Spark Winter 2013

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on Their own

A look at alumni entrepreneurship and how students are learning to take a great idea to market

International Impact on Curriculum Homecoming Festivities

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Collegiate School Administration Keith A. Evans, President/Head of School Phyllis Palmiero, Vice President-Finance Amanda Little Surgner, Vice President-Advancement Lindy M. Williams, Associate Head of School Benjamin I. Rein, Head of Upper School Charles L. Blair, Jr., Head of Middle School Jill S. Hunter, Head of Lower School

Board of Trustees 2012 – 2013

Alumni Association Board 2012 – 2013

John L. Walker III, Chairman of the Board John D. O’Neill, Jr., Vice Chairman of the Board Mark J. Hourigan, Immediate Past Chairman of the Board Keith A. Evans, President/Head of School Phyllis Palmiero, Treasurer Susan C. Wiley, Secretary Richard L. Bennett, Jr. Kenneth T. Berents Michael G. Bland Mark A. Christian John G. Davenport D. Ralph Davison, Jr. Anne Weldon Griffin ** Paul D. Koonce John W. Martin John Gary Maynard III *** Malcolm S. McDonald Gaye C. Montgomery Sheryl Robins Nolt Joan Olmsted Oates* Judy Wagoner Pahren Tracey A. Ragsdale C. B. Robertson III* Robert W. Shinn John G. Stallings Wallace Stettinius* Brude D. Stoever A. L. Stratford III Michelle P. Wiltshire

John Gary Maynard ’86, President David Wilkins ’94, VP/President Elect Sarah Cook Martin ’94, Recording Secretary Tayloe Moore ’98, Corresponding Secretary Ted Lansing ’98, Finance Chair Mason Chapman ’84, Marshall Schutt ’98, Annual Fund Chairs Catherine Crooks Hill ’85, Past President Bobbie Lee Norris Sutherland ’54, Town School Representative Susie Materne Benson ’62 Fran Chalkley Robertson ’69 Bonnie Irby Williams ’75 Meade Spotts ’75 Hank Carter ’77 Jeff Modisett ’78 Philip Goodpasture ’78 Jay DeVoe ’82 Chris Kulp ’84 Sarah Johnson Hallock ’85 Ellen Turbeville Bonbright ’86 Beth Flippo Hutchins ’88 Alan Vaughan ’91 Stephen Spraker ’92 Katherine Thalhimer Adamson ’96 Alice Collins Fruth ’97 Drew Wiltshire ’99 Matt G. Anderson ’00 Lizzie Cullen Cox ’00 Liz Costin Nixon ’02 Yogi Singh ’02 Lauralee Glasgow Allen ’03 Toby Desch ’06

* Life Trustee ** Parents’ Association President *** Alumni Association President

Amanda Little Surgner ’83 VICE PRESIDENT – ADVANCEMENT Elizabeth Woodroof Batty ’77 EDITOR, SPARK DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS Dianne Carter ’04 ASSISTANT EDITOR, SPARK COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER Stacy H. Adams CONTRIBUTOR, SPARK ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS Emily Randolph ALUMNI DIRECTOR Weldon Bradshaw CONTRIBUTOR Weldon Bradshaw, Emma Brown ’13, Al Cothran, Taylor Dabney, Robin Reifsnider, Elaine Sutton, Wendell Powell Studio, Dean Whitbeck, Andy Wiley ’77 PHOTOGRAPHY Scout Design GRAPHIC DESIGN Cenveo Publisher Services PRINTING Thanks to all parents, students, alums and friends who share generously of their information, photographs and archives. The Spark is published twice a year by Collegiate School. We welcome letters from readers, though we may not have room to publish them all. Submissions may be edited for publication. Photographs deemed unsuitable in quality by the Spark’s designers may not be included. We make every effort to return photographs shared with us­ – please send high resolution (300dpi) digital images whenever possible (to: spark@collegiate-va.org). Class Notes and Photographs: Please send your news and photographs, and we will use them in an upcoming issue. Digital images must be high resolution (min. 300dpi). ADDRESS Spark Editor Collegiate School / Development Office 103 North Mooreland Road / Richmond, VA 23229 E-MAIL spark@collegiate-va.org Visit our web site at www.collegiate-va.org PHONE Spark: 804.741.9781 / Alumni Office : 804.741.9757

103 North Mooreland Road / Richmond, VA 23229 804.740.7077 / Fax: 804.741.9797

Since former Headmistress Catharine Flippen first taught girls how to craft paper snowflakes, the making of these paper delights has heralded the winter season. Melanie Gorsline ’74, Middle School art teacher, carries on the tradition in her classes and decorates windows of the Hershey Center for the Arts.

The Collegiate school is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin in the administration of its educational, admission or financial aid policies, or any other programs administered by the School.

Spark


WINTER 2013

AROUND CAMPUS NEWS from Mooreland Road ................................................................................................ 04 2nd Annual Emerging Leaders Conference ................................................. 06 A Tribute to Coach Weldon Bradshaw ............................................................. 10 FACULTY Travels ............................................................................................................ 14 New Faculty and Staff .............................................................................................. 18 Fall Sports Roundup .................................................................................................. 20

FEATURE ON THEIR OWN: Alumni and student entrepreneurs combine creativity and determination to put their ideas out in the marketplace and to work for the greater good ................................. 24

ALUMNI ACTIVITIES NEWS of alumni accomplishments ...................................................................................... 38 Alumni in Sports ........................................................................................................... 41 HOMECOMING: Football Game, Oyster Roast, Cookout .................................................. 44 Pageant Lunch ............................................................................................................... 49 REUNIONS: Young Alums, Washington DC, New York .................................................... 50 WINTER PARTY & AUCTION ............................................................................................. 56 Where are you?: Help find these missing reunion year alums ................................... 62

CLASS NOTES

Including profiles of Susan Gill Dull ’70, Lucas Beirne ’99, and Maggie Varland ’07 ........................................................................................................ 64

EXTRAS

PARTING SHOT: In Memoriam – Kevin Kelley ................................................................. 92

Cover:7th Grade members of the Middle School Entrepreneur Club get some tips from 89 Paint owner Ethan Wirt ‘01 on using an iPad to help run a business. From left, Robertson Reed (makes peanut brittle with 100-year-old family recipe), Emily Yue (sells jewelry) and Winston Sisk (makes cookie cakes). Photo by Taylor Dabney.

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2012 / 2013 ALUMNI DATEBOOK All Collegiate Alumni are invited to attend the following events. For more information on events at Collegiate, visit our web site at www.collegiate-va.org/alumni/events

May

Thursday, 23 Friday, 31

Senior Softball Game and Supper Lower School Graduation

June

Thursday, 6, Friday, 7

Middle School Graduation Upper School Graduation/ Distinguished Alumni Awards Presentation


FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL A recent survey of entrepreneurs asked, “What was your strongest motivation for starting your own business?” I could imagine a lot of different answers to that question: “I wanted to make a lot of money,” or “I had a passion that turned into a business opportunity” or even, “I needed a job.” The answer that bubbled to the top was none of these but rather, “I wanted to be my own boss.” The survey and this response got me thinking about the profile of a successful entrepreneur and why Collegiate seems to produce so many alums in the business of starting a business. I believe it is partly because we help students to develop an inner compass that enables them to chart their own course. I also believe our students are comfortable with being accountable for themselves and with living up to high expectations. Further, I believe Collegiate students learn early on what it feels like to take charge whether of the Lower School carpool line as a Campus Cub or an Upper School assembly as the senior speaker for the day. In other words, “being my own boss” is ingrained into everyday life at Collegiate. It makes perfect sense that our students would take what they know best into a career choice. But “being my own boss” is only the motivation, it is not what makes an entrepreneur successful. For the answer to that question, one could look at surveys, articles, or books and find a virtual consensus. Entrepreneurs are successful because of their integrity. This should come as no surprise. Entrepreneurs are their own bosses but they are also leaders. Starting a business or non-profit is full of travails, near death experiences and close calls. Often, the entrepreneur does not have a business track record for employees, investors, vendors, customers to assess. For author Stewart Borie, new business owners have only their trustworthiness, a quality rooted in “authenticity...where what you see is what you get.” Borie goes on to write, “Personal integrity is the measure of how a person is in action, how a person embodies his or her beliefs, how a person can hold and carry forth a vision and mission. But most importantly, it is what followers follow over the long term, and the key is the long-term. Followers will intellectually, emotionally and intuitively measure the integrity of their leader(s) against their own values and their doctrines of fairness, and will over time decide to what measure they place their fate in the hands of their leader(s).” So why does Collegiate seem to produce so many motivated and successful entrepreneurs? In one way or another, virtually everything we do comes back to inspiring courage and building character. Whether through a peer-to-peer honor system or a student-directed theater production or a limits-expanding athletic program, Collegiate students become devoted to what is true and comfortable with the feeling of risk and the reward that follows. Sounds a lot like an entrepreneur too, doesn’t it? So read on and see how our alums are succeeding out there “on their own.” We are all proud of them but, honestly, not too surprised. Best Wishes,

Keith Evans Head of School


Around Campus

News From Mooreland Road

Around Campus

Scott Carson, Director of Facilities Management and Construction, explains an aspect of the new Academic Commons to Ann Lee Saunders Brown ’36 while touring the construction site in December. The Commons, due to open late summer, will include an Upper School library, cafÊ, classrooms, flexible spaces and archives. Elsewhere on the north side of campus, the Reed-Gumenick Library is being renovated to serve as a Middle School library, and this summer the Middle and Upper Schools will switch buildings and both will be refurbished. Come visit next fall to see the results!

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New Trustees

Please welcome these new members of the Collegiate Board of Trustees... Paul D. Koonce Paul is executive vice president of Dominion Resources, Inc. and chief executive officer of the company’s Dominion Virginia Power operating segment. He oversees Dominion’s regulated electric transmission, distribution and customer service operations that provide electricity to approximately 2.4 million customer accounts in Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. He is also responsible for Dominion’s unregulated retail energy marketing operations serving 2.2 million gas, electric and service customers in 12 states. Paul serves on the boards of the Southeastern Electric Exchange, The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation Board of Trustees, Jobs for Virginia Graduates, Virginia Union University, the University of Tennessee College of Business Advisory Council to the Dean, and the Regional Leadership Council for Smart Beginnings. He was the campaign chair for the Greater Richmond/Petersburg 2010 United Way campaign. Paul has also served as past chair of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America and the Southern Gas Association. Paul received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. He and his wife Tammy have two children who graduated from Collegiate – Dillon ’08 and Ally ’10.

John G. Stallings John serves as the president and CEO of the Virginia Division of SunTrust, John has more than 20 years of experience in retail and commercial banking with SunTrust. Prior to the SunTrust National Commerce Financial (NCF) merger, he served as director of retail banking for NCF with responsibility for the retail banking business line, corporate training, and branch operations. John chaired the 2009 Campaign for the United Way of Greater Triangle and co-chaired the Vision 3D economic development drive for the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce. Other community activities include serving on the Virginia Business Council, the Management Round Table and the boards of the Virginia Bankers Association, North Carolina Bankers Association, Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges, and the Science Museum of Virginia Foundation. John graduated from Vanderbilt University and received his MBA from the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis. He and his wife Celeste have two children at Collegiate – Emily is in 8th Grade and Will is in 11th Grade.

Welcome!

Song for a Cause Students and alums from Collegiate and St. Christopher’s joined forces in September to organize a Richmond Pancreatic Cancer Research Walk in memory of Brad Tazewell, father of Ann Wallace Tazewell ’11. Brad Tazewell passed away on Aug. 23 after a hardfought battle with pancreatic cancer. Collegiate students and parents, and many of Ann Wallace’s 2011 classmates formed teams for the walk, and following the race, Collegiate alum Emma White ’11 (left) performed a song she composed especially for the occasion.

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Around Campus

2nd Annual Emerging Leaders Conference Unites International Students

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n late September, teachers and students from 10 countries (China, Mexico, Spain, Costa Rica, Morocco, Israel, India, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Malaysia) arrived to participate in our second annual International Emerging Leaders Conference. Participants were welcomed with a team-building retreat at Robins Campus, and began the program’s main purpose of designing innovative new products focused on the environmental issues each delegation brought to the table on the first day. During the week, they worked with scholars and leaders at the University of Richmond, VCU’s da Vinci Center for Innovation, MeadWestvaco, Dominion Power and Health Diagnostic Laboratory, engaged with Harvard professor Dr. Michael Sandel (see sidebar) and worked in their international teams on their new product ideas. The experience was profound for the student participants, as evidenced in these closing remarks from Hicham Zaid from Morocco: “It has been a great honor for the Moroccan delegation to be part of the

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International Emerging Leaders Conference 2012. We never expected such a warm welcoming from the Collegiate students. The incredible hospitality we were greeted with made us feel at home. Our experience and interactions during the conference completely changed our perspective on the western society. I admired the openmindedness that all the delegates shared in common. Being open-minded is truly a

beauty and gives you a whole other wonderful perspective to see into the heart of everything. …This conference raised our awareness and reduced our ignorance about the environmental issues going on all over the world. Our trips to different companies shaped and kind of indirectly contributed to our solutions. Working in groups with different people from different backgrounds was simply amazing.”


Harvard Professor Challenges Students

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onference participants and Collegiate guests experienced the interactive style of Harvard professor Dr. Michael Sandel as they considered complex issues involving ethics, economics and the environment. More than 15,000 Harvard University students have taken Dr. Sandel’s class, called “Justice,” and many readers worldwide have read his book Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do? As the keynote speaker at our Emerging Leaders Conference event at the Virginia Historical Society, he was the perfect highlight of a week spent learning about ethical and innovative approaches to global challenges. Dr. Sandel took the stage and captured the attention of the audience as he posed questions about thought-provoking hypothetical moral dilemmas. Conference students were seated up front, and Dr. Sandel addressed them directly, asking their opinions about issues related to black rhino hunting in Africa, refugees in need of home countries, littering and the mitigation of global emissions. Each issue had a monetary component – is it ok to pay another country to reduce their emissions to a greater extent so that your country doesn’t have to reduce as much? Is it ok to pay another country to take on more refugees so that your country won’t have to? As he described the scenarios, many of the students raised their hands to offer opinions, and Dr. Sandel called on them to debate the two sides of the issues. While the rest of the audience were spectators, they were just as engaged as the participants as Dr. Sandel masterfully directed the discussions.

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Continued from previous page...

Political Reporter Mike Allen Shares Insight from Epicenter

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onsidered one of Washington’s hardest working reporters, Mike Allen, chief political correspondent at Politico.com, visited the Upper School on the day of the first Presidential campaign debate in October. He attended AP History class and spoke at assembly where sophomore Reeves Surgner, whose father attended college with Mr. Allen, introduced him to students. Mr. Allen opened up the hour with a few facts and observations regarding the Obama and Romney campaigns. In particular, he emphasized the “swing state” position of Virginia and how fortunate we are to have such a key role in the election. He then took a seat with a student panel, comprised of seniors Carson Eubank, Peter Ferguson and Sarah Clark, and answered questions from them and others in the audience. Topics ranged from the

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importance of a journalist being impartial to the constantly changing internet tools that are now part of a campaign’s arsenal – social media, email, texting and targeting of undecided individuals by using lists that reveal voting profiles. Asked about the “coolness” factor of the two candidates, Mr. Allen pointed out that elections over

the past couple of decades have been won by the most likable candidate. Another questioner asked about the nature of his typical day, and he shared that he is up by 3 a.m. daily to write and email his Politico Playbook which many who work on the Hill consider essential reading material before they start their days.


Endowment Opportunities Acknowledged Longtime friends of Collegiate were on campus in October to hear about experiences made possible by their generosity. At an Upper School assembly, students shared photos and details about summer activities funded by three endowment awards.

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1. Ann Lower and Brody Schneider ’13 who hiked the John Muir Trail in California thanks to the John L. Lower Memorial Grant established by Mrs. Lower’s family. 2. Emily Disler ’14 (service in Tanzania) and Abby Turner ’14 (service in the Dominican Republic) received the Mary Parker Moncure Vaden Endowment Awards, but the Vaden family could not attend. 3. Becky Jessee and Dr. Forrest Jessee with Austin Parks ’14 (planted a garden at Anna Julia Cooper Episcopal School) and Martha Peaseley ’13 (service in Lunahuana, Peru) recipients of the Samuel D. Jessee Endowment for Leadership. 3

Thanks, Glen Dandridge! After 33 years keeping our buildings up and running and our transportation schedule, too, Glen Dandridge decided to conclude his career at Collegiate this past November. Glen was a great friend to many faculty and staff members who enjoyed hearing about the basketball success of his son and benefited from Glen’s helpful knowledge of car and truck mechanics. We thank Glen for his years of service and wish him well. Claud Whitley proudly displays his bike, festively decked for the holidays by Robyn Hartley, one of our Mooreland Campus grounds crew.

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Around Campus

A Tribute to Coach Weldon Bradshaw

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s you may know, Middle School English teacher and varsity boys cross country coach Weldon Bradshaw faced some serious health challenges this past fall that resulted in a liver transplant on Nov. 14. The operation was a success and he is gaining strength daily. In honor of Mr. Bradshaw, a master wordsmith known for his weekly online Reflections column (www.collegiate-va.org/ reflections) about Collegiate people, his cross country team turned the tables and wrote an essay about him and posted it on the Reflections page. Their words are a moving tribute to a coach for whom coaching is a calling in life – he has encouraged hundreds of runners over the years with his trademark cheer: “You can finish this race!” The following is an excerpt of their essay [NOTE: Words in plain text are those of the boys on the team. Words in italics are Coach Bradshaw’s]:

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“He has coached cross country since our parents were young. He coached our teachers. He is the living embodiment of everything that sports stand for at Collegiate.” “Others know him for his mastery of words, but those of us who know him from cross country and track get to see a side of him in which he doesn’t have to use words to convey his overwhelming knowledge of the sport. His actions and presence alone often speak louder than his words.” “The words of wisdom that he imparts on us are short on syllables, but filled with insight for both running and life:” “One step at a time, one rep at a time.” “Stay as close as you can, for as long as you can.” “You know you can finish.” “Coach Bradshaw always knows what to say, because he has no doubt been in a similar situation at some point in his life. Whether you step into his office in the Middle School or his ‘office,’ by running

next to him during a workout, his words flow effortlessly from his enormous heart.” “At one point this year, he referred to the team as his second family, a feeling that is mutually felt throughout the team – not just a team, but a close-knit family that Coach Bradshaw has been a part of for so long.” “He knows me more than my own father and while we are running for him, it feels like, over the past few years, we have been running with him. There is something special about a group of people who finds it enjoyable to run together for an hour of each day. Running, the punishment workout for many sports, is what has united us. We find energy at the end of our day to get in one more mile, one more rep, or five more minutes of core exercises. Many call us fools for picking such a sport, but this has no effect on our determination. A determination which stems both from the bond from runner to runner and more importantly, the bond from coach to runner. Coach Bradshaw does not simply


coach us to be better runners; he coaches us to be better people. His spirit infects us all with the ability to find success in every day.” “Collegiate XC is like the Hotel California: you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave.” “The Hotel California, perhaps one of his favorite analogies about the team, is often repeated by Coach Bradshaw in reference to the lasting effects of a ‘Former Collegiate Track and Cross-Country Star of Yesteryear’ on the program. Yet, the analogy seems to overlook the significance of a man who has spent more than the maximum of six years in the program. To any of the residents of the hotel, it is obvious that the owner of the hotel will always be Coach Bradshaw.” “When I was younger you taught me grammar and how to write, now you teach me dedication and how to succeed.” “Coach Bradshaw’s dedication and perseverance sets the tone for the team and has inspired success for decades. Recently,

Coach Bradshaw’s dedication and perseverance sets the tone for the team and has inspired success for decades.

this has been amplified as he has been constantly running against an opponent that seems determined to take him out of the fight. Against such odds, he has continued on, unwavering.”

“I Will Dance At Gracie’s Wedding” “Gracie is Coach Bradshaw’s granddaughter who is only a few years old. He knows that he will make it to that day, much like he tells us that ‘You know you can finish’ during our races.” “We want to be there just like you have been there for us. We know you can finish just like you know we can finish a race.” “Thus, as you continue your race, we hope that you remember five words: You know you can finish.” – COL XC

Opposite: Early in the fall, before his liver transplant in November, Coach Bradshaw stood with the senior cross country boys for this photo at Robins Campus: Matthew Wallace, Kyle Pate, Teddy Nasworthy, Weldon Bradshaw, Connor Partlow, Luke Page and Andy Emroch.

Celebrating Democracy

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ast fall, as the nation prepared to vote in the Presidential election, Collegiate students were learning the value of making informed choices and voting to insure that their voices are heard. Upper Schoolers texted their choice for President in a mock election (Romney won), while Middle Schoolers voted using the online Youth Leadership Initiative Mock Election program developed by Larry Sabato at the University of Virginia Center for Politics. The results they received showed numbers for schools nationwide and in Virginia (Obama won in both categories) and for our 8th Grade voters (Romney won). As part of their history curriculum, 8th Grade teams presented to younger students their stances on issues such as the economy, the environment, education and foreign policy. Lower Schoolers voted via iPads on issues ranging from which animal to adopt at Maymont (bald eagle beat bobcat) to the best time for 4th Grade recess (before lunch won).

Middle School girls prepare to cast their votes.

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Around Campus

Washington Post ’s Gene Weingarten Visits

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ashington Post columnist Gene Weingarten, winner of two Pulitzer Prizes for feature writing, was our Whitfield speaker this year. He conducted a workshop and spoke to Upper School students in November. Well known for his weekly humor column in the Post, “Below the Beltway,” Mr. Weingarten is also the author of several books and “Barney & Clyde,” a daily comic strip he writes with his son. At the morning workshop with English teacher Vlastik Svab and students who applied to participate, he reviewed their writing and made suggestions. By the nature of the questions they posed, he concluded that all of the students are writers with potential. At assembly, he began by offering a quick writing lesson that highlighted a few important elements of good writing. He illustrated the art of telling a joke and the difference between a so-so lead and an intriguing one by recounting anecdotal

Gene Weingarten, left, chats with Vlastik Svab and students. stories – the key, he emphasized, is being a good storyteller. Over the years Mr. Weingarten has written skillfully about both amusing and tragic topics with equal success. He won his Pulitzers for a story called “Pearls Before Breakfast,” which documented the response, or lack thereof, to violin virtuoso Joshua Bell playing in the subway station during the morning commuter hours, and for “Fatal Distraction,” the tragic tale of parents who

have mistakenly left their young children in cars with fatal consequences. His stories succeed due to a combination of intriguing subject matter and his talent for describing what he observes with expert word choices and configurations. We are very grateful to the Whitfield family for endowing this speaker series and to Mr. Weingarten for taking time to visit us and share his expertise and insight with our students.

Veteran Commendation Presented by Del. Cantor ’81

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Walter George (center, holding plaque) with his family and Congressman Eric Cantor ’81 at the 2012 Congressional Veteran Commendation Presentation Ceremony.

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alter George, a recently retired member of our Physical Plant staff, was honored at the 2012 Congressional Veteran Commendation Presentation Ceremony in Richmond on Nov. 12. Congressman Eric Cantor, a 1981 Collegiate graduate, presented Mr. George with a Veteran Commendation plaque and took time to talk to family members and Collegiate friends who were in attendance. Mr. George was a sergeant in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, serving in the 3rd Infantry Division, 64th Heavy Tank Battalion, 4th Platoon. Awards he received for service include a Good Conduct Medal, Army of Occupation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal and United Nations Service Medal. Congratulations to Mr. George and thanks to Middle School teacher and coach Weldon Bradshaw for contacting Congressman Cantor’s office on his behalf.


Remembering a Favorite Book

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ead Librarian Allen Chamberlain was invited, along with other community readers, including VCU’s President Michael Rao, Rams Coach Shaka Smart and musician Jason Mraz, to contribute an essay to the Richmond Public Library’s exhibit, “Why Children’s Books: Inspiring Generations” this past summer. The essays were on display at the library’s downtown branch, the Children’s Museum of Richmond and VCU Library. The following is Ms. Chamberlain’s contribution:

I was four when I received The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton for my birthday. Even at that age, mine was already a childhood of houses. The one my parents built, modest but finely crafted. The twenties bungalow Daddy grew up in. The white two-story of Mama’s childhood in Enterprise, Mississippi, a place I visited every Sunday for lunch with my grandparents. Our family’s camp house, facing a lake in the piney woods, built with scraps from my grandfather’s lumberyard (but what beauty in the pine paneling and six-foot double-hung windows). In The Little House, Burton was writing about something I was beginning, even as a little girl, to feel: be attentive to the world around you. It is possible for objects, whether a house or a swing tree, to tell a story. The Little House “watched the countryside slowly change with the seasons,” and “she watched the children playing in the brook.” In the city “she used to dream of the country…and the apple trees dancing in the moonlight.” Did my grandparents’ house watch me climb the Mimosa tree at the corner of her side porch? Did she watch us have a tea party under the scuppernong arbor in the backyard? I’m sure she did, and now, more than fifty years later, I’m still listening to those stories with discovery and wonder, still meeting memory in those sacred walls. I’m also sure the cedar closet, nestled under the eaves of the bedroom my mother shared with her sister, is still inviting children to play.

Stop Hunger Now Members of Interact Club spent a Saturday morning in January packaging 20,000 meals for Stop Hunger Now, a national nonprofit organization that works with volunteers to prepare meals for school-age youths in developing countries, and in parts of the U.S.

Some meals are distributed to aid in hunger relief efforts, while others are transported to areas that have experienced disasters. Bags were filled with rice, soy, dried vegetables, vitamin packets and various grains by an assembly line of 60 students, club sponsor Lewis Lawson and Rotary mem-

bers. The food was purchased for the project through Interact fundraisers and contributions totaling $2,500, and with a matching donation of $2,500 from the Rotary Club of West Richmond. According to Mr. Lawson, the food packaged by the group will be delivered to children in Haiti and New Jersey.

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Around Campus

Travels Help Faculty Gain Insights to Be Used in Global Curriculum Initiatives in Their Classrooms

Upper School English teachers Cindy Douglass, Allen Chamberlain, Vlastik Svab, Mil Norman-Risch and Linda Rouse attended the Jaipur Literary Festival to gain insight into the works of the great writers of India.

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by Claire Sisisky, Director of International Education

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xploration of countries around the world has always been a part of Collegiate’s academic curriculum – many alumnae from early days at the Collegiate School for Girls on Monument Avenue remember learning about Egypt from Headmistress Catharine Flippen who had previously headed a school in Cairo. The depth of her knowledge of Egyptian culture illuminated the traditions and history of the country for hundreds of students throughout her career.

Today, our teachers are focusing on topics such as Indian literature and Turkish culture through intensive studies followed by trips to learn more first-hand that give them a deeper understanding of countries than could be had by reading about them. These curriculum initiatives are primarily funded through The William “Bill” Reeves Endowment for Ethical Behavior, Diversity and Global Outreach recognizing the Reeves’ family desire to invigorate the intellectual life of Collegiate and encourage new thinking. Following the directive of the global education mission statement crafted by our Board of Trustees several years ago, we are focusing on instilling “a global perspective in our students in order to prepare


them for the opportunities and challenges they will encounter throughout their lives.” As citizens and leaders, our students will need a firm grasp on the “economic, political, environmental, religious and cultural issues…among people and nations around the world.” Collegiate has grown tremendously in this area over the past eight years, working to ensure that global education and perspectives are “key elements within our definition of academic excellence.” However, the path has not always been easy, as the pace of change in societies around the world continues to accelerate and the daily news reminds us of the many regions of the world connected to our daily lives here in Richmond. Especially important are three areas of the world in which our students should have a strong foundation of understanding – China, India and Turkey. Their histories and cultures have been brought to life in our classrooms for many years, but their growing realm of influence in the world requires our students to have a more in-depth and nuanced grasp of the complexities inherent in each of these nations and their surrounding regions. Essential to embracing the vision of our global education mission is the education of our faculty that enables them to teach and inspire students as they “emphasize depth of understanding over superficial exposure to a range of ideas.” Integrating the substantial study of these three diverse countries into our K-12 curriculum is an ongoing project. The process allows our faculty the space, the time, and the challenge to undertake their own professional growth and learning as they pertain to their disciplines or grade levels. The following is an overview of Collegiate’s curriculum-focused faculty professional development initiatives in these three regions.

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Collegiate faculty and administration began learning more about China in 2006, and significant growth in this initiative has already been accomplished. • Two partner school relationships were established and have blossomed, along with an internationally recognized Chinese language program in grades K-12.

• A group of teachers and administrators traveled to China in 2007, focused on bringing a stronger and deeper understanding of China back to our campus in Richmond. • The strategic partnership of The Asia Society in New York and the Confucius Institute in Beijing has allowed our faculty opportunity to learn more about China both within the country and in the United States. • A short-term teacher exchange program is entering its second year this summer focused on Upper School math and science departments sharing curriculum, teaching techniques and cultural experiences.

As citizens and leaders, our students will need a firm grasp on economic, political, environmental, religious and cultural issues.

TURKEY Collegiate led a year-long curriculum development program and faculty trip to Turkey last school year, collaborating with teachers from Hathaway Brown, Hotchkiss, and Lawrenceville Schools. Collegiate is a founding board member school of the Global Education Benchmark Group (www.gegb.org). • Two faculty from each division along with one school administrator participated in the project.

• The pre-trip coursework was extensive and included common readings, discussions and guest lectures from visiting scholars including history faculty from University of Richmond. • The faculty visited locations throughout Turkey emphasizing the continuous role of the region as a central player in history from ancient times, through the Roman then Ottoman eras, until today as a U.S. ally in a complex area, bridging Europe and Asia. • Teachers each created a curriculum project and shared their resources with their colleagues and students; Middle School teachers Cindy Cargas and Charlie Williams were able to integrate their study of Turkey across multiple disciplines and implement in the classroom of every 5th Grade student.

INDIA Collegiate’s connections in India began with a visit to various schools in the country in 2007 by Head of School Keith Evans and Academic Dean David Colon. Our partnership with Modern School in New Delhi continues to thrive through student exchange. This year we are working on a year-long program with the Upper School English department focused on Indian literature and helping our students gain a more in-depth understanding of the region. • Seven English department teachers formed our Indian Literature Study Group which reads common non-fiction works and individual works of literature, along with bi-weekly discussion. • Five of these teachers attended the Jaipur Literary Festival in India in January 2013 to engage with writers from all over Asia and the world (www.jaipurliteraturefestival.org). • The week-long trip to India included meetings and discussion with literature teachers from Modern School, as well as visits to rural non-profits and urban landmarks. • After a year of study, teachers will implement a new work focused on India or Indians in the diaspora into their English courses, prepared with the historical and cultural understanding to enrich the students’ study of this increasingly influential region.

Winter 2013 15


Around Campus

Students enjoy rolling through the woods on trails at Robins Campus.

Riding at Robins

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he woods surrounding the fields at the Robins Campus hold a secret that is slowly getting out: more than four miles of single track mountain bike trails. Nearing the end of its second season, the 7th and 8th Grade Mountain Bike Club is enjoying the

expanded trail system and fun, interspersed trail features such as log piles and “skinnies.” The plans for the trails began in spring 2011 when a survey of students eligible for cub sports indicated enthusiastic support for the idea. An endowed fund provided the financial support to get the area mapped using GPS technology in order to determine the best way to plan out the trail system. Nationally recognized trail builders, known for their work with the James River Park System, carefully flagged the routes and volunteers spent more than 250 hours working to craft the singletrack trails. Four days a week, the riders retrieve their bikes from the sheds near the trails, and they ride until darkness falls, led by experienced mountain bikers (who double as teachers) Mary Margaret Ryan, Bill Rider and Phil Hunnicutt. Accessible to all Collegiate families when the campus is open, the trails are being enjoyed by bikers and runners alike. The singletrack design and tight layout demand attention from the riders, but the trails are able to be enjoyed by novice riders as well as expert. “As the trail design nears completion,” Mr. Rider says, “we hope to be able to create a more distinctive trail entrance and install a descriptive trail map/kiosk to help those new to the trails.” For more information, contact him at brider@collegiate-va.org.

Ed Ciszek, father of Megan ’13, Katie ’14, Andrew ’18 and Matt ’22, is an actual rocket scientist, and he visited Burrell Stultz’s class of 3rd Grade students who were studying astronomy in January. While in class, he discussed the birth, life and death of stars, connections with life on earth and extending our study of matter, gravity and pressure.

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Mrs. Mary Sue Neal has come to school in early December for almost 40 years to hang a beautiful boxwood wreath on the statue in the Middle School courtyard that was given in memory of her son Jamie Neal ’76. This holiday gesture is a touching reminder to keep in our hearts those families of Collegiate students who are no longer with us.

Mobile Site Reminder Announcing....

e.g., Our New Academics Blog!

Curated by Collegiate’s Academic Dean David Colon, e.g. features “intriguing trends and innovation in K-12 education.” The name of the blog is the abbreviation for “exempli gratia,” a Latin phrase that means “for example.” The blog, located at www.collegiatervablog.org, is designed not so much for sharing every new strategy or technique on the horizon, but to show examples of how we are educating our children. So far, posts have included topics such as “slow conversation,” the merit of video games, technology in the bio lab, “flipping” classrooms, Middle School guest author Connor Grennan and one Senior Seminar’s focus on our international conference. Guest bloggers often address their specialties with a focus on academic innovation on our campus. Bookmark or subscribe so that you won’t miss a post, and contact Mr. Colon with any ideas or feedback at dcolon@ collegiate-va.org.

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on’t forget that you can access Collegiate info on your phone! Just use your phone’s browser and search for our website (www.collegiate-va.org) and the mobile site will automatically load. When you bookmark it, you’ll have the option to save it onto your phone’s desktop...then you can quickly click on the Collegiate icon when needed. The mobile site offers you quick access to Calendar / News / Athletics / Media Gallery and, if you log in using the same user name and password that you use for the website, you can search the Collegiate directory for phone numbers and addresses.

Follow Us! You can find us online in these places.... Website www.collegiate-va.org Facebook www.facebook.com/collegiateschool www.facebook.com/cougar.alums Twitter @collegiaterva (for general info) @cougarsrva (for sports scores)

If you have not logged in before, here’s how: 1. Go to www.collegiate-va.org/today 2. In LOGIN box in left sidebar, type in your user name. For alumni, it’s your complete first name, last name and class year (for Beth Smith ’84, ElizabethSmith84) and then click on Log In Help to receive your temp password. This only works if we have your email on record. The system will let you know. Send your email to webmaster@collegiate-va.org and we’ll send you a temporary password. Once you’ve signed in on the website you can update your personal info and/or enter a class note by clicking on My Profile.

Winter 2013 17


Around Campus

New Faculty and Staff

New faculty and staff for 2012– 2013… Front Row: Emma Drucker (E E Ford Fellow in English), Shayna Cooke (US biology), Craig Ely (MS science), Stacy Adams (Assoc. Dir. of Communications), Samantha Slater (US English), Laurie Goode (MS math), Sally Williams (US math). BACK ROW: Katie Bretz (US math), Lynne Tulou (4th Grade assistant), Carolyn Villanueva (2nd Grade), Marc Reynolds (US biology), Chris Lim (US physics), Toby Desch ’06 (US Student Life Intern), Phil Lawson (MS/US choral music), Collin McConaghy (Director of Summer Quest), Dan Bell (MS technology), Dani Pycroft (3rd Grade).

This past fall, we welcomed the following professionals to our ranks, and they are already making valuable contributions on our campus. Upper School Katie Bretz, Upper School Mathematics BS in Commerce, University of Virginia; M.Ed. in Mathematics Education, University of West Georgia. Shayna Cooke, Upper School Science BS in Marine Biology, University of South Carolina; MAT in Secondary Science Education, University of South Carolina. Toby Desch ’06, Upper School Intern BIS with a focus on elementary education, Virginia Commonwealth University. Emma Drucker, E. E. Ford Teaching Fellow in English BA in English and Environmental Studies, Middlebury College.

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Phil Lawson, Interim Choral Teacher BM in Music Education, James Madison University; MDiv, Baptist Theological Seminary. Chris Lim, Upper School Physics BA in Biochemistry and Biophysics, Amherst College. Marc Reynolds, Upper School Science BS, MS in Biology, Saint Joseph’s University. Sally Williams, Upper School Math BS in Business Administration, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Middle School Daniel Bell, Middle School Technology / Sports Video BFA in Writing for Film & Television, The University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA. Craig Ely, Middle School Science BS in Biology, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga; MS in Secondary Education, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.


Laurie Goode, Middle School Math BA in Interdisciplinary Studies with Honors, minors in PK-6 Mathematics and Social Studies, Virginia Tech; MA in Curriculum and Instruction, College of William and Mary.

Lower School Danielle Pycroft, 3rd Grade BA in Psychology; University of Richmond; MA in Curriculum Instruction, University of Richmond. Lynne Tulou, 4th Grade Assistant BS in English, Speech, and Drama, minor in Journalism, Longwood College.

Carolyn Villanueva, 2nd Grade BA in Art History, Gettysburg College; MEd in Multi-Cultural, Multi-Lingual Education, Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, CA.

Staff Stacy Hawkins Adams, Associate Director of Communications BS in Mass Communications, Jackson State University, MS. Collin McConaghy, Director of Summer Quest BS in Business Administration, University of Richmond.

Faculty and Staff Recognized at Start of School Employees who have been working at Collegiate for 10 years received special chairs: Julie Bennett, Liz Bowling, Laura Fields, Suzanne Fleming, Heather Garnett, Mary Gayoso, Marella Gregory, Phil Hunnicutt, Carol Lewis, Deb McKercher, Ruth Webb, Mary Williams and Rachel Wright.

10  years

Honored with plaques indicating that they have worked at Collegiate for  years 30 years were: Wilbur Athey, Grayland Crisp, Arthur Jones, Missy Herod, Susan Overton and Neil Weiser.

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Special awards were given to recognize faculty/staff for their contributions...

Class of ’77 Anne Jones Staff Award Bryan Voltz, Physical Plant

Ann Griffin Award for Excellence in Teaching Susan Fourness-Ewell, Upper School chemistry

Brent Award Pete Follansbee, Upper School English ABOVE: Theater faculty Keith Saine, Mike Boyd and Jon Shelley received the Oates Endowment for Creative and Innovative Teaching Award for the fine work they do behind the scenes in the Hershey Center for the Arts. LEFT: Upper School biology teacher Ann Griffin retired last year but returned to the opening of school faculty/ staff meeting to present former colleague Dr. Susan Fourness-Ewell with the first Ann Griffin Award for Excellence in Teaching which was established in Mrs. Griffin’s honor.

Martha Elizabeth Schwarz Award Ann Staples, 3rd Grade

Craigie Endowment for Teaching Excellence Award Charlie Williams, Suzanne Fleming, Cindy Cargas, Ann Cullen, Kate Cunningham, Rives Fleming, Laurie Shadowen, Farley Macdonald, 5th Grade Teaching Team

Oates Endowment for Creative and Innovative Teaching Award Mike Boyd, Keith Saine, Jon Shelley, Hershey Center

Winter 2013 19


Around Campus

Fall Sports Roundup

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very athletic season has its signature moments. It has its themes that make it memorable, even unique. This was a fall marked by emotion, passion, and adrenalinecharged performances. Sometimes, the Cougars won. Sometimes, they came up short on the scoreboard. Always, they competed with sportsmanship. There was a refuse-to-quit element that our athletes and coaches understand is more important than tangible rewards. There were plenty of tangible rewards as well. 1. Captains Bayley Wood and Sarah Clark proudly hold the VISAA state championship plaque. 2. Jack Sutton runs the ball following a pass from Wilton Speight (behind him).

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Tennis 20–1

LIS Champion, VISAA Runner-up All-LIS Connor Brewer ’13, Sarah Johnson ’15, Mythili Vigneshwar ’16, Ellie Whitlock ’14, Katie Wright ’14 All-State Brewer, Whitlock Notable Collegiate defeated St. Catherine’s each of the four times they met. It was the Cougars’ first sweep of their LIS rival in six years. Captains Brewer, Natalie Lerch ’13, Frankie O’Neill ’13

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Volleyball 9–16 LIS Semifinalist

All-LIS Anna Hoover ’14 Notable The Cougars defeated VISAA power Fredericksburg Christian 3–2 after dropping the first two games 25–19 to fall behind 2–0. Captains Kayla Cross ’13, Archer Brinkley ’13


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Field Hockey 14–6–1

LIS Runner-up, VISAA Champion

Soccer 9–6–1

3rd in Prep League, VISAA Quarterfinalist

All-LIS Dodi Allocca ’14, Campbell Brewer ’15, Sydney Cardozo ’14, Brooks Doxey ’14

All-Prep Custis Coleman ’14, Josh Raine ’13, Brady Straus ’13

All-State Allocca, Brewer, Doxey

All-State, second team Raine

T-D All-Metro, first team Allocca, Doxey T-D All-Metro, second team Brewer, Cardozo

Notable Starting two freshmen and several sophomores in the early going, the Cougars opened 2–3–1, then won six straight matches to return to the championship hunt.

NFHCA All-South Doxey

Captains Straus, Coleman

Notable Collegiate lost four consecutive matches to St. Catherine’s, then defeated the Saints 1–0 to claim the VISAA title. Captains Bayley Wood ’13, Sarah Clark ’13

Football 6–4

3rd in Prep League, VISAA Semi-finalist All-Prep Noah Dziedzic ’14, Reed Kellam ’15, Reilly Klein ’13, Noboru Kobashigawa ’13, Wilton Speight ’14, Jack Sutton ’13, Strib Walker ’15, Jordan Wrenn ’13 All-State, first team Speight, Klein, Kellam All-State, second team Dziedzic, Sutton, Wrenn All-State, honorable mention Kobashigawa, Walker T-D All-Metro, honorable mention Speight, Klein Notable Injuries decimated the ranks in 2011 when the Cougars finished 2–6, but they kept the faith and returned to the VISAA playoffs after a one-year absence. Captains Speight, Paul Timmons ’13, Jack Corrigan ’13

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Fall sports continued from previous page...

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1. Varsity hockey players leap in happiness, having defeated St. Cat’s to win the state tourney. 2. Connor Partlow, Teddy Nasworthy, Luke Page, Kyle Pate, Kyle Mosman, and Andy Emroch go out strong in the Prep League meet at Panorama Farms in Earlysville, VA. 3. Connor Brewer focuses on an upcoming shot. 4. Girls cross country teammates hit their stride at the Collegiate Cross Country Invitational. 5. Senior All-Prep and Second Team All-State back Josh Raine brings the ball up the field. 6. Anna Hoover prepares to spike as Archer Brinkley takes a dive.

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Boys Cross Country

4th in Prep League, 5th in VISAA

All-Prep Andy Emroch ’13, Teddy Nasworthy ’13 Notable Milestat.com ranked Collegiate 10th in the VISAA the week of the VISAA championship meet at Woodberry Forest. The Cougars outperformed the performance list. Captains Connor Partlow ’13, Kyle Mosman ’14

Girls Cross Country

3rd in LIS, 8th in VISAA

All-LIS Adriana Soria-Hawkinson ’15, Claire Templeman ’14, Carson White ’17 All-State Templeman Notable The Cougars’ performance in the VISAA meet was their strongest showing since 2006. Captains Sarah Richardson ’13, Katherine Melson ’13, Gray Little ’13


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Alumni and student entrepreneurs combine creativity and determination to put their ideas out in the marketplace and to work for the greater good. Head of School Keith Evans described how entrepreneurship is integrated into our curriculum at a recent luncheon sponsored by Venture Richmond. An excerpt of his remarks: In our post-industrial, knowledge-based economy, entrepreneurs drive growth and entrepreneurial skills are valued even inside of established companies. Young people need to be educated from the bottom up to understand the dynamics of the marketplace, how to think creatively and strategically and how to tolerate risk and failure. At Collegiate, we begin teaching economics in Kindergarten, and we don’t stop until our students graduate as seniors. In the early and middle grades, economics is woven into the curriculum in all areas, and the focus is on understanding core concepts like incentives, competition, choice and specialization. Later, they learn more sophisticated aspects through our AP statistics and economics classes. Through our curricular sequence, these core concepts develop into what we call keystone principles, nine ideas that we believe represent the foundation of economic thinking, from “do what you do best, trade for the rest” to “there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.” So when I hand the Collegiate diploma to a newly minted alum, I know they have seen these ideas over and over in our curriculum – not just in econ classes. At Collegiate, we believe our entire curriculum and teaching style needs to promote the innovative and creative thinking that characterizes successful entrepreneurs. So our curriculum emphasizes posing questions and developing a curious mind. Our students are encouraged to pursue passions in non-standard ways, and our teachers have the latitude to go there with them. That is vital to our overall teaching and learning strategy and we think it produces graduates with agile and restless minds. Another kind of character that we believe is equally important is “performance character,” that quality of “grit” that’s found in a belief in one’s self and a determination to go on – resiliently, courageously. Kids develop it through pursuing meaningful achievements – whether academically, athletically, in the arts or in student leadership. We believe this aspect of developing future entrepreneurs is critical.

The technology revolution that has changed the trajectory of 10,000 years of human history in the past two decades has also created infinite opportunities for those with a big idea and the passion to put behind it. We are proud of our many alumni who have seen the unfilled niches and taken the risks necessary to take ideas to market.

Another kind of character that we believe is equally important is “performance character,” that quality of “grit” that’s found in a belief in one’s self and a determination to go on ­– resiliently, courageously.

Winter 2013 25


Feature

From solar panel efficiency to homegrown eggs, creative thinking sets Collegiate’s alumni entrepreneurs apart from the mainstream vocational menu of professions. We applaud their courage, innovative methods and passion for what they’re doing. While there are many of us involved in new ventures and established ones, we hope you enjoy reading about this small sampling of alumni endeavors.

Putt a Cork on It Whit Flowers ’97

SALTY GRIPS www.saltygrips.com

actively working with manufacturers overseas to get the product right,” says White. “After much R & D, we chose Portuguese factories because they have immediate access to the cork oak forests in their backWhit Flowers ’97 and his friend Mark yard to make our product. As soon as they Button put their passion for fishing and are manufactured, they are brought to the golf to work in their start-up business Salty U.S. to be sealed and laser engraved in Grips two years ago, and they are now sell- Richmond. We have the ability to custom ing their product worldwide. He explains design these grips for country clubs, corpothat they “wanted to find a way to parlay rate events and OEM putter manufacturers the two into a product that appealed to among others. Lastly, they ‘Conform to the masses. So says their marketing pitch: USGA Rules.’” “Borrowed from the fly rod and tailored for Just back from the PGA Merchandise the putter, Salty Grips™ are a stylish and Show in January, Whit was one happy guy. sustainable alternative to rubber. Natural “The PGA show was an enormous success cork’s light weight and smooth texture that has now led to many interested disenhance feel and encourage a confident tributor outlets in the USA, Japan, Taiwan, putting stroke.” The line “Putt a Cork on It” United Kingdom, Switzerland, Denmark, Germany and Africa. We had the honor is the company motto. In February 2011, the fishing-inspired of making grips for Ping, Cobra, Puma cork putter grip came to life. “We were and Rife for the PGA show. We have a

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distributorship with Bettinardi, a high-end putter manufacturer in the U.S., with more to come in 2013 thanks to our success at the show.”

TOP: At the PGA Merchandise Show – James Patrick of JP Wedges, TJ McGovern of the Golf Channel, Whit Flowers ’97, Trevor Derrheim of 59belts and Salty Grips co-owner Mark Button.


Suited Up Renée Harrison Drake ’79:

BLUEDRAKE www.bluedrake.us

From Renée …  My career took a turn away from the arts when my family – husband Max and two boys – moved from New York to Chicago. I had been the managing editor of Sotheby’s International Publications for North and South America for many years and was ready to take a break from deadlines. I left Sotheby’s to produce and direct a film that I wanted to make with my husband called “The Way Back: A Portrait of George A. Weymouth.” Weymouth is a philanthropist, artist, polo player and four-in-hand whip who founded the Brandywine River Museum and Conservancy in Chadds Ford, PA. That was a wonderful experience and the film is still shown regularly at the museum. But, making a film is an enormous task that

is very challenging when you have young children. So, I began fooling around on my own with textile design and that was the beginning of BLUEDRAKE. A lot of my inspiration has come from yearly trips we take to Jamaica. I create the prints using photographs that I manipulate or my own purely graphic designs. In the beginning, I made resort wear for women. The Four Seasons in Hawaii (Maui and Kona hotels), carried the line through their luxury boutique called Seaside Lux. I have also sold through a store called The Atlantic in Nantucket, and I have done trunk shows at private schools. This past year, I decided to move away from producing women’s pieces to producing luxury bathing suits for boys and men. This is really what I like best because it gives me more freedom to focus on the textile print. In women’s clothing you have to not only change the print, you have to change the structure of the garment. If you have a good fit with a bathing suit for a man, you don’t change the structure of the suit, just the textile print. So more fun for me since I am not a seamstress. The board shorts are made from a quick dry, peach finish microfiber. All men’s suits are made to order which gives me the ability to offer a large range of prints to

Expanding on Expertise Zach Sisisky ’96

Richmond Autism Connection www.rva-autism.com

Building on years of experience with students on the autism spectrum, Zach Sisisky ’96 saw a need for families and filled it.

From Zach …  Since 1999, I have been serving as an educator for students with disabilities, specifically students on the autism spectrum. As a teacher, I have had the opportunity to live and work around the world including China, Uzbekistan, and Mauritius. When I moved back to Richmond six years ago, I began working for Richmond Public Schools as a special education teacher and teacher trainer. At the conclusion of last

my customer. My board shorts are printed and sewn in America, and they arrive one month after a customer orders. Next up: an improved website where customers can place their orders online.

Renee Harrison Drake ’79 and husband Max who’s wearing one of her board shorts designs

school year, I founded Richmond Autism Connection as a place where people on the autism spectrum, their families, and members of their communities could receive individualized support to meet their specific needs. As a consultant, I develop customized services for people with autism that lead to increased independence and improved communication and social skills. I provide individualized parent and grandparent trainings in homes and through workshops and classes in the community. I am also working with school districts to develop smartphone and tablet applications that will enhance teacher productivity and student learning. Finally, I work with various groups around Richmond such as SPARC and the Jewish Community Center to develop inclusive extra-curricular opportunities for people on the autism spectrum.

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Feature

Rolling Along Friends since second grade, ’89 classmates Jonathan Schneider (left) and Richard Grossman are partners in the cycling clothing company Road Holland.

Jonathan Schneider ’89 and Richard Grossman ’89

Road Holland Talk Show Research www.roadholland.com

www.talkshowresearch.com

From Jonathan… When I first started Road Holland, “serious and stylish cycling wear to fit everyone,” it was just me. However, much like Richard was for me at Collegiate, he was my sounding board, advisor, and cheerleader from the start of the venture. So we just formalized the relationship in 2011 even though we had been working together from the start. It’s funny, when we were seniors, I was the class president and Richard was my VP. So I guess we are just continuing that relationship. We make our jerseys in Miami, shipping all over the world and have grown the line from just four jerseys at the start to nine in several styles and colors. We’re expanding to a full range of clothing including shorts, socks, rain apparel, and more. My day job is Talk Show Research, a company I started in 2001. I conduct qualitative consumer

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research for companies about new products and advertising. I do not conduct surveys. Rather, companies hire me to have discussions with consumers in one-on-one, group or online settings so I can understand what they think, do and the reasons why they may or may not buy things. I came up with the name because I’ve always said that qualitative research should be like a good talk show. Easy going. Natural. Insightful. Entertaining. And a moderator (that’s me) should be like a seasoned talk show host – able to easily transition from one topic to the next, interview a variety of people from all different walks of life, keep control of guests, and keep cool when things go differently than expected. I absolutely feel like Collegiate prepared me to be an entrepreneur, and here are several reasons why: Public Speaking: From early on at Collegiate, I was well aware that we could not hide from public speaking opportunities. I recall having to lead an assembly service each semester and present papers in front of the class, explain our arguments, defend them, etc. At the same time, I was big into the drama program. I became comfortable on stage being in the shows. What I do now is simply an extension of those two things. Writing: Aside from having a good product or service to sell, the key to entrepreneurship is being able to communicate your ideas. If you can’t quickly explain them and convince people you have something they want and need, you’re not going to go far. More than any other period of schooling and life, Collegiate and its teachers helped me learn how to effectively convey my ideas in writing. I learned how to craft compelling statements, sprinkle in powerful words without overusing them, and make my writing flow. I credit teachers such as Steve Mann, John Coates, Anita Grimes, and Bubba Lawson for this. Athletics: Perhaps it was because I was the worst athlete in my class or that I was always picked last for every team since kindergarten that I had an inner drive to start an athletic apparel company … well, maybe not really, but it’s so funny that I have done so!


Eat and Run

Gray Broughton ’94 at his new Jimmy John’s location, 1318 E. Cary St.

Congratulations to Gray Broughton ’94 for being included in Style Weekly’s Top 40 Under 40 this year. In addition to being a partner at Williams Mullen, a Richmond law firm, Gray has started two businesses. Freaky Fast Enterprises is a management company for three Jimmy John’s restaurant franchises that he owns in Richmond. Shake & Bake Sports, he says, is a “sports promotion company that I started with a running buddy of mine. We are putting on the Hardywood Twilight 4 Miler out at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery on April 25. “We want to create a series of events where there is a low barrier to entry,” Broughton said in his interview with Style. “So people who are otherwise intimidated by races will come out.”

Solar Panel Metrics Sean Gillispie ’00

Stratasense www.pvtracer.com

Sean has been with IBM, in the Global Business Services Public Sector group based in Washington, DC since 2004, with a two year break to get his MBA at Babson College. He runs this start-up on the side with his cousin, Kellen Gillispie. I am currently one of the co-founders of Stratasense. Over the past two years we have been developing a technology for testing and monitoring of solar panels that provides lab quality data on the performance of panels operating in the field. We are just now bringing that technology to market and are excited about the response we are seeing in the industry. We are producing a very niche product, but something that could be very helpful to the solar industry. The data we produce can tell a great deal about how efficient a solar panel is and how well it is performing as the sunlight and other environmental factors change. Until now there were no IV curve tracers (technology that generates the data) that could perform in-situ continuous monitoring of a PV panel under natural sunlight. We are currently founder-funded and have had some limited success by signing our first

customer last year. We have experienced many of the ups and downs you hear about with start-ups, in particular, our initial target customers were manufacturers of new solar technologies, many of whom have gone out of business. This was, in fact, the fate of our first customer. But we have performed a bit of a “pivot” to hopefully appeal to a wider customer base, and we are optimistic that 2013 is going to be a great year. We have some new customers interested in our latest version of the product, and we plan to seek strategic partners, maybe an acquirer, and may apply for a DOE grant to help fund additional development this year. We have avoided angel and VC funding up until now because the product is fairly niche, and we’ve been trying to establish traction on our own before taking on investors looking for 10x returns. We are trying just to be open to where the market takes us and stay in business one more day.

Sean Gillispie ’00 (left) works at IBM by day and during his off-duty hours he’s been developing a new way to test the performance of solar panels.

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Feature

Creative Pursuits Tyler Negus Snidow ’80

smART Gallery nimbl www.brightboldbeautiful.com www.nimblstudio.com

Tyler Negus Snidow ’80 was first inspired to strike out on her own by 3rd Grade teacher Mrs. Sellers.

From Tyler … It might have been my Collegiate 3rd Grade teacher Mrs. Sellers (with her long Cher hair and her John Lennon glasses) who first showed our class that it was FUN to take risks and think differently. With Mrs. Sellers we got to do things like learn fractions with pies instead of with worksheets, draw our own inventions, and experience celebrity

status as the stars of the "Groovy Movie." Maybe you’ve heard of it! We had permission to do what we loved. We were entrepreneurs! Decades later, I still hope to be as cool as Mrs. Sellers and am at my best when I’m turning ideas into a reality. My pop-up art gallery, smART Gallery, came from the idea to use vacant upscale real estate to host temporary art galleries. Hosting Virginia art events since 2007, smART Gallery is a 2009 VMFA MUSE award winner for innovation in business. I founded a marketing and video production firm, nimbl, in response to the rapid pace and smaller budgets of today’s evolving media. And most recently, I co-founded Bright Bold & Beautiful Richmond, with national lifestyle blogger Laura Trevey, to give RVA businesses a marketing platform to connect and engage with women customers. When I talk about it all, it sounds like a LOT! But these are all things that have my full attention – so I’m energized by my work with each.

Retail Tale

training new sales team members, and the next I’ll be placing orders for new furniture. If you like to go to work every day, knowing exactly what your tasks will be: their goals and how you get will get there, then entrepreneurship ain’t the right gig. I am a natural born multi-tasker, and I (honestly) get a little bored when I have to do the same thing all the time, so it’s nice to be able to www.ladiff.com work in my office, then wander around and meet & greet with customers, then cruise to the warehouse and check in some new items, etc. From Sarah … The toughest parts are that you are your When I joined LaDiff as a partner, it had already been around for 11 years, own boss. Contrary to what people believe, so I didn’t “start” the company, but, I that doesn’t mean you can take off whenever have helped to reinvent it once or twice. you want, because (and especially being When we left Charlottesville to move the married to my business partner), you are store to Richmond, we had the opportunity constantly thinking about your business. to create something different and new, both You have responsibilities to your customers, from what LaDiff had been (a full service your employees, your vendors, your bankhome store, selling everything from soap ers and your community. There is really no and kitchenware to furniture) to what we “down time” because your business is your wanted it to be (an international furniture livelihood and – hopefully – your passion. When times are tough, you pay everyone and accessory store). What I’d like to tell you about is why I else first. When times are good, you share like being an entrepreneur: I do something the wealth. different every day. As a business owner, It’s not easy, but I love it. I wear multiple hats. One day I am working on our marketing plan, the next day I’m

Sarah Paxton ’84

LaDiff International Furnishings

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Sarah Paxton ’84 (left) assists a client on the sales floor at LaDiff in downtown Richmond.


Growing a Brand Peyton Jenkins ’00

ALTON LANE www.altonlane.com

From Peyton … Since we launched Alton Lane (a premium tailored apparel store that lets users design custom suits, blazers, tuxedos and shirts) in New York City in November 2009, we’ve opened up three showrooms and have plans to open two to three more this year with Dallas being our likely next stop. We now have over 6,000 customers throughout the country and from around the world Our Washington, DC store has now been open for a year and a half, and it’s doing great. We’ve seen very positive trends in the awareness of men’s fashion (and fit in general) sweeping out from metropolitan centers like NY, SF, LA and into markets not traditionally associated with fashion. DC has been a benefactor of this as have cities like Boston, Richmond, Dallas, Chicago, Charlotte, etc. In November of 2012 we launched our third showroom on Newbury Street in Boston, and we couldn’t be happier with the success we’ve seen

thus far. Being on Newbury Street has been a lot of fun as it’s a Main and Main location. One of the principles we preach at our company is the concept of self awareness – the idea that we need to be consistently aware of what we are doing well and where we have opportunities to improve. Paramount to our continued success will be our ability to allocate resources appropriately while listening to our customers and our team to constantly improve all aspects of our business until each layer is truly 5 star. And then once we get to that mountaintop, continue to pioneer and work harder than ever to ensure we stay there and not rest on our laurels. As our brand has grown, so has our reach into political, athletic and celebrity circles. This past year we were quite proud to outfit former Presidents, ABC’s Chief White House Correspondent, several MLB all-stars, national championship basketball coaches and one of the rising stars in Hollywood. We even made a traditional morning suit for Google’s chairman as he was the Queen of England’s personal guest at Royal Ascot this past summer. To this end, a project I’ve been working on quite closely for the past four months is a collaboration with Matt Bomer (star of USA Network’s White Collar) to codesign a tie and pocket square collection reflective of his con-man-turned-FBIconsultant character Neal Caffrey. We completed this about eight weeks ago and pitched the idea to NBC Universal, USA Network and Gilt Group. All sides signed off, and we launched our collaboration on Jan. 22 in conjunction with the new season of White Collar.

Peyton Jenkins ’00, purveyor of fine men’s clothing

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Feature

Doing Good / Good Work Rod Willett ’81

Impact Makers www.impactmakers.org

Impact Makers is a management and technology consulting company based here in Richmond. In a nutshell, we help businesses do what they do better. What makes us unique, even in the world of entrepreneurial companies, is that we are a social entrepreneurship. That means that

although we are focused on growing our business and making a profit, our work is simultaneously making a difference in our community. We do that by contributing all of our profits, and significant consulting work, to healthcare related charities in the Richmond area. The impetus for the creation of Impact Makers came from the desire to “do good, while doing good work.” I shared the passion of the Impact Makers founder in wanting to do more to help others, while still maintaining a career in professional services. Our social impact business model allows me to do both. I believe that Impact Makers has helped to prove the sustainability of a social

impact business model. We increased our revenues enough to be recognized on the Inc. 500 list as one of the fastest growing companies in the country and, more significantly, in just the past two years we have contributed more than $175,000 and 500 hours of pro bono consulting support to our charity partners We also are helping to inspire other social entrepreneurs to launch businesses that can make a difference in their communities. In 2011, I met two consultants from Ohio who had recently founded their own, successful consulting company, by copying our business model!

From Passion to Profession Ben Greenbaum ’65

Perry Adams Antiques www.perryadamsantiques.com

When Ben Greenbaum ’65 retired after teaching science at Collegiate for 31 years, he didn’t really retire. Instead, he took his longtime love of historical artifacts and antiques and started a full-time business – Perry Adams Antiques – based in Petersburg, where he lives. “Our business has been quite successful, to date,” he says, “and we are looking for a plethora of Cougars and ex-Cougars to peruse our site and come to our sales.” I became fascinated by the study of the Civil War almost immediately upon my family’s arrival, from New York, in Richmond, in the late ’50s, when I was in elementary school. By the time I was in the 8th Grade, I had obtained an army surplus mine detector, and I spent many a weekend, with one or two equally interested friends, in the woods, on the sites of Civil War battlefields, in search of long buried artifacts. From these “humble beginnings,” I have maintained an avid interest in all things

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Ben Greenbaum ’65’s post-retirement business is putting his passion for 18thand 19th-century artifacts to work. Civil War, as well as the material culture antiques consignment, sales and appraisal of 18th- and 19th-century America, includ- business – needless to say, I fairly jumped ing furniture, decorative arts and military at the opportunity – the opportunity to equipment – even the seemingly mundane continue to work with, restore and handle and strictly utilitarian objects of these eras the fascinating remnants of U.S. history. evidence the hands and meticulous work of Indeed, I hope to continue with this new craftsmen, who employed manufacturing career for many years to come. and fabricating arts and techniques that Primarily, the business is an online effort, although we have a small, so-called have long since all but disappeared. I have dabbled for many recent years “store front” entity at Antique Village in in collecting, buying and selling these Hanover County on US 301, just north of aforementioned objects, essentially on an Atlee. We are a full service antiques busiavocational basis. With my retirement from ness that encompasses brokering, selling Collegiate, I was offered the opportunity to and appraising fine antiques and militaria, join, in partnership, with Dr. William Irvin primarily American in origin. We have (lead appraiser and researcher for Motleys recently entered into the estate sale aspect Auctions of Richmond), to form a full-time of the business as well.


Family Business Dr. Frannie Blanton Herbert ’82

Cluck for a Cause

www.cluckforacause.vpweb.com

From Frannie … Cluck for a Cause originated from an idea my daughter Lane had in which we sold our extra eggs to make money for the SPCA. Our kids had received three chickens for a Christmas present two years ago. When springtime and warm weather rolled around, we were blessed with more chickens and LOTS of eggs. We figured our family bought and ate a dozen eggs per week or four dozen a month and that amount of money to pay for the eggs at the grocery store roughly equaled the amount of feed the chickens required (ie, our overhead). We designed a website and business cards and found a few customers (neighbors, teachers, classmates) and are now a non-profit. In our first year, we donated over $300 to the McKinney, TX SPCA. Our chickens enjoy large coops and runs but do have a fence around them to protect them from the coyotes and hawks. They are free range and organic. Another bonus is that our eggs are multiple colors – pink, green, blue, olive and brown! They are very popular around Easter. Cluck for a Cause has shown us that we can all make a difference. With our extra eggs and a little organization and effort, we have given a large donation to animals in need in our area. We are well on our way to an even more successful

second year. My children have a better idea about starting a business. They began with an idea and vision – making a difference to animals in need. They helped create the infrastructurecoops, runs, maintenance. They make beautiful hand-drawn egg cartons and created our website and business cards. They market our product at school, church and in the neighborhood. They collect the money, go to the SPCA and make the donations and keep the receipts. We are not a Fortune 500 company, but have done a small amount of good for our community.

Dr. Frannie Blanton Herbert ’82, a urologist in McKinney, TX, and children Camille, Lane and Gabriel with one of their best egg-producers

With our extra eggs and a little organization and effort, we have given a large donation to animals in need in our area.

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Feature

Transportation Behavior

A self-portrait of Laura Schewel ’02, founder of StreetLight Data: “This is me truly in situ in start-up life, in an office with no windows, typing all day and writing code with snacks all around.” see in transportation ­– making it greener, safer, less time-consuming and miserable. I realized if I could create a source of information about transportation behavior comparable to sources about internet behavior or television watching behavior, it could have immense and cascading social value. But, to build something that big I needed it to pay for itself, which meant I needed to create immense financial value. Turns out, the same analytics I wanted to create for making transportation more efficient have immense financial value for brick-and-mortar retail (as in retail that does NOT happen online) to improve their marketing practices.

Laura Schewel ’02

Did you use Kickstarter or any other crowdfunding tool? Nope. Traditional venture capital. And elbow grease.

StreetLight Data www.streetlightdata.com

What niche does your company fill? Brick-and-mortar retail has no analytic tools to help them refine their marketing and site selection comparable to the basic analytic tools available to e-commerce retail. StreetLight is the first company to provide those tools.

IBM SmartCamps bring together innovative entrepreneurs with venture capitalists, academics and other industry leaders to provide coaching and critical industry support and advice. Winning companies like Laura’s Streetlight Data receive mentoring, services, access to industry experts, and deeper partnership opportunities from IBM, VCs and industry partners. Start-up winners SkyFoundry and StreetLight Data will go on to the SmartCamp Global Finals where they will face-off with winners from SmartCamps in Europe, Asia and Latin America. How did you get the idea to start StreetLight Data? I was working on transportation sustainability and safety from a bunch of angles. It became very apparent that we know almost nothing about what’s going on on the roads. And that data gap hinders all kinds of change we want to

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Did anything you learned at Collegiate prove useful as you navigated the start-up process? The lay-out and Adobe InDesign skills I got at the Match have been hugely helpful. As a start-up, I have do all my own graphic design and make my own reports, pamphlets, websites, etc. I also do a ton of public speaking – to pitch investors, to pitch clients, and at conferences. At Collegiate I got to do a lot of performances and public speeches (like Senior Speech!) early on in my life. That is critical. Being good at public speaking can cover for a lot of other weaknesses! Where is your company headed? We’re performing beta projects in a few regions (including Richmond!). We’ll be launching an enterprise web portal in the summer for retailers to better target their marketing by understanding how groups of people use their community. We’re also working on some fascinating projects to support urban design and other efficient transportation initiatives.


Painting the Town Ethan Wirt ’01

89-Paint www.89paint.com

From Ethan … At Collegiate I had some good opportunities to learn about economics, and that has really helped me, starting the fall of my college freshman year. When I arrived at UVA, Collegiate graduate Elaine McCandlish Dinos ’99 offered me the chance to participate in an internship with College Works Painting. The program teaches students the fundamentals of running a small business through the mechanism of actually running a branch of their painting company over the summer. Over the next four years at UVA, my College Works teams painted over 400 houses, and I had the privilege of traveling the country (and world) with friends and mentors in the business. I learned a lot about hard work, customer service, marketing, sales, recruiting, leadership and management. When I graduated from UVA, I tried my hand at a “real job,” but quickly re-developed the entrepreneurial itch and started 89-PAINT (our phone number) at the end of 2006. I had saved roughly $20,000 working in college and had plenty of youthful and extremely naive optimism. I could likely write a novel about all the different challenges we faced, but a few stand out ­– respect the REAL costs of running a business, whatever you think you’ll need, multiply it by 10! Not everybody out in the real world lives the values we are taught at a place like Collegiate. Try to pick your customers well and get good contracts, because a few people out there will try to not pay you what they promise!

Surveys I’ve read generally say the average business that survives takes about two years to be cashflow positive and seven years to be truly profitable. From my experience that seems about right, so try to avoid the worst global recession since the Great Depression in your second year in business and go into it with a realistic frame of mind. Moral: no matter what your expectations, be prepared to fight for your life. But despite the challenges of trying to grow a business without sufficient capital in the heart of a challenging economy, the experience has been overall awesome! I’ve been able to provide opportunities to our employees, and our vendors, and help them overcome challenges and achieve a better quality of life. In many cases, that means more income, but it can also mean a more balanced work/life schedule, or the opportunity to follow passions and projects that are meaningful and exciting to them. They are living in a culture of optimism, innovation, and value creation in a time when it would have been easy to say that the mountains were too tall to climb, and it would be better to close up shop and do something more conventional. I believe small businesses and entrepreneurship are at the heart of American ingenuity, job growth, and the vehicle that ultimately drives making people’s lives better and easier – it has been very rewarding to me to try and be a part of that. 89-Paint was voted Richmond’s Favorite Painter by Richmond Magazine’s R Home survey 2011 and 2012, and is an Angie’s List Super Service award winners.

Ethan Wirt ’01 (center) and the 89-Paint team.

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Feature

Entrepreneurship at Collegiate

The Entrepreneur Club’s market vendors sell wares in the Middle School hall.

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Students have jobs for which they are paid, must rent their desks, and pay taxes on April 15. They may earn more cash by producing an item to sell at once-a-week market. The Middle School started the Entrepreneur Club this past September with 10 members from 7th and 8th Grades. They’ve already learned from accomplished guest speakers including Bobby Ukrop, Collegiate parent Brian Bostic, who at 23 started a ticket business and sold out to Ticketmaster, alums Sarah Hailes Easley ’89 (Kirna Zabete shop in NYC) and Ethan Wirt ’01 owner of 89-Paint, and Collegiate parent Lala There are opportunities at many grade levels Paola-Korall who has started four international to learn first-hand about the concepts involved businesses. They spoke about their successful in starting and running a business. Here are ventures and answered questions. “One big focus some of these activities and skills gained from has been to discuss the definition of an entrepreneur and what characteristics are essential to be participating: In 1st Grade, students run a business called successful,” says Debbie Hailes, a faculty sponsor. Critter Creations which produces and sells “The club has learned about starting a business student-produced stationery. The process involves including fixed and variable costs, profits, marketconceiving of a product idea, determining pro- ing and obstacles.” ductive resources and costs, finding funding, The club held its first market on Nov. 29 and developing sales and marketing strategies, and hopes to host several more second semester. production and delivery plans. Jewelry, baked goods, purses, aprons, bookmarks This year one 3rd Grade class is piloting a and iPhone covers were available. The market Classroom Economy project that the entire is open to all students in grades 5–8; they can grade will participate in next in 2013–14. pay with cash, charge or order a product. Cathy


Last October, Collegiate volunteers Colin Berger ’15, Matthew Baum ’14, Mary Crowgey ’13, Katherine Melson ’13 and Gabby Gelozin ’13 built a ramp to make getting to therapy easier and safer for Mrs. H., a stroke victim.

One big focus has been to discuss the definition of an entrepreneur and what characteristics are essential to be successful.

Melton, Collegiate’s director of economic education, and business office personnel were on hand at the market to assist with making change and taking orders. The club has recently discussed stocks and the vocabulary necessary to understand the financial world. Three teams competed in the stock market game which began on Feb. 4. Rising seniors at Collegiate and other schools in the area may apply to participate in the Cochrane Summer Economics Institute, a program named for J. Harwood Cochrane, former CEO of Overnite Transportation. The experience is divided into two parts, a classroom segment where students learn keystone principles of entrepreneurship from community leaders including Bobby Ukrop – Ukrop’s Homestyle Foods, Tonya Mallory – Health Diagnostics Lab, Eric Edwards – Intelliject, Ted Linhart ’65 – Dominion Auto Group, Jason Angus – Hilb Group, Bruce Thomas – MWV, Roberta Douma – CarMax. Students also serve in internships at businesses, both for – and non-profit. Upper School students also learn about social entrepreneurial projects by participating in R.A.M.P.S. (Ramp Access Made Possible by Students). This non-profit organization was started by three students in the class of 2007 – Coleman Wortham, Mike Dowd and Gray

Fain, to build home-access ramps for people with physical disabilities. Three principles are taught in the process: financial equity (each student raises $300 toward their CSEI Ramp Build), emotional equity (each team selects their client for the build), and sweat equity (CSEI builds 6–7 ramps each summer). Collegiate’s annual International Emerging Leaders Conference, which invites high school students from 10 schools worldwide to our campus for 10 days, capitalizes on local partnerships with corporations and universities to offer real-world insight as they explore solutions to global environmental and economic challenges. Best practices are explained by professionals at MeadWestvaco, Dominion, DaVinci Center for Innovation at VCU and Health Diagnostic Laboratory. Learning from the pros about teamwork and problem solving encourages collaboration between delegates to create a product that will positively impact a global environmental issue. In addition, a group of our juniors and seniors serves as ambassadors, making strong relationships with our visitors from Malaysia, Spain, Morocco, South Africa, China, India, Mexico and Israel.

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Alumni Activities

ALUMNI ACTIVITIES Two Re-elected to Government Seats

C Michael Gottwald ’02’s “Beasts” Nominated for Oscar

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hen we last checked in with film producer Michael Gottwald ’02, the movie he made with a few friends from Wesleyan University days had been released and was picking up steam in theaters nationwide. “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” a fantasy drama set in the swamps of Louisiana and starring 6-year-old Quvenzhané Wallis as Hushpuppy, has since garnered more than 140 award nominations and won a hefty half of them. Perhaps, the four most important nominations of all were Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actress from the American Academy of Motion Pictures (ie, the Oscars). Though they didn’t take home the gold at the Oscars on Feb. 24, being part of the Hollywood scene was an experience. Says Michael, “The Oscars was a ton of fun – being a few rows away from people

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like Quentin Tarantino and Jamie Foxx, rooting for the films I loved, and just participating in the whole fanfare of it, was a blast. I grew up watching every year. There was the Governors Ball afterwards, with great food and where lots of the winners collect and drink champagne… We weren’t winners, but it was still awesome to have a seat at the table.” Michael is involved with two films in post-production – “Ping Pong Summer,” a coming-of-age comedy set in 1985 Ocean City, MD, starring a mix of undiscovered local kid actors and Lea Thompson, Susan Sarandon, and John Hannah, and a movie called “Western” by the Ross brothers, documentarians who make portraits of places. He also produced “Tchoupitoulas,” which is in some theaters now  –  it’s another Ross brothers film about brothers discovering the scenes of late-night New Orleans.

ABOVE: Michael Gottwald ’02 and his mother, Connie Gottwald, at the Academy Awards

ongratulations to Eric Cantor ’81 and Charles Samuels ’94, both of whom were re-elected to their political positions. Eric is the U.S. Representative for Virginia’s 7th congressional district, serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party and was elected House Majority Leader when Congress convened in early 2011. Charles was re-elected to his seat on Richmond City Council in November, and in early January his fellow council members voted him to be council president.


Mason served as interim CEO of the local United Way from September until the new CEO was named in April. “Claiborne’s many years of volunteer service and consulting experience within the local nonprofit community, her recent leadership of United Way, and her business background make her the ideal person to lead this organization,” said Thomas J. Dillon, III, VHBG Board Chair and attorney with Hirschler Fleischer. “She brings a unique perspective on the needs and challenges of nonprofit organizations, and a passion to serve the children and families of our community.”

Claiborne Scott Mason ’78 is President of Virginia Home Excerpt from announcement in the Richmond Times-Dispatch…

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laiborne Scott Mason ’78, former interim CEO of United Way of Greater Richmond & Petersburg was recently named president of the Virginia Home for Boys and Girls. Mason is the first woman to serve as president of the nonprofit home and school for children in 165 years. … “I knew I could be passionate about this mission and it is an important one,” said Mason, who owns the strategic planning and marketing firm C.S. Mason Consulting and has extensive experience as a consultant to nonprofit groups. “The folks here are doing such important (things) for children and families in our communities.” The Virginia Home for Boys and Girls includes six group homes, an alternative education school, a fellowship hall and offices for therapeutic and medical services. The organization provides a home for more than 50 boys and girls ages 11 to 17 each year, and about 60 youth attend its John G. Wood School, an alternative education program for grades 6 to 12. “I really like to problem-solve and look within an organization and find ways to maximize impact, and impact is what we are all about as nonprofits,” Mason said.

International Model Amy Lemons ’00 Returns to Campus

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my Lemons ’00 returned to Collegiate in October to speak to 7th and 8th Grade girls about her experiences as a model and the false perfection pictured in magazines and other media. She shared her story, from being a full-time Collegiate student and soccer player to traveling to New York for photo shoots often and trying to keep up with her studies with the help of her mother Carol Lemons, a former Collegiate teacher. Amy described herself as a tomboy who loved playing soccer and had never thought of modeling when a talent scout suggested it, but soon enough she found herself flying around the world and featured in ads, on

shopping bags and on magazine covers. After graduating from Collegiate, she moved to New York to model full time, but she became disenchanted with the way the business worked – having to stay thin at the expense of good health. With her more athletic build, being a size 0 was impossible. Though she was very successful and worked constantly, ultimately, she decided to leave the business, move to California and attend UCLA where she earned a history degree. She has returned to modeling, but this time on her own terms – she signed with the Ford agency which accepted her for her natural size. Last year, Amy and several other models co-founded The Model Alliance, an organization dedicated to “improving working conditions in the American modeling industry.” Amy hopes to spend more time, in between modeling assignments, speaking to girls about having a healthy body image. After telling our girls about her career she took questions, and the girls had quite a few to ask – about her favorite locations for photo shoots (beach), her favorite clothes (casual), what she would have been if not a model (soccer player), and even how her fiancé proposed to her (on a walk). One student asked her to strike a model pose – she obliged. She explained also that what we see in magazines is not real – photos have been airbrushed and clothing is pinned so that it looks like a perfect fit. Amy’s message is valuable, and we wish her well as she continues to advocate for young girls who may be striving for physical perfection which, she told our students, is “unattainable.” Amy Lemons ’00 addresses Middle School girls about her experience as a model and showed a few photos of herself at Collegiate.

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Alumni Activities

Kevin Martingayle ’85 to Head State Bar

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evin Martingayle, an attorney in Virginia Beach, was voted president-elect of the Virginia State Bar in the first contested election in 11 years. Martingayle, who will become the first Bar president from Virginia Beach, defeated Northern Virginia attorney Raymond Benzinger in voting among Bar members. The Bar governs 29,000 licensed attorneys. Martingayle received his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1991. He is a founding partner in the Beach law firm Bischoff Martingayle.

One of 30 Under 30

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dam Pendleton ’02 was named a Forbes magazine Top 30 Under 30 honoree for Art & Design in this year’s list of young American innovators. Adam is a New York-based artist whose work encompasses painting, performance, photographic collage and publishing, and addresses race, politics and history. Adam attended the Artspace Independent Study Program in Pietrasanta, Italy and received further instruction through residencies at the

Studio Museum in Harlem and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. According to Adam’s father, Gene Pendleton, Adam “attributes much of his accomplishments to his years spent at Collegiate, and the support he received from Jenny Hundley and Pam Anderson.” His art can be viewed at MoMA PS1, the New Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. He is also represented by the Pace Gallery. and his work is in the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art.

Soccer Fans A photo taken by Andy Wiley ’77 was published on the Huffington Post website on Dec. 4, 2012. The photo, of University of Richmond soccer fans, accompanied a post by sports blogger Ryan Madden titled “The Future of a College Soccer Program, Hanging in the Balance.” Bret Myers ’98, who played soccer at UR, was associated with the Carry the Flag Coalition and S.O.S. (Save Our Sports) Committee which fought to save the men’s soccer program. Ultimately, UR finalized their decision to eliminate both track and soccer on Dec. 6.

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Alumni in Sports Several of our graduates are distinguishing themselves on court and field, and the following is news we’ve received. We always welcome sports information – please send to spark@collegiate-va.org.

Competition to be held in March. The Wolverines swim/dive squad is ranked No. 1 nationally in Division I. University of Virginia tight end Jake McGee ’10 earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference honorable mention honors on the strength of 28 receptions for 374 yards and five touchdowns. An All-Prep and All-VISAA quarterback at Collegiate, McGee (6-5, 235), who started three of the alter Spence ’84, Cavaliers’ 12 games, caught game-winCollegiate’s assis- ning passes in victories over Penn State tant varsity boys and Miami. lacrosse coach, was Columbia University’s Max Schnur inducted into the ’11 and his doubles partner Ashok Richmond Chapter Narayana (Houston, TX) reached the of US Lacrosse’s consolation finals of the ITA All-American Hall of Fame on Saturday, Oct. 27. You Championships in October at the Univercan view photos of Walter and his sity of Tulsa. The All-Ivy League duo, both two fellow inductees on the Richmond of whom are sophomores, lost its opening Chapter, US Lacrosse site. Coach Andrew match, then defeated three ranked oppoStanley’s introduction of Walt at the nents (including No. 6 Tennessee) before event recounted anecdotes and some of falling to Georgia in its final match. his accolades including: winning the boys lacrosse State Championship in 1983 and Four Collegiate alumni have been elected Collegiate’s first lacrosse Prep League captain of their respective college athletic title in 1984, being our first All-American teams. Libby Rosebro ’09 has been elected lacrosse player, playing in two National Championships while at Washington captain of the lacrosse team at Virginia College, and enjoying a stellar post-college Tech for the 2013 season. An All-League of Independent Schools and All-VISAA comcareer. Congratulations, Walter! petitor during her time at Collegiate, she Russell Wilson ’07, see pg. 8. Dominique Meeks ’09, in her second played a key role in the continuing success year as co-captain of the women’s bas- of the Cougars’ girls lacrosse program. Stuart Ferguson ’09 and Carter ketball at Haverford College, scored the 1,000th point of her collegiate basketball Stephens ’09 were elected co-captains career on Dec. 15 in the Fords’ 56–44 vic- of the 2012–2013 swimming teams at tory over Eastern University. A 5–9 senior, Auburn and Princeton, respectively. Meeks entered the game with 984 career Ferguson was a 12-time state champion points and dropped in two free throws 2:24 and 11-time All-American at Collegiate. from the end to reach the milestone. Meeks, This past year, he finished 12 at NCAAs who excelled in volleyball and track and in the 100 yard breaststroke and swam on field as well as basketball for the Cougars, Auburn’s third place 200 medley relay. finished her prep career with 1,191 points. Stephens was a 15-time All-State per James Ross ’10 of the University of former for the Cougars. Among her many Michigan won the 3-meter and 10-meter accomplishments were three consecutive diving events and placed second in the 100 yard butterfly titles which resulted in 1-meter competition in the Hawkeye two All-American accolades. Invitational Nov. 30–Dec. 1 at the Univer- Cabell Willis ’10, the Richmond Timessity of Iowa. His accomplishments qualified Dispatch spring track athlete of the year him for the NCAA Zone Diving Regional during his final season and the recipient of

numerous All-Metro honors in cross country and track, was the captain of the cross country team. He was the Keydets’ No. 1 cross country runner last fall.

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Tommy Coulbourn and daughter Carson ’18 root for the Seahawks at the Caroline Panthers game in October. Quite a few Cougars have attended Seahawks games in Denver, Seattle, Atlanta and Washington this year.

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Alumni Activities

Back at Home, We’re Mighty Proud

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f this past fall and winter were marked by any one sports event, for the Collegiate community, it would have to be Russell Wilson ’07’s rookie season as starting quarterback for the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks. The season of a football team clear across the country was the talk of our campus. Never have so many non-football-fans watched so much football, or at least not since the late Ray Easterling ’68 played defensive back for the Atlanta Falcons. But tuning in as this great story unfolded was a lot easier – cable TV, sports websites, Facebook, Twitter and email, none of which existed in Ray’s day, have made it possible to get the latest news on Russell’s every move via any internet signal in the world. It’s been a star moment for him, with his face everywhere and sports commentators fawning over “this Russell Wilson guy,” and for a few others, too. Former Collegiate football coach Charlie McFall found himself being quoted in the Seattle Times and USA Today and interviewed for TV spots on Bobby Ukrop joined Lower School students as they celebrated Russell Wilson Day with a colorful cake made by Ukrop’s Homestyle Foods.

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CSN and CBS. Pictures of Russell’s mother Tammy, his late father Harrison, brother Harry Wilson ’01, also a stellar football player, and sister Anna ’16, a basketball standout, flashed across our screens. Our communications office fielded calls from newspapers and TV networks nationwide asking for photos of Russell going as far back as kindergarten, and we gladly scanned old prints and emailed images far and wide. The story of Russell Wilson is one we know well, and we’re happy to tell it. Here on campus, Seahawks gear was everywhere, and we even had a Russell Wilson Day. On Friday, Jan. 7, following the first round win over the Redskins, Ukrop’s Homestyle Foods delivered cakes emblazoned with the Seahawks logo to our two cafeterias. Everyone celebrated with a led his senior class as president – we are slice at lunchtime. Yes, the excitement has been about loving that a good kid, who has worked having one of our guys in the NFL and toward this goal for most of his 24 years, the playoffs, but it goes deeper than that. is succeeding in a big way. Go, Russell, Those of us on this campus, past and go as far as you can, and we’ll be watchpresent, who knew Russell as a boy who ing from here with hearts full of pride. could throw a football and a student who – Elizabeth Woodroof Batty ’77


Cougars Reflect on Russell Wilson’s Time on Our Field Excerpted from a Richmond Times-Dispatch story by Arthur Utley

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othing about Russell Wilson’s success as the quarterback at N.C. State and Wisconsin and now the Seattle Seahawks comes as a surprise to his Collegiate teammates and coaches. “When we were younger, he obviously had all the physical tools, but he had that extra intangible. There was never any doubt, he’d succeed at every single level,” said Scott Pickett ’07, a Richmond TimesDispatch All-Metro wide receiver in 2006. “He makes every guy on the team better. He’s an easy guy to follow.” Cole Hawthorne ’07, who also played wide receiver at Collegiate, and Pickett are Wilson’s closest friends. Each was a confidant when Wilson made two major decisions: give up professional baseball (Colorado Rockies organization) and use his final year of college eligibility at Wisconsin after graduating from N.C. State in three years.

“He loves to win,” Hawthorne said. “Every day I think about him being one of 32 [players] with that job and to be doing so well. It’s incredible. To think he’s the guy that was always messing with my radio or coming over to eat Ukrops pizza.” During the two seasons Wilson was named T-D player of the year, he threw for 6,291 yards, 73 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He rushed for 1,786 yards and 32 TDs. Wilson also played cornerback (10 interceptions), held for extra points and field goals, returned punts and punted. Wilson’s height – it’s 5-11 – was the downside to success beyond high school, critics said. Wilson has proved them wrong, but height is still a subject that comes up in just about every interview. “He just laughs about it,” said Charlie McFall, Wilson’s coach at Collegiate. “All you have to do is know Russell and be around him, and you’re a believer. He has unbelievable confidence in himself. He knows he’s been blessed with a lot of talent. He’s going to work harder than everybody.” Toby Desch ’06, who now works and coaches at Collegiate, was the Cougars’ center for Wilson’s sophomore and junior

seasons. “The nicest thing about him being back there,” Desch said, “was he made us look very, very good. We were an average sized offensive line, but with his elusiveness he made life incredibly easy on us,” Desch and Wilson share an unfortunate bond of having lost a parent. Desch’s father died in a plane crash 10 days before Wilson was named player of the year for the second time. In the T-D article, which appeared soon after the funeral, Wilson spoke eloquently about Toby and said he wanted to pass his honor along to his former teammate. “That one of the greatest gifts my mom and I got after my dad died,” Desch said. “It was one of the most selfless things he could have done.” Wilson’s father died from complications associated with diabetes in June 2010. McFall says part of Wilson’s drive is to honor his father. “I know Russell knows he’s watching from above, but Russell wishes he was here. Russell’s resilient. He wants to be great and nothing is going to get in his way.” ABOVE: Russell Wilson, back when he was no. 11 on the Grover Jones Field

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Alumni Activities

Homecoming Weekend For a day that started out cloudy with a chill, it warmed up in time for the Cougars to take on Episcopal and enjoy Homecoming festivities. Within minutes of kick-off at 1:30 p.m., the Cougars had scored the first points of a total of 35 over Episcopal in a complete shut-out of a game. The crowd enjoyed refreshments including cotton candy and pizza and music by the Upper School chorus at halftime. Senior Barrett Redmond, escorted by Homecoming King Jack Sutton, was crowned Queen by the Cougar. Congratulations to all for a fun day on the Grover Jones Field.

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Football Game

Cougars vs. Episcopal Cougars win 35–0

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1. At halftime, Mackenzie Meadows ’16 reprises her rendition of “Seasons” which she first sang at Convocation. 2. Running back Ben Noftsinger ’13 cuts through an opening to gain yardage. 3. Varsity football captains Jack Corrigan, Reilly Klein, Wilton Speight and Paul Timmons lead the charge. 4. And the crowd roars… 5. JoBeth Stoddard ’07, an advertising account executive in New York, and Laura Bagbey ’07, a 7th grade English teacher in Salem, VA, were home for their 5-Year Reunion. 6. Jon Kastenbaum and Marion Cosby, both ’06, arrive to root for the home team. 7. Back in town, Caroline Blank ’12 (now at Dickinson College) and Sally Sommers ’12 (UVA) catch up at the game. 8. A canine Cougar in his fan finery makes the rounds. 9. Chain gangsters: Jay DeVoe ’82, Hank Carter ’77, Robert Wrenn ’77, Trib Sutton ’81 and David Corrigan prepare for line duty. 10. Hank Evans, Miller Golliday, PJ Melnick and Luke Walker, all class of ’12, were home from college for the game. 11. Gracie McGurn ’05, Rishi Pahuja ’04 and Patrick Dolan ’04 hang out on the fence.

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Alumni Activities

Oyster Roast

Our annual Alumni Oyster Roast was graciously hosted at Tuckahoe Plantation, home of Tad ’66 and Sue Thompson. 1

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1. Susanne Wirt, Ethan Wirt ’01, Christie Thalhimer Silverstein ’02, Ross Cushnie ’02, Laura Cushnie, Courtney Harrison Bradenham ’02 2. Berkeley Pollard Darr, Sarah Corcoran, Rachel Everett, Howard Jenkins, Mindy Peskin Guyer, Loree Johnson Goergen (all ’92) 3. Richard Thalhimer ’79, Amy Thalhimer, Janie Dykers Kauder ’81, Tricia Dykers Koenig ’72 4. Suzanne Wiley Van Orden, Frank Jones, George Mack (all ’77) 5. Tom Spivey ’85, Tommy Disharoon ’79, Malcolm McDonald ’87, Ross Darling ’84 6. John Robertson ’65, Fran Chalkley Robertson ’69 7. Blake Smith ’00, Morgan Libbey, Gail Smith, Alex Smith ’65, Erin Smith Jewett ’94, Bryce Jewett ’93, Kate Smith, Kerry Smith ’90 8. Lewis “Bubba” Lawson, Drew Cheely ’02, Brock Saunders ’02 9. FRONT: Anna Reed, Scott Reed ’92, John Adamson, Jennifer Robertson Wilkins ’92, David Wilkins ’94, Katherine Thalhimer Adamson ’96. BACK: Billy Thalhimer ’64, Sallie Thalhimer, Tad Thompson ’66 10. Kate Hoover ’07, Brooke Matson ’07, Ava Gorman ’06, Rives Fleming ’83 11. Charlie McFall, Frank Kelleher ’98, Allison Jesudian, Arun Jesudian ’97 12. Andy Jaspen ’95, Happy Vaughan Anderson ’95, Kirk Hunter ’94, Tom Callahan ’94, Whitney Montague Mathews ’95, Andy Mathews ’94 13. Muffy Zimmer Greenbaum, Amber Jesse, Lauren Hurst Glazier (all ’04) 14. C.R. Langhorne ’84, Cabell Hatchett ’94, Colin Jamerson Rose ’94, Sarah Cook Martin ’94, Elizabeth Cook Miller ’99

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Alumni Activities

Alumni Cookout

Alumni returned to campus for a cookout before the Homecoming football game.

1 1. Helen Tanner ’49 (center), longtime French teacher, joined the Class of ’62 at their 50th Reunion lunch. 2. Duncan Owen ’18, Tia Owen, Paige Ingram Fox ’86, Thomas Fox ’24, Ted Fox ’86 3. Catherine Crooks Hill ’85, John Gary Maynard ’86, Mason Chapman ’84 4. Princess Daniel, John Daniel ’03, John Daniel ’70 5. Stanton Thalhimer ’82, Robin Ashworth ’85, John Myers ’82, Laura Frayser Giddings ’85 6. FRONT: Elizabeth Whittet O’Conor, Bobbie Traynam Dorin, Elizabeth Coleman James, Betty Wood Delk. BACK: Isabel Spilman Bates, Sally Ryland Duane, Bruce Johann Muller-Thym, Eleanor Hind Smith, Weezie Vincent Wiltshire, Martha Clark Goss, Joan Hedgecock, Susu Schmidt (all ’67) 7. Weezie Vincent Wiltshire ’67, Buck Wiltshire ’67, Betts McGurn ’07, Boodie Wiltshire McGurn ’71, Mary Wiltshire Beckstoffer ’99

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Pageant Lunch Alumnae gathered to enjoy lunch and attend the Pageant dress rehearsal on Dec. 7, 2012.

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1. FRONT: Francie Shetter Adamson Reed, Gayle Burgess Ennis, Jeannie Yager Dortch, Betsy James Adams, Carolyn Baker Bottger BACK: Katherine Henley Bennett, Retta Leigh Perel Keil, Ethel Fultz Walker, Ki Shinnick Caldwell (all ’63) 2. Grace Whitehead Broaddus ’60, Liz Broaddus Scioscia ’90, Chris Rimbault 3. Mary Kennon McDaniel ’61, Susie Materne Benson ’62. Photo courtesy of Carole Sandy 4. Betty Fisher ’69, Virginia Budwell Heindl ’69, Anne Vail Thomas ’69, Susan Wagener Higgins ’67 5. Kitty Jackson Bryant, Nancy Thomas Hill (both ’52) 6. Elizabeth Whittet O’Conor, Elizabeth Coleman James (both ’67) 7. Connie Kennon Harriss ’59, Helen Tanner ’49 8. Amanda Little Surgner ’83, Ann Lee Saunders Brown ’36, Alex Smith ’65 9. Elsie Ellerson Morris ’54, Mary Bruce Featherston DeVoe ’56, Bobbie Lee Norris Sutherland ’54

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Alumni Activities

Young Alum Reunion On Oct. 18, 2012, alums from the classes of 2000–2008 got together at Bandito’s to cheer on Russell Wilson ’07 and the Seattle Seahawks as they played the San Francisco 49ers. 1

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4 1. Chris Vaughan, Michelle Carter, Jordan Cobb, Lizzy Kitces, Kelley Meredith (all ’05) 2. Caitlin Piland, Carter Crenshaw, Francie Friddell, Mason Davis (all ’06) 3. Kate Hall ’04, Drew Cheeley ’02, Elizabeth Downey ’04, Rob Downey ’01, Bryan Crosby ’01 4. Billy Stinson, Chris Barta, Richard Marshall, Jamie Dunn (all ’06) 5. David Zuelzer ’05, Michael Brost ’85, William O’Flaherty ’05, Will Cosby ’05 6. Adam Baker ’07, Jeff Modisett ’07, Lindsey York ’08 7. Kim Keate, Ava Gorman, Marisa Povlishock (all ’06)

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Washington, DC Reunion On Jan. 14, 2013, alumni in the Washington, DC area got together at the Ritz-Carlton.

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5 1. Tim Jones ’00, Kemp Gouldin ’98, Sean Gillispie ’00, Carrie Gillispie 2. Lucas Beirne ’99, Susan Martin ’99, Greg Morrison 3. Michael Brost ’85, Crystal Wright ’85 4. Sarah Montague, Dair Collins ’94, Kelsey Larus ’94, Casey Peery Korba ’94 5. Amanda Little Surgner ’83, Catherine Thomas, Derek Thomas ’96 6. Keith Evans, Virginia Layfield ’07, Claire Gentil ’06, Steffi Ross ’07, Trey Goggins ’07 6

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3 1. Karen Cogar Abramson ’70, Danny Abramson, Lynne Berkness ’78 2. Gregory Gresko ’88, Sally Hall ’67, Roger Ruckman 3. Chris McLellan, Bane Williams McLellan ’02, Karen Paul ’01, Craig Stauffer 4. Kevin Furgal, Cammie Freeman Furgal ’89, Charlie McFall 5. Tanner Smith, Sarah Chase ’06, Billy Oden ’06, Paige Crosby ’06, Bart Hurlbut 6. Keith Evans, Anne McCormack Jones ’79, Charlie McFall, Joan McCormack Ferrill ’73 7. Matt Allen ’02, Jennifer King Kaestner ’95, Cornelius Kaestner, Grant Allen ’96 8. Michael Brost ’85, Anne Wiltshire ’03, Jonathan Henry

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New York Reunion On Feb. 1, 2013, Cougars in the New York area enjoyed an evening at the ‘21’ Club.

RIGHT: Michael Brost ’85, Jennifer McGuire Brost ’91, Brock Saunders ’02, Alexandra Squire ’03, Peyton Jenkins ’00, Becky Jenkins BELOW: Liza Tullidge ’07, Charles Terry, Susan Terry, Caroline Terry ’07, Catherine Barnett ’07, Selwyn Turner, Meredith Ascari ’07, Taylor Christmas ’08

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Continued from previous page…

1 1. Zach Jung ’08, Buddy Carter ’08, Isabel Ortiz, Moore McMahon ’74 2. Suzanne Duncan ’77, Phil Hudgens ’77, Gail Smith, Alex Smith ’65 3. Kate Featherston, Trip Featherston ’87, Michael Jarvis ’06 4. Tanner Powell ’98, Joseph Housel, Elizabeth Edmunds ’01 5. Jo Beth Stoddard ’07, Ian Hartz ’08, Sam Rogal ’07, Laura Anderson ’07, Holly O’Donnell ’07, Kathryn Failon ’07, Sam Spinner ’07, Jared Stensland 6. Amanda Little Surgner ’83, Maria Bolognese, Rishi Pahuja ’04, Graham Mandl ’08, Brandt Surgner 7. FRONT: Estelle Perera ’92, Maria Benson BACK: Peter Romaniuk ’92, Sarah Corcoran ’92, Murray Fisher ’93, Rich Minor ’93, Peyton Jenkins ’00, Jennifer Robertson Wilkins ’92, Will Wiltshire ’92 8. Allison Jesudian, Arun Jesudian ’97, Virginia Lawson ’97 9. Jennifer Robertson Wilkins ’92 and John Walker, Chairman of Collegiate Board of Trustees 10. Henry Winslow, Michael Phelan, David Schultz, Jim Ivins (all ’07) 11. Supna Zaidi, Troy Peery ’90, John Gary Maynard ’86, Cindy Maynard 12. Michael Brost ’85, Alex Burnett, Philip Mabry ’07, Randall Drumheller ’09

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Winter Party & Auction Chaired by Sharon and Shawn Handley, this year’s Winter Party & Auction gave us a reason to “Embrace the Winter Blues” on Feb. 23 at the Westin Hotel. Over 300 guests came out to shop the silent auction, hear some blues music, visit with friends and raise their paddles to support the school. The evening was a huge success, netting more than $190,000 for Collegiate! A portion of the proceeds will support the modernization of Reed-Gumenick Library, under renovation now and scheduled to be ready for Middle Schoolers in August.

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3 1. Leslie Rising, Ted Linhart ’65, Mary Linhart, Margaret Whitlock 2. Laurie Shinn, Rob Shinn, John Gary Maynard ’86 3. Melissa Laskin, Steve Laskin ’93 4. Lisa and Chris Brennan ’84 were the lucky winners of the puppy. 5. Crit Richardson ’75, Liza Andrews Richardson ’76, Charlie Blair

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1. Winter Party Chairs Shawn and Sharon Handley 2. Margaret Randolph Pace ’90, Pam Roberts 3. Michael Brost ’85, Alexandra Squire ’03, Brock Saunders ’02, Jennifer McGuire Brost ’91 4. Kellie Hilb, Patricia Hobson Hunter ’80, Margaret Eck, Jane Cooke, Keane Kauders 5. John Barnes, Jana Barnes, Liz Clifford, Henry Clifford 6. John Walker, Julie Walker, Chris Rusbuldt, Anne Mountcastle Rusbuldt ’85

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Alumni Activities

Chips Off the Old Cougar Block This past fall we welcomed the following legacies of Collegiate alumni… Shepard Adamson �������������������� K ����������������������������������������������������Katherine Thalhimer Adamson ’96, Billy Thalhimer ’64 Griffin Alvis ����������������������������� 5th ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������Kevin Alvis ’84 Harrison Baxter ����������������������� K ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Billy Baxter ’88 Lucy Beckstoffer ���������������������� K ������������������������������������ Mary Wiltshire Beckstoffer ’99, Weezie Vincent Wiltshire ’67 and Buck Wiltshire ’67, Jean Betts Wiltshire ’38 Jett Bristow ������������������������������ K ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������Reggie Bristow ’86 Spencer Conrad ������������������������ K �������������������������������������� Whitney Smith Conrad ’93 and Scott Conrad ’93, Dan Smith ’68 Harper Cuttino ������������������������ K ������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Libbie Crane ’89 and David Cuttino ’90, Libbie Thompson Crane ’50 (deceased) Alice Davis �������������������������������� K ���������������������������������������������������������������������������� Kate Hershey Davis ’95, Rob Hershey ’66 Ellie Featherston ��������������������� K ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Trip Featherston ’87 Madelyn Ford ��������������������������� K ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ Lauren Diehl Ford ’92 Presley Garst ���������������������������� 1st ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Rob Ukrop ’88 Peyton Garst ���������������������������� 5th ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Rob Ukrop ’88 Peter Hartmann ����������������������� K ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������Eva Morgan Hartmann ’88 Ben Heidt ���������������������������������� K ������������������������������������������������������������������������� Kathryn Webb Heidt ’94 and Ben Heidt ’93 Carter Hepp ����������������������������� K ���������������������������� Ashley Linhart Hepp ’94, May Ellen Boyd Oakley ’67, Ted Linhart ’65 Maddie Jewett �������������������������� K ������������������������������������������� Erin Smith Jewett ’94 and Bryce Jewett ’93, Bryce Jewett ’64 and Gay Montague Jewett ’65 (deceased), Alex Smith ’65 Noah Kantner �������������������������� K ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Nancy Jo Ukrop Kantner ’95 Adriana King ��������������������������� K ������������������������������������������������������������ Jo Ellen Constine ’87, Adrienne Gould Constine ’55 Patrick Kirchmier �������������������� 8th �����������������������������������������������������Cathy Black Kirchmier ’84 and Patrick Kirchmier ’83 Ellen Lewis ������������������������������� K ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Michelle Deal Lewis ’89 Gabi Linkonis ��������������������������� K ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������Nicole Kelleher-Linkonis ’93 Bella Little �������������������������������� K ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ Lloyd Little ’76 Mary Ellis Logan ��������������������� K ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Michelle Kahn Logan ’98 Henry Palmore ������������������������� K ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Michael Palmore ’93 Rachel Peck ������������������������������ K �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Suzanne Kitces Peck ’96 Annie Reed ������������������������������� K �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� John Reed ’85 Isabel Rigby ������������������������������ K ����������������������������������������������������������� Marshall Bates Rigby ’93, Isabel Spilman Bates ’67 Catherine Rohr ������������������������ K ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Lin Luck Rohr ’93 Bayler Ruth ������������������������������ K ������������������������������������������ Jennifer Jewett Ruth ’90 and Scott Ruth ’91, Bryce Jewett ’64 and Gay Montague Jewett ’65 (deceased) Bridgette Schutt ����������������������� K ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Chris Schutt ’87 Celie Shield ������������������������������ K ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������Henry Shield ’91 Madeleine Smith ���������������������� K ���������������������������������������������� Robin Tucker Smith ’88, Mary Madelyn Robison Tucker ’61 Perry Smith ������������������������������ K ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ Jody Smith ’86 Camden Suro ���������������������������� K ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Craig Suro ’92 Lawson Vaughan ���������������������� K �������������������������Alan Vaughan ’91, Kate Donnahoe Vaughan ’65 and Bucky Vaughan ’63 Joe White ���������������������������������� 7th ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������Frances Williams White ’85 Mary Wilkins ��������������������������� K �������������������������������������������������������Jennifer Robertson Wilkins ’92 and David Wilkins ’94 Justin Williams ������������������������ K ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Jonnie Williams ’95

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Kindergartners

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1. Bayler Ruth, Bella Little, Lawson Vaughan 2. Carter Hepp, Mary Ellis Logan, Madeleine Smith, Bridgette Schutt, Shepard Adamson 3. FRONT: Harper Cuttino, Celie Shield, Lucy Beckstoffer, Rachel Peck BACK: Noah Kantner, Justin Williams, Harrison Baxter, Henry Palmore 4. Ben Heidt, Camden Suro, Gabi Linkonis, Mary Wilkins, Madelyn Ford, Annie Reed 5. Isabel Rigby 6. Maddie Jewett, Ellie Featherston, Ellen Lewis, Catherine Rohr, Peter Hartmann 7. Adriana King, Spencer Conrad, Alice Davis, Perry Smith, Jett Bristow 8. Presley Garst ’24 9. Peyton Garst ’20, Griffin Alvis ’20 10. Joe White ’18 11. Patrick Kirchmier ’17

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Alumni Activities

Call For Nominations : Collegiate School Athletic Hall Of Fame

The 1997 Girls’ Varsity soccer team was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010.

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he Collegiate Alumni Association will induct a new class of coaches, players and teams into the Collegiate School Athletic Hall of Fame. These inductees will be selected from current and past nominations! Please take a moment to think about the outstanding athletes, coaches or teams you remember from your days at Collegiate and send in your nomination! We need your help to be sure we honor the BEST of the best. The more nominations a person or team receives, the more likely they will be strongly considered, so don’t assume someone else has done it! (But, if you have already nominated someone in the past who has NOT yet been selected to the Athletic Hall of Fame, you do NOT need to nominate that person again; a second nomination from you will not count twice.) The purpose of the Athletic Hall of Fame

is to “honor and perpetuate the memory of those individuals who, through fair play, have brought recognition, honors, distinction and excellence to Collegiate School and its interscholastic athletic programs.” Alumni/ae are eligible beginning five years after they have graduated from Collegiate. Coaches are not eligible until they have retired from Collegiate.

Athletic Hall of Fame Committee Members Alex W.C. Cecil ’83 – Chair Greg Williams ’69 Beth Watlington Marchant ’72 Robert Wrenn ’77 Lewis Cardwell Rosebro ’78 Gray Stettinius ’79 Ned Sinnott ’86 Michelle Deal Lewis ’89 Hylah Boyd Ballowe ’90


Matthew Goodwin ’90 Stephen Spraker ’92 Erin Smith Jewett ’94 Philip Janney ’99 Drew Cheely ’02 Kate Hall ’04

Athletic Hall of Fame Advisory Board Charlie McFall, Co-Director of Athletics Karen Doxey, Co-Director of Athletics Alex Smith, Major Gifts Michael Brost, Director of Development Emily Randolph, Alumni Director

Collegiate School Athletic Hall of Fame members: Individuals Mary Fry Fritch ’28 Ann Lee Saunders Brown ’36 Rosa Hodges McLaughlin ’36 Katherine Chewning Crane ’46 Alice Lewis Flower ’49 Pearson Grymes Gibson ’54 Nancy Sadler George ’65

Any new nominations you would like to make should be sent via the attached form to:

Leroy Vaughan ’66 Sanford Boisseau ’68 Ray Easterling ’68 Janet Grubbs ’69 Boodie Wiltshire McGurn ’71 Behle Schaaf ’72 Robbie Perkins ’73 Frank Jones ’77 Robert Wrenn ’77 John Owen Gwathmey ’80 David Murphy ’80 Trib LaPrade ’81 Anne Overton ’82 David Shannon ’82 Chris Tate ’83 Beth Curry ’84 Lisa Coleman ’84 Walter Spence ’84 Lee Moreau ’85 Antoinette Lucas ’87 Craig Scott ’87 Rob Ukrop ’88 Wortie Ferrell ’88 David Cox ’90 Ta’ Bingham Frias ’94 Katie Schoolwerth Gustafson ’96 Andrew Slater ’96 Courtney Owen Mattes ’97 Joey Rackley ’99

Coaches Bill Chambers Gwen Donohue Jim Hickey Petey Jacobs (posthumously) Grover Jones (posthumously)

Supporter Mr. Malcolm U. Pitt, Jr. Coach John Moreau

Teams 1959 “A” Field Hockey Team 1963 Varsity Football Team 1969 – 1970 Boys’ Varsity Basketball Team 1970 Varsity Football Team 1972 Varsity Football Team 1982 Varsity Football Team 1986 Varsity Field Hockey Team 1987 Boys’ Varsity Lacrosse Team 1988 Girls’ Varsity Tennis Team 1989 – 1990 Girls’ Varsity Basketball Team 1990 Boys’ Varsity Soccer Team 1997 Girls’ Varsity Soccer Team

2014 Athletic Hall of Fame Nominations Class Year

Emily Randolph Alumni Director Collegiate School 103 N. Mooreland Rd Richmond, VA 23229

Name of Nominee(s)

You may also nominate an individual via email: erandolph@collegiate-va.org. The more information you can give us regarding the nominee’s athletic career at Collegiate, the better!

Reason for your nomination (including any exact information you have about their Collegiate School athletic achievements)

Your Name

Class Year

Your Phone Number

Your Email Address

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Alumni Activities

Where Are You? Calling classes ending in 3 & 8! This is your reunion year, and we do not have contact information for these classmates. Please contact Emily Randolph at erandolph@collegiate-va.org or (804) 741-9757 if you know where they are!

John Laurence Leonard III Anthony Leigh Martin Elizabeth A. Massey Louise Renee Mattern Franco Moretti Sarah Ann Nall Monica Polati David P. Reynolds James Roberts Gerald Lee Rollins Joan McClure Schouler Edward Peyton Williams, Jr.

1988

Bernice H. Tuxbury

1973

1998

1953

Stephen McDermott Barnes Kevin Stewart Brown Carl Bruce Caplinger, Jr. William Frank Kluck Susan Mains Patricia Gates Mueller J. Kirkmyer Muhleman Russell A. Rowe John Terrence Ryan Edward Lee Satterfield

H. Lee Brann Walter Peter Drozd Frantz Christopher Hershey Charles Thomas Higgins, Jr. Brad Jenkins David Ivar Lillemon Allison Jane Lofton Ryan E. Pryor Erin Loveness Rogal Heather Gray Taylor

1978

2003

Katherine Aldrich Adams Robert Lee Cardwell, Esq. Kevin Todd Honey David A. Kennedy Pierre Antonin Lelong IV William Peter Ross, Jr. Birgitta Sacredeus John Francis Warner, Jr.

Andrew Craig Hickle Jan Rai Oshima Hunter Andrew Terry Ann Partee Walker

1943

Joan Patricia Kelley Anthony Hagan Miller

1963 Robert C. H. Campbell III Susan Larson Hash Michael Leo Howell James Irwin Pollock Dorothy Bailey Saurer Heather Hollenbeck Stevenson

1968 Everett Gunner Ackart Maria Antoineta Arguello Andrea Ellen Ayer William A. Barksdale Bruce Lee Baxter, Jr. William Chappelle Chaney William Crisler Clore Carolyn Campbell Ellis Christopher Peake Farrand Donald Richard Garda E. Patrick Garrigan, Jr. Helen Lynn Glazebrook Max H. Goodloe, Jr. Thomas Pratt Gullette, Jr. Sharon Gay Hankins Laurence L. Harding John Melton Hudgins Katurah H. Hutcheson Kevin P. Kilpatrick Kathryn Olivia Kirkindall

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1983 Anna Holsinger Bampton, Ph.D. James Allen Barnes Laurie Ann Gragnani Atsuyuki Kugimiya Janet V. Murray Lewis P. Nelson IV William Eugene Sullivan IV Margaret Fenton Swezey Hans Frido Tactor Cassandra Anne Wigand

David Lawrence Shipman David Dubois Tucker

1993 Yuvi Singh Bawa Christopher Paul Bonavia Natalie Ann Duck Megan Donlon Marcow Melissa Beth Monteiro


Planned Giving At Collegiate School

Elizabeth Thalhimer Smartt ’94, Helen Baker Society Luncheon Speaker

The Favorable Bonds of Family, Both Ancestral and Through Collegiate School This past September, Helen Baker Society members gathered for their 13th Annual Luncheon at the Commonwealth Club in Richmond. Alumna Elizabeth Thalhimer Smartt ’94 provided remarks and a beautiful tribute to family values. During the hour, the long-range planning of Helen Baker Society donors was reaffirmed by analogy as Elizabeth shared stories of her family’s multi-generation former business – the Thalhimers department stores. Sarah Cook Martin ’94, Elizabeth Thalhimer Smartt ’94, Elizabeth’s essential message was that the family business Tom Callahan ’94, Ashley Knaysi ’94, Andy Mathews ’94, operated within a framework of values that spread throughout Katherine Thalhimer Adamson ’96 its products, employees, and community. Business decisions were made for the long haul and the common good – Thalhimers was not about making quick profits. As John Stewart Bryan, III stated, “For 150 years, the people behind the stores that bore their name, the Thalhimer clan, comprised an integral thread in the tapestry of Richmond. Just as the fabrics offered in their stores gained luster and strength over the years, so, too, grew the stature and reputation of the family, in the community and in the broader world beyond.” A company statement issued in the mid-20th century expanded on the core tenets of Thalhimers, “We have always believed the store should be part of the lives and hopes, part of the growth and future of the people who share its fortunes.” So, too, has Collegiate School always endeavored to contribute more than the function of educating students. The school, as supported by forward-looking Helen Baker Society members, continues to make the community it serves a better place to live by adding to the accomplishments, the cultural achievements, the education, and the quality of living of every person who passes through its front doorways. One further common point exists between the Thalhimers business and the Collegiate School – both institutions had firm roots in downtown Richmond. Thalhimers began as a small shop in Richmond’s Shockoe Bottom in 1842 and continued its 20th-century growth through its location on Broad Street between Sixth and Seventh Streets. Similarly, Collegiate School descended from an early downtown presence. Mrs. E.L. Bemiss established a small home class in 1906 on East Grace Street, and her Bemiss School soon became known as the Stratford School. In 1917, Miss Helen Baker of the Collegiate School invited the merger of the two young schools, and in the same year, a ground-breaking occurred for a three-story brick building at 1619 Monument Avenue which would educate young women for nearly half a century. In 1965 Headmaster Malcolm U. Pitt, Jr. stated, “The opportunity to blend the best of the past [of Collegiate School] with the opportunities of the future has been inspiring.” One could assert that a similar concept permeated the multi-generational civic efforts of the Thalhimer family.

Please consider committing some of your future assets to Collegiate by joining the Helen Baker Society today. You will be contributing to our school’s financial underpinnings so that we can continue to serve as we have for nearly a century. For more information about bequests, charitable trusts, partial-interest gifts of real estate, gifts of an IRA, life insurance, or gift annuities, please contact: Steve Hart, Director of Planned Giving The Collegiate School 804.741.9713 / shart@collegiate-va.org.

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Class Notes

Class Notes 1933

DIED: Constance Fleming Warwick Fisher on Jan. 22, 2013. At Collegiate, she played field hockey and was a member of the Glee Club, the French Club, and the Latin Club. Constance was a graduate of Westhampton College and was married to the late Temple Warwick and the late Edgar J. Fisher, Jr. She is survived by her sons, William Temple Warwick and Peter Chevallie Warwick; her stepdaughter, Elisabeth A. Fisher; and two grandchildren. Becky Gwathmey Swann on Nov. 19, 2012 in Farnham, VA. She graduated from Converse College and was trained as a medical technologist at MCV. Becky was a member of St. Mary’s Whitechapel Episcopal Church. She was married to the late Rev. Sydney C. Swann, Jr. and is survived by her children, Sydney C. Swann III, Robert Rudd Swann, and Rev. Mary Gwathmey Swann; grandchildren; and great grandchildren.

A random meeting of two alums of different generations occurred in November when they were both attending events at VMI – Andrew Slater ’96 and Anne Lee Saunders Brown ’36.

1934

DIED: Jane Blair Greer on Nov. 26, 2012. At Collegiate, she was a Green and a member of the French Club. Jane was married to the late Robert Ward Greer and is survived by her children, Nancy Greer Pledger, Jack Greer, and Anne Greer Poh; three grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and a great-great-granddaughter.

1936

Isabel Livingston, Maria Burroughs Livingston’s daughter, writes, “She is brilliant by 5 pm, but needs help early in the day! Maria winds down in the evenings, only to be ready the next day by 5 to recite poetry and tell us stories – she is such a bright light!”

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UVA. Married and have two children and three grandchildren. During the 1970s, I was an instructor for the Northern Virginia division of UVA. After 30 years as a teacher and administrator in Virginia public schools, I retired on Jan. 1, 1980 and became involved in many volunteer activities; one of the more interesting ones was being a chaplain at the now-huge Inova Fairfax Hospital. And some of those ’round the world trips that I took were to rather exotic places where most tourists don’t go – like Samarkand and Bukhara in Uzbekistan and Lake Baikal in Siberia and out with the press boat for the America’s Cup Sailing Races off the coast of Western Australia. “For the past couple of dozen years I have been the coordinator of the Fairfax County Retired Educator’s reading group which meets once a month at my place. And for ages I’ve been the class agent for my Mary Washington class (1941). For someone who turned 94 in November, I do keep ever so busy and appreciate my many outside contacts. In 2013 I will have lived here in this same place in Annandale for 50 years. Gee – and I don’t even feel that old!”

1938

Lois Loehr Brown ’37 lives in Annandale, VA.

1937

Lois Loehr Brown recently wrote in with an update on all she has been doing since her Collegiate days: “In 1941, I graduated from the University of Mary Washington and later received a master’s degree from

DIED: Jean Betts Wiltshire on Nov. 22, 2012. She graduated from St. Mary’s College and volunteered at Retreat Hospital for many years. An avid sports spectator, Jean was a member of River Road Presbyterian Church. She was married to the late Dick Wiltshire and is survived by her children, Gray Wiltshire Massie ’61, Rick Wiltshire ’64, Buck Wiltshire ’67, and Boodie Wiltshire McGurn ’71; grandchildren Jeannie Massie Japp ’85, Ashley Massie Doyle ’88, Henry Massie ’92, Richard Massie ’92, Richard Wiltshire ’97, Drew Wiltshire ’99, Anne Wiltshire ’03, Will Wiltshire ’92, Mary Wiltshire Beckstoffer ’99, Missy McGurn ’03, Gracie McGurn ’05, and Betts McGurn ’07; and 16 great-grandchildren.


1939

DIED: Demie Browne Blair on Jan. 25, 2013. Demie graduated from the College of William & Mary and was a long-time volunteer with Moral Re-Armament (MRA), now Initiatives of Change. She served on the board of the Collegiate Alumni Association and was also a member of the Women’s Club of Richmond and the English-Speaking Union. Demie loved to dance and assisted for years at the Cleiland Donnan Junior Assembly Cotillion. She was married to the late J. Terence Blair. Together, they served with the MRA in France, Brazil, and the United Kingdom.

1941

DIED: Barbara Budina Smith on Jan. 27, 2013. She attended Stephens College and was a former partner of Shop For Pappagallo on Libbie Avenue. Barbara was a member of River Road Presbyterian Church, the Tuckahoe Woman’s Club and The Country Club of Virginia. She is survived by her husband William R.L. Smith, daughter Nancy Smith ’75, son David M. Smith, four grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

1948

Mary Young Heins writes, “We are great-grandparents for the second time! A little girl, finally, after four grandsons and one great-grandson.”

1953

DIED: Brownie Hunt Baker on Oct. 10, 2012. After Collegiate, she attended Mary Washington College. She used her creative talents and organizational skills to support organizations such as the Children’s Theatre, the Garden Club, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, and Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. She is survived by her sister Virginia Lee Hunt; daughters, Virginia McFerran and Lee Ann Graves; and four grandchildren.

1955

Betsy Minor McCommon, a professional actress, writes from Blacksburg, VA about her performance group called “Loose Thread.” “The first performances

Town School reunion classes gathered at Lemaire Restaurant on Oct. 11, 2012. Pictured are Susan Gladding Cocke, Lucye Seay Thompson, Kay McDowell Higgins, Luella Peters Hall, Dorothy Ewing Ferrell (all ’57), Mimi Thornton Oppenhimer, Jean Blankenship Faglie, Jackie Lynch Huffines, Nancy Thomas Hill, Betty Bramble Brown, Lou Galleher Coldwell, Jane Reed Fields, Nancy Page Hall Edmunds, and Kitty Jackson Bryant (all ’52).

led to standing ovations, and the group plans to offer the event throughout the state in the next year,” she says. “We have been friends for more than 30 years, performing as an ensemble initially and sustaining the bond with support for each other’s publications, gallery shows, performances and readings. We are a rich mix that has prompted director Bob Leonard of Virginia Tech, to say, ‘This is unique. There is no category in which this fits… you are not going to get this anywhere else.’ With story, song, and poetry, we address the aging process where in we lose youth, loved ones, jobs, health, and hope.”

1959

Jane Terrell Neer writes, “Our class of ’59 gets together for lunch every month with our Richmond classmates. We do have fun!”

1961

Connie Whittet Garrett writes, “Our two alumni children are back living in Richmond. After working in DC, Caroline Garrett ’96 is with Evolve Architecture, and, in 2011, Parker Garrett ’97 and Kim decided to purchase EMSCO, an electrical manufacturing business, in Hanover County. They have three children and reside in Westham.”

1962

50th Reunion

The class of ’62 had an awesome 50th Reunion and the best part was the number of classmates that came back! We had 23 attend and it was just like

Betsy Minor McCommon ’55, front left, is a member of the Blacksburg performance group, “Loose Thread,” comprised of a group of six women who have been friends for more than 30 years. As in a past performance, “Web Six,” they combine their original art, poetry, story telling, and photography in a theatrical presentation that addresses what we lose and what we gain in the aging process.

turning the clock back to Collegiate days. We were all young again, talking and laughing 90 MPH. The celebration began on Thursday night with tacos at Lucy Fitzgerald Steele’s house. The Richmond Reunion Committee (Ann Hirschler Long, Susie Materne Benson, Anne Hunter Larus Roe, Marion Smith Chenault, Sherrie Welton Parker, and Lucy) welcomed Sims Brockenbrough Foulks and Carolyn Gray Allen. Sims and Gary are moving from Louisville, KY to Wilmington, NC since Gary is retiring. They will be closer to their daughter Beverly, a professor at UNC Wilmington, and granddaughter Haley. They also have a son, Guy, with US Fish & Wild Life in

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Class Notes Arlington, VA and another daughter Heather, a chef teaching at the Culinary Arts Institute in NY. We hope to see more of Sims now that she will be living closer. Carolyn Gray Allen is in Jackson, WY living the good life with Don. She has been a volunteer at the National Wildlife Museum of Art since moving there about 25 years ago. Her daughter Kris and her husband live in Richmond and her other daughter Ashley lives and works in the Baltimore area. The pictures of their beautiful home in the Tetons made us all talk about having our next reunion there! Ann Hirshler Long and David Long ironically live at Sauer’s Garden (doesn’t look quite the same)! Her daughter Diane, a Collegiate graduate and lawyer here in Richmond, and family live close by on Cary Street while Kay, also a Collegiate graduate and lawyer but stay-at-home mom now, and family are living near San Francisco. Anne gave up her jewelry business but stays active with grandchildren and granddogs and travels west for family visits. Susie Materne Benson is still in real estate, going gangbusters and loving it. Her daughter Frannie and two children are in town along with her son Taylor and his two children. Catherine, her youngest, is in San Anselmo, CA where she runs her own design business. Susie also flies west when possible for special visits. Anne Hunter Larus Roe is back in Richmond working much too hard but glad to be in familiar surroundings. Her daughter Dorsey lives in Santa Monica, CA where she works with inner cities building community gardens. Her son Gavin is in Cincinnati working for GE in their military aviation supply sector.

He and Kelly have four children between them. Anne Hunter, Dorsey, and Gavin enjoy travelling together when possible. Marion Smith Chenault is the Director of St. Stephen’s Church pre-school in Richmond. Although this is time consuming, she changes hats and escapes to Camp Greenbrier for the summer where Cabell is a director. They live in her family home and get away to their Rappahannock River place as much as possible. She loves having son John Cabell, Joy, and their two children plus her daughter Elizabeth close by in Richmond. Sherrie Welton Parker and Joe split their time between Richmond, Wintergreen, and Naples, FL. They have Jody, Stephanie, and the three boys (Joe IV, Will, and Charlie) here in town where Jody runs his own business and Stephanie has an “event makeup business” for those really special occasions. Conway has her Doctorate and with Mercer and Hardt lives in Atlantic Beach, FL., just blocks from the ocean. Anne Robertson and Keen with Mary Mac and Thomas are calling Singapore home for the next several years! Keen works for Universal Leaf Tobacco in the Southeast Asia office. Sherrie and Joe have gotten quite a few airline miles keeping up with the offspring. My husband Rusty has retired and we are back in Richmond after moving 16 times! Our daughter Emily with husband Ted and children Kathryn and Peter are in Richmond. Emily was an elementary school principal until Kathryn (2½ years old) was born and is now enjoying being a stay-at-home mom. Cover, Laurie, Trey, and Frank live in Ellicott City, MD

where he is Product Support Manager for Alban Cat Power Systems. Laurie is the head paralegal at the Washington law firm of Reed Smith. Matthew, Lauren, Jack, and Colin are all the way out in Seattle. Matthew is a Senior Project Manager for Microsoft and Lauren is video producer for a small production house. We try to go out there at least once a year but really wish they were closer. I don’t complain anymore, though, since Anne Robertson went to Singapore! Friday we convened at Marion’s for delicious BBQ and welcomed more old friends. Martha Jane Daniel Hudnall and Bert are still enjoying Charleston especially since Elizabeth and David and Ry and Shannon are close by. The best part though is Ry’s son, Rawley, their grandson. We were thrilled that Sue Neale Fox could join us as she had a wedding on Saturday back in Delaware. She and Chet drove down Friday just for the BBQ and brought awesome Delaware beer. They have eight grandchildren between them, six of which are in Delaware. Kay Rucker Strohl still lives on her family farm in Lexington, KY. She loves being there with her “pet” Belgium draft horses and dogs but says she misses Tim who passed away several years ago. She does plan a trip, though, every year to somewhere special. This year she went to Europe! Fluff Shinnick Manderson and her husband Joe moved back to Columbus, GA about 10 years ago. They bought their old house back and have their son Bray and his three children (two girls and one boy) just down the street. Coate, their youngest, moved back about a year later. Joe retired in 2005 but soon got bored, so he started a small custom upholstery business – J. Bertrum. Fluff is his “office girl.” His customers are mostly designers and the best part is he doesn’t travel anymore. We were especially thrilled to greet Joly Duesberry as this was the first time she has been able to come to a reunion! She lives in Colorado with her husband, Ira, a surgeon, and still enjoys painting. She has published a beautiful book of her works that should be owned by all. She also has earned several awards in her field and has had many solo shows – 12 in the US and one in France. Laney Hull Mullen arrived a little late but we were thrilled she As part of their 50th Reunion, the Class of ’62 gathered at Collegiate for lunch and a tour on Saturday of Homecoming weekend. came as this was her mother’s

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The Class of ’62 celebrated its 50th Reunion at the home of Sherrie Welton Parker and her husband Joe.

birthday weekend, so she had many demands on her time. She is living in Alexandria, VA and currently doing biological research. She has received several awards for her achievements in this field. Lee Valentine Snyder is living in Norfolk still doing magnificent flower arrangements. Besides being a former school teacher, she is an artistic judge and very involved with the Garden Club of VA. She and Charles have four daughters and now a granddaughter and hope there are more to come. Ginny Williams Stanley, who was only at Collegiate for 8th and 9th Grades, came down from Orange for the weekend. We are all still impressed that she lived in the Alaskan wilderness for three years. She has three sons, five granddaughters, and two grandsons. She recently lost her husband Peter. Saturday began with a gourmet lunch at Collegiate with Helen Tanner ’49. What a treat it was for all of us to get to visit with her. After a tour of the greatlyexpanded campus, we adjourned to rest up for the “big doo” at Sherrie Welton Parker’s on Saturday night. Joe cooked beef tenderloins and oysters on his outdoor fireplace and grill, while we listened to ’60s music and reminisced. We finally got to hug Leigh Wilson Joblin who flew in from Australia on Thursday night and had been recovering from jet lag until Saturday. She is still living and working in Victoria, Australia and has three grown children and one granddaughter. She flew out right after the reunion – whew – to visit her son in Stockholm whom she hopes will be returning to Australia before long. We were also joined at Sherrie’s by Rossie Reed Fisher and husband Sandy, Joy Burgess, Temple Kester Joyner and her husband

Park, and Anne Coleman Davidson and her husband Owen. Rossie and Sandy are still running their organic farm, Brookview, in Manakin-Sabot. They have received many awards for their stewardship of the land and sustainable agricultural practices. The farm is located across the road from where Rossie grew up at Sabot Hill. They run a store on Saturdays that sells organic beef, eggs, hats and t-shirts. There are hayrides and visitors help to collect eggs and visit farm animals. They have two children, Murray and Jane. Joy Burgess had to make the trip from Virginia Beach by herself as George was dealing with a kidney stone the week of our reunion! It was great to see her and everybody appreciated her being there. She retired after many years from the Farley Center at Williamsburg Place. She has three children and eight grandchildren including George’s. Their home overlooks the Chesapeake Bay with all of its wonderful views and wildlife. Temple and Parke also live at Virginia Beach, right on the ocean. They have three daughters and five grandchildren and are enjoying retirement and a more relaxed routine. Anne Coleman Davidson and Owen came from Blacksburg just for the party but had to return first thing Sunday due to a prior commitment. It was wonderful to see her, just not for a long enough time. Sunday we were still going strong and gathered at Margaret Bryson’s lovely “country” home for brunch. We ate on beautiful tables set out in her “English Garden.” It was a scene worthy of Southern Living Magazine. She has two adorable poodles, one standard and the other miniature, that she trains on the agility course in her back yard. They compete in

the area and around the state. As much as she enjoys rural living, she has just purchased a “cottage” in Richmond. This helps with trips to doctors and general errands in the city when she doesn’t want to drive back to Montpelier. Everyone took home a “goody” bag with remembrances of the weekend – a t-shirt, Tervis tumbler, reprints of class pictures and CDs of ’60s music. The best gift by far though was reuniting with our oldest friends. We took time to remember those classmates that were no longer with us – Wendy Garibaldi Williams, Anne Macon, Diane Hedgecock, and Peppy Armstrong. We also missed all the classmates that couldn’t join us for various reasons – Susan Dortch Barnes, Ann Strickland Davenport, Julia Gathright McLaughlin, Penny Winfree Gooch, Anne Chapman Lubliner, Libby Coleman Price, Janet Armour Burton, Jan Elliott Girardi, Sandy Graves, Susan Shaffer Wells, Mary Helen Watkins Smith, Lynn Warner, Evangeline Gianoulis Toms, and Susan Redford. After a weekend of gourmet food, many hugs, laughs, tears and life stories – old and new – we reluctantly said our good-byes and SWORE to reconvene again in the near future to keep the spirit of our great class going. Next time we are hoping EVERYONE will be able to be here. – Submitted by Lucy Fitzgerald Steele

1963

Retta Leigh Perel Keil writes, “My life is full of travels. Kirk lives on the shore of North Lake Tahoe. Doug is in Salt Lake City. All four grands go to the local equivalent of Collegiate (albeit, poor substitutes!). I spent Christmas in Belize, and in February will go to Cuba with Road Scholar, a group that tries to keep my mind alive by sending a reading list. Such list is filed right along with Miss Moon’s summer reading list! Every summer I spend 10 days in Maine where I help run a comfort camp for young girls who have lost a parent. This will be our twelfth summer. I am the archery counselor (certified!) and the gypsy fortune teller! And I still spend lots of time at the beach. I’m sure my classmates are finding this info of great interest…;)”

1965

Bob Easterling, Alex Smith, Jeff Dortch ’64, Jon Moss ’64, and the late Mike Jarvis ’64 were honored at the 2013 All-Metro Football Banquet in January. The Touchdown Club of Richmond sponsors the annual event. All five were All-Metro in 1963.

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Class Notes In December, Bill Porter and his wife Chris took a trip to St. Maarten in the Caribbean. Bill writes, “My wife turned 66 on 12-12-12. Also, her age, 66, adds up to another 12. We thought this would be a special birthday, so we decided to go to one of our favorite places. We stayed on the French side of the island which is known for the food and beaches (au natural). We hope that 12-12-12-12 turns out to be a very lucky set of numbers.”

1966

Girls from the Class of ’69 got together for a mini-reunion. Pictured are Fran Chalkley Robertson, Merri Ann Hunt, Betty Fisher, Christi White Barranger, Pam Williams, and Melinda Vick Wilson.

Jon Perel and his wife Anne Marie hosted the Class of ’67’s 45th Reunion at their home.

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DIED: Gayle Layfield on Feb. 1, 2013. She is survived by her children, Jane Layfield Lancaster and Daniel Layfield Latshaw; two granddaughters; brother Gaylon Layfield ’69; and nieces, Virginia Layfield ’07 and Elizabeth Layfield ’09. While at Collegiate, Gayle was class president and played sports. She earned a bachelor of arts degree at Hollins College, where she was active on the trustee and alumnae boards. She also received a master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins University.


Painting Pets

Susan Gill Dull ’70

Bob Cosby ’68 has been married to Shelia Cosby, CPA since 1972 and has been president of Will and Cosby since 1982. He now has six grandchildren.

After moving to Baltimore in the mid-1970s, she was an English teacher at Roland Park Country School, where she was also director of admissions and worked in development. While her daughter attended Friends School, she was its Parents Association president and a member of the trustees board. She went on to become the school’s director of development in 1994 and was later the school’s assistant head for development. She retired in June 2012.

1967

45th Reunion

The Class of 1967 enjoyed a lively and fun-filled 45th Reunion. We began the celebration on Friday night with oysters and barbecue at Tuckahoe Plantation. On Saturday, many of our classmates got together for the luncheon and football game. Some of us went on tours of the campus. The grand finale to the weekend was a lovely and festive party at the home of Anne Marie and Jon Perel. It was a beautiful fall night and everyone enjoyed seeing classmates they had not seen in many years. We had more than 46 people at the party – 28 graduates of Collegiate. Many of us continue to live, work, and play in Virginia. Some classmates came from North Carolina. The states of Kentucky, West Virginia, Maine, and New Jersey were also represented. No one wanted the evening to end. It was wonderful catching up with everyone and hearing so many different life stories. Everyone is committed to returning to Jon and Anne Marie’s home in 2017. Stay in touch, Elizabeth Coleman James and Elizabeth Whittet O’Conor.

1970

Mary Zoll Padow writes, “Love hearing ‘grandma’ – three grandchildren! Thanks for coming by our Padow’s deli at Gaskins and Broad now featuring the

The practice of reflecting life on canvas could be considered hereditary for Susan Gill Dull ’70, whose two great aunts produced art as professionals. As she admired their handiwork, she developed a passion that infused her formal education, and in recent years, has led to a unique career endeavor: painting pet portraits. Susan couples the photography and art history knowledge she gained in college with nearly 15 years of private art lessons to create oil paintings that pet owners hang in special places in their homes. “I love to do them,” says Susan. “They are not cookie-cutter; each one is very personal.” Attention to detail is her trademark in a cottage industry she discovered two years ago, well into a lengthy stint of painting still life and landscapes as a hobby. “I saw all of these (pet portrait) advertisements from artists, and I noticed how generic the paintings were. They could be anybody’s dog. I thought, ‘I could make this so much more interesting.’” Her first effort, a portrait of her daughter’s English bulldog, “was a hit.” Since then, she has painted about 20 cats and dogs. Susan begins each project by taking multiple pictures of a pet to capture its unique features or traits. She also visits the pet owner’s home to assess the color palette in the room in which the portrait will hang, and to learn more about the pet that can be incorporated into the painting. She can personalize a piece even Susan Gill Dull ’70 works on a pet painting. more by adding a quote or phrase in calligraphy, a skill she learned in 1st and 2nd Grade at Collegiate when it was still located downtown on Monument Avenue. “Part of our curriculum was art appreciation. I still have the notebooks we compiled in Ms. Montgomery’s art class,” she says. “That was back when they taught us handwriting, and calligraphy was part of that (training).” That early love of art merged with inspiration from her relatives. One great aunt, Fanny Wood, taught painting for years in Richmond. Another, Ora King, was one of the first artists to have a studio in Alexandria, VA’s renowned Torpedo Factory. Rather than follow their path, Susan devoted 20 years to a fulfilling career. “I started as a legislative research associate and my subject area was environmental,” says Susan, who attended Randolph-Macon Woman’s College. “Twelve years later, I was the executive director of the legislative commission on solid, hazardous and low level nuclear waste management. I later worked part-time for (nonprofit) environmental organizations such as the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, and as an aide to a state senator who sponsored environmental legislation.” Susan resumed painting around 1990, when she retired, and eventually began studying under the teacher who continues to encourage her today. She still sometimes participates in art shows in which she can feature her landscapes and other work, but painting pet portraits is what excites her when she arises each day. “I do think fondly about my art teachers at Collegiate, because in a way, they got me started on all of this,” she says. “I hope Ms. Montgomery is smiling down on me.” To learn more about Susan’s pet portraits and other artwork, visit www.SusanDull.com. – Stacy Hawkins Adams

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Class Notes

The Class of ’72 celebrated its 40th Reunion at the home of Brenda Britten Mathews and her husband David.

Celebrity Room pizza! 60th birthday celebration at Lu Coukos Spotswood’s home on the rivah for the beautiful girls of ’70 was great!”

1972

On Oct. 21, 2012 at Lynchburg College’s Homecoming, the 1971–72 soccer team was inducted into the college’s Sports Hall of Fame and honored as a Team of Distinction. John Chewning ’68, pictured here with other team members, was recognized for his contribution in remarks made by assistant coach George Grizenda. John, who played soccer at Collegiate from 1963 to 1968 and later coached the Cougars’ JV team, scored the only goal in a quadruple overtime victory in the state soccer finals to give Lynchburg the 1–0 win and title over rival UVA.

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40th Reunion

The girls of ’72 still know how to throw a party! Our 40th Reunion continued the tradition of revelry and conviviality! Many thanks to our wonderful cooks: Mary Lee and Skip Baker, Joan Pruitt Buhrman, Mary Conner, Margie Whiteside Farquhar, Kim and Boo Gentil, Beth Watlington Marchant, Julia Shannon, Priscilla Fairlamb Stinson, Stephanie Lelong Waller, and Brenda Britten Mathews. Thanks also go to Beth Gayle Clough (Paper Plus) for our invitations and to the seven boys who came: Skip Baker, Craig Martin, Blair Massey, David Nickel, Lee Osborne, Behle Schaaf, and Chris Trimmer! They were surrounded by many gorgeous ’72 girls! The award for furthest travel for girls goes to Tricia Dykers Koenig (Ohio) and to Ellen Taylor Sisson (Connecticut) and for boys to Lee Osborne (Roanoke, VA). Everyone was thrilled to see Jean Lindemann Campbell who manages the Shades of Light store in Midlothian. Elaine Ferebee Osburn came from Tappahannock where they are busy with their tennis court business and their grandchildren. Sally Burford continues as an attorney for the US Court


This past summer, Ellen Taylor Sisson ’72 performed with the Israel Philharmonic at the Salzburg Festival (of “Sound of Music” fame).

of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, and Mary D. Bennett Ellison serves as Assistant Executive Director at the United Network for Organ Sharing. It was also fun to see fellow Richmonders Pam Guilford Redd, Becky LeCompte Thornton, and Pam Wagner Johnson. Several could not join us but sent news. Missy Herod continues to keep the Cougar traditions alive as Collegiate’s Director of Student Activities. She was actually chaperoning the Homecoming Dance that night! From Fresno, CA, Susan Smith Stewart says she is busy with her FRESHMAN in high school and a daughter at Sonoma State. Anne Swann Johnson and family moved from South Carolina to Fredericksburg and she is teaching geography at Fredericksburg Christian School. Bunny Gentry Williams has recently moved back to Richmond! Another alum sent in an article celebrating Lorna Pauley Jordan’s success. Sculpture Magazine (March 2011) writes about Lorna, “Her works appear coast to coast, from wilderness to urban settings, shaping aesthetic solutions for environmental problems while stimulating the human imagination.” See you in five years! Our goal is eight boys next time! – Submitted by Mary Conner, Beth Watlington Marchant, Brenda Britten Mathews, and Stephanie Lelong Waller Ellen Taylor Sisson continues her career as a freelance professional singer, church musician, and voice teacher in New York City and Fairfield County, CT. This past summer, she toured Israel and Austria as a professional chorister with the Israel Philharmonic, conducted by both Zubin Mehta and Riccardo Muti. The choir performed three concerts at the Salzburg Festival (of “Sound of Music” fame), the first American choir to do so since 1989. Son Jack, 25, lives

in Manhattan and works for Aviary.com, a cuttingedge photo imaging technology company. Daughter Mary, 24, teaches 5th Grade English and history at St. Anne’s-Belfield in Charlottesville. Daughter Frances, 21, is a senior at the University of Richmond. Ellen enjoyed seeing classmates at their 40th Reunion at the home of Brenda and Dave Mathews. DIED: Catherine Marsh Leitch on Oct. 4, 2012. An avid bowler and moviegoer, Cathy was a member of the Breast Cancer Survivors Group and the Goochland American Legion Post #215. She is survived by her husband Rodger A. Leitch, daughter Christine Garten, and two grandchildren.

1973

Lyn Graybill was a short-term election observer with the Carter Center in Sierra Leone in November 2012 for presidential, parliamentary, and local elections. “I was able to see some of my former students from Fourah Bay College, whom I taught when I was a Fulbright scholar there (2009–2010).” In November, Nancy Stratford was awarded the Yale Medal which is the highest award presented by the Association of Yale Alumni. It recognizes and honors outstanding individual service to Yale.

1974

Martha Pruitt Fink writes, “We live on a farm in Manakin-Sabot. We finally have all of the horses, dogs, cats, and kids at one place, and it is great. I never want to leave the house now. My oldest son recently turned 30 and our fourth son will graduate from high school in May. Looks like an empty nest is right around the corner.” Don Sledd writes, “I am still in residential real estate sales and appraisal, and am always looking for interesting content for my Facebook business page (Don Sledd, Realtor). I’m pleased to report that last February I got engaged to Patricia Jones, PhD, a psychologist at McGuire VA Medical Center. We have not set a wedding date as yet. “My daughter Katie lives in Glen Allen, works for a health care information technology company, and is engaged to Mike Jurkow, a financial analyst at Dominion Resources. They are planning a September 2013 wedding. My daughter Mollie and her husband Jordan Berman are enjoying travel, their life together in Washington, DC, and their beagle mix puppy named Ellie. Their most recent trip took them to Istanbul and

the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, which they tell me is a wonderful place to visit. “On the Friday evening after Thanksgiving, at the suggestion of Walker Jones, my fiancée and I attended a fine production of Death of a Salesman at the Firehouse Theatre along with Walker, his sister Cathy Jones-Hatcher ’76, and Dot and Philip Hart. Drew Karo ’77 happened to be in the audience that evening as well. It seems that we 1974 Cougars can rely on Walker to get at least a few of us together whenever he comes in from New York!” DIED: Elisabeth Truett Greenbaum on Jan. 10, 2013. Liz graduated cum laude from Mary Baldwin College. She volunteered with numerous organizations including Girl Scouts, Clarke Elementary, St. Paul’s Ivy Church, and the Boys and Girls Club. She served as executive director of First Night Virginia for the millennium celebration, chair of the Women’s Committee at Martha Jefferson Hospital, president of the Meriwether Lewis PTO, and was co-founder of In the Pink Tennis Tournament and founder of the Bread Committee at St. Paul’s Ivy. She was also elected several times to the vestry of St. Paul’s Ivy, where she served a term as senior warden, and was elected to the board of directors at Farmington Country Club. She is survived by her husband Erik Greenbaum ’74; their children, Virginia Greenbaum Strunk and Clifton Scott Greenbaum; and her brother Edward Lazenby Truett. Steve Shepherd on Nov. 4, 2012. A University of Richmond graduate, he taught blind people how to use “talking computer” technology and helped create a worldwide communications network in the blind community. Steve accepted a proclamation on behalf of disabled residents in the State of Virginia from the Richmond City Council setting May 7, 1987 as Barrier Awareness Day. He was preceded in death by his parents, Virginia and Adolphus Shepherd, and his brother Chris Shepherd ’74. He is survived by his sisters, Ellen Shepherd Lamb and Ashley Shepherd Sisson.

1976

Ginny Reynolds Parker writes, “Our family had a wonderful trip to Turkey in July. Our daughter Liz is 28 and lives in San Francisco. Our son Michael is 26 and lives in New York. I had been to Turkey 10 years ago and found it the most beautiful, interesting and fun place I had ever been. Liz, Mike, and my husband Michael loved it. We visited Istanbul, Ephesus and

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Class Notes

Last fall, Bjorn Guldvog and Barby Ludwig, exchange students hosted by the class of ’76, had a mini-reunion dinner in Oslo, Norway.

Bodrum. Turkey is much hotter than Richmond. We had days in Bodrum that were 108 degrees. Turkey is one of the few countries around the world that likes Americans. Their economy is among the fastest growing in the world now. Istanbul has an amazing Modern Art Museum. As we were leaving, our children were already talking about our next trip to Turkey – traveling around the islands on a boat. We’ll have to work for a few years and save up! “I also went on a trip to the Marcellus shale in Pennsylvania. I serve as Vice-Chair of the Board of Visitors for Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment. We went on a fact finding mission with the dean, several board members, professors and students. The students were studying the impact of hydraulic fracturing on water. We had an amazing tour by helicopter. There are over 5,000 wells currently being drilled, ubiquitous throughout the landscape. We interviewed locals both for and against this flurry of activity. The trip was fascinating!” DIED: Paul Scholte on Jan. 17, 2013. He attended St. Andrews Presbyterian College and was a member of the St. Andrews Society of Richmond. Paul was also a member of Temple Lodge no. 9 AF&AM, past monarch of Samis Grotto, past patron of A.R.E.M.E Chapter No. 17 OES, and Past Convener of the Clan Rose Society of North America. He is survived by his wife Amanda Bolden Scholte; brother Edward Scholte; sisters, Suzanne Scholte ’77 and Cassandra Scholte Jensen ’88; five nephews; and a niece.

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1977

Rud Moore ’76 posed proudly at Homecoming halftime with his princess daughter Ali Moore ’13 and wife Linda.

35th Reunion

Our class had our 30th reunion party at the lovely home of Shannon and Hank Carter, marred only by the absence of our classmates who could not be there. We enjoyed many delicious treats prepared by various chefs of ’77, tunes from Hank’s extensive collection and great conversation. In all, 35 of us were there, some who had traveled many states to join us, like Anne Reynolds Robertson (Austin, TX), Marcia Makepeace (Denver, CO), Laura Coleman Proctor (Birmingham, AL), Steve Kelly (New Orleans, LA), Leslie Lawrence Downs (Jupiter, FL), Frank Jones (Starkville, MS), and Martie Edmunds Zakas (Atlanta, GA). Trekking up from Tidewater were Suzanne Wiley VanOrden, George Mack and Otis Forbes, and from the mountains, Brian Richardson, Dutch Waldbauer and Nell Goddin. As usual, the Richmond contingent was strong: Ken Blaylock, John Bullard, Nick Condyles, Alison Farmer Cosby (with Gary Cosby ’76), Jud Elliott, Drew and Page Smoot Karo, Glenn Kelly, Tommy Kastenbaum, Anne Graham Mauck, Bob Mizelle, Beth Stettinius Monroe, Lisa Stultz Moore (with Bill Day ’76), Marion Powell Pace, Kathie Cole Rushin (with Richard Hubert ’76), Cappy Kennon Seay, Sarah Gwathmey Vogt, Richard Ware, Keith Wells, Andy Wiley, Elizabeth Woodroof Batty and Robert Wrenn. A few tidbits were gleaned from both attendees and absentees…

Stuart Chapman Roberts could not be there due to son Chap’s freshman parents’ weekend at Furman – same for Terrell Luck Harrigan who was visiting daughter Elise at Sewanee. Sarah Coldwell Rinko was sorry she could not make it down from Hingham, MA, and Valerie Dillehay Hubbard could not be with us because she and husband Mark were in Florida. “Living well in NE Minneapolis, MN,” wrote Sandra Dunn Morbey. “Husband, kids, dog-less at the moment. Regularly visiting family in Richmond. So sorry to miss the reunion, but a community event (‘Taste of Northeast’) keeps me here.” Otis Forbes is still living at Virginia Beach, “still representing ‘bad guys (and girls)’ (criminal defense attorney at Virginia Beach Law Group), still running some, catching waves when I can. Slow down and honk or stop at 8100 River Road if you see me or Marcia (Mom, usually wearing her signature straw hat) as I am still fulfilling my classmates’ prediction that I would have a career as ‘yard man.’ I’m usually in town once or twice a month.” Nell Goddin is busy writing and publishing e-books on Amazon, and Susan Hughes Grymes wrote, “Still working with my husband at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. Still an educator, now with adult students and a finance curriculum. We have four grown sons living and working in RIC, in DC, and two in FL (St. Pete and New Smyrna Beach). Life is good.” Steve Kelley had just worked his last day as cartoonist at the New Orleans Times-Picayune, but says, “I am still writing the comic strip ‘Dustin’, which I


Hank Carter and his wife Shannon hosted the Class of ’77’s 35th Reunion at their home.

co-created with cartoonist Jeff Parker and is syndicated by King Features to 321 newspapers. It won Best Newspaper Comic Strip from the National Cartoonists Society two years ago and was a finalist last year (it’s only three years old…). I’m still producing three political cartoons a week, which Creators Syndicate distributes to more than 100 papers and Internet outlets. Newspaper jobs are difficult to find now, but I hope to find another editorial page in another city from which to base my work.” The Richmond TimesDispatch runs his political cartoons frequently. Quigg Lawrence was consecrated on Feb. 4 in Roanoke County, VA as the fifth and newest bishop in the Province de L’Eglise Anglicane au Rwanda and in the Anglican Church in North America. An article in the Roanoke Times said, “Lawrence was elected to the position by his fellow bishops, who were among nearly three dozen clergy in attendance at his consecration in the packed sanctuary of Church of the Holy Spirit. Leslie Lawrence Downs writes, “Life is good. I have lived in South Florida since I graduated from UVA. I was in banking for 20 years and then I was CFO

and Head of School at a K-12 school that my kids went to. When my youngest son graduated two years ago, I went back to banking to try and build my retirement. I am actually in the same department at the bank as Suzanne Ash ’76, but I have not seen her since she is in Richmond and I am in West Palm. Married for 29 years, three boys – one doing insurance, one in law school, one studying accounting.” George Mack shared this info about his new passion: “About two years ago I was introduced to Cornhole, and caught the bug! I have been playing regularly with nationally ranked players in the Tidewater area. Last year, I was ranked at about 233. and this year I am somewhere near 256. On October 12 through 14, I competed in my first national Cornhole tournament in Chesapeake, VA. It’s the Virginia Cornhole Cup with $20,000 in prizes. It is part of the American Cornhole Organization (ACO) Masters Series Major Tournament.” Suzanne Mathews Davis wrote from Tampa, FL that she couldn’t make it because “I have one daughter home from college, one volleyball tourney for my 13-year-daughter and a regatta for my middle

daughter. Sorry, this is a super busy time.” Brian Richardson summed up his existence: “Sheep farming, country lawyer and manager of MotoElectra Racing (see Facebook). Live in Blue Grass, VA.” “Will miss seeing everyone,” wrote Debbie Simmons Rockwell from Birmingham, AL. “Tried to find a way to get around work, but in the middle of a mortgage boom. I have a senior at Alabama about to graduate in physics. She’s applying at different schools for her masters in electrical engineering.” Wrote Nan Velo, “I thought I was going to be able to make it, but I’m headed down to Costa Rica to see my sis and check on property there. I’m living in Deltaville with my hubby and am a real estate broker for my company, Southern Homes & Estates Realty. I love sailing! I know you guys will have a blast! Hugs and kisses to you all, and come see me in Dville sometime!” Cooper Wamsley, who lives in Chesterfield and works in environmental management for the Virginia Department of Transportation, wrote that he had previous plans for a trip to the Northern Neck. Elizabeth Woodroof Batty has started a line of children’s skirts called YippiSkippy. She also sells

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Class Notes

Barbie Duff ’78 and three friends visited Portugal in May. From Barbie: “This photo of us shows the terraced hillside that was the view from our villa near Pont de Lima northeast of Porto.”

Girls from the Class of ’82 got together in Florida last May. Pictured are Courtney Allen Van Winkle, Linda Martin Geho, Moncure Geho ’83 Jackie Whitmore, and Patricia Twohy Sharpley.

Rodney Willett ’81 and son Turner Willett ’12 traveled to Greenland this past summer.

vintage wares (ie, junk) on Etsy and continues to serve as communications director and Torch advisor at Collegiate. DIED: Elizabeth Stultz Moore, on March 11, 2013. At Collegiate, Lisa played team sports, sang in the Glee Club and was a member of XXX. She attended Hollins College, the University of Georgia and Georgia State University where she earned her graduate nursing degree. She worked as a caregiver in many areas of the medical profession, in a number of capacities, chiefly in the field of surgical procedures. In her free time, she

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enjoyed spending time with family at the beach and on summer trips to R Lazy S Ranch in Wyoming. Diagnosed two years ago with Merkel cell carcinoma, Lisa moved back to Richmond last summer to be near her family. She is survived by her parents John and Burrell (Lower School science teacher) Stultz; two daughters, Morgan Guritz and Claire Moore; Craig Moore and many friends in Georgia and Virginia.

1978

In May, Barbie Duff spent two weeks in Portugal with three friends. She writes, “Anyone considering travel

Leigh Compton Shobe ’83 writes, “Very proud of my oldest son, Nicholas Kiczales ’15, who was awarded the Spirit Award this past summer at Camp Virginia. His grandfather, Justice A. Christian Compton, was awarded the same honor in 1943. Nicholas will return as a Junior Counselor for his ninth summer in Goshen.”

who enjoys the ‘off the beaten path’ kinds of vacations should put Portugal near the top of their list. The country is beautiful as are the people, the food is amazing and don’t get me started on the wine!! We spent one week in a converted windmill on the coast near the town of Nazare – about 90 minutes north of Lisbon and then the second week at an amazing hillside villa two hours northeast of Porto and overlooking the Lima River valley. We took day trips all around the areas surrounding our two ‘homes’ to places like the ancient walled city of Obidos, the 2012 World Heritage site of Guimaraes and the 13th century university town of Coimbra (my three favorite places).”


The Class of ’82 gathered at the home of Jay DeVoe and his wife Amy to celebrate its 30th Reunion.

“Otherwise I am a Senior Financial Accountant at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. I work in the Corporate Accounting Department and am responsible for payroll accounting for all 12 Reserve Banks. I was hired by Paige Wooldridge Marchetti ’76 in June 1999. I am single, own a home in Bryan Parkway (Lakeside area) and I spend my free time snow skiing at Bryce Mountain, windsurfing in the Outer Banks and being entertained by my 16-month-old miniature Australian Shepherd, Millie, and traveling as often as possible.” Sandy Jordan writes, “I am engaged to be married to Sandy Mauch (yes – we will be Sandy & Sandy!). We live in Northern Virginia. Also, I have recently joined Edelman Financial Services, LLC in Fairfax, VA as a Financial Education Instructor.”

1979

John Rudder lives in Charlottesville and works for the UVA Institute on Aging (part of the Dept. of Psychology). “I help research foundations, federal grants, and corporations who might support the Institute. Among other duties, I write news releases and articles covering various aspects of the Institute on Aging’s work.” Gray Stettinius is president of Tuckahoe Creek Construction, Inc. which was awarded a 2012 Guildmaster with Highest Distinction Award for exceptional customer satisfaction for the third year in a row. Nearly 200 home builders, remodelers, developers, and contractors across the country were recognized by GuildQuality and Tuckahoe Creek is one of only three in the Richmond area.

Richard Thalhimer has become a ski instructor at Wintergreen, offering private or group lessons for all levels.

1980

Laura Clements Harris, Ann Cabell Hancock Williams, Katherine Maser Martin, Sara Maynard Sommers, Anne Ratcliffe Chamblee, and Mamie Seaman Sarkes all have first-year students at UVA. Tyler Negus Snidow writes, “Celebrated 50th birthdays in Vegas with classmates Ellie Eubank Shropshire, Kate Coldwell, Hunter McKinley Sydnor and Laura Yancy Peery. Combined we won $80 and half a pizza. Don’t ask.”

1981

Rodney Willett and his son Turner Willett ’12 traveled to eastern Greenland this past summer for a multi-week kayaking and camping trip. Traveling with a group of experienced paddlers, which they were not, Rodney and Turner dodged icebergs and occasional surfacing whales to explore the remote and sparsely populated coastline. They took an extensive set of photographs and befriended several Inuit children and too many sled dogs to count.”

1982

30th Reunion

The Class of ’82 held its 30th Reunion at the wonderful home of Amy and Jay DeVoe who were very gracious hosts. We had a good turnout on this warm

evening with ’mates in from all over. Kenny Young made the trek down from NYC. Russ Daniel flew in from Michigan. Locals were well represented by the likes of Scott Duff, Vinton Myers, Phil Frederick, Stanton Thalhimer, Jamie Curry, Jimmy Wiley, Sally Wyatt Roddey, Kelly Ivey King, and Ann Byrne Talley. We had fabulous food and drink provided by Jay and Trib Sutton ’81’s group, The Three Amigos. Live music is better – and it sure was on this night. Big River gave us a rousing night of good time music! Rob Crosby ’83 and Tripp Vaughan ’79 along with classmates Brad Crouch and Bruce Miller played late into the evening. Special guests included Henry Liebert on lead guitar. It was a great night with many old friends back in touch enjoying a wonderful Virginia fall night. As the music and flames died down everyone hugged and made the pledge to do it again in five years! – Submitted by Brad Crouch During the Virginia Aviation Conference last August, Bill Kelly received the “Virginia Aviation Person of the Year” award. Bill is the manager of New Kent County Airport and has served as president of the Virginia Airport Operators Council. MARRIED: Jimmy Wiley to Sarah Gibson on Dec. 22, 2012.

1984

In the Vegetarian Times’ Readers’ Choice New Food Heroes contest, Woody Woodroof was voted Community Farm Crusader. Woody is the executive director and founder of Red Wiggler Community Farm, a place where adults with developmental disabilities

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Class Notes acquire job skills while cultivating organic food for their community.

1985

Janet Jarman was a speaker at 2012 TEDxSan Miguel, Mexico in November. The following information from the event’s website explains her topic and credentials: “She spoke about her 16-year photojournalism project on Mexican immigration in the US, where she followed

the life of one immigrant girl, Marisol. She calls for changing the conversation on immigration from an impersonal contentious debate to one focused on real human stories. Janet is a photojournalist (www.janetjarman.com) and multimedia producer based in Mexico. Through long-term projects, she explores contemporary social issues such as immigration, the impact on Mexican society of its drug war, environmental destruction and open government. Her work has been

Janet Jarman ’85 is a photojournalist based in Mexico who has spent 16 years documenting the life of one immigrant family for a project called “Crossings: Dream of the Rich North.” She recently presented a talk on the project at TEDx San Miguel and also visited Collegiate to talk with several classes.

Jack Woodfin and his wife Charlotte hosted the Class of ’87’s 25th Reunion at their home.

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published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, TIME, Geo, Der Spiegel, amongst others. Her photographs have received awards in Pictures of the Year International, Photo District News Photography Annual, Communication Arts, and Best of Photojournalism.” You may watch her TEDx talk here: http: //tinyurl.com/aulq497

1986

Richard Grinnan writes, “Relocated back to Richmond in July having moved to Abingdon, VA in September 2011 to take a job as Deputy General Counsel at Alpha Natural Resources, Inc., the acquirer of Massey Energy Company (a publicly traded coal company headquartered in Richmond), where I worked for seven years after a four-year stint at McGuireWoods LLP’s Richmond office beginning in 2000. Now working as Assistant General Counsel at Markel Corporation, a specialty insurance company. Married to Beth; two girls – Kaitlyn Joy, 2, and Ellie Grace, 4.” Missy Roane Reynolds reports, “My husband Ralph Reynolds is making a big difference at Blue Ridge Estates and for kids all over the Richmond area. Ralph volunteers at Blue Ridge, a gated, low income apartment complex primarily designed for single mothers or families with children. Ralph greets the kids after school and keeps them busy and off the streets with the bi-monthly 8-8-8 Program (Motivate, Stimulate and Educate) and taking the kids on various field trips including a Richmond Raiders game, a tour of Reynolds Development and a recent visit from Eric Cantor ’81. Thanks to Ralph, and other dedicated volunteers, the children have the chance to be exposed to life outside of their apartment complex and learn about different career paths. Snacks are provided for the kids from a wonderful church down the road named Cottage Prayer Ministries. “Ralph is also involved with Coats for Christmas, an annual event he co-sponsors with The Farrior Foundation (James & Matt Farrior of the Pittsburg Steelers!). Donated coats are given to children in need each year but only after they perform a few hours of community service. Everyone is paying it forward and everyone wins!” Bill White writes, “I’m out in California starting off on a new adventure. In January 2013, I gave up my good job and salary, and my wife and I moved to Long Beach, CA to start a church from scratch. We’re super-excited about this opportunity and about the small group of friends who are going with us. Come by and visit if you’re in the area.”


1987

25th Reunion

The class of ’87 had a terrific 25th Reunion at the home of Charlotte and Jack Woodfin. It was a beautiful night to celebrate with live music from Collegiate’s very own Emma White ’11. No doubt, by the end of the evening, Emma expanded her already giant fan base. Thank you Emma! We were fortunate to have a few classmates travel long distances to be with us. Suzie King Kornblum came from Sudbury, MA. Charlotte Remick Wetzel joined us from Denver, CO and Kay Long Martin wins the prize for traveling the longest distance. Kay lives in Walnut Creek, CA. Many thanks to everyone who attended the reunion to help us celebrate! – Submitted by Taylor Cary Kell Antoinette Lucas, field hockey coach at James Madison University, earned the 100th victory of her career this past fall. In Antoinette’s nine seasons at JMU, her teams have won the Colonial Athletic Association championship three times. Kate Obenshain’s book, Divider in Chief: The Fraud of Hope and Change, was published last fall. The book takes a critical look at the Obama administration. Kate is also a blogger, national speaker, and a regular guest on Fox News, CNBC, and radio shows. Mary Elizabeth Parker successfully defended her dissertation in physical therapy at Texas Woman’s University on July 18, 2012. She continues to teach at Texas State University-San Marcos and maintains a small private practice in pediatrics. She looks forward to devoting more time to her passion, U.R. Our Hope, a non-profit organization she co-founded. U.R. Our Hope supports individuals and families dealing with undiagnosed and rare disorders at any age and any stage. MARRIED: Trip Morano to Lauren Warner on Nov. 3, 2012. Brothers Spence Morano ’94 and Shep Morano ’96 were groomsmen and sons Bo Morano ’21 and Ted Morano ’23 were ring bearers. Trip and Lauren live in Richmond where he is a vice president at Alterra Capital Holdings and she is an account executive for Home Care Delivered.

1988

BORN: Ella Catherine Bullock to Gerald Bullock and wife Tammy on Aug. 27, 2012. The family lives in Williamsburg.

1989

Charlie Daniel’s daughter Mya will be 4 in June. “If you remember me from high school, multiply by ten

Charlie Daniel with his daughter, Mya, 3

Paintings and drawings by Mary Hamilton ’89 were recently featured in a show at 9WG Studios in Richmond. For more information, visit www.maryhamiltonart.com.

Will Johnson ’89 paused for a picture with his wife Jessy and son Davis at Fort Hood before he deployed to Afghanistan last fall.

and you get an idea for how much trouble I am in. She is just awesome. I am divorced and back in Richmond working on my third startup called CAR NANNY. Check it out at www.TheCarNannyRocks.com. Training for a mini triathlon. Have not been on a bike in decades so if you see me sprawled somewhere around town, try not to run me over. Not much else to report. Life is good. Be good to others. Hope all my old friends are doing well!” Will Johnson writes, “I continue to serve in the US Army and have recently deployed to Afghanistan as a battalion commander in command of 5-82 Field Artillery, 4th Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood TX. We are deployed in Regional Command East in the Laghman and Kapisa Provinces. The battalion I

command is charged with providing artillery fires in support of US and Afghan Forces using the M777 Howitzer as well as training the Afghan Artillery Forces on how to use their D30 Howitzer. It is a very challenging but rewarding mission as we support our forces while at the same time train our Afghan Partners on how to use their own systems so they can become self reliant. “I am married to Jessy Johnson and we have a wonderful son Davis, 5. Our deployment tour is scheduled for about nine months and I look forward to coming home with all of my guys and seeing our families in August 2013.” For updates on Will’s battalion, search “5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment – Black Dragons” on Facebook.

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Class Notes

1991

BORN: Samuel Patrick McGeorge to Lee McGeorge and wife Jennifer on Aug. 27, 2012. Samuel joins older brother Connor. Claire Ingram Powell to Laura Sydnor Powell and husband Dan on Feb. 4, 2013. Claire joins sisters Haley, 2, and Mary Caroline, 4½, and brother Will, 6.

1992

20th Reunion

The class of ’92 enjoyed a lovely, cool September evening at the home of Donna and Craig Suro. The usual suspects were there discussing the standard reunion topics: children’s names and ages; career stats and highlights; and why Scott Storey kept his sublime sense of humor a secret for so long. (A witness recalls overhearing Danny MacNelly say to the aforementioned “I don’t remember you being very funny in school. Did we never notice it, or were you just keeping it under wraps while you gathered material?”). A number of Collegiate alums traveled a good ways to attend the evening’s festivities. Among those who made the long trek back to Memory Lane were Scott Teal from Tampa, Heyward Nelson from Charleston, and Loree Johnson Goergen who came all the way from LA to catch up with old friends. While no additional entertainment was necessary (as Fonville was on site) a karaoke band, a trivia contest, and a dramatic routine performed by classmate and professional mime, Chris Hobart, all added to the fun. – Submitted by Latané Lewis Dillard Eliza Goodall Gavin was a contestant on of Bravo’s “Top Chef: Seattle,” making it to the fifth round. She is the chef and owner at 221 South Oak Bistro in Telluride, CO. BORN: Mallory Kayla Nanna to Molly Morgan and husband Kevin Nanna on Nov. 24, 2012. Eric Shepherd “Shep” Turner to Sammy Turner and wife Sara on Dec. 31, 2012. He joins big brothers Bo, 2, and Mac, 4.

Samuel Patrick McGeorge, son of Lee McGeorge ’91, was born Aug. 27, 2012.

This past November, Ryan Bradley ’92 and his wife Kim got together with Eliza Goodall Gavin ’92, her husband Gavin, and her son Gigger in Turks & Caicos. Eliza recently appeared on Top Chef (see notes for more info).

The Class of ’92 celebrated its 20th Reunion at the home of Craig Suro and his wife Donna.

1994

BORN: Hayes Daniels Dickerson to Rob Dickerson and wife Jen on Aug. 7, 2012. The family lives in New York, NY. Paige Primrose Lujan to Heather Hardman Lujan and husband Arron on July 27, 2012. Paige joins big sister Linley. Carter Andrew Purcell to Sagle Jones Purcell and husband Tup on Mar. 27, 2012. He joins brother Tee, 3, and sister Addison, 5.

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Eric Shepherd “Shep” Turner (pictured with brothers Bo and Mac), son of Sammy Turner ’92, was born Dec. 31, 2012.

Mallory Kayla Nanna, daughter of Molly Morgan ’92 and Kevin Nanna, was born Nov. 24, 2012.


Mason Richard Bowler, son of Alyah Rafeh Bowler ’94 and husband Ryan, was born July 20, 2012. Clark Coulbourn ’93 and Michael Palmore ’93 joined 12 friends (Team USA) versus a 14-man team from Great Britain in a Ryder Cup Tournament played in Scotland. The tournament was played on The Old Course at St. Andrews, The Carnoustie Golf Club, and Kingsbarns Golf Links.

Carter Andrew Purcell, son of Sagle Jones Purcell ’94, was born Mar. 27, 2012.

Scott Reed ’92 and friends (“Team Beagle”) won the 2012 Harbor School Regatta. Among those pictured are current parent Alicia Palmore, Michael Palmore ’93, Murray Fisher ’93 (founder of the Harbor School), Alice Reed Keating ’89, Scott Reed ’92, and Erick Stork (a member of the 2012 Olympic sailing team).

Paige Primrose Lujan (here with sister Linley), daughter of Heather Hardman Lujan ’94, was born July 27, 2012.

Nina Codraro (pictured with sister Mary Winston, 3), daughter of Alexandra Meade Codraro ’95, was born May 2, 2012.

Border Walls: Security and the War on Terror in the United States, India and Israel, written by Reece Jones ’94, was published last summer. Reece is an associate professor of geography at the University of Hawaii.

Anya Schwender ’94 recently visited Thu Dau Mot in Vietnam. “In October, I moved to Vietnam to teach English at a new language center outside of Saigon. I’m having a blast with my co-workers (mainly British), and the beaches are so beautiful here, I don’t even miss Los Angeles…yet. I invite Spark readers to check out my blog at http://anyainvietnam.blogspot.com.

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Class Notes

Haley Anne Grande, daughter of Christina Vranian Grande ’96, was born Aug. 11, 2012.

Banks Edward Kauffmann (pictured with brother Davis and sister Lilly), son of Megan Denton Kauffmann ’96, was born Aug. 6, 2012.

Collegiate sponsored a golf tournament team to support The Virginia Treatment Center for Children in September. Seen here are Michael Brost ’85, Martha Estes Grover ’78, Mike Thompson and Shep Lewis ’96.

Mason Richard Bowler to Alyah Rafeh Bowler and husband Ryan on July 20, 2012. William Landon Casper to Anne Shanklin Casper and husband Robert on May 16, 2011. He joined sisters Madeline, 3, and Ellen, 5. Anne writes, “We still live in Howard Country in Maryland. I’m working at the School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University.”

1995

BORN: Nina Codraro to Alexandra Meade Codraro and husband Larry on May 2, 2012. She joins sister Mary Winston, 3. Alexandra writes, “We have moved to Greenwich, CT from NYC and are settling in to suburb living – just wish we got to Richmond more often.”

Derek Thomas ’96 married Catherine Ellen on Aug. 25, 2012.

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1996

Farhad Alavi lives in McLean, VA and works in DC. “After spending years in global law firms, I started

working for myself in 2010, co-owning a law firm (but will soon start a new firm, to be called Akrivis Law Group, PLLC in Washington). My focus is on international business and trade regulations (such as sanctions, export controls, and customs), helping companies navigate through US trade laws and helping US entities do business overseas. I have been quoted in various publications like the Financial Times and have appeared on the BBC World Business Report as well as BBC Persian.” Rachel Savage Loving earned her PhD in Educational Leadership from VCU in December of 2012. She currently works full time as a school counselor at Maggie Walker Governor’s School and owns a college admissions consulting business. MARRIED: Lisa Ranelli to Mike Alexander on May 12, 2012. Classmate Melissa McCullough was a maid of honor. Lisa and Mike live in New York City where she is senior marketing manager of parfums et cosmetiques at BVLGARI and he works at PWC. Derek Thomas to Catherine Ellen on Aug. 25, 2012. Derek and Catherine (a St. Catherine’s alum) live in McLean, VA where he is an executive in the North America consulting practice of Accenture, LLP and she is an engineer at Dominion Virginia Power. BORN: Banks Edward Kauffmann to Megan Denton Kauffmann and husband Jonathan on Aug. 6, 2012. Banks joins big brother Davis, 5, and big sister Lilly, 2. Andrew Patton Jones to Taylor Jones and wife Anne on Aug. 17, 2012. Haley Anne Grande to Christina Vranian Grande and husband Bryan on Aug. 11, 2012.

1997

15th Reunion

The Class of 1997 had a great time celebrating our 15-year reunion at the Hard Shell at Bellgrade. We all had a lot of fun catching up and reminiscing about old times at Collegiate. Many thanks to Becky Davidson McNeer and the rest of the committee for making the reunion successful. Thanks to everyone who could attend, and we hope those who couldn’t make it will join us at our 20-year reunion! – Submitted by Alice Collins Fruth Scott Adams, an orthopedic surgeon, spent two weeks in Japan last summer as the team physician for the American soccer team competing in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. Scott has been the U-20 team doctor since last February when he traveled with the team as it trained in Spain. Last fall, Nic Jackson was selected player of the year in the American Association, a 13-team


independent professional baseball league with affiliates in Canada, the Midwest, and Texas. Nic plays for the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks.

1998

Nik Massey writes, “I received my master’s degree in architecture from Virginia Tech in 2008. I spent three years in Richmond working on various architecture projects as a private consultant. Some of the work included collaborating with Duany Plater Zyberk and Bon Secours Health Systems on master plans for both Saint Mary’s Hospital and Richmond Community Hospital.

“In 2011, I moved to Miami and received a master’s of real estate development and urbanism. I worked with Cymbal Development as an intern and then full-time assisting in the development of two major mixed-use real estate projects in Miami’s Design District and downtown Fort Lauderdale. After six months with Cymbal Development, I moved on to Bal Harbour Shops to become the Development Coordinator, managing the expansion of the most successful shopping center in the world. In what little free time I have, I’ve been pursuing photography and have traveled to South Korea.”

Suzanne Daughdrille Holbrook ’02, husband Wells, and son Braddock (born May 31, 2012) with sister Jennifer Daughdrille Whitlock ’97, husband Dan, and son Daniel (born October 19, 2010). Photo by Brynja Photography

Henry Harford “Harry” McCoy (here with sister Eleanor), son of Anne Ritter McCoy ’98, was born Nov. 20, 2012.

Brent Miller ’98 with wife Elizabeth and daughter Annie (born on Feb. 6, 2012)

The Class of ’97 gathered at the Hard Shell at Belgrade to celebrate its 15th Reunion.

Winter 2013 81


Class Notes

Series of Decisions Led to Law

Lucas Beirne ’99

Lucas Beirne ’99 recently wrote retired biology teacher Ann Griffin an email updating her on his activities. Because the letter illustrates so well the various twists and turns, all valuable, one can take before finding just the right pursuit, we asked him if we could reprint it, and he gave us permission. I recently graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law and I am currently in a one-year clerkship with a federal trial court judge in Alexandria (Judge T.S. Ellis, III, of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia). Following this clerkship, I will be doing doing a second clerkship with a federal appellate court judge in Austin, TX (Judge Patrick Higginbotham, of the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit). At this point, I have not yet decided what I’ll be doing following the clerkships. As you know, my journey to law school was a bit more circuitous that usual, coming from a public safety and healthcare background. Along the way, I had a few key decision points, which I’ll recount here. First, following my graduation from Collegiate, I attended the University of Virginia. While there, I joined both a local volunteer fire department and a local volunteer rescue squad. I enjoyed spending my free time helping others, and I enjoyed the critical thinking that went along with those activities. After my second year at the University, I decided to take a break from the University and I attended paramedic school. Following paramedic school, I began working as a career paramedic in Orange County. I then began applying to fire departments and was hired by Henrico County Division of Fire. Second, after two years at Henrico Lucas Beirne ‘99 (right) is clerking for Fire, LifeEvac of Virginia, a helicopter emerJudge T.S. Ellis, III, federal trial court gency medical services program, announced judge in Alexandria. that they were opening a new base. Although I enjoyed all aspects of being a firefighter/ paramedic, I particularly enjoyed the emergency medical services side, so I decided to accept a position as a flight paramedic. Third, I realized that the career opportunities for paramedics, and flight paramedics in particular, were limited. This is when I decided to go through J. Sergeant Reynolds’ paramedic to Registered Nurse program. Following my completion of the registered nurse program, I started work as a Registered Nurse in the Cardiac Surgery ICU at VCU Medical Center. I kept flying as a part-time flight paramedic at LIfeEvac until I returned to UVA to finish my bachelor’s degree. Fourth, while finishing my bachelor’s degree, I began looking at different options for graduate school. I realized three things: (i) I was interested in government regulation, (ii) I enjoyed problem solving, and (iii) I enjoyed technical writing (and particularly enjoyed writing as a means of analysis). Plus, I discovered that, certainly a result of my years at Collegiate, I am a decent writer. Based on these three things, I decided to pursue law school. While law school was definitely a dramatic change from my previous careers, I found that my prior experiences were quite useful in law school. In particular, I found that the critical thinking and time management skills I developed both as a paramedic and as a nurse helped me succeed in law school. Plus, the scientific knowledge I gained has been quite helpful in my clerkship, and I anticipate it will be helpful in my future practice as well.

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BORN: Elizabeth “Eliza” Sydel Logan to Michelle Kahn Logan and husband Joe on Sept. 14, 2012. She joins big sister Mary Ellis, 5, and brother Galvin, 3. Henry Harford McCoy to Anne Ritter McCoy and husband Jesse on Nov. 20, 2012. Harry joins big sister Eleanor.

1999

Leah Batten was accepted early decision to VCU’s doctorate of physical therapy program. “This marks a huge career change for me since I was in marketing for nine years. I quit my job last December and began taking all the science pre-reqs since I was a business major at JMU. I applied early decision and got accepted in September! I’m thrilled about my new journey and can’t wait to begin school this summer.” MARRIED: James Casler to Sara Cox on June 30, 2012. DeWitt Casler ’67 was the best man, Mac Wilson and Drew Wiltshire were ushers, and Lauren Belk Neal ’00 was a reader. James and Sara live in Omaha, NE where he is a regional vice president for John Hancock Mutual Funds, LLC and she is a human resources business partner at FirstComp. Claire Wyckoff to David Satterfield on Oct. 20, 2012. Will Thaxton ’98, Alden Ramsey ’00, and Elizabeth Edmunds ’01 were bridesmaids. Claire and David live in Boulder, CO where they are both copywriters at Made Movement. BORN: Hadley Brooke Linarducci to Katherine Glass and husband P.J. Linarducci on June 12, 2012. She joins sister Carter. Luke Janney to Philip Janney and wife Jill on May 3, 2012.

2000

Liz Bernard writes, “I am a working creature and character animator at one of the major Hollywood visual effects studios, Digital Domain. I am working on my third movie, a feature film adaptation of the popular sci-fi novel Ender’s Game, animating zero gravity sequences and battle scenes. I’ve also animated “Bigfoot” (for Animal Planet), aliens (for the comedy “The Watch” which came out last summer), and giants (in “Jack the Giant Slayer,” March ’13), and will be going on this spring to work on Disney’s new live action adaptation of the story of Maleficent, the anti-heroine of the Sleeping Beauty tale.” Clay Oliver is a freelance journalist based in Texarkana, AR. His work has appeared in Boys’ Life Magazine and other publications.


Hadley Brooke Linarducci, daughter of Katherine Glass ’99, was born June 12, 2012.

Pippin Kollbich Jakesch, daughter of Elizabeth Cross Jakesch ’00, was born Aug. 16, 2012.

Page Neal ’00 married Shawn Zamechek on Aug. 4, 2012.

Laura Rockefeller has been invited to become a Company Member of the innovative Pallas Theatre Collective in Washington, DC. She is currently working as the dramaturg for their upcoming production of “The Tempest.” In the spring of 2013 Laura will relocate to Manhattan to play multiple roles for Adirondack Shakespeare Company’s Kingship Cycle, repertory productions of Shakespeare’s “Henry VI, parts 1–3” and “Richard III.” In December, Blake Smith, an assistant public defender in Indian River County, FL, was the first in his jurisdiction to successfully file a motion to dismiss a case based on Florida’s controversial Stand Your Ground Immunity law which has been on the law books there since 2005. The law, which has recently been the subject of national attention relating to Trayvon Martin’s murder by George Zimmerman, states that a person may use force to defend him/herself and avoid prosecution for doing so. MARRIED: Erin Johnson to Michael Severe on Sept. 2, 2012 at Newton White Mansion in Mitchellville, MD. Page Neal to Shawn Zamechek on Aug. 4, 2012 at Bay Creek Resort in Cape Charles, VA. Mary Beth Neal ’05 was her sister’s maid of honor. Cougars at the wedding included Page Hackler ’99, Jake Long ’00, Sarah Whitten Hayslip ’00, and Adam Pendleton ’02. Page and Shawn live in Philadelphia where they are both graduate students at the University of Pennsylvania. David Ramsey to Carla Cicero on Dec. 31, 2011. Allison Ramsey ’01 was a bridesmaid. David and Carla live in Arlington, VA where he is a project manager for Ryland Homes and she is an elementary school teacher.

Luke Janney, son of Philip Janney ’99, was born May 3, 2012.

Liz Bernard ’00 lives in Vancouver where she is a creature and character animator at Digital Domain.

Lesley Watson to Brian Rabbitt on Oct. 27, 2012. Sarah Holt Power served as matron of honor and Natalie Andreoletti Miller, Stephanie Shield, Scottie Thompson, and Clare Wilkinson were bridesmaids. Brother Adam Watson ’96 was a groomsman. Lesley and Brian live in Washington, DC where she is a business development manager at Baker & Hostetler LLP and he is an associate at Williams & Connolly LLP. BORN: Pippin Kollbich Jakesch to Elizabeth Cross Jakesch and husband Simon on Aug. 16, 2012. Christopher Broderick “Brody” Schaaf to Amy Ocheltree Schaaf and Chris Schaaf on Sept. 5, 2012. He joins big brother Landon.

Christopher Broderick “Brody” Schaaf (pictured with brother Landon), son of Amy Ocheltree Schaaf ’00 and Chris Schaaf ’00, was born Sept. 5, 2012.

Juliette Annelise “Annie” Hurst, daughter of Bo Hurst ’01, was born Sept. 5, 2012.

Winter 2013 83


Class Notes

Harrison Keevil ’01, a professional chef, and wife Jennifer own Brookville restaurant in Charlottesville.

Julie Heiner ’01 married Jason Culp on Oct. 6, 2012.

The Class of ’02 got together at Mekong for its 10th Reunion.

DIED: Megan Dibble on Nov. 30, 2012 in Asheville, NC. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Megan’s interests included music, theater, and arts and crafts. At Collegiate, she played softball, was a thespian, and sang in the chorus. Before relocating to Asheville, Megan worked in commercial and residential property management in Richmond. She is survived by her parents, Sherlyn and Ken Dibble; maternal grandmother; paternal grandparents; and great-grandmother.

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2001

Elizabeth Dolan Wright is enjoying life in Chicago with husband JD and dog Oliver. She started a new job with the Art Institute of Chicago in July, working as the Associate Director of Individual Giving. Lee Hallberg writes, “Katie and I are enjoying our new house in Richmond with our seventeen-monthold daughter Brynn.” Sarah Morck Peavey started the first season of winter yoga with Collegiate Upper School students in Nov. 2012. She also teaches prenatal yoga at Glenmore Yoga and Wellness Center.

Hunter Powell lives in St. Louis where he works for a private manufacturing conglomerate helping them acquire businesses. He is also working on his MBA at Washington University at night. He occasionally sees Courtney Harrison Bradenham ’02 at Washington University where she and her husband are in their residency programs. Michael Thalhimer is currently working as a senior sales executive for The Coca-Cola Company in the Los Angeles area. He has been with the company for seven years, since he graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 2005. MARRIED: Elizabeth Cantile to Dominic Grecki on June 30, 2012. Emily Cantile Lambert ’98 was the maid of honor. Elizabeth and Dominic live in Jersey City, NJ. She is the gallery manager/registrar for Woodward Gallery in New York City and he is a district sales manager for Centria. Julie Heiner to Jason Culp on Oct. 6, 2012, in Richmond, VA. John Heiner ’04 was a groomsman, Caroline Steadman ’07 was a bridesmaid, and Brooks Steadman ’02 and Grant Steadman ’04 were ushers. Allison Kelley to Stephen O’Dell on May 26, 2012. Lauren Kelley Koopman ’93 was the matron of honor and Dana Kelley ’95 was the maid of honor. Classmate Suzanne Smith was a bridesmaid and Brad Kelley ’99 was a groomsman. Allison and Stephen live in Chicago. Michael Vranian to Danielle LaCoe on June 16, 2012 in Scranton, PA. Michael and Danielle live in Baltimore, MD, where he is resident at Johns Hopkins and she is a lawyer. BORN: Juliette Annelise Hurst to Bo Hurst and wife Jessica on Sept. 5, 2012. Annie is the granddaughter of Deborah Hailes, Middle School Spanish teacher.


Caroline Tayloe Keevil to Harrison Keevil and wife Jennifer on Dec. 31, 2012. They live in Charlottesville where they own a restaurant called Brookville and are working on their first cookbook, due to publish in 2014.

2002

10th Reunion

On Sept. 29, 2012, classmates from Collegiate’s 2002 graduating class came together for an evening of Vietnamese cuisine, craft beer, and catching up at Mekong. Copies of the Torch were placed around the banquet room for everyone to enjoy and reminisce about good friends and good times at Collegiate School. Two poster boards boasted everyone’s senior class portrait – a warm (and sometimes funny) reminder of senior quotes, senior year, and some awkward haircuts. At the end of the evening, the class of 2002 came together – 10 years later – for a group photo. It was certainly a night to remember! – Submitted by Caroline Gibson Patrick Burke is in his third year of teaching world history and coaching at the Pomfret School in Connecticut. The varsity soccer team he coached finished 12–2–1 and was ranked number one in all of New England – Class B private schools. James Watson is in his first year of medical school at VCU School of Medicine.

2003

Amy Bruch is attending law school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Jon Myers, DVM is currently working at an internship on Long Island, NY. He’s enjoying being in the New York area, especially all those major sports teams. MARRIED: Kim Frazier to Jordan Childs on Sept. 1, 2012. Cougars in the wedding party were Nick Frazier ’02, Alexis Beck, Melissa Goodman, Melissa Preston, Samantha Price Huber, Alexandra Squire, Christina Sweeney Bier, and Kiltie Tompkins (all ’03). Kim and Jordan live in Hartford, CT where she runs her own design business and blog (www.ofallthefish.com) and he works for LEGO Systems. Christina Sweeney to Chris Bier on June 16, 2012. Alexis Beck was the maid of honor and Kim Frazier Childs, Melissa Goodman, Carolyn McCandlish, and Alexandra Squire (all ’03) were bridesmaids. Mark Sweeney ’01 and Bryce Sweeney ’07 were groomsmen. Christina and Chris live in New York City where she is a merchandiser for Marc by Marc Jacobs and he works at Tullett Prebon Financial Services. BORN: Zoe Grace Cheatham to Morgan McCrocklin Cheatham and husband Scott on May 12, 2012. Morgan writes, “We are having a great time with

her! I am in my second year of a combined residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at VCU. Scott is teaching math at Midlothian High School and this year has taken on a new position as the International Baccalaureate Program Director.”

Zoe Grace Cheatham, daughter of Morgan McCrocklin Cheatham and husband Scott, was born May 12, 2012.

Christina Sweeney ’03 married Chris Bier on June 16, 2012. FRONT: Carolyn McCandlish ’03, Alexis Beck ’03, Melissa Goodman ’03, Alexandra Squire ’03, Kim Frazier Childs ’03, Christina Sweeney Bier ’03, Chris Bier, Mark Sweeney ’75, Kiltie Tompkins ’03, Melissa Preston ’03. BACK: Brenna Koorse ’03, Anne Wiltshire ’03, Kate Schilling ’03, Mark Sweeney ’01, Blair Loughrie ’03, Bryce Sweeney ’07, Curt Wiltshire ’75, Ken Grigg ’75, Samantha Price Huber ’03, Hunter Huber ’02, Conner Gentil ’03, Alex Sooy ’03, Brad Jones ’03, Helen Anderson Carter ’74, Willy Carter ’74. Photo by Patricia Lyons Photography

Winter 2013 85


Class Notes

Ryan Conway ’04 is the assistant wide receiver and assistant special teams coach at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. This picture was taken in November following the Ragin’ Cajun blocked punt for a touchdown to put the team up 17–13 over the No. 6 Florida Gators.

Heather Hallberg ’04 married Matt Donohue on Sept. 15th, 2012. Pictured are brother Lee Hallberg ’01, his daughter Brynn, Lee’s wife Katie, father Marc Hallberg, mother Bettie Chandler Hallberg ’73, and sister Brittany Hallberg ’07.

Cougars celebrated the marriage of Courtney McDonald ’04 and JC Fain ’04 on Aug. 25, 2012.

2004

Ryan Conway began coaching college football in 2009 under Dan Mullen at Mississippi State. In 2009, the team went 5–7 and then 9–4 in 2010. Ryan then followed Miss. State’s passing game coordinator, Coach Mark Hudspeth, to the University of Louisiana at

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Lafayette in 2011, as the assistant wide receiver and assistant special teams coach. Before his first season at UL in 2011, the team was ranked the worst in FBS football – 120 out of 120. UL went on to complete the best season in the 110 years UL has competed in football, going 9–4, and taking the school to its first bowl game. In 2012, the Ragin’ Cajuns went 8–4 in

the regular season, and won the R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl on Dec. 22 vs. the East Carolina Pirates. Benjamin Emerson is completing his doctorate in aerospace engineering at Georgia Tech this spring and will continue working for the Zinn Combustion Lab doing research at Georgia Tech. He and his wife, Kelsey, live in Atlanta.


Claiborne Buckingham ’05 married Gian Colombo on Oct. 20, 2012. FRONT: Claiborne Buckingham Colombo, Burch Hazelgrove, Emily Reutinger, Sara Hairfield, Lizzy Kitces, Kelley Meredith, Christina Merchant (all ’05). BACK: Gracie McGurn ’05, Pearson Moore ’05, Mary-Gordon Buckingham Brown ’99, Gian Colombo, Patrick Bisceglia, William O’Flaherty, Will Farmer, Will Cosby (all ’05).

MARRIED: Heather Hallberg to Matt Donohue on Sept. 15, 2012. Brittany Hallberg ’07 was the maid of honor, Ginnie Friddell Kurtz ’04 was a bridesmaid, Lee Hallberg ’01 was a groomsman, and Blair Northen Williamson ’04 was a greeter. Heather and Matt are both physical therapists in New Hampshire. Lauren Hurst to Thomas Glazier on May 26, 2012. Meredith Hurst ’02 was the maid of honor and Catie Briggs, Peyton Cheely, Lizzy Gehr, and Amber Jesse (all ’04) were bridesmaids. Muffy Zimmer Greenbaum and Blair Northen Williamson were readers and Courtney McDonald Fain and Caroline Lagow Walker (all ’04) were greeters. Lauren and Thomas live in Richmond where she works at Hunton & Williams and he is a resident at the VCU School of Dentistry. Courtney McDonald to JC Fain on Aug. 25, 2012. Courtney Fain ’01, Amber Jesse ’04, and Blair Phillips ’04 were bridesmaids. Richard Cullen ’03, Marshall Waller ’04, Gray Fain ’07, and Jake McDonald ’07 were groomsmen. Courtney and JC live in Charlotte, NC.

2005

Will Bruch is in his first year of medical school at VCU School of Medicine. Rebecca Byrd Musser and her husband, Robert, launched Sidecar Studio, a branding and marketing firm, in 2011. For more information, visit www.SidecarStudio.net.

Katie Hurst ’05 met author and journalist Kitty Kelley at a party at her D.C. house. Katie works at advertising agency Madison and Main which represents Ms. Kelley who has written biographies of Jackie Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, the Bush Family, the Royal Family, Frank Sinatra and Oprah.

David Ding writes, “I extended my master’s a bit longer so I’m still at Stanford working on my degree in applied and computational math at the Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering. It’s an amazing institution and a beautiful place. If any Collegiate student is interested in applying, feel free to pass onto them my contact information.” Chelsea Duncan writes, “I received my BA from the University of Virginia where I double majored in psychology and African American studies. Upon

While home on winter break, Hatton Taylor ’05 returned to campus in January to present a preview of classical guitar music that he will be performing in his junior recital at the University of South Carolina where he is a music major.

Peter Musser, son of Rebecca Byrd Musser ’05, was born Dec. 29, 2011.

Winter 2013 87


Class Notes

Teaching in China

Maggie Varland ’07 Maggie Varland ’07 graduated from the University of Virginia in 2011 with a degree in Chinese language, literature and culture. She has been in China since August. This is an excerpt from a recent letter we received about the challenges of her job.

I was hired by a San Diego high school that is accrediting the dual diploma and instructed to use Multiple Intelligence methods in the classroom, but the moment I have students work in small groups or get out of their seats for any reason, it is mayhem. They do not understand that the so-called “American education system” is more than playing games and singing songs; that these methods are study tools, not excuses to talk to their neighbor or throw things across the room. I can understand why they don’t want to study during class; they live in six person dorm rooms without heating or even hot water in their communal bathroom, despite the winter weather being comparable to that of Richmond. Wake-up is at 5:40 am. Breakfast is at 6:10, and at 6:50, the school day begins. The day goes until 9:10 pm, with only two 40-minute breaks a day for lunch and dinner. Lights go out and doors lock automatically at 9:40 pm. The school week starts Sunday at 6:10 pm and ends Saturday at noon. I think the main thing lacking in this kind of schedule is physical activity (not to mention opportunities to develop interests deeper than listening to sickly sweet pop music and obsessing over designer clothes). They have PE class twice a week, but it is not taken seriously. It is really not healthy for them to be in school this long; the school is currently vying for a higher ranking, so it is increasing all of its’ students Maggie Varland ’07: Teaching in China study hours in the hopes that their scores will also increase. But in my opinion, the only thing directly correlated to these students’ time at school is their aversion to study. I have a dream for next semester, that from the get go, my demands are clear and the classroom orderly, so that if I tell the students “Now we are playing such and such vocabulary review game,” they will all know exactly to which game I am referring and immediately get to it. I think they will make great strides next semester if we hit the ground running, but that means most of my February vacation will be spent lesson planning, printing overhead transparencies, making ‘game packets’ and the like. Right now we are working on the elementary principles of bringing our books to class, not touching our neighbors, having pen and paper available, and basic note-taking. I now realize what a wonderful study environment I have always had. From Kindergarten through college, I have never once been in a classroom where my classmates didn’t want to learn. We have all had a common goal, and I hope that my students and I will soon come to have one as well. In September, when my students are beginning their junior year, I will hopefully be resuming my studies, but with an incredibly unexpected shift in focus. I decided not to return to Nanjing, but to move to Xiamen University across the strait from Taiwan and dual enroll in a Chinese-language marine biology program supplemented by an Englishlanguage marine affairs masters program. Most people are surprised to hear that my whole childhood I wanted to be a marine biologist, but that I gave up that dream in high school and college to study languages because I didn’t want to commit to narrowing my academic focus. Language was the only field that in my mind opens doors, never closes them, but I have regretted not having any hard skills and have only drifted noncommittally in the two years since college graduation. …So next year, after six years of not thinking much about science, I will be in a classroom studying biochemistry in Chinese. To say that I am scared out of my mind would be an understatement. But to be living with singularity of purpose, a purpose self-driven, not laid out in front of me by another agent or situation, and in an amazing place such as Xiamen, portal to East and Southeast Asia, 88 Spark really will be a dream come true.

graduation, I worked as College Advisor at Martinsville High School for a few years, which is located in the southern part of the state. There I worked alongside counselors and other access programs to motivate and assist students through the college application and financial aid process. “I loved education and advising students so much that I returned to UVA and received my MEd in Student Affairs Practice in Higher Education in 2012. I am currently an Assistant Dean and the Access Coordinator for the Undergraduate Admission Office at UVA. Although I am new to the world of Admissions (I just started this position in August), I am so excited to be able to help students and families reach their educational goals.” Andrew Thalhimer writes, “I have worked for Uline Shipping Supplies since I graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 2009, now at three years. I currently work as the operations analyst for the Illinois branch, which is located just outside of Chicago.” MARRIED: Claiborne Buckingham to Gian Colombo on Oct. 20, 2012. Mary-Gordon Buckingham Brown ’99 was the matron of honor, Pearson Moore ’05 was the maid of honor, Payton Mallonee ’08 was a bridesmaid, and Pierce Buckingham ’02 was a groomsman. Lizzy Kitces and Mary Beth Neal (both ’05) were program attendants. Claiborne and Gian live in Portland, OR where she is a designer with Mutt Industries and he is a digital brand presentation manager for NIKE, Inc.

2006

Britten Mathews writes, “I’m currently working for OMD on the Gatorade account. I’m still loving Chicago but already looking forward to this summer’s warm weather.” Margaret Rosebro received her master’s in early childhood education in August 2012 and is currently teaching 3rd Grade in Spartanburg, SC. Kristin Runey teaches Spanish and coaches soccer and basketball at Suffield Academy in Suffield, CT. She will also begin work on a master’s degree at Trinity College in English Literary Studies this spring.

2007

5th Reunion

The Class of ’07 had a great time celebrating its 5-year reunion at The Republic. An incredible group of 80+ came out for the event, traveling from New York City, Washington, DC, and around Virginia to catch up with old friends. We swapped college stories, shared new career developments and kept hoping our famous quarterback classmate, Russell Wilson, would


surprise us all and walk through the door! We are looking forward to getting everyone together again for our 10th Reunion in a few years. Thanks to all who made this event such a success. Let the good times roll! – Submitted by Grace Zell Virginia Adams writes, “I’m pursuing a Masters in Conservation of Historic Buildings at the University of York, England. Any other Cougars in the UK?” Brittany Hallberg is teaching 5th Grade math and science and coaching high school boys’ and girls’ soccer in Burlington, NC. Virginia Layfield writes “Steffi Ross and I have been living in DC together for over a year now. We are both working in development offices at different organizations. Steffi works for the National Gallery of Art in annual giving and I’m at The Madeira School in annual giving. We both love our jobs and see a fair amount of Cougar alums in the area.” Grace Zell has been working at Beth Ahabah Museum and Archives as an administrative assistant and docent since June. She recently moved to a funky little apartment in Jackson Ward and would love to reconnect with any other alums in the area!

2008

The Class of ’07 celebrated its 5th Reunion at The Republic.

David Perel graduated from Princeton University and is now teaching English and history at a high school in Singapore, through the Princeton in Asia program. He began his teaching assignment in September 2012 and will return in December 2013.

2009

Tyler Agee, a senior at the University of Georgia majoring in health promotion, received the Ty Bridges Award for Excellence in Leadership presented by the national office of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity. He is president of the Beta Delta Chapter.

2010

Lauren Cricchi writes, “Parke Whitley and I literally ran into each other outside La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona this past summer! She was studying in

Members of the Class of ’07 got together in NYC this past fall to cheer on classmate Russell Wilson as he played in the NFL. FRONT: Holly O’Donnell, Philip Mabry. BACK: David Schultz, Laura Anderson, JoBeth Stoddard, Jim Ivins, Henry Winslow, Kathryn Failon.

Jake McGee ’10, a tight end on the UVA football team, nominated 2nd Grade teacher Karen Pickett for the Heroes in Education Program. Pickett was honored before UVA’s game against Maryland in October.

Winter 2013 89


Class Notes

Katie Maraghy ’11 (left), a sophomore at Elon University, is a fellow in the communications program and was assigned to cover Obama headquarters in Chicago on the night of the election. “Elon’s broadcast news show, Elon Local News, sent me to Chicago for four days leading up to, and including election night, where I was interviewing, filming, editing, tweeting, taking still photos, and reporting back on the activities in the city leading up to the election.”

Nina Ligon ’10 and five other current or former Stanford students who have competed in the Olympics were honored at halftime during a football game last fall. Each Olympian was introduced and shown on the jumbotron.

This past summer, Turner Willett ’12 traveled to Greenland for a multi-week kayaking and camping trip with his father, Rodney Willett ’81.

Faculty News

Florence, Italy and I was studying in Valencia, Spain, and we happened to be in the same city on the same weekend traveling with friends. Small world!”

2011

Jasmine Turner, a sophomore at Elon University, had an exclusive interview with Rev. Jesse Jackson at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

2012

Justin Smalkowski’s album “The Alphabet” is now available on iTunes. Classmates Parker Van Der Hyde, Chris Rusbuldt, and Zoe Raine accompany Justin on the 14-track release. Anthony Vita, a freshman at High Point University, was featured on the school’s home page in September. The “Extraordinary Education” column highlighted Anthony’s idea to invent a portable generator that could be used for power in developing countries. This is a project that he started during his Senior Seminar class last year, and he’s now working with a High Point professor to further his progress. In addition, as an extension of his Senior Project spent interning at CNN in Atlanta, Anthony will serve as a “CNN affiliate” while a student at HPU.

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Margaret Daniel, retired science teacher and mother of Anne Margaret Daniel ’81, was featured in many of the photographs included in a recent show of work by Richmonder Susan Worsham at Candela Books + Gallery which is owned by Gordon Stettinius ’84. This is a detail from one of Susan’s images, “Margaret’s Tatted Snowflake.”


OBITUARIES Our condolences are offered to these Collegiate families Paul J. Achtemeier, father of Marie Achtemeier Finch ’77, died Jan. 28, 2013. Douglas Barry, husband of Mary Dale Dyke Barry ’75, died Jan. 31, 2013. Carol H. Billingsley, mother of John Billingsley ’76, Paula Billingsley Harrison ’78, and Linnea Billingsley Rieland ’84, died Jan. 5, 2013. Virginia A. Call, mother of J.D. Call ’73, Billy Call ’75, Bobby Call ’76, Richard Call ’79, and Kathy Call Grainer ’80 and grandmother of Allison Grainer ’16, Brad Grainer ’18, and Christopher Grainer ’20, died Feb. 2, 2013. Krystyna Drewnowska-Coates, mother of Vicky Coates ’11, died Aug. 10, 2012. Lillian L. Cockriel, mother of Betsy Cockriel ’71, died Dec. 17, 2012. Elvin M. Cropper, mother of Bill Cropper ’76, died Jan. 1, 2013. Kay Cropper, Bill’s wife, died Nov. 8, 2012. Dr. William D. Deep, father of Lauren Deep Henley ’83 and Bill Deep ’83, died Oct. 1, 2012. Elsie P. Donnahoe, mother of Kate Donnahoe Vaughan ’65 and Maureen Donnahoe ’67 (deceased), grandmother of Alan Vaughan ’91, Brooke Vaughan Schroeder ’92, and Happy Vaughan Anderson ’95, and great-grandmother of Porter Vaughan ’23 and Lawson Vaughan ’25, died July 28, 2012. Georgia B. Green, mother of Beth Green ’77, died Nov. 25, 2012. Elisabeth Truett Greenbaum ’74, wife of Erik Greenbaum ’74, died Jan. 10, 2013. Dr. Philip R. Hart, father of Philip Hart ’74 and Steve Hart ’78 and grandfather of Anne Larimer Hart ’06, Philip Hart ’09, Will Hart ’12, and Sam Hart ’20, died Nov. 3, 2012. Audrey B. Hoover, mother of Milton Hoover III ’71, Tommy Hoover ’71, and Louise Hoover ’75, died Aug. 8, 2012. Terrell Horne III, husband of Rachel Carpenter Horne ’01, died Dec. 2, 2012. Arter F. Hughes, father of Mackey Hughes ’72, Thomas Hughes ’74 (deceased), Toddy Hughes ’77, and Jody Hughes ’81 and grandfather of Leilani Porter ’16, died Jan. 11, 2013. Dr. Carol C. Hughes, mother of Susan Hughes Grymes ’77 and Barbara Hughes Earp ’86, died Feb. 26, 2013.

Mary Jane Hyman, mother of Wheatie Hyman Gibb ’69 and Chris Hyman ’79 and grandmother of Toddy Hyman ’14, Emma Hyman ’17, Stewart Hyman ’18, and Christian Hyman ’21, died Sept. 25, 2012. James L. Jenkins, father of Jim Jenkins ’88 and brother of Debbie Jenkins Gibson ’69 and Tammy Jenkins ’80, died Jan. 26, 2013. Gayle Layfield ’66, sister of Gaylon Layfield ’69, died Feb. 1, 2013. Molly H. Layfield, wife of Richard Layfield ’78, died Feb. 1, 2013. Anne F. Miller, mother of Lindsay Miller ’65 and Barrie Miller Sutton ’70, died Sept. 24, 2012. A. R. Mitchell, Jr., father of Beth Mitchell Higgs ’84, died Feb. 5, 2013. Edwin P. Munson, father of Fran Munson Turner ’85, John Munson ’88, and Ellen Munson ’06, died Feb. 4, 2013. Paul Scholte ’76, brother of Suzanne Scholte ’77 and Cassandra Scholte Jensen ’88, died Jan. 17, 2013. Barbara Budina Smith ’41, mother of Nancy Smith ’75, died Jan. 27, 2013. William K. Stephens III, father of Kate Stephens Mayhew ’97 and Keiter Stephens ’01, died Jan. 18, 2013. E. Bradford Tazewell III, father of Anne Wallace Tazewell ’11, died Aug. 23, 2012. Raymond W. Tolleson, father of Scott Tolleson ’80, Ray Tolleson ’83, and Susan Tolleson Gowen ’87 and grandfather of Charlie Tolleson ’16, died Jan. 6, 2013. Ashton L. Trice, husband of Marion Pleasants Trice ’50 and father of Ashton “Hap” Trice ’77, Eleanor Trice ’86, and Laura Trice Ferrazzo, died Oct. 11, 2012. Hugh V. White, Jr., father of Hunter White ’85, Bill White ’86, and Porter White ’88, died Aug. 6, 2012. Jean Betts Wiltshire ’38, mother of Gray Wiltshire Massie ’61, Rick Wiltshire ’64, Buck Wiltshire ’67, and Boodie Wiltshire McGurn ’71, grandmother of Jeannie Massie Japp ’85, Ashley Massie Doyle ’88, Henry Massie ’92, Richard Massie ’92, Richard Wiltshire ’97, Drew Wiltshire ’99, Anne Wiltshire ’03, Will Wiltshire ’92, Mary Wiltshire Beckstoffer ’99, Missy McGurn ’03, Gracie McGurn ’05, and Betts McGurn ’07, and great-grandmother of Lucy Beckstoffer ’25, died Nov. 22, 2012. Reuben Young, father of Craig Young ’78 and Suzanne Young ’80, died Sept. 17, 2012. Alumni Constance Fleming Warwick Fisher ’33 Katherine “Becky” Gwathmey Swann ’33

Jane Blair Greer ’34 Jean Watkins Betts Wiltshire ’38 Diademia “Demie” Browne Blair ’39 Barbara Budina Smith ’41 Louie “Brownie” Hunt Baker ’53 Ruth Gayle Layfield ’66 Catherine Combs Marsh Leitch ’72 Stephen Michelle Shepherd ’74 Elisabeth Mitchell Truett Greenbaum ’74 Henry Paul Scholte V ’76 Elizabeth “Lisa” Stultz Moore ’77 Megan Elizabeth Dibble ’00 Faculty & Staff Kevin M. Kelley, art teacher, died Dec. 10, 2012. Martha H. Engard, former art teacher, died Jan. 10, 2013. Jim Gardner, former maintenance staff, died Dec. 3, 2012.

HOW TO REACH US Update Your Info & Write a Class Note www.collegiate-va.org • Sign in on any page. • Your user name is your first name, last name and class year, as in JaneSmith79. • Click on “login help” to receive a temporary password. • Click on Profile to update your info. Click on Directory to find a friend. Call (800) 522-1915 or (804) 741-9757 E-Mail erandolph@collegiate-va.org Mail 103 North Mooreland Road Richmond, VA 23229 Find Us on Facebook! Like Collegiate School and friend Cougar Alums Follow Us on Twitter @collegiaterva (school news) @cougarsrva (athletic scores)

Winter 2013 91


PARTING SHOT In Memoriam  Kevin Kelley

T

hough he’d been diagnosed with cancer in spring 2012, art teacher Kevin Kelley arrived at school in August, ready to start the new semester. He died Dec. 10, just weeks after teaching his last class. At a celebration of his life on the Memorial Hall terrace, family and friends gathered to recall his love of fishing, his way of encouraging every student and his passion for sculpting. One of his works, a beautiful pair of marble leaves, was unveiled and dedicated as a gift to Collegiate. We are grateful to have an object wrought by Mr. Kelley’s creative hands and thankful that he chose to share so many years inspiring our students. In a tribute to him, colleague Weldon Bradshaw wrote in his online Reflections column, “He remained, as always, a quiet, gentle, humble man, patiently sharing his passion with his students and his eclectic interests with his colleagues, just as he’d done since he joined the Collegiate family 27 years ago.” Farewell, friend.

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Mr. Kelley’s life was one of importance…he had a free soul and the brightness of any amount of stars put together. His energy could light up a room and his creativity bounded on and on endlessly. He was so spontaneous but responsible. Precision ran through his veins and imagination filled his brain. He would take a random picture – an abstract picture – it looked like a big canvas covered in rainbow splotches then he would explain the whole story behind it. – a former student


Two faculty members took pen in hand to express their thoughts about Kevin’s life through poetry. Enjoy…

Winged Insect Aviator

Like These Drums

For Kevin Kelley December 10, 2012 by Nathan Goodwyn, Middle School English teacher

For Kevin Kelley, husband, father, artist, teacher. After drum prelude, memorial service, December 20, 2012 by Pete Follansbee, Upper School English teacher

When I tiptoed past the art room on campus today, a fly-like creature landed on my left cheek and I waved it away. The thing drifted like a balloon. It was so strange to see this black December fly, floating in what had been your area as recently as fall.

We hear the drums and we can say that they’re the distillation of days into beats or the percolation of cups of coffee that mark the hours.

This particular fly seemed to whisper to me about the time you built bird houses with your eighth graders. Crutcher, the best musician on campus, was always hanging around you as if writing the score. Your study hall was totally out of control. I told you that once. You looked so astonished to hear that the sound of kids playing in a classroom was unacceptable in any school, let alone your own. These remembrances rested, casually, on the sidewalk, and almost stared at me as this little fly slipped away. And I thought of your yellowing skin the day you died and the yellow paper I printed some poetry on, and I began to wonder what this winged insect aviator might have me do on this warm autumn day in December.

Or we can say they’re the emblem of your life, of inspiration banging into the arms of the artist, or of love into the hands of the husband and father. Or we can say they’re the pulse of another passion hooked, or of a field of fish rising to the surface in mourning. Or we can say they’re the spark and pop of flame, fire, cinder, the final sigh of ash. Or we can say that they’re the piston pumps of the engine that carries you into the hum of eternity, or the stitches in the seams of the fabric of being, in the stretch of the drum’s skin that sends vibration into the breath of every thing. Or we can say that you’re here, like these drums, heart beating and alive. If the doors of perception were cleansed, every thing would appear to man as it is, Infinite. –William Blake

Winter 2013 3


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Play Ball!

Two teams were fielded on April 6 at the Alumni Baseball Game on Sam Newell Field at Robins Campus. Bill Chambers and Sanford Boisseau ’68 coached, and captains were Alex Cecil ’83 for the victorious gold team and brothers Mike Henry ’84 and Patrick Henry ’90 for the green team. No injuries were incurred, and Cougar sportsmanship kept the competition fun. Thanks to all boys of spring who made the day a success!


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