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Creative Migration The art of social practice Susannah Tantemsapya ’93
Message from the Head of School Each story inside this issue of Echoes illustrates the unique character of Summit graduates. A school like ours doesn't happen by accident. We continue to be guided today by inspiration from our founding head, Louise Futrell, for whom it was vital that children explore and learn from the real world around them and plumb the depths of the emerging world within them. A true Progressive educator, she sought to engage children in life, for “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself” (Dewey). The alumni featured in this issue are diverse. Yet these shared characteristics stand out for all: • Seeking challenge
• Tenacity
• Intellectual satisfaction
• Sharing across generations
• Endless possibilities
• Influence by people and places
• Risk taking
• Pulling from history—
• Excitement of the chase
while shaping the present and imagining the future
• Embracing opportunity
Careers and lives like those of Carl, Susannah, Alex, Bobby, Lorrie, Fadzai and Kadie find their roots in their rich experiences, deep engagement and discovery of passions at Summit. Grounded in those roots, each of these alums is pursuing a life of inquiry and contribution, reaching far into a future we can scarcely imagine. Summit graduates are powerful influencers. They are able to draw from many—often disparate—experiences to design unique solutions and shape new ways of seeing the world. And in our challenging, rapidly changing times, we need the vision and impact of Summit graduates more than ever. Architect Alex Butler ’95 captures the roots and reach of Summit when reflecting on a renovation he undertook in 2010:
I worked on this project for a year, and I lived and breathed every aspect. This was the best possible training--total immersion and attention to every detail. It’s the benchmark for the standard of service I now provide to each and every one of my clients. And so it is with the Summit experience: total immersion and attention to every detail. That’s learning that lasts a lifetime. Onward and upward,
Michael Ebeling Head of School
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Summit School’s Echoes is published annually for alums, parents, and friends by Summit School.
2100 Reynolda Road Winston-Salem, NC 27106 336.722.2777 www.summitschool.com
Editor: Sarah Dalrymple Writer: Robin Pfefferkorn Design: One Hero Creative
Summit School admits students of any race, religion, color, and national or ethnic origin.
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An Architect's Journey – Alex Butler ‘95
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My career as an Architectural Historian: Discovering American History through its Buildings at Colonial Williamsburg – Carl Lounsbury ‘67
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Creative Migration – Susannah Tantemsapya ‘93
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One Brand of Entrepreneur – Lorrie Dixson Griggs ‘86
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New York City Actor – Bobby Mittelstadt ‘03
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The Moment When You Say “Thanks Summit!ˮ Kadie Hicks ‘14 and Fadzai Mushayamunda ‘15
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Alums on Campus
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Reunions
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Class Notes
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College List
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What’s Happening at Summit
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In Memoriam
An Architect's Journey Alex Butler ’95
at UNC-Chapel Hill developing his portfolio before transferring to The University of Virginia School of Architecture. “I spent three great but exhausting years in Charlottesville honing my more modernist tendencies, but remaining grounded in the traditional realm, as well, partly from Jefferson’s surrounding Colonial context, and also from a semester in Vicenza, Italy studying and sketching Palladio,” Alex explains. Upon graduation, Alex had intended either to stay in Charlottesville or to try his luck in Charleston, SC. He realized, to his chagrin, however, the negative effects the tech bubble and resulting market correction of 2001 and 2002 had on the design industry of both areas. Says Alex, “Design is considered a luxury and, if money is tight, it is one of the first areas where clients cut back. So, long story short, after coming up short in the South, I received an offer from Robert A.M. Stern Architects (RAMSA) in New York City. I decided that was an opportunity that I could not and should not pass up. Truthfully, I wanted to fulfill my short term obligation there and continue pursuing Charleston. However, almost immediately, I fell in love with the city, its energy, and its people (quite frankly, many of them Southerners!), and I have been here almost ever since.” After two years in RAMSA’s offices, Alex began work with renowned international architectural firm Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), which was spearheading design for a new West Side New York Jets football stadium that would double as the centerpiece of NYC’s 2012 Olympic bid. A model for sustainable design, the stadium would have boasted wind turbines on the roof, solar power generation, water reclamation strategies throughout, and the greenest materials on the market at the time.
Alas, New York did not get the Olympics, and the Jets did not get their West Side stadium, but Alex, who had by way of contingency been applying to graduate schools, was accepted to Yale, and off he went. “At Yale, I finally From the time he was a little boy, Alex Butler ’95 wanted got my opportunity to work on residential-scale designs to be an architect. “It was the old Lego/Lincoln Logs cliché: during their ‘First Year Building Project,’ which is the I built with anything I could find growing up. I didn’t have longest-run program of its kind training early on, but I took an in the country, with the goal art class with Mrs. Ritter in the of designing, building, and ninth grade at Summit. I think I financing a portion of a new “I was drawn to sketching was supposed to draw gardens or home to a first-time, need-based landscapes but everything I put Fort Tally instead of the homebuyer. I was fortunate to out was some sort of structure. kindergarten flower gardens.” be among the small group of Boring from an artistic point of students chosen to remain to view probably, but technical and build and detail out the house, so interesting to me. I didn’t know I was able to have a real-world, about drafting or architectural hands-on experience in exactly the style, size, and type of technique at this point, I just found I was drawn to sketching architecture that I had been wanting to pursue,” says Alex. Fort Tally instead of the kindergarten flower gardens.” In high school at St. Paul’s in New Hampshire, Alex launched the beginnings of his formal education in architecture by picking up drafting and design classes. He then spent a year 4
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On returning to New York in 2010, newly married, Alex undertook a project which even today remains the project he is most proud of. He took on a complete renovation of
the apartment his wife had lived in for the ten years prior to brokerage, so that I have professionals showing apartments their becoming acquainted. Of the work, he says, “The brief with the aim of fitting the needs of the client, not just to win was simple: design whatever you want. Do it custom, but not a commission. It starts here, because, arguably, I can achieve too personal; modern, but not too cold; a gut renovation, but a better and more personalized finished product if I can tailor not too expensive. the search from I worked on this the outset, instead project for a year, of having to react “I was able to have a real-world, hands-on and lived and to something that breathed every experience in exactly the style size and type of may or may not aspect. This was be flexible to the architectural that I had been wanting to pursue...” client's wish-list. the best possible training—total You also can plant immersion the seeds of reality and attention early enough that to every detail. It’s the benchmark for the standard of the management of expectations can result in a trusting service I now provide to each and every one of my clients.” relationship from the very beginning. The design phase is After completing this project, Alex realized he could use a obviously critical, but the execution of that design is equally, little residential brush up after all the years in commercial if not more, important. I dream of having the contracting and architecture, so he rejoined forces with former colleague Tom subcontracting aspects of the business in house, as well. If my Hickey at Grade New York, and spent three years designing team is involved from the very beginning to the very end the everything from Tudor-style additions in Bronxville, to possibilities are endless.” condos in the city, and spec houses in the Hamptons. In the winter of 2013, he struck out on his own and incorporated his company, Alexander Butler | Design Services, LLC. Since then, he has designed close to two dozen projects throughout the city and in Westchester County. Alex’s facility with a variety of styles, his ability to work within budgets large or small, and his willingness to custom-design in collaboration with his clients have caused him to be widely sought-after. Since taking the plunge, some of his designs have included a bachelor pad for a young tech entrepreneur, a pied-a-terre on Park Avenue, a transformative kitchen and family room renovation in Bedford, NY, and a 4000 squarefoot gut of three apartments with 26th floor views of Lady Liberty and the Hudson River in Battery Park. In addition to his stunning designs, he says, “I pride myself on a couple of things beyond my attempt to offer the most interesting and innovative solutions, and those are my openness and transparency from the minute we meet, and my dedication and sensitivity to my clients’ budget. In the first sense, I respond to project inquiries immediately with current cost data and descriptions of project realities, which are often not as rosy as others may lead clients to believe. Clients, as well as I, love beautiful things, but in the city especially, these things come at a premium. I have found ways to provide those beautiful things for a price that makes high design more accessible. For instance, by choosing such materials as Caesarstone instead of marble or Formica laminates instead of wood veneer, I am able to hold tighter to budgets without compromising on design.” So what does the future look like for Alex? It looks streamlined under one roof. “It’s like a bespoke suit, versus a suit off the rack. I’m learning that the ideal is to have control of the full process, beginning with the real estate Spring 2017 Summit ECHOES
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My career as an Architectural Historian: Discovering American History through its Buildings at Colonial Williamsburg Written by Carl Lounsbury ’67
When I retired at the end of 2016, I had spent thirty-five years as a member of the Architectural Research Department at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. As many Summit 8th graders have learned on their field trips to this place, Colonial Williamsburg is the largest outdoor American history museum in the country. Through the generous philanthropy of John D. Rockefeller, it was started in the late 1920s to commemorate and educate the American public about the momentous events and ideas that shaped the early history of this country. For the past 90 years, meticulous research into the history, buildings, gardens, and objects has recreated the setting, and programs have been established to interpret the ideas that shaped many of our fundamental beliefs as a democratic society. It is a powerful message that still resonates today, and I have been very proud to have been part of a team of historians that have shaped the environment and stories that we have presented to millions of people who visit Williamsburg. As an architectural historian, my charge was to research, design, reconstruct, and write about the early buildings of Williamsburg. I spent much of my time investigating particular buildings in order to restore or reconstruct them in the historic area of Williamsburg. For three years, I read thousands of old colonial court record books, discovering information about the form and function of public buildings. I examined every standing eighteenthcentury courthouse in America (there are not that many), as well as dozens that survive in England, the source for our legal system. It was fun getting to travel to various locations and negotiate entrance into an active courtroom 6
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to measure the chief magistrate’s chair or photograph the lawyers’ bar. I learned a lot about the emergence of the American system of law from its English inheritance. After we restored our eighteenth-century courthouse in Williamsburg, I had the opportunity to write a history of early public buildings in Virginia, which has been used by many jurisdictions to help guide the restoration of their old public buildings.
These long-term research projects broadened my understanding of many aspects of early American society, of which I had little previous knowledge. The excavation of the colonial theater near the capitol in Williamsburg opened another area. I began to examine the early years of the American stage. Besides the usual documentary research, I traveled to England and Europe to record surviving eighteenth-century theaters in out of the way places such as the Czech Republic, Sweden, and provincial English towns. I attended conferences and performances focused on the eighteenth-century stage in the era of Garrick and talked with actors about their experiences playing before an audience in intimate settings where the lights (candles) remained lit throughout the entire performance and theater-goers often commented loudly on the quality of the acting during the production. I thoroughly enjoyed this project. We still need to build the theater, but I will leave that to the next generation that takes my place at Colonial Williamsburg. Although I have logged many hours in dusty archives rubbing my eyes as I tried to decipher crabbed handwriting, the most satisfying moments of my career have been the immediate experiences of extraordinary spaces and places. Over the years, I have visited hundreds of buildings and have learned as much about the present as the past. I have crawled under, climbed around, fallen through, and broken into (I’m an architectural historian it’s ok) hundreds of old buildings grand Virginia gentry mansions, cold New England farmhouses, decrepit South Carolina slave quarters, Baroque Czech theaters, and remote English churches. I have opened doors that have been closed for years not knowing what I would find on the other side. I have examined buildings untouched for more than two centuries and have chatted up lunatics and lords in order to get into some amazing spaces unknown in Winston-Salem (except, perhaps in a dark corner of Old Salem). Fieldwork offers the excitement of the chase (often done in packs of historians armed with flashlights, tape measures, graph paper, and bug spray)—in finding or stumbling across an unknown structure in an unexpected place; the challenge of reading
“Not every Summit student who comes to Williamsburg will end up an historian of colonial history, but all of them discover a place where history does matter, for it is not dry facts and dates, but real places where real people made hard choices...”
disparate evidence to sort out its often complex sequence of alterations; and the intellectual satisfaction of making mute stones and boards say something about early American society. Why do this? In part to help illuminate that age-old question about who we are and how did we end up the way that we did. We wish to touch the past, to bring it alive, and make it talk to us to answer the thousand and one questions we have about where we came from and our place in the world. I like sharing my discoveries through writing scholarly books and articles, lectures to a broad public audience, and teaching the next generation of historians. Inspired by my mother, Mary Lounsbury, who was a teacher’s aide at Summit and helped in Miss Christian’s and Mrs. Brower’s kindergarten and first grade classes for a few years before resuming a regular teaching position in the Winston-Salem city schools, I have taught architectural history at a number of universities in Virginia over the past four decades. Although I have finished my career at Colonial Williamsburg, I continue to be involved in architectural research and teaching at the College of William and Mary. Like teachers in all classrooms, the great joy comes when a student’s interest in sparked by something they have heard in class, read in their assignments, or, in my case, seen in one of the many old buildings that we visit. Studying old buildings is not for everyone, and few choose to do it as a profession. How did I end up spending so many years in this peculiar area of history? Where did it start? I grew up in Winston-Salem. As a kid, when our family took long trips, I remember vividly staring out the back seat window looking for “Civil War” houses, ones that looked old or decrepit, which must have been around since the 1860s. My family attended Home Moravian Church and in the late 1950s and early 1960s, many of the buildings around Salem Square were being torn down or renovated, and new “old” buildings were being constructed. I remember playing in the old music recital hall across from the church when it was being demolished (perhaps I should not have been in the wrecked building). I was fascinated by the process that turned Salem into Old Salem, Inc., a museum town. In fact the same architects who restored Colonial Williamsburg some thirty years earlier were hired to oversee the beginning of Salem’s restoration. Perhaps these experiences nudged me in the
direction of my future career. I also retain strong memories of my surroundings—whether the layout of Summit around 1960 when there was just a couple of wings and a covered walkway out front—not the elaborate campus of today, or the detailed plan of the first house that I lived in. In college at Chapel Hill, I was a history major, but took a number of courses in art and architectural history, which led me to apply to a graduate program associated with the Smithsonian, where I met a professor who taught architectural history as a way of understanding past societies. He also introduced me to the fun of fieldwork. When he became the leader of the research division of Colonial Williamsburg a few years later, it was natural for me to follow him there. I now see a direct path to where I ended up, but probably it did not seem as clear along each step of the way. After all these years, it seems like the right path for it has been richly rewarding intellectually, filled with many interesting details, and has never grown dull. Even now, I feel that I am only getting started. There is so much more to discover, so much more to write about. Historical research never answers all our questions; it only opens up new lines of inquiries. After four decades in Williamsburg, I still find delight in walking the streets of the restored town. I enjoy watching visitors discover something new about our colonial past in the public programs or in the physical surroundings of the buildings, gardens, and objects. It is also a great place to raise kids. My two children participated in the Fife and Drum Corps where they learned to read music, discovered the history of the tunes they played, and learned to reach out and talk to visitors after their many marches and programs. Over the years, I have seen Summit School students come to Williamsburg. For a few years, I had the opportunity to talk to Mr. Carr and his classes when they came up. Although field trips sometimes can appear to be great larks, they often have very profound effects that may not manifest themselves immediately. Placed in a different environment, kids who visit Williamsburg see many things outside their normal existence. Some are deeply moved by their experience of working with colonial tools, or the elaborate weave of the fabrics in the milliner’s shop, or are flabbergasted to be able to talk with Thomas Jefferson about ideas that may have been covered in class, but to see them come from someone who inhabits the role so perfectly, (I even forget his real name at times), it makes a deep impression. Those moments are stored away in their memories that may later form the spark of a life-long interest. Not every Summit student who comes to Williamsburg will end up an historian of colonial history, but all of them discover a place where history does matter, for it is not dry facts and dates, but real places where real people made hard choices about the kind of society in which they wanted to live. Some made good choices, some stumbled and made bad ones, but they had real consequences. In Williamsburg, many of those issues are vividly dramatized for all to see. Spring 2017 Summit ECHOES
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A Creative Migration Susannah Tantemsapya ’93
“As the commercial art world in America rides a boom unlike any it has ever experienced, another kind of art world growing rapidly in its shadows is beginning to assert itself. And art institutions around the country are grappling with how to bring it within museum walls and make the case that it can be appreciated along with paintings, sculpture and other more tangible works… Known primarily as social practice, its practitioners freely blur the lines among object making, performance, political activism, community organizing, environmentalism and investigative journalism, creating a deeply participatory art that often flourishes outside the gallery and museum system.” (Randy Kennedy, March 20, 2013 NY Times Online) This “social practice art” is not just a passing trend, it is rather a means of engaging the community in larger social, political, and philosophical discussions through an artistic lens. As such, it can be a catalyst for social change. Cultural producer Susannah Tantemsapya ’93 held these ideals close at heart when she founded the international 8
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arts organization Creative Migration. Creative Migration seeks to produce and collaborate on initiatives that advance diplomacy through the various mediums of art, social engagement, and sustainable futures. In the twelve years since its founding, the nonprofit has developed multiple projects intended to interrupt the status-quo of daily life, explored contemporary societal concerns through relational aesthetics, produced art installations, arranged public gatherings and experimental performances, and more. In 2015, Susannah executed Projection, a large-scale, public art intervention in Los Angeles by Paris-based artist Vincent Lamouroux. In addition, she participated in Project Green, a Stockholm-based sustainable filmmaking initiative, and she directed and produced the documentary short film POST NEW BILLS: The Story of Green Patriot Posters, which was part of a traveling exhibition with the Design Museum Foundation from 2014-16. Says Susannah of her work, “Creative Migration collaborates on projects to propel social change through artistic means. We have a particular interest in environmental sustainability, and our work is very participatory. It’s closely linked with ‘social practice’ art, which is a newly recognized medium, the actual term being widely established in 2005 (the same year I founded Creative Migration). As our name implies, our work spans across the globe to cultivate cultural diplomacy.” Susannah, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Thailand, ended up in Winston-Salem through her grandfather, a career diplomat who retired to his home state of North Carolina. She recalls joining her grandfather on Sunday mornings at the old Rainbow Newsstand on Summit Street next door to the original Summit School campus. Her early years at Summit had a lasting impact. “Mrs. Teague’s 5th grade class, Man: A Course of Study (MACOS) made a significant imprint on my learning at Summit. The coursework centered around films of an Inuit community near the Arctic Circle in the 1960s. The purpose of MACOS was to teach children about what it means to be a human being through an indigenous experience. The curriculum originated from the Anthropology Department at Harvard University. We even had a field trip to find soapstone in order to create our own carvings, just like in the films. Also, Pioneer Day in 3rd grade (where I learned to churn butter) and our 8th grade trip to Colonial Williamsburg (where I learned to eat wild game, a rabbit!) presented a living history for me that signifies how unique my early education really was,” she says. After graduating from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Susannah moved to New York City to work in the music industry. Then September 11th happened. “Everything changed,” she said. “The city felt traumatized and, well, a bit crazy. In 2003 I was offered a job at Capitol Records, so I jumped at the opportunity to move to Los Angeles. But, the business was, and still is, going through a tumultuous time due to the ever-expansive internet. After a year, I took a
“...Pioneer Day in 3rd grade (where I learned to churn butter) and our 8th grade trip to Colonial Williamsburg (where I learned to eat wild game, a rabbit!) presented a living history for me that signifies how unique my early education really was”
self-imposed (half) ‘gap year,’ traveling to Italy, Thailand, and Australia. I became infused with ideas, inspired by the people and places that I encountered. My youthful ambition, as well as naiveté, pushed me to build Creative Migration in search of this ideal.” Even now, a decade in, she is passionate about her mission. “I’m actually in love with my work. Although it is incredibly difficult and exhausting at times, I never want to stop. I continually get excited and inspired to soldier on!” Among Susannah’s accomplishments is an ongoing career in journalism, her writing has appeared in publications such as Whitewall Magazine, Canvas magazine, and art ltd. She is also the producer and host of Proust-inspired radio program …the charming mistakes of my youth… on KCHUNG 1630AM in Los Angeles, as well as a part of their burgeoning news programming. Her latest piece, The Land Recordings, is part of KCHUNG residencies this year at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles and the Telfair Museums in Savannah, GA. Susannah is also a Fellow at the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce in London (founded in 1754, the RSA is a prestigious society that has included the likes of Benjamin Franklin, Charles Dickens, Marie Curie, Karl Marx, and Stephen Hawking amongst its membership). Creative Migration collaborated with French-American artist Jasmin Blasco on a fictitious narrative entitled The First Human Born in Space. This transmedia project uses film, audio, and performance in a sequence of transmissions to examine how space exploration and colonization have evolved in relation to global climate change. The newest iteration, In From the Cold, will be a daily radio broadcast as part of the Antarctic Pavilion at the 57th Venice Biennale opening May, 2017. Currently, Creative Migration is in the planning stages of its most ambitious project to date. The organization will establish a new cultural and civic Hub for Bangkok in 2018. “The project will provide a platform for enlightened debate, multidisciplinary collaboration, and a space for new ideas, networks, and talent to be fostered and promoted. The Hub will be a unique social voice in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region. It will become one of Bangkok’s most vital civic spaces, bringing together citizens, artists, innovators, entrepreneurs, and thinkers to co-create an authentically Thai response to the challenges of our time. This initiative will be in partnership with the RSA, a 260 year old ‘think-and-act tank’ harnessing the power of 21st Century Enlightenment,” comments Susannah. Spring 2017 Summit ECHOES
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Onward and Upward with the
Alumni Council In 2014, the Alumni Council was formed to keep alumni in better touch with Summit. Sandlin Douglas ’94 and Kay D Burress King ’83, current parents and members of the Board of Trustees, served as chairs of the council during its first two years. In 2016, they passed the reins to Matt Spear ’86 who has also agreed to serve a 2 year term. Spear said, “when I reflect about Summit both from the indelible memories of the experiences of my three siblings and what I see in Summit's bright present, I think about fun, passion, pride, learning, inclusiveness, ambition, relationships, community, and teamwork.” The primary goals of the council are to get alumni involved and to share with them inspiring moments happening at Summit today. The council exists to bring alumni from all over the country together to remember the old days and be a part of the new.
Matt Spear ’86, Chair Aurelia Gray Eller ’47 Lynda King Morris ’63 Leesa Lybrook Goodson ’71 Ridgely Medlin Phillips ’76 Jimbo Galloway ’80 Kay D. Buress King ’83 Carolyn Sherrill Fuller ’85 Drew Cannon ’91 Sandlin Douglas ’94 Rachel Neely Johnson ’99 Mimi Driscoll Bennett ’04 Suzanna Roemer ’05 Blitz Hoppe ’07
Council Meeting, Founders Day, 2016 at Summit School, Bottom Row L to R: Leesa Lybrook Goodson ’71, Aurelia Gray Eller ’47, Matt Speer ’86, Top Row L to R: Suzanna Roemer ’05, Lynda King Morris ’63, Sandlin Douglas ’94 and Carolyn Sherrill Fuller ’85 To get involved, please reach out to any of the Alumni Council members. Or, contact Sarah Dalrymple, Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement, at sarahd@summitmail.org or 336.722.2777. 10
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One Brand of Entrepreneur Lorrie Dixson Griggs ’86
marketing field but didn’t like the way the particular company I was working for was run. It was at that point that I decided I had made enough contacts in the industry to start my own company. So, while still working at CNN, I launched Eskimo Advertising in 2002. Once my clientele grew, I left CNN to run my company full-time.” Then in 2009 she made a move. “I wanted to be near the water, so I moved the company to Charleston, where I plan to stay permanently.” When Lorrie originally launched Eskimo, she mainly bought advertising space in print, radio, TV, and billboards, as well as handling all aspects of design and execution for clients. As she became more seasoned, however, she began to realize that there were often opportunities for free press. Recognizing an opportunity when she saw one, Lorrie began establishing PR and media relations contacts in order to gain additional publicity for her clients. Eventually, she was able to bring PR entirely in-house. By streamlining her organization, she was able to control all aspects of a client’s brand while increasing awareness through targeted public and media relations. As time passed, social media exploded onto the scene, offering yet greater ways for marketers to zero-in on their target audiences. "It is very important to leverage companies among the fastest growing social platforms," says Lorrie. "It is key to define fans and show clients how and when to engage on social media, as well as offer value and news to drive immediate consumer action." Eskimo helps leverage its clients with social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and more. By creating, growing, and monitoring accounts, the company guides clients into making smart moves. In addition to establishing a social media presence for clients, Eskimo also works with cutting-edge web designers to build web sites, lay out content, and write copy.
Owner of Eskimo Advertising, a boutique marketing firm in Atlanta and Charleston with clients all over the country, Lorrie Dixson Griggs ’86 is a master of branding. Her client list includes Moe’s Original Bar B Que, Amalfi Pizza, Orange Beach Concierge, Red Phone Booth, Adam & Eve of North and South Carolina, and more. As Eskimo Advertising celebrates its 15th anniversary this year, the company has grown from a side business launched on a whim into a fullservice advertising, public relations, and social media firm specializing in effective branding and innovative marketing strategies. “It was at Summit School that I first learned to think outside of the box,” says Lorrie, who attended from kindergarten through 9th grade, before finishing her high school years at Salem Academy. After graduating with a BA in Communications from the University of Alabama, Lorrie worked in Atlanta for CNN in news production for fifteen years. “While there, I was always looking for new challenges, and I had the opportunity to freelance for an advertising company. During that time, I discovered that I loved the
Fast forward to 2016, and Lorrie and her husband, Bert, always looking for new opportunities, entered into yet another venture. The two started Drifter Merch, a promotional marketing company that supplies custom apparel, art, and other branded offerings for businesses, musicians, and fundraisers. Lifelong music fans and concert-goers, the two launched a website selling vintage-style music-inspired t-shirts, hats, and more, in addition to art on reclaimed wood. “My husband was always designing really cool music-inspired tees on high-quality materials. I urged him to start up an apparel business on the side, where he could handle the art and I could handle the marketing and business side of things,” Lorrie comments. “We enjoy selling our original designs online and at events, but we figured out quickly that the real money was in custom orders, which has been pretty easy with all of my business contacts.” Says Lorrie of her future, "While every day is a new adventure in business as an entrepreneur, I look forward to what the future holds."
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New York City Actor Bobby Mittelstadt ’03
In the early stages of establishing himself as a professional actor, Bobby made his debut last summer. He was cast in a non-singing role in Aida at the Metropolitan Opera in the fall, and has just wrapped on a part in a pilot for HBO with Jon Hamm. In addition, he is currently shooting a role in the Discovery Channel’s Six Degrees of Murder. He took some time out in January for a visit to Summit. “I was blown away by how much the school has developed, particularly the performing arts program. I can't believe Summit has a black box theater, and it’s REALLY NICE. It’s better equipped than my theaters in graduate school. I’m really excited for what this could mean for Summit students who are interested in maybe pursuing the arts in any capacity, and I’m so proud to be an alumnus of a school that values the arts and creativity in this way,” he says. After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2010, Bobby moved to Chicago for a much-coveted job with the editorial department at Groupon. While there, he enrolled in improv classes at The Second City, an improvisational theater known as a feeder for Saturday Night Live, and spent every night watching improv shows until the wee hours. Says Bobby, “I guess the plan was to study comedy and just see where it took me. Then a friend of mine who worked in the box office at the Goodman Theater gave me a free pair of tickets to see Red by John Logan, and everything went from black and white to Technicolor. I immediately enrolled in acting classes and decided that dramatic theater was absolutely what I wanted to do.”
If you have not heard the name Bobby Mittelstadt ’03 yet, not to worry. You will. Bobby is an emerging actor who got his first big break right here at Summit School in the Loma Hopkins Theater. The initial spark for acting took hold in him when he played the role of Father in the classic Hansel and Gretel. Says Bobby, “I had a solo about the witch and everything. I even got a standing ovation (or everyone got up to leave—I was ten, so my memory is a little hazy), and I never looked back. That first play at Summit was pretty much what set the gears in motion for me. Also the tremendous amount of support and encouragement I got from Mary Kerr and Loma Hopkins were instrumental. They recognized my passion early on and gave me a lot of opportunities to perform. If I hadn’t had that kind of support at such a young age there’s no doubt that I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing today.”
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“After a year of taking a la carte acting classes once a week, I realized that if I wanted to get really serious about acting I needed to enroll in an immersive, institutionalized program, which pretty much only exists in the form of an MFA. I applied to about 15 schools, and got waitlisted at a couple of good ones. Ultimately, I was only accepted at The Actors Studio Drama School, which sort of forced my hand to enroll there and move to NYC, which I was happy to do. So I moved here in August 2013 to start studying there.” In 2016 Bobby finished his MFA. He explains, “In a perfect world I could make a living out of live theater, either in the regional arena or here in New York. Way down the line I would love to get involved with the arts in an administrative capacity, either working in academia or in the non-profit sector. My experience in grad school helped me realize that I would be a really good faculty member or administrator. Right now I’m working two survival jobs that I kind of enjoy and trying to audition as much as possible. There’s some exciting stuff on the horizon but I kind of just take it day by day.”
The Moment When You Say "Thanks Summit!" Kadie Hicks ’14 and Fadzai Mushayamunda ’15
Salem Academy students spend January Term at Summit Screamin’ Eagle Radio Interview by Maura Way, 7th grade English teacher
Ms. Way: Hi, I’m Maura Way, seventh grade English teacher at Summit, I’m here with Fadzai Mushayamunda and Kadie Hicks who are here part of this semester as interns. I taught both of them when they were in seventh grade. It’s really great to have you guys back! Can you guys tell me what the Jan Term at Salem Academy is like? Fadzai: So in January, at Salem Academy, juniors and seniors are allowed to go off campus, into the community, and choose an internship at any place they desire, as long as they get it approved by the people at school. Ms. Way: What are some of the things you’re hoping to get out of this Jan Term internship experience? Kadie: Real life experience. Kind of like, working—‘cause that’s very different from school. Even working in a school; it’s very different than being told what to do all the time. So, definitely learning how to function as an adult.
Fadzai: Yeah, and even seeing what jobs you want to have and what you don’t want to do when you’re older. It’s kind of nice to figure it out now.
Ms. Way: Yeah! Sounds like a really cool program. So it’s been awhile since you’ve been at Summit, what are some things that, when you came back made Summit feel like home to you. Kadie: I think that, sitting in on the first assembly, it was a little weird, but it was also kind of comforting. I’ve been where all the kids are; I’ve sat in all those different seats. So to come back to that after almost four years of being away from it…it was a comfortable feeling. I’ve grown up here— 11 years of my life!—so to be back was awesome.
Fadzai: I think, when I came back, everybody was just so welcoming. Everybody already knew my name. And they were just so eager to have me here. So that was really nice. And I was here 11 years too—I came as a Junior-K’er, and stayed through ninth grade. Ms. Way: Wow, you guys really did grow up here. One thing kind of cool about Summit—there’s a lot of traditional things that always stay the same and then there’s a lot of change. Are there any things that you guys have noticed that have changed—that you guys are like, ‘Wow’? Fadzai: I think that the style of teaching has changed a bit also, since we have left. And I’ve started to see that there are different types, different ways of intellectual thinking that Summit’s trying to bring to all of the children, so that everybody learns in a different way. They have a different perspective. Ms. Way: I’d love to hear an example of that. Is there something you’ve seen in the classes, or a moment you can attach that to? Spring 2017 Summit ECHOES
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Kadie: There are so many teachers here who teach small groups of students, instead of just someone who teaches math to everybody. You can get the one-on-one work that you need. And it’s like, at lunch, you have all these teachers sitting with this kid, or this kid, and they’re like, “You know them better that way.”
Fadzai: I think that the “See, Think, and Wonder” questions that you ask all the students—I’ve seen that through all the grade levels. Ms. Way: What’s it like to be not quite the teacher, but at the teacher table at lunch, or in Dr. Ebeling’s office, as an intern, with the viewpoint of a professional or an educator, versus the other side of the desk? Kadie: It’s definitely different, because I’m obviously more used to being a student here than I am to being on this weird, partial teacher side of things. But it’s definitely different. I mean, you can drink fancy water—[laughter]—but like, there’s a whole other kind of side. I knew it was there, but I didn’t really know what all it involved. But, sitting in on the seventh-grade team meeting, you definitely see how much the teachers put into it for you. And how much they know you as students. Because they can talk about specific students and be like, “Oh yeah, this one’s really killing it,” and that’s really interesting to see. And I can appreciate more now, having come back and seen it.
Fadzai: I think that you’re able to go to all of the places that you weren’t able to go to before. So, the third floor of the library— Ms. Way: This is really making Fadzai smile. Talk more about the third floor.
Fadzai: I was able to see what happens up there and all
to voice an opinion, have an opinion. So that definitely is something that helped in high school a lot, and I think will help me in college.
Fadzai: I think I definitely took away a love for service after leaving Summit. So now, we’re able to go into the community and really try to make a difference in the world. And to get to do that at Summit. It’s nice to get to say, “Oh I remember doing this when I was a little kid at Summit.” So I think that was a good thing to take away. Ms. Way: Remember the old video morning announcements? “Now it’s your turn to go out and change the world!” [laughter] As Summit graduates, when you’re with people from other schools, whether it’s out in the community or at Salem Academy—are there any unique Summit experiences that you think of as normal that you realize you have to explain? Kadie: Tons of them. There were so many things that we did that—like Native American Day, we did Living Biographies, and like, when I was in kindergarten I helped plan the new playground. People don’t understand that kind of stuff at all about Summit. I mean—you do like Pioneer Day and people are like, “Why are you wearing a bonnet?” [laughter] And you have to explain, “This is this really cool thing we do.” It was just like, yes we are dressing up like Native Americans and we are going to go spend a day in a teepee, that’s going to happen. It felt really normal; and it’s still really normal. And other people are always a little confused by it, and also jealous. Which I found out. People wish they had done it.
Ms. Way: So what are some things you remember from seventh grade? Fadzai: Good English.
of the meetings that go on up there. And it was really interesting, because as a student, you’re not really told to go up there. But you’re allowed to go to the third floor of the library, see all of the offices, how everybody works in their individual spaces. So, I think that was really interesting.
Kadie: Definitely! Lots of vocabulary words.
Ms. Way: That seems like that’s what is really important about having an internship. It’s almost like Undercover Boss. What are some things about your Summit experience as a student that you feel you’ve taken with you? Either a big idea or a specific memory.
Kadie: Defenestrate. All-time favorite.
Kadie: I definitely think that I learned at Summit how to be more comfortable just talking to people. Because everyone here is really friendly and willing to talk to you. Like I said, coming back, everyone knew who I was even though it’s been three, almost four, years. But, like, I’m not as shy. I’ll go talk to a stranger! Because, at Summit, I could. You’re expected to say hi to everyone. And so, that kind of thing—teachers always wanted you to contribute. They always wanted you 14
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Ms. Way: So do you remember any of them? Fadzai: Ambiguous.
Ms. Way: Everyone loves that word. I don’t know what it is…maybe it’s throwing things out the window. Anything else about the seventh grade experience? Because, seventh grade is a tumultuous time. It’s the middle of middle school. And a lot of people tell me that they don’t actually remember a lot about seventh grade because the social and emotional parts are so—your brain’s changing. Does it seem that way to you? That the memories seem sort of vague? Kadie: I think I remember the things that were really interactive and fun, like when we did the medieval feast and the Greek unit—like the Olympics and stuff. Those are the
things that kind of stick out for seventh grade. Learning how to sing in Old English was interesting. And we acted out skits. We did Midsummer Night’s Dream and I was the Wall, and I remember that.
Ms. Way: You made a great Wall, Kadie. Kadie: And then, for Mr. Stackhouse we did a presentation on Buddhism and we got to learn how to do Buddhist breath meditation and I wore a sheet as clothes and did a presentation on it and taught everyone in the class how to breathe. I remember that.
Ms. Way: I remember you guys having to get special permission to wear yoga pants, or somebody did, because you weren’t allowed. Because in the old dress code, you couldn’t wear leggings. Some people don’t even remember that. You guys are living history. I remember that was a big deal, you guys were so psyched. You were advocating for yourself. You had an educational reason for it. You asked appropriately. So within that, there were a lot of lessons—life lessons. How about you, Fadzai? Fadzai: I definitely remember A Midsummer Night’s Dream. And I think Joe was the one who brought in the horse head and wore it every day when we were talking about the book.
Ms. Way: It sounds like some of the more interactive things seem to stand out for you guys. Just talking to you I can tell that your Summit experience has made you really interesting people to talk to and really open and dynamic leaders. But academically, how did you feel as you moved into your next steps, were there moments where you said, “Thanks, Summit”? Kadie: There was definitely, I think the biggest one—I was telling Mrs. Rief the other day, when we did our research papers in the eighth grade on the Civil War, I think, Mr. Hano gave us diagrams, like, blown up diagrams of what you’re supposed to write on a card. And we spent days, weeks in the library and every day he would check your note cards to make sure you were doing the exact-right thing. But, I just finished my senior research paper, for first semester, and I pulled out the diagram. I went and found it from eighth grade, and used it for my note cards. It was the most helpful thing ever. Most people didn’t come out of middle school with that much research paper experience—essay and MLA format, that kind of stuff—and like, at the time, I didn’t want to do it, because I was in middle school. [laughter]
Fadzai: Yeah. I think that being here in ninth grade makes you such a leader, that right when I got to Salem, I was able to just dive into everything. And by about a month into school, everyone was like, “Oh, I thought you’d been here the whole time.” Because you’re able to just fit in so well. Summit prepares you with such great social skills. You’re able to become so involved in everything that you do. So, it was really nice, to be able to have that experience to go into my sophomore year at Salem Academy. Ms. Way: That’s great. I think that’s one of the things that all your teachers, all the educators here, want for our students. So, that’s very inspiring to us to hear that. As we wrap up, do you guys have one moment, or reflection, or just something funny that has happened during your internship that you’d like to share? Kadie: I don’t know. Just…lunch table discussions with the teachers are very interesting. And I think Mrs. Rief thought it was funny that I was excited to use the teachers’ bathroom. [Laughter] It’s a habit. I don’t feel old enough.
Ms. Way: It’s those little things. Anything for you, Fadzai, that stands out as a moment? Fadzai: Well, going to the Junior K class is always really funny. Today I sat in and one of the students was like, “Are you someone’s mom?” [Laughter] Ms. Way: Yeah, they asked me once if I was someone’s grandma, so. [Laughter] You know, they just speak their minds. Well, it’s so nice to see you guys and we are so glad that you chose Summit for your internships. It’s great seeing your faces back here. And thanks so much for your help and for this conversation. It’s nice talking to you like this, instead of being like, “Take out your planner. We’re going to write down our homework.”
Ms. Way: Yeah, I remember. Kadie: So helpful. Because I didn’t have to learn it; I already knew it. And that’s just been incredibly helpful, especially with the senior paper. Spring 2017 Summit ECHOES
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Alums on Campus
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For many years, alums have helped staff Summit Summer. Last summer, we hosted alums each Friday and invited them to stop by the Development Office to check in and say ‘hello.’ So, alums, plan on Doughnuts with the Development Office again this summer!
REUNION EVENTS
Washington DC October 2016
Classes of 2011-2016 Summit
December 2016
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REUNION EVENTS
Class of 1971 May 2016
Save the Date
Class of 1967 - 50th Reunion Friday, September 22, 2017 Event details to follow
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Members of the class of 1971 gathered at the home of Leesa Lybrook Goodson ’71; the following day a group of classmates visited the Summit campus for a tour and lunch with Doug Lewis, former Head of School and Michael Ebeling, Head of School
REUNION EVENTS
Classes of 2002-2010 Diamondback
November 2016
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class notes 1948 Gusta Johnston sends this update, “I am still active in many areas. I am a charter member of the Greensboro Symphony Guild (1964), sing in the choir at West Market Street United Methodist Church, am on the art team there and hang pictures according to Lenten or Christmas seasons, visit art museums around the state, sing with a few choir members at nursing homes and serve and play harmonica at First Presbyterian Church for the homeless. I am a 28 year member of my DAR chapter, play bridge and enjoy my children and 7 grown grandchildren, and friends.”
1951 Paxson Glenn and Deedee Fenwick attended the dedication of the Fearrington Reading Room (in honor of classmate Florence Fearrington) last fall on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill; the grand reading room in the Louis Round Wilson Library has been renamed in her honor. A photograph from the 1949 Summiteer: clockwise Florence Fearrington, Deedee Fenwick, Paxson Glenn, John Garvey, Bob Ruffin and Tommy Rice. Arthur Selby (known at Summit as Alvin) writes, “I fondly remember the old house on Summit Street and Ms. Futrell who looked a lot like my mother. While I only attended Summit from 1942-1946, I feel it started me off on the right foot to accomplish what I have in my life. I was proud to attend an alumni gathering in Charlotte several years ago. Beyond my career as a Federal Law Enforcement Officer, I have just completed 71 years of volunteer service to the Boy Scouts of America and I was recently awarded the Vigil Honor by the Order of the Arrow which is their highest award. Once an Eagle, always an Eagle!”
1961 Lucy Cooper writes, “I am happily retired from a legal career and devoting time to my dog and my music, both guitar and choir.”
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1963 Pebble Wall III is married to Martha Little Wall. They have two children and four grandchildren. Wall is a volunteer "Life Member" at Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center with over 11,000 volunteer hours. Penelope (Penny) Ball Gourse called the alumni office to say, “I enjoyed Summit School and am very pleased and happy to have gone there. It is a fine school! The theatre productions were fantastic and Ms. Futrell was a wonderful, wonderful teacher. I remember Mr. Lewis fondly and I appreciate his patience, he was a keen teacher. He had a great impact on my life. I send my best to everyone, current and past. And, I say hello to Drewry Hanes Nostitz ’63 and recall the days together at Summit School and our friendship.” All of the Ball sisters attended Summit. Penelope’s twin, Eleanor (Ellie) Ball Friend, died in 2003.
1967 Robert Merritt is Professor of English, Dean of the College of Arts and Letters, and Director of the Honors Program at Bluefield College, in Bluefield, Virginia. Dr. Merritt is the author of two books of poetry The Language of Longing and Landscape Architects and the critical book Early Music and the Aesthetics of Ezra Pound. His poetry has appeared in a number of journals and the anthologies: The Southern Poetry Anthology, Vol. VII: North Carolina; Wild Sweet Notes II, Contemporary West Virginia Writers; and Coal: An Anthology. He is currently assembling another book of poetry and researching connections between Chinese poetry and contemporary Appalachian writers. In 2010, he taught poetry at Jiangsu Institute of Education in Nanjing, China. A member of The National Association for Poetry Therapy, he offers workshops on the healing power of expressive writing. He is a judge, for the annual “Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition.” Rob is one of the leaders of the Appalachian Interfaith Alliance, a group that sponsors informational sessions among members of different faiths in the area and fosters conversation especially between the Muslim and Christian communities in the area.
1972 Helen Levin writes, "at last, a newsworthy announcement from the annals of criminal justice. Along with Defender Association colleagues, I have established the Juvenile Lifer Project. We are representing most of Philadelphia's 300 juvenile lifers who were given mandatory life without parole sentences as teenagers, some as young as 14. Thankfully, the US Supreme Court
CLASS NOTES ruled that they all must be resentenced. Nearly 100 have been incarcerated over 40 years. On the whole, a thoughtful, mature, achievement oriented group of clients with uncanny patience. Having done only homicide trial work for two decades, meeting these clients is like looking through the other end of the telescope. What an education… It is exciting, not at all dreary. And I intend to see some clients get out before I turn 60. Please stay tuned.”
1984
Susan Janeway Moll says, “Summit was my absolute favorite school. My Summit friends and memories remain dear to me. And the teachers! Oh my... they were fabulous! I remember: • hiking with Bill Carr and my classmates on the Appalachian Trail for three days ending up in Penland • learning the poem that Mr. Comer made everyone memorize at the end of the year: "Be like a bird on which frail branches perched, a moment sits and sings. He feels them tremble but does not fear, knowing he has wings." • learning American History from Mrs. Wall (it was actually fun!) • learning Latin from Mrs. Adams (amo amas amat) • learning Math from Mrs. Mencken who wore a different dress every single day • learning French from Madame Smith and Madame Miranda (I majored in French in college thanks to them) • performing Romeo and Juliet directed by Mr. Forcier, my English teacher in the 9th grade
1985
(Susan Janeway Moll ’72, seated/chair, Mary Craig Wilson Tennille ’94, Director of Annual Giving and Stewardship, standing, Sarah Dalrymple, Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement, and Jeanne Sayers, Director of Development)
Betsy Fulton Saye writes, “I am a board member of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Triad chapter. I help with the gala and auction and we host a JDRF golf classic tournament here in Pinehurst. Our son Stephen,16, was diagnosed eight years ago with type one diabetes and we have been very involved ever since. He is a junior at Christ School in Asheville; William,14, is a freshman at Christ School in Asheville: Hannah, age 10 attends the O'Neal school in Pinehurst. I also serve on the board of visitors for the UNC Children's Hospital as well as on the UNC Chancellor's Philanthropic committee. I am an owner and partner in two retail stores in Aberdeen North Carolina. One is called Eloise, a ladies clothing boutique. The other is Eloise Trading Company, a gift and home decor shop. My husband Steve owns and operates a golf packaging company.”
Frank Graves and wife Stacy have been married 21 years and live in Seattle. They have 16 year old boy/girl twins, Jack and Ava, who are sophomores in high school. After 20 years at Starbucks in Sales and Marketing, Graves has recently joined Torani as Chief Sales Catalyst, based in Seattle.
1986 Beth Perry Skorich served as the Auction Chair for the 2017 JDRF Hope Gala - Piedmont Triad Chapter; the chapter was founded by her mother, Buff Perry, over twenty years ago. Beth says, “every year countless parents, volunteers, friends, and corporate sponsors support JDRF with their time, talents, voice and money to help turn Type One into Type None. Summit families have long been a part our story and success! On February 25th, nearly 1,000 people gathered at the Benton Convention Center for the 17th annual JDRF Hope Gala and raised over $1.28 million to support research.” Davis Skorich ’24 who was diagnosed at age 5, was a special ambassador for the evening and had multiple roles during the program. His brother Perry ’22 was there to support his every move. Spring 2017 Summit ECHOES
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CLASS NOTES
1987 Ted Budd was elected in the fall of 2016 to the US House of Representatives for NC district 13. He is also the owner of ProShots, a business in Rural Hall, NC.
1989 Architect Glenn Fulk is helping Bookmarks, a literary nonprofit, and Foothills Brewery, a for-profit hospitality business, collaborate to create a public gathering space in downtown Winston-Salem. Bookmarks will build a 4,600-square-foot bookstore and meeting place and Foothills is currently negotiating a lease on a contiguous space which will include a cafe shared by both businesses. Fulk, a New York and North Carolinalicensed architect who is from Winston-Salem and lives in New York, is creating the design.
1990 Amelia Bakshi has been named Community School Volunteer of the Year (Scott Avenue Elementary School, Whittier, CA), for building a culture of student and familial engagement and establishing a thriving art program that bolsters student creativity and recognition. “I am privileged to be able to spend my time working together with our wonderful volunteers to create and improve PTA programs that our students can be excited about and proud of when they bring their families to our school,” Bakshi said. “This recognition is rewarding, but the greatest reward I receive from the hard work is the joy I feel when I see our students and families having fun together at our campus events.”
1992 Susan M. Branch was honored by Appalachian State University and awarded the The 2016 Young Alumni Award, which honors individuals under age 40 for their exceptional service to the university and career accomplishments. Branch was recently named to the Appalachian State University’s Board of Trustees, and is a past member of the Appalachian State University Foundation Board of Directors and Alumni Council. “I am honored to serve,” she said, “because Appalachian has given so much to me. I was taught to give back to the community …that gives so much
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to you. Whether it’s my time, talent or treasure, I want current and future Mountaineers to have even better opportunities than I had.”
1997 Reid Long lives in Nashville, TN, where he owns Reid Long Productions, a full-service video production company. He has directed music videos for The Black Keys, Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, and Kasey Musgraves and Willie Nelson, among others. Reid won the 2016 Academy of Country Music Video of the Year Award for Eric Church's "Mr. Misunderstood." Reid married Meredith Jones in May, 2015. She is an agent at Creative Artists Agency. Anne Browning Walker, works for an education nonprofit, Global Game Changers Children's Education Initiative, in Louisville, KY. The organization teaches and inspires elementary-age kids to give back and make a difference using our Superpower Equation: MY TALENT + MY HEART = MY SUPERPOWER! Talent, something you like to do or are good at, and heart as the cause you care about. The curricula teaches kids about 12 different causes - everything from Animals to Poverty to Rescue. They offer programs for in-school, after school, and events, to teach kids how to find their superpowers and Ignite Good! (do something nice without expecting anything in return). She continues, “for our Discover Your Superpower InResidence Program at the Muhammad Ali Center, we joined forces to impact children in our community who don't have access to out-of-school time programs. The Ali Center's motto is "Find Your Greatness," something that aligns very closely with our own. Together, we worked with them to offer a 5-days-per-week after school program based around the Global Game Changers curriculum and Ali's life and principles. We partnered with Whitney Young Elementary, a highrisk public school with International Baccalaureate certification, to bring 50 students into the program. During the program, we hosted speakers, did enriching activities, and explored the museum. At the end, students created and delivered service projects to locations of their choosing throughout our community. We have partnered with the University of Louisville to conduct an evaluation of the program and its impact.”
1998 After beginning her career at MoMA PS1, Heather Flow founded Flow Advisory, an art advisory firm specifically dedicated to advising a younger generation
CLASS NOTES of contemporary artists. Flow Advisory was developed with the desire to assist cognoscente collectors build substantive collections. Flow Advisory uses methodical scholarship to analyze artworks, artists’ practices, and the maintenance and growth of a collection. The firm helps clients examine, comprehend, and support the fullness of an artist’s practice. Josh Willis, has moved back to Winston-Salem having lived in New Orleans, Philadelphia, and San Antonio. He has owned Camel City Yoga since fall of 2013. Willis has been practicing yoga for 17 years teaching full time for 4. He says, “yoga makes everything better.”
1999 Dixon Douglas has published the first book of his children’s book series The Adventures of Lovey. The series is dedicated to his daughter and all the adventures she and her “Lovey” (security blanket) have been on together. Visit warrenpublishing.net.
2000 Molly Mae Potter won the title of Ms. Veteran America 2016. The competition is a national campaign to encourage women veterans to become leaders and champions for women veterans issues within their communities across the country. As Ms. Veteran America, Molly Mae will be traveling across the country advocating and raising awareness about the rapidly growing demographic of homeless women veterans. For more information please visit msveteranamerica.org.
2004 Sarah Kaplan writes “my passion for the arts can be traced as far back as Summit's Famous Americans Day in 1st grade when I was the famous painter, Mary Cassatt. I was so fascinated with the artist that my aunt took me to view an exhibition of her work at the National Gallery of Art. My interest in the arts deepened in college where I majored in Art History, and continued after graduation as I worked for the National Gallery of Art for several years. Inspired by these experiences, I started my jewelry line, Designs by s.e.K, in 2015. The line is comprised of unique, handcrafted pieces featuring natural stones and minerals. I am thankful to Summit for helping spark my lifelong passion for art.” (Sarah Kaplan ’04, Sarah Dalrymple, Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement, and Mary Craig Wilson Tennille ’94, Director of Annual Giving and Stewardship) Patrique Veille was recently interviewed for a story in the Winston-Salem Journal. According to Veille, a co-owner of American Hemp LLC in Winston-Salem, there are many uses for industrial hemp: horse bedding, particle board, even the fabric on car-door interiors. He has been in the industrial-hemp business for years, but has relied on imports. By the end of the year, he may be able to buy industrial hemp products from North Carolina farmers rather than growers in other countries.
2006 2001 Gus Chrysson writes, “after 11½ years in New York City as a student and professional musician, I decided to follow another vocational path toward ordained ministry as a priest in the Episcopal Church. To facilitate that transition, I relocated to Winston-Salem last January, and enjoyed working at Summit as a substitute teacher during the spring semester. In July, I moved to Alexandria, Virginia, where I am working toward my MDiv at Virginia Theological Seminary. My sponsoring Diocese (regional ecclesiastical unit) is Costa Rica, where I have deep family connections.”
Emily Krewson is earning a master's in Counseling for Clinical Mental Health through NC State Online. “Counseling is my true passion, as well as working with children and families. This is my fourth year working as a Kindergarten Teaching Assistant (I teach at Sherwood Forest). I absolutely LOVE to be part of Summit (Krewson worked at Summit Summer 2016) and work with great alumni such as Stephanie Flores de Valgaz ‘01, Will Blackard ‘13, Alex Grosswald ‘15, and Gus Chrysson ‘01 this year. It was great to be able to connect with the younger and older alums; this is just an experience that is often missed.”
2007 Adam Engstrom married Elle Fulenwider, the wedding was held in October, 2016.
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2007 (continued) Austin Welch writes, “I was in the Army ROTC program for 3 years at Appalachian State and recently commissioned and graduated from ASU with a degree in Recreation and Park Management and a minor in Military Science and Leadership in May, 2016. During the ROTC program we had mandatory PT sessions Monday-Friday from 6:00-7:00 am, class twice a week and a 3 hour field training lab. I also participated in field training trips to Fort Jackson, SC and a 30 day summer training in Fort Knox, KY (the summer following my junior year). My first assignment, a 5-6 month Basic Officer Leadership Course (BOLC) training in Fort Lee, VA was October 2016. With the completion of BOLC, I am an Army Ordnance Platoon Leader in the North Carolina National Guard.”
2009 Imran Cronk wrote a guest column, published in the Winston-Salem Journal, February 2017, titled Expand healthcare through transportation. He says, "our startup company is building technology that allows healthcare providers to coordinate trips for patients and communicate with them before, during and after each journey." Cronk graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and lives in Jersey City, New Jersey. Jordan Hicks graduated from LSU in Baton Rouge, LA, spring 2016, with a degree in Mass Communication. He lives in Waco, TX and is a photojournalist for KXXV News Channel 25. He says, “for now I mostly take video and write stories for the station, but on some occasions I get a chance to go live on camera and report for all of Central Texas.”
2008 Sarah Murphy graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2015 with majors in History and French. After surviving frigid winters in Indiana, she is participating in a two-year teaching-service program in Baltimore, MD, teaching at an all-boys high school in the city, while pursuing a master's in teaching. William Shepley is a current member in the Baltimore Orioles organization. Shepley played baseball at Summit and by the time he was a senior at RJ Reynolds High School, he knew that he wanted to pursue baseball at the next level. He extended his high school career one year, enrolling for a post-graduate year at Salisbury School, Salisbury Connecticut. After graduation, he accepted a Division 1 scholarship to play at The University of North Carolina Wilmington. After his junior year at UNC-Wilmington, he was selected in the 31st round of the 2015 MLB draft by the Baltimore Orioles. That summer he played Rookie Ball in the Gulf Coast League for the GCL Orioles. This past summer, Shepley played for the Aberdeen Ironbirds, Aberdeen, MD. He used the offseason to train, then reported to spring training in March to Sarasota, Florida. While on campus in September, Shepley visited with Jason McEnaney's 6th grade class and signed a ball!
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2010 On March 27, 150 students were inducted into the Alpha chapter of Phi Beta Kappa at UNC Chapel Hill. Among them were Sam Pranikoff, Betsy Neill, and Lily Jones '11. Eligibility includes a minimum of a 3.75 cumulative grade point average with a minimum of 85 hours in a liberal arts major. Pictured are: Sam Pranikoff, Betsy Neill, Lily Jones Megan Probst was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa at Furman, March 2017. Eligibility is GPA of 3.93 or higher. Megan was also awarded the Burts Scholar in Psychology at the Academic Awards Banquet.
CLASS NOTES
2011 Joyner Horn, a student at Boston University, recently participated in the Boston University Tanglewood Institute's production of Die Fledermaus in the role of Prince Orlovsky. In the fall of 2016, she was seen in BU Opera Workshop's production of Captain Lovelock as Terentia. This spring, she will be in the chorus of Boston University's production of Emmeline by Tobias Picker. She will make her professional debut as Victoire in Boston Opera Collaborative's production of The Dangerous Liaisons in March of 2017. Lily Jones was inducted into the Alpha chapter of Phi Beta Kappa at UNC Chapel Hill.
2012 Hannah Brenner wrote about her 2015-16 year, “I completed a 7-month gap year program called Thinking Beyond Borders where I traveled to Ecuador, Peru, Thailand, Cambodia, India, and South Africa. While abroad I lived with host families and participated in community involvement work while studying critical global issues such as reforestation, education, and public health care. I learned to think more critically about what development means and got to experience new perspectives on many different cultures. Taking a gap year before college helped me become more independent and allowed me to see a new side of the world before continuing my formal education.” Hannah now attends George Washington University.
2013 Allen Corpening graduated from RJ Reynolds High School last spring and attends UNC-Chapel Hill, studying Biomedical Engineering. While at Reynolds, he received 2 Scholastic Gold Keys and 1 Silver Key for photography. He was awarded the NC High School Athletic Association scholar-athlete award for excellence in the classroom and for playing lacrosse.
2014 Caroline McNeer was featured in the Winston-Salem Journal SportsXtra, March 2016. McNeer is headed to Kenyon College and will play soccer.
John Brice O'Brien has been accepted to The Citadel, fall 2017. Nyla Rogers was featured in the Winston-Salem Journal SportsXtra, fall 2016. Rogers is a senior at Salem Academy and has been a member of the volleyball team. Coach Meredith Bradley says, “Nyla never stops, she’s a good, all-around player, good on defense and she plays strong outside. She’s on the court all the time.” Madison Terry was featured in the Winston-Salem Journal SportsXtra, fall 2016. Terry is a senior at RJ Reynolds High School and a member of the field hockey team. Terry plays a position that only Reynolds has. She said, “it’s called the Turner Myers position, and it’s named after one of our former players, no other team in the state has it. I pretty much go wherever the ball is.”
2015 Noah Aaron was named Groton School football MVP in 2016 and a captain of the 2017 team. He was also named to the first team ISL (Independent School League).
Tori Huggins was featured in the Winston-Salem Journal SportsXtra, fall 2016. Huggins, a junior at Forsyth Country Day, plays volleyball, basketball and softball. Her volleyball coach, Jennifer Manna, said about her, “she’s constantly cheering for her teammates. She gets excited when one of the other girls makes a good play - not just when she does. She is such a positive girl.” Katie Sohmer was featured in the Winston-Salem Journal SportsXtra, fall 2016. Sohmer, a junior at Mt. Tabor High School plays field hockey and lacrosse. According to field hockey Coach Kiki Shinault, “....Sohmer is at her best when bringing the ball downfield. That’s the prime strength of (her) game.”
2016 Madeleine Bennett placed 2nd in the photography category in the Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools District Reflections Arts contest. Bennett is a student at RJ Reynolds High School.
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CLASS of
college list
2013
Grace Albertson
University of South Carolina
Katie Mann
UNC-Chapel Hill
Jacob Autrey
Forsyth Technical College
Garrett McKee
Elon University
John Babcock
UNC-Chapel Hill
Lolo Morley
UNC-Chapel Hill
Tanner Beck
UNC-Charlotte
David Mulder
Wake Forest University
Alex Beroth
UNC-Chapel Hill
Dylan Neal
College of Charleston
Will Blackard
UNC-Chapel Hill
Emma Nicklas-Morris
Carnegie Mellon University
Will Brath
Appalachian State University
Laney Orr
UNC-Chapel Hill
Emma Breakstone
UNC-Greensboro
Matthew Parker
Elon University
Jackson Carter
Clemson University
Aditi Pilani
Duke University
Jonathan Chen
Wake Forest University
Sarah Pranikoff
UNC-Chapel Hill
Katharine Jane Ciener UNC-Wilmington
Marie Preske
Pace University
Jane Cleland
University of Richmond
Jack Roemer
Allen Corpening
UNC-Chapel Hill
Sewanee: The University of the South
Jonah da Luz
NC State University
Sarah Rowan
Appalachian State University
Peter DeBaugh
Appalachian State University
Isabel Ruffin
Duke University
Colin Dossel
Guilford College
John Sari
Clemson University
Jack Green
UNC-Chapel Hill
Joel Schneider
United States Naval Academy
Andrew Sherrill
Davidson College
David Smith
UNC-Chapel Hill
Davis Spivey
NC State University
Eitan Strauss-Cohn
UNC-Asheville
Elisa Sturkie
Tufts University
Janie Thomas
UNC-Asheville
Graham Troxell
Clemson University
Elaine Turner
Queens College
Jim Welsh
Wofford College
Camilla Wheeless
UNC-Wilmington
Quinn Whitaker
Savannah College of Art & Design
Anne Hayden Wray
Furman University
Gavin Grosswald
University of Georgia
Isabel Hanson
Davidson College
William Heidtmann
UNC-Charlotte
Sophie Hennings
Rice University
Joseph Hilleary
Bowdoin College
Charles Hinson
Appalachian State University
Lucy Jones
Elon University
Jade Jotcham
UNC-Charlotte
Ellie Kangur
Wake Forest University
Haley Kerner
UNC-Chapel Hill
Jacob Klaus
Emory University
Vinish Kumar
UNC-Chapel Hill
If we have inadvertently omitted your name, please contact Sarah Dalrymple, alums@summitmail.org, with updates.
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what’s happening at summit...
Welcome to 33 New Alums Class of 2016 In May 2016, 33 students were added to the alum count! This group was celebrated at a class breakfast hosted by the Advancement Office. Nathan Ruffin ’04, shared memories as a student at Summit, and spoke about the importance of staying connected to Summit.
9th Grade Camping Trip 2nd Generation Billy Stoltz, pictured center, has been a mainstay chaperone on the 9th Grade Camping Trip. During the trip to High Rocks, fall 2016, Billy connected with students whose parents he had chaperoned ‘back in the day.’ Pictured are the children of Jim Toole ’78, Bob Kluttz ’90, Charlotte Chandler Broughton ’87, Brian Weisner ’83, Fred Beroth ’79, Meredith McCullough Welch ’88
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Inaugural Week of Giving Campaign by Mary Craig Wilson Tennille ‘94 Director of Annual Giving and Stewardship Summit held its first Week of Giving campaign last September in celebration of Founders Day, primarily through social media and email. Thanks to 195 alumni, parents, faculty, staff, grandparents, and even some current students, the campaign goal of receiving 150 gifts during the week was exceeded, which secured an additional $1,500 challenge gift from Summit Fund co-chairs, Lauren and Jim Dunn (parents of Kevin '17). More than $123,000 was raised for the school as a result of this fun campaign. Please let us know if you want to participate in our Week of Giving campaign for the 2017-18 school year by contacting the development office at alums@summitmail.org.
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By Connecting, You Can — Visit our web site, summitschool.com >Our Community >Alums and get up-to-date information about Alum Events
stay connected to
Summit
Contribute to The Summit Fund View a photo gallery of Alum Events Follow Summit on Facebook @summitschoolws
We want to hear from you and so do your classmates! Send information about job updates, weddings, births, high school and college graduations, honors and activities, and new addresses. We also love receiving photos. Please note that we can use only high resolution digital photos in publications. Email information to alums@summitmail.org or fill out the form below and send it to: Sarah Dalrymple, Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement
Summit School
2100 Reynolda Road
Winston-Salem, NC 27106
Class Notes (Maiden)
Name Address Is this a new address? Email address
Summit Class Year State
Zip
Telephone Date
News
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IN MEMORIAM
Milton Gray by Doug Lewis, former Head of School
Alumni/ae 1959
Buck Butler May 1, 2016
1974
Fred Crumpler January 28, 2017
1971
Adelaide Davis January 29,2017
1939
Betty Goslen Gulledge December 9, 2016
1952
Jim Harrill August 16, 2016
1953
Charles Mauzy July 2, 2016
1943
Kenneth Mountcastle February 26, 2017
1941
Bob Myers May 28, 2016
1995
Cammie Reed October 7, 2016
1952
David Rice March 3, 2017
2010
MacGregor Ruffin July 27, 2016
1937
Evelyn Cheek Stevenson June 16, 2016
1938
Maryann Warnken April 7, 2016
Former Staff Margie Flake March 5, 2016 Milton Gray July 29, 2016 Sara Swann Watson July 23, 2016
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Throughout Summit's history there have been and still are many people who worked in steady and quiet ways to keep the school operating, often receiving little notice. Their work was essential, however. Milton Gray was one such employee whose career deserves attention. For nearly 40 years, Milton Gray was the first person at school in the morning, but few people knew that. For many of those years, students and teachers may never even have seen him. It is not that he worked out of sight but that he completed his work and went home early. Starting in 1969, he typically came in around 6 am, unlocked all the doors, started the buses and greeted Jack Tally, his friend and our chief of operations, reporting any concerns about buses or buildings. I believe he never called in sick or missed a day while he worked at Summit. For the first twenty years or so, he spent the rest of his mornings helping Jack Tally, gassing up the buses, doing small repairs, running errands; he next went to the kitchen to help, preparing the lunchroom, cleaning up, and hauling trash. Then he went home. As he grew older, he reduced his work hours bit by bit, but he continued to open the school and start the buses until 2007. He was an extremely handsome man. The many who knew him in East Winston called him Pretty Boy. He always dressed neatly. He acquired an early classic Ford Mustang and restored it to mint condition. It was his proudest possession, but he did not boast about it. He was modest, always calm, dependable, cheerful and considerate. duWayne Amen, Director of Facilities, recalls one morning in the late 1990s hearing Milton, as we all called him, telling a small child getting off the bus something like "When you graduate, I'm gonna retire." It may have puzzled the child, but Milton lived his life in orderly fashion and kept to his word. In my mind, Milton Gray's daily efforts to get the school up and moving each day are an apt example of the routine school tasks which few may notice but which support the whole school. In short, his life contributed much to the school, and I believe the school meant much to him.
THE
SUMMIT FUND
DELIVERING THE SIX PROMISES The Summit Fund is an essential part of the school's revenue, supporting a variety of programs including faculty development, visual and performing arts, athletics, counseling, technology and the library. Every gift matters, so please make your gift today. Donate online at summitschool.com/giving, call the development office at 336-724-5811, or mail a check to 2100 Reynolda Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27106.
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING SUMMIT!
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NON-PROFIT ORG. U . S . P O S TA G E PA I D Winston-Salem, N.C. Permit No. 89
2100 Reynolda Road Wi n s t o n - S a l e m , N C 2 7 1 0 6 - 5 1 1 5
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
S i x P r o m i s e s of S u m m i t
Scholarship
at Its Best
A Fertile Learning Environment
A Sturdy
Confidence
Intellectual
independence
S t a t e of the A r t
Facilities
Educators Who Engage the Whole Child