2020 SSSAS Spring Magazine

SPRING MAGAZINE 2020

On March 17 St. Stephen's and St. Agnes transitioned to our Distance Learning Plan. The plan has ensured the continuation of our robust academic program, and while adjustments have been made to the delivery of content, there has been minimal disruption to curricular plans in each division.

SAINTS

#SAINTSCONNECTED D I S TA N C E L E A R N I N G P L A N

St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School

Today is the day! We're back from spring break and excited to get connected (again) through distance learning. Here's a special video message (SOUND UP!) from some of our amazing administrators and faculty! #SaintsConnected #thesaintslife

SSSASAthletics @SAINTS_sports

SPRING SENIOR FEATURE! Here is Adele Godby Senior third base for our Saints Softball team. Check out what she had to say about her team! #onesaint #seniorfeature #softball

The creativity and determination of our talented faculty has helped our students transition to distance learning, and our school's extensive technology resources have been critical in the vitality of our academic, artistic, athletic, and community programs. The strength of our Saints community has been incredible; faculty, staff, students, alumni, and parents are actively developing ways to help our community remain in-community with one another during this time.

The #SaintsConnected webpage shares regular updates, information, and highlights about our distance learning plan.

St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School

#GoodNews: Chaelynn Hwang, a sixth grade Saint, was featured on ABC 7 News - WJLA for the uplifting signs she creates and places on a walking path behind her home. Click the story below to see the video! GO SAINTS!

St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School @SSSASsaints

SENIORS: We love you, we are here for you, and we miss you! We hope you felt that when you received your surprise Class of 2020 sign and cookies this weekend. We are so proud of all that you've accomplished this year! And a BIG thanks to the amazing parents and alumni that delivered the signs this weekend and Maribeth's Bakery. #SaintsConnected #Classof2020 #thesaintslife

Shannon Fusina @MsFusinaChem

Today, chem students converted a brownie mug recipe from moles to tablespoons to practice with molar mass and conversions. Bonus was a tasty recipe when complete! #DistanceLearning #ChemEd #SaintsLearn @SSSASsaints

St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School

Our Lower School student mathematicians were given the opportunity to show off their math skills and strategies with grade-level specific scavenger hunts! Students in grades JK-4 used the GooseChase app and were challenged to analyze ocean graphs, find license plates using addition and multiplication, get cooking with recipes, and sort found items on a nature hunt. Fifth graders used Google Forms to organize library shelves by Dewey Decimal order, graph their healthy plates, find license plates, and get to cooking. #SaintsConnected

St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School

Celebrate your Easter with the Saints Community from home! Our gift to you ~ a special Saints Easter Liturgy (including many readings and performances from our community) to view as part of your Easter Celebrations. #SaintsConnected

SSSAS Easter Liturgy 2020 St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School

St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School

See how our very own Alumni Association Board member the Very Rev. Randolph Hollerith '82, dean of the National Cathedral, is helping to protect medical staff on the front lines in the coronavirus pandemic. #SaintsAlumni #SaintsforLife #SaintsConnected

We thank Leah Joseph '13 for leading our Spring Captains Lunch today! #onesaint #captains

St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School

St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School

Jon Hunt '93 and his team at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Project Manus, have created a face shield that can be produced in the hundreds of thousands a day. MIT and their manufacturer, Polymershapes, have donated the first 100,000 shields to Boston area medical facilities and first responders and have sent shields to other hard-hit areas of the country. Jon is the Associate Director for Project Manus and has been involved throughout the process. The project was featured on NBC last night during their Coronavirus special. #SaintsAlumni #SaintsforLife #Saints

We want to hear from more of our alumni first responders like Fred Deleyiannis '83, a doctor in Colorado, who shared: “To my fellow alumni - I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. Urgent and emergent surgery continue. We are seeing a relative stabilization of the number of cases requiring ICU admission in Colorado. Stay at home, and wear a mask. Go Saints!” #SaintsConnected #SaintsAlumni #SaintsforLife

SSSASAthletics @SAINTS_sports

Our Distance Learning plan follows the same schedule and routine of a Saints in-person school experience as much as possible. Students are able to get their assignments, class announcements, and more through our online class pages. Here's a look at today's seventh-grade Advanced PreAlgebra class announcements from Ms. Erin Daly. #SaintsConnected #DistanceLearning #thesaintslife

St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School

St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School

SOUND UP! Music Teachers Matt and Rebecca Gehlhoff shared their weekly sing-along for Lower School chapel. Today's song was the children's prayer “For this new morning with its light.” #SaintsConnected #DistanceLearning

FOLLOW US Facebook @SSSAS Twitter @SSSASSaints YouTube @SSSASSaints Instagram @TheSaintsLife ATHLETICS

Twitter @SAINTS_sports Instagram @SSSASathletics Facebook @SSSASathletics Youtube @SSSASathletics

Jessica Maitland ‘03 is a Senior Scientist at the Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services for the Commonwealth of Virginia. She shared: “While my regular day to day job is in outbreak response and general surveillance of food for foodborne pathogens, the state of Virginia has a consolidated laboratory system and that means all hands on deck right now. Over the last month, our lab has been involved in coronavirus testing for the department of health and I’ve been helping with validating methods to increase our capacity week to week. Our lab is also at the forefront of sequencing the virus in order to provide insight into its genetics. I hope you all are staying safe and Go Saints!” Read more about Jessica’s efforts in this @virginianpilot article: https://bit.ly/3ae1aA9 #SaintsAlumni #SaintsforLife #SaintsConnected

St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School

Alumnus Rear Adm. John Mustin '85, vice commander of United States Fleet Forces, helped bring the USNS Comfort to New York today. The USNS Comfort is a massive Navy hospital ship sent to help relieve city hospitals overwhelmed by coronavirus patients. #SaintsAlumni #SaintsforLife

WHAT'S INSIDE

F E AT U R E S

8

Checking in on our Strategic Plan

4 The New Schedules

4 I Love Your Amygdala: Exploring Mind

8

22

Taking Strategic Action

Brain Education Science

4 Becoming Ready as Changemakers

4 The Rolling RhomBus Hits the Road

22

Saints Spread Goodness Through Art

26

The Power of Connectivity

Attending the People of Color and Student

Diversity Leadership Conferences

30

City Stories

How we shape the urban environment and

it shapes us

34

Setting “Oliver!” in a Steampunk

Universe

26

A Q&A with Head Set Designer

Skye Schofield-Saba '21

58

Nick Williams '10: Writing His Own

Life Story

D E PA RT M E N TS ON THE COVER: The front cover art is “National Emergency” by Caroline Grace Butler '21, a digital photo of a paper sculpture. The back cover art is “Technicolor Peril”

by Lena Weiman '21, a digitally manipulated photo montage.

6 Headliner 38

Saints in Action

48

Saints Athletics

52

An Episcopal School

62

Alumni Connections

65

Class Notes

100

Milestones & In Memoriam

THE MAGAZINE

SPRING 2020 sssas.org/magazine Head of School Kirsten Prettyman Adams Director of Communications Jen Desautels Editor Director of Design & Production Melissa Ulsaker Maas '76 Design Jameson Bloom '13 Melissa Ulsaker Maas '76 Assistant Director of Communications, Digital Media, and Marketing Mandi Sapp

34 Face-to-Face with Our Faculty

Communications & Admissions Associate Marcia Mallett Alumni News Advancement Office Photographers Jameson Bloom '13 Melissa Ulsaker Maas '76 Marcia Mallett

38

43

44

During this extraordinary time in our lives, the Saints community has joined together in the most amazing ways to transition to distance learning and stay strong and connected. We will be delivering this spring’s issue of the SSSAS magazine to you digitally, which allows us to allocate the costs of printing and mailing the magazine, to support those in our community who most need it during this time. We know that many of you look forward to receiving the magazine in the mail, but hope that you will enjoy reading this interactive version online. We wish to thank everyone who contributed in some way to this issue, large and small, as a provider of information for an article, an author, an illustrator, a photographer, or a class correspondent.

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. Š 2020 St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School admits students of any race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school.

HEADLINER

Dear Saints, The bright side of things. Silver linings. Lessons learned and sacrifices made.

In the last few weeks, there has been so much frustration and sadness and loss occupying our hearts and minds. And as I write this, the days ahead that we will spend apart from one another feel like the empty squares of a wall calendar, spaces where there should be events and gatherings and celebrations, and now there are question marks and uncertainty. Yet at times I find myself amazed at the realization of the incredible opportunities this unsolicited situation has granted us. There is no doubt I would rather be with all of the students, faculty and staff, and my family and friends than be apart from them, but if I consider what I am gaining in this moment—new, creative ways of connecting with others, daily affirmations of the strength of this Saints community, time with my family, I can see a hopeful and bright purpose in all of this.

There is a house on a corner nearby, in a neighborhood full of walkers, strollers, and

6 | St. Stephen's Stephen’s and and St. St. Agnes Agnes School School

dogs, where meandering is a normal mode of transportation. A tall wooden fence stands underneath full branches that cast long shadows on the sidewalk. It is a place where people stop, pausing for a minute or 20, to glance upon the treasures that hang on the fence. There are poems, colorful drawings, inspirational messages, tips for caring for gardens and tips caring for bees. The fence has been a gift to this neighborhood for many years, and during this particular moment in time, when long walks and weekend strolls are the much-needed respite of a concerning and uncertain time, the messages on the fence offer hope and connection.

There are always many poems displayed on the fence, but there is one there now that truly speaks to those who are sad and afraid and brokenhearted about the virus and our physical distance from one another. “Pandemic” by California minister Lynn Ungar, typed on a small white piece of paper and tacked to the fence, asks us to imagine this as a sacred time of sacrifice and reflection. She writes:

“...Give up, just for now, on trying to make the world different than it is.

Sing. Pray. Touch only those to whom you commit your life.

Center down.

And when your body has become still, reach out with your heart.

Know that we are connected in ways that are terrifying and beautiful.

(You could hardly deny it now.)

Know that our lives are in one another's hands.

(Surely, that has come clear.)

Do not reach out your hands.

Reach out your heart.

Reach out your words.

Reach out all the tendrils

My hope and faith during this time is rooted deeply in who we are as an Episcopal school.

The very notion that we are grieving for the loss of our time together, for the loss of these final weeks of the school year is a testament to the strength and love shared within this community. There are moments we will lose this spring that we will not be able to replicate, and the passing of each of those days on the calendar will be difficult. Yet I have faith that what each of us will learn from this sacrifice will make us stronger than we could have ever imagined.

Reach out your heart. Take care of one another.

Be well.

Kirsten Adams Head of School

of compassion that move, invisibly, where we cannot touch...�

Spring 2020 | 7

TAKING STRATEGIC

ACTION Checking in on our Strategic Plan INTRO BY BOB WEIMAN

GOAL 1

Academic and Campus Programs

Associate Head of School

Throughout the 2015-2016 school year, working groups which included teachers, parents, administrators, alumni, and board members developed our current Strategic Plan. In the end the Plan contained six major goals: Academic and Campus Programs; Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; Wider Community Engagement; Identity and Message; Enhancing Our Building and Grounds; and Financial Stewardship. And under each goal are myriad action steps and implementation steps which a dozen faculty members and administrators oversee.

Whenever a school creates a Strategic Plan, there is always the worry that it will be developed with great effort and fanfare and then sit on a shelf collecting dust (or in 2020 sit in a Google Drive folder unopened). The implementation of our Strategic Plan has been the opposite of this, and it remains vibrant and dynamic as action steps are brought to life and even enhanced and modified to represent new aspirations. The Plan has inspired our community to dream big and move boldly forward in many realms, deeply impacting our students and faculty and even people beyond the walls of the school. In each of the next few issues of the school magazine, we will highlight Strategic Plan successes as examples of the extraordinary work that school leaders are doing to ensure a bright future for St. Stephen's and St. Agnes.

8 | St. Stephen's Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

GOAL 2

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

GOAL 3

Wider Community Engagement

GOAL 4

Identity and Message

GOAL 5

Enhancing Our Buildings and Grounds

GOAL 6

Financial Stewardship

THE NEW SCHEDULES ILLUSTRATIONS BY NOELIA VARGAS '20 ARTICLE BY MELISSA ULSAKER MAAS '76

Since the inception of the Strategic Plan, faculty and administrators have worked diligently to research best practices in scheduling, ultimately designing new schedules for each division that support our school's mission, deepen students' academic experience, create a healthy pace, and provide more time for learning and collaboration inside and outside of the classroom. The new schedules were launched on each campus in the fall of 2019 and have met with great success.

THE LOWER SCHOOL

THE MIDDLE SCHOOL

THE UPPER SCHOOL

A seven-day rotation at the Lower School lengthens the time students spend working in the classroom and gives them the chance to take a deep breath and dive deeper into their learning in longer classroom periods. A multi-day schedule also opens up opportunities for more dedicated playtime to recharge and then focus better in the classroom. An Expedition Day or “XDay� occurs once in a seven-day cycle. On these days, students spend extended periods of time delving deep into curriculum and learning, work on projects, or participate in grade-level and all-school events.

The new Middle School schedule follows a six-day cycle during which 60-minute classes rotate, meeting four out of six days. The rotation of the schedule means that classes do not always meet at the same time every day. Middle School students have athletics four times a week for a longer period of time, and no athletics on chapel days. The new schedule transforms the school day, offering more time for deeper, more meaningful learning opportunities and less time rushing from place to place.

In the new eight-day schedule at the Upper School, classes meet every other day. Students have a maximum of four, 75-minute classes per day. Periods A-D meet one day, and periods E- H meet the next day. The classes rotate through the schedule so they do not meet at the same time each day, which reduces the effect of early dismissals. This schedule provides a structure that allows each student to work hard academically, while also having the time to develop important meaningful relationships with their classmates and their teachers.

Spring 2020 | 9

TAKING STRATEGIC ACTION

Max FIFTH GRADE DAY 5

12:00 LUNCH & QUIET QUEST

11:15 ART

After concentrating hard on numbers, it's great to go to art class. One of the projects I loved this year was drawing our self-portraits. We decorated the frames with magazine cutouts of all of our favorite things, which added a really cool personal touch and connected it to our social studies unit around identity.

10:30 MATH

During math time, we have the chance to solve problems as a class, in small groups, and independently. This spring, I really enjoyed learning about how to organize and interpret data through our study of line plots and line graphs. I also look forward to the fifth grade Math Olympiad, which is a time to solve more complex math problems! We meet several times a trimester to work on a variety of math problems that are in addition to what we do in class. It's fun that there's a competitive element, as we have problem solving contests throughout the year!

10 PLAYTIME

Of course, my friends and I love playtime, especially when we can be outside playing soccer or basketball on Macan field or zip lining and sliding on our really cool playground. Playing and creating our own games helps us to recharge and focus on our work in the next class.

9:10 CHORUS

In addition to music classes, the fifth grade has a chorus.

We perform in the all-school Thanksgiving service, winter and spring concerts with the Middle and Upper School students, and the Lower School Christmas concert.

8:30 READING/WRITING

Right now in our Book Club we are reading historical fiction.

There are three Book Clubs a year, related to what we are studying. The books have themes, like refugees and civil rights. Each time we get to choose a book from a list created by our teachers and the librarian. Through Book Clubs we also sharpen our speaking and listening skills, as well as writing and presentation.

8:10 SAFETY PATROL

Today is my turn on safety patrol duty during carpool.

We arrive early to help younger Saints from their cars to morning recess or their classrooms. A highlight of this experience is getting an extra chance to see my kindergarten buddy in the morning!

10 | St. Stephen's Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

After lunch in the Dining Hall, we have 15 minutes of quiet time, during which we can relax and enjoy some downtime. We read, draw, play a quiet card game, work on a puzzle, make a craft, ask a teacher about assignments, or sit quietly and meditate.

Sometimes I work on my Spanish homework.

12:45 TECHNOLOGY LAB

Right now we are learning how to code. We have also learned about 3D design and printing, typing, and digital citizenship. We did a cool virtual reality experience to better understand key moments and places in the Revolutionary War. I'm also on one of our two robotics teams. We meet on Mondays and Wednesdays after school and compete in the FIRST LEGO League.

1:30 BRIEF PLAYTIME

Before we go to science class, we have a 10-minute break to stretch our legs and expend some energy.

1:45 SCIENCE

We're presenting the inventive toys we created using our imaginations, design-thinking skills, and scientific knowledge at our Toy Factory Exposition. We researched toys from all over the world, used recycled materials, and turned the science lab into a physics workshop. Our kindergarten buddies helped us in the testing phase.

2:30 SOCIAL STUDIES

We are studying the American Revolution and collaborating to write reports on the Revolutionary War. My group chose to research the role of spies. We have looked for patterns, asked questions, and considered time, place, and geography.

The project has required us to use our reading and writing skills, while also learning about the start of our nation.

3:00 CLOSING CIRCLE

Once we have cleaned the classroom and packed up for the day, we get to enjoy some quiet time go outside for an afternoon recess before carpool time.

3:15 AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITY

I look forward to my after-school activity, which I always have a hard time choosing. This time I choose Science Adventures, but Strategy Games was a close second!

Kayla

SEVENTH GRADE DAY 3

8:15 ADVISORY CHECK-IN

We start the day in our advisories, taking attendance and getting organized for the day ahead.

8:25 LIFE SCIENCE

We have been using Flipgrid to share our research results with our classmates, and it's a great tool. For our human body systems unit we did a research project about a specific disorder or ailment related to the human body. We focused on prevention options, common symptoms, and treatment methods. Then we created videos through Flipgrid's storytelling camera. At the end of the circulatory system unit, we worked in small groups to write and film an original news broadcast to highlight the key information from our research.

It's fun to combine our creativity and knowledge and so easy to share.

9:30 PRE-ALGEBRA

In Pre-Algebra we just finished using the online program for teens, Banzai!, to learn about financial topics, such as making a budget, paying taxes, how credit cards work, rent and utility fees, and saving for college. The site teaches you through simulation games, where you have to make choices and then see the impact of your financial decisions. It really opened my eyes to the responsibilities that lie ahead!

10:40 VISUAL ART

I can't wait to go to art class and to finish working on my wire sculpture! I began by making quick, gesture drawings of classmates posing and then made one of myself playing basketball. Next I used really flexible wire to learn how to make the body shape with head, arms, and legs in the right proportions before moving on to heavier wire for the final sculpture. Now I am adding things like a hoop and a ball made out of recycled materials and painting the base to look like the floor of the court. They are all going to be on display in the library.

11:40 LUNCH/RECESS

During lunch we are free to do a variety of things, including playing ping pong, plarning to make mats for those in need, or attending a lunch math session. Today I might go outside, but on every Day 5 I'm participating in the Lift Off Lunch Club, started and led by a classmate. It's devoted to aerodynamics, thermodynamics, and engineering. We have a partnership by Estes Rockets, the world's largest model rocket manufacturer. Right now are constructing rockets from kits Estes provided to us, which we will hopefully launch next year.

12:45 HISTORY

We are learning about the importance of the transcontinental railroad by building a railroad line to connect with it. Hopefully, we can change our small, empty town to a bustling, vibrant city. As members of the town council, we had to research all the costs, create a budget, and build it. Then we had to decide what improvements to make to attract more people to our town, like building a hotel, theater, or restaurant. We also thought of products to export, considering the effects of supply and demand. Now, we have to see if we made decisions that will bring a return on our investment!

1:50 STAT

Today during Student Teacher Appointment Time I need to ask my French teacher a quick question and then talk with my English teacher. We are reading “Twelve Angry Men” by Reginald Rose and I have some questions about a project we are doing. We have really enjoyed re-enacting key scenes to experience the way stage directions and dialogue come together in a drama written for an audience and then watching the adapted movie version. Now we are developing our own script based on real criminal cases that were overturned. It's fun, but challenging.

2:30 ATHLETICS & THE SAINTS ADVISORY PROGRAM

I love sports and play field hockey, basketball, and tennis. We have athletics every day except for Tuesdays, when we have chapel in the morning and the Saints Advisory Program in the afternoon. One of my favorite parts of the Saints Advisory Program is when we have a Coffee House, during which we have meaningful discussions about all kinds of things, from the honor code to leadership to what it means to be a good friend. These conversations really help build relationships, understanding, and respect for others.

3:30 MUSICAL DRESS REHEARSAL

Now I have dress rehearsal for the musical! Although I am in a drama class, the musical is open to all Middle School students.

In the fall, our drama class chooses a play to perform. These are incredible opportunities to not only show the acting skills we have developed, but also to experience other aspects of theater, such as directing and design.

Spring 2020 | 11

TAKING STRATEGIC ACTION

Aiden ELEVENTH GRADE DAY 7

1:30 ADVANCED PRE-CALCULUS

12:05 TECHNICAL COMPUTING AND DATA ANALYSIS

Right now we are learning how to code in a widely used language called MATLAB, commonly used in college engineering classes. A really cool challenge project for the class was trying to code the Recamán Sequence. The program had to go along with what can be thought of as a number line, starting at zero and then moving forward the amount of spaces as the value you are on—or backward if the resulting value is not less than zero or has not already been used—and you save the resulting value. The first couple of values of the sequence is 0, 1, 3, 6, and then it goes backwards to 2, 7, 13, 2... I coded a program that went through a list of the number line and whenever I used a number, I made that slot equal to zero. It worked decently well and I got the first couple of values by the deadline, but I'm continuing to work on it.

11:00 STAT/LUNCH

Today we're play with Barbie dolls. Really. We have to figure out the exact number of rubber bands needed to make a bungee cord that allows Barbie to jump off a particular ledge and fall as close to the ground as possible, without hitting the ground. We use data from sample smaller jumps and then use a linear model to extrapolate what happens for a much larger jump. We're very motivated to get it right, because Barbie's life is at stake!

After I eat lunch I have an appointment with my college counselor to discuss several school I am interested in that excel in computer science and engineering. Most days, I meet with the robotics team to work on our robot for the next competition.

Last year we went all the way to the Worlds competition. We qualified again this year, but, sadly, it has been cancelled due to Covid-19.

2:45 COMMUNITY TIME

I joined the Fun Team, which has 10 students and four faculty and staff members. Our goal is to introduce more opportunities for spirited, fun events within the school day.

Anyone can bring an idea forward, and so far we have had a ping pong tournament, a chess tournament, and a “just dance” event in the Black Box Theater.

3:15 ATHLETICS

During the fall and winter I am super busy with the robotics team, but in the spring I participate in track and field.

7:00 AP ENGLISH, HISTORY, AND BIOLOGY HOMEWORK

With the new schedule, I don't have homework in every subject every night. Tonight I will work on a research paper for American History and read “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston for English. I will also complete a biology assignment associated with a fascinating electrophoresis lab we did yesterday, in which DNA 9:45 AP SEMINAR migrates through a gel medium when applied with We're working on peer editing our “Individual Written Arguments” research a charge. We use “mini” electrophoresis systems questions in AP Seminar. We get to choose our own topic for this paper made for schools, with the technology to speed based off of a theme given to us by the AP. We did a gallery walk on up the process. The challenge is to determine giant post-it paper, where we gave feedback and asked questions on how a girl inherited a mutation that prevents each others topics. We went through this process multiple times, her from tasting certain bitter chemicals. We collaborating, evaluating, and revising our ideas. After receiving ran the electrophoresis of her DNA and that my classmate's feedback, I was able to narrow down my topic to of her parents, two brothers, and grandma exploring the impact of spiritual practices compared to social to build a pedigree chart. Although the lab media on happiness. The next step is to continue my research and uses artificial DNA and a made up scenario, eventually I will write a 2000 word argument and give an eight we got to practice a technology that is minute presentation on my findings. used across the country in forensic and genetics labs.

8:20 SURVEY OF LATIN LITERATURE

In Latin, we are translating an ancient Roman poem by Ovid about how Icarus and Daedalus fly away to escape from King Minos.

Daedalus makes wings by connecting feathers with wax that slope outward so that they look like a fistula or pan flute, which is made from reeds. Today we looked at an ancient mosaic of centaur playing a fistula, and then discovered that a fistula is a medical word for a pipe that connects two organs in the human body. Later, when Daedalus warns Icarus not to fly too high near the sun, and to “take the middle way,” we learned this is a reference to the importance of moderation from Aristotle's ethics.

12 | St. Stephen's Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

I Love Your Amygdala: Exploring Mind Brain Education Science

BY LANA SHEA

Director of Teaching & Learning

As St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School prepared for the rollout of new schedules planned for the 2019-2020 school year, the school committed numerous resources to professional learning in support of the new schedules. Toward that end, the faculty began an in-depth study of Mind Brain Education Science (MBE) through an ongoing relationship with Dr. Ian Kelleher and Mr. Glenn Whitman, the authors of “Neuroteach: Brain Science and the Future of Education.” Mind Brain Education science is the intersection of education research, neuroscience research, and psychology research with classroom practice.

The Neuroteach explorations

classroom practices and the SSSAS

continued in the summer as the

educational philosophy. Teachers often

faculty and administrators engaged

reference Neuroteach in conversations

in a deeper study of MBE science.

and faculty meetings. In fact, key

Understanding the importance of

concepts from “Neuroteach: Brain

providing choice in their learning,

Science and the Future of Education”

faculty chose to read “Neuroteach:

even informed the drafting of our

Brain Science and the Future of

school's JK-12 Learning Principles. We

Education” or to select two online

look forward to our continuing work

learning modules on the Neuroteach

with Ian Kelleher and Glenn Whitman

Global platform. Ian Kelleher again

in the years to come.

visited SSSAS at our closing meeting in June to launch the summer MBE study. During our opening meetings in August, faculty and administrators engaged in discussion of their readings and explorations of the Neuroteach Global platform. Faculty identified

Our first foray into the important

strategies from the reading that

developments in MBE science began

they planned to incorporate in their

when Ian Kelleher joined the faculty to

classrooms. Numerous teachers

share the latest research in learning and

shared how Neuroteach deepened

the brain during our Professional Day on

their understanding of MBE science

February 15, 2019. Faculty engaged in

and would impact their classroom

group work, project-based learning, and

instruction in myriad ways.

games, as they delved into topics such as metacognition, brain functions, neuron

In October, the Neuroteach team

building, the debunking of neuromyths,

of Ian Kelleher, Glenn Whitman,

and the inseparable nature of emotions

and Christine Lewis returned once

and learning. Ian spoke the teachers'

again to St. Stephen's and St. Agnes

language, as would be expected given

for additional MBE professional

that he is a classroom teacher himself.

development. Faculty reviewed the

His down-to-earth style and depth of

research of John Hattie regarding

understanding of MBE research helped

the collective belief of the staff of the

teachers hone in on those classroom

school in their ability to positively

practices that can have real and lasting

affect students. (Hattie et. al, “Visible

impacts on student learning. One

Learning Plus”) The Neuroteach

teacher commented,”I really enjoyed

team focused attention on the

the morning. I was able to learn what

neuroplasticity of the brain and the

the science is saying and connect with

fact that teachers are “brain changers.”

colleagues. This year I have been using more formative assessments in my classes

Our on-going relationship with the

and it was affirming to know that I am on

Neuroteach team continues to impact

A Few Research-Informed Concepts Students Should Know About Learning “Neuroteach” F Students need more opportunities to reflect and think meta-cognitively on their learning and performance.

F Students, parents, teachers, and school leaders need to understand that sleep is critical to memory consolidation.

F Students need to know that “effort matters most” and that they have the ability to rewire their brains to make themselves better learners and higherachieving students (the concept of “neuroplasticity”).

F Students need to love their limbic system and recognize the impact stress, fear, and fatigue have on the higher-order thinking and memory parts of their brain.

F Students need opportunities to transfer their knowledge through the visual and performing arts.

F Students need frequent opportunities during the school day to play.

the right track.”

Spring 2020 | 13

TAKING STRATEGIC ACTION

BECOMING READY AS CHANGEMAKERS

BY VALENTINA RAMAN

Director of Service Learning & Social Entrepreneurship

St. Stephen's and St. Agnes created the position of director of service learning and social entrepreneurship to work with students, faculty, and administrators to further establish meaningful, reciprocal community partnerships and experiences. The Service Learning Committee developed a list of goals, assessed the degree to which service learning experiences and engagement with external organizations meet these goals, and have developed new and deeper partnerships with community organizations that further these goals and the school's Mission.

changemaker (noun): someone who weaves goodness and knowledge into action for the common good of all

Our world is changing faster than ever.

One moment we're mildly concerned about some distant virus, and the next moment we're distance learning in the midst of a pandemic.

It's dizzying, to say the least.

Globalization and technology have brought unprecedented problems and unfathomable possibilities into our daily lives. At the same time, these phenomena have exposed us to the suffering we are experiencing as people and planet, the shortcomings of our systems, and the shortsightedness of our leaders who resist change as opposed to courageously leaping towards it.

Now more than ever, we need to become ready as changemakers so we can navigate all this uncertainty and complexity with confidence and consciousness of how our actions affect the greater whole—our ONE world we all have to share.

At St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School, we nurture the body, mind and spirit of changemaking through our Episcopal identity and JK-12 Enduring Understandings of Social Responsibility: 14 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

I am rooted; I can empathize; I can understand; I can grow; I can act.

Born from the joint forces of KiKi Davis (director of institutional equity and diversity); Brian Kane (director of environmental stewardship); and Mary Via (former director of service learning and social entrepreneurship); otherwise known as Team Justice, these simple statements hold powerful principles for navigating a world of complexity and change. They help us create a fertile soil that nurtures everyone's fullest potential.

Simultaneously, we are cultivating a coalition of partners who are collaborating with us to address the most challenging and persistent issues affecting our Alexandria community (and beyond): hunger, housing, inequality, isolation, education, employment. With COVID-19 closing and slowing schools, businesses, and organizations that citizens depend on for wages and wellbeing, we as Saints are called now more than ever to rise together as changemakers and find new and creative ways to serve our community.

In other words, service learning (i.e. changemaking) is an “inside-out” journey: one that requires us to look within and recognize the unique strengths and resources we have to offer as individuals and as a collective, while also looking beyond ourselves to connect with people and planet and respond to real and pressing needs.

Here are some ways Saints are making change from the inside-out, and how you can, too.

I AM ROOTED... I CAN EMPATHIZE I CAN UNDERSTAND... I CAN GROW I CAN ACT “Inside-Out Service Learning: GOING INWARD TO MAKE CHANGE OUTWARDLY STEP 1: BECOMING ROOTED

in ourselves, our relationships, and our community.

Loving others as a changemaker begins with nurturing deep roots of self-love, so we can sustain individual wellbeing while also serving our collective wellbeing. This is why our Athletic, Health and Human Sexuality, and Service Learning and Social Entrepreneurship Departments joined forces as a Wellbeing Team this year to create JK-12 Transfer Goals that ensure every Saint is continuously learning and practicing the tools of wellbeing through our curricula and beyond.

In the midst of changing to our new schedules, many faculty took it upon themselves to host wellbeing-related offerings for our community. Lower School Kindergarten Teacher Katie Stadler applied her professional development funds last summer to learn how to teach mindfulness, and has been leading morning meditations for faculty on a weekly basis. Upper School Science Teacher Sam Chan, a certified yoga instructor, has been teaching a biweekly Flow Yoga class for faculty after school, in addition to a student course during school hours. Upper School Math Teacher and Track Coach Jordan LeFever created a Body Positivity Club with students, which has been educating our community on the prevalence of eating disorders across genders and how to seek help.

At a systemic level, our roots as changemakers run deep within our Episcopal Identity and are further nourished by the work of KiKi Davis, who has created affinity groups for students, faculty, and families across all three campuses to ensure every member feels seen, heard and loved. Her department continuously offers educational opportunities such as the Donna Ryan Multicultural Seminar and the Examining Whiteness faculty group (co-led by Joe Wenger, Upper School English teacher and diversity and equity initiatives coordinator) to deepen our understanding of ourselves and the diverse identities that make up our community.

Yet our work continues, especially amongst our student leaders, to create a peer-to-peer culture that defies today's norms and models a better world than the one we live in and hear about consistently in the media. This is why our Middle School Dean of Students, Jonathan Japha, in collaboration with our Service Learning and Social Entrepreneurship Department, has created the Student Leadership Council (SLC)—a group of 10 eighth graders who develop changemaker-leadership skills and apply them to address an issue affecting their peers. This year they asked themselves, “How might we create a student community where everyone respects each other and honors each person for who they are?”

Their solution: creating cross-grade “families” that help to foster empathy across sixth, seventh, and eighth graders and to encourage rolemodeling and support of older students to younger students.

This idea has been accepted

by Mr. Japha and will be implemented next school year. In the meantime, the SLC has shifted gears to focus on creative ways to keep our student community connected and positive during distance learning.

At the Upper School, students in our Social Entrepreneurship course have identified a lack of peer-to-peer respect as a key growth area as a student community. As such, many have chosen to focus their class projects on anti-bullying/peer advocacy work and other awareness-building events that honor underrepresented student groups, identities, and passions in the community. Responding now to new needs during these times of distance learning, they are also coming up with creative solutions to address social isolation amongst their peers and keep students engaged and optimistic.

As Colloquium for the Common Good guest speaker Ali Fraenkel said in our closing session: community is a verb.

Thriving as a collective begins with thriving as individuals, and creating pathways for others to do the same as changemakers.

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TAKING STRATEGIC ACTION

STEP 2: EMPATHIZING

with diverse experiences.

Empathy is the spark that ignites a changemaker into action. The world's largest network of social entrepreneurs, Ashoka: Innovators for the Public, surveyed their community to learn more about how they began their lifelong work in service of others. Almost unanimously did these visionary leaders identify a moment of empathy—feeling, thinking and seeing through the perspective of another—as how they first learned about a problem and felt inspired to take action. Often, this empathic experience happened in their youth, before the age of 21.1 At SSSAS, we build empathy through stories. Our school libraries intentionally stock our shelves with books whose main characters serve as “windows” into diverse experiences, as well as “mirrors” to all student identities and backgrounds.2 This is no easy task.

According to a study conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, 50 percent of all children's books depict characters that are white. Holding second place are animals, who are depicted 27 percent of the time, which is more than all characters of color combined.3 Of course, this gross misrepresentation extends far beyond children's books. Look whose history is told in most textbooks, how the media portrays people of color, what backgrounds disproportionately hold leadership positions in government, business, and nonprofit organizations. As Chris Newman '00 said as keynote speaker for this year's Colloquium for the Common Good: “If you go to a conference and you see that everyone is from the same race, there is a reason for that.”

16 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

Empathy comes easily for children who are exposed to diverse perspectives all the time. Yet at a private school with a high barrier to entry, developing empathy takes going the extra mile to reach out to people beyond our immediate relationships.

This is where service learning comes in, to broaden our perspective and recognize the rich diversity of experiences in our Alexandria and DMV community.

Ann Bremner, director of Lower School math, has created a vehicle for empathy-building (literally) with her initiative, the Rolling RhomBus (see p. 20). Working in Title I schools prior to SSSAS, Mrs. Bremner saw the need for sharing the creative math games that she was teaching our Saints with the wider community. With an SSSAS Innovation Grant, she reoutfitted this phased-out mini-bus into a mobile math classroom, and has taught our students to lead these games with younger children who attend All Ages Read Together (AART), a free preschool with locations in Alexandria and beyond.

Since most of the preschoolers in the program this year speak Spanish as their first language, Lower School Spanish Teacher Alexandra Johnson frequently joins these trips to help our Saints practice bilingual communication skills to more effectively play and learn with the children. Thus, the learning is bi-directional: while

AART's students are learning math, our students are practicing their Spanish and learning about bilingualism and child development.

Of course, there is plenty of empathy-based service learning that can be done without setting foot off campus.

In seventh grade, Art Teachers Victoria Calabrese and Kati Towle have launched a new project in their arts curriculum exploring the theme of accessibility.

Students first listened to the stories of SSSAS employees who shared their challenges of being differentlyabled and navigating public spaces, including our school. Through more empathetic eyes, the students went on a tour around the Middle School to see what spaces needed to be redesigned to be more accessible to all physical abilities.

These designs will be shared with our Building and Grounds team with the hopes of changes being made.

Service learning often has a bad reputation for its well-intentioned yet misplaced efforts. Eager to help, people often jump straight to the action before taking the time to ask the community what their needs are or invite them to join the action in some way. This leads to service being led by assumptions and biases, and a one-way relationship being built between the one who serves and the one being served.

Through empathy, the conversation shifts from “What can I do for you?” to “What can I learn with you?” Empathy helps us break down barriers due to power and privilege, and challenge our overly simplistic narratives of others. By asking questions of those who we see as “in need” and deeply listening to their stories, we uplift people as the experts of their own experience and can build solutions from a place of trust and collaboration.

STEP 3: UNDERSTANDING our interconnectedness.

So far we've talked a lot about relationships: how we are deepening the ones we have and building bridges to new ones through empathy. But the turning point in our journey of service learning is understanding how all these relationships are interconnected.

This is what problem-solvers and business consultants around the world call “systemsthinking”— and it's a skill our students need now more than ever to address the complex challenges our world faces today.

Taking a systems-approach to service learning means that we see ourselves, and the individuals that make up our community, as interconnected parts of a larger whole.

These parts include other schools (public and private), health institutions, parks and nature, religious communities, senior residential centers, nonprofits, businesses, government, foundations, and more. Within and between these parts are diverse roles, or stakeholders, who are connected by dynamic relationships that follow certain written and unwritten rules of policy, practice, and culture.

This is why Team Justice has taken an “intersectional approach” to teaching social responsibility at SSSAS, merging our long-separate teams of Environmental Stewardship, Institutional Equity and Diversity, Religion, and Service Learning and Social Entrepreneurship. Intersectionality acknowledges that there is no “my issue” and “your issue.” Our issues are all connected by people, place, purpose, and God.

Our community partners are portals to understanding our Alexandria ecosystem.

Before kicking off our Community Care Packages program with ALIVE!, Food Program Director Ann Patterson came to speak to our fourth grade students about food insecurity and the interconnected web of factors leading to the prevalence of poverty and hunger in our community, and I personally visited all our kindergarten and fifth grade classrooms to introduce the initiative. In our Middle School, we kicked off a series of service learning activities with Mother of Light Center (MOLC), a small nonprofit supporting 386 families (and counting) who are earning less than minimum wage salaries (under $13,000 per year), as well as homeless individuals and intermittentlyemployed labor workers.

Before kicking these activities off, the Middle School invited MOLC's Assistant Director, Michele Islas, to speak at an assembly about the issues affecting these families— namely, lack of affordable housing and injustice towards immigrants.

How does greater understanding lead to deeper change? This is what social innovators call the impact spectrum.

In our Social Entrepreneurship courses at the Middle and Upper Schools, we teach the four levels of impact: direct service, scaled direct service, systems change, and framework change (or mindset shift).4 Let's take the issue of hunger, for example. A direct service intervention is one that gives hungry people food

directly, like a soup kitchen. A scaled direct service intervention helps to make the existing system more efficient, for example, helping an intermediary that manages a network of soup kitchens to ensure a continuous supply of food. A systems change intervention, on the other hand, addresses the root cause: why is there hunger in the first place? The lack of affordable housing, the barriers to employment, and more that lead people to not having the means to buy food for themselves. Finally, framework change – or mindset shift – is everyone seeing housing as a human right. Problem solved!

These are just the start to deeper conversations that we need to have with our students. Without consistent curriculum and messaging that develops an ecosystemic mindset in our young people, our collective impact will be far less than our potential.

STEP 4: GROWING

to our fullest potential.

Being a changemaker takes commitment and practice, just like any other art, discipline, or sport. Saying something when we see something. Doing something when no one else will. Seeing that we all have blind-spots and allowing ourselves to be vulnerable, to learn, seek help, and grow.

This fourth stop on the road of inside-out service learning is all about challenging ourselves to reach beyond our comfort zones and embracing all of ourselves, our strengths and vulnerabilities, to grow our impact.

In early March, we began this work with

Spring 2020 | 17

TAKING STRATEGIC ACTION our administrative team, asking each of them to reflect as a department about the strengths and passions they have: What common strengths does your team have to offer others? What causes and communities do you deeply care about? We then bridged the conversation to our Alexandria context, asking everyone to explore what they believe are needs of the community beyond our school. Finally, we strung the two threads together: How can you use your collective strengths and passions to serve those needs?

Our College Counseling Office already goes beyond their roles at SSSAS to help neighboring high school students with the college application process. After looking at their unique strengths and passions, they saw one way to grow this work would be creating specific counseling workshops for LGBTQ+ students, an unmet need they see in the Alexandria community.

Through a similar examination of their own strengths and passions as athletic coaches, Erin Hartman and Dionna Jordan created Saints Play last summer, a tuition-free sports camp for Alexandria elementary-age youth (including our Saints), that uses play to build friendships across the public-private school boundaries and barriers due to socioeconomics, race, ethnicity, and language. The next time they can hold the camp, they are expanding it to include students from more neighboring schools, as well as recruiting more volunteer high school student coaches and organizers. One way they seek to grow in the future is involving more middle school students in the program.

These are just a few ways our community is leveraging its collective strengths and assets in service of the community: our fields and facilities, our strengths and passions, our students and adults. What would be possible if we each took what we are already doing, and invite other collaborators (including our new and existing internal and external partners) to deepen, expand and evolve our service learning experiences with us?

Finding synergies across our institution and ecosystem is the key to maximizing our collective impact on the community within and around us.

STEP 5: ACTING

to create a better world.

Alexandria is rich with diversity. Within its public schools, students represent more than 120 countries and speak over 121 languages.5 Over half speak another language at home, most commonly Spanish, Amharic, or Arabic.6 This melting pot of a city holds many stories of families fleeing oppression and violence in their home countries. In the 1980s, nearly 5,000 people mostly from just one Salvadoran village, Chirilagua, settled in Arlandia. SSSAS parent, Ana Bonilla-Galdamez, was one of those children, and now serves as a social worker in Alexandria City Public Schools, working from the inside-out to make change, especially now in the face of school closures. The challenge: many families do not have access to WiFi at home, nor do the schools have all their up-to-date phone numbers to share essential information about getting food or technology from their neighborhood schools.

Alexandria suffers from systemic poverty.

The vast majority of its students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch at their local school, which are now closed for the foreseeable future. As families scramble to find food and supplies they need that they no longer receive from schools, employers, and community centers, many Alexandrians who have been working tirelessly at minimum wage, part-time, and contractual jobs are also being laid off with no way to continue working from home. Balance that budget with the average monthly rent of low-income “affordable” housing in Alexandria, which costs somewhere between $1100 to $1700, and we have hundreds of families creeping towards homelessness.

Now more than ever, we cannot rely on the City to fix all the holes in our broken system, which has long failed to serve all Alexandrians. Our social workers, nonprofit employees, and community organizers need our help. On the following page are some ways that you can join our collective response to the COVID-19 crisis, and act as a changemaker in the months ahead. https://www.ashoka.org/en-us/activit%C3%A9/empathy-and-young-changemaking Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop, “Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors,” “Perspectives: Choosing and Using Books for the Classrooom,” Vol. 6, No. 3, Summer 1990.

3 https://socialjusticebooks.org/diversity-graphic/ 4 https://ashokau.org/blog/rethinking-the-impact-spectrum/ 5 https://www.acps.k12.va.us/fastfacts 6 https://www.acps.k12.va.us/translation 1 2

18 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

DONATION & DISTRIBUTION OF FOOD & SUPPLIES

With layoffs, closures, lack of transportation, and minimal access to technology and information about food distribution points, community partners are relying on donations and volunteers to help deliver food and supplies. Our Social Responsibility team seeks to empower our school community to contribute in the ways we can by connecting our faculty, students, and families to information and opportunities to serve.

ALIVE!

801 South Payne Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 For more information or to make a donation, visit: alive-inc.org and volunteer at volunteeralexandria.org/careforcommunity Add “SSSAS” in the comments when donating to be included in our total school contribution to the cause.

GREATEST NEED:

Financial donations and volunteers to support food program. A donation of $20 supports one family for about one week. They have suspended physical donations, but still need volunteers to bag groceries.

CARPENTER'S SHELTER Charles Houston Recreation Center 901 Wythe Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 carpentersshelter.org

GREATEST NEED:

Enough meal donations to feed 35-40 adults for new COVID-19 Safety Shelter, serving two meals a day from April 13-May 15. Meals can be prepared using robust hygiene guidelines or purchased from a local restaurant in need.

Schedule food delivery with Volunteer Coordinator Jamila Smith at jamilasmith@carpentersshelter.org with the date and which service (lunch or dinner) you would like to cover.

CARE & COMPANIONSHIP FOR OLDER ADULTS

MOTHER OF LIGHT CENTER

421 Clifford Ave, Alexandria, VA 22305 To volunteer or arrange a donation drop-off: email Executive Director Matilde Alvarado at matilde@gmail.com and cc: vraman@sssas.org.

For more information, visit: motheroflightcenter.com

GREATEST NEED:

“Trunk-to-Curb” Volunteers to drop off food and supplies to the neediest families in Alexandria at a safe social distance. Also seeking donations of diapers, toilet paper, laundry detergent, and basic household cleaning supplies. Especially seeking volunteers who speak Spanish.

Our senior citizens (or “older adults” as many prefer to be called) are in complete isolation within their residential communities due to health risks. To improve wellbeing while also capturing the wisdom of elders, we have partnered with several organizations to pilot a virtual Companion Program, where Upper School students and faculty serve as companions to older adults through phone calls, emails, artwork sent digitally, and biographical interviews. If you or someone you know is interested in serving as a companion or in starting this program in their residential community, please email SSSAS Director of Service Learning and Social Entrepreneurship, Valentina Raman, at vraman@sssas.org.

GOODWIN HOUSE

4800 Fillmore Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22311 3440 S. Jefferson Street, Falls Church, VA 22041

SENIOR SERVICES 206 N. Washington Street, Suite 301 Alexandria, VA 22314

LINCOLNIA SENIOR CENTER 4710 N Chambliss Street Alexandria, VA 22312

CHILDCARE AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

Many Alexandrians have limited to no access to technology and WiFi at home, and the City has yet to find a solution to keeping all students connected to learning at a distance. Many families need support and resources to continue learning and care, and those needs are evolving as more layoffs and economic implications of COVID-19 become clear. In response, we are creating Learning Coalitions with community partners serving students of similar ages, to share online and physical resources and develop collaborative solutions to common challenges.

ALL AGES READ TOGETHER

5128 Lincoln Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22312

GREATEST NEED:

Purchases of educational items on their Amazon wishlist. Please email vraman@sssas.org for the list. Shipments are being shipped to a staff member's houses where the packets will be put together to disperse to our families.

CASA CHIRILAGUA 4109 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria, VA 22305

GREATEST NEED:

Purchases of items from Amazon wish list and grocery list, to be shipped to their community center.

For these lists, email vraman@sssas.org. If you'd like to donate directly to families in need, contact Executive Director Adriana Gómez Schellhaas at adriana@casachirilagua.org.

CHILD AND FAMILY NETWORK CENTER 3700 Wheeler Ave Alexandria, VA 22304

GREATEST NEED:

Food donations of breakfast, lunch, and snack items, to be delivered to CFNC. For a list of suggested items and drop-off hours, email vraman@sssas.org.

Spring 2020 | 19

TAKING STRATEGIC ACTION

THE ROLLING......

The Saints Innovation Grant Program, funded by The Saints Fund, provides financial support to faculty members who are passionate about researching, developing, and advancing professional learning models, cutting-edge teaching approaches, and innovative new programs, courses and curricula to deepen and enrich the student experience.

When Director of Lower School Math Ann Bremner noticed there was a lack of math support programs for the local community, she wanted to find a way to deliver engaging math activities. The Rolling RhomBus was her answer. The RhomBus is loaded with fun ways for our Saints to share their math knowledge with students in the local area. Franny Alston's third grade class recently visited with students in the All Ages Read Together program for some math fun!

20 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

.....RHOMBUS.........

These 3D SumBlox are an innovative way to develop math skills. Learning to count, add, subtract, multiply, and much more is as simple as stacking blocks. They encourage hand-eye coordination and improve motor skills.

Hopscotch may seem like a simple game, but it's much more. In addition to recognizing numbers and counting, it helps children master body control, manage body rhythm, build body strength, balance, and eye and hand coordination.

This life sized Connect4 requires strategic thinking, counting, and the ability to manipulate things and physically make patterns.

The giant-size Jenga is not only fun to play, but also requires creativity, building skills, spacial awareness, and tactile learning.

The students use these normal size, colored dominoes and the yellow jumbo dominoes to improve math skills, develop critical and strategic thinking, as well as learning to visually scan, match, and plan. Dominoes also help children read, match, sort, and classify.

The students use this large, soft die in a number of creative ways, including throwing it in the air to get the number of spaces to move on the number line.

To use the number line, students must be able to recognize numbers, add, and count. It is a multi-sensory game, requiring math skills, jumping, and verbalizing.

Spring 2020 | 21

smART SAINTS SPREAD GOODNESS THROUGH ART

BY MARY ADELINE STIERS '20

22 | St. Stephen's Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

T

This year St. Stephen's and St. Agnes presented its second Colloquium for the Common Good. The Colloquium is a powerful expression of our Episcopal identity and a reflection of our commitment to service and desire to connect with and help those in need. It is a day of learning and deep thinking around some of the most challenging and important social issues of today. The Colloquium is organized by Director of Environmental Stewardship Brian Kane, Director of Service Learning and Social Entrepreneurship Valentina Raman, and Director of Institutional Equity and Diversity KiKi Davis. “The Colloquium underscores the many needs in our world,” Brian Kane said. “By understanding these more fully, and seeing how change begins with individual actions, I believe we are bringing a message of hope to the community—a message that is resonant with our mission to pursue goodness as well as knowledge.”

and bringing them to life on stage, yet there was always something missing for him.

“After so many years working on theater sets, I wanted to create art that would last longer than the run of a play,” Mr. Wade explained. “Some moments I helped create on stage were magical and completely amazing, but unless you were there you missed it. It always seemed sad when the show closed and the set was deconstructed.”

Searching for something more permanent, Mr. Wade fell in love with ceramics.

The day began with Keynote speaker Chris Newman '00, owner of Sylvanaqua Farms, who works to democratize food and agriculture in the Washington, D.C. area. His talk centered around the ethics of farming and his pursuit of ecological, economic, and social sustainability in food, and inspired students to think about sustainability in a new light. Afterwards, students had the opportunity to participate in several of the 29 dynamic workshops led by community leaders and changemakers, including members of the SSSAS faculty and alumni. Students tackled topics from disability rights and advocacy to homelessness and housing justice in Alexandria.

The goal of one of the workshops, “Saints Create 'Good' Art,” led by Upper School Art Teacher Joey Wade, was to collaborate as a community to produce three panes of stained glass and three copper tree sculptures that represent this year's Colloquium theme. To prepare for the workshop, Mr. Wade's Saints Mission ART Team (smART), spent hours making copper leaves for the trees. Mr. Wade talked to the participants about the smART Team's mission and the ways in which art and community can shine together. He then taught them how to prepare, outline, and cut glass pieces. The participants worked diligently to cut and shape colorful stained glass leaves that would eventually be put together to create the foliage for the glass mosaic. By the end of the day, the glass mosaic panels were almost complete and many of the copper leaves for the tree sculptures had been stamped with words that represented “goodness” to the participants. After the Colloquium, the project was completed by the smART Team.

The smART Team was created by Mr. Wade two years ago with a small group of five students who shared a passion for art and the desire to serve others. Mr. Wade endeavors to build a “community that learns and works together to create lasting art for a more beautiful world.” Before coming to SSSAS, he spent 20 years in the world of theatrical scenic design in Chicago, working both in theater and as a teacher. He was passionate about taking scripts

When he moved to Virginia, he joined the Upper School faculty as the 3D art teacher in 2015 and began looking for ways to bring art, the Saints community, and the community at large together. While he was doing some woodworking projects for the school, including a beautiful altar for the Lower School, some students would occasionally stay after school to assist him. “I came to realize that there could be a niche for students who love to create, that don't play a sport or an instrument,” Mr. Wade said. “I wanted to find a place for these students to help both the school community and the world around us through art collaboration, and the smART Team was born.”

Spring 2020 | 23

new outlets of creativity, and the students take away memories that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

On one of these visits, Carlin Trevisan '21 drew a portrait of John, a resident with impaired memory. Soon afterwards he passed away and his wife came across the drawing when going through his belongings. She was moved to tears and went out of her way to thank Carlin and the smART team for spending time with her husband. “When I went to draw portraits that day, I didn't think I was going to make an impact on anyone,” Carlin said. “Now I realize that things I do that seem small to me can make a big impact on someone else's life. That's what being on the smART Team has taught me.” On another visit, we discovered that Sunrise has

What was once a small student-led program, has taken on a life of its own and continues to grow.

Under Mr. Wade's guidance, smARt has flourished and he continues to push students to use their art talents and helpful spirits to connect with and aid others. The Colloquium stained glass project is just one of many community projects the smART Team has undertaken. One ongoing activity they participate in is working with residents at Sunrise Senior Living, a local retirement home. They visit every Wednesday to draw portraits, do crafts, and even make dance videos with the residents. The elders enjoy the company and the opportunity to interact with the students while exploring

a senior resident who only speaks Italian and most of the staff and other residents do not. But Lili Abizaid '20 does, and the resident was extremely excited because she had tons of stories to tell. Lili got an earful as they laughed and talked together the whole visit.

The smART Team also collaborates with the SSSAS student Panda Friends Club, which works with the students at the Charles Barrett Elementary School on their reading or homework once a month. Last year we all worked together on a special arts and crafts project for Mother's Day, decorating small flower pots and creating an array of pipe cleaner flowers. In addition to using the flowers the children made, each pot was filled with real seeds to create a gift for their mothers that would grow and bloom.

24 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

“MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT SMART TEAM ISN'T EVEN THE ART THAT WE DO. IT'S BEING WITH EVERYONE AND WORKING TOGETHER ON ALL THE DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT MEANS SO MUCH TO ME.

WE ARE LIKE FAMILY. IT'S MY FAVORITE PART OF MY DAY. “

Meghan McCue '22

The smART team projects include some special ones for the school community. Last spring the team carved four wooden boxes, one for each class year at the Upper School, and made and turned dozens of wooden pens for each box. This fall the pens and boxes were used for the first time during the Honor Code Ceremony. Each member of the Honor and Disciplinary Board will receive one of the hand turned pens at the end of the year for their service on the board.

Students on the smART Team are encouraged to brainstorm new ideas for projects, and we generate lots of them! Our work as a team had always revolved around serving other people, and I wanted to broaden

our reach to serve all aspects of the community. So what better way than to help animals in need. Over the summer I had an idea for helping cats and dogs waiting for adoption. The team did the research, contacted local shelters, and mapped out a plan. We spent two weeks creating a variety of animal toys that were safe, fun, and durable. Afterwards, we spent an afternoon presenting our creations to the Alexandria Welfare League and surprising the animals with their new toys. It was amazing to watch the other members of smART jump on board and bring my project to fruition, but it was even better for us to watch the animals enjoy what we had created.

“I think the SmART Team is an important and valuable part of the Saints Community,” smART Team member Lindsay Howard '22 said. “It gives us an opportunity to

have creative free rein and express ourselves, while doing good for others and helping the school and the local community. As a member of SmART, I have learned that there is always a community for you full of people that love and accept you, that it's okay to make mistakes because 90 percent of the time they are better than what was planned, and that you have so much power in creativity.”

The stained glass panels and the copper trees created by the community at the Colloquium for the Common Good and completed by the smART Team are a dream come true for Mr. Wade as a tangible, living, and lasting expression of our school's pursuit of goodness, enthusiasm for artistic expression, and commitment to service.

Spring 2020 | 25

The

POWER of

CONNECTIVITY Attending the People of Color and Student Diversity Leadership Conferences

BY KIKI DAVIS Director of Institutional Equity and Diversity

For more than 32 years the People of Color Conference (POCC) has gathered independent school educators throughout the country to provide a safe space for professional development, leadership training, and networking for people of color and their allies. St. Stephen's and St. Agnes has a long history of sending faculty, staff, and administrators to the People of Color Conference. In addition, Upper School students attend the concurrent Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC), a multiracial, multicultural gathering of high school students from all over the United States and abroad.

Recognizing the empowerment of both conferences, SSSAS is committed to creating opportunities for adults and students in our community to participate in this extraordinary experience.

Director of Middle School Admission Ron Ginyard, TJ Moss '21, and Ashlyn Lee '20 attended the conferences for the first time this year. I spoke with Ron about his thoughts on the value of the conference on the greater SSSAS community and asked TJ and Ashlyn to reflect on their experience.

Q. As a first time attendee, what was your initial impression of the conference? Was it different than you expected?

RON: The first word that immediately comes to my mind is

“overwhelming.” I was entirely overwhelmed, but in a really positive way. At first, I didn't know what to do with that feeling, I guess you could say that I didn't know I could feel that good.

I have been so long in an environment where I wasn't close to being a part of the majority and had grown accustomed to feeling like the minority. So, to go into a space this large, where you are not just in the majority, many spaces, like affinity groups, there are only people of color; it, is powerfully reaffirming. So the word, overwhelming, is the best way I can describe my initial impression.

The conference was different than I expected. I have been to a number of different conferences, but this was the largest

26 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

Director of Middle School Admission Ron Ginyard

conference I have ever attended. And as an admission professional, I attend the admission conference of 2,000 people every year and hear them say “this is the biggest conference we've had yet.” To go to this one with an attendance of close to 7,000 was also overwhelming.

As a black man, I often have to lift a heavy emotional and psychological weight to manage being one of few or being the only in whatever professional space I am in. That weight lifting is exhausting, and the weight seems to just get heavier. It was refreshing, exciting, and fun to feel the weight of joy and to lift that weight. I felt like a superhero, and it made me realize there can be a different experience. It was very cool.

So the first surprise was how significantly large the conference was and my next revelation stemmed from that. Being in independent schools for so long, either as a student or an employee, or even just being in education for long, you know that different institutions have different percentages of people of color, but my impression was that people of color are not in education—people of color are not in independent schools. To see 7,000 people at the conference— knowing how many people, even from our own school,

couldn't go—makes you wonder what it could have been.

Again there was that overwhelming feeling and it took about half of the conference to be like, “Wow, this is actually okay.”

Then that feeling turned into frustration—frustration that I had never known what it was like to be around so many people of color.

I had forgotten what it felt like to not have to cover [downplaying part of your identity in order to blend in or avoid stigma]. I had forgotten what it felt like to not have to think “All right, how am I going to be today?” It took me some time, a couple of days, to realize that I can do this; I can be myself. I don't have to worry about it. At first you are like, “Wait, is it okay? Is it not okay?” And then after a day there it felt really good not to have to worry about it.

Q. What impact do you believe attending the People of Color

Conference has had on how you see your role as admission director?

RON: I want more people who are looking at our school,

either as a student or employee, to feel what I felt. And though I've always felt like they were important—the importance of the faculty of color affinity group, the students of color affinity groups, the parents of color, and our alums of color— the need for those groups have been magnified for me.

My desire to encourage our students to attend the Student Diversity Leadership Conference has also grown. My first few years here, I didn't want to pressure anyone to go, I still don't feel like I want to pressure them, but I do want to work a little harder to make them understand the benefits.

Even as someone who was very clear about the benefits, the experience of being there only magnifies it.

It is such a wake-up call. I think our students could be experiencing the same things I was without recognizing it or realizing that they need a conference like SDLC. So I want to do what I can to help them come to grips with what they are feeling and help them to see that attending could really make a difference.

Q. If there was one thing you could share with members of the

community who have not attended the conference about the importance and the value of sending faculty, what would it be?

RON: I've been reading a lot of books lately about basic

human nature and basic human need. Although it is so simple and fundamental, what's really clear to me is that our society has a tendency to forget about basic human nature and needs. Our human survival is dependent on human connectivity, but we divide ourselves into all different sorts of categories and labels in our country and in our society as a whole, globally as well. If you do not have people you can really feel connected to, a connection that makes you feel human, then you don't have self worth. You can't really navigate this world and feel comfortable without that. I think it's so important for people to have that comfort. If you don't know yourself, if you don't love yourself, if you don't believe in yourself, then you can't contribute anything to anybody or anything. I think the value in this conference is people feeling whole and people feeling human.

Q. How has the conference affected you personally?

steps of my development. I attended the Stanley H. King Institute for Independent Secondary Schools two years ago, which offers a model of teaching counseling and listening skills to teachers, advisors, administrators, and other school personnel, and now the POCC conference.

So much of it has been a journey of self-reflection.

The biggest and most powerful piece of this is that I am much more comfortable being myself no matter where I am.

I keep finding ways to fight for that. Before, I felt like I was finding ways to fight against that. I got tired of being someone I wasn't. It just grew to the level of emotional and psychological fatigue. Now I know it really isn't worth trying so hard not to be myself; I'd rather work hard to be myself.

The other way this has affected me is in my role as a parent and asking myself, what am I teaching my kids?

How can I help them make progress in this way before I did? I would hate for them to be in their mid-thirties before they begin to figure out their identity and how to use their voice and how to feel confident. I want to be a good dad in that respect as well.

Q. Is there anything else you would like to share about your experience at the POCC?

RON: Yes. Everyone should go! No matter who you

are, no matter how you identify as a person of color, essentially, everyone should have that opportunity to feel what it is like to not have to change who you are—to not have to cover or figure out how to present yourself in a way that is not threatening to someone else. Or whatever wall it is that you have put up for yourself. You should have the opportunity to let that wall down and know what it feels like so you can better navigate places in a way that is more authentic.

The other thing is, our white colleagues should appreciate that the independent school environment is their People of Color Conference every day. They should try to understand what it feels like to not be in the majority. Every human, and I believe this at my core, should experience that in some way. I think it's important for them to use that experience as empathy for why this conference is a really big deal to us in this community. I think if they can do that, then everyone will appreciate its true value.

RON: It has impacted me personally in so many ways and

it feels great. This conference was perfect timing in my next Spring 2020 | 27

Nyia Cummings, '20, Ashlyn Lee, '20, TJ Moss, '21, Derek Johnson, '20, Zach Gunn, '21, Mimi Shea, '22

The Student Diversity

LEADERSHIP Conference ...continuing the conversation with attendees TJ Moss '21 and Ashlyn Lee '20 Q. How would you describe your initial impression of SDLC? Did it change over the course of the three days?

Q: What did you learn at the conference that you are excited to share with the Saints Community?

TJ: Going into SDLC, I was a little nervous about meeting

TJ: I learned that in order to be comfortable with sharing

ASHLYN: I really wasn't sure what sort of other students

ASHLYN: I was most excited about talking to our Asian affinity group, Asians Coming Together, after the conference to tell them all about SDLC. I felt a strong sense of community in the affinity groups at the conference and I was eager to tell the group at SSSAS that a lot of our experiences are shared by other students across the nation. I learned how crucial it is to listen to each other in order to learn from one another, treating others with equity and respect. One listening exercise that we did at SDLC was a fishbowl activity that I ended up leading

new people and the fear of being judged based on how I looked and talked, or how people would perceive me and who I am.

However, over the course of SDLC, I felt more open and safe enough to share my ideas with people and open up to random strangers that I had just met. The power of SDLC and opening up to strangers is something that I think every student should experience.

would be attending SDLC. Since the conference was about diversity, I expected people coming from a broad range of backgrounds, and I was nervous that meeting so many people could easily get awkward. During the conference, I found that among thousands of people, everyone I met was eager to find friends and connect to people with similar stories or different experiences. I was surprised by everyone's vulnerability and the support they offered to each other.

28 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

who you are, you have to be comfortable with yourself. Before SDLC, I was not as comfortable with sharing who I was and expressing myself to others because of the fear of being judged.

However, over the course of SDLC, I learned that I have to be comfortable with myself in order for me to open up and share myself with others and allow others to hear about my experiences.

back at school along with other Senior Peer Leaders with freshmen and their parents. I felt much more equipped for that after the conference.

Q. Did the conference have an impact on you personally? If so how?

TJ: The conference had a big impact on me personally

because of how it impacted my identity. Throughout the course of SDLC, I felt more empowered to be a black male and I was proud to be who I am, especially in a society where my people are not praised for being who they are.

“I realized for the first time that I might be missing out by ignoring part of my identity for so long.”

ASHLYN LEE '20

ASHLYN: It wouldn't be unusual for me to feel embarrassed about being Korean if the topic arose, and to try to avoid the subject of race at all costs. After the conference, I realized that there are kids who take immense pride in their heritage and I was filled with admiration for them. I realized for the first time that I might be missing out by ignoring part of my identity for so long. The kids I met in the SDLC Asian affinity group were normal and fun while enjoying being Asian. That made a huge difference in my life and I started asking my grandparents questions in order to learn more about what it means to be a Korean American.

Q: What one-word or phrase would you use to describe your experience? Why? TJ: My experience at SDLC was much more than one word

or phrase. It would be so hard to limit the power that SDLC had over me because of the moments I experienced, lessons I learned, and the friendships I made through the conference.

However, If I had to say one word that would best describe SDLC it would be unforgettable.

ASHLYN: Eye-opening. I met so many people I otherwise would not have. Both kids of color and white kids had their stories to share and we could all learn from each other to encourage understanding. The speakers spoke quite eloquently and showed us things about the history of people of color in the U.S. that I had never learned before and gave me a new perspective.

Q. What would you tell one of your peers about attending this conference?

TJ: This conference is such a life-changing conference

everyone should have the opportunity to attend. It really opened my eyes to the number of people who are going through experiences similar to me. However, you must go into SDLC with an open mind and be able to listen to other people's stories and what their experiences are like.

ASHLYN: SDLC gathers such a range of students who are ready to learn from one another and to share their life stories. It encourages students to embrace themselves and to connect to those around them who can understand their circumstances. I believe that if you are prepared to meet new people and ready to support them, then it's an incredible experience.

“I learned that in order to be comfortable with sharing who you are, you have to be comfortable with yourself.”

TJ MOSS '21

Spring 2020 | 29

: S E I R O T S Y T I C HOW

ND IT SHAPES US A T N E M N O R I N ENV A B R U THE E P A H WE S his power, he dramatically reshaped the structure of the New York metropolitan area, focusing on expanding highways and eliminating “urban blight.”

“Draw me a map of what you see then I will draw a map of what you never see and guess me whose map will be bigger than whose?”

KEI MILLER “THE CARTOGRAPHER TRIES TO MAP A WAY TO ZION”

A few years ago, I taught a “Literature of New York” seminar for seniors. The course was inspired by my time living in New York while a student at NYU and by a similar course taught by my mentor at the university. While preparing the curriculum for that course, I stumbled upon a bit of New York history that was entirely new to me: the story of Robert Moses and Jane Jacobs.

Known as the “master builder” and the “power broker” (the title of Robert Caro's Pulitzer Prize winning biography), Robert Moses was a uniquely polarizing figure. He was never elected into public office, yet he controlled vast sums of public money and created and ran various public authorities. With

30 | St. Stephen's Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

Moses first encountered Jane Jacobs when he wanted to extend Fifth Avenue through Washington Square Park, a central hub for activity in the Greenwich Village neighborhood. Jacobs, a local resident who split her time between raising her three children and writing for Architectural Forum, felt compelled to join a grassroots movement to stop the work which she believed would destroy the community life; and she succeeded. It would be her first, but not last, victory in her war with Robert Moses.

Ultimately, the conflict between the two was a fight over who should shape the city and for what purpose.

Influenced by Modernists like Le Corbusier, Moses saw the city from above, moving city blocks around like so many game pieces in a board game. Jacobs, however, experienced the city from the sidewalk, surrounded by people, strangers and neighbors alike; and she believed those people were the true heart of the city, not its buildings and streets. As she wrote in her most famous book, “The Death & Life of Great American Cities,” “Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.”

By Joe Weng er, Upper Sc

hool Eng lish Tea

cher

Having spent the majority of my adult life in cities— New York, London, and Washington, D.C.—and witnessing their transformation quite literally before my eyes, I was fascinated by the real life “David and Goliath” story of Robert Moses and Jane Jacobs.

I was, moreover, moved by Jacobs's courage and her commitment to people and community. As we continue to grapple with how to define and maintain a sense of community in the age of social media, Jacobs's ideas seemed entirely relevant to our current moment.

By sheer coincidence, in the same year that I was teaching my “Literature of New York” seminar, some colleagues and I attended a workshop on respectful discourse at the Collegiate School in Richmond sponsored by the Virginia Diversity Network. Dr. Julian Hayter, a historian at the University of Richmond, shared some of his work on the unique history of Richmond, and I was particularly struck by the data he shared on the trajectory of urbanization and the rapid growth of megacities around the world.

The future of humanity, it seemed, was in cities.

After Dr. Hayter's workshop, my thoughts shifted away from New York City. I had come to realize that my ideas for the “Literature of New York” seminar had always been filtered through my nostalgia for my time there as a college student, and it lacked some

relevance and tangibility for my students who had never had the experience of living in that city.

I had attended the workshop at Collegiate with KiKi Davis, our director of institutional equity and diversity, and she and I spent the drive home from Richmond discussing the intersectionality of race and urban planning as Dr. Hayter had discussed the history of Richmond. I began to realize that my vision of an urban literature course failed to do justice to the diversity of city life, and that an interdisciplinary course that could deploy various lenses might be the answer.

A few months later, KiKi and I started talking with Brian Kane, our director of environmental stewardship. Knowing that Brian held postgraduate degrees in urban and environmental planning and landscape architecture, I felt he could bring the knowledge and experience to the class Spring 2020 | 31

that I lacked. Lucky for me, Brian was more than enthusiastic about the idea. That spring, Brian, KiKi, and I drafted the course description for our new class: “City Stories: How We Shape the Urban Environment and It Shapes Us.” Now in its third year, KiKi, Brian, and I like to open the semester by explaining to our students that the intent of the course is to introduce other disciplines to a “traditional” English class, including history, urban studies, landscape architecture, ethnicity and race studies, cultural studies, film studies, and musicology. Our aim, we tell them, is to explore the intersection of these disciplines and how we can use them as a lense through which we can look at contemporary urban life with an eye to both the past and the future.

We also explain that our “texts” for the semester will include our local area, namely Washington, D.C., Alexandria, and their own neighborhoods.

The idea is that they can start to “read” the city and think critically about its design and how people interact in these spaces. One early project in the class tasks the students with observing

a space they consider urban. They must spend at least an hour in the place, taking note of the boundaries and landmarks that define the space and how people are interacting. We also ask them to consider how they are perceived as an observer.

One of our students this year, Sylvie Weiman '20, remarked that she made a game of her observation at the new Waterfront Park in Old Town, trying to guess who was a tourist and who was a local.

Another student, Ashley West '20, visited the new Union Market in Northeast D.C. Commenting on the diversity of food and crafts at the market, she shared, “It's kind of like America—all of these cultures coming together in this one space.”

Connecting our reading and in-class discussions to the local area has also been an important part of our curriculum. Last year we read a novel

by Dinaw Mengestu, an Ethiopian immigrant who lived in Washington, D.C., as both an undergraduate student and visiting professor at Georgetown University. His 2007 novel, “The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears,” tells the story of an African immigrant who owns a grocery store in the Logan Circle neighborhood on the cusp of gentrification. After completing the novel,

Photos fo r an urban o bservation as Ashley We signment taken st '20 at Uni

by Chase Beasley on Market in '20 in the Light Street Northeast D.C. neighborhood in Baltimore (far (second from the right and far left), left), and Sylvie Weim an '20 at the new Waterf ront Park in Old Town (second from the

32 | St. Stephen's Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

right).

we took the students into the city and walked from Logan Circle to Dupont Circle, retracing the footsteps of the novel's characters. Along the way, we stopped to discuss a variety of local landmarks, such as Logan Circle residences #1 and #2, the Louise Hand Laundry building, and the Cairo apartment building. Most of the students had never been to these parts of the city, and all of them remarked on how it impacted their experience of the literature.

We have taken other trips into the District and Old Town. After studying L'Enfant's original plans for the nation's capital, we started at Eastern Market and followed the path of the old canal down to the Potomac River near the Navy Yard, finding traces of the past and discussing the impact of the recent development. Another trip took us from the African American Heritage Memorial Park tucked behind the Whole Foods on Duke Street down through Wilkes Tunnel to the newest developments along the river in Old

Town. These “city walks” have made the learning literally concrete in a way that we never could if we didn't leave the classroom.

I must admit that I poached the epigraph with which I began this article. Sarah Broom uses it as an epigraph for her 2019 memoir, “The Yellow House,” about her family's history—and the greater history of the African American community—in New Orleans East. Jamaican poet Kei Miller structures his poem as a dialogue between “the cartographer” and “the rastaman.”

The rastaman is a foil to the cartographer, challenging the cold objectivity with which he looks at the world. I couldn't help but see echoes of Jane Jacobs and Robert Moses in Miller's poem and reflect on what I hope to achieve in a class like “City Stories.” I want our students to see as both the cartographer and the rastaman, but more importantly, I want them to have the skills and the courage to find what they “never see.”

S E I R O T CITY S

Spring 2020 | 33

Setting “Oliver!” in a Steampunk Universe Head Set Designer Skye Schofield-Saba '21 shares the joys and challenges of creating the sets for the Upper School Stage One Player productions.

BY MELISSA ULSAKER MAAS '76

Skye met with me in February to discuss the design process for the spring musical production of “Oliver!,” as she was in the throes of building the set. She was a bit nervous about how much there was to do before the show opened on March 6, but it was hard to tell. Skye radiates a positive energy and an enthusiasm that is contagious. She is articulate and her words tumbled out like a fast flowing tide as she talked about her passion for design and what she has learned working on five Upper School theater productions, four of them as the lead set designer.

34 | St. Stephen's Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

How did you end up doing set design?

SKYE: It's actually a funny story. I have always been a chorus student and our chorus teacher, Mrs. Dallis Byrne, encouraged me to audition for The Addams Family musical in my freshman year, but I completely missed the auditions! I still wanted to be involved in the production and I love drawing and creating things, so I signed up for set construction. I absolutely fell in love with working backstage, the process of set building, and the camaraderie. Working on a set and being dedicated to something for so many months really bonds people.

The show was a big success with amazing seniors leading the design, construction, and technical aspects of the show, but the next year they were gone. I remember having a discussion with the faculty set supervisor about the responsibilities for “Peter and the Starcatcher” and basically volunteering to design all the sets. It was insanely challenging and a tremendous learning experience as a sophomore! Not only was I juggling set designs and show dates, but also all my academic assignments. I was dealing with problems as they appeared, not having enough experience yet to know how to prevent them. In the end, the show was

amazing and earned some great Cappies* reviews. Since then, I have become more confident and more ambitious in my set designs!

How do you start the design process?

SKYE: The design team meets to brainstorm ideas for the set and themes of the show.

I already have the script and some initial sketches to share at the first meeting, but everyone is encouraged to create and share their sketches and ideas. We discuss them all and then I create a set of final ideas, sketches, and blueprints which we use to start the building process. These design meetings are crucial to the show because they determine the feel, look, and presence of the whole musical.

What are your responsibilities as head set designer?

SKYE: I oversee the Set Design and Construction Teams, which includes construction, painting, and set dressing. The number of students involved fluctuates but for “Oliver!,” we have around 20 students working on set design and 15 working on set construction. The set construction jobs are assigned. For example, a group of students will be tasked with building the stairs or building platforms. I come up with the color schemes and painting designs and the painting team paints the whole set.

Set dressing is a collaboration between the Design Team and Props and Set Team. I meet with the faculty supervisors to talk about what we need to make or buy to dress the

set. For instance, for this show we needed rugs, lamps, tables, and chairs. The rule is, if it is too big to easily pick up, it falls under set construction (we make a lot of our tables).

Otherwise, it's a prop.

How and why did you decide on a steampunk theme for “Oliver!”?

SKYE: After doing a number of forest-based shows, I was really excited to bring a city like London to life. I wanted to create that dingy, dirty, dark side of the city but also have it be beautiful. Boom, steampunk was brought to the table. I have always loved the steampunk aesthetic and I think the golden, copper gears are truly mesmerizing. Since “Oliver!” is set in the industrial period, I thought this new take of industrial steampunk would be refreshing.

Spring 2020 | 35

What design challenges do you encounter?

SKYE: I face many problems of all kinds.

My constant fears involve things breaking, not functioning like they are meant to, or not having enough time to get everything done. We only have a few months to make a large, full-scale structure with many intricate details that has to be safe for the actors. Staying within our set budget is also a challenge. Creating a set that is not too ambitious with our time and money can be difficult.

36 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

From the very beginning, the intent was to design an impressive set for “Oliver!� because it was chosen as our Cappies* show. No pressure or anything! As I designed and sketched the set, I had a clear image in my head. However, for the amount of time we had, the sheer size of the structure alone was considerable. The split-level platform is 28' wide and 6.8' tall with a trapezoid platform attached to the side that seemed easy to draw out, but actually needed a lot of cutting and precise measurements to work. As we build, I have to change and update my designs and formulate new ways to tackle problems that pop up.

For example, I had designed the set with two grand staircases and one backstage staircase for easy access to the top level.

If you've never built a grand staircase, I'll let you in on a secret. It is not easy to build one, let alone two! In the end, I changed the design to one bigger staircase that had a small landing in the center for dancers and actors to use in blocking. Then one of the actors explained that there should be a backstage ramp to the second level that would help actors move up and down more quickly and allow stagehands to carry set pieces on without the danger of missing a

step. This had not occurred to me, but now I know I need to use ramps when designing split-level platforms.

Other design struggles have involved the use of projections and special effects. The design incorporates a blank skyline in the back onto which we will project different backdrops for each location. For these I had to draw, color, and test out the projections, which took a lot of creativity and time! My initial idea for the special effects was to have a pvc pipe run along the platform like normal pipes and blow out “steam” using a fog machine, adding to our steampunk theme.

But fog often does not like to cooperate and it took a long time to figure out how to position the pipes and how many bends and splits allow for a steady stream of fog.

Many details need to be fit in or adjusted along the way. One of the things that makes a good set designer is being flexible with issues, changes, and new ideas as they appear…I'm still working on that.

Do you think you might want to pursue this in college?

design and construction allow me to dip into those passions. I fully intend to be a part of college theater and design and construct sets there, too. On my college tours I always ask if I can participate in theater without being a theater or arts major! In addition to providing a creative outlet, I think It will be a great way to make friends. *The Cappies is a writing and awards program that trains high school students to be expert writers, critical thinkers, and leaders.

SKYE: Drawing and creating things have been passions of mine since I was little. Set

Spring 2020 | 37

FACE-TO-FACE WITH OUR FACULTY

If Mike Carter, our director of College Counseling, is not in his office helping

students and their families through the college process, he is definitely going to be outside. He LOVES the outdoors! Hiking, hunting, gardening, fishing, bird watching, coaching, or swimming at the beach—anything outside makes him happy. He even brings the great outdoors into his office, which is adorned with a collection of waterfowl decoys and duck prints. He is an active volunteer for wetlands conservation and a member of Ducks Unlimited, an organization that conserves, restores, and manages wetlands and associated habitats for North America's waterfowl. He has served as the chairman of the Alexandria Chapter and is a member of the Virginia DU State Council. Mike's favorite thing in the world is to spend time with his family; his wife, two daughters, and many extended relatives. For him, nothing beats throwing the lacrosse ball with daughter Caroline, or taking long nature walks with daughter Greta and their Tibetan Terrier, Rudy, who is “too cute for his own good.” Nearly 31 years ago Mike married his high school sweetheart and prom date, Kate. She is an opera singer and voice teacher so there is always classical music and Broadway show tunes playing in their house, except for Friday nights when the Carters have “dance parties” to current pop and 80s rock. On the way to school Mike listens to country, but on the way home the dial turns to classic rock. Recent concerts include; Blue Oyster Cult, Steven Tyler, a Johnny Cash tribute band and 5 Seconds of Summer with his daughters. Mike is a U.S. Army veteran, a teacher, and a dedicated college counselor extraordinaire. Last summer he received the Potomac and Chesapeake Association for College Admission Counselors' Richard L. Apperson Award, the association's highest award for extraordinary service to students and to the college counseling profession. Mike has held many positions within PCACAC, including president and too many others to name.

He has also servedon two national committees for the National Association of College Admission Counselors. He feels fortunate to get to know our students as they prepare for the next step in their educational journeys and finds watching them pursue their passions, whether it be in athletics, music, theater, robotics or service, to be truly motivating.

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

Socio-economic disparities and systemic racism. It's too big of an issue to fix in just one area, because there is a snowball effect that bleeds into other areas.

Therefore, I would take a magic wand and Boom! Do away with those issues.

What is the best piece of advice you've ever gotten?

When in doubt, show up. Be present. Sometimes in life just being there is the most important thing.

Brag about something.

I get to work with two of the best professionals and people ever – Associate Directors of College Counseling TIm Doyle and Libby Weith. They absolutely make it a pleasure to come to work each day! Working with them is one of the greatest honors I have ever had.

What makes you feel like a kid again?

Snow days!!!

What is one of your favorite things to do at school?

One of my favorite things to do at school is decorating the Christmas tree in the College Office with all of the ornaments from the different colleges we have visited and to which we have sent our students.

What helps you persevere when you feel like giving up?

Several people in my life have had major health issues. Watching them handle extreme situations and seemingly insurmountable physical and emotional challenges with grace and patience is incredibly inspiring. It helps put life into perspective and allows me to keep going.

Dr. Michael Carter 38 | St. Stephen's Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

SAINTS IN ACTION

Students Recognized for National Academic Achievement

Virginia Interscholastic Athletic Administrator of the Year

This year's National Merit Scholars were recognized at the first semester Academic Convocation in January. More than 1.5 million students from about 22,000 high schools entered the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2018 Preliminary SAT/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Scoring in the top 5 percent nationally, seniors Jay Cunningham and Abbie Henshaw were named Commended Scholars. Scoring in the top 1 percent nationally, seniors Jessica Lopez, Ryan Vuono, and Sylvie Weiman were named National Merit Semifinalists and will continue on in the National Merit Scholarship Competition.

In recognition of her dedication and hard work, the Virginia Interscholastic Administrators Association named SSSAS Girls Athletic Director Stephanie Koroma the VISAA Administrator of the Year. Stephanie has been an Upper School science teacher and head softball coach at SSSAS for 17 years and is currently in her 11th year as Girls Athletic Director.

Robotics Team Qualified for the World Championships Again In January, Upper School robotics team Thunderstone competed in the FIRST Tech Challenge Chesapeake Virginia Salem Qualifier and finished the day as the top-ranked team and captains of the winning alliance. On the field, they were undefeated all day and earned the 2nd place Control, 2nd place Design Award, and 1st place Collins Aerospace Innovative Award.

They moved on to compete at the FIRST Tech Challenge Virginia state championship, where they were undefeated in the Kamen division. As the first place winners in the qualifying rounds, they earned the right to captain the 1st seed alliance in the division. They proceeded to beat the 4th seed in the quarterfinals and the 2nd seed in the semifinals to conclude the event as the 1st seed in the Kamen division and captains of the state finalist alliance, which qualified them for the World Championship for the second consecutive year. Unfortunately, the competition has been cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Thunderstone currently holds the 7th best score in the world.

Additionally, Adrienne Lai '21 was selected as one of four Virginia Deans List Finalists. Students who earn this recognition are great examples of student leaders who have led their teams and communities to increased awareness for FIRST and its mission. These students have also achieved personal technical expertise and accomplishment.

This is the second consecutive year a Saint has been selected as Abbie Henshaw '20 was last year's recipient.

Spring 2020 | 39

SAINTS IN ACTION

Celebrating Black History Month Saints honored Black History Month in February on each campus with special guests, concerts, and chapel services.

“African Americans have contributed to every aspect of American culture and our celebrations include recognition for those influences,” said KiKi Davies, director of institutional equity and diversity. “We celebrate their contributions to the arts, literature, music, theater, science, and medicine.”

The Middle School held a special assembly filled with student readings and performances.

The annual Upper School Black History Month Chapel recognizing the struggles and triumphs of Black people in America included musical performances and a deep, heartfelt senior chapel talk from Nyia Cummings (far right).

The Upper School Jazz Ensemble gave a special performance in honor of Black History month with guest artists DeAndre Shaifer on trumpet, Janelle Gill on piano, Romeir Mendez on bass, and Carroll V. Dashiell III on drums and cymbals. Some of the jazz tunes included in the concert were “Sign Me Up” by Mike Kamuf, “Step Lightly” arr. by Mike Kamuf, “Centerpiece” arr. by Mike Story, and “Red Clay” arr. by Sean Wagoner.

40 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

Dr. Howard Stevenson Speaks to Faculty and Staff On February 12, faculty and staff gathered together to spend the morning portion of a Professional Day with Dr. Howard Stevenson, the Constance Clayton Professor of Urban Education, Professor of Africana Studies, in the Human Development & Quantitative Methods Division of the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the executive director of the Racial Empowerment Collaborative at Penn, designed to promote racial literacy in education, health, community and justice institutions.

Dr. Stevenson is a nationally recognized clinical psychologist and researcher on negotiating racial conflicts using racial literacy for independent and public K-12 schooling, community mental health centers, teachers, police and parents. His research publications and clinical work involve developing culturally relevant “in-themoment” strengths-based measures and therapeutic interventions that teach emotional and racial literacy skills to families and youth and have been funded by the W.T. Grant Foundation, the Annenberg Foundation, and the National Institutes of Mental Health and Child Health and Human Development. His recent best-selling book, “Promoting Racial Literacy in Schools: Differences that Make a Difference,” is designed to reduce racial threat reactions in face-to-face encounters.

Jerry Craft Visits Lower and Middle School Author and illustrator Jerry Craft captivated our Lower and Middle School students with his life story and some illustrations. Jerry has won numerous awards, including this year's Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award on the same day for his graphic novel “New Kid.” This is the first time ever a graphic novel has won the Newberry medal, and Jerry is proud of breaking the barrier for the format.

Jerry is also the creator of the award-winning “Mama's Boyz” comic strip, which was distributed by King Features Syndicate from 1995-2013, making him one of the few syndicated African-American cartoonists in the country. In addition, he has worked as the illustrator on numerous picture books, graphic novels, and middle grade novels and drawn greeting cards, board games, book covers, and illustrations for magazines. Jerry's visit was made possible through funding by the Association of Parents and Teachers.

Spring 2020 | 41

SAINTS IN ACTION

Dr. Alysia Harris '06 Returns for Poetry Week 2020 For nearly 30 years, the sophomore class has studied poetry with a visiting poet during the celebrated Poetry Week program. In March, Alysia brought her magic back to the Upper School for the second year in a row to spend a week leading classes through writing exercises, providing feedback to student work, and sharing personal and professional experience. She also gave an inspiring chapel talk. Her love of words and poetry runs deep and goes back to her days as a student at SSSAS, when she gave captivating and moving performances of her work. Her talents were recognized at Prize Day, as the recipient of the Charles James Shell Memorial Prize in English and a Saints Medal.

While a student at the University of Pennsylvania, she experienced her first success as a writer and a performer as a member of the winning 2007 CUPSI (Slam Poetry) and Brave New Voices Teams. In 2008 she was featured on the HBO documentary “Brave New Voices,” where

she wowed audiences with her piece “That Girl.” In 2010 she graduated Summa Cum Laude with honors and was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society.

She received an MFA in poetry from NYU in 2014 and completed her Ph.D. in linguistics at Yale in 2019.

Today, Alysia is an accomplished, internationally known performance artist, poet, and activist. She is a founding member of The Strivers Row poetry collective, co-founder of the start-up Artist Inn Detroit, and a Cave Canem fellow.

Her first chapbook, “How Much We Must Have Looked Like Stars to Stars,” won the 2015 New Women's Voices Chapbook Contest and she is a two time Pushcart nominee, and two-time winner of the 2015 and 2014 Stephen Dunn Poetry Prize.

Special thanks go to the Alumni Association, Alumni of Color Affinity Group, and Upper School English Department for making Alysia's visit possible!

Washington Post Reporter Visits Upper School

Washington Post Reporter Lillian Cunningham and US History Teacher Bud Garikes

42 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

Upper School History Teacher Bud Garikes invited awardwinning Washington Post reporter Lillian Cunningham to speak to students taking government and journalism classes. Lillian is the creator and host of The Post's “Moonrise” about the Apollo Program, “Presidential,” and “Constitutional” podcasts. Her podcasts have tackled fake news and the upcoming presidential election. Before moving to podcasts, Lillian was the editor of The Post's On Leadership section. She won two Emmy Awards during that time in 2011 and 2015 for her video interview series with leaders across politics, business and the arts. “Moonrise” was named one of the best podcasts of 2019 by Apple Podcasts and “Presidential” was a finalist for the Academy of Podcasters' best news and politics podcast and a 2017 Webby Award honoree for best documentary podcast.

FACE-TO-FACE WITH OUR FACULTY

T

hird grade teacher Franny Alston is an energetic, enthusiastic, ball of fire. She describes herself as loyal and extremely goal-driven. She cares deeply for friends and family. An only child, Franny was adopted from China when she was 13 months old. She grew up in Cambridge, Mass., in a tight-knit family who loves to take big trips together.

The next big trips on her bucket list are Iceland and Zion National Park. In addition to traveling, Franny is passionate about running, spending time with friends, trying new restaurants, and empowering young girls, but her favorite thing in the world is her dog, Atticus. Her 2-year-old Weimararner-Rottweiler mix is a constant in her life, her running buddy, her alarm clock, and a best friend who never fails to greet her with a happy wag of the tail. He helps her stay active, get outside in all weather, and brings joy to every single day. Franny also gets satisfaction from training for a road race and chasing a new personal record. When she's not training for a marathon, you might catch her watching “Friday Night Lights,” “The Office,” and “The O.C.” She's into a variety of music, depending on her mood or what she's doing. In the classroom, she likes to listen to coffee-shop type jazz or Parisian cafe music, but when she's running she needs a loud beat and some pump-up vibes! Her favorite artists include Blink-182, Bruce Springsteen, Third Eye Blind, and of course, Beyonce. When she's not hanging out with Atticus, Franny's heart is in her job. She was drawn to working at SSSAS because of the community, the collaborative environment, and the focus on positive relationships between teachers, students, and their families!

Brag about something.

I am an avid runner! I have run countless 5 and 10ks, am in the midst of training for my 10th half marathon, and have completed two full marathons (both the Marine Corps Marathon in D.C). I would love to fundraise and run for a charity in the Boston Marathon, which is a goal of mine for next year!

What makes you feel like a kid again?

I went to an all girls' sleep away camp, Brown Ledge Camp in Colchester, Vt., from ages 9-14. After being a camper, I became a junior and then senior counselor. I met some of my best friends at this camp, and it holds a very special place in my heart! Every other year, Brown Ledge hosts an alumni camp reunion where we can all return to camp and stay in the cabins, do all the activities, and relive our childhoods! I always feel like my 9-year-old self when I'm jumping into Lake Champlain or trying to remember how to water ski again!

What is something interesting about you that almost no one knows?

I never had braces as a child. I always wanted them since all my friends had cool colors and it was the biggest deal in fifth grade, but my dentist continued to tell me I didn't need them!

What is your greatest strength?

I think my greatest strength is being able to ask for help when I need it. I am not afraid to be vulnerable and reach out to those around me. We live in such a competitive and cut-throat society where I think asking for help appears “weak,” when in reality, it is actually one of the bravest and hardest things to do.

What is one of your favorite things to do in the classroom or as part of your job at the school?

Freeze Dance Fridays as the activity in our morning meeting on Fridays!

What is an incredible experience you've had that few others experienced?

I once shook Michelle Obama's hand and blurted out, “Wow Michelle, you have really soft hands!!”

Franny Alston Spring 2020 | 43

FACE-TO-FACE WITH OUR FACULTY

Candace Gregg is passionate about education. She teaches

history in the Middle School, but also feels it is important to teach life lessons, the unwritten curriculum. Teaching her students to be good people, to remain grounded in the face of adversity, and to be true to themselves is important to her. She has learned new things from her students, including dances from TikTok, the latest conspiracy theories, games to play, pop culture trends, some hip vocabulary words, and Netflix recommendations. Candace grew up in a family of six in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., a very diverse and multicultural city. Her best friends are from five different Caribbean islands, which she feels gave her the invaluable gift of appreciating perspectives different from her own. Hands down, Candace's most favorite thing in the world is her family. She's suffered a great deal of loss, losing her dad, her mom, and her brother, so she is grateful for every day she spends with her husband, Keith, son T.J. '21, and daughters Khloe '30 and Kenley. She strives to fill their days with laughter, believing that laughter is the key to your soul.

Candace gets the greatest satisfaction through helping others in need. She is the Middle School service learning coordinator and has served on seven school committees; she mentors young ladies in a program called “Delta Academy” through her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta; and she volunteers with the National Black United Front's walking food program and the D.C. Bar Association “Know Your Rights” campaign. Candace loves to try new restaurants and read, but there are stacks of books waiting, because—as her husband points out—she also likes to talk…and talk…and talk.

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

Socio-economic disparities and systemic racism. It's too big of an issue to fix in just one area, because there is a snowball effect that bleeds into other areas. Therefore, I would take a magic wand and Boom! Do away with those issues.

What is something you could happily fail at?

Singing. I fail at it every day, but I love to sing and I won't stop.

What are you obsessed with?

Beyoncé. All Hail Queen Bey. I think I know every word to every song. I actually performed my own concert at her concert, right there in my seat. Pretty embarrassing when I look back at the video on my phone, but it was a great show that the BOTH of us put on! :) Where in the world are you the happiest?

On a beach or in a pool. Growing up with a pool in the backyard, I believe I am the fastest nongold medal swimmer and I have perfected the cannonball! When not creating huge splashes, relaxing to the sound of waves, seagulls, and wind is second heaven to me.

What helps you persevere when you feel like giving up?

My kids. As a primary role model, I never want to let them down. I want them to be better than me, so I expect greatness from myself. My favorite line and life mantra is from the poem “Don't Quit” by John Greenleaf Whittier, “Rest if you must, but don't you quit!”

Is there something you pretend to understand when you really don't?

The stock market, it makes my eyes cross! I know the basics, but that's about it. Ironically, I teach about the stock market crash during the Great Depression. I have tried to learn more about the investment side of banking, but it starts to sound like a foreign language so I stick to the basics of Stocks 101.

Candace Gregg 44 | St. Stephen's Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

SAINTS IN ACTION

Senior Receives Service Award Senior Vivion Purser received the Alexandria Rotary Club's Jefferson Cup for Community Service on February 11. Recipients of this award exemplify the Rotary motto of “Service above Self � in their daily lives and volunteer commitments. At the Rotary meeting, Vivion was introduced with the following remarks about her service contributions written by Upper School Associate Director of College Counseling Timothy Doyle:

Vivion Purser '20 is a combination of self-reliance, resourcefulness, and persistence. A goal setter, once her sights are set, Vivion remains undeterred. With a heart full of empathy, service to others is a thread that runs through the fabric of Vivon's life. Whether she is working with the St. Stephen's and St. Agnes Best Buddies Club or SAINTS Service Team, serving dinners at L'Arch, an area home for adults with intellectual disabilities, or tutoring an ESL child at Casa Chiralaqua, an Alexandria organization that supports the Latino community, she believes that the best way to affect change is one action, one person, one day at a time. Vivion has traveled to volunteer with her fellow Saints in Haiti, Nepal, and Guatemala; not to build a resume, but because she truly has a heart for those in need. Whether it's children who live in another country or kids locally who live in an underserved area, Vivion believes that her purpose is to help others along the way. Vivion also co-founded our St. Stephen's and St. Agnes's peer tutoring group.

She helped to create the protocol and steps for student tutors to follow, and she has worked closely with faculty department chairs in math, science, and foreign languages to create a system to pair volunteer student tutors with students who need additional help.

On February 9 the Upper School Choir sang at the Washington National Cathedral's 2020 Choral Evensong Service with the Mid-Atlantic Episcopal School Association. Our choir joined with approximately 300 singers, including the Cathedral Choir, to perform repertoire written for larger choirs. This event represents a unique opportunity for high school choral students from Episcopal schools to lead the service of Evensong at Washington National Cathedral.

Spring 2020 | 45

SAINTS IN ACTION

AWARD-WINNING

Viewpoints

Four Upper School students received top honors in the regional Scholastic Art Awards. Junior Caroline Grace Butler's Gold Key automatically qualified her for the national competition in which she won a Silver Medal!

Andrew Knops '20 Photography | “Up High” Regional: Gold Key Caroline Grace Butler '21 Photography | “Salam” Regional: Gold Key | National: Silver Medal

YOUR GIFT TO THE SAINTS FUND

HOW TO BE A

saint

TALENTED FACULTY AND STAFF Championing our dedicated teachers, coaches, and advisors

EVERY DAY

TRANSFORMATIVE EXPERIENCES Creating extraordinary opportunities for our students which have a profound impact on their futures

For more information, or to make a gift today, visit sssas.org/give 46 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

2020 DC Metro Scholastic Awards for Writing Three Saints won top honors for their writing.

Andrew Knops '20 Jewelry | “Butterfly Necklace” Regional: Silver Key

Jackson de Vallance '21 “A Purpose for Pain“ Personal Essay and Memoir Silver Key Adrienne Lai '21 “Bushy Aster” Poetry Silver Key

Xander Chiaramonte '20 Film | “Shortstop” Regional: Honorable Mention

MAKES

Oliver Nichols '23 “Tacking” Flash Fiction Honorable Mention Noelia Vargas '20 Digital Art | “Beacon of Light” Regional: Honorable Mention

every day POSSIBLE!

INNOVATIVE CURRICULUM Meeting each student where they are and guiding them to achieve their academic potential

thank you FOR SUPPORTING OUR STUDENTS IN SO MANY WAYS WITH YOUR GIFT TO THE 2019-2020 SAINTS FUND.

INSPIRATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS Cultivating inclusion, leadership, and goodness within our Episcopal tradition

Or contact Nicole Morrell, Director of Annual Giving, at 703-212-2715 or nmorrell@sssas.org.

Spring 2020 | 47

SAINTS ATHLETICS

SIMONE HOLLAND '20

GIRLS BASKETBALL Final Record: 17-8

Final ISL-A Standing: 2nd Final VISAA State Ranking:

BRADYN GRIFFIN '21

9th Made it to the ISL-A Division Tournament finals and received a berth in the VISAA State Tournament as the 9th seed. Bradyn Griffin '21 was recognized for scoring her 1,000th career point in January.

Bradyn Griffin '21

All-ISL (A Division): Bradyn Griffin '21

BOYS BASKETBALL Current Record: 26-4

XAVIER LIPSCOMB '20

Final IAC Standing: 1st Final VISAA State Ranking: 2nd Final All-Met Ranking: 3rd 64th Annual Sleepy Thompson Tournament Champions and IAC Champions. The team was also the first ever non-Catholic school to be invited to the prestigious Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament, currently in it's 60th year. Jared Cross '20 was recognized for scoring his 1,000th career point in January.

JARED CROSS '20

Alexandria Sportsman's Club Athlete of the Month: Jared Cross '20 Andre Screen '20

All-IAC:

Xavier Lipscomb '20 - IAC Player of the Year Jamal Barnes '20, Jared Cross '20, Andre Screen '20

VISAA All-State First Team: Xavier Lipscomb '20

VISAA All-State Second Team: Jared Cross '20

Washington Post All-Met:

1st Team: Xavier Lipscomb '20 3rd Team: Jared Cross '20 Honorable Mention: Jamal Barnes '20, Andre Screen '20 48 | St. Stephen's Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

Xavier Lipscomb '20

ICE HOCKEY

Final Record: 5-11-2 The Saints defeated Calvert Hall College High School 8-2 on Senior Day.

All-IAC:

Atticus Beane '20

All-MAPHL Atticus Beane '20

ATTICUS BEANE '20

WRESTLING

Final Record: 3-10-1 Final IAC Standing: 5th Final VISAA Standing: 18th Andrew Lavayen '22 and Ewan Clarke '22 had impressive seasons winning IAC Championships and both finishing in the top 12 at National Preps. Ewan was State-Runner-Up and Andrew finished 3rd at the VISAA State Championships. Andrew also won the 43rd Annual Saints Holiday Classic and the Alexandria City Quad Championship.

Alexandria Sportsman's Club Athlete of the Month: Andrew Lavayen '22

All-IAC:

ANDREW LAVAYEN '22

Ewan Clarke '22 Andrew Lavayen '22

VISAA All-State:

Ewan Clarke '22 Andrew Lavayen '22

EWAN CLARKE '22

Spring 2020 | 49

SAINTS ATHLETICS

BOYS SWIMMING

Final Dual Meet Record: 6-2 IAC Championship Meet Finish: 4th VISAA State Championship Meet Finish: 9th Two individuals were medal finalists at the VISAA State meet, Ethan Bean '20 and Ethan Oleksa '20, as well as the 200 free relay team.

All-IAC: Ethan Oleksa '20 VISAA All-State:

Ethan Bean '20 (200 Free Relay) Ian Carr '21 (200 Free Relay) Ethan Oleksa '20 (50 Free, 200 Free Relay) Ryan Vuono '20 (200 Free Relay)

ETHAN OLEKSA '20

GIRLS SWIMMING & DIVING

Final Dual Meet Record: 9-3

ISL Championship Meet Finish: 5th VISAA State Championship Meet Finish: 6th

EVELYN MEGGESTO '22 Ethan Oleksa '20

Four individuals were medal finalists at the VISAA State meet, Evelyn Meggesto '22, Emily Smith '21, Claire Fergusson '20, and Kylie Payne '23, as well as the 200 medley relay and 200 free relay teams.

Evelyn Meggesto '22 set a new school record in the 100 fly.

50 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

GIRLS INDOOR TRACK & FIELD VISAA State Championship Meet Finish: 5th

BOYS INDOOR TRACK & FIELD

At the VISAA State meet, the girls achieved six personal records.

VISAA All-State Second Team:

VISAA State Championship Meet Finish: 6th

Charlotte Carr '21 (4x800m), Nyia Cummings '20 (55m, 300m, 55m HH), Adele Godby '20 (4x800m), Morgan Lewis '22 (4x800m), Katie Whalen '21 (4x800m)

At the VISAA State meet, the boys achieved five personal records and the 4x200 and 4x400 teams ran seasonbest times.

VISAA Female Track Athlete of the Meet: Nyia Cummings '20

VISAA All-State First Team:

NYIA CUMMINGS '20

Malcolm Johnson '21 (55m)

Washington Post All-Met Boys Track Athlete of the Year:

Washington Post All-Met Honorable Mention: Nyia Cummings '20

MALCOLM JOHNSON '21

Malcolm Johnson '21

Spring 2020 | 51

AN EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

Chapel Talk:

Mistakes, Regrets, and Failures Dr. Scott Strednak Singer, Upper School religion teacher, gave this homily at chapel, a powerful and personal reflection from his life experiences.

The Call of Matthew Matthew 9:9-13 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) 9 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him.

10 And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when he heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”

After three years at this institution, a few colleagues and more than a few students have asked me why I've yet to give a chapel talk. Honestly, this meme is how I feel about public speaking.

So...when answering that question, I might start by saying, “Well, I'll do it if several students have issues outside their control that make it difficult for any of them to write one that week,” or… “Perhaps if I had a three-day weekend to work on it...” or… “Only if Father Cavanaugh is literally out of the country.”

Or this week. When God gives me all three all at the same time.

Shen Comix, “Vulnerable”

I have heard it said before: “The love that won't let you go, won't let you off the hook either.” Sometimes, it seems, God wants us to pay it back a little. And for those of you who've had to write chapel talks for one of my classes, I suppose God might be giving you a little payback, too.

52 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

This morning's reading comes about midway through the Gospel of Matthew. At this point in the narrative, Jesus—an itinerant preacher from the backwater region of Galilee— has slowly gathered a small band of followers. These people aren't, however, what you would call the best society has to offer. Not to put too fine a point on it, but Jesus is scraping the bottom of the barrel here.

Let's take a look at the resumes of the first followers of Jesus: We have illiterate fishermen, smelly shepherds, and farm hands. Among the ranks of his followers you'll also find contagious lepers and paranoid schizophrenics. And to this crew, Jesus of Nazareth taps the shoulder of a low-down tax-collector named Matthew.

For a little historical context: tax-collecting then wasn't like tax-collecting now. Matthew did not collect revenue solely for the local rulers; He collected revenue for the Roman empire, the same empire whose army marched through Judean lands and whose soldiers crucified those deemed to be a threat to Roman imperial rule. Matthew, the man, was the embodiment of an entire system of political and military oppression. It is not all that surprising then that the Pharisees—a sort of local morality police—were shocked that Jesus would stoop so low as to eat with a deplorable, disreputable figure such as Matthew.

In the eyes of the Pharisees, good people keep good company. After all, if you are going to claim to be the best leader, should you not also surround yourself with those who are the best society has to offer? I can almost hear the scandalized Pharisees whispering in Jesus' ear: “Are you sure these people are the best you can do? Really Jesus.

These people are losers. Why would you want to be seen with them? Aren't you concerned with how all of this looks, Jesus? Aren't you concerned with your public image? They just aren't good enough.”

Let's put a pin in that story for a moment. We'll come back to Jesus and his misfits momentarily, but I thought I'd try to put this into a 21st century context too.

I'm going to ask for you all to put a little skin in the game here and risk as little vulnerability with me.

•

How many of you have ever thought you weren't smart enough to do an assignment?

•

How many of you have ever done something embarrassing in public, and desperately wish no one had been around to see?

•

How many of you have ever tried out for something and failed?

•

How many of you have ever thought, “I'm just not good enough?”

I doubt there is anyone in the room who has not raised a hand, or at least, I doubt there is anyone who did not think they should probably raise their hand to at least one of those questions. To me, it's that hesitancy to raise our hands that I find to be curious, and revealing about who we are. Almost to a person, the only thing that outpaces our desire to draw attention to our strengths and our successes is the speed with which we try to cover over our weaknesses and our failures.

And why is that?

What motivates us to care so much about public image and social status that we'd willingly cut ourselves off from the care of others who might see us at our weakest, who might see our struggles and failures, and love us anyway? What motivates us to give so much of our time, effort, and energy into acting as if we have it all together, that we've got it all figured out, that we don't need help from anyone? What leads us to persist in the delusion that life is easier when we cover up our mistakes, glide over our failures, or refuse to share the painful thoughts and feelings we have about our past and present selves?

For those of us who are old enough to remember life before social media, our world seems to have made less and less safe space for public mistake-making. By and large, our social media accounts read like a string of achievement trophies. A historian in the future might be forgiven for reading our posts and coming to the conclusion that we were a generation of high-functioning, globe-trotting, cool kids.

This trend reflects something which, I like to think, God finds as adorable and pointless as I do a puppy running in circles chasing its tail, or a hamster running on a wheel, or some other futile exercise. It reflects a desire to be perceived by our peers as successful, confident, capable, wealthy individuals. What promised to be a technological revolution that would knock down social barriers and help to bring people together has, ironically, also positioned us relative to one another in such a way as to sometimes promote animosity and jealousy. We see our friends and colleagues' victories in sports, their landing the lead role in the play, their success at state tournaments, their high grades on midterms, their happiness in their relationships, and the exociticity of their travels. For the adults in the room, we see the successes of one another's children, the shine of new vehicles, the glamour of bigger homes, and the jubilation and recognition that comes with professional advancement.

But what about our failures, our mistakes, and our regrets?

Is there room in our world, or our friends' world, for them, too? Why aren't we as keen to share those? Are those not, too, an integral part of the human experience? Are those not also part of who we are?

Spring 2020 | 53

AN EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

I have been blessed with the good fortune of reading many chapel talk drafts in my work here, and the most common theme I encounter in them is fear. Fear of failure. Fear of disappointment. And fear of embarrassment. In our community, it seems that we have a culture of allowing others to have outsized influence over how we feel about ourselves.

We want others to see us as we are, but we don't want to risk having to show them that we are struggling along the way. We want intimacy in our relationships with friends and family members without having to risk vulnerability—without having to risk the pain that others can inflict with their judgments and harsh words.

There are straight A students who are terrified that, because they've had this level of academic success, they are cursed to have to perform at this level eternally. In a strange way, they feel as though they don't have the freedom to make mistakes because it would ruin what others have come to think of them, and how they think of themselves.

What would life look like if we were a little more honest about our shortcomings? What would life look like if we went to our trusted friends and family members and told them we are hurting? That we are afraid? That we're dealing with something we have not been able to solve on the basis of our own talents alone? What could life look like when we accept our mistakes— moral, academic, and social—as inevitable and valuable parts of the lives we are privileged enough to live?

There are students who thrive in extra-curriculars, and who think of themselves as athletic kids or theater kids or STEM kids and who want to crush it in that one aspect of life because it makes them feel like they can be good at something, even when they struggle in the classroom. Those kids too reveal that they feel like they are cursed to have to be at the top in those fields, and that mistakes on the court or on the stage are impermissible. They have to be perfect.

There are those kids, too, who are neither straight A students nor all-American performers in their extracurriculars but who constantly feel the pressure to do better in both, who are told, either explicitly or implicitly, that their best just isn't good enough.

What I have learned from reading all these would-be chapel talks is that our student body, though made up of people with many different skill levels, talents, and abilities, shares one basic trait in common: We want to be accepted for who we are.

We want to be loved as we are, and as we will be, and with our mistakes, and with our failures, and with our shortcomings.

54 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

To illustrate this point, I'm going to borrow an idea from Dr. Melanie I. Stefan at the University of Edinburgh. As an academic, Dr. Stefan observed first hand that scientific academia can be a terrible place to show human frailty. The job of a researcher is, after all, ultimately to win grants and accolades and other such brownie points for the universities they work for. Like most other industries, scientific research often rewards results.

To this, Dr. Stefan argued that this system is ultimately counterproductive to the practice of science, to the relationships we have with our peers, and to the relationships we have with ourselves. She says, “As scientists, we construct a narrative of success that renders our setbacks invisible both to ourselves and to others. Often, other scientists' careers seem to be a constant, streamlined series of triumphs. Therefore, whenever we experience an individual failure, we feel alone and dejected.”

[Melanie I. Stefan, “A CV of Failures,” Nature, 468 (2010)] Anyone who has ever been witness to the highlight reel version of another person's life can relate. Dr. Stefan's solution was to suggest her fellow scientists keep a public résume of failures as well as their successes.

One such example is from Dr. Johannes Haushofer at Princeton University [https://www.princeton.edu/~joha/Johannes_ Haushofer_CV_of_Failures.pdf]. It shows, among other things, academic programs he didn't get into, job offers he did not receive, and scholarships he did not earn. It is a rough sketch of how the reality of his professional life was so much more nuanced than just his list of Ivy League accomplishments would lead one to believe.

What might you put on your own list? If you looked back over the course of your life, what would you put down alongside your Head's List academic performances, your state championships, or your Cappies awards? When applying for colleges, what might your application look like if you listed that time you failed to make varsity, or bombed that one test, or had that HDB violation?

Here's what a version of my own looks like.

.D.

PH SCOTT STREDNAK SINGER, RE SU ME OF FA ILU RE S

THINGS I THOUGHT I KNEW

HOW TO BUILD FOR STAGE

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oximately 430 pages ♦ College through PhD - Appr

THINGS I TRIED BUILDING AT GOT IT RIGHT

HOME AND MADE A LOT OF

MISTAKES BEFORE I

twice) g system (measure once, curse ♦ 2020 - A closet organizin on speaking terms) not still are I and t (grou ♦ 2019 - A finished fireplace earth except my backyard) (it grows almost anywhere on ♦ 2018 - Getting grass to grow

THINGS I HAVE TRIED, AND

ATCH

FAILED, TO MAKE FROM SCR

usly) ♦ 2019 - A Baked Potato (serio bad acne) ♦ 2017 - Ravioli (looked like ned a friend) ♦ 2010 - Pizza (nearly poiso bing in my apartment) (actually damaged the plum balls Meat table Vege 2006

♦

LISHMENTS

COMPETITIVE NON-ACCOMP

in basketball t seven game winning shots ♦ 2010-Present - Missed abou of my brothers in chess ♦ 2010 - Last time I beat one one I won by total mistake e judo match I was ever in, save singl every Lost 2 -200 ♦ 2000 nture - zero varsity in any competitive adve ♦ Number of times I made in NBA2K - zero ♦ Lifetime number of wins

TIMES I THOUGHT “I'M NOT

GOOD ENOUGH”

many, many ♦ Every time on this list and

others.

There are a couple other things I could put up on that list which aren't up there right now, and what's not up there includes what good things came from those experiences. What's not up there is how I spent half of eighth grade in detention because I was an angry kid, or that years later, that helped me connect with angry kids. What's not up there is how being turned down from nine graduate programs when I was 22 led me to apply to a tenth program in Louisville, Ky., and in that program I would meet the person whom I would one day marry. What's not up there is how, years later, after receiving rejection letters from eight doctoral programs, I would receive an acceptance letter from a program in Philadelphia, where I met my best friend. Unbeknownst to me at the time, I would also develop a liking for Philly sports teams, something that came in handy when making friends here at SSSAS, as I had a genuine mutual interest with Trae Humphries, Tim Dodds, David Yee, Allanah Nash-Denis and many

other colleagues with a love for one of the most proud-to-be-ugly cities in the world.

My point is that those experiences of rejection and failure and feeling like my best just wasn't good enough have helped me to connect with others. It is in those places of weakness where God finds us, and, if we are willing to risk it, where we can really find that authenticity and that intimacy we crave in our human relationships.

Before I end, let's go back to the story with Jesus and his collection of poor, uneducated, sinful followers. One might forgive the Pharisees for being less than impressed with the crew Jesus has managed to assemble. The lot of them are, by the standards of the socially influential and respected, losers. The first followers of Christ are nobodies from the nowhere land of Galilee.

They are neither educated, nor rich, neither famous, nor dignified.

And the Gospel writer tells us that it is for this crowd of misfit sinners Jesus has entered into the world. It is for them that he comes to provide healing. It is these walking wounded to whom he has come to tend.

The beautiful thing about God's relationship with Matthew the tax collector is that God doesn't meet Matthew when he is at his strongest, but when he is at his weakest. God loved Matthew not because he was successful in business, but because Matthew was worthy of God's love despite his regrettable past. God chooses to meet Matthew, not in his pride, but in his shame.

The beauty of the Christian message is that God does not honor the richest among us, nor the strongest, nor the fastest. His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor the speed of the runner, nor in wealth given to the church, nor in the righteousness of the Pharisees. The beauty is that God will love us even as we learn to love ourselves. God will love us as we are, not only as we may one day become. If we are wise, we'll learn to love our failures and our shortcomings too. May we extend that grace to each other too.

Amen.

Spring 2020 | 55

AN EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

Middle School Chapel Talk:

The Commonality of Cookies and Man A homily given by eighth graders Ellie Foresman, Mira Henry, Brooke Lai, and Emma Woodworth.

In science, we were given the opportunity to choose a topic, and base an experiment around the chosen topic that we could draw data from. Ellie, Mira, Emma, and I decided that we all wanted to do something related to food, and of course the first food that came to our minds was COOKIES. After persuading Mrs. Simpson for two days we got the clear to go through with our chosen experiment, as long as it had a scientific topic that we could teach our class about. With this information our group chose to test how different temperatures affect the diameter of a chocolate chip cookie. The science topic that the experiment relates to is thermodynamics. The relationship between heat, work, and energy in or on a substance.

The experiment consisted of 10 temperatures going from 225 degrees fahrenheit to 450 degrees fahrenheit. For each temperature, we had four trials, consisting of six cookies each. With this many cookies per trial per treatment, we ended up with a grand total of 240 chocolate chip cookies to make.

56 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

We got together after school on a Friday to make the whopping 240 cookies and watch “High School Musical,” because Emma has never watched the classic movie. We had to be very precise in the way we made the dough so that all the cookies would come out the same way. Four batches later, and lots of cookie dough eaten, we were ready to begin the data collection for our experiment.

started to develop more color, and we ended up burning a couple of trials.

It took seven hours, but it was a lot of fun! Before we could even put the cookies in the oven we had to measure the amount of dough for each cookie, measure how wide they started, and how tall each cookie was. All of the cookies had to bake on the middle rack to get the same heat distribution. They also had to bake on the same trays, which slowed down the process as we did two trials at a time. The cookies would bake for nine minutes and then cool on the trays for 10 minutes. As it took 20 minutes just to bake 12 cookies and we needed to make 240 cookies, the experiment seemed to take up all of our Friday.

Biologically, humans are all the same.

We all have a heart, lungs, a mouth, and eyes. But it is our personality and appearance that make us all unique.

Some of us are outgoing and bubbly, while others are quiet and reserved.

Some of us were made to be tall, while others were made to be short.

Everyone's eye color, hair color, and the color of their skin is unique to them. No person is exactly the same as another, because if we were, the world would be pretty dull. God created all people to be unique individuals with our own personalities, talents, and beliefs.

The results for the first two treatments were interesting. They were very flat and soft. We thought that they would taste like cookie dough, but we soon found out that this was not the case.

As the trials progressed, the cookies started to get smaller and stiff. As the temperature got hotter the cookies

When we presented our experiment to the class on Monday, we brought in one cookie from each of the treatments showing the various results of the different trials. When looking directly at the different cookies, they all looked different on the outside but were all the same on the inside.

It is also our life experiences that make us unique. We all come from different places with different backgrounds.

Whether you grew up in the city or the country, or if you have a large family or small family, all of these elements shape us into who we are. Although we are all the same on the inside, everyone is uniquely different in their own way.

Eighth grade scientists Mira Henry, Ellie Foresman, Brooke Lai, and Emma Woodworth

The cookies in our experiment were the same way. Even though the ingredients and the process of making the cookies were exactly the same, they all turned out different because they were cooked in different temperatures.

It's amazing how the only aspect of the baking process we changed was the temperature, yet they all turned out so different. The cookies had no control over how they were created, similarly

to how people cannot choose to look a certain way. People should all be treated equally, regardless of their race, body shape, ideas, or interests. Just as God created humanity in the beginning, we created the cookies using the same ingredients throughout the experiment, but they all turned out different. No cookie was a perfect circle, nor did all the cookies have the same number of chocolate chips in them. We do not all

develop or turn out the same way. That is ok! We are not the same shape, size, or personality, and that just proves that we have different experiences.

Maybe God wanted it that way.

Be who you are, which is unlike anyone else.

Spring 2020 | 57

NICK WILLIAMS '10

Writing His Own Life Story

BY MELISSA ULSAKER MAAS '76

Nick returned to campus to speak at Upper School Academic Convocation at the end of January.

Alumni speakers come to talk about academic excellence and leadership, and offer sage advice for success at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes and beyond, in college and life. After building some rapport with the students talking about his days as a Saint, he shared something that left the audience speechless.

“Looking through all my memories I tried to figure out how I got here and what I could tell you,” Nick said. “Then it hit me. The one thing that came to mind was, I am a failure.”

his senior year at Upper School Prize Day, he was the recipient of the Fred Waring Director's Award for Chorus, the Perkins Cup, and the Emmet Hoy, Jr. Citizen Award at Prize Day—hardly a failure.

At the University of Virginia,

But Nick is

anything but a failure.

As a student at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes Nick was on the football and track and field teams. He sang in the choir and participated in several musicals. He was an Admissions Ambassador, a member of Unity through Diversity, a Peer Leader, and he also started and ran his own cooking club. In

58 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

he continued his high level of involvement serving as a resident advisor, planning many large events and concerts for the university, as well as starting another cooking club. He graduated with a bachelor's in English and foreign affairs in

2014 and then proceeded to earn his master's in higher education and student affairs in 2015. This journey led Nick to his current role as a financial aid advisor for UVA, helping the university identify and retain talented students from all across the world. His colleagues nominated him to serve as the representative of the UVA Finance Area on the UVA Staff Senate, which involves identifying and advocating the equality of staff at the university, effecting change that supports staff pursuits, and building bridges between staff and executive administration. “Not only am I an advocate for students, but I am also advocating for the needs of those who are helping the students, the UVA staff,” Nick explained. “I am learning how to use my voice and connections strategically to create progressive change.” As the Staff Senate is only four years old, Nick is particularly excited about having the opportunity to affect the infrastructure and direction of the senate through his entrepreneurial mindset. Again, a seemingly successful story.

So, what did he mean when he said he is a failure? “Let me elaborate with a favorite quote,” Nick continued at Convocation.

“A great mentor of mine, Napoleon Hill, once said, 'Every adversity, every failure, every heartache, carries in it the seed of equal or greater benefit.' His words have always stuck with me, because they explain how and why my failures have made me who I am, led me to where I am, as well as why I've been able to do the things I've done.”

Nick related several stories in which he came face-to-face with adversity and failure after failure, but he managed to work through each one and overcome them to succeed. “Everybody fails at something every single day,” Nick continued. “It's a part of life, but the question is what do you learn from failing. Do you let adversity define you and help you grow into a better person?

We all have to undergo some form of adversity, some form of failure, because they help shape us into who we're meant to be.”

After Convocation, Nick visited some classes and said hello to former teachers. In Upper School English teacher Jill McElroy's class, his interpretation of a poem they were studying brought silence to the room. The students started snapping their fingers in approval and admiration and one of them proclaimed, “Well, that was perfectly said. I think we can move on to the next poem!”

There is no question that Nick left a favorable, and successful, indelible impression in his wake.

THE MAN

Nick is multifaceted and a man of many passions and talents.

He describes himself as witty and funny, outgoing, and adventurous. He is a big dreamer and a visionary who loves to have a positive impact on others. He has a zest for life and is not afraid to try something new. He is a bridge builder. He is creative and likes to bring an innovative spirit

into everything he does. He is very competitive and someone who enjoys a challenge. He is a storyteller, whose tale is best presented in his own words.

THE OPTIMIST

Digging more deeply into the importance of failure in Nick's life reveals that he views failure as a positive and he has a very optimistic nature. He believes that grace under pressure helps us to grow and stretch and that every time he fails a new door opens.

NICK: Failing to get into the business school as an undergraduate changed my path.

I refocused on the organizations I was already part of at UVA, such as being a resident advisor, serving as the vice chair of programming in the University Programs Council, and The Virginia Glee Club. I concentrated on majoring in English instead of business.

I discovered I had a passion for working with and impacting college students, opening the door to pursue a career in higher education. I remember getting into my role in financial aid and almost immediately feeling ready for the next opportunity. I applied to job after job for about four years without success. Not getting another job was a blessing in disguise, because my four years in Student Financial Services brought me the opportunity to serve on the UVA Staff Senate and expand my network which has now opened up better job opportunities. Failure in relationships have helped me realize areas in which I personally need to grow to become a better man, friend, colleague, son, and brother. The biggest blessing from every failure that I have had (and continue to have) is the deepening and growth of my relationship with God. My faith grows with every failure because I also learn that I can't do everything on my own power, I need to be in partnership with God to achieve my dreams.

THE WRITER AND POET

Flow

by Nick Williams My mind holds millions of words Letters memories thoughts Emotions ideas fantasies Commonly Recalled in a neverending flow of inspiration That never ceases its stream To create my minds eye infinitely In a world perfected by my Desires Wants to be beyond the false image of Realitys dream World reborn in a whisper above the heads Of my dreams that we live in The loudness of my conscience Period. © Williams Renaissance Publishing & Co.

As part of an undergraduate English class, Nick had to go through the process of self-publishing a book. He wrote a book of poetry, “Flow,” but pulled it after publication because in retrospect he noticed things he perceived as flaws in his writing. Self-proclaimed failure with his first book helped Nick identify key areas he wanted to focus on now that he is writing and publishing yet another book. His writing journey and love of spoken word has connected him with his inner self and given him the insight and confidence to help others.

NICK: Upper School English teacher Joe Wenger definitely inspired my curiosity and interest in English literature. Taking his class, Introduction to Film Studies, expanded my thought process and how I perceived literature. We watched a lot of movies and learned how to analyze them. Honestly, after taking his class I cannot watch a movie (or TV show) without observing every aspect of each scene and understanding the elements of foreshadowing, the impact of lighting and more. This expanded perspective fed into my ability to look creatively at all forms of literature with a detailed eye, to make connections, and bring life to the story Spring 2020 | 59

being told. Taking Mr. Wenger's class was one of the many reasons why I ended up choosing an English major in college.

My life experiences inspire me to write.

I have always used poetry as my means for communicating things in my heart, mind, and soul. I like to use strong imagery and metaphors, so I have always been drawn to Langston Hughes. I have enjoyed writing since elementary school, when I helped build the school newspaper. In ninth grade I jumped into spoken word. My style has evolved over the years as I have become more selfaware of who I am. I remember being introduced to spoken word/slam poetry artists such as Saul Williams (thanks to Upper School English teacher Joe Wenger) and Def Jam Poetry. My love of spoken word deepened when I attended the Student Diversity Leadership Conference senior year, where I was introduced to poet Joshua Bennett and fellow SSSAS graduate Alysia Harris '06, whose examples of slam poetry I wanted to emulate. Spoken word poetry for me was what really pulled me out of my shell because it gave power to my thoughts and words. Performing spoken word allowed me to see myself and hear what my soul was trying to say as life occurred.

The book I am writing currently is called “I Am.” The essence and spirit of this book was inspired by my role advising students on their financial aid. As I have grown in my pursuits of working with college students over the years, I have adopted a very holistic approach that enables me to identify the core issues a student may be facing and help them overcome these challenges. One day an international student of mine stopped by my office to discuss his financial aid appeal, which was impacting his ability to receive financial aid. In the midst of talking about his challenges personally and mentally, especially coming from a different culture, I realized that during the course of his journey, he had lost sense of his worth. Instead of spending 15 minutes talking about financial aid, we spent an hour working on his selfconfidence. I asked him to write down all the positive things about himself and

60 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

then had him speak them out loud. I asked him to add “I am” to the beginning of each positive statement or attribute.

Through these exercises, I watched him start to change; he began to focus less on the things he failed to do and more on the things he had gained, as well as seeing the positive aspects of who he is. My book is meant to do the same for all who read it, helping foster stronger self-confidence, recognition of self, and ultimately inspiring people to claim their self-worth using their words. “I Am” is a declaration not only to the world, but also to oneself.

THE SINGER

Nick loved to sing, but performing in front of large audiences was another matter. He was a big fan of the “High School Musical” movies and connected with them, so he took chorus and sang with the choir—avoiding solos and being singled out. Upper School music teacher Dallis Byrne changed his mind.

NICK: Mrs. Byrne deeply impacted my experience at SSSAS. Most people don't know that I was actually very shy, especially in the performing arts. Over the years Mrs. Byrne always encouraged

me to pursue solos and other opportunities in the arts. Eventually, I was selected to serve as the co-chair of the chorus class. Her encouragement played a large part in giving me the confidence to perform spoken word in front of large crowds, form my own a cappella group, and audition to sing and dance in the musicals.

By my junior year I thought trying out for the musical would help me with my stage presence and spoken word performances, but I didn't tell my coach or my teammates about it. I was an

athlete who loved to cook and sing, two traits not necessarily connected with masculinity. My buddy, Travis Jones '11, and I both agreed to audition for “Seussical” together (with a little encouragement from Mrs. Byrne who knew we were the only tenors in the chorus), and we were both cast in the show. I remember the opening day of my first musical. I had a number of singing and dancing solos. Honestly, I was nervous about what my friends would think, but after the show my peers and coaches gave me lots of support and respect.

THE CHEF

Nick loves to cook. As a Saint his cooking club met in the chemistry lab, where he used the Bunsen burners to teach everyone how to cook and became famous for his key lime pie! He has a strong ambition to own his own restaurant in the future. As a self-taught cook, he's spent the past several years refining his style of cooking, learning key skill-sets that he will need, building connections and more, all in preparation for the day the opportunity presents itself. He tried to remember when his love of cooking started.

NICK: I have always been around food. My grandmother, Meemee, would make large spreads of food at every family gathering. From mac and cheese to homemade rolls, sweet potato pie to German chocolate cake, I grew up with an enjoyment of great home cooked food. When I was about 12 years old, I woke up one Sunday morning really hungry. My family was still asleep.

I wanted eggs, scrambled soft with cheese, but my parents did not allow us to use the stove without an adult present. I tiptoed to my parents and

asked if I could make my breakfast and in their sleep they said yes. I ran straight to the kitchen, grabbed two eggs, a bowl, salt and pepper, cheese, butter, a fork, and a sauté pan. I closed my eyes and remembered how my parents made the eggs, took a deep breath, and the magic began. I cracked the eggs into the bowl and dusted them with salt and pepper. I created a whirlpool with the fork. I then melted the butter in the pan, added the egg mixture and cheese. I took a spatula and began creating figure eights, carefully watching the eggs come together in beautiful harmony. From that very moment, I was entranced with cooking.

Next thing I knew, my parent's kitchen became my place to experiment. My love of cooking grew and when I entered the Upper School I started my own cooking club. I saw it as an opportunity to sharpen my own skills, teach people

“I never want to look back and wish that I had taken the chance to pursue a dream or taken a leap of faith.”

how to cook, and have a bit of fun with it. Ultimately using Bunsen burners was more of a means to an end to be able to heat up pans as I taught people to make dumplings, tuna croquettes, and more. To really understand my dive into cooking, I suggest you watch Disney's 2003 TV movie, “Eddie's Million Dollar Cook-off,” which pretty much sums up the beginning of my journey.

Nick is a good listener, who learns from others and carries their advice with him. He feels some of the best advice he lives by has come from his father, who told him two things: “You assimilate who you associate with” and “You can choose to either fly with buzzards or soar with eagles.” “His advice has always influenced how I've built connections,” Nick said. “It taught me to surround myself with people who are in a place I want to be and who have characteristics that I want to cultivate.” His philosophy has brought him success at SSSAS and UVA, and it will bring him success in the future. He is driven to pursue his best self, because as he says, it is through his journey of faith, failures, and achievements that he hopes to write a cool story.

Spring 2020 | 61

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

Washington, D.C. Alumni Reception February 13, 2020, at the Sulgrave Club

Head of School Kirsten Adams, Rodney Schmidt '74, David Branch '79, Julian Burke '77, Lois Schmidt

Matt Alexis '12, Drew Wiseman '15, Nick Cargas '14

Sally Day McLeod '11, Meredith Bentson '11 (Alumni Association Board), Hannah Mullen '11, Reyna Pilapil '11 62 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

Emma Draper '15, Dr. Andy Sidle '78, Amanda Tinkleman '15, Lauren Fish '15

Schuyler Deming '93, Craig Moore '93, Montez Anderson '93

Kyle Swensen '11, Max Routh '08, Bud Garikes (Upper School history teacher)

Samatha Russell-Porte '09, Mya Reid '10

Sean Dowling '16, Sam Dubke '16, Kirsten Adams

John Quinn '05 (Alumni Association Board member), Susan Dow Orndoff '05, Michael Lewan '05

Sam Cloud '14, Maggie Cady '15, James Kunder '15

Robert Redding '14, Adam Naidorf '14, Helen Nicholson '14

PALM BEACH, FLORIDA

Tory Heiden Kauffman '85, Mary Ellen Werner Rotondo '84, Mason Montague Bavin '84, Aileen Lopez Pugh '85

Randy Hollerith '82, Mason Montague Bavin '84, Julian Burke '77, Clark Bavin '85, Courtney Mallinson '64

Alumni at the reception worked with Upper School students on the smART Team to create the stained glass pieces that were used to make some special lanterns.

Saints gathered at the Hecker home: Effie Dawson '75, Sharon Nicholson '75 , Leslie Hecker '76, Doty Heard '75, Steve Shaw '75 Spring 2020 | 63

1925 GREEN TEAM CHAMPIONS

64 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

1950 SIX-MAN TEAM

CLASS NOTES Submitting News

Your class correspondent would love to receive your news and photos! If you submit a photo, please be sure you are in it. Photos emailed or uploaded to our website must meet the requirements below for the magazine. Please note that we do not publish engagements, impending births, obituaries, or eulogies.

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Please do not resize, reduce, or compress photos for emailing. We cannot accept screenshots of a photo on a website.

Get Connected!

Visit sssas.org/alumni to get the latest Reunion updates, check out our upcoming events, share your news, or update your contact information.

Join our Facebook and LinkedIn groups Visit Flickr.com/sssasalumni to see photos from our alumni events.

To Update Your Alumni Record

Please contact Senior Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement Meredith Robinson at 703-212-2769 or mrobinson@sssas.org.

1945 ST. AGNES Stuart Wineland rkwineland@aol.com

Dodie Beal Stephens and her husband, Mal, have traditionally gone from chilly New Hampshire to Florida in the winter. They will stay in New Hampshire this year, but still will be playing competitive table tennis.

Jane McKee Ingram still lives in Carlsbad, Calif., in a retirement community. She is visited often by her son John who lives close by in Irvine, Calif.

This winter I spoke to Julie Halloran Rush, who was living in Shell Point rehab center due to a fracture.

I, Stuart Wineland, will be Sarasota, Fla., from early January until late April, then back to a wedding in May of my granddaughter.

1953 ST. AGNES

Harriet Rippel Doub harrietd@bhhstowne.com It is with great sadness that I report the passing of Maude Nevins DeFrance on January 28. Maude and her husband, Rudolph (Rudy), have been in Carlisle, Pa. since 1972. Her daughter lives nearby and her son is in South Carolina. She will be buried in Arlington Cemetery with six other members of her family. God bless them.

Sally Ringle Hotchkiss still lives in their Lynchburg home. She and E.J. enjoy water aerobics, and their three daughters and seven grandchildren live nearby.

Ann Parish Jackson still does substitute teaching in the south of Washington, D.C. She took a special safari trip to South Africa this past October and hoped to get to Colorado for some skiing this winter.

Beverly Ambler Richardson lives in the Signal Mountain, Tenn., area residing in a log cabin on a knoll that offers a beautiful view of the forest. Her nearby son and granddaughters keep in touch.

Gloria Rothman moved to an apartment in Falls Church, Va., recently. She participates in the area museums, galleries and theaters in the Richmond and Washington, D.C.

areas. Her new interest is painting with acrylics and a finished piece is on display in a local show.

Liz Melvin Patridge is doing well in Wilmington, Del., where she resides in a nursing center. Her family lives nearby.

Mary Louise Collins King wrote: “My huge thrill is expecting the arrival of my first great grandchild in a couple of weeks. My grandson Stuart and his wife live near Boston. Lily, my granddaughter is here, pursuing her career in nutrition/ wellness/ agriculture and is fluent in Spanish, a help. When in college she works on farms in Mexico.

I love visiting my daughter, Teresa, who has a mini-farm in Petaluma with greyhound rescued dogs (sweeties), three adorable mini horses, plus two big horses. She is busy in retirement on her farm, between barns, fruit trees and veggies. I feel very lucky and grateful to survive the usual bumps in the road and have my 85th birthday next month. I am still enjoying my house and English garden, am forever reading, and as an extra treat I have relished courses at Dominican University which is quite near. My three years at Saint Agnes will always be a glorious memory for me.�

Nancy Price Dunton has four grandchildren and the oldest grandchild is a freshman at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes.

Joanna Dodson Camarata is happy, busy, and healthy in Lady Lake, Fla. Louisa Morton Chute could not talk right now...too busy!

I, Harriet Rippel Doub, am still selling real estate in the Tidewater area of Virginia, 32 years of service to others. The entire family lives in the Virginia Beach or Chesapeake area, except for my daughter who lives in Georgia but spends every Christmas here. Mary Lou and I were boarders at St. Agnes for three years, sharing the support and guidance of this school and its exceptional faculty. It was home to approximately 23 boarders then. Please keep in touch!

1955 ST. AGNES Mimi Mary Niepold Horne horne.mimi@verizon.net

Judy Nevins LeHardy is now living in a retirement community in Crozet, Va., settling in and making friends.

Spring 2020 | 65

CLASS NOTES

1957 classmates Marianna Erisman Martin, Sandy Johnson Taylor, Jan Horine Campbell, Eleanore Saunders Sunderland, Heather Strachan Foley, and Anne Kincheloe Mandros celebrated everyone turning 80 this year.

She hopes to join the class for our 65th Reunion in September.

Joan Boguess Poland has been asked to serve on the Friends of Bruton Worldwide Congregation committee.

She spends a lot of time as a docent at Bruton Parish Church and enjoys it. She also works on the benevolent committee at Williamsburg Landing helping those who are downsizing and moving on to assisted living.

Ann Lanyon Kaplan hosted a large group of well-wishers at the party celebrating her husband's book launch.

Jay Kaplan's book, “In search of Beauty,” documents their fifty years of collecting and is lavishly illustrated with plates in color from their collections of paintings, art glass, and Chinese art.

Betsy Blessing Anderson has moved back to Brownsburg, Va. She was last living in Lexington, but missed the mountains and her lovely village of Brownsburg. She moved back to the area last October and is now very happy and settled in. She is also hoping to come to our reunion if possible.

Mary Downes Reitler and husband Paul have moved to a retirement community in Fullerton, Calif.

It was a bit of a surprise to hear from an old friend who was in our class from grades one through five, Elizabeth Marshall. She worked at the Laos Embassy for fifteen years and then with the World Bank. She still lives in Alexandria and has pleasant memories of her time at Saint Agnes.

As for my own news, we are still happily spending five months of the year in Paris, where we lived for so long.

We're looking forward to our Easter bike trip, an annual tradition for more than 30 years, in a different part of France every year.

66 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

1957 ST. AGNES Sandra Johnson Taylor remaxandy@aol.com

This is dedicated to the memory of Judy Sauders Slifer who for decades wrote the class notes for this yearly issue. I am not formally a 1957 graduate (my father was ordered to Rhode Island for my senior year), I have been “reunioning” with this class ever since. In June I came up from Florida when some of us gathered together for lunch to mark the fact that we are all turning 80 years old during the year. We remarked that as juniors we would never have imagined gathering at 80. For heaven's sake, we thought 30 was old and 50 was ancient! We had a pleasant, fun lunch at the Carlyle in Shirlington.

We are all happy making it into the new decade, walking and mentally here!

1958 ST. AGNES Julia Shields habija@aol.com

Rumor has it that many members of the class have gone into hiding under federal protection. My efforts to contact them have proved futile, especially having lost many addresses when my elderly computer went berserk. I do hope classmates will get in touch and give us some news!

Mary Schneider Azarian is still living happily in Vermont, gardening and working in the print studio. She has also returned to semi-serious painting. Ten years ago she built a small house next to the old farmhouse where sons, wives, and grandkids live. I am jealous that Mary and Sue Peery Moore have a reunion every year. Sue sends pictures, which show two beautiful, youthful ladies.

Kay Burney Butler reports that when she finally made it back to France for a cruise on the Rhone, all those terrifying French lessons with Mme. Strong enabled her to use her language skills. She also made her annual treks to Harbor Springs, Mich., Coleman Lake, Wis., Stonington, Conn., and Park City, Utah, where she has built a cabin for family enjoyment. Otherwise, she spends winters in Paradise Valley, Ariz., and summers in Lake Forest, Ill., where her two daughters and their families keep her happy and busy. By the way, my niece Carter continues to ask about Kay after being really impressed with her at reunion.

Marcia Kendzie Evans reports that life in Atlanta is fraught with increasing traffic nightmares, fewer peach trees, and extremely hot summers, but is all abuzz with the excitement of “Hamilton” playing there. Her oldest grandson is a CPA and published painter. His brother is an Army Captain in Iraq, which is a constant worry.

She looks forward to his return to Ft. Benning. The two youngest are in Atlanta, and she enjoys being part of their activities, including school, sports, learners permits, drivers licenses…oh, what memories. Speaking of memories, sweet Marcia sends a thank you to SAS for five wonderful years of memories.

It was a joy for me to return to Bethany Beach for a visit with Sue Peery Moore and Bill last summer.

They are in good shape, maintaining their good health religiously with daily exercises and walking. Their travels took them to the Lesser Antilles in February, to Connecticut's Hotchkiss School for Grandparents' Weekend in April, to Sewanee for Bill's 60th reunion in June, to the Great Lakes in July, to Vermont for the annual family get-together, to St. Michael's, Md., and Bethany Beach for two months in the fall, and to Rye and New York City for Thanksgiving. Children Julia and Tom are doing well, as their grandchildren.

The eldest, Rick, is at Georgetown University, and Ellie and Will are at Hotchkiss. Ellie will move on to Dartmouth in the fall. Tom's children loved camp in N.C., and both excel in sports and school activities.

It has been a quiet year for me, Julia Shields. My dear old border collie, Beejie, struggled for months before dying in June. I quickly decided I couldn't be without a dog, and in October got an adorable but very mischievous miniature poodle puppy. At

1959 classmates Beverly Edwards Pflugrath, guest, Connie Clark Middleton, Dee McGowan Matthews, Mary Roberts Judkins, Betsy Shomo Brunnemer, Suzanne Spillers Reid, Barbara Pates Frisbie, and Suzanne Warfield Johnson. the moment she is barking hysterically because her ball is stuck under the desk.

1959 ST. AGNES

Submitted by Mary Roberts Judkins and Beverly Edwards Pflugrath The 60th Reunion is now in the history books. To those who could not join us, we missed you, but it was a good turnout for a 60th Reunion. Betsy Shomo Brunnemer, Barbara Pates Frisbie, Suzanne Warfield Johnson, Terry Kidner, Martha Joynt Kumar, Dee McGowan Mathews, Connie Clark Middleton, Suzanne Spillers Reid, Susan Twitchell, Beverly Edwards Pflugrath, and I, Mary Robert Judkins, attended. Ann Manson Adair planned to come, but had to cancel at the last minute due to a family issue. Mary did hear from Katy Cragun Grace, Linda Cunningham Goldstein, and Liz Tiedeman Wight, who were all sorry they could not make it.

On Friday we attended the Classic Saints Luncheon at Lloyd House and the evening alumni reception at the Alexandrian Hotel in Old Town.

Suzanne Spillers Reid got to talk to some old boyfriends and Suzanne Warfield Johnson and husband Phil Johnson '59 saw people they knew from both schools.

Saturday we went to a delicious BBQ at the Upper School where Head of School Kirsten Adams enlightened us as to what is happening at the school now. We were all impressed with how forward-looking the school is. Our class party on Saturday night was at a restaurant in Old Town and even though it was noisy we managed to Keep On Truckin.

We all thought that this small group was really so enjoyable to be with. We

were able to share our 78 years of “life,” talk about families, accomplishments, politics, and just “stuff.” Some of us text and email and we hope to keep in touch and get together more frequently, maybe for lunch. Bev is going to make a little directory soon and send it to you.

1961 ST. AGNES Chris Hayes Moe cwh2208e@gmail.com

Dorothy Bellinger Grimm and husband Jack are thoroughly enjoying living in Honolulu, Hawaii, with no dust gathering on their feet as they attend so many cultural events and performances.

Dorothy still helps the homeless at their church on Saturday mornings, making peanut butter sandwiches. Her biggest news is that son Toby and wife, Julie, have a 1-year-old daughter, Sydney, who they can see more frequently in California. Their son, Dwight, and his wife, Leah, visited last year–it must be comforting for all to not be so far apart.

Jan Sutherland Guldbeck and Dick are our super travelers–Botswana last

summer, Jordan, Egypt, and Israel this winter, Singapore and Indonesia next fall–all in 2019-2020! She tells Dick they are putting memories in the bank, not money! Life in upstate New York is good especially with their labrador retriever. They visit her children and one grandchild who all live in the same apartment building in Miami several times a year.

Julie McMillin Daniels and husband, Joe, downsized to a townhouse with a small backyard in Port Warwick, Newport News, a few years ago and love the minimal yard work! Julie still has her Nags Head condo where her family prefers to visit due to their many Daniels' relatives. Olivia, her oldest granddaughter, is in her first year of law school at Duke. Joe can be viewed on the May 2017 Virginia Beach Antiques Road Show with a valuable ancient adze that once belonged to her late aunt (she ended up with the money after it was sold!).

Margaret Somerville reports that she and Bill have done no traveling this year due to physical mobility problems. She's hoping to enjoy an adventure in 2020.

In the meantime, Bill, who is not the traveler she is, enjoys playing LPs from his fantastic record collection.

Mildred Tonahill Elmore said that her kids are wonderful to her and she's so thankful they aren't far away. Both her son and daughter are lawyers and her daughter is also a mental health counselor. Mildred loves to read and belongs to a book club. She has some health issues like a lot of us, but she is as active as she can be and still has a great sense of humor.

Bev Grow Benner and Harry were packing their household goods for a local move to a condo in Crocet, Va., no more home and lawn upkeep!

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CLASS NOTES

1961 classmates Ingrid Utech, Beth Lamond, and Margaret Somerville

Bev still works in interior design and Harry is still selling insurance with no immediate plans to “retire.” She loves to read but hasn't the time for a book club– maybe someday. She and Harry are both well but their daughter has had her share of health issues. We wish her well.

Nancy Broyhill has retired after 44 years in real estate and is enjoying the free time she rarely had while working.

She and Bob are still in their Great Falls home where Bob has taken over the lower level with his art. She is still active with George Washington University as a Trustee Emeritus and is on the Wolf Trap (outdoor theater) Foundation.

They are taking their entire family to Alaska for a land and sea trip next June.

Her daughters live in New Orleans, La., and Strasburg, Va. Anne Williams wrote that she has a new titanium hip for 2020 and was amazed to be able to drive eight days after surgery. She is so grateful for modern medicine, but unhappy that it plays an increasing role in her life and that of her peers. One friend who went in for a test recently said she was “hoping for gallstones.” Anne's comment: “you know you are getting up in years when gallstones are the preferred outcome!”

Ingrid Utech lives in Sebring, Fla., and writes articles for the local newspaper. The best part is that she can pick her subject. Her brother and his wife also live in Sebring, so she's happy they are nearby. She sounds good, has no health issues, and enjoys her life down there.

Page Proctor Hagan and husband, Tim, enjoyed a good holiday this year with all of the family. Tim is having health issues so they are staying close to home. She wanted me to wish all of you a happy and healthy 2020.

Niki Neese Lallande and husband, 68 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

David Bill '62 and Warren Andrews '62

SSS 1962 mini reunion: Eric Scott, Doug Hotchkiss, Randy Earnest, Leo Andrews, Polly Andrews, Marjorie Scott Somerville

Joe, spent two months last summer at their cabin on Long Lake in Maine and had a wonderful time visiting with Maine friends and their family. It was good to get away from the heat. Their daughter, Katie, swam for 10 hours from Catalina Island to the California shore to raise money for cancer in honor of her father. While Niki and Joe will be enjoying Barcelona and Rome for 10 days in February, Katie and family will care for their Standard Poodle, Cokie, since they live nearby.

Joni Edwards Jones, who owns her own company, continues to sell real estate and enjoys living in a retirement community near Annapolis with wonderful facilities. She still plays tennis and golf and loves to travel. She has 10 grandchildren and four greatgrandchildren with another on the way.

A favorite trip she recently took was the Canadian Rockies Rail trip that stops each night at a nice hotel. Her sister, Bev, has been widowed, but is getting along well and lives near her children.

Sara Rankin Stadler, husband Allen, and their Cocker Spaniel, Abbie, were enjoying walking in the snow when I called. Living near the Killington Mountains of Vermont they love to hike, cross-country ski, and snowshoe. Sara is active at St. James Episcopal Church, where she has served on pastoral search committees, sets up communion, and coordinates the annual fairs (all proceeds go to local charities). She is also treasurer for King's Daughters, an endowed charitable organization.

Frances Bowersock lost her twin, Carol, in October, 2018. They had been together forever, so it has been an adjustment. Frances has severe back problems, but has friends living with her who help her with the house and yard. She still participates in combined carriage driving events and enjoys

anything to do with horses. She and Carol had taken a pack-horse trip from Mt. Hood to Mt. Jefferson a few years back that was breathtaking. She remains in the little town of Colton, Ore., where she has good friends, enjoys the smalltown atmosphere, and is happy.

Vicki Carberry Hurd, after going through the heartbreak of losing her husband, has become one busy lady.

She does volunteer gardening in the Oakland Rose Garden for solace. She is practicing piano for a small concert tour, teaching piano to 20 young students, taking voice lessons, singing in a Berkeley choir, and is the lead in a Gregorian chant choir. A while back she got a black belt in Karate, making it easier for her to do push-ups and jump rope to warm up for exercise.

Linda Harvey Aldrich and husband Jim are doing well. They moved to Santa Fe, N.M., this past October near their former home in Los Alamos.

Libby Gebhart Cottingham will be leaving Florida after living there for the last 18 years. She was very involved in the community there. Her husband passed away six years ago and she has decided it is time to move closer to family.

Jean Cotter Spaans has become an avid birder (and butterflies) during the past five years. She and David took a Viking River Cruise centered around wine in the Bordeaux area. All children and grandchildren are busy people!

I, Chris Hayes Moe, and my husband, Tom, took 25-day, back-to-back cruises this fall first on Viking visiting the Baltic and then the western coast of Norway on a working ship from the Norwegian Hurtigruten Line. We even spent our 54th anniversary with Tom's cousin and family! This is a reminder that we will be having our 60th SAS reunion in October 2021. Fair, Joni,

and Anne have volunteered to work on it. Have a happy, healthy year in 2020!

1962 ST. STEPHEN'S Doug Hotchkiss dmhbyhec@comcast.net John Williams jwilliams@ndia.org Doug Hotchkiss: This was the year of modern medical miracles for me.

I survived two knees and a shoulder replacement. Fortunately, I heal quickly and hope to be able to golf and ski tour in a couple more months. Because of all the surgery and rehabilitation, our travels were curtailed. I attended the SSSAS Athletic Hall of Fame induction for Chuck Shepherdson '61. Our classmate Mike O'Donnell did a terrific job on the presentation. The special SSS Class of 1962 Reunion was a great success. Our class spent two days at a lovely old plantation inn in Orange. It was so nice to reminisce with our old school classmates. While in that area I had lunch with an old SAS friend, Randy Thomsen Ruffin '62, who I had not seen in years. We also made a trip to see Ed Leydon for his 75th birthday, my Bowdoin friend who also spent a couple years at SSS. In hindsight, I guess we had a very active and fulfilling year, and we are looking forward to more travel in 2020.

David Bill says: “I am fortunate to have the good health and flexibility to continue to pursue a life which balances fun, family, friends, and travel with a very modest amount of work!

Golf remains a significant part of my recreational activities, although my skill level has somewhat diminished (6.6 index). My lady friend and I continue to be competitive in various golf events worldwide. Looking forward to a three week tour of Australia with a US Senior Golf Association group paired with 12 Australian couples next year! A trip to the East Coast last fall included a visit with my son in Georgetown; watching my brother, Winder '66, play in the National Hardcourt Tennis Championships at Pinehurst; a week of golf at four of the seven golf courses at my new club, the Cliffs, in South Carolina; and visits to Newport, R.I., Houston, The Rolling Rock Club outside Pittsburgh, Palm Springs, Napa, and Lake Tahoe.”

Ben Bryce says: “Trips to Baltic

Sea, Santa Fe, and the Big Island. In October, I underwent a TAVR procedure to replace my aortic valve. I prefer being vertical to horizontal. Been retired for five years and continue to maintain a high handicap in golf.”

Landon Davis reports that he and Elizabeth are doing well despite having to deal with the infirmities of old age.

He continues to work on his lovely azalea garden even though excessive rain has made it a challenge. They continue to enjoy spending a lot of time with their grandchildren who live outside Richmond.

Dave Davidson says: “As for illnesses, Leo Andrews, my son's godfather, is worried that he may not last until his immense wealth is exhausted by his worldly travels with his wife, Polly. I've been living in Raleigh since 1978. As I approach my 20th year of retirement, I can't imagine how I got anything done at home while I was still working at IBM. Ran into my best man, Paul Kincheloe '60, at the 2019 HOF honoring our late QB and good friend, Chuck Shepherdson '61.”

Randy Earnest says: “Gibby and I attended a mini reunion of our class last fall at the annual SSSAS Alumni Reunion Weekend. We gathered at the Friday evening alumni reception at the Alexandrian Hotel and then took our reunion celebration “off site” on Saturday—first with a visit to Middleburg and then on to a B&B in Orange, Va., for a lovely dinner and evening. It was a small turnout (actually not too bad for an off year), but quite enjoyable. Classmates Doug Hotchkiss, John Williams, Eric Scott, Leo Andrews, and Dave Bill participated, along with several spouses and significant others.”

Dick Fisher says: “We took a two week tour of England and Scotland.

Many Bucket list items covered. Saw the Crown Jewels at the Tower after standing in a long line (hate lines).

Went to the Cavern Club in Liverpool (love). Visited Robert Burns favorite public house in the Grass Market in Edinburgh for a pint and haggis (love all). Walked around Stratford-UponAvon (love). Had Sunday dinner in a public house (lamb chop at the Grazin Goat - love). First Christmas that we did not have any of our family for Christmas morning, so we went to them.”

John “Pete” Hanes says: “Our children gave Caroline and me a wonderful party for our 50th wedding anniversary in August, and it was a true

blessing from the Good Lord to have most of our many family members and some very close friends in attendance— about 60 people in all.

Bill Hunter advises he's biking all over the eastern U.S., especially Florida in the winter, and promises to make use of our four spare bedrooms at least once this year.

Long lost Tom Jensen reported in: “I have been hiding out in McLean, Va., for about the last 40 years, but recently moved about eight miles to Arlington, Va. We have two adult daughters and two amazing granddaughters, plus a brand new puppy. We have a second home at 9000 ft. in Crested Butte, Colo., where we spend nearly half the year skiing and cross country in winter and hiking and fly fishing in summer.

And yes, I retired from a 30 year sales management career at Sprint about 14 years ago.”

Spoke to John McCarty recently, who is still living in Stephens City, Va. He's keeping busy watching college football games on TV and solving Sudoku problems.

John McRae says: “I guess at our age, when life is good and things stay about the same from year to year, then we are blessed. Still healthy, focused on things outdoors, making several trips per year, and staying in close contact with those in Boston—my son, Duncan, and Cathy's son and two grandchildren. We did a few trips up to Stowe, Vt., to cross country ski in Jan-Feb. To celebrate my 75th, we were in Italy for some weeks— Rome, Ladispoli, Porto Ercole, then with three other couples at a lovely villa in Tuscany. The fall excursion got us back to the Swiss Alps for two weeks of mountain hiking.

Mike O'Donnell reports that “his trip to Iran was a flop. The camel was an old model and had a bad attitude.” He is suing Ali Khamenei for misrepresentation of the tour. An Iranian missile is now aimed at Mike's house. Mike still lives over on the eastern shore and was sorry the Bay Bridge repair kept him from attending our special class reunion. He did a wonderful job of organizing the SSSAS Athletic Hall of Fame recognition for the late Chuck Shepherdson '61.

Mike presented the awards to Chuck's son, grandchildren, and sister at the ceremony.

John Williams says: “In the fall of 2019, the Class of 1962 held what we hope will become a biennial ritual—a trek through the Virginia wine country Spring 2020 | 69

CLASS NOTES and a weekend stay at an historic inn near Orange, Va. Everyone participating had a great time catching up on friendships of old, and renewing some that had been dormant for decades as life after SSS intervened. The weather was beautiful; the food and drink superb and plentiful. Everyone agreed that such a good time was had that this event needs to become a tradition.

For those who couldn't participate, please plan on joining us in 2021 for the second installment of the Reunion of '62. Just contact Doug Hotchkiss or John Williams if you'd like to join us in the fall of next year.” John and Phylis were overjoyed when their son, Kenton, was married to Hilary Wolf in a ceremony in the foothills of the Blue Ridge in the fall. Family and friends came from far and wide, and the whole event was a spectacular success.

Although their jobs keep them on a hectic schedule of travel, Hilary and Kenton managed a honeymoon in the Greek Isles. Phylis and John are glad that their children, both now married, live in the Washington area so the families can get together on a regular basis.

1963 ST. AGNES Margie Fifer Davenport margieinva@gmail.com

Polly Hagan Sandridge writes that her husband has finally retired and they are both trying to get used to it!

(We will look forward to hearing about adventures in your new freer life, Polly!)

It was nice to hear Elizabeth Morgan say, “I am in great spirits.” She says her daughter, son-in-law, and grandsons (2 and 4) “are thriving.” I was surprised to hear that this well-known plastic surgeon retired last September. She says it was unexpected and due to the fact that her office building was bought and became a construction site. However, she ”took advantage of that” to have her left hip replaced. And the good news is that at this writing, she was recovering well!

Barbara Wiles Kreutzer and Andy '63 have “relocated” to St Albans, Maine, near Bangor. She says they are on a lake “living our retirement dream,” which includes fishing for Andy and gardening, reading, and travel for both of them. Being in Maine means they are closer to grandkids and children. They have boats and “watertoys,” and I can see, are enjoying life year round there.

70 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

Joni Emerson Shoemaker and husband Frank, do a lot of traveling.

They live in Northern Virginia but have a cottage in Maine, which means a lot of back and forth with two dogs and a cat, who she says are “all excellent travelers.”

They visited northern Vermont with her daughter and grandson and drove to Arizona in the fall. Joni had a 50th reunion in Phoenix with “some of my old buddies from teaching for the DOD on Okinawa all those years ago.” She and Butch enjoyed being on the famous old Route 66 and the Upper Antelope Canyon and said the trip was fun and relaxing.

Walda Cornnell Wildman continues to do CPA work but just two or three days a week during the tax season, which gives her time for lots of volunteer work. She has big notebooks for their homeowners association, Women of the Church, the S.C. Association of CPAs, and for a Columbia city councilman for whom she is campaign treasurer. Walda does artwork as well, and at this writing had sold a couple of her paintings and was just about to finish a wonderful commission piece. Walda and Mack travelled this past year, including “…a Road Scholars trip to Ireland with extensive travel through the country” which got her “in touch with her Revolutionary War ancestor roots.” In September they made trips to Gadsden, Ala., to see one granddaughter play saxophone in her high school. band, and then the next day were on to Huntsville to watch her younger granddaughter play two soccer matches.

Mary Tolbert Matheny Had a tough year so had nothing to report, but we can certainly hope and pray this year is a better one for her.

Steph Connor Pullen and husband John are doing well in Raleigh, N.C. She loves having her daughter and her family nearby. Other than that she says, “We are happily loving Jesus!”

Missy Montague Smith tells us that their 2019 “has been lots of trips back and forth to their summer home in Reedville, Va., and entertaining guests and relatives.” She tells a funny gardening story about planting “many strange, different vegetable plants in her two 6x6 gardens,” only to have the labels disintegrate, so that she was not sure what they were until she “munched into one.” And after putting in squash plants for the first time, her son, Malcolm said, “Those are going to take over!” She says, “He was not kidding.”

Anne Bodman said she hoped I have avoided the blizzard conditions she has at home. I checked it and saw that South Dakota was already having blizzard conditions in early December!

Those weather conditions are tough, but I know Ann and husband, Andy, are tough enough to handle it! Other than losing a beloved pet, Yoda, (so sorry!), Ann says that “time goes on, but not too much changes.”

Leslie Barnes Hagan says, “After being on the Alexandria School Board, the Public Housing Authority, and the Community Services Board, along with a number of other such civic activities, I have pretty much retired from such.” She gardens a lot and is trying to put about 1,000 family photos and documents “in some semblance of order.” Leslie says she and son Andrew are doing well. She says it is “nothing exciting, but life is good.”

Libbie Shackleford Mull lives in Florida and is now back in “mother mode.” Libbie's daughter Rebekah and her three children moved in so once again Libbie is driving kids to school and after school activities. To add to all the activity in the household, Libbie has a new puppy to train. Rebekah came to the rescue, giving Libbie dog-training lessons for her birthday last year.

Outside of the house, Libbie continues to work part-time, enjoys singing in her church choir, and meeting the ladies there for cards.

I, Margie Fifer Davenport, still live in the Charlottesville area and follow my alma mater in their sports endeavors.

Last year I decided to take the whole ride with the UVA basketball team and had a wonderful time, ending in Minneapolis, watching the confetti fall when we won the national title! Other than that, I am still playing, teaching, promoting pickleball for the USAPA— and myself ! I hope that 2020 has already proven to be a healthy, happy year for all of you! Keep in touch!

1963 ST. STEPHEN'S Tom Margrave tecmargrave@gmail.com

We begin by letting everyone know that Nicki Mitchell '64, former spouse of Hal Mitchell and a frequent part of class occasions, has been made an honorary member of the class.

Hopefully, she will be able to join us for our 60th Reunion (coming up in 2023 for those of us who have trouble

remembering big math calculations).

From Andy Kreutzer: “Barbara '63 and I continue to enjoy lakeside (or rinkside) retirement in St. Albans, Maine, with occasional winter forays to Florida (following the example of classmate and longtime Mainer Dave Reinheimer). If any classmates plan on visiting 'Downeast,' please include us on your itinerary. Also, we want to, again, welcome SSS '63 Honorary Member Nicki Mitchell '64 to our class, knowing that she has our individual and collective support... Go Team Nicki!

Andy and Barb, Ed Cragg, and Douglas Boehm attended the Friday alumni reception of Alumni Reunion Weekend.

Landon Hofman wrote that he will definitely be there for the 60th.

Holiday greetings came from Arnie Phillips wishing everyone Hau'oli Makaiki Hou! (which means Happy New Year in Hawaiian); Bill Scarpino; Brian Koepf; Mike 'The Beak' Higgins, and Parker Livingston. I know I must have forgotten somebody—sorry 'bout that.

Marianne and I, Tom Margrave, are ensconced in Upstate New York praying that Syracuse can find someone who can score “in the paint.” I was thrilled to watch the Nationals take the big one in history-making fashion. Watching the Redskins—not so much. I continue to pastor a small rural Episcopal church and serve as a Red Cross Disaster Spiritual Care Volunteer.

1964 ST. STEPHEN'S Dick Flynt richardflynt1@gmail.com

The Class of '64 had its 55th Reunion in October, 2019. We all were astonished at how we have come to be this old, but also very happy that we

have been able to stick together and keep in touch with each other for such a long time. We attended and enjoyed the Alumni Reception at the Alexandria Hotel on Friday night, and then got together for dinner at the Warehouse Saturday night, with great turnouts for both events.

David “Jake” Jacobson was our impromptu toastmaster at dinner Saturday night, and did a fine job. After welcoming everyone, he held a moment of silence for those classmates no longer with us, and then insisted that we all stay safe and return for our 60th in five years. We all promised to do so. Jake also gave a well deserved thank you to Courtney Mallinson, who took on the scheduling and organization of the reunion.

Returning for the reunion were Jake, Richie Dellastatious and Flip Biondi '65, Jack Edsall and wife Liz, Jay Davenport and wife Janet, Tom Plank, Tom and Anne '65 Kreutzer, Rick Palmer, Bill Parker, Paul Evans, April and me, Dick Flynt, and last but by no means least, our fearless organizer, Courtney Mallinson. Also joining us for Saturday night's dinner were Andy and Barbara Kreutzer '63, honorary members of '64.

Led by the estimable Courtney, we continue to hold our roughly quarterly lunches, that are open to all classes in addition to '64. These lunches have continued to be popular over many years now—no one can remember how long, but I would say a minimum of 30.

Recent attendees include Courtney, Tom Kreutzer, Richie Dellastatious, Jim Chambers '65, Randy Earnest '62, Robin Johnson, Rick Palmer,Derek Savage '65, Doug Boehm '63, Parker Livingston '63, Jack Edsall, Paul Evans, Allen Caskie '65, Dave Guthridge, David Speck '63, and me.

If I have left anyone out, let me know and will make sure to include you next time.

Tom Plank reports: “I am still teaching as a full-time law professor at the University of Tennessee College of Law and working as a part-time Of Counsel of Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP. This summer I am teaching a course on Comparative Structured Finance at Downing College, Cambridge University, Cambridge, England, in a six-week summer abroad program from June 24 to August 2. My wife, Kathy, and I arrive in Cambridge after a week in Barcelona and Catalonia, Spain, and will be traveling around the U.K. and perhaps continental Europe. My brother, David '73, my youngest daughter, Rebecca (a rising second year law student at UT), and my oldest son, Tom Jr. (a tax attorney in Switzerland with PWC Switzerland AG) and his wife and two children will also visit us in Cambridge.”

1965 ST. AGNES Lee Dorman jldor1013@gmail.com

I, Lee Dorman, am not sure how many of you remember that my daughter and her two small children moved in with me. That change in my life has been all encompassing! My living space, what I do daily, who I hang out—all are dictated by the people now living with me. Don't get me wrong I am blessed with an incredible experience not everyone gets! I tell friends that I am surrounded by little socks and goldfish crackers. I'm still teaching GED and computer classes at the county jail, which I love and will keep doing until I tire of it. We have a reunion in October, so perhaps I will see more of you then.

Spring 2020 | 71

CLASS NOTES

Constance Mallinson '66 Three of Connie's drawings from 1981 are currently showing in the Museum of Contemporary Art Exhibition “With Pleasure: Pattern and Decoration in American Art 1972-1985” in Los Angeles. The exhibition is a full-scale scholarly survey of approximately 50 Pattern and Decoration artists.

The exhibition will travel to Hessel Museum of Art, Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College from June 27- November 29, 2020. During the past three years, Connie has had a number of solo shows in galleries of her large-scale works dealing with the environmental consequences of consumer waste, as well as numerous group exhibitions in California.

Here is the news from the fearless trio who responded—My thanks to them!

Jane “Tinka” Adams reports: “Dan and I are celebrating our 30th year of marriage. I am still working for VA Oncology Clinic. No artificial parts yet.

Every day is a gift to be thankful for!”

Barbara Callander Davis reports: “This year included the celebration of a milestone for us. In July, Rick and I took the entire family to the Big Island, Hawaii, for our 50th Anniversary celebration. We rented a big house with a pool, a few minutes walk to the beach, and enjoyed two weeks of blissful family fun, including an elegant Anniversary dinner on the beach. In the interest of being brief, I won't include other events and adventures in 2019. No matter your political persuasion, 2020 promises to be an interesting, if chaotic, year. Let there be PEACE!” Ann Davis Spitler and husband Glenn are still living in Alexandria, not far from the Upper School campus.

Daughter Elizabeth '06 lives in Alexandria and son Glenn III '00 and wife live in Greenville, S.C.

72 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

1966 ST. AGNES

Carter Flemming carterflemming@gmail.com Our class was saddened to learn of the death of our classmate, Marion Moncure, in December. Marion had bravely fought breast cancer for many years. We were so happy to see her doing well at our 50th Reunion, and we cherished our conversations with her, while hoping she could win her battle.

It was not to be. Upon hearing the news of her passing, classmates wrote about her “energy,” her “athleticism,” and that she was “completely authentic” and a “spirited gal.” I have many fond memories of being co-editor of “Lambs Tail” with Marion, as we worked together to meet the deadlines that were required to get the yearbook to publication. Marion will be missed by all of us.

Speaking of the yearbook, it was wonderful to hear from Connie Mallinson, who created all the artwork for our 1966 “Lambs Tail.” We like to take credit for knowing how artistically talented she was way back then. In 2019 Connie was included in the current historical survey of the Pattern and Decoration Movement of the 1980's at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. The show will travel to New York and Connie is understandably thrilled that some of her earlier work has been acknowledged along with some of the most important artists of the 20th century! Connie continues to exhibit her paintings, curate, and write about contemporary art. She has recently had a number of solo shows in galleries of her large-scale works dealing with the environmental consequences of consumer waste. Connie and her husband, Eric, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in October.

Their two daughters are employed in the entertainment industry and theater. Their oldest daughter, Ariel, is an animator and illustrator who just released several animations she created for Netflix for comedians Seth Meyers and John Mulvaney, and she has done a book for Willian Murrow publishers.

Younger daughter, Mallin, has been directing for theaters in Los Angeles and performing in and writing for a comedy troupe.

Star Bales Alterman and husband, Hal, continue to love living in Sarasota, Fla., and can't believe they have been there for eight years. 2019 was not

Carter Flemming and her husband, Mike, with their grandchildren, Katie, Carter, and David Flemming (children of David Flemming '94), and Bailey Flemming (son of Will Flemming '97) in Paris. without its challenges as their daughter, Vickie '00, was diagnosed with Addison's Disease in January, and Hal had emergency aortic valve replacement surgery in September. Both are doing great now. In November they celebrated his recovery by taking a wonderful 22day Viking ocean cruise from Barcelona to Buenos Aires. Petey Cosby visited them in January. Petey loved the Sarasota area and had fun spending time with Star and Hal. Star would love to show anyone around that area if you plan a visit.

On the subject of traveling, Liz Anglin Simmonds and husband, Terry, continue to travel all over in their RV “Tin Lizzie.” This past year they traveled to Cajun country in Louisiana, Indiana Amish country, and out west to the Grand Canyon, Utah, and South Dakota. When they are at home in the mountains of North Carolina, they are both very involved in their local volunteer fire department. Liz offers all of us some good advice for the coming year, “Let us shun apathy and take nothing for granted. If we don't see to it, it won't happen.” Wise words to live by, especially at our stage of life!

Susan Whittington and her husband also do a good bit of traveling but she reports that “Life is nice in Alexandria.”

She enjoys reading as much as possible and “trying to enjoy each day.”

Diane Haldane and her husband, Dick, moved to Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., where they spend the winters and then return to Door County, Wis., for the summers. Their Florida home is on a pond and Diane is amazed at the variety of bird life around the water. She keeps the geese off her yard by squirting them with a hose if they dare come near. She is enjoying learning all about southern gardening. She enjoyed a Christmas visit in northern New York with her

mother, sister, and family. They had a wonderful time being together and enjoyed the winter snow for a week.

Diane reads and continues to indulge her passion for knitting.

Leslie Ferrell Kauffmann and husband, Jose, have happily moved from Brussels back to Madrid, where they are enjoying the better climate and being closer to family and friends. Their son, Alex, came to Spain this summer to take a chorizo sausage-making class and Leslie joined him. She doesn't plan to make sausage, but treasured the time she had with him at the class. Alex had been trying to make this sausage but couldn't get it right, so he came to Spain to learn and has now had great success.

He and his wife, Bridget, continue to work for Google in California. Leslie's daughter, Ana, and her husband, Jerry, live in Florida. Leslie and Jose will become grandparents in March and again in May, so they are very excited to join the grandparents' club!

Pinky Caples wrote that she and her sister, Thia, had a “super delightful” visit with Leslie and Jose and that the views from their gorgeous apartment in Madrid “are to die for, as we say in New York.” Pinky says the time flew by as they enjoyed a beautiful Spanish lunch, and that this was “another wonderful reconnection that is the direct result of seeing each other at our 50th Reunion.”

Attending reunions really does result in renewing friendships!

Margie Dumas Worden and husband, Jim, celebrated their 50th anniversary in June. They took a cruise to Alaska and loved it, so they are taking a Caribbean cruise in January.

Chris Motley continues to have her wonderful fiber art pieces in shows around the country and travels to NYC whenever she can to visit their grandchildren. Seems like many in our class are cruising, knitting, reading, traveling and enjoying life!

PJ Leary reports that while she was catering the Old Dominion Hounds Opening Meet, she spied Robin Hurst, who was in the Boarding Department with PJ. They caught up and agreed to ride together when the weather permits. Patty is looking forward to the formal U.K. citizenship ceremony at the British Embassy in January.

She plans to go to Scotland in August and “explore her mother's home town and absorb the richness of its history and her ancestry.” PJ's grandson is an active duty Paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne and is deployed in the Middle

East. We hope he will be safe. Her granddaughter is “an amazing young lady, true to herself in every way.” PJ says that traveling to visit her sons in New York and California, having time to see and assist friends in need, and sleeping past 5 a.m. complete her retirement schedule.”

And I, Carter Dudley Flemming, continue my volunteer “career.” I continue to serve on the Alexandria Housing Agency and was just elected to my second year as president of our civic association. My husband, Mike, still works full time. We enjoyed a great trip to Paris with both of our sons and their families last February, and we will all go to London this February. We feel very lucky to have four terrific grandchildren ranging in age from 18 months to 14 years. Our son, David, continues to work for the San Francisco Giants and ESPN. Our younger son, Will, is now doing radio broadcasting with the Boston Red Sox and some ESPN work too. We will never know how we got two sports announcers in our family, but they both enjoy their work and that is all any parent can hope for! Wishing good health and happiness to all, and remember, we are now only one year away from our 55th Reunion! Carpe diem!

1967 ST. AGNES Alice Reno Malone tammyarm@aol.com

Welcome 2020! Amazing how time flies. All of our St. Agnes '67 Sisters have joined the 8th Decade Club with the exception of the three youngsters in our class who will be there this year: Becky Orme Russell on January 29; Mary Sweeney Payne on June 19, and finally Pam McRae-Dux on June 22.

There may be others, but they haven't been willing to share their birthdates!

Robin Coffin's news for this year is fairly succinct. “I turned 70 in March and continue to feel like I am 18 and that age is purely a state of mind. I also became a grandmother! Benton James Cople was born on June 27, 2019. I can't wait to share my love of sports and books with him as I watch him grow up.”

Polly Haff Mehring reports about a wonderful trip to Brooklyn in March 2019 to visit son, Jonathan, and his wife, Heather. “While there we went to the Hilma af Klint exhibit at the stunning Guggenheim! (I had not been in NYC since the SAS Art/French

teacher, Mme. Andree Jenks, took a group of us to see galleries and a play at Lincoln Center. I went home from that trip with a bunch of new clothes and several pairs of Pappagalos, my first! Ah, but that was 50+ years ago!” Still traveling, Polly and Walter toured central Anatolia for a few weeks with good college friends and their husbands. An unforgettable trip!

Finally, they were back in NYC for a baby shower for their first grandchild who is due this winter. “We are over the top!”

Genie Mallinson Applegate sends news of an imminent move. She and Chris have bought a wonderful 1720 federal house on the North River in Gloucester, Va. They will move this winter and once settled, we will be invited to visit! Chris is still working in Afghanistan on his fourth tour. He believes in the mission and hopes he is contributing to their independence and peace. The family will certainly be happy when he returns safe and sound later this year. Son, Austin, loves his job at National Academy of Sciences and remains happy with his partner.

The snowbirds, Mary Sweeney Payne and her husband Mike, are spending another winter in St. Augustine Beach.

“We will head back to Maine after April 1, hopefully avoiding the winter weather entirely, but there are no guarantees as spring comes late there.

We are back and forth to Tampa often, where we have family and friends, and Mike continues to get treatment at Moffit Cancer Center for persistent melanomas. So far, so good, thanks to great doctors there, as well as at the Melanoma Center at Mass General in Boston.”

Pam McRae-Dux and husband Jon wish everyone a Happy Spring! “The new growing season awaits and new

Robin Coffin '67 and her new grandson, Benton James Cople.

Spring 2020 | 73

CLASS NOTES fall, “Early Daughters of Dartmouth: Blazing the Trail to Coeducation 19691972.” Anyone who attended a single sex school should see it. Best wishes for 2020 and hope to see/hear from everyone this year!!

1968 ST. AGNES Barbara ButlerLeonard bbleonard@verizon.net

Laura Baumberger Stevens '67 and Vicki Smith Wadlow '67 A '67 SAS Boarding Department Hootenanny: Elizabeth Check out the round collars!

Herbert Cottrell (left), Beth Grosvenor Boland (red plaid shirt), and Vicki Smith Wadlow (seated, pigtails) on guitars.

Vicki Smith Wadlow '67 and Laura Beth Grosvenor and Elizabeth Herbert An SAS '67 mini-reunion Front row: Robin Hirst Moore, Beth Grosvenor Baumberger Stevens '67 - over 50 SAS Graduation Day on June 6, 1967 Boland ; back row: Elizabeth Herbert Cottrell, years of friendship!

Alice Reno Malone, and Jill Strachan gardens beckon. We are loving the Ozarks and the Midwest now that we have had a chance to settle in and explore.” Meanwhile Pam is into a second year of online publishing with Simple Books (https://pamelamcr33. wixsite.com/simplebooks) Begun May 2018 with the encouragement and support of classmate Elizabeth Herbert Cottrell, who has is a freelance writer (heartspoken.com) Speaking of Elizabeth, she is “still alive and well in the Shenandoah Valley...I've been helping Jill Strachan a bit with her wonderful Noteworthy Thoughts project, “a community initiative to recognize good deeds (through handwritten notes) and to build bridges of human connection.” (https:// noteworthythoughtsorg.wordpress.com/) I've also reconnected with Pamela McCrae-Dux and her amazing art and writing creations, and Beth Grosvenor Boland and I were texting each other during the World Series when the Nationals won!

74 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

Exciting news is that Sarah Cottrell Propst has just been appointed by New Mexico's new Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham as the Cabinet Secretary for the Department of Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources. Balancing environmentalists with gas, oil, and mineral drillers/miners will be tough, but the new governor is making sustainable energy a priority! Yea! Finally, from your scribe, Alice Reno Malone, all's well in Charlottesville! Jim and I scaled down to a smaller house last year and the good news is that we still speak to each other. However, we would like one more room. Virginia and Katie remain in Massachusetts, so we spent Christmas in Nantucket for the first time. I'm very involved with planning the 50th Reunion for Dartmouth 1971 (I spent my junior and senior years there with 74 other women on an exchange program, but graduated from William and Mary because the college was not officially coed). I amin a film that premiered this past

Denya Treviranus Clarke, my most loyal correspondent always sends news and photos the same day I ask for them! :) Her daughter, Brittany, married Jeff in a stunning wedding in Ontario's lake country. Denya enjoys her two granddaughters, who live locally.

She's full of enthusiastic news about their 3- and 5-year-old activities. Sad news is that Denya lost her mother in early December, but son Kevin was a wonderful support to her during that time.

I've seen Sarah Carr and Helen St. John recently at Helen's mother's funeral (age 105). We plan to “keep up” better since we live with miles of one another. Helen, who sings with the prestigious National Cathedral choir, says their next concert is called “The March of the Women,” including only women composers.

Susan Wynne chaired our 50th Reunion giving campaign, and reports the class did themselves proud—49% participation, donated $51,992. This was a fundraising record and we thank Susan for encouraging us to give generously to our beloved alma mater.

Ginger Dolvin Peabody says her children are the most interesting part of her life: Rufus, a successful sports predictive analyst and gambler; Lizzie, a podcast producer and host for the Smithsonian's; and Tom, a college counselor at Hotchkiss School. She spends more time in Maine, enjoys the beauty of nature, permaculture, cooking, knitting and living mindfully (as in the 60's…).

Marcia Williams says, “Happy 70th to most of us, how ridiculous is that?”

She chaired the committee that created a children's library and reading club in a low income housing complex. She's decided, after participating in the Women's March in 2017, to be more politically active in Mississippi.

Lucie Morton Garrett reports that nephew John Morton has bought the former family home, Morland on the Potomac, and yes, Lucy will

and am looking forward to more travel after retiring.

1973 ST. AGNES

Marion Dawson Robinette Marion.robinette79@gmail.com

Denya Treviranus Clarke's '68 family on October 5, 2019: Denya's son Matthew, his wife Marissa, niece Denya, daughter Brittany and new son-in-law Jeff, sister Leslie (also attended St. Agnes), Denya, and husband Andrew. be replanting the vineyards. She's making a movie about repatriating the Cuningham grape back to Farmville from France. (www.vitisprohibita.com) Gini Charlton Jardim is a Professor Emerita after teaching for 35 years at California College of Arts. Son Jesse is raising her two grandchildren in Alexandria, Va. Daughter Juliette works in Chicago and son Jonathan is working in the tech industry in San Francisco.

Gini and husband have been traveling and are now somewhere in Wales, Portugal, Spain, and France.

1969 ST. AGNES From the Alumni Office: DuBose Tucker Forrest reports that she graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1973 with a bachelor's in psychology and from Emory University Graduate School in 1977 with a masters in physiological psychology. She married a physician with whom she has raised four children near San Francisco. While volunteering she got a JD and practiced law in California, got a teaching credential

and taught locally, rode or hiked with her horses, donkey and goats. She is now retired and spending afternoons playing with two of her five grandsons.

The rest of her time is divided between a ballroom dance formation team and social dancing; hiking with a walking partner and her Shiloh Shepherds and Whippet; singing and playing guitar/ piano at potluck music evenings; two book clubs; hosting the extended family; traveling (especially to jazz festivals, warm oceans, France,); playing bridge; and tending her pool, orchard, and gardens. She says, “Very grateful to have had the best of education, dedicated teachers, and interesting classmates during my time at St. Agnes.”

1971 ST. AGNES

Sara (Kathy) Charlton charltonryan@earthlink.net Sara (Kathy) Charlton reports: “I am enjoying my last year of being a library director. If any of my class can give advice on retirement please do! I was able to travel to Seattle, Hawaii, and Washington D.C., during the last year

Greetings once again from Marion Dawson Robinette on the Eastern Shore of Maryland! Well, we did it. We downsized and moved. We are still in Salisbury in a wonderful community with a lot less stuff. On the dog front, our littlest, Jeter, also known as “Baybreeze Oh Cooper Dawson We Cheer,” earned his AKC Champion and his AKC Grand Champion Titles! Now it's on to agility and other fun stuff with our local kennel club.

In other fun class news, a group of us enjoyed another weekend at the 2019 Bayou Boogaloo Cajun Food and Music Festival in Norfolk, Va., June 28-30, 2019. Those who were able to attend were: Terri Shelton, Marion Dawson Robinette, Liz Bostick, Meg Babyak Tucker, Cary Reardon Nunnally, Annie Groves Odell (of course, our resident artist) and John Odell (a welcome addition to our team), and Leslie Treece Fairbairn. We had a smaller group this year, but no less fun and camaraderie. It was a great weekend. Everyone enjoyed dinner Friday night at La Bella Ghent, a long time fave of ours. At dinner we were treated to some harmonizing by John and Cary! As usual, our Saturday “group” dinner was at Todd Jurich's, which always promises delicious meals!

In July Leslie and Marion traveled to Greensboro, N.C., for a magic event that was Terri Shelton's son's wedding to his sweetheart, Jess. The weather was perfect and so were the bride and groom.

In early November, Pam Zimmerman Brislin and husband Mark met Jane

Spring 2020 | 75

CLASS NOTES

Family friend Terence Rock, Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard, Guy Franklin, and Karen Washington Franklin '75.

Karen's sister, Shawyn, is the first woman elected mayor in Mount Vernon, N.Y., and the first woman of color elected mayor in Westchester County.

Kincheloe Wiles in New Orleans. They stayed with Annie Groves Odell and husband John in their wonderful home and had a fabulous reunion. Annie's grandfather is featured in the WWII museum there.

Karen Claussen Shields reports her four children are scattered all over the country, including Hawaii where her son Ian was married to Mary on the island of Oahu this past July. Her son Andrew, daughter-in-law Meredith, and 20-month-old granddaughter Audrey live in California. Son Struan is in Nashville and daughter Mary is in

Georgia “Doty” Heard '75 Doty is a writer, a poet, an educator and a founding member of the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project. She has published a number of books on teaching writing, as well as compiling several poetry anthologies for children. Her latest book, “Boom!

Bellow! Bleat!: Animal Poems for Two or More Voices,” published in 2019, is a fun collection of poems sprinkled with a wide variety of animal sounds that is meant to be read aloud together.

76 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

SAS 1973 classmates at Bayou Boogaloo: Leslie Treece Fairbairn, Liz Bostick, Marion Dawson Robinette, Annie Groves Odell, Meg Babyak Tucker, and Terri Shelton.

Charlottesville. Karen reports they all get along!

Meg Babyak Tucker reports she added another grandson to the Tucker crew last winter, William Hale Tucker, so she now boasts four grandchildren— two grandsons (1 and 4) and two granddaughters (4 and 8). Go Meg! Madeline Cooley Flagler, who is the executive director of the Wrightsville Beach Museum of History, reported that the museum has been selected as one of the six sites in North Carolina for the Smithsonian waterways traveling exhibit and one of 20 sites for their Smithsonian story project.

1975 ST. AGNES

Effie Cottman Dawson effiedawson00@gmail.com This is a reunion year for us and those of us who can make it are looking forward to getting together. Here are a few updates in the meantime: Doty Heard is still living in South Florida with her husband and dog. Her son is a junior at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, giving her more time to write. Her newest children's book, “Boom! Bellow!

Bleat! Animal Poems for Two or More Voices” was published in 2019. The New York Times Book Review said “Heard's engaging poems...are designed to bring readers together....each [poem] is intended as sort of a duet....” Georgia has seven more books in the pipeline.

Susanah Brown Howland lives in Boston and is “painting like a fiend, showing work, volunteering at a local arts organization, curating, and

Terri Shelton '73 celebrating the wedding of her son Tyler with husband Arthur. Pictured left to right, Arthur Anastopoulos; new daughter-in-law, Jessica Burkhart Anastopoulos; Tyler Anastopoulos; and Terri.

organizing exhibitions.” She and her husband, Tony, have three kids: a river guide in the Grand Canyon, a furniture designer in Los Angeles, and a horse trainer and competitive equestrian in Florida.

Page Pettit is enjoying retirement, getting her golf game back, and, as she said, “learning to play the proverbial 'retiree' game of pickleball.” She travels to Florida quite a bit to help take care of her uncle. Both of her sons live in Richmond and she loves the vibe in that city. Page got together with Ellen Meade and her husband, Robert, during 2019 and keeps in regular contact with Nancy Switkay.

Betty Boatwright Crowley's husband of 34 years, Bob, died in August of a sudden heart attack. Betty said that while it was tremendously sad, difficult, and life altering, she found amazing joy when their older daughter, Sarah, got married in early December. The newlyweds, as well as Betty's younger daughter, Charlotte, live nearby in New York City. Betty is still teaching world history and AP world history at Eastchester High School.

Cary Carr Cox is a marketing executive in Raleigh. Her son, Will, got married in 2019.

Sharon Snow Nicholson, Vickers Bryan, and Beth Holliman Hart got together in Atlantic Beach during the summer.

I, Effie Cottman Dawson, still love my job as the deputy managing editor at The Washington Post and my home near Annapolis. Frank and I did a lot of traveling the past year, including a trip to Costa Rica with my daughter, Laura, and her husband. It's so fun to travel with the kids. My children are scattered, living in San Francisco, Atlanta, and

Virginia Beach, so we get around quite a bit. I hope everyone plans to travel to our reunion next September. I can't wait.

Spotlight on Amy Goers Rhodes '76 Making Service Her Mission

1976 ST. AGNES Melissa Ulsaker Maas mmaas@sssas.org

Elizabeth Bancroft traveled to Tanzania In July for a 12-day safari.

She spent four nights in the Serengeti, where elephants and lions were lurking nearby each night. After the tour was over, she traveled to Cote d'Ivoire to visit cousins. The only way to get there required flying to Kenya and spending one night in Nairobi. She writes, “The airport and hotel security was daunting, but my entire trip motto was 'brave and intrepid' and many people were kind and watchful of me.”

Travis Brownley writes, “My boys are 10 and growing fast. We still love the Bay Area. I am loving my work as head of school at Marin Academy. Liz works at One School House so we are fully ensconced in education. Hope everyone is well!”

Jayne Carson says hello to everyone!

She is still living in Old Town and working in the Defense sector.

Cate Dean writes, “Life here in Mayo is moving forward with no major news.

Husband Hill and I are well and staying busy. I am still running the hospital and enjoying work. The 'kids' are well and still in school, although I am

former parsonage of their sister church in Toa Baja so it can be used for community programs, and to work with Lutheran Disaster Relief (LDR) as they continue their work repairing homes that were damaged by Hurricane Maria. One of the stipulations of the grant LDR has from FEMA is that all work must be performed by volunteers.

Different church groups go down during the year. For four weeks in the summer there is a larger outpouring of volunteer work, as they have 50 volunteers a week come down for a total of 200 volunteers.

Q: What were the conditions like when you arrived?

A: We were not sure what we would find when we

arrived, because the largest earthquake had occurred earlier in the week and many powerful aftershocks were still occurring. In fact, we felt some tremors where we were, west of San Juan. Driving there, we passed many areas that were still without power.

Q: How much work had been done on the homes since Hurricane Maria hit?

A: Immediately after the hurricane most of the schools

Amy volunteers with Reading Partners, Moms Demand Action for Common Sense Gun Laws, and joined members of her church to make a difference in Puerto Rico.

Reading Partners is dedicated to helping children become lifelong readers in lower income schools in 14 cities in the U.S. and Washington, D.C. Amy meets with two students a week at the Whittier Education Campus, where there is a 21% English language learner population, 24% special education population and 100% economically disadvantaged population. “I truly enjoy this opportunity,” Amy said. “ I feel as if I'm making a difference in the lives of these kids, not only as their one-on-one tutor, but also as a secure and consistent presence.”

Amy also gives her time to Moms Demand Action , a grassroots movement of Americans fighting for public safety measures that can protect people from gun violence. ”The day after the Sandy Hook shooting, I went into my first grade classroom and wondered how I would protect my students,” Amy said. “ If I threw myself over them how many wouldn't die—two? three? It was terrifying.” Amy goes to Capitol Hill and Annapolis to lobby and also testifies and attends hearings for bills they are supporting. She has canvassed, phone-banked and written postcards supporting gun sense candidates.

Elizabeth Bancroft '76 and her cousin, Rob, in front of the Basilique Notre-Dame de la Paix in Yamoussoukro, Cote D'Ivoire

In January 2020 she traveled to Puerto Rico on a mission trip with 13 members of her church, Good Shepherd Lutheran, for one week with two goals: to renovate the

on the island were used as shelters. The government wanted to get children back in school as quickly as possible, so they rushed to do what they could to make homes habitable by ensuring the foundation was stable and putting a quick seal on the roof. The majority of these roofs are now leaking badly because the sealant had been applied without clearing the roofs.

Q: What did you accomplish while there?

A: Our job was to power wash the roofs to remove the

mold, dirt, plants, and debris left over from Maria so they could be properly primed and sealed. We also scraped the peeling paint from ceilings and walls inside the homes to be repainted as soon as the walls dry. We were able to complete one roof a day for a total of five roofs.

Q: What challenges did you encounter?

A: The walls inside these homes are heavy plaster and

they were really wet. Due to the leaks in the roofs, water was running down inside the walls and soaking them during rainstorms. We experienced many rain showers while we were there. As I was working inside a home I was getting dripped on while scraping paint from a wall that had water running down it. The week after we left, the weather was sunny so each of the roofs were sealed again, but they had to wait between two and three weeks for the walls to dry before they could paint.

Q: How did you feel after the experience?

A: This was one of the most rewarding things I've done. I

have been richly blessed in my life and I am honored that I was able to share some of those blessings; time, money and health, with others that are less fortunate than I.

Spring 2020 | 77

CLASS NOTES

Sharon Huhn Dennis '76 and her family Front row: son Jacob, Sharon, son Joe; back row: husband Craig, son David, daughter Sandy

Chris Larson '76 and husband, Mike Unwin McLean, Va. Son Jacob continues in research at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, and daughter Sandy, while changing jobs, is still labor and delivery nurse in Culpeper, Va.” Sharon continues to do bookkeeping for a home improvement company, and playing music with The Braeded Chord (currently working on recording project No. 7 which will hopefully be released this year).

Mia Fryklund Corbitt was married in Las Vegas to David Lamance on November 26. She and David moved to the Bend area of Central Oregon after the New Year, where he was building a new home. Mia is semi-retired, but hopes to start a small grooming shop.

She and David welcome any and all visitors to the Pacific Northwest!

Christina Larson officially retired at the end of the year. She writes, “I will still be volunteering with the Salvation Army and Gold Country Wildlife Rescue. I have to say, I went into retirement kicking and crying simply because I have never not worked. It is nice not having to rush around and to take time to enjoy life. My mother passed away in May and my husband had a heart attack (the widowmaker) in September. These events hastened my retirement and we are determined 78 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

to knock out our bucket list sooner rather than later.” Chris published her father's book, “Bomb's Away: A History of the 70th Bomb Squadron in Early World War II,” and is now writing her family history beginning with her grandparents in Sweden. She says there is a future trip to Sweden in the works.

Leslie Plummer writes that after caring for her mother for six years, she has moved to Manassas, Va. She is serving Prince William County as an assistant chief election officer and temporary assistant registrar. She is also a member of the League of Women Voters, registering high school students.

Amy Goers Rhodes most exciting news is that she is now a grandmother four times over! Amy writes, “Elliot Wright was born September 11 and is adorable! He joins his brother Atticus who will be three in June. My other two grandchildren are growing up way too fast, William is in first grade and will be seven in July and Emma turns four in February. My daughter, Tala, graduated from Radford University in May and is working in D.C. in software sales. It's nice to have her nearby. My husband, Dave, decided to retire at the end of 2019 and we have enjoyed spending more time together. We had a marvelous vacation to Lake Powell and the Grand Canyon in September and were able to spend a wonderful evening with Carolyn Schwulst and her wife, Leah!”

Carol Erikson Saberin-Tener has had a busy year with her new grandson, Jack, born in January 2019. Jack's family lives in Columbia, Md., Carol's parents, Paul and Gloria Saberin, live in a retirement home, but are busier than ever. Her mom was 95 in February.

Carol had a great ski vacation with three of her children and their families in Colorado in March 2019 and reunited again in Fenwick in October.

Carol also hosted her 20th German exchange student for the year. She still enjoys working at Honda selling cars, especially the hybrids. Her husband, Kinley, took a bad fall Mountain biking in October that required surgery and put him out of commission and out of work!

Every day he gets stronger, but clearly won't be skiing on the next family trip in Colorado. Her biggest news is that youngest son John and his wife are expecting their first child this spring.

Carolyn Schwulst and wife Lea enjoyed the visit with Amy Goers Rhodes and husband Dave. They had a lovely dinner and a fantastic visit!

Carolyn writes, “It was like no time

Douglas Clegg '76 A New York Times bestselling author, Doug signed his first book contract with Simon & Schuster in 1987 and has been writing dark fiction ever since, including horror, gothic, fantasy, supernatural, and suspense thrillers. In his 25-year career, he has seen more than 30 books and 40 short stories published. His short fiction has won the Bram Stoker Award, the International Horror Guild Award, and the Shocker Award. During the past year, he has published a collection of his poetry, “The Poisoner's Garden,” and a well received novella, “The Faces,” and he has more in the works. Keep up with Doug on douglasclegg.com. had passed even though we had not seen each other for 40+ years! Did not want the evening to end.” Carolyn and Lea decided to go back to being full time Coloradans and sold our place in Casa Grande. One of their sons will be moving with his girlfriend from Arizona to Durango (about 1.5 hours from them) within the year.

Grace Tiffany is still teaching Early English Literature at Western Michigan University. She has one son who just graduated from high school and two stepsons who are in their 30s.

Her latest notable activity is that she, her husband, and son took a 10-day trip to India over Christmas, visiting Delhi, Agra, and Varanasi. This was her husband's long-held dream, which Grace says “was arduous but revelatory.

Varanasi, by the Ganges, is filled with temples and chanting and also, unfortunately, air pollution, just like Delhi, due to inadequate regulations concerning burning and emissions.

The trip made me appreciate America's air and water, but also realize how important it is for us not to slip back to the lax pollution standards of the preclean air and water legislation of the 70s. Vote the right people in!”

Mary “Frizzle” Willis writes: “I envy all of you who are retired! I am still working through Medicare age

and wanting to teach both of my granddaughters at my tiny Montessori preschool. My mama is still going strong and lives with us, so we rarely venture far from home. If we had a handle on climate change and had a new government, life would be pretty great over here. Love to all of you; I am thankful every day that St. Agnes was a part of my life!”

As for your class correspondent, Melissa Ulsaker Maas, I don't have much to report. Sons Alex Bloom '11 and Jameson Bloom '13 are doing well, and so are our pups (or as we call them, our house ponies), Summit and Ripley.

Look out ladies, our 45th Reunion is coming up in 2021. We have a year and a half to plan it … now that's something to look forward to!

1977 ST. AGNES CB Bell Guess edenhouse3@gmail.com

It has been fun hearing from so many classmates. There is lots of news…several weddings and some new grandchildren. Many of us celebrated our 60th birthday this year!

For her big birthday this summer, Kiki Marnane and her husband, Philip, invited Jenifer Shockley, Deeme Katson, Harriet Slaughter Yancey and her husband, David, and Fran Robertson Butler to their house in West Cork, Ireland. Fran, and her husband, Barre, were unable to come, but “were there in spirit.” They were joined by Kiki's daughter, Kira, an artist living in London and D.C., who did “lots to look after us (and laugh at us, in admiration, of course).” Kiki writes that they “spent a week laughing, walking on beaches, learning about the Irish famine, and loving being together again. We blessed our parents many times for having sent us to St. Agnes, where we could make such lifelong friends.” Kiki's son, Luca, also lives in D.C. Professionally, Kiki left McKinsey and Company three years ago to set up on her own in leadership development. She lives in London and West Cork, but works across Europe and the U.S. She is an executive coach working with individuals and top teams.

She writes that the work she loves most is with senior women leaders. She has led McKinsey's Remarkable Women Program for the last 10 years.

Harriet Slaughter Yancey writes that the highlight of her year was the trip to Cork, Ireland, with Deeme and Jenifer

to visit Kiki. Harriet continues to work as an ESL teacher for Fairfax County.

This year she worked exclusively with the fourth grade which has 125 ESL students! She and her husband, David, enjoy being back in Alexandria, “which is very different than the Alexandria of our younger years.” Both of her children are in New York. Caroline works as a lawyer in Manhattan and Elizabeth lives with her husband in White Plains where she is a speech pathologist and her husband is a resident in surgery with only 5 more years to go!

Jenifer Shockley also wrote about the trip to Ireland saying, “a wonderful time was had by all, aside from missing Fran Robertson Butler and her husband, Barre, who were unable to make it.”

Anne Yoder writes that she “stepped down as director of the Duke Lemur Center on July 1, 2018, after 12 years at the helm. This was followed up by a sabbatical year funded by a Guggenheim Fellowship and another from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.” She spent most of 2019 in Germany, with short trips to the U.K. and France, where she worked with various collaborators. Now she is back to full-time research and teaching and is loving it! She writes that she is very happily married to Dave Hart, whom she knew when she was a college student. They reconnected when she moved back to North Carolina in 2005 and are coming up on their 10th anniversary. Her son, Dylan Blankenship, is a college sophomore at Appalachian State University where he is a math major and competes with their track team as a 400m hurdler.

Anne writes that she, Dave, and Dylan refer to themselves as the “Blodarts” (Blankenship/Yoder/Hart) and are as happy as can be. They also have an 8-year-old black German shepherd named Leeloo, whom they adore.

Anne's parents moved back to Chapel Hill about five years ago and live in a beautiful retirement community. She states that her dad is “writing more op-ed pieces than the Raleigh News & Observer can manage,” and that “life is very, very good!”

Martha Carr writes that she has been “very fortunate to be a bestselling author on Amazon writing urban fantasy and having a great time living in Austin, Texas.” Many of the books are set in Austin where in “January it was 70 degrees with the back door open and the dogs running around.” Martha's son, Louie, is a music manager.

Martha Carr '77 Martha is a prolific novelist of suspense, thriller, and fantasy stories. She has published six new books this year and has three upcoming releases. The new releases are part of four current series and the first two books in new series, The Never Ending War. Some of her most popular series include the Leira Chronicles, I Fear No Evil, Wallis Jones, Peabrain Adventures, and Rewriting Justice.

In addition to writing novels, Martha has written a weekly, nationallysyndicated column on world affairs and life that has run on such political hotspots as The Moderate Voice.com and Politicus.com. Her work has been published in The Washington Post, The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Chicago Tribune, and Newsweek. Her books are available on Amazon and you can connect with her on marthacarr.com.

Jamie Beverly Waldrop writes that her daughter, Tess, was married in August. Sadly, her mom, Miss Opal, died on December 28.

Kim Keleher retired from sales to start a new career as a professional dog trainer. She started volunteering at the local shelter about five years ago. She was introduced to positive reinforcement training there and has been studying it ever since. In 2019 she earned two professional certifications and started training full time. Kim writes, “it's a very rewarding change of pace to be helping people and their pets.” She says she was inspired to take the leap by her sisters, “Leslie has a fabulous business in Charlottesville, Va., called LHGardens, and Sue Ann has a custom cookie business, CookiesSAK. The cookies taste great, but they are almost too pretty to eat.

Almost.”

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CLASS NOTES Mary Ann Hylton Kramer and her husband, Keith, moved to Williamsburg, Va., this past spring and are loving it.

Brenda Bertholf Charmey writes “we had a great celebratory year, so much fun stretching it out for 12 months.”

She spends half the year in Washington and half in Paris, which she says is great for being able to see old friends. Brenda, Marney Burke Cooney, and Mary T. Rodenberg Preas Myers had a fun lunch together in October to celebrate Mary T's birthday. Brenda's daughters, Margaux and Celine, are both working in Manhattan and loving the energy!

Brenda writes “Life is good! Hugs to all!”

Fran Robertson Butler started 2019 in a happy way by getting a second grandson, Robertson (called “Sonny”) who joins his 4-year-old brother, Jack.

She says she is very fortunate to see them almost every day! Fran and her husband, Barre, “had a blast driving around France for two weeks in June.”

She has a running conversation going on What's App with Jenifer, Kiki, Deeme, and Harriet, that keeps her connected to our St. Agnes days. Fran writes, “the new technologies are wonderful for someone like me, who thinks about people all the time but just can't seem to get pen to paper!”

Margo Hannifin's biggest news for 2019 is that she and her daughter, Honor, have moved to Mars Hill, N.C., just outside Asheville. Honor is pursuing her creative work, while Margo is working on her first book and hoping this is her last move. She writes that she “would love to hear from or see any of the St. Agnes crew!”

Glenis Riegert Pittman lives in Centerville, Va. Her older son got married in October and plans to complete his master's degree in May 2020 while working full time. Her younger son has an entry level job at The Watergate Hotel and aims to move into the human resources field to strengthen employee retention and workplace culture. Her husband works for a government contractor in business development in the D.C. area, while he cares for his 93-year-old mom in Dallas. Glenis writes that she is “part of a teaching team regarding curriculum that relates brain science to God's word in the Bible...wonderful discipleship classes.”

Louise Duncan Sigety and her husband, Todd, are thrilled to have welcomed a son-in-law and daughter-in-

80 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

law this past year, as children Kate and Nick both married. Louise retired from teaching and is thoroughly enjoying subbing a few days a week at the neighborhood school where she used to teach. She writes, “I hope everyone is doing well and finding joy each day.”

Mimi Beggs Larsen sends “greetings from South Dakota to all our fabulous classmates!” and says, “the older I get, the more I appreciate the 'old' friends from our class, and all the good memories we share. Happy 60th birthday, everyone!” Her second grandchild, Taj Sterling Voorhees, was born on September 17, and was welcomed by his older brother, Xander, who turned three in January. She and Kevin are enjoying being retired and are “available for babysitting duties four hours north, when daycare has planned

shutdowns for vacation. Babysitting was very low on the list of things I was willing to do to earn money during my teen years, but I sure don't mind looking after these little guys!”

Mimi Beggs Larsen's '77 grandsons, Xander and Taj.

Spotlight on Betsy Pash '79 New York Designer

at NYU, Parsons School of Design and the Isabel O'Neill School of Decorative Painting. All these steps in my life led me to open my business more than 12 years ago.

Q: Your website says that you design spaces with a “mélange of old and new, rustic and refined” pieces. What draws you to this style?

A: To me, an interior is so much more interesting when it is a mix of styles and materials. I find that a very contemporary room filled with glass and chrome is a bit cold and needs the warmth of an antique or two to ground the space and give it “a soul.” On the other hand, walking into a room with all “brown furniture” feels very boring. In my opinion, one can breathe new life into an antique chest by putting a fabulous contemporary painting over it. Each element complements the other.

One 's eye needs variety!

Betsy loves to mix vintage and modern pieces to create personalized, timeless interiors. (elizabethpash.com)

Q: What led to your interest in antiques and design?

A: I think several things led me to antiques and design.

First, I lived and studied in France for a year in college and was exposed to beautiful art and design. I learned to speak French and knew I wanted to get back there someday. After college, I worked at the Smithsonian for ten years, which also inspired me. My move to New York was a turning point. As much as I missed Virginia (and still do!), I availed myself of the many unique opportunities here. I visited museums and took classes

Q: How would you describe your personal style?

A: Classic, with a bit of a twist. It is fun to wear a classic dress with some unexpected shoes (i.e. animal print or bright red patent leather heels). And same with decoration--I love to add some lucite or a mid-century glass chandelier to a traditional room. Add interest with the unexpected!

Q: What did you most enjoy about being part of the SAS community?

A: I loved that it was a small, cozy environment. I love

even more the friendships that I formed at SAS that still endure to this day!

Dr. Andy Sidle '78 Lending a Voice to the SSSAS 2020 Colloquium for the Common Good (COPE), get the city of Lawton to begin a recycling program, including acting as their TV spokesperson!

Andy then helped form a state-wide grassroots group, Oklahoma Network for the Environment (ONE).

Andy has been teaching English at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes for more than 13 years. In January, he participated in the Upper School Colloquium for the Common Good for the second time. Andy's interest in environmental issues goes back to 1990 when he was a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army in Lawton, Okla. He helped a local environmental group, Concerned Oklahomans Protecting the Environment

After leaving the Army, he joined Big Bend EarthFirst! in Tallahassee, Fla., while he was in grad school at Florida State University; canvassed for a local environmental group in Philadelphia; and worked with a group in Southern Pines, N.C., investigating discarded underground fuel tanks and local stream pollution while he was pursuing his masters at North Carolina State University.

After earning his masters, he put in quite a few hours with the Nature Conservancy in Durham before apathy set in.

Since coming to SSSAS, working with students rekindled his passion for all things green. He works with the Upper School student Green Leadership Council/Environmental Club and has led student groups in national marches in D.C. several times, protesting the Keystone XL pipeline, for instance. Andy has been a member of Greenpeace for 30 years.

Andy talked about his workshop, “Direct-Action Environmentalism: To Monkeywrench or Not to Monkeywrench?,” and why he was inspired to participate in the Colloquium:

“In order to get folks moving to help save the planet, our only home, they need to see the whole of the movement, including the radical side. I want as many people as possible to understand what one's “higher law” is, as Thoreau puts it. I wanted them to consider what one's “higher law” is and means and to know that civilization exists within not without this immense and wonderful organism called Nature.

During the workshop I introduced the students to the nature philosophy of Henry D. Thoreau, John Muir, and Rachel Carson, and then, I launched into videos and images of the most prominent direct-action groups in American history: EarthFirst!, The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, E.L.F., and Greenpeace. At the end and during the presentation, we discussed the ethical implications and morality of such groups, i.e., when is it acceptable or is it acceptable to break the law to protect animals and the planet Earth.

Some of the students had heard of Greenpeace or seen the Sea Shepherds on Animal Planet, but in general, the information was new to them. Their body language alone told me they were moved by seeing animals, like whales, harmed, and through our discussion—their questions and comments—I heard that they had a broader understanding now of environmentalism.”

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CLASS NOTES For me, CB Bell Guess, the most exciting event this year was the arrival of our first grandchild, Salem Grace Cooley, in April 2019! Keith and I love spending time with her and her parents, our daughter Meg and husband Chip, who live nearby. We also visit our daughter, Julia, in Raleigh, N.C., and are planning to move there this summer. I retired from teaching in 2017 and substitute occasionally. Since April of 2018 I have been serving as the volunteer for programing and education at the Historic Hope Plantation in Windsor, N.C., which is the restored home of former North Carolina Governor David Stone (1770-1818).

I help plan and coordinate the Living History Day school tours. I love having the opportunity to use my teaching experience and spend time with children without having to write lesson plans or grade papers! My grandmother was one of the members of the original board of directors when restoration of the home began in the late 1960s. Both of my parents were born and raised in Windsor and were actively involved in events and activities at Hope after they retired in 1986 and moved back

to Windsor. We still have my parents' home in Windsor, so I have a place to stay when I go for the school tours. In a way, I am carrying on a family tradition and helping to share the history of Bertie County with the next generation.

Until next year…

1980 ST. AGNES Ann Hepburn Webb awebb@geologics.com

Happy 2020 to all of you! Thanks to so many of you who have sent in your news. This year, job changes, high school and college-aged children, weddings, and grandchildren are the topics. Of course, another common theme is excitement for our 40th Reunion (can you believe it!?) in the fall!

Lynne Rogich Ford writes that her daughter, Blair, completed her MBA at Georgetown with a capstone trip to the Middle East, and lucky Lynne was able to join her to tour Abu Dhabi, Oman, and Dubai. By far, Oman was the most interesting, including a night spent in the desert and riding camels. Lynne plunged into hyper planning mode,

as Blair prepared for her wedding in Washington on October 12. It was a fabulous weekend with great weather and lots of family and friends, old and new! Lynne moved her parents from the house she grew up in to Goodwin House in Alexandria and made numerous trips to Charlotte, N.C., to visit her granddaughter, Laurel, who will soon be three. Lastly, in November Lynne was elected the fifth president and CEO of ICMA-RC, a leading provider of public sector retirement plans since 1972 with 57 billion dollars in assets. This assignment caps the last 20 years of Lynn's financial services career which has focused on issues of retirement and retirement security.

Jane Masterson reports that she is still living in New York City and working on Broadway and at the NYC Ballet at Lincoln Center. Her partner, Stewart, retired last May. Jane is working half the year so she and Stewart can spend the second half of 2020 at their home in Italy. Jane has achieved Irish citizenship thanks to her Dublinborn grandfather, so she can now live in the EU full time with health care benefits.

Jim Toomey '79 Lending a Voice to the SSSAS 2020 Colloquium for the Common Good a way that appeals to adults and children alike. This conservation message has earned him two NOAA Environmental Hero Awards. In addition to creating the daily strip, Jim has hosted, animated, and/or written many award-winning short films, with partners such as the United Nations Environment Programme, Pew Charitable Trusts, and the World Resources Institute.

Jim sits on the board of several environmental nonprofits, including the Smithsonian Environmental research Center. He has given talks at a variety of venues, from his April 2010 TED Talk, to the Royal Society in London, to his children's kindergarten class.

As a further indication of his dedication to marine conservation, Jim moved his entire family onto the ocean in a sail catamaran and cruised 14,000 miles in the Mediterranean, across the Atlantic, and through the Caribbean from August 2015 to June 2017.

Jim is passionate about the ocean and marine conservation. His award-winning syndicated comic strip, “Sherman's Lagoon,” appears in over 250 daily newspapers, in 20 countries, and six languages. He has just completed his 24th book, “If You Can't Beat 'Em, Eat 'Em: The Twenty-Fourth Sherman's Lagoon Collection,” published by Andrews McMeel. The strip's underwater theme explores environmental issues in

82 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

Jim talked about his workshop, “Cartooning with a Purpose,” and why he was inspired to participate in the Colloquium: “The technology and media landscape has changed radically since I was a young cartoonist. Opportunities abound for young people to express themselves on social media and other online venues. It's critical that young perspectives become more represented in media.

Cartoons, comic strips and visual storytelling are the perfect genre for young people to communicate their views.

In my workshop, I wanted to briefly explain the creative process and how it involves taking risks and going down blind alleys and experimenting. I also wanted to explain the process of visual storytelling and creating characters and conflict. My biggest challenge was to explain how cartoons are relevant to today's youth.

Visual storytelling can be used in social media memes and other online communication. The general concepts I conveyed in my seminar about finding that right blend between entertainment and messaging were the most relevant to my student audience.

I hope the students in my workshop learned the following: 1. Creativity and self expression is a process of experimentation and failure.

2. The best thing you can do as an artist is to get out of the studio and engage the world.

Inspiration comes from life experience.

3. Your art will come naturally, and so will your audience.”

David Tarter '83 with former SSS teacher Fred Atwood and his environmental science class. Mr. Atwood now teaches at Flint Hill School and brought his students to Falls Church to learn more about the City's efforts in environmental sustainability. David is now serving his fourth term as mayor of the City of Falls Church.

Leslie Smith has experienced some health setbacks this past year. Her muscular dystrophy has made her weaker, and she fell on her birthday and broke four bones in her right foot.

Leslie spent a month in a rehab facility in Annapolis. She uses a walker now and has an aide who comes once a week. Leslie has discovered some good solutions for pain management.

Tracy Nelson Geschickter reports that her oldest, Katie, is enjoying

UNC Charlotte. Son Garrett will graduate high school in the spring and hasn't decided on a college yet.

The Geschickter family still loves Wilmington, N.C., where Tracy's husband, Bear, is practicing law. They see quite a bit of her brother, Scott '85, and his family in Raleigh. Her sister, Lori Nelson Cochran '81, and husband Rick enjoy living in Austin, Texas.

Susie Holleder Connors is celebrating her 15th anniversary as president and

CEO of the Brain Injury Association of America. She spends as much time as she can in her “ramshackle” duplex at Chic's Beach near Norfolk, Va. The last few months of 2019 were very eventful for Anne Goodwin Crump's family. Her elder daughter, Charlotte, was married in November at the Marriott Ranch, after riding in on her horse! Following a period of intensive training, her son was able to start his dream job in Alexandria in mid-December. Anne's younger daughter is a junior at Bishop Ireton and is beginning to look at colleges.

Mary Ann Abbey Howell has two grandchildren and she is blessed to have all three of her grown kids living in Galesville, Md. Her 102-year-old mother, also living in Galesville, remains active in the community and is still living on her own. Mary Ann continues to work for the Department of Aging & Disabilities, with certification in dementia. She amusingly mentions that given her mother's longevity, she will probably be working another 20 years.

Karen Mierke Hausfeld and husband Tim bought a house and land southwest of Richmond late last summer. They are now 23 minutes away from their youngest daughter and granddaughter.

Karen remarks about the changes from Northern Virginia living—so

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CLASS NOTES

Monte Bourjaily '85 Lending a Voice to the SSSAS 2020 Colloquium for the Common Good School for Science and Technology for the last eight years.

Monte's son, Alex, is a senior at SSSAS.

Monte talked about his workshop, “The Ethics of Listening to Others,” and why he was inspired to participate in the Colloquium:

After graduating from St. Stephen's School, Monte received a bachelor's in political science from Washington College in 1989 and a JD from Washington and Lee University in 1992. He practiced law for 12 years before switching to teaching. His practice varied, but focused on corporate and business advising, international business, business immigration and exempt organizations law advising. Monte moved into education 15 years ago and has been teaching history and social studies at the Thomas Jefferson High

little traffic, a lower cost of living, how it is safer—and Tim loves his new job. At Thanksgiving their eldest two children visited. Tony travels all over, and Christina and her husband live in Singapore. For an entire day Karen had all four children completely to herself !

Puma Bridges Cornick continues working in private practice in Rosslyn and will likely never retire after putting both kids through school. Her son, Keene, is a junior carrying on the lacrosse tradition at SSSAS where he plays goalie (crazy). It's a lot of fun to watch and Puma's dad comes to every game (some things never change)!

Dr. Bridges just passed his second anniversary at Goodwin House, where he chats with many Saints-related people, including Mrs. Bill Smith, Susan Montague, Mrs. Wanamaker, Mrs. Keleher, and the list goes on. It's basically geriatric high school :) Puma's daughter, Elizabeth, is home for a brief stint as she plots her next move, which looks as if it may be graduate school in comparative literature. Husband Carter is doing well and still tolerates Puma.

84 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

“My workshop addressed the importance of listening as an ethical good to establish relationships and build trust.

I wanted to offer listening as a complement to speaking, which our society emphasizes, but which focuses the speaker and what s/he has said, is saying, or will say, rather than on the ideas, needs, and concerns of the other speaker(s). Listening is leveling. Socrates and Hannah Arendt believed that it also creates a pause for thought or contemplation which innoculates the listener against manipulation and impetuous action. I wonder if one cause of polarization in our society today is a lack of listening to others with the goal of understanding their needs and concerns and recognizing that our difference - regional, cultural, ethnic, educational, economic - hides our shared common identity as Americans.

As a teacher of American history, government, philosophy, and law, I wanted to share the ethical good of listening, that gets drowned out by its loud sibling, healthy argument.

With good reason, speaking and argument are encouraged.

1985 ST. AGNES Taylor Kiland Taylor.Kiland@gmail.com

Jessica Bernanke and Neil Ewachiw were married on July 19, 2019, in a small ceremony at her parent's home in Alexandria, Va. Jessica and Neil met years ago on Rehoboth Avenue when they struck up a friendly conversation about egg sandwiches. They are now living in Tunis, Tunisia, while Neil serves at the US Embassy there. Meg Greenhouse and I plan to visit in 2020!

Jenny Kuhns Indelicato reports: “I'm looking forward to seeing everyone who can make it to our big reunion in September! I treasure the friendships and memories we made back in the 80's, and often cringe at the foolishness I displayed. I'm grateful that my three daughters are much wiser and make better choices than I did in those days!

We just put Mary Rose (19) on a plane yesterday to return to University of Edinburgh for her second semester. She loves being in Europe and spent her senior year of high school living with a host family in Witten, Germany, as

The most valuable advice I received as a young lawyer, however, was to talk less and listen more. Let the client tell you what his concerns and needs are. Further, we are in a period of communication transition where a lot of speech occurs through emails, text messages and social media posts, rather than in person. These mediums are informal and frequently reflexive. I want to encourage people to think about what is said and why. Beyond that, I think it is important to try to create cross-group connections which may require the work of ethical listening.

The students seemed intrigued by an open and closed question development activity we did together. Further, I sensed that students found it interesting to think about reading Plato's “Allegory of the Cave” as a listening exercise wherein they were actually having a conversation with Plato (or Socrates) who has been dead for over two thousand years, but whose speech has been preserved in his written words.

My goals for the workshop were to introduce the idea of listening as an ethical good rather than simply a physical activity. I wanted them to see well-constructed questions as a means to elicit responses that would allow them to listen. Ultimately, I hoped they would see reading as a variant of listening and therefore value reading as an opportunity to have conversations with otherwise inaccessible thinkers.”

part of the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange. She worked hard to become conversationally fluent in German, and plans to work in our foreign service. Our twin daughters, Alicia and Michelle, are 16 and juniors in our local high school. They are working very hard to maintain their grades and extracurricular activities. When they are available, they enjoy being sitters for the darling children of Taylor Kiland and Ginger Lee Burke Koloszyc. I'm doing my best to maintain my sanity and keep my sense of humor as I care for them, our various pets, my mom and her husband.”

I, Taylor Kiland, continue to live in Alexandria where my husband and I enjoy being SSSAS parents, as we have a first grader now! But, we have a classmate with an even younger child: Roshna Wunderlich has a two-year-old son, Jacob. (Yes, you read that right!)

Little Kiland and Jacob became fast friends during a play date in November.

Roshna is still a professor at JMU in Harrisonburg, where she has lived for 20 years. She loves being a new mommy!

1988 ST. AGNES

Sharon Dewey Cassidy cassidy4kids@gmail.com Cristin Curry De Silva ccdesilva1@gmail.com Greetings Classmates! This is a BIG year as the majority of us will be celebrating a milestone birthday: the big 5-0! I hope the celebrations are surrounded by friends and family and are full of laughter and fun! My husband surprised me with a very special birthday dinner among some of my oldest childhood friends and Saints, including Alison Herr Christmas, Christoper Murphy '91, Theo Androus '88, David Haddock II '87, and others.

It was a perfect way to welcome the next decade! I look forward to a beach vacation this summer in Rehoboth with Carlin Porter Mihm of Frisco, Texas, as well as Melissa Kuhn Cetola of Cary, N.C., and their families! I am still busy as Cassidy household CEO and chauffeur, as well as growing my network marketing business with Monat, a vegan, toxin-free, anti-aging hair, and skin care company.

Claire Jenkins Porter of Raleigh, N.C., gathered a group of local D.C. area classmates in February, when she was in town for a visit. Claire writes, “We are entering our ninth year living in N.C.. with no plans to ever leave.

Grace McMahon, our daughter, is a sophomore, lacrosse and tennis player, and will embark upon the IB Diploma

Programme next year. Nicholas, our son, is in his last year at Magellan Charter where he continues winning chess tournaments and playing the piano. Our family spent Christmas visiting Isla Mujeres and Chichen Itza, Mexico, and will spend two weeks in Poland this summer. After opening a charter school and serving as a principal, I am now a consultant and state employee at the Office of Charter Schools, supporting new charters on their path to excellence in education.

Husband Stephen continues to enjoy teaching as a professor at NCSU.” Karen Belevitz DeHaven has some exciting news: “My five-year process of completing the land transformation of our therapeutic arts and counseling center is done. AHA! Studio for Integrated Therapies LLC is now onboarding an incredible clinical staff of licensed therapists and doctors to bring integrative mental health alternatives to our region of suburban Philadelphia. Many plans underway to develop integrative wellness programs for women, children, and families in Bucks County, Pa., and online. First up is the expansion of our social therapy clubs for kids and our women's Artfully Conscious Sisterhood.”

Cristin Curry DeSilva is back in Alexandria after 16 years abroad, and she has graciously offered to take over as class correspondent! I am more than happy to pass the torch, and I know this job will be in great hands. So, moving forward please send your news to Cristin.

As many of you know we have received some sad news. Claudine Weber-Hof suddenly passed away in January. Her dear friend and classmate, Kate Cochran, beautifully shared, “We unexpectedly lost dearest Claudine Weber-Hof a few days ago. Those of you who knew her from St. Agnes, Georgetown, the U.S. Army, UVA, or from her work as a writer and editor will remember her keen intelligence, magnificent wit, and overall verve ... I grieve her lost battle against anxiety and depression, and will miss her terribly for the rest of my life.”

Sabrina Gilmore Scanlon lost her father in November. Mr. Gilmore was a constant presence at Sabrina's games at St. Agnes, and he had such a quick wit. Sabrina was surrounded by many former classmates and friends at his service at St. Mary's and the beautiful reception at Belle Haven Country Club.

Meg Thomas Konkel of Bozeman, Mont., lost her father in January. Bill Thomas and Meg's mom, Suzanne, were very active members of the SAS community, not to mention board members, and were instrumental in the SSSAS merger.

Sincere condolences to the family and friends of those who passed. “Perhaps they are not stars in the sky, but rather openings where our loved ones shine down to let us know they are happy.”

1989 ST. AGNES Amanda Clare Edwards acefoto@aol.com

Karaoke. That's pretty much all you need to know if you plan on attending a St. Agnes Class of 1989 reunion in the future. There will be karaoke and you must participate. That's what was unanimously decided by the dozen or so of us who ventured to our class party in McLean on the Saturday of Homecoming Weekend. I am here to attest, it is definitely an ice-breaker.

Any nerves we may have had going into the weekend dissipated within the first 10 seconds of us belting out our class's unofficial anthem, Madonna's “Like A Prayer.” Life is a mystery and karaoke is the great equalizer. Needless to say, we had a blast rocking out to the greatest hits of the '80s, including (but certainly not limited to) “Purple Rain,” “Come on Eileen,” “Down Under,” and “Careless Whisper.” One of the funniest moments of the evening came when Ashley

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1990 ST. AGNES Sarah Goldsmith Campos slgoldsmith@yahoo.com

Kathy Jenkins, Alex Fellows, Sarah Williams '87, Marsha Way, Betsey Rice, Sharon Dewey Cassidy '88, and Alexandra Johnson '89 gathered for a summertime lunch in Alexandria.

Hanchey Bigelow screamed out loud after realizing for the first time ever that the man from Down Under was given a Vegemite sandwich and not “a bite of his sandwich!”

Reunion Weekend officially kicked off on Friday night with the alumni reception at The Alexandrian in Old Town. All things considered, we had a fairly decent turnout. Ashley, Nancy Ragland Perkins, Yasmin Tuazon, Christina Pfeffer Caporale, Nicole Zehfuss, Lee Casselman Whelan, Alexandra Woodman Johnson, Angela Miller, Tanya Dobrzynski, Ann Tiedeman, and I, Amanda Edwards, all crammed in as much gossiping as possible over the course of the reception and at an after-party in a nearby restaurant.

The next night we joined forces with the SSS Class of '89 at the home of Thomas Digges. In a scene eerily reminiscent of high school itself, the ladies (including Pammy Gill) soon branched off into the living room while the guys stayed mainly in the kitchen or around the outdoor fire pit. A few brave souls like Geoff Johnson, Seth Price, and Chris Shomo provided occasional lead and backing vocals to Billy Idol, Def Leppard, and Queen, but most of the guys seemed to avoid the living room altogether. For whatever reason…! All in all, it was a fab weekend of laughter and mild mayhem. Fingers crossed more of our classmates will be able to make the next reunion. In the meantime, here is a bit of up to date news I've since been able to glean.

Gratia O'Rourke Barnett has one of the better excuses for not attending our reunion. She was in Paris with 86 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

her daughter visiting Annick Van Swearingen Rossini '88 and her family instead. I saw some of the photos on Facebook and was definitely a bit jealous of their getting to see the real Paris with an old friend and current local.

Lee Casselman Whelan and family were in Virginia for the Christmas holiday. We had grand plans of getting some of the band back together for an encore, but that never quite materialized. That said, Tanya Dobrzynski, Angela Miller, and Mridu Chandra did manage to arrange what sounded like a lovely and lively postholiday lunch.

Tanya Dobrzynski has been busy embracing new adventures. Recent highlights include traveling to Barcelona with son Ben and his soccer team, as they participated in their Mundialito (Mini World Cup) event.

Shortly thereafter, Tanya ventured up to Alaska on a work trip where she was awe-inspired by the immense natural beauty of our largest state. I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with Tanya at our reunion about the climate challenges our fragile world faces. It's good to know we have such intelligent, dedicated, and passionate people like her working hard to hopefully improve conditions in the long term.

Last but not least, watch out Northern Virginia. Alexandra Woodman Johnson's son, Nat '21, just got his learner's permit!

Hello Class of 1990! I am looking forward to seeing you at Alumni Reunion Weekend in the fall! Hooray!

Christa Tear Venable writes that in January she and her husband moved to Costa Rica where they are building their dream: Vista del Valle Retreats.

As Christa writes, “We have planted a perma-culture food forest with more than 350 fruit trees and a greenhouse full of vegetables and medicinal plants.”

This year they are building guest houses and plan to host educational retreats for students of natural medicines, yoga, photography, and other arts, as well as guests just interested in experiencing Costa Rica or relaxing in paradise.

Nancy Banks Eades and husband Allan visited over the Christmas holidays for two weeks and had an amazing time.

Sali Qaragholi Rakower had a lot of news to share! In January she and husband Michael took their four kids for a six-month trip through South American, traveling to Ecuador, the Galapagos, Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Argentina, and the Bahamas, before heading home in June. Shortly before leaving, Sali got news that she was pregnant with their fifth child! Samuel “Sammy” Joseph was born September 2 and joins siblings Rachel (11), Becca (10), Hannah (8), and Jacob (7), who adore their new little brother. In addition to the above, Sali is a partner in the boutique law firm Rakower Law PLLC in New York. Hoping to see Sali at Reunion to ask her how she does it all!

In July it was lovely to catch up with Kirsten Curtis and her husband, Robert Cote, who visited London on their way back to Virginia from her job in Zambia.

Kirsten writes that she is enjoying her time in Zambia, which has surpassed expectations. The weather is perfect year-round and she's had the chance to go on some fun safaris and see other parts of Africa she wouldn't have visited otherwise.

To make everyone else feel better, my husband, Juan, daughter Virginia (8) and I, Sarah Goldsmith Campos, are enjoying our very sedate life in Zone 2 West London. Not so many visitors this year, but looking forward to seeing a lot of you in October!

1993 ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES Caroline Worsley caroline.worsley@gmail.com Stephen Lastelic lastelic@gmail.com Happy 2020 from the class of 1993!

We have been busy with life and adventures and are happy to share an update with the St. Stephen's and St. Agnes community.

Montez Anderson works and lives in the Washington, D.C. area. He is serving his second year on the SSSAS Board of Governors, and is honored to work with a head of school who is passionately focused on diversity, inclusion, and ensuring that everyone's voice is heard, from students, to faculty, to administrators.

Nazy Brown is working and living in the Washington, D.C. area and has four children. She is a contractor for the United States government and is also managing the successful modeling careers of her children.

Dara Brunelli O'Hara received the honor of joining the SSSAS Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019! This event was attended by her friends and family, and her sister, Tia Brunelli Mahaffay '91, gave a beautiful speech honoring her. Caroline Worsley, Erin Wallace, Tammy Smoker Cassady, Trent Nichols, and Christian Ferry were just a few of the SSSAS alumni that attended this event! In addition to her fundraising work for Memorial Sloan Kettering, and her most important and fulfilling job as a full-time mom to four

busy and active boys, Dara is an early stage investor in primarily women-run companies. Her focus thus far has been wellness and lifestyle companies. This has been very exciting and keeps her engaged in financials and business.

Chiara Cherin Rhouate lives in Boston with her family, including three children, two daughters, and a son.

She has also been active in the SSSAS community, spearheading an annual 5K run in April in Alexandria, at the Crystal City 5K. Past participants included Chiara, Christian Ferry, Alex Morrison, Montez Anderson, Tammy Smoker Cassady, Tiffany O'Hara, Ho Lee, Brian Hall, David Schwartz, Carina Pernia Nachnani, and Manesh Nachnani. She's already started recruiting for 2020, so if you are in the area or would like to join, let her know!

Eddie Chu has had big changes this year, leaving his beloved NYC and moving to California, where he will be working as a creative lead at Apple. Eddie was accepted into an incubator program at the New Museum called NEW INC, where he works with dance choreographers, engineers, mathematicians, and other creatives in a think tank environment. This includes working with NASA as well as augmented reality. Eddie reminds us that, as an artist, you carry the burden of an ethical streak that tasks you to be accountable. He would like to make a small contribution of positivity, wherever he can, and, as someone who has been fortunate, he feels humbled by his luck and obliged to pay it forward.

Dennis “Denny” Cordell continues to meet up with friends from the class

Members of the Class of 1993 celebrating after running a local 5K.

of 1993. He went to Cancun for David Schwartz's wedding in July. DJ Hardy '94 was also there representing the Saints.

He's golfed with Cameron Argetsinger, Christian Ferry, and Justin Taft '94; lunches with Brian Hall, Steve Lastelic, Cameron, and David Schwartz. Denny also hosted a senior from SSSAS for his senior project at work and encourages others to do the same.

Christian Ferry lives in Alexandria, Va. He and his wife, Holly, are celebrating 17 years of marriage this year and have three great kids, two of whom are at SSSAS in sixth and ninth grades. He is serving this year as the president of the Alumni Association Board and is enjoying being involved with the school! Work continues to be fantastic, as Christian travels around the world lending his professional expertise and running political campaigns in other countries.

Ryan Foster is living in Seattle and loving the Pacific Northwest. He's having a blast coaching his kids sports teams and loves working in technology start-ups!

Kate Gemmell Godfrey and family, husband Mark and son Luke (2), are living aloha in Kailua, a town on the east coast of the island of Oahu, in Hawaii. Kailua Beach was just named the #1 public beach in the United States. She invites us all to come visit any time! Living with aloha is a daily reminder to better ourselves and the world around us and to treat others with respect.

Gautam Gulati lives in Great Falls, Va., with his family. “Dr. G.” is an innovation-focused executive and world

1993 classmates attending the Loudon Point to Point At Oatlands Plantation: Aaron Fobes, Erin Wallace, Dara O'Hara, Caroline Worsley, and Trent Nichols.

Spring 2020 | 87

CLASS NOTES renowned speaker and has inspired leaders of all types of organizations on how to “think differently and inoculate against status quo.” He is an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, Duke Corporate Education, and Singularity University with a focus on medical innovation and entrepreneurship. Gautam and his family are in the process of resurrecting a hospital in India, founded by his grandfather and rebuilt by his father, which provides free services to patients.

Gautam is, as always, an all around curious guy with a lifelong love of learning. He is also a podcast host who uncovers the hidden stories behind the world's most interesting people.

His current venture with Spotify can be found at wellplayed.health, and you can read more about Gautam's achievements at drgautamgulati.com.

Jonathan Hunt lives in Medford, Mass., with his family. He is the associate director for MIT Project Manus, which has a focus on academic makerspaces, and his wife, Alicia, is the director of energy and environment for the City of Medford. They are adamant proponents of green living and encourage their three children to ride their bicycles to school every day and drive them around in their plug-in minivan.

Steve Lastelic's news is that his daughter, Victoria, is now in kindergarten at SSSAS in the Class of 2032.

Andrew Maoury lives outside of Reading, Pa., and is a high school assistant principal. He is also a doctoral candidate in education leadership. He's married with two sons and is doing well!

Alex Morrison lives in Arlington, Va., with his wife, Bridget, and their four children, Aidan (14 and a freshman at Wakefield), Shane (12), Connor (10), and Erin (7). Bridget is a nurse at a local family practice. Alex works at Strada Education, a non-profit focused on improving pathways between education and a career. In this capacity, he works with Strada's seven portfolio companies. Alex also has run his own consulting business in the ed-tech space and may go back to that work at some point. Between a heavy travel schedule for work and the kids activities, most of Alex's time is on a plane or sharing duties driving the “family bus”to and from kids events!

Tiffany Lee O'Hara is living and loving the Cali life. She is also completing her Ph.D. in depth 88 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

psychology this year!

Leah McDonald is living in Vienna, Va., with her husband, daughter, and son. She and her husband are both biologists researching rare and endangered plants in North America and bioinformatics for NatureServe.

You can see her work at natureserve.org.

Leah and her family enjoyed two weeks in Austria this past spring!

Alexandra Nini Ponette-Gonzales is an associate professor of geography and the environment at University of North Texas. Her research focuses on how humans affect the atmosphere and how a changing atmosphere affects ecosystems on the ground. Currently, she is investigating to what extent urban trees and forests function as natural “urban air filters” scrubbing pollutants from the atmosphere, with implication for climate change and human health.

She is also working to integrate science and visual art in educational programs to increase recruitment and broaden participation in STEM fields. Her work can be found at ponettelab.cargo.site.

She is married to a fellow professor and they live in Denton, Texas, with their three hound dogs, Deets, Sissy, and Clementine.

Ilya Shambat is enjoying life as a father in sunny Australia. He is working on several projects, including a website for Thad Kahlow's father, energy invention, and lots of writing. He has translated several books of Russian poetry into English and has published three poetry books.

Don Theerathada continues to take over Hollywood as a leading director, fight coordinator, and stunt coordinator.

He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Mimi, who owns a successful dental practice. Don has worked in every aspect of action entertainment, specifically on major motion pictures, television shows, video games, music videos, and web series. Films include John Wick, Aquaman, Wolverine 2, Iron Man 2, The Expendables 2, and Mulan, to name just a few. He trains celebrity actors in stunts and vehicle training, and is a member of SAG/AFTRA. Don's next project is Matrix 4, and we are all looking to support him at its release in May 2021!

Lisa Meltz Gumpert joined the SSSAS Alumni Association Board this year and is looking forward to hosting a fun regional event for Bay Area alumni in March 2020! She and husband George and two kids (Riley, 12 and Shippen, 9) still live in San Francisco and have had a ton of fun traveling recently to Tahiti, Berlin, Ireland, and Singapore!

Trent Nichols and his partner, Aaron, enjoy living the country life in their historic home, Julep Chase, in Fauquier County, Va., with their Treeing Walker Coonhound, Hoxton. Trent continues to work in finance and enjoys traveling throughout the year. Recent destinations have included Sud Tyrol, Munich, Mexico City, The Azores, and Denmark.

Amy Nadine Rosenberg Clement is a successful and sought-after celebrity

makeup artist who spends her time between Los Angeles, Calif., and Corrales, N.M. She is interviewed often on her expertise and had a makeup collection under her name, Amy Nadine, which sold out at Costco. Amy lives in Corrales with her husband, JP, and her two young boys, Jones and Iverson. Amy also has a mom blog, PracticallyPerfectBaby.com, with her sister, Whitney, who lives a mile away from her in Corrales with her husband and two sons. Lastly, Amy is two semesters away from adding R.N. to her title!

Tammy Smoker Cassady enjoys working with Diageo, a British multinational company that represents brands such as Guinness, Casamigo, Bailey's, and Captain Morgan. This includes traveling to destinations such as the Guinness Brewery in Ireland! She lives in Alexandria, Va., with her son, Holden (5), and their giant rescue dog, Jack Jack. Tammy participates often in SSSAS alumni events and also coaches many of Holden's teams!

Erin Wallace continues to work at the forefront of sustainable fashion as vice president of marketing at ThredUp, the world's largest online resale company.

She lives in Oakland with her two awesome kids, a geriatric pit bull, and a lizard named Raindrop.

Bettina Wiedmann is the director of the German Experiment in International Living, a non-profit exchange organization that was originally founded in the US in 1932.

This past year, Bettina, together with the U.S. Embassy, sent two groups of underprivileged German youth to

the United States, where they took English lessons, participated in several community service projects, and got a glimpse into American family life by staying with host families in Portland, Ore., and Pittsburgh, Pa. In November 2019, the organization won the bid to run the German part of the Congress Bundestag Youth Exchange Program, a full scholarship program for American and German students to spend a high school year in the other country. Bettina is convinced that her year at SSSAS and her time with Trent Nichols' family are her main motivation to work in international exchange and to do her part to make this work a little bit more peaceful. She lives in Bonn, Germany, with her husband and her three daughters and is happy to show you around the Bonn/Cologne area should you ever be near!

As for myself, Caroline Worsley, I continue to seek out new adventures.

I work with creatives in multiple fields as a “perspective changer� and brand consultant, helping to realize new ideas and concepts through exploring new and upcoming travel destinations with innovation in design, art, music, food, and fashion. As a freelance contractor, I have been able to explore many parts of the world while also enjoying life as a full-time mother, thanks to my own amazing mom, Shirley Siegel. My husband, Dursun Koca, is an artist from the Netherlands who has parlayed his creativity into working with companies such as Netflix, constructing and renovating homes with design directors and producers in short amounts of time (look out for Queer Eye season

The groom John Chapman '99, Sean Washington '00 (second from right) and Travis Wooden '01 (far right).

5!). Our children, Canyon (7) and Clover (4), bring us great joy as we watch them grow in this world, and they attend a lovely Quaker School, Buckingham Friends School. We live in a farmhouse in beautiful Bucks County, Pa., where we have a sweet Shiba Inu-Chihuahua mix, Tilki, and a flock of very cool chickens. Travels take us to other fun and sunny destinations, such as Miami Beach and Cave Creek, Ariz. I am so happy to have been given the responsibility of updating our SSSAS community on the exciting achievements of our class. Thank you to all of you who shared your adventures with me!

1999 ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES Hannah Prentice Traul hannah@jacksonprentice.com Pender Ellett Koontz penkoontz@gmail.com The Class of 1999 held a fantastic evening of laughter, memories, and fun on October 19, 2019, as we took over the top floor of Chadwicks for our 20th Reunion! Around 30 of our classmates attended, along with significant others.

Many of us ate dinner together and even more came for drinks to continue the party until the bar closed for the night. Kate Gregg Larkin, who is living in Los Angeles and writing a book, and Melissa Biles Lewis, who is living in Seattle, flew all the way from the West Coast for the Reunion Weekend.

Summer Crabtree Pomeroy brought her precious baby girl for part of the night so she could visit with everyone!

Members of the Class of 1999 celebrating their Reunion at Chadwick's in Old Town.

Spring 2020 | 89

CLASS NOTES

Chris Newman '00 was the keynote speaker at the SSSAS 2020 Colloquium for the Common Good.

Melissa Yates Civali has moved back to Alexandria with her husband, son, and daughter and she has enjoyed being close to family nearby.

She and Erin McConnell had a good time getting their children together for a playdate recently, since Erin moved back home from New York when her husband started teaching at SSSAS this fall! Her sons, Alex '30 and Charlie '32, are enjoying being Saints, too, and her daughter Stella (age 2) aspires to be a Saint one day like the rest of the family!

Zach Terwilliger is now the United States Attorney for the Eastern District

Andrew Keen '00 & Jamie Wylie '00 In February Andrew and Jamie made their television debuts!

Andrew competed on Food Network Canada's Great Chocolate Showdown! He made it through three episodes before being eliminated from the competition.

On his Instagram account Andrew commented, “My #baking journey isn't over. It continues on a different path.” Jamie was selected to be on Jeopardy! Tough competition prevented her from advancing, but she achieved her dream of having her photo taken with Alex Tribek.

Members of the Class of 2000, Margaret Dyson, Randall Winnette, Elizabeth Donatelli, Boupha Soulatha Inskeep, and Karen Owens, attended the Belmont Stakes in New York.

90 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

of Virginia and has earned many accolades, including being one of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce's 2019 “40 Under 40” Honorees.

John Chapman is currently serving his third term as an Alexandria City Councilman, winning reelection in 2015 and 2018.

After teaching for years at Browne Academy in Alexandria, Kim McCue has now become head of Lower School.

Kim was there, along with many other long-time SSSAS friends, to watch Nicole Reynolds get married this year at the Atrium at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens.

Kelly Williamson was also married this year with a reception at Belle Haven Country Club in Alexandria.

Stopher Pfister is leaving northern Virginia to move to New York, and Molly Tynes Wagner is also living in New York as she continues her amazing career dancing and singing in musicals on and off Broadway.

I had a wonderful time catching up with so many of you at our reunion, and I hope those of you I didn't see are doing well.

2000 ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES Elizabeth Donatelli elizabeth.donatelli@gmail.com

It's been 20 years since we put on our white dresses and suits and graduated high school. In that time, we have shared weddings, births, career switches, and moves. I've had the pleasure to connect with several classmates over the past year, including attending the Belmont Stakes in New

Nate Savio '00 (far right) with sister Casey Savio and new brother-in-law Armando.

Photo on the left: Louisa Hall '02 Photo on the right: Annie Norwood (Louisa Hall's bandmate in Griefcat), Anastasia Morozova, and Virginia Pasley

Anastasia Morozova '02 with classmates Tia Shuyler, Mary Evelyn Humphreys, Louisa Hall, and Virginia Pasley

Front row: Mary Stewart Malone '03, Suzie Shell (past parent), William Shell '03 and Bill Shell (past parent), Nancy and Jim Miller (past parents); back row: Brittany Jecko, Amanda Shell, Cullen Malone '03, and Bill Malone (past parent) York with Randall Winnette, Margaret Dyson, Karen Owens, and Boupha Soulatha Inskeep.

I also ran into fellow alumnus Andrew Keen, who (by the time you read this) will be competing against nine other home bakers from the U.S. and Canada on Food Network Canada's newest baking competition, Great Chocolate Showdown!

Madia Willis recently moved back to the East Coast and is currently working in product development for Five Below in Philadelphia.

A big congrats to Nate Savio's sister Casey '04 who got married to her new husband Armando in Panama City, Panama; Nate walked Casey down the aisle in the absence of their father, who passed away in 2015.

Jamie Wylie was selected to compete on Jeopardy! One of the longest running game shows. She said it was a once-ina-lifetime experience of a lifetime to stand in the presence of legendary Alex Trebek.

Cheers to a great 2020 and we look forward to seeing you at our 20th

Reunion this fall. Please let me know, if you are interested in helping to plan.

2002 ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES Virginia Pasley vbpasley@gmail.com

Happy 2020, here are your updates!

Mary Beth Baylor Abplanalp and her husband, Chris, welcomed Benjamin Thomas Abplanalp on June 7, 2019.

She adds that their 2-year-old, Andrew, “loves being a big brother.”

Louisa Hall tells us: “In spring of 2019, I started a new musical duo called Griefcat, best described as a cross between Flight of the Conchords and Dolly Parton. We've played a copious number of shows this year, and recorded our first album, including as yet unknown hits like “Loving You is Like Eating Chipotle” and “Dude, Where's My Car.” It will be released on April 11, 2020 at Pearl Street Warehouse in D.C. In addition to recording a full album, we also shot eight music videos under the superb direction of Tia Shuyler, with appearances and massive support

Kathleen O'Gara '03 and husband Miller with their children, Grady and Rowan. from Anastasia Morozova and Virginia Pasley.

Caroline Edsall Littleton and her husband welcomed Grace Mackenzie Littleton on Nov. 8, 2019. She adds that she also became a partner at Jones Day. Anastasia Morozova was married to Greg Featherman in the Hudson Valley in New York on July, 27, 2019. Four of the bridesmaids were also from the class of 2002 (Tia Shuyler, Mary Evelyn Humphreys, Louisa Hall, and Virginia Pasley). She adds that they live in New York City “with their perfect cat, Nugget the cat.”

Allison Lewan Wallach and her husband, Dan, welcomed Benjamin Michael Wallach on April 18, 2019.

John Woods tells us: “I spent the first portion of the year working on a moon Spring 2020 | 91

CLASS NOTES lander at a private company in Houston before transitioning to a San Francisco nonprofit which focuses on lunar settlement (where I am also working on a moon lander). I am extremely happy to be back in Oakland.”

2004 ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES Alison Murray Winkler alison.m.winkler@gmail.com

The class of 2004 hailed from near and far for our 15th Reunion in

Spotlight on Cam Burley '04 Co-Founder of No-Show Charger and Entrepreneur (noshowcharger.com)

of my free time tinkering, hacking electronic devices open, trying to understand how it all works until one day I had a come-to-Jesus moment. I needed to live my truth. Creating and building things was stimulating for me if the payout was in dollars or wooden nickels. I realized the endorphins came from the building of these personal projects and not money. That was a big turning point for me. That realization enabled me to focus on the fundamentals of what it takes to build something great.

By the time I finished college, others had noticed my perspective and asked for my help with things they were working on. Its snowballed from that tiny germ of an epiphany back in college.

Q: Did you ever take programming or robotics classes at SSSAS? If not, how else did SSSAS help you get to where you are now?

A: I had a teacher, Bill Quinn, who taught an Adobe Q: How long have you been interested in programming?

A: I was never truly interested in programming if I'm

honest. But, I've always been enamored with making things work. Early in life, I had a buddy who learned how to put 10-20 video games on a single CD-R (back in the day when people used to burn CDs). So within about ten CDs, you could have more than 100 games. For a 12-year-old, that was mind-blowing. I wanted to learn how that was possible so that's what drove me to scour the web to figure it out. Once I did, that feeling was super rewarding. My life has played out like this with just about every technical challenge. Over time, programming became a great tool to make technical things work as I'd imagined. I got deep into using programming as a problem-solving tool in college.

Q: How did you get from SSSAS to your current career?

A: What I used to think was, “I want to make a ton of

money.” Money's fun. But, I was conflating the feeling of accomplishing things that I felt were challenging, with attaining a bunch of cash that appeared challenging for many people.

So, leaving SSSAS and going to college, I tried to sign up for the finance concentration at Georgetown. But for me, it wasn't stimulating. I felt bored in class. I spent most

Flash programming class. He was great. It was my first practical attempt at coding. I learned some cool stuff but there weren't many programming classes, if any, offered at the time. I never forgot the child-like excitement and enthusiasm Mr. Quinn had. He made creating feel magical. (On my recent birthday, and at 34 years old, I'm still getting happy birthday texts from Mr.Quinn!) I remember this kind of positive energy and enthusiasm more than anything I learned...and maybe subconsciously I was always chasing that feeling, later on. That doesn't happen without SSSAS.

Q: What did you most enjoy about being part of the SAS community?

October. Michael Schwimer, Caitlin Blair, Joe Stuntz, Caroline Thompson, Conor Locke, Karla Herrera Crockett, Kelly Finnigan Mechling, Kendall McBrearty, Meaghan Donohoe Regan, Nate Solberg, Rachel Pollard Rodriquez, Nick Magallanes, Sanna Ronkainen, Savannah Weston, and Willa Thompson made the trip locally from the D.C. area. Out of town attendees included: Daniel Richmond (Houston, Texas), Marshall Bush (Houston, Texas), Taylor Rains (Charleston, S.C.), Rachel Manson (San Francisco, Calif.), Alison Murray Winkler (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Abigail Meyer (New York, N.Y.), Megan Roberson (Boca Raton, Fla.), Scarlett Bermingham (Los Angeles, Calif.), and Adrienne Allen (Los Angeles, Calif.).

Those that couldn't make it sent their best from all over the world: Andrew Patterson (Charleston, S.C.), Juan Giugale (Pittsburgh, Pa.), Kristen Fredericks (Calif.), Alice Zimmerman (London), Hallie Routh Goebels (San Diego, Calif.), Jimmy Fiske (Greenville, S.C.), Hope Jones McGrath (Colo.), Jenny Hauser (D.C.), Jennifer Thomas (Va.), Jonathan Parker (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Joe Sherman (Norfolk, Va.), Pebbles Russell (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Treat Huey (Belgium + Switzerland playing in tennis tournaments), Alden Leonard (Seattle, Wash.), Brent Locke (Honduras), Mary Roberts (Fla.), and Sally Griffith (London).

Some news from the NYC based Saints: Pebbles Russell, Cam Burley, and Jonathan Parker caught up at the SSSAS NYC alumni reception at the Classic Car Club in November. Alison Murray Winkler and Cam grabbed

Alysia Harris '06 spent a week teaching the sophomore class during Poetry Week.

Read more on p. 42.

A: It's an inviting place. There's a sort of 'come-as-

you-are' ethos that's not always how the outside world greets you. It's subtle, but that helps to create a sense of personal identity and self-worth from sources not related to you. And, this can breed self-confidence.

There are genuinely good-natured human beings within the Saints community. So, you find yourself challenging yourself later in life when situations arise — 'could I have been a bit more empathetic here or there? Could I have offered more grace to others when there was a misunderstanding? Could I have found a way to be better?' It almost sounds sappy but these thoughts really loop through your mind after you're gone. I learned how to push myself at SSSAS. It was the most fantastic way for a young person to come of age. The gratitude I have for that experience and the people within the community is unbounded.

Susan Dow Orndoff '05 and Caroline Thompson '04

92 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

Saints classmates and parents celebrating the nuptials of Annabelle Killmer '07 and Harry Floyd '07

Katherine Denkler White '07, Mike White '07, Mark White '07, and Katie Carr

Connor McGuiness '08

Lauren Kurz '08 (second from the left), Katie Taylor Redwood '08 (bride), Mike Redwood (groom), Maggie Taylor '07 (4th from the right), and Sally Klose Gallagher '08 (2nd from the right) coffee to chat about his new invention and tech product, the No-Show Charger, which eliminates cord clutter and charges phones through desk/table surfaces. Alison hopes to incorporate the product in projects for her interior design firm, Ali Reeve Design.

Imtiaz Ahmed is a licensed medical doctor living and working in Pennsylvania. He was married in 2017 and has a 3-year-old son.

John Cobb checked in from Berkeley, Calif., where he is engaged to Jody Westbrook who he met in Chicago in 2016 while serving on the board of Spastic Paraplegia Foundation. After two years of long-distance dating the couple is excited to tie the knot on May 23, 2020. John is in good spirits and starting a new job as a data analyst at a tech company called WalkMe this winter.

Aedan Comey works for a highpower litigation law firm involved in class action suits and could not respond to the submission deadline in time for a full-throated update due to long-scheduled depositions and last-minute notice from the 2004 Class Correspondent. Aedan describes depositions as “not fun.”

Joe Sherman is working as a solo practitioner in Norfolk with a focus on property rights litigation. He laments the limited freedom afforded by federal, state, and local taxes and considers joining the workforce again almost every day. Joe bickers with his wife over the inside temperature of their house and looks forward to birthdays for his children, Harrison (2) and Jacob (1).

Joe defeated his friend Bryan in tennis for the first time ever in their fledgling rivalry earlier this month, winning in straight sets: 6-4; 6-2.

2007 ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES Anne Culvahouse Teague aculvahouse@gmail.com

In October, Molly Millard got married in a beautiful ceremony in Atlanta.

Mark White tied the knot in Williamsburg with fellow SSSAS alums by his side at the altar, including Michael White, Katherine Denkler, and Bryant Smith!

Caroline Nuckolls, who lives in NYC near Becca Devine and Evi Herget, got married this past summer in Vermont

In December the Los Angeles Dodgers announced that Connor had been named assistant pitching coach. He was a four-year starting pitcher for the Eagles at Emory University, graduating in 2012. He then spent two years as the Eagles' pitching coach, where he had two record-breaking seasons, making back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Division III College World Series in 2014 and 2015. The Eagles made the championship series in 2014 and finished in the top five in 2015. In 2015 Catholic University gave him the opportunity to pursue a graduate degree and serve as the pitching coach.

In 2017 he joined the Dodgers organization as a pitching coach in the minor league working with the Great Lake Loons and the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. In his first season with the Quakes, the team went 87-53 and were champions of the California League. Connor is currently in his fourth season with the Dodgers organization, but the 2020 season will be his first with the major league team.

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CLASS NOTES

to the handsome and hilarious Colin Lucas.

Micaela O'Toole married Jared Thomas in March 2019 in D.C. The newlyweds live in Kansas City, Kan., and Micaela continues to enjoy working as a physician assistant in the Emergency Department. Micaela and Jared are looking forward to their upcoming honeymoon in Spain this summer. They plan on running with the bulls in Pamplona! So cool!

There have been some moves, Stephen Dewey relocated to Richmond, Va., and Abigail Holden is in year two of living in Switzerland! With help from realtors Mark and Mike White, Kendall Davis Pessala has moved back to Alexandria with her husband, Alex, and cute little daughter, Alden. On the West Coast, Kevin Teague is now officially a San Francisco resident along with Ned Ryan. Dudley Locke, Teddy Seifert, and Liz Downs are in Denver and Bryant Smith is stationed in Seattle but flying planes all over the world for the U.S. Navy. Bryant (aka Maverick) just finished his third deployment and has graduated from the Growler TOPGUN course for EA-18G fighter jets.

I, Anne Culvahouse Teague, am currently living in Alexandria with my husband, Michael Teague '05, and working for the U.S. Department of Commerce. Thankfully, I am a short drive from my family and get to see my six nephews and nieces and sisters, Sarah Culvahouse Mills '98 and Lizzie Culvahouse Callahan '03.

All of our thoughts and prayers go out 94 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

to Hannah Dymowski and her sister, Sarah Dymowski Andreotta '02. BIG HUGS from the 2007 crew!

Tony Reyes '07, Ian McLeod '09, Jeremy Bull '07, and Jamaill Hines '07

2009 ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES William Whitehurst william.g.whitehurst@gmail.com

Kip Rogers reports: 1. Living with my wife Morgan Rogers in Solana Beach, California.

2. Promoted to Captain in the Marine Corps in February of 2019.

3. Progressing through the instructor syllabus as an AH-1Z Cobra pilot.

4. Preparing for a second deployment to the USPACOM area of responsibility.

5. Celebrated the first birthday of our niece Eloise.

Daniela Chinsammy '09 and Peter Lee

2010 ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES Kerrigan O'Malley kerrigan.omalley@gmail.com

Kate Redding is living in Atlanta working for Weber Shanwick, a global communications firm. Kate and Chris Vaughan took a road trip down the beautiful coast of California on Highway 1 to celebrate the New Year.

Kerrigan O'Malley is living in Richmond, Va. She received her law degree from the University of Richmond and is a second year associate at a law firm. She specializes in civil litigation.

Ellen Bateman recently relocated back to the D.C. area to take the role of director for U.S. Ecosystems at the

Saints at Alli Herget Cole's '10 wedding included Sheridan Gribbon '10, Evi Herget '07, Julia Scully '10, Jo Herget '17, and Elise Herget '08

Spotlight on Robert Asmar '09 Owner of the Modern Lebanese food truck “Roro's” serving traditional Lebanese food with my own modern interpretations. After one and a half years of operating, I was fortunate enough to win Best Food Truck 2019 by Washington City Paper.

Q: In what ways is food part of your identity?

A: Ever since I can remember, food has been a big

part of my life. Whether it was my father taking me to the warehouse to watch him finish preparing a batch of hummus to be sent to Whole Foods the next day, standing next to my mother as she was building her own restaurant, or in the kitchen with my grandmother as she was preparing dinner for the family, food is a huge part of who I am. Food has always been a thing of joy and family for me. Being Lebanese many of my memories with my family are hummus and pita bread filled and I wouldn't change it for the world. It's funny, growing up I always had ideas of working in anything but food. Yet food is who I am.

Q: How did you start Roro's and tell us about the business now?

A: I had finished my time at the College of William &

Mary and had come home to begin my journey into the professional world. I had picked up a couple of odd jobs while interning at a local physical therapy clinic. In the process of figuring out whether or not to apply for medical school, I had revisited my first love, food. One of those previously mentioned odd jobs I was working fresh out of college was personal training.

One day one of my clients had caught a smell of my lunch I had prepared and asked if I would sell my food.

I had never given it much thought but one thing turned into another and I decided my profession had to be my passion. My passion had always been food. So with what little money I had saved up from my time exploring the working world and some help from my family I opened my food truck, Roro's: Modern Lebanese. I hit the streets of DC and Virginia with my big bright red food truck

Global Entrepreneurship Network.

Kelsey Reeder is living in New York.

She received her master's in social work from Columbia University and is working at the Harlem Children's Zone and as a Psychodynamic Psychotherapist at the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy.

Juliet Blakeslee-Carter is currently completing her surgical residency program in Alabama. She and her husband Mike are living in Alabama with their Corgi, Basil.

Katy Chase returned to the United States in August 2019 after spending the past few years teaching first grade

Q: Do you have a favorite dish or one that simply feels like “home” whenever you make or eat it?

A: Hands down, hummus. The classic chickpea dip is a

middle eastern staple and Lebanese people do it best!

Q: What did you most enjoy about being part of the SSSAS community?

A: I wish I had a whole book to write on this one. The

SSSAS community has been family since I stepped on the Middle School campus. I owe so much to SSSAS. The SSSAS community helped raise me from a kid to a young adult and beyond. Whenever I had struggles or growing pains I would lean on the SSSAS family for guidance and support. The faculty, teachers, and fellow students were such positive role models and influences for me during transformative times of my life. I did then, and still do now feel loved and supported by my SSSAS family and I will forever be thankful for that.

at bilingual schools in Rio de Janeiro and Vitoria, Brazil. She is now a first grade teacher at SSSAS. Sarah Allen is living in Charleston, S.C., where she works for BB&T Bank.

She splits her time between Virginia and Charleston helping her family run their restaurant in Washington, Va. Robbie Hyatt is working at Google to help harness artificial intelligence and machine learning to futureproof his client's half a billion dollar digital marketing strategy for 2020 and beyond. Prior to his work at Google, Robbie helped frame The

Washington Post's smartest revenue generating ad tech stack, Zeus, following the acquisition by Jeff Bezos.

He is currently living in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Elizabeth Lamb started working at an organic flower farm in March of 2019. In April, she and her husband, Colin, closed on a home in the Upper Fells neighborhood of Baltimore. Liz was promoted in December and is now field manager at Butterbee Farm. She invites all of her classmates to come visit the farm and she will take you to the aquarium!

Alexandra Burnley is now an evening news anchor, special assignment reporter, and producer in Duluth, Minn. She aspires to work as an anchor in a top ten market after a few more moves.

Rob Long came back from the Peace Corps (where he was an agriculture volunteer in Paraguay) at the end of 2015. He is now getting a Master of Science in Foreign Service at Georgetown and living in D.C. Kendall Smith is currently living in Philadelphia, Pa., and completing the Doctor of Nursing Practice - Nurse Anesthesia (DNP-NA) program at the University of Pennsylvania. He was recently recognized on campus for his mentorship of undergraduate students and is looking forward to continuing to be engaged in the greater Philadelphia community. He will graduate in May 2021.

Stephen Upton is living in Denver with his wife and new puppy and Margaret Smyles is working with elephants at the Maryland Zoo.

2011 ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES Meredith Bentsen meredithbentsen@gmail.com Mathias Heller mfitzheller@gmail.com David Budway finished nursing school at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. He'll be working as a registered nurse in a rural outback hospital in Australia.

Nam-Tran Mai has been working in the IT and electronics field in Northern Virginia for the past several years and has found reasonable satisfaction in his occupation. He's found comfort in spending time with friends despite the occasionally hectic work schedule in 2019 and resolves to continue the Spring 2020 | 95

CLASS NOTES

Annual Thanksgiving eve party for the Class of 2011 at the home of Margaret (retired faculty) and Wes Teague.

2011 classmates at Sam Teague’s wedding: Zach Braudy, Jake Kerr, Marshall Hughes, Chris Forsgren, Sam Teague, Hunter Fairchild, Pat Daly, David Budway, and Kyle Swenson.

2013 ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES Hope Gallagher Ogden hope.gallagher13@gmail.com Claire Malkie clairemalkie@gmail.com Brett Williams brettwlms11@gmail.com

Jack Powers '12, Kathleen Williams '12, and Chip Phillips '10 habit. Nam looks forward to rekindling his painting hobby and exploring new interests in the short-term future.

On October 12, 2019 Sam Teague married Hayley Coyle. The two were married right outside of Charlottesville, Va., where they met eight years earlier at the University of Virginia. They celebrated with family and friends, including many from SSSAS.

2012 ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES Michele Phillips phillips.michele16@gmail.com

Cristina Thompson moved to Auckland, New Zealand. I, Michele Phillips, have moved to Denver, Colo., around the corner from Kathleen Williams. We are looking forward to skiing together this winter!

96 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

Hope Gallagher Ogden got married on September 28, 2019, to Patrick Ogden in Harrisonburg, Va. In October she accepted a new position as a youth minister at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, also in Harrisonburg. She is excited for the opportunity to work in a field she's passionate about and hopefully to impact young people in a positive way.

Claire Malkie lives in Chicago and is working as both an actor and comedian.

Her standup career is taking off and she is currently in “Comedy Court” at the Laugh Out Loud Theater. This summer she will perform in Hampstead Stage Company's touring productions of “Hansel and Gretel” and “Alice in Wonderland.” When Claire isn't performing, she works in development at the Anthonian Association and behind the front desk of SoulCycle.

Quentin Price has been working in various capacities with the University of Alabama football team since his time as an undergrad there. He is currently a full-time player development assistant for the Crimson Tide and continues to enjoy the ride of working for one of the nation's premier college sports programs.

Evan Draim '13 Lending a Voice to the SSSAS 2020 Colloquium for the Common Good In January 2017, Evan began working as an employment development specialist for ServiceSource, a nonprofit resource provider for individuals with disabilities in Northern Virginia and across the country. Their mission is to facilitate services and partnerships that support people with disabilities, their families, their caregivers, and community members in order to build more inclusive communities. Evan soon took on an additional role as a legal and public policy specialist, advocating on behalf of their participants to federal, state, and local lawmakers.

They educate lawmakers about issues affecting individuals with disabilities in the workforce and the nonprofit providers - like ServiceSource - that serve them.

In addition, they hold various events increasing awareness in the broader community.

Evan has been passionate about advocacy since he was a student at SSSAS. During his junior year, he was elected as a delegate to the 2012 Republican National Convention from his congressional district. As the youngest delegate in attendance, he used his platform to advocate on behalf of other young Americans, speaking to national media about the political issues affecting his generation and encouraging other young voters to get active in the election.

At Princeton University, he advocated for student free speech and expression, co-founding the Princeton Open Campus Coalition to promote discourse between students of different viewpoints and to oppose any effort to restrict the parameters of campus debate. After graduating from Princeton in 2016 with a degree in public policy, he returned to Northern Virginia and became involved in his local community. He served on the Board of Directors for the McLean Citizens Association and as a member of the McLean Interfaith Council at his Episcopal church. He remained involved in local Republican politics and, in addition to representing the interests of young voters, also championed the interests of the LGBT community.

Bridget Thompson is in the second year of her teaching career. Last year she moved from Roanoke back to Northern Virginia, where she is currently teaching high school chemistry in Fairfax County Public Schools. She is a triathlete, currently training for a Half-Ironman this spring.

Khaamal Whitaker currently works for the Department of Defense as a contract specialist. He is also pursuing his M.B.A. with a concentration in finance through an online program from Connecticut-based Post University.

He is especially excited about another project on which he is working—the development of a sports performance app geared toward football athletes

Evan began working on a law degree at George Mason University in 2018, while continuing in his role as a legal and public policy specialist. Evan received the A. Linwood Holton, Jr., Leadership Scholarship from GMU's Antonin Scalia Law School, given to an incoming student who meets specific criteria, including having a proven history of helping others overcome discrimination. After law school, Evan will be commissioning into the United States Navy JAG Corps, practicing military law.

Evan talked about his workshop, “Building Inclusive Communities: Supporting Persons with Disabilities in Our Schools, Workplaces, and Society,” and why he was inspired to participate in the Colloquium: “Individuals with disabilities are an important part of our community and society. We all have—or will have— friends, neighbors, relatives, or colleagues who have a disability. Through my work at ServiceSource, I have seen how one person can make a huge difference in improving the lives of individuals with disabilities. However, you do not have to be working for an organization like ServiceSource to play a role in making our society a more

from youth up to the NCAA FCS level seeking a foundation in sports performance training. Khaamal has already secured three proposals from software development labs and is now seeking investors to help with the cost.

He would welcome a conversation to this end, or if anyone in the Saints community knows how to develop an app or could connect him to another company that does, he would greatly appreciate hearing from them.

Brett Williams is in his second season working for collegiate broadcasting and marketing company Learfield IMG College as the radio voice of Western Kentucky University women's basketball. This year he is also serving

inclusive and welcoming place for our fellow citizens with disabilities. I wanted to encourage students at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes to think about how they can make a difference in their daily lives towards building that kind of society.

First, I asked the students to share their personal experiences with disability (i.e., if they knew someone with a disability, had volunteered for an organization supporting people with disabilities, etc.). I found that about half of the students had some prior experience working with or interacting with individuals with disabilities. Next, we brainstormed some of the stereotypes surrounding the word “disability” and the challenges facing individuals with disabilities in their daily lives. We discussed ways that the students could tear down those stereotypes or address the challenges they identified. We ended the workshop with three case studies based on real life examples. As we worked through the case studies I asked the students how they would respond in each situation.

Through our discussions, I wanted to impart to the students that they should not be afraid to be creative and to think outside the box when it comes to supporting individuals with disabilities. Many of the greatest barriers for individuals with disabilities are societally-imposed. In order to best support our colleagues with disabilities, we may need to reevaluate our preconceived notions about how our schools, workplaces, or communities need to be structured.

I was very impressed with the students participating in the workshop. I could tell that they gained new insight into how to best support individuals with disabilities.

The best evidence of this was how they applied much of our earlier discussion to the case studies at the end of the workshop. Based on the way they approached the case studies, I could tell that the students were ready to implement their newfound knowledge outside of the classroom.”

as the TV voice of several other WKU women's sports—volleyball, soccer, and softball. Perhaps the highlight of his year in broadcasting was having the opportunity to call first- and secondround NCAA D1 volleyball tournament matches this past December. Last summer he worked as the on-field emcee for the Bowling Green (Ky.) Hot Rods of Minor League Baseball, hosting the wacky games and promotions staged between innings. Brett looks forward to trying to continue to ascend in the world of college sports play-by-play and hopes to soon add freelance work with an ESPN or FOX regional/conference network to his portfolio.

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CLASS NOTES

2014 ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES Sarah Shaw sarah.shaw13@gmail.com Anissa Chams-Eddine achamsedd@gmail.com Natalie Revers nrrevers@email.wm.edu Tré Allison recently moved from New York to Los Angeles to pursue a master's in digital social media from the University of Southern California. He finished up the fall semester working at Warner Music Group and is looking forward to interning in Berlin this upcoming summer.

Catie Beckhorn graduated from Dartmouth College in 2018. Since then she has been doing research in Lima, Peru, with Partners In Health, a health care nonprofit organization.

After volunteering on a project teaching reproductive health to adolescents, she is currently working on several studies exploring tuberculosis and HIV in adolescent populations in Lima. Catie is looking forward to starting medical school next August.

Aaron Brackett is a software engineer at a data science firm in Pittsburgh.

When not coding, he tries to find time to write, make music, and hang out with his brother, Ryan Brackett '11. In 2020 he's looking forward to contributing to his blog and solving the age old mystery of why cars park in the driveway but drive on the parkway.

Sage Buch has spent the last year developing and implementing plans to make National Forests in the Intermountain Region accessible.

In their spare time, Sage guides backcountry trips, works with an LGBT resource center uplifting and

empowering trans youth, and works at a blacksmithing business they founded where all proceeds go back to trans youth in need. In January, Sage attended their 5th International Ice Climbing Competition and Festival.

Anii Chams-Eddine is currently based in the Washington, D.C., area supporting a federal consulting firm.

During her free time, she enjoys Latin dance and traveling. On the schedule for this year's trips are the USA's West Coast, Austria, Kosovo, and London— the latter alongside Caroline Secrest and Ruth Walston.

Natalie Hellmann works on Capitol Hill for a member of Congress as his legislative correspondent. She moved back to Alexandria from Winter Park, Fla., the summer of 2019 and is happy to be home! In her free time she enjoys taking advantage of all the D.C. area has to offer, such as museums, and loves going on scuba diving trips.

Camille Jones spent last spring studying in Oaxaca, Mexico, for the semester. She will be graduating in May with a major in Spanish and a minor in Latin American and Caribbean Studies!

She plans to teach in the fall.

Alison Lindsay is working in New York as an environmental paralegal. In the past year, she spent some voluntary time in the ER and started a post bac pre-med program.

Emily Miller finished a post bac program in anatomy and translational science. She is currently working at Children's National as a clinical research assistant in the blood and marrow transplant department. She is looking forward to learning to rock climb.

After graduating from Notre Dame, Olivia Mikkelsen moved to Chicago.

She works as a consultant for Deloitte and specializes in design research.

Adam Naidorf graduated from the University of Virginia in May of 2018 with a degree in civil engineering.

After graduation, Adam moved back to the Washington, D.C. area to work in construction management for Jacobs Engineering Group. In his free time he enjoys spending time with friends, especially his fraternity brother and SSSAS classmate Christian Osbourne.

Andrew Riggs finished a bachelor's in computer science, and moved back to D.C. after graduation. He now works as a software consultant with federal clients in the area, focusing on building web-based applications. Since returning to the area, he's enjoyed making trips out to Shenandoah national park.

Dylan Reynolds spent last school year teaching English in a local high school in Como, Italy. She is now back in the D.C. area and recently adopted a puppy named Milo.

Caroline Secrest is enjoying writing articles and learning the ins and outs of PR as a destination marketer for Alexandria. To celebrate the new year, she visited London with Anii ChamsEddine and Ruth Walston in February!

Michael Cade Vernet started 2019 working as a night shift ER technician at INOVA Alexandria ER providing care back to the SSSAS community.

He also worked as a construction health and safety medic in D.C. for the MLK Library and Coolidge High School renovations. In August Michael was accepted to a Master of Medical Physiology program at Case Western Reserve University and moved to Cleveland in September where he will stay until he finishes the program in fall of 2020.

In the past year, Ruth Walston has celebrated her graduation from VCUArts. She's currently working towards a Tattoo License in Richmond.

In February, she went to London for the first time with dear buds Caroline Secrest and Anii Chams-Eddine to see former SSSAS legendary English teacher Dave Yee.

2016 ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES Sarah Lowe sarahelowe20@gmail.com

Saints going to Naval Academy and West Point met up at the Army/Navy game on December 14 in Philadelphia.

On the left: Toy Sobers, Aaron Sobers '19, and Art Sobers; and on the right: Charlie O'Brien '16 and Art Sobers.

98 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

Last summer Ian Thompson qualified for the Olympic Team Trials in June in the 50 LCM Freestyle (23.17).

He hopes to also qualify in the 100 backstroke and 100 butterfly this spring as he's only a couple tenths of a second

Ian Thompson '16 Ian qualified for the Olympic Team Trials in June in the 50 LCM Freestyle (23.17).

Brendan Richichi '17 Brendan was recently selected as the new Cadet Vice Wing Commander for his senior year beginning in the fall of 2020. In this role Brendan will hold the second highest ranking cadet position, assuming responsibilities for the daily operations and command policy of the 4,000+ member Air Force Cadet Wing, supervision of four Cadet Group Commanders, and 40 Cadet Squadron Commanders.

off the qualifying times in both. He also worked as a research assistant for a government professor analyzing economic spatial inequality in Africa.

Jordan Randle had the unique opportunity to intern with Google last summer under their Cloud Sales organization in Austin, Texas. He worked directly on the Enterprise Customer Development team where he presented deliverables on how his team could be more efficient within workloads involving SAP systems. He hopes to continue working within the tech sector after graduation!

During last summer, Bit Brown worked at the Beth Israel Lahey Boston Treatment Center, a detox clinic for opioid and alcohol users. She worked with patients one-on-one and in group settings, performing biopsychosocial assessments, leading group sessions, and completing referrals to move patients to further care. Boston has become her favorite city and she'd love to be able to move there after medical school. Right now she's working toward taking the MCAT and applying to jobs in scribing or EMT work for her gap year following graduation.

Sarah Lowe has spent the past year volunteering at the Center on Wrongful Convictions at the Bluhm Legal Clinic at Northwestern Pritzker Law School, working to help exonerate wrongfully

The Air Force Academy men's swimming and diving team clinched their third Western Athletic Conference title in the last five years. Brendan Richichi '17 (first row on the podium, second student from the right) won 6th place in the 100 Breast.

Good enough for a Second Team All Conference Award. The time Brendan swam places 10th on the All Time list in USAFA history for the event. incarcerated inmates in the Cook County/Chicago region and beyond.

She has found the work so meaningful that she has decided to pursue a law degree starting this September. She is extremely excited to be beginning this next chapter in her educational career and is extremely thankful for the continued support of her SSSAS friends for helping her get there!

2017 ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES Adele Reardon amr6a@virginia.edu

Sterling Gilliam sterlinggilliam03@gmail.com Sterling Gilliam is continuing to enjoy his time at Vanderbilt University.

He is studying at Queen's University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in the spring and looks forward to meeting up with Saints classmates across Europe.

Adele Reardon is a third-year student at UVA studying public policy and French. In the spring semester she will follow her parents and sister in the family tradition of studying abroad in Aix-en-Provence, France.

In the fall Olivia Gilliam studied at the University of Sussex in Brighton, England, where she also played on the school's lacrosse and field hockey teams.

Sam Dubke is finishing up his junior year at Georgetown. In 2019 he pursued his interest in politics and government

by interning on the Hill, at the White House, and on a presidential campaign.

Mollie Miller is loving her junior year at Georgetown. She is diving into the business school curriculum and keeping up with the fast-paced lifestyle of a collegiate athlete. Mollie is excited to connect with fellow Saints in New York City this summer, where she is an incoming intern at AlphaSights.

Caroline Armstrong is finishing up her junior year at Virginia Tech where she continues to study business. This upcoming semester, Caroline will study abroad in Lugano, Switzerland.

Emma Button is a rising senior at the University of Colorado Boulder. This spring semester, she will study abroad in Sydney, Australia.

Commanders.

2018 ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES Charlotte Fontham cfontham@gmail.com

Jadyn Chandler transferred to Towson University this year. She is a sports management major and an intern for the Towson Athletics Media Relations Department. As the official statistics writer for the men's and women's basketball teams, Jadyn has spent a lot of time watching Charles Thompson '19 on the court, just like in high school!

Spring 2020 | 99

MILESTONES

WEDDINGS Megan Roberson '04 and Matthew Jennings May 19, 2018

Charles Baldwin '03 and Jamie Richman September 14, 2019

Robert “Roro” Asmar '09 and Camila Santander November 9, 2019

Grace Stuntz '06 and Stash Graham December 15, 2018

Hope Gallagher '13 and Patrick Ogden September 28, 2019

Mia Fryklund Corbitt '76 and David Lamance November 26, 2019

Katie Taylor '08 and Mike Redwood April 6, 2019

Kelly Williamson '99 and Christopher Porcelli October 19, 2019

Anthony Farzaneh '99 and Dhelni Patel July 6, 2019

Mark White '07 and Katie Carr October 26, 2019

Anastasia Morozova '02 and Greg Featherman July 27, 2019

Susan Archer '76 and Capt. Michael DeVine

Jamie Richman and Charles Baldwin '03 100 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

Anthony Farzaneh '99 and Dhelni Patel

Phillip Guglielmo '12 and Taylor O'Hara December 14, 2019 Susan Archer '76 and Capt. Michael DeVine, U.S. Navy (Ret) January 11, 2020

Robert Asmar '09 and Camila Santander

Hope Gallagher '13 and Patrick Ogden

Taylor O'Hara and Phillip Guglielmo '12

Stash Graham and Grace Stuntz '06

Greg Featherman and Anastasia Morozova '02

Matthew Jennings and Megan Roberson '04

Mark White '07 and Katie Carr

Mike Redwood and Katie Taylor '08

Kelly Williamson '99 and Christopher Porcelli Spring 2020 | 101

MILESTONES & IN MEMORIAM

NEW ADDITIONS Alumni

Evi Herget '07 and DJ Johnson '05, a daughter, Judith Quincy “Quinn” Herget Johnson, February 2, 2020

Allison Lewan Wallach '02 and Dan, a son, Benjamin Michael April 18, 2019.

John Chapman '99 and Monika, a son, John T. Chapman II February 8, 2020

Mary Beth Baylor Abplanalp '02 and Chris, a son, Benjamin Thomas June 7, 2019 Sarah Dymowski Andreotta '02 and Ian, a daughter, Daphne Elizabeth June 17, 2019 Caroline Edsall Littleton '02 and Judd, a daughter, Grace Mackenzie November 8, 2019

Benjamin Thomas Abplanalp

Faculty and Staff Mieke Cranford (US English Teacher/ Department Chair) and Matthew, a daughter, Anneke Myriam November 22, 2019

Share Your News To tell us about the milestones in your life, please email Meredith Robinson, Senior Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement, at mrobinson@sssas.org.

Lizzie Callahan '03 (Director of Auxiliary Programs) and Stephen, a daughter, Hannah Louise October 21, 2019

Daphne Elizabeth Andreotta

Hannah Louise Callahan

Anneke Myriam Cranford John T. Chapman II

Grace Mackenzie Littleton 102 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

Judith Quincy “Quinn” Herget Johnson

Benjamin Michael Wallach

IN MEMORIAM Alumni Mary “Polly” Bryan Fuller '41 October 28, 2016 Caroline Bowersock '61 October 11, 2018 Eulalie Converse Pickett Wilson '62 February 27, 2019 Helen Cooke Miller '48 November 14, 2019 Dorothy Lipps Nelson '86 Sister of Bryan Lipps '77 November 29, 2019 Marion Moncure '66 sister of Caroline Moncure Taylor '63 and Samuel “Pem” Moncure Jr. '69 December 6, 2019 Helen Preble Stewart '61 December 24, 2019

Mabs Royar Loflin '44 January 11, 2020 Claudine Weber-Hof '88 January 16, 2020 Maude Nevins DeFrance '55 January 28, 2020 James Williams '68 February 7, 2020 Jane Ferguson Junghans '56 sister of Fran Ferguson Rowan '54 and Susan Ferguson Pelosi '62 mother of Jamie Jughans Shaw '89 February 12, 2020

Faculty and Family Marian Johnson de Regt (former faculty 1964-1970) mother of John de Regt '68, Paul de Regt '70, Mark de Regt '70, and Jan de Regt '75 November 18, 2019

Sharon Sue Dymowski mother of Sarah Dymowski Andreotta '02 and Hannah Dymowski '07 December 7, 2019 Victor Gerard Dymowski father of Sarah Dymowski Andreotta '02 and Hannah Dymowski '07 January 14, 2020 Richard Alton Chapman father of John Chapman '99 and Jennifer Chapman '01 January 21, 2020 William “Bill” Thomas father of Meg Thomas Konkel '88, Alexander “Sandy” Thomas '84, William “Will” Thomas '82, brother of Henry Thomas '52 January 23, 2020 The Right Reverend Gordon T. Charlton father of Dr. David Charlton '69, Virginia Charlton Jardim '68, and Duncan Charlton '73, grandfather of Wes Charlton '02 and Connor Charlton '05 February 1, 2020

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104 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School