The Magazine of St. Christopher’s
ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP Alumni reflect on the highs and lows, challenges and rewards page 12 StC_Spring2022.indd 1
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The Magazine of St. Christopher’s
STC Magazine Staff HEADMASTER Mason Lecky DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS Sharon Dion EDITOR Kathleen Thomas VISUAL CONTENT EDITORS Cappy Gilchrist and George Knowles SPECIAL FEATURES EDITOR Gene Bruner ‘78 ALUMNI NEWS EDITOR Jennifer Scallon GRAPHIC DESIGN Merry Alderman Design CONTRIBUTORS Karen Glasco Luke Gresham ‘22 Kim Hudson Jack Ireland ‘22 Dean King ‘81 Stephen Lewis Joseph Long ‘22 Whitney Mathews The Rev. Darren Steadman John Tyler Ben White ‘07 Karen Wormald Davis Wrinkle ‘81
St. Christopher’s School 711 St. Christopher’s Road Richmond, VA 23226 P. (804) 282-3185 F. (804) 285-3914 www.stchristophers.com
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On the cover: Briscoe White ‘76 goes everywhere with his German Spaniel Tuck, including the greenhouses for his online herb business, The Growers Exchange. The photo was taken by his son, Ben White ‘07, who runs his own photography business. The Whites are among a dozen alumni who share their entrepreneurial journeys in this issue’s feature section.
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IN THIS ISSUE
DEPARTMENTS MESSAGE FROM THE HEADMASTER CHAPEL TALK
FEATURES 2
MISSION IN UTAH
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Dean King ‘81 reflects on his mission trip to Navajoland, led by Andy Smith
The Rev. Darren Steadman Lower School chaplain
ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP
FACULTY VOICE
StC Alumni reflect on the highs and lows, challenges and rewards
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John Tyler Middle School counselor
STUDENT VOICE
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Jack Ireland ‘22
AROUND CAMPUS
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CLASS NOTES
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FACULTY & STAFF NEWS
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MESSAGE FROM THE HEADMASTER
Moving Forward On a recent school morning, I found myself walking through the Lower School library where, of all things, chapel was taking place. Its typical home, the auditorium, was being used by fourth graders who were performing the first Lower School play since February 2020. About halfway through the service, I could hear footsteps and murmurs behind me. I and all the boys who were doing their best to remain attentive turned around to see the entire cast of the about-to-begin play, in full-costume splendor (including both male and female roles), walking through the space toward the auditorium and a host of Lower School parents eager to cheer them on. It was a classic boys’ school moment — a comical and lighthearted wrinkle interrupting an otherwise solemn school moment of prayer and reflection. The best part for me, however, was the fact that neither our wonderful Lower School chaplain, the Rev. Darren Steadman, nor our chapel students, nor our budding fourth grade actors skipped a beat. After seeing the actors enter, the students returned their attention to the Rev. Steadman, who paused briefly during his homily, nodded attentively to the student actors, and continued with his remarks. One of the gifts of the COVID experience (and there are a few, though not many) is that it has forced so many of us, including
young people, to “pivot” repeatedly. While I now rather detest that word and its overuse, it’s accurate to say that all of us — even educators, who crave routine, rhythm, and predictability — are now more adept at change, especially sudden change, innovation, and adaptation. At St. Christopher’s, in March 2020, we shifted from a 100% brick-and-mortar teaching-and-learning community to a 100% virtual teaching-and-learning community in a matter of one week. And now, just over two years after the beginning of the pandemic, we have slowly but surely returned to our pre-pandemic routines and norms, at least the ones worth preserving! Even before the pandemic, I’d like to think that innovation and adaptability were ingrained in the ethos of St. Christopher’s. We have always expected our boys to study and excel in multiple dimensions and fields of learning. We raise not only students, but student-gentlemen, student-artists, student-athletes, studentleaders, student-servants, and more. Our boys have always been and will always be multidimensional, and in teaching the “whole boy,” we prepare them for lives of breadth and diversity, unpredictability, and surety of change. We are proud of the alumni innovators you will read about in this edition of StC Magazine, just as we are proud of the teachers and students of today’s St. Christopher’s, who have proven what we can accomplish together when we are open to change and committed to serving the best and enduring interests of our boys. Gratefully,
Mason Lecky, headmaster
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A scene from the Lower School musical, “The Magic Treehouse: The Knight at Dawn Kids.” Each homeroom in the fourth and fifth grades held its own performance.
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CHAPEL TALK
CHA P E L TA LK
“We’re in the Same Boat” By the Rev. Darren Steadman
Here at St. Christopher’s School, we not only want to get good grades in class, but we also focus on being the best person we can be. So, every month, we focus on a new core value, a positive character trait. And every month, we work on a new core value so by the end of the year, we will be gentlemen of honor and integrity. The first value we focus on is citizenship. Now, I want all of you to grow up to be great leaders in different ways, using your own gifts and abilities. And the first thing that every leader has to learn is how to be a good citizen. In other words, to lead a group of people, you have to know how to be part of that group of people first. We all have to be good citizens, even the leaders. Our scripture reading today comes from the book of Philippians, which
was originally a letter written to people who were starting a new church. Paul wanted to start new churches everywhere, so he wrote letters like this one to his friends in different cities, explaining how to live together and start a new Christian community. Paul wrote to his friends saying, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” (Philippians 2:3-4) Paul was saying that it’s important to always look at the people around you and honor everyone’s needs and gifts, not just your own. This is how to be a good citizen. There’s a story about this idea from the ancient Jewish tradition. Once, in a faraway kingdom, a messenger approached the king one day in the royal court. “Your Majesty, there are fires spreading in the east! Villages are burning, King, please help!” The king thought and asked, “Are these fires spreading all the way up to the royal castle?” “No, Your Majesty,” the messenger replied, “they are in the far eastern edges of the kingdom.” The king spoke: ”Well, then, I’m sure they’ll figure it out for themselves,” and he sent the messenger away. Soon, another messenger came with another message, “King, there is flooding
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“All things come of thee O Lord, and of thine own have we given thee.”
Lower School students take part in chapel.
in the west!” The king asked the same question: ”Will the floods reach all the way to this castle?” Once again, the messenger was dismissed without any provision. This went on, and pretty soon everyone in the kingdom learned how the king responded to the hardships of his people. Soon after, an idea formed in the mind of the kingdom’s great boatmaker. She was skilled in woodworking and clever, too. She decided to build a royal sailboat for the king and deliver it as a gift. So she did, and when the king saw this beautiful sailboat for the first time, he requested they immediately set sail on the royal lake. So they did, and out on the lake, the boatbuilder hoisted the sails to enjoy the serene calm of the royal lake. The king sat on his ornate throne on one end of the sailboat, while the boatbuilder sat at the other end, tending to the ropes and sails. Then, she pulled out a drill, and simply began drilling a hole directly in the bottom of the boat! The king noticed her doing this, and spoke: ”Excuse me, but I can’t help but believe that drilling that hole might be a bad idea.” “Oh no, King, trust me, I am way over here on my side of the boat, you have nothing to worry about,” and she continued to drill. Soon, a trickle of water sprang from the hole. The king spoke again: ”Excuse me, please stop drilling that hole!” She did not stop drilling, only calmly replied, “Your Majesty, please trust that I know what I’m doing over here. You just enjoy the beautiful view.” And the water continued to pour into the bottom of the boat.
“Excuse me! Stop drilling that hole at once!” “But King, I’m way over here, why are you so upset?” “Well isn’t it obvious to you?! We’re in the SAME BOAT!” The boatbuilder stopped drilling and paused. “What’s that you say, Your Majesty?” “We’re in the SAME BOAT!” the king screamed. “Yes, we are, aren’t we? Just like all the people of your kingdom are in the same kingdom, and all the people of earth are on the same earth. Yes, Your Majesty, we are in the same boat, aren’t we?” The king thought, and realized what he’d done. “Please, wise boatbuilder, take me back to the castle. I have a lot of work to do.” St. Christopher’s, I have full confidence in each and every one of you to grow up to become great leaders! But first, we must all learn and never forget that to become a great leader, you must be a good citizen. Always remember, “We’re in the same boat!” AMEN The Rev. Darren Steadman delivered this talk in Lower School chapel in September.
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FACULTY VOICE
Of Masks and Hats By John Tyler, Middle School counselor COVID is a harsh, sometimes cruel teacher. When accepting the Middle School counselor position in 2020, I felt the world shaking and changing beneath my feet. Walls in hallowed classrooms throughout campus were moving to facilitate social distancing and in-person lessons. This community was learning to preserve a thriving environment for young scholars while creating a healthy space for anyone stepping onto campus.
“Our times aren’t the first to test an entire generation.”
A pandemic taught us traditions could bend. During the worst of COVID’s semesters, achievements and rites of passage couldn’t enjoy the full force of a communal embrace. We celebrated with our hearts when we couldn’t cheer in larger gatherings. Lessons of COVID were frustrating at times; heartbreaking and tiresome too. Our lingering crisis instructs us to seek opportunities to sail above a runaway virus. Our times aren’t the first to test an entire generation. In times of war, economic depression, dust bowls, polio and more, previous generations adapted and inspired. We build from triumph and resilience summoned by persons surviving hard times before us. My grandfather was a gentleman. A proper Midwestern man who believed in God, family and community. He was the kind of fellow who kept his shirt tucked neatly while working in the yard, tinkering with his car, or playing tennis on the city courts. He was the guy who wouldn’t bring up tribulations and focused instead on being grateful.
When off to work or church or out for a walk, my grandfather wore a gray fedora. Men wore hats like that back then. Grandpa wore a daily hat late into the 1960s when the custom no longer was in fashion. I was in my middle school years desperately trying to figure out my existence while he entered old age trying to decide if an unhatted head was respectable. I recall walks with Grandpa – him with his hat and me with my worries – and I remember how he listened and lent me hope and courage when I felt unsure and unsteady. Grandpa believed in me. Eventually he surrendered belief in a return of the fedora and tucked his hat away, for good, on the top shelf in his closet. When he died, I asked my father if I could keep my grandfather’s hat. When moving into the counselor’s office in Wilton Hall, I brought books enough to fill a tall bookcase and a hat, my grandfather’s hat, to hang on a hook inside the office door. Grandpa would be happy to see it again. It was with much reluctance and some discomfort when he retired it to a dark shelf. The hat is a reminder of the man who wore it and the little boy who loved the man who wore it. Comfort is found in the fabric and heft of cherished traditions and venerated history. Customs and routines, even modified to offset COVID, keep us grounded and connected. Returning to classrooms and schedules after a few months of virtual school helped young scholars and our community of educators, administrators
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and families find familiarity in an unfamiliar time. Former ways of navigating school and student life were bending. We discovered pathways to nurture resilience and flexibility. Our individual and collective conversations inspired optimism. Resilience is hard-won. Resilience requires difficult times, and COVID taught us hard times arise quickly. The virus invaded our bodies and our minds. COVID spread into our conversations, our politics, our dreams, our vacations and even dinner plans. The bug infects our very wellness. Rising mental health disorders – anxiety, depression, PTSD – emerge as another invisible menace. Masks, social distancing, hand washing and vaccines kept us relatively safe from the virus. The Saints community, united, helped mitigate the terrible isolation and mental breakdown plaguing young people and families in the greater community. Saints visiting my counseling office and crisscrossing campus express diverse opinions and attitudes regarding this pandemic. Some favor mask-wearing and some would rather not. Some students
consider deeply what we know and don’t know about the virus. Some students carry on as if we live in a new, however temporary, normal existence. Some are anxious and confused when restrictions lift, while other students celebrate. What is good medicine in this time of COVID sickness is the daily schedule – our in-person learning. Something normal in uncertain territory. The Saints community remains an antidote to some of the worst that COVID can bring. We learned to adapt to foster resilience and optimism. St. Christopher’s boys are resilient. Our teachers, administrators and staff are resilient. Our traditions and rites of passage are resilient. The pandemic became a relentless teacher and we all became students. A COVID education comes with fits and fury. We learned that facts change, sometimes quickly, as understanding changes. We learned that loneliness hurts, and isolation is everyone’s problem. We remember that family – my family, your family, our family – is important and should never be taken for granted. We affirm that teaching is not just an
academic or cognitive endeavor, but also an emotional practice that connects us to the well-being of all students. We realize self-care is not selfish. We celebrate little victories. We understand that community and collaboration build resilience. We know that uncertainty erodes resilience, so we practice small gestures and brave hearts to provide a foundation for control and certainty. My grandfather was part of what is called the Greatest Generation. Born in the early 1900s, he endured hardships during a lifetime. I wonder what he might think about COVID and the challenges our youngest face today. His words have faded, but I see him now as I close my eyes. When strong winds blow, Grandpa doesn’t turn away. He sets his hat tighter and steers into the storm. He survived viruses and worse and remained forever optimistic. He winks beneath his brim. His mouth curves in a smile. Grandpa believes in me. He believes in you, too.
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STUDENT VOICE
Juggling Football and Theater “[They] aren’t so different after all.” By Jack Ireland ’22
Last fall, I was on the varsity football team and in the musical. The path to make this happen wasn’t easy, but it turns out that football and theater aren’t so different after all. Rewind to fall 2018, when I was a freshman. Coach Stephen Lewis sent out the activities form: “Choose one activity you plan to participate in in the fall.” One? Not a chance was I going to choose only football or only Ampersand, the joint theater group of St. Christopher’s and St. Catherine’s. I had no idea how I was going to make it work or whom I needed to talk to, but it was going to happen. I still remember the first time I told Mr. Horner I was going to miss football practice to audition for the musical, “Into the Woods.” It was hot and humid, and I was scared out of my mind to talk to this teacher I’d never met before. I told him my situation and prepared to hear the letters “N-O.” Instead, I received a “Y-E-S.” He and the other coaches were supportive and encouraging, and we quickly worked out when I was to be at practice or at rehearsal. That was a major relief. Now, my confrontation at the musical was a very different story. You can imagine the look on the director’s face when I listed JV football as a conflict on my audition sheet. Yikes. At first, she thought I was confused, then she was confused, and then I heard the encouraging words: “We’ll see.” A few days later, I received an email with the cast list. I scrolled, searching frantically for my name. There I was. I made it, though as a smaller role. That didn’t matter. I was in. And I was in for the long haul. As the fall progressed, I got increasingly frustrated that I was so behind in the musical, but couldn’t spend more time rehearsing, as I was needed on the field. I missed many more rehearsals than I did football practices. I didn’t know the music or the dances, as I wasn’t there when they were being taught. The times I did go to rehearsal, my scenes weren’t even being run. Sometimes, I had to run between campuses to get to where I needed to be.
Jack Ireland ‘22 assumes a thoughtful stance on the sideline.
I also began to feel isolated from my team and the cast, as I wasn’t fully a part of either one. There were many times where I wanted to quit either activity and just focus on one. Because I
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felt so isolated, I began to dislike football and wanted to be at theater full time. I knew I was capable of being a lead role, but football was the wall between me and stardom. I was in too deep to quit, though. It came together in the end, with an undefeated JV season and a fantastic showing of the musical. I could breathe. Somehow I found myself buckled in for sophomore year as well. With one fall season of football and theater and a spring season of lacrosse and Shakespeare under my belt, I was more adept at tackling the obstacles of the coming year, as were my football coaches and the director of the musical. I enjoyed football that year, and we went undefeated again, with another great showing of the musical, “Once Upon a Mattress.” I’m convinced that junior year would have proceeded the same way if it weren’t for COVID. Since freshman year, I’ve continued to participate in both football and Ampersand in the same season. This untraveled road has taught me a multitude of personal skills and life lessons, many of which overlap on the stage and the field. No. 1: We should never turn our backs on what’s in front of us. On the field, Coach Clarke Miller always tells us to keep facing forward so we can use our hands and find someone else to block. If we turn our back to our man, we take ourselves out of the play. The same goes on stage. If we turn our back to the audience, they miss a whole dimension of our performance: facial expressions, hand gestures and clarity of speech. That also takes us out of the play. We face forward and use our own skills to harness whatever challenges come our way, whether that be a different color jersey or our grandma sitting in the front row. No. 2: Stay engaged or, as my teammate Trent Hendrick ’22 would say, “Lock in.” By the time we hit show week, many of us have done the same dance and have
heard the same song countless times but, if we don’t stay engaged, we might miss our cue or take the focus away from what’s happening on stage. During football, every drive is played until the whistle. If we let go of our block too early, that defender may end up making the play. We always need to give 100% to everything we do and stay engaged with the task at hand. No. 3: Watch yourself to correct your mistakes. That’s the reason we watch game film during our Monday and Tuesday football practices, and we record our dance numbers for the musical. We get to catch our mistakes and review them. By the time a show or a game comes, each of us has worked to eliminate our mistakes. We can’t stop ourselves from still making some, but we can stop ourselves from making the same one twice. Finally, No. 4: Work as a team. Coach Clelland often repeats his mantra about football, “It’s the only team sport where everyone on the field has a job to do, and if done right, the play succeeds.” If one man fails to do his job, the team suffers as a result. Theater is the same way. If one actor misses a line or misses a cue, the whole show falls apart then and there. Encourage your teammates. Celebrate their victories, but teach their shortcomings. What’s easy for us may be difficult for another, so pick them up when they fall. Now in senior year, my struggles have been worth fighting for. I was finally cast as a principal role in this year’s musical, “Godspell,” and blocked a punt for a safety in the game against Trinity Episcopal School. For once, I felt fully embraced by both groups: my football team and the musical cast. I love seeing my castmates cheer on our football team and was enthralled to see my team pack the house on opening night. I couldn’t have made it to this point without the help of my coaches, my director, Musical Director Greg Vick and my supportive peers.
Jack Ireland ‘22 performs in a one-act play.
Ireland plays a lead role in “Godspell.”
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ALUMNI VOICE
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I feel very fulfilled by what we accomplished last week,” Andy tells me, a sentiment I’m sure all of us share. “Having a team that instinctively understands how to work together, looks out for each other, and leaves ego at the proverbial door is a very rare and treasured experience.” Eager to repeat it, he’s already planning the next trip.
Andy Smith with Shelton Horsley ‘81, Brewster Rawls ‘08 and Dean King ’81
St. Christopher’s Mission in Utah SAINTS, LED BY ANDY SMITH, LEND HELPING HANDS By Dean King ’81 On the second full day at St. Christopher’s Mission in Bluff, Utah, I was reminded of one of Andy Smith’s great gifts. Shelt Horsley and I (both Class of 1981) had joined him and four others, including Brewster Rawls Jr. ’08, for a week in Navajoland, among the windswept sandstone buttes of Four Corners, where Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona meet. The day before had been mostly chaos. We’d had only a vague idea of what needed to be done, what tools and supplies were available, and who would do what. But Andy, a veteran organizer of service projects both in Richmond and far-flung places (this one under the auspices of St. James’s Episcopal Church), calmly grappled with the variables and personalities, applied his signature wry wit and tamed the forces of anarchy. Brewster, a professional arborist, now removed dead cottonwood trees around the 80-year-old Mission House,
a sprawling vernacular building of sandstone and log cabin sections, and the adjacent chapel. Shelt and the father-son professional builders in our group, Kyle and Johnny Martin, installed windows. Brewster Rawls Sr. and I followed behind, staining window frames. Meanwhile Andy was everywhere at once, picking up supplies, discussing logistics with the Mission’s vicar, and making sure his team was happy and productive. All of this came as little surprise to Shelt and me, who as players on Coach Smith’s varsity lacrosse teams back in the day, had experienced his remarkable juggling act and game-time decision-making. Andy, who first came to the Mission with a group of students in 2018, had no problems motivating our team. Once we were on this austere and timeless property, where Anglo and Native American traditions mix and mingle, we could feel the spirituality and positive energy.
That’s in part because the new vicar, Joe Hubbard, has big plans to revive the place, following in the footsteps of Father Liebler, who founded the Mission in 1943. When Liebler bought the trading post, now part of the building we were working on, he thought he bought the land around it, too, but by tribal law, that wasn’t the case. To buy the land, he had to negotiate with Navajo leader Tom Mustache. As Hubbard tells it, “Mustache said, ‘You can use the land, but only if you serve the people.’” If the Mission stopped serving the people, the land would revert to the Navajo. Hubbard recognizes the Mission has flagged in recent decades. In fact, the place was used as a dumping ground when Andy first visited five years ago. So one of the first things Hubbard did was to assure Tom Mustache’s grandson that he meant to keep Liebler’s promise. “That is what you are helping me do,” he told us.
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A D A I LY B LO G DAY 1 | S AT U R DAY 4 a.m. wake-up. Drive to Reagan Airport and appreciate Andy’s planning, as we have ample time in the midst of spring break pandemonium. Fly to Phoenix and then Durango, where we disembark and head to Walmart and Home Depot for food and building supplies. Drive two hours to Bluff, where we check into the historic Adams House, just down the road from the Mormon town founders’ original fort, now a museum. DAY 2 | S U N DAY Attend church at the Mission. A visiting Navajo priest asks if we have a singer because she’s not good at carrying a tune. Andy’s nearly a cappella version of “Forty Days and Forty Nights” raises the roof. He even confidently leads us in a hymn in Navajo. We meet the Mission team and Frank, a 79-year-old volunteer from Cortez, New Mexico, and begin work. Young Brewster climbs cottonwoods, trims branches and makes plans for bringing them down. We load boxes of food and household supplies for Margaret, the Mission’s senior warden, into a pickup for delivery. Retiring to a bonfire behind Adams House, which we will do every night during our stay, we rest our feet and spin yarns. DAY 3 | M O N DAY Shelt and I remove boarded-up windows and, with Kyle and Johnny, install new ones. Shelt takes to the skill saw like a beaver gnawing a tree and joins the carpentry team. Brewster and I apply a lovely red-mahogany stain. Brewster Jr. steals the show, felling trees and deftly piling up the debris using a rented skid steer. Andy makes supply runs, and since nothing is close, the trips take hours. He tops it off by driving Frank, who has just been hired to oversee the summer work, all the way to Cortez to get tools and tell his wife the good news. DAY 4 | T U E S DAY Shelt and I muck out a plywood shed, removing old paint cans, toilet bowls, and other odds and ends covered in sandstone dust, and then start dismantling defunct refrigeration motors. Afterwards, in the main building, we reorganize food — storing carrots and 50-pound boxes of potatoes in the big fridge and moving supplies to storage from the common room that will be a gathering spot for overnight guests, part of the vicar’s plan to make the Mission self-sustaining. After work, we climb to the top of the bluff behind the Mission and get a bird’s-eye view of the reservation and valley. DAY 5 | W E D N E S DAY Andy applies second coats to windows while I stain, help Frank plaster a wall, and mix and spread floor leveler. After a birthday dinner for Kyle at Cottonwood Steakhouse, Andy leads the entire restaurant in belting out “Happy Birthday.” It’s so stirring that a bushy-bearded gent sitting at another table rushes up to tearfully tell Andy it’s his wife’s birthday, too. DAY 6 | T H U R S DAY Andy shows us the native cemetery on the property, which features many bare cottonwood crosses and graves covered in bright plastic flowers. Much discussion ensues on how to best erect tiny kit houses to be used as rentals. Since the houses have not yet arrived, thanks to supply chain delays, the carpenters build a sample platform. In the afternoon we drive to Monument Valley to see the stunning landscape of red buttes, spires and mittens. DAY 7 | F R I DAY On our way back to Durango to catch our flight, we tour ancient Puebloan cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park.
Top photo: Frank Amthor and Andy Smith; Middle: Shelton Horsley ‘81; Bottom: Brewster Rawls ‘08
Dean King ’81 is author of “Skeletons on the Zahara,” “Patrick O’Brian: A Life Revealed,” and “The Feud.” To be published in April 2023 by Scribner is “Guardians of the Valley: John Muir and the Friendship That Saved Yosemite.”
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ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP
StC Entrepreneurs Create, Bear Risk, Pivot and Stay Nimble ALUMNI REFLEC T ON THE HIGHS AND LOWS, CHALLENGE S AND RE WARDS By Kathleen Thomas
E N T R E PR E N E U R : an individual who creates a new business, bearing most of the risks and enjoying most of the rewards. [Merriam-Webster]
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“It’s not a question of if you’re going to capsize, it’s a question of when and how often.” — Trip Davis ‘86 Trip Davis ‘86 (inset) rights a capsized Laser in 1982.
At the start of each entrepreneurship class he teaches, Trip Davis ’86 displays a 1982 photo of a towheaded 14-year-old righting a capsized Laser. He offers no context, but asks students how they might respond. He likens the photo of himself, taken the summer after eighth grade in Deltaville, Virginia, to the entrepreneurial journey. “It’s not a question of if you’re going to capsize, it’s a question of when and how often,” said the Dartmouth College adjunct professor. “You get back in the cockpit and start working, shift by shift, trying to get back in sync.” The entrepreneurial spirit often launches early. Davis, who grew up on St. Christopher’s Road, had an early gig washing cars. With a hose and bucket in hand, he knocked on neighbors’ doors seeking work and learned a valuable lesson: establish pricing up front. “We worked on one car that was super-dirty, and the nice woman thought she was being quite generous giving each of us $1,” he said. Later, he founded Davis Marine Services, doing boat handiwork during his high school and college summers. After graduate school, he founded two travel
technology companies before joining the University of Virginia’s McIntire’s Galant Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship as co-faculty director while serving as the Darden School of Business senior associate dean. In 2013, he was named executive director of his alma mater Dartmouth’s Office of Entrepreneurship & Technology Transfer, and transitioned in 2016 to become chief executive at FreshAir Sensor LLC, a startup that provides smoking and vaping detection technology. A 2021 Wall Street Journal article explores how, despite stress, long hours and inevitable lows, entrepreneurs still report consistently higher rates of happiness than wage-earning employees and say positives outweigh the negatives, particularly in job satisfaction. StC alumni entrepreneurs interviewed for this story concur. “I’ll do this forever,” said John Street ’88, owner of Epitome Networks, which provides technology-based communication solutions. “I don’t know anything different. You live and breathe it. You’re so committed because there’s so much at stake.” Others are, like Street, deeply invested. While their passion is fueled by purpose and autonomy, it can lead to overwork and stress. “You never get away from it, “ Street said. “Some of my best ideas have come at 3 in the morning.”
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ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP Marco De León ’08, who founded Rip Van, a company that makes and distributes a Danish waffle, said the workload has been heavy, usually working all but a few hours on Sundays. Entrepreneurship is often glorified, in keeping with the social media construct that everything is perfect. “Anyone who’s been in it a while will say the opposite, if they’re honest,” De León said. “The world is not as welcoming or consistent as you get in a place like St. Christopher’s, where everyone is following the rulebook. It’s a great journey to be on, but it’s not for everyone.” Some entrepreneurs are big dreamers and create a product people don’t even know they need. Many however, identify a problem and create a company to fix it. Focused on the Chesapeake Bay, where the bottom is littered with abandoned objects, Wade Blackwood ’93 checks both boxes trying to get a crab pot with a biodegradable escape hatch to market. He designed the pot so that, if abandoned, crabs can escape, and other crustaceans, oysters and fish can use it as shelter. Blackwood continues to push the concept, despite heated resistance from Chesapeake Bay watermen. Breaking habits for the better good is tough. “People are always resistant to change, no matter what,” he said. Because revenue streams can be challenging, some pursue entrepreneurship as a side hustle. Blackwood works for First Earth|2030, seeking financial opportunities in companies that provide an ecological lift in land, water and energy, while working on the side to bring his crab pot to market.
Marco De León ‘08 takes a break from the daily grind at Rip Van.
A Different Kind of Mindset While roadblocks and risks run high, the entrepreneurial mindset is different. Kevin Isaacs ’08 sees ownership as less risky. For one, he can’t be fired. Secondly, he can dictate the course. Isaacs spent years preparing to buy a company from its retiring owners before being ghosted. A few months later, the sellers tried to reopen negotiations but, his trust shattered, Isaacs declined. With the prospect Kevin Isaacs ’08 of a more traditional career looming, he instead opted to start his own venture. Just before depleting the last of funds from graduate school loans, he secured his first client, which provided the capital needed to hire one employee to manage the work. His company, Tribunus Health, which expands access to health care by securing providers’ contracts with insurance companies, grew from there, now with 24 employees serving clients across the country. Every entrepreneur interviewed for this story hit road bumps, many almost fatal to their business. After graduating from college, Ted Price ’86 pulled the plug on working for a medical startup to create a video game. He floundered from what he called a lack of “programming prowess,” but soon connected with a student from his alma
Wade Blackwood ’93 stands beside his crab pot with a biodegradable escape hatch.
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“You have to have a temperament to deal with fluctuations. I’m not very risk averse. This is never something that was scary to me. I knew what I stood to lose and where I would be if I lost it, and I’m still very employable.” — Kevin Isaacs ’08 mater, Princeton University, who joined Price, adding the programming firepower needed to get the game to market. Still, publishers repeatedly rejected the concept, and Price teetered on bankruptcy before a switch to PlayStation, Sony’s fledgling game console, which provided the needed lift. Sony was encouraging small developers, such as Price’s Insomniac Games Inc., to provide content. A long list of Insomniac story-driven games successfully followed suit, including “Spyro the Dragon,” “Ratchet & Clank” and Marvel’s “Spider-Man,” with the company racking up sales of more than 100 million units since. Price sold Insomniac in 2019 to Sony Corp., but continues to work there, now focused on the leadership team that seeks to anticipate problems as the games and technology constantly evolve. A priority for him is the corporate culture: “Today, I’m making sure the team stays healthy and doesn’t burn out, given the challenges of creating these big, complex works of art.” Waffle-maker De León said resource constraints have always been the biggest hurdle for Rip Van. Without the buffer of a larger company, an entrepreneur’s mistakes hurt more, but they also have greater freedom to innovate. COVID shuttered offices that made up more than half of Rip Van’s business in 2020. Now though, the company boasts sales four times greater than before the pandemic. Rip Van has diversified from its original Danish waffle product to lowersugar snacks, with products distributed in more than 20,000 locations across the country, including Costco, Starbucks and Whole Foods Market.
LE ARNING FROM EXPERIENCE Tips From John Whitlock ’75 As a young lawyer in Mineral, Virginia, John Whitlock ’75 worked with his father, who announced one day, while reading the daily newspaper, that he wanted to buy a personal computer for his office, a novel development at the time. Whitlock researched options and ended up befriending the computer salesman, who confided he wanted to start his own company. The recent graduate of University of Richmond Law School said he’d be happy to help his new friend get started. The effort soon went awry when the entrepreneur-wannabe, a top computer salesman, turned out to be a not-so-great manager of people or accounting. Whitlock ended up taking the company over and growing it to an 850-employee systems integration firm called The Whitlock Group, focused on videoconferencing, audiovisual and multimedia display technologies. He sold out to a private equity firm in 2019, just months before COVID shuttered the world. “It was quite a ride,” he said reflectively. “I always say I wish I could start again knowing what I know now. Learning all that stuff was expensive.“
Here’s some commonsense tips from Whitlock, looking back on his experiences. Enjoy the relationships. “There are all kinds of interesting, highenergy people that you find in the entrepreneurial space.” Every day, be prepared to face problems that no one else can fix. “Sometimes you solve the unsolvable problem. That makes you feel really good.” Be a good listener and hire great people. “You have to be comfortable hiring people who know more than you and are better than you. Then you have to listen to them.” Hire a good accountant and a good lawyer. “You have to read the documents and the contracts. If you don’t understand every word, you have to ask questions. I can’t tell you how many people get into trouble with that. Law school teaches you to look for what’s not in there. That’s a hard trick to learn.” Have a realistic plan for revenue and growth. “Make sure you have enough sources of capital to actually get there.”
An Alignment of Values
Hire slow and fire fast. “When you’re bringing someone in, really dig and really interview. On the flip side, if you know someone is a problem, it’s better for them and for you to move on. I probably could have been more judicious in some of the people we brought on and more expeditious in the people we let go.”
Most studies of entrepreneurs have focused on autonomy as a key motivator, with owners driven to create a company built on values that mirror their own.
Commit to a lifetime of learning. “You have to stay sharp. You always have to be on the edge of what’s new. Even if it’s a traditional business, you have to be knowledgeable and smart.” SPRING 2022 | 15
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ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP
“Fulfillment really comes through charting your own journey and working with teams to accomplish things that seem especially challenging or interesting. I would say categorically the fulfillment does not come through financial terms. If you’re not enjoying the journey, you should get out.” — Trip Davis ’86
Sandy Williamson ’79, who worked in banking and consulting for 12 years, faced frustrations in the corporate world in the ’80s and ’90s. “There were a lot of image requirements that I didn’t think were necessary, a lot of posturing, a lot of politicking and positioning, a lot of fluff versus how do you get the job done.” At 37, he co-founded CapTech Consulting, which started out helping businesses load corporate data on the internet. Through the years, its services diversified, and the company has grown to 1,200 employees with more than $200 million in annual sales, making the Inc. 5000 list 15 times. Every alumnus interviewed for this story noted team building as one of the biggest rewards of the journey. Last Thanksgiving at Tribunus Health, one of Isaacs’ employees sent out a companywide email expressing appreciation for their colleagues, the positive work environment and providing a service that matters. Other employees chimed in. “That was a really happy moment.” Isaacs said. Game developer Price’s mission from the get-go has been to foster collaboration: “There’s very little more exciting than people working together to come up with a cool, unexpected solution to a problem and everyone being energized by that.” In addition, he also finds reward in creating products that have lasting and positive impact. Today’s fully interactive photorealistic games connect people, particularly in isolating moments such as the COVID pandemic, and have become a leading form of cultural expression, Price said.
Getting Started For many, the tradition runs in families. John Street of Epitome Networks grew up working for his father, who owned a copier company, and got the entrepreneurship bug from him. In the past 23 years, he has grown three companies, shifting his focus with changing market conditions. “You should never be comfortable,” he said. “You could be making John Street ‘88 all the money in the world, but it doesn’t mean you’ll be making it tomorrow.” Street started out with a water purification business, which he sold after four years, then bought an audiovisual company, which evolved into Epitome Networks. In the first six months, almost every employee quit, but Street remained undeterred, switching his focus to conference room technology and electronic replacements for blackboards that he sold to schools, including St. Christopher’s. After 10 years, he foresaw that technology applications in the classroom were almost saturated, so he pivoted, expanding into structured cable, card swipes, security cameras and commercial phone systems. In 2020, the company made a comeback with audiovisuals, including wireless work, which parlayed into putting 5G technology on
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Sandy Williamson ‘79 credits his job as sports editor for the 1979 Raps & Taps yearbook for jumpstarting his career. He noted that contrary to what’s often written about entrepreneurial egos, humility is key. “I am humbled by my luck of getting a good team together at the right time,” he said.
Ted Price ‘86 sold Insomniac in 2019 to Sony Corp., but continues to work there, now focused on the leadership team that seeks to anticipate problems as the games and technology constantly evolve.
Ben White ’07 runs his own photography business out of his studio in Richmond’s Fan District. Here he uses flags and diffusers to manipulate light hitting glass bottles for one of his clients. “By heavily diffusing the light sources, I am able to create a softened light, giving a sense of intentionality to the visual of an inanimate object,” White said.
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ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP
IN THE TRENCHES Insight from Other Alumni “It’s the law of life: Adapt or die,” said Briscoe White ’76, who broke his vow to never own a computer when his greenhouse business morphed into an online seller. “I did what I had to do to be in business.” Values rank high. Rip Van founder Marco De León ’08 said he and his team meet regularly to discuss how the company is performing against its values, such as partnership and gold standard. “They’re a guiding post for us as we’re operating and as we’re growing and adding new team members,” he said. Transparency is paramount. Since 2014, Insomniac founder Ted Price ’86 takes time every day to answer a question by email from an employee, which is distributed companywide. “It helps to keep people connected,” he said. “If you’re all sharing knowledge and sharing openly, it fosters a great sense of trust.” You don’t do it alone. In the past 25 years at Cap Tech, founder Sandy Williamson ’79 has groomed two management teams and now serves as company chairman. ”You build a team that has your same passion for getting results.… I like developing people.” Mastering company skill sets aren’t critical: “The only prerequisite is empathy, like a high EQ,” said Kevin Isaacs ’08 of Tribunus Health. “You can hire everything else.”
cellphone towers, now the main revenue stream for Epitome Networks, which employs 140 and serves 15 states. While Street said he’s not techie, he’s diligent about operational processes and financial modeling, providing a platform for savvy engineers and installers to do their work.
“You should never be comfortable. You could be making all the money in the world, but it doesn’t mean you’ll be making it tomorrow.” – John Street ’88 Three generations of the Benjamin Briscoe Whites are entrepreneurs. Benjamin Jr. ’50 built and managed apartment complexes in Virginia and North Carolina; Benjamin Briscoe White III ‘76 (Briscoe) devoted his career to growing and selling plants and herbs; and Benjamin Briscoe White IV ’07 (Ben) runs a photography business. Ben White Jr.’s career in real estate seemingly nurtured an inborn competitive spirit. “I don’t want to take advantage of anyone, but if anyone is going to win, it might as well be me,” he said. His son Briscoe White started out managing apartments for his dad after Ben White Jr. ‘50 college, but found himself miserable and 40 pounds overweight. He read about a burgeoning trend in landscaping and hired a local nursery to design a plan for an apartment complex he managed. His boss dubbed the expense a waste, but the project jump-started White’s ultimate calling. He left the family business to work for greenhouse retailers and, in 1985, he and his wife Kenan opened the Growers Exchange, a Carytown fixture for 20 years until the big box retailers moved in. The couple shuttered, knowing their business would dry up, and relocated in 2008 to family property in Charles City, ultimately focusing on growing and selling herbs online. Overall, White found contentment blending his lifestyle with his vocation. “I opted out for a kinder, gentler life. My employees are
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expected to perform their duties, but there’s a human factor. If someone has an issue, it doesn’t mean they get dumped. There’s some understanding there. That’s what I was looking for.” Meanwhile, his son Ben White finds fulfillment in the creative pursuit of photography, living and working out of studio space on West Broad Street. He focuses on event work and commercial gigs, but his passion is portraiture, particularly using surreal, curated backdrops. “The end goal is a means of connecting with others on another level,” he said. Jon Wright ’03, a cybersecurity lawyer who grew up in a hunting family, has also managed to marry passion and business. In addition to working for a pharmaceutical company, he runs the Pocono Browns deer camp in Pennsylvania, a cabin adjacent to more than 8,000 acres of public land teeming with wildlife. He seeks to share the peace and fulfillment he finds spending time in nature, and he’s particularly keen on providing hunting opportunities to people of color.
Risk Mitigation Many people believe entrepreneurs take huge risks. Dartmouth’s Davis said entrepreneurs are actually excellent risk mitigators. “It’s a very different mentality than a big company with a big budget,” he said. Briscoe White’s decision to heat his Charles City greenhouse by installing a wood-burning stove in lieu of an expensive heating system is a case in point. He kept the fire burning seven months a year for 10 years. When storms hit, he awoke at 3 a.m. donning boots, overalls and fur hat to trek to the greenhouse and pitch wood to keep his plants alive. “I was willing to do it to not have any expenses, so any extra money could go for the website or marketing, not overhead of the crop,” he said. Four years ago, White relocated to Tech Park in Sandston, where his team of four to 15, which fluctuates with growing seasons, works in 17,500 square feet of state-of-the-art greenhouses and temperatures are controlled electronically.
Briscoe White ‘76
Meanwhile, De León spends much of his time figuring ways to minimize Rip Van’s risks, pondering questions like, “How do we get this outsize return with less input, whether it’s financial or time? How do I improve? How does the business or system go to the next level?”
Hope for the Future Entrepreneurs who think outside the box and bring new ideas and services to market are critical to America’s future. Entrepreneurship is a huge but often unrecognized component of economic growth. “For hundreds of years, American entrepreneurs have shaped the world economy through disruption and innovation – from lightbulbs and telephones to medicine, mobile and more,” Davis said. “Our new businesses on Main Street and in high tech create jobs and improve lives. We’re the ultimate competitors, working relentlessly to challenge the status quo and find better ways.”
Jon Wright ‘03 with his sons Caleb (2), Eli (4) and Ben (6)
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AROUND CAMPUS
HAPPENINGS AROUND CAMPUS OUTREACH
NEW PERSPEC TIVES
Lower School Student Council raises money for Feed More with a pajama day. They also held a food and clothing drive to benefit the School’s community partners. Junior kindergarteners learn about the Chinese New Year from St. Catherine’s Chinese Teacher Kefu Dorian, the mother of junior kindergartener Owen Dorian.
Jackson Hawthorne ’28 and other Middle School boys help clean up Historic Evergreen and East End Cemeteries.
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Middle School students in the eighth grade elective EngageRVA visit public murals that comprise Mending Walls RVA, a project aimed at building bridges between Richmond communities.
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I N S P I R AT I O N After researching 12 colleges, each junior takes part in a mock admissions committee exercise and participates in a University of Richmond information session and campus tour.
Assistant Director of Athletics Stephen Lewis shares personal stories about discrimination, perseverance and finding common ground in Upper School chapel. He was awarded the Courage Story Award at the inaugural RVA Sports Awards in February.
MIND (Mental Illness Needs Discussion) holds its first meeting of the year in January after being on hiatus for much of the pandemic. The club seeks to promote mental wellness through discussions and guest speakers.
Middle School Spanish Teacher Kathleen Hornik discusses her Hispanic heritage in Upper School chapel.
COMMUNIT Y BUILDING
Saints welcome newly-accepted Lower and Middle School families to campus.
Sixth grade boys take part in a 16-year tradition where they engage in group activities, sports and community service.
On Ash Wednesday, Upper School’s new chaplain, the Rev. John Ohmer, placed ashes and encouraged three challenges for Lent: “Be kind, don’t talk about the absent, and give people the benefit of the doubt.” SPRING 2022 | 21
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AROUND CAMPUS
A R T S & C U LT U R E
Second grade boys in Hayden Vick’s class celebrate Fat Tuesday by designing and building mini floats and enjoying king cake to celebrate Mardi Gras.
Illustrator Henry Cole visits Lower School to discuss his creative process with students
The Beaux Ties a cappella group performs patriotic music for the 113th commemoration of George Washington’s birthday at the Virginia State Capitol.
Sixth graders in Alex Knight’s English class display book covers they designed based on their interpretations of novels.
Upper School British literature students see “The Tragedy of Macbeth” movie.
Kindergarteners show off drawings of Jackie Robinson, part of a collaborative book project to honor the contributions of Black Americans to U.S. history.
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FIRST GRADE TIME CAPSULE
Capturing First Grade in Time By Whitney Mathews, first grade teacher My first class of kindergarten boys graduates from college this spring. Seventeen years ago, I never would have been able to imagine those young kindergarteners about to enter the real world. It’s a milestone to be sure. So approaching the 2/22/22 date with my current class, I kept wrestling with the idea of capturing a moment in time. Fast forward to 3/3/33, and my first graders will be seniors, about to cross a big bridge themselves. I decided to create a time capsule they will open their senior year and remember their time in our happy, energetic classroom, even during a pandemic. The boys wrote about themselves, their friendships and what first grade is to them. They included self-portraits and items symbolic of the year — a class photo, mask and favorite classroom toys. These tangible items represent what they love and what they’re struggling with. It doesn’t take a psychology degree to see that the minifigure mascot, a trickster Lego minifigure named Covid Man, who moves around the classroom dressed in a hazmat suit leaving clues for the boys to solve, is their way of internalizing the pandemic. The students believe he has special COVID-protection powers, though they worry he is going to disappear when the virus goes away entirely. (We’ll see about that!) These memories will stay buried in the basement for the next 11 years. I can only imagine their faces when they open the capsule and remember.
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AROUND CAMPUS
VISION To be a global thought leader in best practices for educating boys, serving as a resource for educators and parents seeking expertise in raising boys.
MISSION Reflecting St. Christopher’s commitment to being a global leader in educating boys, The Center for the Study of Boys is dedicated to promoting best practices in engaging and teaching boys through research, professional development and programming.
CORE VALUES • We respect, understand and value the complexity and uniqueness of boys.
Parent Programs Encourage Connection, Rules and Boundaries By Kim Hudson, director of The Center for the Study of Boys Parenting a boy is no easy task. Each stage brings challenges for parents raising boys to be good men. As experts in understanding the unique needs of boys, The Center for the Study of Boys has enhanced its offerings for parent education. In November, the center hosted a program for Lower School parents, “Listen to Learn: Exploring Podcasts about Raising and Educating Boys.” Prior to the event, participants listened to the podcast, “How to Raise Boys,” where author and parenting specialist Maggie Dent talked with boy expert, Dr. Michael Gurian, about what boys need to thrive. Participants then gathered on Zoom for a guided discussion about takeaways from the podcast and putting them into practice. Center Director Kim Hudson and JK Co-Teacher Amma Gatty served as program facilitators. In February, we partnered with South African psychologist and author Megan de Beyer for two parent meetings. In a Middle School program, “How to Be Teenage Ready,” de Beyer explored young teen boys’ physical, emotional and social development and encouraged parents to provide reasonable rules and boundaries. In the Upper School program, “Communicating with Your Teenage Son,” she provided tips for connecting, which included helping boys name and own their feelings and understand strong emotions such as anger.
• We provide opportunities for educators, parents and the boys themselves to understand and reflect on their own journeys to manhood and to learn from the journeys of others. • We seek to understand the experiences of boys first and foremost through the boys’ voices, and we honor the boys’ contributions to the work of the center. • We value partnerships with educators from around the world, knowing through this work we will address issues facing boys. Author and parenting expert Maggie Dent
Psychologist and author Megan de Beyer The cover of Megan de Beyer’s book
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MOMENTUM 2025
In Pursuit of Excellence Creating a Stronger Sense of Community and Belonging By Ed Cowell and Sarah Mansfield
Momentum 2025, St. Christopher’s strategic plan, charges us to provide our boys with the most comprehensive and thoughtful education possible. In doing so, we must constantly examine every aspect of our institution to ensure our boys are afforded the highest quality contributions to their academic, social and emotional development. Our core beliefs call for a commitment to academic excellence that prepares boys for college and for life, while valuing the power of relationships in a diverse and inclusive community. These beliefs are further strengthened by our School’s civility statement, challenging and reminding our boys to engage in conversations that may sometimes be difficult, but that they can respectfully disagree without demeaning or devaluing others. We have been on a diversity, equity and inclusion journey guided by a fervent belief that every member of our school community matters. Diversity represents who we are as a community. Equity suggests sensitivity to our community members’ differing needs and acknowledges that simply giving everyone the same does not ensure their success. Equity requires focus on giving individuals what they need to be successful. That may have to be different for each student to help ensure that individual’s success in our community and beyond. Inclusion is what we do, the active steps we take to help make sure all individuals in our community feel welcome to participate, and that their thoughts and ideas are valued. Recognizing it is vital for Saints of the 2020s and beyond to enter the world with a broad perspective of history, culture, literature and beliefs, we believe we have a duty to prepare our young men for the world they will inhabit by exposing them to ideas representing the true breadth of our nation and our world. We want our boys to be global thought leaders. During the summer of 2020 and into the 2020-21 school year, StC faculty launched a more comprehensive curriculum audit to identify opportunities for enhancements, advance individual and departmental goals, support a growth mindset for faculty and students, and help foster an environment of empathy, civility and belonging that allows students to openly examine their values and beliefs. Our Teaching and Learning Team, comprising Headmaster Mason Lecky, Assistant Head of School Sarah Mansfield, divisional curriculum specialists Keena Fitch, Lisa Snider and Karen Wray, division heads Warren Hunter and Tony Szymendera, Director of Community and Inclusion Ed Cowell and Center for the Study of Boys Director Kim Hudson designed an intentional and reflective process for our faculty. As teachers began considering potential enhancements to their courses, additional support was offered by the School Librarians Lisa Brennan, Emily Burkot and Lucinda Whitehurst. This work aligned with the focus of our annual Summer Curriculum Institute, which brings faculty together from two or more disciplines. The history/ social studies and English/language arts content areas collaborated during the summer of 2021 in an honest evaluation of whether new pedagogy could enhance learning. Additionally, Upper School World Languages Teacher and Community and Inclusion Lead Elsa Woodaman collaborated with members of the Teaching and Learning Team to create a tool that examines and analyzes how teachers achieve the goals and vision outlined in St. Christopher’s mission, diversity and civility statements.
The goal is to create a stronger sense of belonging for all members.
The goal resulting from this curriculum audit and its associated changes is to create a stronger sense of belonging for all members, no matter their race, religion, national origin, family structure or lived experiences. We are all enriched by the diverse perspectives every individual brings to the St. Christopher’s community. Assistant Head of School Sarah Mansfield and Director of Community and Inclusion Ed Cowell lead various JK-12 initiatives.
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AT HLET IC S
CROSS COUNTRY Varsity cross country won its fourth straight Prep League title, knocking off favorite Collegiate School. StC placed six runners on the All-Prep team: Will Wise ’22, Ford Clark ’23, Holden Valerie ’23, Oliver Fitch ’22, Liam Kurzawa ’25 and George Beck ’23, with Patrick Mayer ’24 missing the honor by one place. Wise, who finished fourth overall at the VISAA meet for All-State honors, led the team that finished sixth.
FOOTBALL Varsity football had perhaps the best season in the School’s history, finishing 10-1 and entering the VISAA tournament as the top seed. The team won 10 games in a row for the first time, winning the Prep League title. The record included a win over eventual VISAA champ Trinity Episcopal School, 57-19, with an average margin of victory of 34 points. The All-Prep team boasted 12 Saints, and the All-State team had 11, including Prep League and VISAA player of the year Andre Greene ’22. Greene and Trent Hendrick ’22 were named first-team All-Metro, and Nikkos Kovanes ’22 made second team.
SOCCER Soccer ran up a 10-4-4 record, winning the Menno Classic and reaching the VISAA semifinals. Highlights included two ties, believe it or not. The Saints were the only team to tie nationally ranked and eventual VISAA champ Collegiate, and on Senior Day in the 90th minute, Willy Hall ’22 knocked in a free kick to knot Woodberry Forest School at 1. John Collier ’22, Taylor McDermott ’22 and Rex Alphen ’23 made the All-Prep team, and McDermott and Alphen were named VISAA first team.
Ford Clark ‘23
Andre Greene ‘22
Taylor McDermott ‘22
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BASKETBALL Varsity basketball had an exciting season, finishing 16-9, 6-4 overall in Prep League play. The Saints fell just short of winning the Prep League tourney for the first time since 2000, falling 53-51 to STAB in a heartbreaker. Keishawn Pulley ’22 was named co-Prep League player of the year. Nikkos Kovanes ’22 and Trent Hendrick ’22 were also named All-Prep. Pulley and Brandon Jennings ’23 made the Prep League all-tournament team.
Keishawn Pulley ’22
FUTSAL StC’s two teams went a combined 24-8-3 during the regular season and Valentine Classic, with StC Red not losing a contest until the final game. Nate Broughton ’22 and Cameron King ’23 were named to the all-tournament team.
INDOOR TRACK The indoor team placed third in the Prep League meet and fourth in the VISAA meet. Eighth grader Victor Olesen ’26 won the pole vault at Preps and placed second at states. Ned Boehling ’22 finished second in the shot put at Preps and the VISAA meet. Ford Clark ’23 (500 meter) and Stanton Dodson ’23 (55 hurdles) placed third at VISAA. Olesen vaulted 15-1 at New Balance Indoor Nationals, the top performance for a 14-year-old in the United States.
Stan Dodson ‘23
SQUASH Squash is another team that had the best School season on record, ending the regular season 10-0, including a Mid-Atlantic Squash Tournament championship. The Saints knocked off perennial powers in Gonzaga College High School, Mercersburg Academy, Episcopal High School and Potomac School (three times). This effort earned a spot at the Division II level of the U.S. Squash Nationals in Philadelphia, the highest StC has ever been seeded.
SWIMMING & DIVING Jamie Boyd ‘22
Swimming and diving completed an unbeaten season, winning the Prep League and VISAA championships, dispatching favorite Collegiate School. In the past, a strong swimmer or two has led StC to victory, but this year was more of a team effort. In Preps, nine StC swimmers finished in the top 20 in overall individual points, including Prep League champ Alex Gertner ’25 (100-yard butterfly). At the VISAA meet, a win in the 200 free relay by .01 seconds buoyed the Saints to victory.
WRESTLING An outstanding winter continued with wrestling winning the Prep League title yet again and also claiming the VISAA crown. Riley Finck ’23 was named Prep League Most Outstanding Wrestler (MOW), one of eight individual champs. In VISAA, StC boasted five state champs in Caleb Haney ’24, Tyler Hood ’25, Cale Roggie ’23 (MOW - Middle Weights), Joshua Powell ’22 and Finck. Powell led the Saints to a 14th place finish at National Preps and finished seventh overall for All-American honors. Cale Roggie ‘23
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Compiled by Stephen Lewis Sports Information director
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T HE A RTS
O N S TA G E
An Encore on the Other Side of the Stage By Luke Gresham ’22 Standing before everyone, I assumed my role of Scar in “The Lion King.” My knees shook from walking on stage to when I bellowed the last lines of the song, “Be Prepared,” then, a roar of applause. Despite retiring from theater after that middle school experience, I felt it calling me back this year. I knew I had to return to Ampersand, the joint theater group of St. Christopher’s and St. Catherine’s, this time as director of a one-act play. Ampersand performances typically line up with The Pine Needle deadlines, so it quickly became obvious that my performance week would be a busy one. Ampersand tech weeks are infamous for the sheer volume of time they consume, leaving little time for homework and studying, let alone journalism. However, I spent my time between rehearsals during tech week taking notes. With only one rehearsal and production meeting per week, balancing both seemed easy. Even tech week I
Luke Gresham ‘22 (far right) sings “Be Prepared” could manage easily enough, with my more sympathetic teachers moving my tests back and giving me extensions on papers. Opening night comes and everyone tells each other, “Break a leg.” Preparing to review their hard work, I do not participate in the group activities, trying to separate myself so I can remain unbiased and retain some sort of “journalistic integrity.” However, all my fears were for naught as I found something to love in each play. When the time for my one-act came at last, I was catatonic. In my mind, some of the actors still weren’t prepared, and I needed more time. How could I criticize others when mine was so behind? To my surprise, the cast outperformed themselves. Pride swelled in my heart as I saw how far my actors had come, exceeding my expectations and thrilling their audience. Once again, the roar of applause surrounded me, but this time, I applauded, too.
Upper School one-act plays
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Middle School Theater Company Delights and Dazzles By Jeremy Dunn, Middle School theater teacher Outré’s winter performance of “Shrek: The Musical Jr.” marked a return closer to normalcy for our Middle School theater company. As we eagerly await completion of the new theater complex at St. Catherine’s, students rehearsed and performed in the beautiful new Ryan Recital Hall. Since the hall was designed for concert performances, it was an interesting technical challenge to adapt the space to theater mode. Our talented technical advisor, J.D. Jump, put a lot of time and thought into making sure the space provided a level of technical artistry that would complement the show while giving the stage crew meaningful learning opportunities. The tech crew did an amazing job building Woodworking Teacher Nick Doremus’ vision of a castle, providing the actors an amazing space to perform.
Outré’s production of “Shrek: The Musical Jr.”
The cast was one of the hardest working groups that the company has seen in some time, with stellar performances from students who confidently belted out the show’s catchy tunes. Finding passion in the performance was often easier thanks to the clever lyrics and closeto-our-heart themes of how accepting and celebrating our differences makes us strong. This was the first musical with Outré for Assistant Director Jake Simard, an outstanding addition to the team who helped students add nuance to their performances. Brodie Schlobohm ‘27 led the cast with his portrayal of the big, green, cranky titular character and was supported by 30 other Middle School boys in the cast and crew, along with 40 of our friends from St. Catherine’s. Many long-standing faculty noted that this performance was possibly the best show the Middle School has presented. SPRING 2022 | 29
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T HE A RTS
IN CONCERT
The student debut concert at StC’s Arts Center took place in late October and included performances by individuals as well as the Upper School Honors Chamber Orchestra, Upper School Concert Band, Saints Jazz/Rock Band, Middle School Quartet and Beaux Ties, an a cappella group.
Upper School Honors Chamber Orchestra
Gentry Vaiksnoras ‘27
The Beaux Ties
Grady White ‘24
Carter Lecky ‘28
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S T U D E N T S TA N D O U T
Patel Finds Star Audience By Joseph Long ’22 What started as a hobby has evolved into a potential career for Kyan Patel ’23. A talented artist from a young age, he has created numerous works that have received attention and accolades, including a Scholastic Art & Writing Award Gold Key for an eighth grade self portrait. Last summer Patel painted a 36” x 42” portrait of Andre Greene ’22 dressed in his football gear to commemorate his signing with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Greene said, “I was literally speechless. It was probably one of the nicest looking things someone has ever made for me!” This led to making a portrait for UNC Coach Mack Brown, who came to St. Christopher’s to meet with Greene. One thing led to another, and now Patel has received commissions from other players and coaches, including UNC wide receiver Josh Downs, Clemson University running back Will Shipley and an undisclosed member of the Dallas Cowboys. As a devoted sports fan and soccer player, Patel has an obvious proclivity for sports in his art. Patel said, “Athletes love photos of themselves, things of themselves, and not many do paintings of themselves, which is something completely different.” He hopes to eventually paint for the NFL and other professional sports organizations. Patel’s first piece to receive attention was a portrait he painted with his mother in 2020, called “Blue Tape,” which hangs in the Luck Leadership Center. It depicts a face divided into four quadrants, representing Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Trayvon Martin, who were all killed by police. His largest and most artistically complex piece, which measures 73” x 60” and hangs in the StC Arts Center, was painted from a photo he took of a girl from the Indian village of Ori singing on the street. Half of the portrait is color and half is black and white, which juxtaposes the happiness and sadness of the Indian people, who were hit particularly hard by COVID-19. Patel comes from a family of avid artists, including his mother and grandparents. He is self-taught to some extent, though his mother and art teacher have also been important in building his skills. For him, painting is “super-calming because you’re just there, you’re just doing it.” SPRING 2022 | 31
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STUDENT NEWS
STUDENT STANDOUTS
Gentry Vaiksnoras ’27 and Palmer Berry ’27 auditioned and were selected for the Central Virginia Orchestra.
Clockwise from top left: Ephraim Bullock ‘22, Oliver Garner ‘23, alumnus Ira White ‘11 and Carter Lecky ‘28 danced in the Richmond Ballet production of “Romeo and Juliet” last winter.
Robert Head ‘26 was selected to perform on trumpet with the District I Middle School Band’s March concert at Highland Springs High School.
All-District Chorus participants include (front row) Joaquin Torres ‘25, Teddy Price ‘23, and (back row) Scott Neely ‘22, Ben Butterfield ‘25, Alex Hatfield ‘23. Price was also tapped to go on to All-State Chorus.
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Seniors Alex Lim and Nate Glerum and junior Nick Manetas composed the first cohort of StC’s Capstone Scholars program with a goal of producing original, publishable research.
Pole Vaulting Phenom At age 10, Victor Olesen ’26’s gymnastics coach suggested he try pole vaulting. Within two years he bettered most of the area’s top challengers. Last year, as a seventh grader new to StC, he assumed the School’s No. 1 vaulting position and is now considered the top contender for his grade level nationwide. This past winter, Olesen went undefeated, took top Prep League honors, snared second place in the VISAA meet, and a win at the 2022 UCS Spirit National Pole Vault Summit in Nevada. He ended the season winning his division at New York’s New Balance Indoor Nationals jumping 15’1”, his highest leap on record. Like most vaulters, Olesen is powerful, part sprinter, part strongman, part gymnast. “He has good bar awareness and can make split-second adjustments,” said Coach Key Randolph ’83, also noting his consistency, humility and willingness to stick around after meets to put equipment away. “Victor goes about his business in a quiet but super-intense way,” he said. “He doesn’t do anything halfway.”
Seth Aschheim ’24 was tapped for VCU Engineering’s Dean’s Early Research Initiative for 2022-23. The program aims to enhance high school students’ exposure to engineering research while providing mentoring opportunities for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Aschheim will work with Dr. Patrick Martin’s project, “Human Activity Recognition for Mobile Robots.” Nate Glerum ‘22, AJ Jones ‘22 and Caton Lee ‘23’s work was displayed at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond as regional winners of the Scholastic Awards in Virginia. Scholastic Award writing winners included Ford Clark ’23, Eli Martin ’22 and Kevin Omohundro ’22. Max Buono ’23 was accepted into the Virginia Aerospace Science and Technology Scholars program, an online science, technology, engineering and mathematics program, highlighted by a seven-day residential summer academy at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.
Manetas is working with Upper School English Teacher and Writerin-Residence Ron Smith on a short story collection. Most days after school this fall, he wrote for an hour or more, often taking walks and driving downtown, creating “sketches” of people, conversations and places observed. He’s grateful to have established the daily habit, with a short story and poem submitted for publication, and his one-act play, “Dinner for Two,” was part of Ampersand’s February production. “I suppose the ‘concrete research’ in my project has been a great deal of self-discovery,” Manetas said. “I’ve come to understand what I think good poetry should look like and what draws me into reading short stories.” He views this experience as just the beginning of his journey, with more reading, analyzing and writing plans his senior year and beyond. As he looks ahead to college, he leans toward a major that will allow him to combine his interests in writing, government, history and social change. “In the end, I believe being an effective communicator and an artistic thinker will serve me well in whatever major I choose,” he said. Lim is working with StC Director of Health Services Ann Vanichkachorn on the impact of guided meditation in the classroom. He estimates putting in about 120 hours of research, where he learned data analysis and study design, concluding that brief, intermittent mindfulness meditation reduces assessment-related stress. He presented his findings at Longwood University in March as part of the Regional Junior Science and Humanities Symposium. Glerum is working with Upper School Arts Department Chair Rusty Wilson on filmmaking. He said he has learned about the challenges of 3D animation, as well as the creative process of making animated films. His work will be self-published on his YouTube channel. Glerum plans to continue working on both live action and animated films in college, saying, “Due to the nature of the topic, I will always be learning new ways to present the story I’m trying to share.” SPRING 2022 | 33
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Class Notes Please send any news and photos for our next issue to Jen Scallon, scallonj@stcva.org.
1969 Saint Gertrude High School dedicated its 2021 yearbook to John Harris, who served as a substitute teacher during the pandemic and announced games for the Gators’ state-champion basketball team. This is the third time (also 2007 and 2013) in his 17 years as a teacher and a sub at Saint Gertrude that he has received the honor.
1981 Shep Mondy shared a recent photo (see next page): “I’m in my StC lead apron (I have one in gray, one in maroon, like the letterman jackets). My partner and I had just used a new stent, so the rep wanted a pic with the champion belt. Just reinforcing that StC is the foundation of everything I’ve done over the last 40!”
1985 Manoli Loupassi was a guest for Episcopal High School’s Civil Dialogue Project. The series brings together speakers with different perspectives to discuss complex issues and model how to respectfully disagree and find common ground. Loupassi, a former Republican member of the Virginia House of Delegates, and Kevin Blaum, a former Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of
Representatives, discussed current topics determined by students. Stewart Verdery lives in Washington, D.C., and is CEO of Monument Advocacy, a bipartisan and bicoastal public affairs and government relations firm. His daughter Izzy will graduate from New York University in the spring, son Chase is a sophomore at Washington and Lee University, and son Jack Is a sophomore at St. Albans School.
1986 Stephan Said, singer-songwriter, rapper, writer and global activist, has released a new single, “Our Dream (Unstoppable),” which is the title track to his new album. The album is dedicated to everyone at the frontlines of our struggles for freedom, to stop global warming and to create a more equal world.
1971 John Gayle Jr. was inducted into the Virginia Lawyers Hall of Fame in May 2021.
1976 Jimmy Proffitt retired from corporate America to live life on different terms. He sold his home in Charlotte and now lives full time on Pawleys Island, South Carolina. Please drop him a note if you’re heading that direction — and bring your golf clubs.
1977 A group of Saints, affectionately known as Thugs Inc., reunited last spring at Steve Frazer’s house. Jim Frazer ‘53 and Dick Kemper joined in, and a marvelous time was had by all. The Thugs skyped with Blair French ‘79 and Bob Pierson, but were not able to make contact with Clay Ogden. THUGS INC. IN 1977 AND 2021 › Marc Butler ’77, Steve Frazer ‘77, Dick Kemper ‘77, Jim Frazer ’53, Boyd Cobb ’77, Todd Collier ’77, Burnell Bullock ’77, Clinker Moss ’77
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diverse group of Fortune 500 and AmLaw 100 clients.
Shep Mondy ‘81
1988 Stuart Gunter’s poems have been published in numerous periodicals and two anthologies. He has collaborated with artist Michelle Gagliano on two projects, “Language of Place,” based on Robert Macfarlane’s book “Landmarks,” and a fine-art coffee table book, “Once Again to See the Stars: A Contemporary Look at Dante’s ‘Inferno.’”
1990 After two years at the Joint History Office at the Pentagon, Colonel Francis Park is now director of the Basic Strategic Art Program at the U.S. Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, where he is responsible for educating strategists before they go out to the force. Before
Preston Herrington ‘22, Mason Carter ‘22, Cole Hayes ‘22 and Luke Gathright ‘22 intern at Spy Rock
coming to the Army War College, he spent six weeks in Qatar at the rear headquarters for U.S. Forces, Afghanistan, where he archived almost 15 years’ worth of operational records before the end of the Afghanistan mission.
1994 Be sure to check out Tom Gresham’s new book, “Donnie Baseball,” which features a colorful cast of characters pursuing greatness and facing the inevitability of forever falling short.
1995 Rich Griffith started a new position as a client success director at Lighthouse Global, a legal technology and services company. He is responsible for leading and managing client solutions for a
Will Ferguson spoke in Upper School chapel in October, offering a heartfelt message of hope and resilience, sharing perspective of his journey as a musician and a gay graduate of StC. He closed by saying, “Your future is not determined by any other person’s feelings or expectations for you — no matter who they are, you will meet your people, you will find your person, you will find your place. And you can live a rich and rewarding life on your own terms — free from shame and full of love.”
1996 Taylor Williams and business partner Andrew Basham (StC parent of an eighth and fifth grader) hosted four StC interns last summer at Spy Rock. Preston Herrington ‘22, Mason Carter ‘22, Cole Hayes ‘22 and Luke Gathright ‘22 learned about all facets of real estate development – construction, design and engineering, property management and real estate finance.
1997 Ashby Price has formed Juno Financial Group, an independent firm whose professionals provide retirement plan management for employers, as well as comprehensive wealth planning for individuals and families. The advisory team has collectively worked together for more than a decade and provides 55-plus years of combined financial services experience.
1998 Some members of the Class of 1998 had an impromptu reunion over the summer. Attendees included Charles Brown, Alexander Ayers, Malcolm Randolph, Paul Habenicht, John Neal and their children.
1999 Cabell Doyle and Tripp Copeland visited St. Christopher’s in October to share their experiences in Afghanistan. The classmates each experienced different Continued on page 38 Class of 1998 mini reunion
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Class Notes
In Memory of Jennifer Ball Her Legacy of Service Lives On Jay Ball ’82 was featured on CBS-6 Problem Solvers in Richmond for donating his wife’s electric wheelchair the day after her funeral. The StC alumnus knew he wanted the chair to go to a good cause. He contacted Dr. Robin Foster, a Virginia Commonwealth University pediatric emergency medicine physician and former StC parent, who sent him a news clip from CBS-6 about Maleeka Whitaker. The Henrico woman was shot several years ago and paralyzed. Despite her debilitating injury, Whitaker remained active and engaged, volunteering and helping family and neighbors, but couldn’t leave the house after her wheelchair broke down. Ball was moved by her story and pleased to give her the chair, especially since he felt a connection when learning that Whitaker volunteers at Fairfield Court Elementary School, where his wife was active, too.
Jennifer Ball, wife of Jay Ball ‘82 and mother of Jamie ‘11, Alec ‘14 and Taylor
“I’m so happy that chair went to someone who continued to further my mother’s mission, which was to do as much as she possibly could, no matter what.” — Alec Ball ‘14
In addition, Jennifer Ball was involved at Children’s Hospital and St. James’s Episcopal Church, and was a member of the StC Board of Governors from 2010 to 2016. Her son Alec ’14 said his mother’s volunteer work was her passion. “I’ve never seen anyone go through more and complain as little as she did while continuing to serve,” Alec said. “She put service before her own needs.… You watch it live in front of you for 26 years and you don’t really get it until you see the impact of the absence.”
Jay Ball ‘82 donates his late wife’s electic wheelchair to Maleeka Whitaker.
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Class Notes Meeting the Needs of Citizens Jethro Piland ’92 By Gene Bruner ’78 The calls come over the radio in blurts: an elderly man with difficulty breathing, a woman in heart failure, a little leaguer head injury; or where the drama takes place: a bedroom, park or car upside down in a ditch. In the midst of all the chatter, some calls stand out: life-threatening emergencies, sirens, vital signs absent, a woman stretched out on the sidewalk. Just listening, one would believe the world was falling apart. But for Jethro Piland ’92, it’s just another day on the job. As chief of fire and emergency medical services for Hanover County, the 32-year veteran is on call for everyone, everywhere in his community. In addition to serving as senior administrator for the Fire Department, he is also a flight paramedic for VCU Health. Former Athletic Director Dick Kemper recalls Piland’s leadership skills that stood out in the training room and in his volunteer work with Hanover Rescue Squad: “Jethro’s true gift was always helping others, and he was good at it. His example rubbed off on a long line of StC students who followed his path.” Piland gives credit to Coach Kemper for connecting him to work he loves, allowing him to help in the training room, which involved more than taping ankles and bandaging wounds. “He even left me in charge when he was away at a sporting event,” Piland said. “The experience gave me confidence, vital skill sets, respect for those in need, and taught me how to engage with individuals of all ages. He showed the value of building relationships.” Piland wanted to pilot helicopters after graduating from VMI in 1996. However, during that time of an all-volunteer army, opportunities for officers to advance were limited. Plus, love trumped all. He met his wife, Mary Catherine, and the two returned to Hanover County, where he started out as a career field medic. He received the Hanover Fire-EMS Line of Duty Performance Award after 2004’s tropical storm Gaston, when he helped save a man pulled into raging waters after a portion of Studley Road collapsed. As the water rose, the man rode on the roof of his truck before jumping to nearby trees. For hours, the Fire Department searched. Once the victim was located, Piland and another firefighter navigated against the current from downstream, using life-safety ropes to reach him and flotation devices to help carry him to safety. Now, as chief of fire and emergency medical services, Piland leads more than 500 career and volunteer firefighters and EMTs. He served on the Virginia Fire Chiefs Association board from 2014 until 2019, and in 2017, former Gov. Terry McAuliffe appointed him to the Emergency Medical Services Advisory Board. However, he wears his accomplishments quietly, saying, “I’m a grassroots guy, and for me, it’s about meeting the needs of the citizens.”
“The experience gave me confidence, vital skill sets, respect for those in need, and taught me how to engage with individuals of all ages. [Coach Kemper] showed the value of building relationships.”
He warmly recalls his time at St. Christopher’s. “Coach Kemper opened a door for me to walk through,” he said. “Thirty-two years later I still love it, and I even get to fly in helicopters.”
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Class Notes Continued from page 35 aspects of the U.S. military drawdown firsthand and spoke to Upper School boys in Memorial Chapel.
Tripp Copeland ‘99 and Cabell Doyle ‘99
Austin Harris ‘00 with Beau and big brother Anson
Copeland, who spent two years working in Kabul for the State Department, discussed his work with local peacebuilding initiatives in Afghanistan, meeting face-to-face with Taliban representatives and what it was like to negotiate with them. “Whether it is a wartime enemy or a next-door neighbor, everyone has a unique perspective, lived experience and shared humanity,” said Copeland. “I know it’s not always easy to start or to stick with a constructive dialogue, but it’s always worth a try.” Doyle, an American Airlines pilot, served in the U.S. Air Force Reserve for 16 years and spoke about evacuating U.S. citizens and allies to safety during Operation Allied Refugee, which he wrote about in the Winter 2021 issue of StC Magazine. Inspired by what he experienced, he urged the Upper School students to seek ways to serve and help their communities. “Have a discussion with people who don’t look like you or don’t have the same opinions as you,” said Doyle, who closed with, “Be a contributor to society, be kind, and Go Saints!”
Hamill Jones ‘00 with his family
2000 BIRTHS Austin Harris and wife KK welcomed son Robert Ray “Beau,” Aug. 13, 2021. StC Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Hamill Jones and wife Susanna welcomed their third daughter, Helen Brailsford, June 13, 2021.
2001 Alden Basmajian, an Upper School math teacher at St. Catherine’s, competed in the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in St. George, Utah, in October. Out of 3,441 competitors, he placed 92nd overall and ninth in his age group. Alden Basmajian ‘01
John Cain ‘04 with his wife Berkley and children
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Class Notes Tyler Brown has joined Markel as managing director, investments.
2003
In early March, Bishop Susan Goff of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia ordained Paul Evans a deacon, the foundation of ordained ministry within the Episcopal Church. Evans graduated from Virginia Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity in May. God willing, he will be ordained a priest Sept. 10 and wishes to express his gratitude to the many members of the St. Christopher’s community who have supported him on his journey.
WEDDING Michael Doyle married Dorothy Watson Oct. 30, 2021 at Tredegar Ironworks in Richmond.
WEDDINGS Mercer Ferguson married Kate Robbins, Oct. 22, 2021 in Richmond.
John Cain was part of the team, along with dad Ron Cain ’75, Thomas Valentine ’76 and Craig Dods, who formed Granite Wealth Management last fall. They focus on managing money for high net worth individuals and families.
BIRTHS Jane Garnet and Tyler Brown welcomed daughter Anne Conway, Nov. 17, 2021. (See photo page 55.) Raleigh Nuckols and husband Cash Horn welcomed twins, daughter Eloise Vail and son Stokes Everett, June 27, 2021.
2002 BIRTHS Alan Carney and his wife Mariah welcomed son Lachlan Daniel Carney, July 15, 2021.
BIRTHS Alex Skidmore and his wife Alli welcomed son Parker Christian, Aug. 27, 2021. Matt Strader and his wife Kaitlin welcomed daughter Annabelle Frances, Sept. 9, 2021.
2004
Jamie Sauer is now an equity business partner at Owen Suter’s Fine Furniture in Richmond. Sauer worked at Owen Suter’s Fine Furniture for the past three years, learning all aspects of the business. He eventually will take ownership of the company.
Raleigh Nuckols ‘01 and husband Cash with their twins Eloise and Stokes
Alan Carney ‘02 and Lachlan on the steps of Chamberlayne Hall
BIRTH John Cain and wife Berkley welcomed daughter “Berkley Clare” Baker, June 21, 2021. Continued on page 41
Matt Strader ‘03 and baby Annabelle Frances
Saints celebrate at Michael Doyle ‘03’s wedding at Tredegar Ironworks in Richmond.
Jamie Sauer ‘04
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A 240-MILE
ODYSSEY Michael Doyle ’03
Michael Doyle ’03 completed the Moab 240, one of the most difficult competitive nonstop foot races in the world, in October. Runners traversed a grueling 240-mile route in Utah that spans deserts, river crossings, canyons and mountains, with temperatures fluctuating between 16 and 85 degrees. Doyle finished 22nd out of 231 athletes from around the world. The event took a toll. The next day, Doyle’s feet were 2.5 sizes larger and covered with blisters. It took more than a month for his body to recalibrate from the stress incurred while running for 81 hours. “Two hundred milers are still very unstudied races in terms of training and the effects on the body, but Moab was an incredible experience,” he said. “Aside from the pain and sleep deprivation, it really was a beautiful and fun race that rewards preparation, grit and teamwork.”
To prepare, Doyle ran for six months up to 110 miles per week, running 26 to 50 miles every Saturday. Cross training and mobility workouts helped prevent injury, but perhaps the most demanding aspect was mental. “At no point did I think I wouldn’t succeed, but you need to be able to take hits and react quickly when things don’t go as planned,” he said. “You build up the strength and fitness, but your mental fortitude is hands-down the most important aspect, as it will be tested.” Off the trail, Doyle is an equity strategy manager with RealPage Investment Management in Charlotte. He is motivated to inspire others to step out of their comfort zones. Regarding future goals, he offered this cryptic response: “I have some larger athletic goals which may entail an ocean and Alaska.”`
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Class Notes
Continued from page 39
2005 WEDDING James Hoffman married Ellen Davis Oct. 9, 2021 in Montgomery, Alabama.
2006 Will Hardy coached Team USA in the 2021 Summer Olympics. After six years as an assistant head coach with the San Antonio Spurs, he joined the Boston Celtics in the same role at the beginning of the 2021-22 season. WEDDINGS Rob Long married Kate Saltz Oct. 2, 2021.
2007 Ross Hoppe married Sophie Blumberg Oct. 2, 2021 in the backyard of their house in Carytown. Hoppe writes, “Only our immediate families were present, and everyone had a role, from reading a poem, to reciting the Seven Blessings, to presiding over the legal ‘I do’s.’ It was nontraditional and only had a sprinkling of religion with a few traditional Jewish elements — the Seven Blessings, a ketubah, and breaking of the glass. It started as a backyard party, switched to a ceremony for ~20 minutes, and ended with dinner at Can Can Brasserie.” Classmate Ben White took photos, sometimes climbing through backyard
bushes to get shots. Hoppe, who is St. Catherine’s production manager, and Blumberg followed up a few days later in White’s studio for portraits in a more controlled environment. BIRTH Alex Grymes and wife Meg welcomed daughter Palmer Gibson, July 17, 2021.
2008 Sam Priddy’s daughter Hampton showed off her Saint loyalties last Father’s Day. (See photo page 42.) Brewster Rawls was on-site when a co-worker received a severe blow from a crane boom. A bone in the upper arm was crushed and caused arterial bleeding. Rawls not only had a trauma kit in his truck, but he knew how to use it. He quickly applied a tourniquet and put gauze into the wound. When the EMTs arrived over 10 minutes after being called, they told him he probably saved the guy’s life. (This note is courtesy of a proud dad.)
Ross Hoppe ‘07 and his wife Sophie Blumberg
WEDDINGS TD Hoover married Kelly Michelle Bien May 15, 2021. Charles Skidmore married Rachel Powell July 24, 2021 in Highlands, North Carolina. Michael Tuohey married McKenzie Moore Oct. 2, 2021 in San Antonio. Continued on page 43 Alex Grymes ‘07 and daughter Palmer
James Hoffman ‘05 wedding
Brian Kusiak ‘08 with his wife Rebecca
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Top row: Saints at Rob Long ‘06’s wedding, Ross O’Connor ‘09 with daughter Elizabeth Second row: Saints at the wedding of Rob Valentine ‘08 and Jennifer Rose ‘09 (St. Catherine’s) Third row: Sam Priddy ‘08’s daughter Hampton, Michael Tuohey ‘08 and wife McKenzie, Emily and Whit Long ‘08 with their daughter Likely Fourth row: Caroline and West Smithers ‘09 with the Beaux Ties and Clark Manley ’09, a former Beaux Ties member
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Class Notes
Continued from page 41 Sam Hewitt wed Elize Mercer Oct. 9, 2021 in a small ceremony in Charlottesville and postponed a larger celebration until later, due to the pandemic. Rob Valentine married Jennifer Rose ’09 (St. Catherine’s) Oct. 16, 2021 in Charlottesville. Brian Kusiak married Rebecca Van Derlaske Jan. 15, 2022 in Richmond.
2010 Rennie Merhige lives in New York City and recently started a new job as program development manager on the CNN originals team developing nonscripted programming for television via commissioned projects, acquisitions and in-house production.
BIRTHS Emily and Whit Long welcomed daughter Likely Anne Elizabeth, Oct. 1, 2021.
WEDDINGS Hiter Harris and Noorjahan Habib married Sept. 23, 2021 in Highlands, North Carolina.
Carrington and John Parrish welcomed daughter Catherine Miller, Jan. 28, 2022.
Rennie Merhige married Julia Martin Nov. 20, 2021 in New Orleans.
Sam Priddy and wife Ella welcomed son Samuel Vernon V, Sept. 14, 2021.
Dan O’Neill III married Skye Weiss Sept. 18, 2021.
2009
BIRTHS Mo and Tucker Braden welcomed son Hayes Powell, Sept. 28, 2021.
WEDDING West Smithers married Caroline Leigh Seaman Oct. 16, 2021 in Charlottesville. The Beaux Ties, led by Greg Vick, sang at the rehearsal dinner. BIRTHS Ross O’Connor and wife Margaret welcomed daughter Elizabeth Legendre, Nov. 6, 2021.
Hiter Harris ‘10 with his wife Noorjahan
Bridgette and Ted Gottwald welcomed son Evan Paul, Sept. 20, 2021. Jane and Peter Partee welcomed daughter Grace Taylor, Feb. 7, 2022. Continued on page 46
Peter Partee ‘10 with wife Jane Taylor ‘10 (St. Catherine’s) and Grace
Rennie Merhige ’10 with his wife Julia
Dan O’Neill ‘10 and his wife Skye
Tucker Braden ‘10 and son Hayes with Ted Gottwald ‘10 and son Evan.
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Thank You for Picking Up By Gene Bruner ’78 Late afternoon in Rainmaker Studios, shadows converge. “Journey” is in the final stages of production. Myles Brown ’15 is separated from his creation by the glass wall that divides the controls from the screen upon which slow-motion images of him dancing in the rain flicker. Images from above and beneath him are looping. As he looks on, something catches his eye, or ear, and he freezes the frame. He belts out bits of a song, offering a fourth or fifth layer of chorus. Smiling, he turns and says, “I recorded the music in my closet.” One cannot help but marvel at his calm, his brimming confidence and self-imposed standards for excellence. He offers perspective to the particular scene that required, well… rain. “Everything depended on the accuracy of the weather forecast, but the cloudy sky above Bryan Park did not bode well,” he said. “The crew had begun to dismantle the set when miraculously the clouds burst as if on cue.” Brown and the cameraman darted into action, dancing, turning and virtually shadow-boxing in the rain while music foamed from a speaker. “If anyone had been passing by, we must have looked ridiculous.” However, for both Brown and his character, M.Y.L.O., all anxiety and worry evaporate. When viewed on screen, the audience senses a willful mysteriousness lift, a release from suffering and rebirth. At a glance, “Journey” contains the markings of a modern musical like “Hamilton.” Brown’s directorial touches and narrative overlays demonstrate a technique that’s unparalleled. He writes the music, performs the music, stars in the production, films remarkable drone shots and creates breathtaking mixtures of light, color and tone. Furthermore, he films conversations in slow-motion and dubs sound, giving the words spoken a deeper and ethereal quality. Ironically, putting himself in front of the camera revealed an intimate secret: “Everyone has their own odyssey to follow. I still have fears, I just won’t let them stop me.” For a project that began as an interest in flying drones, Brown found himself in mental limbo for almost a year. His best friend, John Fergusson ’15, had gone off the grid. Brown optimistically hoped his friend was simply wandering the landscape as a resourceful hiker. Still, an uneasiness lingered. Just a month before his friend disappeared, the two had a phone conversation where Fergusson began: “Thank you for picking up.” A psychology major who graduated with a 4.0 GPA, Brown understood the telltale signs of anxiety, stress and depression. As a Division I soccer standout (VCU), he also possessed a firm grasp of the coping mechanisms necessary for athletes when injured, under duress or feeling deficient. Troubled by his friend’s disappearance, he joined the search. When he received news of his friend’s passing, he became overwhelmed with sadness. Taking walks along the river helped, so did flying his drone. He also poured himself
into his music. One night, he composed five of the movie’s compositions in a fourhour spurt. Diving deeper into his own self-reflection, he sought something he could not describe. Ironically, through his personal ordeal, he found a pathway to overcome his sorrow. Filmmaking allowed him to open up, express his state of mind and eventually heal. He credits his English Teachers Key Randolph and Jay Wood for impressing on him transcendentalism and the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson and William Wordsworth. Brown discovered his own “inward eye.” Honing these instincts, he deliberately divided the film into three distinctive sections: Avoidance, Introspection and Arrival. He shared his art with friends, and what was entertaining for some was emotionally charged for most. The Center for the Study of Boys Director Kimberly Hudson watched an early cut of the movie during Christmas break. Her response: “I was wrecked for several hours afterward.” In the opening sequence, breathtaking colors dovetail with the music and the arrival of M.Y.L.O. (an acronym for my youth lives on), whose screen presence is overwhelming. In addition, even the space Brown calls home is a character unto itself, Richmond, or the more pronounced “are-vee-aya.” He illuminates the extraordinary elements within his reach as if they are pieces of a meteorite. Belle Isle, Maymont Park, Forest Hill Park and Hollywood Cemetery shimmer and glow like an enchanted kingdom. “Journey” is a compelling piece: part peripatetic odyssey and part urban opera. Brown is as much mental health counselor as storyteller and filmmaker. One industry insider called Brown the “Anthony Bourdain of mental health,” capable of entering differing locales and welcoming the viewer into a rich, joyful and safe space. As Brown advises, “Each step you take in life bears its own significance. Your journey matters.”
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Class Notes Ironically, putting himself in front of the camera revealed an intimate secret: “Everyone has their own odyssey to follow. I still have fears, I just won’t let them stop me.”
Photos taken during the filming of “Journey,” what director Myles Brown ‘15 describes as a “visual album exploring human experience.”
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Class Notes Continued from page 43
2011 WEDDINGS Ben Resnick married Sydney Koffler Sept. 18, 2021 in Richmond. Ward Wood married Maddie Schuster Sept. 11, 2021 on the golf course at CCV in Richmond.
2012 Adam Richardson went viral when he sent a check for $1,000 to Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin last July. A Phoenix Suns fan, he attended Game 3 NBA Finals in Milwaukee and was so touched by the “kindness and hospitality of the people” that he wanted to make a gift in their honor. Richardson chose to donate to a local food bank as the cause is close to his heart. His gift will provide 3,000 meals.
2013 Dallas Tarkenton has been named men’s swimming and diving assistant coach at the University of Pennsylvania. He spent two years prior on the staff for the University of Virginia’s men’s and women’s teams. His stint there was highlighted
by the UVA women’s March NCAA championship win for the first time in program history.
2014 Chandler Shaheen and wife Hayden welcomed son Row Stephen, Feb. 1, 2022.
2015 Swayne Martin was the 2021 graduation speaker for California Aeronautical University. Ben Moore, Jack Workman ‘16 and Joey Cuevas ‘16 ran the San Francisco Marathon last September. John Tyson, along with Berkeley Fergusson ‘14, walked in a suicide prevention walk Sept. 14 in honor of John Fergusson.
as part of the 800 medley relay, making him a five-time champion. Post-college, Swanson turned pro and has continued to compete nationally and internationally. Last summer, after competing at the delayed Olympic Trials in Omaha, he was drafted by the International Swimming League (ISL) by team Energy Standard. He was also named to the USA National Team for the fifth consecutive year following his two years on the Junior National Team.
2017 Robert Allen is completing a fifth year at Wake Forest University to receive a master’s in computer science and will work in information technology for Lowe’s Inc. in Charlotte. Gareth Mancini and Brent Mistr are working in client services at Davenport & Co. LLC in Richmond.
2016
Townes West is working for Merkle in Denver as a data analyst.
Charlie Swanson’s senior season at the University of Michigan was cut short by the pandemic. Although there were no 2020 NCAA Championships, he completed his time as a college athlete by winning his fourth Big 10 Championship in the 400 IM, one of three athletes in history to do so. He was also Big 10 champion
Ruslan Thomas graduated from William & Mary with a master’s in data analytics and will work for Customer First Renewables in Bethesda, Maryland, a firm that helps companies reduce energy costs and water consumption.
Ward Wood ’11 is surrounded by Saints on his wedding day.
Ben Resnick ‘11 and wife Sydney
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Class Notes Zane Buono and his brother Maximus ’23 finished the 30th NCR Marathon in Baltimore last November. Zane graduated in May from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis and will commission into service as a Surface Warfare Officer - Engineering Duty Officer in San Diego.
Griffin O’Ferrall, who plays for the University of Virginia, was named the 2021 Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League Player of the Year. He played in the summer league for the Auburn, New York Doubledays, where he batted .404 with 29 stolen bases.
2019 Tyler Hutchison, a junior at William & Mary, participated in the University of Arizona 2022 Optical Sciences Winter School (OSWS) in January and was also selected as a Virginia Microelectronics Consortium Summer 2022 Scholar. He was one of four students chosen from faculty nominations to have dinner with William & Mary President Katherine Rowe at her home. Bridger Thurston, who dives for Virginia Military Institute on an Army ROTC and dive scholarship, competed in the East Coast National Dive Tournament in February.
2021 Colter Lanois plays competitive disc golf for Virginia Tech and threw the final disc to take the team to Raleigh, North Carolina, to compete in the national tournament in April. Ben Moore ‘15, Jack Workman ‘16 and Joey Cuevas ‘16 run the San Francisco Marathon.
Swayne Martin ‘15
Zane Buono ’17 and Maximus Buono ’23
Tyler Hutchison ‘19 with William & Mary President Katherine Rowe
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Class Notes
Love of Literature Inspires Nonprofit By Hollis Cobb ’19 When I graduated from St. Christopher’s School in 2019, I never expected to launch and develop a nonprofit. And yet, the summer of 2021 created a perfect storm of time, resources and spontaneity that inspired me to purchase a 1989 Ford Ambulance from a grocery store parking lot in Loudoun County. I spent the following months painting, cleaning, fundraising and collecting books to launch Bookmobile Fredericksburg, a nonprofit mobile library aiming to promote literacy and a love of literature through the distribution of free books to my community. Today, after six months in operation, we have collected more than 15,000 donated books, distributed thousands, attended and hosted dozens of events, developed programs such as our special collections for teachers and door-to-door book pickup and brought countless smiles to the faces of children and adults alike. We have a staff of five and a rotating volunteer team, and we operate in four counties in addition to the city of Fredericksburg. I’ve never considered myself especially business-minded, and yet I’ve created what is ultimately a successful, tax-exempt nonprofit corporation. Every step of the way, I’ve been learning as I go. The road is often rocky – navigating the pitfalls of IRS paperwork and city licensure is far from my favorite pastime. I appreciate that the community, both in Fredericksburg and at home in Richmond, has come out en masse to support and uplift my project.
Recently, I was asked to consider how my time at St. Christopher’s School shaped Bookmobile Fredericksburg and the person I have become. This was a question with an easy answer. Perhaps the groundwork for my passion for literature and literacy was laid in my earliest years, but it was the teachers I encountered that brought that passion bubbling to the surface. There was never a dull moment with any member of the Upper School English department, and I fell in love with literature in a deep and profound manner. Every step I have taken since has been an attempt to provide even an ounce of the inspiration imbued in me by Mr. Wood, Mr. Smith, Mr. Green and Mr. Horner into another student, however old or young. Without their influence, I am sure I could not even begin to imagine the man I have become today.
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The Nice Family Across the Street By Gene Bruner ’78 When my brother Freddy was 3 or 4, he loved when the postman dropped letters in the mailbox. The only problem was he had trouble reaching it, and none of the mail was for him. Day after day, he’d run to the postbox and stand on his tiptoes in the hope of receiving a letter. The nice people across the street must have noticed, as did their grown son. One day a letter addressed to Freddy arrived. Standing as tall as possible, craning his neck to get a little more length from his arm, he grabbed hold of something. Inside the envelope, he found pieces of paper with numbers and letters of the alphabet. Though he couldn’t read, from that day forward, Freddy learned the value of reaching. Every now and then, another letter would materialize when the son would visit, more numbers and more letters. Mister Thomas and Miss Helen took good care of all the Bruner children, and so did their nice son, Tom. Tom Wolfe ‘47 grew up in Richmond’s Northside in a charming frame house that his father built in 1930. In the book, “Celebrate Richmond,” he wrote that he had grown up in “not only the greatest Nation, the United States of America, but also in the greatest state in the greatest nation, Virginia – and in the greatest city in the greatest state, Richmond, which after all, was Virginia’s capital, and the greatest neighborhood in the greatest city in the greatest state and in the greatest nation.” From his bedroom window Wolfe could watch the fireworks every night during the State Fair, held in September on the triangle of land between Hermitage Road and the Boulevard, now the site of The Diamond. He described how he felt “divinely fortunate” as “one of the chosen few, one of a handful of children in the entire world who could watch those fireworks from his own bedroom.”
Of course, I’m telling you all this because my family lived directly across the street, and though I was too young to remember much, my older brothers Johnny and Freddy and my sister Peggy have special memories of Mr. and Mrs. Wolfe and their two children. Johnny mowed their lawn and knew their yard like the back of his hand: the enormous maple in the middle of the front yard, the beautiful black-barked honey shuck tree, two magnolias, boxwoods, hundreds of them, as well as hollyhocks, evergreens and an apple tree. Peggy helped Mrs. Wolfe pull weeds, and once inquired how to make our grass grow like theirs. Mrs. Wolfe replied, “Your mother and father are growing children right now. They can grow grass later.” My mother told me, “Tom Wolfe was a great pitcher, pitched in college and was good enough to have a tryout with the New York Giants.” She assured me that Tommy was not a dandy but a skilled athlete with pinpoint accuracy. My dad taught at St. Christopher’s and coached Wolfe on the Flea football squad. As a student, Wolfe penned biographies and produced rewrites of Arthurian legends. The late Wilbur Bailey, Wolfe’s English teacher, once said, “Wolfe’s very lengthy beginning of a sentence describing a baseball as a spheroid was an early clue to his future as a writer.” I have chased the Wolfe mystique my entire life. Tom Wolfe the local hero, baseball star and writer occupied superstar status in my mind. I stared at his old house constantly, imagining him writing stories from his kitchen table. In 1966, I saw Vogue magazine wrote a piece about him, along with a picture. Thanks to that picture and my over-inflated curiosity, I became a superfan and embraced him as my own
personal celebrity. Plus, he came up with the coolest catchphrases: “good ole boy,” the “me decade,” “social X-ray,” “radical chic,” “catching flak” and, my favorite, “reflector heads.” I read “The Right Stuff” my first year at William & Mary, during Reading Week before spring exams when I should have been reading Proust, Conrad and Chekov (which explains why I signed up for summer school), but it was worth it. I picked up on his voice, rule-bending punctuation and way of stringing words along the way we think, which is not always in complete sentences, or in single sentences that go on for a page and a half. When I did meet him, he was grander than imagined. We shared childhood memories such as the alley between Gloucester and Loxley, riding bikes in the street and fireworks. I marveled at his voice, Richmond southern, soft, thick and thoughtful. He remembered my father, “a very nice man, but he didn’t smile much as a teacher.” And one more point of childhood pride: He closed with, “I can still remember our telephone number, 4-1509.” This is part of a speech Gene Bruner ’78 delivered at the Tom Wolfe ‘47 Dogwood and Pine Needle Dinner at New York City’s Yale Club in early February. Background photo is Tom Wolfe ‘47’s childhood home.
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Alumni Gatherings Tom Wolfe ‘47 Dogwood and Pine Needle Dinner THE YALE CLUB OF NEW YORK | FEB. 10, 2022
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The Yale Club | 1. Speaker Gene Bruner ’78 2. Aoky Sarhan ’12, Will Bruner ’13, Nick Molloy ’09 3. John David Crossen ’09, Jake Holleran ‘11, Rob Vozenilek ’11, Corey Dalton ‘11, Willy Clarke ’11, Trip Williams ’11 4. Davis Wrinkle ‘81, George Dunston ‘87, Corey Dalton ’11, Gene Bruner ’78 5. Emily Bruner Quay ’06 (St. Catherine’s), Nick Molloy ’09, Julie Bruner, Will Bruner ’13, Gene Bruner ’78 6. Wesley Wright ’86, Stephen Said ’86 7. Fox Walton ’97, Mason and Megan Lecky, Drew Brown ’21 8. Bart Farinholt ’09, Rennie Merhige ’10, Robert Barry ’08, Stephen Davenport ’08, Rob Vozenilek ’11
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Washington, D.C. NATIONALS GAME | SEPT. 17, 2021 RECEPTION WITH ST. CATHERINE’S | METROPOLITAN CLUB | FEB. 23, 2022
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NATIONALS GAME | 1. Greg Hadley ’80, Dan George ’93 2. Randy Harrell ’80, Stephen Davenport ’08, Churchill Young ’13, Freeman Jones ’75 3. Jeff Conn ’96, Tyler Brown ’01, Churchill Young ‘13 4. Mara and Davis Wrinkle ’81, Marshall Ginn ’82, Chris Brookfield ’82 METROPOLITAN CLUB | 5. Jay Boyd ’12, Jack English ’13, Fleet Wallace ’15 6. Churchill Young ’13, John Buoyer ‘13, Megan and Mason Lecky, Matt Clark ’08 7. Front row: Susanna Reid ‘15 (St. Cats), Liza McGraw ‘15 (St. Cats), Middle row: Anna Dorsey ‘13 (St. Cats), Churchill Young ’13, William Simopoulos ‘16; Top row: Fleet Wallace ’15, John Buoyer ‘13, Chris Keeling, Jack English ’13 8. Stephen Davenport ‘08, Tripp Taliaferro ‘97, Eddie Watkins ’07, Robert Molster ’06, Patrick Montgomery
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IN MEMORIAM
Ralston Brooke ‘45
Nelson Noland ‘45
Garland Sydnor ‘45
Edward Leake ‘47
William Stiff ‘47
George Pierce ‘48
William Shands ‘48
Reno Harp ‘50
William Joel ‘51
Thomas Adkins ‘52
Thornton Neal ‘52
James Ware ‘52
Randolph Grinnan ‘53
Henry McVey ‘53
William Wheelwright ‘53
Garland Flippen ’54
James Woodley ‘55
James Shield ‘56
Cal deColigny ‘57
Claude Whitehead ‘57
William Rawlings ‘58
Richard Dabney ‘60
John Scherer ‘60
Richard Manson ‘61
William Willburn ‘61
Rob Howarth ‘62
Harley Duane ‘ 63
Harold Jones ‘63
Chris Rhoads ‘63
Charles Chewning ‘65
Leroy Smith ‘66
William Savedge ‘67
Nicholas Dombalis ‘68
Fielding Dickinson ‘70
Robert Forsyth ‘71
Patrick McAllister ‘72
Randy Carter ‘83
Philip Grymes ‘90
Philip Kreycik ‘02
Jennifer Ball
George Harrison
Doug White ‘79
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1945 Ralston Lewis Brooke of Richmond, Virginia, died Dec. 9, 2021. Nelson Berkeley Noland of Colorado Springs, Colorado, died May 16, 2021. Garland Stoneman Sydnor Jr. of Richmond, Virginia, died Jan. 15, 2022. 1947 Edward Archer Leake Jr. of Richmond, Virginia, died Feb. 17, 2022. He is survived by his sons Edward A. Leake III ’76, Charles S. Leake ‘77 and F. Carter Leake ‘80, as well as grandson Walker A. Leake ‘18. William Latane Stiff of Richmond, Virginia, died Oct. 16, 2021. 1948 George Chester Pierce of Sarasota, Florida, date of death is unknown. William Ridley Shands Jr. of Richmond, Virginia, died Dec. 1, 2021. 1950 Reno Sheffer Harp III of Richmond, Virginia, died June 6, 2021. He is survived by his son Reno S. Harp IV ’81 and grandson G. Benjamin Vaeth Jr. ’16. 1951 William Lee Joel II of Richmond, Virginia, died Feb. 6, 2021. 1952 Thomas Eggleston Adkins of Jacksonville, Florida, died July 8, 2021. Thornton Jennett Neal of Richmond, Virginia, died July 25, 2021. He is survived by his son Philip H. Neal ’86. James Latane Ware of Richmond, Virginia, died Dec. 26, 2021. He is survived by his brother H. Hudnall Ware III ’50 and son J. Latane Ware Jr. ’84. 1953 Randolph Bryan Grinnan III of Norfolk, Virginia, died Aug. 1, 2021. Henry Hanna McVey III of Williamsburg, Virginia, died July 28, 2021. He is survived by his brother George J. McVey ’57 and sons Lewis L. McVey ’85 and Ian D. McVey ’93. William Laurence Wheelwright of Philadelphia, died Aug. 18, 2021. 1954 Garland Stone Flippen of Richmond, Virginia, died Jan. 18, 2022. He is survived by his son Stewart G. Flippen ’86 and grandson Christopher S. Flippen ’18.
1955 James Kendrick Woodley Jr. of Melbourne, Florida, died June 7, 2021. He is survived by son William D. Woodley ’85.
1965 Charles Carpenter Chewning Jr. of Richmond, Virginia, died Sept. 9, 2021. He is survived by his brother David W. Chewning ’73.
1956 James Asa Shield Jr. of Richmond, Virginia, died Oct. 24, 2021. He is survived by his brothers Edward H. Shield ‘59 and H. Anderson Shield ’59 and son James A. Shield III ’88.
1966 Leroy Smith Jr. of Chicago, died Sept. 24, 2021. He is survived by his brother Donald W. Smith ’62.
1957 Calvert Guerric deColigny Jr. of Roanoke, Virginia, died Oct. 26, 2021. He is survived by his brother William G. deColigny ‘55. Dr. Claude Stuart Whitehead Jr. of Chatham, Virginia, died June 25, 2021. He is survived by his grandson Claude S. Whitehead IV ’28. 1958 William Byrd Rawlings Jr. of Asheville, North Carolina, died Aug. 18, 2021. He is survived by his brother Peter S. Rawlings ’60.
1967 William Bryant Savedge of Wakefield, Virginia, died Sept. 20, 2021. 1970 Fielding Lewis Dickinson III of Loretto, Virginia, died Dec. 12, 2021. 1971 Robert Wright Forsyth IV of Richmond, Virginia, died June 29, 2021. He is survived by his brother John B. Forsyth ’73. 1972 Patrick Neil McAllister of Midlothian, Virginia, died March 22, 2021.
1960 Richard Heath Dabney II of Richmond, Virginia, died Jan. 13, 2022.
1979 Douglas Eugene White of Charlottesville, Virginia, died Sept. 11, 2021.
John Hamilton Scherer Jr. of Richmond, Virginia, died June 26, 2021. He is survived by his son John H. Scherer III ’02 and grandson Emory H. Ruffner ’28.
1983 Robert Randolph Carter of Clifton, Virginia, died Dec. 21, 2021. He is survived by his brother Charles H. Carter III ’81.
1961 Richard Campbell Manson Jr. of Richmond, Virginia, died Aug. 14, 2021. He is survived by his brother T. Marshall Manson ’92 and grandson Lawler C. Wherry ’28.
1990 Philip Ludwell Grymes of Chattanooga, Tennessee, died Nov. 10, 2021. He is survived by his brother Harry B. Grymes Jr. ’87.
William Joseph Wilburn III of Parksley, Virginia, died Jan. 4, 2022. 1962 Beverly Roberts Howarth of Plano, Texas, died Feb. 21, 2021.
1963 Harley Wentworth Duane III of Richmond, Virginia, died Aug. 23, 2021. He is survived by his son Christopher E. Duane ’04. Harold Massie Jones Jr. of Richmond, Virginia, died Oct. 25, 2021. Christopher Meade Rhoads of Deltaville, Virginia, died June 16, 2021. He is survived by his sons C. Meade Rhoads Jr. ’84, Thomas H. Rhoads ’85 and Parke V. Rhoads ’95.
2002 Philip William Kreycik of Berkeley, California, died Aug. 4, 2021. FACULTY, STAFF AND BOARD OF GOVERNORS Jennifer Ryan Ball of Richmond, Virginia, died Dec. 31, 2021. She served on the Board of Governors. George Anderson Harrison of Richmond, Virginia, died Oct. 16, 2021. He served on the Board of Governors. CORRECTION In the Summer 2021 issue, we erroneously published that Nicholas Constantine Dombalis ‘74 died. It was his cousin Nicholas John Dombalis II ’68 who passed away on Oct. 17, 2020. We apologize for any confusion.
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Faculty & Staff News PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Middle School Chaplain Michael Sweeney was ordained in December as a priest at All Saints Episcopal Church. The Rev. Sweeney graduated from Virginia Theological Seminary last May. He formerly served the StC community as a transitional deacon. The following teachers are recipients of the Charles E. Noell ’70 Travel Fund for 2022: Junior Kindergarten Teacher Margaret Hunter, Middle School English Teacher Alex Knight and Upper School History Teacher John Burke. Assistant Head of School Sarah Mansfield participated in an International Boys School Coalition Ideas Lab, “Professional Conversations for Women in Boys’ Schools,” which brought together 12 women from IBSC schools around the world. Middle School History Teacher Derek Porter received his doctorate in education from William & Mary, where he was a Holmes Scholar and DiPaola Scholarship recipient. His dissertation is entitled, “Saints Action Research as Professional Development: A Program Evaluation.” Porter has been invited to record a guest
Middle School Chaplain Michael Sweeney on the day of his ordination
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lecture for a doctoral course and will be a guest contributor to the IBSC Ideas Lab, “Professional Conversations for Directors of Professional Development in Boys’ Schools.” In addition to his teaching at StC, Porter is a research coordinator with The Center for the Study of Boys. The Center for the Study of Boys research fellows were featured in the International Boys’ Schools Coalition’s Research in Boys’ Schools series, “Developing a School-Based Research Program.” The project included interviews with Lower School Research Coordinator Laura Sabo, Middle School Research Coordinator Derek Porter, Director of The Center for the Study of Boys Kim Hudson, and Saints Research Fellows Cynthia Brown, Kyle Burnette and Hayden Vick. Lower School Third Grade Teacher Cynthia Brown joined the Higher Achievement Advisory Board, which collaborates with Richmond City schools, volunteers and community leaders to close the opportunity gap during pivotal middle school years. Assistant Director of Athletics Stephen Lewis accepted the Courage Story Award on behalf of 804 Coaches for Change at the inaugural RVA Sports Awards in February. Lewis is vice president of the group, and Director of Admissions
Middle School History Teacher Derek Porter receives his doctorate.
and Financial Aid Hamill Jones ‘00 is a board member. Director of Information Systems and Academic Technology Hiram Cuevas attended and led Blackbaud’s annual K-12 advisor retreat. As executive director of the K-12 Advisory Board, he works with Blackbaud project managers and the board, providing feedback on many software applications used in schools. He also serves as a mentor for two directors of technology as part of the ATLIS Leadership Institute, a year-long program that addresses the skills and expertise needed to stay current as a technology director. Upper School Resource Teacher Laura Lanois attended two Learning & the Brain virtual conferences: “The Science of Learning and Memory” and “Using Executive Function to Improve Learning In and Beyond the Classroom: Effective Cognitive and SocialEmotional Strategies.” Upper School Mathematics Teacher Jeb Britton ‘99 attended the Learning & the Brain virtual conference, “The Science of Teaching During a Pandemic: Creating Motivated, Focused, Active, Autonomous Learners.” Middle School Teachers Christie Wilson and Mary Anderson virtually attended the Richmond Prejudice Awareness Summit in October with eighth graders Evan Broughton, Marshall Crocker, Michael Farley, Collin Johnson, Tyler Overstreet, James Segneri and Asher White. Attendees to the virtual December People of Color Conference included Middle School Science Teacher Mary Anderson, Second Grade Teacher Amy Buerlein,
Assistant Athletic Director Stephen Lewis (second from right) receives the Courage Story Award on behalf of 804 Coaches for Change.
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Director of Diversity and Inclusion Ed Cowell, Fifth Grade Teacher Kadie Parsley, Lower School Spanish Teacher Isabel Shealy and Upper School Spanish Teacher Elsa Woodaman. Writer-in-Residence and English teacher Ron Smith recently published a short essay about humor in poetry in the James River Writers’ newsletter and a poem in Sport Literate magazine. As part of the “Man Ray, the Paris Years” exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Smith provided poetry information and readings for events in November, December, January and February. In February, he read his own poems in a members-only one-hour program, “Trickster, Truth-teller, Practical Dreamer: Poems for Man Ray.” Upper School Physics Teacher Alina Cichocki taught physics and calculus at the University of Richmond both semesters this year. Her class, CalculusBased General Physics 1, is similar to the AP Physics C – Classical Mechanics class she teaches seniors. An article by Upper School Academic Dean and Director of College Counseling Jim Jump was referenced in a December New York Times article about how early decision isn’t binding. Jump’s original piece, published in Inside Higher Ed in May 2021, was entitled, “Ethical College Admissions: ‘Rejectivity.’“ Associate Director of College Counseling Scott Mayer spoke at the inaugural Coffee and Curveballs event sponsored by the Goochland Hot Stove League in January. The event, which supports Goochland high school baseball, featured former major leaguers and
current professional coaches as well as Mr. Mayer, who wrote a book about the history of baseball in Richmond. Upper School Jazz Band Director John Winn recorded several songs with indie singer/songwriter Faye Webster, who has almost 1.7 million monthly Spotify listeners, for her upcoming album. He also played with Marie Osmond on her Christmas show in Norfolk with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. In addition, he and Hope Armstrong Erb presented his original composition for the piano, “Modalities,” at the Virginia Music Teachers Association virtual conference in November. Erb performed the piece and Winn guided the conference members through his compositional process.
Jane Garnet Brown with her daughter Anne Conway
Upper School Arts Chair and Ampersand Director Rusty Wilson is directing Cadence Theatre’s production of “Everybody” by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. Originally scheduled for a January 2022 opening, it was moved to June due to COVID.
OUTSIDE ACADEMIA Development Director Jane Garnet Brown and her husband Tyler ’01 welcomed their third child, Anne Conway, in November. Upper School Digital Arts Teacher Amanda Livick and husband Evan also added a third child to their family, Jack Parson, in December.
Amanda Livick with her son Jack
Upper School Science Teacher Bucka Watson married St. Catherine’s Upper School History Teacher Savannah Salter Dec. 18.
Headmaster Mason Lecky is a new board of trustees member at Collegiate, an independent school for boys in New York City. He and Collegiate Head David Lourie, former head at St. Anne’s-Belfield School, served together on the VAIS Board. Collegiate and StC share “a deep reverence for history and tradition yet also a yearning to be open to change and a dynamic future,” Lecky said. “I hope to be able to lend some peer expertise and insight and have already found that I am learning a great deal from board service there, as it relates to the curricular, programmatic, financial, and operational realities of leadership and governance.” He’s glad for the opportunity to compare notes with a peer school, as a way to “check and challenge assumptions and to gain a broader perspective of the boys’ school world.” Bucka Watson with his wife Savannah
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New Faculty & Staff
Retirement
Andy Smith Leaves Legacy of Service and Leadership Meghan Nguyen is a Lower School administrative assistant. A graduate of the University of Memphis, she has a B.S. in education and sports management and formerly worked as coordinator for the Marine Corps base in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, and as Liberty Recreation Facility assistant manager for the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida. Nguyen was most recently a teacher’s assistant at St. Stephen’s Preschool. She has three boys at St. Christopher’s and a daughter at St. Catherine’s.
Upper School Chaplain John Ohmer previously served as interim dean at the Cathedral of All Souls in Asheville, North Carolina, rector at The Falls Church Episcopal in Falls Church, Virginia, and rector at St. James’ Episcopal Church in Leesburg, Virginia. He graduated from Wabash College with a B.A. in philosophy and Virginia Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity.
At the end of this school year, Upper School faculty member and administrator Andy Smith will retire after 48 years of service. Smith was hired in May 1974 to coach and teach eighth grade history, according to him, only because another teacher left unexpectedly late in the school year. Assistant Headmaster Bob Herzog connected with Smith through a local teachers’ conference, thus beginning a 48-year relationship. The new Middle School opened that fall, where Smith taught and coached for nine years before being appointed assistant principal of that division in 1983. One year later, Headmaster George McVey ‘57 asked Smith to lead the Middle School. Smith held that role for nearly 20 years, helping to shape the division and establish many rites and hallmarks that continue to this day. During the fall Alumni Debut Concert in Ryan Recital Hall, musician Wells Hanley ’93 offered a lyrical tribute to Smith for being a compassionate and trusted mentor throughout his Middle School years. In the mid-1990s, ready for a new challenge, Smith earned his Ph.D. at VCU, with a concentration in school law. Before Andy Smith cheers on the Bulldog football team during one of the early years of his StC career.
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it became common for independent schools to rely on legal counsel, Smith served as a legal advisor and advocate for St. Christopher’s and dozens of other Virginia independent schools. He became a sought-after presenter at independent school conferences and programs around the country.
Retirement will allow him to pursue his passion more fully, in Richmond through St. James’s Episcopal Church, through service partners such as Project Homes and Coming to the Table, and through St. Christopher’s mission in Navajoland, Utah.
Toward the end of his career, Smith served as the John R. Brinser Chair of History in Upper School, teaching history and ultimately serving as assistant dean of faculty in the Upper School, supporting curriculum mapping and faculty onboarding, growth, and evaluation. Upper School Head Tony Szymendera compared Smith to a North Star. “Whether it was developing a Middle School, an Upper School history curriculum, or a new lacrosse program, Smith has been one of those people who asked the tough questions, considered the novel approach, and made the important decision that was in the best interests of the boys and the School.”
“I am grateful to Andy Smith for the mark he is leaving on St. Christopher’s, for his commitment to excellence in teaching and learning, for his constant and boy-friendly sense of humor, and for helping us to prioritize the needs of the boys of today and tomorrow in all that we do.”
While serving in Middle School in the 1980s, Smith became passionate about community service, working with students and faculty through organizations such as United Way and Interfaith Housing.
What has not changed, he said, is that St. Christopher’s continues to be a place that genuinely cares about boys and makes decisions which prioritize their well-being above all else.
Top left: A 2007 mission trip to New Orleans; Top right: Andy Smith talks about teaching with a colleague. Bottom: Smith during one of his early years as a teacher and coach
— Mason Lecky, headmaster
Reflecting on his nearly half-century of professional life, Smith noted the School’s growth in the number of students, facility enhancements, and the evolving sophistication of programming and offerings.
See page 10 for Dean King ’81’s story about his March mission trip with Andy Smith and other Saints to a Native American reservation in Bluff, Utah.
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FACULTY NEWS
Longtime English Teacher Departs Key Randolph ‘84 Models Relational Teaching Key Randolph ’84’s connection to StC goes back to his junior year of high school after relocating from the San Francisco Bay Area. From the get-go, he loved the School, particularly his relationships with faculty. He’s grateful to former teachers Sandy West and Andy Smith, who took him skeet shooting and fishing, the latter becoming a lifelong passion. He credits Ron Smith with instilling a strong work ethic and appreciation for books and literature. After graduating from the University of Virginia with a B.A. in English, Randolph followed through on his mom’s suggestion that he talk to School administrators about teaching. He thought it was something he might pursue down the road, only to find out StC was hiring three English teachers. He got the job, staying the next 34 years. He leaves at the end of this school year to move to Charleston. Randolph thought about leaving StC once to go to law school to pursue a more lucrative career to support his young family. “It was really emotional,” he said. “I realized that if I felt so strongly about leaving St. Christopher’s, I probably shouldn’t go.” While developing an expertise in American literature, he has connected on a deep level with students and colleagues. “He is the person who has always stopped everything whenever I had an issue to help me figure it out,” said StC second-year English Teacher Emily Nason. She said there’s not a student who leaves his class “without learning a ton and without knowing how incredibly loved they are.”
“Key Randolph is today the same intelligent, curious, charming person he was when I first met him. He has a deep love of literature, a love that he passes on to every one of his students. Key is a man of unshakable integrity.... He is a friend and colleague whose loyalty and ethics I know I can trust. I cannot imagine St. Christopher’s without him.” – Ron Smith Upper School English teacher StC writer-in-residence
Students past and present mention Randolph’s humor, noting his frequent wordplay, such as “seat in your sits” or the jumping “jill” break he suggests on block days. He refers to the library as the “truthbrary” or “sitbrary,” explaining it as a place where one should always tell the truth and never recline. He is remembered for entering class proclaiming famous lines from literature, getting students to fill in the blanks and identify the work. Randolph has also connected with kids through coaching, specifically pole vaulting, and sharing his passion for fishing. Department Chair Jay Wood, who started the same year as Randolph, described him as a terrific colleague and doer, someone who will go the extra mile for whatever’s needed, such as teaching four classes that require preparation versus the usual three. “We will miss him,” Wood said. “He and I have both grown up at St. Christopher’s as adults and teachers.” Joseph Long ’22, who’s had Randolph as a teacher three years running, said his approach allows students to enjoy the readings. “He brings good energy to class that allows people to receive the same energy and become energized about literature,” Long said. Randolph cherishes his years as a Saint, saying simply, “A major, major part of my life and who I am is this school.” Top: Key Randolph ‘84 and his wife Holly were married in the St. Christopher’s chapel in 2008. Bottom: Randolph walks the Terraces at Commencement.
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Honor someone special to you by dedicating a chair in their name inside Louis F. Ryan Recital Hall.
By purchasing a seat, you’ll support your favorite Saint with a lasting tribute.
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Jeremy Dunn’s sixth grade science class builds volcanoes.
St. Christopher’s School welcomes qualified students to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation or national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial aid policies and athletic and other School-administered programs. The Magazine of St. Christopher’s
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