In Our Community

from The Colonnade 2021

Steward Arts

IN OUR COMMUNITY: ALUMNI

Steward's Alumni Board FAQ The Alumni Board is made up of an advancement officer (a Steward employee) and alumni who serve as elected members (president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, etc.).

HOW MANY MEETINGS? WHAT ARE THE RESPONSIBILITIES?

There are five Alumni Board meetings each year, occurring once a month in September, November, January, March, and May.

CAN I SERVE WITHOUT BEING AN OFFICER?

The Board also welcomes class representatives. Many alumni serve as class representatives; it's a great way to stay in touch with classmates. Please contact Jenn Downey at Jenn.Downey@ stewardschool.org if you are interested in representing your class! Premier Partners are generous supporters of The Steward School. Their support helps fund the Spartan Club, the Alumni Association, and the Parents Association, all of which provide incredible opportunities for members of the community. If you are interested in becoming a Premier Partner for the spring semester, please email Jenn Downey at Jenn.Downey@stewardschool.org to learn more about how we’ve revamped the program for this school year. Responsibilities include attending Board meetings and at least

WHAT ARE THE DUTIES OF STEWARD'S ALUMNI BOARD MEMBERS?

Finding and reconnecting alumni with the broader school community. Encouraging peers to participate in events and give their time, talent, and treasure back to the community.

two events during the school year. Identifying community connections. Identifying potential alumni who may be interested in sharing their post-Steward experiences with current students.

WHAT EVENTS ARE HOSTED BY THE BOARD?

The Alumni Board assists with the annual Trucks & Shucks

Thank You to Our 2020-21 Premier Partners!

event, the Thanksgiving social, and other summer gatherings.

IN OUR COMMUNITY: ALUMNI

Healthy Living, Chapter by Chapter

"We all need tools to take care of ourselves, so that we can take care of those around us and our world," shared Morgan Penberthy '13.

Ms. Penberthy and her mother, Kim Penberthy, MA, PhD, ABPP, co-wrote a book called “Living Mindfully Across the Lifespan” that was published nationwide in November 2020. Most of the book was written while they sheltered in place together at the beginning of the pandemic.

As in their professional work (Dr. Penberthy is a clinical psychiatrist and professor at the University of Virginia, and her daughter works for the American Psychological Association), this book comes from both the head and the heart. “The book is accessible,” Dr. Penberthy explained. “Unlike most self-help books, it includes research data in addition to shared personal experiences from throughout our lives at different ages. Our goal was for people to understand the research within a relatable context, which will help them make choices that work for them. It’s something a parent could read with a teenage or adult son or daughter, keep on a nightstand, or give as a gift. While it contains practical guidance, it’s not prescriptive.”

Dr. Penberthy, a former Steward trustee, went on to share that the book reminds her of the ethos of Steward. “It’s open-minded and accepting,” she said. “There’s never only one right way to do something, including taking care of yourself and personal growth.”

Ms. Penberthy, who attended Steward from second grade through graduation, credits both her parents and teachers with giving her the confidence to cowrite this book.

At Convocation on September 11, John Knorr '89 was awarded the seventh annual Alumni

Achievement Award. After graduating from

Steward in 1989, Mr. Knorr earned a degree in political science from Washington College in

Chestertown, Maryland, and planned on attending law school. However, it was a connection he made during his ninth-grade alternate program experience (aka Minimester) that set him on a different path. "Not only was this the biggest impact during my high school years," he said, "but it would also be the biggest impact on my life."

Mr. Knorr described how his freshman internship with Steve Phillips, president of Phillips Foods,

Inc. and Seafood Restaurants, laid the foundation for what would evolve into a highly acclaimed career in the restaurant industry. He joined the company in 1993 and held several different positions throughout the restaurant division before becoming chief operating officer in 2001. “Every single English teacher I had at Steward had a huge impact on my love of writing, my style of writing, and my ability to write collaboratively,” Ms. Penberthy said. “My teachers and friends at Steward really bolstered my confidence, and confidence is something that you need when you’re working on something as daunting as writing a book.”

Co-writing is a challenge both mother and daughter are eager to tackle again. “As soon as we finished this manuscript, Morgan turned to me and said ‘what’s next?’” laughed Dr. Penberthy. Her daughter agreed: “We have some ideas up our sleeves!”

To order “Living Mindfully Across the Lifespan,” please visit

John Knorr '89 Wins Alumni Achievement Award

Routledge.com.

Mr. Knorr and his brother later acquired the Red Roost, a 400-seat crabhouse in Maryland. Today, he is co-founder and co-owner of Southern Boys Concepts, a collection of seven eclectic restaurants, and Evolution Craft Brewing Company, which distributes beer throughout the East Coast and Japan.

He attributed his success in the food industry in part to his ninth-grade internship. But, more importantly, he reinforced the importance of connections he made while at Steward.

"School is a place where many children and young adults with different opinions, different backgrounds, and different hobbies come together to learn," he said. "I think you will find that you will not only learn from your teachers, but you will also learn so much from each other."

Scan here to read our alumni spotlight on Mr. Knorr from 2015

Connections Strong Among Buddies, Years Later

IN OUR COMMUNITY: ALUMNI

The Buddy Program, in which each junior kindergarten and kindergarten student is paired with a senior student, has been a favorite Steward tradition since 2003. Throughout the year, the students connect during important Steward events like Convocation, the Thanksgiving program, College Declaration Day, and pep rallies.

When the Class of 2020 graduated, not only were they celebrated by their younger buddies with special art projects, photos, and videos, but the alumni office also coordinated a new surprise. A group of “lifers” (students who have been at Steward since junior kindergarten) received letters from the alumni who were their “There are so many people who have the talent, but a lot of success is what you’re exposed to and how you can get there,” said Patrick Coker '10. Mr. Coker, a modern dancer with the first company of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, has always been clear about his own ambitions to dance professionally. He credits his parents and The Steward School for helping him make it happen. “Steward sees students for who they are and what they wish to be, and nudges them in that direction,” Mr. Coker said from his apartment in New York City. “Through Steward, I was able to have a pathway to what I dreamed of doing.” He went on to explain that the teachers and administrators at Steward, especially former Director of College Counseling Carolyn Brandt, helped him to graduate early and enroll in a partnership program between Fordham University senior buddies back in 2008. In each letter, the ‘08 graduates reconnected with their Class of ‘20 buddies by mentioning shared experiences and offering words of wisdom and encouragement for navigating life in college and beyond.

One memorable letter offered this good advice: “In your next few years, you'll feel like other people will have certain life goals and career choices figured out, and I remember how stressful that was because I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to pursue after college. The truth is everything will work out for the best. Just try and do what makes you happy because life

Dancing Across the Globe From Steward to New York City and then around the world, alumnus Patrick Coker '10 was determined to follow his dream.

really does fly by.” and Ailey. This dream started in Middle School, and by 17, he was dancing on Ailey’s stage. Ailey’s mission is to celebrate and bring together a diversity of both dancers and audiences.

“Dance has not only taken me to New York, but it’s opened up the world to me," he said. "Ailey conducts national and international tours every year, and I’m connected to so many people and places I wouldn’t have been otherwise. I wake up excited every day to go to work.”

Mr. Coker offered this advice for students today: “If you have the passion, you owe it to yourself to follow through with it. I’ve learned through my work that it’s not the most talented people who get the job, it’s the people who work the hardest and are the most determined. My advice to anyone who’s following their passion is 'just keep going.’”

Class Notes

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1 Whitney Hajek Richman '98 (not pictured) ran the fastest time ever recorded on the Virginia Capital Trail, completing the 52-mile run in 7 hours and 41 minutes. The previous record was 9 hours and 52 minutes.

2 Caitlin '01 and Harry Baron '01 and their daughter Maddie (7) welcomed a new baby girl, Layla James, on March 2, 2020.

3 Allison Strickland Worley '03 lives in Kuwait City, Kuwait with her husband Kelsey and children Bennett (8), Lia (5), and Alexander (3). This is their fifth move in five years and their eighth move with the Army! Since the early days of the pandemic, her mother (and former faculty member) Kate Strickland holds regular storytimes with the children via iPad.

4 James Schreiber '05 and Ashley-Lauren were married on September 2, 2018 at The Greenbrier. Carter Shamburger '05 was a groomsman and Steward alumni

Lauren Anderson '05, Austin Hyatt

'05, Liz Moran '06, and Jessica Sexton '05 attended. James and Ashley-Lauren welcomed baby girl Frances Wellesley on April 4, 2020.

5 Sisters Jessica Powell Sexton '05 (Kyle) and Dana Powell Burkholder '09 (Jared) welcomed precious baby girls into their families. Finley Burkholder was born on July 31, 2019, and Charlie Wray Sexton was born on March 16, 2020.

6 Carter Shamburger '05 married Jessica Austin on May 25, 2019. James Schreiber '05, was a groomsman, and several Steward alumni attended including Chris Brown '05, Austin

Carter Hyatt '05, Liz Moran '06, and Jessica Powell Sexton '05.

7 Annie Wise '05 and Clay Carter '05 were married in October 2019.

Braxton Pruitt '05 and Carrie Ryan

'05 and were among the wedding party. Former Steward faculty member Chip Chapman was their officiant! 8 Scidney Morris '06 and his wife, Shannon Murray Morris, with their two children, Ivy and Alexander. The Morrises live in Midlothian, VA and are both realtors with The Murray Morris Group - Keller Williams Realty.

9 Douglas Smith '06 graduated in May 2020 with a masters in decision analytics from Virginia Commonwealth University. He and his wife, Nicole Hill Smith '06, have two sons, Preston (5) and Braden (1).

10 Beth Howard Sugar ’07 (not pictured) married Dylan Sugar in September 2019. They welcomed Mary Grace Francis Sugar in December 2019 and live in Raleigh, NC where Beth works as the Director of Business Development at Carolina House Eating Disorder Treatment Center.

11 Hector Feliciano Ayala '08 and Kathryn Feliciano were married in August 2014. They were recently blessed with a little boy, Micah Javier (5 months). Hector is working as a personal trainer for a private boutique studio in Washington, D.C.

12 Anna Greenlee '08 had a chance encounter with one of our former school nurses, Heather Sams, while volunteering at a COVID-19 testing site. This was before Mrs. Sams was hired!

13 Page Conway Ruhsam '08 and Chelsea Congdon Voltz '08 met up in October 2020 in Orlando, FL for a mini vacation at Disney!

14 Beth Farmer-Smith '09 and Casey Smith welcomed Lena Elizabeth into the world on August 15, 2020.

15 Veronica Tharp Harless '09, husband Jordan, and daughter Frances (age 2) welcomed Mark Warren Harless on June 4, 2020.

16 Catherine Lillard Hughes '09, husband Jack, and sister Adeline (3) welcomed baby sister Clementine on November 5, 2020.

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17 Rebecca Smyth '09 married Jay Morgan on October 19, 2019. Chloe Higgins '09 and Finn Smyth '11 served as members of the wedding party.

18 Carnes Willhite '09 and Sara Willhite were married on December 31, 2018. They welcomed baby girl Eleonora (Ellie) Grace on October 19, 2020.

19 Grace Henderson '10 married Dr. Matthew Wallace on August 17, 2019 at the University of Richmond's Henry Mansfield Cannon Memorial Chapel. Samantha Henderson '12 was a bridesmaid, and alumni in attendance included Samantha Cummings '12 and Mary Stuart '10. Grace and Matt live in Nashville, TN, and she works as a senior clinical research coordinator at Vanderbilt University.

20 Stephanie Perlman '10 married Joel Saslawsky on July 13, 2019 in Richmond, VA. Stephanie earned her master's in social work in 2017 and currently works as a pediatric oncology social worker at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN. 21 Madelyn Stoneburner '10 married Aaron Rowland in November 2020 in Charleston, SC. Samantha Bisger '10 and Mary Stuart MacIntyre '10 were bridesmaids. Alumni in attendance included Kate Farmer '11, Blair Oliff

Scallion '10, Mary Taylor Tepper '10,

and Parker Wheat '10.

22 Kelly Stosch '10 married Forrest Chaffin on November 2, 2019 at the Williamsburg Winery. Alumna Claire Kramer Stout '10 was a bridesmaid and Ryan McKeown '10 was a wedding guest.

23 Mary Stuart '10 married Andrew McIntyre in June 2020 in Crested Butte, CO. Alumni Madelyn Stoneburner '10,

JEB Stuart '09, Kathleen Stuart '15,

and Parker Wheat '10 attended the celebration.

24 Megan Wright '10 married William Sours in November 2019 at The Mill at Fine Creek in Powhatan, VA. They welcomed baby girl Lily Frances on September 8, 2020. 25 Stuart Good '11 married Drew Hayhurst on September 5, 2020. Steward alumni Mary Warden Good '07 and Emily Norman '11 were in the wedding party.

26 Ann Marchetti '13 married Micah Keller (former Steward student) on September 14, 2019, in Weems, VA. The bridesmaids included cousins of the bride Liz Delaney '08 and Mary Martha Delaney '08, as well as Kemis Ann Noble '08. Groomsmen included Sam Keller '09 and Alexander Tharp '08.

27 Weston Alexander Smith, son of Holly Highfill '14 and Josh Smith, was born on May 29, 2020. Holly is currently working as a registered nurse in progressive care at Henrico Doctors Hospital.

28 Bowen Chen '15 (not pictured) graduated from Johns Hopkins University where he double majored in materials science and engineering and applied math. He is currently working on a dual-degree masters in computer information science and materials science and engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, where he plans to finish in the spring of 2022.

29 The Class of 2016 held a successful virtual happy hour via Zoom on May 28, 2020. Close to 20 alumni joined the online gathering!

30 Marvin Cannon '17 signed with the Charlotte 49ers basketball team in September 2020. Congrats from all of your Spartan fans!