ALUMNI INSPIRATION DAY
January 19, 2024
January 19, 2024 SCHEDULE 8:15 a.m.: Seniors Arrive 8:30 a.m.: Welcome Presentation 8:40 a.m.: Alumni /Alumni Parent Panel 9:25-9:55 a.m.: Session 1 10-10:30 a.m.: Session 2 10:35-11:05 a.m.: Session 3 11:10 a.m.: Steward Trivia and Closing Presentation 11:45 a.m.: Senior Dismissal
OPENING PANELISTS: ALUMNI PARENTS
Paul Cantor President, TrustMor Mortgage Company Richmond native Paul Cantor (father of Lauren ’18, Matthew ’20, Jason ’22, and David ’22) graduated from the University of Miami with a bachelor's degree in business administration. He co-founded TrustMor Mortgage Company in 1995 and currently serves as its president. Known for his holistic approach to personal finance, Mr. Cantor has helped numerous families with home financing and is passionate about financial education. He frequently conducts workshops to demystify complex financial concepts.
Kathryn “Kammy” Hambrick Retired Tax Partner, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP Prior to retirement, Kathryn Hambrick (mother of Jack ’17 and Alex ’21) was a tax partner and a corporate partner at several international law firms, most recently at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP. She advised fund sponsors, state pension plans, and foreign institutional investors regarding the legal and tax aspects of structuring and participating in investment funds that make real estate and corporate securities investments in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Mrs. Hambrick started her career as a certified public accountant and worked in the National Tax Department of EY. She co-taught a class in Partnership Taxation in the Master’s in Business Administration Program of George Mason University and was a guest lecturer at Georgetown University Law Center.
OPENING PANELISTS: ALUMNI
Braeden Glancy ’15 College Counseling Administrative Assistant, The Steward School
Braeden Glancy graduated from Steward in 2015 and from Longwood University, where she studied history. For several summers, she worked at Steward’s camp program, then returned to her alma mater after college to be the school’s receptionist in Wilton Hall. She is now the administrative assistant in the College Counseling Office, where she enjoys helping students through the college application process.
Kemis Noble Rawls ’08 Senior Project Manager, CapTech Consulting
Kemis Noble Rawls started her career on the recruitment team with Bon Secours Health System and ultimately transitioned to the marketing team to lead the implementation and strategy for their customer relationship management system as well as other strategic marketing efforts. She is now a consultant at CapTech Consulting, where she partners with clients within the sports, hospitality, manufacturing, insurance, non-profit, and financial services spaces to implement new technologies and enterprise transformational efforts. Her skillsets fall within project and program management, account management, and operations.
OPENING PANELISTS: ALUMNI
James Schreiber ’05 Managing Partner & Financial Advisor, Financial Services of Virginia
As a partner at Financial Services of Virginia, James Schreiber helps clients accomplish their goals and build a better future for themselves and their families. He earned his B.S. in entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial studies from High Point University. He is involved in numerous volunteer activities throughout the Richmond community, most notably the Richmond Chapter of Junior Achievement and the Richmond Children’s Museum.
Chris Brown ’05 Owner, Nickel Bridge Designs
Being Your Own Boss Following Steward's graduation, Chris Brown attended Ferrum College, playing tennis there as the first alumnus to play in college from Steward’s boys tennis program. He began working in radio after college and was operations manager at WRAR and WNNT in Tappahannock, Va., serving as afternoon DJ and giving weather and stock reports and community calendar updates. He served as operations manager for an e-commerce company that ran four websites (fedoras.com, diabeticsocks.com, socks4life.com, and sleepypup.com). He currently owns and operates Nickel Bridge Designs, which specializes in custom orders and designs for merchandise. Some of the items in the Spartan Shop were made by his company (canvas bags, teddy bears, keychains, Christmas ornaments). Mr. Brown also spent earlier years coaching tennis at Steward (with Coach Kurt Hammerschmidt) and Trinity Episcopal School and he is excited to have been recently named the director of tennis at Huguenot High School. He will be coaching their first team in 20+ years. Mr. Brown lives on the city’s Southside with his three dogs and volunteers for Australian Shepherds Furever, a national dog rescue, for which he has fostered more than 15 dogs.
Jack Dennis ’13 CFA, CRP Portfolio Manager, Bank of America Private Bank
Working in the Stock Market Nowhere Near Wall Street At Steward, a botched start on his senior project led Jack Dennis to find a passion for investing and managing stock portfolios. At CNU, he spent the next four years pursuing financial markets but was uncertain about his job prospects. It ended up working out. This session is for anyone wondering what the finance job market actua lly looks like and how to pursue it. Mr. Dennis is hoping that attendees find that there are more opportunities in finance than they may realize… even if you’re not valedictorian. If you are, that’s not bad either. Mr. Dennis is a portfolio manager at Bank of America Private Bank, where he manages hundreds of millions of dollars in client portfolios (mostly stocks and bonds). He graduated from CNU with a degree in economics and quickly became a chartered financial analyst as well as a certified financial planner. He previously worked as a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley before deciding that portfolio management and focusing solely on investments was more interesting.
Will Farmer ’15 Territory Manager, Kinsale Insurance
Sales and Insurance as Exciting Career Choices Will Farmer was born and raised in Richmond, Va., and attended the University of South Carolina. He graduated with degrees in finance, risk management & insurance in 2019 and moved back to Virginia where he began working at Kinsale Insurance. He started on the underwriting side and for the past year and a half has managed a team of seven underwriters. His goal is to continue training and leading new talent in the industry while finding creative solutions for his applicants. Steward's tight-knit community gave him the confidence to build relationships with anyone, a skill that has brought value to his career and personal life.
Matthew Gelber ’15 Computer Engineering Graduate Student at VCU; completed Ph.D. coursework
Introduction to Robotics Through the Eyes of a Computer Engineer After graduating from Steward, Matthew Gelber attended VCU College of Engineering for a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering. During that time, he worked in the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Lab on projects ranging from programming to the development of the UAV Lab's first tilt-rotor aircraft. After obtaining his degree, he decided to pursue a Ph.D. in computer engineering at VCU. He has authored a few publications in the area of embedded systems and is currently conducting various research projects in the UAV Lab with a focus on the development of embedded cyber-attack detection architecture for the Flight Control System.
Camberly Pearson Haith ’98 Paper Artist and Owner, Sweet Pear Paper
Coloring Outside the Lines: Making a Name for Yourself in the Art World in a Unique Way School: Palm Beach Atlantic University Favorite professional achievements: For bridal designer Watters, her artwork was used as a runway backdrop at Fashion Week in New York. Her artwork was displayed as a backdrop for Richmond Ballet’s “Cinderella” marketing materials. Her artwork was published in Engaged Magazine. In her free time, Ms. Haith enjoys continuing her education in different art mediums, dancing, and spending time with her husband and their dog.
Kendall Hrabak ’04 School Nurse, The Steward School
Nursing as a Flexible Career Kendall Hrabak graduated from The Steward School in 2004. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in health sciences and a minor in human science from James Madison University in 2008. She immediately went on to graduate magna cum laude from Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing in 2010 as a registered nurse and received the Chelsey-Decker Award for good citizenship in contributing to the betterment of Bon Secours students through her work in peer tutoring. For the next few years, she worked on a step-down medical telemetry unit at Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center with a diverse adult patient population ranging from post-surgical to acute stroke management as well as a variety of acute and chronic medical conditions. She went on to become a mom to her three children (who are now Spartans) and raise them at home through their preschool years. She jumped back into the nursing world by trying out school nursing at Steward as a substitute with her old nursing school pal, Nurse Heck. This experience led her to a new season of life and nursing career change in her newfound passion in a school with children and adolescents. As Nurse Hrabak’s journey demonstrates, nursing is a special career field that allows for growth, change, and reinvention for every season of life.
Amy Lane ’11 Writer and Recruitment Marketing & Brand Strategy Manager, Bon Secours Mercy Health
Crafting Your Career Navigating the professional landscape is about harnessing your strengths and passions. And a career in professional writing is like building a puzzle without a picture. With a background in human resources, marketing, and copyediting, Amy Lane brings a unique perspective to recruitment marketing. Her expertise spans several industries including consulting, staffing, travel, and healthcare. As a solution-oriented individual, she is passionate about creative messaging and campaign strategy. Ms. Lane is a graduate of College of Charleston and New York University. Outside of work, she competed for the title of “The Greatest Baker” with Bake from Scratch magazine in 2021. Even though she placed fifth and did not win a lifetime of sugar bucks or butter currency, she learned the importance of believing in yourself. Like jelly filling a donut, Ms. Lane believes that your dreams should fill your soul.
Alex Mayers ’93 Marketing Technology Manager, US HealthConnect
Marketing Automation and Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare Alex Mayers was raised in Ashland, Va., and graduated from The Steward School in 1993. As a student, he actively participated in sports, notably as a member of the soccer team. He also takes pride in being a founding member of Steward's inaugural golf team. After Steward, he attended Mary Washington College, now known as the University of Mary Washington, graduating with a B.S. in business; he was also a member of the crew team. Mr. Mayers’ career began in Charlottesville, where he spent 15 years as a computer programmer. His role focused on Oracle database and web application development. In 2016, he relocated to Richmond and moved into a new role as a marketing technology specialist at Allianz, which he held for five years. Currently, Mr. Mayers is employed at US HealthConnect, a Philadelphia-based company, and he works remotely in Richmond. As a marketing technology manager, he specializes in marketing automation, focusing on innovative strategies in automated email and SMS messaging. Outside of his professional life, he is passionate about various hobbies, including linguistics, playing the guitar, and rowing. Additionally, working from home he is kept company all day by his three dogs (two Maltipoos and a Yorkie).
Morgan Penberthy ’13 Graduate Student, Western Carolina University; American Psychological Association
Pursuing a Path in Psychology Morgan Penberthy graduated from The Steward School in 2013 and received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Wake Forest University in 2017. After graduation, she began working at the American Psychological Association in the Education Directorate. While working full time, she pursued additional passions such as completing a 200-hour yoga teacher training, attending and assisting at various meditation retreats, and co-authoring her first book, “Living Mindfully Across the Lifespan: An Intergenerational Guide.” She began graduate school in clinical psychology at Western Carolina University in 2022, where she currently works for the university’s Counseling and Psychological Services and the Asheville Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Outside of her work and studies, Ms. Penberthy loves hiking, enjoying coffee, and spending time with her loved ones, including her kitty, Alley Cat.
Lauren Christian Redfern ’07 Commercial Real Estate Professional, Markel
Turning an Internship into a Real Estate Career Lauren Redfern went to Randolph Macon College for one year and then transferred to Virginia Commonwealth University after graduating from Steward and was very active in the real estate program.She met a Markel executive while in college, and he asked her to intern. She started sitting on the floor in his office going through real estate documents. Once she graduated, he created a full-time position for her, and year by year he gave her more and more responsibility. She was able to travel places she wouldn’t have, met people she wouldn’t have, and learned how to negotiate and execute real estate deals globally. Today, Mrs. Redfern oversees the entire real estate portfolio in the U.S. and Bermuda and is also involved in the global portfolio. Although she recently left Markel, she has a true appreciation for the company and will miss it tremendously. Mrs. Redfern will start a new job this month, which was an offer she could not pass up. While change is scary, she is looking forward to this new opportunity.
Sam Trepp ’15 6th Grade English and History Teacher, Anna Julia Cooper School
A Career in Education: What I Thought Would Never Happen Becomes Something I Wouldn't Have Any Other Way After graduating from Steward in 2015, Mr. Trepp spent a year at the University of Richmond and then transferred to VMI. Immediately after graduating from VMI in 2020, he enrolled in a program at the University of Notre Dame, through which he taught for two years in Mobile, Alabama while simultaneously completing his master's degree in education. In 2022, Mr. Trepp moved back to Richmond and was lucky enough to land a teaching job at Anna Julia Cooper School in the city's East End. He is currently in his second year at AJC and teaches sixth-grade history and English, coaches basketball, and runs a weekend open-gym basketball program to provide the neighborhood kids with a space for healthy competition.
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