the Office of Development & Alumni Relations at 214.346.8809 or croucht@smtexas.org.

onak Daulat ’90 believes St. Mark’s gave him the tools to succeed in every aspect of life — from his career, to his family, to his spirituality.

After graduating, he stayed closely connected to the School through his son Shreyan Daulat ‘23, who was The ReMarker editorin-chief his senior year, through classmates both near and far, as a class agent and, most recently, by joining the Alumni Board.

“The 2022 Marksmen yearbook’s theme beautifully encompassed the St. Mark’s experience,” Daulat said. “‘You never really leave.’ St. Mark’s is with me wherever I go and will always have a place in my heart.”

Sonak and his wife Malisha Daulat saw firsthand the opportunities and lessons the school offers its students. Furthermore, Sonak’s parents, Bhalchandra and Veena Daulat, witnessed St. Mark’s life-changing impact on two generations of Marksmen In recognition of this support and of St. Mark’s impact on their family, the Daulat family decided to join the Menter B. Terrill Society — the School’s society for legacy giving — to honor St. Mark’s in their long-term estate planning.

— their son and their grandsons, Shreyan Daulat ‘23 and Kian Foshee ‘26.

In recognition of the School’s impact on their family, the Daulats decided to join the Menter B. Terrill Society, the School’s society for legacy giving, to honor St. Mark’s in their long-term estate planning.

“We’ve made an investment in St. Mark’s so that generations of students can have the amazing Marksman experience that I had going to school here,” Daulat said. “Giving back to the School which has done so much for us was a no-brainer for our family.

We always seek to improve the School.”

10600 Preston Rd. Dallas, TX 75230-4047 214-346-8800 • www.smtexas.org

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

DALLAS, TEXAS PERMIT NO. 1341

ST. MARK’S SCHOOL OF TEXAS

St. Mark’s School of Texas

What was going through your mind when you took off your blue shirt for the last time?

It reminded me of putting on my blue shirt a year ago.

—AADI KHASGIWALA ’23

That was the moment it hit me that my time as a student was actually over.

—BOWDEN SLATES ’23

Marksmen Across Generations

THE PRIDE | Fall 2023 | Vol. 28, No. 2