Wesleyan Spring 2013 Magazine by Wesleyan School

W ESLEYA N t h e m a g a z i n e o f w e s l e ya n s c h o o l

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v o l u m e i x , i s s u e ii

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

SPRING | SUMMER 2013

ADMINISTRATION Zach Young HEADMASTER Kathy Benson ASSISTANT HEADMASTER FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

WESLEYAN The Magazine of Wesleyan School • Volume VIV, Issue II

Chris Cleveland ASSISTANT HEADMASTER FOR ADVANCEMENT Matt Cole EXECUTIVE HEADMASTER FOR MAJOR GIFTS & PLANNED GIVING Joy Wood LOWER SCHOOL PRINCIPAL Ramona Blankenship MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL Sean Casey HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL Andy Cook DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Billy Coxhead DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS AND FINANCE Meg Foster DIRECTOR OF FINE ARTS Marc Khedouri DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS Mari Beth King DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS Greg Lisson DIRECTOR OF CHRISTIAN LIFE Chad McDaniel DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS Brian Morgan DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY

WESLEYAN Magazine is published by the Communications Department of Wesleyan School and printed by Bennett Graphics. Chris Cleveland ASSISTANT HEADMASTER FOR ADVANCEMENT Chad McDaniel DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS Alice Macgill COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST Mamie McIntosh GRAPHIC DESIGNER

PROOFREADERS Tim Blue Kendra Morris FRONT COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Betty Ann Connor FRONT INSIDE COVER AND BACK COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Brian Morgan Special appreciation goes out to the alumni, faculty, parents, and staff of Wesleyan School whose contributions make this magazine successful. Every attempt has been made to ensure accuracy within this magazine. However, please notify Chad McDaniel, Director of Communications, of any errors or omissions and accept our sincere apologies.

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

PHOTOGRAPHERS Betty Ann Connor Linda McElwaney Gillian Mauldin Brian Morgan Kelly Morris Jim Worthington

6 FEATURES: PAYING IT FORWARD

62 ATHLETICS IN REVIEW

Wesleyan alumni remember those coaches who served as mentors and whose impact has lasted beyond graduation.

Rebecca Carpenter Kennedy ’02 reflects on the cycle of blessings that begin at Wesleyan. Alumni share their favorite memories of campus, faculty and friends.

12 COMMENCEMENT 2013 Share in the joy and excitement of graduation weekend through pictures and speeches from Baccalaureate and Commencement.

36 COLLEGE ADVISING

Students find their “fit” through the direction of Wesleyan’s College Advisors.

41 MISSION TRIPS

Enjoy highlights and photo galleries from Wesleyan’s ten spring mission trips.

81 RETIREMENTS

Wesleyan celebrates the service and dedication of five women who will be dearly missed.

86 WELCOME TO WESLEYAN! Read about new faculty and staff joining the Wesleyan community in the fall. See which faculty will be filing new positions in 2013.

94 WESLEYAN ALUMNI

Catch up on alumni news including weddings, births, event recaps, and Circle of Honor inductions.

2 LETTERS|WELCOME 6 FEATURES 34 STUDENT NEWS 40 CHRISTIAN LIFE 52 FINE ARTS 62 ATHLETICS 77 LIBRARY NEWS 78 FACULTY NEWS 94 ALUMNI Our Mission: Wesleyan’s mission is to be a Christian school of academic excellence by providing each student a diverse college preparatory education guided by Christian principles and beliefs; by challenging and nurturing the mind, body, and spirit; and by developing responsible stewardship in our changing world.

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

CONTENTS

photography by Brian Morgan

welcome

Zach Young Headmaster

Dear Wesleyan Friends,

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

The theme for Wesleyan’s magazines this year is “Shared Blessings,” after the name of the capital campaign in which we are currently engaged. This current edition will emphasize the shared blessings that change has on our lives as individuals and as a community.

Spring and summer are times of change in the lives of our graduates who leave high school behind and move on to college. While a certain amount of change is positive, our hope is that the school’s “Jesus, Others, Yourself” priority system will stick with our alums as they move beyond Wesleyan’s gates. Our consistent message is that the God of the universe is unchanging in the past, present and the future. For Christians, this is the only stability we can count on in our lives. Though the shifting sands of this world provide constant change, we depend on God’s sameness. In the gospel of Luke in the Sermon on the Plain, Jesus addresses the need for a stable foundation and something to hold on to in the midst of change: “Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it because it had been well-built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

Change is one of life’s constants. Ironically, as much as we want stability, we also want change. Without change, life would be like shades of gray rather than the vibrant colors that come from new sights, sounds, places, and experiences. School itself is embedded with change because to learn is to change. Without change, there is no learning. To fail to learn is to stay the same. So when we complain about a course or an activity being too hard or too difficult, we are really complaining about the amount of change in us that it is requiring. But, change is necessary if we want to grow and improve. As the old baseball adage goes, “You can’t steal second and keep your foot on first base.” Sometimes change is more painful than at other times. Death, separation, and failure are forms of change that we rue, but as Jesus said to the apostles who feared they would drown in the storm on the Sea of Galilee, “Where is your faith?” Jesus implied that when we are with him, we need not worry about change, even unto death. On the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter suggested that Jesus allow him to build shelters for Jesus, Elijah, and Moses. He wanted to reside there and continue the mountaintop experience with a transfigured Jesus and two of the greats of Judaism. He didn’t want to return to the way things were down the mountain. But, Jesus knew that this experience had served its purpose of showing Peter, James, and John who he really was.

welcome | headmaster

It was time to move on and live life with the change that this encounter produced. Later would come the changes at Easter that would turn the world upside-down. In some ways, the changes children experience in school are a metaphor for life. Elementary school, middle school, and high school each have their distinctive changes. They mirror the changes that we all encounter in adulthood as we move to full-time work, marriage, children, and later life. Life after high school requires starting all over again: learning, changing, being tested, producing outcomes, and making decisions about how to use the time we are given.

In Christ,

Zach Young Headmaster

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Many seem to expect the graph of life to be ever upward-sloping, with time on the x-axis and happiness, success, or prosperity on the y-axis. But we know that this is not really the way it works. A graph of our lives is more likely to look like a measure of the bond market than an airplane gradually climbing to its cruising altitude of 30,000 feet. The ultimate change for humans is the change brought on by death. Jesus forever changed the way we should look at eternity because he made the graph shoot straight up at that point. No more ups and downs, but life eternal with God with new bodies and excitement abounding. According to theologian Tim Keller in King’s Cross, it is like a kind of eternal dance where we “exalt each other, commune with each other, and defer to one another” like “each person in the Trinity glorifies the other.” This is a change we can long for!

So, is change a blessing? It is when we are with Jesus. As Paul says in Romans 8:37-39, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This is the greatest “shared blessing” of all!

photography by Brian Morgan

welcome | board of trustees

Rob Binion Chairman, Board of Trustees

The Way of the Cross: A Legacy of Shared Blessings

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34, NIV).

Ours is an entitled culture. Our expectations, our desires, and our expected rights are at an unprecedented level in modern history. The idea of denying ourselves and taking up the cross is truly a counter-cultural phenomenon. Yet Wesleyan has put the concept in front of our constituents in every venue–Jesus Others Yourself. This is truly the ultimate instruction on how to create blessings.

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Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, gives us the stability and the foundation to explore change and growth. The purpose of this growth, though, should indeed be to glorify His name and not our own needs and wants.

The biblical historical account of the exile of the Israelites from Egypt tells a dramatic story of an enslaved people who were led from servitude into a blessed promised land. As Moses worked to convince them to leave, they were afraid of abandoning what they had and what they knew. As bad as it was, the fear of the unknown made them reluctant to seek change. Faith would eventually overcome their fear, as it will for all of us. Faith will bring you blessings–shared blessings. As Wesleyan contemplated leaving Sandy Springs to move to Peachtree Corners, there were those who would suffer from such a move. A longer commute in Atlanta traffic loomed for

many families. Most faced an inconvenient change in school venue in relation to their homes and offices. The uncertainty of curricular and extracurricular offerings blurred the vision. Using trailers (“modular educational units”) versus the permanent buildings in Sandy Springs seemed unfathomable to some, even with the promise of new buildings to be built on 52 acres of pristine, unencumbered land. But, Wesleyan is the school that it is today because of those who would deny themselves and do something for others. They would share their blessings. There were eight trustees on the board when the decision was made to move from Sandy Springs. Ultimately, two of the eight would not move their children to the new campus, but they saw the potential of the new site. They envisioned the shared blessings that were to come. There were 500 students at Wesleyan in 1995. When the decision was made to move to Peachtree Corners, only 250 of them made the move with the school. There was plenty of debate and conversation about the new site, but the opportunity was clearly a blessing that would benefit many over the long run. God allowed miracles to unfold to create blessings that could be shared by many future generations - miracles that were created by people coming together in providential ways to bolster God’s kingdom. Of course, He didn’t need Wesleyan to bolster the kingdom, but he allowed it to happen for others to witness. The list of names of the early participants used by God to create these shared blessings is long. This is one of the unique

welcome | board of trustees

things about Wesleyan and its development: there was not one benefactor or namesake; there were many. Visionary sacrifices were made and shared by the early providers. In contrast, the development of Harvard and Stanford can be traced to a singular or–at most–a few benefactors. One could argue that Wesleyan could be renamed the Zachry S. Young School, but he would quickly rebuff such a thought because he knows the story! Barbara Adler, Bobbie Lencke, Gwen Cleghorn, Donn Gaeblein, and countless others formed a sound curricular foundation for what would become the Wesleyan we know today. Raymond Walker, Sherri Austin, Dan Cowart, and the other members of the original board prayerfully sought God’s wisdom and will for what our direction would be as we planned to leave our Sandy Springs church home in 1995.

Over the past eighteen years, the board has embraced change with faith and prayer.

May God Bless You.

Rob Binion Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God (Acts 5:3839, NIV).

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Many plaques on campus bear the names of early boosters who provided the financial resources which inspired the administration and faculty to persevere and overcome the inherent uncertainty of the unknown future site. Since 1995, thousands of supporters have provided for Wesleyan with financial gifts. These gifts have not only built the physical campus, but have provided an endowed financial footing that will share blessings for future generations by providing financial aid for families, maintenance income to counter depreciation, and income to supplement faculty salaries above and beyond tuition and annual fund gifts.

This year we have celebrated these shared blessings with a capital campaign aimed at enhancing and modifying our programs, and providing additional funding for maintenance and financial aid endowment. Some said a capital campaign could not be accomplished in 2013. Others spoke these same words in 1995, as we planned the move to our new site. But, this year, we have raised over $16 million towards our goal of $16.5 million. We have raised over $130 million over the past eighteen years. Shared Blessings indeed! Overcoming fear through faith and denying yourself to take up the cross will produce miraculous results that cannot be achieved by man alone. Thank you for your part in providing a legacy of shared blessings.

alumni | feature

Paying It Forward:

SHARING BLESSINGS ACROSS MILES AND GENERATIONS written by Rebecca Carpenter Kennedy ’02, Alumni & Special Events Coordinator

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his past fall, I jumped at the chance to go on the Nicaragua mission trip. “This is going to be a great!” I thought. My March schedule was seemingly light; I was ready and available to go.

In September, no one my age has plans six months in advance… But, as luck would have it, come March I was planning a wedding, in the middle of an alumni annual fund campaign, coaching track, and trying to keep my head above water with events on campus. I was burned-out before I even left. But, it was in the midst of my tired tears that God smiled. With instructions to be at the airport at 5:15am, my team of 14 students and four leaders left for Nicaragua on Saturday, March 9. This day was full of travel and anxiety, and ended with our first of many rice and bean supper–a Nicaraguan favorite! By Sunday, though, I started to feel a little more confident in my decision to leave behind my wedding and work stress, and I began to focus more on how awesome my team was, how much I adored our host missionaries, Kathy and Carol Most, and how beautiful the third-world country of Nicaragua is! On Monday morning, we ventured out on a bumpy, four-hour school bus ride up to the mountain town of Esteli, and spent

ABOVE LEFT: Rebecca Carpenter Kennedy ’02 plays with a child in Nicaragua. ABOVE RIGHT: The 2013 Wesleyan mission team to Nicaragua.

the next three days working at a local school. It didn’t matter if I was tired or not, the children there were ready to be chased around the yard, play a game of soccer, sing songs in Spanish as we did arts and crafts, and just be loved-on in any form or fashion. From the outside, this school is the opposite of Wesleyan. It has little resources, few teachers, only a few textbooks, and no donors clambering to support the school. But, from a foundational standpoint, this is Wesleyan School in Nicaragua! School leaders have made the decision to be a Christian school guided by Christian principles and beliefs–and no matter what, it is not going to deny teaching its students Christ’s love. And, like at Wesleyan, when you put a cute five-year-old in a uniform, you can’t help but instantly fall in love with them! It didn’t matter that I was exhausted and couldn’t speak their language (though I did quickly learn Silencio por favor–“silence please” and Compartas por favor–“share please”). Each day, I looked forward to going to the school to play, work, and listen to those children laugh. It was easy to get lost in their eyes–and I wished that there was more I could do to ensure a brighter future for them. On our last day there, I went to gather our team for lunch and found all 14 students standing together around a group of teenagers from the school. As I walked over, I witnessed one of the

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ABOVE LEFT: Palmer Brasher ’13 working on a construction project. ABOVE RIGHT: Andrew Dorman ’13 with Nicaraguans.

most beautiful things I’ve ever seen on a mission trip. Senior Andrew Dorman was speaking sign language to these local teenagers, who were all deaf. Because Andrew could not speak any Spanish, senior Palmer Brasher stood next to him translating in Spanish to the teacher and other students what Andrew was communicating in sign language. I felt like I was watching Moses and Aaron tag team the Jewish exile from Egypt. It was awesome!

I loved listening to our team laugh and share the memories they had made in their three days in Esteli. I was so proud of how hard they worked and how much they had invested in these children. I still think about their radiant faces–they were all beaming!–over-joyed that they were the unlikely candidates that God used on one of His adventures. They were given His power, and got to share His blessings. And watching them, seeing their eyes light up with awe, wonder, and love, was just like watching those Nicaraguan children–it was the same face.

We asked our alumni to share some of their favorite Wesleyan memories. Some are silly, some are touching, but all reflect the desire of our students–past and present–to “pay forward” the blessings shared with them while at Wesleyan. Enjoy!

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

The most touching moment of the trip, though, was when the teacher took me aside to say that, because these students were unable to hear, they had no relationships with anyone but each other and her. No one else at school, nor even in their own families, could communicate with them. Yet, for the first time, someone from the outside was able to reach out to them. Andrew’s ability to connect to these kids–though silently–proved to be a blessing beyond words!

This year, we’ve been telling you about how Wesleyan has experienced and benefitted from the blessings of those who came before us and helped to create the wonderful school that students currently enjoy. But, the most important aspect of the blessings shared at Wesleyan is that they do not end. They have a ripple effect: after they’re received, they continue to be shared–year after year–even after students graduate. Through our teachers in the classroom; our coaches on the fields; the endless hours put into Fiddler on the Roof and other productions; the wisdom of our board and administrators; and the overwhelming response from our parents and friends to our capital campaign, Wesleyan’s blessings are continuously poured out over our school community. We pass these blessings on to enrich our students, who will become future fellow alumni–our soon-to-be “next generation.” And the beauty is that, out of our giving - out of the extra resources that we give to our students– we actually give to the world; our blessing are shared with the children in Nicuragua, the orphans in Ukraine, our fraternity brothers and sorority sisters in college, and to all those who have yet to be touched by the laughter, knowledge, and faith of our Wesleyan students.

features

Alumni Reflections compiled by Rebecca Carpenter Kennedy ’02, Alumni & Special Events Coordinator

Missy byrd ’12 • Plays basketball and attends the United States Air Force Academy • Majoring in Behavioral Science, minoring in French • Currently enjoying basketball’s off-season. Working hard on academics (preparing to take two summer classes), and getting ready for a lot of summer concerts in Colorado!

Garrett Busch ’12 • Attends Clemson University • Majoring in Marketing • Recently finished Young Life leadership training in order to lead at a local high school. • Involved with Fellowship of Christian Athletes • Went on a spring break mission trip to New Orleans this past March.

Hunter hartwell ’10

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• Attends Vanderbilt University • Majoring in Economics and Political Science, minoring in French • Interning this summer with the Global Concepts office of McKinsey & Company in Atlanta

Kelsey sanders ’10 • Attends the University of Georgia • Majoring in Human Development, minoring in Spanish, and is in the prenursing program • Studying in Cádiz, Spain this summer • Volunteers with UGA Miracle and CURE@UGA

andrew whited ’10 • Attends Auburn University • Majoring in Graphic Design • Preparing for internships and his last semester in the fall

What was your favorite place on campus?

my top ten moments of high school, I would find myself on that grass or in the rocking chairs looking out over it.

Kelsey Sanders ’10: The Fine Arts building! It’s one of a kind where the potential for creativity is endless. Although I am not pursuing a major in the arts, some of my favorite hobbies were cultivated in that building.

Charlie Carroll ’05: Hoover. I really enjoyed hanging out with all of my friends up near Hoover after school, waiting for sports practices to start.

Missy Byrd ’12: Sitting on the wall in the quad right where you walk up from the cafeteria. It’s peaceful there, and when the weather is nice, it’s a great place to sit and think. Garrett Busch ’12: The top of the stadium is my favorite for many reasons. Whether I was cheering for the football team on a crisp Friday night or capturing a bird’s eye view of our beautiful campus, nothing brings back memories like that spot. Hunter Hartwell ’10: The lake fields. Pretty much every moment I spent at Wesleyan, outside of the classroom, was spent on those fields surrounded by my best friends. If I could go back to any of

David Joyner ’05: Powell Theater. After visiting several other colleges and high schools, it became very clear that Powell Theater is a world-class facility. After spending countless hours there over a four-year period, it would have to be a lasting memory. Standout funny moment or experience at Wesleyan? Hunter Hartwell ’10: Connor Breslin sitting on a sink and having it rip off the wall and start spewing water everywhere in the middle of a team meeting, which prompted Tyler Johnson to start randomly chanting “U-S-A!” for five minutes.

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Rachael Duane ’09 • Attended Wake Forest University (’13) • Majoring in English, minoring in Creative Writing

david joyner ’05 charlie carroll ’05 • Attended Vanderbilt University (‘09) • Majored in Economics and History • Earned a Masters’ in Accounting (‘10) • Earned his CPA designation • Currently works as an associate in the acquisitions group at the Turnstone Group, a real estate investment firm in Atlanta

Brinker dailey ’03 • Attended Rutgers University • Majored in History • Runs a startup company, Eli Abroad, an international internship provider headquartered in NYC with operations on four continents. EiAbroad delivers a range of professional and cultural experiences.

Denis O’Hare ’01: Vic Moore–and pretty much anything or any circumstance that involved him. Standout mission trip experience? Kelsey Sanders ’10: I went to Guatemala my junior year and the trip is branded into my memory. This was my first time to experience another culture, and my fellow team members and I share moments that no one else will understand or appreciate. The undeniable presence of Christ shone through the people’s beautiful faces. I am now pursuing a minor in Spanish because of the magnetic effect of this culture.

denis o’hare ’01 • Attended University of Georgia (’05) • Majored in Finance • Earned Masters in Accounting at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill • Currently works at The Coca-Cola Company as a senior accountant

Missy Byrd ’12: Mrs. Mays taught me to use the color wheel literally the week before I went to the Dominican Republic, and I used it to help a child I met down there. I painted whatever he wanted all over his body, but I only had four colors and had to mix and match them to paint everything. Rachael Duane ’09: The mission retreat before my trip to Peru. I learned so much about my classmates–things that opened my eyes to how intricately God writes everyone’s story. David Joyner ’05: During my first mission trip to Guatemala, a little girl I befriended said toward the end, “Se llama Cristia porque estas como un hermano a mi.” The sentence stuck with me, but it took years to understand its true meaning. At the time I thought it translated to, “Your name is Cristia because you’re like a brother to me,” but I came to realize it meant, “You’re called a Christian because you’re like a brother to me.”

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

Charlie Carroll ’05: I’ll never forget sharing my most embarrassing moment in front of the entire high school for the Homecoming Court festivities my senior year. I just hope that everyone else has forgotten about it!

• Attended Georgia Tech • Majored in Computer Science • Earned a Masters’ in Human-Computer Interaction • Currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Human-Centered Computing; proposing his thesis with an estimated dissertation completion in either Winter 2013 or Spring 2014

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Best classroom experience? Kelsey Sanders ’10: My favorite classroom experience centered on one of the best teaching tools that I believe exists today: the workout ball. In Mrs. Shupert’s senior English literature class, we sat on bouncy balls and it was THE BEST! I learned so much because of this simple apparatus, and I truly believe that I am not able to reach my true potential without sitting on one of these. It almost made me become an English major...almost…Thanks Shup! Andrew Whited ’10: Mrs. Grogan’s AP Chemistry class. I was both interested and challenged by the material while having a really fun time.

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Hunter Hartwell ’10: Journalism was the only class I had where I felt like I controlled what I got out of the class, which made it unique for me. It could have been as little or as much as each of us wanted, but being able to determine that for ourselves and learn to work with others in a full-time group setting provided experience I still rely on today.

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Rachael Duane ’09: Freshman English with Ms. Holby was my best classroom experience. It’s where I fell in love with the subject and started becoming comfortable with sharing my own ideas. Ms. Holby challenged how deeply I thought about literature - a challenge that continues to fuel my passion for writing.

Best Chapel? Missy Byrd ’12: The Amish chapel, and the chapel where we had a speaker who almost died in a house fire, but his little sister ran back into the house and got a cup of water and threw it in his face telling him to live. Hunter Hartwell ’10: Putting together the senior guys’ chapel and playing in that was a great experience because it allowed us to see chapel in a different light. Also, I’d say I was most influenced by Dr. Gholston’s chapel devotion.

Denis O’Hare ’01: The one where the band sang “Joy to the World” by Three Dog Night and then Brian Kennerly pointed out that Jeremiah was not a bullfrog, he was a prophet, and chapel was over. That was also my last chapel of senior year.

Stand out service day experience? Andrew Whited ’10: Being able to serve in a thrift shop with my peer group my freshman year. Hunter Hartwell ’10: Going with Mr. Crew and a handful of other guys to serve food at the Atlanta Mission downtown. Teacher that shaped or inspired you? Missy Byrd ’12: Mrs. Tucker and Mrs. Ragains are awesome. I take French at the Air Force Academy and it has been an easy transition because my amazing French teachers already taught me what we are currently doing in class! Andrew Whited ’10: Mrs. Jayne Burns. She was always encouraging and joyful. She helped shape my passion for art. I loved her saying, “We create because our Father is a creator.” Garrett Busch ’12: Mr. Tamel really fostered my creativity in and out of the classroom, and was always there to give me advice or edit one of my papers. Whether on the soccer field or in his office, I could always count on Mr. Tamel to be genuine and pour into me. Brinker Dailey ’03: Coach Davies...He taught us to be men while also having a laugh.

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Garrett Busch ’12: Coach McDaniel did the impossible: he made running fun! Coach McDaniel didn’t just care about the varsity runners; he helped and encouraged every single runner out there like they were the most important member of the team.

Rachael Duane ’09: Mrs. Lacy will always be one of my most treasured teachers because of how she brought her faith into the classroom. Hearing her talk about becoming a Christian inspired me to take the leap and follow Christ when I was a dumb, insecure fifth-grader. My life hasn’t been the same since.

Rachael Duane ’09: Through Marching Band, Mr. Foster both shaped and inspired me (and continues to). He gave me the opportunity to be a leader, he challenged my potential, and he supported me through literal tears as well as moments of accomplishment. His dedication to the Band program has been an example to me of glorifying God through hard work - work shaped by faith in God’s goodness. As Wesleyan has changed over the years, some traditions have remained constant. What are your favorite tradition memories? Missy Byrd ’12: Senior Snack. I love it!

Coach that shaped or inspired you? Kelsey Sanders ’10: On the softball field, Coach Lisson played a pivotal role in shaping who I am today. He taught me that taking flies in the outfield is one of the greatest and most fun experiences on this planet! What I love most is that the “Mr. Lisson” in the classroom is the exact same person as the “Coach Lisson” on the field. He led a powerful example for us girls, and was often the source of comic relief, but also the motivator for becoming the best that we could be. Andrew Whited ’10: Coach Plunk. He pushed me to do my best and invested in our team. I really appreciate his support and leadership.

Andrew Whited ’10: The reciting of Psalms 24; it is a powerful passage that I still recite to myself to this day. Hunter Hartwell ’10: “Mr. Young” stories. I could sit down and talk about Wesleyan with a group of people five years older and five years younger than me, and one of the things that we would all find common ground on and laugh about would be the quirky encounters we had with Mr. Young during our time at school. Rachael Duane ’09: My favorite tradition is the lower school plays. I have great memories (and pictures) of Stone Soup, The Three Piggy Opera, and the Easter Play that are both hilarious and heart-warming, as they remind me of how I grew up with so many of my classmates from Kindergarten all the way through to graduation.

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David Joyner ’05: Since graduating, I’ve often said that, despite being in a very technical field, my writing ability has been my most valuable ally and skill. For that, I owe a debt of gratitude to Dr. McIngvale, my English teacher in 11th grade. Her unstructured and unguided writing assignments–a strong contrast to the typical formal essay and assigned topic–gave me the freedom to hone a more mature writing style that has carried me through several scholarly papers, journal articles, book chapters, and theses.

Charlie Carroll ’05: Coach Baxley helped teach me that humor has the power to impact people’s lives, whether it’s used to help further relationships or just pick someone up who might be having a bad day. You’re the man, coach.

baccalaureate

2013

BACCALAUREATE

ADDRESS

given by Brad Mauldin, Small Groups Pastor, Trinity Anglican Mission

irst, Mr. Young – thank you for the privilege to come and share with you all tonight at such a special time for the Wesleyan community…

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And let me say, too, that it’s great to be back with the Wesleyan family…and amazing that it has already been two years since I left…amazing that it was fourteen years ago that I started at Wesleyan…and even more amazing to think that I was sitting where you are eighteen years ago. My wife encouraged me to not say that last part because she thought you all would think I was old and may tune out a little, but I told her not to worry: you already think I’m old.

I know this because a few years ago Dr. Blue asked his English class who they thought was older–him, Mr. Lisson, or me–and the class astutely noted that Dr. Blue was clearly the oldest (early 40s, they thought) because he was married and had kids, I was next (early 30s) because I was married, and Mr. Lisson was clearly the youngest (early 20s) because he was single at the time. The humor in the answers is that we are all the same age. I know that it’s too late for me now that I have a kid and another on the way, so I won’t even try to encourage you to think I am younger than you think! So, this old man has been thinking for months about what is going through your minds as you sit here on the eve of your graduation, and I sense that there are two things:

• First is, “man I hope he doesn’t talk for long,” which is also •

probably on the mind of some others in the room who may or may not be timing this… Second, and more seriously, “What do I really need to know as I sit on the edge of a huge change in my life?”

I really struggled over what to say to you all tonight: there are so many things I would want to say to you all at such a pivotal moment in your lives, but after months of praying and wrestling with it, I realized that there are really only two things you need to hear: • One – God loves you and you can’t do anything about it. • Two – God is good and He is on our side. In a life that feels very complicated, there is something reassuring about the simplicity of what I just said. God loves you and He is good. Although it is quite a simple statement, the enormity of it cannot be overstated. For the fact that God is good and that He loves you is the building block for everything else in life. Everything begins with our vision of God–whether we recognize it or not. We are at the mercy of our ideas. What we think will, in large part, determine what we do. Our view of God determines the view of ourselves, and all that we do flows from there. If we have an impoverished view of God –perhaps that He is like a mean judge who enjoys handing out wrath and judgment, or that He is indifferent to our suffering– then we will view ourselves in that light, as either insignificant or irrelevant. And depending on who you are, you will then either try to disprove that notion by seeking relevance through power and success or achievement, or you will agree with God and choose to live life in resignation. But, if our vision of God is that He is good and He loves us, then we will see ourselves accordingly: as valuable beyond measure because the good God of all creation loves you and me and He is on our side. This view will lead us to live with confidence and peace because we will know that we have nothing to prove.

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In my own life, I wasn’t always convinced of God’s love, or even aware of His goodness. I began to follow Christ in late middle school and, looking back, I can tell you that my dominant view of God was that He was holy and that He really wanted me to be holy. I wasn’t sure that His love for me was really unconditional, and I was confused whether holy also meant that He is good.

And so, the goal at that point in my life was to manage my sin. I would try and fail again, and try and fail again, and, through it all, lived in a deep fear that God wasn’t too impressed with me. I believed that I had to convince God that I was worthy to receive His love, and the only way to convince Him was through my obedience.

What I realized later is that I was driven and motivated by fear. I wasn’t even close to understanding what 1 John tells us–that there is no fear in love, and that perfect love casts out all fear. I had no clue about God’s love for me exactly as I was and am. But, after my second suspension, something began to change. In the form of a few people’s love toward me at that point in my life, I began to better understand God’s grace. Up to that point, I thought of grace as a deposit–something like layaway, for those of you old enough to remember what that is. I knew grace was mine, but thought it was something I needed to wait to receive at a later date – namely, when I died. It was God’s love, but delayed until the future. What I learned, though, is that grace is actually God’s action in our lives in each and every moment – in the future, but also in the present. In other words, I learned that not only are we saved by grace, but we also live by it. My second suspension became something of a semi-public scandal at the time. It was for cheating, and uncovered a larger cheating scandal that resulted in over ten expulsions. This public display of my hypocrisy exposed my shortcomings. But, instead of dying from it, I actually experienced liberation and freedom. I think many of you experience the same thing on the mission trip retreats when you tell your life stories. You share something hidden about yourself and, instead of experiencing rejection, you experience love and acceptance, and because of this you feel alive in a way that you know can only be from God. That is God’s grace, and it causes us to move away from fear and toward the trust that God is who He says He is. As I was growing in my understanding of God’s grace, I was also growing in my understanding of God’s overarching story. Sometimes, we have the unfortunate tendency to draw a conclusion from just a moment in our lives – hence the expression, “failing to see the forest for the trees.” But the longer I followed Jesus–by His grace–the more I realized that from

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I understood my ultimate destination: I knew God loved me in the future and that I was given access to Heaven after I died through the sacrifice of Christ, but I was not sure what that meant about what God thought about me right now. I mostly thought that God’s main desire for me in the moment was to not sin, so I got to work on that. The problem was that I was not very good at it, so every time I failed, I was left with the feeling that God was really disappointed in me, and I would commit myself to try even harder next time. Yet I kept failing –my immature character would eventually succumb to my circumstances. Unfortunately, the group of friends I had in early high school shared my same immature character, and we usually found ourselves in unwise circumstances. Eventually, this lack of integration between my character and my behavior–who I was on the inside and who I was on the outside–would catch up to me, sometimes in very public ways. I ended up being suspended twice in high school, which, by the way, was the same high school where Mr. Young worked for nearly 20 years, so I will say that I was a little surprised that he hired me fourteen years ago. At the time, I was convinced that he thought I was my older brother, who had received the Principal’s Award in high school! Either way, I was glad to get the job.

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30,000 feet, the story of God is one in which He relentlessly pursues His creation. The story of God begins in Creation – God willingly choosing to share His glory and presence with us. An act of love initiated by God. The Story continues with the Fall, where we begin to distrust God’s love for us and begin this long journey of operating out of fear. Yet we see in this part of the story that God was not distant; He continued to initiate love and pursue His creation all the way through to the Redemption of His people through the work of Jesus, where God enters into Creation and becomes for His people what they could not be on their own: reconnected to God. The story culminates with the Restoration of God’s kingdom; as we read in Revelation, God chooses to bring heaven to earth and to dwell forever right here. And, not only that, He chooses to share His kingdom with us–He chooses to rebuild His kingdom through us. It is so difficult for me to view this story of God and not be convinced of His love for us. The story of God is a passionate pursuit and love of His people.

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So, I slowly started to trust in God’s love for me; what I began to experience was an awareness of His goodness and that God is on my side. This actually seems to be a universal truth: when we trust someone, we are more open to receive their acts as generosity. If we don’t trust them, we will view their good acts with skepticism and as manipulation.

A few years ago, I was encouraged to keep a list of blessings as a way of seeing how my blessings far outweighed the challenges I had in life. The list continues to grow and is wide-ranging, from things like my daughter’s laugh to Waffle House. Clearly, it doesn’t have to include solely what we think of as spiritual things! The amazing thing about the list is that it never ends– it keeps growing with time. I would encourage you to do the same. Part of the human experience is suffering, but if we have vision of God’s goodness, we will not succumb to the lie that our suffering is God’s work. So, trusting in God’s goodness–something that used to be hard to do–has become easier as I spend more time focusing on the blessings in my life. There is a story of a professor who, at the beginning of each semester, would hold up a white sheet of paper with a small black dot and ask his students what they saw. The students would never fail to say, “A black dot.” The professor would remind them that the paper was actually 99% white, and that the dot only represented a small portion of what they saw. I am not trying to convince you of the power of positive thinking more than I am reminding you that in the midst of our struggles in life, God’s enemy really wants us to forget God’s goodness.

What is interesting to me is that as I have grown more confident in God’s love for me, I have found that I am not only more open to the idea that my present circumstances are loaded with God’s goodness, but I also begin to see how God had always been with me, even well before I started following Christ. I began to see how things–people, events, and circumstances–were tying together into a larger story. I could share lots of examples, but keeping my time in mind– yes, I know the stopwatch is ticking somewhere–I will only share one that helps me remember God’s goodness. My sophomore year in college, I would get rides to and from Athens with a friend who was a girl. One weekend, she was going to give me a ride to school, so my mom dropped me off at her house. My friend opened the door and had tears running down her face. That weekend, her mother had shared the news that she had ALS–a fatal disease that typically kills you about two years from your diagnosis. Filled with compassion and hurt for my friend, I took the keys from her and we drove to Athens as she wept from grief and fear. That moment forged a deep friendship that continued through college and into our twenties. About eight years after this weekend, that same friend and I went out to dinner, like we had done hundreds of times before, and it was like I had never seen her before. I remember leaving that night thinking that I really wanted to see her again soon and made up excuses to spend as much time with her as I could that summer. After a month of beating around the bush, I finally found the courage to put my feelings on the table. Thankfully, she reciprocated. A few months later, I received a call in the middle of the night from her that her mother, who had defied all medical odds and was still alive, was not breathing and it didn’t look good. I rushed to her parents’ house and held Gillian’s hand as she said goodbye to her mom. We got married over a year later, and I cannot explain to you the blessing it is that I was the first non-family member to be with my wife seventeen years ago when she received that devastating news, and the first nonfamily member to be with her nine years ago when her mom died. My wife doesn’t have to explain anything to me. I knew

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the two weeks before I had to sign my contract, I would go through the pattern of thinking I wouldn’t take the job, set up a courtesy meeting with my pastor to let him know that, and then somehow would leave that meeting thinking that maybe I needed to continue to consider it. It was an intense couple of weeks as my analytical mind pored over every possible angle and my soul searched for God’s will. her mom personally–even before her sickness–and her mom knew me; she told her friends just before she died that she knew I would be Gillian’s husband and that it gave her joy and peace. It’s incredible how God wove our stories together as a way of sharing His goodness with us. Marrying Gillian also reinforced John’s statement that perfect love casts out all fear. My relationship with her was the first where I felt a freedom from fear that I had never experienced with another person, and I knew that I could be me in a way that was not possible with anyone else.

A little over two years ago, I received a phone call out of the blue asking if I would join the staff of the church Gillian and I attended. I thanked them for the flattering offer but politely declined and said that I was in a job that I loved, and where I saw myself for quite some time. Also, I added that I had to sign my contract for the next school year in two weeks and was about to have my first child in three weeks. Not only did I love my current job, I didn’t think it was the wisest time to make such a big move. But after I hung up, there was a stirring in me that said to consider it; I called them back and said “let’s talk.” So, for

So, after a tortuous few weeks of no sleep and having no peace about any conclusion, I took a day off and went to the river and sat on a rock. I politely informed God that I wasn’t moving until He told me what to do. After some time–and I really don’t experience this often…maybe never before–I felt a clear voice from God that told me to dismiss my fears. He said that He is who He says He is–loving and good–so I can throw out all fear in making this decision. He politely encouraged me to make a decision based on what I knew about Him–that He loves me and is good to me–and to go from there. At that point, I knew that moving to this new job was where God would have me. It was scary and intimidating, but, like Moses, it was a move that required faith and risk, and because of that, I would grow more into the person He longs for me to be. Now, sitting here tonight, you all are on the edge of a huge change in your lives. Being convinced of God’s love and His goodness is the only way we can effectively live our lives. When we know those two things, we are able to be a people who are no longer defined by our circumstances. It certainly doesn’t mean that our lives will be easy; all of us will share stories of difficulty and disappointment. But we will know that, no matter our circumstances, we have a good God who loves us and who will “make all things new.” So, I pray that God will lead you all from here with a confidence in His goodness and His love, and an assurance that He will equip you with the tools to face whatever calling He leads you to in your lives. God bless you.

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The text from Exodus read tonight about the conversation between God and Moses and his staff turning into a snake is an incredible illustration of how our vision of God will determine how we live and respond to our circumstances. God was calling Moses into something that seemed impossible–to free the Israelites from slavery. Moses knew he was being sent into something that was beyond him and asked God to give him something to prove to the Pharaoh that Moses was a messenger of someone all-powerful. So God took something ordinary, Moses’s staff–the tool he used every day as a shepherd–and makes it extraordinary. But what I love is that, even in this miracle, Moses falters. To actually follow through on God’s request was going to take tremendous faith and courage in the One who was sending him. As you know, Moses follows through. What I love is that Moses’ action was rooted in his vision of God: he knew that his God was good and that He loved Him. Because of this, Moses was willing to take the step toward Egypt. He was willing to take that risk.

I was gripped by fear. I was gripped by the fear of leaving a job I loved, but I also didn’t want to not be where God wanted me to be. I was gripped by the fear of leaving something that I knew for something unknown. I was gripped by the fear of leaving the financial security of my job – and I know that may be the first time that has ever been said by a teacher (except maybe for Ms. Christian). And I was gripped by the fear of making the wrong decision for my wife, my new child, and me.

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CLASS OF 2013

APPRECIATION ADDRESS

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given by Cody Solomon, Class of 2013 Salutatorian

ood morning Chairman Binion, Board of Trustees, Headmaster Young, faculty, classmates, families, and friends. Over this past spring break, I had the unforgettable opportunity to go on a mission trip right here, in downtown Atlanta. On this trip, we interacted with the homeless through a variety of ministries. These ministries shared the vision of fostering community amongst men and women trapped in isolation.The most important thing we learned was that although food, clothing, and shelter were certainly necessary, they weren’t the greatest needs of the people being served. Often, we’d sit down with someone to share a meal and ask one question that would prompt a thirty-minute response. These people simply had no one to talk to, and– to look at it from another angle–there was no one to listen to them. For me, it was hard to imagine being in a situation so devoid of interaction with others. What would it be like to feel like I don’t exist and that no one cared about me? All of this led me to consider that I have taken for granted the fact that so many people at Wesleyan have cared about me deeply over the years. Wesleyan isn’t about the palatial buildings that surround us or the perfectly manicured grass that grows beneath our feet. Wesleyan isn’t about the long, sleepless nights spent preparing for exams or starting a paper due the next morning. Nor is Wesleyan about a trophy case full of state championships. When I look back at my

time spent at Wesleyan, I will remember what makes Wesleyan special: the unmatched community that’s been built at this school. Since I really believe that the people at Wesleyan have made such a remarkable difference in my life, and one that I would not have experienced at another school, I get to say thank you. I first want to thank the faculty and staff. Thank you for a broad smile and greeting that welcomed us every morning at the crosswalk. Thanks for endless patience while we explained how we managed to break our tablets – again. Thank you to the teachers who stayed in their classrooms late into the night, helping panicked students who felt doomed to fail the next day’s exam. And, thanks to the teachers who saw us there and brought us pizza. But beyond academics, thank you to the teachers who acted as role models for students from lower school to senior year, leading by example and teaching us how to live Christ-centered lives. Thank you to the teachers who leave their families and friends over spring break to serve as leaders on mission trips around the world. And, thank you to the teachers who spend early mornings and late nights at Bible studies with students. Thank you to the teachers who take students out to lunch and act just as much as friends as they do mentors. And I could go on with stories about the impact that you have had on me, as I am sure the rest of my classmates could. But now, it’s time to thank you, Class of 2013! Thank you for eight years that I wouldn’t have spent anywhere else. In this time,

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I’ve learned every bit as much from you as I’ve learned from the teachers. You’ve helped me grow as a person, as a Christian, and as a friend. Thank you for great memories of sleeping on an aircraft carrier on the fifth grade retreat, to the shaving cream fight on freshman retreat, to the mountains of Colorado on Senior Trip. From memories of middle school dances when no one actually danced, to freshman homecoming when we thought you had to be on time, to crowding the floor of Wesley Hall during prom for the senior picture. I’m so grateful that I was a part of your lives.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help him up.” If there’s one thing I’ve learned at Wesleyan that will last for a lifetime, it’s that investing my time, effort, and passion completely

towards self-advancement leaves me empty. It’s miserable, as the author points out, to have no one to celebrate life’s triumphs with. But more importantly, what are we to do if there’s no one there to pick us up when we fall? I’m so thankful to you all for being the friends who helped me up when I fell. All along, it’s been you who have made the difference in the community at Wesleyan, and I couldn’t have asked for better friends. But, Class of 2013, it’s time that we move on from this stage of our lives. From this point on, the community that we have spent years building will never be the same. Apart from a few friends and teachers who we’ll be sure to keep up with, many of us may never see each other again. So, as we move on with our lives, dispersing to college campuses of all types and places, it should be our goal to seek community as it’s been modeled at Wesleyan. Find people who let you be yourself in spite of imperfections and shortcomings and do the same for them. When you see someone in the hall who says, “I’m fine,” when it’s clearly not the case, be the friend who follows-up. Send that text of encouragement–or maybe an apology–even if it seems insignificant. This is how you can be the friend that helps another up when he falls. I can speak this as fact because this is what everyone at Wesleyan has done for me. So, as I talk about the future, and with the focus of this day centered on the next phase of our lives, let’s not forget to be thankful to those who have helped us along the way. Today, let’s celebrate together as a community, one last time. We’ve made it, Class of 2013!

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I’d like to take a quote from the book of Ecclesiastes, which is attributed to a much more famous Solomon than I, and who has been said to be the wisest man ever. Speaking about a man who worked for a lifetime, but had no one with whom he could share what he had earned, Solomon says that this man’s life was meaningless. He goes on to say this:

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CLASS OF 2013

VALEDICTORY ADDRESS given by Ricky Yoder, Class of 2013 Valedictorian

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hairman Binion, Board of Trustees, Mr. Young, my esteemed colleagues, teachers, friends, and families–the time has come for us to part. Today, we stand on the threshold of a future that is both full of opportunity and uncertainty. In some sense, the road before us is daunting. While we’ve been adequately prepared for the next four years, none of us can be sure of what lies ahead.

Except, perhaps, of this: although we are about to take very different paths in life, I believe there’s one great commonality that binds us all: Nobody wants to live a life of insignificance. We’ve greater opportunities than any generation before us, and we know it. We are ready and willing to grab onto life with both hands and effect real change. Even so, a question arises–How are we to do it? Perhaps the best answer comes from the great medieval mystic, St. Catherine of Siena. She wrote, “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.”

vision, our efforts will likely remain impotent and fruitless. Often this happens because we are paralyzed by fear – the fear of setting grand goals that seem impossibly out of reach. We shy away from long-held hopes and dreams after we’ve been told that we’re not quite good enough for them. Eventually, we come to believe the discouragement. But I say, don’t believe that lie. A life of mediocrity is death because, like death, it is a waste. We can’t hope to avoid that kind of living demise without some ambition. As Jonathan Swift once said, “Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others.”

Setting the world on fire may seem like a tall order, but it’s more than possible if you have a clear vision, faithful perseverance, and spiritual detachment.

But what you see will be determined by what stirs your soul. It’s useless to speak of vision without passion, and it’s futile to speak of passion without perseverance. It’s easy to latch on to a cause or a movement for a few moments in time and burn-out soon afterward. But once you find your passion in life, you must guard against that hollow feeling–half-boredom and half-fatigue –that can so easily draw you away from your vision. Perseverance will sustain you through the lowlands, but you won’t develop it if you don’t go through the lowlands in the first place. Don’t be afraid of failure; rather, use it to build up your persistence.

Vision deals with the question of how you will set the world on fire. What goals do you hold? What kind of impact do you see yourself having on the world around you? Without a clear

I’ve had my share of disappointments–getting a minor part in a play, losing an election–but each experience helped me grow as a person. As it turned out, the role I played in Is He Dead?

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was one of the funniest and most versatile I ever had. Losing the Honor Council presidential election allowed me to focus on a new initiative as vice president. But, through it all, I felt that I developed the beginnings of a certain kind of persistence, something that I call “spiritual detachment.”

Perhaps you think you have your life planned out. After all, that’s a natural way to look at the future on a day like today. You are going to attend college for four years, where you will get involved in Greek life, find the guy or girl of your dreams, and earn a business degree, then marry, buy a house in some respectable southern suburb, and have three gorgeous children –all of them blonde. To those of you who I just described, I say, “go for it.” You have a vision. You may well have perseverance. However, you may lack detachment. Even some of your favorite teachers can fall into this trap. Some may even tell you after you’ve already committed

Spiritual detachment is an especially important quality as we seek to conform ourselves to the example Christ set for us. It’s common in today’s world to hear bold expressions of pride and individuality. Our culture constantly reinforces this message –from Frank Sinatra singing “I Did It My Way,” to Imagine Dragons declaring that “I’m never changing who I am.” Such a refusal to change is remarkably self-absorbed. Only the dullest of men never change; in fact, the entire Christian life demands openness to transformation. That flexibility towards God’s work is at the heart of detachment. I can guarantee you that any attempt at setting the world on fire will be snuffed out if it isn’t grounded in your own willingness to become the kind of person God wants you to be.

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Now, out of all the spiritual exercises, detachment is the most easily misunderstood. It isn’t apathy or indifference, but, rather, faithful openness to the will of God. Detachment takes time to nurture, and its importance cannot be overstated. Without detachment, it’s easy to let our passions become overweening obsessions.

to a college that, really, you’d be better off at Sewanee. It’s one thing to have goals; it’s quite another to have ironclad goals. As Christians, we believe that God will act in our lives if we are open to the Holy Spirit. But who are we to tell God what he can and cannot do? St. Paul writes in Romans, “Hath not the potter power over the clay to make one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor?” Or, as Thomas Merton put it, “God must be allowed the right to speak unpredictably.” A life of detachment is one in which we do, in fact, allow God to speak and act unpredictably. And we respond with faith.

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Today is our day, but what can we say about tomorrow? We have many different hopes and dreams for the future. We’re willing to work hard to make those dreams come true, but we need not be so attached to them that we close ourselves to the various twists in the plot God might have in store. To me, that’s an exhilarating prospect. And it’s that exhilaration that reminds me of a story. Imagine for a minute that you are a young missionary about to embark on your first long-term trip. You’re seriously considering the prospect of a life without ever seeing your home again. You’ll be working in isolation. And on top of that, you’re striking new ground; no one has ever gone to the field where you’ve been sent. You don’t know the language, customs, or even the faiths you might encounter. All you have is your trust in God and the well-placed words of a kind friend–“Ite Inflammate Omnia.” Go forth and set the world on fire.

The man who said those words was Ignatius Loyola, the founder of a small order of priests called the Society of Jesus. He was speaking to Francis Xavier, his best friend. Francis was about to depart for the Far East, where he would become the very first Christian to preach the Gospel in Japan. For years, he baptized converts, planted churches, and built seminaries where no missionary had ventured before. And today, there are over 48 million Christians in the nations he visited. Moreover, the Society of Jesus is the Church’s largest religious order. If anyone set the world on fire, it was Francis Xavier. But, perhaps he would have wavered and stayed home had his friend not encouraged him at the moment of decision. So today, Class of 2013, I want to encourage you and leave you with that same charge – “Go forth and set the world on fire.” Thank you.

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CLASS OF 2013

COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS given by James McCallie, Retired President of Darlington & Brookstone Schools Grandfather of Abby ’13 & William (8th) Thurston

hank you, Mr. Young, for that generous introduction, and congratulations to each of you, the Wesleyan Class of 2013, on achieving this monumental milestone in your lives. It is an honor to be with you this morning. And congratulations to all of you associated with Wesleyan School. What you have accomplished over the past seventeen years on this campus is absolutely phenomenal.

In thinking about what to say to you today, I was reminded of the speech that British Prime Minister Winston Churchill gave in 1941 during the early, bleak days of World War II at his alma mater, the great English independent Harrow School, when he allegedly stood up and said, “Never, never, never, never give up,” and then he sat down. I thought about doing the same this morning, but I could hear Mr. Young saying, “Oh, no! What have I done!” and Abby saying, “Oh, no, PawPaw. This is the worst yet.” Well, Mr. Churchill did not sit down and nor shall I. But it did give me the theme for my talk this morning: The Power of Persistence. After graduating from Vanderbilt, I went to Navy Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island, and then to Navy Supply Corps School in Athens, Georgia. I worked very hard to receive my choice of ships, the guided missile test ship, the USS

After six months of repair, four attempts to muster enough power to get out from under the Golden Gate Bridge, and going through underway training in San Diego while tied to a buoy, the Flying Scud, freshly commissioned as the USS Procyon (AF-61), a floating grocery store, loaded up its four massive holds with fresh, frozen, and dried foods and supplies, and took off for Yokouska, Japan. We had just reached the announced point of no return, just south of the Aleutian Islands, when an enormous explosion rocked the ship and we went dead at sea. The main boiler had blown and we were adrift. A sea-going tug from Honolulu finally reached our ship and towed us to Japan where we arrived after almost three weeks at sea, easily trumping the recent Carnival cruise ship Triumph’s highly publicized six days under tow in the Gulf of Mexico. We were literally rotting and spent the next five days

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To you graduates, seventeen years seems like a very long time. To your grandparents, seventeen years seems like just yesterday. I can vividly remember, like it was yesterday, almost sixteen years ago, taking our two-year-old granddaughter and your classmate, Abby Thurston, to see the new Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga. We entered the aquarium lobby with a large crowd, standing in silent awe in front of the huge fish tank, when Abby blurted out loudly, “I want to see the “yawwons”–which also broke up the crowd in laughter.

Norton Sound out of Port Hueneme, California, where we would go out to sea once or twice a week, shoot off our missile, and then return to the beach. After about three weeks aboard, and during the massive airlift of supplies to blockaded West Berlin, President Kennedy announced that he was going to bring dozens of mothballed supply ships out of Mare Island, California to be recommissioned. We howled when we came to the last ship’s name on the list–the SS Flying Scud–and said, “Wouldn’t you hate to be sent to the Flying Scud!” Well, the next morning my orders were waiting on me to report immediately to the San Francisco Navy Ship Yard to be a part of the commissioning detail for the SS Flying Scud (to be re-named), soon to be unaffectionately known as the Creeping Crud. Only Chief Petty Officers and above received name orders to the Scud. The remaining crew was assembled by message orders to Navy Captains at sea to send so many sailors to the SS Flying Scud. Unlike Abby’s other grandfather, Navy Captain Jett Browne, most of these Captains used this as an opportunity to unload their worst sailors, so the Scud ended up with a large number of juvenile delinquents and downright criminals.

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aboard ship trying to offload and salvage as much food as possible. It was now June and hot, and we stank. The Captain finally declared liberty and at the next morning’s muster, over 50% of the crew was gone, AWOL, missing–a Navy record that will probably never be matched, hopefully.

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After two months of repairs, we went to sea on a dumping mission–my apologies, environmentalists. I was number one hold hatch captain, where we stored chilled–better said, once chilled–foods. When we brought out the nets full of streaming, gooey rotten oranges, grapefruits, lemons, and nets of black potatoes with eerie vines to dump into the sea, the sailors down in the bowels of the hold were being bitten by these rather exotic insects to their cries and curses. Miserable. We were the laughing stock of the entire Pacific Fleet.

After returning to San Francisco and undergoing extensive repairs we loaded the ship and took off again for Japan and Asia with mostly new crew members but with all the same officers except for a new Captain. Unbelievably, our ship set transfer-at-sea records to carriers and destroyers on that cruise and went on to win ten campaign stars for Vietnam War service, very effectively putting the legend of the Flying Scud to rest. While in Hong Kong on that second cruise to Asia, I again received unexpected orders from the Navy to report immediately to Portsmouth Navy Shipyard in Kittery, Maine to become the Disbursing (financial) Officer for the base. The nuclear-powered attack submarine Thresher, just out of the shipyard on deep depth trials, had sunk while submerged with all 129 aboard killed – a huge tragedy. The sinking of the Thresher was, and is still named, “the world’s worst submarine disaster.” From one disaster to another. The Navy had me pegged. A few years later, after the Navy, I had the opportunity to pursue a Master’s Degree at Columbia in New York City and went to see the 1966 Mets’ opening day game at Shea Stadium. In the bottom of the first inning, the lead-off batter for the Mets got on first base and the fans started chanting, “GO, GO, GO.” Well, this Mets base-runner took off for second, was thrown out by

ten feet, and the crowd gave him a standing ovation while a huge banner in the center field stands was unfurled which read, “WAIT ‘TILL NEXT YEAR!!” These fumbling, bumbling, but beloved Mets were compared to the old Brooklyn Bums. Unbelievably, just three years later, the Mets found themselves in the World Series as an immense underdog, but went on to win the 1969 World Series in just five games, coining the phrase, “You gotta believe,” and were henceforth known as the “Amazing Miracle Mets.” After returning to my home school, McCallie in Chattanooga, as Director of Admissions, I was contacted in December 1968 by a splinter group of trustees of the closing, failed Trinity School in Columbus, Georgia. Although Trinity had announced its closing for the end of the school year, this group wanted to continue independent education in Columbus and planned in secret to build a new campus and hire a new Head of School. Refusing to give up, this core group of persevering trustees encountered difficulty finding a potential Head of School who would go to a new school without a name, without a campus, and with only nine months before opening the new school year. For some reason, they placed their faith in a 30-year-old guy named McCallie who, unbeknownst even to himself, was looking for a fresh challenge working with a group of wonderful, determined trustees. After deciding at the last second to name the new school “Brookstone,” taken from Sydney Lanier’s “Song of the Chattahoochee,” we broke ground for the new campus in late January 1969, with the stated goal of opening school the day after Labor Day. Against all odds, we did open the 1969-1970 school year as scheduled with 124 students, nearly the same number that greeted Wesleyan’s own Brian Kennerly, the current Head of Brookstone School.

commencement

Our 30th President of the United States, Calvin Coolidge, said, “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not: unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is filled with educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan, “Press On,” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” In our greatest example of persistence, as recorded in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus spends forty grueling days in the wilderness, at the end of which He is tempted by the Devil to give up his messianic path of self-sacrifice to become a messiah of power, to worship the Devil rather than our Lord God. According to Pope Benedict XVI, “Jesus is exposed to danger and is assaulted by the temptation and seduction of the Evil One, who proposes a different messianic path for him, far from God’s path because it

passes through power and domination or a messiah of love, of the fit of self.” Jesus resists even consideration of the Devil’s alternative, saying to him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Jesus pressed on, thanks be to God. Former Darlington Board Chair, Dr. Ed Brewster, speaking to the Darlington student body, said, “You develop persistence and determination when you have faith – faith in God and in yourself.” He quoted Mark 9:23, saying, “If you have faith, nothing shall be impossible for you.” My very first Japanese parent at Darlington, Shigekuni Kawamura, then President of Dainippon Ink and Chemicals Company headquartered in Tokyo, which controlled at the time (the beginning of the information age) a majority supply of the world’s commercial black ink, spoke at the 1992 commencement saying, “In Japan, it is probably one of the first words that a child learns after mama and papa. It is a word that is used by all ages and both sexes in an endless variety of situations. Parents use it to encourage a baby as it takes its first steps or when a child goes to school. Crowds at sporting events use it to encourage the competitors. Friends and colleagues use it to encourage someone who is starting a new job or a newly-married couple. We even use it when someone is ill and may be dying. The word is gambare–and it means “to give it your best and not give up.” What wonderful advice for an entire culture! Max Cleland was on top of the world in 1968. A good looking, robust Captain in the United States Army, everything had gone well for Max, until a grenade explosion in Vietnam suddenly cost him both legs and an arm. After eighteen months of painful

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

In 1979, after ten years at Brookstone, I was contacted by the Board at Darlington School to become their next Head of School. For 75 years, Darlington and McCallie had been bitter rivals, playing each other in football on Thanksgiving Day in the old Mid-South league. I declined to talk with Darlington until one wonderful trustee explained their interest in me. It seems that Darlington had lost almost 50% of its boarding enrollment, mostly because schools like Brookstone were taking away Darlington’s traditional boarding enrollment base. Many at Darlington were talking about closing their boarding division, like Westminster and Woodward had, and becoming a day school only. Knowing how hard it is to sustain a strong day school, and wondering how Darlington could become another Brookstone or Wesleyan in a town a third the size of Columbus, I listened to this core group of Darlington trustees who knew the significance of retaining and strengthening Darlington’s traditional boarding school and not giving up. Wow! They had me! Knowing that Darlington had to become a national and international boarding school, we expanded our horizons, significantly increased our boarding division numbers, and brought back our enthusiastic, world-wide alumni support. Darlington has just completed a $90 million capital and endowment campaign and opened this school year with students from 43 countries and 22 states.

2013

commencement

2013

rehabilitation, Max, to the amazement of everyone, decided to enter politics and became the youngest member of the Georgia State Senate. In 1977, he was appointed to head the Veterans Administration, and in 1996, he was elected to the U.S. Senate to succeed Sam Nunn–remarkable accomplishments for a man with only one limb. The following prayer has become identified with Max Cleland, who quotes it in many of his speeches. The author is unknown, but it is believed to have been written by a Confederate soldier during the Civil War: “I asked God for my strength that I might achieve. I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey. I asked for health that I might do greater things. I was given infirmity that I might do better things. I asked for riches that I might be happy. I was given poverty that I might be wise. I asked for all things that I might enjoy life. I was given life that I might enjoy all things. I got nothing that I asked for – but everything I had hoped for. Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered. I am, among all men, most richly blessed. For every hill I’ve had to climb, For every stone that bruised my feet, For all the blood and sweat and grime, For blinding storms and burning heat, My heart sings but a grateful song. These were the things that made me strong.”

A rather obscure educator once left a graduating class with the following wish: “I wish you the courage to be warm when the world would prefer that you be cool. I wish you success sufficient to your needs; I wish you failure to temper that success. I wish you joy in all your days; I wish you sadness so that you may better measure joy. I wish you sadness to overbalance grief. I wish you humor and a twinkle in the eye. I wish you glory and the strength to bear its burdens. I wish you sunshine on your path and storms to season your journey. I wish you peace – in the world in which you live and in the smallest corner of the heart where truth is kept. I wish you faith – to help define your living and your life. More I cannot wish you – except perhaps love – to make all the rest worthwhile.” And, to close with scripture from the Apostle Paul: “Finally, Brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, and whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen, do! And the God of Peace will be with you.” Please know that there is a lifetime of love surrounding each of you today and for the rest of your lives. You are truly blessed. Congratulations!

graduation | faculty and staff recognitions

Faculty and Staff recognitions Celebrating Thirty Years at Wesleyan Annette Parks-Tumy (Not Pictured) and Joyce Podojil

Celebrating Fifteen Years at Wesleyan Kathy Benson, Matt Cole, Jeff Foster, Ann Marie Hanlon, Gerald Littleton (Not Pictured), Kathy Merrill, Margaret Murphy, and Juanita Tyler

Andy Cook, Linda Ellis (Not Pictured), George Edmonson (Not Pictured), Pamela Holcombe, and Julie Pack

Celebrating Five Years at Wesleyan Caroline Antonio, Josh Baker (Not Pictured), Rebecca Kennedy, Laurel Chason, Amelia Davis, Demetrius Frazier (Not Pictured), Jodi Furr, Lesley Gentry, Philip Hart, Dana Huggins, Barbara McArthur (Not Pictured), Sarah McBride, Robin Meleky, James Moleta, Sara Morman (Not Pictured), Corrie Nash, Melanie O’Kelley, Shellie Salazar, Jen Sheppard, Jack Van der Sluys, and Josh Weigel (Not Pictured)

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

Celebrating Ten Years at Wesleyan

CLASS OF 2013

College Acceptances Agnes Scott College

Georgia College & State University

Presbyterian College

University of Alabama

Georgia Gwinnett College

Rhodes College

Alma College

Georgia Highlands College

University of Richmond

Auburn University

Georgia Institute of Technology

Samford University

Aurora College

Georgia Regents University

Savannah College of Art & Design

Baylor University

Georgia Southern University

Shorter College

Belmont University

Georgia State University

University of Southern California

Berry University

University of Georgia

University of South Carolina

Birmingham-Southern College

Greensboro College

Southern Methodist University

Boston University

Howard University

Southern Utah University

Brenau University

Indiana University/Bloomington

Stetson University

Brigham Young University

University of Kansas

University of Tennessee

Campbell University

Kennesaw State University

Texas Christian University

University of Kentucky

United States Air Force Academy

Kenyon College

University of Texas/Austin

LIM College

Towson University

Loyola University/Maryland

Tulane University

Maryland Institute College of Art

United States Air Force Academy

Mercer University

Valdosta State University

University of Michigan

Vanderbilt University

University of Colorado/Boulder

Mississippi State University

Villanova University

Dartmouth College

University of Mississippi

Virginia Polytechnic Institute

Dickinson College

New York University

& State University

Eckerd College

State University of New York/

University of Virginia

Elon University

Binghamton

Wake Forest University

Emory and Henry College

North Carolina State University

Washington and Lee University

Emory University

University of North Carolina/

Washington University/St. Louis

Fashion Institute of Technology

Chapel Hill

University of West Georgia

Florida State University

University of North Georgia

Wheaton College

University of Florida

Northwestern College

Young Harris College

Furman University

Pennsylvania State University

Carnegie Mellon University College of Charleston Charleston Southern University College of William and Mary Charleston Southern University Clemson University

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Coastal Carolina University

college acceptances

CLASS OF 2013

final college decisions Mallory Macgill.............Georgia Institute of Technology Charles Mack ��University of Richmond Zac MacKenzie �� University of Georgia Shelby Masters �� University of Georgia Ty Maughon �� University of Georgia Aubrey McCabe................ United States Air Force Academy John McCleskey ��Auburn University Miranda Mendicino �� University of Mississippi Drew Middleton........Georgia Institute of Technology Jake Miller ��Auburn University Jennifer Miller �� Texas Christian University Daisy Mills ��Baylor University David Monte ��Auburn University Miles Moraitis �� University of Georgia Jake Morris �� University of Georgia Paige Mosley ��Clemson University Brandon Moss �� Undecided Grant Murphy ��Auburn University Caroline Nelson �� University of Georgia Danny Nocharli ��Auburn University Will O’Briant........................ University of North Carolina/ Chapel Hill Mairead O’Hare �� University of Georgia Courtney O’Leary ��Auburn University Pierce Ostwalt ��Auburn University Lindsay Panther �� University of Kentucky Carti Payne................................University of North Georgia Trent Perry �� University of Georgia Henry Pilgrim ��Young Harris College Johnny Richards ��Samford University Holly Robertson ��Samford University Maddy Robinson �� Texas Christian University Jaye Rochell ��University of Tennessee Nick Ross ��Elon University Philip Sawyer ��Auburn University Austin Schanen...............Southern Methodist University Emma Schroeder �� University of Mississippi Dee Dee Seaman �� University of Alabama Sarah Settlage............Georgia Institute of Technology Regan Smith...................................Brigham Young University Cody Solomon........................ Washington & Lee University Brittany Stevens ��Samford University Christy Stipe ��Auburn University Meghan Sullivan.......Georgia College & State University Kendra Talley �� Presbyterian College Abby Thurston ��Samford University Maddie Thykeson ��University of North Georgia CaraMia Tsirigos �� University of Indiana Marissa Vivori �� University of Georgia Taylor Walton ��Clemson University Lauren Weissman ��University of North Georgia India Welton �� University of Mississippi Conner Woerner ��Auburn University Ian Woods �� University of Georgia Ricky Yoder ��University of Virginia Christy Zachary.........Georgia Institute of Technology Austin Zakas �� University of Georgia

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Madeline Adair ��Samford University Katia Amaya.....................................Georgia Gwinnett College Cameron Anderson....Georgia Institute of Technology Kate Anderson..........Georgia College & State University Michael Armstrong ��Georgia Southern University Jake Barden �� University of Georgia Taylor Blackmon �� Kennesaw State University Griffin Bone.................................. Kennesaw State University Palmer Brasher............Georgia Institute of Technology Maddy Brehmer �� University of Georgia Crawford Brooks �� University of Kentucky Sam Carver ��Wake Forest University Jeffrey Chang...............Georgia Institute of Technology Will Clifton..............Georgia College & State University Abbey Coppenger �� University of Georgia Jake Cusick ��Clemson University Emily Dardaman �� University of Georgia Purabi Das �� Agnes Scott College Anna Davis............................................ Florida State University Courtney Day ��Auburn University Trince Degraffinreaidt......Georgia Southern University Amanda DeLaPerriere.........................University of Georgia Rhett Delk................................. Washington & Lee University Victoria DiStasi............. Washington University/St. Louis Andrew Dorman ��Auburn University Alexander Dubose......University of Southern California Pete Eigel �� Belmont University Grace Farley...................Fashion Institute of Technology Sterling Feininger ��Wake Forest University Connor Fitzpatrick ��Georgia Southern University Hannah Fletcher �� Belmont University Charlie Fragakis �� University of Georgia Katie Frerking ��Auburn University Adriana Galvez �� Georgia State University Natalie Genthert �� University of Georgia Ashley Gentry ��Clemson University Brandon Gilliam �� Emory and Henry College Brett Greensmith �� Furman University Janie Harper �� University of Georgia Alexandra Hernandez........................University of Florida Grace Hodges �� University of Georgia Landon Hoffman ��Auburn University Polly Howell �� Kennesaw State University Geoffrey Ives ��Clemson University Ben Johnson �� University of Georgia Madison Jones �� University of Mississippi Anna Kean.......................Georgia Institute of Technology Margaret Kent ��College of Charleston Jonathan Kim............................. Carnegie Mellon University Kyle King...................................Georgia Southern University Rachel Koch ��Vanderbilt University Sarah Krause..............Georgia College & State University Lizl Kruger.................Georgia College & State University Robert Kunce ��Auburn University Kate Lackey �� Belmont University Miles Laughlin................. Birmingham-Southern College Jack Lloyd............................................ Georgia State University Nikki Love....................Georgia College & State University

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Class of 2013

Drew Sutton ’12, Madeline Adair, & Kim Sutton-Adair (Trustee)

Katia & Fernando Amaya (Staff)

Cameron & Evan ’11 Anderson

Rick ’07 & Kate Anderson

Maddy & Sam ’11 Brehmer

Davis ’12, Crawford, & Meg Brooks (Staff)

Monica ’07, Sam, & Laura ’11 Carver

Jeffrey & Norman ’11 Chang

Will & Clay ’11 Clifton

Zach ’11, Courtney, Austin ’08, & Peyton Day (Past Trustee)

Ashley ’09, Rhett, & Austin ’10 Delk

Kit ’11, Hannah, & Van ’12 Fletcher

Lasting Legacies

Missy ’07 & Natalie Genthert (Colin ’09 not pictured)

Mitchell ’12, Ashley, & Lesley Gentry (Staff)

Zach ’11 & Alexandra Hernandez

Cassie Ann ’09 & Grace Hodges

Polly & Emily ’11 Howell

Lindsay ’09 & Geoffrey Ives

Ryan ’09 & Ben Johnson

Kyle & Erin ’07 King

Lizl & Michelle ’11 Kruger

Erika (Trustee), Miles, & Fendall ’12 Laughlin

Ali ’09 & Jack Lloyd

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Katie & Andrew ’11 Frerking

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Class of 2013

Caylie ’09 & Nikki Love

Mallory & Alice Macgill (Staff)

Greg ’10 & Zac MacKenzie

Shelby Masters & Courtney Masters Schneider ’04

Ansley ’12 & Ty Maughon

Alex ’11 & Drew Middleton

Daisy & Mary Pate ’10 Mills

Logan ’10 & Jake Morris

Caroline & Abby ’08 Nelson

Denis ’01, David ’04, Mairead, & Michael ’08 O’Hare

Kevin ’10 & Courtney O’Leary

Courtney ’08, Carti, & Caroline ’09 Payne

Lasting Legacies

Dane ’01 & Johnny Richards (Ned (Past Trustee) not pictured)

Olivia ’11 & Emma Schroeder

Justin ’11 & Brittany Stevens

Elizabeth ’11 & Christy Stipe

Alex ’11 & Maddie Thykeson

Meredith ’11 & Lauren Weissman

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Conor ’10 & India Welton

graduation | evergreens

Class of 2013

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evergreens

The following seniors have attended Wesleyan since Kindergarten: Michael Armstrong Crawford Brooks Jeffrey Chang Will Clifton Abbey Coppenger Jake Cusick Anna Davis Courtney Day Victoria DiStasi

Andrew Dorman Grace Farley Sterling Feininger Hannah Fletcher Natalie Genthert Janie Harper Landon Hoffman Ben Johnson Kyle King

Miles Laughlin Nikki Love Shelby Masters Drew Middleton Miles Moraitis Trent Perry Johnny Richards Christy Zachary

graduation | awards and honors Middle School Awards

Underclass Awards

Senior Awards

Jack Michael Menefee Leadership Barrett Ramsey

Barbara Adler John Adent

Atlanta Journal Cup Ricky Yoder

Raymond L. Abernathy Citizenship Grant Frerking Exceptional Improvement William Ball Service Ashley Godwin

Dean’s Award Chapman Pendery Katie Newman

Middle School Boys Sportsmanship - Athletic Ability Kyler Duley Middle School Girls Sportsmanship - Athletic Ability Jameson Kavel Middle School Boys - Fine Arts Ricardo Hurtado

Middle School Girls - Fine Arts Jessica Roberts

Fifth Grade Boys Highest Academic Average Andy Yang Fifth Grade Girls Highest Academic Average Erin Hoover Sixth Grade Boys Highest Academic Average Hunter Darsey Sixth Grade Girls Highest Academic Average Jennifer Nolan Seventh Grade Boys Highest Academic Average Nicholas Poulos Seventh Grade Girls Highest Academic Average Kelsey Rappe

Eighth Grade Girls Highest Academic Average Angela Yang Fifth Grade Top Reader Andy Yang

Seventh Grade Literary Guild Grayson Ragsdale Eighth Grade Literary Guild Grayson Ragsdale

The Arts Award Mackenzie Stewart

Most Valuable Female Athlete Landyn Duley Most Valuable Male Athlete Cort Coxhead

Faculty Cup Cody Solomon

Wesleyan Award Brittany Stevens

Daughters of the American Revolution Daisy Mills Development and Initiative Award CaraMia Tsirigos

Outstanding Achievement - Freshman Boy Ryan Hughes

Dean’s Awards Abbey Coppenger Jeffrey Chang

Outstanding Achievement - Sophomore Boy Andrew Sabonis-Chafee

Salutatorian Cody Solomon

Outstanding Achievement - Freshman Girl Taylor Casey

Outstanding Achievement - Sophomore Girl Vivian McCoy Outstanding Achievement - Junior Boy Stuart Johnson

Outstanding Achievement - Junior Girl Caroline Reed Academic Excellence - Freshman Boy Chase Kelly

Academic Excellence - Freshman Girl Hannah Peterson

Academic Excellence - Sophomore Boy Brendan Abernathy

Academic Excellence - Sophomore Girl Jordan Zimmerman Academic Excellence - Junior Boy Cort Coxhead

Academic Excellence - Junior Girl Ashley Hughes Book Awards:

Harvard June Zhu

Rhodes (sophomore award) Alex Harpole University of the South Emma Murphy Vanderbilt Brandt O’Kelley Wake Forest Cort Coxhead

Williams Ashley Hughes Yale Isabella Mateu Iron Wolf

These students were inadvertantly left off of the list announced on Honors Day. Carter Gravitt Patrick Ryan Geoff Taylor Tony Taylor

Valedictorian Ricky Yoder

Jayne Burns Excellence in the Arts Henry Pilgrim Most Valuable Male Athlete Rhett Delk Charles Mack

Most Valuable Female Athlete Katie Frerking STAR Student Cody Solomon STAR Teacher Dave Breslin

Wolf Player Freedom Award Kate Lackey

Jean Raney Artist of the Year Award Mallory Macgill John Philip Sousa Award Kyle King Serve His Award Purabi Das

Faculty Stewardship Awards Lower School Sara Cooper

Middle School Pamela Sanchez High School Jeff Plunk

Will Jackson Award Eric Damm

Board of Trustees Stewardship Award Ned Richards

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Eighth Grade Boys Highest Academic Average Will Tanner

Dean’s Awards John Walker Kaitlin Mullen

student news

LOWER SCHOOL SCIENCE

Mac Lab written by Alice Macgill Communications Specialist

f you’ve ever wondered about the effectiveness of marketing and brand recognition, you needed to look no further than to the excited Kindergarteners who were the first to use the new Apple iMacs in the re-tooled lower school computer lab. There were smiles all around as the large 21 ½ inch screens glowed with possibilities!

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For the past two years, the lower school technology team of Brian Morgan, Jewel Anderson, Jill Casey, Joy Wood, Julie Rosenkranz, and Michael Mann has explored current trends in technology with the goal of finding digital ways to enhance higher-level thinking skills and student engagement. The group focused specifically on the utilization of mobile technology and devices in a school environment. Their research confirmed that Apple iPads are by far the most popular source of mobile technology in the private school sector.

The lower school iMac lab “powered on” in late February, thanks to a generous donation from the Beck Foundation. Lower school librarian, Julie Rosenkranz, and Director of Technology, Brian Morgan, were instrumental in completing the complex grant proposal. Twenty-five new iPad minis were also procured through the grant and are already in limited use by students. The iMac lab is an essential part of the lower school’s iPad pilot program, which will begin in earnest this fall. The Apple OS X platform works seamlessly with the iPad mini; students can easily download to the iMacs the digital media content they create on their iPads. Showcasing their knowledge in a particular subject area and sharing their work will be so easy! As a result of having introduced the iMacs and the iLife software this winter, students have become familiar with the Mac interface and how to navigate the new computers. When the iPad minis start entering homeroom classrooms in the fall, students will already know how the iPads and iMacs sync together.

TOP: Mr Mann helps first grade students Carly Altom and Cody Mann video a tribute to Mrs. Johnson using the iPad mini. BOTTOM: First grade students work on iMacs in the computer lab.

Our technology team is collaborating to make this Mac initiative an advantage for both students and teachers. By leveraging the simple, intuitive interface of the Mac, we will be able to help students make the most of their creative ideas and produce high-quality digital projects during computer class time. And, Mrs. Casey and Mrs. Rosenkranz will be helping homeroom teachers enhance their lessons with apps that parallel the skills or curriculum being taught – in real-time! Be sure to ask your young student next year what he/she did in class; they may say he/she “played on the iPad,” but your “digital native” was engaged in learning with next-generation technology!

student news | middle school

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Robotics written by Nichole Dixon and Sarah McBride 8th Grade Science Teachers

ach spring, middle school students experience the future of technology when science classes are transformed into “Robotics 101.” In this hands-on study unit, students are introduced to basic robotic engineering through the process of building and programming a robot capable of completing assigned tasks. Working cooperatively in a lab environment is essential–having fun is an added bonus! Working with a partner or small group, students must use a discovery-based learning process (i.e., trial and error!) to build their robots and program the controlling software. As an extra challenge, subsequent class periods pick up where the class before left off. The goal of each work team is to program as many robotic tasks as possible in a two-week period. At completion, everyone enjoys a friendly “robot face-off” where teams demonstrate their robots’ capabilities.

At the conclusion of the unit, we ask students to think of Psalm 24–“The Earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”–as they reflect on their experiences while making the robot. At times, the process can be challenging: another lab group may have taken off an important piece of the robot, which may delay the next group in programming and performing the next task. Or maybe a lab partner was being difficult and wouldn’t share in the construction or programming. But there can be nice surprises: maybe students find that a previous lab group left the robot better than they found it, thus making programming relatively simple. It’s such a rewarding experience to see students take care of the robots even though they are not their own and learn to see that everything in our lives is the Lord’s. Ultimately, it is our responsibility to be good stewards of our gifts and the resources available and to use them all for His glory.

ABOVE: Lawson Forro and Noah Barnes put their finished product to the test.

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

ABOVE: Eighth grade science students work together to build and program their robots.

Following instructions is essential, as parts are small, but have a specific place and purpose, and programming sequences can be complex. Students are encouraged to be good stewards of their robots, since they share them with others in different class periods. We use this unit as a way to implement biblical principles and connect scripture to everyday life, as students learn to work together toward a common goal.

student news | high school

College Advising IN THE HIGH SCHOOL written by Caroline Antonio Assistant Director of College Advising “What percent of classes are taught by TAs?” “How many years do students typically live on campus?” “How is the school spirit and support of athletic teams?” “When do students declare majors?”

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

orty Wesleyan sophomores and juniors spent twenty minutes asking insightful questions of a Clemson admissions officer on the last afternoon of the inaugural College Tour this past February. Kyle, our admissions rep, was thoroughly impressed by the end of the session. These students were the same forty students who, at the beginning of the trip, did not know that a “TA” was a teaching assistant who is often a graduate student, or that housing policies and course requirements vary from college to college. In addition to Clemson University, our group visited Elon University, Furman University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Wake Forest University, and Wofford College.

The purpose of the College Tour was to expose students to a variety of colleges–public and private, large and small–and to help them begin to understand what characteristics of a college are important in defining a “good fit.” It also served as an opportunity for the Wesleyan college advisors to get to know these students, as well as to continue building relationships with admissions officers at six colleges in the Southeast. Finally, it was a chance for these college admissions officers to appreciate what distinguishes a Wesleyan student as they spoke with our students on tours, in the dining hall, and in the admissions office. In a sense, the College Tour was a microcosm of the work the College Advising Office does year-round. Mr. Young always says that more than anything we want Wesleyan to be God’s school. Subsequently, teachers and coaches want Wesleyan students to know they are God’s children, loved and created for a specific purpose. Just as they are not defined by their GPA or the number of goals they score in a soccer

ABOVE: Ken Connor, Director of College Advising, enjoys helping students find their “fit.”

game, we want students to know that the college they attend does not define them. Rather, college provides an opportunity for them to learn and grow and become the men or women God intends them to be. Scripture does not say anything about where a student should attend college; it only addresses the kind of person God wants them–and all of us–to be. At Wesleyan, college advising is about continuing to build mentoring relationships and pointing students in the right direction. It is about finding the college where a student will “fit” academically and socially, but will also be compelled to step outside his or her comfort zone. It is about supporting the students and their families during a somewhat stressful time and through one of the biggest decisions a high school student will make. It is about individualizing a process that is certainly not one-size-fits-all. Part of helping students and families find the right fit in a college involves helping each child to be self-reflective. In college advising, one of our goals is to help students see the application process as a chance to reflect on where they have been and dream about where they want to go. Instead of thinking about applications as a race to win a finite number of prizes, we want students to think about applications as an opportunity to consider what they love and why they love it. We want them to ask themselves what were the most important activities during their high school career and why. We want them to reflect on what they have learned and how they have grown through the classes they have taken and the people they have come to know.

student news | high school

We believe that our teachers prepare our students well as they progress through lower, middle, and high school. When we finally sit down with students in the junior year, it is rarely a time to change who they are or significantly alter their current course. We do not meet so that we can brainstorm the extra activities a student can add to his or her resume. During junior and senior year, we talk about the gifts God has given each student and how God wants him or her to use them going forward. For some students, the answer to that question is clear and detailed, but for others the answer is still in the early stages of development. For all students, the college application allows them to express who they are and why they want to further their education. It is rare introspection at this stage of life, but we think it is beneficial.

As a college prep school, we are confident that our students leave Wesleyan prepared for college. In turn, we want to help students find a college where they will leave prepared for the real-world. The excitement we feel over a student choosing Samford University is no different than the excitement we have over one that chooses Georgia College, the University of Georgia, Rhodes College, or Washington University in St. Louis. Our end goal is not a certain number of “highly ranked” schools or a certain number of UGA acceptances, but rather hundreds of unique students continuing on the path God has marked for them.

Tips that will serve students well in life and when applying to college: • Get to know your teachers and coaches • Challenge yourself with harder classes each year • Read over the summer or during other free time • Depth of activities is much better than a large breadth • Talk to your parents’ friends about what they do for a living • Set goals for yourself each semester and find someone to hold you accountable • Try new things, but avoid quitting something without strong reasons: consistency is important

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In the end, the college admissions process is extremely nuanced; no two students and no two colleges are exactly the same. While the variety and subtleties of college admissions can be overwhelming, we want to help families use that variety to their advantage. There is a place where each student “fits” and will find a community in which to learn and grow.

ABOVE: Caroline Antonio and Lizzie McIntosh (11th) review course choices for next year.

SAIS-SACS

DUAL ACCREDITATION REPORT SUMMARY October 29–31, 2012 PROFILE Where is the school today?

What is the plan to get there?

Believing that all children are uniquely gifted, the School offers a college preparatory program which challenges, nurtures, and strengthens all its students. The school community welcomes students of diverse racial, cultural, and religious backgrounds. Education is delivered by a talented group of faculty and staff who regularly participate in meaningful faculty evaluation and professional development. Extensive student performance data has been collected and analyzed to determine progress. The arts, athletics, and academics are integral parts of the Wesleyan experience. The mind, body, spirit are considered in cultivating each child’s beliefs.

Wesleyan School was founded upon and continues to be grounded in its Christian mission, principles, and beliefs. Every action, every plan is preceded by the question, “What is Your will for Wesleyan?” As stated by Robert Binion, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, “The future [of Wesleyan] is in God’s hands; we can only ask for His will to be done and for our plans to glorify His Kingdom.”

Commendations: The visiting team commends the School for: • Focusing on the relationships faculty develop with students. • Developing a strong sense of family within the community.

VISION

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Where does the school want to go?

PLAN

The Wesleyan story stands as a remarkable testament to the fulfillment of a vision: the development and growth of a “Christian school of academic excellence.” The extraordinary commitment to and articulation of the School’s mission, from the Board of Trustees through the youngest students, provide a foundation from which the Wesleyan school family may move confidently into the future. The ever-present reminder of J-O-Y (JesusOthers-Yourself) across campus and the faculty’s concurrent commitment to providing students an outstanding academic experience truly reflect the mission. As profound as the Wesleyan story is and as successful as the School has been, there exists an ethos for constant institutional improvement. The School’s self-study and evolving strategic plan demonstrate a willingness to ask tough questions and to seek elusive answers in how the School’s mission might be better served.

Recommendations:

The visiting team recommends that the School consider the following: • Define what “academic excellence” means for Wesleyan. • Define what “diversity” means for Wesleyan.

In preparation for the current SAIS-SACS accreditation, School Improvement Plan committees were established. After reviewing relevant data, numerous surveys, and input from all school constituencies, Wesleyan has developed three goals for school improvement for the next five year accreditation cycle. These goals are found at the end of this summary. Recommendations: • Review and assess concerns of the academic challenges and pressures including homework as expressed by both faculty and students. • Develop a plan to address the need for additional instructional support, supervision, and coaching. • Continue to solidify the role and support of the Diversity Coordinator.

RESULTS How will the school know when it has accomplished its plan? Wesleyan made excellent use of the results from their work for the past five years to put forth a detailed and well-designed School Improvement Plan. This comprehensive working document provides a strong foundation for the continuation and expansion of their work in gender-based education and critical thinking. To assure a complete understanding of the current climate at Wesleyan, a survey was distributed to all current stakeholders (faculty, students and parents).

CONCLUSION Commendations: The visiting team commends the School for: • Exceptional participation in surveys and other forms of data collection. • Demonstrating a flexible and responsive administration which is open to constituent input. Recommendations: The visiting team recommends that the School consider: • Establishing clear, measurable objectives to serve as benchmarks for evaluating success. • Exploring other avenues for assessments of critical thinking success.

SUMMARY The Visiting Team was impressed by the sense of community and family at Wesleyan School. All constituents (parents, students, alumni and faculty/staff) fully embrace the mission of the School as a Christian School and are devoted to the School’s motto of JOY: Jesus, Others, Yourself. The Board of Trustees and Headmaster are to be applauded for creating such a beautiful campus and formidable educational program that serve all of the students and staff so comprehensively and appropriately.

School Improvement Plan Goals: Goal 1 Students across all divisions shall continue to grow and develop academically and socially from gender-based instruction. In addition, middle school students will continue to benefit from separated gender-based instruction in designated content areas. Goal 2 Students shall demonstrate critical thinking in the learning process while reflecting Wesleyan’s decidedly Biblical mission and beliefs. Students will benefit in this endeavor by using tablet technology. Goal 3 Students, faculty, and parents shall benefit in all divisions from a diverse, respectful, and safe school environment that reflects our J-O-Y motto.

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Additional Commendations: The visiting team commends the School for: • A highly dedicated, visionary, and joyful leadership team. • Creating an aesthetically pleasing and attractive physical plant. • Adopting the “Talk About It” program. • Fostering a significant and substantial culture of giving to the annual fund. • The Headmaster’s visionary leadership and the Board’s support for that leadership. • Creating a formidable mission trip program for students. • Implementing a strong Technology faculty/student support system. • Developing beautiful and appropriate school publications, website, and other marketing materials.

The visiting team finds: 1. That the School is in compliance with all standards of the SAIS-SACS accreditation process. 2. That the self-study conducted by the school meets the standard of quality and thoroughness required by the SAISSACS accreditation process and answers the four critical questions as outlined in the Guidebook. 3. That the School is unanimously recommended for SAISSACS accreditation.

christian life

photography by Brian Morgan

THE BLESSINGS OF WESLEYAN

A Kingdom Perspective

written by Greg Lisson Director of Christian Life

his year’s Christian Life theme – The Secrets of the Kingdom – has led us through a year-long discussion of the Kingdom of God. Our monthly topics have included “Images of the Kingdom,” “Inheritance in the Kingdom,” and “People of the Kingdom.” The Kingdom of God is a concept so vast, so beautiful, and so complex that we can only hope to understand it in pieces, glimpses, and snapshots. When put together, however, these pieces portray a vision of the Kingdom that is as compelling as it is mysterious. No monthly topic better exemplified the mystifying, yet beautiful, nature of the Kingdom than that of March–“Blessings in the Kingdom.”

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In March, we studied Matthew 5:1–11, a section of scripture commonly known as the Beatitudes. In these verses, Jesus reveals some of the people who are blessed in the Kingdom of God: the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, the persecuted, and those who are insulted because of Christ. Not exactly a “who’s who” of worldly success, is it?

Consider how the description of the blessed might change if we substitute “the United States” for “the Kingdom of God.” Our country blesses the strong, the confident, the intelligent, the shrewd, the bold, the attractive, the independent, and the innovative. These are certainly not bad qualities, but they are, to say the least, different from the ones that scripture calls “blessed”. An even bigger contrast emerges when we look at what these blessed people receive as their reward. In Matthew, the blessed in the Kingdom receive comfort and mercy; they see God and are called children of God; they inherit both the earth and the Kingdom of God; and they are told that their reward in heaven will be great. Consider the incongruent rewards the United States offers to those who exemplify its highest values: wealth, success, security, prestige, pleasure, and honor. In short, their reward on earth will be great. Again, these rewards are not evil, in and of themselves. But they are clearly different. So the obvious question

hangs heavily over this paragraph, and over our lives: How can we live as citizens of these two kingdoms, reconciling two worlds with such widely divergent priorities? This general question leads to very specific questions in the daily practices of Wesleyan: How do we promote character and virtue when colleges are more concerned with class rank and SAT scores? How do coaches honor selfless teamwork when the newspaper only reports leading point scorers? How do we encourage service to others in a culture dominated by self-exaltation? How do we inspire learning for learning’s sake when the world says good grades equal a good job, which equals a good salary, which equals a good life? The key to answering these questions is redefining the concept of “blessings” and reconsidering what constitutes the “good life.” As long as the blessings of the world appeal to us more than the blessings of the Kingdom, we will have a hard time living as “Kingdom people.” At Wesleyan, we believe our best opportunities to redefine “blessings” come outside of the classroom. In fact, the further from the classroom (and our culture) we get, the easier it is for students to re-evaluate their understanding of the “good life.” This is one of the chief motivations behind Wesleyan’s focus on retreats, service, and missions. This is also why it was particularly appropriate that we studied the “Blessings of the Kingdom” in March, the same month that so many of our students and faculty participated in mission projects around the world. These trips are a compelling reminder that there is much more to blessedness than wealth, success, and earthly reward. So, as we reflect on the blessings of Wesleyan, let us not only consider the beautiful campus, Fine Arts awards, college acceptances, academic accolades, and other earthly rewards. Let us also consider the students who have seen God, who have become His children, who are living in His Kingdom, and who are building up heavenly rewards. Those are the true blessings of Wesleyan.

Atlanta, Georgia Where: Atlanta, Georgia- Midtown, Downtown, Bankhead OrganizationS partnered with: Church on the Street, Lazarus Ministries, Gateway Shelter, Sheltering Arms, Bright Futures Atlanta, City of Refuge, Safehouse Atlanta, Atlanta Day Shelter for Women and Children.

What they did: We lived a nomadic lifestyle, sleeping on floors of churches and carrying everything in our backpacks.

focus of teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s service & ministry: The focus of the trip was to learn about life in the city and what organizations are doing to serve the people there. We learned about the fact that all people, whether wealthy or homeless, want relationships and to be loved. highlights of week: The realizations that students had about homeless people being people just like them.

Christian Adams Blake Center Daniel Dardaman Hannah Ghafary Haley Gleerup Alex Harpole Riley Henning Ben Johnson Kaitlin Mullen Andrew Sabonis-Chafee Cody Solomon Brittany Stevens

LEADERS: Caroline Antonio Joseph Antonio Sabrina Schulze

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TEAM:

Where: Chattanooga, Tennessee

Anna Alexander Julia Childers Nick Eversbusch Emily Greer Gabby Hernandez Brennan McDaniel Audrey Mangum Rachel Morgan Paige Prettyman Makena Renz Emily Sabonis-Chafee Katie Stipe Kelsey Strott William Thurston Jordan Ward Maguire Wilder Noah Young

Organization partnered with: Widow’s Harvest Ministries

focus of team’s service & ministry: Our focus was to serve the widow community in Chattanooga through both home repair and fellowship.

highlights of week: Attending the widows’ prayer

meeting and having them join us for dinner one night and share their testimonies. In our smaller work groups, we loved meeting and speaking with the widows whose homes we were helping to improve, and we valued the chance to form closer friendships with them as we returned to our work sites each day.

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LEADERS:

Sara Cooper Katie Dixon Chip Myrick Anna Myrick

HS STUDENT LEADERS: Abby Thurston Traci Wilson Matt Zimmerman

Chattanooga, tennessee gold team

TEAM: Lauren Alexander Whitney Archer Katie Von Bargen Madison Darsey Katherine Facteau Olivia Frank Ashley Godwin Carson Jerding Sam Laurite Megan Macia Patrick McHugh Sydney Millikan Michael Payne Chapman Pendery Mitchell Robinson Reed Thomas Nikki Villa Margaret Ann Yates

Organization partnered with: Widow’s Harvest Ministries

focus of team’s service & ministry: General

repair and painting of widows’ homes.

highlights of week: Seeing students connect with the widows they met during the week. We learned so much about trusting God through all life’s struggles and also how to pray faithfully to our Father in heaven.

LEADERS: Meg Foster Brittany Knight Michael Tablada Laura Siron

HS STUDENT LEADERS: Crawford Brooks Carrie Ciccotello Ashley Hughes

Chattanooga, tennessee GREEN team

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Where: Chattanooga, Tennessee

TEAM: Madeline Adair Delia Borbone Jeffrey Chang Graham Deaton Aleyah James Dacia Jones John Krause Miles Laughlin Mallory Macgill Danny Nocharli Mairead O’Hare Walton Parrish Will Sharon Lindsey Stamper Michael Veal

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LEADERS:

Grant Campbell Matthew Means Andrea Shupert Emily Zavitz

COSTA RICA

Where: Near San Jose Organization partnered with: We partnered with

Abraham Project.

focus of team’s service & ministry: Working to make discarded wood into usable pieces of lumber by removing nails, staples, and screws; painting interior and exterior of church plant building; and doing a one day VBS in Rio Azul, the poorest section of San Juan, and distributing school supplies to the children.

highlights of week: Watching Mr. Means and Danny Nocharli build two beautiful wooden bookcases for the foster homes; doing the VBS in Rio Azul.

Dominican republic boys team Where: Boca Chica, Dominican Republic

TEAM:

Organization partnered with: SERV International

Sam Carver James Cyran Ryan Davis Carter Hall Zack Kaloper Ashby Lincoln Trey Mannion Cory Miller Christopher Peden Conner Perry Johnny Richards Andrew Sauer Philip Sawyer Christian Stark Will Vance

focus of team’s service & ministry: Construction, installation of water filtration systems, sports ministry, orphan ministry. highlights of week: Working alongside former

Wesleyan faculty Mike Shaheen and his family, seeing the house we were helping build for a widow arise throughout the week, interacting with the FCA DR staff and the Dominican children at the baseball clinics we conducted and the playdates we organized, prayer walks through the villages.

LEADERS: Brian Krehmeyer Joe Reilly Guillermo Vallejo Jack Van Der Sluys

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TEAM:

Hayley Alexander Jenna Bartlett Meredith DiStasi Landyn Duley Amanda DeLaPerriere Challee Johnson Aubrey McCabe Nikki McDonald Hope Morgan Taylor Pahl Rachel Ritter Katie Stepp Sydney Stone CaraMia Tsirigos Katie Van Laeke

LEADERS: Adrienne Christian Ruthie Colegrove Lacy Gilbert Mary Willson Schill

Where: San José, a village near Boca Chica, Dominican Republic. Organization partnered with: SERVE International focus of team’s service & ministry: Painting

the church, leading VBS, building relationships with kids, playing softball with young women, distributing water filters and food, and going on home visits.

highlights of week: 1. There was a kid named Mudo

who was mute and deaf that our students got a chance to know pretty well. Through him, the girls learned about servant leadership and the power of love beyond speech. 2. The team visited Quisqueya, a city about an hour away from where we were staying. The team went on home visits and learned about Casa Emanuel, the school where Ms. Christian will be serving next year. 3. We talked to an elderly man named Tomás who told the girls about how he came to Christ. 4. We enjoyed out of the ordinary experiences like going on a snake hunt, holding a tarantula, and eating a chicken foot. 5. Being around our SCORE missionaries, Johanna and Craig McClure, who shared with the team how they came to Christ and the importance of staying firm in our Christian beliefs–even as teenage girls.

Dominican republic GIRLS team

GUATEMALA

TEAM:

Organization partnered with: Bridge Builders

Christina Austin Lillie Baker Emma Bivings Purabi Das Elizabeth Driver Rebekah Eller Ashley Gentry Monica Ho Maddie Jordan Molly Knauss Kate Lackey Katie McLaughlin Kristen Pack Kayla Raabe Maddie Turnbull Caroline White

International

focus of team’s service & ministry: We spent the week in a small Christian school in a rural area of Guatemala. The school was K-9th grades with approximately 400 students total. Many of the children are supported by Compassion International and most children come from very poor homes. We spent the week painting every classroom and the exterior of the school, doing VBS activities with the younger children, devotional time with the older students, home visits, and sports clinics. We also painted the majority of the entire school. highlights of week: 1. They welcomed us so enthusi-

astically from Saturday evening through the closing activities on Friday afternoon. In the closing activities our students put on a ceremony showcasing our songs and a couple of “dances.” 2. Watching the 9th grade students paint right beside our girls for almost two days. The conversations and sharing during that period were enormous. 3. Climbing the volcano. 4. Bonding and strengthening of our team through the joys and challenges of serving abroad.

LEADERS: Victoria Casey Amelia Davis Leslie Grogan Hibisca Liaw

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Where: Santa Apolonia, Guatemala

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NICARAGUA

TEAM:

Caribbean Ministries Association

John Adent Palmer Brasher Maddy Brehmer Luke Cowart Caroline Cusick Andrew Dorman Hannah Fletcher Janie Harper Lindsay Moore Courtney Rappe Holly Robertson Holly Shinn John Walker Austin Zakas

focus of team’s service & ministry: Working

LEADERS:

Where: Nicaragua Organization partnered with:

with students and young mothers and building a home.

highlights of week: Building a new home for a family of four; powerful testimonies from transfomed lives; crafts and sports with students; lasting relationships; and a vision for what the Lord is doing around the globe.

Will Greene Rebecca Kennedy John Otwell Shellie Salazar

ROMANIA Organization partnered with: ICAF (International Children’s Aid Foundation): a group that sponsors an orphanage in Brad, Romania. focus of team’s service & ministry: 1. Estab-

lishing relationships with the students through attendance of their classes during the school day and sponsoring a Christian club each afternoon. 2. Pursuing intentional conversations about the Gospel with the students. 3. Playing with the kids in the orphanage each night. 4. Helping the orphanage with basic repairs of their facilities.

highlights of week: 1. Worshiping and celebrating the Lord’s Supper with the Baptist Church in Brad. 2. Four nights of Christian club full of games, singing, and conversations. 3. The performance of the Lifehouse skit at the end of the final club night. 4. The talks by Maddy Robinson, Caroline Baisier, Jack Widner, and Anna Gritters that presented the Gospel. 5. Waking up to a snow-covered landscape on the last day in Brad.

Olivia Ballard Caroline Baisier Maddie Blevins Anna Davis Bruce Duane Pete Eigel Anna Gritters Trey Jackson Madison Jones Rachel Koch Zac MacKenzie Ashley Moody Pierce Ostwalt Aaron Smay Kristen Solomon Christy Stipe Maddy Robinson Jack Widner

LEADERS: Emily Duffus Kevin Kadzis Jonathan Koch Amanda Lang Elizabeth Smith

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Where: Brad, Romania

TEAM:

UKRAINE

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TEAM:

Leighton Broome Emily Dardaman Grace Farley Maddie Hall Alexandra Hernandez Carter Kuehn Jack Lloyd Nick Menefee Drew Middleton Daisy Mills David Monte Trent Perry Caroline Robertson Kendall Runyon Taylor Walton Ian Woods

LEADERS: Nina Kozlova Mamie McIntosh Jeff Plunk Dennis Stromie

Where: Simferopel, a city located in the southern part of Ukraine in the Crimean Penisula. Organization partnered with: Orphan’s Hope whose purpose is to give the orphan’s of Crimea hope and a better life by meeting basic needs and sharing the love of Christ with the children.

focus of team’s service & ministry: Relational ministry with the children in the Crimea orphanages - primarily an all girls orphanage. We taught English lessons in their school in the morning and played with the kids in the afternoon and night. After dinner, we built relationships with the Exodus 50 guys and girls – a youth group type ministry Orphan’s Hope created to help the kids transition to life outside of the orphanage after they graduate. We also made improvements to the ministry’s community center. highlights of week: 1. Many of us had been on this trip before and were able to build on friendships with the Orphan’s Hope leaders and Exodus 50 guys and girls. 2. Beating the Ukrainians in soccer, much to their dismay. 3. Daisy Mills teaching Lira a worship song in English and singing it on our last night together. She later gave Lira her Bible so she could continue to learn English and grow in her faith.

2012-2013 SERVE HIS LEAGUE

SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS Through service activities involving the whole school, divisions, individual grades, sports teams, and other student groups, Wesleyan has positively affected the following organizations during the 2012-2013 school year:

TOP: Rachel Koch ’13 bonds with a resident at the My Sister’s House Christmas Party. BOTTOM: Middle school students have fun with the children of Sheltering Arms Daycare.

Plantation South Duluth Project Open Hand Rainbow Village, Inc. Ronald McDonald House Peachtree-Dunwoody Rosemont Nursing Home Samaritan’s Purse Disaster Relief Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child SCORE (Serving Christ Our Redeemer Enterprises) International Sheltering Arms Daycare, Norcross Sheltering Arms Daycare, Techwood Somerby of Alpharetta Special Pops-Special Olympics Tennis Academy St. Vincent de Paul Society StandUp for Kids Sunrise Assisted Living Community Buckhead Sunrise Assisted Living Community Johns Creek Tapestry House Assisted Living Community Toys for Tots Trinity House Big Bethel Wesleyan Missions Wesleyan School Facilities Woodson Elementary School

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A. Worley Brown Boys and Girls Club of Norcross Aloha to Aging American Red Cross Assistance League of Atlanta Atlanta Community Food Bank Community Gardens Atlanta Community Tool Bank Atlanta Mission My Sister’s House/Women & Children Services Atlanta Mission Potter’s House Atlanta Mission Shepherd’s Inn Men’s Homeless Shelter Autrey Mills Nature Preserve Bellmont Village Assisted Living Benton House Build An Ark Animal Rescue Chambrell Assisted Living Community Chattahoochee Nature Center Children’s Restoration Network Church on the Street City of Refuge Coan Middle School Community Action Center Community Gardens of Atlanta Community Food Bank The Drake House Duke University Dunwoody Nature Center East Lake Arbor Health & Rehab Nursing Home Elaine Clark Center Friends of Refugees Foster Care Support Foundation Foundation for Hospital Art Furniture Bank of Metro Atlanta The Gateway Center Good Samaritan Health Center Hope House HouseProud Atlanta House of Joy In His Footsteps Ivy Hall Assisted Living Lazarus Ministries, Inc. Leukemia & Lymphoma Society The Lionheart School Lymphoma Research Foundation Make-A-Wish Georgia Mary Hall Freedom House No Longer Bound Norcross Community Garden Norcross Cooperative Ministry North Fulton Child Development Association North Fulton Community Charities

fine arts

photography by Brian Morgan

WE SLE YAN Fine Arts B LE SSING S written by Meg Foster Director of Fine Arts

I WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

n Genesis, we are reminded of how the world came to be and that we are created in God’s image. Because God first created, we can create as well. We create works of art, music, characters, and movement. Throughout the Bible, it is evident that God did not create humans just to sit back and watch; He clearly wants a relationship with us, as is evident through the gift and sacrifice of his son, Jesus Christ. In turn, our artistic creations on earth exist not only unto themselves. God blesses us through these creations by knitting us closer together with our friends, our neighbors, and our brothers and sisters in Christ. When asked how Wesleyan fine arts has blessed them, students, parents, and alumni alike shared one common response: relationships! - relationships with peers, relationships with fellow believers, and most importantly, a relationship with Jesus.

As students work toward a common goal, be it on the stage, in a practice room, or in the studio, they grow closer to one another. Long after the curtain drops or the piece is complete, those relationships continue. Wesleyan Wolf Player and singer, Andrew Sabonis-Chaffee (10th) reveals, “I have been blessed through the fine arts because I have met some of my best friends through theater. It’s truly a blessing to be surrounded by so many talented and amazing people every day at rehearsal.” Chorus, marching band member, and Wolf Player, Caroline Mitchell (10th), responded, “It’s incredible to think that I wouldn’t really have known the people with whom I have the strongest relationships if God hadn’t led me to the fine arts program at Wesleyan.” It’s not just students that build relationships with one another; countless Wesleyan parent volunteers give of their time, talent, and treasures to help the fine arts programs at Wesleyan. God blesses these efforts through the relationships formed. Volunteer and past Arts Alliance president, Kathie Chipman, says, “God

has blessed me through the amazing group of parents who give so freely of their time, talents, and hearts for our students. When I come onto campus for a fine arts event, whether it’s an Arts Alliance meeting, a lower school play, a high school production, or the Artist Market, my heart sings with JOY! It is such a blessing to me to be a part of such a Godly group of people–people who pour themselves into enriching the minds, bodies and spirits of our children. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the arts at Wesleyan!” Current Arts Alliance president, Dana Sullenberger, adds, “I have been blessed immeasurably by my involvement in raising money for the fine arts through the Wesleyan Arts Alliance and by the friendships that have developed from that group.” And I would be remiss to not include my husband’s (band director Jeff Foster) comment about how he has been blessed by the arts at Wesleyan: “I met my wife in the fine arts department, so I can truly say it changed my life!” God’s blessings are endless! Yet even deeper than these earthly connections created through the arts is the relationship between us and our heavenly Father that is strengthened as students, alumni, and parents use their God-given gifts to bring Him glory. When asked for her thoughts on our fine arts program, Junior Wolf Player and singer, Lauren Bell (7th), quoted Colossians 3:16: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” She adds, “The Lord has blessed me in many ways, so I choose to bless Him by shining His light through me for all to see!” Similarly, alumna singer and actress, Emily Gregory ’10, shares, “I’m able to express myself through the talents God gave me, and I think that’s what He intended; it only makes sense that

fine arts | update

And perhaps Cassie Pilgrim’s (10th) response sums it up best: “He’s given me my LIFE!”–a life honoring and glorifying Him through both the music and the relationships that ensue. All glory be to Him, for we have life everlasting through the most important relationship ever designed–the one between us and our Lord and Savior.

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

Visual artist, Janie Harper ’13, is grateful for connections that were inspired through her artwork created during mission trips: “I’ve been blessed through art in Nicaragua and Guatemala. I was given the opportunity to paint murals [there] that were centered around Christianity and will [lead] the people that see them to ask questions about the ministries that that are housed in the buildings, and about the Christian faith in general.” God willing, her artwork will prompt both earthly relationships between believers as well as new relationships with Christ.

TOP LEFT: Janie Harper ’13 in Costa Rica on a recent Wesleyan mission trip; TOP RIGHT: Lauren Bell (7th) in the theater production Annie; TOP MIDDLE: Caroline Mitchell (10th) performing in the Marching Wolves Band; Andrew Sabonis-Chaffee (10th).

we are to feel most alive when we’re doing what God made us to do! When we use our talents we are actually giving praise back to God, which is another calling of ours!” Alumna and former chapel band and symphonic band member, Savannah Newman ’12, is grateful to be able to share Christ with others through leading worship. “God has blessed me by giving me a platform to show others what it means to live a joy-filled life”, she says. “My worship leading abilities and songwriting skills grab people’s attention, and then I just point those people toward Jesus. Being able to fulfill this role is the greatest blessing I could ask for.”

fine arts | profile

Christy Stipe

fine arts senior profile • Daughter of Hope and Kevin Stipe • Siblings: Elizabeth ’11 (Sophomore at UGA); Kevin (9th) and Katie (8th) are both here at Wesleyan • College Decision: Auburn University • Plans to major in either psychology or graphic design • Attends Perimeter Church with her family • In her spare time, she enjoys being involved in Young Life, hiking, and running around with her dog at the river. • Extracurriculars: basketball cheerleading, track, prom committee, seniorfreshman girls Bible study, and serves on the junior board of the Atlanta Mission.

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• Standout memory in fine arts: “I enjoyed the black and white charcoal project that Mrs. Brooker had us do in 2DI. This was particularly influential to me because I found a medium that I am passionate about. It is the only piece I have ever done that I am still pleased with.”

• Inspired by: “My own struggles inspire me. Most of my pieces tend to be “disturbing” or “creepy,” but I feel like they display something that is inside every one of us. I love that I can attempt to make people feel the way I do when they look at a picture I’ve done.” • What does the visual arts teach you that other interests may not: “It teaches me to observe things around me differently. Instead of seeing a tree, I see the shapes and details that make up the tree. It has made me look at people differently. Also, in my AP Art concentration, I have had to dig deep for emotions because I’m not a very emotional person. That has been very difficult but very interesting.” • Enjoys most about Wesleyan: “I have enjoyed the friends and relationships I have made with different people in every grade.” • Unique feature about Wesleyan: “In my time here, I have discovered that Wesleyan is more than just a school. I have seen the community band together in times of hardship and joy. The places I have seen this happen most is on mission trips. The students and the teachers come together and spend a week being spiritually, emotionally, and physically tried. While they are away, there are countless people praying for them. I went on three mission trips while at Wesleyan, and seeing God work through students and prayers was an experience that only a Wesleyan student would understand.”

fine arts | profile

Pete Eigel

fine arts senior profile • Son of Leigh and Keith Eigel • Siblings: Alex (junior at the University of Alabama); JT (10th) and Ansley (3rd) are here at Wesleyan • College Decision: Belmont University • Plans to major in Audio Engineering (recording, live sound production, etc.) • Pete attends Passion City Church and Buckhead Church where he serves on the production team for the K-5 program. • In his spare time, he enjoys playing the guitar and piano and always likes to have a project of some sort going. • Extracurriculars: Theater: Is He Dead (Winter 2010), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Fall 2010), The Mousetrap (Winter 2011), Footloose (Spring 2011), Pygmalion (Fall 2011), Oklahoma (Tech Crew, Winter 2012), Our Town (Spring 2012), The Mayfair Affair (Fall 2012). Currently works after school at a local web-design firm.

• Inspired by: “I think that just like a writer or visual artist, my ultimate role on stage as an actor or musician is that of “communicator.” I hope that whenever I perform, some deeper message comes across.” • What the performing arts teaches you that other interests may not: “The performing arts became my passion through my time at Wesleyan, and I think that part of stewarding the life God has given me is pursuing healthy passions to the best of my ability. Performing–acting, in particular–has taught me nearly everything l know about speaking in public and leadership. The time l spent in rehearsal, the relationships l formed through acting, and the effort I put into making shows are the decisions in High School that I regret the least.” • Enjoys most about Wesleyan: “I love the community that Wesleyan fosters. I feel like I am great friends with pretty much everyone at school.”

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• Standout memory in fine arts: “It was actually through a Fine Arts class at Wesleyan that I began acting. Mr. Taylor taught Intro to Theatre Arts my Freshman year and desperately needed another male actor for the winter play. I had turned him down at least three times before he handed me the form to audition. At that point I gave in, and I’m very glad I did.”

fine arts | honors

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

Fine Arts Honors

winter & spring 2013

1. Arabella Barnes ’20, Honorable Mention Shutter Sense and Non-Sense photography competition 2. Allie Bell ’17, All State Chorus Finalist 3. Casey Bell ’15, 1st chair GISA All-Select Band, percussion 4. Jay Bell ’15, Honorable Mention, Shuler Awards; Third in the Solo Musical Theater competition, Christian in Theater Arts Festival 5. Erin Boyd ’15, 1st chair District Honor Band; 2nd chair GISA All-Select Band; UGA High School Band Festival, alto saxophone 6. Natalie Connor ’14, District Level All State Art Finalist 7. Alex Cope ’20, Honorable Mention Shutter Sense and Non-Sense photography competition 8. Madeline Day ’14, Winner of Southern Teachers Student Art Contest 9. Victoria DiStasi ’13, 1st Chair GISA All-Select Band; UGA High School Band Festival, clarinet 10. Bruce Duane ’15, UGA High School Band Festival, clarinet 11. Cardo Gottlich ’20, Honorable Mention Shutter Sense and Non-Sense photography competition 12. Janie Harper ’13, 1 Gold Key and 1 Silver Key Scholastic Award 13. Grace Hodges ‘13, 1 Gold Key and 1 Honorable Mention Scholastic Award 14. Gigi Huggins ’18, All State Chorus Finalist 15. Ricardo Hurtado ’17, All State Chorus Finalist 16. Shannon Kelly ’17, Honorable Mention Shutter Sense and Non-Sense photography competition 17. Jonathan Kim ’13, 7 Gold Key and 1 Silver Key Scholastic Awards 18. Kate Lackey ’13, Third Place in the Shakespeare Monologue, Christian in Theater Arts Festival 19. Mallory Macgill ’13, State Level All State Art Finalist; Silver Key Scholastic Award 20. Isabella Mateu ’14, Top 50 Finalist in the SCAD Junior Challenge, Honorable Mention Shutter Sense and Non-Sense photography competition 21. Drew Middleton ’13, Honorable Mention Scholastic Award 22. Cassie Pilgrim ’15, UGA High School Band Festival; 1st chair All State Band; 1st chair and featured soloist in the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra; 2nd chair District Honor Band, oboe 23. Henry Pilgrim ’13, 1st chair District Honor Band; 1st chair All State Band; UGA High School Band Festival, clarinet 24. Caroline Robertson ’14, Honorable Mention Shutter Sense and Non-Sense photography competition 25. Rachel Robinson ’14, District Level All State Art Finalist 26. Andrew Sabonis-Chafee ’15, Third in the Contrasting Monologue competition, Christian in Theater Arts Festival 27. Ryan Shin ‘15, UGA High School Band Festival, tenor saxophone 28. Julianna Simms ’14, UGA High School Band Festival, bass clarinet 29. Christy Stipe ’13, Honorable Mention Shutter Sense and Non-Sense photography competition; Honorable Mention Scholastic Award 30. Meghan Sullivan ’13, Honorable Mention Shutter Sense and Non-Sense photography competition 31. Abby Yang ’18, All State Band Finalist, flute 32. Angela Yang ’17, All State Finalist; second place Master Class Award winner, piano 33. Ricky Yoder ’13, Best Actor Nominee, Shuler Awards 34. Christy Zachary ’13, UGA High School Band Festival, 1st chair GISA AllSelect Band, oboe 35. Jordan Zimmerman ’15, State Literary Meet, Fourth Place Soloist

fine arts | honors FINE ARTS MOVING TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Grace Farley Fashion Institute of Technology Fashion Design

Sterling Feininger Adriana Galvez Wake Forest Georgia State University University Fashion Design Marching Band

Jonathan Kim Carnegie Mellon University Art & Business

Kyle King Georgia Southern University Marching Band & Music Education

Henry Pilgrim Samford University or Young Harris College Marching Band & Music Education

Kate Lackey Belmont University Theater

Christy Stipe Auburn University Art Education

GROUP HONORS

5th grade band Gold (1) & Silver (2) Ratings at the Southern Star Music Festival

6th Grade Band Gold Ratings at the Southern Star Music Festival

Winter Drumline 1st Place in 2 Competitions

Marching Band Silver Division Winners at the Georgia Contest of Champions

Winter Guard 1st Place in 3 Competitions

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE â&#x20AC;˘ SPRING | SUMMER 2013

Advanced 7th & 8th Grade Chorus 5th & 6th Grade Chorus Gold (3) Ratings, Sweepstakes Winner, Grand Gold (3) Ratings, Sweepstakes Winner, Grand Champions at the Southern Star Music Festival; Champions at the Southern Star Music Festival; Superior Ratings at the Large Group Performance Superior Ratings at the Large Group Peformance Evaluations Evaluations

Advanced Middle School band Silver Ratings at the Southern Star Music Festival

parents WESLEYAN PARENTS CLUB

GALA AUCTION The Wesleyan Parents Club hosted the Gifts in the Garden Gala Auction on April 13 at the Intercontinental, Buckhead. Over 500 parents, faculty, and school administrators enjoyed this fun night of fellowship, the highlights of which were the fabulous silent and live auctions! Co-chairs Darcy Copeland, Darcy Harper, and Wendy Moreland led a team of over 150 parent, faculty, and staff volunteers to plan and produce this elegant evening. The Gala got a digital make-over this year, most noticeably through the use of smartphone bidding, on-line RSVPs, payment pre-registration, and an on-line catalog where guests could create their own auction item “wish list”. The live auction included some great travel and kids’ party experiences, a Steve Penley original oil painting, a two-year lease on a new Dodge Dart, and two of the always-popular Carpool Queen premium parking spots.

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

Only held every other year, the Gala Auction is the WPC’s largest fundraiser. Thanks to this evening’s donors, sponsors and attendees, the 2013 Gala raised $240,000! In keeping with our J.O.Y. motto, Wesleyan’s Administration will be dispersing these funds to: • Wesleyan’s Missions Program and Serve-His League ($20,000), • the Austin Chapel renovation project to construct new pews ($50,000), and • the Shared Blessings Capital Campaign to complete the funding for a new campus gate, which will be named in honor of the Wesleyan Parents Club ($170,000).

Everyone who works with the Gala Auction joyfully contributes their time and talents because the end result benefits our children and our school. Many thanks to everyone who helped make the 2013 Gifts in the Garden Gala Auction an event to remember!

parents | artist market

WESLEYAN ARTS ALLIANCE

ARTIST MARKET Always the highlight of the spring Fine Arts season, this year marked the 15th anniversary of the Wesleyan Artist Market sponsored by the Wesleyan Arts Alliance. Over May 2-4, Yancey Gymnasium was transformed into an indoor arts festival, which featured over 75 professional artists whose works grace galleries and collections across the Southeast. New this year was the inclusion of eighteen Wesleyan middle and high school student artists, who were chosen to show and sell their works in a student section. All artists generously donate twenty-five percent of their sales to the Wesleyan Arts Alliance; this year’s Artist Market was the most successful to date! The theme of the 2013 Market, Discovering Our Talents (D.O.T.), was the brainchild of event chair, Judy Beaman. “An Artist Market is all about sharing the wonderful things that are built from our creativity, and everyone is an artist by that measure,” says Beaman. “We wanted to highlight the artist in everyone and demonstrate the incredible beauty that can be created when we work together.”

Be sure to mark your calendars for the sixteenth-annual Wesleyan Artist Market - May 1-3, 2014!

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

Whether during a “D.O.T. Day” (at which participants painted dots that became a colorful campus-wide art installation), at the Fine Arts Circle of Honor induction ceremony which honored talented Wesleyan alumni, or during one of the many student and staff performances on the Artist Market stage, the Wesleyan community’s appreciation for the talent and contributions of others was obvious. As Judy Beaman said, “We hope to always connect the D.O.T.s at Wesleyan by encouraging our students, parents, friends, and neighbors to see the beauty around them and share the gifts within them.”

parents | organizations

PARENT ORGANIZATION BOARDS arts alliance President Susan Hughes Advising President Dana Sullenberger Membership Michelle Williams Treasurer De Anna Williams Communications Diane Carmichael Recording Secretary Sherri Rogers Members-At-Large Kim Sabonis-Chafee Kathie Chipman Kerry Fuller Artist Market Chair Judy Beaman Artist Market Treasurer Christine Stewart Board Liaison Mary Ramsey Faculty Chair Meg Foster

Parents Club

Co-Presidents Michele Williams & Lynn Stall Co-Vice Presidents Darcy Harper & Lori Coxhead Treasurer Tricia Brown Vice Treasurer Suzanne Beaty Recording Secretary Mandy Braswell Corresponding Secretary Kim Kaloyannides Advising Chair Deena Coughlin

wolf trackers

President Holly Mattingly Treasurer Les Harper Membership Tammy Duley Marketing/Ad Sales Ann Bruehl Fundraising Erin Koch Events Cofield Widner & Chris Prince Secretary Weezie Bradach Athletic Director Marc Khedouri

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE â&#x20AC;˘ SPRING | SUMMER 2013

UPCOMING EVENTS

arts alliance

Parents Club

Middle School Plays September 26-28, 2013; April 3-5, 2014 Middle & High School Chorus Concerts October 7, 2013; December 9, 2013; February 11, 2014; May 15, 2014 Christmas Card Sales Mid-October - November 1, 2013 High School Plays October 24-26, 2013; February 6-8, 2014; April 24-26, 2014 Middle & High School Band Concerts December 11, 2013; February 11, 2014; May 13, 2014 Middle & High School Art Show Opening April 9, 2014 Fine Arts Week April 21-25, 2014 Wesleyan Artist Market May 1-3, 2014

Christmas Ornament Sales Summer and Fall 2013 Christmas Decorations November 2013 Moms in Prayer Meets weekly on Monday mornings. Begins Monday, August 19, 2013 Hoedown October 3, 2013 Cotillion October 2013 Mistletoe Market November 19 - 22, 2013 American Red Cross Blood Drive February 11, 2014 Tuition Raffle Begins March 1, 2014 Drawing is May 2, 2014 Teacher Appreciation Luncheon May 2014

wolf trackers

Athletic Programs Fall 2013; Winter 2013; Spring 2014 Kick-Off Dinner August 30, 2013 Wolf Run October 5, 2013 Hit & Howl Tennis Tournament October 21, 2013 Golf Tournament November 4, 2013 Coca-Cola Truckload Sale March 25 - April 12, 2014

The Wesleyan Wolf Players Present

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

athletics

SPRING 2013

photography by Brian Morgan

ATHLETICS IN REVIEW

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

written by Marc Khedouri Athletic Director

ALUMNI REFLECTION: Peter Karempelis ’06, UGA ’10, and Medical College of Georgia ’14, shares his thoughts on Coach Billy Coxhead. Coach Coxhead is completing his 16th year at Wesleyan and his 15th year as head boys soccer coach.

n recent months, administrators and board members have spent a great deal of time writing and fine-tuning Wesleyan’s strategic plan for the next five years. The unanimity with which our constituency supports our school’s Christian mission is heartening. Our mission statement affirms who we are, but–ultimately–it’s just words on a piece of paper. The statement is only as meaningful as the people who carry it out and model it for the students each day.

“Coach Coxhead was one of the most influential coaches that I had during my athletic career at Wesleyan. His quiet humility, steadfast character, and unparalleled integrity are only a few of the many qualities he modeled for all his players each and every day, both on and off the soccer field. More importantly, Coach Coxhead dedicated all that he did to the Lord, and conducted all of his actions with a servant’s heart.

We are blessed with amazing coaches at Wesleyan. They bring our mission to life with caring concern for their athletes as students and as children of Christ. This spring, I asked a few of our alumni to share their thoughts on how some of our coaches have impacted their lives. Our hope is always that the lessons learned in our athletic programs will help shape the course and direction of our students’ lives. I trust you’ll enjoy reading these tributes as much as I have, as our alumni’s words reflect Wesleyan’s mission in motion and the blessings that result!

I am convinced that a rare population of uncommon men who hold themselves to only the highest standards exist in this world, and Coach Coxhead would be at the top of that list. His devotion to the Lord and his family, his desire to serve others, his unmatched self-discipline, and his overall commitment to excellence are qualities that I hope to embody as I move forward in my life. I am extremely grateful for all of the lessons that he taught me during my time at Wesleyan, most of which were simply observed through the way he lived his life. One of the best verses I can think of to describe Coach Coxhead would be Matthew 25:23, when Jesus told the Parable of the Talents: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!’ I feel honored and humbled to have played for Coach Coxhead.”

athletics | update

ALUMNI REFLECTION:

Grace Leah Baughn ’11, a sophomore at Pepperdine University and member of the women’s basketball team, shares her thoughts on Coach Candler Baxley. Coach Baxley is completing his 12th year at Wesleyan and his 10th as head girls track coach.

Kenzie Stanford ’11, a sophomore at Georgia Southern University, shares her memories of Coach Lacy Gilbert. Coach Gilbert is completing her 16th year at Wesleyan and her 12th as head girls soccer coach.

He does these things (and even more!) well, all while making every activity more fun. I have many fond memories of the track meet jokes he would tell, while coaching and motivating everyone to give their best. His enthusiasm for life and commitment to his students and athletes are evident and impactful. Running track for Coach Baxley is an unforgettable part of my Wesleyan experience because he did not merely teach me to run hurdles or pass a baton, but to do everything for the joy of the Lord. Mr. Baxley is a man of God, who, despite his many gifts, constantly humbles himself to benefit his students. For that, he is truly great.”

“It’s hard to write just a small paragraph describing the impact that a person like Lacy Gilbert has had on my life. She has been a friend, mentor, coach, mission leader, and sister in Christ. As my soccer coach and a leader on both of my mission trips to Costa Rica, I had the privilege of getting to know her on a level that most students don’t experience with teachers and coaches at their school. She always gave me the motivation I needed to take my walk with Christ a step further. She walked me through my high school career, through all of the tough times and the great ones, and I knew I could always go to her with something that was heavy on my heart. She taught me to be okay with where I am in my life, but to never stop working toward what I wanted and strived for in the future. Even when I arrived at college, I received a care package that she and some of the girls on the team put together; in it were words of encouragement to stay strong in my faith and to fight through any adversity that life in college threw at me. I respect Lacy more than words can describe, and I know that she will be a life-long mentor and friend in my walk through life and my growing faith.”

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

“I have never met anyone quite like Mr. Baxley. He has such a child-like joy that permeates the spirit of everyone he comes in contact with. He gives his time and talents to all three of Wesleyan’s school divisions, whether it be running Fun Camp for the lower school in the summer, teaching middle school history, or coaching high school track.

athletics | profile

ATHLETICS SENIOR PROFILE

photography by Brian Morgan

CaraMia Tsirigos • Daughter of Mia and Pete Tsirigos • Siblings: Anthony Tsirigos, 23 years old • College decision: Indiana University on a softball scholarship • Is undecided on a college major but plans to attend law school • Attends St. Raphael Greek Orthodox Church in Cumming, GA • In her spare time, she enjoys hanging out with friends, watching movies, playing sports, and spending time with friends and family. • Extracurriculars: Basketball, softball, and track; Hand-in-Hand and SALSA clubs. • Standout memory at Wesleyan: “Definitely the basketball state championship game this past season. Mr. Casey and Mr. Young allowed the high school to dismiss early so that students could come support us in Macon. It was awesome to see all of the love and support from not only our classmates, but especially our teachers. Our teachers truly care about us and want to be a part of our lives. It was a really cool thing to see and I will always remember how much our teachers and faculty care.”

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• Inspired by: “I am inspired by the opportunity to reach greatness. The idea of “what could be” is most intriguing. Every athlete wants to be the best in what they do, but no one knows how good she can be until she has that big moment. Those big moments are what define you as a person and make you who you are. Lastly, I’m inspired by being able to honor God with all the talents that He has given me.”

• When asked why she loves athletics: “The idea of always trying your best to be the best. Participating in athletics allows me to have fun with friends and share a competitive spirit. I want to be the best, so I do everything I can to make sure no one is out there working harder than me. I’m passionate about sports, and what pushes me is the desire to use all the talents God has given me.” • What athletics teaches you: “Athletics has always taught me to work for what I want. Nothing is ever handed to you. You must see what you want and go after it. I have also learned many characteristics like integrity, honor, and sportsmanship. In athletics, it’s not always about the game; if you go in thinking that’s all it is, then you miss out on everything that athletics has to offer.” • Enjoys most about Wesleyan: “Family. Without Wesleyan, the bonds I share with the people I’ve met would never have happened. I am lucky to say the people I’ve met at Wesleyan have become my extended family. Everyone cares for each other’s well-being. That is not found everywhere, and it is something I will never forget.” • Unique feature about Wesleyan: “I have discovered that Wesleyan is not your typical private Christian school. Society has many stereotypes for private schools, but Wesleyan is different. When I first arrived, I believed all the stereotypes, but have since learned that Wesleyan is a very special place. The people here genuinely care about each other no matter what their background is.”

athletics | profile

ATHLETICS SENIOR PROFILE

Rhett Delk • Siblings: Ashley ’07, Austin ’10, and William (8th) • College decision? Washington and Lee University • Is undecided on a college major • Where do you attend church? Peachtree Corners Baptist Church and Passion City Church

photography by Brian Morgan

• Son of Lorie and Alan Delk

• Extracurriculars: Football, wrestling, and soccer • Standout memory at Wesleyan: “My senior-year Homecoming football game and the wrestling state finals match.” • Inspired by: “Trying to use the gifts God has given me to the best of my ability.” • When asked why he loves athletics: “God calls us to use our talents to the best of our ability and this pushes me to strive to be the best I can be.” • What does athletics teach that other interests may not? “It teaches discipline and hard work. These are lessons that will stay with me for the rest of my life.” • Enjoys most about Wesleyan: “Getting to know and spend time with my teammates and coaches. They have greatly influenced me and will always be there for me.” • Uniqure feature about Wesleyan: “Wesleyan’s coaches truly care about each individual student athlete. I consider many of my coaches some of my best friends who I can call on whenever I am in need.” WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

athletics | team summaries

Girls basketball Boys basketball

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

The varsity boys completed their season with a first round appearance in the state tournament and a runner-up finish in the region tournament. The team also finished second in The Villages Chick-fil-A Holiday Tournament in The Villages, Florida. The Wolves improved significantly during the season under the senior leadership of Will Clifton, Charles Mack, Jaye Rochell, and Brett Greensmith. The seniors will be missed, but the Wolves return a solid nucleus of experienced players for next season.

Against an ambitious schedule and with an inexperienced roster, the JV boys’ team experienced a challenging season. Coaches Chris Cleveland and Chip Myrick emphasized the importance of hard work, unselfishness, and teamwork. While the season didn’t yield as many wins as hoped, the team improved significantly; by the end of the season, the boys were playing their best ball of the year. At their end-of-season awards program, Coach Cleveland thanked the boys for never giving up and reminded them that the measure of a man is not determined by what he achieves, but by who he is. After a slow start, the 8th grade team worked their way to a 10-10 record. The 2012-13 season was marked by tremendous growth and some great wins against a difficult schedule. Coached by Joe Tamel and Ted Russell, the team was made up of numerous athletes who have a real chance at making strong contributions in the near future. They will be a fun group to watch in the coming years! Coaches Dean Jackson and Dave Breslin focused the 7th grade team on fundamentals and team concepts, with the goal of improving throughout the season. For most of the boys, this was their first taste of basketball at a much more competitive interscholastic level. Though the scoreboard may not have reflected it in wins, there was a great deal of progress made and a foundation laid for future seasons.

This was a historic year for the Wesleyan girls basketball program. The 5th and 6th grade teams both had great seasons under coaches Carolyn Whitney ’06, Mary Stephenson ’04 and Sara Goodkind Wakefield ’03. The 7th grade team had a solid 14-8 season under the leadership of coaches Chris Luke and Elizabeth Smith. The 8th grade team posted an outstanding 23-1 record and won their league championship. Coaches Heidi Lloyd and Carolyn Whitney ’06 did a great job mentoring this group of young Lady Wolves who are poised to make a major impact on the JV and varsity teams next year. This year’s JV team had a strong season, finishing with a 14-1 record. Coaches Nichole Dixon and Demetrius Frazier did a fantastic job leading and motivating the JV girls and preparing them to contribute at the varsity level next year. Under the leadership of coaches Jan Azar, Andy Free, Nichole Dixon, Mary Stephenson ’04, Demetrius Frazier, and Carolyn Whitney ’06, the varsity Lady Wolves made history this season by winning a sixth consecutive state championship and tenth overall for the Wesleyan program. Both of these feats tie state records for high school basketball in Georgia. The strong senior class of Taylor Blackmon, Katie Frerking, Paige Mosley, Brittany Stevens, Kendra Talley, and CaraMia Tsirigos led the Lady Wolves to a 28-4 record. These seniors will be sorely missed, as they have been significant members of the program for many years. Four of these six seniors won the 7th grade championship together, and five of the six were on the 8th grade championship team. Each senior has achieved her goal of earning a full athletic scholarship to college: Blackmon (Kennesaw State), Frerking (Auburn), Mosley (Clemson), Stevens (Samford), Talley (Presbyterian), and Tsirigos (Indiana - softball). These seniors have displayed consistent, meaningful commitment to Wesleyan’s program and have each grown tremendously as players and people. Though excited about this season’s accomplishments, the Lady Wolves look forward to next season, as the future looks very bright for Wesleyan girls basketball!

athletics | team summaries

cheerleading The varsity basketball cheerleading squad ended its season once again on an amazing high note: cheering the girls basketball team on to their sixth consecutive state championship! This capped off a wonderful season of growth and achievement for the members of the squad. The squad was comprised of juniors and seniors, and, though some girls had more cheerleading experience than others, each member brought new life and energy to the program. This year, the girls attended a cheerleading camp designed specifically for the basketball cheer program. They spent an entire weekend working hard and learning new cheers and band dances.

Both the varsity boys and girls swim and dive teams had fantastic seasons! After winning the last two state championships, the boys team had an impressive showing at the state meet. Senior captain Drew Middleton led the way with top ten finishes in two individual events. Jake Cusick, John Adent, and Luke Hedrick teamed up with Drew on a pair of relays that also scored points at the state meet. On the girls side, the team was led by senior captain, Rachel Koch, who broke her own school record in the 100 Butterfly while earning a fifth place finish at the state meet. With a ninth place finish at the state meet, the girls team has now finished in the top 10 in 12 of the past 13 years! In the diving competition, sophomores Maggie Dryden and Taylor Panther, along with senior Alexandra Hernandez, all scored individual points at State, solidly contributing to the teams’ overall finish. With a strong class of rising seniors ready to assume leadership positions, the future is bright for the Wet Wolves swim and dive program. The middle school swim and dive teams also performed well this season. Both the boys and girls teams had strong showings at the Westminster and Marist invitational meets, with each team finishing in the top five. Many thanks to everyone who worked to make both the varsity and middle school swim and dive seasons an enjoyable experience.

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

While the girls faced numerous challenges during the season, their bonds of friendship strengthened the squad as a whole. From making locker decorations and treats each week for the basketball players, and making new friendships throughout big/ little sis week, to long road trips for tournament games, the girls always had a joyful and enthusiastic attitude. They worked to perfect cheers and chants for the basketball games and enjoyed supporting the basketball teams throughout the season. Senior captains Carti Payne and Emma Schroeder modeled the disciplines of hard work and dedication for the squad. The cheerleaders enjoyed having a “holiday” sock exchange before Christmas, dinners together before the games, and, of course!, eating lunch at The Original Dwarf House on their annual trip to Macon. The girls were thrilled to be part of another state basketball championship and enjoyed cheering on the Wolves during a very successful season!

swimming & diving

athletics | team summaries

baseball wrestling

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

The varsity wrestling team continued Wesleyan’s tradition of wrestling excellence by adding another individual state championship to the record books. Senior Rhett Delk finished the season with a perfect 20-0 record as he won the individual state title in the 170 pound weight class. Rhett’s individual performance led the team to a sixteenth place finish at the state tournament and also won him recognition as the first team Gwinnett County Wrestler of the Year for his weight class.

Also leading the way for the Wolves was senior Connor Fitzpatrick, who posted a 27-9 record as he led the team in total team points scored this season. Connor is a two-time state place winner for Wesleyan. Other significant contributors to the varsity team were Jake Mosley and John McCleskey. Jake placed in three tournaments and led the team in total falls, while John placed in two tournaments and qualified for the state sectionals. The junior varsity team was led by county runner-up Haydon Koch, along with Sam Beltrami and Joey Gaddis. The middle school wrestling team earned a 17-2 record and finished in third place at the conference dual tournament. Individually, three middle school wrestlers won their respective weight classes at the end-of-year tournament: Ben Connor and Willem Conley each won their weight, as did William Delk, who won his weight for the third consecutive year. Overall, more than 30 of our 39 wrestlers placed in the top six at the year-end tournament. Congratulations to all of the Wesleyan wrestlers on a great season!

The last time the Wesleyan varsity baseball team competed in Class AA, they won the State Championship in 2008. The 2013 team nearly repeated history, advancing to the Elite Eight before falling to Benedictine Military School in Savannah in dramatic fashion. The Wolves finished the season with a 21-12 record, winning nine of their last twelve games. Senior Johnny Richards took charge on the mound, compiling an 8-3 record. Sophomore Jahmai Jones had a breakout season, leading the team in nearly every offensive category, including batting average, hits, doubles, home runs, RBI, runs, and stolen bases. The team relied on the experience and composure of its seven seniors: Griffin Bone, Sam Carver, Ty Maughon, Brandon Moss, Pierce Ostwalt, Johnny Richards, and Conner Woerner. The future of Wesleyan Baseball is bright, evidenced by the outstanding play of rising seniors Grant Colton, Trey Mannion, and Christopher Peden and with vital contributions from rising juniors Carter Hall, Jones, Sam McWhorter, Andrew Sauer, and Christian Stark. The 2013 JV baseball team had another exciting season. Head coach Jack Van Der Sluys led the team to an overall 7-7 record. To increase game opportunities for the players, dedicated ninth grade games were played; this freshman team put together a 5-2 record. Outstanding on the mound were sophomores Andrew Sauer, Christian Stark, and freshman Alex Thompson. At the plate, sophomores Will Collins, Sam McWhorter, Jamie Stark, and freshman Drew Aspinwall led the way. Wesleyan’s middle school team was led by first-year head coach Joe Reilly. Coach Reilly assumed the helm after long-time coach Bob Worthington retired last season. The team, comprised of seven eighth graders and eight seventh graders, finished the season with a record of 3-10-1, while playing in the most challenging division of the middle school league. Coach Reilly and his staff worked hard to ensure that, in addition to baseball fundamentals and skills, the boys learned life-lessons that will stick with them much longer than a simple win, loss, hit, or strikeout.

athletics | team summaries

boys golf

The varsity team was led by seniors Cody Solomon and Nick Ross. Cody again set several school records and tied his school record best-nine-hole score of 34 (2 under par) at St. Ives Country Club in a home match against GAC. Cody and James Cyran both posted a one under par score of 35 in our Pace match, placing them second in the Wesleyan record books. Nick Ross was our rock, turning in scores on-par with Cody in all of our matches. Other varsity contributors included senior Will Clifton, juniors Cody Frost and Hunter Dixon, sophomore Rhodri Howell, and freshmen Tucker Cannon and Will Harper. The JV team posted a record of 3-4, and finished the season with a win over GAC. The JV team included freshmen Tucker Cannon, Will Harper, and Geoff Taylor, and juniors Cody Frost, Nick Menefee, and Will Vance.

girls golf The varsity girls golf team finished their successful 2013 season by capturing third place in the AA state tournament at Hawk’s Point Golf Club in Vidalia, Georgia, and second place honors in the Region 6-AA tournament. With one of its largest rosters ever (sixteen girls for both varsity and JV) and under the leadership of first-year head coach Will Greene and returning assistant coach Jennifer Russell, the team steadily improved on their way to numerous post-season honors. Freshman sensation Wilton Kennerly led the girls throughout much of the year, earning AllState honors for her stellar play during the season and at the state tournament. Wilton finished second individually in the region tournament and fourth individually in the state tournament with a season low round of 82. Fellow freshman Camille High consistently held down the #2 spot for the Lady Wolves, and posted a very respectable round of 100 on a tough state course to help secure the third-place finish. Throughout the season, seniors Aubrey McCabe and Grace Farley posted solid scores, as did sophomore Riley Henning, who improved greatly, earning the #3 spot for the post-season tournament teams. Junior Traci Wilson also represented the Lady Wolves at the state tournament in Vidalia. The JV team went 5-0 in 2013, led by Riley Henning and Traci Wilson for much of the season. Freshmen Sarah Borucki and Gillian Yeager also posted solid scores for the JV team in all five matches. But more encouraging than the team’s results were the tightknit relationships that formed between the girls as the season progressed. The team members clearly invested in both their golf games and each other. The future looks very bright for this young and talented Wesleyan team!

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

The boys varsity golf team finished the 2013 season with a match record of 3-7-1 to mark a very solid year against tougher competition with the move to AA. The boys put in strong performances in their four regular season tournaments, as well as in the postseason. Wesleyan finished 12th out of 24 in the Atlanta Athletic Club Boys High School Invitational against some of the best programs in the state from all classifications. The team also made its way into the record books by posting a nine-hole score of 149 –the third best in school history–in a victory against Pace Academy. The season concluded with a flourish of solid performances. The team finished fourth in the 6-AA Region Tournament where Cody Solomon, who’ll continue his golf career at Washington and Lee University, posted a 75, and earned Low Medalist honors after he calmly won a one-hole play-off. The team placed third at the state sectionals and seventh out of the 16 teams at the state tournament. The Wolves’ final score was a 318, which was the lowest 18-hole score for the entire season.

athletics | team summaries

girls lacrosse

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

boys lacrosse

The Wesleyan varsity boys lacrosse team, under the guidance of head coach, Lee Rider, and assistants Dr. Malcolm Anderson and Wesleyan alum, Stuart Lawder ’05, finished the 2013 season with an 8-8 record. The varsity Wolves were captained by seniors Jake Miller and Trent Perry and junior Blake Center. A powerful offense was led by Matt Zimmerman (38 goals), Jake Miller (27 goals), Miles Laughlin (26 goals), and Blake Center (21 goals). On defense, the team was led by Zack Kaloper, Trent Perry, Garrett Gottlich, and long stick middies Tyler Harper and Trey Jackson. Aaron Smay was phenomenal in goal this season, recording 193 saves. Others that contributed this year were Ryan Davis, Ryan Pahl, Walton Parrish, Hayden Koch, Ren Schmitt, and Josh Garrard. Senior Danny Nocharli had a great season, winning over 68% of his face-offs. Several school records were broken this season: Matt Zimmerman set a new school record with nine goals in a game, and Aaron Smay set the school record for saves in a game at 24. Three Wesleyan players were named to the Gwinnett All-County Lacrosse Team–Matt Zimmerman, Jake Miller, and Zack Kaloper. Our four graduating seniors truly set a new standard for Wesleyan Wolves Lacrosse. The junior varsity Wolves, led by coaches James Moleta, Ed Smith, and Wesleyan alum, Johnny Schumacher ’06, finished the season with a record of 4-7-1. Comprised mostly of freshmen and sophomores, the team made tremendous progress in their skills and knowledge of the game. Offensively, freshmen Wylie West and Tanner Moore and sophomore Tal Presley led the team. Freshman and lacrosse rookie, Ryan Hughes, won over 86% of his face-offs. The defense was led by Conner Day, Ian Robinson, Shelton Gottlich, and Avery Carpenter. Goal keeper, Jake Hanson, recorded over 130 saves this season.

The Wesleyan varsity girls lacrosse team completed the 2013 season with a 10-9 record. Under the leadership of head coach, Anna Myrick, and assistants, Peg Engleka and Elizabeth Smith, the team had a strong season and recorded impressive wins over Lovett and Duluth High School. Unfortunately, the team lost in the first round of the state tournament to two-time state runnerup, McIntosh High School. Courtney O’Leary led the team on attack, setting new school records for goals in a season (97) and most goals in a career (230). Other key offensive players were Maddy Brehmer, Lindsay Moore, and Natalie Genthert. On the defensive end of the field, both Victoria DiStasi and Emily Farrow helped lead the team to success, and Emily set a new school record for ground balls in a season (45). Meredith DiStasi stepped-up from JV to become the team’s goal keeper and set a new school record for most saves in a season (173). End-ofseason awards were given to Sydney Weissman (Most Improved Player), Courtney O’Leary (Most Valuable Attacker), Meredith DiStasi (Most Valuable Defender), and Emily Farrow (Coach’s Award). Led by head coach, Jessie Dutcher, and assistant coaches, Katie Dixon and Whitney Panetta, the JV girls lacrosse team completed the season with a record of 5-4-2. Most of the girls on the 21-player roster were rookies or had only one year of JV experience. Led by returning players Ali Stall, Gwyn Lando, Marti Duke, and Holland Sharon, the team finished the season at the Eagle Fest Tournament, where they placed fifth overall. End-of-season awards were given to Ashlee Fincher (Most Improved), Riley Casey (Most Valuable Player), and Ali Stall (Coach’s Award).

athletics | team summaries

boys soccer

The JV team finished 3-6-1 and was led by Austin Pack, Bruce Duane, Grant Sauer, and Michael Veal. The middle school team finished with a record of 7-5-2 and was led by Bryce Cook, Nick Eversbusch, William Delk, Kris Moratti, and Liam Coxhead.

girls soccer The varsity girls soccer team ended the season with a Final Four finish in the Class AA State Soccer Tournament and a ranking of #4 in the state. While enduring several injuries early in the season and playing an extremely tough region and non-region schedule, the girls showed tremendous perseverance during each practice and competition. Congratulations to Maddie Hall and Taylor Panther for being named to the Gwinnett All-County team and to Grace Hodges for being recognized as the team’s Scholar Athlete. Wesleyan team awards were given to Taylor Panther (Coach’s Award), Christina Moraitis (Outstanding Offense), Rookie of the Year (Ellie Hall), and Caroline Robertson (Team Player Award). Congratulations to the three senior captains: Taylor Walton, Grace Hodges, and Madison Jones, who each received a Senior Award. The JV team was full of incredible talent this year – the future of Wesleyan girls soccer is bright! Though the majority of our players were eighth graders, they beat many teams who started sophomores and juniors, and came away with big wins over Decatur, Woodward, Lovett, and Holy Innocents’. The following girls were recognized at the end-of-season banquet: Barrett Ramsey (Coach’s Award), Whitney Archer (Spirit Award), Kate Straker (Outstanding Defense), and Kelsey Strott (Hustle Award). The middle school girls team, comprised of all sixth and seventh graders, had a great season against many tough and older competitors. Wesleyan team awards were given to Emma Surber (Hustle Award), Tatiana Hamade (Most Improved Award), Madeline Benfield (Leadership Award), and Gracie Mitchell (Coach’s Award).

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

The varsity boys soccer team finished the 2013 season with a 6-10-2 record, a fourth-place finish in Region 6AA, and a berth in the state tournament for the fourth consecutive year. The team played away at a talented Calhoun team in the first round; though they competed hard, they fell to the eventual state runner-up. Highlights of the season included several quality wins: 4-0 over Marist; 3-1 over Lovett; 6-1 over Holy Innocents’, and 2-1 over Hebron Christian. All four of those teams advanced past the first round of the state tournament in their respective classifications, with Lovett making the semi-finals of AA and Hebron making the finals of A. The team’s five seniors provided excellent leadership: Miles Moraitis, Zac MacKenzie, Crawford Brooks, Landon Hoffman, and David Monte. Cort Coxhead led the team with 16 goals and six assists. Carter Flachbarth was an anchor in the goal. Both Cort and Carter were named to the Gwinnett All-County team. Zac MacKenzie was named as the Gwinnett County Soccer Scholar Athlete.

athletics | team summaries

girls track

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

Tennis

The Wesleyan varsity boys tennis team peaked at just the right time this season, battling their way to the state championship and finishing the year as state runners-up. Led by seniors Jeffrey Chang, Austin Zakas, and Palmer Brasher in the singles lineup, and seniors Andrew Dorman and Cameron Anderson heading up each doubles duo, the guys came together to get a big win over Lovett in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs. Making the most of home court advantage in the semi-final round against Thomasville, the boys advanced to the state finals to play familiar region opponent, Westminster. Senior Michael Armstrong, sophomore Cole Brown and freshman Tucker Cannon also played key roles in the team’s success. Jeffrey Chang will finish his Wesleyan tennis career as second in all-time singles victories, and Andrew Dorman holds the record for all-time doubles victories. Despite an earlier exit from the state playoffs, the varsity girls had a great season as well, finishing the regular season 12-2. They were the region runners-up and advanced to the Elite Eight before falling to Lovett in a very close, well-contested match, ending the season with a 15-4 record. Even though senior Sarah Settlage missed the first six matches due to a broken hand, she finishes her Wesleyan career as number four in all-time singles victories. Other key contributors to the team’s success were freshman Sophia Strickland at number one singles, sophomore Savannah Strickland at number two singles, and Kaitlin English, Leila Jordan, Dee Dee Seaman and Katie Van Laeke in the doubles lineup. The middle school teams both had winning seasons this year, as the boys finished 6-1-2 and the girls wrapped-up the season with a 7-2 record. The boys were led by eighth graders Cullen Davis and Connor Seim; Lauren Alexander and Audrey Mangum played important roles for the girls team.

The middle school and varsity girls track and field teams recently wrapped up very successful seasons. The middle school team placed third at their region meet, and the varsity team finished as the Region 6-AA runner-up. The varsity Wolves ended their season with a third place finish at the state meet, the program’s sixth consecutive top three finish in state competition. At the Region 6-AA meet, a total team effort resulted in scoring in all sixteen events. Region champions were: India Welton in the pole vault, Katie Frerking in the high jump, and the 4x400m relay team of Sheridan Davenport, Kylie Reed, Cairo Booker, and Brittany Stevens. At the state meet in Albany, Wesleyan competed in eight events and scored an impressive 55 points behind several incredible performances. Caroline Reed scored sixteen points by placing second in both the 1600m and 3200m, and the 4x400m relay team also had a runner-up finish. Brittany Stevens placed third in the 800m and seventh in the 400m, and Kylie Reed finished fifth in the 800m. In the field events, India Welton and Adrienne Lee placed third and sixth in the pole vault, while Katie Frerking and Hannah Hoskin finished third and fifth in the high jump. This season, new school records were set by Katie Frerking (high jump), Caroline Reed (3200m), India Welton (pole vault), and the team of Sheridan Davenport, Kylie Reed, Cairo Booker, and Brittany Stevens (4x400m relay). Katie Frerking was named to the Gwinnett All-County team, while Brittany Stevens received an Honorable Mention. Wesleyan team awards went to Kylie Reed (Alpha Wolf Award), Cairo Booker (Breakout Wolf Award), Katie Frerking and India Welton (Field Events Co-MVPs), and Caroline Reed and Brittany Stevens (Running Events Co-MVPs). Congratulations to these athletes and to all of the girls who worked hard and helped to make this track season such a success!

athletics | team summaries

boys track The Wesleyan varsity boys track and field team had another great season in 2013, finishing second to Westminster in Region 6-AA, and ahead of GAC, Lovett, and Hapeville. In the process, twelve athletes qualified for the sectional meet, six athletes qualified for the state meet, two school records were broken, and four team members earned a state championship by winning the 4x400m relay. The following athletes qualified for state by finishing in the top four in the region and then in the top eight in the sectional in their event: Robert Kunce, Jordan Mack, Charles Mack, Jake Morris, John Walker, and John McCleskey. In Jefferson, Georgia at the state meet, the team finished seventh in Class AA. Scoring for the Wolves at the state meet were Jordan Mack (6th in the 100m), Jake Morris (3rd in the 800m), Charles Mack (2nd in the 400m), and the state champion 4x400m relay team of John Walker, Jake Morris, John McCleskey and Charles Mack. WESLEYAN MAGAZINE â&#x20AC;˘ SPRING | SUMMER 2013

Two school records were set during the season: Jordan Mack in the 100m (11.27), and the 4x400m relay team of John Walker, Jake Morris, John McCleskey and Charles Mack (2:24.51). In the past four seasons, the boys team has broken 15 of the 16 Wesleyan track and field school records. Team awards went to Jordan Mack (Wesleyan Competitorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Award), Robert Kunce (Alpha Wolf Award), Jake Morris (Breakout Wolf Award), and Charles Mack (MVP).

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

INDIVIDUAL ATHLETIC HONORS

1) Cairo Booker ’16, region champion in 4 x 400 relay, track and field 2) Griffin Bone ’13, All-Region 1st Team, Gwinnett County All-Star Game, baseball 3) Sam Carver ’13, National Football Foundation George Morris Scholar Athlete Scholarship, football; GDC Scott McIntyre Attitude and Hustle Award, All-Region Honorable Mention, baseball 4) Jeffrey Chang ’13, GDP Super Six, tennis 5) Will Clifton ’13, All-Region, GACA All-State, basketball 6) Grant Colton ’14, GDC All-County Academic Team, All-Region Honorable Mention, baseball 7) Cort Coxhead ’14, All-County, All-Region 1st Team, soccer 8) Sheridan Davenport ’16, region champion in 4 x 400 relay, track and field 9) Rhett Delk ’13, Area Champion, Sectional Champion, State Champion, All-County, Matt Peddicird Award, All-County Scholar Athlete, wrestling 10) Victoria DiStasi ’13, Academic All-American, lacrosse 11) Keevana Edwards ’14, All-Region, basketball 12) Emily Farrow ’14, All County 1st Team (defense), All-State 1st Team, DiVarsity All-Star Game, lacrosse 13) Connor Fitzpatrick ’13, All-County Honorable Mention, wrestling 14) Carter Flachbarth ’15, All-County, All-Region 1st Team, soccer 15) Katie Frerking ’13, region champion in high jump, Gwinnett All-County, track and field; AJC Class AA Player of the Year, All-State 1st Team, All-Metro 1st Team, All-County 1st Team, GTO 1st Team, GTO Scholar Athlete, Region Player of the Year, GACA Class AA North Player of the Year, basketball 16) Maddie Hall ’14, All-County, All-Region 1st Team, soccer 17) Grace Hodges ’13, Gwinnett Scholar Athlete, All-Region 2nd Team, soccer 18) Jahmai Jones ’15, GDC Outstanding Player, GDC All-County 1st Team (position player), All-Region 1st Team, baseball 19) Zack Kaloper ’15, All-County 2nd Team (defense), lacrosse 20) Wilton Kennerly ’16, All-State, golf 21) Rachel Koch ’13, All-State 3rd Team, swim and dive 22) Charles Mack ’13, All-Region, basketball; State Champion (4 x 400 relay), All-State, AllCounty, track and field 23) Jordan Mack ’16, All-County Honorable Mention, track and field 24) Zac MacKenzie ’13, Gwinnett Scholar Athlete, soccer 25) John McCleskey ’13, State Champion (4 x 400 relay), All-State, All-County, track and field 26) Vivian McCoy ’15, All-Region 2nd Team, soccer 27) Drew Middleton ’13, All-State 3rd Team, swim and dive 28) Jake Miller ’13, All-County 2nd Team (middie), lacrosse 29) David Monte ’13, All-Region 2nd Team, soccer 30) Lindsay Moore ’14, Academic All-American, DiVarsity All-Star Game, lacrosse 31) Christina Moraitis ’14, All-Region 2nd Team, soccer 32) Miles Moraitis ’13, All-Region 2nd Team, soccer 33) Hope Morgan ’15, All-Region 1st Team, soccer 34) Jake Morris ’13, State Champion (4 x 400 relay), All-State, All-County, track and field 35) Brandon Moss ’13, GDC Outstanding Player, All-Region 1st Team, Gwinnett County All-Star Game, baseball 36) Courtney O’Leary ’13, Gwinnet Player of the Year (attack), All-State 1st Team, GDP Super Six, lacrosse 37) Pierce Ostwalt ’13, Gwinnett County All-Star Game, All-Region 2nd Team, baseball 38) Taylor Panther ’13, All-County, All-Region 1st Team, soccer 39) Kylie Reed ’16, Region Champion in 4 x 400 relay, track and field 40) Johnny Richards ’13, GDC Outstanding Player, GDC All-County Honorable Mention (pitcher), Gwinnett County All-Star Game, All-Region 2nd Team, baseball 41) Cody Solomon ’13, GDP Super Six, Region Low Medalist, golf 42) Brittany Stevens ’13, Region Champion in 4 x 400 relay, All-County Honorable Mention, track and field; AJC All-State 2nd Team, All-Metro 2nd Team, All-State 2nd Team, AllCounty 2nd Team, All-Region, GACA All-State, basketball 43) Sydney Stone ’14, Academic All-American, lacrosse 44) John Walker ’14, State Champion (4 x 400 relay), All-State, All-County, track and field 45) India Welton ’13, Region Champion in pole vault, track and field 46) Matt Zimmerman ’14, All-County 1st Team (attack), lacrosse

ATHLETIC SIGNINGS

Will Clifton Georgia College & State University Basketball

Abbey Coppenger University of Georgia Cheerleading

Brandon Gilliam Miles Laughlin Emory & Henry College Birmingham Southern Football College Lacrosse (walk-on)

Rhett Delk Washington & Lee University Football & Wrestling

COACHING HONORS

Jan Azar Girls Basketball Class AA Coach of the Year, GTO Coach of the Year

Nichole Dixon Softball Class AA Coach of the Year

Holly Robertson Samford University Cheerleading Ted Russell Volleyball 2013 Sports Champions of Greater Atlanta Award

Jaye Rochell University of Tennessee Football (walk-on)

Cody Solomon Washington & Lee University Golf

India Welton University of Mississippi Pole Vault (walk-on)

ALUMNI HONOR

TEAM HONORS

Girls Basketball Class AA State Champion, Region Champion

Girls Golf Class AA Final Four (3rd in State) Congratulations to

Lauren Blankenship ’02

Girls Soccer Class AA Final Four

Girls Track & Field Class AA Final Four (3rd in State)

Boys Tennis Class AA State Runner-Up

SCHOOL WIDE HONOR

WESLEYAN SCHOOL WINS REGION 6-AA SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD!

High School Honors: Atlanta Track Club All Metro Team: 2000, 2001, 2002 Gwinnett County Runner of the Year: 2000, 2002 Gwinnett All County Team: 2000, 2001, 2002 Foot Locker Nationals Qualifier: 2002 Individual Cross Country State Champion: 2000, 2001, 2002 College Honors: Described by Samford’s website as “the most decorated student-athlete in school history.” 3 time Ohio Valley Conference Cross Country Champion 3 time OVC Cross Country Runner of the Year 3 time NCAA National Meet Qualifier 2007 Cross Country All American 4 time OVC Outdoor Champion in Track-5k 2 time OVC 10,000m Champion 2 time OVC Indoor 3000m Champion 2 time OVC Indoor 5000m Champion Samford University School Records in 5k (cross country, indoor, and outdoor), 3000 (indoor and outdoor), Distance Medley Relay in 10,000m, 4 x 800m, and 4 x 1500m

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

on her induction into the GWINNETT COUNTY CROSS COUNTRY HALL OF FAME December 2012

2013

STATE CHAMPIONS

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

GIRLS BASKETBALL

photography by Brian Morgan

library news

WHAT CAN BE FOUND IN

A Christian Library written by Carolyn Chapman Head Librarian

very year, the high school summer reading program offers a selection of books that, in addition to being “good reads,” have a strong Christian message. All of the selections have good moral lessons which students and faculty can easily examine in their small group discussions at the start of the new school year.

Other books to consider from the high school summer reading list include:

One of the strongest Christian messages comes from the unlikeliest of book titles - The Search for God and Guinness: A Biography of the Beer That Changed the World by Stephen Mansfield. As the reader is discovering the history of one of the finest beers made in the world (some might say THE finest!), he also discovers great men of faith who made a difference in the lives of their employees, their community, and the poor.

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson At the end of his life, a minister writes a letter to his young son, which examines what he has come to believe about creation and existence.

In 1759, Arthur Guinness, a man of great faith, founded his brewery in Dublin, Ireland. From the very beginning, Guinness took care of his workers, giving them full medical and dental care, a company-funded pension, educational benefits and many other perks of the job – not to mention two pints of Guinness beer a day! He was influenced by none other than John Wesley, who encouraged Arthur to use his wealth and talents to care for the poor. The Guinness family motto (Arthur and his wife had ten children) was: Spes mea in deo (My hope is in God). His children followed his example of faith and benevolence, and many became members of the clergy. Arthur founded the first Sunday schools in Ireland; cared for his workers, community, and country; and started a tradition of service that is carried on to this day by the Guinness Brewery.

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp The author invites us to embrace everyday blessings that God has bestowed on us and learn to live the life we have always wanted.

Abba’s Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging by Brennan Manning Jesus wants us to learn to be gentle with ourselves by embracing his intimate, heartfelt compassion.

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers This powerful re-telling of the Biblical story of Gomer and Hosea is not a new book, but it is always a favorite of readers. Son of Hamas by Mosab Hassan Yousef Yousef is the son of one of the founding members of Hamas. Mosab embraced Christianity and believes that the only way to peace in the Middle East if to follow the Christian mandate to “love your enemies.” Tender Warrior by Stu Weber Our culture has so distorted the definition of manhood that it seems to be in a moral free-fall. This refreshing book outlines a new, compelling picture of manhood according to God’s vision for men to follow.

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller Donald Miller shows us how to make our lives more meaningful as he shows us a celebration of the beauty of life in his book.

3 Chad Simmons

faculty news

faculty member for

photography by Brian Morgan

THREE years

• Married for five and a half years to Stephanie, a dance and theatre teacher in Crabapple. Beginning in the fall, she will be the new director for middle school shows at Wesleyan. • Expecting their first baby in October 2013.

• The Simmons attend Generations Norcross Church where Chad serves as a worship leader. • In his spare time, Chad enjoys going to garage sales and thrift stores. When he was in grad school he had a room in his apartment dedicated to all of his “finds.” He also plays the guitar and piano and is working on learning the mandolin.

• Attended high school at Milton High School in Alpharetta before it moved to its new campus. • Earned a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance from Columbus State University.

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• Earned a Master of Arts in teaching theatre from Belmont University.

• Teaches middle school drama and serves as the technical director. Along with Richard Staz, he builds the scenery for all of the middle and high school productions. Also, for the past year and a half he has assisted Joanna Schuerman as middle school chapel band coordinator. • Standout moment at Wesleyan: “Each semester, my 5th grade students write and perform their own Mystery Plays, which are Medieval plays based on Bible stories. I’ve always enjoyed watching these.” • Path to Education: “I have always had a love of the arts, and my goal is to pass that love on to my students. I was fortunate enough to have some amazing teachers who did the same for me!”

• Before coming to Wesleyan: “After graduate school, I taught 5th12th grade Chorus and Drama at a school outside of Nashville. Then Stephanie and I spent two and a half years touring all over the U.S. and Europe with the Missoula Children’s Theatre. A couple of years working as a Technical Director and scenic carpenter in Chicago followed that. The last three years have been here at Wesleyan.” • Enjoys most about Wesleyan: “I’ve enjoyed building relationships with my students and my colleagues in a God-centered environment.”

• Unique or Special Feature about Wesleyan: “Despite being relatively small in size, I’m always amazed at the mountain of opportunities that Wesleyan offers its students: Arts, athletics, missions, scouts, retreats, competitions, and so much more.”

faculty | profile

Tim Blue

faculty member for

EIGHT years

• Married for ten years to Ann, a stay-at-home mom and parttime accountant.

• Two children: Ellie Ruth, five years old and Josiah, three years old. Both attend Peachtree Corners Baptist Church Preschool. • The Blue family attends Dunwoody Community Church where Ann teaches Sunday School.

• In his spare time, Tim enjoys doing home improvement projects, playing golf, and watching sports. • Attended high school at The Westminster Schools in Atlanta.

• Earned a Bachelor of Science in business from Wake Forest University.

• Earned a Master of Arts and Ph.D from Georgia State University.

• Standout moment at Wesleyan: “Just the other day in AP Literature, we got into a heated debate about whether or not following Jesus meant being a Pacifist. I love having meaningful discussions like this one with students about what life means and how we can and should apply the things we believe to our everyday actions.”

• Path to education: “I never loved literature until my junior year of college when I took a class called Faith and Imagination. We read authors like Flannery O’Connor, Walker Percy, and C.S. Lewis. The light bulb went on for me about how impactful literature could be in people’s lives, and I developed a passion to share that with others.”

• Before coming to Wesleyan: “Teaching at Wesleyan was my first job out of college. However, I did leave for a time to teach at a children’s home called Eagle Ranch, as well as at Georgia Perimeter College.

• Enjoys most about Wesleyan: “I appreciate being able to speak openly about matters of faith at Wesleyan. It was harder for me to teach the way I wanted to when I taught in a secular environment.

I also enjoy my relationships with students. I love getting to know a new group each year, and every year I am depressed for a month or two when my students graduate and move on. Thankfully, there is always a new group to get to know and love in the fall.”

• Unique or Special Feature of Wesleyan: “I have asked students this question, and I think it is–once again–the student/teacher relationship. Our students form a unique bond with their teachers because of all we do at Wesleyan to be involved with our students as whole people, not just as students. I am still in regular contact with many of my former students. Just a few weeks ago, I had dinner with Jeffrey Hsu, a 2012 graduate who now attends Georgia Tech. I am not unique in this; many teachers could tell similar stories.

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• Teaches high school AP literature and 12th grade English. Currently serves as the English Department Chair. While at Wesleyan, Blue has served as the head boys golf coach (4 years), assistant JV basetball coach (1 year), assistant Serve-His Coordinator (1 year), C.S. Lewis Club sponsor (3 years), and Junior boys Bible study leader (2 years).

photography by Brian Morgan

Pamela Holcombe

faculty | profile

faculty member for

10 photography by Brian Morgan

• One child, Mitchell Rosenburg, 34 years old, who lives in Brookhaven and is employed by Queensland Britannical Exchange, an Australian company specializing in commercial lines of insurance.

• Holcombe attends Perimeter Church where she plans to become a member this July.

• In her spare time, Holcombe enjoys reading, gardening, traveling, and entertaining friends and family in her home. A lover of French porcelain, she enthusiastically loves the “hunt” that is involved in acquiring pieces for her collection. • Attended high school at Central Gwinnett High School in Lawrenceville where she was a majorette, president of the debate team, and Miss Homecoming. She often says she grew up in a “Leave it to Beaver” neighborhood. • Earned a Bachelor of Science in education from Georgia Southern University.

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

• Earned a Masters in Early Childhood Education from the University of Georgia.

• Teaches kindergarten and served as a grade chair for two years. In addition, she leads a senior girls Bible study with Sara Cooper and participates in the lower school Bible studies.

• Standout moment at Wesleyan: “One of my favorite activities is the “Kindergarten Store.” Mrs. Smith’s high school math classes come annually to Warren Hall and set up a “store” for the kindergarten children. This is always a fun and effective learning experience about money. And, I am always thrilled to watch my former students (Honeybees) perform in the fine arts and compete in athletics.” • Path to Education: “I’ve always said that I only wanted to teach kindergarten or college; I’m not interested in anything else. I became an Early Childhood educator because I know that our children are our most valuable resource, and early school experiences play a critical role in a child’s development when they are exceedingly vulnerable to teaching (good or bad). It has always been my goal to provide children with a safe, yet

TEN years

exciting, environment where they thrive and come to learn how marvelous, capable, and successful they can be. Through our many activities, children experience simple, undistracted merriment! I hold these little ones to high standards in my classroom so that they can aspire to great heights throughout their lives.”

• Before coming to Wesleyan: “After graduating from college, I began teaching 6th grade Calvary Baptist Day School in Savannah (that is when I fully understood that God meant for me to be with his little ones). I returned home and taught in the Gwinnett County school system for three years until becoming a full-time mother (believe it or not, I was an aerobics instructor during these years!). I returned to the Gwinnett County system in 1988 and taught first grade, pre-first, and kindergarten.” • Enjoys most about Wesleyan: “I arrived at Wesleyan–which I refer to as “school heaven”–in 2002. One of the aspects that I have enjoyed the most since coming to Wesleyan from the public arena is the privilege of being supported and encouraged to deepen my own personal faith journey. This has truly been a blessing. The opportunity to teach at Wesleyan came at precisely the correct time because I was becoming increasingly alarmed and frustrated with the public school system at being unable to say –let alone–teach about Christmas or Easter. I was told to teach about every other cultural or religious holiday, but I could not talk about Jesus in a holiday context! I admit…I did it anyway. I wanted to be in a place that not only allowed, but encouraged, young children to have the opportunity to say a prayer if their pet died or if a grandparent was sick; where they learn Bible verses and Bible stories and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. And Chapel...oh we are so fortunate!” • Unique or Special Feature about Wesleyan: “There are many unique features I have discovered about Wesleyan that the average person wouldn’t know, but the most notable for me is the high level of dedication to children that is found among the faculty and staff.”

faculty | retirements

Years of Service

photography by Brian Morgan

Kathy Benson

Kathy Benson was led to Wesleyan by a sign. A literal sign on Peachtree Parkway prompted her to call the school in the spring of 1998. Kathy says, “Zach answered the phone, and the rest is history!” Kathy and her husband, Hal, have lived in Atlanta for twenty-five years, having moved here from Wisconsin via Ohio, New Jersey and New York – obviously in search of a mild winter! Kathy says, “I was hired to be the mathematics department chair–the first chaired position, as I recall.” The following year, she became Dean of Faculty. When Chris Cleveland followed Brian Kennerly as high school principal, Kathy’s title changed to Assistant Headmaster for Academic Affairs. As she says, “This was a change in title, not in job description!” During her years at Wesleyan, Kathy has co-led an 8th grade girls Bible study with Jane Leake and served on a mission trip to Jamaica.

What have you enjoyed the most about your time at Wesleyan? Of course I have enjoyed my time in the classroom teaching AP Calculus and watching it grow from the first year with 3 students to the current enrollment of 27. Next year we will be adding a BC course. My greatest joy has been watching who God brings to the school each year to teach and work. Of the 178 teachers currently at Wesleyan, including healthcare and IT folks, I have had the

It has been humbling to witness God’s finger on Wesleyan. To witness the growth in academic and fine arts programs has been awesome. To witness the mentoring and growth of young teachers into seasoned veterans has been awesome. To witness the way God has blessed the school with its magnificent facilities has been awesome. Note: God and awesome are the key words! Our God is an awesome God! What have you discovered to be a unique or special feature/quality of Wesleyan that perhaps the average person wouldn’t know? The Wesleyan community has a unique spirit. The Wesleyan family of faculty, staff, students, and parents are the most caring, giving people I know. If anyone has had a life experience of joy or sorrow, there are people to lift them up on their shoulders. For marriages and babies born, there is a cheer. For sickness and death, there is support and encouragement. Whether in joy or sorrow, there is food at your door or a letter in your mailbox. God’s love through the community abounds: J.O.Y. What are your plans after you retire? It will be great to have the flexibility to babysit or visit our eight grandchildren whenever we want to or are needed. I plan to finish almost fifty currently-shelved, but planned projects: no rest for the weary! Among the projects, I look forward to flower and vegetable gardening, learning how to craft a stained glass window, completing an ancestry search, and creating a family chronicle through recipes! I plan to investigate tutoring at-risk kids. What will you miss most about Wesleyan? EVERYONE! EVERYTHING!

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During her touching tribute at the spring retirement celebration, Sidney Tucker reflected on Kathy’s time at Wesleyan, “Following on the heels of the beloved and legendary Gwen Cleghorn, [Kathy] set about unifying Wesleyan as a K-12 school on its new campus, and oversaw the advancement of our various academic programs. [She] displayed all the qualities of a first-class leader: clear vision, strong communication, appropriate delegation, thoughtful supervision, constructive collaboration, realistic understanding of human frailties, and - most important - a prayerful approach to decisions both great and small.”

privilege of interviewing 137 of them. I have really learned over time that everyone is here because God has hand-picked them and placed them here. The administrative team is God’s conduit!

faculty | retirements

Years of Service

Carolyn Chapman Though not the namesake of our Chapman Library, Carolyn Chapman will certainly leave behind a legacy of cheerful stewardship on the third floor of Wesley Hall. She began her Wesleyan career as the high school librarian in August of 2002. After Barbara McDonald retired a few years ago, she became the head librarian.

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Early in her career, Carolyn taught school near Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. As she recounts, “My ‘claim to fame’ for those years is that I taught in the same school system as the soon-to-be-famous author, Pat Conroy. They fired him because he was too progressive, and the firing prompted his writing career. His book, The Water is Wide, is about his years teaching on Daufuskie Island. It was such an accurate portrayal of the school staff of that time.”

Carolyn and her late husband, Ron, were married in Savannah in 1972 and moved to Atlanta soon after. She was an English teacher and librarian in public schools for eight more years before she left to work for Ron’s consumer electronics business. After Ron’s death, Carolyn stayed home until her daughter left for college. Then, she says, “I went looking for a job and a new start in life.” A phone call from a friend brought her to Wesleyan. “A librarian friend of mine called me and said, ‘There is an opening at Wesleyan for a high school librarian. Make an appointment to go for an interview as fast as you can,’” says Chapman. “My friend told me, ‘You will love that school, and they will love you—it is a perfect fit.’” What have you been involved in while at Wesleyan? I have led the faculty-staff book club for the eleven years that I have been at Wesleyan. What a great group of women, many of whom have become dear friends to me over the years! There is nothing better than great books and great friends.

photography by Brian Morgan

I was also on the Diversity Committee, which meant a lot to me. In the early days of the Civil Rights Movement, I worked in the Office of Civil Rights at Savannah State College, the oldest public historically-black college in Georgia. Women’s rights and minority rights have always been very important to me. What have you enjoyed the most about your time at Wesleyan? Wesleyan students are some of the finest young people I have ever known, and have been a joy to teach. The students who have come to the library often, and whom I have known well, have touched my heart with their intelligence, thoughtfulness, and consideration of others. I am so proud to have been a small part of their lives. What have you discovered to be a unique or special feature or quality of Wesleyan that perhaps the average person wouldn’t know? Most people wouldn’t go into a school and seek out the library to see the importance of the school, but the Chapman Library is one of Wesleyan’s best assets. It is not only a beautiful space, but it is an amazing place for academic research and for picking out a great novel to read. I have loved coming to work here every day. Thank you, Beverly Chapman, for your donation to Wesleyan that has allowed me to work in such an amazing library! What are your plans after you retire? I plan to read a lot more books, to work in my garden, and to travel to places I have wanted to see. I would also love to work as a Literacy Action advocate and help people learn to read. What will you miss most about Wesleyan? The friendships I have made here will be always be cherished and fondly remembered. Many members of the Wesleyan family have enriched my life and made me a better person. I will miss those friends and hope to see them on social occasions.

faculty | retirements

Years of Service

photography by Brian Morgan

Mary Helen Johnson

One of our most tenured faculty, Mary Helen’s sweet spirit is etched in the hearts of – dare we say – generations of Wesleyan students. Fittingly, her name is now etched on a plaque (through a generous donation by Lauren and Scott Bingham) which is mounted outside of her classroom. After moving from Mississippi at twelve years old, Mary Helen has called Atlanta home. She graduated from Avondale High School in Avondale Estates, GA. She attended Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia and earned a degree in Elementary Education. Just two weeks after graduation, Mary Helen married her husband, Marvin. Mary Helen taught school for three years before she and Marvin began their family. She says, “We have three daughters, Mary Kathryn, Anna, and Holly. They are all married and have given us 7 wonderful grandchildren.”

How has your position changed over the years? I began my teaching career at Wesleyan teaching second grade; I was the only second grade teacher that year. I taught second grade for five years. I moved to first grade to replace Bobbie Lencke, who moved to kindergarten in 1987. I taught first grade for five years, then moved to Pre-first, where I taught for eight years. In 1990, we didn’t have a Pre-first class, but had four first grade classes. I taught first grade that year, and have been there ever since. We didn’t have grade chairs at Wesleyan Day School, but I later served as the first grade chair for twelve years on this campus. What have you been involved in while at Wesleyan? Over the years I have served on numerous committees in many different areas. I helped with admissions for many years when we

What have you enjoyed the most about your time at Wesleyan? It is hard to say specifically because I enjoy every minute I am here! It is a pleasure to come to work each day. I love the interaction with the children. They are such fun! I look forward to working with my teammates and fellow teachers each day. We have become close friends, and I cherish their friendship. The parents are also very important. They are always so helpful and supportive. I will miss my Wesleyan family. What have you discovered to be a unique or special feature of Wesleyan that perhaps the average person wouldn’t know? Wesleyan is a place where you can be yourself and be respected for who and what you are. It is a place where you can talk about God and know that He is always present and that others know that as well. What are your plans after you retire? I plan to spend more time with Marvin and the rest of my family. They have been very patient with me as I have continued to work. I plan to sleep late, read a lot, and do some traveling whenever we can. What will you miss most about Wesleyan? I’ll miss it all! Wesleyan has been a part of my life for so long that it will be an adjustment. I’m sure I’ll do fine!

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Mary Helen first learned about Wesleyan when she enrolled her middle daughter in Kindergarten after she and Marvin moved to Sandy Springs. She then began substitute-teaching for her next door neighbor and others for several years. Playing “hard to get,” Mary Helen recounts, “The director of Wesleyan, Shirley Gant, first asked me to teach full-time in 1980. I didn’t actually begin until she asked again in 1982.”

first moved to this campus. I served as the Chair for our first two SACS reviews and have served on all of the SACS committees at one time or another. I have participated in Bible studies, worked with strategic planning, and served on the diversity committee. I was also privileged to serve on the planning committee for Warren Hall. In addition to serving on the all-school committees, I have been active in the work of the lower school. My favorite time, however, is the time I spend with my class each day!

faculty | retirements

Years of Service

Mary Ann Lacy Mary Ann is the only grade chair Wesleyan fifth graders have ever known. After serving Wesleyan as a volunteer and substitute teacher, she accepted the position of a part-time math teacher in 1995. “There was no need for part-time teachers, and I didn’t think I was ready for full-time work outside the home.” Mr. Young, however, can be very convincing. “Zach came to me and asked me to pray about moving to the new campus to teach fifth grade,” Mary Ann says. “After much time in prayer, I felt God could use me to help build His school and help our young fifth graders and their parents make the transition.” Mary Ann was one of the first teachers hired by Zach for the new campus.

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Mary Ann and her husband of 39 years, Rusty, have moved with his military assignments to Colorado, Oklahoma, Georgia, Alabama and even Ankara, Turkey where she taught in several school systems. Their daughter, Melanie ’03, is a neonatal nurse who will complete the Acute Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program at Emory in December.

How has your position changed over the years? When we first moved to the Norcross campus, I was in a modular classroom and taught language arts, math, history and science. After a few years of growth, we were able to add teachers for each discipline, and I became the fifth grade math teacher and grade chair. What have you been involved in while at Wesleyan? Wow, I am not sure I can even remember all the committees I have served on during our early years! If there was a need, I would volunteer to help. I have served on various SACS committees, on the admission committee, admission testing, and interview process. I have served as a leader with our middle school mission trip program. I began the “Breakfast Bible Bunch” so that our fifth graders could experience a Bible study at their grade level and started our fifth grade retreat. I have always served on the Sunshine Committee, which serves our faculty and staff in times of need and celebration. What will you miss about Wesleyan? More than anything, I will miss the members of my Wesleyan family–teammates, faculty, staff, parents, and other members of

photography by Brian Morgan

our school community. I will really miss Chapel on Fridays, where we worship and pray as a family and see those prayers come to fruition in each of our lives. Most especially, however, I will miss my sweet “little lambs”–my students who I get to watch grow and become who God has made them to be. What have you enjoyed the most about your time at Wesleyan? I am grateful for the small, everyday moments that reveal the constant presence of God in our school. Wesleyan has become a daily source of joy and has provided me with countless memories. I consider it an honor to have had the opportunity to shepherd my “little lambs” and, often, be shepherded, in turn, by them. I have loved working with parents as we partner together in educating their children and the special love and friendship that has arisen with my students and their families. I have loved being a part of each of my students’ lives and watching them grow and change as they mature into individuals of character and truth. Truly, I have loved and been blessed by it all. What have you discovered to be a unique or special feature or quality of Wesleyan that perhaps the average person wouldn’t know? I have seen Wesleyan pass through many seasons, with faces coming and going, but always remaining firm in its commitment to the students that pass through the halls of this Christ-centered school. We are a family community ready to help and support each other. We are a school that prays together and humbly witnesses to the spiritual fruit of asking God to comfort us, help us, and live in our hearts. The concept of “JOY: Jesus, Others, Yourself” is lived out from our Headmaster to our youngest students. What are your plans after you retire? I am not surprised to find that leaving Wesleyan has been a very difficult decision to make, but I am comforted as I look forward to greeting what God has in store for me. I am excited to join my sweet husband, Rusty, when he travels for business meetings, and I hope to find new ways to volunteer and serve others. I will be taking a very special family trip with Rusty and Melanie and will spend more time with family and friends. The peace and joy of reconnecting with old friends, traveling, re-joining daytime Bible studies, exercising, and enjoying a slower pace of life are all things that I look forward to. Most of all, I plan to have fun!

faculty | retirements

Years of Service

photography by Brian Morgan

Sabrina Schulze

Never one to crave the spotlight, Sabrina Schulze shares her talents with our Wesleyan community quietly, but often. Whether she’s calming anxious seniors, manning the high school desk every afternoon, making a much-appreciated breakfast for our early-rising facilities staff, or spontaneously delivering her delicious cookies to students’ lockers or teachers’ desks, she does it all with her self-effacing wit and a wry smile. Sabrina is half of the dynamic Schulze duo; her husband, Mel, joined Wesleyan’s high school faculty in 2007. Both of their sons attended Wesleyan from kindergarten through twelfth grade – Taylor ’06 and Ryan ’09.

In his speech during the recent retirement celebration, Ken Connor, current director of College Advising, said of Sabrina, “She has an apparently limitless desire to help and serve others. When we developed a job description to capture what the College Advising Assistant does, we came up with a list of over fifty tasks. Yet, I know that such a list doesn’t do justice to Sabrina–to who she is.” He adds, “No list could capture all the ways that Sabrina has poured her life out as a living sacrifice into the lives of so many young people for such a long period of time.” What a lovely legacy! How has your position changed over the years? I was first hired to be the fourth grade assistant. I served in that position for three years before transferring to the College Advising assistant position.

What have you enjoyed the most about your time at Wesleyan? I have made some great friendships while working at Wesleyan for fifteen years. Some of these friendships started when I served in my sons’ lower school classrooms as a parent volunteer. I will truly miss the opportunity to participate in mission trips with Wesleyan students and faculty. I believe that mission trips are one of the greatest opportunities sponsored by our community. What have you discovered to be a unique or special feature or quality of Wesleyan that perhaps the average person wouldn’t know? It seems cliché to say that the Wesleyan faculty and staff truly care about each and every student, but it is true. Wesleyan students are encouraged and nurtured by their teachers, grade chairs, college advisors, and coaches in a way that I do not believe is comparable to other schools. What are your plans after you retire? I am very blessed to have a chance to spend more time with my parents and mother-in-law, who are in need of more assistance on a daily basis. In addition, I am looking into some volunteer opportunities with several social service agencies located in downtown Atlanta. What will you miss most about Wesleyan? I will miss assisting the high school students in their college pursuits, my co-workers, and the many opportunities to serve.

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Like many Wesleyan parents, Sabrina first became involved here as a volunteer. In 1997, she took a position as a fourth grade assistant and worked in the lower school for three years. She then moved over to the high school and began working with Linda Connolly, our first full-time director of College Advising. During her sixteen years at Wesleyan, Sabrina’s influence has been felt in all three divisions: with lower school students in the classroom, as a leader of the middle school girls’ Bible study, with high school students in the College Advising office, and serving alongside middle and high school students on a total of seven mission trips.

What have you been involved in while at Wesleyan? I have had the privilege of participating in seven mission trips: three middle school trips and four with high school students. I stayed in the southeastern United States for four trips, went to Romania twice, and took one trip to the Ukraine. All were truly amazing experiences! I have assisted with the middle school girls’ Bible study for several years. I have enjoyed Wesleyan sports for many years as a parent. When my children were younger, I participated in many of the events sponsored by the Wesleyan Parents Club.

faculty | welcome to new faculty and staff

LOWER SCHOOL Alice Dzikowski will serve as a teaching assistant in Tonya Walden’s first grade classroom. A Suwanee native, Alice graduated from North Gwinnett High School. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from the University of Georgia and her Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education from Piedmont College. Alice taught kindergarten in Gwinnett County Public Schools for five years. During her ten-year break from full-time teaching, Alice taught three-year-olds at her children’s preschool. Alice and her husband, Paul, have three children, all of whom attend Wesleyan: Roman is a rising sixth grader, William is a rising fourth grader, and Evelyn is a rising first grader. The Dzikowski family attends Duluth First United Methodist Church.

Laura Jensen joins Wesleyan as a second grade teacher. A graduate of Druid Hills High School,

Laura earned her undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her Master of Arts in Teaching from Oglethorpe University. Prior to Wesleyan, she taught pre-kindergarten and reading support at St. Paul’s Episcopal School in Mobile, Alabama; second grade at Council Traditional School in Mobile; first grade at City School in Austin, Texas; and served as a fourth grade assistant at Trinity School in Atlanta. Laura enjoys running, cooking, kayaking, and baking communion bread for worship. Her daughter, Camille, is 17 months old, and will be on campus in the Cubs’ Den. The Jensen family attends Lawrenceville Presbyterian Church, where Laura’s husband, Ryan, is the pastor.

Cat Lewis will serve as a third grade teaching assistant and will coach fall and winter varsity cheerleading.

Cat is a Wesleyan alumna ’08, and a graduate of the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science degree in Family and Consumer Sciences. Prior to Wesleyan, she interned with the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation. Cat enjoys volunteering with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, painting, dancing, having fun with friends, and cheering for the Georgia Bulldogs. Cat attends North Point Community Church.

Stephanie McDaniel joins Wesleyan as a fourth grade teaching assistant. Stephanie graduated

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from First Presbyterian Day School in Macon and earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Family and Consumer Sciences from Georgia Southern University. Stephanie has taught pre-school in the Wesleyan Cubs’ Den for the past two years, and, previously, at Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Preschool. She enjoys reading, going to the beach, and facilitating Bible studies. Stephanie’s husband, Chad, is Wesleyan’s Director of Communications. Their three children are all Wesleyan students: Betsy, 12, is a rising seventh grader; Stafford, 10, is a rising fourth grader, and Ginny Kate, 7, is a rising second grader. The McDaniel family attends Perimeter Church.

Lyvelle Simms joins Wesleyan as a third grade teacher. A Boston native, she graduated from Saint

Gregory High in Roslindale, Massachusetts. Lyvelle attended Clark Atlanta University, where she earned both her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and her Master’s degree in School Counseling. She is currently pursuing her Education Specialist (Ed.S) degree in Educational Leadership at the University of Georgia. For the past fifteen years, Lyvelle has worked as an educator, counselor, and administrator within several of Atlanta’s topperforming charter schools, including: Charles R. Drew Charter School, Ivy Preparatory Academy, and The Intown Academy. She has been recognized as Counselor of the Year and Teacher of the Month. Lyvelle sings professionally and has been a background vocalist and has recorded albums for many renowned gospel artists. Lyvelle has two children: Shayne, 15, is a rising junior at Dunwoody High School, and Terrence Jr. (T.J.) is two years old. She and her family are members of the dReam Center Church of Atlanta, where Lyvelle serves with the Praise and Worship Ministry.

Sarah Stalvey will serve as a second grade teaching assistant and will be an assistant coach for JV

football cheerleading, varsity basketball cheerleading, and middle school lacrosse. Sarah, daughter of Director of Buildings and Grounds, Phil Stalvey, is a Wesleyan alumna ’08, and a graduate of Berry College with a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education (with ESOL endorsement). Sarah will complete her Master of Education degree in Early Childhood Education (with Reading endorsement) at Georgia State University in December 2013. This past year, Sarah worked at Wesleyan as a substitute teacher and volunteer. Prior to Wesleyan, Sarah was a student-teacher and first grade classroom assistant at Darlington School in Rome. Sarah attends Norcross First Baptist Church, where she works with the children’s ministry.

faculty | welcome to new faculty and staff

MIDDLE SCHOOL Leah Baughn returns to Wesleyan to teach middle school Latin and French and serve as coleader for the Academic Quiz Bowl. Leah graduated from The Altamont School in Birmingham, Alabama and attended Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in Lynchburg, Virginia and Houston Baptist University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education. She will pursue her Master’s degree beginning this fall, with expected completion in December 2014. Leah, who has previously taught Modern and Classical Languages at Wesleyan, enjoys cooking, boating, aerobics, and Bible studies. She and her husband, Jeff, have three children, all of whom are Wesleyan graduates: Justin ’05, Christian ’08, and Grace Leah ’11. The Baughn family attends North Point Community Church in Alpharetta. James Greco

will serve as the middle school Dean of Students and teach middle school social studies. He will also coach middle school cross country and basketball. A graduate of Christian Heritage School in Trumbull, Connecticut, James earned a Bachelor of Science degree in History and the Social Sciences from Southern Connecticut State University, and a Master’s degree in History from Georgia State University. Prior to Wesleyan, he was the History Department Chair and Dean of Students for the middle and high schools at Hebron Christian Academy and, most recently, the Athletic Director and seventh and eighth grade humanities teacher at Dominion Classical Christian Academy. In 2007, he was named Boys Soccer Coach of the Year (A-AAAA) by the Gwinnett Goal Club. James enjoys woodworking, hiking, gardening, and playing sports. He and his wife, Lauren, have three children: Andrew, 5, Kate, 3, and Sophie, 1, and a baby due in November. The Greco family attends Ivy Creek Church in Lawrenceville.

Jennifer Plunk will teach middle school mathematics and serve as Assistant Director of the middle

school fall play. Valedictorian of her class at Harlem High School (near Augusta), Jennifer earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Mathematics from the Georgia Institute of Technology and her Master’s in Secondary Math Education from Georgia State University. Prior to Wesleyan, Jennifer taught high school math at Woodward Academy, Grand Junction High School (Grand Junction, Colorado), and, most recently, was the math specialist and lead teacher at The Lionheart School, which serves students with disorders in thinking, relating, and communication (mostly on the autism spectrum). She enjoys running, playing tennis, and digital scrapbooking, but her passion is understanding autism and learning how to unlock its grip on children. Jennifer and her husband, Jeff, who will take over as Wesleyan’s high school Dean of Students, have two children: Matthew, 13, is a rising seventh grader at Mill Springs Academy, and Maddie, 10, attends Wesleyan and is a rising fifth grader. The Plunk family attends Perimeter Church.

HIGH SCHOOL

JoE Koch will serve as the high school Assistant Dean of Students and will teach World and American

History. He will also coach varsity football and middle school swimming. Joseph graduated from St. Joseph’s Regional High School in Montvale, New Jersey and earned his Bachelor’s degree from The Johns Hopkins University and his Master of Science degree from Wagner College. At Johns Hopkins, he was a football team captain and four-year starter and later served as assistant football coach and recruiting coordinator at both Lehigh University and Wagner College. Joseph has spent most of his teaching career at The Westminster Schools, where he was the 2003 Merrill Award winner, which is given to the school’s most outstanding teacher. He left briefly to become the head football coach at The Savannah Country Day School, taking the team to their first 10-win season in nearly 30 years and earning the title of 2005 Region 3A Coach of the Year. Joseph and his wife, Elissa, have three children: Lawson (6), and Wiley (5) will attend Wesleyan in the fall; and a toddler Jocelyn Lily (2). The Koch family attends North Point Community Church, where Joseph volunteers in the Sunday Waumba Land child care program.

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Dwayne Alvis will teach high school mathematics and coach middle school tennis. He graduated from North Fulton High School and earned both his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Master of Education in Mathematics from the University of Georgia. For the past seven years, Dwayne has taught algebra, geometry, pre-calculus, and AP Calculus at Norcross High School. He has taught advanced mathematics as part of the Governor’s Honors program (summer study for gifted students) and is a three-time STAR Teacher, having been selected by the STAR student for making the most significant contribution to his/her scholastic development. Dwayne was named STAR teacher in 2007 at Salem High School and in 2011 and 2013 at Norcross High School. An avid tennis player and juggler, Dwayne attends North Point Community Church.

faculty | welcome to new faculty and staff

HIGH SCHOOL Laura Mohme will teach high school English and assist with varsity cross country and middle school track. A Wesleyan alumna, Laura ’05 graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education with an emphasis in Secondary English Education. Prior to Wesleyan, Laura taught tenth and twelfth grade English and SAT prep at Manchester High School, and, most recently, ninth, tenth, and eleventh grade English at King’s Ridge Christian School. Laura works with Habitat for Humanity during the summer months and is involved with Southeast Cocker Spaniel Rescue. She adopted her dog, Tate, from this organization last year, and has been helping with fundraisers and adoption days ever since. Laura attends Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Atlanta. Knoxie Roche returns to Wesleyan as an instructor in the Writing Lab. A graduate of Pope High

School, Knoxie earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Education with an emphasis in Social Science Education from the University of Georgia. From 1999-2004, Knoxie taught AP European History, American Government, and American History here at Wesleyan, and served as the eleventh grade girls chair and tennis coach. Knoxie enjoys playing tennis, reading, and traveling to Athens on football game days. She and her husband, Tim, have three children: Caroline (10), Billy (9), and Patrick (6). The Roche family attends St. Jude the Apostle Catholic Church in Sandy Springs.

Josh Smith will teach high school Bible and serve as an assistant varsity cross country coach. A graduate of the McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Josh earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology Magna Cum Laude from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and his Master of Divinity degree from Reformed Theological Seminary. Prior to Wesleyan, he was a youth pastor at GracePointe Community Church and Camp Director of Camp Kerusso on Lake Lanier. Josh enjoys running, kayaking, climbing, biking, skiing, and Ultimate Frisbee. He and his wife, Rebekah, have a one-year-old son, Charlie. The Smith family attends GracePointe Community Church.

STAFF Becky Kimsey joins Health Services as the lower school nurse. An Atlanta native, she graduated

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from Southwest DeKalb High School and earned her associate’s degree in nursing from DeKalb College School of Nursing. Prior to Wesleyan, Becky was a school nurse at Landmark Christian School and, most recently, a nurse at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite. Becky enjoys volunteering at her church, running, and Zumba. She has four children: Tom, 28, is married, expecting a baby in October, and is preparing to start full-time mission work in Brazil; Mary Grace, 26, is married, and expecting a baby in June; Jonathan, 24, is a freelance artist; and, Joy, 21, is a rising senior at Kennesaw State University. Becky attends Passion City Church.

Shelley Noble joins the College Advising office as the Administrative Assistant. She graduated

from Travelers Rest (S.C.) High School and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Religion from Furman University. A volunteer leader for Young Life Ministries for almost twenty years, Shelley worked on the Young Life staff for five years and is currently involved with Young Life at Dunwoody High School. She enjoys running, cooking, and baking. Prior to Wesleyan, Shelley was the executive assistant and office manager for Pacific Southern Wine Company. Her son, Matthew, is five, and will start kindergarten in the fall at Dunwoody Elementary School. Shelley attends Dunwoody Baptist Church.

faculty | appointments

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14) Brittany Knight, a faculty fellow in 2012-13, has accepted the position of Fourth Grade Teacher. 15) HIBISCA LIAW, a faculty fellow in 2012-13, has accepted the position High School Computer Science and Robotics Teacher. 16) Kendra Morris will continue to teach high school English and will become the Junior Girls Grade Chair. 17) Corrie Nash will continue to teach high school math and will become the Sophomore Girls Grade Chair. 18) Melanie O’Kelley has accepted the position of High School Librarian. 19) Jeff Plunk will assume the duties of High School Dean of Students and will continue to teach high school math. 20) Suzanne Ragains will replace Adrienne Christian as the Yearbook Advisor. 21) Ted Russell will transition from his role as High School Dean of Students to that of Social Sciences Department Chair. 22) Jason Scheer moves from his role as Middle School Dean of Students to Assistant Director of Admissions and Dean of Diversity. 23) Jenna Smith, former faculty fellow, will replace Mary Helen Johnson as First Grade Teacher. 24) Mary Stephenson will serve as the Sixth Grade Chair and will teach sixth grade English. 25) Melissa Thorson transitions from her current role as Junior Girls Grade Chair and English Teacher to working part-time as the Writing Lab Instructor. 26) Sidney Tucker returns to the role of Middle School Principal. She has served as the Assistant Director of Admissions for the past two years. 27) Juanita Tyler will serve as the Middle and High School Library Assistant. 28) Jane Widner will serve as a First Grade Teaching Assistant. 29) Jamie Wochele, former faculty fellow, has accepted the position of Third Grade Teacher and will serve as the Third Grade Chair.

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

1) Jewel Anderson has accepted the position of Department Chair for Library Services in addition to her current role as Department Chair for Technology. 2) Laura Archer will fill Mary Ann Lacy’s role 29. of Fifth Grade Chair and will teach fifth grade math. 3) Ramona Blankenship will move from her current position as Middle School Principal to Assistant Headmaster for Academic Affairs. In addition, she will serve as a Lower School Enrichment Teacher. 4) Meg Brooks has been named the Gender-Based Learning Facilitator and will continue to serve as the Testing Coordinator. 5) Jill Casey will move from her current position of First Grade Assistant to Instructional Technologist and Lower School Library Assistant. 6) Matt Crew has taken on the duties of the Mock Trial Advisor in addition to his role as Director of Studies and High School Modern and Classical Languages Teacher. 7) Jessie Dutcher, former faculty fellow and Pre-First Assistant, has accepted the position of Pre-First Teacher. 8) Nathan Emmelhainz has accepted the position of Serve-His League Coordinator and will continue to teach high school Bible. 9) Pam Fedas will serve as the Middle School Science Department Chair in addition to teaching high school science. 10) Mary Gossett is transitioning from her role as Lower School Nurse to Middle and High School Nurse. She will continue to serve as Health Services Department Chair. 11) Leslie Grogan has accepted the position of High School Science Department Chair and will continue to teach high school science. 12) Dana Huggins will move from her current role as Third Grade Teacher to that of Lower School Math Resource Teacher. 13) Kevin Kadzis has been named the Critical Thinking Coordinator and will continue to teach high school social science.

faculty | faculty fellows

FACULTY FELLOWS Rachel Barnett will be a Modern and Classical Languages department fellow working in middle school Spanish classes with Laura Siron. She will serve as an assistant coach for varsity girls cross country, seventh grade girls basketball, and middle school girls soccer. Rachel attended Ravenscroft School in Raleigh, North Carolina and is a 2013 graduate of Davidson College with a Bachelor’s degree Hispanic Studies. A studentathlete, Rachel played soccer for the Davidson Wildcats; she served as team captain in 2013, earned All-SoCon academic team honors from 2010-13, and was a leader in the campus Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Rachel enjoys volunteering at a local elementary school teaching Spanish, playing sports, and spending time at the beach and on the boat with her family. She currently attends Lake Forest Church in Davidson. ANDY Clack

will be a Bible department fellow working in the middle school with Emily Duffus. He will serve as an assistant coach for eighth grade football, middle school wrestling, and middle school track. A graduate of Deerfield-Windsor School in Albany, Georgia, Andy recently earned his Bachelor of Arts in Religion with a minor in Spanish from Birmingham-Southern College, where he was a Harrison Honors Program Scholar and member of Phi Beta Kappa. He plans to pursue a Master’s degree in Theological Studies, Divinity, or Religious History. As a member of the Birmingham-Southern track and field team, he received CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-District Men’s Cross Country/Track and Field Team honors. Andy enjoys cycling, running, disc golf, and Seinfeld. He is currently a member of First United Methodist Church in Albany.

Adrienne Giordano will be a lower school fellow working in the fourth grade with Lisa McNearney. She will assist with the high school marching band and color guard in the fall, winter guard and the high school winter musical, and the high school spring play. Adrienne attended Austin High School in Decatur, Alabama and graduated on May 18 from Samford University with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre with a minor in Dance. While at Samford, she was a member of Alpha Psi Omega Theatre Honor Society, received the Tony Sparks Excellence in Theatre Award in 2012, was a member of the Samford marching band for two years, and was named to the Dean’s List each of the past four years. Adrienne enjoys dancing and choreographing, theater, singing, painting, sewing, hiking, canoeing, camping, traveling, and volunteering. She currently attends St. Stephen’s Catholic Church in Birmingham, Alabama.

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Chris Paroli will be a fellow in the middle school Math department working with Cherie Schofield. He will serve as an assistant coach for varsity football, seventh grade boys basketball, and high school golf. A graduate of Porter-Gaud School in Charleston, South Carolina, Chris recently earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Operations and Supply Chain Management from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He served as the student equipment manager for the Georgia Tech football team each of his four years of college and was the head manager during the 2012 season. He was also the vice president of his fraternity during his junior year. Chris is an avid golfer and enjoys coaching sports and working with young people. He currently attends the Georgia Tech Catholic Center in Atlanta but is looking for a Catholic Church home in Norcross.

Megan Trotter will be a Science department fellow working in the high school with Pam Fedas (Honors Biology) and Anne Shirley (Anatomy and Physiology). She will assist with the high school fall play, Christian Life in the winter, and middle school track in the spring. A native of Milton, Georgia, Megan graduated from Northville High School in Northville, Michigan and recently earned her Bachelor’s degree in Science from James Madison University. While there, she was enrolled in the James Madison University Honor’s College, was an Office of Admissions Student Ambassador, and was the Women’s Coordinator for Campus Crusade for Christ. Megan enjoys hiking, climbing, kayaking, and cycling. She attends North Point Community Church, where she serves with the high school student ministry (InsideOut) and singles ministry. Dawson Zimmerman will be an English department fellow working in the high school with Emily Zavitz. He will serve as an assistant coach for seventh grade football and assist with the high school winter musical and spring play. A Lawrenceville native, Dawson attended Brookwood High School and recently graduated from Clemson University with a Bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in Creative Writing. He was a punter for the Clemson Tigers football team from 2008-2011, earning ACC All-American honors in 2011 and ACC Academic All-American honors in 2009, 2010, and 2011. Dawson was a 2011 semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award, which is presented annually to college football’s top punter. He was also a finalist for the 2011 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, a national award given to the most outstanding NCAA Division I studentathletes in their sport, in recognition of their athletic achievement, academic achievement, leadership, and service. A Phi Beta Kappa member, Dawson won the English department Creative Writing Award (Fiction) in 2012, and the 2012 Clemson Blue Key Award for Academic Leadership. He enjoys teaching punting and kicking skills to students of all ages and attends Grace Fellowship in midtown Atlanta.

faculty | board of trustees

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Charlotte Beltrami

joins Wesleyan’s Board of Trustees after having served on the Building Committee since 2012. An active Wesleyan parent volunteer, Charlotte has served on the Wolf Trackers’ Hit and Howl committee and the WPC’s J.O.Y. committee as a grade representative. She has assisted Development with the Annual Fund, and will be the 2013-14 parent representative for tenth grade, having just served in that role for daughter Caroline’s ninth grade class. Charlotte also offers her time and talents to Buckhead Christian Ministry, where she serves as a help line volunteer; the Young Men’s Service League, where she is a member and the Philanthropy Chair; and the Girl Scouts, for which she has been a Troop Leader since 2004. The Beltrami family attends Peachtree Presbyterian Church where Charlotte has chaired the Pastoral Care Committee for Families with Children; served as a Bible study leader since 2005; been a part of the Rainbow Leaders (a support group for children who have suffered a loss); and taught children’s Sunday school. An Atlanta native, Charlotte graduated from Marist School. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her law degree from Georgetown University. Charlotte and her husband, David, have three children, all of whom attend Wesleyan: Sam, 16, is a rising junior; Caroline, 15, is a rising sophomore; and Henry, 13, will be in eighth grade.

Land Bridgers

joins Wesleyan’s Board of Trustees after serving on the Development Committee and assisting with the Shared Blessings Capital Campaign. Land graduated from The Lovett School and earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Tulane University. He has worked in the financial services industry for the past thirteen years. Land also serves as a Johns Creek YoungLife leader, and as a Table Leader, speaker, and mentor for Leadership Ministries, an organization which equips men to be faithful leaders in their families, businesses, and communities. He is a former President of the Board and Director of Northside Methodist Preschool, and a former member of the Lovett Executive Alumni Board. Land and his wife, Katie, have two daughters, both of whom attend Wesleyan: Caitlin, 7, is a rising third grader, and Britain, 6, will be in first grade. The Bridgers family attends Passion City Church.

Erika Laughlin returns to the Wesleyan Board, having previously served as a Trustee from 2006-2011. She has served on both the Building and Development Committees for eight years and the Education Committee for five years. Erika graduated from Crestwood High School in Roswell and earned her Bachelor’s degree in Management from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She is the owner of Erika Reade Ltd, a retail store specializing in distinctive home furnishings and accessories. Erika and her husband, Bo, have three sons: Fendall ’12 is a sophomore at Georgia Tech, Miles ’13 will attend Birmingham Southern in the fall where he will be a member of the lacrosse team, and Hayes is a rising Wesleyan freshman. The Laughlin family attends North Point Community Church.

Trustee and the Building Committee Chair from 2007-2012. He has also served as a member of Wesleyan’s Finance Committee. A native of Waynesboro, Virginia, Tom graduated from Wilson Memorial High School and earned his Bachelor of Science in Management from Virginia Tech. He is the President of Sunbelt Marketing Investment Corp. Tom and his wife, Pamela, have two children, both of whom attend Wesleyan: Nicholas, 17, is a rising senior, and Jacob, 6, will be in first grade. The Menefee family attends Dunwoody United Methodist Church, where Tom serves on several committees.

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

Tom Menefee rejoins the Wesleyan Board of Trustees this year, having previously served as a

faculty | announcements

BIRTHS

Finn Redding Jay Grandson of Kathy Merrill 7 pounds, 3 ounces, 21 inches April 26, 2013

JOANNA ELISE GABRIELLA MORMAN Daughter of Sara & Tim Morman 8 pounds, 4 ounces, 20 inches January 26, 2013

Robert Cole Singerman Grandson of Cindy & Bobby Candler 7 pounds, 9 ounces, 22.5 inches April 2, 2013

WEDDINGS

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

Mr. & Mrs. Austin Owen March 9, 2013 Fiona ’03, Lower School 4th Grade Teacher

IN MEMORIAM Ann Wieland Competti May 8, 2013 Mother of Ramona Blankenship Middle School Principal

Gerald V. Kelleher April 21, 2013 Father of Deborah Kelleher Middle School Technology

Coy Neil Richardson December 5, 2012 Father of Amelia Davis Dean of Student Ministries

Anne Pittard King December 31, 2012 Mother of Kyle ’13 & Erin ’07 Sister of Nancy Jones Lower School Counselor

Glen Parmelee Robinson January 16, 2013 Grandfather of Lewis Robinson ’05, Lily Robinson ’03, David Shuford ’04 Namesake of Robinson Field

The Wesleyan Wolf Players Present

alumni

Class Bianca Sundell ‘03 moved to London, England in December 2011, after living in Argentina for four years. She works for the Hydrogen Group as a Senior Consultant in financial services.

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

Amy Haygood ’02 and her mother at her graduation from graduate school.

Lauren Bagdy ’02 is living in Maryland and working at Grace Episcopal Day School as the Admissions Coordinator.

Annie Murphy Karabell ’04 teaches English at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia and lives in Washington, D.C.

Amy Noelle Haygood ’02 finished graduate school in May 2013 with an M.A. in Political Science. She received her certification as a Nonprofit Professional in January 2012.

Robert Patterson ’04 proposed to Hanna Fields on Christmas Day 2012. Rob and Hanna met in Charleston, South Carolina before Rob moved back to Atlanta to enter the management training program at Kroger Inc. A graduate of Clemson University, Rob’s current assignment is Comanager of the Toco Hills unit in Druid Hills. Hanna graduated Cum Laude from the College of Charleston and is seeking a graduate degree in Nursing at Kennesaw State University. A May 2014 wedding is planned.

Zachry Young ’02 attended the 2013 Masters and was invited to tour Butler cabin, where the tournament winner is presented with their Green Jacket.

Zachry Young ’02 at the Masters.

Bianca Sundell ’03 in London.

Robert Patterson ’04 and fiance Hanna at a Clemson football game.

After his April 13 wedding, Alan Pryor ’05 graduated with a Juris Doctor from the University of Georgia School of Law on May 18, 2013. Alan will clerk for the Honorable Judge Dudley Bowen, Jr., for one year in Augusta, Georgia. Alan will then begin practicing law at DLA Piper, LLP, a law firm in Atlanta. Alan’s wife, Bradi Dixon Pryor, recently graduated with an M.Ed in Communication Disorders from Georgia State University. Bradi plans to practice speech language pathology at a hospital in Augusta. Angela Giglio Graugnard ’05 lives in Birmingham, Alabama with her husband, Will. She is preparing to take the bar exam in July. Will begins his four-year residency at UAB in late June. David Joyner ’05 is living in Dunwoody while he finishes the final stages of his PhD at Georgia Tech. His dissertation is titled: “Toward a Generalizable Architecture and Design Framework for Developing and Deploying Cognitive and Metacognitive Tutoring Systems.” Quinn Watson ’05 has been living in Hong Kong, China for the past two and half years working for an Atlanta-based company, FineLine Technologies (which was founded by current Wesleyan parent, Richard Stamper). Quinn is planning on opening China’s first Wild Bill’s franchise within the next year.

Siblings Jordan ’05 and JoJo ’07 Catrini at a wedding..

Hannah ’08, Charles, and Penny Machemehl, Ansley Daws ’08, and friends at Monday Night Brewing, an Atlanta-based craft brewery. Zach Young’s son-in-law Joel Iverson is a co-founder of the brewery.

Brett Briggs ’06 opened a new business, Southern Hospitality Gentlemen’s Clothiers, in Kennesaw, GA. Steven Brown ’06 was transferred with General Electric to Wilmington, NC in January 2013. He is a Radiological Analysis Engineer at their nuclear facility, where he provides nuclear design input and computational analysis for Fuel Manufacturing Operations and performs critical analyses of all nuclear aspects of uranium conversion, powder production, and pellet/bundle manufacturing. In July 2012, Steven was invited to speak at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in Puerto Rico, and in November 2012 he spoke in Houston, TX to the International Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Michael Black ‘07 graduated from the University of North Carolina in 2011 with a double major in Political Science and Peace, War and Defense. Michael interned with the Fulton County Republican Party and is currently a staff member in Senator Johnny Isakson’s Washington, D.C. office. Mary Elston Heaner ’07 was recently named the 2012-2013 Teacher of the Year at D.R. Hill Middle School in Lyman, SC (outside of Spartanburg). This is only her second year teaching Spanish there, so it was quite an honor! She has now submitted the paperwork for the District Teacher of the Year award. Mary Elston graduated from Wofford in 2011.

Brendan Patterson ’07 graduated from Georgia Tech with Honors and is now a Graduate Research Assistant at the University of Florida. Brendan received a Fellowship Award and is working on his PhD studies in Materials Science Engineering. He has co-authored several papers on advanced properties of polymers and carbon fibers. Brendan has enjoyed cheering for Betsy Smith ’08, who just concluded her collegiate playing career for the Gators’ volleyball team.

Paige Hamlin ’07 and her mom ride an elephant in Asia. Bradley Harrison ’08 graduated from the University of North Carolina and will be attending Mercer University School of Medicine in Savannah, Georgia. Paige Hamlin ’09 graduated in May from the University of Alabama. Immediately following graduation, she left for a tenweek mission trip to Laos in Southeast Asia to teach English to children. Catherine Black ’09 graduated from UGA in May 2013 with a Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy. A four-year member of the UGA Redcoat Marching Band, she will be interning with Fulton County Public Schools this coming year as a music therapist. Anne Elizabeth Goodgame ’09 will graduate in May from Furman University with a B.A. in French and History. She was inducted into the South Carolina Gamma Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious liberal arts honor society.

Ali Lloyd ’09 is at Samford University’s McWhorter School of Pharmacy and is being inducted into the Phi Lambda Sigma Pharmacy Leadership Society for her service to the profession. She will serve as president of the American Pharmacy Association of Student Pharmacists; Treasurer of the Student Societies of Health-System Pharmacy; and was recently named the 2013-2014 Student Representative for the Alabama Pharmacy Association. Ali leads numerous health screening initiatives for the poor throughout greater Birmingham. Last summer, she traveled to Peru as a heath care missionary.

Jessica Felts ’10 is studying in Milan, Italy until July 2013 through the University of Virginia’s Study Abroad program.

Jessica Felts ’10 in Italy.

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Ali Bagdy ’07 is living in Charlotte, NC where she works for Octagon Sports. Last year she helped coordinate social media for the Miss Sprint Cup Girls. She has since been promoted to the position of Account Executive for Octagon’s Bank of America Division.

Julie and Chris Cleveland, Martha and Andy Cook, Stephanie and Chad McDaniel, Mamie McIntosh ’06, Melissa and Steve Thorson, and Megan Walker ’12 celebrate Rebecca Carpenter ’02 Kennedy’s wedding to Zach Kennedy.

alumni | marriages

MARRIAGES Sarah Bentsen Giovino ’05 married Sam Giovino on December 22, 2012 at The Biltmore Ballrooms in Atlanta, Georgia. Wesleyan alumni in the wedding party included: Claire Bentsen ’08; Amy Bentsen Borning ’02; Rachel Milner ’05; Sarah Boltz ’05; Laura Vann ’05; Laura Clawson ’05; Kate Hausmann ’05; and Laura Leeper ’05. Emily Sheppard ’05 and Charlie Carroll ’05 were in attendance. Angela Giglio Graugnard ’05 married Will Graugnard on April 2, 2013 at the Paris-Yates Chapel in Oxford, Mississippi on the Ole Miss campus where the couple met. A reception followed at The Lyric on the Square. Ashleigh Giglio ’00 was maid of honor. Edward Henderson ’03 married Jessica Andreas Henderson on January 5, 2013 at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Atlanta, Georgia.

Elizabeth Mann Hogan ’98 married Will Hogan on November 3, 2012 in Faith Chapel on Jekyll Island, Georgia, with a reception afterwards in the sunken garden of the Crane Cottage at the Jekyll Island Club. David Joyner ’05 married Caitlin White Joyner on November 3, 2012 at Roswell United Methodist Church in Roswell, Georgia, with a reception afterwards at Roswell Founder’s Hall. Wesleyan alumni in the wedding party included: Walton Collins ’04 as best man, Angela Giglio Graugnard ’05, and Gaela Harris ’05. Annie Murphy Karabell ’04 married Jacob Karabell on December 8, 2012 at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington, D.C. Julia Black ‘04 was an honorary bridesmaid, and Fran Exley ‘04 was in attendance.

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Maggie Worthington Lawrence ’06 married Craig Lawrence on May 4, 2013 at Dunwoody Methodist Church, with a reception afterwards at the Dunwoody Country Club. Wesleyan alumni in the wedding party included: Emily Worthington ’08 as maid of honor; Deirdre Hayes McLendon ’06; Webb Worthington ’05; and Will Worthington ’08.

alumni | marriages

Thomas McKenzie ’02 married Mallory Miciek McKenzie on April 13, 2013 in Dahlonega, Georgia at The Hills at White. Hunter Humphries ’02 and Drew Vlass ’02 were in the wedding party. Garrett McLendon ’04 and Deirdre Hayes McLendon ’06 were married on February, 16, 2013 at the Payne Corley House in Duluth, Georgia. Wesleyan alumni in the wedding party included: Alex Bufton ’06; Maggie Worthington Lawrence ’06; Kristina McLendon ’07; Chip Broun ’04; Harrison Meadows ’04; and Paige Pera (middle school science teacher).

Austin Owen ’03 and Fiona Hocking Owen ’03 were married on March 9, 2013 in Faith Chapel on Jekyll Island, Georgia, with a reception afterwards at the Crane Cottage on the grounds of the Jekyll Island Club. Wesleyan alumni in the wedding party included: Richard Veal ’03 as best man; Matthew Veal ’03; Adam Carlisle ’03; Kyle Hocking ’05; Ryan Nelson ’01; Samantha Quinn ’03; Katherine Owen ’06. Patrick Hillegass ’03 was the reader. Wesleyan alumni in attendance were Amanda Gustin ’03; Taylor Ashendorf ’03; and John O’Leary ’03. Alan Pryor ’05 married Bradi Dixon Pryor on April 13, 2013 at The St. Simons Lighthouse on St. Simons Island, Georgia. Stuart Lawder ‘05 was in the wedding party. In attendance were: Sylvia Pryor (mother of the groom and Wesleyan Admissions staff member), Bobbie Lencke (former long-time Wesleyan employee), and Linda Schutte (Wesleyan Administration staff member). Ryan Schulze ’09 married Katie Babcock Schulze on May 12, 2013 at Historic Smithsonia Farm in Colbert, Georgia. Taylor Schulze ’05 was the best man.

Anne Ashendorf Usilton ’04 married Zack Usilton on March 16, 2013 at Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, Georgia (where they were both baptized), with a reception afterwards at the Capital City Club. Anne’s brother, Taylor Ashendorf ’03, was a groomsman.

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alumni | births and news

BIRTHS

Grayson Hays Maynard Daughter of Hays & Kristen Duffle Maynard ’01 February 10, 2013 8 pounds, 4 ounces

Hank Owen Michaels Son of Aaron & Ashleigh Walendziak Michaels ’02 December 10, 2012 8 pounds, 11 ounces

Avery Raegan Porche Daughter of Jason & Emily Michaud Porche ’05 April 4, 2013 7 pounds, 2 ounces

IN MEMORIAM SUSAN SIMPSON JOHNSON February 7, 2013 Mother of Adam ’06, Ty ’06, & Josh ’08

Anne Pittard King December 31, 2012 Mother of Kyle ’13 & Erin ’07 Sister of Nancy Jones Lower School Counselor

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Beth ann Russell April 30, 2013 Mother of JJ ’09 & Chad ’12

Glen Parmelee Robinson January 16, 2013 Grandfather of Lewis Robinson ’05, Lily Robinson ’03, David Shuford ’04 Namesake of Robinson Field

Laura THompson December 15, 2012 Mother of Will ’09

save the dateS! alumni tailgate & wesleyan homecoming football game Friday, October 4 1998 & 1999 Fifteen Year Reunion & 2003 ten Year Reunion Saturday, October 5

alumni | circle of honor

fine arts CIRCLE OF HONOR

2013 INDUCTEES Wesleyan’s Fine Arts Circle of Honor recognizes members of the Wesleyan community who made significant contributions to Wesleyan’s fine arts programs, and who have continued to pursue their passion for the arts in their colleges and communities. “We are excited to honor those who have set such fine examples in the arts at Wesleyan,” said Director of Fine Arts, Meg Foster, “and hope that our current students will be inspired by their stories.”

On May 2, four alumni were inducted into the Fine Arts Circle of Honor during a ceremony at the Artist Market’s opening night celebration. Congratulations to Katie Bobb ’02, Walton Collins ’04, Rex Atwood ’07, and Rachel DiPeitro ’07, who are fondly remembered by former and current Wesleyan faculty.

• “As an educator, it is my greatest hope to be a positive inspiration in the lives of my students, regardless of the subject I teach. Katie Bobb was one of the very first students I taught, and she has also been a positive inspiration in my life. Katie was a sophomore when I began teaching at Wesleyan, and she possessed a maturity beyond her years. In addition to her fine musical talent and her insightful wisdom, Katie never suffered from stage fright. When I saw her in front of an audience for the first time, I knew she was born to perform. She also understood the importance of discipline and focus in the rehearsal, and she knew how to lead her peers by example. Katie moved on to Elon University to further develop her talent and skill, and then she decided to become a lawyer. I was not at all surprised,

as Katie was only changing her performance venue from the stage to the courtroom, and I instantly knew she would become a fantastic lawyer who would lead with both her head and her heart. My pride for Katie continued to soar. Ironically, I, myself, experienced stage fright for the first time in decades last November. I was given the honor of performing a vocal solo at Katie’s wedding. Before my performance, I was trembling with nerves at the thought of singing for my former student, now my good friend. Her encouraging look of love and appreciation inspired me through every phrase. She is a blessing to all who know her.” Amy Hoffman Houghley, Former High School Chorus Teacher

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Katie Bobb ’02 • Chorus and Theater

- cont’d. on page 100

alumni | circle of honor Katie Bobb ’02 , cont’d Involvement at Wesleyan: • Select Women’s Ensemble, 10-12 grade • Mixed Ensemble (solos in Madrigal Dinners), 10-11 grade • International Thespian Society • Shakespeare Cabaret • Performed in: Scapin, Twelfth Night, Le Petit Prince, Quilters, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Tempest, The Fantasticks, Godspell Awards: • Wing Award 2002 • Choral Excellence Award 2002 Katie graduated from Wesleyan in 2002 and went to Elon University, where she doublemajored in Broadcast Communications and History. After graduation in 2006, she earned her Juris Doctor degree from Elon Univeristy School of Law and is the Director of Legal Services at the Gwinnett County Sexual Assault and Child Advocacy Center.

WALTON COLLINS ’04 • Theater

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

• “Walton has a deadpan, dry sense of humor that was the key to his theatric demeanor. This was who he was off-stage, too. He could deliver hilarious lines without any facial or bodily reaction. The response by the audience was always positive to this and made him doubly funny.” Zach Young, Headmaster

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Involvement at Wesleyan: • Performed in: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Tempest, The Fantasticks, Time Flies, Wild Oats, You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, I Hate Hamlet, A Night in Elsinore Awards: • Wing Award Walton graduated from Wesleyan in 2004 and went to the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he majored in Mechanical Enginering. He is now working at Georgia Tech as a Research Engineer.

alumni | circle of honor

Rex atwood ’07 • Band • “Rex Atwood made an indelible mark on the Wesleyan band program. He was a member of symphonic band and marching band. He became one of the most respected members of his class during his time here. He was popular for the right reasons, possessing a high level of integrity and character. He served as the marching band’s drum major for two years, including leading the band to its very first class championship! While it is cliché, Rex really was a ‘man of the people’ – he had a deep connection with those in the band and was adored by all. As a gifted academician, swimmer, and lacrosse player, he brought great credibility and recognition to the band that is felt even today. He paved the way for the success we enjoy today. I am most of all honored to call him a friend.” Jeff Foster, High School Band Teacher

Involvement at Wesleyan: • Marching Band, 9-12 grade • Symphonic Band, 9-11 grade • Drum Major, 11-12 grade Awards: • John Philip Sousa Award 2007 • Triple Star – Marching Band Rex graduated from Wesleyan in 2007 and went to the United States Naval Academy, graduating in 2011. He is now in medical school at Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, as well as the Tuck School of Business Administration, the graduate business school of Dartmouth.

Rachel dipietro ’07 • Band, Chorus, and Visual Arts

Involvement at Wesleyan: • Accomplished Visual Artist • Winter Guard • Color Guard (Captain 11-12 grade) • Advanced Women’s Ensemble, 9-10 grade • Chamber Singer, 10-12 grade • Symphonic Band, 10-12 grade • Advanced Studio Art, 12th grade

Awards: • Outstanding Color Guard Member 2004 • Fine Arts Award 2006 • Fine Arts Award 2007 Rachel graduated from Wesleyan in 2007 and went to Berry College, where she majored in Animal Science and minored in Chemistry. She is now at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, working to earn her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree with a Food Animal emphasis.

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

• “Rachel DiPietro had a significant impact on the band program, especially the color guard and winter guard programs. Rachel first and foremost led by example. She set the bar at an extremely high level as a four-year member of the marching band and winter guard. At the end of her sophomore year, she approached me about learning an instrument; making a long story short, she spent two years in the symphonic band playing bassoon, and ended up playing in the Berry College orchestra! Rachel possesses a work ethic atypical of the average high school student. Under her leadership, the winter guard achieved at a very high level – she was a significant part of creating the program we have today that is enjoyed by over thirty girls! Rachel is a dear friend, and I am thankful for the impact she has made on my life.” Jeff Foster, High School Band Teacher

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alumni | circle of honor

Athletics CIRCLE OF HONOR

2013 INDUCTEE reflection

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

n February, Webb Worthington ’05 became the thirteenth inductee into the Wesleyan Athletics Circle of Honor. Prior to the ceremony, Webb was honored at an elegant on-campus dinner with family, coaches, teachers, and friends, who celebrated his accomplishments with recollections and speeches. When it was his turn to address the group, Webb shared the following thoughts–a profound statement on the influence of Wesleyan and its educators on our students and the men and women of character they become:

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“Before I get into what I have prepared to say, I would like to first say ‘thank you’ to everyone for making time to be here with me on this special evening and share this event with me. Each of you has played a crucial role in my personal development be it athletically, academically, or spiritually. Without your contributions, I would not be here tonight being recognized with this distinguished honor. Already this year, you have had an opportunity to watch two former Wesleyan students play in NBA games, and one former Wesleyan student dress-out for an NFL Super Bowl Championship. Later this year, you will have the opportunity to watch four former Wesleyan students play professional baseball for major league programs. To realize that Wesleyan has been able to produce this caliber of athlete and then read over the names and accomplishments of former inductees to the Wesleyan Circle of Honor, it should go without saying that I feel so tremendously honored to have had my name even mentioned in the discussion, much less formally nominated, and then voted upon, to receive this distinction.

Earlier this week, I received an email asking me to take a few minutes and complete a Wesleyan alumni survey. One of the questions was, “What are three characteristics that best describe Wesleyan?” Immediately, the first thing that came to mind was ‘demanding.’ While I can assure you I did not always appreciate that while a student, now that I am ‘older and… years removed,’ my opinion has changed. It is not only the best characteristic to describe Wesleyan, but it is the strongest and best tool the school uses in the development of its students. Wesleyan is certainly demanding in terms of the standards to which it holds its students relating to character and integrity. And, Wesleyan is certainly demanding in terms of the academic challenges it presents its students. Wesleyan desires for each student to experience involvement in multiple facets throughout his/her time here. Today, I coach diving in the same club program that I came through, beginning as a nine-year-old: the Atlanta Diving Association. One thing that I have quickly realized is that ‘the world’ is transitioning into a very ‘specialized’ era. What I mean by that is that parents are increasingly placing a stronger emphasis on their children–at an even younger age–to choose one arena to excel in. It is being reinforced and ingrained in children at their earliest stages of development that their successes are measured purely by the results they are able to accomplish. No longer is success as much about being the best you can be and achieving the most you can with the gifts and abilities with which God has provided you, but rather by quantitative and tangible results. Parents are afraid to allow their children to fall short or to fail. I can assure you, after experiencing only a short period of time

alumni | circle of honor

outside of Wesleyan, that I was quickly made aware by ‘the world’ that it is cruel, unforgiving, and not afraid to see you fall short and fail. Wesleyan is aware of this fact.

He said the following: ‘Webb, your pride may not allow you to admit it to me or your coaches or anyone else for that matter, but there is a man in the mirror from whom you cannot escape nor hide things. That man knows that you want to quit because you are scared. If you walk away from diving today, you will look back some day and forever wonder what could have happened if you had not allowed fear to conquer you and dictate an outcome. The decision is yours, and your mother and I will support you equally if you decide you would rather focus on learning the flute…but before you quit, I think you owe it to yourself to get back on that diving board, face that fear and the man in the mirror, and attempt it again and again until you have successfully completed it just one time. And THEN, if you sincerely desire to be done with this

sport and personal investment, THEN walk away…but you will forever know that you did not allow fear to control you, and you will never wonder what could have happened.’ I obviously took my dad’s advice, but, here again, God used my dad to teach me that fear and failures are inevitable. He knew that ‘the world’ will always bring obstacles, and He used this lesson to better prepare me in my development for the many more to come. This evening I am being recognized mainly for my athletic success and achievements over the years, but more important to me is the component of this honor that credits character and stewardship. Although it is my name on the invitation and the plaque, let us not forget the Wesleyan J-O-Y banner. Jesus, Others, Yourself. First and foremost, I have to thank God for the work He has done in my life through each of you here in this room tonight, as well as all the others who couldn’t be here. It is my name that will be called out at the basketball game tonight, but your names deserve more recognition because you invest so much and are so dedicated to making this place so special and wonderful. Through it all, you are touching so many lives and allowing God to work through you to mold and shape students into the men and women they will grow to become. I am so thrilled to have each of you in my life.” Webb Worthington February 8, 2013

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

Luckily for me–like at Wesleyan–my parents’ first priorities for me were not my accomplishments, but rather the decisions I was making and the person I was becoming. In the eighth grade, I was learning two new challenging dives on the high dive and, in the process, I found myself at a hospital on both occasions, after having fallen short and experiencing failure. As a 14-year-old, I was understandably terrified and I wanted to quit. I remember vividly having a conversation with my dad one night where he gave me some advice and left the decision in my hands to make.

ABOVE LEFT: Webb and retiring faculty member Mary Ann Lacy. ABOVE RIGHT: Webb and former Wesleyan Swim and Dive coach Colin Creel. ABOVE BOTTOM: Webb and family celebrating his induction.

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alumni | events

EVENT RECAPS alumni college lunch

On Friday, December 21, college-aged alumni were invited to return to campus to catch up with classmates and teachers. A delicious lunch was provided by Chick-fil-A.

3 on 3 basketball tournament

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

Also on December 21, during the Alumni College Lunch, over 80 alumni participated in a 3 on 3 basketball tournament that raised money for Wesleyan’s missions program. After some spirited competition, one team emerged victorious–The Ageing Azar Affiliates: Drew Prehmus ’04, Sarah Prehmus ’06, Elise Whitney ’06, and James Ramsey ’08.

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class of 2007 reunion

On Saturday, December 22, 2012 the class of 2007 celebrated their five-year reunion at RiRa Irish Pub in midtown Atlanta. Over 60 alumni were in attendance and the class enjoyed reuniting with classmates and past faculty.

CLASS OF 2013 KINDERGARTEN CLASSES

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Rob Binion, Chairman Kim Sutton Adair

MaryHelen Hildreth & Margaret murphy

Bob Atkinson Dan Cowart Edress Darsey Steve Deaton Diane Duane Erika Laughlin Mark McIntosh Mike Nicklaus Michael Parks Jim Pierce Mary Ramsey Paul Robertson Frank Simpson Bill Stark

joyce podojil & peggy heedy

Danny Strickland Anna Tanner Bill Warren Bob Worthington Zach Young, Ex-Officio

ALUMNI BOARD Allison Christopher ’04, President David Andersen ’01, Annual Fund Chair Reed Dailey ’01, Vice President Calder Justice ’02 Christie Groome ’03 Blake Bowen ’04 Eric Karaszewski ’04

Shannon smith & carol evans

Stuart Lawder ’05 Emily Sheppard ’05 Page Long ’06 Mark Rockett ’06

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WESLEYAN MAGAZINE • SPRING | SUMMER 2013

Parents of Alumni: If this issue is addressed to your child who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the Alumni Office of the new mailing address. (Rebecca Carpenter Kennedy ’02) 678-223-2133 or rkennedy@wesleyanschool.org).

Office of External Affairs 5405 Spalding Drive Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 (770) 448-7640

WESLEYAN SCHOOL

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