OUR 66 GRADUATES ATTEND 40 DIFFERENT COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES NEXT YEAR IN 19 STATES, AND WASHINGTON, D.C.
123
WERE ACCEPTED INTO 123 DIFFERENT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN 30 STATES, WASHINGTON, D.C., AND CANADA.
218
THE MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2024 TOOK 218 AP EXAMS IN 14 SUBJECT AREAS DURING THEIR SENIOR YEAR.
As in past years, all Steward seniors who applied to college were offered admission to four-year institutions.
SENIORS WERE ADMITTED TO COMPETITIVE DIRECT-ADMISSION PROGRAMS, INCLUDING:
environmental conservation, business administration, accounting, economics, international business, finance, kinesiology, nursing, architecture, marketing, visual art, psychology, marine biology, mechanical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, international relations, and chemistry.
4
THE NUMBER OF SENIORS ATTENDING COLLEGE AS NCAA-RECRUITED ATHLETES. THEIR SPORTS INCLUDE:
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
WOMEN’S LACROSSE
MEN’S BASKETBALL
MEN’S LACROSSE
4
FOUR SENIORS COMMITTED TO STUDY THE ARTS IN COLLEGE.
$8,000,000+ EARNED MORE THAN $8 MILLION IN MERIT SCHOLARSHIPS FROM ALL THE SCHOOLS TO WHICH THEY WERE ACCEPTED.
This signature program allows our students to opt-in to new opportunities for learning, as well as the ability to earn a unique diploma credential that will prepare them both for their college applications and future careers. Students in this program have formed mentoring partnerships and conceptualized real-world business plans with companies including Capital One and The Martin Agency.
This selective two-to-three-year program sequences leadership studies in the classroom, in the community, and via a student-initiated project in the junior year.
All Upper School students participate in Minimester, which is an opportunity to learn outside of the classroom. Freshmen complete community service and tour colleges, while sophomores and juniors participate in international travel and internships. Seniors use the week to finish researching their Senior Projects.
At Steward, we seek to cultivate in our students global understanding of and appreciation for different cultures.
Therefore, Upper School students have the opportunity to travel abroad and domestically to gain real-world experience by immersing themselves in other cultures. Recent international trips have ventured to China, Spain, Italy, and Ecuador and the Galapagos.
At the heart of Steward’s curriculum is the value of responsible citizenship — caring for a cause beyond oneself. Instilled at every grade level, good citizenship is promoted by programs and traditions that bridge the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools. In the Upper School, students choose their community service involvements, and many students will accumulate hundreds of hours of service by graduation.
In Upper School, students may start their own clubs with the support of a faculty adviser. At the annual Club Fair, students sign up to participate in a variety of clubs. From the Entrepreneurship Club to the Diversity Club, to the student-run online newspaper Steward Ink, there’s a student-run organization for every Spartan’s passion.
Each winter, every member of the senior class takes the stage at Steward to
deliver an original speech to an audience of their peers, teachers, and families. A beloved annual tradition since the school’s founding, this rite of passage is rooted in a strong belief in the importance of both public speaking skills and the ability to craft a sincere and passionate message.
Skill building, good sportsmanship, and strong participation are the cornerstones of Steward’s athletic program. Because of our purposeful small size, our expert coaches get to know each player, both on and off the field or court. At all levels, we are focused on developing the whole athlete, emphasizing skill as well as character, confidence, leadership, and teamwork.
Steward embraces our history of strong visual and performing arts programs. Upper School students enjoy taking classes in visual arts, photography, technical theatre, acting, chorus, and band. Outside of the school day, they participate in Steward’s plays, musicals, pep band, and drum line. Many students are also busy in community theatre, local and regional choruses, bands, orchestras, and summer arts intensives.
I AM A
We caught up with some of Steward’s alumni to hear about how they each found the path to college that was right for them.
1 RYAN ODIBO ’18
Ryan graduated magna cum laude from Virginia Tech and earned his Ed.M. from Harvard. He is currently working on a Master of Industrial and Labor Relations degree at Cornell University.
How did the College Counseling Office help you decide what schools, majors, and programs to look into?
“The College Counseling Office was integral in the processes of both helping me articulate the impact that I wanted to make on society and steering me toward a university with foundational principles rooted in service.”
How were you supported during the college application process?
“I was supported in any way I needed at the time. Most times, support looked like 1:1 meetings during which we would go over my application essays. Other times, support looked like a pep talk and Jolly Ranchers. The College Counseling Office truly does it all, and to this day, I am grateful for it.”
2 CARLOS, MICHAEL, & LYNDDA CEVALLOS
Carlos and Michael are graduates of the University of Richmond; Lyndda ’20 joined her brothers as the third member of her family to attend UR on a full scholarship. Carlos graduated from medical school at the University of Virginia, and Michael received his dentistry degree from Harvard, where he was a Gates Millenium Scholar.
CARLOS ’13:
What role did the College Counseling Office have in your college application process?
“As the first person in my family to go to college in the U.S., the College Counseling Office was amazing in guiding us from start to finish, ultimately helping me get into my top college choice.”
MICHAEL ’14:
How did the College Counseling Office help you decide which school was right for you?
“Toward the end of the college counseling process, I was trying to decide between a few different schools in Virginia. Ms. Jeter advised me to think about what sort of class size I was looking for. I liked the small class sizes at Steward and having that kind of access to my teachers. That’s one of the main reasons I chose University of Richmond.”
LYNDDA ’20:
How did the College Counseling Office help you find your path?
“The College Counseling Office helped me immensely. Through weekly meetings, I was able to narrow down my selection and find a school that was right for me. The college counseling team is incredibly supportive, and I appreciate their efforts in breaking down the application process into more manageable pieces.”
3 TED BENSON ’01
Ted sold his Silicon Valley-based web development platform Cloudstitch to data-driven software company Instabase. He is the founder of Steamship, a software development company focused on natural language processing. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia, and holds a master's and Ph.D. from MIT.
Tell us about your early experiences with the College Counseling Office.
“The College Counseling Office’s continued presence with students all the way through provided a path toward college application. Everything fell into place naturally because Steward had been coordinating the softer skills of education all along – speaking up, thinking critically, and looking at the big picture.”
Did the College Counseling Office help you decide on a major or a specific program?
“Steward, including the College Counseling Office, taught me that nothing replaces a well-rounded education. That lasts forever, and you have your whole career ahead of you to specialize.”
4 SHERESE PITTMAN ’21
Sherese plays D-I basketball at Stony Brook University in Long Island, New York, and is majoring in psychology and political science.
How did Steward and the College Counseling Office prepare you to thrive as a collegiate student-athlete?
“At Steward, I learned to balance academics and basketball, which prepared me for life at Stony Brook. Being a collegiate athlete is about focus and time management, two skills I learned in Upper School. I am thankful for the College Counseling Office and athletics department's help with the transition from Steward to college. They helped me find the right school and major.”
Samantha works as a designer for Kemble Interiors in New York City, a passion she discovered during her Minimester internship at Steward. She is a graduate of the University of Georgia.
How were you supported during the college application process at Steward?
“The College Counseling Office gave all of us individualized attention and helped us all to get into the college that felt exactly right to each of us. It was so comforting during a process that can be stressful at times.”
Mark is a cadet at the U.S. Air Force Academy, where he is preparing to become a pilot after commissioning.
How did the College Counseling
Office support you in your college applications?
“Steward’s College Counseling Office kept me honest. They weren’t afraid to have real conversations that helped me home in on schools that were in my sweet spot. This saved me time and stress and allowed me to work on applications to schools that mattered to my success. The most important thing they did was help me prep for my U.S. Air Force Academy interviews. They prepared me to speak with senators and congresswomen…and it worked.”
Lucia spent her first year after graduation studying Mandarin in Taiwan as part of the U.S. Department of State’s highly competitive National Security Language Initiative for Youth. She is now enrolled at the University of Virginia.
How did Steward and the College Counseling Office help you find your unique and impressive path?
"The College Counseling Office was an invaluable resource for helping me to find programs, scholarships, and internships. Even though I thought I knew exactly what my college path was going to look like, they helped me to explore alternative options that I had not previously considered. If it were not for Steward's emphasis on
real-world and hands-on education, I would not have even thought about the idea of taking a gap year. But the college counseling team members were some of my biggest supporters in that decision and helped me to navigate that alternative."
8 JACK MORGAN ’21
Jack is currently studying business marketing at Virginia Tech. He works for the university’s athletics department, capturing, editing, and managing thousands of photos for every sport at Virginia Tech. He is also the co-director of multimedia for a premier faculty-led, student-run marketing agency on campus called PRISM.
How did Steward and the College Counseling Office impact you?
“With the help of my teachers and the College Counseling Office, I was able to apply and get into Virginia Tech, the college I had wanted to attend my entire life. Upon attending Virginia Tech, I was presented with new opportunities that were made possible by the prior experiences that I had at Steward. Throughout Upper School, I was able to grow my passion for photography and film, which are skills that I use every day for my jobs and classwork.
University of Virginia
“I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else,” Rally Costen said about attending the University of Virginia. Typically, the College Counseling office supports students as they narrow down a list of schools. Rally started the process with a singular focus.
“My mom graduated from UVA,” Rally shared. “I’ve grown up visiting and attending their camps.”
Although eight other members of the Class of 2024 also attend UVA, he said the group of Spartans made an informal pact to remain friendly but explore their own interests. “I’m enthusiastic and open-minded about my future,” Rally said. He is study engineering, perhaps with a focus on biomedical engineering, an interest sparked after taking that class his junior year at Steward. He also hopes to participate in theatre clubs in college.
Bryn Mawr College
When Gideon GrandisMcConnell made her college search checklist, she recognized a lot of similarities to Steward.
“I thought I’d do well at a liberal arts school,” she said. “I thought I’d be happier at a smaller school where I could academically excel but without high pressure. I liked the idea of a school that was near, but not in, a city. When I visited Bryn Mawr, it seemed like a tight-knit community. Everyone
seemed to know each other and was friendly and supportive.”
Gideon took the new AP Computer Science class at Steward during her senior year and plans to study computer science in college. She was accepted early decision into Bryn Mawr, a top-choice school. “I took a lot of AP classes at Steward, which prepared me for Bryn Mawr’s level of academic rigor,” she said.
EMMA HERZOG University of Colorado Boulder
In fifth grade, Emma Herzog built a roller coaster for the Steward science fair to learn more about friction.
“I’ve always had a curiosity for the big questions and the way things happen around us naturally,” Emma said. “Physics is quite literally the answer to those big questions via mathematical proofs.”
Emma’s curiosity led her from the science fair to AP Physics and AP Calculus in Upper School. “Steward encouraged me to explore all the possibilities, which allowed me to find my passion,” Emma said. She is now studying aerospace engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder.
“Boulder is the second biggest aerospace industry in the country, so a lot of companies will look to my program for interns and co-op opportunities,” Emma said. “After graduation, I want to work for a private sector aerospace company in Colorado working on exploratory technology devices for long-distance satellites, orbiters, and rovers. Exploring outer space is really important to the future of our environment and health care.”
George Mason University
Zeke Hudson’s career in cybersecurity began in Steward’s Lower School when he began volunteering with Director of Technology Shahwar Qureshi ’90 and her team.
“Starting in fourth or fifth grade, I started visiting Ms. Qureshi because I was interested in her work and she was willing to talk to me,” Zeke said. “As a project for her, I enjoyed trying to break our IT department’s systems to get around the school’s restrictions. Once you break it, then you figure out how to rebuild it so other people can’t break it the same way you did.”
His interest in cybersecurity continued through Upper School, including more work with Steward’s IT team as well as Minimester internships with IT leaders at the University of Richmond and Single Stone Consulting. He was accepted as an early-action applicant at George Mason, and is now a computer science major in the honors program, with a specialization in cybersecurity.
Harvard University
One might expect a graduating senior to jump at the opportunity to attend Harvard University, a school with a 3 percent acceptance rate. Not so for Ana Reveles Leon, who carefully considered whether the benefits of an Ivy League education outweighed the excellent engineering programs offered by her other top-choice schools. Her decision to attend Harvard came after a long and thoroughly
researched process guided by Steward’s College Counseling Office.
Of Harvard, she said, “I think it’s a gift. It’s a big blessing to attend Steward as a Debbie Robson Merit Scholar, and now, it’s a blessing on a larger scale. It will push me to make much larger changes in my community. Harvard, with its worldwide leaders, will open doors that will allow me to do that.”
Ana plans to study aerospace engineering and is considering the dual-enrollment program offered by MIT. “Steward has prepared me for college with strong academics,” she said. “My teachers have made me more curious. There is a mentality that learning isn’t just reflected in grades. Many teachers here are incredible. Their impact is resounding.”
“I plan to let college mold me into the person I am,” said Jackson Rhamy
about his choice of Cornell University, an Ivy League liberal arts school. “I am interested in a well-rounded liberal arts education because it will provide knowledge of the world in general and an understanding of how one discipline connects to another.”
Jackson shared that he’s most interested in English and the humanities, skills he honed as editor of Steward Ink, the student newspaper, and co-president of the Creative Writing Club. He lists Upper School English teachers Peter Hurley and Stephanie Arnold, as well as World Languages teacher Marina EscámezBallesta, as influential in his academic journey. “There’s a personalized aspect to Steward’s teachers that has helped prepare me for Cornell,” he said. “It’s allowed me to excel academically and
extracurricularly.”
University of California, Davis
When Sandy Sun came to the United States as an international student from China, she was first interested in studying fashion design. However, life experiences, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and family health challenges, changed Sandy’s plans. At University of California, Davis, she is studying biomedical engineering.
Sandy took three AP science classes during her senior year at Steward to prepare for her future major. “I love the teachers at Steward,” she said. “Any time I have a problem, I can always find a teacher and ask them for help. Because of the small class sizes here, I can learn a lot more.”
McGill University, Canada
Roch Trahan moved from Canada to the United States when he was seven years old, and has always known he wanted to ultimately move back. “When I got the test scores that I knew would earn acceptance into McGill University in Montreal, I applied,” he said. “I miss the city and speaking French.”
While Roch was eager to return to the city that feels like home, transitioning to a major university with 35,000 students was a switch from Steward’s Upper School. Luckily, he was admitted to a pilot program for chemistry students in which
they do small-group, hands-on work directly with their professors. Though Roch isn’t certain yet what profession he’ll pursue, a chemistry degree from prestigious McGill, which boasts the highest percentage of Ph.D. students of any Canadian research university and is colloquially known as “the Harvard of Canada,” will serve him well.
For years, Tori West and Mimi Traynham ’21 played basketball together at Steward for Coach Kara Bacile. When Tori matriculated to Emory & Henry College, she joined her former teammate on the court again. Emory & Henry’s coaches first noticed Tori when they joined Mimi in cheering on the Spartans at a tournament game. When offered the chance to play with Mimi again, Tori’s decision was a slam dunk.
“Emory & Henry has the same vibe as Steward,” Tori said. “Everyone feels like they know each other and are happy to be around each other.”
Tori credits Steward with giving her the confidence to achieve her dream of playing college ball. “I feel like Steward has really given me a voice,” she said. “It’s helped me speak up. In classes, I can talk to my teachers and they want to help me. I feel really wanted here. And Coach Bacile, she’s been there a lot. She’s my role model.”
AVERY BATES
School: Auburn University Program: Architecture
Communication Arts
At The Steward School, college counseling is a multi-year, highly personalized process. Our goal is to help each student discover what type of college fits them best, and, ultimately, for them to attend a top-choice school.
Families throughout the Steward community are invited to meet with the college counselors at any time during their students’ education.
The College Counseling Office hosts biannual meetings to share information pertinent to each step in the Upper School student’s progression.
Beginning in grade 9, students visit colleges on school-sponsored trips.
College counselors help students make wise, balanced choices regarding course selection and rigor.
In second semester of grade 11, each student has a family meeting with a college counselor in order to discuss topics such as: their individual plan for standardized testing, maximizing their summer opportunities, and crafting their college application list.
College counselors support seniors as they finalize their college application lists, fill out applications, and write application essays. The counselors proofread applications and help students to ideate, plan, and proofread creative essays. With the counselors’ assistance, students submit all of their college applications before Winter Break.
Financial aid is a major consideration for many families, and the college counselors are well-versed in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and College Scholarship Service Profile (CSS Profile). The counselors will also assist students with finding and applying for merit-based scholarships.
As students receive their application results, the college counselors help them to weigh
their options and compare financial aid packages.
Each fall, over 100 college and university representatives visit Steward. Students in grades 9-12 are invited to attend these meetings, which provide important learning and connecting opportunities.
Each spring, juniors attend the Richmond Area Independent Schools (RAIS) College Fair. There, they meet with representatives from over 200 colleges and universities and expand their college considerations.
For aspiring collegiate athletes, the college counselors help to guide students through the complex recruiting process, including NCAA guidelines and eligibility.
In fall of grade 11, juniors embark on the Junior College Tour: an overnight trip to visit different types of colleges. This tour is an invaluable step in the college exploration process as students discover and focus on the qualities that define their unique preferences.
Second-semester juniors and firstsemester seniors take a College Seminar class, in which they meet with the college counselors and cover topics including: learning about a variety of colleges, creating an extracurricular resume, practicing for interviews, and working on essays and applications.
In our annual parent survey, families gave our College Counseling Office high marks, listing it as a top program in the Upper School.
Director of College Counseling
Ms. Jeter has spent 24 years as an educator and college counselor in independent schools and has been a director of college counseling for the past 19 years. She is passionate about helping students discover the types of colleges that are perfect for them and celebrating with them as they transition to life as college students. With undergraduate and graduate degrees in English literature, Ms. Jeter especially enjoys working with students as they craft unique, creative application essays. She also has a passion for art history and museums, and she has a mighty green thumb!
Associate Director of College Counseling
Ms. Luqman has been an educator for 21 years. Prior to Steward, she spent 14 years as a Spanish teacher, where she informally found herself assisting first-generation prospective college students through their college selection process. This led her to pursue a master’s degree in school counseling and serve as a high school counselor. She joined Steward in 2017 as a Spanish teacher and added college counseling to her repertoire in 2019. Ms. Luqman loves helping students manage their unique path to finding their college “fit.” She has studied Arabic and American Sign Language and loves jigsaw puzzles.
MELISSA CALKINS
Associate Director of College Counseling
Ms. Calkins began her career as a high school English teacher in 2000 and joined The Steward School in 2016. Her diverse educational background informs her work within and beyond the English classroom. She brings her skills as a writing teacher and her advocacy for students to the College Counseling Office at Steward. Fun facts: Ms. Calkins grew up in Hawaii and is a die-hard Duke basketball fan.
As a graduate of the Class of 2015, Ms. Glancy has a unique perspective of the Steward college counseling process. After earning the senior superlative “most likely to work at Steward” and graduating from Longwood University with her B.A. in history, she returned to Steward in the fall of 2020. She is excited to share her passion for all things Steward, enthusiasm for creative design, and organizational skills with students and the college counseling team. Her love for the Spartan community extends to athletics as the head coach of varsity cheerleading. Outside of Steward, you will find her spending any free time with her golden retrievers, Juno and Finley!
Contact the team at collegecounseling@stewardschool.org to set up a meeting today or visit stewardschool.org/collegecounseling.
Nearly 100% of the students in these graduating classes were accepted to a top choice school.
St. John’s University
Stetson University
Stevens Institute of Technology
Stevenson University
Stony Brook University
Suffolk University
Swarthmore College
Sweet Briar College
Syracuse University
Temple University
Texas Christian University
Texas State University
The American University of Paris
The College of Wooster
The Evergreen State College
The New School
The Ohio State University
The University of Alabama
The University of Montana
The University of Tampa
The University of Tennessee (Knoxville)
Thiel College
Towson University
Trinity College
Tulane University of Louisiana
Union College
United States Air Force Academy
United States Naval Academy
University of Arizona
University of British Columbia
University of California (Berkeley)
University of California (Davis)
Institute
Rider University
Roanoke College
Rochester Institute of Technology
SUNY University at Buffalo
Salisbury University
Santa Fe College
Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD)
Scripps College
Seton Hall University
Sewanee: The University of the South
Shaw University
Shenandoah University
Sheridan College
Southern Methodist University
Spelman College
St Mary’s College of Maryland
University of California (Irvine)
University of California (Los Angeles)
University of California (San Diego)
University of California (Santa Barbara)
University of California (Santa Cruz)
University of Central Florida
University of Colorado Boulder
University of Colorado Denver
University of Connecticut
University of Delaware
University of Denver
University of Florida
University of Georgia
University of Greenwich
University of Hartford
University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign
University of Kentucky
University of Louisville
University of Lynchburg
University of Mary Washington
University of Maryland (Baltimore County)
University of Maryland (College Park)
University of Massachusetts (Amherst)
University of Massachusetts (Boston)
University of Miami
University of Michigan
University of Mississippi
University of Nebraska
University of New England
University of New Hampshire
University of North Carolina Wilmington
University of North Carolina at Asheville
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
University of North Florida
University of Notre Dame
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh
University of Rhode Island
University of Richmond
University of Rochester
University of San Diego
University of South Carolina
University of South Florida
University of Southern California
University of St Andrews
University of Toronto
University of Utah
University of Vermont
University of Virginia
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin (Madison)
University of Wyoming
University of the Pacific
Vanderbilt University
Vassar College
Villanova University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Military Institute
Virginia Polytechnic Inst. & State University
Virginia State University
Virginia Wesleyan University
Wagner College
Wake Forest University
Warren Wilson College
Washington College
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington & Lee University
Webster University
West Virginia University
WVU Institute of Technology
Western Kentucky University
Wheaton College (IL)
Widener University
Wilkes University
The College of William & Mary
Wingate University
Wofford College
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Xavier University