The Saints Life, Spring 2024

The Saints Life

ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES SCHOOL MAGAZINE

On Friday, April 19, the Classic Saints celebrating more than 50 years gathered at the Lower School for a special luncheon, which included a song and commemorative pins from the second graders. The School Store was open in Macan Hall, and Archivist Erica Williams shared an amazing array of historical items, photos, yearbooks, newspapers, and more in Lloyd House. In the evening all reunion classes were invited to a reception at the Alexandrian Hotel in Old Town.

ALUMNI REUNION

WEEKEND 2024!

Saturday, April 20, began with the option of attending chapel or working out in the weight room. Alumni enjoyed touring the Upper School construction site, watched the Saints Track and Field Classic, grabbed a delicious Mezze bowl at the Grab 'n' Go Lunch, met with other families at the Alumni Association Board Family Playdate, or attended a class with Upper School Art Teacher Kate Elkins, English Teacher Dr. Roberta Klein, Art History Teacher Jean Hunt, and Upper School Director and Science Teacher Mike Mallett. The weekend festivities concluded on Monday, with the 32nd Sleepy Thompson Memorial Golf Tournament!

WHAT'S INSIDE

MISSION

To help our students succeed in a complex and changing world, we seek to inspire a passion for learning, an enthusiasm for athletic and artistic endeavor, a striving for excellence, a celebration of diversity, and a commitment to service.

Our mission is to pursue goodness as well as knowledge and to honor the unique value of each of our members as a child of God in a caring community.

Is it Steve, or is it Aggie? Meet our fabulous new mascots on p. 35. Photo by Marcia Mallett.

In each issue of The Saints Life, we will hide an illustration of Steve or Aggie for you to find!

If you find the mascot, email the page number and location to communications@sssas.org by June 15 Please put Find the Mascot in the subject line! All correct answers will be put into a drawing and the winner will receive a Saints prize from the School Store!

COURSE HIGHLIGHT: CORE CONCEPTS IN SUSTAINABILITY

The emphasis of Core Concepts in Sustainability is on anthropogenic and ecological impacts that have affected our environment, both positively and negatively, from the Industrial Revolution onward. Upper School students grapple with the physics and engineering of renewable technologies, as well as the chemical interactions and implications of fossil fuel use on our atmosphere and waterways. This course also explores the history of environmental consciousness and sustainability in our modern world, as well as methods being implemented across the globe to combat the climate crisis—both on the micro and macro scale. The course combines class discussion with laboratory activities and includes off-campus field trips.

This spring they had an eye-opening field trip to Area 2 Farms. Located in Arlington, this local vertical farm showcased innovative agriculture practices, repurposing of buildings, and efforts to lower carbon/shipping costs while addressing food insecurity by combating food deserts. Students even got to sample “pop rocks” and “cheese leaf” and took home some nutritious microgreens!

St. Stephen's and St. Agnes Magazine

THE SAINTS LIFE SPRING 2024 sssasmagazine.org

Head of School

KIRSTEN PRETTYMAN ADAMS

Director of Communications

JEN DESAUTELS

Magazine 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

Alumni News ADVANCEMENT OFFICE

Photographers

SCOTT ANDERSON

JAMESON BLOOM '13

MELISSA ULSAKER MAAS '76

MARCIA MALLETT

MANDI SAPP OUR EXTRAORDINARY FACULTY

Contributing Writers

ANDREA DAWSON

JESSICA HALSTEAD

SUSIE ZIMMERMANN

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. © 2024

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.

Memorable Moments

Dear Saints,

During a school year there are so many memorable moments, those worthy of jotting down in a journal or posting on social media to ensure they are remembered months or years from now. On April 8, standing alongside our Saints in the bright sunshine of spring, I had the opportunity to be part of a truly awe-inspiring moment, one that I will remember for always, even without the help of social media. With our eyes safely covered by special glasses, our entire community turned their faces up to the sky to observe the solar eclipse.

As a parent, educator, and scientist, I reveled in the amazed gasps and joyful chatter of our students and teachers as they peered upwards, staring with wonder as the moon passed between the sun and earth, a truly breathtaking phenomenon. I was so grateful to witness the solar eclipse, and even more thrilled to do so standing side by side with our students and my colleagues. We all paused together, to watch in wonder.

Each day at a school is filled with big and small moments, some inspiring while some are simply part of the day-to-day routine to which we are so accustomed. As we now find ourselves immersed in the busiest weeks of the school year, my hope for all of us is that we find time to pause, to enjoy the exhilarating, to treasure the routine, and to find wonder in the everyday moments, standing side by side with those who are with us on our journey.

Warmly,

Kirsten Adams Head of School

The Weed Warriors of Fort Hunt Park

BY DAVID YEE Director of Service Learning and Community Engagement

Alex Deas '24 has had many opportunities to explore his passions here at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes. “The school allows me to explore them and make the most of them,” he told me. Through the school, he's had the ability to experience things he never thought he would. For instance, as a result of being a committed drummer for the school's pit orchestra, he was able to play at the Kennedy Center for the Critics and Awards Program (CAPPIES) of the National Capital Region. As a result of

the school's partnerships, he has had the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica to explore environmental sustainability or to Spain to practice his language skill. However, one of his proudest and unexpected passions has been a program he and his family found on their own called Weed Warriors.

Weed Warriors programs have been around for at least the last decade, but they have become more prevalent in recent years as people have become more aware of the threats to local ecosystems. In these programs, participants learn to

identify common invasive species and techniques for their removal. A Weed Warrior also understands that this is not a one-time affair and that, true to their names, the weeds will grow back and quickly. The National Parks Service runs a Weed Warrior program for Rock Creek Park, and once each volunteer undergoes the training, they pledge to serve the park for at least 36 hours in that year. Because of the leadership of the National Parks Service, many communities close to D.C. have founded their own Weed Warriors chapters,

getting The Washington Post's attention last year in an October 2023 profile. However, as Washington, D.C. and the surrounding area often tops lists ranking public park systems in the country, there are many parks out there, and just as many parks to tend. While there is a strong concentration of Weed Warrior programs in parks that are directly adjacent to D.C.'s city limits, parks that sit farther afield do not seem to have the same care. This is where Alex entered the picture for Fort Hunt Park, a National Park about 15 miles from the center of D.C. that sits at the south end of the George Washington Parkway.

The first time I became aware of the program he had built was through an email he sent to the whole Upper School before Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2022. In the tradition of treating this day as a “day on, not a day off,” he invited the school community to join him in tending to his local park, and he would continue to invite his peers to help with the program on days off from school for the rest of the 2022 school year. Through the rest of 2022, I'd see “Fort Hunt Cleanup” appear on many student service logs at least once.

How he became involved is a story that is common over the last few years: he and his family found themselves at home more often during the pandemic, and when they searched for things that they could be involved in, it turned out there was something not too far away. Before the pandemic, his father had begun to be involved in Weed Warriors around the D.C. area. He passed his experience on to Alex and together they applied the lessons learned and training to create a program for Fort Hunt Park. Around the fall of 2021, his father also encouraged him to get more people involved in the project, and so their new chapter of Weed Warriors was born.

A typical session of Weed Warriors is scheduled on a weekend and lasts for about three hours, and participants are encouraged to bring their own gloves and garden tools. While much of the cleanup of Fort Ward involves the

clearing of species that cling to trees (like English Ivy), one of Alex's most enduring memories involves the removal of bamboo. It went on “for an actual mile,” he says.

When I asked him why he first got involved with his father, he responded quite honestly and simply: “The service requirement.” While SSSAS does have a service hours requirement for graduation, the intent of it is not to burden students with work in the community, but to grow within them a culture of lifelong service to their community. For Alex, this intent worked. He quickly learned that he has a keen interest in the environment, and he's

involvement in music, he realizes that it has given him an appreciation for the way that people work best in a team if they bring different strengths to the table. It's taught him the importance of doing things with a strong team. He brings this wisdom to planning the future for the Weed Warriors program he has cultivated. While he has led the actual cleanup efforts, he left it to someone else to create an Instagram account to spread awareness of their efforts. He had another friend take on the responsibility of creating a website for the Fort Hunt Weed Warriors where people can learn about invasive species cleanup efforts and volunteer to help.

more than happy to be an ambassador for its needs. Sharing this with his community has been a great experience, and sharing this experience with his closest friends has been a central part of his time at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes. He was even able to use the lens he'd honed to identify environmental threats to areas in Costa Rica he'd visited with the school. Over the course of this experience, he's gained satisfaction, not from his personal gain or benefit, but from the realization that “everyone else benefits.”

As his time as a student at SSSAS comes to a close, Alex has begun to take stock of all the things he's done at the school and what he wants to do in his next chapter. As he reflects on his

Working together as a team, highlighting the strengths of each member, he hopes that what he leaves behind is a lasting system of care for Fort Hunt Park.

As for the next chapter, he knows that he won't stop caring about the environment. He hopes that he can expand things further. While he'd always set his sights on being involved in government in some way, even in the past few months, he has begun to focus on ways that he can be involved in environmental law specifically. However those next steps unfold, he will be able to look back with pride about what he created at Fort Hunt. With the support of the St. Stephen's and St. Agnes community, the Weed Warriors of Fort Hunt Park will continue to fight on!

Photo on opposite page: David Rhind-Tutt '24, Phillip Williams '23, Jack Ryan '24, and Alex Deas '24. Above left: Sarah Kotulan '24 and Alex Sargent '24 cleaning near a bunker. Above right: David and Alex installing snow stakes.

JOURNEYS IN TRANSITION

Camila Dominguez '24 has been involved with working in her community for all her life. Her mother, Carolina Freire, actually founded Voluntarios de Panamá, an organization whose mission is to inspire and connect people to service organizations all over the country. Born and raised in Panama City, Camila has been involved in work with her mother for as long as she can remember, whether on a day-to-day basis or on the annual “Good Deeds Day” that her mother also worked to promote.

“There are pictures of me at four years old at beach cleanups,” she quipped to me. Through the work with her family, she was able to gain valuable perspectives on many of the issues

facing the world today. However, as long as she remained in Panama, Camila's experience in the world was inextricably tied to her family's.

Moving to Alexandria and enrolling in St. Stephen's and St. Agnes offered challenges, but also an opportunity to grow her own voice and direction. Camila came to SSSAS as a 10th grade student, and on the surface, she came with a variety of skills and advantages that should make her transition as smooth as possible. She went to an American School in Panama City, which not only meant that she arrived in the Washington, D.C. region with fluent English language skills, but also that she was used to the international environment the area would offer—and even the transience that sometimes

BY DAVID YEE Diriector of Service Learning and Community Engagement

plagues it. There were stories floating in and out of the air as people were always moving. She was used to talking to the new kids that would come to the school, and she joked, “Everybody was always fighting to talk to them first.”

Despite this, she faced unexpected challenges. Though academics were a large part of that early struggle (as she reports that her teachers at SSSAS have a much more watchful eye on her performance than her teachers in Panama had), the largest challenge was social. “In Latin America, everybody will say hi to you, or good morning,” she said, but at first, it seemed as though people in the United States led more solitary existences. To make matters worse, she says, “I've never been a person who did any type of sports,” and so she couldn't

rely on a team to find new footing. For a little while, she felt herself struggling socially. She was the new kid, but “new” didn't feel the same to her at SSSAS as it did when she heard it back in Panama City.

And so, she figured she would lean on her experience in Panama and try something she'd always done—get involved in her community, but this time on her own terms. During her 10th grade spring, she signed up for Reach for the Stars, an after school program, founded by alumna Danielle Pascale '23. Being a native Spanish speaker, she was able to connect with the students who this program serves, mostly of Central American descent who have ended up in this region through migration. She could learn their stories in a richer way, and she began to see some similarities between what they were going through and what she was.

She realized that both she and the students in the program were struggling with what it means to be in transition. She could relate to the feeling of being uprooted—and wanting to move back. In this more lonely time in her life, she remembers, “The conversations meant a lot more to me [at Reach for the Stars] than they would have in Panama.”

Now, she is careful to offer a caveat to this realization. She knows that the advantages that she has had in her life equip her much more to live a life in this area that is free from obstruction and major hardship. She couldn't imagine herself trying to embark upon changing cultures once again, let alone trying to do it under the conditions she'd learn those students face. She learned, “There were students who slept in hammocks in rooms with all of their siblings,” or kids that didn't have shoes even to walk to school. Instead of using their situation merely to realize that she has had so many advantages, she felt inspired to act. Of course, they yearned to return to a life before these conditions, but if transitions are hard, she wanted to make them easier for everyone. In her words, “I wanted to help provide some of the resources to

make their transition smoother.”

Around the same time of her realization, new migrants began to arrive in the region on buses paid for by the governments of states along the US-Mexico Border. The Washington Post reports that over 13,000 migrants have arrived in Washington, D.C. since April 2022. These buses headed to various locations around the city—Union Station and The Naval Observatory, for instance—but by July 2022, various organizations in the area had begun to coordinate to receive the migrant travelers and provide aid. At that time, Capitol Hill Methodist Church began a partnership with the Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid Network to receive 1-2 buses per week so that they could offer some amount of support to migrants, to make a transition period of their lives a little easier. Their ambition fit with Camila's realization—people need the most support during their transition periods.

She, along with her mother who learned of the organizations who were aiding recent migrants, began working to support Capitol Hill Methodist Church in their mission to provide dignity to those who are on their journeys in transition. She realized the resources that she and many others in her world had that they were not using, and thought how powerful they could be in the lives of those starting off in our region. At

that time, she began her work by simply collecting donations from her friends and others who were connected to her, and she would bring these items to the church on Thursdays around 7 p.m. There, she would help to sort and distribute all of what had been gathered to those who arrived with little other than what they were wearing at that moment.

In November 2022, she helped to start an Upper School tradition of providing assistance to Capitol Hill Methodist Church and their mission by sharing her story with our whole school community during Saintsgiving, the traditional SSSAS day of giving thanks to and engaging with our community before our own family Thanksgiving traditions. In that year, the school community came together to provide over a dozen large bags of clothing and toiletries to her mission. Hoping to make this a more continual endeavor, she started AMOR (which stands for Assisting Migrants or Refugees and also means “love” in Spanish) and runs materials drives and sorting sessions throughout the year involving Saints in our school community. In this simple way, by bringing a need to our school community that we can fulfill eagerly, she has helped SSSAS continue to be active in our mission to support all of God's children.

This experience has also caused her

Left photo: Camila Dominguez '24 with her parents, Manuel Dominguez and Carolina Freire, at a fundraiser in Panama. Right photo: Camila in front of the Red Cross building in Darién, Panama.

The Darién Gap

Between Panama and Colombia lies 60 miles of territory that is one of the world's most dangerous areas and difficult to emerge from unscathed. The Pan-American Highway is unfinished in the gap.

Camila working with the Red Cross in Darién, Panama. Shown above with Red Cross Program Director Abril Staples.

to reexamine her life in Panama with fresh eyes. Within the past two years, Camila began to offer workshops for those in Panama, migrants and native Panamanians alike, so that they can begin to understand the needs of those migrants crossing through the country and how to meet them. This past summer, she had the opportunity to work with the Red Cross in Panama to offer her workshops to those in the Darién Gap, one of the most treacherous areas in the world—so treacherous that the Pan-American Highway that runs from the tip of North America in the Arctic Ocean to the tip of South America at Cape Horn fails to live up to its name over the stretch. In decades prior, only indigenous communities and guerilla groups had seen fit to frequent the Darién Gap's mountainous jungle terrain, but, as the Migration Policy Institute reports, since 2020 various groups from Haitians to Venezuelans have had to cross it to seek refuge from unsafe conditions in their homelands. This passage, and its dangers, is a path of last resort.

For two months, offering these workshops at migrant registration centers allowed her to see how difficult this journey really is. She remembers her experience, but has a hard time recounting their stories to anyone here. “It's hard to explain the severity and tragedy of their journey.” She remembers hearing stories of children stating how many of the dead they had to pass along the way. “Seeing all those things really breaks my heart, because it makes me feel how it would be to live through that.”

It's this experience that underscores the continued urgency in her work. Despite the fact that The Washington Post reports waning numbers of migrants arriving to D.C. (and the fact that this story has fallen to the wayside in a global newscycle that continues to churn), she says, “The problem is not going away.” Every week that she goes,

she still sees around 30 more people arriving at Capitol Hill Methodist Church in their transitional period. That means there is still work to be done for her and those that seek to support migrants in a time of need.

Still, she also does not expect every person to be as involved as she is. “It's tricky to get more people involved because of the timing of the program,” she says. Nor does every person feel the same pull; it is the combination of her own transitional opportunity and how it informed her experience in a school-sponsored program that allowed her to take her family's experience and make it one that she has found her true voice within. She is thankful for how helpful the school community has been in helping her carry out her mission, and that she found the inspiration to act here.

The thing she does hope people will do is to become more informed on what is happening. Towards the end of our interview, she lamented the fact that she felt she had not spoken enough about how central the Darién Gap is in understanding today's story of migration to the United States. The experiences she heard of the Darién Gap revealed to her one key thing she hopes people will realize, and perhaps move them to act: “People aren't coming here for a vacation. People are coming here, struggling, and it's not an easy choice to make.” For those inspired enough to explore, she said the information is out there and hoped that people would look to the work that organizations like International Organization for Migration or Red Cross are doing (or the statistics they produce), even if they can't travel to Darién to find it for themselves.

And, in the end, if people want to get involved, Camila knows someone that might be able to help. “If you want to help, reach out to the club!”

The Darién

Gap By the Numbers

60

The number of miles of the PanAmerican Highway that remains incomplete running through the Darién Gap. This area is known for robbery, rape, smugglers and criminal groups, and human trafficking, in addition to wild animals, insects, and a lack of safe drinking water.

520,000+

The number of people who crossed the gap in 2023, including 113,000 children, is more than twice the number in 2022. The majority of migrants were from Venezuela, followed by Ecuador and Haiti, but some came from as far away as Angola, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. According to the UN, economic insecurity, political upheaval, violence, and climate change are driving record numbers of migrants from their home countries.

1,300+

The number of people who have reported sexual violence to Doctors without Borders since 2021.

245

The number of people reported missing to the International Organization for Migration between 2021 and March, 2023, although the real figure is most likely to be much higher.

95°

The gap's environment presents tremendous challenges, with high humidity and temperatures reaching 95°. One of the wettest regions in the world, torrential rains can trigger landslides. Wildlife in the gap includes crocodiles and venomous snakes.

This information was gathered from the Council of Foreign Relations and the Human Rights Watch.

EYES WIDE OPEN

Fifty Upper School Saints and their chaperones traveled far and wide this spring, journeying to Taiwan, Denmark, France, and Spain.

THE TAIWAN EXCHANGE

The first-ever SSSAS exchange program to Taiwan was an experience of a lifetime. Flying into Taipei (台北), we were greeted upon arrival with the colorful and bright city. During the next couple of days we tried to experience all that big, busy Taipei has to offer. After a trip to 7-Eleven and a good night's rest, our group's first day in Taipei began.

Our first stop was the fascinating National Palace Museum (故宮博物院), where we saw the famous Jade Cabbage and Meat-Shaped Stone. We then headed to Jiufen Old Street (九份老街), where we had a lovely lunch and explored the market. It was a small, crowded alley that was full of new and intriguing sounds and smells. We ended the day lighting lanterns with our wishes written on them and sending them into the sky. Watching our wishes and dreams fly high, we were ready for whatever this trip brought us.

A new day and a new adventure. After leaving Taipei, we drove to the beautiful Sun Moon Lake (日月潭). A long bus ride and multiple rest stops later, we arrived. We were at Taiwan's version of Six Flags, the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village (九族文化村). After an impressive cable car ride across the mountains, we got our first glimpse of Sun Moon Lake. It was

beautiful. The green-blue waters were surrounded by lush forests. Boats traveled across the waters, touring the hidden corners and the wide open middle of the shimmering lake. We stepped out and saw the view from a peaceful balcony. We then explored the more amusement park aspects of the attraction. After enjoying multiple waterslides and some bumper cars, we returned to the hotel. After another delicious dinner and checking out a loud night market, it was time to go to sleep.

The next day was exciting. We boarded a boat to tour Sun Moon Lake and then jumped on a bus to go meet our fellow exchange students. We pulled up to the meeting point and there they were, holding welcome signs and huge smiles on their faces. We greeted them and their families with an excited “很高心认识 你!”(Nice to meet you!). Our host students then took us to another night market, the most crowded and best one yet! There was so much food. We tried tanghulu, fried mushrooms, fish balls, and even stinky tofu! Although definitely smelly, it was very tasty. Our students then took us to participate in some fun carnival games. With prizes, photos, and full bellies, we were ready to see the homes we would be

BY LILLY PURTILL '26

staying in. My exchange student and her family were incredible! They were very welcoming and amazing hosts.

For the next few days we went to school and had an incredible time visiting all their different classes. We saw their color guard put on a show for us, sang karaoke with their singing club, did a lab in their chemistry class, cooked seafood omelets in their cooking classes, and so much more! Their school day is similar to ours, although much longer. Starting at 8 a.m. and ending at 4 p.m., they have a long and tiring day. One major difference between their school day and ours, however, is the hour-long nap they have in the middle of the day! How relaxing!

After saying a sad goodbye to the school and our hosts, we made our way back to Taipei. Coming full circle on our trip, we spent one last day in Taipei. We visited the famous skyscraper mall, Taipei 101. Peering out onto the city from the 91st floor, we could see for miles. Though we couldn't see across the country, looking out and seeing the expansive city beneath us, the memories of our trip rushed towards us. We could feel our trip coming to a close, and on the plane the next day, looking down over a similar view, we were ready to say goodbye and go home.

THE NORMANDY EXCHANGE

“Boulanging.” That was the word of the 33rd Annual Normandy Exchange trip. It means “to go to a boulangerie,” the simple bakeries that are all over France. It isn't a real French word, but we made it our own word to express our group's insatiable appetite for croissants, pains au chocolats, and other pastries. Whether we were taking in the towering Bayeux Cathedral, climbing the steps of the Mont-Saint-Michel, or waiting for our correspondents, we always found time to go boulanging.

Taking a train from the airport to Paris, we were welcomed to France in a very French way, a man playing the accordion. Although tired from traveling, we emerged into the sunlight in central Paris filled with energy and excitement. We went to a true Parisian cafe to eat crepes while we looked at Notre Dame, before seeing the Sacré-Cœur at

Montmartre. The sheer size and majesty of the basilica was amazing, and from the top of the steps, we took in the sprawling Paris skyline. That night, I decided to try escargot. After being shown how to pry the slimy little creatures out of their shells with the little pick, I took my daring first bite, only to discover that it was actually really good!

The next day we climbed the Eiffel Tower, walked to the Arc de Triomphe, and spent a few hours shopping along the Champs Élysées before heading to the Louvre. After taking in the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and French McDonalds, we walked back to our hotel along the Seine. Out of everything in Paris, one of the most surprisingly beautiful experiences was walking around at night seeing the lights illuminating the elegant architecture and the Seine. On top of the glowing Notre Dame and twinkling Eiffel

BY DIMITRI CRISWELL '25

Tower, the views were stunning, and I understood why Paris is called the City of Lights.

The third day, we took a bus to Bayeux, where I was reunited with my correspondent, Alban, and met his parents. At this point the trip no longer felt just like a vacation, but like a completely new life, as I became a part of Alban's family. He took me to the coastal cliffs to see the German artillery bunkers from WWII, and then to the seaside town of Arromanches. Remnants of the war were everywhere. Learning more history at the D-Day Museum made walking around the town even more interesting.

The following day, we went to school! The first class I had was economics, in which I was completely lost with dense and complicated French, but geo-politics was a really fun and special experience. Not only is the subject matter very

interesting to me, but the fact that I could understand and learn about it in French was extremely gratifying.

We went to many English classes, ranging from sixth graders who were just starting to learn English to seniors whose English was far superior to my French. I particularly enjoyed working with the younger students. It was fun to help them with English words, and hilariously cute to hear them ask me questions about my life. Whether we talked about American and French stereotypes with the older kids, or Fortnite and Mr. Beast with the younger kids, it was incredible to communicate in both French and English.

Our first excursion was a private tour of the Bayeux Cathedral. Our guide took us through narrow passages and winding staircases up to the roof to look out over Bayeux. He also let me try playing the organ! Never had I played “Mary Had a Little Lamb” with such majesty and power. We then saw the famous Bayeux Tapestry, which details the epic story of the Norman Conquest of England, before

being formally welcomed at the mayor's office.

We took a guided D-Day tour starting at Pointe du Hoc, where we saw huge bomb craters blanketing the landscape and walked through abandoned German bunkers, followed by Omaha Beach, and ending at the American Cemetery—an extremely powerful experience. From the statue of the youthful spirit rising from the oceans, to the countless rows of thousands of white tombstones pointing westward towards home in the U.S., to hearing “Taps” played while the American flags were taken down, the experience at the cemetery was touching and incredibly moving.

We spent a whole day at Mont-SaintMichel with our correspondents exploring the narrow streets, stone ramparts, and never-ending interior of the abbey. We visited the Mémorial de Caen Museum to learn more about the French experience during WWII and ended the day with a bowling party. Our last day in France was spent shopping and walking the streets of Bayeux.

What really made this trip special was life with my host family. Whether it was having conversations in French, watching French movies, eating French food, or simply being surrounded by French people, it truly felt like I was living a different life than my own. I became so immersed that I had a moment of shock when I realized I was thinking in French instead of English.

This trip changed my perspective of the world and my understanding of other cultures. In my previous trips to foreign cities, I had always felt like a tourist experiencing a taste of the culture. On this trip, rather than just seeing French culture, I was living every detail of it. Through this experience I gained a new sense of confidence and independence. The relationships with my friends deepened through our unforgettable shared experiences. The most valuable lesson I learned was the importance of stepping outside your comfort zone and trying new things. Whether it's in Paris or Bayeux, I look forward to going boulanging again in France!

THE DANISH EXCHANGE

The Danish exchange is a relatively new program, starting in 2019 when Saints first traveled to Denmark to the Haderslev Katedralskole high school. Unfortunately the program had to pause during COVID, but it returned last year when our Danish counterparts came to visit the United States. The Danish exchange is an opportunity to learn all about Danish and Scandinavian culture.

As a group we visited the Haderslev Cathedral, the oldest church in Haderslev. The pipe organ is stunning and the cathedral has so much history and tradition. We took a day trip to Hamburg, Germany, where we took a boat tour of the port. The guide was very funny and made it a very exciting tour. We walked around and visited the shopping district, all stumbling across the same vintage clothing store at the same time!

Of course, it's not a complete trip to Denmark without stopping at the capitol, Copenhagen, an absolutely incredible city. The architecture is breathtaking. Our

canal tour guide pointed out the flags on top of the royal palace, which indicate that the King and Queen are in residence.

Some Stand Out Moments

F Danish schools are very casual! The students are on a first-name basis with their teachers, and can argue with them over grades and assignments. It was shocking to hear students calling teachers by their first names and not getting odd looks from the staff. The school had a very large area for students to sit, chat, and work, as well as providing a variety of games that they could play. Table hockey, foosball, and a card table always seemed to be in use when we were there.

F If I called the architecture of the cities we went to absolutely gorgeous; it would be an understatement. Haderslev and Coppenhagen are stunning cities with a ton of personality. They are easy to navigate and offer so many things to do.

BY SARAH KOTULAN '24

There was shopping, gaming, food, and even a theme park in the city center.

F The Danes have their own version of “Karens!” I was on a trip with my host family to a popular beach, and we saw some people speeding and drifting in their cars. My host father whispered “Brians.” My host explained that a Brian is someone who is always showing off. They have a buzz cut, tattoos, and always try to impress other people. Funnily enough, their neighbor, Brian, fit this description perfectly.

F Bread is a HUGE part of their diet, served at almost every meal and as a snack for school. For most breakfasts on the trip, we had rolls with a thin slice of chocolate. Usually, I don't eat a full breakfast in the mornings. I just grab something quick and leave my house, but in Denmark I sat down with my host family and ate breakfast before leaving for school.

F On our visit to a Cold War bunker underneath the school, we were taught about Danish Cold War strategies. Now, I don't know if this is my American mind speaking, but hearing how the Danish strategy was to defend for as long as possible and then surrender was definitely something new to hear. In fact, the bunker only had two weeks worth of food, because that is how long they figured Denmark would last if invaded by the USSR. The plan was to wait for aid from the U.S, and hope they got there in time. After learning so much about U.S. history, this strategy was definitely a foreign concept.

Going into the trip, I knew I wanted to try something new in Denmark. I decided to try a staple Danish food, the open-faced sandwich. I enjoyed the sandwich overall, but I have to admit that it was pretty difficult to eat. I also tried a popular candy, licorice! Specifically the salted kind, which was very, very salty. I needed a glass of water

close by and don't think that I would willingly eat it again. I thought that the taste would grow on me by the end of the trip—it didn't.

If I was able to take anything from Denmark back to the U.S., it would be the city structure. All of the cities we traveled to were super easy to walk, and biking is a very popular mode of transportation. It was also interesting to see how different the school system is from ours. I was amazed that Danish schools host parties for students where alcohol is served and the students drink and play games. Gap years are very common and usually encouraged by parents and teachers. It is typical for a student to take a year off after finishing high school to work or travel before continuing their education if they choose. University for the Danes is free and the courses are more focused on a specific field of study rather than including general education courses. I would compare it to our version of

graduate school, law school, or medical school.

I think it was extremely valuable to have a sense of independence while exploring the cities. In addition to taking walking tours, we had free time to explore on our own. It was an opportunity for me to be away from home and learn to function in a very different environment. I learned the importance of communication, as being in a country where I didn't fully speak or understand the language was pretty challenging. When we traveled to Hamburg, just a two-hour drive from Haderslev, I was surprised that many of the Danish students didn't know much German. Most of the Danes were able to carry on a conversation in English, but my host parents' knowledge was limited. Spending the day with them made me value how we communicate and appreciate the humor in the amount of times we used Google Translate.

THE SPANISH EXCHANGE

I was fortunate to spend my spring break in Madrid through the school's exchange program with Colegio Villa de Griñon. I feel so lucky I was able to have this unique experience and I am eager to share the ups and downs from the trip. The three words I would use to describe my experience with the Marid exchange trip would be: enjoying, interesting, and troubling.

Enjoying: Without a doubt the first word I used to describe this experience is enjoyment. My favorite days were the days we visited other cities. Midway through the trip we joined the Spanish students on a trip to the ancient city of Toledo, where we visited ancient cathedrals and spent time in a museum learning about the city's history and its impact on Spain. Although that was fascinating, the part of the day I enjoyed most was sitting in a café pretending I was a local and not a tourist.

The next day my SSSAS group went to Segovia, another ancient city with great Roman influence. We saw Roman aqueducts and also visited a castle that's older than the U.S. We visited a large cathedral but again, I enjoyed having coffee with my friends. Coffee figured prominently on my trip!

I was lucky to visit Madrid with the school and my host family many times. I toured the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium where the football club Real Madrid plays. A highlight was going to the famous Chocolatería de San Ginés café, which was founded in 1894 and is known for its mixtures of chocolate and coffee. Enjoyment not only came from the special places we visited, but also from spending time at the school. I enjoyed playing football with the Spaniards and experiencing school life with them.

Interesting: Before I went to Spain my host, who was Chinese, reached out to me and asked, “Do you mind eating Chinese food? And do you speak Spanish? Because my parent don't speak English and only a little Spanish.” I responded with “Absolutely I love Chinese food, it won't be a problem.” I was unsure whether or not I actually liked Chinese food, but I knew I was in for a week of new discoveries and a lot of miscommunication. Some of my peers felt sorry for me, because they felt I might miss out on a true Spanish experience staying with a Chinese host family, but I thought it was great because I was going to have two different cultural experiences on the same trip.

BY SULLY NAEF '24

My first real experience with the family was over dinner the first night. I was exhausted from the day of traveling and a couple of hours at school. We had rice, fruit, and chicken that was traditional from my host mom's village in China. I felt obligated to eat as much as I could because I told them how much I liked Chinese food. The first dinner was definitely awkward. Andrés, my host, had a sister who spoke English very well but was too shy to speak to me. Andrés spoke English well but his parents spoke barely any English or Spanish. I spent the majority of the dinner looking at my plate while they all spoke Chinese. I felt very home sick, missing friends and family and being able to communicate with others. But after a couple of days I felt at home with my host family. A special moment was having a dinner of dumplings and fruit with Andrés and his mom, followed by a long conversation with her. Even though there was a language barrier we were able to communicate through Google translate and gestures to have a deep conversation. I enjoyed shopping with her, pushing the cart around as she picked up foods and showed them to me for approval. I feel so lucky to have lived with

this Chinese family in Spain. Through the different foods, instruments, music, and just regular day-to-day life I experienced both Chinese and Spanish culture simultaneously. My host family were some of the nicest people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting, which made my next take away from the trip so concerning.

Troubling: My biggest take away from this trip was the extent of the racism that I witnessed in Spain. My first encounter was during my first day at school. The teacher in our first class did not speak English very well, giving some of the Spanish students the freedom to say whatever they wanted. Racial slurs, comments about George Floyd, September 11th, and anti-semitic gestures were the most memorable. Even on the playground there was a clear divide between races. Andrés and his Asian friends played basketball together while the Spanish students all played football. Throughout the trip I was unable to spend time with some of our American group because their Spanish hosts didn't like Andrés because he was Chinese. Sometimes the other Spanish hosts argued that they didn't like him because they didn't know him, but it was clear the lack of effort to become friends was rooted in racism. It wasn't just the Spanairds who made racist comments; even my host made racist comments about others.

Many people including Andrés told me to be careful of Moroccan and Black people because they would steal my things. I couldn't believe what I was seeing and how many of these terrible acts were occurring in school. I wasn't able to comprehend how these students felt so comfortable making these comments, especially in school and in front of unknowing teachers. I talked to Andrés about the racism towards him but he seemed to not care because it had been prevalent for his whole life. It broke my heart to see how people were excluded from activities solely because of their race. With all of this said, total blame cannot be put on these kids. In the end they've been influenced by their parents. One of the Americans on the trip commented they regularly heard racist comments in their host family's home and that it seemed to be normal, acceptable behavior for the students and adults.

All of our host students were younger than us. Many of them were 15 while we were 17 or 18. Youth is not an excuse for these racist acts and comments and yet, at 15 everyone makes mistakes. The difference is that our school holds students accountable for their actions. Most of the kids didn't seem to understand the gravity of what they were saying. I was shocked by the apparent lack of education. Through

four years of work on our Student Committee on Racial Equity (SCORE) and the opportunity to travel to Texas for the Student Leadership Diversity Conference, SSSAS has prepared me for the actions and lack of action that I observed in Spain.

I want to reiterate how it's easy to put blame on these individuals, but in reality it is the influence of generational racism and a lack of education that is to blame. The problem is clear, but a path for a solution is murky. It seems unlikely that the school has no knowledge of the racism going on between students. Believe it or not, many of the people making terrible comments were also extremely kind. We played football, shared meals, and enjoyed one another's company. My comments and what I am sharing does not define all of these people or the youth in Spain today.

I absolutely recommend this exchange trip to everyone who is able to participate. I encourage the school to continue this program, because learning about the good and bad of a country is the definition of an exchange. If everything on the trip was peachy it wouldn't be an exchange program it would be a vacation. It's important to learn the good and bad and be able to have conversations, so that maybe, something is done about it.

SAINTS ALUMNI, WALK THIS WAY!

BY KARA MAYS

The St. Stephen's and St. Agnes Alumni Association fosters interest in and promotes the welfare of the school, its faculty, students, and alumni, and encourages closer relationships among these groups. Amidst the most ambitious campaign in school history, Saints Together: Our Campaign for Community, the school is excited to celebrate a transformational gift from the SSSAS Alumni Association Board (AAB) that will support all three pillars of this historic campaign: the Upper School project, The Saints Fund, and the Gift of a Saints Education.

In recognition of their gift, a welcoming brick walkway for The Terrace at the Upper School will be named for the AAB. “The Alumni Walk will be a beloved outdoor area for student activities, faculty, and alumni to commemorate all who have paved the way before us. SSSAS has a rich history of traditions and timeless hallmarks that make us who we are today. This beautiful new walkway will be such a nice space to bring us together for Saints celebrations and community events,” said Erin McConnell '99, AAB president and parent of Alex '30, Charlie '32, and Stella '35 Blaker.

As the Alumni Association's governing body, the AAB have been ardent philanthropic supporters since the Association's inception. Records show that St. Agnes School had an alumnae association as far back as 1938 and St. Stephen's School had an alumni association in 1978. The two associations merged together when the school merged in fall 1991.

At the time discussion of this gift began, the AAB Executive Committee included President Christian Ferry '93 (parent of Spencer '23 and Walker '26), Vice President Yumi Belanga '96 (parent of Alessia '27), and Treasurer Dave Cogar '87 (parent of Jackson '16 and Mackenzie '19).

“The AAB has always been focused on alumni communication, engagement, and philanthropy,” said Dave. “Supporting Saints Together fits our mission.”

An initial $50,000 pledge was made

“The space will provide infinite opportunities for greater community engagement.

~Dave Cogar '87 “

and fulfilled in 2021, followed by a second $20,000 pledge in 2022, and lastly a $30,000 pledge in 2023 to total $100,000. “We wanted to signal to our alumni that the AAB fully supports the campaign and wanted to encourage them to join us in giving back,” said Dave.

“This commitment allowed us to not only show gratitude for what the school has done for us as students, but also how it continues to emphasize connection beyond the years on campus,” said Yumi. “The school has left a lasting impact on us, and we are returning that impact in a way that helps Saints of today and tomorrow experience the same meaningful value.”

The new Upper School wing, on track to be completed this fall, will catapult our facilities to match the needs of our community, while also securing our trajectory into our next hundred years. “The space will provide infinite opportunities for greater community engagement for our students, parents,

and alumni. It will make SSSAS a better place for all,” said Dave.

Every year the AAB and Alumni Class Ambassadors work together to keep alumni engaged and informed. Class Ambassadors are lead volunteers from individual graduating classes who serve as representatives between their classmates and the school for the purpose of gathering and sharing information and philanthropic stewardship. The AAB aims to increase philanthropic engagement and raise the overall alumni giving percentage, a reflection of alumni sentiment and engagement. “All big gifts begin from earlier small ones,” said Dave.

“We hope that fellow alums appreciate their SSSAS experiences, the lifelong friendships, cherished teachers and coaches, and their preparation for adulthood. And we hope they are willing to pay it forward by giving back to SSSAS, just as past alumni did for us,” said Yumi. “Supporting Saints Together allows innovative opportunities for both students and our esteemed educators, and those benefits will reach beyond our campuses into the community.”

COMING SOON!

More information about naming a brick for The Alumni Walk will be available this fall.

Saying a Fond Farewell

This spring we are saying farewell to four Saints who have collectively served the school for 80 years. We will miss them and wish them well in their retirement!

BY MANDI SAPP

TEO TORRES

It is with gratitude that we bid farewell to Teo Torres, who has been an integral part of the SSSAS community for the past two decades. Joining our team in February of 2002, Teo has played a vital role in maintaining our school campuses and ensuring a safe and comfortable environment for all.

Teo began his journey at SSSAS as a maintenance technician in 2007. His dedication, hard work, and expertise soon led to promotions, first as a maintenance supervisor and then as a Preventive Maintenance Coordinator in 2010, the position he still holds today. Throughout his tenure, Teo has served all three campuses, leaving a lasting impact on our school community.

As a Preventive Maintenance Coordinator, Teo has played a crucial role in developing and implementing preventative maintenance tasks for our school and residences. From electrical and plumbing to HVAC and carpentry, Teo has ensured the smooth operation

of our building and grounds systems. Before joining SSSAS, Teo worked at the Peruvian Embassy from 1992 to 2002 as a maintenance technician, honing his skills and expertise in facility management.

Friend and colleague Edgardo Herrera, Upper School Maintenance Supervisor, shared, “In the many years Teo has been with SSSAS in the Maintenance department, he has made an undeniable difference and I am proud of his dedication and hard work he brought to work each day. Years ago, someone asked for my opinion about choosing Teo for the new position, and without hesitation, I expressed that he was the right person. His kindness and camaraderie have made life's challenges more manageable and triumphs more enjoyable. I am thankful that he always found ways to support me even when life was busy. I will be forever grateful for the great relationship I have with Teo and it's wonderful to see someone as

deserving as him retire!”

As Teo embarks on the next chapter of his life, he plans to return to Peru to spend quality time with his relatives before returning to the USA. His warmth, professionalism, and dedication will be missed by all at SSSAS. “Teo has made a tremendous difference in the Buildings and Grounds Department in maintaining our campus utility infrastructure with a persistent preventative maintenance program throughout the years,” said Bill Owens, Director of Buildings & Grounds. ”His skillful ways to overcome any challenge, big or small during his 22-year tenure as Maintenance Tech, Campus Supervisor, and Preventive Maintenance/ Project Coordinator have been flawless. He has consistently been a hard worker, a helpful coworker, and a terrific friend to the entire B&G crew. Thank you, Teo, for everything you've accomplished for SSSAS. The B&G Team won't be the same without you!”

PHOTOS BY MELISSA MAAS '76

LISA HASSELL

Lisa Hassell, administrative assistant to the director of Upper School and head of school, is retiring after 21 incredible years of service. Lisa's journey at SSSAS began in 2003, and she has held various administrative assistant roles across different divisions. From her initial role at the Middle School under the mentorship of Bob Weiman, to her tenure at the Upper School working alongside former Head of School Joan Holden, Lisa's dedication and versatility have been truly admirable.

Among her cherished roles, serving as a student advisor for six years stands out as a source of pure joy and fulfillment. Guiding students through their academic and personal journeys and witnessing their growth until Commencement Day has been a highlight of Lisa's career. Additionally, Lisa's involvement in planning all-school and divisional events, including the beloved Monday Night Dinners, has brought immense joy to both students and faculty alike.

Libby Weith, associate director of College Counseling, shared, “Oh, I absolutely adore Lisa Hassell and I feel so lucky to be able to call her a friend! Truly genuine, thoughtful, and empathetic, she is always available to lend a listening ear, offer advice, or share a

laugh. Her warmth and caring nature have made her beloved by students and colleagues alike, and she has been a source of steadfast support here at the Upper School. Her smile makes every day brighter, and SSSAS simply will not be the same without her.”

As a parent volunteer during her daughter Haley's '16 time at SSSAS, Lisa experienced the school's traditions and milestones firsthand, creating unforgettable memories as a proud Saint family. Inspired by her father, Col. Robert E. Lynch, who taught part-time Russian and Chinese history courses for 16 years at SSSAS, Lisa followed in his footsteps, driven by their shared love for the community. “My dad adored this community and used to say 'Lisa, you need to come work at SSSAS.' Because he cared for this community so deeply, I did,” shared Lisa. “I love this part of our fatherdaughter story and our shared love of SSSAS. I hope there are windows in heaven so he can see how happy I have been here. He would have been so proud to know his granddaughter Haley is a graduate!”

Lisa's dedication and contributions have not gone unnoticed. In 2013, she was honored during the Light the Way Campaign with a designated chair in the Chapel/Performing Arts Center, a testament to her impact on the school community. Lisa extends her heartfelt gratitude to the anonymous donor who bestowed this recognition upon her. Friend and colleague Nicole Harding, administrative assistant to the head of school, said, “Lisa likes to say, 'Always leave a place nicer than you found it' and that could be a true metaphor for how she is 'leaving' SSSAS–we are a much better school and institution because of Lisa Hassell.”

Looking ahead to retirement, Lisa is eager to cherish precious moments with her family, including her daughter Haley, husband, and beloved dog Panda. She plans to deepen her relationships with loved ones and embark on new adventures around the globe, filled with learning and exploration.

As Lisa bids adieu to SSSAS, she leaves behind a legacy of kindness, dedication, and unwavering commitment to the school's mission. Her presence will be deeply missed, but her spirit will forever remain intertwined with the Saint community. “I made lifelong friends here, I always had a sense of purpose, and my intention was to help wherever and however I was needed with grace,” said Lisa. “I hope I brought that intention to fruition during my tenure. In many ways, I grew into who I was supposed to become in this community. A direct result of the opportunities I was afforded through the patience, support, and mentoring I was gifted with every day. Being in the presence of Saints will always conjure the love I felt during my time here. Thank you SSSAS, I know our paths will cross again. Once a Saint always a Saint!”

DR. ANDREW “ANDY” SIDLE '78

The last 17 years as an SSSAS English teacher has been an incredible journey for Andy Sidle '78, filled with memorable experiences, cherished relationships, and meaningful contributions to the school community.

Upon his arrival in 2007, Andy quickly immersed himself in various aspects of school life. He has held numerous roles and participated in a wide range of activities, including serving as the Senior Projects coordinator, an Alumni Association Board member, and as a faculty representative on the Honor Code Disciplinary Board.

The 2020 Traditions yearbook was dedicated to Andy. In that dedication, the editors said, “Always passionate about the world around him, Dr. Sidle personally lives out his beliefs on a daily basis and has consistently supported our school's environmental efforts by encouraging our Green Leadership Club members, raising his hand for stream clean-ups, and contributing creative ideas to foster environmental sustainability within our community.”

Andy has overseen numerous student environmental clubs and served as the Upper School environmental coordinator.

Known as the “Transcendentalist guy,” Andy has enjoyed exploring themes of nature and nonconformity with his students and sharing his passion for American Transcendentalists like Emerson, Thoreau, and Whitman. He has worked on many meaningful projects, including the creation of the “Multicultural Identity Series” film he worked on with Ian Shackley '14 and Bennie Smith '14, in which members of the faculty described themselves using three words or phrases. Andy has also led global trips to Croatia and Italy.

Andy has contributed to the athletics program, coaching JV girls tennis, softball, and baseball. When not on a court or a field, he could be found in the press box announcing at home football games and basketball tournaments.

“Andy Sidle is a one-of-a-kind colleague and human being,” said Stephanie Koroma, Director of

Athletics. “I have had the pleasure of working closely alongside Andy for 17 years and have witnessed his humor, quick wit, and deep care for people, both as an English teacher, but also as a coach within our Athletic Department. Andy is the consummate professional who demonstrates nothing but love and pride for all members of this community.”

Before joining SSSAS, Andy pursued his Ph.D. and taught undergraduate literature courses at Northern Illinois University (NIU) for six enriching years. Prior to his academic journey at NIU, he proudly served as a US Marine NCO for four years, followed by three years as a US Army officer during the 1980s.

As he embarks on this new chapter, Andy will be moving to Richmond, Va., to be closer to family.

Reflecting on his journey, Andy is grateful for the inspiration he found in “Dead Poets Society” and the impact it has had on his career trajectory. While serving as an officer in the Army, Andy viewed the 1989 film. Watching Robin Williams portray the inspirational teacher, John Keating, sparked a revelation: “That's what I want to do!” This moment of clarity ultimately led him home to his alma mater.

“Teaching at my old high school has been weird and wonderful,” said Andy. “My colleagues have been lovely and supportive, and the students throughout the years were invariably smart and fun, and I have delighted in telling them about 'the old days.' Plus, I have been most fortunate to stay in touch with many of my former students.”

Colleague and friend, English Teacher Mieke Cranford, said, “Andy constantly works to help students find meaning in life. His students benefit from his passion for the natural world, his appreciation for the power of narrative, and his determination to help them become ethical leaders. Wherever he lands, we know that he will be working to open hearts and minds to the meaning and beauty of the world around them!”

ANNE SELLON

Anne Sellon, an Upper School Academic Center teacher, is retiring after 20 years of service to our school. Anne has been an integral part of shaping the academic support program and nurturing countless students on their educational journeys.

Anne has held a number of roles throughout her tenure, including Lower School Learning Specialist, Upper School director of the Academic Center, and chair of the Department of Student Support. Starting in the Lower School in 2004, she orchestrated the shift from the one-on-one student support model to small group sessions. This change allowed for classroom observations, group activities with students, and support for teachers. Transitioning to the Upper School in 2012, she played a key role in building the comprehensive student support program currently in place.

“Anne brings so many gifts that it is hard to know where to begin,” said Elise Canfield, director of Upper School Academic Support. “Students praise her ability to listen without

judgment, and her gentle, but persistent, guidance to become more effective students. Colleagues also come to her for guidance, seeking out her experience and deep understanding of the students and their needs. On a personal note, Anne was a mentor when I was a math teacher trying to reach all of my students. Working with her in the Academic Center these past two years has felt like a full-circle experience. I will miss her wisdom, her ability to see and accept people as they are, and her wry sense of humor.”

Anne has spearheaded numerous initiatives aimed at supporting diverse learning needs. In the Lower School, she helped the development of an academic summer program tailored to bolster students' reading, comprehension, writing, and math skills, fostering an engaging learning environment through enjoyable activities. Additionally, she served on the 10-year VAIS accreditation committee and played a pivotal role in launching the Fountas and Pinnell literacy program. As part of her commitment to professional

development, she led initiatives such as the “Addressing Student Learning Needs in the Classroom” program and facilitated the Upper School Summer Study Skills program for a decade. She also was a member of the Upper School Admission Committee and the New Student Orientation program for 10 years, ensuring a seamless transition for new students and their families.

“Anne is like an angel,” said alumnus Ish Seisay '15. “She was the best thing that ever happened to me in high school, and I still think about her every day. She made things make more sense to me. Working with her wasn't just about school and academics, we also talked about life. Her office was a safe space for me and many other students. By far, she's the reason I felt comfortable at SSSAS and graduated with confidence.”

Alumna Raleigh Speed '23 also remembers her fondly, “I was very fortunate to have been mentored by Ms. Sellon. She is such an advocate, a trusted advisor, and cheerleader for all her students. She believed in me and helped me build the confidence to tackle anything. Thank you, Ms. Sellon, you are truly a Saint!”

As Anne embarks on this new chapter of her life, she has an array of exciting plans lined up. She'd like to take an “epic” train ride, perhaps across Canada, welcome another dog, step up her fitness program, work part-time in a garden center, and take classes to learn art, Italian, and interior design. Most importantly, she will become a very involved grandma! Anne has two children who attended SSSAS, Tim '06, and Emily '08.

“SSSAS has a wonderful community of teachers and administrators,” said Anne. “I have developed friendships that I know will continue long after I leave. Everyone goes through tough times, and I'm no exception, and SSSAS has been there to support me every step of the way. SSSAS has given me the opportunity to develop a student support program and working with students in the program has been a privilege and a joy.”

A Final Homily

The Rev. Sean Cavanaugh is returning to parish ministry after 20 years of service to the school. We are deeply grateful for his contributions to the Saints community. Father Cavanaugh served as head chaplain, chair of the Religion Department, and as a religion teacher, leaving an indelible mark on our school's Episcopal identity. His leadership has been instrumental in fostering a religious culture centered on the importance of relationships and inclusivity, ensuring that everyone has a place at the table. Father Cavanaugh gave the following homily to the Upper School community in chapel on April 3.

You may or may not have heard of star pop singer John Cougar Mellencamp, who's music career started in 1976 as John Cougar. When you listen to his music from the '80s and '90s, you hear all the kind of pop revelry that you would expect from a pop singer.

He's 72 years old now, but he played into his 60s, and if you listen to his music from that era, it's very retrospective–looking back on his life. For me, there's one song in particular that stands out in his later work, “The Longest Day.”

I want to read some of the lyrics to you.

Seems like once upon a time ago I was where I was supposed to be My vision was true and my heart was too There was no end to what I could dream

I walked like a hero into the setting sun Everyone called out my name Death to me was just a mystery I was too busy raising up Cain

But nothing lasts forever Your best efforts don't always pay Sometimes you get sick and you don't get better

That's when life is short, even in its longest days

If you listen to the rest of the song, Mellencamp has this sort of melancholy for the separation of the relationships in his life. As he gets older, he realizes how much it pains him to separate from those that he loves. And I love the line where he says, “Sometimes life is short, even in its longest days.”

There's another American singer and songwriter named Jason Isbell. Maybe you've heard of him. He's a little more contemporary. And in a song that he's called “If We Were Vampires,” he also reflects on separations from the people that he loves. And in doing so, he speaks a bit sarcastically when he wishes he could be a vampire so he would never have to grieve for the people he loves.

But unlike Mellencamp, he also has a bit of wisdom in the song when he recognizes that maybe, just maybe, if there is a bright side to being separated from one another, it's that it forces us to really connect with each other when we're around.

It's not the long, flowing dress that you're in Or the light coming off of your skin

The fragile heart you protected for so long Or the mercy in your sense of right and wrong

It's not your hands searching slow in the dark

Or your nails leaving love's watermark

It's not the way you talk me off the roof

Your questions like directions to the truth

It's knowing that this can't go on forever

Likely one of us will have to spend some days alone

Maybe we'll get forty years together

But one day I'll be gone

Or one day you'll be gone

And here he kind of waxes poetically.

If we were vampires and death was a joke

We'd go out on the sidewalk and smoke

And laugh at all the lovers and their plans

I wouldn't feel the need to hold your hand

Maybe time running out is a gift

I'll work hard 'til the end of my shift

And give you every second I can find

I think the hope for Isbell in this song is that because our relationships and our own lives are so finite, we are really forced to connect with each other and to love each other without delay—knowing that the relationships in our lives will not go on forever, as much as we wish they could and would.

I've been thinking a lot about these two songs, which are on my playlist, lately. I've been thinking about them as my time here as your priest draws to a rapid close. I remember the very first chapel I attended when I joined the Saints community 20 years ago. I had much less gray hair than I do now, and chapel looked a lot different than what it does now. There had been some issues with the priests struggling to connect with students—and literally the first chapel I walked into, there were teachers lined up shoulder to shoulder against the wall looking directly into the student body, almost like a prison chapel. I remember I went home to my wife thinking I'd made a horrible mistake.

But for the last 20 years, the gift you've given to me, the other priests, and to this community is that you've been open to the possibility that relationships and faith were worth fighting for and that chapel could be a place where both are nurtured. You and those who came before you were open to the possibility, and I gave thanks to God for each of you and past alumni I have known, taught, and served.

And I'm so thankful for having had the privilege of being here amongst you for so long. When I first came to St. Stephens and St. Agnes I thought I would be here for two years and then return to the parish. However, God and this community had different plans for me. I'm so thankful for the gift of serving as priest here among you.

Looking out now, I see so many of you that I first got to know as Lower or Middle School students, of course, for some of you it's been the Upper School that I first had the privilege of knowing you. Regardless of the length of the relationship, the greatest gift that I have been given over the course of my 20-year vocation here, has been the gift of simply listening to you and your stories. It's been such a sacred gift being with you in the good times of your lives but also through the sufferings of your lives. I want to thank you for the enormous gift of these relationships, because it takes a great deal of trust to share your stories with another human being, much less with someone who is wearing a priest collar where you might worry about being judged. I hope and pray that your experience with me has been one of acceptance and love rather than judgment or scrutiny.

It has taken a great deal of trust and believing on your part, that relationships and sharing of the hardships of your lives brings with it the real possibility of both healing and hope. And I know that this doesn't just happen overnight, and I'm so grateful for each of you. I'm so grateful and thankful for the gift of allowing me to be here for so long. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the great Lutheran theologian said, “We must be prepared for when God interrupts our plans and to be prepared to move on.” This is one of those moments, where my own hopes and expectations have been interrupted, and I will miss you and this community immensely. My heart seems to break again every day. Know this, I will take this community, each of you and those who have come before you deep into my spirit. The last thing I'll say is this—and I think it's very much connected to our gospel this morning,

a gospel about grief and hope—is that nothing remains sorrowful forever.

In today's gospel reading, our reading to celebrate the feast day of Easter, three of Jesus's best friends, two Marys and a woman named Salome, are grieving his death. The three women are going about their daily life like ghosts who must go about their daily motions. The women in the gospel find themselves in Jesus's tomb. And the reason they're in Jesus's tomb is because there was a process in the 1st century of taking a body that's passed and layering different herbs and solutions upon them so the body could decompose faster. So they're in the tomb for perfunctory reasons, but something happens to them that is anything but routine and ordinary.

And what happens is there is an unexpected gift, and it's a gift from the Spirit. And the gift essentially says to the group, although you do not see your friend Jesus, he is here, present in a way that is very difficult to fully understand, but he is nevertheless alive and ready to be with you again. And the hope in this gospel, and I think the hope of the resurrection in general is actually twofold. First, is that the resurrection proclaims to us that death is not the end of who we are—that when we die, we return to God. I fundamentally believe this truth and am

rooted to its good news, no matter how mysterious this news is.

And the second gift of the resurrection is this, that I believe throughout our lives there are many mini resurrections we experience. There are many moments of rebirth sprinkled throughout our lifetime. Rebirth that happens when God comes to us and heals separated or broken relationships as both a gift and promise of things to come.

Above all please remember this, that in the darkest moments of your life, you're not alone. In the darkest moments of your life, God offers not only hope, but also a way forward so we are not tossed and thrown about as people without hope or a plan. God knows your sufferings and and works through those sufferings to make you stronger, this is how faith and hope work in our lives.

I give thanks to God for the gift of my 20 years here, a gift that has changed my own life and my family's life for the better. A gift in which each of you, and those students and faculty who have come before you, have given me so much joy and grace. All I can say is thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for letting me serve you as a priest. Serving each of you and this community has been the greatest gift of my 28-year vocation. Amen.

Nurturing Hospitality

By Rebecca Cooper ES-12 Religion Department Chair Middle School Teacher of Religion and History

In Henri Nouwen's beautiful book “Reaching Out: The Three Movements of the Spiritual Life,” he outlines a threepart framework for nurturing spiritual growth. The first movement focuses on the spiritual life in relation to our individual experiences. The second movement emphasizes our spiritual life as a commitment to others. The third movement explores the relationship between oneself and God. Regarding the second movement, Nouwen writes:

“Hospitality, therefore, means primarily the creation of free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend instead of an enemy. Hospitality is not to change people, but to offer them space where change can take place. It is not to bring men and women over to our side, but to offer freedom not disturbed by dividing lines.”

As an Episcopal school, SSSAS is tasked with embodying the Christian faith and reflecting God's love and grace. Grounded in the baptismal covenant of the Episcopal Church, we are to serve

God in Christ through all individuals, irrespective of their origin, background, ability, or religion. We strive for justice and peace among all people and to respect the dignity of every human being. To achieve these aims, we must cultivate a school community that nurtures the intellectual and spiritual growth of all our students. This includes a diverse student body with various religious backgrounds, including an increasing number with no religious affiliation or multiple faith traditions. The Religion Department is committed to creating a hospitable, free space which is evident in our approach to teaching about religion.

How do we create this welcoming, hospitable environment where, as Nouwen suggests, “strangers are invited to become friends?” How do we demonstrate our commitment to fostering a diverse community and deepening our understanding of diversity? These essential questions guide our sixth grade global religions curriculum. For most students, this course marks their

initial encounter with religions distinct from their own and prompts reflection on the significant role religion plays in history and culture. After establishing a shared vocabulary for analyzing religion and religious identity, students explore a range of global religious practices, including Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Japanese, Chinese, and Indigenous traditions.

A highlight of the year is our annual global religions field trip, where students learn from seasoned practitioners and religious leaders at three local houses of worship. This year's focus centered on the Abrahamic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Beyond imparting foundational knowledge about each religion's beliefs, behaviors, and ways of belonging, our guides were invited to share how recent events in the Middle East are personally impacting members of their communities here in the US.

Following our Tuesday morning chapel service on February 27, we set

out for our first destination: the ADAMS Center in Sterling, Va. As one of the country's largest Muslim communities, the ADAMS Center's leadership stands at the vanguard of interfaith engagement in our region. Students enjoyed a tour by Mr. Rizwan Jaka and while in the prayer hall, listened to a talk on the guiding principles and practices of Islam, given by Mr. Jaka's teenage daughter. Mr. Jaka shared how the war is impacting their families with roots and relatives in Gaza. The visit concluded with students savoring samosas and date-filled cookies called mamoul.

Our next visit was to St. Alban's Episcopal Church in Annandale. Here, The Rev. Jeff Shankles and The Rev. Paul Moberly hosted us for a “Lunch and Learn” session in the church's parish hall. Fr. Paul shared reflections and images from his pilgrimage in Jerusalem, where members of St. Alban's had been during the terrorist attacks on October 7. The discussion highlighted the purpose of pilgrimage, offered firsthand insights, and shed light on the unique challenges faced by Christian minority groups in the region. Additionally, students enjoyed a food tasting featuring delights from two local vendors: Mediterranean Bakery in Alexandria and Jerusalem Restaurant in Falls Church.

With our bellies full, we embarked on our final stop to Beth El Hebrew Congregation. Rabbi David Spinrad welcomed us, engaging with students'

“I learned that pilgrimage is about the journey through sacred places, bringing yourself closer to God.”

questions from the outset. Alongside exploring the synagogue, sharing his perspective on the ongoing hostage crisis, and viewing the Torah scrolls up close, Rabbi David emphasized the significance of defining Judaism not merely as a religion but primarily as an ethnoreligious identity.

Upon return to the Middle School, students reflected on their insights from the day. Here's a selection of their reflections:

• My joy was when we got to see a Torah. I liked this because I felt like the host was welcoming us into how they live their lives and shared something very special with us.

• I enjoyed learning about how all the Abrahamic religions are so different, but also so similar.

• I learned that it is exhausting going on pilgrimage.

• I learned that a purpose of kosher is to humanize animals.

• Today I learned what the rigorous average life for a Muslim is like. I learned about the mosque, and also the challenges that Muslims face today.

• I enjoyed that each of the hosts was open to questions.

• I enjoyed it because I got to learn about many different religions and got to experience and taste different cultures.

• I learned that people have bar and bat mitzvahs in the Holy Land, and that people can get baptized in the Jordan River where Jesus was baptized.

• I learned that pilgrimage is about the journey through sacred places, bringing yourself closer to God.

Through this multisensory learning experience, students deepened their understanding and appreciation of diverse religious traditions, honed critical thinking skills, fostered community engagement, challenged stereotypes and misconceptions, and found safe spaces for inquiry and meaningful dialogue. When our society faces division and fear, our school's Episcopal identity calls us to provide healing spaces. As Nouwen describes, these spaces allow hostility to be transformed into hospitality, equipping our students to thrive in our complex and ever-changing world.

Left photo: Visiting the ADAMS Center as they prepare for Ramadan. Right photo: Learning about the Torah at Beth El Hebrew Congregation.

“THE SOUND OF MUSIC”

In March Upper School Stage One proudly presented four magical performances of “The Sound of Music,” by Richard Rodgers (music) and Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics). The performances showcased the talent, hard work, and enthusiasm of our 86 actors, musicians, and crew members.

ART AND LITERARY AWARDS

Nine Saints received top honors for their artistic and literary skills in local and regional contests and exhibitions.

Lily Adams '24

“For I Am Learning” Palette Award

Alexandria All-City High School

Ella Joshi '25

“Natural Light”

Silver Key

Regional Scholastic Award

Claire Helmreich '24

“Weight of Life”

Silver Key

Regional Scholastic Award

National K-12 Ceramic Exhibition

In addition to being juried into the NCECA, Claire received further distinction and was awarded the Bailey Pottery Equipment Award for this ceramic piece.

Jack Rutter '26

Panda Mosaic”

Honorable Mention

Regional Scholastic Award

Tyler Troy '25

“Perfect Harmony”

Honorable Mention

Regional Scholastic Award

Angus Artgetsinger '26

“At Night in Fog”

Silver Key

Regional Scholastic Award

Ariya Harrington '26

“American Dream Girl”

Gold Key

Regional Scholastic Award

August Moon '24

“Hometown” Palette Award

Alexandria All-City High School

August Moon '24: “Transformation Masks” Gold Key

Regional Scholastic Award

Gold Key Portfolio Award

August Moon '24

“Misprint” Gold Key

Regional Scholastic Award

EXHIBITING ARTISTS

Congratulations to all the artists who exhibited their work at the All-City Exhibition:

Lily Adams '24

Caeli Boris '27

Tae Casagrande '24

Gavin Goldstein '26

Evan Ingraham '25

Makayla Jones '25

Brooke Lai '24

Cole Lieberthal '27

In addition to receiving a Gold Key for his portfolio, August was selected to receive the Ju Ju Art Gallery Scholarship. Several local arts organizations give monetary scholarships to Scholastic Gold Key Portfolio award winners each year. The Ju Ju Art Gallery Scholarship is given annually by a Fairfax-based artist, gallery, and art school director who blindly reviewed all of the Gold Key portfolios and selected August's portfolio.

August Moon '24

Georgia Neaderland '26

Jonathan O'Bryant-Graves '24

Layla Stewart '24

David Rhind-Tutt '24

Sydney Worsham '24

WRITING AWARD

Dava Boyce '26 won a Regional Scholastic Award

Gold Key in Science and Fiction for her piece, “Ashen Pages.”

Larissa Giacomán

Lower School Spanish Teacher Larissa Giacomán loves her students' curiosity, creativity, enthusiasm for learning, and genuine willingness to explore new concepts. Larissa was born in Mexico and spent her time playing outdoors in the warm sun and exploring music, dance, and other arts. At the age of 10, she moved to Sweden where she adjusted to the cold, dark winters and found joy in ice skating and skiing. Attending an international school with peers that spoke several languages inspired you to do the same. She speaks Spanish, English, and French. As a child she dreamed of making the world a better place, and now feels she is making a difference by introducing her students to another language and culture. She credits her grandparents for inspiring her to always strive to be the best version of herself and instilling the importance of living with strong values and helping others as well as the love for culture. Their guidance and example shaped her character and fueled her commitment to making a positive impact on those around her. She helps her students learn by creating a supportive and encouraging environment and making Spanish interesting, fun, and vibrant. Larissa enjoys collaborating with her colleagues in science, art, and technology to bring a comprehensive experience to her classroom. Recently, her students have shown a keen interest in learning about renowned Mexican artist Frido Kahlo and Axolotis, the fascinating regenerating amphibians! They also like learning about Mexican traditions, from breaking colorful piñatas to crafting intricate sugar skulls to delving into the world of alebrijes, whimsical and fantastical creatures from Mexican lore. If Larissa wasn't in education, she would be in a science-related job that offers endless opportunities for discovery and innovation. She loves exploring the outdoors and fondly describes taking a service trip to Panama with Upper School Saints. There she immersed herself in the beauty of the Bocas del Toro archipelago—encountering sloths and observing a variety of wild animals in their habitat. Locally, Larissa likes to visit the National Arboretum and walk among all kinds of plants. She recalls seeing the Monarch butterflies in Michoacan, Mexico with her son, Ulises '12, and her mother, where the air in the forest was filled with a gentle fluttering sound as the monarchs took flight or shifted position on the branches. Each tree seemed to be adorned with a living tapestry of orange and black, as thousands of butterflies gathered together, creating a spectacle unlike any other. She witnessed the Aurora Borealis amidst the natural beauty of the Arctic landscape in the North Pole, Kiruna, Sweden during the summer—a magical and unique experience. Other special moments include seeing the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt, the Acropolis in Athens, and St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow. Outside of school Larissa enjoys dancing, biking, swimming, painting, and spending time with her husband of 36 years, Rodolfo. She says her greatest accomplishment is being a mom. She defines success by reflecting on the milestones she has reached, acknowledging how they have shaped her into the person she is today, and she's proud to own her journey.

If you could switch lives with anyone for a day, who would it be and why? I would choose to swap with an artist. The opportunity to channel creativity and talent to craft something truly beautiful and inspiring would be a remarkable experience.

What is the one place in the world you would like to escape to and why?

The beach holds a special place in my heart. It transports me back to the carefree days of my childhood, and the raw elements of nature remind me of the beauty of life.

What is your greatest strength?

My greatest strength lies in the love I have for my husband and son. Their presence and unwavering support fuel me with motivation and determination, inspiring me to face each day with resilience and purpose.

What is the one thing in the world you would fix if you could wave a magic wand?

My utmost desire would be to cultivate global harmony among people and nations. To embrace our differences, celebrate our shared humanity, and strive together to create a brighter future for all inhabitants of our planet.

What one piece of advice would you offer anyone who asks?

To embrace each day as if it were your last. Find joy in the present moment, cherish the little things, and make the most of every opportunity that comes your way.

For what in your life do you feel most grateful?

I am immensely grateful for my family, particularly my sister Tania whom I admire greatly. Despite the physical distance that separates us, I hold dear the cherished memories we have created together.

MEET STEVE AND AGGIE!

The Saints Life sent a reporter to get an exclusive interview with our new school mascots, Steve and Aggie! They certainly have a lot to bark about.

What do you hope to add to our Saints events?

STEVE: We're thrilled to be the newest members of the Saints community, and we're hoping to bring some pawsitivity and yipping great fun to our school (not to be confused with nipping)!

What inspired you to become a mascot?

AGGIE: Well, you see, ever since we were pups, we've had a nose for adventure and a love for making people smile. When we heard the school was looking for a new mascot, we just knew we had to throw our hats... or should we say, our collars... into the ring!

That's pawsome! So, what's been the most exciting part of your new job so far?

STEVE: Oh, where do I start? Probably the moment when I got to burst into the Lower School gym for the first time during the Homecoming pep rally. The kid's cheers were like music to my floppy ears! Plus, all the belly rubs from fans afterward weren't too shabby.

AGGIE: I love when the kids start chanting my name. “Aggie, Aggie, Aggie.” Don't be jealous, Steve.

Do you know if there have been any other mascots during the school's nearly 100-year history (that's right, it's almost time to celebrate the Centennial!)?

AGGIE: The St. Agnes school mascot was a lamb, but I don't think they had any grazing on the athletic field—I would have loved to chase…oh, I mean play…with some lambs. Saint Agnes was often pictured with a lamb, symbolizing her innocence, purity, and gentleness. Also, the Latin word for lamb, “Agnus” became associated with her name, Agnes. There were lots of lamb drawings and stuffed animals around, and one of the newspapers was called “Shearings,” and the name of the yearbook was the “Lambs Tail.”

STEVE: I'm not sure if St. Stephen's had any mascots. We should ask our alumni that question! For a while in the mid2000s, St. Stephen's and St. Agnes had a knightly Saint who came to games… until he graduated, but there has never been an official mascot like us…until this year!

We've heard rumors about some of your escapades around the school. Care to share any funny stories with us?

AGGIE: Oh, you've heard about those, huh? Well, there was the time Steve double dog dared me to try and bury my squeaky toy in the head of school's office plant. Let's just say, the look on Mrs. Adam's face was priceless!

Hmmm, sounds like a shaggy dog story to me. Now, tell us, do you have any special tricks or talents that you like to show off?

STEVE: Well, I'm not just a pretty face, you know! I've been practicing my tailwagging technique, perfecting my highfives, and I even have a signature move I like to call the “sloppy kiss surprise” for unsuspecting fans. It's all about keeping them on their toes.

AGGIE: Learning new tricks is lots of fun. My favorite treats are the Saints cookies with the school logos on them. Sometimes I eat so many I get sick as a dog.

What's your biggest challenge as a mascot?

STEVE: Well, since you asked, I will admit that after all this cheering, jumping around, and adulation, I'm pretty dog tired. Dogs need lots of sleep to maintain their good looks.

If you could give one piece of advice to aspiring mascots out there, what would it be?

AGGIE: Woof, that's a tough one! It can be a dog-eat-dog world out there. I guess I'd say, always remember to stay true to yourself and never be afraid to let your inner goofball shine. Oh, and never underestimate the power of a well-timed belly flop!

Great words of wisdom from you both. Thank you so much for sharing your tailwagging tales with us today.

STEVE: Thanks for barking with us! Remember folks, we don't care if it's raining cats and dogs, it's always a great day to be a Saint!

SAINTS WIN ROBOTICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AWARDS

April was an exciting month for our Upper School's novice FIRST Robotics Competition team, Starstuff Robotics. Following the success of their first tournament in Blacksburg, Starstuff competed at the Falls Church district event. There they achieved an impressive 9th place out of 34 teams following the qualification rounds and went on to captain the 6th-seed alliance in the playoffs. Their dedication was rewarded with the Rookie Inspiration Award, and earned them an invitation to the District Championship

in Petersburg, Va. Moreover, MacPhearson Strassberg '25 was nominated as a “Dean's List” candidate, poised to compete for further honors at the District Championship.

The momentum continued at the District Championship, where Starstuff Robotics clinched the Rookie All-Star Award, which

Earlier in the year, the Middle School robotics teams also did extremely well in their competitions.

granted them an automatic invitation to the World Championship in Houston, held April 17-20. Despite competing against teams with over 25 years of experience, they managed a commendable 32nd place out of 54 teams. Additionally, they were honored with the “Alumni Choice” award, which allowed FIRST Chesapeake alumni to vote for their favorite team at the event.

The trip to Houston for the World Championship was an invaluable experience for Starstuff Robotics. Competing among the top 600 teams from around the globe, Starstuff not only challenged themselves on an international stage, but also gained immense knowledge and skills. This opportunity allowed them to witness firsthand the highest levels of competitive robotics, offering insights into advanced strategies and engineering solutions. The experience was not just about competition; it was a significant learning journey that will undoubtedly influence their future projects and aspirations in robotics. Follow the team's adventures on Instagram @starstuff9403.

In March five Upper School students received recognition in this year's NCWIT (National Center for Women in Information Technology) Aspirations in Computing Award. Sandhya Augustine '25 achieved Virginia Affiliate Winner status, recognizing her as one of the top applicants statewide! Amanda Klock '24, Ryiee Michael '26, Suri Wang '25, and Nabeera Yasir '26 received well-deserved Honorable Mentions. All five winners are members of the SSSAS Robotics Team and Girls Who Code Club.

In the first qualifier in Charlottesville, Va., Terabyte Triceratops went to the championship round as an alliance team member achieving a 2nd Place finish overall, and the Techno Rexs won the 3rd Place - Think Award, removing engineering obstacles through creative thinking.

At the second qualifier in Harrisonburg, Va., both teams had an amazing tournament, making it to the Final Championship Round on opposing sides! The Techno Rexs entered the championship as a Captain team, enabling them to go to Regionals with a best 2 of 3 win, but Terabyte Triceratops won the second and third games to advance to the Regional Championship. This season there were more than 440 teams in the region and less than 10% were able to move forward to the Regional Championship. As most of the competitors were high school

teams, advancing was a very special accomplishment! Terabye Triceratops also earned 1st Place Team – Alliance Partner and the 2nd Place Think Award (given to the team that best reflects the journey the team took as they experienced the engineering design process during the build season). Techno Rex achieved the Overall 2nd Place Finish – Captain Team.

In February, Terabyte Triceratops made an impressive showing at the Tri State Regional Chesapeake Robotic FTC Championship. The only middle school team in attendance, they won their first two matches decisively placing them in 7th position. Unfortunately, their robot experienced issues during the next two matches, but they placed 19th overall within their bracket of 27 teams ending an incredible season of learning and teamwork.

Eric Taylor

What is the one thing in the world you would fix if you could wave a magic wand?

I would wave a magic wand and make all food free. I hate having to pay for food. Why is food so expensive? To that end, I love free food and am known in my neighborhood as the dad everyone gives their leftovers to.

If you had a million dollars in the bank, what would you be doing?

Making a spreadsheet with compound interest formulas to see how I could get the most out of my million dollars.

What is your greatest strength?

My greatest strength is my ability to connect with people.

Upper School Math Teacher Eric Taylor is funny, laid-back, affable, outgoing, and patient—and he knows how to make math fun. If you drop by his class, you may find students modeling inductive reasoning using Dominoes or creating 3D structures using Zometools—an atomic tinkertoy! Eric grew up in Sterling, Va. with three brothers, including a fraternal twin. His dad taught automotive technology and his mom was a music teacher. Eric's not a big dreamer, but when he was young, he did think it would be cool to be a rock star. He graduated from the Potomac School, got a bachelor's in environmental sciences from the University of Delaware, and a master's of education from George Mason. His favorite obscure fact: Kurt Godel proved that in a mathematical system, there will always be true statements that cannot be proved or disproved. In short, he proved that not everything is provable. It's a good thing Eric teaches logic, because someone has to explain that. Eric takes the time to teach a few life lessons in his class, like “a valid argument is not necessarily a true argument” and “compound interest is your best friend.” He also treats his students to his favorite brain teaser, the Prisoner's Dilemma. It's a subset of game theory and is simplified to give each of two parties two decisions—resulting in 2*2=4 possible outcomes. Google it! Eric says his students are fun and sometimes unpredictable, keeping class exciting with new challenges every day. Maybe Prisoner's Dilemma is his payback? If he could invite three mathematicians to dinner, he would ask John Nash (a pioneer in the field of game theory), Carl Friedrich Gauss (“The Prince of Mathematicians”), and Bertrand Russell (who tried to prove the foundations of mathematics). Eric's love of math can be expressed in one equation, the probability mass function (PMF) for the binomial distribution—which, Chat GPT says is “a fundamental formula in probability theory, often used in scenarios like flipping coins, rolling dice, or conducting experiments with binary outcomes.” And Eric's superhuman ability is that he can explain all of this to his students! Outside of the classroom he's married to Jackie, and they have two adorable daughters, Mollie '34 and Delaney '37, and two orange cats, Lily and Tova. As for hobbies, Eric plays the drums, blasts heavy metal music, and plays video games until all hours of the night. He also enjoys making spreadsheets of things in his life, like all the movies he's seen—he gives “Dune 2” five stars. Eric has traveled all over the U.S., and if he had a bucket list, which he doesn't, going to Sweden for a heavy metal festival would be the only thing on it. His secret quirk: for about 13 years he played Magic the Gathering and between him and his twin, they collected around 50,000 cards. The craziest thing he's ever done was caving—which he found nerve-wracking and claustrophobic. Eric's drive and motivation in life comes from his family; they are everything to him. His neighborhood is filled with kids, so he spends countless hours outside with his daughters doing all sorts of activities. The greatest gift he's ever gotten? “Do kids count?” he asks. They certainly do.

What is the biggest risk you have ever taken in your life?

Quitting my safe, easy job at Northrop Grumman and going back to school to become a math teacher. I've been a teacher for 11 years now and I've never once regretted that decision.

What is your most treasured object and why?

My most treasured object, is my comic collection. Over the years I have worked on collecting all the comic books related to the Infinity Gauntlet series. I don't have 'em all, but I enjoy the hunt.

What in life makes you smile?

My kids and memes…I love memes.

Kelley Gorman

Growing up in Philadelphia, Middle School Science Teacher Kelley Gorman loved animals and dreamed about being a veterinarian—until she realized she would have to give them shots and deal with the sadder side of the job! She is inspired and motivated by curiosity about the world, about others, and about scientific advancements. Kelley loved her high school AP psychology class and was surprised by how much she enjoyed a geology class in her freshman year at William & Mary. It inspired her to take more science courses and ultimately, she combined her main interests to earn a bachelor's in environmental studies and psychology. Kelley's mom and aunt were teachers, and Kelley has been working with children since she was a teenager as a babysitter, camp counselor, tutor, and coach. She says her SSSAS students are informed, witty, and genuinely curious! They keep her on her toes in the best of ways, and she loves it when their interests and personal stories teach her new things about their science lessons. Kelley is all about the simple things in life and making and maintaining connections. She likes being with friends and family, reading travel stories, gardening, taking wildlife photos, listening to podcasts, and playing sports. She's into watching home renovation and design shows, but discovered what they make look so easy, definitely is not! She is keen to learn about construction techniques and learn how to flip a house, or at least be more knowledgeable about home repair! If she wasn't teaching, she would definitely find a way to be involved with travel and wildlife adventures. Given the chance for a cup of tea and a conversation with a famous scientist, she would want to sit down with Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey. Kelley is impressed with their immense courage—overcoming so many obstacles in their groundbreaking research of Great Apes—and has deep admiration for their passion and leadership in environmental conservation. Her dream scenario today would be traveling the world as a wildlife photographer, though she'd be more comfortable with the “glamping” than “camping” that would be required. In reality, Kelley has traveled far and wide with her camera in hand, to parts of Europe, South and Central America, many United States, the Arctic, and several countries in Southern Africa. She cherishes the relationships she has formed with fellow travelers and her guides, and the enriching conversations she's had with all of them. Her top five trips include the incredibly close wildlife encounters she had in the Galapagos Islands; the famous natural landscapes of the Okavango Delta and Sossusvlei Dunes in Botswana and Namibia; seeing the endless ocean and polar bears in Svalbard, Norway in the Arctic; a glorious one-hour visit with a family of Mountain Gorillas in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda; and the torrential downpours, canoeing and wildlife in the Amazon. She still hopes to visit Madagascar, Antarctica, Australia, and New Zealand. Skydiving in South Africa was by far the most adventurous thing she's done. And her best travel tip? Don't forget your slippers! It may sound quirky, but it's the first thing she packs and a decision she never regrets.

What is the one thing in the world you would fix if you could wave a magic wand?

Helping everyone have a greater sense of empathy.

If you could have a superpower what would it be and why?

Power of flight, no-brainer. Free travel! (Can your luggage get the superpower, too?)

What one piece of advice would you offer anyone who asks?

Stay curious!

If you could switch lives with anyone for a day, who would it be and why?

My students. I would love to truly know what it's like to be a middle schooler these days.

What is your greatest strength?

Color-coding. Haha! (I mean…not really, but life is so much easier when it's organized!)

What is the best compliment someone can give you?

Their life is better because I'm in it.

A VISIT FROM THE BISHOP

In April we were honored with a special two-day visit from the 14th Bishop of the Episcopal Dioceses of Virginia, The Rt. Rev. E. Mark Stevenson. He participated in chapels on all three campuses, sharing his wisdom and thoughtful insights and engaging with students, faculty, staff, and parents. At the Upper School, he confirmed 11 students and two members of the faculty.

MISSION DAY

Our entire school gathered at the Upper School campus to celebrate our partnership with St. Paul's School in Montrouis, Haiti, and immerse ourselves in Haitian culture! Students from all campuses participated in interactive sessions on Haitian storytelling, jazz, metal art, and more. The event concluded with an all-school chapel. It was a day of learning, connection, and making new friendships as we united in our mission.

JUNIOR WINS HISTORY AWARD

In April Cate Nickson '25 was honored with the Alexandria Historical Society Award. Every year one outstanding history student from each of Alexandria's four high schools is selected for academic achievement and scholarship in American history, high motivation and sustained interest in American history, awareness of the role of history and the historian in contemporary society, and demonstrated citizenship and student leadership.

The generosity of our Saints community has always been the cornerstone of our school's ability to provide an exceptional education and experience for our students.

Saints

Together: Our Campaign for Community will ensure that we continue to provide our students with world-class resources to excel in their journeys as Saints and beyond.

Make a gift today to support the Upper School project or the Saints Fund to ensure an extraordinary future for our students!

Visit sssas.org/give or scan the QR code below.

WINTER'S A WRAP! CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR SAINTS ATHLETES

REDEFINING PATIENT CARE

BY SUSIE ZIMMERMANN

Maternal and Fetal Health

Physician Victoria “Vicky” Adewale '09 traces her approach to medicine back to her English classes at SSSAS with Dr. Roberta Klein and Mary Fawcett.

“Reading 'Things Fall Apart' by Chinua Achebe made a big impression on me,” she recalls. That book led to a strong interest in African literature and later, in college, to a second major in Africana Studies along with her pre-med biology major. Vicky credits that balance of humanities with science for making her a better doctor today.

“Basic science is just one part of medicine,” she says. “My relationship with patients, interaction with colleagues, and overall patient-centered care starts from the humanities side of me. Understanding a patient's living environment, family and ancestors, struggles, and even the history of medicine all are critical to providing great care. I can know all the right medicines and practices, but without understanding and appreciating each patient's life story, I can't be a good doctor.”

Vicky's own life story is much more than the medical degree she has earned. Along the way to her professional training, she has layered in other experiences and educational opportunities that have set the foundation for what is already proving to be a meaningful career for herself and her patients.

THE FIRST SPARKS

With both parents involved in healthcare—Vicky's dad is a forensic psychiatrist and her mother worked as a nurse—it is no surprise that she was interested from a young age in becoming a doctor. “I grew up loving my pediatrician and thinking 'I want to be just like her,'” she says.

Vicky started at SSSAS in sixth grade and immediately felt comfortable. “It was a great place to learn and I had a lot of fun,” she says. History teachers Karen Ruberg and Steve Ebner's classes are

among many she remembers fondly, and Vicky credits the school for preparing her well for college and for life. Even making sandwiches at school for a D.C. food kitchen made a lasting impression, “helping me learn the importance of being well-rounded before I even got to college.”

Vicky played softball and soccer all four years in high school, was Homecoming Queen in her senior year, and won The Rebecca Courtenay Marshall Cochran Award for Science and The Saint Agnes Cup at Prize Day.

Once she arrived at Brown University for college, Vicky more fully appreciated the value of her SSSAS experience. “I assumed that when I went to Brown I'd be surrounded by people who had also had great teachers, but I was blown away by how much more prepared I was than many of my classmates,” she says. “My writing skills were up to speed, I was used to articulating my ideas on paper, and my critical thinking skills were honed. It was an awesome feeling and gave me so much confidence to explore a wide variety of courses.”

assistant for Brown's Family Medicine Department at Memorial Hospital for two years, she studied the benefits of patient-centered practices to improve outcomes. “This let me work with people in the community and helped me realize that medicine is so much more than science and what we learn in the lab.”

She selected biology as a pre-med concentration, but her interests in Africa and African-American literature quickly added up to a second major in Africana studies. “I thought at the time that I needed to focus on science because I was pre-med, but I probably should have majored in two humanities degrees instead.”

A PAUSE IN SCHOOL…BUT NOT FULLY

As college graduation neared, Vicky's mentors encouraged her to take some time rather than immediately starting medical school. As a research

At the same time, Brown offered an opportunity for Vicky to earn a master's degree in biotechnology while working and to interweave her thesis work with her research, further cementing her emphasis on people-oriented approaches and learnings as she headed into medical school.

As she settled into medical school at the University of Virginia, Vicky thought she would focus on family medicine. “I didn't see myself in the operating room, or working the unpredictable hours with little sleep that obstetrics and gynecology (ob/gyn) required,” she remembers. Yet once her coursework was completed and she embarked on

hospital rotations, she only needed one rotation in ob/gyn—which included a baby delivery, birth control counseling, lab work, and a cesarean section in one day—before discovering her destiny. This led to more rotations in the specialty, including oncology, infertility, and maternal fetal medicine, “and that was it! I love pregnancy and all that happens during it, and all the various aspects of medicine that are affected.”

This path was no surprise to Vicky's mom, who says she knew from an early age that her daughter would be an ob/ gyn. “She said I loved pregnant people and used to watch movies of women giving birth!”

FROM MED SCHOOL TO RESIDENCY, AND AN MBA ALONG THE WAY

Vicky moved on to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia for her residency in obstetrics and gynecology, from 2019 to 2023. The

COVID-19 pandemic added a difficult level of stress, uncertainty, and fear, but because of her specialty she was not pulled into COVID-specific cases and was able to remain focused on ob/gyn.

“The hours that residency demands— up to 100 per week at times—are strenuous,” Vicky says, “but delivering a baby at 3:00 a.m. puts a pep in your step! It's really special. Whether delivering a baby or safe abortion care or relieving someone who is suffering from terrible periods, it's rewarding at all hours.”

She briefly considered subspecializing in gynecology oncology, and even received the Outstanding Resident in Gynecologic Oncology Award in 2022 from the Society of Gynecologic Oncology. “I loved the major debulking surgeries—when we remove tumors found in ovarian cancer—but ultimately decided pregnancy is my passion.”

With all of the demands of residency, Vicky still found time and interest in adding one more thing to her schedule

and her resume: she earned her master's in business administration. Many of her classmates in medical school had enrolled in the joint MBA/MD program that UVA offered, but “at the time, I didn't think that was for me,” she says. “I wanted to focus on care.”

However, after a major hospital system closed during her first year as a resident, many of that hospital's patients, residents, and staff transferred to her hospital, and Vicky felt the impact. “I also experienced insurance companies denying care and medicines that I would prescribe,” she says. “I quickly learned that my ideal world was not realistic and that money drove many decisions and factors in my delivering health care.” Vicky decided she needed to learn how to articulate benefits through cost-effective analyses, not just medicine. Her online MBA program offered critical insight. “Now I can address the finances and bottom line impacts while arguing my case for health equity, ethics, and the medical needs of my patients.”

ANOTHER ASPECT OF SERVICE

During a particularly challenging surgery during her residency, Vicky worked alongside some attending physicians who served in the Army Reserves. They described the shortage in the Army of surgeons skilled in female anatomy and how that was affecting the growing population of females in service. “I wanted to help with that,” Vicky says, “and be able to share my expertise, especially in trauma, to give back to the women who serve and risk their lives for us.” She also welcomes the opportunity to also serve military families, to deliver babies, and provide good health care for all women involved in service.

“Especially since COVID, and with what's happening in Ukraine and throughout the world, there's even more reason for me to join and a greater chance to mobilize,” she says. “I'm especially grateful to serve and represent my country while pursuing my interest in care for minority and disadvantaged

Vicky and her husband, Luke Huelsenbeck, PhD met during their sophomore year at Brown University and married in 2019.

populations.” Vicky joined the corps in 2021 while still in residency, and is still in training, but she looks forward to going anywhere the Corps sends her after her fellowship.

AN IN-DEPTH EXPERIENCE

After completing her residency, Vicky returned to Providence and Brown University in August 2023 for a fellowship in maternal fetal medicine at Brown's Women and Infants Hospital. The fellowship provides an in-depth experience in both clinical medicine and research, dealing with referred patients from throughout the region who face a variety of in utero and newborn challenges.

A fellowship schedule is not as demanding hours-wise as residency, but Vicky still has overnight call shifts and regular rotation changes that bring her to outpatient clinics, in-hospital care, ultrasound scanning, working with medical students and residents, and more. Her current interests are cardio-obstetrics (cardiac conditions in pregnancy), health equity and social justice, and postpartum care, known as the fourth trimester.

She's especially enjoyed working as part of a care team to treat patients

holistically and see everything come together. “We've had very memorable patients who were very sick and required coordinated care. From being very concerned and unsure of the outcome and then to see a patient like that improve is terrifically rewarding.” Every day, she's inspired by the caretakers and providers who work hard to support their patients, speaking up and advocating for them.

In addition, Vicky appreciates the diversity-equity-inclusion emphasis at the program. “It's truly ingrained into our everyday practice,” she explains. “From in-person interpreters to trainee education, everyone is thinking about it and making changes.” Other timely subjects of emphasis include maternal mortality rates, abortion care, perinatal mental health, transgender inclusive medicine, and medical student/ residency recruitment efforts.

And still, even the uncomplicated, healthy births still continue to awe Vicky. “I'm still amazed at each one!”

LOOKING AHEAD

Vicky will complete her fellowship in 2026. After that, she wants to work in comprehensive maternal fetal health, “doing a bit of everything” with residents

and fellows, researching and mentoring while also treating patients. The Army Reserves also provides opportunities to learn about technical innovation, including robotics training.

Of particular interest to Vicky is understanding the alarming increase in maternal fatality rates today. “Our specialty is high-risk pregnancy and we often think of fetal issues, but science is showing any pregnancy can be high-risk in any U.S. hospital, and the chances are even greater for black and brown women.” With so many determinants of health and mortality rates—including heart disease, access to food, safe housing and more—Vicky knows how important it is for patients to be safe and strong before they even come to the hospital. She wants to research and understand the reasons why so many women, especially women of color, face serious complications, and help ensure that everyone receives the proper care to prevent or treat them.

With so many challenges in medicine, Vicky remains hopeful. “I'm an optimist. I've met so many great mentors and inspiring attendees. I know my colleagues and peers feel the responsibility to work hard to address today's critical issues.”

Left photo: Intern Vicky Adewale in her first surgery with her chief resident, Dr. Ariel Levy (on the right), and Dr. Julie Gomez (in the back) in 2020..

Right photo: “V” for Victoria! Chief Resident Victoria Adewale in 2023 (in the back) with her intern, Victoria Diamond, and third year resident Victoria Kaiser.

FOR THE LOVE OF FOOTBALL

BY MELISSA ULSAKER MAAS '76

Two Journeys to the NFL

For nearly 20 years, I've stood on the sidelines of many St. Stephen's and St. Agnes football games, taking pictures for the school in between cheering, shouting encouragement, and witnessing the highs and lows of wins and losses. I've watched many young men take the field with aspirations of playing in college and dreaming about making it to the NFL. What it really takes to play college football isn't a reality yet, and the road to the NFL is another matter altogether. Shooting for a spot on an NFL team or a job in the headquarters means beating out all of the competition, and it is extremely competitive. I spoke to NFL Offensive Lineman Andrew Trainer '16, and Pro/ College Scout Ish Seisay '15, and what became very clear, very quickly, is that getting inside the NFL takes hard work, talent, perseverance, networking, and a 100% passion for and dedication to football—and sometimes all of that and more doesn't get you in the door or keep you on the roster.

THE CERTAINTY OF UNCERTAINTY

ANDREW TRAINER '16 DIDN'T SPEND HIS CHILDHOOD DREAMING ABOUT FOOTBALL OR THE NFL. Always tall for his age, his favorite sport growing up was basketball. He also played baseball and some football, but his primary focus was on shooting hoops—and getting good grades. When he was in middle school, Fairfax County Public Schools didn't have team sports, so Andrew was playing in the Fairfax County Youth Basketball League. Already 6'4” in the eighth grade, he was spotted by coaches from several schools, including the head basketball coach for St. Stephen's and St. Agnes. Attending an independent school had never crossed Andrew's mind, but the spark of interest in his athletic ability lit a fire.

“I visited a handful of schools in the area, but I felt SSSAS was going to set me up better academically than the other schools.” Andrew recalls. More than a tall student with a wide wing span, Andrew was as motivated in the classroom as he was on the court. His transition into freshman year went well and he maintained excellent grades on Dean's List through all four years of high school.

Looking back Andrew says he was “definitely prepared for college,” but notes that college preparation doesn't sum up

Andrew Trainer '16

playing tight end for the Saints. [Photo by Jameson Bloom '13]

his high school education. “It's a very formative age, when you are developing your ideas and opinions, and formulating a view of the bigger picture. I think particularly in junior and senior year, SSSAS helps you to see the world through a wider lens and understand how to apply what you're learning to your everyday life.” Andrew believes the school also reinforced his values and personal beliefs. “SSSAS emphasized integrity, doing the right thing even when people aren't watching,” Andrew says. “Living a life of integrity is key to living with yourself and others.”

As soon as Andrew was in the door, Head Coach Bernard Joseph tempted him onto the football field and proceeded to change his life. The impression he made on Andrew was deep. “Coach Joseph was amazing. I don't think I would've stuck with football if not for him. From freshman year on, I never looked back and I'm so grateful for his encouragement.”

Although Andrew still loved playing basketball and baseball, his passion for football grew each year. Andrew played tight end for the Saints, making All-IAC and All-State 2nd Team in 2015 and AllIAC and All-State 1st Team in 2016. On the basketball court, he was All-IAC 2015 and 2016, and captain of the team in his senior year. At Prize Day he received the Athletic Council Silver Bowl Participation Award for playing 12 seasons and the John Morrow Stanton Memorial Athletic Award for Outstanding Student Athlete. By the time Andrew graduated, he was 6'7” and 240 pounds. He received offers from the University of Buffalo, East Carolina, Harvard, University of Illinois, North Carolina State, Pittsburg, Temple, UConn, University of Virginia, Wake Forest, and Yale. He committed to UVA, but fate had another plan for him.

“College football recruiting can be pretty intense,” Andrew explains. “Maybe I wasn't wasn't fully prepared for going into it.” Born and raised in Virginia he was a UVA fan so when they offered him a scholarship, he really wanted to go—”great school, great football, really close to home.” Unfortunately, the UVA offer was a

verbal commitment between Andrew and UVA Coach Mike London. In Andrew's senior year, the UVA coaching staff was fired and the new coaching staff decided not honor a number of the offers to players who were verbally committed. Andrew found himself in a situation he hadn't anticipated, but he had stayed in contact with coaches from other schools on the off chance he needed to look elsewhere. He visited the University of Illinois and really enjoyed it. Suddenly, stepping outside his comfort zone and trying something different far away from home looked attractive.

THE REALITY OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL

The leap from high school football to the college leagues is steep. Many stand-out high school players discover that the college football world is teeming with talent. Even the most talented high school players are in for a wake-up call on the college field—if they manage to play on it. The workout intensity is heftier and the mental and physical demands are higher. The coaching styles and playbooks in college are more advanced and time consuming. A typical day in a college program starts with an intense workout. Then they watch film, practice, and attend meetings, all while having a full course load. If a player's grades don't meet a specific requirement, he doesn't play.

But Andrew was well prepared academically, mentally, and physically. “I'm very driven and always want to do everything to the highest level,” Andrew says. He credits his parents with instilling a great work ethic. “Their message was if you are going to do something, do it 110%—even if you fail, you will learn a lot along the way.”

Andrew graduated from SSSAS and flew out to Illinois for summer training camp. Every summer he also signed up for nine credit hours, ultimately earning a bachelor's in finance in three years. Athletically, the bigger challenges he faced included a broken wrist that forced him to miss his first season and a change in position from tight end to offensive

lineman. “During my second summer, my position switched to offensive line, which is huge,” Andrews says. “I had to really change my body and gain a lot of weight. From the time I entered college to the start of the second season, I had to put on 80 or 90 pounds. I would say it's not the worst thing in the world to have to eat a lot, but gaining that amount of weight becomes a job.”

As he finished his undergraduate degree, Andrew assessed his options. He wanted to further his education with an MBA and play more college football. With no connections to the Midwest, his thoughts drifted back to Virginia. His younger brother, Sam, was attending William & Mary, and Mike London was coaching the football team. Andrew grins and says, “I thought if I have only a couple of more seasons to play football, I want to make it the most enjoyable experience I can.”

Andrew was healthy and very successful at William & Mary. He started all 12 games at left tackle in his junior year and in all eight games he played in during his senior year. He earned All-Colonial Athletic Association First

Andrew visiting campus this spring.

Team Selection, Phil Steele All-CAA First Team, VaSID All-State Second Team, and Phil Steele All-America Fourth Team. He also earned academic honors, including W&M's Provost Award and the CAA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll. In the spring of 2021, he was selected as a semifinalist for the National Football Foundation Campbell Trophy (Academic Heisman), which honors the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation.

THE ULTIMATE SPORT

By the time his college football experience was coming to a close, Andrew knew he wasn't ready to give up playing for a career in business and finance. Nothing else was an option—his life was all about football, driven by his personal goals to achieve the next level and a desire to contribute to his team's success.

When asked how he feels about playing football, Andrew recalls a quote from former NFL coach John Fox that really resonated with him: “Football is the ultimate team sport. It teaches discipline, teamwork, and getting along with different people from all walks of life and backgrounds. Everyone is working toward a common goal.” Andrew is fully invested.

“You have to love football,” he says. “It's not just about the game days, it's about the other six days a week, the off-season, the 6 a.m. workouts. You may not love that, but you know that being the best you can be supports your teammates—when you win, you all win together.”

With his eye on the prize, he honed in on making it to the NFL. He started training for Pro Day, when colleges invite NFL scouts to watch their best players perform and compete in many of the same tests and drills at the invite-only NFL Draft Combine: the 40-yard dash, bench press, long jump, etc., and other position-specific drills. He did well and caught the eye of a few scouts but wasn't selected in the Draft. Players not selected in the Draft become an undrafted free agent, retaining eligibility to enter the NFL and theoretically able to sign a contract with any team. The contracts are usually less lucrative, but it's a shot to play in the league.

Andrew received an offer to play offensive lineman with the Los Angeles Chargers.

MAKING IT

All the excitement that football brings doesn't come without a price. Making it as a pro player in the NFL is an

incredibly difficult endeavor and a challenging lifestyle. To be successful at the highest levels of competition, football players must demonstrate superior physical strength, agility and speed, mental fortitude, and leadership and decision-making skills. And it can also require good timing and luck. A player may possess all those attributes and be fully committed every day, but there's one thing they can't control that can change everything—injuries.

When he arrived in L.A., Andrew was supercharged and ready to play. He participated in OTAs (organized team activities) from mid-April to mid-June, doing strength workouts and running. That was followed by practices until the end of June. After a few weeks off he returned in mid-July for training camp, which offers the best opportunity for rookies to strut their stuff and earn a spot on the team roster. The days are long and exhausting. The schedule starts at 6 a.m. with breakfast, followed by a mandatory treatment time in the training room. After treatment there may be some time in the gym before a team meeting and watching tapes of the previous day's practice. Team meetings are followed by offensive and defensive meetings, a practice, lunch, and another practice. Once the field work is done, the evenings

Andrew #79 playing left tackle for William & Mary [Photo courtesy of W&M] and Andrew's W&M Pro Day card.

are filled with dinner, more meetings, recovery, and a limited free time before lights out around 10 p.m. Each of the players have meals that are measured and allocated based off their position and current body composition ahead of their goals for the season.

Practices are usually broken down into individual work within position groups, working on technique drills. “There's a lot of footwork and hand placement,” Andrew says. “A big part of our job is getting our hands on the defender and essentially moving them against their will, so there's many different techniques involved in offensive line play and it takes daily practice to master them.” And all the players are there for one reason, to compete for a spot on the roster. “Every player there was the best player on their college team,” Andrew says. “If you're going against the best of the best, you need to be ready to give it your all every single time.” Despite having the right attitude and giving it his all every day, disappointment was lurking around the corner.

FORTUNE DOESN'T ALWAYS FAVOR THE BOLD

About two weeks before preseason started in August, Andrew injured his

shoulder. The injury required surgery and he missed all the games. This past season, history repeated itself. This time he played in one preseason game before breaking a bone in the bottom of his foot in practice, requiring more surgery. Andrew never had the opportunity to make the practice squad or the regular active roster, and spent the last two years on the Chargers' injured reserve list.

Just like playing, rehabilitation is a full-time job. “It's been a struggle, but it's taught me the lesson to just control what you can control,” Andrew confides. “My dream is to play in the NFL, so I'll do whatever it takes to get back to a 100%.” He's realistic about the certainty of uncertainty in the NFL. “Either you get traded or cut or you get injured. No team will go through a season without multiple people getting injured, it's just a part of the business.”

In mid-March, Andrew was released by the Chargers, but he's not giving up on playing in the NFL.

IT'S NEVER OVER, UNTIL IT'S OVER

Andrew is training every day and his agent is working hard to market him to

other teams, but there is an elephant in the room. “It's tough for me because I haven't played in any games for other teams to see what I've done,” Andrew explains. But as an offensive tackle, being tall with long arms and the ability to move are all selling points. He has never been in trouble and has a proven track record for working hard and successfully both athletically and academically. “The teams have to do their own research and form their own opinions,” he says. “I just have to stay prepared to play.”

While he waits to see if another team will take a chance on him, Andrew's life is all about football, family, and friends. He's a huge sports fan and loves watching the NBA. “I love the Wizards.” Really? “I know, it's a curse,” he says. He likes to read historical novels, and watch movies but he's “not a movie buff,” or a “music aficionado.” He did enjoy “Star Wars,” “Blade Runner,” and “The Predator.” If he could wave a magic wand and fix anything, it would be world hunger. But if Andrew could have any superpower, it would be to run at lightning speed, make a touchdown, and win a Superbowl. Mostly, he just wants to be back on an offensive line and when the opportunity comes, he'll be ready.

Andrew #62 playing offensive lineman for the Los Angeles Chargers [Photos by Mike Nowak]

MASTER JUGGLER

ISH SEISAY '15, A PRO/COLLEGE SCOUT FOR THE DENVER BRONCOS, UNDERSTANDS WHAT IT TAKES TO PLAY FOOTBALL IN COLLEGE AND THE PROS, AND WHAT IT TAKES TO SPOT POTENTIAL NFL TALENT. In the highstakes realm of professional football, the transition from the college field to NFL success presents a formidable challenge that pushes aspiring athletes to their limits. Scouts play a pivotal

role in transforming dreams into reality through their astute observations and critical decisions. Their pursuit of the next standout talent is unyielding, involving thorough scrutiny of numerous college games to identify budding potential. This meticulous process underscores the significance of every play, as each one has the potential to significantly influence a player's future trajectory.

Just two years into working for the Broncos, Ish still feels like a little fish

in the big pond. It's a place he's been before, when he made the transition from playing high school football for the Saints to college football. Growing up, Ish liked soccer and basketball, but around the time he turned 15, his two older brothers, Lou and Mo, declared football as the preferred sport. From that time on, football took over his life. They didn't just say football was the way to go, they were successful examples of what it takes to play in college and beyond. Lou played safety for East Carolina University and Mo was a star performer for the University of Memphis and the University of Nebraska, where he played cornerback. Mo signed with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent in 2014 and then played for the Seattle Seahawks in 2015 and 2016. He continued playing football in the Canadian league, the American Football League, and the XFL through April of 2020 when the league suspended operations.

Ish entered SSSAS in his sophomore year, transferring from DeMatha, well known for their athletic program. “They wanted to switch my position to defensive back, but I wanted to stay at quarterback, and the commute from Springfield to Hyattsville was time consuming,” Ish says. After two years at DeMatha, Bernard Joseph, who was the head football coach at SSSAS at the time, convinced him to transfer. Ish was also heavily influenced by his best friend, Sam Gallahan '14, who was already a student-athlete at SSSAS.

Ish found the academics to be challenging, but the Academic Center, led by Director Anne Sellon, was there to support him. She helped him learn how to prepare and manage his time, but Ish says there was so much more to it. He feels he owes his successes at SSSAS and college to her. “If there is one person I'd have to give a HUGE thanks to during my time at SSSAS, it's Anne Sellon, she was everything to me. She taught me skills that helped me academically, socially, and with life in general. I was totally focused on sports and thought the school side would just sort itself out, but at SSSAS academics

definitely come first.” Anne's office was a safe space for Ish and many of his friends, a place to talk about anything and everything. “She was an angel for sure,” Ish says.

On the football field, Coach Joseph was teaching him other valuable lessons. “He taught us discipline, the consequences of our behavior, how to be a man, and how to maneuver,” Ish laughs. “Some of the lessons didn't sink in at the time, because we were kids, but now I look back and see I'm applying those lessons to things currently happening in my life. He's a special guy.”

In his senior year, Ish was recognized as an Outstanding Athlete, made All-IAC 2nd Team and All-State 2nd Team, and was honored with the Association of Parents and Teachers Award at Prize Day. His high school football stats include 3,942 passing yards and 600 rushing yards as the team's starting quarterback, and 28 touchdowns. He received offers from the Army and the Navy, but his parents were afraid of the commitment. “I was shocked, but as immigrants from Sierra Leone, they just didn't understand the opportunity,” Ish explains. “At the time, they equated the military with war.”

THINGS THEY DON'T TELL YOU

So Ish opted to play for Iowa Western Community College (IWCC), unaware of the challenges and restrictions that decision would bring. “Playing junior college football (JUCO) is a different beast,” Ish says. “There are rules and regulations no one tells you about, so when you get there and think 'oh, it's not what I thought it would be,' you have to stick with it because back then transferring JUCO to JUCO was not ideal. JUCO transfer rules are quite complex.”

After a successful high school experience as the quarterback for SSSAS, Ish was surprised to be a redshirt freshman in college. “I honestly did not know redshirtting was a possibility when I first arrived—there's an out-of-state rule limiting the number of out-of-state students who could play on the team,” he says. “They bring in around 100 out-of-state players, so you're competing with everyone for very few spots. We didn't realize that until we got there, which was tough, but that's how the game goes. Competition either breaks you or makes you.”

Ish heard from his friends in other colleges, and the comparison was disheartening. “They were at big schools, partying and having fun,

while I was far away from home for the first time in this small town in Council Bluffs, Iowa. It was a hard adjustment.” But as Ish sat on the bench he was determined to make the best of it. Good things can come from adversity. “Some of my best friendships were forged at IWCC,” he says. “The tough times we shared created a real bond, and we're still in touch today.”

While he wasn't playing during his first season, Ish shifted his focus to making good grades, graduating early, and continuing to play for an NCAA Division I team. His second season he did play as a safety. He reached out to Coach Joseph and sent him his films. He put Ish in touch with Chuck Cantor, who oversaw all aspects of Virginia Tech's football recruiting process. Ish was accepted to James Madison University and Virginia Tech and decided to go with the Hokies, where he played defensive back. He was a preferred walk-on for two years, but received a full football scholarship from Virginia Tech to play in his senior year. During his last bowl game, Ish was awarded the Wes Worsham Award, given to the player who exceeds expectations and surprises everyone with his performance. Academically he was an honor roll student and received his bachelors in public relations and business leadership.

Left photo: Ish playing quarterback for the Saints. [Photo by Melissa Ulsaker Maas '76] Right photo: Ish playing defensive back for the Hokies.

In addition to studying and playing football, Ish started to build some work experience. In the summer before his senior year, he coached at the Virginia Tech Football Camp. His peers elected him to be a mentor on the Virginia Tech Leadership Council, serving as the main voice for the 2019 Virginia Tech football team and collaborating with his teammates to organize their targeted goals for the season and resolve any presented issues. He also discovered that he had a growing interest in scouting and recruiting and hoped to land a job in the NFL.

“I talked to my coaches about it and they gave me some resources,” Ish says. “I started writing scouting reports and sending them to NFL scouts asking for some feedback.” He also applied for the Nunn-Wooten Scouting Fellowship, an internship created by the NFL to give participants a unique glimpse into Player Personnel by introducing them to various areas associated with college and pro scouting within a club. The fellowship, named in honor of Bill Nunn, longtime personnel director for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and John Wooten, a former NFL player and front-office executive, is part of the NFL's Football Development program under NFL Football Operations.

Ish was having conversations with the Indianapolis Colts when Covid hit in 2020. The fellowship was put on hold but the Hokies still had to evaluate and recruit players. “Covid put me back a year in my NFL job hunt, but fortunately I was able to work for Virginia Tech online as a recruiting assistant,” Ish explains. Despite the fact that he didn't get many answers, he continued emailing NFL scouts, some of whom responded and even sought out his opinions and stayed in touch. The 2021 Draft was a very strong year for the Hokies, with four players being drafted, two in round 1, Caleb Farley (Tennessee Titans) and Christian Darrisaw (Minnesota Vikings). Divine Deablo was a round 3 pick for the Raiders and Khalil Herbert was a round 6 pick for the Bears. “That really helped me build some

“Always be yourself, be confident in your assessments, and have conviction in what you say.”

connections within the NFL, because scouts were looking for intel on my former teammates.” Through the NunnWooten Scouting Fellowship, Ish landed interviews with the Broncos and the Cardinals and started his internship with the Broncos in June of 2021.

It wasn't easy at first. In fact, he found himself questioning whether he belonged there. Ish had never worked in that kind of professional setting before, and let's face it, dreaming about a job in the NFL is one thing, getting it and starting is nerve wracking. He got some good advice he says he didn't listen to at first. “Always be yourself, be confident in your assessments, and have conviction in what you say,” Ish remembers. He also stresses the importance of character and having a strong work ethic to gain the respect of your colleagues. “Be honest, work

hard, and be precise in what you do. Be trustworthy. Be committed to the process. Be a good person and always be on time.”

Even with a promotion from intern to pro/college scout in May of 2023, Ish says he's at the bottom of the Broncos scouting hierarchy—but he's working hard to keep moving up. “It's what I imagined it would be. I've met really cool people and talented NFL evaluators. I've made new friendships, and I've built a good relationship with a lot of people around the league.” Ish is just grateful for where he is right now, and he's really excited for the future and what it could bring—”I'm happy, I am learning a lot and I will continue to grow both personally and professionally.”

BEING A SCOUT AND MASTER JUGGLER

Ish is in an interesting position, scouting both college and pro players. Generally, scouting is divided into college scouts and pro scouts. Currently, he covers the state of Nebraska, the Canadian Football League, college international players, and the United Football League. He also evaluates all the international prospects in the NFL's International Pathway Program, which aims to provide elite athletes from around the world the opportunity to earn a spot on an NFL roster and increase the number of international players in the league. And if that's not enough, he has five pro teams to cover during the season, evaluating each team's entire roster and practice squad. Wow. “Yeah,” he laughs, “it was a long year.”

NFL scouts begin their evaluations with the basics: assessing athletic prowess and physical attributes. They are focused on football's foundational qualities, identifying players who demonstrate exceptional speed, strength, and agility. For instance, when evaluating a wide receiver, scouts closely examine their ability to accelerate down the field, gauging both their burst and maximum speed.

When evaluating linemen, they scrutinize their raw power and capacity to dominate opponents, crucial for safeguarding the quarterback or disrupting the opposing offense.

In addition to these performance metrics, factors such as height, weight, and arm length carry substantial weight in assessments. A taller stature may afford a quarterback better visibility over the offensive line, while longer arms can enhance a defensive back's ability to disrupt passes effectively. When combined with athletic performance, these physical attributes contribute to crafting a comprehensive profile of a player's potential impact in the NFL.

The flow of the year begins on July 25, the report date for camp. “You're assigned the teams you're going to follow throughout training camp and the season,” Ish says. “During camp you focus on guys who are on the bubble of making the team, if they get cut, you want to make sure to have evaluations on them just in case you want to sign them to your team.” The process continues through the preseason. Between the end of preseason and October 6, the goal is to evaluate each player on the practice

squad. Next, they work on evaluating the pro teams assigned to them. “You have to evaluate each player by the end of the season,” Ish says and smiles. “Five teams, 53 players per team, you can do the math!” At the same time that he's evaluating the pro teams, he has to spend October and November traveling to all the schools in Nebraska to collect character information, watch film and practices, and write evaluations on the upcoming NFL prospects, which are due in early December. And, all the recommendations on the Canadian league players are due in November. When the season ends in January, or February if the Broncos go to the Super Bowl, they shift to the All-Star college games, go to the NFL Combine, and prepare for free agency, not to mention going to college Pro Days in March. By April 15 all the Broncos players are back and then a week later it's time for the Draft. The draft picks all report to Denver for a rookie mini-camp. So really, Ish is a pro/college scout and master juggler.

YOU HAVE TO LOVE FOOTBALL

When he was dreaming about a job in the NFL, the best piece of advice Ish

received was to, “be around football as much as possible.” It seems obvious, but it isn't always easy to beat out the competition for sports-related jobs—and it takes more than that to get through the NFL door. Ish says, “It's about dedication, persistence, and developing a tough skin.” He recommends networking and reaching out on LinkedIn to seek advice and build relationships—and setting goals.

“I was really proud when I got my scholarship from Virginia Tech, because I wrote that down as a goal in 2017 and achieved it in 2019,” Ish says. “In June of 2022 I wrote on a sticky note and pasted it to my wall that I wanted to be promoted to pro/college scout with the Broncos after two years as an intern, and I was promoted a year later.” He believes setting goals keeps you focused and propels you forward. “At first you are thinking, 'Can I really do this? Do I belong? Do I fit in?' When you set and achieve your goals and prove you can do it, it boosts your confidence.” Ish writes his goals in his notebook and on sticky notes that he posts on his mirror. They are his daily affirmations that he can and will continue to grow and succeed. And for the love of football, he will.

D esigning for Good

BY ANDREA DAWSON

The first big lesson that Sara Caples '66 learned as a young architect took place, fittingly, in a preschool. It was 1990. Just three years earlier, she and her husband, Everardo Jefferson, launched their Queens-based firm together, Caples Jefferson Architects. Their first major public commission was heady: Redesign a preschool in the Bronx for children with AIDS.

They spoke at length with the school's educators and director. They scrupulously researched not only the preschool's program but the pedagogy underlying early education in order to fully understand the client's perspective and philosophy. Still, something didn't sit.

“The teachers came to us and said, 'You're trying to determine everything that's going on in the classroom. That's our job,'” Sara recalls.

What the teachers really wanted was for Sara and Everardo to design classrooms that would allow them to vary their teaching approach depending on the students in the room, which, given their medical conditions, was highly variable. And they wanted them to design common learning spaces that would invite active participation.

“That was really the beginning of us having to push against our comfort zone, to think very specifically about the needs of those we are designing for and to listen very intently to them,” Sara says. “That's been the story of our practice ever since.”

It was also the beginning of their pledge—which they continue to uphold nearly 40 years later—to devote at least 50 percent of their architectural work to underserved, multicultural communities.

“Designing for the 99%”

Sara, who calls herself a service brat, and Everardo, whose family immigrated from Panama to the South Bronx when he was a child, met at the Yale School of Architecture (in César Pelli's first advanced studio, she recalls). They began their careers in the early 70s,

when women and people of color were a fraction of the practicing profession. In the absence of role models, they initially hewed to their training. Both cut their teeth at several architectural practices before joining forces to launch their own firm. They were grateful to have work designing residences for the wealthy, which reinforced the specific, intimate, and personal nature of the craft—tailoring design to the needs of the client. But before long, a certain yearning set in.

“We had very strong aesthetic convictions, but we were conscious that the work we were doing didn't connect with the people we had grown up with,” recalls Sara. “And we had a real desire to connect architecture with the communities that we felt didn't get to participate in its creation as much as they should.”

For Sara and Everardo, that meant engaging in purposeful projects in underserved neighborhoods — primarily throughout New York City and its boroughs—that reflect the needs and wants of its people.

When they got their start in the 1980s and 1990s, this architectural philosophy was foreign to most firms. That the pair were arbiters of a movement, now more widespread, emphasizing design that both looks

good and does good, only adds to their accolades. And there have been many.

In 2017, the firm earned the President's Award from the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Five years earlier, it won the New York State Architecture Firm of the Year Award and was listed among the Top 50 Sustainable Firms in the U.S. by an Architect Magazine ranking.

The Bronx preschool was the first of dozens of public commissions that Caples Jefferson Architects has earned over the last five decades, nearly all of which dwell at the intersection of social equity, education, and culture. With each project, their status as attentive, inclusive, community-minded architects —or, as one reporter summarized in her headline, “a NYC firm designing for the 99%”—has been indisputably affirmed.

The Louis Armstrong Center

Completed last summer, the Louis Armstrong Center is a prime example of their work. Tucked into a diverse residential neighborhood in Corona, Queens, the 14,000-square-foot center is a tribute to the jazz legend who called Queens home, and complements the Louis Armstrong House Museum and gardens, directly across the street. Caples Jefferson Architects bested 44 other

The Louis Armstrong Center [Photo by Albert Vecerka/Esto]

firms to win the commission, which originally called for a multipurpose hub—or, as Sara recalls it, “a grab bag of desires with no specificity—you could be in Omaha or Seattle and never know the difference.”

Sara immediately honed in on their challenge: “We wanted to bring out the soul of the space in a way that not only celebrates the life and achievements of Louis Armstrong but reflects his living presence. We wanted to give residents and outside visitors a space where they could bring their own creative imagination to bear.”

How to achieve such a vision? A vibrant jazz club, they concluded. Close to a dozen excursions to various jazz clubs throughout New York City and its boroughs informed their design. And so, in addition to a vast archive and exhibit space, the center features an open, 75seat practice and performance space— the Jazz Room beckoning performers and visitors alike.

In its review, The New York Times hit upon Sara and Everardo's desire for the center—indeed, all their projects—to not only resonate, but unite. Among the building's goals, it cites, is “to connect Armstrong as a cultural figure to fans, artists, historians, and his beloved Queens community; to extend his civic and creative values to generations that don't know how much his vision, and his very being, changed things. It wants,

above all, to invite more people in.”

Invite people in it does. After exceeding visitor expectations, the center expanded its hours to accommodate the many national and international guests eager to connect with the musical icon. Therein lies another lesson that Sara has learned throughout her vibrant career: “People don't want to be invisible. They want to leave their mark, and often, a building is their mark,” she reflects.

Regina Bain, executive director of the Louis Armstrong Center, who worked closely with Sara during its construction, notes that hope for its realization began to simmer in 1971, the year Armstrong died. “To be able to enter into a longheld community dream so thoughtfully is hard to do. People sometimes run over community, but that's not what Sara does, it's not what she and Everardo do. She is deliberate, focused, and able to integrate the wants and needs of others while remaining true to the vision.”

Near the end of the center's construction—over 15 years in development thanks to onerous zoning laws—a group of admiring teenagers in the community approached Sara and Everardo outside the entrance. Their remark sticks with her: “When we see this building and learn about Louis Armstrong, we feel like we could do something, too.”

Teaching, Writing, Learning

It is not surprising that Sara and Everardo, who are just as committed to the intellectual pursuit of design as the final product, are teachers as well as architects. Recently, they were jointly appointed William B. and Charlotte Shepherd Davenport Visiting Professors at the Yale School of Architecture, their third teaching post at Yale. Two to three days a week, they depart Queens for New Haven, where they currently teach a studio on the architecture of caregiving, and how thoughtful design can mitigate trauma. Previously, she taught at the University of Miami and City College of New York, and has served as a Fellow for Innovation in Engagement at Pratt Institute. She has also served on the boards of the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects as well as on its National Committee on Design.

Far too modest in her impact as an educator, she argues that she gains more from the experience than her students. “Teaching is subject to a different set of constraints than building real buildings, so it pushes our thinking in a different way,” she says. “Working with motivated students forces us to examine our methods. Who wouldn't be addicted to that process?” Her willingness—indeed, eagerness —to learn and explore beyond what's familiar can be traced back to a childhood on the move. Her father was in the Air Force and every year or two, by her recollection, her family lived in a different place. Her mother, the painter and printmaker Barbara Barrett Caples, preferred civilian life at their various posts, so Sara's living experiences were wide-ranging, from a farm overlooking the Hudson River to the pastures of Colorado to more suburban neighborhoods. Before landing in Northern Virginia, the family's longest stretch of time was overseas, in Fontainebleau, a small town south of Paris. She attended an international high school, taught entirely in French, among a diverse set

The Jazz Room in the Louis Armstrong Center [Photo by Albert Vecerka/Esto]

of teachers and students. “To be a child in France in the late 1950s to early 1960s was gloriously free and joyful,” she recalls.

She arrived at St. Agnes School, as a “slightly underaged sophomore,” in 1963. It was her first all-girls and parochial school experience, not to mention entry into the political consciousness of life along the Beltway. Culture shock set in. But her three years at the school taught her the importance of intellectual honesty. “That even if what you're learning and analyzing is in conflict you have a duty to look at it and to try to understand and question it and your belief and relationship to it. Honesty is the key value underlying what you do. That was a profound lesson for me,” she says.

She credits St. Stephen's and St. Agnes for its deep commitment over the last 60 years to fostering an inclusive learning environment, and—not unlike her own personal and professional ethos —its increasing emphasis on morality and ethics. When she cracks open The Saint's Life these days, she is “in awe” reading about many of her classmates and other alumni, and how they have used their skills “to construct lives that give something back.”

Of course, one could say the very same about Sara Caples. In addition to her architecture and teaching work, she and Everado recently penned their third book together, “Many Voices:

Architecture for Social Equity,” which draws on their decades of experience to provide a blueprint, of sorts, for design that is both technically strong, aesthetically striking, and socially conscious. As she is quick to argue, design need not tick just one box.

Building for the Future

On tap for Sara and Everardo, who work in a collaborative, close-knit firm with just 10 other associates, are two new projects: A pair of buildings for the New York City School Construction Authority—a student services building and a preparatory high school building, both at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn—and a new continental society for Africa on Fifth Avenue, on the edge of Harlem.

As always, building spaces that address the client's needs and leave room for creative potential is a challenge on which she thrives.

“We want people to have a stake in the buildings we work on. While we help to create them, we are a fleeting presence,” she acknowledges. “We don't own them, the communities do. That awareness of our role creates a real humility in the work.”

As an example, she cites their 2012 addition for Queens Theatre in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, a civic monument and performing arts space. She and Everardo felt the new extension should be clean, white. After

Other Works Include

Weeksville Heritage Center, Brooklyn, NY

Queens Theatre-in-the-Park, Queens, NY

The Africa Center, New York, NY

Heritage Health & Housing Headquarters, New York, NY

Marcus Garvey Community Center, Brooklyn, NY

Starr East Asian Library Renovation, New York NY

For more information, visit capjeff.com/

meeting with several focus groups in predominantly Asian neighborhoods, they learned that white, far from celebratory, is the color of mourning. So, they went to work researching how different cultures map meaning onto color and settled on a universally uplifting, golden orange hue. Now, says Sara, the theater has become a beacon in the night. Families gather to take photos in front of it.

“It's joyous when, in your wrongness, you get pushed to learn something new, to discover some deeper meaning that maybe you didn't know about before.”

The Queens Theater-in-the-Park, Queens, NY [photo by Nic Lehoux] and The Africa Center Terrace, New York, NY [rendering]

THE ARTIST'S CHAMPION

BY JESSICA HALSTEAD

IN AN OLD 1920S BUILDING IN SOUTH FLORIDA, MEAGHAN KENT '94 GRINS AS SHE DESCRIBES A SHORT VIDEO OF A CAT ROARING.

“It looks like a beast,” she says. “But really, it's just a super cute, fancy cat.”

Meaghan hasn't been scrolling the depths of YouTube or Instagram. The cat video isn't your run-of-the-mill social media fodder. Quite the opposite. It's a film made 20 years ago by an artist, one of many Meaghan has connected with throughout her long career. The artist is lending Meaghan the video to include in the exhibition she's putting on this summer at the Art and Culture Center

Hollywood, where Meaghan serves as curator.

Nestled in a historic mansion 20 minutes north of Miami, the Art and Culture Center works to engage the community in art and creativity through gallery exhibitions, stage performances and educational opportunities for adults and kids alike. As curator, Meaghan takes exhibitions from the idea stage to opening gala and beyond. The cat video has found a home in this summer's exhibition, which is all about animals. That's actually the name of the exhibition—“ANIMALS.”

Summer means more kids in the museum, and “Animals” has them

Curator Meaghan Kent '94 giving a tour of the” BookBound” exhibition, Art and Culture Center/Hollywood, June 7–August 21, 2022. [Photo by Khami Auerbach]

Marina Kappos, still from “Beast,” [Courtesy of the artist]

in mind. “It's meant to be this fun, engaging, educational exhibition,” Meaghan says. The walls and halls of the gallery will be splashed with art pieces ranging from a historic Peruvian statue of a cat to a massive, 10-by11 foot painting of Florida's invasive species—roosters, pythons, lizards, and a depiction of Henry Flagler, the founder of the Florida East Coast Railway. The railway powered rapid land expansion into Florida in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. “According to the artist, Christina Pettersson” Meaghan says, “Flagler is the most invasive species of them all.”

“ANIMALS” is just one of many exhibitions Meaghan has brought to life at the museum. Last year she curated an exhibition called “Living in Oblivion: An Artistic Examination of Our Times.” The show explored themes of information and misinformation and featured works by artists that conduct research in various fields. “That was a quieter show,” Meaghan says. “That was a little more serious, a little more thoughtful.”

Often, Meaghan draws inspiration for exhibitions from the world right outside the museum's doorstep in South Florida. “There are certain issues and things that are happening here, politically and socially,” she says. Climate change, gender discrimination, immigration, and racial issues all find their way into exhibitions Meaghan curates. “I work with a lot of artists that address those issues directly,” she says.

While museum-goers might like to think exhibitions pop up out of nowhere to delight and engage them, that, of course, could not be farther from the truth. The purpose of each exhibition varies, but each has a story to tell, and it's part of Meaghan's job to identify and sharpen that story in the early stages of planning. Then, she has to source the perfect art pieces to tell it. Meaghan's decades of work in the art world has given her a mental Rolodex of names— big and small—of artists who could potentially contribute to shows. But selecting art isn't as easy as knowing the right people. For each piece, Meaghan treads on one big question: “Does

this fit?” In other words, how does it contribute to the story we're telling?

And once a mass of art pieces have been collected, Meaghan engages in another tough question: “What am I missing?”

Sometimes, Meaghan will contact artists directly and pay them to create specific works for the museum, which is most common when she wants to highlight an individual artists' work. Other times, she'll comb through her Rolodex and ask to borrow specific pieces from artists—like the video of the roaring cat—that will work in tandem with other pieces to bring stories to life. She's also in charge of putting together extra materials like exhibit brochures and marketing materials, which go far beyond basic information about the

artwork. For a brochure accompanying a past exhibition on the Everglades, she wrote a short essay about color symbolism. The hard work of executing exhibitions pays off, Meaghan says, when she feels like she's filling a need for audiences, when she can walk through exhibitions she's created and talk to visitors about them.

“Oh,” she says, thoughtfully. “I love what I do.”

“I championed artists”

Meaghan joined the Saints community in ninth grade. And while she eventually found her footing, she remembers her feelings as that school year approached. “I really did not want to go to this all-girls school,” she says, smiling. Her father, a colonel in the Army, was stationed in Egypt during the Persian Gulf War, leaving Meaghan with uncertainty at home and now, uncertainty at school. “It was this very difficult year,” she remembers. “It was very difficult to meet people.”

She eventually made a few friends, and then the school went coed her sophomore year. After that, she says, she began to thrive. Especially because she'd taken interest in a subject she'd never before been exposed to—art history. In art history classrooms beginning her freshman year, Meaghan found a passion

“The Garden of Evil” by Christina Pettersson, 10 x 11' drawing on wood. [Courtesy of the artist]

Meaghan Kent and daughter Katharine Whittier, Adrienne Rose Giona: “Somewhere I Belong,” Art and Culture Center/Hollywood, February 3-April 21, 2024. [Photo by Khami Auerbach]

for art and unlocking the stories behind it. She also made art in art classes, but by her own admission, wasn't very good. “I'm not an artist,” she says. But the stories behind the art—the contexts, historical moments, and emotions the art evoked—drew Meaghan in.

By junior year, Meaghan says, things were falling into place academically and socially. Her senior year brought an AP art history class with Joanne Kesten and in Meaghan's words, “that was it.” Ms. Keston's belief in her placed Meaghan firmly on the path she's on to this day. “She made me realize I was good at art history,” Meaghan explains. “That I could write about it, and look at it, and interpret it, and I could understand the meanings and the symbolism.” Most importantly, beyond just letting her know that she was good at art history, Ms. Keston made Meaghan aware that she was excited about it. That small difference was key. Meaghan suddenly knew what she wanted to do with her life.

It didn't hurt that many of her friends at St. Stephens and St. Agnes were talented visual artists, including Eddie Chu '93. (Eddie is now a practicing professional artist who has won two Emmys for his design work on “Westworld.”) “I loved being with these creative people,” Meaghan says, remembering when Eddie and another friend, Mike Tramonte, painted a mural

in the school hallway while Meaghan looked on. “I was watching them paint and just thinking how talented they were. I knew it was not something I could do, but I understood that they were really good at it,” she says. Surrounding herself with creatives further confirmed Meaghan's love for artists' stories and work. “It was just one of those moments that definitely moved me in that direction,” she says.

These days, Meaghan sees her role as a curator as a sort of a cheerleader to artists. Naturally, she was a cheerleader at St. Stephens and St. Agnes. “I loved being a cheerleader,” she says. “It's such a huge part of who I am too, because I really championed other people.” As a cheerleader, she championed teammates and others' athletic endeavors. But as someone with a passion for art? “I championed artists,” she says.

Tequila bottles and gigantic hanging sculptures

Meaghan's passion sent her to the mountains of New Mexico, where she got her bachelor's degree in art history, criticism, and conservation at the Santa Fe University of Art and Design. The small city was teeming with the legacies of artists like Georgia O'Keefe and current stars of the art world like Bruce Nauman, an award-winning

contemporary artist. “Because Santa Fe was such a small pocket, and because there weren't too many art history majors there, we got a lot of special attention,” Meaghan remembers. “I was able to be at a dinner party with Bruce Nauman. I mean, how amazing is that for me?”

Meaghan's years in Santa Fe sharpened her passion for contemporary art specifically, thanks to an internship at a contemporary art space. After graduating, Meaghan pursued her master's degree in art history at George Washington University. In D.C., Meaghan interned at the Phillips Collection and Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum, both notable collections of modern and contemporary art.

Graduation with her master's degree brought Meaghan to one of the country's foremost hot spots for contemporary art—New York City. There, Meaghan began several years of gallery work. Her job wasn't simply to sell artists' work— although she says that was certainly a highlight. “It was great to call the artist and say, guess what?” she says. But gallery work also meant connecting with—and managing the careers of—a growing roster of contemporary artists. Managing artists involved connecting with them about pieces they had in progress, getting them into upcoming exhibitions, and helping artists produce long-term projects. Meaghan worked with big names like Mexico-based Eduardo Sarabia, British artist Simon Starling, and Canadian artist Geoffrey Farmer, helping them bring their visions to life. She fondly remembers an installation by Edurado involving two thousand empty tequila bottles. “With Eduardo, he would call me up and be like, 'Meaghan, I've got this idea,' and I'd start taking notes,” she says. “It was just a matter of planning and trying to make his dreams come true. He would give me this vision, and I would work to make it the reality.” Her job was to nail down the answers to questions like, how much are these materials going to cost? Where can we source them from? And what kind of work can you make that we might be able to sell to support the project?

Eduardo's tequila project, it turned

Eduardo Sarabia, I-20 Gallery, New York, [Photo by Cary Whittier]

out, required a lot of logistics. “We had to learn how to import tequila from Mexico,” she says. “And we had to work with a ceramics company on these custom handmade bottles.” (Edurado's work eventually landed him in the 2008 Whitney Biennial, a survey show highlighting top works from the previous two years across all genres.)

Meaghan also worked with Simon Starling on getting a piece of his, a massive hanging sculpture, installed in the Museo Tamayo in Mexico City. Meaghan was contacted by a curator at the museum who was looking to showcase Simon's work. “I said, well, we have this piece. And I think it would be amazing in your atrium,” Meaghan says. The Tamayo's multi-story, glass-encased atrium, Meaghan thought, would be the perfect backdrop for Simon's hanging sculpture. Together, Meaghan and the museum's curator worked to make it happen, with Meaghan attending to every tiny logistic detail. She made sure Simon's progress was steady and timely, and then that the sculpture could fit through the Tamayo's front door. She wrote press releases, interacted with museum attendees, and eventually sold the piece to the museum, where it will remain in the atrium as part of its permanent collection.

Meaghan loved connecting with artists—some of whom she is still connected to today—and working to help them sell their work. But Meaghan began to discover that her true passion lay outside galleries, and inside museums. “The heart of what I love doing is making exhibitions,” she says, “that are accessible, and that anybody can go to.”

During her time in New York, Meaghan got a glimpse of her future as a curator. She partnered with a foundation to display carefully curated art pieces aboard a 1932era steamship parked in Tribeca. Challenges abounded—how does one display priceless art in a place without climate control? “You have to be like, it's not going to be a perfect space,” she says, laughing. She worked with artists to create a vast array of pieces—

photographs, paintings, sculptures, sound pieces, and films. Not only was it fun, Meaghan says, but she enjoyed providing opportunities for artists to present their work. And that's eventually just what she ended up doing.

“How to think”

These days, when Meaghan isn't preparing for upcoming exhibitions at the Art and Culture Center/Hollywood and connecting with up-and-coming artists, she's teaching art history at nearby Broward College in Fort

Lauderdale. Teaching, she says, has given her a new appreciation for her experience at St. Stephens and St. Agnes. “We were studying art history starting in freshman year of high school,” she says. “And I'm teaching 20-year-old kids who have never had it before.” She credits the school's thriving art and academic spaces with unleashing the passion for art that she carries to this day.

“What's so special about St. Stephens and St. Agnes,” she says, “is that the school really taught you how to think.” Not what to think, but how. And isn't that what the best art does, too?

Simon Starling's project for a temporary public sculpture, “Hiroshima,” installed over the PaperWorks Festival, Museo Tamayo, September 2015 [Photo by Meaghan Kent]

Exhibition view, LILAC, TriBeCa New York [Photo by Cary Whittier]

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1953 ST. AGNES

Ann Jackson provides the following update: “Skiing at Copper Mountain, Colo. in February with my son Peyton and his two grown children. Then cruising down the Rhine and Danube in May. Stopped off in London to see sister Judi and the Chelsea Flower Show. In September I drove to Niagara Falls for my birthday. Now back to teaching.”

1955 ST. AGNES

Mary “Mimi” Niepold Horne

Mimi Horne had a good exchange with Helen Jackson Young, who is still living with her husband in Carlisle, Mass. Their two daughters are living in Brooklyn, N.Y. and Providence, R.I., respectively.

According to Mimi, she met Ann Lanyon Kaplan for lunch in Alexandria and then went by her mother's old house on St. Asaph Street. It now has new owners and is undergoing restoration and expansion with a new wing being added on the back. Ann had a delightful trip with her daughter, Samantha, visiting places where her father's family lived in Kansas long ago.

Jean Androus Woodman is now living in the Montebello just south of Alexandria and finds it very comfortable. Her daughter Alexandra Woodman Johnson '89 hosted a wonderful birthday party for her in September.

Joan Boguess Poland and Tom are enjoying living in Williamsburg, Va., though they miss their wonderful old place and its gardens, which used to supply all the boxwood needed at Christmas by the National Cathedral and many other churches. Joan is thrilled to have a new great granddaughter, Yvette.

Joanie Davis Hackett is still at the Winchester-Canterbury. Busy with researching ancestry, she rarely ventures into the metropolitan area, though she occasionally meets friends for lunch in Leesburg, Va.

We are all sad to learn in December 2023 of Judy Nevins LeHardy's death while she was staying with her daughter

in Fredericksburg.

As for her own news, Mimi Horne writes, “we enjoyed having our eldest grandson and his fiancé stay with us here in Alexandria for almost two years while they were getting settled in jobs and finding a place to live in McLean, VA. As traveling gets more difficult for us, we have decided to sell our Paris flat—so that's one less thing to look after. I'm sending you all best wishes for 2024. Do stay well and send me all your news.”

1958 ST. AGNES

Julia Shields

Julia Shields writes: “My major news is the birth of my great-grandniece, Ruth, daughter of my namesake, Julia, and husband Will. She is a jolly little elf. I am besotted. I wish all my classmates could have joined us for our 65th reunion. It was glorious to see friends of such long standing and to see our beloved school thriving. Many thanks to those who did the planning, especially Patty Bayliss Owens, and to the SSSAS Alumni Office, who even supplied a school bus to take Sue and me home when our Uber canceled amid an afternoon storm.”

Kay Burney Butler reports that she traveled to Chicago, Ill. last year with her daughters and their families. On her return to Arizona, her brother came for a nice long stay. In April she

Terry Ann Jackson '53

traveled with family to Utah followed by a cruise to Portugal with the Ravinia group. A rundown on her grandchildren: Kay attended grandchild Grayson's graduation from Villanova University; Grayson is now loving her work in New York City; Shelby is a junior at Colgate University; Reding is a sophomore in high school; Cedar is enjoying studies and friendships at Groton, and Posey is doing the same at Brooks.

Marcia Kendzie Evans became a great-grandmother to Harlan David Allan Evans in June. “His smile lights up my heart,” she reports. She also has a grandnephew, Dominic, whose sister, Carolina, arrived in March. Dominic, the prayer leader at his preschool, proclaimed, “Hail Mary, full of grapes. The Lord is crispy.”

Cary Lamond Courier is enjoying life in Asheville, N.C., going to the gym three times weekly, walking a mile, and doing assorted exercises. She went to France for two Viking trips with sister Jackie Turbidy '60 in July. Thanks to Karen Zimmerman Gudinas, Cary has also reunited with someone she dated at age sixteen and is enjoying his companionship.

Sue Peery Moore and Bill were forced to cancel a cruise after Sue contracted COVID. They spent most of the summer in Bethany Beach, Del. and traveled to Tennessee in October for the installation of the new vice chancellor at Sewanee. The rest of the time the Moores stay busy with managing the house, making dinner reservations, playing bridge games, and attending lectures, operas, doctors appointments, and services at St. Mark's Church. Sadly, Sue's younger sister, Linda Markin '60, died of cancer on Thanksgiving Day. Sue's children and grandchildren are all thriving: Rick (23) is a banker in N.Y.C.; Ellie (21) at Dartmouth, where she is captain of the varsity squash team and president of the Women in Business Club; Will (19) at Georgetown, where he is earning outstanding grades; Walker (16) is class president and playing varsity football and basketball a Brownsville School; and Leila (14) graduated from eighth grade at Brownsville School, serves as a

Sunday school assistant, plays hockey, and spent three weeks on a community service trip to Costa Rica during the summer.

Judy Kurtz Suor moved from Salt Lake City to Alexandria the weekend of our reunion. She is now enjoying life at Goodwin House. Much to my delight, she joined me at fall camp at Shrine Mont in October, and got to meet my Gracie who was staying at a nearby kennel.

Sally Engh Reger's Christmas card featured Sally and her wonderful grandchildren: Sam, who works for an architectural firm in Chicago; Kessel, who is a sophomore at the University of Akron; and Lizzie, who is a junior in high school. Her son, Stephen, bought Sally's retirement house in Tappahannock, Va., where he and his wife live with their dog, Cabo. In June Sally traveled with daughter Kirsten and grandchildren to Paris, Copenhagen, and Norway, and Sally is looking forward to a trip to New Orleans in February.

1959 ST. AGNES

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Mary Roberts Judkins sent the following update: “I'd like to start with a mention of the deaths of two of my oldest and dearest friends, Connie Clark Middleton and Barbara Pates Frisbie, both of whom joined us in our senior year. Barbara and I had known each other since the first grade and continued our friendship throughout our adult lives. Connie and I did not meet until our senior year, but we had many

wonderful times together over the years, especially sharing our birthdays. “After my Hume years, the country years, I moved into Warrenton seven years ago and it's definitely the right place for me to be at this point in my life. I'm trying to learn how to live a quieter life, but getting a new puppy a year ago solved that issue! I do some local political work, the usual ladies' social things, and don't travel much any longer, but October a year ago I was in Paris. Between my junior and senior year at St. Agnes I spent a month in Paris with Barbara Pates and her family before they moved back to the states. I always wanted to go back, and I finally did; I was sad that she couldn't join me.”

Beverly Edwards Pflugrath writes: “I am still living in Richmond, Va., where I moved 20 years ago. After Chuck died in 2018, I sold our home on Grove Avenue and moved to a condo nearby, both in the Fan district. I continue to get together with many friends here to play golf, attend the symphony, enjoy Fan Women's Club activities, and two book clubs. I love the picture of our class on the postcard announcing our 65th Reunion in April and hope those who are able can make it!”

Ann Manson Adair reports: “How could it possibly be 65 years since we graduated from St. Agnes? I treasure the memory of those happy years and the lifetime friendships that I made there. I hope to attend our reunion in April. For the past 20 years, my husband, Michael, and I have lived in a Victorian house right on the harbor in Stonington Borough, Conn. The Borough reminds

Class of 1959 reunion in 2019

me of old town Alexandria with so many historic 18th century homes very close together. Finally, the stairs of our vertical home got to be too much for us, but we got lucky and moved to a condominium right down the street. We have a large outdoor terrace and can see every boat that comes in or out of the harbor. Stonington is one of the most secure and beautiful harbors on the East Coast. We have loved sailing on our Tartan 37 and power boating in our Mako but now rely on friends to take us for a harbor cruise. We just celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary. Michael is definitely failing but still is as handsome and sweet as ever. We successfully combine “his” (3), “mine” (1), and “our” (1) children. We are also blessed with 11 wonderful “grandees” from age 1 to 30. In the summer I meet friends for lunch and play golf two days a week with the new set of golf clubs I received for Christmas. I am in touch with Beverly Edwards Pflugrath, Mary Roberts Judkins, Betsy Davis Stafford, and occasionally Suzanne Warfield Johnson. I was so sad not to attend our 60th reunion where we had quite a good turn out. I will probably see Sue Peery Moore '58 and Molly Ballard Perley '58 this summer.”

1960 ST. STEPHEN'S

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Jim W. Haley, Jr. writes that he and Ann, his wife of 58 years, live in Fredericksburg, Va. They have three children, all with graduate degrees, and seven grandchildren. Jim continues as a senior judge of the Court of Appeals of Virginia. His 2023 novel “Buddy Green” has been published and is available on Amazon. A most prominent character in the novel is named “Wills,” in memory of beloved English teacher Willis Wills. David Zoll died of pneumonia on January 15, 2024 at the age of 82. While at St. Stephen's, David was president of the student council and active in numerous sports and activities. He graduated from Colgate University in 1964 and the George Washington University School of Law in 1967. For 25 years he served as vice president and general counsel of the Chemical

Manufacturers Association, one of Washington's largest trade associations! David met Robin Taylor Zoll '62, his wife of 25 years, at an SSSAS reunion just after the merger.

1961 ST. AGNES

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Professor Anne Williams sends word that “I am still enjoying life in Maine. I was pleasantly surprised to reach 80 last year, and I am grateful for decent health. I hope the same is true for my SAS classmates.”

Julie McMillin Daniels is happily residing in Newport News, Va. with her feisty border terrier. She is thrilled to have not experienced a health event in 2023 after afib surgery and a hip fracture in the two previous years. Julie was able to drive to visit her son's family in New Jersey and daughter's family in Harrisonburg, Va., over the holidays. Her Nags Head condo is her main getaway!

1962 ST. AGNES

Volunteer to be your class ambassador!

Robin Taylor Zoll shares that “my dear husband of 25 years, David Zoll '60, died of pneumonia on January 15 at the age of 82.” Robin and David met at an SSSAS reunion just after the merger.

Susan “Terry” Cline Wells reports: “I'm in the throes of moving back to Hawaii, after six years in a 55+ active adult community in Arizona. It was like resort living with golf, tennis, pickleball, and more, which I enjoyed but I'm now only playing pickleball. My daughter has moved back to Hawaii from the U.K., where my son also lives, so time to go home as 80 approaches! We all gathered for Christmas.

Robin D. Ladd McEntire writes: “I have had a lot happening in my life since the last time I drove over to St. Agnes School for a reunion. My parents, Robert D. Ladd and Carol Lee Bowman Ladd, passed away in 2009 and 2011. I retired from my job at Westat in 2007 after 27 years there. My husband, Richard W. McEntire, passed away on October 1, 2022. I sold our house on September 1, 2023. Now I pay rent on two small apartments: one in Rochester, N.Y., near my son Carl McEntire, his wife, and three children; and one here in Maryland near my handicapped son, Paul McEntire. It is a challenge to be alone after 57 years of marriage.”

Jean Hoppe Hurston texted the following update: “The SAS ties remain strong. When I lost my husband, Jim, on February 1, 2023, Robin Taylor Zoll traveled to Virginia Beach for his service with her husband, David Zoll '60. They also joined me at Arlington National

David and Robin Zoll in front of the Model A Ford Robin drove while a student at St. Agnes.

Cemetery for his burial. Their presence brought such comfort. I'm adjusting to my new life without Jim at a senior community in Virginia Beach, where my three daughters and eight grandkids live.”

Carole Satadfield was in Richmond, Va. for the lighting of the Christmas tree at the Capitol. She is enjoying working as a real estate broker at Compass in Northern Virginia and has just completed a graduate program in gerontology at Virginia Tech.

1962 ST. STEPHEN'S

Doug Hotchkiss and John Williams

The SSS Class of 1962 celebrated its 61st reunion at Shrine Mont on September 22-24, 2023. Despite the rainy weather, they all had an amazing time. Doug Hotchkiss effuses that “The Southern Hospitality offered to us by the staff was five stars. Kirk Gibson '80, son of Bishop Gibson and an SSS graduate, provided an historical tour of the campus. The Virginia Episcopal Diocese is blessed to have the property and keep it in such wonderful condition. Several members of our class fondly remembered the days at Shrine Mont, with Coach Thompson, at pre-season football camp. Many hours were spent reminiscing about our time at SSS including memories of teachers like

Willis Wills, Wenger, Babyak, Jane Urquhart, and others. All of us agreed that the caliber of instruction at SSS was the best we have experienced. The reunion also saw several friendships renewed and strengthened following the COVID-19 pause. The great success of our reunion has led to plans already being laid for No. 62. While we had a great turnout for Shrine Mont, we hope to further augment our numbers in 2024.”

John Williams and wife Phylis continue to live “beyond the beltway” in Fairfax Station, where they settled after traveling to far flung places as part of a Foreign Service career. John recently managed to fully retire after a second gig as a contractor for the military, while Phylis did the same after teaching ESL and reading recovery for Fairfax County schools. Their son, Kenton, and daughter Alison, also live in the DMV with their families–one granddaughter for Kenton and his wife, Hilary, and one grandson for Alison and her husband, Franz. All are busy with school and jobs, but still make time to get together with John and Phylis on the odd weekend and on vacation during the summer. John is enjoying retirement, keeping busy with several hobbies and clubs, including an antique car group, a ship model society, and last year's reunion with fellow members of the class of '62. He and

Phylis are also enjoying traveling and have plans for several getaways in 2024.

John “Pete” Hanes sends the following update: “I am still teaching graduate stats and research courses, and I still value the opportunities for continued learning and working with faculty colleagues and especially students. Many of our students serve Christ directly in this country and overseas; I am simply a servant of the servants of God.” John teaches in the School of Education, Regent University.

Jim Howard sends word that he and Kathy “love our retirement community in Rancho Mission Viejo, Calif. We celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary in Lahaina only weeks before everything was destroyed by fire. We are looking forward to getting back once this beautiful city has been rebuilt. Our grandson, Johnny, turned two this year and our granddaughter, Georgia, turned four. Both of these beautiful children were born under the cloud of the COVID pandemic. Their parents have navigated the pitfalls of daycare and preschool with grace. We are planning a trip to Manhattan to visit my brother, George Howard '60, and his family later in the year. Our health is good.”

Dave Davidson writes of him and Carol: “The highlight of our world-wide travels was to Orkney Springs (Shrine Mont), Va. in September to enjoy the cold, wet, windy weather and remember class/teammates for our 61st Reunion. Also got to enjoy my grandfather/ great-grandfather's dry goods store museum again in Stephens City, Va. Having our three grandchildren (18, 15, and 12) living near Raleigh is much more pleasurable than raising their parents was. Let's not forget to remember those who are no longer with us: Bill Hunter, Jeff Mills, Vic Woerheide, Randy Peyton, Jim Harris, Lee Fifer ‘61, Gordon Fillingame '61, John Tiedeman '61, Fred Gouldin '61, Chuck Shepherdson '61, Joel Arwine '61, Robert 'Win' Lynch '64, Sleepy Thompson, and Bill Berry.”

Warren Andrews and wife Polly went on a cruise to Central America, Jamaica, Vietnam, and Cambodia. Their travels

1962 Classmates Dave Davidson, John Williams, Doug Hotchkiss, Randy Earnest, Eric Scott, Ben Bryce, and Andy Andrews.

also included a Barcelona to Nice cruise (with two weeks in Sicily and Malta), a London to Norway cruise, and a 20day Christmas cruise to Hawaii. They had to move in October 2023 because their rental property was sold. They are now townies in Charlottesville, Va. The most eventful journey was a weekend at Shrine Mont with a group of derelicts from SSS '62!

Ben Bryce and wife Katherine received the furthest traveled award for the reunion, flying in from California. Ben also acted as copilot for Doug Hotchkiss, navigating the roads around Orkney Springs for various events at the reunion. They only got lost a couple times.

Bill Hannan's grandson, Damian Everett Hannan, was born May 20, 2023. He is now holding lively discussions with sister Ivy (4). All are doing well. He is hunkered down in San Francisco, Calif. waiting for the next earthquake.

George Hall claims to have not much to report. “As you know, we sold our property in Las Vegas, Nev. and bought one in Olympia, Wash. Purpose is to be near children and grandchildren (also great grandchildren) as we age. Florida is still our permanent home, and we spend six months in each place. I think you can guess which months we spend in Florida. I have connected with a friend from my first two years in high school in France. Turns out he was at St. Stephen's prior to his freshman year, so some of our class who were there for junior high might have known him, Hugh Mulliken.”

Mike O'Donnell reports: “Pat and I have nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. We celebrated our 61st wedding anniversary in May 2023. Our oldest son is now in Wyoming and lives between mountains. He has bear, boar, deer, and many other animals near his house. He loves to hunt and fish. The other son lives in Easton and is no longer in the medical field. He now manages a furniture store. Pat and I have not traveled due to some problems, but I still do my cartoons and send them to friends that enjoy them.”

David Bill enjoyed good health in

2023 despite a mild bout of COVID, which kept him from attending the reunion. He and Kiki traveled extensively, visiting friends and family from Corsica to Japan, with trips to the U.K., Rhode Island, Washington, D.C., Florida, Palm Springs, and San Diego. He is still playing golf and staying active with frequent gym time. Dave joined his brother, Winder Bill '66, in Palm Springs, where he was participating in the National Age Group Tennis Championships. Carpe Diem!

Doug Hotchkiss says that his and Joan Cottler's travels were mostly domestic this year. “However, we drove up to Quebec to celebrate my birthday with some friends. Never had been there before, but we loved it. Also attended the Wooden Boat Show in Mystic with John Williams. This is becoming a regular event for us. Of course, the class reunion was the year's highlight. Before it, we spent several lovely days at Wintergreen Resort, Va. While there we had dinner with an old St. Agnes friend, Randy Thompsen Ruffin '62. We reminisced about kindergarten, first, and second grade, or what we could remember of it. She has just published a book, “Patriots, Priests and Rebels: A Virginia Family and America's History.” I took Joan to Luray Caverns, which she loved. This was my first visit in 70 years. Some of the stalagmites had grown three inches higher. Now I realize just how old we are getting.”

Landon Davis reports that he is doing the same things he did last year. However, since he cannot remember what he did then, it all feels new. He and Elizabeth are mostly settled into their new home. The challenge now is to get rid of all the extra stuff stored in the garage. If anybody living in the Richmond area would like some more stuff, contact Landon. He misses his garden and azaleas, but not the work of caring for them. Instead, he has his HO model train layout to landscape.

1963 ST. AGNES

Margie

Fifer Davenport and Marion MacRae

Barbara Wiles Kreutzer writes that

she and husband Andy Kreutzer '63 had a great year in Maine. They had lots of old friends visiting, good weather, and Barbara read some good books. One “hiccup” she says is that her artificial right hip is dislocated. She is in a “holding pattern” until a surgery date is available for a revision. She is already thinking ahead and hopes to join us at the next reunion!

Althea Ball Morrissey sends word that her happiest 2023 event was the birth of her seventh grandchild, the third boy, who she says shows signs of having the same red hair as her three sons! Although she and Richard travel some, they babysit the four local grandchildren a lot. They range from six months to seven years in age. Althea just happens to mention that her “broken left femur” works well with a bar in it, so she does physical therapy and water exercise. In other news, she said that in December 2023, she and her husband had just come back from touring the “massive task of creating the Rose Parade floats,” being fascinated that so much work is done for free.

Libbie Shackleford Mull had a nice Christmas in Roanoke, Va. She, her daughter Rebekah, and her grandchildren drove to Roanoke to have Christmas with brother Sam Shackleford '63 and his wife. Libbie is an avid sports fan and follows UVA, Tennessee (family connection), Georgia (her husband's alma mater), and her daughter's alma mater FSU. You can count on her to know when game times will be. She also still sings in church and enjoys the musical talents of grandchild Emmy (15), who with only two years of piano “can play anything” and writes her own music. Emmy is part of a singing group and a theater group. Sam (18) is in high school but studying at a technical school as well. Sarah (13) has fun with friends.

Norvell Jones writes, “I'm here, healthy, and having lunch with Mary Tolbert Matheny next week.”

Walda Cornnell Wildman says that doctors tell her that she and Mack are “in good shape,” for which they are grateful. They had an enjoyable trip to Nova

Scotia, PEI, and New Brunswick, N.J. last fall, and later flew to Toronto for a long weekend with Mack's daughter, son-in-law, and the two-year-old “most perfect granddaughter ever!” They also visited her son several times during the year. She is still very active in her church and serves as a Bible moderator, leading a circle Bible study once a month. Walda has completed her term on the South Carolina Board of Accountancy and is now looking for other things of interest (perhaps going back to painting), since she is retiring at the end of the upcoming tax season. Walda says she also “presented a continuing education course on climate-related and sustainability-related financial reporting standards that are now required by an international standard setting body.”

Susan Walp French reports that she traveled from Arizona—hrough the stormy weather and canceled flights—to attend the March for Life event, which she attends every year. She was happy that it was a very successful event, very inspiring, and well attended. And she revealed that she is now a grandmother; her new grandson is the light of her life! Susan still has knee problems but will be taking a trip to Italy with her ski friends. She said it would be a real miracle for her to actually be on the slopes!

Marilyn Hoppe says she is still enjoying living in Scottsdale, Ariz. She enjoyed connecting with Susan Walp French a couple of times for lunch. She had Christmas with some friends who are from Polish heritage; she thought their customs of the season were interesting and wonderful.

Mary Anne Smith Gertson writes that she started back at the gym and with acrylic painting. She also has fun doing bottle art. In the summer she enjoys the pool, seeing all the people that grew up with son Dave, and having drinks and cookouts. She keeps trying to make her backyard look as close to Hawaii as possible. Mary Anne, who was at St. Agnes School in her early years, was sorry she missed our reunion but she did make it to her high school reunion. She says, “After 20 years of not seeing anyone, I could not identify anyone, but

it was fun catching up.”

Leslie Barnes Hagan is improving after having RSV and COVID. Leslie mentioned that she is working with a group of other citizens in Alexandria, Va. to fight the over-development in Alexandria.

Dagmar Giffen Cosby says she is going to the Y a few times a week and walking four miles at a time! Dagmar laughed when she said she will see someone and think that they are old, not thinking that she is! (Great attitude!) She followed up saying that some people age and get grumpy or opinionated, and she just tries to “let things go!” Dagmar is as joyful as ever.

Anne Bodman had a difficult year after the death of her brother, Dick Bodman, but said they “all rallied to give him a wonderful memorial,” and friends and family were supportive. Some friends came to “divert” her last summer and they explored the state, soaking up Bear Butte, bikers, Black Hills, Badlands, buffalo, birds, and beer. In other news, Anne says, “Andy, Anne, Jack, and Heidi (comprising a grand total of twelve legs) are doing OK.” And some good news is that she is getting back into storytelling!

Joan “Joni” Emerson Shoemaker writes, “A reunion is held every other year for some of the teachers who lived and worked together on Okinawa over 50 years ago. I went to the one this year in Galveston, Texas. I decided to make it into a real road trip, which turned out to be 4,000 miles. I invited my hubby (he did his own thing while I was with the “girls”) and we planned the route so we could see family and friends all along the way. Otherwise, our trips are mainly to Maine and back.”

Elizabeth “Bit” Grenfell claims that she doesn't have much news other than enjoying jigsaw puzzles. But it turns out she lived in Australia for seven years doing accounting, worked in Miami later on, and had business in Argentina, Chile, and Venezuela followed by work in New York. She has had a very interesting life; there is likely much more to tell!

Louise Knox Livinghouse says they

lost their “sweet cocker, Katie in January 2023. She was 16, one of a kind, and so special.” (We know they become family, Weesie!) Early this year, she wrote that she and husband Lowell were still in Florida but left January 11 on the auto train to go back home. She says, “They sold our park model really fast; Lowell and I are both happy and sad. We have spent our warm winters here for 18 years and we will certainly miss the warm winter months and the beauty of Florida.” She hopes all of us are well.

Carol Simon Leach is doing really well. You may remember her long hospitalization and rehab because of Guillain-Barre syndrome. She is an inspiration in how she has fought to get her life back! She is very mobile and on Altar Guild at her chapel. Oh yes, and then there are the walks she does on trails and trips to cardio class! Good for you, Carol! Margie Fifer Davenport had the chance to talk with Carol's husband, Dennis, and heard all about their meeting when Carol was in New York. Nice fellow!

Polly Hagan Sandridge reports it was a hoot to read her horoscope and see that it said, “The joy of mundane living is enhanced.” She and Gerald are fine; he may “finally have gotten used to retirement.” Her son, Jim, who she says is “a peach,” is happy in Orlando, Fla. Polly is still rescuing feral cats and volunteering “here and there.” Besides that, 'We are sharing the care of an elderly gentleman who has been living all by himself and not really up to it anymore. He has eight children, but they are either too busy or too indifferent.“ The highlight of Polly's year was coming to our reunion. She had a fun train trip back to Orlando, too!

I, Margie Fifer Davenport, have had a run of bad luck including COVID, a fire in my house with a new electric furnace, a broken rib, and the flu. I am looking forward to good things in this new year! I'm much better now and just have to do my training to get back on the pickleball court! Pickleball is thriving now in Charlottesville, as it is everywhere else. I hope to be retiring as an ambassador for USA Pickleball, something I wasn't going

to do until I had accomplished two goals. Both are here now: the beautiful courts that I find when I go to tournaments in western states, and also, play at my alma mater, UVA! UVA has over 600 students playing and they even won the collegiate club sports college competition! My work is done.

A number of people have commented on how much they enjoyed the reunion and there have been mentions of the Saturday night dinner at a restaurant in Old Town. The staff at the restaurant was impressed with our connection after so long, as were we! They may have noticed that we are a little older, but still going strong, when we closed the restaurant down at 10:30! Please stay in touch and send news. And keep in mind Polly's comment, after saying she had said she had little news. She adds, “I will have to collect myself so I can stun you with something really cool.” Maybe it's a really cool idea that this year we all think about doing something that will stun us all! Let's go for it, ladies! It sounds like a fun plan! Blessings to you all!

1963 ST. STEPHEN'S

The Rev. Thomas E.C. Margrave and Andy Kreutzer

Dr. Geoff Layton spent all of 2023 trying to recover from a broken shoulder, which prevented him from attending reunion and attempting to get a job, which apparently is a well-nigh impossible goal for a 78-year-old man, even one with a SSS diploma. Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?

Brian Koepf shares: “I have lots of activities in this weather-friendly Wilmington, N.C. beach town: dancing, bowling, get-togethers, dining out, lots of breweries, boating, the beach, OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) activities, etc. My daughter also lives here.”

The Hon. David Speck writes: “I have nothing interesting or consequential to report, but that isn't going to stop me from reflecting…You may recall that I was not one of the SSS 'lifers' and only joined you in my junior year. On the very first day of football camp in 1961,

I met David Bill '62 and we became great friends. Over 60 years later, he is still one of my closest friends, but by no means the only one—both at SSS and SAS. In my now-retired career in financial advising, some of the faculty and administrators became clients, but it was still hard to call them by their first names! Mr. Wills was always 'Mr. Wills,' and the opportunity to speak at his funeral was a moment I will always treasure. In my first campaign for elected office in 1979, Bessie Livingston (she ran our cafeteria) sent me $10. That was a lot for someone living off of a fixed income, and to this day—even at this moment—I cannot write what that meant to me without getting a lump in my throat. I guess what I am trying to say is that the friendship and support I have been given by so many of you means more than I can ever fully convey. I think I am lurking close to the 'sappy' stage and I really didn't mean for this class notes submission to become so maudlin, but I'm guessing that something else we may share in common these days is an acknowledgment that the first thing we read in our various alumni newsletters is the 'In Memoriam' section. And I have found myself having one of those 'oh,heck' moments as I learn of a classmate or colleague passing. So, I close with this: Thank you for being an important part of my life, not only in the 1960's, but for every year since and I hope I don't see your name—or you see my name—in the 'departure' news for many, many years to come. All the best.”

Bill Scarpino sends word that “I have been remiss regarding updates. Guess just too busy in retirement! If I did not note it last year, Diane and I were married in October 2022—if that is noteworthy. Why did I marry her? Because she is cute, blonde, funny and enjoys a little innocent blackjack for entertainment, as do I. We both lost our long-term spouses (46 and 47 years respectively) to cancer and from that trauma found a new chapter in each other. And we just returned from Peru, the terminus of a cruise through the Panama Canal, one of my remaining bucket list items. I might add that I won

the blackjack tournament on board!”

Doug Boehm reports: “As Susan and I proceed in the retirement season of our lives, we have been very busy enjoying our 'endless weekend' with time to relax, read, complete small domestic projects, take care of our health, and enjoy our kids and grandkids. Three times a week we go to the indoor pool for water aerobics and lap swimming, and we do indoor stationary biking several times a week. Susan does Super Slow Training using Nautilus exercise equipment focusing on controlled lifting and lowering with resistance to the point of momentary muscular failure. For the mind and soul, we attend various senior Bible discussion groups at our church, and Susan also participates in an online study group with the McLean Bible Church. While we are empty nesters, all our kids live in the greater Washington and Annapolis area, allowing us to regularly get together on Sundays for a family dinner. This past fall our daughter, Molly, blessed us with our third granddaughter, Heidi Grace, and we are so happy and proud that she is the new member of the family.”

Steve Williams assures us that all is good in Bologna, Italy, aside from squeaky joints. He's still doctoring the younger set, which means most anybody but himself. It seems like yesterday that he was riding the infamous Belle Haven bus and dancing at Junior Assembly on Friday nights. The goal of cross-country practice was getting to Topp's and back without being spotted by Mr. Babyak. Ah, those were simpler times. Nobody needed antidepressants.

Andy Kreutzer and Barbara Kreutzer '63 have managed another year of boating and skating (defined as sliding on driveway ice without falling) in Maine, a year filled with visits from children, grandchildren, siblings, cousins…the list goes on (sorry, Winston). While spending more, but not necessarily inappropriate, time discussing medical procedures, they are usually upright and happy to remain together for another 58 years (although this is more so a statement regarding Barbara's endurance).

From Tom Margrave: “I continue living in Upstate New York where the weather is predictably unpredictable. Max the wonder dog keeps me fit by taking me for walks and making me bend over to get the dry food twice a day. I continue with the National Headquarters of the Red Cross, where I coordinate disaster spiritual care for relief operations and attendant activities. This calendar year we are planning for at least 40 major responses. Every weekday morning, they go over the weather and the risk of severe storms—it ain't pretty, folks. I'm still serving two small rural churches every Sunday. I really like the people I serve. I asked a friend what she thought of online dating. She proceeded to tell me that every one of her kids met their significant other/spouse on the Internet. Me, not so much. It seems that most of the ladies on the sites (yes, I'm on two) live at least two hours away and those who are local aren't interested. Both sites run on AI and I have learned if you live in the middle of New York State the majority of locations are either all the way to Buffalo or over by the Hudson River. Additionally, there are people in Pennsylvania and New Jersey who are over three hours away. Thank God my late wife subscribed us to BritBox, Acorn, Sundance, PBS, as well as that cultural icon, Netflix. I have improved my repertoire of recipes and learned (pay attention, guys) that almost anything you want to make has a recipe or eight variants on the Internet.”

1964 ST. AGNES

Belinda Lowenhaupt Collins

Amazing to look back and realize it's been 60 years since we stood on the school steps, wearing white dresses and holding a bouquet of roses. A goodly number of us are still active and enjoying travel, second careers, family, political activity, participation in charities, and occasional class reunions. The following comments are what classmates sent when asked to provide some notes for publication.

Abby Campbell-King said that

this is the year she “retired” as a listed architect, although she still enjoys helping out friends as “boomers” make the move into smaller living arrangements. She points out that big furniture doesn't fit condos, surprise! She still lives in Jamestown, R.I., and has two sets of grandkids just 15 minutes away in Newport and Wickford. She says they still call her house “Abby Camp” since she's just a block from the Narragansett Bay.

Andree Gurnee Walper is happy to report that she has been cancer free for two years. She still lives in Los Angeles, Calif. with her husband and has been retired for 11 years. The love of her life is her 10-year-old grandson Luka—a star athlete and excellent student, who is also kind and funny. Truly a multi-talented young man.

Anne Beers Whitman who was part of the class of 1964 for only her senior year, has many fond memories of the kindnesses and friendship shown to her at St. Agnes. She says she has had a rewarding career in marketing, sales, and management in the senior housing industry and is now retired. She recently moved to Portland, Maine, to be closer to her son and his family.

Belinda Lowenhaupt Collins continues her encore career as an executive coach working with federal clients to help them grow their leadership skills and develop professionally. A retired federal employee, she brings lots of experience

to help her clients avoid some of the mistakes she made. She's also enjoying living in Reston, Va. with husband Tony and their two cats. It's been a real treat for her to host zoom calls for the SAS Class of '64. Reconnecting with classmates has been wonderful!

Camille Heineck Mittelholtz and husband Ken enjoy spending time with daughter Elsa and family, who live in Burke, Va., and recently enjoyed a visit from daughter Julie and her husband. Ken and Camille volunteer through ACCA, Inc. to help provide food, furniture, and safer homes for those in need in the Annandale, Va. area, and are involved in many activities at St. Barnabas' Episcopal Church. Camille coordinates ACCA's CROP Hunger Walk to raise funds for Church World Service, and when not volunteering, she and Ken enjoy drinking coffee and walking their dog.

Cherry Sampson Meyers has enjoyed being able to attend the activities of her grandchildren as they are growing up. She watched UNC women's field hockey win the national championship to a more than sell-out crowd on TV. She likes singing in the church choir, making blankets and comfort shawls for charity and would like more time to read. Cherry is a regular participant in the class zoom calls, explaining “it's a chance to chat with those who knew us way back when. And for that reason, I would love to see strong participation in our 60th reunion. Our 50th was so much fun.”

Left photo: Louisa Stansfield Bennett '64. Right photo: Belinda Lowenhaupt Collins '64 and her husband Tony.

Diane Nemir-Reed is in her 50th year of teaching. Most of her career has been teaching French and about 13 of the years she taught as a special education teacher. She still recalls asking Morgan what the assignment meant that Mme. Strong put on the board! These past 50 years she has taught mostly middle and high school levels with some experience at the elementary school level as well. She is currently co-teaching in a second grade public school and is certified as a special education teacher, responsible for 12 students who have been identified with various learning disabilities. She is happy to report that teaching has been a calling for her and she has considered it both an honor and a privilege.

Elizabeth “Betty” Martyn continues to pursue her lifelong interest in dance. She studies a movement discipline called Gyrokinesis three days a week and does improvised choreography videos on Zoom. The founder of Gyrokinesis describes it as yoga for dancers. Betty incorporates its movement language along with that of modern and ballet techniques.

Ginger Moore Herbert is living in North Carolina and loves being retired. She reports that she is in two book clubs and enjoys traveling with friends. She recently had her hip replaced and is pleased to report that she has earned praise from her physical therapist for her progress. She lives close to her brother and other family members and says she is feeling happy and healthy.

Louisa Stansfield Bennett and

husband Don are retired and since selling their mountain home in Front Royal, decided to get out and see the world. While Don had been to many places, Louisa had not. Their next trip is going to be a cruise to England, Ireland, and Scotland in April. Louisa has joined an antiques club where members—all ladies of a certain age—enjoy a day learning about a variety of topics from watercolor art to Majolica pottery. Louisa did a program on antique shell art inspired by a family souvenir of a decorative clam circa 1900, from St. Malo, France, which she and Don visited on one of their trips. Louisa still enjoys her hobby of refurbishing vintage and antique dolls and regrets that she will miss the excitement of our 60th reunion.

Lynn Davies Holbein is a progressive activist and artist (lynnholbein.com). She and husband Bruce recently moved from Boston to Chapel Hill, N.C. to be near two of their three children. She loves painting, walking, yoga (which she has done for 37 years), reading with two monthly book clubs, birdwatching, and being curious about people. Lynn, who has been sharing her wonderful paintings online for years, writes: “Martin Luther King Day was last week, but here in North Carolina King's dream has yet to be fulfilled. If you are a person of color, it can be scary to register and vote—from inconvenient registration hours, to Proud Boys' pickup trucks near the polls with shotguns in their gun racks. I hope to partner with you this year so that everyone, regardless of skin color or political party, can vote. So each

week my art will be for sale and 100% of the purchase price will go to nonpartisan voter registration in N.C.” She invites us to help in the work of ensuring the right to vote for all.

Marion “B.B.” Walke Goethals has retired from her two careers (data management and art museums) and says: “since our two boys are well and happily married, the natural world has become even more of an all-consuming concern. Trees especially. And, as it turns out, the boy I was dating at St. Agnes turns out to have been a great lifelong husband.”

Mary Lou Proctor Fedewa and husband Ben, who attended MSU, have lived in Michigan for many years and are fortunate to live within walking distance to campus. Her son, David, and his wife live in Atlanta, Ga. and have three children, two of whom have passed her in height. Her daughter, Sarah, and her husband have identical twin boys and live about an hour from her. Mary worked as a pediatric nurse practitioner until she had children and still enjoys any volunteer work that involves kids, as in the hospital, clinics, Women and Children's Rescue Mission, and summer Bible school programs. She says that she and her husband flit between Michigan and the East Coast and down to Florida once a year. Daily exercise includes walking two small pups twice a day in every type of weather, usually at high speed, except when the smallest pup stops to memorize a smell. Mary is thankful for the solid education with a Christian basis she received at

Left photo: Mary Proctor Fedewa '64; Center: Nancy Zearfoss Lord '64 with her band. Right photo: Suzie Hall Mindlin '64 with her family

SAS. She explains: “We were encouraged and expected to do volunteer work, sports, or some extracurricular work. We were expected to behave as ladies. Our exposure to young men was limited, which did very little harm, although we did not believe it then.” Mary remembers that one rite of passage for several of us was smoking. She finally quit due to pressure from many, but has kept her last pack of Marlboros for almost 50 years.

Nancy Zearfoss Lord reports that she feels blessed and at times inexplicably happy. “I am living my dream of being a rock singer after having spent years doing vocal exercises. Even my band thinks my voice is credible. I'm starting to write songs and play in local clubs.” Nancy lives in southern Maryland surrounded by nature's beauty and serenity with husband Richard, whom she says will qualify for status as a bionic man after the joint replacements he is planning to have done in the next two years. The next big item on the bucket list: visit Florence.

Suzie Hall Mindlin remains married to Painter Rod—55 years in May—and lives in the same home by the sea they purchased 51 years ago. Suzie's law practice has morphed from civil litigation to teaching trial skills using the cutting-edge methods of the Trial Lawyers College. She says that she and Rod thank heaven every day for fantastic kids and in-laws and six amazing grandkids! Suzie got to travel to Italy in September with the eldest grandchild, Tyler Davis, and had a blast!

Wendy Sibbison, who has lived in western Massachusetts since 1970, is a retired appellate lawyer. Post-retirement she published a novel, “Helen in Trouble,” which Kirkus Reviews praised in a starred review and called one the best books of 2022.

1964 ST. STEPHEN'S Richard

A. Flynt

Paul Chamberlin and Kay, his wife of 50 years, are enjoying golf and ballroom dancing during retirement. He claims they are hackers at both.

Dick Wilson and Gay are both retired

in North Carolina. Dick was a vistage chair of three groups in Triad, N.C., as well as a CPA, the CEO of an auto parts manufacturing company, president of an international trade association, and owner of a leadership training company. Gay retired from the NC Eye Bank. Dick's daughter, Michelle, and partner Kenzie own a successful acupuncture clinic in Florence, Ore., and visit regularly. Youngest son David and wife Lisa are in Raleigh with grandson Sagan. David is an operations analyst with Fidelity and Lisa founded her own user experience design company. Oldest son, Rich, lives in New City, N.Y. with grandchildren Julia (19) and Matthew (13), and is a principal architect with Cloudian. Dick and Richard “Dick” Flynt enjoy sharing memories about their time together as shipmates in the Coast Guard on the High Endurance Cutter Androscoggin in 1969-1970. They also worked together as counselors at Sleepy Thompson's day camp and played beside each other on the SSS football offensive line.

Jay Davenport and Janet are still enjoying the family farm in Lancaster, Va., continuing work on their 1899 house, and playing as much golf as possible at the Golden Eagle Golf Club. Son John is a music professor at Mesa City Community College in Arizona, where wife Rhonda teaches and also performs professionally. Colby is a retired Navy chief working for the Navy Dept. in Manassas, Va., where Abby is a Cardiac Center nurse practitioner at Washington Hospital Center. They also are parents to granddaughters Sarah and Rebecca.

Mike McRae sends word from Ashland on the beautiful Oregon coast, where he moved his family in 1988 from San Francisco. They've restored an 1897 cottage, which they enjoy with their two collies and spectacular views of the Cascade Mountains. They are retired from assignments all over the world for National Geographic, Outside, Inc., and for various books. They roam around in a Chevy truck with a pop up Alaskan Camper on the back.

Dave Jacobson reports “all quiet on

the Southern Front,” remembering how we could possibly have imagined our current paths when we were 17 and 18 at SSS! Jake gives great credit to the SSS faculty.

Chris Crosman and Janet celebrated their 55th Wedding Anniversary in Maine. Chris has been writing occasionally on Maine artists (“The American Mona Lisa,” Andrew Wyeth's portrait of his wife, Betsy). Granddaughter Isabella graduated from Wheaton College Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa! He says this is proof that his daughter greatly improved their gene pool when she married husband Bill, a native Mainer. Chris's younger granddaughter, Alex, just achieved early admission at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine.

Peter Breese moved to Brazil in 1976, then on to London, and then to southwest France in 2012, when he retired from banking due to “age and pushy, brighter youngsters.” He relates that retired expat life is pretty civilized in France, the only drawbacks being the “long arm of the IRS.” He has eight grandchildren living in other countries and would be happy to introduce French rural life to any of us who find ourselves in Department 82.

Robert “Robin” Johnson is still practicing law primarily for clients in the Dominican Republic and the Middle East—for air, logistics, and security companies operating in Somalia and neighboring areas. He also participates in conferences on US/European security issues. Robin and BaBa spend their free time on their farm on the Eastern Shore.

Janet and Chris Crosman '64

Archive Mystery

Do you recognize this Booster pin from the Archives?

If you can solve this history mystery, we'd love to hear from you! Email Archivist Erica Williams at ewilliams@sssas.org!

George Hesselbacher entered the Army via OCS as an intelligence officer after graduation, serving three years in Germany, which he says is the one place where everyone knows how to pronounce and spell his name. He met his wife, Judy, there when she was working for the military in a civilian capacity. They married in Germany in 1971 and moved back to the U.S. in 1972. Their son, Sean, is a physician in Virginia Beach, and son Michael is a pharmacist in Calgary. Sean has a son, Kyle (9), and Michael has two sons, Ronan (10) and Nolan (8). George retired from the Feds in January 2004 and moved to Melbourne Beach, Fla., where he encountered Hurricane Francis only two days after closing on his house there. In the winters George and Judy travel to their second home in Steamboat Springs, Colo. to enjoy mountain life and skiing. Life is generally consumed by travel— most importantly to see his family—and

summer or fall trips to SCUBA dive, mostly in the Caribbean, and to see the U.S. and the world. Their health is good, and George's two artificial knees and fused ankle (courtesy of SSS football) do not seem to slow him down much. He is sorry to miss our 60th, but promises to be there for our 65th!

In August 1994, Tom Plank, his wife Kathy, five children, and dog moved from Annapolis, Md. to Knoxville, Tenn. to become a full-time law professor at the University of Tennessee College of Law after practicing law for 19 years in Maryland (including nine and half years as a partner in the D.C. office of Kutak Rock LLP). Twenty-seven and a half years later, in December 2021, Tom retired from full-time teaching. In December 2022 he retired from his part-time of counsel position at Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP as a bankruptcy law and commercial law specialist. He reports that he loved every minute of teaching, writing, and practicing law on a part-time basis. Kathy and he have been blessed with a wonderful (if sometimes challenging) family, which now includes four grandchildren, and a rewarding and joyful professional career. The only negative: Tom has prostate cancer, first diagnosed in 2019, caused by his exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam in 1969. Surgery and followup radiation eliminated most of the cancer, and hormone therapy has kept it under control. But he is otherwise in very good health and in good spirits. Tom feels very blessed to have the life he has lived and very thankful for his five years at St. Stephen's with his teachers and classmates. St. Stephen's provided a strong foundation for his religious faith and a fulfilling and meaningful life.

Dick Flynt and wife April continue to enjoy retirement in Alexandria. He has the golf bug and is playing rhythm guitar in an old guys band called “The Hip Replacements,” while working with the Virginia Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program helping lawyers suffering from alcoholism and other wellness issues. They see Tom Kreutzer, Anne Kreutzer '65, Randy Earnest '62, and Gibby Earnest regularly for breakfasts that

explore the many diners in the Northern VA area.

1965 ST. AGNES

Janet “Lee” Vosper Dorman

Lee Dorman writes: “I finally retired from actively teaching (after 49 years)! My daughter and her kids (9 and 6) are still with me, so the house is full of music, dancing, noise, trains, dinosaurs, softball equipment, and books, books, books! My 6-year-old grandson is autistic, and his mom and I are busy learning so much and how it impacts him! My granddaughter has been in a Spanish immersion program since kindergarten. It was a pilot program and she is now in her fifth year and fluent— reading, writing and speaking Spanish! I am jealous and so darned proud of her. Can you imagine Miss Norris or Miss Ross teaching us in Spanish! She also, at 8, made the tournament softball team and it is year-round! As you can imagine I am still busy! Come see me in Richmond! My son is still running a restaurant in Folly Beach, S.C. My daughter has taken a new position here where she is the general manager for a First Watch restaurant.”

From Jan Walsh-Hohert: “This past year has been a quiet one, but I feel we are slowly breaking out of COVID isolation and getting back to being more socialized and braver. We had a long and very warm summer, so my garden was productive and took up a great deal of my time. I love digging in the dirt, growing things, and exploring the creatures I share that space with. We had no rain for weeks on end and one day I found a little green tree frog sitting in a parsley plant staring at me. I poured some water on him and made a little puddle for him to sit in. We have become friends and I hear him often. The summer also included a trip to Maine to visit with my brother, Dave Reinheimer '63, and my other siblings, Betsy Reinheimer '67 and Peggy Reinheimer '69. We are all lucky to be healthy and really enjoyed the visit. One more trip happened this fall. I went to Mexico for my younger daughter's wedding and really had a fun

time meeting their friends, enjoying the warm ocean, and visiting ruins. Now we are getting ready for Christmas and a trip to Ecuador in January. Aside from gardening and traveling, I spend a lot of time at the pool doing Waterfit and doing some math tutoring and taking Distance Ed courses through the University of Victoria. I also volunteer to teach ESL to newcomers and have a fun class of Ukrainians that I teach every Saturday. Life is good. I am really looking forward to seeing everyone at our next reunion. I look at our graduation photo regularly and send you all good thoughts.”

Ann Davis Spitler has had a wonderful year. She and daughter Elizabeth Spitler '06 had a fabulous trip to Florence, Italy in March 2023 and stayed with Missy Huggins and her husband Bob. In June 2023, when son Glenn Spitler III '00 and his family were visiting from South Carolina, some classmates joined them: Missy Sumner Huggins, Donnie Chancellor Wintermute, Anne Hoskot Kreutzer, Sally Jones Brodie, and Candy Michelbach Ramelli! Ann sees and has lunch with Jane Matthias, works with Maude Williams at Meals on Wheels, and sees Caroline Hooff Norman at DAR meetings.

Missy Huggins reports: “Hugs and I spent a week with friends going down to Puglia in the heel of the country; we had a fabulous time and intend to go back. Fabulous wines and food down there too. We still love our home and friends in Atlanta, Ga. I don't miss the catering but still cook a great deal to keep myself busy and happy…cheaper than therapy and my friends love being the recipients of my efforts. Daughter Sam is still in London, loving being in a less stressful sales trading job, and doing lots of philanthropic work on the side. Son Drew is working here in Atlanta in the movie industry, still going between set work and camera work. He belongs to both unions! He and lovely Alix have combined their two cats and two dogs recently and we are waiting to see what the next step will be. Still feeling good despite the arthritis, which gets in my

way occasionally. We got back from Italy and London mid-December and then it was a push to get the house ready for our annual Christmas party on Christmas Eve! Fifty responded 'yes' and 60 showed up. I always overdo food so there was no problem. Last year was a good one with, as always, two months in the spring and two in the fall.”

Sally Hines says: “My husband, Ron Abramson, and I still live in a loft in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan. Son Bobby has mostly stayed in Pittsburgh, Penn., since graduating from Carnegie Mellon University. He works for Pittsburgh BikeShare, which is more aligned with his values than the multinational engineering firm where he worked for several years after college. At 72, when most people are working less, Ron started a new law firm (Liston Abramson). It specializes in Intellectual Property law. The good news is, it's thriving; the bad news is, he's working too hard. I'm of counsel at the firm; I get involved when they need a criminal law background. I'm also an adjunct professor at New York Law School. To relax, we go to our house on Long Island, where we bike in the woods, go to the beach, and garden. In NYC, I swim at a health club and sing in a chorale. I serve on the Vestry of Grace Church, and on a Board committee at Grace Church School. We feel very, very lucky in terms of our health, activities, and friendships! Anyone visiting NYC, please contact me.”

Sally Jones Brodie's update is as follows: “I am now working with some local nonprofits and am amazed at how much volunteer work is being done to keep these groups afloat. I live in Jensen Beach, Fla., and am very focused on nature and the environment. I am on the Board of Directors of our local chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society. My 2.5-acre property has about 100 ft. of shoreline on the Indian River Lagoon. We used to have the largest biodiversity in almost the whole U.S. (water and plants). Man-made issues have killed a lot of species. I do not own any domestic animals and try to provide food and habitat for the wild ones. My husband died in April 2022. A huge

loss for me, my best friend. I still work, running my family's two real estate businesses (commercial and residential) in Northern Virginia from Florida (I seldom travel to Virginia). I saw Ann Davis Spitler '65 before going home to Florida where I have been year-round since 1988.”

Liz Shortley Rogers writes: “All good things must come to an end. I finally retired on Feb 9, 2024 from Wells Fargo. It has been an interesting and fulfilling 29 years in banking. I wanted to make it to 30 years, but decided the time is now. I have truly enjoyed my banking career in regulatory affairs and have continued to work longer than expected because I love my job. I got married in 2012 and moved to the Outer Banks. Another reason I continued to work was because after all those years of paying my dues, I finally got the corner window office working from home AND I lived at the beach! Most importantly, I will now have more time to take care of my husband, who has Alzheimer's. It has not been easy working and being a caregiver. I must say it is exciting for me living here on the coast with all the storms we get.”

Anne Hoskot Kreutzer sends word that it's hard to gather her spreadout family of 20, but they did it last Thanksgiving, meeting at a warm beach and having a fabulous week. Anne and Tom Kreutzer '64 are still in their same home of 47 years, trying to figure out what their next step will be. She enjoys hearing what others are doing at this stage of life.

Ann Kiplinger had the good fortune to reconnect with Sally Jones Brodie '65 down in Stuart, Fla. It was at a St. Agnes School reunion that she found out that Sally and Larry had a home in Stuart, where Ann and Knight have a home. It has been wonderful to get together when they are occasionally in the same town. Other than that, the Kiplingers are busy with grandparenting, as four of the six littles are in D.C.; they babysit for free. They see the two little girls in Boston, Mass., less frequently. Ann goes on to say, “I am still subbing at our local elementary school, Horace Mann, mostly in PreK. It's great to get my squats

by tying 20 sets of shoes and lowering myself down to the chairs, which are about 10” off the floor. We are often at our farm in Poolesville, Md., where I clean and pack the dozens of eggs from our 100 or so chickens, and visit with the lambs produced by the 200 ewes. Our farm manager does all of those chores. So, we are more than fortunate with our good health and family fun as we travel through this aging stage of life.”

Donnie Wintermute writes: “I have served on the SSSAS Board for the last six years. Our school has never been better! We have a fabulous head of school, Kirsten Adams, exceptional academic standards, strong arts programs, and outstanding athletics. I am in my 45th year of real estate and still working full-time. This summer will be my 15th year of going on a 10-day mission trip to San Pedro Sula, Honduras, to work in an orphanage of 62 little girls. Peter Wintermute '93 and wife Jenny have a 10-year-old son, Carson, and a 15-year-old daughter, Kinsley. I absolutely love being with them! We had an especially great time last August parasailing in Turks and Caicos. Yes, I too was up 500 ft. in the sky parasailing over the ocean!”

Liz Callar provided the following: “I think of my wonderful days at St. Agnes often. I learned so much that has helped me over the years, integrity being at the top. I live in Lovettsville, Va. on a small farm. I spend my days doing photography at fox hunts, steeplechasing and horse shows. Love living in the country.”

1966 ST. AGNES

Carter Dudley Flemming

Peggy Johnson Hayes reports that she is a founding member of the board of the Minnie K. Edwards Black Belt Scholarship Fund. This non-profit organization is intended to support post-secondary education for AfricanAmerican or indigenous-descended students who come from the Black Belt area of Alabama. This area of Alabama is where Peggy's family roots are, and has been historically impoverished. The Fund is named in honor of Peggy's grandmother's housekeeper, and Peggy is honored to serve alongside some of her descendants in this very worthwhile endeavor. They have just awarded their first four scholarships.

Leslie Ferrell Kauffmann says that 2023 was a year of lots of travel to Spain and Sicily. She spent the Christmas holidays in Miami, Fla., where Leslie's siblings, Henry Ferrell '68 and Joanie Ferrell '72, all their children and grandchildren gathered. Star Bales Alterman '66 and husband Hal joined them in Miami for a visit. Leslie writes, “It is wonderful to keep these enduring friendships after so many years.” Star and Hal enjoy living in Florida but make regular visits to Connecticut to see daughter Vickie Bales '00 and her family. They also enjoyed taking some wonderful cruises—they went through the Panama Canal this year and ended up in California, where they visited their son Phil Alterman '97

Margie Dumas Worden reports

that she and Jimmy Worden '65 got to check off a bucket list item when their granddaughter got them tickets to the ACC basketball tournament in Greensboro a year ago. Jimmy had always wanted to go to the tournament; they saw five games from mid-court. Granddaughter Taylor showed them around the city and they went to the ACC Hall of Fame, several breweries, and eateries frequented by young folks. Always good to try and keep up with those far younger than their 75-year-old selves.

Ann Martyn and husband Frank continue to live in Roanoke, Va., where they settled after returning from living in Ireland 20 years ago. While Ann says they have always loved country living, they have grown to appreciate city services and the proximity of medical services (something all of us have come to rely upon at this stage of life!). They are content and continue to enjoy playing music and creating art. Carter Dudley Flemming can testify that Ann is a very talented water colorist, as she has received cards from her with her paintings featured on them. Mrs. Downs would surely be proud!

Sara “Pinky” Caples's latest architectural project, the Louis Armstrong Center, opened in Queens, N.Y. in June 2023. It is an amazing project that she designed with husband, Everado Jefferson. Read more about Sara on page 64.

On a sad note, Jeannette Tracy reports that her dear husband, John, passed away in May 2023. They had

Left photo: Star Bales Alterman SAS '66 and husband Hal Alterman, Leslie Ferrell Kauffmann SAS '66 and husband Jose Kauffmann, Joanie Ferrell SAS '72, and Henry Ferrell SSS '68 and wife Gwen. Right photo: Carter Dudley Flemming '66 (center), David Flemming '94 (left), Will Flemming '97 (right), and their families.

been married for 48 years, so she is adjusting to life without him. She continues to love her life in Boston, Mass. She attended the fantastic exhibit of John Singer Sargent portraits at the Museum of Fine Arts three times! Tracy's mother just turned 102 and Tracy spends time with her in North Carolina during the year.

Lee Vosbeck Hagan lost her 98-yearold mother in October of 2023.

Carter Dudley Flemming had a wonderful Christmas holiday with both sons and their families. Carter and husband Mike have five grandchildren spanning quite an age range. Their son, David Flemming '94, has three children: twins Katie and Carter (18) and David (14). Katie and Carter will be coming to the East Coast to attend Yale in the fall. Will Flemming '97 has two sons, Bailey (5), and Charlie (2). They keep their grandparents busy traveling to see them when they can. David and Will continue their careers as baseball broadcasters in San Francisco and Boston.

1967 ST. AGNES

Alice Reno Malone

Starting at the beginning of the alphabet, Deborah Androus writes: “This year has been one of surprises. Wonderful travel to Croatia, Venice, and Greece, with Sicily on the horizon. Much to my surprise, I turned 75! Psychologically it was a breeze, but physically all my sins caught up with me. Quickly becoming the Titanium Lady? Courage, classmates…life

remains sweet and joyful!”

KC Church is “still loving Colorado, playing lots of pickle ball and bridge, and enjoying myself! No trips this year…not much to report.”

Not much has changed in Robin Coffin's life as “we are still navigating homes in Palm Beach, Rhode Island, Buffalo, and Boulder. Much too much to manage, but as I am still involved in educational fundraising it is difficult to decide where to end up. Daughter Trellis lives in Boulder with her 4-yearold son and 2-year-old daughter, so I try to spend as much time out there as possible. Also playing lots of golf and pickle ball to remain very busy. Love to all.”

Beth Grosvenor Boland sends the following news: “Frank and I finally got on the post-pandemic 'COVID revenge travel' bandwagon in 2023 and boarded an airplane for the first time in four years, flying to Atlanta, Grand Tetons/Yellowstone, and the Canadian Maritime Provinces. We also took our annual driving trip for 10 days of R&R in the Adirondacks, which would make a great destination for an informal reunion of classmates (anyone in?). My family's sad news of the year was the death of my brother, Lin, in October. On a happier note, I enjoyed having lunch with Elizabeth Herbert Cottrell and Jill Strachan, and ran into Margaret Miller Volpe at a Washington Nationals game last year. Love getting together with my sister lambs.”

Christine Holter Reynolds is “so happy to still be connected with

St.Agnes! I've been a longtime volunteer at Riverbend Park in Great Falls, Va. Recently, on voting day, I was there at the same time as a group of St. Agnes elementary students. They asked if we had worn uniforms in the olden days…I remembered an incident when a teacher asked me to kneel to be sure the hem of my skirt touched the floor and I told them we weren't allowed to wear pants. They were horrified.”

Margaret Miller Volpe and husband Mike “moved out of our house and into Greenspring, a retirement community in Springfield, Va. After 35 years in the house, we had to do some major cleaning out and downsizing. It wasn't easy parting with some of my 'treasures' that I had held on to for too long. It was also bittersweet leaving Falls Church, where I spent most of my life and where I had so much family history. However, I have to admit, I have adjusted easily to not having to cook every day. We are enjoying the maintenance-free lifestyle and are looking into the many options for occupying our time.”

Becky Orme Russell reports that she met Elizabeth Herbert Cottrell in Woodstock, Va., for lunch at the end of September. Becky and husband Bill were taking a leisurely vacation up the Shenandoah Valley to L'Auberge Provincial in Bryce to see Belle Grove and on to Airwell B&B near Purcellville, where we saw old Loudon friends. Follow Elizabeth's site: Heartspoken. com. She's inspired and inspiring, and definitely living up to being our “St. Agnes.”

After almost three decades of living in beautiful Jackson Hole, Wyo., Frances Pollak and husband Ernie LaBelle write: “We have sold our wonderful custombuilt home there and made a decision to move to Charlottesville, Va., where we are on the waiting list for a continuing care retirement community. Currently, our plans are to move into temporary rental housing in Charlottesville in late spring/early summer 2024 and will go East again in early March to finalize these plans. We have reconnected with some SAS and Hollins classmates and are excited about this choice. Please be

Left photo: Margaret Miller Volpe '67 and Beth Grosvenor Boland '67

Right photo: SAS '67 Classmates Jill Strachan, Elizabeth Herbert Cottrell and Beth Grosvenor Boland

in touch if you live in the Charlottesville area and have suggestions for us. In the meantime, we are thoroughly enjoying our gorgeous mountain ski season here in one of the most beautiful places on the planet.”

Alice Reno Malone is still your class scribe living in Charlottesville with husband Jim, auditing classes at UVA, delving into family history in Virginia and Kentucky, and also serving as the class secretary for Dartmouth '71. The early exchange women there with Alice did not receive degrees, but many of us have been formally adopted by our classes. Other than that, all is well. Jim is taking a break from teaching this semester and we are looking forward to a trip to Ireland. Both daughters are in Massachusetts: Katie in Nantucket and Virginia in Williamstown.

Vicki Smith Wadlow and husband Clark are fine and enjoying retirement. “Our oldest son turned 50 in September, and we were able to get our four children together for the first time in seven years! We spend the winter in Florida (my mother is there and is a healthy 93), and the spring and summer at our Marina in North Carolina.”

After an awesome tour of central and north central India in November, Jill Strachan is happy to settle in at home for the foreseeable future. Perhaps her second book will be ready by the spring.

From Mary Sweeney Payne comes: “Our only big news is Mike and I are no longer Maine residents, but have settled into a new home in the Villages, Fla. It was a crazy year. First, someone approached us to buy our Maine house. We went for it, spent a couple of seriously hectic months downsizing and packing, emptying 3,000 sq. ft of home, barn, and outbuildings. On August 13, with the help of our family, we went to settlement and immediately took off in the Jeep with our pup. We stayed at a dear friend's empty condo in St. Pete for two months while looking for a place to park ourselves permanently. After a three-day visit to the Villages, we knew we had found our retirement home. Moved in on October 15; we finally have pictures on the walls and the garage

cleared out of boxes–a huge job and I hope and pray I never have to move again! The place is not big and virtually maintenance free, but we do have room for guests, if any of my SAS sisters are in the area.”

A former SAS classmate, Virginia Voorhees Wilcox, says she lives in Seattle and reports that she 1) is on the Board of the National Association of Mental Illness working on ending the stigma of these diseases; 2) also works with the National Museum of Women in the Arts in D.C., which has just reopened after a major renovation; and 3) works in historic preservation, an area she has worked and volunteered in for many years. “I just don't believe in retirement. I've just gone from being paid to doing it for free! I won't go into all my travel or my place in Sugar Hill, N.H. Suffice to say I was in Mérida recently, will go to Morocco and (hopefully) Egypt in February, and have a design-based tour to Scandinavia in June.” She's a hard person to catch up with, but glad we're back in touch. She also has a daughter who lives in Los Angeles and works for Planned Parenthood.

1968

ST. AGNES

Barbara Butler Leonard

Lucie Garrett sends word from Bento Goncalves, Brazil. She's there to find the last remaining Cunningham (aka Champagnon) grapes before they disappear like they did from Farmville, Va.. Along the way she has discovered that Rio do Sul and Urussanga are places for vinophiles to get out of their comfort zone! By next year there will be reportage in her documentary; see: odysseyforbiddenwines.com.

1970 ST. AGNES

Tara Luther writes: “I'm living in the Las Vegas, Nev. area now and enjoying all the exciting things there are to do here. Early in 2023, I spent a few weeks in Boston, Mass., visiting old friends. In October, I went on a fantastic fourweek “bucket list” trip to Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji.”

1970 ST. STEPHEN'S Volunteer to be your class ambassador!

George Harrison and wife Connie are retired in Charlottesville, Va. They spend time with their two grandkids and three sons, and attend UVA sporting events. George writes: “We visited Paris, Provence, Brussels, and Brugge in the Fall of 2022. Paris was very beautiful and the people were very friendly and helpful (contrary to what we had been warned). Provence was very nice, especially Nimes and Aix-en-Provence. We stayed in Sablet and the small towns around there, which were beautiful. Brugge was absolutely stunning, nothing historic but just very beautiful (and great bier). In 2023 we went to Croatia and Switzerland in the April-May timeframe. We visited Zagreb, which is very walkable and has great restaurants. We visited Plitvice Lakes with its 60 spectacular waterfalls and spent most of our other time in Ciovo, an island near Trogir and Split on the Dalmatian Coast. It would have been a 'Jim Osuna playground' full of ancient Roman Temples, Diocletian's Retirement Palace, and Rivas (promenades on the water). Croatian wine is extremely good and inexpensive. We then went to Zurich and took a day trip to Lake Lucerne. This fall we celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary with a trip to Monument Valley near the Four Corners and stayed in Farmington, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque, N.M. Monument Valley is located on the Navajo Reservation in both Utah and Arizona. If you take the Backcountry Tour you can see a lot of sites that are not open to unguided tourists. The landscape is stunning and you get introduced to Navajo culture. It's worth the drive. Santa Fe is beautiful and has hundreds of Art Galleries. The people are friendly and the food is great. I sound like a commercial for travel!”

1971 ST. AGNES

Sara Charlton

Sara Charlton sends word that “This was the year of traveling! I went to Jazz Fest in New Orleans, La., where I have

always wanted to go! It was great. Then I went to the Portland Oregon Blues Festival. I took my RV and went to Sedona, Ariz., another on my bucket list. Then I drove the RV to Corpus Christi, Texas to see the ocean drive around the hill country. I did stop in Luckenbach to play my guitar on that stage. I had too much fun in 2023!”

1972 ST. AGNES

The Rev. Edie Beardall Weller

Alison Hope Jesse reports her first grandchild was born on September 15, 2023 in Bethesda, Md. to son Sam Jesse and his wife, Nora Chan. In February 2024, baby June Nora Jesse made her first visit to her “Ganny” Alison in Chapel Hill while her parents enjoyed a Carolina basketball game.

Katie Clarke Hamilton's BIG news of this past year is that she met a wonderful companion in Atlanta, Eliot Brandy, and they were married on December 27, 2023! The month of December was a blur with selling her house, moving into their new home in Roswell, Ga., celebrating Christmas, and their wedding. Katie says she's happily settling into her new community and life. Her daughter and son-in-law live in Dallas, Texas, and her son's family resides outside of Nashville in Franklin, Tenn. She's the proud grandma to two sweet granddaughters. Eliot's daughter lives and teaches school in McLean, Va., so they will likely be traveling back there periodically.

Lydia Jones Nunn shares news of her own major passage: she has retired from Prince George's County Public Schools in June 2023 after 43 years in the field of education! That called for celebration with teachers from her first position at the Maryland School for the Deaf in Columbia, Md., along with professional colleagues from the school district. Stepping into retirement has given Lydia time to serve the community through volunteer work at the library and her sorority–all this in addition to developing an interesting array of “Honey Do projects” for her husband, Tim! Both of them have been looking

forward to upcoming trips to Puerto Rico and France early in 2024. Lydia added that she celebrated her birthday last year at a Red Rocks Concert near Denver, Colo. Who knows how she'll celebrate her big milestone birthday in September, but she's sure it will be joyful!

Julia Kelly writes that she carries rich memories of her time with SAS classmates at our 50th reunion. She goes on: “I also recall that I thought I could do a cheer on the head of school's lawn, forgetting I wasn't 16 anymore and reminding me that I need to get foot surgery down the line. I had the surgery in June and then had the time of my life with Patty Herter Taylor, who flew to Charleston. She's a nurse, she's a roommate, and she's a riot!” Julia has two brand-new reasons to celebrate: this past October, her daughter Virginia, had healthy twin girls (sisters to her two-year-old boy) in New Jersey! As if that weren't enough, Julia has smiled her way through major demolition and repairs to her townhome in Charleston. She declares, “It's been three months of workers in every corner and closet, but now it's going to be fun! Come see my new C-PVC pipes and my best friend, Scout, who just turned 15!”

Betsy Brownfield Fay and Edie Beardall Weller are lucky enough to be able to get together occasionally on one side of Puget Sound or the other, either on beautiful Whidbey Island where Betsy and husband Chris live most of the time, or in Seattle where Edie resides. Betsy very much enjoys time with each of their children: two sons, John and Dana, based in Seattle; her third son Patrick, who lives with his wife in Secaucus, N.J.; and daughter Abigail, who lives with her young family in the British Virgin Islands where she and her husband are teachers. Betsy has enjoyed some exciting travel this past year, including a wonderful time in “BVI” with her two beautiful grandchildren. She also ventured to Ireland, and more recently to Montreal and Quebec, to see sights both familiar and new.

Betsy had the chance to see Stephanie Yeonas Ellis, ever-gracious hostess, who is doing well in McLean,

Va. Steph and her husband, Richard, occasionally visit St. Michael's over on the Eastern Shore and are super-faithful participants in their grandchildren's school and sports activities! (GO, team!!)

For Edie Beardall Weller, this has been a year of rebalancing and transition after husband John's death early in 2023. Her one big adventure was a trip to England for a week's walking tour in the Cotswolds region, followed by visits with dear friends close to London and near Hastings on the southern coast. Back in Seattle, she's continued to be involved with various volunteer ministry opportunities. She's been blessed by fairly regular time with her daughter, who lives about an hour away, and likewise by several visits with her son, who lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. Looking ahead, Edie hopes to begin some serious downsizing after 42 years in her house and is genuinely curious where life will lead this year.

1972 ST. STEPHEN'S Volunteer to be your class ambassador!

Stan Stephenson III participated in Burning Man in the summer of 2023. He writes, “Curious if SSSAS has any other Burners. Let's meet on the Playa in 2024.”

Kirk Wiles II currently resides in Arlington, Va. with his wife, Julia McNally-Wiles, and maintains an office in Old Town Alexandria as a financial advisor with Truist Wealth. 2024 was

Karen Franklin '73 with granddaughter Penelope

the beginning of his 42nd year in the field of investment advisory. His two sons—Kirk Wiles III and Andrew Wiles —both live locally. Kirk III owns Paradise Springs Winery and Andrew is the owner of SOLACE Brewing Co. Andrew and wife Brittany have two sons, Anderson Wiles (3) and Coleman Wiles (6 months).

1973 ST. AGNES

Marion Dawson Robinette

Fifty years! It's been 50 years since we graduated from St. Agnes! Hard to believe! We had a great turnout and great fun at the spring reunion. On Friday we were treated to a lovely luncheon, followed by remarks from the head of school, then entertainment by Lower School students. In the evening there was a reception where we reconnected with our St. Stephen's alumni. Saturday there was a luncheon at the Upper School and that night we gathered at Landini Brothers for a fabulous dinner. Sunday morning we had a small gathering at Morrison House. It was an absolutely amazing reunion, we had so much fun. The beauty of it all is that when we saw each other we picked up where we left off in 1973. Well, ok, a few gray hairs…

We reclaimed a former SAS student, Claire Fisher Stock, who left in eighth grade but we found her. She was all set to come to the reunion but got COVID of all things, so a group went out to surprise her. She and her husband travel a lot

these days and recently returned from a Viking River Cruise.

Madeline Cooley Flagler continues to work at Tryon Palace and is busy in preparation for America's 250th anniversary, as is our DAR Samuel Chase Chapter in Salisbury, Md. She is grandmother to Grove (3), Sophie (10 months), and grandson Miles Tram (5 months).

Jane Kincheloe Wiles is happy to report that Paradise Springs Winery in Clifton, Va. continues to grow and thrive. The winery has been invited to pour wines at the VinExpo in Paris, France, in February. She thinks Mdme Strong and Jenks would be mighty proud! Jane welcomed a second grandson, Coleman Michael Wiles, in August, who joins big brother Anderson (3).

Pam Zimmerman Brislin welcomed her first grandchild, Gable Juliet Gordon, on November 9.

Terri Shelton is going to retire in the spring of 2024! We will look forward to hearing about future adventures. She is looking forward to more time at the beach house and of course time with granddaughter Riley.

Dan and Marion Dawson Robinette continue to live in Salisbury, Md. He is happily working, which is good. They acquired a miniature wire-haired dachshund this summer; they now have two long-haired miniature doxies and a wire-haired named Judge. Stanley, their nine-year-old long-haired doxie, has been doing well in scent work and has earned three titles in Novice Scent work; he has started tracking. Judge has started a scent work class—he was a natural even at nine months. Marion is still active in her DAR Chapter, though no longer serves as regent. She is also active at her church and the Colonial Dames of the Eastern Shore.

Karen Washington Franklin was pleased to welcome her granddaughter Penelope, born November 6. Karen graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in sociology after leaving school 46 years ago. A well-earned accomplishment!

Annie Groves Odell has a Joan of Arc bronze that was given to her by her

father. It was picked to be appraised and filmed on the Antiques Roadshow in Baton Rouge. Annie also is a crafts artist and her artwork was the featured poster for the 2023 Bayou Bon Vivant Festival in Norfolk, Va. She will be there again in mid-May 2024 and invites anyone in the area to come stop by for some Louisiana hospitality.

Mary Palmer writes that being a late-life mom means that her sons Christopher and Matthew are back home sorting out what will be fabulous careers instead of having floor time with grandchildren/ No pressure…yet! Husband Ed retired from the Foreign Service, admirable work for the Cheetah Conservation Fund in particular, to defend them from trafficking in the Horn of Africa. Towards Mary's Last Act, plans and permits are ready to build a greenhouse to grow tropical trees for R&D of two lifesaving botanical drugs. And last but not least, Mary is horseback riding, a great passion of hers.

1975 ST. AGNES

Effie Dawson

Effie Dawson is traveling, editing part-time, and adding grandchildren. She and Frank went to Italy, Utah for a national park adventure and to visit children, California, Georgia, and Virginia Beach. Her granddaughter Maddie is two and her grandson, Jameson, was born in November 2023. Marie Toler Raney reported that she and Jon sailed to Mexico in 2019 after

Terri Shelton '73 with granddaughter Riley

Sharon Snow Nicholson'75 with North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and Sharon's son Henry

ALUMNI BOOK NOOK

ALEX GAMBAL '75

Alex Gambal's new book is rocking the world of wine. Released last September, “Climbing The Vines In Burgundy: How An American Came To Own A Legendary French Vineyard,” was named one of the Best Wine Books of the 2023 by The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Wine Spectator, and The Financial Times. Published by Hamilton Books, it is available on Amazon.

and Ireland. After 20 years as docent at the North Carolina Museum of Art, she took Emeritus status and is now concentrating on the North Carolina's Governor's Mansion, where she's entering her fifth year as a docent. She is also playing golf as much as possible and, she said, “enjoying the beach in the summer— especially when my best friends Effie, Beth, and Vickers come to visit.”

Cate Dean reports: “Our eldest, Joseph, married Elizabeth “Lizzie” Shaw this past July. The wedding was quite an event. And we are more than pleased to have Lizzie in the family. Our youngest, Meghan, is in Arlington completing her physical therapy degree and Hill, Jr. is in Annapolis working in the IT field.”

living on their boat for two years in San Francisco, Calif. After spending a year locked down in a small fishing village near Puerto Vallarta during COVID, they bought a home in central Mexico, where it's a lot cooler than coastal Mexico in the summer. Now, she said, “we live part of the year in San Miguel de Allende and part of the year on our sailboat in the Sea of Cortez.” She would love to see any classmates visiting that part of the world. Marie also gave an update on her beloved mother, who we all knew from her work at St. Agnes. Marie reports that “she is still going strong, hiking and throwing outrageous dinner parties—at 87!” Marie also reported that her son and his wife had twins in 2023, so she now has four grandchildren: Killian, Amelie, Lars, and Finn.

Sharon Snow Nicholson also has four grandchildren. She and Bill are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary in 2024 with travel to the Bahamas, Florida, Norway, Scotland,

Myrna Garza Miller also noted some life changes. She closed her patent drawing business and is focusing on her antique business. “I have been a Wedgwood collector for decades,” she said, “and I now buy and sell Wedgwood in my booth and showcases in Pennsylvania. In 2023 I began doing local antique shows. This year I am planning to take a more digital approach and try some of the online platforms to see if I can reach a wider base.” Myrna welcomed her first grandchild, Ellie, in September. “They all live in North Carolina so I will be on the road a lot,” she said. “Luckily there are many antique shops along the way.”

Chrystal Murphy is loving life in sunny south Florida.

1976 ST. AGNES

Melissa Ulsaker Maas

Travis Brownley reports: “I am in my 16th year as head of school at Marin Academy in California! Our boys will start high school next year. Liz and I continue to love the West Coast and we make it back to Virginia in the summers!”

Sharon Huhn Dennis reports: “Husband Craig and I have been enjoying our retirement and spent some time in 2023 catching up with friends in South Carolina and Georgia as we drove to Florida in May. Then in July we spent some time with our son Joe and his wife, Katerina, in Chicago. We spent some time in September and October helping some friends renovate their future retirement cottage in West Virginia. We are excited to announce the birth of our first grandchild, Lorenzo, on November 13, 2023! Our children did a lot of moving in 2023, and we are happy that we are closer to our new grandbaby who now resides in Maryland!

Sandy Thompson Francis reports: “My youngest son was married in September. My oldest son lives in Oregon and my middle son, his wife and my two grandchildren live a few blocks from me in the Harbour. Sadly, my husband, Fred, was diagnosed with metastatic cholangiocarcinoma this past summer. He's been receiving chemotherapy and immunotherapy since August. I'd be so grateful for any and all prayers from the Class of '76! As for me, I came out of a short retirement to go back to work as a registered nurse. Actually, I love my job, and enjoy working with my patients! That's about it

Left photo: Sandy Thompson Francis '76. Right photo: Cate Dean '76, son Joseph, and husband Hillory

ANNE YODER '77 HONORED

Anne Yoder was elected to the National Academy of Sciences for her work bringing molecular genetic techniques to the study of speciation in Madagascar's lemurs. Anne is the Braxton Craven Distinguished Professor of Evolutionary Biology and former director of the Duke Lemur Center.

for now! Love to all!”

Grace Tiffany reports: “I'm in frozen Michigan, where I still teach Shakespeare at Western Michigan University. I live with husband Tom, who's retired, and our 23-year-old son Joe, who's in community college. I'm still writing. I have a novel set during the English Civil War coming out in a year, and I'm attempting to embark on a career as a translator (of literature) from the Spanish, so we'll see how that goes. I have translated a novel by a Mexican author and am trying to get it published in English. I had a great time seeing everyone in 2022 and hope to make it to another reunion!”

As for me, Melissa Ulsaker Maas, I'm still happily working at SSSAS, still have two huge dogs, two incredible sons, Jameson '13 and Alex '15, and a wonderful husband, Brent. Jameson is a UX designer and just started a new job, and Alex is a real estate entrepreneur. Both live in Arlington with their amazing partners, Katie and Ankita.

1977 ST. AGNES

Clara Bell Guess

This year has brought sad and happy times for the Class of 1977. A few classmates have lost family members and loved ones and we share in their sorrow. There are also many things to

celebrate: new grandchildren and special awards. As always, we appreciate the wonderful education we received at St. Agnes School and are grateful for the long-lasting friendships. Here's the news from our class.

Linda Williams writes that she is thankful 2023 was relatively uneventful. She has an eye on retirement, but still loves teaching so maybe next year. She spent a lot of her free time working with Myrtle, her “crazy English Bulldog.” As a proud “fur Mom” she says she has to brag that Myrtle was one of only six English Bulldogs to be awarded a Rally Novice Title by the AKC in 2023. They continue to train and are now moving onto agility! Tom's daughter lived with them last year, which kept Linda up-to-date on the world of “20-somethings.” She moved to Denver, Colo., in November and is loving it, but Linda and Tom sure do miss her.

Some sad news from Leesa Dinwiddie Kerns, her father, Col. James F. Dinwiddie, passed away in June 2023. Her daughter graduated from Bridgewater College Cum Laude with a degree in health and exercise science. She is currently working with a corporate fitness group as a personal trainer. She has her sights set on becoming a physical therapist. Her son completed a season with the National Park Service in the Smoky Mountains. He is now on his

way to Mississippi for a year working in wildlife management. Leesa writes that she and her husband “made another trip around the sun without incident.”

All is well on Maryland's Eastern Shore according to Mary Whitmore Kleger. Her 13-year-old grandson, Byron, will be playing on the 13U Maryland State Olympic Developmental team. She is also the proud Mom-Mom of one-year-old twin girls, Everly and Ella. Along with working two jobs she definitely stays very busy!

Margaret “Margo” Hannifin writes that “2023 was living in crisis mode.” Her daughter has had some unique challenges and together they're trying to face them. She still loves living in tiny Mars Hill, N.C. and reports that her house renovation is finished!

Kiki Marnane reports that she and Jenifer Shockley had a great trip to Asheville and then went to Charleston to stay with Fran Robertson Butler. Harriet Slaughter Yancey and husband David joined them there. Deeme Katson was supposed to come but got COVID. The five of them are in contact almost daily. Kiki states, “It's incredible and a huge solace in all life's difficulties.” Kiki and husband Philip Graf are still living in West Cork, Ireland. Between them

Left photo: Nancy “NJ” Thompson Jenkins '77 and her granddaughter Sadie. Right photo: Fran Robertson Butler '77, David Yancey, Kiki Marnane '77, Jenifer Shockleyr '77, and Harriet Slaughter Yancey '77.

they have five children who love coming to visit as it's just so beautiful. Kiki loves her work as a top team/executive coach and facilitator. Her parents are doing pretty well and still living in California. Her mother, Charlotte Dennis Marnane, is a graduate of the SAS class of 1955. Kiki remains so grateful to St. Agnes for her education and beloved friends.

The biggest news from Nancy “NJ” Thompson Jenkins is her new granddaughter, Sadie Rose Kernan, born on September 4, 2023 to her younger daughter Heather! Her older daughter, Laurel, just started a new job at the CDC. She transferred departments and received a promotion from microbiology fellow to biologist. Both daughters are married. Nancy will celebrate two years in March 2024 in her current position as controller of Pittman Construction, a heavy construction highway general contractor. Her husband Warren is retired.

For Anne Yoder, 2023 was a year of big highs as she was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, and huge lows, because she lost her dad on November 30. Ann writes, “I would give up the former any day of the week to have my dad back.”

Glenis Riegert Pittman has had her third move since going to the Dallas area in February 2023. Her husband's job that moved them to Dallas was eliminated in March of 2023. She writes, “However, God has amazingly reconnected my husband to many high school, college, fraternity, and former church friends. It is a delight to see the friendships rekindled and to get to know so many of my husband's friends!” God has led them to a great church in Dallas, All Saints Dallas Anglican Church. Glenis is getting to know the culture and the people and learning how they can make a difference here. She sends Christ's blessings to all our classmates. Melanie McCrady Page writes that last year some close family members experienced severe illnesses, but everyone recuperated and all is well now. They all vowed to spend more quality time together this year as a result. On a joyous note, they welcomed Rosie, an English Cream Golden Retriever, to their

home. Melanie says Rosie is so much fun, and their yellow lab absolutely adores her–dogs are truly a blessing!

The past year has been full of beauty and challenge according to Carolyn Bradley Ellis. She returned to her New Mexico roots and architecture background with an intensive house renovation, and all the joy and stress that entails. She writes, “A family reunion with a long estranged relative, full of kindness and wonder…witnessed by the younger generation—and modeling, for all of us, a new way of connecting and listening through conflict.” She was shocked and surprised to have one of her art pieces accepted into an “open call” show at the de Young Museum in San Francisco.

For Deeme Katson, 2023 was a year of reconnections and health nuisances navigating the ever-changing landscape of life in this seventh decade. Musical highlights as both performer and fan included catching her fave, Bono, on his memoir tour in NYC on her birthday in May, and in September seeing Billy Idol (yes, you read that right) perform twice, once from the front row–an inspiration for this aging rocker! Once again, she sang in local tribute shows including those for Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen and Burt Bacharach, which is scheduled again this year for May 4, 2024 in Bethesda. Deeme enjoys watching her three nephews and one niece grow up and become fascinating people. She was sad to miss the minireunion in Charleston with Jenifer, Fran, Harriet, and Kiki, but they stay tight on WhatsApp.

Libba Schmidt Alexander and husband Mitch Alexander '76 are both retired and enjoying the non-schedule schedule! They have enjoyed lots of traveling to see their children. Their son Mark and his wife, Anne, live in Frankfurt, Germany. Libba and Mitch were able to visit them and view a few Christmas markets in December 2023. Their daughter Beth, husband Michael, and granddaughter Ember (born September 28, 2022) live in Colorado Springs, Colo. Libba writes, “For a family living 30 miles from the Florida border,

we seem to spend too much time in cold climates.”

Jamie B. Waldrop received her Reiki Master's extra certifications last year. Their children are all well with one getting married and attending business school at UNC, another still working in Spain and Africa, and the youngest in Austin, Texas, working in the transportation business while still in school. Jamie reports that they lost their dearest dog, Delilah, in the fall, and are still recovering from that. She says hello to everyone and “stay safe and well.”

Augusta Beggs Burgess has been working with Beazer Homes for 12 years and plans on retiring in two years. She is the proud grandmother of five girls: Bella (15), Mila (12), Amelia (4), Valentina (3), and Charlotte (2). Augusta says, “They are so much fun!” They have finally finished building their vacation home in Ormond Beach, Fla. It took four years to complete with a ton of sweat equity but well worth it! They will be snowbirds, going back and forth from Tennessee.

Brenda Bertholf Charmey's two daughters live in New York. Margaux was joyfully married in Paris in September.

Susan Hepner Siegfried continues to work on contracts at VITA, the Virginia IT agency. Her most important and happiest role is being Nana to their two grandchildren, ages two and four. Susan writes, “They are the lights of our lives.” Their son graduates from Virginia Tech in the spring. Last February Susan and husband Bob went on a pilgrimage to Israel with church friends.

Clara Bell “CB” Guess is still living in her parents' house in Windsor, N.C. She and Keith found a house in Wilson, N.C. at the end of May. On June 2, 2013 CB had rotator cuff repair surgery followed with a sling on her right arm for six weeks, then closed on the house on June 29. The house needs some work, and since it's in the historic district they have to get approval from the Historic Preservation Commission, but they hope to be living there before this time next year! CB, Keith, and Julia have made several trips to South Carolina to visit

Meg and family. It's always a delight to see their granddaughter Salem.

Carol Erickson Saberin-Tener was a member of the Class of 1977 although she graduated in 1976. She writes that she is taking a week of FMLA a month to take care of her mom, who is 99. Her dad is exhausted, so she tries to help him. Last February and March they were blessed with a grandson, a great-grandson, a granddaughter, and a godson. Carol is still selling Hondas but is looking for a new career in human resources or corporate training. She finally found a foot doctor who is making progress with her injury and she's walking much better! Carol sends love to her St. Agnes School friends. Former member of the Class of 1977 Laura Brayshaw Broughton writes that each day she is reminded how blessed her family is. She and her husband have “fulfilled our goal since we wed in 1986 of moving last year to the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. The climate each season and local residents have brought us the peace and contentment I experienced when I first sailed on Squam Lake during the summer of 1969. We feel like we are living in Mayberry.” They shared Christmas in New Hampshire with their sons and their girlfriends last year. Eldest son Tim Broughton '09 is a graduate of Georgetown University and specializes in organizational change management for Oracle while living in D.C. Second son Andrew Broughton graduated from Wake Forest and serves as a senior director in the Advisory Development Unit at Natixis Investment Managers while living in Boston. After teaching students, completing research, and/or coordinating programs from preschool through the graduate level in special education, Laura is not yet ready to retire and hopes to begin working outside the home in the near future. Husband Will is completing his last posting as a Foreign Service Officer for the U.S. State Department in Ottawa, Canada. Laura hopes all of her former classmates are healthy and happy.

1977 ST. STEPHEN'S

Volunteer to be your class ambassador!

Ed Wright and wife Diane Montllor Wright '78 retired in 2022 and have moved to Charlottesville, Va., where they lived previously while attending graduate school. Ed retired from Systems Planning and Analysis, Inc. and Diane from the Virginia Theological Seminary. They are now happily hiking the Blue Ridge and playing golf, tennis, and (yes, occasionally) pickleball. Retirement has afforded lots of travel opportunities near and far, most recently to Paris, a stop on their honeymoon nearly 40 years ago!

Robert Griffith “Griff” Thomas has moved to St. Petersburg, Fla. He is still practicing intellectual property law and is editor-in-chief of Allen's Trademark Digest, a monthly publication by Wolters Kluwer. He specializes in helping clients identify and protect their important brand names. He keeps in touch with many classmates and would love to meet some other SSSAS alumni in the Tampa and St. Pete area. He enjoyed a wonderful reunion in Delray Beach in February 2023 at the home of Steve Tighe. He hopes to have another reunion in St. Pete in the near future! Also, Griff is sad to report that his 88-year-old mother, Roberta Shaw “Bobbie” Thomas, died August 22, 2023.

1978 ST. AGNES

Volunteer to be your class ambassador!

In January 2023 Gina Taylor moved from her co-op apartment to a senìors' building. She is enjoying eating in the dining hall and not having to cook. Gina has renewed her membership at the nearby Washington National Cathedral and enjoys hearing the preachings of The Very Rev. Randy Hollerith '82.

1978 ST. STEPHEN'S Rob Long

Steve McGee announces the arrival of a new bundle of joy, Millicent Sunshine McGee, which comes on the heels of his marriage to stunt woman Brandy Decelle! Steve was recently appointed museum curator for the

ALUMNI BOOK NOOK

ELIZABETH DRYDER-REID '80

Elizabeth Kryder-Reid co-edited “Toxic Heritage: Legacies, Futures, and Environmental Injustice,” a book addressing the heritage value of contamination and toxic sites and provides the first in-depth examination of toxic heritage as a global issue. The book is part of a series, Key Issues in Cultural Heritage,” relevant for students and scholars in environmental science, archaeology, anthropology, and geography.

David Copperfield Museum of Magic in Metuchen, N.J. After a recent bidding war, Steve's new book “Surviving Private School—One Man's Journey,” will be used in child psychology courses in colleges and universities worldwide. In his spare time, Steve enjoys pickleball, practicing karate, and listening to The Ramones.

Upper School Director Mike Mallet was happy to show Chris Meloni '79 some of the changes on campus!

Elizabeth “Puma” Cornick has had a big year. Daughter Elizabeth Cornick '13 started a Ph.D. program in English literature at the University of Miami and son Keene Cornick '21 spent a semester in Florence for his junior year at W&L. Carter and Puma have been leading less exciting lives, though enjoying their work (for the most part) and connecting with friends. She hopes to see many of you in the year ahead!

Elizabeth Kryder-Reid is still enjoying being a professor of museum studies and anthropology at (newly renamed) Indiana University Indianapolis. Two of the year's highlights were her eldest daughter's marriage in March 2023 and the publication (open access, i.e. free!) of a book Liz co-edited, “Toxic Heritage: Legacies, Futures, and Environmental Injustice.” She and husband Tom continue to stay busy rowing; they competed in the Masters National regatta last summer. Liz is starting to consider when to step back from work to have more time to do all the other things that seem temptingly beyond reach of their current over-busy lives.

Susie Holleder Connors says retirement is great. When she and husband Jerry are not in Virginia Beach, they play tourist in downtown D.C.

Tracy Nelson Geschickter and husband Bear Geschickter '85 are still in Wilmington, N.C. and love living on the coast. Tracy continues to teach kindergarten, and both “kids” are finishing up college. Tracy's father passed away in September 2023; the family was able to be with him in the hospital.

Viki Harwood Bires shares that son Lucas Bires '19 was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. in the Army on May 19, 2023, graduated from UVA on May 20, and reported to cyber security school at Ft. Eisenhower (formerly Ft. Gordon) on May 25. Daughter Nikki Bires '20 has moved back from the University of Miami and plans to finish up her last three semesters closer to home. Viki says business in 2023 was great, so the

Harwood Mortgage Company is still going strong. Her mom, Lucy, is still hanging in there at 86, but unfortunately dementia continues to take its toll on her.

Laura Grant Welch's daughter Sophia became Mrs. N. Scott Parkhill on November 11, 2023. Sophia and her new husband reside in Warrior's Mark, Penn., in an old log house. Sophia will be finished with her doctorate in architectural engineering (adaptive reuse) at Penn State this spring.

Karen Mierke Hausfeld and husband Tim continue to live in Chesterfield County, Va. Their granddaughter Sophie (12) is nearby—she loves soccer, plays the clarinet, and is in sixth grade taking freshman high school Spanish. Daughter Christina is back in the U.S. permanently, happily growing her businesses. Daughter Kelley is a physician's assistant now and has remarried. Son Tony lives with Karen and Tim.

Fran Toler writes that at Christmas, she and her grown daughters, Hazel and Sophia, went to visit her mother Lillian McMath (nee Toler). Mrs. McMath was a teacher at St. Agnes and many of us remember her as our earth science, math teacher, or Outing Club leader through the 1970s. Fran's mom is 87, and still stronger and smarter than Fran is (according to Fran)! Mrs. McMath and partner Dick (who just turned 90) live active lives in the mountains of California in the winter and the badlands of Wyoming in the summer— hiking, throwing big dinner parties, and keeping friends and family close. Also joining Fran for this epic holiday trip was her sister, Marie Toler Raney '75, and her husband, Jon, and multiple family dogs. Marie and Jon live in San Miguel, Mexico; the family visits them often when winter gets to be too much. Fran says she is the boring one who has stayed in the D.C. area, but at least she has great family vacation options!

1982 ST. STEPHEN'S

The Very Rev. Randolph Hollerith

Ken Figueroa reports: “I graduated from Rice University with Ted Adams

and Kumar Amin. Then I graduated from University of Texas Medical School at Houston and completed my residency in internal medicine there as well. I married my college sweetheart, Amy, moved to Atlanta, Ga. and practiced geriatrics. We have two daughters who both attended Rice University, and our oldest got married this past May. I retired in the fall of 2020 and am now learning how to build houses! We still live in Atlanta but plan to split time between here and Brooklyn, N.Y., when Amy retires soon. I have reconnected with George Andrews down here in Atlanta as he has been my dentist for the past 20 years!”

Norman Pappous says: “The Pappous family is doing great down in Texas. Our eldest, John David, is stationed in Abilene with the USAF. Jim managed to land a great job in medical simulation and is living in Austin. Richard is a junior at the local high school and is earning good grades—a noted, and welcome, departure from his father's academic history. Michael is in seventh grade and is starting on his basketball team—the students start chanting “PAPPOUS, PAPPOUS, PAPPOUS” when he enters the game. Addie is receiving high praise at her job at the Baylor School of Medicine. My own entrepreneurial efforts are showing fruit, and you can expect to see our mobile app (WiseMint) hit the market in 2024. My book sold well on Amazon and got, in all humility, really outstanding reviews. We've managed some great trips this past year. Two trips to Colorado, the kids got a summer excursion to London and stayed with friends, while Addie and I had a wonderful trip to Greece where she got to meet my father's side of the family.”

Stephen Best writes: “The Bests are doing great. Taylor, the eldest child, is a freshman slot receiver with University of Maryland football and we are all headed to the Music City Bowl to watch Maryland take on Auburn. AJ is a junior at Landon School and is an avid hunter as well as a published artist. Caroline is a sophomore at Holton-Arms School and was MVP of her freshman softball team despite suffering with juvenile arthritis.

I still have regular contact with Scott Hoffman and Mike Lindsay, who both keep me updated on the ongoings of others.”

After 48 years living in Northern Virginia, Andy Fellows and wife Gabriela have made the transition to Williamsburg. They are enjoying the slower pace and less traffic, and embracing the role of grandparents three times over!

1983 ST. AGNES

Volunteer to be your class ambassador!

Lesley Werner Krauland sends the following update: “I completed my MDiv from Wesley Theological Seminary in May and as a reward took the entire month of September off to travel around Europe with husband Ed (as many of us did almost 40 years ago during junior year abroad) with simply a small carryon bag and a cell phone. The weather was perfect—I now understand why my parents traveled every September— to the chagrin of my sisters Mary Ellen Rotondo '84 and Adrienne Roughgarden '93, who have birthdays that month. It felt so free to hop on trains, planes, and buses to wherever. We also had great fun visiting friends in Norway and Switzerland and our oldest son, Will, in Vilnius, Lithuania, where he was doing a six-month artist's residency at the Rupert Institute.”

1983 ST. STEPHEN'S

Volunteer to be your class ambassador!

Fred Deleyiannis writes that six alumni from the Class of '83 had a mini-reunion in October 2023 at the Broadmoor Fly Fishing Camp in Colorado. This was in celebration of the 40th anniversary of their graduation from St. Stephen's School.

David Tarter has completed his fifth and final term as mayor of the City of Falls Church, Va. He would like to thank his '83 classmates for all of their support.

1985 ST. AGNES

Taylor Kiland

Lisa Kent Duley sends this message: “I am a grandmother, yikes! Gabriel Wayne Duley was born July 29, 2023. He's the son of our son, Michael, and his wife, Sarah. They live in Kokomo, Ind.”

Jessica Bernanke and husband Neil Ewachiw have returned from living abroad for the last four years: two years in La Marsa/Tunis, Tunisia, and two years in Ottawa, Canada. They are excited to reconnect with their Saints friends!

1985 ST. STEPHEN'S Volunteer to be your class ambassador!

David VanDevelder published his first fictional novel in 2023, “Hokey

ALUMNI BOOK NOOK DAVID VANDEVELDER '85

David VanDevelder has published his first novel, “Hokey Pokey”—a dark little comedy set in smalltown Appalachia and is currently working on his second novel, “Rules of Play.”

Pokey,” and is currently finishing up novel number two, which is also a comedy, but longer, darker and more literary than the first one. When not writing, David is editing his own work or someone else's, or managing support for his better half, a well published and full-time professional in education. According to David, “We manage a blissfully uncomplicated life on the shore of the James River Falls, in Richmond, Va., where we live happily among an ever-growing family of rescue animals.”

1986 ST. STEPHEN'S Volunteer to be your class ambassador!

David Squires retired from the Virginia Beach Police Department in 2020 to begin serving as the chief of police for the town of Wrightsville Beach, N.C. He and wife Ingrid continue to enjoy coastal living. Their son, Thomas, graduated from UVA in 2023 and just finished his first semester of law school at William & Mary. In the spirit of overcoming old rivalries, Dave hired a new police officer recently, with full knowledge that the applicant had graduated from Episcopal High School.

Class of '83 classmates Ted Chen, Brian Ashby, Alex Koutrouvelis, Fred Deleyiannis, Craig German, and David Tarter.

1987 ST. AGNES

Anne “Shelly” Webb

Casey Kennedy Waesche sends word that: “I've published my “I'm The Boss Of Me (ITBOM)” board book; “I'm The Boss Of Me—A Primer For Kids, A Reminder for Adults;” and “I'm The Boss Of My Body,” which was endorsed by Dr. Amy Fortney Parks '86! “I'm The Boss Of Me” is available in Spanish and Swedish, and there are more ITBOM books on the way! I'm on the advisory board for a specialized cancer hospital we are building in Arizona and created the new yearly holiday International

Metabolic Health Day!”

Teresa Lee Wu shares that: “My husband, Ben, and I live in Potomac, Md., and I've been working for Cigna since 2021. Our 18-year-old, Jameson, is a freshman in college studying engineering and our 17-year-old, Grant, is a high school junior. The extended Lee family greatly enjoyed getting together just before Christmas for a Chinese banquet dinner with Mike and Carter Flemming '66, their sons David Flemming '94 and Will Flemming '97, and their respective families. Our families began a friendship through David and my brother David Lee '94

Archive Mystery

Do you recognize this lamb from the Archives?

If you can solve this history mystery, we'd love to hear from you! Email Archivist Erica Williams at ewilliams@sssas.org!

when they met in early elementary school at SAS. Though subsets of our families have gathered around the holidays before, this was the first time the stars aligned with all 25 (!) of us in attendance.”

Janice Altieri Schmidt writes: “I am living in Alexandria and am the proud mama to my three kids, all SSSAS lifers,

Left photo: Glenn Davies Willis with his young daughter Tanya Willis Anderson '88. Right photo: SAS '88 classmates Courtney Butler Ashmore and Stephanie Edens Van Horn.

Claire Jenkins Porter '88 with daughter Grace and husband Stephen.

Eric Barber '88 and his family, Ethan, Madeleine, Emily, Peri, Eric, and Jack.

son Jack Lambeth '18 and my twin girls Lane and Reade Lambeth '21. Jack graduated from Sewanee University of the South in 2023 and is living in Dallas, working in debt and equity finance. Lane is a junior at Franklin & Marshall College and plays lacrosse. Reade is a junior at Sewanee University of the South. My husband, Bobby, and I own two landscape companies based in Alexandria: Frontier Landscape Services LLC and Complete Lawn Services LLC. I focus most of my time on our government contracting since we are a 'Woman-Owned Veteran Business' thanks to my time on active duty for the Army after college. I get to see Katherine Cooper Hoffman and Molly Bryan Santos often, even though Molly is far away in Boise. I would love to see more of all of us, the older I get the more I value our time together.

Shelly Webb is doing well in the Bay Area of California, working fulltime as an ordained Buddhist chaplain for the San Francisco Night Ministry and at a senior residence in Oakland. She's fortunate to get to see her sister, Alice Webb Brown '88, as often as she can. She thanks all of her wonderful classmates who wrote class notes or wrote emails just to check-in and say hello. Finally, condolences to all of those classmates who have lost parents over the past year.

Malika Rasheed has taken the year to focus on self-care and spiritual growth. She continues to research plant medicine and its benefits on behavioral health issues in hopes of helping service members and veterans with traumatic brain injuries, PTSD, and other behavioral health issues.

1988 ST. AGNES

Cristin Curry De Silva

The family of Juli Keller McKinney writes: “We would like to express our thanks and gratitude to all of the members of the SSSAS family who sent prayers, messages of support, and expressions of care during the time of Juli's short illness and unexpected passing early in 2023. As a lifer,

SSSAS played an important part of Juli's formative years and was a place where she made some very special lifelong friends. Thank you to all her classmates who reached out to share pictures, memories, and stories of how Juli affected your lives throughout the years with us and with each other. A special thank you goes to those of her SSSAS friends who went out of their way to attend her service in North Carolina. We were truly humbled. Juli loved being a Saint and now she is our angel. With heartfelt appreciation, Jacqui Keller '86, Debbie Keller, and Michael and Sarah McKinney.”

Kathleen Hobson Davis still lives outside of Cleveland, Ohio, yet thanks to virtual work, she also spends lots of time in Alexandria visiting her Alexandria family, including Hartley Hobson Wensing '84 and her son, a senior at Episcopal High School, and local SAS '88 classmates. This year she started a new job providing individual therapy at Jones-Wood Psychological Associates. She continues to serve as faculty, coauthor, and mental health advocate with the American Academy of Pediatrics and runs support groups for caregivers across the nation with Courage to Caregivers. She's looking forward to more visits with SAS classmates on her visits back home!

Courtney Butler Ashmore writes: “Big life changes this year! We moved to Durango, Colo., after living in NOVA for most of our lives. We are loving the slower pace of life and easy access to the outdoors. I'm still working in benefits and back to singing in multiple groups. Stephanie Edens Van Horn had a layover in Durango this fall and we enjoyed catching up.”

Claire Jenkins Porter shares that she is glad to have celebrated the holidays with family and blessed that everyone is still healthy and well. She says, “Son Nicholas is a senior in the college application and selection process. Daughter Grace, a sophomore at UNC Chapel Hill, was just elected Panhellenic Delegate for her sorority. I continue as deputy director for CSUSA North Carolina, overseeing compliance for nine charter schools across the state.

Husband Stephen, a full Professor at NCSU, has been learning Japanese. This year marked our fifth trip together to Japan and his eighth overall.”

Our hearts go out to Tanya Willis Anderson for her sad family news: “My maternal grandmother, Mary Frances Whitman Lyons, passed away in March at the age of 96. She and my greatgrandparents made it possible for me to attend St. Agnes for first through 10th grades. She and I were very close and I miss her terribly. At the same time as her decline, my dad, Glenn Davies Willis, was diagnosed with kidney disease. He maintained dialysis treatments through November, yet declined in the fall and passed away the night before Thanksgiving, at the age of 73.”

1988 ST. STEPHEN'S

Volunteer to be your class ambassador!

Eric Barber lives in Madison, Wis. with his wife, Emily Greb, and family. They have four children collectively: Jack (21) is graduating in May with a BBA in Finance from UW-Madison, Peri (16) and Ethan (14) are in high school, and Madeleine (6) is in first grade. Eric is chief legal counsel at the State of Wisconsin Investment Board and Emily is a patent litigation partner at Perkins Coie LLP. They spend their free time traveling, golfing, skiing, and attending kids' hockey games.

1989 ST. AGNES

Amanda Edwards

2024 marks 35 years since the Class of 1989 graduated from what was then St. Agnes. The world has changed so much since we gathered on the steps of Macan Hall, rocking those white dresses and perms for our senior class photo. Did it really happen, were we really there? Apparently so.

Gratia O'Rourke Barnett has absolutely nothing going on in her life other than work and birding when she gets the chance.

Jennifer Evans Allard earned her doctorate (Ed.D.) in education leadership and policy from Virginia

Tech in December of 2022. Jen reports that she is still a high school math curriculum specialist for Fairfax County, but is hoping that new opportunities will present themselves when she retires from FCPS in a few years' time.

Lori Erikson Boterenbrood is preparing for her twin daughters, Lulu and Lyndi, to graduate from high school in May and is on pins and needles waiting for a couple more college decision

letters to come through. Good luck!

Ashley Kincheloe Dyson and husband Pat Dyson '88 still live in New York City. They met up with Jamie Junghans Shaw and husband Michael over Halloween and had a blast catching up. Ashley and Pat also spent a lot of time with Lila Rifaat Steinle '87 in Nantucket last summer. A bit more SAS nostalgia for you: Ashley recently attended a squash tournament at Groton School with her daughter Julia. No sooner had they entered the school's athletic center when Ashley spotted a photo of Joan Holden on the wall of their Athletic Hall of Fame!

Jamie Junghans Shaw still lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and recently started her own company. She quit her agency job in 2022 and founded LMNL Studio (as in “liminal”) with two creative partners. The firm pairs strategists and storytellers with architects and technologists to design more integrated places, both public and private. Despite the dire warnings of doomsayers across the mediascape, Jamie assures me that San Francisco is still a beautiful place, full of innovative thinkers and makers. Jamie sees Allison Walker Mowers and Paige Henke Hillegass often in California, but laments that she hasn't seen me since our 20th reunion when we belted out the best of the '80s at drag queen karaoke. More on that later. The karaoke part, at least.

Ashley Hanchey Bigelow and Alexandra Woodman Johnson spent two weeks traveling around Spain and Portugal last spring. While in Madrid, they met up with Pammy Gill, who joined

them as they made their way around Portugal. By the end of the two weeks, they had visited Barcelona, Madrid, Salamanca, Segovia, Lisbon, Cascais, Cabo de Roca, and Sintra! Apparently, Segovia was where Ashley and Alexandra spent part of the summer of 1987 with Christine Rice Wagner on an SAS/EHS educational trip. Ashley writes, “We like to think Christine was with us in spirit as we revisited our favorite hangout places, roamed the streets, and listened to 'Forever Young,' one of the hit songs from 1987. We then called her mom (former SAS gym teacher and coach Betsey Rice) and shared the special moment with her—her daughter was and is still so loved.”

As for me, Amanda Edwards, “I've been spending a bit more time in Virginia than usual as I work on decluttering our family home. It feels like a never-ending project but I'm hopeful I will be able to downsize everything for my mother. Spending so much time in the area has meant I've been able to reconnect with old classmates on a semi-regular basis. Alexandra and her husband, Geoff Johnson '89, have been kind enough to host a number of gatherings over the last couple of years. Regulars include Christina Pfeffer Caporale, Angela Miller, Ashley Hanchey Bigelow, Gratia O'Rourke Barnett, Linda LeCraw, Tanya Dobrzynski, Tanya's karaoke machine, and whoever is lucky enough to receive a phone call from us. It's been such a fun release for us all. We wine, dine, gossip, and then sing our hearts out to all the songs from our St. Agnes days.”

Maggie Prouty Arnold '90 and Jody Carlberg Astrom '90

SAS '90 classmates Jody Carlberg Astrom, Sarah Landon, and Maggie Prouty Arnold.

Left: Allan and Nancy Banks Eades '90 with Cathi Lisle Barrett '90 and Fred Barrett.

Right: Cathi Lisle Barrett '90 with husband Fred, her new son-in-law, and daughters Anna, Rose, Juliette, and Charlotte.

Sarah Goldsmith Campos

Cathi Lisle Barrett is still living on the Outer Banks and loving it, enjoying her work with pregnant and postpartum mothers, as well as occasionally helping a midwife friend in Delaware serving the Amish community—such a great cultural experience! Cathi's oldest daughter Anna got married in May 2022. She and husband Fred have enjoyed hosting Nancy Banks Eades and Elizabeth Banks Hawkins '88 and their families at her parents' beach house—”it's always wonderful to catch up with them since we've known each other for so long!” Additionally, Cathi and family visited sister Amanda Lisle Keel '94 in New Orleans and brother Lee Lisle '05 in Blacksburg where he recently received his Ph.D. from Virginia Tech.

Jody Carlberg Astrom sends word that she got to see Maggie Prouty Arnold, Sarah Landon Hughes, and Annie Lefeve at Maggie's oldest son's wedding in October. “It was marvelous!”

Katherine Schupp Zeringue writes that she is still the cultural resources manager for NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida as well as the agency's archaeologist. As she is close to Disney, it allows her to connect with friends from around the globe on a regular basis. Katherine enjoys birding, kayaking, playing dice games with all the retired ladies in her neighborhood, and was recently certified to teach Yin yoga. Recent trips include Nashville, Charleston, Portland, New Orleans, and Honolulu (where she took the obligatory surf lesson). To spice up Christmas and New Year's she went on a river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest. If anyone comes to the Orlando/Cape Canaveral area, let her know!

Kirsten Curtis reports that she continues to enjoy work and still travels when she can. Her most recent trips were to Italy, Florida, and Montreal.

After 12-plus years, Lee Carosi Dunn left working for Google and is now taking some time to be with her kids and enjoy some new experiences. She accepted a position on the board of the U.S. Anti-

Doping Agency (USADA), traveled to Paris in the fall with the board to tour the Paris Olympics drug testing facilities, and is teaching an undergraduate class at Catholic University of America's Busch School of Business. She also enjoys being on the board of the Inova Alexandria Hospital Foundation Board with St. Agnes alumni Donnie Wintermute '65 and Amy Curtis '80 raising funds for the new Alexandria hospital.

Our sincerest condolences to Olivia Titus Dalu and her family on the loss of her mother, Mary Lou Eaton Titus, who was also a former teacher at the school. We all have so many wonderful memories of her, and she continues to live on in all of us that she influenced. It was lovely to see so many SAS alumni at her memorial service.

1993 ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES

Steve Lastelic and Caroline Worsley

Don Theerathada just finished two movies. He was the stunt coordinator on “The Electric State,” out on Netflix in 2024. He was also the Kung Fu reference coordinator on “Kung Fu Panda 4,” in theaters on March 8, 2024.

Eddie Chu works for Apple, creating experiences and content for the Apple Vision Pro. He's continuing his work as an artist, developing a series of VR storytelling experiences based on a series of collage works. He enjoys Los Angeles, but he dreams of New York City pizzas and the DMV's crabs.

David Schwartz and wife Jennifer opened a fitness studio called Hotworx, in Chantilly, Va. It's a 24-hour infrared sauna fitness studio offering a plethora of isometric and HIIT workouts in conjunction with infrared heat and energy. Check it out on Facebook or Instagram @HotworxChantilly.

Gautam Gulati won several awards as the executive producer of a storytelling audio docuseries called “SUPERHUMANS.” He also recently founded The Well Home, the first and only physician-guided luxury interior design firm focused on health, longevity, and well-being by applying the science of healthy design to our homes and beyond.

Christian Ferry resides in Mount Vernon, Va. with his wife and three kids. He is in the cool down lap of his career and is mostly focused on his yard and garden. He loves making things look like a golf course so that he is more at home when he is Justin Taft's '94 caddy on the course, especially for the Sleepy Thompson Tournament each April. Feel free to send him landscaping and groundskeeping ideas.

1994 ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES

Melissa Foote New and Jennifer Mason Halsted

Michelle McCarten is celebrating 24 years of teaching elementary music. She recently received her National Board of Teaching Certification. She is also an independent OPTAVIA health coach, helping people to ditch dieting and discover a body and life they love living.

1997 ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES

Thomas Croker

Kelly Radford continues volunteering an hour per week with the GWU masters program. He writes, “It's enjoyable to help other graduate students reach higher, using some of the experiences that I've gone through.”

Lt. Steve Krum is retiring from the U.S. Navy after 23 years of active-duty service. He will be settling down with his family in the Denver, Colo. area to begin

Michelle McCarten '94 celebrating 24 years of teaching.

Archive Mystery

Do you recognize this Music Showcase Festivals medal from the Archives?

If you can solve this history mystery, we'd love to hear from you! Email Archivist Erica Williams at ewilliams@sssas.org!

their post-military phase of life. Please reach out and say hey if you are passing through Colorado for any skiing!

1999 ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES

Pender Ellett Graves

Class ambassador Pender Graves writes, “I am living in Charlottesville, Va. and teaching at St. Anne's-Belfield School, where my children also attend school. One of the students in my class this year is the daughter of SSSAS alums, Evi Herget '07 and David Johnson '05, who were friends with my sister Dabney Bowe '06 in high school. And I got to chat with Zach Terwilliger's sister, Virginia Gallagher '08, while she was touring my school for her children. It's always fun to have those Saints connections while living in a different city. The Class of 1999 has a big year with our 25th reunion in April! It sounds

like a lot of classmates will be joining in for the celebrations. Thanks to Erin McConnell for getting us all organized.”

Molly Tynes Wagner spent almost 20 years performing in theater and as an aerialist on Broadway, across the country, and internationally. In 2022 Molly retired from the stage, but she has not left the theater entirely. She is currently the assistant flying choreographer of the new production of “Peter Pan” touring the country in 2024. She and husband Richard Wagner live in New York City and are avid world travelers. They have visited over 50 countries and counting!

Megan Dean Blaine is living in Houston, Texas juggling her almostIrish twins as a stay-at-home momma. She has a 3-year-old daughter named Leighton and an 18-month-old son named Tanner. While they keep her running, they also keep her young. Megan is married to an avid hunter, so winter has them out “glassing” for deer a lot of weekends across Texas at their ranch. Megan doesn't hunt, but she goes along for the Polaris rides.

Pete Vermeer left in our junior year of Saints to go on a Semester at Sea. He is finally back from seagoing after finishing 20 years in the Coast Guard. He is happy to be back on shore with his two boys, Connor (5) and Jack (9). He teaches math/stats at Connecticut College these days, and one of his students has siblings at SSSAS!

Kelly Williamson welcomed a baby, Marie Joy Porcelli, on February 15, 2023! Kelly is the assistant residency program director for Northwestern Emergency Medicine and an associate professor of emergency medicine at McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern. Kelly also works as an emergency response physician for the Chicago Bears and the Blackhawks.

Louise Rains Gomez is still living in Atlanta, Ga. with her husband Carlos. On October 24, 2023, she welcomed her little girl, Maria Cecilia, who joins big brother Gabriel (4). For almost two years Louise has been with Meta in privacy compliance. She would love to see anyone who can make it down to Atlanta!

2002 ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES

Virginia Pasley and Alison Taylor Henry

Elizabeth Smith DiStanislao and husband Thomas welcomed Robert Randolph “Ranny” DiStanislao in March 2023. Ranny joins big brothers Phillip and George at their home in Richmond. Louisa Hall's duo Griefcat is releasing their second album, “Late Stage Capitalism,” on April 19, 2023. She tells us Griefcat's videos have gotten more than 20 million views on Instagram, as well as a comment from Questlove, and they have been featured on ABC, DCist, NPR, and more. They filmed the video for their song “Cryptobro” at Mina Karimi's farm in Accokeek, Md., after which the video was featured on CMT.

2003 ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES

Kathleen Miller O'Gara and Adam Justus

In November 2023 Laura Sauls and partner Jose Martinez Diaz de Rivera welcomed baby Elena Maria (6 lbs 10 oz and 19.5 inches). In December they decided it was the right time to get married! The bride's sister, Carey Sauls Baker '05, was in attendance at the small family wedding, as were Elena's big half-sisters, Elisa and Sofia, who already dote on the littlest member of the family. As of September 2023, the Martinez Sauls clan resides in Woodside

Mary Stewart Malone '03, Nish Mani '02, and Andrew Cordia '09

BEN JOHNSON '07 WINS AN EMMY

Ben Johnson, a senior producer for Louisa Public Broadcasting, just won an Emmy for his film, “The Precipice.”

Tell us about your journey to the Emmy.

I recently finished my third, feature-length documentary, “The Precipice,” and have been working in film for the past 15 years. After graduating from SSSAS in 2007, I moved to New Orleans where I attended Loyola University, majoring in music industry studies and minoring in film studies. I was always drawn to music and played saxophone and piano in Mr. Trask's jazz band at SSSAS. I remember him always telling us about his hometown, New Orleans, and how we needed to “go back in the shed,” meaning practice at home. I had no idea I would come to understand exactly what he was talking about on my walks around New Orleans a couple of years later, hearing the trumpets and trombones of children blaring from sheds all over the city.

I arrived in New Orleans two years after Hurricane Katrina, and the city was in the middle of a rebirth. It was an exciting time to be in New Orleans. During my junior year at Loyola in 2009, I started filming all around the city with a friend on what would become our first film, “Big Charity,” about the oldest hospital in America whose doors were closed abruptly following Katrina. A year later I met the music supervisor of the HBO show “Treme” at Jazz Fest and somehow convinced

him to give me a paid internship on the second season of the show. The next year he offered me a job on the third season as the music contracts coordinator. Those two seasons working on “Treme” opened my eyes to the film industry and put me in rooms with artists like David Simon, Jon Batiste, John Goodman, and Anthony Bourdain, where I could watch their artistic process up close. Seeing how films were made at the highest level gave me the urge to produce and direct my own films, not just work on the music.

Following season three of “Treme” in 2012, I went all in on my own project which I had started a couple of years earlier but had shelved to work for HBO. I finished “Big Charity” in 2014 and the film received a lot of attention and recognition. That film opened a lot of doors that allowed me to work on many more films. I eventually went on to work for the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans, producing their marketing videos, but left in 2021 because I missed working on documentaries. Later in 2021, I started working for PBS. They immediately allowed me to start working on my most recent film, “The Precipice,” about a Native American tribe in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, who live on the fastest eroding basin in the United States. I finished “The Precipice” in the middle of 2023 and just received my first Emmy for Best Topical Documentary in December. I'm taking a little breather after the last film, but I'm excited for whatever is next.

Did a specific experience or anyone in particular at SSSAS inspire you to follow this journey?

Mr. Trask inspired me to pursue music and the arts as a career. I don't think I would have ever considered moving to New Orleans without his jazz band class. I love this city so much, and I have yet to find another place that has a fraction of the magic New Orleans has. For helping guide

me down here, I can't thank Mr. Trask enough.

What are the most rewarding and most challenging parts of your job?

The most rewarding aspect of my job is the different people I get to meet and the places I get to experience on any given day. Documentary films have brought me into situations and around people I never would have met had I not been working on a film. I have built friendships through my films that will last a lifetime. The most challenging part of the job is the pressure of telling someone else's story right.

What advice would you give to a current Saint who might be interested in a career in filmmaking?

I always come back to the advice of Werner Herzog on becoming a filmmaker, and it's never steered me wrong. Here's some of what he says: “Always take initiative. There is nothing wrong with spending a night in a jail cell if it means getting a shot you need. Send out all your dogs and one might return with prey. Beware of the cliche. Learn to live with your mistakes. Study the law and scrutinize contracts. Expand your knowledge and understanding of music and literature, old and modern. Keep your eyes open. That roll of unexposed celluloid you have in your hand might be the last in existence, so do something impressive with it. There's never an excuse not to finish a film. Ask for forgiveness, not permission. Take your fate into your own hands. Don't preach on deaf years. Learn to read the inner essence of a landscape. Ignite the fire within and explore unknown territory. Walk straight ahead, never detour. Learn on the job. Don't be fearful of rejection. Develop your own voice. Day one is the point of no return. Know how to act alone in a group. Guard your time carefully. A badge of honor is to fail a film-theory class. Chance is the lifeblood of cinema. Get used to the bear behind you.”

Park, Silver Spring, Md.

Mary Stewart Malone hosted a playgroup at the Children's Museum of Manhattan for Saints alumni, with Nish Mani '02 and Andrew Cordia '09 and their families in attendance.

2004 ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES

Abigail Meyer, Alison Murray Winkler , Taylor Rains Peter Davidson , Kelly Finnigan Mechling, and Joe Sherman

After 12 years living abroad Alice Zimmermann has moved back to the U.S. with her British husband, Alex Evans, and two children, Coco and Félix Leonardo. They are living in Wilmington, N.C. by Wrightsville Beach and would love to reconnect with Saints who want to come to the beach, porch sit, and/or share some good seafood. They both work in tech remotely.

2005

ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES

Eleanor Shaw and Emily Hewitt

2023 was an eventful year for Madison Busker. After leaving a job in the corporate world, he took an 11-month sabbatical during which he relaxed and reskilled in human centered design at a program in Lisbon, Portugal. After returning, Madison switched careers into education and is now working as a program evaluation analyst for Fulton County Schools. He is loving all the new experiences.

2006 ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES

Adele Farella

Adele Farella has been busy with her job at Breakthru Beverage in Washington, D.C. She was most recently in Rioja, Spain and Oaxaca, Mexico visiting winemaking and Mezcal families. She and partner Keenan Muchoney are enjoying life with their french bulldog in Arlington, Va.

After 10th grade and eight years at SSSAS, Christian Lewis went to London, graduating from Harrow School ('06), and later Johns Hopkins ('10) and Yale ('21). In 2021 he joined MTS Partners, a life sciences and healthcarefocused investment bank. Now living in Brooklyn, Christian married girlfriend Erika in Central Park. Their first child, a son, is due in May and is widely predicted to have great taste in music.

Grace Stunz Graham welcomed a second child, daughter Gillespie Graham.

Alec Jenkins and his wife welcomed their second baby in October, a boy named Landry Russell Jenkins. He and his wife are currently living in McLean.

Saudiee Brown is working as an attorney in Washington, D.C. In her free time she is busy with piano, flute, and Italian lessons!

Robin Baxley Hawkins and husband David welcomed their second child, Elle, in June. They live in Charlottesville, Va., where Robin works as director of consulting for a Federal IT firm.

Meredith Fifer and her husband,

Alex, welcomed a baby boy named Gus and are moving to Richmond, Va. later this year.

Julia Farnham has adopted a new Beagle named “Penny Lane,” a spunky and sweet rescue from the shuttered Envigo Breeding Facility for Laboratory Dogs. Julia has been working for a real estate brokerage doing home staging and has recently started a new role as a project manager for home remodeling. She is living in Alexandria, Va.

Rachel Williams welcomed her second child, Milo Anthony, with husband Darrell. She is living in Silver Spring, Md.

Tarek Al-Hariri is living in Washington, D.C., where he is working as a consultant in operations. He is recently engaged to Brenna Rivet; a June wedding is planned.

Kyle Hayes made partner at Foley & Lardner LLP in June 2023; his practice is mergers and acquisitions in the renewable energy space. He is living in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Joe Trunzo is still at IBM doing his best to help our government adopt new technology responsibly. When not on the clock, he can be found actively failing at various wellness-oriented side hustles, traveling the world, or eating his way through the DMV food scene. Joe lives in Arlington, Va. with wife Kayee and their two fur children Kiba (Alaskan Malamute) and Karage (Domestic Shorthair).

2007 ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES

Annie Teague

Katherine Denkler White and Michael White welcomed their second boy, Logan! He, his older brother Liam, and cousins Wells and Murphy (from Uncle Mark White) will be a force to be reckoned with on the lax field!

Dudley Locke and wife Jane welcomed a little girl in October. Lindsey was born in Denver, Colo. and is enjoying her big canine sister, Sadie. Dudley has also started building bird houses on the weekend at their local wood shop.

Caroline Nuckolls Lucas and

Left photo: Jose Martinez Diaz de Rivera, Laura Sauls '03, and their girls at their December 23 wedding. Right photo:: Alice Zimmermann '04 with husband Alex Evans and their children Coco and Félix Leonardo. Right photo:

LAITH WALLSCHLEGER '10 A Man You Can Depend On

husband Colin welcomed their first child in September 2023. Flora Suzanne Lucas was born in Vermont, where they have been living since 2020. All are healthy and happy! (photo attached)

Courtenay Philbrick got married in NYC in November 2023 to Gerry Lano. Evi Herget, Robert Nelson, Danielle Horton, Caroline Nuckolls Lucas, and Elizabeth Zehl were there to help celebrate. The photos are stunning!

Allie Menchel lives in Arlington, Va. and teaches yoga at Mind the Mat in Arlington and Alexandria during the weekends. Go join her and get some zen!

Mike Teague '05 and Annie Culvahouse Teague are going on year three of living in Belle Haven, down the street from Kendall Davis Pessala, Alex, and their three girls. The Teagues' 2-yearold daughter Maggie keeps them busy and is making sure their 10-year-old dog gets all the scraps she wants! Meanwhile, Kevin Teague and wife Allie are loving San Francisco with their little girl, Mia. Katie Teague gets to make her rounds to all the nieces while still working hard at Curbio and traveling the world!

2009 ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES

Andrew Cordia

John Kennedy married Jennifer Hope Fried on May 27, 2023 in East Brunswick, N.J. at the Park Chateau Estate & Gardens. Several Saints alumni

were in attendance, including Chris Devine and John's brother, James Kennedy '07, who served as his two best men, and Alex Liopiros, who officiated the wedding.

Emily Gamble married Zac Sheffer on May 21, 2023 at Christ Church in Alexandria, Va. Several Saints alumni were in attendance, including Chazzo Habliston and Emily's brother JC Gamble '13.

Julian Coles married Bianca Almeida on April 28, 2023 in Old Town Alexandria. Several Saints alumni were in attendance, including Samantha Russell-Porte and Greg Roland '12

Katie May married Tucker Simmons on January 13, 2024 at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Alexandria, Va. Several Saints alumni were in attendance, including Kip Rogers, who served as a groomsman in the wedding.

Samantha Russell-Porte is a licensed marriage and family therapist in the state of Virginia, and has been a practicing clinician since 2016. In August 2023 Samantha made an exciting transition from nonprofit to school counseling and is thrilled to share that her new role has brought her back into the Saints community as a member of the K-12 SSSAS counseling team.

Andrew Cordia and his wife, Elizabeth, welcomed their second child, Laura Elizabeth Cordia, in April 2023.

Kelly Bragg graduated from Johns

Already known for his crazy Kizik shoe commercial, Laith Wallschleger (top right in photo) recently made an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Jimmy was dying to know more about Laith's latest modeling job, Depend XL diapers for men! On the acting front, Laith has three upcoming shows. He is playing Rob Gronkowski in a new TV series “American Sports Story,” focused on Aaron Hernandez; Detective Kulakowski in “Justice on Trial” with Judge Judy; and a lead bodyguard in “Paradise City” with Sterling K. Brown and James Marsden on Hulu.

Hopkins with a Master of Arts degree in communications in May 2023.

Ian McLeod lives with his wife, Tori, in Alexandria, Va. They welcomed their first child, Evin Ila McLeod, on August 10, 2022. Evin has proven to already have point guard instincts and an affinity for jazz piano. Ian is celebrating his 10th year with the music production company he founded, Cleod9 Music. Along with a team of five talented composers, Cleod9 scores music for commercials, documentaries, and films.

2010 ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES

Karrigan O'Malley and Alexandra Shaw

Ellen Bateman Erickson lives with husband Andrew in Arlington, Va. She started a new job at FedTech, which is a venture firm at the intersection of entrepreneurship, breakthrough

Sarah Fort '09, Kip Rogers '09, Mac Routh '08, Chris Forsgren '11, Sam Teague '11, and Tommy May '12 were all in attendance.

technologies, and mission-driven organizations.

Rachael Cochran-Patel had a year of travel while also laying down some roots. Rachael manages a mergers & acquisitions team for a private equity company and spent much of the year up and down the East Coast. She and her husband bought a home in Alexandria, Va. Shortly after that, they welcomed their second black lab, Callie, into the family. If they weren't working on their house, then they were traveling around the U.S. and Europe, and plan to do much of the same in 2024!

Jackie Duvall Farlow and her family relocated to Richmond in 2022. They have two daughters, Charlie (5) and Emmie (3). In 2023 Jackie graduated with her post-master's certification as a reading specialist from VCU. She recently started a company, “Learning to Love Literacy.” Her hope is to consult parents on how to support their young readers at home.

Claire Dormer Leedy settled into her new home in Fredericksburg with husband Austin and her children, Reagan (3) and James (1). Claire celebrated nine years with GEICO and started the year as an engineering manager and finished the year as an agency systems lead responsible for sales. Claire and her family took lots of trips to Bethany Beach, Del., and she and Austin took a trip to New York over the summer to do a live Peloton class with Cody Rigsby, which was a blast. Between Claire's half marathons and Austin's Ironmans and Marathons, they did a lot of travel for races, which is a theme they are continuing into 2024!

Peter Labovich is living in San Diego, Calif., enjoying the weather and working on music.

Tori Laxalt is living in Los Angeles, Calif. and working in vintage clothing. Unfortunately, Tori's mother, Michelle Laxalt, died a few months ago. Tori wanted all of the SSSAS '10 kids who loved her mom to know that.

Holt Mountcastle married his wife, Virginia, in 2023. He also received a master's in real estate from Georgetown University. Holt is currently working

on a development project in Old Town Alexandria.

Kerrigan O'Malley is still living in Richmond with husband Briggs and their golden retriever, Pippa. They recently came back from celebrating Christmas and ringing in 2024 in Paris, France and Lucerne, Switzerland. Kerrigan is still practicing civil litigation at a law firm in Richmond. Kerrigan was honored in June 2023 as one of Richmond's Finest Young Professionals!

Chip Phillips lives with wife Molly in Greenville, S.C. He moved down south for Clemson University graduate school and fell in love with the “upstate.” Now working as a commercial real estate developer, he still finds some time to coach lacrosse when he can.

Kate Redding Vaughn and Chris Vaughn are living in south Texas and enjoying being new parents to their baby, Fallin Frances Vaughn.

Kelsey Reeder had a big year in 2023! She got married and became a Ph.D. candidate!

Taelor Salmon lives in Washington, D.C. She started a government contracting firm selling IT and professional services to the government. She also works in real estate as a realtor with Coldwell Banker and a real estate developer. She also runs Cadence Candle Co. Taelor has a ShihTzu poodle named Oliver and tries to travel at least a few times a year.

Stephen Upton celebrated the birth of his second daughter, Isabelle. He and his family moved back to Alexandria, Va. after five years living in Denver, Colo. He is looking forward to reconnecting with fellow classmates who still live in the DMV!

Mary Utermohlen took a trip to Belize in March 2023, which was a great experience. She left her job as the natural resources program director at a non-profit investigating organized crime and started a new job on the AI/ML team at the Defense Innovation Unit within the Department of Defense. Mary also got accepted into the Master of Security Studies program at Georgetown and started that in early 2024.

Nick Williams had a busy, but fun year. He ate and cooked his way through Europe, visiting Greece, Italy, Turkey, and France. He published his “Holiday Vibes” e-cookbook. He wrapped up his doctoral coursework and began his dissertation in writing. Nick also did various speaking engagements on entrepreneurship and education across the country. He had a blast teaching his college students. He also spent lots of quality time with family and friends.

2011 ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES

Mallory Bell graduated from her MBA program at the University of

Mathias Heller and Meredith Bentsen

Mathias Heller '11 and Rebecca Dickerson '11 wedding, including Saints classmates Anjuli Dewakar, Jack Tokarz, Liz Desio, and Joe Sullivan.

California, Berkeley in May 2023. She is now an investor in private equity and venture capital funds. She's happy to be back in the D.C. area.

Steven Gero is proud to announce that he and the team at Redbird Chinese in Sydney, Australia—through hard work—were awarded the prestigious No. 1 Chef Hat by the Australian Good Food Guide (run by the Sydney Morning Herald).

Doc Jacobsen writes, “2023 was a great year. I was able to assist in building some water treatment plants in Huntsville, Ala. to help the community grow up there. I, for the first time as an adult in my life, got to travel to a different country. I went to Colombia (Bogota and Cartagena) for 10 days over the Labor Day holiday. Had so much fun exploring the cities and some great stories/ experiences to come out of that. Looking forward to buying a house in 2024, building an even stronger relationship with Lorenza, and traveling the world more.”

2013

ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES

Brett Williams, Claire Malkie, and Hope Gallagher Ogden

Merrill Turner has enjoyed several big adventures over the last few years. She currently finds herself in New Zealand on a working holiday visa, traveling in

a van with her partner and picking up short-term jobs of various natures around the country. She loves getting the chance to explore New Zealand's cultures and its beautiful mountains and beaches. She sends her regards to her Saints family from the other side of the world!

Brett Williams is entering his third year working for the Top Scholars Program within the South Carolina Honors College at his alma mater of USC. He has also established a solid freelance portfolio of sports broadcasting work with various colleges in the Carolinas. Last February he got the chance to fill in for a night as the radio voice of top-ranked Gamecock women's basketball, a dream come true! As of late 2022, his whole family moved south and retired about 30 minutes from him in South Carolina, so he's enjoying added quality family time in this chapter of life. But he misses all his friends in the DMV and looks forward to visiting them, and Seminary Hill, again soon!

Katarina Williams, a graduate of Fairfield University with a master's in clinical mental health counseling, is working towards licensure as a licensed mental health counselor in New York. As a holistic psychotherapist, she works with individuals in Manhattan and virtually via telehealth. Her specialty lies in supporting New Yorkers struggling with anxiety, perfectionism, body image

concerns, complex family dynamics, and relationship issues. Additionally, she guides couples seeking to improve communication and strengthen their emotional connection.

2014 ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES

Anissa P. Chams-Eddine, Natalie Revers, and Sarah Shaw

Sarah Goode moved to Norfolk, Va. to work as a digital host and multimedia journalist at a local affiliate, WAVY-TV 10, where she started the station's live streaming platform, the Digital Desk. She hosts shows covering a variety of topics from breaking news and politics to medicine and community focused issues, and also reports stories on-air and on digital platforms. Before this, Sarah worked at NBC News and Dateline NBC, producing and sharing stories across the United States.

Will Rainey is currently stationed in Ventura, Calif. and flying the E-2 Hawkeye. He left for deployment aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt in early January and is stoked to deploy and fly around the Western Pacific. He will miss catching up with everyone at our 10-year reunion.

Sophie Reardon is living in New York City where she does lifestyle PR for several luxury brands, including a Champagne label and a French

Left photo: Chris Foresgren '11 and his bride Sarah Upson with SSSAS 2011 classmates Pat Daly, Sam Teague, Aaron Moorefield, Erik Romanin, Chris, Sarah, Rebecca Dickerson Heller, Mathias Heller, Jake Kerr, Alex Bloom, Leo Braudy, and Doc Jacobsen. Right photo: Katarina Williams '13 in New York City.

luggage line. When not practicing her French with clients, Sophie celebrates the Francophone culture as a member of the Alliance Française (FIAF), alongside several SSSAS alumni. She also volunteers with the Epilepsy Foundation of New York, with whom she's running a half marathon in March 2024. Sophie enjoyed attending an SSSAS NYC Alumni get together in the fall and looks forward to her 10th reunion in the spring!

Sarah Shaw is living in Alexandria, Va. and works as a publicist and social media manager, handling a diverse clientele of celebrities, CEOs, nonprofits, and consumer brands. She has enjoyed

having the opportunity to travel for work to exciting places like the Sundance Film Festival, Today Show, Empire State Building, and All Things Go music festival. She recently entered her sixth year coaching travel lacrosse and spent the previous season working alongside Coach Kathy Jenkins.

2018 ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES

Charlotte Fontham, Hariel-Deneen King, and Lindsey Ellison

Jadyn Chandler graduated from Georgia State University this year with a master's in sport administration. She

recently moved to Huntington Beach, Calif. to be a full-time missionary with an organization called Circuit Riders. Jadyn currently serves with the Black Voices Movement and has been touring the northeast region of the U.S. spreading the Gospel of Jesus to Black students at universities. She encourages them to step into their God-centered callings and to be leaders.

Audrey Shaw spent the past year teaching English in Périgueux, France, and has recently moved back to Washington D.C.! She is currently working at a law firm.

Hudson Ashley graduated from Miami University with a master's of management. He is going to be attending law school in the fall of 2024!

2nd Lt. USMC Lindsey Ellison moved from Ft. Sill, Oka. to Camp Lejeune, N.C., where she is currently a platoon commander in 2nd Battalion, 10th Marines. In October she married Matt McGee on Emerald Isle, N.C. Lindsey and Matt met during their freshman year at the Naval Academy; he is currently in flight school to be a Marine Corps pilot.

Carroll Phillips has been working at a veterinary clinic in Alexandria, Va. She was accepted into vet school and will be attending this fall!

Will Rainey '14

Left photo: Sarah Goode '14; Right photo: Julia Keefe's '14 wedding with Saints alumni (top row) Max Simpson '18, Nick Cargas '14, Rob Shaw '75, Annie Hanson Shaw '77, Sam Beazell '13, Nate Jones '14, Collier Kelley '10, Thurman Kelley '10

New Additions

(Listings received prior to March 8, 2024)

Alumni

Montez Anderson '93 and Kelly Epps, Karter Jacques Epps, January 15, 2024

Louise Rains Gomez '99 and Carlos, Maria Cecilia, October 24, 2023

Madia Willis '00, Étoile Willis-Donkor, October 23, 2023

Audra Swanberg Giordano '01 and Joey, Alice Katherine, October 19, 2023

Sarah Blair '01 and Bradley Motzer, Brooke Ann, December 29, 2023

Elizabeth Smith DiStanislao '02 and Thomas, Robert Randolph “Ranny,” March 2023

Will McGettigan '02 and Julie, Reid, December 28, 2023

Liza Findlay Bamonti '03 and Michael, Sawyer Jude, August 26, 2023

Cailyn Reilly Knapp '03 and Terry, Colin Reilly, February 22, 2024

Laura Sauls '03 and Jose Martinez Diaz de Rivera, Elena Maria, November 2023

Christina Colbert Scheer '04 and Greg, Cassidy Marie, September 1, 2023

Connor Locke '04 and Madeline, Sutton Marshall, January 13, 2024

Nick Lellenberg '05 and Kaitlynn, Lewis Augustin “Gus,” December 7, 2023

Alec Jenkins '06 and Amanda, Landry Russell, October 2023

Ed Walinsky '06 and Tyler Branscome Walinsky, Quinton Carter, October 24, 2023

Dudley Locke '07 and Jane, Lindsey Anne, October 29, 2023

Caroline Nuckolls Lucas '07 and Colin, Flora Suzanne, September 7, 2023

Cameron Pelliconi Sieger '08 and Matt, Hayden Reydel, November 24, 2023

Ian McLeod '09 and Tori, Evin Ila, August 10, 2022

Andrew Cordia '09 and Elizabeth, Laura Elizabeth, April 21, 2023

Margaret Craib Phillips '09 and Andrew, Hank, February 14, 2024

Reilly Woodman Whitney '10 and John, Andi Neary, November 15, 2023

Brent Armstrong '12 and Paige Patterson Armstrong '12, John “Miller,” May 24, 2023

Faculty and Staff

Jessica Paredes (Upper School Custodial Staff) and Felipe Hernandez, Clarissa Michel, January 30, 2024

Rahel Weldeyesus (Junior Kindergarten Teacher) and Ayo Ayotunde, Zoe Eliana, February 5, 2024

Weddings

(Listings received prior to March 8, 2024)

Alumni

Sarah Blair '01 and Bradley Motzer

July 29, 2023

Laura Sauls '03 and Jose Martinez Diaz de Rivera

December 23, 2023

Lindsey Ellison '18 and Matt McGee

October 21, 2023

Courtenay Philbrick '07 and Gerry Lano

November 18, 2023

Julian Coles '09 and Bianca Almeida

April 28, 2023

Emily Gamble '09 and Zac Sheffer

May 21, 2023

John Kennedy '09 and Jennifer Hope Fried

May 27, 2023

Katie May '09 and Tucker Simmons

January 13, 2024

Lindsay Gess '13 and Ford Aur October 21, 2023

Julia Keefe '14 and Fran Pannepacker

October 21, 2023

Faculty and Staff

Franny Alston (Fourth Grade Teacher) and Ryan Wiegand

October 21, 2023

Jose Martinez Diaz de Rivera and Laura Sauls '03

Lindsey Ellison '18 and Matt McGee

Gerry Lano and Courtenay Philbrick '07

Bianca Almeida and Julian Coles '09

Emily Gamble '09 and Zac Sheffer

Jennifer Hope Fried and John Kennedy '09

Katie May '09 and Tucker Simmons

Julia Keefe '14 and Fran Pannepacker

Ryan Wiegand and Franny Alston

In Memoriam

(Listings received prior to March 8, 2024)

Alumni

Mary Lou Collins King '53

November 24, 2023

Judy Nevins LeHardy '55 November 22, 2023

LTG (Ret) James “Jim” Johnson '56 August 18, 2023

Linda Peery Markin '60 sister of Sue Peery Moore '58 and Brooke Peery Russell '56 November 22, 2023

David Zoll '60 husband of Robin Taylor Zoll '62

January 15, 2024

James “Jim” Harris '62 October 8, 2022

Peter Haff '62 brother of Polly Haff Mehring '67 February 3, 2024

Susan “Susie” Heflin Thorson '65 January 2, 2024

Martha Boyd McFadden '56 sister of Peter Boyd '62 and Carolyn Boyd Hatcher '54 (deceased) February 14, 2024

Pamela McRae Dux '67 sister of John McRae '62, Mike McRae '64, and Bob McRae '71 (deceased) February 24, 2024

Marjorie Anthony '71 October 25, 2023

Bruce Meader '74 January 14, 2024

Victoria “Vickie” Stender Oakley '78 sister of Margaret Stender '74 January 8, 2024

Friends and Family

Capt. (RET) Jack Tomion father of Lesley Tomion '90 September 28, 2022

Richard W. McEntire

husband of Robin D. McEntire '62

October 1, 2022

Shirley Beattie (former faculty) mother of Cece Beattie Wade '69, Michelle Beattie '72, and Ben Beattie '77

February 2, 2023

Michael Heintz (former faculty)

April 21, 2023

Col. James F. Dinwiddie

father of Heather Dinwiddie '71, Hollister Dinwiddie '75, and Leesa Dinwiddie Kerns '77

June 19, 2023

Thomas B. Nelson father of Tracy Nelson Geschickter '80, Lori Nelson Cochran '81, and Scott Nelson '85 September 15, 2023

Doris Reither

mother of Kimberly Reither Price '95 September 29, 2023

Nancy Tomion (former faculty and former St. Agnes School Board of Governors) mother of Lesley Tomion '90 October 4, 2023

John “Dubby” Wynne

husband of Susan Snodgrass Wynne '68 October 26, 2023

Madelyn Curry mother of Allison Curry McVay '87, Cristin Curry De Silva '88, and Meaghan Curry '90 October 29, 2023

Lowell Fisher father of Melanie Fisher Kelley '68 November 4, 2023

Thomas Rust partner of Kim Keleher '77 November 7, 2023

Glenn Willis

Father of Tanya Willis Anderson '88 November 22, 2023

Betty Wanamaker

mother of Susy Wanamaker '82 (Middle School English Teacher), Bruce Wanamaker '76, and Kurt Wanamaker '72, grandmother of Auggie Koch '14 and Sasha Koch '17 November 27, 2023

Edwin Yoder father of Anne Yoder '77 November 30, 2023

Eva Manning

mother of Kathryn Manning Yarnoff '72 and Mary Manning '74, grandmother of Ryan Yarnoff '11 and Morgan Yarnoff '08 January 29, 2024

Marian Thomas mother of Evans Thomas '85 February 14, 2024

Beverly Radulovic mother of Tom Radulovic '79 and Dave Radulovic '86 February 2024

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

Centennial Kick-Off and Homecoming Weekend September 20-21, 2024

Centennial Celebration and Alumni Reunion Weekend April 25-28, 2025