Graduates of St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School, go forth into the world in peace, bear yourselves with uprightness and integrity, rejoice in God's Creation, love all people, and remember this School family in your prayers. Farewell and may God bless you.
Niles A. Alburg
Madeleine Avery Anderson
Sophie Lian Atkisson
Alison Lenora Barrow
Nicholas Aidan Belardo
Anne Elizabeth Belevetz
William Matthew Bertles
Matthew Z Bezuneh
Lilli McAvay Biondi
Makin Clark Blalock
Keith Eugene Bolen
Charles Eugene Bounds
Samuel Edward Bradburn
Martin Lucas Braun
Peyton Judith Burg
Alethea Callahan
Codie Jean Campbell
Sophia Chloe Carr
Nicholas James Chirite
Joseph Bernard Colligan
Caroline Elisabeth Constandy
Giorgio Alessandro Corica
Cole Frederic Cosby
Zoë Grennell Coval
Michael Alexander Dague
Meghan E Drzewiecki
Amber Wynne Dunton
Julia Ryan Duvall
Bailey Alise Edwards
Spencer Bell Ferry
Devon Rhys Fogg
Ava Grace Franklin
Marina Leslie Gallozzi
Isabella Garcia-Ippolito
Daniel Chester Garvin
Kurt Christopher Gehlhoff
Michael Xavier Guglielmone
Molly Catherine Gunn
Christopher Joseph Hamam
Cooper Charles Harding
Carter Lynn Harris
Finn Cole Paul Hartman
Charlotte Whitaker Ames Heimbach
Charlotte Eliza Hill
Justin Ckari Ross Hill
Lily Ruth-Gordon Hunsicker
Lauren P. Irish-Maldonado
Elizabeth Jane Israel
Carolyn Cassedy Jacobs
William Donald Jacobs
Xavier Reilly Johnston
Jonathan Ethan Joiner
Julianne Michelle Karol
Mollie Cameron Kemp
Jonathan Zongxin Kho
Nicole F. Kiama
Anish Kohli
Emma Rose Lacy
Katharine Mary Killay Lavayen
Andrew Joseph Lazarski
Calysta Jeanhee Lee
Catherine Bramley Legg
Jacob Isaac Liberman
Gabriella Enid Lipsky
Abigail Hartley Lowe
Elizabeth Judy Lowham-Ruzzo
Matthew John Mantey, Jr.
Nya Rheann Mason
Abhay Mathur
Margaret Sylvia McAree
Claire Seaton McConnel
Declan Thomas McCulloch
Lauren Elizabeth Minor
Joshua Douglas Moore-Davis
Nicholas McWhirter Moore-Davis
Turner Jefferson More
Morgan Lee Mueller
John William Murphy
Rafiki Lawrence Mwethuku
Marnie Nichols
Jake Riley Nielsen
Greg Noren
Andrew Clement Norton
Lucy Elizabeth Palma
Danielle Kristina Pascale
Kylie Ann Payne
Taylor Grace Peterson
Charles Andrew Purser
Aidan Thomas Roemer
Manav Sabharwal
Myles Nicholas Sandy
Siddharth Shah
Gavin Rae Smigel
Trevor Hutchinson Smyth
Raleigh McCullough Speed
Justin Stewart
Garrett Sullivan
Mekleet Kinde Taye
Harrison Harry Thaptao
Carlton Edward Tillman, Jr.
Will Davis Toman
Antonio John Traettino
Louis Tyler Turnage
Emily Sebes Vajda
Davis James Van Buren
James William VandeHei
John Emery Veatch III
Cecily Allison Wainstein
William Brian Walsh, Jr.
Anjani Patel Waters
Elizabeth John Watson
Phillip Reginald Williams
Bryson Michael Wilson
Campbell Elizabeth Wolff
William Robert Woodruff
Oscar Zaire Wright
Website: sssas.org
Head of School
Kirsten Prettyman Adams
Director of Communications
Jen Desautels
Editor & Designer
Director of Design & Production
Melissa Ulsaker Maas '76
Director of Digital Media and Marketing
Mandi Sapp
Director of Brand Management and Marketing
Marcia Mallett
Photographers
Jameson Bloom '13
Laura Hatcher Photography
Melissa Ulsaker Maas '76
Marcia Mallett
Cory Royster
Questions/Comments
Melissa Ulsaker Maas '76 mmaas@sssas.org
To Update Your Contact Information or Mailing Preferences
Please email atoman@sssas.org or call 703-212-2720.
Published by SSSAS for alumni, current parents, friends, and other regularly supportive members of the school community. © 2023
St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School admits students of any race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs. As a related organization of the Episcopal Church, St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School respects the applicable policies and governing principles of the Episcopal Church pertaining to nondiscrimination.
It is noticeably quieter today than it was just a few weeks ago; the hallways not echoing the sounds of our Saints daily chorus—the energizing harmony of conversation and laughter. But it is not completely silent—it never is! There are campers on our fields, in our studios, and on our stages, creating, cooking, playing, and learning. Our buildings and grounds team are, as always, hard at work, caring for our buildings and landscapes, renovating and repairing, moving and cleaning. And as I write this, there is so much happening at the Upper School. Temporary classrooms are in place and the demolition of the science wing and dining hall is underway. Each day there is progress toward this transformational new chapter in our school's history. It is such an exciting time.
As I look ahead to all that is to come in the next few months, I do so with great gratitude for the incredible year we have just completed. Each day in the life of school is full of so many small and big moments. Some of these have already faded into distant memories in our students' minds, while for others there are those that will always be remembered as THE moment of 2022-2023: traveling for a Mini-Course, presenting to classmates and families at the Green City Challenge, creating games for the Crenshaw Arcade, performing magic, cleaning up streams, turning in a final research paper, finishing a book on their own for the first time, bowing at the end of the final performance of the musical, making it to the top of Shrine Mont with their classmates. It truly has been an amazing year.
Enjoy your summer! I hope for you many big and small moments of discovery, joy, and adventure.
Warmly,
Kirsten Adams Head of School
BY MELISSA ULSAKER MAAS '76
St. Stephen's and St. Agnes was honored to welcome this year's commencement speaker, Amna Nawaz Werdel '97. Amna has forged an illustrious career in journalism, recently making history as the first Asian American and Muslim American co-anchor of PBS NewsHour. A first-generation American daughter of Pakistani parents, Amna is tremendously grateful to them for her upbringing. Her parents believed in a strong education and emphasized the need to pursue some kind of work that makes a difference. They raised their children to be free thinking, independent, citizens of the world,
speaking both English and Urdu at home and splitting their time between the school year in America and the summers in Pakistan. Amna brings all of herself to everything she does and again credits her parents, who told their children to dream big, follow their hearts, and throw their whole selves into whatever they decide to do. Amna is well-known for her insightful reporting, unwavering dedication to the truth, and desire to not only be the first to open a door, but also to hold it open for others to follow.
Thinking back on her time at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes, Amna feels they were very formative years not
just for herself, but also for her two sisters. She recognizes that when a place is special it doesn't matter how long you spend there, it leaves an important and lasting impression. She cites the profound impact of certain individuals within the Saints community, crediting Mrs. Cindy Corner—who served as a Lower School teacher for 25 years—for leaving an indelible impression on her. Mrs. Corner encouraged Amna to write and told her she could do it and could do it well. Mrs. Corner not only taught her the skills to be a good writer, but also taught her to believe in herself as a writer. Amna also acknowledges the guidance
of two legendary SSSAS coaches, Marsha Way and Kathy Jenkins, who imparted valuable lessons both on and off the athletic fields that contributed to her character and served her well throughout college and into her career. Her academic journey took her to the University of Pennsylvania, where she captained the varsity field hockey team, studied abroad at the University of Zimbabwe, and earned a bachelor's in politics, philosophy, and economics. She later received a master's in comparative politics from the London School of Economics.
Keeping up with the news was part of Amna's childhood and she remembers watching CBS evening news anchor Dan Rather every day with her family. Her very first job at ABC Nightline was under Ted Koppel. She feels that the role of an anchor today is even more important, as a voice of credibility and authority in a very crowded information/media landscape. Prior to joining PBS NewsHour in April 2018, she held prominent roles at ABC News and NBC News. At ABC News, Amna anchored breaking news coverage and led the network's livestream coverage of the 2016 presidential election, showcasing her ability to deliver news in realtime with poise and accuracy. As the former foreign correspondent and Islamabad Bureau Chief at NBC News, she exhibited her fearlessness by reporting from the heart of major international events.
Amna is committed to representing diverse voices in the media. As the founder and former managing editor of NBC's Asian America platform, she paved the way for stories from America's fastestgrowing and most diverse population to be elevated and heard. In 2018 she was honored with the American
Muslim Institution's Excellence in Media Award and in 2022 she received the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies' Vision Award and the Media Award from the Muslim Affairs Public Council's Media Award. Amna was a Fall 2021 Fellow at Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Asian American Journalists Association, the South Asian Journalists Association, and the Inter-American Dialogue.
In 2019, Amna became the first Asian American and the first Muslim American to moderate a presidential debate. While at NBC News, she was the first foreign journalist to gain access to North Waziristan—which at that time was the global hub of Al Qaeda and the Taliban—and she was pregnant with her first daughter. Amna has reported from the White House and traversed the globe to cover various topics ranging from politics and immigration to culture and sports, including significant events like the September 11th attacks; the elections and inaugurations of Presidents Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden; Hurricane Katrina; and the U.S. war in Afghanistan.
Recognized for her exceptional work, Amna has received numerous accolades throughout her career.
In 2009 she received an Emmy award for her part in the NBC News Special, “Inside the Obama White House.” In 2020, Amna hosted “Broken Justice,” a criminal justice podcast honoring work that fosters the American public's understanding of law and the legal system, which was named a finalist for the Silver Gavel Awards. Her documentaries include the 2019 Peabody Award winner, “The Plastic
Problem,” examining global plastic pollution and efforts to address it 2019; “Raising the Future,” a 2021 documentary on America's childcare crisis; and “Life After Lockup,” which followed the lives of four formerly-incarcerated people to track the challenges of reentry after prison in 2022. Amna earned two more Peabody Awards as part of the NewsHour's teams that covered the gun violence epidemic in America and the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas in 2022, and the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol in January. This year Amna was named an A100 honoree by Gold House as one of the most impactful Asian Americans in the country..
In 2021 Amna hosted “The Longest Year,” a pandemic-focused podcast series on the many ways Covid-19 changed Americans' lives, as well as hosting three seasons of the primetime PBS series, “Beyond the Canvas,” featuring profiles and interviews of some of the world's leading artists, musicians, and creators.
Amna's interviews with heads of state and international leaders, including Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and former Israeli Prime
Minister Naftali Bennett, underscore her ability to navigate complex geopolitical landscapes. She has engaged with numerous lawmakers and administration officials— including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo—shedding light on critical issues and providing valuable insights. Amna has also interviewed public figures such as acclaimed director Ava Duvernay, actor Riz Ahmed, WNBA star Sue Bird, and country singer Reba McEntire.
Although Amna's contributions to journalism extend beyond her role at PBS NewsHour, also serving as an NBC News and MSNBC contributor, she does find time away from work. She says her schedule can be a little chaotic, but she and husband Paul find lots of ways to spend time together and with their two young daughters, Karam and Lina. Favorite activities include family movie nights
on the couch every weekend, cooking and baking together, shooting hoops in the driveway, or doing arts and crafts. They go to basketball and soccer games, host barbecues and get-togethers, and in quiet moments, Amna can be found curled up with a good book.
Amna has a soft spot for music of her formative years in the 90's and early aught's, but she enjoys listening to everything, pop, rock, hip hop, and country. Her husband is a big music buff and is constantly expanding her horizons, and now her daughters are developing their own musical tastes and introducing her to the artists they find and like.
Of course, Amna religiously watches and scans all the big news shows, which she says is an occupational necessity, but on the weekends lots of sports are on in the background. She is a huge fan of the endless supply of sports documentaries available for
streaming. As for TV series, she and Paul are big fans of “Ted Lasso” and “Succession.” She has love for Roy Kent and a deep fear of Shiv Roy. She also admits that her “ultimate brainshutdown mode” to momentarily tune out the news is watching reality television, but she only dips in and out of a few shows now and again “just to keep a little perspective on life.” Most of the movies her family is watching right now are centered around what their daughters are interested in, so they are all caught up on the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the entire Disney+ portfolio.
I spoke to Amna about her career and hopes for the future.
What was the first life-changing event you witnessed from a newsroom and how did it affect you?
The very first big story I ever covered was 9/11. The attacks happened just a few weeks into my very first job, straight out of school. I often
say, the world changed that day, and my place in it changed as well. I not only got to see journalists covering the story of a generation, and play a small part in bringing that coverage to millions of Americans, I saw how necessary it was to have different perspectives and robust discussion in a newsroom to help shape our work. I also saw how crucial it was to get the facts right, in a time of enormous chaos and uncertainty. That experience set the bar and the tone for the rest of my career.
Are there any journalists who have particularly inspired or influenced you?
My father was the first journalist to inspire me. He anchored the news back in Pakistan and covered the Indo-Pak wars. He came to the United States to pursue journalism, attending the Columbia School of Journalism. Though he changed career tracks later, his foundation as a journalist never left him, and made its way to me in the form of some important life lessons. Questions are good. Words matter. Stories can change the world.
As trust in journalists and the media is on the decline, what is at the heart of the journalism that you practice? What beliefs do you live by and hold to in your reporting?
Journalism is service. Facts come first. But people are at the heart of the stories we tell. You can be rigorous and empathetic at the same time. Strength and compassion are perfectly compatible, in journalism and in life.
What inspired you to become a foreign correspondent?
We'd spent a lot of time traveling as kids. We spent long summers in Pakistan, visiting family and friends,
and my parents committed to taking us someplace new whenever we could. By the time I was a teenager, I'd been to dozens of countries, including England, France, Turkey, India, and Russia. It was normal for me to think of the world outside my national boundaries - we were raised to be true citizens of the world. I carried that into my journalism. I knew the world to be much bigger than our national media focus often stretches, and wanted to be part of the effort to build those bridges. Our world is too small and too connected for us to not understand each other.
How did being a foreign correspondent impact how you now cover U.S. politics?
The US is my home, it's the only country I've ever called home. But reporting from other countries allows you the distance to view your own country through an outsider's lens. It's a valuable lens to gain and maintain. It changed how I look at story framing, whose voices are featured in stories and who is talked about. It changed how I looked at word choice, especially when we're covering conflict. And it taught me a lot about how much more all have in common than is sometimes represented in our news, in ways both good and bad. I stood outside the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, covering the insurrection and felt a familiarity covering these kinds of scenes in different countries around the world. The difference, of course, was that it was now happening here at home.
I think there's value in showing what happens “over there” impacts what happens “over here.” And how decisions made in one place can change people's lives on the other side of the world.
What was it like being a female foreign correspondent, particularly in a war zone? Were there additional challenges being a PakistaniAmerican woman?
I was lucky to follow in the footsteps of a number of other female foreign correspondents, who had to pave a much tougher path in their generation. There were a number of women reporting overseas when I was there, and it was a great community to be a part of. There were still many times I would find myself the only woman around—embedding with a Marine Expeditionary Unit in Haiti, or out with troops in Pakistan or Afghanistan. It presents its own challenges—using the bathroom, for example—but I found that if you just focused on the work, and didn't expect to be treated any differently, that was the best way to get through it and make sure you could do your job. In some places, it was an advantage. If the men in a certain community didn't want to talk to me, the women usually did. And because they weren't used to reporters talking to them, they would often be willing to open up and speak freely because they wanted to be heard.
What did it mean to you to become the first Asian American and Muslim American anchor at NewsHour?
It means a lot. It means little girls and boys out there can see someone like me in this role and view it as normal. It means my girls will never question whether this is something they could or should do, if they choose. It means we have a long way still to go in terms of better representing the audiences we serve as journalists. It's an enormous responsibility, and a privilege to sit in this chair, especially alongside someone I get to call both a colleague
and a friend in my co-anchor, Geoff Bennett. But I'm also filled with gratitude for the many, many women and in particular, women of color who had to break down walls and push open doors for generations so that I could be where I am today.
What are some of the biggest challenges facing women in journalism today?
We still live in America, where enormous strides have been made to counter sexism and racism over the years but enormous hurdles remain. And journalism, like any other institution of power, has those same struggles. Things have changed so much in a matter of years, certainly from the beginning of my career. I think we've gotten better at recognizing there's no such thing as “women's stories” and “men's stories”—that good journalists can cover all stories. And I try to represent that in the work that I do—bringing my whole self to these stories. That may mean interviewing the Secretary of State and a reality
TV star on the same day, but that's the authentic version of me. And we need more authenticity in news.
As a very powerful and influential institution, what do you feel newsrooms do to recruit and include more representative and diverse voices? People who can speak to the issues from real experience.
Newsrooms have changed a lot since I was starting out, but we're still a long way from representing the public we serve. There are a number of reports and studies that back that up. Recruitment often focuses on getting people in the door, but the real challenge remains keeping them in the building—training them, investing in them, and promoting them into positions of leadership. The change is happening, albeit slowly.
What advice would you give to a young high school graduate hoping to pursue a career in journalism and what is your hope for the next generation journalists?
Stay curious. Stay kind. Treat others' stories with the same care you'd want your own treated. And if you do take this path, try to remember to step back and remind yourself how lucky you are – to tell stories, to make a difference, to get a front row seat to history.
How do you balance having a family with such a demanding career? What kind of sacrifices have you had to make? How has having children impacted your life?
I married very well! My husband, Paul, stepped back from his successful career in journalism to become a full-time parent to
our girls when I took the job at NewsHour. He is the center of our family and nothing works without him. Our girls are as wonderful and as magical as they are today because of him, and I am able to do this work with the devotion and energy I can, because of him. As any working parent knows, you miss a lot. I've missed first steps, first days of school, graduations and games. It's not the big moments that matter—I miss bedtimes and booboos and dinner time a lot. That's part of the deal. There's no balance. There's just being present. When I'm at work— I'm at work. When I'm with my family, I'm with my family. I am far from perfect. But I'm trying. And I think my girls see that. Having children changes your life. Because it changes your place in the world. Having my daughters expanded my capacity for so much—how much I can love, how big I can dream, how little I can sleep :) Having kids focuses you off into the far distance. All that changes what stories you tell, what questions you ask, and what answers you seek —just like any other part of you.
When you look back on your career, what legacy do you hope you will leave behind?
I don't think about legacy. I think about what I can do with the time I've been given. In Islam, when someone dies, we say “inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un” —from God we come, and to Him we return. I've always been acutely aware that our days are limited, and tried to do the most I can with each day I'm gifted.
To the Head of School, Kirsten Adams, to faculty and staff here at St. Stephen's and St Agnes School, and to our esteemed guests—the family and friends who gather in celebration—thank you for having me here today.
We're here to celebrate the grads, but let's be honest, none of them would be where they are today without all of you, so congratulations to you as well. I want to take a moment to thank a few people also here with me today—without whom I wouldn't be where I am, or who I am—my parents, Shuja and Seema Nawaz, my husband, Paul, and our two girls, Karam and Lina. I've given a few graduation speeches recently, but this is the first one my family is here to listen to, and they hear me talk way too much as it is, so the pressure is really on to hold their attention.
To the graduating Class of 2023, congratulations. As your speaker, I'm supposed to share with you some wisdom, some inspiration, some hard-earned lessons from the real world, and help you unlock the secrets to life outside this comfortable, suburban bubble many of you have been inside. The real secret is I'm still figuring it out. And anyone who tells you they're
done figuring it out is making that up. So, what I wanted to talk to you about is how you go about figuring it out once you leave here. What to pay attention to. What questions to ask.
And the one thing you should never, ever, ever forget to do. (How's that for suspense) Grads, pay really close attention to who's around you. The community you've chosen to become a part of, and the ones you'll choose to join after that, and after that, and after that.
Take a look at this one. The people around you today. They have all helped to make you who you are—by cheering for you, laughing or crying with you, competing with you, even disagreeing with you. The communities you find yourself in will play an enormous role in shaping who you'll become, what you'll do, and where you'll go. I know it's true, because it did the same for me. You should know—you have all already accomplished something in life I never did—actually graduating from St. Stephens and St. Agnes.
Think back, if you can, to the late 1900's—you may have read about it in history class—when I first joined this community. I started at St. Agnes School in kindergarten. I spent nine wonderful years here, through the merger with St. Stephen's. And though I ended up attending high school at a science and tech school nearby (we don't speak the names of other schools on your graduation), this place, this institution, was my first school community.
I made my first friends in Mrs. Eaton's kindergarten. I learned how much I loved to read in Mrs. Ross' first grade. I figured out I was a pretty good writer in second grade, thanks to Mrs. Corner, who scribbled smiley faces in the margins of my journal entries.
It was Coach Way and Coach Jenkins who first spotted my field hockey and lacrosse potential. Taught me to push myself. Persist. To win with resilience. To lose with grace. Though we got less practice with that.
I loved my days here. I'm sure you have too. But remember no community is perfect. It was tough, sometimes, to be one of the only kids like me. My sisters and I were some of the few students of color in our classes. We were one of the only Muslim families in school. I had a name that was very similar to another little girl in my grade, who happened to be one of the only other kids of color in the class, and teachers often called us by the other's name.
My friends and I had different backgrounds. Different faiths. Different languages we spoke in the home. But we had a lot more in common than that.
My being a part of this community—attending chapel every week, studying the Bible, playing the barn door in the Christmas pageant (my speaking line in the play was “creeeeeaakk” – thank you again to my dad for building that costume from scratch)—opened doors for me. It helped me better understand my friends. And it gave them a chance to better understand me.
My mother came to school to teach my classmates about the Eid holiday. When we had country report assignments, my friend
who got Pakistan had the best costume and details, thanks to my parents.
Grads, make sure you choose communities of friends, coworkers, and neighbors who open doors for you—who broaden your world and who may even disagree with you. We live in too complicated a time for you to silo yourself off or only engage with people who already see the world the same way as you.
Read books by authors you have nothing in common with. Study abroad in countries where you do not speak the language. Take that random film class. Show up at that cultural event that's not your own. Read and watch and listen to multiple news sources—just make the PBS NewsHour one of them.
If you find yourself in a room where everyone around you looks and thinks and acts the same way as you do, find other rooms.
Trust me when I tell you your lives will be bigger and brighter and better if you do. And you will make those communities better by being a part of them.
So how do you know you're heading the right direction? Well first off, there is no right direction. You will zig and zag, feel you're moving forward and back, sometimes sprinting, other times like you're trekking through mud. All of this, I promise you, is perfectly normal.
You're not racing anyone else, or competing with your peers. The only clock that matters is your own. Please, please pay no attention to anyone else's highlight reel on
social media or any of those 30 under 30 lists. Shooting stars shine bright, but they burn fast.
Start now to steadily, intentionally, build a life only you can imagine for yourself.
The questions to ask along the way are key. Don't ask things like is this getting me where I want to go? Instead ask is this helping me in how I want to grow? Don't ask what do I want to be and where do I want to live? Instead ask yourself who do I want to be and how do I want to live? What problems do I want to solve in the world? How do I want to feel at the end of each day? Each week? Each year?
If you do this, grads, along the way, you will find yourself in places you never dreamed of. Backpacking across Zimbabwe. Reporting from a war zone while pregnant. Attending Catholic Easter services with your best friend in college
and realizing you still remember every single word to the hymn “On Eagle's Wings.” (Thank you Reverend Gardiner and Reverend Phillips).
Ask yourself who you're helping along the way, who needs a hand up. A word of encouragement. A check-in. You are all beyond blessed to be here, with this circle of support and the world stretched out in front of you. You are all beyond blessed to be here, with this circle of support and the world stretched out in front of you. Ask yourself, always, how to use the extraordinary opportunities you've been granted to grant others the same.
Here's the last homework assignment you'll receive: go home tonight, and figure out the two or three priorities that live in your core. They don't have to be specific. They don't even have to be about work. Things that you know about yourself, and you know will likely
not change. Write them down. Stick to them. They will not steer you wrong.
For me—I wanted a sense of mission, a life of adventure and newness where I never felt I wasted a day, and the most important thing—a family at the center of it all.
I left high school knowing I'd be playing field hockey in college and not much else. No major, no big dream, no fiveyear plan. (If you have one of those, please tear it up now). Ask the right questions. Stick to your core. And when you get stuck, or lost, or drift…as you will…you can always do this one thing, that you should never, ever, ever forget to do. Call your mother. Or your father. Or your grandparent who raised you or that one coach you could always count on. Or your therapist or your sister or your cousin. Have someone you can call, anytime,
day or night, who will bring you back to feeling like yourself when you're not.
Because there will be days, grads, when you don't. You've probably already felt them, especially over the last few years we've all lived through together. I know, because I've felt this, that there are things each of you have endured that maybe you haven't even told your parents or your closest friends about. That, too, is normal. And you will be okay. But you need to pick up that phone and call someone.
Every time I felt like quitting field hockey—because those pre-season two-a-days under Philadelphia heat in Division 1 were brutal—I would call my parents, and they'd tell me to take a day. Wake up tomorrow and see how I felt. And every time, I just needed that night to remind myself I was strong enough to keep going. Every time I've felt like this world— and the terrible things I sometimes have to witness—can all just feel like a little too much,
my husband, Paul, is there to remind me how much more joy there is than anything else, how easy it is to laugh, and how much better this path is when we're walking it together.
I will tell you, grads, every time it feels like I've run out of juice, or hit a wall, or can't find that spark, I call on these two magical, little forces of nature who call me mama and I am reminded that we all carry incredible possibility and wonder and hope inside of us. You just need the right folks to help you unlock it. Call them. Don't wait and wonder and worry on your own. Call them.
I know you can't wait to leave here, but I promise you, it will feel so good to come back, and this community will always welcome you with open arms. They won't let you go.
When I graduated high school—again from that other place —I received in the mail my fifth-grade time capsule letter to myself from Ms. Perrine. When our first daughter Karam was born, her picture appeared in
the alumni magazine, and then Head of School Joan Holden sent us Saints bibs and baby gear. When we moved back to Alexandria after years in the New York area, Kirsten Adams invited me back to say hello and reconnect.
I just saw one of my best friends—who I've known since second grade here—a few weeks ago in LA. Another former Saint, also a journalist, and I often find ourselves in the same administration briefings. And I said the weirdest thing probably ever said to a Secretary of State, when I first met Secretary Blinken and told him “You know your mother-in-law was one of my kindergarten teachers.”
You will leave this place, but this place will never leave you.
Go make the world bigger and brighter. Ask the right questions and the answers will appear. Take care of yourselves and each other along the way. And just don't forget to call home every now and again.
Congratulations, graduates. We're cheering you on.
“I know you can't wait to leave here, but I promise you, it will feel so good to come back, and this community will always welcome you with open arms. They won't let you go.”
It's wonderful to see everybody gathered here today to celebrate our class, the Class of 2023! Today, we have the opportunity to celebrate our graduation from the Upper School and all that we have accomplished in our time as Saints. It's been a busy four years! This past year, our senior year, in particular has been action-packed. We won championships and cheered each other on as we have moved from the very back of any student section to the first rows of the bleachers, leading the cheers. We went to class (most of the time) and hung out in the senior lounge (only occasionally during class). We
put on a stunning rendition of “Mamma Mia!”, and sold out all four performances. We got to the parking lot as fast as possible to make it to Chick-fil-a or Chipotle for lunch, always signing out and never speeding through the neighborhood, of course. We also gave vulnerable, inspiring chapel talks, sharing our voices, stories, and words of wisdom with our community.
I could spend at least the rest of my speech listing off accolades we've collectively earned, but to sum it up, we have done a lot. As we have poured our time and energy into this collage of activities, we have grown into the people we are and the class that we make up. Our class is
intelligent, creative, and in equal measure both fiercely competitive and compassionate. We are portraits of the moments and people that have shaped us and reflections of our time here at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes. Different moments along the way have provided us with different takeaways. For example, every moment that I spent hiking both up and then back down the mountain at Shrinemont taught me to never again trust a teacher's approximation of “not that far”. Our intense game of senior assassin taught me to never try to compete with Raleigh when she's got her mind set on something, and the strength
and involvement of our students leadership that we can truly make change in our community. Time spent on Zoom served as a compelling reminder to never take for advantage time spent together with friends and family. A senior year that you are acutely aware could've never happened is a senior year that you take advantage of. It forced us to discover the true extent of our own resilience, both individually and as a community. We also quickly mastered the art of scooching 6 feet over when we spotted Mr. Mallett with his customary pool noodle. These are only a few of the many lessons that our high school experience has imparted
upon our class, which we have learned as a group.
For each one of us, the moments that have been the most pivotal and lessons that have proven the most consequential are unquestionably unique. One lesson that I hope we unanimously take away from our time here comes from our mission statement, which encourages each of us to “pursue goodness as well as knowledge.” Goodness goes far beyond rule following. Goodness is being kind to others and giving your all to whatever it may be that you care most about. Similarly, pursing knowledge refers not only to all of the content that we
“One lesson that I hope we unanimously take away from our time here comes from our mission statement, which encourages each of us to “pursue goodness as well as knowledge.”
have learned over the years, but the manner in which we learn. To pursue knowledge is to pursue growth, to listen when others challenge you, to ask tough questions. Simply put, I have found that the pursuit of goodness as well as knowledge lies at the intersection of passion, drive, and empathy.
Our class is undeniably passionate. We campaigned for wood for the theater program, and maintained what I would bet is the most fiery rivalry with Episcopal in years. We stood up for ourselves and others, heading up clubs like Morgan's Message, Chesapeake Bay Watershed Club, and Saints Supporting Refugees to advocate for the issues closest to our hearts. We supported countless bake sales and drives and cleanups were supported as we took action in making change. We participated in classic traditions with new levels of energy, crushing the juniors in both the powderpuff and boys' volleyball games. Unequivocally, we have made our mark on the St. Stephen's and St. Agnes community through our pursuit of goodness as well as knowledge. Continue to hold both your drive and sense of empathy close, and we will inevitably improve and enrich our college communities and the world around us as we move forward.
There is a quote from Samuel Pizar, a Holocaust survivor, that truly gets at the heart of what I believe about the moments that I have been talking about. He said that “we cannot live in the past, but
it lives in us.” Our experiences thus far have molded us into the people that we are now, as we walk across this stage to receive our diplomas. As we leave here, they will live on in all that we do moving forward. It's important to treasure these moments, the formative and the monumental ones. However, we can't live in reminiscence—we must learn from our experiences and apply them as we live in the present in order to grow. I know that our class will go on to invest our time in incredibly purposeful endeavors: degrees and friendships and accomplishments of all varieties. Don't be scared to dive in to these undertakings. At the same time, never forget to make time for moments of happiness, silliness, and togetherness. This year, we woke up extra early to paint our cars before the first day of class, and spent an evening blowing up balloons (and setting up some other decorations) to surprise the underclassmen and
faculty the next day. Continue to take time out for activities like these, even if it means getting up before the sun for a day. The senior sunrises and pranks are just as worthy of your time and presence, and deserve to be treasured as such.
In talking about our experiences, the people that we have become, and all that we have accomplished in our time here, there are many people who played key roles in our development and success. The teachers, who have bolstered our curiosity, supported our growth, and committed so many STATs and lunches and free periods to us. The coaches and mentors, who motivated and challenged us as we pushed limits and tried new things. All the faculty and staff who have made our time here possible and worked to give us every opportunity. Our families, who have unwaveringly supported us, sacrificed along the way, and made sure we knew that they loved us always. Thank you all—we couldn't have made it without you.
One thing I am sure of in this time of so much change is that we are ready. We will embrace our knowledge and emanate our goodness as we step from St. Stephen's and St. Agnes into our next adventures. We will experience, enjoy and learn from many more pivotal moments to come. For now, in this joyful moment, let's celebrate together.
Congratulations to the Class of 2023!
“I know that our class will go on to invest our time in incredibly purposeful endeavors: degrees and friendships and accomplishments of all varieties.”
First, a note of thanks, to the senior class for presenting me with this great opportunity to share some thoughts on this auspicious occasion! Thank you as well to my English teachers for endowing me with such a scintillating vocabulary.
You know, some parents don't think we learned anything at all, but look at some of the words we've learned since the start of high school: Sus, Tiger King, Wubba-Lubba-DubDub, YEET, TikTok, and Chat GPT. Speaking of Chat GPT, I might've been running a little late on the preparation of this speech, so I instructed it to help me out. So here we go, thanks to a little help from our future AI overlords:
Congratulations to the class of (insert year here) here at (insert high school name). We are all proud to be (insert mascot name) and future alumni from (insert high school name).
You know, Looking back on it, I think I should have been a little bit more specific. There's two things I've learned during my time here at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes. 1) That we are by far the best looking class to ever graduate from St. Stephen's and St. Agnes. And 2) We are a profound mix of great people—we are scholars, and artists, athletes, and poets, musicians, comedians, programmers, scientists, and actors, and together we are extraordinarily grateful for the opportunities we have been given to learn from each other at (insert school name here).
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to our incredible teachers and advisors who have dedicated themselves to our education.
Let's give it up for them [applause].
Your unwavering support, patience, and
guidance have shaped our minds and hearts. You have not only imparted knowledge but also instilled in us the values of perseverance, curiosity, and empathy.
The impact you have had on our lives is immeasurable, and we will forever cherish the lessons learned within these walls. And even outside, when we were eating, Mr. Mallett used to come stick a six foot pole in between us, I'm sure that won't have any long term impacts. My mom thinks I can't get close to people. So, thanks for that.
Speaking of moms...
To our parents, guardians, and families, thank you for the countless sacrifices you have made to ensure our success.
Let's hear it for the families.
Your love, encouragement, and unwavering belief in us has been the driving force behind our achievements. You have been our pillars of strength, providing us with the foundation to overcome challenges and pursue our dreams. We owe our accomplishments to your support, and we promise to make you proud in the journey that lies ahead. Even if sometimes you were all up in my George Foreman.
Sorry for all the cliches… Chat GPT… but I won't be the last person to mention foundations, journeys, and pillars of
success this weekend.
Now, I'm speaking to the homies of the class of '23...
Reflecting on our time together: we are survivors, we are adaptable, we are courageous, and we are gorgeous. Think of what we have been through together, the shared experiences that have shaped our lives. Here's a quick recap.
Freshman year was a year of firsts. It was the year we learned how to be high school students. And we learned not only what our passions were, but sometimes our weaknesses as well. I remember my freshman year. I drew a picture of Mr. Taylor in his room that doubled as a religion room. Mr. Taylor hung up the portrait and the religion teachers actually thought that it was a picture of Jesus. I learned then, that I was not destined to be a great artist. I also remember the day when Lil Uzi Vert dropped “Eternal Atake”—it was the same day we were all excited to take a two-week break from school because of the coronavirus. We all thought that the whole ordeal would only be two weeks long. We were wrong.
Sophomore year we persevered through the digital era of schooling and we all got an inside look to how each of us really live. *It was fun to go to school in pajamas, I admit, but it was less fun to forget to mute your mic. There were a lot of things I didn't want to hear, that nobody should hear.
Junior year we were back in action. We remember playing sports and the trombone in a mask. We looked as good as we sounded, and we were the best masked athletes to ever do it. We couldn't count the number of times when a teacher had told us to [pull up our masks or receive an
infraction point], and everyone was stressing about the APUSH exam, but I cannot tell a lie, I had an in with President Washington. Senior year we dominated. Finally the universe was in its rightful order, the sun was shining, God was in his heaven, and the seniors were ruling the school! We had great athletic involvement thanks to Turner More, our chief hype man. New spirit days were put into action, morning meetings were awesome, and we survived countless college lectures. We had more participation in the musicals and
plays, such as “Mamma Mia!,” where we witnessed our talented friends dance around for an hour, and occasionally break into song. We bonded with each other at Shrine Mont, and heard countless brave and honest seniors give heartfelt chapel talks, and we enjoyed the privilege of walking out first...after we heard them. We had two Fun Fridays, and the second one nearly killed me from asphyxiation. (That's another good word, thanks Dr Klein.)
It is bittersweet to reflect on this past year, and all our years together. We have learned a lot, but we have also developed relationships to last a lifetime, and the memories to sustain ourselves into the future. As we look back on the friendships we've made, and the important things we've learned together, we most certainly have had fun in our pursuit of goodness as well as knowledge.
Here at Prize Day, it's important to recognize those in our community who shine in their academic performances, those who carry an invariably positive demeanor in the face of adversities, and those who are a friend to all. Now some of these awards are in Latin, so all the Latin students can finally use their language…no it wasn't a waste. Well how about this one Latin students, Haec Olim Meminisse Iuvabit, someday it will be pleasant to remember these things. We are young and our bodies may decay, but our memories will be a time machine, for us to travel back and be together again, here, at (insert school name.)
Friends, Saints, Countrymen…
Thank you and farewell.
“I would like to express my deepest gratitude to our incredible teachers and advisors who have dedicated themselves to our education... Your unwavering support, patience, and guidance have shaped our minds and hearts. You have not only imparted knowledge but also instilled in us the values of perseverance, curiosity, and empathy. ”
Our seniors graduated June 3, 2023, on Moss Field.
American University F American University of Rome F Bates College (2) F Boston College F Boston University
Bucknell University (2) F Case Western Reserve University (2) F Chatham University F Christopher Newport University (2) College of Charleston (2) F College of the Holy Cross F College of William & Mary (3) F Colorado School of Mines
Cornell University F Denison University (4) Dickinson College (2) F East Carolina University F Elon University
Fordham University F George Mason University F George Washington University F Georgetown University
Gonzaga University High Point University (3) F Indiana University (4) F James Madison University
Loyola University (New Orleans) F Miami University (Ohio) (3) F Mt. St. Mary's University (MD) F New York University (2)
Northeastern University F Oberlin College F Oklahoma City University F Purdue University
Randolph-Macon College F Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (2) F Rochester Institute of Technology (2)
Savannah College of Art & Design F Shenandoah University F Southern Methodist University F Stevens Institute of Technology
Stevenson University F SUNY-Buffalo F Syracuse University (2) F Texas Christian University F The Ohio State University
Trinity College (CT) F Tulane University (2) F United States Naval Academy (2) F University of Alabama F University of Arizona
University of California–Irvine University of California–Santa Cruz F University of Colorado–Boulder
University of Kentucky F University of Miami (FL) (3) F University of Mississippi (3) F University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill
University of Oregon F University of Pennsylvania F University of Richmond (2)
University of Southern California (2) F University of Tennessee F University of Utah F University of Vermont
University of Virginia (11) F University of Wisconsin–Madison (2) F Virginia Tech (3) F Wagner University
Washington University in St. Louis F West Virginia University F Wofford University F Worcester Polytechnic Institute
CLASS PHOTO BY JOHNNY SHRYOCK
3 RECEIVED MILITARY APPOINTMENTS
200+
COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES ACCEPTED OUR SENIORS
54% ARE STICKING TOGETHER with 63 seniors attending college with at least one other Saint.
1 SENIOR IS GOING TO ITALY
4 SENIORS ARE GOING SOUTHWEST
15 SENIORS ARE GOING MIDWEST
51 SENIORS ARE GOING SOUTHEAST
36 SENIORS ARE GOING NORTHEAST
9 SENIORS ARE GOING WEST
The Sermon given by Upper School Chaplain Rev. Elizabeth Rees on June 1 at the Baccalaureate Service for the Class of 2023.
I speak to you in the name of God, who is always with us.
In my classes, I sometimes have students share their highs, lows, and God moments, which comes from a contemplative prayer practice called the Examen developed by Saint Ignatius back in the 1500s. You reflect back over your day to see places where you felt most joyful or alive or connected, and also places where you felt sad
or angry or low-energy. The idea is to become more attuned and present to the moments of our lives, and to see how God might be at work in all of them. The Examen can be done on a daily basis, but it's also something that could be done periodically—or at significant life transitions. (Like, say, just hypothetically, graduation from high school!)
But the truth is, I have
found that while people are usually up for sharing a high and a low, sometimes the idea of God moments throws them for a loop. I get a lot of “passing” when it comes to those. Maybe it's because a “God moment” sounds unachievable. Like it would have to involve something clearly miraculous— God speaking to them out of a burning bush, or walking on water. Or like God moments can
only happen when we are doing something worthy of social media—like ziplining through the Amazon or riding a camel by the pyramids.
I think that's what Elijah is expecting, too, in our reading from First Kings for tonight. It's a really stressed out moment —Elijah is a prophet who's done so much truth-telling and calling for justice that people are hunting him down to try to kill him. And (this part might feel familiar to some of our seniors) he's feeling burned out from all the work he's been doing AND unsure about what his future holds. And into that moment comes the word of the Lord: “Go out and stand on the mountain, for the Lord is about to pass by.” And then all these crazy things happen—a wind so strong it splits the mountains; an earthquake that breaks the rocks; a fire that blasts Elijah with its heat. But even though Elijah might have expected God in those kinds of majestic shows of force, that isn't where he ends up finding God. Instead, God comes after— in a sound of sheer silence.
Our God moments don't have to be dramatic, life-changing events. They can be like that sound of sheer silence—coming
to us in the small everyday moments of holiness. I think maybe it just takes getting used to the idea that God moments are available to regular people. And that they are all around us, in places we might not expect. And so I was thrilled when I recently came across someone talking about this same thing from a secular and scientific perspective. Maybe now my students would listen to me! Dachner Keltner is a psych professor at Berkeley and, interestingly, was the “emotions expert” for Pixar for the movie “Inside Out.” He just wrote a book called “Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life.” Keltner has been researching awe for decades, and he's found that it plays a huge role in our health and happiness. As he puts it, if the perennial question is: “How do I live a good life?” (in other words, how can we live a life “of joy and meaning; a life that brings us a sense of worth and belonging?”), his research clearly shows that the answer is: “Find awe.”
Keltner says that awe is a basic need wired into our brains and bodies—as good for us as anything else we can do. Awe transforms us—quieting our
nagging, self-critical voices and empowering us to enlarge our circles of care and to open our minds to new ideas. And, Keltner assures us, awe is simpler to find than we think—and accessible to everyone.
Riffing off the wonders of the world, Keltner has created a list of achievable awe for us to seek and cultivate in our lives. He calls them the Wonders of Life. And it strikes me that these wonders might correlate pretty well to our graduating seniors' experiences here at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes.
And so I offer you Keltner's Wonders of Life—along with some possibilities of what those might look like from your time here at school. An Examen of sorts of your SSSAS experience.
Keltner was surprised to find that people's most common experiences of awe have to do with other people's courage and kindness, to times when they witnessed someone displaying real emotional strength, or overcoming hardships.
Maybe here that looks like care from faculty or other students. Ways that student groups work to make the school a better place. Or all the diverse and inspiring ways you all engaged in serving the world around you.
It's that “goodness as well as knowledge” piece of the school mission statement.
That's a fancy name to describe the sort of life force that comes
“Our God moments don't have to be dramatic, life-changing events. They can be like that sound of sheer silence—coming to us in the small everyday moments of holiness.”
when people unite as a group. Togetherness that turns what otherwise might be ordinary into something more. Moments that remind us that our true nature is collective, even if we so often forget it.
This community knows how to come together, whether it's hurling toilet paper, dousing each other with super soakers, playing and cheering on our sports teams, or uniting for school traditions. Once a Saint, always a Saint!
Sometimes awe can be really simple—just enjoying the beauty and wonder and mystery of the natural world. Getting an inkling that we are part of something bigger that we can't explain.
Whether it was the “easy” hike up the mountain at Shrine Mont, the natural welcome of our school mascot, just breathing deeply on those
beautiful days when you could eat lunch outside or convince your teacher to move class to the courtyard, or leaving your familiar for some new place of beauty.
Sometimes all we need to do is step outside to see that “Earth's crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God.”
Whether we are creating or responding to music or art, sometimes it helps us to sense the world and our place in it in a different way. Music and art can sneak past our guarded natures to provide a glimpse of what really matters.
And that is a gift we've had a lot of here—our impressive choirs and ensembles, the vulnerable offerings at chapel and open mic nights, the talent in our school musicals, and the visual art that is all over the school. Yoko Ono argued that only art and music have the power to bring peace— which means you all must be a pretty peaceful bunch!
5. The Fundamental It Here's my personal favorite, for obvious reasons, Keltner's category for spirituality and religious experience. These are moments when we come face to face with the Divine—when we get a hint of something beyond ourselves.
I hope you've all had an experience of the Fundamental It. Maybe it was a Wednesday morning chapel. Or another service like the candlelight compline at Shrine Mont.
But of course the Divine isn't confined to a religious service. Some might have felt It during a deep discussion with a friend, or while walking the Camino in Spain. And maybe in some way, that experience helps us remember to let our own little lights shine.
The truth of our mortality, as hard as it often feels to confront, can also be a source of awe. Life and death are powerful forces, beyond our control, and they both humble and move us.
Looking back, I wonder if a significant part of your high school memories include Covid—the distance and forced adaptation, the lack of control, and maybe the fear it left in its wake. Many of you were also affected by the loss of Reverend Hinson, our beloved Middle School chaplain. And some of you had your own significant life and death experiences that may have brought you face-to-face with what it means to be human. But as hard as those moments are, hopefully they also give you a glimpse of God, even as they remind you (as Barbara Brown Taylor puts it) “of how small, temporary and woundable” we all are.
This is the category for big ideas —when a new way of seeing some essential truth about the world begins to unfold—when something clicks or changes for us.
Maybe it came as you prepared for or listened to a
“Sometimes all we need to do is step outside to see that 'Earth's crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God.'”
chapel talk. Or fought for what you believe in. Or discovered new truths about a world you thought you knew. Figuring out who you want to be and what is important to you over the last four years may have led to a moment when [music plays “Suddenly I See”]...
Suddenly I see
This is what I wanna be
Suddenly I see
Why the hell it means so much to me
Suddenly I see
This is what I wanna be
Your moments of awe, your God moments, might encompass some of these, or they might be entirely different. But I promise (and Keltner's research perhaps more convincingly proves) they
are all around you. And, like for Elijah in his own surprising Godmoment, they might not always be where you expect them.
But whatever those moments have been for you during your time here at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes, I think what came next in Elijah's story with God is also instructive for us. There he was, basking in that moment of God's presence. Having heard that still, small voice of awe when he finally stopped running long enough to listen. There he was, standing out looking over the landscape and breathing it all in. Feeling renewed and reassured. Reminded of his worth, his belonging, his strength. And then that voice came to Elijah again, this time in the form of a question: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
In other words, God had shown him how to look for those moments of awe, how to listen for the voice of God. And now it was time for Elijah to head out into the world with eyes to see and ears to hear and a heart to feel – confident that God moments could be found wherever he went.
So “how do you live a good life,” a life “of joy and community and meaning,” as you go forth from this place?
Wherever life takes you next —and I know it will be taking you to all kinds of amazing and unexpected futures—Find Awe! Never stop noticing those small, everyday, God-moments.
And the rest will surely follow. Amen.
On June 2, two faculty members and 52 students were recognized for their achievements in academics, the arts, athletics, citizenship, and service.
FACULTY EXCELLENCE AWARD
Kate Elkins
Upper School Art Teacher, Visual Arts Chair
YEARBOOK DEDICATION
The Rev. Sean Cavanaugh
Upper School Chaplain
Senior Editors: Meg Drzewiecki, Julia Duvall, Spencer Ferry, and Mikki Taye
The following awards and recognitions were presented to seniors:
LESLIE JONES LATIN PRIZE
Ali Barrow
MICHALOT CUP
Nicole Kiama
MEDAL OF EXCELLENCE IN SPANISH
Charlotte Heimbach
WORLD LANGUAGE CERTIFICATES
Maddie Anderson
A Merger in Mythology
Amber Dunton
Food and the Normandy Exchange
Charlotte Heimbach
Casa Chirilagua's Kid Club
Lauren Irish-Maldonado
El Comedor de la Kennedy
Nicole Kiama
Language: An Avenue for Connection
Emma Lacy
A Comparison of French and American Private Schools
Claire McConnel
Language Development in Children
Ellie Minor
Virginia Junior Classical League 2022
Trevor Smyth
ALIVE! Spanish-to-English Translator
Antonio Traettino
Comedor de la Kennedy
STEM CERTIFICATES
Lucas Braun
Cancer in Dermatology: Mohs Surgery
Abhay Mathur
Internship at graymatter.io
Manav Sabharwal
Elevated Celiac Antibodies and Abnormal Duodenal Biopsies
Associated with IBD Markers
MATHEMATICS AWARD
Alethea Callahan
COMPUTER SCIENCE AWARD
Lily Hunsicker
COURTENAY MARSHALL COCHRAN AWARD FOR SCIENCE
Andrew Lazarski
ROY EDWARD BYRD AWARD
Finn Hartman
O'CONNOR HISTORY PRIZE
Charlotte Heimbach
MARJORIE M. NORRIS AWARD
Claire McConnel
KARIG WRITING PRIZE
Carter Harris
CHARLES JAMES SHELL MEMORIAL PRIZE IN ENGLISH
Marina Gallozzi
ANN G. LINDSEY POETRY PRIZE
Emma Lacy
MONTGOMERY AWARD FOR THE HUMANITIES
Emmie Vajda
FRANK NIEPOLD ARTS PRIZE
Zoë Coval
VISUAL ARTS AWARD
Ellie Minor
MICHAEL HOLT AWARD
Raleigh Speed
PERFORMING ARTS AWARDS
Dramatic Arts: Amber Dunton
Vocal Arts: Bailey Edwards
Instrumental Arts: Alethea Callahan
EDWARD E. TATE SENIOR RELIGION PRIZE
Ali Barrow
PERKINS CUP
Claire McConnel
RECOGNITION OF MILITARY APPOINTMENTS/SCHOLARSHIPS
Ali Barrow, United States Naval Academy
Mollie Kemp, United States Naval Academy
T.G. Peterson, Army ROTC Scholarship at Ohio State University
DEIB AWARD
Anne Belevetz
T.G. Peterson
DISTINCTION IN SERVICE RECOGNITION
Zoë Coval, Bailey Edwards, Carter Harris, Finn Hartman, Charlotte Hill, Anish Kohli, Lily Hunsicker, Xavier Johnston, Julianne Karol, Nicole Kiama, Katharine Lavayen, Andrew Lazarski, Bramley Legg, Claire McConnel, Danielle Pascale, Manav Sabharwal, Myles Sandy, Sid Shah, Raleigh Speed, Mikki Taye, Antonio Traetino, Will Woodruff
MACONDRAY TROPHY
Myles Sandy
HOWARD CUP
Isabella Garcia-Ippolito
SAINTS ATHLETICS CLUB AWARD
Danielle Pascale
Xavier Johnston
Military Appointments: U.S. Army Representative with T.G. Peterson and Ali Barrow and Mollie Kemp with U.S. Navy Representative
STEM Awards: Alethea Callahan, Lily Hunsicker, Andrew Lazarski, Finn Hartman
DEIB Award: Director of Institutional Equity and Diversity KiKi Davis, T.G. Peterson, Anne Belevetz, and Melissa Skinner '96
ASSOCIATION OF PARENTS AND TEACHERS AWARD
Ali Barrow
CARROLL LASTELIC AWARD
Carter Harris
HELENE HASKIN KRAUSE AWARD
Mollie Kemp
SCHOLAR ATHLETE AWARD
Finn Hartman
MODEL ATHLETE FOR BOYS
Giorgio Corica
DAINGERFIELD ASHTON MODEL ATHLETE
Ali Barrow
OUTSTANDING ATHLETE AWARDS
CC Jacobs
Jack Murphy
MARSHA A. WAY SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD FOR GIRLS
Isabella Garcia-Ippolito
SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD FOR BOYS
Makin Blalock
JANE LYWOOD CUP
Raleigh Speed
SALUTATORIAN
Alethea Callahan
VALEDICTORIAN
Carter Harris
FAREWELL ADDRESS
Sam Bradburn
THE ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES MEDALS
Bailey Edwards
Charlotte Heimbach
Jack Murphy
Emmie Vajda
Will Woodruff
SAINT AGNES CUP
Isabella Garcia-Ippolito
EMMETT H. HOY, JR. CITIZENSHIP AWARD
Myles Sandy
The following awards were presented to underclassmen:
GOVERNOR’S SCHOOL RECIPIENTS
Augusta Adams '24: French in World Language Academies
Sandhya Augustine '25: Math, Science, and Technology
Laura Duffield '24: Math, Science, and Technology
MacPhearson Strassberg '25: Latin World Language Academies
Grace Sherner '24: Spanish World Language Academies
THE JOHN MORROW STANTON MEMORIAL ATHLETIC AWARD
Luke Pascal '24
THE ESTHER CARROLL MURPHY AWARD FOR CREATIVITY
Ella Joshi '25
THE SENIOR CLASS AWARD
Theo Weiman '24
Thirty-eight members of the Class of 2023 entered St. Stephen's and St. Agnes in junior kindergarten, kindergarten, or first grade.
JUNIOR KINDERGARTEN:
Matthew Bezuneh
Codie Campbell
Max Dague
Jack Murphy
Marnie Nichols
KINDERGARTEN:
Ali Barrow
Makin Blalock
Charlie Bounds
Alethea Callahan
Caroline Constandy
Zoë Coval
Marina Gallozzi
Isabella Garcia-Ippolito
Kurt Gehlhoff
Julianne Karol
Matthew Mantey
Abhay Mathur
Declan McCulloch
Ellie Minor
Myles Sandy
Raleigh Speed
CJ Tillman
Will Toman
Will Woodruff
Oscar Wright
FIRST GRADE:
Giorgio Corica
Cooper Harding
Lauren Irish
Lizzie Israel
Morgan Mueller
Danielle Pascale
Garrett Sullivan
Tyler Turnage
Emmie Vajda
On May 17, the participation and achievements of our Upper School actors, musicians, and singers were celebrated.
SENIOR RECOGNITIONS
STAGE ONE
Anne Belevetz
Alethea Callahan
Zoë Coval
Amber Dunton
Bailey Edward
Ava Franklin
Kurt Gehlhoff
Lily Hunsicker
Lauren Irish-Maldonado
Emma Lacy
Ellie Minor
Marnie Nichols
Taylor Grace Peterson
Mikki Taye
Emmie Vajda
CONCERT CHOIR
Amber Dunton
Bailey Edwards
Kurt Gehlhoff
Molly Gunn
Kylie Payne
Emmie Vajda
WIND ENSEMBLE
Jonathan Kho
Lauren Irish-Maldonado
Turner More
TG Peterson
Grace Sherner
JAZZ BAND
Charlie Bounds
Sam Bradburn
CJ Tillman
ORCHESTRA
Alethea Callahan
OTHER RECOGNITIONS
District Chorus
Bailey Edwards '23
Nicholas Gacad '24
Heather Hawkins '24
Danielle Hines '24
Haley Lehman '25
Sophia Stine '25
All-Virginia Chorus
Bailey Edwards '23
Cappies Critics
In order to participate in the Cappies, each member school recruits Student Critics to be trained in the discipline of theatre criticism and represent SSSAS at least five high school plays and
musicals in the DMV. This gives them a chance to engage in conversations about theater with other high school students, as they typically spend up to an hour discussing each show. Then they work under an intense deadline to turn around thoughtful, well-written reviews of their peers' work.
Anne Belevetz '23
Lauren Irish-Maldonado '23
Aislinn Moore '24
Charlotte Nichols '24
Cate Nickson '25
Elizabeth Rutter '24
Nominated for a 2023 CAPPIES Award
Harrison Barnes '25
Alex Brown '25
Alethea Callahan '23
Dimitri Criswell '25
Tate Commission '25
Alex Deas '24
Kalli Dinos '24
Paul Eisenberg '25
Declan Gaffney '25
Micah Gura '25
Anne Louden Kostel '25
Grace Sherner '24
Suri Wang '25
Safira Yisrael '24
Director's Award
The Director's Awards honor students who have demonstrated superior musicianship, loyalty and dependable leadership to the concert choir, orchestra, and wind ensemble programs throughout the year.
Concert Choir: Emmie Vajda '23
Orchestra: Tate Commission '25
Wind Ensemble: Harry Lue '26
The National Choral Award, the National School Orchestra Award, and the John Philip Sousa Band Award are nationwide symbols of excellence in musical achievement. They are the highest honors that can be bestowed upon a single member of the concert choir, orchestra, wind ensemble recognizing dedication, leadership, and superior musicianship.
National Choir Award: Bailey Edwards '23
National School Orchestra Award
Alethea Callahan
Sousa Band Award
Charlotte Nichols '24
Patrick S. Gilmore Band
This award was introduced in 1994 in honor of the legendary bandmaster
and impresario to recognize a student who exemplifies the qualities of dedication and superior musicianship.
Safira Yisrael '24
JAZZ BAND
Louis Armstrong Trophy
Inaugurated in 1974 after this great jazz artist, the Louis Armstrong Trophy honors an outstanding jazz musician in each high school nationally for the highest qualities of dedication, character, and discipline to the jazz band program while achieving the highest musical standards required of jazz music.
Alex Deas '24
Woody Herman Award
Created in 1988, this prestigious accolade is presented to an outstanding high school jazz musician who displays exceptional musicianship, creativity, and dedication to the art of jazz. Recipients of the award are
recognized for their talent and are encouraged to continue pursuing their passion for jazz music.
Micah Gura '25
The Rookie Award
This is presented to two students in each grade who took the plunge into theater for the first time this year, grew tremendously as theater artists, and who had a dramatic impact o n the program through their dedication, joy, and readiness to seek out new artistic challenges.
Janney Cooper
Max Gehlhoff
Elliot Desautels
Tyler Troy
Nicholas Gacad
Elizabeth Rutter
Seniors
Bailey Edwards
Mikke Taye
Cappies Commendees
Each year, directors of theater programs participating in the Cappies may name up to four students as Cappies Commendees, a category designed to recognize actors, designers, managers, and technicians for their extraordinary contributions to their school's theater program—whether on a Cappies show or not.
Charles McElwain '25
Elona Michael '24
Gabi Miller Milow '24
Cate Nickson '25
The Ghost Light Award
This award is presented to a student who embodies the spirit of the stage ghost light—the light bulb in a cage on a stand, very heavy duty and reliable which is placed on stages when all the other lights are off. The ghost light keeps everyone safe and as the light that is always on in the
dark, it is representative of a student who is always asking what they can do to help out, who is a quiet presence, and who provides a bit of a safety net.
Marnie Nichols '23
The Theater Performance and Production Awards
These awards are presented to two students who devoted and passionate about theater, delight in the process as well as the product, and demonstrate an outstanding responsibility to numerous Stage One productions. Moreover, they are ever mindful that individual success is possible only through collaboration between those onstage and behind the scenes to tell playwrights' stories and move audiences to laughter, tears, and thought. The high achievement they strive for and attain is testament to both their talent and their work ethics.
Theater Performance Award: Charlotte Nichols '24
Zoë Coval '23
The Triple-Threat
This presented to a student who has done it all—been an actor, singer, dancer, choreographer, playwright, director, make-up coach, and warm-up leader
Emma Lacy '23
The Commitment to Excellence in Theater Award
This is presented annually to a student who consistently demonstrates a love for and dedication to the dramatic arts. This student knows that individual success is possible only through teamwork; and that diligence, collaboration, respect, and delight in the art and craft of theater are the cornerstones of successful productions.
Amber Dunton '23
Saints, this is such a proud moment. I love that I get to sit on the stage, as it gives me such a good view of all of you. You. I want to spend a few minutes talking about you. On the first day of school, I shared with you my goal to end all of my messages to you with the phrase, “Go forth and be you”—and gave you the context and the why behind that. The primary why: because what you do matters and because being you matters.
You have done so much in the past three years:
• Performed in the first and second annual musicals – Frozen and the Addams Family – and in made us proud with your band, orchestra, and choral performances
• Participated in MiniCourses that took you all over the District, Maryland, and Virginia, to Puerto Rico, New Orleans, the Chesapeake Bay, and New York
• Crafted and presented powerful Capstone projects
• Worshiped in and performed in chapel
• Created inspiring art that makes us see the world in new ways
• You've made a name for our amazing Triceratops Robotics team
• You completed fiercely in basketball and kickball tournaments, and a bit less fiercely in faculty-student basketball games
• You've served as Admission Ambassadors and SCA representatives
• Created Newsreels
• Represented at Model UN
• You've worked meaningfully with our Community Partners and with your fellow Saints in Lower School
• And you've worked really, really hard in all of your classes, wrestling through algebraic problems, analyzing literature, writing history term papers and English essays, learning French, Spanish, Latin, and Chinese, pushing your way through complex science labs and really big questions in religion classes.
• At our Awards Day on Monday, more than any other class that has gone before you, you cheered on your classmates loudly and joyfully.
You have done so much in the past three years.
As you headed onto the buses for your eighth grade overnight bonding trip, we talked about the beauty—and the responsibility— of being you. Every choice you
make is a “you” choice. When you invite a lonely peer to sit at your lunch table, that is you. When you don't, that's also you.
I want to share a brief you moment for a St. Stephen's and St. Agnes graduate who sat in your seats just six years ago. She's now in college.
A few weeks ago, as I was getting ready for a spinning class —no, Mr. Davis, not spinning yarn as you seem to think every time I mention my passion for riding bicycles indoors, in a dark room, listening to really loud music.
And I heard a little voice, “Ms. Grieve?” This former student went out of her way to joyfully, reintroduce herself— she looks rather different than she did when she sat in these chairs six years ago. We chatted about life in the Middle School; she reminisced about her teachers and her silly days in eighth grade.
Truth be told, I felt pretty awkward standing there, my middle-aged woman self, about to take the same exercise class as this young alum, a Saints varsity athlete, I might add.
And, then, I got into the studio, and of course, there I was sitting directly behind her in class. If I could have I would have disappeared myself from the room.
Instead, I found myself following her every move,
desperately trying to get in sync with her beat—not very successfully—desperately striving for a smile on my face half as bright as hers. It was at the end of “All Too Well,” Taylor's version —all 10 minutes of it—that I realized that this former student had become my teacher. Simply by being her.
By going out of her way to say hello. By being so strong and so fierce in her athleticism. By being so kind and gentle in turning around on her bike and giving me a smile, as if to say, you've got this.
Saints, what you have as you come through Middle School is you. And the potential to define that with every single move you make. In ways that are unimaginable to you, you will change the lives of others—with
really big things, becoming a known changemaker like the ones you studied for your history film festival last year— or with really little things, like becoming a teacher to your teacher, with a simple smile.
As you leave Middle School today, heading off onto the extraordinary next chapter of Upper School, we have to let you go. You are so lucky to get to take you with you. Remember to share of yourself generously with those around you – especially your families, who are so proud of you today.
We will miss you terribly. We will be following your journeys eagerly from afar.
Go forth, and be your most beautiful you.
“Saints, what you have as you come through Middle School is you. And the potential to define that with every single move you make. In ways that are unimaginable to you, you will change the lives of others.”
The eighth grade was celebrated and recognized with a ceremony on June 7.
Noor El-Allagui '27 was honored to read her eighth grade “This I Believe” essay at the Eighth Grade Recognition Ceremony on June 7.
Good morning, my name is Noor El-Allagui and I believe in the value of staying true to yourself and your beliefs.
When I first came to this school my perspective on my religion was completely different. I felt as if I did not belong and that I was all by myself. I tried masking the fact that I had different religious beliefs than the students here and thought I would be more welcomed if I were similar to everyone else.
My grandma would always pack me special Moroccan dishes for lunch in sixth grade, but I was worried that everybody else
would think my food was weird or nasty, so I asked to pack my own lunches and would only pack PB&J sandwiches for myself.
I would always speak English with my mom instead of Arabic when I was around my friends because I did not want them hearing me speak another language.
I was so worried about what everybody else would think of me, that I did not take a second to think about myself and what I really wanted. Did I really want to eat PB&J sandwiches for lunch everyday, or would I like to have my grandma's amazing
cooking? I did not think much about this until the holy month of Ramadan came. I did not want to fast, especially during school, but my mom suggested it would be a great way for me to gain some good deeds, so I did. I was worried that people would make fun of me for not eating, because I was fasting, but that was not the case at all. My friends were all extremely respectful of the fact that I was fasting and did not do anything to make me feel bad.
After that, I realized that I was stopping myself from staying true to my beliefs and religion. My peers wouldn't make fun of me,
or exclude me, but instead they would use it as an opportunity to gain more knowledge about a new religion.
After a long day of fasting I finally got home and was sitting with my grandma, mom, and brother at the dinner table; as we were about to break our fast my grandma looked at me and told us how grateful we should be to practice these beautiful traditions. My mom smiled at us and nodded in agreement.
Soon after, I began to reflect on what my grandma said. What did that mean to me? Soon we were getting ready to go to the mosque to pray; I put on my hijab and a long abaya. I looked at myself in the mirror while trying to pluck some strands of hair out of my hijab, and thought of what my grandma had said again. I realized that I should stop trying
to change who I was to fit in, and that I was proud of being Muslim. This was a part of my identity, and who I was so I should own it and be grateful to grow up with such beautiful traditions.
Soon I started to seek more knowledge about my religion, and use that as an opportunity
to educate the people around me as well. I was finally starting to see the value in staying true to your beliefs. I started teaching people fun words in Arabic, and all of my worries from before had vanished.
Though sometimes it may be hard, always stay true to yourself and your beliefs. There will always be significant people in your life who will help guide you in the right path, such as my mom and grandma. That small moment has had a huge effect on me, and shaped me into the person I am today.
I am so grateful to have a supportive family who will always guide me in the right direction, and make me love my culture, religion, and traditions—we should all stay true to ourselves and our beliefs no matter where we are or who we're with.
“Though sometimes it may be hard, always stay true to yourself and your beliefs. There will always be significant people in your life who will help guide you in the right path.”
Arts Awards: Eighth Graders Ben Nichols, Piper Caldren, Stella Whitley, Aden Wright, Jacob Cooper, Jane Goldstein, Willa Johnson, Ollie Nealon
Awards:
Humanities Awards: Eighth Graders Warren Harper, Willa Johnson, Zoe Bloxam, Colin Morrell, Cecil Gregg, Charlotte Mount
On June 5, these awards were presented to the following students in recognition of their achievements in academics, the arts, athletics, citizenship, and service.
Awarded to eighth grade students for demonstrating strong scholarship and interest in a particular subject.
The Band Award
Piper Caldren, Ben Nichols
The Chinese Award
Anna Alspach
The Chorus Award
Jane Goldstein, Aden Wright
The Drama Award
Stella Whitley
The English Award
Willa Johnson, Colin Morrell
The French Award
Jacob Cooper, Reagan Hickok
The History Award
Warren Harper, Charlotte Mount
The Latin Award
Natalie Newton
The Math Award
Sasha Braun, Mason Khosla
The Orchestra Award
Jacob Cooper
The Religion Award
Zoe Bloxam, Cecil Gregg
The Saints Athletic Award
Carson Bishop, Mina Scott
The Science Award
Mark Driver, Ella Schneider
The Spanish Award
Sera Rhind-Tutt
The Visual Arts Award
Willa Johnson, Ollie Nealon
BROOKS MATH AWARD
Sarah Eisenberg '28, William French '28
RICHARD P. BABYAK AWARDS
For making our school community a better place through their actions throughout the year.
Brady Clark '29, Lyla Mahmood '29
Harry Rouse '29, Charlotte Terwilliger '29
Conor Commission '28, Addy Luher '28
Liam Riedy '28, Liam Riedy '28
Dior Brown '27, William Cain '27
Cecil Gregg '27, Ella Schneider '27
DIRECTOR'S AWARD
For demonstrating character, tenacity, and intellect.
Lindsey Miller '29, Ari Strauss '29
Mehon Akilu '28, Delaney Malloy '28
Lindsey Miller '27, Ari Strauss '27
SINCLAIR CUP
For exemplifying loyalty, integrity, leadership, cooperation, and scholastic endeavor in seventh grade.
Evan Hendy, Khadijah Jalloh
STEBBINS CUP
For exemplifying community spirit, compassion, and consideration of other in sixth grade.
Kenza El-Allagui, Cole Evelyn
SUZANNE GRIFFIN NUCKOLLS FELLOWSHIP PRIZE
For possessing the best qualities of a true friend in eighth grade.
Carson Bishop, Whitley White
ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES CUP
Awarded to an eighth grade student for exemplifying scholarship, character, leadership, and citizenship.
Mason Khosla
The Fifth Grade Recognition address given by Lower School Interim Director and Associate Head of School Bob Weiman on June 6.
During my 12 years as a sixth grade English teacher, I came to understand a truth about teaching and it is this: if you are enthusiastic about what you are teaching—no matter what it is—your students will embrace and enjoy it. For me that subject was grammar- I love grammar! And I taught it through games and songs and hands-on activities. I also enjoy language and wordplay and would share it with my students—why do you park on a driveway and drive on a parkway? What are two homonyms that are synonyms for a “spun globe”? Anyone? It's a whirled world!
I recount this for two reasons. The first is that our amazing lower school faculty members are indeed so enthusiastic about what they teach, and it is contagious. I know that during their time in the Lower School your children regularly and excitedly recounted to you what happened in their classes. At Back-to-School night many of you told me that you wish that you yourselves had attended SSSAS because of our talented teachers and the communities that they have created.
But the main reason I wanted to share this with you is that, after 30 years as an educator, I had an epiphany thanks to your children. They taught me that the converse of my truth about teaching is
also true—if students are enthusiastic about what they are learning, it makes the experience of the teacher that much more enjoyable. This class of fifth graders is infinitely positive and exuberant and creative and thoughtful and “all in!” and it made them such a pleasure to teach and get to know. I am confident that all of the teachers assembled here can recall specific examples of this in their own classes, but for me it was through the fifth grade magic program. I cannot remember a more enthusiastic group of magicians, and it made my lunchtime magic sessions with them the highlight of my days…and my year. And I loved watching it all come together as they performed last week at Network Preschool and for their kindergarten buddies. Their audiences' jaws dropped in awe and bafflement, their faces lit up, and spontaneous joy and laughter erupted from within them. I feel so incredibly lucky that these wonderful students, these wonderful people, were fifth graders during my return to the Lower School this year.
To the fifth graders: We are so glad that we have had the chance to get to know you and we will miss you and please come back and visit us. I wanted to tell you, too, that you will love Middle School. It is fun, exciting and stimulating. You will have more freedom and choices and responsibility there. And I wanted to share with you one piece of advice that my mom shared with me when I was your age and her mom shared with her—to thine own self be true—which is a fancy Shakespearian way of saying “be yourself.” The middle school years are funny. Not “ha ha ha” funny but interestingly and quirkily funny. Be your best, truest, and most awesome selves and you will thrive there!
So as they prepare to move on to the next step in their education, we now have the opportunity to listen to their own reflections on their journey through the Lower School. Many thanks to all of them for sharing their recollections, to their homeroom teachers for guiding them as they put their thoughts together in such a creative and compelling manner, and to all of those who helped to plan and participate in this ceremony.
On May 31 St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School presented these awards in recognition of our students' achievements in athletics.
The Coach's Award recognizes non-varsity athletes who have demonstrated a positive attitude, high level of sportsmanship and who are always cooperative and supportive of their teammates as well as opponents. Through their conscientious practice habits, they not only develop their own skills, but help others improve their ability as well.
The Outstanding Athlete Award recognizes the best overall athlete(s) on the team. The recipients are chosen by the coaches based on playing ability and overall contributions to the team.
The Saint Award recognizes the athletes who have exhibited a positive attitude, a desire to achieve and determination throughout the season. These athletes are selected by their peers and demonstrate an unselfish contribution to the welfare of the team and are dedicated to excellence in athletics.
ONE SAINT AWARD
Given to a person that exemplifies Saints pride through their unwavering support of Saints athletics.
Hope Rhoads
SAINTS COACH OF THE YEAR
Shawn Cotter, Cross Country/Track & Field
FALL SEASON AWARDS
COACH'S AWARD:
Tae Casagrande '24: JV Soccer
Willa Johnson '27: JV Soccer
Ally Kleeblatt '26: JV Volleyball
Kaz Penkiunas '25: Freshman Football
Ali Rouse '26: JV Field Hockey
Anna Strauss '25: JV Tennis
OUTSTANDING ATHLETE AWARD:
Margaux DeVaul '26: Varsity Girls Tennis
Dillon Dreibelbis '26: Varsity Cross Country
Julia Duvall '23: Varsity Soccer
Angelina Egbe '24: Varsity Volleyball
Hannah Floyd '25: Varsity Cross Country
Devon Fogg '23: Varsity Field Hockey
Danny Garvin '23: Varsity Football
Jack Murphy '23: Varsity Soccer
SAINT AWARD:
Ali Barrow '23: Varsity Soccer
Claire Helmreich '24: Varsity Volleyball
Mollie Kemp '23: Varsity Field Hockey
Jonathan Kho '23: Varsity Cross Country
Justin Stewart '23: Varsity Football
Mikki Taye '23: Varsity Girls Tennis
Emmie Vajda '23: Varsity Cross Country
Will Woodruff '23: Varsity Soccer
ALL-IAC RECOGNITION:
Matthew Bezuneh '23: Soccer
Colin Cross '24: Football (1st Team)
Danny Garvin '23: Football (1st Team)
Xavier Johnston '23: Soccer
Jack Murphy '23: Soccer
Luke Pascal '24: Football (1st Team)
Xavier Southall '24: Football (2nd Team)
Justin Stewart '23: Football (1st Team)
Carter Stimson '25: Football (2nd Team)
Harrison Thaptao '23: Football (2nd Team)
ALL-ISL RECOGNITION:
Ali Barrow '23: Soccer
Whitney Bruch '26: Cross Country
Karina Constandy '25: Cross Country
Margaux DeVaul '26: Tennis
Julia Duvall '23: Soccer
Hannah Floyd '25: Cross Country
Devon Fogg '23: Field Hockey
Abby Musser '24: Field Hockey (Honorable Mention)
Mikki Taye '23: Tennis
Campbell Wolff '23: Soccer
VISAA ALL-STATE RECOGNITIONS:
Honorable Mention
Colin Cross '24: Football
Justin Hill '23: Football
Willie Jacobs '23: Football
Xavier Southall '24: Football
Second Team
Danny Garvin '23: Football
Luke Pascal '24: Football
Justin Stewart '23: Football
Carter Stimson '25: Football
Mikki Taye '23: Tennis
Harrison Thaptao '23: Football
First Team
Jack Murphy '23: Soccer
All-State Top 20 Finishers for Cross
Country
Whitney Bruch '26
Karina Constandy '25
Hannah Floyd '25
Player of the Year
Margaux DeVaul '26: Tennis
COACH'S AWARD:
Farrah DeVaughn '25: JV Basketball
Samson Grinspun '25: JV Basketball
William Price '25: JV Squash
Miles Spencer '26: Freshman Basketball
OUTSTANDING ATHLETE AWARD:
Giorgio Corica '23: Varsity Wrestling
Evan Ingraham '25: Varsity Swimming & Diving
Trey Knott '24: Varsity Ice Hockey
Haley Lehman '25: Varsity Swimming & Diving
Nya Mason '23: Varsity Basketball
Bryson Wilson '23: Varsity Basketball
Chris Shorter '24: Varsity Winter Track & Field
SAINT AWARD:
Niles Alburg '23: Varsity Basketball
Lilli Biondi '23: Varsity Basketball
Makin Blalock '23: Varsity Ice Hockey
Isabella Garcia-Ippolito '23: Varsity Winter Track & Field
Aidan Koch '24: Varsity Wrestling
Kylie Payne '23: Varsity Swimming & Diving
Turner More '23: Varsity Winter Track & Field
Will Toman '23: Varsity Swimming & Diving
All-IAC RECOGNITIONS:
Aiden Argabright '25: Basketball
Giorgio Corica '23: Wrestling
Trey Knott '24: Ice Hockey
Riley Jacobs '25: Basketball
All-ISL RECOGNITIONS:
Belle Akeredolu '24: Basketball
Haley Lehman '25: Swimming
Nya Mason '23: Basketball
VISAA ALL-STATE RECOGNITION:
Swim & Dive All-State
Evan Ingraham '25
Haley Lehman '25
Wrestling All-State
Josh Bauer '26
James Blackman '24
Giorgio Corica '23
Aidan Koch '24
First Team
Bryson Wilson '23: Basketball
COACH'S AWARD:
Jack Carlin-Nguyen '24: JV Lacrosse
Gavin Goldstein '26: JV Golf
Amaya Nicholls '25: Track & Field
Owen Siegel '25: JV Baseball
Anna Strauss '25: JV Lacrosse
Jonah Wagner '26: JV Tennis
Brian Wangel '26: Track & Field
Bryce Wilson '25: JV Softball
OUTSTANDING ATHLETE AWARD:
Makin Blalock '23: Varsity Lacrosse
Charlie Bounds '23: Varsity Baseball
Whitney Bruch '26: Varsity Track & Field
Bradley Cruthirds '24: Varsity Track & Field
Julia Duvall '23: Varsity Lacrosse
Jacob Foti '24: Varsity Golf
Mason Mantey '24: Varsity Lacrosse
Abhay Mathur '23: Varsity Tennis
Chris Shorter '24: Varsity Track & Field
Gigi Smigel '23: Varsity Softball
SAINT AWARD:
Ali Barrow '23: Varsity Softball
Nick Chirite '23: Varsity Lacrosse
Finn Hartman '23: Varsity Baseball
CC Jacobs '23: Varsity Lacrosse
Jonathan Kho '23: Varsity Track & Field
Sid Shah '23: Varsity Golf
Ali White '25: Varsity Golf
Phillip Williams '23: Varsity Tennis
ALL-IAC RECOGNITION:
Makin Blalock '23: Lacrosse
Charlie Bounds '23: Baseball
Jacob Foti '24: Golf
Riley Jacobs '25: Track & Field
Abhay Mathur '23: Tennis
Oliver Miller '24: Baseball
Drew Norton '23: Baseball
Jonathan O'Bryant-Graves '24: Lacrosse
Luke Pascal '24: Lacrosse
Chris Shorter '24: Track & Field
ALL-ISL RECOGNITION:
Julia Duvall '23: Lacrosse
Devon Fogg '23: Lacrosse
CC Jacobs '23: Lacrosse
Laney Jensen '26: Lacrosse
Mason Mantey '24: Lacrosse
Gigi Smigel '23: Softball
VISAA ALL-STATE RECOGNITION:
All State
Whitney Bruch '26: Outdoor Track & Field
Bradley Cruthirds '24: Outdoor Track & Field
Second Team
Julia Duvall '23: Lacrosse
Laney Jensen '26: Lacrosse
Oliver Miller '24: Baseball
First Team
Devon Fogg '23: Lacrosse
CC Jacobs '23: Lacrosse
Mason Mantey '24: Lacrosse
WASHINGTON POST ALL-MET HONOREES
Ali Barrow '23: Soccer, Honorable Mention
James Blackman '24: Wrestling, Honorable Mention
Giorgio Corica '23: Wrestling, Honorable Mention
Hannah Floyd '25: Cross Country, Honorable Mention
Trey Knott '24: Ice Hockey, Honorable Mention
Haley Lehman '25: Swimming, Honorable Mention
Jack Murphy '23: Soccer, Honorable Mention
NFHCA Senior IMPACT Team
Devon Fogg '23
MAPHL All-League Selections
Jack Sibbald '25: Second Team
Jonathan MacIntosh '25: First Team
Will Woodruff '23: First Team
Trey Knott '24: A Division Player of the Year
Brian Fleury: A Division Coach of the Year
SCHOOL RECORD HOLDERS
Hannah Floyd '25: Cross Country (19:14) and 3200m in Indoor Track (11:52)
Justin Hill '23: Shot put in Indoor Track (40'5”)
Evan Ingraham '25: 200 IM (1:55.23) and 500 Free (4:39.37)
Haley Lehman '25: 200 Free (1:53.32) and 500 Free (5:02.24)
Lucy Perkins, CC Jacobs, Elisabeth Carroll, Haley Lehman - Girls 200 Free Relay (1:40.19)
Chris Shorter '24: Triple jump - Indoor (41'9.5”) and Outdoor (43'5”)
Freshman:
Colin Adams
Meg Adams
MacKenzie Allen
Gigi Barrett
Summer Bickley
Ben Booma
Sam Brock
Whitney Bruch
Matthew Dougherty
Walker Ferry
Tawon Figaro
Naheema Goin
Chase Green
Aidan Hallett
Chaelynn Hwang
Renee Jenkins
Harper Jensen
Laney Jensen
Ally Kleeblatt
Chloe Lambert
Karen Lamson
Anna McCart
Lindsay Parsont
John Ristau
Olivia Ross
Ali Rouse
Jack Rutter
Dorian Smith-Stancil
Harper Sorensen
Tatum Spencer
Audrey Strauss
Abigail Taylor
Jonah Wagner
Matthew Walker
Anderson Wexler
PJ Wolf
Paige Zadareky
Sophomores:
Jack Bryan
Elisabeth Carroll
RJ Davis
Mehdi El Allagui
Will Evans
Hannah Floyd
Loui Goin
Lilyrose Golden
Claire Hanley
Bennett Harrison
Charles Hickok
Mariel Irish-Maldonado
Finley Knutson
James London
Hayley Lookadoo
Nicholas Lowe
Niels Merino
Maddie Moore
Morgan Nielsen
Allison O'Connor
Bart O'Connor
Brandon Parsont
Catie Poersch
Anna Strauss
Patrick Thomas
Eli York-Simmons
Juniors:
Jonah Adams
Bradley Cruthirds
Armer Harrison
Lizzy Moorman
Lauren Scott
Grace Sherner
Mark Turner
Jeremy Young
Seniors:
Ali Barrow
Max Dague
Bailey Edwards
Isabella Garcia-Ippolito
Justin Hill
CC Jacobs
Mollie Kemp
Jonathan Kho
Andrew Lazarski
Turner More
Raleigh Speed
Mikki Taye
Phillip Williams
6 out of 6 seasons
CC Jacobs
8 out of 9 seasons
Mollie Kemp
10 out of 12 seasons
Marina Gallozzi
Isabella Garcia-Ippolito
Jonathan Kho
Myles Sandy
11 out of 12 seasons
Turner More
Raleigh Speed
Izzie Watson
Phillip Williams
12 seasons
Ali Barrow
Max Dague
Andrew Lazarski
Jonathan Kho
Myles Sandy
11 out of 12 seasons
Turner More
Raleigh Speed
Izzie Watson
Phillip Williams
12 seasons
Ali Barrow
Max Dague
Andrew Lazarski
Ali Barrow
Soccer, U.S. Naval Academy
Nicholas Belardo
Lacrosse, Mt. St. Mary's University (MD)
Makin Blalock
Lacrosse, High Point University
Charlie Bounds
Baseball, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Peyton Burg
Lacrosse, Bates College
Giorgio Corica
Wrestling, Stevens Institute of Techology
Cole Cosby
Basketball, Dickinson College
Devon Fogg
Lacrosse, University of Richmond
Michael Guglielmone
Lacrosse, Rochester Institute of Technology
Cooper Harding
Lacrosse, Randolph-Macon College
Justin Hill
Football, Stevenson University
Lizzie Israel
Lacrosse, Denison University
CC Jacobs
Lacrosse, University of Oregon
Xavier Johnston
Soccer, Chatham University
Mollie Kemp
Lacrosse, U.S. Naval Academy
Declan McCulloch
Lacrosse, Christopher Newport University
Morgan Mueller
Lacrosse, Denison University
Jack Murphy
Soccer, Trinity College (CT)
Drew Norton
Baseball, Dickinson College
Kylie Payne
Diving, University of Alabama
Lacrosse, Wagner University
Myles Sandy
Soccer, Gonzaga University
Raleigh Speed
Lacrosse, East Carolina University
Justin Stewart
Football, University of Virginia
Harrison Thaptao
Football, Shenandoah, University
James VandeHei
Soccer, High Point University
Liam Walsh
Soccer, Denison University
Bryson Wilson
Basketball, SUNY-Buffalo
Campbell Wolff
Soccer, University of Mississippi
Oscar Wright
Baseball, Elon University
Final Record: 15-12
Final IAC Standing: 3rd
Final VISAA Standing: 9th
Defeated St. Albans in the IAC Semi-Final in extra innings to make it to the IAC Championship series. Made the VISAA state tournament for the second year in a row.
JV won the IAC Tournament Championship with a win over St. Albans!
All-IAC: Charlie Bounds '23, Oliver Miller '24, Drew Norton '23
VISAA All-State 2nd Team: Oliver Miller '24
Alexandria Sportsman's Club Athlete of the Year: Drew Norton '23
Varsity boys had an early season state win over St. John Paul the Great and the girls had a strong win over Bishop O'Connell. At the IAC Championships Jacob Foti placed in the 10 top and overall the team improved by 100 strokes compared to last year's result. The girls team competed in the 2nd Annual Washington Metro Girls Golf Invitational and the second annual VISAA Girls Golf Invitational in Richmond with significant shot improvements from last year. Jacob Foti was one of four individuals to qualify for the VISAA State Championship.
All-IAC: Jacob Foti '24
Alexandria Sportsman's Club Athlete of the Year: Jacob Foti '24
Washington Post All-Met Second Team: Jacob Foti '24
Final Record: 7-10
Final IAC Standing: 5th
Final VISAA Standing: 4th
Big win over St. Albans on senior day and strong wins over Penn Charter and St. Christopher's.
All-IAC: Makin Blalock '23, Jonathan O'Bryant-Graves '24, Luke Pascal '24
Washington Post All-Met Second Team: Makin Blalock '23
Final Record: 17-9
Final ISL Standing: Tied for 1st (ISL AA Division)
Final VISAA Standing: 3rd
Defeated Stone Ridge in overtime to secure a share of the ISL AA Division Regular season title. Defeated Visitation in the ISL AA SemiFinal to advance to the ISL Finals.
All-ISL: Julia Duvall '23, Devon Fogg '23, CC Jacobs '23, Laney Jensen '26, Mason Mantey '24
VISAA All-State 1st Team: Devon Fogg '23, CC Jacobs '24, Mason Mantey '24
VISAA All-State 2nd Team: Julia Duvall '23, Laney Jensen '26
Washington Post All-Met First Team: CC Jacobs '23
Washington Post All-Met Honorable Mention: Mason Mantey '24, and Laney Jensen '26
Final Record: 2-10
Final ISL Standing: 8th (ISL AA Division)
Big wins over GDS and Holy Child and several home runs on the season!
All-ISL: Gigi Smigel '23
IAC Championship Meet Finish: 5th
ISL Championship Meet Finish: Tied for 10th
Two IAC Champions: Chris Shorter '24 (Triple Jump) and Riley Jacobs '25 (High Jump)
Two 3rd place finishes at the VISAA state meet: Whitney Bruch in the 800M and Bradley Cruthirds in the 300M hurdles.
Lots of personal records on the season and several athletes that ran National qualifying times.
All-IAC: Riley Jacobs '25, Chris Shorter '24
VISAA All-State: Whitney Bruch '26, Bradley Cruthirds '24
Alexandria Sportsman's Club Athlete of the Year: Chris Shorter '24
400 Fontaine Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22302
If the addressee no longer lives at this address, please contact the school: 703-212-2720 or atoman@sssas.org
