McDonogh Magazine, Summer 2020

c M DONOGH M AG A Z I N E

SUMMER 2020

SPECIAL INTERACTIVE

DIGITAL ISSUE!

From the Board of Trustees 1 Head of School Message 2 Closing Ceremonies 4-7 Diploma Day 8-9 Class of 2020 Honors 10 College Choices 11 Virtual School Gets Real 12-17 Making Virtual School Work 18-27 Circling the Hill 28-35 Arts 36-39 Athletics 40-43 Student Voices 44-45 Our Proud Past 46-47 Alumni News/Class Notes 48-83 Nina C. Sinnott, Editor nsinnott@mcdonogh.org 443.544.7035 Meredith F. Bower, Managing Editor Heather N. McPeters, Creative Director Beth Sauer Hopkins ’02, Alumni Editor Michele Maas, Alumni Editor Photography: Meredith Bower, Mickey Deegan, Irvin Simon Photographers, McDonogh Archives, Heather McPeters, Dave Radford, Danielle Schollaert, and Nina Sinnott Cover photo: Julie Everd Proofreaders: Laura Brown, Christine Krause, Jen Little, and Danielle Schollaert Design: Sherry McAllister, McAllister Design

McDonogh Magazine is published twice a year for alumni, parents, and friends of the School.

On the cover: Isabella E. ’31 is happy to connect with her second grade teacher, Mary Beth Kuchno, and her classmates on the first day of virtual school after Spring Break.

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Proud parents Tanya Bentley-Young and Rob Young ’86 celebrate their youngest son, Carson, on Diploma Day.

FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES Eight months into 2020, one may already wonder how this year will be remembered— global pandemic, the divide on racism and social justice, quarantine, protests? Our world has been turned upside down. Despite our natural instincts to easily recall negative experiences, the pursuit of balance through positive affirmation is healthy and, these days, essential. It is why I feel compelled to highlight that, regardless of the many challenges we are facing as a society, McDonogh continues to distinguish itself.

This is visible in our LifeReady curriculum, including a renewed school-wide commitment to being an equitable and inclusive community, and the deep dedication of our faculty and staff to students and their families.

We know well the merits of education for the future prospects of young people and,

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Robert L. Young III ’86 President Michael W. Cummings Vice President Stanley J. Kraska, Jr. ’78 Treasurer H. Stacey Boyer ’76 Secretary

that to remain relevant, pedagogy must also keep pace with the fast-changing and

Edward S. Ahn, M.D. ’92

complex world. In fact, this was the inspiration for the creation of our LifeReady

Robert A. Bavar ’90

strategic plan in 2014. Navigating today’s public health and societal crises requires

Robert W. Black III ’80

more than a solid GPA, stellar SAT scores, or multiple AP classes. There is real demand

Steven K. Breeden ’76

for people with the cross-disciplinary collaboration skills necessary for problem solving and cross-cultural competencies that allow them to easily engage those with backgrounds unlike their own.

Donald B. Christian Leigh Ann Curl, M.D. Irvin DeAndrei Drummond ’92

At McDonogh, these skills are steeped in time-tested character education that enables

Brandon M. Etheridge ’03

our students to be a force of good in the world. We cannot predict the future, but the

Michael S. Fader ’07

current environment reminds us of the value of our LifeReady approach and the

Michael L. Falcone ’79

urgency to continue preparing students for evolving times.

Kristin F. Finkelstein ’03

We also know that a student’s journey is maximized through institutional trust and

Ronnie Footlick

transformational relationships. This was evidenced repeatedly in the final months

Michael I. Greenebaum

of the 2019-2020 school year as our extraordinary faculty and staff not only

Janet M. Herbert ’83

launched virtual school but also provided an unparalleled experience. Before

Brett Ingerman ’87

March, it was unlikely that students would ever imagine building electromagnetic

Josh Jones-Dilworth ’98

devices, creating their own modern-day version of Macbeth, or participating in

Hallie D. Label

“woodshop” online. The opportunity for students to exercise their creativity and

John A. Luetkemeyer, Jr.

grit through this medium is a direct reflection of our educators’ devotion,

Steven S. Oh ’86

preparation, sacrifice, and collaboration.

Callie J. Rahman

The efforts of our faculty and staff did not end with the successes of virtual school.

They were equally committed to “showing love” to the Class of 2020. This was a spring that required these students to apply their character education in unordinary

Patricia B. Raksin, M.D. ’88 Shawn W. Robinson, M.D. ’79 Henry A. Rosenberg, Jr. ’48

ways. While receiving thoughtful care packages, congratulatory signage, and a

David D. Rothschild ’82

one-of-a-kind Diploma Day, missed was a well-deserved “victory lap” of final classes,

Richard Silberstein ’77

games, performances. and time together that produces the kind of closure

Taymour Tamaddon

remembered for a lifetime. As a father of a senior, there’s no denying their (and our)

Steven Wolchinsky, D.V.M.

sense of loss. So how will the Class of 2020 be remembered? They will always have a

Samuel H. Wright ’64

special place in our hearts, and with their many talents, we are eager to witness ways they will do the greatest possible amount of good in the world!

Headmaster Emeritus Louis E. Lamborn* *deceased

Robert L. Young III ’86 President, Board of Trustees

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HEAD OF SCHOOL MESSAGE As I entered my tenth year as a Head of School in the fall of 2019, I thought I had lived through enough school crises to calmly handle just about any situation. Go ahead, laugh out loud! I must confess that navigating our school community through the worst pandemic in 100 years and the most profound civil unrest in 50 years has been an unparalleled experience.

But one lesson of crisis management endures as I reflect back on the past several months: leadership is a team sport, and McDonogh is blessed with an abundance of talented and mission-driven professionals and volunteers who are fully committed to our students. Their collective strength and wisdom

and insights together in ways that produce a solution

have carried the day and fortified my own resolve.

greater than the sum of its parts.”

Our feature story in this edition of McDonogh

Our LifeReady academic plan has never been more

Magazine appropriately focuses on three such leaders

relevant than today as our students witness civil

and our entire faculty who all engineered a massive,

unrest and participate in the Black Lives Matter

lightning-fast pivot to virtual school. As you will read,

movement. Central to LifeReady is our commitment

in addition to our full administrative team, Kevin

to student agency; a concept that refers to learning

Costa, Jack Hardcastle, and Robyn Little led our

through experiences that are meaningful and relevant

efforts with an unprecedented level of agility and

to students, driven by their own passions and

expertise. They were able to build multiple

interests. I am certain that our student-led protest

technology platforms and professional development

over the summer (see page 34) was far more

plans in a matter of days for our prekindergarten

impactful and empowering than a traditional

through twelfth grade faculty. On Friday, March 13

classroom activity. This focus on student agency,

(yes, Friday the 13th!), the day before spring break,

combined with our institutional commitment to

they organized 18 professional development sessions

equity and inclusion, cultivates ethical leaders and

on educational technologies like Canvas (our learning

active participants in democracy who will go forth to

management system), Zoom, Nearpod, Flipgrid, and

serve their communities and the world.

Seesaw. Our faculty responded with a sense of urgency and purpose by leading the sessions for colleagues, and I knew at the end of the day that McDonogh would thrive in distance learning.

As we look to an uncertain, rapidly shifting landscape, our teachers remain steadfast in their dedication to our mission and continue to hone their craft by participating in intensive summer professional

Armed with the necessary tools and professional

development focused on best practices in blending

development, our faculty began planning and

learning, equity and inclusion, and character

collaborating in earnest over the ensuing spring

education. I am incredibly proud of our entire

break. When virtual school “opened” after the break,

McDonogh team and humbled to serve with them.

our teachers were ready to model and teach the core

Bring on the new year!

tenets of our LifeReady academic plan. They understood, in the words of Kevin Costa in a LifeReady white paper, that “the world does not present its challenges and opportunities in discrete

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units. [The] solution to social problems requires

David J. Farace ’87

teams of people bringing their individual expertise

Head of School

>>> On March 13, the day before spring break, all faculty members participated in a last-minute professional day to prepare to teach their LifeReady lessons virtually.

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CLASS OF 2028 CLOSING CEREMONY Just as planned, the Lower School celebrated the end of an eventful year at McDonogh on Friday, May 29. Although the celebration took place virtually over Zoom, it contained many of the treasured elements of the annual event. The morning began with the spotlight on the fourth grade students as they concluded their Lower School years. With the Class of 2028 and their families present, the virtual event began with student voices singing the Lower School favorite “On My Way.” The celebration continued with speeches from David B. and Vivienne A., Grace K. and Thomas R., Lexi R., and Simryn R., as well as from each of the fourth grade teachers. As is tradition, Head of Lower School Barbara Robins shared memories sent to her by the

fourth graders while a slideshow of images from their time at McDonogh played. Then, Associate Head of Lower School Zakaria Sherbiny read the names of the 69 members of the Class of 2028. Finally, Lower School faculty members bid farewell, and students in prekindergarten through third grade serenaded the parting fourth graders with “The Best of Whatever You Are.” Watch the ceremony.

Following, in a separate ceremony celebrating the successes of the entire Lower School and marking the conclusion of the 2019-2020 school year, all 350 students and their families were treated to a retrospective video. Then, also in video format, teachers praised their classes, gave parting advice, and shared well wishes. After the larger event, students returned to their homeroom teacher’s Zoom classrooms for final goodbyes. A running theme through both ceremonies was McDonogh’s faculty is looking forward to seeing their students again.

Congratulations to everyone in the Lower School on a challenging yet successful school year!

SNAPSHOTS OF THE FOURTH GRAD >>>

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DE’S FINAL YEAR IN LOWER SCHOOL >>>

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CLASS OF 2024 CLOSING CEREMONY Set on Childs Memorial Terrace, the Middle School Closing Ceremony on Friday, May 29 included all the traditional elements of the annual event including music, speeches, awards, and the celebration of the 115 eighth graders who are moving on to Upper School.

The difference in the 2020 ceremony, of course, was that it was virtual due to the quarantine.

The ceremony began with a welcome from Kate Mueller, Interim Head of Middle School, who noted the historic significance of the occasion. After the Invocation by Bridget Collins ’90, the Charles W. Britton Director of Character and Service, Steve Martel and his son performed an original song, “We’re All in this Together.”

Student speakers Jack S. ’27, Minoo N. ’26, and Max F. ’25 shared their perspectives on the year and wished the eighth graders well in Upper School. Then, Trevor P. ’24 reflected on the Class of 2024’s journey through Lower and Middle School and Zarina H. ’24 spoke about the future.

Before the presentation of the eighth grade awards, members of McDonogh Singers, the OnStage Class, and McDonogh faculty, accompanied

by Jacob Rose ’20, sang “River in

Judea” conducted by Suzanne Eldridge. Finally, Associate Head of Middle School Jennifer Bowders gave the closing remarks addressing the students’ growth and the significance of the relationships they formed over the years. She concluded, “Class of 2024, as you embark on the next step of your journey, take comfort in knowing that all you need already resides within you.”

In advance of the ceremony, each member of the Class of 2024 was sent a commemorative blazer pin to honor their accomplishments and to signify their growth as individuals and as a group. Designed by four members of the class, under the guidance of art teacher Jon Detwiler, each of the four rings represents one year of Middle School. The linked circles illustrate that the class is united through the knowledge, experiences, and values that McDonogh imparts, giving students a deeper connection to their true selves and the world that surrounds them. The rings intertwined beneath the M support and uphold McDonogh’s legacy, literally and figuratively. The pin will be given to all eighth grade classes to come.

REMEMBERING EIGHTH GRADE AND LO >>>

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OOKING FORWARD TO UPPER SCHOOL >>>

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Diploma Day CLASS OF 2020

The conferring of diplomas on the Class of 2020 was like none other in McDonogh School history. Friday, June 5, temporarily renamed Diploma Day instead of Commencement, was missing the crowds of families and friends because of the COVID-19 social distancing mandate, but it was still a day of joy, complete with proud smiles, happy tears, and loud cheers.

From 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., decorated cars filled with members of the senior class and their family members entered campus on Farm Road. They were greeted by signs celebrating each graduate as well as life-size cut-outs of administrators and the Eagle Mascot, made possible by the McDonogh Parents Association (MPA). After parking, they received a striped McDonogh tie or a bouquet of orange roses, and proceeded to Childs Memorial Terrace. With their proud families watching, Head of Upper School Merritt Livermore announced each senior’s name. The graduates walked across the terrace, picked up their diploma, and paused for photographs. As they continued across the terrace, they were met by oversized cardboard cutouts of their grinning classmates in the senior seating section, also compliments of the MPA. Many posed with their cardboard classmates before heading up the hill for a family photo.

On the evening of June 4, a senior awards ceremony took place over Zoom and later in the summer, Head of School Dave Farace ’87 and senior speaker Daniel Kim ’20 shared parting words of wisdom with the Class of 2020.

Sincere congratulations to the Class of 2020 and best wishes for the future!

Kayla Paige Abernathy Kevin Michael Akey Jake Andrew Alecce Darrielle Lauryn Alston Jillian Paige Ansell Emily Cecelia Armero Kaleb Negash Assefa Tahir Gymeec Atkinson Ryan Anthony Theodore Atwood Howell Hathaway Baker Chase Christopher Bannar Olivia Grace Bark Harrison Ward Beattie Beau Patrick Bedard Noah Donald Yu Beecher Ann Carsyn Belanger Soleil Marie Bellan Ethan Wolf Bers Rachel Ellyce Blavatt Jackson Tyler Bonitz Gable Philip Braun Schuyler Camille Brooks Kristina Gabrielle Buchanan Jordan Christian Bugg Eva Anwen Byrne 1

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Phillipa Jane Byrne Slade Peter Caltrider Blake Holden Caplan Kelsey Margaret Cashman Kearstyn Rose Chapman Megha Chirag Chaudhari Mason Bryan Ashton Christian Ava Francesca Class Alexander Bass Clevenger Peyton Ashley Cleverley Scott William Cole Bree Sutton Coudon Elizabeth Blake Cunneen Tom Michael Daly Rockwell Surf D’Amico Zachary Gabriel Daniel Alexandrea Nicole Dougherty Hannah Claire Dunleavy Isabelle Mina Eisner Spencer Lewis Eldridge Sean Daniel Ellis Brynn Dionne Evans Bryce Ethan Ewing Summer Hayes Faby Campbell Green Farace

Sanai Ranae Fitchett Charles McAlister Fleury III Ariana Angelica Frazier Olivia Hope Geoghan Gabrielle Mona Glendening Samantha Danielle Goldberg Kaitlyn Florette Goldstein Brooke Elisabeth Gonzalez Nathan Reed Gounaris Madeleine Virginia Green Julia Charlotte Hammerschlag Riley Lovett Hanes Kathryn Grace Henry Tyler Seth Hertzberg Gabriel Ray Hidey Caitlin Annabelle Hoffman Ashton Charles Hung Carlos Sidney Ince III Matthew Griffin Ingerman Joseph Donald Irrgang Curtis Jerome Jacobs, Jr. Andrew Brodie Jarrett Kristopher James Jenner Ruby Megan Jocelyn Benjamin Cooper Kadish Garrett Christian Kappes Isaiah Marquise Kessler Zain Rahman Khan Surya Khatri Daniel Hyung Kim Cole Bennett Bray Kirol Rohan Korn Karson Martin Koski Sara Song Kurlander Keady Shannon Lally George Hanul Lee Meghan Rose Lee Megan Elise Levy Eleanor Fahey Little

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Charles Warren Lockyer IV Ava Rose Louis Luke Luo Katherine Elizabeth Macejik Isabella Grace Marsh Mackenzie Leigh Mason Lillian Margaret McCarthy Megan Rosalyn McCarthy Sean Michael McGonigle Kellen Patrick Meagher Joshua Daniel Mendelsohn Charlotte Rose Messaris Delaney Faith Mester Hadley Cooke Middelton Garrett Nelson Mix Andrea Paola Moreno Daniel David Mulhern Samuel Larry Mumford, Jr. Mohammed Ndiaye Laya Vijaya Neelakandan Brian Michael Nevin, Jr. Austin Anh-Quan Nguyen Justin Anh-Kiet Nguyen Delaney Grace Norman Akinge Tibi Ntantang Ayobami Esther Olatidoye Marcus Jordan Oliver Matthew Kwaku Owusu Spencer Tanis Pett Allison McCall Pitts Jesse Daniel Plank Jasmine Taylor Pons Aidan Cole Powers Bennett Scott Preston Giovanni Antonio Procaccini Kamryn Elyssa Pryce Madison Brooke Puritz Joseph Walter Radek Maya Elise Ransome

CLASS OF 2020 HONORS

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Kamila Elizabeth Redd Chase William Reddish Willow Madison Ritter Matthew Raymond Robins Alexander James Robinson Ethan William Robinson Sophia Percy Rockefeller Grace Audrey Roden Christian Rodriguez Jacob Dylan Rose Allie Sachar Josephine Mackenzie Sawyer Emily Anne Schuster Herbert Xavier Scott Shane Hatteras Silverman Octavia Regina Simms-Clark Claire Alexandra Simonds Zachary Chase Smith Dominic Ryan Solis Tyler Anthony Steigerwald Karsyn Taylor Sullivan Alexander Paul Sung Nicole Roman Swam Dane Edward Swanson Zion Goshu Tasew Camaira Marie Walker Aidan Thomas Walton Peter Clark Walton Dylan Michael Wang John Peterson Ward III Kallista Dimitra Wethern Kyle Wingate Whitaker Bryony Jane Williams Cody James Williams Jack Wyatt Wimmer Logan Alyse Wright Carson Jeremey Young Nicholas Miyata Zuga

THE PI CK AWARD

T H E A LF RED O G D EN RA MSAY AWA RD

( HI GHEST SCHO LA RS H I P I N

(BI O LO GY)

SENI O R CLASS)

Daniel David Mulhern

Luke Luo

T H E D R. H ERBERT E. W I LG I S AWA RD

THE RO BERT L. LA MBO RN AWA RD

(BI O LO GY)

( HI GHEST CUMULAT I V E S C H O LA RS H I P

Caitlin A. Hoffman

FO R FO UR YEARS)

Surya Khatri

T H E A LBERT C . S C H AU MA N AWA RD

THE EXCELLENCE I N EN G LI S H AWA RD

Surya Khatri

Charlotte Rose Messaris THE EUSTACE STRAU G H N G LAS CO C K AWARD (CREATI V E W RI T I N G )

(S C I EN C E)

T H E EN G I N EERI N G AWA RD

Zain Khan

Ann Carsyn Belanger

T H E H U ET H ER- MCC LELLA N D

THE ENGLI SH ACH I EV EMEN T AWA RD

Olivia Grace Bark

Joseph Walter Radek THE CHARLES C. K I N A RD AWA RD (J O URNALI SM)

Laya Vijaya Neelakandan

F O U N DAT I O N S C H O LA RS H I P

T H E T EC H N O LO GY S ERV I C E AWA RD

Spencer Lewis Eldridge Delaney Grace Norman Ethan Wolf Bers Charles Warren Lockyer IV

THE MARI O N SPA RKS PRI Z E

T H E N O RT H - EDWA RDS AWA RD

( FRENCH)

(F O REN S I C S )

Ariana Angelica Frazier

Dylan Michael Wang Nicholas Miyata Zuga

THE LATI N AWARD

2. Kaleb Assefa and his parents stand by his festively decorated car before heading over to pick up his tie.

3. Kelsey Cashman’s family looks on as she hears her name read aloud

by Head of Upper School Merritt Livermore and before walking forward to pick up her diploma.

4. Daniel Mulhern grins alongside his cardboard twin.

T H E RO BOT I C S T EC H N O LO GY AWA RD

Camaira Marie Walker

THE CHI NESE AWA RD

1. Schuyler Brooks has her photo taken with her parents and a cutout of the McDonogh Eagle on her way to the ceremony.

Brooke Elisabeth Gonzalez THE RUTH KEEBLER W H I T E AWA RD ( SPANI SH)

Laya Vijaya Neelakandan

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THE MARTI N H. M C K I BBI N , JR. EXCELLENCE I N H I STO RY AWA RD

Kristopher James Jenner THE FRANCI S L. FEN W I C K AWA RD ( MATHEMATI CS)

Luke Luo THE ALVI N S. CHI LCOAT AWA RD ( MATHEMATI CS I MPROV EMEN T )

Brian Michael Nevin, Jr. THE RO BERT C. WH I T E AWA RD ( PHYSI CAL SCI EN C E)

Luke Luo

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CLASS OF 2020 HONORS 2

1

T HE JOHN C. BENTZ AWARD

T H E H OWA RD C . EYT H S C H O LA R-

AWA RD F O R AC H IE V E M E NT I N DA NC E

(SE RVI CE TO OTHERS)

AT H LET E AWA RD

Brooke Elisabeth Gonzalez Laya Vijaya Neelakandan

Kelsey Margaret Cashman Isabella Grace Marsh Joseph Walter Radek

Maya Ransome Kamila Elizabeth Redd

T HE GO O D CI TI Z ENSHI P AWARD

Emily Cecelia Armero Carlos Sidney Ince III Jack Wyatt Wimmer T HE T HO MAS R. HARPER AWARD

T H E BRA N D O N C . W I LS O N ’89 AWA RD (LEA D ERS H I P A N D CO MPASS I O N )

Campbell Green Farace Joseph Walter Radek

(INT EG RI TY AND HO NO R)

T H E LEA D ERS H I P AWA RD F O R T H E

Daniel David Mulhern Samuel Larry Mumford

S EN I O R C LASS

T HE HENRY CHI LD KI RK, J R. ME MO RI AL TRO PHY ( MOST I MPROVED)

Giovanni Antonio Procaccini T HE E DWARD A. LO O PER, J R. AWARD (M C DONO GH SPI RI T)

Howell Hathaway Baker Emily Anne Schuster T HE A. LUDLAM MI CHAUX, J R. AWARD

Jesse Daniel Plank Grace A. Roden Shane Hatteras Silverman T H E D ED I CAT I O N C U P (A LL-A RO U N D EXC ELLEN C E)

Daniel Hyung Kim Sophia Percy Rockefeller C H A RAC T ER A N D I N F LU EN C E AWA RD

Kaleb Negash Assefa

(SE RVI CE TO MCDO NO GH)

T H E LYLE MEMO RI A L T RO PH Y A N D

Andrea Paola Moreno Jacob Dylan Rose

T H E W. TAYLO R CO O K AWA RD

T HE CO RNUCO PI A AWARD (CA RI NG AND CO NCERN)

Isabelle M. Eisner Maya Ransome T HE CO MPASSI O N CUP

Garrett Christian Kappes Kamila Elizabeth Redd

(BEST A LL-A RO U N D ST U D EN TS )

Charles McAlister Fleury Charlotte Rose Messaris T H E ST EWA RT S EN I O R H O N O RS PERF O RMA N C E AWA RD

Daniel Hyung Kim Luke Luo Jacob Dylan Rose T H E MA RS H A LL C . A N D ERS , JR. I N ST RU MEN TA L MU S I C AWA RD

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Luke Luo Charlotte Rose Messaris T H E MA RS H A LL C . A N D ERS , JR. VO CA L MU S I C AWA RD

Ashton Charles Hung Laya Vijaya Neelakandan T H E S EN I O R T H EAT RE A RTS AWA RD

Daniel Hyung Kim Carson Jeremey Young T H E JO H N VA N MET ER AWA RD F O R T EC H N I CA L T H EAT RE

Joshua Daniel Mendelsohn

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T H E C LEV ELA N D AWA R D (V I S UA L A RTS )

Octavia Regina Simms-Clark T H E W I LLI S K . LYNC H ’ 2 8 AWA R D (RI D I N G )

Megan Elise Levy T H E W I LLI A M C . M U L E S L E A D E R S H I P I N WO MEN ’S AT H L E TI C S AWA R D

Jillian Paige Ansell T H E EN S I G N C . MAR K L A ND K E L LY, J R .

MEMO RI A L T RO PH Y (AT H LET I C EXC ELL E NC E )

Jackson Tyler Bonitz Ava Francesca Class T H E G O LD EN EAG L E AWA R D (I N T ERS C H O LAST IC ATH L E TI C S )

Darielle Lauryn Alston Jullian Paige Ansell Emily Cecelia Armero Olivia Grace Bark Noah Donald Yu Beecher Soleil Bellan Jackson Tyler Bonitz Ava Francesca Class Brynn Dionne Evans Summer Hayes Faby Gabrielle Mona Glendening Caitlin A. Hoffman Ruby Megan Jocelyn Isaiah Marquise Kessler Keady Shannon Lally George Hanul Lee Megan Elise Levy Eleanor Fahey Little Katherine Elizabeth Macejik Megan Rosalyn McCarthy Kellen Patrick Meagher Spencer Tanis Pett Allison McCall Pitts Jesse Daniel Plank Madison Brooke Puritz Josephine Mackenzie Sawyer Aidan Thomas Walton

CLASS OF 2020 COLLEGE CHOICES 3

1. Izzy Marsh receives her bouquet of orange roses from Charles W. Britton Director of Character and Service Bridget Collins ’90.

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2. Kyle Whitaker puts on his striped tie while his mom looks on.

3. Ashton Hung celebrates the day with his parents and sister.

4. Newly graduated Andrea Moreno smiles proudly with her diploma on Childs Memorial Terrace.

5. Zion Tasew is all smiles on Childs Memorial Terrace.

6. Rachel Blavatt and her family celebrate after the ceremony.

7. Claire Simonds takes a selfie with her cardboard self and classmates.

American University Amherst College Arizona State University-Tempe Assumption College Auburn University Boston College Brown University Bucknell University Case Western Reserve University Clemson University College of Charleston Colorado College Colorado School of Mines Columbia University Cornell University Dartmouth College Davidson College Denison University Dickinson College Drexel University Duke University Elon University Emory University Florida Atlantic University Florida State University Furman University George Washington University Georgetown University Georgia Institute of Technology Hampden-Sydney College High Point University Howard University James Madison University Johns Hopkins University Kenyon College La Salle University Lafayette College Lehigh University Loyola Marymount University Loyola University Maryland Maryland Institute College of Art

Miami University Middlebury College New Jersey Institute of Technology New York University Northeastern University Northwestern University Pennsylvania State University Prairie View A&M University Quinnipiac University Rice University Rochester Institute of Technology Salisbury University Sciences Po/Columbia University St. Olaf College Stanford University Swarthmore College Syracuse University Texas Christian University The Ohio State University The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of Tampa The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Towson University Tulane University of Louisiana United States Naval Academy University of British Columbia University of California, San Diego University of California, Los Angeles 6

University of Colorado Boulder University of Delaware University of Florida University of Georgia University of Lynchburg University of Maryland, Baltimore County University of Maryland, College Park University of Miami University of Michigan University of North Carolina at Wilmington University of Oregon University of Pennsylvania University of Richmond University of Rochester University of South Carolina-Columbia University of Vermont University of Virginia University of Washington University of Wisconsin-Madison Ursinus College Vanderbilt University Villanova University Virginia Tech Wake Forest University Washington and Lee University Washington University in St Louis Wesleyan University West Virginia University Yale University 7

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VIRTUAL SCHOOL GETS

{ >>>

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REAL

WHEN IT CAME TO TRANSITIONING MORE THAN 1,400 STUDENTS IN PREKINDERGARTEN TO TWELFTH GRADE TO VIRTUAL SCHOOL, MCDONOGH EARNED HIGH MARKS THANKS IN LARGE PART TO THE LEADERSHIP OF DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION AND LEARNING KEVIN COSTA, CHIEF RISK OFFICER AND CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER JACK HARDCASTLE, AND DIRECTOR OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY ROBYN LITTLE. THE TRIO, WHO ARE

BY NATURE SYSTEMS THINKERS, WAS POISED FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF DISTANCE LEARNING SO WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT, THEY WERE PREPARED. COSTA SAYS, “MCDONOGH DID IT REALLY WELL. YOU WANT A FIRE DEPARTMENT AND YOU HOPE YOU NEVER HAVE TO CALL IT. BUT WHEN YOU DO, YOU WANT THE BEST. THAT’S WHAT I THINK WE HAVE. OUR FACULTY AND STAFF WERE READY TO GO WHEN CALLED ON.”

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IN A ZOOM INTERVIEW WITH MEREDITH BOWER, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, SHORTLY AFTER SCHOOL ENDED IN JUNE, THE THREE SPOKE ABOUT VIRTUAL SCHOOL AND THE TRANSITION THAT HAPPENED IN A MATTER OF WEEKS.

WHEN DID YOU FIRST BECOME AWARE OF THE CORONAVIRUS AND THINK THAT IT MAY BE A PROBLEM?

JH

Hilary McDonough (Upper School World Language Department Chair) put it on my radar.

She reached out to me in the first week of January about a Chinese exchange program that we had scheduled for late January. She wanted to know if we should be concerned about a virus that was in the news.

I started to monitor the news and kept a close eye on it. In late January/early February, we saw the first cases in the United States. Because we didn’t have tests, there was a concern that the virus may be more widespread. We started looking at what would happen if we had to close down for two weeks.

KC

I remember asking if we would close down for a few days and you said the minimum would be two weeks. Two weeks! How could we possibly? I was gobsmacked!

On January 28, Head of School Dave Farace sent his first letter to the community about the coronavirus. A month later (February 26), an update was sent indicating that while it was not yet a pandemic, the School was preparing for the possibility of distance learning and that international travel and exchanges had been canceled through the summer. On March 1, McDonogh added a COVID-19 page to the website and alerted parents that the day after spring break would be used for faculty planning and training for the possibility of virtual school.

WHEN DID THE PLANNING REALLY BEGIN TO RAMP UP?

JH

Pretty quickly we looped in what became known as the Coronavirus Task Force, which includes Dave Farace, Kate Mueller (Associate Head of School), Nina Sinnott (Director of Communications), Marty Sataloff (Athletic Trainer), Erica Seaman (School Nurse), and the three of us. We met every 48-72 hours beginning at the end of February/early March.

On March 4, I went to an AIMS roundtable. When I got there, it was clear that there were two groups of people. There were those who had done their homework and developed plans, and there were others that were just getting up to speed. At one point, they stopped and said, “You know who we really need to hear from is McDonogh. They are the ones who seem to know the most about this.”

KC

Jack was born for this moment. Few schools have a systems thinker around risk. We are very proactive, and that was crystal clear. We had the ability to forecast scenarios that other schools understandably remained in denial about. There was the sense that we were entering something that we had to plan for.

JH

Dave (Farace) and the Board deserve the credit. Almost no other school has anyone who is able to spend half their time thinking about risk management. It’s one of the 15 things a CFO has to do. It’s one of two things I have to do.

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On March 5, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency, and the following day, communication with parents included the recommendation from the Governor that “Marylanders should go to work or go to school as they normally do.” The letter also provided resources for parents on traveling and talking to their children about COVID-19, as well as the health measures being taken at school to prevent the spread of the virus.

WHAT DID YOU DO TO START PREPARING FACULTY FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF VIRTUAL SCHOOL?

KC

Robyn had the early sense to start building out the tech resources to do distance school.

She proposed Zoom immediately. She has the ability to evaluate the situation and make really strong recommendations. Robyn mobilized a team of people to help get other faculty members ready to teach. She did tech triage.

JH

Robyn had an uphill climb to convince me to be on Zoom. I thought we should be using a different platform. She would come to my door every day with a smile and say, “So there’s this other reason we should be using Zoom, it has breakout rooms…” The great thing about Zoom is that they lifted their restrictions and made it free for schools. Once we uploaded a list of our faculty, we were off to the races!

RL

I started planning the first week of March. I began identifying tools that could be used across the board for all teachers in each division. I began talking to teachers who I knew were using technology in their classrooms already and asked if they would be willing to do professional development with colleagues. There was no way that it could be done alone. The big challenge was to find those gems in the classroom who were willing to be in the spotlight to help move the school in preparation for the pandemic. We were still thinking that it was just for a few days.

KC

We decided that the professional development day planned for the Monday after spring break should probably be about tech. So, I wrote a survey that I sent to faculty on March 6 called Preparing for Online School. We wanted input from faculty about what they could and couldn’t do (with regard to the use of technology). We were planning. I don’t think anyone thought we’d be closed for the rest of the year. In some ways, it was exciting because it was going to accelerate people’s adoption of new technology. I knew there would be two stages. The first band was going to be tech and how do we get people up to speed and then how are we going to get them to teach well with this new technology?

TAKE US THROUGH THE WEEK OF MARCH 9, THE LAST WEEK WE WERE IN SCHOOL.

KC

On Monday, March 9, I would have bet $1,000 that we were not closing; by Thursday, I would have bet $50,000 that we would close. It happened so rapidly.

RL

At an assembly early in the week, Jack was able to educate the entire Upper School about the seriousness of what was happening but in a way that did not cause panic. He

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— KEVIN COSTA

{

{

On Monday, March 9, I would have bet $1,000 that we were not closing;

by Thursday, I would have bet $50,000 that we would close. It happened so rapidly.

provided kids with pathways to have discussions with their parents about the virus and decisions to be made. It was when kids were thinking about spring break.

KC

It was the first time flattening the curve made sense. It was in the news, but Jack had digested the information and was able to explain it. He allowed us to see it as a system. It was a good teaching moment

On March 11, COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization.

In a letter to parents, they were informed that McDonogh was actively preparing contingency plans for virtual school should the need arise at some point. Students were advised to “take home all essential learning tools when they leave for spring break on Friday afternoon (March 13) in the event that we need to transition to virtual school when classes resume.”

JH

It was very quick. The evening of the 11th and the morning of the 12th we basically said, “Ok. How do we pull the plug?” We had plans for professional development time after spring break, but we didn’t want to bring the faculty back after they had been traveling. We were really worried about the potential for infection among faculty.

We decided at 8:45 on the morning of the 12th that we couldn’t go any longer. We were going to pull the plug and tell everyone to take their stuff home because they weren’t going to be coming back for a couple of weeks.

RL

We did have a problem because the Lower School was not BYOD (Bring Your Own Device).

We knew that Middle and Upper School would be fine with technology. That day, Matthew Winner (Lower School Librarian) and Sara Madgey (Lower School Educational Technology Coordinator) took all the technology we had in Lower School and put it in the library system so every laptop and iPad could be checked out to students. We were confident then that everyone had access to technology. In that one day, March 12, they were able to get all of the technology out to our 348 prekindergarten to fourth grade students.

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Shortly after, on the morning of March 12, in a letter to parents, Dave Farace said, “With the latest developments, it has become clear to us that the right thing to do for the health of our school community and the greater community is to close school tomorrow, Friday, March 13 and shift to virtual school effective Wednesday, March 25. At a minimum, virtual school will be in effect through the week ending Friday, April 10.”

On March 13, the United States declared the COVID-19 outbreak a national emergency.

SO, STUDENTS LEFT ON THURSDAY, MARCH 12 WITH THEIR BOOKS, DEVICES, MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, AND ANYTHING ELSE THEY THOUGHT THEY MAY NEED FOR THE TEMPORARY CLOSURE, AND FACULTY SPENT FRIDAY, MARCH 13 DOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. HOW DID YOU MANAGE TO PULL THAT OFF?

KC

In that COVID Task Force meeting on March 12, Dave (Farace) looked me in the eye and said, “Can you do a PD (professional development) day tomorrow?” I said absolutely, yes, because I knew Robyn already had all the planning done.

RL

We had the sessions designed so teachers could self-identify as, “I’m a novice with this tool or I’m an intermediate user.” It helped facilitators differentiate each session based on the needs of the faculty. Teachers from every division were represented as facilitators.

We had about 18 concurrent sessions on different tech tools from using different features in Canvas for Upper School faculty to sessions so teachers could learn how to use Zoom. We had presentations on a variety of tech tools: Flipgrid, Edpuzzle, Book Creator, Seesaw, Quizizz. We identified tools that all teachers could use no matter their content area and students could navigate successfully. It was a full day and teachers had the opportunity to go to three sessions. To help teachers choose which session to attend, Willie Little (Middle School math teacher) and Sara Madgey (Lower School Educational Technology Coordinator) created a website with “commercials” so they could hear what each tool was about and make a decision on what session to attend.

KC

It was a great community day. A lot of people were working together. There was just the kind of pressure that can bring people together around an urgent problem.

VIRTUAL SCHOOL BEGAN AFTER SPRING BREAK ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25 AND LASTED UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR. WHAT’S YOUR ASSESSMENT OF HOW IT WENT?

KC

McDonogh’s transition was superior. It worked because everyone was ready. Robyn takes webinars daily on tech. Jack is such a systems thinker and is always thinking and predicting.

When he shares a position, you trust it because he is just so thoughtful. I try to keep up on best practices. We were all ready to go.

Teachers were given two days to plan curriculum, although most teachers worked over spring break. We brought people on board to a new way of thinking about what a virtual classroom is.

I hope this will show the value of more creative, more student-generated work.

RL

One of the biggest successes of all this is the collaboration that exists among teachers. What the increased use of technology did was allow teachers to begin to ask questions: How did

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— ROBYN LITTLE

{

{

People learned to use tools by teaching each other. We gave them tools, but what they did with those tools made it work. Because of their commitment to each other, we were successful. you do that? What do you know about this tool? There are more conversations around how teachers are leveraging the materials that exist. Teachers are working together, which is exciting!

They are sharing across content areas and that’s a huge success.

KC

We never took our foot off the pedal. We knew we needed to prioritize our relational teaching. We knew we needed to double down on the thing that makes McDonogh so special and that is the relationships between teachers and kids and kids and kids. It’s all about people.

RL

Kevin had office hours and teachers could come to him, and he would just listen. That is part of the success: teachers knowing that their voices are heard.

KC

People made this work. Real teaching was happening. People were inventing; they were figuring it out.

RL

People learned to use tools by teaching each other. We gave them tools, but what they did with those tools made it work. Because of their commitment to each other, we were successful.

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE?

KC

As Kate Mueller in her leadership has said, “We had a great transition in the spring, but it’s not really where we want to be in the fall.” We want to advance and we want better teaching. Other schools are going out looking for vendors and trainers and new products. The value is that we can build things in-house to meet McDonogh’s needs. We have in-house expertise that can build out for people they know. There is a kind of personalization of professional learning that has made us very successful.

RL

That’s where Kevin comes in. He says, “You have the tech, now you have the pedagogy to go along with the tech so that when we open, no matter how it is that we reopen, you can use all the resources we have provided to have a strong year.”

Our work does not stop with virtual school. It continues to be us looking at and reflecting on what we learned and how can we continue to move forward. As we look toward the fall, we want teachers to pivot when needed. If we are in school, we have a structure; if we are not, we still have that same structure. We are working to make it nimble so we are not reacting to the circumstances.

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Jack S. ’27 pays tribute to Mr. Rogers in style and song.

BIOGRAPHIES

COME TO LIFE THROUGH FLIPGRID

The fifth grade language arts curriculum includes a unit during which teacher Colleen Buseck focuses on nonfiction text structures.

The students learn to write a research paper and later read a nonfiction book. Normally, they choose a book from the Middle School library, but of course, this year that wasn’t possible. So, Buseck quickly moved to plan B.

MAKING VIRTUAL SCHOOL

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—BY MEREDITH BOWER

“I thought it might be fun for the fifth graders to select a ‘Who Was’ book from the series that contains hundreds of biographies,” Buseck explains.

“I let them pick any book they wanted, and I mailed each of my 16 students the book of their choice. They selected everything from Mister Rogers to Gandhi. I truly enjoyed tracking down each book because I could tell each student’s personal interests were shining through in their selections.”

After the students read the biography, they were tasked with posting a short, 30-second video on Flipgrid pretending to be their special person. Buseck says, “I was hesitant because I had never used Flipgrid before, but after a conversation with Stasha Gibbs (Middle School Librarian), I felt more confident.”

Speaking in first person in the video, the students listed the accomplishments and highlights of their subject’s life. “Watching the videos was a true highlight of virtual school,” Buseck says.

“One student, Arman S., became Michael Jackson and recorded a two-minute video perfecting his moves and voice. Another great one was Jack S. who wore a suit and tie as Mr. Rogers and sang “Won’t you be my neighbor?”

WOODSHOP

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George E. ’32 holds the guitar he made from boxes and rubber bands.

WITHOUT WOOD

A NEW WAY TO LEARN

play but also tap their imagination. Instead of a performance, students were to create an adaptation of Macbeth for the stage including director’s notes, casting, and set design.

AN OLD

DRAMA At the end of the school year, the Black Box theatre usually becomes a stage where sophomores demonstrate their understanding of Shakespeare’s Macbeth by acting out scenes from the play. This year, however, it was not to be. The study of Macbeth began over Zoom shortly after spring break and it quickly became apparent that reading dialogue does not transfer well to the popular platform. It was a concern that would impact the final project.

So, the sophomore English teachers changed direction and created an end-of-year assignment that would not only demonstrate their students’ understanding of the

For weeks before they got to work on the project, the students in Dana Lotito’s two sections of sophomore English dissected the drama, watched parts of different productions, reimagined scenes, created new dialogue, analyzed character traits, and considered essential questions indirectly related to the text about ambition, power, fate, and guilt. Lotito explains that the value in teaching old texts such as Macbeth is for students to gain an understanding of the cultural language so that when they see a reference to the play, they will get it. She also wants the students to enjoy it. “They will remember if they enjoyed the text and what they got out of it in terms of their real world view.”

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students to use materials available at home to build forts, create toys with moving parts, craft accessories, make wearable designs, build paper towers, or create an instrument. The children were quick to “think outside the box” and then, using boxes, got to work. The ingenuity they showed in completing their tasks was remarkable, and the joy they experienced while learning was apparent in their final products.

Joss L. ’31 is most proud of the fact that her 34 cm.-high tower is strong yet flexible.

Once the students had a solid understanding of the play and overarching themes, they got to work in breakout rooms to create their own versions of the tragic play. From Macbeth: NFL Draft to Volt, a futuristic sci-fi adaptation, the final projects hit their mark.

Lotito says, “The students gave the project so much energy. It’s a tough play in general and it was a tough situation. They brought their best.”

Sophomores Drew Marcin, Jonathan Reznik, and Jacob Murrell created this Playbill cover for their football-themed version of Macbeth.

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A highlight of the Lower School art program is woodshop where, beginning in first grade, children learn how to use drills, saws, and hammers, along with their imaginations. Creative thinking, problem solving, and basic engineering principles are as much a part of woodshop as hammers and nails. During virtual school, art teacher Allison Yancone focused on the problem-solving features of the class as she challenged her

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OVER THE YEARS, MCDONOGH IS FAMILY At the end of the school year, Ane Lintvedt gave her World History II class one more assignment. Among the lessons they learned was: despite what is going on in the world, McDonogh is a caring place. The students came to this conclusion after reading a handful of the many letters Headmaster “Doc” Lamborn sent to his “boys” who were serving in World War II. One student noted, “He checks on their well-being at the beginning of each letter, just like how our teachers check on us during this virtual school.”

Another said, “I’ve realized that although it’s many years later, McDonogh hasn’t changed much. There are faculty and staff that care so much about the community and practically call it family, much like today.”

WHAT TOILET PAPER CONSUMPTION

TEACHES

When toilet paper became a hot commodity at the beginning of quarantine, fifth grade math teacher Halyna Fried seized the opportunity to turn it into a teachable moment. She posed a critical question that had been top of mind since stay-at-home measures were put in place and asked her students to determine, “How much toilet paper do I really need?”

First, students recorded how many full rolls of toilet paper they had in their house, collected data on their individual usage for a week, and predicted their entire family’s use over seven days. Then, they moved their data into

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spreadsheets and began a deeper analysis. They compared male-female usage, calculated the average use per gender per family, discovered ways the data could be skewed, and compared their estimates to the actual usage.

Fried’s point in assigning the project wasn’t actually to answer how much toilet paper was needed, but to teach her students that they could use rational problem-solving to avoid the type of panic responses that lead to hoarding.

While the hands-on lesson was not how Fried originally planned to teach concepts like estimating and averaging, the timely and relevant topic of toilet paper made an impression on her students and answered another age-old question about math, “But, when will we need to use this?”

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Emnet T. ’27 begins her problem-solving by collecting all the toilet paper in the house.

CREATIVITY ON DISPLAY

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Sophie W. ’26 poses for the cover of The Hired Girl in her book cover creation.

While you should never judge a book by its cover, if the covers recreated by the students in Amy Frangipane’s English class are any indication of what’s inside, they are a good read.

Inspired by the many “art recreation” challenges circulating on social media during the spring, Middle School Librarian Stasha Gibbs suggested one for Frangipane’s sixth graders. Using pets, props, and various computer programs, the

students created their own book covers, which often were difficult to discern from the originals.

Similarly, Upper School Latin teachers Jennifer Jerger and Elizabeth Bartlett collaborated on a new and interesting way to connect their students with what they were studying, and at the same time challenged their creativity. They asked their students to recreate famous works of art related to the Roman heroes Horatius Cocles and Cloelia and the 12 Labors of Hercules. After learning of the assignment, students scoured the web for examples and then got to work posing and photographing. The juxtapositions are fantastic, proving once again that even in the virtual world, McDonogh teachers can find ways to keep joy in learning.

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Kwan Williams ’22 recreates the sculpture by Bertel Thorvaldsen of Greek hero Jason holding aloft the Golden Fleece for Latin Honors II.

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First grader Josh S. practices speaking Spanish to his stuffed animals.

HOW TO TEACH SPANISH TO

17

SECTIONS OF STUDENTS EVERY WEEK

If you didn’t know better, you may think that during virtual school Lower School Spanish teacher Rebecca Nickolaus taught her more than 250 students one on one. At the start of each lesson, speaking in Spanish, she greeted the children, asked how they were doing, paused to listen to their response, and then shared how she was feeling...as if her students had inquired. In reality, she was teaching an entire grade simultaneously on a pre-recorded video.

Nickolaus, who during regular school, teaches 17 sections of Spanish a week to students in prefirst through fourth grade, quickly pivoted when virtual school began. With special subjects such as world languages moved to the end of the day after the core curriculum, she was no longer

SEED GOES VIRTUAL It was going to be a busy spring in the Fader Innovation Center for the junior SEED (Social Entrepreneurship Engineering and Design) class, but when virtual school became the new reality, teachers Ashley Fulton-Howard and Ned Courtemanche did a U-turn and put their own innovation skills to work. Together, they developed a completely new class in which students, from the confines of their homes, attended workshops, learned new skills, and earned badges for proficiency.

Fulton-Howard explains, “Basically, since the students didn’t have access to the same tools, supplies, or

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able to teach face-to-face lessons to individual groups.

So, she moved to the asynchronous model.

embedded questions that students had to answer in order to continue through the lesson.

Fortunately for Nickolaus and her students, combining new and familiar tech tools to create her lessons was a challenge she happily embraced. Each week, she made four different gradelevel YouTube video lessons combining apps such as Edpuzzle and Screencast-OMatic. She says that while the combination of the different programs may have been more complex on her end, it helped keep the students engaged and learning.

Nickolaus, who learned about Screencast-O-Matic in graduate school, taught her peers how to use the app before virtual school began.

Conversely, she counted on others to teach her the intricacies of Edpuzzle. “I have learned so much about digital programs through this experience. I now hope to incorporate them into my regular classes,” she says.

With her dog wandering around in the background and a smile on her face, she recorded the lessons using props, simple storybooks, videos, and flashcards.

Screencast-O-Matic allowed her to record herself on the full screen as she introduced new vocabulary, and she was visible in the corner as she read books or narrated a video. When the various components of her lesson were complete, she uploaded them to Edpuzzle where she

Although Nickolaus and her students were never actually face to face during her lessons, they did communicate through Zoom rooms, office hours, and homework assignments which, on occasion, involved sending videos of themselves speaking in Spanish to a pet or stuffed animal. Overall, Nickolaus says she is happy with the learning that took place during virtual school but is really looking forward to the day she can teach her students in person. Watch the pieces of a typical lesson.

engineering help, we challenged them to do six projects where they learned a new skill or documented improvements/innovations that could be made. We also had 10 guest speakers and 14 workshops on various engineering, entrepreneurship, and design topics, as well as some STEM careers.”

Luke Wagner ’21 says, “This term definitely wasn’t ordinary or normal by any means at all, but not only did I have a really fun time, I also believe I grew in many areas. I really enjoyed the workshops and I learned lots from them. My favorite workshops were the Engineering Careers, Covid Stocks, and Leadership Skills.” He continues, “Despite the difficult circumstances, I still was very motivated and excited for SEED class.”

MAKING MACHINES After a month on Zoom, Upper School physics teacher Andy Motsko says he felt it was prudent to get the kids off of the computer. So, he challenged his students to create a complex “machine” that performs a simple task using the principles of physics. Such machines, called Rube Goldbergs, are named for the cartoonist, author, and sculptor (and trained engineer!) who poked fun at society’s love of technology. The results were exciting and got the job done. Watch Recycle the Water Bottle by Bailey Greenfield, Close the Door by Andrew Greene, and Raise a Flag by Olivia Faloni.

SERVICE PROJECTS TOUCH ELDERLY In April, as middle schoolers were feeling the effects of quarantine, they could empathize with the elderly living in nursing homes and assisted living communities who were limited in their personal contact with friends and family. But, thanks to Suzi Eldridge’s fifth and sixth grade vocal music classes, the residents of Best Care, an assisted living community in Reisterstown, enjoyed a trip down memory lane. After researching and learning a piece of music from the 1940s or 50s, the students recorded themselves singing songs like this rendition of Ella Fitzgerald’s “A Tisket-a-Tasket”

by Dallyce H., Allie M., and Alessandra O. and Johnny Ray’s “Cry” by Annalyse S. Then, using the Soundtrap and iMovie apps, they created

short videos combining their audio recordings with images from the time period or those that conveyed a feeling of hope. The residents were thrilled to hear the old familiar songs being sung by the students who, in turn, had learned a piece of musical history. The assignment was a win-win for everyone.

Meanwhile, the Eighth Grade Leadership Group went “old-school” and initiated a letter-writing campaign. More than half of the Middle School students jumped on the optional effort and wrote newsy letters of support to the senior citizens at eight different residences. The recipients of the thoughtful notes were delighted; many wrote back to thank the students for the words of

wisdom and share a little about themselves.

Optimistic sixth grader Iris P. wrote, “I know these times can be hard, but I like to think on the bright side. Some good things happening in the world are that animals are starting to go outside and run around more, there is a lot less pollution, and spring is here, which means flowers will bloom and the sky is getting to be really pretty at night. I wish you the best and hope you stay safe!”

In turn, Iris received a reply from Beth W., who said, in part, “What a lovely surprise it was to receive your note at my home at Broadmead. I had been having a particularly tough day when it arrived, and what you wrote touched me deeply and cheered me up...I

really like your idea of thinking on the bright side when things are tough. The animals this spring have been marvelous to see. I especially enjoy seeing the white-tailed rabbits scurry around...I agree with you that it is a wonderful thing that there is less pollution now. I like to think that perhaps everyone will learn from this how we can save our planet by flying in airplanes less often and driving cars less...Thinking on the bright side really does help us get through the tough times, doesn’t it? I am very glad you wrote to me about this. Thank you for all that you, your family, your friends, and McDonogh School are doing to keep everyone safe, especially those of us who are older.”

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PHYSICS CLASSES BUILD ELECTROMAGNETIC

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HONORS

DEVICES AT HOME Each year after spring break, Eric Conn’s Honors Physics classes finish the semester with a big, hands-on, collaborative project in which students build one of four electromagnetic devices—a motor, a generator, a speaker, or an electromagnetic train.

Everything they learn before the break prepares them for the project. When virtual school became a reality, Conn adapted.

He says, “We weren’t going to turn back. We’d put so much of the scaffolding in place.”

Because the logistics of physically working together were impossible, he divided the tasks and assigned each member of the four different groups in both of his classes a role (builder, programmer, team leader, or writer). The plan was for each team to work in Zoom breakout rooms to construct their device, with the builder directed by his/her teammates.

Since the equipment and materials such as copper wire and specialized magnets were not household items, Conn contacted different vendors

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and had the parts shipped directly to each builder.

For most of their virtual school class time, the students worked on their projects and prepared for their final presentation, while Conn served as a resource. He says, “The goal of each presentation was to explain the physics of their device on a conceptual level. It works best when you have a group working on something substantive that they are interested in.”

To teach their classmates the concept behind their device, each group created a background video to view in advance. “Because you are dealing with electromagnetism, so much is invisible, and that’s where the programming came in. They programmed visual displays and simulations to show what the fields look like,” Conn explains.

As the end of the year drew near, the students pulled everything together for their final virtual presentations.

They shot footage of the

building process and a demonstration of the final working product, wrote a script and filmed an asynchronous presentation, and then uploaded the videos to Edpuzzle, which allowed them to include interactive quizzes and games. On the final day of class, each group had 12 minutes to share their presentation with their classmates live over Zoom.

Watch a compilation of the final projects.

Conn says he was pleased with the outcome. “When you give kids an opportunity to be creative, it gets them going, and when they have an opportunity to make it fun, that’s when you see their best work.” And while he would naturally prefer to be together in the classroom, he acknowledges that a benefit of virtual school was that it forced everyone to get to know some exciting online tools. “I’m sure when we are back on campus, teachers will still be using these tools.”

Mehek Bajaj ’23 drew this sketch of her team’s motor and the prototype was built by Jonathan Reznik ’22.

STAYING WELL MEANS

HAVING

FUN

“It was the most fun I’ve had in weeks!” Daniel Kim ’20 declared. The “it” he was talking about was a virtual BINGO game/80s trivia/ scavenger hunt/dance party all rolled into one fun evening over Zoom. In late April, Daniel and the other RollinsLuetkemeyer leaders were invited to pilot a new, virtual form of entertainment called Free Space; it had them laughing, dancing, and cheering for each other as if they were in the same room.

Kriebel is all about making connections and helping others find inspiration. In addition to the Free Space evening, each week during virtual school she also held numerous mindfulness opportunities for faculty, staff, and students. She explains, “From my corner of the world I just want people to be healthy, to be kind to themselves, to be grounded, and to learn a little tool for their toolbox that helps them to navigate life...especially when things like this come our way.”

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Ninth grade wellness teacher Michelle Kriebel coordinated the event, which was run by a friend of hers who developed the idea when his job went on hiatus due to the coronavirus.

Besides helping her friend test

the concept, she says, “It was a way to show kids that you can create and innovate and that we can always be adapting.”

The Rollins-Luetkemeyer leaders have fun in the Free Space with Wellness teacher Michele Kriebel and their advisors.

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>>> The drawbridge is up on the castle constructed by fourth grader Simryn R.

SEESAW APP KEEPS LEARNING

BALANCED The transition to distance learning may have had a few ups and downs, but for the Lower School faculty and students, the Seesaw app they had been using since the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year was a virtual game changer.

“Kids were very familiar with Seesaw, it’s what kept our virtual school going,” says fourth grade teacher Zaccai Williams. “It was the primary vehicle for how we got content to them every day. And it was absolutely great because it became like this running timeline or online journal. I would post assignments, they would post work; I would post comments, and their parents could also see it.” He adds, “It was an incredible tool for parents to feel engaged in the learning.”

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For Lower School faculty like Williams, who teach the students math, reading, writing, and social studies in their homeroom, Seesaw became an interactive way to maintain the feel of the classroom. “I could see at one time what all the kids were working on,” he says. “This is how our learning lived and breathed, so it made it really easy to get assignments done.”

As virtual school went on, the Lower School teachers began using the platform for more long-term, project-based learning. For Williams, two assignments stood out as examples of how virtual school and Seesaw stretched his students. In math, they were tasked with creating a virtual or physical castle with specific building requirements to show their understanding of fractions and decimals. For example, 1/8 of the rooms had to be libraries, .5 of the floors should be marble, and there must be a 3.5-meter-long alligator in the moat. “The results were even better than if I just gave them materials

(paper and glue sticks) and said ‘build something,’” he says. Some students uploaded pictures and videos of their three-dimensional castles and others shared the buildings they designed using online game creation systems such as Roblox. “It was a great way to see how technology integration can boost the level of engagement with learning.”

See a video of the castle Olivia B. uploaded to Seesaw.

Williams was equally impressed with the results of a reading assignment. Prior to the start of spring break and virtual school, small groups of students (book clubs) began reading; later they would be assigned to write an essay on their books. Recognizing that students may have lost interest or forgotten the essential components of the book in the intervening month, he tasked his class with creating book trailers (like a movie trailer) to re-energize them and make sure they had a solid understanding of the

characters, setting, and themes.

“I had no clue that students would also use music and imagery to showcase their profound understanding of the mood found within their book club books!” Williams explains that when they uploaded their trailers to Seesaw, he realized the value in giving them an assignment and letting them use their creativity to find the answer.

Watch the book trailers created by Madison P. and James P. Williams says that virtual school allowed him to rethink and re-envision what school can look like. “After having this experience, there are things I am absolutely going to continue in my classroom just because it was so much fun and so valuable for kids in their learning. There is a certain element of controlled chaos in virtual school where you have to give kids freedom to learn. It opened me up to the possibility of what can happen when we give students choice and amplify their voices.”

2020 YEARBOOK STAFF

ADJUSTS VISION

When school closed in mid-March, the staff of the Legacy yearbook was looking at the home stretch. Each of the 350 pages of the 2020 edition, with its theme of “Vision,” had been carefully plotted and the editors were poised to cover spring at McDonogh. Then, the unforeseeable happened and they had to reimagine everything. As some stories disappeared, others were added to mirror what was happening during virtual school. “They hung together and were relentless,” Faculty Advisor Phil Turner says of the staff. “They figured out new ways to cover things, and the book

became more of a documentation of history. It’s what journalists do. They adapt to the circumstances.”

Even after grades were submitted, the yearbook staff continued working to make sure the 2020 Legacy was a true reflection of the year. Without blinking, they made sure the Legacy included a Black Lives Matter protest that took place on campus in mid-June. The yearbook, dedicated to the Class of 2020 and their resiliency, was “put to bed” on July 1 and is expected to be delivered on time.

A CHICKEN, A MONKEY, AND AN OCTOPUS

HELP MAINTAIN RITUAL What do a chicken, a monkey, and an octopus have in common? In puppet form during virtual school, they helped to create a sense of unity and connectedness among the Lower School community by starring in skits prepared for the monthly values-based Chapel gathering.

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Bridget Collins ’90, the Charles W. Britton Director of Character and Service explains, “Routine is so important, so as soon as we learned we would be in virtual school, Lower School Performing Arts teachers Beth Rausch and Ashley Cicconi and I grabbed whatever we thought we may need to do our monthly Chapel virtually.” The three teachers ended up with the unique combination of characters who quickly became the inspiration for April’s lesson on global citizenship. In an original skit, the puppets, like people all over the world, shared their feelings of isolation and missing their friends. They also reinforced messages on how to be good global citizens by hand-washing and practicing social distancing.

These three friends reminded Lower School students that even if you can’t be right next to each other, you can still have a dance party!

Along with their roles as puppeteers, Rausch and Cicconi recorded songs, and Collins spoke to the children as if they were gathered in the quiet pews in Tagart Memorial Chapel. The videos were stitched together and on the designated Friday in April, each Lower School classroom tuned in to watch the virtual gathering collectively. “It was magical,” Collins says. “When it was over, so many teachers reached out to let me know that the children unmuted themselves and stood to join in the singing. The kids really participated in the spirit of Chapel. The ritual let them know that they were connected to each other and that we can still build community even when we are apart.”

The April appearance of the chicken, the monkey, and the octopus was so successful that the three characters returned in May when the Chapel theme was gratitude.

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CIRCLING THE HILL

SHOP TALK

BY KEVIN J. COSTA, PH.D. DIRECTOR OF INNOVATION & LEARNING

It was the morning of Thursday, March 12, and the McDonogh Coronavirus Task Force stood in Dave Farace’s office. A short conversation made it clear: we were going to close the campus and move school online. Under the superb leadership of Robyn Little, McDonogh’s Director of Educational Technology, we spent Friday, March 13 sharing, coaching, and encouraging each other for what we soon learned was called “emergency distance learning.” When we “returned” from spring break, our entire PK–12 faculty was proficient with Zoom and with a cluster of educational technology tools.

SUMMER AND BEYOND Over the summer, McDonogh’s faculty has been engaged in a self-paced, asynchronous course preparing them to utilize best practices in a blended learning environment. More than just “online school,” blended learning is a thoughtful mix of synchronous and asynchronous teaching and learning that focuses on student agency, mastery, and meaningful assessment. Teachers also took a course in creating LifeReady units of study, in adopting anti-racist and anti-bias pedagogy, and leveraging social and emotional learning practices to meet the holistic needs of all students.

McDonogh School was in session.

LESSONS FROM THE SPRING Before too long, we were all getting used to the “Brady Bunch” tiles of Zoom, using tech platforms like Flipgrid, Nearpod, and EdPuzzle, and perfecting how to share screens. We were learning what worked, and we were also experiencing what was hard about virtual school.

Nothing could have prepared us for how much we missed being together in person.

We also felt the fatigue of too much screen time and the challenges of assessing student learning. It was then that Kate Mueller, McDonogh’s Associate Head of School, called for all faculty to engage in meaningful professional development, and the LifeReady leadership team went to work on a multi-part course to support McDonogh faculty.

BEING THE BEST OF WHATEVER WE ARE If you can’t be a highway, then just be a trail, If you can’t be the sun, be a star; It isn’t by size that you win or you fail— Be the best of whatever you are.

— Douglas Malloch These words, often sung by Lower School students, give a message of hope and resilience. This is an extraordinary time in our country and in the world.

Life, in the immediate future, won’t look or feel as it has. Indeed, the contingencies we’re facing now will test us to see just how life-ready we really are. (pssst . . . we are!)

It hardly needs to be said that we all want to be back in school—to get back to normal life—as soon as possible. But a virus cares nothing at all for our wishes. And so we must adapt, innovate, thrive— in short, to be the best of whatever we are. And whatever we are, we are always McDonogh School.

GREATEST GOOD MCDONOGH In December 2019, we announced the establishment of Greatest Good McDonogh, a signature PK–12 program that will foster philanthropic and social innovation abilities in our students and empower them to make a difference in communities locally and globally through real-life applications. Funded by the Rothschild Foundations, an important component of Greatest Good McDonogh is to establish partnerships with other schools and

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organizations and to connect McDonogh students with peers in the region so they can collaborate on solving problems and experience firsthand the joy of making a difference.

Due to the pandemic, the international search for a director of the program has been paused.

Originally set to launch in September 2020, the current plan is to introduce Greatest Good McDonogh in the fall of 2021.

WELCOME NEW HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL

KRISTY LUNDSTRÖM

“Kids Go First” is the personal and professional motto of McDonogh’s new Head of Middle School Kristy Lundström, and one of the reasons she stood out as the perfect candidate for the job.

Lundström, who officially started in the position on July 1, moved with her family from Stockholm, Sweden, earlier in the summer and brings with her more than 25 years of outstanding experience as an educator and administrator in the United States and Europe.

“I have admired McDonogh’s focus on the joy of learning from afar.

Now, I look forward to being on campus and meeting all of the students and parents, as well as working with the talented team of teachers and staff,” she says.

Most recently Lundström served as Executive Director of The Viktor Rydberg Schools Foundation in Stockholm, Sweden. The Foundation, which runs seven independent, bilingual (English/Swedish) schools, is dedicated to improving the quality of teaching and learning and to being pioneers in all aspects of education.

Lundström, who grew up in the United States, started her career as a mathematics teacher. From there, she held progressively responsible positions, including Director of Curriculum and Instruction and Supervisory Chair of Math and Science at the Alabama School of Fine Arts, a boarding school for students in grades 7–12; Head of School at the Scandinavian School of Brussels, a PK-12 trilingual (English/Nordic/French) institution; and Principal of an upper secondary school in Sweden. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics Education from BirminghamSouthern College and a master’s degree in International Education Management and Administration from Stockholm University.

“Kristy’s proven dedication to reimagining teaching and learning to benefit students aligns perfectly with McDonogh’s LifeReady mission,” says Head of School Dave Farace ’87. “We are thrilled that she will bring her expertise and dedication to children to McDonogh.”

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Kristy Lundström stands in front of the construction site of the Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Middle School, which is on track to open in the spring of 2021. Follow construction progress on our livestream cameras.

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CIRCLING THE HILL

RECOGNIZING AND SUPPORTING TEACHER EXCELLENCE When the audience of faculty and staff gathered in the Ceres M. Horn Theatre for the annual winter meeting in February, they suspected that a faculty chair would be awarded to one of their colleagues, but what they didn’t expect was the announcement of three new, fully funded endowments. Thanks to a generous gift from Dr. Susan Cummings and Dr. Kris Jenner, the W. Wright Abbot IV Master Teaching Chair, the Susan Hillis Newton Distinguished Teaching Chair, and the John W. Wood III Faculty Development Fund have been established.

Cummings and Jenner created and named the funds as an expression of their gratitude for the outstanding educators and role models at McDonogh who impacted their children Olivia ’15, Maddie ’18, and Kristopher ’20. Their gift is also directly related to their own formative years when their teachers challenged and inspired them.

MASTER TEACHING CHAIR NAMED IN HONOR OF W. WRIGHT ABBOT IV Upper School English teacher Wright Abbot was speechless when it was revealed that a Master Teaching Chair would be named for him. In his 38-year career, he has been an inspiration, a treasured colleague, and a mentor. His passion, humanity, and commitment to the life of the mind not only inspires students to love literature but also to learn lessons of even greater value about themselves and the world.

In announcing the naming of the Chair for Abbot, Head of School Dave Farace ’87 said, “One student speaking about his influence offered, ‘Mr. Abbot was able to teach me how to become not only a better writer and thinker but also a better person.’”

Farace also shared reflections of the well-respected teacher from former headmasters. He noted that Bo Dixon called Abbot a “mission keeper,” and on one occasion, Charlie Britton said, “The level of rigor Wright brings to the classroom, what he demands of students, creates an amazing dynamic. He has an incredible ability to forge relationships with students and get the most out of them.”

ROB SMOOT ’77 AWARDED W. WRIGHT ABBOT IV MASTER TEACHING CHAIR After the W. Wright Abbot IV Master Teaching Chair was named, Farace kept the audience in suspense as he announced the first recipient of the honor. In keeping with tradition, he dropped clues as to the person’s identity as he described the qualities that rendered him worthy.

“The first recipient of the W. Wright Abbot IV Master Teaching Chair personifies the term ‘McDonogh Family,’” Farace said. “In this teacher’s classroom, there is a family-like atmosphere with lots of give and take, respect and love, fun and joy. At the same

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time, students are held to the highest level of engagement and achievement. It’s because of this person that many former students have not only continued their studies in this teacher’s subject area but also have gone on to pursue related careers.”

Eventually, it became clear that the honoree was an Upper School science teacher. Then, identifiers such as long-time coach, wrestling mat, Cardboard Boat Race, and greenhouse guru were woven into the narrative. The award became official when Farace, beaming with joy, concluded, “Born and raised on campus, there is no doubt he loves McDonogh like no other. A devoted father, son, grandfather, teacher, mentor, coach, colleague, friend, and now the first recipient of the W. Wright Abbot IV Master Teaching Chair, Rob Smoot does it all, and he does it with incredible passion, care, and joy. He epitomizes what it means to be part of the McDonogh Family, and those of us who have been part of his journey over the last 38 years have been better for it.”

DISTINGUISHED TEACHING CHAIR NAMED IN HONOR OF SUSAN HILLIS NEWTON A devoted, patient, and trusted teacher, advisor, colleague, and friend, Sue Newton was shocked and humbled by the announcement that the Distinguished Teaching Chair established by Cummings and Jenner would bear her name.

In making the announcement, Farace shared, “When you add it up, during her 21-year tenure at McDonogh, Sue has contributed to the development of thousands of students in countless ways.” He spoke about her many roles outside of the classroom and emphasized that her greatest contribution is the legacy of teaching excellence she has created inside math classrooms for decades. He described her dedication to her students and willingness to stay after school to help them long after the buses have gone.

“Sue’s devotion to her students and colleagues is unwavering,” Farace said. “She regularly ‘adopts’ students who need a special boost or extra attention beyond math. Over the years, her mentorship has been transformational.” He concluded, “An exceptional person and a steadfast supporter of the greater McDonogh community, it is most fitting that this Chair will be named the Susan Hillis Newton Distinguished Teaching Chair.”

FACULTY DEVELOPMENT FUND NAMED IN HONOR OF JOHN W. WOOD III John Wood has been described by some as a ‘revolutionary in a bowtie’ and there is a good reason why. In announcing that an endowed fund in support of professional development would be named for Wood, Farace said, “John is fiercely curious about everything, which is evident in his

exhaustive research on nearly every topic; there is nothing that he overlooks. History is not a static field for John. It’s not just about learning and teaching dates and facts; it’s about interpreting, reasoning, synthesizing, understanding perspectives, and developing the core processes that help his students make sense of the world.”

“He never misses an opportunity for professional development, and he often applies for grants that allow him to travel and deepen his learning,” Farace added.

The namesake of the John W. Wood III Faculty Development Fund will also be the first to benefit from the generosity of Cummings and Jenner.

Addressing the inventive teacher, Farace concluded, “John, we know you will use the funds in the coming year to feed your curiosity and further your pursuit of learning, which will benefit our students.”

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Back row, from left: Dave Farace ’87, Susan Cummings, Kristopher Jenner ’20, and Kris Jenner; front row, from left: John Wood, Sue Newton, Wright Abbot, and Rob Smoot ’77

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LOWER SCHOOL LIBRARIAN’S WINNING WAYS Since arriving at McDonogh in the fall of 2019, Lower School Librarian Matthew Winner’s enthusiasm for children’s literature has been contagious. Even before his popular “Story Time with Mr. Winner and Friends” became an evening quarantine ritual for many McDonogh families, he was a fan favorite. More than seven years ago, he started The Children’s Book Podcast as a way to share conversations with the authors and illustrators of the types of books he feels children need to see. Today, more than 600 episodes later, it is downloaded more than 50,000 times a month by authors, illustrators, teachers, parents, and students across the world.

Guided by his anti-racism and anti-bias work, the books Winner selects for his podcast and for the McDonogh library often feature marginalized voices that aren’t championed enough. “I’m picky about what I choose,” he says.

Winner believes that the books children read should be “windows and mirrors.” In other words, he wants books to serve as a way for students to see themselves and others. “That’s really important to me,” he shares. This passion is what drives him to

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constantly assess how the library collection represents the school’s values and what can be done to allow different voices to be heard. “As much as I can, I want to get new work in front of the kids and show them how their interests are being reflected. I want them to delight in books,” he says.

Among the many projects Winner initiated during the school year was the mock Coretta Scott King Book Award competition, which he ran in January like March Madness. Each week, students in kindergarten through fourth grade read a pair of books by Black authors and illustrators that portray some aspect of the Black experience, past, present, or future. The students chose their favorites from the original 14 contenders and the books moved through the bracket until there was a winner and three runners-up. “The students all had ownership,” says Winner, who wanted the young readers to understand that even if their choice didn’t make it to the top, the books they connected with had value.

Winner adds, “Throughout the process they communicated with authors and illustrators through my Twitter account signing their messages

with hashtags like #froma3rdgrader. When the authors and illustrators wrote back, it validated for the kids how much their voice matters. I want students to know that people care about them in profound ways that they don’t even realize.”

Allowing students’ voices to be heard is also why Winner offered third and fourth graders the opportunity to learn about podcasting during their Visual and Performing Arts time. After teaching them how to look at a book critically and conduct an interview, he invited the students to be part of The Children’s Book Podcast conversations. Among the authors they interviewed was Adam Rex, who wrote Are You Scared, Darth Vader? Winner explains that the students selected the book and worked together to create a list of questions for the December interview. He says, “Our students had their fingers crossed about this particular conversation and we all had a really, really great time interviewing Adam.”

The following month the third grade students took over the podcast for an episode called “Readers Thoughts on Reading” where, instead of asking the questions, they did the answering. Winner says, “I asked authors and illustrators to submit questions for the students about books, podcasting, and, most importantly, being a reader. We had a lot of fun recording the episode.”

Looking ahead, Winner plans to continue to move the library in new directions. “If you have things you want to learn, then I’m going to help you find those resources. That’s what libraries are all about.” ­­

—Meredith Bower

EXPLORING ISSUES OF RACE AND IDENTITY THROUGH LITERATURE AND HISTORY We tell our history through stories and our history provides context for the stories we tell. There is a synergy between English and history and that was something Upper School teachers Constance Green and Daryl Burch wanted to explore in their new class “Invisible Man: Race, America, and the Politics of (Un)Seeing and Being (Un)Seen.”

Using Ralph Ellison’s 1952 award-winning novel Invisible Man as a foundation, the class explored the book’s themes, particularly those of race, visibility, and identity, through historical, literary, and artistic lenses. Green (English) and Burch (History) hoped that this interdisciplinary approach would give students a new perspective on why certain stories endure, how they shine a light on our history, and the ways in which they relate to modern events.

“I chose to take this course because it offered a perspective unlike most traditional English classes that I had taken,” says Kamila Redd ’20. “It focused on questions that are relevant and important today, and it encouraged discussions about a topic that continues to develop and shape our society.”

Race and identity have certainly been in the headlines recently, but as Ellison’s 68-year-old work proves, these themes have always been woven into the fabric of American society. “I hope students continue to think about what it means to be seen and not seen in America—the conditions that perpetuate perspective and what it means to exist in those conditions,” Green says as she spoke of her goals for the class.

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Burch notes that the final line of Invisible Man reads, “Who knows but that, on the lower frequencies, I speak for you?” He explains, “This last line of the novel resonates with so much of why I teach. It’s a reminder that although this book was written well over 60 years ago, it still speaks to those struggling with their own given identities in the 21st century.”

Vinnie M., Kaiden G., Justin R., Noah K., Sam K., and Allison L. take part in Matthew Winner’s Children’s Book Podcast.

For Kamila, the course was both eye-opening and inspiring.

She says, “I liked the discussions that we had in which Ms. Green and Mr. Burch challenged our previous assumptions, encouraged us to go deeper with our opinions and ideas, and taught us new lessons about being Black in America.” ­­—Wriiten by Dave Radford, based on an interview by Nicole Downing

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Heartbroken and infuriated by the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, leaders of the Sankofa and Diversity 4 McDonogh (D4M) clubs wanted to provide their fellow classmates with an outlet for the many emotions they were experiencing under the weight of such cruel injustice. Together they organized a peaceful demonstration across McDonogh’s campus on the evening of June 10.

Complicated by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the gathering was carefully orchestrated to allow participants, who were required to wear masks, to remain physically distant yet still feel emotionally connected. Staggered over three 20-minute sessions, more than 100 upper schoolers, faculty, staff, and alumni representatives came to protest the acts of racism and hate that continue to plague our nation. In small groups spread across campus, the demonstrators were clad in all black and held signs that put their pain into words.

Each session began with participants kneeling in silence for eight minutes and 46 seconds representing the time George Floyd was pinned to the ground, gasping for air. The slow moving, silent seconds brought the tragic reality of Floyd’s final moments into sharp focus. After the moment of silence ended, Delaney Yarborough ’22 delivered a personal and heartfelt spoken word poem entitled, “I Can’t Breathe.” With clarity and passion, she illuminated her experience as a young, Black person navigating this world.

Many students in attendance had already heard these same stories of racial injustice told too many times during their young lives.

The faculty and staff, representing multiple generations, had seen progress come in fits and starts but always too slowly. They all came together on a still evening in early June to kneel in silence.

A silence that said enough. A silence that demanded change. A silence that screamed “Black Lives Matter!” —Dave Radford

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CIRCLING THE HILL

CLUBS HOST PEACEFUL BLACK LIVES MATTER DEMONSTRATION

Funds raised by the Class of 2024 were used to provide hygiene kits for health care workers at Northwest Hospital in Randallstown earlier this spring.

MCDONOGH EARNS COMMON SENSE DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP CERTIFICATION At the beginning of the 2019–2020 school year, long before virtual school was even considered a possibility, McDonogh began taking the steps to become a Common Sense Digital Citizenship Certified School. To earn the certification from Common Sense Media, schools must be committed to helping students think critically and use technology responsibly to learn, create, and participate. Faculty in all three divisions got to work educating students in K-12 and their families on a variety of topics including Media Balance and Well Being; Cyberbullying, Digital Drama, and Hate Speech; Digital Footprint; Privacy and Security; and News and Media Literacy.

The age-appropriate lessons were developed by Common Sense Media in partnership with Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Guided by the research of thousands of educators, each digital citizenship lesson takes on real challenges and digital dilemmas that students face today, giving them the skills they need to succeed tomorrow, as digital learners, leaders, and citizens.

Sara Madgey, McDonogh’s Lower School Educational Technology Coordinator, explains that lessons were taught to all K–4 students in library class and that in grades 5–12, the learning took place during advisory and/or wellness class. She says, “We used the Common Sense Media Digital Citizenship Curriculum as a guide and modified and enriched lessons in order to meet the needs of our students.”

The efforts to earn the certification also incorporated the use of technology into lessons with tools the students use in their campus and virtual classrooms such as Google Classroom, Flipgrid, Seesaw, and Nearpod. After distance learning began at the end of March due to the coronavirus, the lessons learned in the first part of the school year proved to be a valuable asset to students, faculty, and parents alike. The Digital Citizenship Certification is an added bonus.

CONCERN FOR OTHERS WILL CHANGE THE WORLD One thing you can say about the Class of 2024 is that they don’t give up. Two years ago, as seventh graders, they participated in the annual Global Citizen’s Week lesson. Keenly aware of the need for nutritious, shelf-stable meals, the class set a goal to raise $5,000 for meal kits to feed children in Baltimore and Haiti through an organization called No Kid Hungry. They committed to doing chores and hosting a half-day of campus fundraisers including a car wash, lemonade stand, and a 3k run/walk. Unfortunately, bad weather and other unforeseen circumstances canceled the fundraisers and the class fell short of their goal. But, they didn’t give up.

This school year, under the direction of the Eighth Grade Leadership Group, the class decided to continue their fundraising efforts in the fall and winter with events such as hot chocolate sales and bake sales. They raised $5,800. And then, the pandemic hit. With cash in hand and an even greater need, the young philanthropists set out

to fulfill their promise. No Kid Hungry packaged and shipped 13,000 meals to eight orphanages and children’s homes in Haiti. An additional 3,000 meals were delivered to the Community Crisis Center in Reisterstown. Funds were also shared with an organization, Hygiene for the World, that sent 200 hygiene kits and notes of gratitude to the health care workers at Northwest Hospital in Randallstown. The kits were a welcome treat for the hospital staff who were working long hours during the height of the COVID-19 crisis.

Teacher Jody Christophe, who began the project with the Class of 2024 and followed it through to the end says, “For more than a year and a half, I witnessed the students activating their agency to ‘do something.’ They persevered with a service project that stemmed from Global Citizens Week and carried it forward despite obstacles beyond their control. It is my sincere belief that their generation will create the best solutions to the challenges we face in this world. I believe in them!”

—Meredith Bower

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ARTS Fifth graders researched types of birds in science class and then created a portrait of their favorite in art class.

DRAWING INSPIRATION Creativity and the arts go hand in hand, so when McDonogh transitioned to virtual school in March, fine and performing arts teachers got very creative. From prekindergarten to twelfth grade, the department was determined to continue the projects that had been in the works for months and to showcase their students’ talents.

“We didn’t just do ‘business as usual’ during virtual school, our arts faculty went above and beyond in all they did,” says Director of Fine and Performing Arts Kara Zimmerman. “The arts faculty intentionally incorporated social-emotional learning techniques into their teaching so that students could utilize art as a tool for self-expression and emotional processing. They learned how to edit video and cut music so that they could honor their students’ work through online performances. They supported one another and met regularly to share ideas and virtual

teaching techniques. The arts faculty were, to put it simply, incredible!”

Art Pop Up Day at the end of April was one of the first opportunities for the community to see what had been going on “behind the screens” during virtual school. Typically, this annual event, designed to make art inclusive and accessible, is a festive day with exhibitions and performances popping up all over campus. This year, it happened on screens with virtual dance parties and concerts that appeared throughout the day on social media. There was also an online gallery for students to share performances and works of art.

The Upper School Percussion Ensemble used the day to debut the Latin-inspired piece Sofapilla, which they began rehearsing well before virtual school began. While some students had drums and percussion instruments at home, Director Mike

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Lower schoolers find art everywhere! In this project, they were encouraged to create images using natural objects.

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ART I students turned the ordinary into the extraordinary by focusing on repetition, reflection, and refraction in photography.

FROM THE SITUATION Feathers asked others to tap their creative juices and find household items to stand in for their instruments. Soon, a paint bucket became a bass drum, a box of pasta became a shaker, and the metal base of a globe was a brake drum.

“It was such an odd and fascinating experience for me because in a typical rehearsal students come to my classroom and use the instruments with which we are all familiar,” Feathers says. “In this case, however, I had to rely on the creativity and out-of-the-box thinking of my students who had to find instruments, or objects that sound like their instruments, in their respective spaces. They brought so many great ideas to the (virtual) table. I couldn’t be more proud of them!”

MAKING IT WORK For some teachers and students having the right equipment at home was essential to completing long-term projects during virtual school. Robert Penn must have been channeling iconic fashion professor Tim Gunn and his Project Runway catchphrase “make it work” when he personally delivered sewing machines to students in his Upper School Fashion, Fibers, and Textiles class.

“I had originally planned for students to make an upcycled, altered clothing collection for this class and have an end of year fashion show. I wanted to focus on sustainability and how the fashion industry is one of the largest polluters,” Penn explains. His class of seven had just begun working with sewing machines with an eye toward the final project when school closed. So, he collected the machines from his classroom,

dropped them off to the students who needed one, and they got to work.

“One of the first things I had them do was to go around their house and find old clothing or fabric such as curtains or bed sheets that they could alter and reuse,” Penn says. Once they had their materials, the students came up with a theme, sketched the upcycled/altered outfits, and began sewing.

“I was pleasantly surprised by what they produced since they were limited to whatever they could find at home. It was a time to learn how to create on their own using the skills and knowledge they had gained throughout the year.

They each went about the project in their own unique ways and created things that were happy and joyous,” says Penn.

Before the semester ended, Penn suggested

>>> Upcycled outfit by Ella Little ’20

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ARTS

>>> Zoe M. ’30 created this identity poster for Beckie Lamborn’s art class.

that his students take on one more project making masks. As a group, they researched the best fabrics for both protection and breathability and began sewing the face coverings for family, friends, and healthcare workers.

The Stewart Senior Honors Recital was another end-of-year project that involved the shuffling of equipment. The annual event requires months of hard work and preparation; and depending on who is selected to perform, the prestigious recital includes song, dance, instrumental music, and drama. A year in advance of their performance, Seniors Daniel Kim (baritone), Luke Luo (cello), and Jacob Rose (piano) auditioned and were selected as the 2020 recitalists.

Unlike the previous 26 years, the 2020 Stewart Senior Honors Recital was a recorded video that dropped at the exact time the recital would have begun. In order to make it work, the three recitalists had to record themselves, not on a smartphone but, using professional video, sound, and lighting equipment—a task that required learning a whole new set of production skills. In a wellchoreographed effort, each recitalist spent several days performing and recording in their own homes before the equipment was picked up, thoroughly cleaned, and delivered to the next person. The videos were then stitched together in what resulted in an engaging showcase of young talent. Those watching at home were especially impressed by the finale, “Empty Chairs and Empty Tables” from Les Miserables, which featured Daniel, Luke, and Jacob performing together as they would have done before a live audience in the Horn Theatre. Watch the entire 2020 Stewart Senior Honors Recital.

QUARANTINE INSPIRES ART The arts faculty, keenly aware of the range of emotions being experienced during virtual school, encouraged their students to listen to their feelings and to use them to inspire creativity.

Beckie Lamborn created asynchronous lessons for her Lower School students to help them utilize art as a way to express their identity and process their feelings. Through a video accessed by the children, she asked them to think about what makes them who they are—their likes and their hobbies—and then to make an identity poster for their door. While giving a tour of her garden, she explained to them, “My heart is filled with the love of my students and the love of my family and friends. And I am inspired by nature.” Then, she shared her own flower-filled identity poster, noting that each petal was a student’s name.

Motivated by her lesson, students got to work and soon Lamborn’s inbox was filled with videos and images of their identity posters. Lamborn replied to the young artists with words of encouragement.

“Keep up the wonderful and expressive artwork,” she told one student. “It really makes me think about you and all the prehistoric and sea life that you care about.”

In Middle School, dance students created original movement phrases through various compositional exercises inspired by their feelings during the quarantine. And as they do each year, fifth graders in the Creative Movement class explored dances associated with their own

>>> Stewart Senior Honors Recitalists Jacob Rose (piano), Daniel Kim (baritone), and Luke Luo (cello) perform their virtual finale of “Empty Chairs and Empty Tables” from Les Miserables.

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Almost 100 members of the McDonogh Family united for the Virtual Choir rendition of the “Dedication Hymn.”

cultural heritage. After researching traditional dances from their heritage country, students learned and practiced selected steps, which they turned into short dances that they shared with their classmates. “The kids did a great job learning dance over Zoom,” says dance teacher Ilona Kessell. “Despite the occasional technical challenges, the beat went on and Middle School dancers rated spring term dance classes a four out of five star experience.”

Ultimately, it was the “Dedication Hymn” that lifted the school’s spirit and helped the community feel connected. Middle School Vocal Music Director Suzanne Eldridge, who understands the healing power of music, came up with a plan to create a virtual choir of students, alumni, and current and former faculty and staff.

Almost 100 people from all over the country responded to the invitation to participate and the McDonogh Virtual Choir was born.

Meanwhile, Match Zimmerman encouraged his Upper School photography students to embrace the experience of quarantine and create a journal composed of photographs and reflections of each day during their time at home. “The project served as a personal, visual journal of their time throughout virtual school,” he says.

“The resulting images were a clear reflection of the questions, emotions, and discoveries each student was experiencing during this complex time.”

With the technical expertise of Ryan Sevel ’14, choir members rehearsed with a video of Upper School Choral Music Director Philip Olsen conducting and then recorded their performances.

They sent their tracks to Sevel who mixed the solo performances into one harmonious whole.

“Every voice is represented in the finished product and each singer is on the same syllable at the same time and on the same pitch,” Sevel proudly says.

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Reshma P. ’27 performs an Indian dance for Creative Movement class.

The inspiring performance of the “Dedication Hymn” drew a positive, emotional response from viewers who were grateful for a moment of comfort and connectedness. Sevel says, “I think I can speak for everyone involved when I say that the message we wanted to send was that McDonogh will always be there for you, will always be calling you home.” —Meredith Bower

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AT H L E T I C S

A HAT TRICK FOR THE SWIM TEAMS For the third consecutive year, both the girls and boys swim teams won their league championship titles. The victories capped off a season that opened in November at the Elite High School Invitational, a high-level meet hosted by Baylor School in Chattanooga, TN. “I always believe in trying to stretch yourself and raising the bar,” says Coach Scott Ward, who welcomed the opportunity for McDonogh’s teams to travel and compete together. “We were trying to swim against new and challenging competition. It was very exciting. The boys won and girls only lost by seven points.” He adds, “There was a lot of camaraderie and it set the tone for the season.”

From there, the two McDonogh teams swam together against Mercersburg Academy (PA) and Peddie School (NJ) and beat the girls and boys teams in both storied programs. “The harder opponents keep us humble and challenge us. I take all our opponents seriously and never underestimate anybody,” says Ward.

The boys team continued their winning ways throughout the 2019–20 season defeating their

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MIAA opponents and earning the league championship title by more than 100 points over longtime rival Loyola Blakefield. Ward notes, “It was the largest margin of victory for us ever and in the MIAA for a long time.” He adds that in the past 20 years, competition for the MIAA championship title has been primarily between the two schools, with McDonogh most often the runner-up.

“Recently, there has been a shift and we are stronger,” Ward says, suggesting that the improvement is due to increased interest in the program over the past few years. The 30 boys on the team are motivated and everyone contributes. “If you win your race and add points to the team total it makes a difference. Some kids may think ‘I’m not a star, do I really matter?’ but yes, their six points matter.”

Ward believes the same is true for the girls team of more than 40 swimmers. Similar to the boys rivalry against Loyola, the girls consider Notre Dame Prep (NDP) their greatest competition. In the regular season dual meet, the Blazers lapped the Eagles by 30 points handing them their only league loss. Ward considers the defeat a serious wake-up call for the team and just what they needed to get back into the

SPRING TRAINING GOES VIRTUAL

Throughout the spring, the swimmers who often train year-round in the water kept in shape through dry-land workouts. Ward encouraged them to invest in jump ropes, tubing, and pull-up bars and to work on their core strength training. Additionally, they held weekly team meetings over Zoom in which they set wellness goals that focused on resilience and mindfulness.

On Fridays, to maintain their competitive spirit, they held virtual contests against a team from Frederick, to see who could do things like the most burpees.

swim of things. “The girls took ownership of the loss and three weeks later, at the IAAM championships, they swam unbelievably well. It was one of the best meets we’ve ever had,” he says about the victory over NDP, which earned them the IAAM title.

The team had much to celebrate. Senior Meggie Lee, who won her two events in the final IAAM meet, finished her career undefeated over her four years in the girls league championship. Not only did she break Coach Anne-Marie Botek’s 2006 team record for winning individual championships without a loss, but it earned Meggie the distinction of being both the IAAM and The Baltimore Sun Athlete of the Week.

Ward is quick to credit his coaching staff and the team captains for their leadership throughout the season.

He says that although Captains Dan Mulhern ’20 and Shane Silverman ’20 didn’t swim year-round, their passion and hard work earned them the respect of the boys team. On the girls’ side, Kelsey Cashman ’20, Laney Mester ’20, and Anwen Byrne ’20 each have different personalities, which helped them connect with everyone on their team.

Looking back at the winning season, Ward says, “We are grateful to be at this point. The goal was always for both programs to be really strong. It took a long time and now it’s pretty rewarding.” —Meredith Bower

BRAD REES EARNS IAAM COACH OF THE YEAR Congratulations to Girls Basketball Coach Brad Rees on being named the IAAM Coach of the Year.

Rees, who has coached at McDonogh for the past 12 seasons, has a 271–68 career record, claimed three A Conference titles, and competed in seven of the last nine championship playoffs. Although they did not win the title this year, the Eagles, under the guidance of Rees, had a 19–7 season including an away victory against powerhouse St. Frances.

In a story on the IAAM website announcing the honor given to Rees, Co-Athletic Director Mickey Deegen said, “Brad Rees is an outstanding basketball coach who has mentored over 100 players in his 12 years at McDonogh—some who have gone on to play at the collegiate level. Brad is first and foremost a teacher of the game, but more importantly a teacher about the game of life. He instills important life skills in his players that include showing up each day at practice and giving 110 percent, being accountable, being unselfish on the court, and respecting and caring for yourself, your teammates, and your coaches.”

Rees says he finds coaching fun. “I love being around the kids. They constantly inspire me. I learn so much from them. Selfishly, that’s why I continue to coach.” —Meredith Bower

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AT H L E T I C S

WRESTLING TEAM TAKES TITLE When it comes to competition between McDonogh and long-time MIAA rival Mount St. Joseph, it’s always close; and for the past few years, the Eagles have been runner-up for the championship wrestling title. “We’re a team that seems to be one guy away from being amazing and one injury away from really struggling,” Coach Pete Welch has said.

This year, however, the team had the right mix of wrestlers, which ultimately resulted in breaking the Gaels’ three-year MIAA winning streak.

Going into the championship match in early February, Welch was cautiously optimistic. In the dual meet against Mount St. Joseph the week before, the strength of the upperclassmen and the support of the younger wrestlers resulted in a convincing victory (41–25). When they met on the mat again, the Eagles once again pinned their opponents and claimed victory (279–254).

“Anytime we wrestle St. Joe anything can happen,” Welch said in an interview with Varsity Sports Network (VSN). “There were years where they were better than us, but we took them really tight and beat them or almost beat them. Then years when we were better than them and they either took us tight or beat us. That’s just the way it’s been the last 15 years between our two programs. It makes it fun. It’s a great rivalry that I hope continues for a long time.”

Assistant Coach Joe Bakewell adds, “This season was very successful for our team and very successful individually for many wrestlers. It was driven by great leadership on and off the mat.

The team rose to the challenge and embraced the journey. Our wrestlers worked hard and many

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made sacrifices in all aspects of our sport for the team’s success.” Bakewell also credits the addition of Mindset Training, which helped the wrestlers and coaches focus on being the best versions of themselves.

Snatching the championship title from Mount St. Joseph was not the only recognition the Eagles earned in the 2020 season. Dominic Solis ’20, a three time MIAA and State champion, was named VSN’s Upper-Weight Wrestler of the Year, and teammate Cooper Flynn ’21 was named both the VSN’s Lower-Weight Wrestler of the Year and The Baltimore Sun’s All-Metro Wrestler of the Year.

Additionally, Welch was named The Baltimore Sun’s All-Metro Wrestling Coach of the Year and VSN Coach of the Year for a second time (the first time was after the 2013–14 season).

“Great athletes make great coaches and we certainly had that,” Welch humbly said in a Sun interview. “I, without a doubt, could not be considered Coach of the Year without considering my staff of coaches that have been with me for years and are equally passionate and share the workload. Without the group of guys I coach with none of this could happen.”

Co-Athletic Director Mickey Deegan also says that part of the team’s success and why Welch earned the respect of VSN and The Sun is that he takes the time to get to know each wrestler and to understand what motivates them to compete. “Pete’s warmth, sense of humor, and ability to connect with his athletes and assistant coaches are the gifts he brings each day to the wrestling room.”

—Meredith Bower

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE SPRING ATHLETES OF THE CLASS OF 2020 To the Class of MMXX, This spring was not like the ones you were used to before. The fields and diamonds were empty; the courts and tracks were eerily devoid of feet and bouncing balls. John McDonogh Stadium looked like the Roman Coliseum standing tall with no spectators in it. Dixon Field saw no draws taken on its orange M at midfield. No cheers were ever heard across the campus in the afternoons of March, April, or May. Spring of 2020 didn’t take place and no one played the sport they loved here or in the entire world. It was almost like the world stood still and robbed you of a precious gift—the last time to don the orange and black uniform and enjoy your coaches’ and teammates’ close bonds.

Treasure the games you played the first three years at McDonogh. Treasure the short time you had together going out for the team in February and those first four weeks together. You had goals as a team to win games, make the playoffs, and maybe get to that championship game. What we know about each of you is that you are champions now. A champion is a victor in a challenge, contest, or a competition. A champion uses an event to gain great self-knowledge. The nemesis you faced this season was not Gilman, Notre Dame Prep, or Mount St. Joe. It was COVID-19, an ugly, insidious giant of death. You beat this adversary by staying home, wearing a mask, and practicing social distancing. It was tough, but you did it. Now, as a young adult, you need to face more opponents. The world now needs champions more than it ever has to address wrongs and injustices. You need to remember that as a McDonogh graduate you are meant “to give more than you take” and “to do the greatest possible amount of good.”

Champions in earlier times spent time in solitude, a vigil, awaiting the king’s call to come out and be knighted. They were made in the darkness of uncertainty, in the awful quiet of the night listening to their heart’s call to action. A true champion fights for a cause. So maybe this spring was your vigil. You had this springtime to fashion a “new” uniform to be worn proudly— one that was woven with the threads of patience, love, and resiliency. You may not have played your last game here on McDonogh’s fields, but you are now ready to engage in the real world that needs compassionate and courageous leaders who will make a difference. You endured a tremendous loss of time together this spring, but we hope it wasn’t for nothing.

One day when it’s safe to gather together, you will reunite with your coaches and classmates at a holiday break and later at class reunions. These Roman numerals MMXX stand for 2020! You are strong and your contributions will never be forgotten or erased by time! Safe journeys ahead!

Godspeed and go Eagles!

CLASS OF 2020 SPRING ATHLETES BASEBALL

Blake Caplan, Kristopher Jenner, Katie Macejik*, Brian Nevin, Joe Radek, Kyle Whitaker BOYS GOLF

Kellen Meagher BOYS LACROSSE

Chase Bannar, Harrison Beattie, Noah Beecher, Rachel Blavatt*, Jackson Bonitz, Gable Braun, Scott Cole, Zack Daniel, Brynn Evans*, Bryce Ewing, Cody Ince, Matthew Ingerman, Jake Irrgang, Cole Kirol, Sara Kurlander*, Garrett Mix, Giovanni Procaccini, Maddie Puritz*, Chase Reddish, Ethan Robinson, Dane Swanson, JP Ward TENNIS

George Lee* BOYS TRACK

Tahir Atkinson, Alexander Clevenger, Isaiah Kessler, Samuel Mumford, AT Ntantang, Spencer Pett RIDING

Bri Glendening, Megan Levy, Ava Louis GIRLS GOLF

Kate Henry, Mackenzie Mason, Meggie McCarthy, Hadley Middelton, Josie Sawyer GIRLS LACROSSE

Kayla Abernathy, Jillian Ansell*, Emily Armero, Ava Class, Blake Cunneen, Ellie Eisner, Olivia Geoghan, Julia Hammerschlag, Caitlin Hoffman, Keady Lally, Ella Little, Izzy Marsh, Allison Pitts*, Claire Simonds SOFTBALL

Carsyn Belanger, Kearstyn Chapman, Ruby Jocelyn GIRLS TRACK

Co-Athletic Directors Mickey Deegan and Matt MacMullan

Olivia Bark, Jordan Bugg, Pippa Byrne, Bree Coudon, Summer Faby, Kaitlyn Goldstein, Riley Hanes *Manager

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S T U D E N T VO I C E S

GET UP AND GO GET IT Among the many springtime traditions canceled this year due to the coronavirus was the annual Scholarship Luncheon—an opportunity to celebrate the foundation of McDonogh School.

Each year during the luncheon, a member of the senior class, who is a beneficiary of financial aid, or scholarship as it is known at McDonogh, addresses the gathering of students and donors. In January, Sam Mumford ’20 was asked to be the speaker. At the time, no one imagined that his remarks would be delivered virtually on Tuesday, May 5 to an audience of the Upper School community, scholarship donors, mentors, family members, and friends. Watch Sam’s speech.

Hi, my name is Sam Mumford and I came to McDonogh as a freshman. I became familiar with the school and a few teachers because I spent three summers on campus taking classes through the Middle Grades Partnership program. I did well and liked it, and as a result, an administrator at my middle school suggested I apply. While I could see all the opportunities and advantages of McDonogh, I didn’t want to leave my friends from Mount Royal Elementary/Middle School who I had known since kindergarten. And I was scared to join a new community. I thought it was a long shot for me to get in. I definitely couldn’t picture myself in a McDonogh uniform. But someone else could, and where I went to high school wasn’t my choice to make.

A couple of you know my grandmother, but most of you do not. My grandmother, who raised me from age 5, made the decision that she thought was best for me and told me I would be going to McDonogh.

My grandmother is the toughest person I know. She has raised me with a “get up and go get it” mindset.

I was taught not to complain but rather to push through and overcome obstacles. This mindset is what I believe has led to my success as it has kept me focused on bettering myself. There are people who are more fortunate than me or born into better situations, but my grandmother has shown me that you can’t hate others for what they have but rather work to get yourself to that point. This is where my motivation stems from.

My first day at McDonogh is completely blurry to me now. All I remember is being extremely nervous but having a sense of excitement as I was entering high school. The transition went smoothly for me. I didn’t have trouble with any of the teachers or any students, and I remember just having fun throughout

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my entire freshman year. I was met with warm and open arms by the McDonogh community and that allowed me to become very comfortable very quickly.

McDonogh has become a symbol of change to me.

Whenever I think of McDonogh, I think of progression.

I see myself developing from the 14-year-old me into the person I am today. As a freshman, I was somewhat stubborn and big-headed. After spending so much time around my intelligent peers and teachers, I was able to develop an open mindset and accept others’ ideas. One of the most important skills I’ve gained is the ability to open my ears and understand the opinions of others. McDonogh didn’t change me, it just made me a better version of myself. At the core, I’m the same person. I was just a little rough around the edges, and McDonogh served as the environment that refined me. Next fall, I will be attending the Wharton School Undergraduate Program at The University of Pennsylvania where I plan to major in Economics with a concentration in Business Analytics.

I’m extremely grateful for where life has taken me, and I look forward to going even further. When I think of the future, I become excited as I don’t know where I will end up, but I have high expectations for myself.

People often tell me how much I’ve changed or matured over the past few years, but recently I began to realize that this is in large part due to McDonogh.

My experiences and the relationships I have formed with teachers, mentors, coaches, and friends have played a huge role in my progression. And I would like to thank the McDonogh Scholarship Program for the opportunity it gave me to find out who I am—and to support me in my progression. Without the McDonogh scholarship support, I wouldn’t have experienced this unique McDonogh community and matured into the person I am today.

The most important thing I would say I have learned from my time here at McDonogh is the importance of staying true to who you are and doing what genuinely makes you happy. I have noticed that people are more receptive to someone who they think is being genuine. It is much easier to live in your own skin rather than try to portray something you are not.

Finding people who I felt allowed me to be my natural self really helped with this. Freshman year, there was a point in time when I was just trying to meet my family’s expectations and neglected doing things like hanging out with friends, playing pickup basketball or video games after school, stuff that actually made me happy. While it is important to have goals to work towards and things that you want to achieve, it is also

>>> Sam Mumford ’20 speaks at a meeting of the Sankofa Club.

important to find balance and make time in your life for people and activities that bring you happiness. I am very glad that I realized this earlier than later. It is very possible to be successful in the classroom and on the athletic field while still finding time to do the things that make you happy.

Some of the best moments I will never forget from the past years at McDonogh are joking around with friends at lunch and free periods spent in the Learning Center, talking to friends while doing homework. What has made my time here at McDonogh most enjoyable are the friends and relationships I’ve made the past few years. When I’m not having the best day, I can always rely on them to put a smile on my face and change my mood. Thank you to all my friends who filled my days with laughter throughout the years.

Additionally, my teachers have played an extremely important role in impacting me. Here at McDonogh, there is a sense of respect between the students and teachers that allows us to freely express our opinions in a respectful way, and this allows for the opportunity for deep conversation. My go-to teacher for deep and spirited conversation is Mr. Burch. He always knows how to put me into deep thought and really consider both sides of an argument. As a result, I gained the ability to understand multiple perspectives and use them to shape my own. Thank you, Mr. Burch, for better preparing me for the real world, sometimes uncomfortable, conversations. You have helped me recognize that it is important to seek out and listen to the ideas, beliefs, and feelings of others.

I’ve also been blessed to have teachers whom I was able to learn from and really benefit from their expertise. I remember thinking in sophomore year that Ms. Lotito was such a hard teacher. I soon realized that her being hard was actually her being demanding of her students—and this was for our benefit. After sophomore year, I was a much stronger writer and English assignments became easier for me. Thank you, Ms. Lotito, for making me a stronger writer.

I want to give a special thank you to Mrs. Cooper, who runs the Learning Center, for being the person I could also go to talk to about anything whether it be something in my personal life or troubles I was having in school. I really do appreciate you being there for me the past four years. You have been a valuable positive influence on me.

The person I owe the most to in my life by far is my grandmother. I want to thank her for deciding to take on the task of raising me and putting me on a path to

success. Everything she has done for me cannot be put into words. And I am extremely grateful to have her in my life.

I’d also like to give a sincere thanks to all the donors and mentors who contribute to helping students achieve an education as excellent as they come. Your impact will be forever lasting. Your generous gifts will have an immeasurable return. To my sponsors, Mr. and Mrs. Jones-Dilworth, I would like to let you know that you have been the best sponsors a student can ask for.

I appreciate that we were able to form a bond and gain an understanding of each other, and we will continue to talk in the future. I encourage all my peers to remember the generosity of those who helped you get to where you are now and consider paying it forward in time.

To any students listening, if you aren’t a senior, I want you to focus on enjoying your time here at McDonogh and seek out teachers that make you think critically and challenge you to produce superior work. The time flies by, so live in the moment and cherish the time you still have with your friends. To all my fellow seniors, it is unfortunate that our senior year had to end this way, but I have really enjoyed my time with you all. Being in this current situation has really made me value my time with my friends even more. I hope that we can all come together again before we go off to college. Class of 2020, let’s all stay in touch. I want to hear about all of the greatness we all achieve.

Thank you again.

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O U R P R O U D PA S T

FLU EPIDEMIC HITS MCDONOGH This year was not the first time a virus has required McDonogh students to quarantine and practice “social distancing.” In 1918, as the influenza epidemic tore through Baltimore, the school’s remote Owings Mills location helped serve as a buffer against the spread of the deadly disease. Nevertheless, the first cases on campus were reported on October 5—Visiting Day.

several children of farm employees had a “touch” of the flu. “The most serious outbreak was in the family of Milton, the indispensable dining room and kitchen assistant, who lives in one of the houses at McDonogh Station. His seven young children all had the ‘flu’ and their mother also had double pneumonia and died of it on October 20.”

According to an article in The Week, in light of the illness, Headmaster Morgan Bowman “thought it best for the people to stay in the open as much as possible” so, to the disappointment of the students there was no dancing or any amusement for the visitors.

“They went to the orchards or sat on the lawns.” By October 9, six more cases had developed, the infirmary was filled to capacity, and the school was closed by order of the health authorities. And, as one reporter for The Week noted, “We have our mouths and noses sprayed twice a day as a precautionary measure.”

When classes resumed, services were again held in Tagart Chapel, The Week reported, “The sermon, a most excellent sermon, was preached by Mr. Edmund Gettier to a slim congregation consisting of only McDonogh boys and eight other McDonogh residents. Mr. Meyer, needless to say, was at the organ. It takes more than rain or influenza, more than rain and influenza combined to keep him from his undertakings.”

“School Reopens” was the headline in the October 26, 1918, issue of The Week, but there was more to the story. Reporter Oswald Eden wrote, “The quarantine was lifted on the 20th as far as going to school is concerned. But nobody will be allowed to go off the place, and nobody will be allowed to come on the place, for some weeks yet. No boy will have leave to go to town until the situation in Baltimore has become better.”

The same issue of the paper also included a chart detailing who was sick and who had recovered from the flu. The narrative stated, “Six days having passed without a new case, we are emboldened to hope the epidemic has run its course at McDonogh. Sixteen cases in all there were among the boys.” The story went on to illustrate how the infection may have traveled. “It is worthy to note that just one-half of the boys attacked by the epidemic are boys who came out to the school September 5th, only a few weeks ago.

Of the new boys, 8 out of 19 were stricken, of the old boys 8 out of 96; in other words, 42 percent of new boys and only 8 percent of the others,” the report surmised.

While only students were factored into the count of the ill, The Week reported that

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By the end of October, all 16 boys who had the flu had been discharged from the infirmary, and the School was hopeful that the epidemic was gone for good and quarantine would be lifted. But another case developed and the “spraying of students” resumed. Finally, after more than a week with no new cases, the quarantine ended on November 9. “Now our people are allowed to come out to McDonogh on Sundays,” proclaimed a report in the November 16 issue of The Week.

The report continued, “Following the raising of the quarantine on Saturday there was a throng of visitors at the school on Sunday. Mothers and sisters and cousins and aunts who had not seen the boys for weeks were here in force.”

Sadly, that was not the end of the story.

Several months later, the flu took the life of a student, Durbin Billmire. His obituary in The Week said, “He had a strong constitution and was seldom unwell: the first and only time that he was really sick while at McDonogh was when he was taken with influenza. Early in January 1919, when the epidemic was raging in and about Baltimore, he caught a cold which grew worse and finally developed into influenza.” Two weeks after Durbin’s death, William Ballard Smith, a faculty member since 1887, also succumbed to the flu after a 10-day illness. —Meredith Bower

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An early report on the outbreak was printed in the October 9, 1918, issue of The Week. We recognize that the term “Spanish Influenza� used by the author in this historic document is inaccurate and obsolete.

When the infirmary reached capacity with patients, boys were moved to additional beds in Moreland Cottage.

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ALUMNI NEWS

FROM THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT Dear Fellow Alumni, I am excited to serve as President of the Alumni

viral. The oppressive forces that have stood in the way

Association for the next two school years. McDonogh

of progress and equality for all are being called to the

holds a special place in my heart as I hope it does for

mat, and we must answer the cries for change. These

each of you. We all share a special connection and

are times when leaders must step to the forefront.

bond that comes from graduating from this historic institution.

As we continue to work through the challenges ahead, we must stick together and seek to make our mark by

Regardless of the field or career that we sought after

doing the “greatest possible amount of good.” One of

senior year, McDonogh provided us with a solid

the joys of serving on the Alumni Board over the past

foundation for the future. I learned about public

nine years has been the opportunity to observe and

speaking and working with different groups of people

interact with current students. I am constantly amazed

during my seven years at our school, and that has

at their courage to tackle big issues and let their

helped me immensely as an ordained minister. As I

voices be heard. This was even more evident this past

enter into my 15th reunion year, many of the lessons I

June as students of all ages and races returned to

learned at McDonogh continue to assist me in ministry

campus to show their support to the Black Lives

and service today.

Matter movement. As alumni, we have a responsibility

McDonogh has always prepared students to thrive in an ever-changing world. Over the past few months

to support these students who traverse through the same hallowed halls that we once filled.

this has become even more relevant. This has been a

I look forward to seeing your faces over the next two

year like no other. In 2020, we have watched as a

years at events on and off campus and perhaps

virus impacted every corner of the world, unrest has

virtually for the foreseeable future. I am excited about

broken out within our nation, and racial tensions are

reconnecting with many of you and meeting even

boiling over. Injustice is being captured and going

more of you. If you have not been to campus in awhile, we would love to have you back (when it is safe to do so). I am sure you will be surprised by what you see!

We have a duty to do our part to make McDonogh the best it can be, and I believe that each of us will play a role in ensuring that the future of our beloved school is as strong as ever.

Make sure you stay connected to the Alumni Association by joining McDonogh Connect, our alumni network and career resource platform. You can activate your account at connect.mcdonogh.org. For more information, see page 66.

Joshua A. Thomas ’06 Alumni Board President P.S. Be sure to connect with the Alumni Association on social media! We are on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

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McDonogh Classic T H E 4 5 TH A N N U A L

ALUMNI BOARD

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2020 | GREEN SPRING VALLEY HUNT CLUB

2020-2021 OFFICERS Joshua A. Thomas ’06 President Caitlin C. Xenakis ’07 Vice President, President-Elect Meghan J. McGuire McGee ’02 Secretary Bradd M. Caplan ’98 Treasurer Jason B. Schwartzberg ’99 Immediate Past President

DIRECTORS Lauren Snyder Ades ’99 Christopher K. Agorsor ’08 Bruce A. Baggan ’65 Nina Basu ’98 Lori R. Sheitel Baylin ’92 Gregory M. Bell ’86 Kristin E. Blumer ’90 Kimberly D. Hilson Carmichael ’10 Benjamin S. Carson, Jr. ’03 Bruce Chan ’01 Scott B. Eisen ’04 Morris L. Garten ’85 Kellee Parrott Gonzalez ’96 Lauren M. Street Goodall ’93 Robin Edlow Heller ’00 David C. Holland ’90 Abigail E. Caso Holmes ’06 Lauren R. Lipscomb ’93 Niela A. Magwood-Phoenix ’96 Rachel E. Urban Mertins ’00 Ashley M. LeBow Mutch ’03 Rachel Brooke Petty ’12 Katherine M. Reider ’96 Jamie Blum Seward ’93 Richard C. Sheridan ’83 Douglas N. Silber ’76 Brian J. Singer ’95

ALUMNI, PARENTS, AND FRIENDS: Don’t miss your chance to participate in the 45th Annual McDonogh Classic at Green Spring Valley Hunt Club on Tuesday, September 29. We will be running a limited field in order to accommodate physical distancing requirements. For the latest information and to reserve your spot, visit www.mcdonogh.org/golfclassic.

Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to the McDonogh Alumni Association to support its endeavors within the community by becoming a sponsor.

THANK YOU TO LAST YEAR’S SPONSORS

2019 SPONSORS TITLE The Rollins-Luetkemeyer Foundation John A. Luetkemeyer, Jr. AUGUSTA NATIONAL American Insurance Kip White ’76 CAM Construction Marc Munafo ’83

ST. ANDREWS Ace Uniform Services, Inc. The Finkelstein Family Classes of ’73, ’75, ’87, ’99, ’02, ’03, ’05, ’13, ’15, ’30, ’30, ’32, ’32 The Bavar Family

H&R Retail Geoff Mackler ’95

H&S Bakery Bill Paterakis P ’08, ’08, ’08

Independent Can Company Doug Huether ’43

Mitchell-Wiedefeld Funeral Homes, Inc. Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens, Inc. John O. Mitchell III ’57 John O. “Jack” Mitchell IV ’89

Maryland Energy Advisors Jason Schwartzberg ’99 P ’27

Frisco Tap House Reckless Ale Works Chris, Jamie, Hailey ’28 and Harper ’33 Swann

PEBBLE BEACH Cockey’s Enterprises, Inc. Robert T. Singleton, Jr. ’73 David S. Reed P ’07, ’11

Mullan Contracting Company The Thomas F. and Clementine L. Mullan Foundation, Inc. Tim Mullan ’61

Foxtrot Media Brian and Joy Singer ’95 Madelyn ’24 and Alex ’27

Schochor Federico and Staton, P.A. Jonathan Schochor GP ’32, ’34 Kerry Staton P ’07, ’10 Scott Kurlander P ’18, ’20, ’23 S.E.H. Excavating, Inc. Scot Hare P ’16, ’20 EAGLE CUP GraphTec, an RRD Company Chip Sheridan ’83 The McGee Family Meghan ’02, Mack ’03, Bennett ’35, and Lily

Devonshire Group Business Services Emily MacGeorge Clark ’90 Casey Clark ’88 Lindsey Clark ’16

PINEHURST Balfour Class Rings – Graduation Announcements – Diplomas

McDonogh Parents Association RP Woodcraft, LLC Parker Mitchell III ’81 Ten-X Commercial Bradd and Lauren Caplan ’98, Noah ’26, and Asher ’28 Wolf Professional Security Inc. HOLE-IN-ONE SPONSOR Priority One Marc Cohen ’94

Basu-Howard Family Nina ’98, James, Chase ’28, and Beatrix (Ducky) ’31 Catonsville Dental Care Edward B. Leikin, D.D.S. P ’04 Scott L. Baylin, D.D.S. P ’24 Scott B. Eisen, D.D.S. ’04 Sue-Lynn Hubbard, D.D.S. Marshall H. Strickland, D.D.S. Caves Valley Partners Arthur H. Adler ’78

Ayinde M. Stewart ’92

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ALUMNI NEWS >>>

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DISTINGUISHED BY DEDICATION Presented annually by the Board of Trustees, the Distinguished Service Award recognizes members of the McDonogh Family (alumni, parents, grandparents, or retired faculty and staff members) who have devoted their time and effort most generously on behalf of McDonogh students, the school, and/or the Alumni or Parents Association. Particular emphasis is placed on individuals who have made a significant and positive impact on the school, demonstrated exceptional dedication, and have consistently gone above and beyond the call of duty for the good of the school.

First presented in 1960, today, 150 individuals have received the honor for remaining true to our founder’s mission of doing “the greatest possible amount of good.” By Danielle Schollaert, Meredith Bower, Noreen Lidston, and Leslie Zuga H. STACEY BOYER ’76 “Challenge yourselves by doing something every

determination to break the “gender barrier.” And,

day that scares you; learn to be comfortable with

she succeeded. Stacey was the first female

failure; do foolish things with enthusiasm; and

applicant, the first female acceptance, and the first

remember that later in life, you won’t regret the

female graduate. She has always been proud to

things that you did as much as you’ll regret the

pioneer a path for other female students and to

things that you didn’t do.” These are the words

share an important piece of history with the school

that Stacey Boyer delivered in 2016 to the

she loves.

McDonogh School’s Cum Laude Society and, evidently, the words that guided her through life.

Fueled by the encouragement of teachers and administrators, Stacey attended Duke University and

Stacey was a trailblazer in the truest sense of the

the University of Baltimore School of Law and has a

word. She was the youngest of three children, and

successful career that has been bolstered by her

desperately wanted to follow her older brothers to

McDonogh connections. McDonogh opened doors

McDonogh despite it being an all-boys school at

and showed her a different world than what she

the time. Stacey applied, fierce in her

grew up with, and for that she is grateful.

Stacey’s gratitude has inspired her to support the School in many ways over the years. She is the longest-standing Board of Trustees member in McDonogh’s history and is easily one of the most utilized volunteers of this esteemed group. She has chaired and served on many committees and has held the role of secretary for almost 10 years. Because of her legal background, Stacey has offered the School counsel on many occasions and she was responsible for rewriting the Board’s by-laws—a huge undertaking. She also volunteered with the McDonogh Fund and served as the Alumni Association President from 1992-1993. Arthur Adler ’78, a former President of the Board of Trustees, notes, “As President, you quickly learn who are your most reliable, competent, and trustworthy trustee partners.

In all my years at McDonogh, I have lost track of the

from 1992-2007 were innumerable and invaluable and are why he is a 2020 DSA recipient today. It’s an honor his wife, Ann, received in 2014.

countless important tasks that Stacey has handled

Bo was a powerful fundraiser, and he helped to

flawlessly on behalf of the School. Every board

complete many capital projects during his tenure

should be so fortunate to have a member as

including the Rollins-Luetkemeyer Athletic Center,

wonderful as Stacey.”

the Clarence A. Burck Center for the Performing

McDonogh’s scholarship program is important to Stacey. With a generous planned gift, she established the Stacey Boyer ’76 Scholarship to support students who show a pioneer spirit or the ability to overcome adversity, and she is a consistently engaged sponsor. “I want McDonogh to continue a tradition of showing students the possibilities that exist so they can lead a full life,” she says.

Arts, the Ceres M. Horn Theatre, the Dudley Hall kindergarten building, the Kelly Center and Elderkin Hall additions to the Lower School, the Henry A. Rosenberg, Jr. Aquatic Center, the conversion of the former Finney Building into dedicated space for the Middle School, and four new single-family homes for faculty. He was motivated by the impact these projects would have on teaching and learning, and this was compelling to donors. “He’s a gifted fundraiser. His passion for kids and teachers has

Former classmate and Immediate Past President of

never been in doubt. That’s why donors respond

the Board Howard Klein ’76 says he feels lucky to

positively to him,” said former Director of

have her as a friend and fellow trustee. “She has

Development Eileen Flynn Toohey ’77 in a 2007

always been a true and reliable friend. She is funny,

McDonogh Magazine tribute.

smart, talented—the whole package. She deeply loves McDonogh and anyone who knows her can attest to her dedication.”

Bo firmly believed that McDonogh was great because of the people who filled the hallways and classrooms. “The teachers, the deans, the coaches, and the housekeeping staff give the school its

W. BOULTON DIXON

character, its flavor,” he once said. And, he was their number one fan. He fought hard to increase their

Find joy in whatever you do, and people come first,

salaries and support them in many other ways, as

especially kids—these two guiding principles are

well. “What amazed me was how much he knew

why Bo Dixon is one of McDonogh’s most beloved

about me,” retired faculty member Mina Wender

leaders. Between extensive improvements to

recalled in the 2007 article. “He made me feel like I

campus, a deep commitment to faculty, and genuine

was appreciated. He found something special and

interest in students, his contributions as Headmaster

worthy about every person on campus.”

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ALUMNI NEWS

Unwavering concern for students was Bo’s greatest strength. He always wanted to help and he never gave up. Former Assistant to the Headmaster Virginia Olcerst, a 2018 DSA recipient, saw firsthand how devoted Bo was to the students. “He made connections for kids all the time. He never hesitated to call in a favor on behalf of a student and often helped to pay for it,” Olcerst said at the time of his retirement. Bo always wanted to help students expand their horizons, and he was known to find the resources for them to accomplish this. Creating joy and making a positive difference in a child’s day were the two things that mattered most to Bo. Despite having retired 13 years ago, Bo still remains committed and connected to McDonogh. Each year, he meets with the Rollins-Luetkemeyer Leaders and he comes prepared, knowing each student’s name and a little bit about them. His honesty and openness when discussing his leadership experience always resonates with students. Jen Little, Co-Director of the RollinsLuetkemeyer Leadership Program, says, “Bo is the real deal—genuine, warm, compassionate, easygoing, and above all, respected.”

LaVerne’s official job description included, “overseeing all data and gift entry; producing financial reports, acknowledgements, and pledge reports; and other duties as assigned.” Although she was responsible and meticulous with every task, LaVerne was especially valuable in discharging those “other duties.” She was an integral part of the hundreds of events organized by the Alumni and Development Offices throughout her 24 years at McDonogh. She arrived early for set-up and stayed late for clean-up. She learned the names of scores of members of the community and used those names when greeting them. She made everyone feel

LAVERNE R. HOLTZ If LaVerne Holtz had decided on a career in Hollywood rather than at McDonogh School, she would surely have won multiple “Best Supporting Actress” awards by now. It was in those coveted supporting roles that LaVerne revealed her greatest talents and made her most lasting contributions.

Perhaps it was this ability to make others feel cared about that contributed so much to LaVerne’s success as a dorm parent. She, her husband Mort, and their four children moved into Keelty Hall and promptly expanded their family to include every girl in the dorm.

Katie Mitchell Pearl ’89, now Upper School math teacher, says, “She was Momma Holtz to all of us. Her

LaVerne was hired in 1982 to assist Development

door was open to everyone at every hour of the day or

Director Anne “Shiny” Evans in organizing the

night. It didn’t matter if she was on duty or not, she

Development Office. “She was one of the school’s

was available to anyone who needed her.”

pioneers when fundraising was just getting off the ground here,” says John Sieverts ’63, retired Alumni Relations/Development Director. “When LaVerne started here, every donation was recorded and tracked manually. By the time she left, the recording of gifts was fully computerized and the whole operation ran flawlessly. Much of the credit for this important advancement goes to LaVerne Holtz.”

As the school’s Records and Gifts Manager,

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52

welcome and at home.

Bridget Collins ’90, the Charles W. Britton Director of Character and Service, adds, “When I speak of the ‘McDonogh Family’ and the magic that lives on this campus, it is her love and example I hold on to. Momma Holtz modeled it for me—high expectations with an even higher level of support and love. This award is so well deserved and yet is largely unnecessary because all she ever required for recognition was the love of her ‘McDonogh kids.’”

ALLAN L. SPENCER ’49 The cover story of the June 4, 1948 issue of The Week

recognizes those who make provisions in their will to benefit the School.

announced that Allan L. Spencer was appointed

Another classmate, Larry Parks, says “Allan always

Captain Adjutant of the Corps for his senior year. This

kept up with members of the class and encouraged

esteemed appointment speaks volumes about Allan’s

many guys to get involved that hadn’t been

character, work ethic, and his abilities to lead and serve

previously. He even convinced me to call a fellow

his class and the School. The honor was reaffirmed at

classmate who I wasn’t close with during school and

his graduation the following year when he was

wish him a happy birthday! That’s Allan.”

presented with the Character and Influence Award— given to the senior, who “has been the greatest inspiration to his fellow students throughout the year.”

In recent years, Allan mentored students as a representative of the Class of 1949 Scholarship. His genuine interest and engagement are just what our

Allan was in the seventh grade when he started at

students need—he attends the annual Scholarship

McDonogh in 1943. In Upper School, he was a

Luncheon and corresponds with the students,

formidable wrestler and member of the varsity

offering congratulations on achievements, sharing

lacrosse team, sang in the Glee Club, served on the

books of common interest, and drawing connections

Legacy staff, was elected President of both his

of their shared McDonogh experiences. Just as he

junior and senior classes, and voted “Most Likely to

does with his classmates, Allan continues to serve in

Succeed” and “Most Popular” in his senior year.

his gentlemanly way—encouraging students to make

According to classmate Ted Ashley, “Everyone liked

the most of their time at McDonogh and explaining

Allan as he had a way of bringing people together.

the benefits of staying connected to each other and

A mighty fine man. We went to different churches,

the School long after they graduate.

but I liked Allan so much that I would go to his

Learn more about the Distinguished Service Award

church just to be with him.”

or submit a 2021 nomination.

After graduating from McDonogh in 1949, Allan attended Johns Hopkins University, earning degrees in engineering and business, married his sweetheart, Sue, and raised two children. He served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before beginning a successful career with Westinghouse Electric Corp.

As an alumnus, Allan thoughtfully continued in the role of class leader—serving on the Alumni Board and re-engaging classmates from across the country as a reunion committee member. In fact, he encouraged a few out of state classmates to return to McDonogh last year to celebrate their 70th reunion. Allan was also a dedicated fundraiser and spent many evenings with classmates Ray Faby, Ken Gore, and Bill Thompson at Bowman House phonathons. They would share jokes and stories while calling classmates to encourage participation. While some of his beloved classmates have passed on, he continues making these important calls from home.

Allan himself is a true lifetime donor...for as long as annual fund gifts have been tracked (33 years), he has never once missed a year. He is also a member of John McDonogh’s Living Legacy Society which

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ALUMNI NEWS

YOUNG ALUMNI AWARDS

McDonogh’s 2020 Young Alumni Award recipients are applauded for their contributions to their profession, community, and McDonogh. Congratulations to Alison Barzyk ’14, Darrius Heyward-Bey ’05, Hannah Mathis ’09, Kyle Vaughan ’12, and Kenneth Wayman ’12 who have distinguished themselves as leaders among their peers. They are outstanding role models for current and future McDonogh students. Unfortunately, we were unable to recognize our 2020 Young Alumni Award recipients during Reunion Weekend 2020, but we look forward to celebrating with them in the future.

By Danielle Schollaert and Meredith Bower ALISON K. BARZYK ’14 To say that Ali Barzyk is involved would be an understatement. This assiduous self-starter defines dedication and goes above and beyond in all aspects of her life.

At McDonogh, Ali was a model student-athlete. In addition to being distinguished as a RollinsLuetkemeyer Leader, she was recognized for her sportsmanship and athletic achievements, and at Commencement she received the Cornucopia Award, which is presented for consistently extending special care and concern to the School community.

Ali also developed a commitment to cause through her work in the community with My Sister’s Place, Habitat for Humanity, and Moveable Feast.

Ali’s success continued into college as a studentathlete at the University of Michigan where she

company aSweatLife.

majored in Communication Studies. She was a

Ali combined her interest in outreach, fitness, and

two-time recipient of the University of Michigan

communications to co-found Despite the Dark™, a

Athletic Academic Achievement Award and was a

Chicago non-profit that addresses women’s safety at

2016 Academic All-Big 10 honoree representing the

night by organizing group runs, self-defense classes,

University of Michigan women’s lacrosse team.

and online conversations. The idea was conceived in

Professionally, an early interest in communications led Ali to a digital marketing internship for a communications consultancy immediately after graduating from McDonogh. She held this position

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54

trainer and an ambassador of Chicago-based media

2018 when Ali and three other women recognized the need for increased safety and made it their mission to empower women and involve men through conversation and action.

and other agency internships for several years

The organization began by creating safe

during college and put her skills to practice during

environments within Chicago’s vast running

the school year as an Editorial Board Member for

community for men and women to run together

Michigan’s Spoon University chapter and a

after sundown. Since then, it has teamed up with

Marketing and Media Assistant in Michigan’s

local running organizations, fitness influencers, and

Department of Communication Studies. Her post-

groups across the country to host night runs. Local

college career has included work at public relations

chapters have been started in cities across the U.S.,

agencies where she has helped to plan and execute

including Sacramento, CA, Colorado Springs, CO,

communications strategies for clients in various

and Tampa, FL, and the founders remain fiercely

industries. Additionally, Ali has nurtured her passion

committed to pursuing a world in which women live

for health and wellness as a NASM-certified personal

confidently Despite the Dark™.

DARRIUS R. HEYWARD-BEY ’05 Anyone who follows professional football will recognize the name Darrius Heyward-Bey, but they might not realize that his football career started at McDonogh.

When Darrius entered McDonogh as a freshman it was a life-changing experience. It was not easy for the 14-year-old to leave his mother and the comfort of their Silver Spring, MD, home behind for dorm living. But he was a good student and accomplished basketball player and his mother wanted Darrius to have every opportunity. He was grateful for the chance to attend McDonogh and set out to make the most of it. Between classes, practices, and homework, Darrius’s days were long, but he appreciated the experience, independence, and responsibility.

At the time, Darrius was considered a basketball prodigy and a track star, but he decided to give football a try. When Coach Dom Damico kept him on the JV football team for two years, Darrius saw it as a challenge to work harder. By his senior year, he was captain of the varsity football team and considered one of the 10 best high school players in the country.

Darrius went on to play at the University of Maryland and in 2009 was drafted by the Oakland Raiders. He joined the Indianapolis Colts in 2013, and a year later, became a wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Today, he is a retired NFL veteran.

Darrius has never forgotten the place that helped shape him. When he is in Baltimore, he takes time to visit McDonogh and he gives back in many ways. He not only supports athletics, but he also supports the scholarship program so that others, like him, will have the opportunity to reach their potential. He has spoken at the Scholarship Luncheon, served on the Board of Visitors, and is a McDonogh Athletic Hall of Fame inductee. In 2014, Darrius changed the way football is played at his alma mater through his donation of the lights in John McDonogh Stadium. It was a gift he promised Co-Athletic Director Mickey Deegan at the age of 18.

voice. As a ninth grader his voice was soft and tentative, and by the time he graduated, Darrius’s voice was strong, loud, and clear. It resonated on the field, on the track, and in the classroom.

Deegan shares, “Darrius is a man of his word and a

When I think of Darrius, I see his smile and hear

person of integrity. While at McDonogh, he found his

the word ‘gratitude.’”

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ALUMNI NEWS

HANNAH D. JOHNSTONE MATHIS ’09 As a member of the “dirty dozen,” John McDonogh’s

children as a foster parent. Hannah and her spouse,

Rules for Living are firmly ingrained in Hannah

Jenni, underwent the rigorous process of licensure

Johnstone Mathis. Her pursuits in life have truly

and after 18 months, were certified to be a

personified “doing the greatest possible amount

therapeutic foster and adoptive home. Along the

of good.”

way, Hannah’s drive and commitment to children in

After graduating from McDonogh, Hannah attended the University of Maryland where she concentrated

need helped her overcome the many hurdles and roadblocks they encountered.

in Family Science and Public Health and then started

Since earning their license, Hannah and Jenni have

a career centered on children with special needs.

fostered four children ranging from 2 to 9 years of

Through her experience as a Camp Director for

age. They have provided care for children who have

children with disabilities, her position as a STEP

lived with homelessness, violence, drugs, death,

Program Coordinator helping socially and

hunger, and neglect; pushed for resources such as

economically challenged students find work, and her

weekly therapy, in-home counseling, and learning

role of Group Leader at a school for girls needing

plans for children with disabilities; signed up for

behavior modification, Hannah found her passion.

swim lessons, basketball teams, gymnastics, and

She became a special education teacher in Georgia

church choir; and taken trips to Zoo Atlanta, New

and helped to provide opportunities and access for

Orleans, Washington, D.C., and the beach. Hannah

students with vulnerabilities.

attends every therapy session, every meeting with

Hannah’s passion didn’t end with her professional endeavors. After learning about the number of children in foster care nationwide and the critical nature of their situations, Hannah dedicated herself to the therapeutic rehabilitation of Georgia’s foster

school officials, and every practice. She plans every trip and outing. She creates endless opportunities for the kids to experience love, concern, joy, and excitement. Caring for these children has become Hannah’s mission.

Having children with trauma histories is hard due to the harsh realities they have faced, but Hannah knows it’s the right thing to do. Her favorite quote from John McDonogh’s Rules of Living is, “Study in your course of life to do the greatest possible amount of good.” There is no better “good” than to confront a system like foster care and lean in to give respect and compassion to children in need.

KYLE B. VAUGHAN ’12 AND KENNETH C. WAYMAN ’12 Kyle Vaughan and Kenneth Wayman entered McDonogh in Lower School, but they didn’t connect until Upper School when they found themselves in similar circles and discovered shared interests. When the two realized they would both be attending the University of Maryland, they made a roommate request and became even better friends.

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After graduating from Maryland, they took different

and those of other mission-aligned organizations. In

career paths but kept in close contact. Kenneth

2019, GPG was awarded $35,000 in the MICA UP/Start

leveraged his math background and engineering

Venture Competition, and Kenneth and Kyle used the

degree to start a career as a software engineer. Kyle’s

prize to fund prototyping and marketing for their first

concentration in government and politics led him to a

wholly owned subsidiary, Saqua, a sustainable water

Public Policy and International Affairs program, and he

bottle company that reduces plastic waste and

lived in China before entering the public service sector

creates jobs in Baltimore city.

as Chief of Staff for a Maryland delegate.

GPG also invests in other start-ups to incubate

After a few years in the work world, conversation

ventures focused on sustainability and the community.

between the two began to focus on job fulfillment and

Some of their partners include Hack Baltimore, The

the desire to do good. Kenneth had a stimulating career

Well, Dent Education, and the Baltimore Digital Equity

that paid well, but provided little satisfaction. He saw a

Coalition. They have seen great success with these

disconnect between his life and the great needs in the

collaborations and eventually hope to create an

world. Kyle’s job was on a service trajectory, but he

ecosystem of social entrepreneurs to pool resources

wanted to do much more. They often discussed John

and share human capital.

McDonogh’s Rules for Living and their shared quest for altruism, and it was from these discussions that their venture, Greatest Possible Good (GPG), a design thinking consultancy, was conceived.

Kenneth and Kyle credit McDonogh for laying the foundation for their lives of service. They say, “Not a day goes by that we aren’t inspired by John McDonogh’s Rules for Living.”

GPG designs sustainable business strategies for

Learn more about the Young Alumni Award or submit

people, planet, and profit. It was established as a

a 2021 nomination.

for-profit parent company that funds and consults various business projects, including some of their own

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ALUMNI NEWS

ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME

We are pleased to announce the 2021 McDonogh Athletic Hall of Fame recipients: Christopher Agorsor ’08, Kristen Brown ’10, Raymond Faby ’49, Justin Gross ’10, Curtis Holmes ’09, Amanda Kimbers ’09, and Giles Smith ’09. These individuals have brought recognition, honor, and excellence to the School’s athletic programs. We applaud their inspiring accomplishments and look forward to honoring them during a ceremony in the fall of 2021.

By Danielle Schollaert, Meredith Bower, Stephen Nichols, Al Poklemba, Jeff Sanborn, Scott Ward, and Pete Welch CHRISTOPHER K. AGORSOR ’08 Chris Agorsor was one of the most dynamic youth soccer players in history. At just 15-years-old, he scored the winning goal for the United States Under-20 National Team against the Premier League’s Liverpool Reserve Team and remains a respected player today.

Chris’s athletic accomplishments at McDonogh were astonishing. During his junior year (the year he graduated) he was named Gatorade National Player of the Year and the U.S. Soccer National Player of the Year. He led the School to the MIAA Championship and was named both The Baltimore Sun Player of the Year and the Maryland State Player of the Year. Former McDonogh Soccer Coach Stephen Nichols illustrates Chris’s force on the field, saying, “He once scored five goals in less than nine minutes during a regular season game. On the soccer club scene, Chris led the Baltimore Bays team to three straight national championships while playing a year up in his age group. He was the MVP of all three games, and because of Chris, the club was number one in the country all three years.”

While he was an incredible leader who always pushed his teammates to work harder, he may have

turn professional and accepted one of three offers

been one of the toughest players to coach. Nichols

from overseas teams. Chris spent several months

says “Chris got beaten up during almost every game,

training abroad and then signed with Major League

but he never retaliated because he saw it as a sign

Soccer (MLS) playing for both Philadelphia Union

of weakness. He was one the quickest players I’ve

and Real Salt Lake.

ever seen, but also one of the most stubborn.”

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Later in his career, Chris was invited for a trial

When Chris was a freshman, he committed to the

with Manchester United by Sir Alex Ferguson, the

University of Virginia and graduated from McDonogh

greatest coach in soccer history. Nichols recalls,

in just three years. After a successful start at

“Ferguson saw him play as a 15-year-old with

UVA, including several notable goals, he suffered

the U.S. Under-20 and Under-23 National Teams

a devastating knee injury that almost required

against several Premier League Reserve Teams and

amputation. After his recovery and a subsequent

remained in awe of his ability. This huge honor is a

ankle sprain in his sophomore year, he decided to

testament to Chris’s timeless talent and grit.”

KRISTEN A. BROWN ’10 It is rare to have a parent and child be honored with the McDonogh Hall of Fame award, but Kristen Brown now joins her father with this special distinction. Keith Brown, Sr. ’76 was inducted in 1986 after a remarkable track career and now Kristen follows in his footsteps. In addition to her illustrious career at McDonogh, Kristen ran track and field at Virginia Tech and San Diego State University, and competed at Heyward Field in Eugene, OR for the 2016 USATF Olympic Trials where she placed eighth in her specialty, the pole vault.

While Kristen would become one of the most successful track and field athletes in McDonogh history, her start was inconspicuous as she chose basketball for her winter sport freshman year. Track coaches Jeff Sanborn and Alrick Munroe were not pleased, but they understood the value in multisport athletes and patiently awaited her debut.

It was worth the wait. Kristen rewrote the record books and received All-American recognition on multiple occasions. She led the women’s track teams to several indoor and outdoor titles, dominated in the hurdles and the long jump, and set league and school records in the 100m hurdles (13.96 seconds). Coach Sanborn notes, “While she earned All-American status for placing in the hurdle finals her junior and senior years, she was our ace on an indoor 4x55m shuttle hurdle relay race, winning the national title. And, national titles don’t come often or without dedication and commitment.”

Kristen’s greatest success came after McDonogh. At San Diego State she teamed up again with Coach Munroe, an Assistant Coach for Sprints and Hurdles, and continued to dedicate herself to track and field. Her accolades include being named an Aztec All-American, three-time Mountain West Indoor

Sanborn says, “It is hard to track Kristen down, but

Track and Field Champion, four-time Mountain

she was spotted during the 2016 Olympic Trials.

West Outdoor Track Champion, and three-time

As the camera focused on the start of the 400m

Mountain West Spring All-Academic Team. At

women’s hurdles, there in the frame was Autumne

one Mountain West Championship Meet she won

Franklin ’12 in a lane attempting to qualify and Kristen

the 100m hurdles, the pole vault, and was on the

preparing to earn a spot in the pole vault. It goes to

winning 4x100m relay team.

show, it’s a small (McDonogh) world after all.”

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ALUMNI NEWS

RAYMOND M. FABY ’49

(deceased)

Raymond Faby’s McDonogh athletic career had it all:

Faby family. “One of his biggest thrills was being on

pride, compassion, dedication, and leadership. A

the sideline during the McDonogh vs. Gilman game

three-sport varsity athlete during his high school

and watching grandson Brady ’11 play quarterback

career, Ray was a four-year running back for the

60 years after he himself played for McDonogh’s

football team, a 185-pound wrestler, and an

football team. As a super competitive McDonogh

outstanding pitcher on the baseball team. During his

athlete, at age 80, Ray was quoted as saying, ’You

junior and senior years, Ray was selected and honored

didn’t have to be a star to get the jitters before

as the sole varsity baseball captain. The Baltimore Sun

playing Gilman.’”

referred to him as the “Big Blonde Ray Faby.”

After graduating from McDonogh, Ray continued his tri-sport athletic career at Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College). He was captain of both the

In 2010, after celebrating triple MIAA and IAAM

wrestling and baseball teams and in 1950, he was an

track and field championship victories for girls

honored member of the undefeated WMC football

varsity, boys varsity, and boys junior varsity, Coach

team. He served in the Army in the 1950s and

Jeff Sanborn was quoted in The Baltimore Sun

helped coach the Army

saying, “Having two All-Metro track superstars at

football team in Germany.

the same school in the same season is unheard

Upon his return from

of.” He was referring to the fact that both Justin

overseas, he completed

Gross and classmate Kristen Brown (see page 59)

law school, and in 1960,

received this honor.

McDonogh alumnus and former Trustee Beale Rollins, Class of 1915, invited him to join his Baltimore-based firm. A few years later, Ray opened his own firm and eventually became a highly respected Federal Chief Judge. After 40 years in law, he retired at the age of 82.

All the while, sports and exercise remained an integral part of his life. In fact, he ran three miles a day well into his 70s, with his favorite run on the beaches of Ocean City.

Ray was dedicated to McDonogh and supported the school financially, as a volunteer, and on the sidelines. “There was no greater pride for Ray than attending McDonogh athletic events and watching his son play on McDonogh’s athletic teams during the 1970s,” says faculty member and coach Al Poklemba, a long-time friend of the

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JUSTIN M. GROSS ’10

But that wasn’t the only interesting statistic about Justin’s stellar track career. He and his brother Jason ’06 are the only two competitors in McDonogh track history to take home four gold medals from a single championship meet during their senior years. Sanborn, who coached the sport for 36 years, explains the significance.

“Placing at championships is challenging; it takes dedication, commitment, hard work, and a little luck. By the end of his senior year, Justin had won 13 individual gold medals and two silver medals. If he is not the league’s historical leader, I’m not sure who is.”

Justin owns, at a minimum, seven indoor and outdoor school records in track including the decathlon and pentathlon. His 24’ 2” long jump at championships ranked in the top 10 nationally and replaced his brother’s school and league records. Those performances also earned him multiple All-American honors and three All-Metro Performers of the Year—an extraordinary highlight on his athletic resume.

In almost every play, he would knock his opponents to the ground and then be the first to offer a hand to help them up. His on-field aggressiveness and overall sportsmanship were unmatched.

On the wrestling mat, Curtis amassed 164 individual career wins including 51 during his senior year. He is one of the MIAA league’s few four-time Individual Champions as well as a three-time State Champion.

During his senior season, he was also a runner-up in the National Prep Tournament. Curtis’s coaches considered him to be dependable and a respected competitor. Wrestling Coach Pete Welch says, “He In addition, Justin earned three varsity letters in football bringing his total to 11. The same athleticism he exhibited in track helped him to achieve FirstTeam MIAA in football.

always had a cool and calm demeanor until the whistle blew, and then he would come alive as he dominated his opponents time and time again.” In an era of sports specialization, Curtis frustrated many competitors who practiced the craft year-round

“Beyond all the statistics and highlights, golds and

as he was able to excel in wrestling at the highest

records, Justin set the highest of standards. He was

level while completely committing to football and

an excellent captain and he could not have been

lacrosse during their respective seasons.

more humble,” says Coach Sanborn.

But, Curtis truly loved lacrosse. As with football

After McDonogh, Justin continued to shine at Rice

and wrestling, he was a four-year starter and his

University, where he was First-Team All-Conference

actions always spoke louder than words. He earned

each of his four years and captain in his last two

the respect of opposing players and coaches

years. To this day, the collegiate track league’s

throughout the conference for his ability

competitors and coaches maintain the utmost

and attitude. Curtis’s senior year

respect for this highly decorated track superstar.

stats boast 18 goals and 15 assists with 95 ground balls. He won 63 percent

CURTIS M. HOLMES ’09 For his entire life Curtis Holmes has followed his brothers, Travis ’03 and Bryn ’06, both of whom earned 12 varsity letters during their McDonogh careers in football, wrestling, and lacrosse. Although he initially trailed behind his brothers, Curtis quickly made his own mark as he pursued national level excellence on the field in football and lacrosse and on the mat as a wrestler. Today, he remains one of McDonogh’s top three-sport athletes.

of his face-offs, making him one of the nation’s top face-off college recruits. Curtis took his passion for lacrosse to the University of Maryland where he again earned four letters in the sport. He holds the Terps all-time single season record for faceoffs won (222)

A four-year offensive, defensive, and special teams

and was named honorable mention

starter on the football team, Curtis’s coaches saw

All-American.

him as “a tough, hardworking, intense competitor.”

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ALUMNI NEWS

100m and 200m and she dominated the league championship both years winning the 100m/200m and running on two winning relay teams. She finished her career running the 400m and helping her 4x400-relay team set the meet and the school records. When she graduated, among the records she held were the 100m and 200m in outdoor track and as a member of the 4x100m, 4x200m, and 4x400m relay teams. She also set indoor track records in the 55m and 60m dash and 4x200m.

Amanda went on to Georgetown University and had an equally outstanding track and field career.

She was elected captain of the team and graduated as the Hoyas’ record-holder in the 100m and 200m. Additionally, she earned numerous titles

AMANDA C. KIMBERS ’09 In her McDonogh career, Amanda Kimbers was a record setter. She contributed to eight championship teams, set school records, set league records, and was named an All-Metro multiple times. Her nomination to McDonogh’s Hall of Fame was a slam dunk decision.

including All-American, All-Academic Team, Big East Outdoors Most Outstanding Track Performer 2014, and a qualifier for the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 100m. Commenting on her remarkable resume, Coach Sanborn says, “While Amanda was a gifted athlete, all the records and awards were anything but gifts. Amanda was a dedicated, tenacious, and consummate competitor.”

A standout in field hockey as well as on both the indoor and outdoor track and field teams, Amanda was also a leader. In her junior and senior years, she captained and helped lead her teams to five of six championships. While winning isn’t everything, she and her McDonogh teammates celebrated two field hockey championships, two indoor track titles, and four outdoor track titles.

When McDonogh Swim Coach Scott Ward first met a 10-year-old Giles Smith ’09 during a meeting in his office many years ago, he was immediately impressed.

The two, along with Giles’ parents, were discussing the possibility of him joining the Eagles Swim Team. Coach

Halyna Fried, Amanda’s field hockey coach,

Ward can vividly remember how polite and confident

notes, “Amanda was brought up to the varsity

Giles was in answering hard questions about his goals

program to give the team an infusion of energy

in school and swimming. “It’s rare that a 10-year-old

and athleticism. Through her hard work and

child knows what they want to achieve in the future

dedication she evolved from an athlete playing

and can clearly express those goals to an adult they

field hockey to a field hockey star.” Ultimately,

have just met,” says Ward.

she earned the field hockey Eagle Award and the team MVP, and was a three-time league All-Star and an All-State honorable mention.

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GILES P. SMITH ’09

It’s no surprise that most of Giles’ goals have been achieved; not only did he have dreams, but he also worked extremely hard to see them come true. Giles

In track, which Coach Jeff Sanborn erroneously

entered McDonogh in Middle School and swam for

thought to be her primary sport, Amanda was

the Eagles Swim Team as well as the McDonogh

in a league of her own. In her last two years

Middle School Swim Team. From there, he went

at McDonogh, Amanda was undefeated in the

on to set school records as well as MIAA and state

records as part of the school’s varsity swim team.

During his senior year, as one of the captains, he helped lead the team to their highest ever national ranking (11th) while also breaking the national high school record in the 50-yard freestyle.

After graduating from McDonogh, Giles went to the University of Tennessee and then to the University of Arizona, where he was an NCAA Champion, American record holder, two-time Olympic trials finalist, PAC 12 Scholar Athlete of the Year, and the 2015 Pan American Games champion in the 100m butterfly, which was also a Pan Am record.

Coach Ward shares, “What I am most proud of is that six years after his college graduation, Giles

to reach his goals. They provided support as

continues to compete as a professional athlete

McDonogh taught and coached him. Coach Ward

and, most importantly, he has been devoted to

states, “The community and I have much respect

promoting the sport of swimming and sharing his

for this outstanding yet humble young man. We

passion at swim clinics around the country where

are grateful for his commitment and contributions

he has become a true role model and inspiration to countless young African-Americans as well as other minority swimmers.”

Giles is the product of his parents who went above and beyond to give their son the best chance

to McDonogh as a student-athlete, and for his ongoing contributions to the sport as an athlete and role model.”

Learn more about the Athletic Hall of Fame Award or submit a 2021 nomination.

REUNION WEEKEND 2021 Mark your calendars for McDonogh’s Reunion Weekend, April 23-25, 2021. All alumni are invited to reconnect with fellow classmates and create more memorable McDonogh moments. On the evening of Saturday, April 24, celebrations will be held for reunion year classes ending in 0 and 5, as well as 1 and 6. While we hope to safely celebrate in person in April, plans are underway to host virtual events if necessary.

For information on additional alumni events and programming, please visit mcdonogh.org/alumni.

AP 2 3 RIL -25

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ALUMNI NEWS

ALUMNI COME TOGETHER

ALUMNI ENJOY SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY IN ATLANTA Martha Parr Ille ’89 and husband Jean-François Ille hosted an intimate gathering of 25 alumni and guests at their Atlanta home in mid-January.

Alumni from the classes of 1965 to 2010 connected with one another while remembering their days at McDonogh. Head of School Dave Farace ’87 provided an update on the school’s strong enrollment, low attrition, selective faculty, and philanthropic successes before describing a personal “Aha!” moment he had as a McDonogh student. (Look for his story in the last issue of McDonogh Magazine.) Several alumni shared their own “Aha!” moments, which focused on the caring community and sense of family they felt as a student and now as a graduate.

2

3

1

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4

1. Dave Farace ’87, Torria Ellis-Dugar ’92, Charlie Zapf ’67, Monica Somerville Geddis ’00, Wait Aumann ’00, Zach Jeffrey ’09, Beth Sauer Hopkins ’02, Hannah Johnstone Mathis ’09, Henry McDonald, Jr. ’65, Daniel Bernstein ’10, and Martha Parr Ille ’89 2. Henry McDonald, Jr. ’65, Daniel Bernstein ’10, and Charlie Zapf ’67 3. Monica Somerville Geddis ’00, Wait Aumann ’00, and Zach Jefffrey ’09 4. Martha Parr Ille ’89 and Dave Farace ’87

McDonogh alumni, now studying at the University of Maryland, connected with their alma mater at the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center in College Park in early February. The group enjoyed lots of laughs and casual conversation with Head of School Dave Farace ’87 and faculty guests Mickey Deegan, Andy Hilgartner, and Hakeem Sule ’05.

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ALUMNI GATHER IN COLLEGE PARK

Front row, from left: Alex Pitts ’18, Aaron Adler ’16, Mike Shinsky ’16, Noah Adler ’18, and Beth Sauer Hopkins ’02; second row, from left: Dave Farace ’87, Jake Abel ’16, Andy Hilgartner, Ellis McKennie ’15, Mickey Deegan, and Hakeem Sule ’05.

>>>

1

WASHINGTON, D.C.

1. Sterling Wilson ’92, Camille Grayson ’08, and Jabari Miller ’92

Susan and Dudley Ives ’65 graciously hosted 60 McDonogh alumni and guests at The Army and Navy Club in Washington, D.C. in mid-February. Attendees representing the classes of 1963 to 2014 enjoyed mingling with each other and former faculty members Laddie Levy ’63 and Jim Tsouvalos before Head of School Dave Farace ’87 described the state of the school. Director of Alumni Engagement Beth Sauer Hopkins ’02 announced the all-new McDonogh Connect alumni network and career resource platform and encouraged everyone to help build the network by activating their accounts at connect.mcdonogh.org.

Dudley concluded the evening with reflections on the founding of McDonogh School.

2. Andi Cwieka ’14, Paget Barranco ’14, and Lizzie Taylor ’14

3

4

6

3. Dudley Ives ’65 and Matthew Dalcin ’11 4. Alexa Pollokoff Grossman ’06, Laddie Levy ’63, Casey Pugatch ’06, and Jenna Block Cooper ’06

2

5. LeRoy Katz ’76, Jabari Miller ’92, Eileen Flynn Toohey ’77, and Mary Jane Toohey ’10 6. Zsa Moyer ’13, Lee Jeon ’12, Andrew Young, Katherine Marshall-Woods, and Jay Woods ’88 7. Willy Jay ’94, Alexandra Williamson ’94, Sriram Rajan ’94, and Alex Gordon ’94 8. Joe Meurer ’10, Nathaniel Patel ’11, Jack Sartory ’11, Trevor Siebert ’10, Austin Berg ’11, and Alice Jiranek ’11

5

7

8

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65

In March, McDonogh shifted to virtual school and the Office of Alumni Engagement followed suit, implementing a series of online events. While alumni continue to spend time at home during these times of social distancing, McDonogh hopes to be a welcome source of information, connection, and entertainment.

MCDONOGH HISTORY WEBINAR In May, more than 80 alumni and retired employees attended a virtual history lesson led by faculty member and storyteller Jon Aaron ’72 in May. Jon discussed important points in McDonogh’s history and shared interesting anecdotes from the School’s past as well as photographs and documents curated from the McDonogh School Archives & Special Collections.

ALUMNI NETWORK UPDATES Making contact with others is so important now, and our alumni network, McDonogh Connect, is a great way to find old friends. This platform can also be used to make professional connections, post or view job opportunities, and offer mentoring to current students and recent graduates. The website and mobile app allow you to: • KEEP CURRENT WITH AN INTERACTIVE, PERSONALIZED FEED • SEARCH FELLOW ALUMNI BY NAME, INDUSTRY, YEAR, AND OTHER FILTERS • POST OR VIEW JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND INTERNSHIPS • OFFER MENTORING SERVICES TO CURRENT STUDENTS

Visit us at connect.mcdonogh.org. Questions? Contact alumni@mcdonogh.org.

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66

Jon Aaron ’72 discusses the 1928 fire in Old Main which he says, “helped shape the character and the future direction of the school.”

>>>

ALUMNI NEWS

ALUMNI TOGETHER APART

VIRTUAL HAPPY HOURS Although Reunion Weekend 2020 was canceled and alumni celebrating milestone years were not able to come together this year, several classes did the next best thing and celebrated over Zoom! Through a series of Virtual Happy Hours, more than 130 alumni were able to reconnect while staying home.

>>> Class of 2010 Virtual Happy Hour on April 30, 2020

>>>

Class of 2005 Virtual Happy Hour on May 7, 2020

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Class of 2000 Virtual Happy Hour on April 30, 2020

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ALUMNI NEWS >>>

68

VIRTUAL HAPPY HOURS

Class of 1995 Virtual Happy Hour on May 1, 2020

>>>

Class of 1976 Virtual Happy Hour on May 28, 2020

>>> Class of 1975 Virtual Happy Hour on May 1, 2020

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Class of 1970 Virtual Happy Hour on May 14, 2020

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ALUMNI NEWS >>>

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VIRTUAL HAPPY HOURS

Class of 1966 Virtual Lunch on May 12, 2020

BLACK ALUMNI COMMITTEE SENIOR SEND-OFF In anticipation of their graduation, members of the Class of 2020 joined the Alumni Association’s Black Alumni Committee for a virtual gathering on June 1. Committee members offered their congratulations and welcomed the seniors to the McDonogh alumni family. The seniors introduced themselves, mentioned when they entered McDonogh, spoke about their involvement in academic and extracurricular activities, and shared their college plans. The seniors also discussed ways in which the Committee could continue to support current Black students at McDonogh. The Black Alumni Committee welcomed seniors as the newest members of the McDonogh alumni community by mailing a special gift—a Sankofa pin.

>>> Top row, from left: David Holland ’90, Erika Seth Davies ’94, Kaleb Assefa ’20, and Carson Young ’20; second row, from left: Kellee Parrott Gonzalez ’96, Isaiah Kessler ’20, Ariana Frazier ’20, and Soleil Bellan ’20; third row, from left: Samuel Mumford ’20, Sanai Fitchett ’20, Kamila Redd ’20, and Maya Ransome ’20; fourth row, from left: Lauren Street Goodall ’93, Mike Smith ’15, Joshua Thomas ’06, and Jabari Miller ’92

RETIRED EMPLOYEE VIRTUAL LUNCH In early June, a group of 16 retired McDonogh employees who gathered for a virtual luncheon were overjoyed to see each other’s faces on the screen. Head of School Dave Farace ’87 and Associate Head of School Kate Mueller kicked off the call with an update on the School’s response to the current crises and followed with an explanation of McDonogh’s goals. Then, Cynthia Cox, Head of the Upper School English Department, led a captivating conversation about the transition to virtual school; she shared photos and described a typical class. Afterward, the retirees had the chance to ask questions and catch up in smaller groups.

>>>

Top row, from left: Dan McGuire, Jeanne Mulligan, Leslie Zuga, Lynn Offutt, and Frayda Salkin; second row, from left: Mary Lu Greenwood, Cynthia Cox, David Fisher, Cheryl Seal, and Joan Newcomer; third row, from left: Tom Young ’70, Mina Wender, Mona Barr, Kate Mueller, and LaVerne Holtz; fourth row, from left: John Grega, Jim Tsouvalos, Dave Farace ’87, Laddie Levy ’63, and Diana and David Harley

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M I L E S TO N E S

WEDDINGS

IN MEMORIAM

’02 Blake M. Scherr and Meghann E. Klein, 2/22/2020

’36 G. Murray Seal, Jr.

’05 Darrius R. Heyward-Bey and Tori Braga, 07/13/2019

’38 Jesse F. Van Wickel, Jr.

’06 Elizabeth H. Kaiser and Mike Stroud, 7/6/2019

’41 Ferdinand Bockelman

’09 Kiernan M. Michau and Iñaki G. San Milán, 2/22/2020

’43 Carlyle N. Montanye, Jr.

’10 Alyssa D. Langer and Joshua Martin, 5/30/2020

’47 Forest L. Henderson, Jr. ’50 J. Andrew Brough

BIRTHS ’94 Nicole A. Vikan and Ali Behbahani: Thorsten Vikan, 4/28/2019 ’99 Christopher A. Poklemba and Kristin Poklemba: Cannon Brooks, 2/6/2020 ’00 Anne C. Field and Colin Deuchars: Isla Catherine Marie, 2/4/2020 ’00 Jennifer E. Kuntz McDonald and Geoffrey McDonald: Josephine Flora and

Tess Marlena, 5/4/2020

’00 William T. Rollins and Kristen Rollins: Dylan Alexander, 8/8/2019 ’01 Shelby Block Laugtug and Steve Laugtug: Laker Block, 3/3/2020 ’02 Meghan J. McGuire McGee and Bryant M. McGee ’03: Andie Mae, 5/25/2020 ’02 Matthew D. “Match” Zimmerman and Kara Zimmerman: Harriet Marie, 4/21/2020 ’03 Bryant M. McGee and Meghan J. McGuire McGee ’02: Andie Mae, 5/25/2020 ’03 Benjamin R. Nichols and Kara Nichols: Shane Gregory, 10/4/2019 ’04 David R. “Ricky” Tippett and Megan Sullivan: Bodi Tyler, 11/22/2019 ’04 Lacey Block Cohen and Ryan Cohen: Lexi Spencer, 12/2/2019 ’04 Christina M. Ramirez Gasbarro and Greg Gasbarro: Layla Rose, 3/16/2019 ’04 Jennifer A. Oliver Schultz and Charles Schultz: Huck Ransom, 1/23/2020 ’04 Mollie D. Elicker Stephens and John Logan Stephens: Lyla Rosalie, 6/9/2019 ’05 Logan E. McDaniels Bryant and Lee Bryant: Adam, 10/28/2019 ’05 J. David Newcomer and Megan Hyde: Charles Michael, 4/01/2020

’50 Jonathan A. Hummel ’50 John A. Schwab, Jr. ’51 D. Alan Douglas ’51 Eugene E. Weymouth ’52 Ronald A. Barrett-Smith ’52 Nicholas J. Robinson ’52 Thomas D. Thiermann ’53 Bradbury P. Foss ’55 Sterling V. Seagrave ’56 Rhys M. Berryman ’56 Ashby L. Chamberlin ’57 Stephen E. Rice IV ’58 Edward W. Pierce ’61 Kurt W. Fischer ’72 Carl M. Moseley ’73 Michael P. O’Mahony ’81 Malcolm J. Pittman ’88 Ann K. Stephenson ’92 Marcus J. Jackson ’96 Matthew H. Osborne

’06 Caitlin R. Nichols Dammin and Will Dammin: Dawson Fox, 10/16/2019 ’06 Jonathan R. Ports and Gianna Mangione Ports ’09: Luciano Nicholas, 4/29/2019 ’06 Ben D. Schultz and Julie Schultz: Henry Taylor, 3/30/2020 ’06 Paola S. Sierra and Dustin Keesy: Nika Marie, 4/27/2020 ’06 Anastasia J. Wynn and Louis Murphy: Ava Leilana, 6/10/2020 ’08 Emily R. Isenberg Coogan and Matthew Coogan: Penelope Rose, 3/17/2020 ’08 Courtney J. Dutton O’Malley and Patrick O’Malley: Miles William, 11/29/2019

FORMER FACULTY AND STAFF Anne B. “Shiny” Evans Douglas R. Heist R. Edwin Novak, Sr. Doris L. Victor

’09 Erika H. Petty Johnson and Joe Johnson: William Henry, 5/21/2020 ’09 Hannah D. Johnstone Mathis and Jenni Mathis: Otto David, 2/12/2020

As of August 1, 2020

’09 Gianna Mangione Ports and Jonathan R. Ports ’06: Luciano Nicholas, 4/29/2019

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1966

GODFREY K. KELLY was bestowed

ALAN S. DAVIDSON is currently

Queen Elizabeth’s 2020 New Year’s Honour of Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (KCMG) for his services to business and sports.

Godfrey is a former Olympic sailor and the owner of Kelly’s House and Home department store which has been a household name in The Bahamas since 1927.

working at the Men’s Wearhouse in Pikesville, MD.

WAYNE I. NEWLAND and his wife,

Bill Eck ’67, Chuck Gilbert ’67, Chester Jennings ’67, and Brad Lewis ’67 enjoyed lunch at the Hangar Restaurant in St. Petersburg, FL.

Alice, are spending their retirement years in Falmouth, ME after careers in New Jersey public education.

Alice was a kindergarten teacher and Wayne served in many roles, including an elementary and secondary teacher, an adjunct college and graduate school instructor, and a special education administrator.

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C L A S S N OT E S

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1947

1955

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74

Dick Moser ’66 poses with his orange and black “McDonogh Mobile.”

Peggy Lewis, Brad Lewis ’67, Jo Jennings, and Chester Jennings ’67 enjoyed a preseason baseball game in Sarasota, FL.

LEE B. TEMPLE , an award-winning

>>>

1974 ALBERT K. LANE III retired after

nearly 41 years of Christian ministry in two traditions—the United Methodist Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. A celebration of Pastor Bert’s life-long ministry was held on February 23, 2020, at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Thurmont, MD, where Bert served as Pastor for the past 10 years. He proudly told his congregation that in addition to his family and close clergy mentors, in attendance were two friends of 50 years, McDonogh classmates Bob Brooks and Steve MacNabb. Bert and his wife, Dayna, are retiring to their recently built home in Cove Point near Solomons Island, MD, to enjoy all that the Chesapeake Bay has to offer.

1975

STEPHEN H. MACNABB started the

1977

next leg of his commercial banking career in November 2019, when he became Market President for Fairfax and Loudoun Counties (VA) at Freedom Bank. Steve was most recently with BB&T Bank for 11 years, and before that, with Wachovia Bank for 31 years. He still calls Northern Virginia home, but enjoys spending time in Cove Point and Annapolis, MD.

>>>

architect of 30 years, received the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award In November 2019. He was also honored with the Distinguished Worldwide Humanitarian Award from Marquis Who’s Who, the world’s premier publisher of biographical profiles.

Lee’s global leadership in the fields of architecture, urban design, global affairs, and climate change earned him this recent recognition.

GUY MOSZKOWSKI founded and

served as the CEO of Autonomous Research US LP, a specialized independent provider of institutional research focused exclusively on financial sector companies, from 2012 until his retirement in 2019.

Guy sold the firm to AllianceBernstein, the company where he got his start in research 30 years ago. Earlier this year, he joined the board of a large international bank. Guy’s younger daughter, a Johns Hopkins University graduate, moved back to Baltimore, and his older daughter is in Cambridge, MA, where she is working on her PhD.

1985 ROBERT J. GIES and his wife, Louisa,

have been married for 26 years. Rob is currently the Deputy Chief Engineer at Newport News Shipbuilding where he has been working for 30 years. He is also a part-time PhD student and is very active in various community and professional organizations as well as Boy Scouts of America. Louisa works for Abbott Labs and their son, Austin, just completed his second year at Georgia Tech where he majors in Mechanical Engineering, serves on the Honor Council, acts as a tour guide, volunteers with the Boys and Girls Club of Atlanta, tutors local high school students, and is a member of the Eagles at Georgia Tech Club.

EDWARD S. TUVIN was named as

one of Colemans 2019 Business Development Officers of the year.

Eddie currently serves as Senior Vice President at CityFirst Bank. He is also a keynote speaker on subjects related to business ethics, conscientious capitalism, diversity, ethics, and inclusion.

>>> Litsa Coroneos Wethern ’87 and her husband, Thomas, own Dimitri’s International Grille in Catonsville, MD. Together, with their daughter Kali ’20, they prepared, packaged, and delivered more than 100 lunches to the emergency room providers at Howard County General Hospital at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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C L A S S N OT E S

>>> Laura Stone Ellis ’88 and Jason Nace ’89 are both physicians with Doctors for Emergency Services serving at hospitals across the Delaware region.

They found themselves scheduled together in the Middletown Emergency Department one day in April during the COVID-19 crisis.

conducting a landscape survey and analysis related to asset allocation to diverse managers and financial services firms; organizing a convening of experts in the field; and publishing a report based on findings of primary and secondary research.

1995

1991 PATRICIA PIMENTEL SELASSIE , a

naturopathic physician, published her first book, Aging Brilliantly: How to Eat, Move, Rest, and Socialize Your Way to Long Life. It debuted on Amazon’s Top 100 list in the Longevity category.

>>> CHRISTINA SCOTT HILL , Managing

Director and Head of Asset Management, Americas at PGIM Real Estate, joined the International Advisory Board at the CU Real

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76

Estate Center (CUREC) at the Leeds School of Business at University of Colorado Boulder. The International Advisory Board fosters connections between top real estate executives, national markets, international networks, and the center.

1994 ERIKA SETH DAVIES is McDonogh’s

Associate Director of Philanthropy, and she was recently selected to be a teaching fellow with the Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation at Georgetown University (her alma mater). In this capacity, she will conduct research and contribute to the intellectual life of the Beeck Center as a Fellow, Equitable Capital Markets in the Fair Finance portfolio. Specifically, for her project, Erika will be responsible for creating and disseminating video content to highlight inequities in accessing capital markets and promote systemic interventions;

ROBERT G. SABELHAUS, JR. was recently featured in a Pressbox Online article that shared the story of how he went from being the number one quarterback prospect in the country to the founder of an independent film production company in California.

After graduating from McDonogh, Bobby played football for several different colleges until he ultimately decided it was time to end his football career. He returned home to finish his degree at the University of Maryland and that’s where he discovered his interest in movies and producing. Bobby moved to Los Angeles, CA, where he learned about the business before opening his own company in 2010. He is the founder and President of Feature Film Production at FilmHaus, and his firm has sold many scripts that have led to his success. One project that goes back to his Baltimore roots was Baltimore Boys, a 2017 film that was part of ESPN’s 30 for 30 series. Bobby was the executive producer on this documentary about the legendary Dunbar boys basketball teams from 1981-1983 and he enjoyed being able to tell a Baltimore story. Bobby lives in West Hollywood with his wife, Kate.

LUKE BROADWATER ’98 LUKE W. BROADWATER ’98 recently made headlines after his work with

colleagues at The Baltimore Sun was awarded the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in Local Reporting for “illuminating, impactful reporting on a lucrative, undisclosed financial relationship between the city’s mayor and the public hospital system she helped to oversee.”

In their reporting, Luke and other Sun staff members revealed how Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh received hundreds of thousands of dollars disguised as bulk purchases of her self-published Healthy Holly children’s books. These stories led to the resignation of Mayor Pugh less than two months after the story broke. She later pleaded guilty to federal charges.

The Baltimore Sun also won the prestigious George Polk Award for its coverage of Mayor Catherine Pugh’s book scheme. The distinction for political reporting recognizes reporter Luke and the staff of The Sun for revealing municipal corruption.

After a successful career at The Baltimore Sun for almost a decade, Luke recently accepted a new job covering Congress for The New York Times. He started in The Times’ D.C. bureau on June 8, joining a team of four other reporters focused on Capitol Hill.

2002 LAUREN RIZZO BUKSZAR founded

CarrollBaby to provide a reliable supply of diapers, wipes, and hygiene items to families in need in Carroll County, MD. Her organization mobilized into emergency relief mode in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Lauren shared that demand in April increased by 33 percent compared to their average monthly distribution.

2003 JESSICA A. MORGAN was named as

Athletic Director at Garrison Forest School. Jessy went to GFS from George Mason University, where she served as the Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach since 2014.

2004 >>>

YASMENE L. MUMBY recently

graduated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education with a Doctor of Education Leadership. It is the fourth degree she has earned in 12 years; a Bachelor of Arts from Johns Hopkins University, a Master of Arts in Teaching Johns Hopkins University, a Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland School of Law, and now a doctorate from

>>>

77

Liz Kaiser ’06 married Mike Stroud on July 6, 2019 at the Baltimore Museum of Industry.

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C L A S S N OT E S

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Emily Selonick ’05 has been a ski patroller in Vail, CO for eight years. When the ski resorts shut down in March due to COVID-19, hundreds of ski patrollers at Vail and Beaver Creek lost their jobs. Luckily, Emily was hired as one of 20 patrollers to provide back-up first response for Eagle County Paramedics Services.

Harvard. Yasmene defended her doctoral capstone in May 2020 in front of 81 people on Zoom. The title of her doctoral work is “This is Not Charity: Telling Turnaround Tuesday’s Story with Dignity, in alignment with their Communications and Fundraising Strategies.” Yasmene is grateful for all of these opportunities to learn, grow, and stretch beyond the limits she thought were possible, but is also excited to put her education to practice.

2005 BRITTANY L. TEGELER , CEO of

Tegeler Construction & Supply, was appointed to the board of directors for Junior Achievement of Central Maryland, a nonprofit organization that serves more than 35,000 area

K-12 students with hands-on programs on workforce readiness, financial education, and entrepreneurship.

2006 CASEY L. PUGATCH is an interior

designer in New York City. Her most recent project, a house in Westport, CT, was featured in the January/ February issue of Elle Decor. Casey’s design work includes ground-up construction and full-gut renovations in Manhattan and throughout the country.

2008 ALEXANDER C. CENTENARI was

named the Head Coach of the men’s tennis team at his alma mater, Dartmouth. Xander had an

extremely successful tennis career at Dartmouth as a two-time captain before turning professional for four years. In his first season as Head Coach, the team started off with a nine match winning streak. Their season ended early due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

LISA H. TOSTANOSKI is a

postdoctoral fellow working at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, MA. During the COVID-19 crisis, she worked on a team led by virologist Dr. Dan Barouch, studying coronavirus, how it affects the body, and the possibility of developing protective immunity, either by natural infection or a vaccine. Lisa was quoted in the New York Times in May 2020 for her work on the study.

2011 NICOLE A. SAKIN earned her Juris

Doctor from University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law in May 2019.

>>> Fatima Chaudri ’06 is an attending physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan where she treated patients during the height of the COVID-19 outbreak in the spring. She says she never imagined seeing a disease like this, and she’s in awe of the fellow physicians, scientists, nurses, techs, and administrators who all yearn to find better options. She adds that she is privileged to help, and has never felt that more acutely.

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>>> Megan Lentz ’10 married Craig Rushmore on November 23, 2019. Pictured from left: Kelly Scott Richardson ’10, Katelyn Lentz ’07, Craig, Megan, Alexis Blight Jorgensen ’10, Isaac Jorgensen ’10, Lea Ward, Pete Ward ’87, Maya Doeh, and Derrick O’Konski.

2012 KYLE B. VAUGHAN and KENNETH C. WAYMAN’S company, Greatest

>>>

Possible Good, worked with nonprofits in Baltimore City to design new ventures addressing challenges posed by COVID-19. The company’s collaborations included student-made personal protective equipment for healthcare and essential workers; laptops, internet access, and digital literacy for students and adult learners; and resources guiding small businesses applying for the Small Business

Association’s Paycheck Protection Program.

Those collaborations were with Hack Baltimore, Dent Education, Rainbow/PUSH, and the Baltimore Digital Equity Coalition. They also formed a partnership with financial literacy company Ortus Academy, researched mindfulness education with a Johns Hopkins MBA student, and hosted design thinking webinars for The Well, which serves entrepreneurial women of color.

Alyssa Langer ’10 married Dr. Joshua Martin at home in Clarksville, MD, on May 30, 2020, in a small family-only ceremony. While their original plans to marry on this date at the Peabody Library in Baltimore had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 crisis, they hope to celebrate there in the fall.

>>> From left: Laura Bacon, Kenneth Wayman ’12, and Radiah Rhodes at their January 2020 The Well workshop.

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C L A S S N OT E S

CAROLYN J. MAY is working as a

Postbaccalaureate Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) Fellow at The National Institutes of Health. This opportunity allows Carolyn to spend one or two years performing full-time research with some of the leading scientists in the world. Carolyn graduated from the University of Richmond in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

2015 ELLIS C. MCKENNIE , former

University of Maryland offensive lineman, was selected as a member of the National Football

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Mike at the podium during the hat toss, the traditional ending to the swearing-in ceremony.

Foundation’s 2020 Hampshire Honor Society. To be considered for this honor, a player must be a significant contributor in his last year of eligibility and maintain a cumulative 3.2 GPA or higher throughout the course of study.

After receiving a Bachelor of Arts in government and politics and a Masters in Public Policy from Maryland, Ellis plans to enroll in The George Washington Law School this fall. In June, Ellis was featured in a Sports Illustrated article online.

>>> Connor Young ’15 (left) and Mike Smith ’15, USNA Class of 2020 Graduates.

MICHAEL L. SMITH , the United States

Naval Academy Class of 2020 President, spoke at the swearing-in and commencement ceremonies for the graduating class in May 2020.

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Former McDonogh teammates played together this season on the Rhodes College men’s lacrosse team. The team was able to play seven games before the rest of the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 crisis. Pictured from left: Will Margraff ’18, Alexi Thomas ’18, Edward Pope ’19, and James Margraff ’16

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SUBMIT YOUR PHOTOS & CLASS NOTES The deadline for the next issue is December 1, 2020.

Upload class notes and photos to mcdonogh.org/classnotes.

Photos will be published based on quality and available space.

Please be sure to identify everyone.

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Digital images are preferred and should be at least 2 megapixels [1600 x 1200 pixels].

Jada Seaman ’19 completed her freshman year at the University of Virginia.

She received a gold medal after she became the long jump champion in the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship. Jada currently holds UVA’s record in both the long jump and the 200m race. She traveled to Albuquerque, NM to compete in the NCAA championship, however the event was canceled due to the pandemic.

Prints should be mailed to: Office of Alumni Engagement McDonogh School 8600 McDonogh Road Owings Mills, MD 21117

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C L A S S N OT E S B A B I E S

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Nicole Vikan ’94, Ali Behbahani, and big brother Cadel welcomed Thorsten Vikan on April 28, 2019, the weekend of Nicole’s 25th Reunion. Thorsten is pictured with Cadel, who just finished first grade.

2. Anne Field ’00 and Colin Deuchars moved to a new home last November, and they welcomed baby Isla on February 4, 2020, at the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh, Scotland. Luckily, Isla was visited by her grandparents from France, including retired McDonogh faculty member Marie-Helene Field, shortly before quarantine started.

3. Billy Rollins ’00 and his wife, Kristen, welcomed Dylan Alexander on August 8, 2019.

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On June 6, 2019, Chanel Lattimer-Tingan ’01 and her husband, Dr. Alexis Tingan, welcomed their son, Asa Ford Lattimer Tingan. He is the couple’s first child.

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Kara and Match ’02 Zimmerman welcomed their third little girl, Harriet Marie, on April 21, 2020.

From left: Match ’02, Kara, and big sisters Annabelle and Talullah.

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6. Meghan McGuire McGee ’02 and Mack McGee ’03 welcomed baby girl Andie Mae on May 25, 2020.

She joins big brother Bennett ’35 and older sister Lily.

7. Ben Nichols ’03 and his wife, Kara, welcomed Shane Gregory on October 4, 2019. Shane is pictured with big brothers Drew and Graham.

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Shelby Block Laugtug ’01 and Steve Laugtug welcomed Laker Block on March 3, 2020.

Laker is pictured with proud big brothers Yale and Brooks.

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Christina Ramirez Gasbarro ’04 and Greg Gasbarro welcomed Layla Rose on March 16, 2019. The couple moved back to the Baltimore area so Christina could start as a Primary Care Physician at Mercy Medical Center. They met up with Drew Feldman ’04 (right) and his kids, Mylo and Saydee, for a playdate.

10. Jenn Oliver Schultz ’04, her husband, Charles, and big brother and sister Oliver and Winnie welcomed Huck on January 23, 2020.

11. Ricky Tippett ’04 and Megan Sullivan welcomed Bodi Tyler on November 22, 2019.

18. Erika Petty Johnson ’09 and Joe Johnson welcomed William Henry on May 21, 2020.

12. Logan McDaniels Bryant ’05 and Lee Bryant welcomed Adam on October 28, 2019.

19. Jon Ports ’06 and Gigi Mangione Ports ’09 welcomed Luciano Nicholas on April 29, 2019.

Luciano celebrated his first birthday in quarantine; pictured with big sister Mattea and big brother Leo.

13. Caitlin Nichols Dammin ’06 and her husband, Will, had their first son, Dawson Fox, on October 16, 2019.

14. Mollie Elicker Stephens ’04 and John Logan welcomed Lyla Rosalie on June 9, 2019.

15. Ben Schultz ’06 and his wife, Julie, welcomed their first son, Henry Taylor, into the world on March 30, 2020. Julie is working as a Family Medicine Physician in Manhattan while Ben finishes his Plastic Surgery Residency.

They will be back in Baltimore next summer.

20. Hannah Johnstone Mathis ’09 and Jenni Mathis, along with grandparents David ’80 and Tally Johnstone, proudly announce the birth of Otto David on February 12, 2020.

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16. Emily Isenberg Coogan ’08 and Matthew Coogan welcomed Penelope Rose on March 17, 2020.

17. Courtney Dutton O’Malley ’08 and Patrick O’Malley welcomed Miles William on November 29, 2019.

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8600 McDonogh Road Owings Mills, Maryland 21117-0380 www.mcdonogh.org

Above & Beyond Whether on-campus or online, we are committed to going above and beyond to ensure that strong academics, nurturing relationships, and safety remain at our core.

Your support of McDonogh has never been more critical.

Please make your gift to the McDonogh Fund today!