'20 Lausanne Magazine, Spring

THE MAGAZINE OF LAUSANNE COLLEGIATE SCHOOL | SPRING 2020

Encouraging Continual Self-Reflection

Lausanne Magazine is a publication of Lausanne Collegiate School, whose mission is to prepare each of its students for college and for life in a global environment.

EDITOR

Shayne Dotson Communications Specialist sdotson@lausanneschool.com 901.474.1003 MANAGING EDITOR

Drew Smith Director of Strategic Communications dsmith@lausanneschool.com 901.474.1047 CLASS NOTES AND ALUMNI NEWS

Charlotte Albertson Director of Annual Giving & Alumni Affairs calbertson@lausanneschool.com 901.474.1029 ART DIRECTOR

Alison Johnson Charles PHOTOGRAPHY

Shayne Dotson Steven Russell Drew Smith Lausanne Collegiate School 1381 W. Massey Rd., Memphis, TN 38120 901.474.1000 lausanneschool.com

ON THE COVER: Flowers bloom across campus, making way for spring.

At Lausanne, we encourage continual self-reflection.

We believe that spending time thinking about one’s character, actions and motives makes us better tomorrow than we are today. Our goal is for students to give thoughtful consideration to their learning and experience.

By implementing the International Baccalaureate in our everyday curriculum, we can help students assess and understand their strengths and limitations to support their learning and personal development.

LAUSANNE SPRING 2020

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Headmaster McCathie and Upper School students from his fishing club lead a group huddle during their visit to a PK gym class.

“ …our community will emerge stronger than ever thanks to all of you.”

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LETTER FROM THE HEADMASTER

As I’m sure you’re aware, continual self-reflection is one of the seven pillars of The Lausanne Way, the core values of our school. When I originally sat down to write this magazine’s “Letter from the Headmaster”, we were headed into Spring Break. Now, it feels like we’re in a different world. The situation surrounding COVID-19 has certainly given us a new perspective on many aspects of this life. As I reflect on the last month, I’m proud of how our students, faculty and staff have taken this situation in stride.

The success we’ve realized from the implementation of all three of the International Baccalaureate Programmes gave us confidence that our community was prepared to work together to ensure students continued to receive the most rigorous education possible. Knowing we were supported by each other gave us the nimbleness to be ready, responsive and resilient within the COVID-19 crisis.

In early February, as reports came in about the spread of the virus, we began developing plans for different scenarios we could face. All of the scenarios were aided by having a strong basis of social and emotional learning, an educational component we recently announced was expanding with Greg Graber leading a new school-wide initiative. Students, parents and faculty have all shared with me that practicing mindfulness techniques they learned at Lausanne has been helpful during this stressful time. With Greg moving to a new role, a global search for a new Head of Middle School began, first in our traditional way of face-to-face meetings but reaching its completion using the same online tools our classes have utilized. When Dr. Robert Lewis joins us in July, we hope to be preparing to welcome students to campus once again.

In reaction to COVID-19, our world has been reminded of how we must work together to protect humanity and life. With 63 countries currently represented at Lausanne and over 100 flags hanging in Tully Dining Hall to represent the global community of our many Lausanne generations, we are thankful for the students, alumni and Lausanne families that have worked together since 1926 to make a positive impact on the world around us. The campus is empty now, but that’s only temporary. Soon we’ll be back on campus and ready to celebrate the accomplishments of the Class of 2020. And while we know there will be much to reflect on as we move forward, one thing is already abundantly clear: our community will emerge stronger than ever thanks to all of you.

Chére Lausanne!

LAUSANNE SPRING 2020

Stuart McCathie Headmaster

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LAUSANNE MAGAZINE | SPRING 2020 We encourage continual self-reflection.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Lower School Feature REFLECTING ON YESTERDAY THROUGH TOMORROW’S TECHNOLOGY

Middle School Feature MAKING CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THEMSELVES AND OTHERS

Upper School Feature CREATING A LAUSANNE EXPERIENCE WORTHY OF REFLECTION

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Athletics Highlights

Alumni Feature FROM LAUSANNE TO LIPSCOMB: ALUMNA REFLECTS ON JOURNEY TO BECOMING HEAD BASKETBALL COACH

5 Letter from the Editor 18 Legendary Lynx 28 Class Notes page 32: Chair of Ideas 2020

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Students in the Lower School hallway dashed to line up outside their classrooms as the sounds echoing from down the hall grew louder. Just as the final student found a place against the wall, the class of 2031 came marching around the corner, greeted by an eruption of cheers and applause from their fellow Lynx.

Senior-Kindergartners showcase their written work during writers parade.

With Olivia Johnson ‘31 leading the way, the group of senior kindergartners chanted “we are writers” while holding their first pieces of written work high above their heads.

Their parade came at the end of the Primary Years Programme (PYP) unit of inquiry about learning how to write a story. By reflecting on the process of what worked, what didn’t and how to improve, the students were given the confidence to showcase their academic accomplishments.

So much has happened since the students marched through the halls, it seems like this was a lifetime ago.

As you know, the COVID-19 outbreak has affected the school year tremendously.

However, even when we are away from campus, we still encourage continual self-reflection across all grade levels to help students learn to be successful despite challenges while growing and developing into the best versions of themselves.

Throughout the following pages, you will read different stories detailing the unique ways self-reflection helps our Lynx thrive during their experiences here and through life after graduation.

LAUSANNE SPRING 2020

Shayne Dotson Communications Specialist

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REFLECTING ON YESTERDAY THROUGH TOMORROW’S TECHNOLOGY

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LOWER SCHOOL FEATURE

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To ensure our Lynx stay at the forefront of a continuously progressing world, Lausanne provides various opportunities for students to explore applied sciences.

Blending technology with academics starts in the Lower School classrooms and innovation labs to help build a strong foundation in design thinking and engineering. By implementing the ANTS (Acquiring New Technology Skills) program into the Lower School curriculum, students can expand their knowledge of technology and reflect on their experiences to build skillsets that allow them to become not only consumers of technology but also creators.

While learning about the Revolutionary War, our fourth-graders combined their classroom curriculum with their ANTS lab to create a virtual world based on their research about that period.

Using their programming skills and a web-based program called CoSpacesEDU, students designed an immersive three-dimensional environment with characters, animations and conversations to add action to the historical events they had researched.

For our students, reflection played a big role in successfully building their virtual spaces. By discussing their progress after each step of the process, students were able to identify their strengths, make improvements when needed and take on different jobs based on their skillsets.

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“Being reflective is a big part of the IB Learner Profile at Lausanne,” Amy Brownlee, Lower School ANTS and Assistant Director of Lausanne Learning, said. “Middle School does a lot of self-assessment and reflection exercises, and I wanted to prepare the fourth-graders for what they will see in the years to come.”

The students had the opportunity to present their virtual realities to a group of seventh-graders.

To evaluate their performance, they completed a self-assessment where they were to consider how they contributed to their team and rate their performance based on the rubric. Each student then had a one-on-one meeting to discuss their self-assessment and their teacher’s evaluation of the project, comparing and contrasting the two assessments.

“I believe this was valuable practice for students because it allowed them to reflect upon their journey through the project and make plans for similar challenges in the future,” Mrs. Brownlee said.

LOWER SCHOOL FEATURE

Seventh-graders in Ms. Hammons’ class tour the vitual world presented by the fourth grade class.

“ …it allowed them to reflect upon their journey through the project and make plans for similar challenges in the future.”

— Amy Brownlee, Lower School ANTS and Assistant Director of Lausanne Learning LAUSANNE SPRING 2020

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Shanaya Pokharna ‘27 and Noor Sandhu ‘27 reflect on the week while writing in their Daily Focus journals.

MAKING CONNECTIONS WITH THEMSELVES AND OTHERS

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MIDDLE SCHOOL FEATURE

As the fifth-graders in Dr. Trusty’s class took their seats, they each pulled out a personal journal. “While you’re writing today’s entry, I’d like you to share something that brought you joy this week,” Dr. Robin Trusty said.

Flipping to the first blank page, the students shifted their focus from Dr. Trusty to their journals and began to write. This type of reflection had become a familiar and welcoming activity, evident by how effortlessly their thoughts flowed from their minds onto the paper.

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For the middle schoolers, journaling is a common occurrence as part of the Daily Focus, a 10-minute group activity which focuses on self-reflection, self-management and social skills.

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Asha Lyons ‘27, Shanaya Pokharna ‘27, Noor Sandhu ‘27, Navya Kumar ‘27 share a strength, a weakness and a hidden talent during a Daily Focus activity

The Daily Focus follows a specific theme each trimester and offers different activities based on the students’ grade level.

“One of the topics from this school year focused on social skills, which looks a little different for the fifth and sixth graders versus seventh and eighth graders,” Middle School Counselor Amanda Pearson said. “Younger students might have an activity about courage where they go around the room and share something about their life, whereas older students might explore courage through a discussion about equitable decision-making and consequences.”

Although they are encouraged to share with their peers, the middle schoolers also keep journals to reflect on the weeks’ discussions and activities, allowing them a way to process and express their emotions internally.

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For Noor Sandhu ‘27, these activities have helped her better connect with herself and her peers. “Doing the Daily Focus every morning has helped me understand what type of learner I am and what I need to do to reach the goals I set for myself, but I’ve also learned a lot about my classmates, which helps me better communicate with them,” Noor said.

“ One of my favorite things to do is our journal reflections because it gives me a moment to take everything in that we learned that week and to write out everything that is on my mind.”

PRIMARY YEARS MIDDLE SCHOOL FEATURE

The Daily Focus was implemented into the Middle School curriculum in 2018 and has been successful in cultivating the students’ social, emotional and executive functioning skills.

“In such an age of technology and social media, all of our students benefit from practicing and discussing social and emotional goals,” Ms. Pearson said. “The activities and discussions foster connection and empathy with their peers. We have seen shy students find a voice, impulsive students take ownership of their actions and new students cultivate friendships.”

As a new student in eighth grade, Jack Plucker ‘24 says the Daily Focus has helped him connect with his classmates while managing the curriculum.

Understanding that every student processes the world around them differently is vital when it comes to providing a successful learning environment. By encouraging self-evaluation and helping students build relationships with others, the Daily Focus has served as a valuable addition to ensuring our middle schoolers’ personal, social and academic growth.

Jack Plucker ‘24 learns how to make stop motion animation from this year’s Chair of Ideas recipient, Melissa Goodwin Shepherd ‘98.

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“This is my first year at Lausanne, and I like the freedom and opportunities provided for students as well as the challenging courses,” Jack said.

“ At the beginning of the year, I was enrolled in an advanced math class, which I thought would be too difficult for me. However, the Daily Focus helped me evaluate my choices, make goals and prepare for the day. The class ended up being a good challenge for me, and I have made lots of new friends.”

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CREATING A LAUSANNE EXPERIENCE WORTH REFLECTING ON Lindsey Baker ‘20 has been a Lynx since Junior Kindergarten.

Now, as she prepares for graduation, she reflects on all her experiences over the past 14 years that have helped shape her into the person she is today.

“One of my favorite things about being a Lausanne student is being challenged,” Lindsey said. “I love the extent to which we are pushed to explore and dig beyond just the content needed to pass a test. The challenges presented in my classes and extracurricular activities have taught me how to deal with failure and have fostered my curiosity about the world.”

Due to her embracing mindset and ability to self-evaluate, the senior was able to create a memorable experience filled with academic and extracurricular successes.

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UPPER SCHOOL FEATURE

“ I think that self-reflection is the difference between setting a goal and achieving a goal,” Lindsey said. “I’ve found that self-reflection allows the plans and goals you make to adapt as your life changes, and keeps you accountable for what progress you are making towards those goals.”

Being in the Honors Society, playing on the Varsity Volleyball team and graduating with a high GPA are just a few of the achievements Lindsey will have added to her list of accomplishments when she walks across the stage in May. But some of her most cherished achievements come from pursuing her love of music.

“I immediately fell in love with the bassoon,” Lindsey said. “Through that experience, I was able to discover a hobby that I hope to continue through college.”

Lindsey’s abundant skills as a musician and honor student have been resourceful in her quest to serve others as well. The senior volunteers as a tutor for Middle and Upper School students and teaches beginning bassoonists.

“I love being able to give back to the community that has given me so many opportunities over the years,” Lindsey said.

“When I reflect on how far I’ve come, it is impossible to ignore the impact Lausanne has had on my personality and journey as a person.”

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The senior has been serenading audiences with her musical talents ever since she joined the Lausanne band in fourth grade.

The alto saxophone was the first instrument Lindsey learned to play, and the one she intended on playing throughout high school.

However, when the band needed a deeper tone a year later,

she took on the challenge of trying the bassoon.

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Cross country has been a staple for Peter Calkins ‘20 throughout most of his Upper School experience.

The Lausanne senior has competed in multiple races and won various awards, so when he stepped up to the starting line at regionals this past November, he was confident and ready to go.

Fast forward five thousand meters and 18:20 later, Peter crossed the finish line with the same self-assurance but with one less shoe on his foot.

Although losing a shoe during a race is not the most ideal situation for a runner, this was the second time it had happened to the Lausanne senior, so he knew how to stay focused and power through to the end.

During Peter’s first season running cross country as a sophomore, his shoe slipped off halfway through the TN Classic, but he managed to finish despite hurting his foot. Since then, he has spent a lot of time reflecting on that moment and many others as a tool to overcome the challenges he may face.

“ I have so many vivid memories of talking through my races about what went wrong, what went right and what was going through my head with my coach,” Peter said. “Learning to be candid and to self-reflect after races and practices have been some of the most valuable skills I have learned at Lausanne.”

Reflecting has not only advantaged Peter as an athlete but has also helped him with his decision-making skills and academic ventures.

In Upper School, students are presented with a lot of choices. Deciding what classes to take, what extra-curricular activities to participate in and where to apply to college can be tough. However, Peter believes that being continuously encouraged to self-reflect during his time at Lausanne helped him choose the right path for himself.

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“The most important commitments I have made at Lausanne were selecting my classes for my junior year and choosing to apply for early decision to Duke,” the senior said. “Both of these decisions required quite a bit of reflection because I knew to be academically successful, I needed to be in an environment that would challenge me, keep me engaged and take my education at face-value.”

Through Lausanne’s IB Diploma Programme, Peter was able to take rigorous and thoughtprovoking classes that aligned with his educational goals.

UPPER SCHOOL FEATURE

results are best when I focus and reflect more on the process. This is certainly something I plan on using when I begin my journey at Duke in the fall.”

As he went through high school and accumulated more commitments, selfreflecting was key to both realizing what interested him the most and how to be successful and more efficient with his time.

As Peter begins life after graduation and is faced with new obstacles, he will always be able to look back on things he learned at Lausanne as proof that losing a shoe doesn’t mean the race is over; it just means you have to figure out the next best way to get to the finish line.

“I’ve learned to always be process-oriented,” Peter said. “I truly believe that you can’t sustain good results in anything if you are more focused on the results than the process itself. This helps me avoid stressing myself out about grades or auditions or races, because ironically enough, the

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“For me, this represented a conscious choice for me to try and get more out of myself,” Peter said. “I think choosing to challenge myself pushed me to reflect on my successes and failures and helped me build good learning habits.”

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LEGENDARY LYNX Students initiated from the Class of 2021 included Diego Alba, Anjali Borschel, Cailin Brown, John Campbell, Dalia Chemaitilly, Kewe Chen, Justice Crawford, Virginia Derrick, Ali Devji, Jad Hamze, Xiangru He, Cooper Hough, Isabel Kagoo, Ayaka Kimura, Yuka Kimura, Sophie Manis, Shreya Palakurthi, Anne Rack, Alexandra Rochkind, Douglas Rogers, Martin Succar, Elizabeth Surbrook, Carlin Sutter, Eva Yu, Victor Yu and Tian Zhang.

NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY INDUCTIONS 2019 This year, 37 Lausanne students were inducted into the National Honor Society in a ceremony held in the Elder Performing Arts Center.

The Class of 2020 inducted Daniel Baymiller, Peter Calkins, Maura Cliff, Ved Dalal, Ibrahim Farooq, Bryant Haley, William Neff, Suneil Patel, Alexander Stephens, Alexandria Weaver and Carson Webb.

To be eligible for induction into the National Honor Society, Juniors and Seniors must demonstrate a commitment to scholarship, character, leadership, and service. In addition to achieving a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or higher at the beginning of the school year, a committee of five teachers looks at each student’s resume to determine the qualifications have been met.

LAUSANNE GYMNASTICS TEAM WINS MULTIPLE AWARDS AT 2019 TURKEY TUMBLE Seventeen students from the Lausanne Gymnastics Club competed in the 2019 Turkey Tumble meet, resulting in multiple awards and new records for the Lynx team.

The event was held in Lausanne’s Main Gym and consisted of more than 100 competitors from Tennessee and Illinois, with gymnasts ranging from Level 1 to Level 10 and gymnasts from the Excel Bronze, Silver and Gold divisions.

Zara Meyers ‘30 broke her personal record by scoring a 9.85 on the balance beam, and our Excel Bronze gymnasts had the highest team score of the meet with 111.35 points.

Lausanne gymnastics participants: Manuela Batalha ‘27, Emily Bomar ‘26, Eshal Chaudhry ‘28, Daria Clark ‘30, Maya Clark ‘27, Sana Dhankhar ‘29, Melinda Geller ‘29, Tahlia Hamze ‘27, Bianca Lima ‘31, Sofia Lima ‘29, Morgan McBride ‘28, Zara Myers ‘30, Ximena Risquez ‘30, Jiya Shah ‘29, Olivia Smith ‘31, Zianne Versey ‘30

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HIGHLIGHTS

LORD OF THE FLIES COMES TO THE EPAC STAGE Lausanne Upper School Theatre presented Lord of the Flies for this year’s fall play. The play, from the William Golding novel, traces the disintegration of the civilized individual into the savage.

While the novel deals only with British schoolboys, the Upper School thespians chose to cross-gender the story to add more texture and complication.

Sophie Faughnan ‘20 and Sultan Shah ‘20 played the protagonists of the story, and their complicated relationship sets the tone for the actions that occur.

Josh Pearce ‘21 played the role of Piggie, the soul and spirit of the civilizing force.

LAUSANNE STEAM STUDENTS COMPETE IN ENGINEERING EVENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS A group of Lausanne Middle and Upper School STEAM students had the opportunity to utilize their engineering skills outside of the classroom when they attended E-Day at the University of Memphis.

Upper School participants: Lindsey Baker ‘20, Daila Chemaitilly ‘21, Yolanda He ‘21, Kimberly Kerr ‘20, Agnes Kovesdy ‘20, Jacqueline Lee ‘20, Walter Mink ‘22, Yagmur Onder ‘20, Elizabeth Surbrook ‘21, Vilanna Wang ‘20, Victor Yu ‘21.

LAUSANNE SPRING 2020

The annual event, hosted by the Herff College of Engineering at the University of Memphis, consisted of competitions, lab tours and various interactive activities. Eighth-graders from Ms. Bullard’s Advanced STEAM class competed in E-Day and took home first place in the Knex Transportation Challenge. Upper School participants placed first in the wing design competition and third in the transportation challenge.

Middle School participants: Zair Barlow ‘24, Jordan Beasley ‘24, David Burnham ‘24, Palak Desai ‘24, Katherine Finley ‘24, Ryon Ghodoussi ‘24, Laila Holland ’24, Jordan Kirshbaum ‘24, Jocelyn Lyons ‘24, Lily McCollum ‘24, Mackenzie Mink ‘24, Jack Plucker ‘24, John Michael Treadway ‘24, Abby Trott ‘24.

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MID-SOUTH SCHOLASTIC ART AWARDS COMPETITION Congratulations to all our student winners for this year’s Mid-South Scholastic Art Awards Competition, sponsored by the Brooks Museum League. Once again this year, Lausanne students are very fortunate to have been so widely recognized in this nationally acknowledged competition.

The Scholastic Art Awards is a nationwide art awards program, which started in 1923. It is the longest-running and most prestigious art awards program for artistic young people in the country. The Mid-South Scholastic Art Awards recognizes students from the Memphis area and also schools from Mississippi and Arkansas, so any recognition in this competition is truly an honor. Gold Key winners will go on to compete at the national level, and winners at the national level will be announced sometime in the spring (date to be announced). Out of thousands of entries and almost 800 awards given to approximately 46 tri-state (TN, MS, and AR) area schools participating in this year’s competition, Lausanne students were recognized with results of 38 total awards, including 7 Gold Keys, 17 Silver Keys, 14 Honorable Mentions and 1 Junior Best-In-Show award.

UPPER SCHOOL THEATRE PRESENTS BYE BYE BIRDIE For the annual Upper School spring musical, Lausanne Upper School Theatre proudly presented their production of Charles Strouse’s hit 1950s musical, BYE BYE BIRDIE. In the production, teen heartthrob, Conrad Birdie (Sultan Shah ‘20) has been drafted and his managers, Albert Peterson (Whit Ford ‘20) and Rosie Alvarez (Bri Warner ‘21) have to come up with a final publicity stunt for their troublesome client.

Conrad is whisked away to cheery Sweet Apple, Ohio, where he receives his first kiss from the lucky teen fan Kim Macafee (Sophie Faughnan ‘20) before shipping out. Hilarity ensues when Kim’s lovesick boyfriend (Marc Bonnot ‘20), her overprotective parents (Saad Khan ‘20 and Audrey Chatfield ‘20) and Albert’s nosey mother (Sophie Manis ‘21) get involved.

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Scholastic Art Winners: Arin Adams ‘22 – Honorable Mention Julia An ‘23 – Silver Key Ben Brandon ‘20 – Gold Key Sinema Byrd ‘22 – Gold Key Tevy Byrd ‘20 – Honorable Mention (x3) and Silver Key Dima Chemaitilly ‘24 – Silver Key Madison Cooley ‘20 – Silver Key Venice Fan ‘21 – Silver Key Ibrahim Farooq ‘20 – Gold Key and Silver Key Jack Gerald ‘23 – Silver Key Ronan Goff ‘24 – Gold Key Ella Gregory ‘22 – Honorable Mention (x2) Skylar Harts ‘22 – Honorable Mention Amaya Holland ‘22 – Silver Key Emilio Lachica ‘22 – Honorable Mention and Silver Key Bella Leggett ‘22 – Silver Key Shromona Malhotra ‘25 – Gold Key Zoey Matthews ‘22 – Gold Key and Silver Key India Norris ‘22 – Silver Key Elaina Przybyszewski ‘21 – Honorable Mention Hannah Rothman ‘21 – Silver Key Logan Segal ‘20 – Honorable Mention Neil Seth ‘24 – Honorable Mention Hannah Siegler ‘21 – Honorable Mention Isabel Sorenson ‘24 – Gold Key Kai Thompson ‘23 – Silver Key Annabella Tian ‘22 – Honorable Mention Jordan Timmons ‘21 – Silver Key and Honorable Mention Reese Trusty ‘25 – Silver Key Tian Zhang ‘21 – Silver Key

HIGHLIGHTS

UPPER SCHOOL LYNX ROBOTICS The Upper School Lynx Robotics team had an extremely successful year of competing. The team is currently number #1 in the Tennessee First Tech Challenge Championship Ranking and holds the record for the highest scoring match in the state.

To add to their accomplishments, the team headed to the Arkansas FTC championship, where they won the Alliance Team Members of the Arkansas State FTC Robotics Championship and earned the Collins Aerospace Innovate Award while also breaking Arkansas’ record for the highest-scoring match.

Diego Alba ’21, Carter Trexler ’21, Virginia Derrick ‘21, Walter Mink ‘22, Gabriel Wright ‘22, Whit Faughnan ‘22, Logan Trexler ‘23 and Henry Tarkowski ’23 did an awesome job representing Lynx Robotics this year!

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LAUSANNE SIBLINGS HONORED WITH KEEPER OF THE DREAM AWARDS BY NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM Risha Manga ‘23 and Krishnav Manga ‘24 were honored with the 2019 Keeper Of The Dream award, presented by the National Civil Rights Museum yearly to students who are making a positive and meaningful impact in the community. The siblings co-founded 901 PLEDGE, an effort for kids by kids to engage and give back to local and global communities. 901 PLEDGE arose from Risha’s and Krishnav’s individual passions. Risha turned her passion for crafting jewelry into compassion for others who are victims of inequality, and Krishnav’s love of reading empowered him to help refugee children achieve academic success through literacy. 901 PLEDGE offers free tutoring services to underserved children, provides coding and math coaching and sells handcrafted jewelry to raise money for and awareness about food and education inequality. They use their 901 PLEDGE platform to coordinate book, shoe and food drives for Asha’s Refuge, Mid-South Food Bank and other organizations.

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ATHLETICS HIGHLIGHTS

NATIONAL SIGNING DAY

Eleven Lausanne athletes from the Class of 2020 signed National Letters of Intent for their respective sport in preparation to play at the collegiate level during the Signing Day ceremony held in January.

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• Trey Armour – ETSU (Soccer) • Tavin Davis – Morehead State (Football) • Deris Jackson – Arkansas State (Football) • Caleb McCall – Arkansas State (Football) • Nick Floyd – Rhodes College (Football) • Charlie Nicholls – Emmanuel College (Lacrosse) • Parker Ashton – Freed-Hardeman University (Baseball) • Clay Busby – Millsaps College (Baseball) • Whit Overstreet – Rhodes College (Baseball) • Autumn Whitmore – Rhodes College (Track) • Carson Webb – Amherst College (Football)

ATHLETICS HIGHLIGHTS

The Lynx Cheerleaders made it to Nationals for the third year in a row since transitioning to a competitive team and made history this year when they won Lausanne’s first State Championship in Cheerleading.

The Lausanne Lynx brought home their third gold ball in boy’s basketball after a 54–44 victory over First Assembly Christian School (FACS) in the state championship game in Nashville. The game, a rematch of the regional finals that FACS won on a half-court shot, looked to be headed for another nailbiter of a finish after the Crusaders took a two-point lead into the locker room. But the third quarter was all Lausanne. The Lynx outscored the Crusaders 19–7 and took a 36–6 lead into the final quarter en route to the victory. Lausanne was led in scoring by Johnathan DeJurnett ‘20, who had 16 points on 7/10 shooting. Moussa Cisse ‘21 captured the MVP honors with a 15 point, 10 rebound and 9 block game. Six of those blocks came in the first half, a mindset Cisse said he had coming into the game.

Lausanne Lynx center Moussa Cisse ‘21 was named Tennessee’s Mr. Basketball for Division II-A. The award is presented to the top boys’ and girls’ athletes by the Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletics Association.

Cisse has been a dominant force in the paint this year, averaging 19.4 points, 14.2 rebounds and 8.5 blocks this season for the Lynx. The five-star center is the top prospect in the state of Tennessee, he’s broken the state record for blocked shots and is currently ranked in the top 10 in the nation for the Class of 2021. Cisse has offers from Florida State, Memphis, USC, Kansas and Georgetown among others.

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FROM LAUSANNE TO LIPSCOMB: ALUMNA REFLECTS ON JOURNEY TO BECOMING HEAD BASKETBALL COACH When the name Lauren Avant Sumski ‘10 is mentioned around Lausanne, the word “legend” usually follows right behind it, and if you walk through the athletics building, it becomes evident that she is one.

Along with numerous photographs showcasing some of her greatest gameday highlights is Lauren’s retired Lausanne jersey that is displayed as a reminder of her greatness.

Lauren was a two-time state champion during her time as a Lynx, and her talents on the court carried from Lausanne’s basketball program straight to the collegiate level. Lauren played at the University of Tennessee during her freshman year before transferring to Lipscomb, where she played for the remainder of her college career.

Now she can be found calling the shots from the sidelines as the Head Women’s Basketball Coach for Lipscomb University.

As a Divison I Head Basketball Coach, Lauren is in charge of managing all aspects of her program from people to budgets. The Lynx alumna has three full-time assistant coaches, a director of operations, three student managers and 15 players.

The Lausanne alumna is currently the youngest active D1 head women’s coach and the youngest to lead her team to an NCAA tournament across all divisions.

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Her accomplishments have become a reflection of her coaching technique. Whether it be through a play diagram or a life lesson, Lauren is constantly teaching and mentoring in her role as head coach. She provides her players with tools to grow and develop while also pushing them outside of their comfort zones. Being a strong leader is something Lauren says came from her time at Lausanne.

“I am tasked with allowing them to fail, when necessary, so they can learn how to overcome when it matters,” Lauren said.

“ All of these lessons are things I learned at Lausanne. I believe I had to learn how to be a dynamic teacher and relationship builder.

Those qualities both require communication skills, and I truly can say that I learned to be a better communicator at Lausanne. More than that, I learned to love learning and challenges.”

ALUMNI FEATURE

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“ I don’t ever feel like I’m working. In this profession, I get to use basketball as a vehicle to hopefully impact young people’s lives the same way that I had others pour into me.”

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ALUMNI FEATURE

“I am one of those people who truly believes I’m living out a calling,” Lauren said. “I don’t ever feel like I’m working. In this profession, I get to use basketball as a vehicle to hopefully impact young people’s lives the same way that I had others pour into me.”

Playing basketball at Lausanne was a contributor to Lauren’s future; however, the alumna says her experiences off the court are what contributed to her character the most.

“It’s quite comical that I ended up in coaching because my experiences at Lausanne helped me to realize that I was so much more than just an athlete,” Lauren said. “Lausanne introduced me to so much and provided an environment for me to truly explore.”

Lauren began her journey at Lausanne when she was in eighth grade. She still remembers how quickly she fell in love with learning and being challenged because of her new environment and the community that came with it.

“One of the things that I enjoyed the most at Lausanne was the genuine relationships between teachers and students,” Lauren said.

“They cared about us as people first, then as students, but I was also constantly challenged.

I had to learn to fight for understanding in a way that often involved micro failures that made me self-reflect, develop new ideas and try again.

I learned perseverance is seeking knowledge instead of expecting everything to be spoon-fed to me. Those were the most valuable lessons I learned at Lausanne and ones that I use every day on the court as a coach.”

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Class Notes

Down the road and around the world, our alumni are carrying out Lausanne’s mission to face the challenges and opportunities posed by a global environment.

As an alumnus, your actions help foster the rich and diverse community of which Lausanne is proudest. As I write this letter and read through our class notes from the past six months, this has never been more clear.

I am currently wrapping up one of the busiest weeks the Alumni Office has experienced this year; one full of so many unforgettable moments. Early this week, Melissa Goodwin Shepherd ’98 joined us from California as the 2020 Chair of Ideas. Not only did she spend time on stage, graciously sharing with our students how Lausanne influenced her as an artist, she also dove headfirst into our classrooms, personally interacting with students of all ages. Thanks to her stunning expertise, our students were transformed into their very own animated characters and learned about the endless opportunities available to young artists.

Soon after Melissa’s visit, I, along with Headmaster McCathie and our Head of Upper School, drove to visit with our Nashville alumni, many of which have banded together in solidarity, as their community was recently devastated by a tornado. What a beautiful example of one of Lausanne’s most crucial objectives—to be of service to your community. Despite the devastation around them, many alumni came out to support our Varsity Boys basketball team as they competed in the state playoffs at Lipscomb University. Among those who rallied in support was Lauren Avant Sumski ’10, Lipscomb Women’s Head Basketball Coach, Lausanne state basketball champion and this year’s Baccalaureate speaker. Needless to say, this is an exciting time of year for Lausanne and its alumni community!

In the following pages, you will be able to catch up with fellow Lausanne graduates through class notes and event highlights. We hope you will feel inspired to become more involved, whether as a regional volunteer, reunion volunteer, class agent or even by submitting a nomination for the Alumni Board or the Courtney Lewis-Hale ‘64 Alumni Emeritus Society. It all starts—and thrives—with you.

Remember to stop by, stay in touch, like us on Facebook, follow @LausanneAlumni on Twitter and join us on LinkedIn. Most importantly, never forget that you are a part of the Lausanne family. #AlwaysALynx Best,

Charlotte Albertson Director of Development & Community Engagement calbertson@lausanneschool.com | 901-474-1029

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CLASS NOTES

1969

for the location. It would include DittyTV merchandise, vinyl of DittyTV featured artists, a small café, listening stations, instruments and a place for live music. The upstairs would contain DittyTV office space, as well as a small artist apartment space, where touring musicians could lodge temporarily. That way, musicians could come to the studio for a live studio taping and in the evening, put on a concert for up to 40 people in the store space.

There will also be a direct feed from the 508 S. Main studio, where people will be able to go into the retail store and see what’s happening next door. “This gives us a public space for people to learn about the network and the artists, labels, music venues and events we support and promote,” Amy said. “This came out of several of our travel and tourism partners from all over expressing an interest in bringing a ‘brick and mortar’ DittyTV space to their cities.”

1983

Melissa Helyer Waschka ‘83 lost her mother and fellow Lausanne alumna, Patricia Goodwin Helyer ‘54, in September. But with sad tidings in the Fall, came happier ones this Winter, as her daughter, Kaitlin, was married in February. Her daughter is also pursuing her Master’s Degree in social work while her husband is working at Lockheed Martin.

June West ’69, the longtime Executive Director of Memphis Heritage, will transition into the role of Chief Development Officer at the non-profit, which has proved essential in the efforts to preserve Shelby County’s architectural history.

1982

1985

Michele Gold Buring ‘85 and Lara Drewry Fenton ’85 met up in December to share a visit in Memphis. Michele is excited about her new job as a health and wellness coach, working for Profile

by Sanford. She is looking forward to engaging with her clients about learning how to live a healthier lifestyle. Michele is also working with the Class of 1985 on their upcoming 35th reunion in April.

2003

In October, DittyTV purchased 510 S. Main St. Amy said the network plans a “Merch, Music & Mojo” retail store

LAUSANNE SPRING 2020

Amy Barnes Wright ’82 and Ron Wright’s Memphisbased television network DittyTV has purchased the building next door to its office and has big plans for it, as recently written about in The Daily Memphian. Founded

by Amy and Ronnie in 2014, DittyTV is an Americana and Roots television network that features music news, profiles, reviews and tour and festival coverage. The network schedule includes 12 hour-long shows that each air twice daily. The network’s content is available via connected devices including smart televisions, smart phones, computers, Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV and TiVo. Last year, DittyTV produced 75 live concerts, including one with John Oates of duo Hall and Oates. This year, DittyTV plans to record more than 100 concerts in its studio.

Caitlin Fonzo ‘03 recently joined Ahlers & Ogletree Auctions in Atlanta, Georgia as a Consignment Liaison.

With more than 10 years of experience in the fine arts, auction and design industries, Caitlin also holds a B.A. in Art History from Duquesne University and an M.A. in Fine and Decorative Art and Design from Sotheby’s Institute, London, England.

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IN MEMORIAM:

James “Zeke” Johnson (Past Faculty), much loved Delta Blues guitarist, high school teacher and historian passed away on November 4 at the age of 76. He was born in the North Mississippi hill country near Blue Mountain on October 28, 1943.

Zeke received both a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech and Drama in 1968 and a Master of Arts degree in Theater in 1969 at Memphis State University. On December 28, 1970, Zeke married the love of his life, Donovan Long-Johnson. Rather than having children, Zeke and Donovan spent a lifetime caring for a great many cats, beginning with Jackaroe, in addition to a goat named Nanny. Their marriage lasted for 41 years, until Donovan’s death in 2012. Throughout his life, Zeke was a passionate student of music, becoming a highly skilled and respected guitarist, counting among his mentors and friends Bukka White, Furry Lewis, Jessie Mae Hemphill, Sleepy John Estes and Mississippi Fred McDowell. Zeke was also a dedicated teacher of humanities, drama and history for 35 years, being employed by Bishop Byrne, Lausanne Collegiate School and East High respectively. Zeke loved his students, and many friendships were made during that time that lasted throughout the years. His other great passion was Ole Miss football, about which he seemed to have instant recall of every statistic conceivable. Zeke’s role as a storyteller of the Delta Blues was matched only by his wit, colorful anecdotes and unconventional view of the world.

This unique combination gained him an always-growing audience of both friends and admirers who liked nothing better than to gather around and listen.

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Young Alumni Day 2020 On Monday, January 6, the Lausanne Alumni Association kicked off the year with Young Alumni Day, beginning with the Young Alumni Panel which featured eight remarkable young alumni: Laura Vang ‘11, Austin Vincent ‘12, Aaron Hunt ‘17, Ceylan Metin ‘18, Ethan Ferguson ‘18, Jason Reed ‘19 and Marie-Pia Bonnot ‘19.

The panelists shared the experiences which led them to choose their respective colleges, universities, graduate programs, internships and careers. They answered questions about what to expect as you enter college and whether or not they would make different choices if they were to maneuver the college process again. Young Alumni Day continued with a networking lunch for our young alumni and the Class of 2020.

CLASS NOTES

Alex Kelman ‘03 was married in October to Danny Hirsch. Alex is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the UCLA Department of Psychology. He was also recently promoted to Psychologist III and appointed as Director of Training at UCLA’s Semel Neuroscience Institute.

2004

2010

Anjali Balakrishna ‘10 is serving as an AIF Clinton Fellow with Frontier Markets, a social enterprise in Jaipur, Rajasthan. She recently wrote an article about the journey to find her own definition of what it means to be an Indian American. Read more at www.browngirlmagazine.com/2019/12/reverse-indian-diaspora-indian-americans-goingback-to-the-motherland.

Aparecio Peggins ‘10 is in his first year of dental school at Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry in Nashville, Tenn. The photo included is from his fall semester convocation, where he received two scholarships, one of which is covering his full tuition for the next four years. Congrats, Aparecio!

Memphis Magazine recently named Marc Gasol ‘04 Memphis’ Athlete of the Decade. Gasol’s greatest professional dream may have been realized in Canada, but the man remains forever a Memphian, right down to his championship ring, engraved on it: “GRIT&GRIND”

2007

2013

Avery Dargie Baker ’13 was recently married in May of 2019 in Rossville, Tenn. and hopes to attend medical school soon.

LAUSANNE SPRING 2020

Jason Susser ‘07 spoke in February at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Bechtel International Center on several topics, including the new H-1B registration system and also higher-level immigration strategies for co-founders. Jason is currently an Associate Attorney for Siskind-Susser, P.C. – Immigration Lawyers in Memphis.

Josh Steiner ’10, owner of Strano by Chef Josh, recently launched a new menu with a focus on classic Italian fare.

The Commercial Appeal was there to interview him about all of the big changes since he opened his new space in 2018. Strano has always been an Italian-themed restaurant, but Steiner says it is now all about the classics, not fine dining, but a restaurant where customers can come often for Italian fare, and pizza is a big focus.

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CHAIR OF IDEAS 2020 Lausanne alumna Melissa Goodwin Shepherd ‘98 was named this year’s Chair of Ideas.

Melissa works as a stop motion animator in Los Angeles, Calif. with several studios including Fox, Nickelodeon, Google, Netflix, Amazon, Cartoon Network and Disney. The Memphis native grew up loving cartoons and, at an early age, began building the animations and writing their scripts. She knew she wanted to pursue a career in animation but was scared her dream as an artist was not practical. However, when Melissa came to Lausanne during her senior year, she was constantly encouraged by her teachers and felt empowered to pursue her passion. “My experience at Lausanne was excellent, and I consider it a big part of my journey,” Melissa said. “It is great to see how far Lausanne has come since I was a student. I am grateful for my time at Lausanne, and I credit it for where I am today.”

After being honored as this year’s Chair of Ideas during a ceremony in EPAC (joined by friend and fellow alumna Allison Gillis Brownlow ’99 from Atlanta), Melissa spent a few days on campus speaking with students about her career, showing them how to create stop motion animation and giving advice on pursuing interests in the arts.

WE WANT TO

HEAR FROM YOU! 32

Want to be featured in class notes?

Let us know about new jobs, marriage, children, travel opportunities, gatherings with other Lausanne alumni, accolades and more!

Email the Alumni Office at calbertson@lausanneschool.com.

CLASS NOTES

2015

Sarah Besser ’15 has moved back to Memphis for a new job after graduating from Boston University with a degree in hospitality management and administration. She has traveled to five continents and over 35 countries!

2017

Davis Jack ’17 is currently a psychology major at Wake Forest University and is a radio show host. He is looking forward to getting his PhD.

IN MEMORIAM: Patricia Anne Goodwin Helyer ‘54 passed away on September 25, 2019, due to complications from brain cancer. Patricia was born February 16, 1936, in Memphis, Tenn., to parents, Frank and Rebecca Goodwin.

She attended Snowden Junior High and Central High School before graduating from the Lausanne School for Girls. She married Gordon “Don” Helyer in 1956 and was a dedicated Navy wife, who enjoyed living across the United States, especially in Charleston, S.C. and Pearl City, Hawaii. The couple retired to Memphis, Tenn., and ultimately Bedford, Texas. Patricia had a passion for counted cross stitch, history and genealogy, spending many hours researching her and Don’s families. Her greatest passion was her family—her husband Don, their daughter, Melissa, and her husband, John and her granddaughters, Kaitlin and Jamie.

Congrats to Cameron Kinley ’17 and the rest of the Midshipmen for the Naval Academy’s win over Kansas State in the 61st Annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl, making winners of five Memphians on the Navy roster. “I was 0-and-2 before this game, so to finally get a win here in Memphis is exciting,” the Navy junior cornerback said.

“I’m grateful. I’m extremely blessed. It’s been very exciting, man. We’ve been in that predicament a lot this season, so we knew what we had to do. We were comfortable. We just had the will to win.”

Congrats to Rachel Layton ‘17, winner of Memphis Magazine’s Very Short Story Contest!

Her short story, “Southern Comforting”, appeared in their January issue, and you can read it online at memphismagazine.com/fiction/southern-comforting/. SHORT AND SWEET (or not-so-sweet), the Very Short Story Contest welcomes entries of up to 750 words, maximum. Writers are encouraged to incorporate the city into their work. Winning stories are published in Memphis and archived on memphismagazine.com.

LAUSANNE SPRING 2020

Several members of the Class of 2017 gathered for their annual “Friendsgiving” this November. Fom left to right, back row: Andrew Gilreath ‘17, Greg Bonnema ‘17 and Aaron Hunt ‘17. Left to right, front row: Emma Whitehorn ‘17, Nassem Yousef ‘17, Leah Blatteis ‘17 and Ethan Haworth ‘17.

Rachel is a senior English major at the University of Memphis. Born and raised in Memphis, she has published works of poetry in online literary magazines such as Crash Test Mag and Minerva Rising. She is currently planning to graduate with a BFA in English literature and German language in May 2020 before pursuing a master’s in creative writing.

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2018

Britani Campbell-Nowlin ’18 is majoring in theatre with a minor in Chinese at Hendrix College. She is looking forward to graduating next year!

Kaleb Davis ‘18 is currently a music composition major at Howard University. He has an internship scheduled during the Summer of 2020 with well-known musician Damien Sneed. He is also looking forward to having his choral arrangements performed in 2020.

Inara Devji ’18 completed a medical internship in Tarragona, Spain during the Summer of 2019 and will be working in a lab this Spring.

Ethan Ferguson ’18 was named to the Memphis Flyer’s “20 Under 30”, a list of Memphis’ up-and-coming young professionals and entrepreneurs. The first company Ethan Ferguson founded was Augseption XR, which offered augmented reality services for education uses. The second was Cinilope, which is developing new uses for drones.

The most remarkable part of his story is that Ethan is a 20-year-old sophomore at Rhodes College. “I decided to put down roots in Memphis during high school. I had clients in my hometown, and I really wanted to keep working with them in the future. Being able to stay in Memphis to grow my business has been an amazing opportunity for me.”

IN MEMORIAM: Susan Tucker Kuhnel ’63 passed away on October 13, 2019. She was born in Memphis, Tenn. on August 4, 1945 to James Shelby Tucker and Louise Nowlin Tucker. Susan had coped bravely with heart problems that began in 1982. Her family moved to Bay St. Louis on the Mississippi Gulf Coast a year after she was born.

When Susan was five, she returned to Memphis with her mother.

After attending a local school, Susan read an article about Lausanne Collegiate School (then called Lausanne School for Girls) and told her mother she wanted to attend. Susan’s academic interests at Lausanne were English and history. Susan’s first course in French, which she eventually learned to speak fluently, was at Lausanne.

Later, she learned to understand and speak German too. Always active in sports, Susan was on Lausanne’s tennis, basketball, volleyball, swimming and diving teams. She took ballet for several years and became a member of the Memphis Civic Ballet, the first notable ballet company in Memphis. Under imaginative headmaster Walter Coppedge’s direction, Susan’s academic performance led to her matriculation into Vanderbilt University at a time when the university accepted only one out of four female applicants. Susan majored in history at Vanderbilt and chose French for her language course. After graduating from Vanderbilt, Susan spent two years in France, skiing and improving her French, and a year in England.

After returning to Memphis, Susan held various jobs before joining Delta Air Lines as a flight attendant. She remained with Delta for nearly 29 years, serving as a head flight attendant. In July 1989, she married Eric Kuhnel. The two were happily married for 30 years.

They traveled extensively to Europe, Russia, South and Central America, Cyprus, Egypt, Morocco, New Zealand and the Marshall Islands. Susan was also in numerous clubs, including the Duration Club, Central Gardeners and King’s Daughters. At Lausanne, Susan is remembered for her tireless commitment for over a decade as a member of the Lausanne Alumni Board, for which she was inducted into the Courtney Lewis-Hale ’64 Alumni Emeritus Society.

Susan leaves behind her loving and beloved husband, Eric, three brothers, a stepbrother, five stepchildren, nine step-grandchildren, nine nephews and nieces and two cherished Weimaraners.

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CLASS NOTES

Destiny Hinton ‘18 is a public relations major at the University of Memphis. She recently attended Public Relation Student Society of America in San Diego, California.

Allison Kerr ‘18 will be heading off this fall to attend the University of Warwick to study politics, philosophy and economics.

SAVE THE DATE: ALUMNI WEEKEND 2020 SEPTEMBER 25–27 This is an annual event you don’t want to miss!

More details will follow in the coming months. Update your information or volunteer on your reunion committee by contacting the Alumni Office at calbertson@lausanneschool.com or 901-474-1029.

2019

Cameron Faulkner ‘19 is working at FedEx and is about to complete training to get his private pilot’s license.

Coming off a breakout performance in Tennessee’s regular-season finale against Vanderbilt, Eric Gray ’19 finished his freshman Season by earning MVP honors at the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, rushing for a game-high 86 yards and scoring what proved to be the deciding touchdown in the Vols’ 23-22 win over Indiana at TIAA Bank Field. “No. 3, he’s a special player,” Indiana coach Tom Allen said, referring to Gray. “He’s got a different ability to cut and plant and burst, and I think he’s going to be a really talented guy that’s going to have a great future.” Gray also ran for 246 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries on Nov. 30 during Tennessee’s 28-10 win over Vanderbilt, breaking the UT freshman rushing record previously held by Jamal Lewis. “For me, like you said, being a Tennessee boy and being here at Tennessee, it’s been unbelievable,” Eric said. “It’s been an unbelievable journey. I fell in love with the place early. It’s something I dreamed about as a kid, playing college football, playing in a bowl game.”

IN MEMORIAM:

LAUSANNE SPRING 2020

Elizabeth Elgart ’13 passed away in February 2019.

Elizabeth attended Lausanne starting in the 1st grade and enjoyed being a member of both the SPAZ and Beta Clubs.

Our thoughts are with her family and friends.

Lausanne is saddened to share this news with its alumni community.

Services were held on March 1.

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transpiring in the juvenile courtrooms. You could see it on the children’s faces. It was like watching the hope get sapped from their bodies.”

Lausanne Alumni Creating Change The core values found in The Lausanne Way are instilled in students daily, whether it be through teachers, coaches, curriculum or everyday experiences on campus.

When a student graduates from Lausanne, we hope they carry these traits and use them to help create a better future for our community, our country and the rest of the world. For Lee Silberberg ‘13 and Gregory Hanissian ‘13, these values have been incorporated into their personal lives and have helped steer them toward specific career paths. After Lausanne, Lee headed to Rhodes and, upon college graduation, started working at the Community Legal Center (CLC), a legal non-profit law firm in town, where he learned the importance and the limits of pro bono work in the Memphis community while also developing an understanding of the complications and processes that go into charitable work.

When Lee’s internship with the CLC wrapped up, he began working at the Shelby County Defender’s Juvenile Office, where his interest in working with the youth in the system began. Over time, he noticed a fairly consistent trend: juvenile law should be about rehabilitation, but often the systems put in place fail that mission. As Lee sorted through cases, he learned that many of the children found guilty were asked to write apology letters to their victims, and there seemed to be a direct correlation between the number of times a given child had been in the juvenile justice system and their writing proficiency. “I was shocked by how stark the trend was,” said Lee. “I knew immediately that the key to the question continuously posed by the attorneys and magistrates was improving literacy for the kids in juvenile detention, but I didn’t know how yet.” Soon after this realization, Lee became an intern in the chambers of a criminal court judge in Memphis. “I saw that at every level, the justice system grinds people up—even for minor offenses—and saps them of their spirit,” Lee said. “What I saw in the adult system backed up what I saw when I was watching the children respond to what was

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He knew that in order to prevent juveniles from returning to the system, not only would literacy rates among incarcerated youth need to be improved, but each child would have to have their hope rekindled. He brought friend and Lausanne alumnus, Gregory Hanissian ‘13, to help him achieve this goal. The two began looking into book donation efforts for those behind bars and found that while there were efforts aimed toward juveniles in other cities, Memphis did not yet have an organization specifically dedicated to donating books to youths in the system. “Because the population of incarcerated juveniles is smaller, Greg and I decided that the best method would be to donate a personally selected batch of books that would fit the tastes of the kids in juvenile detention.

In essence, we have created a mini-modular library that is built up each month and is guided by feedback from the detention officials... Now when the kids see the books come in, they have something to be excited about; something that sparks hope.”

As for the future of 901 Booked, Lee and Greg are working on expanding their resource bank so they can increase the number of books donated as well as continue to improve the tailoring system. The team’s goal is to eventually expand to other types of media such as comic books, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to read something that will captivate them.

“I hope that 901 Booked can be an integral reason why many children who have stepped foot in 616 Adams (Juvenile Court) never step foot in it again,” Lee said.

“This is the kind of issue that an entire village has to tackle to be successful, and we are just two people among many wonderful community members who are working toward the same goals... We are indebted to their work, and we hope that our work contributes to their efforts as well.”

Encouraging continual self-reflection is an important part of the Lausanne experience because it allows students to discover and build off their strengths while learning how to reevaluate and make the adjustments needed to overcome their challenges. We want to help our Lynx become the best versions of themselves so they can be successful during their time at Lausanne and in the future as they become the leaders and creators of a better tomorrow.

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