Foxcroft Magazine (Spring/Summer 2016)

FOXCROFT SCHOOL

SPRING / SUMMER 2016

Global CONNECTIONS How friendships forged at Foxcroft transcend time and space

www.foxcroft.org

C E N T E N N I A L C A M PA I G N

EXCITING CAMPAIGN NEWS! Dollar-for-Dollar Challenge Announced for Court We are thrilled to announce that an anonymous donor has stepped forward with a challenge to complete the funding for Court! This challenge is a dollar-for-dollar

CAMPAIGN AT A GLANCE The Centennial Campaign for Foxcroft School

GOAL

RAISED

75

$

$

MILLION

69 MILLION

match up to $900,000! Not only does this generous challenge double the impact of each and every gift received towards the match, but also when met, fully

ENDOWMENT In Support of our People, Programs, and Plant

5.4

funds and endows this beautiful building and completes

$

our Residential Initiative! Approximately $602,000 remains to be raised to meet this challenge.

MILLION

If you are interested in making a gift towards this

REMAINS TO BE RAISED IN SUPPORT OF OUR PEOPLE, PROGRAMS, AND PLANT

challenge to help finish Court and complete the Residential Initiative, please contact Marion L. Couzens, Director of Institutional Advancement at 540.687.4518 or email her at marion.couzens@foxcroft.org.

RESIDENTIAL INITIATIVE Stuart Hall, Court, Applegate, Dillon, Orchard, and Reynolds

$

602,000 REMAINS TO BE RAISED FOR COURT

2 Foxcroft Magazine

Table of Contents

MAGAZINE | SPRING/SUMMER 2016

8

GLOBAL CONNECTIONS

By Cathrine Wolf

Foxcroft's diversity enriches the community and changes lives.

Catherine S. McGehee Head of School

All In

Preparing Students to Lead the Way in the World of STEM

By Bethany Stotler

Alumnae News

Special Features

28 Alumnae Profiles 31 Career Day Panel 32 Reunion 2016 36 Working for You —

COMMENCEMENT 2016

Alumnae Council Makes Some Changes

Mission Statement Foxcroft’s mission is to help every girl explore her unique voice and develop the skills, confidence, and courage to share it with the world.

This magazine is printed on FSC-certified 10% post-consumer waste recycled paper.

17

20 Moments in the Garden 22 Awards and Accolades 24 Faculty Farewell

In Every Issue 02 From the Head of School 03 Notebook 37 On the Road 39 Gone Away

Marion L. Couzens Director of Institutional Advancement Gina B. Finn Director of Admission & Financial Aid Patrick M. Finn Director of Enrollment Shelly Betz Director of Strategic Initiatives & Marketing

Bethany Stotler Multimedia Communications Associate Photography Gary W. Cox Bethany Stotler Bob Updegrove Ian Bradshaw Molly Schlachter Rebecca Smith Jennie Wills & many other helpful faculty, students, and friends.

Cover photo by Bob Updegrove Design by Raison

Please address inquiries to: Cathrine Wolf Director of Communications 22407 Foxhound Lane P.O. Box, Middleburg, VA 20118 540.687.4511 cathrine.wolf@foxcroft.org Foxcroft School is accredited by the Virginia Association of Independent Schools.

Foxcroft School admits students of any race, color, religion, national, and ethnic origin. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational, admission, or financial aid policies, or in any schoolsponsored programs.

Spring /Summer 2016 1

“Our students experience living and

learning together at Foxcroft with girls from around the country and the world, which uniquely prepares them for their futures.

”

When else does one hear squeals of delight and unbridled laughter from women in their forties and fifties? When they are reunited with classmates at their alma mater, of course!

From the Head of School Catherine S. McGehee

In April, I had the pleasure of welcoming more than 100 women back to campus from as far away as Florida, Colorado, Texas, California, Puerto Rico, England, Ireland, and Germany.

Women who graduated just five years ago and are launching their careers mixed and mingled with women who are at the height of their professions during our Friday night Reunion Reception at Covert. Women just starting families exchanged stories with women who are grandmothers. The common bond — their experiences at Foxcroft.

Throughout the weekend, I enjoyed learning what our graduates have done since their time at Foxcroft, and I am always impressed with the professional, philanthropic, athletic, and personal accomplishments of Foxcroft women. This year our students got a chance to hear about professional journeys from an investment banker, a marine scientist, and a CEO of a creative marketing agency, just to name a few of our Career Day speakers. Our keynote speaker, Victoria Mars ’74, is Chairman of Mars Corporation. Victoria’s work takes her around the world, making her an outstanding example of a global citizen. Her story is one of lifelong learning. She shared how she discovered her true professional passion and encouraged our students to develop specific skills as part of their career preparation.

Coming together for Reunion Weekend underscores a Foxcroft promise and one of the many ways through which we live out our mission of helping our students explore their unique voices and develop the skills, confidence, and courage to share them with the world: by providing a lifetime of friendships and global connections. Some came great distances to join our community as international students; others have traveled far and wide since graduation.

Getting to know our alumnae through Reunion activities — learning about their professional achievements and seeing the values instilled within them at Foxcroft: integrity, service to others, and kindness — shows our current students how the School continues to be an important part of their lives beyond graduation in ways they may not fully appreciate as teenagers.

Our graduates will study and live in an increasingly complex world, and they will work in a global economy. Our students experience living and learning together at Foxcroft with girls from around the country and the world, which uniquely prepares them for their futures.

In this issue, you will be introduced to some of these students and alumnae who enrich — and have been enriched by — the Foxcroft experience in many wonderful ways. I hope you will enjoy getting to know these global citizens. I also hope you will enjoy the fresh look of our magazine, which is sure to captivate you from cover to cover, as we proudly tell the exciting stories of Foxcroft women. Most of all, I hope that you will be filled with a sense of the joy of friendships formed at Foxcroft that transcend generations and geography.

2 Foxcroft Magazine

We Passed!

After months of preparation, including an 18-month self-study conducted by faculty, staff, and administrators, Foxcroft welcomed a visiting team from the Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS) in April for the School’s 10-year accreditation review. We are happy to report that the School passed with flying colors, meeting all 11 VAIS standards, and was officially reaccredited by the VAIS Board in May. ”The visiting team saw that Foxcroft School is well positioned to embrace and proclaim its identity as the premier boarding school for girls,” wrote Betsy Johnson Hunroe, Executive Director of VAIS, in her accreditation letter. ”The School has made a smooth transition in leadership and has undertaken critical work related to program, facility, faculty/staff, and strategic plan. So much has been accomplished in a remarkably short period of time.”

Led by Academic Dean Courtney Ulmer and English Department Chair Anne Burridge, who co-chaired the Steering Committee, the self-study process was truly an interdisciplinary and inclusive effort. Eight committees, comprising faculty, staff, and administrators from all areas of school life, focused on key areas — curriculum, co-curriculum and residential life, faculty, technology, diversity, plant, finance, and marketing and communication. They researched best practices and made recommendations to accomplish the School’s strategic plan goals, which had previously been approved by the Board of Trustees.

The visiting team, chaired by Dr. Elinor Scully, Head of The Langley School in McLean, VA, was impressed by Foxcroft’s genuine sense of community and commended the School for the thorough and comprehensive nature of its strategic self-study. ”The School has outlined a comprehensive vision for its second century that is ambitious and well conceived,” the team wrote.

The team’s recommendations supported Foxcroft’s in four areas: curriculum, plant, financial sustainability, and marketing, and encouraged the School to set priorities and timelines for the work in order to meet with continued success. Stay tuned to learn more about these priorities and the strategic plan in the coming months.

We Won (Again)!

For the second time in four years, Foxcroft has been named a Cherry Blossom Champion by the Cherry Blossom Breast Cancer Foundation (CBBCF). The School was first honored in 2012, when the Foundation established the Champion Award program to recognize individuals and organizations making a significant impact on its objectives: detection, treatment, education, and elimination of breast cancer.

This year’s honor was presented at the annual Champion Awards dinner, held at Covert in May, by Stephanie Knapp, Vice Chair of the CBBCF Board and mother of Whitney Knapp Bowditch '99. Knapp applauded Foxcroft’s increased commitment to the Foundation’s mission in its ongoing efforts to raise funds and awareness about breast cancer health. In addition to hosting the Cherry Blossom Walk and organizing the Think Pink Basketball Tournament annually to benefit the CBBCF, the School has integrated breast care self-advocacy into its Wellness curriculum with presentations, including a

visit by breast cancer survivor Caitlin Miles.

In addition, Head of School Cathy McGehee spearheaded a joint presentation at a national educational conference (see ”Faculty Forays,” page 6). ”By having this opportunity to present,” Knapp said, ”the Cherry Blossom Breast Cancer Foundation gained national and global recognition.”

KNAPP (LEFT) PRESENTED THE CHAMPION AWARD to Jessie Herman '16, Mary Park Durham '17, Cathy McGehee, and Ellie Smith '18 — who all serve or will serve on the CBBCF Board.

Spring /Summer 2016 3

Foxcroft Notebook

Foxcroft Notebook

A Thousand Words As much as we believe in the power of the written word, there’s no denying that pictures are powerful. Is one worth a thousand words? You decide, and then let us know.

1. COLOR US GENEROUS: The Class of 2017 raised more than $4,500 for Heifer International with a fun-filled Junior Class Color Run (aka Walkathon) across campus in April.

2. PUPPY BREAK: Students got the best study break ever this year — a visit by a few young neighbors from the Middleburg Hunt: Pilgrim, Pickle, Problem, Piper, Patty, and Peaches. No word on whether exam results were up, but spirits certainly were!

1 2

4 Foxcroft Magazine

2

Foxcroft Notebook

Fishtale!

A stunning ceramic wall hanging created

by Linda Yang ’16 is the newest addition to the Permanent Student Art Collection.

It is a four-foot-long fish made of individual clay tiles, each representing a different underwater ecosystem, and connected by wooden cross beams to create a truly extraordinary piece.

Parlez-Vous? Si! An impressive 40 foreign language students earned recognition in national language exams this spring. Itzi Yrigoyen ’19 of Mexico City (pictured, with French teacher Arnaud Boulestreau) led the way with a perfect score on the French I exam. That placed her first among the 21,791 students across the U.S. who took the exam and earned her a platinum medal.

Two students, Lu Castro '19, in Level I, and Patia Fann '16, in Level IV, placed second in the state, while Michelle Arubi '17 took third among Virginia's Level II contestants.

They led a group of 24 French students, 10 Spanish scholars, and six Latin learners who were honored for their performance on these challenging tests. All told, five French students earned gold medals while two Latin students and one Spanish student also struck oro.

Spring /Summer 2016 5

Faculty Forays Together with our partners at the KASHMIR WORLD FOUNDATION, Foxcroft presented ”Teachers Take Flight,” the first drone-building workshop created exclusively for educators on campus in July (1). Kashmir Robotics led the program and STEM Department Chair MARIA EVANS, Ph.D., represented Foxcroft well, presenting at several sessions and learning about intriguing projects at others.

Head of School CATHY McGEHEE, JESSIE HERMAN ’16, and STEPHANIE KNAPP, all Cherry Blossom Breast Cancer Foundation board members, presented at the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools (NCGS) Global Forum on Girls' Education in New York.

The topic: Real-World Leadership for Girls through Community Board Membership.

Biology teacher MEGHEN TUTTLE (2), Ph.D., and Wellness Program Director KATIE RYAN KANTZ (3) presented at an NCGS symposium called Developing Leadership Through Wellness and Mindfulness in April.

1

Topic: A Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body: A Tradition of Wellness for Women Finds New Relevance in Foxcroft’s Second Century.

Athletic Trainer RUTH ANN ALLEN attended her sixth U.S. Olympic Swim Trials (more than Michael Phelps!) in July, accompanying 22 swimmers from the University of Virginia to Omaha to do sports massage. One of ”her” swimmers, Leah Smith, qualified in the 200, 400, and 800 meter freestyle.

In July, Academic Technology Coordinator, History Department Chair and perpetual learner ALEXANDER O. NORTHRUP attended the Constructing Modern Knowledge Summer Institute — “a mindson institute for educators committed to creativity, collaboration and computing" — in New Hampshire and a National Endowment for the Humanities Workshop on the "Hoover Dam and the Shaping of the American West" in Nevada.

2

Special Salute In a special Morning Meeting ceremony, Kat Forrest ’16 was officially presented with an Army ROTC Scholarship — worth $168,384! — to attend Baylor University in the fall.

3 FOLLOW

/FoxcroftSchool /FoxcroftSchool

foxcroftschool

/Foxcroft-School

Do you know a potential Foxcroft Girl?

Send her to us!

Alumnae parents and friends are a valuable part of our recruiting process, telling prospective students about Foxcroft and telling us about them. If you know a prospective student, please contact the Admission Office at Foxcroft School, P.O. Box 5555, Middleburg, VA 20118; admission@foxcroft.org; or 540.687.4340.

6 Foxcroft Magazine

/foxcroftschool

/FoxcroftSchool

foxcroftschool.shutterfly.com

ALEX GRACE '16 (1) scored seven goals against Trinity Christian on April 14 to set a Foxcroft lacrosse record for most goals in a career. Her four-year total of 242 goals broke the record of 237 set last year by Emma Rogers ’15.

Soon after, Alex was lost for the season to knee surgery, but Foxcroft still came close to collecting a third straight Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division II championship: In the state championship game, they fell to local rival Highland School — the only team to beat them all season. Five players were named to All-State.

Foxcroft Notebook

1

Amazing Athletes

2

Softball had its first All-State honoree when pitcher MORGAN HUNT ’18 (2) was named to the second team in Division I. Led by Morgan’s .688 batting average and 32 RBIs, the team had its best season in many years, with a record of 7-2 in a rain-shortened season that wiped out the team's trip to the conference tournaments.

SAYLOR HART '18 (3) earned a trip to the Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) National Finals in Lexington, KY, after finishing second among 12 riders in the Varsity Intermediate Over Fences class at the Zone 3 show. She was one of just 24 riders from across the country to qualify in this class.

Overall, the FOXCROFT IEA TEAM (4) had a strong year, earning 23 blue ribbons during the regular season and qualifying for the regional finals. In addition, nine individual riders competed in 13 classes at Regionals and four advanced to Zones.

Foxcroft riders also had success competing in A rated shows in Virginia and in Florida (at the Winter Equestrian Festival).

3

Find details and more Foxcroft news at www.foxcroft.org

4 Spring /Summer 2016 7

Global CONNECTIONS Foxcroft's Diversity Enriches the Community and Changes Lives

by Cathrine Wolf, Director of Communications

8 Foxcroft Magazine

Global Connections Sakiko Idehara '18, Alex Agyekum '17, and Pradyuta Padmanabhan '18 enjoy sharing their heritage, whether they are from overseas (Japan) or grew up in the U.S.

Spring /Summer 2016 9

Girls from six countries, 11 states, and the District of Columbia comprised Maria Michel (left) and Candace Kalitsi's freshman class.

ne fine day last April, just a week before some 100 Foxcroft alumnae gathered on campus for Reunion Weekend, Sarah Smith ’07, Sharon Tseng ’08, and Yu (Grace) Zhang ’08 had a little reunion of their own — in Shanghai. Like their counterparts in Middleburg, they enjoyed several good meals, visited a few special places, and mostly reveled in the simple joy of being together.

O

University, Grace was back in Shanghai working as an architect and happy to host the reunion, even though the Great Firewall of China, which significantly limits Internet content, had kept her in the dark about several details until a few days before Sharon and Sarah arrived.

These Foxcroft women had ”scaled the wall” and otherwise worked hard to make their get-together come together, because they wanted to see each other, of course, and because their time at Foxcroft­­ — spent with each other and so many different people from all around the world — had, they concur, changed their lives.

Shanghai

Their mini-reunion had taken some doing. Sharon, who is Taiwanese, lives in California and was making her first visit to Shanghai, the hometown of her best friend from Foxcroft, Grace.

Virginia native Sarah works for an international educational company and lives in Hangzhou, a few hours from Shanghai; she had been to Shanghai several times, dating back to 2005 when she first met Grace. After 10 years in the U.S. attending Foxcroft, Chicago Institute of Technology, and Columbia GLOBAL CITIZENS: Grace, Sarah, and Sharon met up in Shanghai for a mini-reunion last spring.

10 Foxcroft Magazine

Global Connections

”Foxcroft inspired me to embrace diversity.

I was friends with girls from all over the country and all over the world,” says Sarah. ”It was an important experience because everybody lives side-by-side in a community that demands mutual respect and also excellence in pursuing knowledge, which is equally important, I think, because respect requires getting to know a person's history and culture.” Sarah says her relationship with international students at Foxcroft was a key factor in her decision to major in Asian Studies and Chinese at Duke University — which, in turn, led to her working in Beijing, Somaliland, and now, Hangzhou.

Sharon’s career, too, owes a lot to Foxcroft’s diversity. Like most Taiwanese in 2005, Sharon held a negative view of the People's Republic of China and its citizens. Then, drawn together as the only Mandarin speakers on campus, she and Grace overcame the stereotypes and sometimes shocking misconceptions, and became fast friends. Sharon now works for a startup public relations firm founded by a woman from Beijing. ”I always tell Grace that she is the first person from Mainland China that I was friends with and I'm so grateful for her,” Sharon says. ”Because of our friendship, I'm able to look at people from Mainland China with open arms and heart…Thanks to Grace, I'm able to have opportunities like this [job].”

A week after the mini-reunion in China, at Foxcroft’s official Reunion Weekend, Foxcroft’s rich and varied community was on full display. Alumnae from around the world, including Italy, England, Ecuador, Dubai, Mexico, and China, mingled, happily picking up with friends they hadn’t seen in years, as if no time had passed, and earnestly sharing perspectives on school, life, current events, and global challenges that have been shaped by sundry influences and experiences. Many of these women, too, would say that their lives have been impacted by the variety

GALA HOSTS: Global Cultures Club leaders (from left) Chloe Xu, Ji Min Yoo, and Michelle Arubi renamed their club, but not the International Gala tradition.

“

To survive in this global community, we have to be mindful of our neighbors, work to understand where they are coming from, and develop empathy for those who are different.

— Lisa Boulestreau

”

of people and places they encountered through Foxcroft. Dede Pickering Bossidy ’71, for instance, credits a School trip with helping her put aside preconceptions and see the suffering of people she has spent her life photographing and helping (see ”Camera — and Heart — in Hand,” page 44).

For Rochelle Arms ’96, the lesson was to embrace her own ”diversity.” When she found herself rooming with proud Latinas from Venezuela and El Salvador (by way of Washington, D.C.), she reclaimed the Hispanic roots that she shed after moving from Panama to Kentucky at age 9. ”When I came to Foxcroft, it was the first time I had a positive experience with my heritage in the United States,” says Rochelle, who has degrees in international relations and peace studies, and is working on a doctorate in conflict analysis and resolution.

Sarah MoÏse Young ’94, who vividly remembers classmate Dalia El-Ramly Mattison’s midyear arrival from Saudi Arabia in 1991 caused by the Gulf War, says the Foxcroft experience prompts one to pay attention to world events. ”You have lived with someone, eaten with them, studied with them, cried with them,” she said. ”So when you leave, and you read the news and see what is happening in other countries or other parts of our country, you can’t just think of yourself anymore. You think of your friends and how it affects them, and you think, ‘what can I do to help, and to change and to make it better?’”

Spring /Summer 2016 11

Encountering Other Species

T

ravel is another great route to cross-cultural understanding and expanded perspectives. Foxcroft organizes trips and exchanges to support this. Here’s a report on the most recent adventure from one of our international travelers.

By Saylor Hart, '18

Over Wintermission, 14 Foxcroft students and two chaperones embarked on a thrilling, life-changing adventure to Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands that broadened our experiences of culture, artwork, food, lifestyle, and nature, and pushed us to test some limits at the same time.

Our first stop was Quito, where we were met with a warm, clean breeze that immediately lifted our spirits and set the tone for the rest of the trip. Beautiful mountains lined the view, with vibrantcolored houses dotting the black-paved roads. We ate at restaurants along the lively, bustling city streets and shopped at markets offering homemade chocolate, blankets, and jewelry. Quito was alive with Ecuadorian culture, and we experienced it everywhere we went.

Our second — and to me, most exciting — part of the trip was to the

12 Foxcroft Magazine

EcuAdor

Amazon rainforest. Pictures do not do this place justice. Eating live bugs with Amazonian tribal members, boating down the Napo River, and exploring the dense jungle in the dark, we all stepped out of our comfort zone during this adventure. The indigenous people who live in this area have a variety of cultures, and we were well introduced to the food, music, dance, and traditions of many different tribes. Staying in an eco-lodge in the middle of a humid South American jungle, too, is not for the faint-hearted.

Then we were off to the Galápagos Islands. Well known for their impact on Charles Darwin’s discovery of evolution, these islands are absolutely breathtaking. Marine iguanas and sea lions lounged on the beach chairs outside our hotel rooms, and bluefooted boobies lined the sharp cliffs that towered over the clear, blue water.

We were blown away by the beauty and uniqueness of the place as we hiked up a volcano, canoed by the cliffs, and snorkeled with the rays.

Overall, our jam-packed, 10-day trip helped us all to fully understand the beauty of our world, and helped us to embrace the lifestyle of many different cultures. I, and all the girls who went, are extremely grateful to Foxcroft for allowing us this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Lisa Boulestreau, who came to Foxcroft in 2012 to teach English as a Second Language and build the international program, thinks this concern for the worldwide community is crucial. ”As we have been learning for the past 10 years, the world is flat,” she says. ”We are all on the same global playing field and we need to be ready to compete with everyone around the world. Look at call centers: they are set up anywhere in the world to handle customer service in the U.S. So many jobs are global. ”To survive in this global community, we have to be mindful of our neighbors, work to understand where they are coming from, and develop empathy for those who are different,” she continues. ”This cannot be accomplished by doing any one thing. Learning other languages, exchange programs, travel abroad — any opportunity for meeting, listening, and exchanging with others — help.

Living and learning together at Foxcroft offer countless occasions to do that.”

Truly: Our student body this year hailed from 18 states and 14 countries; from inner city apartments to vast country estates; from different religious, ethnic, political, and social backgrounds. Faculty members had lived or taught in Ecuador, Egypt, France, Japan, Spain, and Switzerland. They all bring a multitude of traditions, cultural norms, and perspectives to campus. ”I am constantly learning more about different cultures, sometimes without even realizing it,” says Patia Fann ’16, who lives in Purcellville, VA, and counts girls from South Korea, China, California, and Florida among her closest friends. ”It has completely changed my worldview knowing that the way I live is not the only way, and that there are many ways to think about and do one thing.”

Class of 2016 valedictorian, Patia aced a heavy load of tough classes, but this may be the most important thing she learned at Foxcroft. And it’s a lesson that the School mindfully offers every student. "A lifetime of friendships and global connections” is officially one of the four pillars that

A recommendation from the self-study done for the recent VAIS accreditation led to a standing Diversity and Inclusion Committee of faculty and administrators, as well as a student intern, to focus on ways to advance both at Foxcroft.

Long-term goals are reflected in the School’s new Strategic Plan.

THE PUMPKIN-CARVING PARTY put on by Lisa Boulestreau (bottom, center) and her Ambassadors was an international hit with all ages.

undergird the School’s mission to "help every girl explore her unique voice and to develop the skills, confidence, and courage to share it with the world.” ”Our graduates work in a global economy,” says Head of School Cathy McGehee. ”Their careers will likely take them all over the country if not the world. Even if their jobs don’t call for travel, their professional lives will intersect with diverse communities through digital communications. Our students’ experience living and learning together with girls from so many different states and countries uniquely prepares them for their futures.”

These days, diversity can be found in many places; neighborhood schools may have students from a dozen countries. Those students, however, go home each afternoon. ”Our boarding model provides a rich and wonderful community in which to expand one’s sense of self in relation to others, to develop one’s empathy and understanding, and to hone cultural competencies that will serve our girls well in college and beyond,” notes McGehee. ”This experience is certainly true for our international students, but the diverse cultural and ethnic experience on Foxcroft’s

campus also enriches and prepares our domestic students for success.”

Foxcroft employs a variety of tools, some of them student-driven, to cultivate diversity and inclusion. The Admission Office actively recruits beyond U.S. borders and offers a short-term winter program for girls, mostly from South and Central America, looking to improve their English. The International Program established in recent years, with its orientation and special academic options, attracts a broader base of students from around the globe, and ensures them a smoother transition into American academics and culture.

Exchange programs with schools in France and Spain, and schoolled travel — recent Wintermission trip destinations included Honduras, Senegal, and the Galápagos Islands (see ”Encountering Other Species,” opposite page) — expand girls’ minds.

International speakers and performers, and opportunities

On the grassroots level, students formed a diversity and inclusion club called We the People; our International Club became a more inclusive Global Cultures Club; and an enthusiastic group of international and domestic students are now ”International Ambassadors,” who ease challenges new students from other countries face. All three groups work to encourage and deepen cross-cultural understanding throughout the year. (see ”A Meaningful Exchange,” page 15).

Now entering its second year, the Ambassador program is definitely a hit.

Its pumpkin-carving party last October drew a score of students both domestic and international. Applications to be an ambassador were plentiful. Ngoc Nguyen ’19, CO-FOUNDER Natalie Harris led We the People club members in a special MLK Day presentation

Spring /Summer 2016 13

Global Connections

in nearby Washington, D.C., which has more than 150 foreign embassies, stimulate their interest and understanding.

1 2 1. Assistant Fox Cheerleader Ji Min (front row, second from left) wrote a college essay about learning to love Fox/Hound.

2. As Ji Min noted — and (from left) Carsyn ’19, Martha ’16, and Emma ’18 demonstrated — cooking ethnic meals together is a big draw.

from Hanoi, Vietnam, recalls how her Ambassador, Californian Carli Mac Mahon ’16, helped her overcome nerves. ”She gave me much advice for those first days, and has helped me get used to the life at Foxcroft faster,” she says. ”Now I want to use my experiences and my energy to help girls who may feel like I did. I will share the amazing times I have had, and how my life has changed since I came here.”

Pia Scharfenberg, a rising junior from Middleburg, is also motivated by experience. ”During my semester in Southern Africa (with The Traveling School last fall), I went through overwhelming phases of homesickness and culture shock. These help me better understand what some of our international students are going through,” she wrote in her application to be an Ambassador. ”I would like to be there, to listen to their stories, what they miss. I want to understand what is hard for them and the moments when they have felt unaccepted.”

Veteran ambassador Carolina Wasinger ’17 of Fairfax Station says simply, "I have loved living and interacting every day with students from so many different

14 Foxcroft Magazine

cultures. I have met such amazing people from all over the world.”

As a sign of intentional inclusion, the International Club, which has worked for years to share multicultural experiences with the community, changed its name to the Global Cultures Club. ”We want to be clear that Americans can come and enjoy the club. It’s not just for international kids,” says Ji Min Yoo ’16 of Seoul, one of its leaders this year. ”I think we made progress this year. We had more Americans involved in International Week, especially with the meals we made. They wanted to cook and learn about our food. It was lots of fun.”

Ji Min has undergone a cultural revolution of her own at Foxcroft and wrote about it in the college essay that helped her gain admission to the University of Richmond. It was about her evolving relationship with that greatest of Foxcroft traditions, Fox/ Hound. As a freshman she disliked the chaos of Choosings and being awakened at 1am by the Foxes ”hunting” for the Hounds. She thought the dressing up in colors was silly. Then Ji Min realized that some students made generalizations that

Asians never participate in Fox/Hound. That made her angry because, she says, it was the truth. So she reexamined the matter. ”Before coming to the United States, I had accepted the Korean cultural belief that school was a place only to improve academically; however, now I started to doubt the idea. I began to follow the new belief that school, especially boarding school, is a place where I could establish my individual personality and learn the significance of community,” she wrote in her college essay. ”Stepping out of my cultural comfort zone, I tried out for the Fox/Hound basketball team. Surprisingly, I started to feel addictive fondness for it. As I participated in more events, I realized Fox/Hound is a true bonding experience that happens regardless of one's nationality. I noticed that I was truly being recognized as a member of a team, as a friend, and as a student.”

Ji Min also served as the Foxes’ Assistant Cheerleader this year. She loved it and learned from it. ”Participating in Fox/Hound has influenced me to become a student who takes risks

Head of School Cathy McGehee opened the session by emphasizing the significance of the occasion to those in attendance. ”The conversations we will have today are incredibly important and relevant in today’s society,” she said. ”We are preparing young women for a global economy that includes many different cultures, so that they may learn, thrive, and grow at Foxcroft and beyond.”

A Meaningful Exchange Beginning with the Centennial Celebration, a regular Reunion event has been an afternoon ”DiversiTea,” offering alumnae, students, and others a forum to celebrate Foxcroft’s history of diversity, the richness that students of color, international students, and others bring to our community, and ongoing efforts to be inclusive as well as diverse. Here’s a report on the most recent gathering.

By Shelly Betz, Director of Strategic Initiatives & Marketing The third annual Diversi-Tea brought together nearly 50 alumnae, students, faculty, and trustees to share conversation and commitment to the importance of diversity and inclusion at Foxcroft. This year’s event focused on exciting activities and projects that engage the Foxcroft community in learning about the subject.

Students from We the People, Foxcroft’s diversity and inclusion club, shared their efforts to educate and engage the community. For Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a short video from the Civil Rights Movement was followed by individuals making ”I Have a Dream Today” statements that expressed their own aspirations for a society that is free from judgment, racism, police brutality, and other social injustices. During Black History Month in February, members shared key achievements by African Americans, showed ”hallowed grounds” places from history, a song in the language of the Zulu, and a traditional dance from Ghana.

During the Morning Meeting that kicked off Alumnae Reunion, a minute of silence was observed and rainbow lapel ribbons distributed in support of the national ”Day of Silence” movement protesting harassment of LGBTQIA+ people in schools.

Important work on behalf of diversity and inclusion is also done by the Global Cultures Club. During International Week, it offered opportunities for students and faculty to prepare ethnic meals and test one’s knowledge of international facts, and made presentations to dispel stereotypes. At the International Gala, students showcased national attire, music, and dance.

History teacher Stephanie Young ’00, reported on the goals and recommendations for advancing diversity and inclusion at Foxcroft that emerged from the self-study committee she co-chaired as part of the School’s recent accreditation process. From adding resources to help attract diverse students and faculty to integrating diversity and inclusion into the curriculum and professional development, these plans will benefit girls for many years to come. Long-term goals are also reflected in the School’s Strategic Plan. ”Anytime we have a situation that challenges our own biases at the real human level through interpersonal connections,” McGehee said, ”is an opportunity for education and lifelong growth."

Another We the People initiative is ”Common Ground,” an open-discussion forum to talk about issues such as racism, the role of women in society, and the differences between cultural appropriation, exchange, assimilation, and appreciation.

Also, We the People advisor and Foreign Language Department Chair Esther Sánchez reported on the Virginia Diversity Network workshop and the Student Diversity Leadership Conference presented by the National Association of Independent Schools that she and several students attended. ”It’s very exciting to take our students to diversity and networking events,” she said, ”because they are also introduced to leadership opportunities and ways that they can make an impact.”

Co-leaders Abby Jones and Savannah Hamilton spoke about We the People club activities.

Spring/Summer 2016 15

and challenges established beliefs ….

Now, I enthusiastically work to change people's point of view about culture and community, just as I challenged my own beliefs and discovered new truths about my place in another part of the world.”

Opening oneself to new experiences as Ji Min did can happen in a variety of ways. Candace Kalitsi ’19 offered to take two Chinese students home to Bowie, MD, for Thanksgiving Break. Her guests enjoyed going to New York for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, eating turkey, and experiencing American life. Candace enjoyed — and learned from — spending time with girls from a very different culture. ”It was fun learning about their lives back home,” said Candace, who was inspired to become an International Ambassador next year.

Patia was inspired to teach herself Korean by Foxcroft friends. She learned a few phrases during her sophomore year when she roomed with Ji Min, but it was the following year, when two friends from the Class of 2015 talked constantly about a Korean TV drama they watched that Patia became truly intrigued. She began teaching herself the language and practicing with classmates. ”It's been a little over a year since I started, and I have fallen in love with the Korean language and culture,” says Patia. ”I don't plan on ever stopping.”

OUR COVER GIRLS: (from left) Alex ’17, Pradyuta ’18, Carolina ’17, Maria ’19, Savannah ’18, Candace ’19, Abby ’18, Sumi ’18, and Sakiko ’18 take a joyful leap.

And Foxcroft doesn’t plan on ending the rich experience of multinational, multicultural, diverse, and inclusive community it offers. Quite the contrary.

Sarah Smith, one of our Shanghai minireunion participants, believes in the power of global education and cultural exchange.

She mentors teens in China who want to study in the U.S. and is organizing a Ghanaian-Chinese student exchange. ”I think it is important for high school students to interact with people who are different from them,” she says. ”This doesn't necessarily have to be with people from other countries. Our own country is a bastion of socio-economic, ethnic, and cultural diversity, which is also important to remember and appreciate.

However, students should be guided with tools to embrace diversity with respect and dignity. This requires inquiry, a willingness to listen, and a willingness to be challenged, to be open to a new perspective without passing judgment.”

16 Foxcroft Magazine

At Foxcroft, that interaction is universal. ”I cannot think of any Foxcroft student that does not have at least one friend who is an international student or who comes from a different background. For most girls, the multiculturalism becomes a part of our lives on campus,” says Patia. ”The girls come from different backgrounds, but the Foxcroft community manages to bring us together to recognize our similarities.

From interacting with many different types of people at Foxcroft, I realized that no matter what culture we come from, we are all just people,” she adds. ”Mr. [Steve] Matthews' commencement speech perfectly summed up this sentiment when he recited a line from Maya Angelou's poem—‘We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.’”

Indeed we are.

•

All In Preparing Students to Lead the Way in the World of STEM

CARPE DIEM! Carli (left) and Marisa wore hard hats and big smiles when they saw their School Store counter in Court.

By Bethany Stotler, Multimedia Communications Associate

In the world beyond Foxcroft, the gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) persists. Women comprise 57 percent of the U.S. workforce but are outnumbered nearly 3:1 by male workers in STEM fields. More women than men attend and graduate college but they earn less than 20 percent of the bachelor degrees awarded in engineering, computer science, and physics.

At Foxcroft, where 100 percent of our STEM students are girls and two members of our all-female Science faculty have

doctorates (in Aerospace Engineering Sciences and Neuroscience) and a third has two Master of Science degrees, the energy, interest, and enthusiasm that girls have for STEM pursuits is off the charts. Here are some of the exciting projects and events that our students were involved in this school year. In a world that needs more talented women in these critical fields, Foxcroft girls are gaining experiences, learning skills, and developing passions that will transform their lives.

The Competitive Edge Foxcroft hosted its fifth consecutive ”Expedition K2M: The STEM Summit” in February and, once again, the engaging, girls-only competition was oversubscribed, with some 175 students participating and more on the waiting list. Expedition

K2M reimagines the traditional science contest as a captivating, hands-on, applied STEM-centric vision with new and creative elements annually. The latest competition included not only an overarching theme — a twist that was introduced last year — but also a complex puzzle which, when solved, revealed more about the ”Spies Among Us” mystery theme.

The foundation of Expedition K2M, though, remains the five or six stations where teams of three or four girls take on biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, and math challenges. These problems are dreamed up by our ingenious math and science faculty as well as engineers from K2M, the Leesburg-based biotech company that helps underwrite the event.

The winners take home medals and trophies designed and made on Foxcroft’s own 3D printer by our students. (Foxcroft

Spring/Summer 2016 17

Using the Engineering Design Process, students followed the many steps from finding and analyzing a need to delivering its solution. Research, brainstorming, design conception, planning, and budgeting were followed by design reviews with the clients. Their feedback was incorporated into a final design and once that was approved, the real fun began: building the project. Materials were purchased; measurements taken; hammers, saws, and other tools mastered.

Along the way, there were unforeseen challenges to overcome, adjustments to make, and a deadline to meet.

WHO DID IT?: At the STEM Summit, girls analyzed mysterious white powder to try to find the "Spies Among Us."

won the high school trophy this year!) ”A lot of people tell us each year they come here expecting great things,” says Maria Evans, Ph.D., Foxcroft’s Science Department Chair and lead organizer of the event, ”and every year we surpass their expectations. ” This year, more than 40 teams — including 13 from Foxcroft — from five high schools and 15 middle schools participated. ”The middle school event has just exploded, and they are all so enthusiastic,” says Dr. Evans. ”They can’t wait for it, and the chaperones can’t either. ” Their zeal is a testament to the success of Foxcroft’s STEM program. Expedition K2M captures, in one compact day, the transformative experiences that our students benefit from year-round — and the visitors love it. ”It was wonderful,” said Chesapeake Academy chaperone Robin Blake of this year’s competition. ”When can we sign up for next year?”

Gaining Confidence At Foxcroft, engineering has a ”cool factor.” The Explorations in Engineering class draws students who do not consider themselves to be science or math stars, along with those who do, because it

18 Foxcroft Magazine

teaches life skills far beyond the boundaries of the STEM Lab. Public speaking, client management, problem solving, teamwork, and more are required as students use Purdue University’s Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) High program to take projects for worthy non-profit organizations from concept to completion.

It is the epitome of service learning.

Three teams of student engineers worked with local organizations this year. One group designed ”sensory trail” stations for the Sprout Therapeutic Riding and Education Center in Aldie, VA. The others worked with NW Works, a Winchester, VA, non-profit that helps adults with disabilities secure training and work.

They built a producesorting station and a cart to use at farmers’ markets — both solutions needed because of the success of a 2012 EPICS-NW Works project to create raised garden beds.

When an EPICS project is completed and delivered, the girls wear wide smiles of pride.

They appreciate the community service they have performed, the engineering process learned, and the collaborative skills practiced. They know they have done things they never thought they could do — whether it’s making a formal presentation to professionals or mastering power tools in the shop — in a subject they may never have imagined taking. The confidence and willingness to take on new challenges that they have gained are priceless, no matter what a girl may do with her life.

GIRL POWER: Through EPICS, students learn all aspects of the engineering cycle, including construction. This group built a produce cart for NW Works.

Seizing Opportunities Carli Mac Mahon and Marisa Sanders recently graduated, but they left something very special behind. The two girls — or should we say, designers and engineers? — generated the concept and chose the materials for something that the Foxcroft community will appreciate daily: a counter for the new School Store. With clean lines, white and natural wood accents, and a glass panel etched with the Foxcroft seal, the counter is as eye-catching as it is functional. ”It is absolutely amazing what they did,” said School Store manager Brenda Trussell, after she, the girls, and Business Manager Deborah Anderson saw the piece in place at Court. ”The counter is just gorgeous.” The collaboration among the girls, the School, and Court project managers on the counter was especially meaningful, reflected Trussell, ”because it’s really their store.”

Marisa and Carli shared their experience at a Morning Meeting in April, describing the hours spent talking to Trussell and others to analyze needs, and collaborating with Anderson and construction and cabinet-making professionals as they strove to marry form and function to create the counter.

Following their presentation, Anderson revealed an addition to the counter: an engraved brass plaque that cites Carli and Marisa as the counter designers. ”My wish for all of you,” said Anderson, looking around the room, ”is that if opportunities like this present themselves, whether at Foxcroft or beyond, you take advantage of them, because I think that the lessons learned here are pretty phenomenal.”

Carli and Marisa got this opportunity because, as members of the spring 2015 engineering class, they helped design and build two similar podiums for Court. They jumped at the chance to tackle the counter assignment. It was right on point for Marisa, a standout rider from North Carolina, who plans to study architecture at Savannah College of Art and Design in the fall.

A frequent performer on the Foxcroft stage headed to St. Mary’s College of California, Carli had a different perspective. ”Honestly, as a humanities person, this is something I would never do,” she said. ”That’s the thing about Foxcroft — you get opportunities to do things you would never do. Taking an engineering class and working on the podium last year led to this and it was just exhilarating.”

Meeting Mentors On Tuesday, March 8, in Richmond’s historic Patrick Henry Building, Governor Terrence McAuliffe launched the Million Women Mentors initiative in Virginia (MWM-VA) and presented a proclamation in support of women and girls studying and working in STEM fields. Many powerful figures were in attendance: Michelle Lee, the first female director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office; Maurice A. Jones, Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade; and Jennifer Bisceglie, CEO of Interos Solutions and global chair of Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), to name a few.

Also in attendance were 13 Foxcroft students, eager to glean valuable insights from the impressive panel and network with the presenters and attendees. Invited

by Dr. Carole Inge, one of MWM-VA co-chairs, after she read an article about Foxcroft’s superior STEM program, the girls shared their passion for STEM and handed resumes to representatives of companies offering internships, such as Cisco Systems and Lockheed Martin. It may have been the first step in career journeys

that could, someday, land these young women in their own influential positions.

Certainly it was a great opportunity. ”They got to meet the Governor and hear about the many diverse opportunities in STEM fields from some impressive speakers,” said Dr. Evans, who accompanied the group. ”They also made some wonderful connections and got excited about their possibilities.”

That excitement together with the unique learning experiences and solid foundation that their Foxcroft education offers will prepare our students for a world we can hardly begin to imagine. In his speech, Governor McAuliffe said he was ”all in” regarding working to get more girls involved in STEM and that he expects women to lead the way in STEM. ”I’m counting on you,” he said to the Foxcroft girls, the only substantial contingent of students present. He knows that women can have a major impact — and we know that Foxcroft girls are preparing to lead the way.

•

ALL IN: Gov. McAuliffe supports getting girls involved in STEM, which — as Cathy McGehee (left) and our girls can attest — Foxcroft already does quite well.

Spring/Summer 2016 19

Moments In the Garden

By Cathrine Wolf In his 39 years at Foxcroft School, Stephen L. Matthews has witnessed thousands of girls having their moment in Miss Charlotte’s Garden — twirling across the lawn after receiving their diplomas, proceeding regally down the steps, or whooping for joy and dissolving into hugs and tears when the ”Foxcroft spiral” and School Song conclude.

At the School’s 102nd Commencement on May 27, as Matthews marked his last as faculty and first as graduate (having declaring himself ”an ad hoc member of this magnificent 2016 Class”), he started with those and other instants to savor. Quoting author Jerry Spinelli, he urged the seniors to ”inhabit your moments” — and then helped them and everyone else in the Garden to do just that by urging them to turn to a neighbor, saying how happy they were to be there celebrating the occasion, and sharing a handshake or a hug. ”We have now officially connected,” said the master teacher and head librarian, who retired from Foxcroft in July. ”This is a day that begs us to connect. It is a day that requires us to bask in what it really means to be part of something bigger than ourselves. Something magical and fully alive. ”

20 Foxcroft Magazine

1

It was indeed a magical morning, from the moving invocation with which Math Department Chair Susan Erba opened the ceremony to the final verse of ”Here’s to the School.” Forty-seven girls from six countries and ten states received their diplomas from Board of Trustees Vice Chair Anne Michele Lyons Kuhns ’87 and Head of School Cathy McGehee. With 190 acceptances and $3.2 million in merit scholarships from 125 colleges and universities to their credit, they were ready to go — to fine institutions from coast to coast, including the University of California at Berkeley, Baylor, Davidson, Hampshire, NYU, the Rhode Island School of Design, Vanderbilt, and Virginia, to name a few.

2

In his speech, Matthews had advice for the graduates, of course, and being a man of books and teacher of English literature, he invoked various writers to make his points. Citing Nathaniel Hawthorne, he counseled the girls to ”Be true! Be true! Be true!” by showing their authentic selves to the world, living by their own values, and cherishing those who love and care for them.

1. FULL BLOOM: The garden and the girls were gorgeous at Graduation.

2. A BIG DAY: Above, Lexie, the senior class speaker, gave a speech and took home a prize — the Charlotte Haxall Noland Award.

Turning then to a pair of poets, Ogden Nash and Hart Crane, Matthews implored them to ”Do something difficult. Easy is fine on occasion — it feels good — but challenge yourself,” he said, suggesting they choose hard classes, learn a new skill, and reach out to someone they don’t know.

Finally, Matthews read Maya Angelou’s poem ”Human Family,” asking again for audience participation — this

time snapping fingers and reciting Angelou’s refrain, ”We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.”

At Foxcroft, he said, ”we believe in the human family and delight in our diversity.

The experience of honoring and learning from each other’s differences and the ability of community to include and empower each individual," Matthews said, is ”one of the most extraordinary things about Foxcroft,” and a value the graduates should take with them into their adult lives. ”It will serve you well,” he said.

In an eloquent speech, Senior Class Speaker Alexa ”Lexie” Williams touched on Matthews’ notion of inhabiting the moment by remembering the special sense of inclusiveness and security that Foxcroft provides. Then she used an extended metaphor of stepping off the beach into the vast ocean to reference her classmates’ impending post-Foxcroft adventures. ”Today, let us swim away with confidence,” she said ”… liberated as the current pulls us out to sea and secure as the tide carries us to a new shore. ” Williams, who will attend Virginia Tech in the fall, received the coveted Charlotte Haxall Noland Award from McGehee, who also presented the Head’s Prize to Lilly Savin, for the courage and humor that characterized her leadership style in a variety of roles, including class president for two years.

•

For video of the Commencement speeches as well as additional photos, visit: www.foxcroft.org/commencement2016

Spring/Summer 2016 21

Commencement 2016

let us swim away with confidence. . .liberated “asToday, the current pulls us out to sea and secure as the tide carries us to a new shore. ”

CLASS OF 2016

VALEDICTORIAN Patia Fann (right in far left photo) celebrated with classmate Victoria Zhao.

HEAD'S PRIZE WINNER Lilly Savin took a moment with her mom after the ceremony.

MARY LOUISE LEIPHEIMER AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING: SUSAN ERBA

Awards & Accolades The Foxcroft Community Honored Students and Faculty During the Year’s Final Days

!

1. Susan Erba with Cathy McGehee; 2. Yvette McCarty with Jane Lockhart; 3. Academic Dean Courtney Ulmer with Anne Burridge

22 Foxcroft Magazine

Susan Erba, who dedicated her career to helping girls understand and excel in math, received the second Mary Louise Leipheimer Award for Excellence in Teaching at the annual Awards Assembly, in May.

1

”There could be no better role model for teaching girls,” said Head of School Cathy McGehee in presenting the honor, which was established in 2014. ”Many Foxcroft girls have been empowered to pursue majors and careers in what are still maledominated fields, thanks to Ms. Erba’s leadership and belief in them. All of her students have benefited from what her colleagues describe as her ‘infinite patience,’ her willingness to provide extra help outside of class at all hours, and her ability to explain a concept in different ways to reach all learners.”

A graduate of Hollins University and the Medical College of Virginia, where she earned a Master of Statistics, Erba came to Foxcroft in 1989 after teaching college for nearly 10 years. She became Mathematics Department Chair in 2007, and has since

challenged students and teachers alike as she led her department and collaborated with Science Department colleagues to create a cutting-edge STEM program. Her greatest legacy is, perhaps, the K2M STEM Summit. (See "The Competitive Edge," page 17.)

A former college tennis player, Erba also coached Foxcroft’s Varsity Tennis Team to a 34-7 record and two conference titles in the past three years. She has been advisor to the Math and Stock Market clubs, and served in many other roles over the years.

This summer, she is leaving Foxcroft to join her aging mother in Louisiana. (Read a tribute to her on page 26.)

JANE LOCKHART SERVICE AWARD: YVETTE MCCARTY, R. N. Yvette McCarty, or ”Nurse Yvette” as she is known to the girls who flock to her for comfort and counsel as they do for Band-Aids and bruises, joined Foxcroft in 2007 and quickly embraced her varied role of a resident school nurse.

2

”Yvette makes sure that all students feel known and valued, and advocates for their success in their academic, residential,

GRADUATE! After receiving her diploma, Natalie Harris receives a hug from Cathy McGehee.

HIGH HONORS Charlotte Scharfenberg won two prizes much to the delight of dad and history teacher, John.

Valedictorian/ Pillsbury Prize PATIA FANN ’16

Salutatorian CHARLOTTE SCHARFENBERG ’16

Junior Award for Scholarship ISABELLA ZIMMERMAN ’17

Charlotte Haxall Noland Award ALEXA WILLIAMS ’16

and co-curricular activities,” said Cathy McGehee, in presenting her with the Jane Lockhart Service Award. ”Yvette has been a mother away from home to countless students, a thoughtful colleague to her peers, and, yes, a nurse, too.”

Raised in Berkeley Springs, WV, Yvette earned her B.S.N. at West Virginia University and worked as a medical/surgical nurse before moving to Foxcroft with her husband, Steve, an English and economics teacher, and son, Liam.

The Lockhart Award was established in 2012 by parents and students in appreciation of the dedication, commitment, and passion of Jane Lockhart, who retired this year (Read tribute on page 24). It honors a staff or faculty member who ”exemplifies a personal commitment to, and understanding of, all of our students,” with an emphasis on all.

H. LAURENCE ACHILLES CHAIR FOR ENGLISH: ANNE B. BURRIDGE Anne B. Burridge became just the third individual to hold the H. Laurence Achilles Chair for English when Cathy McGehee presented the honor and a ”Foxcroft” Windsor chair to her. Named for

3

the legendary English scholar who taught at Foxcroft from 1955-77, the Achilles is one of only three endowed chairs at the School.

By all accounts it fits Burridge to a T. Calling the English Department chair ”the epitome of a master teacher,” McGehee said, ”She stretches her students to read challenging texts, rigorously edit their writing, diagram sentences, and analyze rhetorical and poetic strategies in literature.

Although demanding, she always meets students where they are, encourages them to believe in their abilities, and then reach higher levels of sophistication.”

A New Englander by birth, Burridge attended Phillips Exeter Academy and Middlebury College, where she earned a B.A. and, later, an M.A. from its Bread Loaf School of English. Before coming to Foxcroft in 2013, she taught in San Francisco; Tokyo; Princeton, NJ; and, most recently, at all-boys St. John’s Preparatory School in Danvers, MA. Burridge helped revamp the humanities program for non-native English speakers, worked with students to revive Chimera as an online literary magazine, co-chaired the VAIS 10-year accreditation process, and forged a partnership with Middleburg’s Shakespeare in the ’Burg.

•

For a complete list of prizes, visit: www.foxcroft.org/awards2016

Head’s Award LILLY SAVIN ’16

Miss Ida Applegate Award CHARLOTTE SCHARFENBERG ’16

Dudley Prize CAROLINE MAGNANI ’16

Josie Betner Mallace Award CAROLINE MAC MAHON ’16

Mildred Greble Davis Award MADISON GUMPRECHT ’17

Becky Award YIMING ZHAO ’18

Elebash Award BELLA BIGELOW ’19

Cum Laude Society Members Class of 2016 PATIA FANN * ALEXANDRA GRACE LUCILLE MATZ CHARLOTTE SCHARFENBERG * MARINA SHALLCROSS TINGXUAN ”ISABELLA” ZHAI

Class of 2017 LINDY DAVENPORT EMILY DIETZ LINDSAY WOODS *Inducted in 2015, as a junior

Spring/Summer 2016 23

Commencement 2016

Student Standouts

Faculty Farewell On these pages, we pay tribute to three Foxcroft faculty members who have dedicated 25 years or more to the School.

Each holds a significant place in our history; collectively they represent more than 100 years of commitment to educating girls.

They will forever remain part of the School, having influenced hundreds of students, mentored scores of colleagues, and created countless memories. We wish them much joy and happiness.

Being Jane

Celebrating 50 Years of Love for Foxcroft School

By Shelly Betz, Director of Strategic Initiatives & Marketing

Anyone who knows Jane Lockhart also knows that she has a certain way about her. Not one to mince words, she tells it like it is, was, and should be — all according to Jane. She has worked at Foxcroft during every Head of School except the first two — and she knew Miss Charlotte, even though she had retired by the time Jane arrived in 1966.

Respected by her colleagues and adored by the many girls she has connected with, counseled, and often dished out ”tough love” to throughout the past 50 years, Jane is excited about her next phase of life in retirement with husband, Lee, their two sons, and six grandchildren. When asked to sum up her time at Foxcroft in three words, she ponders the question for a moment before offering a selfassured response while nodding her head in agreement with what she is about to say: happy, secure, and enriched.

Between handling permissions for students, tracking attendance, preparing weekend activities and duty assignments, or handling

24 Foxcroft Magazine

The walls of Jane’s office were covered with a time-capsule mural of photographs that represent ”her girls” over the years, and she can point to any one of those girls and tell you a story. She is a legend in her own right, and many of those girls, as well as faculty and staff members, can turn around and tell a story about Jane. She doesn’t have to think long or hard about what defines her relationship with the School.

girls descending upon her like a daily ritual, Jane wouldn’t have it any other way. ”I feel like one of them. They come in here, telling me all their business and other stuff that I probably don’t need to know.

Sometimes, they just want me to listen and that’s what I do,” she said. ”If they are upset or cry, I let them get it out of their system, because to them it might feel like the end of the world if they got a bad grade or broke up with a boyfriend. They keep me young, and it’s been like that the entire time. ”

”I came here as a 21-year-old married woman after moving four miles from where I grew up in Middleburg,” she said. ”This place represents my whole life. It’s where Lee and I raised our sons, and I have had the honor of getting to know other people’s daughters. I have been happy here the entire time. They’re all my girls."

On any given day, it’s hard to tell if Jane is actually at her desk, because she is often surrounded by girls who either need something or simply prefer to pass the time between classes in her presence.

Oftentimes, no words are exchanged; girls just feel right at home with her. With the

IN 1975, when this photo was taken, Jane (second from left) had been at Foxcroft for nearly a decade!

During the Reunion Weekend Alumnae Luncheon this year, Jane was presented with a special memory box of messages from Foxcroft alumnae wishing her well in

“

I have had the honor of getting to know other people’s daughters. I have been happy here the entire time. They’re all my girls.

”

her retirement and sharing their memories of her. As she read them at home afterward, there were a few surprises. ”I had notes from former students who told me how much it meant to them that I was here to listen and help them sort through whatever she was going through at that time. I had no idea that I even mattered that much to some of the girls. I didn’t see that coming,” Jane said.

When Foxcroft girls contemplate their college options and future career plans, Jane hears lots of it unfold while they’re gathered in her office, sitting on the floor if all the chairs are taken. If they are stressing about the future, Jane is quick to offer her two cents’ worth.

”When girls are talking about what they think they want to be or do when they grow up, I tell them, ‘Listen, I’m retiring and I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up,” she smiled.

For all the memories of her years here, none stands out more than the tradition of Baccalaureate that is held at Trinity Church at the end of the school year. With the entire student body present and all dressed up, it holds a special place in Jane’s heart. ”There is nothing like it. It’s like angels singing. I am just as much in awe of that experience today as I was 50 years ago seeing it for the first time,” she said.

The decision to retire was not something that weighed heavily upon Jane. Although many school administrators, faculty, and students have told her over the years that she ”will never retire” or that she ”will be right at her desk until the end,” Jane held onto a piece of friendly advice offered many years ago by Celeste Bergan, a longtime science teacher and department chair at Foxcroft. ”She told me that I would know when the time comes that I am ready to start a new adventure,” Jane recalled. ”She was right. I know that this is my time. ” As Jane prepares for her life after Foxcroft, she takes pride in knowing the girls will go on to do great things in their lives, communities, and throughout the world. She has also come to expect the unexpected and is able to appreciate the significant impact that Foxcroft girls have had upon her. ”I realize that, although I have only moved four miles in my lifetime, living and working at Foxcroft with girls from all over the country and parts of the world is like having a special passport,” Jane said. ”They have taken me places by sharing things about themselves, their cultures, and religions. It has been the greatest experience anyone could imagine.”

It has been a pretty great experience, too, for all the students, faculty, staff, and alumnae who have shared any part of Jane’s journey over the past half century.

You will be missed, Jane.

•

Spring /Summer 2016 25

Faculty Farewell

details for field trips and anything else that might crop up, Jane has been a steady hand in Schoolhouse for three decades.

(She worked in the Business Office for her first 20 years. See 1975 photo below.) But, don’t tell her that. When she learned that she would be interviewed for this story, she reacted in classic form. ”What? I don’t have time for this! I’ve got work to do. Let’s get this over with,” she quipped. That’s just Jane being Jane.

“

Caring to the core, Susan could be found giving countless hours of extra help to her students with infinite patience, a huge smile and a nurturing heart.

”

Making Magic Saying ‘So Long’ to Susan Erba

By Maria Evans, Ph.D., Department Chair, STEM

When I applied for an open position to teach at Foxcroft School in 2010, my first contact was with Susan Erba, the Mathematics Department Chair. She was warm, friendly, and very funny, but most of all she was inspiring. I hung up the phone and thought to myself, ”I would love to work with Susan at Foxcroft.” That sentiment was based solely on our brief conversation, and it was entirely due to how impressive I found Susan to be. Susan’s passion for making math approachable, interesting, and applicable to students’ daily lives was immediately evident.

This passion for making math accessible — and her uncanny ability to do so — has been observed and appreciated by colleagues for years. ”I always admired how Susan could work magic with math,” says Celeste Bergan, the legendary science teacher and department chair who taught at Foxcroft from 1985 to 2007. ”At a time when so many people — including educators — were saying, ‘Oh, girls aren’t good at math,’. . . [and students asked] ‘Why do we need math?,’ Susan ignored all that and always challenged her students to do their best.”

As my first school year progressed, Susan became an invaluable mentor to me. She patiently shared her best practices for reaching students with different learning needs. She guided me, made me laugh, and became one of my very closest friends. Susan is one of those rare individuals who inspires others to reach for the same heights that she constantly strives for.

For 27 years, Susan has dedicated herself to

26 Foxcroft Magazine

teaching Foxcroft girls, both in and out of the classroom. Along the way, she built the math curriculum into a strong course of study and has been an invaluable partner in our STEM Initiative. She raised two compassionate and wonderful sons, PJ and David. She also helped ”her girls” reach both academic and athletic goals.

She led the varsity tennis team to several outstanding seasons with just the right mix of fierce competitiveness, respect for the game, and resolve to teach her players to do right as well as to play right.

Caring to the core, Susan could be found giving countless hours of extra help to her students with infinite patience, a huge smile, and a nurturing heart. Tommie Herbert Dost ’05, now a natural resources specialist at the U.S. Forest Service, says, ”I entered her classroom with a really negative attitude about math, thinking I was a humanities person. After one year, I first figured out that I could understand math, then that I could be good at it, then that I could like it.”

Tommie is far from alone in that experience, just as I am not alone in my experience of Susan. She has an exceptional gift for being a best friend to both adults and students. Every time alumnae return to campus, her room is full of women who owe their successes to her. Students share their hopes and fears with her, and colleagues appreciate her willingness to listen and offer guidance on both professional and personal matters.

As we bid farewell to Susan, know we will forever miss her generosity, happy spirit, creativity, knowledge, loving heart, and joyous laughter. We are all better people because of her.

God speed, dear friend.

•

Faculty Farewell

”Bring them home,” he would shout, a few times a year. ”Checked-out books are lonely, they will shed a tear If you don’t bring them back to their friends on the shelves.

(You will also get fined, and can just blame yourselves.)”

The Day the Books Cried A Fond Farewell to Steve Matthews

By Alexander O. Northrup, History Department Chair and Academic Technology Coordinator

For thirty-nine years, this great man was the keeper Of the Currier Library, and its interior Full of magazines, movies, and later computers.

On its main steps, this once most ardent of suitors Would marry his wife, fellow librarian Sheila.

This pair had a daughter; she was a young squealer Named Ashley. She grew up and was to become A loyal Hound Captain, who pounded the drum At Sing Sings and Big Games during her four years While her father smiled proudly, adding his cheers.

Yes for thirty-nine years, this man stood watch.

On his desk, a glass bowl of butterscotch Candies, or chocolates, he gladly would share With the friends and students that happened there, With Kay and Betty, Merrilyn and Maria, Jeannie, Gail, Brenda, and don’t forget Lisa — All of these people with whom he often held court For in sharing opinions, he always found sport.

He was called ”Renaissance Man” by former Head Mary Lou For there seemed to be nothing this guy couldn’t do.

He taught AP English Literature, even AP Lang, And in many of Robyn’s musicals he sang As Annie’s Daddy Warbucks, and Oliver’s Bumble, Despite all the acclaim, this man remained humble.

He ran the show during Interim, later called Wintermission.

Hundreds of girls’ educations he brought to fruition.

At awards ceremonies, he was renowned for his rhymes.

(Though occasionally some of them were absolute crimes.)

After thirty-nine years, when it’s time, he departs, The books cried out loudly for this man, with full hearts. ”Don’t leave us,” they sobbed, ”Who will call us back?” ”Who will save us from getting lost in some student’s backpack?”

And they wailed ”Oh Matthews!” for it was the eve Of the day they bid bye to their old friend Steve. ”Don’t worry,” he said, ”You’ll be fine with Maria, And you know I will always come back and see ya.”

•

Spring /Summer 2016 27

Alumnae Profiles

If finding your passion in life and dedicating yourself to it is a recipe for success in life, then Kitty Anthony Palmer ’72 is a great cook. Kitty fell in love with sports early in life and has forged a lifelong record of incredible achievement in athletics, as a player and coach.

It’s All About Team

Kitty Anthony Palmer ’72 2016 Sports Hall of Fame Inductee

By Fred McMane, Athletic Coach

28 Foxcroft Magazine

”I was the youngest of five siblings, three brothers and a sister, so I was included in all their athletic battles and family games from as early as I can remember,” Kitty said last February when Head of School Cathy McGehee presented her with a memento of her election as the eighth member of Foxcroft's Sports Hall of Fame. ”I remember always throwing or chasing any kind of ball.

I first came to Foxcroft, I remember I was thrown into the first varsity field hockey game of the season, and scored two goals.”

That’s not boasting, it’s just fact. Kitty was an exceptional athlete, starring in field hockey, basketball, and tennis at both Foxcroft and Lake Forest College. The Guilford, CT, resident says it was lessons learned playing at Foxcroft that really propelled her onto her life path. ”Foxcroft taught me how to be a good teammate — how to be dedicated to the bigger thing,” she says, noting that earlier coaches focused more on the individual. ”When I got to Foxcroft, it was all about team — being concerned about your teammates and the team as a whole.

Foxcroft really pushed me in that direction, which has taken me through my whole life. I coach teams.”

Indeed, for all her accomplishments as an athlete, Kitty has learned more recognition as an exceptional high school coach. She has coached field hockey for 37 years and tennis for 15 years, and her teams have

won Connecticut state championships in both sports. She also teaches paddle tennis at Madison (CT) Racquetball Club.

At Foxcroft, Kitty scored an astounding 37 of her team’s 54 goals in field hockey over a two-year span and was named one of Sports Illustrated’s ”Faces in the Crowd.”

Hound Captain and winner of the Teresa E. Shook Award as a senior, she was also one of the best basketball players and played number one singles for the tennis team.

At Lake Forest, where she won 12 varsity letters over four years, Kitty twice led field hockey in scoring and was named Most Valuable Player. Again, she was the number one singles tennis player and a standout on the basketball court — all while also earning her degree in psychology. ”Playing three sports for four years didn’t seem out of the ordinary, as we did that at Foxcroft,” Kitty added. ”There was no outof-season training like there is now. When field hockey ended, you immediately started up basketball. It would seem odd to not be practicing or playing a sport.”

Kitty continues to play sports, at a high level. In paddle tennis, she and her doubles partner have been ranked as high as number six nationally. She still plays field hockey and competitive golf. ”Sports challenges me every day,” says Kitty. ”Not only myself as a player. The kids challenge me every day — to think of new ways to coach them or to teach them. I think being involved in sports makes us sharper, mentally and physically. ”The biggest part of sports, though, is the friends you make,” she says. ”You make friends for life playing sports. ” True friends right through to the end, no doubt.

•

Caroline “Cina” Alexander Forgason ’73 Helen Cudahy Niblack ’42 Art Series Lecturer April. Her visit gave us an opportunity to catch up with the San Antonio resident.

Rara Avis: John James Audubon and the Birds of America came to Foxcroft as part of the Helen Cudahy Niblack ’42 Arts Lecture Series, which had as its theme for the 201516 school year, ”Inspired by Nature.” Cina and the writer/director of the film, Academy Award-nominated Al Reinert, spent the day talking about their careers — conservation for Cina and journalism and film-making for Al — and answering questions from the girls.

In the evening, Foxcroft hosted a screening of their film that was open to the public.

More than 400 people came — the largest screening of the film so far — to learn more about the life of Audubon, his remarkable art, his trailblazing conservationism, and his exploration of largely uncharted land.

By Terry Meyer, Assistant Director for Stewardship Perhaps it’s because her family is responsible for the stewardship of more than 800,000 acres in south Texas (known as King Ranch). Perhaps it’s simply a passion she was born with, but Caroline ”Cina” Alexander Forgason ’73 has been interested in preserving the environment and the wildlife in it for her entire life. As a child, she wanted to start her own local Audubon Society chapter; as an adult, she has served on the boards of various conservation organizations and worked on several conservation efforts. Most recently, Cina produced a beautiful and important film on the life of John James Audubon, which she brought to Foxcroft’s campus in

Making the film was a personal mission for Cina. Two artist friends who had been inspired by Audubon and who had studied everything about him — his life, the way he painted, his travels — ”really brought him to life” for her, says Cina.

When her friends both passed away, Cina says, ”I thought, ‘Who’s going to tell this tale?’” As it turns out, Cina was.

For several reasons, she was the perfect person to bring Audubon to life for others the way her friends had done for her. She had years of experience working on bird conservation efforts, including The Peregrine Fund, an organization dedicated to conserving birds of prey. The peregrine is Cina’s favorite bird — ”It’s the fastest creature on earth, has the widest geographic range of any creature on earth and has had a remarkable comeback

since the ‘60s and ‘70s,” she explains — and it owes its continued existence to the efforts of The Peregrine Fund, which started in 1970.

Cina’s abiding interest in art also was valuable as it provided the inspiration for the beautiful and artistic cinematography so important to conveying Audubon’s innovative approach to his art. Her business management abilities came into play as well, because acquiring the necessary funding for the film required that she establish a nonprofit to receive donations. ”When you’re doing something like this, you need people to do more than one thing and be able to dig in and pitch in to do whatever needs to be done,” says Cina, whose film credit as producer only touches on the many hats she wore during the long process of bringing Rara Avis to fruition. ”That’s what is at the heart of any project you’re passionate about. You have to have that kind of energy behind you. ” The passion and energy radiated in the finished product, and the audience at the April screening at Foxcroft’s Athletic/ Student Center was enthralled.

Mission accomplished.

•

To learn more about Rara Avis, check out audubonthefilm.com.

The show, Audubon, will air on WETA in the spring of 2017. Check your local PBS station.

Spring /Summer 2016 29

Alumna Profile

Conservationist for Life

An Understanding Heart Barbara Hartley Lord ’41

2016 Distinguished Alumna Award Recipient Charlotte helped Barbara, a proud Fox and beloved student, to find her path. Steered toward secretarial school by Miss Charlotte, Barbara was back at Foxcroft a year after graduation and served first as secretary to Catherine Hoppin, the academic dean at the time, and then as Miss Charlotte’s personal secretary.

Barbara’s fond memories of those times were expressed in a note to a classmate. ”Working at Foxcroft seemed to prepare me for many contingencies. You never knew from one day to the next what you might be asked to do, from being told to get [ahold] of Mrs. Roosevelt to come and talk to the girls, to dropping everything to fix a lollipop tree and a lemonade well for a ‘fairy ride!’

There was no one like Miss Charlotte!” she wrote.

By Jennie Wills, Associate Director of Institutional Advancement Barbara Hartley Lord ’41 was destined to be a Foxcroft girl even before her birth.

Her history with Foxcroft goes back to the School’s very beginnings when her father, George Hartley, sold Charlotte Haxall Noland the land on which she built Foxcroft.

As part of the deal, Miss Charlotte promised to educate his first-born daughter and so, at the age of 14, Barbara went off to Foxcroft — and discovered a home away from home.

Foxcroft was a very different place in the late 1930s. As the Great Depression waned, World War II raged in Europe. Military drill, clear expectations, and the importance of an ”understanding heart” ruled the day. These values and mentoring by Miss

30 Foxcroft Magazine

During this time, Barbara was also the housemother in Court Dormitory, which remained a special place for her, as it was later home to her daughters Barbara ”Ba” Lord Edwards ’71 and Lisa Lord Gillespie ’68 when they attended Foxcroft. Barbara left Foxcroft in 1948 to marry J. Couper Lord (pictured with a young Barbara above) and move to Buffalo, NY. Lisa and Ba still remember watching old movies of all the teachers giving their mother a wedding shower in Miss Charlotte’s Garden.

Throughout Barbara’s life it has been her understanding heart that has marked her achievements. The time and effort that she has volunteered are staggering. During her 30 years in Buffalo, raising her four children, she served on the boards of the Buffalo General Hospital and Elmwood Franklin School, was president of the Garret Club for Women, and spent hours running the

Children’s Hospital gift cart and working with Goodwill.

After moving to Long Island, she was president of the Southampton Nursing Home for an astonishing 25 years. She also served as an executive board member of the Village Improvement Association of Southampton, president of the local Garden Club, and a trustee of St. Andrews Dune Church, whose Altar Guild she headed up until age 90!

For her passion for community service, for her dedication through length of service, and for serving as a role model to others, it was a true pleasure to honor Barbara Hartley Lord ’41 with Foxcroft School’s 2016 Distinguished Alumna Award during Reunion Weekend. Though Barbara could not travel to receive the award in person, her daughter Lisa was there, with her husband David, to accept on her behalf. ”If Mother were able to be here, she would be thrilled,” said Gillespie. ”We are who we are today because of her and she instilled in us — and in so many others — an understanding heart, along with her dedication and courage. ” Barbara Hartley Lord ’41 passed away peacefully in her home on Saturday, April 30, barely two weeks after the Foxcroft presentation. Though deeply saddened by the news, we are grateful that her daughters were able to share the Distinguished Alumna Award with her and to hear the joy that receiving it brought.

And we are thankful that we were able to honor her lifetime of compassion and commitment with the highest honor that the Foxcroft School Alumnae Association can bestow.

•

Career Panel

Career Success!

Alumnae Impart Insight and Enthusiasm at Inaugural Reunion Career Panel

By Rebecca Smith, Director of Annual Fund Reunion Weekend started with a new bang this year: the first ever Reunion Career Panel. Victoria Mars ’74, Chairman of the Board of Mars, Inc. and a member of Foxcroft’s Board of Trustees, kicked off the event with a keynote speech at Morning Meeting on Friday, April 15, in which she shared some memories of her time at Foxcroft, as well as her journey to discovering her true passion. ”Explore,” Victoria encouraged students and faculty who filled Currier Library. ”Go places and do things that you have no idea about.

And explore sideways, too, not just up . . . .

You are going to work for a long time, so do something you enjoy. ” After years of contemplating whether or not to attend medical school while working a variety of jobs in the family business, Victoria was given the opportunity to start Mars, Inc.’s now renowned Ombudsman program. It was in that role that she found fulfillment. ”I thought I wanted to be a doctor because I wanted to help people,” she said. ”As an Ombudsman, I was able to do that in a different way. ” Following Victoria’s talk, students broke out into smaller sessions to meet with 10 working women who graduated from Foxcroft between 1979 and 2011, learning more about careers they might be interested in pursuing. The panelists represented a wide variety of industries that included national security and biodefense, environmental conservation, nursing, sports management, investment banking, event planning, online communications and entertainment, and international relations.

The girls attended two 30-minute sessions, which gave them the opportunity to hear from several alumnae and learn about different careers. Whether telling tales of tagging sharks in the Bahamas (Lindsay Jennings ’06), working alongside military officers and civilian researchers on projects for the Department of Defense (Meg Midyette ’00), or becoming a selfemployed singing star on YouTube (Amanda Lee Bogart ’11), these women shared their passions and progress through college and career, providing eye-opening inspiration for students to explore careers that interest them most.

At times, the careers that appealed to the girls were not what they expected. After attending a session with Anne Corbin Westbrook ’79, Managing Director at Berkadia Capital Markets (and mother of Bettina ’19), one student commented, ”Mrs. Westbrook made me realize that I would really enjoy working in investment banking.

Her self-taught skill was inspiring, and she gave us a good idea of the qualities needed in real estate and finance.”

Another girl, a sophomore from China, could barely contain her enthusiasm for

"EXPLORE." So advised keynote speaker Victoria Mars '74 (above, left with Head of School Cathy McGehee)

meeting and learning about Amanda Lee’s YouTube career, peppering her with questions. The panelists, too, seemed to really enjoy connecting with current students.

Our inaugural Reunion Weekend Alumnae Career Panel was a great success! Thank you to all of our panelists for providing such a rich and diverse experience for our girls.

We look forward to hosting more events that connect the women of Foxcroft’s past, present, and future.

•

A HEARTFELT THANK YOU TO OUR PANELISTS! From left, Michelle McQuaid Strong ’91, Amanda Lee Bogart ’11, Tarin Heilman Horan ’93, Annie Bishop ’98, Meg Midyette ’00, Tess Mackey ’11, Virginia Barnett ’96, Lindsay Jennings ’06, Brooke Landry ’96, and Anne Corbin Westbrook ’79.

Spring /Summer 2016 31

Reunion 2016 Perfect spring weather greeted the 100+ women who gathered to celebrate Reunion Weekend April 15-17. From the Alumnae Career Panel and reception at Covert, to tours of campus and Court, trail rides under the cherry blossoms, the Alumnae Association Luncheon, and an informative State of the School presentation by Head of School Cathy McGehee, there were many ways for alumnae to reconnect with each other and with the School.

1 2

2. On Saturday, 2001 classmates Jordan Moore Sraeel, Caroline Rinehart Cardais, and Julianne Nelson Swab took a tour of the repurposed Court.

3. It was a beautiful day for a ride, as Margaret Brown ’11 and Michelle Lee ’11 discovered.

32 Foxcroft Magazine

1. The Weekend began Friday at Morning Meeting with a keynote address by Victoria Mars ’74 and an Alumnae Career Panel (see story, page 31). One of the panelists, Lindsay Jennings ’06 (above, third from left), had her own fan club comprised of classmate Nicole Baudouin ’06 and friends Brant Cebulla and Claudio Ceron.

4

3

4. Also taking to the trails were Diana Post ’66, Wendy Neel Ellsworth ’66, and Jane Converse Miller ’66.

5. At the Senior Luncheon, Cathy presented Jane Lockhart with a special box full of notes and memories from alumnae as she prepared to retire (see page 22).

6. Head of School Cathy McGehee caught up with Cristina Santiestevan ’96 and her daughter, Annika, Saturday morning.

Reunion 2016

6 5 As always, the Reception at Covert was a highlight of reconnecting and celebrating friendships and Foxcroft.

7. 2011 classmates Ashley Wells, Hannah Cline, Jordan Cline, Amanda Lee Bogart, and Tess Mackey had fun at their first reunion. . .

8. . . .as did their classmates Abby Kelsen, Clancey Yovanovich, Montana Crawford, Michelle Lee, and Sarah Gilmore, who were happy to see their former housemother Debbie Pope.

9. On the other end of the spectrum, Class of 1966 alums Wendy Neel Ellsworth, Jane Converse Miller, Carter Burns Cunningham, Mary Lu Hardaway Lampton, Diana Post, Alix Bournique, and Beatty Page Cramer were celebrating their 50th Reunion!

7

9

8

10. 1996 classmates Lesley Craver Riggione, Virginia Barnett, and Jessy Wojtkiewicz caught up with each other Friday night.

10 Spring /Summer 2016 33

Class

Photos

11 11. The Class of 1981 was well represented

by Vala Whitlock Prouty, Kate Berger, Vivi Stevenson Miller, Nell Cherry Stager, Kaye Durham, Elizabeth Ponce, Hellie Swartwood, Betty Sayler Youles, and Pam Biddle.

12

12. Vivi Stevenson Miller ’81 and Trustee Hope Jones ’82 enjoyed a wonderful evening at Covert.

14

13

13. The 25th Reunion class, 1991, had a large turnout that included Jennifer Pickett Hewitt, Michelle McQuaid Strong, Jen Krumsick Skliris, Cricket Browne Collins, Jena Grotuss Spearin, Ginny Robbins, Ananu Gonzales-Posada, Vicki Byrd, Pilar Piedra Colleran, and Briana Edelman.

14. Members of the Class of 1986 Isabel Maspons, Megan Bathon O’Neill, Justine Hedlund Fowler, Missy Robinson Savage, Jennifer Kumpitch Bretl, and Leslie Goodwin Stonestreet came from near and far.

34 Foxcroft Magazine

1976

Reunion 2016

1971

Working for You

Alumnae Council Makes Some Changes

By Jennie Wills, Associate Director for Institutional Advancement Council members will serve on at least one of four committees that concentrate on specific mission-driven initiatives.

The committees lend structure to important areas of alumnae activity:

APRIL’S COUNCIL MEETING included (from left) Jessica Walker Davis ’05, Alden Denegre Moylan ’05, Annie Bishop ’98, Lisa Hubbard Patterson ’89, Barkley Boutell Henning ’73, Sheldon Gerry Withers ’61, and Carol der Garry ’79.

Every one of the nearly 3,000 Foxcroft alumnae around the world is, de facto, a member of our Alumnae Association. A small group of dedicated and passionate women, from the Class of 1961 to the Class of 2005, work and dream hard to provide the Association’s leadership as members of the Alumnae Council. Over the past year their job has truly been a labor of love as they endeavored to put in place the structure, information, and tools necessary to focus the Association’s activity on its essential mission: fostering alumnae connections among each other and with the School. ”The energy and enthusiasm of the young women on the Council has been an inspiration throughout this process,” said Council President Sheldon Gerry Withers ’61 at a the Spring 2016 meeting.

It was, however, under Sheldon’s direction that two major changes have been implemented, both of which will enhance the Council’s work.

36 Foxcroft Magazine

THE NETWORKING COMMITTEE helps to promote and guide regional, social, and professional networking events; to facilitate alumnae career panels and other speakers for students; and to host oncampus hospitality at events for alumnae.

THE YOUNG ALUMNAE COMMITTEE develops programming and fosters opportunities for connection on- and off-campus among our most recent graduates and alumnae through their tenyear reunion.

THE 10-YEAR REUNION COMMITTEE assists with reunion events, including the Distinguished Alumna Award and the Alumnae Association Luncheon, and helps with overall programming of the Weekend and communication with Reunion chairwomen in each class.

THE SERVICE & FINANCE COMMITTEE helps support School campaigns and service opportunities, and manages Alumnae Association merchandise.

Secondly, the Council has increased its membership to 17 members to help staff these committees. This April seven women joined the Council while only two left. We are grateful for the work and service of Adela Griswold ‘06 and Ali Eskridge Hoce ’96 and cannot thank them enough for their dedication over the past few years.

The Council is excited to welcome new members Carol der Garry ‘79, Reeves

McReynolds McCune ‘87, Melanie Lozier Henke ‘89, Traci Collins ‘89, Ginny Robbins ‘91, Tarin Heilman Horan ‘93, and Laine Reddish Whitaker ‘97. We look forward to updating you on gatherings, projects, and volunteer opportunities in 2016-17! For more information on the Alumnae Association Council or volunteer opportunities please contact the Office of Institutional Advancement by phone at 540.687.4510 or by email at advancement@foxcroft.org.

•

Come Connect!

The Networking Committee, under the guidance of Amanda Hartmann Healy ‘98 and support of Jessica Davis Walker ‘05 and Lisa Hubbard Patterson ’89, is excited about the number of regional alumnae events in the works. The committee is developing best practice guidelines and a toolkit to assist with these events.

Amanda is gaining first-hand experience with ”networking nights” as she hosts a series of professional events in New York City with fellow alumna Allegra Brantly ‘04.

The first few meetings have been mainly information gatherings, but the leaders hope to expand the series to include speakers and events that appeal to a wide variety of alumnae and make full use of the city’s resources. There are also networking groups forming in Philadelphia, PA, and the Washington, DC, metro areas, and some nascent interest in holding events in Richmond, VA; Palm Beach, FL; Dallas, TX; Los Angeles, CA; and Atlanta, GA. If you are interested in hosting an alumnae social or professional gathering in your area, please contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at 540.687.4510 or advancement@foxcroft.org.

Richmond

Head of School Cathy McGehee and Director of Institutional Advancement Marion Couzens continued their traveling ways in the new year, visiting Richmond, New York City, San Francisco, Palm Beach/Wellington, and Lexington, KY. There has been no shortage of Foxcroft friends along the way. In total, Cathy had the opportunity to see more than 80 alumnae, parents, grandparents, and friends of Foxcroft. We would especially like to thank Dede Pickering Bossidy ’71, and Bill and Olivia Fry Weeks ’76 for hosting wonderful gatherings in Florida.

NEW YORK 2. Cathy had a chance to spend an evening with Randi Elrick ’72 and her daughter, Morgan Manley ’ 07.

3. Kate Hastings ’78 invited Cathy to meet her at her New York office.

4. ”Selfie!” from the NCGS Young Alumnae Networking Event

On the Road

On the Road

5. An alumnae networking event held in conjunction with the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools 2016 Global Forum drew a great turnout of young Foxcroft women.

1

RICHMOND 1. Back row: Mary Earle McElroy ’80 with Cathy, Dee Dee Anderson ’82 and Kate Fitzgerald Houck ’88; front row: Jules Brown ’09 and Meaghan Hogan ’10

New York

2

5

3 4 Spring /Summer 2016 37

San Francisco

1

5 SAN FRANCISCO 1. Cathy with (back row) Roy Leggitt (husband of Courtney '69), Lauren Edgerton ’04, Nancy and Phil Mancini (Claire ’05), Marion Couzens, Missy Terenzio Southwood ’98 and (front) Courtney Clarkson ’69 and Flicka McGurrin ’63

Lexington, KY

3 4 38 Foxcroft Magazine

2

6

Palm Beach & Wellington LEXINGTON, KY 2. Jim and Elise Boyd (Betsy ’92) introduced Cathy to the newest member of the Boyd family!

3. Bill Weeks (Alexa ’02, Whitney ’06 and Olivia ’08) joined Dell Hancock ’71, sisterin-law Staci Hancock (Walker ‘97, Hutchi ‘98, Kate ‘01, Alex ‘02, and Lynn ‘05), Cathy, and Marion (not pictured) for lunch in the Bluegrass State.

4. Cathy also had dinner with some young alumnae.

Stories of years past and news of the future made for a wonderful evening with Chelsea Dickson ’09 and Alex Hancock ’02.

PALM BEACH AND WELLINGTON 5. Host Dede Pickering Bossidy ’71 with good friends, Mercedes Rudkin Gotwald ’72 and Eliza Stephenson Meyer ’73

7

8

6. Gibbie Nauman ’85 with her mom, Helen, an ever loyal Foxcroft friend and supporter 7. Cathy caught up with Exceptional Proficiency Program student Brittany Hector ’17 at the Winter Equestrian Festival showgrounds.

8. Sisters Missy Robinson Savage ’86 and Alexis Robinson Waller ’84, with Steve Gotwald (husband of Mercedes ’72; father of Sophie ’10 and Olivia ’12)

9

9. Olivia Fry Weeks ’76 and her husband, Bill, hosted a warm and informative evening for Foxcroft parents, alumnae, and friends at their Wellington home.

“

When I combined my love of travel and photography to benefit humanity, everything changed and my life came together.

”

Camera — and Heart — in Hand Dede Pickering Bossidy ’71 For more than 40 years, starting immediately upon her graduation with a trip to Africa accompanied by a small group of classmates and chaperoned by the late ”Miss Margaret” Lee, Dede Pickering Bossidy ’71 has been traveling the world. And from the beginning, she has witnessed firsthand the struggles of people in marginalized communities. ”For me, that first trip was life changing even though I didn’t realize it at the time,” says Pickering. ”Looking back, it was my inspiration, leading me up mountains and down rivers and to remote corners of the world.

44 Foxcroft Magazine

”Recording what I see has given me increased empathy and connection to the world,” notes the Bay Head, NJ, resident. Pickering’s camera serves as a bridge — not a barrier — to her subjects, allowing her to step into the shoes of those she photographs and document their hope and despair, as well as the beauty and roughness of the developing world. The plight of women and children as seen through the lens of her camera became a driving force in Pickering’s life, and helping them became her passion.

Pickering began to advocate for women’s education. She aligned herself with nongovernmental agencies that shared her vision for a better world. She founded and chaired for many years the Women’s Initiative of New York for CARE, which has as its mission to raise funds and awareness on behalf of our global sisters. She traveled to Kosovo, India, Guatemala, and many other places to work with CARE, documenting her work in the field with vivid photographs. In turn, she would come home and give presentations about what she had seen to groups of various types, rallying interest and support for CARE’s work.

Pickering has returned to India as a board member on behalf of Women’s World Banking, which provides small loans primarily to women to start businesses and lift themselves out of poverty. She has also served on the Advisory Committee for CARE’s Campaign for Education and helped spread the CARE Women’s Initiative to other cities around the U.S.

”When I combined my love of travel and photography to benefit humanity, everything changed and my life came together,” she says. ”Being involved in non-governmental charity work on behalf of women and children worldwide added purpose and meaning to my life and to my photography. ” With more than 100 countries and six continents under her belt, Pickering is an inveterate traveler, an exceptional photographer (see her work at www.dedepickering.com), and a relentless advocate for women’s education. And it all began with her trip to Africa with her Foxcroft classmates. ”That trip to Africa opened my eyes and laid the foundation for me to flourish in the world without prejudice,” Pickering says. ”The education I received at Foxcroft extended beyond the classroom and beyond even graduation. ” So, too, has her belief in the importance of girls’ education and the value of single-sex education has been cemented through her travels and work with nonprofits. ”I know now that I have a responsibility to all girls and I can’t imagine them not having the same opportunity that I had,” says Pickering. ”That’s why I said yes when I was asked to serve on the Board of Trustees, and it’s why I have included Foxcroft in my estate planning.

And, she adds, ”I truly hope others will follow in my footsteps.”

•

Forever Foxcroft

FOREVER FRIENDS Dorothy ”Dede” Pickering Bossidy ’71 (center), fellow Board member Mercedes Rudkin Gotwald ’72, and classmate Susan Zimmer Vogel ’71 at Reunion in April.

Forever Foxcroft was established in 1999 by the Board of Trustees to recognize individuals who have included Foxcroft School in their estate plans. Planned gifts take various forms — bequests, trusts, annuities, pooled income, property interests — and provide for the future needs of the School. They ensure that Foxcroft will retain and attract inspiring teachers, that the faculty will continue to design and implement rigorous and creative educational programs, that financial aid will be available to prospective students, and that the buildings and grounds will be carefully maintained and upgraded as needed. They ensure that the School will continue to soar.

Anonymous – 11 Mimi Mills Abel-Smith ’54 Stacey Morse Ahner ’73 Peggy Wickes Alexander ’64 †Elizabeth Stewart Baldwin ’23 †Elizabeth Kemp Beach ’20 †Ruth Bedford ’32 †Harriet Aldrich Bering ’40 Pamela Biddle ’81 Dorothy Pickering Bossidy ’71 Elizabeth Boyd ’92 †J. Bruce Bredin Dorothy Reynolds Brotherton ’70 †Mr. and Mrs. Leland Brown †Amanda Cadwalader Burton ’44 Caroline Rinehart Cardais ’01 Moira M. Carroll ’83 †Cecile Parker Carver ’42 †Ann Gambrill Casey ’39 Susan Knott Childs ’58 Candida Streeter Clark ’73 †Mariana Gowen Coleman ’15 †Eleanor Chalfant Cooper ’20 Dolph(†) and Beatty Cramer ’66 Ailsa Moseley Crawford ’53 Joy Crompton ’78 Victoria Bartlett Donaldson ’70 Sally Bartholomay Downey ’78 Molly West Ellsworth ’50 Nancy Jones Emrich Lisa McGrath Evans ’67 †Katherine Crowninshield Ferguson ’53 †Lucy Sprague Foster ’46 †Anna Lauder Garner ’39 Edmee E. Geis ’82 †Betsy N. Getz Sandra Norris Ghosh ’75 Brooke Meyer Gray ’59 Joy Sheaffer Hall ’57 †Deceased

Waddell Hancock ‘71 Elizabeth Millard Hanes ’46 Pamela Hartley ’79 Katherine Cooper Hastings ’78 Sarah Stokes Hatch ’63 Trevania Dudley Henderson ’76 Melanie Lozier Henke ’89 Theodora Winthrop Hooton ’47 Richard and Kimberly Hurst †May Field Jackson ’29 Patricia Toy Bryant Johnson ’78 Hope Jones ’82 Hope Haskell Jones ’52 †Amanda Bryan Kane ’22 Mr. and Mrs. Martin Kaplan Nancy Krewson ’73 Suzanne Kuser ’49 Mr. and Mrs. Thomas D. Lane †James F. Lawrence Louisa Whitridge Leavitt ’60 Mary Louise Leipheimer †Mary Ann Lippitt ’36 †Elizabeth Livingston †Elizabeth Mackubin Lyman ’22 †Jane Lawrence Mali ’55 †Nancy R. Manierre ’41 †Nancy Iselin Marburg ’37 Dorothy Alexander Matz ’81 Mr. and Mrs. C. Thomas May, Jr. Mary Cheston McAdoo ’46 Susan McConnell ’68 Amanda McGuire ’84 †Anne Kane McGuire ’52 Susan Schoelkopf Mele ’80 Melissa Slingluff Morley ’81 Valerie Michel Nelson ’77 †Florence B. Newman Joan Lyman Niles ’51 Abby M. O’Neill ’46

†Linda Moore Post ’46 †Heidi Schmid Powers ’59 Jean Rainey, mother of Ruth Rainey ’82 Pickett D. Randolph ’56 †Charles H. G. Rees Nancy Thomas Rees ’45 †Hope Montgomery Scott ’21 Alexandra Flickinger Secor ’80 †Katherine Snyder Shands ’22 †Helen Putnam Sokopp ’49 Jordan Moore Sraeel ’01 †Seymour St. John †Anne Kinsolving Talbott ’60 Alix Tower Thorne ’67 †Eleanor Schley Todd ’29 Frances Cheston Train ’44 Carol Exnicios Tucker ’49 Linda Reading Uihlein ’72 †Grace Sloane Vance ’36 †Julia Armour Walker ’59 †Polly Ordway Wallace ’34 †Wilma Warburg Constance V. R. White ’42 Kendra A. Wilcox-Dillon ’82 †Mary Hotchkiss Williams ’30 Eva Louise Willim †Alice Perkins Winn ’19 †Lunsford and Curgie Winchester Yandell ’24

We have published the names of individuals who have given us permission to do so. If you have included Foxcroft in your long-term financial planning and would like your name listed, please contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at advancement@foxcroft.org or call 540.687.4510.

Spring 2016 45

FOLLOW FOXCROFT

Do you know a Foxcroft Girl?

Admission Open Houses October 10 • December 2 • January 13

Save the Dates AUGUST 21 Opening Convocation OCTOBER 14-15 Parents’ Weekend

OCTOBER 16 Cherry Blossom Breast Cancer Foundation Walk, Run and Pooch Prance NOVEMBER 18-19 Fox/Hound Field Hockey and Hunt Breakfast DECEMBER 4 Christmas Pageant

Congratulations to the Class of 2016!