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THE MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI, PARENTS, AND FRIENDS | FALL 2019
FALL 2019
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FALL 2019
CONTENTS CONTRIBUTORS Executive Editors Liz Ball Emilie Henry
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Managing Editor Erin Dentmon Production Manager Jennifer Liu Editorial Staff Justin Abraham Laura Breslin
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Stacie Davis Rapson ’83 Caroline Rothschild Contributors President Keith Evans Jane Lauderdale Armstrong ’74 Charlie Benedict ’19 Brooke Boothby Betty Emrey Zoë-Grace Hargrove ’19 Kate Lindgren ’19 Sam Linkon ’17 Pamela Nye Ali Gray Prickett ’05 Katie Trainor
FEATURES
DEPARTMENTS
14 Generation Z
2 From the President 4 Wildcat Tracks 38 Faculty and Staff 48 Wildcat Den 52 Commencement 62 Alumni News 76 Class Notes
What’s up with kids these days? The answer is more complex than you might think.
24 Collaboration Culture Collaborative leadership is more than group work. It’s a culture that permeates every corner of our campus.
Bailey Ward Art Direction & Design Green Gate Marketing Photography Dennis Carter Clyde Click Gemshots
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32 The Wildcat Factor When Wildcats work together in business and civic life, great things happen.
COMMENTS TO THE EDITOR: Please address postal correspondence to: Liz Ball Associate Vice President of Strategic Communications Westminster 1424 West Paces Ferry Road, NW Atlanta, Georgia 30327 Email: lizball@westminster.net Phone: 404-609-6259
Paul Ward Student, faculty, staff, and parent photographers
Please direct Class Notes submissions to the Office of Alumni Engagement: classnews@westminster.net
The Lewis H. Beck Archives at Westminster
For change-of-address requests: advservices@westminster.net
Matthew Warren
Printing Perfect Image
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Dear Friends, Ephebiphobia. Who would have imagined that a word—actually a clinical term— would be created for what used to be simply known as older people grousing about “kids today”? Ephebiphobia is the “inaccurate, exaggerated, and sensational characterization of young people,” and it might be reaching epidemic proportions in the Generation Z era. The phobia has afflicted humankind dating back at least to the fourth century BCE, when Aristotle wrote of the younger generation, “They think they know everything, and are always quite sure about it.” Before that, there are no doubt cave paintings somewhere in the world that depict grumpy Paleolithic adults and unruly, poorly evolved children.
Our cover story takes a more charitable approach to Gen Z, those born between 1995 and 2010, offering a look at the forces that have shaped the habits of mind and heart of our current generation of Wildcats. The forces are well known in some cases (smartphones, social media), while some of the habits are perhaps less apparent (philanthropic engagement, security concerns). However you stack up these formative experiences, the rise in reported loneliness is a fact and represents the signature challenge for this generation. It is the best reason to study and better understand Gen Z. To that end, the Danish philosopher and theologian Søren Kierkegaard offered an interesting place to start in his famous work, Fear and Trembling. Writing under the pseudonym Johannes de Silentio (John of the Silence), Kierkegaard took up the question of “objective truths” that can be learned and passed on through generations versus “concerned truths” that must be discovered by each generation. At the risk of oversimplifying, it is the difference between how to plant crops and how to be a good person. Kierkegaard wrote the following: “Whatever one generation learns from another, no generation learns the essentially human from a previous one. In this respect, each generation begins primitively, has no task other than what each previous generation had…no generation is able to begin at any other point than at the beginning.”
Like Millennials, Gen Xers, Baby Boomers, the Silent Generation, and even the Greatest Generation before them, Gen Z “begins primitively” in that essential human need to overcome loneliness, develop friendships and romantic relationships, and sustain these throughout their lives. They are challenged by networks that are too dense and hyper-accelerated in contrast to prior generations who wrote out complete words by hand, licked stamps for their envelopes, and waited days, if not weeks, for a response. Of course, they are not the first generation to feel alone in a crowd. They are the first, however, to be immersed in a crowded virtual world where few adults can even make sense of what they encounter. Today’s young people are innocent bystanders as the ephebiphobic take offense at their choices and habits. Gen Z doesn’t care—they are busy working out the problems of being human, as Kierkegaard suggests they must. It is the way of things, and they have no choice but to begin primitively. We each drove our generational elders crazy in our time for taking up the same task. Perhaps the concerned truth each generation must actually learn is to look to young people with grace and a spirit of appreciation for the things they have learned with ease and those areas where they struggle—even when the struggle is different than our own. I can confidently report that the Gen Z Wildcats occupying our classrooms, courts, and stages today are a remarkable group and seem well-equipped to sort out the big questions of their generation. These kids will be fine, and someday they may even break the grip of a certain phobia that has troubled humanity for generations. Best Wishes,
Keith Evans President
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LEADERSHIP TEAM
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
EMERITUS TRUSTEES
Keith A. Evans President
Bob Ryshke Executive Director, Center for Teaching
Joel T. Murphy ’76, Chair Elizabeth Kilcullen Blake, Vice Chair Rosalind G. Brewer Samuel G. Candler William Clarkson IV Michael J. Egan ’74 Jason Fritz Rand Glenn Hagen ’95 Jack N. Halpern ’67 Scott D. Hawkins Katharine W. Kelley ’82 Stephen S. Lanier ’96 Janet M. Lavine Sukai Liu David M. Love ’90 Lisa Olivetti McGahan Richard V. McPhail III Allison Bolch Moran ’86 R. Brand Morgan ’94 Floyd C. Newton III ’73 Thomas E. Noonan Rahul Patel William T. Plybon Kelly A. Regal B. Clayton Rolader ’72 Louise Scott Sams ’75 Stephen L. Schoen ’80 S. Stephen Selig ’61 Jeffrey P. Small Jr. ’85 C. Austin Stephens ’93 Dana Weeks Ugwonali Jay Yadav
Cindy Trask Head of Upper School
WESTMINSTER FUND REPRESENTATIVE
James S. Balloun Betsy Barge Birkholz ’69 Lisa Borders ’75 James E. Bostic Jr. David E. Boyd Peter M. Candler ’60 Richard W. Courts II ’55 Ann Draughon Cousins Suzanne LeCraw Cox ’71 Joseph M. Craver F. T. Davis Jr. ’56 Virginia Gaines Dearborn ’56 W. Douglas Ellis Jr. Joseph W. Hamilton Jr. Allen S. Hardin Thomas D. Hills ’62 Ronald P. Hogan Barbara Benson Howell W. Stell Huie L. Phillip Humann M. Hill Jeffries Jr. ’73 E. Cody Laird Jr. George H. Lane III J. Hicks Lanier ’58 Dennis M. Love ’74 Gay McLawhorn Love Carolyn Cody McClatchey ’65 Terence F. McGuirk Olga Goizueta Rawls ’73 Margaret Conant Reiser ’73 John W. Rooker ’56 Kenneth S. Taratus L. Barry Teague John A. Wallace D. Scott Weimer James B. Williams George B. Wirth
Toni Boyd Vice President for Finance and Operations Tim Downes Director of Athletics Emilie Henry Vice President for Institutional Advancement Jim Justice Dean of Academics and Curriculum Whit McKnight Head of Lower School Marjorie Dixon Mitchell ’82 Director of Enrollment Management Danette Morton Head of Middle School Thad Persons ’88 Dean of Faculty
Allen S. Moseley ’87 ALUMNI ASSOCIATION REPRESENTATIVE Sarah Hawkins Warren ’00
WESTMINSTER | 3
Wildcat Tracks 39,792
books were checked out of the School’s libraries in the 2018-19 school year
Art and Writing Honored at the National Level Four Upper School students were recently honored with national Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. Jessica Lao ’19 and Meimei Xu ’20 were honored with gold medals, and Elizabeth Rothschild ’19 and Sarah Lao ’21 received silver awards. More than 350,000 submissions were received this year; less than 1 percent of entrants are honored at the national level.
StageCats Act Away the Night Kellett Theatre saw capacity crowds several times in the spring for the Middle and Upper School plays and musicals. Productions included Singing in the Rain, Jr., Romeo and Juliet, Noises Off, and a reading of RENT.
Lower School packaged Breakfast of Champions The Class of 2019 officers organized a studentfunded appreciation breakfast in the spring for school staff including facilities, dining services, and IT Services. For once, it was the students serving the delicious food! 4 | Fall 2019
20,088 meals
during their MLK day of service
WILDCAT TRACKS
CATS ROCK OUT AT WESTFEST Students, parents, and friends of all ages enjoyed an afternoon of student-produced live music, food trucks, and activities at the annual WestFest on Broyles Field.
FIELD DAY FUN Lower, Middle, and Upper School students enjoyed hours of quasi-competitive fun during their respective Field Days. Packed full of relays and collaborative games, the days allowed students to let loose before exams and the end of the school year.
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WILDCAT TRACKS
National Organization Honors Orchestra Director Performing Arts Chair and Orchestra Director Linda Cherniavsky received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Georgia chapter of the American String Teachers Association. The honor recognizes Linda’s deep and substantive impact as a string teacher and music educator in the state and nation.
Remember When The 2018-19 Polaroid-inspired Lynx, "Remember When," was dedicated in memory of beloved Upper School math teacher Dr. Curtis Goings, who died in March 2018, and in honor of College Counseling Administrative Assistant Stacey Smith. Stacey, a warm and trusted presence in the college counseling office, passed away in September 2019, a few months after the dedication ceremony.
College Counselor Wins Inclusion and Access Award Associate Director of College Counseling Sarbeth Fleming was honored by the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling with the Myron G. Burney Award for Inclusion and Access. The accolade honors an administrator who has “made significant impact on [the] field promoting inclusion and access.”
Checkmate! The Westminster chess team competed in the US Chess Federation’s 2019 National High School Championship in March. Stephen Eisenhauer ’19, Albert Liang ’20, Arthur Guo ’24, Ashwin Pillai ’21, and Anand Srinivasan ’21 led the team to a fourth-place finish during the three-day competition.
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WILDCAT TRACKS
SCIENCE BOWL The Upper School Science Bowl team—Ridings Bald ’20, Anup Bottu ’20, Rishab Jayanthi ’19, Stephen Skrynecki ’19, and Aaron Yu ’21—competed in the National Science Bowl in Washington, DC, and finished ninth out of 64 teams. The Bowl, sponsored by the US Department of Energy, aims to “solve technical problems and answer questions on a range of science disciplines including biology, chemistry, Earth and space science, physics, and math.”
TEST YOUR BIOLOGY KNOWLEDGE WITH A SAMPLE QUESTION: In the electron transport chain, a proton gradient is established, which supplies energy to ATP (adenosine triphosphate) synthase for chemiosmosis. Into which of the following locations does the ETC (electron-transport chain) pump protons? A) Mitochondrial matrix B) Inner mitochondrial membrane C) Intermembrane space D) Outer mitochondrial membrane Answer: C) Intermembrane space
Lower and Middle School French students wrote 32 children’s books and donated them to refugees in 2018-19.
26 Middle and Upper School students earned the President’s Volunteer Service Award in spring 2019. Combined, they spent more than 3,300 hours serving the community throughout the school year.
Christian Emphasis Week Students celebrated Christian Emphasis Week in the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools with themes of “The Three Trees,” “Face It and Embrace It,” and “Hope.” Activities included assemblies, guest speakers, service projects, and more!
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WILDCAT TRACKS
STAR STUDENT AND TEACHER Jessica Lao ’19 and Upper School English teacher Reanna Ursin are Westminster’s 2019 STAR student and teacher. STAR (Student Teacher Achievement Recognition) awards, given by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators, are presented to seniors who post the highest SAT scores and rank among the top 10 percent in their class in grade-point average. STAR students nominate educators who were most instrumental in their development as STAR teachers.
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WESTMIN-NOVATING! Students and teachers from all three divisions hosted innovation fairs showcasing interdisciplinary projects, ranging from fractal building and a super-high-five to a virtual reality canoe!
WILDCAT TRACKS
LAST WEEK CHECKLIST FOR THE CLASS OF 2019 Slide through the mud Bring your pet to school Wear your college T-shirt
Seniors were all smiles as they got messy sliding down the Broyles Field hill and into the future! The Senior Mudslide caps off a packed week full of festivities and fun for the graduating class.
Seniors enjoyed an early morning with their “doggos” and “puppers” on the second-to-last day of school.
The Class of 2019 represented their colleges on College T-shirt Day, celebrating the 82 colleges across 27 states, Washington, DC, and Ireland where they enrolled. See a map of the Class of 2019's choices on page 54.
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WILDCAT TRACKS
Construction Begins! Construction on the initial projects outlined in our campus plan began just after the Class of 2019 received their diplomas. The historic renovation of Campbell Hall, construction of Hawkins Hall (a new Upper School academic building), and enhancements to Thompson Stadium are all under way and scheduled to be completed by fall 2020.
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WILDCAT TRACKS
Ground Breaks on Hawkins Hall One of the first projects to commence this summer as part of the realization of the campus plan was Hawkins Hall. The new Upper School academic building adjacent to Campbell Hall will equip students to learn in new ways and engage in creative pursuits. Inside this building, students will have ample opportunity to connect with one another and with teachers. In addition to study spaces and flexible classrooms, a 100-seat casual dining area will alleviate pressure on Malone Dining Hall with grab-and-go options offered throughout the day while providing space for studying and socializing.
Longtime friends of Westminster Susan and Scott (T) Hawkins PP ’00, ’03 have made a lead gift that names this 25,000-square-foot hub for learning and community. Susan and Scott believe in the power of a Westminster education and have made a significant investment to ensure its relevance for generations to come. On June 25, Susan and Scott joined President Keith Evans to commemorate the official groundbreaking on the site of the academic building.
“Westminster has meant so much to our family over the past 35 years. Our long-term involvement with the School has made Susan and me realize what an important institution Westminster is and the impact it has in Atlanta and beyond. We wanted to do something to further the educational mission of the School, and what better way than to help out with the transformation of the Upper School.”
— Scott Hawkins WESTMINSTER | 11
WILDCAT TRACKS
The Middle School Innovation Space has revolutionized learning for our Middle School students. Likewise, the Upper School STEAM Lab will catalyze interdisciplinary experiences that give students a fuller understanding of academic subjects.
The Goizueta Foundation Brings STEAM to Life in Upper School One of the most exciting aspects of Hawkins Hall will be the Roberto C. Goizueta Catalyst Lab, a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) lab where students will learn across the spectrum of design thinking, computing and coding, and even virtual reality. Westminster’s STEAM curriculum provides a platform for innovation that encourages the interdisciplinary collaboration and teamwork skills our students will use throughout their lives.
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The Goizueta Foundation has played an integral role in the development of this important curriculum over many years. The Foundation’s support in the campus plan effort will make the STEAM lab a reality and do so much more: provide relevant professional development for faculty and a thoughtful leadership development program that places opportunities for mentorship and content development in the hands of our students.
WILDCAT TRACKS
Did You Know? Westminster’s campus has never stopped evolving since the School’s founding in 1951. Campbell and Askew Halls were the first buildings erected in 1953. Spearheaded by Dr. William Pressly, the School’s leaders galvanized a $1 million capital campaign to make the boys’ and girls’ school buildings a reality. Progress has continued for the past 68 years as our campus has grown and changed to meet the needs of our students.
Westminster’s Buildings at a Glance • Askew Hall, 1953 • Campbell Hall, 1953 • Scott Hall, 1955 • Pressly Hall, 1962 • Turner Gym, 1970 • Broyles Arts Center, 1988 • Love Hall at the Woodruff Lower School, 1997 • Robinson Hall, 1997 • Turner Gym Addition, 2001 • Clarkson Hall, 2005 Askew Hall, Westminster's oldest building, opened in 1953.
Read more about Westminster’s founding in a magazine feature first published in fall 2018 at westminster.net/magazine
Stay Up To Date! It is certainly an exciting year on campus as each day brings us closer to realizing the goals set forth in the School’s campus plan, approved by the Board of Trustees in September 2018. Details about the campus planning process, renderings of planned buildings and spaces, and updates on the construction’s progress can all be found in the Campus Plan section of our website at westminstr.co/fall19_campus_plan.
The Class of 2020 celebrated the first day of school in particular style. In addition to carrying on the tradition of donning senior class T-shirts, the students wore construction vests and hats as they cheered and welcomed students and families through the gates, commemorating the uniqueness of their senior year coinciding with the School’s most significant construction project since its founding.
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Everything is online. The world moves at a frenetic pace. Opportunities no other era has experienced abound. This is what the world is like for
GENERATION by Erin Dentmon, Advancement Writer
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n 1995, the internet as we know it was born. The US government sold off its stake in its operations, opening up the floodgates for online commercial activity. Nearly 25 years later, the force of the internet is inescapable. “Offline” isn’t a real state of being anymore. The technology known as the internet has altered the world at a rate unequaled by any other invention since the printing press. And one group—Generation Z—has never known the “before” in this worldwide makeover story. Technology their grandparents couldn’t have dreamed up is not only available, it’s unavoidable. How does that shape childhood, adolescence, and beyond? This generation spends their time differ ently, believes differently, and behaves differently from any other before them.
Generational research can be a bit fuzzy. A generation’s start date is usually determined by key political, economic, or social factors that shape a generation’s early years; in this case, the advent of the internet and rise of the smartphone. The endpoint of a generation is pretty much undefined until the start of a new generation is pinpointed. For this story, we’re sticking with 1995–2010 as the span of Generation Z.
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DIGITAL NATIVES Known to some as the smartphone generation or iGen, Generation Z’s story is one of lives that are intertwined with technology—and the opportunities and challenges of that intimate relationship. A 2015 study by Common Sense Media showed the average teenager spends nine hours per day with entertainment media— texting, gaming, video chatting, watching television, listening to music, and other internet use. That’s nearly all their leisure time. Mobile devices account for nearly half their screen time. The positive power of the internet is undeniable. From Etsy’s connecting craftspeople with a global market to Facebook’s power as a community space for marginalized groups, the internet has connected people in powerful ways. Creating and consuming online content is even the way teenagers bond at slumber parties by making silly videos together or testing out Snapchat filters that make their faces look like puppies or babies. For students, relationships are maintained over Skype after international exchanges, and opportunities like Global Online Academy let them learn with and from people all over the world. Beyond the memes, insults, celebrity gossip, and other information coming at teenagers from their phones, the internet is a powerful learning tool. Westminster is still dedicated to developing leaders for our city and world—even if technology has made that world look a lot different than the one in which this generation’s teachers and parents grew up. It is our obligation to harness the power of technology to create learning experiences that move our students and inspire them to become leaders.
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“We’re using technology as a tool to ask deeper, probing questions,” says Mark Labouchere, an Upper School faculty member who matches teachers with technology as our Innovation Design Specialist. “When we do it well, those experiences lead to deeper learning.”
One of the simplest ways screen time interferes with teenagers’ lives is in the amount of time it takes up. To help students create healthy habits, Westminster’s teachers and counselors tap into the goal-driven personalities common to many of our students.
“Students can find facts on the internet. We’re helping them develop the skills to analyze them.”
“We’re teaching them about the benefits of putting the phone down if you want to reach your goals, and that being mindful makes you more creative and productive,” Middle School Counselor Saundria Zomalt explains.
Mark Labouchere, Innovation Design Specialist
Virtual reality in classrooms connects students with the experience and emotions of historic events, not just facts about them. Interactive maps help students understand concepts like the relationship between economic growth and migration. When fifth graders in Love Hall learn about the Civil Rights movement, they’re not just writing five-paragraph essays for their teachers to read. They transform their classrooms into a Civil Rights museum. Through immersive student-designed exhibits, parents, teachers, and other students discover stories of people and events that changed America. “Of course, the students became familiar with names, places, and legal precedents, but more importantly, they took away the relevant lessons of standing up for humanity through action, civil disobedience, and artistic expression,” says fifth grade teacher Tai Hart. Despite the advantages of the internet, too much screen time (or the wrong kind) can be detrimental to users’ mental health, and even unsafe in some cases. As adults who are helping students become thoughtful, healthy leaders, our teachers spend a lot of time exploring that nuance and teaching online citizenship.
THE NEVER-ENDING POPULARITY CONTEST Imagine always knowing, in real time, what parties you were and weren’t invited to, who did and didn’t like the outfit you painstakingly coordinated, and how many more people laughed at your friends’ jokes than at yours. For teenagers living their lives online, that’s real. There’s a reason this generation popularized the phrase FOMO.
The desire for social acceptance is wired into the human experience— in hunter-gatherer times, people depended on sharing food with a tribe to survive. This biological quest for belonging may be at the core of our national obsession with social media. But social media reduces complex human relationships to likes, followers, clicks, swipes, and subscribers.
What happens when teenagers use these numbers to measure whether or not they belong? Anxiety. Anxiety about being left out. Anxiety about not being good enough. Anxiety about not having the perfect Instagram-worthy body. For girls and young teenagers especially, social media use is associated with elevated risk for depression, anxiety, and even suicide, according to a 2017 article in the journal Clinical Psychological Science. Research analysis shows a clear trend: more screen time equates to less happiness. While the Millennial years brought gains in overall happiness, Generation Z’s happiness levels have returned to those of Generation X. A comparison of teenagers’ survey responses to questions about happiness and how much leisure time they spend on screen activities leaves a stark impression. Analysis of the Monitoring the Future survey conducted by the University of
Michigan shows every single screen activity is correlated to unhappiness. As this generation makes moves toward an individualist society in realms like religion and politics, typical trends suggest people would become happier. In an individualist society, the logic goes, you can feel good about yourself without worrying as much about social expectations. But while Generation Z embraces this sunny outlook on their social media accounts, what’s actually going on is more troubling.
“We are working with highachieving students, and that transcends into wanting a high number of likes and followers. They want to be the best at everything and want that admiration.” Saundria Zomalt, Middle School Counselor
Loneliness and left-out-ness are at all-time highs. A 2018 study by Cigna found that adult members of Generation Z reported being
lonelier than any other generation. The number of teens who report feeling lonely grew so drastically in such a short time period, it’s likely a precipitating factor is at play. The smartphone, perhaps? As with overall unhappiness, people who spend more time on screens are more likely to be lonely. The same goes for depression, particularly among younger teenagers. Teenagers with more than two hours of screen time per day have increased likelihood of suicide risk factors. While Westminster’s counselors say the social media-related issues they see most commonly are about this sense of being left out, bullying has also taken on a new veneer in our technology-driven age. Kids who are bullied can’t get away from it when their harassers can assault them with words at any time over the internet. A 2016 study showed more than one in three teenagers has been affected by cyber-bullying.
DIGITAL SCHOLARSHIP Research, analysis, and communication are foundational skills Westminster has cultivated in young people for decades. Generation Z is a generation of young people who want to create their own content and get it out into the world without the traditional gatekeepers of publishing houses or movie studios. Enter something called digital scholarship. The goal? For students to create works that teach an audience about a subject in an engaging, often interactive, digital way, says Head of Libraries Liesel Good, who worked alongside Innovation Design Specialist Mark Labouchere to develop ways for our students to engage in this kind of learning. Imagine an app-based tour that gives visitors historical context about the Battle of Atlanta via audio. Or data visualizations that show how poets of The Belfast Network are connected to one another. These projects require meaty research—they aren’t just about a flashy website. They build analytical skills, too, when students distill their research into what’s important for an audience. Westminster is investing in this kind of learning by partnering with the Emory Center for Digital Scholarship and shoring up our own library faculty with the addition of an Upper School librarian who specializes in digital scholarship. The access our students have to experts and resources helps them be content creators who share deep insights with the world.
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At Westminster, online citizenship lessons are part of holistic socialemotional development that builds students’ empathy and resilience.
CONNECTED BUT ALONE Despite all this time spent surveying the social hierarchy from behind a screen, teens are not spending much time alone with friends. A steep downward trend in how often teenagers go out without their parents began around 2010—about the time teenagers started to use smartphones. Other measures of social activity, like going on dates or seeing friends daily, began declining at the same time. All are continuing their downward trend, according to Monitoring the Future. This data likely spells trouble for Gen Z’s social development. “An hour a day less spent with friends is an hour a day less spent building social skills, negotiating relationships, and navigating emotions... the time has not been replaced with homework; it’s been replaced with screen time,” Jean Twenge writes in iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy—and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood, her book chronicling Generation Z’s experiences and outlook.
Some preliminary evidence suggests the effects of these changes could be long-lasting and have implications for teens’ adult lives: poor results in interviews for colleges and jobs, difficulty making new friends, trouble coping with in-person conflict. Relationship-building opportunities like engaging in hobbies with an advisement group or completing a team challenge during Discovery are all the more important in a world where more and more time outside of school is being spent alone but connected through screens.
“If you were to give advice for a happy life based on [the research], it would be straightforward: put down the phone, turn off the computer or iPad, and do something—anything—that does not involve a screen.” Jean Twenge, Author of iGen
At a point in students’ development when they are more vulnerable to the pitfalls of on-screen interaction, our Middle School has ramped up its focus on community, helping all students feel seen, known, and valued. Students have ample opportunity to connect with one another face to face—letting them practice skills
they’ll need their entire lives and solidifying friendships that can help ward off loneliness and depression. "We prioritize connection in the Middle School for a host of reasons," says Head of Middle School Danette Morton. "Connection sets the stage for learning. Students are more open to learn and apt to take risks when they feel connected to their teachers and peers. Connection also forms a protective barrier against the pressures of early adolescence."
THE SLOW LANE It’s an almost-universal adult experience to comment on how quickly kids grow up. But Gen Z isn’t pushing the gas pedal. They’re waiting later and later, on average, for the rites of passage older generations were eager to embrace: dating, getting a driver’s license, working for pay, and trying alcohol. Adolescence has been giving way to adulthood later and later for about 30 years. The difference with Gen Z? Childhood lasts longer now, delaying the onset of adolescence. And for a generation that prioritizes identity, the shift makes perfect sense. Extended childhood and adolescence allow more time for self-development and reflection before taking on the pressures of the adult world.
STUDENT INNOVATION LEADERSHIP COUNCIL Social media, comment sections, and creating podcasts and videos are all ways people use the internet to amplify their voices. It makes sense that Generation Z, the smartphone generation, wants to have an active voice in the physical world too. When students drive leadership groups, they let those voices be heard. The newly formed Student Innovation Leadership Council lets students make decisions about how the Upper School invests in new technology. This group will work on how to use the STEAM Lab in Hawkins Hall and other ways to integrate new technologies into the Westminster experience.
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ON THE FLIP SIDE
Consulting with Georgia Tech professors who’ve flipped their classrooms, Upper School biology teacher Miranda Wilson experimented with athome video lessons and in-class analysis at the beginning of the 2018-19 school year. It worked so well, she kept the flipped model in place the rest of the year. The video lessons, all less than 15 minutes long, were the only homework assigned all year. Multiple-choice questions sprinkled through the videos let students know in real time whether they were understanding the material correctly, which gave them the immediate feedback this generation craves and let them know what they’d need to watch again. With constant internet access, students can look up facts like the steps of cellular respiration; lessons like how to read and interpret a graph are more meaningful, Miranda says. When students watched lectures from home (or while riding in a car or waiting in a line or anywhere else), Miranda spent classroom time guiding them through activities and discussions designed to develop analytical thinking. Activities like extracting DNA from a strawberry or putting the steps of protein delivery in the correct order helped students build muscles around trial-and-error, logic, and discussing nuanced topics like scientific ethics.
“We couldn’t necessarily cover the same breadth, but it allowed us to dig deeper and make more real-world connections. It added a component of critical thinking and problem solving, and it helped the students get used to fear of failure,” Miranda says. Exam scores with the flipped classroom model were comparable to those from previous years taught in a more traditional style, and students’ responses to the immersive problem-solving model were overwhelmingly positive.
The year the internet was commercialized, 1995, marks the start date of Generation Z. Which website didn’t launch that year? Amazon Match.com Google eBay Craigslist Answer: Google (1997)
Ever heard of a flipped classroom? Students learn facts on their own time and use classroom time and the teacher’s guidance to explore and analyze those facts. For a generation that’s never far from reference materials, it’s a way to grow critical-thinking skills to synthesize abundant information.
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On the whole, Generation Z is enjoying their long childhoods. The number of teenagers who said they had three or more serious fights with their parents in a year fell by 10 percent between 2005 and 2015. But does a longer childhood cause a lack of resilience? A 2014 study in the Journal of Child and Family Studies showed students who reported having “helicopter parents” also reported higher depression levels and lower levels of life satisfaction. Generation Z college students are more likely to have “maturity fears” than college students of the 1980s or 90s; more of today’s college students are likely to agree that they want to return to the security of being children.
PLAY IT SAFE Along with growing up more slowly, teenagers are also growing up more safely. The ubiquity of car seats, hand sanitizer, and sunscreen is just the beginning of how Generation Z’s parents have watched out for their safety at every move. All in all, that’s a good thing. Car seats protect against fatalities in car crashes, and sunscreen helps prevent skin cancer. Their parents’ lessons have sunk in. Generation Z places an increased value on their security, reversing
a multi-generational decline in the perceived importance of security, Monitoring the Future shows. Even away from their parents, teens are behaving more safely: they’re less likely to drink, do drugs, get in fights, or have sex than previous generations. They’re also safer drivers once they get licenses (a milestone more and more teens are delaying). But some are worried that Generation Z may take caution too far and miss out on transformative growth experiences that require up-front risks.
“When ‘Economics for Entrepreneurs’ started, it was merely a catalyst to getting innovation happening. Four years later, you have students clamoring about problems to solve before they even enroll in the class and doing so in unique and deliberate ways. The culminating ‘pitch’ and award show really amplifies the energy and engagement in the class.”
Tim Shabanowitz, Director of Middle School Innovation Lab
Teens are not only making decisions that keep them away from physical danger; and they’re also protecting themselves from “emotional injury,” a controversial concept that can include avoiding bad experiences, uncomfortable situations, and people
with different ideas from your own. Emotional safety, which has become a priority for Generation Z, is a nuanced idea that leads to more empathic behavior at its best and avoidance of anything uncomfortable at its worst. Gen Z’ers are physically safer than any group in the history of the world. And they’re less likely than anyone before them to test that safety. Fewer teens now say they enjoy taking risks or doing dangerous things. The importance of “emotional safety” includes, for some, being protected from discomfort or people who disagree with you. For Gen Z, protecting your reputation has become a serious concern. Since they were small children, they’ve seen how a careless Instagram post or an offensive tweet can ruin a person or business’s reputation. They know their friends are watching. And their parents. And their parents’ friends. And maybe even their future employers.
CREATE, DON’T WAIT This generation is not one that waits around when it comes to making its mark on the world. While research shows Gen Z’ers have some fears about growing up, they’re not afraid to create content for the world to see, start business ventures, or lead social change.
SENIOR WELLNESS DAY Leaving high school is about more than academic preparedness. Westminster’s Senior Wellness Day was developed in part to prepare seniors to make decisions in a college culture where binge-drinking rates haven’t fallen much—without calling mom and dad. This half-day wellness fair is a time for seniors to meet in small groups with wellness
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professionals who coach them on staying physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy during the transition to college. Even though teens’ risky behavior is changing, the need to develop independence, social skills, and decision-making skills is universal.
WHAT’S YOUR GEN? Political and economic circumstances often drive differences in generations. But pop culture trends are just as memorable for those who lived through them.
The Lost Generation: 1883-1900
This disillusioned generation came of age during World War I; term coined by Gertrude Stein. POP CULTURE Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Greatest Generation 1901–1927
The Silent Generation 1928–1945
Baby Boomers 1946–1964
Generation X 1965–1980
This generation persevered during the Great Depression in their youth and fought in World War II; term coined by Tom Brokaw. POP CULTURE “talkies,” The Wizard of Oz, Duke Ellington
This consumer generation pursued the American Dream and was the first to grow up in two-income households. POP CULTURE Elvis, Jimi Hendrix, and the Beatles
Millennials 1981–1994
This confident generation believes in the “follow your dreams” mantra. POP CULTURE Harry Potter, Backstreet Boys, and LiveJournal
The Silent Generation was a cautious one because of the dangers of living in the McCarthy era. POP CULTURE Frank Sinatra, Gone with the Wind, and Mickey Mouse
Growing up with Boomer parents, this was a generation of latch-key kids. POP CULTURE Nirvana, Madonna, and Reality Bites
Generation Z 1995–2010
Today’s teenagers are the first generation to have never known life without the internet. POP CULTURE The Hunger Games, Post Malone
And the technology they carry with them everywhere is hugely valuable for doing all these things. Get a news alert about a tsunami in Indonesia? You can use the same phone that alerted you to the news to text a donation to the Red Cross. And almost half of Generation Z gave to a philanthropic cause last year. From climate change to gun violence, Gen Z’ers are regularly in the news for starting movements. The concept of identity is important for this generation, so many of the causes they support are about everyone’s right to be themselves without fear of violence or harassment. At Westminster, those who want to make an impact have quite a few resources to help them get started.
How often, on average, does a Gen Z’er check their phone?
Every 7 minutes Every 3 minutes
Every 16 minutes Twice per minute Answer: Every 3 minutes
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Students who have the desire to make a change now—and a plan for how to do it—can apply for grants from Westminster’s Glenn Institute. The Service Corps, a group of sophomores, juniors, and seniors, decides how to allocate grant money. Some projects that have been funded this way include Science To Action Road Trips (START), a group that takes elementary school students on field trips to show them science in the real world, and Keep the Ball Rolling, an initiative to collect lightly used sports equipment and match it with kids who need it. Students with an entrepreneurial side start exploring it young. Small Mall, a longtime second grade favorite, lets students try out making a product and marketing it to other students in Love Hall. More sophisticated opportunities for older students include an Economics for Entrepreneurs class in eighth grade (where students pitch business plans to alumni “sharks” at the end of the semester) and a JanTerm class in which students visit both start-ups and established corporations to talk with business leaders about the journey of entrepreneurship. Students who are ready to take the leap into creating solutions to problems in business and society have opportunities to use this entrepreneurial spirit in internships. Take Lucas Najera ’19, for example. For two consecutive years, he interned at the Mitchell Cancer Institute in Mobile, Alabama. After his first three-week dive into the medical world, Lucas researched and wrote a critique on some of the problems he’d observed in the healthcare system. The second year of his internship, Lucas combined the knowledge he had gained, the
connections he had made, and his budding interest in software development to create a mobile app to help physicians expedite appointments without sacrificing the quality of care. The app launched at Mitchell Cancer Institute last year, and Lucas and his mentor continue to develop it, presenting internationally at conferences and in journals.
"Service Corps provides a unique opportunity for members to collaborate with one another as they support the student body in engaging with the school and local Atlanta community. Service Corps members learn valuable skills in grantmaking, budgeting, advertising, design thinking, and sustainability as they fund their peers' civic engagement initiatives." Meghan James, Upper School Director of Civic Engagement
Meanwhile, Lucas has begun developing other apps and visiting venture capital firms to learn more about raising capital. He’s now concentrating on a project management software that uses machine learning to improve the user experience and eliminate inefficiencies in the workspace. Westminster, Lucas says, was uniquely positioned to help him succeed both in his internship and in his business ventures, from peers who gained expert-level coding skills in Westminster’s computer science classes to mentors he met through the robotics team. “You have the connections and a plethora of resources around you, and if you’re willing to take a risk and follow your passions, you can succeed,” he says. “There’s a special sauce at Westminster; I'm not the only student founder, I can point to
my peers like Anup Bottu '20 (one of the student founders of START), who has created a foundation and is doing some truly impactful work in the nonprofit sector, or Jamal Hashim '18, who has been creating apps since he was a sophomore; in a way, he was my student mentor.”
PARENTS JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND You’re probably expecting quotes in this section from parents lamenting that they can’t connect with their teenagers, and teenagers complaining that their parents just don’t get it. Each generation becomes more and more different from the last as the pace of cultural change accelerates. So, parents really don’t get it. But it’s
not their fault. Because of technology, the way teenagers interact with the world now is completely different from the way their parents did. Instagram, Whats App, TikTok—none of it existed 30 years ago. Or even 15. Admitting that teenagers are living in a completely new world, says Upper School counselor Meredith Miller, is a good strategy for parents. But total ignorance doesn’t do parents any good when it comes to sustaining a healthy relationship with teenage children—research shows that kids want to be able to talk to their parents about the issues that come up because of social media, even if they don’t want their parents participating.
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD? No generation faces a world without challenges. The young people spending their days on our campus now aren’t immune to the pitfalls of an always-connected life. We would be foolish to assume they are. While no one can predict the next big innovation that will rock our students’ lives, Westminster’s commitment to Generation Z is to give them a solid foundation and nurturing community that will help them lead with conscience now and in their adulthood. After all, their potential for far-reaching impact has perhaps never been greater.
PARENTING IN THE DIGITAL AGE The rise of the smartphone means parenting now is unlike parenting at any other time. Upper School Counselor Meredith Miller offers these tips to help parents establish healthy digital habits for the whole family: Model the use you want to see. That includes carving out time to be face to-face without a device. Face-to-face time communicates your time together is valuable and meaningful. Have systems for everyone. Have a central spot for the entire family to charge their phones. This helps ensure teenagers aren’t losing sleep by scrolling into the night. A good night’s sleep is one of the best tools for healthy brain development. Sleep deprivation is linked to compromised reasoning, health problems, and mood disorders. Think twice about taking away phones as a punishment for non-phone-related discipline issues. Focus instead on teaching children to use technology responsibly and with kindness. Keep learning. Resources like the email newsletter “Tech Talk Tuesdays” from physician
and filmmaker Delaney Ruston connect parents with research about screen time—and tips for how to apply it. Ask your children to teach you about their favorite apps and platforms. Not only are you sharpening your knowledge, but it's also a way to use technology to hot wire connection!
Subscribe to "Tech Talk Tuesdays" and see other resources at westminster.net/magazine
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Collaboration Culture A schoolwide commitment to leadership that’s all about working together
By Betty Emrey, freelance writer
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A
ll over Love Hall, the first 30 minutes of every day are dedicated to the cultivation of future leaders. In Morning Meetings, children pause in the rush of getting to school, take a breath, and connect with themselves and their surroundings. “It’s a safe space where every child’s face is seen, every name is spoken, and everyone counts,” says Becky McKnight, Lower School Director of Student Life. “It’s a process of shaping wholeness, where children develop a sense of self, an awareness of others, the ability to express themselves and to listen. It’s a beautiful thing to see.” It’s in these moments when our youngest Wildcats learn to care for themselves in order to care for others.
SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL SKILLS
The lessons taught in Morning Meetings are designed to help students develop the skills they need to succeed as individuals, in community, and, ultimately, as leaders:
Morning Meeting activities are actually designed to build the neurological connections that support social and emotional development. “The oldest part of the brain, the limbic system, is the emotional center,” says Dr. Anna Moore ʼ89, Director of Student Support. “It’s very strong. And when it’s activated by intense emotions, it can take over. The part of the brain that regulates emotions and self-control, the frontal lobe, isn’t fully developed until the age of 25. But there are activities we can do beginning with very young children to engage the frontal lobe. For example, much of the development of language happens in the frontal lobe. So the mere act of naming emotions can activate that part of the brain and helps children begin to develop the ability to selfregulate when the limbic system tries to take over.”
— Self awareness — Self management — Awareness of others — Social skills — Responsible decision making
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Leadership isn’t a new topic at Westminster. It’s long been a hallmark of our graduates. You just have to glance at the Atlanta skyline to see one facet of the impact our graduates have had on the city. To ensure our students are tomorrow’s collaborative leaders, the School sets a high bar for the evolution of leadership development. The curriculum needs “to be structured enough to ensure every child has opportunities to be touched by leadership, but not static,” says Heather Karvis, Middle School Dean of Students. “Developing leaders is embedded in the fabric of Westminster, but the process must remain fluid so it can evolve dynamically.” Westminster’s focus on leadership development is shifting toward a holistic model that creates and connects leadership experiences that emphasize teamwork from pre-first to 12th grade. These efforts help our students develop into leaders who are collaborative, authentic, and lead in a sustainable way.
Leaders don’t always have to be right, or perfect, or the ones to solve the problem— they can empower others, rather than doing it all themselves. Brooks Batcheller Upper School Dean of Students
Collaborative leadership: “One of the biggest things we work on with students is helping them understand that leaders don’t always have to be right, or perfect, or the ones to solve the problem—that they can empower others, rather than doing it all themselves,” says Brooks Batcheller, Upper School Dean of Students. The collaborative model means we teach that leaders are people who work well with others to move the best ideas forward rather than lone heroes. In this framework, leaders aren’t the only ones in possession of greatness. They’re people who can also develop that greatness in others.
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Authentic leadership: Our students’ leadership opportunities have potential for real-world impact. Last year, a group of eighth graders came up with ideas to improve campus security. They created a website and gave a presentation to President Keith Evans, which is now being used in discussions among faculty and staff. Our students are developing skills to work with each other and other groups to create real positive change on our campus and in the world. Sustainable leadership: At one time, campus leadership was entrusted to our oldest and most experienced students. And every year when those students graduated, a new group of leaders arose who were not only green, but whose development was also limited by the fact that they only had a year to practice hands-on leadership before graduating. With our current model, leadership is much more sustainable. We’re cultivating leadership capacities at every level, and students have many more years and many more experiences designed to expand their skills and grow their abilities. In fifth grade, students have their first opportunity to take on official leadership responsibilities within the School. The fifth grade leadership clubs have been around for a while, but last year, instead of diving right into activities, teachers slowed the process down to create a context for students around what leadership actually means. “At first, the kids think leaders are the people in charge who order others around,” says fifth grade teacher Tom Marine. “But then they start to see there are also quiet leaders—those who lead by example and those who step back and give others opportunities.” President Evans stopped by to talk about how a leader’s true effectiveness can be measured in the success of the people around them. Middle and Upper School students also visited to discuss their respective leadership roles. These sessions helped students see that many qualities can define leadership and identify those qualities in themselves.
URBAN EDVENTURE Then came a brainstorming session between fifth graders and faculty members. Instead of the faculty coming up with a list of clubs, students and faculty collaborated to explore the kinds of clubs that would give students opportunities to apply the leadership concepts they’d been learning about to their areas of interest. While many existing clubs, like the MentorCats, remained, a number of exciting new initiatives were born, including: AssemblyCats: teams of fifth graders now work together with faculty advisors to plan and help implement community morning meetings for the entire Lower School. AdmissionsCats: for their first project, students spoke with the Office of Admissions and Enrollment Services about how they could help make prospective students and their families feel more welcome at Open Houses. As a result, they created a virtual reality tour of Love Hall so prospects could experience the Lower School, even before visiting campus in person.
Urban EdVenture, a yearlong servicelearning course, offers fifth graders another opportunity to build leadership skills and become agents of change. Students drive the entire process, from selecting an organization to highlight at the start of the year to developing a daylong hands-on service project by the end of the course. Over the years, projects have included conducting sidewalk accessibility research along Peachtree Road with the Shepherd Center, creating a Mother’s Day brunch for more than 50 refugee women, and learning to dance with dancers of varying physical abilities with Full Radius Dance Company.
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AthleticCats: these students support the PE staff, helping younger students with various sports activities, and collaborate with each other to organize and run a Lower School Field Day. WCATs: students learn the importance and power of mass communications, working in teams to investigate, write, and produce broadcasts on Lower School news and events, which they send out to teachers who share them with their classes. Faculty mentors guide each club’s activities, but the wisdom goes both ways. “Our AssemblyCats Club opened up my vision about how assemblies connect our entire Lower School community the same way Morning Meetings do in the classrooms,” says Becky McKnight. “Because of this, we’re actually changing the name to Community Morning Meeting. It’s a much larger vision, and it was totally inspired by fifth grade student leadership.” Inspired by the common bonds between the two programs, the leadership clubs and Urban EdVenture are beginning to operate in concert with one another under the umbrella of CATapult.
+
THE FOUR C’S
Care Commitment Communication Collaboration The four C’s are concepts taught in fifth grade leadership clubs. The building blocks, however, link back to Morning Meeting, where children first learn about other perspectives and how to listen for what others have to contribute. That’s critical to collaboration, for example, because collaboration is not possible if you can’t see the value that a different perspective provides.
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Students enter Middle School ready to take on bigger and more complex opportunities. “So much is changing for students at this age,” says Tina McCormick, Middle School Chaplain and Director of Student Life. “We want to give them a lot of different experiences. We’re not asking them to be perfect; we just want them to explore if this leadership position is one they can grow into—if they can take what they’re good at, practice, and see if it works. Then they can get some feedback and reflect on the type of leader they want to be and consider the opportunities around them that will help them grow.” Students fill out applications for leadership positions and attend an intensive leadership retreat to explore such topics as service and ways to develop and instill skills in others. Global Ambassadors take care of Westminster’s international students by working together and with faculty to design cultural exchange activities. Admissions Ambassadors take responsibility for creating exceptional campus experiences for prospective students. The Chapel Council plans and leads monthly chapel assemblies. “Sometimes turning the responsibility for running parts of a program over to students can be scary,” Tina says. “But every time, I come away saying, ‘these students really have the vision, creativity, humor, and resilience to do it all.’ And, when they need us, we’re here to guide and support them.” Leadership experiences expand to give students opportunities to see a broader world in Middle School and Upper School. Through service and study abroad opportunities, they experience the power they have to make an impact in communities beyond our campus. They also begin taking on more significant roles in School governance. Students on the Honor Council are responsible for addressing issues involving Honor Code infractions. “Honor Council members learn how to engage in difficult conversations with peers and younger students and how to balance
defending the Code with empathy for the student involved,” says Brooks Batcheller, who oversees the Honor Council. “You can see how the peer message hits differently than if it were coming from an adult. When a student from Upper School comes down and talks about the things they wish they had known in Middle School, it just resonates differently.“ The Discipline Council is also led by students who are specially trained for situations involving student behavior. “Being studentrun gives the process more weight than if it were headed by the faculty or administration,” says Kristin Hunter, an Upper School English teacher who oversees the Discipline Council. Students on the council are responsible to both the School and their peers and are tasked with giving appropriate consequences, but also supporting the student body.
“They have to collaborate with each other and vote on whether or not they believe an infraction occurred, and if so, how to proceed. These aren’t abstract lessons. The conversations students have aren’t always easy; they can get heated at times. But the process helps them refine their values and learn to navigate through gray areas. Ultimately, students discover they’re more capable of being morally courageous than they ever realized.” “Moving from one division to the next isn’t just about being ready,” says Tom Marine. “It’s about thriving.” Lower School faculty and administrators meet regularly with a group of Middle School faculty to discuss how to best prepare fifth graders for Middle School leadership roles. “It’s been amazing,” Tom continues. “Any time you get to work
Leadership is the courage to explore my own unique self, to serve with my own unique gifts, and to support others in doing the same. From the Middle School leadership retreat
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with another division and hear about the opportunities awaiting our students, it inspires us to make sure they’re prepared to put all of the elements they’ve learned into practice.” This year, Upper School representatives are joining the group to unite and strengthen the leadership development experience all the way from pre-first to graduation. Upper School Leadership 101, a JanTerm class led by President Keith Evans and Upper School faculty members Brooks Batcheller and Liza Cowan, is another opportunity designed to help students expand their thinking on leadership.
The course utilizes direct experience, readings, reflections, and conversations to explore what it takes to be a leader at Westminster and beyond. As guests including current and former executives from The Home Depot, Habitat for Humanity, and Starbucks, a naval commander, a state Supreme Court justice, and religious and nonprofit leaders spoke, Keith noticed a shift in the quality of student conversation. While they were still interested in learning about skills, knowledge, and technical competencies, the inquiry began to focus more on the value of personal capacities for empathy, patience, resilience, and
MIDDLE SCHOOL LEADERSHIP 101
In this eighth grade class, students learn self awareness and reflection and compare different types of leadership structures and frameworks across a number of Atlanta organizations. The first year the class was offered, 13 students signed up. The second year, that number rocketed to 55. 30 | Fall 2019
selflessness. The ways they conducted the conversations were different, too. Ideas built upon others’ thoughts in a way they hadn’t in previous years. When Head of Lower School Whit McKnight joined as a guest speaker, he, too, noticed the shift. “The level of inquiry was different,” he says. “They asked the kind of really thoughtful questions about linchpin experiences that affected the trajectory of my leadership and how I have adapted in times when my goto strengths might have actually hindered a successful outcome. These are very high-level concepts.” Keith and Whit soon realized this cohort were among the first students to participate in Morning Meetings way back in Love Hall. Now in Upper School, they perceive leadership not so much as an individual role, but as a set of behaviors and a way of interacting.
Upper School gives students opportunities to lead together through participation in student government, athletic teams, and more than 60 clubs covering topics that range from science and math to rock and roll. “We don’t just put groups together and expect them to work well,” Whit says. “We explicitly teach our students the skills that allow them to assert their ideas while also respecting others. We give them opportunities to explore the definition of leadership and to identify and develop the leadership qualities they see emerging in themselves.” The seeds of collaboration that are planted on campus are tended throughout the Westminster journey. The leadership that grows from this careful nurturing may just be exactly what the world needs.
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The Wildcat Factor By Erin Dentmon, Advancement Writer
A special kind of magic happens when Wildcats work together. It might be the way ideas flow back and forth, growing and building and morphing along the way. Or maybe how values and intellect combine. It might even be the memories of Shakespeare and spaghetti suppers that punctuate the conversation.
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The alumni we’ve profiled in this issue are impressive in their own right—two CEOs, an athlete, a sports executive, a doctor, and a policy expert. When they combine their talents, they’re an undeniable force. Call it magic. Call it synergy. We like to call it the Wildcat Factor.
The Wildcat Factor
Hard Hitters Will Benson ’16 and Carter Hawkins ’03 Make Their Mark with the Cleveland Indians MERE WEEKS AFTER WALKING ACROSS PRESSLY HALL IN HIS CAP AND GOWN, Will Benson ’16 was
drafted to the Cleveland Indians in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft. After two and a half seasons with the Lake County Captains, a low-A team, Will moved up in the farm system to the high-A Lynchburg Hillcats this June. While it’s exciting for the Wildcat Nation to cheer Will on through social media, one Wildcat has been following Will’s career much more closely. It’s his job, after all. Carter Hawkins ’03 is the Indians’ assistant general manager and oversees the player development pipeline, from the draft to the major leagues. When Will was entering that pipeline as an 18-year-old, Carter worked exclusively in player development and was an integral part of the intense research that goes into selecting players, particularly in early rounds of the draft. “A first-round draft pick is a huge decision for us organizationally, and we want to get as much information as we can on all the players who are going to be on our radar. We spent a lot of time trying to get to know Will,” Carter says. “Having a close relationship with the people he worked with, like Chad (Laney ’95, baseball coach) and other people at the School, helped us feel good about the selection.” Carter even spent time back at Harry Lloyd Field to oversee Will’s workout with the Indians’ hitting coordinator—the same field where Carter himself played for the Wildcats before a collegiate career at Vanderbilt. Developing players through the minor leagues—“getting All-Star players before they become All-Stars,” as Carter says—is one of the Indians’ strategies for long-term success. It’s a unique challenge for Carter and the rest of the front office, and a tremendous opportunity for young players like Will.
In an organization that invests a lot in helping younger, less experienced players grow, Will still manages to stand out for the way he sets goals and attacks adversity. “Late one Saturday night during the offseason, I got a phone call from Will. Typically, if a player is calling me at an odd hour, there’s some sort of issue to work through, but Will just wanted to talk about ways to get better for the upcoming spring,” Carter remembers. “It was a welcome surprise, and shows Will’s exceptional desire to be his best self.“ When Carter reflects on his time at Westminster, he’s realized something he didn’t notice as a student: the number of people who were cheering for him all along. “Every teacher was available for Office Hours. You could pop into anyone’s office at any point. When you get into the real world and see how impactful that was, it’d be difficult not to want to be that resource for someone else.” Ask Will, and it’s clear Carter is doing just that. He says Carter is a giver of direct, honest advice for any player in the Indians organization, something Will appreciates as he focuses on improving his game. After an uneven season in 2018, Will’s year has looked better in 2019, including a four-homer game with the Lake County Captains in April—the first four-homer game for any minor league player since 2014. “I was fortunate enough to be in this position and see my hard work pay off up to this point, so now, it’s about, ‘How good can I get?’” Will says. “This journey has had plenty of spikes and some downhill times, but that’s just life.” Whether it plays out in the front office or in the outfield, the foundation Carter and Will received at Westminster still plays an important role in their professional lives. As Will puts it, “Westminster set me up to succeed in any situation.”
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The Wildcat Factor
Virus Fighters
Cecily Aleem ’05 and Dr. Mark Weng ’02 Take Aim at Hepatitis A TWO WILDCATS WHO’D PLANNED ON TRADITIONAL CAREERS in medicine and law instead found themselves using those skills to fight public health epidemics. Even more surprising? Out of about 15,000 employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), they landed on the same 30-person team responding to an outbreak of hepatitis A. As members of the same outbreak response team for a little over a year, Cecily Aleem Campbell ’05 and Dr. Mark Weng ’02 were part of a group responding to widespread outbreaks of hepatitis A across the United States. Multiple states across the country have reported outbreaks of hepatitis A virus infections transmitted person-to-person. Vulnerable populations, including people who use drugs and people who are experiencing homelessness, are among those at highest risk for infection. With these compounding factors, the CDC’s response is anything but simple. That explains how both Mark and Cecily got involved. Mark, a pediatrician with a Peace Corps stint under his belt, focuses on vaccine strategy: how can the CDC effectively supply vaccines to vulnerable populations? Cecily used her background in health law to keep Congressional staffers from affected states informed about the outbreak and worked with partners and
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stakeholders to develop strategies to increase vaccine uptake among those vulnerable populations. “I’m here to understand the medical perspective, but that’s one small piece. We have to know where our partners are having issues and be able to pull in the right expertise,” Mark says. If Cecily were preparing CDC leaders to engage with policymakers or partners, she’d rely on Mark for scientific advice and accuracy. He relies on her to communicate about the outbreak in a way that allows people outside the CDC to understand the urgency of the situation. Problem-solving at this degree requires soft skills combined with a large amount of specific knowledge. Mark, a graduate of the Emory School of Medicine, and Cecily, who earned her
“You train and train and train, and study hard in school, and you never know what experiences are going to come in handy.” — Dr. Mark Weng ’02
juris doctorate at the University of Alabama, have both completed additional masters’ degrees— which they say seems to be a rule, rather than the exception, at the CDC. “This is an environment of lifelong learners who want to contribute to society,” Cecily says. That idea of working for the greater good was a driving force for both Wildcats to join the CDC— and an idea they’d each been able to explore at Westminster through opportunities like being part of Service Council or listening to Desmond Tutu speak when he visited campus. “It wasn’t even just about the education,” Cecily says. “Those values of service and fellowship and giving back, those were part of what we learned.” Even the friendships that began at Westminster helped shape the direction of their lives. One of Mark’s first exposures to medicine was the time his classmate Travis Langley, now a radiologist in Atlanta, invited him to volunteer at the Shepherd Center. The two met up once again when Mark did a clinical rotation in a hospital radiology department where Travis was a resident physician. As an officer in the US Public Health Service, Mark is a reservist, of sorts, for public health emergencies. In this role, for example, he was deployed to the United States-Mexico border to give health screenings to migrant children. Of all
the lessons he’s learned over years of education and experience, a surprising one stood out: the New Testament course he took at Westminster, taught entirely in Spanish by Dr. Tom Curtis and Rose Harper. “I was using those Spanish skills, but also thinking a lot about what Jesus Christ would do in terms of helping people in vulnerable positions,” he reflects. “You train and train and train, and study hard in school, and you never know what experiences are going to come in handy.” The lessons Cecily and Mark learned at Westminster about motivation and commitment, problem solving to meet life’s challenges, and the importance of giving back have stayed with them. And these two Wildcats get to see the results of that education, and much more, in one another. “I remembered Cecily as Alexander Aleem’s kid sister, but within a month of coming to the CDC, I saw how well respected she is,” Mark says. In jest, he adds some advice for current Wildcats: “Be nice to everybody in high school, even kid sisters.” Mark and Cecily contributed to this article in their personal capacity. The views expressed are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the United States government.
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City Shapers
Larry Gellerstedt ’74 and Doug Hertz ’70 Create Change Through the Power of Shared Values DOUG HERTZ ’70 AND LARRY GELLERSTEDT ’74 BOTH SAY THEY SAW EXAMPLES OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT STARTING IN CHILDHOOD, so it’s hard to pinpoint
exactly when each of them became invested in creating a better Atlanta. It’s a little easier to pin down when they joined forces.
Around 1990, Doug saw the need for a summer camp for kids with disabilities. He approached Larry, the CEO of a construction company, hoping to have him on board when it was time to build. “When Doug came to see me, he had such passion and enthusiasm for the idea, and he’d thought it through so well. It was the type of thing where you say, ‘That’s something I want to be a part of,’” Larry explains. “I was running Beers Construction at the time, and we put together a coalition with our competitors and agreed to build that initial camp on a no-fee basis with most materials donated.” That idea became Camp Twin Lakes, a place where children with serious illnesses, disabilities, and other life challenges attend summer camp with the medical support they need in place.
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In its almost 30 years, Camp Twin Lakes has helped tens of thousands of children experience camp—a monumental achievement on its own. But it turns out, things were just getting started for Doug and Larry. “The fact Larry was willing to help me with my first big idea, I think that’s what started things for us,” Doug says. “Then, when one of us needed help, we seemed to be asking each other or asking the other one to connect us with somebody.” Doug recalls seeing integrity and directness in Larry from that initial collaboration, setting the stage for a partnership that has shaped Atlanta in several ways. “The combination of those two traits creates trust,” Doug explains. In the late 1990s, the two came together again to make major change for children in metro Atlanta. Scottish Rite Children’s Medical Center and Egleston Children’s Hospital were enmeshed in competition, each fighting for donors from the same pool and spending money advertising against one another.
The Wildcat Factor
Larry and Doug were part of a group of five who led a merger of the two hospitals and created Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, a task Larry looks back on as “Herculean.” So, how were they able to do it? Larry says he, Doug, and the other members of the small group that negotiated the merger had to stay focused on the hospitals’ shared priority of caring for sick children—and sway others to do the same. “If you’ve got shared values and you’ve got similar passions and hopes, there’s a whole lot you can accomplish,” he says. “It isn’t about me or Doug. It’s about children who can get great healthcare in our community. That’s what makes you feel good.” At separate times, both later chaired the board of Children's.
“When Larry tells you he’s going to do something or get something done, you generally don’t have to worry about it happening, and it’s generally done the right way. If he tells you something, you can take it to the bank.” — Doug Hertz ’70
The duo is now together as chair (Doug) and immediate past chair (Larry) of the Atlanta Committee for Progress (ACP), a group of CEOs who work with Atlanta’s mayor and offer business expertise in areas where it might help city government—like their current focuses on cleaning up procurement processes and ensuring the future of affordable housing. On a board where every member is a CEO, there’s plenty of room for diverse opinions. “As a CEO, you’re used to living in a world where you get involved in a decision or make a decision, you make it happen and you live with it,” Doug explains. Not so on ACP—the decisions ultimately lie with city, state, or federal government—and, in some cases, voters. They’ve also served together as successive chairs of the Woodruff Arts Center and are both trustees of the Georgia Research Alliance, an economic
development agency that seeks to expand scientific research in Georgia, both at universities and in the startup world. From children’s health to the arts to how city government operates, Larry and Doug say it’s their duty, and also a privilege, to be active in Atlanta’s civic scene. Having led together in these types of roles so often, they rely on their complementary leadership styles to get things done—Larry is a confident, decisive leader, while Doug invests more time in getting early buy-in. “When I’m looking at something complicated and hard to accomplish, I come up with a better solution when I bounce it off Doug and get his perspective,” Larry says.
“There are no games with Doug. If he says he’s going to do something, you can count on it getting done. And when he says he’s doing something for the good of the community, then you know that’s his total motivation.” — Larry Gellerstedt ’74
Looking at their history of leadership, you could say Larry and Doug specialize in “complicated and hard to accomplish.” But time and again, they’re up for the challenge. “All these opportunities we’ve been given are about solving challenges, and either there are lots of other qualified people who haven’t stepped forward, or there aren’t people who have the time and are qualified,” Doug says. “The challenge of getting to the right result benefiting a lot of people is extraordinarily satisfying.” It doesn’t take many conversations around town to find someone who’s a beneficiary of the changes Doug Hertz and Larry Gellerstedt have pushed forward in Atlanta. These Wildcats, with outsized leadership skills and a deeply held belief that everyone benefits from a strong social fabric, have undoubtedly shaped our city in major ways. The impact of their 30 years of shared leadership continues to multiply.
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8 3
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Welcome, New Faculty! 1. Sade Adetoro
3. Joel Argall
2. Christopher Allen
Upper School Counselor “In my early teens, I played semi-professional soccer. In my later teens, I played professional rugby.”
Middle School STEAM “I was born and raised in Washington, DC, and always wanted to be a writer or astronaut. I worked at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and I'm currently working on publishing two fictional books.”
Upper School Science “I used to compete in ballroom dancing and won the national championship in Americanstyle smooth.”
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Third Grade “I grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and am a huge sports fan! I love collecting memorabilia from the Steelers, Penguins, and Pirates.”
4. Sam Booth
5. Bobby Bryant
Upper School Science “I love videography. I enjoy doing live event production and have worked events from the Backstreet Boys to Jeff Foxworthy to Journey to the White House.”
6. Dan Butler
Upper School Math “I have worked with mathematics teachers on five of the seven continents.”
FACULTY AND STAFF
7. Lauren Carter
Middle School PE “I love woodworking and have built my own dining room table and bench.”
8. Brent Cavedo
Upper School Latin “In college, I spent a semester abroad in Sicily studying the Greek colonization, Roman occupation, and Baroque reconstruction of one of the most culturally, historically, and artistically rich islands in the world.”
9. Christine Chen
Upper School History “I have been fortunate in that I've traveled a lot. The most interesting places I’ve been are Saudi Arabia and Turkmenistan, both of which are so incredibly different from anywhere else I’ve seen. ”
10. Clare Costello
Upper School English “I love all things outdoors—hiking, backpacking, canoeing, kayaking, skiing, you name it. This summer, I traveled to Alaska, where I kayaked up to a glacier and saw 18 grizzly bears.”
11. Stephanie Daughenbaugh
Fifth Grade “I was one of The Atlanta JournalConstitution's 'Tennis Players of the Year' for having an undefeated tennis match record in high school.”
18. Donovan Jackson
Upper School Science “I went tandem bungee jumping with a friend in Thailand. We forgot to hold onto each other and, on the second bounce, slammed into one another!”
19. LB Joel
Pre-First Grade “I enjoy running ultramarathons.”
Upper School PE “I previously lived in San Francisco for five years.”
20. Courtney Kane
Upper School Science “I love to bake and cook! I think I've seen every show on the Food Network at least once. Half of the books in my home are cookbooks (the other half are science textbooks).”
21. Jake Kazlow
Upper School Science “I am currently in the process of trying to hike all the mountains higher than 14,000 feet in Colorado.”
22. Eric Khong
Upper School English “I spent a lot of time at a young age with my extended family in Perth, Western Australia, where I developed an intense fear of kangaroos. ”
23. Jamie Lief
12. Tina Davis
Upper School Science “I was on Wheel of Fortune.”
Middle School Student Facilitator “My parents are from South Africa, so we used to travel back and forth to visit our family. Because of this, I have been to South Africa a total of 14 times!”
13. Pia de Leon
24. Jill McCarden
Second Grade “I once went cage diving with sharks!”
14. Ashley Ferreira
Upper School French “I could whistle before I could speak.”
15. Juliana Floret-Faherty
Middle School Spanish “I enjoy taking care of my saltwater fish and coral, as well as my Lionhead rabbit, Bartholomew.”
16. Ashley Griffin
Fourth Grade “Over the years I have played piano, clarinet, oboe, saxophone, and mellophone. I participated in marching band for four years with the University of Georgia Redcoats!”
17. Erin Horner
Third Grade “I started writing songs about eight years ago and released an album that went to top 10 on the Folk DJ charts.”
29. Evan Munger
Middle School PE “Last year, I was a part of the football coaching staff at Louisiana State University. Coaching in the Fiesta Bowl was an eyeopening experience and a memory I will forever have.”
Lower School Music; Chorus Accompanist “I spent a summer during college living in Rome, Italy, and playing oboe in an international orchestra festival."
25. Karen McCarthy
Upper School Digital Scholarship Librarian “I worked on a project that digitized the flight data file for the Apollo 15 moon landing. I touched things that were on the moon!”
26. Christopher McSweeney
Middle School Spanish “I love video games and technology. I even won a competition to become a MineCraft GrandMaster!”
27. Scott Mesloh
30. Michael O'Conner
31. Sonya Peebles
Lower School Music, Chorus “I am a scuba diver and passionate about taking care of our oceans.”
32. Jaime Saunders
Upper School English “I am a Pure Barre enthusiast and just took my 500th class this past June.”
33. Durrell Smith
Middle School Visual Arts “I’ve always been involved with art since preschool and started as a gallery installer at the gallery I am currently represented by, the Bill Lowe Gallery.”
34. Audra Brown Ward
Upper School Science “I was a Nightcrawler Instructor at Zoo Atlanta for five years. I taught overnight excursions, hosted birthday parties, and showed live animals to the public.”
35. Alisha Williamson
Lower School Psychologist/Learning Strategist “I am an occasional thrill junkie. As a result, while visiting Costa Rica, I jumped more than 150 feet off a ledge and bungee jumped in the rain forest.” NOT PICTURED
Margaret Arnett
Middle School PE “In the 1996 Olympics, I was selected to be a 'ball kid' for basketball.”
Parker Fairey
Upper School Permanent Substitute “I love to snowboard. I started when I was in kindergarten and have been doing it ever since.”
Alan Goodrow
Middle School English “I had a weekly sports talk television show when I was in high school.”
Middle School Permanent Substitute “I like to play disc golf.”
28. Elizabeth Moody
Pre-First Grade “In college, I studied abroad in Greece and went bungee jumping into the Corinth Canal.”
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FACULTY AND STAFF
2019 Faculty and Staff Award Recipients Our faculty and staff do remarkable work on behalf of our students every day. Through endowed funds established by generous friends of Westminster, annual awards recognize faculty and staff excellence. We extend our congratulations to this year's recipients and our heartfelt thanks to the donors who invest in our teachers, coaches, and staff members. The Alex P. Gaines Professorship
Danny Alexander
Alumni Fellows Award Gary Brown Meghan James Cynthia Montgomery Michael Reese
Bob Ward Catbacker's Award Sharon Loughran
The Bobo Family Award Shoie McCarthy
The David, Helen, and Marian Woodward Professorship Jennifer Veatch
The Edward D. Smith Endowed Chair in Honor of Dr. William L. Pressly John Lambert
The Emmett Wright Jr. Professorship Ana Maria Szolodko
The Endowed Chair for Performing Arts
Rebecca Colborg Frederick
The George H. and Lucile K. Lane Distinguished Endowed Chair in English Maggie Bailey
The Goizueta Foundation Faculty of Distinction Joey Jarrell
Goizueta Foundation Professorship Nurfatimah Merchant Annie Heller Salimi '04
Goizueta Foundation Professorship in Spanish Ted Sadtler
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The Hal and Julia T. Smith Chair of Christian Education Sue Davenport
The Schoen Faculty Excellence Award
The James Bunnell Chair
Judy Gale Meredith Miller Kimberly Booth Rimmer '87
The LeCraw Family Professorship
The Schoen Staff Excellence Award
Megan Wilson
Carter Thomas '98
The LeoDelle Lassiter Jolley Professorship Dorothy Padgett '07
The Mary DuPriest Award for Staff Excellence Jamila Jones Brittany Maynard Bennett
The Math and Science Faculty of Excellence Professorship Ellen Vesey
The Merrill Award Scott Snyder Lee Steele Jen Marie Wentzel Miranda Wilson
The O. Wayne Rollins Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching Val Causevic Jennifer Finlayson Tom Marine Addie Matteson Catherine Monroe Bo Na Adam Pullen Elena Sabates Elizabeth Tozzer
The Robert M. Sims Endowed Chair in Science Juliet McClatchey Allan '81
Lydia Turman Hansen '87
The William A. Parker Sr. Mentoring Faculty Award (7th Grade Student) Patrick Egan
The William A. Parker Sr. Mentoring Faculty Award (8th Grade Student) Tina McCormick
The William A. Parker Sr. Mentoring Faculty Award (9th Grade Student) Raynard Oliver
The William A. Parker Sr. Mentoring Faculty Award (10th Grade Student) Doug Boomer
The William A. Parker Sr. Mentoring Faculty Award (11th Grade Student) Jason Smith
The William A. Parker Sr. Exceptional Service Award Jan Allen Jennifer Griffith Roy Lovell Alyssa Rooks
The Wilson Family Professorship for the Lower School Andrea Haan
FACULTY AND STAFF
“It’s so important to create interdisciplinary units that allow for student-driven inquiry,” she says. “Westminster students are so insatiably curious; it’s part of our mission to develop students who can ask and answer questions.” Andrea taps into student-driven learning whenever possible; her students are encouraged to read about their interests, write about their interests, and figure out what makes their interests so...well...interesting.
Curiosity-Driven Teaching and Learning It’s hard to think of a better embodiment of lifelong curiosity than Andrea Haan, the recipient of the Wilson Family Professorship for the Lower School. Andrea, who moved from a first grade homeroom into a position teaching science and Design Thinking this fall, is an expert when it comes to gently guiding students to follow their curiosity and explore the world. In Andrea’s classroom, a student wonders whether or not people eat wheat seeds—then the whole class is crowded around a mixing bowl, making bread and learning that flour is actually ground wheat seeds. Someone brings in a cicada skeleton, and it becomes part of an exploration area, prompting all kinds of questions and conversations about insects.
Stepping into a class where Andrea is teaching means feeling enthusiasm pass back and forth from teacher to student, growing all the while. Insatiably curious herself, Andrea says it is a joy to figure out how things work alongside the young learners she teaches. The type of teaching Andrea embraces is one that nurtures students’ sense of wonder and also equips them to find the answers to their questions. As Head of Lower School Whit McKnight said when presenting the Wilson Family Professorship: “Andrea’s willingness to take risks in her practice and embrace new ideas defines the excellence of her teaching… Andrea’s out-of-this-world instruction gives students significant insights into who they are and how they fit into the context of the world around them.” In a school that was built on helping its students grow through appropriate challenges, Andrea’s teaching helps young Wildcats believe that their questions are worth pursuing and that they are capable of investigating to find the answers.
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Faculty and Staff
Farewells As seven cherished faculty and staff members retired this spring, we celebrated them in ways both big and small, from retirement lunches and ceremonies to the presentation of the same Westminster Bibles given to graduating seniors each year. We give thanks for the myriad ways they have shaped the Westminster experience, and we bid them a heartfelt farewell as they pursue their next chapters.
graders to perform portions of the program at a reunion of the 507 Parachute Infantry Regiment, who skydived into Normandy on D-Day. The students were able to make personal connections between what we had studied and the men who were actually there. Watching those heroes and our students interact is something I will never forget.” Jill has inspired a love of history and instilled a deep respect for the honor, loyalty, and courage of our nation’s veterans in our students for many generations.
Jill Allen Lower School Bible Values, Fifth Grade 31 years It is nearly impossible to overstate the legacy Jill Allen leaves at Westminster after more than three decades on our faculty. Jill is perhaps best known for her leadership in one of Love Hall’s great traditions—our fifth grade Veterans Day celebration. This annual celebration of service to our country honors veterans from all eras and creates moments of patriotism, poignancy, and, most of all, gratitude. Says Jill, “One of my favorite memories is of taking the fifth
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Well beyond this important annual event, Jill’s career in the classroom at Westminster has shaped the lives of young Wildcats. This longtime fifth grade teacher who transitioned in recent years to teach Bible Values has garnered the respect and admiration of former students well into their adulthood. Jill’s devotion to and deep love for the Westminster community have been honored via the William A. Parker Sr. Exceptional Service Award in 2006 and the Hal and Julia T. Smith Chair of Christian Education in 2011. Her career has exemplified Westminster’s values, and her dedication to our School has been essential to building the firm foundation that allows Love Hall to thrive today. “Seeing my students begin to understand how our government works as we studied the Constitution has been such a joy over the years. How exciting it was to hear them say they can’t wait until they are old enough to vote because they can make a difference!”
FACULTY AND STAFF
Becky Doster
Ken Gibson
Lower School Music, Chorus Accompanist 21 years
Upper School Physics 19 years
As Becky Doster retires after 21 years in Love Hall, we celebrate a musician and teacher whose vision led her to cross the boundaries of traditional disciplines to demonstrate how music is a part of all facets of our lives. Because of her collaborative spirit and passion for interdisciplinary learning, music has been a vehicle for inspiring learners no matter what the subject.
Beloved scholar, mentor, coach, and colleague Ken Gibson is closing the book on a dynamic career after 19 years at Westminster and a total of 30 years teaching science. For many Westminster students, Ken was both the first and last science teacher they had in the Upper School as he taught both introductory and advanced courses. These students could not be more fortunate to have a teacher both introduce them to the ways physics can engage and inspire and also usher them into ever more intensive and advanced study.
Among her many honors, Becky was awarded the Goizueta Foundation Professorship in 2009 and the Wilson Family Professorship in the Lower School in 2015. She also enlivened countless Love Hall performances as our accompanist, bringing joy to every gathering and building community as only shared musical experiences can. Above all else, Becky has been a beloved colleague and friend to her fellow faculty members and a mentor to generations of Love Hall students. She was honored to be spontaneously serenaded at her retirement luncheon by Upper School music students singing the Benediction they learned during their Lower School years, a testament to the imprint she has left on their lives. Becky’s impact will resonate for years to come, and for that we are most grateful. “I take magical, musical memories with me that fill my soul with joy unspeakable: The Lower School students in their red and white choir robes, looking like angels, walking down the steps from Love Hall to McCain Chapel for the annual Christmas Pageant; veterans standing with tears in their eyes while fifth graders honored them through verse and song; students singing “The Tale of the Three Trees” for the Easter Service; all the Westminster Choirs singing Rutter’s “For The Beauty of the Earth” together in McCain; and more.”
Whether he was playing piano for his advisees, teaching welding in JanTerm, or adding to the collection of objects hanging from the ceiling of his lab, Ken ignited the spark of curiosity that motivated his students to press forward for more. His connection to students and faculty alike as a role model, advocate, and friend is widely known and celebrated. Ken has demonstrated how to take Westminster’s values and express them in a unique voice. Day in and day out, Ken devoted himself to both excelling in his craft and taking good care of his students and colleagues in the Upper School, and his positive influence will continue to benefit Westminster long after his retirement. “Before I came to teach at Westminster, I would think to myself at the end of a school year, ‘All my students are going on to bigger and better places while I just stay behind and start all over again.’ At Westminster, I’ve sat at graduations thinking, ‘There are all my students who have to leave this place, but I have the good fortune to stay here!’ Westminster has been a wonderful community for me—I love the students here, and I’ve loved teaching here.”
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FACULTY AND STAFF
Carla Klepper
Patricia Shande
Upper School English 4 years
Fourth Grade 21 years
One hallmark of Westminster graduates is their fluency in written expression. In fact, there may be no more common story from our college freshmen than, “I’ve been tutoring my friends on their essays.” Carla Klepper was a key member of the Upper School English team, carefully and methodically building this capacity in our students. She retires after 21 years in the classroom and four years at Westminster, with this contribution among the many ways she impacted our school.
One of the great challenges in any career is to sustain the creativity and dynamism of the novice years through mastery many years later. Over 53 years in teaching, 21 of those at Westminster, Patricia Shande has done just that. From her post in the fourth grade, Patricia has been an innovator and an early adopter in everything from using technology in the classroom to integrating project-based learning in her teaching. More recently, she led a filmmaking initiative that resulted in a Love Hall highlight—the Fundance Film Festival. In this profoundly impactful experience, fourth graders work in teams to produce short documentaries focused on leadership, teamwork, service, and overcoming adversity. In short order, Fundance has become a Lower School favorite, offering poignant insight into the lives of our students and the things they care about.
When Carla was not tuning up her students’ writing or exciting them about a great piece of literature, she was encouraging them to get in front of the cameras with WCAT. Her advocacy for broadcast journalism inspired many of our students to come off the sidelines or move beyond a support role and sharpen their communication skills as on-air talent, gaining confidence and fluency that will serve them in many areas of their lives. Another favorite Westminster memory of Carla’s is teaching JanTerm classes in journalism alongside Jack Morgan. We are fortunate and grateful that Carla chose to cap off her career with four years devoted to building young people of character and competence at Westminster. “I have felt privileged to be a part of the Westminster community. I hope that the skills the WCAT staff worked on while they did the weekly news will pay off for them not only in journalism but in any field of work they may choose. The students at Westminster have given me so much joy and satisfaction, from the student who brought me Rice Krispies treats every year on my birthday to those diligent learners who always showed up for office hours.”
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Among her accolades, Patricia was awarded the Madison F. Cole Sr. Professorship in 2004 and the O. Wayne Rollins Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2012. This lifelong learner and pioneer in innovative teaching retires with the respect and affection of her colleagues and students and the gratitude of the Westminster community. “I often hear people say, ‘It’s been a great ride!’ Well, it truly has been a great ride for me. When I arrived in the fall of 1998, I was quite emotional—tearful, even. I thought I would never feel the same connection I had felt to my last three schools in Manama, Bahrain; Gumel, Nigeria; or Lagos, Nigeria; however I have found the experiences shared and the people I met at Westminster have given me just the connection I desired. I felt at home almost from day one on the Westminster campus. My 21 years on this beautiful campus have been an inspiration. Westminster still feels like home.”
FACULTY AND STAFF
Maxine Smith
Suzie Snoddy
Lower School Music, Chorus 33 years
Upper School Science Lab Manager 19 years
After 42 years of service in the field of education, 33 at Westminster, Maxine Smith brings her stellar career to a coda. Under Maxine’s guidance and leadership, Westminster’s Lower School music program has flourished. A three-decade span spent building and shaping a high-profile program has made a distinctive impression on both students and Westminster. For example, several generations of Wildcats both know and will remember our Alma Mater because Maxine taught them the hand motions and correct way to enunciate the words—a tradition that persists into the Upper School and beyond.
Suzie Snoddy retires after almost two decades as Westminster’s Upper School Science Lab Manager, where she served as a shining example of someone who makes everyone around her better. While her daily work was often behind the scenes, the positive impact it had on her faculty colleagues’ effectiveness is unmistakable. Suzie served as a vital member of a departmental team that has launched generations of Wildcats into careers in science and related fields. Along the way, she helped to establish and shape experiences like the summer Marine Biology trip as exceptional opportunities for our students to exercise their curiosity.
But even more impactful than that sweet part of her legacy, Maxine has been the force behind binding our youngest students together in community. Through music instruction and performance, she has led from the front in both the silly and sacred moments of assemblies, concerts, and one of Westminster’s most cherished annual celebrations, the Lower School Christmas Pageant. High energy, exacting standards, and big smiles have been a part of every production. The strength of the foundation she has built in the Lower School music program is evident in the stunning performances of our students as they progress through the Middle and Upper Schools and beyond. Maxine, thank you for sharing your gifts with us and allowing our students to discover theirs.
Suzie’s colleagues in the science department know her for a well-timed kind word and an extra dose of support at critical moments. Intuitive and insightful, she seemed to have a sixth sense for detecting and addressing the needs of others. Suzie’s invaluable service to Westminster and the joy she took in a job well done are an inspiration to students and faculty alike.
“My biggest hope is that I was able to instill a love of music in the children and that they were given a foundation to build upon. It makes my heart so full to know that the children have fond memories of those beginning years.”
“Westminster has given me an extended family and more friends than I can count. It has given me the opportunity to learn and grow every day while playing a role in educating some of the brightest students in our city. I will miss their energy, their questions, their crazy/brilliant ideas! They have such a zest for life and so much promise and hope! They have and will continue to go on to do great things in the world, and it has been a privilege to have made some small contribution to their lives.”
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Retired Elementary School Principal Judy Marine invested in the lives of many children as an educator and mother and grandmother. One of her seven grandchildren, Tom Marine, is continuing the family’s Wildcat tradition as a fifth grade teacher in Love Hall.
Catching Up
with Retired Faculty: Judy Marine by Jane Lauderdale Armstrong ’74
JUDY MARINE’S INFECTIOUS GOOD HUMOR and optimism
were inextricably woven into the relationships she fostered across the entire Westminster community during her years as a teacher and later as principal of the Elementary School. In Judy, teachers found a role model and colleague, parents found a sage advisor, the School found a passionate advocate, and students found a woman whose gentle encouragement fortified their confidence and opened their imaginations. The result—the Wildkittens of Love Hall could not help but fall in love with learning. An Atlanta native, Judy’s education included making some openings herself as she entered Henry Grady High School the first year the school went co-educational. She went on to attend
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Agnes Scott College, where she majored in English, and later received her Master of Education in the Teaching of Reading from Emory University. Judy’s first teaching assignment was with Atlanta Public Schools as an assistant kindergarten teacher at Morningside Elementary. She and the lead teacher taught 54 students in the morning and another 54 in the afternoon—all in a scout hut due to lack of classroom space! The following year she moved to Highland School, where she was a solo teacher, assigned a mere 25 students in the morning and 25 in the afternoon. Judy made the move to Westminster as a part-time reading specialist at the encouragement of her mother, Westminster teacher Judy Promnitz. In her job interview, Judy recalls telling
Dr. Pressly all the reasons he might not want to hire her and him telling her all the reasons she would be right for the job. As usual, Dr. Pressly’s persuasion prevailed. Judy and her family spent several years in the Denver, Colorado, area. Upon her return to Atlanta, she rejoined Westminster to teach reading and develop a Bible curriculum for third through sixth grades. When Elementary School Principal Lee Aronin died suddenly, President Donn Gaebelein asked Judy to serve as the interim principal. She had never thought about being in administration, but with the added encouragement of working with Lulu Hiles (a Washington Seminary alumna) as her assistant, Judy agreed. The two made a strong team. At the end of the interim year, Donn asked
FACULTY AND STAFF
her to accept the position outright. She said yes, with one condition—that she be allowed to continue meeting with small reading groups in her office. Donn was more than agreeable. Connection, collaboration, and innovation characterized the ethos of the Elementary School (now known as the Lower School) during Judy’s tenure. Celebrating and supporting each student was at the heart of every decision—those that were built into the structure of the school and those that bubbled up organically. Judy points to a number of dynamic hubs of connection that were at work in the Elementary School, forming a triad of relationships between faculty, parents, and students. One example she points to is Smythe Gambrell Library, where Jean Bynum and Faith Lamplugh created a welcoming place for children to explore, discover, dream, and sometimes just curl up with a good book. “Every librarian’s dream is to have a former reading teacher as the principal, someone who has a special heart for the impact books can have on a child,” Jean points out. The office was also a scene of seamless teamwork. Pat Clark and Sandy Cooter could troubleshoot any problem, between Sandy’s reassuring calm and Pat’s welcoming hospitality. Sandy describes Judy as an “amazing counselor” to students, faculty, and parents: “She always listened to the opinions of others and was never too busy to talk to faculty or parents who might stop by her office without an appointment. Her leadership style was always positive and encouraging, even when addressing a difficult situation.” While much of the collegiality was by design, sometimes the spark of an idea would bring disciplines together. As an outgrowth of Jill Allen’s fifth grade history curriculum, the annual Memorial Day program featuring patriotic poetry and song came to life as Jill partnered with music teachers
Maxine Smith, Scott Morris, and later Becky Doster. After several years, Lest We Forget…A Tribute in Song and Verse moved to Veterans Day. “Judy made sure we had everything we needed, including time to make it happen,” Jill says. “She understood that we each had our areas of expertise and our collective contributions would best benefit the students. Because of Judy, we became a well-oiled machine! Even in her retirement, Judy has been our most loyal supporter, attending every year.” Perhaps the most comprehensive example of collaboration was the Learning Team, made up of educational psychologists, reading and math teachers, and a team coordinator. The team worked with classroom teachers to identify why a student might be struggling in a particular area and support teachers and parents with individualized learning. Judy believed in this student support team wholeheartedly and instilled in teachers the importance of early identification of learning issues. Martha Carroll, who served as team coordinator, says: “It was the most rewarding experience in my professional career. Because Judy believed in me, I was determined to put my heart and soul into building a team that could help our students work to their full potential.” Head of Lower School Whit McKnight credits the Learning Team for laying a strong foundation for today’s Lower School approach. “This program has evolved into GOAL (Growth Opportunities for All Learners), where the entire school is now the Learning Team,” he says. “Through GOAL, all Lower School teaching faculty work with every student on their areas of need. We still value the learning specialist model and rely on them to support students and their teachers.”
clear...student learning is maximized when teachers have the opportunity to co-labor on the planning and execution of their learning experiences. Judy’s influence helped inspire that model and foster an environment that was inherently collaborative in the Lower School.” Since her retirement in 2000, Judy has been busy. She has enjoyed getting back to her roots as a reading specialist by tutoring children in language arts. She has channeled her passion for children and reading into serving as co-president of the board of Children’s Literature for Children, an organization that works to place children’s literature into the hands of students in schools, libraries, and hospitals around the world through programs including Literature Outreach, Reader-to-Reader, and Reader-to-Patient. She has stayed engaged with friends not only in Atlanta but also from across the globe, particularly those from Mt. Kenya Academy. Judy raised four of her own Wildkittens, Linda ’75, Jan ’76, Steve (who did not attend Westminster), and Ray ’83, and glows with pride when speaking about them and her seven grandchildren. Judy’s influence on her family is clear, as Steve and his wife both teach at Bayside Academy in Mobile, Alabama. Their son, Tom, is following closely in his grandmother’s footsteps as a fifth grade teacher in Westminster’s Lower School.
Jane Lauderdale Armstrong ’74 is a lifelong Wildcat—alumna, teacher, and daughter of David Lauderdale, one of our School’s earliest faculty members. She combines her love for Westminster’s history and her penchant for the written word to write profiles about retired faculty members for each issue of Westminster Magazine.
Whit goes on to say: “Judy saw the value in collaborative teaching before it was popular. The research is very
WESTMINSTER | 47
Wildcat Den
Spring 2019 Sports Round-Up
By Katie Trainor Assistant Director of Athletics The Wildcats picked up four state championships during the spring season, bringing the 2018-19 total to eight. The success of the spring teams helped Westminster capture the 2019 Regions Bank Director’s Cup from the Georgia Athletic Director’s Association, the 19th cup in 20 years. The Wildcats had more overall points than any school across Georgia High School Association classifications. The Wildcats also won the separate boys and girls cups.
Baseball
The BatCats won 18 games, with their most notable victories of the season occurring in the first round of the state playoffs. The Cats faced No. 1-ranked Jefferson—the defending AAAA state champion— and won the series in a best-of-three thriller. The Cats battled North Hall in the quarterfinals but came up short of advancing in the tournament. The team was led by Ben Forte ’19, Luke Jannetta ’19, and Parks Harber ’20. With several strong players returning in the spring, the team aims to compete for a state championship in 2020.
Crew
The crew team capped off a strong season with Olivia Tordella ’20 placing 11th nationally in the varsity 1x race at the Scholastic Rowing Association of American National Championship at Lake Dillion, Ohio, over Memorial Day weekend.
Boys Golf
The team successfully repeated as Class AAA state champions and earned the program’s 10th overall title. The Cats dominated the field during the two-day championship match, finishing 13 under par and 45 shots ahead of runner-up Lovett. Individually, every team member finished in the top 10, with William Love ’22 earning low medalist honors and Sam Lape ’19 earning runner-up low medalist honors. Over the course of the spring, the Wildcats won seven of the 11 tournaments in which they played. Six times, they bested the previous low score team record of six under par.
Girls Golf
After winning the area tournament by eight strokes over runner-up Lovett, the Wildcats completed their season by competing in the state championship. At the two-day event, the Cats finished sixth in the state. Individually, Ashley Jian ’20 led the Wildcats with a fifth-place finish in a field of 53 golfers.
48 | Fall 2019
Gymnastics
The Wildcats earned a fourth-place finish at the Class A-5A state championship meet with a team score of 99.625 after a solid fourthplace finish at the qualifying meet. The team had a strong season competing against programs from every GHSA classification. Season highlights include the Cats’ first-place finish against rivals Lovett and Pace, as well as earning a season-high score of 101.9 points at another meet.
Boys Lacrosse
The LaxCats are the Class A-5A state champions following an overtime thriller against Lovett. Down two goals late in the fourth quarter, the Cats stormed back to tie the game with five seconds left after a goal by Paul Weathington Jr. ’20. After Dylan Farley ’21 won the only face-off in overtime, goalie Warren Seeds ’19 made a big save and John O. Izlar ’19 scored a sudden victory goal to clinch the state title. This is the program’s second state championship in the last three years and the sixth overall.
Girls Lacrosse
The girls lacrosse team finished the season as one of the top eight programs in Class A-5A and competed in the state playoffs but lost to McIntosh by one in the quarterfinals. The Wildcats, with the leadership of seven seniors, played a rigorous schedule, including games against 13 teams that participated in the 2019 state tournaments. The Cats, who went undefeated in area play, were crowned area champions after an 8-7 win over Lovett. Highlights included a win over Charlotte Country Day School and a tough, but spirited, two-goal loss to perennial powerhouse Kell.
Boys Soccer
The team had another stellar season, finishing as the No. 1-ranked program in the nation in MaxPreps’ spring soccer poll. For the third consecutive year, the team won the Class AAA state championship. The Cats cruised to a 4-0 victory over Coahulla Creek to earn the program’s 14th overall state title, the most in GHSA boys soccer history. Paced by Michael Johnson ’19—who set a new program record for scoring in a season with 24 goals and nine assists—the Wildcat offense scored three or more goals in 17 games over the course of the season, including each of their five state tournament games. The Wildcat defense was equally impressive, posting 14 shutouts throughout the season and only allowing one goal during their state championship run.
Girls Track and Field
The girls track and field team finished fifth at the state championship meet, where 22 student-athletes qualified for the meet and 12 earned an opportunity to compete in their event finals. Led by Naima Turbes ’19, who earned two second-place finishes in the 800-meter and 1600-meter runs, the Cats’ depth of talent was evident. The team received points from Jenna Brown ’21, Victoria Flowers ’19, Sasha Fuson ’19, Amelia Harralson ’22, Annie Jardina ’22, Lara Jones ’21, Tejiri Ogufere ’21, Anna Smith ’19, Cate Stevens ’22, Anna Thompson ’19, and Katherine Vuckovic ’20, who all placed eighth or higher in their respective events.
WESTMINSTER | 49
riniu t n e V a Tish
Hoch
Kristine Li
lly
Mia Hamm
Soccer Legends Inspire Players and Coaches In April, Westminster hosted the Team First Soccer Academy, a camp run by US Women’s National Team legends Mia Hamm, Kristine Lilly, and Tisha Venturini-Hoch. The two-day camp sought to develop the skills of young soccer players and nurture their love for the sport. Westminster soccer coaches Clark Meyer, Sharon Loughran, and Sophie MacColl, along with several students, worked alongside the former soccer pros to coach children from around Atlanta.
Girls Soccer
The Wildcats are state champions for the fifth consecutive year! The program won its 13th state title with an overtime victory against Lovett in the championship game. Offensively, the Cats were paced by Tori Penn ’20, who continues to climb up the program’s all-time scoring leaderboard. With a hat trick in the quarterfinals against Islands High School, she moved into second place with 82 Westminster career goals. Defensively, the Wildcats only gave up 11 goals in 22 games and posted thirteen shutouts, including three during their state tournament run. Head Coach Clark Meyer reached a significant milestone this season with his 200th career win on April 17.
Girls Tennis
The team, led by senior captains Sophie Mueller, Kate Gryboski, and Christina Huang, had a strong state tournament run, advancing all the way to the semifinals. The Wildcats did not lose a single match in the tournament before falling short to Lovett, posting a 13-0 record against Morgan County, Greater Atlanta Christian School, and Appling County.
Boys Track and Field
The boys track and field team had another stellar season, finishing third at the AAA state championship meet. Ten student-athletes qualified for the meet, and five earned spots in their event finals. Will Wallace ’19 earned the Wildcats’ only individual state championship title, besting the field in the 3200-meter run. Also competing in the 3200-meter run, Zachary Roe ’20 finished less than a second behind Will to earn a third-place finish. Peter Huff ’19 finished second in the state in the 1600-meter run. Andrew Protiva ’19 finished fourth in the pole vault, and Matthew Fernando ’22 finished sixth in the 800-meter run.
Boys Tennis
The Wildcats ended the season as one of the top four teams in Class AAA and reached the semifinals of the state tournament. The team cruised in the opening rounds of the tournament, defeating Jackson County, Greater Atlanta Christian School, and Pierce County before being upended by the eventual state runner-up Lovett. In the regular season, the team did not shy away from competition as its schedule featured 13 teams that advanced to the state tournament in several GHSA classifications.
50 | Fall 2019
In April, 32 members of the Class of 2019 representing 13 sports signed letters of intent to play at the collegiate level— the most in school history! See a full list of student-athletes who signed with colleges at westminster.net/magazine.
Wildcat Den
Signing Day
WESTMINSTER | 51
Commencement
Congratulations, Class of 2019! Class Co-President Marion Kronauge shares her wish for the Class of 2019.
Alexis Anglade and her classmates smile at their families before walking in the processional.
Arjun Mohan, Christopher Rascoe, and Alex Greene are all smiles following Commencement.
Lonnie Reid, Drew Hockstein, and Benjamin Egan pose in front of Pressly Hall.
Halim Labi celebrates with his fellow graduates during the recessional.
“My advice to you is to be a good teammate, persevere but be willing to pivot, dream big, and don’t be afraid to risk.” — Commencement speaker Darren Eales Atlanta United FC President Mackenzi Stewart hugs Lauren Brown ’18.
52 | Fall 2019
Mira Subramaniam happily walks back to her seat after receiving her diploma and Bible.
COMMENCEMENT
Class of 2019 Senior Honors Jessica Lao, Dylan Vroon............................................................................................................................................................................ Valedictorians Alex Greene, Naima Turbes .......................................................................................................................................................................... Salutatorians Chris Rascoe ................................................................................................................................................................................................ Forensics Award Benjamin Egan ................................................................................................................................ Performing Arts—The Band Leadership Award Sims Kuester ............................................................................. Performing Arts—Frank Boggs Award for Outstanding Vocal Achievement Adelaide Burrows, Sang-Mi Lee .............................................................................................................. Performing Arts—Theatre Arts Award Mimi Konieczny ....................................................................................................... Performing Arts—Norma Allen Gaebelein Orchestra Award Cecelia Blasingame, Sasha Fuson, Caroline Hertzfeld ...................................................................................................... Visual Arts Award Cecie Bassett, Charlie Ham, Naima Turbes ........................................................................................................................ Senior Athlete Award Mikaela Sanders ....................................................................................................................................... The Goizueta Foundation Chinese Award Sophie Mueller ............................................................................................................................................. The Goizueta Foundation French Award Jessica Lao ......................................................................................................................................................... The Goizueta Foundation Latin Award Assata Quinichett ................................................................................................... The Goizueta Foundation Lazaro Herrera Spanish Award Eliza Normark ........................................................................................................ George R. Lamplugh Excellence in American History Award Izzy Sumardi .............................................................................................................................................. Gwendolyn M. Cleghorn Memorial Award Graham Katz ................................................................................................................................................... David T. Lauderdale Jr. Memorial Award Christopher Johnston, Jessica Lao ...................................................................................... Leila Mason Venable Eldridge Memorial Award Isabella Pu, Grady Thomas ........................................................................................................................... Robert M. Sims Math/Science Award Emily Hansen ....................................................................................................................................................................................... The Branham Award Donovan Mitchell .................................................................................................................................................................................. Berry Senior Award Marion Kronauge ............................................................................................................................................................................................. Dean’s Award William Foshee, Sophie Mueller ........................................................................................ Vernon S. Broyles Jr. Christian Leadership Award Zoë-Grace Hargrove .............................................................................................................................. The President’s Volunteer Service Award Gehna Chaubal ....................................................................................................................................................................... Community Service Award Walker Clark, Anna Smith .............................................................................................................................................................................. Spirit Award Fer Juarez, Reece Kimball .............................................................................................................. Croft Family Service and Fellowship Award Andrew Zacks ................................................................................................................................................................... Head of Upper School Award Cole Walker .................................................................................................................................................................. Atlanta Journal-Constitution Cup Regina Morales .......................................................................................................................................................... Thyrza S. Askew Nobility Award Kate Lindgren .......................................................................................................................................................... Judith A. Smith Citizenship Award Collier Ballard ........................................................................................................................................................ James G. Patton Citizenship Award Naima Turbes ................................................................................................................................................ Frances Isabelle Outler Memorial Award Grant Pinkston ............................................................................................................................................................. Richard L. Hull Memorial Award
WESTMINSTER | 53
COMMENCEMENT
Mapping the
Future
COLORADO COLLEGE
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO, BOULDER (2) COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS (6)
The Class of 2019 made its way to 82 colleges and universities across the United States and in Ireland. As these young adults take their next steps, we are proud to forever call them Wildcats.
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY MINERVA SCHOOLS AT KGI SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY STANFORD UNIVERSITY (2) UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA CRUZ
SCRIPPS COLLEGE CLAREMONT MCKENNA COLLEGE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (2) UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY (2)
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO
SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY (4)
TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY (6)
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, AUSTIN (4)
54 | Fall 2019
COMMENCEMENT
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO (5) NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY (2)
MIAMI UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME (5)
PURDUE UNIVERSITY (2)
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY CENTRE COLLEGE
DARTMOUTH COLLEGE (3) MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE
MOUNT HOLYOKE COLLEGE
BOSTON COLLEGE (2) HARVARD UNIVERSITY MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY TUFTS UNIVERSITY
COLGATE UNIVERSITY PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
BROWN UNIVERSITY (2) YALE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF WOOSTER
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY MANHATTAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC PRINCETON UNIVERSITY (5) UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA (6) JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY (2) UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY HOWARD UNIVERSITY (2)
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND
COLLEGE OF WILLIAM & MARY UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA (12) WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY (3) DUKE UNIVERSITY (5) UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, CHAPEL HILL (3) WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY (3)
DAVIDSON COLLEGE (4) CLEMSON UNIVERSITY (3) FURMAN UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA (2) COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON
MERCER UNIVERSITY
RHODES COLLEGE
UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI
TULANE UNIVERSITY (2)
UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA SAMFORD UNIVERSITY
VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY (2) BELMONT UNIVERSITY
AUBURN UNIVERSITY (8)
SEWANEE: THE UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTH (3)
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA (18) UNIVERSITY OF NORTH GEORGIA-OCONEE (4)
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI (5)
EMORY UNIVERSITY (4) GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY (3) GEORGIA TECH (11) KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY (2) SPELMAN COLLEGE
OVERSEAS: TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN
WESTMINSTER | 55
COMMENCEMENT
Ties that Bind The “Ties That Bind” the Westminster community together are strong and far-reaching. A beloved Westminster tradition, new graduates gather with their family members who are also alumni of Westminster, NAPS, or Washington Seminary after Commencement each year.
Aanya Agrawala ’15, Arnav Agrawala ’19
Jack Amerson ’17, Michael Amerson ’19, Matthew Amerson ’19, Jennifer Low Amerson ’82
Kel Harper ’75, Holly Oglesby ’11, Elizabeth Anderson ’19, Stuart Oglesby ’08, Keller Harper ’16
Kevin Ansley ’80, Brooke Ansley ’19, Alex Ansley ’13, Grant Ansley ’17
Arvind Atmuri ’15, Sreya Atmuri ’19
Perry Ballard ’70, Anne Ballard ’66, Collier Ballard ’19, Wiley Ballard ’12, Helen Ballard ’72
Cecie Bassett ’19, Emily Bassett ’16
Hayes Wilson ’77, Taylor Wilson ’13, Eva Batelaan ’19, Patricia Wilson Batelaan ’88, Susan Wilson ’75
Charlie Benedict ’59, Catherine Benedict ’16, Charlie Benedict III ’19, Charlie Benedict Jr. ’84
Imani Bennett ’19, Quinton Bennett ’15
Trey Blasingame ’15, Cecelia Blasingame ’19
Kate Carson ’19, Howard Carson ’78
56 | Fall 2019
COMMENCEMENT
Caroline Clark ’19, Alex Clark ’17
Grace Cohn ’19, Greg Cohn ’90
Caroline Conway ’13, Ellie Conway ’19, Davis Conway ’16
Jay Dillon ’86, Charlie Dillon ’19
Charles Edmiston ’19, David Edmiston ’18
Robyn Cohen Freedman ’84, Benjamin Egan ’19, Kirk Domescik ’86
Stephen Eisenhauer ’19, Daniel Eisenhauer ’16
Sarah Gabriel ’16, Jack Gabriel ’19
Max Gelb ’19, Katie Long ’82
Jack Gregg ’19, Katie Gregg ’12
Christina Pak Hanratty ’85, Kelly Hanratty ’19
Ellie Hansen ’16, John Hansen ’87, Emily Hansen ’19, Lydia Turman Hansen ’87, Laura Turman Newton ’65, Ned Hansen ’86
Amy Redmond West ’85, Grayson Harralson ’19, Ansley Harralson ’16
Mary Kent Harrison Ellis ’92, Lebby Harrison Thompson ’91, Rankin Thompson ’17, William Thompson ’19, Virginia Harrison ’19, Chason Harrison ’84, Elizabeth Harrison ’17, Anna Harrison ’17
Maddie Hazlehurst ’19, Marsh Hazlehurst ’18
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COMMENCEMENT
Matthew Hennessy ’13, Katherine Hennessy ’19, Andrew Hennessy ’17
Tripp O’Connor ’87, Claire O’Connor ’18, Caroline Herzfeld ’19, Katie O’Connor Herzfeld ’89, Maggie O’Connor ’16
Al Hill ’16, Nance Hill ’19
Drew Hockstein ’19, Kim Maziar Hockstein ’88
Mary Ann Sims Gaines ’62, Olivia Holder ’19
Harrison Hudgins ’17, Robbi Harrison Hudgins ’83, Marie Hudgins ’19, John Hudgins ’83, Ree Harrison Brannen ’76
Doug Ellis (Emeritus Trustee), Florida Smith Ellis ’61, Peter Huff ’19, Florida Ellis Huff ’85, Graham Huff ’83
Eliza Jameson ’13, Jake Jameson ’19, Hannah Ruth Jameson ’17
Jake Jones ’19, West Jones ’17
Evan Katz ’15, Harrison Katz ’19, Gregg Katz ’85
Baird Kazazian ’19, Laurel Kazazian ’17
Dee Whelchel ’94, Mimi Konieczny ’19, Anna Konieczny Houseman ’10
Stuart Wright Kronauge ’88, Marion Kronauge ’19
Brooks Kuester ’12, Pamela Meeks Kuester ’80, Sims Kuester ’19, Virginia Kuester ’16, Margaret Kuester ’14
Brandon Jones ’01, Halim Labi II ’19, Bobby Rashad Jones ’97
58 | Fall 2019
COMMENCEMENT
Nathalie LeBreton ’19, Kathleen LeBreton ’16
Anna Lemaster ’16, William Lemaster ’19
Mary Craig Lindgren ’15, Kate Lindgren ’19, Chapman Lindgren ’16
Liza Linginfelter ’14, Laddy Linginfelter ’19
William Long ’19, Samantha Long ’16
Ajay Manocha ’17, Nikhil Manocha ’19, Anuj Manocha ’84, Shefali Manocha ’15
Katie McGahan ’16, Billy McGahan ’16, Martin McGahan ’84, Bill McGahan ’80, Sophie McGahan ’19, Sara McGahan ’13
Helene Mewborn ’53, Jimmy Mills ’81, Will Mills ’19, Charlie Mills ’85
Santiago Morales ’18, Diego Morales ’19
Frances Motley ’19, Max Motley ’17
Grant Oesterling ’16, Carter Oesterling ’19
Alykhan Painter ’19, Armaan Painter ’16
Ria Parikh ’17, Trey Parikh ’19, Caleb Parikh ’15
Ruthanna Jolley Bost ’67, Eleanor Jolley ’07, Catherine Bost Peters ’89, Matt Peters ’19, Bill Bost ’67, William Bost ’93
Emily Pinkston ’16, Grant Pinkston ’19
WESTMINSTER | 59
COMMENCEMENT
Stephanie Turnipseed Poje ’86, Mason Poje ’19, Ben Turnipseed ’03
Henry Portwood ’10, Lizzie Portwood ’19, Anne Louise Portwood ’13
David Protiva ’73, Andrew Protiva ’19
Chris Rascoe ’84, Christopher Rascoe ’19, Leslie Newsom Rascoe ’84
Dell Peek Rearden ’60, Evie Rearden ’19, Robert Rearden ’89, Alison Rearden Murrah ’86
Katharine Kelley ’82, Andy Riedel ’19
Christopher Riemann ’19, Jessica Riemann ’15
Shawn Sanders ’78, Mikaela Sanders ’19
Holt Sanders ’79, Holt Sanders ’19
Bobby Candler ’63, Carolyn Candler Donovan ’66, Warren Seeds ’19, Robin Seeds ’15, Sarah Candler Schilling ’57, Peter Candler ’60
Drew Smith ’17, Anna Smith ’19
Nancy Morehouse Smith ’87, Merritt Smith ’19
Mimi Solomon ’19, Tripp Solomon ’86
Elizabeth Spencer ’14, Richard Spencer ’19, Frances Spencer ’16
Lily Stewart ’19, Caroline Stewart ’18
60 | Fall 2019
COMMENCEMENT
Helen Wilson Stewart ’88, Preston Stewart ’88, Mary Michael Stewart Pringle ’90, Lucy Stewart ’19, Leslie Wilson Moye ’94, John Moye ’94
Izzy Sumardi ’19, Phillip Sumardi ’17
Sarah Cordle ’12, Craig Allen ’89, Caroline Cordle ’08, Melissa Tarkenton Allen ’89, Benjamin Allen ’19, Anna Tarkenton ’19, Matt Tarkenton ’88, Hayley Tarkenton ’06, Angela Tarkenton Cordle ’82
Cabery Taylor ’19, Karen O’Leary Taylor ’85
Court Thomas ’90, Grady Thomas ’19, Keleigh Thomas Morgan ’93
Anna Thompson ’19, Joe Thompson ’85
Neel Tummala ’19, Venkat Tummala ’16
Emi Shaffer Gragnani ’95, Caroline Shaffer Vroon ’87, Dylan Vroon ’19, Bryan Vroon ’80, David Vroon ’18
Scott Walker ’82, Staci Walker Lynch ’91, Cole Walker ’19, Steven Walker ’84
Thomas Watkins ’16, Elizabeth Watkins ’14, John Watkins ’19, Pamela Byerly Watkins ’83
Allison Wise ’16, Elizabeth Wise ’19
Zoe Wood ’19, Benton Wood ’16
Kenta Yasuda ’14, Junta Yasuda ’19, Shota Yasuda ’16
Nathan Zhu ’19, Katie Zhu ’16
WESTMINSTER | 61
Alumni News Welcoming new Alumni Governing Board President Sarah Hawkins Warren ’00 Sarah Hawkins Warren ’00 began her term as president of the Alumni Governing Board in July 2019. She sat down with recent graduate Zoë-Grace Hargrove, a member of the inaugural Student Alumni Council, to talk about her hopes for the Alumni Association and what she loves about Westminster. accessible to the alumni population but to the future alumni population as well. The SAC is the best example of what we call “boots on the ground,” people who have a clear understanding of what is happening on campus. While students are educating us about what is going on campus, we can serve as a resource to them also. I really look forward to working with the SAC.
Zoë-Grace Hargrove ’19: What is the role of the Alumni Governing Board? Sarah Hawkins Warren ’00: We serve as ambassadors for the School and the entire alumni population. Some alumni are not as connected as they used to be, so they’re unaware of what is happening on campus. Our board helps alumni understand and appreciate the great things happening on campus— including, for example, what our students are learning and what our teachers are teaching. Zoë-Grace: Alumni engagement is a key focus for the School, including the recently initiated Student Alumni Council, a student group that increases awareness among students about philanthropy at Westminster, the ongoings of the Alumni Association, and what awaits the students once they become alums. How do you see the SAC playing a role in your vision? Sarah: Of course we have an obligation to be good stewards to our alumni community, but we also need to prepare current students for the fact that they will step into the role of an alum once they graduate. So we have to get ahead of common questions such as: What does it mean to be an alum? How do we stay connected past graduation? How can we still contribute to the Westminster community? We as the alumni board not only want to make ourselves
62 | Fall 2019
Zoë-Grace: I am looking forward to hearing about the future success of the SAC with your mentorship! My next question is, how do you feel your Westminster experience placed you on your current trajectory? Sarah: Westminster has so much to do with everything I’ve achieved. I learned how to think and how to build relationships here; the School gave me all of the tools I needed to succeed. The truth is, I’m still friends with a lot of my teachers, not just those from high school, but people who taught me in elementary school, my coaches, and many more. Westminster as a whole has played a tremendous role in my development as a person and gave me the confidence to pursue the fields of study I was interested in when I did not know exactly where my path would lead me. Zoë-Grace: You mentioned how Westminster shaped you as not just as a student but in your personal endeavors as well. What changes have you seen at Westminster that are better preparing students for success in “the real world” once they graduate? Sarah: My oldest child entered pre-first this year, so I’ll be learning more of those things along with her! I’ve also been able to observe, by just being on campus, that Westminster is forward-thinking about the kinds of classes and extracurriculars we offer. We are very intentional about offering opportunities for every type of student with every kind of interest. Whether our students want to learn coding, pursue the STEAM fields, or pursue
another passion, we search tirelessly for outlets for their curiosities along with staff and faculty who can help guide them. Not only do we help cultivate those passions, we also empower students when they have novel ideas. For example, in JanTerm, we are not just coming up with a new program that teachers develop; we also allow students to propel themselves by going out into the world and exploring their academic interests. Zoë-Grace: As always, Westminster is ahead of the curve and preparing the newest generations to be not just future leaders of our country, but the world too. As an alpha omega, it was awe-inspiring to see how rapidly those changes were coming about just within the time I’ve been at Westminster. As our beloved community rapidly approaches its 70th birthday, we come to an ideal moment of reflection on where we stand. In your opinion, which practices and strategies do we currently have in place that our founders would be most proud of? Sarah: I believe they would be proud of our development of the whole person. I think as far as our founders go, they would be very proud of how expansive our influence has become, which is an important part of what the alumni community does. Initially, the vast majority of our alumni network was based in Atlanta, which is natural and still accurate, but with time more and more people have begun to settle all around the world. We have groups in New York, San Francisco, and Washington, DC; we have Peace Corps volunteers all around the world, all of which demonstrates that there is a touch of Westminster all over the globe. A part of our job as an alumni association, which I believe has expanded beyond our founders’ wildest dreams, is figuring out how to involve people who live in Atlanta as well as engaging people who love Westminster but do not live in Atlanta. I also think they would be proud of how true we
ALUMNI NEWS
stay to our values of creating a tight-knit community that takes care of and looks out for each other, and that we have maintained our excellence in the many areas we thrive in as a school. Zoë-Grace: What leadership styles and strategies do you hope to use in order to foster an efficient and successful alumni board? Sarah: I am a big believer in teamwork. I think a lot of that comes from my
time at Westminster, including being a member of sports teams and other groups on campus. You have to trust your team, delegate, and make sure everyone is involved. One leader or even two can’t do everything by themselves, and you would not want them to. Ideally, you want the entirety of the group to feel invested in the success of the project. Leaders help facilitate decision-making while ensuring the team is inclusive and everyone feels
heard through consensus-building. We are going to work on creating and maintaining a really inclusive and teamoriented environment for our board and for the broader community.
Alumni Leadership As leaders within our Alumni Association, the volunteer members of these boards and councils help fulfill Westminster’s alumni strategic plan and are ambassadors for the School. 2019-20 ALUMNI GOVERNING BOARD Members of Westminster’s Alumni Governing Board serve alumni around the globe to foster lifelong relationships within the Wildcat community through engagement in the life of our School and support for Westminster’s goals and aspirations. Sarah Hawkins Warren ’00 President Wab Kadaba ’87 President-Elect Allen Moseley ’87 Alumni Giving Chair Andrew Blaisdell ’99 Recording Secretary
Susie Soper ’64 Helen Funk McSwain ’70 Ellen Hale Jones ’81 Billy Levine ’88 Charlie Henn ’91 Bianca Camac Bell ’94
Anna Driver Wick ’95 Chris Suh ’95 Dominique Holloman ’97 Walter McClelland ’97 Wade Rakes ’98 Kennedy Hicks ’01
Beau Allen ’05 Caroline Rawls Strumph ’08 John Jones ’74 Honorary Member and Board Historian
2019-20 YOUNG ALUMNI COUNCIL The Young Alumni Council meets four times a year to organize events that connect young alumni to the School and one another. Beau Allen ’05* John Gray Seiler ’06 Katie Sturniolo Cruce ’07 Stephanie Newton Bedard ’07
Caroline Rawls Strumph ’08* Ross Conway ’09 Kealy Hartman ’10 Sarah Grady ’11
Ellie Lee ’12 Nigel Walker ’13 Emma Reifenberger ’14 Robert deGolian ’15
* denotes co-chair and alumni board member
CHAPTER COUNCILS Chapter councils lead efforts to give Westminster alumni opportunities to socialize, network, and serve in their chapter cities and serve as a bridge between campus and alumni.
Washington, DC
dcalumni@westminster.net Angela Tarkenton Cordle ’82* Lori Mack Boyles ’02 Mimi Hobart Schwanda ’03 Samiyyah Ali ’06 Robbie Ottley ’09 Ben Bondurant ’09 Jonathan Tanner ’10 Catherine Smith Bondurant ’11 Charlie Sherman ’11* Hays Bynum ’12 Jillian Hartzfeld ’12 Gray Clark ’13 Mary Craig Lindgren ’15 * denotes Co-President
San Francisco
sfalumni@westminster.net Spalding Rooker Ashley ’82 Gene Willis ’92 Rob Crea ’94 Azita Habibi ’01 Julia Hamilton Trost ’01* Harrison Thomas ’03 Jacob Byrne ’06 Wes French ’07* Julia Greenberg French ’07 Michael Cunningham ’08 Elisabeth Powell ’10
New York City
nycalumni@westminster.net Haynie Lowrey Wheeler ’74 Jason Gold ’77 Conor Tochilin ’02 Clare Lascelles ’03 Fielding Kidd Jamieson ’07* Jill Reid ’06 Michael Russell ’12* Willy Xiao ’12 Virginia McColl ’13 Olivia Haas ’14 * denotes Co-President
WANT TO JOIN AN ALUMNI CHAPTER? 1. Update your contact information by emailing alumni@westminster.net. 2. Reach out to the alumni chapter near you. 3. Connect!
* denotes Co-President
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ALUMNI NEWS
Distinguished Alumni Award winners Britt Cagle Grant ’96, Jack Halpern ’67, and Lisa Branch ’86, and Alumni Service Award winner Stockton Croft ’87
Alumni Awards 2019 Westminster recognizes outstanding alumni at Commencement each year. The following awards were presented by President Keith Evans, Alumni Governing Board President Susan Ayres Watson ’83, and Sarah Hawkins Warren ’00, incoming President of the Alumni Governing Board, on May 18.
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ALUMNI NEWS
Alumni Service Award The Alumni Service Award is presented annually to an alumnus who has given exceptional service to the School.
have three children—Beth (Dr. Gavin Brown), Benjamin (Caroline), and Rachel (Chris Hoffmeister)—and three grandchildren, Zachary and Zoe Brown and Molly Halpern.
Stockton Croft ’87
Lisa Branch ’86
Stockton Croft, a graduate of the University of Virginia and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, is in the middle of three generations of Westminster students: his father, Ed Croft, graduated in the Class of 1960, and his three children, Addie ’16, Ward ’18, and Wicker ’20, are also proud Wildcats.
Judge Lisa Branch sits on the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, a position she has held since March 2018. She graduated cum laude from Davidson College and from Emory University School of Law with distinction. Early in her career, she clerked for Judge J. Owen Forrester of the US District Court for the Northern District of Georgia and practiced commercial litigation.
Beginning as a student, Stockton has always tried to lead in service to Westminster. He was senior class president, giving a speech at his own Commencement 32 years ago. He has served as class agent numerous times and has been Alumni Giving Chair, a member of the Alumni Governing Board, and an ex-officio member of the Board of Trustees. He has also been an enthusiastic supporter and volunteer for the volleyball, lacrosse, football, tennis, and baseball teams and is co-founder and chairman of The Wildcat Cup.
Distinguished Alumni Awards Westminster recognizes and honors outstanding personal, business, or professional achievement by alumni with the Distinguished Alumni Award.
Jack N. Halpern ’67 Jack Halpern graduated from Harvard College and the University of Georgia Law School. He is the CEO of Halpern Enterprises, Inc., which owns shopping centers throughout the southeast. Jack has served as a board member or chairman of the Atlanta Jewish Federation, The Epstein School, The Marcus Jewish Community Center, the American Jewish Committee, Israel Bonds, and the Anti-Defamation League. Jack was named Citizen of the Year by the City of Smyrna and was recently listed in Atlanta Magazine as one of Atlanta’s “500 Most Powerful Leaders.” Jack and his wife, Lynne,
From 2004 to 2008, she held two senior positions in the administration of President George W. Bush. She then returned to private practice until September 2012, when she was appointed to the Court of Appeals of Georgia, serving until March 2018.
Britt Cagle Grant ’96 Judge Britt Cagle Grant was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in August 2018. After graduating summa cum laude from Wake Forest University, she worked in the Washington, DC, office of then-Congressman Nathan Deal. Shortly before September 11, 2001, she began serving in the White House under President George W. Bush. Following her graduation from Stanford Law, she clerked for then-Judge Brett Kavanaugh on the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit and then spent time in private practice. Returning to Atlanta, Judge Grant served in the Office of the Georgia Attorney General and was appointed as Solicitor General in 2015. She served as a Justice on the Georgia Supreme Court from January 2017 until taking her current role. Judge Grant and her husband, Justin Grant ’96, have three children.
Learn more about our alumni awards or submit a nomination by visiting westminster.net/alumni/spirit or emailing alumni@westminster.net.
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ALUMNI NEWS
Events PAWS Senior Celebration Thursday, May 2, 2019
The Class of 2019 and their parents had a blast dancing the night away to live music and enjoying delicious fare from food trucks at the PAWS celebration on Love Patio!
Alpha Omega Party and Lower School Reunion Wednesday, May 15, 2019
CELEBRATING OUR NEWEST ALUMNI
All seniors who attended Westminster in Lower School were invited back to Love Hall for the Alpha Omega Party and Lower School Reunion, where they sang the alma mater one last time with retiring music teachers Maxine Smith and Becky Doster.
President’s Brunch Friday, May 17, 2019
The Class of 2019 enjoyed brunch with President Keith Evans in Montgomery Foyer the day before Commencement.
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ALUMNI NEWS
Class of 2013 5th Reunion Saturday, December 22, 2018
The Class of 2013 celebrated their first milestone reunion at 5 Seasons Brewery, marking five years since graduation.
John Brewer ’13, Jimmy Dalton ’13, Lilly Nunnally ’13, and Taylor Bremer ’13
5th Reunion Co-Chairs Mihika Kohli ’13 and Grace Caswell ’13
Spring Young Alumni Happy Hour Thursday, March 14, 2019
Alumni from the classes of 2004 through 2014 got together at the annual spring happy hour, hosted by the Young Alumni Council at Irby’s Tavern.
Sam Barkin ’14, Emma Reifenberger ’14, Milan Joshi ’14, and Adam Sanders ’14
5 Under 25 Young Alumni Panel Monday, March 18, 2019
Adam Sanders ’14, Virginia Hamilton ’12, Michael Russell ’12, Piper Ruhmkorff ’13, and Hannah Loo ’11 served as panelists for the event.
YOUNG ALUMNI
Young alumni offered insight and advice to the senior class about what to expect during college and after graduation during the “5 Under 25” panel discussion, the Student Alumni Council’s first event.
The Student Alumni Council hosted the panel discussion, giving their peers an opportunity to hear about college and post-graduate life firsthand.
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ALUMNI NEWS
NYC Chapter Service Event
San Francisco Hike and Hang
NYC Alumni Chapter members helped tutor and prepare students for the state math exam during their spring service event.
The San Francisco Alumni Chapter had a great time hiking the Seaview Trail in Tilden Park and stopping for lunch in Temescal!
Saturday, March 9, 2019
Saturday, May 11, 2019
DC Alumni Reception Thursday, May 2, 2019
Washington, DC-area alumni gathered at the Cosmos Club for a spring reception hosted by the Washington, DC Alumni Chapter
WILDCATS ACROSS THE USA
Class of 2009 classmates Blake Candler, Mac Stormont, Caryn Hamner, Cameron Egan, and Anna Carr Faurot
Gareth Riley-Ayres ’10, Charlie Sherman ’11, Jillian Hartzfeld ’12, Lori Mack Boyles ’02, Mimi Hobart Schwanda ’03, and Angela Tarkenton Cordle ’82
Inside the World of Fashion and Publishing Wednesday, May 8, 2019
Members of the New York City Alumni Chapter enjoyed hearing from Will Welch ’99, editor-in-chief of GQ magazine. NYC Chapter Co-President Fielding Kidd Jamieson ’07 led a Q&A session with Will, followed by a networking reception at Condé Nast headquarters.
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ALUMNI NEWS
CATtalks
Wednesday, February 20, 2019 Brooke Baldwin ’97 and Nigel Walker ’13 were this year’s featured CATtalks speakers. They spoke about their unique life and career experiences and the ways Westminster helped shape them.
View the CATtalks event at westminster.net/magazine
Beyond the Gates at State Farm Arena Thursday, February 28, 2019
The Alumni Board and Beyond the Gates Committee hosted the spring Beyond the Gates event at State Farm Arena. Guests heard from Andrew Saltzman, Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer of the Atlanta Hawks, followed by a behind-the-scenes tour of the player locker rooms, executive suites, and more.
Hayward McEver ’99, Beau Terrell ’99, Hunter Hill ’96, and Jay Loyd ’04
Dominique Holloman ’97 and Zakiya Merrill ’98
Alumni Volunteer Appreciation Party Thursday May 9, 2019
Westminster celebrated our alumni volunteers at the home of Alumni Board President Susan Ayres Watson ’83.
IN ACTION
Eleanor Alby Hunt ’09, Mary Caroline Hunt Davis ’09, and Catherine Ellis Lukens ’09
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ALUMNI NEWS 1951 Circle Celebration Tuesday, April 9, 2019
The 1951 Circle Celebration, hosted by Emilie and Keith Evans at their home, honors the generosity of our 1951 Circle donors. This giving circle celebrates our founding year by recognizing donors who contribute $1,951 or more to The Westminster Fund in a single year. Their leadership support helps provide unparalleled opportunities for current and future Wildcats.
Katie Calhoun Terrell ’03, Catherine Humann Callaway ’03, and Catherine Love Kraft ’03
Husain and Farnaz Ali Khan with Patricia Ayres ’81 and John Spinrad
Principals’ Circle Dinner Tuesday, April 30, 2019
PHILANTHROPY AND COMMUNITY EVENTS
The Principals’ Circle Dinner honors members of the community who generously support The Westminster Fund with an annual gift of $10,000 or more. At this year’s event, hosted at the Porsche Experience Center, guests had the opportunity to experience the racetracks and learn about Porsche’s economic impact on Atlanta.
Dan Ellithorp, Bev Mitchell Ellithorp ’73, and Rebecca and Sanjay Gupta
Clay Rolader ’72 takes a spin on the racetrack at the Porsche Experience Center.
Parent Volunteer Appreciation Coffee Thursday, March 21, 2019
Parent volunteers and members of PAWS joined President Keith Evans at his home for coffee.
Kelly McGill, Karishma Dantuluri, and Tina Gupta Patel
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Jay Jones, Stephanie Walsh, and President Keith Evans
ALUMNI NEWS
North Avenue Presbyterian School and Washington Seminary Luncheon Wednesday, May 8, 2019
Alumnae of NAPS and Washington Seminary enjoyed catching up over lunch at the Capital City Club.
Barbara Carpenter Rabun NAPS ’46, Mary Ann Cowan Bridges NAPS ’46, and Marion Verdery Collins NAPS ’46
Sue Adamson Diamond WS ’49 celebrated her 70th Reunion, and it was a special honor to be joined by Mary Frances Broach Woodside WS ’39, who celebrated her 80th Reunion.
Golden Wildcat Reception Thursday, April 4, 2019
More than 300 of our Golden Wildcats (alumni who have already celebrated a 50th Reunion) gathered at the Atlanta History Center for the Golden Wildcat Reception.
Thursday, April 4, 2019
The Class of 1959 kicked off the Golden Wildcat celebration with a reception honoring their 60th Reunion.
MILESTONE CELEBRATIONS
Class of 1959 60th Reunion
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EUNION RECAP
Save the Date April 24–25, 2020
CLASSES 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990
April 26–27, 2019 Reunion Weekend was a blast! More than 700 alumni came back to campus to reminisce about their Westminster days and connect with friends and classmates.
1995 2000 2005 2010
See more photos—including group shots of every Reunion class—at westminster.net/magazine!
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School Days: Taking a Ride
When you think back to your high school days, there are a few trends that probably come to mind: what people wore, what people listened to and watched, and maybe even what people drove. This trip down memory lane takes a look at some of the ways Wildcats—and the students at our predecessor schools—have ridden around in style for generations. If you’d like to share photos or stories of your time at Washington Seminary, North Avenue Presbyterian School, or Westminster, please contact archivist Pamela Nye at archives@westminster.net.
North Avenue Presbyterian School
1926: The cast of Mamma's Affairs pose with a car in their promotional photos.
1938: Ruth Robey points to a “NAPS” sticker like the one that inspired the short story below, written by Sarah DeLoach.
WIDE AWAKE INSTITUTION Not long ago I came out of the Carnegie Library and saw an old man peeping cautiously into a parked car. Curiosity claimed me, so I waited around for a few minutes to see what he would do next. Pretty soon he stopped a lady and said to her, “Lady, is this here a sleeping car?” Very much puzzled, the lady answered, “Why?” “Well,” the old man replied, “this sign on here says ‘NAPS,’ but I don’t see nobody asleep.” The lady explained, then went her way very much amused. For NAPS stands, as every one knows, for North Avenue Presbyterian School.
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ALUMNI NEWS
Westminster
Early 1960s: We aren't quite sure what these students are doing to the car right outside Askew. Do you recognize the students or know what they are up to?
1957-1958: Juniors take a joy ride on campus.
2009: From the NAPS days to the senior lot at Westminster, car stickers have remained popular. Here, Chandler Brown ’09 and Anna Carr Farout ’09 show off their collections.
Washington Seminary
1927: The Glee and Mandolin Clubs take a ride on a tour bus.
1941: Not every school can say it has its own station wagon—but Washington Seminary could!
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Class News Wildcats near and far have been making exciting moves, writing books, winning awards, starting businesses, catching up with Westminster friends, and more! If you have news to submit for our next issue, visit westminster.net/class-news by February 7, 2020.
NAPS 1949
Keller Henderson Barron writes, “In March, I traveled to the Conference of the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations in New York City where I had the honor of serving on the 20-member delegation of the League of Women.”
Keller Henderson Barron NAPS ’49 at the 63rd Conference of the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations in New York City.
Westminster 1960
Peter Stelling writes, “My original screenplay, Music in the Dark, which tells the story of the final 25 years of the life of German composer Richard Strauss, has been picked up for script development, casting, and location research by Red Thread Pictures of Los Angeles and Memphis. It is my hope that production will commence before the end of 2019. The action takes place in Munich, GarmischPartenkirchen, Dresden, Berlin, and Vienna between the years of 1924 and 1949.”
1967
Friends from the class of 1956 together at Westminster’s Golden Wildcat reception on April 4, 2019, at the Atlanta History Center
Cindy Bickerstaff Mallard writes, “My grandson just turned one in February and has brought so much joy into my life!”
1968
Dan Aldridge writes, “I am honored to have recently
received the 2018 Georgia Public Library Champion of the Year Award. This annual award is ‘presented to an outstanding advocate who is not employed by a public library, but whose support significantly raised the profile of Georgia libraries and improved services during the year.’ I received the award for my volunteer work as president of the statewide
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Dan Aldridge ’68, recipient of the 2018 Georgia Public Library Champion of the Year Award, with Governor Brian Kemp
CLASS NEWS
Thinking about your legacy? We can help. Is your plan ready? Download two complimentary planning guides that provide a place for you to record your wishes, maximize your assets, and establish your legacy at Westminster at westminster.net/estate-planning. Westminster is grateful to all Wildcats who have included the School in their estate plans!
organization Friends of Georgia Libraries. The award was announced by State Librarian Julie Walker and presented by Governor Brian Kemp.”
1973
Corliss Blount Denman writes, “A group of 15 Westminster dorm students got together for a ‘Dormie Reunion’ in Asheville, North Carolina, this spring. While the class of 1973 had the most attendees (five), alumnae from the classes of 1972, 1974, and 1975 were also in attendance. There was a visit to the hot springs, Sunday brunch, hiking at Catawba Falls, visit to Wicked Weed brewery, a local museum, games, and lots of sharing. Great fun!”
1975
Robbin Ogram Tillman writes, “I welcomed my first grandchild, a little girl, Collins Joy Moore, in June 2018!”
Westminster dorm students from the classes of 1972, 1973, 1974, and 1975 traveled to Asheville, North Carolina, for a “Dormie Reunion!”
1981
Julie Justicz writes, “My debut novel, Degrees of Difficulty, is available this fall. Two of the pointof-view characters in the novel attend Westminster (named Westmont in the novel), and the story is set in Atlanta during the 1990s. I think it would be of interest to many of my classmates and fellow alumni.” Rick Byrd (retired faculty) and Charlie Brake ’73 catch up over a tennis match in Fairhope, Alabama.
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CLASS NEWS
1991
Walter “Rob” Roberson Jr. writes, “My wife and I retired to Dog Island, a remote Florida barrier island. Only accessible by water or air, we live the peaceful beach and boat bum life.”
1997
John Houser writes, “My wife Eve and I are excited to announce the launch of Eve’s website, The Bedlam Street Company! The company specializes in affordable and expressive embroidery, and Eve is also personalizing items customers already own with monograms and motifs found on the website. Please connect with us on the website thebedlamstreetco.com or on Instagram @bedlamstreetco!”
Robbin Ogram Tillman ’75 with husband Mark, son-in-law Ben, daughters, Chelsea, Colby, and Chloe, and new granddaughter, Collins Joy Moore
Lauren Cunningham writes, “I ran into several Wildcats on Davidson College’s campus at my 10year reunion! It was great catching up with Scoot Dimon ’70, Scott Sherrill ’04, and Naomi Johnson Singleterry ’07. I even stumbled upon one of Scoot’s Wildcat drawings on a whiteboard in Davidson’s new Jay Hurt Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. I continue to be delighted that Davidson and Westminster have so many great things (mascot, Honor Code, etc.) and great people in common!”
2008
Isoline Northcutt Abels writes, “This year, The Schenck School in Atlanta was selected by the global nonprofit Made By Dyslexia to provide content experts for digital resources intended to reach dyslexic students, their parents, and educators around the world. As a current faculty member at Schenck, I had the opportunity to share my highly specialized knowledge of dyslexia in a series of training modules. These instructive, web-based videos now are available to educators, parents, and students at no cost through the Microsoft Educator Platform.” Dave Godbold writes, “I completed my first full Ironman triathlon on April 27, 2019, at Ironman Texas, fulfilling a dream that began when I was running cross country at Westminster. I was supported in this endeavor by my wife of six years, Mary, and my son, Connor, born August 24, 2017.”
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James Moeckel ’97, Phil Dimon ’99, and Ricky Dimon ’02 cheered on Rafael Nadal at the French Open in June.
Scott Sherrill ’04, Lauren Cunningham ’05, and Naomi Johnson Singleterry ’07 at Davidson College’s Reunion Weekend
CLASS NEWS
Dominique Holloman ’97: Lifelong Connections When Dominique Holloman ’97 attends a school, it’s more than an academic education. “I’ve only been to three schools in my entire life: my elementary school, Westminster, and the University of Georgia,” she says. “Definitively, I can say those places shaped me. It’s out of gratitude for those experiences that I’ve been drawn to give back.” Her wideranging skill set has made her a valuable asset for both UGA and Westminster. Dominique, a member of Westminster’s Alumni Governing Board since July 2017, has worked hard to encourage alumni to attend Homecoming and Reunion Weekend, having served on committees for both. “I really enjoy giving thought to what it means to make Westminster a place that is welcoming to all alums. It’s about making Westminster feel like home. It’s one of those places that you leave, but it never leaves you,” she says. Dominique serves as the inaugural President of UGA’s Black Alumni Leadership Council. The council has five strategic goals — such as increasing giving from black alumni. “We’ve donated over $200,000 to UGA from a group that has not given a large amount historically, which has been really great,” Dominique remarks. Dominique feels that staying involved in alumni groups has allowed her to witness positive change. “In the years since I graduated, Westminster has become such a dynamic and fascinating place. I enjoy
hearing about new academic experiences, seeing campus transform, and seeing the experiences of the current students.” Her eagerness to be part of these new experiences has brought her back to campus more than once: “I’ve judged 8th Grade Science Fair, been a shark for 8th Grade Shark Tank and came back for the Halloween Parade, all of which have been very fulfilling.” Professionally, Dominique has worked helping develop Georgia State’s Division I football program as well as in corporate relations at United Way of Greater Atlanta. She works as Chief of Staff for State Representative William Boddie of House District 62. — Charlie Benedict ’19
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CLASS NEWS
2017
Sarabeth Hoffman received the Donald F. Othmer Sophomore Academic Excellence Award given annually to a student in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania who has the highest scholastic rating in courses taken during the freshman and sophomore years.
2018
Presley Bird recently completed her freshman year at the University of Connecticut. Because of her AP credits from Westminster, she was able to skip right to Molecular Biology and had the unique experience as a first-year student to work in the lab researching polio.
Friends from the Class of 2006 welcomed new babies all within a few months of each other! Pictured from left to right: John Gray Seiler ’06 with son Gray, Gordon Smith ’06 with daughter Mary Mills, Parker Abblitt ’06 with son Ford, Nate Welch ’06 with son Stone, and Jake Purvis ’06 with son Henry
Presley Bird ’18 worked in a lab researching polio as a first-year student at the University of Connecticut.
Dave Godbold ’08 with his wife Mary and son Connor after completing an Ironman triathlon.
Haris Vukotic ’12, Jake Candler ’12, Ariel Fuller ’13, Haley Stutts ’13, Blake Ashley ’12, and Kevin Doran ’12 together in Croatia over the summer
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CLASS NEWS
Stories from Reunion Weekend During Reunion Weekend, we invited alumni to share stories of their Westminster days and what’s happened since. Wildcats shared stories about falling in love, senior pranks, favorite teachers, and more. The selection below represents just a few of the Wildcat stories that were shared.
Bianca Camac Bell ’94 and Mark Bell ’94 Bianca: We did not date at Westminster; we started dating in our junior year of college when we were both studying abroad in the United Kingdom. I was at the London School of Economics and Mark had come up from Oxford for St. Patrick's Day and called me out of the blue to see if I wanted to meet up with some other Westminster classmates in London. We started dating shortly after that. We didn’t really know each other in high school, but my mom met Mark when she was the “green room mom” for our senior play, Cyrano de Bergerac. She thought Mark was a really lovely boy and even bought him a graduation present a few weeks later (and I recall being a little embarrassed by this). After my junior year of college, I remember calling my parents and telling my mom that I had been dating Mark. She was delighted—she's always had great taste! Mark: Now we have twin 10-year-old boys, Maximilian and Anselm, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Kate Strother Edelen ’99 One of my most favorite things about Westminster was my favorite teacher, Eugenia Wattles, who was my third grade teacher. When I finished Westminster and didn’t know what to do with my life, I went back to visit old teachers. I saw Eugenia, and she said, “You should be a school counselor and go to Georgia State to get your master’s degree.” I said, “okay,” because I’d do anything Mrs. Wattles advised me to do. Eight years later, she called me and said she was leaving Westminster and asked if I’d like to apply for her job. I did, and I was hired. It was the happiest time of my life to come back to my alma mater and work here in Mrs. Wattles’ job.
Gena Williams Farinholt ’69 and Lewis Farinholt ’70 Gena: We met here at Westminster and dated my senior year, which was his junior year, and we lost touch with each other during college—I saw him once a few years later when he was in Atlanta. But then six years ago, we reconnected, and we are now husband and wife. We’re high school sweethearts; this is where it all started. Lewis: We got married in the prayer chapel in Pressly Hall. Gena: On a Sunday afternoon. Thanks to Keith Evans, who let us in.
Jeremy Oliver ’99 One of my favorite teachers was Doug Crenshaw, who later became my varsity basketball coach. I had him in sixth grade as a language arts teacher. For The Hobbit, he used to make crazy Gollum voices; this was 10 or 12 years before the movies came out, but he was already making that voice. My life has come full circle now that I’m teaching his sixthgrade son at Lovett. He was my favorite teacher and had my back all the way. Not just because of basketball, but because he cared.
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CLASS NEWS
Coach Adam Pullen, coach Gerry Romberg, Gordon Beckham ’05 (infielder for the Detroit Tigers), coach Chad Laney ’95, and coach Brent McGuire at the Atlanta Braves vs. Detroit Tigers game
Isoline Northcutt Abels ’08 filmed training modules for Made By Dyslexia, a nonprofit that produces resources to help people understand and support dyslexia.
Sam Linkon ’17, Kate Lindgren ’19, Zoë-Grace Hargrove ’19, and Charlie Benedict ’19 worked as interns in Westminster’s Office for Institutional Advancement this summer! They contributed in many ways to this issue of the magazine, The Westminster Fund, storytelling, graphic design, and alumni engagement. We are grateful for their contributions!
Retired Faculty and Staff
Retired faculty and staff celebrated Robert Nash’s 70th birthday in March. (back row) Stan Moor, the Roberts, Hazel Cochran, Anne and Dave Drake ’61, Mary DuPriest, the Montgomerys, the Lamplughs, (front row) Tony Parker, Laura Johnson, Robert Nash, Johnnie Oliver, and Merrilyn Eastham
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Wade Boggs (retired faculty) and his wife, Julie Black Boggs ’69 (retired faculty), catch up with fellow alumnus and retired faculty member Scoot Dimon ’70 in Naples, Florida.
CLASS NEWS
Reunion Weekend One of the highlights of Reunion Weekend is the chance to see so many fellow alumni in one place—alums catch up with classmates they haven’t seen in years! The fashion choices may have changed between senior year and Reunion Weekend, but the memories all seem to come flooding back.
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Marriages Congratulations to all Wildcats celebrating recent weddings! Find each couple’s corresponding photo number to the left of the announcement.
2003 1
Kyohei Yoshioka and Marina Matheson ’06, November 4, 2018
2005 2
Jessica Smithgall and Michael Crocker, March 2, 2019
3
Kristi Webb and Jaret Deprin, September 29, 2018
2006 1
Marina Matheson and Kyohei Yoshioka ’03, November 4, 2018
2007 4
Caldwell Zimmerman and Kara Pellecchia, September 15, 2018
2009 5
Sameena Haque and Alija Salcin, March 16, 2019 pictured with sisters Tasneem Haque Bhatia ’89 and Shireen Haque ’94
2010 6
Madison Pumphrey and Ryan Brandt, March 3, 2019
2011 7
Dallis Joiner and Martha Stewart Fuqua ’13, March 16, 2019
2013 8
Sam Allen and Rachel Bassett, June 1, 2019
7
Martha Stewart Fuqua and Dallis Joiner ’11, March 16, 2019
1
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2
3
4
5
6
7
8
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Births and Adoptions Welcome to the Wildcat family, new additions! Find each child’s corresponding photo number to the left of the announcement.
1996 1
Chip Worley Traynor, January 15, 2019, son of Mamie and Tray Traynor
19
15
2000 2
Lanniston Stuart Scaife, March 26, 2018, son of Jillian Godfrey Scaife and Thomas Scaife
4
Virginia Layne Glass, April 1, 2019, daughter of Hartley Jeffries Glass (Middle School faculty) and Chris Glass Lucy Carter Kaufman, May 14, 2019, daughter of Holly Hinz Kaufman and Brad Kaufman
5
Lucille “Lucie” James Langley, May 30, 2019, daughter of Rankin Miller Langley and Travis Langley
6
James Lewis Tochilin, January 27, 2019, son of Katie and Conor Tochilin
2003 7
Kohen Malloy Ward, December 21, 2018, son of Lauran and Wright Ward
Marie Hollis Hawkins-Smith, March 24, 2019, daughter of Catherine Hawkins and Paul Smith
2008 18
2002
3
Sawyer Grace McChesney, April 8, 2019, daughter of Meghan and Max McChesney
2007 16
2001
Catherine Lanier Usilton, May 6, 2019, daughter of Anne and Zack Usilton (not pictured)
John Hastings Hobart IV, February 12, 2019, son of Anne and John Hobart
Robert Ralph Reese IV, February 28, 2019, son of Annie Herndon Reese and Robbie Reese
2011 20
Beau H. Martin, February 28, 2019, son of Annie Hickey Martin and Bobby Martin
Faculty and Staff
17
Jackson-Wyatt “Jack-Wyatt” Douglas Morrison, April 15, 2019, son of Erin Morrison (Upper School staff) and Brian Morrison
21
Athena Selene Roberts, May 22, 2019, daughter of Leah Roberts (Middle School faculty) and Jordan Roberts
22
Leo Grant Stegall, April 9, 2019, son of Taylor Stegall (Lower School faculty) and Daniel Stegall
2004 8
10
9
Braden Eugene Brown, December 21, 2018, son of Jessica Hayes Brown and Matthew Brown
Jackson Rush Forquer, March 24, 2019, son of Danielle Cohen and Patrick Forquer
1
Patrick “Pate” Gibson Sugrue, March 12, 2019, son of Bonnie Gibson Sugrue and Ryan Sugrue
2005 11
Matthew “Greyson” Cesari, May 2, 2019, son of Kathryn and Matthew Cesari
12
Spalding Patton Fryer, February 1, 2019, son of Laura Nix Fryer and Gibbs Fryer
13
Joanna Grace Jeffries, May 20, 2019, daughter of Emily Hobgood Jeffries and Hill Jeffries
2006 14
Brantley “Brant” Edward Caughman, September 25, 2018, son of Deborah Perling Caughman and Chris Caughman
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2
3
4
5
6
9
8
11
10
12
20
13
14
17
16
15
19
7
21
18
22
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In Memoriam We extend our deepest sympathy to the members of the Westminster community who have lost a loved one. Washington Seminary Alumnae
Thomas “Tommy” Alston Chapman, June 23, 2019
1935
1966
Margaret “Tish” Preacher Long, April 19, 2019
1945
Dan Fry, April 19, 2019, brother of Carleton Fry ’69 and father of Brooke Fry Grant ’99
Alice Mitchell Jeffries, May 14, 2019, mother of Hill Jeffries ’73 and Lewis Jeffries ’76
Barry “Eugene” Willingham, April 7, 2019
1947
Guy Harmon Tuttle,March 28, 2019, brother of Beth Tuttle ’77
Catherine Blanchard Adkins, April 22, 2019 Jean Snyder Hendrix, June 11, 2019
1948
Sally Dugger Gin, June 8, 2019 Gladys “Lulu” Camp Hiles (retired faculty), July 4, 2019
1953
Katharine Massengale Walter, March 15, 2019
NAPS Alumnae 1942
Joyce Reid Lasseter, April 16, 2019
Westminster Alumni 1953
Sandra “Sandi” Paul Harper, June 23, 2019
1971
2003
Marie Clare Stringer, April 30, 2019, sister of Kenneth Stringer ’02 and David Stringer ’05
2010
Doug Adams, June 19, 2019, husband of Eedee Henderson Adams ’53 Edward Burke Addison, February 20, 2019, father of Lee Addison Sanford ’69 Harris Touro Bellows, May 23, 2019, father of Kate Bellows Hudson ’92
Marilyn Jones Rowland, May 8, 2019
Blucher H. Cooper, October 8, 2018, father of Butch Cooper ’76 and Liz Cooper ’78
1963
James “Jim” G. Dalton, July 3, 2019, father of Jimmy Dalton ’76
1965
Milton Joseph Deitch, May 10, 2019, father of Joel Deitch ’80, David Deitch ’85, Jonathan Deitch ’88, and Daniel Deitch ’92
88 | Fall 2019
Ron T. Fortune, November 21, 2018, father of Doran T. Fortune ’03 Frieda Krueger Goldstucker, June 23, 2019, mother of Richard Goldstucker ’02 and Rachael Goldstucker Washburn ’03
Horace Pope Holden (former faculty), March 17, 2019
1956
Andrew “Andy” Roane Beard, November 13, 2018, brother of Ellen Beard Barnes ’62, Jeff Beard ’68, and Danny Beard ’70
Ellen Fleming (retired staff), May 3, 2019
Community
DuVal Owens Bowen, February 12, 2019, mother of Catherine Bowen Stern ’84
Charles “Charlie” Verne Parham Jr., March 27, 2019, brother of Mary Jane Parham Holliday ’68
Rayburn J. Fisher Jr., March 14, 2019, father of Elizabeth Fisher ’96 and Vivian Fisher ’98
Eben Hardie III, May 12, 2019, father of Sarah Hardie Johnson ’06
Pearl Ionie Billings, February 21, 2019, mother of Shawn Wilkinson ’10
Carolyn Shannon Crook, January 25, 2019
Cameron Richards Fearon, August 17, 2018, son of Lisa Martin Fearon ’86
Sameer Chervu, April 30, 2019, brother of Nikhil Chervu ’09
1954
Dell Williams Taylor, March 13, 2019
Betty Strickler Dever, March 21, 2019, mother of Debbie Dever Gray ’72 and Pat Dever ’76
Dick Lindeman (former staff), March 4, 2019 Eleanor Shaw McCamy, April 6, 2019, mother of Bob McCamy ’77, Mary Stuart McCamy ’79, Clare McCamy ’81, and Dede McCamy Houk ’82 Betty Norman (retired staff), November 8, 2018 Larry Prince (Emeritus Trustee), March 5, 2019 Barbara Ingram Scott, March 7, 2019, wife of Leon Scott (retired faculty) and mother of Lynn Scott Fowler ’74 and Michael Scott ’77 Louellen “Lou” Walters Stormont, April 5, 2019, mother of Stacy Stormont Freeman ’79 Susan Hunter Suggs, June 20, 2019, mother of Welch Suggs ’91 and Darby Suggs Armont ’94 Bruce B. Wilson Sr., June 29, 2019, father of Allison Wilson Reid ’82 Betty Wilson Wright, May 24, 2019, mother of Jimmy Wright ’68
IN MEMORIAM
Ellen Fleming 1945-2019
One of Westminster’s most beloved leaders, Ellen Fleming, died on May 3, 2019, at 73. She held numerous roles in her 31 years at Westminster, including six months as interim president in 2004 while President Bill Clarkson was away on sabbatical. Ellen, a passionate educator with a deeply held Christian faith, was principal of the girls junior high, the girls high school, and then, after a four-year stint as the Head of the Ellis School in Pittsburgh, principal of the coed Junior High for 13 years. Ellen was an iconic leader at Westminster who was a champion for the construction of Clarkson Hall, our first building created specifically to meet the needs of young adolescents. She was best known as a beloved advocate for her students and colleagues. “When people spent time with Ellen, she had a way of making them feel smarter and more significant,” Emily Ashe ’82, who taught under Ellen in the Middle School, recalled at a memorial service at Westminster in June. She was quick to learn names and was one of those leaders who seemed to be everywhere all the time. Whether through opening students’ minds to new
academic concepts or guiding them as they strengthened their character, Ellen was committed to caring for all her students as they navigated adolescence. Ellen’s humor was almost as ever-present as her warmth. One of the most famous stories about Ellen is the gift she left for Bill Clarkson upon his return from sabbatical—a tube of lipstick glued into his desk drawer as a memento of Westminster’s only female president to date. Ellen relocated to St. Simons Island in 2004 and became Head of School at Frederica Academy. That community, too, quickly and fully embraced Ellen; she led with wisdom and devotion while expanding the school’s campus and presence in the Golden Isles community. She was Frederica Academy’s longestserving Head of School. Ellen’s legacy at Westminster is one of a leader who pushed the School to be its best while never missing a moment to connect with her colleagues and students. She is a legend, and the fruits of her influence are still evident today in the lives of those who were fortunate enough to know her.
WESTMINSTER | 89
1,000 Words It takes a Village. During the renovation of Campbell Hall and the construction of Hawkins Hall, 28 temporary Upper School classrooms are in operation on Broyles Field. Math teacher Raynard Oliver wasted no time making his little piece of the Village feel like home.
90 | Fall 2019
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THE MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI, PARENTS, AND FRIENDS | FALL 2019
FALL 2019
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