Summer’s almost here! Seventh graders celebrate on the National Mall
For
The occasion of NCS’s 125th anniversary provides an excellent opportunity for celebration and reflection. This issue of NCS Magazine takes a look back at NCS’s history and evolution, providing insights into why and how NCS has changed, and what ideals and practices carry through the decades, serving as foundational elements as we look towards the future.
Writ large, our history is one of perseverance, vision, and commitment to girls’ education. From Phoebe Hearst’s initial monetary gift—that she increased as additional needs arose—to the alumnae gift in 1925 of the first property across Woodley Road, the school’s trajectory has been shaped by visionary women and men who believed in and supported the growth of NCS.
In this issue, you will read about the investments in our classroom and extracurricular spaces that have fostered generations of leaders and kept NCS at the forefront of girls’ education. You will also learn little known facts about NCS, from the local florist who provided the roses for NCS Flag Day for eight (!) decades to the mascot that preceded the Eagle.
As part of our year-long 125th anniversary celebration, we’ve held Cathedral services at which alumnae have delivered homilies on our core values. In the late winter, Noelle Trent ’99 shared her thoughts on conscience. Then, in the spring, we welcomed sisters Jocelyn Moore Gailliot ’99 and Madeline Moore Grayson ’05 who spoke about excellence as a mindset. I encourage you to read excerpts of their wise and inspirational words in these pages and to watch their homilies via the QR codes provided in the article on page 22.
One thing that is striking as we examine our history is the degree to which students have shaped NCS policies and practices. Students have driven changes, both large and small, from requesting Cathedral pudding for dessert to initiating student publications. It was in the early 1980s that students took the lead in making changes to the Upper School dress code. In 1990, the forerunner to the Diversity Forum— Multicultural Day—was conceived of and organized by a student committee. Student advocacy led to the installation of solar panels in Hearst Hall and Woodley North.
Given the tradition of NCS students leading and enacting change, it seems fitting that in this Magazine we celebrate the Revolutionary Class of 2025. These 82 graduates bring to life our belief in the power of young women. Individually and collectively, these powerful young alumnae embody our core values of excellence, courage, service, and conscience.
As you read about NCS’s storied history, I hope you will be inspired to join one or more of our upcoming 125th anniversary events, culminating with a celebration on October 17 in Washington National Cathedral. We have much to celebrate as we reflect on our past and share our plans for the future and would love to see you there.
Warm regards,
Elinor M. Scully Head of School
HEAD OF SCHOOL
Elinor M. Scully
HEAD OF m A rk E ting & CO mmuni CA ti O n S
Lara Ponomareff
ED it O r A n D writ E r
Lynn Horowitch
CO ntri B uting ED it O r
Rachel Hoffman DES ign
Kate O’Neil A r CH ivi S t
Anna Gormbley
PHO t O gr APHY
NCS faculty, staff, alumnae, parents, and friends
Duaa Adam
Lisa Boggs
Adam Hirsch
Lynn Horowitch
Rachel Naft
2024–2025 n CS g O v E rning BOA r D
Chair: Laura Puryear
Vice Chair: Mieka Wick ’93
Secretary: Helen Bechtel ’00
Membership: Mariann Budde
Chris Calsyn
Gina Coburn
Matthew Cutts
Morgan Eaker
Jason Goodwin
Franca Gutierrez
Makiko Harrison
Elizabeth Haile Hayes
Suzanna Kang
Cidalia Luis-Akbar
William Lynn
Wray Muoio
Tushar Patel
Carmen Perkins
Michael Rankin
Roland Reynolds
Lou Rollinson ’77
Elinor Scully
Antonio Sierra
Gay Truscott ’80
“I THINK BETA DAY IS A USEFUL PROJECT BECAUSE IT TEACHES YOU HOW TO NOT ONLY WORK WITH YOUR CLASSMATES, BUT ALSO TO SOLVE PROBLEMS IN THE REAL WORLD.”
—SHILOH M. ’28
IN FRONT OF RAPT AUDIENCES of students and parents/guardians, Grade 5 students shared their innovative ideas to combat urban wildlife problems on Lower School's annual Beta Day on May 9.
The young scientists, in teams of five, began the trimester-long project in February. After hearing from a guest speaker from City Wildlife, students researched the diverse wildlife found in Washington, DC. Each team identified three possible problems to investigate before narrowing their focus to one, with guidance from Lower School Science Teacher Lisa Young.
They studied their chosen animal and the challenges it faces, developed design criteria for a solution, and brainstormed potential fixes. Using the engineering design process, students selected their best idea, built and refined prototypes, tested their designs, and made improvements.
Each team focused on a different urban wildlife challenge. Some of the problems explored were how to deter raccoons from bird feeders,
reduce rat overpopulation, and keep domestic cats away from birds. Each group created posters detailing their research, design process, challenges, and concluding solutions.
On Beta Day itself, the Fifth Graders presented to their Lower School peers in Grades 4 and 6. They visited the Upper School’s Introduction to Computer Aided Design (CAD) class, where older students shared how they use CAD in their own work. Students also heard from Layla C. ’25 about her research trip to the Amazon and listened to Flora Klise from DC Water speak about careers in engineering.
The day concluded with a showcase for families, where the teams shared with their parents and guardians the problems they had tackled and the creative, thoughtful solutions they had developed. Shiloh M. ’32 noted, "I think Beta Day is a useful project because it teaches you how to not only work with your classmates, but also to solve problems in the real world."
And, as her classmate Mila R. ’32 said, “I’ll always remember how much fun we had.”
THE CREW TEAM AND ITS FANS and friends gathered at the Potomac Boathouse to dedicate and bless two new boats in honor of Day Porter/Bus Driver Karl Hempel and in memory of Edward Magoba, who worked as a Custodian/Bus Driver at NCS for 47 years and passed away in 2019.
In remarks at the dedication, Nuria R. ’25 noted that naming a boat for Karl Hempel was an obvious choice. She said, “Everyday, Mr. Hempel brings unparalleled passion, enthusiasm, and kindness. He is the epitome of what it means to be a good person every single day.” About the rowers, Karl said, “Watching you all show up on those cold, rainy days, pushing yourselves and encouraging each other, is more than impressive—it’s inspiring.”
The Edward Magoba II is the second boat dedicated for Mr. Magoba; the first one was dedicated in 2016. His family was in attendance to hear the tributes to their beloved family member. In her remarks, Anna K. ’25 recalled Mr. Magoba’s “extreme kindness and generosity.” She continued, “He knew every girl’s name and always asked ‘how are
you?’ Everyone could hear his booming voice on the sidelines.”
Anna cited an observation from a Washington Post article that appeared shortly after Mr. Magoba’s passing in 2019. The article noted that Mr. Magoba would cheer loudly for NCS, saying “You can do it, girls!” And if an opposing team did not have many fans in attendance, he would cheer for them, too.
“MR. HEMPEL IS THE EPITOME OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A GOOD PERSON EVERY SINGLE DAY.”
—NURIA
R. ’25
“MR. MAGOBA KNEW EVERY GIRL’S NAME AND ALWAYS ASKED ‘HOW ARE YOU?’”
—ANNA K. ’25
THROUGHOUT THE WINTER, NCS students engaged in hands-on, meaningful, local community service activities, known collectively as the "Season of Love." Members of the Middle School Service Club visited with the residents of the Seabury senior community. Together, they played games and celebrated Valentine’s Day and Black History Month.
As part of their year-long community engagement program, 10th Graders visited their buddies at Excel Academy. Art projects, games, exchanging Valentines, and fun were on the schedule, as the students enjoyed hours of bonding and connection. During the Season of Love, Upper School students engaged with older community members, young friends, and homeless youth. They created hundreds of handmade Valentines and assembled care kits. Grade 9 students continued to visit the Armed Forces Retirement Home, bringing affection and connection to its residents.
Many eligible community members, including parents, guardians, faculty, staff, and older students, participated in a Close-wide Blood Drive in early March, benefiting Children’s National Medical Center.
THE NCS TRACK & FIELD TEAM had a stellar season this spring, with standout team and individual performances. The athletes placed fourth out of 33 teams at the District of Columbia State Athletic Association (DCSAA) Championships, NCS’s highest finish ever at this meet.
In addition to the strong overall result, several students set personal records on their way to posting new school records in selected events. Head Coach Ted Findler said, “Each team member should leave this season knowing they gave their all, finding meaning in their best effort.”
Whitney B. ’26 finished third in the 3200 meters with a personal best time of 10:48.43. Ophelia C. ’27 finished first in the DCSAA competition high jump and set a new school record of 5 feet 6 inches. She was also part of two relay teams that set new school records. The first was the Girls 4 x 200 relay team of Ophelia, Ariela O. ’28, Malia S. ’25, and Sahana B. ’28.
In the Girls 4 x 400 relay, NCS teams broke the school record twice! The first time, the record-setters were Ophelia, Ariela, Delaney P. ’27, and Sahana. The second time, the team that set the newest NCS school record in the event featured Ophelia, Ariela, Malia, and Sahana. Students also set a record in the 4 x 800 relay. Participants were Caroline L. ’25, Avery M. ’26, Whitney B. ’26, and Margot B. ’25.
Reflecting on the season, Coach Findler concluded, “This season is most memorable for the effort, camaraderie, determination, and dedication the athletes brought to the sport and to each other.”
ON A SATURDAY AFTERNOON in April, more than 200 members of the NCS community gathered in the Athletic Center for the first NCS Cultural Fair. Attendees came— and stayed—to learn about and immerse themselves in the 29 countries and cultures that represent just a sampling of our diverse NCS community.
The Cultural Fair showcased talent and culture from many parts of the globe. It featured bagpipes, hands-on crafts and language activities, cultural displays and delicious
regional dishes, and dance performances (Irish, Persian, and Peruvian).
Thanks to the Parents Association International Committee which envisioned the event and brought it to life for all to enjoy. Director of Parent Engagement Lisa Pence said, “Our PA International Committee leaders, Aditi Arora, Shaby Aryana, and Adela Petrovic, did an amazing job organizing terrific parent volunteers to share about their respective countries and cultures for this event.”
NCS COUNTRIES AND CULTURES REPRESENTED AT THE FAIR CAMEROON
JAPAN
KOREA
LEBANON
LOUISIANA CAJUN/ CREOLE
NEW ZEALAND
NIGERIA
PANAMA
PERU
PORTUGAL
RUSSIA
SAMOA
SCOTLAND
SERBIA
SEYCHELLES
SRI LANKA
SWITZERLAND
SYRIA
TURKEY
UKRAINE
“I LEARNED THAT YOU SHOULDN’T COMPARE YOURSELF TO HOW OTHERS SCORED DURING MEETS AND INSTEAD FOCUS ON WHAT YOU ACCOMPLISHED AND BE PROUD OF WHAT YOU WERE CONTRIBUTING TO THE TEAM.”
—EMELINA S. ’26
THE VOYAGEUR PROGRAM, thriving in its 53rd year, had an incredible climbing season. The NCS climbers were undefeated in the regular season, finishing 9-0. Six climbers—Julia C. ’26, Ella M. ’27, Findley S. ’25, Emelina S. ’26, Ginny S. ’26, and Jax V. ’26—headed to the Washington Area Interscholastic Climbing League Championships. They came in first place out of 10 teams in the Women's Division, with three Eagles finishing in the top 10.
Jax had the second highest individual score with 51 points, while Julia and Ella finished sixth and seventh with 44 and 43 points respectively. Jax, Julia, and Ella were named First Team All-WAICL, and Ginny and Emelina both earned second Team All-WAICL.
According to climber Ginny, the team carried on fun Voyageur traditions, including pre-competition hype speeches and paper plate awards. Emelina noted, “Our team became very close throughout the year, and we supported each other during every meet and practice, cheering teammates on as they pushed through the last move.”
That approach contributed to the team’s success and provided important lessons. “I learned that you shouldn’t compare yourself to how others scored during meets and instead focus on what you accomplished and be proud of what you were contributing to the team,” said Emelina.
With five of the six WAICL Championship climbers returning next year, the future looks bright for the NCS climbing team.
In a less competitive but still challenging Voyageur venture, three of the climbers— Ginny, Jax, Emelina—along with Miranda L. ’26, three STA students, Voyageur Director John Velosky, and Assistant Director Lizzie Harlan, enjoyed spring break in the Everglades. The group did a backcountry paddling trip, covering 56 miles and completing the entire loop around Cape Sable. Over the course of six days, the paddlers stayed at beach and chickee sites while enjoying the beautiful weather, wildlife sightings of manatees, dolphins, white ibises, crocodiles, and incredible sunsets.
SIXTEEN MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS participated in a poetry workshop led by D.C.’s 2025 Youth Poet Laureate. Fortunately, the Poet Laureate didn’t have to travel far to conduct the session, as she is our very own Neha K. ’25.
Neha was selected in December to serve for a two-year term as the local Poet Laureate. Since that time, she has given tours at neighborhood libraries during National Poetry Month (April). At these sessions, Neha has shared readings of her work and conducted workshops for participants. In May, she recited poetry at Flower Mart and closed the Voices of Now Festival at local theater Arena Stage. During the second year of her Laureate tenure, Neha plans to work on a book of poetry.
At the NCS workshop, Neha displayed a wheel with eight different prompts and a bullseye in the center, a kind of poetic dartboard. Participants had to throw a toy at the wheel and write for 15 minutes, following the prompt where the toy landed. The topics included a persona prompt, where the challenge was to write a poem from a perspective other than your own. Another prompt was for a
snapshot poem, about a moment in time, like one captured in a Polaroid picture. If the toy landed on the bullseye, Neha provided a custom prompt.
The workshop ended with participants sharing their poetry. English teacher Adi Lax says, “It is always so wonderful to see our students' deep love of writing and excitement about poetry. They benefit so much from Neha's example as an Upper School student who is using her writing and poetry to build a prominent role for herself in her community and beyond.”
Adi continued, “As Neha spoke about her workshops, performances, and upcoming book, she allowed the students to imagine new possibilities for themselves as poets and leaders who can ‘write their way’ into the community. More than that, these workshops remind us that writing can be such a joyful way to connect with each other.”
In the days following Neha’s engaging workshop for Seventh and Eighth Grade students, she crossed Woodley Road to lead a workshop for Upper School student leaders of Half-In-Earnest, NCS’s literary magazine.
“SHE ALLOWED THE STUDENTS TO IMAGINE NEW POSSIBILITIES FOR THEMSELVES AS POETS AND LEADERS.”
—ADI LAX ENGLISH TEACHER
125 Years of Campus Investment
1900
Simply known as the "main building"
To tour NCS’s campus is to be presented with two complementary truths about the school. First, throughout its 125-year history, NCS has continually evolved and expanded, reimagining new purposes for existing spaces, and adding new facilities to house curriculum enhancements and additions. Every space and program across all divisions at NCS have grown and changed, often in impressive and transformative ways.
Second, even as its spaces have changed, NCS has maintained its focus on developing women leaders. The renovation, retrofitting, and construction projects have had one aim: to provide purposeful—and beautiful—spaces for students to learn, grow, and challenge themselves. Generations of students have inhabited these spaces, using their NCS years to build skills, knowledge, and confidence. They have left the Close prepared to go out into the world and live lives of purpose and passion.
This article offers a small selection of stories that provides a glimpse into the evolution of NCS’s spaces.
2025 Hearst Hall, one of five campus buildings
ArtsFrom NCS’s earliest days, art classes, taught for many years in Hearst Hall, have provided multiple ways for students to express themselves. A course catalogue from 1904 indicates that painting, drawing, and sculpting in clay were elements of the curriculum and notes that a dark room for photography was part of the art studio.
In 1975, the Upper and Lower School art studio moved to its current home on the third floor of Whitby Hall. The light-filled space offers students many avenues for creative expression, with electric and kick wheels and kilns for ceramics, a large black-and-white photography darkroom, a digital photography lab, three varieties of 3D printers (clay, resin, and PLA/ABS), and a laser cutter.
A Middle School studio on the lower level of Scott Hall, equipped with sewing machines, fabric, and myriad art supplies, provides the means to create 2-D and 3-D artworks. The generous spaces and range of media allow all students to express their ideas and themselves creatively and powerfully.
A timeline of NCS building and renovations projects.
1900's 1900
NCS opens with over 32 boarding students and about 20 day students in what is now
1917
The science curriculum at NCS has evolved and expanded, and so have the spaces where it is taught and learned. Topics offered currently include Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, as well as introduction to Computer Aided Design, environmental science, DNA extraction, protein engineering, and many others. The equipment in the science labs has been updated regularly, and the program gained additional spaces and resources when Woodley North was renovated both in 1986 and in 2016.
The list of roles that the spaces in Hearst Hall have played is long. When the school opened its doors in 1900, Hearst was the only NCS space, used for roughly 32 boarding students and about 20 day students. Hearst Hall was known simply as “the Main Building”; it wasn’t until 1951 that it was renamed Hearst Hall in honor of Phoebe Hearst, whose generous gift in 1893 first established NCS.
Hearst Hall’s signature spaces have been put to work for different purposes. Today, on the fourth floor of Hearst Hall, the outlines of dorm rooms, each a windowed space, are still visible in the wooden floors at the north and south ends. What is now the Auditorium served as a study hall and library. The fifth floor, with its distinctive windows and eaves, served as a gym and an art studio before becoming home to the Business, Development, and Communications Offices. 1950's
Whitby Hall renovations
Renovations begin on the Main Building, which is renamed Hearst Hall
is dedicated;
When the NCS library was in Hearst Hall Auditorium, it served two main purposes: book borrowing and a quiet space to study. The Jane Craige Gray ’32 Library, dedicated in Woodley North in 2016, fulfills many purposes. It contains a 60,000-book collection, as well as extensive digital and multimedia resources. The space encourages quiet study, as well as collaboration, with seminar rooms and flexible common spaces. The Lower School Library in Whitby Hall fosters a love of reading with its own carefully curated collection (including fiction, picture books, non-fiction, biographies, poetry, mysteries, reference volumes, folk tales, and graphic novels) and many comfortable reading spaces.
State-of-the-art technology is a fast-moving target, and NCS has kept pace. Handwritten assignments changed to typewritten work which evolved into word-processed papers. In 1995, all NCS computers were first connected to the internet. The first STEM coordinator arrived in 2015, also the year that NCS students organized and supervised the first Hackathon for their peers, fielded the first Science Olympiad team, and formed a robotics team.
Computer labs have been replaced by laptops and tablets, 3-D printers, and the makerspace, providing additional workspace for a creative, interdisciplinary approach to academic projects.
The Agnes Cochran Underwood Athletic Center opens
Solar panels installed on Hearst Hall
NCS’s earliest Upper School students might not have imagined choosing from 14 different seasonal sports, as well as dance, Yoga, Pilates, fitness, and Voyageur. When Whitby Hall was completed in 1917, it housed NCS’s first gym space. In 1987, Woodley North gained NCS’s first weight room. For decades, gym classes were held in what is now Grace Chapel.
The unique—and mainly subterranean—Agnes Cochran Underwood Athletic Center opened in 2002. It descends five stories, with gyms, a track, dance studios, a weight room, and a distinctive 50-foot freestanding climbing wall. Synthetic turf replaced live grass on the Upper and Lower Fields in 2012. The investment in these spaces recognizes the link between athletics and leadership development. Go Eagles!
2011
Renovation of Founders Hall completed
2010
Renovated Scott Hall reopens
2012 Turf replaces grass on the playing fields
2016
Renovated Procter Hall reopens and Gray Library is dedicated
2017 Bishop Budde consecrates Grace Chapel
In 1925, as a 25th anniversary present, the NCS Alumnae Association bought a parcel of land across Woodley Road from Hearst Hall. In bits and pieces, additional land and properties on that side of Woodley Road came under NCS ownership. Under the headship of Katharine Lee, appointed in 1950, construction began on Scott, Procter, and Founders Hall.
Later, under the leadership of Headmistress Aggie Underwood, a project began to combine and further develop these spaces. In 1994, Whitby Hall was expanded, creating additional classroom spaces, as well as the Lower School Assembly Room. Head of School Kathy Jamieson oversaw a switch to geothermal heating and cooling. Under her headship, Grace Chapel ceased to be a gym space and became a spiritual gathering place. In 2016, renovations on all the Woodley North buildings were completed.
2023
NCS installs solar panels on Proctor and Founders Halls
2020's
2025
Final phase of Hearst Hall HVAC upgrades
In 1893, Bishop Satterlee approached Phoebe Hearst about a donation to create a school for girls. She committed $175,000 to the effort. When she realized that founding the school would be expensive, she said, “You need more and I can do more.” In 1897, she donated an additional $25,000, bringing her total gift to $200,000 (roughly $6 million today) and establishing NCS’s tradition of philanthropy. Despite Hearst’s largesse, at her request, no building, nor the school, was named for her. That changed in 1951 when Head of School Katherine Lee renamed the Main Building, following its first major renovation, as Hearst Hall.
Local florist Zachariah Blackistone, Sr. was asked by Bishop Satterlee to provide flowers for an NCS service in 1900. Mr. Blackistone then provided flowers for NCS graduates on Flag Day for 80 years, up until his passing in 1982 at the age of 111! He personally presented the long-stemmed red roses to the graduating Seniors as his gift. “It has been my pride and pleasure to furnish bouquets for the now historic Flag Day ceremony,” Mr. Blackistone, wrote in a 1960 issue of the NCS News (a forerunner of NCS Magazine). Following Mr. Blackistone’s death, the school began purchasing the flowers for the graduates.
In August 2016, contractors excavating the site of a 90-year-old house on Garfield Street unearthed several pieces of NCS china with an early version of the school shield. The china was made by John Maddock & Sons LTD, an English company founded in 1842. The next set of NCS china was ordered from The McNicol China Company, in Clarksburg, West Virginia, which closed in 1969 and whose pieces now sell from time to time on eBay. This china was denser and more durable than the Maddock china. By the early 1970s, NCS had replaced the china with long-lasting plastic tableware.
NCS’s oldest student publication, Half in Earnest, was first issued in December 1932. While it was initially in a booklet format, it has always contained student creative and expository writing, including Hyde and Tuckerman Prize-winning essays, as well as illustrations.
A foreword from the 1950 edition of Half in Earnest wisely noted that future readers might wonder about NCS students in 1950 and that the spirit of being young changes little with the years.
NCS’s most requested recipe from the mid-20th Century seems to have been Cathedral pudding with foamy sauce. Apparently it was served once a month to day students, though boarding students could indulge more frequently. Other frequently requested favorites include Cathedral buns and NCS prune whip.
When the United States became involved in WWII, NCS adjusted its calendar and was subject to food rationing. Students took Red Cross classes, engaged in hand work, bought war stamps and bonds, and contributed to a community War Fund. NCS students collected sufficient funds to purchase and donate, to the military, the ambulance shown here.
The first issue of an NCS student newspaper was titled the NCS Passtime and was published in the 1942–1943 school year. In 1943–1944, the school newspaper was renamed The Discus. Students said that name was chosen as a “symbol of speed and accuracy, a circular disc that may be interpreted as the never-ending progress of thought, containing within its bounds weight, balance, and a certain lightness that gives joy to its flight. We named our paper The Discus because we want it to embody all of these things; and, if you will, a pun on the word ‘discuss.’”
When NCS opened in 1900, the student body consisted of 32 boarding students and about 20 day students. Hearst Hall was designed to house both student boarders and teachers on its second and third floors. In 1909, then Head of School, Mary Walker, moved staff and teachers out of Hearst and increased the boarding program by converting the rooms from singles into doubles. Whitby Hall, built in 1917, originally housed students boarders of the Senior class on its second floor. The boarding program closed in 1975.
NCS athletes were the Teddy Bears, until students decided in the late 1970s that teddies didn’t fit the image they wanted to project. They took the matter into their own hands; the November 1979 issue of The Discus has a note reminding students to submit ideas to the school mascot contest: “This is your chance to rescue yourself from being known as a ‘teddy bear’ to other area schools.” The February 1980 issue of The Discus is the first issue to refer to the sports teams as NCS Eagles.
The tradition of the Kente Cloth Ceremony was started by the Black Alumnae Association (BAA) in 1994. The ceremony is an induction and welcome for the graduating students into the BAA. According to Vanessa Allen Murray ’77 in an NCS Magazine article: “The sash represents the bond, past and present, between NCS and its Black alumnae.” The sash itself contains symbols of education and NCS along with the colors of NCS.
In celebration of NCS’s 125th anniversary, NCS’s Chaplains and Alumnae Office organized a series of four Cathedral services each centered around one of NCS’s core values: excellence, courage, conscience, and service. At these all-school services, one or two alumnae offer homilies about one of the values.
The first two of these services were held in February and March 2025. While the homilists
focused on different values and shared their varied life experiences, all credited others for helping them succeed. The speakers highlighted gratitude and community as foundational to their own accomplishments.
The remaining two 125th anniversary Cathedral services focused on courage and service are scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 11, and Thursday, Oct. 2. All are invited to attend!
Dr. Noelle Trent ’99 delivered the first 125th anniversary alumnae homily, presenting in February to the NCS community on the theme of conscience. She serves as President and CEO of the Museum of African American History for Boston and Nantucket.
Noelle defined conscience as an abiding sense of right and wrong, “an ethical response to life’s challenges.”
In her remarks, Noelle noted that being an NCS student and alumna was “something special.” Reflecting on the school’s longevity, she reminded listeners that 125 years was never guaranteed and that NCS was almost 20 years old when women in the U.S. earned the right to vote.
Noelle defined conscience as an abiding sense of right and wrong, “an ethical response to life’s challenges.” She encouraged the school community to exercise the “conscience muscle” in small everyday moments, to strengthen it and to always “do something” when conscience picks at you.
Noelle recalled the late Fath Davis Ruffins ’72, the first Black student to win the NCS flag for academic excellence. Fath went on to serve as the first Black woman curator at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Through Fath’s research on race and ethnicity in advertising, she increased understanding of stereotypes perpetuated in society, exercising her conscience. In mentioning Fath, Noelle raised up another NCS alumna, demonstrating that a sense of conscience transcends the individual.
Citing the traditional NCS hymn, Noelle reinterpreted its line about “polished corners of thy temple wall.” In her definition, the words are not about remaining quiet and unassuming. They are instead a metaphor and a reference to the parts of buildings that ensure their strength and keep them upright. She said, “Being a part of NCS means you are being trained to be a stabilizing force in a changing world.”
Noelle concluded, “NCS students are trained to be leaders. Each of us has a polished corner within us.”
On March 12, sisters Jocelyn Moore Gailliot ’99 and Madeline Moore Grayson ’05 served as homilists, expounding on the core value of excellence. They were joined by Jeni Hansen ’96, Black Alumnae Association Chair and Alumnae Advisory Group Member, and Casey Orr Whitman ’02, 125th Committee Alumna Representative and Alumnae Advisory Group Member, who served as readers.
Gailliot and Grayson shared their journey of joining with their friend September Votta in 2012 to found Tuckernuck, a fashion business that now has 150 employees and serves millions of customers globally. With headquarters and a flagship store in Washington, DC, and a store on New York’s Madison Avenue set to open, Tuckernuck is primarily an online boutique that sells 300 brands, including its own labels.
Inspiring students with their entrepreneurial spirit and focus on giving back, the sisters described excellence as “a mindset”—a commitment to being the best version of yourself and constantly striving to improve. Jocelyn credited NCS with being pivotal in
building the sisters’ confidence to “dream boldly, face challenges, and achieve success.” NCS instilled other important lessons: details matter, setbacks can be opportunities, and learning is not only about knowledge but also “the nerdy excitement for problem solving.”
The sisters described excellence as “a mindset”— a commitment to being the best version of yourself and constantly striving to improve.
Madeline discussed the power of optimism, noting that both fun and humor have an important role to play. Both sisters acknowledged that joy, excitement, and hard work are at the center of their approach. They recalled their time at NCS as providing an excellent model, as they found that they were at their most productive when they were having fun on the Close.
With nine young children between the two sisters, they noted that they both lead “beautifully messy lives,” but ones where a mindset of excellence—in the form of hard work, humor, and the power of community— has guided them.
The breadth and depth of student talent in the performing and visual arts were showcased on the Close this spring. Middle School presented Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, while Upper School students entertained audiences with the Dance Gala, the musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and the student-directed One-Acts Festival. Musicians in each division presented a Spring Festival Concert, while the school-wide Art Show filled the halls with beautiful works in a variety of media.
M14, 2025
ore than 280 alumnae gathered on the Close for Reunions for Classes ending in 0s and 5s and 125th anniversary celebrations for all alumnae.
Special events included a Toast to 125, held at the newly renovated Virginia Mae Center, formerly known as The College of Preachers, an archival presentation of NCS’s First 125 years by former faculty member and archivist Elna Clevenger, as well as a Legacy Picnic that honored multi-generational NCS families.
The weekend also featured beloved reunion traditions, including the 31st annual Kente Cloth Ceremony, the 28th annual NCS-STA BBQ, the Alumnae Awards Luncheon, and the Alumnae Association Induction Luncheon, honoring the Class of 2025.
Plans are already underway for next year’s Reunions, to be held on April 30–May 3, 2026, for classes ending in 1s and 6s. Mark your calendar now. We hope to see you back on the Close!
Scan the QR code to see video highlights from the Weekend!
Head of School Elinor Scully honored selected alumnae for their achievements and commitment to NCS at the annual Alumnae Awards Luncheon. The awards are centered on NCS’s core values of excellence, service, courage, and conscience. One additional award, the Bettie Warner Thompson ’46 Lifetime Achievement Award, was bestowed for lifelong support, loyalty, and commitment to NCS. It is the highest honor an NCS alumna can receive.
The Bettie Warner Thompson ’46 Lifetime Achievement Award— Betsy Christenberry Holleman Burke ’60, P ’98, GP ’20, ’25, ’26
Betsy’s commitment to NCS is lifelong and multi-faceted. An accomplished poet, she is an enthusiastic and dedicated NCS volunteer and has served on the Class of 1960 Reunion Committee several times, including this year. Through her role as Class Agent, she inspires her classmates, fostering philanthropic support and deepening alumnae engagement. She is a member of NCS’s most distinguished philanthropic circles: the 1900 Society, Satterlee Society, and Cornerstone Society. It is fitting that Betsy, with her multiple roles at and decades of service to NCS, is the recipient of this highest alumna honor.
Excellence Award—Caroline Krass ’85
Gillian began her military career upon graduation from West Point in 1989, serving multiple combat tours, humanitarian missions, and deployments during 20 years of active duty as a Military Police (MP) officer. Gillian’s most notable military awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal with Valor device, and the Bronze Star Medal. In addition, she’s a recipient of the Order of the Marechaussee, the highest honor bestowed upon an MP professional due to its strict criteria and nomination from one's peers. She retired from the military with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Conscience Award—Holly K. Tabor ’90
Caroline currently serves as Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Hilton and has built her impressive career as a General Counsel and other leading roles at major organizations in both the public and private sectors. She recently was the General Counsel at the Department of Defense, where she served as the chief legal officer for the Department’s 14,000 attorneys and principal legal advisor to the Secretary of Defense. In recognition of her significant achievements, she has received numerous awards for her contributions to national security while in public service.
Holly is the Director of the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics. She is Professor of Medicine at Stanford University (by courtesy of Pediatrics and Epidemiology and Population Health). She is also CoChair of the Ethics Committees at Stanford Hospital and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. Throughout her career, she has focused on centering the perspectives and voices of underrepresented and vulnerable people, especially those with disabilities, and working to make meaningful change that can positively impact their lives.
Hollerith-Ouverson Award
Over the years PC has strived to share her time, talents, and treasures in support of her school and church communities. For many years, she has been a generous and involved member of the NCS community, serving on the Governing Board and various iterations of Alumnae Association leadership. She was instrumental in forming the Black Alumnae Association. In addition to her dedication to NCS, PC has been an active supporter and volunteer at Princeton University, Yale School of Management, and local Baptist churches.
This award, given to the Class with the highest percentage participation in the Purple & Gold Fund, was bestowed on the 50th Reunion Class (1975), with 43% participation as of May 3, 2025.
Board of Visitors Trophy
This award, given to the Class that raises the most dollars for NCS comprehensively (e.g., Purple & Gold Fund, endowment), was won by the 25th Reunion Class (2000), as of May 3, 2025.
For more information on the careers and achievements of these incredible alumnae award winners, please scan the QR code or visit ncs.org/alumnae/reunion/alumnae-awards
At the end of the 2024–2025 school year, six long-tenured faculty and staff members said goodbye to NCS, leaving the Close to enjoy well-earned retirements: Chuck Bowers, Associate Choral Director; Pedro Martinez, Director of Buildings and Grounds; Darcey O’Malley, Upper School French teacher; Rita Rajen, Middle School Social Sciences teacher; Shari Thomas, NCS School Store Manager; and Martin Yancey, Director of Information Technology.
While none of these dedicated professionals started their careers at NCS, each stayed here for many years, building community with colleagues and students. In interviews, each cited their connections with students as the best part of their job and the thing they would most miss.
Their areas of focus varied widely. Each made their mark at NCS, bringing experience, expertise, and energy to their roles. The NCS community wishes them well in their future chapters; they will be missed.
Chuck Bowers
Associate
Choral Director
After 18 years, Associate Choral Director Chuck Bowers is retiring at the end of the 2024-2025 school year. He currently is the Director of St. Albans Forms I & II Chorus while regularly collaborating with the NCS Middle School
Chorus, and he is Associate Choral Director of the NCS/STA Upper School Chorale.
During his time on the Close, Chuck has twice been the interim Director of Choral Music at NCS/STA, and has overseen the administrative and business aspects of the music department.
Every year (excluding two years during the pandemic) Chuck was deeply involved in the planning of 16 Upper School Chorale trips to such places as Boston (twice), Charleston (twice), Savannah, Charlotte, NYC, Chicago (twice), Philadelphia-Princeton, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Francisco, South Africa, Chile, Argentina, and Montreal. He says, “Everywhere we went, we would do joint concerts with other high school and church choirs. We made some incredible music in amazing places, and students made a lot of lasting connections.”
Chuck came to the Close in 2006, interviewing with now Head of School Elinor Scully who then served as Upper School Head. He has been part of a robust and excellent coordinate music program. Upper School Spanish teacher Tamara Riquelme-Manzoni appreciates Chuck’s stewardship of the NCS and STA singers. Both of her children, Camila ’15, and Martin STA ’20 sang with the Chorale and the Madrigal Singers. She says, “Singing was a pillar of their years on the Close, a constant. Mr. Bowers made sure they gave their best selves to singing, and that the light always shone brightly on them, instead of on him.”
“I always tell the musicians, ‘Never take for granted this amazing space where you are so privileged to worship and perform.’”
–Chuck Bowers
While teaching singing has been Chuck’s main profession, he has also sung professionally with many local groups, including performing many years with the Washington National Cathedral choir and the Washington National Opera Chorus. His most memorable experiences as a teacher at NCS and STA have been making beautiful music in the Cathedral with so many of our talented, musical students.
When Chuck leaves the Close in June, he will move to a new home in Palm Springs, California, that he and his husband, whom he married in March, recently purchased. He is excited for a new phase and a new coast, but will miss many aspects of life on the Close, including proximity to the Cathedral. As a long-time St. Albans dorm master residing in the historic Lane-Johnston building, Chuck
enjoyed a view of the Cathedral framed by the window in his dorm apartment.
His appreciation of the building–one he tried to impart to his students–never wavered. He says, “I always tell the musicians, ‘You’re going to go away to college and, if you continue to sing, you're going to discover that your performance space is some auditorium somewhere, not a beautiful Cathedral. Never take for granted this amazing space where you are so privileged to worship and perform.’”
Pedro Martinez Director of Buildings and Grounds
In leaving after 32 years as Director of Buildings and Grounds at NCS, Pedro Martinez knows he will miss many aspects of the role. He mentions, “The beautiful buildings, the scenery–coming to work every day on the Close is unique.”
Mostly, Pedro will miss the community. He says, “NCS is like a second home. I’ve seen a few generations of students come through here. When they come back, it’s so gratifying that you made a little difference in their lives by providing them with a great place to learn.”
Indeed, his goals throughout his tenure have been to provide an exceptional and safe environment where everyone–students, faculty, and staff–can feel comfortable and are able to do what they do best. He says, “I’ve had the honor and the privilege to work with such great faculty, staff, heads of school, board members,
and different committees. I’ve seen a steady pulse–a love for this place from everybody. That shows in the support I’ve been given to keep these buildings in the strong state that they’re in now.”
A favorite project was the building of the Athletic Center. He says, “It was pretty amazing” to oversee part of the construction of the unique, mostly subterranean facility. He also led the effort to convert Woodley North to geothermal heating and cooling and, most recently, a three-part effort to update the HVAC system in Hearst Hall.
In retirement, Pedro plans to travel and spend more time with his family. But he knows that after so many years, he will keep up his connection with NCS. He says, “You can never say goodbye to a place like this.”
Darcey O'Malley
Upper School French Teacher Commencement in June marked a new phase for the Class of 2025 and also a new beginning for French teacher Darcey O’Malley. She left NCS in June after 27 years not to retire but, in her words, “to explore opportunities to continue growing, contributing, and discovering in fresh ways.”
“I've
seen a few generations of students come through here. When they come back, it's so gratifying that you made a difference in their lives by providing them a great place to learn.”
–Pedro Martinez
In addition to receiving support, Pedro has given it. Carly Redrow, Facilities and Events Coordinator, appreciates Pedro’s experience and willingness to impart what he knows. She says, “Pedro saw my eagerness to learn and wasted no time taking me under his wing to share his wealth of knowledge.”
Pedro first came to NCS as a contractor. He was an area manager with Marriott, a position that entailed a lot of travel, which eventually was too much. Working full-time at NCS presented a new set of challenges. He recalls that one of his first projects in 1995 was to re-carpet the library, in what is now Scott Hall. The initiative required working with the librarian to catalog and move every single book and bookshelf.
Since that first project, Pedro has led renovations of all campus buildings. While he wishes for every project to go smoothly, he has enjoyed unexpected challenges that “keep the job very interesting.” He says, “In a historic building like Hearst, you always find surprises: the piping can be not what you expect, or access to a particular system can be difficult.”
Darcey was born in Washington, DC, but spent her high school and early college years in France. It was when she had returned to the United States and was taking graduate courses at Georgetown that she spied a notice on a bulletin board. Stone Ridge School was looking for a Middle School French teacher. On a whim, Darcey applied and got the job.
She loved the work, but in 1998 reached out to NCS to see about making a change. Darcey was hired to teach Middle School French and also taught Lower School French classes for several years. One year, she was asked to teach a French 5 class in Upper School. She loved the “give and take” with her students, many of whom she had taught years earlier when they were Middle Schoolers. Darcey moved to the Upper School full-time eight years ago and has now taught French in every NCS grade, with the exception of Sixth.
“I often encourage my students to follow their passions and take risks—to trust that meaningful growth often begins outside their comfort zones.”
–Darcy O'Malley
The French 5 elective, a discussion-based class, has been a favorite of hers to teach. The focus in this class is less on grammar and vocabulary and more on the culture and language of the Francophone world through films. Darcey says, “French 5 is a fun way for students to cap their French studies.”
Darcy’s long-time colleague, Spanish teacher Nilda Villalta, says, “Her lively and courageous spirit has enriched the life of our community. She created a rich learning environment where students thrived, opening her classroom to all students, always looking for ways to connect with them. Over the years, Darcey has taught us all about resilience, openmindedness, and the willingness to continue learning and growing.”
Working at NCS has provided many exciting opportunities and moments. Darcey recalls chaperoning students on a visit with then Senator Barack Obama in his Capitol Hill office. In the Cathedral, she has heard addresses from leaders including the Dalai Lama and Madeleine Albright.
In addition to these special experiences, Darcey will miss learning from her students. She says, “I don’t even think we realize how much they change us, the impact they have on us.” At a school like NCS, Darcey notes that every student has a passion for something, what she calls, “a spark in all of them.”
As she heads toward a new phase, Darcey notes the similarities with her students’ journeys. She says, “I often encourage my students to follow their passions and take risks–to trust that meaningful growth often begins outside their comfort zones. Now, I’m taking my own advice.”
Rita Rajen is ready to shift from teaching history to recording her own. After 47 years in the classroom, including 20 years teaching at NCS, she will retire and complete her memoir, chronicling a journey from her youth in different locations in India, to Kuwait, where she moved with her husband in 1977, gave birth to their two children, and taught geography at a local high school.
While on a vacation with her family at the Grand Canyon in 1990, Rita learned that Iraq had invaded Kuwait, setting off the Gulf War. The family was stranded, unable to return to their home or access their possessions or savings. They moved in with Rita’s sister in Pittsburgh and built a new life. Rita taught at Sewickley Academy for 12 years. From there, the Rajens made their way to the Washington, DC area.
Rita began teaching history at NCS in 2005, moving to 7th Grade in 2007. She has a particular appreciation for Grade 7 classrooms. She says, “There’s something about their curiosity and their joy of learning.” Her classroom has its own set of rules, always
“If you are laughing, I should be laughing twice as hard.”
–Rita Rajen
“Students come in, get snacks, and have a place to talk.”
–Shari Thomas
enforced with warmth and humor, naturally tailored to Middle School sensibilities. Rita’s classroom is her castle, one she has decorated with a collection of more than 200 snow globes, some of which she purchased in her travels and many gifts from her beloved students. Another rule that Rita applies in her classroom: the students cannot have more fun than she is having. Rita says, “If you are laughing, I should be laughing twice as hard.”
NCS has provided many opportunities and much support to Rita. She enjoyed a sabbatical two years ago and has taken advantage of many professional development opportunities over the years. She has been allowed to shape aspects of the curriculum, delivering knowledge in creative ways. She teaches about feudalism in the Middle Ages by apportioning Jolly Rancher candies to students who play the roles of serfs, lords, and a king. The reality of the social hierarchy hits hard when serfs have to give five of their six candies to their lord. The lords aren’t happy either when they have to pay taxes to the king!
David Sahr, Rita’s long-time colleague and across-the-hall neighbor in Woodley North, says, “Rita blends compassion with authority better than any teacher I’ve known. Each year she works with students coming from Sixth Grade, helping them succeed in Middle School. They remember her rules for success and ideas for staying organized for many years. She not only teaches medieval history; she imparts skills for life.”
When Rita leaves her classroom, she plans to bring only a very few items with her. While she has treasured her snowglobes and the memories they evoke–she will leave them in her classroom. As she leaves NCS to reflect on and write about her unique story, she says, “I don’t need a lot of globes. It’s only one world.”
Shari Thomas Manager of the NCS School Store
In 1997, Shari Thomas was living in her home state of Massachusetts when a friend told her about a position at a greenhouse that was on the Close at that time. Shari had greenhouse experience and had grown plants her entire life. She was hired and moved to Washington, DC.
After years at the Cathedral greenhouse, Shari worked in the Beauvoir Head of School’s office and with its development team. She also pursued opportunities with a landscape architect off the Close for several years.
Nine years ago she returned to the Close, becoming the Manager of the NCS School Store, a position from which she will retire at the end of the year. Retirement will provide more time for volunteering at organizations including PETS-DC, Food For Friends, and the Center for Disabled and Homeless Children and Adults in Vietnam.
Shari will miss her interactions with students. She notes that many have used the Store as a haven. “Students come in, get snacks, and have a place to talk,” she says. Staff Accountant Becky Segall worked closely with Shari for many years and confirms her contributions to the entire community. She says, “Shari created a wonderful and welcoming atmosphere in the Store, working with teachers on textbooks/ supplies and departments on special orders for events, all while ensuring M&Ms, drinks, and fun NCS items were always available to students.”
As Store Manager, Shari has overseen the merchandise selection and ordering. She has also been responsible for coordinating the ordering and distribution of all academic books.
Over the years, she has seen tastes and buying habits shift. One thing she has noticed since the pandemic is that students don’t purchase as many traditional school supplies like binders and notebooks, relying more on digital information-gathering and note-taking.
One thing that hasn’t changed? Asked to name the most popular item in the store, Shari doesn’t hesitate: “Sweatpants!”
Martin Yancey Director of Information Technology
Martin Yancey’s career is marked by roles where he has taken on increasing responsibilities and management opportunities, all while maintaining a hands-on approach.
Martin spent 20 years rising through the ranks of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), eventually overseeing IT management, personnel, and budget operations for a 500-person organization of judges, attorneys, and support staff. He remembers when the first PC came through the door and he hooked it up to a mainframe computer. He quickly became the expert on PCs, at a time when they were mainly used for word processing.
In 2009, Martin began to consider other job opportunities. He had started a graduate degree in education earlier in his career and
had always enjoyed working with kids. When a friend mentioned the possibility of working in a school, he was intrigued. NCS’s then Head of School Kathy Jamieson was looking for a Director of Technology and hired Martin. The job held a lot of appeal, because he says, “I wanted to be a manager and also get my hands back in the IT weeds.”
Over his years at NCS, Martin has added additional roles. He became a part of the senior Administrative Team and, a few years after that, added the role of co-head of the Crisis Management Team, along with Athletic Director Heather Dent.
Martin has seen many technology changes in 16 years. When he started, IT mainly consisted of a computer lab with rows of PCs. He has overseen the evolution to iPads, and now to Chromebooks for Lower and Middle School. Upper School students use their own devices, to prepare them for college where there might not be an IT Department available on demand.
At one point, Martin's former colleagues tried to recruit him back to the VA. His response? “No!” He enjoyed too many aspects of his role at NCS to consider leaving. He elaborates, “I work in a beautiful place, with wonderful people.” He prizes the ability to help students and colleagues. “There’s a knock on your door and someone says, ‘Can you help me with this thing?’ You help them and they go off happy. There’s just a lot of value.”
Martin will miss how walking around campus has been integrated into his work. He has logged between three and five-and-a-half miles most days in his role. In retirement, Martin will focus on health and fitness. He plans to do some volunteering in his community, including with the Montgomery County Road Runners Club. Regular pickleball games are also on the agenda.
Lily Rowny, Information Technology Specialist, has worked with Martin for all of her nine years at NCS and values him as a supervisor and colleague. She says, “Martin has done a good job of applying a no-nonsense approach to evaluating new technologies.” On a personal note, she says, “Martin is a good listener. He believes in you and is quick to offer praise when you’ve gone the extra mile.”
“I wanted to be a manager and also get my hands back in the IT weeds.”
–Martin
Yancey
We believe in the power of young women.
Thank you for inviting me to speak on the 125th anniversary of National Cathedral School educating women. To be here in this spectacular place… the Washington National Cathedral! What an honor and what an opportunity for each of you as you take the next big step in your life.
Of all that I have done and learned through my own education, from friends and family, and by interviewing the most fascinating people in the world, this I know is true: the quality of your life is built on the quality of your relationships.
so inspired about the power of young women who are so fearless and confident.
I heard about Spirit Week—a different theme for each day. Celebrating spirit is what we need a lot more of… every single one of us! Your spirit is your community. Your spirit is what is going to sustain you through life. Your spirit is your lifeforce. Your spirit will give you fuel.
This is one of the closest classes of women in NCS history. That is why it makes saying goodbye so hard. But you are bonded forever—sisters who you can always rejoice with and rely on for the rest of your life.
I met with some of the student leaders to hear about what makes this Class unique. Here’s some of what they told me:
“We are a grade that approaches a problem with solutions ready.”
“We set high expectations for ourselves, our friendships, our relationships, our sports teams.”
I asked, “Why did you choose ‘Revolutionary’ for your senior word?” They said:
“We push against the boundaries, we have new ideas.”
“We believe we have agency and the power to improve something by doing something new.”
“One of our core values is courage, we are not afraid to put ourselves out there and be loud.”
This is the part where I put my head down and “pretended” I was furiously taking notes because what I really was doing was holding back tears, thinking I’ve never felt so proud and
It is no longer enough to just educate our girls. And we don’t need to empower them; they already have power. We have to allow them to be loud, and we have to help them use their spirit to lead and, yes, to rule the world.
The other thing I heard: “Revolutionary becomes subconscious.” That is so brilliant.
The subconscious influences your thoughts, feelings, and ideas. It shapes much of your daily behavior and reactions. Thoughts become things, and to me it means that by choosing Revolutionary, each of you has chosen to write your legacy into the history books.
Being a Revolutionary is not easy. It means being a warrior ready for the fight and remembering what you are fighting for. It means standing up for what is right and never giving up. It also means using your voice, your power, and always supporting your sisters.
Be courageous and remember courage grows stronger with community.
Revolutionaries don’t just dream big. They build big. Because they are smart, strong, loud, and have sisters that help them succeed.
So my message to each of you is never forget your spirit, to believe in it, your undeniable superpower. Remember that Eagles always soar, and to spread your wings and shine your light!
Zaara Hussain Ahmed
Alicia Josephine Apigian
True Ashby Bartos
Margot Benelli
Erica Boccuti Berube
Eve Olivia Bowker*
Asher Stewart Boynton
Julia Hong Anh Bui
Asia Marina Teo Burka
Ellyce Gomez Butuyan
Annabella Victoria Calemine
Katharine Adelaide Carter*
Brooke Catherine Chappell
Ava A Cleary*
Layla Rose Crist
Camryn Ashleigh D'Abreu-Carr
Eleanor Margaret Denney
Lauren Nicole Ditta
Molly Hope Doster
Brittany Alexis Engel*
Antonia Escudero
Paris-Annie Tabenyang Etchu
Jane Carolyn Evans
Willa Blackburne Felgenhauer
Grayson Belle Gaynor
Juliana Valentina Gomez
Hannah Grace Gormley
Tori Longena Graham
Abigail Quin Gianinno Granowitter
Ani Anna Grigorian
Samantha Lourdes Hermoza Ma
Charlene Kyungeun Hong
Duchess Elizabeth Jackson
Ava Sierra Johnson
Lydia Bess Kestnbaum-Cook
Katherine Bess Maria Kline
Anna Schou Knight
Melina Reed Krichevsky*
Neharika Mani Kumar
Sophia Lily Kurtzig
Madeline Kathleen Lamoureux
Caroline Shaw Lee*
Daphne Grace White Lewis*
Catherine Joanne Lynn
Olivia Ursula Maaia
Charlotte Moe Macpherson*
Lucille Madan
Rhea Anna Maran
Clara Whittier Miner
Georgia Grace Minor*
Mallika Reddy Mukherjee
Parker Dare Musslewhite*
Chloe Mai Nguyen
Sarah Wilcox Pan
Evelyn Rae Penhoet
Kelsea Adair Leamy Persinger*
Katherine Lyn Pinto*
Nora Lucy Porter
Anamarie Grace Pouch*
Taylor Renee Jordan Prescott
Meredith Lindley Puryear*
Yasmin Zangari Rabah
Nuria Revilla
Coreah Lyn Rollins
Nour Leily Saleh
Findley Lorelei Schaeffer
Seldon Lhamo Sharchok
Elham Yasin Shure
Malia Yasmine Smith
Jordan EvaGrace Speight
Emma Louise Stifel
Maya Noelle Hunter Sturdivant
Hermela Fekadu Tadege
Lindsay Culzean Taylor
Grace O'Donnell Tracy
Merve Selin Uyumazturk
Ryan Sophia Walker
Caroline Helen Walsh*
Julia Xin-Yue Wang*
Annabelle Stecia Wick
Audrey Wu*
Margaret Tinsley Yingling
*Cum Laude Scholars
Allegheny College
American University
Amherst College
Arizona State University (Downtown Phoenix)
Arizona State University (Tempe)
Auburn University
Bard College
Bates College
Binghamton University
Boston College
Boston University
Bowdoin College
Brandeis University
Brown University
Bucknell University
California Polytechnic State University (San Luis Obispo)
Case Western Reserve University
Clark University
Clemson University
Colby College
Colgate University
College of Charleston
Columbia University
Connecticut College
Cornell University
Davidson College
Denison University
Dickinson College
Drexel University
Duke University
Duquesne University
Eckerd College
Elon University
Emory University
Fairfield University
Fordham University
Franklin & Marshall College
George Washington University
Georgetown University
Goucher College
Grinnell College
Hamilton College
Harvard University
Haverford College
High Point University
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Hofstra University
Indiana University (Bloomington)
Ithaca College
Kenyon College
Lafayette College
Lehigh University
Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Maryland
Macalester College
Maryland Institute College of Art
McGill University
Miami University (Oxford)
Montana State University
New York University
North Carolina State University
Northeastern University
Northwestern University
Oberlin College
Occidental College
Ohio Wesleyan University
Penn State University (Harrisburg)
Penn State University (University Park)
Pratt Institute
Princeton University
Purdue University (Main Campus)
Queen's University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rice University
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rutgers University (New Brunswick)
Santa Clara University
Sarah Lawrence College
Savannah College of Art and Design
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
School of Visual Arts
Scripps College
Skidmore College
Southern Methodist University
College Name
Spelman College
St. John's University
St. Lawrence University
Stony Brook University
Suffolk University
Swarthmore College
Syracuse University
Temple University
Texas Christian University
The College of Wooster
The University of Edinburgh
The University of Tampa
The University of Tennessee (Knoxville)
Toronto Metropolitan University
Towson University
Trinity College
Tufts University
Tulane University of Louisiana
Union College
University College Dublin
University of British Columbia
University of California (Davis)
University of California (Los Angeles)
University of California (San Diego)
University of California (Santa Barbara)
University of California (Santa Cruz)
University of Chicago
University of Colorado Boulder
University of Connecticut
University of Delaware
University of Denver
University of Georgia
University of Glasgow
University of Hawaii at Manoa
University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Kentucky
University of Leeds
University of Maryland (Baltimore County)
University of Maryland (College Park)
University of Massachusetts (Boston)
University of Michigan
University of New Hampshire (Main Campus)
College Name
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of Notre Dame
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh (Johnstown)
University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh)
University of Richmond
University of Rochester
University of South Carolina
University of South Florida (Main Campus)
University of Southern California
University of St Andrews
University of Toronto
University of Vermont
University of Virginia (Main Campus)
University of Washington (Seattle Campus)
University of Wisconsin (Madison)
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Wake Forest University
Washington and Lee University
Wellesley College
Wesleyan University
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
West Virginia University
Western New England University
William & Mary
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Yale University
York University
“If there’s anything our time here has taught us, it’s that we don’t have to be fearless to be revolutionary. We just have to keep moving, keep questioning, and keep showing up for each other and ourselves.”
Excerpts from Ellyce Butuyan's ’25 Flag Day Remarks
Hi everyone. It feels wrong to start my speech today without first thanking the amazing family members here supporting us, our faculty, and staff, and of course the revolutionary class of 2025.
I found the oldest video on my phone. It's of me in 2012 crying because I was scared of sleeping in my own room and wanted to stay with my mom. My dad’s “innovative” attempt at calming me down was to say “You’re scared? That means you can’t go to the big school.” My prekindergarten self, immediately responded with a passionate “NOO,” and then resumed her crying.
It was paradoxical. I was ready to transition to the joy of kindergarten, but not ready to leave the comfort of my mom’s room. Looking back, I realize how closely joy and fear often travel together during transitions. I think that tension—between clinging to what’s familiar and reaching for what’s next—has followed me through every big shift.
There are multiple ways to define a revolution. But today, I am only going to focus on two: the first being the completion of a course (as of years) and the second being a sudden, radical, or complete change.
We have made a full rotation together, and now we’re standing at a point we used to talk about as freshmen. The faces we see today as we look out into our community before us are the faces that have given us the push and support to complete our course: the ones that encourage us to take that new elective, to try that new club or activity, and to push ourselves to be revolutionaries: Revolutionaries who cheer the loudest for each other when we break an athletic record, win an award, or showcase our artistic and musical talents. But most importantly, revolutionaries who are there for each other when it matters.
With the completion of a course, inherently comes the second definition of a revolution: sudden, radical, or complete change. We have changed NCS, but NCS has also changed us. As a class, we have left our mark, in the relationships we’ve fostered, in the new student organizations we’ve formed, and in the new traditions and events we’ve planned. Get ready, because I’m going to name a few: Ring Sisters, the Affinity Group Potluck, stole ceremonies, art newsletters, new a cappella groups, Sticker Day with younger students, decorating doors for Teacher Appreciation, new affinity groups, chapel scripts— everywhere I look, I see ALL of us reflected in the community we’ve built. We have used our words, our voices, to shape the atmosphere around us.
Being scared never meant I wasn’t ready. It just meant I cared enough about what came next to feel its weight.
Fear, in its strangest form, is proof of investment. It’s the quiet acknowledgment that something matters—enough to make us hesitate or second-guess. In this community though, care has always spoken louder. We’ve feared, yes, but never in isolation. And as a class, really, as a school, we are surrounded by people who care. Every time we felt scared, we found ways to move forward anyway; to move forward with joy.
So as we stand at the edge of whatever comes next, I know that fear will show up again. But now, I also know it’s another part of the process—a sign that we’re about to do something that matters.
If there’s anything our time here has taught us, it’s that we don’t have to be fearless to be revolutionary. We just have to keep moving, keep questioning, and keep showing up for each other and ourselves.
English Prize
Julia Wang ’25
Joye Pregnall Creative Writing Award
Mallika Mukherjee ’25
Science Award
Daphne Lewis ’25
Virginia K. Robertson Award for Distinction in Mathematics
Ana Pouch ’25
Computer Science Award
Ella Mandernach ’25
Martha Sharma Geography Achievement Award
Layla Crist ’25
Elizabeth Fry Award
Katherine Kline ’25
Social Sciences Award
Ava Johnson ’25
French Award
Nour Saleh ’25
Spanish Award
Asher Boynton ’25
Chinese Award
Findley Schaeffer ’25
Laub-Novak Award
Parker Musslewhite ’25
Religious Studies Award
Brittany Engel ’25
Art Prize
Julia Wang ’25
Gwendolyn B. Coney Award for Excellence in Theater
Asia Burka ’25
Jane Emily Clymer ’83 Award in Drama
Anna Doyle ’27
Dance Award
Asia Burka ’25
Instrumental Music Award
Georgia Minor ’25
Choral Music Award
Hannah Gormley ’25
Mount St. Alban Award
Mallika Mukherjee ’25
Cathedral Medal
Camryn D’Abreu-Carr ’25
Bruce Neswick Medal
Charlotte Eastwick ’28
Flag Winners
Caroline Lee ’25
Daphne Lewis ’25
Julia Wang ’25
Runner-Up Cup
Eliana Moseley ’27
High Point Cup
Alicia Apigian ’25
John Templeton Kraus Memorial Prize
Katharine “Addie” Carter ’25
Chester Community Service Award
Evelyn Penhoet ’25
Joshua Evans, Jr. Memorial Award
Camryn D’Abreu-Carr ’25
Sylvia Thompson Memorial Award
Layla Crist ’25
Nancy Needham Goodrich Award
Emma Jones ’27
Geraldine Wharry Faculty
Leadership Award
Yasmin Rabah ’25
Helen Harker Albi 1925 Award
Ava Johnson ’25
Bishop's Scholar
Ellyce Butuyan ’25
Head of School's Award
Clara Miner ’25
John S. Wood “Great Cities” Teaching Fellowship
Deborah Virtue
The Winning Team GOLD!
The NCS Alumnae Office welcomes submissions to Class Notes year-round; all submissions are subject to editing for clarity and brevity. Those who submit notes are responsible for the accuracy of the information provided. The views expressed are those of alumnae alone.
Due to space restrictions, we are unable to publish all the photos we receive. We do not publish news of engagements or pregnancies, opting instead to share the joyful news of weddings and births. Thank you for your understanding.
Interested in volunteering? Please contact Chloe Cogo, Director of Alumnae Engagement, at ccogo@ncs.org or (202) 537-6359.
Class Representatives
In the past, the primary responsibility of Class Representatives has been to collect Class Notes for NCS Magazine. Over time, the role has evolved into a more comprehensive class liaison position. Our Representatives keep their fellow Classmates connected to one another and with all that is going on at the school.
Class Agents
Class Agents serve as volunteers for the Purple & Gold Fund. At 8 percent of the school’s operating budget, the Purple & Gold Fund remains NCS’s top fundraising priority each year. Agents are asked both to support the Fund themselves, as well as encourage classmate participation throughout the year.
Reunion Committee Members
Reunion Committee members work with the Alumnae Office on creating the Reunion Weekend schedule, promoting Reunion giving, helping to secure nominations for Alumnae Awards, and planning class events. Alumnae in Class years ending in 1s and 6s: interested in serving on the 2026 Reunion Committee? Please reach out to Alumnae Engagement and Annual Giving Manager Sophie Searby ’19 at ssearby@ncs.org.
Nearly 50 percent of NCS alumnae live outside of the Greater Washington, D.C. region, making the work of our Regional Ambassadors vital to ensuring our NCS alumnae community remains engaged with the school and with one another. These volunteers serve as school ambassadors for their respective cities or regions, hosting events, connecting alumnae, and more.
1946
Class Rep R esentative
Jean Frantz Blackall JFBinVA@gmail.com
Class a gent n eeded
1947
Class Rep R esentative & a gent n eeded
1948
Class Rep R esentative & a gent n eeded
1949
Class Rep R esentative Parkie Adams Blaylock parkieb@aol.com
Class a gent n eeded
Betsy Silver Alexander: My granddaughter who has been living with me for the past six years is moving out this summer to be closer to her job in San Francisco. At 92, I don’t feel comfortable living alone so I am moving to a lovely retirement home nearby. My daughter and son checked out several and we ate lunch at two of them. I’m moving to the newest one which also has the best food. Now that the decision is made I’m really looking forward to it! Will send my new address later. My NCS sister Jessie Myers ’91 is taking care of my condo refreshments and the rental (polished corners forever)!!
1950
Class Rep R esentative Lee Thomas (On behalf of her deceased mother Patricia “Patou” DuBois McIsaac) clthomas@atlanticbb.net
Class a gent n eeded
In honor of our 125th Anniversary, the Alumnae Office has launched its first-ever census. This important initiative seeks to collect updated contact information, as well as career, family, and demographic details. This is more than a data collection effort—it’s a commitment to know each individual alumna better and our alumnae community as whole. Your participation will help shape how we connect, celebrate, and support one another in the years ahead.
All alumnae are invited, and encouraged, to participate. If you have not received an invitation to complete your peronalized census, please email alumnae@ncs.org. To learn more about the Alumnae Census visit NCS.org/125/alumnaecensus
1951
Class Rep R esentative
Molly Harris Leban mollyban@aol.com
Class a gent n eeded
Please join us April 30–May 3, 2026 for your 75th Reunion!
Jeanette Somers Quilhot: The news about the Purple and Gold teams in the last NCS Magazine was so enjoyable to read. I wanted to share that the captains of the 1950–51 teams are alive and well and remain close friends to this day!
Wilhelmina “Willie” Orme Holbrook, the 1951 Gold team captain, lives in Columbus, Ohio, and I, the 1951 Purple team captain, live in Roanoke, Indiana, just three hours from each other! We first met as freshmen in 1947, and we have reunions once or twice each year.
I am sending along a photo from our most recent reunion in March. (My son, John, Photoshopped the colors of our sweaters to show us in purple and gold!) It’s so nice to know that the spirited rivalry of the Purple and Gold teams lives on.
Class Rep R esentative & a gent n eeded
1953
Class Rep R esentative
Shirley Shreve McCombe shirleymccombe@hotmail.com
Class a gent n eeded
Mary Mallon Nyman: I continue to participate in poetry and art classes and art/craft fairs. We published our annual literary journal at the college, and we raised funds for our library foundation. Except for a fall last December followed by a hospital and rehab stay during January and a UTI (not a stroke as initially diagnosed), I am recovering and way behind in everything. Bob is on a walker, but continues on Zoom with our state Pension Board and Plymouth County Teachers Organization. We just returned from sunny Florida!
Class Rep R esentative & a gent n eeded
Class Rep R esentative & a gent n eeded
Class Rep R esentatives
Stephanie Arterton Bartlett stephbart@comcast.net
Mogy Lucas Holmes margaret.l.holmes@gmail.com
Melissa MacKenzie melmack@vermontel.net
Class a gent
Jan Holderness Home: (202) 248-6398
Please join us April 30–May 3, 2026 for your 70th Reunion!
Marjorie “Margie” Bassila has two grandchildren attending college in the States, one at Southern Methodist University and one at Louisiana State University.
Sara Beth Schuyler Dilworth died in Sarasota, Florida, just before the 2024 Christmas holidays. Her sons, Sky and B.G., hosted “Beth’s Happy Hour Memorial” in her honor, as she had wanted, on March 1, 2025, at the Lido Beach Resort in Sarasota. Mogy Lucas Holmes and Nancy Cleaves Blaydes attended.
Mogy later wrote the following tribute to Beth: “Sara Beth Dilworth (née Schuyler), 86, passed away peacefully on October 8, 2024, in Bradenton, Florida. Born in Schenectady, New York, she was the beloved daughter of the late Philip and Mildred Schuyler of Cobleskill, NY and Sarasota, FL. Beth led a vibrant and adventurous life. She attended the National Cathedral School in Washington, D.C., and Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, and worked for American Airlines in New York City before marrying U.S. Air Force pilot Billy Dilworth. Their journey together took them to various Air Force bases
across Massachusetts, North Carolina, Alabama, Nebraska, and an Army Post in Germany, where she proudly picked up “restaurant German” during their time in Stuttgart. Though they later divorced, Beth remained a devoted mother to their two sons, B.G. and Sky, who survive her, along with her cherished grandchildren Jamie, Christine, Luke, and Saxon. She was preceded in death by her siblings, Pete and Ann Schuyler. Beth had a passion for life’s pleasures and simple joys—she was a sometime-bridge player, golfer, fisherwoman and boater, and could always be found with a romance novel nearby. A devoted fan of The Voice, she found delight in music and heartfelt stories. Animals held a special place in her heart, especially her beloved dogs and horses, although friends at NCS will know she was not fond of birds. In the 1980s, she owned and operated The Busy Bee consignment shop in Goldsboro, NC, where her eye for detail and warmth created a welcoming space for the community. Later in life, she gave back through volunteer work with the Sarasota Police Department and enjoyed the camaraderie of her memberships with the Moose Club and Elks Club. Beth’s wit, independent spirit, and generous heart will be deeply missed by all who knew her.”
Jane Andrews Hinds, following a trip to Africa, says her travelling days are over, thanks to a challenging back. She is enjoying her new residence at Well Springs Independent Living in Greensboro, NC.
Mogy Lucas Holmes, after recovering from knee replacement surgery, enjoyed a cruise around the British Isles with her brother, Arthur Lucas. Mogy often has lunch with Katty Davis Lefler, a fellow resident at Arbor Acres in WinstonSalem, and recently enjoyed lunch with Valerie Smith Kalmbach, Kathleen Michelson Connolly, and Nancy Cleaves Blaydes. Mogy still sings with the “Sharps and Flats!”
Valerie Smith Kalmbach, in Vero Beach, still plays a lot of bridge, but hesitates to travel frequently because of back issues.
Marina Pappas Zazanis spent the winter at her home in Vero Beach.
Class Rep R esentative & a gent n eeded
Mimi Lucas Fleming writes, “I am still working as a Senior Judge, and in my spare time I am learning to quilt. My first is a memory quilt for my granddaughter, Avary, made from her dresses when she was a toddler. The smocking at the neckline forms the flowers on the quilt. Not easy to do!”
Alice Huang shares, “I am happy to report that husband David Baltimore and I are still upright and able to travel
to see our progeny on the East Coast. We have signed up to move next year to Monte Cedro, an Episcopal Church Services continuing care facility here in Pasadena. We are blessed to enjoy the Mediterranean weather here during the winter months and have access to all the intellectual stimulation that Caltech offers. If we are lucky, Diane Scharfeld Isaacs drops by while visiting her son in L.A.”
Ellen Bishop Kimmel reports, “At 85 as a last hurrah I took a 105-day cruise on Cunard’s new Queen Anne around the world. With 54 fellow Road Scholars we stopped at 27 countries, many just above or just below the equator, to savor pieces of diverse cultures. When at sea we had excellent lectures from
four experts on topics such as the spice trade, international law, or tectonic plates. Even got in thousands of steps every day going from aft to fore, or on shore visiting various sites. We ended at Stonehenge where I was 70 years ago…it has gotten very organized since I ran around willy nilly. So, if you are searching for a great way to shake it up, this is one option. Happy travels.”
Class Rep R esentative
Penny Oberne Kamis KPKamis@gmail.com
Class a gent n eeded
Ginny Wells Adams writes, “I am still living in Ocean Ridge, FL, and singing
1. Jeanette Somers Quilhot ’51 and Wilhelmina Orme Holbrook ’51, 1951 Purple and Gold team captains. 2. Four generations: Great-grandmother Mogy Lucas Holmes ’56, daughter Courtney Holmes Douglas, granddaughter Margaret Douglas Mitchell, and great-granddaughter Mary Thomas Mitchell. 3. The quilt Mimi Lucas Fleming ’57 made for her granddaughter. 4. Carrie Lee Jacobs Henderson’s ’58 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. 5. Sherrill Stalker Cannon ’58 posing with her latest coloring book.
at Bethesda by the Sea. We have sung Dirksen’s Vineyard Haven and Innisfree Farm and Hilariter this year. I remember us singing them with him in our study hall at NCS! I love and miss you all.”
Sherry Stalker Cannon reports, “I’m alive, retired, and living with my husband of almost 65 years (how can this be?) and wondering when and how our country will survive Trump! (Meanwhile my surrogate daughter and her husband have been appointed Ambassador to Portugal by Trump). Unbelievable, but true!
This year was the first after having sold our RV, and consequently we spent a lot more time in cold PA than we had before! We decided that RVing in our mid 80’s was not particularly safe, nor as enjoyable as it used to be, but we really missed that warmth! We spent a month in CA and FL with our West Coast grands and families, returning to unwelcome cold and snow! Next year our CA grandson will be graduating high school in April, and we will travel to CA then! I have retired as a children’s author, with 120 awards which is gratifying: 10 books, five coloring books, two poetry books, and five children’s plays still active. Thanks NCS!”
Ivana Knezevich Davidson writes, “My sister Bitsa Knezevich Rini ’57 lives with me now. We have a lot of fun but miss so many people who are no longer with us. We were so sad to lose Karley Tollefson Meltzer who was a wonderful friend. Her mother bought my first pastel of a pink and purple ballerina. I was overwhelmed as a teenager that such an elegant lady would want something of mine! Such encouragement. She always had such lovely parties for the young people! No wonder Karley and Janie Tollefson Stewart ’63 were such great girls!”
Judy Young Flynn shares, “This is going to be a busy year for us. We headed to Ocean Reef with friends the first part of June then to Alaska (National Geographic) at the end of June. We’re off to Charleston to visit John’s brother the first part of July, then Hamilton, MA,
for our first grandchild’s engagement party, and on to Martha’s Vineyard where we have summered for years. In October, our granddaughter’s wedding in Missoula. Eighty-five is turning out to be great. Went to see Karley Tollefson Meltzer before she passed away last fall. What a beautiful person inside and out. I’ve talked to Daphne Dunn Goodyear and she’s well. We plan on getting together this winter in Florida. Ginny, maybe you could join us and we could have a mini reunion. And any one else in the Sunshine State.”
Carrie Lee Jacobs Henderson writes, “I am still in Stratford, CT. Andy and I bought a house in town last September away from the beach, and more convenient to everything. We are only 10 minutes from the beach, so we can go anytime. I am still practicing my profession three and a half days a week, marriage and family therapy. Andy is retiring from 42 years at Sikorsky in a couple of years, and we will do some traveling. I have been blessed with good health. I walk our four Cavalier Spaniels daily and do a lot of gardening. I see my sister, Brooksie Jacobs Harrison ’61, every few months in VT. She and her husband Ian are only two hours away. Very best to everyone.”
Mary Barr Johnson reports, “Peter and I had a lovely Easter with family, plus the weather in DC was fabulous. We are surrounded by blooming dogwood, azaleas, cherry trees, and an assortment of bulbs. The temperature was warm enough for us to spend time outdoors on our terrace; a real treat since the days have been cold throughout April. Our daughter Catherine Johnson ’95 will come East from Boulder, Colorado, in late April, to get a graduate degree in Artificial Intelligence for Professionals at the Whiting School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. She is a Senior Software Engineer at Google and graduated from NCS in 1995.
I talk with Sewell Freeman McLeod frequently. She and Roy have moved to Westminster Canterbury Richmond. She is missing her rose garden but feels they did the right thing in downsizing.”
Lata Sundaram Mayer writes that, “On a more ‘scholarly’ note, I have only recently understood a line in T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”: “I grow old, I grow old. I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.” I thought that was eccentric! But that is indeed what I have to do. I have lost 4 inches in height, which was never much to begin with as I was always one of those almost at the front of a whole school line up for any procession. It’s comforting to think that one’s education keeps coming back to wag its finger at you and say, ‘See! I told you this ages ago and you never paid any attention.’”
Mary Owens Naftzger reports, “This has been a pretty good year for my husband Bob and myself; no major illnesses, though serious hearing and vision problems for me. We’re in our 80’s, after all. One of my favorite activities is studying the wildflowers here along Lake Michigan in Chicago. The app that I love is called “Picture This” and identifies and gives lots of fascinating information about whatever plant you take a picture of. I almost got to NCS for Reunion Weekend and Flower Mart, but got ill. My granddaughter, 7-year-old Ayla (family lives in Falls Church) sings in the Children’s Chorus of Washington. They were invited to sing at Washington National Cathedral! What a great experience and how I loved the videos with their music and the towering arches and stained glass windows framing the children. What wonderful experiences we had there with Richard Dirksen and Paul Calloway. Best of wishes to all my classmates.”
Cindy Carveth Sawczyn shares, “I am doing well after a fall caused by one of our German Shepherds when I fractured my left shoulder. She is a 10-year-old rescue and had no training when she came to us. However, she has a lovely temperament although listening and learning commands are not her strong suit. Fortunately the ones we raised from puppyhood are better behaved. My good news is my cancer is still in remission thanks to my wonderful doctors. My husband and I aren’t
traveling as much as we did, and I had to cancel a much-awaited safari in South Africa because of the shoulder. I’m considering a trip to Rwanda to trek to see mountain gorillas but that depends on the shoulder healing. Old age leaves a bit to be desired! Our children are doing well and keep our guest rooms filled. We had 40 for our annual second Christmas in December that included new husbands, wives, and best of all babies.”
Nan Byrd Smith says, “Hi, everybody! I don’t have any exciting news to report but, hey, this is a chance to say Hi to everyone so I’m taking it!”
Cathi Whitaker Smith writes, “Hi. I am trying to keep in touch with classmates. I spent some time last fall with Sewell McLeod and Roy in Richmond. 2025 decided to challenge me. Had to re-side the house, replace the garage door, have a wisdom tooth extracted, and the car needed a new cylinder sensor. I don’t know if I am looking for a better second half of the year or to just start 2026 early. Keep in touch.”
Nancy Denny Solodar shares, “I recently retired from my outdoor education volunteer work at Missouri Botanical Garden site after 20 years. Now I have found new volunteer tutoring via Oasis, and I’m learning how to help beginning readers navigate the world of words. I also continue to volunteer at a local nature center promoting native plants for our St. Louis area.”
Elizabeth “Betsy” Hendry Vercoe reports, “We had upsetting news this winter when told that our beloved Maine cottage was flooded from burst pipes and is a near total loss. Jack had designed and built an addition to the main house plus a music studio for me and an architectural studio for him. (Only the main house is affected.) My son and I have spent four weekends salvaging what we can. On the last trip we enjoyed the hundreds of daffodils I have planted over the last 25 years. Neighbors have been wonderful, renewing our faith, at least a bit, in this
topsy turvy world. Hi to all. It’s fun to see the messages from you.”
Kit Herrlich Wahlert notes, “This spring I plan to go to NH. Sarah will be 50 and my grandson, Ben, returned from a school trip to France on May 1. I hope to come down in October.”
Judith Fox Watson writes, “I’m still vertical. I’ve been spending my retirement going to school and cooking in a restaurant. I am constantly amazed about the passage of time and where we find ourselves. My husband and I make an annual trek to Canada to visit with his family. Our children live in Texas, Missouri, and Illinois, so we get to visit with them from time to time. Hoping this finds everyone well and happy.”
Eve Cabaniss Webster shares, “Hi classmates, we are still living in Amherst, Massachusetts. We just returned from a family trip to France prompted by my 85th birthday and our five-year-old grandson’s vacation from kindergarten. It was lovely, thanks to our children who organized everything. We spent three days in Paris staying right by the Église Saint-Sulpice, where we attended mass Easter Sunday and the next day heard bells tolling for Pope Francis. Then went southward where I had lived for a year working with Algerian refugees in the 60s. We visited a Trappist Abbey, Aiguebelle, where we had gone in the 70s and 80s. The abbot took us around to the old sites. It was wonderful. I could go on…”
Class Rep R esentative & a gent n eeded
Ann Martin Lackner-Graybiel writes, “Hello to everyone. I miss you! My news is that I am still active in the lab, and still run a lab at MIT. I’m an Institute Professor, a great honor, and I am incredibly impressed with MIT and the way the Institute manages complex issues-- including those all around us now. Our work has come to focus on dopamine, the neurotransmitter that declines in Parkinson’s disease and that
is implicated in a number of other motor and also neuropsychiatric disorders. We are working hard with the goal of helping people. Outside of the lab, I am devoted to my husband, Jim, who is an amazing human being and the love of my life.”
Class Rep R esentative Marcia Yingling Schwuchow mdyingling@aol.com
Class a gent
Betsy Christenberry Holleman Burke betsyholleman@aol.com
Many thanks to our hard-working Reunion Committee chair Betsy Christenberry Hollman Burke for helping to make this year’s Reunion events such a success! Age seems to be making many of us less inclined to endure long flights, so few of us came to Reunion this time. I, Marcia Yingling Schwuchow, drove down from Pennsylvania on Friday of Reunion Weekend to attend the luncheon awarding NCS seniors their Alumnae Association pins, along with Betsy and Tina Morris Helm, who had come with Bill from NH. Lunch was held in our former study hall, which we remember as grey and dreary, now a beautiful light and airy space for assemblies and meals. I was excited to meet, sit with, and get to know the recipient of my class ring, Olivia Maaia ’25, and we were joined by two other seniors who had been in the Class of 2025 with Betsy’s granddaughter Pope Brown ’25
On Saturday, Tina, Betsy, and Kathy Krug Barron attended the service for deceased members of the Reunion classes, held in the School chapel. Betsy described it as, “a small affair but powerful as the NCS Chorale sang. Tina read the lesson and I read the names of our departed (which included our former classmate Reenie Black Prettyman). Each reader lit a candle at the conclusion to join a large candle. It was very moving.”
The memorial service was followed by the Alumnae Awards Luncheon, again
held in Hearst Hall Auditorium. Betsy declares that the four Awardees were “beyond impressive—especially Gillian “Gill” Schweitzer Boice ’85 who won for Courage—a graduate of West Point, career military, decorated soldier. Oh, my!” She was “stunned” to receive the Bettie Warner Thompson ’46 Lifetime Achievement Award and made a speech about our time as boarders and how our Class has traveled together since turning 60 in 2002, including our trips to Thailand, Portugal, France, and Bhutan. Betsy recounted that, “Most alumnae have no knowledge of the boarding department, so it was fun to share a few details. I mentioned that Miss Lee was whirling in her grave that I had won this award. Big laugh. I also spoke about my relationship to the School through my daughter Lillian “Lily” Holleman Leirness ’98, son Vernon Holleman III STA ’89 and granddaughters Schuyler Holleman ’20, Pope, and Charlotte Bear ’26. This was a tremendous honor, and I have enjoyed being your boots on the ground. Our time at NCS was transformational for me, and it has been a pleasure to give back in some small measure.”
On Saturday evening, Betsy hosted Tina, Kathy, Lois Everett Brown, and me at a lovely dinner at her home in Bethesda. Betsy remarked that she “loved this intimate catch-up, and that the weekend weather was stunning both days, the best possible spring in Washington.”
Coming to Reunion from Los Angeles, Kathy had taken a two-week trip to see old friends in Houston and Aransas Pass, Texas, and while in the DC area, she spent a day with Sue Dick Grigsby at the Great Falls of the Potomac. Back home in LA, Kathy declares her health is excellent, and that she still really enjoys living so near the beach.
Stephanie Rausenbush’s big news is her move from “an Edwardian house in Windsor Terrace in Brooklyn to a modern, all-white apartment building (on the inside, that is) at 20 Terrace Place #2H, Brooklyn, NY 11218. Just deconstructing my studio in the parlor floor of the house took about five
months. Now I have to figure out where all the paintings will hang. The large ones are up already, but the dozens of small ones need to be hung. My stepdaughter Anna Hayman will be here to help, and God willing, my house will be sold by June 2, 2025.”
I (Marcia) am happy to tell you that Heiner and I have FINALLY moved back to the US to a retirement community in my hometown in Pennsylvania. We leave fond memories of our years in our beloved windmill in Portugal, but are finding solace in the panoramic views from our cottage of the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains and Appalachian countryside, and are already making new friends in this very active and diverse community. We will really begin to feel settled once our furniture arrives. It’s been a long three months of living out of two suitcases and camping out in an empty cottage!
Class Rep R esentatives
Karen Swenson Loiseaux Karenloiseaux@Yahoo.com
Gaye Roddis McGovern tygre@erols.com
Sarah Stuart McIlvain ssmcilvain@gmail.com
Susie Lewis Wilbanks wilbanksdorothy@yahoo.com
Class a gent n eeded
Please join us April 30–May 3, 2026 for your 65th Reunion!
Judy Davis Baer sent me (Susie) a note saying she is going to take a trip to Africa. She said she’s doing it while she still can! She’s very excited about it! She also wished me a Happy Mother’s Day!
Jane Lemon Daly is still busy working as a Real Estate Agent with Remax in Richmond, Virginia. She’s noticed that the real estate market has definitely slowed down. She is trying to get an appointment to get a retainer for her bottom jaw to help with the sleep problem she’s had for a while. She said she watched the funeral Cathedral
Service for President Carter and it reminded her of the majesty of Washington National Cathedral that we all got to experience as NCS students! We both agreed that we tire easily now and that naps are important!
Diana Simpson Kiker and her husband moved to Mexico to a colonial town in the mountains above Mexico City called San Miguel Allende. She says that learning Spanish was difficult, but that they are happy there!
Alice Tulley Lively says she and Roy are doing well now but Roy has had some heart issues. They are planning to go to Virginia for a family visit. Her sister Trudy is 95 years old and still lives in her home in Maryland. Her brother Bill is 91, and her sister Mary is 93. Alice went to the Opera House at Rice University to see The Ghost of Versailles. It had a lot of references to Mozart and she enjoyed the evening very much! She called what is happening with Trump the “Theaters of the Absurd.” The day I talked to her was her son’s 50th birthday!
Karen Swenson Loiseaux has had health problems this year. She is very proud to announce that her twin grandsons graduated from college this spring. Kent graduated from the University of Minnesota on May 15 with a degree in Architecture and will study further in England. Kai graduated on May 18 from the University of Minnesota with a degree in Marketing. They celebrated their 23rd birthday on May 17, so it was a busy few days. Also, it’s Karen’s birthday, too!
Elvira Mannelly fell on her shoulder earlier this year and somehow broke her foot! For seven weeks she had to wear a special boot all the time so it could heal. She is hoping to get back to playing tennis this summer, and is planning to go to the 125th Anniversary Cathedral Service in DC on October 17, where she will meet up with Maria Martin Thacker for the 125th Anniversary Celebration.
Maria Martin Thacker reports, “Bob and I continue to enjoy our retirement
community here in Sarasota. We are in Canaan Valley, WV, to sit out the heat season. In May we returned to St. Albans, Tokyo for six weeks to see old friends and enjoy Japanese life once again. We returned just in time to host our annual Juneteenth Party in our side yard. It seems to grow larger every year.”
Sarah Van Keuren is going to attend a family reunion from her mother’s side of the family which will be held at Hollywood Farm in Annapolis, Maryland. It’s been seven years since she has seen some of these family members. She is really looking forward to it!
Dorothy “Susie” Lewis Wilbanks writes, “Robert and I just recently returned from a trip to Maui at the tail end of whale season. We were lucky to see a few humpback whales before April 15, which is about the last day before the females escort their babies to Alaska. The Kaanapali area was not hit by the devastating fires in 2023 and it was good to see some rebuilding happening in Lahaina. We are faring very well for our age, I think, and are glad we were able to make this trip with my son, Rick, and his wife, Megan. We took two good whale watching trips and attended a Luau and enjoyed good weather all week! Rick bought a new ukulele which he serenaded us with! All good!”
1962
Class Rep R esentative
Patty Noble Mason PttyMason@aol.com
Class a gent
Diane Burr Dickey coleridge.dickey@frontier.com
Jennifer Urquhart’s funeral was held at St John’s Lafayette Square Episcopal Church where she had been a parishioner for many years. It was followed by a luncheon at Columbia Country Club. Nora Ronhovde Hohenlohe, Jill McKelvie, Lynda Bird Johnson Robb, and Patty Noble Mason were there, as were many old friends from Jennifer’s days at National Geographic and Jubilee Jobs.
Marianna Howard Arms writes, “Not sure what I’ve written before, so here goes. Last September 2024 I traveled with a group on a cruise tour of New England and Eastern Canada. I had traveled through New England before but not to the eastern Canadian provinces. Spectacular scenery and autumn colors as we entered Canada. In late October and early November I had cataract surgery on both eyes. The surgeries went well, but I am still trying to find the correct lens for my adjusted vision. We took another trip in May
2025 through Michigan for the tulips, including several days on Mackinac Island. Then back home for grandson Alex Hyde’s graduation from McCallie School in Chattanooga (daughter Abbie’s oldest son) in mid May. He is going to Furman University on an academic scholarship. Abbie and family still abide in Charlotte, and Jamie and family in Atlanta (and visits to Lake Hartwell). I continue living in a Senior Living Facility in Dalton, GA, Royal Oaks, participating in activities here and in Dalton and my church, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. I am well, just dealing with aging, hopefully gracefully! Love and good tidings to all!
Liz Wilson Pearson is still living in New York City. Her husband continues to work part time as a pathologist. Liz is taking adult education classes at Fordham University. The grandchildren are close by.
Masey Winn Benjamin also has grandchildren news. Her grandson, George, won two golds and one silver medal at Maadi Cup (rowing), the biggest outdoor sports event in the Southern Hemisphere. Two thousand contestants from 160 secondary schools in New Zealand. He’s already fielding inquiries from the US! In June, Masey and her daughter traveled to South
Africa, Botswana, and Mozambique. Masey’s son-in-law took the two boys to England to visit his family. In September, Masey hopes to bring some grandchildren to the USA. I hope we get to see her. It’s a busy year with so much travel. I am impressed! Masey said it seems odd to be doing all this without David. We send our love to her.
Kassandra “Sandra” Bennett Edwards and her husband, Scott, had a wonderful year. They traveled to Australia, spent one month in Sydney and another month exploring. They saw kangaroos, adorable koala bears, and another animal only found in Australia, wombats. In Tasmania they saw the infamous Tasmanian devils. Sandra says they are indeed dangerous, but nothing like the cartoons. On top of this they went to Germany and Brussels, Belgium, which they loved, and France for her 80th birthday, which she celebrated with a canal/barge trip. Last July they visited their Ugandan daughter, Dinnah in Toronto, Canada, where they met her 10-month-old daughter Jada and attended a Toronto Blue Jays game. Sandra and Scott went to see the solar eclipse in Ohio with her family. They also visited New York City, Las Vegas, and Austin, Texas. On top of all this travel, she continues to be active in her church where she serves on the Vestry, acts as a greeter and usher. She is a docent with the SF opera and continues to work as a therapist from home. How does she ever find the time to do all this!?
Marguerite De La Mare Heppell visited Georgia. Her plan worked! The group consisted of Mike, two sons, two daughters-in-law, seven grandchildren, and Marguerite. Ages ranged from 84 to 8-months-old; that’s quite a spread. Tucked between the Greater and Lesser Caucasus, Marguerite says the country is fascinating and beautiful and long may it remain so. They ate outdoors in the fold of various categories of Orthodox church and a Roman Catholic church, and a synagogue and a mosque. Georgia is an old, old country that gave Marguerite a new perspective on resilience. She says, “Go if you can.”
Nancy Stead Atwood writes, “Short trips will be the news. Alan and I traveled in January to Clemson, SC, to see Duke and Cooper Flagg play basketball. My niece and I went to Charlotte to see Duke play Georgia Tech in the ACC tournament; the score rose from -14 to +8 and Duke advanced. We made an overnight trip to Augusta for an MCG event; although our Oxford Road home appears from the street to have survived Hurricane Helene, it is not habitable for its current owners and the yard looks like the beach without seaweed - all sand. Alan works on his English cars; care of three of them is a full-time job. I have the garden planted with landscape fabric for mulch; I bet the weeds will think it is Miracle Gro. Perennials survived the sub-thirty winter days. We plan to be in Washington in October for the celebration of NCS’s 125th birthday and hope other classmates will be there as well. You are so good at keeping in touch with us all. Thanks again.”
Jennifer Johnston Theobald writes, “Same ole’ stuff here with me—which is a good thing! First grandchild getting married in Charleston, SC, this spring. Then off to spend the summer as usual on Long Island by the water. Soothes my soul. Knees are still holding up for tennis, and I enjoy my volunteering. Life is good but challenging thing, this aging.”
Speaking of Jennifer, way back in December 2012 she joined Diane Burr-Dickey at the dedication of the first Bill of Rights Monument in the USA. A Bill of Rights Foundation project, spearheaded by Diane’s brother, comedian Chris Bliss Dickey, the monument is across from the Phoenix, Arizona State Capitol complex. Then this past March, Jennifer sent Diane a text, remembering the dedication and saying she’d just visited the monument after attending a protest at the AZ capitol building. Democracy in process!
Diane’s other news: “Lonnie and I are happy about the longer, sunnier days in our garden after four months (seemed like forever) of grey gloom and rain, rain, rain. Thanks to our patient
next-door neighbors, I learned the right way to prune roses. The results are wonderful. Hooray, especially as one of Lonnie’s pleasures is creating unique arrangements that I photograph to include in our annual calendar. I’d hoped to attend NCS Road to 125 events in SF and Seattle, but other priorities intervened. I’ve connected several times with Meri Ball Lane via email and What’sApp. Meri sent a Christmastime photo taken by daughter Sally as they were on their way to the ballet at Sydney Opera House. Meri’s still enjoying bridge and walking with a group of long-time friends. Mary Booth Holley, Carol Jo Morgan Compton, and I have taken a semisolemn vow to connect for a summer lunch in 2025 after missing 2024. Here’s hoping! BTW, while some folks don’t ‘do’ Facebook, I’ve enjoyed that means of keeping up with classmates, other NCS alumnae, former colleagues and friends everywhere, and the added bonus of vicariously experiencing places I haven’t traveled to. For example, in October Elisabeth Lane Virnstein and husband Bob took an amazing Norway cruise. Lis shared the experience on FB with photos and comments. Here it is, in greatly condensed form, taken from Lis’s FB posts: Their adventure began in Bergen where they, ‘walked acres of what was once Bergen’s fortress/ castle.’ Among other highlights: sailing through fjords ‘with little towns tucked into the mountains’ and seeing the famous Art Nouveau architecture in the town of Alesond (‘eel sound’), touring Trondheim’s impressive Gothic cathedral and fjord waterfront, northward into only eight hours of daylight and some anticipated rough seas to cross the Arctic Circle, view the ‘rugged, gorgeous land north of the Circle’, being delighted one night by the aurora borealis (Lis wrote “to our eyes, the shapes were grayish, but the camera saw [an] other-worldly green”), making a long stop at Tromso, known as ‘the capital of the North’ where they attended a midnight concert in a 19th century church, continuing northward to Nordkapp, (North Cape), the farthest north you can go in Europe by road and Honningsvag where they ‘met
with a Sami leader (Sami are Norway’s indigenous people) to learn all things reindeer,’ then through a fjord to Kirkenes, about nine miles from the border with Russia, which Lis was told is heavily guarded by Russian soldiers patrolling the woods and mountains. That night passengers were treated to the aurora borealis again, then a last day at sea with stops in Trondheim and Kristiansund.
Finally, I (Patty Noble Mason) am getting used to not packing everything into my car, driving to Bethany, unpacking everything, and then reversing the process twice a year. I am rather enjoying it. I am now suffering through home renovations, with dust everywhere and not being able to find anything piled under protective covers. I can’t wait to get everything back where it belongs. My only other news is that
my sweet cat Betsy is now 8-years-old. Love to all.
P.S. Please consider joining us here in Washington, DC for the celebration of our school’s 125th birthday. The weekend is October 17, 2025. We could arrange a mini-reunion of our own— it would be fun!
Class Rep R esentative & a gent
Susie April Marshall susan.april.marshall@gmail.com
In her last December annual holiday note, Louise Alpert Pelan wrote that she is enjoying living at the White Sands La Jolla retirement community with all of its interesting and fun activities. Louise was appointed Secretary of the Resident Council. Although it has been a challenge for Louise (with her slight hearing loss) to take notes of the monthly Council meetings (she did find an app that records and transcribes the discussions), Louise enjoys her role as Secretary because it keeps her in close touch with everything of importance that is going on in the While Sands community. Louise’s big adventure in 2024 was her trip to the East Coast in May. She first went to New Haven, Connecticut, for grandson Tommy’s graduation from Pierson College at Yale. Tommy received the Polunin Cup award for “personal quality and scholastic achievement to a student whose academic record stands among the highest—if not the highest in the Class.” Louise was so pleased that Tommy’s personal qualities were recognized because he is such a very fine young man. From New Haven, Louise went on to DC to stay with daughter Elizabeth and family for three weeks until grandson Felix’s graduation from Alexandria, Virginia Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, reputed to be one of the best public high schools in the country. From high school, Felix headed on to attend Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. At the time of Felix’s graduation, Elizabeth and her family were in the midst of moving from their Falls Church, Virginia, home to a townhouse apartment in Adams Morgan (close to granddaughter Cecilia’s DC Washington International School), so Louise was able to help a little with the packing and unpacking activities before enjoying Felix’s impressive graduation ceremony and celebrations. Louise’s daughter Martha and her three children are doing well—after graduation,
grandson Tommy moved to Chicago to work as a quantitative options trader for Optiver (where he had interned the prior two summers), granddaughter Ashley returned to Yale for her junior year majoring in neuroscience, and granddaughter Avis returned for her senior year at a San Diego charter high school busily applying to colleges with strong animal science programs. Louise’s son Chris’s three children are also doing well. Louise’s granddaughter Sophia is a junior at La Jolla High, while grandsons Lucas and Dustin are in fifth and sixth grades at The Children’s School in La Jolla. Louise’s step-grandbaby, Kian, step-daughter Tara and husband Bjorn’s son, is a happy child, always smiling or laughing and very sociable. So, for Louise, life is good… which is what she hopes for all of us.
Earlier this year, Merril Stevenson reported that all is well for her and husband Robin Christopher. They were in London until the end of April of this year and then moved back with dog and cats to their deeply rural house in France, where they will stay until early October. Merril still teaches writing online for the Economist—although she was bitterly regretting having doubled her course load this year. Merril and Robin continue to sing—the Dvorak Stabat Mater last March and then a modest concert in Florence last April. Their girls are “in the pink” and Robin is slower, but so is Merril. According to Merril, “…apart from a frying planet and mad politics I think we are pretty lucky.”
Diana Willis Rothman also checked in earlier this year when she wrote about her February 80th birthday celebration with both of her two children and their families. She had not been together with all of them for many years and while different combinations of children and grandchildren had been together at different times, this was her family’s first real union. Diana had traveled from her home in Santa Cruz, California, to celebrate at daughter Naomi’s home in Montclair, New Jersey. Because Diana’s older granddaughters are so committed to their sports (swimming and gymnastics) and daughter Naomi
and Diana’s son and their spouses work all the time, the reunion was a short and sweet gathering—a catered dinner at Naomi’s house with music from Diana’s life played in the background —starting with “The Tennessee Waltz” and “Blueberry Hill.” The caterer had grown up in California and worked at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, so the food was just as Diana would have wanted. A Willis family tradition note—Diana and her late husband Don had taken Diana’s father to Chez Panisse for his 60th birthday and a group of the Willis family—including Diana’s sister Erna Willis Kerst ’65 and Erna’s husband Mike had taken Diana’s mother there for her 80th birthday. So, Naomi continued the Willis family traditional special birthday Chez Panisse-related meal. Some of Diana’s grandchildren had to leave the birthday celebration early the next day to drive back to Diana’s son’s home in Boston, while others were able to linger. Diana enjoyed watching “The Wild Robot” with grandson Mylo. While in Montclair, Diana also enjoyed some short train trips to New York City. Diana had a successful birthday!
In a more recent note, Carol Armstrong Dillon wrote that she is anticipating her 80th birthday celebration this coming September (Louise Alpert Pelan will turn 80 in September, too). For Carol, the thought of turning 80 is “cringeworthy”(!). She has invited her whole family—her brother and sister and their families to come to San Diego to help ease the blow. This year, Carol and husband Tom spent two weeks on the East Coast during which they enjoyed a short visit to DC where they met with several NCS students and had lunch with NCS Head of School Elinor Scully, who shared some of the current challenges the entire Close faces. Their granddaughter Stella (18) graduated from high school in San Diego at the end of May of this year and will attend the New York University College of Arts and Sciences in the fall. Their grandson Lucas graduated from the 8th grade in Seattle in June and will enter high school in the fall. Carol and Tom are proud of them both. Carol and Tom moved to The Glen retirement
community about five and a half years ago and are very happy there. They both are involved in a range of activities and have made many new friends. She discovered that one of her across-thestreet neighbors graduated St. Albans in 1957—small world!
Muriel Seeger Johnson reported that although she knew 80 was coming, her birthday was just too sudden. Her two girls and her grandchildren who live near Muriel in Medford, Oregon, took her out to dinner and her continuing birthday lunches with friends prolonged “the agony.” Muriel has become more reflective on life, and she is very grateful for the childhood she shared with many of us at Beauvoir through NCS.
With her husband’s passing about three years ago, Marilyn Rosehill Brenner is facing “our mutual scary birthday” with her children and grandchildren (seven—ranging in age from 10 months to 25 years) having her back. For Marilyn, living in San Francisco is fabulous—so much to do and lots of interesting friends to do things with— and not too far from the beach town where she and her husband raised their family. Marilyn wishes “Happy birthday to us all!”
Louise Franks had a great visit last February with Margaret Midlen Manda in Naples, Florida. Louise was delighted to escape the St Louis snow and single digit temps. She and Margaret enjoyed the sun, the “Gulf of America” and great seafood. That is how Louise celebrated her “hard-to-believe” birthday. Recently Louise visited the Anheuser Busch Clydesdale Breeding Farm with a “horse friend” and saw the magnificent animals there.
Debbie Buchanan Fickenscher celebrated her “significant birthday” this past May. Since Debbie’s church had stopped celebrating significant decades, Debbie decided it was time to restart the tradition. So, one Sunday last May, the church celebrated those born in 1945 with cakes and paper gold crowns. Even a woman who shares the day and month of Debbie’s birthday,
and was born a decade earlier in 1935, was able to wear a crown. Debbie appreciated the lovely reception after the service where she enjoyed “great fun and lots of laughter.”
Virginia Beasley Otis has reported that life is great! She lives in San Francisco along the waterfront and parades regularly there with her little dog. Virginia’s first husband, Web, passed away in October 2020, but she feels lucky to have shared 40 years with him. Thanks to her second marriage, Virginia can now claim a total of five children, seven grandchildren, and one and a half great grandchildren. She keeps busy with family and is looking forward to a long weekend this summer where 30 members of her family will gather. Since she joins most of us turning 80 this year, Virginia feels it amazing to be the “elder” in the clan. For her, 80 sounds awfully old but does not feel it. That is good!
Lyle York is happy in Santa Fe, NM. She had a long catch-up phone call with Dodie Little who is thriving in Santa Barbara, CA.
I, Susie April Marshall, enjoyed a very beautiful and lavish 80th birthday brunch given by my two girls— Courtney Marshall Moseman ’91 and Melissa Marshall Goldman ’94 and my husband with lots of friends and family —including four of our six grands—Leo Moseman (17), Miles Moseman (now 13), Ellis Goldman (11) and Teddy Goldman (now 10). The other two grands—Ellie Moseman (now 21) is a junior at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, and Sam Moseman (19) is a freshman playing baseball at New York University.
1964
Class Rep R esentative
Deena Delany deena@ddelany.com
Class a gent n eeded
Beatrice Beebe shares, “I’m going to Rome to give two lectures. I’m excited but nervous. This is the first time I will travel to Europe since 2019 before COVID. And the first time without my
husband. My husband had to go into long-term memory care in January. He was a brilliant poet and classicist translator of Homer and Virgil. Edward McCrorie. We have been together since 1993. Now he can barely write his own name. It’s a hard time in life.”
Vicki Gould Colburn reports, “I fell again and I went to urgent care in Tampa (not wanting to ruin my grand daughter’s graduation) and required stitches in my eyebrow. It has healed nicely and now I walk with a cane. When my doctor prescribed a cane for me I ended up getting one for Christmas! I intend to use it while walking in the neighborhood. Yup, I am finally showing my age.
I have bronchiectasis which puts me at risk for NTM which is Non-Tuberculous Mycobacterium. It is a rare disease, and now I have to see an infection control expert. It has taken the doctors over a year to diagnose me, and I will be on rare drugs for at least a year. It is caused by repeat pneumonias I have had in the past. They were viral.The last time was after COVID. I am trying to keep up in good faith. I miss you guys!”
Deena Delany notes, “For the 12th year, I am still volunteering with our county’s Sea Turtle Patrol program documenting and protecting our endangered sea turtles. This has been such exciting, rewarding, and satisfying work that even though it is physically very demanding, I can’t seem to admit that it’s a job for younger folks. One of my classmates remarked that 80 is the new 60 so I’m going to go with that. Other than turtles, my life is quite peaceful living close to the beach in Florida.”
Robin Adams Hartmann writes, “I had a wonderful girls trip with my younger daughter Nancy Parker to Paris in late March. We were in Paris for almost a week. We took a trip to the Loire Valley and saw three castles. The highlight of the week was a two hour motorcycle ride around Paris. The guide drove the motorcycle, Nancy grabbed the driver and I sat in the side car. It was a wonderful way to really see Paris.”
Willoughby Newton reports, “I’m still enjoying the Saint Mary’s Woods retirement community. There are kind people here and activities galore. Garden club and renewing the mind are favorites. My latest OMA— Opening Minds through Art—is a painting called Lenten Kaleidoscope.”
1965
Class Rep R esentative Denny Stein dstein3@mac.com
Class a gent n eeded
1966
Class Rep R esentative
Helen Graham Stubbs S22153@earthlink.net
Class a gent n eeded
Please join us April 30—May 3, 2026 for your 60th Reunion!
1967
Class Rep R esentative & a gent Vicki Van Rensselaer northbayroad16@aol.com
Congratulations to Joan Mullens Hart whose painting, After Irma, was selected to be part of the Art X Climate Show on the website of the Fifth National Climate Assessment (http://nca2023. globalchange.gov). A print of After Irma was also chosen to be displayed as part of the Art X Climate Show held at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. The show opened on April 22, 2025 in Ocean Hall.
In 2025, the members of the Book Club that has been established for our Class are reading Goodnight, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea, The Road From Coorain by Jill Ker Conway, and Heaven And Earth Grocery Store by James McBride.
The members of our Class who are interested in talking about racism are reading Up Home by Ruth J. Simmons and Colonization and The Wampanoag Story by Linda Coombs.
1968
Class Rep R esentative Susan Gutchess sgutchess@gmail.com
Class a gent n eeded
1969
Class Rep R esentative Leslie Provence lprovence@sbcglobal.net
Class a gent n eeded
Local ’69ers Sherry Allen, Anne Stone Crow, Elizabeth “Buffy” Ellis, Susan “Gigi” Galbraith, Beth Jones, Darci Glassman Lieb, Townley McElhiney, Gertrude Sherman, Laura Dirksen Shub, Dinah Sunday, and Ruth Macdonald Weisgall (plus several significant others) gathered in March for a lunch of lobster rolls and a heartfelt farewell to Ellen Ficklen and Paul Zador. These longtime Washingtonians and treasured members of the Class have moved to Hamden, CT, to be closer to their families. It was an enormous downsizing effort, especially since Ellen’s world-class watermelon collection had to be inventoried, packed, and transported to Cordele, GA, where a museum will be built to exhibit her “melonabilia.”
Darci and Ruth visited Suzie Werneke Schiffman in Fernandina Beach, Florida, and shared a great beach photo with the Class.
Laura reports that Dinah, Townley, and she attended the opening reception of the Class of 1975, for their 50th Reunion. “As far as we could count, and that isn’t far these days, we were almost the oldest alumnae there. Who is letting all these young women in! Flower Mart was gorgeous, made more so as Darci, Ruth, and Beth joined us for a merry round of shopping.” Further, the Cathedral gargoyles are clasping their stony hands in dismay to learn that Laura has been installed as Parish Verger by the Lutherpalian congregation (a blended congregation of Lutherans and Episcopalians, where neither church could no longer stand on its own and
dusted off minor liturgical differences to come together) of The Church of The Nativity and Holy Comforter. The verger serves as “stage manager for the spiritual realm.” The “virge” is historically a big stick used to keep animals or overenthusiastic crowds from mauling the dignitaries, and disciplining rowdy choristers. “This is the job I have been destined for! Great costume and a hefty prop to whack rowdies. Lutherans rock! Not only does their hymnal have wonderful old, unfamiliar (to us) Scandinavian hymns, but also a few by my dad. For socializing, Lutherans serve excellent coffee and superb hot dishes while Episcopalians tend to the wine list. What fun and new adventures!”
This Spring, Susan “Gigi” Galbraith’s company, Alliance for New-MusicTheatre, mounted two shows as works in progress—and protest! DC Emancipation & The Right to Vote tells the little-known story of the vibrant African American community in Georgetown and its historical leaders, who worked to make DC, an “island of freedom,” the first in the nation to win full emancipation. “I was also proud to return to Dupont Underground, DC’s most exciting and radical cultural center, to produce a new Ukrainian play about the siege of Mariupol directed by world-renowned Janos Szasz. In June, as part of World Pride being celebrated this year in DC, we offered a cabaret, “Unmasked—Freedom in Full Color.”
What can one do in these precarious times but whatever one does best to resist, desist, and dissent? Feels like our late sixties all over again! Were we ever so young and brave?”
Carinthia West will meet UK-based NCSers at the American Museum and Gardens in Bath, at her permanent exhibit of photographs of the Seventies music scene in England, including many recognizable figures of that time: Mick Jagger and Ronnie Wood, Anjelica Huston, Shelley Duvall, Neil Young, David Bowie, Carly Simon, and others. Carinthia writes, “After breaking my neck in a fall down my home stairs which resulted in five
weeks of hospitalisation, plus an ‘Iron Maiden’ brace around my neck and down my back for six more weeks, I’m delighted to say I am on the mend! After a wonderful week in Paris in May seeing every exhibition I could, I came back to London and celebrated my birthday on Victory in Europe Day, May 8.” Apart from the Bath exhibit, her Rolling Stones exhibition still hangs in the Bar at the Gore Hotel, located at 190 Queen’s Gate, Knightsbridge, London.
1970
Class Rep R esentative
Pat Row King kinginfo2@gmail.com
Class a gent n eeded
1971
Class Rep R esentative
Judy Karasik karasikjudy@gmail.com
Class a gent n eeded
Please join us April 30—May 3, 2026 for your 55th Reunion!
1972
Class Rep R esentative
Laura Roper l.roper@rcn.com
Class a gent n eeded
1973
Class Rep R esentatives
Karen Kalavritinos Rarog kararog@aol.com
Sandy Boek Werness sbwerness1@gmail.com
Class a gent
Lydia Stone Kimball lydiakimball@yahoo.com
Class Rep R esentative
Diane Shelton dishelton@outlook.com
Class a gent
Betsey Kane betseykane@verizon.net
Hello, Class of 1974 from your Class Representative, Diane Shelton.
It’s the middle of summer when we are reading our twice-a-year NCS Magazine, and I am once again inspired during the beautiful month of May as I write this. I feel so strongly again the value of our staying connected—more often and more deeply—as much as our busy and sometimes complex lives will allow! (I seem to recall speaking rather passionately on the topic at our wonderful 50th Reunion Luncheon). I meant it then, and I mean it now.
However, as life does sometimes, for me since I got on the plane to head back to Chicago, it has been—to quote Queen Elizabeth—a medical “annus horribilis” yet again. Mostly a whole lot of minor/medium health issues, but still time-consuming and fatiguing, and for that I am grateful. I would have expected to say “nothing lifethreatening,” except for that little “oops, I stopped breathing on April 26, which very bizarrely had me moments away from passing away,” (so my ER MD colleagues who saved me tell me). The best—aside from living through it—is that I can already see the purposes for which I was saved, and I am extremely energized and humbled. Stay tuned to see if I fulfill the paths that I clearly am meant to start traveling again…
Meanwhile, my intended much greater communications this year with each of you wonderful women, has been sorely lacking! Fortunately, Betsey Kane—our Class Agent/Fundraiser Extraordinaire —has been doing a fabulous job in her fundraising role, and in keeping in touch with everyone. Equally, the ladies of the Book Club—see more info below—are also doing such a great job of staying
connected and engaged in what sound like delightful book selections, and they invite even more of us to join them.
Catch you for updates here in six more months, but I plan to have LOTS more 1:1 connection before that! Blessings and health to you all!
Greetings from the NCS Class of 1974 Book Club! Following our 50th Reunion last spring, a suggestion as to how to stay in touch was made and a book club was born. Attendees include Janet Miller (Zoom hostess), Peyton Bruns, Kate Munroe Daly, Eleni Constantine, Sarah Crothers, Polly Kreisman, Annie Koch, Mary Jeffers, Sarah Peacock, Karin Gustafson Martin, Claire Ferguson Garcia, Anne Ficklen, Alex von Hoffmann, Diana Barco, Lizzie Peters, M’Young Kim, and Betsey Kane. Every classmate is welcome; we attend according to our personal and work schedules. We switch every other book from fiction to nonfiction; our most recent was Master Slave Husband Wife (Highly recommend!). In lieu of Mrs. Pregnall or Mrs. Gove, we have occasionally resorted to Google, but only for facts, as we’ve managed to conduct ourselves in an organized and wellbehaved manner. We may grow, mellow, mature, but it seems we are, at the core, still the same, and it is a lot of fun to be back sharing ideas with those who we started out with. Some in the group have known each other since 4th Grade. Wow!
Class Rep R esentative
Carol Beach caroltudorbeach@gmail.com
Class a gent
Anne Brooks Gwaltney anne.gwaltney@verizon.net
Carol Beach reports, “The Class of 1975 celebrated their 50th Reunion this year! It was a wonderful weekend. We had 44 attendees out of a Class of 75. We are a very close group, many of us have kept in touch throughout the years, and it was fun to see others we had not seen in a long time. PC Pitts was honored with an NCS Alumnae Service Award for her
many years of outstanding mentoring and leadership work.”
Ann Scheman shares, “My eldest son, Netanel, was married on April 11th in Tel Aviv.”
Pamela White writes, “This year I have had the pleasure of visits with Anne McGihon and Amanda Trosten-Bloom in Denver, and Cory Ravenal in NYC and Europe, as well as Jan Pettie Williams and Anne Brooks Gwaltney during DC alumnae events. Love my Class!
Class Rep R esentative
Tina Chen Starke ccslcs@msn.com
Class a gent n eeded
Please join us April 30–May 3, 2026 for your 50th Reunion!
Class Rep R esentative
Hall Gregg Hallgregg6@gmail.com
Class a gent
Jean Demaree Roth jeanroth@me.com
Hall Gregg shares, “Travel seems to be a recurring theme for me! Trips to Honolulu and Sedona set a restful tone to the start of 2025 and the spring has been filled with trips to see kids and grandkids. The travel will continue in September, when I join my sister and NCS alumna Susan Gregg Gilmore ’79 on her book tour for her fourth novel, The Curious Calling of Leonard Bush, which will be released in August. I’m so excited!
Lucy Spencer Hornstein writes, “My kids have been busy, so I’m up to five grandbabies. The latest is Owen George Hornstein, born March 1, joining big sister Lily and new big brother Max. I’m busy too, still working full time, and enjoying it enough so that retirement is still on the back burner. Some day, but not yet.”
1. Lucy Spencer Hornstein ’77 with her grandchildren Max (3), Owen (3 weeks), and Lily (5). 2. Patty Talbert Smith’s ’77 grandson, Nate Koreiwo.
3. Jane Mobille Gonnard ’78 (L) and Carolyn Vinson Bou ’78 in Rehoboth Beach, DE summer 2024. 4. From left: William Wohlgemuth (STA ’17), Jim Wohlgemuth, Lindsay Wohlgemuth, George Wohlgemuth (STA ’12), Caroline Wing Wohlgemuth ’78, John Wohlgemuth (STA ’10), Eloise Wohlgemuth, and James Wohlgemuth (STA ’14) at the wedding of Lindsay and George in October 2024. 5 Helen Hynson Vettori ’78 and her husband Bob Vettori at The International Impact Book Awards, where she accepted the 2024 Mystery/Thriller award for her novel, Black Swan Impact 6. Past Presidents of the NCS Alumnae Association gathering for dinner at current Alumane Advisory Group President Lou Rollinson’s ’77 home in March 2025. From left: Cynthia Livingstone Gibert ’59, Vanessa Allen Murray ’77, Lou Rollinson ’77, Linda Keene Solomon ’82, Anne Brooks Gwaltney ’75, Mary Barber ’67, and Ester Brimmer ’79.
Kathleen Paul reports, “This spring we spent a couple weeks in London, England, and Edinburgh, Scotland. Our son living in Paris, his wife, and two children came over to stay with us and we had a wonderful time with them, seeing London favorites (the British Museum, Buckingham Palace, the Tina Turner musical) and traveling to Edinburgh to tour Edinburgh Castle and the Palace at Holyroodhouse. We also spent two weeks in Maui, Hawaii—our favorite island—celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary. It was beautiful! I love the ocean and the weather was perfect for snorkeling and swimming. We loved it!”
Lou Rollinson writes, “I have really enjoyed my first year as President of the NCS Alumnae Advisory Group. In February, I invited those who had held the position over the past 30 years to my house for dinner. Seven of the twelve were able to attend: Cynthia Livingstone Gibert ’59, Mary Barber ’67, Anne Brooks Gwaltney ’75, Vanessa Allen Murray, Esther Brimmer ’79, and Linda Keene Solomon ’82. We had a fabulous time. Please note that the Class of 1977 is well represented!”
Patty Talbert Smith shares, “Where does the time go? How can our Lisa [Alexis] have left us five years ago in June? How can our 50th Reunion be only two years away? How can I have a 2 and a half-year-old grandson? It seems as if he just got here!
I faced more surgeries in Baltimore in June (numbers 16 and 17, with lengthy recoveries), to revise the hip-revision that failed in November. (Darn you, Sarcoma of 2009!) Ever the NCS over-achiever, I will be having ‘cutting edge’ procedures featuring a new antimicrobial-coated prosthesis that should greatly reduce my infection risk. Stay tuned, Dearest Classmates… I should have some tales to tell!”
Class Rep R esentative
Ann Marie Journey amjourn001@gmail.com
Class a gent n eeded
Jane Mobille Gonnard writes, “I have now lived more years in France than in the US—yet Rehoboth Beach, DE is and always will be my favorite happy place. During my annual visit there last summer, I spent time with Carolyn Vinson Bou, Carolyn Ginsburgh GrantSuttie, and Caroline Adams Miller ’79. As for life in France, I am thrilled to say that I have worked with almost 50 nationalities (and counting) as an Executive Coach. An active member of the Association of American Women in Europe (AAWE), I serve as Editor of the group’s quarterly magazine.”
In February, 53 authors from around the world gathered in Phoenix, AZ to be recognized by The International Impact Book Awards. Helen Hynson Vettori accepted the 2024 Mystery/ Thriller award for her novel, Black Swan Impact. Immediately following that event, Helen flew to Australia with her sister, Katherine “Kit” Hynson Moss ’75. Adelaide was her favorite city but snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef, hiking around Uluru, and seeing unique animals like albino wallabies were unforgettable. Upon returning home, Helen learned that her second novel, Black Swan Shock, won the 2025 Mystery/ Thriller category from The International Impact Book Awards. That book will be released world-wide in late 2025, and she is currently writing the final thriller in her Black Swan trilogy series.
1979
Class Rep R esentative
Rebecca Ravenal rravenal@gmail.com
Class a gent n eeded
1980
Class Rep R esentative
Teri Allen Walters teri2tasha@gmail.com
Class a gent n eeded
Jessica Trosten Lewis was honored and excited to lead a complimentary T’ai Chi Chih workshop during Reunion Weekend.
The founder of Sculpt Your Life® (2004), Jessica is also a passionate advocate for Veterans, launched her own free T’ai Chi Chih program for this special population, plus has taught federal classes for the VA since 2019.
In addition to her teaching/coaching experience, Jessica has presented at conferences hosted by Harvard Medical School, Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, the Delaware National Guard, Beebe Healthcare, the Mental Health Association of Delaware and elsewhere. Her work has also been the focus of both print and digital media. Learn more at www.SculptUrLife. com and www.SculptUrLife.com/ tai-chi-chih-for-veterans.
Margaret Bracken Thompson shares, “I had a great time at our 45th Reunion connecting with classmates!”
1981
New home or email address?
Update your contact information: ncs.org/address-updates
Caroline Wing Wohlgemuth reports, “Jim and I are still working and playing with a growing proportion of the latter. All four boys live in DC. John STA ’10 and Eloise had a baby, Jack Wilder Wohlgemuth, in February. George STA ’12 married Lindsay ‘The Great’ in October. James graduated from business school in May and will be moving to Philadelphia. And finally, William STA ’17 is a happy commercial real estate guy. My cup runneth over.”
Class Rep R esentative
Shan Swain Kilbridge shankilbridge@gmail.com
Class a gent n eeded
Please join us April 30–May 3, 2026 for your 45th Reunion!
Angela Kennedy Acree writes, “Hey Class of 1981! I wanted you to know that I am the blessed grandmother of five grandchildren. Thank goodness I retired
after 25 years as an attorney with the Public Defender Service of the District of Columbia and did quite a bit of travel before the grandchildren started rolling in. Love, love, love to you all.”
Bitsy Murphy Higgins, Alexandra “Alex” Buhler Jewett, and Anne Smith had a March weekend get together at Bitsy’s house in CT.
Class Rep R esentative
Elaine Trimble Saiz elainetsaiz@gmail.com
Class a gent
Eleanor Lackey Tessier ertessier@yahoo.com
Shyami De Silva shares, “This is my first submission to NCS Class Notes ever! Perhaps inspired by the huge transition I’m currently going through —after 24 years of service in the federal government, I’m entering an early and premature retirement due to the dissolution of the agency that I loved and dedicated my career to, USAID. Despite experiencing a lot of grief for my field of global health, the lives that will be lost due to our work being terminated, and concern for the fate of my colleagues, I’m determined to figure out what this next act will look like. I’m in the DC area and would welcome connecting with any classmates that have faced similar transitions, planned or unplanned.”
Chrysti Hogan had rotator cuff surgery in December and is mostly healed. She is hoping to return to league bowling in September. Her mother now lives in a senior community in Cordova, Tennessee, about 10 minutes from Chrysti and her wife Jeanne.
A BIG thank you to Eleanor Lackey Tessier. Eleanor is the amazing host for our monthly video chats. We have enjoyed catching up, discussing our current lives, requesting help navigating parental care, and laughing.
Class Rep R esentative
Sarah Clemmitt swclemmitt@hotmail.com
Class a gent
Tatia Williams Carson tlwoxy@aol.com
Holly Lisanby writes that, “after spending the past decade at National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), across the street from where I was born (now Walter Reed, then Bethesda Navy Hospital), my husband and I are moving to the desert! I’ve been recruited to become the Founding Dean of the Arizona State University School of Medicine and Advanced Medical Engineering. This new school will grant dual MD and MS Engineering degrees. We hope this new generation of physician-engineers will transform health through innovation and technology, leveraging AI and beyond. I’ll also continue my research on device-based therapies for treatment resistant depression, which I’ve pursued over the past 30 years, first at Columbia, then Duke, then NIMH, and now ASU. I wish all of my 1983 classmates all the best.” Congratulations Holly, and best of luck on this new chapter in your life and career.
In other news from Arizona, Sabine Asser-King is turning her passion for yoga into a second career. Once Sabine completes her yoga teacher training, she will be teaching hot yoga in Scottsdale.
As for me, Sarah Clemmitt, I retired from close to 30 years of teaching high school science. I am not sure that this is the final chapter in my work life, but for now Bill and I are spending a few years on our boat traveling the Eastern Seaboard and The Great Loop. We were fortunate enough to have Susan Cummings on board for a week in February as we made our way down the Georgia coastline.
Class Rep R esentative
Michelle Washington mlynnwashington@yahoo.com
Charlotte Daniel Wray charlotte.wray2@gmail.com
Class a gent n eeded
Tatiana Blackington James is busy! She shares, “I directed my first film from a script I wrote, which I’m finishing up now. It’s called LAWYERED UP. I hosted a very fun get-together of NCS alumnae in March with guest of honor Head of School Elinor Scully, and this weekend I’m hosting a kickoff event for Senator Michael Bennet’s STA ’83 run for Colorado Governor.”
Sarah Allen McQuaid writes, “I saw Susan Cummings ’83 earlier this year when she came to a gig of mine in London, and hope to meet other NCS friends when I come over to the USA again for a tour this fall. Finding it hard to believe that my kids are 20 and 22 now—our older son Eli graduated from Durham University in England last summer with a BA in Archaeology, and is now working as an archaeologist with Cotswold Archaeology. Meanwhile Xander (formerly Lily Jane) is in his second year at the University of Essex, studying art history and film. If any fellow alumnae are headed to Cornwall, please do give me a shout!”
Elizabeth Connell Nielsen reports, “I was challenged by my husband, Devan, to a swim trip sponsored by SwimTrek around the Galápagos Islands this February. Despite my trepidation, I can proudly say I not only accomplished all the swims and snorkels, but had a marvelous time meeting new friends from around the world and experiencing the wonder of sharing the earth and sea with the most contented and amazing animals. We swam approximately 23,000 yards over six days with reef sharks, manta rays, penguins, hundreds of dolphins, turtles and sea lions and thousands of schools of fish. Now we look forward to celebrating our son’s graduation from University of Saint Andrews and the start of his new
job at Risk Advisory Group in their Washington DC office.”
Stephanie Stuckey shares, “Hey fellow 84ers. I’ve been off the radar for a bit —turns out reviving a family business is a full-time (and then some) job. My partners and I bought a candy plant in Wrens, GA, where we’re cranking out Stuckey’s snacks and candies. I also wrote a book last year (because why not add ‘author’ to the chaos?)—it even got a thumbs-up from the Wall Street Journal. But the part I’m most proud of? We’ve created 75 jobs, support local pecan farmers, and are bringing a beloved American brand back to life. So, if you see the Stuckey’s brand on your local snack aisle—please support a fellow polished corner and say ‘yes’ to the pecan log roll!”
Class Rep R esentative Alice Doolittle licenmoth@gmail.com
Class a gent n eeded
We extend our condolences to Lauren Anthony and her sister Alison Anthony Bethune ’82 on the death of their father, Beryl Anthony. Mr. Anthony served his home state of Arkansas as a member of the U.S House of Representatives, and graciously hosted NCS American Government classes during field trips to Capitol Hill.
At the Alumnae Awards Luncheon on May 3rd, classmates were thrilled to cheer on two of our own. Gillian Schweitzer Boice received the Courage Award for her career as a Military Police Officer in the U.S. Army, serving on combat tours and humanitarian missions around the world. Caroline Krass received the Excellence Award for her stellar legal career, which has included many years in the federal government in a variety of positions, including General Counsel of the Department of Defense and General Counsel of the CIA. Congratulations, Caroline and Gill, for these welldeserved honors, and thank you both for your service!
Around 35 classmates came out for a great time at our 40th Reunion Dinner, hosted by Katie Hamilton Gewirz. Many thanks to Katie and to all who made Reunion a success, including Cecilia Calvo, for extensive coordinating, organizing, and communicating, Julie LeMense Crispin, for putting together a joyous and nostalgic slideshow, and Kristin Wells for compiling more than 200 songs from our youth into an 18-hour playlist!
Lauren Adler reports, “I recently launched The Chocolate Explorers Club, a premium chocolate discovery club that curates and delivers highquality, artisan chocolate to chocolate lovers across the United States. The Club offers a monthly subscription service, along with access to an exclusive online community where members can connect, share experiences, attend virtual events, and explore curated chocolate content. It’s been fun to reconnect with customers and to host live community events featuring notable cacao and chocolate experts from around the world. Fellow Seattleites, Nancy Puttkammer-Saxen and Susan Dorn, are members. Nancy lives a few blocks down the street, so I deliver her chocolate in person (or she stops by). It’s great to have classmates nearby! www.chocolateexplorersclub.com”
Lauren Anthony shares, “I’m sad to miss our 40th Reunion but hope to see some fun photos! All is well in NorCal, where I finally created an LLC for my Landscape Architecture business. I hope everyone will use compost and mulch, and plant at least one native species in the effort to keep the local bees alive and happy, and to sequester carbon in the soil. My three daughters are busy growing up. Lilia (27) will be applying to graduate school for Psychology, Hope (24) continues to pursue the arts while working at Trader Joes, and Juliet (20) is finishing up her sophomore year at Denver U. After the loss of my dad this January, I plan to spend more time on the East Coast with mom!”
Sarah Pyle Moore writes, “While very
bummed to miss the 40th, I’ve been lucky enough to see several classmates over the last 12 months. Life is busy with my therapy practice in Arlington, Virginia, being on a couple tennis teams, my youngest son’s graduation from UVA in May and ‘Rafa’ our feisty Cavalier King Charles. Please get in touch if you are in the DMV.”
Class Rep R esentative
Kristen Staples Durkin kristendurkin23@gmail.com
Class a gent
Anne Handwerger Large anne.large@gmail.com
Please join us April 30—May 3, 2026 for your 40th Reunion!
Alyse Graham reports, “It was a beautiful spring here in DC, and that meant a perfect weekend for Flower Mart! I spent a little time there last weekend keeping Anne Handwerger Large company at her post in the White Elephant tent where she dutifully volunteers every year. It’s a great fundraiser for the Cathedral but a terrible stop for someone who is trying desperately to give away rather than accumulate things (but who left, of course, with a few little silver pitchers that are currently making me very happy!).
Flower Mart also means Reunion weekend. As you all know it wasn’t ours—we are still a year away from a reunion whose number I will not mention because it almost made me trip on the sidewalk when I realized it and then sent me hunting for skin creams — but mark your calendars now for next year! It was, however, my son Aidan Stretch’s STA ’20 5th-year Reunion at St. Albans, and I was invited to attend the opening night alumni dinner where, who should I find but a table full of our STA ’86 counterparts enjoying a mini-reunion one year early?! It was great fun to reconnect with some of our STA classmates and got me excited for the time next year when we will all—I hope! —come together for our
1. Jessica Trosten Lewis ’80 leads fellow alumnae in a T’ai Chi Chih workshop at the Virginia Mae Center over Reunion Weekend 2025. 2. The Class of 1980 celebrating their 45th Reunion at NCS! 3. The Class of 1980 celebrating their 45th Reunion at the home of classmate Maralyn Elmore Marsteller. 4. Members of the Class of 1985 celebrate their 40th Reunion at the home of Katie Hamilton Gewirz ’85.
Reunion. By the way, Aidan graduated from college this spring (he took a gap year) and his two sisters will follow in the next three years. That has got me feeling old! I know I’ve got nothing on the grandmothers we already have in the class, but still, I think I’ll be ordering that skin cream in bulk… I hope everyone is enjoying all the life that etches our “life lines” and the joys and wisdom and trials too that come with this time in life. Most of all, I hope to see you in DC next May!”
Stephanie Brun de Pontet writes, “Jim and I still love living up on Capitol Hill —busy with work as usual. Our oldest daughter Gabrielle graduated from GW Law in May and is getting married in September. Our younger daughter Ariane will be going to the University of East Anglia to pursue a master’s in creative writing after having worked for Represent Us for the past two years.”
I, Kristen Staples Durkin, have just finished my first year of a 2-year master’s in social work from Hunter College in New York City, where I worked with older adults on the Lower East Side for my field placement. Next year, I will be working with youth in Brooklyn providing counseling in a diversion program, which is a criminal justice intervention that aims to steer youth away from formal prosecution and incarceration.
1987
Class Rep R esentative
Hilary Liftin hilaryliftin@gmail.com
Class a gent n eeded
1988
Class Rep R esentative & a gent n eeded
1989
Class Rep R esentative
Catrin Morris catrinmorrisdc@gmail.com
Class a gent n eeded
1990
Class Rep R esentative & a gent n eeded
Melyssa Fratkin let us know that she and her husband John McCalpin moved to Barcelona in June! They will be working for the Barcelona Supercomputing Center. They will only have one small guest room, so visitors are encouraged to ‘make a reservation’ early.
Ellie Herrington reports, “I’m still working on climate change in Cambridge, spoke alongside the High Level Champion at COP29, founded and am Editor-in-Chief of a Cambridge University Press journal, serve as a Lancet Commissioner, and have built the most energy efficient house in London.”
1991
Class Rep R esentative
Mirah Sederlof Briley mirahs@gmail.com
Class a gent Jessie Myers jessica_myers1234@yahoo.com
Please join us April 30–May 3, 2026 for your 35th Reunion!
1992
Class Rep R esentative Leslie Rosberg Sarma leslie.sarma@gmail.com
Class a gent n eeded
Madeline “Maddy” White Gorman writes, “Y’all, I am soon to be an emptynester, or as Chris says, a ‘Free Bird’, kind-of… Molly & Carter graduate from high school and head to Christopher Newport University and Randolph Macon College, respectively. Anna is graduating from James Madison University and starting her first job (not her career, just a first job) in an optometrists’ office this summer. We’re ‘kind-of’ Free Birds because Anna is coming back home to save money for a bit. So, if anyone has questions
about colleges in Virginia, my kids are sampling a few! We’re hoping for some weekend adventures to get little breaks from teaching (for me) and doctoring (for Chris). I’m currently reading The Defining Decade by Meg Jay!”
Isabel White Petrikin shares, “I’m excited to finally have taken a career turn into the world of live sports and entertainment, having recently started at On Location. In my new role I’ll be working with major clients on ticketing and hospitality for our official partners, including the FIFA World Cup, Milano Cortina 2026, LA28, the Masters, and the Super Bowl. Please be sure to let me know if I can find any of you at these events!”
Class Rep R esentative Charlie Phynes Garcia charlottephynesgarcia@gmail.com
Class a gent n eeded
Charlotte “Charlie” Phynes Garcia reports, “This past March I spent the day in Virginia with Tiffany Thompson and her mom. During NCS spring break I was fortunate enough to have dinner in Fort Lauderdale with Mieka Freund Wick and her lovely daughter Annabelle Wick ’25 who, at the time of this publication, will have already graduated. Congrats! I also attended my first Les Clefs d’Or Congress in Madrid where I met amazing concierges from around the world. If anyone is in South Florida for work or play, please reach out. I would love to connect.”
Gabrielle Myers’ third book, Break Self: Feed, was published in August by Finishing Line Press. This is her second poetry book. Please consider reading this book and her other books. She is also the farm-to-fork columnist for Inside Sacramento magazine with monthly articles that focus on the food revolution in her region. Links to her work are available via her website at www.gabriellemyers.com.
Jessica Hardesty Norris writes, “Happy 50, everyone! This year I ran into Anne
1. John McCalpin and Melyssa Fratkin ’90 spent three weeks in New Zealand before their big move to Spain. 2. Mieka Wick ’93, Charlie Phynes Garcia ’93, and Annabelle Wick ’25 at dinner in Fort Lauderdale in March 2025. 3. Amanda Zucker Bowker’s ’94 daughters Eve ’25 (L) and Vivian ’29 (R). 4. Members of the Class of 1995 celebrated their 30th Reunion at Open City May 2025. 5.
6.
Nina English Frost’s ’98 younger daughter, Annabel, was diagnosed at age two with Alternating Hemiplagia of Childhood (AHC), an extremely rare neurological genetic condition that affects one in a million children. Since that time, Nina and her husband, Simon Frost, have become deeply involved in pursuing therapies for AHC and related rare neurological conditions.
In 2017, the Frosts founded RARE Hope (rare-hope.org), originally called Hope for Annabel. Their early efforts focused on developing treatments for Annabel’s condition, but the work quickly evolved into something larger. What began as an effort to help one child has grown into a platform-based model designed to accelerate treatment for patients across the rare disease landscape. Today, RARE Hope works on crossdisease research focused on shared biological pathways, while continuing to advance the development of scalable, cutting edge genetic therapies that can benefit wider patient populations.
To broaden their reach, the Frosts have relied on a dedicated group of supporters, many with an NCS connection. The Frosts are grateful for the support they’ve received for their entire family. About Annabel, who is now nine, Nina says, “She’s the happiest, most loving child in the world. She loves people and has a unique way of bringing them into our lives and turning them into family.”
A May gathering of members of the Host Committee for a Gala to benefit RARE Hope on Nov. 13 in the Cathedral. From l. to r.: Alice (Brown) Leiter ’98, P’33; Claire (Sullivan) Voorhees ’98, P’31; Nina (English) Frost ’98, Helen (Brown) Bechtel ’00, P’31,’33; Chloe Arensberg ’98, Lisa Manning ’98. Front row: Tess L. ’33.
Samuel ’94 at the Living Futures Conference—we were on each other’s radars as aligned professionals, met face to face, and then realized our NCS connection, too!”
Mieka Freund Wick shares, “My daughter Annabelle ’25 and I spent a few days on the beach in Fort Lauderdale over spring break and were lucky enough to get to have dinner with Charlie Phynes Garcia, concierge extraordinaire! I spent a couple of days in NYC for work this winter and spent one wonderful evening celebrating turning 50 with Sarah Collins Robertson and Anna Schwebel Harrington. Anna then came and spent two weekends in DC with me while selling her The Rounds cookies at local fairs and festivals.”
Class Rep R esentative n eeded
Class a gent
Anja Brau anjabrau@gmail.com
Amanda Zucker Bowker watched her daughter, Eve Bowker ’25, graduate from NCS this year! Eve loved her time at NCS and is looking forward to attending Amherst in the fall. Eve’s younger sister, Vivian Bowker ’28, is a rising Sophomore at NCS and loving high school so far, despite the hard work!
Class Rep R esentative & a gent n eeded
The Class of 1995 celebrated their 30th Reunion and we had a great turnout! Attendees to our cocktail party at Open City included: Ileana Aguilar, Ansley Tillman Allison, Laura Brenneman, Christine Michalopoulos Burke, Sarah Cameron, Melissa Vanouse Caywood, Amy Chambers Cortright, Elizabeth Roberts Dalgard, Jean Galbraith, Lindsay Wilber Guthrie, Rachel Scribner Lunsford, Katie Matthews, Samantha Mazo, Margaret Stewart Nagle, Aderonke Awe Ogunmokun, |Alix Wilson Pistore, Molly Price,
Susannah Mills Silverman, Clare Treanor Stevens, Sarah Sullivan Stremlau, April Bennefield Williams, and Julia Vitarello Makovec. We even got to visit with our former classmate, Kirsten Burmester. It was great to see everyone, and look forward to our 35th Reunion!
Class Rep R esentative
Jeni Hansen j202wdc@gmail.com
Class a gent
Talhia Tuck talhiatuck@hotmail.com
Please join us April 30–May 3, 2026 for your 30th Reunion!
Kent Davis-Packard is setting poetry to music and completing a book of poetry with original painting. Her nonprofit, Women Forward International, is working with university teams to uplift women in Mexico, Afghanistan, India, and the United States.
Kate Earls lives in NYC with her 5-yearold Wyatt and was recently thrilled to return to the close with him for yet another year of magical Reunions and memorable Flower Mart.
Class Rep R esentative
Monica Barnes monica.barnes@gmail.com
Class a gent
Jennifer Berk jcberk@gmail.com
1998
Class Rep R esentatives
Cavan Doyle cavankdoyle@gmail.com
Kimya Gharib Kurilla kimyagharib@yahoo.com
Class a gent n eeded
Class Rep R esentatives
Nancy Matthews ndm2605@gmail.com
Meghan Edwards-Ford Rissmiller medwardsford@gmail.com
Class a gent
Sophie Rich Weidner sophierweidner@gmail.com
Lien Tran received promotion to Associate Professor with tenure in July 2024 at DePaul University in Chicago and is chair of the game design program. She’s also been working on several interactive projects teaching Asian American history as well as immigration issues. Lien connected with Sophie Rich Weidner and Nancy Matthews in D.C. in December, when she took her 7-yearold for the first time to see Mary Day’s version of The Nutcracker (the same version she used to perform with The Washington Ballet and now performed by Olney Ballet), and again in March, when Lien’s niece starred in her high school musical at Edmund Burke. Lien felt so nostalgic for high school days on both occasions!
Class Rep R esentative
Anna Bierlein Handy annaclasenhandy@gmail.com
Class a gent n eeded
It was a trip down memory lane and a weekend of welcome connection, gathering on the Close for our 25th (!) Reunion in early May. Thank you to Mary Moffett Keaney, Kyla Sams and Helen Brown Bechtel for all of your work to make Reunion so special for our Class. There are so many interesting updates to share from our classmates across the country and the globe. Read on to hear what they’re up to...
Kyla Sams writes, “I’m still living and working in DC, and feeling grateful for the rhythm of everyday life. In my free time, I love walking through Rock Creek Park, catching up with friends and family, and traveling. I recently visited Trinidad and Tobago—a beautiful
and meaningful trip—and I’m looking forward to exploring Colorado and New Mexico this summer.”
Helen Brown Bechtel reports, “I am living in DC with Brendan and our 3 daughters including an NCS fourth grader. I love being an NCS parent! I’m a year into my third term as a Trustee and thrilled to be supporting Head of School Elinor Scully as she shapes and implements her strategic vision for the school. My most recent exhibition “The Tuskegee Chapel: Paul Rudolph X Fry & Welch” opened up on the Yale Campus this year and I’ve loved spending the last few years building out an independent curatorial practice. I love getting together with local NCS alumnae, many of whom are current NCS and STA parents, and I’m excited to expand that circle with the reconnections made during Reunion.”
Brianne Barbour shares, “I’m in Georgia, married with three kids, and working as an urgent care nurse practitioner.”
Mara Prousalis Bartholomew writes, “I live in Santa Monica, CA with my husband and am the head of ecommerce and digital marketing for Seychelles Footwear, combining my love of fashion and business. Returning to the Close for our 25th Reunion was a meaningful experience—reconnecting with old friends, revisiting favorite memories, and feeling grateful for the community that helped shape who I am today.”
Linda Chavers notes, “I’m a senior consultant at NPAG which is a very small executive search firm that solely serves nonprofits. Last year I was invited to serve on the Board of Directors for Mother Caroline Academy and Education Center in Dorchester, MA—it is an all-girls school and the only tuition-free independent school in Boston. I bought a condo in Chelsea in 2023 and love it!”
Emily Ginsberg Dellisant shares, “We still live in Westport, CT, where we see Lindsey Jarboe Drake and her family a lot! My daughter, Grace, is finishing up
first grade, and son, Theo, is graduating from preschool and will be starting kindergarten in the fall. I’ve been working in digital product management at F. Schumacher for almost four years, building web-based sales tools and managing technology transformation projects while learning all about the interior design industry.”
Lindsey Jarboe Drake reports, “I greatly enjoyed seeing so many people at our 25th Reunion! I wish there were more time to catch up with everyone individually; we have a truly remarkable group. I’m in my 13th year (!) of working at enterprise SaaS company Infor, and still enjoying the challenges and opportunities it brings. When I’m not in NYC for work, I’m taking advantage of living in Westport, CT, enjoying the local beach, playing tennis, and generally doing anything outside with the family and our crazy puppy. Adam, Malin (8), Parker (5), and I often hang out with Emily Ginsberg Dellisant and her family; our kids attend the same elementary school, and both boys start kindergarten in the fall. I will be in CT all summer long, so if anyone is headed up this way or traveling through, I’d love to see you!”
Annie Garment writes, “Much of my work these days as Chief of General Medicine at Bellevue Hospital in NYC is figuring out how some of the changes in federal policy will affect our patients and our funding, so that’s keeping me very busy. The ray of sunshine is that our daughter has been cast as the lead in her school musical, Annie, and I’m settling into my new Stage Mom role very comfortably.”
Cara Amy Raphael Goodell shares, “We live in Austin and have three teens who are from Medellin, Colombia. A couple of years ago, John Goodell STA ’00 transitioned from practicing law to teaching US History and Government at a magnet high school in Austin. I practice family medicine in a mobile concierge practice called Everguide Health, which keeps me very busy. I always laugh when I am looking up local doctors and see them list multiple
hobbies. Outside of work I mainly walk our dogs, drive kids around, and sleep. :)”
Charlotte Oman Harper writes, “I live in Hyattsville, MD with my husband Ben and daughters, Frances (7) and Margot (4). My daughters are feisty like their mama, so god help us all! I’m an IT project manager at Children’s National and have been pursuing an EMBA in my spare (ha!) time. This spring, I’m traveling to Mexico City with my Capitol Hill friend Jonathan, and if it weren’t for my children and my dog, Fletch, I’m not sure I’d return. So thrilled to reconnect with everyone!”
Emily Bruce Holt reports, “In October 2024, I opened my own Direct Primary Care practice in New Orleans called Poppy Direct Care. I’m really enjoying getting back to old school medicine where I can spend more time with my patients in this model of care. My three boys and husband, Scott, and I converted a 100-year-old home in Uptown NOLA into my clinic, and the renovation was transformational for the whole family. Running a small business is not for the faint of heart, but I’m enjoying every minute of it!”
Callie Smart Hulick shares, “I live in Darien, CT and have two daughters, CC (11) and Audrey (9), and two miniature dachshunds, Cybil and Scottie. I’ve been enjoying volunteering at CC and Audrey’s all-girls school which reminds me a lot of NCS! I was able to catch up with Rana Al-Mokarrab when she was in town last fall, and am excited to see more classmates who live in CT and NY!”
Alaya Johnson reports, “I’ve returned to live in the US for the first time in ten years and have (somewhat surprisingly) found myself in the position at the head of a classroom! I’m serving as the Visiting Professor in the MFA program of Queens College, CUNY, where I’m teaching the nuances of speculative fiction writing. I’ve been lucky enough to get some tips from one of my favorite NCS teachers, Mr. Wood!
My most recent novel, The Library of Broken Worlds, was shortlisted for the Ursula Le Guin prize and I’m working on a historical novel set in 16th-century Mexico.”
Frannie Kelley writes, “I work at Dateline, where I make podcasts for them. Hilariously, my desk at work is directly behind that of Alexa Danner ’97. I live in Brooklyn with my dog, Bug, who wears a bow tie. And I’ve decided to ease into going gray by going as light blonde as possible!”
Lauren Flower Marsh shares, “I live in rural upstate NY and have four country boys—aged 3 to 7—they can easily bushwhack 20 miles in mud unfazed, but dinner parties are not their strong suit, and with a school event in Ithaca that morning, I wasn’t able to make it to Reunion. Three of them danced a maypole dance on Reunion day, which definitely felt full circle since we danced the Maypole so many years ago at Beauvoir in 1991.”
Lisa Rasmussen Murray shares, “I live in Mission Hills, Kansas with my husband, Tom, and two daughters Cici (10) and Sara (8). I am currently the Chief Investment Officer at the
I was struck by what an awesome range of professions our classmates have. Alaya Johnson has published eight (!) novels, and Sophie Martin is the urban planner in charge of one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical company campuses… just two examples of the interesting and unique career paths our ladies have taken. I have renewed pride in and appreciation for NCS!”—Hilary North Scheler, ’00
Kauffman Foundation. Outside of work, I drive my daughters to all their various sports and have joined a tennis team. I’d love to see anyone that comes through KC!”
Sarah Post writes, “I am living in Brookline, Massachusetts with my family (husband and two kids, 7 and 9) and working in Boston as a primary care physician and medical educator, plus a side gig as Deputy Editor for a spinoff of the New England Journal of Medicine called Journal Watch. In my spare time I work for an advocacy organization promoting inclusive housing and zoning policies in my town, I play in an orchestra and a few chamber music groups, and I manage my childrens’ increasingly complex schedule of various activities. It was really lovely to see everyone who made it to our 25th Reunion and I am so proud of our Class and all the amazing things everyone is doing! I would love to see anyone who passes through Boston in the meantime!”
Hilary North Scheler shares, “Our family recently moved home after living in Singapore for three years; we’re settled back in the CT suburbs of NYC with three kids ages 11, 8, and 8. I’m doing R&D research for a neuroscience company, working on biomarker discovery for an Alzheimer’s disease drug candidate. I was so happy to be able to travel to DC for our 25th Reunion and catch up with so many people. I was struck by what an awesome range of professions our classmates have. Alaya Johnson has published eight (!) novels, and Sophie Martin is the urban planner in charge of one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical company campuses... just two examples of the interesting and unique career paths our ladies have taken. I have renewed pride in and appreciation for NCS!”
Orlena Scoville reports, “I’m living in England with my husband, three stepkids, and three crazy dogs. I’m still working for an international humanitarian nonprofit, but with way less travel to exciting places these days. We are a couple hours north of London. If anyone comes to the UK, I’d love to
1. The Class of 2000 celebrated their 25th Reunion at the home of Mary Moffett Keaney ’00 over Reunion Weekend 2025. 2. Marci Robles ’02 and Gov. Tim Walz at a hurricane relief event in Durham, NC. 3. Children of members of the Class of 2000 at their 25th Reunion Dinner this past spring. 4. Members of the Class of 2003 gathered at Cactus Cantina to celebrate their 40th birthdays. 5. Kit Wiebe Cahill ’04 (L) and Betsy Remes Purves ’04 (R) together in Paris.
reconnect! Loved seeing the photos of everyone at Reunion.”
Kirsten Bierlein Surbey writes, “I have an art gallery in Camden, Maine, where we show artists of the Northeast. We exhibit paintings, sculpture and works on paper, and we hold a lot of community events. Come visit! My husband and I have three girls (15, 9, and 7), a dog and a rabbit. I enjoy catching up with Suzanne Mickey and Marisa Lloyd regularly.
Elizabeth Tate shares, “I live in Alexandria, VA with my wonderful daughter (who just completed Kindergarten!) and husband. I lead U.S. Government Affairs and Global Sustainability for Clarios, one of the world’s largest automotive battery manufacturers. I didn’t make it to the Reunion, but have been lucky to catch up with a couple classmates recently. Great to hear the amazing things we all get up to!”
Ashley McDowell Taylor reports, “We moved to Exeter, NH last July, and we have been loving this new chapter on the ‘Seacoast’ of New Hampshire. I started a new job as the Dean of Students at Phillips Exeter Academy, and my husband was able to continue his work remotely. Our daughter Sophie (6) started kindergarten this year, and our son Will (4) is in preschool. Reunion was the absolute highlight of the spring! So good to all be together, and huge thanks again to Mary, Kyla and Helen for such a lovely evening.”
Mirna Turcios writes, “I am now at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, MD. As a Deputy Chief of Neighborhood Library Services, I oversee and support the operations of seven of our 21 locations through the city. One of my areas of focus for my division is outreach, especially during branch closures for renovations and in support of the growing Spanish speaking and other English Language Learner communities in the city. Please continue to support your local public libraries! Whether you participate in a
program, join a Friends group, or simply use the space for work or study, that support is so needed now as we face loss of funding and threats to our core function as free community spaces that provide equitable access to reliable information resources.”
Elizabeth Magee Uslander shares, “This is an exciting year for us, as we look towards life as empty nesters, and continue fulfilling our vision of transforming Palliative and End of Life Care through our work at Empowered Endings. To that end, we recently donated the educational institute built in 2021 to the Empowered Endings Foundation, where I stepped in as the Executive Chair to lead our non-profit to the next level. Our mission is to fill the gaps in healthcare and remove barriers to accessing the education and support we all need to ensure a peaceful and dignified final chapter of life.”
Elizabeth lives in San Diego, CA.
And lastly, I, Anna Bierlein Handy, am still living in Scarsdale, NY with my husband and children (13, 11 and 6). I continue to love my job at the art gallery David Zwirner in Chelsea, where I head up Client Development & Sales Management. I really enjoy the mix of a busy suburban family life and a fascinating day job in Manhattan. Being in DC for our 25th Reunion was gratifying and life-affirming, and a total pleasure to catch up with so many women I’ve loved knowing over the years. Grateful for this special community!
Class Rep R esentative
Elizabeth Kraybill McIntyre elizabeth.krabill@gmail.com
Class a gent n eeded
Please join us April 30–May 3, 2026 for your 25th Reunion!
Class Rep R esentatives
Kimiya Aghevli Darrell kimiya.darrell@gmail.com
Michelle Dunkley Keys Dunkley@gmail.com
Class a gent
Casey Orr Whitman orr.casey@gmail.com
Marci Robles: After a 14-year collegiate coaching career and three National Championship appearances, I decided to shift gears and break into the political space. I had the honor of working on the Biden and Harris campaigns as the Training Director in North Carolina. I got to meet and work with the most incredible group of organizers and volunteers and was lucky enough to meet vice presidential nominee, Governor Tim Walz.
Class Rep R esentative
Julia Chen Rinaldi jchen0307@gmail.com
Class a gent n eeded
In early March, 21 members of the Class of 2003 gathered at Cactus Cantina to celebrate turning 40 together. With queso, laughter, and a few happy tears, we toasted to decades of friendship and many decades ahead. Thanks to Elizabeth Debevoise Baxter for coordinating from across the pond!
Class Rep R esentative
Bridget Splain Meehan bridgetsplain@gmail.com
Class a gent
Betsy Remes Purves betsyrpurves@gmail.com
New home or email address? Update your contact information: ncs.org/address-updates
Betsy Remes Purves and her husband Jon spent a wonderful week in France, overlapping with Kit Wiebe Cahill and David’s visit—and they met up in Paris! Her family went down the Northern Neck for a weekend getaway and stayed at a wonderful little inn that turns out is owned and run by Gari Lister ’83!
Class Rep R esentatives
Leah Calvo leah.r.calvo@gmail.com
Charlotte Woolley Stewart StewartSoprano@gmail.com
Class a gent n eeded
Sarah Buchman: I really enjoyed getting to see everyone at Reunion this year! Finally got wedding photos back from last June, which I’ve attached.
Claudia Schwartz: My daughter Aria was born in September 2024, making my son Adrian an older brother. She has already met at least one other NCS alumna baby who is younger than she is!
Participate in NCS’s First-Ever Alumnae Census! NCS.org/125/alumnaecensus
Class Rep R esentative
Holly Simpson holly.hsimpson@gmail.com
Class a gents
Heartie Dunnan Daddino Heartiedaddino@gmail.com
Rufaro Makanda rmakanda@gmail.com
Please join us April 30–May 3, 2026 for your 20th Reunion!
1. NCS and STA alumni at the wedding of Sarah Buchman ’05 last summer. From left (back row): Ben Rothenberg (STA ’05); Surya Kundu; Alex Sullivan (STA ’05); Caroline Gignoux ’05; Liz Banks ‘05; Stephanie Yesnik ‘05; Julia Liebner ’05; Alex Rales (STA ’05). From left (front row): Caroline Reaves ’06; Laura Casserly ’05; Claudia Schwartz ’05; Saskia Chanoine ’05; Sarah Buchman ’05; Monica Byrnes ’05; Brooks Swett ’05; Sam Collier ’05; Alexandra Petri ’06; Vandana Jerath. 2. Kota Gerson ’07 with her husband, Elliott Ward at their wedding in New Orleans, LA in April. 3. Annette Russell Naksbendi ’09 in her new office at NCS!
Photo by colleague Rita Rajen. 4. Libby Ulman Gilbert ’09 and Lee Gilbert welcomed Carter VanBremen Gilbert on April 22, 2025.
Class Rep R esentative
Kate Adamson kwhadamson@gmail.com
Vanessa Lukas vannylukas@gmail.com
Class a gents
Alexis Ellis aellis07@gmail.com
Kelley Hodge kelley.s.hodge@gmail.com
Kota Gerson married Elliott Ward this past April in a festive New Orleans celebration. They are back home in DC where they live with their beloved orange cat, Sid Vicious.
Class Rep R esentatives
Brittany Bordeaux Knight Britt.Bordeaux@gmail.com
Margaret Rawson marawson@gmail.com
Class a gent
Alex Abington alexandra.c.abington@gmail.com
Class Rep R esentatives
Alison Courtney alisoncourtney09@gmail.com
Kylie Gemmell Heatherkyliegemmell@gmail.com
Grace Zimmerman grace.ayers.zimmerman@gmail.com
Class a gent n eeded
Libby Ulman Gilbert and Lee Gilbert welcomed Carter VanBremen Gilbert
on April 22, 2025. Libby, Lee, and Carter live in Chevy Chase.
Annette Russell Nakshbendi is happy to report that she has returned to NCS as a staff member! In February 2025 she started her new position as Assistant to the Head of the Middle School and has loved being back on campus. Wouldn’t YOU like to eat lunch with your former teachers and coaches on a weekly basis? :)
Her husband (Kareem) and kids (Joey, 4 and Sara, 2) would love to see you if you’re in the area!
Helen Conaghan Renninger is living in Chevy Chase with her husband, Chris, and three kids, Jack, Henry & Finn! She loves getting to meet her classmates’ kids.
Class Rep R esentative Madeline Duff madelineduff29@gmail.com
Class a gent Brett Andersen b.andersen14@gmail.com
The Class of 2010 was delighted to have their first in-person reunion after COVID-19 canceled their 10th Reunion. Over a third of the Class attended so eXplorers could be found across The Cathedral Close in May, from posing with Soror the NCS Eagle at the STA/ NCS BBQ to finding archival homework with Ms. Howie in Hearst Hall. They ended the weekend at their all-time favorite Cactus Cantina and cannot wait for Reunion Weekend 2030.
Reconnecting with friends, teachers, and administrators—and seeing how much (and how little) has changed—was incredibly special. I was especially impressed by the poised and talented members of the Class of 2025 who I met—no surprise here, as NCS continues to mold girls into young women, destined to leave their mark on this world. —Kelsey Slaughter, ’10
Madeline Duff: Time has flown for these eagles! The eXplorers of the Class of 2010 enjoyed returning to the Close to celebrate our 15th Reunion! Thank you to those who journeyed back home, from near and far, and shared their adventurous tales. Brett Andersen, Kelsey Slaughter and I already look forward to planning our next Class gathering!
Kelsey Slaughter: Because our tenth reunion in 2020 was interrupted by the pandemic, I was thrilled to finally celebrate our fifteenth in person. Reconnecting with friends, teachers, and administrators—and seeing how much (and how little) has changed —was incredibly special. We all kept saying, “Everyone looks the same!” Reunion Weekend was exactly what I needed and left me feeling even more energized about our school and alumnae community than ever. I was especially impressed by the poised and talented members of the Class of 2025 who I met —no surprise here, as NCS continues to mold girls into young women, destined to leave their mark on this world. I was so grateful for the chance to reconnect and can’t wait to give back even more. Big shoutout to my lovely former student government leaders (turned lifelong Class of 2010 liaisons), Madeline Duff and Brett Andersen, for helping coordinate everything for our Class. Countdown to planning our twentieth reunion is on!
Class Rep R esentatives
Zayna Bakizada zbakizada@gmail.com
Adrienne Larson aslarson21@gmail.com
Bridget Morrison bridget.r.morrison@gmail.com
Aloise Phelps aloisedphelps@gmail.com
Class a gent n eeded
Please join us April 30–May 3, 2026 for your 15th Reunion!
1. Madeline Duff ’10, Brett Andersen ’10, and Kelsey Slaughter ’10 with current and former NCS Heads of School Elinor Scully and Kathy Jamieson. 2. Brett Andersen ’10 and Kelsey Slaughter ’10 pose with members of the Class of 2025 (Rhea M. ’25, Ali A. ’25, Yasmin R. ’25, and Erica B. ’25) at the annual Alumnae Association Induction Luncheon over Reunion Weekend. 3. Madeline Duff ’10 and Kelsey Slaughter ’10 pose with Phoebe Hearst at the Toast to 125 event over Reunion Weekend. 4. Member of the Class of 2010 celebrated their 15th Reunion at Cactus Cantina. 5. Members of the Class of 2010 at the annual NCS & STA BBQ over Reunion Weekend. From left: Madeline Duff, Kelsey Slaughter, Jane Bartman, Caitlin McClure, and Molly Hayes.
Aloise Phelps was married to Eliza Foster in Chatham, MA on September 21, 2024. Her sister, Hillary Phelps ’99 alongside Aloise’s dearest NCS friends
Annie Lindahl Wilkin, Margaret Morrison, Molly Sandza, Callee Johnsen, Emily Stephen, Sally Marmet, Katie Williams, Bridget Morrison, and Olivia Marshall, were all in attendance.
Mo Smolskis-Oleksak: On January 15, husband David and I welcomed our first child, Sophie Marie!
Class Rep R esentative
Emma Grauberger
Emma.h.grauberger@gmail.com
Class a gent n eeded
Class Rep R esentative
Polly Terzian pollyterz@gmail.com
Class a gent
Kate Cox katecox95@gmail.com
Class Rep R esentatives
Ilina Mitra imitra14@gmail.com
Calista Tavallali calista.tav@gmail.com
Class a gent n eeded
Class Rep R esentatives
Christine Evans cmevans2015@gmail.com
Gabrielle Tran gtran242@gmail.com
Class a gent n eeded
Molly Cox is earning a Master of Public Administration from Syracuse University and volunteering with the DC Mayor’s Office, where she is helping plan World Pride. In fun news, she also attended UMBC’s Match Day in March to celebrate future doctor Linda Krasniewski!
Marcha Kiatrungrit has been busy in Hollywood! She recently appeared in Eleanor the Great, directed by Scarlett Johansson, which premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival; co-starred on Law & Order Season 24, Episode 17 (NBC/Peacock); and played Christmas Eve in Avenue Q at Wisteria Theatre in Los Angeles. Last year’s work is still in the spotlight—Rejection, an audiobook she narrated, was named one of the New York Times’ Best Audiobooks of 2024, while Prom Dates and Forever were both nominated for WGA Awards. She also loved reconnecting with classmates at the NCS 10-year reunion this May!
Hannah Loughlin completed the first year of her PhD in Art History at the Institute of Fine Arts, NYU, where she is specializing in Greco-Roman art history. She will spend the beginning of the summer conducting research at the Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia as a member of the Antefixa Project. During the rest of her summer, she will travel around Italy and the U.K. to do provisional research for her dissertation on the intersection of Roman art, imperialism, and the exploitation of laborers.
Vanessa Moore is in the first year of her MBA at Stanford GSB. She’s focused on the startup world, doing a VC fellowship with Peterson Ventures, leading Galvanizer, a female founder accelerator, and working on her own venture—a tool for product managers. If you’re in the Bay Area, please reach out!
For the past five years, Louise Rosenberg worked as a consultant at Albright Stonebridge Group, helping multinationals do business in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Israel and the wider region. Now, she is pursuing a Masters of International Affairs at Columbia University. She hopes to work in government affairs at a private organization before pivoting to national security and intelligence work!
Tess Schaberg is in her fifth year of her PhD in neuropsychology at Columbia University, where she is currently placed as a clinical extern
at NYU Langone Children’s Hospital. In July she began two new positions at Memorial Sloan Kettering within their pediatric neuro-oncology service and at Mount Sinai Hospital, where she will conduct neuropsychological assessments for adults with multiple sclerosis. She is hoping to defend her dissertation this fall and is grateful for her NCS writing skills! In her free time, she enjoys running in Riverside Park and exploring the Upper West Side restaurant scene.
Talley Snow moved to Philadelphia in the fall to begin her MBA in Healthcare Management at Wharton, where she enjoys seeing Meredith Holmes and Elizabeth Thoren ’17. She is concurrently pursuing a Masters in Public Administration at Harvard Kennedy School and is excited to move to Cambridge in the fall and catch up with Priya Millward. She’ll be living in DC over the summer and loved seeing other 1CON5 at the 10th Reunion!
Abigail Summerville lives in Williamsburg and enjoys seeing her NCS friends in the NYC area. She is a journalist at Thomson Reuters and reports on mergers and acquisitions. She enjoyed the NCS 10th Reunion in May!
Gabrielle Tran is now in her second year of residency at NYU-LI in pediatrics! She has enjoyed exploring the NYC area over the past year and seeing her NCS classmates. In her free time, she also enjoys running—she just ran her first half marathon this past spring with her co-residents!
Camila Villagra-Riquelme spent the last year living and working in Yosemite National Park. The naturalists and rangers inspired her to begin a career in outdoor education. In March, she moved back to the East Coast after accepting a position as an environmental science educator in Northern Virginia. In her free time, Camila enjoys hiking, backpacking, and birding; she’s also in the process of planning her trip to Spain to walk El Camino de Santiago next spring.
Kenya Waugh is currently living in DC and is building a startup that helps brands drive sales through digital marketing and media communications! She was also on the Class of 2015’s 10th Reunion Committee and helped plan a wonderful Reunion Weekend!
Class Rep R esentatives
Alison Cenname alisoncenname@gmail.com
Hadley Irwin hadleyirwin@gmail.com
Class a gent lizwiggins5@gmail.com
Please join us April 30–May 3, 2026 for your 10th Reunion!
Elizabeth Brogan let us know that she completed a solo road trip across Jordan.
Charlotte Scott finished her first year of her sociology PhD program at Penn, where she studies environmental infrastructure implementation. Say hi if you’re in Philly!
Class Rep R esentatives
Gigi Grigorian gigi.grigorian@gmail.com
Caroline Morin carolinem17@gmail.com
Class a gent
Karis Felton karisfelton@gmail.com
Maeve Murphy is working at Anonymous Content in their NYC office. She is in her element in the Film/TV Literary Management division, representing screenwriters and directors. Maeve now understands what her classmates meant in suggesting “professional hype woman” for her Mitre “in 20 years…” senior superlative. If you know a talented filmmaker in need of a manager (read: professional hype woman), you know whom to call.
Class Rep R esentatives
Lily D’Amato lilyannadamato@gmail.com
Ally Edge edgeallyson@gmail.com
Lilly Freemyer lillyfreemyer@gmail.com
Class a gent n eeded
Class Rep R esentatives
McKenna Dunbar Dunbarmckenna@gmail.com
Annie King aking52119@gmail.com
Class a gent n eeded
Class Rep R esentatives
Emilia Boggs emilia.maria.boggs@gmail.com
Lucy Freemyer lucyfreemyer@gmail.com
Class a gent n eeded
Class Rep R esentative
Nisa Quarles nisa.eq@gmail.com
Class a gent n eeded
Please join us April 30–May 3, 2026 for your 5th Reunion!
Ally Wilkinson began working at Korn Ferry, based in Washington, DC. She leads research for Executive Search in the Government Affairs practice and advises the non-profit practice as well. She has had the pleasure of connecting with NCS alums on various search engagements.
Class Rep R esentative & a gent n eeded
Class Rep R esentative
Sophia Rees sophiaerees@gmail.com
Class a gent n eeded
Class Rep R esentatives
Bendu Joemah bajoemah@gmail.com
Clara Roberti roberticlara05@gmail.com
Maddie Ryan mdryan@mit.edu
Class a gent
Beatrix Weber beatrixaweber@gmail.com
Congratulations on your graduation, and welcome to the NCS Alumnae Association! We look forward to reading your notes in future issues of NCS Magazine.—NCS Alumnae Office
We acknowledge the loss of members and friends of the National Cathedral School family and extend our deepest sympathy.
i n Me M o R ia M
ALUMNAE
JANE ROEHL BRAGG ’47
Feb. 23, 2025
CORNELIA FROHMAN SANTOMENNA ’52
Feb. 27, 2025
CAROL TURNER CROSTHWAIT ’53
May 22, 2022
BETTY JANE “BJ” JOHNSON GERBER ’53
Jan. 15, 2025
JANIE LEE ’55
April 11, 2024
MARY ANN ELSE ROWE ’55
February, 18, 2025
SARA BETH SCHUYLER DILWORTH ’56
Oct. 8, 2024
PAGE DAHL CROSLAND ’57
Feb. 10, 2025
SABINA HARTLEY DUKE ’59
Feb. 27, 2025
SHEILA YANG PIERSON ’59
Jan. 11, 2025
MAUREEN “REENIE” BLACK PRETTYMAN ’60
March 20, 2025
JENNIFER URQUHART ’62
Feb. 17, 2025
CYNTHIA DUDLEY CASE ’69
Feb. 19, 2025
DIANE WADE DOYLE ’70
Oct. 15, 2024
SARAH “CRICKET” ZIMMERMAN ’75
Nov. 21, 2018
CECILY MILES SLATER ’83
April 20, 2025
JUSTINE EVANS ’07
March 23, 2025
KENDALL WILSON STA ’63
Board Member
1987–1988, 1997–1998
Board Vice Chair
1989–1990, 1993–1994 Board Chair
1994–1997 Jan. 18, 2025
ALUMNAE AND STUDENTS
CAROL DUDLEY CASE ’67 AND NANCY DUDLEY HEASLIP ’72
On the loss of their sister
Cynthia Dudley Case ’69, 2/19/25
NANCY DOYLE PALMER ’73
On the loss of her sister
Diane Wade Doyle ’70, 10/15/24
LAURIE HUNTSMAN ’75 on the loss of her mother
Mary Ann Else Rowe ’55, 2/18/25
DEBORAH “DEBBIE” PRINCIPATO JESSIMAN ’79
On the loss of her father
Jerold “Jerry” Joseph Principato, 11/21/2024
THE RIGHT REVEREND PAULA CLARK ’80
On the loss of her father
Willie E. Clark, 5/15/25
ALISON ANTHONY BETHUNE ’82 AND LAUREN ANTHONY ’85
On the loss of their father
Beryl Franklin Anthony Jr., 1/11/2025
TARA PIERSON DUNNING ’82
On the loss of her mother
Sheila Yang Pierson ’59, 1/11/2025
DIANA MOSHOVITIS LACH ’82
On the loss of her father
James “Jimmy” Moshovitis, 12/27/2024
JOAN QUIGLEY ’82
On the loss of her husband
Robert L. Furst, 4/6/25
JULIA TYLER ’84
On the loss of her mother
Frances Lorraine N. Tyler, 3/25/25
LISA BEATTIE FRELINGHUYSEN ’84 AND NINA BEATTIE ’85
On the loss of their father
Richard “Dick” Beattie, 6/6/25
KATHERINE “KATE” MURPHY ZEMAN ’87 AND GENEVIEVE “JENNY” MURPHY ’89
On the loss of their father
James Murphy, 2/16/2025
CATHERINE CROSLAND ’88
On the loss of her mother
Page Dahl Crosland ’57, 2/10/2025
LYDIA MILES LOGAN ’88
On the loss of her sister
Cecily Miles Slater ’83, 4/20/25
KATHARINE “KC” DANZANSKY ’92
On the loss of her father
Stephen Ira Danzansky, 6/2/25
ASHLEY BLANCHARD ’94
On the loss of her brother
Alexander Evans Snowdon STA ’10, 1/12/2025
SARAH CAMERON ’95 AND ANNE CAMERON ’97
On the loss of their father
Duncan Cameron, 1/4/2025
ALEXANDRA “ALIX” WILSON PISTORE ’95
On the loss of her father
Kendall Wilson STA ’63, 1/18/2025
EMILY BUCKLEY ’00
On the loss of her daughter
Rosemary Burke Dolan
CAROLINE PUGH ’00
On the loss of her father
Keith Emerson Pugh Jr., 2/4/2025
ASHLEY EVANS KELLNER ’02
On the loss of her sister
Justine Evans ’07, 3/23/25
ELISE PASSAMANI ’02
On the loss of her father
Eugene Randolph Passamani, 3/26/25
ZOE LACH ’18, SKYLAR LACH ’22, MAIA LACH ’22
On the loss of their grandfather
James “Jimmy” Moshovitis, 12/27/2024
INDIA REYNOLDS ’20
On the loss of her grandmother
Mary Ballou Williams, 1/26/2025
On the loss of her grandfather
William “Bill” Hobart Buchanan, Jr., 4/21/25
JANE PURYEAR ’23 AND MEREDITH PURYEAR ’25
On the loss of their grandfather
Barry McKuin, 2/18/2025
LAURA PURYEAR
Board Chair
On the loss of her father
Barry McKuin, 2/18/2025
ROLAND REYNOLDS Board Member
On the loss of his mother
Mary Ballou Williams, 1/26/2025
On the loss of his father-in-law
William “Bill” Hobart Buchanan, Jr., 4/21/25
ELIZABETH “LIZ” SNOWDON BONNER ’89 Board Member
2003–2009
On the loss of her brother
Alexander Evans Snowdon STA ’10, 1/12/2025
RICHARD “DICK” SNOWDON III AND CATHARINE “KATIE” SNOWDON Board Member
1983–1989, 1998–2001 Board Vice Chair
1985–1986 Board Chair
1986–1989
On the loss of their son
Alexander Evans Snowdon STA ’10, 1/12/2025
LINDA KEENE SOLOMON ’82
Board Member
2018–2024
Secretary
2021–2024
On the loss of her father
Floyd Cecil Keene, Jr., 4/24/25
FACULTY AND STAFF
ANNIE DESAUSSURE
Upper School French Teacher
On the loss of her grandfather
James “Dick” Buehrle, 12/28/2024
JASON GOODWIN
Upper School Math Teacher and Faculty
Representative on the Board
On the loss of his grandmother
Elnora Goodwin, 1/10/2025
ASAAD HUSSAIN
IT Technical Support Staff
On the loss of his mother
Cheryal Hussain, 1/2/2025
KIM PARMER
Upper School Operations Manager
On the loss of her mother
Barbara J. Gerson, 3/5/2025
RITA RAJEN
Social Sciences Teacher
On the loss of her cousin Manish Prasad
SARA ROJAS
Receptionist
On the loss of her stepson
Edward Fabio Rojas, 3/30/25
a
FORMER FACULTY AND STAFF
TRACY SAVAGE
Director of Development
1989–2002
On the loss of her brother
Toy Dixon Savage III, 1/1/2025
The annual Dance Gala showcased the depth and breadth of talent on the Close.
#NCSArts
#NCSDance
#DanceGala2025
Middle School athletes brought energy, teamwork, and Eagle spirit to their games this spring.
We’re proud of their dedication, sportsmanship, and growth both on and off the field!
#NCSEagles
#NCSAthletics
Our Fifth Graders developed innovative solutions to challenging urban problems. They presented their ideas to their peers and families on an informative and thought-provoking Beta Day.
#NCSScholars
#NCSBetaDay
#NCSSTEAM #NCS125
