The Lovett School Magazine, Spring 2023

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Year in and year out, the generosity of donors like you ensures that today’s students have the vast opportunities and exceptional experiences that only Lovett can offer.

PUTTING ON DISPLAY LEARNING

Dear Lovett Community,

Lovett was founded with play at the forefront of learning. In 1933, Eva Edwards Lovett wrote that her school offers “an education of doing and creating as opposed to a training in memorizing and repeating.” Rather than focusing singularly on reading about a topic or listening to a lecture, Lovett at its best has students experience topics firsthand. Lower School students build kinetic rollercoasters to comprehend how energy is conducted; Middle School students form a Mock Congress to understand the workings of government then travel to Washington, DC to see it in person; and Upper School students seek innovative solutions for today’s problems in our makerspaces.

Mrs. Lovett and every Lovett teacher since has aimed to create learning environments that are engaging, challenging, and enjoyable. Environments where students are motivated to nurture their curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking through experiential learning. And at the heart of this process is play.

Play for our students goes beyond recess and after-school activities. Instead, it is a vital part of how our students learn and grow. Play allows students to explore, experiment, and take risks. It inspires imagination and creativity. It encourages them to ask questions, make connections, and discover new possibilities. It also helps them to develop the important social and emotional skills that

define our unique whole child education, like communication, cooperation, and empathy.

That is exactly why our learning environments, full of curiosity, play, and joy, ought to be more visible. Not only for visitors and prospective families, but for our students. Our youngest Lions should be able to catch a glimpse of older students tackling problems in a makerspace or conducting research in the library. And our students should see (and even assist!) teachers as they collaborate and design an interdisciplinary course.

Within this issue, you will discover how Lovett—for the first time in the School’s history—has embarked on a campus master plan that puts learning on display. Our plan will allow all three divisions to engage in play and learning together. It will welcome our community, leaders, and visitors to campus in a manner we have never been able to do before. It will harness and enhance the natural resources of our riverfront campus in an intentional, rewarding, and powerful manner.

We are excited about the opportunities that will result from our Riverbank Renaissance as we bolster the transformational learning experiences of our students. We believe that by doing so, we can help our students become lifelong learners who are ready to thrive in life, prepared to successfully face the challenges of the future.

Meredyth Cole HEAD OF SCHOOL

LOVETT SCHOOL LEADERSHIP

HEAD OF SCHOOL

Meredyth Cole

ASSOCIATE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Chelle Wabrek

HEAD OF LOWER SCHOOL

James Choi

HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL

Joseph Moody

HEAD OF UPPER SCHOOL

Patrick Boswell

SENIOR CHAPLAIN

Rev. Steve Allen

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER

Janie Beck

CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER

Chorlana Francis DIRECTOR OF FINE ARTS

Jay Freer ’78

CHIEF ADVANCEMENT OFFICER

Matt Gould

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Gray Kelly

CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER

Stacia McFadden

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

John Mongelli DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS

Adam Nelson ’93

CHIEF ENGAGEMENT OFFICER

Jessica Sant

ACADEMIC RESOURCE DIRECTOR

Carrie Stafford

CHIEF OF CULTURE AND COMMUNITY

Dr. Tommy Welch

the lovett school magazine

SPRING ISSUE 2023

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Justin Abraham

Director of Communications

MANAGING EDITORS

Janie Coleman Beck

Chief Marketing Officer

Katie Harrigan

Creative Services Manager

SENIOR EDITORS

Lara Kauffman

Director of Alumni Engagement

Starr Pollock

Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement

CONTRIBUTORS

Adekale Ande

Maggie Dozier Carr ’07

Jay Freer ’78

Beverly Hamrick

Elizabeth Jones

COMMENTS TO THE EDITOR

Please direct all comments to:

Mason Sutherland

Jessica Sant

Amanda Stibbs

Danielle Terzer

Chelle Wabrek

GRAPHIC DESIGN & ART DIRECTION

Dawn Stein

PRINTING

Bennett Graphics

PHOTOGRAPHY

Art of Life Studios

Clyde Click

Miguel Gutiérrez / Legacy Studios

Alice Park

Paul Ward

Faculty, staff, student, and parent photographers

Justin Abraham, Director of Communications 404-262-3032, ext. 1267 | justin.abraham@lovett.org

Lovett Magazine is published by the Communications Office twice a year and is mailed free of charge to alumni, parents, and friends of The Lovett School. For general information, please email communications@lovett.org. To submit alumni news, email alumni@lovett.org or visit www.lovett.org/alumni.

©2023 The Lovett School, 4075 Paces Ferry Road, N.W., Atlanta, Georgia 30327-3009.

The Lovett School, Inc. does not discriminate on the basis of any category protected by applicable federal, state, or local law, including, but not limited to, race, color, gender, religion, age, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, or gender identity and expression, with respect to qualified persons in the administration of the School’s employment practices, admission policies, educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic programs, or other school administered programs.

This publication is printed by an fsc-certified printer on paper that is 30 percent post-consumer waste and 50 percent recycled, processed chlorine-free.

EDITOR’S NOTE:

Following printing of the Fall/Winter 2022 issue, we noticed an error that eluded several rounds of proofing. On the Tributes page, photos of Joseph “Joe” Gladden Jr. and Robert Charles “Charlie” Loudermilk Sr. were inadvertently swapped. Mr. Gladden and Mr. Loudermilk were highly respected members of our community and devout supporters of Lovett. Our sincere apologies have been communicated to their families. The layout and photos were corrected in the online version of the magazine, and corrected tributes have been printed in this issue.

2022-23 BOARD OF TRUSTEES

CHAIR

John O. Knox Jr. ’88

VICE CHAIR

Frank H. Briggs III

SECRETARY

Megan Apple Stephenson ’93

TREASURER

John C. Staton III ’84

TRUSTEES

David B. Allman ’72

Yetty Levenson Arp ’64

Katherine R. Boudreau ’91

Frank H. Briggs III

Garry L. Capers Jr.

Harold M. Cohen

Aimee Simmons Connolly ’95

Malon W. Courts

Sylvia Dick

Elise Blitch Drake

Michael S. Hardee

Justin P. Jones ’97

Mark Kauffman

John O. Knox Jr. ’88

Amy Rollins Kreisler ’88

Nikunj R. Lakha

Donald M. Leebern III

Alison E. Lewis

Anne Helms Marino

Eileen Keough Millard ’80

James T. Mills Jr. ’74

W. Wright Mitchell ’88

C. Vaughan Nalley IV ’90

David W. Rice, Ph.D.

Nancy Brumley Robitaille ’84

Irma G. Shrivastava

John C. Staton III ’84

Megan Apple Stephenson ’93

Peter Thomas, Ph.D., MPH ’84

Michael A. Woocher

Leonard W. Wood Jr. ’94

EX OFFICIO MEMBERS

Spence Pryor

Rebecca Warner Strang ’93

The Board of Trustees, along with Lovett’s Leadership Team, met for a two-day retreat in February 2023 to strategically plan for the School’s future. Upper School students and faculty attended a portion of the retreat to help brainstorm the opportunities and obstacles that may exist for students 20 years from now.

CAMPUS NEWS

If you wander behind the Middle School, you’ll find the Rita Anne Rollins ’72 Garden and Pavilion. To reenergize the space, Middle School visual arts teacher Katherine Schneider and Sophie Giardino ’27, with the support of Head of Middle School Joseph Moody, led teachers and students in a process to rethink and redesign the courtyard with the intention of making it more student friendly, more inviting, and more fun. Read more about this project in “Live it. Learn it. Lovett.” on page 14.

WELCOME, GRANDPARENTS and SPECIAL FRIENDS!

On February 16, 2023, our kindergarten Lions welcomed their grandparents and special friends to campus. The morning commenced in the Chapel with words from Head of School Meredyth Cole and Head of Lower School James Choi, followed by a precious musical delight with our youngest Lions singing silly songs about love and concluding with a special tune about their grandparents. Afterward, grandparents and special friends made their way to the Lower School, where they visited with their kindergarteners, engaging in activities in the classroom, partaking in a fun photo opp created on keepsake magnets, and enjoying a mid-day treat together. At the end of the afternoon, it was difficult to tell who enjoyed the day more: our littlest Lions or their adoring grandparents and special friends!

Above: Kindergarten students and their guests created keepsake photo magnets to remember the day!

LOVETT

| by Mason Sutherland, Associate Director of Admission and Social Media Manager

LOOK-BACK

Nestled on the top floor of the Vasser Wolley Library is a suite of rooms filled with binders, bins, and books of school history. The Lovett Archives provide a peek into our past, while also revealing how we still carry on decades-old traditions. In this section of the Lovett Magazine, we explore and share nearly 100 years of school history.

Graduation

Carrying Books

Computers in Class

Do you have photos or school memorabilia that belong in the Lovett Archives? Email alumni@lovett.org for information on how to share your items with Lovett!

Art Class

JOE (Junior Outdoor Expedition)

| by Katie Harrigan, Creative Services Manager

LOVETT OFFERS “AN EDUCATION OF DOING AND CREATING AS OPPOSED TO A TRAINING IN MEMORIZING AND REPEATING.”

– Eva Edwards Lovett, New Deal

in Education (1933)

Eva Edwards Lovett founded Lovett so students could learn through the act of doing and creating, rather than just sitting and memorizing information. These are a few recent examples of how today’s students are learning by living through experiences!

MIDDLE SCHOOL COMMUNITY SPACE GETS A COLORFUL MAKEOVER

Middle School visual arts teacher Katherine Schneider oversaw the installation of a mural in the Rita Anne Rollins ’72 Garden and Pavilion. To begin the project, Katherine reached out to teachers and students throughout the Middle School, asking, “What images and symbols reflect the Middle School curriculum?” This initial part of the design was then passed on to Buckhead Murals, who collaborated with the students to create the elaborate and beautiful mural. The mural was completed just before the new year and continues to be a focal gem for the Middle School.

NON-VIOLENCE THROUGH MIXED MEDIA

Over the course of the fall semester, Upper School students in Sandra Switzer’s History of American Nonviolence classes created a massive, four-panel art installation titled “History of America’s Nonviolence: Making Invisible Histories Visible.” The installation creatively visualizes multiple interconnected forms of non-violent activism and social protests dating back as early as the 1600s. The abstract tree design displays prominent non-violent protestors and changemakers, playlists, and other symbols that take you on a journey of non-violent history in America. Students in the class were tasked with researching, conceptualizing, and building the installation that was displayed in the Upper School and later in the Visual Arts Galleria for Black History Month. To learn more, Sandra’s class was interviewed by Jessica Sant, chief engagement officer, for the “Living Lovett” podcast.

in GEN STUDENTS BUILD BIRDHOUSES

inGen Studio teacher Vanessa Boone led fifth grade students through an extensive semester-long research project where students built birdhouses for species native to the Piedmont region of Georgia. First, students researched common bird species to focus on and tailor their design to, even meeting with experts from the Georgia Audubon Society. They then learned how to use Tinkercad, a 3D modeling program, to design their desired birdhouses. A small-scale design of each birdhouse was 3D-printed so students had an idea of what their houses would look like, and then they used Glowforge, a 3D laser printer, to cut the pieces, making their prototypes to scale.

VISIT LOVETT.ORG/PODCAST TO LISTEN TO THIS AND OTHER “LIVING LOVETT” EPISODES.

FOUNDER’S DAY CHAPEL

The Lovett community gathered Monday, January 30, to celebrate Founder’s Day — honoring a tradition of excellence in education begun by Eva Edwards Lovett and continued by many other dedicated individuals through the years. This year, alumni from periods of Lovett’s existence were invited to carry a sign as a part of the procession of the classes. During the service, students shared messages of their hopes and dreams for Lovett as the School prepares to celebrate its first centennial in 2026 and looks forward to its next 100 years.

ARI DRAYTON-GOODWIN ’30

When I imagine Lovett at 100 years old, I see more people spending more time doing art together. Art has the power to bring people together and make unlikely friends. From the oboe to the tuba, from the euphonium to the clarinet, and from the bass to the violin—the halls of Lovett would be filled with the vision and sound of different instruments coming together, to make a beautiful piece of music.

Just like the variety of instruments in a band, our school is full of so many different kinds of people. Each person has a special talent or gift to share. We all deserve to belong and to express what we like and what we believe. When Lovett turns 100…I hope that each person here is able to show the world how awesome they are!”

JAX BREWER ’32

“When I think about my dreams for Lovett at 100 years old, I hope we can be an even more tech savvy place! Technology could make Lovett more fun for everyone. For the teachers, I think there should be robots that bring them coffee every morning. Teachers teach ALL DAY and they need lots of energy to do that well! Technology could even make every day, run-of-the-mill activities exciting. I hear they’re going to build a new community center and personally I’m hoping the new cafeteria will have a machine that reads my brain and gives me whatever food I want that day. Personalized lunches for each of us, how great would that be!

For news and updates on the Lovett Lions, follow @LovettAthletics on Instagram and Twitter.

PRIDE! RIVERBANK

| by Adekale Ande, Sports Information Manager

MIKE MUSCHAMP HITS CAREER MILESTONE

Varsity football head coach Mike Muschamp surpassed 150 career wins in his storied coaching career at Lovett.

Muschamp garnered his 150th victory in November 2021, with a 28-7 win over Union County. He has been the head coach for Lovett since 2005, after replacing legendary coach Bill Railey. In that 17-year span, Muschamp helped lead Lovett to a state championship in 2013 and three region championships, and coached 15 All-State players.

Lovett has made it into the playoffs every year Muschamp has been at the helm. In 2022, Lovett finished 7-5 overall and 6-1 in region play (placing second in AAAA Region 5). Lovett made it to the second round of the GHSA state playoffs in its first year of being in Class 4A. Muschamp’s 157 career wins ranks second in school history to only Bill Railey (200-73) who coached at Lovett from 1982 to 2006.

ELLE KAUFMANN ’26 CROWNED LOVETT’S FIRST GIRLS WRESTLING STATE CHAMPION

In just her freshman year, Elle made history as Lovett’s first girls state wrestling champion! She was named the GHSA girls champion in her weight class, unscored on with three pins and a perfect 10-0 finish in the finals.

“I don’t want to be a trailblazer,” Elle told the Atlanta Jewish Times after her victory. “All I’ve ever really wanted is to be treated the same as the guys. I want the coaches to treat me the same. I want the wrestlers to treat me the same. I want the parents to treat me the same. That’s all I want.”

The wrestling gene runs deep in the Kaufmann family: both her brother, Aidan ’23, and her dad, Rocky ’93, are two-time state champions.

Overall, the varsity wrestling team clinched its second consecutive state championship—a feat not accomplished in nearly two decades. The team had three other individual state champions (Alex Hyman ’23, Cael Kusky ’25, and Christopher Mance ’25), one runner-up (Christian Bell ’24), two third-place finishers (Jake Kennedy ’24 and Patrick Smyth ’26), and one fourth-place finisher (Nicholas Moffett ’23).

CHRISTIAN ANDERSON JR. ’24 BREAKS SCHOOL’S BASKETBALL SCORING RECORD

In less than three years, Christian Anderson Jr. ’24 became Lovett’s all-time leading scorer. He surpassed 1,572 points and was recognized in January when the Lions hosted Pace Academy. He ultimately finished the season with more than 2,000 points in his career.

“I think it’s an honor that I can hold the record at Lovett, like you said, in just two and a half years,” Christian said during a recent interview. “It’s all about staying focused and trying to get to 2,000, 2,500 [points] and keep building up.”

In August 2022, Christian helped lead Germany to a gold medal in Division B of the FIBA Under 16 European Championship and was named the most valuable player of the tournament.

SCAN THE QR CODE TO READ MORE ABOUT ELLE AND AIDAN KAUFMANN IN THE ATLANTA JEWISH TIMES

ADVANCEMENT UPDATES

ALUMNI GIVING DAY SUCCESS!

On Tuesday, February 28, the True Blue Annual Fund held its annual giving day for alumni. We challenged alumni to 365 gifts and pledges to support a year in the life of a Lovett student. As social media followers watched a day in the life of a Lovett student on Instagram, alumni volunteers reached out to their peers to secure their support. True Blue received more than 400 gifts and pledges and close to $80,000 for this effort! The Class of 1997 took the prize for most gifts received in one day—29 members of their class made a gift or pledge that day. Gifts of all sizes increase our alumni participation and make a meaningful difference in the day-to-day experiences of our students. Many thanks to our incredible alumni volunteers and of course, our generous donors!

I STARTED GIVING TO THE TRUE BLUE ANNUAL FUND WHILE I WAS IN COLLEGE AT THE INFLUENCE OF MY OLDER SISTER. I LEARNED THAT EVEN A SMALL DONATION, YEAR AFTER YEAR, CAN GO A LONG WAY.”

Hannah English ’11

I SUPPORT TRUE BLUE ANNUALLY TO GIVE BACK TO LOVETT A LITTLE OF WHAT IT GAVE ME: A FIRST-CLASS EDUCATION, LIFELONG FRIENDS, AND OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN MYRIAD ACTIVITIES THAT DEVELOPED ME AS A WHOLE PERSON. I GIVE SO THAT THE GIFT LOVETT GAVE ME IS GIVEN TO OTHERS, REGARDLESS OF FINANCIAL SITUATION.”

Chas Watson ’95

I GIVE TO TRUE BLUE BECAUSE DESPITE ONLY GOING TO SCHOOL AT LOVETT FOR TWO YEARS (11TH AND 12TH GRADE), I TRULY FEEL THAT THE SCHOOL AND FACULTY HELPED PROPEL ME FORWARD ON MY PATH TO BECOMING A PHYSICIAN.”

Pratima Bakshi ’91

IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO MAKE YOUR GIFT TO TRUE BLUE! SCAN THE QR CODE OR VISIT LOVETT.ORG/GIVE .

LOVETT DID A GREAT JOB OF PREPARING ME FOR COLLEGE AND MY CAREER SO GIVING IS ONE WAY OF GIVING BACK.”

Julia Wallace Johnston ’77

FOUNDER’S RECEPTION

More than 200 members of the Lovett community gathered on September 21, 2022, at the Atlanta History Museum to recognize the School’s most generous donors at our annual Founder’s Reception. Guests were treated to a performance by the outstanding Upper School honors choir, The Lovett Singers.

A special tribute was paid to an exceptional member of Lovett’s community, R. Randall Rollins (19312020), with the Founder’s Award. This is a distinguished honor for an individual who embodied a strength of character and a tremendous spirit of generosity.

THE FOUNDER’S AWARD HONORS THOSE WHO HAVE DEMONSTRATED A PROFOUND LEVEL OF SUPPORT TO THE SCHOOL AND HIGHLIGHTS THE FOLLOWING:

• Unwavering support of the School’s philosophy, mission, and people

• Active, distinguished, and loyal service

• Ever-present ambassadorship for Lovett

• Generous and loyal support

R. Randall Rollins embodied each of these qualities as a valued community member. Rollins served on the Lovett Board of Trustees from 1973 to 1979. The community benefited from his leadership and his significant investment in the School, supporting students, faculty and staff development, and the Academic Resource Center. We are truly grateful that Lovett is a beneficiary of the Rollins family’s generosity and love.

I CAN’T THINK OF A FINER PERSON FOR OUR LOVETT COMMUNITY TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR THAN RANDALL ROLLINS. HE WAS A QUIET PRESENCE IN THE LIFE OF LOVETT FOR DECADES. BECAUSE OF SUPPORT LIKE HIS, AND YOURS, EACH OF US IN THIS ROOM, WHETHER IT BE A STUDENT, PARENT, GRANDPARENT OR STAFF, HAS BEEN BLESSED TO EXPERIENCE A SCHOOL OF THE HIGHEST CALIBER.”

Sylvia Dick, Trustee

Family of R. Randall Rollins. Inset: R. Randall Rollins.

FINE ARTS NEWS

THEATER

INTO THE WOODS WITHOUT DELAY!

The theater was packed in February as Upper School students performed the musical “Into the Woods.” Steven Sondheim’s modern take on classic Grimms’ Fairy Tales involves a world where Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack (from Jack and the Beanstalk), and others find themselves chasing their wishes through the woods. Their paths become entwined with a humble baker and his wife, who are desperate to break a witch’s curse.

A REAL WHODUNIT

Upper School Theater Arts students presented “The Westing Game” in November 2022. Based on Ellen Raskin’s awardwinning murder mystery novel, the story centers around the sudden death of eccentric billionaire Samantha Westing. Fourteen strangers are summoned to the reading of her will, and they are tasked with finding her killer. Whomever solves the puzzle and the crime will inherit Westing’s fortune. It’s “Knives Out” meets “The Amazing Race,” where no one is who they seem and everyone is hiding dark secrets from the past. And the final plot twist will make your head spin!

WHO’S THERE?

Middle School students presented a rousing winter play, “Knock Knock,” in December. “Knock Knock” depicts the hilarious exploits of two delivery workers—one experienced and jaded, the other idealistic and upbeat. Their encounters included run-ins with aggressive dogs, former elementary school teachers, porch pirates, and recipients in hazmat suits.

MUSIC

’TIS THE SEASON FOR MUSIC

In the spirit of spreading joy and cheer during the winter holiday season, band, choral, and orchestra students from each of the divisions delighted the community with their musical talents in a diverse range of musical styles and holiday favorites. Choral students held their annual Lessons & Carols services at Lovett, with the Upper School Candlelight Lessons & Carols Service at All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Atlanta. Our youngest Lions performed the joyful winter musical, “It’s Christmas, Carol,” for Lower School students and their parents.

STUDENTS SELECTED FOR ALL-STATE BAND, CHORUS, AND ORCHESTRA

The following students competed in two rounds of auditions against other students in Georgia and were selected for either All-State Band, Chorus, or Orchestra:

• Andrew Chen ’27, 5th Chair Tuba

• Leyton Collins ’28, 2nd Chair Alternate Trombone

• Emerson Courage ’26, Chorus

• Chelsea Daniel ’25, Violin

• Susan Googe ’26, Chorus

• Justin Griffin ’24, 4th Chair Trumpet

• Jack Peak ’28, Chorus

• Baer Shaifer ’28, Chorus

ORCHESTRA PARENT, FACULTY, AND FRIENDS RECITAL

In February, Lovett held its first Parent, Faculty, and Friends Recital in the Alston Memorial Chapel. The performance featured a wonderful line-up of parents, faculty, and staff of the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools. Musicians from departments across the School, music educators from various orchestra programs around Atlanta, and even a member of the Zac Brown Band shared their many musical talents with the Lovett community.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR TEACHERS OF SINGING COMPETITION

Every year, the National Association for Teachers of Singing (NATS) holds state and regional competitions for students anywhere from high school age all the way up through graduate school level. This year, three of our students will take part in the Southeast Regional NATS competition taking place on March 18 at Valdosta State University. JC Rooker ’23 (left), Zora Payne ’24 (right), and Kareena Kukreja ’25 (not pictured), have all studied voice at Lovett for multiple years and are excited to take what they’ve learned to this competition. If they do well at this level, they will be eligible to move on to the National NATS Competition that will take place this July in San Diego, California. Zora Payne also took part in the Georgia NATS competition last November and represented herself and Lovett with excellence.

SIXTH GRADE STATEWIDE HONOR CHORUS

Four students auditioned and were selected for the Sixth Grade Statewide Honor Chorus.

Left to Right: Lanie Kelso ’29, Scottie Turner ’29, Sonul Mittal ’29, and Finn Allegra ’29.

Left to Right: Jack Peak ’28, Baer Shaifer ’28, Leyton Collins ’28, Susan Googe ’26, Emerson Courage ’26, and Chelsea Daniel ’25 (not pictured: Justin Griffin ’24 and Andrew Chen ’27).

ART

LOVETT ART SHOW AND SALE

Sponsored by Lovett’s Friends of the Arts (FOTA), the annual art sale in November featured artwork by visual arts faculty, alumni, and guest artists. Paintings, prints, mixed media, photography, pottery, and jewelry were sold online to support FOTA and the School’s Fine Arts programs. FOTA provides scholarships, equipment, and event signage for the arts department. This year’s faculty artists included Leah Decker, Gina Reynoso, Courtney Strickland, Vernon Smith, Amy Lee Story, and Karey Walter. Visiting artists included Audrey Boyer Allman ’99, Mary Kelly Stribling Clary ’03, Marie-Louis Coil, Heyward Morris Fougerousse ’97, Erin Gray, Susan Joss, Joy Patty, Janet Rau, Ashely L. Schick, Tate Snellings, Marshall Smith ’21, and Tom Zwierlein.

K-12 th GRADE HIGH MUSEUM STUDENT ART EXHIBITION

Nearly 70 students had their artwork showcased in the annual K-12th Grade High Museum Student Art Exhibition! Students from every grade were featured in the exhibit, which ran from January 31 to March 12.

FEATURES

The Lovett campus has been on the banks of the Chattahoochee River for more than 60 years. In the years ahead, the School will reconnect with the natural beauty of our riverfront home in the same way our students connect with the Chattahoochee during RAFT (River Awareness for Tenth Graders).

OMEBACK PREPARING FOR THE

LOVETT STUDENT LAUNCHES PLATFORM TO AID INJURED STUDENT-ATHLETES

| by Danielle Terzer, Digital Communications Manager

There were two weeks left in the lacrosse season and the Lovett Lions had two highly anticipated rivalry games remaining on their schedule. They were the type of games you circle on your calendar at the start of the year: Westminster and Pace. But Lovett goalie, Landon Denker ’24, a sophomore at the time, wouldn’t be playing.

“I definitely felt kind of depressed having to sit on the sideline knowing that my season was over,” Landon recalls. “It was not the way I imagined it at all.”

He had injured a finger in practice and was sidelined for the remainder of the season.

“I felt that there wasn’t really anywhere I could turn to for my mental health,” says Landon, a

multi-sport athlete. “I went to the trainers every day for rehab, but for the mental aspect of it, there wasn’t really any help there.”

An opportunity to make a difference shone through the darkness.

Landon learned, through his own research, that his situation was tragically common. He discovered that two million student-athletes get injured every year and a quarter of

those are serious enough to have to see a doctor. That’s when the idea for Five Star Comeback emerged.

“For a lot of people, sports are everything,” Landon says. “I started this because I know how you can become anxious and depressed when you care so much about sports and then it’s taken away from you with an injury.”

The Five Star Comeback website, an online resource for athletes struggling with an injury, launched in August 2022.

“We came up with the name because every athlete strives to be five stars— that’s the highest ranking in college recruiting,” he explains. “We want people to feel the same way about coming back from an injury.”

The website greets its visitors with an inspirational quote: “A setback does not define you. Where you are today is not where you’ll be tomorrow.” Further down, there’s a library of sports stories about perseverance and resilience. Landon finds and reposts new content weekly. He also provides resources to help facilitate tough, mental health conversations. There are options to search for professional consultants and treatments, an athlete exchange program (which he created to connect students who share similar experiences regarding injuries), and even a link to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

To spread the word about his site, Landon sent emails to news outlets across Atlanta and shared his website through word of mouth. His persistence and determination are paying off: he’s been featured in various publications including the Northside Neighbor and the Atlanta Jewish Times.

“My goal is to have as many people see the website as possible,” says

Landon, who credits his dad, Steve, for teaching him to have a positive outlook. “The more people that see it, the more I’m helping out.”

“While he may not be outspoken, Landon leads by example,” says Lovett football coach Cordell Taylor. “As a leader, he has a plan and a mission and is determined to achieve it.”

Landon has exciting plans for the website as he continues his mission to lead the mental health conversation in athletics. After he leaves the Riverbank, he’s hoping to grow the site in college and even make a career out of it.

“He’s a leader and he’s a teammate,” says Landon’s lacrosse coach and

Upper School teacher Bryan Overly. “He’s found something he’s interested in, and as a teacher and parent, that’s all that you want for a kid.”

Even as a full-time student-athlete, he’s leading the charge to bring awareness to the mental health of students in high school sports, and he’s making a significant impact.

“I had someone reach out to me on Twitter about how much it meant to him that we reshared his comeback story,” Landon says. “A grandmother shared with me how her grandson really needed the site because they’ve been having a really tough time since he got injured. It means a lot to hear that my website is helping people. I’ve learned that a small gesture can go a long way.”

SCAN THE QR CODE TO SEE LANDON AND FELLOW STUDENTS SAMAR KIBE ’24 AND LEAH COX ’23 FEATURED IN THE “20 UNDER 20” LIST FOR REPORTER NEWSPAPERS .

AFTER SEEING THEIR MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES FIRSTHAND, I WANTED TO CREATE A SITE THAT HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES EVERYWHERE COULD USE TO FIND IMMEDIATE RESOURCES TO GET HELP, FIND PEOPLE THAT UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE GOING THROUGH, AND GET INSPIRED THROUGH STORIES OF COMEBACKS.”

| By Justin Abraham, Director of Communications

For more than 60 years, Lovett has called its serene riverside campus “home.” For a majority of that time, a central part of campus—the Community Center—has remained untouched. Using our upcoming Centennial as a catalyst, Lovett embarked on the critical step of campus master planning to envision how our campus, including our most original building, could be reenvisioned for a new century of learning.

PREPARING LOVETT AND ITS STUDENTS FOR THE FUTURE

ENVISIONING THE FUTURE

As we swiftly approach our centennial in 2026, Lovett’s leadership tasked themselves with ensuring that the School not only meets, but exceeds, the wishes and needs of today’s and tomorrow’s students. To prepare and equip the School for a new century of learning, Lovett selected Cooper Carry, an award-winning design firm with a long history of working with educational institutions including Georgia Tech, the University of Georgia, and Emory University, to assist us with the process.

“Lovett is so well known and well respected in Atlanta for the opportunities and education it provides,” says Megan Fagge, associate principal at Cooper Carry. “We’re passionate about our work in education. We’re always looking for opportunities to leverage design to celebrate students and teachers and the work they’re doing, so we are honored to be able to contribute in our way to the success of the Lovett community.”

Within days of being selected, Cooper Carry hit the ground running—literally—to begin collecting information that would ultimately help determine what challenges the campus master plan could solve and what possibilities it could unlock.

Cooper

“We began the process of investigation by reviewing existing data, items such as floor plans, surveys, and carpool counts, then, we immersed ourselves in day-to-day life,” says Megan. “We spent time on site observing lunch, practices, the change of classes, recess, and dismissal. We attended events such as the evening with Doris Kearns Goodwin to understand how the campus functions in a broad mix of activities.”

Their investigation period involved studying the topography, hydrology, and soil conditions of the campus as well as analyzing traffic and pedestrian patterns and how our current buildings and spaces are being used.

A COMMUNITY EFFORT

After delving into the data, Cooper Carry turned to those who know our campus best: our community. Cooper Carry conducted 20 separate engagement sessions with faculty, staff, students, and parents to discuss myriad topics including worship and gathering, learning, dining, playing, student engagement, arts, and of course, parking.

From those engagement sessions, the firm established clear priorities and goals for the campus master plan, along with six specific “design drivers” for any future development: community, visibility, joy, nature, clarity, and simplicity.

Carry’s team hosted engagement sessions with students in all divisions to understand what type of learning environments help them thrive.

ENGAGEMENT SESSION STICKY NOTES

WHAT ARE YOU MOST HOPEFUL ABOUT THE CAMPUS MASTER PLAN?

HOW DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL ON CAMPUS?

During engagement sessions, stakeholders provided crucial insight and perspective on the history and aspirations of the School.

SIX CLEAR AREAS EMERGED DURING THE CAMPUS MASTER PLANNING PROCESS

Any future development will need to embrace these themes to ensure it aligns with Lovett’s priorities.

CLARITY: The master plan for the site should add clarity and unity to the campus experience.

COMMUNITY: Community was consistently cited as a high priority. The design should foster connection, belonging, and inclusivity.

JOY: The design should be warm, welcoming, playful, and childcentered. It should also embrace the spirit of play, promoting choice and curiosity.

“These six areas bubbled up consistently in conversations across the Lovett community, and it was clear that they would be design drivers,” says Megan. “The team worked hard to consider the campus holistically and to provide spaces indoors and out that are warm, student-centered, and which foster connection. We worked to create visibility, honoring the programs, and sparking curiosity amongst students. And the last key thing is a celebration of nature.”

Following their engagement sessions, Cooper Carry met with the School’s leadership for a two-day, onsite

NATURE: The design should maximize exposure to the natural beauty of the campus and embrace what it means to be “on the riverbank.”

SIMPLICITY: The master plan should seek simple solutions which can be reasonably maintained over time.

VISIBILITY: The design should promote exposure to learning. Students should be able to observe making and doing, and be invited in to the excitement of learning.

workshop where they began designing ideas for the master plan. These initial sketches led to months of discussions and revisions between the firm’s designers, school administrators, and Board members.

Using the findings from their research, feedback from engagement sessions, and current use of spaces, Cooper Carry shared a vision for Lovett’s future with a conceptual campus master plan that seeks to unify the campus and our community, welcome the world to Lovett through a new front door, and revitalize learning and gathering spaces.

“This master plan will result in a goal I have heard articulated over the last five years by students, teachers, parents, and administrators,” says Head of School Meredyth Cole. “We want to be one Lovett—not three separate schools. This plan unites all three divisions, and in doing so, also enhances where and how we dine, worship, study, research, create, and perform—where younger students have a glimpse into their future lives. The plan unifies the student experience across divisions and brings the outdoors in.”

Our “Riverbank Renaissance” calls for a new building to replace the aging Community Center, adjusted vehicle access to elevate the on-campus experience, new play areas, and an expansive, shared campus quad to connect all academic divisions.

GOALS & OBJECTIVES

Overarching goals and objectives emerged for what each element of the campus master plan should contain. These goals were used to identify design drivers for specific projects within the plan.

1 Celebrates the campus and addresses operational challenges

2 Builds upon the timeless spirit of Mrs. Lovett’s vision for hands-on, whole child education

3 Embodies the values and character of The Lovett School

CAMPUS MASTER PLAN

ENHANCED LAWN

This upgraded space increases usable outdoor area, increases connection between divisions, and creates extended viewsheds including down to the river.

RIVERBANK CENTER

Stakeholders expressed a desire for a central building with a more “collegiate feel.” The new “front door” to campus will welcome visitors and offer intentionally designed spaces to students and faculty.

NEW LOOP ROAD

The new road will elevate the pedestrian experience by pressing vehicular traffic to the edges of the campus and alleviating congestion during carpool.

PRESERVED “BACKYARDS”

The backyards of Lower School classrooms will be preserved and improved.

EXPANDED DELL PLAY AREA

The Dell will be united with the enhanced campus lawn, improving play spaces and connections to the outdoors.

INCREASED PARKING

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Through the addition of a parking structure, available spaces will significantly increase and reduce the difficulty of visiting campus and finding parking.

FIELD IMPROVEMENTS

Mathis Field will be upgraded to support full use and seating will be embedded into the hillside to overlook the river.

WELCOMING THE WORLD TO LOVETT

The Community Center, constructed in 1959, was a modern facility when Lovett first opened its riverbank campus. Over time, changes and the addition of necessary spaces resulted in windowless rooms and misaligned stairways and corridors, obscuring views of our beautiful campus and hindering today’s learning and activity in the center of campus.

The vision calls for the aging Community Center to be replaced by an as-yet-unnamed building, which we are calling “The Riverbank Center” for now, as a new front door to campus. The current library, dining hall, Chapel, Fine Arts classrooms, and administrative offices will be replaced, but the Hendrix-Chenault Theater will remain, with the new building constructed adjacent to the theater and a covered nexus running between the structures.

Blending the need for inspiring, creative spaces for students with the desire to offer a warm and welcoming first impression for visitors, the new Riverbank Center at the front of campus will offer a sophisticated, yet approachable heart to the campus. With a front porch that overlooks our cherished pond and the Chattahoochee River, it will take full advantage of what it means to learn along the riverbank.

The Riverbank Center will house state-of-the-art makerspaces, a new learning commons, enhanced dining areas, a light-filled Chapel, Fine Arts classrooms, and open spaces, all in an effort to celebrate community, collaboration, and student choice.

The newly designed building will intentionally embrace the School’s connection to nature and the river, while fostering creativity and community. Large swaths of glass will cast light throughout the building, while offering visual continuity from the center of campus out to the river. It will keep the School’s cherished pond front and center, providing an outdoor patio that overlooks the natural water feature.

“The Lovett campus is a beautiful asset and differentiator,” says Megan. “The plan works to open up the heart of the campus, creating more outdoor spaces and reducing the building’s footprint. It works to reestablish connections with the most beloved and beautiful parts of the campus, such as The Dell, anchoring them as places of play and learning.”

The sweeping interior gallery of the building carries students and faculty directly from the river-facing front porch to the quad, inviting them to move through the space without losing sight of the natural environment that surrounds them.

THE RIVERBANK CENTER

In this initial conceptual sketch, the new structure replaces the Community Center as a true “front door” to campus. The building will offer intentionally designed spaces for expanded learning opportunities along with a new learning commons, dining facilities, and collaboration areas.

The Riverbank Center’s floor-to-ceiling windows will provide expansive views of the Chattahooche River, allowing natural light to flood the Chapel (in the upper-left corner of the building) and interior spaces. Additionally, Mathis Field becomes a competition field for Middle School sports, with tiered seating built into the slope along the eastern edge.

The building’s warm and welcoming atrium will connect all three floors and bathe interior spaces in natural light. The gallery stretches up through the building and offers gathering and collaboration areas along the way, blurring the lines between instructional and non-instructional spaces.

PLANNING PROCESS

The team followed a four-part approach referred to as the “4i Process,” which provided a meaningful, creative, and fun way to engage the Lovett community and advance the planning process from information gathering to design implementation.

INVESTIGATE ILLUMINATE INNOVATE IMPLEMENT

PROPOSED TIMELINE

MARCH 2022:

Cooper Carry selected as campus master planning partner. Firm hosted 20 engagement sessions with administrators, students, faculty, alumni, and parents.

SUMMER 2022:

Cooper Carry works with Lovett leadership on conceptual plans.

2022-23 SCHOOL YEAR:

The Board of Trustees approves campus master plan priorities and initial construction plan.

SUMMER 2023:

Initial sitework, including loop road improvements, projected to begin.

2023-24 SCHOOL YEAR:

Initiate design of the Riverbank Center.

SUMMER 2024:

Projected start date for construction of new parking deck near the front gate.

FALL 2025: Construction of the Riverbank Center is projected to begin.

2026-27 SCHOOL YEAR: New building opens.

Sitting at the front of campus, the Riverbank Center will warmly welcome students, faculty, parents, alumni, and visitors to Lovett. Pedestrians will be able to easily walk from the new parking structure to the new “front door” of campus while embracing the natural beauty of our riverfront home.

The natural beauty of our campus is critical to the Lovett experience. Reducing the footprint of the new building and opening up the central lawn and the The Dell will increase usable outdoor areas, connections between divisions, and extensive views of our wooded, riverfront home. Parking will be concentrated at the front of campus, allowing Mathis and Carter Fields to return to practice and competition venues.

A PEEK INTO LEARNING

The Riverbank Center will both be a space of applied learning and a window into the creative opportunities available to students at Lovett. Housed within its walls will be dedicated areas for students to innovate in makerspaces, participate in film and TV production in a professional studio, create music in new classrooms, and perform in a new dance studio and black box theater.

“This new building prioritizes intellectual play for our students,” says Associate Head of School Chelle Wabrek. “Arts and engineering spaces, a library and media center, and learning commons spaces allow students to use their learning to create and build. The building is dedicated to playing with ideas in ways that encourage students to experiment with their learning.”

The Community Center’s 1960s-era classrooms will be replaced with flexible learning spaces that foster collaboration and inquiry and engage students in problem solving and hands-on experiences. Among those spaces

will be a new learning commons that blends the study and social functions of a library. The engagement sessions with students revealed a desire for a library where numerous activities could happen at once: individual studying, group studying, tutoring, and collaborating with teachers.

“A library is not just a space where students consume information, but a place where they use the resources provided to create their own hypotheses and imagine new and innovative worlds,” says Chelle. “Arts and makerspaces allow them to prototype and practice bringing those ideas to life and as you walk into that new space it will be obvious to all the strategic importance of play and creativity for all students at Lovett.”

Additionally, the disconnected practice and performance spaces for Fine Arts will be replaced with purposeful rooms designed to accommodate our vast visual, performing, and theater arts programs. The current design guidelines suggest spaces for choir, band, and orchestra practices, a photography studio, dark room, and broadcast and film studios.

“THIS NEW BUILDING PRIORITIZES INTELLECTUAL PLAY FOR OUR STUDENTS.”

Chelle Wabrek, Associate Head of School

Most importantly, these spaces will be visible. Instead of concrete walls and solid doors, most rooms will be surrounded by glass, allowing the School to put learning on display. Passersby—whether they be parents, prospective families, or other students—will be able to peek into the classrooms and see the hands-on experiences that Mrs. Lovett envisioned for every student.

EAT, MEET, AND GREET

Upon entering the Riverbank Center on the first floor, visitors will be greeted by a warm and welcoming gallery featuring stone fireplaces and seating areas for quiet study, casual meetings between colleagues and community members, or lunch among friends. The gallery will stretch upwards through the building to connect all three floors, purposefully blurring the lines between instructional and non-instructional space, and inviting community members into the heart of campus.

A sizable dining commons and Lions Den Café on the first floor will provide the necessary space to accommodate 200 more students and faculty members for meals, allowing the School to rethink what’s possible for lunch periods and on-the-go snacks. Parents, guardians, and campus visitors could even grab a latte at the café in the morning prior to engagement meetings or on-campus events.

“Walking around campus today, you will see students gathering in community spaces more than ever before,” says Chief Operating Officer Gray Kelly. “For Upper School students especially, the lunch period is a time of flexible

autonomy that may mean they are not eating at a table in the dining room but instead meeting on a team project, reviewing for a test in a quiet place, or getting some fresh air while they eat. It is time to prepare for that type of food mobility with different seating arrangements, additional serving capabilities, and more specific waste management infrastructure so that students have more places to enjoy their time with friends and food.”

Front-facing offices that work with both internal and external community members will also call the Riverbank Center “home.” The Academic Resource Center, Campus Store, Academic Technology, Admission, and other offices will move into spaces in the new building to better serve our community and welcome visitors.

REFLECTION

An airy, light-filled Chapel will top off the Riverbank Center and become a welcoming spiritual home for students and our community. The space, surrounded by windows on three sides, will offer extensive views of our campus and the Chattahoochee, and be a more visible space on our campus.

“I’m excited about the possibilities of a new sacred space that will allow members of our community to come together for worship, prayer, and reflection for years to come,” says Head Chaplain Rev. Steve Allen.

The Chapel, meant to foster intentional connection and promote spiritual growth, will be able to accommodate smaller gatherings as well as select Fine Arts performances.

The campus master plan addresses critical needs of our community, including how we learn, gather, worship, and dine.

IMPROVING THE CAMPUS EXPERIENCE

Nestled into forested hills and perched along the Chattahoochee, our campus is treasured among all community members. It was clear to Cooper Carry during their engagement sessions that our community has deep ties to this natural environment with the desire to invest in its continued protection and restoration.

Research from the master planning process revealed that much of the campus fits within a five-minute walk radius. However, many of the campus’ walking pathways are colocated with vehicular traffic and require pedestrians to cross traffic. To address this issue, the plan promotes the pedestrian experience by shifting vehicular traffic to the edges of the campus.

A new, one-way loop road will traverse the perimeter of campus, opening up the center of campus to pedestrians and additional green space. The loop road will continue around the back side of the Lower School, between the Middle School and tennis courts, and behind the Upper School before meeting with the current road by the Murray Athletic Center.

By removing the road directly in front of the Lower School, the plan unites The Dell with an enhanced campus lawn, improving play space and connection to the outdoors. Separating the vehicular and pedestrian traffic will

promote walkability, increase the feeling of a campus experience, and allow pedestrians to connect more with the scenery on our campus.

Since the footprint of the Riverbank Center is smaller than the current Community Center, Lovett will gain at least an acre of greenspace in the center of campus. This will create a larger quad shared by all three academic divisions and erode the sense of separation between the buildings.

For many, the first experience with Lovett’s campus is the notorious difficulty of finding an available parking space and the new campus plan addresses the challenge head on. To make the campus experience better for families, faculty, staff, and visitors, parking will be concentrated for ease and consistency.

“Currently, a visit might be fraught with trepidation for parents and visitors, as they think there will be no parking available,” says Gray. “A specific ‘landing spot’ for parents and visitors, where they know clearly—and conveniently— where they are supposed to park, will encourage worry-free visits while also reducing the number of cars circulating in pedestrian areas. And we believe that can be accomplished without negatively impacting trees and other natural spaces on our campus.”

Through the construction of a parking deck in the same location as the current surface lot nestled among the trees

During engagement sessions, stakeholders expressed a strong desire to increase connections with the outdoors. The plan calls for additional outdoor spaces for collaborating and dining, and unites The Dell with an enhanced campus lawn.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The planning process provided valuable insights about features important to the Lovett community.

CHAPEL: Sacred space for larger gatherings as well as space for smaller, more intimate gatherings.

DINING EXPERIENCE: Less “cafeteria” like. Should serve multiple needs and enhance student experience.

DURABILITY: Awareness of use patterns which will require more robust solutions.

HOLISTIC: Natural lighting, sensible siting, synergistic solutions, and campusexperience focused.

by the front gate, Lovett’s parking capacity will significantly increase, ensuring that all visitors have a spot and a better first impression of our campus, while maintaining the natural beauty that exists as you enter campus.

MOVING MRS. LOVETT’S VISION FORWARD

As we near 100 years of providing whole child education, we have a special opportunity to put the full Lovett experience—the learning, events, and community—on display.

Mrs. Lovett said it best when she declared a Lovett education “is education which is progressing continually in order to keep in step with the constant changes occurring in the world around us. It is a changing education for a changing civilization.” As our education evolves to meet and exceed the needs of our students, so must our spaces. Lovett will move forward to design a school for tomorrow’s world, for today’s students.

“We have a unique moment where we have the resources, the clarity around our mission and vision, and the motivation to move this campus into the future,” says Head of School Meredyth Cole. “We must leverage this opportunity and the enthusiasm of our community to unify the natural attributes of our campus with our distinctive, whole child education.”

It is an exhilarating moment in Lovett’s history as we approach our centennial—to reflect on the past and prepare for the future. The campus master plan, put forth by Cooper Carry and approved by the Board of Trustees, provides ideal design and infrastructure guidelines for the School to showcase our approach to education, celebrate our natural spaces, and unify our community. We are excited for what will be possible in the future because of this plan and look forward to sharing more with our community in the months and years to come.

SIMPLICITY & SERVICEABILITY: Simple systems work efficiently, avoid over-engineering, and can be maintained by on-site staff.

STUDENT GATHERING: Meets a variety of student needs, both instructional and non-instructional.

“THROUGH THE HARD WORK OF DEDICATED INDIVIDUALS FROM EVERY CORNER OF OUR COMMUNITY, WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY CRAFTED A VISIONARY PLAN TO REIMAGINE THE RIVERBANK. PROPELLING LOVETT INTO ITS NEXT CENTURY OF LEARNING WILL REQUIRE THE CONTINUED GENEROSITY OF OUR COMMUNITY— JUST AS THEY HAVE GENEROUSLY PROVIDED US WITH THE FACILITIES AND EXPERIENCES THAT DEFINE THE ESSENCE OF LOVETT TODAY.”

John O. Knox Jr. ’88 Chair, Lovett Board of Trustees

REAL ESTATE to RIVERBANK From the

ALUMNI WITH DEVELOPMENT TIES

GUIDE CAMPUS MASTER PLANNING EFFORT

| by Scott Butterworth, Contributing Writer

When it came time to explore the potential of Lovett’s riverside home, the School enlisted the help of those who know Lovett best: our alumni. Specifically, four alums who have strong backgrounds in commercial development, real estate, and construction planning. Using their professional experience and knowledge of our community, these alums provided vital guidance through our campus master planning process.

DAVID ALLMAN ’72

David Allman ’72 and his Regent Partners company have made their mark on the Atlanta skyline, constructing or managing the Tower Place complex and Sovereign building in Buckhead, and the Concourse Corporate Center in Sandy Springs with its signature “King and Queen” towers.

Less apparent is the work by David and Regent Partners to encourage more affordable housing in Atlanta. He helped launch the city’s first affordable housing impact fund, underwriting low-interest-rate financing for these desperately needed projects. And he was the founding chairman of the Buckhead Community Improvement District.

The through-line of such projects, David suggests, comes through asking, “How do we make this a thriving community?”

That approach, combined with David’s wide-ranging expertise and his decades-long connection to Lovett

made him a natural member of the campus master planning committee.

“It was a fairly seamless transition from what I do week-in and week-out in my profession,” he agrees. “For me, and I think for my fellow real estate cohort that were involved in this process, it was an enjoyable exercise to be able to use our professional experience and skills to help Lovett.”

With this project, David recalls, “the design themes emerged almost universally from all of the stakeholders.” Creating enticing natural spaces that make the most of Lovett’s location and geography was a priority. So was providing more indoor-outdoor spaces and better connecting Lovett’s three divisions.

David also felt a responsibility to safeguard aspects of the School’s legacy—and for good reason. He’s an

alum who met his wife when they were students at Lovett, he remains friends with classmates he’s known for 60 years, he’s a parent of four alums, and he’s a longtime trustee.

“You want to have a campus and facilities that address the needs of today’s and tomorrow’s kids,” he says, “but you also want to respect history.”

Architectural consistency became a theme of the planning committee. So did honoring Lovett’s spiritual heritage through redeveloping the Chapel as a sacred space. Thinking through these various needs and opportunities presented a sort of puzzle, David suggests.

“It had a lot of fingerprints on it, but to a person, I think we’re very pleased with the end result,” he says.

“YOU WANT TO HAVE A CAMPUS AND FACILITIES THAT ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF TODAY’S AND TOMORROW’S KIDS, BUT YOU ALSO WANT TO RESPECT HISTORY.

CLEO CHANG ’15

When Cleo Chang graduated from Lovett in 2015, she intended to use her studies at Clemson University to prepare for a career in industrial engineering. Fate—and, specifically, football—had other plans, though.

Back-to-back summer internships with AECOM Hunt, a construction management firm, placed Cleo on the project building Mercedes-Benz Stadium, an opportunity for her to observe every day “what it takes to build something to that size and scale.”

It gave her a taste of the possibilities of a career in real estate development—the variety of projects and an industry in continual evolution. She also found her personal strength at project management meshed well with developers’ needs.

Today she serves as a director at Impact Development Management, where she manages clients’ overall development process. Impact is the project management firm for Lovett’s campus master planning project, and Cleo’s ties made her a natural asset for the assignment: She attended from kindergarten through graduation, and, she says, “After being there 13 years, I know the school pretty well in and out.”

Through the project, Cleo has contributed not just as a Lovett expert but also as one of the younger voices in the room.

“They tend to lean on me from a student’s perspective—‘How do you think this will impact the students’ day-to-day lives if we were to go this way vs. that way?,’” she notes.

Discussions have examined, for instance, the extent to which heavy machinery at work would affect students’ learning. Cleo has advised, “When I was at Lovett, the School seemed to be constantly under

construction: They built the Lower School, and then the Middle School, and then the athletics facility. I don’t remember it being that big of an issue.”

Throughout this project and, indeed, much of her work at Impact, Cleo says one of the best lessons learned at Lovett helps her often: Be brave enough to remain curious and to ask questions.

“Lovett did a very good job of teaching that it’s okay to not know the answer to something, that you can go ask someone and they’re going to be willing to help you,” she says. “Even though I have been in the construction industry for a while, I’m still very new to it, compared to peers and colleagues who have been in the industry for 20 or 30 years. Because of Lovett, I don’t have the fear of asking a question.”

WHEN I WAS AT LOVETT, THE SCHOOL SEEMED TO BE CONSTANTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION… I DON’T REMEMBER IT BEING THAT BIG OF AN ISSUE.”

JOHN HOLDER ’73

Shortly after John Holder ’73 joined Lovett’s Board of Trustees in 2000, board chair John Glover asked him to assume leadership of the Board’s facilities committee. It was a logical request: Through Holder Properties, he had extensive experience working with every facet of building development and management.

“I thought, ‘Why not? That doesn’t sound so hard—not too much going on here,’” he recalls. “I quickly found out I was mistaken.”

Lovett was about to launch a strategic plan that would result in new Lower, Middle, and Upper School buildings and more. Over the next dozen years on the Board, John would help guide much of this

development work, including for five years as board chair himself.

Looking back on that time, he says candidly, “We didn’t have the resources, and maybe even the vision, to give the School a better sense of identity. We were so focused on repairing and rebuilding 40-to-50 year-old buildings that needed immediate attention. We certainly weren’t thinking of taking a clean slate and redesigning the campus of the future.”

The new campus master plan provides that clean slate, and John is excited about what the plan will produce: “This is transformational. Lovett has outstanding leadership and they’ve put together an excellent team to design a very innovative and creative plan. Once everyone sees how this will tie the School together, it will be a game changer.”

John’s road to real estate development was a bit circuitous. Upon graduating from Lovett, he went to Furman University with the intention of going into banking. That career didn’t quite grab him as he’d hoped, so he shifted into construction, his father’s line of business. The combination of financial experience and construction experience led him to real estate development.

“Learning how the construction business works was an invaluable experience towards my career of being a real estate developer,” he says.

For more than 40 years, Holder Properties has developed millions of square feet of commercial and residential properties including numerous offices, student housing, and mixed-use projects.

THIS IS TRANSFORMATIONAL. LOVETT HAS OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP AND THEY’VE PUT TOGETHER AN EXCELLENT TEAM TO DESIGN A VERY INNOVATIVE AND CREATIVE PLAN

LEONARD WOOD JR. ’94

For Leonard Wood Jr. ’94, the best part of working as a real estate developer lies in the job’s creative possibilities— of “starting with a few pieces of paper and going from there.”

One of Leonard’s earliest projects in Atlanta with Trammell Crow Residential was producing the multifamily component for the Krog Street Market development. By that point, he had spent years in real estate in both Dallas and Washington, DC, but this project spotlighted for him the opportunity through construction to provide both a sense of place and a vision of the future.

“It was just exciting to be part of that placemaking in a very old, traditional Inman Park neighborhood,” he adds.

One element of placemaking involves the need to get people into and out of it—what traffic planners call “circulation.” As a senior managing director with TCR, Leonard thinks a lot about circulation, and

this was an important consideration for Lovett in its master plan.

How should families navigate campus? What accessible options could the School provide? These questions and more went before its master planning committee, which thought carefully about the options.

“We had a lot of discussions about what’s the right parking configuration, what’s the peak demand for those parking spaces,” Leonard says. “And, then, how do we solve it?”

In what he calls “an aha moment,” Head of School Meredyth Cole ultimately hit on a loop road concept. This unlocked a lot of other potential in two particular ways: Plan architects could now make greater advantage of the Riverbank’s natural beauty, and the School’s divisions would be able to come together as never before, producing a greater feeling of campus connection.

“The sharing of ideas, the learning from one another—it’s going to be subtle but a key part of what makes this plan feel really good,” Leonard says.

That connection is a quality Leonard recognizes as central to his own Lovett identity.

“There’s a deep sense of community here,” he says. “One thing I’ve always been proud of is keeping in touch with my high school peers. We’re still really close friends.”

And he’s proud that the School continues to embrace a value of preparing students not only for college and adulthood but also to be “good citizens of the world, developing the people who will move our community forward in a positive direction.”

“THE SHARING OF IDEAS, THE LEARNING FROM ONE ANOTHER— IT’S GOING TO BE SUBTLE BUT A KEY PART OF WHAT MAKES THIS PLAN FEEL REALLY GOOD.

Finding the

MOMENT ” A ha!“

| by Chelle Wabrek, Associate Head of School

AS an Upper School Latin class wrapped up their reading of Roman historian Asconius’ account and interpretation of the political murder of Clodius Pulcher, each student was to demonstrate their learning in a novel and engaging way: create a podcast, a board game, direct and produce a scene from the text, write a song that communicates Cicero’s defense of the murderer. The list might go on and on.

in Play

Top left: In a study of energy through history, Modern Global History students created inventions that could be powered by water wheels and (top right) first grade students were tasked with designing and building the water wheels to make them go.

Left: Tenth grade students worked in the ceramics studio with Upper School teacher Vernon Smith to create Korean ongii pots to better understand the technologies that gave rise to global trade. Inset below: 3D-printed Temple of Vesta.

One student decided to try something different. During his junior year, Henry Hicks ’24 had taken Introduction to Engineering with engineering instructor and makerspace facilitator Ethan Greenberg and thought he would take a different approach to the Latin assignment. He reached out to Ethan to ask permission to use the makerspace— the 3D printer in particular—to print a model of the Temple of Vesta in support of his investigation of this Roman religious order, highlighting his theory that architecture supports belief and vice versa. Little did he know the enthusiastic response he would receive and how that response pointed directly to Lovett’s future and its founding.

Having been a physics teacher at Lovett for nearly a decade, Ethan’s shift to teaching coursework in engineering and “making” was a logical and smooth transition. Part of his task was to bring the “makerspace” out of its space and into the minds of teachers and students.

Over the last few months, Ethan, in partnership with his colleagues in the Middle School Cube and Lower School’s inGen, has hosted collaborative projects with classroom teachers in each division and leaned heavily on partnerships with teachers in the arts. The intent behind these collaborations is for students to see Lovett’s makerspaces as “playgrounds” for ideas—the place to test hypotheses and physically build out their thinking.

As we design an education for the exciting and exponentially different futures of our students, the makerspaces across campus are more mindsets than classrooms. Lovett’s centennial building project shines a spotlight on these essential habits of mind, providing a physical space that is interdisciplinary, interdivisional, and focused on applied learning. The new space will physically

wire connections between library and making, and the arts and making. It also intends to bring students and teachers from all divisions into these spaces, not because they have a class assigned there, but because they know it demarcates a zone of innovation and embodies a state of mind. It is a space dedicated to the “aha!” moment.

When Henry enrolled in Engineering 2 in spring 2023, he knew that he was signing up for more than the technical skills the class encompassed. Their first task required students to visit the Marine Biology lab and connect with Dr. Jennifer Reynolds. The pipes connecting the tanks to their water circulation system required frequent tightening and there was no tool available for purchase that enabled her to do that easily. She described her problem and Henry and his classmates took measurements, studied the pipes, did plumbing research, and began plotting designs. Prototype after prototype was 3D printed and students brought them over to the Marine Bio lab for testing and revisions.

“We can do all the research we want, but there is a lot of trial and error,” Henry recalls of the process. “You can have

an idea of what you want to try, but you don’t know if it is really going to turn out to be exactly what Dr. Reynolds could easily use. So you take the idea and try it out. You note what doesn’t work and what does. If you get it right the first time around, you likely didn’t go big enough.”

Henry saw that the mindsets he is building in that class extended into other places as well.

“If I come at my most recent poetry essay [for my English class] with the same mindset I have in engineering, I can see that the feedback isn’t personal but about communicating my ideas in words, the same way I communicated my ideas with the 3D printer,” he says. “In the case of the essay, I saw that I was a little bit wordy and elusive around some of my evidence and could tighten that up.”

While Eva Edwards Lovett may not have envisioned a laser cutter or 3D printer housed at her school, she knew that students needed to make their learning visible to truly build deep understanding. In her 1930s address to parents, Mrs. Lovett noted, “Investigations, modeling, painting, drawing,

Above: Students enrolled in a psychology class physically built the processes of development to better understand the way these systems intersect. Top Right: Sixth grade scientists built ramps to run experiments for cars to better understand the relationship between angle and speed. Bottom right: Led by Academic Technologist Conway Brackett, ninth grade English students created leather talismans for Odysseus on his journey home.

shop work, writing, trips and continual dramatizations of subject matter, are the magic ‘sesames’ which open the door to a rich, adult life for the learning child.” At that time, she was describing the “aha!” or “eureka!” moment that kids have when understanding hatches in their minds, not because they memorized it, but because they “got it.” She wanted to “offer an education of doing and creating,” because she understood that making thinking visible gave students a sense of their own agency, of what they could do themselves.

A 1928 newspaper article quotes Mrs. Lovett as saying “learning should be closely related to play.” The concept of play looks different through the learning lives of children—from a playground game to LEGO-building and drawing and painting to building—but whatever the age, play is self-directed and voluntary, meaningful and creative, active and process-oriented, adventurous and symbolic. Application of that rubric to the collaborations emanating from our fine arts and making spaces highlights that “play” is exactly what is at work in those spaces. The investment of time and connections between colleagues from across divisions and disciplines is making the spirit of play contagious at Lovett.

As our Centennial looms large on the horizon, Mrs. Lovett’s vision for the School comes into greater focus. There is no doubt she would love to have lunch with Henry Hicks and perhaps have him teach her how to use a 3D printer. No doubt she would tell him that finding the physical “space” that has afforded him the mental “space” to make his learning visible—to have his own sudden realization—is exactly what she had in mind when she opened the doors to The Lovett School at 32 Peachtree Place. No doubt she would look forward with optimism to what the next 100 years at Lovett have in store in service to students.

LEARNING SHOULD BE CLOSELY RELATED TO PLAY.”

Eva Edwards Lovett,

1928

American Studies students collaborated with architect Susan Packman to build monuments dedicated to less well-known periods of American history.

ALUMNI

In October, Drew Schipper ’22 and Cameron Colavito ’21 reconnected at the Navy vs. Tulsa game.

HOMECOMING

EVENTS

The Alumni Association hosted more than 300 alumni, families, and friends for the annual Homecoming Barbecue held outdoors on Bill Railey Field. The familyfriendly event included cornhole, face painting, and balloon artists.

SAVE THE DATE!

Homecoming 2023 is Friday, October 20, 2023, prior to the varsity football game vs. Mt. Zion.

THE GOLDEN LIONS SOCIETY 7 th ANNUAL GALA

NOVEMBER 5, 2022 | CAPITAL CITY CLUB

The Golden Lions Society is an honorary recognition group for the esteemed Lovett alumni who have reached or passed the 50th anniversary of their graduation. All Lovett alumni automatically become lifetime members of The Golden Lions Society during their class’ 50th reunion year and are celebrated at the annual Golden Lions Gala.

2022-23 ALUMNI EXECUTIVE BOARD

Rebecca Warner Strang ’93 President

Russ Richards ’99 President-elect

Kurt Hohlstein ’76

Larry Jackson ’77

Melissa Warmack Howard ’80 *

Kristi Kinnett Roche ’89 *

Mark Brown ’90

B.J. Crane ’93

Will Porter ’93

Catherine Mitchell Jaxon ’94

Cameron Davis Glass ’99 *

Chris Foster ’00

Ali Dick Blaisdell ’02

Hannah English ’11 *

Michael MacDonald ’13

Courtney-Simone Graves ’14

Josh Moore ’15

Devyn Edelstein ’16 *

ALUMNI FEST

SEPTEMBER 15, 2022

Ready for an evening out together at one of Atlanta’s favorite breweries, local alumni gathered at the Westside’s Round Trip Brewing Company for this year’s AlumniFest.

LOVETT IN NYC

JANUARY 30, 2023

EVENTS

Lovett reconnected with our New York City area alumni for an evening of friendship and fun at the Cornell Club.

REUNIONS

LOVETT’S FIRST 60 th REUNION CLASS

Lovett was founded in 1926, but the seniors of the 1961-62 school year were our first to graduate from high school. Members of our founding Class of 1962 gathered in November to celebrate their 60th Reunion—a Lovett first!

50 th REUNION CLASS PARTY, VARSITY LUNCH & SCHOOL TOUR

The Class of 1972 celebrated their golden anniversary with a tremendous turnout for their class party and a fun outing on campus for a Varsity food truck lunch and school tour.

1964 classmates reunited for a holiday dinner. Left to right: Jane Reynolds Sterne, Yetty Levenson Arp, Laura Krugman Vincens, Bonnie Young, and Diane Daniel Wilkinson.

1975

Several classmates met up at Isle of Palms, South Carolina, for a regular getaway they’ve named, tongue-incheek, as the “First Wives Club”— classmates still betrothed to their first wife or husband! “We used to do a trip every couple of years, but have decided to try to make it happen every year as we realize how lucky we are to have such good friendships and that we are all healthy.”

1981

Who are the best Georgia Bulldogs players in history? In honor of the College Football Playoff, the December issue of Sports Illustrated looked back at the best Georgia players at every position. Their list of the greatest to ever wear the red and black included our own Knox Culpepper, a UGA linebacker from 1981-1984, where he still holds the all-time record in three categories:

• Total tackles in a single game: 26 vs. Georgia Tech in 1983 (Also second on the list with 25 vs. Auburn in 1983).

• Total tackles in a season: 170 in 1984 (Also second on the list with 166 in 1983).

• Total assists in a season: 116 in 1984 (Also second on the list with 105 in 1983).

1983

January’s Creative Loafing featured 14-year Lovett Lion and bassist Dianne DaLee with her bandmates in Blue Velvet Atlanta, an all-female blues band: “All are veteran roots players who are also members of other working Atlanta-based groups. But BVA is starting to pick up steam, helped, in part, by a rousing set at 2022’s Blues Stotts event…They describe their sound as ‘a broad spectrum of blues influenced music’ with strong nods to a New Orleans-inspired gumbo of jazz/soul/funk, with even a little rock ’n’ roll. With three part harmonies, a flutist (!), and a smattering of original tunes mixed with crowd pleasing covers, BVA keeps the energetic party vibe flowing.” Dianne also is a member of Chequered Blue, a five-person band that plays a fun collection of guitar-driven classic rock and blues with a little old-school soul, R&B & Motown sprinkled in. Both of Dianne’s bands have performances slated throughout the spring and summer. “Keep us in mind whenever you need some good music!”

1975 classmates and spouses. Left to right, front row: Hal Wright, Clayton Burrous, Steve Carroll, Tommy Withers; back row: Mary Holloway Timberlake, Van Price, Emily Burrous, Chet Rollins, Allison Garner Rollins ’76, Cindy Kattel Price ’78, Linda Wright, Peggy Carroll, Lynn Withers, Mary Preston, Steve Preston. (Not Pictured: Bryan Timberlake)

Bassist Dianne DaLee ’83 (above) with bandmates of Blue Velvet Atlanta (top right) and Chequered Blue (bottom right).

1987

Actor Gale Harold served as an executive producer for the film “Fairyland,” a coming-of-age story that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January. Based on the memoir “Fairyland: A Memoir of My Father” by Alysia Abbott, the film takes a look at the relationship between a daughter and her father as they struggle through a Bohemian lifestyle that comes to a shattering tragic halt with the AIDS crisis of the 80s. Produced by Sophia Coppola, daughter of Francis Ford Coppola, the film features the acting talents of Geena Davis, Adam Lambert, Cody Fern, Bella Murphy, and new talent Nessa Doughtery. After Lovett, Gale attended American University in Washington, DC on a soccer scholarship before heading west to study photography and printmaking at the San Francisco Art Institute. While working as a manager of a motorcycle shop, he was spotted by a producer who convinced him to try his hand at acting. After three years of training and theater work, Gale was cast and starred for five years as Brian Kinney, the lead character in the Showtime adaptation of the British series “Queer As Folk.” His film credits include “Wake,” “Particles of Truth” (Tribeca Film Festival), “Rhinoceros Eyes” (Toronto Film Festival), “Fathers and Sons,” “The Unseen,” and “Falling For Grace.”

RASHIDI HENDRIX ’92

Rashidi Hendrix is an award-winning producer and talent manager who is a partner at Independent Artists Media and CEO of Metallic Pictures, a Los Angeles-based television/ film production company. In 2022, Rashidi won three Emmys and four Telly Awards for his hit series on Hulu, “Set the Record Straight: The Jam Master Jay Case.” He started his career as a series development executive at MTV in 2007. Prior to MTV, he was an award-winning music

He also appeared as Connor Lang in Rockne S. O’Bannon and Kevin Murphy’s SYFY series, “Defiance,” and had regular roles on the series “The Secret Circle” and “Hellcats”. He has recurred on Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning shows including “Deadwood,” “Desperate Housewives,” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” He has made guest appearances on “Street Time,” “The Unit,” “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit,” and “CSI: NY.”

1989

Drive carpool for her son Alexander? Not if she wants to do that story about Ukraine and interview the secretary of state. Mary Louise Kelly’s new memoir “It. Goes. So. Fast. The Year of No Do-Overs” is described as operating instructions meets Glennon Doyle as her book describes the joys, losses, and surprises during the year before her son goes to college. Like millions of parents who wrestle with raising children while pursuing a career, she has never been cavalier about these decisions. The bargain she has always made with herself is this: this time I’ll get on the plane, and next year I’ll find a way to be there for the mom stuff.

publishing A&R executive with multiple Grammys and BMI, ASCAP, and SESAC Awards from his signings. As a manager, Rashidi represents a roster of actors, comedians, TV and film writers and directors, actors and comedians, that have worked on shows like “End of the Road” (Netflix), “Wild is the Wind” (Netflix), “Bad Dad Rehab,” “The Ranch” (Netflix), “Chicago Fire” (NBC), “Criminal Minds” (CBS), “Bates Motel” (A&E), “NCIS” (CBS), “Deadly Class” (SYFY), “Preacher” (AMC), “Crazy Love” (Lifetime), “Shameless” (Showtime), “Late Night with Seth Meyers” (NBC), “Luke Cage” (Netflix), “Insecure” (HBO), “Laff Tracks”

1998

Julie Hilsman Hausner is living in Cumming with her husband Tim. They have two children: Wilkes, 9, and Kate, 8. She works as a nurse practitioner at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, specifically with liver transplant patients.

1999

Born into the restaurant industry, Sachiyo “Sachi” Nakato

Takahara earned her first tip at age 12, and by 24, she’d tried every job at Nakato, the Japanese restaurant her grandmother founded in 1972. More than 18 years ago, her parents handed over the restaurant to her and November marked Nakato’s 50th anniversary. Congratulations to you and your family, Sachi!

2006

In the fall, Don’t Tell Comedy kicked off the release of their 11th stand-up series featuring Matthew Broussard Don’t Tell Comedy produces weekly shows in 70+ cities across the country in unique locations for a one-of-a-kind comedy experience! The location is kept a secret until the day of the show and the performers are a secret until they hit the stage. The Bookstore Series is Don’t Tell Comedy’s 11th independent YouTube series that features stand-up comedy sets from the best of the next generation of stand up comedians.

(TruTV), “Chuck” (NBC), “Paper Friends” (BET), “Chopped” (Food Network), “Late Night Chef Fight” (FYI), and hit features like “Takers” and “The Equalizer.”

As a producer, he’s worked on shows like “Set the Record Straight” (Hulu), “Bet On Black” (REVOLT/Peacock), “Orange is the New Black” (Netflix), “The Apprentice” (NBC), “We Are The Jones” (Discovery), “According to Him + Her” (CENTIC), “Hot Properties” (HGTV), “The Encounter” (SYFY), “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC), “Shark Tank” (ABC), and the MTV Awards.

Rashidi is an avid public speaker with over 200 engagements to his credit speaking at panels, podcasts,

conferences, conventions, summits, universities and national television as an expert. In 2019, Hendrix was appointed by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to serve as a member of his FCC Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment in Washington, DC to assist the chairman on creating diversity initiatives for the media and entertainment sectors. In 2017, he was asked to join the Diversity & Inclusion Committee for the Writer’s Guild of America-East (WGA), in which he is also an active member.

He graduated from Florida A&M and Florida State Universities with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical and industrial engineering. Earlier this year, Rashidi was an honoree for a 2023 Florida A&M University National Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumni Award. In addition, he serves on many community organizations as a volunteer and active mentor to young people.

Photo credit: Carly Cooper, Simply Buckhead Magazine

DREW STOCKTON ’10: LEARNING A SECOND LANGUAGE IS LIFE-CHANGING

MYname is Drew Stockton, I’m a Lion, I’m a Tarheel, and a passionate human inspired to make a difference in our world.

At the age of 13, my love affair with Spanish began in my first class at Lovett. It wasn’t necessarily love at first sight, but I was a hardworking student and enjoyed using my memorization skills to excel. Spanish music was my favorite part of class. We listened and broke down multiple songs by the Colombian singer Juanes that remain in my head to this day. Learning the lyrics and meaning behind them motivated me in a way that other school subjects did not.

Arriving at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) at age 18, I had no idea what I wanted to study. Studying was not a priority. I was way more excited by some of the other possibilities that came with going to college. I was no stranger to the social scene in high school and the new feeling of independence that came with leaving my parents’ house for the first time was very exciting.

Yet, I wasn’t completely without direction while choosing my academic focus—my proficiency in math and the positive experience with Spanish at Lovett led me to elect a major in economics and a minor in Spanish. Although I thought my Spanish minor would just be a GPA-booster, I found that my deeper love for the language that was sparked in high school was re-awakened in my college classes.

While my journey with economics always felt like a struggle, Spanish was smooth sailing because I was

excited to learn. Classes in the Spanish minor program were small and intimate (only around 20 students) which was quite different from the economics classes that hosted hundreds. The intimacy allowed students to connect with teachers in a way that just wasn’t feasible in the larger classes. My main professor throughout the Spanish minor program was Dr. Grant Gearhart, an unpretentious teacher who insisted we call him “Grant” and was particularly interested and aware of how to motivate his students to work hard and succeed. During our graduation ceremonies, Grant invited me and a few others from class to celebrate our success and encouraged us to reach out to him whenever we pleased, but it would be another four-and-a-half years before I would take him up on his offer.

Between graduation and reconnecting with Grant, I had worked more than three years as an analyst at a large, national bank in commercial real estate finance. In the midst of this career, and at the age of 25, I was diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkins Lymphoma blood cancer. After finishing my final chemo treatments and learning that I was cancer-free (woo-hoo!), I was told that I could start easing back into normal life. So I did the only thing that made sense to me: I bought a flight to South America. I was just one month out of my last chemo treatment when I landed in Bogota, Colombia in October 2017. I was in the worst physical shape of my life, still recovering from the side-effects of chemo, but I didn’t care. The

freedom of being cancer-free and escaping the hospital system was exhilarating.

Two weeks backpacking in Colombia awoke something in me, and when I returned to my desk job at the bank, my mind was elsewhere. It took just a few months back at the office before I would quit and head off for more adventure in South America. My eyebrows still hadn’t returned and if you look closely at the photo of me and Will Law, you can see my chemo port bulging out of my shirt.

Back in South America, I was using my nine years of Spanish education in the real world experiencing a true sense of fulfillment as I used my language education in everyday life…buying bus tickets, ordering food, cracking jokes, and sharing laughs with others in their native language. After many months in South America, I wanted to continue my adventures while also testing my mind, so I decided to try and pursue a master’s degree in psychology in Spain. Learning in Spanish would be a challenge, but I had made huge improvements with the language in just a few months and thought it was possible to make this leap.

I loved it and loved the life it allowed me to live with tons of free time which I used to explore my new interests: meditation, yoga, nutrition, and travel, to name a few, while also deepening my connection to the Spanish language. I ended up taking advantage of this program for three years, living a simple life in Valencia, a city of 300+ days of sun per year with easy access to beaches and surrounding mountains. I was speaking Spanish daily with my teacher colleagues at school, most of whom spoke no English.

I also started attending yoga classes and listening to guided meditations taught in Spanish. My profound experiences with yoga and meditation ultimately led me to get certified as a yoga teacher and I’m currently teaching classes in both English and Spanish. I joined a trail-running team as the only native English speaker and some of my most meaningful personal relationships are with Spanishspeaking friends.

Unemployed, in the middle of South America, and with a new dream, I reached back out to Grant. His direct response caught me off-guard, but it was what I needed to hear: “You are definitely not ready to get a master’s degree in Spanish.” Ouch. It didn’t take me long to realize that Grant had a point, and I ended up following his recommendation to apply for an English assistant program in Spain that would give me an opportunity to continue improving the language while immersing myself in the culture.

The English assistant role consisted of just four days and 12 hours of work per week at a Spanish primary school. There was no preparation nor revision work required. The program provided a Spanish visa (which isn’t exactly easy to acquire) and a generous monthly stipend to speak English, dance, and sing with children. It was certainly a change of pace from office life at the bank.

In September 2022, as I celebrated five years of being cancer free, I launched a lifestyle brand and coaching business, MÁS Health, which is focused on holistic health for the individual while ultimately contributing to a healthier, happier world for all. I coach virtually from my home in Valencia, in English and Spanish, for clients based in the United States and Spain, and focus on nutrition, habit change, managing stress/anxiety, and mindset, with the overall goal being to support the individual to feel and live their best life.

As I reflect on this purpose-filled, meaningful life that I am now living, I feel grateful for the people and places that have played a part in making it a reality. The love of Spanish guided me to Spain and my schools did a wonderful job creating a space and sharing resources for students like me that want to dream big. Exceptional teachers helped guide and inspire me to succeed and introduced me to tools, skills and a mindset I needed to ultimately find clarity and purpose in life.

Drew Stockton (right) and Will Law ’11 in Santa Marta Colombia, October 2018.

Drew teaching Yoga on a mountain peak in Valencia, Spain.

Featured in the Atlanta Jewish Times was Reid Edelstein, a senior and standout midfield lacrosse player at Denison University where he is majoring in global commerce, international business from a liberal arts perspective, with a minor in Spanish. Ranked as a top-20, Division III team, Denison upset No. 2 Gettysburg earlier this season 10-9 with Reid contributing a goal and an assist toward the victory. Denison’s athletics programs encourage study abroad and since lacrosse is a spring sport, Edelstein studied in Sevilla, Spain, during the fall of his junior year. In a self-published article on Denison’s website, Reid said of his time abroad, “One of the things that we often talk about in Global Commerce is the importance of making connections and building relationships across differences of culture and language. My homestay in Sevilla gave me the opportunity to experience this for myself. When my family came to visit me in Spain, my host family prepared a beautiful lunch and we sat around the table eating delicious food and talking for hours, even though my parents don’t speak Spanish, and Blanca and Manolo know no English! It was then that I truly realized that although people can grow up in completely

different cultures, on opposite sides of the world, they can still share ideas and opinions. This experience taught me that as I move forward in my professional life it’s important to look for similarities that will help me establish connections, despite any cultural differences that might exist.”

Sarah Followill, a senior on the University of North Carolina fencing team, has received the 2023 Wells Fargo Postgraduate Scholarship, a $10,000 grant presented annually to a UNC senior student-athlete who plans to attend graduate school. The Wells Fargo announcement was part of the Rams Club’s Endowed Scholarship Dinner, held at the Carolina Club. A foil fencer, Sarah graduated from Carolina in May after majoring in environmental studies with minors in geographic information science (GIS) and studio art. She plans to earn a master of architecture degree with a focus in sustainable architecture.

In November, the Class of 2017 celebrated their 5 Year Reunion!

UNC fencing coach Matt Jednak says, “Sarah is such an asset to our team. She is completely selfless and works so hard to make sure the team and coaches come first. I’m so proud of her and ecstatic that she is receiving this award.”

In addition to the Wells Fargo honor, Sarah earned the G. Herbert Stout Award for Innovative Student Projects in GIS and placed first in the 2022 UNC GIS Map Day Competition. She has made the Dean’s List and garnered Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Honor Roll recognition all four years while at Carolina.

2021

Aaron McFadden and fellow Loyola University New Orleans students have started the school’s first record label, Wolf Moon Records. This group aims to give a voice and exposure to aspiring talent all over the school. Artists who join the label are given money to produce a single and a music video. These students also are given the marketing credentials to say they’ve been signed to a professional label. The hope of this group is to give these aspiring artists the tools and exposure they need to continue this passion beyond Loyola’s campus!

In addition to his musical pursuits, Aaron has represented Loyola’s track and field team during his freshman and sophomore years, competing indoors and outdoors primarily in 60-, 100-, and 200-meter events.

All-Atlantic Coast Conference performer Nick Jackson announced he was leaving the University of Virginia to play for the Iowa Hawkeyes to play his fifth season. He spent four seasons playing at Virginia, starting 33 of a possible 46 games. The Cavaliers received 100 or more tackles from Jackson in each of the last three seasons. He earned second-team all-conference honors after the last two campaigns and was a third-teamer in 2020. He won UVA’s defensive MVP award in 2022. He will join the team this summer, after earning his bachelor’s degree from UVA in May.

And, back in November, Virginia and Georgia Tech met on the gridiron of Bobby Dodd Stadium, bringing UVA teammates Nick Jackson and Stevie Bracey ’22 together with their past Lions’ teammate KJ Wallace, who plays for Georgia Tech.

Sydney Johnson, a Boston University senior and women’s basketball player, was selected First Team All-Patriot League averaging 13 points per game, three assists, and three rebounds. She led her team to the finals of the conference tournament scoring 19 points in the championship game before losing to Holy Cross. She was named to the All Tournament Team for her performance.

KJ Wallace ’19 (GT) and Nick Jackson ’19 (UVA) reunited in October 2022. In the background is Stevie Bracey ’22 wearing #30.

Aaron McFadden ’21 is majoring in urban and electronic music production at Loyola in New Orleans where he also competes on the university’s track and field team.

MARRIAGES

1. Philipp and Katie Wymer

Clarke ’10

October 8, 2022

Pictured with Lovett friends

2. Pamela and Nathaniel Hutchinson ’05

June 25, 2022

Pictured with Lovett friends

3. Jay ’86 and Meredith “Mimi” Martin Jenkins ’86

June 11, 2022

Pictured with their family

4. Aaron ’16 and Meredith Bond Schunk ’16

December 17, 2022

Pictured with our own Rev. Steve Allen

5. Sarah DuPre Slick and Charles Slick ’04

November 19, 2022

6. Mary Carlson Streiffert ’07 and Hampus Streiffert

August 27, 2022

7. David and Marilyn Morgan Stromquist ’16

October 22, 2022

8. Brooks ’10 and Kathryn Chanaberry Young ’12

October 8, 2022

6.

7. 8.

2.

3.

5.

4. 1.

BABIES

1. Elizabeth Janeway “Janie” Barnes

October 21, 2022

Ley and Sarah Price Barnes ’05

2. Owens Lillian Carr

August 20, 2022

John ’05 and Virginia Jackson Carr ’07

3. Palmer Hayes Close

August 8, 2022

Daniel and Kyndal Hayes Close ’04

Pictured with brother, Brooks

4. Elizabeth Anne “Libby” Gilmore

March 9, 2022

Semmes and Lee Anne Bradshaw Gilmore ’07

5. Lawson James Hughes

September 1, 2022

Will and Caroline Davis Hughes ’07

6. Rollins Louise Moister

December 2, 2022

Taylor and Sarah Rollins Moister ’04

7. Lucy Elizabeth Sacha

January 21, 2023

Franklin and Elizabeth Rucker Sacha ’10

7.

5. 6.

2.

3.

4.

1.

Photo by Kathryn Wray Rogers ’07

IN MEMORIAM

Sandra Norris Bennett

Parent of alumni, grandparent of alumni

Walter Clark Butler Jr.

Parent of alumni, grandparent of alumni

Bill Crawley ’62

Richard “Dick” Alden Denny Jr.

Parent of alumni, grandparent of alumni, Lifetime Trustee

Nancy Eileen Dobbs ’67

Sarah Patterson French

Parent of alumni

Frank Reid Hartsfield III

Parent of alumni

Edith “Tut” Crowe Ingram

Parent of alumni

Margaret Linch Jordan

Parent of alumni, grandparent of alumni

Samuel Beam Kellett Sr.

Parent of alumni, grandparent

Kenneth Kiesler

Parent of alumni, former faculty

Sandra Teem Maner

Parent of alumni, grandparent

Sue Sterne Mitchell

Parent of alumni, grandparent of alumni, grandparent

Max Wayland Monteith Jr. ’77

Betty Barnes Nicolson

Parent of alumni, grandparent of alumni, great grandparent

Marguerite “Marge” Pennington

Parent of alumni

Antonio Ramon Perez

Parent of alumni, grandparent of alumni

James Burt Peters

Parent of alumni, grandparent

Donald “Don” Lanier Plunkett

Parent of alumni

Frank Bond Sheetz Jr.

Parent of alumni, grandparent of alumni, great grandparent

Donna Towers Tabaka

Parent of alumni, grandparent of alumni

TRIBUTES

RICHARD “DICK” DENNY JR. (1931-2022)

Richard “Dick” Denny was a well-known and respected attorney who served on the Lovett Board of Trustees from 1969 to 1983, including as vice chair and chairman. He had a distinguished career as a partner at King and Spalding, where he had an integral role in founding the real estate department. Denny was devoted to serving organizations and clubs across Atlanta. In addition to Lovett, he served on the boards of Rich’s, the High Museum of Art, and the Carter Center, and was president of the Lawyers Club of Atlanta and the Piedmont Driving Club. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Marg, and has many Riverbank connections, including four children, Margaret Denny Dozier ’73, Richard Denny III ’75, Dallas Denny ’76, and Lee Denny Griffith ’79; and several grandchildren, including Taylor Dozier ’02, Graham Dozier ’05, Maggie Dozier Carr ’07, Jarrard Denny ’06, Dallas Denny Jr. ’10, Rhodes Denny ’15, Robert Griffith IV ’07, and Sullivan Griffith ’09.

JOSEPH “JOE” GLADDEN JR. (1942-2022)

Joe Gladden was a highly respected attorney in Atlanta and served on the Lovett Board of Trustees from 1992 to 2000. After working as a law clerk for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, he joined King & Spalding, where he worked for 17 years, eventually becoming a partner. Gladden left in 1985 to work at The Coca-Cola Company and retired as an executive vice president and general counsel in 2001. He devoted an extraordinary amount of time to community organizations and educational institutions. He served in leadership capacities and on the boards of Agnes Scott College, Wesley Woods Inc., the Atlanta Ballet, Emory Healthcare, University of Virginia’s Miller Center for Public Affairs, University of Virginia Health System, and the Monticello Cabinet. For his devotion to their institution, Emory University recognized him with the Emory Medal in 2001, the highest honor it bestows upon its alumni. He is survived by his wife Sally and their children, Josh Gladden ’87 and Elizabeth Gladden Kehoe ’91.

ROBERT CHARLES “CHARLIE” LOUDERMILK SR. (1927-2022)

Charlie Loudermilk was a well-known businessman, civic leader, and philanthropist in Atlanta for nearly 70 years. Founder of the rent-to-own company Aaron’s, he had humble beginnings, selling bottled Coca-Colas to moviegoers in what is now the Buckhead Theatre when he was just ten years old. Seven decades later, Loudermilk funded the restoration of the same venue and is enshrined in the park across the street that bears his name. He was a dedicated supporter of numerous local organizations, including the Atlanta Food Bank, Covenant House, and Lovett. He served on the boards of MARTA, the Buckhead Coalition, and Lovett from 1982 to 1984. In 1983, he established the R. Charles Loudermilk Scholarship Fund, enabling Lovett to offer financial aid to one or more deserving students each year. In 2000, Mr. Loudermilk and his family answered the call of Lovett’s 75th Anniversary Campaign by giving $3 million—the largest single donation in school history at the time—making possible the Loudermilk Student Activities Center. A focal point of student, faculty, and parent life that has stood the test of time, the Loudermilk SAC is home to the Lion’s Den Café, the Upper School Student Lounge, and the Campus Shop. In addition, a leadership gift from the Loudermilk Family Trust established the Hendrix Garden in front of Lovett’s Lower School. His Riverbank connections include his children, Linda Loudermilk ’83 and Robin Loudermilk ’78 (Frances), and grandchildren, Charlie Loudermilk ’08 (Louise), Chappell Loudermilk ’10, and Coley Loudermilk ’15.

LOVETT LAST LOOK

From our earliest days, Lovett emphasized educational spaces, both indoors and outdoors, that were “pleasant, livable place[s] where a child enjoys working and playing.” Play is just as important today as students of all ages learn through experimenting, creating, composing, and performing.

THE LOVETT SCHOOL

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