c M DONOGH MAGAZINE SUMMER 2026
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EAGLE EYE VIEW
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CELEBRATING COEDUCATION
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CIRCLING THE HILL
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ALUMNI EVENTS/ CLASS NOTES
Joy can be found at McDonogh every day. On Friday, May 1 — the third annual Eagle Day — it was easy to spot!
ON THE COVER
The cover illustration is by Jess Bastidas, Upper School Visual Arts teacher and a member of the McDonogh community since 2020. An accomplished artist, she has exhibited regularly in her hometown of Bethlehem, PA, at the Walters Art Museum, and internationally. In the classroom, Bastidas is a well-loved teacher who models appreciation for learning, daily practice, discipline, honest self-assessment, and authenticity. She encourages students to take creative risks and produce meaningful work — and she leads by example, spending hours after class overseeing the open studio. When asked to illustrate this issue’s cover, she said yes without hesitation. Bastidas began her work on the cover with a story shared by John Thomas ’68, a faculty member from 1972 to 1988. He told Head of School Dave Farace ’87: everyone had gathered in anticipation of the first girls arriving by school bus, and a crowd had grown in front of Allan Building — including members of the
press, who were there to record the historic moment. Someone suddenly noticed a sign hanging from the bell tower, put up by boarders. It had come loose and was flapping in the breeze. Thomas recalls that he raced up to retrieve it. “If memory serves me correctly, it said something like, ‘Welcome Girls! We are Glad You are Here!’” He continued, “I asked if they wanted me to take it back up, but the decision was to hang it between two pillars on the Allan Building front porch. Shortly after, the buses began to arrive, and the next phase of McDonogh history was underway.”
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Drawing on archival photos and a little imagination, Bastidas created an ideal afternoon on campus. She also had some fun hiding the symbols found on the McDonogh shield. Can you find them all: an eagle, six stars, the Maryland flag, farm implements, 1873, and the word McDonogh? Bonus points if you know the meaning of each. Email us at communications@mcdonogh.org with your findings!
TABLE OF CONTENTS Brooke Blumberg
Editor bblumberg@mcdonogh.org Meredith Bower
Managing Editor and Lead Writer
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McDonogh Magazine is Turning the Page by Brooke Blumberg
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Eagle Eye View: 2025-2026 School Year Highlights
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Heather McPeters
SCHOOL YEAR
Creative Director Mandy Wolfe
Lead Photographer Andrea Anderson
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HIGHLIGHTS
Class of 2026 15
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My McDonogh Journey by Kali Rahman ’26
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Everything Began with a First: Women Who Built the Foundation for 50 Years of Coeducation at McDonogh by Meredith Bower
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They Added Vibrant Color by Laddie Levy ’63
Andrea Anderson, Kelly Blavatt, Bristol Craft, Carol Croxton, Brie Ferguson ’07, Leslie Finkelstein, Jonna McKone, Pat Muth, Dave Radford, Luis Ruuska, Danielle Schollaert, McDonogh Archives and Special Collections, Irvin Simon Photography, Stuart Zolotorow
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Artifacts from the Archives: Breaking the Ice with Miss Florence by Meredith Bower
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Circling the Hill
Design: McAllister Design
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Alumni Events
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Class Notes
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Final Thoughts with Head of School Dave Farace ’87
Alumni Editor Carol Croxton
Alumni Editor Danielle Schollaert
Alumni Editor Contributing Writers:
Brooke Blumberg, Meredith Bower, Laddie Levy ’63, Kali Rahman ’26, Danielle Schollaert Contributing Photographers:
Print: Mt. Royal Printing
McDonogh Magazine connects and celebrates the generations of alumni who carry a transformative McDonogh education into the world — amplifying their stories, strengthening the bonds that make our community last a lifetime, and sharing what’s happening on the campus that shaped them.
MY MCDONOGH JOURNEY
16 CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COEDUCATION
CIRCLING THE HILL
28
McDonogh Magazine [ Table of Contents ]
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MCDONOGH MAGAZINE
IS TURNING THE PAGE
McDONOGH
E M AG A Z2I N 024 SUMMER
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CELEBRATING THE CLASS OF 2024
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JOY AT
MCDONOGH IS REAL
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CIRCLING THE HILL
34 LEGACY CAMPAIGN
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ALUMNI NEWS CLASS NOTES
SUCCESS
or decades, McDonogh Magazine has arrived twice a year, packed with news, stories, and milestones from across our community. That rhythm served us well for quite a while. But as the times and our readership have evolved, so has our understanding of what this publication can be at its best.
how far the School has come. Inside, you’ll find a feature that traces the evolution of those first remarkable years, when the arrival of girls on campus was a novelty that simply became McDonogh — woven so thoroughly into the fabric of the School that it’s impossible to imagine it any other way.
Starting this year, McDonogh Magazine becomes an annual publication, and we couldn’t be more excited.
Around the world, our alumni are accomplishing incredible things: leading companies, saving lives, making discoveries, and changing the conversation. This magazine will bring those stories to you with the depth that a McDonogh education itself embodies. Because that body of knowledge doesn’t just prepare students for what comes next, it shapes how they think, how they lead, how they show up for others, and how they are truly LifeReady.
The shift isn’t about doing less. It’s about doing more, with intention. One thoughtfully crafted edition each year will allow us to go deeper and celebrate the full arc of what’s happening at McDonogh and beyond campus. You’ll still find stories and highlights that capture the energy, curiosity, and joy that define our School. But the heart of this change will be our alumni and the extraordinary ways they are living out McDonogh’s mission to do the greatest possible amount of good. This issue also marks the 50th anniversary of coeducation at McDonogh — a milestone that deserves a moment of reflection on
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McDonogh Magazine [ Turning the Page ]
The best stories are written by the people who live them. Welcome to our next chapter! – Brooke Blumberg
The Year in Review Welcome to Eagle Eye View, a snapshot of the learning, laughter, and memorable moments from the 2025-2026 school year. From the first day to the last, McDonogh’s classrooms and campus were alive with discovery, connection, and joy. To see even more, visit the Media Hub at mcdonogh.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
EAGLE EYE
VIEW McDonogh Magazine [ Eagle Eye View ]
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EAGLE EYE
VIEW Heritage Circles Offer a Place to Belong Along with traditional back-to-school events, parents were invited to a series of Heritage Circle gatherings at Roots Farm. The casual evenings offered a chance to connect with others who share similar identities, build community, and deepen a sense of belonging. Throughout the year, these affinity groups brought their cultural traditions to life through “Flavors of Culture” lunch pop-ups and community events — including a Lunar New Year Happy Hour, a Black History Month Bingo Night, a Ramadan Iftar Dinner, a Holi celebration, a Shabbat dinner, and an Eid al-Fitr celebration. Each gathering created space for conversation and new friendships.
Better Together From McDonogh’s youngest to oldest students, cross-divisional collaboration is always a highlight — and this year, it went well beyond the traditional reading buddies pairing. Upper School Peer Educators brought lessons in character and wellness to third and fourth graders. The Lower, Middle, and Upper School choirs joined their voices in a combined performance. In one particularly memorable moment, an Upper School class hosted kindergartners for a hands-on lesson in the process they used to design and build a set of wireless headphones, illustrating how engineers think, problem-solve, and bring ideas to life. The collaboration was a meaningful reminder that some of the best teaching happens when students get to share what they’ve built with someone who’s just beginning to dream.
is an Artist Everyone
“Everyone is an artist,” says Maria Weaver, a visiting artist through Arts for Learning Maryland, who spent several days in January teaching first graders how to make clay beads and string them into necklaces. Weeks later, she accompanied the young artists to the Tuttle Gallery, where their creations hung beside Natural Feelings, an exhibit of her own work — illustrating for the first graders exactly what she meant.
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McDonogh Magazine [ Eagle Eye View ]
A Honey of an Afternoon What could be better than celebrating the end of the harvest season with an afternoon of discovery, field games, home-grown music, and farm-fresh food, all under a bright autumn sky?
Language Learning
Takes Flight
In a Middle School Chinese class, cultural immersion, an integral part of all world language classes, took off when seventh graders tried their hand at kite flying — a celebrated art and beloved pastime with more than 2,000 years of history in China. Moments like these remind students that language learning is about more than vocabulary and grammar; it’s about understanding the people, places, and traditions that give a language its meaning.
The 10th annual Honey of a JamFest at Roots Farm drew a record turnout, uniting students, families, faculty, and staff in the spirit of service, learning, and celebration. “This event has always been about community,” says Sharon Hood, Director of Roots Farm. “It’s about celebrating the harvest, giving thanks for the hands that help, and reminding us how joyful it is when we work together for the greatest good.”
Making Music. Making a Difference. For more than 20 years, Middle School Rock Shop musicians have channeled their talent into the Well, Well, Well concert — an annual celebration of student performance and community generosity. In February, under the direction of Rock Shop teacher Steve Martel, seven bands filled the Esther Ann Dining Hall with music, movement, and joy. This year, the concert incorporated the Empty Bowls initiative and raised more than $3,000 for the Baltimore Hunger Project and Ascend Through Music, a program of Baltimore Living Classrooms. McDonogh Magazine [ Eagle Eye View ]
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EAGLE EYE
VIEW Writing for Justice “My favorite thing this year was working with real organizations and groups and feeling like what we’re doing is actually helping,” says Ava Sesay ’26, one of 14 students in the English elective, Writing for Justice. The seniors spent the year exploring justice through literature, nonfiction, and discussions with people who have lived experience, and then put that knowledge to work. The course culminated in a capstone collaboration with Asylee Women’s Enterprise (AWE), a Baltimore nonprofit serving immigrants, asylum seekers, and refugees. After learning about the organization, the McDonogh students created a suite of educational and marketing materials aimed at dismantling stereotypes and raising awareness about the challenges faced by these populations. For some, the experience did more than sharpen their writing — it pointed them toward a future in advocacy.
The Buzz on the Spelling Bee Club How do you spell motivated? S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G B-E-E C-L-U-B
This year, almost 30 lower schoolers joined the new after-school club to practice and prepare for the culminating spelling bee. Each week from November through February, they gathered for phonics and spelling skill-building, along with mini bees and team challenges. Through weeks of study and preparation, students strengthened their vocabulary, public speaking, and critical thinking skills, and soon, spelling words like magnanimous, opalescent, crawdad, grimace, sequins, geranium, and dubious became second nature. When competition day arrived, each participant demonstrated focus, determination, and courage, but there could only be one winner, Indy U. ’34, who took home the inaugural trophy.
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McDonogh Magazine [ Eagle Eye View ]
Growing Oysters, Growing Understanding The seventh grade study of Chesapeake Bay oysters concluded with a hands-on oyster reef build in celebration of Earth Day. In partnership with the Coastal Conservation Association of Maryland, students mixed and poured concrete into reef ball molds, creating a safe surface for oyster spat — the larvae that anchor and grow into adult oysters. The reef balls will ultimately be placed in local waterways, where they will help restore oyster populations, improve water quality, and create a habitat for other marine life. By contributing to real restoration work, students came away with a deeper understanding of complex ecological systems and a tangible sense of the impact they can have on the health of our local environment.
Feed Me! The cult classic, Little Shop of Horrors, brought its signature blend of laughs, memorable vocals, and one unforgettable, ever-hungry plant to the Ceres M. Horn Theatre stage in April. Behind every spotlight was a dedicated team of Upper School student performers, technicians, directors, and musicians alike, who gave everything they had to make the show — and Audrey II, the 10-foot-tall, man-eating plant puppet — truly come alive.
Third Graders Become Zoo Educators
Third graders spent the year researching, writing, and ultimately speaking up for animals that need a voice. Through a partnership with the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore’s Signature Species Conservation Program, they studied four endangered animals — the African penguin, the African elephant, the chimpanzee, and the red panda — to understand why they are at risk and what can be done to protect them. Students spoke with zoo educators, pored over books and articles, and distilled what they learned into posters and pamphlets. In April, they brought their knowledge to zoo visitors at Party for the Planet, making the case for conservation where it counts most, in the real world, with a real audience. McDonogh Magazine [ Eagle Eye View ]
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EAGLE EYE
VIEW Beyond the Scoreboard 2025-2026 Sports Stats
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#
3 5 14 26 45 87 88 90 109
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ranking two years in a row, as the best school for athletes in the state of Maryland by USA Today. Go Eagles! championship titles were earned in the 2025-2026 school year: Boys B Conference Cross Country, Boys A Conference Swimming, and Boys A Conference Golf. athletic trainers kept our athletes in tip-top shape. spring season games were dedicated to raising awareness for the mission of the One Love Foundation. members of the Class of 2026 participated in an interscholastic sport every season of their Upper School careers, earning them the title: Golden Eagle. equestrian competitions in five states (Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Florida, and Kentucky) featured McDonogh riders. upper schoolers participated in the 2025-2026 Athletic Leadership Academy. college athletic programs visited McDonogh this past year. athletic teams engaged hundreds of Upper and Middle School students. athletes were named All-Conference players on 14 MIAA teams and 12 IAAM teams. times McDonogh and Gilman have faced each other on the football field. This year, McDonogh was victorious with a score of 31-0.
McDonogh Magazine [ Eagle Eye View ]
Pedaling for a Purpose
Lined up on their scooters, bikes, and trikes, prekindergartners did laps around the bus lot to the cheers of students from all three divisions. It wasn’t just a fun way to spend the morning; it was their first lesson in the power of showing up for others. The Trike-A-Thon, which benefits St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, demonstrated to McDonogh’s youngest students that they have the power to care for others and do the greatest good in the world.
weeks this spring, teams of eighth graders gathered in the Rao Innovation Ready, For Center with a shared goal: build a racecar fast enough to win the annual soapbox derby. Armed with wood, cardboard, and a working knowledge Set, of physics, they weighed aerodynamics, friction, weight distribution, and Build structural integrity — then built their vision on four wheels.
Farewell
But the competition went beyond construction. Each team also filmed a commercial to showcase their car’s design and strategy, which advisories from fifth through eighth grade screened and voted on, making the whole Middle School stakeholders before a single car hit the starting line. By derby day, the energy in the Rollins-Luetkemeyer Athletic Center was electric. Crowds of middle and lower schoolers packed the stands to cheer on their favorites — cars whose names suggested the eighth grade engineers had as much fun with their branding as they did with their builds.
The community bid farewell to 13 retiring faculty and staff members at the annual Head of School Day ceremony in late April. Together, they served McDonogh for a combined 379 years, and several dedicated their entire careers to the School. Their commitment, spirit, and presence will be deeply missed. Congratulations and heartfelt thanks to Rob Smoot (45 years), Mary Abbott (33 years), Ann Whitman (10 years), Christy Etchison (20 years), Cynthia Cox (42 years), Harry “Colby” Gill (44 years), Marilyn Boyle (40 years), Sherri Voelkel (10 years), Ane Lintvedt (42 years), Pu-mei Leng (10 years), Nancy Fleury (43 years), and Don New (25 years). Not pictured: Lynda Schultz (15 years).
McDonogh Magazine [ Eagle Eye View ]
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McDonogh Magazine [ Class of 2026 ]
GO, AND GO SLOWLY
f
rom the appreciative applause of their teachers as the 167 seniors processed out of Tagart Memorial Chapel to the presentation of diplomas, Commencement 2026 on Friday, June 5, was a joyful occasion. Throughout the morning ceremony, the speakers, coincidentally, kept returning to the same themes: journey and destination. Director of Spiritual and Ceremonial Services Kevin Costa brought the ceremony to a close with a benediction that captured both sentiments: “We will have many destinations in our lives: college, careers, the homes we’ll make. Please grant us the wisdom to never hurry the journey. When we do, eventually, reach our destinations, help us to see the riches gained along the way. For the journey is the reward itself. Grant us the grace to know the destination is always precisely where we are. Go, and go slowly.”
Congratulations to the Class of 2026! See all the commencement photos, awards, and more at mcdonogh.org/class-of-2026.
McDonogh Magazine [ Class of 2026 ]
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THE CLASS OF 2026
BY THE NUMBERS McDonogh’s college counselors work with students to identify which colleges best align with their interests, personalities, and aspirations.
The 167 members of the Class of 2026 enrolled at 101 different colleges and universities in 29 different states, the District of Columbia, and abroad (Ireland). Maryland will continue to be home for 25 students, while Massachusetts will welcome 19 graduates, followed by Pennsylvania (17), New York (12), and North Carolina (10).
14,004
service hours were earned by the Class of 2026 during their time in Upper School.
EIGHT students will continue to have an Eagle as
as their school mascot (Boston College-6, Emory University-2), and TWO students will continue to enjoy orange and black as their school colors (Princeton University).
Upper School faculty wrote 500 letters of recommendation for members of the Class of 2026, who submitted an average of 11 applications to 284 different colleges.
GO BIG or go small:
One member of the Class of 2026 will be among the 124,753 undergraduates at Arizona State University and one will be among the 1,306 undergrads at Washington & Jefferson College.
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McDonogh Magazine [ Class of 2026 ]
34 members of the Class
57 students
of 2026 were inducted into McDonogh’s chapter of the Cum Laude Society.
have already earned college credits through McDonogh’s dual credit initiative.
37 graduates will continue to play the sport they love in college.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE: 10 MEN’S LACROSSE: 6 MEN’S SOCCER: 5 FOOTBALL: 4 WOMEN’S SOCCER: 3 BASEBALL: 2
WOMEN’S SWIMMING: 2 MEN’S BASKETBALL: 1 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: 1 MEN’S TRACK & FIELD: 1 MEN’S SQUASH: 1 WRESTLING: 1
10 students will attend HBCUs: Howard University (6), Hampton University (2), Morgan State University (1), Xavier University of Louisiana (1).
Top school choices for the Class of 2026 16 University of Maryland 6 Boston College and Howard University 4 Duke University 3 University of Maryland Baltimore County New York University University of Notre Dame University of Wisconsin
CLASS OF 2026
My McDonogh Journey Kali Rahman ’26 For Kali Rahman ’26, a self-proclaimed ‘lifer,’ McDonogh has never been just a school, it has been his foundation, and the place where 13 years of memories and milestones were made. So proud of the designation, he proposed that McDonogh formalize it with the creation of a pin, an emblem of continuity, community, and the joy of growing up together in one extraordinary place. In March, the School launched a new tradition — the Lifer Pin Ceremony — presenting 42 seniors with a pin commemorating their full journey. We asked Kali to reflect on his. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TRADITION?
The Holiday Assembly and Spirit Pep Rally (before the McDonogh vs. Gilman game) are my favorite traditions because I love seeing all divisions of the School unified in one place, excited about the same thing. WHICH TEACHERS HAD THE GREATEST IMPACT ON YOU?
Mrs. Hailstone. Her love for learning resonated throughout the entire class and made me, in particular, more inclined to be an active listener as a second grade student. Through Harry Potter book readings and movies, and especially the Roald Dahl books she read to us, like The BFG and James and the Giant Peach, I became deeply engaged. I went home and bought the whole collection, and to this day it is a cherished possession and an ode to the fun, interactive learning I received at McDonogh.
of agriculture — the injustices highlighted in the documentaries we watched, and the true benefits of sustainable farming for both individuals and communities. Through hands-on work at Roots Farm and growing in hydroponics, I learned that politics is present in all aspects of our lives. Nature and agriculture are truly the backbone of our society and must be protected. WHAT WAS A DEFINING MOMENT IN YOUR MCDONOGH JOURNEY?
My first Sankofa Conference was extremely inspirational. As a freshman with low confidence, it gave me a safe space to speak about issues affecting the Black community. Being supported by upperclassmen and students from other schools motivated me to apply for my first leadership position in high school as a Sankofa leader. Since then, I have helped
grow the club and the conference, inviting schools from outside of Maryland and achieving record attendance. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THE STUDENTS WHO FOLLOW IN YOUR FOOTSTEPS?
Don’t squander the opportunities you are given here. Meet new people, use your voice, and advocate for change if you want to make this school a better place. Use the safe and encouraging environment of McDonogh to help you become a proud and confident young person who serves and gives back. WHAT’S NEXT?
I am going to Xavier University of Louisiana, the only Catholic HBCU. I will be continuing my education through a merit scholarship and as a fellow in the Magnificent Male Program through the Office of Inclusion and Social Justice’s Black Male Engagement Program, where I will help with program events and activities that support and retain marginalized Black males in higher education. I plan to double major in political science and sociology with a concentration in crime and social justice. My goal is to become a lawyer and possibly an elected official.
I also have to mention Mr. Burch, my high school debate coach and history teacher, who showed me how to think critically, convey my arguments effectively, and advocate for others. Our in-class discussions shaped my mind as a leader and taught me how to defend others while understanding the history of our country — skills I plan to carry into my future profession as a policymaker. WHAT CLASS HAD THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON YOU?
Dr. Jones’ Sustainable Horticulture class had a huge impact on me. I have always been interested in nature and originally wanted to further my education in that field, but I recently shifted toward wanting to become a lawyer. In his class, however, I developed a passion for the political side
McDonogh Magazine [ Class of 2026 ]
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McDonogh Magazine [ 50 Years of Coeducation ]
Everything Began with a “ First WOMEN WHO BUILT THE FOUNDATION FOR 50 YEARS OF COEDUCATION AT MCDONOGH
“
McDonogh was willing to have us, but not necessarily ready for us. Those are two different things. NANCY SEBECK LOVE ’81, McDonogh’s
Director of Wellness, was speaking to an audience of upper schoolers about her experience in the early days of coeducation, capturing, with precision and grace, exactly what it meant to be first.
Two women, one school, two entirely different experiences.
At the same assembly, hosted by the Gender Empowerment Club, Head of Upper School MERRITT WASKEY LIVERMORE ’91 shared a completely different memory. She started at McDonogh in 1982, seven years after the first girls arrived. “I never felt that I was a girl attending a boys’ school,” Livermore said. “I looked around as a fourth grader, and there were female teachers, and I had female classmates. I didn’t realize that coeducation was a relatively new thing because the infrastructure was built.” Two women, one school, two entirely different experiences. The distance between them is just 10 years. But that decade is the measure of how quickly things changed.
McDonogh Magazine [ 50 Years of Coeducation ]
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EVERYTHING BEGAN WITH A FIRST
Just Getting Started After nearly 100 years as an all-boys, semimilitary institution, McDonogh became a civilian college-preparatory school in 1971. The move to coeducation came soon after. In December 1974, it was announced that beginning the following school year, McDonogh would admit approximately 90 girls to the Middle and Upper Schools. However, when classes began on September 9, 1975, 138 girls were enrolled in all three divisions, exceeding expectations in both scope and number. By 1995, there was an equal number of girls and boys. Before the first girls walked through the doors of Allan Building, someone had to open them.
That someone was ROBIN COBLENTZ. A well-respected member of the faculty and Admissions team, Coblentz was asked to chair a committee to study coeducation, and it was perhaps one of the most consequential appointments in the School’s history. The group researched, debated, consulted, and planned. In the end, they didn’t just recommend a policy change; they reimagined what McDonogh could become. Soon after the girls arrived, the School reinforced its commitment to women in the highest levels of governance as well. In 1976, McDonogh welcomed DR. GHISLAINE GODENNE, the Head of Counseling and Psychiatric
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Services at Johns Hopkins University, to serve as the first female member of the Board of Trustees, signaling that the voices shaping McDonogh’s future would include women of distinction and expertise. Three years later, VIRGINIA REDD, professor and dean of students at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, became the first Black woman elected to the Board. Most of the girls who arrived in the early years were not aware of this history in the making. They were just students, showing up for school. “This campus had been built, but not for us,” Love recalled. “And so there were a lot of challenges and things we had to figure out.” The faculty, to their credit, tried. “What was remarkable back then, and still is today, is the genuine care teachers have for their students,” Love said. “They took care of us, even though they didn’t always know what to do, what to say, where to put us, or how to uniform us. They were really helpful trying to figure out what to do for these ‘alien’ people.” Figure it out, they did.
McDonogh Magazine [ 50 Years of Coeducation ]
The First Class Speaking at the Opening Convocation in the fall of 2025, STACEY BOYER ’76 offered a personal perspective that caught the attention of the student body. “In my graduating class, there were eight girls and 92 boys, and about 40 girls in the entire Upper School,” she told the assembled students. For those with no memory of McDonogh as anything other than fully coeducational, the number alone is startling. But Boyer went further. The girls’ locker room, she explained, was formerly two tiny boys’ bathrooms on the third floor of Allan Building. “That meant that you had to walk up three flights of stairs if you wanted to use the bathroom,” she said. It is a detail that lands differently depending on when you attended McDonogh, somewhere between amusing and quietly outrageous. But it captures, in a single image, what those early years actually looked like: a school doing its best with what it had, for students it hadn’t completely planned for.
In the spring of 1976, eight young women made history simply by graduating: STACEY BOYER, MARY JO COYLE, KATHERINE EICHNER, SUSAN LONG, ANNE MARTIN, MARJORIE MCKIBBIN, BARBARA REED, and KATHY SMOOT.
Boyer, alphabetically first, stepped forward to receive her diploma — an apt beginning for a woman who would spend the next 50 years woven into the fabric of the School. She became the first female president of the Alumni Association and has served on the Board of Trustees for 28 years. Although she graduated from McDonogh, she never truly left. Boyer was not the only one in that first class to distinguish herself. She, along with Anne Martin and Kathy Smoot, graduated cum laude, demonstrating that the girls McDonogh admitted weren’t simply filling seats.
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Martin’s story extended beyond the classroom. A diver on the varsity swim team, she became the first McDonogh girl to compete in a Maryland Scholastic Association (MSA) event — the boys’ athletic league at the time. Her willingness to dive into uncharted waters opened the conversation and opportunities for girls to compete alongside their male peers in noncontact sports. At graduation, she received the Excellence in Athletics Award.
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E I L E E N F LY N N ’ 7 7 C O N T R O L S T H E B A L L .
Finding Their Footing In the first years of coeducation, the McDonogh girls were not protesters or pioneers in any dramatic sense. They were students who wanted to learn, compete, lead, and belong — and who did all of those things in a school that was still learning how to make room for them. By the late 1970s, they were writing the School’s publications, competing in its athletic leagues, and in at least one case, competing on the world stage. The Class of 1979 alone produced a remarkable cluster of firsts that, taken together, suggest a generation that did not hesitate to use its newfound confidence.
the only girl on the rifle team, spent her high school years working to establish softball as an official varsity sport, arranging games with cast-off baseball equipment. Six years after she graduated, the varsity softball team won the Maryland Interscholastic Softball League championship with a record of 11-2. No athlete from this era went on to greater heights than PAM SHRIVER ’79, who arrived at McDonogh when girls’ tennis didn’t yet exist as a School sport. Undeterred, she competed on the boys’ team from 1976 to 1978 and went on to become the world’s No. 3
Four young women, from one class year, took the helm of three school publications: DEBBIE FREEDBERG ’79 was named the first female editorin-chief of The Week, McDonogh’s newspaper; MERLE WISE ’79 rose to lead The Legacy yearbook; and LINDSAY ELLISON ’79 and WENDY COOK ’79 became the first female editors of Ragnarok, the literary magazine. On the athletic fields, the story was equally bold. Three-sport athlete EILEEN FLYNN ’77 made her mark as McDonogh’s first female recipient of the C. Markland Kelly Athletic Award, given for lacrosse. Meanwhile, TERRY COVINGTON ’79, who as a freshman earned a spot as
singles player in 1984 and, alongside Martina Navratilova, the No. 1 doubles player in 1985. Three years later, she made history as the School’s first female Olympic medalist, earning gold at the 1988 Games in Seoul. Shriver was the first woman inducted into McDonogh’s Athletic Hall of Fame and, in 1984, joined the Board of Trustees as its first alumna.
McDonogh Magazine [ 50 Years of Coeducation ]
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EVERYTHING BEGAN WITH A FIRST
Not everyone in those early years felt the weight of what was happening. Speaking at a 2025 luncheon celebrating coeducation, ANITA MALLYA BAJAJ ’89, who started at McDonogh in 1977 as a first grader, said, “I wish I knew I was such a trailblazer. I didn’t realize that such an amazing thing was happening. It never even occurred to me, because as far as I was concerned, every opportunity was given to girls.” The sense that things were simply as they should be was itself an achievement.
Claiming the Institution While the early years of coeducation at McDonogh produced many firsts that mattered enormously and required courage and persistence, in 1981, something new happened. McDonogh’s girls didn’t just participate. They won.
“She Believed Women Could Do Anything” Catching Up With Deirdre Anderson ’81 Nancy Love ’81 recalls: “Deirdre Anderson was my first friend who believed women could do anything, and she would tackle things head-on. We played basketball, and had to wear a dress with bloomers. The basketball would get stuck under our skirts, and we hated the uniform. In our junior year at the Holiday Bazaar, Deirdre said, ‘Let’s go talk to Santa.’ We said, ‘Santa, we need new basketball uniforms.’ Three weeks later, the team had new shorts and T-shirts.” Nancy recently caught up with Deirdre. Here is part of their conversation:
In 1981, REBECCA JOSEPH, co-editor-in-chief of The Week alongside CLAIRE CUNLIFFE ’81
much depth of the bench we had, and how great Amy [Barrett] was as a coach. I remember we celebrated like crazy in the middle of the court to the song “We are the Champions!” And I remember when the banner was put up in the field house. It was the first one put up for a girls’ team at McDonogh! That’s a pretty cool legacy!
NANCY: Do you remember when we
NANCY: Our 14-2 season was the
NANCY: You always tackled things head-
decided to talk to Santa? I have been
first championship in a girls’ sport in
on. Where did that come from — was that
telling that story for 40 years.
McDonogh history. Did you understand at
something you were raised with, or did
the time that we were making history, or
McDonogh shape it?
DEIRDRE: I clearly remember we
received the new uniforms courtesy of a parent who, as I recall, didn’t even have a daughter at McDonogh. I always thought that was quite remarkable to have someone without a vested interest in girls’ sports doing such a thing. What a generous move in more ways than one.
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Led by NANCY SEBECK ’81 and DEIRDRE ANDERSON ’81, the varsity girls basketball team finished the season 14-2 and claimed the Association of Independent Schools tournament championship — the first title in a girls’ sport in McDonogh history. The question was no longer whether girls belonged at McDonogh; it was how far they could go. Decades later, Nancy Sebeck Love answered that question from the sidelines, coaching the varsity girls lacrosse team to the longest winning streak in the nation — 198 consecutive wins from April 2009 to May 2018.
did that only become clear later? DEIRDRE: Our championship basketball
season was one I have often remembered over the years, but more from the perspective of how well we all got along, how different the strengths were individually, but how that translated into how great a team we were as a unit, how
McDonogh Magazine [ 50 Years of Coeducation ]
DEIRDRE: My tendency to tackle things
head-on (although I don’t know that I recognized it as such when I was younger) most definitely comes from my mom and dad. I never thought there were any limitations on what I could achieve, whether self-imposed or imposed on me by others. I think there was always
The Next Generation Pushes Further If the first years of coeducation were defined by girls finding their footing, and the early 1980s by girls claiming their place, the second half of the decade brought something new: girls reshaping the institution itself.
and a member of the Thespian Society, became the first girl to compete on McDonogh’s It’s Academic team and the first female student to deliver the Commencement address. For Joseph, it was simply the last in a series of spaces she had quietly claimed throughout her
McDonogh career — and she closed her chapter at the School with the last word.
the view in our house that nothing was out of reach and that hard work would pay off. When I look back now on my parents’ journey, emigrating to the U.S. with five kids ranging in age from 1–9, with no family and having to start a new life in a foreign country, it took me until much later in life to actually get my hands around that journey — the sacrifice, the self-belief, and the boldness, the doors it opened and opportunities it afforded all of us. I am where I am because of them, and McDonogh was one such opportunity they made happen by moving from Ireland.
tenth grade. I loved it from the start and love it to this day. Some of my closest friends, those with whom I’ve maintained deep and lasting friendships, I met at McDonogh. Being a scholarship student (along with the rest of the Andersons), I have always wanted to give back, and specifically to the scholarship program. In fact, I’ve always felt an obligation but never a burden. I have always wanted for others what I was given — a life-changing experience that helped shape who I am today and contributed to what I’ve been able to achieve.
In 1983, when the boarding program opened to females, 30 young women took up residence in South Hall. By the mid-1980s, coeducation at McDonogh was no longer a novelty but the norm.
NANCY: Last question: I’ve always said you NANCY: What do you want young women
were the first friend I had who believed
at McDonogh today to understand about
women could do anything. Did you know
what it meant to be there when we were —
that’s how I saw you?
and what it took? DEIRDRE: I always wish I had more years
at McDonogh, having only gone in the
DEIRDRE: I still believe that women can
do anything (even though we know it’s not without its obstacles, some self-
In 1984, DEBBIE WILLIAMS ’86, a skilled and experienced soccer player, tried out for the boys’ soccer team, earned a spot, and changed the course of girls’ athletics at McDonogh. The following year, a girls’ team was formed. MERRITT WASKEY ’91, equally passionate about the sport, had been competing with the Middle School boys’ team when she was invited to join the new varsity girls’ team as an eighth grader. Like Williams, she just wanted to play, and by 1990, the team had earned a place in the Catholic School League A division, the most competitive league in the Baltimore area at the time. imposed and some imposed by others), and I hope you do too! Deirdre Anderson Edgerton ’81 has spent more than 40 years building and expanding food service brands across the globe. As Subway’s Regional Director for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), she led market entry and brand development in more than a dozen countries. In late 1999, she moved from the corporate side to entrepreneurship, founding two companies that expanded Subway’s presence in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Deirdre has since sold both businesses and is now a consultant for food service brands seeking to expand into the EMEA region. She and her husband live in Hobe Sound, FL.
McDonogh Magazine [ 50 Years of Coeducation ]
21
EVERYTHING BEGAN WITH A FIRST
The ambition of McDonogh women extended well beyond athletics. SUSAN SEAMAN ’85 became the first McDonogh alumna to enter the United States Naval Academy, and KIRSTEN ANDREWS ’91 became the first McDonogh student selected as a University of Virginia Jefferson Scholar for her exceptional leadership, scholarship, and citizenship. The push for equity was not coming from students alone. In 1984, nearly 10 years into coeducation, the Patrons Club initiated a study of students and parents to determine how responsive the School was to the needs of the girls — with particular attention to the athletic program, facilities, and curriculum. Several years later, faculty members Ane Lintvedt and CAROLINE CARLSON ’81 took up the cause from within, advocating for greater equality among employees. Carlson brought a unique perspective to the work as McDonogh’s first alumna to return as a faculty member.
“The drive to evolve has been consistent,” Livermore observes. “When I came back as a faculty member in the fall of 1999, McDonogh was fully coed, but there were a lot of things we weren’t. Today, we continue to push ourselves to make progress. And I think it started with the move to coeducation.” In 1989, JENNIE OSBORNE ’90 and MICHELE WEINER ’90 were elected the first female Student Government Association (SGA) President and Vice President, respectively, a milestone that arrived not just with a speech, but with a song. Their campaign, set to the tune of Guns N’ Roses’ “Paradise City,” was so infectious that classmates from that era can still sing the words today. Leadership,
A CAMPUS FIRST CERES M. HORN ’86 arrived at McDonogh spontaneously funny, brilliantly
curious, and seemingly capable of doing everything at once. She competed on the It’s Academic team, played basketball and softball, and ran cross country. She performed in leading roles in some theater productions and built the sets for others. Ceres graduated at age 16 and enrolled at Princeton University with a singular dream: to become an astronaut. She was on her way back to campus for the spring semester of her freshman year when an Amtrak train crash took her life. McDonogh did not forget her. In 1998, when the Burck Center for the Performing Arts opened, its theater was named in her memory — and with that, Ceres Horn became something else entirely: the first McDonogh alumna to have a campus space named in her honor.
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McDonogh Magazine [ 50 Years of Coeducation ]
they seemed to suggest, didn’t have to be solemn. It could also be joyful. That same spirit animated BRIDGET COLLINS ’90, who didn’t just participate in McDonogh’s culture but also helped define its conscience. She chaired the committee that established McDonogh’s Honor Code: I will not lie, cheat, or steal. I will respect the rights and well-being of myself and others. These two sentences, simply stated, have endured. In 1989, the Rollins-Luetkemeyer Scholars program was founded to enhance the boarding experience and foster leadership. A handful of juniors with demonstrated leadership ability were invited to join the senior R-Ls in the dorms. Among the younger group were MERRITT WASKEY ’91 and her roommate ROBIN HAMILTON ’91.
“I’m Not Surprised in the Least” A Conversation with Robin Hamilton ’91 “My roommate in my junior year was Robin Hamilton,” says Merritt Livermore ’91. “We’d been friends since Middle School, and she was a genuinely good person. I admired her commitment to studying and working hard and hoped that some of that would rub off on me. We would stay up late with our little night lamps and study, and she was so wicked smart. Today, she’s a world-renowned documentarian, journalist, and media mogul — and I’m not surprised in the least.” Merritt recently sat down with Robin to hear about the lessons McDonogh taught her. MERRITT: You were so focused, even back then — studying by lamplight long after most people had given up for the night. Did you already know what you wanted to become as an adult? ROBIN: Honestly, my parents just drilled
into us that in order to do well, you have to work hard, period. That being said, when it came time to figure out a career, I wasn’t sure what that looked like. But I remembered I enjoyed oratory, I always liked writing, and asking a lot of questions. I was genuinely interested in how people landed in their careers, did unusual things, and what made someone successful. MERRITT: Was there a moment at McDonogh when you thought — I can do something significant in this world? ROBIN: I don’t know if it was a moment,
but I knew we were given opportunities to prove ourselves as leaders, and those moments stayed with me — whether through academics, sports, or projects — there was an expectation on how to serve and lead, and those lessons never left me. MERRITT: Your documentaries tell the stories of people whose voices might otherwise go unheard. When you look back at the path that led to that work, where does McDonogh fit? ROBIN: For a while, when I was learning
about literature, I was seeing only one perspective, which was through a white male lens. Then, I had Cynthia Cox’s class. When I think back to some amazing teachers, I have to credit Mrs. Cox with so much. She introduced me to Toni Morrison and other writers whose voices were often not given the credit they deserved (at the time). She opened
up a new way of thinking about voice, perspective, place, and space in the world — and why different voices matter — and how every person’s voice matters. Each person has a story — one which can shape the world and make it better for everyone. I have applied that principle to the work I do in my documentary films today. Speaking your truth can leave an impact on the world — and being exposed to a different perspective can change you, too. MERRITT: What do you want young women at McDonogh today to understand about what it means to work hard toward something — really hard, late-night-lamp hard? ROBIN: That nothing replaces hard work.
McDonogh taught us how to compete in the world, and there is no shortcut to excellence. In fourth grade, I was chosen to recite the poem “Be the Best of Whatever You Are” by Douglas Malloch. That simple poem highlights the message that
no matter how small the task, do it with excellence because it is a reflection of who you are. It’s easy to get distracted by the big, fancy, and sparkly. But doing the small, hard tasks when no one is looking is the foundation for becoming the person you ultimately want to be. Robin Hamilton ’91 is the founder and principal of ARound Robin Production Company. Her documentary films include This Little Light of Mine: The Legacy of Fannie Lou Hamer (2015), Dignity and Defiance: A Portrait of Mary Church Terrell (2017), Our Alexandria (2020, Best Documentary Short, DC Independent Film Festival), and Odessa’s Reign, for which she received her fourth Emmy. In 2016, she was awarded a Fulbright grant to Myanmar. Robin also produced a documentary about the creation of McDonogh School’s Memorial to the Enslaved and Freed, which debuted in 2022.
McDonogh Magazine [ 50 Years of Coeducation ]
23
EVERYTHING BEGAN WITH A FIRST
into the fabric of the place that it’s almost impossible to imagine it any other way.
On the stage in 1990, CAROLINE STEWART ’93 stepped into the lead role of Rose in the Upper School production of Gypsy — a remarkable achievement for a ninth grader. Her parents later established the Stewart Senior Honors Performance Award, a lasting tribute that continues to recognize artistic excellence at McDonogh.
What 50 Years Looks Like Walk through the halls of McDonogh today, and you will see girls leading student government, captaining teams, editing publications, performing on stages, winning championships, and heading off to the finest universities in the country. You will find an Honor Code on the wall, a theater with a woman’s name on it, and a history of athletic championships that stretches back decades. You will find a School where the full participation of women is so thoroughly woven
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It took work. It took courage. It took time. Someone had to research, imagine, and plan before the first girl ever arrived. Someone had to dive into a boys’ league because there was no other league. Someone had to play on borrowed equipment and arrange games by hand, and graduate before her dream was realized. Someone had to argue her way onto a team, write a campaign song, and draft two sentences that would define a School’s conscience for generations. Someone had to be first, and then someone else had to be second, and third, and fourth, until being first was no longer the point. Fifty years ago, STACEY BOYER stepped forward to receive her diploma, first in her class alphabetically and first in a long line of women who have shaped the School. In her 2025 Convocation remarks, she offered the current generation of McDonogh students a question worth sitting with: “Why is this important? Because life is coed. The earlier we learn to communicate, collaborate, and respect each other, the more enriched our lives will be.”
McDonogh Magazine [ 50 Years of Coeducation ]
asked about that “ When transformation, I always
”
use the word color.
They Added Vibrant Color By Laddie Levy ’63 As a male Upper School English teacher who went to McDonogh when it was an all-boys semi-military school and who learned to teach at that all-boys semi-military school, the introduction of girls in the fall of 1975 was indeed an eye-opener. From the banal (I realized I had to discard my go-to booming intonation of the word “Gentlemen!” that I used to quiet the classroom and restore order) to the more significant (I realized I was going to have to revisit the curriculum and pedagogy of my classroom entirely), coeducation proved to be both incredibly challenging and incredibly rewarding. For me, the introduction of girls was the fourth major change I encountered in my years at McDonogh: integrating in 1959, going civilian in 1971, entirely modernizing the curriculum in 1974, and admitting girls in 1975. These changes, combined with a significant drop in the average age of
the faculty, as many of the loyal teachers Doc Lamborn recruited to help fulfill his dream of reimagining the School reached retirement age, transformed McDonogh before my eyes. When asked about that transformation, I always use the word color. My McDonogh had been uniformly gray, from the dress to the color of the classroom walls, to the predominant spirit of the place. Yes, there were occasions of fun and excitement in and out of the classroom, but the School now seemed, in my eyes, full of joy, blossoming and smiling and coming to life in rich and vibrant color. The changes McDonogh made were often rooted in financial need, but, to quote Shakespeare’s The Tempest, they comprised “a sea-change / Into something rich and strange” — and wonderful, and colorful. My recollection of my own McDonogh school days is of the boarder eagerly awaiting Friday dismissal and the day hop rushing to the afternoon bus, each
returning on Monday, in Shakespeare’s words, “creeping like snail / Unwillingly to school.” Today, I see students coming in early for breakfast and staying late for myriad evening activities — returning on weekends not because they have to, but because they want to. Many with broad, joyful smiles — and colorful attire.
being the only girl. One day, I stopped her in the hall and asked whether she had a free fourth period — I had another sophomore class with several girls she could easily transfer into. She was free, but she wasn’t interested. As one of those pioneer women, later a colleague at the School, explained: “Why do you think we came?”
None of the four major changes I witnessed came easily; change usually doesn’t. Pockets of resistance loomed — perhaps the most visible were the Save Our Cadets bumper stickers that greeted the dropping of the military. Among the challenges those first girls (only eight in the senior class of 100) faced was a dearth of female administrators, Upper School faculty, coaches, and a support system. And there were almost no facilities to speak of — for the Upper School girls, the sole bathroom was on the third floor of Allan Building, 60 steps up!
Those girls were brave, resilient, creative, persistent, talented, and at times extremely demanding, as they needed to be. And McDonogh eventually became a supportive and loving place for them to learn and play and perform and shine. My classes and advisories were full of girls, and the first girls’ dorm was located on the floor above my office and classroom. Near the end of my career, I was even asked to coach a varsity girls’ team. We won a championship, in brilliant orange and black.
That first year, one of my sophomore English classes had just one female student, and she struggled with the pressures of McDonogh Magazine [ 50 Years of Coeducation ]
25
A R T I FAC T S F R O M T H E A R C H I V E S
Breaking Breaking the Ice With
Miss Florence The four-page handwritten letter, addressed to no one in particular, is dated March 17, 1960. Its author, Calvert Williamson, Class of 1894, had come across an “In Memoriam” article in the Alumni Quarterly about Florence Edwards — one of the two daughters of McDonogh’s third principal, Dr. James T. Edwards — and was moved to share his own story. Williamson opened by noting that in the early years of the School, although McDonogh was not coeducational, the daughters of a handful of teachers and administrators learned alongside the boys. In his letter, Williamson introduces Miss Florence, writing that although she did not attend classes with the boys, as she had completed high school by the time her father became principal, she was a familiar presence on campus. He adds, “The boys were very shy with such a grown-up lady. I was 15 and she 18.”
Margaret Mooreland and Mary Lyle Smith (c. 1902) were among the girls who attended classes at McDonogh.
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McDonogh Magazine [ Artifacts from the Archives ]
With the stage set, his story began:
“The big ice pond down by the county road was frozen over, and since the ice house had been filled, the pond was given to the boys. One cold winter afternoon, about thirty boys were skating when Miss Florence and her sister, Miss Laura, accompanied by a couple of teachers, appeared. We kept to our end of the pond, and Miss Florence was all alone nearby. Dr. Moon was showing her some fancy skating. I wondered what would happen if I asked her to skate with me. From my first year at school in 1888, Dr. Moon had taught me how to skate. I could do the inner edge, the outer edge, the figure 8, and the grapevine. So I skated over to her and (scared to death) said, ‘Miss Florence, ah, ah, would you skate with me?’ “‘Why certainly, Chick,’ she said. And round and round the pond we went with all the other boys standing googly-eyed watching and wondering if I’d be put on the block-gang, the bodyguard, or something worse. I thought about the others and, without saying a word, steered her right up to John Brach, the biggest boy in school, and said to him, ‘Miss Florence won’t bite you, show her how you can skate with a lady.’ That broke the ice, and she shared a happy afternoon with a lot of boys. Some of them were so nervous that they sometimes sprawled on their fannies. But not one of them dragged her down.”
Fritz Lake, where students often ice skated.
“It was the beginning of a friendship that lasted sixty-six years,” Williamson wrote. He and Florence stayed in touch across the decades. After the death of her husband, Charles Sumwalt — Class of 1881 and a McDonogh faculty member — in an automobile accident in 1940, Williamson paid her a visit. She later moved to West Chester, Pennsylvania, with her daughter. “Our correspondence grew,” he recalled, “and she always signed her letters, cards, and notes to me ‘Miss Florence.’” He described their final visit, the year before her death: “On a Sunday morning, she phoned to say that her son, Charles, was bringing her out to see me. For two hours we had a great pow-wow. That was the last time I saw her. But in November, I got a holiday card and at Christmas another one. This was just a few days before she passed on. She died as she would have wished to. No sickness, no pain, no hospitalization.”
Calvert Williamson, Class of 1894, became a teacher at McDonogh.
After more than 60 years of friendship, Williamson’s letter closes simply: “I wish you could have known her.” Yours truly, C. W.
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CIRCLING THE HILL
HONORING THE BEST OF MCDONOGH Twice during the 2025-2026 school year, faculty and staff gathered to witness one of McDonogh’s most anticipated traditions: the awarding of prestigious faculty chairs. Presented at the all-school meetings at the start and middle of the year, the honors are announced without advance notice — the recipients learning of the awards only as it happens, in front of their colleagues. The chairs recognize not just exceptional teaching, but the dedication, joy, and humanity that the best McDonogh educators bring to their classrooms every day, ultimately benefiting their students the most.
Eric Conn Success in Eric Conn’s classroom is students so riveted by his demonstrations — fun, loud, and bright — that they hate to leave when class is over. It’s also upper schoolers who sign up for Advanced Physics with Calculus, the most challenging course on campus, and consider completing it as a badge of honor. Students consistently credit Conn’s patient guidance as a key to their success; it is a hallmark of his teaching that has defined his career. In August 2025, he was presented with the Raymond B. Oliver ’40 Teaching 28
McDonogh Magazine [ Circling the Hill ]
Chair in recognition of his commitment to the growth and success of each of his students. For Conn, the moment carried a depth that went beyond recognition. “What made it especially meaningful was having some of my own mentors — educators who taught me how to teach — there that day,” he reflected, noting that many of them knew Ray Oliver personally, some having taught alongside him, and through their example, his influence was quietly passed down. “His impact continues through generations of teachers,” Conn said, “and I’m honored to be part of that legacy.”
Katie McGrain Katie McGrain’s heart belongs to the Lower School. Warm, engaging, and endlessly creative, she is best known for transforming the Dawson library into a bright and welcoming haven where young readers from prekindergarten through fourth grade fall in love with books. Her lessons have a particular magic that even the most reluctant readers find hard to resist. Though she spent several years on the Admissions team, the library kept calling her back. In February 2026, McGrain was awarded the W. Wright Abbot IV Distinguished Teaching Chair for her generosity of spirit, innovative thinking, and dedication to excellence. McGrain, whose mother and grandmother were both teachers, says, “They dedicated their professional lives to the important work of young people, each striking a complex balance of heart, science, and old-fashioned hard work. Growing up watching them use their craft, I didn’t just admire what they did, I learned from them.”
Christy Etchison In her Middle School science classroom, Christy Etchison leads with strong problem-solving skills and genuine care for every student in her orbit. She constantly assesses how students are learning, considers multiple perspectives, and adapts her lesson plans accordingly. On any given day, those skills come into play whether she’s setting up a fifth grade science lab or officiating the latest best friend drama — and everything in between. Known for being firm yet fair, after two decades at McDonogh she has earned the trust and respect of students and colleagues alike. In August 2025, she was recognized with the RollinsLuetkemeyer Teaching Chair Award.
She says, “Being recognized by the administration and my colleagues for work I care so deeply about is truly humbling. It affirms that the time, energy, and passion I invest in my classroom each day are valued. Teaching children is something I genuinely love, and to have that passion acknowledged in this way is both profoundly meaningful and incredibly motivating.”
*McGrain will begin a new chapter in the fall of 2026 as the interim Associate Head of Lower School (PK–1).
Hakeem Sule ’05 Ever since he stepped onto McDonogh’s campus as a freshman in 2001, Hakeem Sule has made the most of every opportunity. That drive continued at the University of Maryland, where he walked on to the football team — and it followed him back to McDonogh when he returned to his alma mater in
2010, bringing his academic and athletic expertise to his math classroom and the football field. He rose through the ranks and became head football coach in 2018. In February 2026, Sule was awarded the Howard C. “Dutch” Eyth Teaching Chair — a fitting tribute for a man who has lived its philosophy from his very first day on campus. “I take great pride in helping students grow in confidence, whether that is in the classroom, on the field, or as young people preparing for life beyond McDonogh,” says Sule. “It is an honor to be recognized by a community and school that have meant so much to me both as an alumnus and educator.” McDonogh Magazine [ Circling the Hill ]
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CIRCLING THE HILL
Riding Trail: The 2.7-mile riding trail winds around the equestrian center, past cornfields, behind Roots Farm, and through the Farm Road neighborhood — giving horses and riders alike a chance to enjoy the natural beauty of McDonogh’s 800-acre campus while building the balance and muscle development that ring work alone can’t always provide.
Back-of-the-Barn Improvements: Relocating three stalls and adding fans for improved airflow have resulted in a brighter, more open barn and better breathing for horses 21 Paddocks: More than 70 horses and ponies now enjoy 21 paddocks with automatic waterers, providing fresh
and humans alike. Five new grooming stalls provide a cleaner, safer space for students to groom and tack up their horses.
drinking water and increased turnout time for grazing, exercise, and socialization.
Reorganized Office Space and Tack Rooms: The reimagined space gives students a dedicated area to gather, clean tack, and store their equipment, while barn staff and instructors have their own workspace — creating a more organized, functional environment for everyone.
Inside the Boston Equestrian Center 30
McDonogh Magazine [ Circling the Hill ]
New and Improved Jumps: The new indoor ring is equipped with a full course of new hunter jumps, and many existing jumps have been repaired and refreshed with new paint. Keeping the jump inventory in top condition is an ongoing investment in the quality of the program.
Enhanced Outdoor Rings: The two outdoor rings have been enlarged to provide more space for student riders, and improvements are being made to the footing to provide additional options for hosting higher-level competitions.
Farm Road Improvements: Farm Road was widened to New Indoor Ring: The addition of a third indoor ring creates space
accommodate the trucks and
for more McDonogh riders to learn and practice simultaneously,
tractor-trailers that serve
in any weather and throughout the year. The new facility also
the barn daily, as well as the
houses the show office, the hub for horse show management
heavier volume that arrives
and registration, along with a comfortable viewing area for
on horse show weekends.
parents and hospitality space for competitions and larger events. Together, these additions open the door to hosting more frequent and higher-level competitions.
For generations of McDonogh riders, the horse barn has been a place where hard work and lifelong lessons come together. In the past few years, significant enhancements to the equestrian center have elevated the daily experience for riders and strengthened the School’s already formidable reputation in the sport. Now named the Boston Equestrian Center, the newly upgraded arenas and grounds give McDonogh an environment worthy of the extraordinary riders it has long produced. The naming honors Trustee Wally Boston ’72, his wife Sharon, and their daughters Grace ’18 and Sarah ’18 — a family with deep roots at McDonogh. As a student, Wally Boston witnessed the School’s evolution from military to civilian, and as a parent of two daughters, he celebrated the shift to coeducation. His perspective shaped his remarks about the riding program at the dedication of the equestrian center in May. He said, “What began with a handful of horses
brought to campus by one headmaster grew into a program that has served generations of students and produced extraordinary riders.” He enumerated the changes to the facilities over the years, including the expansion of the barn, the addition of outdoor rings, and the construction of an indoor arena in 2011. “This latest expansion gives McDonogh an even greater ability to teach, train, host, compete, and welcome,” he added. Boston was equally clear that the investments in the equestrian center run deeper than boards and beams. “They are investments in horsemanship. They are investments in the quiet, daily lessons that happen when a young rider learns to tack up properly, to care for a pony before caring about a ribbon, to persevere after a hard round, and to celebrate someone else’s success as much as their own.” Stay up to date on the equestrian program on Instagram @mcdonogh.equestrian. McDonogh Magazine [ Circling the Hill ]
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CIRCLING THE HILL
Academic Strategic Plan
Our Progress
In fall 2024, McDonogh shared its Academic Strategic Plan — a comprehensive framework reaffirming our commitment to providing a robust and rigorous liberal arts education. Since the launch, faculty, staff, and school leaders have been hard at work bringing that vision to life. The following updates provide a snapshot of our progress. PK–12 WELLNESS CURRICULUM: Built a
cohesive, age-appropriate mental health and wellness program for every grade. MULTIMODAL COMMUNICATION:
Engaged students with multiple forms of communication, including writing (print and cursive), public speaking, and digital tools.
R
Technology and Innovation TECHNOLOGY PRACTICES AND POLICIES:
Audited educational tools and provided professional development to ensure safe and productive digital learning environments. Reduced screen time in ways that reflect the developmental needs of students at every level.
R Curriculum and Instruction PK–12 STEM EDUCATION:
Expanded science, technology, engineering, and math electives and opportunities school-wide, including cross-divisional collaborations.
AI EDUCATION FOR FACULTY AND STUDENTS: Established guidelines for the
PK–12 CURRICULAR ALIGNMENT:
responsible, ethical, and developmentally appropriate use of AI in the classroom.
Connected faculty cross-divisionally throughout the school year so that they could develop learning pathways from PK through twelfth grade.
UPPER SCHOOL CELL PHONE POLICY:
Updated phone policy in Upper School to improve student focus, connection, engagement, and overall well-being.
PK–4 READING AND WRITING PROGRAM:
Launched a new literacy program designed to build foundational reading skills while simultaneously building broad subject-matter knowledge.
R Opportunity and Access
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DUAL CREDIT PROGRAM LAUNCH:
Increased school-wide collaboration between our theater and music programs.
Partnered with local universities to enable Upper Schoolers to earn college credits.
PE CURRICULUM ENHANCEMENTS:
FACULTY GROWTH AND EVALUATION:
Enhanced physical education program to focus on age-appropriate fitness, teamwork, and healthy habits.
Piloted a new feedback model to help our teachers continuously learn and grow professionally.
PERFORMING ARTS TEAM ANALYSIS:
McDonogh Magazine [ Circling the Hill ]
We loo k forwa rd to buildin g on th is mom entum and sh aring fu rther progre ss in th e year ahead. Learn m ore at: mcdon ogh.or g/mas p.
LEARNING SERVICES: Hired a Director
of Learning Services and expanded support structures for students with diverse learning needs.
PARENT ENGAGEMENT: Created new
programming to deepen the connection between families and the School.
R Signature Programs GREATEST GOOD MCDONOGH PROGRAM EXPANSION: Expanded curriculum and
coursework that teach students realworld service and social impact. 800-ACRE LABS: Hired a dedicated
director to turn our campus into a living laboratory for environmental science. CENTER FOR CIVICS AND ETHICS:
Began development of this new signature program that will focus on civil discourse, ethical leadership, and responsible citizenship. LIFEREADY HUB DEVELOPMENT AND LAUNCH: Launched a new website
highlighting McDonogh’s LifeReady philosophy for aspiring educators: lifereadylearner.org.
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CIRCLING THE HILL
CRICKETT KASPER > CHIEF PHILANTHROPY OFFICER One of the most respected voices in educational advancement, Crickett Kasper came to McDonogh in April 2026 as Chief Philanthropy Officer, and hit the ground running. After just a few months, she has already embraced the School’s mission, noting, “When you make a philanthropic gift to the School, you are helping to fuel opportunities for our students and faculty to do the greatest good.” Before coming to McDonogh, Kasper served as Senior Director of Independent and International Schools at
the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), where she led programming for more than 900 schools worldwide. Her two decades of experience in the field have made her a trusted advisor to schools navigating the full range of advancement challenges, from major gift strategy to community engagement. She believes that philanthropy is a learned behavior and understands it is what made the founding of the School possible. She adds, “I am honored that I get to help community members invest in the future of McDonogh.”
AIMEE LEISHURE > CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Aimee Leishure brings to the role of Chief Financial Officer something unique: deep financial leadership experience paired with firsthand familiarity with McDonogh. As the parent of students from the Classes of 2023 and 2027, she already knows the culture, the community, and the rhythm of the school year. Her background in long-range planning, capital projects, and institutional operations positions her well to guide McDonogh’s financial future.
In announcing her appointment, Head of School Dave Farace ’87 said, “It became clear during the interview process that Aimee is a collaborative leader and someone who will bring discipline, insight, and thoughtfulness to her work at McDonogh. We look forward to her building on the excellent work of the Business Office as she guides our efforts in the years ahead.”
Welcome to the Administrative Team BRENDAN MINIHAN > HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL Brendan Minihan was named Head of Middle School in January 2026 — a decision that surprised no one who watched him lead during the previous six months in the interim role. His collaborative approach and steady presence quickly made him feel like a member of the McDonogh community, and his credentials made the case just as clearly. Before coming to McDonogh, Minihan spent eight years as Head of Middle School at The Tatnall School in Delaware, building on a
career as a humanities teacher, cross country coach, and administrator. He says those roles taught him that being a leader means serving others. “Service is the most gracious form of leadership,” he says. “This role allows me to support and guide faculty and families as they, in turn, support and guide our students. As we model the value of service, our students learn that helping people doesn’t just make others feel better; it’s rewarding for them, too.”
KARA ZIMMERMAN > HEAD OF LOWER SCHOOL Kara Zimmerman has been part of the McDonogh community since 2009, and in many ways, the path to her new role as Head of Lower School has been leading toward this moment. She began her career working with young children, teaching music and movement, and later expanded her role as director of the PK-12 Arts program. She then served as a member of the Admissions team with a focus on Lower School enrollment before becoming an Associate Head of Lower School in 2024. The breadth of her experience in the classroom, as a leader, and in admissions gives her a comprehensive picture of the division she now leads.
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McDonogh Magazine [ Circling the Hill ]
“McDonogh has shaped me as an educator and leader for nearly two decades, and what continues to inspire me most is our commitment to seeing and supporting the whole child,” Zimmerman says, adding, “Over the years, I have built deep relationships with students, families, and faculty while helping navigate both the joyful and complex moments that define school life. This role feels like the natural next step — an opportunity to lead the Lower School with both continuity and vision at a time when McDonogh is continuing to strengthen alignment, belonging, and student-centered practices.”
ALUMNI NEWS & EVENTS The Office of Alumni Engagement brought the McDonogh community together in ways both familiar and new during the 2025-2026 school year. Catch up on what happened, and see who was there! Then turn to Class Notes to find out what your fellow Eagles have been up to.
McDonogh Magazine [ Alumni News and Events ]
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ALUMNI EVENTS
TOGETHER WE
SOAR C E L E B R AT I N G 5 0 Y E A R S O F C O E D U C AT I O N
After lunch, a panel discussion moderated by Stacey Boyer ’76 (left) — the first woman alphabetically to graduate from McDonogh — brought together alumnae representing three decades of female graduates: Anita Mallya Bajaj ’89, Stephanie Hershkovitz ’92, and Tammy Stewart ’00. When asked what advice they would offer their younger selves, the panelists kept it simple: be present, enjoy your teachers and each other — and, as one put it, “frolic a bit.”
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McDonogh Magazine [ Alumni Events ]
Fifty years after the first girls walked onto McDonogh’s campus, more than 100 alumni, faculty, staff, retirees, and members of the Board of Trustees gathered to honor the milestone at a luncheon that was equal parts reunion, reflection, and celebration. Shortly into his welcome remarks, Head of School Dave Farace ’87 asked the women who were there on the very first day — Tuesday, September 9, 1975 — to stand and be recognized. Cheers and applause filled the room as many of the 138 pioneers (pictured below) rose to their feet, making it clear this was a true celebration.
1975 CHAMPIONSHIP REMEMBERED The captains of McDonogh’s 1975 varsity football team, together with the Class of 1976 Reunion Committee, welcomed classmates back to campus on Saturday, November 1 for a luncheon before the 109th annual McDonogh vs. Gilman football game. During halftime, team members took to the field again to mark the 50th anniversary of winning the championship title.
THANKSGIVING WEEKEND 2025 What better way to connect with McDonogh alumni than with a frothy drink, a friendly game, and quality chocolate? Thanksgiving Weekend 2025 offered several opportunities to catch up with classmates and teammates. Young alumni reconnected on Wednesday evening at the annual happy hour held
at M8 Beer in Baltimore, and on Friday, former boys lacrosse team members returned to campus for their annual Odds vs. Evens game. The weekend events concluded with a chocolate tasting by chocolatier Jinji Frasier ’01, hosted by the McDonogh Black Alumni Committee (MBAC).
Brian Nevin ’20, Kyle Whitaker ’20, and Joe Radek ’20 catch up at the Young Alumni Happy Hour.
McDonogh Magazine [ Alumni Events ]
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ALUMNI EVENTS
WASHINGTON, D.C. RECEPTION The hottest ticket in Washington, D.C., during one of the coldest winters on record, was the gathering of McDonogh alumni from the Classes of 1978 to 2025 at Bobby Van’s Grill in mid-February. Eagle alumni, eager for the opportunity to reconnect with old and new McDonogh friends, heard from Jen Pineau Wilson ’97, Director of Greatest Good McDonogh, who gave an update on the School’s signature social impact initiative, and retiring Upper School science teacher Rob Smoot ’77, who added an extra dose of energy to the evening.
50TH ANNUAL MCDONOGH CLASSIC
Ron Zappacosta ’88 and Laura Stone ’88
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McDonogh Magazine [ Alumni Events ]
Whether they preferred a dimpled golf ball or a hollow pickleball, the 50th Annual McDonogh Classic had a spot for everyone. The event, held Tuesday, May 12 at Green Spring Valley Hunt Club, brought together enthusiasts of both sports for a day of friendly competition, camaraderie, and philanthropy.
Pickleball players enjoyed a morning of social play, including an introduction to padel — the fast-growing racket sport worldwide. Then, after an all-player lunch, golfers teed off for 18 holes of scramble-style play. The day concluded with an awards ceremony at the 19th Hole Happy Hour.
ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY
Front row, from left: Taylor Cummings Danseglio ’12, George Campbell ’14, and Josh Fitch ’08; Second row, from left: Jermaine Johnson ’91, Jessica Caldwell ’12, To become a Hall of Fame inductee, athletes must not only have an outstanding athletic and Elizabeth George ’15; Back row, from record during their time as an Eagle, but must also embody the ideal values of a McDonogh athlete: dedication, perseverance, positivity, leadership, and teamwork. McDonogh’s Athletic left: Jacob Pope ’13, Myles Martin ’15, and Autumne Franklin ’12. Hall of Fame welcomed 10 new members at a ceremony on Wednesday, March 4, attended Marissa Furman ’99 by the athletes, their families, coaches, and friends. Before introducing the honorees and presenting each with a framed varsity letter, Athletic Director Jeff Parsons reflected on what received the honor posthumously. those values really mean: “They transcend any single season, any single sport, any single generation. They’re what connect every person who has ever worn an Eagle uniform — past, present, and future.”
Visit mcdonogh.org/hof for details on how to nominate a former McDonogh athlete, coach, or member of the Athletics Department to the Hall of Fame and see the list of past inductees.
McDonogh Magazine [ Alumni Events ]
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ALUMNI EVENTS
REUNION WEEKEND
ALUMNI COCKTAIL PARTY
On a typical day, the classrooms of the Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Middle School buzz with curious students and the energy of learning. On Friday evening, the building was equally energized with alumni and their guests who gathered for the Alumni Cocktail Party. They reconnected, shared memories, and celebrated two honorees: Distinguished Service Award recipient ROB YOUNG ’86 and Young Alumni Award recipient MYA CHRISTIAN ’16. Rob Young ’86 and Mya Christian ’16
MEMORIAL SERVICE
Before the Reunion Weekend celebrations, members of the McDonogh community gathered in Tagart Chapel on Friday afternoon to honor the memory of those who have passed. Read about the honorees on pages 49 and 60 in Class Notes and visit mcdonogh.org/dsa or mcdonogh.org/yaa for details on how to submit a nomination and to see the lists of past recipients.
TOGETHER WE SOAR: CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF WOMEN IN ATHLETICS
CAMPUS WALKING TOUR
Alumni enjoyed a peek into the past, and a fresh perspective on how learning takes place today, during campus walking tours led by Jon Aaron ’72.
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McDonogh Magazine [ Alumni Events ]
Alumnae athletes representing five decades of coeducation and women’s sports at McDonogh were recognized during halftime of the varsity girls lacrosse game — a fitting backdrop to honor the legacy of girls’ athletics. Caitlin Xenakis ’07, Kelly Peloquin ’06, Katie Mitchell Pearl ’89, Caroline Carlson Maisel ’81, Stacey Boyer ’76, Anna Dopkin ’85, Kimmy Hilson Carmichael ’10, and Becca del Carmen English ’91
2006 classmates: Stephen Mulligan, Matt Ford, Kelly Peloquin, Joe Damiba, Paola Keesy, Natalie Pappas, and Zack Garber MCD
ONO
REUN GH
SCH
OOL
WEEK ION END APR
IL 2 4
- A PR
IL 2 6
Cherri Winston, Scott Winston ’76, and Clem Palevich ’21
Emma Ryan ’21, Luke Ryan ’23, Sam Ryan ’19, and Peyton Barranco ’17
Jorge Delgado ’66, Tom Turner ’66, and Bill Leonard ’66
HALF CENTURY CLUB INDUCTION
Five decades after graduating from McDonogh, members of the Class of 1976 joined the ranks of the Half Century Club and received commemorative pins from Head of School Dave Farace ’87.
McDonogh Magazine [ Alumni Events ]
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REUNION WEEKEND
CRAB FEAST AND FAMILY PICNIC
There is something about a pile of steamed crabs that brings people together. On Saturday afternoon, alumni and their families, faculty, retirees, members of the Board of Trustees, and friends gathered in Paterakis Hall for a picnic lunch where the laughter and conversation kept pace with the hammering of the mallets.
Cat Brandt Peretti ’99 and her children find her name on the walls of Paterakis Hall. Ben Fish ’16, Kayla Holmes ’16, Andrea Robinson ’16, Marie Catanese ’16, and Ronson Holmes ’21 Rick Zapf ’70, Mike Moser ’70, Chris Ross ’69, and Randy Respess ’70
Andy Motsko, Elizabeth Smoot, Rob Smoot ’77, and Buck Lyon-Vaiden
MBAC SENIOR SEND-OFF Reunion Weekend wrapped up with two events hosted by the McDonogh Black Alumni Committee (MBAC). First, Black seniors and their families joined the MBAC to celebrate the Class of 2026 at the Senior Send-Off — a chance to honor their McDonogh journey and send them off into the next chapter — surrounded by the community that helped shape them. Later, alumni gathered for brunch at Mama’s on the Half Shell in Owings Mills.
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McDonogh Magazine [ Alumni Events ]
Waytso
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M C D O N O G H . O R G /A L U M N I E V E N T S
DEDICATION DAY Friday, October 9
Network connect.mcdonogh.org
110TH MCDONOGH VS GILMAN FOOTBALL GAME Saturday, November 7 YOUNG ALUMNI HAPPY HOUR Wednesday, November 25
HOLIDAY LUNCHEON Tuesday, December 8
Update your Information mcdonogh.org/update
Be a Part of the
2027 Magazine TELL US WHAT YOU’VE BEEN UP TO
The deadline to submit class notes for the next issue of McDonogh Magazine is Friday,
YOUNG ALUMNI DINNER January 2027 (date TBD)
April 30, 2027. To share your updates, news, and photos, visit mcdonogh.org/classnotes.
AT T E N D A N E V E N T
Please be sure to identify everyone pictured.
MCDONOGH RECEPTION IN NEW YORK, NY Monday, February 1
SHARE YOUR ALUMNI CONNECTIONS
The world may be vast, but an encounter with someone from the McDonogh community, no matter where you are, can make it feel
REUNION WEEKEND Friday, May 21 - Sunday, May 23 Milestone reunions for classes ending in 2 and 7
MEMORIAL DAY SERVICE Tuesday, May 25
surprisingly small. If you have a story to share, please email alumni@mcdonogh.org.
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FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
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McDonogh Magazine [ Ways to Engage ]
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CLASS NOTES SEE WHAT OUR ALUMNI HAVE BEEN UP TO!
1954
JACK CARTER took a barge cruise in
France with his wife, children, and grandchildren in June.
1955
Before his passing in 2025, DAVID KNAPP shared that after 58 years in the metal casting industry and also painting 64 large acrylics representing foundry scenes, he had donated much of his work to four museums and trade associations. Today, 13 works are on permanent display at the American Foundry Society in Chicago; eight can be seen at the Grohmann
Museum in Milwaukee; four are at the Steel Founders Society, also in Chicago; and six are at the National Museum of Industrial History, an affiliate of the Smithsonian, in Bethlehem, PA. In sharing this news, David said he felt truly indebted to his McDonogh art instructor and World War II veteran, E. Carey Kenney, who encouraged him to pursue his dreams and shaped his character. David said he couldn’t believe his works had generated such museum enthusiasm and are now part of his legacy, thanks to Kenney’s mentorship. The collection can be seen at davidjknapp.com.
1956 ’56
70th Reunion Party WHISTLER BURCH enjoyed spending
time with classmates CHICK HIESTAND, CARL HUMPHREYS, LEN LINDENMEYER, JOHN WARD, and their guests for an
evening of conviviality and reminiscence at their 70th Reunion dinner at Bluestone Restaurant. It was truly an evening to be remembered. ’55
1961
65th Reunion Party
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McDonogh Magazine [ Class Notes ]
’61
1962
JOHN GLASSER, JAY GHINGHER, and CHAMPE MCCULLOCH, classmates at both
McDonogh and Princeton, reunited with their spouses and a friend (seated) in
’62
Minneapolis-St. Paul. The three are now retired. John concluded a career in infectious disease epidemiology at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Jay retired from corporate law practice as a Partner at Saul Ewing LLP, and Champe stepped away from a career managing trade associations and lobbying Maryland legislators. Much of their visit was spent catching up on the accomplishments of their children and grandchildren, along with outings to spot nesting eagles and tour the site of a former General Mills plant, one of several industries once powered by the Mississippi River.
’66
In Memoriam ’36 Harry Witzke
’61 Frank Kemp
’42 James Mobley
’61 George Reagle
’43 Harley Clough
’64 Herbert Bevard
’43 William Hoffman
’64 Dale Hall
’47 Hugh Andrew
’64 John Thomas
’49 Winfield Cain
’66 Charles Campbell
’50 Frederick Mitchell
’67 Leonard Pineau
’52 Malcolm McKnight
’68 Thomas Rogers
’52 Don Moon
’68 Bryan Waltz
’52 Bruce Smith
’69 Brian Happel
’52 Edgar Smith
’69 Reid Hosford
’52 Harrison Stone
’70 Jan Sherrill
’52 William Wood
’ 71 Francis Commiskey
’53 Anthony Boccuti
’72 Frank Favazza
’53 Robert Griffiths
’76 William Brandt
’54 Marvin Hundertmark ’76 Richard Martin
60th Reunion Party
’66
’55 George Andrews
’76 Mark Pascal
’55 Decker Clark
’76 Mark Smith
’55 Richard Edgar
’76 David Will
’55 David Knapp
’77 John Ritterhoff
’55 Thomas Phillips
’80 Key Whiting
’55 Richard Raitt
’82 Christopher Harris
’55 Carl Wannen
’90 Christopher Greenwood
’56 Randolph Reinhold
’93 Eric Hrabowski
’57 Richard Benjes
’95 Jason Bengson
’57 Norris Price
’99 Lauren DeSalvo
’58 Leonard Bahr
’99 Marissa Furman
’58 William Clark
1966
Before cheering on the football team, members of the Class of 1966 — MIKE KALMER, MARTY WEIKART, TIM FARMER, TOM DANCE, and TIM WRIGHT — paid a
visit to the Fader Innovation Center to
’58 Lawrence Mathison
Faculty and Staff
’58 John Murray
Thomas Gizzi
’58 Edward Rimron
David Harley
’58 John Waddell
Tony Lopez
’58 Lewis Whiting
Luke Scanlon
’59 Robert Rogers
Theodore Scocos
’60 James Welsch
Raymond Sears
’60 Robert White
see one of McDonogh’s robotics teams at work. As a bonus, the men were able to see the piece of equipment their class had donated to the School’s thriving engineering program.
’61 Joseph Armetta
Former Board of Trustees
’61 Berkeley Brandt
William Reynolds, Sr.
’61 Patrick Cornell ’61 Anthony Federico
As of July 15, 2026
’61 Arthur Gompf
McDonogh Magazine [ Class Notes ]
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CLASS NOTES 1970
Retired McDonogh faculty member TOM YOUNG found lasting motivation through the Finney Running Club, founded in 2013 by fellow faculty member Matt Goode. The club encouraged participants to complete at least one mile of running, walking, swimming, elliptical training, or other exercise each day while tracking consecutive-day streaks. Participants kept track of their streaks, and Tom took this very seriously as a daily source of motivation and accountability. He started the journey on June 10, 2013, and he has not missed a day since!
1971
After 20 years in the private sector and 25 years in public service in Upstate New York, along with four years onboard the USS Nimitz CVN-68, TIM WOLFE retired, and he and his wife, Mary, moved to Colorado Springs, CO, to enjoy their three grandchildren and the western outdoors. ’71
55th Reunion Party
1973
’72
After a 48-year legal career, including his time in law school, NORMAN PARKER retired from the Howard County Office of Law in December 2025. He welcomes any advice as he begins this new phase of life!
1974 1972
JOHN FISHER demonstrated that it’s
never too late to begin again. After decades in the entertainment industry, he traded scripts for service — graduating from the Río Hondo College Police Academy as class president and “most inspirational,” and became one of the oldest people in California to complete a six-month basic police academy program. His journey from TV sets to tactical training is proof that purpose has no expiration date, only new chapters waiting to be written. For more than 30 years, BOB SULLIVAN has been supplying paper props and other materials to production companies through his business, Sullivan Press. In April, he and his wife, Janet, attended the premiere of the Sight & Sound Films production of A Great Awakening and posed for a photo with actor Jonathan Blair, who played Rev. George Whitefield. A Great Awakening was the sixth-highest-grossing movie on its opening weekend.
During a trip to Oregon, BOB IRVIN and his wife, Kathy, were thrilled to see defensive back BRANDON FINNEY ’25 play in the University of Oregon game against Oklahoma State. After a couple of years of enjoying retirement, SOAD KOUSHESHI has returned to work. Through his company, AEC Strategy, he serves as a capital project delivery advisor, expert witness, AAA arbitrator, and dispute resolution and claims consultant on complex design and construction projects.
’74
BRIAN SIEGEL and wife Donna welcomed
their first grandchild in November 2025. ’74
Janet Sullivan, actor Jonathan Blair, and Bob Sullivan ’72. ’72
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McDonogh Magazine [ Class Notes ]
Members of the Class of 1974, Jerry Witowski, Bob Brooks, Barry Rollins, Steve MacNabb, and Bert Lane, gathered at the home of Bob and Diane Brooks in Pine Shores, NC, in April.
1975
’75
From left: Scott Kallins ’77, Scott Naylor ’75, and Kip White ’76 took a break from the slopes to prove they still have what it takes — this time on wheels.
’76
1976
JON HOLLJES shared how much he
enjoyed attending the 50th Reunion for the Class of 1976. He said that one of the highlights of the weekend was reconnecting with BRENT BILGER, whom he had not seen since July 1976, when they were both part of McDonogh Abroad. A bonus was staying at the same hotel as KIP WHITE and JANE FRIDDELL ’78, as well as LEROY KATZ and his wife, Sue. Jon’s wife, Jeni, said she feels closer to the McDonogh Class of 1976 than to her own graduating class from Vestal High School in New York. BRENT BILGER enjoyed touring The
Great Loop, a continuous 6,000-mile aquatic highway circumnavigating the eastern third of the United States and parts of Canada. He highly recommends using MyBoatJourney.com to play with possible routes.
’76
Gary Bull ’76 and grandchild number seven born moments before midnight on Christmas Eve 2025.
’76
’76
50th Reunion Party McDonogh Magazine [ Class Notes ]
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CLASS NOTES 1977
1981
’81
DAVID SMITH continues to serve as the
Director of Business Development for the Americas for Oxford Flow, a UK-based technology company spun out of an aerospace research laboratory at the University of Oxford. David, his wife, Laura (a professional harpist), daughter June, son Cameron, and new daughterin-law Emily all reside in Houston, TX. David continues to be an avid and competitive gravel cyclist. 45th Reunion Party
1978
1984
SUSAN UDVARHELYI COMPTON
’84
completed training as an end-of-life doula and launched her company and website dyingwithcuriosity.com. She also uses her skills as a hospice volunteer. She believes that death doulas play an important role and is happy to answer questions about the practice.
’77
’77
1979
TOM SWISHER is Professor Emeritus in
Eddie Tuvin, who considers himself a member of the Class of 1977, and Nick Cibel ’82 reconnected at a Fourth of July party on the Severn River in 2025.
the Counseling and Human Services Department at Stevenson University. His book, Family Dynamics: Transforming the Hidden Patterns That Shape Us, was awarded a gold medal from the North American Nonfiction Book Awards and shortlisted for the 2026 Penmasters Global Nonfiction Medal. Tom practices family therapy and mediation in Ellicott City, MD.
T.J. Scott ’84 (right) married Mark Mongelluzzo on November 25, 2025.
1985
’79 ’85
’77
Bob Heldrich ’77 and his wife, Carolyn Jo Thorne, purchased several properties on Ambergris Caye, Belize, with the intent to relocate there.
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McDonogh Magazine [ Class Notes ]
In April, Brendan Corcoran ’85 (pictured with son Diarmuid) was awarded Indiana State University’s Caleb Mills Distinguished Teaching Award, established to recognize outstanding teaching contributions by faculty.
’88
1986
’86
1988
CASEY CLARK added an 18th Emmy
40th Reunion Party
Rob Young ’86
N
early 50 years after arriving at McDonogh as a third grader, Rob Young ’86 has become one of the School’s most steady and influential leaders.
Award to his remarkable collection. This one, presented for News Excellence, was especially meaningful as it not only recognized his leadership but the collective efforts of his entire team at Queen City News in Charlotte, NC, where he has served as news director for the past six years. The year also brought a personal milestone, as he had the privilege of walking his daughter, LINDSEY CLARK ’16, down the aisle in June. Casey shared, “It was a very good year indeed.”
1991
’91
He was presented with the Distinguished Service Award during Reunion Weekend on Friday, April 24. Through decades of service, he helped guide McDonogh with humility, discipline, and an unmatched work ethic. As president of the Board of Trustees from 2019 to 2023, Rob led the School through extraordinary challenges, including the pandemic and a period of national unrest. A trusted advisor and thoughtful leader, he devoted countless hours during his tenure to ensuring McDonogh remained strong, united, and focused on its mission — always putting the School and our community first.
35th Reunion Party
1992
Gregory and CLANCY MCAFEE DEFELICE welcomed a son, Henry Forbes Joseph, on December 11, 2025. DAMIAN PERKINS was one of two
honored speakers at the annual Baltimore Educational Scholarship Trust (B.E.S.T.) Leaders on Leadership Breakfast in Baltimore in November. Damian, a B.E.S.T. alumnus, spoke about perseverance, gratitude, and faith in the power of community.
McDonogh Magazine [ Class Notes ]
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CLASS NOTES 1998
LUKE BROADWATER, previously a
’98
congressional correspondent for the New York Times, was promoted to White House correspondent. He recently co-authored the best-selling book, Mad House, with fellow reporter Annie Karni, which examines the dysfunction and divisions within Congress. ’96
ELLEN HALLER is a User Experience
30th Reunion Party
1996
JO-ANNE SURIEL, founder of The
Energetic Well, is an intuitive energy healer and frequency guide attuned to the elements of nature, the cosmos, and love. She recently released her debut LP, The Remembering, a collection of frequency medicine songs designed to help restore balance and harmony. THERESA CASTILLO ’92 moderated the album launch party discussion. The Remembering is available on all streaming platforms.
(UX) Director at Google, where she leads Vertical Experiences for Google Search, including Sports, Finance, Entertainment, Civics, Weather, and Google Translate. She has had a frontrow seat to the rapid growth of AI and the ways emerging technology is reshaping how people interact with information and each other. In May, Ellen returned to McDonogh as the guest speaker for the McDonogh Fund’s Shield Society Luncheon. She lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband and three children.
’96
’98
2000
In November, ANDREW PACKARD ran the Cambridge Half Marathon in Boston, MA, and set a personal best of 1:45. In December, he self-published a book of poetry, Lost & Free #43, which can be purchased on Amazon.
2001
’01
Colin Lidston ’01 married author Meg Elison on August 21, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
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McDonogh Magazine [ Class Notes ]
’01
25th Reunion Party TRAVIS HOLMES was named head coach of
McDonogh’s boys varsity lacrosse program in October 2025 after serving as the team’s defensive coordinator since 2018 and helping them secure four MIAA “A” conference championships (2016, 2022, 2023, and 2024). Since returning to McDonogh in 2010, Travis has also served as the offensive coordinator for the varsity football team, the head JV wrestling coach, the head Middle School wrestling coach, and as a varsity wrestling assistant.
2002
’02
Over the past decade, SAM COE has coached lacrosse at multiple levels, including club and varsity programs. He most recently became the head boys’ varsity lacrosse coach at Newark Academy in Livingston, NJ.
’03
JOHN LINGAN’s third book,
Gabrielle and David Frenkil ’02 welcomed Harry Leon on April 17, 2025.
2003
In fall 2025, SARAH LEVITT RAMEY and her family moved to Athens, OH, where she joined the faculty at Ohio University (OU) as an assistant professor in the School of Dance. Her work sits at the intersection of movement and healthy aging — partnering with local individuals and organizations to create dance programs that support the well-being of older adults in southeastern Ohio, while preparing OU students to build sustainable, community-engaged dance careers. She says one of the most exciting parts of the job is the opportunity to collaborate with researchers at OU’s Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine to study the impact of dance on older adults’ physical and mental health.
Backbeats: A History of Rock and Roll in 15 Drummers, was published by Scribner in November 2025. The book earned praise from The Atlantic, calling it “a revelation,” and Rolling Stone magazine listed it as one of the “Best Music Books of 2025.” John was honored to have GENE GERZHOY, MATT FINKELSTEIN, and PETE BACKOF ’02 at the publication day event at Kramer’s in Washington, D.C. A paperback edition will be published in November 2026.
’03
’03
Katie Sauer ’03 and Brent Whitty welcomed Charli Jean on October 24, 2025. She is pictured with siblings Nora and Harrison.
Ben Schramm ’03 married Meghan Breed in Washington, D.C., on September 13, 2025. McDonogh Magazine [ Class Notes ]
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CLASS NOTES ’04
2004
GREG SCRUGGS and DAVE BOROWITZ,
both living in Seattle, continue to adventure around the Pacific Northwest now with their five-year-olds, Lena and Zachary, born just two days apart. In February, they made their second trip to a backcountry hut in the foothills near Mount Rainier. Unfortunately, the snow drought that plagued the western United States last winter turned the planned ski/ snowshoe approach into a hike. On the plus side, that made it easier for Lena and Zachary to push the jogging stroller with Lena’s younger brother, Asa.
Zak and Farah Qureshi Nur ’04, along with big sister Amal, welcomed Rafa Eskandar on April 18, 2026.
2005
’04
HAKEEM SULE, Upper School
’04
Eric ’04 and Heather Mulligan (right) celebrated their wedding with family and friends at the Elkridge Furnace Inn in Elkridge, MD, on October 25, 2025.
’04
mathematics teacher and head varsity football coach at McDonogh, received the Howard C. “Dutch” Eyth Teaching Chair in February. This award is named in honor of the longtime teacher and coach who often said his role was to give students a chance to grow and be a part of that growth. Read more on page 29. ’05
Anne Marie Newman ’05 and Kristofor Carle welcomed Phillip Kristofor on December 22, 2025.
’05
Ryan and Alex Moag Sax ’04 welcomed Sullivan John on May 21, 2026.
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McDonogh Magazine [ Class Notes ]
Sandy Okun-Ginsberg ’05 and Jonathan Ginsberg welcomed Lillibea Guillijer on June 6, 2025.
’06
2006
Taras and RIVA NATHANS KEPYCH welcomed their second child, Tadeáš Kepych, on April 16, 2026. ’06
20th Reunion Party When STEPHEN MULLIGAN, an internationally renowned conductor and composer, raised his baton before the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, it was more than just another performance; it was the final concert for his father, first violinist Greg Mulligan, after 40 years with the orchestra. The day after this meaningful moment, Stephen returned to campus to share his passion with McDonogh’s student-musicians.
2007
TERRELL WINDER, assistant professor at
the University of California, Santa Barbara, wrote the book, Shameless: The Making of Black Gay Identities in LA, which is now available for pre-order through NYU Press.
’07
’07
’06
Molly Hayeslip ’06 and CJ Santos welcomed Mia Clara on April 3, 2026.
Samantha and Matthew Hellauer ’07 welcomed Miles Jacob on January 19, 2026.
Rachel Millman ’07 and Tyler Ghingher ’07 welcomed Theo Moore on January 20, 2026.
McDonogh Magazine [ Class Notes ]
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CLASS NOTES 2008
2009
AMANDA KIMBERS married CHRIS MFUME ’08 in June 2024. They
recently celebrated the first birthday of their daughter, Ami. Their gender reveal took place on McDonogh’s campus last year, which made the occasion extra special. McDonogh is where they first met, and it continues to be an important part of their lives.
’09
’09 ’08
ANDREW HOOD, wife Alex, and their son,
Carter (born March 19, 2025), are living on a horse farm in Delaware and enjoying family life. Andrew is a Mortgage Loan Originator at Horizon Farm Credit. Kyle and SARA FOWLER HURLEY welcomed their daughter, Evelyn Rose, on July 11, 2025. MANDI WATKINS has been applying her
clinical skills as a veterinarian to research new ways to fight biofilm infections. She was the first graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary Scientist Training Program.
’09
Blake and Morgan Koopman Silcott ’09 welcomed Beckham Rye on June 9, 2025. ’09
’08
Kalli Parrish ’08, her husband, Sean, and big brother Francis, welcomed Owen William on March 2, 2026.
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McDonogh Magazine [ Class Notes ]
Mike and Cori Kaylor Stethem ’09, along with big brother Howie, welcomed Martha Perri on February 26, 2026.
Alec and Montana Blum Strull ’09 welcomed Noa Andrews on December 22, 2025.
Alumni Connection
2010 ’10
United by Lacrosse
Y
ears after first crossing paths through McDonogh girls’ lacrosse, alumnae Jessy Morgan ’03 and Megan Whittle ’14 have serendipitously found themselves working side by side and marveling at how the McDonogh community has a way of bringing people back together. The two recently reconnected after being hired separately by Go2Sports to help launch ULTIMATE Maryland, a new girls’ lacrosse program in the Baltimore area, in what they describe as a truly “small-world” moment.
DANIEL BERNSTEIN and his wife,
McCauley, welcomed baby Ella Lorraine in March 2025, and relocated to the Baltimore area this summer. Daniel and McCauley are beginning new jobs, having completed their medical training.
’10
Jessy and Megan first met in 2010 when Megan was a freshman at McDonogh. Jessy, an assistant coach at the University of Virginia at the time, had tried to recruit Megan and made her feel welcome during a campus visit. Megan, a shy 13-year-old, was intimidated by the lacrosse standout she had admired for years. Looking back, both laugh about how much they have changed since that early interaction. Their paths, despite being 11 years apart, have run remarkably parallel, shaped by similar experiences in high school and collegiate lacrosse, NCAA Division I coaching, and youth club development. Both also had the opportunity to compete internationally. While they had kept tabs on one another through the lacrosse world, they did not reconnect in person until 2021, when recruiting brought their paths together again. By then, Megan was coaching at Stanford University, while Jessy was serving as Athletic Director at Garrison Forest School. Now they are reunited again through a shared passion for developing young athletes. The two see their partnership as something larger than a professional coincidence — a reminder that the relationships formed through McDonogh have a way of lasting, and leading somewhere new.
When ALYSSA LANGER MARTIN and husband Joshua were choosing a pediatrician for their baby daughter, Shoshana Claire (born June 25, 2025), they intentionally sought out the expertise of PAIGE KENNEDY-WINSTON ’11, a physician at Potomac Pediatrics.
“Jessy has long been someone I’ve respected and admired in the lacrosse world, which makes this opportunity with ULTIMATE Maryland especially meaningful,” Megan shares. “I feel grateful to be building something from the ground up alongside someone I think so highly of.” Learn more at ultimategoallacrosse.com/ maryland.
McDonogh Magazine [ Class Notes ]
55
CLASS NOTES 2011
MATTHEW ZAFRIR, who previously
worked at Woodberry Kitchen in Baltimore and Washington, D.C.’s Minibar, is the head chef at The Tillery in Owings Mills, MD.
’10
’11
Brie and Sam Wexler ’11 welcomed Harper Reese on August 26, 2025.
’11
Nathaniel Margolies ’10 married Esther Cohen on November 1, 2025. ’11
’10
Eric and Sara Supovitz Khorsandi ’10, along with big brother Rumi and their dog, Jamsheed, welcomed Esme Leah on April 2, 2026.
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McDonogh Magazine [ Class Notes ]
Paul and Heather Hodge Hosmann ’11 welcomed Chloe James on May 4, 2026.
Katie Machen ’11 and Brady Rippon were married in New York City on May 10, 2025.
2012
NANCY HOLT teamed up with KYLE WALTON ’25 to work with Baltimore City
and Baltimore County middle school students during the two-week Black SONs Dreamers and Doers STEM Camp in July 2025. Nancy is a middle school science teacher, and Kyle is a biological engineering student at Louisiana State University.
ALYSA DELGADO
’12
MISFELDT published her
debut novel, Starhunt, in September 2025. A thrilling romantasy, the book is the first installment in the Secrets of the Night Sky series. Paperback and eBook editions are available on Amazon. To learn more about the novel and Alysa’s journey as an author, visit authoralysamisfeldt.com.
’12
In October 2025, Sara Mostafa Saleh ’12 was sworn into the Maryland Bar and became an Assistant State’s Attorney with the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City. ’12
Katie Doherty ’12 and Evan Kottsick welcomed Juliet Navy on September 17, 2025. Dani Resar ’12 and Terence Conklin were married on July 26, 2025, at the Baltimore Museum of Art. McDonogh Magazine [ Class Notes ]
57
CLASS NOTES ’13
2013
While pursuing his MBA at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, TYLER PATRICK frequently travels to Davidson, NC, to babysit his nieces and nephews — the children of his brother, SCOTT PATRICK ’10.
’13
ALLISON BOWEN LALL, a writer,
illustrator, and graphic designer, illustrated her first published children’s book, Remy’s Attic of Awe, with writer Michelle Melamed. The book is a photo story of family, Black history, and wonder designed to spark conversation.
Kristin and Hil Blaze ’13 welcomed Nancy Clare on March 26, 2026.
’13
’13
Jacob Pope ’13 competed in the FEI Jumping World Cup Final 2026 in April and finished 12th out of more than 30 qualifiers in this esteemed competition. He was one of the 10 inductees in McDonogh’s Hall of Fame in March 2026.
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McDonogh Magazine [ Class Notes ]
2014
’14
’14
Rachel Quesinberry ’14 married Ryan Nelson on March 21, 2026, at Washington Oaks Gardens State Park in Palm Coast, FL.
’14
Spencer and Heather Greenebaum Mills ’14 welcomed Lionel Mark on December 24, 2025.
2015
JORDY ELARDO is a Director in
Cushman and Wakefield’s Global Brokerage and Advisory Services group and was included in Bucknell University’s 30 Under 30 for 2025. KAREEM MONTGOMERY is the Director of
Kristina Foutz ’14 married Reece Zakarin in Manhattan on July 19, 2025.
Finance for Breaking Chains, a Baltimore-based nonprofit organization dedicated to mental health awareness, access, and advocacy, with a focus on youth and community-based support.
McDonogh Magazine [ Class Notes ]
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CLASS NOTES 2016
10th Reunion Party
’16
’16 CARLIANA FOLFAS married Ben Tracy on
August 22, 2025, on a beautiful day at Herrington on the Bay, a waterfront venue on the Chesapeake. She was honored to have fellow alumnae WENDY FOLFAS ’14, GABBE CADOUX ’16, and JORDAN BURGESS ’16 by her side as bridesmaids. Carliana shared that it was “the most magical day” of her life and feels incredibly grateful to be married to her best friend. ’16
Mya Christian ’16 Since graduating from McDonogh in 2016, Mya Christian has remained deeply committed to the School community that shaped her.
D
uring the past five years, she has generously given her time as a dedicated volunteer with the Office of Philanthropy, strengthening connections with
fellow alumni, mentoring current
students, and supporting countless
initiatives behind the scenes. Mya has also contributed thoughtfully to conversations surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion while serving as Young Alumni Chair of the McDonogh Fund. From organizing reunion celebrations to consistently asking how she can help more, Mya’s loyalty, energy, and service have made a lasting impact on
Lindsey Clark ’16 married Christian Schaefer on June 6, 2026, in Lusby, MD. Laddie Levy ’63 served as the officiant.
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McDonogh Magazine [ Class Notes ]
McDonogh, which is why she received the Young Alumni Award during Reunion Weekend 2026.
’17
2018 ’18
Cormac Callanan ’18 at a half-marathon in Gloucester, MA, proudly wearing his McDonogh visor. KEVIN KOSKI began working as a Business
Peyton Barranco ’17 celebrated her final night in London with her parents and fellow UK-based McDonogh alumni friends. From left: Mike Barranco ’78, Lauren Fish ’14, Peyton Barranco ’17, Jim Linsao ’83, and Kim Smalkin Barranco ’83.
2017
Development Associate at Argano, the first and largest Global Specialist Consultancy focused on the design and delivery of high-performance business operations with an AI-forward approach. Jade Wells-White ’18 and Nate Alston welcomed Noah Alexander on February 4, 2026.
’17
PEYTON BARRANCO graduated with
distinction from Goldsmiths, University of London, attaining an M.A. in Media & Communications. While living in London, Peyton was grateful for the support and connection she found through the McDonogh alumni community. Peyton is applying her passion for international relations as an Academic Program Coordinator at American University School of International Service. In March, ANDREW GOLDEN joined The Baltimore Banner as a sports enterprise and features writer covering the Baltimore Orioles, Washington Nationals, and beyond. He previously spent more than five years at The Washington Post, where he covered the Nationals and other teams.
’18
’18
ALEXIS STEVENSON graduated with a
Master of Social Work degree from the University of Maryland, School of Social Work in May 2026. She reflects upon her 12 years at McDonogh with gratitude and sends congratulations to her fellow Eagles on their accomplishments, praying for all the very best in the years ahead.
Anika Breza ’18 spent the past year designing shipboard engine auxiliary systems. In April 2026, she sailed for three days off the coast of California and supported main engine operations during live sea trials.
McDonogh Magazine [ Class Notes ]
61
CLASS NOTES 2019
2020
KRIS JENNER was awarded a Fulbright
’19
Scholarship to pursue a two-year master’s degree in Analysis and Policy in Economics at the Paris School of Economics. His research will focus on AI’s effect on growth, employment, wages, and economic inequality. AIDAN WALTON obtained his CPA
KATE BARRANCO launched Conscious
Futures, a research and design innovation studio focused on futures strategy and collective well-being. HANNAH FOLAU had the privilege of
giving a TEDx Talk at Clemson University, fulfilling a longtime personal goal. Her talk, “Rest is Productive: Rethinking Hustle Culture in Your 20s,” explores the pressure many young adults feel to tie their worth to productivity or accomplishments. Hannah also spoke about mental health and the importance of systematically prioritizing health and well-being for all. After graduating from West Virginia University with a B.S. in Sports and Adventure Media, U.S. Army Specialist MATT PALMATARY earned his jump school paratrooper wings in September 2025. He has since spent the past year serving with the 82nd Airborne Division as a paratrooper specializing in small unmanned aerial vehicles (drones).
License in January 2026 and is working as a Senior Audit Associate at Grant Thornton in Baltimore. In addition to working on the fixed income rates team at Morgan Stanley, KYLE WHITAKER began a role as the Showcase Director and 16U Head Coach at the Baseball Warehouse in Owings Mills, MD. ’20
2021
DANTE TRADER, a two-sport standout at
the University of Maryland who was an All-American defensive midfielder in lacrosse, was named to the Miami Dolphins’ initial 53-man roster in August 2025 and has begun his season with the team.
Former Penn State edge DANI DENNISSUTTON was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. KORI EDMONDSON, COCO VANDIVER,
Anwen Byrne ’20 and Olivia Sheridan ’22 ran into each other at the Tampa vs. Buffalo hockey game in February.
’21
5th Reunion Party McDonogh Magazine [ Class Notes ]
Emily Adams ’21 is attending Washington University Law School and considering Criminal Law or Public Interest Law.
2022
’19
62
’21
and AVA CLASS ’20 were among the 16 players selected in the April college draft of the inaugural Women’s Lacrosse League — a testament to the strength of McDonogh’s lacrosse program.
Alumni Connection
A Friendship Forged Across the World
2023
’23
After a semester studying abroad in Australia, CATE HARDIN was elected into the student government at Wake Forest University for her senior year.
2025
MCKENZIE BROWN helped lead the
Northwestern University women’s lacrosse team to the 2026 NCAA Division I National Championship title by scoring the first goal against the University of North Carolina. ’25
I
n the summer of 2025, Hannah Folau ’19 and Kare Coley ’24 found themselves thousands of miles from campus and unexpectedly formed a friendship in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
After graduating from Georgetown University in 2023 with a degree in Global Health, Hannah Folau immersed herself in work at the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation while pursuing her master’s degree at Georgetown at night. Her studies eventually brought her to Tanzania for a three-month research placement focused on HIV testing and treatment for young children. Kare Coley, an international relations student at American University and FulbrightHays Group Projects Abroad (Fulbright GPA) alumna, participated in a Fulbright GPA program focused on entrepreneurship and language/cultural immersion, also in Tanzania. The two alumnae first crossed paths when Kare, then a student, heard Hannah speak at McDonogh about global health careers. Afterward, Kare discovered Hannah’s podcast and the two struck up an online friendship. When they realized they would both be in Tanzania at the same time, they began texting in the weeks leading up to their trips, and had their first true in-person meeting halfway around the world. What began as a shared McDonogh connection quickly grew into a close friendship. During their overlapping time in Dar es Salaam, the pair explored the surrounding area, took day trips, and spent time with Kare’s group between their demanding work schedules.
LONDON JAMES-GOLAS is honored and
grateful to be named Newcomer of the Year for Howard University’s women’s lacrosse program. This recognition means a lot to her, especially in her first year with such a talented and driven group of teammates.
“I can’t express how close a friend Kare has become,” Hannah says. “She is truly such an incredible person, and I am so excited to continue watching her excel.” Though their careers are only beginning, their story is a reminder that the McDonogh network has a way of creating meaningful connections — even on the other side of the globe.
McDonogh Magazine [ Class Notes ]
63
PRIORITIZING
Human Connection F I N A L T H O U G H T S W I T H H E A D O F S C H O O L D AV E FA R A C E ’ 8 7
In an increasingly digital world, it is the small, intentional moments of human connection that truly define our community and anchor our humanity. When we pause to engage genuinely with one another, we unlock a powerful sense of belonging that no algorithm can ever replicate. Sometimes, I, too, have gotten ‘lost in the sauce’ of mindless scrolling and need to remind myself that the best parts of life happen off-screen. True joy is built when we invest in relationships, practice civility, and serve something larger than ourselves. I have been thinking a lot about that lately, so I asked a few folks around campus to share the creative, meaningful ways they focused on human connection this year. When they come first. acher : students le p m si n ground Te ee like Under s always b ea ha id h an ac es ro es My app t themselv acher pitch n people le ow, or a te he sh w nt st ie, le fa ta ads want a camarader se joy spre out genuine ab s — becau n ye ee y b sa s s I alway Week, lationship onogh has l built on re goofy. McD one schoo ill st be a little re eekend e’ w w ions, out your three divis , see asks ab vi ad ur and across your room yo s its way to ney. When ur nd fi jo ss ed le my ar th ’s o and a sh e day, that named To an axolotl e end of th r th o t , A d . te al p re unprom ething s own. lding som grow on it you’re bui d watch it an , m you know o o e classr fun into th R AND job: bring E TEACHE IENC HOOL SC MIDDLE SC S RPOVICH, ENANIGAN — TINA KA IEF OF SH CH ED OINT SELF-APP
h ith eac aged w g n e re atured me mo now fe e beca to crolling ones, w s h t p n rned in e t tu p u s Witho unches s once L d . o n r ri e e e ch oth the Gre Free p other. d to ea hole on e talke d corn w n ial , a s ll ll a a r h e ou init spikeb s. In th espite n D o r. ti e a uring th nvers ories d each o real co e mem g into k a in m lk ior a of w ways to our sen instead ld ruin nd new u u o fo w ards e t w ck, w ent to though pushba hat we r sentim u W o . y d a n d a ool teful. g it — the sch l to gra hancin hatefu d up en m e o d fr n t e wen year policy -phone the no — HAR
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RIS GO
RDON
’26
Par ent Her whe itag n fa eC mil ircl com ies es a mu see re b n ity, like t hem uilt the the selv on y y d sto a si b e o e s n l ries ’t ju ong refl mp le t , cu ect st f . Th a re e ruth e l t i d in s e u l we min res y : e a the , an der r l , c invi w o ir s d ta me atc tha tati cho h — b t i l o n b es t ol the g fa n. T elo bui o th y fe ngi hes mil lt is ng el ew ies e ci som i h o s r —E n c o p eth ’ les le c en NA ing YE cele t a des the om EN PAR ir big mu tina GLE bra EN ger n NTO t TE t ity e ion NG N, D : c was c u AG — om l IRE t u EM i re, t’s a CTO mu EN T but RO nity FE wha n QU tha ITY t t ge hol & IN ts ds a CLU SIO ll o NA f us ND .
McDonogh Magazine [ Final Thoughts ]
fly from LA to I had every reason to not h school reunion, hig h Baltimore for my 20t from San Francisco, — up but our class showed n Germany eve Chicago, New York, and Dozens of n). liga (shoutout Stephen Mul other in decades h eac n people who hadn’t see re, and hotel stays arranged flights, childca other. As a result, I h just to show up for eac memories from nice isit didn’t just get to rev ones. Beautiful new ate cre high school; I got to make the effort, and things happen when you gh community is that ono the power of the McD that for each other. people are willing to do — MATT FORD ’06
The pandemic reminded me th at human being are wired for co s nnection — no virtual substitut comes close to e the real thing. Whether evalu ating a patient or sittin g in a board me eting, I’ve come see physical pr to esence itself as a powerful form care. At McDono of gh, I bring that same intentiona to our board wo lity rk: showing up , listening, and remembering th at behind ever y strategic initia are real student tive s, families, and educators. In an increasingly di gital world, prior itizing face-to-fa relationships is ce a commitment I carry into ever of my life. y part — SUDHIR RA O, M.D., BOAR
D OF TRUSTE
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YOU BY THE O T GHT
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