Foxcroft Magazine Fall 2012

Fall 2012

Pushing Boundaries

The 37 members of the Class of 2012 were offered more than 134 acceptances and nearly $1.2 million in merit scholarship by 94 colleges and universities across the country and around the world. Here's a complete list of acceptances: The University of Alabama Albright College Babson College (2) Basque Culinary Center, Spain Baylor University Becker College Belmont University Boston University (3) Brandeis University Bridgewater College Bryn Mawr College University of California at Berkeley University of California at Davis University of California at Irvine (2) University of California at San Diego (2) University of California at Santa Barbara University of California at Santa Cruz Centenary College College of Charleston (4) Christopher Newport University University of Colorado at Boulder (4) Columbia University Connecticut College University of Delaware University of Denver Dickinson College Dominican University of California Eckerd College Elizabethtown College Elon University (2) Emory & Henry College Escuela Superior de Hosteleria de Sevilla

The University of Findlay Florida Southern College Franklin and Marshall College Furman University (2) George Mason University (2) Gettysburg College (3) Guilford College (2) High Point University (3) University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2) Indiana University, Bloomington James Madison University (3) University of Kentucky The King’s College Kutztown University of Pennsylvania La Salle University Lake Erie College Loyola University New Orleans Lynchburg College (4) Manhattanville College Mary Baldwin College University of Mary Washington Marymount Manhattan College Miami University (Ohio) University of Miami Middlebury College University of Montana, Missoula Mount Holyoke College Northeastern University (2) Northern Virginia Community College Northwestern University Pace University

University of Pittsburgh Post University Radford University Rhodes College Rollins College (4) Saint Leo University Sewanee: The University of the South (3) Southern Methodist University St. John’s College St. John’s University St. Mary’s University (San Antonio) Stevenson University Morrisville State College Susquehanna University (2) Sweet Briar College Texas A&M International University Texas A&M University Trinity College Tulane University University of Vermont (4) Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (2) Virginia Wesleyan College (2) University of Virginia (2) Washington College Washington and Lee University West Virginia University Wheaton College College of William & Mary Wofford College (2) Xavier University

Contents Fall 2012

www.foxcroft.org Foxcroft Magazine is ­published annually

by Foxcroft School.

2 Get Ready to Celebrate! Foxcroft’s 100th is approaching 10 A Century of Service Three special people are honored

Please address queries to ­Cathrine Wolf, Director of Communications 22407 Foxhound Lane, P.O. Box 5555 Middleburg, Virginia 20118 540.687.4511 cwolf@foxcroft.org

Mary Louise Leipheimer Head of School

Sheila C. McKibbin Assistant Head of School

Marion L. Couzens Director of Institutional Advancement

PUSHING BOUNDARIES

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Development Office Deborah K. Hogan (Associate Director) Jennie Wills (Assistant Director) Laura Booze (Gifts Administrator) Terry Meyer (Development Coordinator) Bethany Lowe (Advancement Associate) Design: Studio B, Purcellville, VA Photography: Gary Cox, fun days@foxcroft Staff, Lauren R Giannini (laurengallops. zenfolio.com), Michael Gunselman, Douglas Lees, Bob Lockhart (photobob.net), Bethany Lowe, Saskia Paulussen.

Also: Lindsey Bowser, Maria Eagen, Virginia Canard, Deb Hogan, Cricket MacDonald, and other generous students, faculty, and friends.

The STEM Zone Science, Technology, Engineering and Math initiative moves forward Beyond the Glass Ceiling Two Foxcroft mothers succeed in the male-dominated world of politics Profiles Higher: Faith Sullivan ’12 .................................................... 13 Faster: Mary Motion ’13 ...................................................... 15 Smarter: Alex Carr ’12 ......................................................... 24 Invincible Spirit: Pickett Randolph ’56 ................................. 26 Passion from Compassion: Nan Stuart ’71 . ............................. 27

Gina B. Finn Director of Admission and Financial Aid Patrick M. Finn Director of Enrollment

O uter Limits The Exceptional Proficiency Program helps students do amazing things

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Opportunity Knocks Foxcroft’s first certified “green” building takes shape

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Whoops and Hallows Commencement 2012 Reunion 2012 Gone Away Hail and Farewell

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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, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational, ­admission or ­financial aid policies, or in any school-sponsored ­programs.

We make every effort to include all ­photos and “Gone Away” class notes ­submitted via email, U.S. mail, or the Foxcroft website.

This ­edition includes ­submissions received through August 15, 2012.

Cover credits: Bob Lockhart (climber), ­Bottom, left to right: Bethany Lowe, Douglas Lees, Michael Gunselman This magazine is printed on FSC-certified 10% post-consumer waste recycled paper.

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Mission Statement: Foxcroft provides a residential learning experience for girls in which academic ­excellence, leadership, responsibility, and integrity are our highest values.

Get Ready to Celebrate!

At the first “Memory Luncheon” in August, Sydney Roberts Rockefeller ’61 showed her Fox sweater to host Axie Clark Diana ’60 and Head of School Mary Louise Leipheimer.

Foxcroft’s 100th Anniversary may seem a long way

attendance who responded to the question: “If you were at Foxcroft when Miss Charlotte was there, what memories do you have of her?”

We had a lot of laughs and were reminded of the life at Foxcroft we all shared whatever our graduating year. If you would like to gather fellow alumnae in your area and host a memory lunch, please call the Development Office.

Conference calls, emails, and face-to-face meetings have occurred on almost a monthly – sometimes several times a month – basis and a nebulous idea has morphed into some concrete plans. We are well on our way to putting the puzzle together; the edge pieces are certainly in place!

In the fall of 2013, we plan to kick-off our 100th year with an event that deeply reflects Foxcroft’s core values – A Day of Community Service. The Community Service Committee is busy planning for a day of service nationwide and across the globe! In addition, the Memory/School History Committee is working on a compilation of ephemera, writings, photographs etc. to commemorate the School’s history, the Celebration Year Events Committee is planning for speakers, classes, etc, and the Engaging Constituencies Committee and Community Relations Committee are working to ensure that this celebration includes everyone both near and far. The final weekend will include a Friday evening barbeque, Saturday picnic and Foxcroft “experiences,” Saturday dinners in the Athletic/Student Center and under tent, and a Sunday hunt breakfast.

off, some 18 months away, but the Centennial Committee and the Development Office have been busy since Summer 2011 laying the groundwork for what promises to be a spectacular series of events beginning in Fall 2013 and culminating in a celebratory weekend at the end of April 2014.

Initially, our task was to create a timeline for the year-long ­celebration, brainstorm the components of the year, and identify committees to undertake the work. Working with the Board of Trustees and the Alumnae Council, we have sought guidance, ­assistance and endorsement of our planning.

Our committees are building up steam and creating their own ­energy. Each committee is drafting its ­mission statement and soon will be staffing up with volunteers. If you haven’t already contacted the Development Office and ­identified a committee of interest to you, please do so soon so we can bring you on board! Our ­committee chairs will be calling volunteers this fall.

This August, the first of what we hope will be many “memory lunches,” took place at Axie Diana’s house in Maine. We filmed and recorded, for posterity, “memories” provided by the alumnae in

Please plan to celebrate with us in any way you can. Come to the party. Participate in the community service project. Offer housing for the party weekend. Underwrite some of the costs. Share your ideas. Keep tuned in. Updates can be found on the Centennial page of the Foxcroft website, www.foxcroft.org/centennial

Beatty Page Cramer ’66, Axie Clark Diana ’60, Mia Martin Glickman ’78, Centennial Co-Chairs

To share memories, memorabilia, volunteer your time, talent, ­treasure, or simply find out more, visit www.foxcroft.org/centennial, email centennial@foxcroft.org, or call the Development Office at 540.687.4510.

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Foxcroft School

Whoops&Hallos We are The chaMPionS! It isn’t a contest (and Foxcroft never set out to win anything) but the girls’ extraordinary fundraising efforts on behalf of the Cherry Blossom Breast Cancer Foundation (CBBCF) earned them extraordinary accolades when the students of Foxcroft School were honored as “Cherry Blossom Champions” at a dinner last spring.

During the 2011-12 school year, Foxcroft raised a stunning $10,000 for the Foundation, which supports local detection, treatment, and education, as well as research for the elimination of breast cancer.

“This is an amazing gift for a school of this size and certainly we will put it to good use,” said CBBCF Board member Sandy Atkins in presenting the award. “What moves me the most, though, is that the School, the administration, and the faculty are so committed to teaching these young women the value of philanthropy. These lessons are going to stay with them throughout their lives –

the fact that they used their time and talent to raise money for a cause that is so important, to give back to the community, and to make a difference.”

The $10,000 was raised mostly in conjunction with Nanette’s Walk, a fall event that Foxcroft has been a big part of since it started, and the Think Pink Basketball Tournament that Foxcroft hosted in January. Students also held bake sales and sold pink shoelaces and braiding ties (for horses or humans), and a generous donor gave a gift to support their efforts.

Next year, Nanette’s Walk coincides with Foxcroft’s Centennial Day of Service, which will feature community activities across the country to help kick off the yearlong celebration of the 100th anniversary of the School’s founding. Put September 29, 2013 on your calendars now!

iT MaKeS US SMile In a special event last March called “A Night to Yourself,” Foxcroft students and faculty cared for 37 children, ages 1 to 12, in the Athletic/Student Center and raised nearly $1,000 for Sadie’s Smile Foundation. Students also packed hundreds of goodie bags for, and helped the day of, Sadie’s Race, a 5K and fun run. Sadie’s Smile, which supports the Smile Train Foundation, was established by school counselor Sarah Ablard in memory of her five-year-old daughter, who died suddenly in 2011.

In April, the Junior Class Walkathon raised nearly $5,000 – and the attention of no less than Fran Drescher (“The Nanny”), who “tweeted” her support – for the Less Cancer Campaign, which works to raise awareness of increased incidents of cancer and to keep prevention at the forefront of the cancer conversation.

Fall 2012

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Whoops&Hallos S U M M E RT I M E and the living is . . . crazy busy!

The campus was buzzing with activity most of the summer with camps, construction, campus improvement projects, and more. The highlight was . The Foxcroftowned and operated camp had a wildly successful debut, hosting more than 600 campers over five weeks. The numbers were so strong that by Week 2, registration had to be closed for the rest of the summer!

Specialty camps were offered in everything from aquatics and riding to engineering and musical theater to complement the traditional day camp experience. Best of all, fun days was staffed almost completely by Foxcroft faculty, students, and family members, so campers got a taste of the real Foxcroft.

Summer Summary: n

Every week at least one camp was on campus; for four weeks, there were three camps here; and during another four weeks, two camps were in session.

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Loudoun Soccer sponsored two successful camps in its first year at Foxcroft, with 125 campers and counselors during each four-day session.

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Wellspring, a weight loss program for ages 11-24, was on campus for the longest period, nine weeks. These determined campers took, on average, more than 20,000 steps per day, and lost, collectively, a total of 926.4 pounds!

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Mike Brown and his Dining Hall crew prepared over 10,000 meals!

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Foxcroft School

SUMMer School

The faculty were busy learning, presenting, and planning over the summer. n

In July, Science Department Chair Maria Eagen and STEM Coordinator Lindsey Bowser presented at the STEM Think Tank and Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Their presentation on Foxcroft’s STEM initiative was standing room only! n

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Librarian and English teacher Steve Matthews participated in an iPad summer workshop offered by Hiram College. n

Academic Dean Alex northrup and teachers Kathleen Boswell (English, at left), Lindsey Bowser (Science), and Courtney Ulmer (History) went to the Curriculum Mapping Institute 2012 in Saratoga Springs, New York.

History teacher John Scharfenberg (left) received a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to attend “At the Crossroads of History: Lexington and Concord in 1775,” an NEH Landmarks of American History workshop for teachers.

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Matthews, Scharfenberg, and Science teacher Wendy Spicer (at right) took week-long AP Training courses in English Literature, Government, and Biology, respectively.

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For the second year, Eagen attended a week of EPICS (Engineering Projects in Community Service) training at Purdue University in Indiana, and Math Department Chair Susan Erba spent a week on the SAS campus in Cary, NC, learning statistical software.

Director of Technology Merrilyn Saint (right) attended the International Society of Technology in Education Conference in San Diego, California.

PrinTZ PriZe PicKer Librarian and English teacher Steve Matthews was appointed to the 2014 Michael L. Printz Award Committee by Jack Martin, President of the Young Adult Library Services Association. Serving on this committee is quite an honor as the Printz Award is the Caldecott/Newberry Prize of books written for teens (13-19).

Fall 2012

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Whoops&Hallos STUdenT STandoUTS athletic acumen

In her first year of Interscholastic Equestrian Association competition (2010-11), Mckenzie Canard ’12 reached the national finals. In her second, she was reserve champion!

Mckenzie, now a freshman at Lynchburg College, took second in the Varsity Open Flat competition at the IEA Nationals held in Syracuse, NY, in April. She was then selected from among the 30+ competitors in flat and fences classes to compete in the Varsity Open Championship – and placed fourth.

Carter Ware ’13 was named All-State in lacrosse by the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association after she helped Foxcroft reach the Final Four of the Division II state tournament for the first time in many years. Carter also was one of six lacrosse players, and 19 Foxcroft players total, tabbed for All-Delaney Athletic Conference honors in 2011-12.

Both the lacrosse and field hockey teams spent much of their seasons ranked among the top 10 in the state as they posted strong records.

They advanced to the semi- and quarterfinals, respectively, of the state tournament.

academic accolades Miranda Raschid ’13 (and daughter of Karen Lilly ’84) attended the highly-selective Virginia Summer Governor’s Foreign Language Academy for French. She was one of fewer than 100 students in the state selected to participate in the full-immersion residential experience.

Avery Finkel ’13 attended a similar program, called the Virginia STARTALK Academy (VSA), to study Portuguese. STARTALK Academies are funded under the National Security Language Initiative and offer intensive training in languages considered critical to our nation’s security.

high hopes for hopelet

Campbell Hartley and Emily Longley, both members of the Class of 2014, have set themselves a great goal: They want to raise $10,000 for Foxcroft scholarships. They hope to do this by selling “Hopelets” – stylish leather bracelets they make themselves – at school and town events. Over the summer, the girls made 700 bracelets and, through September, they had already raised $3,000.

“We are so fortunate to go to Foxcroft School,” they say. “We want more girls to have the same opportunities that we have.” To view the entire Hopelet collection, check out the girls’ website, www.hopelet.org.

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Foxcroft School

MeeT The Board

We welcome four new members to Foxcroft’s Board of Trustees.

Genevieve (Genny) Duncan ’74 lives in Austin, TX, with her daughter Lily, a freshman at the Savannah College of Art & Design. After graduating from Foxcroft, Genny acquired a BFA from the University of Texas, Austin, and worked for several years as the Project Manager at Women & Their Work, a non-profit organization supporting women in the arts. She also began to learn about the family business, Duncan Bros. Spade Ranch in Egypt, TX. With her family starting, Genny began to help her parents more and more with ranch business and the upkeep of old Duncan homestead; helped establish the Girls’ School of Austin; and served on the board of Women & Their Work. Currently, she continues her management of the Duncan homestead and, along with other family members, owns and runs the Spade Ranch. Genny also has a full life volunteering at two Austin organizations, spending time on her artwork and riding, and taking care of the seven acres where she lives.

John D. Durrett, Jr. is a Director Emeritus of McKinsey and Co. Inc, having retired from the firm after a 27-year career. He now serves as a board member of Ally Financial, Inc.; as an advisor to Serent Capital, a PE firm based in San Francisco; and as a member of three of their boards. John graduated from Millsaps College, Emory University Law School, and The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. His daughter, Kelsey, graduated from Foxcroft in 2002 and is a second-year student in the MBA program at the University of North Carolina. John lives in Menlo Park, CA.

Thanks

Fall 2012

David Dittmar MacDonald is an advisor with Trout Capital, LLC, a FINRA registered broker/dealer specializing in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical markets.

David is married to Cricket MacDonald and has three daughters. Charlotte ’12 attends Washington and Lee University where she plays field hockey. Lilly ’14 is also an athlete and has played on Foxcroft’s varsity field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse teams. Grace is currently in the sixth grade at The Hill School in Middleburg. David received a BA in economics and philosophy from Skidmore College and an M.Phil and Ph.D in economics from Cambridge University. He currently lives in Bluemont, VA, where he is an avid home chef and enjoys hiking, cycling, and many of the country sports.

Karla Evans MacMahon attended National Cathedral School and Connecticut College, where she majored in Anthropology with a focus in Archeology.

She brings to the Foxcroft Board of Trustees brokerage experience, having worked at Merrill Lynch for five years, and board experience, having served on The Hill School (Middleburg, VA) Board from 2003-11. While a member of the Hill Board, she headed the Parent Teacher Association, the Education and School Life Committee, and the Development Committee. She also served on the Executive Committee and was Vice President for a number of years. Karla and her husband Ed live in Middleburg and have three children, Adela Griswold ’06; Edward (Georgetown Prep 2013); and Alexandra ’14. Karla takes great joy from hiking with friends, traveling, and collecting shells.

Heartfelt thanks to those departing board members Stuart Thayer, who served as Board chair for the past two years, DD Alexander Matz ’81 (secretary), David Guernsey (treasurer), and Virginia Mars for their passion, wisdom, energy, and support. They have benefited generations of girls.

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Whoops&Hallos SPoTlighT A master class with a dozen college men who belong to the most famous a cappella singing group in the world, what could be better?

Maybe sitting on stage in front of hundreds of people while they sing to you? Either way, last November’s visit by The Whiffenpoofs of yale University was a huge hit. Atty Benitz ’12 was the lucky lady they serenaded (see photo) but all of Foxcroft’s voice students and singing group members got to spend the afternoon learning from the group, which has performed for U.S. presidents and European nobility, and annually tours the world.

aroUnd The World UnDER THE SEA A Wintermission trip that was built around exploring the Caribbean ecosystem, volunteering at a bilingual school, and studying dolphins at a renown research center, took 23 girls and three teachers to Roatan, Honduras, in February. A number of students earned their SCUBA certification to get a really great view of the marine life-laden reefs.

OUI! OUI! AnD CHEERiO! An enthusiastic group of 13 girls said Yes! to participating in the fifth annual French exchange with Le Centre Madeleine Danielou, a girls school near Paris, and four riders spent a week at the Stonar School near Bath, England, as part of another annual exchange that is nearly 20 years old. !!OLE!!

In addition to the French and English girls who came to campus through on-going exchanges last year, eleven Ecuadorean girls became part of the Foxcroft community via a new “Winter Program.” These girls – many of whom were related to or friends with Foxcroft alumnae – spent seven weeks of their summer vacation studying English, Spanish, Math, History, and Art as well as experiencing all aspects of life at Foxcroft – including Fox/Hound Basketball! The program was a success and will take place again this winter. For more information, contact Director of Admission Gina B. Finn.

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Foxcroft School

STaBle STaTS

Some riding numbers from the 2011-12 school year

1500 51 24 16 3 1

approximate number of lessons taught in 2011-12 riders enrolled in program (Fall) competitions riders attended (not counting Florida) riders who competed on Foxcroft’s iEA Team new mouse hunters (a.k.a cats) living in the Barn Reserve Champion at the IEA National Finals (see Student Standouts, page 6)

ShoW BUSineSS The Fine Arts Department doubled the fun last spring by presenting two hit shows, one a classic and one contemporary. In April, a score of Theater Production students premiered a stage adaptation of the hit movie Legally Blonde. The script was written by Savannah Guernsey ’07 – her third adaptation of a movie for Foxcroft’s stage.

In 2007, Savannah wrote and starred in Mona Lisa Smile and in 2009, her version of Mean Girls was the spring feature. Legally Blonde was the 30th and final production directed by the late Robyn Yovanovich (see page 51).

Fall 2012

One week later, the Chorale, under the direction of Karin Thorndike, presented The Fantasticks, another somewhat convoluted love story. A musical allegory that features such familiar songs as “Try to Remember” and “Soon It’s Gonna Rain,” The Fantasticks ran for 42 years and 17,162 performances off Broadway. Its two performances at Foxcroft drew rave reviews.

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A Century of Service

Three people – and 117 years at Foxcroft – are honored She is simply known, to one and all, as Jane. As with Madonna, or Rhianna or Hildegarde – depending upon your vintage; Jane’s spans them all – one name suffices for the inimitable JAnE LOCKHART, whose steadfast dedication to and love for students since 1966 has made her something of a Foxcroft institution.

And now, fittingly, there is even an award that bears her name: the Jane Lockhart Service Award. Of course, Jane was the first recipient of the prize. “I was totally surprised and truly honored,” Jane said after the presentation last May. “I think it’s so wonderful to know that even after you are gone, your name will be remembered. That’s really something.”

The prize, which includes an honorarium, will be granted annually to a Foxcroft staff or faculty member who demonstrates the kind of support and concern for students that Jane has exemplified since she arrived in 1966.

Jane

“This award recognizes that in a school where ‘everything we do is curriculum,’ an adult’s concern for, commitment to, and understanding of all students – the emphasis on ‘all’ – is paramount,” said Head of School Mary Louise Leipheimer. “This endowed award has been established by the many students and their parents who have been enriched by [Lockhart’s] dedication to the young women of Foxcroft School.”

Lockhart started working at Foxcroft School in 1966 as an assistant in the Business Office and held several positions before joining the Office of Student Life, where she oversees student activities, supports Assistant Head of School Sheila McKibbin, and generally serves as a hub of the school community. From the very start, though, Jane has been the “go-to” person for students and staff alike.

“Decades of students have found her no matter what office she is in,” said Leipheimer, who first came to Foxcroft shortly after Jane arrived.

“And they have loved, admired, and respected her because she combines her unconditional love for them with her direct straight shooting. Girls, even adults, may not always like what she says, but all of them know that she means what she says and that she is most often ‘right on target.’ ”

Whether she is surrounded by alumnae (above), family (right), or students, Jane is often at the center of activity.

In late September, Mary Lou Leipheimer announced that she would be retiring at the end of her 25th year as Head of School – and the School’s Centennial Celebration – on June 30, 2014. For more information, visit www.foxcroft.org.

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Foxcroft School

For nearly half a century, anyone who was involved in Foxcroft’s Riding Program knew nORMAn KinG, who retired last fall as Manager of the Jean du Pont McConnell Stables and Riding Arena. During his 45 years of service, Norman not only cared for countless horses, but he was a friend to hundreds of girls, many, many co-workers, and not a few administrators.

Such a long tenure deserves a long good-bye and that’s what Norman got as he was honored at a luncheon during Alumnae Weekend in April and again at May’s Award Assembly. Current parents and students as well as alumnae and other members of the Foxcroft family, past and present, had ample opportunity to express their thanks and appreciation.

“You, Norman, made a difference in the lives of all you touched – human and equine,” said Leipheimer at the Awards Assembly.

“You will be forever a Foxcroft legend.”

At the luncheon, King received a memory book full of photographs and notecards of good wishes, anecdotes, and memories from people far and wide. In May, he received a Foxcroft chair – his second – and a special plaque that will be placed in a location of his choosing at the barn.

Rhema

Also at the Awards Assembly in May, RHEMA CROWLEy – a relative newcomer despite the fact that she first worked at Foxcroft some 33 years ago! – was honored. She received a Foxcroft chair for completing 25 years of service as an administrative assistant in almost every office in the School. The Hamilton, VA, resident has long been a member of the Wintermission/Interim Committee, can be seen at most any college counseling event, and has chaperoned several international trips. She is beloved by students and colleagues alike for her energy, optimism, and kind persona.

Fall 2012

Norman King worked as a butler in Brick House for a time before becoming a backbone of the Foxcroft Riding program. When Miss Charlotte was still in residence on campus for much of the year, although she was no longer the Head of School, Norman would drive her on occasion.

“Miss Charlotte was a strict woman, but she was fair,” he said in his Alumnae Weekend remarks, which included priceless stories. (A video of his speech may be viewed at www.foxcroft.org.)

Seven heads of school, at least three riding directors, and scores of grooms, instructors, faculty, and students passed through in the ensuing years. Recounts Leipheimer, “Once when I asked Norman about that ‘parade’ of characters, he said ‘they come; they go’!” The time has finally come, it seems, for King to join that parade. He will be missed.

“The Academic Office, the Development Office, the College Counseling Office, the Office of Student Life – all have flourished with the steady hand of Rhema Crowley,” said Leipheimer at Rhema's family – husband Paul, daughter May’s presentation.

Colleen, and son-in-law Bruce.

“Please accept this chair for a quarter century of wonderful work.”

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oUTer liMiTS Foxcroft students do amazing things – often with the help of the School’s Exceptional Proficiency Program

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raining for Grand Prix showing jumping competitions. Studying voice at Julliard.

Skipping a motorcycle over logs and ditches in a men’s Observed Trials championship.

Scaling a 15-meter wall at an international event in Edinburgh, Scotland. Dancing with

a professional ballet troupe. Urging a horse to victory in a top-level steeplechase.

These are a few of the impressive achievements that Foxcroft girls have realized while they were students at the School. These accomplishments all require exceptional talent, training, and determination, and that takes a combination of focus, discipline, and time – lots and lots of time – that is unimaginable for the average teenage girl in high school. At Foxcroft, though, the student who is truly dedicated can have the time and, perhaps as importantly, will get the support she needs to push the boundaries of her ability.

Foxcroft’s unique Exceptional Proficiency (EP) Program makes this possible. Established in 1991, the program enables a student with a special talent and a compelling passion to spend some time away from campus to train and compete. The program is, essentially, an institutional effort to honor girls’ gifts and goals while holding them to lofty educational standards. And it has led to students succeeding in a wide variety of endeavors. Here are some of their stories.

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Foxcroft School

“You know the saying, ‘Push your limits to know your limits’? I literally do that. And it’s exhilarating.

Higher O

n September 1, while many of her classmates were

getting settled at college and Foxcroft was busy welcoming its new students, Faith Sullivan ’12 was in Singapore scaling a 15-meter climbing wall on Sentosa Beach.

Faith was at the International Federation of Sport Climbing’s World Youth Championships, representing the United States in the junior female speed competition. Faith, who earned the trip by placing second at Nationals in July, was 10th in the qualifying to advance to the head-to-head elimination round, where she mishit a timing paddle and finished 15th. “Disappointing,” she said, “I know I am a faster climber, and I plan to make the podium at the Pan American Championships in Chile in November.”

The 18-year-old from Hamilton, VA, has deferred attending the University of Miami for a year to see just how far she can go in her sport, which is on the short list for inclusion in the 2020 Olympics.

Fall 2012

GARY COX

Faith Sullivan ’12 has scrambled her way to the summit of sport climbing Faith competes in speed climbing and bouldering; she won a bronze medal at the 2011 World Junior Bouldering Championships and was 10th in speed at the 2010 Worlds. This fall, she plans to test herself against the best. “I cannot wait to amp up my training and really make a splash competing against my climbing idols in the open/pro division,” she says.

Faith has been reaching for the sky since she was a tiny tot.

“Whenever the kids played hide and seek,” says her mother, Robin Sullivan, “the place to look for Faith was up.” Furniture, fences, bookshelves – you name it, Faith climbed it. When she was nine, her parents gave her membership to a climbing gym for Christmas.

Within a year, she was at her first national championship.

“I love the mental aspect of climbing,” she says. “You know the saying, ‘Push your limits to know your limits’? I literally do that.

And it’s exhilarating and an extremely gratifying experience.”

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Faith says her mind is her best asset. “Because climbing is a very mental sport, there’s no way you’re going to finish your route if you’re not completely focused, dedicated, and confident in every move along the way,” she says. “I think my attitude and mind-set has contributed most to my success.”

Faith’s ability to focus on climbing was enabled first by her parents’ decision to home-school their three children. “We wanted them to be able to pursue their passions,” explains her mother, “and sometimes going to school gets in the way.” For high school, the Sullivans sought a more formal academic challenge – but one that

could accommodate Faith’s schedule. Foxcroft, with its Exceptional Proficiency Program, turned out to be a perfect match. She was exempted from school sports to train at climbing gyms in Sterling and Alexandria, and when competitions or special training camps came up, she could miss school without repercussions, as long as she kept up with the work.

“Going to Foxcroft helped her become a better all-around person,” says her mother, “She had the opportunity to learn how to manage multiple tasks and become successful. Faith wanted to be a scholar and an athlete and when you go to Foxcroft you can do that.” n

At the inaugural Pan American Youth Sport Climbing Championships in 2010, Faith won a bronze medal in bouldering – and the President of Ecuador, Raffael Correa, gave it to her. In Miss Charlotte’s Garden this past May, she received her Foxcroft diploma.

HOW THE EP PROGRAM WORKS: Students who possess special skills and abilities and are working with a master teacher or professional trainer may spend time away from Foxcroft, missing some school obligations, in order to pursue their chosen discipline.

Time missed can range from part of a school day for special training to a three-month stay in Florida to ride during the winter months.

The EP Program Committee reviews the student’s academic record, a parent request letter, and a letter from the trainer or teacher acknowledging the preeminence of academic responsibilities before granting exemptions. All decisions are contingent upon a student being – and remaining – in good academic standing. A student also signs a contract confirming that she will take responsibility for her academic work. For longer absences, the EP Program Coordinator, Dr. Kathy Farmer, works with the student and her family to make sure proper academic support is in place. In other cases, the student is accountable for getting her assignments before leaving, making up class work, and turning homework in on time.

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Foxcroft School

douglas lees

Swifter Senior Mary Motion races through life as one of a very few teenage girls with a steeplechase jockey’s license

M

ary Motion ’13 has the perfect name.

The 17-year-old senior from Upperville, VA, is up and at the barn every morning at 6 a.m. to gallop horses for steeplechase trainer Neil Morris. Then she dashes off to school. If she has just one early class, Mary may return to the training track before lunch for a few more rides. If not, she does the school thing, then hurries home to exercise her horse Woodmont. After that it’s homework, tutoring, bed, and back again. In between, Mary fits in being the Hounds’ Spirited Senior, serving as Parents’ Association prefect, writing her college applications, and hanging out with friends. Mary Motion is always in motion.

Fall 2012

These days, Mary is also very merry. One of a very few teenage girls to earn a jockey’s license from the National Steeplechase Association, she made her sanctioned race debut a year ago, finishing fifth in the grueling Steeplethon at the International Gold Cup. In April, Mary and Woodmont collected their first win “under rules,” the John D. Schapiro Memorial. In June, she was honored as the leading female rider in the Maryland Governor’s Cup Series.

The summer was spent in Saratoga, NY, galloping horses for trainer Doug Fout and her uncle, Graham Motion, who trained 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom. “Saratoga was awesome,” 15

says Mary. “I got so much experience. Technically, I was an exercise rider but we did everything and I rode as many as seven horses a day. I’m fitter and wiser because of the opportunity.”

She is also fitter for school, having completed her second-year Latin course, done her summer reading, and studied for the ACT/SATs in between Saratoga barn and track duties. It’s the second year Mary has taken Latin over the summer so she could take full advantage of the Exceptional Proficiency program. And, she notes, all her grades have gone up since she began this busy schedule.

“Part of it is that I am really awake by the time I get to class,” Mary says. “But I also know that I have to focus and use my time well in order to ride.”

After Orpington retired, Mary took money she had saved to buy a car and bought Woodmont.

They’ve got some important dates lined up and Mary is catching rides on other horses as well. She looks forward to “losing her bug,” the apprentice jockey designation that requires her to make lower weights than others.

“Making weight is the hardest thing about racing,” said Mary, who stands 5' 9'' and often has to come in at 138 pounds. “You’ll see me in the gym running in a rubber suit,” she says.

“That’s when I ask myself why I’m doing this.”

The answer, though, is easy.

“I love the feeling of freedom that I get when I am racing,” says Mary. “It makes me really happy.” n

douglas lees

Mary cannot remember not riding. “My stroller was a pony,” she laughs. Indeed the bloodlines are strong. Most everyone in her family is involved with horses and her older sister, Lillibet ’10, captained the Riding Team, won Whippers-In, and earned Miss Charlotte’s Trophy for Best Rider at Foxcroft.

Mary entered her first junior pony race when she was nine years old and was quickly hooked. In 2009, she and Orpington, a Thoroughbred who had an unsuccessful racing career, began a stunning streak, winning 13 consecutive races – 11 junior field masters chases and three open point-to-points.

“Orpy was a wonderful horse,” she says. “We taught each other a lot.”

Mary has had a winning year, leading the Hound Middle Team to victory in February and riding Woodmont to a record-breaking win in April.

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Foxcroft School

LAUREN R. GIANNINI

Truly Exceptional

Twenty-one years after Alison became the first EP student at Foxcroft, she and Cover Girl placed second in the 2012 Upperville Grand Prix.

IT ALL BEGAN with Alison Firestone Robitaille ’95, who was a rising star on the Grand Prix show jumping circuit when she was at Foxcroft. Alison competed in her first Grand Prix at age 16 and jumped internationally before she graduated. She went on to become one of the country’s top show-jumping competitors. At age 21, she collected leading rider and horse (Gustl P) titles in the Samsung Nations Cup World Series and was named the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Female Equestrian Athlete of the Year award. In 2002, she won a silver medal at the Pan American Games and two years later, she was first alternate on the Olympic Team.

The Exceptional Proficiency Program was created to allow Alison to take part in rigorous training and top-level shows in Florida during January and February. Although exemptions have been granted to dancers, divers, musicians, and others since then, equestrians remain the mainstay of the program – a fitting reminder of the special place riding has held at Foxcroft since it was founded nearly 100 years ago.

“It was essential that I compete in national and international competitions throughout the school year in order to build an official ranking and to be eligible for selection to U.S. Show Jumping Teams,” says Alison. “The Exceptional Proficiency Program allowed me to achieve my equestrian goals while receiving an excellent education and enjoying the camaraderie of student life.”

Fall 2012

Alison, who trains young riders – including several Foxcroft girls – adds, “I am thankful that this program is still available at Foxcroft.

Programs such as this one are necessary for any athlete looking to excel in her respective sport.”

A Sampling of Recent EP Riders n S loane Coles ’07, who won the 2006 Bates USA Equitation

Rider Award as the best junior in the country, and says frankly, “Without the support I got at Foxcroft I couldn’t have achieved what I did.” A sociology and business major at Drew University, Sloane rode and played lacrosse (she was an All-Conference pick) through college. After spending a year in Belgium working for Olympic bronze medalist Francois Mathy, she is back in Virginia, competing at the Grand Prix level, and training, buying, and selling horses. n N ellie Foosaner ’09, a college senior, competed recently in the

Upperville Grand Prix and several World Cup qualifiers – while she was also applying to law school. Attending the University of Miami has made participating in the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) in Wellington, FL, where she trains with Robitaille, simple. Nellie transferred to Foxcroft before her sophomore year because, she says, “I knew that Foxcroft was really good for riders.

Much better than any other school around.”

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n Th e three Weeks sisters – Alexa ’02, Whitney ’06, and

Olivia ’08 – all spent winters at WEF, found success in equitation circles, and according to dad Bill Weeks, developed “the invaluable qualities of responsibility, drive, focus, and maturity” through the EP Program. During her Foxcroft years, Alexa competed in the USEF Prix de States, the North American Young Riders Championship, and the Zone 1 Maclay regionals, where she was reserve champion. Today, she is a professional show jumper, as is her husband, Roderigo Pessoa, who has 70 Grand Prix wins and several Olympics to his credit. n A ll of Foxcroft celebrated in 2008 when Kate Aldrich ’09 and

her horse William Don’t Tell won the Junior Training Division at the 2008 American Eventing Championship. Kate, who went on to Virginia Tech, spent time training and competing in Aiken, SC, even as she led the Foxcroft Riding Team to the 2008-09 Tri-State Equitation League championship. n T raining in Buenos Aires and competing all over the East Coast

around Middleburg this year, but she came to Foxcroft in large part to work with world-class eventers Karen and David O’Connor, and while she also participated in Foxcroft’s Riding Program, she spent the winter with them in Florida. Although her long-term goal remains riding on the U.S. Eventing Team, Annie has top timber races such as the Maryland Hunt Cup and the Virginia Gold Cup in her sights first.

Exceptional Variety As demonstrated by our cover girl, climber Faith Sullivan ’12, riding isn’t the only pursuit enabled by the EP Program and cultural passions as well as athletic ones qualify. Over the years, nationallyranked junior tennis player Steffi Fitter ’07; ballet dancer Tempe Weinbach ’03, and synchronized skating champion Sydney RoseGraham ’12, and others have been part of the program. n E llen McWade ’06 used the program to further her training at

the Northern Virginia Dance Academy and perform with the Asaph Dance Ensemble, a professional, classical ballet company.

“I can’t imagine doing that if I had attended any other schools,” says Ellen, an environmental studies major at Naropa University who also has her yoga teacher certification and several credits from the North American Institute of Medical Herbalism.

LAUREN R. GIANNINI

took polo player Isabella Wolf ’09 off campus during her years at Foxcroft. In 2011, she helped the University of Virginia win the indoor arena polo national championship. She also was the only woman among 12 players named to the U.S. Polo Association’s Team USPA.

n A nnie Yeager ’11 has made a splash in point-to-point racing

More riders, by far, take advantage of the EP Program, with several training in Florida each winter.

Nellie Foosaner ’09 (above left) and Sloane Coles ’07, who won the Bates Equitation Award while at Foxcroft, are among the alumnae competing at the Grand Prix level. Kate Aldrich’09, won a national eventing title and became a cover girl her senior year.

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Foxcroft School

“Even though I am not dancing as much as I was, my training is something that I’ve carried with me,” she says. “It’s been very helpful in my yoga practice.” n J illian Chalke ’10 got her kicks riding over tree stumps and

boulders, through creeks and other obstacles in the woods when she competed in the offbeat sport of Observed Motorcycle Trials.

After she availed herself of the EP Program to boost her training time, she placed fourth in the 2009 Open and in 2010 was ranked among the top 10 in the country.

and difficult but Caroline thrived and ultimately was accepted into the college program – one of just eight singers admitted.

Mary, who also had a wonderful voice, took the country route.

“Jane Lockhart always called me her Carrie Underwood,” she laughs. Senior year, Mary received an Exceptional Proficiency exemption so she could record a demo CD for a producer in Nashville. Nothing came of the CD but Mary learned how hard the business was, how few people succeed, and ultimately how little she wanted to sing professionally. Last spring, she graduated from law school.

n Th e Beaghler sisters – Caroline ’03 and Mary ’04 – offer vivid

examples of the how the program helps girls try out a passion, in their case, singing. Before sophomore year, Caroline was accepted into the extremely selective pre-college program at the Juilliard School as a lyric soprano. For the next three years, she would get up at 4am every Saturday to drive to New York, take a full day of intensive classes in voice, music theory, ear training, and the like, and then drive home to Leesburg. Preparation for the program, especially as her senior recital approached, was time-consuming

“Without the Foxcroft program, I never would have thought to take that risk and put myself out there like that,” she says. “And I would not have realized that I was good at certain academic skills and that I liked them. I was able to fit together who I was and who I wanted to be. The ability to focus so intensely on music helped me chart my course. Foxcroft allowed me to do that.”

And that is, after all, what it’s all about. n

Synchronized skater Sydney Rose-Graham ’12 (left in photo below), singer Mary Beaghler ’04, and ballerina Ellen McWade ’06 soared in their chosen pursuits. This year, EP students include an actor, a professional show dog handler, and a skater who competes in both ice dance and synchronized skating, as well as a number of riders.

Fall 2012

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The STEM Zone In and out of the classroom, Foxcroft’s foreward-looking “STEM” and “Green” initiatives push boundaries

Foxcroft and Banneker students all had fun with the EPICS project created for the local elementary school.

A

sk any member of the Science or Math departments what all the talk about “STEM at Foxcroft” is about and and you will likely hear how we are creating a progressive, application-driven, interrelated math and science curriculum that prepares students

for the 21st century. You will learn that every course incorporates technology use and all the core courses include hands-on projects that require creative problem-solving along with the other kind.

Developing analytical and critical thinking skills is an important goal, but building confidence and a willingness to take risks in our students is as well.

Ask one of the Algebra I students who measured water loss in the swimming pool last fall to learn about data analysis and isolate a possible leak, or one of the girls in Explorations in Engineering who designed and built a birdhouse during the first week of class to learn how to take an idea and make it real, or any of the two dozen students who gave up a mid-week free period and half of lunch to learn about “spread foundations” and traipse across a muddy construction site to see 20

Foxcroft School

Conference in Nashville, TN, how they are being used last summer, their presentation in the building of our new was standing room only and dormitory, and you will get a many educators stayed after to very different answer. STEM ask questions. Three schools – – the ubiquitous acronym including Madeira – promptly for Science, Technology, signed up for Purdue’s EPICS Engineering and Mathematics High engineering program, – is fun. It’s relevant and which Foxcroft has been using challenging and, in some since 2011. cases, life changing.

Cat Reynolds ’13 was among EPICS – Engineering Projects a group of 10 students who in Community Service – is visited SAS, the leader in a prime example of how business analytics software, in Cary, NC, as part of a Aldie Mill Historic Site supervisor Tracy Gillespie (in yellow) visited with Dr. Eagen and Foxcroft makes STEM subjects some engineering students to check the progress of the working model they designed compelling for students who Wintermission trip led by and built. don’t think of themselves as Maria Eagen, PhD, and being science/math-oriented. It is a design-based, service learning Susan Erba, chairs of the Science and Math departments, respectively. program that has teams of students provide engineering solutions She returned so fired up about the power of programming that for non-profit organizations. Last year, students designed and built she changed her career aims and the college programs she was raised flower beds for wheelchair-bound clients at NW Works in considering. “It was an amazing trip,” says Cat, who now plans to Winchester, created relief maps and games about China and the U.S. study computer programming or biomedical engineering. to teach elementary school pupils standards of learning, produced an interactive museum display that shows how grain moves through the Learning to use SAS or any of the sophisticated software that is historic Aldie Mill, and more. becoming part of most classes pushes girls, often beyond their comfort zone. Some, like Cat, love it; others are overwhelmed. The hope is that they won’t be by the time they graduate. “We want every student to leave Foxcroft with the knowledge that there is no need to be intimidated by any software she may encounter,” says Eagen. “To know that she has the tools to tackle anything that college or career may put in front of her.”

This is the kind of crucial skill and can-do attitude that, many fear, American students are lacking. In July, President Obama announced the creation of a STEM Master Teacher Program, the latest of several such education initiatives, because he believes that having a worldclass STEM workforce is essential to virtually every goal the U.S. has as a nation.

Foxcroft is not only already on it, but also is leading the charge among girls schools. When Science Department Chair Maria Eagen, PhD, and STEM Coordinator Lindsey Bowser spoke about the Foxcroft program at the STEM for Girls Think Tank and

“One thing I really like about the EPICS curriculum is that the girls manage all the client interaction,” says Eagen. “They are very engaged and they really learn how to interact with clients, from shaking hands and making eye contact to learning what nuances of the client’s needs and persevering until he or she is happy.” Using teamwork and tools – from power drills to CAD (computer-aided design) software – are wonderful experiences, too.

The sense that one is making a difference, that what one is learning in the classroom is relevant, is perhaps most powerful. In presenting a solar power proposal for Foxcroft to the Board of Trustees last year, one EPICS group wrote, “This project will not only benefit the school, but the entire world, because it would aid efforts to make Earth a greener planet.”

A little hyperbole? Perhaps, for now. As for the future, Foxcroft girls will be ready to indeed change the world. n

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Fall 2012

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STEM in the Classroom Our innovative curriculum provides relevant, challenging, and, sometimes, life-changing learning experiences that give students the tools to tackle anything they may face in their college or career. n C ore Science & Math Curriculum Paths: The three core science subjects –

Chemistry, Biology, and Physics – have been reorganized as semester-long courses taught in a more logical sequence, and the math curriculum includes choices that better meet student needs. n E xpanded Course Offerings: Added Engineering, Computer Programming,

Advanced Financial Algebra, and an entirely project-based STEM course. n E PICS: The Explorations in Engineering class uses Purdue University’s EPICS

(Engineering Projects in Community Service) program to design solutions for local non-profit organizations. n S TEM Lab: High-tech hardware such as large screen computers, flatbed, and 3D

printers in one area, and workbenches and power tools for project construction in another fill the new STEM Lab.

Hands-on projects and trips into the field stimulate students to observe, evaluate, collaborate, and innovate – all crucial skills for life and career.

n T echnology Tools: A suite of special technology and software for data acquisition,

analysis, and presentation: MicroLAB (for chemistry and biology); LABVIEW (physics, engineering), GIS (geographic mapping), CAD (computer-aided design), SAS (statistical analysis), and Alice (3-D programming).

Science, Technology, Engi 22

Foxcroft School

STEM outside the Classroom The STEM Initiative weaves the activities of daily life on campus and extracurriculars into opportunities for hands-on learning in ­related endeavors.

A monthly seminar with engineers and architects using our emerging dormitory to teach girls about construction topics from foundation systems to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.

n P roject Green Build:

n Th e STEM Summit: A fun competition Foxcroft’s faculty created

in which teams solve real-world problems that draw on STEM skills. Last February, 19 high school and 12 middle school teams spent a day building brick walls, solving genetics and logic problems, and analyzing fingerprints and fiber samples to “solve” a murder. The event was sponsored by K2M, Inc., a Leesburg, VA, biotech firm. n O dyssey of the Mind: This international program is not strictly

n G reen Cup Challenge: Foxcroft participates in The Green School

Alliance’s annual Green Cup Challenge, in which schools compete to improve recycling compliance rates by analyzing trash and recycling bins. n L ecture Series: Standout women who work in STEM fields visit

campus to share their stories and their work.

STEM-based but Foxcroft teams have taken on engineering ­challenges such as the “Unhinged Structures Division.” n S AS: A Wintermission trip in February 2012 to the Cary, NC,

campus of SAS – a world leader in business analytics software and services – introduced the exciting world of computer programming as a tool and as a career.

Foxcroft Goes Green A school-wide initiative to become increasingly “green” has gathered steam with the decision to seek LEED certification for the new dorm (see story, page 34), join the Green School Alliance, and adopt environmentally-responsible practices wherever possible, including the Dining Hall, housekeeping, and purchasing. STEM connections to “going green” are pervasive so Dr. Eagen and Business Manager Deborah Anderson have worked together to raise awareness in the Foxcroft community. A logo contest they held last spring yielded many terrific submissions that were incorporated into one (above), which you will see more and more. Look for it on the Foxcroft website to learn about specific green initiatives and to see all the logo submissions.

Interest and enthusiasm for STEM fields is inspired by activities like Project Green Build (far left), which turns our dorm construction site into a learning laboratory, and the 2012 STEM Summit, which drew more than 30 teams from middle and high schools.

ineering and Mathematics Fall 2012

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Smarter Alex Carr ’12 saw an environmental challenge and set out to do something about it

By Terry Meyer, Development Coordinator

Y

OU NEVER KNOW WHAT WILL SPARK the interest of a young mind. For Alex Carr ’12, it was a unit on exponential growth in Math class combined with a unit on alternative energy sources in Environmental Science that got her thinking. Warnings in the news and elsewhere about greenhouse gas emissions and climate change raised her concern. Finally, lively discussions with a family friend in the oil and natural gas industry who believes that the earth’s oil resources will be exhausted within 50 years moved her to act.

Alex had a sudden and enduring realization: “My generation is the generation that will have to solve this. We will have to figure out whether our resources are sustainable or not . . . and what we can do about it.”

The proverbial (compact fluorescent) light bulb had gone off over Alex’s head, and soon this newly enlightened and particularly 24

determined Foxcroft girl was taking on an independent study to do tackle the problem.

Under the guidance of science teacher Lindsey Bowser, Alex embarked upon a semester-long alternative-energy adventure. She threw herself into research on all types of solutions – solar, wind, wave turbines, geothermal, nuclear. She purchased textbooks and read them cover to cover. She found experts and peppered them with questions. She googled, following links down, down, down into alternative-energy internet nirvana.

Quickly eclipsing Ms. Bowser’s knowledge in this important, but arcane, area of study, Alex schooled her teacher on all that she had learned. By mid-semester, Ms. Bowser’s role had happily turned from instructor and advisor into sounding board, obstacle remover, and lab partner.

Foxcroft School

“I’ve never seen a student take the initiative in this way,” says Bowser. “This was truly her project.”

Soon Alex was ready to move beyond the theoretical. She settled on a solution that could be implemented on a small scale and that would allow her to make a difference on a local level, at Foxcroft, to start. The answer was closer than Alex imagined. The dining hall was a ready and willing supplier of used cooking oil and she was primed on the chemical conversion process for turning it into fuel, so her passion for biodiesel was born. Not your typical teenage girl obsession, but if you want typical, Foxcroft is the wrong place to look in the first place.

Under the watchful eye of Ms. Bowser, Alex converted small amounts of used cooking oil into biodiesel in the Chemistry Lab by hand. The process yielded two glistening, golden liters of clean biodiesel.

It also produced several byproducts, which is another story. To convert cooking oil into fuel, a mixture of potassium hydroxide and methanol is used as a catalyst to break the bonds between fatty acid tails and glycerin in the oil.

The glycerin/methanol by-product sinks to the bottom, leaving behind crude biodiesel, which is washed repeatedly with distilled water to make diesel fuel.

Looking to repurpose the glycerin, Alex stumbled upon its ability to attract and hold water molecules in a particularly nontoxic and environmentally safe way. This provided her with another Fall 2012

light-bulb moment. Her father, Dan, has an equestrian services firm which creates custom footing for riding venues. That footing requires constant watering and maintenance, and better choices for clients is a common dinner table conversation at home. Why not spray glycerin on the footing to reduce the amount of watering needed, Alex asked.

Indeed, Dan Carr found that the glycerin not only reduced the need to water, but also built up over time, requiring less and less water. He has sprayed it on footing and on gravel roads and horse trails to manage dust and drainage.

His clients are thrilled; he is delighted . . . and proud!

Her advisor is also very proud of Alex, who concluded her independent study by preparing a proposal for Foxcroft to produce biodiesel on campus to power emergency generators and school vehicles. “Alex’s project not only changed her,” said Ms. Bowser in presenting the Haythe Science Award to Alex in May, “It changed me, it changed the Foxcroft community, it changed her father and his business, and one day, I hope to see it change the world.” n

Alex successfully created biodiesel in the Chem Lab (top) and presented her project to the entire community at Morning Meeting. Then she was presented with the Haythe Science Award, by her independent study advisor Lindsey Bowser.

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Alumnae invincible Spirit

By Stacy Morse Ahner ’73

At the Senior Luncheon during Reunion Weekend last April, Foxcroft Board Chair Stuart D. Thayer surprised Pickett Davis Randolph ’56 by presenting her with the Anne Kane McGuire Distinguished Service Award. A former member of the Board and indefatigable volunteer Randolph became the 28th recipient of the award, which is named in honor of the late Anne Kane McGuire ’52. To see the complete list of honorees and read the citation presented to Pickett, go to www.foxcroft.org/support/service

Pickett (center) was surprised and delighted to receive the McGuire Award for her service to Foxcroft from Board Chair Stuart Thayer and Head of School Mary Louise Leipheimer.

W

ANDERING ABOUT in Pickett Randolph’s Bethesda, MD, home, a visitor gains some insights into the evolution of women’s roles in the U.S. Intelligence Community just by looking at her memorabilia. There are pictures of Pickett with various CIA Directors. There are framed awards and diplomas, including one from the Naval War College. Nothing is stamped “pioneer,” though much could be, for throughout most of her career, this loyal Fox and member of the Class of 1956 was the first woman on the job.

The same enthusiastic and invincible spirit that makes Pickett a leader among Foxcroft’s volunteers made her a trailblazer in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). In 1960, fresh out of Wheaton College, Pickett applied for a job at the CIA. Why? Well, she loved spy stories and wanted to save the world from communism. The recruiter was not impressed by her patriotism but asked, “Can you type?” She began her career as a GS-04 clerk stenographer.

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“I was a terrible secretary,” recalls Pickett. “I got by on charm and humor. No skill. I could not read my own shorthand. Essentially, I bluffed my way up and out of the secretarial field.”

An assignment as a Personnel Officer was Pickett’s first professionallevel job in the CIA. She found that she loved to teach and to be in front of groups of people. She was a natural trainer. Working in the Office of Personnel and Training also gave Pickett an exceptional view into how few women were being promoted. She asked management for advanced training, but was turned down. Years later, she would see a comment in her file in response to one of her applications: “Attractive young lady bound to get married, have babies, and quit. Do not recommend.”

Finally in 1981, Pickett was selected to be the first woman from the CIA to attend the Naval War College’s yearlong course. She earned a Foxcroft School

Master’s in National Security Affairs and very much appreciated the education, but notes that it came at a price.

involved in an organization to support battered women where she hoped to make a difference.

“It was the worst year of my life. There were only six women in a ­student body of 360,” she says. “It was so lonely. The Navy at that time was not keen on having women anywhere, much less at the War College.

We had no support system and were treated miserably.

Pickett has made a huge difference at Foxcroft, for sure, serving on the Board of Trustees for 18 years, as a major gifts volunteer for the Gateways to Excellence Campaign, as class representative, and currently as co-chair of the Memory As one of very few women working at the CIA, Committee for the Centennial Celebration.

Pickett was a trailblazer.

Pickett has participated in career days, spoken “Finally I got all six of us together for dinner. at Senior Dinners, facilitated Myers-Briggs As we talked, we ­realized that we were all having similar experiences Type Indicator sessions, and chaired her class reunion every five years and there was some comfort in that,” Pickett adds. “Subsequently, since graduation. other women have told me that I was an inspiring role model for them; I never saw myself that way, but hope that I helped them.”

“Pickett has more than responded to the challenge of her greatest mentor, Miss Charlotte [Noland, founder of Foxcroft],” reads her The report Pickett wrote describing her experiences at the War McGuire Award citation. “Living and breathing ‘To whom much is ­College slowed her career progression for a while. “No one believed given, much is expected.’ ” me because previous Agency attendees, all males, had thought it a wonderful experience,” she says. Eventually promotions did come.

When Pickett took the microphone, she, too, quoted Miss ­Charlotte, but only after the requisite “Go Foxes!” cheer. “Miss After 33 years in the CIA, Pickett retired in 1993. At the time, she Charlotte told me, ‘You can do whatever you want. You can be was running orientation programs for new hires and she loved ­being whatever you want. But in order to get your best you must give your in charge. She had no plan for post-retirement, but saw an ad in the best.’ That advice has guided me through life.”

Washington Post for National Gallery Docents. And she thought, “Well, I know nothing about art, but I can teach.” She also became Breaking down barriers and blazing trails all the way. Go Foxes. n

A Passion Born of Compassion

By Sarah Cox

N

an Stuart ’71 claims she is part gypsy, because she and her golden retriever, Kelsey, are constantly on the move, crossing boundaries both literally and figuratively. The inseparable pair travels across the country as Nan educates people through Code 3 Associates, Inc., a non-profit she started in 1985 to provide professional animal disaster response and resources to communities, and professional training to those involved in animal-related law enforcement and emergency response.

Fall 2012

Code 3, which is based in Longmont, CO, continues to grow, reaching most of the states in the Union. Nan conducts training in numerous locations, including at Foxcroft, where she holds an Equine Investigations Academy every June. Code 3 also has a Cruelty Investigators Academy and an Annual Disaster Academy all certified through Colorado State University. The teachers are ­veterinarians and individuals who have doctorates and master’s degrees in education and animal science as well as hands-on 27

knowledge. Code 3’s disaster response ­includes an 82-foot tractortrailer called BART (Big Animal Rescue Truck) and up to 75 professional responders, located throughout the country.

Nan grew up on a cattle ranch and rode at Foxcroft, where, she says, she broke almost every rule the School had. “It’s kind of ironic that I would go into law enforcement,” she says. ­After attending Sweet Briar College, she managed a commercial barn in Charlottesville, VA, and worked in a commercial kennel in California. When she and her husband moved, she sought continued work with animals at a South Lake Tahoe, CA, animal shelter.

“I ended up becoming a state humane officer from day one, because no one else had animal experience,” Nan says, adding that she had to be part mediator, part investigator, and part advocate. “It was an incredible job, and not just anybody can do it. It was a people job.

Animals are not the problem.”

Nan’s compassion for animals and her passion for doing the right thing by them has been driven by the conviction that people who are cruel to animals are not crazy, but mostly ­uneducated, and that some have anger management issues stemming from how they were raised.

Nan discovered that education was the greatest prevention to cruelty, and that people handled animals in the same manner as their parents

had. The pattern had to change. “It’s a cycle of violence. It’s our job to break that cycle,” she says.

Adhering to that old saying, “Find a job you love and you’ll never work,” has worked for Nan. “Every day I get up and there’s something new and different I have to do,” she says.

“I’m constantly looking for new ways to educate people, giving them better tools to do their jobs.”

It makes sense, then, that Nan would be involved in a company called SurgiReal, which is pushing the boundaries of suture training for veterinary and medical students. The manufacturer of a synthetic skin that bleeds when it is cut, SurgiReal is just being introduced and, Nan believes, will set the teaching world on its edge. “It’s a product that allows students to learn the art of sewing in surgery,” she says.

Stuart was taught, first at home and then as a student at Foxcroft, never to accept the commonplace, and she certainly has done that through her career.

“I like to think I’m truly a Foxcroft girl,” Nan says. “I certainly didn’t fit into a mold. I encourage any Foxcroft girl to push boundaries and grow as long as they can. I am still learning. I am still growing.” n

Before Kelsey, Nan’s constant companion and trusty co-worker was Kinsey, pictured below helping Nan with ice rescue training.

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Foxcroft School

Beyond the

Glass Ceiling Foxcroft parents Mary Landrieu and Jill Holtzman Vogel succeed in the male-dominated world of politics

By Cristina Santiestevan ’96

I

n the nearly 100 years that have passed since Foxcroft welcomed its first New Girls, there have been a world of changes for women at home, at work, and in the realm of politics. Women won the right to vote in 1920. Rosie the Riveter entered the scene in 1942 in song and art,

cheering the women who picked up tools to keep America’s factories moving. Since then, we have celebrated countless women and their numerous firsts. Today, women outnumber men in college and graduate school programs, and make up approximately half the U.S. workforce. In 1984, Geraldine Ferraro became the first female vice presidential candidate for a major political party, and in 2008, Hillary Clinton – currently serving as the nation’s third female Secretary of State – came within a slim margin of winning the Democratic nomination for president.

Yes. Women have shattered the glass ceiling and can climb higher today than ever before. But, climbing through glass shards isn’t always easy. In these interviews, U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Virginia state Senator Jill Holtzman Vogel (R-27) chat about their experiences as women in politics, their daughters’ decisions to attend Foxcroft, and their thoughts about how women can break through barriers and push past those lingering glass shards to find success.

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Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) was just 23 when she won her first election to the Louisiana House of ­Representatives, making her the youngest woman ever elected to the ­Louisiana legislature.

She went on to serve as the state treasurer before winning a seat in the United States Senate in 1996, becoming the first woman from Louisiana to be elected to a full term in that body. Her daughter, Mary Shannon, is a sophomore at Foxcroft.

Senator Landrieu, whose daughter, Mary Shannon (left), is a Foxcroft sophomore, hosted the AP Government class and other interested students in May for “Horses on the Hill,” a great lesson on lobbying and how constituent concerns turn into legislation in the U.S. Congress.

You are one of just 17 women in the United States Senate.

What is it like to work in such a male-dominated arena?

welcoming and accepting. That’s not to say it’s not still a battle. But, it’s improved markedly since the mid-70s and late-60s.

The Senate is generally a very welcoming place for women leaders, and generally we’re all treated equally. You can still detect sometimes, though, when that generality fails. You walk into a room with two men and they look at the men first and think they’re the senators and not you. Or, sometimes there will be a major piece of legislation and the leadership might favor, I think, a male chairman to handle it over a female chairman. Every now and then, that happens. But, it’s really not a regular occurrence.

It sounds like you’re talking about classic workplace sexism.

How do you deal with that?

However, earlier in my career – I first ran for office in 1979 – it was a very steep, uphill battle. The 70s and 80s and 90s were very difficult decades for women pressing ahead in government or in the corporate arena. I think, as the century changed, it’s been a lot more 30

Well, you know, with good humor but with strength. The Senate is a very collegial place, despite what the public thinks. There are a lot of strong personal friendships in the Senate across party lines and within our parties. But, you’ve got to be willing to address sexism when it happens. The good news is that it doesn’t happen often.

When you won your first political race you became the ­youngest woman ever elected to your state legislature. Later, you became the first woman elected by Louisiana to a full term in the U.S. ­Senate. How were you able to succeed where other women hadn’t?

Foxcroft School

That was a real upset, you know, a 23-year-old against a three-term incumbent and three other challengers who were twice my age.

My family was not wealthy, nor did we have any social standing in the community. But my father was elected to the legislature in his 20s – when I was five years old – and he built up quite a fine reputation for himself and for the family name. So that was clearly an advantage for me. At the same time, I also had a lot of energy and determination. I went door to door for hours every day. We made our own signs. I organized my own team.

But, by no means was I comfortable. Comfort was not a word in my vocabulary. I was so far out beyond my boundaries. I was afraid to give a speech. I was timid about asking for money. I didn’t exactly know what to do in the debates. But I wanted to do it. I love that phrase that says ‘life begins at the end of your comfort zone.’

If you could give Mary Shannon and her classmates one piece of advice about succeeding in today’s world, what would that advice be?

There are so many things. I think I would tell them to – this gets a little spiritual, but I do believe it – try to determine what God’s will is for their life and live as close to the center of that as possible.

Think about what you were born for, what your calling is, what is your ­special gift? Try to live for that and not for what others expect of you. To try to live according to what your expectations are for yourself.

Another thing I would say is, you’re also going to find happiness from within, not without. Nobody else can make you happy. You’re the only one who can do that. I think a lot of women, even to this day, look to everybody else to make them happy. They won’t be happy until they have the right boyfriend . . . the right husband . . . the right kind of money. And many of them are waiting for someone else to provide it.

I think the world still encourages women along those lines. And, I think that’s very, very damaging.

“People do a lot of wishing

In fact, if there was one message that I’d like to share, it’d be to encourage the girls at Foxcroft to really step out of their comfort zones. People do a lot of wishing and hoping, but they don’t do a lot of stepping out of their comfort zone. Until you do, you’ll never really be able to fulfill your dreams and your hopes.

What was your high school experience like? Did it affect your decision to choose a girls school for Mary Shannon?

and hoping, but they don’t do a lot of stepping out of their comfort zone.

Until you do, you’ll never ­really be able to fulfill your dreams

How have things changed for young women since your time in high school?

The whole world changed between 1969, when I showed up in high school, and 2011, when Mary Shannon showed up at high school. It was probably the most dramatic 50-year change for women on the planet. Everything changed for women. We went into the workforce in droves. We had our first set of women running for the highest ­offices in the land.

Now we’ve got major corporations that are run by women. This was all virtually unheard of when I was in high school.

and your hopes.”

I attended an all-girls school – Ursuline Academy – a Catholic school in New Orleans. The Ursuline nuns came in 1727 to ­educate ­women in the New World, and have been doing it ever since. And, it’s just a deep feeling I have that women need to be trained as ­leaders, and that’s best done in an all-female environment where there are no men to lead, and the girls have to do it. I think the world does a lot of cheering for men. I’d like to see a world that cheers for women a little bit better. When you’re at an all-girls school you have that.

So, I was really pushing Mary Shannon to go to an all-girls school.

She started looking and we all came to the same idea that Foxcroft was the best fit for her. The equestrian team was key and she just really liked the spirit of the school. She found it to be inviting and encouraging. It fit what I and her dad were looking for and, most importantly, what Mary Shannon was looking for.

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I think the country – and girls in particular – now realize, or ­hopefully they realize, that there are no boundaries for young women at all. It really is just a matter of their strength and intellect and determination and willingness to work hard. People seek comfort. But, you can’t seek comfort. If you seek comfort, you’ll never get anywhere. You’ve got to seek success.

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As a Virginia State Senator, Vogel often finds herself surrounded by men but she says the culture is changing. Her stepdaughter, Peyton, is a freshman this year.

Virginia State Senator Jill Holtzman Vogel (R-27) won her Senate seat in 2007. She is currently the only woman in the Virginia Republican caucus, and is one of just six women in the Commonwealth’s Senate. Vogel is also managing partner at HoltzmanVogel Josefiak PLLC, and has served as chief counsel for the Republican National Committee. Her stepdaughter, Peyton, is a freshman at Foxcroft.

You are one of six women in the Virginia state Senate. How do you manage working in such a gender-divided environment?

You have to have thick skin and never be offended, and enjoy it.

I enjoy my colleagues a lot. I’m just as comfortable with strongwilled men as I am with anybody else. I think that’s a really important thing.

The legislature in Virginia is still very traditional. We’re the longest continually-running legislative body in the western hemisphere.

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We’re one step away from wearing powdered wigs. When we stand on the Senate floor, we still have to follow Thomas Jefferson’s rules: You stand behind your desk and you have to refer to your colleague as the Gentlelady from Fauquier or the Gentleman from Powatan.

And, for sure, the fact that things are so old school is because it has been dominated by men of a different generation until very recently.

It’s been just in very recent history, with the addition of women in the legislature, that things have begun to change. Not just the facility.

The whole culture has changed because women are there. And, I would say for sure it’s for the better.

Do you think women bring something different to politics than their male colleagues?

I think so, for sure. I think they desperately need people like me. It’s a totally different perspective. I serve with people who are probably far wiser and far more experienced than I am, and they were elected, many of them, before I was born. And they bring something of value. But, when it comes to the issues of education or child health Foxcroft School

issues or social services, the things that affect women and children, they all come to me.

For now, though, the political arena is still primarily a man’s world, isn’t it?

“The whole culture has changed because women are there.

And, I would say for sure it’s for the better.”

It is non-traditional, sadly, at this point in time for women to go into politics. But, it doesn’t have to be that way. I think as more and more young women see that they have opportunities for public service, I think that will change. It’s something that starts organically at the local level, as we have more women getting ­involved in local politics, being mayors or on the board of ­supervisors. It’s just a question of more women recognizing “Hey, I can do this.”

You mentioned the facility in the capital. How is that a part of the gender conversation?

[Laughs] There wasn’t really a real women’s room for legislators until very recently. It wasn’t until they refurbished the capital that they put in a proper women’s restroom. Until then, there was just a kind of retrofitted broom closet for women on the house side.

Isn’t that hilarious?

Two of your children were born during your tenure in office so you became the first woman to have a child while serving in the Virginia Senate. Was that a challenge?

[Laughs] Forget having a women’s room. What are you going to do if you are breastfeeding? There’s no maternity leave for somebody in the legislature. What would your constituents think? So I took the baby with me. I had awesome childcare and I would be on the Senate floor and the baby would be in my Senate office . . . And, so, I made it all work.

I think that Peyton will have such a different experience because she has all these women role models. Being in an all-girls school seemed really natural. She’s really excited about that.

She already loves it. I can only hope that when Olivia, who is only three-and-a-half months, becomes of age, that there will be this same opportunity for her. What better place can there be than Foxcroft?

If you could offer Peyton and her classmates just one piece of advice for breaking barriers and succeeding in what is often still a man’s world, what would that be?

If I could have had some of the perspective at 14 that I have today, I would have wished I had known that it’s a marathon and not a sprint. You don’t get a day back, so take each day and really enjoy it. But also, appreciate that every decision that you make, starting from the time you’re a freshman in high school – the friends that you ­select, what your interests are, what you want to be involved in – all of those things, each one of those experiences creates a sort of cumulative experience that puts you in the position that you most want to be in. What do you most want to do in life? What great impact do you want to have? Consider that now.

There are no limits to what your potential is, except for your own fears and whatever you may perceive to be a barrier. Which is just that. It’s just merely a perception. n Two of Vogel’s children have been born since she took office, including Olivia, who arrived last April – after this photo was taken.

Your stepdaughter, Peyton, is a freshman at Foxcroft this year.

Why did you decide on Foxcroft?

There wasn’t any doubt. Foxcroft was her first, second, third, and fourth choice. I think it is just a wonderful environment for learning.

It’s such a formative and transformative window in your life. Those four years have more impact on the development of your character than almost any other time in your life. And, looking around at what the campus has to offer and what the community has to offer and what the women role models have to offer … And the other women I have met who have gone to Foxcroft? They are confident. They are just terrific people.

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Oppor tunity Knocks . . .

Foxcroft’s First Certified “green” building is taking shape

By Marion L. Couzens, Director of Institutional Advancement house up to 50 students and three faculty families – has begun to take shape. The foundation for its two wings has been laid and soon walls will begin to rise from the poured pads. The building is slated to be completed by next summer so that it will open in time for Foxcroft’s Centennial Celebration year.

Hadley Warner ’07 (left), who was featured in the Master Plan brochure created her senior year, posed with classmates Raisa El-Kurdi (center) and Sarah Smith and the floor plan for the new dorm, during her fifth Reunion in May.

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NEAR FOXCROFT’S WATER TOWER, arms of yellow and orange reach for the sky before dipping downwards to grab another piece of earth. The surrounding land looks raw as these heavy dirt-moving machines churn up the ground in preparation for the construction of a new dormitory. The first step in the School’s residential initiative – a 26,000-square-foot building which will 34

With well over 80% of the projected $10.3 million cost of the building received in cash and pledges and construction underway, an anonymous donor has made a $1 million challenge that provides a wonderful opportunity to complete the funding of the project. If Foxcroft raises $1 million, this generous donor will match it – and the new dormitory will be fully funded and endowed. As was the case with other recent projects, the School is incurring no debt in the construction and renovation of the residential buildings.

Foxcroft’s new dormitory is situated on the east end of campus between Dillon and Reynolds. It will feature generous common areas, flexible student accommodations, and traditional (though heated) sleeping porches. The dorm will be the School’s first building to be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified, incorporating not only geothermal wells for more efficient heating and cooling, but also

regional and recycled materials for many of the building components.

Learning about LEED Besides being environmentally responsible, the pursuit of LEED certification for this building presents several fascinating opportunities for our students. The School, in collaboration with Forrester Construction Company, the builders and project managers, is offering a seminar entitled “Project Green Build: Following a Year in the Construction of a LEEDCertified Building.”

“The 26 girls in the seminar meet directly with the various professionals responsible for different aspects of the construction process,” explains, Academic Dean Alexander O. Northrup, “and examine each step in depth, including the design process, modeling, foundations, mechanical and electrical systems, and sustainability.

In the end, students will have a nuanced understanding of the construction process, with an emphasis on environmentallyfriendly building.”

Education about the implementation of “green” practices will continue after the dorm is built as it will be connected to a Lucid Inc. Building Dashboard, which enables individuals to view and Foxcroft School

Students witnessed the test drilling and learned the technology of geothermal wells last year (left, top two photos). This fall, they are watching the new dormitory go up behind Cottage.

Environmental concerns extend to protection of trees from construction and, when the dorm is done, a Lucid Dashboard (left) that will report energy savings.

compare building energy and water use.

The dashboard, which will be displayed on a monitor in the dorm and on the Foxcroft website, can be programmed to break down the cost of electricity, show when consumption is above or below average, report how much water was used, and more.

It can report figures for each wing or each floor of a building, enabling students to challenge each other within the dorm to see who is doing the most to save resources.

Over time, more buildings will be brought online so the environmental initiative grows.

Because the dashboard will allow Foxcroft

to measure the effect of our actions on energy and water, the School will be able to participate more fully in such national programs as the Green Cup Challenge, organized by the Green School Alliance.

Just the Beginning The construction of the new dormitory paves the way for the second step of the residential initiative: refurbishing the existing dorms. It will provide housing so that the School can take the older buildings out of circulation oneby-one for renovation and reconfiguration of space to meet the needs of today’s residents.

Once all the dorms have been upgraded, the

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residential buildings will house the student body that is called for in Foxcroft’s strategic plan; the School will not grow in size.

Soon, the landscape in front of the water tower will again change as the structure of the dormitory takes shape. If you would like to follow construction progress, please go to the Support section of our website and select Master Plan. If you with to learn more about giving opportunities to this project or other capital projects, please contact Marion L. Couzens, Director of Institutional Advancement, at 540.687.4510 or development@foxcroft.org. n 35

Commencement 2012 36

True Friends THE CLASS OF 2012 leaves behind a special legacy of friendship, characterized by the gift they bestowed, an award they received, and the speakers they chose for Foxcroft’s 98th Commencement, which was held May 25 in Miss Charlotte’s Garden.

The official gift of the Class of 2012 was five cherry trees planted along the front drive to welcome visitors, but the Class’s caring and inclusive leadership style had been a year-long gift to the community. Head of School Mary Louise Leipheimer recognized this by presenting her special “Head’s Award” to the entire class. It was just the fourth time since the award was instituted that it went to an entire class.

Perhaps the friendliest member of this friendly class, Student Vice Head of School Alexis Hall, was selected to be the senior speaker. She also took home the Charlotte Haxall Noland Award, awarded by faculty vote to the the senior who best combines the values of “high purpose, leadership, integrity, accomplishment, and understanding.”

“Friends” star Lisa Kudrow was an appropriate – and popular – choice for featured speaker.

said Leipheimer. “And so it seems appropriate that this class would choose as its speaker today someone who is best known for her work in a television show called Friends.”

Kudrow, who earned an Emmy and many other honors playing Phoebe Buffay for 10 years on the hit sitcom, shared stories of her high school years, as the smart girl who did not fit in, and of her difficult beginning at Vassar College, and then offered some advice to the graduates.

“Over the next four years as you step into adulthood,” she said, “you decide who you are. While you are having experiences and exploring things, pay close attention to who you are and what your comfort levels are. And please remember, the girl decides. The girl always decides.”

And then there was featured speaker Lisa Kudrow.

The 36 girls who collected diplomas come from nine states and six countries. They were accepted to 94 different colleges and have a broad array of hopes and aspirations. But they already know who they are: They are friends.

“The Class’s inclusiveness and kindness epitomize Foxcroft’s unofficial motto ‘Friends to the end,’

To watch the Commencement speeches: www.foxcroft.org/commencement2012/speeches Foxcroft School

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Commencement 2012

Alexis Hall was the senior speaker and Charlotte Haxall Noland Award winner.

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Commencement 2012

Honors & Awards Charlotte Haxall noland Award ..................Alexis Hall ’12

Chorale Member of the year ...................... Avery Finkel ’13

Miss ida Applegate Award ..................Samantha Nelson ’12

Music Award ................................................Claire Finkel ’12

Mildred Greble Davis Award ..............Miranda Raschid ’13

CAP Award (Campus Tour Guides) ......................................Erin Shea ’12

Dudley Prize ..........................................Maeve Couzens ’12 Becky Award .............................................Katelin Eagen ’14 Elebash Award .............................................Lillian Potter ’15 Josie Betner Mallace Award ...............Elizabeth Wilford ’12 Head’s Prize ...................................The Senior Class of 2012 valedictorian/Pillsbury Prize ....................SuWon Jung ’12 Salutatorian ...........................................Kimberly Kluwe ’12 Junior Award for Scholarship..............Miranda Raschid ’13

Community Service Award ........................Allison Bejar ’14 Katelin Eagen ’14 Sydney Rose-Graham ’12 Erin Shea ’12 Jennifer Williams ’14 Parents’ Association Awards (elected by their classmates) 9th Grade .................................................Meredith Dietz ’15 10th Grade ..................................................Miranda Gali ’14 11th Grade .................................................Blanche Jones ’13 12th Grade ...........................................Elizabeth Wilford ’12

English Prize ..........................................Beverley Catlett ’12 Danielle Cole ’12

Athletic Awards Best Older Girl ........................................Maeve Couzens ’12 Best Younger Girl ............................................ Alicia Holz ’14

Eustis Prize ............................................Kimberly Kluwe ’12

Peabody Tennis Trophy .......................Amalia Simpson ’14

L. Richard Weinbach History Prize ........................................Charlotte Wright ’12

Teresa E. Shook Award............................Alexander Carr ’12

French Award ..................................................Emma All ’13 Spanish Prize ..................................................Olivia Saez ’13 Mathematics Award ...................................SuWon Jung ’12 Haythe Science Award ...........................Alexandra Carr ’12 SuWon Jung ’12 Smith Book Award ...........................Catherine Reynolds ’13

Riding Awards Miss Charlotte’s Trophy (Best Rider) ..........................................Mckenzie Canard ’12 Best Younger Girl ................................Christina Firestone ’13 Most Improved (Ms. Kate) ..........................Abigail Bauer ’13 Most Improved (Ms. Laurie) ..................... Nina du Pont ’12 Most Improved (Ms. Katy)......Annabelle Boendermaker ’13 Good Hands ...............................................Miranda Gali ’13 Director’s Award ................................................Erin Shea ’12 Kimberly Kluwe ’12

Wellesley Book Award ....................................Emma All ’13 Junior Science Award ................................... Zhou Yang ’13

Cum Laude Society

Rensselaer Polytechnic institute Medal ....................................Miranda Raschid ’13

Class of 2012 Claire Finkel Su Won (Chloe) Jung Kimberly Kluwe Samantha Nelson Erin Shea Ruijing (Hazel) Yan Charlotte Wright

William & Mary Leadership Award .............................. Deborah Cadenas ’13 Library Prize ............................................ Danielle Cole ’12 Kathleen Foster ’12 Starr Prize ..................................................Amy Matlock ’12 Studio Art Award .......................................SuWon Jung ’12

Class 2014 Rebecca Mann Miranda Raschid

Hilary Somers Deely Drama Award ..... Acey Hotchkiss ’12 38

Foxcroft School

Reunion 2012 REUNION WEEKEND April 13–15, 2012 More than 130 Foxcroft women from 11 classes (joined by others on campus for Saturday’s Senior Luncheon and Recognition) came back to enjoy each other and a variety of reunion events. It was a full weekend and the weather was fabulous!

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Reunion Weekend

True Friends . . .Through to the End

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True F

Foxcroft School

Friends . . .Through to the End

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True Friends

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Reunion Giving

ALUMNAE rallied once again to honor their reunion years with class gifts in support of capital projects, the Annual Fund, and endowment. Special thanks to the Class of 1957 for its gift to the Annual Fund, the Class of 1962 for underwriting the replacement of three sets of double doors into the science wing of Schoolhouse, the Class of 1972 for its unrestricted gift, and the Class of 1987 for its gift to the new dormitory. In addition, the Class of 1967 is working on a plan to digitize Tally-Ho!, (Foxcroft’s yearbooks), to celebrate its class and to honor the upcoming Centennial.

Save the date

Reunion Weekend 2013 April 19-21, 2013 All classes ending in 3 & 8 Plan now to celebrate your reunion next spring!

Contact Deb Hogan 540.687.4510 Email alumnae@foxcroft.org

Senior Class Gift

Reflecting their welcoming and inclusive nature, the CLASS OF 2012 donated five cherry trees to replace several of the 100 trees lost in the June 2011 storm. These trees, planted by the girls themselves, line Foxcroft’s front drive and welcome all to campus. Inspired by their daughters’ gift, the Parents of the Class of 2012 raised funds to buy 37 trees, one in honor of each member of the class. These trees will stand behind the girls’ trees as the parents of the Class of 2012 have stood behind their daughters throughout their lives and Foxcroft careers.

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Foxcroft School

Hail and Farewell Mary Chalmers Hemmenway

Chal Hemmenway, who taught at ­Foxcroft for 37 years and returned ­annually to direct the Christmas Pageant for another 11, died ­February 19 in Massachusetts. From 1952, when she arrived with her husband, Peter, until 1989, when they retired, Chal ­introduced, inspired, instructed, and ­ignited a love of art in students as a ­master teacher and the first Chair of the Fine Arts department.

In 1988, she received the Anne Kane McGuire Distinguished Service Award.

A memorial service was held in Miss Charlotte’s Garden in May; the following is excerpted from Librarian Steve Matthews ­ comments there.

Chal always brings two words to mind: Opaque Projector Some of you are probably thinking, what on earth is the ­matter with him. He has finally lost it – too many school years, too many days wrestling with overdue books and ­technological changes – but ­thinking about Chal, ­Chalmers, Mrs. Hem always makes me ­remember that massive ­technological monolithic wonder that she used religiously in her teaching, the opaque projector.

When I arrived at Foxcroft in 1977, slowly drying but still pretty wet behind the ears, I had the marvelous idea that I could help Chal revolutionize her teaching. I ordered a sample set of art slides and demo’d how they worked and the amazing variety of artists and masterpieces that were available. And Chal – always the optimist, always the one to embrace those who offered good will – gratefully said, “Thank You.” Then, ever the diplomat, she added, “They are so wonderful. Too bad they have the light shining through the art rather than on it. You see, Michelangelo and Giotto were never meant to be transparent. They were meant to be in their glory with light shining on them.”

It was this aesthetic clarity that I remember – her vision of the elegance and beauty of art that she so joyfully and seamlessly communicated to her students. They knew they were in the presence of a master, of one who had had the vision and who could not wait to share the extraordinary wonder of art and its concomitant ability to connect us to our better selves.

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As a colleague, Chal took her role as mentor and model very seriously. Her enthusiasm for Miss Charlotte, Foxcroft, Peter, her children and her students coupled with her passion for art and teaching made her the go-to person for advice of all sorts especially when your classroom experience wasn’t jelling the way you wanted.

But she was equally sought out for those “high five” moments when things worked and students discovered that you really weren’t driving the car after all – that they were - and they owned it and loved it even more because you had given it to them and now the possibilities were both endless and attainable. She loved to share successes, and her encouraging and sympathetic words were the perfect balm for the alltoo-frequent, self-inflicted wounds of the fledgling teacher.

During my first year at Foxcroft, it was the custom for faculty to eat dinner in the dining room and then gather in the Brick House Parlor for conversation and coffee. I remember doing this on November 30, 1977, and being so thoroughly engaged in conversation that the numbers had dwindled and only Peter, Chal, and I were left. They invited me back to Cubs Covert to watch Eric Sevareid’s farewell news broadcast on CBS. They told me how much they loved Sevareid for his intelligence, good sense, and wit, and how the country would miss his distinct, strait-shooting commentary. I remember that night so clearly because of these two gracious and accepting new colleagues and the momentous words that Eric ­Sevareid offered: “By my time in life, one has accumulated more ­allegiances and moral debts than the mind can remember or the heart can contain.”

I remember Chal and her deep commitment and total joy in art and teaching and people as something which helped chart my course and send me off in a direction which has been sometimes daunting but always engaging and at moments so exhilarating that I have to wonder if it can really be legal.

The words that Walter Cronkite used to sum up the loss he felt on that evening seem appropriate now for Chal: “We shall be the poorer in our self-esteem for no longer being able to call her colleague.”

As I think back fondly on these memories of the whole-­hearted grace of this exquisite life of a true school person, I can’t help but think that there is a natural balance and elegance that this very dear and solid human life is now ultimately projected into the pure fancy and unbounded beauty of the ages and that she now shines on us and continues to light our way.

To read, Steve’s tribute in its entirety go to www.foxcroft.org/chal

Foxcroft School

Robyn Dobson Yovanovich Robyn Yovanovich, the moving force behind Foxcroft’s drama program and chair of the Fine Arts Department for the past 15 years, lost her battle with cancer on July 23, at her home in ­Upperville, VA. She was 58 years old.

At a memorial service in Miss ­Charlotte’s Garden several days later, hundreds of students, alumnae, faculty, family, and friends gathered to celebrate the life of this ­caring teacher and mother of Clancey Yovanovich ’11. Over the years, Robyn directed 30 major theatrical productions, mentored many aspiring thespians, some of whom went on to earn drama scholarships and forge acting careers. She also ­created a very special legacy, in 2010, with her one-woman show called “What I Did For Love.” The performance raised nearly $7,000 for the Foxcroft’s Fine Arts Department but it was Robyn ’s spirit that was the greatest gift to the community. Already in a fight for her life, she displayed captivating charm, terrific talent, and aweinspiring resolve to perform the show.

“Robyn’s impact was, indeed, dramatic and legendary,” said Head of School Mary Louise Leipheimer at the memorial service “Her final act, though, leaves us all with awe at her epic performance.

Our ­eternal energizer bunny faced her ultimate challenge with her ingrained dogged determination. Oscar, Emmy, Obie, even Tony – she earned them all in our minds. Robyn began on Broadway in A

Chorus Line and ended here still One Singular Sensation. And you know, I am certain St. Peter has already been cast in this fall’s Celestial Extravaganza! Break a leg, Robyn; we love you.”

Marjorie Myers Marsh In Marge Marsh, a beloved nurse, good friend, and mentor to scores of Foxcroft girls during her 20 years at the School, died Sunday, April 22, in Manassas, ­Virginia. She was 82.

Marge arrived at Foxcroft in 1985 to take a part-time nursing position. Two weeks later, she became the full-time nurse and for the next 20 years, she took care of Foxcroft girls, keeping them healthy, nursing their wounds, and making each one feel valued and safe. With a lifetime of experience working with adolescents in hospital, camp, and home (hers – she raised three children!) settings, Marge always had a willing ear and, on occasion, a firm kick, for the teenagers she so loved.

After retiring in 2005, Marge traveled the world for dog shows, worked at a bookstore in Manassas, volunteered at Prince ­William Hospital, pursued a variety of interests, and continued to share her love of life and generous spirit. She was buried at Arlington National Cemetery with her husband, Stan.

Do you know a potential Foxcroft Girl?

Send her to us!

Alumnae and friends are a wonderful and important part of our recruiting process, telling prospective students about Foxcroft and telling the Admission Office about prospective students each year. If you know someone who might love to attend Foxcroft, please fill out this form and send it to: Admission Office, Foxcroft School, P.O. Box 5555, Middleburg, VA 20118; or contact Director of Admission and Financial Aid Gina Finn (540.687.4340; gina.finn@foxcroft.org) Prospective Student’s Name ____________________________________ Address ___________________________________________________ City_____________________________ State________ Zip__________ Phone _____________________ Email _________________________ Parent/Guardian ____________________________________________ Phone _____________________ Email _________________________ Interested in enrolling at Foxcroft for ________ grade in year of 20_______ Your Name _________________________________________________ Phone _____________________ Email _________________________ Fall 2012

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A Dorm Grows at Foxcroft The first phase of the Campus Master Plan’s residential project, a new dormitory, takes shape behind Dillon. The building is scheduled to open next fall – just as Foxcroft’s 100th year begins.

Read more about the dorm on page 34; check out Centennial Celebration plans on page 2 and the back cover – and follow the progress of both at www.foxcroft.org.

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Foxcroft School

Forever Foxcroft

SASKIA PAULUSSEN

Forever Foxcroft was established in 1999 by the Board of Trustees to recognize individuals who have included Foxcroft 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 augmented as needed. They ensure that the School will continue to soar.

Anonymous – 10 Mimi Mills Abel-Smith ’54 Stacey Morse Ahner ’73 Peggy Wickes Alexander ’64 +Elizabeth Stewart Baldwin ’23 +Elizabeth Kemp Beach ’20 Ruth Bedford ’32 Pamela Biddle ’81 +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 Hope Kane Childs ’55 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 Elizabeth Millard Hanes ’46 Katherine Cooper Hastings ’78 Sarah Stokes Hatch ’63 Trevania Dudley Henderson ’76 Theodora Winthrop Hooton ’47 Richard and Kimberly Hurst +May Field Jackson ’29 Hope Jones ’82 Hope Haskell Jones ’52 +Amanda Bryan Kane ’22 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 Barbara Hartley Lord ’41 +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 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 +Seymour St. John +Anne Kinsolving Talbott ’60 +Eleanor Schley Todd ’29 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 +Alice Perkins Winn ’19 +Lunsford and Curgie Winchester Yandell ’24 + Deceased We have published the names of individuals who gave us permission to do so. If you have included Foxcroft in your long-term fiscal planning and would like your name listed, please write the Development Office at development@foxcroft.org or call 540.687.4510.