Archways 19 – Spring 2014

A semi-annual publication for alumni and friends of St. Andrew’s Episcopal School

ART

The of Collaboration

ARCHWAYS 19 | SPRING 2014

by GEORGE

ACROSS 4 State champions for 11 years 7 The pharaohs are remembered in the Middle School (2 words) 10 The first building built on the North Campus 12 What happened to SA in 1947 13 Country of SA’s newest international partnership 17 Theme of this issue of Archways 20 Country of SA’s oldest international partnership 21 SA’s association for competition in football, basketball, speech & debate, band, etc.

22 Lake Wise’s first name 23 Preparing for a life of _______ to our community and the world 24 For all the ________

DOWN 1 F1 and F2 2 Taught in addition to Spanish, French, and Latin at St. Andrew’s 3 Coach Fanning’s team 5 To nurture a diverse community in the _________ tradition 6 Global + Local 8 Name of the SA Endowment 9 A JPS elementary school partner 11 Upper School spring musical 14 1,187 in 2013-14 15 Lower School’s biggest tradition (2 words) 16 Friday morning at the Lower School (2 words) 18 ___________ School Online Network (MSON) 19 Board of _______, the governing body of SA 21 Name of the new science center

For answers, go to www.gosaints.org/crossword.

GAZING THROUGH ARCHWAYS This issue of Archways focuses on the importance of collaboration to the educational experience. Collaboration is often thought of in terms of partners working toward a mutual benefit. But St. Andrew’s thinks of a truly successful collaboration as extending beyond those partners immediately involved to benefit multiple people, partners, and communities.

In 2014, St. Andrew’s announced the launch of the Institute for Learning and Teaching, an initiative that will focus on collaborations with other schools and organizations to enhance education. Through the work of the Institute, St. Andrew’s will serve as an educational resource to the larger community, working with different organizations with a shared interest in Mississippi’s children and Mississippi’s future, sharing information and resources, and collectively addressing the challenges and opportunities ahead. In this issue, we explore a few of the many facets of collaboration that are taking place on and off campus and that will be brought together in this new institute.

Collaboration on and off campus has long been a part of the St. Andrew’s Episcopal School culture. With an array of exciting collaborative programs already in place and the formation of this new Institute for Learning and Teaching, St. Andrew’s is poised to enhance learning and teaching within our school and larger communities.

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ARTS ON THE GREEN

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THE ART OF COLLABORATION

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HOME SWEET HOMES

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A CENTURY AT ST. ANDREW’S

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ALUMNI AWARDS

On the Cover Eighth graders Zach Bobbitt and Jack Smithson, along with other members of the St. Andrew’s robotics team, took their collaboration to the FIRST LEGO League State Championship competition, where they were the Central Mississippi Region winners.

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ALUMNI UPDATES

contents 3 8

Meet the Artist

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Letters (and boxes) from Home A St. Andrew’s Family Portrait

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Rallying Around Robert

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From Russia to Ridgeland Food for the Soul

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A Life Set to Music

Loyalty by the Decade

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Marking a Milestone

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Behind the Curtain Taking their Game to the Next Level

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Giving Athletics a Boost

Archways Staff

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Saints Fall and Winter Sports Records All Alumni Weekend 2013

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It’s How they Played the Game Eye on Alumni

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Looking Back/ Looking Forward

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and Contributors Editor Patrick Taylor ’93 Contributing Editors Elizabeth Buyan ’97 Stephanie Garriga Marlo Kirkpatrick Designer Alecia Porch Photographers Robby Followell Patrick Taylor ’93 If you have a story idea or comment for Archways, please contact Patrick Taylor, editor, at taylorp@gosaints.org.

WWW.GOSAINTS.ORG

Class of 2014

ST. ANDREW’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL made another strong showing at the 2014 Addy Awards. Sponsored by the Jackson Advertising Federation, the Addys recognize Central Mississippi’s best work in advertising and marketing. The “Find Your St. Andrew’s” viewbook won a Gold Addy; Archways magazine won a Silver Addy; and the “Find Your St. Andrew’s” campaign, which included television, print, and outdoor advertising, won a Silver Addy. The viewbook also won a Gold Addy at the district level and will now advance to the National Addy Competition. In recognition of their work for St. Andrew’s and other clients, Marlo Kirkpatrick was named Writer of the Year and Alecia Porch was named Graphic Designer of the Year. Congratulations to the team in the St. Andrew’s Office of Institutional Advancement, which developed the award-winning work.

Class of 2014 THE

THE MEMBERS OF THE ST. ANDREW’S CLASS OF 2014 HAVE POSTED REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENTS IN ACADEMICS, ATHLETICS, ARTS, AND SERVICE DURING THEIR HIGH SCHOOL CAREERS. HERE’S A BY-THE-NUMBERS, AT-A-GLANCE LOOK AT JUST A FEW OF THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

83 members of the Class of 2014

8 state championships won since freshman year

11% participate in student government

15 National Merit Semifinalists 18% of the class, the highest percentage in Mississippi

28 2014 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

46% hold leadership positions in the community

15 National Merit Finalists 18% of the class and, again, the highest percentage in Mississippi 45 National Honor Society Members 67% play for a Saints athletic team 29% play two or more sports

23 participated in the Upper School production of Pippin 10 Eagle Scouts

55% participated in an international exchange program or global studies trip

10,696.5 total service hours earned (as of 3/18/14) An average of 128.9 hours per student

100% accepted to a fouryear college or university

100% involved in extracurricular activities, including sports, clubs, and performing arts

60 detentions received this academic year (as of 3/18/14) 29 seniors have received a detention

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ARTS on the green APRIL 25–26

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

2014

ST. ANDREW’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL’S SPRING FESTIVAL, Arts on the Green, returns this April, marking its fourth year as one of the Jackson area’s most popular family events. Open to the entire community, Arts on the Green celebrates art, music, and food, all on the scenic St. Andrew’s North Campus.

Presented by the St. Andrew’s Parents’ Association (SAPA), the 2014 event includes new festival activities, an emphasis on community collaboration, and the return of a popular St. Andrew’s tradition, Starry Night. With an international focus that celebrates the artistic contributions of the local community as well as art and culture from around the globe, this year’s Arts on the Green offers patrons the opportunity to explore the world on the St. Andrew’s campus.

“There are so many worthwhile endeavors of which to be a part at St. Andrew’s, but Arts on the Green is my passion,” says Renee Ebner, the 2014 Arts on the Green co-chair. “This year has been an adventure I’ll always treasure. Our team has acquired many new skills and made lifelong friends along the way. At the end of the day, the time and energy we’ve spent is

more than matched by the appreciation of our students, faculty, and the community members who will benefit from our efforts.”

“I grew up in New Orleans and the Bahamas, and Arts on the Green reminds me of the multicultural art festivals I enjoyed in both places,” says Sarah Adams, the Arts on the Green co-chair. “I am a huge fan of Arts on the Green itself, but I was also drawn to the opportunity to work with other St. Andrew’s parents to create the event. It takes a sizable team of dedicated, creative volunteers to dream, scheme, and orchestrate Arts on the Green every year. It’s a fun-filled event, but Arts on the Green also offers another not-so-obvious experience – the joy found in a team of parents working together, sharing ideas and encouragement, and creating friendships through collaboration.”

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guests with selections from the blues to salsa, all in an outdoor setting marked by twinkling lights and decorations from around the world.

NEW FOR 2014 Arts on the Green’s returning familiar favorites include a Children’s Green with games and craft activities, art of every kind for admiring and for purchase, food prepared by the St. Andrew’s Booster Club, and an eco-friendly fashion show featuring clothing crafted from recycled materials, as well as styles from local boutiques.

New for 2014 is the Earth Balloon, a 20-foot, inflatable globe that portrays the planet as viewed from space.

Learners of all ages can step inside for an exciting, science-based experience that includes an interactive journey around and inside the earth to learn about geography, earth science, and environmental science.

This year’s Arts on the Green will also showcase “PHOTAMERICA,” an interactive installation by multimedia artist and photographer Josh Hailey ’99. Hailey spent 80 weeks traveling to all 50 states photographing and filming the people, places, and events he saw and interviewing Americans from all walks of life. The project’s thought-provoking images, films, and interviews are captured in a traveling art installation that will be a featured attraction at Arts on the Green.

AN EMPHASIS ON COMMUNITY COLLABORATION In keeping with St. Andrew’s Episcopal School’s mission to serve, Arts on Green will benefit and include the larger Jackson community in more ways than ever.

Choir students from St. Andrew’s partner school, Brown Elementary, will perform at Arts on the Green, as well as participate in the event’s art, education, and recreational programs.

St. Andrew’s has made arrangements to bring the Earth Balloon to campus for the entire week preceding Arts on the Green. In addition to making this exceptional learning tool available for all students at St. Andrew’s, the school will share the Earth Balloon with other educational institutions and after-school programs in the area, including partner schools Brown Elementary and Boyd Elementary, with the goal of raising global awareness among young people in our community.

Students from Brown and Boyd will also have the opportunity to experience the PHOTAMERICA interactive art installation. And as in years past, the daylong Arts on the Green festival will be open to the public. With the addition of community collaboration, Arts on the Green more fully reflects the larger mission of St. Andrew’s, which includes community participation as a vital facet not only of education, but also of building character. “‘Collaboration’ is a word that beautifully sums up the St. Andrew’s experience to me,” says Ebner. “We knew that after three successful years of Arts on the Green, we were ready for the next step, and the process has been so rewarding. Our steering committee was committed to bringing the Arts on the Green experience to our partner schools and beyond.”

THE RETURN OF STARRY NIGHT Friday, April 25 marks the return of a longstanding and beloved St. Andrew’s tradition, Starry Night.

For nearly 20 years, the St. Andrew’s community celebrated its multiculturalism with food, music, and fellowship at the annual Starry Night event. In 2014, Starry Night will once again welcome the school community and guests for a global celebration on the North Campus. The evening offers an opportunity to explore cultures from around the world, and to sample dishes ranging from local grandmothers’ secret recipes to signature delicacies from Africa, France, Germany, India, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan, Scotland, and other areas of the globe.

Performers led by St. Andrew’s college counselor and noted musician Scott Albert Johnson ’88 will entertain 6

THANK YOU TO THE ARTS ON THE GREEN SPONSORS

Presented by

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Friday, April 25 Starry Night • Sponsored by BankPlus 7:00 p.m.

Tickets are $45 per person and may be purchased online at www.artsonthegreen.info

Big 10 Tire Co., Inc./Truck Upfitters BankPlus Parker School Uniforms Hederman Brothers CSPIRE Entergy Gertrude Ford Foundation Jolly Orthodontics

Saturday, April 26 Arts on the Green • Sponsored by Trustmark 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Admission to the festival is free. Original artwork, food, and items from the Mississippi Artisan’s Marketplace will be available for purchase.

Children’s Green 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Enjoy games, arts and crafts, and the Earth Balloon experience. Admission is $15 per child at door or $10 advance.

Briarwood Wine & Spirits Eventful Premier Pain Care Valley Foods Bradley Arant Boult Cummings Calistoga Wine and Spirits Case Dental Care GI Associates Most Electric Signs First

Little Green Dress and Garden Party Sponsored by Parker Uniforms 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.

This unique fashion show features eco-friendly designs submitted by students and made completely from recycled materials, as well as styles from local boutiques. In addition to the fashion show, your ticket also includes an invitation to the Garden Party after the show. The party will be reminiscent of a delightful afternoon gathering with delicious food and beverages for everyone to enjoy.

Admission is $15.

Online Auction Place your bid on gift baskets, restaurant dinners, spa packages, unique events, trips, and more at artsonthegreen.info.

The auction opens March 31 and closes Sunday, April 27, at 10:00 p.m.

This list reflects sponsorships of at least $1500 as of March 25. We apologize if your sponsorship was made after Archways went to press.

FARM TO TABLE On January 23, 2014, SAPA hosted the

second annual Farm to Table event at the Mississippi Museum of Art. The 230 guests at the sold-out event indulged in a tasting menu prepared by the renowned Blackberry Farm resort. m Blackberry Farm’s proprietor, Sam Beall, and executive chef of the Main House at Blackberry Farm, Josh Feathers, collaborated with Nick Wallace, executive chef of the Mississippi Museum of Art, Jeff Good, president of Mangia Bene Restaurant Management Group, and sommeliers Lesley and Nathan McHardy, owners of Briarwood Wine and Spirits, to present a memorable evening of exceptional food and wine. m “My husband Haley and I were struck by the sense of community around this event,” says Allison Fisackerly, Farm to Table chair. “From the months of preparation to the end of the evening, the way volunteers and supporters came together was incredible. It was so much fun to see parents of past and present students, alumni, teachers, faculty, and members of our larger community catching up and making new friends over an extraordinary meal. Blackberry Farm offered St. Andrew’s a unique opportunity and we are so grateful for the outstanding show of support that helped make this event so special.”

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MEET THE

ARTIST

ROBERT CROWELL CONNECTS WITH ST. ANDREW’S ASPIRING ARTISTS

Students, staff, and visitors to the St. Andrew’s North Campus have been captivated by the new sculpture that graces the green space next to the Christopher and Stephanie Scott Outdoor Gathering Area between the McRae Science Center and the Walker Resource Center.

The piece was created by Jackson artist Robert Crowell as a tribute to Rebecca Collins, St. Andrew’s former director of institutional advancement. Crowell also loaned St. Andrew’s four smaller but equally striking pieces for display in the St. Andrew’s administrative area.

St. Andrew’s Upper School art students had the opportunity to learn more about Crowell and his work this winter, when the sculptor took time away from his studio to visit three St. Andrew’s art classes and share the techniques and the inspiration behind his work. Crowell left the aspiring artists with sage advice from a working sculptor.

“Realize that it’s your art. You can’t really do anything wrong, so be bold about it. Sometimes what you like might not be what others like, but as an artist, you have to like your own work.”

Crowell enjoyed a successful career as a CPA and businessman, but he was always drawn to art. While still working fulltime in the business world, he began an indepth, independent study of art and art history, reading extensively and visiting museums and galleries nationwide to study various artists, art forms, and media. He soon realized he had an artist’s eye for seeing the possibilities in raw material.

“I was approaching 50, and I decided that if I was ever going to ‘do’ art, I’d better start,” Crowell says.

Crowell moved from studying art to creating it, experimenting with plaster, clay, wood, marble, concrete, and other media. He pursued his passion as diligently as he had pursued his business career, learning how to use the tools best suited for each medium. Crowell traveled to Italy to study marble carving and enrolled in a welding course at Hinds Community College to learn how to work with steel. He reinvested the money he began making from selling his sculptures into more tools used in his craft, and gradually transitioned out of the business world and into a career as a fulltime artist.

“I’m grateful for my years in business, as those successes are what allow me to create art fulltime, and to focus on creating sculptures that I liked instead of pieces that I hoped would sell,” Crowell says. “My work is for sale, but that’s not why I create it. I feel so fortunate just to be able to work as a fulltime sculptor.”

While his sculptures have been displayed in galleries, Crowell prefers inviting guests to his Jackson studio to see his large pieces; the size and scope of his works typically require them to be displayed outside, which brings the added benefit of giving admirers the space to walk around the sculptures and view them from every angle. While Crowell still sculpts for his own pleasure, he also enjoys seeing others drawn to his work.

“Creating art is a way of saying, ‘I was here,’” Crowell says. “Once someone has a piece of your sculpture, they have a little piece of you. I like to think that those who buy my work think of me whenever they walk past it.”

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SCULPTING FOR ST. ANDREW’S

Two of Robert Crowell’s five children, Elizabeth Crowell ‘03 and Katherine Crowell Gunby ‘02, are St. Andrew’s alumni.

“It was a pleasure to create that sculpture for St. Andrew’s,” Crowell says of the signature sculpture on the North Campus. “I think so much of the school, not just because St. Andrew’s offers a good education, but because the school has high standards and encourages its students to give back to society.

My daughters gained so much from attending St. Andrew’s. It was such a pleasure to be able to give something back.”

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LETTERS (AND BOXES) from Home

The Military Saints in Service Program supports St. Andrew’s alumni serving overseas.

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ONE OF FRAN KEANE’S EARLIEST MEMORIES IS OF HER FATHER, J. W. BLAND, RETURNING HOME FROM WORLD WAR II. Keane, the St. Andrew’s central administration assistant and parent of St. Andrew’s graduates, was just 18 months old when her father was deployed to the Philippines and Japan.

He returned home when Keane was three years old.

“MY MOTHER SHOWED MY OLDER BROTHER service, Keane took a special interest in St. Andrew’s and me pictures of daddy so we wouldn’t forget him,” alumni who enlisted. When some of her daughter’s forKeane says. “She wrote to him every day, and I remem- mer St. Andrew’s classmates were sent overseas during ber walking to the post office with her to mail the letters.” Operation Desert Storm, Keane began sending them After months of separation, the time finally came letters and care packages filled with supplies and gifts; when Keane’s mother knew that her husband would she has continued sending care packages to alumni in be coming home, but she wasn’t sure exactly when he the military ever since. would arrive.

“I grew up hearing my father talk about how much “We lived in the little rural community of Marks, he missed us and how homesick he had been, and how Mississippi, at the end of a long gravel much those letters and pictures we road,” Keane recalls. “One day, people sent meant to him,” Keane says. “Our working in the fields up and down that soldiers today have access to email and road started calling out, ‘A soldier’s SUPPLIES FOR THE TROOPS Skype, but there’s still something specoming! A soldier’s coming down the cial about receiving a letter or package For a complete list of road!’ My mother heard them, and I from home.” items most requested remember her saying, ‘Daddy’s home!’

As word of Keane’s good deed and appreciated by those She and my brother and I started runspread, others in the St. Andrew’s comserving overseas, visit ning down the road to meet him. We munity joined in to show their supwww.give2thetroops.org. were all crying. My mother and my port of alumni serving overseas. The If you’d like to donate brother were crying because they were result is the Military Saints in Service supplies for St. Andrew’s happy, but I was crying because I was program, an organized effort on the to send, please write afraid. I knew he was my daddy, but I part of the St. Andrew’s community to Fran Keane at didn’t remember him and I was scared. send letters, photos, and goody boxes fran@gosaints.org.

I think my brother was, too, because to alumni serving overseas. when we got about 10 feet away, he “It all started via word of mouth,” hesitated. Daddy dropped to his knees, held out his arms, Keane says. “Last fall, I set up two big boxes decorated and said, ‘It’s me, son, come on.’ Then Daddy gathered with the American flag and a list of recommended items. us all in a big hug, and when we walked back down the With so many people in the school community donating, road together toward home, he carried me. I remember the boxes filled up fast. And these were not small boxes.” the scratch of his wool uniform against my legs, and I Keane and a group of St. Andrew’s volunteers packed remember that I wasn’t afraid anymore. Once my daddy flat rate box after flat rate box filled with toiletries, snacks, held me, I never wanted to let go.” books, DVDs, long distance phone cards, and games. The Keane’s large extended family included a number of packing team included St. Andrew’s science chair Sandra uncles and cousins who also joined the armed forces. She Hindsman, who taught some of the alumni in service, grew up with talk of service to the country dominating and her 12-year-old granddaughter, Claire; Upper School family dinner table conversations, and has had relatives students Ryan Abusaa, Megan Alemon, and Alex Weisser; serving in every conflict since World War II. Through and Beverly House of the St. Andrew’s maintenance staff. many years and many world events, someone in Keane’s The students held fund-raisers to purchase additional supfamily was always serving America on foreign soil. plies, and St. Andrew’s helped with the postage costs to Inspired by her family’s long tradition of military send the filled-to-the-brim boxes overseas.

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Ryan Abusaa, Beverly House, Fran Keane, Sandra Hindsman, Alex Weisser, and Megan Alemon prepare Valentine’s Day goody boxes for St. Andrew’s alumni serving overseas.

“Caring for and looking after our troops has always been a part of my life,” senior Alex Weisser says. “My father is retired Army and he’s instilled in me a strong sense of the need to give back to our soldiers for all that they sacrifice for us. My career aspirations include attending a military academy and then serving in the armed forces. When it comes time for me to deploy, I would love to know that I have people back home who appreciate what I’m doing and are kind enough to send some gifts to lessen the hardships associated with being overseas.”

From September through February, St. Andrew’s sent approximately 50 boxes of gifts and supplies to eight

alumni serving around the world, many in dangerous locations. St. Andrew’s teachers wrote notes of encouragement to their former students, and mobilized entire classes of Lower School students to write letters or make cards. Megan Alemon contributed handmade holiday decorations for a December mailing to Second Lieutenant Andrew Roach ’08, who was serving as a platoon commander in Afghanistan. The holiday mailing also included a small Christmas tree and a string of lights, and so many gifts that Lt. Roach was able to share them with the 60-plus men in his platoon. In an email to Keane, Lt. Roach described the impact of the St. Andrew’s gifts upon the homesick troops, writing:

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One of my soldiers came into my office saying, “Sir, you’ll need to make some room in here. You’ve got a [boat] load of mail” (I have to paraphrase to omit some of the more colorful language to which people in our profession become overly accustomed). Sure enough, in came a slew of packages from St. Andrew’s. I have just finished distributing all of the contents among my soldiers.

I can’t begin to tell you how much I am at once proud to belong to such a supportive community as St. Andrew’s, and humbled beyond words by the gestures that you, the faculty, the administration, and the student body have been kind enough to make.

Needless to say, my soldiers were grinning from ear to ear as they received the holiday joy that y’all sent. [I wish] you could see just how much your efforts and those of other Saints have heightened our spirits. The decorations seem to have had a particularly positive impact on morale, presumably because they make things here feel a bit more like home during the holidays...

The yo-yos were a hit as well. I passed them out to some of my guys one morning with instructions to give them to any local Afghan children we might encounter on our mission that day. When I returned about 30 minutes later, I walked in to find no fewer than 15 grown men, and soldiers at that, utterly enthralled with those toys, struggling (and failing, in most cases) to reacquire their childhood deftness with them. It was certainly a sight for sore eyes, and most importantly, they were really enjoying themselves.

Once again, please know that our gratitude for what you and the St. Andrew’s community have done extends beyond words. In many ways, the support of Americans like you validates what we do, and for that, we are indebted to you.

“I really appreciate getting care packages from students, faculty, and staff as it helps bring me back to when I was in school at St. Andrew’s,” Lt. Whatley wrote. “I always love getting letters from students regardless of the subject. Please pass my gratitude along to all the faculty and staff there. If not for the people who guided me while I was in school at St. Andrew’s, I would not be where I am today.”

“My family and I are very grateful for all of the expressions of love and support by the St. Andrew’s community for our son,” Marcia Whatley says. “Steve has told us on more than one occasion that the care packages he receives are a very timely and welcome surprise. They have given him much encouragement and have bolstered his morale during the course of a long deployment away from family and friends. We are truly indebted to Fran Keane, along with others who have organized and filled care packages, and to all who have prayed for Steve and our St. Andrew’s military alums.”

While the soldiers and sailors and their families are grateful to Fran Keane, she believes she gets more out of the Military Saints in Service program than those who receive the packages. Every time Keane packs a box, she remembers the many members of her own family who left home to serve, including those who never returned.

In 2010, Keane’s cousin’s young son, Josh Ose, joined the Marines right after his high school graduation, promising his parents he would return and attend college after his military service.

“Everyone in the family was preparing to send letters and care packages to Josh,” Keane says. “We never even “My wife, our other children, and I were so humbled by got his address.” this outpouring for Andrew,” says Lt. Roach’s father, Dan Josh was deployed to Afghanistan and killed by a sniper Roach ’78, St. Andrew’s Upper School dean of students. on his first patrol.

“St. Andrew’s students and faculty gave so generously of “The Military Saints in Service project is so close to their money and time, and a lot of guys over there, not my heart,” Keane says. “I love receiving emails from our just Andrew, were able to share in what St. Andrew’s sent.” alumni in the service sharing how much these gifts from Middle School math teacher Marcia Whatley’s son was home mean to them. And every time I take one of those also on the St. Andrew’s Military Saints mailing list. Steve boxes to the post office, I think, ‘I’m doing this for my Whatley ’04 is a Lieutenant Junior Grade in the U.S. Navy father and for Josh.’ They’re watching me and they know I’m doing this for them.” serving in Dubai.

“IN LIGHT OF THE TIME SPENT AWAY FROM HOME, the inherent risk assumed by serving, and the countless other personal sacrifices every soldier makes, what truly makes our job worthwhile is knowing that we can rely on the love, support, and prayers of wonderful people like you…It does great things for the soul to receive such kind, selfless gestures. For every soldier, from every walk of life, they are a reminder of the ongoing support we receive from friends, family, and loved ones back home. On behalf of the soldiers of the 2nd Platoon, Bravo Battery, 5th Battalion, 25th Field Artillery Regiment, thank you so much.” — From a message written by Lt. Andrew Roach ’08 from Afghanistan in 2013. Lt. Roach returned home to Mississippi in March of 2014.

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“THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE SWEET CARE PACKAGE. IT WAS A WONDERFUL REMINDER OF HOW WARM AND CARING THE PEOPLE OF ST. ANDREW’S ARE, AND IT WAS DEFINITELY EXCITING TO HEAR FROM PEOPLE BACK HOME. I CAN’T WAIT TO PUT THOSE SOCKS, TEA, AND OATMEAL TO GOOD USE! FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, THANK YOU ALL SO VERY, VERY MUCH.” SPC Caroline Huff Abrahamzon ’09 Stationed in South Korea

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THE BYNUM

FAMILY

ON SERVICE, INSPIRING HOPE, and FINDING A WAY MANY FAMILIES CHOOSE ST. ANDREW’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY FIND THE SCHOOL’S VALUES MIRROR THEIR OWN. BILL AND HOPE BYNUM AND THEIR DAUGHTER, BLYTHE ’09, HAVE FOCUSED THEIR LIVES ON SERVICE TO OTHERS, A CONCEPT THAT ALSO ATTRACTED THEM TO ST. ANDREW’S.

St. Andrew’s is fortunate to have Bill Bynum, founder and CEO of HOPE Federal Credit Union, as a member of the school’s board of trustees. An advisor to Presidents Clinton, Bush, and Obama on community development issues, Bill founded HOPE in 1994 to provide financial services that support jobs, housing, business development, and other critical needs in some of the South’s most economically distressed communities. HOPE has grown to include 28,000 members and 16 branches in Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, and

Arkansas, and has generated nearly $2 billion in consumer, mortgage, and small business financing, all without ever losing sight of its original mission to serve those people and communities most in need.

In recognition of his life-changing work through HOPE, Bill Bynum received the 2013 global John McNulty Prize, awarded annually by the Aspen Institute’s Global Leadership Network to an entrepreneur whose business addresses a serious societal issue. The award included a $100,000 prize.

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{ a s t. a n d r e w’s f a m i l y p o r t r a i t }

“O

ur goal is to ensure that hardworking peo- Andrew’s Parents’ Association (SAPA) and chair of the ple have access to the tools they need to Designer Showhouse. buy homes, start businesses, educate their One of Hope’s favorite projects is an annual drive to children, and support their families regard- provide prom dresses for girls at Lanier High School. less of their station in life,” Bynum says. “Hopelessness Hope began the project three years ago with a few in a community is when there isn’t a clear path to a bet- donated dresses; in 2014 the Prom Dress Project will proter future. At HOPE, we provide a vehicle for people to vide young ladies at Lanier more than 200 prom dresses, work together and boost each other up to that next rung as well as a free class on prom etiquette. As an added on the economic ladder. Hope is dignity.” bonus and a “thank you” for her help, Hope has a stand “The McNulty Prize recognizes the outstanding ing invitation to the Lanier High School prom, an event work of individuals and organizations who have made she looks forward to attending every spring. a positive impact on the lives of others,” said McNulty The Bynums’ daughter, Blythe, graduated from Duke Prize judge and former Secretary of State Madeleine University and is a first-year medical student at the UniAlbright. “By opening the doors of ecoversity of Mississippi School of MediINSPIRING HOPE nomic opportunity to underserved indicine. She received the Don Mitchell, M.D., Bill Bynum’s first viduals across the country, HOPE has School of Medicine Scholarship, which is experience with a proven that financial institutions focused awarded to a first-year medical school stucredit union came on community development can transdent based on academic achievement and when he accompanied form weak economies into stronger, suspotential for success in medicine. Recipihis grandmother to a tainable ones, and improve the lives of ents must commit to reside and practice makeshift credit union thousands of people in the process.” in Mississippi for at least five years. Blythe “office” operated out Bill’s wife, Hope Bynum, is a hands-on credits her education at St. Andrew’s with of a family friend’s community volunteer with a reputation both preparing her for her rigorous studgarage.

It was here that for seeing a need and creating a way to ies at Duke and helping to instill in her a his grandmother took fill it. desire to serve in her home state. out loans to purchase a “The St. Andrew’s motto, ‘We will find “My education at St. Andrew’s gave washing machine, and a way or we will make one,’ could be our me the confidence to go away to college later, a suit Bill Bynum family’s motto as well,” Hope says. “We at Duke, which is a challenging univerwould wear to college. truly believe that. It might not be the consity,” Blythe says. “Since coming back That credit union was ventional way or the blueprint way, but home, I have learned to appreciate both located in the mill town of the beauty and challenges that Missiswe will find a way to get it done.”

The Junior League of Jackson’s 2013 Bynum, North Carolina, a sippi faces. I feel this is a place where I can Sustainer of the Year, Hope also volun- community named for the definitely make an impact. That’s why I family that once owned want to be a doctor – so I can have a posteers with Stewpot’s HEartWORKS, a program that helps homeless clients cre- Bill Bynum’s ancestors. itive impact on people in our state.” ate and sell their original artwork; the Anderson United “Our family believes that no person has more value Methodist Church Food Pantry, where she volunteers than another, and that we are stewards of the world in every Wednesday; the Mississippi Campaign for Teen- which we live. That compels us to help and respect each age Pregnancy Prevention, a organization she helped other,” Bill Bynum says. “From the pre-K emphasis on to found; Mississippi Children’s Museum Partners and the core value of the week to Chapel service to studying the Women’s Fund, where she serves on the boards of various cultures and religions in high school, the princidirectors; and countless other charitable and civic groups. pals emphasized at St. Andrew’s very much align with Hope has also served St. Andrew’s as president of the St. those that are important to our family.”

STARRING GEORGE PENICK AS ANTHONY ANT When Bill and Hope Bynum relocated to Mississippi from North Carolina in 1994, the only people they knew in Jackson were George and Carol Penick, long before George would become head of school at St. Andrew’s. The families spent a great deal of time together, and the Penicks gave the Bynums’ young daughter, Blythe, a book that soon became one of her childhood favorites. • “It was the story of a character named Anthony Ant, and no one could read it with Blythe with as much flair as George,” Hope Bynum recalls. “Bill and I would try to read it to her, and Blythe would say, ‘No! No! You have to read it with all the voices like George does!’”

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18

Rallying Around

Robert

THE ST. ANDREW’S COMMUNITY SHOWS ITS SUPPORT FOR ROBERT GAILLET, CLASS OF 2015.

EARLY NOVEMBER OF 2013 was a busy but blessed time for the Gaillet family. Oldest daughter Elisabeth ’13 was attending the University of Mississippi on an athletic scholarship.

Sixteen-year-old Robert, a junior at St. Andrew’s, was a standout on the St. Andrew’s cross country team and had just won the individual Boys State Cross Country Championship.

Tenth grader Caroline looked forward to competing in track and field for St. Andrew’s and was already practicing her pole vault. • THE SIBLINGS’ MOTHER, Bethany, was enjoying her twelfth year working at St. Andrew’s, where her position as administrative assistant included serving as the Lower School receptionist. Bethany’s husband, Dan, had just been named the director of public works for the City of Biloxi, and while Bethany and the children planned to stay in Jackson until Robert and Caroline graduated from St. Andrew’s, the family had decided that living in two cities for a time would be a grand adventure.

Thanksgiving was just around the corner, and the family had much for which to be grateful.

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But on November 17, the Gaillets’ world crashed to a stop. Sixteen-year-old Robert was critically injured in a one-car accident on his way home from church.

Robert was airlifted to the University of Mississippi ing,” Bethany Gaillet says. “I can’t say enough about Medical Center (UMMC) with life-threatening injuries, Mia and Mackenzie. Their hearts are just unreal. I actuincluding a traumatic brain injury that left him in a coma. ally heard about the pancake breakfast from Robert’s Robert remained at UMMC for 14 long weeks; his family nurses, who had seen a flyer and told me they were celebrated Robert’s 17th birthday in his hospital room. going to go. I took Caroline to the breakfast, and it Today, more than four months after the accident, Rob- meant so much to us to see the kind of character and ert remains in a coma-like state. hearts these students have.

Within hours of the accident, the St. Andrew’s com- “You would not believe what people are doing for us,” munity mobilized to help the Gaillet family, providing Bethany continues as tears fill her eyes. “We are overdonations of money and food, help with transportation, whelmed with gratitude. I think Dan has been even more and a hotel room and eventually a fully-furnished house touched by this show of love and concern than I have closer to the hospital than the Gaillet’s own residence. because he has truly never experienced anything like this As the days and weeks passed and it became clear before. Dan’s family moved a lot, and growing up, he that Robert and his family would face many long, dif- didn’t have a strong sense of community. I grew up in ficult months ahead, efforts to assist the family have Jackson and attended St. Andrew’s, and while what has only increased. The majority of the fund-raising efforts been done for us is so tremendous and so overwhelmhave been led entirely by St. Andrew’s ing that I never would have expected it, “WE ARE OVERWHELMED students who know Robert Gaillet as I think it is so in keeping with the spirit WITH GRATITUDE. WHAT a cherished friend. Spearheaded by of our community.”

HAS BEEN DONE FOR US seniors Mia Martinson and Macken Traumatic brain injury is a mystezie Ellis, St. Andrew’s students orga- IS SO TREMENDOUS AND rious condition, even for doctors who SO OVERWHELMING, THAT nized a pancake breakfast and a pay-tospecialize in its treatment. Robert’s eyes I NEVER WOULD HAVE dress-down day and designed and sold are open and he sometimes appears to t-shirts, with all proceeds going toward EXPECTED IT, [BUT] IT IS SO respond to familiar voices or favorite Robert’s medical care. Their efforts on IN KEEPING WITH THE SPIRIT songs, but he remains unable to comRobert’s behalf have raised more than municate. Doctors can’t give the GailOF OUR COMMUNITY.” $11,000. That total does not include the lets a definite prognosis; their only Bethany Shofner many donations made directly to the recommendation is to continue with Gaillet ’83 Gaillet family. rehabilitation efforts and “wait and see.”

“St. Andrew’s students were very enthusiastic and While the Gaillet family has received an outpouring excited to have an opportunity to do something that of support, they, in turn, have touched the St. Andrew’s would help Robert,” Martinson says. “There were an community. In their conversations and in posts on Caring amazing number of students and faculty who gra- Bridge, a website they use to update friends about Robciously offered their time to work at the pancake break- ert’s condition, Bethany and Dan Gaillet have expressed fast. Mackenzie and I are both close friends with Robert not only their gratitude, but also their unwavering faith and I’ve been best friends with Elisabeth since we started in the face of tragedy. It’s a testimony they never wanted running cross country together five years ago. The Gail- to have, but the Gaillets have accepted it with faith, grace, lets are very important in both of our lives and anything and dignity that have inspired an entire community. we can do to help them is important to us.”

In a recent Caring Bridge post, Bethany Gaillet wrote, The Gaillets have been moved by the outpouring of “[I] am constantly drawn to Isaiah 40:31, ‘Those who support from the St. Andrew’s community, and in par- wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall ticular, the support from Robert’s peers. mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not “What these students have done for Robert is amaz- be weary, they shall walk and not faint.’”

DONATIONS FOR ROBERT GAILLET ARE ACCEPTED AT ALL BANKPLUS LOCATIONS IN MISSISSIPPI. Robert’s account is set up under the Mississippi Uniform Transfers to Minors Act. To contribute, you will need the name on the account, as well as the last four digits of the account number.

Checks should be made payable to: Robert W Gaillet, Daniel Gaillet custodian • Account name: Daniel Gaillet serving as custodian for Robert W Gaillet under the MUTMA • Account Number: ******7589 20

Spearheaded by seniors Mackenzie Ellis and Mia Martinson, St. Andrew’s students organized a pancake breakfast and a pay-to-dress-down day and designed and sold t-shirts, with all proceeds going toward Robert’s medical care.

You may follow Robert’s progress at www.caringbridge/ visit/RobertGaillet

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“MY GOAL ISN’T TO HAVE STUDENTS LEARN HOW TO USE A ROBOT OR A 3D PRINTER, BUT TO DEVELOP THE ABILITY TO LEARN ANY NEW TOOL.”

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THE ART OF COLLABORATION

ONE OF ST. ANDREW’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL’S GREATEST STRENGTHS is faculty members who believe in the power of collaboration. The teachers profiled here all agree that a key to good teaching is sharing ideas and working together to find creative solutions to educational challenges. The best teachers are not only inspired by their colleagues and by their students, but also understand the importance of teaching students how to collaborate with one another.

teacher. Today, the one-time IBM prodigy focuses on developing and teaching an eighth grade science program that includes physics, chemistry, and robotics.

Harth designed an innovative curriculum that goes far beyond reading a textbook or memorizing formulas.

Instead, students participate in hands-on projects that require them to collaborate with one another – and sometimes, with their parents – to find solutions to real world scientific challenges.

“There are things every educated person should know about the physical sciences in order to contribute and to develop problem solving skills,” Harth says. “The basic questions in problem solving are where am I, where do I want to be, and how do I chart a course to get there?”

Thought-provoking projects completed in eighth grade science include a yearlong energy study that requires students to measure and analyze their own families’ energy usage, then develop a plan for meeting their energy demands using sustainable sources like solar panels. Students are required to present the plan to their families. The project ingrains concepts of conservation and sustainability in the students that will last a lifetime, and has made parents aware of energy-conscious changes they can make in their families’ lifestyles.

MICHELLE HARTH Eighth Grade Science

Michelle Harth seemed destined for a career at IBM. Harth attended the University of Virginia on an IBM scholarship, earning a degree in engineering physics that she immediately put to use working at IBM. But as Harth was preparing for an interview that could lead to a significant promotion at the company, she read one sentence in a book that changed the course of her life.

“It asked, ‘What would you do if money were no object?’” Harth recalls. “It was my Road to Damascus moment. I closed the book, got up from my desk, went into my boss’s office, and told him I was quitting IBM to teach physics.”

Harth did just that, teaching chemistry, physics, and calculus at prestigious secondary schools in North Carolina, Philadelphia, and New Hampshire. Along the way, she earned a master’s degree in theology from Villanova, a subject that had always intrigued her “because theology and physics are both about the big questions.”

In 2007, Michelle and her husband, Chris Harth, both joined St. Andrew’s, Chris as the director of the global studies program and Michelle as a math and science

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In another creative project, eighth graders collaborate to design and build a miniature sustainable village. The students design the village in Google SketchUp, a computer-aided design program, then construct the community using LEGOs and recycled materials. The village includes businesses, a school, and a transportation system (no cars allowed), all operating off of sustainable energy sources. The class even elects a “town council” to govern the village.

The St. Andrew’s IT department recently acquired a 3D printer that will be available for teachers to incorporate as a learning tool, and Harth is already working on ideas for how best to use the printer in future science projects. The revolutionary process of 3D printing will fundamentally change what people and businesses can make, and offer new options for solving problems.

While Harth is excited about designing curriculum applications for the 3D printer, she also points out that it is merely a tool.

“Technology tools change every day, which presents a challenge for educators to teach students in ways that will mean something to their futures,” Harth says. “My goal isn’t to have students learn how to use a robot or a 3D printer, but to develop the ability to learn any new tool. It’s to teach them how to take what they learned and apply it to many situations. I want to help them learn how to figure things out by themselves, not just hand them answers. Learning is a lifelong process.”

Harth herself is still learning new ways to solve problems every day. While she has had the ability to develop courses at every school where she’s taught, St. Andrew’s has given Harth a level of creative freedom that she feels has made her a better teacher.

“St. Andrew’s is the first place I’ve worked where I’ve had the time and the freedom to experiment and discover what works best, which can be different for each student. As a result, I am better at teaching. I’ve grown more as an educator here at St. Andrew’s than I have in 20 years of teaching elsewhere.”

ROBOTICS SKILLS APPLY TO CAREERS IN A NUMBER OF FIELDS, INCLUDING MANUFACTURING AND MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY. ROBOTS’ ABILITY TO GO WHERE HUMANS CANNOT ALSO MAKES THEM INVALUABLE IN DISASTER RELIEF RESCUE EFFORTS, EXPLORING EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS, OR CLEANING UP HAZARDOUS WASTE.

THE ST. ANDREW’S ROBOTICS PROGRAM St. Andrew’s students are introduced to robotics in fourth grade science, and continue to study building and programming robots into Middle School.

“Robotics reinforces the problem solving skills students learn in science class, but takes the teacher out of the process,” says Michelle Harth, eighth grade science teacher. “Students are given a problem to solve, and must figure out how to program their robots to do it. The students build, program, and run the robot, and also get their feedback from the robot.

When it doesn’t do what they imagined it doing, they have to figure out where it went wrong and try again.

Robotics teaches students not to be afraid to make a mistake. If it doesn’t work the first time, it’s okay to try another approach to the problem. With robotics, they never run out of challenges.”

Middle School students have the opportunity to join the St. Andrew’s robotics team, which meets after school and competes in the FIRST LEGO League, an international robotics competition. Students are given a problem in August and charged with developing a program and building a robot to solve it. The robots are placed in an obstacle courselike test setting called a field to complete the task, with points awarded or deducted based on how well they perform.

“FIRST LEGO emphasizes cooperation,” Harth says. “The competition is based on teamwork, professionalism, and working with other people, including people on other teams. It’s not unusual to see a team call out for a part they need and a competing team run over to give it to them. That’s the way problem solving happens in the real world.”

The St. Andrew’s robotics team of Lauren Watson, Zach Bobbitt, Jack Smithson, Wynn Garriga, Satwik Pani, and Charley Hutchison won the Central Mississippi Region of the international FIRST LEGO League competition.

MEMBERS OF THE WINNING ROBOTICS TEAM ARE (from left) Zach Bobbitt, Charley Hutchison, Wynn Garriga, Lauren Watson, Satwik Pani, and Jack Smithson.

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“MY VOICE ON THE PAGE IS DIRECTLY CONNECTED TO MY VOICE IN THE CLASSROOM, TO WHICH ST. ANDREW’S STUDENTS HAVE BEEN SUBJECTED FOR THE PAST 24 YEARS.”

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THE ART OF COLLABORATION

TAYLOR KITCHINGS AP English 12, Senior Seminar in English, Creative Writing, Film Studies Taylor Kitchings’ creativity has been inspiring students at St. Andrew’s for 24 years. Kitchings, in turn, has found that his creativity has been stimulated by his time in the classroom.

The Upper School English and creative writing teacher recently landed a two-book contract with Random House for his young adult novels, The Oakwood All-Out Yard War and The Tidings Tree. While both books are works of fiction, they were inspired by events in Kitchings’ childhood.

“Yard War begins with an incident that occurred when I was eight years old,” Kitchings says. “Our African American housekeeper brought her son over, and he and I became friends and sometimes threw the football in the front yard. One day my mother told me the neighbors had complained, and I could not throw the football with my friend in the front yard anymore. I was more confused than angry, at first. I had not seen racism at home and was completely unprepared for this kind of reaction from people I had always thought of as nice.

“That was when I learned that ‘nice’ people can harbor hateful attitudes, especially when they feel threatened, as so many did after the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” Kitchings continues. “Later events in the novel actually happened to my family in other contexts, including a smoke bomb hurled into our yard late one night and an anonymous voice on the phone promising to do harm to my sisters. We came home to find our housekeeper

sitting on the couch with a shotgun across her lap, ready to defend them.”

Written for a middle school-aged audience, Yard War is narrated by a 12-year-old character. Kitchings’ many years spent teaching students of different ages ensured that the voice of the narrator was true to a 12-year old, but was in no way “dumbed down.”

“I have fond memories of my four years as a fourth grade teacher at St. Andrew’s, and this novel is, in part, a way for me to communicate with younger students again,” Kitchings says.

The Oakwood All-Out Yard War is scheduled for release in 2015, with The Tidings Tree set to follow in 2016. Kitchings began work on Yard War in 2012. The manuscript went to auction, with several publishers bidding on the opportunity to publish the book. The wining offer came from Wendy Lamb of Random House, a preeminent editor of young adult fiction.

Kitchings’ advice to aspiring novelists?

“Do not give up. I received my first offer of publication on my fifth novel. It’s been a long and totally unpredictable ride – I can’t wait to see what happens next.”

While his journey to publication has been long and unpredictable, Kitchings says that one thing is certain – he would not have become the author he is today if he had not first been a teacher.

“My voice on the page is directly connected to my voice in the classroom, to which St. Andrew’s students have been subjected for the past 24 years,” Kitchings says.

“But it is my ears in the classroom that have made the difference. I have learned from my students as much as or more than they have learned from me, and I could not write what I write had I not learned it.”

A MAN OF MANY TALENTS In addition to his career as a teacher and novelist, Taylor Kitchings’ resume includes a stint as a singer/songwriter. In the 1980s, Kitchings played in clubs and restaurants from Memphis to Manhattan, and as a college freshman, recorded an album titled Clean Break. In 2010, Kitchings returned to the studio, recording an EP in New Orleans. Both Clean Break and his recent EP are available on iTunes and Bandcamp.

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“BY SHARING WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN’T WORK AND WHAT’S HAPPENING IN OUR CLASSROOMS WITH EACH OTHER, WE’RE ENSURING THAT EVERY ST. ANDREW’S FIRST GRADER HAS THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES.” — ANNE RANCK

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THE ART OF COLLABORATION

The collaborative attitude at St. Andrew’s came as a welcome change for Peterson, who felt hampered by a lack of teamwork in her previous teaching position at another school.

“These experienced teachers at St. Andrew’s took me under their wings,” Peterson says. “It’s only my third year teaching at St. Andrew’s, and I’ve really benefitted from their advice and the information they’ve shared.

There’s an open door policy here that didn’t exist in the other school where I taught. There, it was sink or swim and very competitive with every teacher trying to outdo the other, which was not good for the children. At St. Andrew’s, I know I’m not bothering my fellow teachers if I have a question I want to ask them outside the halls of the school.”

“We meet in the mornings and we have lunch together every day, and so much of the time the conversation turns to, ‘Have you ever faced this challenge? What worked for you?’” Sudduth says. “We’ve already set several dates over the summer when we’ll be getting together to work on next year’s curriculum.”

The teachers’ collaboration has led to academic improvements, including enhanced first grade math and reading programs the team researched in-depth and developed together. Big events like May Day and the first grade play run smoothly thanks to the teachers’ teamwork.

“The collaboration definitely helps the children,” Peterson says. “We share a variety of resources and ideas that apply to students at every learning level.”

“By sharing what works and what doesn’t work and what’s happening in our classrooms with each other, we’re ensuring that every St. Andrew’s first grader has the same opportunities,” Ranck says.

The ability to work together on behalf of those first graders is what makes these teachers love coming to work every day. One point that all five agree on is that teaching first grade is the best possible job in the world.

“The growth you see in children when they move from dependent to independent learners, and the confidence you see when they realize what they can do on their own is so rewarding,” says Menist.

“They love learning,” Ranck says with a smile, “And at this age, they really love their teachers.”

SUSAN MAPLES JUDY MENIST BETSY PETERSON ’05 ANNE RANCK PAT SUDDUTH First Grade St. Andrew’s five first grade teachers bring a combined 154 years’ experience to the classroom. What’s even more valuable than all those years teaching is their willingness to share their experiences and ideas with each other. Each teacher brings her own strengths and her own rich background to the table in a collaboration that benefits every St. Andrew’s first grader.

“Our strongest point is that we share,” says Susan Maples. “Collaborating with each other keeps us from getting stuck in our ways and stale in our teaching.

Rather than follow a lockstep curriculum out of a manual, we’re always working on new ideas together.”

When asked to describe one another’s strengths, the teachers agree that Susan Maples brings a positive attitude and “a sense of calm to every situation,” an important trait when dealing daily with a room full of first graders. Judy Menist is compassionate and loving with her students and with her colleagues, and is also the best at finding a compromise when five passionate teachers have five wildly different ideas. Betsy Peterson, the newest teacher in the group, is the most up-to-speed on technology and brings energy, creativity, and a fresh approach to challenges.

Anne Ranck is the most organized of the group, and can always find the missing file/notes/book that’s needed. Ranck’s specialized training in alphabetic phonics also proves invaluable when the teachers have questions or concerns about a child who is struggling to learn to read. Pat Sudduth lends a sense of humor that brings out the light side of difficult situations, and is, the others say, “great with parents. Pat can deliver a tough message in a way that a parent understands without getting upset or offended.”

“We are all good at sharing our strengths with each other, and we’re also good at compromise,” Sudduth says. “We can share very different ideas and opinions, then come to an agreement as a team and move on.

There are no hurt feelings.”

FIRST THINGS FIRST Betsy Peterson ‘05 has been teaching first grade at St. Andrew’s for three years, but her first experience in a St. Andrew’s first grade classroom was as a student. Peterson’s first grade teacher was Judy Menist; Peterson confesses she still has a hard time calling her colleague “Judy” instead of “Mrs. Menist.”

St. Andrew’s 1st grade teachers are (clockwise from top left) Pat Sudduth, Anne Ranck, Judy Menist, Susan Maples, and Betsy Peterson.

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HOME H t o e mes e w S SEVEN ADDRESSES, EIGHT KIDS, AND TOO MANY MILES TO COUNT. MEET FOUR FAMILIES WHO LITERALLY MADE THE MOVE TO ST. ANDREW’S.

THERE’S AN OLD CLICHÉ ABOUT HARDY PREVIOUS generations who “walked 10 miles to school in the snow. And it was uphill. Both ways.”

While that might be a bit of an exaggeration, going to extreme lengths to get the best education possible is a reality for four St. Andrew’s families. The Daly, Lampton, and Harper families rely on careers that tie them to cities at least a two-hour drive from St. Andrew’s, but believe so strongly in the value of a St. Andrew’s education that they have committed to maintaining two residences in order for their children to attain it.

The Marcus family split their time between homes in Jackson and Vicksburg for two years. Today, the family lives under one roof in Jackson, but Miles Marcus makes a daily commute to Vicksburg for work, choosing the inconvenience over sending the Marcus children to any other school.

It’s a daily juggling act that puts a strain on the families’ schedules as well as on their bank accounts, but all of these families agree with Louise Lampton, who says, “The education at St. Andrew’s is worth the disruption in our lives.”

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Stephanie and Ed Daly live in Natchez, Mississippi, where Ed has a medical practice and the couple has put down strong roots in the community. Stephanie and Ed Daly also live in Ridgeland, Mississippi, where their children, Jack, Henry, and Hayes, attend St. Andrew’s. The family has maintained two homes for the past five years, with St. Andrew’s at the center of their unconventional living arrangement.

“We’re strong believers in education and wanted our sons to have challenging courses with more language offerings and AP courses than what was available in Natchez,” Stephanie Daly says. “At the same time, we didn’t want to leave Natchez. It’s my husband’s hometown, his medical practice is there, and our friends are there. But two hours was too far to commute every day.”

The Dalys’ solution was to purchase a second home, choosing a neighborhood just a couple of miles from the St. Andrew’s North Campus.

“We purchased a second home from the get-go because we wanted the boys to live in a neighborhood, and thought that would be more ‘homey’ than an apart-

ment,” Stephanie continues. “Every one of our family members and friends told us we were crazy. But we had thought long and hard about it before we did it. And after those same friends and family saw how well it worked for us and for our boys, we won them over. Now they all love St. Andrew’s.”

The couple’s sons are now in the seventh, eleventh, and twelfth grades, and Stephanie Daly works in Jackson three days a week as an occupational therapist.

Mother and sons live in Ridgeland during the school week; Ed Daly spends his work days in Natchez, but spends every Wednesday night in Ridgeland with his family. Weekend plans vary depending on the boys’ extracurricular activities and whether or not Ed is on call.

After a family weekend spent in Natchez, Stephanie’s Monday begins at 4:00 a.m., when she rouses three sleepy teenagers for the long drive to school.

“I have to give my sons a lot of credit,” Stephanie says.

“They get out of bed when their alarms go off, they make their own lunches, and they’re organized. They’re very good at managing their own time, which is helpful on

“The thing that makes it worthwhile is those men and women standing in front of the classroom. This isn’t easy, but those teachers who stand in front of my boys all day and fill their brains are what make it worthwhile.” — Stephanie Daly Above: Hayes, Ed, Henry, Stephanie, and Jack Daly

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those days when I wake up and have to ask myself, ‘Where am I?’ If my boys needed me sweeping up behind them, I don’t think this would work.”

Bill and Alice Harper own a home in the same Ridgeland neighborhood where the Dalys live, and also own a small farm in rural Carroll County, Mississippi. Bill is a physician who practices in Greenwood, Alice teaches Middle School science at St. Andrew’s, and the couple’s son, Angus, is a senior at St. Andrew’s. The Harpers are in their sixth year of living in two cities.

“We made the commitment to send Angus to St. Andrew’s when he began seventh grade, and we’ve been traveling back and forth ever since,” Alice Harper says.

“I have to admit nine times out of 10, the load is on Bill.

Bill has a tough schedule, including a lot of nights and weekends. Angus is very involved with academics and sports at St. Andrew’s, and Bill is here for as many of those events as possible.”

Luke and Louise Lampton have also invested in two homes in order to make the St. Andrew’s experience possible for their sons, Crawford, a member of the class of 2015, and Garland, who will graduate in 2016. The Lamptons’ primary home is in Magnolia, Mississippi, where Luke has a medical practice. Louise maintains another home in Jackson where she and the boys spend

the weekdays. Luke typically spends one night per week in Jackson, and the family’s weekend schedule, like the Dalys’, depends on the children’s activities and whether or not Luke is on call.

“We keep a good calendar, we have good security systems in both houses, and good neighbors in both neighborhoods,” Louise says. “It’s not really as disruptive as you might think. Luke is busy with work there, and the boys are busy here with homework and sports, but we talk every night. It can be a challenge to keep things running smoothly at both houses. I usually leave cooked food for Luke to eat at the Magnolia house, but running the dishwasher and washing clothes are not his favorite activities.”

Miles and Angela Marcus were living in Vicksburg when they enrolled their young sons, Patrick and Sam, in St. Andrew’s.

“I remember driving home from school one day when my boys were in pre-K and Kindergarten,” Angela Marcus says. “They slept as I carried them into the house in Vicksburg, dressed them in their soccer gear, loaded them back in the car, and drove them to their soccer game. I had to wake them up to play. After the game, I told Miles that we should consider moving to Jackson. He said he couldn’t believe it took me as long as it did to suggest it.”

“I have to admit nine times out of 10, the load is on Bill. Angus is very involved with academics and sports at St. Andrew’s, and Bill is here for as many of those events as possible.” — Alice Harper Above: Alice, Bill, and Angus Harper

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The couple bought a home in Jackson in 2006, and for the next two years, commuted between Vicksburg and Jackson while the Jackson home was renovated. After two years living in two homes, the Marcuses sold their home in Vicksburg and now live fulltime in Jackson. That decision put an end to commuting for Angela and the couples’ sons, who are now in seventh and eighth grade.

Instead, Miles Marcus makes the commute to Vicksburg to run Marcus Furniture, a family business founded in 1899. It’s a drive he’s been making five days a week for the past six years – 1,560 round trips and counting.

“The biggest disruption to our family life is that Miles misses a lot of school events that start before he can get back in town,” Angela says. “But he makes an effort to be there, even if he only catches the end of events that begin early in the evening.”

Living in two homes inevitably leaves to leaving necessary items at the wrong house. The Dalys, Lamptons, and Harpers have all confessed to getting all the way to one house and finding they’ve left vital clothing, school assignments, or sports equipment at the other address.

For the first two years of their split living arrangement, the Daly’s youngest son, Hayes, remained in school in Natchez and lived there with Ed while Stephanie and the older sons moved to Ridgeland to attend St. Andrew’s.

“Ed had coached Jack and Henry in organized sports in Natchez when they were younger, and he and Hayes wanted to share that same experience,” Stephanie says.

“Ed and Hayes actually got very independent, but every now and then they’d come to Ridgeland for the weekend, get all the way back to Natchez, and realize that Hayes had no shoes.” Stephanie pauses, then adds with a laugh, “Come to think of it, I rarely have the right clothes or shoes with me at any given time, either.”

“We keep clothes at both places,” Louise Lampton says. “The only problem we’ve had is finding a Mac charger in Pike County. The last question before we drive to Magnolia is usually, ‘Got a computer charger?’”

“It was definitely more challenging when we had two houses,” Angela Marcus says. “The boys were pretty young and it seemed like we were always needing something that we left at the other house. Now, Miles is the one who has the biggest challenge with not forgetting something – most often his glasses or his phone – because it’s not like he can just run home and get it.”

Despite the disruptions and inconveniences, maintaining two households can actually make the families closer since their time together becomes more precious.

“We maximize the time we spend together as a family,” Stephanie Daly says. “We’re often all five together,

“We keep clothes at both places. The only problem we’ve had is finding a Mac charger in Pike County. The last question before we drive to Magnolia is usually, ‘Got a computer charger?’” — Louise Lampton Above: Crawford, Luke, Louise, and Garland Lampton

33

HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO TO GET TO ST. ANDREW’S? Dawn McCarley, director of Upper School admissions, has noticed a sharp spike in admission inquiries following St. Andrew’s recognition as one of the top 20 private or independent schools in the United States. McCarley has received inquiries from all over Mississippi, as well as from other states. A family from Michigan contacted McCarley to discuss their plans to relocate to the South; they were considering a move to Mississippi based on the opportunity to send their children to St. Andrew’s. McCarley has also received international inquiries from as far away as Paris, France, from families looking for the perfect school to send their children for a semester in the United States.

34

which does sometimes put the ‘social squeeze’ on our children, especially the older two, who are at an age when they want to do things with their friends. They do complain from time to time, but honestly, they know how our family works and for the most part they’re fine with it.”

Of course, living in two cities or commuting back and forth carries a hefty price tag. All four families acknowledge that they’ve made significant sacrifices in other areas to make their school and living arrangements possible.

“Between the cost of the second home and the gas back and forth, I’m honestly afraid to figure it up,” Stephanie Daly says. “We are so blessed to be able to do this, but it is definitely a financial burden. This is not something we’re doing easily or taking lightly. It’s a sacrifice, but one that we’re more than willing to make for our children.”

When asked if she’s ever calculated the cost of maintaining two homes, Alice Harper’s reply is, “Yikes! I’m not sure I want to. Seriously, it is costly to have two homes, and time is always a challenge. But we still think it’s worth it. It’s hard to find a substitute for the St. Andrew’s experience.”

Miles Marcus jokes that he is “appropriately named,” given that his daily commute costs about $100 per week in gas and puts about 30,000 miles per year on his car;

his last vehicle made it to 214,000 miles before the commute killed it. But the Marcuses are in it for the long haul, with no plans to alter their arrangements until their sons receive their St. Andrew’s diplomas.

“There are many things that made St. Andrew’s the right choice for us,” Miles Marcus says. “We liked the strong academics and the progressive, inclusive nature of the school. Probably what sealed the deal for us was the feeling we got that St. Andrew’s was just a nice place to be, and that’s the kind of environment we wanted for our children. We are very happy with our decision, and even though it has required some logistical adjustments, it’s been absolutely worth it.”

By the time Hayes Daly graduates, his family will have been living in two cities for 10 years.

“We said from the beginning we’d take this one year at a time,” Stephanie Daly says. “And every year we ask, ‘Is everybody good? Can we do it for another year? Can we do it financially for another year?’ And every year, we’ve made the same decision. We’re registered for next year.”

Walk 10 miles uphill in the snow for a St. Andrew’s education?

For the Dalys, Harpers, Lamptons, and Marcuses, that would be a piece of cake.

“Probably what sealed the deal for us was the feeling we got that St. Andrew’s was just a nice place to be, and that’s the kind of environment we wanted for our children.” — Miles Marcus Above: Sam, Angela, Miles, and Patrick Marcus

35

Century A

at ST. ANDREW’S

36

AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR IN MAY, St. Andrew’s Episcopal School will bid farewell to five faculty and staff members who are leaving the school to enjoy their well-earned retirements. Between them, Mimi Bradley, Dottee Everett, Frances Jean Neely, Patsy Ricks, and Libby Walden have dedicated more than 99 years – nearly a combined century – to St. Andrew’s. The five leave with joyous memories, colorful war stories, and the love of the students and colleagues whose lives they’ve helped shaped for the better.

MIMI BRADLEY Director of College Counseling Mimi Bradley has invested an amazing 41 years in St. Andrew’s and its students, and along the way, has become an expert on colleges and universities nationwide.

Bradley began her St. Andrew’s career in 1973 as an administrative assistant. One of her many tasks was helping the head of the Upper School with college admissions, including working on letters of recommendation and guiding students through the application process.

Bradley soon discovered she had both a knack and a passion for helping students find the colleges or universities that were just right for them. In 1985, that passion became her fulltime job when she was appointed as the St. Andrew’s college counselor.

“I truly believe I have the best job at St. Andrew’s,” Bradley says.

As college counselor, Bradley has matched some 1,966 St. Andrew’s seniors with the right colleges and universities nationwide, and sometimes overseas. Bradley introduced the idea of the “college fair,” an event that brings college representatives to high school campuses, not only to St. Andrew’s, but also to Mississippi; while many schools now host college fairs, St. Andrew’s was the first in the state. Bradley organized dozens of college trips, leading groups of St. Andrew’s students to multiple college campuses over the course of a few days, adventures she described as “trips with 20 or so of my closest adolescent friends.” She also served on the board of the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling.

In addition to her duties as college counselor, Bradley also directed the St. Andrew’s Japanese exchange study program for decades, and traveled to Japan for the program’s 20th anniversary.

Students and families facing the often nerve-wracking process of applying to college were reassured by Bradley’s practical approach and dry sense of humor. Bradley also showed a softer side, opening her home to more than one St. Andrew’s student in need of a temporary refuge during difficult times.

Bradley’s favorite St. Andrew’s memory is of a collaboration between faculty and staff members that led to a $2 million grant awarded to St. Andrew’s by the Malone Family Foundation for the purpose of creating scholarships. Schools could not apply for the Malone grant. Instead, the foundation researched schools and only notified them they were being considered after they had made a list of semifinalists.

“From the initial proposals submitted by the invited schools, the Foundation selected 12 schools to compete for the grants,” Bradley recalls. “Once St. Andrew’s was selected for a site visit, the final step in the process, the entire school – administration, faculty, students, staff – pulled together to show St. Andrew’s at its best. It was a beautiful process, and as a result, many more students have had and will have the opportunity to attend St. Andrew’s.”

While she won’t miss having to be at school at 7:30 a.m. sharp, Mimi Bradley will miss the faces that were there to greet her.

“What will I miss most? The students and my faculty colleagues.”

DOTTEE EVERETT Registrar

Dottee Everett has served as the St. Andrew’s Episcopal School registrar for 28 years, handling the records, grades, report cards, and transcripts for generations of St. Andrew’s students.

“I’ve prepared over a thousand transcripts in my years here,” Everett recalls. “In the beginning, I prepared them by hand on a typewriter. You might think that looking at all those grades would have affected my vision, but thanks to modern medicine and cataract surgery, I can now see better than when I began this job. And what I see as I depart is a great school with a real understanding of what education is all about.”

Everett’s fond memories from St. Andrew’s include having not one but two yearbooks dedicated to her, and

Left: Mimi Bradley, Patsy Ricks, Frances Jean Neely, Dottee Everett, and Libby Walden 37

ANOTHER IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION TO ST. ANDREW’S Between the five of them, Mimi Bradley, Dottee Everett, Frances Jean Neely, Patsy Ricks and Libby Walden have produced eight St. Andrew’s alumni. Patsy Ricks and Libby Walden also have grandchildren currently attending St. Andrew’s.

the unique experience of counting her own son tardy “because just like many of today’s students, he would not get up!” Everett also served as a chaperone on three memorable student trips to Italy and Greece. One of Everett’s favorite memories was of a solemn occasion gone wrong.

“At the 1989 graduation ceremony at St. Andrew’s Cathedral, the time came to award the medals…and they weren’t there,” Everett recalls. “The Upper School head looked at me out in the audience, and I just shrugged my shoulders because I didn’t have them. At that point in my career, graduation wasn’t my responsibility, but I have served as the point person for every graduation since. It was a humorous moment no one wanted to experience again.”

When asked what she will miss the most, Everett has a difficult time deciding as there are so many aspects of St. Andrew’s she has come to love.

“I will miss the community of friends – fellow teachers, students, and parents. I’ll miss Birthday Cake Thursdays in the faculty workroom, and the many assemblies in which we were entertained by Russian pianists, the Yale Whiffenpoofs, and Chinese acrobats. The cultural exposure to students from Ghana, Spain, and France has been wonderful, too. I feel very lucky to have had a job that allows me to use my skills in an educational setting where I can be around young people. It has also been spiritually rewarding to experience regular chapel services, which provide a calming moment of reflection during busy weeks.”

Everett has an easier time describing the few things she will not miss.

“Getting up at 5:00 a.m., and the occasional, clearly forged ‘parental excuses,’ the best one of which was a note signed with a rubber stamp instead of a real signature,” Everett adds with a wry smile, “Like I wouldn’t notice that little sleight of hand.”

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FRANCES JEAN NEELY Director of Annual Giving

Frances Jean Neely had been a parent volunteer for many years when she and her husband, Walter, agreed to chair the 1998 Annual Fund. The Annual Fund has been Neely’s baby ever since. Following her successful stint as co-chair, Neely was appointed to the fulltime position of director of annual giving.

“Head of School Dave Wood took a leap of faith and hired me as a fund-raiser,” Neely says. “Walter and I had a good year as Annual Fund co-chairs, but I think I really sold Dave when I was able to make a go of the Spirit Bus. I was chairman of the Spirit Committee and student attendance at out-of-town games was down. It made sense to me that we could rent a nice bus, serve food, charge a little, and make getting to the game a fun experience. The Spirit Bus was successful and Dave Wood thanked me for proving him wrong. I think that made him think I was a ‘can do’ type person.”

Neely has more than proved that she is indeed a can do person. When she began as director of annual giving in 1999, the Annual Fund was at $200,000. Today, the Annual Fund is approaching $600,000. During its 15 years under Neely’s leadership, the Annual Fund has raised $6.5 million, driven largely by Neely’s ability to make an annual appeal for gifts fresh and exciting year in and year out.

“One of the things I’ve worked hardest on over the years is coming up with innovative ways to move the Annual Fund to another level. Forming the 1947 Society, launching Annual Fund Blitz week, creating the Sapphire level of giving, and most recently, designating faithful givers as the Annual Fund Angels have all been successful in keeping the Annual Fund exciting.

One of my personal favorites is the annual 1947 Society Party at BRAVO! I love getting together with these

generous donors, many of whom have become close personal friends.

“The Annual Fund’s success has been thanks to collaboration between the Office of Institutional Advancement, Annual Fund chairs, grade captains, and many wonderful, generous constituents. We have all worked hard to put new life into the Annual Fund,” Neely continues. “Hands down, what I will miss the most about St. Andrew’s is the people – my colleagues, the students, and all of the wonderful families who are part of the St. Andrew’s community. You would be hard pressed to find a better environment to work in anywhere. I’ve loved developing relationships with so many people I would not have otherwise known. Over the past 15 years, I can honestly say there has not been one single day that I have not looked forward to coming to work.”

dents some things that are worth knowing.

“Without a doubt, what I’ll miss the most is the people – my Latin-teaching colleagues Debbie Good and Philip Cortese, with whom I have shared the daily excitement of making a dead language live, and my adult friends, with whom I have shared a love of good books and teaching young people. And most of all, I’ll miss my students, who have made every day of my work worthwhile.”

LIBBY WALDEN Director of Seventh and Eighth Grade and Upper School Choral Music

Libby Walden has spent the last 11 years helping St. Andrew’s Middle School and Upper School students experience the joy of music. Walden has dedicated her professional life to teaching choral music to young people; she joined the St. Andrew’s faculty after spending 29 years with the Jackson Public Schools as a junior and senior high school choral director.

“As far as my career at St. Andrew’s, I’ve had the privilege of continuing to build the school’s already great choral department,” Walden says. “What I’ll miss most is the awesome care and support of the St. Andrew’s family. The only thing I won’t miss? Fire drills!”

Highlights of Walden’s St. Andrew’s career include a 2008 trip to Carnegie Hall, where a group of her St. Andrew’s students performed with the Mississippi College Singers and the Mississippi Girlchoir; continuing the longstanding St. Andrew’s tradition of earning superior ratings in sight reading and performance at district and state choral festivals; and working on musical productions with her good friend Ray McFarland, chair of the St. Andrew’s Performing Arts Department.

“Concert openers and finales are always highlights for me because all my choir students are on stage and singing together,” Walden says. “One of the great joys of teaching all ages is to watch them grow up right before my eyes.”

Walden has received dozens of notes and letters from former students, including one written by a St. Andrew’s 2011 graduate, who studied choral music under her as a fifth grader.

“You feel a little bit like my mom. Why is this the case?

Maybe it has something to do with how long you’ve been my teacher, or how long you’ve been the director of songs I’ve sung and been my leader by example.

Maybe it’s because you seem like a motherly person to me, the way you care about your students in matters of both success and wellbeing.”

“I guess that’s why many of my students over the past 40 years call me ‘Mama’ Walden,” Walden says. “I am more than happy to answer to that name.”

PATSY RICKS Classical Languages Department Chair

As chair of the Classical Languages Department and an Upper School Latin teacher, Patsy Ricks has spent 15 years bringing a “dead” language to life for St. Andrew’s students.

“During my years at St. Andrew’s, Latin has become an essential part of the school culture thanks to the people with whom I teach,” Ricks says. “For the past five years, we’ve celebrated Rome’s birthday with an all-day event in which we dress in togas, parade, present handson Latin activities, and build Rome in a day. This year, we created a Pompeii museum with artifacts housed in the gallery of a Roman house in the midst of an exploding Mt. Vesuvius. It’s been exciting to see others, especially the students, get excited about something I’m passionate about.”

Ricks led 14 St. Andrew’s trips to Italy, introducing some 300 students to the wonders of Italian culture. She also arranged and led two St. Andrew’s Classical Schools in Italy over the summer, sharing her in-depth knowledge with 28 students.

When asked to describe her single most favorite memory from her time at St. Andrew’s, Ricks can’t choose just one.

“The entirety of my years at St. Andrew’s has been my greatest memory,” Ricks says. “I spent 13 years at two other schools, and while they were pleasant enough places to work, they could not match my St. Andrew’s experience. What I’ve found here is a wonderful, caring, intelligent, and forward-thinking faculty and administration. I’ve learned so much from the many adults here who are genuinely interested in sharing with one another. I’ve also found that at St. Andrew’s, students and teachers have very close and meaningful relationships. I can only hope that I’ve taught these stu39

Russia FROM

To RIDGELAND

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{global studies}

IN FEBRUARY, ST. ANDREW’S HOSTED VIRTUOSO RUSSIAN PIANIST ASIYA KOREPANOVA FOR TWO CONCERTS ON THE NORTH CAMPUS. THE INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED KOREPANOVA ENCHANTED AUDIENCES NOT ONLY WITH HER PIANO SKILLS, BUT ALSO WITH HER ORIGINAL POETRY AND ARTWORK, AND HER PLAYFUL SENSE OF HUMOR.

T

he daughter of a conmusic I composed, I want to hear them cert pianist and a comin my work.” poser, Korepanova On February 5, Korepanova perbegan playing piano formed a free concert open to the at the age of four. Folpublic in the Center for Performing lowing extensive training in her native Arts. Her captivating, intensely perRussia, she relocated to the United sonal performance included all 12 of States, where she is pursuing her docLiszt’s Transcendental Études, accomtorate in piano performance and teachpanied by the reading of 12 of Koreing other young musicians at the Unipanova’s original poems while 12 of versity of Miami’s Frost School of her original drawings were projected Music. Korepanova was the first prize on a screen above the stage. Korepawinner and gold medal recipient at nova concluded the concert with a the prestigious 2012 Wideman Interpiece titled A Look Back composed by national Piano Competition.

St. Andrew’s alumnus Matthew Evan At events for St. Andrew’s students Taylor ’99, who is also a doctoral canand faculty on February 4, Korepanova didate at the University of Miami. delivered a flawless performance of “Mrs. Korepanova was very impresBach’s Busoni Chiaconne in D minor and sive. I was thrilled to see her perform,” Keeping Score Liszt’s Transcendental Étude No. 11, Evesaid St. Andrew’s senior Benton Parker.

Asiya Korepanova pays heed ning Harmonies, and fielded questions “Her level of talent was through the about her musical studies, her travels as to a musical superstition that roof and it was very inspiring to see says if a performer’s scores a musician of her status do what she a concert pianist, and her parents and fall on the floor, her husband in Russia. does best. I would love to see more artperformance is doomed.

“But the most interesting question ists like her at St. Andrew’s.” was, ‘Do you think there is power in “To break the superstition, “The students and I loved meetyour hair?’” Korepanova said with a you should sit down on those ing Asiya,” said Anna Johnson, St. laugh as she tossed the long, thick curls fallen scores, right there on Andrew’s 5th and 6th grade performin question. the floor, wherever they have ing arts instructor. “I played some Korepanova was also asked how landed,” Korepanova said. of her music and read some of her much ownership she feels in music she poetry to the students before she “By embarrassing yourself composes versus music written by othcame, and the kids weren’t too terribly by sitting on the scores, you ers that she performs. impressed. However, once they actusave the performance.

“If you go deep and spend time with ally saw her play in the assembly, they It is funny, but it works.” a piece, even though you are playing were completely blown away. I knew precisely what the composer wrote, there is still room that once they saw what work and technique Asiya porfor you to put your own mark on it,” Korepanova said. trayed they would understand her talents better. They “I value that freedom myself, so when others perform described her performance with ‘wow’ and ‘awesome.’”

ASIYA KOREPANOVA’S public appearance at St. Andrew’s was made possible through a collaboration between the school and the Wideman International Piano Competition and its director, Dr. Lester Senter Wilson. In 2013, St. Andrew’s and Dr. Wilson partnered to bring renowned Chinese pianist XiXi Zhou to the St. Andrew’s campus.

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Food for The

U O L S ST. ANDREW’S MUSIC TEACHER SCOTT SEXTON FINDS MUSIC AND INSPIRATION IN Africa

42

{global studies}

“I’VE ALWAYS HAD A lifelong love of African music,” But the most memorable moment of Sexton’s African says Scott Sexton, St. Andrew’s Lower School music adventure came when the group visited the Mampong teacher. “I wanted to go to Africa, experience African School for the Deaf, the country’s only governmentmusic firsthand, and bring back some of that experience funded school for hearing impaired children. and music to my classroom.”

“The students were very gracious and welcoming,” Sexton was able to realize that dream thanks to the Sexton says. “They had heard that we were coming and St. Andrew’s global studies travel grant program, which had been rehearsing for several weeks to present to us allows students and faculty to apply for grants to help a traditional drumming and dance performance. They fund educational, professional development, and ser- brought out chairs and benches for us to sit on and pervice work projects around the world. Sexton received a formed for us in one of the school’s courtyards. Seegrant to take part in an exchange program ing these students overcome their disabilwith St. Andrew’s partner school in Tema, ity and flawlessly perform drumming and Ghana, the Hermann Gmeiner Internadance was food for my soul. I have several tional College. videos of their performance on my phone Sexton traveled to Ghana in May and and play them often to remind myself that June of 2013 with fellow St. Andrew’s facanything is possible.” ulty members Pam Franklin and Sara Sexton’s experiences in Africa have Douglas and a group of five St. Andrew’s enhanced the way he teaches music at Upper School students. During their threeSt. Andrew’s.

“MY TIME THERE week journey, the group was immersed in “My experience in Ghana really opened STEERED ME AWAY FROM the local culture, observing classes at the me up a lot,” Sexton says. “My time there partner school, touring ancient European BEING SO LITERAL, AND steered me away from being so literal, and ENCOURAGED ME fortresses and haunting historic sites encouraged me to be more creative with where millions of Africans were sold into TO BE MORE CREATIVE music in the classroom and having the chilslavery, visiting important cultural and dren experience music with more heart.

WITH MUSIC IN THE ecological sites, and participating in serI’ve learned that it’s not just about getting CLASSROOM AND vice opportunities alongside students and HAVING THE CHILDREN the notes right. It’s more about the total faculty from the Hermann Gmeiner Intermusical experience.

EXPERIENCE MUSIC national College.

“I’ve traveled to eight countries, but WITH MORE HEART.” The highlight of the trip for Sexton, none of my experiences abroad compares however, was exploring in-depth the African music to to my time in Ghana,” Sexton continues. “Ghana doesn’t which he had been drawn for so long, and the opportu- necessarily have ‘tourist attractions’ that rival those of nity to share America’s music with Ghanaian children. Europe, but going there is all about the experience.

“I was able to sit in and sing African songs with the Immersing myself in that culture was a deep, meaningschool choir during their rehearsals. I also enjoyed ful experience that will forever leave an impact on me impromptu choral performances by the Ghanaian stu- and on the children I teach.” dents on the long bus rides that we took throughout the country. Someone would start a song, and others would join in three- or four-part harmony,” Sexton says. “I had Out of Africa and into St. Andrew’s my auto harp, and I was able to teach three-year-olds in St. Andrew’s thanks Dr. Ike Eriator, Dr. Leticia Okyerea Ghanaian preschool some American folk songs, and Darko, and Augustine and Sheba Dzathor, generous they sang some African songs for me.” members of the school community who arranged for Sexton also brought along some recorder instruments the purchase of traditional African instruments for the and distributed them to the delighted Ghanaian children. Lower School music program.

2014 GUILLOT GLOBAL FELLOWS AND FACULTY TRAVEL GRANT RECIPIENTS

Guillot Global Fellows

2014 Global Studies Travel Grants for Faculty

Raveena Aggarwal, medical service in India Ashley Cronin, educational service in Belize Jack Harth, educational service in Scotland and Ghana Julia Harth, educational service in Peru Alexis Palmer, educational service in Peru Simmy Vig, educational service in Peru

Kathy Brannan, Lower School Science, Peru Jim Foley, Upper School History, New England Stephanie Gray, Lower School Science and Art, Peru Joey Hernandez, Lower School Languages, Peru Emily Jones, Upper School History, Germany Emily Sabree, Middle School Math, Scotland Przemek Tokarski, Upper School Languages, China

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{institutional advancement}

A Life Set to

MU S IC

“TO SEE THE WIND” Dennis Cranford, St. Andrew’s director of bands, composed an original piece of music to commemorate Sheila Sundaram’s too-short but meaningful life. The St. Andrew’s band premiered the piece, titled “To See the Wind,” at a concert on December 6, 2003, a few months after Sheila’s death.  “In the title of the piece, the word ‘wind’ is used as a metaphor for the spiritual and the eternal,” Cranford says. “To see the wind is to recognize the reality of that dimension of our lives. Even more than a song to remember the past, it is a song that I hope inspires us to contemplate the present and the future, and to consider the reality of eternity.”

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HER CLASSMATES REMEMBER Sheila Sundaram ’02 as a gifted musician who played the flute in the St. Andrew’s Episcopal School band.

But even more than her musical gifts, her friends in the class of 2002 remember Sheila as a kind and caring person and a loyal friend whose life was cut tragically short when she was killed in a car accident the summer after her senior year of high school.

Sheila’s brother, Narayan Sundaram ’97, has honored his sister’s memory by creating an endowment for the St. Andrew’s band and a book award in her honor. The Sheila Sundaram ’02 Memorial Endowment for the Band will provide ongoing support for the St. Andrew’s Episcopal School band, while the Sheila Sundaram ’02 Memorial Prize in Band will annu-

ally honor one outstanding student musician. Sheila’s brother had longed to create a memorial for his sister for some years, and upon completing his medical residency and fellowship, felt the time was finally right.

“I thought through what Sheila’s interests were, and music was at the top of the list,” Narayan Sundaram says.

“I also wanted to give back to St. Andrew’s. Sheila and I were both graduates, and I credit St. Andrew’s with giving me the tools to succeed in life and laying the foundation for my medical career.”

Narayan Sundaram’s gifts will support the changing needs of the St. Andrew’s band, and help provide opportunities for other gifted musicians like Sheila Sundaram.

“Sheila and I always had a sibling rivalry during our youth,” says Narayan Sundaram. “The sad thing is that just as we both started to mature and become close, she lost her life. By starting this endowment, I’m just doing what I can to honor Sheila’s memory.”

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Angels {institutional advancement}

THE ANNUAL FUND

ST. ANDREW’S HONORS THE MOST FAITHFUL SUPPORTERS OF THE ANNUAL FUND WITH A NEW DESIGNATION. St. Andrew’s is pleased to formally recognize those “Over the 15 years that I’ve worked on the Annual Fund, who have donated to the Annual Fund for 10 or more I have come to know and think of each of these donors consecutive years as the Annual Fund Angels. Genera- not only as a generous and faithful supporter of the tions of current and future Saints will school, but as my friend,” Neely says. benefit from the loyalty and generos“I’ve loved the opportunity to develop ity of this group of faithful donors. relationships with this special group of IN 2013-14, “Many donors begin giving when people. St. Andrew’s is so lucky to have THE ANNUAL FUND their children are students at St. these devoted patrons as an important SUPPORTED: Andrew’s, but for many of the mempart of our community.”

Professional development bers of this group, supporting the Mike and Barbara Wallace are the Annual Fund has become a lifelong parents of alumni Kyle ’00, Molly ’02, Arches to Excellence habit,” says Frances Jean Neely, St. and Ellie ’04. Their youngest daughmerit scholarships Andrew’s director of annual giving. ter, Grace ’08, graduated six years ago, Security renovations “In many cases, these donors’ support and the Wallaces continue to support Enhancements to the Middle of St. Andrew’s has not only continthe St. Andrew’s Annual Fund.

School basketball area ued, but has actually grown as their “St. Andrew’s educated our daughsituations have changed. These inditers from pre-K through high school.

New tables in the North Campus commons and plaza viduals and families truly are the everEach of them attended a univerpresent angels that make so much of sity ranked in the top 25 nationally, New sound system in the the St. Andrew’s experience possible.” and each of them confirmed that North Campus commons St. Andrew’s is fortunate to have St. Andrew’s prepared her for colDigital signage screens more than 200 donors or donor famlege work as well as or better than on the North Campus ilies who have contributed to the any of her classmates at those uniPre-K water play area Annual Fund for 10 or more consecuversities,” says Mike Wallace. “St. tive years; many donors have contribAndrew’s can’t charge Mississippians 3D printer uted for 20 years or more. Some are the kind of tuition that some of my Highland Colony Parkway alumni, others are parents of alumni daughters’ classmates paid to attend entrance signage who have long since graduated, yet National Cathedral or Cranbrook or their dedication to St. Andrew’s has Harvard-Westlake, so the money to never wavered over the years. Their annual gifts range provide a nationally competitive education has to come from $25 to $15,000, but it’s the longevity of their loy- from other sources. We continue to support the Annual alty that most impresses and moves Frances Jean Neely, Fund out of gratitude for what St. Andrew’s has done St. Andrew’s director of annual giving. for our daughters and the sense of responsibility we feel

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“JASON AND I WANT TO HELP ENSURE THE LEGACY OF THE SCHOOL AND TO MAKE SURE ST. ANDREW’S MAINTAINS ITS EXCELLENT REPUTATION IN THE COMMUNITY.” PRISCILLA ALMOND JOLLY ‘94

LEFT: JASON, PRISCILLA, ST. ANDREW’S FIRST GRADER STELLA, AND FUTURE SAINT EVA JOLLY

to keeping that same opportunity available to the children of our community.”

Dr. Paul Purdy and his wife, Pat, have been loyal contributors to the Annual Fund since their children, Wayne ’90 and Michelle ’97, were students. Like the Wallaces, the Purdys’ support of St. Andrew’s has continued long since their own children received their diplomas.

“We continue to contribute in appreciation for the wonderful experiences St. Andrew’s afforded both of our children,” Pat Purdy says. “St. Andrew’s provided Wayne and Michelle with skills and resources that assisted them in their educational and vocational pursuits, and in making positive contributions to society.”

Priscilla Almond Jolly ’94 began contributing to the Annual Fund as a college student and has continued to give every year, even during the “lean years” when she

was working her way through dental school and orthodontic school. Today, Priscilla and her husband, Jason, are even more motivated to give; their daughter, Stella, is a first grader at St. Andrew’s and their younger daughter, Eva, is a future Saint.

“Jason and I want to help ensure the legacy of the school and to make sure St. Andrew’s maintains its excellent reputation in the community. We’d like to help current and future students at St. Andrew’s have as wonderful of an experience as I did,” Priscilla Jolly says. “Even in the years when giving was something of a sacrifice, we felt it was important to stay in the habit of annual giving. It’s important to give what you can, even if the amount may be small. We always try to do the best we can for St. Andrew’s, and feel that what really counts is just showing up.”

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THIS LIST REPRESENTS GIFTS MADE TO THE ANNUAL FUND THROUGH JUNE 30, 2013.

THE 2013 – 2014 ANNUAL FUND CLOSES JUNE 30, 2014.

We look forward to continuing to recognize our Angels each year.

CONSECUTIVE GIVERS 20 YEARS AND UP Mr. and Mrs. John D. Adams Mr. and Mrs. Sidney P. Allen Mr. and Mrs. Minor F. Buchanan Ms. Sally Murphy Caffery Mr. and Mrs. Vernon H. Chadwick Mr. and Mrs. Thomas S. Chain Mr. and Mrs. William H. Coker Ms. Marcia Collins Dr. and Mrs. R. Deaver Collins, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. O. Weir Conner III Mr. and Mrs. John H. Downey Mr. and Mrs. W. Wayne Drinkwater, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. James H. Eley Mr. and Mrs. Pete Everett Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Farr II Drs. Richard H. and Sethelle Flowers Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert B. Ford, Jr. Ms. Jan R. Graeber Mr. and Mrs. Dudley Collier Graham, Jr. Mr. Thomas E. Guillot, Jr. and Dr. Christina Glick Drs. H. Louis and Alison Harkey Mr. and Mrs. Bill E. Harrison Ms. Sandra Smith Hindsman Mr. and Mrs. David H. Hoster II Mr. and Mrs. Taylor Kitchings Mrs. Dorothy Kitchings Mr. and Mrs. James A. Lowe III Mr. and Mrs. J. David Marsh III Ms. Ann S. Marshall

Mrs. Hyman F. McCarty, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Vaughan W. McRae Ms. Laurie Hearin McRee Mr. Michael T. McRee Mr. and Mrs. George I. Melichar Mr. and Mrs. Cooper Morrison Dr. and Mrs. Walter P. Neely Ms. Lady K. Noel Mr. and Mrs. Stanley E. Patrick Dr. and Mrs. George D. Penick, Jr. Mr. Joe J. Powell, Jr. Ms. Anne Ranck Mr. and Mrs. E. B. Robinson, Jr. Mrs. Charlton S. Roby Drs. William and Joanna Storey Mr. and Mrs. Jerry M. Sullivan, Jr. Judge and Mrs. James C. Sumner Dr. and Mrs. David M. Temple Mr. and Mrs. Steven A. Whatley Dr. and Mrs. John D. Wofford, Jr. CONSECUTIVE GIVERS 15 – 19 YEARS Dr. and Mrs. John D. Adams, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Leigh B. Allen III Drs. Leslie H. and Katherine S. Bear Mr. and Mrs. Jack Conway Dr. and Mrs. Dennis R. Cranford Mr. and Mrs. Barney Lyrley Davis III Mrs. Cathy Pilgreen Davis Mr. and Mrs. L. Bruce Deer Dr. and Mrs. S. R. Evans, Jr. Mrs. John E. Fontaine III Mr. Greg Riggins Graeber

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Mr. Kenneth James Graeber, Jr. The Rt. Rev. Duncan M. Gray, Jr. Mrs. Helen C. Green Mr. and Mrs. David R. Hardy Mr. and Mrs. William David Hays, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas R. Hudson Mr. Jason B. and Dr. Priscilla Almond Jolly Dr. and Mrs. James S. Jones Ms. Frances B. Keane Mr. and Mrs. James A. Keith Mr. and Mrs. Burney C. King Ms. Jennifer Allison King Mr. and Mrs. R. Eason Leake Mr. and Mrs. Ken McCarley Mrs. Margaret P. McLarty Mr. and Mrs. David L. McMillin Dr. William C. McQuinn Mr. and Mrs. Carl D. Menist Mr. and Mrs. Richard H. Mills, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. David S. Morse Dr. and Mrs. Thomas H. Mosley, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. William T. Neely III Mr. Kevin O’Malley Dr. and Mrs. C. Douglas Odom Mr. and Mrs. Steven D. Orlansky Dr. Randall G. Patterson Mrs. Katy Morgan Neely Pulvere Dr. and Mrs. Paul W. Purdy Mr. and Mrs. William A. Ray Mr. J. Stevenson Ray and Dr. Melinda Ray Dr. Audrey Sidney

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Drs. Herman A. Taylor, Jr. and Jasmine P. Taylor Mr. and Mrs. John L. Taylor Dr. and Mrs. Salil C. Tiwari Ms. Robyn Touchstone Mr. and Mrs. Bayard T. Van Hecke Mr. and Mrs. John Wade Mrs. Gloria M. Walker Mr. and Mrs. Michael B. Wallace Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Williams Dr. Taylor S. Wofford Mr. and Mrs. David E. Wood Drs. William R. and Bonnie Woodall CONSECUTIVE GIVERS 10 – 14 YEARS St. Andrew’s Parents’ Association Drs. Imad S. and Risa M. Aleithawe Mrs. Marian Alexander Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Alexander, Jr. Ms. Rachel Allen Mr. Sidney P. Allen, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Frank D. Alley Mr. and Mrs. John H. Almond Dr. Sohaib Arain and Mrs. Naheed Arain Mr. and Mrs. Brett A. Ashy Mr. and Mrs. Elton G. Beebe Mr. and Mrs. D. Carl Black, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Earl Joseph Blanchard, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Blake, Sr. Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Bowman III Ms. Kathryn Brannan Mr. John Provine Briggs Mr. Paul Greer Catherwood Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey L. Christie Mr. and Mrs. Bob Cloud Ms. Caldwell Collins Mr. and Mrs. Jack W. Cooke, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Stephen F. Davidson Mr. and Mrs. Wes Davis Mrs. Dot Dazet Dr. and Mrs. Joe Donaldson Mrs. Bee Donley Mr. and Mrs. Frank Duke Dr. Honey East Dr. and Mrs. Richard B. Ellison, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Tam H. Etheridge Mr. and Mrs. Mark Fanning

Mr. Peter Fisher and The Rev. Paige Ford Fisher Dr. James C. Foley Mr. and Mrs. William A. Franklin Mr. and Mrs. Daniel B. Gaillet Mr. and Mrs. Mark W. Garriga Drs. Michael and Sara H. Gleason Mr. and Mrs. H. Wesley Goings III Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey E. Good Ms. Emily Allenburger Gordon Mr. and Mrs. Jason S. Greener Drs. Avinash and Vinita Gulanikar Dr. and Mrs. Robert L. Harris Mr. and Mrs. John F. Hawkins Ms. Tina Heitmann Mr. and Mrs. James D. Holland Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Holman III Mr. and Mrs. John S. Holmes, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. John Isaacs Mr. and Mrs. Charles G. Johnson, Sr. Mr. and Mrs. J. Brannan Johnston Mr. and Mrs. Howard S. Jones, Sr. Mr. Derek C. Jumper Drs. Majid Khan and Israh Akhtar Mrs. Louise Kotfila Dr. and Mrs. Ronald P. Kotfila Dr. Jon Langford Mr. and Mrs. Edward E. Lawler, Jr. Dr. Makau P. Lee Mr. and Mrs. Kevin M. Lewis Mr. and Mrs. J. Michael Lightsey Ms. Allen Linton and Mr. Robert J. Asti Mr. and Mrs. Darin M. Maier Mr. and Mrs. Stephen M. Maloney Dr. Robert T. McAdory, Jr. and Ms. Pamela Pape Mr. and Mrs. Davis McCarty Mr. and Mrs. Mark J. McCreery Mr. Raymond E. McDaniel Mr. Ray McFarland Mr. Paul F. L. McNeill Mr. Sean B. Marshall Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Melton Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Montgomery Mr. and Mrs. R. Wilson Montjoy II Mr. and Mrs. Eugene R. Morse Ms. Sarah Murphy Mr. Christopher Brock Myers

Mr. and Mrs. Walter Andrew Neely Ms. Taylor Neely Mr. and Mrs. Keith D. Obert The Rev. Luther and the Rev. Janet Ott Ms. Leanna Range Owens Mr. and Mrs. John Paxton Mr. and Mrs. James E. Poole, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. George I. Puckett Mr. and Mrs. Willis Pugh Drs. Louis V. and Shirley S. Puneky Ms. Michelle Allen Purdy Mr. and Mrs. Joe Ray Ms. Amanda Sommer Reed Dr. Vonda Reeves-Darby Ms. Patsy Ricks Mr. and Mrs. J. Daniel Roach Mr. and Mrs. T. Scott Robertson Mr. and Mrs. Michael Rodgers Mr. and Mrs. C. Ted Sanderson, Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Patrick H. Scanlon, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Christopher Scott IV Mr. and Mrs. James W. Shelson Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Q. Smith Mr. and Mrs. Leland R. Speed Mr. and Mrs. Stewart R. Speed Mr. and Mrs. Karel Speetjens Mr. and Mrs. William B. Strange IV Dr. and Mrs. William E. Stribling Dr. G. Javier Tanaka Dr. Linda G. Tanaka Mr. and Mrs. Patrick C. Taylor Mr. and Mrs. Charles C. Taylor, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. David M. Thomas II Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Tomlinson, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Christopher H. Travis Dr. and Mrs. James L. Travis III Mrs. Meriwether Wofford Truckner Drs. Parminder J. and Vibha Vig Mrs. Libby Stone Walden Mr. and Mrs. W. Alan Weeks Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Wells Mr. and Mrs. Albert B. White Mr. F. Ren Wilkes Mrs. Alabel Wiser Dr. Trey Wofford Dr. Benjamin Ray Wynne

Every attempt was made to ensure accuracy in this publication. We apologize for any oversights or errors that may have occurred.

Please report any correction to Frances Jean Neely in the Office of Institutional Advancement at 601.853.6014 or neelyfj@gosaints.org.

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LEE THREADGILL

MARKING A MILESTONE Parents of alumni are honoring both their children and St. Andrew’s Episcopal School by making donations to the Annual Fund during their children’s reunion years. Lee and Burney Threadgill are the parents of three Alpha-Omega graduates, Thomas ’06, Sarah Dabney ’08, and Aubrey ’10. In 2013, the Threadgills honored Sarah Dabney with a gift to St. Andrew’s in recognition of her five-year reunion. “We wanted to honor our daughter and show our appreciation to St. Andrew’s for the wonderful education she and our sons received there,” Lee Threadgill says. “Burney and I will support St. Andrew’s for as long as we’re able. Even though we’re not on campus every day like we were for 18 years, we still feel like a part of the St. Andrew’s family.”

PARENTS OF ALUMNI WHO HAVE MADE REUNION YEAR GIFTS TO THIS YEAR’S ANNUAL FUND INCLUDE: CLASS OF 1983 Lorna Lyell Chain Katherine Rawson Kronzer

Mr. and Mrs. Louis J. Lyell Mrs. Mary Rawson

CLASS OF 1988 Warwick Alley Toby Coleman Anne Etheridge Shelly Williams Johannessen Stinson Liles Annie-Laurie McRee

Susan Adams Oliff Ravi Raju Frederick Reimers Arjun Srinivasan Rivers Hise Trahant David Watkins

Mr. and Mrs. Frank D. Alley Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Coleman Mr. and Mrs. Tam H. Etheridge Mr. and Mrs. Van Dees Mrs. Alabel Wiser Ms. Laurie Hearin McRee Mr. Michael T. McRee Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Bradley III Drs. Seshadri and Sybil Raju Mr. and Mrs. Fred A. Reimers Dr. and Mrs. Asoka Srinivasan Dr. and Mrs. Daniel G. Hise Mr. and Mrs. W. David Watkins

CLASS OF 1993 John D. Adams Catherine Allenburger Ashy Lee Knight Caffery Ashley Dalton Ben Everett Mary Collins Harwell Brent McKay Anna Ditto Peterson Arun Raju Ken Sones Patrick Taylor John Thomas

Mr. and Mrs. John D. Adams Mr. and Mrs. Christian A. Allenburger III Ms. Sally Murphy Caffery Ms. Becky Boteler Dalton Ms. Dorothy Bray Everett Mrs. Marcia Ann Collins Mr. and Mrs. Lanny F. McKay The Honorable and Mrs. J. Kane Ditto, Jr. Drs. Seshadri and Sybil Raju Mr. and Mrs. James L. Barksdale Mr. and Mrs. Charles C. Taylor, Jr. Mrs. John Edward Thomas III 50

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CLASS OF 2003 Rachel Allen Carl Boschert Jordan Hailey Bryan

Sarah Scott Clark Lauren Cohen Candace Deer Theresa Downer William Drinkwater Woods Drinkwater Curt Griffin Creighton Hardy Andrew Harrison Hewitt Jones Taylor Jones Elizabeth Leake Keckler Marty Hitt Kelly Sean Kochtitzky Maria Poole Madden Margaret Munford Joey Odom Robert Penick Hilary Keith Perkins Andrew Rueff Robert Smith Claire Patrick Strange Matthew VanLandingham

Mr. and Mrs. Sidney P. Allen Mr. and Mrs. Neville Boschert Mr. and Mrs. Lester P. Hailey Mr. and Mrs. James A. Keith Mr. and Mrs. Marvin L. Scott Mr. and Mrs. Gary S. Cohen Mr. and Mrs. L. Bruce Deer Dr. and Mrs. John G. Downer Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Drinkwater Mr. and Mrs. W. Wayne Drinkwater, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. William C. Griffin Mr. and Mrs. David R. Hardy Mr. and Mrs. Bill E. Harrison Mr. and Mrs. John Griffin Jones Dr. and Mrs. James S. Jones Mr. and Mrs. R. Eason Leake Mr. and Mrs. James E. Hitt Mrs. Meredith Kochtitzky Dr. and Mrs. Charles E. Poole Mr. and Mrs. Luther T. Munford Dr. and Mrs. C. Douglas Odom Dr. and Mrs. George D. Penick, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. James A. Keith Dr. and Mrs. Walter T. Rueff, Sr. Dr. and Mrs. Richard A. Smith Mr. and Mrs. Stanley E. Patrick Dr. and Mrs. Paul D. VanLandingham

CLASS OF 2008 Anna Katherine Coker Mrs. Leslie W. Coker Catherine Frazier Dr. and Mrs. William D. Frazier Oliver Galicki Ms. Melanie Christopher Carter Graham Mr. and Mrs. Dudley Collier Graham, Jr. Trevor Hanlon Mr. and Mrs. Timothy D. Hanlon Ian Harkey Drs. H. Louis and Alison Harkey Isabel Holmes Mr. and Mrs. John S. Holmes, Jr. Graham Johnson Mr. and Mrs. Charles G. Johnson, Sr. Elizabeth Jones Dr. and Mrs. James S. Jones Greg McMillin Mr. and Mrs. David L. McMillin Elizabeth Morrison Mr. and Mrs. Cooper Morrison Lee Morrison Mr. and Mrs. Cooper Morrison Wells Mortimer Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. Mortimer Nick Powell Mrs. Lauren E. Powell Andrew Roach Mr. and Mrs. J. Daniel Roach Charlton Roberts Mr. and Mrs. Richard C. Roberts III Corbett Senter Drs. Bruce S. and Suzanne Senter Sandesh Shettar Drs. Shashidhar Shettar and Shambhavi Chandraiah Sarah Dabney Threadgill Mr. and Mrs. Burney F. Threadgill Allan Walker Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey A. Walker Grace Wallace Mr. and Mrs. Michael B. Wallace Luke Warren Mr. and Mrs. James L. Warren III Luke Warren Mr. and Mrs. Scott Linn Olivia Wells Dr. and Mrs. Ralph P. Wells 51

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BEHIND the CURTAIN A WELL-ROUNDED ACADEMIC PROGRAM emphasizes not only intellect, but also creativity.

St. Andrew’s Episcopal School’s team of performing arts instructors understands that meaningful experiences in music, theater, and speech and debate can impact young people long after the curtain falls. Under their professional direction, St. Andrew’s offers an outstanding performing arts program that sparks and encourages creativity in students at every level.

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St. Andrew’s performing arts teachers Anna Johnson, Susan Lawler, Dennis Cranford, Ruthie Craig Taylor ’05, Darin Maier, Andrew Craig, Libby Walden, and Ray McFarland

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BEHIND the CURTAIN

“THE ST. ANDREW’S BAND PROGRAM WELCOMES ALL STUDENTS, from beginning to advanced levels. As would be expected, we give each student the opportunity to learn to play a woodwind, brass, or percussion instrument, and that, of course, involves learning how to read notes and rhythms and how to form their lips and position their fingers. This is our first and most immediate goal – musical literacy and technical ability. Our second goal, however, goes much deeper and reaches to the very heart of why I do music: it is to give the gift of music itself – the ability to enjoy and appreciate good music, the ability to communicate in a language that is universal, and the ability to work together to create a work of art-in-time that is bigger than what the individual can accomplish on his own.”— Dennis Cranford, Band Director

“THE AGE GROUPS I TEACH – PRE-K3, PRE-K4 AND Kindergarten – experience music with their whole being.

At this tender age, children enjoy music unselfconsciously and with intensity, excitement, and delight.

What profound enthusiasm these students exhibit for every song, dance, and musical story! Through a wide variety of singing, playing, moving, listening, and creating, my students are encouraged to recognize and respond to their own inherent musical nature. While enhancing the joy of these preschoolers and building confidence in their own powers for music-making, we also establish a foundation for concepts of steady beat, rhythm, and melody that serves as the basis for music curriculum throughout Lower School.”— Susan Lawler, Preschool Music Teacher

ment of self-expression, as well as practicing the skills necessary to work with others toward a common goal.

Choir is the place where students find a rewarding break in the day from their academic program. We are kind of like a big family, and the skills they learn here can be used forever.”— Libby Walden, Director of Seventh and Eighth Grade and Upper School Choral Music

“AS THE CHORAL ACCOMPANIST I WATCH THE amazing growth in musical development in the St. Andrew’s choir students. Most choir students start in Middle School. As they move up from grade to grade, they master music that is more complex harmonically, melodically, and rhythmically. They learn to sing with greater confidence. It is gratifying to me to work in a school that so heartily supports the arts and where stu“ONE CAN FIND OUR STUDENTS ACTIVELY SING- dents are exposed to concerts and dramatic productions ing, playing classroom instruments, dancing, or busy as part of their education.”— Maureen McGuire, Choral working on their next performance project. We empha- Music Accompanist size making our students an active part of the music making process. My favorite moment of teaching music “PERFORMING ARTS INTRODUCES FIFTH AND is seeing the pride that students feel after they have per- sixth grade students to basic dramatic movement and formed a piece, whether it is a 30-second piece in the continues to broaden their knowledge of music. Our classroom or a 30-minute musical for the school com- class time is full of creativity and energy! Using basic themunity. It’s my hope for each student to discover his or ory, musical notation, singing, dancing, good diction, and her music potential and to equip them for a journey to movement, students tap their creativity daily to explore a lifelong appreciation of music.”— Scott Sexton, Lower music and drama. All students have the opportunity to School Music Teacher sing in a musical revue each year and use their newfound dramatic knowledge to perform their own short skits.

“ALL CHOIR CLASSES STUDY THE BASIC ELEMENTS These skills not only prepare our students with knowlof vocal production and music theory, which enhance edge of music and drama, but also equip them with the the sight-reading and performance skills that are used confidence and presence needed in their everyday classthroughout their choir careers. A choir student also has rooms and throughout life.”— Anna Johnson, Fifth and the opportunity to develop his or her voice as an instru- Sixth Grade, Performing Arts Teacher

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BEHIND the CURTAIN

“MIDDLE SCHOOL LIFE IS CERTAINLY FULL OF DRAMA EVERY DAY, but in the seventh and eighth grade drama courses we build confidence and empathy through collaborative art. Through vocal and movement exercises and improvisational games, students are free to be creative and silly and take chances, while also training the actors’ instruments of mind, body, and voice. Students take a critical look at themselves and others while creating characters inspired not just by scripts, but also by their imaginations. The classes are a diverse mix of skill and interest, but at the end of the twoyear study, each student leaves with a love and appreciation not only of theatre, but also of each other.”

— Ruthie Craig Taylor ’05, Seventh and Eighth Grade Drama Teacher

“GOOD THEATER IS ABOUT TOTALLY OPEN AND honest communication. An actor must learn to open not only his mind, but also his heart to an audience and take them on a journey, the words for which were created by someone else. An actor must learn to use all of his intellectual skills and his imagination to try to convey, both physically and emotionally, what the author is saying. One phrase my students hear a great deal is ‘it’s not just words,’ meaning an audience must not only be able to understand what you are saying, but they must also see and believe what the character does. Anyone can memorize a few words and say them nicely, but an actor must learn to use all of his creative skills to make the character come to life on stage. Using and developing that creative mind is vital to a well-rounded education.”

— Ray McFarland, Chair of Performing Arts, Upper School Theatre Director, Acting and Theatre Tech Teacher “A FORBES ARTICLE BY ROBERT SHER EXPLAINS the true value of speech and debate. Sher wrote, ‘Many business leaders are frustrated in their attempts to find Millennials who seem to have the potential to lead the company in the years ahead. I’ve got a suggestion: search for those who competed in speech and debate competition in high school (or college) and hire them.’

Speech and debate provides students with a forum to express themselves, their ideas, and most importantly, their solutions. Through research, discussion, and writing, students develop the skills necessary to thoughtfully respond to the problems of the world in which they live.

Speech and Debate also provides a unique opportunity to learn about interpersonal issues to which students may not normally be exposed. Speech and Debate has been an essential part of my life, and I know that it will continue to be a positive influence on many students’ lives to come.”— Jharick Shields, Middle School Speech Teacher, Speech and Debate “WHEN I THINK ABOUT WHAT CONTINUES TO attract me to the world of competitive speech, I think about our true success stories. For me, that’s not always the kids who have the best win-loss records or those who can build the biggest mountain out of all the trophies that they won. I think about students for whom the intricacies of academic debate didn’t come as naturally as they may have to others, but who found through forensics a passion for the power of ideas and discourse.

Stories like that make the 28 years I have invested as a competitor, judge, tournament director, or coach all worth it.”— Darin Maier, Speech and Debate Sponsor

Performing arts instructors not pictured on page 54 include Jharick Shields, Maureen McGuire, and Scott Sexton.

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Game TAKING THEIR

TO THE NEXT LEVEL

ST. ANDREW’S FORMER ATHLETES SHINE AT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES NATIONWIDE.

ST. ANDREW’S FANS WHO WATCHED THE FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES SEAL A NAIL-BITING VICTORY OVER THE AUBURN TIGERS in the 2014 BCS National Championship football game may have seen a familiar face on the Seminoles team. Former St. Andrew’s football standout Nate Slater ’11 plays linebacker for Florida State. When the final seconds ticked off the clock, Slater stormed the field with his teammates before joining his family in the stands for the celebration.

Now the proud owner of a national championship ring, Slater is one of six honor roll students on the Seminoles team. He credits much his success as a collegiate student athlete to his preparation at St. Andrew’s.

“St. Andrew’s gave me the proper time management skills to handle school, football practices, meetings, workouts, and everything else that goes into being a college athlete,” Slater says.

Slater isn’t the only former Saint who has applied lessons learned as a St. Andrew’s student athlete to play at the college level. Sixteen St. Andrew’s graduates are currently student athletes at colleges or universities nationwide, taking the fields and courts in football, baseball, basketball, track, cross country, soccer, golf, and tennis. St. Andrew’s Athletic Director DeWayne Cupples credits the school’s emphasis on sports as part of a wellrounded educational experience and the strength of the St. Andrew’s coaching staff with helping prepare students to compete at the next level.

“St. Andrew’s has some of the best coaches in the state,” Cupples says. “Several of our coaches have competed at the college or the professional level, and they know what it takes to get there. Our coaches are realistic with our athletes in advising them how well they could compete in college athletics, and making sure they understand the time commitment and the work ethic they’ll need to play college sports.”

“Coaches at St. Andrew’s taught me to push myself, to compete at all times, and to never be complacent,” says Tanner Menist ’13, who plays football for the Millsaps College Majors.

“At St. Andrew’s, I had a phenomenal coaching staff that was willing to work with me and believed I could be good enough to compete in college,” says Elisabeth Gaillet ’13, who attends the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) on a cross country scholarship. “I was taught that I would not be handed medals, that I would have to work really hard to get them. I told the coaching staff early on 56

“ALONG WITH ATHLETICS, A VASTLY IMPORTANT SKILL OUR COACHES TAUGHT US WAS TIME MANAGEMENT, AND HOW TO BALANCE ATHLETICS WITH RIGOROUS ACADEMICS.” — PARKS DOUGLASS ’13

NATE SLATER

MIRIAM PARKER

in my running career that I wanted to pursue college athletics, and they pushed me to do the best I could in order to achieve that goal.”

“St. Andrew’s prepared me for college athletics by having hard, ordered, and focused practices,” says Daniel Gallarno ’13, who plays baseball for Millsaps College.

“Baseball with Coach Fanning and basketball with Coach Cronin were always very intense. This made the transition to college practices easier, because at a college level, every practice is intense and incredibly important.

In addition to practices, there are road trips, mid-week games, and workouts. The ability to handle a large workload by managing my time well is something I learned at St. Andrew’s, and was a great skill to carry into college.”

“St. Andrew’s amazing coaches take an intense personal interest in individuals in every sport. The person who most directly impacted me was Brian Cronin, easily the best man and best basketball coach I was blessed to play for,” says Parks Douglass ’13, who plays basket-

ball for Millsaps College. “Along with athletics, a vastly important skill our coaches taught us was time management, and how to balance athletics with rigorous academics. In my college experience, I would say doing well in classes is 75 percent time management.”

Every alumni athlete now playing at the college level agreed with Douglass, citing time management as one of the most important skills they learned at St. Andrew’s.

“College sports, and Division I sports in particular, require a ton of time and effort year round,” says Chad Smith ’11, who plays football for the Ole Miss Rebels.

“Majoring in engineering while playing football puts a lot on my plate. Playing three sports in high school gave me that yearlong commitment to athletics, as well as academics, and prepared me to take advantage of all the time I have and to use it in the best possible way. Balancing school and sports is definitely challenging at times, but St. Andrew’s helped prepare me to handle both, just as I did in high school.”

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TANNER MENIST

WILLIAM CHISM

CHAD SMITH

“St. Andrew’s prepared me to give it my all in practice after a long day of classes,” says Miriam Parker ’12, who plays golf for Lipscomb University. “St. Andrew’s taught me how to balance school, workouts, practice, and the travel required of college athletes.”

“Running for St. Andrew’s taught me a lot about time management, which is massively important for college athletes,” agrees Mike Steere ’12, who runs cross country and track for Case Western University, and was named to Case’s 2013 fall All-Academic Team. “The relationship between academics and athletics at Case is very similar to what I found at St. Andrew’s.”

The caliber of the competition St. Andrew’s student athletes faced also helped prepare them for a bigger playing field. Unlike most private and independent schools, St. Andrew’s competes in the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA), an organization comprised primarily of public schools. Membership in MHSAA ensures that St. Andrew’s athletes compete at the highest levels of Mississippi high school sports.

“The caliber of the athletes we played against in high school was a big help in making the transition to college

level play,” says Charlie Scott ’11, who plays football for the Ole Miss Rebels. “Donte Moncreif, Josh Pinkston, Woodrow Hamilton, Quay Evans, and many others who play or played outstanding college football also played against the Saints when we were in high school.”

St. Andrew’s alumni athletes are also appreciative of the school’s outstanding academic preparation, which made the transition to the college classroom easier. As Elisabeth Gaillet points out, while having the athletic prowess to make the team might seem to be the hard part, “you have to make good grades to stay on the team.”

“St. Andrew’s prepared me in the classroom more than anything,” Charlie Scott says. “That made the transition into college a lot easier for me than it seemed to be for some of my teammates.”

William Chism ’11 is a three-year varsity letterman and two-year starter on the Yale University football team.

In the fall of 2013, Chism was the only junior in the Ivy League to be awarded Academic All-District honors for New England, the most competitive academic district in the country. The skills he gained at St. Andrew’s have helped Chism stand out on the football field while also

“ST. ANDREW’S HELPED ME FIND THE ABILITY TO PUSH THROUGH CHALLENGING ACADEMIC SITUATIONS WHILE REMAINING FOCUSED ON THE ATHLETIC TASK AT HAND.” — WILLIAM CHISM ‘11 58

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CHARLIE SCOTT

maintaining a 3.53 overall GPA at Yale.

“St. Andrew’s helped me find the ability to push through challenging academic situations while remaining focused on the athletic task at hand,” Chism says. “I learned that sacrifices must often be made. Sometimes, that extra hour of sleep is worth it. Sometimes, your assignment is worth staying up all night. It takes good judgment to decide what to do in those situations.”

“One of the most important aspects of being a college athlete is the ability to excel in the classroom. St. Andrew’s gave me everything I need to go above and beyond,” says Daniel Briner ’13, who pitches for the Hinds Community College baseball team. “St. Andrew’s

prepared me to work hard on and off the field. When I stepped up for my first collegiate start on the mound, I realized I’d finally achieved something I’d wanted since I was a kid. It was an exhilarating experience.”

St. Andrew’s student athlete alumni all point to that same “dream come true” experience as the best thing about playing college sports.

“My high point as a college athlete has been putting on that Ole Miss jersey with ‘C. Smith’ on the back of it, and knowing that I was a true Division I, SEC football player,” says Chad Smith. “With some help from all I learned at St. Andrew’s, I’m living the dream I’ve had since I was a little boy.”

FORMER SAINTS NOW PLAYING AT THE COLLEGE LEVEL INCLUDE: DANIEL BRINER ’13 Baseball, Hinds Community College

ELISABETH GAILLET ’13 Cross Country, University of Mississippi

MIRIAM PARKER ’12 Golf, Lipscomb University

CHAD SMITH ’11 Football, University of Mississippi

CLAUDIA BRUNSON ’13 Track, Grambling State University

DANIEL GALLARNO ’13 Baseball, Millsaps College

NATE SLATER ’11 Football, Florida State University

WILLIAM CHISM ’11 Football, Yale University

TANNER MENIST ’13 Football, Millsaps College

DALLAS PRATER ’13 Basketball, Mississippi State University

PARKS DOUGLASS ’13 Basketball, Millsaps College

BAYLOR OBERT ’13 Baseball, Meridian Community College

PHILLIP QU ’13 Tennis, Amherst College

MIKE STEERE ’12 Cross Country, Case Western Reserve University

CHARLIE SCOTT ’11 Football, University of Mississippi

ADAM TRAVIS ’13 Track, Sewanee: The University of the South

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Giving

ATHLETICS a Boost Football? Check.

Basketball? Check.

Swimming? Check.

Baseball, bowling, cheerleading, cross country, dance team, fast-pitch softball, golf, lacrosse, powerlifting, soccer, tennis, track and field, volleyball?

Check.

IF IT’S A SPORT AT ST. ANDREW’S, THE BOOSTER CLUB SUPPORTS IT.

The St. Andrew’s Booster Club is a volunteer organization dedicated to supporting the school’s overall athletic program. The Booster Club provides additional financial resources for facilities improvement and equipment upgrades, and plans and funds activities at sporting events throughout the year. The club includes close to 300 dues-paying individual and corporate members, all committed to supporting St. Andrew’s student athletes.

Over the past several years, the Booster Club has helped fund enhancements to St. Andrew’s athletic field houses, concession stands, athletic fields, and signage, as

well as purchasing equipment and uniforms for many St. Andrew’s athletic teams.

Steve Smith, the president of the Booster Club, had a natural interest in St. Andrew’s sports. Smith is a former Ole Miss football player and his son, senior Harrison Smith, has played football for four years at St. Andrew’s.

But Smith’s commitment to St. Andrew’s athletics extends beyond football to every team St. Andrew’s fields.

“Academics and athletics go hand-in-hand,” Smith says.

“Sports teach a lot of life lessons. Student athletes learn the value of teamwork, they experience the pride of athletic accomplishments, and they also learn how to accept losses gracefully. Sports teach young people about accountability and help them build a strong work ethic.

Students who learn these things through sports go on to apply those lessons in school, in college, in their careers, and in their family lives. That’s why it’s so important to support athletic programs for St. Andrew’s students at every age.”

When Smith’s term ends in the spring of 2014, Phil Burnett will take over as Booster Club president. Burnett seemed destined to lead the Booster Club, as he is accustomed to living in a house full of St. Andrew’s student athletes. His son, Phillip ’13 was a linebacker for the Saints football team, played lacrosse, and swam on the state championship swimming team. Senior J.G. Burnett is a four-year, four-sport letterman in football, basketball, baseball, and swimming, while his eighth grade brother, 60

STEVE SMITH AND PHIL BURNETT

Ben, swims and plays football. The Burnett boys’ little sion for excellence,” Burnett says. “Sports improve our sister, Kathleen, is in the first grade. students’ characters through the hard work of practice “Kathleen has spent her entire life near the fields, and competition, through mentoring and coaching on courts, diamonds, and pools of St. Andrew’s,” Phil and off the field, and especially through the experience Burnett says. “Although she does not yet play a sport, of being a part of a team. And the entire school comI would venture a guess that very few students in the munity benefits from a strong athletic program that proLower School – or for that matter, the Upper School motes school unity and spirit.”

– have been to as many St. Andrew's home and away Booster Club members gain more than just the satisgames as this little girl. It's been interesting faction of supporting student athletes and On average, to watch her grow up with the support of enhancing St. Andrew’s as a whole. Parents 78 percent of all the St. Andrew’s parents and students who join the Booster Club often find that St. Andrew’s helping to look after her.” they gain personally from their involvement.

Kathleen and other St. Andrew’s stu- students in grades “We are all parents who share the dents can look forward to a future of belief that our children will be more well7 – 12 participate strong athletic programs at St. Andrew’s. rounded through their experiences not in at least one of The Booster Club’s board of directors is only in the classroom, but also on the working with the school’s coaches, athfields, courts, diamond, and track,” Burnett the school’s 25 letic director, and administration to pro- sports programs. says. “The friends you can make through vide an even better experience for student this kind of commitment and involvement athletes and Saints fans. are likely to become lifelong friends. I’m confident the “We’re aligning the Booster Club with the long-term friendships I’ve made in the Booster Club will continue strategic vision for the school to make sure our athletic long after my last child graduates in 2025,” Burnett programs remain an integral part of St. Andrew’s mis- pauses, then adds with a smile, “Yes, I said 2025.”

IF YOU OR YOUR COMPANY WOULD LIKE TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE ST. ANDREW’S BOOSTER CLUB, WRITE TO STEVE SMITH OR PHIL BURNETT AT BOOSTERCLUB@GOSAINTS.ORG. 61

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SAINTS FALL AND WINTER RECORDS CONGRATULATIONS TO THE MEMBERS OF THE ST. ANDREW’S BOYS CROSS COUNTRY TEAM AND THE ST. ANDREW’S GIRLS SWIMMING TEAM, who brought home the State Championships in their sports.

Kudos are also in order for the St. Andrew’s boys and girls soccer teams, who ended the season as the District Champions.

Boys Cross Country, State Champions • Girls Cross Country, 4th in State • Boys Basketball, 9-15 • Girls Basketball, 4-21 Boys Bowling, 4-2 • Girls Bowling, 3-3 • Football, 5-6 • Boys Soccer, 8-6-2, District Champion • Girls Soccer, 8-5-1, District Champion Boys Swimming, State Champion Runner-Up • Girls Swimming, State Champion • Volleyball, 21-11, District Runner-Up

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A QUIET REVOLUTIONARY Dr. Richard Aplenc ’84 • Distinguished Alumni Award

W

hen one of his patients was having a bad day, pediatric oncologist Dr. Richard Aplenc knew just the right treatment. He donned a dress and a wig and visited the patient disguised as Mrs. Doubtfire.

As an associate professor of pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and an attending physician at the renowned Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), Dr. Aplenc cares for young patients suffering from leukemia and lymphoma, and guides clinical research on the diseases.

“The greatest reward of my work is seeing families and children handle difficult situations with grace and dignity,” Dr. Aplenc says. “The greatest challenge is working with families who struggle to provide emotional support for their children. The hospital can help, but we can’t create a home.”

Dr. Aplenc’s perspective comes in part from his own experiences.

“When I was in the eighth grade, I went through a very difficult time,” Dr. Aplenc says. “St. Andrew’s was a refuge for me during that rough patch. People in the school continued to invest in me. That investment I saw people making in me helped me set high expectations for myself, and made me realize I was valuable as a person.”

While his patients know him as a caring physician, Dr. Aplenc has developed skills to help him cope with the emotional toll caring for terribly sick children can take.

“I focus on the patients’ stories without an agenda in mind. I play a role in their story, but it is ultimately their story, not mine. I’ve also been privileged to see people act in brave ways, and that is very sustaining for me. My goal is not to make a wall that everything bounces off of, but to be sensitive so it all comes through.”

That sensitivity can be difficult when his work day might include a child pleading, “Dr. Richard, please don’t let me die,” or hearing a 19-year-old made wise beyond his years say, “I know my life had meaning because so many people cared for me.” But his commitment to challenging childhood cancer inspires Dr. Aplenc to continue.

In a presentation to St. Andrew’s students, Dr. Aplenc urged them to find their own causes to champion, their own ways to become “quietly revolutionary.”

“St. Andrew’s has a history of being revolutionary,” Dr. Aplenc said. “What is something that makes you angry and that you want to challenge in your own life?

What statistic do you want to change? Choose your revolution. And be revolutionary in caring for yourself and for others.”

SOMETHING FISHY GOING ON One of Dr. Richard Aplenc’s favorite St. Andrew’s memories is of a senior prank that required stealth, engineering skills, and a trip to the local pet store. Over a weekend, Aplenc and other students built a fish tank using former Head of the Upper School Berkeley Latimer’s office window as its fourth wall. Dr. Latimer arrived on Monday to find his view of the campus obstructed by a well-engineered aquarium filled with fish. • “We were given the key to the school by faculty members who were in on the prank,” Dr. Aplenc recalls. “They didn’t tell us, ‘You need to be studying, not building a fish tank.’ The St. Andrew’s community was always supportive of creativity, even the kind of creativity that was a little ‘on the border.’ That kind of creativity is valuable in my job today.”

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI OF THE YEAR AWARD The highest honor bestowed up on alumnus or alumna, the Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes alumni who have made extraordinary personal achievements, professional accomplishments, and significant contributions that benefit society. Recipients are individuals whose exemplary lives and activities reflect honor upon St. Andrew’s Episcopal School. One alumnus or alumna is recognized each year.

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ART AND SOUL Josh Hailey ’99 • Young Alumni Award

A

n adjunct art lesson at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School forever changed Josh Hailey’s life.

“St. Andrew’s had a photographer come in to teach a workshop,” Hailey recalls. “What I learned that day made me want to become a photographer and artist.”

Hailey originally enrolled in architectural school at Mississippi State University, but ultimately decided to pursue a fine arts degree instead. Today, Hailey is living his dream as a multimedia artist, photographer, and mentor to the young people he inspires to create art of their own. Hailey operates the Josh Hailey Studio in the Fondren arts district of Jackson, Mississippi, and is also the founder and director of heARTalot, an organization he created to promote art education and foster community creativity.

Hailey recently returned to Mississippi following almost two years spent traveling the United States as part of a self-assigned photography project titled “PHOTAMERICA.” Hailey spent 80 weeks in a van traveling to all 50 states, photographing the people, places, and events he saw and interviewing Americans from all walks of life. Rather than following a strict itinerary or shot list, Hailey let each person or place tell him its story, with memorable results.

“I went into a coffee shop in Arizona, and while I was there, a woman came in and asked the guy behind the counter if he knew a photographer,” Hailey recalls. “Her

father was dying, and she was looking for someone to shoot what would probably be his last motorcycle ride with his friends. I wound up shooting him from the back of a motorcycle in front of him. I was able to have experiences like that because I just never said ‘no’ to anything.”

The project’s thought-provoking images and interviews are seen in Hailey’s book, PHOTAMERICA, and in a traveling art installation that Hailey makes available to schools, film festivals, and community venues. The PHOTAMERICA installation will be a featured attraction at St. Andrew’s upcoming spring festival, Arts on the Green.

Hailey continues to create new multimedia pieces, offers free public art classes through heARTalot, and meets for “Art Church” every Sunday afternoon with other artists, teachers, and visionaries interested in building a sense of community through the arts. It’s a dynamic career that brings Hailey plenty of fulfillment, but little job security, but it’s a trade-off he’s more than willing to make. In addressing current St. Andrew’s students, Hailey encouraged them to put aside their fears and pursue the art that speaks to them.

“Don’t be afraid, just go out there and do it. That’s a lesson St. Andrew’s instills in its students,” Hailey said. “The world would be a sad place without art. Art is important for wellbeing and truth outside of the box.

As an artist, I might never have a nine-to-five job, but it’s living, and I couldn’t do it any other way.”

“MY PHILOSOPHY has always been that the process of creating is just as important as the finished piece. For me, art is about uninhibited exploration of a medium, manipulating everything sometimes, changing nothing at others. It is about finding beauty in all things, and discovering that sometimes all it takes is a different perspective to find it.” — Josh Hailey

YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD The Young Alumni Award recognizes and celebrates the achievements of an alumnus or alumna who has made a major contribution to the community, arts, sciences, or business. Alumni must have graduated from St. Andrew’s within the past 15 years to be eligible for nomination. One alumnus or alumna is recognized each year.

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SHAPED BY AND HELPING TO SHAPE ST. ANDREW’S Stephanie Quiriconi Scott ’79 • St. Andrew’s Loyalty Award

“M

y time at St. Andrew’s shaped me and shaped my life,” Stephanie Scott says.

Scott may have graduated from St. Andrew’s in 1979, but she has never really left the school, and her leadership and loyalty to St. Andrew’s has helped shape the school and its future.

Scott was elected to the St. Andrew’s Board of Trustees in 2005. As a trustee and over four years as the board’s chair-elect and chair, Scott oversaw the appointment of George Penick as head of school, served on the steering committee for the Campaign for Science and Art, and helped develop a visionary strategic plan that set the stage for St. Andrew’s next 50 years. Scott has also served as treasurer of the St. Andrew’s Parents’ Association board, Booster Club board member, grade coordinator, and room mother. Over the years, Scott has logged almost as many hours at St. Andrew’s as she has in her fulltime job as CFO of The Blake Management Group.

“When my daughter was about seven, she suggested that I needed an office at St. Andrew’s because I spent so much time at the school,” Scott says with a laugh.

“I loved being around the kids and being back on campus. Any opportunity to do that was great. It was such fun just being in the school environment, and there was never a dull moment.”

Scott cites the Campaign for Science and Art as one of

the projects she has been most proud to be involved in.

“I was the head of the finance committee during that time, and I knew that raising the money would be a daunting task,” Scott says. “But as I reflected, I realized that someone before me had given so that I could have the facilities I needed as a St. Andrew’s student. That made it easier for me to go out and ask people for support. It was all about paying it forward.”

Some of the high points of Scott’s life have taken place at St. Andrew’s. She met her husband, Chris Scott ’79, in high school, when he was a Saints football player and she was a Saints cheerleader. Years later, Chris proposed to Stephanie on the 50-yard line of the St. Andrew’s football field. The Scott’s son, Charlie, graduated from St. Andrew’s in 2011 and their daughter, Elizabeth, is a member of the Class of 2018.

“What I love the most about St. Andrew’s is how close-knit the community is,” Scott says. “I had so many friends from my time as a student here, and now I have new St. Andrew’s friends I’ve made through my children.

Chris and I were so excited to send Charlie and Elizabeth to St. Andrew’s. We will be forever grateful for the faculty members and coaches who have helped them become all they can be. When I was a student here, there was a saying, ‘St. Andrew’s: a tradition of excellence.’ I really understand that now.”

ALL IN THE FAMILY Stephanie Scott’s husband, Chris Scott ’79, is an Alpha-Omega graduate of St. Andrew’s. Chris’s father, Tom Scott, is a former chairman of the St. Andrew’s Board of Trustees.

THE ST. ANDREW’S LOYALTY AWARD The St. Andrew’s Loyalty Award honors St. Andrew’s alumni who, in deed or action, reflect and recognize the importance of being an alumnus or alumna of St. Andrew’s; who demonstrates pride in their alma mater; and whose interest and loyalty are evident by their significant, notable, and meritorious contributions toward the advancement of St. Andrew’s Episcopal School. One alumnus or alumna is recognized each year.

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SERVICE IN RED, WHITE, AND BLUE John Roberts ’76 • Saints in Service Award

J

ohn Roberts’ father was an air force officer who traveled the world. In addition to souvenirs from his assignments, Roberts’ father passed on to his son a sense of wanderlust and adventure. That longing to explore the world, combined with his love of country, led Roberts to become a career foreign service officer with the U.S. Department of State.

As a United States diplomat, Roberts’ assignments have ranged from promoting American culture in the scenic islands of the Caribbean to directing press affairs in Baghdad, where explosions killed people outside his office door. While the details of his assignments vary, all are geared toward promoting democracy, prosperity, and security around the world.

“When you join the Department of State, you commit to a life of service representing the core values of the United States and working toward bigger goals than yourself,” Roberts says. “The United States is the most powerful and influential nation in the history of the world, and with that comes a certain responsibility. In the U.S., I’ll tell someone I work for the State Department, and the first question is usually, ‘which state?’ But in most places overseas, the people there know what you do and to them, you are representing the power and the influence of the United States of America. You embody what it is to be an American.”

Roberts currently serves as diplomat in residence for Southeast Texas and Louisiana, a position that finds him charged with recruiting the best and the brightest applicants for Foreign Service positions. He was previously

director of the Civilian Response Corps in the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO), a branch of the State Department that assists countries in crisis or emerging from violent conflicts, some of which have been ongoing for generations.

Roberts’ other assignments have included serving as the public affairs officer for Barbados and the six other nations of the Eastern Caribbean; directing the Press and Cultural Affairs Offices at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad; directing press and media events worldwide for Secretaries of State Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice; and appointments in Russia and Nicaragua. He has received multiple awards and decorations for his military and State Department service.

“I can’t choose a favorite assignment,” Roberts says.

“Every place I’ve served has brought its own rewarding experiences. In Barbados, I was telling America’s story in a beautiful location. At the time I left Baghdad, it was the most violent place on earth, but I hated to leave because there were things I still wanted to accomplish there. There is always something more you feel you could do. And every two years, you leave your friends and colleagues.

Diplomatic service is less a career than a life choice.”

On a recent visit to St. Andrew’s, Roberts praised his alma mater for its global focus.

“St. Andrew’s is foremost in creating a perspective of global service, and that is what my job is all about.

When you engage people as individuals, you find you have things in common. Building bridges between people builds bridges between cultures and countries.”

BEING ALL THAT HE CAN BE John Roberts has logged more than 32 years of active and reserve service in the U.S. Army Special Forces. His fellow Green Berets might be surprised to learn that in addition to his skills in survival, escape, and combat, Roberts is also skilled in pirouettes, pliés, and tours jeté. As a St. Andrew’s student in the mid-1970s, Roberts danced with the Mississippi Ballet Theatre.

THE SAINTS IN SERVICE AWARD The Saints in Service Award recognizes St. Andrew’s alumni who demonstrate exceptional service to others and have made a positive difference in their community. One alumnus or alumna is recognized each year.

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ALL ALUMNI

2013

WEEKEND MORE THAN 300 MEMBERS of the St. Andrew’s community attended All Alumni Weekend, including alumni whose class years ranged from 1983 to 2013 and their parents, spouses, and children, as well as former faculty and staff members. Events including a pre-game barbecue with live music, campus tours, a 5K fun run, and children’s activities were enjoyed by all.

SAVE THE DATE FOR ALL ALUMNI WEEKEND, OCTOBER 3–5, 2014.

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It’s How

THEY PLAYED THE

GAME ST. ANDREW’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL IS ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR THE ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME. Alumni candidates must have played at least one sport at St. Andrew’s and graduated before 2009.

Coaches, faculty members, and others who contributed to the St. Andrew’s athletic program in a meaningful way are also eligible.

Nominations are due

by May 1, 2014.

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO COMPLETE AN ONLINE NOMINATION FORM, VISIT WWW.GOSAINTS.ORG/ HALLOFFAME.

MEMBERS OF THE ST. ANDREW’S ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME INCLUDE: Mike Barkett, Coach • Bev Bishop ‘85 • Chris Burgess ‘79 • Akili King ‘91 • Andy Mullins, Coach Trhesa Barksdale Patterson ‘92 • Jim Peoples ‘76 • Brad Teague ‘88 • Alan Vestal ‘79 Whitney Luckett Watkins ‘92 • Catherine Yelverton ‘77 • Brad MacNealy ‘75

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EYE ON

ALUMNI

IF YOU’RE HOSTING OR WOULD LIKE TO HOST A ST. ANDREW’S ALUMNI GATHERING IN YOUR AREA, THE ALUMNI OFFICE WOULD BE HAPPY TO HELP. CONTACT ELIZABETH BUYAN ‘97 AT BUYANE@GOSAINTS.ORG.

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1. The Class of 1993 2. The Class of 1983 3. The Class of 2003 4. New Orleans Alumni 5. The Class of 2008 5

ST. ANDREW’S WILL HOST AN ALUMNI GATHERING IN NEW YORK CITY IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE 35TH ANNUAL MISSISSIPPI PICNIC IN CENTRAL PARK ON JUNE 14. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT ELIZABETH BUYAN ’97 AT BUYANE@GOSAINTS.ORG.

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C

lass

notes

Please e-mail future Class Notes to Elizabeth Buyan ’97 at buyane@gosaints.org.

1975 Brad MacNealy and Carl Menist ’76 were among several members of the Mississippi College 1979 Choctaws football team honored at halftime of the 2013 MC-Millsaps game at Robinson-Hale Stadium. The 1979 football team was the first at MC to win the Gulf South Conference championship. Four members of the team later played in the NFL.

1987 MiMi Lane Stanley lives in Arlington, Tennessee, with her husband, Patrick. She works as the project manager at Mind Over Data, LLC in Memphis, a software development company that creates custom software solutions, including websites, survey systems, intranet applications, museum kiosks, interactive games, and more. Stanley completed teacher training in the SmartFLOW Yoga methodology, allowing her to register as a yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance. She also designs and creates formal dresses, purses, baby shower gifts, and keepsake quilts, and teaches a fiber arts sewing class at a shop called Sew Memphis.

1977 Dr. Jim Phillips was honored as the Critical Care Medicine Teacher of the Year and the Critical Care Medicine Anesthesiologist of the Year at The Cleveland Clinic, a multispecialty academic medical center in Cleveland, Ohio.

Sarah Stevenson has been appointed dean of the Undergraduate College at the College of Mount Saint Vincent in Riverdale, New York. She was previously an English professor at the college.

1981 Charles Fowler retired from the Pascagoula Police Department after 27 years of service on October 1, 2013. In that time, he served as a patrol officer, detective, investigations supervisor, and patrol supervisor. Fowler lives in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, with his wife of 25 years, Lynn Roberts Fowler.

Traci Blair Strickland is the vice president of marketing for Triumph Bank, which is headquartered in Memphis. She joined the Junior League of Memphis in 2013.

1986 Missy Donaldson is the owner of MADdesign.com, which specializes in web design, custom stationery, and invitations. Donaldson operates a shop-by-appointment store in her home and a booth at Howard and Marsh Exchange in Greenwood, Mississippi. Her daughter, Addie (7), is in the first grade at St. Andrew’s.

1988 Jim Boland lives in Beijing with his wife, Victoria, and daughters, Erica (13) and Ella (8). He works as country finance controller for Amazon China. The Bolands returned to China following a short hiatus in Seattle. They have lived in China eight out of the last 10 years.

1989 Porter Grant took command of the Recruiting and Retention Battalion of the Colorado Army National Guard in Centennial, Colorado, and was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel as a member of the Colorado National Guard’s

Noelle Wynne accepted a position on the French faculty at the University of North Georgia’s Division of World Languages and Cultures. Wynne relocated from Minnesota to Gainesville, Georgia.

Brad MacNealy and Carl Menist

Missy Donaldson

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Class of ’90

Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) program. He lives in Colorado Springs with his wife, Sari, daughter Sofia (14), and son Henry (11).

stars including Mark Wills, Jamie O’Neal, and Lucy Hale.

Stevens has performed in Hawaii and Italy; has appeared on “The Late Show with David Letterman,”“Good Morning America,” and “The Kelly and Michael Show;” and has performed at the Country Music Awards and The Grand Ole Opry. Stevens and his wife, Lauren, have two children, Aiden (7) and Lilah (3).

1990 Several friends from the Class of 1990 gathered for a 2014 mini-reunion over the holidays. Pictured are (from left): Polly O’Brien Adams, Amanda Simpson Shelton, Sondra Redmont, Laurin Stennis, and Becca Keane Temple.

1995 Justin Broderick and his wife, Tangkwa, welcomed a son, Cooper Elliott, on September 19, 2013. Justin’s agency, Sq1, is celebrating recent wins with the Crayola and Jiffy Lube accounts.

1991 Anita Goel’s company, Nanobiosym, won the $525,000 Grand Prize in the Nokia Sensing X Challenge. Nanobiosym develops technologies that allow the diagnosing of diseases and monitoring of personal health in remote settings outside of hospitals and pathology labs. Dr. Goel is a globally recognized leader in the emerging field of nanobiophysics, a new science that integrates physics, nanotechnology, and biomedicine to reveal new scientific solutions to global challenges. Dr. Goel was named one of the world’s “Top 35 Science and Technology Innovators Under the Age of 35” by MIT Technology Review.

She holds a Ph.D. in physics from Harvard University, an M.D. from the Harvard-MIT Joint Division of Health Sciences & Technology, and a B.S. in physics from Stanford University. Dr. Goel’s sister, Lisa Goel ’97, also works for Nanobiosym and was a member of the award-winning project team.

The Rev. James “J.R.” Lander married his partner of 15 years, Tim Hendrix, on July 5, 2013, in Seattle, Washington.

Rev. Lander is the Vicar of St. Columba’s Episcopal Church in Kent, Washington. Hendrix is a manager with Boeing Commercial Aviation Services.

Erica Ezelle Roberts and her husband, Brandon, welcomed their fourth daughter, Sutton Brooks, on August 29, 2013. She joins big sisters Charley (7), Emerson (5), and Bennett (2).

1996 Dr. Marcus Louis Britton and his wife, Jenea, welcomed their second son, Micah Albert, on October 9, 2013. The family lives in Tupelo, Mississippi, where Dr. Britton is an internist with Nephrology and Hypertension Associates.

1992 Dawn Bishop-McLin, Ph.D. is an associate professor in the psychology department at Jackson State University. Her daughter, Paxton, is a kindergartener at St. Andrew’s.

Aimée Wardlaw Cole is the co-founder of The Montessori Academy of Jackson, which opened this fall. She is certified in elementary education by the American Montessori Society and has been recognized as a master early childhood educator by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

Sean B. Perkins served for four years as chief of staff with the City of Jackson. Perkins has returned to Regions Bank as an assistant vice president in business banking, where he is responsible for recruiting and maintaining banking relationships with businesses with annual sales of $2 million Frederic Dalton ’96 and his wife, Sara, welcomed a son, to $20 million. Perkins, his wife, and their three sons live Asher Samuel, on Friday, November 29, 2013. in Jackson, Mississippi.

Greg Graeber and his wife, Mendel, welcomed their third 1994 child, Greta Mae, on May 10, 2013. Both parents teach Alex Stevens lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where he enjoys marine science at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab in Dauphin a career in the music industry playing bass with country Island, Alabama.

Aiden and Lilah Stevens

Cooper Elliott Broderick

James Lander

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Micah Albert Britton

Matthew Lawrence Thompson

Finn Wolfe Hutchinson

Jennifer Joe

Camille Elise Gonzalez

Philip Southwick and Mary Marguerite Voorhies announced the arrival of a son, Leonard Flint, who was born on October 20, 2012, and arrived at home with his loving parents on November 17, 2013.

Benjamin Yarbrough and his wife, Lauren, welcomed their second son, Elliott Marshall, on July 1, 2013. He joins big brother Max (3). The family lives in Winnetka, Illinois, just outside of Chicago.

Dr. Gina Franklin Thompson and her husband, Michael, welcomed a son, Matthew Lawrence, in October 2013. He joins his big brother and sister, as well as his proud uncle Jerome Franklin ’85 and aunt Pam Franklin ’89.

1998 Dr. Jennifer Joe completed a nephrology fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in 2012. Dr. Joe co-founded and is CEO of Medstro.com, a professional and social network for physicians, and also co-founded and serves as editor-in-chief of MedTechBoston.com, an online publication about Boston medical innovation and technology. She lives in Boston and frequently gets together with fellow alumni Robert McGeehee ’98 and Lisa Goel ’97. Dr. Joe, Goel, and Taylor Wofford ’98 attended Boston’s Fashion Week Gala. Dr. Joe invites fellow alumni to contact her at jen@medstro.com.

1997 Drew Hutchinson and his wife, Christine, welcomed their second son, Finnean “Finn” Wolfe, on July 29, 2013. Finn joins big brother Andrew Swink (5). The family lives in Johnson City, Tennessee.

LEARN WITH HOMER Keith Smythe Meacham ’88 has

dedicated her career to education. Meacham served as a teacher; ran a charter school in Harlem; worked for the New York City Fund for Public Schools under Mike Bloomberg, Joel Klein, and Caroline Kennedy; and served as senior advisor to the authors of the new Common Core standards. • Today, Meacham is the director of partnerships for “Learn with Homer,” a groundbreaking early learning app for children aged 3–6. Featuring a pigeon named after the classical poet Homer, the app includes a complete phonics program, a library of beautifully illustrated stories, hundreds of science “field trips,” and exciting art and recording tools.

Homer will soon include a “safe family share” feature that allows families to invite grandparents, other relatives, and friends to share the child’s learning experience.

• As director of partnerships with Learn With Homer, Meacham works with schools, after-school programs, homeless shelters, the military, and other organizations that serve children who might benefit from the program. Meacham was a member of the Homer founding team. • “We had this dream that we could harness the power of technology and beautiful design to bring the best of what we knew about early learning to families across the globe,” Meacham says. “It was a ‘bring a great classroom into your living room’ idea. We wanted to share everything we knew was working in the teaching of reading, and we wanted to make the great classic stories, rhymes, fables, and folktales available on a digital device with beautiful illustrations. As I think about it, I can trace back to my time at St. Andrew’s a great deal of my appreciation for reading the classics.” • Since August 1, 2013, more than 600,000 families have downloaded the Learn with Homer app. Each family can register up to three children; the app has almost one million child users. Downloads average around 3,000-4,000 per day. • “We began with Mother Goose as our mantra,” Meacham says.

“Today, every second around the globe, a child is learning, creating, or recording something with our tools.”

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Steve Cohen

John William Ray

Allison Beach

Dr. Taylor Wofford ’98 and her husband, Dr. Thomas Bender, welcomed a son, Russell Woods, on February 3, 2014.

Sydney Elizabeth Clayton

Jordan Hailey Bryan

William Ray and his wife, Katie, welcomed a son, John William, on January 7, 2013.

1999 2002 Anna Lazarus and her husband, Miguel Gonzalez, wel- Allison Beach enjoys family life with her son, Jordan (2), comed their second daughter, Camille Elise, on Novem- and work life as director of the Children and Teen Prober 25, 2011. She joins big sister Caroline (2). gram for almost a decade at Broadway Dance Center in New York City.

Jaclyn Lewis received her master of library and information science degree from the University of Southern Missis- Katherine Crowell Gunby manages the implementation sippi in December 2013. She is the youth services director of the health insurance exchange consumer program for for the Madison County Library System and the special the Eastern Shore of Maryland. She is also working toward libraries chair for the Mississippi Library Association. She a master of public health degree from the University of lives in Jackson, Mississippi.

Maryland. Gunby, her husband, Matthew, and son, Jackson Paul (1), live in Salisbury, Maryland.

Matthew Evan Taylor ’99 was selected through a national competition held by the American Composers Orches- Whitney Buchanan Clayton and her husband, Travis, weltra to have his work, “Three Glorious Days,” read by the comed a daughter, Sydney Elizabeth, in September 2013.

Detroit Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Leonard The family lives in Jackson, Mississippi.

Slatkin in March. In February, one of Taylor’s pieces for solo piano, “A Look Back,” was premiered at St. Andrew’s 2003 Episcopal School by internationally renowned pianist Jordan Hailey Bryan was promoted to shareholder at Asiya Korepanova.

Ross & Yerger Insurance, where she has worked since 2010.

Bryan is the youngest shareholder at the firm. She serves 2000 as president-elect of the St. Andrew’s Alumni Board and Steve Cohen has worked as an agent with United Talent is a member of the Resource Development Committee.

Agency for nine years. The Hollywood Reporter named Cohen Bryan and her husband, Chase Bryan ’01, live in Madito its “Next Gen” list, a list of the entertainment indus- son, Mississippi. try’s top 35 executives under the age of 35. Cohen’s clients include Kevin Hart (“Ride Along” and “Grudge Match”), 2005 Corey Stoll (“House of Cards”), and Nicholas Hoult (“X- Alaina Simmons double majored in communication disMen: Days of Future Past”). orders and biology at Florida State University. She is an

audiologist in a private practice in Saint Augustine, Florida.

BATTER UP! After playing baseball for the St. Andrew’s Saints

and Ole Miss Rebels, Scott Haltom ’06 earned an engineering degree and signed on as the protective products manager for Marucci, a Baton Rouge-based manufacturer of baseball and softball equipment. Haltom and his father stopped by Barkett Field recently and invited some current Saints to test the company’s equipment. Marucci donated several new bats and helmets designed by Haltom to the Saints program.

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Breck Croft

Greg McMillin

Nathan Slater

2006 Leslie Wells Baskin placed first in the category of Fiber Arts and second in the category of Graphic Design at the third annual Competitive Art Showcase at Mississippi College. Baskin’s fiber piece won overall Best in Show for the whole competition.

2007 Breck Croft married Alexander Yakulis IV in Oxford, Mississippi, on May 25, 2013. The couple lives on the shores of White Rock Lake in Dallas, Texas.

Moriah Allouche

2013 Moriah Allouche began army training in Israel in the fall of 2013. She has completed two months of voluntary service for the Israeli Defense Force, volunteered in schools teaching English, and is enrolled in cultural and religious classes in Jerusalem.

IN MEMORIAM Mary Claire Meeks attends the University of Mississippi School of Medicine. She graduated cum laude from Missis- Suellen Ward • 1942 - 2013 sippi State University in 2011 with a degree in biological Susan Ellen Schultz Ward attended St. Andrew’s Episcosciences and also earned a master’s degree in biomedical sci- pal School and graduated from Murrah High School in ence from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine. 1960, then attended Millsaps College. Before she left full time work to raise her children, Ward was employed at 2008 her family’s clothing stores, Sudie’s and Hardwicks, both Greg McMillin is a student at the Emory University School located in the Woodland Hills Shopping Center in Fondren. of Law. McMillin and fellow student Matt Wilson defeated Active in community service, Ward was a longtime mem36 other law school teams from the United States and Can- ber of the Junior League of Jackson and a parishioner of ada to win the 7th Annual National Baseball Arbitration St. Andrew’s Episcopal Cathedral. Ward is survived by her Competition. The pair posted a perfect 6-0 record in the children, Gayden “Locke” Ward (Melanie) and Ellen Ward mock trial competition, which was held at Tulane Univer- Gomila (Lawson), and her grandchildren Mary Pender sity Law School.

Ward and Henley Hodges Gomila.

Charlton Roberts was a member of Team Pilot, the winning team in a competition to design and build an app that would extend Target stores’ customer experience into new areas.

2011 Nathan Slater is a linebacker with the Florida State Seminoles, who won the 2014 VIZIO BCS National Championship game against Auburn University. Slater is one of six honor roll students on the Seminoles team.

Robert David Sanders III ’92 • 1973-2013 Robert David Sanders III attended St. Andrew’s and graduated from Mississippi College, where he earned a degree in accounting and completed substantial work toward an MBA. Sanders worked with his father as a property manager and bookkeeper. He had a keen interest in fast cars, bodybuilding, and Lakers basketball, and formed many friendships built around those activities. Sanders is survived by his parents and two sisters, Cathy Sanders ’95 and Jillian Sanders ’98.

2012 Mike Steere was named to the 2013 University Athletic Association Fall All-Academic Team at Case Western Reserve University. Mike is a student-athlete on the Spartan’s men’s cross country team.

Mike Waren ’76 • 1958-2013 Malcolm “Mike” Eugene Waren, Jr. graduated from St. Andrew’s Episcopal School and the University of Southern Mississippi. He received his CPA certification and quickly rose in his field, eventually leaving a major CPA

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firm to work in private consulting and the development of accounting software. An avid hunter, Waren drew his passion from nature and through it, a lifelong bond with his father and his son. He is survived by his wife, Kathy Robinson Waren ’77; his son, Robert Waren ’10; his daughter, Kathryn Waren Turner (Nick); his grandchildren, Riley, Kennedy, and Emerson Rose; his parents, Helen and Malcolm Waren, Sr.; and his sister, Katherine Waren Newell (Bob).

Murphy the Cockatoo Generations of St. Andrew’s Episcopal School kindergarten alumni were saddened to learn of the passing of Murphy the cockatoo. Murphy was the constant companion of retired St. Andrew’s kindergarten teacher, Sally Caffery.

“Murphy participated in all of my days at St. Andrew’s,” Caffery recalled with a smile. “He rode to school with me every morning, merrily eating buttered toast. At school, he greeted the children and bounced up and down on his perch begging for their chicken drumsticks from the cafeteria. My favorite memory is a trick my assistant, Mrs. Croft, and I lovingly played on the children. I would say, ‘Mrs. Croft, I have forgotten Murphy! Would you please watch the children while I go home and get him?’ All the while, Murphy was hiding in my sweater, making noises. The children would jump up and down and say, ‘No, Mrs. Caffrey, Murphy is in your sweater!’ Murphy was loved by me and by the children, who were the most important ones.”

Thomas Stemshorn Former St. Andrew’s faculty member Tom Stemshorn was a teacher in the St. Andrew’s math department from 1979 until 1982, and served as chair of the department before his departure. Services celebrating his life were held at All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, California, in January 2013.

REMEMBERING FELLOW SAINTS During Their Reunion Years Elizabeth Raney ’83 The Class of 1983 made gifts to the St. Andrew’s Annual Fund in memory in memory of their late friend and classmate, Elizabeth Raney, who died in 2005. Raney was an honors graduate of Texas Christian University, earned a law degree from Baylor Law School, and practiced family law in Fort Worth, Texas. • “Elizabeth’s senior yearbook quotation was, ‘Don’t hurry. Don’t worry. You’re only here for a short visit, so be sure to stop and smell the flowers,’” Raney’s sister, Scottie Raney Paban said. “Elizabeth seemed to know that she had a short visit on this earth even at an early age, and realized we should enjoy our time and stay in the moment. I’m honored that thirty years later, Elizabeth’s friends and classmates have such fond memories of her and wanted to remember her in this way.” • “Elizabeth felt privileged to have gone to school at St. Andrew’s, and she dearly loved her friends there,” Elizabeth’s mother, Bettye Crout, said. “We thank all of you for remembering our wonderful girl 30 years later.”

Tyler Varnado ’08 The Class of 2008 made a gift to the Spirit of Tyler Christopher Varnado Scholarship endowment in memory of their friend, who was killed in an automobile accident during their senior year.

• “Tyler made such an impact on all of our lives,” said Elizabeth Morrison, president of the Class of 2008.

“He was a really smart guy who did well academically while still managing to keep a class – and even the teacher – laughing. He was a good friend to everyone, and a best friend to many of us. Our class has always been very tight knit. I know none of us will ever forget how we felt that day in October when we found out about Tyler’s accident. In that reality came a sense of understanding of how precious our time together was, and a determination to spend the rest of our senior year remembering Tyler in everything we did.

• “Five years later, it only seemed appropriate to officially remember and honor Tyler and everything he brought to our Class of 2008,” Morrison continued. “Many of us think of him so often, and we hope this gift to the endowment will help Tyler’s legacy and unique spirit continue on at St. Andrew’s.”

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Archways catches up with Karen Crenshaw Swenson ’74

need for more diversity at St. Andrew’s, it also resulted in

by Karen Crenshaw Swenson ’74, a lot of laughter along the way as we Southerners tried a member of St. Andrew’s first senior class to understand Mrs. Roy’s Indian accent and the compli My fondest memories of St. Andrew’s are of the peo- cated-to-us Indian names. ple I knew there and our shared experiences: the stu- Another “first” in a public or independent school in dents, from both junior high and senior high; the won- the state was our newly formed soccer team. In the winderful teachers; the spirited coaches and sports teams; ter of 1974, we joined together to keep each other warm and the many extracurricular activities. My family had and to cheer on our team as they displayed their skills at moved seven times before I was 15 years old, so it was a sport still rarely played in the southern United States. heartwarming for me to immediately have so many This endeavor, too, exhibited the willingness of our spirclose friends. And even then, we knew St. Andrew’s its to try something new and different.

“Dedication to excellence” and was one of the best schools in MissisST. ANDREW’S WISHES “respect for differences” are phrases sippi and had a bright future. a happy 40th reunion to the eleven that come to mind when I think of The extraordinary teachers, staff, and coaches – including Bee Donley members of the Class of ’74, the the experiences of the first graduating class at St. Andrew’s. Individuality and Dorothy Davis (English), Mrs. first graduating senior class of Ruth Butler (Latin), Andy Mullins (his- St. Andrew’s Episcopal School. truly was valued. Teachers and student leaders helped friends find their niche tory and football coach), Anita Vance in life and discover and explore their (math), Elizabeth Dyess (science), BarKim Alliston Brake • Ann Coe gifts and talents. bara Adams (counselor), Suzanne SarKaren Rushing Crawford Whenever we as the Class of ’74 gent (social studies), Bob Rutledge Dave Davis • Dennis Graham have gathered together – at the 10-, (football), and headmasters Rev. Robert Lulu Le Master Heiney 15-, 25-, 35- and now 40-year reunions Battin and Dr. Allen Becker – all aspired Kyle Hendrix • Al Horton for St. Andrew’s to offer the best aca- Rem MacNealy • Jack Stripling – these themes have still been evident.

There is an undercurrent of camaradedemic education possible.

Karen Crenshaw Swenson rie for each other that is grounded in This goal, coupled with the dedication to the Episcopal tradition, brought about a focus on respect for individuality. addressing the importance of diversity in our school in To Kim, Ann, Dave, Dennis, Kyle, Al, Lulu, Rem, 1972. The administration committed to this philosophy Karen R., and Jack, we’ll always be the first graduating with the hiring of Mrs. Minati Roy, a teacher from Cal- class! And to say that about the school that St. Andrew’s cutta, India, who taught us about eastern literature and was then and has become today is something of which Indian culture. While this one-year program spoke to a we can all be very proud.

“‘DEDICATION TO EXCELLENCE’ AND ‘RESPECT FOR DIFFERENCES’ ARE PHRASES THAT COME TO MIND WHEN I THINK OF THE EXPERIENCES OF THE FIRST GRADUATING CLASS AT ST. ANDREW’S. INDIVIDUALITY TRULY WAS VALUED. TEACHERS AND STUDENT LEADERS HELPED FRIENDS FIND THEIR NICHE IN LIFE AND DISCOVER AND EXPLORE THEIR GIFTS AND TALENTS.”

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— Karen Crenshaw Swenson

FIND YOUR ST. ANDREW’S. We hope you’ve enjoyed the glimpse of St. Andrew’s Episcopal School found in this issue of Archways.

If you’d like to find out more about the St. Andrew’s experience and what we have to offer your family, please contact us.

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