Winter 2023
St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
Welcomes New Chaplain
The Rev. Aimée Eyer-Delevett
THE MAGAZINE OF ST. STEPHEN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL
SNAPSHOT Upper School and Middle School Visual Arts Teacher Michelle Avery takes her Visual Studies 1 Figure Drawing for an outside session on a picture-perfect fall day.
Shown here are Ella Eggleston ’23 (left) and Ella Olivares Powell ’25 (right).
CONTENTS WINTER 2023
2 Headlines
7 SSES Spreads the Health
18 NAIS People of Color Conference
20 Parents Association Cultural Events
22 Spartan Life
30 Alumni News
head of school
Christopher L. Gunnin
chief marketing and communications officer
Catenya McHenry
managing editors
John Dugan, April Speck-Ewer, Terri Sheets
alumni news editor
Michelle Geo Olmstead, Ryan Adams
graphic design
Ellen Buckmaster, Bucko Design; Terri Sheets
contributors
April Speck-Ewer, Sherry Buchanan, John Dugan, Kristina Green, Mike Dolan, Hilary Bellm, Kathy Rainey, Gretchen Inman, Nicole Turner, Charlton Perry, Juliann Johnson, Tania Gil, Judy Mullinix
photographers
Chris Caselli ’82; Terri Sheets
Spartan Magazine is published twice a year for constituents of St. Stephen’s Episcopal School.
Copyright © 2023 St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
subscription information and address changes
Sharon Sparlin, ssparlin@sstx.org or 512.327.1213 x158
PHOTOS
ON THE COVER: The Rev. Aimée Eyer-Delevett leads a hymn at her installation ceremony with Head of School Chris Gunnin, Board of Trustees Executive Chair Chris Oddo, and Bishop Suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas the Rt. Rev Kathryn Ryan.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
TOP: Members of the SSES community gather in front of Becker Library to celebrate the installation of solar panels on five campus rooftops.
MIDDLE: Middle School students Jacob Marks ’29 and Jacob Baldwin ’29 try their hands at karaoke at the Block Party and Pep Rally.
BOTTOM: The Rev. Ed Thompson places a stole around the neck of St. Stephen's new Chaplain the Rev. Aimée Eyer-Delevett. Also pictured, Lay Chaplain Morgan Stokes (left) and the Rt. Rev Kathryn Ryan (right).
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BELIEVE. BELONG. BECOME.
St. Stephen’s is a member of the Southwestern Association of Episcopal Schools (SAES), an accrediting organization that supports a consortium of Episcopal schools in the region. I serve on the SAES Board of Trustees, and at a recent gathering this fall I noticed a poster that stated “Believe. Belong. Become.” As I've reflected on these words, I have found them to be a helpful framework to explore who we are and what we do at St. Stephen's.
BELIEVE. St. Stephen’s was founded amidst the heartache that followed the second World War as a place of restoration and healing. At the groundbreaking in 1949, our founder Bishop John Hines said, “Welcome to St. Stephen’s, a school dedicated to the recovery of humans.” In order for students to be equipped and empowered to something as lofty as the recovery of humans, they need to first believe that they are a unique expression of God’s beauty on Earth. We want them to feel seen, known and loved as beautiful and sacred creations. From there, we hope students see and believe in the inherent dignity of themselves and of all people.
BELONG. It is my deepest hope that every student who spends time on The Hill feels they belong here — that there is a place for their individuality, their gifts, their talents, and that this community welcomes them to be their full and authentic selves. We are not interested in being a school that graduates cookiecutter students. Rather, we strive to create a community where students feel so seen, known and loved that they can show up every day ready to take risks knowing there will be more than one person to catch them should they fall.
BECOME. When students believe that they are a unique expression of God’s beauty on Earth, when they know that they belong, that confidence and knowledge allow them to become the best version of themselves. St. Stephen’s is not a place where students merely go through the motions of school. They invest
themselves fully in the living and learning opportunities on The Hill because they know that who they are and what they do matters. They understand that they are part of a long, celebrated history of Spartans who do meaningful work here and beyond The Hill. This belief that we are all called to do noble and worthy work animates all we do at St. Stephen’s, and we believe it changes us and changes the world.
St. Stephen’s is proud of our academic excellence and rigorous college preparation. We want all Spartans to leave The Hill exceptionally well prepared for success in college and beyond. There are many fine independent schools who share that aim, but what differentiates St. Stephen’s is the “yes, and…” component of our commitment to students. Believe you are a unique and divine expression of God’s beauty on Earth; Belong to a community that sees you, knows you, loves you; Become the best version of your authentic self.
Throughout this issue of Spartan magazine, you’ll see stories that highlight health. As we embrace the joy of a full return to in-person learning and living, we recognize and celebrate the people and programs that foster healthy Spartans in mind, body and spirit. You’ll also see examples of our commitment to investing in capital improvements that inspire and enhance the student experience. I am grateful for the generosity of donors whose gifts funded the beautiful new turf field as well as the solar panel arrays. I am also excited about the possibilities ahead as we look forward to celebrating our 75th anniversary and the opportunities to continue to strengthen our community — a place where all students can believe, belong, become.
All the best,
Chris Gunnin, Head of School
2 Winter Spartan Magazine | St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
Field Hockey has a New Home at St. Stephen’s
In late September, the St. Stephen’s community celebrated the official opening of a new home for field hockey and girls lacrosse at a ribbon-cutting ceremony before the varsity field hockey team battled Episcopal High School of Houston. The pitch is the first-ever, hockey-specific surface in Central Texas, and Spartans in grades six to twelve will benefit from training daily on the turf built for fast-paced, high-level hockey and lacrosse. With nearly 70 athletes across seven grade levels and a handful of Spartan hockey alumni currently competing collegiately — at Stanford, Dartmouth, Harvard, Trinity College and Swarthmore College — the addition of the water-based hockey turf training facility should aid in putting St. Stephen’s Field Hockey on the national map. Funded by a small group of donors, the $2 million project will rival that of collegiate hockey facilities and may serve as a future playing ground for international and college friendlies.
Mary Beth Canfield P ’23 understood the significance of the project. “As a new family to St. Stephen’s in 2020, we were promptly immersed in a supportive and fun field hockey program.” She continued, “The turf project was an impressive collaboration of
school leadership, athletics and parents working together to fundraise. This field is great for St. Stephen’s and also for Central Texas. Field hockey is a fast-growing women’s sport, and Texas is becoming a powerhouse of teams for younger girls through high school, gaining national recognition. St. Stephen’s willingness to work with the community teams to host practices and events will literally raise everyone’s game! The new surface is the premier turf (similar to NCAA teams) and will prepare these girls to play well at every level.”
Head of School, Chris Gunnin, is thrilled about the new facility on The Hill. “I am proud and excited that our field hockey and girls lacrosse teams will have the benefit of this state-of-the-art field for practices, training and competitions.” He continued, “I am deeply grateful for the support of our donors and thankful for the members of the board of trustees and St. Stephen’s staff who invested time and energy in this project. With the addition of this field to our program, there is no limit on what our student-athletes can achieve!”
Field Hockey Program Head Chelsea Richards (far left) and Director of Athletics Jon McCain (far right) hold the red ribbon for Varsity Captains Eliza Cho ’23 (left), Meg Canfield ’23 (center), Priya Jhaveri ’23 (right) as they cut the ribbon for the newly installed turf at Phipps Field.
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THE
SUNSHINE IN
Affirming St. Stephen’s mission of the commitment to the care of creation
4 Winter Spartan Magazine | St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
“Let the sunshine in” was the literal and metaphorical message as the St. Stephen’s community gathered to celebrate the addition of solar panel arrays on five strategic locations on campus: Bowen Fine Arts Center, Becker Library, Temple Dining Hall, Clayton Gym and the Middle School Gym. A rousing playlist of sunny songs, including a live student performance of The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun,’’ set the stage for a joyful ceremony. The celebration included student designed t-shirts, campus-wide science lessons on the impact of solar, a presentation from student environmental group Green Goblins, and an official blessing of the panels by the Rt. Rev. Kathryn Ryan, bishop suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas and St. Stephen’s board chair.
Funded through the generosity of donors, including lead donors Frederick and Ann Dure P ’19, as well as a special incentive rebate program from Austin Energy, the 1,064 panels will generate 787,594 kWh per year. The school estimates it will realize an estimated annual savings of $65,000. Beyond the practical reduction of St. Stephen’s energy costs and carbon footprint, the solar panels are a visible affirmation of the school’s commitment to the care of creation.
Spear Solar installed the panels and provided professional development and curriculum support to the school's science faculty to maximize the teaching opportunities with the new panels. Solar champion and science department chair Frank Mikan reflects on the significance of the day and its connection to our founding mission:
“Back in 1950, Bishop John Hines stood on The Hill and made the forward thinking announcement that there should be a coeducational, integrated boarding school in Texas. Students
from varied economic backgrounds and various ethnicities were welcome. This was a radical proposal with many unseen factors that could result in its failure. Needless to say, he pushed forward with his dream and now his vision has developed into a place for students and teachers to broaden their understanding of both themselves and the world around them. His message of mind, body and spirit has flourished over the years and should continue to do so in the future.
Now, once again, this school on The Hill is looking towards the future and actively pursuing an adventurous plan. A future where old technologies are being replaced by newer ones. A future which will directly help ensure the continuation of Bishop Hines’ legacy. There are still hurdles to overcome, but the school continues in the spirit of Bishop Hines to be innovative and focused on the future and not the past.
The new solar panel system presents teachers with many teachable moments, from science to social studies, from math to the arts, and even from ethics to economics! Issues related to pollution, climate change, electrical generation, financial solvency, conservation of land and resources, and what the future may yet hold for all of us can also be addressed.
In embarking on this new adventure, St. Stephen’s is not only ensuring its short term future by reining in energy costs, but also creating a cadre of students who as adults will work diligently to create a clean and dynamic future that is as bright as the sun itself! A new era has certainly begun at St. Stephen’s!”
Lead donors Frederick and Ann Dure P ’19 with son Will Dure ’19 and family.
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Head of School Chris Gunnin (left) and the Rt. Rev. Kathryn Ryan (second from right) with members of the student environmental club Green Goblins: (L-R) Matthew Rowe ’23, Simon Meyers ’25, Bryson Gibbs ’25, Hannah Simmonds ’24, Rebecca Cole ’25, Harrison Oddo ’24.
MEET OUR NEW TRUSTEES
Hilary Bellm joined the board in August 2022 as the Parents’ Association President and serves on the advancement committee. She most recently served as a human resources talent manager at McKinsey & Company. She and her husband Brent are parents of Aaron ’25, Scarlett ’29, and Landon. "I’m grateful to be able to contribute to the SSES community. In my five years as a parent volunteer, I’ve seen how the PA meaningfully supports and enhances the mission of the school. I am energized interacting with the students, staff, other parents and the Board and seeing the beneficial impact of connections facilitated through PA activities.
David Gonzalez joined the board in August 2022 and serves on the governance committee. He has practiced criminal law in Austin for over 20 years with his wife, Corinne Sumpter. Additionally, he is an adjunct professor at UT Law School. David and Corinne are the parents of four children. "The reason I agreed to serve on the Board is because I believe in the leadership and vision of the three Wise Chrises (Chris Gunnin, Chris Phillips, and Chris Oddo). Our firm has helped with both advice and education for the St. Stephen's community for many years, and I have been so impressed by the caliber of students, faculty, and leadership. As I am neither an alumnus nor a parent with children at St. Stephen’s, my role is to serve as an independent advisor, and I’m honored to serve the community in that capacity.
Mike Kadyan joined the board in September 2022 and serves on the advancement committee. He is the CEO of Denim Health, a healthcare software focused incubator. He is also Chairman and co-founder of Iodine, a healthcare software company. He and wife Cathy O'Neill are parents of Kate '22, Maeve '24, Evie '26 and Rose. "I joined the board of trustees because my daughters have had a great experience at St. Stephen's and I wanted to have a closer connection to the school and to contribute in a meaningful way."
Renee Lafair joined the board in August 2022 and serves on the finance committee. She most recently served as the Regional Director of the Anti-Defamation League Austin. She and her husband Michael are parents of Josh ’19, Louis ’14 and Rebecca ’14. "I am honored to serve on the St. Stephen's school board. I saw firsthand the impact that building a rich community around the student body can have on so many from such different backgrounds. I am deeply grateful to St. Stephen's and look forward to being on the team that helps it fulfill its mission."
Evan Smith rejoined the board in April of 2022 and serves on the advancement committee. He is the former editor-in-chief and chief executive officer of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, non-partisan digital news organization based in Austin. For his next chapter, Smith will join Emerson Collective, an organization that shares his dedication to producing independent news. He and his wife Julia are the parents of Carson ’15 and Wyatt ’19. "I rejoined the board because I love this school. We were so lucky and so honored to be a part of this community for nearly eight years. I used to say Julia and I were the happiest St. Stephen’s parents ever. Now, as we watch Carson and Wyatt make their way in the world with confidence and purpose, we say we’re the happiest exes. They’ve become the best versions of themselves because of St. Stephen’s."
Temple Webber, III rejoined the board in August 2022 and serves on the advancement committee. He is the chair of the T.L.L. Temple Foundation board and active as a volunteer within the Houston community. Temple and his wife Mary have three children.
Dr. Leslie Wells joined the board in August 2022. She serves on the campus committee and the medical advisory committee. She is a pediatrician at Hill Country Pediatrics and earned her medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio in 1997 and completed her pediatric residency at Baylor College of Medicine. Leslie and her husband Ben Wells are the proud parents of Ben ’22 and John ’26. "Caring for children is my career, so it’s only natural that my favorite way to volunteer has always been at my children’s schools. I am humbled and honored to join the board and will do whatever I can to help St. Stephen’s continue to nurture its students into wonderful young adults who are ready for and will make a difference in our world."
6 Winter Spartan Magazine | St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
Spreading the HEALTH
from the
HEALTH SERVICES OFFICES… TO THE CLASSROOM… TO THE WORLD.
St. Stephen’s has a foundational commitment to supporting the whole child in MIND, BODY and SPIRIT, and providing education and care for a most important aspect of life that will affect each and every one of us — HEALTH.
The purpose of this commitment to health — and its broader concept “wellness” — is to provide the knowledge and life skills essential to flourish at St. Stephen’s and beyond. Health Services has long embraced this mission through its direct care to students, classroom lessons and school-wide programming.
Over the last 3 years, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted everyday operations and brought health concerns to the forefront more than ever before. Even pre-pandemic, school systems were paying more attention to addressing increasing health issues, including the development of health support services. The pandemic forced society and schools to confront these issues head on and in real time. Here on The Hill, Health Services has adapted to unique concerns pre- and postpandemic and continues to evolve to meet the needs of all students.
Chris Gunnin, Head of School, provides his comments on the significance of health in education, “At St. Stephen’s, our work is to invite young people to lead lives of meaning and significance, and to do that we must help them understand that a life well lived can only be sustained through physical, emotional, spiritual and psychological health. At every grade level, we provide age-appropriate lessons and discussions about healthy choices and healthy relationships with ourselves and others. This work is not peripheral; it is one of the foundations that supports our students’ success in every arena.”
The following pages provide examples of the efforts of St. Stephen’s administrators, staff and faculty in meeting the need for school-wide health — integrating it into the ways we build success at St. Stephen’s and in life. From the Health Services Offices, to the Classroom, to the World, St. Stephen's is working to Spread the Health.
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from our Health Services Offices…
Healthy Sense of Belonging
St. Stephen's Health Services works to promote and support the health and wellbeing of students through five main areas: Health Center/nursing staff, Counseling department, health and wellness education, athletic training/sports medicine, and school-wide collaboration. These five areas collaborate to care for students inside and outside the classroom. Maintaining open doors for student’s physical, mental and health educational needs nurtures a healthy sense of belonging.
St. Stephen’s Nurses Provide Comprehensive, Holistic Primary Care and Health Support
The Health Center is staffed with a team of experienced, Registered Nurses (RN), an Advanced Practice Nurse, a concierge school physician and a driver to transport students to off campus health appointments. There is an RN on site 24/7 to serve St. Stephen’s students while school is in session. They provide comprehensive, holistic primary care service for boarding students as well as health support for day students. The nurses provide preventative, routine and urgent care to all students as needs arise. Additionally, the nurses dispense and manage medications, as well as coordinate all boarding students’ health needs, including arranging consultations from specialists from the greater Austin community when indicated.
Anticipatory guidance, education and comfort care are used to encourage students to learn about their bodies and to advocate for their own health needs. This is a useful life skill that can be practiced now and carried into their lives as adults. Nurses continually collaborate with teachers, residential staff, counselors and the sports medicine team to create the most individualized care plans possible. Additionally, ongoing professional development and regular medical training assures staff is cognizant of the latest medical standards and protocols in order to continue to provide stellar care to all students. St. Stephen’s is proud of this intuitive, forward-thinking group of professionals and for the expertise they bring to the campus ensuring our most precious resources are cared for in the best possible ways.
Counselors Work to Support Social and Emotional Wellness
The Counseling Department brings a wealth of professional knowledge and experience to The Hill. Counselors provide studentfocused, school-based mental health support and consultation to students, parents and teachers. From classroom lessons on socialemotional learning, to private office meetings, to community-wide and residential support, they work to foster academic, social and psychological wellness. This includes proactive, counseling conferences for all sixth graders with Tania Gil, middle school counselor and health instructor, and all ninth graders with Jennie Kim, upper school counselor. These individual meetings assess and support our newest students in their transition and help develop a sense of belonging. Counselors are integrated into the fabric of the school community and therefore get to know students as they move through their classes, social lives and extracurriculars. Counselors work with a variety of school groups to promote mental health including, residential proctors, health teaching assistants, and student clubs and committees that address social and emotional topics. Our counseling work is attuned to assessing early signs of teenage challenges, consulting on best next steps and supporting students’ healthy development. For more specialized mental health needs, the counselors help students and families connect with local specialists.
Nurses attend a professional development course involving the latest CPR techniques.
L-R: Marsha Caven, Allison Dudley, Colleen Oheren, Karen Smith, Nick Schultz, Kathy Rainey (Head Athletic Trainer), Sheila Klein, Gretchen Inman (Director of Health Services). Not pictured: Mandy Borer.
(L-R) John Dugan, Director of Counseling; Tania Gil, Middle School Counselor and Health Instructor; and Jennie Kim, Upper School Counselor.
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Health and Wellness Education — Empowering Students with Timely Information
Students bring their health issues and questions with them as they move through their school life. Part of working with students around health issues is helping them understand, learn and grow through the vicissitudes of teenage health issues. They experience their own health personally, see it play out in others and learn about health as an academic discipline.
With the addition this year of Nicole Turner as the Health Education Coordinator (see side bar page 15) there is greater ability to connect
with an entire grade of students around a developmentally attuned body of health information and knowledge. Having one teacher oversee the whole school’s health education and teach the majority of the classes has been an invaluable addition to connecting students with both a school-wide curriculum and discussion on health and wellness. It is through learning the facts, building inner resources and engaging appropriate supports that students and families can make the healthiest choices.
Athletic Training Sports Medicine Department Offers Physical and Emotional Support
Every day between the hours of 3:00 and 7:00 p.m. an average of 50 Upper School and Middle School athletes walk through the doors of the Athletic Training Sports Medicine facility staffed by two certified athletic trainers with over 30 years of experience — Sports Medicine Director, Kathy Rainey, AT, and Associate Athletic Trainer, Liam Forstein, AT (pictured at right). Many athletes find this space a place to relax, catch up with friends, prepare for the big game and mentally unwind. Mainly, athletes visit for evaluations of acute and chronic injuries, nutritional and hydration needs, baseline and post concussion testing, wound care, normatec use, mouthpiece molding and injury rehabilitation, but most often, athletes come to value the facility as a place of care and compassion and some where they can escape for a few minutes each day from the pressures of school.
Students may first visit the facility because they need a snack before practice, and after grabbing an apple and peanut butter, electrolyte packet, or protein bar, they may linger and use the foam roller or theragun. Often they return at the end of practice to try out the cold tub and to ask questions about things like knee tendon pain, ankle instability, or dehydration prevention.
As students get older, they often visit the facility multiple times per day as they learn the value of taking care of their own bodies to prevent and treat injuries. The department’s wish is that they never have to see students
Schoolwide Collaboration — It Takes a Village
Each year, Health Services works closely and sensitively with other school departments, students and families to support health issues. Because of the complexities surrounding health issues often affect many parts of a student’s life, Health Services partners with other campus-wide entities in the shared work of addressing a student’s wellbeing. Some of these include participating in student support meetings, curriculum planning and family discussions.
At the start of the year, Health Services participates in the school’s orientation programs to ensure new students have a good sense of accessing health help. Asking for help can be difficult, so Health Services strives to make it as easy as possible by offering students numerous, everyday ways to connect with health care.
on the field or on the court because they have sustained a serious injury, but if these things happen at games or practice, the athletic trainers are equipped to provide immediate urgent care and appropriate referrals, to educate and to rehabilitate.
The Athletic Training Sports Medicine Department is a place where students learn to take care of their physical bodies — but often the biggest value of the facility is the emotional support and community that is discovered and treasured.
Telehealth — From Our Office to Theirs
Students have always had their own health appointments during the school day. With the rise of virtual meetings and telehealth, students have begun to make use of these appointments with offcampus providers. Acknowledging this as a current reality and a convenient service that students and families need, St. Stephen’s has created a space and a process to support these meetings.
The designated telehealth space is a quiet office in the Health Center. Parents can schedule a time for their child to use the office by contacting the school nurse or one of the counselors. At the time of the appointment, students check in with the nurse to access the office. This has been a widely utilized and successful addition to the array of services already offered at the Health Center.
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to the Classroom…
St. Stephen’s engages students by addressing health topics inside the classroom. Health classes are taught in both Middle and Upper School.
UPPER SCHOOL CLASSES
MIDDLE SCHOOL CLASSES
Self-Science Classes, offered to 6th, 7th & 8th Grade Students, promotes self-reflection, core Values and ethical Behavior
Self-science class and advisory programming, under the direction of Middle School Counselor Tania Gil (pictured), and taught by several teachers at St. Stephen’s, explores a continuum of a school-wide philosophy on Health and Wellness that focuses on promoting self-reflection, core values and ethical behavior. It is a cooperative effort amongst educators to create a structured, consistent and safe space for discussing or doing activities related to social/emotional growth, in particular focusing on the pillars of Self Awareness, Social Awareness, Responsible Decision Making, Self Management and Relationship Skills. It is built on an understanding of the moral, emotional, physical, cognitive and psychological dimensions of the developing child.
Advisory meets twice a rotation and the Self-Science class meets once during the academic rotation in 6th and 7th grade and at set times during the year in 8th grade. Students learn to make connections between their social-emotional-physical health and their current experiences. Some of the topics covered include: organization/time-management, growth mindset, mindfulness, healthy relationships and friendships in middle school, communication and assertiveness, nutrition, diversity, boundaries, decision making and substance use, puberty/sex education, identity and gratitude. The program tailors the content to the interests, needs and learning styles of individual students and groups. The goal of the course is to help students become more emotionally aware and develop an important skill-set in their middle school experience that they can carry through their time at St. Stephen’s and beyond.
Tania Gil has built the Self-Science curriculum to bring these important social-emotional skills to each student's classroom experience. She adds, “I love seeing students grow through time developing a stronger sense of self, building meaningful connections, and exploring their empathy as they become active agents of social change. This is what Self-Science is all about for me…becoming caring, thoughtful and empathetic humans that makes a difference in the world.”
A Healthy Foundation: Supporting the Whole Student
All 9th graders take a year-long course called Foundations, orienting Upper School students on what it means to be a Spartan. This interdisciplinary experience coordinated by the Upper School’s Dean’s Office provides a space where timely topics and ideas meet. It weaves together lessons on academic strategies and integrity, Episcopal identity, civil discourse, inclusion and equity, and health and wellness. Part of the year-long course of study is a class module called 9th Grade Health and Wellness led by Health Education Coordinator Nicole Turner and is the largest component in the Foundations course.
Health 9 Class Helps Students Gain a Clearer Sense of Self
Health 9 explores and evaluates the social, emotional, and physical health realities inherent in the life of a St. Stephen’s Upper Schooler. This course meets two times per rotation in the Winter and Spring Terms. It is co-taught by a faculty member along with 12th grade health teaching assistants which allows for a valuable balance of professional and relatable information. As a class, instructors and students delve into the complexities of health information, while empowering students to develop a clearer sense of self. The course opens up discussions on relationships, substance use, sexual health and healthy school-life balance.
The pass/fail grading helps create a space where students can be selfreflective, engage with peers and explore healthy norms. Additionally, students select a health subject that they research more in depth, which further empowers them as healthy decision-makers. The goal is that by the end of the course, students gain a better sense of themselves, their schoolmates and how to make solid health-related choices in their teen years.
Students engage in an "Exploring Who I Am Through Art" activity.
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Philip Doig ’81, Upper School Dean of Students and Coordinator for Foundations, gives 9th graders an introduction to what they can expect moving forward to their health classes in a presentation held at the Chapel.
Health Teaching Assistants (TA) Program
Concentrates on Peer to Peer Learning
Teaching Assistants (TAs) are a select group of seniors who help teach our 9th grade health classes alongside the classroom teacher. Health Services first started developing this program in the early 2000s as a way to provide a voice to students and to help propel them into leaders. The program has persisted over the years with roughly the same framework while growing to accommodate current health issues and the increasing demands for health education in schools.
Currently, the TA process involves 11th graders who apply and interview during the Spring Term. Approximately 20 are selected. Then, at the start of their 12th grade year, they take a non-credit class that meets one time per rotation on essential health education and teaching facilitation strategies. After completing the Fall Term course, they join the teacher in helping teach 9th grade Health for the Winter and Spring Terms.
As was the understanding at the inception of the program, teaching wellness topics to teens needed to be relevant and accessible in order to effectively engage young Upper School students in learning about healthy choices. As older schoolmates, the 12th grade TAs remain a relatable presence for the 9th graders, and at the same time they are building their own teaching and leadership skills. Many TAs have expressed they feel it is a great way to give back to the St. Stephen’s community.
Meredith Clay ’23 says this about her time as a Health Teaching Assistant, “I took the steps to become a Health TA this year in order to mirror the senior role models who became trusted resources and lighthearted educators for me and my 9th grade class. Additionally, I was able to make contributions to the curriculum and help make it more relevant and inclusive to the current 9th grade class from the things I learned in my participation in the Healthy Relationships Committee. It has been a rewarding experience to be able to give back in the manner I was given.”
Gretchen Inman, co-director of health services, commented, “This program will continue to grow because it lifts up all voices on essential and emerging health topics. It is clear that with TAs in the room, 9th graders are ready to talk more.” John Dugan, co-director of health services, also commented, “As TAs facilitate in-class discussions, students are empowered, too. The importance of TA’s cannot be overstated. Along with keeping the health discussions current, they embody one of the more important qualities of being a teacher — to always be a student.”
Sophomore Seminar
Sophomore Seminar builds upon the subjects covered in 9th grade Health and Wellness and is also coordinated by Ms. Nicole Turner. The course’s seminar structure brings different experts from across the school to give freestanding lectures on a wide array of health and wellness topics including mental health, diversity and privilege, gender and sexuality, and healthy relationships. Students are challenged to reflect on what these topics mean in their own lives and how to apply to healthy decision-making.
“Beginning the TA program was inspired by our work with the Independent school gender project. The goal was to facilitate greater programming and connection with 9th graders by using the best resources possible — our own SSES senior students! We believe better connection was possible because of the skills and wisdom of students who had just made the journey from their 9th grade year to becoming thriving seniors. Due to such a great response from our seniors, the program was enthusiastically embraced by both 9 and 12 grade students.”
— ANNELLE ADAMS , former Director of Health Services
Nicole Turner Health Education CoordinatorNturner@sstx org803-206-2118Carrel Area Crossroads Sophomore Seminar 2022-2023 Syllabus Students On Health & Wellness Mental Health Crisis- Getting Help Why Risk It?- Substance Abuse Expect Respect- Talking Consent Cyberbullying & Social Media Effective Communication Toxic Masculinity & Objectification Self Care & Relaxation School Health & Mental Illness Environmental Health Reproductive & Sexual Health Taking Care of Business Hear from a group of St Stephen s students on their health and wellness work experiences, and advice What are the essential first aid strategies for responding to a mental health crisis? Th s class will review types of mental health crises and how each of us can address and support health and wellness Just how risky is it for teens to use substances? To find out, join us for a conversation hosted by Travis County's Underage Drinking Prevention Program Hosted by the SAFE Alliance th s sess on includes creative and engag ng ways for students to consider how they can stand up for their needs and better nav gate boundaries This session wi l focus on social media and the role it plays in estab ishing/ d ctat ng beauty standards what s relevant and how t can be both he pful and hurtful We wil a so examine the role it p ays in bullying not only towards others but yourself as wel This lesson wi l help students understand what toxic masculinity is and why it and objectificat on are extremely detrimental to ones mental and emotional health We will additionally discuss how to set healthy boundaries and how both tox c mascu inity and objectificat on make setting boundaries diff cu t Finding ways to distress and take care of yourself is an essential part of your hea th and wellness Th s session will d scuss the mportance of self care while also provid ng suggestions habits and avenues in which students can ach eve this Understanding how to communicate effectively is crit cal if one wants to advocate for their thoughts be iefs and feel ngs Th s class wil examine effective and ineffect ve communication strateg es while also providing students with tips they can use to achieve what they want for themse ves An examination of men s and women s reproductive health and avenues in which one can achieve optimal health in this arena Experience the benefits of time in nature and how t pos tively contributes to your personal health and well-being Find places spaces and ways to access the outside world so you can recharge School counseling: The how and what of meeting with a school counselor and why it is so important for students How do you change a tire? Boil an egg? Fold a fitted sheet? This session will explore some of the top Adulting skills students should master before leaving High School
John Dugan (left), Director of Counseling, and Nicole Turner (right), Health Education Coordinator, pose with Health TAs during the closing session of the Foundations class held in the Chapel.
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Above, left: Health Education Coordinators and Instructors created these special t-shirts for the health TAs as a “thank you” for all of their efforts and dedication to helping 9th graders thrive and be the best they can be.
to the Classroom… (cont.)
Health Teaching Assistants (TA) Program (continued)
end
Fall
“I wanted to be a health TA because I have always been very passionate about health topics but also when I was a 9th grader I found the leadership of the seniors, especially in health class, to be very helpful. I think having that older peer support can be really important in navigating high school and I wanted to provide that.”
— LEO BRAINARD ’ 23
“I wanted to be a health TA to get to know my younger peers and advise them on ways to go through their high school careers. Ninth graders are just like us — they can be a bit afraid to go out into the real world and are still learning who they are and what they’re going to be. I’ve had the time span of these 4 years to find out who I am and it’s inspiring to be able to advise them on all of the things that I’ve learned and watch them grow into amazing humans.” — GRACE LACK ’ 23
Tiana Wang ’23 provides a presentation on Mental Health to other health TAs and instructors and afterwards provides her perspective on her time as a TA, “I personally struggled with school work and life in 9th grade and wanted to help 9th graders feel better prepared for the rest of their high school years. And I wasn’t at St. Stephen’s in 9th grade so it’s been interesting to be involved in my younger peer’s health classes to hear their different and interesting perspectives. I’ve enjoyed learning from them and that has been a wonderful takeaway.”
Mohammed Osama Minhas ’26 (right) attends a health presentation meeting then speaks about his health TA experience, “I feel like I was a wild kid back in 9th grade and made a lot of mistakes. I became a different person than who I wanted to be and strayed away from my true self trying to be someone I wasn’t in order to please people. I wanted to be a health TA to help the younger kids not make the same mistakes I did and encourage them to be who they are.”
12 Winter Spartan Magazine | St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
At the
of the
term, Health Education Instructors ask health TAs to research, develop and present a health topic of their choice to the class. The purpose of this assignment is for them to learn more about a health topic they are passionate about and for them to gain experience with presenting in front of a group so they feel more confident in translating this skill to 9th grade health classes moving forward. This particular class was conducted during a special lunch in order to provide a casual space in which to showcase the TAs talents and presentations. Who can be nervous while enjoying tacos and queso and chips from Torchy’s?
Sports Medicine Athletic Training Student Assistant Program is a Testament to St. Stephen’s Spirit, Grit, Dedication and Commitment
Student Assistant Athletic Training Programs are common in the state of Texas — in fact there is an entire Texas Education Agency (TEA) approved curriculum for Sports Medicine I, II and III. The Student Assistant Athletic Training program in place today began in 2017 when Associate Athletic Trainer Liam Forstein began working at SSES and decided to expand the educational component to complement practice and game day student help. “Before coming to St. Stephen’s, I worked at Lehman High School in Hays CISD and was a preceptor for the school’s Student Assistant Athletic Training program. I saw firsthand how unique an experience this could be for students and I was determined to implement a similar program here at St. Stephen’s.”
Basic elements of any Student Assistant Athletic Training program include hands-on instruction in taping/bracing, first-aid, on-site assistance at athletic events and in patient care but each program contains elements that are unique to its environment. “After a month or two of working at St. Stephen’s I quickly realized that I needed to modify my goals for a Student Assistant Athletic Training program to fit the culture and needs here on campus. While there are many courses offered at St. Stephen’s focusing on advanced and cellular biology, I wanted to specifically teach the application of functional human anatomy, physiology, biomechanics and neuromuscular control,” Forstein explained. From early on, Forstein’s goal was to create a space for interested students to learn more about these principles of Sports Medicine and supplement other science classes offered on The Hill. He wanted to use real-life patient cases as examples to explain how the injuries happen, what structures are affected, and what can be done to get athletes back on the field as soon as safely possible — which provides an extremely powerful learning experience.
The Student Assistant Athletic Training program is offered every term for a fitness credit, however, the Fall term is very different from both the Winter and Spring Terms. Students participating in the Fall Term assist the Sports Medicine Athletic Trainers with the Football team by attending practices, several away games and all home games. “Fall term students are an invaluable part of providing coverage during practices and games. Being able to delegate duties to my students, such as hydration monitoring, allows me to focus on keeping the football team healthy and in the game longer. I couldn’t provide nearly the same attention and healthcare I do now without their help,” says Forstein.
This year’s students have weathered 100-degree weather, rain, cold and traveled across the state returning to campus well after midnight. Their dedication, commitment and willingness to support the Sports Medicine department is a testament to the efforts students put forth on a daily basis at St. Stephen’s.
The Student Assistant Athletic Training Program is specifically tailored to the unique community and student body that makes St. Stephen’s a special place. The mission of the program is to introduce students to Sports Medicine through human anatomy, exercise physiology and biomechanics by incorporating hands-on and observational learning. Additionally, the Student Athletic Training program helps to supplement instruction for these areas of science that are not readily available on The Hill.
As for the future, Forstein would like the Student Athletic Training program at St. Stephen’s to continue to grow by offering things like CPR certifications and other health initiatives for students. Most importantly, he wishes to continue to make a positive impact on students in the same manner they have to him. (continued next page)
Above: Sports Medicine Director, Kathy Rainey, AT, shows proper stretching techniques as Associate Athletic Trainer, Liam Forstein, AT, (background) performs manual therapy on a student athlete prior to practice.
THE SCHOOL IS OUR CLASSROOM sstx.org 13
Left: Student Assistants pose before they start their work.
to the Classroom… (cont.)
Sports Medicine Athletic Training Student Assistant Program (continued)
Parent Education offers a platform for dialogue, connection and reflection
TIMELY TIPS AND TALKS is a classroom for parents. Throughout the year, the counseling department sends out helpful counseling-oriented tips and holds a series of talks on relevant and engaging topics to inform and support our parent community. Our “Timely Talks” offer opportunities for dialogue, connection and reflection on important subjects between school and home. Topics include 6th and 9th grade discussions on adjusting to a new school, Middle School puberty and sex education, and mental health and teenage development.
“I have fun learning about the different injuries and also getting to know everyone in the program. It is a lot of work for just our athletic trainers to manage all of the different aspects of sports and games so it is rewarding knowing we are helping them do some of the back end work like water bottles and towels to help alleviate some of the load.”
ZOE DORRANCE ’25
“Growing up I have always wanted to do something in the medical field and really like helping people. We learn about human anatomy and the cool things our bodies can do. It’s been eye opening to learn about body mechanics and injuries and how hard our bodies work to maintain our muscles and strength. Sports medicine at St. Stephen’s made me realize I want to go into the medical field.”
—ELLIE BUI 26
“I enjoy helping out our teams as much as I can and keeping our players hydrated. After this experience I am considering sports medicine as a career option.”
—VISHAL DHRUVA ’25
We learn about preventative medicine and body mechanics as well as the different types of wrapping and treatments to be able to help our athletes. Whether we go into the medical field or not, these are skills we can take with us throughout our entire lives.”
—YU-FEN (VANESSA) TSENG ’23
WINTER WELLNESS is a yearly pause when the St. Stephen’s school community makes time to highlight and build upon Health and Wellness issues. Programming features grade-wide, smaller group and parent conversations on select and timely topics. This year’s Winter Wellness was held February 2, 2023, and included topics from mental health, to alcohol and drug awareness, to healthy relationships. These are all in-person talks with different speakers from inside and outside St. Stephen’s. The schedule this year included a morning parent talk regarding “High Risk Behaviors and the Teen Brain” and an afternoon talk on Mental Health. Students attended their student-focused talks on that same morning at different venues around campus.
Healthy Relationship/Connections Committee
The Healthy Relationships/Connections Committees are school-wide teacher and student groups that work to support conversations and lessons on a relevant array of healthy relationship topics. There are two committees: one for Middle School (pictured below), and one for Upper School. These two committees create developmentally attuned topics on friendships, dating, peer pressure and setting limits. Each committee typically works on Chapel Talks, curricular development, and identifying school-based and local resources. The committee itself acts as a resource for students highlighting healthy relationship skills and strategies. They work to design timely advisory discussions and inform large scale programming including the 7th grade “Healthy Relationship Day.” The committees also identify local groups such as Austin Safe Alliance that can be helpful sources of information for people in need.
ONGOING HEALTH PROGRAMMING
Sports Medicine Assistants (L-R): Yu-Fen (Vanessa) Tseng ’23, Zi-Jie (Jenevieve) Tsai ’25, Zoe Dorrance ’25, Vishal Dhruva ’25, Edward (Edison) Leigh ’26, Huyen (Ellie) Bui ’26.
14 Winter Spartan Magazine | St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
Middle School Healthy Relationships/Connections Committee led by Tania Gil (right)
Welcome New Health Education Coordinator Nicole Turner
As the new Health Education Coordinator, Nicole Turner’s main role is serving as a health education teacher for both Middle School and Upper School. Her work primarily centers around developing and growing the health curriculum and ensuring the content is relevant, inclusive and engaging for students. In order to keep the curriculum up to date, Nicole ensures that she attends as many training sessions as possible while also keeping a pulse on the top trending issues impacting adolescent health.
When she's not teaching, you can find Nicole working alongside other school health and wellness faculty and administrators to expand upon our current health programming that addresses student life outside the classroom. Prior to coming to St. Stephen's, she created and implemented county-wide adolescent health programming in Georgia school districts. As a Youth Development Coordinator, she pursued programs aimed at building healthier lives and healthier communities and was awarded the Sexual Health Educator of the year. From facilitating specific adolescent health programs in various schools and community organizations to hosting an annual 600+ person district wide youth development conference, Nicole will add greatly to our school wide programming goals. In this, her first year here, she has quickly become an integral faculty sponsor of the school’s Healthy Relationships Committee and Curriculum Advocacy Alliance. Nicole is proud to be one of the newest Spartan faculty members and is excited to bring her experience to the school.
Through their experiences in the Health Teaching Assistant and Sports Medicine Assistant programs, St. Stephen’s educates and inspires students to take their health interests beyond The Hill.
FROM HEALTH TEACHING ASSISTANT TO HEALTH PROFESSIONAL
Along with contributing to the classroom teaching of 9th graders, Teaching Assistants also develop their own health-related life skills, interests and passions. With the TA program having been in operation for nearly 20 years now, St. Stephen’s is proud that several former students have gone into health careers inspired from their involvement in the program — while countless others have taken their experiences and applied them to the understanding of the complex and ubiquitous nature of health choices in their lives.
TA Graduates Share the Rest of Their Health Stories
“Health and wellness has always been a staple in my education and everyday life, driving my early decision to become a Health TA for freshman students when I was a senior at St. Stephen’s. I then chose to pursue a pre-medical course load in college, and was fortunate enough to begin my journey into the medical field as a medical student. Now, as a 3rd year in the thick of my clerkship years, I speak to patients daily about health and wellness, in many of the same ways I did as a health TA so many years ago. Physical, mental, and emotional health and wellness is often the foundation necessary to establish a positive wellbeing.”
—SHANDY MACCOW, ’15; third year medical student at Texas Tech University studying to become a pediatrician
“Being a Health TA was a great way to cap my final year at St. Stephen's. Not only did the experience enrich my skills in teaching but it showed me the value of normalizing conversations around sex, relationships and mental health. The experience led me to continue my education with a focus on psychology and mental wellness with the goal of eventually becoming a counselor. I feel passionately about equal access to inclusive relationship and sex education especially in lower income minority populations. I am now in my senior year at UT and I am currently working on my honors thesis in sex education and sexual identity.”
—KATIE HALE, ’19; student at University of Texas, Austin
“Being a Health TA was a formative experience for developing my interests in marginalized worker’s well being. As a graduate student, I’ve been able to carry lessons from this opportunity into both my research and teaching in ways that have been invaluable to my scholarship and pedagogical approaches.”
JAMES T. CARTER, ’13, BA 2017, Psychology and English, Rice University; PhD 2023, Organizational Behavior, Columbia university
to the World.
sstx.org 15
the World.
Sports Medicine Assistantships Provide an Introduction to the Medical Profession
In exchange for helping with the “grunt work,” students have the opportunity to observe injury evaluations, acute emergency care, long term rehabilitation of orthopedic injuries, wound care, concussion assessment and dehydration treatment. Each year, two to six students participate, often traveling to away football games.
The hope from the department is that students learn the value in listening and observing a patient while assessing and treating an injury and also the importance of protecting a patient’s privacy. One of the goals is to give students insight into a medical profession as they are pondering their futures. The goal of the program is to lay the foundation for caring healthcare professionals.
Sports Medicine Assistants Share Their Continuing Health Journeys
“I graduated from St. Stephen’s in 2021 and was a member of the Student Athletic Training Program for two years. I currently attend Rice University, and recently took the plunge into the field of emergency medicine. I am a practicing EMT in the State of Texas and serve as a member of Rice Emergency Medical Services. I have spent over 800 hours responding to hundreds of 911 calls off campus, and will hopefully pass my exams to earn an Advanced EMT license before year’s end. While the learning curve has been extremely steep, the high dive into EMS would have been harder without my previous experience in sports medicine. I credit it for giving me my first patient interactions and for introducing me to the provider side of medicine. These experiences have been invaluable to me, and I am grateful to Mr. Forstein and Ms. Rainey.”
—ELLY ABIKHALED, ’21, Student at Rice University
“The Sports Medicine Athletic Training program provided me with a wonderful foundation in patient care and medicine while introducing me to lifelong friends and bolstering my confidence. The skills and techniques that I learned as a student athletic trainer have complimented my repertoire as a Physician Assistant student and continue to enhance my patient care. I truly enjoyed my years as a student trainer and I would suggest it to any student with an interest in the field of medicine.”
—JORDAN ASKEW ELLIS, ’16; PA-S, Class of 2023, Christian Brothers
“The Sport Medicine Athletic Training Program was my first exposure to medicine from the perspective of a provider. High school students are seldom given the opportunity to interact with the career they would like to pursue. Working with and watching the Athletic Trainers introduced me to the social aspect of medicine. I saw the importance of collaboration within healthcare teams as I watched the athletic trainers work with physicians, physical therapists and other providers. This experience left a lasting impact on me and I carry this understanding with me as a current medical student and, hopefully, a future physician. I would highly recommend that any student interested in pursuing a career in healthcare take the opportunity to interact with and learn from this sports medicine team.”
to
(cont.)
—MALLIKA RAO, ’16; MD Candidate, Class of 2026, Meharry Medical College
Sports Medicine Assistant Edison Leigh ’26 helps the department with washing and folding towels.
16 Winter Spartan Magazine | St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
(Right) Kathy Rainey, AT, consults with Liam Cochran ’23 regarding a chronic injury.
To the World includes YOU
, our valued alumni, who are working in the health and wellness fields!
Please share with us how health and wellness has been a part of your professional lives to be included in a follow up story in the 2023 Summer Spartan Magazine.
Please use this QR code or visit this link: https://bit.ly/ssesstories to supply your stories by May 1, 2023. Thank you for your participation in this exciting follow up story.
“St. Stephen’s is where I learned to love science, to appreciate its interconnectedness with other disciplines, and to see its application to urgent issues of inequity and injustice in our world. My experiences as a student laid the groundwork for me to pursue a career in public health focused on reducing the burden of preventable disease.”
REBECCA WOODRUFF ’04, PhD, MPH, Epidemiologist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Health is Ever-Evolving…
On a parting note, the subject of health is a broad and evolving body of work, always in progress. There are many other ways in which Spartans’ wellbeing is being supported, one of which involves academic health. Stay tuned for follow-up articles in future Spartan Magazines on how St. Stephen’s supports student learning skills and strategies.
Until then, here’s to your health and wellness and thank you for reading about the important work being practiced at St. Stephen’s!
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by Juliann Johnson, US
NAIS PEOPLE OF COLOR CONFERENCE
Attendees from around the nation make a day trip to St. Stephen's
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practitioners and educators from around the nation came to the 2022 People of Color Conference (PoCC) in San Antonio, Texas, and participated in a day trip to visit St. Stephen’s Episcopal School on Wednesday, November 30, 2022. St. Stephen’s was listed as a “day trip” option, on a first come, first served basis, when registering for the PoCC happening in San Antonio. Attendees came to interact and learn from the St. Stephen’s DEI Leadership Team and from members of Administration about how diversity, equity and inclusion practices are a vital component of the school’s philosophy.
During the visit, attendees heard from Head of School Chris Gunnin on the founding mission and vision of the school and why DEI work is vital to its community life. Also present was the Rev. Aimee Eyer-Delevett, Chaplain, who spoke on Episcopal identity and Chapel services at the school. Members of the DEI team shared the DEI strategic plan, as well as different DEI initiatives and programming implemented on campus.
A panel of students spoke to the group about their experiences at St. Stephen’s as both residential and day students. Daniel Wilschetz ’23, Hephzibah Dominic ’23 and Gabby Lassalle their life on campus and the various aspects of school life related to equity and inclusion. Participants of the school visit understand St. Stephen’s more fully by hearing from current students at the school.
Finally, the group finished the visit with a tour of Austin led by Black Austin Tours. Founder Javier Wallace led the group through historical sights and shared the history of Black businesses and influence throughout downtown Austin.
TOP (L-R): Daniel Wilschetz ’23, Hephzibah Dominic ’23 and Gabby Lassalle in front of 25 DEI practitioners and educators at the St. Stephen’s PoCC School Visit. The students answered questions and spoke on their experiences as members of the residential and day community.
BOTTOM: PoCC attendees touring Austin on the Black Austin Tour after a day spent at St. Stephen’s learning about DEI initiatives and community life on campus.
DEI Coordinators/Sports Information Director 18 Winter Spartan Magazine | St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
From San Antonio to the World…
Sixteen members of the St. Stephen’s community attended the National Association of Independent Schools People of Color Conference (PoCC) in San Antonio, Texas, December 1-4. The annual conference brings independent school administrators, educators, staff and students of color together for topical presentations and discussions, industry-leading keynote speakers and networking opportunities.
This year, St. Stephen’s Director of Equity and Inclusion Yvonne Adams and Upper School DEI Coordinators Sam Davis and Juliann Johnson served on the planning committee for PoCC — in part because of St. Stephen’s reputable commitment to addressing equity and inclusion on campus. In total, nearly 8,000 participants gathered over the four-day period. Adams was appointed Co-Chair of the conference—the highest honor for a committee member — and opened the weekend with remarks that combined personal testimony, humor, grace, and authenticity and received a standing ovation.
Sam Davis presented on the importance of implementing a support plan for LGBTQ+ students in schools. Davis drew on their experience of creating a support plan at St. Stephen’s and shared challenges and advice during the workshop. In their presentation to more than 100 workshop attendees, Davis underscored the importance of protection, respectful treatment, and equal access to educational programs and extracurricular activities for transgender and non-binary students.
Adams, Davis and Johnson introduced keynote speakers — the renowned poet, writer, educator and activist Nikki Giovanni; featured speaker José Vilson, author and educator who wrote a best-selling book, This is Not a Test: A New Narrative on Race, Class and Education; and Distinguished Professor and Equity Driven Leader Dr. J Luke Wood. Dr. Wood gave a presentation on “racelighting” and microaggressions.
The Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) coincided with the PoCC and six St. Stephen’s students attended. Temperance Darden ’25, Vivian Chatterjee ’25, Riddhima Singh ’25, Grace Jiang ’26, Daniel Wilschetz ’23 and Colton Scott ’25 represented our community. Each student participated in seminars and discussions, preparing them to be leaders in diversity, equity and inclusion work on the SSES campus. As an added bonus, 10th-grader Mia Garcia was selected to sing at this year’s PoCC as one of three student performances. She sang an original song in front of the entire audience! Chaperoned by the Coordinator of Equity and Inclusion for International and Residential Programs, Caitlin Sweetlamb, the students were able to engage with other high schoolers from around the nation and learn from some of the most renowned DEI educators.
Yvonne Adams, Director of Equity and Inclusion, speaks to over 7,800 PoCC attendees at the opening of the event in San Antonio, Texas
Mia Garcia ’25 sings on the main stage at the People of Color Conference in front of 7,800 attendees.
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Juliann Johnson, St. Stephen’s DEI Coordinator, introduces Dr. J. Luke Wood, a keynote speaker of the 2022 People of Color Conference, in San Antonio, Texas.
PARENTS ’ ASSOCIATION HOSTS MULTIPLE CULTURAL CELEBRATIONS
The St. Stephen’s Parents’ Association, a volunteer organization, helps support St. Stephen’s affinity groups by organizing and hosting cultural celebrations throughout the year that include special Chapel services and festivities during lunch. The group obtains funding for the celebrations through donations, primarily from parents. Below are the celebrations held this fall.
JEWISH HIGH HOLY DAYS: A celebration of the ten high holy days of the Jewish faith that begins with Rosh Hashanah — the Jewish New Year Celebration and ends with Yom Kippur — the Jewish Day of Atonement. The students were treated to readings and two shofars (ram horns) being blown at the end of the Chapel service followed by a special lunch selected by the Jewish Culture Club and the Chapel team. The celebration was held September 29, 2022.
DIWALI: A lively and colorful Diwali celebration was enjoyed by all on Monday, October 17, 2022. Diwali is a festival of lights and one of the major festivals celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists. Students celebrated the day with a special Chapel service and a delicious cultural lunch in the Dining Hall. A special thank you to the Parents Association; DEI Chairs, Elise Jones and Avani Vije; the Chapel team; and the dedicated work of Ms. Sethi and the Indian Affinity Group students for organizing this event.
DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS: The celebration for Día de los Muertos was held on November 3, 2022. Also known as “Day of the Dead,” Día de Los Muertos is a tradition-filled day during which families remember the departed and share memories of loved ones.
Several cultural celebrations are scheduled during the school day for students in spring 2023 including a Lunar New Year celebration in January, LGBTQIA+ Day of Silence in April and Eid al-Fitr, also in April.
To find out more about the Parents’ Association, please contact Parents’ Association President Hilary Belm at papresident@sstx.org, and for cultural celebrations, please contact Elise Jones or Avani Vije at padiversity@sstx.org.
20 Winter Spartan Magazine | St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
COFFEES AND CONVERSATION WITH CHRIS
This fall, St. Stephen’s welcomed parents to several grade-level gatherings in the Chapel and two meetings on Zoom for our residential community with Head of School Chris Gunnin. Gunnin emphasized the critical partnership between parents and St. Stephen’s in guiding students to become the best, most authentic versions of themselves while imparting the knowledge that they possess inherent worth and dignity having been created in the image of the divine.
At each gathering, the Rev. Aimée Eyer-Delevett offered prayers, and Gunnin shared information about how the school’s founding vision aligns with its current philosophy while offering a preview of future plans. Each session concluded with questions and answers and refreshments in the beautiful outdoor area of Brewster Memorial.
PARENTS GATHER UNDER THE TREES FOR COFFEE AND CAMARADERIE
St. Stephen’s Parents’ Association holds Coffee Under the Trees (CUTT) almost every Friday morning to help facilitate connections among the parent community, socialize in a casual setting and meet new people — all while having a decent cup o’ Joe. A few times a year they organize other activities based around the coffee events such as a hike or a guest speaker. A particularly memorable gathering occurred on a sunny Friday morning in September when an intrepid group of current and past parents, grandparents and faculty enjoyed coffee then set off to hike the SSES campus.
Charlton Perry, director of outdoor education, led the group through the trails and imparted his extensive knowledge of the campus and its history. They learned about fascinating subjects like the antlion insect species while viewing their sand tunnels, and also walked by the location of an old feed trough which is fed by a purse aquifer on campus. The group had amazing views across the Colorado River towards the gulch and was enlightened about the origins of a street near campus called Bunny Run.
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SPARTAN Life
Parents’ Days held October 20-21 on The Hill
Parents’ Days is a tradition that has been held for many years at St. Stephen’s. It’s a highly-anticipated and well-attended two-day event for teachers, parents and students. After a few years of not being able to hold traditional Parents Days in person due to COVID-19, it was wonderful to be back in full swing this year.
Parents’ Days festivities begin each day with Chapel service led by the Rev. Aimée Eyer-Delevett, the Rev. Ed Thompson and Morgan Stokes, with each service including singing by the Madrigals, led by Kendra Lipman, and full orchestra accompaniment, led by Director of Orchestras John Moon. Afterwards parents attend all classes with their student(s) from 8:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. Classes are shortened to about 30 minutes and parents can participate in class discussions, presentations and traditional classroom activities. They can also dine with their student(s).
Thank you to the Registrar Tamu King, school administrators and the dining hall for organizing and hosting this event!
Block Party + Campus Cookout
On Friday, September 30, the Parents’ Association sponsored a Spartan Block Party and Campus Cookout to celebrate the end of Spirit Week. Immediately after school, students enjoyed carnival games, dancing and karaoke with a DJ and food including funnel cakes and Jim Jim’s icees. The highlight for many was the chance to dunk some of their favorite Middle School faculty in the dunk tank! Parents, Krista Dillard and Lindsay Hunter, co-chaired this year’s event. After the block party families enjoyed a cookout on the hillside before heading over to cheer on the varsity girls Field Hockey game following the new turf field ribbon cutting ceremony. A special thank you to parent Tavia Conkling for coordinating the Campus Cookout.
EVENTS CLUBS CULTURE CELEBRATIONS AWARDS TALENT SPORTS HOLIDAYS ACHIEVEMENTS SUCCESS
22 Winter Spartan Magazine | St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
Investment Club Promotes Financial Well-being and Friendships
The St. Stephen’s Investment Club, consisting of approximately 80 members, was founded in 2020 by student Tiana Wang to provide an opportunity for students to explore the world of investment and strategy and to introduce them to a variety of careers in the financial realm. The club’s mission is to raise investment awareness that will hopefully benefit students’ financial well-being for the rest of their lives — while developing friendships and having fun, too. After high school, most leave under-educated about how money works. This is where St. Stephen’s Investment Club helps fill the gap.
Co-presidents and fellow students Tiana Wang, Matthew Rowe and Harrison Oddo regularly invite guest speakers in the fields of wealth management, real estate, private equity, venture capital and more. Often the guest speakers are parents or alumni of St. Stephen’s and vary in ages and professional experience to provide well-rounded points of view to the club.
FIRST EVER SUMMER INVESTMENT CAMP
In July of 2022, Investment Club leaders, Tiana Wang ’23 and Matthew Rowe ’23, along with Marshall Cloyd ’23, hosted its inaugural summer camps at St. Stephen’s, holding two back-to-back camp sessions, to introduce middle school students to the basics of investing and personal finance. The camp included guest speakers, advice and hands-on learning using real investment software. The leaders are planning on hosting it again in the summer of 2023. Stay tuned to the summer camp section of St. Stephen’s website for more information.
SUMMER INVESTMENT SUMMIT: TWO DAYS OF POWERFUL FINANCIAL TALKS
August 11-12, 2022, Investment Club held its first-ever, student-organized Summer Investment Summit (SIS) for high school students. The two-day, virtual conference included more than 180 students originating from 11 countries, 63 cities and 88 high schools. About 70% of attendees were from the US, with 37.8% from the Austin area, and the remainder joining them from all over the world across four continents.
Eight Speakers Covering 14 topics
The summit brought together a collection of inspirational leaders offering their knowledge and insight. Summit speakers included investment managers, like Carl Stuart P’92, ’98, a top 1000 financial advisor in the country, and former St. Stephen’s board member; and Venture Capitalists, such as Rosa Lockett McCormick ’93, P’25, ’28, managing partner at Wild Basin Investments, and current St. Stephen’s board member and alum. Over the 8 hours of the conference, summit leaders consistently maintained approximately 30 live viewers at all times, despite the time differences that impaired some from being able to watch the entire summit live.
Special thanks to all guest speakers who dedicated their time to inspire future generations: Carl Stuart, Rosa Lockett McCormick, Frédéric Guerard P’24, Edward Moody P’26, Huy Nguyen ’12, Michael O’Malley, Sanford Leeds and David Cao.
The Investment Club would like to thank the St. Stephen’s Advancement Office, especially Ms. April Speck-Ewer and Ms. Michelle Olmstead, for being an amazing support system for the club.
For anyone wishing to be a guest speaker or for students interested in club activities, summer camp, the Summer Investment Summit, and money management feel free to join club meetings every other Wednesday during club time or you can contact any of the leaders below to join the mailing list. The club is open to all high school students. tiana.wang@sstx.org, matthew.rowe@sstx.org, harrison.oddo@sstx.org.
Guest speaker Phil Canfield P’23 with Student Investment Club leaders Harrison Oddo ’24, Matthew Rowe ’23 and Tiana Wang ’23.
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Model UN
The St. Stephen’s Model UN program offers students a large-scale experience in participating in meetings, negotiating, collaboration and formulating policy. It also enables students to explore and express views on current topics, not only from their own national perspective, but from other parts of the world.
On Wednesday, November 30th, MUN held a meeting of the Security Council to address the issues of the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict, climate refugees and euthanasia. Secretary General Chelsea Xue presided with Sarah Aggarwal as the parliamentarian. Angela Perez Sierra was the Recorder.
The meeting was exemplary in its preparation, student participation, procedures and use of digital technology. Model UN faculty sponsors are Sarah Todd and Christopher Colvin with Henry Colangelo and Mason Cox assisting with meetings and logistics. Many thanks to all the students who participated and the faculty who allowed them to take class time to participate in the difficult work of real political conversation and policy making.
A Good Book, Tea and Conversation
Senior year in the English Department means Senior Electives: in fall and winter, seniors get to take a deep dive into topics including, but not limited to, Literature and Philosophy, Medical Humanities, Captivity Narratives, Anti-Heroes, Home in Literature, and, in Dr. Colleen Hynes’s fall course, the Postcolonial Novel. Students read an Irish, Nigerian and Indian novel to explore ideas of personal and political colonization, resistance and decolonization. Food and cultural identity are deeply intertwined in all three books, so to bring the content to life, students enjoyed a tea and food pairing for each book.
For Roddy Doyle’s A Star Called Henry, they sipped Barry’s Tea from Ireland and ate traditional Irish soda bread (Dr. Hynes’s family recipe!) with Irish butter and jam. On the last day of Chimamanda Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus, they brewed hibiscus tea and sampled Nigerian puff-puff from a recipe shared by a Nigerian alum of the class. Finally, for Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger, they enjoyed cups of chai with a variety of Indian snacks, some from the parts of India specific to the novel. These students prove that there’s nothing better than a cup of tea, a good book and a lively literary discussion!
Teachers Recognized for Many Years of Service
On November 10, 2022, St. Stephen’s recognized Science Instructor Dean Mohlman for 30 years of service and Mathematics Instructor Rebecca Gibbs for 31 years of service in a ceremony held in the Chapel. Fellow Mathematics Instructor Dhvani Sethi was present to give Gibb’s recognition and Dean of Faculty Wallis Goodman gave Mohlman’s recognition. Thank you for your dedication to your craft and to all of the students’ lives you’ve affected in a meaningful way.
SPARTAN LIFE
(L-R) Dhvani Sethi, Rebecca Gibbs, Dean Mohlman, Wallis Goodman.
24 Winter Spartan Magazine | St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
A student created a special logo for the class.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Film and Theater Instructor Mike Dolan, and Director of Theatre Focus Lindsay Brustein say they were thrilled to see their students deliver highly-entertaining and enthusiastic performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in early December. The directors and student actors worked for over fourteen weeks to master the language and nuances of what some consider Shakespeare’s most wildly creative comedy.
Guest Director Gwen Kelso brought a unique spin to the comedy by setting the play in a world inspired by the Studio 54 club scene. St. Stephen’s amazing technical team of Robert Whyburn and Cameron Allen built sets and designed lighting to help make her vision come to life. The students loved learning dances from the 1970s including the “Hustle” and “YMCA” which Kelso creatively used to transition between scenes.
A comedic play is a challenge for actors because without a live audience during rehearsals it is difficult to gauge how the crowd will respond to the material — so in this way the rehearsal process is an act of faith. The company builds the story, refines the beats and must trust that it will work. And perhaps due to this uncertainty, when a comedy works, the energy is uniquely contagious and fantastic. On opening night it was extremely rewarding for all involved to watch the show come to life, and to witness the audience thoroughly and exuberantly connect with the comedy and story.
“I was able to stay after school to watch the dress rehearsal of A Midsummer Night’s Dream yesterday! It was fantastic. The costumes, the humor, the 70s music, the "hustle"…Our students are so talented and it was such a great production of a classic.”
— MELISSA LIVSEY, St. Stephen’s Chemistry teacher
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Caving
DCAP and St. Stephen’s Outdoor Education program focuses on a major pillar of St. Stephen’s mission which is to foster the care of creation. It cultivates teamwork, perseverance, leadership and confidence through technical mastery without the competitive aspect of traditional sports. It encourages students in developing a sense of wonder and the numerous benefits of developing a relationship with nature including mental and physical well being and understanding the importance of stewardship.
DCAP is reunited with one of its favorite caves
This fall, Devil’s Canyon Adventure Program (DCAP) Caving, which offers Upper School students the opportunity to enjoy the gorgeous terrain of Central Texas and beyond in an active, engaging way, was able to resume its annual trip to Deep and Punkin Cave Preserve in Carta Valley, Texas, approximately 4 hours west of Austin. St. Stephen’s is a member of Texas Cave Management Association (TCMA) and frequents caves managed by them. Deep and Punkin is one of the caves that was enjoyed regularly before COVID lockdowns so it was extra special for the caving group to be reunited with one of its favorite Preserves.
Both Deep Cave and Punkin Cave are large vertical and horizontal maze caves with Punkin Cave containing a large open pit. All participants crawled through tight passages and explored large chambers and features in Deep Cave. At Punkin Cave everyone got to practice their vertical skills in the 50’ drop into the pit. The caves were formed by ascending water rather than descending water and it has been theorized that they were partially formed by the same sulfuric acid processes that formed Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico.
The group enjoyed several nature sightings throughout the trip including being greeted at the entrance by a pair of porcupines in a Texas Persimmon tree as well as spotting a few lingering bats inside the caves.
In addition to caving, the group also participates regularly in service projects at the 225-acre property in keeping with St. Stephen’s philosophy of practicing service above self and how to be stewards of the land. This year the students used rakes, hoes and shovels to remove all vegetation around the Field House to prevent ground fires from igniting the structure.
SPARTAN LIFE
26 Winter Spartan Magazine | St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
DCAP Caving is lead by Charlton Perry, Director of Outdoor Education. To inquire more about the caving group, please email Mr. Perry at cperry@sstx.org. To find out more about the TCMA caves and preserves, visit www.tcmacaves.org.
DCAP goes back to TAG
DCAP Caving group took its first trip back to TAG (Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia) since the fall of 2019. Two returning seniors joined but all other participants were newcomers. The destination exists where these three states intersect within a rough triangle of geographical areas — Chattanooga, Tennessee; Huntsville, Alabama; and Rome, Georgia. This region has a high concentration of vertical and horizontal caves and makes for excellent caving.
This year the group explored Stephens Gap near Scottsboro, Alabama, and Rusty’s Cave in Rising Fawn, Georgia. Stephens Gap is large with both a pit and a horizontal entrance. Students practiced their vertical skills passing through “Key Hole” and then descending an exhilarating 145' on rope. Rusty’s Cave is an underground stream passage and after rappelling 45' into the cave the students followed the stream passage on foot viewing waterfalls and many cave formations, all underground.
Caving coaches on this trip were English Instructor Cordelia Ross, PhD, Coach Kori Dunaway and Director of Outdoor Education Charlton Perry.
To find out more about the Southeastern Cave Conservancy, please visit www.saveyourcaves.org.
Students enjoyed an overnight at one of Austin’s Truly “Wild Places”
Thursday, November 3 to Friday, November 4, St. Stephen’s West Texas Project took 17 students to Shield Ranch, located 18 miles southwest of downtown Austin, for a 2-day adventure. Shield Ranch is a 6,400acre historic district and protected wildland. It is home to a mosaic of habitats, a diverse community of native plants and animals, and over six breathtaking miles of Barton Creek. Through land management, unique nature immersion experiences, and conservation easements with the Nature Conservancy and the City of Austin, Shield Ranch offers something exceptionally rare in our rapidly urbanizing region — a truly wild place.
The group stayed overnight in the ranch’s newly built “off-the-grid” cabins — students used rain water showers and composting toilets, and experienced a 100% self-reliant, fully-sustainable camping trip. Even the group’s food was locally-sourced from nearby farms, the ranch providing venison.
On the first day students participated in a scavenger hunt to search for native plants, animals and geology and took a 3-mile guided hike with a Shield Ranch employee. The group also participated in guided “forest bathing” which involved listening and being mindful in nature. At the end of the day students learned how to build and feed a campfire then enjoyed s’mores while sharing stories.
The next morning the group worked for almost 5 hours preparing a large area of soil then seeding it with native grasses and wildflowers. Lunch and games were enjoyed by all then everyone returned to campus.
Students were accompanied by chaperones Rebecca Gibbs, Lauren Murphy, and Danielle Horton, coordinator and director of the West Texas Project. This trip was made possible by a grant provided by Bart Wulff ’69 from the G.R. White Trust.
To learn more about Shield Ranch and its facilities, please visit: www.shieldranch.com.
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A Celebration of New Ministry
ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2022, the St. Stephen’s community joined with members of the larger Austin faith community for A Celebration of New Ministry to install the Rev. Aimée Eyer-Delevett as St. Stephen’s new senior chaplain. The Rt. Rev. Kathryn M. Ryan, Bishop Suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, presided over this meaningful worship service during which head of school Chris Gunnin, executive chair Chris Oddo, and dean of faculty Wallis Goodman formally presented the new chaplain before the Bishop. The service included prayers and liturgy, hymns, a homily from Bishop Ryan, a musical offering from the Upper School Chorale and symbolic gifts from various members of the community. Ministers of the service included board member the Rev. Brin Bon; math instructor Michael Oberle; upper school chaplain Morgan Stokes; middle school students Willa Eyer-Delevett, Chloe Gipprich and Jayamma Udezue; upper school students Casey Maina, Hannah Simmonds and Leo Brainard; middle school administrative assistant Cecelia Stewart; organist Dr. Jodi Blount; and director of choral music Kendra Lipman.
Rev. Eyer-Delevett, or Rev. Aimée as she is referred to on campus, accepted the call to be St. Stephen’s new head chaplain as of August 1, 2022. Most recently, she served as rector of All Saints-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church and Parish School in Santa Barbara, California. She is a proud product of Episcopal School education, having graduated from Episcopal Day School of Christ Church Parish in Pensacola, Florida, where she developed a deep love for community and a connection between a life of faith and a life of service. Much of her early adulthood was spent in service to the world as an international human rights worker, social worker and a student of social justice movements. Her work with the African National Congress and the opportunity to study with Archbishop Desmond Tutu during her seminary education were particularly formative. Rev. Aimée was ordained to the priesthood in 2004 and served parishes in The Episcopal Dioceses of Chicago and Los Angeles, where she found her deepest joy working with children, youth and families. She received her Bachelor of Art from Wellesley College, Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology at Emory University and Master of Sacred Theology from General Theological Seminary.
Rev. Aimée, her wife Alyson EyerDelevett, and their sixth-grade daughter Willa Eyer-Delevett, are members of the school’s residential community. She remarked, "My family and I are so grateful to be a part of this loving and inclusive community. In my relationships with the people of St. Stephen’s I will strive to embody the Episcopal values of justice, peace, and respect for the dignity of every human being. I look forward to working together to inspire students to live lives of service, meaning and purpose from The Hill to the world."
Rev. Aimée received symbolic gifts from members of the community as part of the celebration: from middle school chaplains the. Rev. Ed. Thompson and Morgan Stokes, a stole; from the Rev. John Newton, rector of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, and Ashley Brandon, chaplain at St. Andrews Episcopal School, the Canons of the Church; from Dr. Jodi Blount, Elizabeth Moon and Kendra Lipman, members of St. Stephen’s Chapel liturgical team, a hymnal; from Elise Harbinger from Casa Marianella, the upper school Chapel leadership team and the middle school Be the Change team, a St. Stephen’s icon; from, theology department chair Jim Woodruff, upper school student Jacob McDaniel and middle school student Noah Baer, theology books; from faculty members Jennie Kim, Tania Gil and John Dugan, oils to represent healing; and, from her advisees honoring the great St. Stephen's tradition of advisory mentorship, snacks.
A Celebration of New Ministry is an opportunity to reaffirm our community’s collective vision and shared purpose. Bishop Ryan’s homily referenced important advice given by author Kurt Vonnegut to high school students at Xavier High School. “Practice any art — music, acting, drawing, painting, sculpting, poetry, fiction, essays, reportage — no matter how well or badly, not to get money or fame, but to experience becoming, to find out what’s inside you, to make your soul grow.” Bishop Ryan emphasizes the importance of this type of practice in encouraging us all to, “Try a creative habit concerned less with the finished product than with the development of the person — the creator — coming into being. The person — soul and mind and body — emerging through this exploratory journey.” She goes on to note that, “St. Stephen’s yearns to nurture that creative journey so that all students, faculty and staff experience becoming their truest and best selves. We become that place by practicing together.”
Moreover, Bishop Ryan commented that St. Stephen’s has always aspired to be “a community with a soul. A collective wise and compassionate, attentive to matters of human dignity and value, active in seeking social justice and serving goodness. These are matters of the soul.” These characteristics do not appear without intentional “practice.”
Bishop Ryan concluded, “Today we welcome and install Rev. Aimée. And we look to her to help us practice. So that we discover the character of beauty and compassion inside of us. And delight as our soul grows.”
SPARTAN LIFE 28 Winter Spartan Magazine | St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
“Today we welcome and install Rev. Aimée. And we look to her to help us practice.
So that we discover the character of beauty and compassion inside of us. And delight as our soul grows.”
ANNUAL FUND FIRST
The Annual Fund is the cornerstone of St. Stephen’s fundraising efforts. Each year trustees, parents, alumni, grandparents, faculty, staff and friends join together to raise vital funds that help sustain the distinctive features that make St. Stephen’s special. The Annual Fund supports the annual operating budget and allows the school to use these essential funds in the areas of most need throughout the academic year. As of this writing, donors have given $1,539,000 toward this year’s $1.5 million goal.
Your gifts to the Annual Fund not only help to ensure academic excellence, your participation reflects the strength of our community and our shared commitment to students.
It is no secret that dedicated volunteers are the backbone of any successful fundraising campaign, and our St. Stephen’s volunteers are no exception. The Advancement team is grateful for the time and commitment each volunteer provides to help ensure every member of the St. Stephen’s community is invited to participate in this important campaign.
I would like to personally thank our Annual Fund Leadership Team: Parent Chairs, Laura and Bryan Burkhart, who led the way; our Parent Class Captains, Mary Casas and Lou Mabley ’86 (12th grade); Pam LaPlaca (11th grade); Sandra Brown and Charlie Cole (10th grade); Rebecca Krauss and Ellen Navarre (9th grade); Andrea Bermudez and Kari Potts (8th grade); Jodi Holland and Chandler Ware (7th grade); and Manjeera Adusumalli and Lisa Tsai (6th grade). Thank you to the parent volunteers on each committee who helped encourage maximum participation from each grade.
We also deeply appreciate our Grandparent Chairs, Carole and George Nalle ’63; Alumni Chairs, Claire McKay ’71 and Hank Ewert ’70; Faculty and Staff Chairs, Ann Befroy and Troy Lanier; and Trustee Advancement Committee Chair, Jennifer Stayton ’85.
If you have not yet pledged or have given to the 2022-23 Annual Fund, please consider making a gift today at www.sstx.org/givenow. Your participation is a vote of confidence in our mission and shows support for the value of a St. Stephen’s education.
Sherry
Buchanan, Director of the Annual Fund and Parent Liaison
PHOTOS
TOP PHOTO: Burkhart Family (L-R), Clare ’26, Bryan, Laura, Elizabeth ’28, and Will ’24
2ND PHOTO: (L-R) Mary Casas, Elise Jones, Lindsay Hunter, Chris Gunnin
3RD PHOTO: (L-R) Sherry Buchanan, Rushmi Kumar, Hilary Bellm
BOTTOM PHOTO: (L-R) Jodi Holland, Kate Thome, Ellen Navarre, Manjeera Adusumall
30 Winter Spartan Magazine | St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
GRANDPARENT CHAIRS Carole and George Nalle '63
To share your favorite Spartan memories and stories, contact Melody Harman, Director of Planned Giving, at mharman@sstx.org.
What’s favoriteyour St. Stephen’s story?
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Spartan Spotlights
Monica Patel ’95, M.D.
Monica Patel came to St. Stephen’s in 10th grade as a residential student from Saudi Arabia. After graduating in 1995, Patel attended The University of Texas at Austin as part of the Plan II Honors Program with a pre-med concentration and went on to attend Baylor College of Medicine. She did her residency in pediatrics at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and now works as a newborn hospitalist at Seton Medical Center and is a faculty member in the Department of Pediatrics at Dell Medical School. Patel and her husband, Bhairav have two children Ari (13) and Ian (12). The family lives in Austin. Louise McNutt Brazitis ’07, chair, alumni recognition recently chatted with this Spartan.
What extracurricular activities did you participate in during your time on The Hill? I was pretty studious and never thought myself to be athletic or artistic, so I shied away from all the incredible arts and sports that St. Stephen’s had to offer. Instead, I was a peer advisor, a volunteer at El Buen Samaritano helping others learn English, a proctor, a tour guide for prospective parents and students, and manager of the girls’ soccer team.
What is your favorite memory from your time on campus?
Chapel. Although I am a Hindu, Chapel always remains in my heart and memory as a sacred and special space. It anchored my time and the passing of the days at St. Stephen’s. In Chapel, we started our day each morning, gave peace to our friends and neighbors, mourned the loss of a classmate, heard powerful stories from classmates and guest speakers, and celebrated our accomplishments at graduation. I loved the quiet of it on weekend days, and its beauty and glory lit up for Lessons and Carols. Even today, when I visit Chapel, I feel a sense of peace and calm.
What was your favorite St. Stephen’s tradition?
Family-style lunch with a mixed group of students, a senior at the head of the table, and a faculty member who rotated throughout the year. I had the opportunity to spend time with students and faculty members that I otherwise would not have met. It also made an initially awkward experience as a new student comfortable and welcoming.
Can you tell us a little bit about your career path and how St. Stephen’s set you up for success as a doctor? After graduating from St. Stephen’s, I attended the Plan II Honors Program at UT Austin with a pre-med concentration. This was a challenging combination with coursework that did not necessarily overlap, so I spent my college years studying the sciences and writing numerous papers for my Plan II classes. However, St. Stephen’s had prepared me well for the work, and I thrived.
St. Stephen’s helped me discover my love of the liberal arts — English, philosophy, history, seminars and discussion classes. Through my time at St. Stephen’s, I became a more thoughtful, well-rounded individual who could write, think critically, problem-solve, communicate and relate to others. These skills have helped me succeed throughout my journey in medicine — whether studying for exams, taking the MCAT, writing essays for applications, or caring for my newborn patients and their parents at a very precious moment in time.
What advice can you share with fellow Spartan alumni and recent graduates of St. Stephen’s? Stay true to yourself, and always be open to opportunities. Take the time to check in with yourself often and reflect on your strengths, your weaknesses and what experiences bring you joy. Life may take a meandering, unplanned path but if you follow your heart, it will lead you to success — it just might look different than you imagined. I never thought that I would grow up to be a newborn hospitalist, but it ended up being the perfect job for me that combines my love for patient care, education and public health every single day.
ALUMNI NEWS 32 Winter Spartan Magazine | St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
Chloe Sharples ’11 returns to Campus
By Ryan Adams, Asst. Director Alumni Relations
Gathered around overlapping area rugs fashioned to hug the floor of the blackbox theater in Hines Hall, an audience of St. Stephen’s students and parents sits poised for an unforgettable evening. It’s the Spring of 2018, and the performance that awaits is known to the community as SHIPS — a multimedia, artistic exploration of experiences cultivated from anonymous story submissions and voiced by students. Although new to St. Stephen’s then, the show would go on to become iconic. Students waited in line for more than an hour before each performance, buzzing with curiosity and intrigue. This year, it’s back for a second iteration. Behind the magic and brilliance of the project at St. Stephen’s is Theatre Focus alumna Chloe Sharples ’11.
Following her time in the Theatre Focus program, Sharples furthered her education at Colorado College in Colorado Springs studying Religion. Like many St. Stephen’s alumni, she recalls the decision as one that first budded in Theology class with Mr. Woodruff.
At Colorado College, Sharples grew as a stage performer and director, eventually directing an anonymous story-based project similar to SHIPS. The scope was anchored in an open-letter-to-self explorative gathering sourced from anonymous story submissions about what it was like to be a college student at that moment in time. Each vignette, a creative imagination of the real and heavy experiences shared by students, bore thematic markings differentiating them one from the next, while also linking them together as a collective work. From explorations of identity, sexuality, becoming, to grappling with all of these things in a shifting world, the storyline organically became one that celebrated the power of empathy and reminded people they weren’t alone. After the performances, audience feedback buzzed with a sense of intrigue by the anonymous story concept, and many shared how they wished they could have experienced something like it in high school.
Sharples felt a deep connection to the idea of anonymous storytelling, and upon graduating, took her college audiences’ feedback to heart. As she began to explore the possibility of creating a new work, she knew of no better place to begin than atop The Hill. Sharples reconnected with longtime Theatre Focus Instructor Mike Dolan, who has offered guidance as she has launched her professional acting career. Collaborating with Dolan evolved into the opportunity she now has to work hands-on with current students, honing her directorial skills and realizing a vision set on cultivating connection and fostering empathy on a community-wide scale through her original program called Anonymo/us Project.
SHIPS is the St. Stephen’s iteration of Anonymo/us Project, which uses anonymous survey responses to build a performance piece that shares students’ actual words in a creative and engaging way. This
year’s SHIPS seeks to facilitate a gathering much like that of its 2018 predecessor through a year-long classroom based curriculum. Sharples, along with teachers Mike Dolan and Lindsay Hearn Brustein, have been leading Theater Focus students in developing and circulating two surveys calling for story submissions from their fellow classmates through relevant prompts. The team will then use the anonymous responses to develop a script composed of monologues, scenes, and other multimedia storytelling techniques to be performed live for the St. Stephen’s community the first weekend in May 2023.
When asked about the nature of how to adapt a project like this for a high school audience, Sharples noted the importance of centering students. The magic of it all traces back to the fact that the content of the project is real to people the audience knows of, but whose specific identity is kept secret. A practice-as-method approach to performance might seem esoteric or abstract, but, in reality, the guiding spirit behind the method is honest. It’s about connection. The Anonymo/us Project gives design to this prospect for connection by granting anonymous entry points into the lives of those participating. It then expounds on the stories to induce creative expression and articulation.
If this year’s SHIPS is to be anything like that of the 2018 production, one can expect a transformative experience brought about by seeing the St. Stephen’s community anew, from a place of earnest connection to others and greater compassion for self.
From her home base in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Sharples is expanding the project to high schools around the nation. For more information on Anonymo/us Project and to bring the program to a school near you, visit: https://www.anonymousproject.org/the-project
Theatre Focus Students collaborate around a series of exercises instructed by guest teacher and alumna, Chloe Sharples '11.
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Alumni across the globe
34 Winter Spartan Magazine | St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
Asia
New York
After three years of the global pandemic restricting international travel, St. Stephen’s returned to Asia this Fall. Director of International Program, Sarah Todd, and Director of Alumni Relations, Michelle Geo Olmstead, visited St. Stephen’s exchange students, alumni, parents of alumni and current parents on a journey that took the duo to Osaka, Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei and Bangkok.
Houston
Spartans from across the five boroughs and beyond met up for the 2nd annual Spartan Alumni Association regional event in New York in September. Mark your calendars for our next event in NYC in September, 2023.
In November, Houston Alumni gathered at Alice Blue in the Heights area of the city. The restaurant owned by Claire Smith ’83 served as the first stop in an evening of reminiscing and reconnecting. The dinner was followed by a trip to Benny Thunders. This popular self-pour bar is owned by former St. Stephen’s roommates, Cathy Krznar ’87 and Deborah Kearney ’87.
PHOTOS
1. Spartan Alumni Regional Event in Seoul
2. Spartan Alumni Regional Event in Tokyo
3. Spartan Regional Event in New York
4. The Ayres Family in New York: Heatherly, Phoebe ’16, Hallie ’14, Liza ’14 and George
It was amazing to meet so many of our alumni and learn about their experiences on The Hill. Many shared how much their time at St.Stephen’s meant, but what our alumni often fail to realize is how much they bring to St. Stephen’s. By sharing unique perspectives and cultures, our community becomes an even better place.
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— MICHELLE GEO OLMSTEAD, director
of alumni relations
Class Notes
1956
George Williams ’56 and wife Barbara sat down for dinner with Maria Rangel ’20 in San Antonio earlier this Fall.
1958
J.P. Bryan has been named Executive Director of the Texas State History Association (TSHA). In the announcement this past Fall, the group noted that the Bryan family has been involved with the TSHA since the founding of the association in 1897.
1967
Daryl Tanner, after losing her husband, George last December, has been traveling and doing her museum and photography work. As she says, "she’s got on her traveling shoes!" She recently returned from Ireland and is considering a longer trip along Route 66 with Monty and Bambi Carter, Randy and Mike Parten’69 and possibly others.
Randy Parten, Mike Parten ’69, Blackie Jones and Whitney Smith ’83 recently took a 4-day raft trip through Boquillas Canyon on the Rio Grande river. One of their other raftmates was Leanne Wakefield, mother of Lauren White ’02 and Elissa White ’06. The river was near flood stage, so it was a fast trip. Blackie has been considering leaving the toxic environment of Baytown for Austin. He’s been doing this for ten years while waiting for Baytown home prices to go up and Austin home prices to come down.
Jamie Stirling is living in Blanco and enjoying life as it rolls on by.
The class sponsors for 1967, Bob and Barbee Phipps, are living in Deltaville, Virginia, after retiring as co-headmasters of the Christ Church School in Christchurch, Virginia.
Bambi and Monty Carter are still in Tacoma. They just got word from daughter, Sarah, and son, Slayton, that they would be coming to Tacoma for a family reunion in December for Monty’s birthday. Monty and Bambi are working on a trip to Italy this fall which they’ve been planning for a number of years. Next spring, they plan to road trip along Route 66 from Kingman, Arizona to Amarillo, Texas.
John Stiles and his wife, Linda, are still on their ranch property in Boerne, Texas. Their daughter, Karen Ross, is living in Houston and their son, Aden, is in San Antonio.
Vicki Gasche remains in Houston with her husband Joe Holzer. Vicki is recovering from a broken pelvis injury she suffered in an endurance horse race 100 miles long in South Carolina. She frequently competes and finished 3rd out of 150 in a hundredmile ride on the old Pony Express trail from Truckee, California, to Auburn. The total time of the trip was 15 hours, with 40,000 feet of elevation change.
Renn Rhodes is still in California working on the final touches of landscape architecture for a house in Healdsburg in the heart of wine country. His husband, Marty is providing legal counsel for his fifth start-up company. Both are retired or semi-retired and trying to spend as much time as they can doing what they want.
Norie Clarke and her husband, Alan, are still living in Berkley, California. Norie is busy working with her Unitarian Universalist Church, saving a Buckminster Fuller geodesic dome in Sonoma, working for climate justice, trying to save democracy, increasing voter turnout and remodeling her kitchen. The couple’s daughter, Emma, is still in New York writing for Elisha Menendez at MSNBC.
1969
Mary Bachman Burke and Alan Fenton are back traveling now that the world has opened up again after Covid. Both were excited to see further than the end of the block! Prior to the trip both Mary and Alan had Covid but attribute light cases to the effectiveness of the vaccines and some good fortune. They have been able to see two grandchildren off to college this fall, which was amazing. Mary’s son, Cleve, and his wife are expecting a third child in March, so their family is still growing! She continues to be active in Jungian analytic training programs but is no longer working in private practice. Alan is golfing and shooting his age with regularity! She hopes all Spartans are well.
1970
Ellen Jockusch is enjoying serving as the representative for the Pioneer Spartans (alums who graduated 50+ years ago) on the Spartan Alumni Association Board. Don’t be surprised if you get an email from Ellen in the next couple of months asking if you would be willing to have a visit and share some stories from your time at St. Stephen’s! The hope is to make these stories available on the SSES website and in other communication from the school.
Plans for Reunion Weekend 2023 (April 21-23) are shaping up beautifully, and Ellen hopes to see her classmates and other Spartan friends during the weekend. She reports that the campus is lovely (e.g. windows looking out on the lake in the new dining hall), and the food is healthy and delicious — quite a change from the Pioneer Spartan era!
David Carruthers sends his greetings to his fellow classmates and friends from 1970-72. He has missed the last three years of Reunions and get-togethers due to the Covid shutdowns or his business travel schedule. He hopes everyone is doing well. He fondly thinks about those wonderful years on The Hill. Currently, he is living in Austin, so please give him a shout-out if you plan to be in town.
Barry Gilbert ’70, Dee Meador ’70, Jim Crosby ’70 and Robert George ’71 met up for a musical weekend in Bandera, TX. The foursome had a great weekend working mostly on brilliant original material by Barry, Robert and Jim. The photo was taken by Dee’s niece, Rachel Schwartz ’04.
Chris Weisman reports that his classmates might be amused to read a short novella he wrote using the pen name "P. K. Ezra" and uploaded it to Amazon Kindle books. The piece is called "Thank You for Recycling!" and has nothing to do with separating your trash. He says that a more descriptive title would have been "Legacy of A Wacky Cat: Why My Arthritic Toe Turned Into an Eastern Mud Snake." To learn more, check out the blurb on Amazon.
Ted Wright shares that after a long wait, they are now grandparents, twice over. Unfortunately, neither grandchild lives near their home in southern California. Their older daughter, who lives in Australia, had the first grandson, Charles Vincent Wright, last summer. Their younger daughter, who lives outside of Chicago, had Walter Jay Wright earlier this Fall.
1971
Walter Adams is still living in Guatemala caring for his mother who has unfortunately seen a steep slide. Walter completed and received his Masters in Public Health in April, 2022, and has been working with the Universidad Maya Kaqchikel — the first Maya-centered university in Guatemala (parallel in concept to the HBCUs) since the pandemic. Earlier this Fall, Walter was invited to be a member of the school’s Executive Board.
Larry Jones spent some special time with Lynn and the late Phil Hadley at their house in San Diego. They went for lunch and spent a beautiful afternoon together outside on their patio. Jones shares that he remembers when the couple started dating — they met in Dr. McGann’s class at the University of Texas.
Chris Butler recently completed what may be his last construction project in Smithville. He has a very vague notion that he may retire next year, but it is still hard to conceptualize that state of being. His son Jack moved out of the house last month and took his new kitten. As "empty nesters" Butler and his wife Sue Ann are beginning to conceptualize life without "kids" in the home. He says in terms of keeping track of the timeline of their lives he always refers to B.C. as Before Children. The couple is now venturing into the great unknown!
ALUMNI NEWS 36 Winter Spartan Magazine | St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
In October, Claire McKay, Hank Ewert ’70 and Hope Lochridge spent a fun weekend in St. Francisville, Louisiana, with Jim Dart and his husband David who chaired the annual Southern Garden Symposium event this year. While the women went to several workshops on Friday and Saturday, Ewert walked around town. They learned a lot and explored the area including attending the Harvest Fest in nearby New Roads where they heard some great music. The group stayed at The Myrtles and went on its famous “Mystery Tour.” The tour leads guests around the property and shares its haunted past. Claire reports that they did not see any ghosts, but there is always next time.
1973
Patrice Cruz fondly remembers Frau Dolman, Coach Hagen and wife, the art teacher who made her prom dress, and her history teacher, Mr. Roth, who gave her confidence in expressing her opinion. She says that the entire St. Stephen experience was life-changing and forever inspiring.
1976
Lissa Burnette is still training horses and their people out in Blanco, Texas. She has two granddaughters and still loves to travel a lot and is having fun with her photography.
1977
Robert Ettinger is living in Austin. His daughter, Lilly, recently started a new job as Director of the Center for Students in Recovery at U.T. Austin. In 2020, she received the National Collegiate Recovery Staff Worker of the Year.
1982
This Fall, Wendy White Naughton joined the Spartan Alumni Association Board as Chair of Volunteer Recruitment and Engagement, all while traveling the globe!
Wendy for organizing! He is living in Taos, New Mexico, with his four-year-old son. He says that although he waited until age 55 to have a child, he is so happy to be a father. Brady is mostly retired and spends his time skiing, cycling and frequently makes trips to Colorado. He is also doing some pro bono legal work on affordable housing.
He reports that the past few years have been pretty quiet after many decades of travel and adventure. Before coming back to his childhood home of Taos, Brady taught law in Singapore, Pakistan, Korea and Houston (South Texas College of Law) during his career.
He reports that Taos is a beautiful place and he is spoiled by all the recreational options. His 85-year-old dad is doing well, residing in the same house in Austin that he lived in when he started at St. Stephen’s in 1977. If any classmates or near classmates are in the Taos area, he would love to catch up in person.
1989
Cynthia Erdek Gualy noted that three of her four children are married or getting married. She continually asks herself where does time go? Gualy and her husband, John, are happily down-sized in Houston and loving life.
Jonathan Quander joined the Spartan Alumni Association Board this Fall. He will serve as Alumni Regional Representative for Houston.
1991
Leilani Valdes, M.D., M.B.A, F.C.A.P served as a panelist for the Spartan Spotlight event held in November.
1994
Anne Spear received her Ph.D. in English from the University of Mississippi in August, 2020, and is currently a professor at Louisiana State University.
1995
Monica Patel, M.D. served as a panelist for the Spartan Spotlight event held in November.
2004
This past Fall, Britt Moreno hosted the Gubernatorial Debate with Beto O ’Rourke and Greg Abott. Britt is the lead anchor for local NBC affiliate KXAN’s 4:30 p.m., 5 p.m., 6 p.m., 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts.
This summer Mallory Boyle, Louise McNutt Brazitis ’07, Alex Mauro ’07 and Addie Edwards McBride ’07 cooled off at Ski Shores.
2013
It has been a busy couple of years for Chloe Zagrodzky. In June 2021, she got engaged to her fiancé, Alexander Meade. That Fall, the couple rescued a dog, Heidi. Chloe notes that this new addition to the family would love to run on the trails at St. Stephen’s! Last June, she graduated from The University of Chicago Law School with honors and is currently clerking for a federal judge in Chicago. The couple plans to get married in Austin in 2023.
Adrienne Jackson continues to live in Los Angeles: raising her chihuahua, Chili, snowboarding and going to Grateful Dead shows as often as she can. Adrienne works at Live Nation and encourages Spartans to visit and attend a concert.
2014
A few members of the Class of 2014 celebrated Halloween! Ben West, Saara Hassoun, Mattie Mouton Johnston, Michael Harman, Kayla Thompson, Braden Hayes, Myles Savage, Megan Nater, Mary Moore, Will Deaderick, Gretchen Diede, Jaime Cueva and Sarah Van Nort dressed up for the occasion. Fun!
1993
Mallory Boyle ’04, Claire Fenton, Kurt Oehler and Thomas Frakes ’05 caught up before the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new turf field.
1981
Brady Coleman enjoyed flying to Austin for the COVIDdelayed 40th reunion and would like to thank Erica and
Hope Lochridge ’71, Hank Ewert ’70, Claire McKay ’71, Jim Dart ’71.
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Mallory Boyle ’04, Claire Fenton ’93, Kurt Oehler ’93 and Thomas Frakes ’05 on campus.
After graduating from Harvard in 2018, Danielle Strasburger spent a year working for a nonprofit in Cusco, Peru. She then returned to the United States where she helped start two organizations: Bluebonnet Data and Harvard Forward, both of which she works on with SSES alum Nathán Goldberg Crenier. Through Bluebonnet Data, Danielle and Nathán have helped place over 1,000 data volunteers with progressive campaigns and causes. Through Harvard Forward, they helped elect 4 young alumni to Harvard’s board on a climate and racial justice platform.
Danielle moved to Washington, D.C. in the summer of 2021 to work at a progressive communications firm helping advocacy organizations with media relations work.
Chania Whitaker received her doctorate in Chiropractic from Parker University and looks forward to serving her community aligning spines.
2018
This year at ACL, Brendan Whyburn and his band, Sarah and the Sundays, headlined the BMI Stage during the first weekend of ACL. Make sure you follow this one on Instagram! @sarahandthesundays
2022
Ellie Gunnin and Sophie Hawthorne have been named Class Representatives. The duo will help the alumni office stay connected to St. Stephen’s newest alumni.
In Memoriam
Edwina "Charlene" Moore Martin ’55
Edwina "Charlene" Moore Martin ’55 on June 7 at the age of 84. After graduating from St. Stephen’s, Charlene attended Randolph-Macon College before transferring to The University of Texas. While at UT, she met her husband of 61 years, Alex Lee Martin III. The couple married in 1959 and raised three children.
Martin was a devoted wife and mother who will be remembered for her quick wit, curiosity and intelligence, as well as being a champion of the underdog. She is survived by her two sons, William (Samantha) of Santa Ynez, Calif., and Houston (Erin) of League City, Texas; her daughter, Edwina (Brian “Lee”) Vidosh of Friendswood, Texas; grandchildren Alex and Brian Vidosh; and sister Dorethea Moore Gholson ’60.
Rule and Laney Fowler. Sarah’s life was celebrated at a service in June.
Leslee
“Honey” Kathryn Buhler Alexander ’63
On Oct. 30, Leslee "Honey" Kathryn Buhler Alexander ’63 passed away. After graduating from St. Stephen’s, she married Tennessee statesman and long-time Senator, Lamar Alexander in 1969 and dedicated her life to being a loving wife and mother, as well as a public advocate for families and children.
While her husband was governor, Honey led the statewide Healthy Children Initiative, which sought to provide prenatal health care for children. She was a member of the Southern Regional Task Force on Infant Mortality. Honey also cofounded Leadership Nashville in 1976 and served on many boards, including the Junior League of Nashville and the Hermitage.
Marianne Burke ’73
Marianne Burke ’73 passed away on August 30. After graduating from St. Stephen’s, Marianne received her B.A. in English and educational psychology from Randolph College. She is survived by brother, Mark Burke ’72, sister Elizabeth Carol Burke Taylor ’70, and children Mary Kathleen Kaseka Kayembe and Tshiswaka Barnabe Kayembe, Jr.
Emre Lola Wright Edwards ’73
Emre Lola Wright Edwards ’73 passed away on June 19 from complications from multiple sclerosis.
As a student on The Hill, Edwards was confident, bright and accomplished. Popular with her classmates, she made friends easily because she was welcoming and kind. Her family said that she had just enough of the rebel in her to have fun and just enough evil genius to not get caught. She graduated from St. Stephen’s with an interest in journalism and law. These interests brought her to study at The University of Texas, where she worked on the staff of the yearbook, the Cactus. During that time, her friends would describe her as fun, positive and upbeat, as well as outspoken, opinionated and gritty.
2019
This Fall, Elizabeth Rowe (Wesleyan – Crew), Callie Cho (Swarthmore – Field Hockey), Travis Dowd (Rice – Cross Country) and Riley Nichols (Trinity – Field Hockey) — all four members of the St. Stephen’s Class of 2019 were named captains of their teams.
Sarah McNutt Noton ’59
Sarah McNutt Norton ’59 passed away on June 16. After graduating from St. Stephen’s, she married Don Norton in June of 1961 and dedicated her life to being a loving wife, mother and grandmother. Sarah loved to entertain family and friends and learn about their adventures. She is survived by her husband, Don Norton; daughters Robin (Craig) Mankins and Sarita (Randall) Cooper; sister Dawn McNutt Keller ’72; and grandchildren Rachel Rule, Ryan Rule, Tanner
Emre became restless at school and decided to start her career early. After receiving high marks on the civil service test, she began her 40+ year career with the U.S. Postal Service. From her mail routes, she witnessed the injustices and inequalities all around her. This inspired her to become involved with the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC). She thrived at NALC, serving in many different leadership roles including multiple terms as local branch president.
Throughout her life, Emre loved adventure. Whether it was a work conference, travel with her husband or summer trips with her daughter, she loved to experience new places and their people.
Emre leaves behind her husband of 34 years, Winston Edwards. She treasured her daughter, Alana Torrez, her
Brendan Whyburn ’18 and Sarah and the Sundays
Elizabeth Rowe ’19
Callie Cho ’19
ALUMNI NEWS 38 Winter Spartan Magazine | St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
Travis Dowd ’19 Riley Nichols ’19
seven stepchildren, two surviving siblings (adopted after the death of her younger brother), numerous nieces and nephews, and a grandnephew and grandniece.
A memorial service for Emre was held on June 27. Please keep Emre’s many friends and family in your thoughts and prayers. She will be missed by many in the St. Stephen’s community.
Mark Hoppe ’76
Mark Hoppe ’76 passed away on September 2 at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston after a long and courageous battle against multiple myeloma. After graduating from St. Stephen’s, Hoppe studied at Duke University, where he graduated magna cum laude and met the love of his life, Betsy Sutton. He received his J.D. from the SMU Dedman School of Law in 1983 and married Betsy shortly after. The couple began their life together in Midland, Texas, where Mark practiced oil and gas law. He continued to practice law until complications from his cancer led to an early retirement. Mark is survived by wife Betsy, son Will (Marija), daughter Blitz Phillips (Austin) of Fort Worth, parents Bob and Eleanor Hoppe of Abilene, brother Erle ’73, sister Ann Gardner ’77, and grandsons Luke Hoppe, Palmer Hoppe and Heath Phillips.
Tate Gorman ’94
Tate Gorman ’94 passed away on May 14. After graduating from St. Stephen’s in 1994, Tate studied at Austin College and later received his J.D. from St. Mary’s Law School in 2001. He began his law practice with Thompson, Coe, Cousins and Irons, LLC in Dallas. In 2019, he joined Standpoint as in-house council before starting Gorman Law Group in the summer of 2021. He is survived by his wife, April; three children, John, Rory Cate and Greta; and many family members and friends.
In Memoriam Faculty & Staff
Matilde Schade
Former teacher, Matilde Schade, passed away peacefully on July 20. Sra. Schade taught Spanish on The Hill and is the mother of two Spartans, Phillip Schade ’85 and Christopher Schade ’90.
Laura Camp
Beloved teacher, mentor and dedicated Spartan, Laura Camp passed away peacefully on Friday, Aug. 12. Camp shared her love of history with four decades of St. Stephen’s students and was best known for her 11th-grade American history class. After 40 years in the classroom, she retired from St. Stephen’s in 2012.
She was born in New York City on July 12, 1946, to Alvis Sydney Horn Camp and Lafayette Berry (Red) Camp. When she was one year old, she and her family moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, where Alvis taught piano at Del Mar College and Red played jazz piano at various venues in the area. Laura graduated from Incarnate Word Academy in Corpus
Christi. She earned her bachelor’s in history from The University of Texas at Austin and master’s degrees from the University of Illinois and St. John’s College.
In the fall of 1971, Camp began a 40-year teaching career at St. Stephen’s, where she lived on campus, served as a dorm parent, and was a beloved Upper School history teacher. During her tenure on The Hill, she received the Teaching Excellence Award, an honor bestowed by the students.
The child of two consummate musicians, she played guitar and piano by ear, and music was integral to her happiness throughout her life. Neighbors at St. Stephen’s often were treated to impromptu piano concerts as she practiced in her apartment. Adventurous at heart, she was an avid traveler who often could be found in Central America, South America or Europe during the summer, including walking the Camino de Santiago one year. She helped direct the summer study program in Salamanca for a number of years, teaching classes on Spanish history and culture. Camp was a dedicated volunteer for Meals on Wheels, driving several routes a week during summer break and after she retired. When she no longer drove, she worked at the Meals on Wheels central kitchen.
A colleague of many years noted that Laura set high standards in the classroom, loved what she taught, and often is remembered by former students with gratitude and fondness as one of their best teachers. Camp’s niece, Sydney, remembered friends and enthusiastic former students calling out to and eagerly approaching her Aunt Laura every time they were together.
Spartan Alumni Association Board
Patricia Henna Rowe ’89
President
Shannon Powers Flahive ’96
Vice-President and Co-Chair, Reunion Weekend
Jane Dryden Louis ’69
Secretary
Liza Ayres ’14, Chair Alumni Communications and Social Media
Mallory Boyle ’04
Alumni Regional Representative — Texas
Louise McNutt Brazitis ’07
Chair, Alumni Recognition
Paul Byars ’07
Alumni Chair, Spartans Engage
James Carter ’13
Alumni Regional Representative — New York City
Ben Chan ’95
Alumni Regional Representaive — Washington, D.C.
Hank Ewert ’70
Alumni Co-Chair, Annual Fund
Ellen Jochusch ’70
Pioneer Spartan Representative
Claire McKay ’71
Alumni Co-Chair, Annual Fund
Wendy White Naughton ’82
Chair, Alumni Volunteer Recruitment and Engagement
Alice Nazro Nezzer ’87
Co-Chair, Reunion
Jonathan Quander ’89
Alumni Regional Representative - Houston
Jennifer Stayton ’85
Emeritus Member
ST. STEPHEN’S ALUMNI TEAM
In late September, Ryan Adams joined St. Stephen’s as the Assistant Director of Alumni Relations. He earned a B.A. in Humanities and a M.S. in Marketing from The University of Texas and has spent the last four years helping nonprofits and organizations in the wellness sector build community through authentic storytelling and thoughtful relationship building. Although he will work on all aspects of engaging Spartan alumni, Ryan will specifically work with alumni classes 2004-2022. If you plan to be on campus, please stop by the Advancement Office and welcome Ryan to The Hill!
sstx.org 39
Alumni Class Representatives
Will Brewster ’51 brewsterwilliam34@gmail.com
Fred Heldenfels ’52 fheldenfels@gmail.com
Edna Noel Heldenfels ’53 fheldenfels@gmail.com
Michael Hines ’54 poppyhines@msn.com
Colin Phipps ’55 colin@phippsfarm.com
Ellen McCorquodale Martin ’56 ellenk.martin@aol.com
Ruth Wilson Witten ’57 ruthwitten@aol.com
J.P. Bryan ’58 BryanJ@teai.com
Tom Romberg ’59 tromberg@me.com
Pat Fatter Black ’60 ggpat77@gmail.com
Steve Jolly ’61 stevejolly@mindspring.com
David Sanders ’62 rdavidsanders@msn.com
Julia Cauthorn ’63 julia@texancapital.com
Joiner Cartwright ’64 joiner.cartwright@gmail.com
Arthur Wright ’64 arthur.wright@tklaw.com
Dianne Duncan Tucker ’65 ddtuck@aol.com
Randy Parten ’67 jrparten@parten.com
Robert Henderson ’68 rehenderson@nvcc.edu
Josh Harrison ’69 JHarrisonLaw@aol.com
Dee Meador ’70 meadortx@yahoo.com
Kathryn Miller Anderson ’71 zjmiller1513@gmail.com
Darrell David ’72 darrell.s.david@gmail.com
Douglass Anderson ’73 dlalaw@hotmail.com
Ann Rhodes McMeans ’74 armcmeans@gmail.com
Dr. Mary L. Brandt ’75 mary.l.brandt@gmail.com
Sylvia McIntyre-Crook ’75 sycrook1@cox.net
Dan Norton ’76 daniel@danielnorton.com
Robert Ettinger ’77 robert@ettlaw.com
Mark Tucker ’78 mrtucker@mindspring.com
Carroll Lively Reeser ’79 carroll@reeser.net
Peter Larkam ’80 peter@peterlarkam.com
Erica Peters Stafford ’81 Erica.Stafford@bvcpa.com
Charlotte Stuckey Brigham ’81 charbrigham@gmail.com
Wendy White Naughton ’82 wendy.naughton@gmail.co
Laura Mears Mirecki ’83 Lauralynn787@gmail.com
Suzanne Cantarino Pfeiffer ’84 SuzannePfeiffer@austin.rr.com
Libbie Walker Ansell ’85 libbieansell@gmail.com
Chris Breckwoldt ’86 cbreckwoldt@sstx.org
Catherine Hoey Randall ’87 caterandall@sbcglobal.net
Mark Rowe ’88 markrowe@henna.com
Jonathan Quander ’89 jdquander70@gmail.com
Joe Frisz ’90 joe.frisz@enovapay.com
Liz Fleming Powell ’91 lz.powell@gmail.com
Monika Powe Nelson ’92 giantmonsterprincess@gmail.com
Davis Baldwin ’93 rdbaldwin@mac.com
Gretchen Connally Doyle ’94 gconnally@gmail.com
Travis Greig ’94 travisgreig@gmail.com
Seth Alley ’95 sethalley@msn.com
Ben Chan ’95 eyethump@gmail.com
Hawkins Li ’95 hli3@yahoo.com
Beth Cockerham Mack ’95 semack77@gmail.com
Ann Strauser Palmer ’95 Annstrauserpalmer@gmail.com
Rhea Benbow Thomas ’95 rheabt@gmail.com
Meghan Alexander ’96 MAlexander@AlexanderAtty.com
Shannon Powers Flahive ’96 shannon6480@gmail.com
Gerry DeLeon ’96 gerryadeleon@gmail.com
Elizabeth Anne Sykes Rains ’96 earains1109@yahoo.com
Cam Beesley ’97 leardsfool@gmail.com
Jared Hockema ’98 jhockema@mac.com
Becky Hollis Diffen ’99 Becky.diffen@nortonrosefulbright.com
Claire Browder ’00 clairebrowder@gmail.com
Aaron Albrecht ’00 albrecht.aaron@gmail.com
Katharine Bayer ’01 kittybayer@gmail.com
Juliet Frerking ’01 frerking@gmail.com
Kean Tonetti ’02 stonetti@gmail.com
Brian Kaufman ’04 brian.r.kaufman@gmail.com
Rachel Katz ’05 rpk228@gmail.com
Sarah Cromwell Sheppard ’06 sarahhcromwell@gmail.com
Selina Strasburger ’06 selina.strasburger@gmail.com
Cole Arledge ’07 cole.arledge@gmail.com
Louise McNutt Brazitis ’07 louisebrazitis@gmail.com
Amanda Kushner ’08 amandakkushner@gmail.com
J.J. Botha ’09 johannbbotha@gmail.com
Chantal Strasburger ’09 chantal.strasburger@gmail.com
Carlotta Garza ’10 carlotta.garza@gmail.com
Omar Yaghi ’10 omaryaghi2@gmail.com
Ryann Young ’10 rhy9@cornell.edu
Lindsay Redman ’11 llredman93@gmail.com
Henry Sikes ’11 WHSikes1@gmail.com
Gray Twombly ’11 Twombly.Gray@gmail.com
Alia Yaghi ’11 alia.yaghi1@gmail.com
Yosua A. Husodo ’12 yosua.adiyasa@hotmail.com
Helen Elizabeth Old ’12 helenelizabeth1@me.com
Caroline Pringle ’12 carolinepringle93@gmail.com
Jake Politte ’12 jake.politte@rocketmail.com
James Carter ’13 jamesterelcarter@gmail.com
Annie Nordhauser ’13 lisa.nordhauser@gmail.com
Nathan Goldberg ’14 nathangoldbergc@gmail.com
Jaclyn Horton ’14 jaclynlhorton@gmail.com
Jim Old ’15 jamesold1@mac.com
Nick Goldreyer ’16 nick.goldreyer@gmail.com
Madison Wiedeman ’17 madisonw5457@gmail.com
Allie Goldreyer ’18 allie.goldreyer@gmail.com
Blossom Maduafokwa ’18 bdm2140@barnard.edu
Andrew Yow ’18 david.andrew.yow@gmail.com
Wyatt Gill ’19 Wyatt.gill912@gmail.com
Tom Guan ’19 guantomy@gmail.com
Greta Katsner ’19 gretakastner@gmail.com
Chloe Lawrence ’19 chloelawrence512@gmail.com
Lucy Schmidt ’19 lucyschmidt88@gmail.com
Sophia Waugh ’20 sophiastoylewaugh@gmail.com
Lizzy Jones ’20 lizzyjonesatx@gmail.com
Lauren Gill ’21 Laurengill42@gmail.com
Betsy Goodrum ’21 betsygoodrum@gmail.com
Ellie Gunnin ’22 elliegunnin21@gmail.com
Sophie Hawthorne ’22 sophie.i.hawthorne@gmail.com
Class Notes Submissions
Share personal updates with us! Class reps call for news and notes several times throughout the year.
Class notes can also be submitted directly by using the QR Code to the right. We'd love to hear from you!
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Get Social!
Connect with St. Stephen’s and your classmates online.
Spartan Alumni Network spartanalumninetwork.com
Facebook: StStephensAlumni
Instagram: SSTX_OnTheHill and SpartanAlumniAssociation
YouTube: StStephensAustin
If you have not received emails from the Alumni Office recently, we may not have your current email address. Please send your information to molmstead@sstx.org so you do not miss invitations to events and news about your classmates. Thank you!
Michelle Geo Olmstead Director of Alumni Relations molmstead@sstx.org
Ryan Adams Assistant Director of Alumni Relations radams@sstx.org
If you are interested in serving, please contact Michelle Geo Olmstead at molmstead@sstx.org.
WE ARE SEEKING CLASS REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE CLASSES OF 1966 AND 2003.
ALUMNI NEWS 40 Winter Spartan Magazine | St. Stephen’s Episcopal School
Reunion Weekend
The Spartan Alumni Association looks forward to welcoming you to Reunion Weekend 2023. Join us on “The Hill” April 21-23 for a weekend full of reconnecting with old friends and celebrating your time on campus. All alumni are encouraged to attend!
FRIDAY, APRIL 21
Upper School Chapel — Haiti Trip 20th Anniversary Panel Chapel ............... 11:00 a.m.
Brewster Medal Reception Helm Fine Arts Foyer .... 5:00 p.m.
Pioneer Spartan Dinner honoring Randy Parten with The Founders Awards for Distinguished Service Bowen Arts Studio ....... 6:30 p.m.
Reunion Art Show
Scanlan Gallery, Helm Fine Arts Center .......... Open all Weekend
Class Parties for the classes in 3s and 8s.
SATURDAY, APRIL 22
Hike the Trails Meet by Dining Hall 9:00 a.m.
Admissions Open House Zoom ................... 10:00 a.m.
Spartan Alumni Association Annual Meeting Student Center Board Room ... 10:00 a.m.
Leadership Luncheon and Presentation of the Spartan Alumni Leadership Award to Kathyrn Miller Anderson '71 Bowen Arts Studio ......... 12:00 p.m.
Haiti Trip 20-Year Anniversary Reception Becker Library 4:30 p.m.
Decade Happy Hours Various Campus Locations .... 5:00 p.m.
Taste of Austin Bowen Arts Studio and Food Truck Court ........... 6:00 p.m.
SUNDAY, APRIL 23
Alumni Chapel Chapel 10:00 a.m.
Spartan Spotlight: Spartans Making a Difference Brunch recognizing Ann-Tyler Chote Konradi '90 Bowen Arts Studio 11:00 a.m.
Reunion is chaired by Spartan Alumni Association Board members, Alice Nazro Nezzer ’87 and Shannon Powers Flahive ’96
Stay tuned for complete details reaching mail boxes soon.
6500 St. Stephen’s Drive Austin, Texas 78746
If you receive multiple copies of this publication or have updated address information to share with us, please send an email to Sharon Sparlin at ssparlin@sstx.org. Thank you!
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SNAPSHOT Two students stroll through the campus grounds on a beautiful fall day.