Hallways: Cultivating creativity (Winter 2022-2023)

HALLWAYS

Cultivating Creativity

From the easel to personal essays and the stage to the STEM lab, Harpeth Hall alumnae, students, and faculty experience life through imagination and wonder.

Jack and Jane Berry Jacques ’72

The Jane Berry Jacques Scholarship Fund

Jane Berry Jacques ’72 served as the Harpeth Hall board chair from 2018 to 2022, drawing upon her experience as a long-time alumna leader, a Harpeth Hall college counselor from 1982 to 1985, a seasoned fundraiser, and a Next Step capital campaign co-chair. Her connection to Harpeth Hall runs deep as the Berry family lived across the street from the school for decades, and many family members attended the school, including Jane’s daughter Lindsay Jacques Irving ’06. With tremendous appreciation for her Harpeth Hall diploma and her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science from Vanderbilt University, Jane places a high value on education. In recognition of her dedication and service to her alma mater, Jane’s husband, Jack Jacques, endowed The Jane Berry Jacques Scholarship Fund in 2022 to assist bright Harpeth Hall students who demonstrate financial need and value leadership and community service.

fundraising initiative, and they joined the school’s Founders Society — Jane in 2008 and Jack in 2022. It has been important to them to set an example for their children of giving to the causes they value most — faith, family, and education.

Jack Jacques recalls when Mary Schlater Stumb ’53, Peggy Smith Warner ’54, and Polly Jordan Nichols ’53 asked him to serve on the Harpeth Hall Board of Trustees in 1986. They wanted his business and financial acumen and his strategic thinking as the board grappled with high interest rates, a desire to increase enrollment, and the need to complete a fundraising campaign for a new athletic track. Jack was asked to chair a strategic planning committee to address these issues and to develop a long-range plan for the school. With tremendous dedication to Harpeth Hall, the board met the challenges successfully, the track became a reality, and a renewed vision for the school emerged.

In 2002, 10 years after Jack’s trustee term ended, Jack’s daughter Lindsay Jacques Irving ’06 enrolled in the 9th grade. The Campaign for Harpeth Hall was underway, and philanthropic investment in the school increased greatly. Jack’s wife and Harpeth Hall alumna, Jane Berry Jacques ’72, became deeply involved in fundraising and served on the board, ultimately chairing the board from 2018 to 2022. Together, Jane and Jack gave generously to the school in each

As Jane completed her term as board chair, Jack was moved to honor his wife and her devotion to Harpeth Hall with an endowed scholarship fund in her name. Of their family’s many gifts to the school, it is The Jane Berry Jacques Scholarship Fund of which Jack is the most proud. “This gift is two-dimensional. It honors my wife and her love of the school, and it helps a young woman come to Harpeth Hall who wouldn’t be able to enroll otherwise,” Jack explained. Jack added “the world has changed greatly since I was a trustee and the issues the school faces are different, but the fundamentals of the school are the same. The leadership is extraordinary, and the graduates are off the charts. As the school has changed and adapted, it has kept its mission.” It is Jane and Jack’s greatest hope that Harpeth Hall will continue to thrive and that Harpeth Hall girls will always strive to be leaders in their communities.

The Founders Society recognizes individuals who have included Harpeth Hall in their estate plans. If you are considering a planned gift to Harpeth Hall, please contact Director of Advancement

Susan Moll at 615-346-0087 or moll@harpethhall.org.

Contents

20

FEATURES

18 Cindy Crist exhibit honors alumnae artists

30 NYTimes bestselling author V.E. Schwab ’05 offers writing insights

34 Alumnae authors put life experience into words

35 Joe Croker reflects on writings by Tallu Schuyler Quinn ’98

36 ‘Bounce’ brings creative energy to dining hall

ACADEMICS & ACCOLADES

4 Introducing Frances Fondren-Bales

CORRECTION

6 Inside the Hall: Middle School

8 Inside the Hall: Upper School

10 Convocation inspires students to ‘brave the sea’

11 Honor Assembly elevates school values

12 Student Voices: Anushri Ray ’27

13 Student Voices: Olivia Majors ’23

14 Spanish immersion experiences expand global perspectives

15 National Merit Scholars honored

28 Carell visiting artist inspires leadership

We regret that the following donors were omitted or listed incorrectly in the 2021-22 Report on Philanthropy and express our sincere appreciation for their loyal support of Harpeth Hall: Anne and Bob Doolittle, Phillip and Mary Creagh Graf, Kirsten Hildebrand and Thomas Haroldson, Mr. Jason E. and Dr. Jennifer Braden Myers, and Betsy Shapiro Silverman.

ATHLETICS & THE ARTS

16 In the Spotlight: Performing Arts

20 Dugan Davis Complex celebrates 20 years

22 Signing Day secures athletes’ DI future

24 Athletics Highlights

26 Cross Country repeats as state champions

COMMUNITY

2 Observations from Jess Hill

3 Girls Symposium comes to Harpeth Hall

37 Grand Open House and Halloween Carnival

38 Sunday on Souby

CELEBRATIONS

42 Sweet Summer Send-off

43 Alumnae Holiday Party

44 College Age Brunch

ALUMNAE NEWS

40 Upper School Career Day opens world of opportunities

45 Award Nominations

46 Call for Summer Interns

47 Class Notes

53 Births

54 Marriages

55 In Memoriam: Trustees

56 In Memoriam: Donald Paxton McPherson III

58 In Memoriam: Former faculty and staff

59 In Memoriam: Alumnae

HALLWAYS STAFF

Jessica Bliss, Editor

Lauren Finney, Designer

Elizabeth Read ’09, Editorial Staff

Rory Fraser, Staff Photographer

Contributing Writers: Brianna Bjordahl ’15, MC Claverie ’20, Olivia Majors ’23, and Anushri Ray ’27

Contributing Photographers: Jessica Bliss, Peyton Hoge, Wade Payne, and Elizabeth Floyd Read ’09

Hallways is published twice a year by: The Harpeth Hall School

3801 Hobbs Road, Nashville, TN 37215 Follow us on: Facebook Instagram HHBears @Harpeth_Hall

Alittle over 20 years ago, educational experts predicted the skills needed to navigate the 21st century successfully. The skills specific to learning were known as the “four Cs” — critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity.

In many ways, schools tend to spend their time concentrating on the first three “Cs” and give short shrift to the final “C” — creativity. At times, we have misguided assumptions about what represents true creativity. Original thought can take many forms. This issue of Hallways highlights creativity not only in art or music or writing, but also in problem solving, teaching, or any new and innovative approach to a project or professional challenge. Research shows that creative thinking is vital for problem solving in a person’s career, if not in the composition of the career itself.

Author Ann Patchett, when interviewed for a BBC podcast, admitted that she “scheduled time to think” in order to distract herself from the daily world that can often interrupt her flow of writing and creativity. Another author remarked that “Creative insight of any type requires cognitive space to emerge.” In these pages, you will see examples of students, alumnae, and faculty who have made a place for preserving and fostering creativity in their lives.

Each day on our campus, we strive to give students the time they need to think creatively, and we understand that creativity can be fostered in several ways. Giving students the opportunity to delve into an area of individual interest helps build the creative muscles and habits that can be transferred to other areas. A SEEK project or a Global Scholars capstone are examples of these passion projects, which help to cultivate creativity. Realizing certain constraints to a real-world issue or problem may make it more challenging, but it also can stimulate

creative and original thinking. Sometimes we think of a lone genius composing a song or working in a lab, but in reality, collaboration and peer critique can encourage and promote originality.

Whether a student is writing a poem, creating a stop-motion video, planning a prom on a budget, designing a new Winterim internship, or performing her own choreographed dance, we are allowing space for original thinking. Our girls have access to all of the tools they need, and we are here to encourage their endeavors and provide examples and role models of creators and innovators who have come before them.

Jess Hill Head of School

Head of School Jess Hill sits and talks with 5th grade students in her office. Their creative minds come up with lots of questions to ask her.

Girls school educators gather in Nashville for an ICGS symposium that highlights mission, creativity, and connection

By Jessica Bliss

Evie Bentley walked out onto the steps of Ann Scott Carell Library and picked up her guitar, prepared to begin her headlining performance at the International Coalition of Girls Schools fall symposium.

Backed by her father (and country music star) Dierks Bentley, along with band members Ben Helson and Dan Hochhalter, Evie impressed the crowd with her confidence and beautiful voice as she sang country hits and a few of rock’s classics. It was undoubtedly one of those only-in-Music-City experiences as Evie and Mr. Bentley treated attendees to a quintessential Nashville afternoon and set the tone for the ICGS Educating Girls Symposium to follow.

“There was not a dry eye in the crowd as Evie sang a beautiful rendition of Joni Mitchell’s ‘Both Sides Now,’ focusing us all on the power of girls’ voices and the importance of perspective as we learn and grow,” said Danielle Heard, president of the ICGS governing board of directors and head of Nashoba Brooks School. “Music has a unique ability to help us listen, empathize, and find connection, and Nashville is a city brimming with dreams, stories, talent, and hope. I can think of no better place to convene with a commitment to active listening as a key to learning and growth.”

Educators from throughout the country and abroad traveled to Nashville in late October to attend the symposium. With a theme of “Meaning, Mission, and Making Connections,” the event highlighted creativity of thought, featuring breakout sessions that included a rich array of topics ranging from design thinking to empowering girls through leadership. It also uplifted the idea of curiosity and collaboration in a city known for its creative energy. Throughout the symposium attendees networked with educators and girls school advocates from dozens of schools and professional organizations around the globe. Harpeth Hall teachers presented on civic engagement, supporting girls’ confidence in math, and building global citizens. Keynotes included a presentation by Vanderbilt University’s Samir S. Ali, the founding president and CEO of Millions of Conversations, who focused on listening as a central pivot point to understanding.

The event concluded with a conversation with best-selling author Dani Shapiro and her literary agent, Harpeth Hall alumna Margaret Riley King ’03, who represents some of the world’s most recognizable authors and elevates their creative voices through her own leadership.

“When we center on girls, amplify their voices, and celebrate their presence,” Ms. Heard said, “the possibilities are endless.”

A life of discovery

By Jessica Bliss and MC Claverie ’20

Frances Fondren-Bales first uncovered her love of teaching in the science lab. Now, as director of the upper school, she encourages Harpeth Hall girls to pursue what inspires and intrigues them.

Asa teenager growing up in Greenville, South Carolina, Frances Fondren-Bales dreamed of becoming a doctor, not a teacher. Throughout her early academic career, she planned on pursuing medical school, which led her to help teach a biology class her senior year of high school. At the time, she thought teaching the class would solidify her plans to become a pediatric oncologist, however, it ultimately changed the trajectory of her career aspirations.

Now, years into her professional career, Ms. Fondren-Bales could not imagine being anything other than an educator. From those first experiences leading science labs and guiding students in biology test review sessions to her newest role as director of the upper school at Harpeth Hall, Ms. Fondren-Bales finds fulfillment in the student-teacher relationship. She has deep and proven experience as a division leader and has brought to Harpeth Hall steadying insight and an energy, focus, and forward-thinking commitment to all-girls education.

“I know how deeply impactful an all-girls environment can be as young women are finding their voices at this particular stage in life,” Ms. Fondren-Bales said. “This kind of education creates stronger, more competent women, and that is really valuable.” From her earliest years as a teacher and administrator, Ms. Fondren-Bales has focused on elevating girls in education — and her educational pursuits began in Nashville at Vanderbilt University, making her return here a full-circle moment. After discovering her passion for teaching, Ms. Fondren-Bales pursued a master’s in French literature from the University of California Santa Barbara and a Master of Education in Private School Leadership from the Klingenstein Center at Columbia University’s Teachers College.

She taught French at The Westminster School in Atlanta, Georgia, for 11 years. The position not only reflected her passion for the history, literature, artwork, food, and culture of France, but also aligned with one of her goals as an educator which was to expand students’ understanding of the people and world around them.

“I am passionate about students being exposed to other languages and cultures,” Ms. Fondren-Bales said, “not only because they can

experience new ways of thinking and new ideas, but also because it is by getting outside of one's own culture and looking back at it from the outside, that one can become truly self-aware.”

Ms. Fondren-Bales also served as a grade-level dean and dean of girls at Westminster. It was there that her passion for girls education really took root. After more than a decade in Atlanta, Ms. Fondren-Bales moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to serve as the head of the upper school at Holland Hall. In that role, she worked to create more leadership opportunities for female students who previously may have been overshadowed by their male classmates.

“I was constantly trying to create equity,” she said. “I saw that the president of the student body was often a male, but that president often didn't do a lot of the work. So, he was voted into the position and then a girl on student council was usually behind the scenes doing much of the work. I started to say, ‘We're going to have a male and a female president. We're going to create a system where there is a male and a female in positions of power.’ ”

Ms. Fondren-Bales said that working to create equal leadership opportunities at Holland Hall inspired her to learn more about all-girls environments, and, eventually, it seemed only natural to look for educational leadership positions at all-girls schools.

“It’s not just an interest, I’ve really done a lot of studying about all-girls environments, and I’d done so much that it started to feel silly not to be at an all-girls school. It was a very organic transition for me,” she said.

Ms. Fondren-Bales joined Harpeth Hall as the director of the upper school in July 2022. Top of mind upon her arrival was to meet with each faculty member and ask two questions about the community:

1. What are the ingredients of the “special sauce” that makes Harpeth Hall so special that we should never change?

2. Where do we need to put our energy as we move forward?

Ms. Fondren-Bales sees her job as a way to listen to all voices and help solve problems that arise within a community. She said her background in teaching makes her aware of what challenges students, parents, and teachers may face.

“I describe myself as a teacher-administrator,” Ms. Fondren-Bales said. “My husband is always laughing because I’ll introduce

myself and people will say ‘Oh, what do you do?’ and I’ll say, ‘I’m in education. I’m a teacher.’ I am a teacher who is also an administrator, there is a difference because I really think we are all teachers if you are working in education. I really try to keep my feet steeped in the classroom because it's easy to lose sight of that when you are an administrator.”

With that educator-first philosophy, Ms. Fondren-Bales brought with her a commitment to support the girls at Harpeth Hall as they explore subjects that inspire and intrigue them, so that they may feel confident in themselves and their talents and skills. Channeling her early interest in science and medicine, Ms. Fondren-Bales values the power of educational curiosity and discovery. She encourages teaching methods that get students out of their seats and into situations that provide firsthand experiences. “I strive to involve students in their own education so learning becomes more applicable to the world around them and more deeply embedded in their memories,” Ms. Fondren-Bales said about her philosophy of education. “I accomplish this goal by prioritizing the student-teacher relationship. It is only when a student is truly known that exceptional growth can happen.”

With that comes a commitment to advance the learning excellence of upper school students through Harpeth Hall’s established premier programs such as Winterim and Global Scholars, as well as by exploring new opportunities in the Bullard Bright IDEA Lab and beyond.

“By using every arena as a place of learning,” she said, “I hope students will realize that we learn by seeking novelty in all that we do, by seeking connections to the world around us, and by giving our creativity the license to explore ideas and solutions beyond the status quo.”

Get to know more about Ms. Fondren-Bales

Q: If you could tell the upper school students one thing or give them one piece of advice for the start of the year, what would it be?

A: I think anytime folks are new, whether it’s teachers or students, one of my big pieces of advice is to ask questions and to have grace with yourself. You're new, you’re learning, so if you make a mistake, it is okay because you're new. I’m in that seat as well. I have to ask a lot of questions.

Q: What is one thing that people might not know about you without you telling them?

A: I get up super early in the morning, and that's my kind of quiet me time. I practice contemplative prayer, a form of meditation that's very important to me to center myself. Then, I get exercise, and then I drink my coffee. . . . That quiet time is really key for me to fill my gas tank up. Another thing people don’t often know when they first meet me is that I’m quite a cheerleader at heart. I have a lot of energy, and I go nuts on the sidelines at games. My husband wouldn’t sit next to me at football games at my last school because I got so excited. So, I am a very spirited person, and I love that sense of school spirit.

Q: Magnolia Green or Silver Gray?

A: Magnolia green, the green brings out the green in my eyes.

Q: If you could participate in one Harpeth Hall program, club, activity, or sport, what would it be and why?

A: I think I would choose robotics. Honestly, it is not an area in which I have a lot of experience or expertise, but I love the team atmosphere, and I would lean into learning as much as I could through the program.

Q: If you were to design a Winterim class or trip, what would it be or where would you go?

A: In my heart I am still a French teacher, so a trip to France with an immersive experience would be top of mind. Maybe something in the south of France with study of Roman ruins and the influence of the Romans in southern France. History mixed with literature.

Q: Who are some your leadership role models?

A: Most of my role models are not famous people, they are people who I know through my own experiences. There’s a woman named Jessica Bagby who was the head of upper school when I was the dean of students at the Westminster Schools. I admired the strength of Jessica’s convictions and the way she could cut straight to the heart of an issue to help all of us become stronger in community. I really admire Jess Hill. I admire how calm she is, and I admire how thoughtful she is. I read every one of her blogs that I could get my hands on before joining the faculty here. I've talked to some alumnae who've talked about how little things Jess does in such a thoughtful way have really impacted them, like remembering the power of “yet.”

Q: What is one thing you have enjoyed at Harpeth Hall so far?

A: It's exciting to get to learn a new place and learn a new culture. I'm very aware this first year or even two I’m going to be absorbing all things Harpeth Hall so that I can know the traditions and know the place. I have often said to the faculty: “One thing I love about this place is that we hold tradition in one hand and we hold innovation in the other.” We do not see these as dichotomous.

At Model UN, students work to solve global issues

When Harpeth Hall students see a problem, local or global, they work together to solve it. This year, 33 middle school students had the opportunity to research worldwide issues and write resolutions that could help solve them through Model U.N.

Model U.N. is an academic simulation of the United Nations where students play the role of delegates from different countries and attempt to solve real-world issues from the perspective of their assigned country. Using weeks of research to better understand their country’s physical, cultural, political, and economic geography, students identify a topic to be addressed and write policy that offers possible solutions. Those resolutions are then presented to their peers at a daylong conference for students from schools throughout the Nashville area. This year, Harpeth Hall students conducted research and presented resolutions designed to improve the safety of women in France, reduce domestic violence against women in Denmark, reduce the global gender pay gap, encourage countries to switch to renewable energy sources across the globe, and more.

Model U.N. captures the spirit of Harpeth Hall’s mission to “develop responsible citizens who have global perspectives and make meaningful contributions to their communities and the world.” It also builds students’ public speaking, critical thinking, and in-depth research skills as they prepare to become the next generation of leaders.

“I love the leadership opportunities that are involved with Model U.N. and seeing how problems throughout different countries are

Harpeth Hall’s 2022 Model UN Delegates

• The French team of Arabella Jodway, Helen Kempf, and Eliza Martin penned a resolution designed to improve the safety of women.

• Francie Beck, Liddy McEvoy, Margaret Simmons, and Sophia Huddleston represented Denmark and created a plan to reduce domestic violence against women.

• The delegates from Iraq, Abby Perkins, Lillian Floyd-Thomas, Sophie Hong, and Abrielle Davis, sought to use education to help solve the methamphetamine problem.

actually solved in the world,” said Annie Cooper, a 7th grade student and a winner of an Outstanding Delegate award at this year’s conference. “I presented a bill to prevent suicide throughout the world on behalf of Iran. I believe that this bill is important because if we are going to help the world in the future one thing we must do is create a safe environment and make sure people know someone is there to talk to them and help them through difficult times. This support could eventually prevent suicide.”

Of the nine resolutions presented by Harpeth Hall students to the conference assembly in the fall, one earned a place on the afternoon docket through the support of peer delegates, one was passed by the Model U.N. General Assembly, and three won the Outstanding Resolution Award. In addition to Annie, 8th grade students Sophia Huddleston and Abby Perkins were named as Outstanding Delegates.

“Model U.N. taught me that you must speak up,” Annie said, “and if you put yourself out there you can do great things in life.”

• The representatives of Iran, Graci Hodges, Zoe Johnson, and Annie Cooper, sought to prevent suicide by providing counseling resources to people throughout the world.

• The Belgium team of Aza Scheele, Christine Hagerty, Mary Kidd Lindsey, and Rebecca Settle created a resolution designed to combat drug trafficking and earned a place on the afternoon docket.

• Representing India, Mimi Steele, Asa Gibson, Anushri Ray, and Jia Tipnis urged Model U.N. countries to make a voluntary agreement to lower air pollution in their home countries. This resolution was passed by the Model U.N. General Assembly.

• Freya Heard, Parker Holley, Eliya Brandes, and Adelle Pitts represented Germany and won an outstanding resolution award for their plan to encourage countries to switch to renewable energy sources.

• Representing Equatorial Guinea, Elyana Borek, Betsy Thomas, and Sarah Turcotte, earned an outstanding resolution award for their plan to combat rising sea levels.

• Elise Amara, Olivia Stahl, Megan Uchrin, and Sanjana Geevarghese represented the Czech Republic and won an outstanding resolution award for their plan to reduce the global gender pay gap.

Sinking submarines in science

Tank’ comes to Harpeth Hall

Ona November afternoon, five “sharks” sat at the front of room 203 in the Daugh W. Smith Middle School ready to determine the fate of Harpeth Hall entrepreneurial teams. For weeks, 7th and 8th grade students worked to develop product pitches to sell to the “shark” investors. The only question that remained: Were the “sharks” in or out?

Based on the hit television series “Shark Tank,” Director of the Middle School Judi O’Brien designed the enrichment class to build off the naturally creative and business-minded spirit of her students — some who are already running successful jewelry-making, dog-treat-baking, and clothing design gigs in their free time.

Howdo submarines both sink and float?

This was the question teacher Elsa Davids posed to her 8th grade science classes. The solution, she said, can be found in the delicate balance of the physics principles behind mass, volume, and density.

To understand these concepts in practice, 8th grade students were assigned a project — to build submarines that can complete one of two patterns: sink, float, and sink again or float, sink, and float again. Students designed their own models with recycled materials such as plastic, metal, and keys, and then tested out their creations in front of the class.

It was a feat of engineering techniques, data collection, scientific illustration, and practice of the scientific method — and through it the students learned what it means to both sink and swim.

This new middle school elective inspired students to see a problem in their community and invent a product to solve it. Throughout the class, students sought out issues that affect the daily lives of their peers, including preventing the disruptive sound of water bottles falling off desks, creating a solution to messy lockers, and building an app to make cleaning their rooms a breeze instead of a chore. After conducting competitor research, developing business plans, and creating a marketing strategy, the students presented their products in a “Shark Tank” style forum to a team of “sharks” made up of members of Harpeth Hall’s leadership team. The “sharks” then offered feedback on how well conceived, developed, and practical the idea was.

Luna Kear is not new to the entrepreneurial world. For a few years now, the 7th grade student has run her own Etsy shop, selling handmade craft items. During the Shark Tank class, she pitched a versatile 3-in-1 jacket that would combine fashion-forward designs with affordable and sustainable purpose.

“My favorite part about working on my ‘Shark Tank’ project was getting to see the process of creating a new project, and then pitching it to a team,” Luna said. After asking Luna questions about profit margins, key audience, and sales tactics, the “sharks” voted enthusiastically to go “in” on learning more about development of her product. The “Shark Tank” provided a great first step for Luna in building confidence behind her ideas and encouraging her in her career aspirations. After Harpeth Hall, Luna hopes to attend fashion school and continue to create new products as a part of her brand.

“I am inspired by the fact that every time I create something new, it is mine,” she said, “and it has come entirely from me and my mind.”

‘Shark

Tracking healthy habits in Wellness

According to the CDC, teenagers between 13 and 18 years old should sleep eight to 10 hours a night. In practice, however, most teenagers at Harpeth Hall would say they get significantly less sleep. In Buffy Baker’s wellness class, she aims to inspire students to reflect on their own sleep habits and plant a seed for a lifetime of personal wellness with the “21-Day Sleep Project.”

“It is pretty remarkable what some of the students reflect upon, what they start to see. They say how much happier they feel after the challenge,” Coach Baker said. “What it does, which is the really cool part, is that one good behavior starts to bleed into another good behavior.”

Throughout the project, students are tasked with tracking, logging, and reflecting on their sleep for three weeks to build awareness of behavior, establish patterns, and implement positive changes.

“It is building an understanding of how we spend our time,” Coach Baker said. “We prioritize what is important to us.”

Tracking sleep habits is not the only challenge Coach Baker sets her students. Throughout the years, she has also had students track hydration levels and screen time. For the students, the results have been eye opening. For many, they return to the class semester after semester to continue to track and push themselves to become aware of their habits and how it impacts their mental health and wellness.

After completing the challenge, students talk about how they can focus better in class, feel better physically, and are generally happier. Coach Baker understands that the habits they develop during the challenge may not stick with them immediately, she hopes that they are learning how good behaviors can serve them well in day-to-day life.

“It became apparent when I had them in class that there were a couple of things that were no-brainers to me, like adequate sleep and hydration. If I could help the girls establish good habits for themselves, then the way they go through their day could be improved just a bit,” said Coach Baker. “It is controllable. You can't control your teachers, you can't control your family member, you can’t control what someone else does, but these are controllable things you can do that are helpful to how you go through your day.”

From the assemblies in Athens to the classrooms of Nashville

Theyear is 403 BCE. After decades of war, Greek assemblymen have gathered to decide the fate of Athens. The tension is high, the decisions made will be life-changing for every Athenian, including the very people in the chamber. Will democracy be restored to Athens?

Fast forward 2,424 years, and 9th grade students in Adrienne Jacobs’ World Cultures class recreated the high-stakes debate in a live-action historical role-playing game. The topic in question was Aristotle's law principles, determining who can and cannot participate in the Athenian Assembly. Participating in the debate were recognizable historic names from all sides of the issue, including Aristocles, Archinus, Callias, and Meletus. Embodying these historic figures, students prepared impassioned speeches interwoven with active debate to address each view of what makes an Athenian citizen.

“I loved arguing with my fellow classmates about a topic from thousands of years ago,” said 9th grade student Gracie Meriwether, who took on the role of a Greek politician. “I learned what it was like for Metics (foreigners who lived in Greek cities but had limited-to-no citizen rights of the city), and how they had to overcome all of the difficulties of not being allowed in the Pnyx (the official meeting place of the Athenian assembly).”

The students were well prepared to tackle any question that came their way, and the debate was lively – giving the students insight into what these assembly meetings were like several millennia ago.

Students experience the creative art of letterpress

Thewalls of Hatch Show Print are full of history. Since 1879, the print shop has been designing iconic programs, posters, and advertisements now woven into the fabric of country music and beyond. The artwork celebrates performers such as Ward-Belmont alumna Minnie Pearl ’32, Elvis Presely, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, and more. Hatch Show Print is also responsible for helping to preserve letterpress printmaking techniques and keeping the old style of printmaking fresh in the 21st century.

This fall, Carmen Noel’s Photographic Printmaking class visited the Hatch Show Print workshop to learn about printmaking in action. The girls toured the facility, met designers, and had the opportunity to create their own print using an original printing press. Through the experience, the girls gained an understanding of graphic linoleum carving and its role in printmaking.

“The purpose of taking a day to journey downtown is for students to experience the special art of letterpress printing, relate it to their own relief printing, and to make the meaningful connection that Hatch Show Print holds a special place in the field of printmaking (and music) and is right here in our hometown,” Ms. Noel said. Influenced by their experience at Hatch Show Print, the students’ work has started to transcend genres from painterly to a more graphic style. The trip also sparked deeper conversation about the relationship between art and design.

Junior Lilly Cashen is no stranger to printmaking. This past fall, posters depicting her original artwork for the fall musical, “Into the Woods,” filled Harpeth Hall’s campus and the greater Nashville community. As a student in Ms. Noel’s class, Lilly visited Hatch Show Print in the fall. She returned to the printshop in January for her Winterim internship.

“I really enjoy how printmaking is versatile. You can make small or large prints, stamps, or official pieces, and can make multiple copies of your work,” Lilly said.

While there is much to be learned in the classroom, living in the culturally artistic city of Nashville allows students to experience creative expression in practice beyond our campus. This is the third semester Ms. Noel’s class has visited Hatch Show Print, but these trips are not the only time there is a Harpeth Hall presence in the print shop. Juniors and seniors, including Lilly, have spent their Winterim interning with the historic art brand, and during the summer, Ms. Noel takes elementary school aged members of the Positively Printmaking camp to visit.

“All of these touch points with Hatch Show Print and Harpeth Hall have been positive and meaningful,” Ms. Noel said. “We both cherish the process of printmaking and foster interest in keeping it alive and well for future generations.”

encourages girls to be the captains of their own ships

By MC Claverie ’20

TheClass of 2023 rushed into the Frances Bond Davis Theatre on the first day of the 2022-2023 school year decked out in pirate hats and bandanas. As they ran, the girls cheered along with the swashbuckling “Pirates of the Caribbean” soundtrack, the perfect choice for this year’s senior theme — “Brave the Sea in 2023.”

A beloved Harpeth Hall tradition led by the senior class, Opening Convocation marks the start of a new school year and the exciting adventures that lie ahead. For the senior class, their enthusiasm and love of Harpeth Hall manifest in their bravery to take on their role as leaders of the school.

While the senior theme encapsulates the idea of courage and confidence, Student Council President Sarah Martin Sachtleben reminded her fellow Honeybears that bravery exists in many different forms, and at Harpeth Hall, students can create their own definition of what it means to be brave.

“In my experience, Harpeth Hall has done a great job of providing such a space, a space where we can all voice our thoughts and express our feelings without shame or judgment to be brave,” she said. “Now, your version of being brave may look very different than the student next to you or even your teacher. So this year, I encourage all of us to push ourselves to a point of vulnerability where we learn not only about ourselves but also our fears.”

After two years of COVID causing rocky seas, in 2022 Harpeth Hall’s Opening Convocation returned to the theatre for the first time since 2019. Students scurried to find their classmates and settled into their cushioned seats as they absorbed the electric energy and anticipation permeating through the large space. From her place behind the podium as a Convocation speaker, 8th grade student Aza Scheele encouraged her classmates to carry that energy and excitement with them every day.

“When the new year loses its mystery and freshness, we forget that we still have goals, opportunities, and excitement ahead,” she said. “Taking the time to savor the ideas we have and remember the novelty of 2022-23 is important. … In my life, I’ve always needed something to look forward to to remind me of what I’m working towards and to regain zeal when it’s declining.”

Along with the excitement of the new year comes challenges that each student must learn to surmount, but by embracing these challenges, Harpeth Hall girls increase their own sense of mastery.

“While joy and an enthusiasm for learning seem to permeate the Harpeth Hall experience, we also need to prepare for and anticipate the inevitable setbacks and challenges that will arise,” Director of the Middle School Judi O’Brien said in her speech to students on the first day of school.

“Let’s embrace challenges as part of the journey, rather than as unwelcome surprises, by adopting and cultivating a growth mindset to build resilience and self-awareness.”

That call for resilience resonated among the students. At Harpeth Hall, girls learn to face their fears and embrace the courage to be brave. Whether it’s in the classroom, on the field, or up on stage, each day provides new opportunities to grow in strength and confidence with the support of fellow students and faculty.

“This year, I encourage you to think about real-world examples of brave people around you. When you see someone do something brave, tell her. When you read a book and there is a brave character, pull it apart and break it down to understand: ‘How do we know this is an example of real courage at play?’ ” Director of Upper School Frances Fondren-Bales said in her speech to students on the first day of school.

For this year’s Opening Convocation, the most important takeaway was that at Harpeth Hall, no one has to be brave alone. Together, our students and faculty are here to help each other and lift one another up on the journey to becoming brave young women.

“So, for anyone who may be wondering who we are today, let’s not just tell them we are a community of caring, thinking, involved, bold, and brave girls and young women, let’s show them,” Head of School Jess Hill said in her words to students on the morning of Opening Convocation. “Show them with the laughter overheard with friends, the admiration and respect in your eyes when your teachers are around, and the spark of curiosity ignited by that light of learning, inquiry, and understanding in the classroom. That spark of curiosity illuminates all that is around us at this school — reflecting the abundance of all that remains for us to learn about the world.”

Living honorably at Harpeth Hall

WhenBy Elizabeth Floyd Read ’09

Frances Fondren-Bales, Harpeth Hall’s new director of the upper school, met with the teachers for the first time, she asked each one what makes Harpeth Hall so special and what should never change. “So many teachers talked about the trust that exists as a cornerstone of this community,” Ms. Fondren-Bales reflected. “Teaching girls to live honorably is a part of our mission. It is a part of what makes an education at Harpeth Hall more than just grades and test scores. The people in this place truly care.” Just as the faculty reflected, living honorably is the foundation for how Harpeth Hall students learn and grow. The girls hold honor top of mind with each essay they write, test they take, and interaction they have with a friend or teacher. For them, it means being honest, kind, and dependable. In August, at Harpeth Hall's annual Honor Assembly, students from every grade gathered together in the Frances Bond Davis Theatre and pledged to be responsible and honorable members of our school.

As senior Annie Linley, president of the Honor Council, looked out at the more than 720 classmates, friends, and new students that filled the seats, she reflected on the knowledge that signing the Honor Pledge is a part of the rhythm of the school year for most all of them. It is an expectation and commitment they know and embrace. For the school’s youngest students, however, this was something new. So, Annie turned her attention to the 5th grade girls, speaking to them about what it means to sign the honor pledge for the first time.

HONOR PLEDGE

As a student of Harpeth Hall, I hereby pledge my full and hearty support to the Honor System. I pledge to be honest myself, and in order that the spirit and integrity of the Honor System may endure, I pledge that I will give no unauthorized assistance to other students. I will demonstrate my integrity in an honest and fair manner. In doing so, I fully commit to fostering an honest and respectful learning environment

“You have chosen to come to a very special place. …We have an Honor Code here, and it is kind of a big deal,” Annie said with a smile. “In a minute, you are going to go outside and sign it yourself to pledge to do your very best to follow it. Signing that code, becoming a part of the Harpeth Hall culture of honor and trust, means something. It is a big responsibility, but we entrust it to you, the 5th grade, with the same gravity that we entrust it to the 12th grade. You are ready. You’re Harpeth Hall girls now.”

After Annie spoke, Ms. Fondren-Bales introduced this year’s Honor Council, which includes a select group of upper school students who model and support their classmates in Harpeth Hall’s honorable actions: tell the truth, respect our peers, and act in an inclusive manner. Together, the members of the council along with the entire Harpeth Hall community made the pledge to “commit to fostering an honest and respectful learning environment for my peers, my teachers, and myself.”

Students at Harpeth Hall do not take these words lightly. Each and every student lives by the code in order to create an open and respectful campus.

“The honor code serves as a framework for our work together and reflects the high value placed on personal responsibility and good citizenship,” Director of the Middle School Judi O’Brien said.

“Upholding the honor code requires that we treat each other with respect and we strive to be curious and inclusive rather than judgmental.”

Cora Meyer, an 8th grade student and member of the Honor Education Committee, reinforced the power of the commitment to her speech to her peers.

“The honor code at Harpeth Hall ensures that everyone is honorable,” she said, “because it takes every individual in our community to guarantee that our school continues to have an honorable environment for everyone. If we continue to follow the honor code, we can work together to maintain Harpeth Hall’s strong community.”

Harpeth Hall has taught me to recognize my role as an individual in a group. I may be only a small part of this Harpeth Hall, but individual actions create the honorable culture, excellent academic environment, and nurturing community of Harpeth Hall.

—Harpeth Hall Alumna

The creativity

By Anushri Ray ’27

Anappreciation for the little miracles of everyday life can spark our imagination, refine our skills, and lead to creative phenomenal outcomes. Innovative thinking infused in a learning environment produces magic and brings joy to the people who are learning. Including creative thinking in classrooms is immensely helpful in empowering young women to think critically and lead confidently. In the four years I have been a student at Harpeth Hall, I have gotten to participate in various projects in classes that have called for some unique ideas, calculated risk-taking, and open-mindedness. These are skills that I believe are required to help students excel in their classes and in the real world. Every day, I see up close the transitions that girls go through from individual expressions through poems and short stories to collective management of journals and periodicals. I observe the increasing complexity of the experiments conducted in STEM classrooms where girls are encouraged to think originally without the fear of making mistakes. I consider myself fortunate to be a student at Harpeth Hall, a school that offers me a chance to think creatively, express imaginatively, and prepare for the future.

In my 7th grade SEEK project, I had the amazing opportunity to show the transformative journey of a young girl in 5th grade to a young adult in 12th grade at Harpeth Hall by creating a short film. The narrator’s voice in the short film weaves through the hallways of Harpeth Hall showing the daily lives of students in every grade. While making the film, I saw the multitude of ways Harpeth Hall encourages creativity. It was a humbling experience that also taught me that no journey in a creative landscape is complete without numerous mistakes, trials, and tribulations. Every eraser mark, messed up code, and experiment gone wrong are all signs of personal effort.

Every day, I look around the Harpeth Hall campus, and I see signs that say “Perfect” with a line through it in many of the classrooms, which encourages the idea that mistakes and setbacks are not signs of failure. Every brush stroke, leap in the air, and song sung shows creativity in an artistic form. Every word written, every design built, every code executed, and every storyboard presents the beauty of a person's imagination to the world. I am grateful that Harpeth Hall is intentional about being the curator of these activities, and I hope that every girl who has the privilege to wear the plaid skirt has the opportunity to enrich herself through these exciting challenges and opportunities.

An appreciation for the little miracles of everyday life can spark our imagination, refine our skills, and lead to creative, phenomenal outcomes.

of learning

By Olivia Majors ’23

Whenmy physics teacher told me to figure out whether or not the stop light at the corner of Estes and Hobbs was safe using physics, my mind switched to panic mode. I had kept up with my assigned textbook readings every night, taken notes during lectures, and had done well on previous multiple-choice quizzes. There must be some information that I was missing — some additional details in my assignment, another chapter that shows me the step-by-step, or an imperative note from my teacher. My class’s initial discomfort and panic was obvious to my teacher, so she gave us one additional piece of advice for tackling this project: be creative.

But let’s be real: what does creativity mean? Is it what makes the walls of Patton teem with art, the theatre light up with actors, and the words in the library come to life? Is it that elusive talent that only some seem to possess? If I haven’t taken an art class since 9th grade, what does that mean for my creativity? Throughout my time at Harpeth Hall, I have learned the answers to all of those questions. It’s true that creativity adds vibrancy to the art building, theatre, and library. But it also fortifies and deepens the learning that happens in classrooms for subjects spanning from science to history. The creativity that we, as students, take away from classrooms is an integral part of our development as the next generation of problem solvers, leaders, and critical thinkers. Although the origami made in geometry class and the rap written (and performed!) entirely in French might not be achievements I can add to a resume, I can confidently say that experiences like these are what have made me into the learner I am today. Harpeth Hall has taught me that learning is interesting and exciting. For lack of a better word, learning is cool. Creativity is a skill that is nurtured and encouraged throughout the years at Harpeth Hall. This school, as a result, graduates lifelong learners who are full of curiosity and drive to find answers that go deeper than what a textbook or Google search can tell them.

Now, back to my physics problem. My classmates and I threw on our creative hats and marched right out of the classroom, all the way down to the field next to our assigned stop light’s intersection. It wasn’t easy, and it certainly wasn’t straightforward, but we managed to figure out a way to time the duration of the yellow light, measure the length of the intersection, and estimate the speed of the cars passing through. With this information, we were able to use knowledge that we had picked up from our textbook and in-class lectures to solve for acceleration and find our final answer.

So yes, creativity absolutely has its place in any classroom on campus, even when you least expect it. The creativity of the student body, whether they would classify themselves as artists or not, is what makes this school such a remarkable beacon of learning and intellectual pursuit.

Creativity is a skill that is nurtured and encouraged throughout the years at Harpeth Hall. This school, as a result, graduates lifelong learners who are full of curiosity and drive to find answers that go deeper than what a textbook or Google search can tell them.

Spanish immersion experiences expand global perspectives for Harpeth Hall students

By Elizabeth Floyd Read ’09

Arriving at El Lago del Bosque, a Concordia Language Immersion Village in Minnesota this past summer was like stepping into another world for Harpeth Hall sophomore Elizabeth Lefler and junior Shreya Priyadarshi.

While many students view the summer holiday as a time to take a break from classes, for Elizabeth and Shreya, it became an opportunity to delve deeper into their academic studies by immersing in Spanish language, culture, food, and history.

For a month this past summer, they attended over 180 hours of advanced Spanish classes focused on vocabulary and grammar joining students from Montgomery Bell Academy at El Lago del Bosque as part of MBA’s Wilson Grant, which encourages students to spend their summers exploring and furthering the intellectual passions they have developed at school.

The students at El Lago learned various accents, phrases, and cultural differences between Hispanic countries taught by counselors from around the globe. For meals, they tried Spanish paella, Mexican tamales and frijoles, and even asado argentino, an authentic Argentinian barbecue dish, opening their senses to the tastes of Hispanic countries. During free times, they could try their hand at fútbol or learn traditional dances such as the Argentine tango and Spanish flamenco.

All the while, Elizabeth and Shreya strengthened their Spanish language skills, allowing them to start the new school year more confident about their abilities.

“Along with the lifelong friendships and learning experiences we made from this immersion, we enjoyed every moment of our learning experience,” said Elizabeth.

Together, they shared their experience at El Lago del Bosque with their peers at Harpeth Hall’s National Hispanic Heritage Month all-school assembly celebration.

National Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, recognizes the contributions, culture, and history of the American Latino community.

During the student-led assembly, middle and upper school students joined Elizabeth and Shreya in sharing what they learned in classes and ended the event with a school-wide sing-a-long celebrating Spanish music and dance.

“It is important to recognize the excellence, resilience, and resistance of the Hispanic and Latino communities as we join them in celebrating their heritage and value their accomplishments in our Harpeth Hall community and our city,” said upper school Spanish teacher Bela Lodygensky.

Harpeth Hall’s recognition of National Hispanic Heritage Month continued throughout campus as Spanish classes worked together to share Hispanic history and culture with the school.

In Spanish 4, students created Spanish-language biographies and infographics of accomplished and famous Latinos in the United States and posted them throughout the upper school. Students in other Spanish classes then took part in a bingo-style scavenger hunt to find and learn about as many of these cultural leaders as possible.

In Spanish 5, students prepared lessons for their peers to celebrate Hispanic cultures across Latin America. Each student chose a different country to research and create materials for use in other Spanish classrooms, including lessons on the country and culture, short readings, games, and activities.

Across campus, students created vibrant chalk drawings that represented Tapetes. In Mexican culture, Tapetes are created for Día de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. At Harpeth Hall, students created their Tapetes on the sidewalks around Souby. Each fall, National Hispanic Heritage month affords students the opportunity to learn more about the significant cultural contributions of Latino Americans throughout our history.

Seven members of Harpeth Hall’s Class of 2023 earned the distinct honor of being named semifinalists in the 68th annual National Merit Scholarship program. The Harpeth Hall seniors are among 16,000 semifinalists from across the country. The girls credit the achievement to the high-quality education, guidance, and support they received in their years at Harpeth Hall. “I cannot stress enough the impact that my Harpeth Hall teachers have had on me,” said National Merit Semifinalist Ava Cassidy, who hopes to pursue degrees in biology and film in college. To her, the National Merit Scholarships is “a testament to the skill and true care that Harpeth Hall teachers have for their students.”

The road to National Merit semifinalist recognition begins during a student’s junior year when she takes the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. The exam measures a student’s critical reading ability, mathematical problem-solving skills, and writing ability.

The highest-scoring program entrants in each state are selected as National Merit semifinalists. Harpeth Hall’s honorees are in the top 1% of high school seniors across the country.

While Harpeth Hall’s National Merit honorees focus on their senior year, they are also thinking about their futures. More than 7,500 National Merit scholarships worth more than $30 million will be awarded next spring.

“I was excited to receive news that I was named a National Merit semifinalist. It felt very rewarding to be recognized for my scholastic achievement on a national scale,” National Merit semifinalist Caroline Seehorn said.

“In college, I hope to study biomedical engineering, and I’m not entirely sure what I want to do with my degree post graduation, but I definitely am interested in pursuing research both in and out of college. I believe that this award can help propel me on that path by demonstrating my ability to work well under pressure and serve as a leader within the classroom.”

To advance as a National Merit finalist and be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must have an outstanding academic record and receive recommendation letters from school officials. They must also submit a scholarship application that highlights their academic record, participation in school and community activities, and demonstrated leadership abilities.

In addition to the National Merit semifinalists, Harpeth Hall also celebrates 13 commended students in the National Merit Scholarship program: Julia Allos, Conway Bettis, Nandu Govindaswamy, Hallie Graham, Bella Guillamondegui, Avery Hassan, Riley Kate Higgins, Anna Lindsley, Olivia Majors, Madison McCall, Mary Meacham, Amelia Olafsson, and Louise Ory.

“It is a huge honor to be recognized on this scale, and all the support and encouragement from the school has been amazing,” semifinalist Annie Linley said. “This award has helped me see that the work I put in now will pay off no matter what I decide to do.”

Each of the students honored by the National Merit Scholarship Program represents the tradition of academic excellence at Harpeth Hall, where students learn to think critically, lead confidently, and live honorably.

“There is so much I love about Harpeth Hall,” Caroline said. “From the incredible faculty to my engaging peers to the wealth of academic and extracurricular opportunities offered, there really is nowhere else I would have rather spent the last seven years.”

1 Natalie Apodaca 2 Virginia Callen

3 Ava Cassidy 4 Annie Linley 5 Maddie Meyer

6 Mary Roper 7 Caroline Seehorn

8 Julia Allos 9 Conway Bettis

10 Nandu Govindaswamy 11 Hallie Graham

12 Bella Guillamondegui 13 Avery Hassan

14 Riley Kate Higgins 15 Anna Lindsley

16 Olivia Majors 17 Madison McCall

18 Mary Meacham 19 Amelia Olafsson

20 Louise Ory

Congratulations to Harpeth Hall’s National Merit Scholarship Program Semifinalists

Commended Scholars

CHOIR

‘From Nothing to Something’: National Museum of African American Music comes to Harpeth Hall

Living in Music City U.S.A. has its perks when it comes to the amazing opportunities afforded to music students. This semester, Ms. Heidi Wolter partnered with the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) to bring artists, educators, and historians to the 8th grade Music and Culture class. NMAAM’s “From Nothing to Something” workshop series focuses on educating students on the innovative materials and methods used by early African American artists to create music. Early African Americans, with limited access to resources, used everyday materials to create music including the wash tub bass and cigar box guitar. Harpeth Hall students experienced this firsthand with a visit from Lucius Talley. A local music icon, Mr. Talley, as he is known on stage, is a prolific spoons artist, having appeared on “America’s Got Talent,” the TV series “Nashville,” and a variety of commercials over the years. In October, Mr. Talley visited Harpeth Hall to speak

ORCHESTRA

Visiting artist expands students’ learning beyond the classroom

Conductor and composer Kirt Mosier values the power of being in the moment. Throughout his career, he worked with orchestras in Iceland, Vienna, Salzburg, Jakarta, Australia and more. Twice, he won national composition awards with his 1993 work “Battle Dance” and his 2003 work “American Reel.”

He believes that every time a musician plays, she must give it her all — at every rehearsal, practice session, and performance.

This fall, the world renowned conductor worked with our Harpeth Hall orchestra in workshops culminating in a special fall orchestra concert on Oct. 8, thanks to a grant presented by the Hays Foundation.

The opportunity to bring in a visiting clinician is an exciting opportunity for students, Orchestra Director Lori McDermott said. Having Mr. Mosier on campus “gives students the opportunity to work with another director and hear different ways to communicate correct posture, position, bow hold, tone production, balance, dynamics, and intonation,” Ms. McDermott said. “It provides a wonderful, yet different perspective.”

to the history of spoons as an instrument and demonstrated his spoon-playing mastery. Throughout the fall, the class also had a visit from a professional drummer and former professor at Fisk University, who spoke about the importance of historically black colleges and universities, as well as a professional lyricist who collaborated with the girls to write a song. In the spring, 8th grade students will be able to complete their lessons with a visit to the NMAAM in downtown Nashville.

For senior Conway Bettis, working with Mr. Mosier taught her how to lift the music off of the page.

“I learned how to really focus in on a piece of music — learning how to feel it and make it come alive rather than just playing the notes. He was really able to get the group to come together and perform as one instead of as individuals,” Conway said.

BEHIND the choreography…

Meet Priyanka Chiguluri ’23

Senior Priyanka Chiguluri started dancing in the 8th grade at Harpeth Hall and has not stopped since. As the president and co-founder of the Current History Club, editor-in-chief of Logos, and member of clubs such as BELONG, Confidence Club, Hiking Club, Ambassadors, Public Purpose, and Global Scholars, Priyanka always strives for excellence whether in class, extracurricular activities, or on the stage. In the 2022 fall dance concert, the audience watched Priyanka leaping across the Frances Bond Davis Theatre as she not only performed in numbers staged by Harpeth Hall staff but also choreographed several dances for herself and her peers.

What do you like most about being on stage?

I love sharing our work with the community. I believe that dance is an art, and I love when our dances make the audience feel something. I also love getting to dance with the most incredible community. We work so hard together, and the support we have for each other during our concerts is so special.

What is exciting about choreographing a new dance number?

To me, choreography is a form of storytelling, and I love watching pieces that I’ve choreographed come to life. For the fall 2022 concert, I choreographed a trio for myself, Caroline Seehorn ’23, and Luca Cyr ’23, and a solo for myself. Choreographing the trio was one of the best experiences I’ve had because I got to work with two amazing dancers who were open-minded and excited to try new things. The trio also gave me the opportunity to truly see my choreography performed by others through videos of the three of us and watching Luca and Caroline during rehearsal, and it was so cool to watch the piece come together and tell a story.

Do you plan on continuing to dance after you graduate from Harpeth Hall this spring?

I plan to continue to dance after Harpeth Hall. Looking at dance opportunities has been an important part of my college process, and I hope to at least minor in dance at college. I also hope to join dance clubs/a company/team and/or dance at nearby studios depending on where I go. I really hope that dance will be a part of my future.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

On stage with . . . Ruby Wolter ’23

Senior Ruby Wolter has been performing since she was 5 years old, starring in musicals at her church. At Harpeth Hall, she is the president of the Playmakers club, an Honor Council representative, co-captain of Angkor, and president of the Chamber Choir and Rolling Tones a capella group. During Winterim 2022, Ruby completed an independent study of musical theatre that culminated in a trip to New York City. She is currently in the process of auditioning for over 20 colleges to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theatre.

How did your independent study during Winterim inspire you?

In New York City, I took classes at Broadway Dance Center, saw Broadway shows, took private lessons from Broadway performers, and experienced the city that I plan on pursuing a career in after college. On this trip, I learned so much about myself and my craft and was even able to film some summer program auditions with my coaches. I also made a wonderful connection with the company Musical Theatre College Audition (MTCA), which I am still working with to this day. Being

fully immersed in the life of an actress in New York City was an eye-opening experience as I realized how difficult, but worthwhile, the career I want to pursue can be. I now know that there is no other way that I want to spend my life, and I am so grateful for my Winterim experience.

What are the most challenging aspects and the most rewarding aspects of performing?

The most rewarding aspect of performing, for me, is the joy that radiates from the stage and is shared with the audience. Performing is challenging because the work is difficult, the rehearsals are long, and every day you have to be ready to be your most vulnerable self in front of a lot of people. I have found this to be true in both Dance Company and theatre at Harpeth Hall. What I love so much about the arts is that with every production I am a part of, I meet amazing people who have a huge impact on me. My biggest inspiration when it comes to performing is the recently retired Stephanie Hamilton. Ms. Hammy saw my love for the stage and taught me how to be a storyteller through my lyrics and actions. There is no one that radiates a love for the performing arts like Ms. Hammy, and I strive to be just like her and have an impact on those around me.

Cultivating

2022 ART EXHIBIT RECOGNIZED AND HONORED

Thestudent artwork displayed in Harpeth Hall’s hallways entranced Caroline Johnson ’22 from her first year at Harpeth Hall. A guitar electrified by vibrant hues of red and yellow. A dancer, arms outstretched, leaping across a canvas. Portraits in charcoal and watercolor that brilliantly captured the crease of a smile line or the depths of a gaze.

After working for years with Harpeth Hall art teachers to develop her own creative style, Caroline started crying the day she was told that her artwork, too, would hang on permanent display at Harpeth Hall as part of the Cindy Crist Collection.

For three decades, Harpeth Hall students have been honored with an award established in 1986 in memory of Cindy Crist ’85, who died tragically at age 19. Each year, seniors enrolled in the AP Art and Design class are nominated for the award by the visual arts faculty, who then vote on which student portfolio to honor after seeing the AP Art and Design show, which is usually in April. The chosen artwork is added to the Cindy Crist Collection and hung in various locations around campus.

This past year, Harpeth Hall displayed the complete Cindy Crist Collection together for the first time in the Marnie Sheridan Gallery. The exhibit honored the legacy not only of Cindy Crist but also of Marnie Sheridan ’72, another student and a young artist who died too soon.

The exhibit ran from May through October 2022 and marked the 50th anniversary of the gallery. Through the showcase, Harpeth Hall recognized the generations of students touched by the artistic influence that Ms. Crist and Ms. Sheridan left in their passing.

“Seeing the Crist collection all together encourages creativity and new perspective by looking at various works of art,” said Susie Creagh Elder ’90, the visual arts department chair at Harpeth Hall who is also a former Cindy Crist Award winner. “It really inspires students to see what the people in their class are creating — it just elevates everyone.”

As the 2022 Cindy Crist Award winner, Caroline chose to display her painting “Fisherman,” which depicts a man in orange and yellow waders holding a pink fish. The image represents the focus of Caroline’s AP art portfolio, highlighting under-appreciated members of society.

As Harpeth Hall paid tribute to the student artists across generations, the school also recognized how Harpeth Hall’s art department has flourished thanks to the influence of these beloved alumnae and other generous families who have supported the arts over the years.

The Marnie Sheridan Gallery, with its cream-colored walls and candescent windows, has become a gathering place for Harpeth Hall students, parents, and alumnae to enjoy artistic beauty. The Patton Visual Arts Center offers another layer of artistry with its lightfilled painting studios, fully equipped dark room, labs for digital design, and exhibit halls. The building will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2023 as it continues to encourage artist exploration through all genres.

“Patton is home to a great team of teachers,” Ms. Elder said. “We’re all visual artists ourselves, and we just love supporting the Harpeth Hall students and the incredible talent that’s been coming through Patton for the past 20 years. We are just so excited for that talent to continue to grow.”

To see what the Cindy Crist artists are doing now, scan here

Creativity

CINDY CRIST ART AWARD RECIPIENTS

By Jessica Bliss

Score!

Under the bright lights of the Dugan Davis Track and Soccer Complex, future state champions hone their sprinting and soccer dribbling skills, spirit club teams collapse in giggles trying to win a tug-of-war, and enthusiastic fans recognize senior athletes for their accomplishments.

For two decades, the facility has brought together Harpeth Hall students, parents, and fans as a place for community building and competition. Built by her children as a tribute to Harpeth Hall teacher and coach Dugan Davis, the complex celebrated its grand opening on Dec. 5, 2002.

This year, as the complex reaches its 20th anniversary, it stands as one of the finest athletic facilities in Tennessee for female athletes then and now.

“With the locker rooms, an auxiliary training room, and a turf field that allows for play no matter the weather, the Dugan Davis Complex is the centerpiece of our soccer, lacrosse, and track and field teams, plus it is the gathering place for our middle school recess and school spirit activities like Field Day,” said two-time state-winning Varsity Soccer Head Coach Meggie Lucas.

Envisioning the future of female athletics

Before the Dugan Davis field house was built, an equipment closet in a small outbuilding near the old athletic field was filled to the brim with pole vaults, mats, hurdles, soccer balls, spray paint for marking the field, field hockey sticks for physical education, wooden lacrosse sticks, and anything that didn’t fit into the storage space under Bullard.

Dugan Davis Track and Soccer Complex celebrates 20 years as a championship-level athletic facility for girls

By Jessica Bliss

The girls had to change in locker rooms across campus in Morrison and Bullard gymnasiums. Water would pool near the field when it rained, and games would be canceled. And when there was lightning?

“Entire teams crammed into that outbuilding closet and into the two-stall bathroom,” said Legare Vest, who coached multiple championship lacrosse teams at Harpeth Hall. “There was just no place to go.”

On game days, Ms. Vest recalls, she would leave her classroom to measure and paint lacrosse lines on the field. For the pregame, there was a jam box with a mix tape and a bullhorn for announcing lineups. During the event, an air horn blew for fouls and a stoppage of game time. They used a flip chart for the score. “For a teacher coach,” Ms. Vest said, “it was a lot of moving parts.”

The Dugan Davis Track and Soccer Complex changed that, serving as a special tribute to the athletes at Harpeth Hall and to a teacher and coach who helped inspire them.

Dugan Davis was a middle school English teacher known for her love of literature, enthusiasm, and energy — which she channeled into all she did. When Harpeth Hall students asked for more athletic opportunities, Mrs. Davis responded by founding and coaching the first middle school track, soccer, and cross country teams, as well as the upper school soccer program. The track team won the HVAC championship the year after it began. When the soccer team didn’t have other schools to compete against, Mrs. Davis arranged for Harpeth Hall to play the University of Alabama soccer team. The Honeybears came out victorious.

Mrs. Davis taught and coached at Harpeth Hall from 1973 to 1985. As the Harpeth Hall athletics program continued to grow and flourish, it became clear the facilities also needed to keep up with

“Simply, it is central to the identity of Harpeth Hall.”

the times. A gift from the Davis family children — Joe, Anne ’73, Beth ’74, and Pat Davis ’82 — became a unique way to honor what their mother began.

Championship-level facility for girls

On an early December morning assembly in 2002, the entire student body, faculty, family, and friends of the Davis family gathered outside for the dedication of the Dugan Davis Track and Soccer Complex. It was a facility unlike any other for female athletes.

The complex encompassed approximately 6,774 square feet and later featured the first artificial turf field in the state for girls athletics, which was an additional gift to the complex from Joe Davis. In addition, the new two-story athletic facility housed training facilities, locker rooms, grandstands, and a concession area. The Dugan Davis field house also provided the first-ever weight room on the campus, which Harpeth Hall Track and Field Coach Jim Romero said “gave birth to the strength and conditioning program at Harpeth Hall, which then allowed every athlete across all sports to train and prepare for her sport.” Over the years, the new facility became a place where students felt comfortable pushing themselves mentally and physically.

“The facility was a welcoming and unintimidating space for all students at Harpeth Hall, not just athletes, to prioritize their health and wellness goals,” said Harpeth Hall alumna Morgan Stengel ’05. “The Dugan Davis Track and Soccer Complex was the first act in establishing Harpeth Hall’s continued commitment to comprehensive health and wellness and athletic performance and excellence.”

In the 20 years since the facility opened, Harpeth Hall’s soccer, lacrosse, and track and field teams have combined to win a total of 13 state championships — five in lacrosse, two in soccer, and six in

track and field, adding to track’s historic record total of 17. But beyond that, the Dugan Davis Track and Soccer Complex has brought Harpeth Hall’s community together in memorable ways. In 2017, groups of faculty, parents, students, and neighbors gathered on the field to watch the total eclipse. Former Cross Country and Track Coach Jack Henderson remembered the collective anticipation of the moment as everyone put on their dark glasses and directed their eyes toward the sky. “Then came the eerie darkness and awed silence as the sun disappeared momentarily,” he said. “I just looked around and smiled, knowing I would never forget that moment.”

It’s one of many unforgettable experiences to take place in the complex. Each year, it hosts hundreds of athletes from throughout Nashville for the city track and field championships and welcomes girls from across Middle Tennessee for summer camp fun.

“I love when campers or players from an opposing team come to Harpeth Hall for the first time,” Coach Lucas said. “When they step out on the field, there is an inevitable exclamation about the facilities and how all of it is for girls. What an amazing realization that girls and girls’ athletics are important.”

‘Tremendous opportunities’ to come

When the Dugan Davis children gave the Dugan Davis Track and Soccer Complex in their mother’s honor, Harpeth Hall’s parents, led by Peaches Blank, also contributed with the gift of the field lights. For two decades, girls have shone brightly underneath that glow on a turf field of their very own.

Now, 20 years later, the complex will receive another unique addition this spring when the school installs a new scoreboard courtesy of an anonymous donor as well as athletic program funds. The new scoreboard will serve as a reminder of the continued support and celebration of our athletes and their accomplishments as well as the legacy of the Davis family.

“Over the past 20 years, girls and young women have played hundreds of soccer and lacrosse games and learned valuable life lessons,” Head of School Jess Hill said. “Countless athletes throughout Nashville and across the state have competed on the track and tested their mettle. We are forever grateful for Dugan Davis, her family, and all the families who provide tremendous opportunities for Harpeth Hall students and our athletic program.”

Scan here to see 20 years of athletic photos and celebrations in the Dugan Davis Track and Soccer Complex.

Three Harpeth Hall athletes sign with Division I schools on National Signing Day 2022

Elizabeth Aylward is the type of athlete who frustrates opposing coaches — in all the best ways.

“Dang,” they would say to Harpeth Hall volleyball coach Hannah Asafo-Adjei when they saw Elizabeth warming up on the court, “I thought she graduated.” Or, rather, they hoped she had graduated. That’s the type of dominating presence Elizabeth has on the court. With her back row saves, powerful hits, and infectious competitive energy, she’s been catching the attention not only of opposing high school coaches but also of college volleyball coaches across the country for most of her playing career.

In her time at Harpeth Hall, Elizabeth led her team to the state tournament every season and received every accolade possible, including being named a three-time DII-AA all-middle region team and tournament team member, earning DII-AA middle region MVP twice, and being named a finalist for the Tennessean’s Girls Volleyball Player of the Year.

In November, Elizabeth added another milestone to the list when she — along with fellow seniors Bella Guillamondegui and Sophia Williams — signed a National Letter of Intent to continue her competitive career in college. Elizabeth will play volleyball at Virginia Tech. Bella, who this fall defended her title as Division II-AA state cross country champion will run cross country and track for Notre Dame. Sophia will compete on the rowing team at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

In all, 39 Harpeth Hall athletes, including Elizabeth, Bella, and Sophia, have committed to playing college athletics in 10 different sports over the last five years. Twenty-three of those students committed to Division I schools.

“What I have loved most about being a Harpeth Hall athlete is the unbelievable relationships I have been able to build throughout my years in the program,” said Elizabeth, who will be the second Harpeth Hall graduate to play volleyball at Virginia Tech following Taylor Parrish, Class of 2006. “Today was a dream come true, and I cannot believe I finally got to make it official.”

That team spirit and camaraderie distinguish Harpeth Hall athletes at all levels. When the girls compete, they celebrate their teammates' achievements as much as their own. As Harpeth Hall cross country coach Jenny Jervis put it, “If I had a dollar for how many times Bella would cry out, ‘I love this team!’ I would be a rich woman.”

By Jessica Bliss

Bella holds 12 state titles in cross country and track and field. She also holds school records in the 3200 and the 5K, where she has recorded the three fastest times in school history. She competes regionally and nationally in every distance from the 800 to the 5K and, Coach Jervis said, “is the most accomplished Harpeth Hall runner since Olympic marathoner Margaret Groos in the 1970s.”

“Bella has indeed achieved much in her time at Harpeth Hall, and it was well earned,” Coach Jervis said. “She never shies from challenging workouts – always showing up and finishing each assignment to her fullest ability. And while these achievements are important to her, she also values her team deeply. She supports her teammates and her fellow runners, offering them hugs at the end of races and bellowing out encouraging words when they are racing. Bella celebrates their successes as much as her own and takes great delight in cheering them on.”

The opportunity to celebrate comes alongside the hard work and dedication needed to succeed, and all three Harpeth Hall signees embody that passion.

“It has to be a conscious choice to show up every day and engage in something that challenges you,” said Cory Sanderson, Sophia’s coach at Nashville Rowing. “Being a good teammate, pushing yourself mentally and physically, and trusting that your teammates are doing the same takes a maturity that not many high school athletes possess.” Already, Sophia is among the elite rowers in the country. In addition to multiple top 15 and top 30 finishes, respectively, in the Head of the Hooch and the Head of the Charles — two of the largest regattas in the country — Sophia also earned an invite to the U.S. Rowing Olympic Development Program (ODP) for the summer of 2021 to represent the Southeast Region. This program serves as an important piece of the U.S. National Team system, Coach Sanderson said, by providing the top under-18 (U18) athletes from each region the opportunity to train for one month with top coaches and athletes from around the country. The program culminates with a race between all six regions at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Florida, which has been home to youth championships, NCAA championships, Olympic Trials, and world championships. Sophia earned spots in the top boats for the Southeast Region, winning medals in the ODP Cup race against the other regions.

“I know she will continue to strive for excellence,” Coach Sanderson said, “as she continues her rowing career at the University of Wisconsin.”

Fall Athletic Awards

Volleyball

Elizabeth Aylward: DII-AA Middle Region MVP, DII-AA All Middle Region Tournament Team, nominee for All-Midstate, nominee for Tennessean Girls Volleyball Player of the Year

Emaline Cash: Honorable Mention All Middle Region Team

Reagan Nisbet: Honorable Mention All Middle Region Team

Soccer

Grace Moore: DII-AA All Middle Region Team

Ellie Walker: DII-AA All Middle Region Team

Helen Ghertner: DII-AA All Middle Region Team

Golf

Lillian Yarbrough: TSSAA State Golf Tournament individual qualifier

Cross Country

Varsity Team: TSSAA State Champions

Bella Guillamondegui: Individual State Champion

5th and 6th Grade Team: HVAC Jr. Champions

7th and 8th Grade Team: HVAC Champions

Repeat. Repeat.

With back-to-back state titles, Harpeth Hall cross country team remains winningest in TSSAA history

For back-to-back seasons, the Bears are the best.

Led by the blazing speed of senior Bella Guillamondegui, Harpeth Hall runners burst through a competitive field at Sanders Ferry Park in early November to earn their second-consecutive Division II-AA state cross country title. All seven of the Harpeth Hall runners finished in the top 30 to secure the team win.

With this year’s title, Harpeth Hall now has a historic 14 state cross country championships — expanding on its TSSAA state record for the most won by any school, boys or girls, in the sport.

“I thought it was going to be a nail-biter,” said TSSAA Coach of the Year Jenny Jervis, a Harpeth Hall world language teacher and department chair who has served as cross country’s head coach for 10 years. “But the girls crushed it.”

The trophy underscores the strength of the entire Harpeth Hall running program, which earlier this year celebrated by winning the 5th and 6th grade HVAC Jr. title and the 7th and 8th HVAC title, paving the way for the future. The varsity cross country title also builds off a remarkable athletic showing during the 2021-2022 school year when — for the first time in school history — Harpeth Hall won five state titles with victories in soccer, cross country, riflery, lacrosse, and track and field.

“Winning last year, the girls were all the more motivated,” Coach Jervis said. “You can get complacent, but they didn’t. Many of the girls trained and competed in the Eastbay event over Thanksgiving, and that yearlong commitment makes a difference. “To repeat as champions is a hard endeavor. People tell you that, but you don't really know it until you try to do it again. To win so definitively was the cherry on top.”

With their Harpeth Hall classmates pouring off the spirit bus and rushing to the start line just before the race began, enthusiasm was at a high when the starting gun fired. That energy carried through the race.

By Jessica Bliss

Bella’s time of 17:54 was nearly 30 seconds faster than her 2021 finish in the 5,000-meter race, winning her the individual Division II-AA state championship. Along with Bella’s first-place finish, sophomore Annamaria Bacchetta (5th), sophomore Lily Bowen (7th), freshman Lula Lowrance (14th), freshman Suki Junge (24th), sophomore Lucy Farringer (27th), and junior Elizabeth John (30th) rounded out Harpeth Hall’s successful day.

Coach Jervis admitted she was “sleepless” the night before the race, concerned over lingering illness affecting several of the team’s top runners. That led to some tough decisions on race morning with a few last-minute substitutions.

“Our team is so deep it was really a difficult choice who would be the next person up,” Coach Jervis said.

Even in unexpected circumstances, the Bears persevered pushing together to the finish line to repeat as state champions. In the year’s most important race, Suki dropped more than 20 seconds off her personal best, Lula finished 10 seconds faster than her previous PR, Annamaria continued to show herself as a “savvy runner who knows herself well and knows when to turn on the guns,” and Elizabeth, Lucy, and Lily pushed valiantly ahead. The entire team, Coach Jervis said, brought spirit and heart to the “squad” as it is affectionately called by Lily, who also celebrated a 6-second PR.

“Our girls showed up in true Harpeth Hall fashion — ready to go and ready to cheer,” Director of Athletics Kylene Lee said of the victory. “It was a true team effort, and I couldn’t be more proud of this team and these coaches.”

Middle school students celebrate HVAC titles

‘I’m a leader’

By Elizabeth Floyd Read ’09

Standing tall with her head held high and both hands on her hips, 8th grade student Zarai Armstrong was not unnerved by the over 700 sets of eyes turned to look at her in the Frances Bond Davis Theatre. Instead, she took a deep breath and at the top of her lungs declared, “I’M A LEADER.”

The 700 voices in the audience responded with a resounding, “WE SUPPORT YOU.” Again. “I’M A LEADER.”

“WE SUPPORT YOU.”

With cheers and applause echoing around the theatre, Zarai sat back down in her seat, grinning and high fiving her neighbors. The energy in the air was palpable, as if every student in the audience was reaching out to empower her.

This exercise was a demonstration of the power of community support among women, a topic about which the Ann and Monroe Carell visiting artist, Eva DeVirgilis, is extremely passionate.

The Ann and Monroe Carell Visiting Writer and Artist Series was established by Ann and Monroe Carell and their daughters, Julie Carell Stadler ’77, Edie Carell Johnson ’80, and Kathryn Carell Brown. It supports a writer or an artist for a week’s residency of workshops, lectures, and classroom teaching. Since 1997, there have been over 50 visiting writers and artists. This year marked the 25th anniversary of the program.

This year’s Carell visiting artist demonstrated for students the power of community support among girls and women

As an actor, writer, and makeup artist, Ms. DeVirgilis has spent hundreds of hours in front of a chair prepping her clients for events, award shows, photoshoots, and more. What she discovered was a troubling pattern. Within the first three seconds of sitting in her chair, women would apologize for the way they look. After years of hearing apologies from women for being who they are, Ms. DeVirgilis was frustrated. Why did women feel the need to apologize for everything from their hair to their clothes to their opinions? Why did women feel the need to criticize perceived flaws before someone else can, therefore making themselves their own harshest critics?

In response, she created a “no apology zone” around her makeup chair, establishing it as a place where women were safe to be who they were and look how they look, without judgment.

In 2014, Ms. DeVirgilis shared her message concerning women’s relationships to a cultural sense of beauty and self-identity in a viral TEDx Talk that ignited a “No Apologies Revolution” across the globe. Since then, she has made it her mission to connect and inspire women and to put an end to the inherent need to apologize for misconceived appearance flaws. Over the course of 44 days, she took her makeup chair to eight countries around the world to share her message of the power of female leadership, empowering women to take on leadership roles in their communities.

In October, Ms. DeVirgilis brought her one-woman show, “In My Chair,” to the students of Harpeth Hall. In alignment with Harpeth Hall’s mission to educate young women to lead confidently, Ms. DeVirgilis’s message of “radical self-acceptance” was meant to inspire students to feel confident in who they are.

In addition to her talk with students during an all-school assembly, Ms. DeVirgilis spent a week in residency at Harpeth Hall, working with students in the classroom on public speaking, performance, and leadership skills.

In the days that followed, girls could be heard in the halls, Souby Lawn, and the dining hall shouting “I’M A LEADER,” while their friends and peers echoed with a strong “WE SUPPORT YOU.”

At Harpeth Hall, students have a built-in community of women who support each other and uplift them. Ms. DeVirgilis’s message served to strengthen this support and empower our girls to accept themselves for who they are and what they bring to the world.

ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE

1998 Bonnie Koloc • vocal and theatre

1999 Carol Ponder • music

2000 Pam Atha • dance

2001 Renee LaRose • art

2002 Kye Brackett • theatre, dance, and music

2003 Amy Jarman • music

2004 David Alford • theatre

2005 Maria Broom • theatre/dance

2006 Billy Renkl • art

2007 David Childs and Carolyn Huebl • vocal and violin

2008 Marcie Sturiale • theatre/dance

2009 George Patterson • dance/tap

2010 Kelly Williams • art

2011 Dr. Jane Warren • choir

2012 Jen-Jen Lin • Chinese artist/dancer

2013 Bruce Miller • theatre

2014 Brian Hull • puppeteer

2015 Elisabeth Small and Billy Contreras • violinists

2016 Bryce McCloud • letterpress art

2017 Lesley Patterson Marx • visual arts

2018 Mary Biddlecombe • conductor

2019 Dion Graham • actor

2020 Tess Erlenborn Davies • mural artist

2021 No artist (Covid)

2022 Eva DeVirgilis • motivational performer

WRITERS IN RESIDENCE

1997 Judith Baumel • writer

1998 Kate Daniels • poet

1999 Elizabeth Cox • novelist

2000 Richard Tillinghast • poet

2001 E. Ethelbert Miller • writer

2003 Mark Jarman • poet

2003 Suzanne Staples • writer

2003 Laurie Halse Anderson • writer

2003 Judith Ortiz Cofer • poet/novelist/essayist

2004 Steven Womack • mystery writer

2004 Donna Jo Napoli • author

2005 Rebecca Bain • radio host/journalist

2005 Cynthia Huntington • poet

2005 Diane Stanley • author

2006 Ann Bausum • history author

2007 Tracy Barrett • writer

2008 Ji-Li Jiang • author

2011 Robert J. Blake • author

2012 Sarah Kay and Phil Kaye • spoken word poetry

2015 Katie Ford • writer

2016 Benjamin Smith • poetry and performance

2017 Lorraine Lopez • writer

2018 Margaret Renkl • author

2020 No artist (Covid)

2021 Tiana Clark • poet

2022 Kathryn Williams • writer

In Conversation

with #1 NYTimes author V.E. Schwab

VBy Brianna Bjordahl ’15

ictoria “V.E.” Schwab, Class of 2005, moved to Nashville from California two weeks before the start of her freshman year. She recalls it being an extremely positive though difficult experience. The new environment, and particularly the academics, took about two years to adjust to. Helping her find her stride was her advisor, Scottie Girgus, who after recognizing Victoria’s love for writing, connected her with “Hallmarks” and helped her find an outlet for her creativity. Victoria credits Ms. Girgus as the first teacher to truly believe in her, and as an educator who helped sculpt her into who she is today.

In her early 20s, after graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Washington University, Victoria decided to live abroad in the Liverpool suburbs, finding a place to rent in the garden shed of an ex-prison warden. With a second novel in the works and looking for a place to be inspired, she pooled her money for a train ticket to Edinburgh, and immediately “felt like all the silt in [her] settled to the ground.” A couple years later, she would return to the city to complete her master’s degree at the University of Edinburgh, where her love of the city grew. Victoria now lives full-time in Edinburgh with her dog, Riley, and her cats, Chauncey and Thomas. Since 2011, she has published over 20 books, including several short stories and graphic novels, and she was the creator and executive producer of Netflix’s “First Kill,” based on her short story of the same name. Victoria credits Harpeth Hall for giving her the discipline and the belief in herself to become an author as early as she did.

I spoke with Victoria over Zoom about her creative process and her time at Harpeth Hall. (Note: This interview has been edited and condensed).

You have published multiple novels, from adults to YA to middle grade, spanning and blending multiple genres. Knowing the diversity of that work, how does a new project start for you?

I think we often talk about where ideas come from as if ideas are a single entity, when the truth is it’s more like preparing a meal. The ideas are the ingredients. So when I look at any project, what I see are the ingredients coming together into something cohesive. It’s hard to pinpoint one place where ideas come from. Instead, I’m constantly gathering these ingredients for meals I haven’t figured out how to make yet.

Do you find there are some ingredients that tend to come earlier in the process?

}For me, it’s almost always setting. There’s something about setting as character and place as personality. I never want my characters to feel like they’re floating over the top of their world. My “Shades of Magic” series was about: “Can I create alternate versions of the same place with different relationships to magic?” “Gallant” is about a garden wall and a locked door. “Near Witch” is about a village. There are exceptions like “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” and “Vicious,” which are driven by the characters, but even in those, there’s a “what if” of the world. “Vicious”: what if a near death experience could lead to super powers? “Addie LaRue”: what if you made a deal with the devil? I think those are the kind of initial ingredients I’m looking for. The “what if” and the “where.”

“What she needs are stories. Stories are a way to preserve one's self. To be remembered. And to forget. Stories come in so many forms: in charcoal, and in song, in paintings, poems, films. And books. Books, she has found, are a way to live a thousand lives — or to find strength in a very long one.”

When you describe gathering these different ingredients over time, are there some ideas that will simmer for a long time before you end up bringing them to the page?

}Almost all of them. They all have a cook time, and I love that you used the word “simmer” because I use a metaphor of a six-burner stove. I always have one project on high heat and four or five projects simmering on low heat. Sometimes that simmer can be months, but more often it’s years. People think that I’m a very quick writer, but I’m not. I’m a relentless writer. I always have the next thing simmering. Often, it’s simmering because it’s missing something. Sometimes that’s the voice. Often the ingredient that’s missing is the ending. I never start writing a book unless I know how it ends. To me, the ending is the thing that excites me and propels me through the narrative.

Do you find with these projects that set aside for a while that a story will significantly change from the original concept you thought it would be?

}Oh, always. What’s interesting is that by the time I actually start writing it, it won’t change anymore. Certain little pieces will change, but I’m a planner, so by the time I actually put that pot onto high heat, that meal is pretty much set. So for me, the act of writing the story down is an act of executing a plan. The planning is the creative part.

— V.E. Schwab, “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue”

After becomming a published author, V.E. Schwab visited Harpeth Hall and spoke with students about the creative process. She is pictured here with Tina Qian ’12, Jules Wilson ’12, Joy Burkart ’12, Emily Koster ’12, Bailey Fields ’13, and Ragan Wilson ’12

FEATURE

Knowing you’ve written middle grade, YA, and adult novels, do you find you approach your storytelling process differently depending on your audience?

No, I don’t believe in that. The only thing that changes is I am writing to a different version of myself. So when I write adult novels, I am writing as I am now. When I write my children’s series like “City of Ghosts,” I’m writing for 12-year-old me. When I write my YA series, I’m writing to 17-yearold me. I can’t anticipate who anyone else was at those ages, but I can know who I was. But I try to hold myself to the same standard no matter who I’m writing for, in part because I’ve discovered over the last eight to 10 years that my audience will read whatever they want. I have 10-year-old kids who bring me “Vicious,” which is a very dark adult novel. I have 80-year-old grandparents who bring me “City of Ghosts.” So I don’t want to make assumptions about who’s reading my books.

What do you do in cases of writer’s block? How do you manage it?

I don’t believe in writer’s block. I believe we get stuck, but writer’s block makes it sound bigger than it is. Whenever someone says, “I have writer’s block,” the trick is figuring out why. There are times when I am daunted by what I have to write, there are times when I am afraid that I will fail to write it, and there are times when I don’t know what I need to write. All three of those can parade as writer’s block. But knowing why you’re failing to move forward can help you move forward. If you’re stuck because you don’t know what happens next, that is the easiest one to fix. Pull back, get pen and paper, and ask, “What are five things that could happen to get this character from A to B?” If you’re stuck because you’re afraid of failing or making it imperfect, that’s probably to me the hardest one, because then you have to get into an exercise of understanding that perfection doesn’t exist. If you’re stuck because you’re daunted, you have to break it down into small bites. So figure out what it is that’s stopping you, whether it’s fear or anticipation or just not knowing. Once you figure out why, you can figure out how to fix it.

To shift gears, you’ve also dabbled in graphic novels with the “Steel Prince” series and the “ExtraOrdinary” series, and as of this year, in television with “First Kill.” How are those more collaborative creative processes of TV and

graphic novels different than the more solitary process of writing a novel?

}So, I want to separate graphic novels from visual medium, the reason being that a graphic novel is the most pure form of collaboration, because it’s you and the artist working together to create a story. When you’re talking about TV and film, it is 200 people, all with an opinion. You have so many cooks. But I like having all of them because they give me different relationships to creativity. I love writing novels because I am god. I like graphic novels because I basically get professionally commissioned fan art of the things living inside my head. I love TV and film because of the actors. As an author, if something about a character’s not on paper, it doesn’t exist. But with a character that’s played by an actor, the actor brings so much depth and dimension that make it such an additive experience. At the end of the day though, I really am trying to center on the books because that is the realm in which I have the most creative control.

As a final question about writing before shifting back to your time at Harpeth Hall, of all your projects, do you have one you’re most proud of?

I’m very tempted to say “Addie LaRue,” only because it took 10 years, and so I’m proud that it exists and I didn’t give up on it. But a more honest answer is that I don’t feel pride so much as relief when I finish a story. My books are time capsules of who I was when I was writing them. That’s just the nature of creativity, right? But I think it will be very hard for anything to mean quite as much to me as Addie did, just because for 10 years, that was a friend in my life.

Now that we’re coming towards the end of the hour, I want to bring it back to Harpeth Hall. You touched on this before, but are there any skills you acquired while you were at Harpeth Hall that became valuable to your career as a writer?

One hundred percent. There’s a difference between writing and being an author, right? Because you can write, and if you never publish, you’re still a writer. Writing for publication requires a level of belief in yourself and your ability. You believe that you deserve to be read. You believe that you deserve to be seen. That level of confidence, of belief, not unfounded because it’s paired with discipline, that came from Harpeth Hall.

Harpeth Hall taught me that I have a voice, and I deserve to use it. The reason I sat down and wrote a novel when I was 19 is because no one was telling me I couldn’t. I was telling myself I couldn’t, and I needed to prove myself wrong.

As a final question, knowing there is a thriving community of aspiring writers among the current students and alumnae, is there any advice from your own experiences you would want to share with them?

Read books by V.E. Schwab

Villains series

• “Warm Up” (2013) (short story)

• Vicious (2013)

• Vengeful (2018)

Villains graphic novels

• ExtraOrdinary (2021)

Shades of Magic series

• A Darker Shade of Magic (2015)

• A Gathering of Shadows (2016)

• A Conjuring of Light (2017)

Shades of Magic graphic novels

• Shades of Magic Vol. 1: The Steel Prince (2019)

• Shades of Magic Vol. 2: Night of Knives (2019)

• Shades of Magic Vol. 3: The Rebel Army (2020)

Standalone works

}Two things: take yourself seriously before anyone else does. Treat it as a job before anyone else will. From a craft perspective, find an ending that excites you, because a vast majority of people who start writing a novel never finish it. Once you finish it, you can make it better, but you have to finish it first. So develop the skill and the discipline to finish what you start.

Everyday Angel series

• New Beginnings (2014)

• Second Chances (2014)

• Last Wishes (2014)

• “First Kill,” a short story within the anthology Vampires Never Get Old: Tales With Fresh Bite (2020)

• The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (2020)

• Gallant (2022)

As Victoria Schwab

The Near Witch Series

• “The Ash-Born Boy” (2012) (short story)

• The Near Witch (2011) (republished in 2019 under V.E. Schwab)

The Dark Vault series

• The Archived (2013)

• The Unbound (2014)

• “Leave the Window Open” (2015) (short story)

Monsters of Verity series

• This Savage Song (2016)

• Our Dark Duet (2017)

Cassidy Blake series

• City of Ghosts (2018)

• Tunnel of Bones (2019)

• Bridge of Souls (2021)

Standalone works

• Spirit Animals: Fall of the Beasts — Broken Ground (2015)

• Because You Love to Hate Me:

13 Tales of Villainy (2017) (contributing writer)

• (Don't) Call Me Crazy (2018) (contributing writer)

Harpeth Hall taught me that I have a voice, and I deserve to use it.

Alumnae authors put life experience into words

Evelyn Dickenson Swensson ’45

Evelyn graduated from Hollins University in 1949. After her four children were in school, she continued her education by earning a Master of Arts at West Chester University. Evelyn has written and published 15 family theater productions. In 2008, she was named into the Hall of Fame of Delaware Women. During her induction, she was described as Delaware’s preeminent conductor, composer, lyricist, pianist, singer, playwright, and musical lecturer. At the 2014 Governor’s Awards for the Arts of Delaware, Evelyn was honored for her lifetime achievement in the arts. She is also the 2014 Ward-Belmont/Harpeth Hall Distinguished Alumna. Her first novel is “Notes: My Life with Music.” She recently published her second book with StoryWorth: “Our Family: Stories Worth Keeping.”

Lucia Howard ’69

Lucia graduated from Wellesley College in 1973. She continued her education by receiving her master’s in architecture from University of California at Berkeley in 1977. For over a decade, Lucia taught design in the architecture department at U.C. Berkeley. Both of her books, “Shingle Style: Living in San Francisco’s Brown Shingles” and “Ranch Houses: Living the California Dream,” focus on California architectural history. She founded Ace Architects with her partner, David Weingarten, over 30 years ago in Oakland, California. Ace Architects was included twice in the AD100 Architectural Digest’s list of the world’s foremost architects. Lucia and her partner have assembled the leading collection of architectural souvenirs of the Grand Tour, including architectural ruins, paintings, drawings, and etchings. Lucia and David have written extensively about this little-known period in art history in which architecture was the subject not only of decorative arts and sculpture, but also of paintings and drawings. Lucia was honored as the Ward-Belmont/Harpeth Hall Distinguished Alumna in 2013.

Mary Palmer Kelley Dargan ’72

Mary Palmer graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1976. She continued her education by receiving her master’s in landscape architecture from Louisiana State University in 1982, then a certificate in business from Harvard University in 1989. Now CEO at Dargan Landscape Architects, she lives in Cashiers, North Carolina, and is the author of several books listed here, including “The Early English Kitchen Garden,” “Timeless Landscape Design: The Four Part Master Plan,” co-written with Hugh Dargan, and her newest work “Lifelong Landscape Design.” She and her husband, Hugh, have received numerous awards and honors, including the 2017 Garden Club of America Zone Conservation Award, the 2005 American Horticultural Society Environmental Award, the Garden Club of America Accredited Horticulture Judge, and Cashiers Historical Society’s Village Heritage Award. Dargan Landscape Architects have also been featured in many professional publications such as “Garden & Gun” and “Sports Illustrated (Extreme Gardens),” as well as television networks such as HGTV and CNN. While a professor of landscape architecture at Clemson University, Mary Palmer created a garden design

course for homeowners. Twenty-five years later, this digital garden design course is now known as “The Placemakers Academy of Garden Design,” with students enrolled from coast to coast.

Anne Byrn Whitaker ’74

Anne Byrn graduated from the University of Georgia in 1978, and her first job was as food editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper. She studied cooking and pastry at La Varenne École de Cuisine in Paris. Her book, “The Cake Mix Doctor,” was the best-selling cookbook of 2000 and began as a newspaper story detailing her mother’s 1970s creative touch of giving cake-mix cakes a “cakelift.’’ She went on to produce 14 more cookbooks, including “American Cake,” which dives into the history of our country’s favorite cakes, and “A New Take on Cake,” a revised “Cake Mix Doctor” taking into account new dietary preferences like gluten-free and vegan, which were not as prominent 20 years ago. When asked about the changes, Anne said, “I am not the same person I was 20 years ago. That’s the thing about time. It doesn’t change recipes. It changes the people who make them.” Anne currently writes a newsletter called “Between the Layers” on Substack, which allows her to dive into conversations about life through cooking and baking. Her next book is the story of Southern baking, with 225 recipes and untold stories, to be published by HarperCollins in spring 2024.

Susan Gregg Gilmore ’79

Susan graduated from the University of Virginia in 1983, where she started her writing career as a reporter for the school’s award-winning newspaper, The Cavalier Daily. She continued her education at the University of Texas at Austin where she received her Master of Arts in American Studies. Susan wrote for newspapers including the Los Angeles Times, The Christian Science Monitor, and the Chattanooga News-Free Press. While at the Free Press, she wrote a weekly column about parenting in the South. She now works as a freelance journalist in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Susan has written three novels, “Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen,” “The Improper Life of Bezellia Grove,” and “The Funeral Dress.” This most recent work was called “a revelatory novel that offers an evocative account of the lives of Appalachian working women” by Kirkus Reviews and was selected for TARGET’s Emerging Author Program as well as named a TARGET Recommended Read.

Jeannie Cochran DuBose ’79

Jeannie graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1983. Upon graduation, Jeannie was awarded the Wattles Fellowship to work in England as a broker at Lloyds of London. The following year she moved to a remote village in the western province of Kenya where she taught high school English. She continued her education back in the United States at Georgia State University, where she received her master’s in counseling psychology in 1988 and a certificate in spiritual formation from Columbia Theological Seminary. She practiced as a family and marriage therapist for six years and

served as the president to the board of The Odyssey Family Counseling Center in Atlanta. Along the way she wrote and illustrated the award-winning “Tending the Fire: The Story of a Marriage” and “The Mother Daughter Dance.” She currently works as a retreat leader, speaker, and facilitator with 20 years experience with a variety of clients: health and spirituality spas, faith communities, non-profits, and private groups. Her volunteer work in Asheville includes serving on the board of NPR, as well as facilitating groups at Craggy’s mens prison.

A bright light for others

By Joe Croker, Harpeth Hall faculty

Joe Croker teaches English and media arts in the upper school at Harpeth Hall. He joined Harpeth Hall in 1997 and taught Tallu Schuyler Quinn ’98 during her senior year. The two continued to play a significant role in each other’s lives for the decades that followed. Ms. Quinn founded The Nashville Food Project and was a gifted writer and speaker who inspired many others to do good in their community. Ms. Quinn died of brain cancer in February 2022. Mr. Croker penned this piece in honor of Ms. Quinn, which he shared with the Nashville community at a celebration of her memoir, “What We Wish Were True,” in April 2022.

Ifirst met Tallu when I was in my early 30s. She was in her final year of high school here at Harpeth Hall. I was a newcomer to the South, having lived most of my life in the Midwest. She could sense what a different step it was for me, and her immediate warmth was reassuring. She was candid and brilliant, funny and vibrant and endearing — a Tennessee girl who simultaneously embraced the world. It was clear that Tallu was a leader, too, and there was not a single student or faculty member who did not admire or, frankly, adore her. I knew no one upon arriving here in Nashville, and along with a handful of wonderful new colleagues, it was this deeply insightful and intuitive young woman who first made me feel at home.

I think that was a big part of Tallu’s project, pushing back against solitude and against boundaries by bringing more and more people into the circle. I remember the last day of school, Tallu took me aside before class and said that she had something special planned. I said, “Let’s go!” And sure enough, she formed an oval in our room and lit candles in honor of every classmate while singing each girl’s praises. Years later, the candles that we lit to connect with Tallu in her final days called back to that experience in the classroom and reflected Tallu’s bright spirit.

Elizabeth ’Beth’ McPherson ’84

Beth graduated from The Juilliard School in 1990. She continued her dance education at City College of New York for her master’s in dance, followed by her Doctor of Philosophy in Dance Education at New York University in 2006. She is the director of dance and a professor of theatre and dance at Montclair State University in New Jersey. She has published articles in “The Journal of Dance Education,” “The Journal of Movement Arts Literacy,” “Ballet Review,” “Dance Teacher,” and “Attitude: The Dancers’ Magazine,” to name a few. Beth wrote “Contributions of Martha Hill to American Dance and Dance Education” and served as the editor and compiler for “The Bennington School of the Dance: A History in Writings and Interviews,” and most recently “Milestones in Dance in the USA.” She also serves as the executive editor of the journal “Dance Education and Practice.”

Not surprisingly, Tallu’s light shines still.

I don’t think I’ve ever met such a publicly gifted and accomplished person who simultaneously was so present and real and frank on a personal level. In my experience, most extremely talented people are exceptional in the public sphere or in the private, but seldom simultaneously in both — or at least not at such an amazing scale. I don’t know how she did it. Think about how many people she touched, in countless ways, large and small. I look around our own house. We have pillows made by Tallu, hand-made paper journals, letters. She helped my dad produce landscape paintings as he was declining with Alzheimer’s; she and her husband, Robbie, took in our daughters’ chickens when the homeowner’s association shut us down. All of us have stories like this — of the kindnesses and connections forged by her. Tallu’s energy was boundless — and even more expansive was her heart.

In fact, I believe that the students back in 1997-98 who graduated with her that year made a special place in their consciousness for Tallu. First, her sheer vibrance and elan acted like a magnetic force that kept Tallu close in mind. She was, in essence, an irrepressibly catchy song. In addition, Tallu’s affectionate nature brought her sisters-in-plaid into an unwavering orbit. Her hugs, her words of encouragement, even her manifold handwritten quotations from broad and surprising sources were dropped upon her classmates (in backpacks, upon tables, in books, squeezed hand-to-hand) like gentle gifts floating in off of the breeze. Above all, Tallu disarmed and dispelled boundaries. As a devout and spirited Christian — and also as a progressive champion of LGBTQ rights —Tallu could not be easily pigeonholed, politically or socially. Naturally, girls of all stripes flocked to her, and in doing

so each became more diligent and joyous, more tolerant and penitent, more focused and yet more free in their thinking and their way of living. Tallu was an unabashed connector.

That is why the opening epigraph in her book — “What We Wish Were True: Reflections on Nurturing Life and Facing Death” — is so apt: We become who we are together, each needing the other. Alone is a myth.

So, true to the candor and connectivity that Tallu typified, she was not afraid to address those moments in her life that resisted the harmonies and unions that she so effortlessly forged. Consider the passage that follows:

I have experienced intense times of loneliness in my life. The lump in my throat when my parents dropped me off at college comes to mind. The disorienting loneliness I experienced traveling and living abroad. And that painful distance I have felt in some of my closest relationships, even in my own strong marriage. And despite the near-constant presence of those I love completely, I have felt so lonesome in this illness too.

But I have never felt all the way alone. In my earliest memories, I’ve had an always-present sense of God within me, close to me, hitched to me the way my breath is. This benevolent presence is not something I earned or was owed or applied for or remember receiving at some discrete moment in time. God’s loving presence has just been a truth of my life, and it’s been in the emptier, slowed-down, or even painful times I can feel this divine love and the strength of her company the most. Tallu Schuyler Quinn never left any of us — individually or collectively—behind. She brought her classmates and her teachers, her family and her friends, even the world itself, into a very, very special circle. And that sphere was a place of ineffable magic.

For great reads by more of our Harpeth Hall alumnae authors, scan here

Harpeth Hall alumna channels creative energy and curiosity into ‘Bounce’

With a name like “Bounce,” the wallpaper in the newly renovated Harpeth Hall dining hall can’t help but jump off the walls and grab a visitor’s attention. The design, with lively geometric patterns in hues of greens and blues, is the original artwork of Harpeth Hall alumna Kelly Diehl ‘05 and is the showcase addition to a refreshed dining hall space that made its debut to start the 2022-2023 school year.

Ms. Diehl has made a name for herself in the art and design community through her business, New Hat Projects. She and company co-founder Elizabeth Wiliams began working together in 2016 out of a shared passion for “creating environments that both pay homage to traditional decorative forms and present a fresh vision of contemporary indoor living.”

pieces appear everywhere from coffee shops to corporate headquarters throughout Nashville. In fact, if you walk into local businesses including The Continental, Folk restaurant, Jackalope Brewery, Patagonia, and Dress Theory, you will see the one-of-a-kind creations that set the spaces apart with unique character and charm.

Harpeth Hall students feel that special vibe each day as they walk into the dining hall, and “Bounce” adds a wow factor to Harpeth Hall events such as Leadership Dinner. For the school, the wallpaper showcases the talent of Ms. Diehl, a Cindy Crist Award honoree whose artistry was clear when she was a student as part of the Harpeth Hall Dance Company, on the Hallmarks staff, and creating fresh works of art in the studios.

My inspiration for wallpaper design often starts with the idea of a window onto another world,” she said. “Since time in the dining hall is for relaxing with friends or colleagues, I wanted the artwork to strike a balance between calmness and curiosity. In my mind, the composition started as a sun bouncing in and out of the clouds, but then trees and architecture seemed to emerge and join the party. There's rigid geometry and fluttering movement at the same time.

New Hat transforms spaces for brands and designers “who want something they can’t find anywhere else,” the company website says. Ms. Diehl and Ms. Williams build designs from unconventional color palettes, rich textures, and an evolving mix of influences from pre-colonial Peru to 1950s Japan and far beyond to distant solar systems.

“Bounce” is just one example of the custom wallpaper Ms. Diehl has designed. New Hat’s

“I’ll always remember Kelly as one of my intellectual art students — curious, observational, investigative, and a quiet observer of life and the world around her,” Ann Blackburn, a past chair of the visual arts department, remembered in a Hallways article several years ago.

Next time you are on campus, make sure you stop by to explore the inviting dining hall space and enjoy the artistic energy of “Bounce.”

Grand Open House

Harpeth Hall students welcomed the grand people in their lives to learn about their classes, listen to musical performances, and meet their teachers at the Grand Open House.

Halloween Carnival

Harpeth Hall celebrated the return of the Halloween Carnival this fall. Led by our 6th grade students, who planned and oversaw all the booths and activities, the event featured cookie decorating, monster musical chairs, face painting, ghost fishing, a bean bag toss and a witch hat ring toss, ghost bowling, treat bag decorating, and much more. This spooktacular event was a blast for our students, our alumnae children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews!

Sunday on Souby

Harpeth Hall's fall festival welcomed families and alumnae for a fun-filled afternoon of entertainment and community connection. The event featured performances from Harpeth Hall's choirs and orchestra, face painting, cotton candy and snow cones, games, a cake decorating contest, and lots of laughter and sunshine.

Upper School Career Day 2022

Inthe high-stakes, male-dominated field of investment management, Deena Raja ’93 began her career dodging chairs tossed across the room and insults hurled her way. But her time at Harpeth Hall taught her how to be forceful and stand up for herself.

“My leadership skills really started here at Harpeth Hall,” said Ms. Raja, who in her role as a portfolio manager, now oversees $4.3 billion in fixed-income assets for a woman-owned firm.

“If it weren’t for my time here, I wouldn’t be able to be tough and be successful.”

Ms. Raja was one of more than 40 Harpeth Hall alumnae who had upper school students on the edge of their seats during the annual Career Day as the alumnae shared personal experiences about college pursuits, their journey through career paths, and the many lessons they learned along the way.

From stories about celebrating alongside immigrants as they became U.S. citizens to starting daily medical rounds by monitoring infants struggling to breathe, upper school students were exposed to the breadth and depth of the career opportunities that await them.

Career Day Words of Wisdom from Harpeth Hall Alumnae

Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. In searching for my career, I always followed what was real for me, and when I started, there was no path already created in my field. Stay connected to what you enjoy and what you feel is right for you, and your path will unfold as it should.

Amanda Wentworth ’98, yoga therapist at Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center

When you get to college, use internships and job shadowing to get exposure to career opportunities. Bringing studying and work experience together while you are in school can pull things together for you early in your career.

Ellen Fuson ’02, architect at Gresham Smith

Learn to delegate and empower others. It’s harder to learn than you may think, but it’s very valuable.

Emily Manning ’08, past national security advisory for Sen. Marsha Blackburn

You can’t lead people if they don’t trust you, and one of the ways you lead people is to get to know them as a person first.

Ryan McLaughlin Wood ’05, market head for UBS Financial Services

At Harpeth Hall, they really teach you to speak up and invoke change in your own way, and that sets you apart. We are all one step up, because Harpeth Hall prepared us in that way. Go out and use those skills, so you can set yourself above other candidates.

Molly McConnell ’14, junior developer for Seamless.ai

Your voice and your opinion matter. If you see something not being done right, you have every right to step in and communicate. Find the ground you want to stand on.

Ann Francis Garvey ’09, consultant for Ancore Health

Working in a male-dominated industry, I think I made a lot of mistakes trying to blend in and act like a guy. It wasn’t me. You don’t have to do that. You can be a woman, and be yourself.

Annie Baron Flanagin ’99, chief operations officer for Baron Construction LLC

In my job, helping people is the daily inspiration. You're not just solving the medical problems, you’re solving situations, and that sustains me.

Kim Bueno Frigon ’84, pediatric and neonatal hospitalist for Pediatrix Medical Group

It’s always nice to have someone you can trust and ask the hard questions to. Once you find that person, hold onto them.

Kaitlin Ray ’07, assistant program director and assistant professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center

It’s important to have not just one mentor, but many mentors. You should think about your strengths and your areas of growth, and find a mentor who is your expander. Someone who fills in your weaknesses and serves as a guide for you.

Kate Berry ’00, senior project manager in the department of special education at the University of Texas Austin

In August, our newest Harpeth Hall alumnae enjoyed the annual Sweet Summer Send-Off in a final hurrah before heading off to college. The Class of 2022 shared an ice cream sundae bar as they said goodbye to friends and Harpeth Hall faculty.

Sweet Summer Send-off

Holiday Party

Ward-Belmont and Harpeth Hall alumnae gathered together in December for the annual holiday party. The women enjoyed connections across generations as they celebrated the spirit of the season.

College Age Brunch

Harpeth Hall welcomed back to campus alumnae from 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 to celebrate being home for the holidays.

CALL for NOMINATIONS!

NOW ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR HARPETH HALL’S 2024 ALUMNAE AWARDS

Harpeth Hall strives to recognize the extraordinary achievements of our alumnae with a variety of awards. From leadership and serving as an example for other women to outstanding service to excellence in athletics, these recipients deserve recognition from their alma mater.

Harpeth Hall/Ward-Belmont Distinguished Alumna Award

The Harpeth Hall/Ward-Belmont Distinguished Alumna Award recognizes graduates who have achieved wide recognition for professional excellence and leadership. Candidates for this award are women who are trailblazers, display extraordinary gifts of leadership and organizational ability, are moving spirits in health, welfare, cultural, or civic affairs, have achieved wide recognition for professional excellence and leadership, serve as an example for other women, and have attained unusual success in highly competitive fields. Distinguished Alumna Award candidates may also be women who have been nationally recognized for vision, skill, and commitment to make things happen.

Alumna Spirit of Service Award

The Alumna Spirit of Service Award recognizes and celebrates outstanding service by a Harpeth Hall/Ward-Belmont alumna. The recipient of the award is a woman who has gone above and beyond the call to serve and who embodies Harpeth Hall’s mission to “develop responsible citizens who have global perspectives and make meaningful contributions to their communities and the world.” Award candidates are women who demonstrate an innovative approach to solving a problem or meeting a need, show a high level of commitment to their project, make a meaningful impact on the people or community they serve, inspire others through outreach and education, exhibit visionary and empowering leadership, and teach and mentor others interested in making a difference through service.

Athletic Hall of Fame

(Awarded every four to five years)

Established in 2013, the Harpeth Hall/Ward-Belmont Athletic Hall of Fame honors notable alumnae athletes, coaches, and administrators who have demonstrated outstanding athletic ability by competing or coaching at the state, national, or international level. Through their good sportsmanship, citizenship, and character, these outstanding women left a lasting impression of achievement and excelled within the school’s athletic family.

For more information and to find nomination forms visit HarpethHall.org/alumnae/awards-spotlights

Harpeth Hall Internship Opportunities

Do you know a college or graduate student looking for professional experience in communications or advancement and alumnae relations? Maybe that person is you! We have just the opportunity!

Harpeth Hall has two different part-time internship opportunities available this summer. These paid positions offer flexible days and hours Monday through Thursday. They are ideal roles for alumnae who seek work experience over the summer but may not be able to commit full time.

Advancement/Alumnae Relations

Join the advancement/alumnae relations office this summer as an intern. We seek Harpeth Hall alumnae interested in fundraising and alumnae engagement. You will learn about our donor database Raiser’s Edge and the Alumnae Network app, the Harpeth Hall archives, alumnae programming, event management, alumnae engagement, and networking initiatives, and you will help prepare the office for the coming school year. Typical tasks include alumnae research, project management, photography work, archives assistance, data entry, and general administrative and office duties. Come join our team!

Communications

Join the Harpeth Hall communications team this summer as an intern. This opportunity is great for alumnae interested in marketing and multi-media storytelling. You will join a creative and collaborative team and gain experience in website layout and design, newsletter creation, social media strategy, analytics, photo and video brainstorming and production, ad creation, content management, and more. Specific projects include assisting with visual archives, editing student and parent handbooks, and planning and writing editorial content for the school year ahead. Our 2022 intern, MC Claverie ’20, wrote multiple features published in this year's Report on Philanthropy and this issue of Hallways magazine. We love new ideas and big-picture vision. We are eager to have you on our team.

How to Apply

Please send your resume and cover letter to the alumnae relations office at alumnaeoffice@harpethhall.org detailing either the specific internship or the type of work you wish to accomplish, as well as other pertinent information. Contact Scottie Fillebrown Coombs ’78, director of alumnae relations, for questions about the advancement/alumnae relations internship at coombs@harpethhall.org or Jessica Bliss, director of marketing and communications, for questions about the communications internship at jessica.bliss@harpethhall.org.

Class Notes

Evelyn Dickenson Swensson ’45 was invited to lead the singing of patriotic songs at Arlington National Cemetery in conjunction with the National Conference of The National Society of Colonial Dames of America held in Washington, D.C. in October 2022.

Kay Baker Gaston ’58 reported that the Belmont Mansion Press published an updated version of “Dr. William A. Cheatham, Tennessee's First Mental Health Professional,” which was her master’s thesis submitted to Middle Tennessee State University in 1989. Copies are available at the Belmont Mansion gift shop.

Fonde Thompson Werts ’68 is semiretired in Brookhaven/Atlanta, working part time as a tutor for students in elementary grades through high school. In her spare time, she enjoys making quilts for family and friends and traveling. Recently, she and her husband traveled to Singapore to visit their daughter who lives and works there. She also enjoys using her training in teaching English as she volunteers to teach refugees who have come to the Atlanta area from Afghanistan, Ukraine, Burma, and other countries. Pantomime, drawing on the board, and using illustrations are her key strategies, and she comments that they laugh a lot — a universal language.

Virginia Dale ’69, a renowned scientist, returns to Mount St. Helens for ecological research each year following a blast from St. Helens that destroyed all organic and living organisms as it moved through the forested areas. She started her research in the early 1980s when she was a young scientist living in Washington state with a doctorate from the University of Washington. She currently lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, and is the director of the Center for BioEnergy Sustainability at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and an adjunct professor at the University of Tennessee.

Susan Handly Hammer ’71 is serving as the president of the board of trust at Currey Ingram Academy in Nashville, Tennessee.

Marty Parham Jones ’73 has a new grandson, Aiden, born in January of 2022.

Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle ’75 was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Nashville Business Journal's Best of the Bar. She was a partner at local law firm Trabue, Sturdivant & Dewitt from 1984 until 1995 and has served Davidson County as a judge for more than 20 years.

Merrie Morrissey Alexander ’69 joined other former faculty members Anne Riegle and Marees Choppin with their grandchildren at the annual middle school Halloween Carnival.

Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle ’75

Virginia Dale ’69

Trudy Ward Carpenter ’76 and her husband, Bill, were the recipients of the H.G. Hill Jr. Philanthropic Award presented by the YMCA. This award recognizes a deserving donor and member of the YMCA’s Heritage Club, and it is the club's highest honor. Generously sponsored by the H.G. Hill Realty Company, the award perpetuates the memory of H.G. Hill Jr. who served as chairman of the YMCA Board of Directors from 1950 to 1953 and again from 1965 to 1967.

Anne Schroeder Ducroquetz ’76 joined a wonderful group from the Class of 1976 that gathered at the home of classmate Lucy Adkins Organ ’76 to welcome Anne during her visit from France to Nashville.

Sharon Shockley Cape ’78 retired after 23 years at Bethany Christian Services and 30 plus years working in child welfare. She has given decades of her heart, time, energy, and leadership to adoptive families and impacted so many lives with her career.

Notes

Amy Grant Gill ’78 was a 2022 Kennedy Center Honoree and the first musician from the contemporary Christian genre to be honored by the Kennedy Center. "It feels like an American cultural acknowledgment, and that feels profoundly different from anything else," Amy said in the Kennedy Center announcement. Her career spans more than 40 years, and she supports many philanthropic causes, including St. Jude Children's Hospital, MusiCares, the Nashville Symphony and Nashville Rescue Mission, just to name a few. She also serves as a Harpeth Hall honorary trustee.

Mandy Haynes Young ’85 was included in the Nashville Business Journal’s Best of the Bar honoree list for 2022. Her practice focuses on government with the firm Butler Snow LLP.

Jacqueline Saturn Dakar ’86 was elected as chapter governor of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Recording Academy/Grammys.

Cynthia Averbuch Albin ’88 resides in St. Louis, Missouri, where she has been practicing family law for over 25 years and is a partner in the law firm Todt, Cody, Albin & Fuchs, LLC. She and her husband, Seth, have two children: Sydney who is a sophomore at The Ohio State University and Ethan who is a junior in high school.

Edie Carell Johnson ’80 received the 2020-2021 Distinguished Service Award from the Vanderbilt School of Medicine. The ceremony for the honor took place in October 2022 during Vanderbilt’s quadruple reunion weekend.

Lela Hollabaugh ’85 was included in the Nashville Business Journal’s Best of the Bar honoree list for 2022. She is a litigation attorney with Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP.

Katie McDougall ’88 was featured in NFOCUS magazine as an example of an exceptional artist who teaches her craft to Nashville and beyond. She began and runs a dedicated writing center called The Porch, which has become one of Nashville’s foremost writing communities, now offering over 100 adult writing workshops and hosting multiple events each year. “The classes I’ve taught tend to have so many beautiful moments when people connect and bond,” Katie said. “I’m currently facilitating a workshop at Mending Hearts, a therapeutic community for women in addiction recovery, and the courage and support that comes from writing their hearts out and then sharing has blown me away.”

Anne Schroeder Ducroquetz ’76 with Class of 1976 classmates Lela Hollabaugh ’85

Mandy Haynes Young ’85

Class Notes

Nancy Wood Stabell ’88 was included in the Nashville Business Journal’s Best of the Bar honoree list for 2022. She is a corporate securities and real estate attorney with the Wood Stabell Law Group.

Holly Sears Sullivan ’90 was the featured panelist at the Nashville Business Breakfast sponsored by Lipscomb University and the Nashville Business Journal on Oct. 27, 2022. She continues to serve as the vice president of world wide economic development at Amazon. In this role, she spearheaded the search for Amazon’s second headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, and brought 25,000 jobs to the region. Holly led the development of the new 5,000-employee Amazon Nashville location and the expansion of Amazon’s 18 North American tech hubs, creating more than 65,000 corporate and tech roles. Holly also works with local leaders to foster the growth of the company's operations and logistics footprint and job creation efforts around the world.

Kate Sherrard Chinn ’93 joined the board of the Nashville Public Education Foundation (NPEF). Kate recently started a new position as Partner at McNeely, Pigott, & Fox after working for AllianceBernstein, where she served as vice president of community and civic engagement.

Emily Hatch Bowman ’94 was listed as Best Lawyers in America's Lawyer of the Year for Banking and Finance Law. The Best Lawyers in America is one of the most highly regarded attorney referral publications in the country. Attorneys are selected for Best Lawyers through extensive surveys of leading lawyers who assess the legal abilities of their peers.

Reese Witherspoon ’94 and Hello Sunshine's president of film and TV, Lauren Neustadter, were named The Hollywood Reporter's TV Producers of the Year. Hello Sunshine’s focus on female stories from female storytellers has made it a standout. “We were all very vision-aligned from the very beginning about what we wanted to create as a brand — creating a narrative for women, where they could tell their story in their own words,” Reese told the Hollywood Reporter in a September 2022 article. “So, whether that’s through a book, a podcast, a social media post, it’s really about self-expression and showing the entire spectrum of the female experience.”

Beth Waltemath ’95 and her husband were the guest ministers at Monteagle last summer and were joined by classmates Lacey Galbraith ’95 and Sarah Oliver Warburton ’95

Nancy Wood Stabell ’88

Emily Hatch Bowman ’94

Lacey Galbraith ’95, Beth Waltemath ’95, and Sarah Oliver Warburton ’95

Lauren Neustadter and Reese Witherspoon ’94

Meredith Mallard Thompson ’98 is serving as president of the Harding Academy Board of Trustees in Nashville, Tennessee.

Class

Cate Connery Bury ’99 started a new position as board treasurer at Tennessee Professional Photographers Association.

Kelleigh Bannen Grossman ’99 was nominated for the CMA Broadcast Awards’ Weekly National Broadcast Personality of the Year. Kelleigh is the host of Apple Music Radio’s “Today's Country with Kelleigh Bannen.” The CMA Broadcast Awards are among the most prestigious awards given in the field of country broadcasting. The categories are established by market size based on population as ranked by Nielsen. Entries for Broadcast Personality of the Year are judged on aircheck, ratings, community involvement, and biographical information. CMA members who are full-time, on-air personalities are eligible. The entries are judged by a panel of distinguished broadcast professionals, representing all market sizes and regions.

She joined NPEF to judge its inaugural Teacherpreneur pitch event. Michelle also co-chaired the Nashville Public Library Foundation’s Library Literary Award Gala in November.

Grace Clayton ’01 co-chaired the 33rd celebration of Sunday in the Park, which is sponsored by the Friends of Warner Parks, an organization dedicated to the preservation, stewardship, and protection of Percy and Edwin Warner parks.

EA Manier Homans ’02 reunited with friends Katie Howell Fayard ’00, Jessica Turk ’02, Audrey Ball Guest ’02, Ellen Fort ’02, Alice Fort Shearon ’02, and former faculty member Janette Fox Klocko at the fall musical “Into the Woods” at Harpeth Hall.

Margaret Riley King ’03 received a heartwarming acknowledgement from author David Magee in the back of his book “Dear William” that read: “I should also mention Margaret Riley King, a renowned literary agent who was not involved in this book via representation, yet she, as a friend, provided valuable help early in the process. A powerhouse known for her work with Glennon Doyle and notable authors, she took a look when I was stuck, unsure of the shaping, offering direct and honest insight that helped me forge a new and better path.”

Margaret returned to the Harpeth Hall campus in October as a keynote presenter with Dani Shapiro as they discussed Shapiro’s new book “Signal Fires” at the International Coalition of Girls Schools’ fall symposium.

Bahar Azhdari ’00 was included in the Nashville Business Journal’s Best of the Bar honoree list for 2022. She is the corporate counsel for Brookdale Senior Living Inc.

Michelle Gaskin Brown ’01, manager of public policy at Amazon, was appointed to the board of directors at the Nashville Public Education Foundation (NPEF).

Raleigh Anne Blank Gray ’03 launched a new venture called Forward Fertility which simplifies communication between patients and clinics with an easy-to-use mobile solution that enhances clinical bandwidth, gives patients, partners, and agencies a superior experience, and eliminates stress on everyone, putting the focus firmly on more successful outcomes. She left her 15-year career at the intersection of sports and technology to dedicate her expertise to building solutions that simplify fertility and help clinics and patients move forward.

Abby Sinks Spaulding ’03 and her company Continuum Planning Partners was a finalist for The Nashville Entrepreneur Center’s NEXT Awards. The NEXT Awards and Entrepreneurs’ Hall of Fame is an annual event celebrating Nashville’s unique entrepreneurial past, present, and future. From the city’s pioneers to today's visionary changemakers, this event honors the life of entrepreneurs.

Victoria Schwab ’05 was the creator of “First Kill,” a Netflix show based on the short story she wrote also called “First Kill” in the anthology “Vampires Never Get Old.”

EA Manier Homans ’02, Katie Howell Fayard ’00, Jessica Turk ’02, Audrey Ball Guest ’02, former faculty member Janette Fox Klocko, Ellen Fort ’02, and Alice Fort Shearon ’02

Bahar Azhdari ’00

Class Notes

Alison Berryman ’06 was named the director of admission at Tufts University. She was formerly an associate director of admission at the University of Pennsylvania.

Addie Boston Askew ’07 was featured on the legal realties panel for the 10th grade parents at Harpeth Hall. Addie is an assistant district attorney with the Davidson County District Attorney’s Office.

Emily Manning ’08 completed a master’s in strategic studies and information systems at the U.S. Naval War College.

Beth Binkley Mason ’08 was promoted to chief customer officer at Wayspring, a value-based healthcare organization that provides medical, behavioral health, and social support services to people with complex needs. In her new role, she will have the primary responsibility of building and managing customer partnerships. Beth joined Wayspring in early 2017 and has held a variety of leadership positions within the company, including director of strategic accounts and vice president of market operations. She is also a member of the 2022 Council Fellows, a highly selective executive leadership program offered by the Nashville Health Care Council.

Courtney Vick ’08 works for Whataburger Corporate as the Tennessee marketing coordinator. She is also the University of Tennessee Nashville-area alumni board president and the secretary for Leadership Wilson, a non-profit community leadership organization serving the community and educating leaders in Lebanon, Tennessee.

Samantha Williams ’08 has a new position as associate director of M&A and strategic investments at Sony Music Entertainment in New York, New York.

Madeleine Byrd ’09 and her mother, Elena, traveled last March to the Ukrainian border with Poland loaded with medical supplies. They journeyed there to care for the children displaced by the war. This trip built on the legacy of Elena’s mother who was a pediatrician who served Third World children across the globe for decades.

Willa Fitzgerald ’09 joined the cast of the film “Desperation Road” by Nadine Crocker. She also was seen opposite Robert DeNiro and Jack Huston in Randall Emmett’s thriller “Wash Me in the River.” Willa’s other projects have included JT Mollner’s “Strange Darling” as well as Netflix’s series “The Fall of the House of Usher.” Past notable credits include the ratings hit Prime Video’s “Reacher,” Netflix anthology series “Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings,” USA series “Dare Me” and MTV’s “Scream” series, Masterpiece's limited series “Little Women” and John Crowley’s Warner Bros. drama “The Goldfinch.”

Kelsea Best ’11 is a postdoctoral researcher in civil and environmental engineering at the University of Maryland.

Abby Henry Gray ’11 graduated in 2022 with her Master of Science in Finance (MSF) from Georgetown University and works at Baird as an equity research associate on the biotech team.

Jules Wilson ’12 was the recipient of a Nashville Emerging Leader Award (NELA) in the area of government and public affairs presented by the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and YP Nashville. NELA recognizes Nashvillearea young professionals ages 21-40 for significant accomplishments in their chosen career fields, as well as their commitments and contributions to the community.

Lizzie Boston Malloy ’13 is in her second year coaching the upper school girls on the Harpeth Hall mock trial team. She is currently an attorney at Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis. The mock trial group practices on Mondays and Wednesdays in preparation for a February competition, and Lizzie loves being back on campus and among the girls.

Meg Mitchell ’13 is a third-year resident in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at Harvard Medical School/ Mass Eye and Ear in Boston, Massachusetts. She plans to pursue a head and neck surgical oncology fellowship after graduation from residency.

Tara Lang ’15 is a producer at KSHB/ KMCI/The EW Scripps Company in Kansas City, Missouri. She graduated from the University of Missouri in 2019 with a degree in journalism and emphasis in TV/radio production. She was nominated for a Mid-America Regional Emmy as a producer for the station’s morning newscast “Navigating the Storm.”

Grace Bradley ’16 accepted the Academy of Country Music (ACM) Icon Award on behalf of her grandmother, Connie Bradley. Connie was a Nashville music trailblazer who worked for ASCAP for more than 30 years. She was a mentor to many of country music’s greatest songwriters and an indelible part of ASCAP's history.

Tricia Glenn ’18 graduated summa cum laude and with distinction from Syracuse University earning degrees in both public relations and rhetoric and composition/writing studies.

Eleonor Gunnarson-Wright ’18 graduated from Clemson University in May 2022 and moved to Miami, Florida, to work with the Miami Dolphins in the team’s community relations department as a cheer staff assistant.

Ashley Hawkins ’18 works for Inotiv, a biopharmaceutical discovery and development company in Rockville, Maryland, as an associate scientist in the biotherapeutic development department.

Class Notes

Harpeth Hall alumnae experience transformative summer internships

Aubrey Robinson ’18 earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science and French and Francophone studies from the University of Tennessee and is continuing her education at the University of Tennessee College of Law.

Ashley Zhu ’18 performed at last year’s international Chicago Salsa & Bachata Festival among the semi-professionals with her salsa team.

After graduation, many alumnae remember Harpeth Hall for its beautiful campus, devoted faculty, and the life-changing opportunities it provides for its students. For these eight recent graduates, the lessons they learned while at Harpeth Hall have not only aided them in their transition into college, but also in their summer internships. Working in a variety of fields, including communications, STEM, and politics, these alumnae have remembered the lessons they learned at Harpeth Hall while continuing to think critically, lead confidently, and live honorably.

Alex Walsh ’20 won gold in the 200-meter individual medley at the 2022 FINA World Championships in Budapest in June. It is her first World Championship medal. Alex's finish time gave her the fifth-fastest time in the history of the 200m medley. She is the first Nashville resident to medal at the World Championships since Tracy Caulkins, fellow Harpeth Hall alumna, who won five golds and six total medals in 1978. Alex and her sister, Gretchen Walsh ’21, have made history by becoming the first NCAA athletes in any sport to launch an apparel line with a major retailer, SwimOutlet. The Walsh sisters’ swim collection, SPORTI x Alex + Gretchen Walsh, is making a splash.

Scan the QR codes to read more about each alumnae’s summer internship experience. Browning Clark ’19, a senior at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and a Haslam Scholar majoring in accounting with minors in both international business and public health, chose to leave Nashville behind last summer and traveled almost 9,000 miles to South Africa where she served as a trip leader for Moondance Adventures. KK Savage ’19 worked as a wealth management intern at Caldwell Advisors, LLC, a wealth management firm located in Brentwood last summer.

Adelaide Dashiff ’20 and Jessie Wills ’20 interned in Congressman Jim Cooper’s office in Washington D.C. last summer.

While she was a student at Harpeth Hall, Melissa King ’20 said one of her favorite things was her involvement with the math club. Last summer, Melissa, a Duke University junior majoring in financial engineering, minoring in dance, and earning a certificate in innovation and entrepreneurship, continued to pursue her mathematical passion as an intern for FINTOP, a venture capital firm.

Lily Wilmoth ’20, a junior at Auburn University studying business administration with a focus in management, found herself on the other side of the glass at Bridgestone Arena working for the Nashville Predators as a community relations intern.

Prim Wiphatphumiprates ’20 worked as a student researcher for St. Jude’s 15-month, summer-plus program through Rhodes College, where she is a junior majoring in neuroscience and minoring in health equity.

After completing her freshman year at Haverford College, Maia Roark ’21, a history major with a double minor in English and art history, was looking for a way to spend her summer digging into the history of Nashville. She found it as an intern at Nashville Sites.

Alex Walsh ’20 and Gretchen Walsh ’21

Browning Clark ’19

KK Savage ’19

Adelaide Dashiff ’20 and Jessie Wills ’20 Melissa King ’20

Lily Wilmoth ’20

Prim Wiphatphumiprates ’20

Maia Roark ’21

Allison Bishop ’96 son, Reza Elliott Siyar, on Aug. 2, 2022

Katie Koban Braddy ’00 son, Thomas Leland Braddy, on Aug. 21, 2022

Liz Porter Veyhl ’02 daughter, Alice Ruby Veyhl, on Aug. 7, 2022

Rachel Price Apple ’03 son, Paul Saylor Apple, on Sept. 20, 2022

Margaret Riley King ’03 daughter, Norah Purser King, on June 15, 2022

Valaree Casamer O'Connor ’03 daughter, Nora James O'Connor, on April 23, 2022

Case Szarwark Soskin ’03 daughter, Graham Prather Soskin, and son, Jackson Ford Soskin, on Sept. 1, 2022

Lindsay Towry Hawkins ’04 son, Nolan Burton Hawkins, on Jan. 29, 2022

Kim Hogg Massey ’04 son, Terrell “TJ” Massey Jr., on May 23, 2022

Sally Sawyer Myatt ’04 daughter, Elizabeth “Eliza” Cary Myatt, on Sept. 2, 2022

Kathleen Ambrose Kestermann ’05 son, Henry Wilhelm Kestermann, on Aug. 2, 2021

Caitlin Heyman Tisch ’05 son, Wyatt Tisch, on May 5, 2021

Maddin McCord Hutto ’06 son, Brooks Gardner Hutto, on Feb. 2, 2022

Diana Wallace ’06 daughter, Evelyn Alexander “Evie” Perdue, on Sept. 29, 2022

Melissa Neal Woodruff ’06 son, Banks Franklin Woodruff Jr., on May 5, 2022

Sophie Sanders Geertsma ’07 son, Bowie Benton Geertsma, on Aug. 18, 2022

Becca Hill Halper ’07 daughter, Chavah Lily Halper, on Oct. 7, 2022

Claire Moll Juneau ’07 son, Elliott Ryan Juneau, on July 27, 2022

Christina Mishu Rosean ’07 daughter, Sophia Grace Rosean, on Sept. 23, 2022

Kate Zerfoss Brady ’08 daughter, Rodes Stanley Brady, on June 21, 2022

Ann Ralls Niewold Brown ’08 son, Timms Goodall Brown, on Aug. 1, 2022

Allie Carver Rufat ’08 daughter, Gabriela Rose Rufat, on Aug. 23, 2022

Taylor Witherspoon Schipani ’08 son, John Loftin Schipani, on Sept. 10, 2022

Catherine Ramsey Schulte ’08 son, Henry Heller Schulte, on Aug. 9, 2022

Meg Zager Glick ’09 son, Oliver Irving Glick, on May 11, 2022

Emily Carpenter Hellman ’09 daughter, Lily Jane Hellman, on June 9, 2022

Angela Park ’09 son, Noah Kim, on Dec. 23, 2019

Alex Bryant Bars ’10 daughter, Caroline Lee Bars, on Sept. 20, 2022

Alene Geer McNeese ’10 daughter, MaryAnn “Mamie” Cates McNeese, on Sept. 29, 2022

Mabry Jackson Parchem ’10 daughter, Sally Ann Parchem, on Aug. 6, 2022

Caroline Aston Wilson ’10 daughters, Avery Lang Wilson and Raleigh Elizabeth Wilson, on Jan. 13, 2022

Kelly Earthman Withrow ’10 daughter, Hallie Robyn Withrow, on July 19, 2022

Grayson Temple Schmidt ’12 son, Noah Joseph Schmidt, on June 19, 2022

Becca Jacques Smith ’12 son, Banks “Tee” Thomas Smith III, on Nov. 11, 2021

Catherine Andrews Burkholder ’13 son, Paul Hill Burkholder V, on July 7, 2022

Maggie Rutherford Riser ’13 son, John “Jack” Rivers Riser, on Oct. 15, 2022

Abbie Jennings Hays ’14 son, Huck Wilson Hays, on Oct. 26, 2022

We welcome photos in our Class Notes, Marriages and Births sections. We prefer high resolution, 300 dpi jpegs. Email your digital photos to the Alumnae Office at alumnaeoffice@harpethhall.org.

Bowie Benton Geertsma

Terrell ‘TJ’ Massey Jr.

Caroline Lee Bars

Sophia Grace Rosean

Huck Wilson Hays Brooks Gardner Hutto

Eliza Cary Myatt

Henry Heller Schulte

Reza Elliott Siyar

Paul Hill Burkholder V

Banks Thomas Smith III Alice Ruby Veyhl

Paul Saylor Apple

Elliott Ryan Juneau Norah Purser King

Avery Lang Wilson and Raleigh Elizabeth Wilson

Class Notes

Susan Tosh ’73 to Jerry Narramore on May 16, 2020

Susan Hicks Thetford ’78 to Guil Ezell on Sept. 17, 2022

Allison Bishop ’96 to Jamsheed Siyar on Oct. 2, 2021

Meredith Byrd ’07 to John Pekarske on March 26, 2022

Carolyn Murdock ’08 to Kyle Emory on Sept. 24, 2022

Blythe Cate ’09 to Harrison Bryant on Oct. 22, 2022

Emily Sangervasi ’09 to Michael Mitchell on Oct. 15, 2022

Becca Factor ’11 to Lenny Lapidario on Sept. 4, 2022

Lexi Mossman ’11 to Adam Hammerman on June 25, 2022

Emma Dedman ’12 to Julian Caithness on October 29, 2022

Noni Hill ’12 to John Fisher on June 11, 2022

Claire Johnson ’12 to Alex Trevino on June 25, 2022

Margaret Anne Pendleton ’12 to Alan Chester Betz III on Dec. 19, 2021

Emma Snow ’13 to Ferriss Bailey on Oct. 22, 2022

Martha Schull ’13 to Thomas Carr on June 25, 2022

Abby Biesman ’14 to Jacob Green on Aug. 21, 2022

Ellie Davidson ’15 to John Willis Stevens on Aug. 13, 2022

Sara Puryear ’15 to Jeremy Hunziker on Oct. 22, 2022

Elizabeth Stinson ’15 to Patrick Perrier on Oct. 15, 2022

Wynne Briggs ’16 to Drew Mixson on Sept. 25, 2021

Lee Lee Johnson ’16 to Jim Garrett on June 4, 2022

Abby Biesman Green

Allison Bishop Siyar

Lee Lee Johnson Garrett

Lexi Mossman Hammerman

Emily Sangervasi Mitchell

Margaret Anne Pendleton Betz

Noni Hill Fisher

Linda Williams Dale ’56 Trustee 1978-1989 and Honorary Trustee

Linda Williams Dale ’56 of Nashville, Tennessee, died on Aug. 16, 2022. Linda was one of the earliest students at Harpeth Hall. Following her graduation in 1956, she attended Vanderbilt University where she received her bachelor’s degree. She served as a Harpeth Hall trustee from 1978-1989 and became an honorary trustee in 1998. Linda was also the founder and first president of the Harpeth Hall Alumnae Association from 1966-1974. Her husband, Bobby, who also served on the Harpeth Hall Board of Trustees, was the president of Martha White Foods, Inc., the family business. Linda had a deep love of the George Washington Celebration and supported the refurbishing of the costumes worn by the girls. She had a long family history with Ward-Belmont and Harpeth Hall, which includes her mother, Naomi Bandy Williams ’27, her daughters Noni Dale Haddock ’81 and Lezley Dale ’87, her granddaughter Naomi Haddock ’18, and her sister, Connie Williams King ’47.

Patricia Ingram Hart ’53 Trustee 1976-1982

Patricia Ingram Hart ’53, a devoted mother, wife, philanthropist, and friend, died on Aug. 13, 2022. Patricia’s mother Hortense Bigelow Ingram was a Harpeth Hall founding trustee. Patricia attended Ward-Belmont and graduated from St. Timothy's School in Baltimore, Maryland. She earned a bachelor's degree in English at Vanderbilt University and devoted her life to her family and her community, leading in civic, business, education, and volunteer realms of Nashville. She began her service with the Junior League Home for Crippled Children and remained loyal when it moved to Vanderbilt Hospital. She also served two decades on the board of The West End Home for Ladies, co-founded by her mother. After raising her children, Patricia served in leadership capacities at FiftyForward, STARS, United Way, and Bridges; and, together with her husband Rodes, was a founding member of the Tocqueville Society of the United Way of Metropolitan Nashville. Patricia was a Harpeth Hall trustee from 1976-1982. She is survived by her husband, her sister-in-law and Harpeth Hall Honorary Trustee Martha Ingram, two sons, her daughter Patti Hart Smallwood, who attended Harpeth Hall, 10 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

Donald Paxton McPherson III, Ann Teaff's beloved husband of 26 years, died suddenly on Sunday morning, Nov. 20, 2022, as he was preparing to leave for church. It is a great comfort to Ann and the family that Don died in their home with Ann by his side. The Harpeth Hall school community had the great fortune to come to know Don while Ann served as head of school from 1998 to 2014. He became an invaluable part of Harpeth Hall and remained loyal to the school, as well as to his Nashville friends, until his death.

Shortly after Ann and Don married in 1996, Ann received the offer to become Harpeth Hall’s fifth head of school. Don, who was a successful attorney in Baltimore and was tied to Gettsyburg through generations of McPhersons, encouraged Ann to accept the position in Nashville and gave his new wife his unequivocal support. For 16 years, Don commuted to Nashville from Baltimore, attending as many school activities as possible. He was easily identifiable on campus in his classic navy blazer and bow tie, often the one made of Dress Campbell plaid.

Don delighted in school traditions, ceremonies, and performances, student achievements, and faculty intellectual life. Many remember how easily tears came to Don’s eyes when Ann spoke at events — he was that proud of her and of the school. He accompanied Ann to alumnae events around the country, where he loved asking graduates about their education, careers, interests, and families. He made each alumna, student, and teacher feel they were vitally important, and he strengthened the school’s sense of community. It was a true privilege to have Don’s leadership, example, and influence as he partnered with Ann to realize big goals for generations of girls at Harpeth Hall.

“Don provided a beautiful example for our students and faculty of how to demonstrate love for his wife through his admiration of her as a leader,” current Head of School Jess Hill said. “In every encounter he was selfless and always the epitome of a community member who fully believed in the strength of an all-girls education and Harpeth Hall.”

Don was also a great member of the Baltimore community. He was a highly respected lawyer specializing in real estate development, commercial leasing, and public finance at DLA Piper, and he generously offered pro bono legal assistance to nearly 1,000 individuals through local nonprofit organizations.

Don was devoted to his family — his wife Ann, his daughter, Cindy, his son, David, who predeceased Don, his grandson, Tyler, and Tyler’s siblings Flora and Richard. He personified integrity, loyalty, and honor, and he enriched the lives of all who knew him.

Don McPherson by the Nuttall Oak tree planted on Souby Lawn in recognition of his loyalty to Harpeth Hall and devotion to his wife, Ann Teaff, who served as head of school from 1998-2014

An expression of gratitude for the life of Donald Paxton McPherson III

Jean Rose Ayers Development Assistant 1982-1994

Ruth Jean Rose Ayers of Lebanon, Tennessee, died on Aug. 20, 2022. She attended Cumberland University and held a variety of jobs at academic institutions ranging from military academies to universities. Jean worked as the assistant to Polly Jordan Nichols ’53 in the development office at Harpeth Hall from 1982-1994. She was an active member of Lebanon First United Methodist Church and several community organizations. Jean is survived by her two sons, one daughter, Margie Ayers ’89, six grandchildren, one sister, and several nephews and nieces, including Susan Stuart Oney ’87.

Marion Pickering Couch

Harpeth Hall Spanish Teacher 1979-1991

Marion Pickering Couch, a former Harpeth Hall Spanish teacher known for her ability to bring the culture to life in her classroom, died on June 1, 2022. Marion attended the University of Iowa where she received bachelor’s and master’s degrees. She taught Spanish for many years in Nashville at Harpeth Hall and the Watkins Institute and frequently tutored individuals. In addition, she took students on study abroad tours to Spanish-speaking countries to enhance their language and cultural studies, and she excelled in engaging her students during lessons at school.

“Señora Couch was a true inspiration and friend to me and so many of my classmates,” Harpeth Hall alumna Carrie Smith Woodruff ’89 recalled. “In the classroom, she made lessons about grammar and vocabulary come to life with adventurous stories of her experiences on the road in Mexico and elsewhere. Twenty years ago, I left my job as associate media director at Fidelity Investments to follow my passion and teach Spanish. It is most likely because of Señora Couch that I am such a good teacher. I learned from her to set high standards for my students, share my own experiences with them, be creative, and provide global opportunities for my students to learn from and experience. She was a true inspiration, and I know I am not the only one from my class (and others) who will truly miss her.”

Marion deeply supported arts, culture, health, animal, and educational organizations in Nashville. She served as president of the Nashville Symphony Guild and the Nashville Opera Guild. She was the first non-medical female president of the Middle Tennessee Heart Association board of directors. In addition, Marion was a lifelong animal lover and longtime volunteer with the Nashville Humane Association.

She is survived by her five children, including Nena Couch ’68, CC Couch ’71, and Barbara Couch Rose ’74, seven grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

William “Bill” Hayward Harpeth Hall Business Manager 1987-1999

William “Bill” Bernard Hayward of Hendersonville, Tennessee, died on Oct. 15, 2022. He graduated from Marietta College. A veteran of the Army, he was awarded a Purple Heart and later worked for the Veterans Administration and was recognized for his service to disabled veterans. After moving to Tennessee, he worked in administration for Service Merchandise and Nissan Motor Corporation. He was then employed as business manager for Harpeth Hall and taught economics for eight years before retiring in 1999. Bill was a lifelong member of the United Methodist Church and taught Sunday School for many years. Bill is survived by his wife, son, and two grandsons.

Joan Severeid Schmitt

Harpeth Hall Secretary 1963-1991

Joan Severeid Schmitt of Brentwood, Tennessee, died April 7, 2022. After graduating from North Texas University, she taught elementary school in several cities before residing in Nashville. After her teaching career, Joan worked as a secretary at Harpeth Hall from 1963-1991. She was a former member of Fannie Battle, The Nashville Dental Auxiliary, and a longtime member of Calvary United Methodist Church. Joan is survived by her son, her daughter, Kelley Schmitt Rice ’88, one granddaughter, one grandson, step-grandchildren, and her niece.

Sarah Frost Stamps

Harpeth Hall English Teacher 1970-1985

Sarah Ann Frost Stamps of Nashville, Tennessee, died on Aug. 21, 2022. She graduated from Peabody Demonstration School (USN) and Vanderbilt University before receiving her master’s degree from Columbia University. She worked at The Methodist Publishing House and taught at Harpeth Hall from 1970-1985. When she spoke of “her girls” that included many more than her three daughters. Upon her retirement from Harpeth Hall, she wrote the following:

“Farewell, fair ladies, and goodbye!

May you "fare well" in all your ways.

Whatever trails you choose to try,

And "God be with you” in all your days.

So, farewell and goodbye.

Love always, Sarah Frost Stamps

In the 2001 book “Celebrating Milestones,” alumna Lisa Rudolph Turner ‘80 wrote, “Mrs. Stamps’ class was a lesson in self-expression. She taught us not to be afraid to explore our feelings and put them on paper. She was so animated and full of life … I was a journalism major, probably thanks in part to her.” Sarah was a lifelong West End United Methodist Church member and was involved in many community organizations. She is survived by three daughters, Sallie Stamps Swor, Mary Stamps Gambill ’76, and Martha Stamps ’79, and six grandchildren. She is also survived by her nieces and nephews, including Dory Stamps Ingram ’64.

Marguerite Wallace McClure ’37 of Nashville, Tennessee, died May 10, 2022. She loved to travel, play golf, and was involved in many community organizations. She is survived by her daughter Chrissie McClure ’71, two sons, nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

Starling Pressnell Davis ’42 of Nashville, Tennessee, died May 18, 2022. She is survived by one daughter, three granddaughters, and two great-grandchildren.

Betty Jo Warden Keirstead ’42 of Hartford, Connecticut, died April 7, 2021. She enjoyed music, golf, and travel. She is survived by her husband, three daughters, one son, nine grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, and four step-children.

Mary Eagle Keith ’42 of Nashville, Tennessee, died Oct. 23, 2021. She established the Walk Through Bethlehem at Woodmont Christian Church. She is survived by two sons, two daughters, seven grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren.

Nancy Anderson Landstreet C’42 of Nashville, Tennessee, died Aug. 31, 2022. Nancy was an avid bridge player and was known for her beautiful flower arrangements. She is survived by two daughters, Lucia Landstreet Cherry ’66 and Jane Landstreet Longhurst ’73, three sons, 15 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Adelaide Bowen Owens C’43 of Decatur, Georgia, died Sept. 19, 2022. She is survived by two daughters, one son, five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Josephine (Jo) Durrett Doubleday ’44 of Nashville, Tennessee, died Nov. 6, 2022. A graduate of Vanderbilt University, she tutored elementary school children for many years and also worked in public relations. Jo was a member of West End Methodist Church and was active in many community organizations. She is survived by her husband, her daughter, Margaret Hicks Doubleday ’71, and one granddaughter.

Lavinia Jones Fillebrown ’44 of Nashville, Tennessee, died Dec. 17, 2022. Lavinia was involved in many community organizations and was a longtime member of St. George’s Episcopal Church. She is survived by her daughters Peggy Fillebrown McMurray ’69, Bea Fillebrown Isenhour ’71, Ellen Fillebrown Vaughn ’74, and Scottie Fillebrown Coombs ’78; nine grandchildren including Sallie McMurray Simpson ’95, Sara Isenhour Washburn ’03, Lauren Quinn Barnacastle ’08, and Marguerite Coombs ’18; and eight great-grandchildren including Anna Simpson ’26 and Mary Coleman McMurray ’30.

IN MEMORIAM — ALUMNAE

Joan Chaffin Daugherty ’45 of Nashville, Tennessee, died Oct. 5, 2022. She is survived by one son, two daughters Deborah Daugherty Whaley ’72 and Mary Daugherty Overstreet ’77, eight grandchildren, including Corinne Hartong Mattern ’05, Graham Hartong Rucker ’07, and Mary Liza Hartong ’12, and seven great-grandchildren.

Clare Corson Armistead ’47 of Nashville, Tennessee, died July 20, 2022. She was a supporter of many Nashville organizations and was an admired community volunteer. She is survived by two sons, daughter-in-law Tara Crenshaw Armistead ’75, three grandchildren including Anna Armistead Clinton ’08, and four great-grandchildren.

Dorothy "Dot" Hailey Buchanan ’47 of Fort Walton Beach, Florida, died July 23, 2022. She lived briefly in Auburn, Alabama, where she provided mathematical support to Buckminster Fuller’s original design calculation for his geodesic dome and Wernher von Braun’s aerospace team at NASA. In Fort Walton Beach, she had a successful career in construction and real estate. She is survived by two sons, two daughters, sister Mary Anne Hailey Capeci ’46, nine grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

Sara Scott Harris Nelson '47 of Nashville, Tennessee, died Nov. 5, 2022. She was a founding member of St. George's Episcopal Church and spent many summers at the Monteagle Sunday School Assembly. Sara loved the outdoors and hiking, as well as world travel. She is survived by her daughters Becky Nelson ’74 and Sara-Scott Nelson Wingo ’80, her son, four granddaughters, one grandson, and nieces and nephews.

Caroline Terry Lowe Brown ’48 of Cookeville, Tennessee, died Aug. 14, 2022. She was the first woman editor of the Vanderbilt University newspaper and earned a master’s degree in history from Harvard University. Caroline is survived by two daughters, one son, three grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

Helen Seay Quinn C’50 of Memphis, Tennessee, died May 24, 2022. Helen was an avid tennis player and community volunteer. She is survived by one son, two daughters, six grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

Martha “Jane” VanTuyle Brauburger C’51 of Bellaire, Michigan, died April 19, 2022. Jane taught piano and was active in her community. She is survived by one son, one daughter, one stepson, two stepdaughters, nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

Mary Margaret “Peggy” Jarrell Marshall C’51 of Appomattox, Virginia, died Oct. 5, 2022. For many years, she worked alongside her husband at Marshalls department store in Appomattox. She is survived by four sons, seven grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, and one sister.

Hazel Lamb Maxwell Rust C’51 of Columbus, Georgia, died July 17, 2022. Hazel was an avid gardener, loved music, and was a member of Trinity Episcopal Church. She is survived by her sister, two daughters, one son, seven grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

Ruth Gay Robbins ’53 of Champaign, Illinois, died Sept. 13, 2022. She worked as an audiologist at Kaiser Permanente in the Portland area throughout her career and was involved in the arts community. Ruth Gay is survived by her husband, brother, sister, and nieces and nephews.

Kathryn “Kay” Woodard Lazenby ’54 of Nashville, Tennessee, died Aug. 19, 2022. Kay was an accomplished artist and involved in several community organizations. She is survived by two daughters, Kathy Lazenby Boehm ’82 and Grace Lazenby ’84, and three grandchildren.

Carol Lord Mayo ’56 of Southampton, New York, died March 15, 2022. She had a career in real estate and was an accomplished equestrian. Carol is survived by her husband, daughter, two sons, and seven grandchildren.

Linda Christie Williams Moynihan ’57 of Nashville, Tennessee, died June 7, 2022. Linda was named Lady of the Hall her senior year. She had a 30-year career as the executive director of the Tennessee Conference of Social Welfare and was a community volunteer. She is survived by three daughters, including Christie Williams '79, one son, one stepson, 14 grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.

Jean Ann Miller McNally ’58 of Nashville, Tennessee, died Sept. 14, 2022. A beloved and inspirational Bible teacher, she started Jean Ann McNally Ministries where she ministered at Bible studies and churches. She is survived by her husband, son, daughters Lynn McNally Scarola ’80 and Cindy McNally Pittman ’83, 10 grandchildren, including granddaughters Lucy McNally ’23, Mae McNally ’25, and Winn McNally ’26, her sister Berenice Miller Denton ’54, and one brother.

Alice Kelly McCurdy ’59 of Plano, Texas, died April 22, 2022. She taught school, was passionate about music, and was a longtime supporter of many Dallas arts organizations. She is survived by her sister, one brother, two sons, one daughter, and eight grandchildren.

Barbara Nordholt Reynolds ’61 of Leesburg, Virginia, died July 16, 2022. She is survived by her son and grandchildren.

Carol Copple ’65 of Nashville, Tennessee, died May 20, 2022. She went to the University of North Carolina, received her Ph.D. from Cornell University, and became an expert in the field of child development. Carol is survived by her son, a brother, two sisters Diane Copple Grantham ’64 and Laurie Copple Power ’76, a nephew, and two nieces, including Lesley Grantham Grandstaff ’96.

Julia Lipscomb Jarman ’68 of Nashville, Tennessee, died Oct. 3, 2022. She was involved in many community organizations and was a successful interior designer. Julia is survived by her husband, three sons, daughter-in-law Calyn Cheadle Jarman ’02, sister Linda Lipscomb Hummell ’64, one brother, and 10 grandchildren.

Alexia Jeanette “AJ” Wolery Blood ’76 of Euless, Texas, died July 13, 2022. She was an elementary school counselor with advanced degrees in education and counseling. She devoted her life to teaching, counseling children, helping others, and serving in her church, St. Vincent’s Anglican Cathedral. AJ died from Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, a rare disease similar to Parkinson's that has no treatment. She donated her body to UT Southwestern medical school with the hope that research about her disease would help others. AJ is survived by her husband, two sons, one stepdaughter, two step-grandchildren, her sister, a niece, and two nephews.

Dorothea “Honey” Sensing Hetzel ’76 of Nashville, Tennessee, died July 22, 2022. She is survived by her brother, nieces, and a great nephew.

Kelly Wellman ’80 of Camarillo, California, died July 8, 2022. After a career in the entertainment industry, she was a professor of criminal justice at Ventura County Community College.

Parent Chairs

Laura and David Braam

Parent Class Chairs

Grade 5:

Graham and Neel Webb Young ’02

Grade 6:

Bonna and Terry Johnson

Grade 7:

Susan and Robert Hartmann

Grade 8:

Kevin and Marguerite Nielsen

Orndorff ’90

Grade 9:

Amy Liz and John Riddick

Grade 10:

Laura and Mark Stankewicz

The Annual Fund

Weare truly honored and delighted to serve as 2022-2023 Annual Fund chairs. Our daughter, Charlotte, is currently a junior, and she has been a Honeybear since 5th grade.

Harpeth Hall is an extraordinary school in every meaning of that word. The quality of education our girls receive is excellent, but Harpeth Hall is so much more than that. We love the experiential learning opportunities available, including field trips, SEEK, and Winterim, as these programs provide real-world experiences that expand the students’ perspectives beyond the classroom.

We also admire and appreciate the teachers’ dedication to our girls’ success, and we have seen first-hand how much they care and support them. We are very grateful for the counseling department and their focus on looking after the girls’ broader health, balance, and well-being. When one then adds top-shelf college counseling, STEM, and sports opportunities to the mix, it is easy to see why the students feel fortunate to experience the full breadth of what Harpeth Hall offers. The broader community’s love of Harpeth Hall is evident too, and we can feel the pride alumnae have for the school, as it has clearly prepared them so well for college and beyond. As Annual Fund chairs, we sincerely appreciate the community’s generosity in supporting the school, and we respectfully ask that you consider continuing that support with a gift to the Annual Fund this school year. Finally, a sincere thank you to all the parent, alumnae, past parent, and grandparent volunteers who are working so hard to make this campaign a success.

Barbara and Greg Hagood

2022–23 Annual Fund Chairs

Grade 11:

Meggin and Andrew Grobmyer

Grade 12:

Dave and Fran Bailey Linley ’92

Major Gifts Chairs

Nancy and Bill McKnight

Major Gifts Committee

Kate and Ben Griffin

Barbara and Greg Hagood

Travis and Paige Rumore

Messina ’99

Kerstin and Will Meyer

Anne and Steve Puricelli

Baylor and Ryan Swindell

Wendy and Michael Warren

Alumnae Gifts Chair

Meredith McDonald Stewart ’96

Alumnae Gifts Committee

Caitlin Anthony ’07

Ann Webb Betty ’81

Blythe Durrett Browne ’95

Shelley Long Cammack ’77

Becky Irvin Campbell ’71

Anna Gernert Carr ’05

Mary Lindley Carswell ’05

Beverly Hodgson Conley ’97

Ruth Duncan Coppeans ’97

Jennifer Corbett ’90

Caroline Tanner Everett ’07

Madison Longmire Fisher ’11

Lauren Gaffney ’99

Audrey Ball Guest ’02

Support the 2022–23 Annual Fund online at HarpethHall.org/Giving.

Whatley Hamilton ’14

Lauren Campbell Hancock ’02

Ashley Horne Herring ’96

Mindy Thompson Orman ’67

Marnie Reasor ’91

Molly Saint Sung ’10

Grandparent Chair

Nancy Webb

Parents of Alumnae Chairs

Beth and Bill Meador

Faculty Chairs

Susie Creagh Elder ’90

Mary Wheeler

2022-2023 Reunion Chair

Sacha Engel Bone ’93

Questions? Please contact Director of Annual Giving Tracy Campbell at 615-346-0083.

Backto REUNION 2023

Friday, May 5, and Saturday, May 6, 2023

FRIDAY, MAY 5

Milestones Society Luncheon honoring the classes of 1953, 1958, 1963, and 1968 celebrating their 70th, 65th, 60th, and 55th reunions

11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Marnie Sheridan Gallery

Campus Tours led by Student Ambassadors 3:30 p.m.

Meet on the Ann Scott Carell Library steps

Harpeth Hall Today

Conversation with Head of School Jess Hill, students, and faculty 4:15 – 5:15 p.m.

Bullard Bright IDEA Lab — Meeting Room and Commons

Followed by a wine and cheese reception from 5:15 – 6:00 p.m.

PLEASE VISIT

SATURDAY, MAY 6

50th Reunion Brunch honoring the class of 1973

10:30 a.m.

Kirkman House

Winterim in May classes and times to be announced

Reunion Alumnae Panel Discussion

3:15 – 4:30 p.m.

Patton Visual Arts Center – Richards Room

Campus Tours led by Student Ambassadors 4:30 p.m.

Meet on the Ann Scott Carell Library steps

Cocktails on Campus

All Reunion and non-reunion alumnae and guests are invited to this festive complimentary event to visit with current and former faculty members and to reunite with classmates and friends.

4:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Bullard Bright IDEA Lab