Torchbearer Summer 2018

THE HOLY INNOCENTS’ EPISCOPAL SCHOOL ALUMNI MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2018

Borne to Shine

Sarah Borne ’14 set to take on the starring roles she was destined to lead

Pictured are cast members in the new hit play “Puffs, or: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic & Magic,” produced by David Carpenter ’96.

Mr. Carpenter said, “I got the chance to direct my junior year for the Upper School play competition. We lost, badly, but I was also given multiple starring roles in the Spring and Fall plays. I wanted so desperately for everyone in the school to come see our shows. I never rested.” More than two decades later – on and Off Broadway – Mr. Carpenter is still promoting and producing his hits.

PHOTO BY Hunter Canning

letter from the head of school Paul Barton

Head of School paul.barton@hies.org

CLASS OF 2018: THE TORCHBEARERS OF #805PRIDE

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Each year at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School, we begin with a theme to focus our work for the upcoming year.

Two years ago, our theme was “Trust the Journey” as a tribute to the wisdom and steady optimism of Alice Malcolm, a true visionary leader for HIES. Last year, I shared the lessons I learned biking across the great state of Iowa with 10,000 other cyclists. Namely, the power of the collective to inspire, support and elevate each individual. This year, our theme revolved around translating our sense of community into LOUD and PROUD school spirit. We call it 805Pride!

At our first pep rally in August, I challenged the seniors to set a high bar and lead by example. As the senior class goes, so goes the school. The Class of 2018 answered the challenge LOUD and PROUD! The Class of 2018 is a very special group of Golden Bears.

This class has the highest number of Alpha-Omegas ever assembled in one class in the history of HIES—40 of our seniors have been together since age 5.

At HIES, we often speak of “balanced excellence,” a desire to develop well-rounded kids who have a strong sense of self and an even greater awareness of the needs of others, and of being part of a community dedicated to helping you, “discover everything, except your limits.” This is why we tell our students: with a Holy Innocents’ education you can go anywhere.

Well, the Class of 2018 took it literally. This senior class was admitted to 133 colleges, spanning 32 states, Washington, D.C., and abroad.

Schools like: Alabama, American University, Baylor, Belmont, Boston College, Boston University, UCLA, Carnegie Mellon, Claremont McKenna College, Colorado College, University of Colorado-Boulder, Columbia University, Dartmouth, Davidson, Duke (three students will be Blue Devils this fall), Elon, Emory, Florida State, Fordham, George Washington University, Howard, University of Michigan, UNC-Chapel Hill, New York University, Richmond, Sewanee, Spelman, USC, South Carolina, Stanford (this is the third year in a row we are sending a graduate to Stanford—I think that makes us a feeder school), University of Texas at Austin, Tulane, Vanderbilt, Villanova, UVA, Wake Forest, Washington and Lee, Washington University in St. Louis, and University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of St. Andrew’s (in Scotland) and University of Pennsylvania—just to name a few.

But, wait, there’s more! This class continues the strong HIES tradition of success at two of Georgia’s finest. Even though it is becoming more and more difficult to get into UGA and Georgia Tech—our seniors continue to gain acceptance at very high

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levels: 52 seniors were accepted at the University of Georgia.

HIES acceptance rate was 73 percent compared to an overall acceptance rate for UGA of 48 percent and 14 of our seniors were accepted to the Georgia Institute of Technology, giving us an acceptance rate of 50 percent. Georgia Tech’s overall acceptance rate is 22 percent.

The Class of 2018 also produced two National Merit Finalists, a Johnson Scholar to Washington and Lee, a Stamp Foundation Scholar to Georgia Tech (our second in the last three years), a Naval ROTC scholarship and two appointments to service academies.

Many of our student-athletes have elected to continue their athletic careers with scholarships to: UGA, Bucknell, Rhodes College, Johns Hopkins, University of Pennsylvania, Dickinson, Palm Beach Atlantic, Wofford, United States Naval Academy and the United States Air Force Academy– in baseball, swimming, basketball, golf, softball, track, football and lacrosse. This group takes the term student-athlete to new levels.

As you know, HIES prides itself on a long-standing commitment to the arts. So it’s no surprise our graduates will continue to pursue their passion for the visual and performing arts in programs at Belmont, Georgia State, UCLA and the Savannah College of Art & Design.

Take a moment and let the accomplishments of the Class of 2018 sink in. The quantity, quality and sheer diversity of colleges seeking our graduates is beyond impressive. The opportunities that await them are impossible to quantify or describe. Now you understand why this group of 126 seniors embodies the LOUD and PROUD GOLDEN BEAR PRIDE we feel at 805 Mount Vernon Highway.

To the soon-to-be members of the alumni and all alumni everywhere, and also to our current students and families and past families, take PRIDE in the fact that a quaint, little preschool of 70 kids, birthed by Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Church some 58 years ago has grown into the largest Episcopal parish day school in the nation now with a global footprint (or rather, a PAWprint).

From Alpha-Omegas to drumlines and our building meaningful and formidable international relationships through Round Square, it has been an amazing year to be a Golden Bear.

May we continue to build on the momentum of 805PRIDE by never forgetting what it is that got us here: community.

It is fitting that there is no individual founder of Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School. We were founded by a community.

More than half a century later, this ideal remains the cornerstone upon which we have built and will continue to build toward a better and brighter tomorrow.

t rchbearer

THE HOLY INNOCENTS’ EPISCOPAL SCHOOL ALUMNI MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2018

FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE

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Clover Street ’07 makes a career as one of the nation’s foremost K9 trainers

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One of the founding members of the HIES drama department, David Carpenter ’96, takes his productions all over the world

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The current chapter in Niki Simpson’s life Jordan Miller ’10 reaches next-level success

TORCHBEARER | THE HIES ALUMNI MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2018

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M I S S I O N S TAT E M E N T Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School develops in students a love of learning, respect for self and others, faith in God, and a sense of service to the world community.

on the cover

PAGE 18: Sarah Borne ’14 is on a path to a career in acting that has always felt perfectly in character. After putting her talents to the test throughout high school and college with roles ranging from true crime show “Your Worst Nightmare” to the classic “Goosebumps” series, the Atlanta native has graduated from Wake Forest University and is ready take on her hometown’s vibrant TV and film market.

HEAD OF SCHOOL Paul A. Barton BOARD OF TRUSTEES Dr. Michael B. Stewart, Chairman of the Board Mr. David M. Calhoun, Vice Chairman Mrs. Jolie Maxwell, Secretary Mr. Neil L. Pruitt Jr., Treasurer Mr. Paul A. Barton Mr. Kevin Lee Brown Mr. Chris H. Burnett Mr. Chris Michael Carlos Mr. William S. Creekmuir Mrs. Helen M. Donahue Mr. C. Brandon Downs ’99 The Rev. Charles L. Fischer III Mrs. Leigh Spence Jackson ’99 Ms. Madelaine O. McCrorie Mrs. Bonnie Terwilliger Meshad Mrs. Laura S. Miles Mr. Hugh Lee Mooney Dr. Josephine Reed-Taylor Mr. William Shaheen Mr. F. Neal Sumter III Mrs. Marie F. Thomas The Rev. C. John Thompson-Quartey Mrs. Claire Abreu Webber ’96 Ms. Lisa Zaina ALUMNI ADVISORY BOARD Mr. Sean Butkus ’07, President Ms. Kelly Voyles Kardian ’91, President Elect Mr. Glen Bowen ’97 Mr. Jackson Davis ’09 Ms. Christine Dial ’10 Ms. Laura Phillips Green ’04 Mr. Michael Griffin ’00 Ms. Julie Walker Grigsby ’91 Ms. Amy Fore Kane ’04 Ms. Lily Rolader ’11 Ms. Cara Puckett Roxland ’01 Mr. Andy Stroman ’08 Mr. EJ Thurmond ’13 Mr. O’Neal Wanliss ’11

also in this issue 26 28 36 38 40 43

Alumni Athletics Notes The Case for Apogee Golden Bear Gala Distinguished Alumnus, Distinguished Service Awards Dr. Chris Swann: ‘The Last Word’ Visit from Ambassador Andrew Young

DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT Michele Duncan michele.duncan@hies.org

DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS/SPECIAL EVENTS Tamika Weaver tamika@hies.org

EDITOR Andrew Payne andrew.payne@hies.org

PHOTOGRAPHY Julie Fennell julie.fennell@hies.org

DESIGN Andrew Payne

CONTRIBUTORS Jim Baker, photographer Stephen Burns ’08, freelance writer based in L.A. Hunter Canning, photographer Clara Chambers, photographer Greg Cravens, illustrator Michael Guthrie, graphic designer Jeff Guy, graphic designer Dunn Neugebauer, writer and holder of lots of jobs Chris Swann, columnist Mary Chris Williams, contributing copy editor

commencement 2018

Saffiya Bashey, 2018 valedictorian

Lily Bennett (left), Grace Brock, Kaila Hubbard

Jonathon Davis (left), Aidan Collins, Katie Cole, William Goldberg

Caroline Hix and Davis Hatcher

Class of 2018 members John Anderson (left), Eliza Anderson and Athenia Anderson

TORCHBEARER | THE HIES ALUMNI MAGAZINE | SPRING 2018

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IN HIS OWN WORDS

Clover Street ’07

Owner/Operator, MarathonK9 Academy, LLC FOUNTAIN, COLO.

Mr. Street came to HIES in the fall of 2004, a transfer from McQuaid Jesuit High School in Rochester, N.Y. He attended Unity College in Maine and earned his bachelor’s degree in captive wildlife care and environmental education. Today, he makes his living with and dedicates his life to the dogs that he trains for some of the most sophisticated tasks imaginable.

From drug busts to bomb detection to apprehension of dangerous criminals, the K9s who graduate from his Colorado-based training facility are fighting crime and protecting lives all over the country. And each one, so says Mr. Street, always teaches him more about himself than he could have ever thought was possible. For more, visit www.marathonk9.com.

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CLOVER STREET ’07 IN HIS OWN WORDS:

Dogs have no idea what we are saying. I’ve learned to sacrifice ego above all else and to be patient. We shape and manipulate drive satisfaction towards are own goals. We shape natural behaviors.

Patience is of the utmost importance when it comes to producing behaviors that we expect 95 percent or more of the time.

The best part of my job is when I hear about a dog that I have worked with making a phenomenal apprehension or drug bust. One of the dogs I worked just had major drug bust (271lbs of marijuana on a highway stop). I train police, military and personal protection dogs in family and handler defense, odor detection, man trailing and apprehension as well as on and off-lead obedience.

departments. US Army Special Operations Command has a contract with a kennel here in the US that provides top of the line working dogs.

Holy Innocents’ impacted me greatly. I didn’t always fit in. Granted I’m from a different ethnic background than a majority of my classmates, but I didn’t have the same hobbies. I learned that regardless of background, hard work and dedication can lead you to the top. Talent comes naturally but skill comes from hours and hours of beating on your craft. I’m considered one of the top police decoys in the country, and being as young as I am, I am only going to continue to grow.

I’ve worked hundreds of dogs. And always made it a goal to make them better than when they first saw me.

I put all of myself into making sure these dogs can bring their handlers home safe and keep their families safe.

The most challenging part of my job is looking back on the very first dogs I worked and realizing that if I had the skills I have now, back then, that those dogs would be considerably better.

The dogs I work with are from departments all over the country. I once worked a sheriff canine from a department in Utah on vehicle extractions from noncompliant individuals (dog jumps through the window to apprehend suspect) and not three weeks later, the dog had to do just that on a suspect who stole a patrol car. Also, a personal protection dog responded to someone threatening the owner in their car, late at night in a parking lot. I’ve had the pleasure of working with dogs from 10th Special Forces Group, Lehi Police Department in Utah, Peterson Airforce Base Security Forces, and many more.

When I work green (inexperienced) dogs and spend time with them, I don’t really develop rapport with them as it’s up to their handler or owner to have that special relationship. I watch the K9 team grow. I wish them nothing but success for sure as well as safety. Now my own dogs, I care for them wholeheartedly. My Belgian Malinois (handler defense and narcotics) is with me almost every time I travel, and my German Shepherd (explosive detection) is a big goof ball whom I can’t help but love.

I’m not a breeder. That’s a whole different realm of work and science as far as understanding genetic history of two dogs when pairing them together.

I just don’t have the time. I have a colleague who imports from Slovakia and I work a lot of his dogs in

Most memorable experience was sitting down with my English teacher from junior year, who was also my homeroom teacher, Mr. Adam Janiak. My grades were slipping, and he sat me down and said I had to pull it together.

He expected more of me, as I was a bright student.

I took it to heart. Followed by breaking the 4x400m relay record. Mr. Janiak and Dr. Chris Swann both had a big impact on me. I keep in touch with Steven Yelich ’07, Cameron Warner ’09 and Katelyn Warner ’06 and Jack Templeton ’07 as much as possible.

If there is one thing I would like the HIES community to know about me today, it would be that perseverance is what got me to where I am. I put all of myself into making sure these dogs can bring their handlers home safe and keep their families safe.

My hobbies include racing motorcycles, hiking and jiu-jitsu competitions. The last book I read was “Gates of Fire,” by Stephen Pressfield and the last film I watched (for the 100th time) was “Act of Valor.”

I have a 3-year-old daughter, named Kalea (Hawaiian for “bright”), who is my world. She wants to train dogs when she gets bigger. Best Netflix series I could recommend would be “The Arrow,” because I’m a nerd.

The last time I was on a plane was a year and a half ago, when I was moving to Colorado from Hawaii, where I had lived for three and a half years.

One of my bite suits is red with yellow striping, and one of my K9-handler friends has coined it the Oscar Meyer suit.

TORCHBEARER | THE HIES ALUMNI MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2018

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IN HIS OWN WORDS

Off Broadway and

BEYOND

David Carpenter ’96 was a member of the second graduating class of Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School, which meant he and his classmates were trailblazing pioneers who embodied what it meant to “discover everything, except their limits.” Mr. Carpenter went on to graduate from Bucknell University with a double major in English and theatre and a minor in dance.

He has worked for the Obie Award winning Mint Theatre Company as well as Primary Stages and the Roundabout Theatre Company. Mr. Carpenter has lectured on producing at Bucknell University and The University of New Mexico. Today, he is producing hit plays all over the world as a managing partner at Tilted Windmills Theatricals in New York City. Here is David Carpenter is his own words: A lot of my fondest memories are intrinsically tied to the time I spent doing theatre in high school. There are two that stand out for different reasons. The first was having the opportunity to play Cyrano de Bergerac in my final production at HIES my senior year. It was the part of a lifetime and one I will never forget.

It was a beautiful and moving production. It will always be one of the proudest I have ever been a part of. The poster of the show, singed by the entire cast, hangs in my house next to the posters of all the Broadway shows I have worked on.

Oddly enough, one of my fondest memories was during the production of “Noises Off.” I remember getting the whole cast together one morning before school and aggressively selling tickets to the carpool line of parents dropping off

their kids. I think we managed to promote the show and sell out our run. The whole cast was just running up to every car that pulled up and sold our hearts out to the parents and kids. That memory has always stuck with me over the years because of the dogged determination of that cast.

We knew we had a great show, a funny show and we desperately wanted everyone to come see it. It was also the first inkling that I had the leadership skills and the charisma to motivate an entire group of people toward a common cause.

I was a part of the second graduating class from HIES, in 1996. Everything was new. We had one class ahead of us, but for all intents and purposes, our class really had the chance to make everything up as we went along.

Continued >>>

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David Carpenter ’96 TORCHBEARER | THE HIES ALUMNI MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2018

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Pictured (L-R) during a performance of David Carpenter’s production of “Puffs” are Andy Miller, Jessie Cannizzaro, Nick Carrillo, Langston Belton, Madeleine Bundy, Zac Moon, Julie Ann Earls and Stephen Stout. PHOTO BY Hunter Canning

Because of that, there were no rules or traditions that dictated how we were supposed to act or what was supposed to happen. Looking back, I realize that was truly the beginning of my entrepreneurial spirit. I helped found the high school theatre department as a student under the direction of our beloved teacher, Nikki Simpson. She was my first mentor and always encouraged me to aim high and she never held back my ambition and passion for theatre.

I got the chance to direct my junior year for the high school play competition. We lost, badly, but I was also given multiple starring roles in the Spring and Fall plays. I wanted so desperately for everyone in the school to come see our shows. I never rested. I wrote and designed the programs and also sold ads in them to local businesses. I hawked tickets during carpool and even helped build a two story rotating set for “Noises Off.” I handled box office and even negotiated budgets with Alice Malcolm. There was no ceiling on what I thought I could accomplish. I remember going to see actor 12

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friends at productions in other schools, which were way better funded than ours, and thinking, “yeah, but all they get to do is act in the shows. They don’t know anything about hanging lights or building sets. We get to do it all because there isn’t anyone else to do it.”

That education in the entire craft of the theatre is how I wound up as a Broadway producer. I have a deep and ingrained love for all aspects of theatre production. I have immense respect for the work each individual does on shows.

I know how hard everyone works to make this all appear so easy to our audience. That respect, drive, determination and passion was begun at HIES because there were no limits placed in front of me, but only possibilities. I learned that a small determined group of people can accomplish anything they set their minds too. And most importantly, don’t take no for answer. It has gotten me into trouble more times than I can count, but my life and career has been a rich and wonderful experience. The foundation of who I am as a producer in New

David and I acted in several plays together in high school, twice playing the male and female lead roles opposite each other.

We also co-directed a one-act play our senior year. These are without a doubt my fondest memories of high school. He is incredibly talented, funny, hard-working and a fabulous partner, so it’s been no surprise to me that he has gone on to great success in the theater world. He is certainly deserving of his success, and I can’t wait to see what he does next.

SARAH TOWNSEND ’96 UPPER SCHOOL LEARNING RESOURCE DEPARTMENT CHAIR York was laid from 1992-1996 in the halls of the Upper School and in the theatre.

I once worked for a producing company that went through a terrible split with a financial partner. They had to fire almost their entire staff (from hundreds down to eight) and they began shutting down the operations of the company. They were only going to produce just one more show before calling it quits.

That show turned out to be “Jersey Boys” and is one of the most successful Broadway shows of all time. It was an amazing lesson in how unpredictable life is and that your fortunes can change at any moment.

After working on Broadway for over a decade in various

jobs, my greatest accomplishment to date was becoming the

“Puffs, or: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic & Magic” is now playing Off Broadway in New York City (340 West 50th Street, between 8th & 9th Aves.) and in Melbourne, Australia. For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.puffstheplay.com.

associate producer for the Broadway premiere of “Hands on a Hardbody.” It was my first producing credit on a Broadway show. Although the production was unfortunately short lived, it was an amazing experience and the beginning of the next phase of my career as a full time producer on Broadway. It is an unforgettable experience to go to an opening night of a Broadway show, see your name on the title page and know that you had a hand in making that night happen. The Broadway community is surprisingly small. It is a family of people who care passionately about theatre, art and entertainment. To be a full fledged member of this group who dedicate their lives to making art happen for people who come from all over the world is an amazing achievement. In the last year I launched my own production company with a partner and we are developing new shows and getting them launched.

In her 41 years at HIES, Niki Simpson has taught in every school section except the Primary School. She started the Upper School drama department, served as Middle School-Upper School English chair, been the junior dean of boys and girls and is currently in a new position— director of humanities (Grades PK-12).

PHOTO BY Julie Fennell

For the Sake of the Humanities

NIKI SIMPSON

BY Dunn Neugebauer, Sports Information Director

Even as a child, Niki Simpson had a teacher in her soul. Not a classroom teacher, mind you, but a teacher. “I liked to direct and choreograph,” she remembered. “When I was a girl, I would direct my brothers and cousins in plays – whether it was Easter or Christmas – whatever the occasion.”

This stayed with her as a high school student, where perhaps directing and choreographing on Broadway was in the cards? A person can dream, right? In her college years, she pinpointed her vision, realizing she wanted to direct high school students, but still with drama and choreography being the centerpiece.

Life has a way of taking care of business in its own way. Ms. Simpson first walked into the doors of Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School in 1972 – she was Dean of Students Alice Malcolm’s secretary. Eventually she was promoted to head secretary before – in 1975 – she took her first job of teaching as drama director for Grades 1-8.

“I knew then I loved teaching, though it was still in the form of directing; not necessarily in academics,” she said.

Ms. Simpson and her husband, David, moved to California in 1978, where Niki directed plays in children’s theaters and became a full-time high school speech and drama teacher.

It wasn’t until 1981 that she taught her first English class.

“I realized then the business world wasn’t for me,” Ms. Simpson said. “My husband was in the Navy so we moved around a lot, therefore, I was a secretary in a lot of different businesses. It was then I realized I wanted to be a teacher.”

Continued >>>

TORCHBEARER | THE HIES ALUMNI MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2018

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Niki Simpson, Fall 1976

Since coming back to Atlanta in 1983 – to say the least – Ms. Simpson has been just that. Starting in the Middle School both in the classroom and with drama, she hasn’t missed the business world but instead enjoys what she is doing here at HIES. She is now in her 41st year here – Ms. Simpson has taught in every school section, except the Primary School.

A brief resume summary: she started the Upper School drama department, served as Middle School-Upper School English chair, been the junior dean of boys and girls and is currently in a new position – director of humanities – which encompasses PK-Grade 12, and oversees the history and English curricula. Her first year as a full-time Upper School teacher came in 1999-2000, where she moved her office into Groesbeck Hall.

Chris Swann, Ph.D., Upper School English teacher and English department chair, has worked with Ms. Simpson many of those years.

“She is the consummate professional who has forgotten more about teaching than I know,” Dr. Swann said. “I’ve learned so much from her—how to teach, how to work with teachers, and how to be a person of integrity. She has also taught me wisdom—when to be stubborn, when to let go and when to laugh. She embodies the idea of teaching as a calling. And she makes the best chocolate cake I have ever had.”

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When looking back at the evolution of HIES, there perhaps isn’t a better person to talk to than Ms. Simpson.

“Before we added the Upper School, we were the best feeder school in Atlanta,” she said. “Once we expanded, we went through the growing pains that go with it. When we were small, there was a great sense of ‘family.’ Families have troubles, but we knew we all loved the school and the community, therefore we could, and did, work things out.

“As we’ve grown, it has become more of a business. It takes a little more to keep that intimate feel. Are people here for the love of the school (its people)? Or is Holy Innocents’ just a stepping stone? Are we here to be the best teachers we can be? Now we must work at the allschool family connection more intently, as things are a bit more departmental. Sometimes it becomes a matter of key people holding the close feel of the place together. Still, I feel we are on the path of achieving that familial warmth and closeness in a larger arena.”

Ms. Simpson also sees the growth in HIES as dependent on the changing times.

“The 70s were more open,” she said. “The term ‘politically correct’ didn’t exist. The 80s were abundant – ‘The Fabulous 80s,’ I used to call them; the Reagan years.

In the 90s, everything seemed to go off in directions due to the success of the 80s, and now – with all the electronics – everything seems to be in a constant buzz. Needless to

say, things have become a lot different.”

Ms. Simpson herself was not immune – everyone has trials and tribulations. Still, HIES remained and remains dear to her heart.

“Sure, there were times when I thought about going somewhere else – branching out,” she said. “Each time I did, though, something would happen that would keep me here. Life kept and keeps bringing me back here.”

And the HIES world continues to benefit. Ms. Simpson is the only faculty staff member on campus to be named Tassel Turner twice – she earned the high honors in 2001 and 2011. Former students often ask, “Is Mrs. Simpson still there?” Many have a “Niki Simpson” story. Perhaps all, however, marvel at her dedication, her following her beat after all these years.

“I never had Niki as an English teacher, but she was the director of the plays when I was in high school so we spent a lot of time together,” Sarah Townsend ’96, Upper School learning resource department chair, said. “Of course, she ran a tight ship, but we had so much fun. Those are truly my fondest memories of high school. I wish I had had her as an English teacher, though. She is revered and respected by legions of former and present students because of her expertise, passion and exceptional teaching. And now, I get to work with her. She is a mentor and a friend.”

Jack Margeson ’06 shared Ms. Townsend’s feelings.

“She made such an impact on my life, not only as a student but as a person,” he said. “She constantly raised the bar to the level of which she knew I was capable. By expecting the standard of excellence and accepting nothing less, she drove me to constantly re-evaluate my potential and determine if my work was an accurate reflection of that standard. To this day, I maintain that practice in all aspects of my life—from work to simply cooking dinner.”

As for Niki Simpson, in many cases she’s taught the students and their parents, she’s rolled with the generational changes, she’s continued to adapt while watching Groesbeck Hall being built, the Middle School building, what was at the time the longest underground pedestrian tunnel in the region, the South Campus and the dedication of our main gym, to name only some.

Currently, she is still directing and choreographing – though now in the form of English classes and the curriculum. Her energy level is still up – she’s often seen taking walks while on class breaks. The rhythms of this school remain a big part of who she is.

“Through it all, this is where I’m supposed to be,” she said. “I love what I do. I love the people, the kids and the adults I work with.”

To say the least – and coming from many generations – that feeling is entirely mutual.

Niki Simpson directs “Our Town,” with Kara Black ’82 as Emily Webb and Scott Lauffer ’82 as George Gibbs.

Dunn Neugebauer, author of this article, is the HIES sports information direct, a holder of many jobs and is an all-around good person. Read his infrequently published column “All Said and Dunn” on the HIES Facebook page.

TORCHBEARER | THE HIES ALUMNI MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2018

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Sarah Borne ’14 portrayed “Eleanor” in the original movie “Behind the Movement,” about Rosa Parks. She also portrayed Ana Franklin on the ID Channel’s “Your Worst Nightmare.” PHOTO BY Clara Chambers

IN HER OWN WORDS

The Right Character for the

Big Stage Sarah Borne ’14 is on a path to a career in acting that has always felt perfectly in character. After putting her talents to the test throughout high school and college with roles ranging from the true crime show “Your Worst Nightmare” to the classic “Goosebumps” series, the Atlanta native has graduated from Wake Forest University and is ready take on her hometown’s vibrant TV and film market.

We talked to her about what it takes to chase her dream, how her fifth-grade play started her love of the stage and why acting made such difference in her life.

TORCHBEARER | THE HIES ALUMNI MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2018

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SARAH BORNE THE RIGHT CHARACTER FOR THE BIG STAGE HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INTO ACTING?

DID YOU CONTINUE TO ACT WHILE AT WAKE FOREST?

WHAT OTHER SCHOOL PLAYS DID YOU DO AFTER THAT?

WAS IT HARD BALANCING COLLEGE LIFE AND ACTING?

My older sister Emma ’12 and I started at Holy Innocents’ the same year. I was in third grade, and she was in fifth. It was her first year, but she got the lead in the class play, “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.” I just remember how excited she was. The fifth-grade play was a big deal! Definitely the highlight of the elementary school experience.

So, when I got to fifth grade, I auditioned for the play that year – “Rumpelstiltskin” – and got the role of the main girl’s maid, it was huge. That really started it all for me.

We did all the classics like “Music Man” and “Grease,” of course. In eighth grade, though, I got my first ever lead role in “Up the Down Staircase,” and that was a pivotal moment for me learning all those lines and stage directions and really seeing how much work goes into the process.

My junior year I got the role of Emily in “Our Town,” and started learning more about developing characters and the ins and outs of more dramatic acting. And my last play at Holy Innocents’ was Shakespeare’s “The Tempest,” which was my first experience with his work and more classic techniques.

WHEN DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU SERIOUSLY WANTED TO PURSUE ACTING?

It was really during the rehearsals for “Our Town” that I knew acting was something I wanted to do beyond school. Playing Emily, I discovered how to work through a character and the director/drama teacher at the time, Ms. Rehm [Prather Rehm ’98] took a lot of one-on-one time with me to teach me character development techniques. It sparked something in me, and I wanted to go after it.

I talked to my parents and then enrolled in a year-long, intensive acting class. I met my agent soon after that and started auditioning, and I booked my first professional role the summer after my senior year.

DID YOUR CLASSMATES KNOW ABOUT YOUR NEW CAREER?

At first, only my close friends knew about my new career. And of course, Ms. Rehm knew and she helped me so much. She really was the one who gave me to the confidence to follow through and take the leap.

Once I booked my first role, it was hard to keep it under wraps, but everyone was super excited for me – my parents and sister, my friends and everyone at Holy Innocents’ – they were really awesome and supportive, which can be rare but is really important when you’re taking such a chance.

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At Wake Forest, I still worked with my agent and sent in audition tapes from Winston-Salem. I drove back to Atlanta to film the roles I booked.

I considered pursuing a theatre major here, but acting is more of an outlet for me, and I didn’t ever want to make it academic.

My major is psychology with a minor in communications.

Psychology is great because you can do so much with that, and there are a lot of parallels with acting and studying human behavior.

It was tough, but I definitely felt prepared to take it on. Going to a school like Holy Innocents’ and getting to be in as many productions as I was – not only would I probably not have discovered this passion – but I learned early how to balance school and acting. And I’d already learned that I needed hard work and perseverance to achieve what I want in life.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU?

I’ll be sad to leave Wake and my sisters in KD, but I’m excited to get back to Atlanta and continue acting. For now, I’ll be working as much as I can there, and eventually I want to make the move to Los Angeles.

You can get a lot of great roles in Atlanta, but the big stuff is still in L.A. Right now, I just want to get more credits under my belt, and then I would love to do more work with real characters and TV. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO FIFTH GRADERS CONSIDERING AUDITIONING FOR THE PLAY?

If you’re a fifth grader considering auditioning for the play next fall, just go for it! You never know what can happen next.

Really, just because you may feel like it’s a small, school theatre show, it can still lead to bigger things.

I hope more and more kids take the opportunity to be on the stage when they can. It can instill real confidence and be a transformative experience in so many ways.

Stephen Burns ’08 interviewed Sarah Borne ’14 and wrote this article. Mr. Burns is a freelance writer living in Los Angeles.

IN HER OWN WORDS

Pictured at left after their Upper School performance of “Our Town” are Sarah Borne ’14 (left), Charlotte Merrill ’15 and Casey Wilson ’13.

Pictured at right after Ms. Borne’s last performance at HIES, in “The Tempest,” are Ashlyn Masters ’14 (left), Hartman Wendling ’14, Anna Huff ’14, Sarah Borne ’14 and Dasha Walker ’14.

Sarah Borne ’14 portrayed “Eleanor” in the original movie “Behind the Movement,” in February. Pictured above are Sarah Borne ’14 (far right) with her co-stars Katie Hughey (left), Darin Cooper and Jennifer van Horn.

TORCHBEARER | THE HIES ALUMNI MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2018

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ANNUAL FUND 2017-2018: A Work of Art

All those who contribute to the Annual Fund at the Leadership Circle level before July 1 will receive a print of Maria-Louise Coil’s painting, “Created Things.”

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EFORE YOU READ ANY further, take a few moments to consider the textured and richly colored image of the painting above. The piece featured here, “Created Things,” is by our esteemed Middle School art teacher Maria-Louise Coil ’94. Her painting will soon hang in a prominent location on campus for all to enjoy.

Like with all great works of art completed by great artists, one will need some time to take it in, to account for every detail Ms. Coil captured in her painstaking efforts to document and interpret the Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School campus as it is today—in the 2017-2018 academic year—almost six decades since its founding as a small parish preschool on these grounds.

“I was in the last eighth-grade graduating class,” Ms. Coil said. “I left with a foundation that can’t be compared to anything else on the planet. Now as a teacher, and as a new HI parent, I’m excited about what I know this place will do for our students’ hearts and their souls 22

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and what they will hopefully do in turn.

I’ve seen HIES from all sides. I know that when our students graduate from here, they are comfortable in their own skin.

What better goal could we have?”

Ms. Coil said she didn’t have the words to describe this school and what it means to her. Though, why would she need even a single syllable when she has her brush?

And with that brush she painted a most beautiful story.

The painting’s title, “Created Things,” is taken from a line in the School Hymn that was written in honor of Alice L. Malcolm, our headmaster from 1983-1996: “Help us, oh God, each day to know, your presence through created things.” This begins the cherished song known to those who have walked these halls and that now adorns Ms. Coil’s blue sky.

The buildings depicted in her work are “created things,” but they are not without lives, stories, names and meaning of their own. These are the places where children learn to read, write, add, subtract and divide. Where they get over their stage-fright and bring the audience to its

feet. Where they will meet Hemingway, Baldwin and Lee. Where they will learn to hit a curve ball. Where they will discover the inner workings of the atom and the microchip. Where they will be taught that God loves them more and knows them better than they could ever imagine.

Where it first dawns on them that there’s a world beyond 285 and even farther beyond our hemisphere.

And with all this knowledge, along with a deeper understanding of who they are as individuals, these are the places, the moments in which their lives are changed forever and for the better.

We hope that you will consider these unforgettable moments of learning and discovery as you make your contribution to the HIES Annual Fund—either online or by way of the enclosed return envelope.

All gifts, regardless of size, will contribute to supporting our mission and creating the things that really matter in the life of our school and in the lives of our students.

Thank you for your continued support of Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School.

Make your gift to the 2017-2018 Annual Fund before July 1, 2018.

“... as a teacher, and as a new HI parent, I’m excited about what I know this place will do for our students’ hearts and their souls and what they will hopefully do in turn.”

MARIA-LOUISE COIL ’94 MIDDLE SCHOOL ART TEACHER

Tackling All Challenges

There have been only a handful in Golden Bears history who have gone on to play football at the Division I level. Jordan Miller ’10 was one of them.

BY Dunn Neugebauer, Sports Information Director

Jordan Miller ’10 earned his spot on the Southern Methodist University team in Texas the hard way. Without a scholarship. He was asked to join as a “preferred walkon.” Combining a Jordan Miller ’10 love of the game with a determined attitude that continues to take him far, he earned his full ride his last two years.

For those unfamiliar with SMU football, earning a scholarship as a non-Texas player is no easy feat. He laid the foundation for his success by working hard his red-shirt season – switching from offense to defense as a sophomore while also rehabilitating through knee surgery and the recovery that went with it.

Not only did he recover, he left the SMU program as one of the fastest and strongest linebackers on the squad – winning the preseason competition for both his senior year.

Through it all, Jordan became a starter his last three seasons – both on special teams and as outside linebacker.

Winning the respect of his teammates as well, he was named captain his final two campaigns, where he was selected MVP of special teams.

As for postseason honors, Jordan participated in three Division 1 Bowl games, winning two of them – the Armed Forces Bowl; the BBA Compass Bowl and the Hawaii Bowl. He also won the preseason linebacker competition in the combine his senior year, and was offered Free Agent signing opportunities with multiple NFL teams.

Jordan refused the temptations of the pro ranks; he had a more-than-successful academic career that enabled him 24

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to do so. An Academic All-Conference student/athlete for three years, he was admitted into the Cox Business School as a sophomore. Digging into the task at hand, as is true to his nature, he later earned a prestigious internship with an energy private equity firm – Pearigee Partners in Dallas – and went on to get his bachelor’s degree in finance and a master’s in business management.

His impressive accomplishments at Pearigee later earned him a full-time offer and a promotion to senior associate.

Two years later, he is the COO of Titus Industrial – a multi-national manufacturing conglomerate that focuses on infrastructure for the energy industry.

While at HIES, Jordan played on the school’s first JV football team. Tearing his ACL, he missed the entire season as a sophomore, though he worked tirelessly and made it back in time for lacrosse in the spring – where he was also a starter.

His versatility showed even then in regard to football – Jordan saw quality time as a long snapper, wide receiver and defensive back. Named captain his senior year, he was awarded the Captain’s Award and Best Receiver Award when all was said and done.

Jordan’s success was noted state-wide – the AJC named him one of 10 senior football players to watch, earned All-Region his junior and senior season, and was awarded All-State honors his senior year. Also with four years of lacrosse under his belt, he earned All-State honors in that as well.

When looking back, he cites his time at HIES as a major positive note in all his endeavors.

“The rigorous and well-rounded education I got there instilled in me a work ethic that has been paramount in my career path,” he said. “I felt that I started both college and my career at a significant advantage largely due to the experiences I had at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School.”

Alumni Athletic Notes

by Dunn Neugebauer, Sports Information Director

FORMER GOLDEN BEARS ARE COMPETING in virtually every sport at the collegiate ranks. Check out our Athletic Wall in the main gym to see who all are currently active at the next level. Below are some shorts from those who have checked in with our alumni department: Running Bears: Chelsea Zoller is in her sophomore year at UGA, where she specializes in the 400-meter hurdles and runs a leg of the 4 X 400 relay. Unfortunately, she has hit a temporary snag – or shall we say a tough break.

“I hurt my foot last March and kept running on it,” she said. “In June, I found out it was broken. In August, they operated and put two pins in my foot. Since then, it’s been about rehabbing and getting back.”

After a competitive freshman season, she has been red-shirted for this campaign. Still, she has returned to the track and plans to race again this fall. At HIES, Chelsea won state titles in the 400-meter run her freshman, sophomore and junior seasons before taking the crown in the 300-hurdles as a senior.

Several other ex-Bears are also still racing to the finish lines. Parke Faison ’17 is competing in the sprints at Wofford; Braxton Lindley ’16 is at Shorter University – also a sprinter; Ben Davis ’17 is burning up the track at Boston College, primarily as a miler; and Ileana Zeissner ’16 is at Emory competing in both cross country and track.

AROUND THE HORN: Cade Anderson ’17 had a great first year in the pool at Georgia after winning two individual crowns at HIES his senior season.

Connor Thompson ’14 was named Player of the Week for the fifth time in the Southern Conference as a UNC-Greensboro tennis star. Playing #1 singles, he again earned this honor in mid-March.

Khayla Pointer ’17 got in valuable minutes for the LSU women’s basketball team in her first year; her game high was eight points vs. Texas A & M. Ed Voyles ’13 is finishing up his senior year pitching for Florida State. Brother Jim ’13 was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals organization last summer.

Edward Verdree ’17 had a good freshman football season at Savannah State after graduating HI as one of the all-time leaders in sacks.

Erika Cassell ’16 continues to be a major contributor on the N.C. State women’s basketball team.

Sydney Long ’16 transferred from Furman and is now at Oglethorpe University, where she recently helped the Lady Petrels to a conference basketball championship.

Randi Bohler ’14 received the Coppin State President’s Eagle Award and was track MVP. Please email Dunn Neugebauer at dunn.neugebauer@hies.org with information. Keep up the good work. Go Bears!

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Chelsea Zoller ’16 in the 400-meter hurdles.

PHOTO CREDIT: Georgia Sports Communications

A GREAT YEAR FOR HIES AND THE GEORGIA TAX CREDIT PROGRAM The 2018 Georgia Tax Credit Scholarship Program began last June and ended in early March of this year. Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School had a record year with more than 320 participants who earned approximately $570,000 for financial aid.

The State of Georgia Department of Revenue reduced the pre-apply amount to only 55 percent (or we would have exceeded the million dollar mark).

Even more exciting news came from the recent Neal Smith Georgia Legislature session. The Tax credit cap will be increased from $58 million to $100 million for the next 10 years starting in 2019. This will mean an opportunity for more participation by the HIES community, with no reduction in the approval amount requested as in the past. This also means there will be more financial aid available.

“It is a ‘win’ for everyone involved,” Neal Smith, Apogee parent volunteer chairman, said. “It is ‘free’ in that you have already lost your money to taxes. So why not control some of your taxes by directing it to your child’s school? Your tax dollars will supplement the financial aid budget, will empower admissions to enrich the community and will free monies up for our teachers and our programs. It costs you nothing but is crucial to your school.”

Strong participation by partnerships, LLCs and S-Corps led the way in giving. Support came from parents, grandparents, parents of alumni, corporations, partnerships, trusts and friends.

HIES has participated in this program for eight years, and it still sounds too good to be true—Georgia allows you to redirect a portion of your tax payment to Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School. This costs you nothing! It is a free, easy way to support the HIES financial aid program. Your taxes will give deserving students the opportunity to join the HIES community.

This year we had 54 scholarship recipients from this source of financial aid. These students met all of HIES’s admissions requirements before being admitted and before being offered Tax Credit financial aid. Participating financial aid families must be able to fund a portion of their tuition as there was a cap of $9,817 on the amount of tax funds a student can receive this year. Remaining funds are kept in an endowment for future years’ use for approved students.

Thank you to everyone who took advantage of this simple and convenient way to redirect your taxes to support HIES financial aid. These Apogee tax credit funds free up other dollars for current financial aid students, faculty children, and new financial aid requests. Everyone wins!

If you are interested in this program for tax year 2019, pre-applies will begin through the Apogee Scholarship Fund in June, 2018. You may sign up for 2019 by going to www.apogee123.org.

For more information, email Mary Chris Williams at marychris.williams@hies.org or Parent Volunteer Chair Neal Smith at ndsatl@aol.com.

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MAKE YOUR MARK

ON GOLDEN BEARS ATHLETICS!

SAVE THE DATE FOR THE 20TH HIAA GOLF TOURNAMENT MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2018 Dunwoody Country Club 1600 Dunwoody Club Drive Dunwoody, GA 30350 Golf Committee Chris Langford, Chair Harris Anderson John Capriotti William Curtis Cameron James Andy Kardian Scott Kilburn Mike McMillen Jim Price Tamika Weaver Van Willis 9:30 AM

Registration Begins at Bag Drop and Continental Breakfast

10:30 AM Shot-Gun Start 3:00 PM

Awards and Cocktails

ALUMNI N TES Allie Fishman Bussey ’98 and her husband, John, welcomed Ryan Samuel on January 26, 2018. Ryan weighed 7 lb 5oz. 

Prather Rehm ’98 is completing her master of fine arts at The Actors Studio and will be performing in two shows—please come! These performances are in collaboration with the Off-Broadway theatre 3LD, and tickets are free.

Performance information can be found here: http://asdsrepseason.com/reservations.

Brendan Baker ’00, his wife, Lindsay Lamberth Baker ’02, and daughter, Ali (2.5 years old), welcomed their son/brother, Jay Patterson “J.P.” Baker, on September 3, 2017. 

Carrie Bornholm Wilson ’07, and her husband, Jordan, are expecting a baby boy in August!

Farrell Bowdoin Collins ’97, her husband, David, and big sister Ellie Grace (2 yrs, 5 mos) welcomed with love Hadley Reese Collins on February 14, 2018 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens, Ga. She was born at 8:17 a.m., weighed 7 lbs 4 oz and was 19 inches long. 

Jennie Strassner Wilson ’02, her husband, Jarad, and son, Colin, welcomed Emma Frances on February 15, 2018. Emma weighed 8 lbs 14 oz. 

Ben Farmer ’98, his wife, Anne, and big brother Roddy welcomed Abigail Louise Farmer June 20, 2017. The Farmers currently reside in Richmond, Va., where Ben is a business banker. 

Kelly Garrison ’08 married Sean Johnson on September 30, 2017, on Jekyll Island, Ga. They were surrounded by family and close friends during a small ceremony on Driftwood Beach.

They currently reside in Bethlehem, Ga., where Sean is the Director of the Microwave division for a telecommunications company and Kelly works in the Equine Industry.

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Kaitlyn Bradshaw Shuman ’08 and her husband, Jim Allen, welcomed their first child, Brooklyn Rose, in February 2017. The couple currently resides in Anderson, S.C., where her husband is completing his residency in Family Medicine at AnMed Health and Kaitlyn is a third grade teacher. 

Sean Butkus ’07 married Kat elin Dennis on May 13, 201 7 in Auburn, Ala. There were Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Sch plenty of ool alumni in attendance.

Anna Marie Sokolowski ’11 was married on December 9, 2017, to Chase Fulbright at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Church. They recently bought a house and are living in Atlanta.  Sakia Delaney ’09 will graduate in May from Georgia State University College of Law. While at Georgia State, Sakia was president of the Georgia State University College of Law Ronald J. Freeman Chapter of the Black Law Students’ Association and now serves as a mentor to the current executive board. She has officially received certification to practice law and will take the bar exam in July. Sakia will be an Associate on the Corporate Team at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, primarily focusing on mergers and acquisitions. 

Jack Farrell ’09 moved to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in August 2017. He is attending the Asia School of Business in collaboration with MIT. Jack is getting an MBA in international entrepreneurship.

Frank Fallon, Jr. ’11 and Sarah Meyer ’11 are getting married on June 30, 2018, and are returning to Atlanta to start their married life together. Sarah has been teaching second grade in Dallas for the past few years.

Amber Abernathy ’14, Posse Scholar, is graduating in June from Brandeis University. She interned with Travelers Insurance last summer and has now been hired for a full time job.

CALLING THE CLASSES OF

1998 2003 2008 2013

SAVE THE DATE FOR Kendall Konenkamp ’13 is graduating from Pratt Institute with a degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication Design with a Psychology minor. Her graduation is at Radio City Music Hall in New York on May 17, 2018.

ALUMNI REUNION WEEKEND

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY OCTOBER 26-27, 2018

Continued >>> TORCHBEARER | THE HIES ALUMNI MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2018

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William Boor ’14 is gradated in May from Florida State University with a bachelor of science in risk management insurance. William was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon, FSU Ultimate Frisbee, Real Estate Society and Gamma Iota Sigma. He will begin his career in Orlando, Florida with Lighthouse Insurance. 

Clayton DeHaven ’14 graduated from Sewanee, The University of The South in May. He will graduated with a BA in psychology. He has interviewed with three companies and has second interviews scheduled with two of the companies.

Lauren Duncan graduated from Emory University in May and will be moving to Colorado. 

Sam Fallon ’14 is graduated from Tulane in May with a Neuroscience degree and looking to do research for a year and then heading to medical school.

Reed Smith ’14 graduated from the University of Georgia in May. He starts working with Sapient Razorfish in Atlanta this summer.

Sydney Coleman ’15, a junior at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts and started interning with HBO in January 2018. She is also producing the film, “The Girl in the Red Dress.”

Cole Smith ’17 is enjoying his time at the University of Georgia.

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Missing Bears

LOST ALUMNI We are missing contact information for the following alumni. If you are in contact with any of the above HIES graduates, please encourage them to get in touch with the HIES alumni office. You can also log on to the website at www.hies.org. Click on alumni. If you have never logged onto the site before: Your username is firstnamelastnamegraduationyear (i.e. TamikaWeaver97). Your password is your date of birth (i.e. MM/DD/YYYY) this includes the slashes.

Katherine (Kathy) L. Schultz ’96 William (Will) P. Thomas ’96 Kimberly (Kim) A. Campuzano (Perisino) ’97 Christopher (Chris) B. Chappell ’97 Kathryn (Kate ) N. Wegman ’97 Keith A. Cooper ’98 Mary M. Kyle ’98 George M. (Michael) McCord ’98 Laura H. Bond ’99 Lauren D. Friedrichs ’99 Holly M. O’Keefe ’99

Katharine (Kate ) M. Duke ’00 Anthony (Tony) J. Seichrist ’01 Noah K. Hauber ’02 Lawrence (Larry ) E. Gill ’03 Rachel M. Small ’03 Mary (Ginny) V. Coleman ’04 Thomas C. (Coston) Dickinson ’07 Andrew C. (Chase) McMullen ’07 Spencer R. (Rawson) Allen ’09

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In an amazing finish, the 2018 March Mania competition ended with the Class of 2012 with 41 percent class participation!

The Class of 2000 did a great job as well with 18 percent class participation. The Class of 2012 will be recognized on the Highest Class Participation plaque at Alumni Hall.

Also, congratulations to Caldwell Robinson ’00, who won the raffle for a $100 Visa gift card!

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It was a fantastic month of alumni giving this March, which shows that Golden Bears Give Back! We appreciate everyone’s contributions to the Alumni Annual Fund, which provides program support for students, funds for attracting and retaining top faculty, support for the libraries, fine arts and athletic programs. These resources benefit the lives of each student, as they did for you.

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CLASS REPRESENTATIVES CLASS OF 1995

CLASS OF 2004

CLASS OF 2014

Jill Herndon Littlefield: jilllittlefield@hotmail.com Audra Mullen Thompson: audra.thompson@hies.org

John Cook: jmcook42@gmail.com Amy Fore Kane: kaneamyf@gmail.com Susan Karimiha: karimiha@colorado.edu

Bailey Lyles: blyles14@gmail.com Anne-Claire Pittman: acpittman15@gmail.com Mary Hollis Schmidt: mhschmidt12@gmail.com

CLASS OF 2005

CLASS OF 2015

Tyler Rathburn: tprathburn@gmail.com Rachel Shunnarah: rshunnarah@gmail.com Allyson Young Barganier: allysonbarganier@gmail.com

Rebecca Maitski: rebecca.maitski15@gmail.com Savannah Smith: smith.savannah15@gmail.com

CLASS OF 1996 Gralyn Crumpler Daily: gralyn.crumpler@gmail.com Raine Crumpler Hyde: raine.hyde@gmail.com Emily Brown Latone: emilylatone@gmail.com

CLASS OF 1997 Ashton Thurmond Ragone: ashtonragone@gmail.com Kristin Wolford Tiliakos: kristinjwolford@aol.com

CLASS OF 1998

CLASS OF 2008

CLASS OF 1999

CLASS OF 2009

CLASS OF 2000 Stephanie Brown: brown.stephaniekay@gmail.com Shelarese Ruffin: ssruffin@gmail.com

CLASS OF 2001

Jackson Davis: jacksondavis5470@gmail.com Jenn McMinn: jcmcminn@gmail.com

CLASS OF 2010 Halle Addison: haddison34@att.net Annie Hollett: anniehollett@gmail.com

Allender Laflamme Durden: allenderl@gmail.com Cara Puckett Roxland: cara.roxland17@gmail.com Rebecca Brown Rivera: rebecca.rivera@hies.org

CLASS OF 2002

CLASS OF 2012

CLASS OF 2003 Emily Weprich Campanella: emily.weprich@yahoo.com James Jackson: j.jackson@hies.org Liz Young Hayes: lizhayesuk@gmail.com

CLASS OF 2017 Cade Anderson: cade.anderson1999@gmail.com Amanda Gibson: gibsonam17@gmail.com Kendall Jabaley: kjabaley@gmail.com Carson Staples: carsonstaples@gmail.com

Kelly Garrison: askseekknock3@gmail.com

CLASS OF 2011

Missy Evans Gardner: missylauren@gmail.com Jennie Strassner Wilson: jennielwilson@gmail.com

Emma Rolader: rolaterem@gmail.com

Maryanne Stumb McWhirter: mhstumb@gmail.com Ben Cornwell: ben.cornwell@gmail.com

Aida Mahmutovic Mayhew: aidajuliam@gmail.com Katie McGoogan Patrick: katie.patrick@hies.org Rich Braund: braundr@gmail.com

CLASS OF 2016

CLASS OF 2007

If you would like to submit class notes for the Fall issue of Torchbearer, please contact Tamika Weaver at tamika@hies.org or 404.303.2150, ext 181.

Megan Ernst Tipton: megernst11@gmail.com Delaney McMullen: delaneymcm@gmail.com Katie Keith: katiekeith12@gmail.com Brittany Ketchup: brittanyketchup@yahoo.com Greg Sullivan: gregsullivan12@gmail.com

If you are interested in serving as a class representative, please contact: Heather Hahn ’91 heather.hahn@hies.org.

CLASS OF 2013 Victoria Hovancik: victoria.hovancik@gmail.com Kendall Jackson: kendallrjackson@bellsouth.net Lindsey Klopfenstein: Lindsey.klopfenstein@gmail.com

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ALUMNI PHONATHON & MARCH MANIA

Lorri and Forrest McClain

THINKING ABOUT TOMORROW AT HIES Lorri and Forrest McClain, parents of Connor ’15 and Reilly ’17, have been involved in a number of Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School initiatives since their arrival in 2000. Lorri has served on the Board of Trustees and the Scholarship Foundation. She currently serves as chair of the Board of Advisors. Along the way, the McClains let us know that they had included HIES in their estate plans.

“Having served on a number of boards, I understand that as institutions make their long-range plans, it helps to be aware of planned gifts that are directed to them. Over the course of our years at HIES, we’ve seen important programs at work and I want to see them continue to flourish and benefit generations of future children. Holy Innocents’ has an opportunity to move to the next level, and building its endowment is the next logical step.”

March 1 was the tip-off of March Mania, the alumni fundraiser for the Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School Annual Fund. That evening, alumni gathered for pizza, wings, beer, socializing and to make some calls!

Alumni volunteers reached as many classmates as they could, having fun texting old yearbook photos and catching up by phone.

At the end of the Phonathon, the Class of 1995 was victorious, finishing with 36.1% participation. Alumni who missed the chance to participate have until June 30 to make a gift to the current year’s Annual Fund.

Callers were Kelly Voyles Kardian ’91 and Julie Walker Grigsby ’91, Maria-Louise Evans Coil ’94, David Neumann ’95 and Audra Mullen Thompson ’95, Cara Puckett Roxland ’01, James Jackson ’03, Jackson Davis ’09, Christine Dial ’10 and O’Neal Wanliss ’11.

ALUMNI BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

On Saturday, April 14, 10 teams made up of a mix of alumni, faculty, parents and students gathered to test their basketball skills at the Main Gym of Holy Innocents’. Alumni reminisced about their time on the basketball court. We even had an alum, Travis Canby ’00, travel to Atlanta from Los Angeles to play in our first alumni 3 v 3 basketball tournament. And it was worth the trip since his team won. The Alumni Office plans to host a softball tournament during Alumni Reunion Weekend and another basketball tournament in the Spring.

Pictured above/left is the winning team with their families: Marck Thomas ’00, Michael Jockisch ’02, Kathy Jockisch, John Webster ’00, John Webster, Sr., Travis Canby ’00, Laird Canby, Michael Griffin ’00 with wife Erica and son Chase.

First runners-up (pictured above/right), all from the Class of 2008: Matt Webb, Davis Lukens, Daniel Blaustein and Jack Carpenter.

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WINTERFEST Golden Bears Gather to Celebrate an Alumni Tradition

Bob Grigsby (left), Julie Walker Grigsby ’91, Kelly Voyles Kardian ’91 and Andrew Kardian.

Dr. Missy Rathburn-Stewart and Dr. Tyler Rathburn ’05

2018 O’Neal Wanliss ’11 and Greer Homer ’06

Madison McBride ’09 (left), Jordan McBride ’13 and Bailey McBride ’13

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Ace and Brittany Collins

Gala Co-Chairs Kerry Owen and Elizabeth Morris

Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School would like to thank the Parents’ Association for a fabulous Golden Bear Gala at the St. Regis in April, with record turnout and record revenue raised at the event! It was a wonderful gathering for the HIES community. The faculty, staff and administration appreciate the generosity of our HIES parents and benefactors. Thank you to the Golden Bear Gala sponsors, donors, bidders and volunteers for a terrific event and for all you do to support our school.

Terry and Suzann Moore

Cindy and Greg Belisle

A special thanks goes to the 2018 Golden Bear Gala committee members: Kerry Owen, Gala Co-Chair; Elizabeth Morris, Gala Co-Chair; Karen Altman, Acquisitions Chair; Dr. Matt Klopman, Sponsorships; Dr. Andrea Klopman, Sponsorships; Deborah Wassenaar, Class Baskets; Ellie Davis, Teacher Treasures; Carrie Russell, Wine Pull; Dr. Bryan Russell, Bourbon Pull; Kim Peterson, Communications; Lorin Middelthon, Gala Treasurer; Tamika Weaver, Logistics; and Suzann Moore, PA President.

Greg Kaiser, Dr. Andrea Klopman, Dr. Matt Klopman, Jason Owen and Caroline Harris

Tricia Gephardt, Tish Swain and Robert Swain

Pictured above are Dion and Kate McDonald (left) and Debbie Reams. Top-right is Taylor Nolan with one of our Guests of Honor, Susie the Bernese Mountain Dog, who was won at the live auction by Tanya and Martin Hunter. At right are Elizabeth Nichols (left) Mary Katherine and Van Willis and Kelly Kardian.

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THE STATE OF THE SCHOOL IS STRONG The annual State of the School Luncheon was held Wednesday, April 18, at Cherokee Town Club. Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School trustees, longtime supporters of the school, past leaders and families were on hand to take part in a special ceremony that featured remarks from Dr. Michael Stewart, chair of the board of trustees, and Paul Barton, head of school.

Mr. Barton made the presentations of two major awards: the Distinguished Service Award and the Distinguished Alumnus Award.

B. Clayton Rolader was given the Distinguished Service Award in recognition of his years of dedication and thoughtful stewardship of the HIES mission. The award recognizes an individual who has provided outstanding service and loyalty to Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School through leadership, recruitment, advocacy, fundraising and faithful service to the school.

Mr. Rolader is currently a member of the boards of Holy Innocent’s Episcopal School, the Westminster Schools, The J. B. Fuqua Foundation and the Tull Foundation. He is president and COO of Fuqua Capital Corp., the family investment office of the Fuqua family. Mr. Rolader is married to Karen Rolader. They have four children: Lily ’11 and triplets, Lee, Jay ’16 and Emma ’16.

Samuel Johnson ’09 received the Distinguished Alumnus Award. Mr. Johnson has led an extraordinary life and has accomplished more at an early age than most people could imagine or hope.

Fleeing Liberia after his father’s death in the Civil War, Sam, his mother and three siblings lived in a refugee camp in Guinea for eight years.

His mother died three weeks before he was told he and his siblings would be allowed to relocate to Atlanta, Ga. He came to the United States at the age of 17 with no money, spoke only broken English and had no formal education.

Nevertheless, he graduated from HIES and Mercer University with four majors by the age of 24. Now, not yet 30, he has committed his life to helping the orphans in Guinea to become educated young people and extend a helping hand to others.

He has formed a 501(c) (3) public charity, My Vision for Refugees, which provides services for children from refugee camps in Guinea where he once lived (www.myvision4refugees. org). As a part of his organization’s efforts, he has built an orphanage (Home of Hope) in Guinea, currently serving 20 children.

Although, he now lives in the U.S., he spends approximately six months every year in Guinea at Home of Hope. He has a deep and abiding faith that his dream of helping the world, one small child at a time, will continue to flourish.

--If you are interested in nominating someone or self-nominating for next year’s Distinguished Alumnus Award, please contact Tamika Weaver, director of alumni relations and special events, at tamika@hies.org.

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Pictured above (L-R) are Lilly Rolader ’11, Karen Rolader, Clay Rolader (recipient of the 2018 Distinguished Service Award), Dave Stockert (former board chair and former parent) and Paul Barton, head of school.

Samuel “Sam” Johnson ’09 received the 2018 Distinguished Alumnus Award for his work in Guinea, helping orphans in refugee camps through his public charity My Vision for Refugees and in the orphanage he established, Home of Hope.

Summer Success Set for

HORIZONS AT HIES

Freshman Elizabeth Seay with Horizons student

Horizons at HIES is gearing up for another fantastic summer, serving more than 120 low-income students in the Sandy Springs area. The Horizons model continues to be an effective way to close the opportunity gap and curb “summer slide” for our K-8 Horizons students.

In 30 instructional days, our Horizons students, on average, will cover more than two months in reading and math. In addition to educational improvement, Horizons at HIES students will enjoy art classes, dance and six field trips that will include a visit to The Center for Civil and Human Rights.

“We are grateful for the support of many local foundations, such as The Sandy Springs Society and individual donors who help us sustain our mission,” Kate Kratovil, site director of Horizons at HIES, said. “And as important, we could not serve our Horizons students without the guidance, hard work, leadership and support of our many community volunteers.”

For more information on Horizons at HIES or to volunteer, contact Ms. Kratovil at (404) 303-2150, ext. 323, or email kate.kratovil@hies.org.

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THE LAST WORD

A Story to Tell

by Christopher Swann, Ph.D.

In my junior year at Woodberry Forest School, my English teacher, Mr. Blain, created an unusual assignment. Mr. Blain was tall and slim and wry, and the first day of class, as we all filed in to the classroom, Mr. Blain stood at the front of the room and leaned back against a desk, arms folded. “We’re going to study the novel,” he said. “To do that, we’ll read a lot. But we’re going to do something different.” He paused and smiled. “This term, you are going to write a novel.”

We were not sure we had heard correctly. We were going to write a novel?

Ourselves?

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That is exactly what we did. Fifteen students, fifteen chapters, one per student. Any topic, any plot, any style we wanted. “Barring egregious and unnecessary profanity and pornography,” Mr. Blain added, which led to a few groans.

We made committees—Character, Plot, Setting. I was on the Plot committee, where I sensed the action was. This would be the group that would decide what happened. And I wanted to help decide what happened. So I volunteered to write the opening chapter.

Our novel, such as it was, told the story of Trip, a senior at an all-boys boarding school. “Write what you know” was advice we all took, albeit with significant creative license. Trip discovers there is a drug ring on campus, involving various sleazeball students, the campus doctor, and—gasp!— the assistant headmaster. The novel, entitled Class Ring, did not become a bestseller or get reviewed by the New York Times.

But it was a watershed moment for me as a writer. I think it was an important moment for everyone in that class. We would talk about the endless possibilities for our novel in class, on the way to practice, walking back to the dorms from dinner. We argued passionately about the fate of various minor characters. We wanted to show that our protagonist was not just a stereotypical popular jock, so we gave him a sidekick and accomplice, Walter, an unpopular nerd on scholarship who sorts tee shirts and socks in the school gym.

Mr. Blain made comparisons to Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, which flew right over our heads, but we beamed at his praise nonetheless. We were writing a Novel. # High school students are not typically asked to write novels. Teachers avoid assigning creative writing in general,

let alone a creative piece of any significant length. Asking students to write a paper analyzing a sonnet is one thing. Asking students to compose their own original love sonnet is entirely different. It can be hard for students to think outside of the box when much of their academic career has been about how to master various boxes. How will this be graded? is one of the first questions someone asks. And it’s a good question.

How will I grade someone’s creative work?

Grading a paper is an intellectual exercise, and if students write bad papers, they usually know they have or they can understand rather quickly why their papers are bad. If a student reacts strongly to a poor grade on a paper, she’s thinking about her GPA or the long talk she’ll have to have with her parents. But if you grade a creative assignment with any sort of criticism, no matter how constructive, the student tends to feel as if you’ve just plucked out his heart and taken a bite, then complained about the taste.

So it’s no wonder teachers avoid creative assignments. And that’s a shame. Worse, it’s a tragedy.

We are more awash in information, with more data available to us via our laptops and tablets and smartphones, than at any time in human history.

Thirty years ago you had to walk into the stacks in a library and set aside a significant chunk of time in order to research, say, the role of children in Shakespeare’s plays, or the migratory patterns of blue whales, or the three most significant causes of World War One. Now you can Google all of that and find what you need in less time than it takes to toast a bagel. Finding information isn’t the problem. It’s judging the value of the information, and then deciding what to do with the information, that is harder. Most

important of all, perhaps, is getting people to create something new with the information they have, to come up with an imaginative response, an innovative solution.

But we don’t always value creating something new as much as we value buying something new. If something breaks, we throw it away and buy a new one, whether it’s a shoelace or a calculator or an SUV. At some point, we realized we needed to do something with all the trash we were making.

So someone came up with a way to compact trash so it took up less space, and someone else designed better landfills. Then someone else figured out a whole new approach and developed ways to recycle trash. But we still keep throwing away stuff. The trash piles up.

What will the next creative solution be?

And who will come up with it?

What does that have to do with creative writing? you’re asking. Fair enough. I’ll counter with a question of my own. How do students develop the ability to think creatively? To stretch their imaginations? To conceive of things that do not yet exist?

Most people agree that problem solving is a skill we want people to cultivate, if only because we get tired of our kids saying things like I can’t find my sunglasses and then just standing there, waiting for the divine parent to conjure the missing sunglasses from thin air.

How else can students wrestle with unforeseen problems and then experiment with various solutions, all without blowing up the chemistry lab or burning down your house? Creative writing isn’t easy, but it tends not to be combustible.

“Come on,” you’re thinking. “That all sounds lofty and aspirational, but are you really saying that creative writing is going to solve the world’s trash problems?”

continued>>>

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Okay, so consider something as simple as storytelling.

I don’t mean fibbing or wild flights of the imagination. I mean the ability to tell a story. Creative assignments can give students a license to practice storytelling, a skill not taught enough in high school. Neglecting the ability to tell a story is a tragic mistake. Everyone tells stories constantly, but not everyone is a good storyteller, and few people pay attention to how to write a story. Forget fiction for a minute—most people need to be able to compose a story that is clear and understandable. All college-bound seniors are typically required to submit personal essays as part of their college applications, and God help them if they can’t clearly communicate a series of events and their significance. Read a few hundred versions of a college application essay on “Why Being a Lifeguard Last Summer was Important to Me” and you’ll know what I’m talking about.

So, for the past several years, I have had my AP English students write novels. The assignment is a direct descendant of Mr. Blain’s experiment in my junior English class.

While the working details of the assignment are based on a lesson plan by Lawrence Baines and Anthony Kunkel in their excellent book, “Teaching Adolescents to Write: The Unsubtle Art of Naked Teaching,” the germ of the idea is Mr. Blain’s: have a class of English students collaborate on writing a novel. In the case of my AP English classes, students do so in groups of two to four students. (A few brave souls have taken on the project alone, which is even more impressive.) The students in a group rotate the novel among them a week at a time.

Each time a student receives his or her group’s novel via e-mail, that student has one week to read the novel’s most recent entries, write a minimum of 1,500 words, and e-mail the file on to me as the project supervisor. My students rarely fail to meet this requirement. Many times they exceed it.

And at the end of the year, they produce a bound paperback copy of their own novels. Each student gets a copy of his or her group’s novel, and an additional copy of each novel goes to our school library.

More than these novels, students develop a level of understanding of all sorts of things English teachers geek out over—like narration and point of view and dialogue and description and plot development—that I couldn’t hope to match, no matter how many lectures I deliver. They create their own fictional worlds, and then they deal with the problems that inevitably sprout up like toadstools: plot holes, confusing dialogue, misleading descriptions. All of the problems result from either insufficient technical skill, which is relatively easy to address, or a failure to write something that matches up with the imaginative, creative vision. It’s

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the last part I’m more interested in. Artists often struggle to express or communicate what they see or hear in their minds.

They struggle to make their ideas real.

And that’s something that all of us struggle with and need more practice with. We all fall short of our imagined selves.

There’s always something we could have done better. The problem is that too many people quit, or settle for something less, or become bitter, or denigrate the shiny idea they had in the first place. That’s as true of accountants as it is for artists.

What if we could practice making stuff up, over a certain significant length of time, and then get to hold a printed copy of that story by the end of the year, something other people could read?

It sounds a bit goofy. I know—trust me. I had that same goofy dream, to write a book, when I was 13. My first novel was published last year, and I’m 48, so it only took me half a lifetime. And I could have so easily quit, at so many points along the way. But I didn’t, and it’s not because I’m some sort of Zen master or noble artist or just too stubborn or stupid to quit. It’s because I had people along the way, including some wonderful teachers, who encouraged me, pushed me, told me to keep trying. I nurtured a dream over three decades, and I got to see it come true. How cool is that? And how many people don’t get to experience that?

Carmen Deedy, our visiting storyteller in the Lower School, says narrative can be life-altering. It certainly has been for me; writing that novel in junior English led me to creative writing courses in college, a handful of short stories, graduate degrees in fiction writing and a published novel. I don’t know how many of my students will go on to write other stories. But I do believe that no student who has tried to write a story or compose an ode will ever look at a novel or a poem in quite the same way again. I believe that students who are asked to write in this manner all better appreciate the value of creativity and imagination, two vital parts of the human experience. In today’s résumé-driven world, where students are under pressure to achieve the highest grades, to attend the right universities and to find the best-paying jobs, they need permission to explore their own sense of creativity, to engage their imaginations in constructive ways, to create something that is theirs.

To tell their stories.

And who knows? One of these days, that kid who wrote a crazy sci-fi story in sophomore English might one day climb down the ladder of a spacecraft, step onto the red dust of Mars, look out over the barren, beautiful landscape and think, “It’s just like I imagined it would be.”

Chris Swann, Ph.D., has been an HIES Upper School instructor in English since 1993, and is chair of the English Department. Dr. Swann recently published his first novel, “Shadow of the Lions” (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2017).

AMBASSADOR ANDREW YOUNG VISITS HIES Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School welcomed Civil Rights icon Andrew Young to campus Tuesday, Feb. 13, as the featured speaker for our 2018 Prayer Breakfast. Mr. Young—a former congressman, Atlanta mayor and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations—accepted an invitation to speak to alumni, Middle School and Upper School students and families.

In his speech, Mr. Young spoke about his experience leading desegregation movements in Birmingham, Ala. He told the story of the Birmingham Campaign, a nonviolent protest organized by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1963 that included a boycott, sit-ins and marches. Mr. Young also shared how a biracial coalition founded in 1946

by Mayor Bill Hartsfield helped Atlanta find peaceful solutions to segregation issues.

The Right Rev. Robert C. Wright, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta and a former HIES parent (left), Ambassador Andrew Young and Paul Barton, head of school

Ambassador Andrew Young with his goddaughter Tara Varzi ’20

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