Review The Magazine for Alumni, Parents, and Friends of Saint James School
Spring 2020
Celebrating the Class of 2020 Virtual Commencement • College Matriculation • Online Learning • In Harm's Way: Alumni Who Serve
Review • Spring 2020
first look A camera records Father Dunnan speaking at the virtual Commencement ceremony for the Saint James Class of 2020 from the Senior Steps of Claggett Hall.
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Review • Spring 2020
featured
The Review is a publication of the Office of Development & Alumni Relations Headmaster: The Revd. D. Stuart Dunnan, D.Phil. Director of Development and Alumni Relations: Margaret McGuigan Director of Communications: Kimberly Dudash Saint James School, 17641 College Road, Hagerstown, MD 21740 Tel: 301-733-9330 • Fax: 301-739-0043 • www.stjames.edu
ON THE COVER A painting of the Senior Steps of Claggett Hall by Olivia Riser '20.
Mr. Heebner hosts a virtual class via Mircosoft Teams in his empty classroom.
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Read more about how the faculty and students at SJS transitioned to online learning.
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View the list of winners recognized at our Virtual Prize Day ceremony.
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See how the Class of 2020 celebrated Commencement virtually with their families.
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Six of our most recent graduates will participate in collegiate athletics.
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In Harm's Way: We highlight several SJS alumni who chose a life of service.
departments Around Campus
4-5 6-7 8-9 10-11 12-13 14-15
Transition to Online Learning Teacher Appreciation, College Counseling, Social Media, Spring Flowers Pohanka Fine Arts Center, 2020-2021 School Year 2020-2021 Vestry & Prefects, Cum Laude Society Inductees Bai Yuka Yearbook, Faculty & Staff Departures, Faculty & Staff Work Anniversaries New Staff Members, Diversity at Saint James
Arts & Culture
16-17 Teaching Art Virtually, Spring Art Collection 18-19 The Arts Continue: Theater, Music, 10-Minute Tap
Class of 2020
20-21 22-23 24-27 28-29 30-32 33 34-35
Prize Day Awards Grit, Grace & Gratitude by Zoe Esterly '20 Commencement Behind the Scenes and Prizes Class of 2020: Celebrating Remotely Commencement Address by Ed Haubenresier Goodbye, Farewell & Amen by Dave Rath '85 Class of 2020 College Matriculation
Amelia Shaw '21 earned a varsity letter playing polo. Read more on page 37.
Chalk Talk
36 Three-Sport Varsity Athletes, Six Athletes to Play in College 37 Amelia Shaw '21 Earns Letter for Polo
Chapel Talk
38-39 A Homily: Easter Comes Quietly, Keeping Our Community Connected Spiritually 40-41 A Homily for the Baccaluareate Eucharist
Classmates
42-51 In Harm's Way: Alumni Lead a Life of Service 52 Leaving a Legacy: The Carroll Family 54-55 Class Notes 56-57 Columbarium, Annual Fund Thank You
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Mr. Zawie uses the SmartBoard in his classroom to reach his students.
Building a Virtual Community 4
Review • Spring 2020
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The Transition to Online Learning By Marc Batson
Watching the impact of COVID-19 approach our little corner of the world was like watching a slow tide move in. In the weeks leading up to March break, we were learning more and more about the potential spread of this disease, and by the time spring break rolled around on February 28, we were already making plans for students who would need to remain on campus for the entire break. True to form, Saint James rallied as a community, vacation plans were altered, and a group of adults stayed around to make sure those students who already could not go home had a safe place to stay. Just a few days into the break, it became clear that reopening after March vacation would not be likely. Word was spread quickly that we would have to move to an online format, but the challenge was that most faculty were already away from campus, so training would prove difficult. By delaying the start of online classes by a week, the faculty quickly explored options for teaching in a new way. Other independent schools were in the same situation of having to respond quickly, and the sense of sharing and camaraderie with other schools was simply impressive.
Mr. Camp has a one-on-one meeting with a student.
Ultimately, we were able to move to an underused platform that we already had access to – Microsoft Teams – and this became the foundation for how we would hold our classes. Combined with our Blackbaud system, Microsoft Teams proved to be a relatively userfriendly approach to teaching online. Of course, we all had much to learn about how to remain effective in terms of posting assignments, assessing, and accepting submitted work from students. We also looked to strike the balance between live and recorded classes, always keeping in mind that many of our students had already made their way back home, which meant distant times zones in several cases. All of the cautions about online learning proved to be true. Technical issues were encountered; streamlining and standardizing approaches were awkward; instruction and learning was altered greatly across many lines; a fatigue factor reigned as teachers and students alike came to know how hard it is to communicate effectively via the internet. Essentially, the thing we value most – community – was lost. School seemed to become just about imparting and receiving academic information, and the more “human” aspect was absent. Kudos to teachers and the students for doing such a great job of keeping up the academic rigor, but none of us want to be without in-person interaction again. Gains were made
Mrs. Lachut teaches from her laptop.
in figuring out how to make the online experience more normal, and these lessons will be valuable should we need to offer online classes again. But what we all crave is to be with our students on campus. Going online in the coming year seems inevitable on some level. There could be shutdowns (even briefly) again, and I am sure that the opening of school is going to bring delays for some travelers as they work through quarantines, testing, and visa issues. Some of us are enrolled in courses for improving online classrooms, and certainly a good amount of our teacher meetings in August and September will involve compiling best practices and standardizing approaches a bit more. And while improvement is in order if we need to teach and learn online again, I take this opportunity to state how proud I am of our students for all of their hard work and patience; and how proud I am of our faculty for adjusting so quickly to the situation that COVID-19 presented and for working tirelessly for their students.
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Teacher
Appreciation Throughout the school year the SJS Parents' Association always does a wonderful job of making sure our teachers know they are appreciated. This spring was no different, even though the students weren't on campus. The PA committee led by Kellie Root and Jennifer Martirano prepared treats and gifts which they left in faculty mailboxes and held gift card raffles. Students also submitted photos to express their thanks on social media. We thank the Parents' Association for their uplifting efforts!
College Counseling in the Virtual Age
Robert Harry, SJS College Counselor, has a virtual meeting with fifth former Vince Anani. Mr. Harry met virtually with all fifth form students this spring.
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Review • Spring 2020
With the upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, many colleges and universities across the country pivoted from in-person matriculation events to virtual visit days and tours for incoming freshmen and future students alike. The Office of College Counseling was also able to seamlessly transition to virtual conferencing for each member of the fifth form to discuss teacher letters of recommendation, testing timelines, sixth form course schedules, and prospective colleges. The spring is a crucial time for sixth formers making their final college choices. The Class of 2020 had plenty to choose from, having been accepted to 118 institutions across 28 states and the District of Columbia as well as schools in Canada, Japan, and the United Kingdom. Given the dynamic situation in college admissions this spring and the upcoming fall, Mr. Harry was able to attend virtual conferences, including the annual Potomac and Chesapeake Association for College Admission Counseling Conference, the St. Michael’s Conference for College Admission Professionals and College Counselors, and a virtual visit to North Carolina State University. With new information being released daily, professional networks are incredibly important during this uncertain time; Mr. Harry collaborated weekly with colleagues in the Association of Independent Maryland Schools (AIMS) College Counseling Group—sharing best practices, hearing from many admissions officers, and strategizing for the future. With the Class of 2020 well on their way to being leaders for good in the world, the Class of 2021 is well positioned for the upcoming college admission cycle this autumn.
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Social Media Keeps Community Connected Members of the SJS community turned to the school's Facebook and Instagram channels to stay connected while the campus was closed. Mr. Lachut posted 'Joke of the Day' videos, Senior Prefect Will Hertel made birthday announcements via Instagram Stories, and the girls of Coors challenged each other to a virtual water drinking challenge. Mr. Pillow and Jenna Root '20 each did a Takeover Tuesday, giving people a glimpse into their day of online learning. And throughout the month of May, we recognized each of our graduating sixth formers on social media. We look forward to keeping you connected when our students return this fall!
Jenna Root '20 gets extra help online during her Takeover Tuesday.
Mr. Lachut shared 'Joke of the Day' videos from various spots on campus.
Angie Antoine '20 and the girls in Coors Hall had a water drinking challenge.
Spring Flowers Mr. Ellis took photos of flowers to share the campus beauty with our community since they could not enjoy it in person.
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Pohanka Fine Arts Center to Open in September Finishing touches are being completed on the interior of the Pohanka Fine Arts Center and we look forward to opening the building to our students when they return to campus this fall. On April 16, our new pianos were delivered, including three pianos restored by the well-known Farley's House of Pianos in Madison, Wisconsin: our recital hall piano (Steinway B, fully restored 1923), teaching studio piano (Steinway A, fully restored 1910), and choir room piano (Baldwin L, reconditioned 1969). Due to the pandemic, no plans have been set to showcase the building to our alumni community as of yet. We look forward to showing you this beautiful new space for our flourishing arts program soon!
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Welcome Weekend 2020 will look different than this photo from last year.
Saint James School Plans for Safe and Healthy On-Campus Return for 2020-2021 Saint James School is prepared to welcome students back to campus this fall while keeping the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff as our top priority. All students will be welcomed back for orientation on September 5 and 6 with classes beginning on September 7. Our COVID committee has been meeting regularly to plan how we will regather safely, with plans following local, State, and Federal guidelines. Dr. Carrie Adams, the Chief Quality Officer at Meritus Medical Center in Hagerstown, is a member of the committee and her guidance on how to function safely will be a major asset. Families will have the option to choose the boarding program, the day program, or to attend classes online. Boarding students will be asked to remain on campus throughout the first weeks of school to limit off-campus exposure. Students who opt to take class online will attend live classes, but classes will also be recorded for later viewing for students in distant time zones. Arrival dates will be staggered, and local families will be given the opportunity to drop off belongings to dorm rooms beginning in mid-August. All students and faculty will be tested for COVID-19 upon their arrival. Tests will be administered on campus by Meritus Health. Students will be asked to complete wellness checks each morning before class. Face masks will be required for all students and staff on campus. Hand sanitizing stations will be placed throughout campus as well as signage in bathrooms to remind students to practice proper hand hygiene. To reduce clusters around lockers, students will be asked to carry
their backpacks with them throughout the day, and signs will remind students about the importance of physical distancing. Teachers will have more sections in order to reduce the number of students in classrooms, and with the opening of the Pohanka Fine Arts Center, additional classroom space is gained by repurposing the former art and choir rooms. We are also prepared to use areas like the dance studios and the wrestling rooms as classrooms. Additional modifications will be made for dining, and we anticipate eating in shifts, with three lunch seatings and two for dinner. Details for daily chapel, such an important common experience for our community, are still being finalized. The Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAC) has announced that the fall sports season has been canceled. We are pursuing creative ways to provide meaningful athletic opportunities for our students, focusing on team building and sport-specific skill development. As the pandemic evolves, we will continue to monitor changing guidelines and adapt our plan as necessary to keep our community safe. Saint James School's 178th year will be as normal as an historic health emergency permits, and as innovative as possible to focus on the education and support of our students as well as the safety of all the adults who make that education possible. Read additional details about the School's plan at: www.stjames.edu/reopening
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Chapel Vestry 2020-2021 The following students were elected sacristans and will be invested in the Fall for this office in the Chapel. Congratulations to the new and returning members of the 2020-2021 Chapel Vestry!
Jacob Dugas Senior Thurifer
Nash Peña Senior Reader
Lauren Aguila Senior Usher
Vince Anani Sacristan
Felipe Avellaneda Yehmyung “Chloe” Jung Jee Hyun “Katy” Kwon Sacristan Sacristan Sacristan
Sungbum Lee Sacristan
Jack Weisgerber Head Chorister
Xiyue “Coco” Zhang Head Chorister
John Gilbert Storey Senior Sacristan
2020-2021
PREFECTS 10
Yin "Emily" Zhu Senior Marshal
During the virtual Commencement ceremony, the following Fifth Form students were named prefects for the next school year. Please join us in congratulating our new prefects!
Jacob Dugas
Review • Spring 2020 Tade Omisore
Jimmy James
Katy Kwon
Morgan McMahon
Jennifer Nguyen
Nash Peña
Jaka Prevodnik
Coco Zhang Senior Prefect
Will Zimmermann
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Saint James Scholars Inducted into Cum Laude Society On May 18, the newest inductees into the Saint James Chapter of the Cum Laude Society were announced via email. The Cum Laude Society is an honors organization founded to encourage and recognize true scholarship in secondary schools, modeled after Phi Beta Kappa. The major objective of the Society is to recognize academic excellence; however, the Motto specifies qualities which, ideally, each member of the Society should have as personal goals and should endeavor to encourage in society at large. The Cum Laude Society's motto is: Excellence, Justice, Honor. "Excellence" includes moral excellence and is not limited to the ideal of superiority in scholarship, nor does it involve the endeavor of competing primarily for academic grades. "Justice" includes the concept of what is suitable and appropriate as well as just. "Honor" includes the concept of dignity and true worth.
The current Saint James membership of the Society includes those Sixth Form students who were elected in their Fifth Form year: Nicklas Michael Pank, Michaela Elyse Siegel, Yuyin "Nelly" Xie, and Yijun "Kitty" Zhou. The newly elected members of this year's Sixth Form are: Zoe Min-Ying Esterly, Darcy Anne Farrell, Evan Theodore Fulmer, Wenrui "Bill" Li, and Jenna Brianne Root. Joining these students are the following students from the Fifth Form: Leo Casto Cucuzzella, Pui Ho "Michael" Lau, Nash Richard Pena, Ziyue "Coco" Zhang, and Yin "Emily" Zhu. Ms. Schmucker, from the faculty, is also among those newly inducted. Please join us in congratulating these new members of the Cum Laude Society on this achievement!
2020 I N D U C T E E S
Zoe Esterly '20
Darcy Farrell '20
Evan Fulmer '20
Pui Ho “Michael” Lau '21
Wenrui “Bill” Li '20
Nash Peña '21
Jenna Root '20
Ziyue “Coco” Zhang '21
Yin “Emily” Zhu '21
Ms. Schmucker
Leo Cucuzzella '21
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Bai Yuka Yearbook The theme of the 2019-2020 Bai Yuka yearbook is "By the Numbers." The students were inspired when they learned at the beginning of the year that there were 25 families at Saint James with siblings. They spent the year gathering other interesting figures—from the number of seats in Kellam Auditorium to the number of mailboxes in Kemp to the number of lockers in Powell/Fulton to the number of conjugations in the French language, etc. The yearbook features photos of numbers that are important to the school and the community. Congratulations to the yearbook editorial staff: Michaela Siegel '20 (Editor-in-Chief), Lauren Aguila '21 (Head of Photography), Jimmy James '21 and Nash Peña '21 (Co-Heads of Editorial), and Coco Zhang '21 (Head of Layout), as well as advisers Joel Ellis, Jeremy McDonald, and Veronica Zawie.
Faculty and Staff Departures We wish the following departing faculty and staff members all the best in the new adventures that await them. We are grateful for their hard work during their time as part of the Saint James community!
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Melody Batson Comptroller
Alexander Gould English Teacher
Edward Haubenreiser Science Teacher
Jim James Associate Director of Admissions
Charlotte La Nasa English & Drama Teacher
Michael Milbury Math Teacher
Kara Newman Spanish Teacher
Maria Stewart Math Teacher
Review • Spring 2020
Kerri Kline Assistant Director of Admissions
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Faculty & Staff Work Anniversaries We thank the following faculty and staff members for their dedication to Saint James School and recognize the milestones they have achieved.
Ellen Davis 40 years
Ted Camp 25 years
Marc Batson 20 years
Karla McNamee 20 years
Brian Lewis 10 years
Adam Robertson 10 years
Deb Cornett 5 years
Ben Heebner 5 years
Anne James 5 years
Heather Marshall 5 years
Jennifer Martirano 5 years
Cody Pillow 5 years
Nathan Zawie 5 years
Veronica Zawie 5 years
Molly Lachut Receives the Spence & Cinda Perry Travel Award The Spence and Cinda Perry Faculty Prize, endowed by former faculty member and trustee Spence Perry and his wife Cinda, provides a grant for summer travel to a member of the Saint James faculty who has distinguished himself or herself by faithful service to the school and exemplary devotion to his or her students. It was given this year to Molly Lachut. Mrs. Lachut has been at Saint James for six years, was the Dorm Head of Coors, coaches field hockey, and teaches Developing Nations and United States History. This past spring she took sixth formers to Spain and walked part of the Camino de Santiago, constituting a remarkable contribution to our life and our quality as a school.
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Saint James Welcomes New Staff Members KELLY ESPY joined the Saint James community as of July 1 as the Senior Associate Director of Admissions. She will also serve as the Dorm Head in Coors. For nine years, Ms. Espy was the Senior Associate Director of Admission and Head Swim Coach at Christchurch School, an Episcopal boarding and day school for grades 9-12 located about an hour east of Richmond, VA. Prior to that she was the Academic Affairs Advisor and Coordinator of New Student Orientation Programs and Assistant Swim Coach at Emory & Henry College in Virginia, where she also received her BA degree. Ms. Espy said she got to know Saint James from traveling with admissions professionals over the years and learning more about our school. "I love the beautiful campus, the strong academic programs, and the family feel of Saint James," she said. In her free time, Ms. Espy likes to travel, swim, camp, and spend time with family and friends, her husband, Daryle Page, and dog, Buddy.
BRENDA LAMPARD started working part-time at Saint James in December as an accountant in the Business Office. In May, she took over as Comptroller. Mrs. Lampard is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and holds degrees in Business Administration from Hagerstown Community College and in Accounting from Shepherd University. She has previously worked as a Senior Accountant for the Washington County Government and as Internal Auditor and Financial Analyst for Potomac Edison. So far, the things she likes best about Saint James are the beautiful campus, hearing the Chapel bells, the rich history of the school, and all the people she has met. In her free time, Mrs. Lampard enjoys listening to music, food on the grill, low humidity, and relaxing with friends and family, including her dog, Zeke (a chocolate lab). She and her husband Richard reside in Williamsport, MD.
SAMANTHA JONSON joined our team in April as the IT Support Specialist. She hit the ground running, tackling various projects, despite most of the campus being closed due to the pandemic. Mrs. Jonson holds a BA from Salisbury University and recently earned Associate of Applied Science degrees in both Network Administration and Cybersecurity. She has previously worked as an Information Systems Lab Technician at Hagerstown Community College and a Data Analyst and Product Support Specialist for Morningstar, Inc. From her experience working in IT at HCC, Mrs. Jonson knew she wanted to work in education. She said she was drawn to the mission and values of Saint James as well as the community-centered atmosphere. Away from work, she enjoys spending time with her two daughters; Coralee Fern (5) and Maelynn Grace (2). "I love watching them each develop their unique personalities and use our family time to help guide their growth and encourage their creativity," she said.
TARA SWABY will be joining the Saint James community in August as the new School Nurse. Ms. Swaby has a wealth of experience as a Registered Nurse which she will draw upon to keep our students safe and healthy. Over the past 15 years, Ms. Swaby has worked in various capacities at Washington County Hospital, Kaiser Permanente in Frederick, WVUH East City Hospital in Martinsburg, WV, and Meritus Medical Center in Hagerstown. She took a break from the workforce shortly after becoming a new mom to triplets in 2015. During that time, she earned her Master of Business Administration from Washington Adventist University. "I am looking forward to providing competent nursing care in a warm and nurturing manner while building healthy relationships with the students, faculty, and staff of Saint James," Ms. Swaby said. In her free time she enjoys spending time with family and friends, listening to music, dancing, and exploring different cultures through food.
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Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Saint James Following the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd and the subsequent protests and calls for social justice around our country, Father Dunnan sent several emails to the Saint James community condemning the acts and standing by our students, alumni, and families of color. The School also responded to a Change.org petition that was signed by ten of our young alumni regarding equity and equality on campus which challenged Saint James to take a hard look at how issues of race, gender, and socioeconomic status play a role in our community. An Instagram account was also started as a means to share hurtful stories, and we are listening and learning from those experiences, and we apologize for pain and injustice experienced on our campus. To begin the work of addressing diversity, equity, and equality on campus, three committees have been formed: Faculty & Administrative Committee: Marc Batson, the Assistant Headmaster, has formed a faculty and administrative committee to review our diversity policies and curriculum internally. Student Committee: Steve Lachut, the Dean of Students, is in the process of forming a student committee to advise him once students return to campus. Alumni Committee: Melanie Regan, the Assistant Director of Fine Arts who is also an alumna of the class of 2000, is leading a committee of diversity alumni, to share thoughts and experiences, provide recommendations, and converse with the faculty committee.
They will all be reporting to the wider community as their work progresses. They were asked to review four areas: Regathering: How can we best regather as a school in the fall acknowledging what has happened during our absence and making sure that we treat each other with mutual respect, deeper empathy, and greater understanding? This will take advantage of the changes in our schedule caused by our need to gather in smaller groups and with more time on campus. Student Support: How can we develop our Student Life Office and Programs to encourage mutually supportive conversations and interactions between students and between students and faculty, and how can we better provide the adult and peer support our students need to seek help when they are feeling excluded, demeaned, humiliated, or attacked? Policies: How can our counseling and disciplinary policies better enforce our expectations for polite and mutually respectful behavior between students, between students and faculty, and between our students and members of the outside community? Curriculum: How can our curriculum, both academic and extracurricular, better provide for diverse voices and perspectives, enhancing the overall education of our students? Updates from the faculty and administrative committee include instruction from Mr. Batson to department chairs to review their curriculum and the addition of an interpersonal conduct policy
to the student handbook. Mr. Batson is also working on a diversity statement, which will be submitted to the Board for approval in October. An anti-racism/diversity workshop, which includes three 3-hour sessions, has also been added to the schedule when the faculty return for meetings prior to the start of school. The workshop will be led by The Rev. Christine L. McCloud, Canon for Mission with the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland. The alumni committee had its first official meeting on July 15 and Mrs. Regan also had many individual conversations as well as several Zoom calls with the petition panel prior to that meeting. In addition to Mrs. Regan ’00, the alumni committee consists of: Jordan Walendom ’19, Aimée Mehala ’18, Kofi Agyeman ’17, Leanne Ludwick ’16, Winnie Chang ’15, Grace Fulton ’15, Nicole Jenkinson ’14, Ayoi Yang ’14, Akin Walker ’06, Julian Smith ’06, Lara Ninnes ’99, Sarah Gaba ’99, Tammy (Hall) Martinez ’98, Dan King ’98, and Jason Ottley ’98. The committee is still a work in progress as members of our community reach out to us or as we identify and contact others who we feel would be an asset in this process. Mrs. Regan would like for the committee to meet several more times this summer and then present to the faculty committee at the end of August. The ultimate goal in this work is to reflect and embrace the opportunity to improve our School while still maintaining our commitment to the School’s enduring mission of building leaders for good in the world.
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Teaching Art During the Pandemic When the decision was made in March to switch to virtual learning, art teacher Jeremy McDonald instantly started brainstorming ways to teach visual art over the internet, while keeping the expectations of the class the same. “I didn’t want to just do art history and add more to their academic workload,” he said. “Feedback from a lot of students is that art class is one of the highlights of their day, so I wanted to come up with open-ended projects that we hadn’t done before.” Because the students had been in class since the beginning of the year, they all had prior knowledge to reference when starting new projects at home. Students in Art I and Art II had more structure, while students in Advanced Art or AP Art were set up for independent study, choosing projects that interest them. When the closure started, Mr. McDonald was conscious that some students were in quarantine or staying with host families, and may only have a pencil, eraser, and paper at their disposal. Mr. McDonald purchased a clamp for his iPhone that attached to his desk allowing him to record tutorials and walk students through the process. He worked in twoweek increments, first introducing students to a project and providing examples. By Friday of the first week the students had to take a photo of their work in progress to send to him. Over the weekend, Mr. McDonald would email feedback to each student, and then by the end of the
Art teacher Jeremy McDonald works at his home studio.
second week they had to turn in their finished piece. After it was announced that students would remain in online learning for the remainder of the school year, Mr. McDonald assigned students a flower project. “I wanted them to realize that even though the world is gloomy, there’s still beauty, so get outside and draw it,” he said. Watch one of Mr. McDonald’s timelapse art tutorials at www.stjames.edu/artlesson.
Painting by Ryan Scott '22 Selected as Finalist in Art Competition Ryan Scott '22 was a finalist in the 2019-2020 Trilogy Fine Arts Competition for his painting "Swim Good." The competition was open to all high school students in Washington County, MD and pieces were judged on creativity, design and artistic composition, craftsmanship, and execution of artwork related to chosen medium. To describe his submission, Ryan said, “In my painting, I aimed to capture a perfect moment of pure bliss and serenity where one feels at one with the world, almost like they are floating in a pool of water. Instead of trying to make the painting as photorealistic as possible I also chose more impressionist techniques.” His painting will be on display at the Trilogy Professional Center in Hagerstown during the 2020-2021 school year. 16
Review • Spring 2020
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Spring Art Collection
Winfred Wang, Art II
Ryan Scott '22, Art II
Olivia Welty '20, Art III
C.J. Cao '22, Art I
Jenny Cheng '20, Adv. Art
Pearl Walker '23, Art I
Jessica Geng '21, Adv. Art
Oliver Li '21, Art I
Sungbum Lee '22, Art II
Bill Li '20, AP Drawing
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Creating a Live Theater Experience with a Laptop
Watch the performance at: stjames.edu/waroftheworlds
The Saint James School Mummers' Society explored the power of radio drama and put on a live broadcast of Orson Welles' War of the Worlds. Students provided the voice talent and handled the sound effects. The production was broadcast on Facebook Premiere on May 28. Bravo to our student actors for having the courage to perform on a laptop screen! Pictured above are some of the cast after their final rehearsal: Top: Emily Zhu '21, Evie Brauner '24, Rodrigo Tejado '22 Middle: Dr. Regan, Holly Butcher, Francine Diaz, Bottom: Jack Weisgerber '21, Ian Stimson '21, and Jessie Wang '22.
The Music Continues at SJS Our music programs continued to flourish even while we were apart. Students receiving private music instruction continued to do so, meeting on Microsoft Teams with their instructors. This screenshot captures a moment from a joint lesson being given to Sabina Noel '23 and Teresa Shang '23 by our flute instructor, Mrs. Higgins. Teresa, whose family lives in Shenyang, China, was being hosted by Sabina's family. They took the opportunity to learn a flute duet. Our second form music class, taught by Mrs. Regan '00, had daily live classes in which they learned music theory and about great works of Western Classical Music. The Boys' Acapella Ensemble met every Friday with director Dr. Regan for an "Aca-Breakfast." They remotely recorded Sabina Noel '23 and Teresa Shang '23 in a remote lesson with "Go the Distance" for contemplative chapel. instructor Mrs. Higgins.
Kitty Zhou: Virtual Senior Recital
Watch the recital at: stjames.edu/zhou
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One of this spring’s events was to have been the first student recital in the Kay H. Teach Recital Hall in the Pohanka Fine Arts Center by sixth former Kitty Zhou of Shanghai, China. We were pleased to offer a special online presentation through Facebook Premiere and look forward to a future time when Kitty can return to Saint James and perform in person. Kitty’s accomplishments at Saint James have been numerous, both musically and academically. This year, she has served as Head Chorister of the Chapel Choir, had a role in Mary Poppins, sang with the Girls’ Acapella group and was Editor-inChief of the newspaper, The Jacobite. She played the organ for chapel services and performed piano frequently for contemplative chapels. Kitty has earned High Honors throughout her four years at Saint James and was inducted into the Cum Laude Society in her fifth form year. She will be attending Vanderbilt University in the fall, majoring in history and public policy with a minor in piano performance. She is a piano student of Dr. Joseph Satava.
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SJS Chapel Choir Sings "We Are Not Alone" The Saint James School Chapel Choir came together remotely for a brilliant performance of "We Are Not Alone" by Pepper Choplin, with a solo by Jimmy James '21. The video was shared as part of our virtual contemplative chapel on Friday, May 8. The end result was beautiful but more difficult to pull off than you might think. Each student had to record individually and then
each audio track had to be synched up. Thank you to audio engineer Will Stowe for making that happen! The YouTube video of the choir was shared by many, including by the National Association of Episcopal Schools and by John H. Taylor, the Bishop of Los Angeles. Great job to our choristers! Watch the video at: www.stjames.edu/choir
Get Moving with 10-Minute Tap Nicole Ruark, dance instructor at SJS, gave the Saint James community the opportunity to start tapping! Ms. Ruark shared "10-Minute Tap," a weekly series of video lessons to give students a break in their day, help them learn a new skill, and make music with their feet. The videos were designed for beginners—no experience or tap shoes necessary. The lessons covered everything from a ball change and flaps to rolling shuffles and time steps. All in the SJS community were invited to participate. Watch the lessons at: www.stjames.edu/tap
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| class of 2020 |
Prize Day Awards
Each year, scholastic prizes are awarded in recognition of academic achievement in various subjects as evidenced by highest grades. These awards were announced at our Virtual Prize Day on Saturday, May 30, 2020.
The following Middle School students received prizes: The Prize for Excellence in English, the Prize for Excellence in Mathematics, and the Rich Memorial Prize for Scholarship were awarded to: Ruoyan "Yanny" Gao New York, NY The Reichard Middle School Science Prize and the Prize for Excellence in History were awarded to: Lily Claire Cucuzzella Shepherdstown, WV The Prize for Excellence in Religion was awarded to: Andrew George Weisgerber Frederick, MD The Middle School Headmaster’s Prize was awarded to: Danseh Nkouatchet Yanou Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire The prizes for All-Round Athletic Ability were awarded to: Elise Marie Bamforth Hagerstown, MD
Ezra William Burdette Brownsville, MD
The Mary Ann Hatcher Memorial Prize for “love of learning” and “care for fellow students” given by her father George Hatcher ’74, was awarded to: Jeremiah Davion Gorham Bristow, VA
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Mr. Batson announces prizes during the filming of virtual Prize Day.
The following Fourth Form students received prizes on Prize Day:
The following Fifth and Sixth Form students received prizes:
The Waller Wynne Prize for nonwestern history & culture was awarded to: Josephine Edewede Ogor Akhigbe Lagos, Nigeria
The Prize for Excellence in English, endowed by Mr. Richard Turner, given in memory of Russell and Wilhelmina Nelson, the Prize for Excellence in Spanish given in honor of George C. Belden, long-time master of Saint James School by the Class of 1959, and the Prize for Excellence in Art, endowed by Mrs. Elizabeth R. MacLeod were awarded to: Michaela Elyse Siegel Shepherdstown, WV
The Clarence W. Wheelwright Prize for devotion to duty, endowed by Dr. and Mr. Galleher of Baltimore, was awarded to: Sungbum Lee Gyunggi-do, Republic of Korea The “Tim” Shryock Prize for “Willingness to Serve,” endowed by Tim’s mother, Mrs. Shryock, was awarded to: Rodrigo Tejado Gómez Sotomayor Mexico City, Mexico
The Henry Kyd Douglas Prize for English Composition was awarded to: Zoe Min-Ying Esterly Braddock Heights, MD
| class of 2020 | The Prize for Excellence in Physics and the the United States History Prize, endowed by Mr. Simms A. Jamieson, long-time friend of Saint James School, were awarded to: Pui Ho “Michael” Lau Shenzhen, China The Prize for Excellence in Mathematics and the Farah Science Prize for Outstanding Achievement in the Sciences were awarded to: Nicklas Michael Pank Walkersville, MD The Prize for Excellence in Biology was awarded to: Xiyue “Coco” Zhang Shanghai, China The Prize for Excellence in Chemistry, in memory of Dr. Marion Veazey, endowed by Mrs. Veazey, was awarded to: Yin "Emily" Zhu Shanghai, China
Yanny Gao
Sungbum Lee
Jenna Root
Lily Cucuzzella
The Prize for Excellence in European History was awarded to: Jenna Brianne Root Greencastle, PA
The St. Lawrence Book Award for community service was presented to: Jessica Junyan Geng Beijing, China
The Prize for Excellence in French was awarded to: Eugene "Serena" Han Seoul, Republic of Korea
The Rensselear Polytechnic Institute Award was awarded to: Leo Casto Cucuzzella Shepherdstown, WV
The Prize for Excellence in Latin and the the Prize for Excellence in Music, endowed by Mr. Robert W. Grab, in memory of his father, Charles L. Grab, Sr. and his mother, Elizabeth P. Grab was awarded to: Yijun "Kitty" Zhou Shanghai, China
The State of Maryland Merit Scholastic Award Certificates were awarded to: Zoe Min-Ying Esterly Braddock Heights, MD
The Bowman-Byron Fine Arts Prize for excellence in performing arts was awarded to: Maya Faith Drabczyk Shenandoah Junction, WV
Andrew Weisgerber
Rodrigo Tejado Michaela Siegel
Serena Han
Kitty Zhou
Nicklas Michael Pank Walkersville, MD
The John C. Campbell Memorial Prize for the most improvement in oral communication while at Saint James was awarded in the Fifth Form to: Venus Esenam Anani Burtonsville, MD and in the Sixth Form to: Sarut Chamnanraj Bangkok, Thailand
Danseh Yanou
Elise Bamforth
Ezra Burdette
Jeremiah Gorham
Josephine Akhigbe
Zoe Esterly
Michael Lau
Nicklas Pank
Coco Zhang
Emily Zhu
Maya Drabczyk
Jessica Geng
Leo Cucuzzella
Venus Anani
Sarut Chamnanraj
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| class of 2020 |
Grit, Grace, and Gratitude By Zoe Esterly '20
A ghost town. No laughter filled the hallways as I walked through the academic building for the final time, and there were few people to greet with a smile. This was a version of Saint James I had never experienced during my four years on campus. Walking back into my dorm room, it was as if everything had been preserved in time. The calendar on the wall still read February, and all of my books and clothes remained exactly how I had left them before departing for spring break. Excitement had buzzed through campus then as we were ready for a break and the adventures that awaited us. As I raced out the door ready for the Camino with my fellow fifth and sixth formers, it never occurred to me that it would be the last time I would experience a normal Saint James school day. After returning from Spain, both the severity and reality of the pandemic set in. As the weeks passed and the return to school kept being pushed back, I began to realize that as a sixth form class we had already experienced our “lasts”: our last family-style lunches and dinners, nights outside of Kemp, games on the turf, athletic seasons, and in-person classes. For years I had watched in anticipation as the sixth formers ahead of us experienced their final year at the place that we had all grown to call home. Especially in the third trimester when everyone has solidified their future plans, the whole school looks forward to enjoying the weekends and evenings outside, cheering on 22
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friends in their games, and being extremely grateful to the teachers for together for the final months of the continuing to prepare lessons and school year. Saint James is built on for keeping me motivated until the its traditions. From Father’s tea party end. Since AP exams were scheduled and barbeque, form celebrations and formatted differently, no one at faculty members’ houses, prom, knew exactly what to expect, and senior recitals, and senior night, a new type of preparation had to to Baccalaureate, the hug line, and be assumed. During this time, my Commencement, the spring is family was in the midst of a move. filled with activity and an aura of My virtual classroom was in a hotel. celebration envelops the campus. I took my exams alone in a hotel However, this year we were not able room. Immediately after the exams to experience the typical ending to were over both my teachers and my our journey at Saint James. advisor sent emails and called to This year, as a community, we check-in and see how the process tackled challenges no one had went. Every Wednesday, Ms. Flower’s experienced before. Emails, video continued advisee group meetings calls, and Blackbaud messages to talk about what new skills we were flooded my computer as teachers learning, Netflix recommendations, took to online teaching since we and even what extreme sport we couldn’t be in the physical classroom would be willing to try. Although due to a worldwide pandemic. Each some of my classmates were in one of my teachers continued to different states and even countries, show their investment in my learning and growth, even though we were no longer living next door to each other. Online learning required a new level of organization and communication skills that both students and teachers had to adapt to. Soon I settled into a routine schedule beginning with an 8:45 live class with Ms. Schmucker and finishing with my G block class In the midst of a family move, Zoe's virtual classroom with Mr. Batson. I am was in a hotel room.
| class of 2020 | live classes were attended and much appreciated to be able to enhance the online learning experience. After classes, keeping to the normal Saint James schedule, I went for a daily run. Despite not having a senior lacrosse season, I know myself, along with many other Saints, continued to get outside and exercise because of the enjoyment we all had experienced throughout our sports seasons at Saint James. It is because of the opportunities that we engaged in during our time on campus that we have already begun applying both the lessons and the daily schedule to the wider world. This school year followed these exact words: grit, grace, and gratitude. It was through our perseverance and sense of responsibility that we completed the year. It was not without a plentiful amount of grace that we came together to support each other in these challenging times. Now as I reflect on my sixth form year and my time at Saint James, I have an immense amount of gratitude for the lessons I have learned, the support
When Zoe and her fellow fifth and sixth formers prepared to leave campus for their spring break trip, they didn't know it would be the last time they'd be on campus together.
and encouragement from faculty and friends, and the opportunities I have had. Commencement and Baccalaureate had the same sentimentality and celebration as in previous years albeit in a very different format. For me, I watched virtual commencement with a view of the ocean. As my family watched the live stream of Prize Day, Baccalaureate, and
Commencement on my computer screen, I realized that although it was an unconventional way to graduate, it was certainly memorable. The class of 2020 still had much to be proud of and many accomplishments to be celebrated, even though it was an unexpected ending. Words of congratulations and kindness lit up my phone from teachers, friends, and alumni. Despite being apart we felt the same excitement and proudness for each other. Through virtual means the Saint James community once again came together to celebrate and support each other. This continuous sense of community is just one reason why I am proud to be an alumna of Saint James and a member of the class of 2020. As we go forward into the future, I know that my time at Saint James has prepared me both academically and morally to face life’s challenges. Thank you Saint James, and congratulations to the class of 2020.
Zoe watched the virtual Commencement with her family at the beach.
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| class of 2020 |
Behind-the Scenes: Virtual Commencement The sky was blue but the Senior Circle was empty rather than full of family and friends. Dr. Jason Weibel played the bagpipes and processed through the Circle, but he wasn't followed by the 45 members of the Class of 2020. Mr. Haubenreiser gave a terrific Commencement address, but he was talking to a camera. The names of each graduating student were read from the Senior Steps, as is tradition, but those students didn't get to walk up to receive their diplomas. Saturday, May 16 was a surreal day, as we filmed not only Commencement, but also Prize Day and Baccalaureate. A professional videographer was hired to film all three ceremonies, which were edited and then broadcast via YouTube Premiere at their designated times on May 30 and 31. We filmed the ceremonies as if our community had actually been gathered in the Chapel or on the Senior Circle, not stopping for multiple takes or waiting for the train whistle to stop blowing. After 24
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prizes were awarded or diplomas conferred, the student's photo, name, and hometown appeared on the screen. Recordings of the Chapel Choir were inserted for our hymns. And instead of a hug line after Baccalaureate, we played a photo slideshow that showed the Class of 2020 throughout their years at Saint James. It wasn't the same as our traditional Commencement day, but we know members of our community were watching at home. They were moved to tears by the Commencement address; they prayed with us; and they applauded our sixth formers. From their homes, from the beach, or from family watch parties. We wish all the best to the Saint James School Class of 2020 and hope to see them back on campus soon. Watch Commencement, Baccalaureate, and Prize Day at www.stjames.edu/classof2020
| class of 2020 |
Commencement Day Prizes Non-scholastic prizes are awarded to members of the student body who, during their years at Saint James made noteworthy contributions to the life of the School, or who have exhibited outstanding qualities of leadership and such characteristics as integrity, cooperation, loyalty, and seriousness of purpose. Most prizes are awarded on the basis of a two-thirds vote by the faculty. The Onderdonk Headmasters’ Prize endowed by Mr. and Mrs. Richardson Onderdonk, class of 1935, in memory of Henry Onderdonk, headmaster of Saint James School from 1869-1895 and Adrian Onderdonk, headmaster from 1903-1939, is awarded to that member of the Fifth or Sixth Form who has served the wider community beyond Saint James School well beyond the school’s expectation or requirement. It was awarded to: Zoe Min-Ying Esterly Braddock Heights, MD The G. Dudley Acker Award is awarded to a Fifth or Sixth Form student, who during his or her years at Saint James School has overcome adversity and has achieved a measure of success. This award, made possible through gifts from Dudley, his classmates and friends, was presented to: Peyton Daphine Wyndham Knoxville, MD The Chaplain's Prize is awarded to the student who best exemplifies the primal purpose of Saint James School in training Christian gentlemen and ladies, as shown by quiet devotion to church life, courteous consideration of other people, and a high sense of personal integrity. It was awarded to: Owen Joseph Horrigan Poolesville, MD
The Simms A. Jamieson Prize, endowed by Mr. Jamieson to the Sixth Former who has shown the most improvement in his or her years at Saint James was awarded to: Benjamin David Couling Barrie, Ontario, Canada The A. Smith Bowman Prize to that Sixth Former who best exemplifies the qualities of a gentleman was awarded to: Gerardo Tejado Gómez Sotomayor Mexico City, Mexico The Margaret Aitken Pennington Prize, given by Mr. and Mrs. William Pennington ‘70, in memory of Margaret Pennington, long-time librarian and advisor to the first class of girls at Saint James is given to a member of the Fifth or Sixth Form who best exhibits the qualities of a lady. It was awarded to: Kaitlin Marie Dellaposta Hagerstown, MD The Charles G. Meehan, Jr. ’65 Prizes for All-Round Athletic Ability in the Sixth Form were awarded to: Skylar Rose Treadwell Martinsburg, WV
Griffin Dominic Almany Fairplay, MD
The David I. Barr Prize for Sportsmanship and Leadership in Athletics was awarded to: Austin Christopher Grandstaff Frederick, MD
The Donn Porter Prize, given in memory of Donn Porter ‘49, is awarded to a member of the Fifth or Sixth Form who has shown genuine courage and real devotion to the team above and beyond the call of duty during his or her time as an athlete at Saint James School. It was awarded to: Olivia Flora Welty Frederick, MD The Class of 1950 Award for Creativity, supported by the Class of 1950 Fund, is given to a member of the Fifth or Sixth Form who has shown him or herself to be creative and original through a significant achievement or work which enlivens the spirit of the School. This achievement or work can be in any field: academic, artistic, dramatic, musical, or athletic. It was awarded to: Yijun "Kitty" Zhou Shanghai, China The Noble C. Powell Prize is awarded each year to a Fifth or Sixth Former, who by the creative exercise of imagination and initiative, has made an outstanding contribution to change, development, and progress at Saint James School, while remaining faithful to its fundamental principles and purposes. It was awarded to: Yin "Emily" Zhu Shanghai, China
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| class of 2020 | The School Prize is given on occasion by the Headmaster to a member of the Sixth Form who in his opinion has shown faithful devotion to Saint James School. It is awarded this year to: Thomas Nash Bacon Boyce, VA The Mary Latrobe Onderdonk Memorial Prize for Sound School Citizenship was awarded to: Benjamin David Couling Barrie, Ontario, Canada The MacLeod Prize in memory of Dr. and Mrs. Colin MacLeod, endowed by Mrs. MacLeod and her daughter Mary Woodruff, is given to a member of the Sixth Form who by high ideals, faithfulness to duty, earnest endeavor, and sound character has made a contribution worthy of praise. It was awarded to: William Michael Topham Lafayette, LA The Trustees' Prize for Scholarship, given in recognition of the highest achievement in the Upper School maintained over a two-year period, was awarded to: Michaela Elyse Siegel Shepherdstown, WV The "Multum Profecit" Prize in memory of Dr. Lawrence Hoyer, endowed by his wife Phyllis Hoyer, is awarded to a member of the Sixth Form who, with broad interests and with participation in a wide range of activities, has achieved in all a commendable success. It was awarded to: Jenna Brianne Root Greencastle, PA
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The Centennial Prize (in memory of Evelyn Richardson Onderdonk), is awarded to a member of the Sixth Form who has made an outstanding contribution to the immediate general welfare of the School along one or more lines. It was awarded to: Darcy Anne Farrell Winchester, VA
The Headmaster's Prize is awarded to the member of the Sixth Form who best exemplifies the qualities of a gentleman or lady and a scholar. It was awarded to: Zoe Yin-Ming Esterly Braddock Heights, MD The Bishop's Prize, by tradition the School's highest prize and greatest honor, is awarded to a member of the Sixth Form who has contributed the most to the long-range, longterm welfare of the School, either by accomplishment or by personal example, was awarded to: William Harris Hertel Waterford, VA The Holloway Prize Scholarships endowed in honor of James L. Holloway III, Class of 1939, and in memory of James L Holloway IV, Class of 1963 are given to up to two incoming members of the Sixth Form who have distinguished themselves as scholars, athletes, and examples for good within the Saint James community. The prizes are awarded by vote of the faculty, and in order to be eligible a student must be a varsity athlete in three sports, has achieved honors or high honors in the Fifth Form, and viewed by the faculty as generally positive and helpful in his or her relationships with other students. The $5,000 scholarships afforded by this endowment are applied towards boarding tuition in the Sixth Form year, reflecting the Holloways own experience as boarding students at Saint James. It is presented this year to: Morgan Francis McMahon Hagerstown, MD
The Fields Prize Scholarships, endowed in memory of Ambassador Louis G. Fields, Jr., are given to two incoming members of the Sixth Form who have distinguished themselves as scholars, persons of high character and courage, and examples of good within the Saint James community. The prizes are awarded by the vote of the faculty. In order to be eligible, a student must have achieved honors or high honors in the Fifth Form, participated in a well-rounded program of extracurricular activities and be viewed by the faculty as generally positive and helpful in their relationships. The $5,000 scholarships afforded by this endowment are applied towards boarding tuition in the Sixth Form year. They were awarded to: Xiyue "Coco" Zhang Shanghai, China
Yin "Emily" Zhu Shanghai, China
| class of 2020 | The Lee Prizes, endowed in honor the Robert E. Lee IV in recognition of his long service to Saint James School as trustee, are awarded by vote of the faculty to incoming Sixth Formers whose earnest endeavor and polite manner make them a credit to the society of the School. The $5,000 scholarships afforded by this endowment are applied towards boarding tuition in the Sixth Form year. They were awarded to: Venus Esenam Anani Burtonsville, MD
Warner Thompson "Jimmy" James Hangerstown, MD
Jee Hyun "Katy" Kwon Seoul, Republic of Korea
Ngoc Hoang Bao "Jennifer" Nguyen Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
Jaka Prevodnik Kranj, Slovenia
The John Ross Fulton Award, endowed by Mark ’85 and Ann Fulton in memory of their son, is given to an incoming member of the Sixth Form who has overcome a significant obstacle and through courage, determination, and perseverance has made the most of his or her situation and is a positive example to others. The $5,000 scholarship afforded by this endowment is applied towards boarding tuition in the Sixth Form year. It was awarded to: Ian Bullitt Stimson Falls Church, VA Class Agents Class of 2020 The following two members of the graduating class were appointed Class Agents: Maya Drabczyk Jenna Root
Kaitlin Dellaposta Maya Drabczyk
Zoe Esterly
Griffin Almany
Venus Anani
Thomas Bacon
Ben Couling
Darcy Farrell
Austin Grandstaff
Will Hertel
Owen Horrigan
Jimmy James
Katy Kwon
Morgan McMahon
Jennifer Nguyen
Jaka Prevodnik
Jenna Root
Michaela Siegel
Ian Stimson
Gerry Tejado
William Topham
Skylar Treadwell
Olivia Welty
Peyton Wyndham
Coco Zhang
Kitty Zhou
Emily Zhu
| class of 2020 |
Class of 2020: Celebrating Remotely
Our Class of 2020 families chose to celebrate in a variety of ways—and from all over the globe. Many of our graduating sixth formers honored the Commencement day tradition of wearing navy blue and white. Some of our local families also made trips to campus to take photos on the Senior Steps. A group of SJS faculty members spread out in the Refectory and watched on a projector screen. Wherever we watched, we are all proud of the Class of 2020.
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| class of 2020 |
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| class of 2020 |
Class of 2020 Commencement Address By Edward Haubenreiser Teacher, Coach, and Dorm Master, 2016-2020 Good morning, Saints. And good morning family and friends of Saints, and former Saints. Thursday, March 12th of this year was the day that the Coronavirus began to have its impact on our life here in the U.S.: it was the day that the World Health Organization declared it a pandemic, and as a result the stock market plummeted, people began to work from home, schools like ours began going remote, and sports and other major events were being postponed or cancelled. Now I don’t know if this is one of those special moments in history where people ask, “Do you remember where you were when this thing happened?” I guess only time will tell. But, if this is one of those special moments when people ask, “Do you remember where you were when the U.S. Coronavirus outbreak began?” then I can confidently say I do remember where I was on that day. On Thursday, March 12, I was driving eight hours from Toronto, back home to Chicago to see my family. Halfway through that drive I stopped for lunch in the small town of Jackson, Michigan. I walked into a restaurant and, to avoid taking up a table, I sat at the bar. Since I was sitting at the bar, the bartender asked for my ID. He was, understandably, surprised to see a Maryland ID in the state of Michigan, as he exclaimed “I don’t see this too often!” There were two older women next to me, and, upon hearing that, they asked what I was doing in “little ol’ Jackson, Michigan.” So, I told them, “I’m a high school teacher, and we’re on spring break right now, so I’m doing a bit of a road trip: I spent last
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night in Toronto and now I’m headed to Chicago to see my family.” The two women burst out laughing, and said, “You’re a high school teacher? We have high-schoolers of our own - that sounds like the worst job in the world…is it not?” I took a second, before I responded back to them, asking: “Have you ever heard of St. Clare?” Now that is a huge leap - to go from talking about my profession to talking about a Christian saint. But what I want to tell you all this evening is how I made that leap: I want to tell you all what went on in my mind in that brief second between what she asked me and what I asked her, and what ultimately provoked me to ask the question, “Have you ever heard of St. Claire?” So, when she asked about being a high school teacher… 1) …the first thought that came to my mind was from 5th grade. I was attending a private Catholic school, and it was the first time I had heard that your parents or guardians could send you to public school and just pay for the education through their taxes; they wouldn’t have to pay any additional amount of money like they would for attending a private school. I went home that day and asked my parents why they were paying to send me to Our Lady of the Wayside when they could send me to the public school for nothing more than their taxes. My mom dropped whatever she was doing, looked me square in the eye, and said, “Because Ed…at any point in your life, anything can be taken from you: you could lose your house, you could lose your car, you could lose your job, you could lose money.
But the one thing that no one can ever take away from you is what’s up here [pointing to forehead]. That’s why we send you to that school.” That was the first thing I thought about. 2) The next thing I thought about was my freshman year of high school, when puberty hit me like a rock: I got glasses, braces, and acne all within a four-month period of starting high school. I was really insecure about it, I got picked on a lot, and I didn’t have many friends. But there was a teacher at my school - a priest - named Father Corey. Every day that I passed him in the hall or walked into his classroom, he would just light up: “Mr. Haubenreiser! How are you doing today? Are you staying out of trouble?” He would ask me that every day. At the end of each day I would think about all that had happened, and I’d think about that interaction, and I’d fall asleep thinking “Well, today wasn’t all that bad.” 3) I then remembered sophomore through senior year of high school, when I had a lacrosse coach, Coach Sanford, who would lay into me every opportunity that he got: in practices, in games, in one of our daily meetings during the school day…he did not hold back as to how he thought I played. Even when I thought I played well - he would barely show me the light of day. He induced an amazing amount of stress and pressure on my life; not only as an athlete, but as a student and as a person. But I later realized: it was all of that adversity that he brought into my life…it was him constantly
| class of 2020 | challenging me, that gave me this self-esteem and confidence that an insecure freshman couldn’t have developed otherwise. 4) I remembered going off to college and, for the first time in my life, making these deep, meaningful friendships. 5) And I remembered the first half of my senior year in college, when I met a woman in the career services department, named Elizabeth Wilson, who would seemingly drop whatever she was doing, at a moment’s notice, all the time, to help me figure out what it was that I wanted to do with my life. Through countless meetings she would eventually help me figure out that I wanted to go into teaching. 6) And shortly after that - in the winter of my senior year - I would text one of those friends…a guy that I hadn’t talked to in a while. I would text him saying, “Hey man. I know it’s been awhile; hope all is well. Listen, I am thinking about going into teaching, and I actually got an email from this school in Maryland that I know you attended. I know this is out of the blue, but at some point in the next few weeks, if you find yourself free, I would love to get your opinion on the place.” A minute later, he was calling me. In that moment he dropped whatever he was doing, and spent the next hour of his life telling me all the wonderful things about this place. 7) I remembered how it was that phone call and that friend that provided me the privilege to be a part of a community… …a community where I would call my parents after my very first faculty meeting and tell them it was “like a big family trying to run a school.” A community where I would see acts like that - acts where students, teachers, and staff would drop whatever they were doing in order to help someone else - all the time. I remembered one of my first lunch
tables, where I had a student who wasn’t very talkative and a student who was very talkative, and every day that talkative student would make a point to ask the non-talkative student, “How’s it going, man? What’s new? What did you learn today?” Two years later, I would sit at a dinner table with that non-talkative student, but now he was the one asking everyone at the table, “How’s it going? What’s new? What did everyone learn today?” I remembered watching kids grow up right in front of me. I remembered my first year teaching, when I taught a 3rd former who would bounce off the walls with energy, and, as a first year teacher, having no idea how to reel this kid in and get him to focus. Then, three years later, I would teach that kid as a 6th former, and I would see how he used all of that energy to focus on what we were learning: he would ask questions, and ask other students questions, and create this dynamic learning environment that I looked forward to every day. I remembered seeing kids struggle, and then fail…but only to learn and then succeed from that failure. I remembered the start of one of my seasons coaching. At the end of the first practice, the coach pulled aside one of the 6th formers and told him “We need your voice. We need you to lead this team, or we’re not going to get anywhere close to our potential this season.” Every practice after that, I saw that 6th former go out of his way to address a teammate, or multiple teammates; it was not smooth at first, but by the end of that season I saw every guy on that team look at that 6th former in a completely different way. I remembered being inspired - on a daily basis - by students and teachers who were so darn passionate about something, and seeing how the entire campus community would rally around that passion.
I remembered watching students and teachers stand up at the front of the chapel, or on the stage in the auditorium, completely vulnerable, and being in awe of the courage it took to do something like that. I then would look around at the congregation/audience and see the same expression of awe and wonder from everyone else. I remembered class after class, team after team, meal after meal, Claggett after Claggett…where I would get that same sense of community - that same feeling of one big family - like I had felt in that very first faculty meeting. 8) And the last thing I remembered was an email I received that morning of Thursday, March 12th. It was from Mr. Batson, our Asistant Headmaster. The subject line read “Stay tuned” and the first sentence read “Things are moving pretty quickly, but just so everyone is aware, we are delaying our student arrival for another two weeks, and, in the meantime, we will begin training for online learning.” I remembered all of that in that brief moment after the woman in Jackson, Michigan asked about being a high school teacher, and all of those thoughts provoked me to ask her the question, “Have you ever heard of St. Clare?” Now I imagine many of you are in the same position as this woman, who did not know who St. Clare was, so I will bring you up to speed. St. Clare was a close friend of St. Francis, who was known for giving up his family’s wealth so he could dedicate his life to the poor and sick. In a noted conversation between the two of them, St. Francis said to St. Clare, “You know, people think I’m crazy for wanting to give up my father’s wealth in order to help the poor and the sick. Do you think I’m crazy?” And St. Clare responded, “No, I don’t think you’re crazy…because like you, I don’t want to be loved con't on pg. 32 Spring 2020 • Review
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| class of 2020 | Commencement Address, con't from pg. 31
anymore. I want to love.” I am standing up here this morning for the same reason that all of you are, wherever you are watching this. We are all in this moment together because at some point in our lives we were loved. At some point in our lives (though likely more than just once), someone invested their thought, their time, and their energy in us. They invested in us not for their own personal gain, not to push their own agenda, not because it would directly benefit them in some way. They invested in us because they wanted us to succeed and be the best versions of ourselves. I realized that when I walked into that first faculty meeting - I realized that I was so blessed to be a part of this community because of all the people that made sacrifices in order to help me get here. And then, shortly after that, you all showed up into my life, and for the next four years I slowly learned how beautiful and fulfilling it is to try to share that love. And that point that I learned over the last four years - that St. Clare told St. Francis about wanting to love - I learned that from all of you…because I saw it every single day. I saw it in the classroom. I saw it in the hallways. I saw it at meals. I saw it in Kemp. I saw it in the dorm. I saw it at sporting events in the gym and on the fields. I saw it at plays and musicals and music recitals. I saw it on fast food runs. I saw it on movie runs. I saw it on shopping runs. I saw it at dances, and 3-on-3 tournaments, and trips to Hershey Park. I saw it in the chapel; at the front, in the pews, and up in the choir loft. And I saw it when we were away from each other for three months. I saw it during our live classes. I saw it in live 1-on-1 meetings with students. I saw it in posts, messages, and emails on Microsoft Teams. I
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saw it on the Saint James social media pages. But, obviously, it wasn’t the same. It is a travesty… it is an absolute travesty what has happened in the last three months. Of course, everyone experiencing this is hurt in some way or another, but I cannot imagine what it must feel like to - all of a sudden lose the last third of my final year in high school: everything that you had seen, heard about, talked about, and thought about for months or for years has just been taken away from you. Like I said, this has been a tough time for everyone, but I just cannot wrap my head around how difficult these last three months have been for you all, and I hope you know how much everyone empathizes with your pain. But, with all of that said, it reminds me of something that Coach Hertel, Coach Spicher, and I would tell the Junior Boys Basketball team on a daily basis: 10% of life is what happens to me; 90% of life is how I react. I am sure you all wish you had been here, together, with all of your friends every day, all undergoing the same experiences and making more memories with each other - just like you were so used to. But instead you were sedentary, at home, doing everything on a screen. “At any point in your life, anything
can be taken away from you. But the one thing no one can ever take away from you, is what’s up here [pointing to forehead].” You know, not everyone in this world is as blessed to have such deep, meaningful relationships. Not everyone is as blessed to have such wonderful shared group experiences to look back on. Not everyone is as blessed to have such fulfilling academic or extracurricular opportunities. Not everyone is as blessed to have parents, teachers, coaches, and mentors who were so willing to invest their thought, time, and energy to ensure that you were your best. Not everyone in this world is as blessed to have those things…but you all can do something about that. I told that woman in Jackson, Michigan that I understand where she is coming from…but for the last four years of my life the light in my world has shined brighter every day because of the people that I had the pleasure to be around. That is the effect that you all can have - when you choose to love. The school’s motto is “Leaders for good in the world.” You all have made my world, and so many others, a whole lot brighter. The rest of the world could use it, too.
To watch the Commencement Address, go to www.stjames.edu/classof2020.
| class of 2020 |
Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen By Dave Rath '85 Thirty-five years ago, I said “goodbye” as a student of Saint James School. On Commencement Day, I was the proud recipient of the Multum Profecit Prize (Proficient in Much), and that wobbly pewter bowl still sits in my office on a shelf, sometimes holding candy or peanut butter pretzels, but every day I see it (probably too much at times). I was co-editor of The Jacobite, the school newspaper, and my final article for that last edition was entitled, “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen,” which was the title of the series finale of MASH, a TV show I loved that ran for eleven years. I love the title, and it fit perfectly at the time, and thinking about the Saint James Class of 2020, I think the title is perfect for now as well. Mr. Camp will correct me if I am wrong, but Saint James School only closed its doors once during the school’s history since 1842, and that was in the 1860’s when the Civil War ravaged its way across the Potomac River and right through the heart of our alma mater (Yes, Saint James School is now your alma mater!). Although the school technically remained open this year, it was a veritable ghost town with learning taking place virtually. As sad as that must be for you, technology allowed learning to continue, which allowed you the ability to receive your final credits and complete your diploma requirements. When I left Saint James School as a student on that last day in June of 1985, I felt tremendous sadness. I cried literally from the time we were departing the Chapel doors to enter the circle dressed in my blue blazer, school tie and white pants until the following morning when I woke up in Mark Fulton’s barnyard with my car door open and my seat reclined with the sun coming up over the mountains. I must have needed a rest from the activities that had occurred at both Aleko Tiches’ home (another classmate) and Mark’s place. We enjoyed that day as a class, all of us going from one gathering to the next together. No one wanted to say goodbye, and so many were crying, and I think that we had all been so close for so long, the collective thought may have been we were leaving a really tight family to venture off to a great unknown. Years later I had the wonderful privilege of returning to Saint James to serve for eight years as a member of
the faculty and as Dean of Students. Every spring, I looked forward to Fr. Dunnan’s great Chapel talk that I thought I had memorized, but I actually had to call the Headmaster for a refresher. You know the “Goodbye” Chapel talk. People fall into one (or more) of the following categories of goodbye: Check-out early; Sneak away at midnight; Avoidance; Bridge-burner and my favorite, My new best friend! Which one were you? You all left early, but I bet some of you fell into one of the categories prior to departure! I cannot take away your sting of no Commencement, a chance for that last cry or that final hug, but I want you to know that coming from an old geezer, Class of 2020, you will be just fine. The last day of your time at Saint James was certainly important, but it is what has been ingrained into you during your years of service and learning and family at your alma mater that will matter. You will still return, and you may begin every greeting with one another when you see each other again with, “So, how about that COVID-19!” You are all going on to the next stage, and you will do magnificent things, while cherishing the time you had together at Saint James School. I am still and always will be thankful to my alma mater that did so much for me. Like me, you will give to the Annual Fund because you will want to help others who are coming after you just as we helped you! Don’t forget that. Class of 2020, “The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His Face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26). Goodbye, Farewell and Amen!
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| class of 2020 |
Class of 2020: College Matriculation
The 45 members of the Saint James Class of 2020 were accepted to 118 colleges and universities in 28 states, the District of Columbia, as well as further afield in Canada, Japan, and the United Kingdom. We celebrate the achievements of each individual sixth former and know they will enjoy much success at their matriculating institutions. Best of luck, Class of 2020! Griffin Dominic Almany
University of South Carolina
Joel Anthony Martirano
Saint Vincent College
Lillian Angelica Antoine
Boston College
Hannah Kate Moerschel
Towson University
Thomas Nash Bacon
Furman University
Morgan Elizabeth Moseley
East Carolina University
Abigail Grace Barnes
Towson University
Phong Huu "Nathan" Nguyen
Drew University
Samantha Chesapeake Brown
West Virginia University
Quang Gia "Patrick" Nguyen
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Sarut Chamnanraj
Keio University (Japan)
Caleb Allen Norris
West Virginia University
Tze-Yi "Zoe" Chang
Univ. of California, Santa Barbara
Nicklas Michael Pank
Georgia Institute of Technology
Ruiyan "Jenny" Cheng
New York University
Olivia Marie Riser
University of Cincinnati
Benjamin David Couling
University of British Columbia
Jenna Brianne Root
Furman University
Kaitlin Marie Dellaposta
Coastal Carolina University
Aleina Mandy Ruggiero
Drexel University
Maya Faith Drabczyk
Elon University
Martynas Sabaliauskas
Undecided
Elizabeth Caroline Durham
The George Washington University
Berke Sertcan
Lewis & Clark Community College
Zoe Min-Ying Esterly
St. Olaf College
Michaela Elyse Siegel
Bard College
Darcy Anne Farrell
United States Air Force Academy
Gerardo Tejado
Elon University
Evan Theodore Fulmer
Virginia Tech
William Michael Topham
Furman University
Austin Christopher Grandstaff
Towson University
Skylar Rose Treadwell
Seton Hall University
Eugene "Serena" Han
New York University
Olivia Flora Welty
University of Rhode Island
William Harris Hertel
Syracuse University
Peyton Daphine Wyndham
University of Wyoming
Hieu Quang "Tom" Hoang
American University
Yuyin Nelly Xie
New York University
Owen Joseph Horrigan
Frostburg State University
Suyu "Michael" Yang
Carleton College
Pengyi "Kevin" Jin
Emory University
Dayebga Tankoua Yanou
Pennsylvania State University
Wenrui Bill Li
Washington University in St. Louis
Yijun "Kitty" Zhou
Vanderbilt University
Jamie Michael Mahoney
Saint Vincent College
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| chalk talk |
Recognizing Three-Sport Athletes We congratulate the following sixth form students for their outstanding accomplishments on the field, the mat, or the court as three-sport varsity athletes.
Griffin Almany Soccer Wrestling Lacrosse
Austin Grandstaff Soccer Wrestling Lacrosse
Tom Hoang Soccer Wrestling Tennis
Nick Pank Cross Country Wrestling Tennis
Gerry Tejado Soccer Wrestling Tennis
Six SJS Athletes to Play at College Level
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Ben Couling, Football University of British Columbia
Owen Horrigan, Lacrosse Frostburg State University
Morgan Moseley, Basketball East Carolina University
Martynas Sabaliauskas, Basketball Offers from several schools
Berke Sertcan, Basketball Lewis & Clark Community College
Skylar Treadwell, Basketball Seton Hall University
Review • Spring 2020
| chalk talk |
Amelia Shaw '21 Earns Varsity Letter Playing Polo This spring, Amelia Shaw ’21 received her second interscholastic varsity letter from the United States Polo Association (USPA) as a member of the Mountain View polo team. To earn a varsity letter, participants must meet all USPA eligibility requirements, play in at least four Intercollegiate/Interscholastic games, log a minimum of 100 hours riding/ practicing, and compete in an interscholastic tournament. Amelia was one of 71 high school students from across the country—from Hawaii to Massachusetts—to receive this honor. From Martinsburg, WV, Amelia said she always loved horses growing up and begged her parents to let her take riding lessons. She started doing hunter, jumper, and dressage and competed for about three years. It was through this experience that she met friends who recommended she try polo at the Mountain View Polo Club in Charles Town, WV. “I took one lesson and loved it, and I’ve been doing it ever since,” she said.
Amelia said she’s been playing polo for about seven years and riding horses for nine. When she started at Mountain View, she was practicing and learning the rules for several years prior to competing. “It took me a while to get used to the rules. It was a little easier to pick up because I already knew how to ride, so I was learning just the polo aspect rather than both polo and riding,” Amelia said. “I didn’t start playing matches for a couple of years until my club got bigger.” Her club started playing in interscholastic tournaments in middle school, and she’s played with many of the same girls over the years as they are now on the club’s high school team. “Getting to play with my friends is my favorite part; I love my team and it’s fun going around and meeting new people,” she said. Mountain View competes in the USPA’s east coast region with the season taking place in the fall and early winter, with practices every Sunday. At Saint James, Amelia also plays on the varsity soccer and
basketball teams, so her schedule can be tiring. Her team drives to all of the matches, including some in North Carolina and Connecticut, and the closest team they play is Garrison Forest, still an hour and a half away. “I may leave campus during sports and go play a match and come back and still have to do homework. Somedays I’ll have a basketball game and then have to go to polo,” she said. “But it’s never too difficult because I love playing polo, and I love playing soccer and basketball, so I find it not as difficult as people may think because I’m doing something that I love.” Amelia said her team will typically play 5-10 matches per season, depending on how well they do in their regional tournaments. Her team also practices in the spring and summer, and recently, she started going to stick and ball practices, with no contact allowed. She hopes to start regular practices soon and play a full season this fall.
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| chapel talk |
"Easter Comes Quietly" A Homily By the Revd. Dr. D. Stuart Dunnan Easter, 2020 Growing up as a chorister at the National Cathedral in Washington and studying for the priesthood at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, and now happily settled here at Saint James, I love a triumphant Easter High Mass with beautiful music sung by a great choir and all our favorite hymns, the pews packed with the additional Christians who come twice a year, the altar resplendent with Easter flowers, and the Widor Toccata in F booming from the organ, its majestic deep pedal notes shaking the floor as the bright, staccato key notes send us out into the world joyful, confident, and feeling blessed. But our quiet Easter this year without any great celebration reminds us that the first Easter was not a triumphant one, but rather a quiet and mysterious one, leaving many questions still unanswered. The disciples were dispersed and hiding in their homes as we are now, and it was Mary Magdalene like our health workers today who bravely ventured into the tomb. In John’s telling of the story, she is the one who discovers that the body of Jesus is missing and runs to tell Peter and “the other
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disciple” who come to look, but then leave. She is the one who stays and sees the two angels and then the living Jesus himself. But Jesus is so unassuming, so modest in his presence that Mary thinks he is the gardener until he calls her by her name, and then she recognizes him. This is how all the resurrection appearances work: there is no great thunderclap, no voice from heaven, no display of triumph or divinity, rather Jesus just joins his friends and patiently and gently reasserts his presence and his continuing relationship with them, walking and talking with two disciples on the road to Emmaus as depicted on our triptych here in this chapel and appearing in the house where the disciples are hiding, pointing to his wounds—not to his power, but to his suffering and his enduring love for them. And surely, this is how resurrection works in our lives as well: Our Lord appears to us and walks with us, and we don’t even see him until “our hearts burn within us,” and we eventually realize that God indeed has been with us in the love that surrounds us, so we have nothing to fear.
And so, in faith, we pray that those who are suffering in this present crisis can see the presence of God in all who care for them, and we also pray that those who have died will join with him in that life beyond what we know now: “where life is changed, not ended,” and “where there is no death, neither sorrow nor crying, but the fullness of joy” for evermore. And we know that this crisis will someday pass from us – not dramatically and suddenly, but quietly and gradually with more available testing and newly discovered therapies to keep us out of the emergency room and ultimately a vaccine to guard us from the disease. But this will come to us like a series of spring rains and not one violent summer thunderstorm, which means that we will be tempted to miss the miracles in front of us and the angels around us, even as Christ himself walks right next to us. We will think he is the gardener and not worth noticing, so not even respond when he addresses us by name. Some of you may remember that when I was forty, I almost died. I was suddenly and unexpectedly very ill, did
| chapel talk | not respond to two months of treatment, and ultimately required painful and dangerous surgery. My surgeon in fact asked me if I had a will. When I answered that I didn’t, he told me that I needed one. But thanks to Dr. Newman and Dr. McCormack in our own community, Dr. Lillemoe my surgeon at Hopkins, Mrs. Davis and Mrs. Barr who kept all “unnecessary” work and all “not pressing” problems away from me, and many others who took wonderful care of me, I
survived, and the first thing I did in public was preach the Easter Vigil for the Western Region of the Diocese of Maryland at St. John’s, Hagerstown. And I remember walking into the pulpit on that dark evening, the just lit Paschal Candle flickering bravely just off to the right of me, and seeing on the faces of the faithful as they looked up in anticipation their joy to see me, their relief that I was alive. And I suddenly remembered that that they had all prayed for me, and I was
Allie Jacobson '21 sings during virtual contemplative chapel.
greatly moved. So, I put my text aside and spoke to them of what it means to live a resurrected life. I have lived that life now for 21 years and who knows how much longer, but I do know this: I live my life much more gratefully now, and much more purposefully, because I know in my heart that God himself has saved me and there is with him beyond this life a whole new life to come. Amen.
Chapel Choir recordings accompanied Sunday Collect emails.
Keeping Our Community Connected Spiritually
Fr. Montgomery recorded "Blessed Little Thought" videos.
During the pandemic, Saint James sought virtual ways to bring a familiar pattern of worship to our community at a time when we could not gather in person. Compline, which is typically sung on Sunday nights by alternating teams of the Chapel Choir, was sung virtually by Jimmy James '21 and Kitty Zhou '20 towards the beginning of our closure. Each day throughout Holy Week we emailed the daily collect along with a video recording of the Chapel Choir. We continued to do this each Sunday through the remainder of the school year.
Father Montgomery, SJS Chaplain, shared weekly "Blessed Little Thought" sermons via video. Each Friday during the school year we hold a contemplative chapel service, which includes a scripture reading, silent reflection, prayer, and a performance by one of our student musicians. We held this service virtually while the campus was closed, featuring our talented students who recorded themselves at home singing or playing the piano or flute. The Chapel Choir and Boys' A Capella group were also featured. Watch: www.stjames.edu/virtualchapel
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| chapel talk |
A Homily For the Baccalaureate Eucharist Pentecost, Year A, 2020 By the Revd. Dr. D. Stuart Dunnan Saint James Chapel “As the Father has sent me, so I send you. . . . Receive the Holy Spirit.” (John 20.21-22) This may come as a surprise to you, but I have never preached at the Baccalaureate Eucharist before. I was saving it for my retirement. But when I considered how challenging this “virtual Eucharist” would be for us and how difficult this past trimester has been for you as a class, I thought that I should claim the occasion to speak to you. I also took it as a very good sign that your graduation fell on the Feast of Pentecost, as I have always thought that the messages of Pentecost fit with the themes of Commencement particularly well, and I wanted to point these out to you. Finally, Mr. Haubenreiser generously shared with me the text of the talk he has prepared for you, and I thought that it would be the perfect Commencement Address. I had originally asked my college friend John Cahill, who is the lead director of American Airlines and the former CEO of Pepsi Bottling, to speak at your
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Commencement, but he is, as you can imagine, very busy right now. So, what is Pentecost? Pentecost is a great feast of the Christian year, which comes eight Sundays after Easter, counting Easter as the first, and it is when we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit, inspiring the disciples to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ, continuing his ministry and his witness in the world. Put another way, it is when the nouns by which Christians know God – Father and Son – become the verb: the Spirit of God empowering and directing our lives. In the passage we just heard read from the Book of Acts, we hear the coming of the Holy Spirit described as “a sound like the rush of a violent wind,” and also as “tongues, as of fire” appearing over each of the disciples, giving them the power to speak so that they can be understood in languages other than their own. (Acts 2.1-12) The Spirit is described as a force active in the world, a
wind, a fire, calling those who would follow Christ after his resurrection into the purpose or the will of God, and giving them the courage to challenge the crowd and change the world. Describing this phenomenon more deeply with his usual psychological insight, St. Paul reminds us in his First Letter to the Corinthians that the Spirit uses us, each of us individually through our own particular combination of gifts to perform the miracles of God: “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given through the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (12.4-7) Finally, St. John reminds us in his gospel that this is the gift of the risen Christ to all who would follow him: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you. . . . Receive the Holy Spirit.” We hear therefore at Pentecost
| chapel talk | a great message of unity and commissioning, a gathering of the people of God, empowering us to do his works and to perform his miracles, each of us with our own histories and personalities and our own particular combination of gifts. And when you think about it, this is exactly what has happened for you here - to the extent that you have allowed it – during your time at Saint James. Because you have gathered here from all over the world and all over the nation, and have been loved here, taught, challenged, and encouraged here to find your gifts and develop them, and to appreciate the gifts of others, to grow close to each other and to learn from each other, as you live in community together. So, I ask you: Did you make friends here with people different from yourselves? People from other countries, cultures, or religions, or with different family or social backgrounds? People with other interests and gifts? And did you come to love them, and they to love you? Did you go to their games and watch their performances, listen to their arguments and understand where they were coming from, appreciate their perspectives, their experiences and opinions? Did you come to know them as you came to know yourself, just as Jesus commands us to do? And did you find within yourself your own hopes and dreams, your own strengths and
talents, and did you pursue these as fully as you could here? Did you really challenge yourself beyond what you could do and even ask for help from all the teachers and coaches, teammates and classmates who were here for you? And do you leave this place that much more empowered, inspired, encouraged to bring your gifts to the world and to perform your miracles for God? Because the Holy Spirit was here with you every step of your journey here, challenging and directing you to grow in love: out towards others, into the future, beyond what you know or is comfortable for you into what you do not know and where you are not comfortable - so that you can learn and improve, lead and serve. And if you can look back and see those moments when you failed to do this, then note them and try not to make those same
mistakes in college and beyond. Lose the complacency, the laziness, the prejudice, and the fear. But also look at those moments when you did stretch yourself here and made that new friend or found that new truth or discovered that new passion. I am sure that you grew as a student here, as an athlete, as a musician, as an artist, or as an actor, but I hope that you grew as a person and as a disciple as well. Because God has given each of you your own particular combination of talents and gifts, and your own journeys so far and to come, and he gives to all of you his one most important gift: the gift of the Holy Spirit as wind and fire to bring his love for you – through you, within you, using you – as light shining in the darkness. Amen.
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IN HARM Anna Morrow at the Anne Arundel County Fire Department Training Academy in 2017. (Photo by Mike Jordan/AACoFD)
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M'S WAY Choosing A Life Of Service We are proud to share the stories of several young alumni who have chosen to serve their communities or country in a variety of ways. These are but a few of the many examples of bravery in our alumni community, and we are proud of all our Saints.
ANNA MORROW '09 Fire Fighter, Annapolis City Fire Department For Anna Morrow (SJS ’09), a career in fire fighting just “fell into her lap.” Anna attended Sewanee: The University of the South where she majored in biology, with plans to later attend medical school or pursue physical therapy. She decided to take an EMT class at Anne Arundel Community College for fun and to gain experience in the medical field. To become certified as an EMT, she had to do ride alongs in an ambulance with the local fire station. She enjoyed it so much, she decided to take a fire certification class as well. It was at that point she decided on a career as a fire fighter, and for the past three years she has worked as a fire fighter and EMT for the Annapolis City Fire Department. “I can’t imagine doing anything else now, but if you asked me five or six years ago, it’s not something that I thought I’d be doing at all,” Anna said. Even though she had fire and EMT certifications as a volunteer, once hired by Annapolis as a career fire fighter, she had to attend the Anne Arundel County Fire Department Training Academy to gain additional experience and knowledge. Anna was one of six women in her academy’s graduating class of about 50. She said she wasn't treated any differently as a female fire fighter once she proved she could pull her weight when responding to calls. Continued on pg. 44
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| classmates | Anna Morrow, con't from pg. 43
“You kind of have to earn it; but that’s not just for females, that’s for any new recruits,” she said. “I just needed to prove myself to them, so they knew they could trust me on a call, that I’m stronger than I look, and that I can do the job when it comes down to it.” Anna said she and her team are taking extra precautions to stay safe during the current pandemic, such as wearing masks and PPE. “My first two to three years I never wore a mask or a gown on an EMS call, and maybe just eye protection on certain calls, but now we’re wearing it on every call just to be cautious,” she said. Anna said when the pandemic started their EMS call volume dropped significantly because people were too afraid to expose themselves by going to the hospital. “We were running a lot fewer calls and they tended to be higher priority
calls because the people that were calling were actually very sick and if they were going to the hospital, they probably really needed to be going,” she said. As restrictions and fears have eased in the last few weeks, the call volume has started to go back up as they respond to lower priority calls. Anna said it is the rewarding moments that keep her going and remind her why she loves her job. “On the fire side, you’ll go to a fire and be able to save half the house, for Anna is pictured with her parents, David and Kim. example, and that’s what you remember,” she said. While at Sewanee, Anna played “Those are the positives field hockey and lacrosse, two sports that you take away; that you did help she also played at Saint James. It is someone and at the end of her coaches from SJS that stick out as the day, they’re thankful being influential. for what you did.” “I equate a lot of what we do in the On the EMS side, fire department with teamwork and she recalls a serious car a lot of that comes from my sports accident where a young past,” she said. driver was ejected and Outside of work, Anna plays ice had to be flown to the hockey for the Annapolis Fire team hospital. They later found as well as the Annapolis Osprey, a out that he survived and team in the Mid-Atlantic Women’s has almost made a full Hockey League. Prior to the recovery. pandemic, her team had qualified “It’s those kind of calls to go to the national tournament in where the family reaches Minneapolis, which was eventually out to us after that are cancelled. really rewarding because Anna also enjoys spending time he’s now hopefully going with her two dogs, Trapper and to live a long, happy life Bailey, and her fiancé, Greg. The because we were able to two plan to wed in the Saint James intervene and get him Chapel in October. care very quickly,” Anna Anna puts on gear while responding to a fire in said. Eastport, MD in May.
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CALEB GOODIE '15 Emergency Response Team, AmeriCorps Service has always been a big part of Caleb Goodie’s (SJS ’15) life. While at Saint James, he recalls volunteering at the Antietam Battlefield lighting and tutoring at Fountain Rock elementary as well as taking mission trips with his church. “I think that’s something I love about Saint James is that they want you to be a servant, and they try to get you to do that in a lot of different ways,” he said. While a student at Colgate University, he volunteered with the Hamilton Fire Department. Prior to graduating magna cum laude from Colgate last spring
with a BA in Geography, Caleb used that experience as a fire fighter to help shape his future goals. “By my senior year when I was thinking about jobs, I knew 100 percent I didn’t want to be sitting behind a desk,” he said. “I wanted to be out and engaged and serving the community like I had with the fire department.” He started looking into programs that offered wildfire or disaster experience, and eventually applied to AmeriCorps. Caleb is now an Emergency Response Team Member at AmeriCorps St. Louis which is under Continued on pg. 46
Caleb Goodie is pictured on his team's fuels mitigation trip to California in the fall.
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| classmates | Caleb Goodie, con't from pg. 45
Caleb poses in front of a donation of water to first responders that he coordinated with a local business during his AmeriCorps deployment to Independence, MO during the pandemic.
the AmeriCorps State and National branch. He and his team focus on environmental stewardship, partnering with government and nonprofit organizations on conservation efforts. “It was definitely that feeling of doing something worthwhile that drew me to the program,” he said. Caleb started his 11-month term last September with a month-long trip to Montana where he trained with the local forest service. He received his chainsaw certification and wildfire certification, as well as other basics such as First Aid and CPR training. He then went to his home base in St. Louis, working throughout the state on various conservation efforts. “We helped the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Department of Natural Resources with invasive species removal and glade restoration,” Caleb said. “They also do a lot of prescribed burning in the spring, so we helped construct the fire line and participated in the burn.” His team has also seen work 46
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outside of Missouri, traveling to Illinois and California. “In November and December, I went to California and did fuels mitigation and prevention projects in relation to wildfires,” he said. “California has a lot of public land that backs up to private land, so we were trying to structure the landscape in a way to keep those homes safe if something were to break out.” In March, his conservation work was suspended as the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown the nation. Caleb and his team spent time volunteering at a local food bank and doing outreach with the homeless community. At the end of April, Caleb had the opportunity to join a team going to Independence, MO, just outside Kansas City, to assist with their COVID-19 response. “My title was Donations Management Liaison, and I was supporting the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC). I coordinated with them and with people who had items to donate in the area around Kansas City, and tried to get them connected with
organizations in need – long-term care facilities, first responders, nursing homes, childcare providers, and different groups that needed things like PPE and diapers,” Caleb said. His 30-day deployment in Independence was completed at the end of May, and he returned to St. Louis. His work on conservation projects started back up in June, with his team focusing on the St. Louis region in order to eliminate the need to travel. The immediate future for Caleb includes a second year in AmeriCorps—he applied in May and will be staying in St. Louis to be a team lead for the new first year members that are just starting their service. Caleb encourages students who are thinking about service to consider AmeriCorps. “AmeriCorps is a great program and there are a lot of different things you can do—from teaching to disaster response, there’s all kinds of options, so it’s a great avenue to continue the things you learn at Saint James,” he said.
MAJOR KOURTNEY LOGAN '02 United States Army As a pediatric dentist in the U.S. Army, Major Kourtney Logan (SJS '02) draws on her experience as a self-described “Army brat” to relate to her young patients. Kourtney’s father, Col. Kenneth O. Logan, retired from the Army after 30 years of experience, and Kourtney and her family moved many times around the country and abroad while she was growing up. “I really enjoy interacting with the kids. The soldiers signed up for this, but the kids don’t really have a say, and they’re taken all over the world,” Kourtney said. “Especially when families are overseas and in an unsure environment, the service we provide is a little bit of home for them. The soldiers are at ease that their families are being taken care of so that they can better serve without that extra worry.” Kourtney is in her 10th year in the Army and has moved eight times over that span, including stints in Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, South Korea, and Germany. She’s used to the transient lifestyle that comes with a career in the Army, and thinks that experience affected her overall personality and temperament. “I learned how to be the new kid in a situation, how to make friends quickly, and how to interact with different people,” she said. “I’ve had a lot of new beginnings and see you laters.” Kourtney is currently the Executive Fellow for the Army Dental Directorate at U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, TX. She started that position in October 2019 after returning stateside from Germany. As part of the Fellowship and in conjunction with the pandemic, she and her team are in charge of policy response in terms of infection control policy and how to protect staff and patients from COVID-19 spread. “We’re looking at things like HVAC systems and how to better utilize them, use of HEPA filters, and things of that nature to better help our staff and soldiers. I’m learning a lot. It’s like coming from a fire hose because everything can change in a single day," she said. When Kourtney was just beginning her post-Saint James life, she chose to be a Classics major at the Continued on pg. 48 Spring 2020 • Review
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University of Pennsylvania, even though she knew she ultimately wanted a career in healthcare. “I knew I wanted to do healthcare because the opportunity to individually impact someone’s life really appealed to me,” she said. “And I knew that if I was going to be studying science for the rest of my life, the opportunity to go to college and learn something else was something I wanted to take advantage of. It gives your mind a break to think differently." Kourtney, who also did ROTC while at Penn, then went to Columbia University for Dental School. When starting her career with the Army, she served as a general dentist for four years while on active duty. She was stationed with a brigade combat team at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, which she found to be a very inspiring experience. “You really get an appreciation for what they go through on a daily basis, and I tried to be of service in any way to make sure they’re in optimal health because you know the responsibility that’s placed upon
them,” Kourtney said. “I think the biggest thing about being a provider in the Army is that you are taking care of such a valuable resource and how we treat them goes so far with how they’re going to perform ultimately in whatever location they’re placed around the world.” The Army then selected Kourtney to train at Baylor for two years in pediatric dentistry. She noted one big difference between being a pediatric dentist in the Army versus a private practice is cost for families. “If a child is at-risk for cavities or has a history of cavities, I will see them every week if I have to, and it isn’t an issue,” Kourtney said. “Now, in private practice, it’s like ‘what kind of insurance do you have?’ and having to work around it.” Kourtney is the youngest of four siblings, two brothers (Kenny and Kyle) and one sister, Kirsten, who graduated from Saint James in 2000 and also served in the Army for five years. Her brother attended three different high schools, and the Logan family decided the stability of staying in one place while at boarding school
Maj. Kourtney Logan treats a young patient at the Pulaski Dental Clinic, which serves children of service members living in the Kaiserslautern, Germany Military Community. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army)
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would be a good option. “Being an Army brat, I had that mentality of ‘you’re only here for a little while,’ but then I got to Saint James, and the community that I found there and the continuity in those experiences of living with someone in the dorm and seeing the same teachers after study hall; it was really special,” she said. “It gave me such a strong foundation moving forward.” Kourtney has the distinction of being the first Black female Senior Prefect at Saint James, a leadership role that taught her many lessons going forward. “I think having that leadership position really taught me about being in the spotlight and making it not about you but the mission to serve,” she said. “I’m pretty introverted, like I think a lot of Saint James kids can be, so to be in that role with guidance to help me gave me confidence to take on other leadership roles as I’ve gone along.” Kourtney will serve in her fellowship position until next summer, and then she hopes to take command of a field dental unit, before eventually making her way back to pediatrics. She has also decided recently that she intends to stay in the Army for 20 years and continue to serve. “With dentistry you can have an impact on an individual patient, which is unique and special, but I think as I progressed in the Army and the different leadership positions that I’ve had, I see the ability to impact a unit and influence its culture,” Kourtney said. “There’s so many young soldiers coming in and the opportunity to be an influence on that young person’s life and tell them different opportunities they have in the military is very rewarding.”
MAJOR TIM BERGER '04 United States Marine Corps Major Tim Berger (SJS ’04) has been an officer in the United States Marine Corps for 12 years, having graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2008. His decision to attend the Naval Academy was influenced by the late Admiral James L. Holloway, III (SJS ’39). Tim was part of the wrestling team at Saint James and recalls speaking to Admiral Holloway after the Holloway Wrestling Tournament. “Admiral Holloway knew I was interested in some type of military service. I can’t tell you where that inspiration initially came from, but I was very interested in flying and being a pilot,” Tim said. “He told me the best pilots go to the Naval Academy, so I said ‘Alright, that seems like the place for me.’ And that’s really what set me in that direction.” In the fall of his senior year at the Academy when it was time for him to decide his service selection, he thought the Marine Corps was the best fit. Around the time he was graduating was the surge in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he decided he didn’t want to do the additional schooling necessary to become a pilot because he was ready to get into action. “I worked with some of the Marine officers at the Academy, and the impression I got from the Marines was that they were motivated and excited about their jobs and it seemed like a better fit,” he said. After graduating from the Naval Academy with a B.S. in ocean engineering, he went to Marine Corps basic school, a six-month training program for all Marine officers. From there, Tim received his Military Occupational Specialty (MOS), and he became a Logistics Officer. He did his first deployment to Afghanistan as a Motor Transport Officer. He was part of a team that ran convoys all over southern Afghanistan for seven months, from May-November 2011. “That was a great experience for me," Tim said. "The whole pre-deployment process of working with my senior enlisted Marine, developing training plans, Continued on pg. 50
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developing procedures for how we were going to run convoys, all of the tactics, techniques, and procedures we would follow, was a deliberate process, and was very involved and detailed. And then going to Afghanistan and executing all of what we were trained to do was great. The best part was bringing everybody home at the end of seven months." Following that deployment, he spent a year as Base Logistics Officer at Camp Mujuk in South Korea and then in 2013 went to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) in San Diego, where he served for three years. It was there that he learned the importance of peer leadership. “As captains, it was our job to make sure our peers are doing what they’re supposed to be doing,” Tim said. “It’s absolutely true that the drill instructors are the best of the best in the Marine Corps and they’re chosen to do that job for a reason. So it’s very easy as an officer to say, ‘They’ve got it, they’ll be fine, they’re great Marines.’ But realistically the stresses of that job are enormous and they can get carried away with what they’re doing, so our jobs are vitally important there as well.” After a promotion to Major, he became a Future Operations Officer with the 1st Marine Logistics Group in Camp Pendleton, CA. Tim recently returned from a deployment to Kuwait, arriving stateside at the end of May, five weeks after originally scheduled because of COVID-19. As the detachment commander for 156 marines and sailors, this deployment covered the whole spectrum of logistics—including supply, mechanics, engineers, transportation, and more. “Getting to see the whole realm of logistics that we can do in the Marine Corps and getting to interact with all those different kinds of marines and 50
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Maj. Tim Berger with 1stSgt Angela Lopez, the senior enlisted leader for the logistics unit he was in charge of on his recent deployment to Kuwait. The background is his unit logo, dates of deployment, and the various sections which made up his unit, which were painted on a concrete barrier on his base in Kuwait.
sailors and all of the different things that they do, and to see them trained over the course of last summer and then put it into action was a great experience,” Tim said. He also noted they were in Kuwait with an infantry battalion and a couple different aviation squadrons, and found the experience of learning how they do their jobs and training with them very rewarding. "In Kuwait, we had to go all over the Middle East to do what we needed to do,” Tim said. “During our training with them we had to figure out how much space we had on an aircraft and what stuff we needed to take for whatever the mission was and figure out how to make it fit.” Over his 12-year career as an officer in the Marines, Tim has learned many important lessons, two of which go back to his days at Saint James—communication and leadership. “As an officer, leadership is about communicating your thoughts, desires, and intent to the people
who execute it. The better you can do that and convey it and capture it in writing or speaking, the more effective you will be,” Tim said. “That’s the one thing I didn’t really appreciate coming out of Saint James, but having been in the Marines now for 12 years, reading, writing and listening, that communication side of it is huge. So absolutely having Mr. Collin and Ms. Pollock putting me on that path was hugely beneficial.” At Saint James, Tim was captain of the football and wrestling teams, Senior Marshal, and Senior Prefect, and he believes those leadership opportunities and the chance to learn about various leadership styles was very beneficial. “It set a foundation for me to get that experience and knowledge, leading peers and subordinates, and not just leading but looking out for them,” he said. Having recently completed his deployment to Kuwait, Tim is stationed back at Camp Pendleton.
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The Journey Begins Sean Tolton '15 Graduates from Navy Bootcamp Sean Tolton, Jr. (SJS '15) graduated from Navy bootcamp at the Navy's Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois on May 1, 2020. Sean said it was a long two months of training, but he was able to learn so much about himself and his limits. "This made me realize how much I've learned from past experiences and how much I've really taken from every lesson I learned at Saint James," Sean said. The Navy's core values are Honor, Courage, and Commitment, three values Sean said he learned to prioritize as a student at Saint James. "Something as small as these three words really made me put everything in perspective, and made me all the more grateful for a place that makes life-altering moves flow seamlessly," he said. Prior to enlisting in the Navy, Sean attended Hamilton College where he earned a BA degree in World Politics in 2019. He also played linebacker and was a four-year letterman on Hamilton's Division III football team. Sean will be a linguist in the Navy, and he is currently stationed in California where he is learning Chinese for his new role.
Darcy Farrell '20 to Attend Air Force Academy A member of Saint James School's most recent graduating class, Darcy Farrell will attend the Air Force Academy this fall. Both of her parents served in the military, and Darcy said she first learned about the service academies at her brother's high school graduation when she was seven. She applied and was accepted into three service academies: the Coast Guard Academy, Air Force Academy, and West Point. "After I was accepted into them, I had a difficult time making a final choice," she said. "It took a lot of deliberation, but the mission statement of the Air Force resounded with me the most, and I could envision myself as a pilot." On June 25, Darcy started a six-week Basic Cadet Training in Colorado. When she graduates, the academic year at the Academy will begin. Darcy plans to earn her Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering and become a pilot after she graduates from the Academy. She is excited about the opportunities in her future. "Like Saint James, there are a lot of opportunities at the Air Force Academy to make new friends and get involved in extracurriculars you hadn't heard of before," she said. "What I most look forward to is making every day a good day to learn something new. Travel also plays a large part in the Air Force mission, so I am excited to see parts of the world I haven't seen yet."
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Leaving a Legacy: The Carroll Family Peggy and Terry Carroll recently shared with Saint James School that they were choosing to leave their family farm, which is adjacent to the Saint James campus, to the school as part of their estate plan. Because of their long history with the school, the Carrolls trust that Saint James will steward their family’s land with faith and integrity. Mrs. Carroll had long known about Saint James. Father Owens often stopped at her father’s filling station and occasionally did business with him. Through Father Owens they learned that Saint James was a good school with good people. When Terry and Peggy’s son Lance (SJS '88) grew old enough, the decision to send him to Saint James was a simple one. Lance had come to know Chick Meehan and Don Woodruff through sporting events held at the school and felt very comfortable around campus. During his time at Saint James, Lance thrived in the school’s challenging academic and athletic programs. The Carrolls still fondly recall Lance playing against the top high school basketball program in the country at the Saint James Invitational Tournament (SJIT). Lance was a competitive and hard-working athlete who relished competition
and the camaraderie of his teammates. Saint James was more than just an academic and athletic experience; for the Carrolls, the school felt like family. They enjoyed being with other parents at mixers, cheering on students at games, and getting to know the faculty and coaches. The Carrolls shared a story about a time when this family approach to education had a real impact on their son. Lance had hyperextended his wrist just before an important football game. Mr. Meehan told Lance he wouldn’t play to avoid further injury. Lance knew he could. After consulting with his father, they approached Mr. Meehan and explained the situation. Lance and Mr. Carroll’s word was good enough for Mr. Meehan, and Lance played well. The Carrolls believe that experiences like this gave Lance the skills and confidence he would need to succeed in life. The Carrolls are generous supporters of the Annual Fund as a way of showing their appreciation for what Saint James School did for Lance. Their gift of the farm was a
more personal matter. The Carrolls are great lovers of the outdoors; Mr. Carroll, particularly, is an avid hunter and sportsman. They both want the rustic beauty of their land and the surrounding area to be preserved. After many conversations with Father Dunnan, it became clear that Saint James could help. Because of their generosity and foresight, the Carrolls will achieve their goal of preserving the natural beauty of their farm while simultaneously supporting the future of Saint James School.
FountainRock.org Learn more about how you can make an impact at Saint James School through a planned gift. Visit our new website for information about making a gift through your will, gifts that pay you, and more. Contact Dr. Joseph Regan at jcregan@stjames.edu or 301-671-4894 for assistance.
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Have Your Plans
Changed ?
For almost everyone, the answer to that question is yes. Things have changed. Our plans have changed. Our lives have been put on hold. Most of us couldn’t have anticipated the series of recent events that have so greatly impacted our sense of personal and financial security.
During times like these, even the best-laid plans may need to be revisited. If you are like most people, you are thinking about the impact of the current events on your future. Clients are contacting advisors in record numbers to discuss their needs. If you have considered including Saint James School in your will or estate plan and you need help connecting with someone to assist you and your family, please let us know. We can provide you with a list of advisors in your area that our friends and supporters have recommended.
Need Assistance?
We are here to help. Please know that we are thinking of you during this time. If we can be of help to you and your family, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Please also let us know if we can be of assistance to you as you think through your plans. We have a variety of resources available online, as well as print materials we can send to you that may be helpful in rethinking your retirement planning, inheritance planning for your family, and ways to leave a lasting impact at Saint James School. Contact Dr. Joseph Regan, Assistant Director of Development
20MA03
Email: jcregan@stjames.edu Phone: (301) 671-4894 This information is not intended as tax, legal or financial advice. Gift results may vary. Consult your personal financial advisor for information specific to your situation.
The names and images shown here are representative of typical donors and may or may not be actual donors to the organization. Under federal rules your benefits may be different from this example. Please contact us for your specific benefits.
Copyright Š 2020 Crescendo Interactive, Inc. Used by permission.
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Class Notes 1959
Wayne Stacey retired from the Marine Corps Reserve as a Colonel in June 1996 with more than 35 years of service. He retired from Exelon Nuclear as a Business Manager in March 2008 with 18 years of experience in nuclear power. He is now retired and living in San Antonio, TX.
2002
Tom Louderback, sales manager for Atlas Copco's mid-Atlantic region, has been reaching out to customers during the COVID-19 pandemic to "make sure they are taken care of so they can take care of their families." Part of this care includes assisting medical accounts such as Phillips Respironics, which makes respirators that are needed by healthcare systems. His team was able to get tools and systems delivered, installed and functional within four business days, which helped Phillips move from one shift a day to three.
2005
Molly Kempson is an adjunct professor in Art Education at the University of Florida and elementary art educator. She lives in Gainesville, FL.
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2006
Thuto Thipe completed her dissertation and is a new PhD graduate of Yale University's History and African American Studies department. She was selected as the recipient of the AfroAmerican Cultural Center's Award for Outstanding Graduate Research in the African Diaspora. Dr. Thipe started a tenure-track position teaching at the University of Cape Town earlier this year.
has made the greatest overall impact on the Haverford athletic program through a combination of athletic participation and achievement, leadership, sportsmanship, and offfield athletic department involvement.
Faculty/Staff
Joe Powell, a tutor at SJS, was married to Lorna Bock on Saturday, May 2 in the Saint James Chapel by the Rev. Jake Caldwell, Senior Minister of First Christian Church in Hagerstown. The only other attendee was Fr. Brandt Montgomery, who served as witness, photographer, and videographer.
Leanne Ludwick '16
2017 Thuto Thipe '06
2008
James Kempson, III is a CPA at Baldwin & Associates, LLC and lives in Mount Pleasant, SC.
Tucker Almany is a threetime member of NEC Spring Academic Honor Roll as a member of the Saint Joseph's University lacrosse team. Tucker ended this semester with a 3.95 GPA. Tucker will be a rising senior at SJU majoring in Interdisciplinary Health Services.
Joe Powell
Faculty members Katie and Joel Ellis welcomed a healthy baby girl, Britta Wren Ellis, on May 5.
2015
Sean Tolton graduated from Navy bootcamp on May 1, 2020.
2016
Leanne Ludwick, who played soccer at Haverford University, received the Stephen G. Cary '37 Award during Haverford's virtual Student-Athlete Award Ceremony. The award is given to the senior who
Britta Wren Ellis Tucker Almany '17
GET IN TOUCH WITH US! The Office of Development and Alumni Relations wants to hear from you. Send your news items to: Kim Dudash Director of Communications kdudash@stjames.edu
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Class Notes In Memoriam William U. Roulette, III '46 died of complications from COVID-19 on April 13th in Stroudsburg, PA at the age of 93. His brother, C. Kilburn "Kib" Roulette '50, is among the many family and friends who will miss him. Benjamin Mayo Boddie '49 passed away peacefully at his home in North Carolina on March 31, 2020 at the age of 90. Mayo did a post-graduate year at Saint James and then attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He will be remembered as the ultimate entrepreneur and co-founder of Boddie-Noell Enterprises, Inc., which today operates nearly 350 Hardee’s restaurants, BNE Land and Development, and other ventures. After serving many years as President and CEO of Boddie-Noell, he served as Chairman of the Board for the last 25 years of his life. Mayo was a generous philanthropist who always put the needs of others before his own. Saint James was one of many institutions and causes that he supported. Mayo is survived by his devoted wife of 69 years, Jean Carolyn Cockrell Boddie; his sons Benjamin Mayo Boddie, Jr., William Lewis Boddie and his wife Kim, Michael White Boddie and his wife Mary Ann; and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Dabney Rawlings Holloway passed away on Tuesday, April 7. Mrs. Holloway was married to the late Admiral James L. Holloway, III '39 for 77 years before his passing in November. In the accompanying photo, she is receiving the flag at Adm. Holloway's funeral. The officer presenting the flag to to her is
Adm. Holloway’s great-nephew, Cdr. Lawrence Heyworth IV, Naval Academy Class of 2005 and son of Lawrence Heyworth III, SJS ‘66. The sword he is wearing was his great-grandfather’s sword, Adm. James L. Holloway, Jr, Naval Academy Class of 1919. Mrs. Holloway is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Lucy Estero and Ms. Jane G. Holloway, and a grandson, Graham Eynon-Holloway. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her son, James L. Holloway, IV '63.
Mrs. Dabney Rawlings Holloway
Robert E. "Bob" Lee, IV died peacefully on Wednesday, May 13 at the age of 95. He served as a trustee from 1981 to 2001, was vice chair from 1991 to 1995 and elected Trustee Emeritus in 2001. He served as Vice Chair and Chair of the Development Committee and successfully led three capital campaigns. He loved Saint James; was personally very generous to us; and he solicited many gifts from donors who still support the School, whose only link to Saint James was their admiration for him. Bob is survived by his sister and best friend Mary Lee Bowman; his children and their families: Tracy Crittenberger (Bill), and their children, Lee, Willie, Tommy, and Dale, of Bethesda, MD; and Rob Lee '82 (Kelly O'Brien), and their children, Elizabeth, Robbie, Annie, and George, of Washington, DC.
John J. "Jack" Pohanka, father of current Board chairman Geoffrey P. Pohanka '76, died peacefully on May 17 in Palm Beach, FL at the age of 92. Jack served on the Board from 1976 to 1984 and played a significant leadership role in the capital campaign associated with the retirement of Father Owens. He remained an enthusiastic supporter of Saint James School. Jack graduated from Princeton in 1949 and started working at his family business, Pohanka Oldsmobile. He grew the business into Pohanka Automotive Group, one of the largest dealership organizations in the nation. He had a great love for the arts and in May 2019, he was honored by the Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center for his leadership, generosity, and support for over 30 years. Jack is survived by his wife, Lynn T. Pohanka, his children Geoffrey (Anne Kline) and Susan (Jay Madden); his daughter-in-law Cricket Bauer; his grandchildren, Laura Pohanka, Erich Pohanka, Kevin (Amanda), Matthew Schantz and Melissa Schantz; and great granddaughter, Raegan Pohanka. He was preceded in death by his former wife, Jean Powers Pohanka, his former wife, Lori McCalip, and his son Brian Pohanka.
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The Saint James School Columbarium
Coming Home
Since 1842, alumni, trustees, and friends of Saint James School have forged life-long relationships with the institution that has played a defining role in their lives and the lives of their children and loved ones. For many, the heart of that relationship has been the Saint James Chapel and the spiritual life that springs from it. In baptisms and confirmations, daily chapel services and holiday celebrations, Commencement blessings and funeral rites, the School has marked significant moments throughout the journey of life for countless members of this community. For this reason, we are proud to offer alumni, trustees, and friends of the School the opportunity to choose Saint James as a final resting place at the conclusion of their journey. Situated behind the chapel, under the shade of campus maple trees, the Saint James columbarium is an elegant, secluded alcove designed to reflect the spirit and tradition of Saint James. The columbarium contains 60 niches, each fashioned to hold the ashes of one or two people. In the center of the space is a restful space for remembrance, reflection, and prayer. This serene location affords Saint James families the opportunity to select their final resting place behind the altar of the chapel that has played such an important role in their lives – the Altar of God that connects heaven to earth, and life to death. To learn more, please contact Dr. Joseph Regan at 301-671-4894 or jcregan@stjames.edu. 56
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Annual Fund On behalf of the students, faculty, and staff of Saint James School...
THANK YOU!
To all our parents, faculty, alumni, parents of alumni, grandparents, and friends who supported the 2019-2020 Annual Fund, we say thank you. During this year of uncertainty, your support allowed us to continue delivering on our mission of building leaders for good in the world, even while apart. For 177 years, Saint James School has been committed to academic excellence and lifelong learning. Thank you for helping us uphold this legacy.
Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Hagerstown, MD Permit No. 170
Congratulations, Class of 2020!