Navigator Impact Magazine 2025

Hampton Roads Academy, an inclusive community of service and compassion, prepares students to excel intellectually, artistically, physically, and morally in higher education and in life.

James

Susanne Swain ’78

Consistent with the Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (“Title IX”), Hampton Roads Academy is committed to providing an environment that emphasizes the respect and worth of every member of its community and that is free from harassment and discrimination in admissions, employment, and education programs or activities based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other status protected by law.

Dear Hampton Roads Academy Community,

I hope you have all had a peaceful and relaxing summer. It is my pleasure to introduce the reimagined Navigator Impact Magazine, which explores the idea of “impact” in two senses. First is the unique impact that an HRA education has on our incredible students, whether in the classroom, on the athletic field, or during a summer travel experience. Second is the impact of everyone whose efforts make the promise of HRA a reality: our hardworking faculty and staff, our devoted parents and alumni, and the many generous friends of the Academy.

At the heart of this deep investment in our school is the profound kindness that binds the HRA community together. This virtue was our central theme for the 2024-2025 school year. Now, as the Year of Kindness draws to a close, I hope its spirit continues to resonate with our current and graduating students in particular.

HRA students are leaders, especially the Class of 2025. This exceptionally talented group set a high bar for classes to come, with five National Merit Commended Scholars, seven collegiate athletes, and an impressive slate of college and university admissions. Beyond their achievements on paper, I am proud to say that the Class of 2025 is ready for college and what lies beyond, not just because of the the skills they honed in the classroom—as writers, communicators, researchers, and critical thinkers—but also because HRA has prepared them to lead ethical and purposeful lives.

The 2025 Commencement Ceremony was especially touching because of a tradition we revived this year: faculty members and trustees with graduating children and grandchildren were present on stage to congratulate and hug their accomplished Navigators. For their own part, the Class of 2025 has enriched the culture of HRA by introducing a new tradition of their own: the First Grade-Senior Buddies program. What began in late October as a bimonthly opportunity for our seniors to help our first graders develop and celebrate their reading skills grew over the course of the year into a robust relationship between our oldest students in the Upper School and some of our youngest in the Lower School. I hope this tradition, built on kindness, will endure for years to come.

The past year was no less a time of firsts for our faculty and staff, with many individuals newly assuming critical roles. Director of Upper School Ben Rous gracefully took on additional leadership responsibilities as Assistant Head of School. Elizabeth Cavallari took the reins from Ben as Director of College Counseling, and her success in guiding our graduates toward their next steps speaks for itself. Randi Helpinstill modernized our Business Office as the new Director of Finance. Ace Strickland has worked tirelessly to ensure the smooth operation of the school day in and day out as our Director of Facilities. And Courtney Gardner ’85 has done a transformative job of reinvigorating alumni engagement and stengthening the Navigator Annual Fund since returning to HRA as Director of Advancement.

As I look ahead to the 2025-2026 school year, I am excited for the launch of our new Student Support Center. Embodying HRA’s holistic approach to education, the Center will merge scholastic rigor with academic support services in the form of personalized assistance with coursework, time management, organization, goal-setting, and self-advocacy. I could imagine no better leader for this project than our outgoing Director of Middle School Lisa Thatcher, who will bring over 25 years of teaching, counseling, and mentoring experience to the new role of Director of the Student Support Center.

Karen L. Gillespie, meanwhile, has been appointed Interim Director of Middle School. Karen joined HRA in 1987 as an Upper School Spanish teacher, chaired the World Language Department for 17 years, and served as Head of the Upper School and later Dean of Faculty before retiring in 2020. Deeply committed to expanding dynamic and meaningful learning opportunities for all students, she helped establish the Academy’s REACH Initiative. HRA is thrilled to welcome back such a visionary educator and leader. A nationwide search for the next Middle School director will begin in the fall.

The future is bright for Hampton Roads Academy. I invite all of you to join me in celebrating the past successes of our Navigator community as we lay a foundation for a continued tradition of excellence. When we embrace curiosity, explore our creativity, and work together, there is nothing we cannot achieve.

Warm regards,

James H. Lasley, Jr., Head of School

The Class of 2025

OFF TO NAVIGATE NEW WATERS

Hampton Roads Academy saluted its newest class of graduating Navigators at the 2025 Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 31, in the Svein J. Lassen Auditorium. Recognizing this exceptionally talented group’s achievements in academics, athletics, the arts, and community service, the HRA community had much to celebrate.

The ceremony opened with remarks from Head of School Jay Lasley and a salutation from Upper School science teacher Dr. Maribel Gendreau, selected by the Class of 2025 for this honor. Senior class president Paul Bennett Northam was chosen by his peers to deliver a rousing speech on behalf of the graduates before alumna Dr. Leslie Stiff Jones ’87 gave the Commencement Address. After the conferral of diplomas, Lasley closed the exercises and invited the class to sing the Alma Mater.

The 47 graduating seniors’ years of hard work, persistence, and cherished memories will leave a proud legacy for generations of Navigators to come. Carrying on HRA’s tradition of 100-percent college acceptance, this accomplished class will attend 35 different institutions of higher learning, having been offered admission to an impressive 127 colleges and universities. Seven will join NCAA sports teams next year. Five are National Merit Commended Scholars. HRA itself bestowed a host of additional honors on this remarkable group in recognition of their many triumphs as scholars, as performers, as athletes, and as mindful and engaged members of their community.

The Board of Trustees, Faculty, and Administration Congratulate Each Member of the

Hampton Roads Academy Class of 2025

Paul Anthony Bennett Northam

Nálani Mahri Carter

Zachary Andrew Caulford

Josephine Wanrui Chang *

Nelson Reece David *

Addison Grace Detwiler

Carlie Paige Erwin

Abigail Mae Banluta Fiala

Elise Olivia Banluta Fiala

Elly Grace Flannery

Alejandra Beech Flores

Ryan Matthew Foretich

Cender Cindy Gansukh

Konstantin Haralambos Garofalis

Noah Preston Gearey

Charlotte Ellis Goddin

Anne Wanawaide Guerrant

Lily Baiyuxi Haas

Ishan Andrew Hartke *

Eleanor Sage Hensley *

James Michael Howard

Isabelle Kee Siew Dong *

Brandon Sean Kerins

Amare’ Chandler King

Miona Klačar

George James Kokolis

Sara Marie Kokolis

Anna Katherine Krzyzanowski *

Rocson Betz LaRocco

Kathleen Elizabeth Lasley

Campbell Avery Lemmink

* Indicates membership in Cum Laude Society

Hannah Louise Mead

Sarah Elise Mead

Parker Winthrop Moore

Jarod Perkins Murray

Jah’Mela Tynae Pearson

Leila Guarda Pfrang

Mahlen Liam Puhlick *

Madeline Frances Sablan *

Carl Li-He Stauffer *

Annabelle Virginia Steider

Danielle Elaine Stowell

Moergenfu Wengnade

Elijah Ralphael Williams

Julian Daniel Williams

Robert Shelby Winfield, Jr.

Lily Marie Ye

Class of 2025 Honors and Awards

NCAA athletes are among the country’s most talented players of their respective sports at the collegiate level. The Academy is proud to have produced seven for the coming year (left to right): Addison Grace Detwiler (Bridgewater College, swimming), Kathleen Elizabeth Lasley (Sewanee: The University of the South, lacrosse), Campbell Avery Lemmink (Lafayette College, field hockey), Parker Winthrop Moore (Roger Williams University, sailing), Leila Guarda Pfrang (Brown University, sailing), Carl Li-He Stauffer (Johns Hopkins University, swimming), and Danielle Elaine Stowell (University of Mary Washington, softball). »

National Merit Commended Scholars are among Hampton Roads Academy’s top achievers in the classroom. This honor is competitively awarded by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation each year to recognize outstanding academic success. The Academy’s five honorees are Josephine Wanrui Chang, Nelson Reece David, Ishan Andrew Hartke, Carl Li-He Stauffer, and Lily Marie Ye.

The Hampton Roads Academy Head of School Senior Honors Award is presented in honor of Dr. and Mrs. Thomas A Wash to the graduating senior who has attained the highest academic achievement in all courses during the current year. The recipient is Ishan Andrew Hartke »

The Senior Valedictory Award is bestowed in honor of Dr. and Mrs. Robert E. Cox to the member of the graduating class who has maintained the highest academic average during his/her career at the Academy. The recipient is Ishan Andrew Hartke

The Hampton Roads Academy Service Award is granted in memory of Mrs. Robert L. Trimpi to the graduating senior who has most selflessly served the Academy during the past year. The awardee is selected based on consistency of effort and loyalty to the founding ideals of the Academy. The recipient is Zachary Andrew Caulford

The Hampton Roads Academy Navigator Award is the highest honor the Academy presents. Established in memory of Mrs. Elinor Hedrick Buxton by her family, the award recognizes significant scholastic achievement, outstanding leadership, high personal standards, and sound citizenship. The recipient is Nelson Reece David. » « «

The Lee Award is presented annually in memory of Mr. Joseph E. Carpenter, who served as a trustee of Hampton Roads Academy for 30 years. This honor is bestowed upon a graduating senior who, through genuine enthusiasm for school activities and active concern for the rights and feelings of others, has contributed significantly to fostering school spirit and morale. The recipient is Madeline Frances Sablan

The Moonves Award is conferred in memory of Mrs. Sylvia F. Moonves to the member of the graduating class who, through conscientious effort, high ambition and courage, outstanding character, and exemplary deportment, has made Hampton Roads Academy a better and friendlier place to learn. The recipient is Ishan Andrew Hartke

WORDS TO LIVE BY Commencement Speeches for 2025

This past May’s Commencement Ceremony featured two inspiring sets of remarks brimming with words of wisdom for the graduating seniors. The first speaker, 2025 class president Paul Bennett Northam, reflected on how the lessons he and his classmates had learned at Hampton Roads Academy could inform their conduct as responsible and ethical adults. The invited commencement speaker, decorated Howard University professor of medicine and HRA Athletic Hall of Famer Dr. Leslie Stiff Jones ’87, then offered valuable advice to channel the foundations the students had laid at the Academy into a lifetime of excellence.

“It Is Time for Tomorrow”: Paul Bennett Northam

The thematic core of Northam’s thoughtful and humorous speech was growth. Relating that his father had developed a habit of sharing old photos of his son and marveling at how dramatically he had changed since Middle School, Northam reminded his classmates that they had not only studied, played sports, and produced art together. They had also grown up together at HRA, becoming wiser, more mature, and, perhaps most importantly, kinder.

The class president made a point of thanking the many people who had guided and enabled the Class of 2025’s remarkable transition to young adulthood, from teachers, administrators, coaches, and librarians to IT wizards, custodians, and dining hall staff. Most of all, Northam thanked the graduates’ parents: “We did this together.”

While the speech contained no shortage of reminiscences—from jumping in the Fall Festival bounce house and attending senior prom to initiating the First Grade Senior Buddies program and collectively competing in a staggering 1,200 athletic contests—Northam quickly turned toward the future.

Paul Bennett Northam ’25 inspires his classmates

“In just about an hour, our slates are wiped clean,” he told his classmates. To continue growing into the compassionate leaders of the future, the Class of 2025 would need to embrace its greatest strength: “We show up. We participate. We serve.”

Northam’s call to action was simple: “What matters tomorrow, next year, and 10 years from now is not what we have done for ourselves, but rather what we have done for the bigger world. … Let us have that be our compass every day.”

“Be Excellent”: Dr. Leslie Stiff Jones

“What you do next matters,” Jones told her audience, picking up where Northam left off. “But more importantly, how you do it matters even more.”

The bulk of her address outlined a framework for personal excellence, which had guided her from her days as an HRA student through her medical career and was rooted in three sayings she had learned from her mother.

First, Jones reminded the Class of 2025, “You can’t get blood from a turnip.” She explained that she had learned

the importance of knowing when to pivot when she discovered her original research path in college simply was not right for her—and suggested the seniors had likely learned the same by trying in vain to write a perfect paper by pulling an all-nighter.

Next, she exhorted the graduates, “Do the maximum, not the minimum.” Stressing that those who achieve excellence do not settle for “checking boxes,” she encouraged these high achievers to take risks and not to feel bound by any one path simply because it is where they started.

Finally, Jones told the seniors, “Know where your bread is buttered.” Without a loving family and exceptional teachers and coaches at HRA, she hastened to acknowledge, she would not have achieved what she had in her life and career. She instructed the graduates to turn to those beside them and repeat two sentences: “I did it with my parents’ help. I did it with my teachers’ help.”

“Before you celebrate tonight, Jones added, “make sure you hug and thank the people who helped you rise.” And herein lay the wisdom that tied the two Commencement speeches together: graduation is as much an occasion for gratitude as it is one for celebration.

Dr. Leslie Stiff Jones ’87 addresses the Class of 2025

GRADUATION: A FAMILY AFFAIR

Trustee Larry Pope Reflects on His Grandchildren’s Success at HRA

Graduation is an emotional occasion for every senior at Hampton Roads Academy, but this past May’s Commencement Ceremony was particularly special for Elly Flannery ’25. After her name had been read and she had received her diploma, she flew straight into the arms of her grandfather, outgoing trustee and longtime supporter of HRA Larry Pope.

This wonderful moment, however, nearly did not happen at all. Though not one to pass up an opportunity to hug his

granddaughter, Pope did not want to risk stealing her spotlight by joining Flannery on the stage. As late as the day before the ceremony, he was determined not to take that chance. But the graduate would not let him miss out.

“My family has always supported me,” Flannery explained. “They’ve always loved me no matter my struggles and believed in my successes before I believed in them myself. So, seeing my grandfather on the stage that day … filled me with a sense of pride.”

Outgoing HRA trustee Larry Pope embraces his beaming granddaughter, Elly Flannery ’25, at her graduation ceremony

The feeling was mutual. “It was as much fun as any grandparent can have,” Pope said.

Flannery was the third grandchild Pope proudly watched graduate from HRA, after her brother Will ’20 and sister Lily ’22. It is the Academy’s profound impact on all three students that has motivated the trustee, namesake of the Mary and Larry Pope Dining Hall, not only to volunteer his service to HRA for years, but also to give back generously to the school that has given his family more than he ever imagined.

All three of the Flannery siblings began their academic careers at another independent school, where they did not receive the resources their parents and grandparents had hoped they would find. It was clear that they were not achieving their full potential. The difference when they transferred to HRA, Pope recalled, was dramatic.

“HRA does a phenomenally good job of preparing these kids for whatever awaits them after they graduate from high school,” he said. “Grade 13 for them is easier than Grade 12.”

While their peers at their respective universities, many of whom had attended public schools, struggled to adjust to the rigors of college, Will and Lily Flannery thrived. Will excelled in his classes at Christopher Newport University and was recently accepted to a highly competitive Ph.D. program in organic chemistry at the University of Notre Dame (as well as several other graduate schools). Lily, now a rising senior at Virginia Commonwealth University, secured three internships in summer 2025 and plans to earn an advanced degree in psychology in order to become a youth addiction counselor. Pope does not doubt that an HRA education made all of these successes possible.

Alongside a rigorous curriculum, he emphasized, the Academy offers such benefits as internship and mentorship opportunities, a wealth of extracurricular activities, and a robust athletics program that allows all students who wish to play sports to take an active role on their teams, rather than merely sitting on the sidelines. Without the generosity of HRA’s strong network of parents, alumni, and other friends of the school, such resources—and the mission of the Academy itself—would be out of reach.

Above all, as a graduate of a public school, Pope recognized that HRA sets itself apart through the quality of instruction its faculty provides. “Often in the public school system, you get taught to the test. HRA is teaching the subject,” he said. Moreover, the school meets the unique needs of every student by offering a “warm and personalized education.”

Elly Flannery’s success as a student is a case in point. Diagnosed with ADHD and autism spectrum disorder at an

early age, she struggled for years with basic math and reading. After joining HRA in Grade 3, however, her academic performance was transformed. With the support of dedicated teachers who recognized her potential and nurtured her love of learning, Flannery flourished. By the time she graduated from Upper School, she had completed six AP and two Honors courses and consistently achieved outstanding grades.

Now, as she looks forward to the fall, she is preparing to study at William & Mary, with aspirations to pursue a career in law or politics.

Flannery and her siblings are emblematic of the countless families whose lives have been changed by Hampton Roads Academy. With unmatched educators in their corner and a tight-knit community behind them, generations of Navigators have learned to aim high, dream boldly, believe in themselves, and achieve the seemingly impossible.

Witnessing his grandchildren’s many accomplishments, Larry Pope has learned something as well: “The Peninsula needs HRA.”

Elly Fannery on stage during Commencement

Trustee, Alumni, & Faculty

LEGACY

Erika (faculty), Will (staff), Zack ’25, Bill, and Marie Caulford

Farica (faculty), CJ ’25, Chelsea ’23, and James Erwin

Leo Bennett Northam ’30, Dr. Drina Northam (former trustee), Paul Bennett Northam ’25, and Len Bennett

Riley ’20, Reece ’25, Jenny (former trustee), and Josh David

Robin, Noah ’25, and Bruce Gearey (former trustee)

Brad ’71, Anne ’25, and Yui Guerrant

Annie Steider ’25, Ethan Steider ’22, Carol Hayes (former trustee), and N. Lee Steider

Jason, Alex ’20, Campbell ’25, and Brantlee Lemmink (current trustee)

Samuel ’27, Jay (Head of School), Kate ’25, Emilly (staff), and Jack Lasley

Helena ’30, Penelope ’34, Luke ’27, Maddie ’25, Dr. Nick (current trustee), and Mary Beth Sablan

Beth ’23, Gus, Charlotte ’25, and Kate Goddin (faculty)

OUR ANCHORS

Students join Hampton Roads Academy at all grade levels, some as late as Grade 11, all embracing the unmatched experience this school offers.

But no one understands the impact of an HRA education more deeply than our Anchors—the students who embarked on their Navigator journey in Pre-Kindergarten, Junior Kindergarten, or Kindergarten. The Class of 2025 proudly includes eight Anchors, representing over a sixth of the entire graduating cohort. Five joined the HRA family for Pre-K in 2011: Zack Caulford, Reece David, Konstantin Garofalis, James Howard, and Jarod Murray. An additional three came on board for Kindergarten the following year: CJ Erwin, Ishan Hartke, and Ryan Foretich.

These Navigators are intimately acquainted with how the Academy nurtures, challenges, and builds up its students through careful scaffolding. The Lower School lays the foundation that prepares students for greater independence in Middle School, which in turn equips them with the necessary tools to handle the rigor of their Upper School courses. By the time they graduate, HRA students— most of all the Anchors—are more than equipped to excel in higher education and beyond, undaunted by the adjustment that lies ahead.

Zack Caulford

Reece David

CJ Erwin

Ryan Foretich

Navigators from the Start

“The academic rigor that this school puts its students through is immense,” said Anchor Zack Caulford. “However, it’s an important factor in order to be ready for the next step in one’s life. I’m very grateful for the opportunities that the school has provided, both academic and extracurricular.”

Fellow Anchor and class valedictorian Ishan Hartke echoed this assessment. “I feel incredibly prepared for college,” he said. As Hartke explained, HRA imbues its students with such confidence because the Academy offers far more than a demanding curriculum. It also cultivates a tight-knit, supportive community. “The teachers not only care how you are doing in their class; they also show up to your sporting events, theatre productions, art shows, and now graduation parties. They really care about you as a person—something I think is a result of the small class sizes and personalized attention.”

“Being a student at HRA for 13 years has only magnified all these benefits,” Hartke added. “The teachers at HRA have watched me and my classmates grow from four- and five-year-olds to literal adults.”

Through a history spanning their entire academic careers so far, the Anchors have forged lasting relationships with their classmates and with their alma mater.

Konstanin Garofalis

Ishan Hartke

Jarod Murray

James Howard

COLLEGE COUNSELING AT HRA

Elevating Support, Building Relationships, and Empowering Students

Elizabeth Cavallari, Director of College Counseling

The College Counseling Office is proud to reflect on a year of meaningful growth, strategic change, and deepened connection with students and families. We adopted a centralized staffing model to better meet the needs of our community. Whether helping students choose schools, write essays, or navigate decision season, our team is well positioned to offer thoughtful, personalized guidance.

Strengthening College Relationships

Over the course of the academic year and summer 2025, we welcomed 64 college representatives to campus and visited more than 30 colleges and universities across the country. We also participated in two formal counselor fly-in programs, which allowed us to connect directly with institutions and bring back valuable insights for our students. These visits were more than symbolic—they allowed our office to forge genuine institutional relationships that elevate the visibility and positioning of our students within the college admissions landscape.

Personalized Engagement with Students and Families

At the heart of our office is a commitment to relationshipdriven support. From essay-writing and application strategy to scholarship appeals and post-decision counseling, our approach was tailored to each student’s journey.

Associate Director of College Counseling Chris Hailey and I led weekly advisory meetings, providing a targeted curriculum and consistent guidance to ensure students were prepared and confident as they began their college planning.

And that support didn’t stop when the school year ended. Throughout the summer, our team remained actively engaged with rising seniors. Whether meeting at HRA, hopping on a Zoom call, or catching up over coffee closer to home, we made sure students had access to continued support as they prepared for the college process ahead. Meeting students where they are—literally and figuratively— makes all the difference.

We’re kicking off the 2025-2026 academic year with an Application Bootcamp, designed to ensure seniors are poised to submit strong, timely college applications. This

intensive, hands-on program will help students finalize their materials, refine their essays, and navigate submission portals with confidence.

Expanding Our Reach and Communication

To enhance communication and broaden our impact, we expanded our programming and outreach. We delivered grade-level sessions for students in Grades 8 through 12, launched a weekly newsletter for juniors, implemented online scheduling, and revitalized our presence on Instagram. Whether sharing essay tips, deadline reminders, or photos from college visits, we made it easier for families to stay informed and connected.

At

the Helm: Opening the Conversation to Our

Community

An exciting addition this year was our new speaker series, At the Helm, where our inaugural event focused on navigating the college admissions landscape. We brought in deans, directors, and vice presidents of admissions from a variety of regional institutions to talk honestly about the changing college admissions process. Open not just to HRA families, but to the wider community, these sessions offered straight talk, myth-busting, a deeper understanding of what college admissions really looks like today, and how to navigate it wisely.

Reflecting on Year One

As I wrap up my first year at HRA, I feel incredibly grateful for the chance to do this work in such a dynamic and student-centered community. It’s been a joy to guide students through a process that can be both exciting and challenging—and to build strong, trusting relationships along the way.

Colleges and Universities Offering Admission to the Class of 2025

American Academy of Dramatic Arts –New York

American Musical and Dramatic Academy

American University

Arcadia University

Arizona State University – Downtown Phoenix

Auburn University

Averett University

Bard College

Bethany Lutheran College

Boston University

Bridgewater College

Brown University

Bryn Mawr College

Case Western Reserve University

Chowan University

Christopher Newport University

Clemson University

Colby College

Colgate University

College of Charleston

Connecticut College

Cornell University

Davidson College

Dickinson College

Drexel University

Duquesne University

East Carolina University

Elon University

Emmanuel College

Emory University

Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University

Florida Atlantic University

Florida Southern College

Fordham University

George Mason University

The George Washington University

Georgia Institute of Technology

Greensboro College

Hampden-Sydney College

Haverford College

Hofstra University

Indiana University Bloomington

Iowa State University

James Madison University

Johns Hopkins University

Kansas State University

La Salle University

Lafayette College

Liberty University

Long Island University – Post

Longwood University

Loyola University Maryland

Lynn University

Mary Baldwin University

Marymount Manhattan College

Miami University

Michigan State University

New York University

North Carolina A&T State University

North Carolina State University

Northeastern University

Ohio University

Old Dominion University

Penn State Altoona

Pennsylvania State University

Purdue University

Radford University

Randolph College

Randolph-Macon College

Rochester Institute of Technology

Roger Williams University

Rowan University

Rutgers University – New Brunswick

Saint Louis University

Salve Regina University

Sewanee: The University of the South

Shenandoah University

Stony Brook University

Swarthmore College

Syracuse University

Trinity Washington University

Union College

The University of Alabama

University of California, Berkeley

University of California, San Diego

University of California, Santa Barbara

University of Delaware

University of Denver

University of Georgia

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

University of Kentucky

University of Louisville

University of Lynchburg

University of Mary Washington

University of Massachusetts Boston

University of Miami

University of Michigan

University of Mississippi

University of Missouri – Kansas City

The University of North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

University of Notre Dame

University of Pittsburgh

University of Richmond

University of Rochester

University of South Carolina

University of Stirling (UK)

University of Tennessee, Chattanooga

University of Tennessee, Knoxville

The University of Texas at Austin

University of Vermont

University of Virginia

University of Virginia’s College at Wise

University of Washington

University of Wisconsin – Madison

Villanova University

Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Tech

Wake Forest University

Washington and Lee University

Wesleyan University

West Virginia University

William & Mary

HRA’s Oldest Tradition

NOODLE NIGHT TURNS 50

The venue was decidedly new. The pasta and desserts were much more gourmet. Most of the faces had changed. But for those who still remembered the first Noodle Night, the energy that suffused Hampton Roads Academy’s longestrunning unbroken tradition was unmistakable when they gathered on January 24, 2025, to celebrate its fiftieth year.

Noodle Night has long been a treasured campus institution, but the story of the fundraiser dinner’s origins had largely been forgotten with the passage of generations of Navigators and its handoff from the juniors to the sophomores. The milestone anniversary, however, provided an occasion for HRA to invite back the students who first gobbled plate after plate of spaghetti and bring their story to light.

Humble Origins

Long before the construction of the state-of-the-art Mary and Larry Pope Dining Hall, where the event is held now, Noodle Night was an occasion for the HRA community to bond through improvisation. The impetus for the original fundraiser in February 1976 was the junior class’s dream to

pay for a senior prom off campus, in the ballroom of a local hotel, rather than in the “Old Gym” (now lovingly known as the Multipurpose Room). Pete Paine ’77 recalls brainstorming ideas with his fellow juniors in the classroom of their advisor, Kitty Booth. When one of his classmates suggested an event centered on food, Paine knew what they should do. Inspired by his love of his mother’s pasta, made with a sauce recipe inherited from his grandmother, Paine said, “Why don’t we get all of our moms to make spaghetti and charge for the meal?”

Just like that, Noodle Night was born.

The evening of a much-anticipated face-off with HRA’s cross-town basketball rival, Peninsula Catholic High School, Navigator mothers descended on the campus with hot plates and stock pots. While some frenzied moms whipped up mountains of noodles—doing their best to imitate Paine’s grandmother’s sauce—others prepared salads and French bread to make the meal complete. The crowd’s appetite was seemingly insatiable. The hardworking parents had to hold two seatings to accommodate everyone.

A night of fun and delicious food for the whole HRA community

With so many individual home cooks experimenting, alumna and current Director of Advancement Courtney Gardner ’85 recalled, “it was not great spaghetti. You didn’t come for the food.” Nevertheless, “everyone always looked forward to Noodle Night. It was wildly popular across the entire school.”

Their school spirit buoyed by camaraderie and carbohydrates, the Navigators went on to defeat Peninsula Catholic in both their junior varsity and varsity basketball games that night. In the varsity game, which HRA handily won 82-59 after two previous losses to their rival, junior Bill Shelly ’77 scored a school record-setting 41 points and reached a 1,000-career-point milestone.

Strength in Tradition

What was the Navigators’ secret sauce that night? Was it Granny’s spaghetti recipe? Or was it something else in the air?

For Paine, who followed Shelly’s basketball career closely as his statistician, the answer was clear. HRA’s strength lay in the ethic of teamwork that animated students like his friend.

The following year, as Shelly closed in on an unprecedented 2,000 high school career points, the varsity basketball team faced steep odds against Trinity Episcopal School. Coach Michael Pratt, whom the HRA family just lost in June 2025, determined that the best way to keep Trinity from racking up points was to play “stall ball.” Shelly knew that holding onto the ball rather than scoring would impede his progress toward his personal goal as a player, but when Pratt proposed his strategy, he answered the call without hesitation: “Let’s do it.” Ultimately, Shelly fell just 12 points shy of 2,000.

At their fortieth reunion, Paine asked Shelly if he regretted his choice to slow down his play. “No,” Shelly replied, “in fact, the decision is something I look back upon with a great deal of pride.”

“His sacrifice was for the larger goal of the team,” Paine said. “Yes, Bill Shelly is in HRA’s [Athletic] Hall of Fame for

his basketball prowess. Unfortunately, they don’t have a Hall of Fame for character, because I know Bill would be in there, too.”

“You get so much more when you give than when you take,” he added.

It is this spirit of selflessness and investment in community—a spirit HRA cultivates in each of its students to this day— that the fiftieth Noodle Night aimed to celebrate. With copies of Paine’s grandmother’s sauce recipe displayed on the tables, the event was a tribute to all the volunteers who made Noodle Night one of the Academy’s most cherished traditions. The boys and girls varsity basketball teams further honored tradition by winning both their games against Summit Christian Academy that evening.

Deeply grateful to be reminded of a slice of Navigator history, members of the HRA family emerged from Noodle Night 2025 with renewed inspiration to give back to this one-of-a-kind community.

Tasting a legacy: the original pasta sauce recipe passed down from the grandmother of Pete Paine ’77, proudly displayed at Noodle Night 2025

HRA alumni gather to celebrate the fiftieth Noodle Night with Head of School Jay Lasley and Director of Advancement Courtney Gardner ’85

Bill Shelly ’77 makes history: headline in the Daily Press, February 7, 1976

A New Tradition from the Class of 2025

SENIORS PARTNER WITH FIRST GRADERS

As the members of the Class of 2025 prepared for their next adventures beyond Hampton Roads Academy, they graciously presented two gifts to the school. The first, an enhancement to HRA’s facilities, was a pair of benches, one placed at the front entrance and the other in a memorial space honoring alumnus Kurt J. Hilburger ’12, who passed away a decade ago. The second, gifted specifically to the Lower School, was a pair of rocking chairs, meant to allow the faculty to read to young students in comfort.

These chairs, however, are far more than a place to sit. They are a tribute to a special relationship the seniors forged in the past year with HRA’s first graders—and to a wonderful new tradition bringing the Navigator community closer together.

The First Grade-Senior Buddies program, launched in fall 2024, pairs up members of the first- and twelfth-grade classes to create a space in which HRA’s oldest students encourage some of its youngest to sharpen their skills in, and love of, reading. The goal is for the seniors to provide a model of personal and academic achievement. But to the first graders, they have become so much more.

HRA seniors and first graders celerbate their shared love of cozy pajamas and a good book during the holiday season

Uniting HRA’s Divisions

Ever since HRA became a Pre-K-12 school in 2008, the administration has searched for ways to build connections across the various divisions. Last fall, senior Kate Lasley ’25 hatched the idea for the seniors to establish a grade level-spanning reading buddies program. If any group could break down the divide between the Upper and Lower Schools, she reasoned, surely her “eager, goal-oriented, and supportive class” was up to the challenge.

Lasley found an enthusiastic partner in her classmate Madeline Sablan ’25, who, as the eldest of four siblings enrolled at HRA, was deeply invested in cultivating a “sense of connection” among younger students while also “foster[ing] a deep sense of pride and unity within the Class of 2025.” Together, Lasley and Sablan approached senior class advisor and Upper School history teacher Rachel Donavant and Director of Lower School Susanne Swain ’78 with a proposal for a cross-division reading program.

Inspired by the two seniors’ drive, Swain quickly met with the Lower School faculty and determined that Grade 1 would be ideal for this partnership, given the students’ existing foundation of reading skills. The intent of the program, she explained, was not to teach reading to the youngsters, but rather “to encourage their reading through positive feedback.”

Swain, who personally remembered many of the seniors from their time in the Lower School, worked with Lasley, Sablan, and Donavant to pair up first and twelfth graders whose personalities they agreed would complement one another. By late October, the team was ready to bring the seniors to the Lower School and introduce them to their new buddies.

The program swiftly got off to a promising start. “It was wonderful to see the excitement that both the first graders and the seniors had” from the moment they met, Swain said.

From Storybooks to Friendships

Every other Thursday for the remainder of the academic year, the seniors would visit the first-grade classrooms or Lower School Commons, where one of the younger students would choose from among several age-appropriate books pre-selected by the teachers and read it aloud to the group. The seniors came prepared with reading comprehension questions to pose to the first graders to facilitate their learning.

“What began with storybooks quickly grew into meaningful mentorship, as students shared encouragement, celebrated milestones, and formed genuine friendships,” firstgrade teacher Kelley Rhodes said. “First graders proudly supported their senior buddies at games and performances, while seniors cheered on their younger partners through lost teeth, talent shows, and reading breakthroughs.”

The affection between the two classes was undeniable when they came together for special events throughout the year, from a holiday-time Polar Express reading and viewing party with hot cocoa and pajamas to a shared outdoor picnic in the spring.

Growing Together

As the seniors steadily strengthened their bond with the first graders, they appreciated and celebrated the progress their buddies were making with their reading. Encouragement from teachers is of course important, but, as Swain noted, validation from “an older child that you look up to” is immensely valuable. Moreover, being warmly embraced by

the twelfth graders deepened the youngsters’ “sense of belonging” in the HRA community—one of the school’s core values.

But the first graders were not the only ones to benefit from this experience. Reflecting on the Senior Buddies program, Assistant Head of School and Director of Upper School Ben Rous underscored “the prosocial effect of being watched by little eyes.” Working with younger students, he explained, had pushed the seniors to model leadership, decorum, citizenship, integrity, and kindness for their buddies.

Moreover, being born from the initiative of two members of the Class of 2025, the Senior Buddies program has helped to advance a “student-led culture” at HRA. According to Rous, “That’s what motivates people: making them feel like they have a stake in their learning experience.”

This incredible impact was not lost on Kate Lasley, who found her time with her first-grade buddy Cameron “inspirational.” “I look forward to watching her develop as a person, student, and leader at HRA,” Lasley said.

The 2024-2025 Senior Buddies program came to a close at the twelfth graders’ final assembly of the year, where the first graders surprised them with a moving rendition of Randy Newman’s “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.” With scarcely a dry eye among the seniors, it was clear that they would never forget their younger buddies.

And HRA will not forget what the Class of 2025 started in their final year on campus. The school looks forward to continuing this new tradition of companionship, collaborative reading, and community-building next year and for many years to come.

The first and twelfth graders’ close bond on full display at the Senior Buddies spring picnic

Strengthening the HRA campus community through new friendships

UNMATCHED ENERGY AND ELEGANCE

The Night of the Navigator Gala & Auction

Hampton Roads Academy may be a school, but far more than just its current students find a sense of community here. And within that community, the kids are not the only ones who have fun.

This was never clearer than it was the evening of Saturday, February 8, when HRA welcomed parents, alumni, and other adult friends of the Academy to its second annual Night of the Navigator Gala & Auction. A good time was had by all at the upscale fundraiser, where well-dressed guests bid for prizes in both live and silent auctions and were treated to a live band, dancing, cocktails, a seated dinner prepared by HRA’s own Chef Uwe Schluszas, and an “after party” with bar bites and a nightclub-like atmosphere.

By all measures, the event was a smash hit, with 210 attendees and an amazing $173,425 raised for the Navigator Annual Fund.

This incredible night of festivities and philanthropy would not have been possible without the energies of a team of volunteers led by the event’s chair for the second year in a row, HRA alumna, parent, and outgoing Head of the Advancement Committee for the Board of Trustees Allison Parks Hale ’92.

“The concept of a gala was first floated by a few trustees about four years ago as a creative way to elevate fundraising,” Hale said. “Our vision was to establish a flagship event that would resonate with parents, grandparents, trustees, and members of the broader community. It took some time to align all the pieces, but the inaugural gala [in 2024] was perfectly timed to celebrate the arrival of Jay Lasley as our new Head of School.”

In collaboration with a small group of dedicated Board members and HRA’s new Director of Advancement, Courtney Gardner ’85, Hale worked to elevate the event in 2025. The inclusion of student performances and testimonials, she explained, lent “a powerful and heartfelt layer to the evening.”

Among the other highlights of this year’s Night of the Navigator was an offering in the silent auction for a participant’s child to serve as the Director of Lower School for a day. Thanks to her parents’ winning bid, the honor went to third grader Sophia Barbosa ’34, who spent a few hours as part of HRA’s leadership team on April 11.

The height of excitement came during the live auction, which offered such enticing prizes as a three-night glamping trip

at the Grand Canyon, a NASCAR racing experience for two, and the multimedia work of alumni artist Will Swink ’99. An intense bidding war erupted over a week at the Seutters’ beach house, which the family resolved by deciding to offer this coveted prize twice over.

With such generosity on display, it is no wonder that this year’s Night of the Navigator was a boon to the Annual Fund, which helps supply the more than $1 million in school expenses that tuition does not cover. Without this supplement, HRA could not offer students such unparalleled opportunities and resources as enriching field trips and top-notch laboratory equipment. Events like the annual gala bring together parents, alumni, and friends of the Academy in support of the mission that makes HRA a one-of-akind place to learn.

But for Hale, the Night of the Navigator is “so much more than a fundraiser. It is a celebration of community, spirit, and the distinctive educational experience that defines Hampton Roads Academy.”

“Over the years, Hampton Roads Academy has hosted a variety of special events, auctions, and milestone celebrations,” Hale said. “But to my knowledge, nothing has ever quite matched the energy and elegance of the Night of the Navigator Gala & Auction.”

HRA parents dressed to impress at the 2025 Night of the Navigator (left to right): communications specialist Elffie LaChance, current trustees Marissa Lanier and Rhonda Barbosa, and Brynn Beal

Third grader Sophia Barbosa ’34, Director of Lower School for the day, visits with Head of School Jay Lasley in his office

Head of School Jay Lasley hits the dancefloor with faculty, staff, parents, trustees, and friends of HRA

— AND —

CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE PAYING IT FORWARD

HRA Day and Founders’ Day Honors

At Hampton Roads Academy, excellence and generosity go hand-in-hand. The contributions of the many devoted friends of the Academy make it possible for HRA to offer the unmatched resources and instruction that equip its more than 600 students for success in college and beyond. The Navigator community recognized this connection on HRA Day, our annual day of giving, with the theme Stronger Together, Brighter Forever. The springtime event, held this year on Friday, April 25, was a resounding success.

The prior day, Founders’ Day, provided an occasion for the school to celebrate the many achievements that its donors would help to perpetuate on HRA Day. Alumni and both current and former trustees returned to our Newport News campus for the presentation of honors that paid tribute to a legacy of educational excellence. HRA applauded its faculty and staff who had reached milestone years of service, including an impressive 25 years for both Director of Lower School Susanne Swain ’78 and Upper School science teacher Bob Williams. The announcement of Memorial Awards followed, recognizing outstanding students, faculty members, and alumni. The Founders’ Day Assembly concluded with the conferral of the Mary P. Blalock Philanthropy Committee Grant Awards, supporting local nonprofits and underscoring HRA students’ commitment to serving the wider community.

Reminded of the impact that their support for the Annual Fund would have, the Navigator community went into HRA Day eager to give back. HRA raised over $90,000, contributed by 232 individual donors—family members, alumni, trustees, faculty, staff, students, and friends of the school. The HRA athletics family capped off the day with the moving dedication of the Tommy Yevak Baseball Field, a fitting salute to an alumnus, teacher, Advancement team member, and longtime coach whose decades of dedication to the Academy are unequaled.

By standing with Hampton Roads Academy, all who showed their support on HRA Day are empowering dreams, inspiring achievement, and shaping the leaders of tomorrow. We are stronger together, and our future is brighter forever.

Faculty and Staff Service Milestones

5 Years

Sydney Cook

Laurie Hager

Hannah Hislop

Kelley Rhodes

Jocelyn Spencer

10 Years

Stacy Ansama

Chris Hailey

Kadejah Lawrence

Jennifer Massengill

15 Years

Debbie Foltz

Christine Joyce

Liza Perrez

Jeff Scott

20 Years

Bridgitte Ferguson

25 Years

Susanne Swain

Bob Williams

Memorial Awards

The Alumni Service of the Year Award was presented to John Stout ’82. In his time as a student, Stout played three sports and led HRA’s baseball team to its first TCIS championship the year he graduated. Since then, he has remained deeply invested in the life of the school and its athletic community. He has attended and/or been involved with upwards of 5,000 HRA-related events, gatherings, or initiatives as an alumnus. He served as his class agent for 43 years, as Vice President (2008-2010) and President (20102015) of the Alumni Council, and as an alumni representative on the HRA Board of Trustees, where he was a member of the Marketing Committee. A talented photographer, Stout captured more than 20,000 sports snapshots at HRA from 2000 to 2020. He further championed HRA athletics by serving as the announcer for home baseball games between 2011 and 2015 and by funding and distributing water bottles and peanuts for home fans and visitors. By speaking at multiple Career Days and creating reunion photo slideshows, he has repeatedly put his passion for media and production to work for the school he cherishes.

John Stout ’82 accepts the Alumni Service of the Year Award

Head of School Jay Lasley and Director of Advancement Courtney Gardner ’85 honor Director of Lower School Susanne Swain ’78’s 25 years of service

The Karen Schappert Memorial Award is bestowed annually by the Class of 1985, in memory of a beloved classmate, to recognize the ninth-grade student who best exemplifies the characteristics they most valued in their first year in HRA’s Upper School. The recipient is chosen by their fellow ninth graders for demonstrating selflessness, a sense of responsibility, honesty, and sensitivity to the feelings of others. This year’s awardee was Madison Davis ’28.

The Tony Hux Memorial Award is presented each year, in memory of the namesake member of the Class of 1976, to the HRA junior who best embodies the special qualities Hux exhibited during his six years at the Academy: an engaging sense of humor, enthusiastic involvement in athletics and other school activities, exemplary integrity, a genuine concern for others, a deep love for the school, and the respect and admiration of all who knew him. This year’s recipient was Colten Fulcher ’26

The Nancy Richwine Memorial Award is presented annually to a female student-athlete with a strong academic record in honor of physical education teacher and field hockey and tennis coach Nancy Richwine, who served at HRA for a remarkable 25 years. This year’s recipient was Josie Brindley ’26.

The Hal Tayloe Enrichment Award honors one or more students each year in memory of longtime HRA teacher Hal Tayloe, who established an endowment to encourage students to pursue their individual interests through independent learning experiences. This year’s awardees were Britton Drames ’27 and Madeleine Wells ’30

The John C. “Kit” Scull Memorial Scholarship Award is conferred, based on faculty nominations, upon a student who exemplifies the defining traits of HRA alumnus and decorated Navy Commander John C. “Kit” Scull ’64, who lost his life in the line of duty. These virtues include exceptional scholastic achievement, strong citizenship, inspirational leadership, dedication to involvement in athletics and other facets of campus life, a commitment to community service, and a sincere love of country. This year’s honoree was Audrey Elmes ’26.

The Wythe W. and Mary A. Holt Faculty Award was established by Mary A. Holt, wife of one of HRA’s founders and herself the parent and grandparent of Navigators, upon her passing to enable highly qualified faculty members to pursue international travel, study, and/or research in areas of interest that will enrich their classroom teaching. This year’s recipients were two talented HRA history teachers: the Middle School’s Kerry LiBrando and the Upper School’s Rachel Donavant.

Head of School Jay Lasley congratulates Karen Schappert Memorial Award winner Madison Davis ’28

Mary P. Blalock Philanthropy Committee Grant Awards

These special awards are bestowed annually to four area nonprofits from an endowed fund created by friends and family of former Director of Advancement Mary P. Blalock. With a total of $4,000 awarded by HRA’s student-led Philanthropy Club, these grants provide a hands-on opportunity for students to learn about and give back to organizations that uplift their community and, in the process, grow into thoughtful and engaged leaders. This year’s worthy awardees were:

• Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters, to enable the purchase of children’s books for CHKD pediatricians’ offices on the Peninsula;

• Fear 2 Freedom Organization, to provide kits to victims of sexual assault;

• RocSolid Foundation, to aid in providing “ready bags” to children entering hospitals for pediatric cancer treatment; and

• St. Mary’s Home for Disabled Children, to help provide active recreational therapy, including sports and art activities, for children with severe physical and intellectual disabilities.

Sam Overman ’26 and other members of the Philanthropy Club present the Mary P. Blalock Philanthropy Committee Grant Awards

— ON THE —

A FACE MT. RUSHMORE OF HRA

Teacher and Coach Kelly Alford Retires after 37 Years of Service

At their year-end luncheon on June 2, 2025, no one had to tell the faculty and staff of Hampton Roads Academy to give retiring Upper School history teacher and soccer coach Kelly Alford a standing ovation. This tribute was the least they could offer to honor a true legend.

As Head of School Jay Lasley said in his remarks that day, through a remarkable 37 years of service, Alford had more than earned a place on “the Mt. Rushmore of HRA.”

A graduate of Old Dominion University, Alford joined the Academy as a physical education teacher in 1988. As an instructor, however, he will be best remembered for his long and distinguished tenure as a ninth-grade world history teacher.

“I got to teach what I loved,” Alford said—and the love showed. As he challenged his freshmen to hold themselves to a high academic standard, he also gained a reputation for such fun classroom activities as mock trials for Julius Caesar and demonstrations of medieval chain mail, which brought history to life.

His presence was a boon not only to HRA’s curricular offerings, but to its culture as well. Helming the Honor Council with a firm but fair hand, Alford upheld the school’s core values of personal and academic integrity. But his students and colleagues also knew him as a kind and friendly face they could always approach for a quick chat and a hearty laugh.

As if his contributions within the halls of HRA were not enough, Alford also established himself as a giant of HRA

athletics on the pitch. He coached the Academy’s boys soccer team for an impressive 31 years, from 1988 to 2019, winning TCIS season championships in 1997 and 2014 and TCIS tournament championships in 1990, 1991, and five straight years from 1994 through 1998. These conquests earned him the TCIS Boys Soccer Coach of the Year award in 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1998. Alford also founded and, for five years (1994-1999), coached the HRA girls varsity soccer team before taking the helm of the girls junior varsity soccer team for an additional five seasons.

Across his 41 cumulative seasons of coaching, he racked up an incredible 375 total victories. His fondest memory from the pitch, however, will always be reaching his two hundredth career soccer win in a triumphant match against Walsingham Academy. He will surely also look back fondly, however, on the accolades he has received in recognition of his decades of achievement. When he was fêted at the 2024 Peninsula Sports Club Milestone Award Dinner, the former president of the organization styled Alford “The Father of Peninsula District Soccer.” The same year, he was a shoo-in for induction into the HRA Athletic Hall of Fame.

Still, as Alford himself has humbly acknowledged, there is no greater honor as an educator and coach than the gratitude of the generations of students whose lives he has touched.

“I will forever cherish my experience playing under him,” said former varsity soccer player Wil Swink ’99. “Kelly Alford was a genius coach. He didn’t do too much. I remember practices being fun,” emphasizing skill development through playing the sport rather than completing endless drills.

Ashley Meeker ’98, who also played on Alford’s team, agreed. She credited him with equipping her to succeed as a collegiate player at the University of Virginia and to coach her own daughter’s soccer team now. “I hope I’m half as good as you were!” she told her role model.

“He really knew the game,” said former goalkeeper and 2018 boys varsity soccer co-captain Lt. Carey Hutchins II ’19, “but more importantly, he could take a group of boys and turn them into a team.”

“Taking that diverse group and blending it all together into a winning team took not just tactical expertise, but also outstanding leadership and management skills,” alumnus Matt Behncke ’98 added. Coach Alford “did it brilliantly.”

If Behncke’s experience is any indication, Alford was no less brilliant in the classroom. The history teacher’s pop map quizzes made him learn European geography so well that he can still—three decades later—help his daughter identify Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania on a map for her homework.

According to former student Belen Grimaldi ’17, “Mr. Alford was able to accomplish a feat that only in retrospect I

can truly appreciate: commanding respect in a room of 14- and 15-year-olds without ever making the space feel unwelcoming or unappealing. Though it has been over 10 years since I sat in his classroom, I still remember the high regard in which he held all his students and the pride that he made everyone feel. He created a class that was rigorous and prepared students for subsequent coursework, while remaining a space that welcomed questions and curiosity.”

“His class truly felt like a college course, but his passion for teaching made each class even better,” said one of Alford’s final students, Madison Davis ’28. “We will all miss Mr. Alford, but he will reign forever. All Hail King Kelly I!”

It is fair to say that Davis spoke for the entirety of the HRA community, whose admiration for Alford can hardly be described. Having had such a profound impact on hundreds of students, in the classroom and beyond, he will be sorely missed and remembered with immense gratitude.

For his part, Alford feels much the same about HRA. “The school has been a great part of my and my family’s life for 37 years. I will always cherish the friendships made and being part of something bigger than myself.”

Coach Kelly Alford and his wife Susan at the 2024 HRA Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Breakfast

NAVIGATING THE WORLD

Immersive Summer Travel Experiences for HRA Students

A Hampton Roads Academy education cannot be contained within the four walls of a classroom. Nowhere does the HRA learning experience extend further afield than on our international summer trips for rising ninth through twelfth graders.

In 2025, the Academy offered three opportunities for students to travel far from home and immerse themselves in foreign languages, new cultures, deep histories, and breathtaking natural wonders. The first—still within the country but a long way from Newport News—was an applied environmental science learning experience in Puerto Rico. The other two adventures, offered by HRA’s world languages program, introduced students to the peoples and cultures of Costa Rica and Panama and allowed them to venture through France from north to south.

Broadening Horizons

Upper School science teacher Dr. Maribel Gendreau organized the Puerto Rico trip in early June in conjunction with members of the local scientific community on the island. As the director of HRA’s REACH (Real-world Experience & Academic Choice) Initiative and herself a native of Puerto Rico, Gendreau eagerly seized the opportunity for a travel experience that would function like an internship in hands-on environmental research. Across five distinct ecosystems—coastlines, coral reefs, mangrove forests, seagrass beds, and the lush tropical rainforest— students snorkeled through underwater habitats, swam in a bioluminescent bay, swung into rivers, and kayaked through the Condado Lagoon, all while exploring Puerto Rico’s rich culture and cuisine.

HRA students rest on the steps of the Maison Carrée, an ancient Roman temple in Nîmes, France

At about the same time, across the Caribbean, Middle School Spanish teacher Sydney Cook led her students on a multinational tour of Central America. Primarily targeted toward rising ninth and tenth graders but including more advanced students as well, the twelve-day journey led from Costa Rica to Panama. After reviving HRA’s Spanish travel program with a trip to Spain in summer 2023, Cook especially looked forward to bringing her next group to Costa Rica, where she had not been since visiting as a student herself. “This trip was a full-circle moment for me, being able to lead it,” she said.

Except for one soggy hike through the aptly named rainforest, the group enjoyed consistently splendid weather in both countries. Highlights in Costa Rica included snorkeling around 600 acres of coral reefs, Afro-Caribbean dancing and cooking classes, a gondola ride and wildlife observation in the Veragua Rainforest Research & Adventure Park, a thrilling day of white water rafting, and a visit to a Bribri Indigenous village, where students learned to make their own chocolate from the cacao plant. The excitement continued in Panama, with rainforest ziplining, a boat ride on the Panama Canal (with a surprise visit from hungry

Navigators spend an evening kayaking off San Juan, Puerto Rico

local monkeys), an exploration of historic Panamá Viejo, and a farewell folklore dinner with plenty of singing and dancing.

For Cook, one of the most rewarding aspects of this fun-filled experience was encouraging the students to broaden their horizons as they sampled a variety of foods and activities they had never tried before. She was never prouder, though, than when she watched her students build their confidence by applying their Spanish skills from two or more years of study in the classroom to communicate independently with locals.

As Assistant Head of School and Director of Upper School Ben Rous noted, such experiences are “a meaningful manifestation of the life of the class,” bringing the value of language learning and intercultural awareness into stark relief.

This lesson was no less applicable on the journey to France led by Upper School French teacher Katherin Carter. Setting out just as Cook’s Central America trip was winding down in mid-June, Carter’s group, consisting mostly of rising tenth and eleventh graders, used the French they had learned on HRA’s campus to navigate their way through a storied country and its deep history.

Sydney Cook’s students learn to make chocolate from cacao during a visit to a Bribri Indigenous village in Costa Rica

“The sense of achievement students feel when they successfully communicate with someone they meet in France goes beyond grades and report cards to a deeper feeling of personal growth,” Carter said. “These experiences will stay with students for the rest of their lives.”

Indeed, the France trip was brimming with memorable moments. The whirlwind itinerary began in and around Paris, where students visited such landmarks as the Louvre Museum, the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral, and the opulent Palace of Versailles. The group then ventured south, exploring the Palais des Papes in Avignon, seat of the papacy in the fourteenth century, along with such ancient Roman sites as the Maison Carrée temple and the firstcentury aqueduct known as the Pont du Gard. Students also exercised their athletic and creative muscles with lessons in fencing and calligraphy in Provence while basking in the sunshine and clear blue waters of the Mediterranean.

Katherin Carter's group stops at the Eiffel Tower during their tour of Paris

En garde! Navigators put their fencing skills to the test in Provence

Bringing It Back Home

Such adventures may at first seem disconnected from the day-to-day routines of school, but they play a crucial role in furthering HRA’s mission to provide a well-rounded education that prepares students for college and life.

For rising ninth graders on these overseas trips, the experience is especially valuable. “Expectations for independence, self-advocacy, and critical thinking increase in the Upper School years,” said outgoing Director of Middle School Lisa Thatcher. “International travel can bridge those expectations as students move from the structure of Middle School to greater autonomy” by providing an occasion for them to “navigate real-world challenges, learn and adapt to new cultures, and respond to unfamiliar environments without the aid and comfort of their parents.”

Academically, a trip abroad can help push students to embrace new challenges in Upper School and beyond. Reflecting on her students’ experience in Costa Rica and Panama, Cook observed that “a successful trip where they’ve used their Spanish … likely encourages them to want to stick with Spanish past the three-year requirement and through to the AP level. Some students will even use their

language skills outside of the classroom for summer internships, Governor’s School, volunteer work, and more with the possible interest of majoring/minoring in Spanish once in college.”

And according to Rous, Upper School students’ international travel lays a foundation for far more than their studies. “College prep is too narrowly defined as the ability to write, the ability to read for content, the ability to sit for tests and manage your time,” he said. “It’s about knowing how to find your resources. It’s knowing how to problemsolve. It’s grappling with failure.” Figuring out how to speak with locals in one’s second language sets up no shortage of opportunities for missteps and stumbles, but working through this challenge equips students to adapt and overcome adversity in college and at all stages of their lives.

Most of all, experiences far from home encourage budding young adults to understand themselves as global citizens, charged with a duty to understand and care for an array of diverse communities.

As Carter aptly observed, “It is important to be able to explore the world with confidence and curiosity to ultimately help students find their place in it.”

The thrill ride of the summer: HRA students enjoy an unforgettable day of white water rafting on the Río Sarapiquí in Costa Rica

“THE CULMINATION OF A NUMBER OF YEARS OF HARD WORK”

HRA Sailing Wins Its First-Ever TCIS Championship

On October 26, 2024, Hampton Roads Academy’s coed varsity sailing team made a landmark achievement, claiming the first TCIS championship title in the history of the program. Defeating both Norfolk Collegiate School and Norfolk Academy in a regatta hosted by the Norfolk Yacht & Country Club, the Navigators proved what was possible through dedication, team spirit, and clever sailing.

It may be tempting to give full credit for this win to the leadership of individuals such as head coach Mark Sarrett ’79 or senior skippers Parker Moore ’25 and Leila Pfrang ’25. To be sure, all three played crucial roles. According to Sarrett, however, “the TCIS championship was the culmination of a number of years of hard work on the part of the team members, coaches, parents, and the Athletics Department.”

An Old Navigator and a New Coach Sarrett took the helm of the sailing team in fall 2023, just after completing his final term on the Board of Trustees, over which he had presided in the previous year. When he came aboard, he joined an impressive roster of alumni coaches serving HRA athletics, including Director of Transportation David Legg ’80 (football), Assistant Director of Admissions Jocelyn Spencer ’08 (girls basketball), James Spencer ’07 (girls basketball), Kindergarten teacher Caroline Thatcher ’16 (swimming and girls soccer), Trevor Topping ’11 (boys lacrosse), and Director of Alumni Relations Tommy Yevak ’83 (baseball).

In the prior few years, Sarrett had followed HRA sailing closely. The team had been coached ably during this period by such parents as Tyler Moore, a former College of Charleston All-American collegiate sailor, and Mitchell Brindley, an allstar collegiate sailor and current head sailing coach at Old Dominion University, both of whom remain integral parts of the coaching team. Still, Sarrett said, “the team needed a non-parent coach that worked closely with the athletic director.” He happily took on this responsibility.

“Creating a Team Atmosphere”

Sarrett arrived to a team with “a number of very good sailors”—both skippers and crew—but HRA sailing had only reached this level through the student-athletes’ own initiative. Moore, who went on to earn the Sailor of the Year award in 2024, recalled that the team was twelve strong when he first joined in Grade 6. After the COVID-19 pandemic, it had dwindled to three sailors. Moore spent much of his freshman and sophomore years building the team back up, even convincing some of his non-Navigator sailing friends to come to HRA.

By the 2023 season, HRA sailing was back on course. Led by Moore and Pfrang, then juniors, as well as senior skipper Pierce Brindley ’24—all of whom also sailed competitively in non-TCIS events at the local, regional, and national levels— the team began to rack up impressive wins. Though the Navigators did not clinch the TCIS title that year, they did win both the VISA Fleet and Team Championships and the MASSA Fleet Championship, proudly hanging two banners in the Spencer Gym.

Heading into fall 2024, the team shifted its approach to training, placing a heavier emphasis on the basics of sailing technique to ensure that each sailor would be as strong a competitor as possible. “Instead of other years, where we were focused on winning races in practice, we focused on bringing up struggling teammates,” Moore explained. The new strategy quickly paid dividends. By the end of the season, Moore pointed out, even the team’s freshman skipper, a relative newcomer, was already winning races.

“Sailing has taught me so many lessons about teamwork,” Moore said: “how important it is to motivate people, how to build them up without being too critical, and the importance of creating a team atmosphere towards winning.”

HRA skippers Parker Moore ’25 and Leila Pfrang ’25 proudly display their team’s TCIS championship plaque

Triumphs in Uncharted Waters

As their coach can attest, Moore and Pfrang took all these lessons to heart as leaders of the team. The two seniors, according to Sarrett, were “the keys to the team’s success in 2024,” above all by effectively teaching and developing their teammates. As Pfrang explained, “Through late practices, intense training with other teams, and review of footage, we were able to translate our dedication into success in this championship.”

Contending with a dizzying array of variables, from unpredictable waves and wind to the unknown abilities of their opponents, sailors succeed through a mastery of their craft and sound judgment in the moment.

“Our sailors during the 2024 TCIS regatta performed well by using their skills and experience to make good decisions,” Sarrett said.

He noted that building up each sailor’s confidence in his or her abilities was especially vital because regattas often take place on weekends, when seniors may be forced to miss

competitions due such obligations as the SAT or ACT. Such was the case at the TCIS championship, when other sailors had to step up and perform in Moore’s place.

“I want it to be known that this win is because of how hard the whole team worked,” the 2025 graduate said.

With such a strong group of skippers and crew, Coach Sarrett looks forward to extending the sailing team’s momentum from two consecutive banner years through the next season. Furthermore, he sees a bright future for his sailors beyond HRA. The team has recently produced several collegiate athletes, including Pierce Brindley and, a year ahead of him, Gianna Dewey ’23, both of whom went on to sail at Old Dominion University. Moore and Pfrang will follow suit in the coming year, sailing at Roger Williams University and Brown University, respectively. “I expect the team in 2025 and 2026 to have other sailors that will go on to sail collegiately as well,” Sarrett predicted.

HRA could not be prouder of its accomplished sailing Navigators!

The 2024 TCIS Regatta champions (left to right): Parker Moore ’25, Charlie Moore ’27, Jack Duggan ’28, Will Chapman ’28, Patrick Bielewicz ’28, Josie Brindley ’26, Leila Pfrang ’25, Sarah Moore ’29, Daphne Ambrosino ’27, and Madeline Monteith ’29. Not pictured: Nicholas Bielewicz ’26, Ryan Foretich ’25, and Sam Fox-Goens ’28.

Unveiling the TowneBank Track and Field Complex

“WHERE CHARACTER, COURAGE, AND TEAM SPIRIT ARE CULTIVATED”

Homecoming weekend 2024 was a time for celebration at Hampton Roads Academy—and not just because the boys varsity soccer team defeated StoneBridge 3-0. On Friday, October 18, HRA proudly unveiled the newly revitalized TowneBank Track and Field Complex, a first-class facility that will be an asset not only to the school’s athletics program, but also to the wider community.

The project was made possible by a quarter-million-dollar gift from TowneBank, a friend of HRA for more than 20 years. In recognition of this incredible contribution, TowneBank President for the Peninsula and Williamsburg Alexis Swann and TownBank Executive Vice President and HRA alumnus, parent, and former faculty member and trustee Bert Bateman ’76 were given the honor of cutting the ribbon at the complex’s dedication ceremony.

HRA’s track, Bateman said, is and always has been “an epicenter of excellence, a place where competitions are won and lost and lessons learned—where character, courage, and team spirit are cultivated. TowneBank wants to continue to celebrate these things.”

A Crucial Collaboration

The TowneBank Track and Field Complex is not merely a new facility added to HRA’s campus. It is an embodiment of the Academy’s and its generous community partners’ commitment to enhancing the Navigator athletic experience.

Boys and girls varsity track and field and Middle School cross country coach Chris Joyce, also an HRA Upper School history teacher, noted that the track had not undergone a major renovation since 2005, when an all-weather surface was installed for the first time. By 2024, it was in such poor condition that HRA was no longer able to host track meets.

“After nearly 20 seasons of use, the track needed resurfacing, at the very least,” Joyce said. “Thanks to the generosity of TowneBank, we were able to upgrade the facility even more.”

Indeed, the track and field complex received a complete overhaul. Understanding the facility’s substantial needs, Bateman secured his company’s support for his alma mater

Joined by smiling Navigators, former HRA trustee Bert Bateman ’76, executive vice president at TowneBank, and Alexis Swann, TowneBank's president for the Peninsula and Williamsburg, cut the ceremonial ribbon at the dedication of the new Townebank Track and Field Complex

and strategized with former Chair of the Board of Trustees Tasha Rose ’98 to execute this critical project.

TowneBank’s $250,000 contribution was supplemented by a $75,000 donation from alumnus Mike Fisher ’86 and by an additional $20,000 drawn from the proceeds of the Navigator Club’s annual golf tournament. When combined, these gifts allowed for upgrades that exceeded all expectations.

For HRA’s track and field program, the impact is undeniable. The new complex will lay the groundwork for HRA’s student-athletes to continue their school’s tradition of competitive excellence.

“The most important benefit of the project is the ability to train our athletes more effectively and, most of all, more safely,” Joyce said. “The new surface prevents the wear and tear athletes endure when they train hard on a hard, unforgiving surface. It’s much more fun and rewarding to train on a great track, and better training leads to better performances.”

“A

Community Place”

But HRA’s competitive runners are not the only ones benefiting from the opening of the new facility. As Joyce explained, “It’s a community place, used by students in all three divisions, along with faculty and staff, and friends and neighbors throughout the Hampton Roads area.

The TowneBank Track and Field Complex will allow HRA not only to hold its own varsity track and field events, but also to host Middle School cross country meets for four local schools that lack comparable facilities.

“The upgrade to our track and field complex is about much more than enhancing our campus,” said Head of School Jay Lasley. “It’s about fostering community spirit and expanding youth sports opportunities across the region.”

These broader effects of the project were on full display on Friday, March 28, when HRA held two community events at the new facility. That evening, the Academy hosted the Navigator Twilight Relays, an interscholastic track and field competition. The highlight of the day, though, was the HRA Speed Showcase, which provided an occasion for both younger and older runners to compete earlier in the afternoon across four 100-meter contests for Grades 3 through 6, men’s and women’s 400-meter races, and three 4x100-meter relays for seventh and eighth graders, Upper School students, and adult participants, including faculty, staff, alumni, and parents.

Director of Advancement Courtney Gardner ’85 fires the starting gun at the HRA Speed Showcase, a competition for runners of all ages held at the TowneBank Track and Field Complex in March 2025

Students compete at the 2025 HRA Speed Showcase

“I hope both events will become regular parts of our athletic schedule,” Joyce said.

Reflecting on the importance of the TowneBank Track and Field Complex and the dedication of his fellow donors, who pushed the project over the finish line, Fisher remarked, “Leaders care about people. They put the needs of others above their own.” That message rings just as true of HRA’s investment in the athletic needs of its neighbors as it does of the selfless camaraderie that thrives on the Academy’s sports teams.

Young Navigators enjoy some friendly competition at HRA’s newly revamped track and field complex

Head of School Jay Lasley poses with the 2025 HRA Speed Showcase first-place finishers: in the Grade 3 100m, Lex Seaman ’34; in the Grade 4 100m, Mark Turner Bowser ’33; in the Grade 5 100m, Dexi Chilcott ’32; in the Grade 6 100m, Jasen Freeman ’31 (not pictured); in the Grade 7/8 4x100m relay, Isabelle Hung ’30, Elijah Paige ’30, Arnesh Paul ’30, and Caroline Stilley ’30; in the Grade 9-12 4x100m relay, Lucy Lanier ’28, TJ Motley ’28, Mekhi Ward ’27, and Aaron Winfield ’27; in the men’s 400m, former trustee Lee Lockwood; in the women’s 400m, Jennifer Treiber; and in the adult 4x100m relay, Michael Cunningham, Anthony Picott ’17, Assistant Director of Admissions and girls basketball coach Jocelyn Spencer ’08, and Director of Ancillary Programs Shirley Tanguy

A well-earned tribute: the brand-new scoreboard

When Hampton Roads Academy trustee Mark Short ’83 learned that the school’s varsity baseball field would be dedicated to his friend and classmate Tommy Yevak ’83, his immediate reaction was, “Well, of course it is!”

Across more than four decades—as a gifted student-athlete, passionate coach, devoted teacher, supportive parent, and loyal member of the staff—Yevak has been a pillar of HRA athletics, most of all the baseball program.

“Tommy really has been HRA baseball forever,” said Director of Advancement Courtney Gardner ’85. “This is just a way to thank someone who has given so much to the sport.”

Currently serving as Director of Alumni Relations, Yevak represents a strong family legacy at the Academy. His sister Shanon is a member of the Class of 1977, his father John was a coach at HRA from 1977 to 1981 and again in the late 1980s, and he, himself, is the father of two Navigator alumni, Lauren ’13 and Leanna ’15.

After graduating from HRA, Yevak earned a B.S. in education from the University of Virginia. He then worked in a number of fields—fire and police uniform and equipment sales, mortgage lending, health clubs—before returning to education for two years at Norfolk Academy. Consistently a supporter of his alma mater, he officially returned to HRA as a member of the faculty in 1998. In the past 27 years, he has served as a physical education teacher for Middle and Upper School, the PE department chair, an anatomy and physiology instructor, an Admissions Committee associate,

A MONUMENT LEADERSHIP, HUMILITY, AND CHARACTER — TO —

The Tommy Yevak Baseball Field

a ropes course instructor, an off-season student-athlete strength and conditioning director, the assistant athletics director, a varsity football assistant coach, a Middle School football head coach, a varsity baseball assistant coach, and the longest-tenured varsity baseball head coach in HRA’s history, having stepped down just last year.

In 2015, Yevak was part of the inaugural class of inductees into HRA’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Little did he know, yet another tremendous honor awaited him one decade later.

When the varsity baseball field underwent significant improvements in the past year, including a new bullpen, batting cage area, and state-of-the-art scoreboard, Gardner and Director of Athletics Laura Stoner conceived of the idea to mark the occasion by dedicating the field to their incomparable colleague. Partnering with Mark Short, as well as fellow 1983 graduates and former trustees Keith Vander Vennet and Brooke Tiller, they enlisted the help of Yevak’s classmates and all current and former HRA baseball families to raise $70,000 for the project.

“The scoreboard now bearing Tommy’s name is more than a fixture on the field,” Stoner said. “It’s a lasting symbol of the values he represents and the legacy he has built.”

As far as Short is concerned, Yevak’s values, more than anything else, are his legacy.

Speaking at the dedication of the Tommy Yevak Baseball Field on HRA Day, April 25, 2025, he had no shortage of plaudits to offer for how his friend “set the bar [for] athletic

at Tommy Yevak Field

prowess.”

Playing baseball at HRA from Grade 8 through his senior year, Yevak remarkably won the Athlete of the Year award as a freshman in 1980, was designated baseball MVP for all four of his high school years, and received TCIS all-conference recognitions as a junior and senior. In 1982, he led the varsity baseball team to a recordsetting 17 consecutive wins and the first TCIS conference championship in the history of HRA’s athletics program. Year after year, Short recalled, “his batting averages were off the charts.” In Grades 9 through 12, he consistently batted over .400, reaching an astounding .532 in his sophomore year. “I don’t know who does that!”

More importantly, though, Short remembers Yevak as “the sort of guy who led by example” during his baseball career— someone the entire team instinctively looked to as a model of conduct as well as athleticism. “With all the success that he had, what always impressed me about Tommy is that he always showed great humility. … I don’t recall him ever talking about setting any records,” though he could have boasted of many.

“He had the ability to pull everybody together with his leadership, with his humility, with his character,” Short said.

Humble as ever, when asked about the honor his friends and colleagues had bestowed upon him, Yevak hastened to applaud the achievements of others. He commended Stoner as “the consummate professional” and “a partnering, collaborative leader”: “There is no better director of athletics nor better manager within the landscape of scholastic leadership.” He effusively expressed his gratitude for the many donors, volunteers, and baseball parents who made enhancements to the baseball field possible, not only this year, but in years past as well. HRA is profoundly thankful for each of these dedicated supporters, without whose generous contributions of resources, time, energy, and expertise the field and the Navigator baseball program would not be what they are today.

As he looked to the future of the athletics program he has served with such loyalty and steadfast devotion, the namesake of the Tommy Yevak Baseball Field remarked, “I see this honor as a call to action far more than a ‘thank you’ for services rendered in the past.” Yevak dreams of further upgrades to elevate the field to “stadium status,” enabling HRA to host a wide variety of baseball games and tournaments.

For now, though, the decorated athlete continues to impress the Navigator community by proving he’s still got it. Following the dedication ceremony this past spring, Yevak threw out the first pitch at an HRA baseball game. It was a strike.

Tommy Yevak ’83 prepares to throw the first pitch on the field that bears his name

Yevak celebrates with outgoing trustee Mark Short ’83 and Head of School Jay Lasley at the baseball field dedication on HRA Day 2025

ONCE A NAVIGATOR, ALWAYS A NAVIGATOR

Alumni Reunions

HRA alumni line up on the field by decade during the 2024 Homecoming varsity soccer game

Hampton Roads Academy takes great pride in its remarkable network of accomplished and dedicated alumni. The tightknit Navigator family embraces its own for life, renewing former students’ ties to the school and one another whenever they reunite and return to campus. From HRA’s earliest graduating classes to its most recent, the past year was full of opportunities for our alumni to reconnect, reminisce, and rededicate themselves to the mission of their alma mater.

All-Alumni Tailgate

HRA invited former students from throughout the school’s history back to campus for the annual All-Alumni Tailgate on Friday, October 18, 2024. Hosted by Gene Arcand, Mark Gordon ’74, Susanne Swain ’78, Tu Ritter ’84, Jim Reid ’89, and Robin Steinberger, the festive event immediately preceded a triumphant Homecoming varsity soccer game. Attendees got reacquainted with old friends over delicious food and drinks before parading onto the field to represent the decades in which they graduated from HRA, running the gamut from the 1960s through the 2020s. The spirit of camaraderie that evening set the stage for the individual class reunions ahead, many of which also took place during Homecoming weekend.

»

1969

Almost a third of the entire Class of 1969 gathered for their fifty-fifth reunion during Homecoming weekend, including Gaye and John Deal, George Mirmelstein, Mary Edwards Wertsch, Sue (Maida) Kirk, Karen Kneupfer, Joe Johnson (with wife Linda), Dr. Don Twyman (with wife Sheila), and Ed Walters (with wife Barb). The celebration began the evening of October 18 with a feast at Azzurri Italian Restaurant, located in Newport News’ Hidenwood Shopping Center, a childhood hangout for several members of the class. Both during the meal and the following day, when they walked through familiar sections of the original HRA hallways, the old friends were struck by how little had changed in more than half a century. “Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose,” said class ambassador Gaye Mitchell Deal, employing the French for “The more things change, the more they stay the same”—a tribute to the love of the language that HRA teachers Hilda Hatcher and Col. Edward E. Farnsworth cultivated when the Class of 1969 was in high school. But during their Saturday night dinner in the private dining room of Second Street American Bistro, the classmates were astounded to find how many of their friends’ stories from those years were somehow new to them. Those eye-opening tales are part of the glue that draws them together each time they meet. “We share the unbreakable bond of the Class of 1969,” Gaye Deal said. “Our sense of this bond is reinforced every time we attend a reunion. And we never forget those who cannot be with us for whatever reason.”

1974

The Class of 1974 celebrated its landmark fiftieth reunion on Saturday, October 19, 2024, with an upscale cocktail party at Fin Seafood in Port Warwick, Newport News. Reconnecting over seafood hors d’oeuvres, tasty desserts, and a champagne toast to all in attendance, more than fifty classmates, friends, and HRA faculty and staff came together for the occasion. John Stout ’82 and Director of Alumni Relations Tommy Yevak ’83 supplied name tags, old photographs, and a slideshow highlighting the times the Class of 1974 shared while at HRA. Reflecting on an evening of “many happy memories and much laughter,” class ambassador Leigh Morris Henze ’74 excitedly declared that she and her classmates all look forward to their fifty-fifth reunion in 2029.

1984

More than 20 members of the Class of 1984 gathered for their fortieth reunion on October 19 at the home of Rebecca and former HRA trustee Tommy Fass ’84. “Everyone enjoyed the delicious hors d’oeuvres while catching up and reminiscing about their experiences in high school,” said class ambassador Birgit Reese Kingsbury ’84. The picturesque backdrop of the James River and a stunning sunset helped to make it an unforgettable evening for all.

1989

Kicking off their thirty-fifth reunion on campus at the All-Alumni Tailgate, the Class of 1989 had a blast reconnecting with each other and with old friends in other classes. “The Navigator school spirit is alive and well,” said class ambassadors Laura Freed ’89 and Dr. Paul Shin ’89. The following evening, the classmates met for dinner at Newport News eatery Circa 1918 Kitchen and Bar. In attendance were Stephen Elliott (with wife Patty), Kevin Molloy (with wife Liz), Susan Ailsworth Jones, Beth (James) Longest, and Michelle White Orphanidys (with husband George), along with Freed and Shin. As the class agents fondly recalled, “Class of ’89 ‘man-about-town’ Jim Reid arrived fashionably late with celebrity guest alums Mark ‘Mo’ Overman ’87 and wife Kristen, Trey Phillips ’87, and Scott Reid ’84.” Even classmates who could not be present played an active role by participating in a Zoom planning call, including Dr. Meredith Temple-O’Connor, Amy (Horgan) Fiveash, Marcus Dame, George Cornwell, Lindsay Gaskins Higgins, Sydney Smith, and Karen Ullman Pai. “No matter how long it’s been,” Freed and Shin said, “the bond we share from HRA will never fade. Thirty-five years later and it feels like no time has passed.”

2004

The Class of 2004 held its twentieth reunion during Homecoming weekend at the James River Country Club in Newport News. Greeted by Head of School Jay Lasley, 23 classmates and several significant others gathered for dinner and a display of alumni memorabilia, the 2004 HRA yearbook, and photographs from their time at the school. Some members of the class also attended the Friday night tailgate and soccer game, as well as a Saturday breakfast at Newport News diner Papou George’s Hot Dogs, owned by Frannie Shivar ’04. Class ambassador Adam Garrett ’04 expressed his deep gratitude for the efforts of Shivar and fellow 2004 graduates Danielle Mooza Annechiarico, Jamie Sample, Kyle Webb, and Sarah Kish Morgan in planning the celebration. “All in all,” Garrett said, “it was a wonderful twentieth reunion, where classmates were genuinely happy to see each other again and to reengage, reunite, and pledge to keep in touch!”

2019

Nearly half of the Class of 2019, along with spouses and significant others, came together for their fifth reunion at Tradition Brewing Company in Newport News on December 27, 2024. “Perfectly timed during the holiday season, the event served as an ideal homecoming for classmates returning from out of town,” said class ambassador Lt. Carey Hutchens II ’19. “The heartwarming evening was filled with nostalgia as friends reminisced about their days at HRA, shared college experiences, and swapped updates on careers, adventures, and new beginnings.” The recent classmates had much to celebrate, having built meaningful careers in such fields as finance, national defense, and marketing, with future doctors, dentists, and lawyers in the group as well. A highlight of the evening, Hutchens recalled, was a surprise guest appearance by Harrison Rae-FitzHarris, the young son of Mark FitzHarris ’19, “who stole the show and added an extra dose of joy to the gathering.” “Although it had been five years since graduation—and for some, five years since last seeing one another— the group quickly slipped back into easy, familiar conversations and friendships, as if no time had passed at all,” Hutchens said. The Class of 2019 left their reunion “with full hearts and a shared excitement for the future,” especially their next opportunity to meet as a group—a sentiment common to all classes who observed reunions in the past year. Indeed, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

REMEMBERING THAD SHELLY

HRA Honors an Inspiring Alumnus, Trustee, and Athletic Hall of Famer

“You never doubted his competitiveness and drive in all that he did and accomplished.” So said Bill Shelly ’77 of his late brother, fellow Hampton Roads Academy alumnus, and member of the Board of Trustees Thaddeus “Thad” Rubel Shelly III ’71.

It was no surprise, then, when HRA inducted Thad Shelly into its Athletic Hall of Fame on October 19, 2024, a mere 41 days after he passed away at age 71. The posthumous honor was a tribute to his many achievements as a student-athlete and steadfast champion of Navigator athletics.

Active on HRA’s varsity football, basketball, track and field, and tennis teams (and in baseball outside of school), he earned MVP honors in football as a senior and received accolades on the Peninsula and at the state level, led his basketball team in steals and assists, and set the school’s pole vault record. Shelly continued his baseball and football careers with distinction at the collegiate level, going on to coach high school and college teams for seven years. His advocacy as an alumnus and trustee was instrumental in the revitalization of HRA’s varsity football program.

Most of all, though, Shelly’s induction was a testament to how sorely he will be missed by the HRA community. His family, colleagues, and fellow Navigators will remember him as an exemplary husband, father, brother, son, and friend.

A Life Lived “by Design, Not by Default”

The story of Shelly’s life is an embodiment of the maxim “Once a Navigator, always a Navigator.” His graduation in 1971 marked the start of both a lifelong relationship with HRA and an impressive string of academic and professional triumphs.

Earning a BA in economics from Hampden-Sydney College in 1975 and an MBA in finance from William & Mary’s Mason School of Business in 1984, Shelly carried his passion for education and sports into his work as a teacher and coach at Norfolk Academy before launching a distinguished career in wealth management. His first position at Goldman Sachs led to leadership roles at such prestigious organizations as Legg Mason, Bessemer Trust, Lazard, and Tiedemann Advisors.

Shelly “managed and lived his life by design, not by default,” his brother Bill recalled. “He gave it 100 percent and made sure he succeeded with every endeavor; he demonstrated the wherewithal and leadership to get things done for the good of the team.”

As he walked this path of success, Shelly remained committed to giving back to the institutions that had laid the groundwork for his accomplishments. He served actively and generously on the boards of Hampden-Sydney, the Mason School, and, of course, HRA.

For Bill Shelly, this dedication to service, particularly after his brother became an HRA trustee in 2020, was unsurprising. “Athletics was always a big part of our lives growing up,” he said, “and HRA was a major part of encouraging and enhancing the skills and qualities—work ethic, discipline, teamwork, success—that we achieved through sports participation, in high school, in college, and in our adult lives.”

Though he only knew Thad Shelly for just over a year, Head of School Jay Lasley considered him a phenomenal mentor and a dear friend. Because Shelly, like Lasley, had worked at Norfolk Academy early in his career, he instinctively understood the new administrator’s background and the inner workings of an independent school. The two men connected immediately.

“He just took me under his wing without realizing it,” Lasley said. At Shelly’s funeral in September 2024, he was astounded, though not surprised, to find that so many other friends and colleagues had experienced the same.

“Here’s this guy who ended up having a remarkably successful career in finance, yet he had the humility of a high school teacher and coach,” Lasley marveled. “In the fall of 2023, when we were playing a hybrid Middle School/JV [football] schedule, he came to every home game and sat on the sidelines with me. … I just wanted to talk to him and be around him as much as I could.”

A Well-Deserved Honor

Shelly’s love for HRA was palpable, and the feeling was—and remains—mutual. Nothing encapsulated this relationship quite like Shelly’s Athletic Hall of Fame induction.

The honor, according to Bill Shelly, himself a 2017 inductee, “was something he was extremely proud of and one of his most cherished accomplishments, even though it came so late in his life, just weeks before his passing.”

Thankfully, days before losing Thad Shelly, members of the HRA family had an opportunity to express their gratitude, admiration, and love. Lasley, Director of Alumni Relations Tommy Yevak ’83, and Shelly’s friend and classmate David Otey, Jr. ’71, whom the honoree had chosen to speak on his behalf at the Induction Breakfast, visited Shelly at his home in Williamsburg. There, they presented him with his plaque and the text of the speeches to be delivered in his honor.

When the day of the ceremony, held during Homecoming weekend, finally arrived, Shelly may not have been physically present, but he was hardly absent. Otey, Yevak, and Shelly’s sons, Jay and Will, all delivered heartfelt remarks to pay tribute to a titan of HRA athletics and of the Navigator community as a whole.

Also honored were Coach Kelly Alford; Dr. Leslie Stiff Jones ’87, a multi-year TCIS MVP and three-time TCIS title winner in track and field, as well as an HRA basketball player; and the 1979 varsity boys tennis team, which achieved a flawless 13-0 record and went on to clinch the 1979 Commonwealth Conference title handily.

Like his fellow Hall of Fame inductees’ achievements, Thad Shelly’s outstanding record of athleticism, leadership, and devotion to HRA amounts to a legacy of excellence that will inspire generations of Navigators to come.

Jay and Will Shelly accept their father’s Athletic Hall of Fame plaque

IN MEMORIAM

June 15, 2024 – July 1, 2025

Our condolences to the families of:

Anne Carroll Bull ’74

Rodney “Rod” K. Cox, former faculty member and coach (1981-1985)

Beverly Diamonstein, stepmother of alumnus Kevin M. Diamonstein*, mother-in-law to Michael L. Allen ’82, and grandmother to Peyton “Alex” A. Allen ’09 and Ben Allen ’13

The Honorable Nelson T. Durden, father of Ann D. Donovan ’83 and alumnus Ned Durden*

Dr. Alan Fletcher, father of Sarah F. Moore ’75, Mark Fletcher ’79, Matthew J. Fletcher ’81, and James J. Fletcher ’88

Linda Sue Foretich, grandmother of Ashley A. Foretich ’23 and Ryan M. Foretich ’25

Joan F. Forrest, mother of Lynn Forrest Robertson ’77 and Drew Forrest ’82 and grandmother to alumni Harrison Forrest* and Anne Dolby Forrest*

Rudolph “Rudy” Beverly Heinatz, father of faculty member Tina Silberhorn and current parent Rudy Heinatz, father-in-law of current trustee Stephanie Heinatz, and grandfather to Ford Silberhorn ’19, Addy Silberhorn ’22, Jack B. Silberhorn ’24, and Will Heinatz ’28

Dr. John R. Hogg, husband of former trustee Dr. Carol Hogg and father of Dr. Paul S. Hogg ’82 and Capt. Chandler Hogg ’91

Thomas K. Hutchens, father of Anne Hutchens ’82, Christopher S. Hutchens ’86, and Hunter Hutchens ’89

David Reau Johnson ’74, brother of Clara J. Pincus ’67 and Leland S. Johnson ’77

Sydney Randall Johnson, mother of Warren B. Mrowiec ’32

Yeatts M. Jones ’87, brother of Rob Jones ’84 and uncle of Merritt F. Jones ’27 and Lydia F. Jones ’28

Maria Kokolis, mother of Paige S. Kokolis ’19, Michael Kokolis ’22, George J. Kokolis ’25, and Sara M. Kokolis ’25

Carl Daniel “Dan” Laughlin ’75, brother of alumnus Peter S. Laughlin*

Dr. John M. Lewis ’82, brother of Susan L. Casey, brother-in-law of Pat Casey, and uncle of Megan A. Casey ’08, Leigh Casey Deason ’11, and Anne M. Casey ’15

Lucyle Macon, mother of Mary Gibson S. Waddill ’79 and alumnus Wesley Shumate*; stepmother of Anne Shumate ’76, N. J. Macon ’80, and Richard B. Macon ’82; mother-in-law of Kim P. Macon ’84; and grandmother to Samuel E. Waddill IV ’08

Cindy Watson Meehan, wife of former trustee and alumnus Tommy Meehan*, mother of alumni West Meehan* and Katelyn B. Meehan*, and sister-in-law of Martha Meehan Elgar ’63

Theodore “Ted” Morrison, Jr., father of Thomas Morrison ’84 and Charles “Cam” Morrison ’88

Dr. Robert M. Nochimson, father of Dr. Geofrey D. Nochimson ’80 and Debra N. Wilson ’83 and grandfather to Joel M. Nochimson ’13 and Ben Nochimson ’16

John Michael “Mike” O’Neil, grandfather of Jack R. Phillips ’14, Patrick B. Phillips ’16, and Jane K. Phillips ’20

Sarah Augusta Milner Otey, mother of David W. Otey, Jr. ’71 and Marion Otey Paine ’72, mother-in-law of John N. Paine ’76, and grandmother to former faculty member Sarah C. Otey ’03, Page M. Otey ’05, Taylor Otey ’07, and David W. Otey III ’10

David Longley Peebles, father of alumnus Jonathan Peebles*, uncle of Kay Peebles Ferguson ’85, and great-uncle to Ellie Ferguson ’14 and Scott M. Ferguson ’17

Margaret “Margie” Bonday Powell, mother of Ellen P. Corbisello ’77 and alumna Lisa Powell*

Michael J. Pratt, former faculty member, administrator, and coach (1975-1977)

Dr. Henry A. Prillaman, Jr., father of Dr. Katherine P. Brundage ’83 and Dr. Henry M. Prillaman ’84 and grandfather to Grace E. Prillaman ’15 and William W. Prillaman ’18

Patricia Bangel Scher, mother of Edward E. Scher ’76

Ward R. “Buck” Scull III, father of Leah S. Scull ’05 and alumnus Ward “Robbie” R. Scull IV* and brother of John C. “Kit” Scull ’64

Thaddeus “Thad” R. Shelly III ’71, HRA Board of Trustees member, husband of Helen E. Shelly, and brother of William “Bill” A. Shelly ’77

Mary Virginia (Peake) Strup, mother of former trustee Douglas P. Strup and grandmother to Lauren W. Strup ’11

Linda Tyler, mother-in-law of Tommy Yevak ’83 and grandmother to Lauren S. Yevak ’13 and Leanna P. Yevak ’15

Lloyd C. Ware, father-in-law of current faculty member Eve Ware, grandfather to Mauri Ware ’18, and great-grandfather to current faculty member Jordan Gray

* Indicates a non-graduating alumnus/a

KEEP IN TOUCH

As we welcome the Class of 2025 into our robust Navigator alumni family, we invite our graduates from every era to stay connected to their alma mater. Come back to campus for Homecoming, Noodle Night, HRA Day, and other special events throughout the year. Support the efforts of our exceptional, hardworking teachers and coaches. And let us know where life has taken you since graduation!

If you have exciting news that you would like to share with the Navigator community, please contact Director of Alumni Relations Tommy Yevak ’83 at tyevak@hra.org.

We also encourage our alumni to keep in touch and share updates with their class ambassadors. Those representing classes holding reunions in the coming year are:

1965

Bob Wanke, bobwanke@yahoo.com

Judith Kator, jandhkator@gmail.com

1970

Debbie Tanner, debbietanner1106@gmail.com

1975

Dr. Ward Blalock, dr.flash56@gmail.com

Marsha Zanks, mzanks@lockwoodbroadcast.com

1980

Faye Ferguson, faye.ferguson@verizon.net

Stephanie H. Bernardi, bernarss1985@gmail.com

David Legg, dlegg@hra.org

1985

Col. Steve Lee, stevelee101@msn.com

Courtney Gardner, cgardn@hra.org

1990

Stephen Leong, stevie.leong@gmail.com

Kim B. Reed, kreed1972@att.net

1995

Kate W. Whitehead, kwassum@mindspring.com

Rebecca M. Hurt, dhurt2@cox.net

John Hallett, jth9777@gmail.com

Dan White, dwhite1117@me.com

Kimi Dornan, kimisellsyouhomes@gmail.com

2000

Adam Jobe, adamtjobe@gmail.com

Cary Patrick, carypatrickiii@gmail.com

Michelle Galdos, mgaldos@gmail.com

Adrienne Gonzalo McNeill, adriennegmcneill@gmail.com

2005

Ginny Cochran Baldwin, virginialcochran@gmail.com

Patrick Lawson, bplawsonjr@gmail.com

Emmy Bateman, mary.e.bateman@gmail.com

Concetta Wilson, smithccw@gmail.com

Anne Cabot I. Galeski, acishon@gmail.com

2010

David Otey III, davidoteyiii@gmail.com

Marshall Jordan, emarshalljordan@gmail.com

2015

Courtney Montgomery, courtney.annalee.a.m@gmail.com

Tyler Jones, 222tjones@gmail.com

2020

Olivia Ferrare, oferrare@verizon.net

Reilly David, radcoc1024@gmail.com

PARTING WORDS

“My thirteen years at HRA have meant the world to me. ... HRA’s close-knit community allowed me to forge strong connections with classmates and teachers that will last a lifetime.”

— Ishan Hartke ’25

Senior class valedictorian Ishan Hartke shares lunch with young Navigators at the First Grade-Senior Buddies spring picnic