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THE MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI, PARENTS, AND FRIENDS | SPRING 2017
The
Renaissance
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Parents of alumni: If this issue is addressed to your child who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the Office of Alumni Engagement of the new mailing address by emailing alumni@westminster.net or calling 404-609-6205.
Don’t miss a thing! Follow @thewestminsterschools on Instagram and @westminsterATL on Facebook and Twitter for photos, news, and stories from the Wildcat Nation.
Westminster’s Rhodes Scholars 12 Scoot Dimon Retires 18
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1. Scoot purchased this Tibetan Buddhist thangka painting in Nepal while on sabbatical to India and Nepal in 1999.
You will.
2. One of many tributes to the Grateful Dead in Scoot’s office, this collage includes tickets to concerts dating as far back as 1978. 3. The Second Annual Atlanta International Pop Festival—held just days after Scoot’s graduation from Westminster—included the Allman Brothers, BB King, Jimi Hendrix, Jethro Tull, and others as performers. Included in the audience was Scoot Dimon himself.
The Westminster journey doesn’t happen by chance. Your gifts to The Westminster Fund support every facet of school life for students like Betsy. As a member of the varsity cross country and swimming teams, Bible study leader, fundraising chair for Circle of Women, and an admissions ambassador, Betsy has immersed herself in school life. “Students here are encouraged to be individuals and pursue whatever they are passionate about,” she says. “My teachers have been my cheerleaders every step of the way, they truly know me and make me feel so special. There is just no place like Westminster.”
12 years ago. “Scoot sees his greeting of the students at Adams Gate and at the Middle School drop-offs as the work of a shepherd--checking the flock as they come into the fold, and knowing them by name,” Maggie says.
10. Sports memorabilia is as visible as music memorabilia in the office. The Falcons come second only to the Wildcats in Scoot’s heart!
4. Scoot purchased this wooden sign from Carver’s when
11. This photo captures the moment the Wildcats won the 2015 AAA state football championship, one of the most exciting days of Scoot’s career. Among the fans going wild are Scoot and his son Ricky, both with arms in the air and mouths open wide.
5. Scoot’s impressive collection of stuffed Wildcats includes
12. This shelf is filled with photos of Scoot’s seventh grade history classes. Every year, his classes walk to his house for a story, chocolate chip cookies, and a photo on the front steps. Alumni come by and look at their class’s photo.
Sharon Carver sold the restaurant. It was a favorite place for Scoot to have a southern lunch with Westminster colleagues, particularly from the athletics department. gifts given to him by friends and former students and Wildcats purchased while traveling.
6. This stuffed border terrier commemorates Rambler’s onstage debut as Bruiser in Legally Blonde on Kellett Stage in 2014.
YOUR SUPPORT WILL HELP WRITE THE NEXT CHAPTER OF BETSY’S STORY. MAKE YOUR GIFT TODAY AT WESTMINSTER.NET/GIVING
9. Scoot’s wife, Maggie, painted this icon of the Good Shepherd
7. Scoot still uses the Bible he received at his graduation in 1970. 8. Scoot displays a few team trophies from tennis tournaments—and one commemorating his role as Voice of the Wildcats for 26 years.
13. Doug Flutie was a great quarterback for the Buffalo Bills, and Scoot was a huge fan. In his heyday in the late 1990s, Flutie Flakes were born. Scoot and Ricky each still have a box (and, yes, Scoot’s still has cereal inside)! 14. The Cat in the Hat is always nearby. Scoot’s love of Dr. Seuss is well-known, especially in Lower School!
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CONTENTS
CONTRIBUTORS Executive Editors Liz Ball Emilie Henry
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Managing Editor Erin Dentmon Editorial Staff Justin Abraham Jennifer Liu Kathleen O’Gara
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Stacie Davis Rapson ’83 Via Varnell Contributors Jane Lauderdale Armstrong ’74 Scoot Dimon ’70
FEATURES
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The New Renaissance
Court Thomas ’90
Today’s students are learning in ways that seem new but take inspiration from the Renaisssance—combining disciplines, collaborating with each other, and finding and solving real-world problems.
Art Direction & Design
12 A Legacy of Scholarship
Keith Evans Katie Long Laney ’03 Pamela Nye Ali Gray Prickett ’05
Ridge Creative, Inc. Photography Clyde Click Gemshots Billy Howard Phillip Spears Student and parent photographers The Westminster Schools Archives Printing Perfect Image
18 DEPARTMENTS 2 From the President 16 Faculty and Staff 28 Our New Trustees 40 Alumni News 52 Class Notes
Westminster’s eight Rhodes Scholars, including 2017 Scholar James Pavur ’13, talk about the difference Westminster and the Rhodes program made in their lives.
18 Scoot Dimon: Every Wildcat’s Biggest Fan Scoot Dimon ’70 looks back on his years at Westminster as he approaches retirement.
42 The AlumniCats Have Spoken Read what alums have to say about the Westminster experience, as well as how the Alumni Association is working hard to make the alumni years even better.
COMMENTS TO THE EDITOR: Please address postal correspondence to: Liz Ball Director of Marketing and Communications The Westminster Schools 1424 West Paces Ferry Road NW Atlanta, Georgia 30327 Email: lizball@westminster.net Phone: 404-609-6259
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Dear Friends, The onset of spring at Westminster also means that our annual STEAM exhibit has occupied the Gaines Foyer Gallery in Broyles Arts Center. “STEAM” is simply an improvement on the better-known “STEM,” which adds an “A” for Arts to the first letters of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Bringing these disciplines together into the STEAM acronym, however, does not do justice to the imagination that was on display in the gallery. To pick just a few project titles:
• Pre-First Coding and Storytelling • Polarizer Drawings • Flying Wing/Quadcopter Hybrid Design” • Migration Oral Histories • Physics of Musical Instruments There were 37 others that were similarly compelling and reflected a stunning range of knowledge and skill. As much as the projects themselves captured my attention and that of the packed gallery of students, faculty, and parents, the STEAM exhibit made me think that we need to expand our vocabulary when we talk about our students. Over time, when “student” was not descriptive enough, it was sufficient to elaborate with “scholar,” “athlete,” or “artist.” The renaissance in teaching and learning described in this edition of Westminster Magazine—and expressed in the STEAM exhibit— means that our students are now accomplished inventors. They are also imaginative architects and credible engineers, gifted poets and skilled craftspeople, published researchers, patent applicants, and programmers of devices they build themselves. Our students are no longer ivory tower learners digesting facts for a reason yet
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to be revealed. Their creative minds are now challenged not just to master the disciplines, but to understand how knowledge is created and insight gained in the real world. It is hard to overstate their excitement and engagement in the effort. Settle into your favorite chair with this edition of Westminster Magazine and see what they are up to. A final note: Against this backdrop of all things new, we are also bracing to say “farewell” to a longtime friend and caretaker of the heart of Westminster. Scoot Dimon’s retirement will become official this summer, and we will all miss him dearly. If you are part of the Wildcat Nation, you know there is no replacing Scoot, only rising to the challenge of living into his legacy of kindness and compassion. We can start right away. Best wishes for great adventures this summer!
Keith Evans President
ADMINISTRATION
BOARD OF TRUSTEES – 2016-17
EMERITUS TRUSTEES
Keith A. Evans President
Michael J. Egan ’74, Chair Clay Rolader, Vice Chair Lisa Borders ’75, Secretary Claire “Yum” Arnold Elizabeth Kilcullen Blake Samuel G. Candler Harold A. Dawson Jr. ’82 W. Stephen Floyd Jason Fritz Rebecca Olson Gupta Rand Glenn Hagen Scott D. Hawkins Katharine W. Kelley ’82 David M. Love ’90 Lisa Olivetti McGahan Allison Bolch Moran ’86 R. Brand Morgan ’94 Joel T. Murphy ’76 Usha C. Nair-Reichert Thomas E. Noonan John F. Oglesby ’79 Rahul Patel William T. Plybon Kelly A. Regal S. Stephen Selig ’61 Jeffrey P. Small Jr. ’85 Steven D. Smith Charles Austin Stephens ’93 D. Scott Weimer Charles W. Wickliffe III ’85
James S. Balloun Betsy Barge Birkholz ’69 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 Margaret Sheffield Martin WS ’44 Carolyn Cody McClatchey ’65 Terence F. McGuirk William A. Parker Jr. Larry L. Prince M. Edward Ralston Olga Goizueta Rawls ’73 Margaret Conant Reiser ’73 John W. Rooker ’56 Kenneth S. Taratus L. Barry Teague John A. Wallace James B. Williams George B. Wirth
Toni Boyd Vice President for Finance and Operations Scoot Dimon ’70 Assistant Headmaster for Student Life Tim Downes Director of Athletics Colleen Glaude Dean of Instructional Technology Emilie Henry Vice President for Institutional Advancement Jim Justice Dean of Academics and Curriculum Whit McKnight Head of Lower School Marjorie Mitchell ’82 Director of Admissions and Enrollment Services Danette Morton Head of Middle School Thad Persons ’88 Dean of Faculty Bob Ryshke Executive Director, Center for Teaching Cindy Trask Head of Upper School
PRESIDENT Keith A. Evans WESTMINSTER FUND REPRESENTATIVE Matthew F. Tarkenton ’88 ALUMNI ASSOCIATION REPRESENTATIVE K. Courtland Thomas ’90
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The
Renaissance by Erin Dentmon | Creative Services and Publications Manager
Our world is changing. Fast. Faster than it has at any time since the Industrial Revolution. Preparing young people to lead in a world of rapid change is not a small task—it takes big thinking. Big ideas. And a big project or two along the way. The complexities of our world must be matched by complex work in our classes, unbounded by traditional classroom models. 4 | Spring 2017
Local artist Andrew Crawford works with junior Matthew Morris during the Creative Welding JanTerm course. This was one of the first times any of the students in the class worked with hot metal—but less than three weeks later, they’d created a gate sculpture for Westminster’s campus garden.
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At Westminster, students are taking on these challenges daily. Innovative thinking is all around us. Pre-first graders are designing playgrounds and seeing their ideas being built outside Love Hall. And from that start through their Upper School years, they are growing in exponential ways through projects that push them to collaborate, combine disciplines, and, above all, build. “Our students are breaking though old limitations on their creativity by exploring deeper connections between disciplines and building new intellectual partnerships with each other and their teachers. We are part of a broadly embraced renewal in teaching and learning that has a unique flavor at Westminster because our students and faculty are so capable and motivated,” says President Keith Evans. “The products of their learning go far beyond a grade on a test and now might be a functioning robot or an app for an iPhone or even a treehouse. The traditional disciplines are all still in play—art, science, math, writing —but just as happened in the Renaissance, our students and faculty are finding—actually creating— something new in timeless traditions.” This approach to learning represents a new Renaissance of sorts. As the
world changes, so must excellent education. Westminster’s mission is steadfast, but how it is carried out in the classroom looks different than it has in the past.
AN INNOVATION VILLAGE BUILT BY YOUNG LEARNERS
The students designed elements of the playground, dubbed the Innovation Village, for four imaginary first graders based on different styles of play: Musical Max, Nature Nishka, Rosie Revere (an engineer), and Iggy Peck (an architect).
When pre-first graders embarked on a Design Thinking unit designing playgrounds in spring 2016, each class received a letter from Head of Lower School Whit McKnight inviting them to create playground spaces and announcing exciting news: some aspects of the students’ designs would actually be built outside Love Hall!
Westminster is dedicated to staying true to the students’ visions as school leaders work with contractors and engineers to build the Innovation Village, which incorporates several aspects of students’ designs. Playground consultant Cynthia Gentry ’72, who has worked closely with the class since the prototyping stage, says she has never seen a playground plan stay so close to children’s concepts before. “It’s rare for grown-ups to stick to what children want, because we think we know better. You hardly ever see anything that has such respect for children’s creativity,” she notes.
Knowing their designs could turn into a real playground, the kids took on the project with enthusiasm. “When you give children a challenge and an avenue to create and problem solve, not only will they actualize the idea—they’ll exceed your expectations,” Whit explains.
That student-driven mindset is clear from the beginning in all of Westminster’s Design Thinking projects. “We, as teachers, try to ask a lot of questions and not impose many of our own ideas,” says Lauri Jones, who co-taught the playground unit with Julia Singer Myrick ’76.
Imagine if parts of Love Hall’s playground were built by the very students who learn and play there every day. That’s exactly what’s happening, and our youngest Wildcats are at the helm.
The students designed elements of the playground, dubbed the Innovation Village, for four imaginary first graders based on different styles of play: Musical Max, Nature Nishka, Rosie Revere (an engineer), and Iggy Peck (an architect).
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Caroline deButts and Ellie Lee present a playground prototype to first graders.
So, how did the five- and six-yearolds create their playgrounds? Their iterative research and design process involved field trips, sketches, prototypes tested by user models made from clothespins, and a big challenge: hearing feedback from actual first graders. With lots of classroom practice beforehand, the playground designers asked the first graders what they liked, wished, and wondered about the playgrounds— and listened to and considered critiques as true professionals would. “They were really thoughtful about which ideas were appropriate. They would say, ‘That idea was really fabulous,’ or ‘I don’t think they really understood our user,’” Julia says. That kind of confidence is one of many positive impacts of the hands-on, project-based experiences happening in Design Thinking and all over the Lower School. The project-based model helps kids make new connections and apply new
knowledge as they imagine, create, and refine. “Some kids really shine in Design Thinking, whether in the building, the designing, or even the collaboration aspect,” Lauri says. Learning experiences that combine disciplines are a powerful tool for all Lower School teachers and students. In fact, the faculty has been on a three-year journey to intentionally integrate their teaching, whether through working with a colleague who specializes in a different area or tying an afternoon math lesson into a concept learned in a morning writing lesson. “We firmly believe that by studying subjects in a holistic, contextual way rather than in a vacuum, students find purpose in their learning. The power of why is something that resonates with all learners,” Whit says. “The best and most memorable learning experiences occur when students can find connections between and across disciplines.
Emery Fowler, Brennan Hopkins, and Karina Fofiu show off their playground for music makers.
Carson Deitz researches at an Atlanta playground.
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Art & Architecture students, pictured here with Truly Living Well garden manager Maurice Small and teachers Mary Cobb and Tim Shabanowitz, made several site visits to Truly Living Well during the design phase of their project and continue on-site work as they move into the building phase.
During this project, our five-year-olds had to write, research, measure, and give and receive feedback in addition to building and designing. Taught in isolation, they may have learned these concepts for the moment; however, because they were integrated, they’ll remember and build upon these skills for life.”
ARTISTS AND ARCHITECTS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY Westminster’s campus isn’t the only landscape that is changing as students learn through building. Seventh and eighth graders in a new course, Art & Architecture, are building a treehouse at Truly Living Well Center for Natural Urban Agriculture, an urban farm and community center near Atlanta University Center. And, like the pros, these designers are tasked with putting the client’s needs first. They’ve worked to understand Truly Living Well’s users through site visits, multiple meetings with garden manager Maurice Small, and reflective exercises.
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“They’ve needed to do things to walk a mile in the users’ shoes to really understand the nature of what the design needs to be,” says teacher Mary Cobb. Building the treehouse—referred to as “a living space for learning and fun”—is an opportunity for the students to help real people solve a real problem. When it’s finished, it will be used for Truly Living Well’s educational programming. In learning more about their client, students have developed empathy for a community they didn’t know and an appreciation for an organization they may not have intersected with otherwise. “Truly Living Well educates you on your food choices, your community, and yourself. They teach you to stay true to who you really are,” Caroline Dickey ‘22 writes. “To be honest, I underestimated Truly Living Well. When Mr. Small said he wanted a living space for learning and fun, I didn’t really know what he meant by learning. I thought maybe it was teaching about different plants or animals or something like that,
but they educate and impact the community in so many ways.” Having students learn lessons about empathy, collaboration, and flexibility through building a treehouse is a dream a decade in the making for Mary. After 10 years of having students design and build balsa wood treehouses in ceramic trees as the final unit of their art class, she teamed up with Tim Shabanowitz, an architect by training and the director of the Innovation Space in the Middle School, to develop the yearlong Art & Architecture course. The Paul B. Fraser Memorial Architecture and Design Fund, which encourages Westminster students’ interests in design and architecture in many ways, has been a catalyst for evolving and supporting this immersive learning experience. In addition to becoming experts about Truly Living Well, students spent a semester learning about architecture and design concepts, including techniques like scale drawing, before presenting prototypes to Truly Living Well board members and moving into the building phase. They’ve
researched effective small-space design at Savannah College for Art and Design and even had the owner of Hummingbird Tiny Housing and the owner of a tiny house bring the house to campus. Collectively, these experiences connect the things students learn about in traditional classes, but also ask the students to apply their knowledge.
CENTER FOR TEACHING CELEBRATES A DECADE OF HELPING TEACHERS INNOVATE
“Architecture transcends all the academic subjects,” Tim says. “They’ve learned math concepts. For art, they’re learning drawing techniques. We’re talking about where the sun comes up and comes through the windows at different times of year. That’s science. We taught them about the Bauhaus before World War II, so there’s all kinds of historical context they can learn about what influences design.”
“We’re trying to help teachers build a richer toolbox to make the learning environment one that’s engaging for students,” he says.
Constant revision and reiteration are essential for the treehouse project to be a success. “You have to get the students to let go of the one idea they’ve come up with that they think is perfect. That’s a hard thing to burst through, even though they have thousands of ideas in their heads.” Mary says. It’s not just their design ideas that students are asked to reconsider and refine—they are often challenged to articulate ways they could think or act differently for the benefit of the project, or how things they discover along the way inspire them to change their minds. This personal growth and critical thinking is as important as any new practical skill or academic knowledge a student gains. The treehouse includes a classroomstyle room with a projector, a smaller room overlooking the farm with comfortable seating, rain barrels, and more. It will be situated on a hillside in the education area and will overlook the entire farm at Truly
A school can’t have innovative programming without innovative teachers. Westminster’s Center for Teaching is celebrating a decade of helping teachers improve their craft. Center for Teaching focuses on helping teachers improve their pedagogy—or delivery methods—rather than their content knowledge, explains Executive Director Bob Ryshke.
And how does the Center accomplish that? Many of its professional development initiatives involve connecting teachers with each other, whether through partnership between Westminster and Drew Charter School, an Atlanta Public School, or through professional learning communities (PLCs) and mentorships on campus. The Center for Teaching has helped teachers be at the forefront of many innovative teaching practices, including an overhaul of the Lower School assessment process and a deep dive into projectbased learning that began six years ago in the Lower School. Now, the Center is supporting Westminster’s STEAM initiative by giving teachers grants to start a STEAM PLC and to embed the philosophy more deeply into Westminster’s curriculum. “These programs all represent in some way the changing landscape of teaching at Westminster,” Bob says. “If you asked a student who graduated seven or eight years ago how they learned, they would tell a story that’s very positive and affirming, but students now have a different twist on that.” Today’s teachers are focused on harnessing students’ natural curiosity, particularly in Lower School, and the Center’s emphasis on teaching methods helps them engage students more fully in material that’s essential to know. Having a dedicated Center for Teaching is a way for Westminster to challenge the traditional mindset of teachers—in an industry where innovation isn’t always the norm. “Education as a profession is not always good at innovating,” Bob says. “Many schools look pretty much identical to 20 years ago.” What’s key for our teachers as they continue into this new Renaissance? The same thing that led to the original Renaissance— curiosity. “The way to remain relevant is to be curious, apply what you’re learning, and not be afraid,” Bob says.
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THE PAUL B. FRASER MEMORIAL ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN FUND The Fraser family’s decision to honor a beloved child’s memory at Westminster continues to enrich the lives of students here 26 years later. Paul B. Fraser, a member of the class of 1988, passed away suddenly from bacterial meningitis while studying architecture as a sophomore at Auburn University. His father, Tommy Fraser ’59, envisioned an opportunity to memorialize Paul’s time at Westminster and say thank you for all the School had done for his son in helping to inspire his love of architecture and design. Tommy shares: “Paul’s character, formed by his family and Westminster, yielded a young man of high principle, dedicated to the ideas of bringing beauty and truth into all phases of our lives.” Tommy established the Paul B. Fraser Memorial Architecture and Design Fund in Paul’s memory in 1990. The Fund supports programming and curriculum that encourage students’ interest in architecture and design in all three divisions of the School, continuing Paul’s legacy as a curious, creative, and talented student. These initiatives spark further design study in interested students and encourage students to approach problems through a creative lens. This year, the Paul B. Fraser Memorial Architecture and Design Fund provided critical support for the Middle School’s Art and Architecture course. In prior years, the Fund has supported a number of unique curriculum initiatives, speakers, and enhancements to Westminster’s campus, including the development of the red and yellow environmental site sculpture near Turner Gym in collaboration with visiting artist Jeff Mather, seventh grade art classes, and the Upper School 3D design classes. The Fund also established the Paul Fraser ’88 Digital Design Lab in Campbell Hall and provides ongoing technology and curriculum support to both the Design Lab and the Lower School Design Thinking labs in Love Hall. In 2016, the Fund supported the 3D Printing and Architecture JanTerm course led by Ken Gibson and Jere Wells ’72. Tommy and his wife Tevie visited the Art & Architecture class this fall to see our students in action with teachers Tim Shabanowitz and Mary Cobb and toured the Innovation Space in Clarkson Hall. “We were impressed, honored, and truly stimulated by the opportunity to visit Mary and Tim’s course. With this great design curriculum, a Westminster student is prepared for college architecture study that will further their desire and passion to create stimulating designs for the world with help from the Paul B. Fraser Memorial Architecture and Design Fund,” Tommy says.
Art & Architecture students Will Ragland, Charlie Bollwerk, and Copeland Block look at features of a tiny house as part of their design research.
Living Well. While students have designed the structure to incorporate trees on the property, it will be selfsupported. Designing and building it has certainly expanded students’ ways of thinking. “There’s a lot of challenge in the course. I’m particularly aware of those students who think so concretely and have difficulty thinking abstractly. A lot of students aren’t quite ready for this—it’s a stretch for them. This is a higher level of thinking,” Mary says. Perhaps the biggest lesson students are learning is that the way to reach a goal can’t always be fully defined. As Tim says: “Architecture and design is being totally involved, immersed, iterative. If you’re constantly being creative, understanding your client, and trying to make things better, success will come.”
BUILDING IN AND BEYOND JANTERM What happens when a physics teacher and an art teacher both interested in welding, combine forces? You get Creative Welding, a JanTerm course Tommy ’59 and Tevie Fraser at a recent event with President Keith Evans.
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taught by Ken Gibson and Jen Marie Wentzel. In this class, 18 students created a gate for Westminster’s oncampus garden, learning about design and energy along the way. They also created individual pieces inspired by wall hangings Ken saw while chaperoning a Westminster trip to Guatemala. Every day, students unleashed their creativity. From the first day of JanTerm, students were welding. Any nerves about using the high-powered equipment melted away as they continued to practice. “The students went through a great transition from being a little nervous or anxious using the equipment to gaining confidence to being super confident in their skills,” Jen Marie says. By the third and final week of JanTerm, the students were relying on their own knowledge and their peers’ knowledge rather than asking the instructors frequent questions. Science concepts—like energy and heat transfer—were made all the more relevant because of a partnership with professional Atlanta-based sculptor Andrew Crawford, who worked on campus with students and also hosted them at his studio. “Not only did we talk about science, but Andrew did as well,” Jen Marie explains. “That made it real for the students, to have an artist in his studio talking about the scientific terms and processes.” The hands-on processes connected students to the ancient art of welding and empowered them with new skills and creative experience. “If you’ve had true learning, it makes you recognize things you wouldn’t have otherwise noticed. The other sign of true learning is that it empowers you. If you have a problem and need a solution, you can create that solution,” Ken says.
The Creative Welding class was an exercise in adaptation—from adjusting original dreams to a plan that could be achieved in three weeks to changing welding styles as they learned new techniques, the students were always thinking on their feet. The course was anything but static. “We shifted from design to problemsolving as the course progressed, not just from design to building. A lot of the students tend to be perfectionists, which is a different approach than being flexible and adapting to changing realities,” Ken says. Given the ever-changing nature of making art, it was also a lesson in persistence. Of course, it’s hard not to bump into a student building something during JanTerm. Creative Welding was one of at least five classes in which building was a main component, plus many others that included smaller projects. JanTerm’s immersive schedule and the co-teaching model make these experiences possible.
music. The course emphasized being able to make conceptual connections in final projects, like creating models of the spinal cord using objects that represent the spine’s functions. “Since we weren’t focusing on a particular medium, a fairly abstract integrated method of thinking was the basis. It really got to creative critical thinking at its core, how to iterate and get feedback. The research component, and how you ask good questions, was a big emphasis,” Ben says. When the creative process meets academic knowledge and results in a tangible outcome, students come away having gained priceless experiences. As the world looks for leaders who can bring together divergent ideas to solve problems, Westminster students are doing just that from their earliest years.
The ability to have teachers from divergent disciplines together in one room is a powerful tool. “No matter what you do in terms of teaching a unit on your own, it’s never going to be the same as having an art teacher and a science teacher sit down together, create the course, and have three weeks to execute together,” says Ben Steele, who taught STEAM Workshop with chemistry teacher Chanley Small during JanTerm The course first introduced students to a wide variety of materials and methods, then gave them time and space to explore a particular medium or topic of personal interest. Final projects ranged from stop-motion animation depicting evolution to performances designed to engage the audience in the science behind
Nylah Desnoyer, foreground, and Katie Greene create projects that combine art and science in STEAM Workshop.
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“Westminster was big in the fact it gave me the foundational skills to do well at Georgetown and in the strange world of the application process. “Mr. Kaplan’s computer science class really kicked me off to do computer science in college, and the community of Westminster made me feel very comfortable with teachers.” – James Pavur ’13
A LEGACY
OF SCHOLARSHIP James Pavur ’13 Becomes Eighth Wildcat to be Named a Rhodes Scholar by Justin Abraham | Digital and Media Strategies Manager
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James Pavur ’13 may not be a household name, but he will soon join the ranks of
Edwin Hubble, President Bill Clinton, and Kris Kristofferson.
James is one of 32 U.S. college students to receive the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship for 2017, granting him an all-expenses-paid opportunity for graduate study at Oxford University in England. James, who graduated from Georgetown University in December, joins an elite group of eight Westminster alumni who have received the Rhodes Scholarship. In fact, Westminster has more Rhodes alums than such prestigious universities as Boston College, Georgia Tech, and New York University. It’s a recognition months in the making. Starting last spring, James—who didn’t apply until a friend convinced him to—went through rounds of endorsements, nominations, and essays before reaching the final interview. Though he had practiced for months, James assumed he wouldn’t be making it past that stage. “I came to Atlanta for the interview, and there were 14 of us at that interview stage,” he recalls. “I was the first interview in the morning and was certain that one of the other talented people there would beat me. I thought I had no shot of winning.” Instead, James—brother to Elisabeth ’15, Gigi ’16, and Sam ’21—was one of the two interviewees that day to be awarded a scholarship. He’s among a selective group of American college students. With 882 applicants this
year, only 3.6 percent were awarded scholarships. He credits Westminster with preparing him not only for Georgetown, but for the strenuous Rhodes application process. “Westminster was big in the fact it gave me the foundational skills to do well at Georgetown and in the strange world of the application process,” he says. “Mr. (Eliot) Kaplan’s computer science class really kicked me off to do computer science in college, and the community of Westminster made me feel very comfortable with teachers.” And for that interview? James’s robotics and debate experience at Westminster, along with the one-onone support from college counseling, helped him learn to present himself, he says. James has spent the last four years making his mark at Georgetown. The science, technology, and international affairs major has completed “eight or nine” 36-hour hackathons, served as the director of information security for the non-profit Students of Georgetown, Inc., mentored students through Georgetown Women Coders, and helped create a makerspace at the university, a community area for sharing ideas and building projects. “I tried to do a soldering project in my dorm room, which my roommate didn’t really like,” James says with a laugh. “I thought it’d be great to do it in a dedicated space. So we took an abandoned science lab and built a makerspace.”
James will leave for Oxford in October. He’s unsure precisely what he will study, but he has applied to earn his doctorate in cybersecurity. His goal is to secure a job with the U.S. Department of State, but for now, he is looking forward to more time in school. “I think it will be a really good experience that I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise,” James explains. “It will give me a chance to look at the big picture and spend time learning my discipline.” Going for the Rhodes Scholarship was a chance he almost didn’t take, but one James is positive will have an effect on his life. “Finding what you want to do then hunting it down is a rewarding experience,” he says. “The worst that can happen is that someone says ‘no.’ But you still get the experience and learn more about your future.” The future is bright for James, who is sure to leave an impact on the world. “I love computers and hacking,” he says. “Hacking is such an important component of technology, because cybersecurity will have a major impact on how much we can enjoy the future of technology. We have to learn to trust the devices and technology we use, and to do that, cybersecurity is the answer.”
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Catching Up
With Our Past Rhodes Scholars James Pavur joins seven other Westminster alums who have received the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, and it’s not difficult to understand why. Scholars are chosen not just for their academic expertise, but for their “commitment to others and to the common good, and for their potential for leadership.” Westminster alumni and current students flourish in an environment created to cultivate leaders of conscience. In his own words, President William Pressly founded Westminster to give bright and motivated students the “intellectual tools that will enable them to serve others and thus contribute to society.” We caught up with the School’s Rhodes Scholars, who are just a small sampling of alumni making a positive impact in the world.
Paul Pressly ’60
Clay Rolader ’72
Marc Lipsitch ’87
Paul’s passion for history began his junior year at Westminster when Emmett Wright’s American History class visited Emory University to listen to historians debate the Civil War, propelling him to complete history degrees at Princeton University and at Oxford.
Luck was certainly on Clay’s side during the application process. The night before his interview, he was seated at dinner next to the honorary chair of the interview committee, and the two struck up a conversation that ranged from quail hunting to William Faulkner. “It is always better to be lucky than good,” he believes. He found the Oxford experience to be rewarding because of the freedom to pursue topics and authors more in-depth than at American universities. Clay is thankful for the intellectual curiosity he developed across the pond and the discipline he learned in the self-study environment. “In my experience, what you learn along the way is a lot less important than learning how to learn,” he notes. Clay earned an English literature degree at Oxford, which was beneficial when he taught ninth and eleventh graders at Westminster, allowing him to “stay just ahead of them most days.” Clay now works in investments and encourages the next generation to embrace learning even when they may not be interested in a particular area of study. “You never know what skills you will need along the way,” he advises.
Marc, who majored in philosophy at Yale University, studied mathematical biology when he attended Oxford. The current professor of epidemiology at Harvard University’s Chan School of Public Health relied heavily on what he learned from Eric Brannen’s AP Biology course and Landy Godbold’s various math classes at Westminster during his graduate studies.
Following a career in investment banking, Paul began teaching at the American University in Beirut and has continued blending his passions for history and education postretirement. He now works for the Ossabaw Island Foundation, bringing together public and academic history by telling the stories of the GullahGeechee people. “You need to follow your passion, achieve at a high level, make a difference in the larger community, and not worry about the rest!” he says.
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Marc says it was a privilege to change directions academically and now uses the full breadth of his studies to design vaccine trials that are scientifically effective and ethically sound in an effort to better the world. “Westminster instilled a sense that one should work for the benefit of others, not only oneself,” Marc says. “Or, as the founder of the Rhodes Scholarship puts it, ‘fight the world’s fight.’”
Shakespeare and early modern drama at the university. His studies certainly set him up well for his current role as a theater director and the artistic director of the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival.
David Ball ’88 For David, a solid educational background from Westminster and support to take chances were valuable during the application process for the scholarship. Also helpful during the interview process was Rick Byrd’s pre-1865 U.S. history course, which enabled a lively dialogue with a panelist. David completed a degree in philosophy, politics, and economics at Oxford, which gave him a solid foundation for his current role as an associate professor of law at Santa Clara University, where he focuses on mass incarceration and is involved in policy work to reduce the size of prison systems nationwide. Davis appreciates the “honor, sense of purpose, and caring for the stranger” Westminster and Oxford instilled in him and urges his fellow alumni to make a positive impact on the world.
Elizabeth Allan ’08 There is no doubt in Elizabeth’s mind the opportunity to attend Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar shaped her career and her outlook on the world. The experience, and her degree in modern Middle Eastern studies, led her to work halfway around the world. “My current worldview has been deeply shaped by engaging with such a diverse community,” she says. Elizabeth is currently based in the Middle East, where she works for the global management consulting firm McKinsey and Company. “The best advice I give myself and others is to engage in pursuits that give them energy and to focus on building a tangible and relevant skillset,” she says.
Davis McCallum ’93 Ishan Nath ’08 Finding more academic freedom and less structure at Oxford were two reasons Davis fell in love with the Rhodes Scholarship program and his time across the pond. The “life-changing experience” gave him the ability to explore the culture and history of the United Kingdom while earning his masters of philosophy in
Post-Westminster, Ishan’s path led him to Stanford University and then to Oxford, where he earned his masters in economics. While in the U.K., he says he was fortunate to be part of an intellectual global community with a shared desire to make the world a better place. “I think a strong sense of purpose is one of the most common characteristics in the Rhodes community, and I’m grateful to all the people along the way who helped me develop that,” he says. Now an economics PhD student at the University of Chicago, Ishan plans to pursue a career in academia and economic policymaking in an effort to “fight the world’s fight.” It’s a motto he encourages everyone—not just Rhodes scholars—to follow: “Find what excites you—hopefully something that contributes to human welfare in some way—and put your whole self into it.” Most immediately, Ishan hopes to inspire others to support the freedom and safety of immigrants like him. He recently wrote in the Westminster Bi-Line, asking the community to take action in the spirit of the love and kindness they have always shown him. “The Westminster I know does not just preach love, it practices it, and that love has forever left an imprint on my life,” he wrote. “Now, more than ever, America needs that love to shine through… to stand up for the rights and freedoms of immigrants like me, and those of many people far more vulnerable than myself.” You can find the rest of Ishan’s heartfelt words at thebiline.com.
Ishan takes seriously the Rhodes motto to “fight the world’s fight” and credits Westminster for helping empower him to do so. “I am thankful for the mentorship from my teachers and coaches at Westminster that helped me build confidence, find my passions, and discover the path I wanted to take to work on them,” he says.
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Cindy’s Task New Upper School Head Embraces Westminster by Erin Dentmon, Creative Services and Publications Manager
New Head of Upper School Cindy Trask speaks with students during the JanTerm Fair in fall 2016.
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FACULTY AND STAFF When Cindy Trask, our new Head of Upper School, dug into the story of Westminster’s early years, she knew it was the place she needed to be. In fact, she may know more about Westminster than many alumni, having read Dr. William Pressly’s The Formative Years twice already. “I was so taken by Dr. Pressly’s and Mrs. Pressly’s stories, I tried to read everything I could about them—how they founded Westminster and their commitment to students and faculty captured my imagination. I wanted to be part of their legacy of servant leadership,” she says. As she’s settling into the Upper School, Cindy sees students and faculty who are academically curious and socially conscious—who are motivated by knowing there are no limits to their ambition and desire to grow. “Students are doing incredibly interesting things inside and outside the classroom, and they understand the only limit here is how far their curiosity and passion will take them,” she says. One way Cindy strives to point students toward success is by keeping doors open for them, a lesson learned during her time as Director of Studies and Director of Middle School at Columbus School for Girls in Ohio, her most recent position, but also through her own life. “I have always excelled at math but didn’t have a passion for it until I appreciated its application to solving real-world problems in science. I understand that developmentally and practically, students arrive at their interests and passions at different times, and we need to be here to create the spark and support their journey,” she says. Cindy earned bachelor’s degrees in math, biology, and education, in addition to a master’s degree in educational leadership. Cindy is eager to work on campus improvements and curricular
advancements that will open even more doors for students by introducing adaptable, collaborative spaces and continuing work in student support, global education, and college preparedness. Westminster’s connection to Atlanta is particularly intriguing for Cindy and is something she hopes to leverage more fully for the School. As an educator, Cindy brings two decades of experience teaching and leading. As a scientist, she brings a research-based, collaborative approach and a spirit of embracing experimentation in learning. In fact, her time at Columbus School for Girls was driven by her researcher’s curiosity. She sought the position out of a desire to understand middle school more deeply after consulting with middle schools through the College Board. Now that she’s back in high school, her understanding of the continuum of education is strengthened—and she says she has a renewed mission to “support the joyful sense of community, collaboration and care that are cultivated in the Upper School years.” Faculty members were drawn to the importance Cindy places on community when they met her. “Beginning with the interview process, we could sense that Cindy would support her faculty and reinforce a sense of community,” says Upper School Bible teacher Ralph Geeza. “Throughout her first year, she has proven to be approachable, a great listener, and one who leads by example.” As Cindy continues her first year at Westminster, she has embraced the School’s mission and is up for the challenge of moving the Upper School forward as a place that prepares students to make a meaningful difference. “The world needs our Westminster graduates, and we need to prepare them academically and as leaders of conscience, compelled to act as effective agents for meaningful change,” she says.
TRASK FACTS: IN HER OWN WORDS • I grew up close to the ocean in a small town in Nova Scotia, Canada. • In my spare time I enjoy being active outside—biking, canoeing, and hiking. • On nasty weather days, I like to binge on Masterpiece and 30 for 30. • I am a big sports fan and enjoy everything from hockey to football to golf. • I am a voracious reader and usually have two or three books on the go. Some of my favorite authors are Edward O. Wilson, Karl Zimmer, John Meacham (I am a big history buff), and Barbara Kingsolver.
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Scoot drew his first Wildcat in 1996. It now appears in classrooms and offices throughout campus with words of inspiration, celebration, and encouragement. “It’s silly, but it makes kids laugh and smile,” Scoot says.
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Scoot Dimon Every Wildcat’s Biggest Fan
A flock of 1,300 students passes through Malone Dining Hall each day, and Scoot Dimon stands watch in the middle of the action. His eyes are constantly darting through the sea of Middle and Upper Schoolers, looking for kids he knows might need a boost, had a great game the night before, or were home sick for a few days. by Liz Ball, Director of Marketing and Communications
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For the past 26 years, Scoot has made it his mission to give every child at Westminster the gift of feeling known, valued, seen, and celebrated. But Scoot’s history with the Wildcats actually began 53 years ago when he came to Westminster as a seventh grader. He has fond memories of his time as a Westminster student. “The interest my teachers took in me—people like Frank Finsthwait, Leon Scott, Pete Higgins, and David Lauderdale—made a lifelong impact,” Scoot shares, “and it is amazing how many of my best friends from seventh grade are still among my best friends today. Doug Hertz, Comer Yates, David Gray, Jimbo Howell, Tom Anderson, John Lochridge, and so many others are lifelong friends thanks to our Westminster connection. I have even had the privilege of teaching many of their children!”
After graduating from Westminster in 1970, Scoot went on to Davidson College, becoming a “double Wildcat.” He subsequently joined the Peace Corps where he met his wife of 40 years, Maggie. After their first meeting, Maggie remembers writing in her journal, “Scoot Dimon opens his arms wide to hug the whole world.” After the Peace Corps, Scoot went into teaching. “I had always been interested in being a teacher and a coach, and a lot of that is due to my years as a Westminster student,” he recalls. “Being a teacher and a coach allows you to get to know totally different sides of the kids in the classroom and on the field and reach them in completely different ways. You also get to miss a few meetings when you are a coach, which is always great! Most importantly, teaching is fun, it’s high energy.”
Scoot feels at home in the classroom and describes teaching as “where my heart is.”
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A series of leaps of faith and stars aligning led to Scoot’s return to the Wildcat Nation. Maggie and Scoot always knew they wanted their sons, Philip ’99 and Ricky ’02, to attend Westminster, even though the family lived in the suburbs of Chicago when the boys were young. In 1990, both boys applied and were accepted for the 1991-92 school year. “I didn’t have a job in Atlanta, or any money for that matter!” Scoot recalls. “But we knew Westminster was where we wanted the boys to be.” Scoot applied for teaching jobs at several schools around Atlanta. Although he had spent the past nine years in administrative roles as a junior high and high school principal, Scoot wanted to get back in the classroom and out on the fields once again. “Charlie Breithaupt, Chuck Breithaupt ’82’s father and my ninth
Scoot celebrates winning the 2014 GHSA AA girls tennis championship with members of the team.
grade physics teacher, called me up after I’d applied for a teaching position. He explained that there weren’t any openings but said, ‘We know you and your career, and we know we need you. We’re just not sure exactly where. We’d like to hire you as long as we can leave the details of the contract blank,’” Scoot remembers. Scoot signed a contract for the 1991-92 school year that simply stated “duties to be assigned,” and the Dimon family left Chicago and headed to Atlanta. “I’ve always been grateful to Charlie and Westminster President Donn Gaebelein for that leap of faith,” Scoot says. “I was tired of administration and wanted to go back to teaching and coaching. It’s what I’m good at, it’s where my heart is.” Within his first week back on campus, Scoot began a new adventure: athletics announcer. With the School in need of a new voice behind the microphone, Scoot announced the football game the first Friday night of the school year and has been the voice of the Wildcats ever since. Fate stepped in again a few years later when Assistant Headmaster Zach
Young was tapped to be Wesleyan’s Head of School in 1996. Westminster President Bill Clarkson asked Scoot to fill the role. “Bill wanted to know what the kids were up to and how they were doing. He wanted to make sure the students were having fun,” Scoot explains. “I was honored. I was excited to take on the new role, but wanted to make sure I could continue teaching and coaching.” As he took on this new role, Scoot was determined to connect with all Westminster students in the same way he always had with those in his history classes and on his tennis teams. “I’m good at finding what’s really good in kids, seeing what’s in there and helping them shine. Kids need to know that you know them. They want you to know that they scored the winning goal on Saturday, that they played the tuba in last week’s concert, or had the role of the tree in the play,” he says. Scoot quickly adopted a “management by walking around” approach to make sure he saw as many students and teachers as possible each day. “I always have my have my eyes peeled for who
is sad or who might be having a tough day, as well as for the kid that scored the winning basket or won the debate tournament. I make sure to walk through all three divisions every day so that I keep my finger on the pulse of the School from pre-first through twelfth grade,” he explains. Over the past 26 years, Scoot has become a familiar, warm part of that pulse, part of the heart of Westminster. As the School has grown and evolved over the years, Scoot has remained a constant, sunny presence on campus, helping continue the School’s tradition of being a supportive and close community. “I think Sister Sledge and Gerry Romberg said it best: ‘We are family,’” muses the music super-fan. Although we won’t see Scoot, Maggie, and their dog Rambler on daily walks around campus or at Westminster sporting and arts event next year, they will always be part of our Westminster family. We will honor Scoot’s legacy of caring for others by striving to live according to his personal credo from the parable of the Good Samaritan, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:37)
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Scoot Speaks ON WESTMINSTER THROUGH THE YEARS: “A lot has changed over the years, and that’s good. A school should always be growing and evolving. Westminster gets better each and every year, and it’s our job to keep improving. But some things—the important things—stay the same. What impressed me when I came back in 1991 was that what was happening in every classroom was exciting and was personal. There was a great connection between the individual teachers and the kids just like I had experienced as a kid in the ’60s and ’70s. I also saw that same connection with the coaches and athletes. Rick Byrd, Dave Drake, Gerry Romberg, Jack Pickard…it was magic out there on the fields.” ON TEACHING: What has changed most dramatically since my days as a student is the way you deliver curriculum. The advent of technology and computers makes learning so much more fun. It opens up so many possibilities and infinite access. You can travel all over the world and through history at light speed. The way kids work in groups now is amazing, too. It is no longer simply about what you know, but what can you do with a team. Our students are problem seekers and solvers. These are skills kids need to have to be leaders in the world today.
ON THE FUTURE: Westminster is the future; the future of our country and the world is in the hands of these kids. I see it as a sacred mission to teach them, to mentor them, not only in academics but in kindness, in service, in appreciation, and in gratitude, and to give them the tools they need to change the world and to make it a better place. I’ve never thought of teaching as a job. It is a sacred mission, a calling. I know my fellow Westminster faculty members see it the same way.
ON WESTMINSTER POST-SCOOT: There are so many members of our faculty, staff, and leadership who will carry the torch after I retire. I have no worries about that. And nobody quotes Dr. Pressly more than Keith Evans! He, like Bill Clarkson before him, is a great leader for our school and is so committed and has great vision.
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ON WHAT TO SAY WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT TO SAY:
Go Cats!
FACULTY AND STAFF
Scoot’s Scoop THE HISTORY OF THE SCOOT CAT Scoot first drew the character in 1996 on a chalkboard in the first grade classroom of Julie Boggs and Susan Owings as a way to keep the Lower School kids connected with events and games going on throughout the School. The first drawing included a promo for an upcoming game: “Boys basketball Tuesday night, 7:30!” The drawing now appears in classrooms and offices throughout campus with words of inspiration, celebration, and encouragement. “It’s silly, but it makes kids laugh and smile,” Scoot says.
SCOOT’S FAVORITE PLACES ON CAMPUS “Broyles Arts Center is laid back; the kids are more relaxed there. Someone is always painting, drawing, or creating on the potter’s wheel. I love hearing about the genesis of a student’s project. It’s a conversation that usually leads to me learning a lot about their life. The Parker Campus Center is a great place to connect and catch up with kids. It’s fun and relaxed. The freshly baked chocolate chip cookies come out at 11:20 a.m. sharp! The Tennis Courts are always one of my stops throughout the day. I have loved coaching girls tennis for the past 12 years. The team is so much fun, and they always make me laugh.”
RAMBLER Maggie and Scoot’s first campus dog, Ref, was also a border terrier, a laid-back breed that doesn’t mind being petted by kids. Their current fur child, Rambler, is actually Ref’s second cousin and has taken the tradition of the campus dog to new heights. In addition to being the favorite pet on campus, Rambler has been in two school plays! His debut role was in the Upper School musical Legally Blonde, in which he played “Bruiser.” He also played “Sandy” in a Middle School production of Annie Jr.
something, what are you going to do about it?” Our teachers taught us to look for what’s wrong, to find injustices, to work toward changing the world for the better. Kids need to see that, to have those mentors. Kids always learn more from what you do than what you say…that’s a big part of my job.” Graduation “The years when I got to watch my sons graduate, Philip ’99 and Ricky ’02, were really special years, and I got to give them their diplomas. That was truly a thrill. I love being a part of the graduation ceremony each year. I say something to every kid that crosses the stage… usually something funny!” The 2016 Football Championship “That was an incredible day. I’ve been the voice of the Wildcats for 26 years, and that day tops them all. From the all-school pep rally to the Lower Schoolers lining the route and cheering as the team buses pull out of the back gate to the enormous crowd of students, parents, faculty, and alumni at the Dome to the incredible game itself, it was a day that showed what Westminster is all about.” “Every year of teaching has been a high point!”
SCOOT’S FAVORITE MEMORIES My Senior Year “It was a time of demonstrations against the Vietnam War. My teachers like Mr. Lauderdale and Mr. Nichols said, “You can change the world. If you don’t like
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A Book Teacher to the World: Catching Up With Kemie Nix Kemie Nix has been inviting people to come on an adventure with her for almost six decades—one that begins when she places a book into the hands of a child. She has an unwavering belief in the power of stories to change lives, and that belief has taken her and those who share it into schools and children’s hospitals around the world. by Jane Lauderdale Armstrong ’74
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Kemie joined the Westminster faculty in 1961 and taught at every grade level in the elementary school. Reading was always her favorite subject to teach, despite her concerns that the content of reading textbooks did not foster a love for literature in children, although the library contained a wealth of outstanding books of all genres. Kemie began to realize that a critical linchpin between classroom teachers and librarians was missing, a role she describes as a book teacher. In 1973, she asked Dr. William Pressly if she could teach children’s literature full time, focusing on reading a variety of literature with students in third through sixth grades and guiding them to the trove of experiences that awaited them on the library shelves. Dr. Pressly grasped the potential of her vision, and although there was no money in the budget to add such a position, the everresourceful Dr. Pressly found a way to make it happen. Her commitment to empower children through reading extended beyond Westminster. On weekends, Kemie and a friend from Central Presbyterian Church volunteered at the Atlanta Juvenile Detention Center. “Realizing that most troubled young people are poor readers, I tried to take them as many good books as possible and trusted the authors to do the rest,” she says. As her reading program at Westminster continued to thrive, another friend invited her to become a volunteer tutor at Ed S. Cook Elementary near the Capitol Homes housing development. Kemie began tutoring at Cook on Mondays and shifted her Westminster classes to Tuesdays through Fridays. Kemie ran into an obstacle almost immediately at Cook: the school was
sorely lacking good books. Kemie hit on the idea of asking Westminster students to donate two or three of their favorite books they wanted to share— Reader-to-Reader was born and continues to this day!
hospitals and medical procedures for young patients. Soon, book drives began providing books to children’s hospitals—Reader-to-Patient became a reality. Around this time, her program officially became Children’s Literature for Children (CLC).
Judy Marine, left, Kemie Nix, and Dot McFarlane enjoy a safari during a trip to Kenya.
As test scores at Cook began to improve, Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Alonzo Crim took note. He launched a campaign to partner private entities with public schools, citing Westminster as the example of what can be accomplished. He also asked Kemie to launch the program at Campbell Elementary in the Carver Homes area. In order to bring her program to a second school, Westminster granted her a sabbatical. Westminster parents also lent their support by regularly tutoring at Cook and Campbell. Meanwhile, Kemie’s crusade to lift the spirits of children through reading found another venue. Former Westminster teacher Judy Grimes and Kemie were discussing the power of stories to alleviate the stress of
In 1986, with the encouragement of Suzanne ‘61 and Randy Whitfield ’56, Westminster started sending school supplies to a nascent Mount Kenya Academy (MKA). The following year, Westminster colleague Linda Grady received a sabbatical to travel to Kenya to work at the school, forging a bond between the two schools and prompting a visit to Westminster by Charity Mwangi, the headmistress of MKA. Upon seeing CLC in action at Campbell during her visit, Charity saw the value it held and asked Kemie to implement it at MKA. Another adventure was about to unfold. Kemie received a grant to purchase books to take to Kenya and found that the need was even greater than she had anticipated. This discovery galvanized her resolve to bring
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Reader-to-Reader to Africa. Over the next 25 years, Kemie made 10 trips to Kenya. “It’s the relationships that are the most important. These friendships are eternal,” she says of her travels. As Kemie’s relationships across Kenya continued to grow, many of her associates began to join her. A host of Westminster teachers, alumni, trustees, parents, and students responded to her invitation to come to Kenya, making friendships of their own and helping to develop
programs and build educational facilities. For example, Cindy Candler, Westminster parent and wife of Bobby Candler ’63, gave funds to build Grace Chapel at MKA as part of First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta’s 150th anniversary under the leadership of Dr. George Wirth. Sarah Hawkins Warren ’00 established Westminster’s student exchange program with MKA. Her parents, Susan and Scott Hawkins, provided the capital for MKA to add the senior school and much of the
academic and athletic infrastructure across the campus. Their support has helped continue the MKAWestminster exchange to this day. In her recently published book A Book Teacher for Every School, Kemie chronicles her adventures through the letters she wrote to friends and colleagues over the course of her trips. Her readers are invited to experience the exquisite beauty of the countryside, to become acquainted with warthogs and weaver birds, and to meet the people of Kenya who have taken
In her recently published book A Book Teacher for Every School, Kemie chronicles her adventures through the letters she wrote to friends and colleagues over the course of her trips. Her readers are invited to experience the exquisite beauty of the countryside, to become acquainted with warthogs and weaver birds, and to meet the people of Kenya who have taken permanent residence in her heart, particularly the children.
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A 1961-62 pre-first class photo featuring the author of this article, third child from right in the back row, and Kemie Nix, far right.
The 2017 Mt. Kenya Academy Exchange cohort poses for a photo during the JanTerm trip Westminster students took to Mt. Kenya.
permanent residence in her heart, particularly the children. But, A Book Teacher for Every School is more than a memoir. It is Kemie’s platform to underscore the importance of teaching literature to children. In addition to her teaching, Kemie has been a 30-year member of the American Library Association, serving on several key committees, including the Notable Books Committee, the Caldecott Committee, and two Newbery Committees. Kemie and her husband John reside in Peachtree City, where she continues to review books for Parents’ Choice. Their daughter, Mary Evelyn Nix Hollowell ’82 is a professor of education at Clayton State University and was a
2013 Fulbright Scholar to China. Son John Nix Jr. ’87 is the founder of Vobal Technologies, a worldwide telecommunications provider. He received the “2016 Creator of the Year Award” from the Intellectual Property Association of Chicago. Judy Marine, retired Westminster Elementary School Principal, describes the span of influence Kemie Nix has had on education this way: “With every step, Kemie has been and continues to be a visionary who sees a need related to children and books and meets it. Her amazing example continues to inspire many!” Copies of A Book Teacher for Every School may be purchased on Amazon or in Westminster’s Campus Store.
LITTLE JANE AND MRS. NIX I was one of the first to receive an invitation from Mrs. Nix to join her on a Westminster adventure. When my father took me to her classroom door on my first day of pre-first grade in the fall of 1961, a wave of apprehension swept over me, and I nuzzled close to his side. My new teacher, Mrs. Nix, read my hesitancy and dropped down to meet me eye-to-eye. Her warm smile and disarming voice melted my fears as she offered to take my hand. Together we walked into the classroom; my Westminster adventure had officially begun! -Jane Lauderdale Armstrong ’74
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New Trustees Liz Blake As Westminster’s emphasis on global education continues to expand, we are indeed fortunate to welcome Liz Blake to the Board of Trustees. Liz retired in December 2014 as Senior Vice President and General Counsel for Habitat for Humanity International, a position involving extensive travel in the developing world. Liz has a particular passion for Haiti and has recently completed her 65th trip to the country working on job creation and land rights projects. Prior to her career at Habitat, Liz held a variety of corporate positions, including Executive Vice President of US Airways, and was in private legal practice in Cincinnati and New York. Her academic credentials include a BA from Smith College, an executive MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, and a JD from Columbia Law School. When not traveling the globe, Liz enjoys spending time with her family, including her husband, Frank, retired CEO and Chairman of Home Depot. Liz has three sons and is stepmother to Frank’s two children, one of whom is Upper School English teacher Maggie Bailey. Liz has five step-grandchildren, all in Atlanta, ranging in age from newborn to 11. According to Liz, “My husband and I were delighted to participate in JanTerm,” sharing their experience and expertise with Westminster juniors and seniors in the Leadership 101 class, impressing upon them the importance of finding meaning in their life’s work. President Keith Evans, one of the teachers of the course, cited the Blakes’ visit with the class as one the most enlightening parts of the JanTerm experience. Liz plans to travel to Zambia this summer to participate in a Habitat build, followed by a trip to Rwanda to see the gorillas. “Westminster will thrive in this era of globalization and innovation, Liz says.” She brings a world of experience to the Board which will help the School do just that.
Jason Fritz P ’21, ’23 Jason Fritz, an Atlanta native with a BS in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and a JD from Penn’s law school, briefly practiced law in Dallas, Texas, before changing gears and transitioning to the world of finance.
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by Stacie Davis Rapson ’83 Parent Engagement Manager
He spent the next phase of his career on Wall Street in high yield sales and trading in a number of top investment banks. After moving to the buying side in 2009 to become a partner at hedge fund Jet Capital, he also made a lifestyle change, finding his way back to Atlanta in 2010. “I knew it would be a great place for my family,” Jason shares, “and I was willing to commute to New York two to four days a week to make it happen.” Jason and his wife Jennifer have two sons, Max ’21 and Jonny ’23. A redbone coonhound named Blue rounds out the family. A selfdescribed “Deadhead,” Jason enjoys all kinds of music, especially country and classic rock. He also enjoys a good cheeseburger and a round of golf, although he wishes his golf game were stronger. Jason is excited about the opportunity to serve his sons’ school. Jason has long had an interest in education, and during his time in New York he sponsored and mentored three students through Student Sponsor Partnership (SSP). SSP provides low-income, at-risk students with a quality private high school education by pairing them with mentors who also provide financial support. As a trustee, Jason has already been impressed by “the level of care and thought that goes into each and every thing the School is working on.” He hopes to bring his perspective as a businessperson and a father to the Board and has enjoyed serving on both the Education and Student Life and Investment Committees. Welcome aboard, Jason!
Rand Glenn Hagen P ’26 Three children...three different schools...three times the fun! New trustee Rand Hagen embraces her busy lifestyle and celebrates the fact there is never a dull moment for her family. Her oldest child, Lila, is a third grader at Westminster, 6-year-old Alice attends Jacob’s Ladder Neurodevelopmental Center, and 3-year-old Sam goes to First Presbyterian Preschool. Her husband, Seth, is an English teacher at the Walker School, just to throw one more school into the mix!
NEW TRUSTEES
A native Atlantan and daughter of Tom ’65 and Lou Glenn, Rand is a trustee of the Wilbur and Hilda Glenn Family Foundation. Rand holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Tulane University and a doctoral degree in school psychology from the University of Texas. She lived and worked in the Boston area, New Orleans, San Francisco, Austin, and New York City before returning to Atlanta in 2009. Rand is actively engaged in the community, especially in the fields of special needs and mental health. She serves on the boards of Skyland Trail and Sensations Therafun, and the advisory board of the Children’s Museum of Atlanta. Rand is excited to share her commitment to creating the best possible learning environment with the Westminster Board of Trustees. “With my background in child psychology,” she shares, “I am particularly focused on fostering an environment that meets the unique mental health needs of children and adolescents.” Rand is inspired by the fact that Westminster is not “resting on its reputation and history of excellence, but rather continuing to explore and implement the best possible practices for its students.” Her boundless enthusiasm for improving the lives of children makes Rand a wonderful addition to the Board.
David Love ’90, P ’20, ’22 David Love’s blood definitely runs Wildcat green. The youngest of six children of Gay and Erskine Love Jr., all of whom graduated from Westminster, he practically grew up on our campus. He also has eight nieces and nephews who are Westminster alums, and two of his three children, Maggie ’20 and Wiliam ’22, are current Westminster students. His youngest child, Rebecca, is a fourth grader at Trinity School. David and his wife Valerie are both graduates of Duke University, where David was a four-year letterman on the golf team. They are such die-hard Dukies that they even named one of their three dogs Duke! David and Valerie are immersed in community service and have served on a number of boards, including the Atlanta Speech School, Camp Sunshine, Skyland Trail, and the Smithsonian Institution. Immediately after college, David played professional golf on mini-tours up and down the East Coast, then worked in the Trust and Investment Services department of SunTrust bank. For the last 19 years, David has worked in a variety of roles at Printpack, where he currently serves as Vice President of Sales.
“I hope my perspective as a prior student and now a current parent will be helpful as Westminster tries to maintain the heritage that made it such a great institution and also adapt to be relevant and engaging to today’s learners,” David says. He is impressed that the Board is focused on the whole student experience and is “willing to work directly with current students to get their perspective on what the School should do now and in the future.” An avid Star Wars fan, David will most certainly work hard to ensure that the force will be with Westminster now and far, far into the future!
Rahul Patel P ’23, ’25 How can you tell Rahul Patel is a very smart man? It’s easy...he refers to his wife, Swati, as his “greatest quality!” Oh, and he also earned his BA and JD with honors from the University of Florida, where he was named the Outstanding Male Graduate from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, inducted into the University Hall of Fame, and received the inaugural Outstanding Young Alumnus Award. Rahul has worked at King & Spalding for 20 years and is a partner in their Corporate Practice Group. His practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and strategic corporate transactions. When not serving as lead counsel for high-profile companies, Rahul lends his time and expertise to a variety of boards and organizations. He was appointed by the governor of Florida to serve on the University of Florida Board of Trustees, and also serves on the Board of Directors of the Shands Jacksonville Medical Center and the Board of Trustees of the Atlanta Speech School. In addition to Swati, Rahul’s family is completed by two daughters who both attend Westminster, sixth grader Anyssa and fourth grader Selena. Rahul was born in London, England, and lived there for 14 years before immigrating to the United States with his family. When asked what he hopes to bring to Westminster through his service on the Board, Rahul offers: “I hope my perspective as someone who spent much of my formative years living outside of the U.S. will help Westminster students continue to be prepared to contribute to a global society.”
WESTMINSTER | 29
Wildcat Den
Fall 2016/Winter 2017 By Scoot Dimon ’70 | The Voice of the Wildcats
National Signing Day
Girls Cross Country
Fourteen Wildcats signed letters of commitment with college teams at our National Signing Day ceremony on February 1.
Led by coach Amy Eubanks, the girls cross country team once again won the AAA state championship. The girls have been state champions seven of the last eight years, and they snatched the trophy by the narrowest of margins in early November. Congrats to the Lady TrailCats!
Cortez Alston Football, Georgia Tech Tyler Bass Lacrosse, Middlebury College Christian Bradley Baseball, Emory University Jack Cahillane Track & Field, Princeton University Owen Downs Swimming, Cornell University Brandon Hammond Track & Field, Cornell University Maya Longacre Basketball, Rhodes College Zay Malcome Football, University of Pennsylvania Allie Smith Miller Soccer, Washington and Lee University Jack Patton Lacrosse, Amherst College Josh Pinckney Tennis, Carnegie Mellon University Zach Schewe Soccer, Davidson College Sydney Simmons Soccer, Davidson College Ian Ude Football, University of Pennsylvania
Football The GridironCats had another successful season in the fall of 2016. It’s hard to replicate the 2015 season, which catapulted the Cats to the AAA state championship, culminating in the most exciting championship game played in the Georgia Dome. Nonetheless, the Cats went 10-3 for the season, making it to the state quarterfinals. For the first time, the Cats had three double-digit winning seasons in a row.
Football Cheerleading The football cheerleaders were fantastic as our playoff run in 2016 meant a long season for our girls. They choreographed great dances, and their combined dance during the Lovett game kept spectators on their feet. The CheerCats work as a team and set the tone for the entire Wildcat family. Congrats to Coach Kaci Roberts on a great season!
30 | Spring 2017
Boys Cross Country Boys cross country had a great season and came close to snagging the championship. Coach Joe Tribble had a very strong top seven, including senior Jack Powers, but the competition in AAA was tough. The Cats ran fast in the state championship meet and finished in third place.
Softball The BatCats were 6-AAA Region Champs—that says a lot in our region, the strongest in the state. Coach Brent McGuire got great hitting and pitching from the girls, which took the team all the way to the second round of the playoffs, finishing the season 21-5. There’s a lot of talent in grades 9-11, so the future is bright for the BatCats.
Volleyball AAA State Champions 2016! Coach Jona Braden did it again and led the VolleyCats to the state championship trophy. Senior Maya Longacre and junior Gabi Dolan provided great hitting, helping launch the Cats into the playoffs. The team fought hard to get to the state finals, a run that included big wins over Lovett and Pace. Congrats to the champs!
WESTMINSTER | 31
32 | Spring 2017
Wildcat Den
Boys Basketball
Squash
The boys played extremely well on both offense and defense. Coach Tray Malloy had good floor leadership from junior Paris Howland and great rebounding inside from senior Mikael Sampson. The Cats finished fourth in the region and qualified for the state tournament, losing to a talented East Hall team by one point.
This year’s teams were very strong, according to Coach Rick Byrd. Both teams headed to Connecticut for the U.S. Squash Nationals in February. The boys finished second in the Division III championship, losing to The Masters School 5-2. The girls team finished second in the Division III consolation bracket.
Girls Basketball
Basketball Cheerleading
Girls basketball had a strong showing in Region 6-AAA, which is the toughest region in the state. Coach Heather Karvis had a very deep team and was able to play 10-12 players almost every game. The Cats had aggressive scoring from 1,000-point star Maya Longacre and three-point shooting from point guard Maddie Malloy. The team finished fourth in the region but did not qualify for the state tournament. They hope to make a strong push for state next year.
The basketball CheerCats had a very busy schedule this winter. Both the varsity and junior varsity squads helped support the ninth, JV, and varsity basketball teams. They often cheered for three games a night, and that’s tough for any athlete. The girls did it with a smile, and their dance routines were amazingly complex. Coach Kaci Roberts had the CheerCats flying high!
Swimming and Diving For the first time in 56 years, there was no Pete Higgins on the pool deck during meets. Pete is still here at Westminster, but he has handed over the coaching reins to interim head coach Robert Cochran. The boys won the 47th Annual Metro Meet in January and finished second this year in the state tournament. The girls placed eighth in the state.
Wrestling
The MatCats had a successful season at the Upper School level. Coach Bobby Hayes led the team to a 27-7 finish this year. The team won the Westminster Duals and won several competitive meets against opponents Holy Innocents, St. Pius X, and Pace. Junior Jack Polhemus qualified for the state tournament in the 145-pound weight class.
WESTMINSTER | 33
Wildcat Tracks Faculty Member Receives Prestigious Award Performing arts department member Lee Harper received the 2016 Governor’s Award for the Arts & Humanities. The award was presented to her by Governor Nathan Deal and his wife, Sandra, at the Georgia State Capitol. Lee invited five of her Westminster students — Christina Luo ’19, Angela Zhang ’18, Josh van der Eerden ’17, Caroline Loud ’17, and Julianna Puett ’18—to dance to “Put on a Happy Face” from Bye Bye Birdie at the ceremony. Seniors Selected as National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists Twenty-two seniors were chosen as semifinalists for the 62nd annual National Merit Scholarship Competition. The semifinalists represent less than one percent of all U.S. high school seniors and were selected from about 1.6 million high school students who took the 2015 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test during their junior year. The semifinalists are competing for 7,500 scholarships worth about $33 million, which will be announced later this spring.
NINTH GRADER WINS NATIONAL STEM AWARD Ananya Ganesh ’20 won first place in the science category of the Sixth Annual Broadcom MASTERS (Math, Applied Science, Technology, and Engineering for Rising Stars) event held in Washington, D.C. Her research focuses on bruxism, the repeated clenching of the jaw or grinding of teeth.
“I felt immense joy and pride and also gratitude for the people who helped me and motivated me to get there. It’s a moment I will never forget,” Ananya says of winning her national award.
34 | Spring 2017
WILDCAT TRACKS
WiredCats Win at Statewide Competition Westminster’s robotics team, the WiredCats, won first place at the 2016 Georgia Robotics Invitational Tournament and Showcase competition in October. The WiredCats also won the Spirit Award, presented to the team that “celebrates extraordinary enthusiasm and spirit through exceptional partnership and teamwork.” On campus, the team now has a T-shirt cannon for home football games.
DEBATECATS HAVE STELLAR PERFORMANCE IN MICHIGAN Debate team members Harrison Hall ’17 and Mary Bryce Brannen ’17 reached the University of Michigan High School Debate semifinals out of a field of nearly 300 students from 17 states. Sophomores Alex Greene and Manav Daftari reached the varsity elimination rounds, and George Alford ’20 and Holland Bald ’21 won first place in the novice division. George also won the individual award for top speaker and Holland placed fourth. Fifth Grader Competes on Food Network On a special Halloween-themed episode, Emma Morrison ’22 showed off her culinary skills on Food Network’s Chopped Junior and won!
WESTMINSTER | 35
WILDCAT TRACKS
The Glenn Institute Westminster Volunteers Dedicate 25th Habitat for Humanity Home The Westminster community helped dedicate the School’s 25th Habitat for Humanity home in October alongside partner schools Marist, Pace, and Woodward. In addition to the dozens of students, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni who worked at the construction site, Lower School students signed messages on doorframes installed in the home, eighth grade architecture students constructed bookshelves, and ninth graders collected hundreds of books for the children living in the home. THE 2016 HABITAT BUILD BY THE NUMBERS
60 Wildcats involved in build
250 books donated
$15,000+ money raised
7 weeks of building
36 | Spring 2017
A Global Celebration of Food and Culture The Glenn Institute for Philanthropy and Service Learning and Westminster’s global education programs hosted Around the World in 80 Bites in February. The event featured numerous food tastings, live music and dancing, and presentations highlighting the Westminster community’s diverse cultural heritage.
WILDCAT TRACKS Musicians Named to All-State Ensembles Eighteen Upper School musicians earned all-state honors this spring. Bravo!
Band: Vincent Fang ’19, Lessica Lao ’19, Athena Qiu ’20, Claire Chen ’20, Julie Street ’18, and Adam Liang ’18
Orchestra: Front row: Mimi Konieczny ’19, Phoebe Liu ’18, Meimei Xu ’20, Christina Huang ’19 Back row: Tara Pillai ’19, Ashley Ahn ’18, Christine Liu ’17, Kevin Chen ’20, Joe Billips ’18
Students Recognized on “20 Under 20” List Cristina Dalton ’17 was selected as one of Atlanta INtown’s “20 Under 20” finalists for serving the community in many ways, including interning with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House, Piedmont Hospital, and Atlanta Community Food Bank. Cristina will also receive the Congressional Gold Medal Award and the President’s Volunteer Service Award this summer in Washington, D.C. Mackenzi Stewart ’19 received an honorable mention in the “20 Under 20” issue for her work with L.E.A.D. (Launch, Expose, Advise, Direct), an organization seeking to empower at-risk children.
Chorus: Sang-Mi Lee ’19, Cole Seagroves ’20, and Brooke Stevens ’20
Joyeaux Noel! Feliz Navidad! For the 19th year, second grade students visited Barnes & Noble to sing Spanish and French Christmas carols to holiday shoppers.
A Great Season for the BarnCats The BarnCats had another outstanding season. After six successful shows this fall and winter, both the Middle and Upper School teams qualified for regionals, which took place in February.
WESTMINSTER | 37
WILDCAT TRACKS
Three Lower School Robotics Teams Win at Regionals Three Lower School robotics teams won awards at recent Georgia FIRST LEGO League regional competitions. Team Bite won the Research Award and Team Growl won the Champions Award at a December event. In January, Team Pounce won the Robot Performance Award at the Super-Regional Competition.
Boo! It’s the Halloween Parade Lower School students showed off their costumes during the annual Halloween parade through the campus mall. Watch WCAT coverage of the parade at youtube.com/westminsterwcat
English Teacher Published in The New Yorker A poem by Upper School English teacher Mario Chard was featured in The New Yorker. Read the full poem and listen to a recording of Mario reading it at newyorker.com/contributors/mario-chard
38 | Spring 2017
WILDCAT TRACKS
Eighth Graders and Teacher Win Stock Market Game Three eighth graders—Vance Elliott, Lucie Ide, and Jack Scalise—won the fall edition of the Stock Market Game sponsored by the Georgia Council on Economic Education (GCEE). Middle School economics teacher Jay Watts won the teacher division of the Stock Market Game for the third consecutive year.
68% portfolio growth
Upper School Dives Into JanTerm In its third year, JanTerm featured 48 specialized three-week courses with unique guest speakers, activities, and field trips.
2,581
For more photos and videos, visit: westminster.net/janterm
teams in the state
Eighth Graders Solve Problems with Science
$100,000 virtual amount initially invested
Eighth graders showed off some of their best ideas in science and technology—including detecting head trauma in sports helmets, using sneakers to recharge batteries, and eliminating smoke during a house fire—during the annual science fair.
10 weeks
WESTMINSTER | 39
Alumni News
Dear Alumni, Westminster strives to maintain its competitive advantage by constantly resisting complacency, defining standards of academic excellence, and pushing beyond boundaries to powerfully advance our mission. As alumni, we are no different. The world continues to change with new technology, global interconnections, and unimagined opportunities— in response to this and more, the needs and desires of our alumni community have shifted as well.
As President of the Alumni Association and Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement, we looked at the changing landscape and embarked on a two-year strategic planning exercise to reimagine and redefine our work on behalf of the entire alumni community. This process included creating a new mission and vision, redrafting the bylaws, collecting feedback through the comprehensive alumni survey, conducting research from peer and aspirational schools, and charting out the Alumni Association Plan for 2017 through 2022. Honoring our strong history, our traditions, and the elements that uniquely define Westminster was central to informing the themes that will guide our future work. Through this process, we identified guiding values that illuminate our core beliefs: Leadership, Learning, Inclusion, and Fellowship & Community. Westminster remains a leader in academics and instills the value of leadership in all its students and alumni. Whether in the classroom, on the sports fields, on the stage, or on the court, Westminster seeks to develop leaders of conscience— which is evidenced by the number of alumni making an impact in their communities and around the world today.
Court Thomas ’90 Alumni Board President 40 | Spring 2017
Learning is at the heart of Westminster and is what continues to motivate and inspire our students, faculty, and alumni to pursue knowledge throughout their lives. This was especially clear in the alumni survey responses, which indicated that the academic experience of Westminster inspires many of you to be loyal to the School and to continue seeking educational opportunities today. We are blessed to have an incredibly robust alumni network, and our commitment to Inclusion focuses on meeting our alumni where they are—generationally, demographically, and geographically. Whether it’s relationships between alums or relationships with faculty, Westminster connections are deep and wide. These ties create opportunities for Fellowship & Community and are at the heart of some of our most meaningful work. These four pillars are unique to Westminster and served to guide our Strategic Goals and Objectives, outlined in this magazine. On behalf of the Strategic Planning Committee and the Alumni Board, we are excited to present to you the 2017-2022 Alumni Association Strategic Plan. It charts the course for the organization’s future by establishing goals, guiding us in building programs, and defining metrics to measure success over the next five years. Read on for more details. We look forward to the next five years and beyond!
Katie Long Laney ’03 Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement
ALUMNI NEWS
2016-17 ALUMNI GOVERNING BOARD
2016-17 YOUNG ALUMNI COUNCIL
Court Thomas ’90† President
Alex Kaufman ’02 Catherine Humann Callaway ’03 John Wilson ’03* Mark Olsen ’04 Mary Lauren Schoen Garrison ’05 Lindsay McGhee Kaufman ’06 Dorothy Padgett ’07 Hannah Grady ’08* Adlai Pappy ’08 Tom Moak ’09 Carolyn Candler ’10 Ross Erskine ’10 Ginger Abblitt ’11 Charlie Sherman ’11 Matt Tyler ’12
Susan Ayres Watson ’83† President-Elect Matt Tarkenton ’88 Alumni Giving Chair Wimberly Shinall McPhail ’91 Recording Secretary Alan Elsas ’58† Martha Garrett Massey ’65 Bruce Bryant ’72 Patty Hertz Reid ’73† Ellen Hale Jones ’81 Karen O’Leary Taylor ’85 Wab Kadaba ’87† Billy Levine ’88 Anna Driver Wick ’95 Wes Vaughan ’96 Wade Rakes ’98† Sarah Hawkins Warren ’00† John Wilson ’03† Hannah Grady ’08
*Denotes Alumni Board Member
John R. Jones Jr. ’74 Honorary Member and Board Historian † Denotes Strategic Planning Committee Member
THE THOMPSON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY HALL OF FAME The Thompson Science and Technology Hall of Fame is an opportunity for Westminster to recognize alumni who have made significant contributions to a professional field related to the sciences, medicine, and/or engineering. One individual will be eligible to receive this honor annually provided individuals nominated meet and/or exceed the criteria upon which the honor is based. The awards will be on display in the Warren Lecture Room, Robinson Hall. The criteria by which nominees will be considered for this recognition will be based on accomplishments achieved during his/her professional career. Qualified recipients will be individuals who have:
• Earned national and/or international recognition for his/her professional contribution to science, medicine, and/or engineering. • Demonstrated values pertaining to the philosophy statement of Westminster, namely “…personal excellence, responsible citizenship…and lifelong learners caring for and serving the world.” Send nominations to: Katie Long Laney ’03 The Westminster Schools 1424 West Paces Ferry Road, NW Atlanta, GA 30327 katielaney@westminster.net
WESTMINSTER | 41
The AlumniCats
Have Spoken. As we reported in the fall issue of Westminster Magazine, the Alumni Association executed a comprehensive survey to gain a better understanding of what Westminster alumni value most from their student experience and how they hope to remain a part of the Wildcat Nation throughout their lives. The feedback we received from more than a thousand Wildcats was instrumental in guiding our plans for the Alumni Association moving forward. The Alumni Board is excited to share the thoughts and opinions of the survey participants and their vision for the association over the next five years.
42 | Spring 2017
ALUMNI NEWS
Who responded?
AlumniCats are loyal.
We are grateful to the 1,185 alumni across all generations of Westminster’s history who responded to our survey. Your input will help guide the alumni program in countless ways!
Indicate the extent of your loyalty to the following. No Opinion Not Loyal Somewhat Loyal
14% Gen X’ers: 20% Gen Y’ers: 33% Millennials: 33% Baby Boomers:
The classes of 1966, 2000, 2008, and 2009 responded in the greatest numbers.
Westminster means a lot to you.
95%
90%
96%
90%
said their Westminster experience was excellent or good. are proud to be Westminster graduates.
said their opinion of Westminster today is excellent or good. feel Westminster has been a strong factor in their lives.
1% 1% 8%
92%
agreed that their Westminster education was a sound investment from which they have benefited since graduation.
Your Westminster experience was dynamic. Thinking about your Westminster experience, which two of the following were most important to you?
6%
6%
13%
13%
13%
1%
3%
15%
26%
36%
45%
9%
1% 3%
28%
59%
Work/Current Career 1% 0%1%
13%
85%
College/Graduate Education 3%
12%
37%
44%
Becoming an engaged citizen/contributor to my community 7%
2%
9%
37%
45%
Becoming a leader in my field or community
You feel connected to the Wildcat Nation, but you want more! While the participants in our survey expressed a deep connection to the School and noted relationships that have lasted over time, it is clear that alumni are looking for new and meaningful ways to strengthen their ties to Westminster.
“I have a stake in Westminster’s success and achievements.”
144
94
90
23%
Westminster prepared you well for college and for life. No Opinion Poor Preparation Fair Preparation Good Preparation Excellent Preparation
363
Clubs/Extra-curricular Organizations
25%
AlumniCats are well prepared.
387
Arts Program
48%
Westminster in general
60%
Athletic Program/Teams Faculty Members
27%
A student organization or activity with which I was associated
561
Fellow Students
62%
A faculty member, coach, or instructor
687
Academic Program
Very Loyal
My educational experience at Westminster
4%
Westminster is a valuable investment.
28%
Loyal
39%
67% “I am still a part of the Westminster community.”
of participants want a stronger connection to Westminster, while
61%
88% “I am in regular contact with friends from Westminster.” are content with the connection they currently have.
Social Life
WESTMINSTER | 43
ALUMNI NEWS
You want to connect with current students. 7% Critically Important
26% Important
35% Somewhat Important
32% Not Important
Networking with other alumni is a priority.
18% Critically Important
43% Important
29% Somewhat Important
10% Not Important
You like to know what’s going on at Westminster.
10% Critically Important
53% Important
31% Somewhat Important
6% Not Important
You think email communication and magazine news are the most important ways Westminster communicates with you. Our e-newsletter, the Wildcat Wire, is also a trusted source of alumni-focused news that is published on a monthly basis. 92% Magazine 97% Email 70% Wildcat Wire 75% Website 60% Social Media 26% EverTrue
71%
of you are interested in volunteer or leadership opportunities at Westminster.
You are interested in a variety of programming, but connecting with classmates remains the highest priority. 84% Class Gatherings 69% Education 62% Student Activity-Based 59% Global Issues 55% STEAM 55% Business 40% Sustainability 30% Young Alumni Programming 23% Alumni of Color
What activities make you feel more connected to Westminster?
63%
Reading about Westminster faculty and students
53%
Reading about alumni accomplishments
62% 44%
Attending events based on specific areas of interest or affinity
Supporting Westminster is important to you, but the impact of your gift is crucial.
84%
feel it is important to support Westminster
83%
want to give something back in return for the Westminster experience they had
44 | Spring 2017
62%
Visiting campus for Attending alumni Homecoming, Reunions, or social events other alumni events
41%
Participating in events with current or retired faculty
58%
Going to events in my area hosted by or featuring local alumni
40%
Serving as a mentor to students or speaking on campus
What are your highest priorities for future gifts to Westminster? 55% Academic Programs 45% Financial Aid 43% Faculty Support 20% Arts 17% Athletics 16% Honoring family and friends 13% Campus/Facilities 12% Endowment 10% Community Service 8% Technology
...And we listened.
Based on your survey responses, the Alumni Association’s Strategic Planning Committee and Alumni Board developed a strategic plan to guide the Alumni Association toward its vision of “an inspired community of Westminster alumni and friends whose lives are enriched through shared passion for learning, fellowship, and the Green and White.” The six goals outlined here will be implemented over the next five years. It is our hope that the Alumni Association can become an even more valuable resource for Wildcats near and far.
1. Give alumni better ways to connect with each other. We’ll be working on ways to help you stay close with Wildcats who live near you, share your interests, or graduated around the same time you did. This work includes establishing and supporting alumni chapters in major city markets. Members of our first two chapters, in New York City and Washington, D.C., enjoy many opportunities to network and have fun. “Getting involved with the NYC Chapter has allowed me to reconnect with classmates and develop relationships with other alumni. My favorite outing thus far was the Braves/ Mets game—it was great to catch up with fellow Cats in a casual setting and cheer on our home team,” says Ryland McClendon ’03, NYC Chapter co-president. We’ll also be exploring affinity programming and meaningful volunteer opportunities. And we’ll keep listening to you when it comes to developing programming you’ll find relevant and exciting.
1 2 3
2. Connect alumni with kids. We plan to introduce more opportunities for you as alumni to engage with current Wildcats, like mentoring students who are interested in your career field or the college you attended. We hope to engage alumni in these meaningful partnerships on our campus, at colleges recent Westminster alumni attend, and even online. So our current students are ready to jump into alumni life after graduation, we will establish a student alumni association. 3. Keep alumni learning long after graduation—and teaching others. Our alumni community is full of innovative, creative, successful leaders, and we want to leverage that by giving you opportunities to share your expertise and experience with the Westminster community. More than 30 alumni visited campus to work with students during JanTerm 2017—a rewarding, eyeopening experience. Of course, we want you to keep
learning, too! We’ll involve faculty and outside partners in alumni programming that reflects your interests and teaches you something new. Keeping you in the loop about Westminster and what’s new on campus is another important part of our plan.
4 5 6
4. Give alumni programming and platforms to network. Whether online or in person, we are committed to helping alumni and students share connections, advice, and experiences with each other. The Wildcat network is a valuable asset—we want to help you play an active role!
5. Celebrate Westminster in ways that are meaningful to alumni. We want to highlight the things that are important to you! We will be strengthening our traditional alumni programming by always keeping an eye on how we can make it more relevant and meaningful for you. Reunions remain one of the most important ways we connect alumni with each other and the School while raising financial support that provides opportunities for today’s Wildcats to have a life-changing education. “Our 50th Reunion really galvanized the Class of 1966,” says Rucker McCarty. “Being from the era where the Boys’ School and Girls’ School were separate, our reunion allowed the boys and girls (men and women) to really get to know each other, many for the very first time. And our class gift drew us together as well, as we had a common goal, which will benefit the School for a long time.” 6. Keep alumni informed. We want to engage you with stories about each other and about Westminster’s current priorities. We hope these stories will inform you, inspire you, and make you feel proud to be a Wildcat. We are constantly inspired by our alumni, and we plan to tell those stories in print, online, and by engaging volunteers as ambassadors for Westminster and the alumni association.
ALUMNI NEWS
The History of
the Alumni Association
1950s
1990s:
1970s:
2000s:
and 1960s: A formal Alumni Board began meeting in 1957, though early Westminster classes typically gathered over holiday breaks even before then. Modest support for the School was accumulated in a trust fund. The Alumni Association began funding the Vernon Broyles Scholarships in 1969 to bring Atlanta students to summer school at Westminster.
The first true Alumni Fund at Westminster raised $11,000 in 1970. Alumni support grew to $50,000 annually by 1977. Events that are still held today, including the NAPS and Washington Seminary gatherings and the College Holiday Luncheon, began. Ivan Allen III ’56, who led the $11,000 effort in 1970, chaired a $5.25 million campaign for the School.
1980s:
Alumni support grew to $250,000 annually by 1985, with half of alumni making a gift. The Alumni Association established the Alumni Fellow for Distinguished Teaching Awards for faculty, as well as two alumni awards: the Distinguished Alumni Award for service to the community and the Alumni Service Award for service to Westminster. With some of Westminster’s earliest alumni more than 30 years removed from graduation, the Young Alumni Council was created, and the Alumni Association also began hosting the annual spring luncheon for graduating seniors.
Special thanks to John Jones ’74, Alumni Board historian, for providing historical information about the Alumni Association. 46 | Spring 2017
By 1992, alumni support accounted for $700,000 per year. The Alumni Board remained active, with committees assisting with the Summer Economics Institute, serving in an advisory role for alumni publications, and holding career seminars for young alumni. Out-of-town events and activity-specific reunions grew in frequency and popularity. Annual alumni support surpassed the $1 million mark by 2002. The Alumni Board adopted a new strategic plan to foster an “ongoing, mutually beneficial relationship” between the School and alumni of Westminster, NAPS, and Washington Seminary. The Board also made several changes to its bylaws, including a change that no longer required both a man and a woman to serve in officer positions. For the first time, the Alumni Board had a single president beginning in 2005. Reunions, which had been celebrated during Homecoming weekend, became a standalone spring event in 2005. Wildcat Connection launched online in 2008.
2010s:
After a period of inactivity, the Young Alumni Council was relaunched and continues to provide young alumni with opportunities to connect. The popular Golden Wildcats event, a spring cocktail party for alumni who graduated more than 50 years ago, began in 2011. Alumni giving topped $1.5 million in 2016. With a new Strategic Plan in place, the Alumni Association is looking forward to many more decades of building relationships and connections among Westminster alumni and the School.
ALUMNI NEWS
Events Young Alumni Happy Hour Tuesday, August 30 On a beautiful late summer evening, more than 60 young alumni from the classes of 2002-2012 came together on the rooftop of Fado Irish Pub to enjoy drinks and appetizers. This event was sponsored by the Young Alumni Council and was the kickoff to a year’s worth of fantastic alumni events.
Homecoming Fried Chicken Dinner Friday, October 7 The tradition of fried chicken and catching up with old friends continued as nearly 400 alumni and their families enjoyed dinner in Malone Dining Hall before heading over to Fritz Orr Field to watch the Wildcats defeat Pace Academy 49-36.
Habitat For Humanity Alumni Build Saturday, October 15 A dozen alumni took time to help build the 25th Westminster Habitat house. Alumni painted, tiled, and laid roofing while enjoying the company of old friends and new.
Breithaupt Athletic Hall of Fame Breakfast and Induction Ceremony Saturday, October 8 Capping off Homecoming weekend, seven of Westminster’s finest athletes and coaches were inducted into the Breithaupt Athletic Hall of Fame during a breakfast reception and ceremony. Honored in this year’s ceremony were: Chuck Easley ’82 (basketball, football, track and field), coach Gerry Romberg (football), Katherine Bell Hill ’04 (swimming and diving), Jack Brown ’06 (swimming and diving), coach Jay Watts (girls lacrosse), Albert Pendleton ’98 (wrestling), and Eugene Oh ’11 (tennis).
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ALUMNI NEWS
Beyond the Gates Friday, November 4 The Bustling BeltLine: Ponce, Krog, Westside, and Beyond, a panel discussion featuring some of the leaders behind Atlanta’s most groundbreaking developments, was an informative and entertaining morning for more than 100 alumni and friends. Special thanks to moderator Kennedy Hicks ’01 and panel members James Alexander ’96, David Cochran ’92, Hank Farmer ’03, and Chris Faussemagne ’90.
College Holiday Lunch Monday, December 19 More than 200 college-aged alumni came back to Malone Dining Hall to reconnect with friends, enjoy a burrito bar, and play trivia with Scoot Dimon ’70.
LA Reception Tuesday, January 10 More than 30 alumni in the Los Angeles area gathered together at the home of Keleigh Thomas Morgan ’93 to hear more about JanTerm, as well as updates on athletics and academics.
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San Francisco Reception Thursday, January 12 In San Francisco, almost 40 alumni gathered with the Alumni Engagement team at the Press Club to hear updates on activities at Westminster and enjoy time with other Northern California alums!
ALUMNI NEWS
Community Events
Pressly Dinner Tuesday, September 27 The annual Pressly Dinner at the Atlanta History Center celebrated more than 200 of Westminster’s most generous supporters. Attendees enjoyed dinner, cocktails, and an inspiring program led by President Keith Evans.
Lower School Grandparents and Special Friends Day Friday, October 21 In a day filled with laughter and memories, more than 500 grandparents and special friends enjoyed breakfast and a program in Love Hall. Students loved showing their guests their favorite parts of Westminster and introducing them to teachers and administrators.
Young Alumni Pressly Event Thursday, November 10 Keith and Emilie Evans hosted more than 40 members of the Young Alumni Pressly Society for a cocktail reception at the President’s Home to celebrate their financial commitment and dedication to Westminster.
Veterans Day Remembrance Program Thursday, November 10 Honoring all veterans, fifth graders once again put on a patriotic and moving presentation for both parents and guests. This year’s featured veteran alumnus was Georgia State Senator Hunter Hill, class of 1996. Many veterans joined us for the day, including Cy Strickler ’56, pictured above.
Cornerstone Society Wednesday, November 16 More than 40 members of the Cornerstone Society, a group of people who have included Westminster in their estate plans, enjoyed a cocktail reception at the President’s Home.
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School Days: Science and Design While some may think that Washington Seminary and the North Avenue Presbyterian School (NAPS) were finishing schools, that was not the case. The earliest catalog in Westminster’s archives from Washington Seminary is for the 1927-28 school year, listing college preparatory courses that allowed students to enter Agnes Scott, Mount Holyoke, Vassar, Wellesley, and Smith (among others) without entrance examinations. Students studied algebra and geometry, as well as inorganic chemistry and biology. In the 1912-13 course catalog for NAPS, algebra and plane geometry was also taught. Two years later, chemistry was also offered. By the 1917-18 school year, science was being offered in the
1917-18: North Avenue Presbyterian Church Day School Catalog. Girls learned how to sew and how to create their own patterns.
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junior high school. The course offered field trips to the sulphuric acid factory, the ice factory, waterworks, and the gas plant. “The chemical principles involved in some of the great war inventions are now being noted,” the catalog explains. In both schools, however, the domestic arts and sciences (home economics) were important because many of the students were expected to be able to fully manage a household, including all finances, later on. If you have photographs of any of these activities, our archivist would love to see them. Contact Pamela Nye, Director of Archives, at 404-609-6110 or pamelanye@westminster.net.
1937-38: NAPS Catalog Supplement. The Domestic Science classes included the “study of classification of foods and their nutritive values.”
ALUMNI NEWS
1950: Napsoniana yearbook. Girls in chemistry class. Do you recognize these students?
1952: Napsoniana yearbook. Seniors Janet Ware and Betsy Tippett in chemistry class.
1942: Facts and Fancies yearbook. A Washington Seminary chemistry class.
1948: Facts and Fancies yearbook. The Science Club explores biology.
1950: Facts and Fancies yearbook. A chemistry class learns about water purification as featured in the “Ecneics Club� spread in the yearbook.
1953: Facts and Fancies yearbook. Science Club.
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Class News NAPS 1950 Joy Tasker Streater writes, “Trying to keep up with the activities of our 17 grandchildren —five in college—keeps Ken and I busy.” Westminster
Dell Peek Rearden ’60, Peter Stelling ’60, Jody Collins Weatherly ’60, Carolyn Logue Luesing ’60, Ed Croft ’60
1952 Guerry Graham Gordon shares, “I am still in Haymarket, Virginia, very near Manassas. I live about five minutes from my daughter, Guerry. I am widowed but have a best friend, Sonny McCaslin. He is so very kind to me. We’re together most of the time!” 1955 Ann Pegram Howington appreciated last year’s tour, visit, homecoming fried chicken supper, and PAWS presidents’ coffee!
The Class of 1960 came to Westminster for a tour of JanTerm 2017.
Reagan Yancey Davis, daughter of Caroline and Chris Davis, granddaughter of Mary Helen Akers Abbott ’68
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1956 Peggy Lloyd Melton writes, “We still live on Lake Burton, and I have my real estate office at home, Peggy Melton Realty, LLC. I do mostly referrals. We still enjoy traveling.
We have 14 grandchildren and three great-grands. We enjoy all of them! I recently found a necklace with the Westminster logo on it and remembered that we got them as seniors.” 1957 Carroll Litsinger Morgan writes, “Our older granddaughter was married here in Annapolis in June. She and her husband live and work in D.C. as does our younger granddaughter. Both of the girls graduated from UGA, following in their mother’s footsteps!” 1963 Nancy Bryan Terrell and her husband Duke Terrell ’61 celebrated 50 years of marriage on August 26, 2016. Congratulations! 1964 Cathy Booth Chambers lost her brother, Arthur S. Booth Jr., on June 18, 2016. 1967 Len Bourland’s book, Normal’s Just a Cycle on a Washing Machine, a
David Gray ’70, Debbie Dever Gray ’72, Hayden Gray ’08, Lib Gray Constantine ’02, Amy Hanley Rothermel, Ali Gray Prickett ’05, Clay Prickett ’02, Michael Hanley ’06, and Laura Hanley Stickney ’97 on the Liseron in the Tongass National Forest in Alaska
CLASS NEWS
humorous memoir weaving her awardwinning columns written for various media outlets in the Dallas area into a narrative that will make you smile, was released this fall in paperback and on Kindle. It can be found or ordered on Amazon or at any bookstore.
Helen ’70 and Sallie McSwain ’08 Make Medicine a Family Affair
1968 Zach Young was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Civil Law from Sewanee: The University of the South during the school’s Winter Convocation in January.
“I can only hope Sallie gets as much enjoyment in her career as I have had in mine,” Helen says. “A career in medicine is an opportunity to work hard at something you love, to develop lasting relationships with patients, and to do some real good for individuals and society.”
1969 Robert Lipman writes, “I am very involved with forming and developing a mountain retreat/camp targeting disadvantaged and special needs/healthchallenged kids located in Ellijay. I have partnered with Camp Sunshine and Twin Lakes Camp in expanding and reaching out to bring kids in from throughout the state.” Dr. Sara Neely Newman moved from the Chicago area to Naples, Florida, in September 2015. She writes, “I worked as an oncologist until temporarily ‘retiring’ to raise my kids—for 20 years! I returned to medicine as a palliative care/hospice doctor six years ago.”
After a distinguished 30-year career, Helen Funk McSwain ’70 retired as an OB/GYN in December 2016. But the McSwain family isn’t done with medicine. Helen’s daughter, Sallie McSwain ’08, began her residency in OB/ GYN this past fall in Charleston, South Carolina.
A founder of Peachtree Women’s Specialists, Helen delivered more than 3,000 babies during her career, including many Wildcats and even the grandchildren of some of her early patients. “I wonder at Westminster functions how many of the class I might have delivered,” she says. Sallie’s not the first of her family to follow in the footsteps of a parent: Helen’s father was also a physician. Sallie credits both with inspiring her to take on a medical career. “I decided on medicine because I knew how happy my mom and my grandfather were in their careers. They just loved going to work every day,” she says. But even before Sallie headed down the medical career path, she found out she loved science while a student at Westminster. “The hours spent in Robinson during high school taught me many things, and, although I didn’t end up becoming a marine biologist, I think the marine science trip in the summer of 2006 with Mr. (Jason) Vuckovic was one of the best courses I’ve ever taken,” Sallie says, adding that her Westminster teachers challenged her, kept her interested in the subject matter, and were the best teachers she’s had. “That’s saying a lot, because I’ve been in school for 20 years!”
1970 Helen Funk McSwain writes, “I retired in December 2016 after 30 years of practice in OB/Gyn at Piedmont Hospital. I have been blessed in having many classmates and friends as patients for so many years. I look forward to spending more time with family and my four grandchildren.”
Helen Funk McSwain ’70 and daughter Sallie McSwain ’08
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CLASS NEWS
Malcolm Turner ’90: Developing Basketball Talent As President of the NBA Development League, Malcolm Turner oversees business and basketball operations for the NBA’s official minor league— and he has led the league to several exciting milestones since joining in 2014, like overseeing expansion from 18 teams to 25. More changes are on the horizon for the D-League next season as Gatorade becomes an entitlement sponsor and the league rebrands as the NBA Gatorade League. Under Malcolm’s leadership, the league is the first professional sports league in America to secure such a partnership. Beginning in the 2019-20 season, Atlantans can watch D-League action locally as the Hawks’ development team, set to play in Erie, Pennsylvania, for two years, will make its permanent home in College Park. In several ways, Malcolm says the groundwork for his professional success was laid at Westminster, where he says he developed a “stamina for excellence.” He explains: “For what this meant to me, and as I have always said throughout my career, ‘I’m just an average guy...but I’m always at my best!’” He was encouraged to chase his passions and recalls coach Dave Drake ’61 encouraging him to find something he loved to do so he’d never have to work a day in his life. “That always stuck with me then during my journey of discovery and furthered a sense of purpose thereafter in my postWestminster pursuits,” Malcolm says. Both in his career and in his personal life, Malcolm has carried with him the lesson from Westminster that who you are matters more than what you do. “The qualities of character, honesty, respect, integrity, teamwork (and more)—these are what being part of the Westminster experience is all about,” he says.
1974 Guy Long shares that he and his wife, Nell, welcomed not one but two granddaughters in 2016—Caroline Stewart Laney, daughter of Katie Long Laney ’03 and Chad Laney ’95 and Mary Alden Gilliam, daughter of Page and John Gilliam. 1978 Valerie Ravan Andrews shares, “We think we have made our final move to Traverse City in northern Michigan. The natural beauty defies description. With our two older girls in college, Lilly, at 14, is the end of the ‘nest.’ I am only sad that none of our three will be a Westminster graduate!” Bill Rogers has been living in Houston for two years, but encourages classmates to “please let (him) know if you are visiting or near Charleston, South Carolina, during vacation seasons.” Sally Sharp writes, “We moved my mom from Atlanta to Chicago in February, so sadly my travels no longer bring me ‘home.’ I miss seeing so many classmates, parents of classmates, and Mr. Boggs at Lenbrook!” David Withers shares that his son, Palmer ’11, is now living and working in Shanghai and credits the Westminster Chinese program for setting him on that path. His daughter, Carlisle ’13, will graduate from the University of Miami this May with degrees in chemistry and marine science, “thanks to AP chemistry and the Hawaii course” at Westminster. He also expresses how much Dave Drake will be missed!
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CLASS NEWS
1981 Stacey Davis Stewart became the first African-American woman to lead the March of Dimes, which works to improve the health of babies and mothers. 1982 Ken Lindeman writes, “Jim Brissette ’69 and I had a fun smallworld story recently. We met each other on a trip to France where we rode bikes and watched several stages of the Tour de France. Other than our guides, he and I turned out to be the only two on the trip who spoke any French. What a treat it was to learn, one evening while sitting around talking, that we had both graduated from Westminster. Even though our times at the school barely overlapped (I believe I was in pre-first the year he graduated), we did actually have a number of the same teachers. While we couldn’t credit any one particular French teacher for our language skills since we apparently didn’t have any of them in common, we thought it was a great testimony to the School that the only two that could
speak enough French to be helpful on the trip had learned it at our alma mater. Hope this is as fun for you to read as it was for us to discover!” 1985 Jennie Ross Garrett shares, “We had the great pleasure in August of a visit from fellow Westminster classmate, Katherine Griffin-Erickson ’85, her husband, Chris, and their daughter, Olivia, who were traveling back home to Austin, Texas, after a trip to Glacier Point, Montana!” Caroline Massey Yost shares, “I got remarried a year ago, very happily. Two kids are in college, and one is a senior in high school. I have a marketing company that helps small businesses grow, which is very busy but fun!” 1986 George Bevington reports that he “recently returned from a 12-day research fellowship in Jerusalem at Yad Vashem International Holocaust Center. (He) ran into Roby Hill ’86’s parents at Schipol International Airport in Amsterdam on the way back!”
Members of the Class of 1983 playing golf at the Austin Golf Club in Texas: Rob Tolleson, Mac McGrew, David Shelton, Hal Gatewood, David Tingue, Lawton Hawkins, Hank Bremer, and John Dunn Not pictured: Dom Wyant
Charles Driebe ’74 accompanied his management client William Bell to the Grammy Awards in LA, where Bell won the Best Americana Album Grammy and appeared on the CBS Grammy telecast.
Jim Brisette ’69 and Ken Lindeman ’82 after finishing the Alpe d’Huez, one of the iconic climbs often featured as part of the Tour de France
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CLASS NEWS
Gerry Carson ’87, Kent Carson ’23, Skip Allcorn ’65, and Dancy Allcorn Cassell ’62 show their Wildcat pride.
Stephanie Schlaifer ’95, author of Cleavemark, a full-length collection of poems
The wedding party of Katie Egan Hammer ’04 and Markus Hammer included Wildcats Anna Mintz ’04, Madeleine Houser Williams ’04, Elizabeth Durkee Benson ’04, Bonnie Gibson Sugrue ’04, Lauren Burton ’04, Katie Egan Hammer ’04, Chas Egan ’13, Jack Egan ’06, Michael J. Egan ’02
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CLASS NEWS
1990 Matthew Wright is pleased to announce the founding of Wright Law, PLC located in historic downtown Franklin, Tennessee. The firm has handled catastrophic commercial transportation cases across the country and advocates for improvements in transportation safety. wrightlawplc.com 1995 Stephanie Schlaifer’s first full-length collection of poems, Cleavemark, has just been released from BOAAT Press. Last year, Stephanie was included in the anthology Best New Poets 2015, and she has a new poem in the summer issue of the Georgia Review. Stephanie works as a writer and artist in St. Louis, where she lives with her husband, the sculptor Arny Nadler. You can see her work at criticalbonnet.com. Jill Wener reports, “After 10 years of practicing hospital-based academic internal medicine in Chicago, I am now back in Atlanta teaching Vedic meditation full time. In addition to teaching meditation workshops in Atlanta, Chicago, and Minneapolis, I founded the ‘Meditation in Medicine’ interest group for healthcare professionals, which meets monthly in the Atlanta area. If you want to know more about Vedic meditation and its benefits, or just reconnect, I’d love to hear from you at Jill@JillWener.com!” 2000 Ansley Cargill Gusky lives in Delray Beach, Florida, with her husband, Adam, and three-year-old son, Landon. She works as a financial analyst for a family office. Her sister, Kristin Cargill Sridhar ’03, lives in Greenville, South Carolina, and has a two-year-old, Emerson. Emerson and Landon love playing together!
ever want to stay in touch with classmates? ever wonder which alumni work in your field? ever want to network with other Westminster alumni?
westminster.net/evertrue EverTrue uses information from your public LinkedIn profile and information you’ve shared with Westminster. Only fellow Westminster alumni can see your information. Email alumni@westminster.net if you wish to opt out.
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CLASS NEWS
Class of 1999: On the Front Lines of Public Health Hope Hamrick Biswas ’99 and Katie Curran ’99 have both been working as Epidemic Intelligence Service officers with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hope is in the second year of the two-year applied epidemiology fellowship, and Katie finished in June 2016. Hope: I’ve been interested in epidemiology since my time at Westminster. For my final project in my AP Statistics class, I designed a study to compare the proportions of children at Westminster who had chickenpox before and after the chickenpox vaccine became available. My EIS assignment is at the California Department of Public Health. On a day-to-day basis, I could be working on anything from analyzing data on congenital syphilis to investigating an outbreak of Salmonella at a summer camp. So far, the highlights of my EIS fellowship have been helping set up a system to monitor pregnant women and infants with Zika infection in Colombia and helping coordinate the rapid response to a meningococcal disease outbreak at a university in California. It is incredibly rewarding to work at the CDC, where I can apply my skills and training to protect and improve public health.
Hope Hamrick Biswas ’99 investigates a campground after a plague patient visited Yosemite National Park. Her investigation involved trapping rodents and testing their fleas for Yersenia pestis, the bacterium that causes plague in humans.
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Katie: In addition to Westminster’s rigorous academic training and AP Statistics (great preparation for biostatistics coursework during public health training), I was inspired by taking “School for the Common Good,” in which we learned about social justice and community service. My career in public health was shaped by an interest in science and public service, a desire to improve the health of populations, and personal experience—my dad worked at the CDC for 25 years. As an EIS officer, I was able to serve as “boots on the ground” in many different investigations and responses including Ebola in Sierra Leone, cholera in Kenya and Tanzania, and an outbreak of E. coli in Washington state among school-aged children attending a dairy education event. Curiosity, flexibility, and collaboration are critical during outbreak response—you work with a wide range of partners, and plans and priorities change as you learn new information. I now work with the Global Tuberculosis Branch in the Division of Global HIV/AIDS and TB at the CDC in Atlanta.
Katie Curran ’99 works with disease surveillance officers as part of the Ebola response in Sierra Leone.
CLASS NEWS
Berkeley Given, daughter of Christian and Cason Wilson Given ’05, and Mary Benson Barbour, daughter of Charles and Emily Balentine Barbour ’03, were baptized at First Presbyterian Church on November 13, 2016. Both girls are fourthgeneration members of the church.
Westminster alums celebrate at the wedding of Lindsay McGhee Kaufman ’06 and Mark Kaufman ’04.
Westminster alumni celebrate the marriage of Julia Greenberg French ’07 and Wes French ’07.
2001 Lindsay Linsky lives with her family in Suwanee and works as an assistant professor at the University of North Georgia. Her love for the natural world and the Christian faith began in her days at Westminster and paved the way for her to study Environmental
Education at UGA and write Keep It Good: Understanding Creation Care through Parables. Lindsey’s self-published book is a friendly and creative attempt to see creation through God’s eyes. Using stories about familial struggles and successes, teenage escapades, tragic
mistakes, historical figures, and updated versions of literary pieces, Keep It Good will open your eyes to how Christians are missing the mark when it comes to God’s creation and provide practical suggestions for how to get there.
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CLASS NEWS
2002 Kerrie Glass Murphy writes, “My husband, Rob, and I moved to Charleston in the summer of 2015 and both work at Medical University of South Carolina. We are proud parents to two daughters, Ellie (two and a half) and Clare (nine months).”
Chris Callaway ’04 with John, Mary Katherine ’08, and Kathy Callaway following his Honors MBA graduation at the University of Chicago convocation
Westminster alumni at the wedding reception of Carolyn Harris Portwood ’10 and Henry Portwood ’10 at the Piedmont Driving Club
Class of 2012 Westminster alums at Washington and Lee graduation: Mitchell Brister, Hayden Yates, Raymond Monasterski, Mitchell Hamilton, Wyn Ponder
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Katie McGahan ’16, now a student and lacrosse goalie at Cornell, ran into Dayne Christian, father of Lyric Christian ’15, in New York City.
2004 Christina Elizabeth Story and Lukas Sigmund, from Brno, Czech Republic, were married on September 3, 2016, at Blue Sky Ranch in Park City, Utah. Two months following the wedding, they enjoyed a three week self-guided rafting adventure through the Grand Canyon. 2007 Margaret Ivey is living in New York and is working as an actor. She recently signed with an agent, Harden-Curtis Associates, and is playing the title role in Jane Eyre this spring at Cincinnati Playhouse and Milwaukee Repertory Theater. 2009 Tired of seeing his fellow millennials so unhappy, Chris Butsch quit his job at Epic in 2015 to study positive psychology full-time and travel the world, interviewing hundreds of monks, millionaires, swamis, and psychologists, as well as millennials from 31 different countries.
CLASS NEWS
Submit Your
Class News Did you get married? Have a baby? Win an award? Move? Start a new job? Travel somewhere amazing? We want to hear about it!
Submit your Class News to classnews@westminster.net or Westminster Attention: Class News 1424 West Paces Ferry Road NW Atlanta, Georgia 30327 The deadline for the fall 2017 issue is August 1, 2017. This issue reflects submissions received before February 15, 2017.
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Marriages 1999 Kate Strother and Barnett Edelen, August 6, 2016 2001 Ginger DuBose and James Heckman, December 19, 2015 Lidiya Sokhnich and Mason Chapple, May 7, 2016 2002 Holly Hinz and Brad Kaufman, June 25, 2016 Chelsea Whyte and Wesley Dennard, November 5, 2016 2003 Megan Zhao and William Akers, September 16, 2016 2004 Katie Egan and Markus Hammer, April 2, 2016
Lindsay McGhee and Mark Kaufman, June 4, 2016 2007 Kat Michaels and David Armstrong, October 8, 2016 Alden Denny and George Barsness, September 24, 2016 Julia Greenberg and Wes French, April 23, 2016 Katie Morris and Jamie Kaplan, October 15, 2016 2008 Emily Cook and Alex McConnell, June 18, 2016
Westminster alumni at the wedding of Kate Strother Edelen and Barnett Edelen. L-R: Lauren DuPriest (Lower School Faculty), Walter DuPriest ’99 (Middle School Faculty), Leila Brumby Wise ’02, Jimmy Eastham ’73, Cathy Henson ’73, Wade Boggs (Former Faculty), Julie Black Boggs ’69 (Former Faculty), Carter Thomas ’98 (Middle School Faculty), Barnett Edelen, Kate Strother Edelen ’99 (Former Faculty), Meg Strother McCullar ’02, Kelsey Stansbury Greene ’99, Allison Strueber Dyer ’99, Lauren Flinn ’99, Kerry Quinn Granfield ’99, Catherine Henson Curlet ’99, Jennifer Veatch (Middle School Faculty), Maury Hitchcock (Lower School Faculty), Sara Louise Carpenter ’99
Blair Trygstad and Andrew Stowe, October 22, 2016
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Lindsay McGhee and Mark Kaufman, June 4, 2016
Mary Caroline Hunt and Neal Davis, April 6, 2016
Christina Story and Lukas Sigmund, September 3, 2016
2010 Carolyn Harris and Henry Portwood, October 8, 2016
Margaret Mansfield and John Ale, April 9, 2016
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2009 Eleanor Alby and Harden Hunt, November 5, 2016
2006 Mary Lowell Downing and William Gilreath Pettit, November 12, 2016
Madeleine Houser Williams ’04 and her husband, Wesley Williams, on their wedding day
Ansley Spratlin and Stuart Seiler, September 3, 2016
Madeleine Houser and Wesley Williams, May 7, 2016
2005 Sarah Hay and Thompson Rawls, August 13, 2016
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Community, Faculty, and Staff Kasey Clonts (Middle School Faculty) and Jerry Stout, November 19, 2016
William Akers ’03 and his wife on their wedding day in Hong Kong Westminster alums at the wedding of Kat Michaels and David Armstrong ’07 in Virginia Beach, Virginia
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Class of 2008 alumni at the wedding of Blair and Andrew Stowe ’08 on October 22, 2016, in Santa Barbara, California. From left to right: Giacomo Waller, Knox Sutterfield, Tucker Hartley, Blair and Andrew Stowe, Jack Heberton, Jay McDaniel, and George Fryhofer
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Wesley Dennard ’02 and his wife, Chelsea Whyte Dennard, on their wedding day
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Mary Lowell Downing ’06 and her husband, William Gilreath Pettit, on their wedding day
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Katie Egan Hammer ’04 and husband Markus Hammer on their wedding day
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Lindsay McGhee Kaufman ’06 and Mark Kaufman ’04 on their wedding day
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Ansley Spratlin Seiler ’08 and Stuart Seiler ’08 on their wedding day Westminster alumni at the wedding of Alden Denny Barsness ’07 and George Barsness
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Carolyn Harris Portwood ’10 and Henry Portwood ’10 on their wedding day
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Holly Hinz ’02 and Brad Kaufman on their wedding day in Atlanta
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Mary Caroline Hunt Davis ’09 and her husband, Neal, on their wedding day
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Westminster alumni at the wedding of Katie and Jamie Kaplan ’07.
Kasey Clonts (Middle School Faculty) and Jerry Stout on their wedding day Christina Elizabeth Story ’04 and her husband, Lukas Sigmund, on their wedding day
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Thompson Rawls ’05 and his wife, Sarah, on their wedding day with the Rawls family
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Margaret Mansfield Ale ’06 and her husband, John, on their wedding day
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Emily Cook ’08 and her husband, Alex McConnell
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Eleanor Alby ’09 and Harden Hunt on their wedding day
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Julia Greenberg French ’07 and Wes French ’07 on their wedding day
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Births 1995 Caroline Stewart Laney, November 18, 2016, daughter of Katie Long Laney and Chad Laney Cannon Miller Tate and Cochrane Everett Tate, November 1, 2016, daughters of Beth Whitaker Tate and Edward Tate 1997 Cannon Miller Tate and Cochrane Everett Tate, November 1, 2016, daughters of Beth Whitaker Tate and Edward Tate 1999 Max Henry Moister, June 10, 2016, son of Kendall and Preston Moister Sanford James Pack, May 2, 2016, son of Allison Prickett Pack and Shaun Pack Carter Ridgely Smith, July 11, 2016, son of Leah and Brian Smith Ella Elizabeth Charles, September 25, 2016, daughter of Natalie Johnson Charles and Matthew Charles 2000 Walker “Brown” Iverson, December 16, 2016, son of Mary Stuart Young Iverson and Joel Iverson Nolan Chase Stockdale, March 4, 2016, son of Caroline Bowden Stockdale and Spencer Stockdale 2001 Erin Lee Pizel, October 24, 2016, daughter of Karen King and Sean Pizel 2002 David Hayes Constantine, November 11, 2016, son of Lib Gray Constantine and Walter Constantine Ellery Ann Ezzell, January 3, 2017, daughter of Caitlin and William Ezzell
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Davis “Davy” Grace Ferguson, August 25, 2016, daughter of Kristin Simmons Ferguson and Robert Ferguson William Jeffries Glass, January 4, 2017, son of Hartley Jeffries Glass and Chris Glass Jane Harper Johnson, December 20, 2016, daughter of Brittany and Grant Johnson Maren “Parker” Lewis, December 14, 2016, daughter of Lesley Attkisson Lewis and Perry Lewis William “Bill” Judson Ward III and Margaret “Mimi” Lovett Ward December 28, 2016, son and daughter of Sister and Bill Ward 2003 Caroline Stewart Laney, November 18, 2016, daughter of Katie Long Laney and Chad Laney 2004 Hadley Kase Neyhart, October 27, 2016, daughter of Kate Foster Neyhart and Michael Neyhart Rory Ann Palmer, July 20, 2016, daughter of Aisling and Justin Palmer 2005 Avery Ofei Asare, November 8, 2016, daughter of Heather Benson and Eugene Asare Carter Peyton Caswell, September 29, 2016, daughter of Maggie Woodward Caswell and Tyler Caswell 2006 Glen Harper Hyde, January 23, 2017, daughter of Jensen Hart Hyde and Alan Hyde 2008 Ellie Lane Holby, November 17, 2016, daughter of Mary McGuirk Holby and Neil Holby
Community, Faculty, and Staff Bennett “Benny” Watson Jarrell, July 17, 2016, son of Emily Horne (Discovery Faculty) and Joey Jarrell (Middle School Faculty) Hayden Jeffrey Henson, August 29, 2016, son of Alicia Henson (Lower School Faculty) and Jeff Henson Thatcher Jane Charney, September 11, 2016, daughter of Reagan and David Charney (Upper School Faculty) Joshua Shim, September 17, 2016, son of Sara and Brian Shim (Staff) Caroline Stewart Laney, November 18, 2016, daughter of Katie Long Laney (Staff) and Chad Laney (Middle School Faculty) Hunter Edward Weininger, December 31, 2016, son of Kelly Weininger (Middle School Faculty) and Jonathan Weininger William Jeffries Glass, January 4, 2017, son of Hartley Jeffries Glass and Chris Glass Bowden Blake Bailey, January 9, 2017, son of Maggie Bailey (Upper School Faculty) and Andrew Bailey Ella Simone Gray, January 13, 2017, daughter of Nyvette Gray (Lower School Faculty) and Sy Gray Amelia Zeen Porbandarwala, January 19, 2017, daughter of Shazeen Porbandarwala (Middle School Faculty) and Mazeen Porbandarwala E’Lasia Alyece Hoggro, January 21, 2017, daughter of Lacey Scott (Staff) Glenn Maxwell Solomonson, January 28, 2017, son of Sara and Drew Solomonson (Staff)
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Benny Jarrell, son of Emily Horne (Discovery Faculty) and Joey Jarrell (Middle School Faculty)
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Hayden Jeffrey Henson, son of Alicia Henson (Lower School Faculty) and Jeff Henson, with big sister Hadley
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Sara and Brian Shim (Staff) with their son Joshua
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Max Henry Moister, son of Kendall and Preston Moister ’99
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Reagan and David Charney (Upper School Faculty) with their family, including newborn Thatcher Jane
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Ella Elizabeth Charles, daughter of Natalie Johnson Charles ’99 and Matthew Charles
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Carter Ridgely Smith, son of Leah and Brian Smith ’99
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Daughter of Heather Benson ’05 and Eugene Asare, Avery Ofei Asare
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Glen Harper Hyde, daughter of Jensen Hart Hyde ’06 and Alan Hyde
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Caroline Stewart Laney, daughter of Katie Long Laney ’03 and Chad Laney ’95
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Cannon and Cochrane Tate, twin daughters of Beth Whitaker Tate ’97 and Edward Tate ’95
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William Jeffries Glass, son of Hartley Jeffries Glass ’02 and Chris Glass
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Maren “Parker” Lewis, daughter of Lesley Attkisson Lewis ’02 and Perry Lewis, with her older brother, Perry
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Glenn Maxwell Solomonson, son of Sara and Drew Solomonson (Staff)
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Bowden Blake Bailey, son of Maggie Bailey (Upper School Faculty) and Andrew Bailey
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Jane Harper Johnson, daughter of Brittany and Grant Johnson ’02, with her big brother Jules
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Amelia Zeen Porbandarwala, daughter of Shazeen Porbandarwala (Middle School Faculty) and Mazeen Porbandarwala
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Ellie Lane Holby, daughter of Mary McGuirk Holby ’08 and Neil Holby ’08
Hunter Edward Weininger, son of Kelly Weininger (Middle School Faculty) and Jonathan Weininger
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Sanford James Pack, son of Allison Prickett Pack ’99 and Shaun Pack, with big brother Carter
Walker “Brown” Iverson, son of Mary Stuart Young Iverson ’00 and Joel Iverson
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Carter Peyton Caswell, daughter of Maggie Woodward Caswell ’05 and Tyler Caswell
Erin Lee Pizel, daughter of Karen King ’01 and Sean Pizel
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David Hayes Constantine, son of Lib Gray Constantine ’02 and Walter Constantine
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BIRTHS
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Rory Ann Palmer, daughter of Aisling and Justin Palmer ’04
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E’Lasia Alyece Hoggro, daughter of Lacey Scott (Staff)
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William “Bill” Judson Ward III and Margaret “Mimi” Lovett Ward, twins of Sister and Bill Ward ’02
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Hadley Kase Neyhart, daughter of Kate Foster Neyhart ’04 and Michael Neyhart
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Ella Simone Gray, daughter of Nyvette Gray (Lower School Faculty) and Sy Gray
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Davis “Davy” Grace Ferguson, daughter of Kristin Simmons Ferguson ’02 and Robert Ferguson
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Ellery Ann Ezzell, daughter of Caitlin and William Ezzell ’02, with big sister Virginia
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In Memoriam NAPS 1930 Marjorie Tindall Clark, September 10, 2014 1931 Dorothea Blackshear Brady, April 26, 2013 1933 Audrey Jacoby Hensley, December 12, 2016 1936 Charlotte Galbraith Ramage, June 16, 2016 1942 Margaret Keene Atkins, December 1, 2016 Margarette Wilson Glover, October 31, 2010 1943 Dorothy Thomas Smith Byers, November 25, 2016 1945 Katherine Baker Blackshear Boardman, December 21, 2015 1946 Betty Rose Stivers Perry, September 27, 2016 Martha Hyde Wynn, October 30, 2016 1947 Anne Cochran Binford, June 13, 2016
1945 Ellen Quarterman Davis, September 11, 2016 Elizabeth “Betty” Slaton Wallace, December 9, 2016 1946 LewEllyn “Bess” Lundeen Finch, September 29, 2016 1947 Barbara Hirsch Ingram, November 28, 2016 1951 Diane Brantley Echols, November 18, 2016 Susan Ann McKenzie Magruder, February 12, 2016 1952 Dorothy Candler Hamilton, September 7, 2016
Westminster 1952 Betty Roberts Brown, July 27, 2016 1956 Barbara Brockman McClenny, October 18, 2016 Ellen Selman Fortune Cenzalli, January 3, 2017 Eric Hay Henderson, February 4, 2017 William Robert Mitchell Jr., December 6, 2016
1948 Jean Armstrong Smith, April 29, 2016
1957 Rosalyn Kempton Wood, December 14, 2016
Jacqueline Oliver “Jackie” Spain, April 5, 2016
1958 Gwynne G. Tonsfeldt, October 3, 2016
Washington Seminary 1936 Jan Cannon Shipp Burton, June 18, 2016 1940 Ruth Powell Glass, May 16, 2016
William V. Hall Jr., January, 17, 2017 David C. Lowance, September 9, 2016 1963 Josephine Carpenter Carlyle, August 27, 2016
Margaret Anne Cook Hopkins, November 6, 2016
1965 Penelope Odom Thompson, September 1, 2016
1941 Sonia Weinberg Schwartz, November 28, 2016
1967 Evelyn Hayden Garges Yow, January 17, 2017
1942 Laleah Sullivan Furniss, May 30, 2016
1969 Dr. Hugh Cort III, August 3, 2016
Palmour Holmes McIntire, January 15, 2017
Mark Pierson Pentecost III, January 16, 2017
1943 Marion Quisenberry Robinson, August 1, 2016
Susan Sadler Ratterree, January 19, 2017
1944 Emily Wright Cumming, November 27, 2016
1976 John “Jack” Brook Lyle, December 1, 2016 2001 J. Kevin Baker Jr., January 29, 2017 WESTMINSTER | 71
IN MEMORIAM
Washington Seminary Families John Brittain Pendergrast Jr., September 22, 2016, husband of Nan Schwab Pendergrast ’37 Crawford McLendon Sites, August 27, 2016, husband of Joan Sinclair Sites ’49
Westminster Families Paul Henry Anderson, December 27, 2016, father of Emily Anderson Tilman ’62, Paul Anderson ’66, and John Anderson ’68 Margaret Keene Atkins, December 1, 2016, mother of Jane Atkins ’66 J. Kevin Baker Jr., January 29, 2017, son of Elaine LeCraw Baker ’74, brother of Leigh Baker Adams ’03 and Suzanne Baker ’03 Betty Fleetwood Barge, August 6, 2016, mother of John Barge ’64, Kelly Barge ’66, and Betsy Barge Birkholz ’69 Richard L. Beacham, October 5, 2016, father of Blayne Beacham Macauley ’02 and Ben Beacham ’05 Beverly Hart Bremer, January 22, 2017, mother of Mimi Bremer Woodruff ’80 and Hank Bremer ’83 Dorothy “Dot” Thomas Smith Byers, November 25, 2016, mother of Cherie Van Winkle ’75 Josephine Carpenter Carlyle, August 27, 2016, mother of Matt Carlyle ’88 and Andy Carlyle ’94 Joan Weadon Cravey, October 8, 2016, mother of Joan Cravey ’69 and Carol Cravey Attridge ’72 Bette Doolittle Culver, December 3, 2016, mother of David Culver ’65, Peter Culver ’65, Kevin Culver ’70, and Meredith Culver Burris ’73 Ellen Quarterman Davis, September 11, 2016, mother of Lee Davis ’75 and Russell Davis ’79 J. Frazer Durrett Jr., September 4, 2016, father of Jim Durrett ’75, Mac Durrett ’77, Lucia Durrett Miller ’81, and Tom Durrett ’85 Donnie Bruce Fogle, November 8, 2015, father of Ander Fogle ’90 and Adam Fogle ’93 Charlyne King Fowler, October 24, 2016, mother of Cissy Fowler Benedict ’71 Laleah Sullivan Furniss, May 30, 2016, mother of Laleah Furniss Adams ’67
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Henry Woodfin Grady, February 1, 2017, father of Henry Grady III ’80 Margaret Anne Beasley Gray, December 28, 2016, mother of David Gray ’70 and Russell Gray ’81 Howard Hix Howard Green Jr., January 19, 2017, father of Hix Green ’75 and Barry Green ’81 Dorothy Candler Hamilton, September 7, 2016, mother of Joe Hamilton III ’76, John Hamilton ’80, and Betsy Hamilton Verner ’84 Eric Hay Henderson, February 4, 2017, father of Wynn Henderson ’79 and Alix Henderson ’85 Mary Elizabeth Richardson Hickman, November 14, 2016, mother of Bo Hickman ’81 Charles “Charley” Daniel Joyner IV, December 8, 2016, son of Susan Bowen Isakson ’83 Dr. Prasanna V. Kadaba, December 3, 2016, father of Wab Kadaba ’87 Carl W. Knobloch Jr., November 22, 2016, father of Emmy Knobloch ’78 Karen Lanier League, January 23, 2017, mother of Elisabeth League Irwin ’97 Julian LeCraw Sr. (Emeritus Trustee), October 25, 2016, father of Suzanne LeCraw Cox ’71, Elaine LeCraw Baker ’74, and Julian LeCraw Jr. ’77 Martha West Looney, October 5, 2016, mother of Sylvia Looney Dick ’65 Frank Love, Jr., January 24, 2017, father of Cynthia Love Jernigan ’73 and Chip Love ’78 David C. Lowance, September 9, 2016, father of Catherine Meade Lowance ’82, Jennifer Lowance Salerno ’85, and David C. Lowance Jr. ’90 Chris Mauran, December 3, 2015, husband of Julia Beasley Mauran ’65 Thomas Quentin McCleskey, August 13, 2016, father of Claire McCleskey ’08 and Connor McCleskey ’11 Palmour Holmes McIntire, January 15, 2017, mother of Palmour McIntire Dodd ’65 and Sarah Ellen McIntire Love ’72 Jan Garrett Moorman, December 15, 2016, mother of Chris Moorman ’85 and Trent Moorman ’89 John Brittain Pendergrast Jr., September 22, 2016, father of Jill Pendergrast MacGlaflin ’59, John Pendergrast ’60,
IN MEMORIAM
Nan Pendergrast Marshall ’63, Mark Pendergrast ’66, Blair Pendergrast Vickery ’70, Scott Pendergrast ’72, and Craig Pendergrast ’77 Thomas “Tommy” Jefferson Pendergrast Sr., February 17, 2017, father of Tommy Pendergrast ’66 and Cary Pendergrast Sibley ’67 Susan Sadler Ratterree, January 19, 2017, sister of Clay Ratterree ’67 Dr. Albert Amis Rayle, Jr., August 16, 2016, father of Peggy Rayle Hines ’71, Bert Rayle ’74, and Tricia Rayle DuBose ’75 Sonia Weinberg Schwartz, November 28, 2016, mother of Bill Schwartz ’62, Jay Schwartz ’65, and Bobby Schwartz ’68
Community, Faculty, and Staff David Robert Cumming Jr., April 6, 2016, father of Mary Heald (Upper School Faculty) Bette Doolittle Culver (Former Faculty), December 3, 2016 Charlyne King Fowler (Former Lower School Faculty), October 24, 2016 Mary Elizabeth Richardson Hickman (Former Faculty), November 14, 2016 Patricia Harris McAtee (Retired Faculty), February 11, 2017 Greg Myrberg (Former Faculty), September 23, 2016 Jeanette Robinson (Former Staff), September 16, 2016
Crawford McLendon Sites, August 27, 2016, father of Chip Sites ’74 and Paul Sites ’77 Corbett Harold Turner, December 26, 2016, father of Ryan Turner ’99 and David Turner ’02 Elizabeth “Betty” Slaton Wallace, December 9, 2016, mother of Elizabeth Wallace Miller ’76 and John Wallace ’79 James Michael Walters, September 12, 2016, father of Ashley Walters Ingvoldstad ’93 and Whitney Walters Woodward ’97 William Chester Warren III (Emeritus Trustee), January 12, 2017, father of Bill Warren ’72, Glenn Warren ’77, and Jimmy Warren ’83 Eugenia “Jean” Creekmore Wilson, September 14, 2016, mother of Caroline Wilson Spangenberg ’69, Berke Wilson ’71, and Laura Wilson Blackburn ’73
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The Last Look Scoot Dimon’s office is as full of personality as the man himself. From his favorite jam bands to his favorite sports teams, he has surrounded himself with memorabilia representing the things he loves. It’s also full of student and alumni art, and photos of students from throughout the years abound. Enjoy this Sergeant Pepper-style tour through Scoot’s office!
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1. Scoot purchased this Tibetan Buddhist thangka painting in Nepal while on sabbatical to India and Nepal in 1999.
You will.
2. One of many tributes to the Grateful Dead in Scoot’s office, this collage includes tickets to concerts dating as far back as 1978. 3. The Second Annual Atlanta International Pop Festival—held just days after Scoot’s graduation from Westminster—included the Allman Brothers, BB King, Jimi Hendrix, Jethro Tull, and others as performers. Included in the audience was Scoot Dimon himself.
The Westminster journey doesn’t happen by chance. Your gifts to The Westminster Fund support every facet of school life for students like Betsy. As a member of the varsity cross country and swimming teams, Bible study leader, fundraising chair for Circle of Women, and an admissions ambassador, Betsy has immersed herself in school life. “Students here are encouraged to be individuals and pursue whatever they are passionate about,” she says. “My teachers have been my cheerleaders every step of the way, they truly know me and make me feel so special. There is just no place like Westminster.”
12 years ago. “Scoot sees his greeting of the students at Adams Gate and at the Middle School drop-offs as the work of a shepherd--checking the flock as they come into the fold, and knowing them by name,” Maggie says.
10. Sports memorabilia is as visible as music memorabilia in the office. The Falcons come second only to the Wildcats in Scoot’s heart!
4. Scoot purchased this wooden sign from Carver’s when
11. This photo captures the moment the Wildcats won the 2015 AAA state football championship, one of the most exciting days of Scoot’s career. Among the fans going wild are Scoot and his son Ricky, both with arms in the air and mouths open wide.
5. Scoot’s impressive collection of stuffed Wildcats includes
12. This shelf is filled with photos of Scoot’s seventh grade history classes. Every year, his classes walk to his house for a story, chocolate chip cookies, and a photo on the front steps. Alumni come by and look at their class’s photo.
Sharon Carver sold the restaurant. It was a favorite place for Scoot to have a southern lunch with Westminster colleagues, particularly from the athletics department. gifts given to him by friends and former students and Wildcats purchased while traveling.
6. This stuffed border terrier commemorates Rambler’s onstage debut as Bruiser in Legally Blonde on Kellett Stage in 2014.
YOUR SUPPORT WILL HELP WRITE THE NEXT CHAPTER OF BETSY’S STORY. MAKE YOUR GIFT TODAY AT WESTMINSTER.NET/GIVING
9. Scoot’s wife, Maggie, painted this icon of the Good Shepherd
7. Scoot still uses the Bible he received at his graduation in 1970. 8. Scoot displays a few team trophies from tennis tournaments—and one commemorating his role as Voice of the Wildcats for 26 years.
13. Doug Flutie was a great quarterback for the Buffalo Bills, and Scoot was a huge fan. In his heyday in the late 1990s, Flutie Flakes were born. Scoot and Ricky each still have a box (and, yes, Scoot’s still has cereal inside)! 14. The Cat in the Hat is always nearby. Scoot’s love of Dr. Seuss is well-known, especially in Lower School!
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THE MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI, PARENTS, AND FRIENDS | SPRING 2017
The
Renaissance
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Parents of alumni: If this issue is addressed to your child who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the Office of Alumni Engagement of the new mailing address by emailing alumni@westminster.net or calling 404-609-6205.
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Westminster’s Rhodes Scholars 12 Scoot Dimon Retires 18