Spring Magazine 2020

Adaptive Sports Superstar Logan Aldridge ’09 6 Esports Pioneer Todd Harris ’86 8 “Chicago” Razzle-Dazzle 12

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Embracing classroom strategies that create innovative thinkers

ENJOY MORE PHOTOS AND A LIST OF ALL OF RAVENSCROFT’S STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS ON OUR WEBSITE: ravenscroft.org/springmagazine2020

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RAVENS REPLY

Alumni Remember Their Ravenscroft State Championships We asked our Ravenscroft Alumni Facebook friends: Was there a state-championship sports team while you were at Ravenscroft? Which sport was it, and how did students show their team spirit and appreciation? (Bonus points if you remember the year!)

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7 1, 2. Coach Ned Gonet’s unde­feated 1985 football team blew through the regular season before winning the state championship game in overtime, with help from standouts including BILLY BELL ’86 and D.C. RAMEY ’86.

3. As defending state champs, Coach Ed Yohman and the 1986 soccer team went 14-0-2 on their way to another win in the NCISAA finals.

—from the Ravenscroft Alumni Facebook page, Jan. 7-9, 2020 8

WANT TO GET IN ON THE FUN OF RAVENS REPLY? VISIT OUR WEBSITE, ravenscroft.org/springmagazine2020, TO ADD COMMENTS TO THIS ALUMNI THREAD. FOLLOW OUR SCHOOL SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS (ravenscroft.org/social-mashup) OR ALUMNI SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS (ravenscroft.org/alumni) FOR UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES TO CONTRIBUTE.

4. The 1994 boys swim team earned their fifth state championship despite, as the Corvus yearbook staff humorously documented, “losing vans on the way to Charlotte, ice storms [and] the pool at Ravenscroft being broken.”

5. The 1996 varsity basketball team — led by co-captains LIZ BURNETTE GIBBONS ’96 (#11, at front), CHANDRA WATKINS ’96 (holding trophy at left) and MEG HUNTER ’96 (back row, behind trophy) — won their championship game in Duke University’s Cameron Indoor Stadium.

6. Photos from the 2000 Corvus show how Upper School “Rowdy Ravens” epitomized school spirit at sporting events and pep rallies.

7. PHILLIP SIMSON ’00 (at right), who played on the state-championship golf team in both 1998 and 2000, remembers the school hanging a banner at the front entrance to celebrate their win.

8. A collage in the 2016 Corvus highlighted the swim program, with the girls team — including CHLOE MIKLES ’16, bottom left, and MARY PRUDEN ’18, top center and bottom right — celebrating their impressive fourth consecutive state title.

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CONTENTS

ENJOY EXTENDED STORYTELLING, PHOTOS AND VIDEOS ON OUR WEBSITE: ravenscroft.org/springmagazine2020

CONTENTS

INSIGHTS

M A G A Z I N E

Designing Classroom Innovation SCHOOLS EVERYWHERE are

grappling with how to prepare students for the ever-changing professional landscape of the future. Ravenscroft has formed an Innovation Task Force, consisting of teachers and administrators from each division and in both the humanities and STEM-related disciplines, to help us identify and implement best practices for educating our students for the future.

The task force has identified key priorities including continued development of distinctive programming, robust and forward-thinking professional development for our faculty and staff, reimagining the uses of our existing infrastructure and resources (including instructional staff), and exploring funding and fundraising options.

This year, the Task Force has created the Ravenscroft Design Process, a comprehensive and cross-discipline model for design thinking that will be an important part of our programming. Students who engage in design thinking are better collaborators and problem-solvers — both of which are essential 21st-century competencies. In doing this important work, the task force itself has lived, worked and thrived through the design process, and we know its value. We’re looking forward to rolling it out for the school community in the months to come.

Of course, there is already so much innovative teaching and learning taking place on campus. Enjoy exploring some of those stories in Ethos, starting on p. 14. Find more details on the Innovation Task Force’s five-year vision for our school as part of the story’s bonus content in the digital version at ravenscroft.org/springmagazine2020.

SPRING 2020

HIGHLIGHTS EXPRESSIONS 22 SPARK Art Journaling gives Middle School students a creative outlet 24 A THOUSAND WORDS Enjoy a sneak-peak of the new Center for Student Life 26 INSPIRED

MEREDITH SUTTON ’99’s work in

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FIT: SPORTS AND WELLNESS

LOGAN ALDRIDGE ’09 inspires

adaptive athletes

jewelry is still evolving

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MAKERS: INNOVATION AND CREATION TODD HARRIS ’86 shapes the world

of esports

MEREDITH CAGE QUALE ’95

—SARAH WIKE, DIRECTOR OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENTS

FEATURE

ON THE COVER: CHARLIE EVERHARD ’20 and fellow seniors in Colby Bogie’s post-colonial literature class grapple with complex histories, societal dynamics and the role perspective plays as they read “Things Fall Apart,” set in South Africa at the dawning of apartheid. At left, fifth-graders JED CREEDON and GABRIEL LOYOLA explore the wonders of chemistry in Liz Morgan’s Harry Potter-themed science lab. Read more about teachers’ use of innovative classroom strategies in Ethos, p. 14.

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32 ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

14 MOLDING TOMORROW’S VISIONARIES TODAY

Ravenscroft’s Innovation Task Force has identified three strategies for creating innovative thinkers: giving students opportunities to customize their own learning pathways, empowering them to take more active roles in their education, and connecting their classroom experiences to the real world. Read about teachers and students who are already embracing these strategies in our classrooms — then learn more about Ravenscroft’s history of innovation and how our culture of philanthropy supports faculty and staff in their work today in the extended storytelling on our website: ravenscroft.org/springmagazine2020

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ETHOS Teachers and students embrace classroom strategies that create innovative thinkers

28 3 TO WATCH Catch up with Sports Hall of Famers EDWARD BOYLES ’80, JOHN (“BUC”) WILLIAMS ’90 and

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ONE WORLD: GLOBAL PROGRAMS AND PERSPECTIVES

International faculty share global perspectives

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FRAME: ARTS AND HUMANITIES

Theater department puts razzle-dazzle in “Chicago”

3 THINGS YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS ISSUE: #1

How the creative work habits of Google engineers have inspired third- and fourth-grade teachers to give students more choice in their learning experiences (p. 16)

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What creative solutions “Chicago” directors used to keep the on-stage orchestra on cue (p. 12)

#3

Which early sports teams gave Ravenscroft its first state championships (p. 30)

CORRECTIONS: In the Fall 2019 issue, the Report on Giving, Susan and Gary King should have been listed in the $50,000 category of Lifetime Giving. In Makers, the correct class year of ELLE WARNER is 2026 and EMME WARNER is 2028.

Ravenscroft Magazine is printed three times a year. Please direct comments or suggestions to Karen Lewis Taylor, Marketing & Communications, at 919-847-0900, ext. 2812, or karen.taylor@ravenscroft.org.

Design by M Creative | Photography

by Mary Kornegay, Karen Lewis Taylor, Colin Douglas Gray, Strawbridge, Simon Capell Photography and Bob Handelman Photography Archival content appears courtesy of Ravenscroft unless otherwise noted.

Photos by Bob Handelman

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NEW @RAVENSCROFTNC

NEW @RAVENSCROFTNC

Departments, Divisions Get Feedback

Upper School Patio Dedicated to Leonard Johnson

Ravenscroft Announces Center for Student Life

Wrestling Practice Center Coming to Richards Hall

Ravens’ Philanthropy Recognized

by ACS Award, Fund

Alumni Celebration Weekend Planned for Oct. 9-12, 2020

IN KEEPING WITH Ravenscroft’s commitment to continuous improvement, the Science Department, Athletics Department and Middle School have engaged this year in an intensive review process — known as a visitation — by outside experts. The History/Social Studies and Fine Arts departments have visitations planned this spring.

Departments and divisions undergo visitations every five to six years. School leaders use the findings to guide planning and shape policy.

“Visitations are strategic visioning exercises designed to take a deep dive into programs so we can live our mission and prepare students to thrive in our complex and interdependent world,” Colleen Ramsden, Associate Head of School for Academics and Student Life, explained.

“Our visitation process is unique in the independent school world. We’re proud of our feedback-rich culture.”

The Middle School visitation, for example, affirmed that the division is excelling in middle-grade education with innovative, pedagogically sound courses and is well positioned for the transition to new leadership when Head of Middle School Denise Colpitts retires in June. Associate Head of Middle School Tinnie Salzano will serve as Interim Head of Middle School beginning July 1.

SIGNIFICANT RENOVATIONS to Murphy Hall Upper School, announced in the Spring 2019 magazine, have created — among other things — a new outdoor social space facing the Quad. Since its opening at the start of this school year, the patio has become a favorite gathering spot for students as well as alumni and families visiting the campus green for special events such as Homecoming.

Through the generosity of the Replogle family, the patio has been named in honor of Leonard Johnson, Associate Head of School for Business and Finance, who has served at Ravenscroft since 1995. The naming of “LJ’s Place” was announced to Upper School students following the holiday chapel on Dec. 13, 2019. A formal dedication ceremony will take place later this spring.

Head of School Doreen Kelly said of this dedication, “Leonard Johnson has skillfully and successfully led Ravenscroft to a hopeful and sustainable financial future, faithfully stewarding our resources with an eye on our community today and for generations to come. I am so grateful to John and Kristin and their family for recognizing Leonard in such a meaningful and lasting way.”

RAVENSCROFT IS PLEASED to announce plans to undertake a significant renovation and expansion of the A.E. Finley Activity Center to create a comprehensive Center for Student Life.

The 18-month project, starting later this spring, will deliver a 33,000-square-foot facility with new features including a dining hall for Middle and Upper School students, large- and small-group meeting areas, wellness and meditation rooms and a revamped school store.

The Finley Center has been central to students’ experiences since its dedication in 1974. Supporting its namesake’s passion for community, activity and philanthropy, the Finley Center has housed athletics, fitness and physical education, schoolwide gatherings, fine arts, fundraising and more.

“The Board of Trustees is pleased to build on Ravenscroft’s legacy of excellence and ensure the Finley Center will continue to provide an environment to foster community and build the skills students need to thrive in the world around them,” Board Chair Kevin Anderson ’82 said. “With the new Center for Student Life, we are confident Mr. Finley’s timeless vision, coupled with our Lead From Here educational framework, will set the benchmark for a contemporary learning facility focusing on health and wellness, collaboration and connection.”

A MAJOR RENOVATION in the works for the north end of Richards Hall will create a new practice center for the varsity wrestling program, which in February won a seventh consecutive conference championship.

The new center, funded by the generosity of an anonymous donor, creates a dedicated practice area in a spacious and light-filled facility that elevates the sport’s presence on campus. It will feature 12 wrestling circles, a locker room and a coach’s office. The center will also include state-of-the-art training equipment, with a weight room to be dedicated to Ed Durham, a longtime Ravenscroft math teacher and wrestling coach who retired in 2018. Durham passed away on Jan. 28, 2020, after a courageous battle with brain cancer.

Head of School Doreen Kelly shared news of the weight room dedication at a Jan. 7 wrestling meet attended by Durham and his family. She described him as “a constant advocate of the program and our athletes,” noting that the naming of the space was made possible by former wrestlers and other alumni who wanted to honor their former teacher, coach and mentor.

THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY has recognized Ravenscroft students with one of only three 2019 Hero of Research national awards. The award recognizes the student-led fundraising of the Running Over Cancer 5K and Ravens in the Hood teams, which have raised more than $650,000 since 2009, and our A Crucial Catch teams, which have raised more than $80,000 in three years while also supporting cancer awareness.

The Ravens’ award is one of only 15 given out since the ACS program’s inception in 2017. The award is typically given to teams for Relay for Life, but ACS made an exception to honor Ravenscroft students’ outstanding contributions. The award includes an opportunity for the team to name an existing post-doctoral fellowship research grant; this fund has been named the Ravenscroft School Cancer Research Fund to honor the many Ravens who work every year to support ACS. “The commitment and generosity of the Ravenscroft community in support of defeating cancer is inspiring,” Head of Upper School Aaron Sundstrom said of this honor. “I am so proud of our students for their incredible efforts and contributions to the American Cancer Society.”

D E TA I L S A R E falling into place for 2020’s Alumni Celebration Weekend, which means alumni from all classes can save the date for a weekend of remembering and reconnecting. Additional information will be announced at ravenscroft.org/alumniweekend. Mark your calendar and plan to join us! > The weekend kicks off Friday, Oct. 9, with the Alumni Association’s lunch and annual meeting, followed by the opening reception of our second Alumni Art Exhibit. > Friday evening will be filled with Homecoming fun and athletic events on campus. > Saturday, Oct. 10, means class reunions for anyone with a “0” or “5” in their graduating year — but the All-Alumni Party is for everyone! Join fellow Ravens and honored faculty for dinner and drinks at Pugh Pond. Remember, all alumni donors to the Fund For Ravenscroft (ravenscroft.org/giving/fundforravenscroft) can enjoy the party for free! > Stick around until Monday, Oct. 12, and take part in the 25th Annual Ravenscroft Golf Classic at North Ridge Country Club.

Build your foursomes, come ready to play and enjoy the day, all for a good cause: Ravenscroft athletics! Learn more at ravenscroft.org/golf.

The Middle School visitation report included kudos for the interdisciplinary Humanities 6 course.

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The new Upper School patio has been named “LJ’s Place” in honor of Leonard Johnson.

The new Center for Student Life represents a significant expansion of the existing A.E. Finley Center.

The new practice center provides upgraded facilities for Ravenscroft’s conference-championship varsity wrestling team.

The American Cancer Society has recognized Ravenscroft students with a named research fund.

The Alumni Association’s annual meeting and luncheon kicks off a weekend of reunions and fun on campus.

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FIT

SEE ALDRIDGE IN ACTION AND HEAR MORE ABOUT HIS PERSONAL JOURNEY AND WORK IN ADAPTIVE SPORTS ON OUR WEBSITE: ravenscroft.org/springmagazine2020

BY DAVID KLEIN

1. LOGAN ALDRIDGE ’09’s dominance as an adaptive CrossFit athlete earned him the cover story of the March/April 2016 issue of Sweat RX Magazine.

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2. His rigorous training and talent for developing modifications to equipment for his favorite sports recently earned Aldridge the title of Fittest One-Armed Man on Earth.

Imagining a solution Following his accident, Aldridge charged back into athletics as soon as he was out of the hospital, participating in Ravenscroft’s summer football training while still wearing bandages. Determined to be in optimal physical shape, he researched fitness regimens and eventually decided on CrossFit, which draws upon multiple components and includes a nutrition protocol. But could CrossFit could be done by a person with one arm?

His doubts were confirmed at his first CrossFit workout. Unable to jump rope, he returned home feeling frustrated.

But as he contemplated the mechanics involved with the workouts, he happened to notice a bundle of lacrosse shafts in his room — and inspiration hit.

“I thought, ‘If I can hold this bar right at my waistline, in the middle, with the jump rope attached to it, can I rotate it enough to articulate the jump rope in a similar circle around my body?’” he remembered. “I brought in a lacrosse shaft and taped it up, and gosh, I think I did about a hundred double-unders that first time.”

He’s since modified dozens of exercise devices, including developing a handle that enables a one-armed person to use an indoor rowing machine and partnering with a jump-rope manufacturer to make a strap that facilitates one-armed dead lifts while maintaining bodily symmetry.

“It’s changed people’s lives,” he says of his modifications. “These devices enable them to pursue their fullest potential.”

“TO PURSUE THEIR FULLEST POTENTIAL”

Logan Aldridge ’09 Inspires Adaptive Athletes AS A CHILD, LOGAN ALDRIDGE ’09 loved finding solutions to problems

“I’m absolutely an athlete and a competitor at heart, but it’s not about me winning.”

— LOGAN ALDRIDGE ’09

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around the house and backyard shed. “I’m a tinkerer and an inventor at heart,” he said. “I realized there was so much stuff that I could do much better with one little device or tweak to a piece of equipment.”

That determination has helped make Aldridge, who lost most of his left arm in a wakeboarding accident when he was 13, a superstar in the field of adaptive athletics. Today, he is the co-owner of Raleigh-based Adaptive Training Academy, which conducts seminars to familiarize doctors, physical therapists and others with training methodology.

“Societally and culturally, if we have an impairment of some sort — whether it’s missing a limb, limb deformity, neurological — we’ve made assumptions that we’re just less capable,” he said of his own journey to overcome such thinking. “I know what a mind-set of ‘Woe is me, why did this happen to me?’ looks like. What I didn’t know, and what I was super-excited about, was the opportunity to take an unfortunate incident and potentially make it the best thing that ever happened to me.”

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Empowering others Adapting CrossFit training goals to suit his needs recently earned Aldridge the title of Fittest One-Armed Man on Earth — he can, for example, deadlift 455 pounds and climb a rope with one hand — but he emphasized that his fitness journey initially made the greatest impact on simple daily movements.

“I could pick things up off the ground much easier,” he said. “I could [balance in a] squat better.” Wanting to share his successes with others, Aldridge found his way to the world of adaptive fitness.

“The word ‘adaptive’ was deliberately chosen as an alternative to terms such as ‘disabled,’ ‘wounded’ or ‘impaired,’” he said. “‘Adapt’ means ‘I will do the same thing you did, but differently.’”

Aldridge balances his considerable work in the adaptive training arena with his role as regional market manager at LifeAid Beverage Company, maker of FitAid, the official recovery drink of Spartan races. This summer, Adaptive Training Academy will host what Aldridge calls “the Super Bowl of adaptive fitness championships” in Chicago.

As for holding the title of Fittest OneArmed Man on Earth, Aldridge’s pride extends beyond what the achievement means to him personally.

“I’m absolutely an athlete and a competitor at heart, but it’s not about me winning,” he said. “It’s about the empowerment and education of others that can then enable them to pursue their fullest potential.”

3. Aldridge, who played varsity lacrosse at Ravenscroft, joins former teammates PHILIP FAJGENBAUM ’09 and PARKE JONES ’09 at 2017’s Alumni Lacrosse Game, held over Thanksgiving weekend.

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4, 5. Aldridge continues to compete across a range of events and has become a superstar in the field of adaptive athletics.

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MAKERS

READ ABOUT HI-REZ STUDIOS’ PARTNERSHIP WITH MAKE-A-WISH GEORGIA, WATCH FOOTAGE FROM A RECENT SKILLSHOT ESPORTS EVENT AND MORE ON OUR WEBSITE: ravenscroft.org/springmagazine2020

BY STACY CALFO

“ALMOST LIKE MAGIC”

Todd Harris ’86 Shapes the World of Esports AS FOUNDER AND CEO OF SKILLSHOT MEDIA, an esports operator, and

co-founder of Hi-Rez Studios, a video game developer, Todd Harris ’86 is something of a digital magician.

“I’ve always loved creating technology products that improve lives in the real world,” Harris said. “The amazing thing about computer programming is that you can start with just an idea, and with the right computer code and hard work, that idea manifests itself in the real world. It feels almost like magic.”

We recently sat down with Harris to learn more about his path to the online world and his influence as a digital game developer and esports revolutionary.

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What did you do after graduating from Ravenscroft?

I submitted my first computer game to UNC-Chapel Hill as part of my college application, since writing games was more fun than writing essays! After getting a BS in computer science there, I entered the software engineering industry in Atlanta. I spent about 15 years developing technology products for retail stores before helping start Hi-Rez Studios in 2005.

How did Ravenscroft prepare you for this path?

Ravenscroft was amazing in terms of developing my communication and leadership skills. I think I received a 2 on my first paper (it left quite an impression). By the time I graduated, thanks to help from my teachers, I aced my AP English exam and had become a much better writer. In terms of leadership, I began high school being very reserved but gradually became more active in extracurricular activities and ended up leading many clubs and being student body vice president.

Describe a typical day for you.

After 15 years at Hi-Rez Studios I’m now leading a new start-up company called Skillshot Media that produces esports media and live events. Imagine stadiums full of cheering fans and millions watching from home, but instead of a traditional sports event like basketball, the fans are watching other people play video games competitively for millions of dollars. There are already more than 200 million people watching these types of events online, and the industry is just getting started. I spend most of my day talking to brand marketers at other companies, explaining gaming and esports to them and helping them reach this audience with sponsorship campaigns.

You were recently named one of Atlanta’s Most Admired CEOs. Is this the highlight of your career?

While I was honored to receive this award, I’m most proud of the work we do in the community. Last year before the

MAKERS

Super Bowl, Skillshot worked with [football legends] Steve Young and Jerry Rice to open an esports center in downtown Atlanta. This center gives free computer access and training to underprivileged youth who lack access to equipment and qualified teachers. This center and others will help with that. Hi-Rez Studios is also heavily involved with Make-A-Wish Georgia.

How would you describe your leadership style?

To me, leadership is the art of the possible. A leader is realistically optimistic and holds a vision of the future that the organization delivers upon, time and time again. A good leader is also selfaware. I have strengths and weaknesses, and rather than try to improve upon every weakness, I play to my strengths and have partners in other areas.

What goals do you have for the future for yourself? For your company?

I believe esports is the future of sports and entertainment. It is like Sports 2.0 — what traditional sports aspires to, esports will deliver. Esports is blind to gender, race, nationality or class. It is very accessible and truly global. At the same time, gaming isn’t perfect and can be done to excess or delivered in an exploitative way. We are at the birth of a new entertainment industry, and our company wants to help shape that industry so gaming is delivered in a healthy and sustainable way.

What advice would you give current Ravens looking to a tech future?

Pick at least one project and take that small project to completion. If you want to try game development, pick up Scratch or Unity and build one simple level. Build a webpage or maybe try video editing for a YouTube channel. Just try creating something small and see if you enjoy that process. Don’t overthink it. Create something, get feedback from your friends and then improve it based on the feedback.

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5 1. TODD HARRIS ’86 2, 3. Through Skillshot Media, Harris produces esports media and live tournaments, connecting with the nearly 200 million people who watch these types of events online.

4. Harris is co-founder of Hi-Rez Studios, which has produced many award-winning video games including Paladins, Global Game Awards’ Best Free 2 Play Game of 2018.

5. Through Hi-Rez Studios, Harris has partnered with Make-A-Wish Georgia to raise money and provide opportunities for “Wish Kids” to attend esports events, meet game developers and even create their own video games.

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ONE WORLD

ONE WORLD

BY SHANNON T. ZARB

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1. Preparing for a tour of the San Felipe de Barajas castle in Cartagena, Colombia, Ana Maria Méndez and her family are greeted by a palenquera, a now-iconic reminder of the former African slaves who, in 1691, declared independence from Spanish colonial powers and founded the first free community of the Americas, Palenque.

2. Jessica Yonzon explores Segovia, Spain, during a 2017 exchange program with Upper School students.

“Every time I go somewhere new and meet new people, I realize how much I did not know before!” Yonzon said.

“There are so many ways to think, see and do things around the world and there is so much more for me to learn.

That is why I enjoy my work in global education.”

3. Richa Dolia and her family gather in Gujarat, India, in January 2019 to celebrate the head-shaving ceremony for her young son. “The first, ‘pure’ set of hair is donated to a Hindu deity,” she explained.

4. Yi-Wen Liu visits Hualian, in eastern Taiwan, to present at a Chinese-language teaching conference in 2018. “I also got to reunite with my family and travel around the island,” she said. “It was a wonderful experience meeting different relatives throughout the trip.”

“SO MANY WAYS TO THINK, SEE AND DO THINGS”

International Faculty Share Global Perspectives RAVENSCROFT’S INTERNATIONAL FACULTY bring authentic global per-

spectives to their classrooms and the greater school community, providing yet another avenue by which our teachers prepare students to succeed in an increasingly interconnected world. As Katie Barnwell, chair of the World Languages Department, said, “Students benefit from the ability to interact with a native speaker as well as have a deeper understanding of that individual’s culture and current perspectives outside of the U.S.” We asked some of our international faculty what they miss most about their home countries and how they believe their experiences and perspectives most benefit their students here at Ravenscroft.

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Ana Maria Méndez

Yi-Wen Liu

Colombia is full of mountains, colors and beautiful nature. You love the country where you come from and love it even more when you are far from it. I grew up watching soccer, dancing salsa and eating the arepas (cornmeal cakes) prepared by my aunts. Family is everything in my life, and it is what I miss the most.

My goal is to develop a sense of respect for other cultures and traditions. We need leaders who have empathy, ethics and all the willingness to help people regardless of their race, color and language.

Growing up in a Chinese-speaking country, I was immersed in both local and international affairs. There are a lot of traditions, such as rituals honoring our ancestors, food customs and festivals.

Although I miss the ability to vote and make changes in my home country, I also

Lower School Spanish Teacher COLOMBIA

Jessica Yonzon

Upper School Social Studies Teacher NEPAL

Nepal is known for the Himalayas and Mount Everest. It is a beautiful, diverse nation with 126 distinct ethnic groups and as many diverse cuisines as there are people! I miss the mountains, culture, my family, friends and food.

My experiences have made me realize the value of listening to multiple perspectives and appreciating different ways of life. I constantly bring that lens to my teaching, especially in a class like Global Issues, encouraging students to look at all sides of an issue to extend their empathy.

Upper School Mandarin Teacher TAIWAN

appreciate the opportunity to be a global citizen by stepping out of my comfort zone and relocating to the United States.

In my classes, I always encourage students to show respect to the target culture by recognizing inappropriate behaviors to avoid misunderstandings.

Being open-minded and seeking positive ways to celebrate differences will lead us to a world with less conflict.

Fun Facts Did you know these facts about these teachers’ homelands?

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COLOMBIA is home to more species of birds than Europe and North America combined.

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The number 4 is considered unlucky in TAIWAN, with most hospitals skipping the floor designation altogether.

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From auto-rickshaws to buses, all public transportation in New Delhi, INDIA, runs on eco-friendly compressed natural gas, or CNG.

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Sherpas in NEPAL refer to Mount Everest as “Chomolungma,” meaning “Goddess Mother of the World.”

Richa Dolia

Upper School Science Teacher INDIA

India is a country with diverse languages, landscapes, delicious foods, religions and clothing. I miss the close kinship with neighbors and access to friends and babysitters. I also miss being able to call our elderly “Uncle” and “Auntie” as a term of endearment, rather than because you’re related to them.

I consider myself blessed to be able to live and work in two completely different countries. Being in a new environment has not only made me question the norms, rituals and the way we did things back home, but it has also helped me become more resilient and able to adjust.

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FRAME

ENJOY MORE PHOTOS FROM “CHICAGO” AND LEARN HOW “A LITTLE BIT OF GOOD” GOES A LONG WAY FOR THE ARTS ON OUR WEBSITE: ravenscroft.org/springmagazine2020

BY SHANNON T. ZARB

“A SHOW THAT’S SO SPLENDIFEROUS”

Theater Department Puts Razzle-Dazzle in “Chicago” “As we stripped away so many of the pieces audiences expect, we knew everything we put on stage needed to be perfect.”

—JASON SHARP, THEATER DIRECTOR

SLICK, STYLIZED AND ARRIVING ON THE HEELS OF the mini-series “Fosse/Verdon,” Ravenscroft’s production of “Chicago” showcased “all that jazz” — and then some. As Director of Fine Arts David McChesney put it, “Nothing like this has ever been done in our theater.”

“My hope was to make our production feel so close to the original that people forgot it was a made-for-high-school version,” theater director Jason Sharp said.

Here’s how the theater department staged a show whose ambitious approach was matched by its impressive execution, with lots of inspiration and support along the way.

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cast members depended on vocal tracks to support their mastery of the songs.

“I was worried about it being a dance show without the singing,” musical director Cameron Bolin remembered with a chuckle. “One of the biggest challenges was when students had to sing on their own.”

SYDNEY MIZELLE ’21 , who played Matron “Mama” Morton, agreed. “It took a lot of effort to move away from the track,” she said. “My song had a lot of unclear cutoffs, so Mrs. Bolin and I coordinated small body cues that I would make during the song to let her know when to bring the band in and out.”

All That Jazz Cell Block Tango While most cast members had acting experience, only one — SARAH DAVENPORT ’21 , who played Velma — had formal dance training. Sharp said he found the show’s “silver bullet” in choreographer Bronwen Carson, an award-winning actor who trained with Gary Flannery, a favorite of “Chicago” choreographer Bob Fosse.

“Working with Ms. Carson during rehearsal brought professionalism and high standards to the cast of ‘Chicago,’” Sarah said of the experience. “She helped me, as well as the entire cast, understand what it means to work together.”

“I’ve never trained in dance, so initially I was a bit uncomfortable,” ELLE SCHANTZ ’20, who played Roxie, said. “It took a lot of work, many rehearsals and a few days with sore feet, but everyone ultimately excelled in dancing and gave a great performance.”

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1. ELLE SCHANTZ ’20 (as Roxie) and SHAURIK DESHPANDE ’20 (as sensationalist lawyer Billy Flynn), at center, and the cast show off their classic Bob Fosse moves, stemming from their work with a professional choreographer.

I Can’t Do It Alone

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Because of the cast’s intensive work on choreography, vocal rehearsals were trimmed early on to just one day a week.

That meant that, during many rehearsals,

With the right sound so essential to the musical’s success, directors also brought in a professional orchestra, which was situated prominently on stage to add to the show’s Jazz Age vibe.

“Having the orchestra on stage was definitely a statement,” said staff accompanist SK Chipley, who joined six other Ravenscroft faculty in the group. “It gave an extra punch of energy to the performance.”

4

2. The show’s finale features former jailbirds Velma (SARAH DAVENPORT ’21) and Roxie, now paired in a vaudeville act, belting out some of the show’s iconic songs.

FRAME

More creativity was needed when Bolin realized the set design — which featured a stairway in the middle of the stage — split the orchestra in half, leaving some musicians unable to see her conducting during the show.

“An inspired combination of lighting and video monitors for the musicians helped us get the cues right,” Bolin said.

“That’s just another example of the ingenuity required to put on a show like this!”

Razzle-Dazzle In terms of staging, “Chicago” is meant to be a minimalist production.

“It’s a show that depends on a certain look,” said stagecraft teacher Russell Vacanti, who served as set builder and lighting designer. “The greatest challenge was not to go too big — to keep the lights low and resist the temptation to make sure the audience could see every little detail.”

It was the crew’s finishing touches that took center stage: the bandstand trimmed in gold, the dancers’ vaudeville-style feathered fans, and the newspaper declaring “Roxie Rocks Chicago,” complete with a photo of Schantz as Roxie.

“As we stripped away so many of the pieces audiences expect, we knew everything we put on stage needed to be perfect,” Sharp said.

3. SYDNEY MIZELLE ’21, as Matron “Mama” Morton, and Sarah make potent use of minimalist props and scenery as they discuss the intrigues of Roxie’s case.

4. Spotlights, color and props are used to great effect in the monochromatic lighting and set design created by stagecraft teacher Russell Vacanti and his student crew.

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ENJOY MORE CLASSROOM PHOTOS AND VIDEOS, EXPLORE RAVENSCROFT’S HISTORY OF INNOVATION AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THE TASK FORCE’S WORK ON OUR WEBSITE: ravenscroft.org/springmagazine2020

ETHOS

Molding Tomorrow’s Visionaries Today

Teachers and students embrace classroom strategies that create innovative thinkers

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ETHOS

In 2018, Ravenscroft commissioned the Innovation Task Force — a forwardthinking group of faculty, staff and school leaders — and charged them with developing a comprehensive vision for innovation in teaching and learning that will guide the school for the next five years.

A

Creating innovative thinkers: Fifth-graders JED CREEDON and GABRIEL LOYOLA explore the wonders of chemistry in Liz Morgan’s Harry Potter-themed science lab.

S T H E Y E X P LO R E D C U R R I C U L A , pedagog-

ical methods and learning outcomes that best prepare students for the future, they identified three key educational strategies for creating innovative thinkers: giving students opportunities to customize their own learning pathways, empowering them to take more active roles in their education, and connecting their classroom experiences to the real world.

As the task force moves to implement its plan — identifying the programming, spaces and people that will propel Ravenscroft students into a world continuously transformed by the “information revolution” — many classrooms are already embracing those strategies.

Here, we share just a few of the innovative programs and projects Ravenscroft faculty and staff have implemented as they mold the visionaries of tomorrow.

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ETHOS

ETHOS

Genius Hour Customizing their research projects increases curiosity and engagement in Lower Schoolers

BY K AREN SHORE

Customizing their learning pathways: Lower School students enjoy many opportunities to explore topics and engage in projects that interest them, from Big Centers in PreK and kindergarten to hands-on STEM activities in fifth grade. Here, Danny Carlson’s fifth-graders KING BEASLEY, CHARLOTTE HINSON, WILLIAM RAMSEY and SOPHIE IDLER work on a design challenge that develops resource management and collaboration.

N O T H I N G S AY S I N N O VAT I O N quite like an edu-

1

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cational movement built around the creative work habits of Google engineers.

The result, Genius Hour — recently introduced in several Ravenscroft third- and fourth-grade classrooms — provides students with time and support to investigate topics of their own choosing. From baking to musicians’ inspiration to historical figures, students are exploring an impressive array of subjects as they plan and implement an independent research project, then analyze, organize and present what they have found.

The program’s goal is to capitalize on the power of choice. Each child is engaged, challenged and motivated because the spark of interest is their own.

As Ruth Thomas, the Lower School’s curriculum and instruction specialist, noted, “Students feel greater joy in learning when they have choices.

That sense of ownership shifts the responsibility of learning from the teacher to the student.”

1. RICKY MOORE presents his research project to his classmates in Crystal Keefe’s fourthgrade class.

2. Third-grader ZAHRA CHEATHAM listens to music as part of her research on songwriters’ inspiration for their lyrics.

3. Fourth-grader WYATT KENADY adjusts the wiring of the remotecontrolled car he built for his Genius Hour project.

“It really got me interested” Teachers lay the groundwork for the program through discussions about what it means to be passionate and curious. “This conversation helps students craft research questions that will guide them throughout the entire process,” said teacher Nicole Willis, whose third-graders have eagerly embraced Genius Hour this year.

Students keep track of their progress with a research log, which helps them build accountability and time management. Teachers cover presentation skills, body language, voice projection and tone, and audience engagement as they get students prepared to share what they’ve learned with classmates.

Willis said she provides her young researchers with a lot of support as they work, dedicating an hour each week to the projects. As third-graders, they’re already familiar with the “Super3” research model — which guides students in developing three research questions to identify their topics of interest — and they lean on and refine those skills as they’re exploring their passions. As the projects wrap up, Willis’ students have a fixed presenta-

tion date, with all of the class sharing on the same day.

Third-grader ZAHRA CHEATHAM chose the topic of pop music because of her interest in where songwriters get their inspiration for lyrics. “I wanted to know how they thought of their songs,” she explained. “It really got me interested in them, and now when I listen to them I actually get [the meaning].”

sessions — adding more specialization to their topic if they choose — Crystal Keefe’s fourth-graders have a rolling presentation schedule that is guided by each student’s own determination of when their research is complete.

Fourth-grader WYATT KENADY, for example, built a working remote-controlled car. “What sparked my interest was my first RC car that went 45 miles an hour. I didn’t really understand how it worked, so I figured out how to make it and built one,” he said. “The battery powers the motor, which runs the gears that make the wheels turn.

Learning that [information] made it make more sense.”

With a whole world of topics to consider, it’s no wonder that, as Willis said, “no two students’ projects are identical.” Digging into one project each quarter gives them plenty of opportunities to flex their own curiosity.

“This process allows them to fully dive into whatever specific piece drives their passion,” Keefe said. “Students really learn how to differentiate between something they like and something that ignites fire within them.”

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“It makes more sense” Fourth-grade students go even deeper.

They use the “Big6” research model (named for the number of steps in the process), which includes crafting proposals for their teacher’s approval.

After completing at least nine research

2

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ETHOS

ETHOS Empowered to take a more active role in their learning: Through rigorous core classes and a slate of interesting electives, Middle Schoolers are encouraged to engage deeply with course content and take responsibility for their growth.

Here, Scott Ringenbach works with Think It! Design It! Make It! students AVA LI ’26, MORGAN RILEY ’25, DANE WOELFFER ’26 and MILES HUGHEY ’26 (at back) to launch their custom-designed rockets.

Washington, D.C., Museum Project Playing a more active role helps eighth-graders find their voices B Y S TA C Y C A L F O

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2

R E F L E C T I N G A N O T H E R K E Y E L E M E N T of the task force’s vision for

innovation — empowering students to take active roles in their education — Ravenscroft’s eight-grade teachers have reimagined their approach to a longstanding tradition for Middle Schoolers: the annual class trip to Washington, D.C, and its many monuments and museums.

“We took a theme approach to the trip this year,” language arts teacher Sarah Baker said. Ahead of the visit, “students chose a Holocaust-focused novel and picked out significant themes that resonated with them. When they arrived in Washington, D.C., their goal was to find reflections of their chosen themes in every museum we visited. It gave them a focus for the trip.”

“We spent significant time before the trip discussing how the Holocaust came to be,” Josh Gallagher, who teaches history, added. “It was truly a collaborative effort to ensure our students were thinking about this experience from every angle.”

“Insightful and interesting” 1. Sarah Baker and students SOFIA PEDRETTI ’24, OLIVIA MEYERS ’24 and JACK DOUGLAS ’24 discuss the Holocaust-themed novels they chose as part of their project for the class trip to Washington, D.C. 2. Students visit landmarks and government buildings as well as monuments and museums during their class trip to the nation’s capital.

3. Eighth-graders talk with a Holocaust survivor after their tour of the museum in Washington, D.C.

1

To extend their learning from their classwork and trip, students were challenged to develop a new exhibit for the Holocaust Museum and give a presentation on why it should be added. Part of their preparation for that project was to keep a journal of observations and reflections about their experiences during the trip.

“We visited the Holocaust Museum, the Newseum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Air and Space Museum,” ALEXA GILLON ’24 said. “They were all so insightful and interesting.”

“When we visited the museums, we had to look at the exhibits and think about how we could incorporate some of the elements into our own exhibit,” such as artifacts and other visuals, narration and tone, and interactive features, JACKSON REIN ’24 said. “Teachers also stressed the importance of being respectful because of the sensitive material that we were going to observe.”

“We weren’t asking them to do separate things in different museums. It wasn’t just a scavenger hunt for facts,” Baker said. “We wanted them to see themes that were consistent. The lessons were so fresh in their mind, it was easier for them to focus on and integrate what they were seeing.”

“A student-driven piece” Students agreed that having a theme to focus on gave shape to their overall experience in Washington, D.C., and made them more engaged in what they were seeing.

“The book I read was ‘The Winter Horses,’ and the theme I derived was that those who are mentally and physically strong can fight through adversity,” Jackson said. “I proposed an exhibit that would enhance the existing stories of three Holocaust survivors, Jakob Blankitny, Rosa Marie Burger and Irene Csillag.”

3

“I read ‘Milkweed’ by Jerry Spinelli and chose to explore how survival is dependent on selflessness,” Alexa added. “I created my exhibit based on the smugglers of the Warsaw Ghetto and the caretakers of orphans because I was struck by how truly selfless people were during such dire and dark circumstances. Without identifying this theme, I’m not sure I would have realized the sacrifice so many private citizens made to help the victims of the Holocaust.”

“This is really a student-driven piece,” Gallagher said. “We do what we can to build the historical background, but we want them to be able to place themselves in this place and time.”

“Student interest is allowed to shine through this model,” Baker concluded.

“They are reading a book independently of others in class, so this enables them to take their own direction. It’s their interpretation of the author’s work. They have a voice.”

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ETHOS

The Entrepreneurial Mindset Solving real-world business problems offers Upper Schoolers an authentic experience

BY KE VIN FLINN

1

2. Chris Michael and TOMMY REYNOLDS ’20 review a presentation for Skema, a business school that partnered with Entrepreneurial Mindset students to increase its visibility in the Triangle area.

3. GRIFFIN DILLO ’20 discusses the results of a mind-mapping exercise with his classmates.

Connecting classroom experiences to the real world: Upper School students apply their classroom experiences in many ways, from making connections between history or literature and the challenges facing the world today to actively seeking solutions through design thinking, community service and partnerships with local organizations. Here, Sports Medicine III students LAUREN HARRISON ’20 and ALEX MARCHI ’20 review the proper technique for applying a splint with athletic trainer Tim Savage.

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PA R T I C U L A R LY F O R U P P E R S C H O O L S T U D E N T S feeling the pull

of life after high school, courses designed with real-world connections are in high demand. A new course offered this fall, The Entrepreneurial Mindset, provided six students the opportunity to collaborate with Triangle-area businesses to develop solutions to challenges the companies were facing.

In developing the course, Latin teacher Jim Martin and IT specialist Chris Michael adapted the framework of North Carolina-based nonprofit District C, which matches teams of forward-thinking high school students with local organizations looking for help addressing a problem.

Martin and Michael designed the course with an eye toward the practical application of student ideas. In this way, the students’ feedback to the businesses would be treated the same as input from any other consulting firm.

“We coach the business partners ahead of time that we require honest feedback based on expectations they would have with working with other consultants,” Martin said. “That means students are engaging with the company to solve the problem and not just follow the steps to get an A.”

“Interested in getting experience”

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ETHOS

1. LEA LAMBERT ’21 and teacher Jim Martin collaborate with COLE PHILLIPS ’21.

Over the course of the semester, students worked with three Triangle-based companies that were eager for ideas from growth-minded students.

For each one, the students conducted up to two weeks of intensive research before devising strategies appropriate for their particular needs. The three businesses — Two Dots, a marketing company; Skema, a business school; and the developers of Silbo, an app that connects referees to leagues — all “had basically the same problems and questions: they wanted to expand their customer base,” TOMMY REYNOLDS ’20 said.

Realizing that approaching a realworld business problem might seem daunting for high school students, Martin and Michael began the course by intro-

ducing the tools — such as questioning and mind-mapping, all stemming from design thinking — students would use throughout the semester.

“That puts students in a position to work through the business problem, dissect it, generate a true problem statement and begin consulting on possible solutions from there,” Michael said.

Most students took the course with the future in mind. “I was interested in getting any kind of business experience, and this class fit that goal perfectly,” GRIFFIN DILLO ’20 said.

LEA LAMBERT ’21 agreed. “I am interested in a lot of different fields, and even though I may not major in business, I wanted the experience to see if I could see myself doing it in the future,” she said.

3

“We figured out how to work together” One of the course’s major goals was that the group’s work together be authentic. As such, students expanded their knowledge about collaboration, communication, public speaking and giving effective presentations.

“It was unlike the group projects they may see in other courses, where they each do a portion and then stitch the final product together,” Martin explained. “In this process, the students work together at nearly every step. When they present their recommendations to the businesses, the idea is that each student could make the pitch entirely by themselves.”

“Each time we came away with different lessons,” COLE PHILLIPS ’21 said.

“We figured out how to work together,” Tommy added. “By our second business partner we all knew how to work as a group. A lot of it was just figuring it out.”

It’s that “figuring it out” that Martin and Michael hope will be the biggest takeaway from the course.

“The skills and mindsets that are instilled will continue to benefit our students well beyond their time on our campus,” Michael concluded.

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SPARK

ENJOY ADDITIONAL SAMPLES FROM MRS. LAM’S ART JOURNALING CLASS ON OUR WEBSITE: ravenscroft.org/springmagazine2020

SPARK

Beixi Gu ’25 I N M I D D L E SC H O O L’S semester-long Art Journaling

elective, students transform an old hardcover book into a creative exploration of their feelings, dreams, experiences and aspirations, using paints, crayons, colored pencils, collage paper and more to illuminate inspirational quotes, poetry, lyrics and their own writing. These samples are from art teacher Jennifer Lam’s first-semester class.

1

I have always loved poems and quotes because they make me feel inspired to draw and create. That is why most of my pages are filled with quotes that I love and poems that I’ve been reading since I was a kid. I feel like the words are art too. They bring life in what seems like just simple words, and that is what art journaling really means, to bring words to life.

Hayden Perry ’26

2

In my journal I try to make bold and colorful pieces that can speak a message. My Ravenscroft page is one of my favorites.

Since I am a new student this year, this page expressed so many of my feelings about starting school. This page speaks of the positivity of Ravenscroft. I love Art Journaling and I am so thankful to be able to take this class as it has given me the opportunity to express art in my own way, and most importantly, to be creative.

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3, 4. Artwork by HAYDEN PERRY ’26

1, 2. Artwork by BEIXI GU ’25

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A THOUSAND WORDS

CENTER FOR STUDENT LIFE

A .E. FINLEY ACTIVIT Y CENTER

Coming soon: Ravenscroft announces the Center for Student Life at the A.E. Finley Activity Center.

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SPRING 2020

25

INSPIRED

INSPIRED

“My work is still evolving” Jewelry by Meredith Sutton ’99

Sutton created 38 custom pieces for Michael Bastian’s 2016 spring/ summer runway collection at New York Fashion Week.

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I CAN’T RECALL A TIME growing up when art wasn’t central to my life. As a lifer at Ravenscroft, my memories start with Mrs. Fortlouis’s Lower School art room. There were bins full of yarn, papier-mâché masks covered the walls, and shelves housed pinch pots waiting for the kiln.

A big loom sat on the far side of the room with a halfwoven rug; each class would add a piece of fabric, and eventually it would cover the floor. In Middle School I learned about color, pointillism and collage with Mrs. Cooper. In Mrs. Fillip’s AP art class, we learned to draw and paint by using direct observation with still life, landscape and architecture. She took us to Washington, D.C., to see the Chuck Close exhibition at the Hirshhorn Museum, and my classmates and I got in trouble for crashing a wedding in the ballroom of our hotel.

After graduation, I found my way to the Savannah College of Art and Design. My years at SCAD opened me to a world of design thinking: I wasn’t just creating art, I was conceptualizing, storytelling and building an environment with material. I graduated with a BFA in metals and jewelry in 2003.

Over the years, I’ve maintained a studio, fulfilled artist residencies, published work and participated in both group and solo exhibitions. A highlight of my career was in 2016, when luxury clothing designer Michael Bastian asked me to collaborate with his spring/summer runway collection at New York Fashion Week. I created 38 pieces of custom jewelry in three weeks and hand-delivered them to his studio in Manhattan.

Lately, I have been balancing my jewelry craft with other pursuits. My partner, Kevin, and I founded a craft brewery, Service Brewing, in downtown Savannah. As Kevin is a graduate of West Point and served eight years in the Army, we dedicate a portion of our taproom revenue to charities that support veterans and first responders.

From my work designing our taproom to creating events and leading the creative direction of our brand, this venture has been one of the most challenging and rewarding endeavors of my life. In the past five years, we have raised over $110,000 for charities.

With my commitments to Service Brewing, my time in the studio is more therapeutic these days. I have the freedom to work creatively without the pressure of maintaining inventory and sales. My work is still evolving. Despite the shift in my career focus, I always find myself back in the studio preparing for my next jewelry pop-up.

MEREDITH SUTTON ’99 Photo courtesy of Colin Douglas Gray

Follow Meredith’s work on Instagram: @meredithannesutton

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3 TO WATCH

READ MORE ABOUT RAVENSCROFT’S STATE-CHAMPIONSHIP ATHLETICS IN RAVENS REPLY (p. 1) AND RAVENS REWIND (p. 30), WITH EXPANDED STORYTELLING AND PHOTOS ON OUR WEBSITE: ravenscroft.org/springmagazine2020

BY DAVID KLEIN

EDWARD BOYLES ’80 Hall of Fame induction: 2002

We caught up with three members of 2020 reunion classes who have been inducted into the Ravenscroft Sports Hall of Fame to see what they’re up to now.

Edward Boyles ’80 John (“Buc”) Williams ’90

1. EDWARD BOYLES ’80, second from right, poses with his statechampionship football teammates.

2. JOHN (“BUC”) WILLIAMS ’90, #10, runs a play during the 1989 state-championship football season.

3. MEREDITH CAGE QUALE ’95, at left, hoists the state soccer trophy with co-captain ERIN SHEFFIELD BROVET ’94 and Coach Reggie deMatteis.

3 TO WATCH

JOHN (“BUC”) WILLIAMS ’90

MEREDITH CAGE QUALE ’95

Hall of Fame induction: 1999

Hall of Fame induction: 2002

Why were you inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame?

I played on some very good teams at Ravenscroft — football, basketball and baseball. I was fortunate to have hard-working, talented and knowledgeable coaches and teammates.

I was a four-year varsity football starter/letterman, varsity football MVP and state football champion.

I also had a cumulative batting average of .580 over three years for the baseball team.

While I was at Ravenscroft, we won the 1994 girls soccer state championship. I was recognized as team captain, MVP, All-State and Parade magazine All-American. I went on to play soccer in college at Princeton University, where I served as captain.

What is your proudest athletic achievement?

Looking back, I am especially proud of the state championships in football (1979) and basketball (1980) we won during my senior year. I think it demonstrates what a special group of people we had.

Our 45-yard field-goal win in the 1989 state championship game against Charlotte Latin.

Scoring the final goal in the state-championship game in overtime was pretty special. We had a great team that year, with a lot of great women on the team. It was special to win with them as a team.

What are you up to these days?

My wife, Meg, and I have a son and daughter in their 20s who we enjoy keeping up with and seeing when we can. I work as an investment banker at Wells Fargo in Charlotte.

I’m working as a regional operations manager for Bernhard, Inc., a national HVAC-plumbing and energyas-a-service contractor. I will have been married for 20 years in April of this year, with two daughters (Haley, 13, and Devan, 15), and am living in Fuquay Varina.

We recently moved to Austin, Texas. It’s a beautiful city with a lot of nature and quirky culture to explore.

I’m focusing on settling our family (three kids and a mini-Goldendoodle) into the area before beginning an entrepreneurial venture. I have previously led product and marketing at techgrowth companies after earning an MBA.

Meredith Cage Quale ’95 1

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3

KNOW A RAVENSCROFT GRAD WE SHOULD HAVE ON OUR WATCHLIST? SEND US THE DETAILS VIA “SUBMIT A CLASS NOTE” AT ravenscroft.org/alumni

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SPRING 2020

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<<RAVENS REWIND

READ MORE ABOUT BILL HOLLEMAN AND THESE EARLY TENNIS CHAMPIONS AND GET THE STORY ON OTHER STATE-CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM THE 1970s ON OUR WEBSITE: ravenscroft.org/springmagazine2020

BY THOMAS BROWN ’21 AND JULIAN QUAO ’21

The Racket Smashers

Tennis Teams Brought Home Ravenscroft’s First State Championships

1

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An important part of the strategy, he added, was a focus on teams that did not require a lot of players to be successful. That strategy led to the Ravens winning their first state championships in tennis, with the boys team bringing home the trophy in 1974 and 1975 and the girls team matching those titles in 1975 and 1976.

With AD Bill Wilkerson at the helm, Ravenscroft student-athletes strove to make their mark as a new school. Tennis players had to mature quickly in their game, as they were playing against seasoned seniors from other independent and public schools.

“If you want to be the best you have to play the best,” Holleman noted. “Eventually there was a leveling out, and it came pretty quickly.”

It helped that the tennis teams, originally based at nearby North Ridge Country Club, attracted considerable talent, including ALEX (“ANDY”) ANDREWS

1. ANDY ANDREWS ’77, shown here in the 1974 yearbook, was a freshman at Ravenscroft when he became the youngest player to win a North Carolina High School State Championship in singles.

2. The 1974 boys tennis team, coached by Ralph Reynolds, won Ravenscroft’s first state championship. They went on to a second win in 1975 and took the crown again in 1981.

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4

TODAY, THE RAVENSCROFT ATHLETIC PROGRAM is a powerhouse, with 10 state championships in the last decade alone. So it may be surprising to learn that, in the early 1970s when the North Raleigh campus was new, the plan for athletics was to start small. “[School leaders] wanted to start an athletic program, so we built one from scratch … and it turned out pretty well,” said Bill Holleman, who served as Ravenscroft’s director of health and physical education, soccer coach and, later, as athletic director. “Hard work is what we built our program on, outworking everybody else we played against.”

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and KATHARINE As experienced players, they anchored the teams that brought home those first state championships.

“I’d been a state champion [on the junior tennis circuit] since I was 12, so I was used to winning,” Watkins remembered. Kane, who grew up in a tennisplaying family and was also highly successful in tournament play outside of school, said she “had butterflies before every match. But when I started warming up, they disappeared.”

Andrews, who transferred after his freshman year to attend Woodberry Forest, would go on to success on the professional circuit. Winning a state championship at Ravenscroft, he said, “was pretty awesome.” He recalled that the 1974 championship match was played the same day as the school’s new tennis courts were dedicated in honor of his grandfather, John Hawkins Andrews. “It was a day to remember,” he said.

Before the end of the decade, Kane and her teammates would win a third championship, in 1978 (with the boys team adding another trophy in 1981), and two more Ravenscroft teams — boys soccer and football — would win state titles. It was in those early, ambitious victories that the school’s proud athletic history got its start.

RAVENS REWIND

’77, AVA WATKINS ’76 ,

HOGAN KANE ’78 .

“Hard work is what we built our program on, outworking everybody else we played against.”

— BILL HOLLEMAN, FORMER ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

3. The girls tennis team, shown here in the 1976 yearbook, matched the boys team’s backto-back state championships and went on to a third title in 1978.

4. AVA WATKINS ’76, shown here in the 1975 yearbook, was already a champion on the junior circuit when she joined the Ravenscroft team and won two state titles.

5. KATHARINE HOGAN KANE ’78, shown here in the 1978 yearbook, was on three state-championship girls tennis teams.

6. Bill Holleman, at right, poses with Andy Andrews’ father, Alex B. Andrews, at the dedication of the school’s new tennis courts.

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6

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ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES BETH THOMAS TRIPP let me

know that her son, Noah, married Margaret Elizabeth Bowell (Maggie) on April 13, 2019, at Hope Church. They honeymooned in Jamaica. Noah and Maggie will be working and living in Richmond.

ALUMNI

SUE FINLEY COTTON has moved

CLASSNOTES 1975

Cindy Poole Roberts cindy@cindypoole.com

1970s

Save the date for Alumni Celebration Weekend, Oct. 9-12, 2020! See details on p. 44.

1976

Joel Reames joel@joelreames.com

1

JAMES SAMSON served as a trus-

tee at Durham Nativity School, where he was honored with a service award at the school’s annual celebration in April 2019.

1977

Terry Wallace Chambliss terry.chambliss@duke.edu DIANE GUPTON BECTON has

2 1. Class of 1979 reunion attendees 2. Class of 1979’s GREG DEENER, JIM KILGORE, SKIPPER

DAY, JACK PUCKETT, DAVID COZART, TOM RICE, BILL COZART ’80 and TOM GIBBONS at their annual golf outing

MARK YOUR CALENDAR for Alumni Celebration Weekend, kicking off Oct. 9, 2020, with something fun for everyone! See p. 44 for more details. If you’re interested in helping plan this exciting weekend, please email DAN RESSNER ’99, Alumni Engagement Officer, at dressner@ravenscroft.org.

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joined United Community Bank as a regional treasury solutions consultant. In this role, Diane will help businesses in the Triad, Triangle and Eastern North Carolina markets manage their finances, payments and services through tools offered by United Community Bank.

1979

Allison Gilbert Holmes allisonholmes@nc.rr.com JOHN HOGAN and his family

went to Spain for Christmas. They all had a great time.

back to Raleigh with her family. She has a new job at SearStone Retirement Community in Cary.

I heard from TOM RICE, who sent me a photo from a recent golfing weekend at Pinehurst with GREG DEENER, JIM KILGORE, SKIPPER DAY, JACK PUCKETT, DAVID COZART , BILL COZART ’80 and TOM GIBBONS. I know they had a great time.

I met BYRD RAWLINGS and his wife, Jenny, for drinks while Tom and I were in Asheville this summer. Byrd is still selling custom clothes from Brooks Brothers.

Jenny has a catering business.

Their daughter Emily has a daughter named Isabel Grace.

William is working at Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Asheville. Sarah is working at Ward and Smith as a paralegal. Caroline is married and in medical school at LSU. Her husband is studying law at Loyola.

Margaret is a senior at UNC-Charlotte in the journalism school.

We had our 40th high school reunion on Saturday, Oct. 12, at Valerie and DAVID COZART ’s house. It was a glorious night that we could spend outside on their fabulous porch. Twenty-seven of our classmates attended (see photo at left): (front row) SUE FINLEY COTTON, MARY DENNIS HART FOGLEMAN, BETH THOMAS TRIPP, ANITA DANIEL KRAYNIK, JIM KILGORE (in front), ANNE SIGMON MCDONALD , KELLY CORPENING THORNTON, SALLY KING CHAPPELOW, TOM RICE , BILLY SIMPSON , WORTH HARRIS; (middle row) NYLE WADFORD, WILLIAM PARRISH, ALLISON GILBERT HOLMES, EDITH WOOTEN BAILEY, LISA PHILLIPS PERKINSON, DIANNE JONES HYNEMAN, CATHY EDWARDS LULL;

(back row) STEPHEN GUPTON , SKIPPER DAY, GREG DEENER , TOM GIBBONS , ALLEN MASSEY, DAVID COZART and CHUCK DUNCAN. Not pictured: GEORGE ANDREWS.

my next children’s book, “Cecil and the Soccer Match,” next year as part of the “Cecil the Littlest Ant” series.

Can’t wait until our 45th. I hope to see more of you at our next one.

Please be sure to thank CATHY LULL for all that she did. She keeps me organized and on track.

Caroline Day Plummer carolinedayplummer@gmail.com

1980

Marianna Bass mariannabass@icloud.com

1980s

Save the date for Alumni Celebration Weekend, Oct. 9-12, 2020! See details on p. 44.

WILLIAM STROUD ’s son, CLAY ’13 , married Paige Johnson on

March 9, 2019.

Read what Ravenscroft Sports Hall of Famer EDWARD BOYLES has been up to lately in 3 to Watch, p. 28.

1982

Gene Daniel gdaniel@ramclinton.com JOE JEFFREYS is teaching an un-

dergraduate course at The New School in New York City called “‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ and Its Impact.” The class has been featured in the New York Post, various blogs and on local TV WPIX news.

ADAM JONES shared, “My girls

attend our dreaded rival school, Durham Academy, but it’s been a good fit. Ainslie is 7 (second grade) and Lilly is 11 (sixth grade).

My company, Mill House Properties, has grown nicely, and we now buy/sell/rent around UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC-Asheville and Western Carolina. Also, I recently acquired a Homeowners Association management company, so we now manage HOAs in Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Pittsboro. My 2016 novel, “Fate Ball,” has been adapted into a screenplay and we are shopping it to several interested producers. It’s a long and arduous process, but exciting. I will begin

1983

WILLIAM

(“BENJYE”)

ROSE

lives in Durham and serves as the director of social services for Durham County. He said, “I was recently appointed interim general manager over Goal 2 services in Durham, including overseeing the library, health department, veterans and cooperative extension.

My daughter Anna is a freshman at NCSU, majoring in communications and media.”

A FAMILIAR FACE FOR ’80s ALUMNI: Former Director of Upper School Joe Beasley (back row, center) enjoyed a surprise 90th birthday party with his former Ravenscroft colleagues Mary Moss, Bruce Miller, Carol Miedema, Ned Gonet, Angela Connor, Libby Godwin, Sylvia White, Dianne Lawler and Marcia Jones. Beasley’s Duke Divinity School classmate Harmon Smith (far right) joined the fun. Happy birthday to Mr. Beasley!

1984

John Parham jparham@tcfnmail.com JOHN PARHAM joined South State Investment Services in May 2019 as a senior vice president, regional manager. John and his team are tasked with growing the company’s wealth management presence from Raleigh to Wilmington. John’s son, RHETT ’20, will soon join his sister, JORDAN ’17, as a second-generation Raven graduate.

WHIT PROCTER got married on

Nov. 2, 2019. He and his wife, Kathy, currently reside in Beaufort.

1

1985

Dene Dawson dhdiii@yahoo.com Save the date for Alumni Celebration Weekend, Oct. 9-12, 2020! See details on p. 44.

DENE DAWSON shared, “In June, classmate CHRIS HAGA and I

departed Concord on our motorcycles for eight days on the TransAmerica Trail, a 5,000-plusmile route that runs from Hatteras to the Oregon coast. Utilizing backcountry roads (and as many dirt roads and trails as possible), Chris and I covered 1,200 miles

2 1. JOE JEFFREYS ’82 at RuPaul’s Drag Con, a fan convention held in New York City

2. DENE DAWSON ’85 and CHRIS HAGA ’85 on the TransAmerica Trail

SPRING 2020

33

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

Easter Maynard ’89 and Michael C. Hall ’89 Honored by Alumni Association S U R R O U N D E D BY C L AS S M AT E S , former teachers

and family, two Ravens from the Class of 1989 were recognized with the school’s prestigious alumni awards during the annual Alumni Association meeting and luncheon on Friday, Oct. 11, which kicked off the 2019 Alumni Celebration Weekend.

Distinguished Alumni Award recipient EASTER MAYNARD ’89 is the director of community investment for Investors Management Corporation, executive director of their ChildTrust Foundation and board chair of Golden Corral Corporation. She has received the 2017 Triangle Community Foundation Catalyst Award for visionary philanthropy and the 2018 Vernon Malone Friend of Education Award.

Earlier this year Maynard wrapped up seven years of service on the Ravenscroft Board of Trustees. She also cochaired the successful five-year, $15M Embrace Possibility campaign. Her children — LILA MAYNARD PARKER ’22, JAMES PARKER ’24 and SAWYER PARKER ’26 — are current Ravenscroft students.

MICHAEL C. HALL ’89, the star of television series including “Six Feet Under,” “Dexter” and “Safe” and acclaimed theater productions from Shakespeare to David Bowie’s “Lazarus,” became the newest member of the Alumni Fine Arts Hall of Fame.

Inspired by early experiences at Ravenscroft, Hall pursued acting in college and earned a Master of Fine Arts at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. He made his Broadway debut in 1999 as the Master of Ceremonies in Sam Mendes’ revival of “Cabaret” and went on to portray Billy Flynn in 2002 in the revival of “Chicago.” He has since earned a Golden Globe, three Screen Actors Guild awards and numerous Emmy nominations.

While on campus, Hall met with Upper School and fine arts students to talk about his career, favorite co-stars and most challenging roles.

Enjoy more photos from the luncheon and other Alumni Celebration Weekend events on Ravenscroft’s Flickr page, flickr.com/photos/ravenscroftnc.

1. Distinguished Alumni Award recipient EASTER MAYNARD ’89 with daughter LILA MAYNARD PARKER ’22 and parents Connie and James Maynard 2. MICHAEL C. HALL ’89 answering questions about his acting career during an assembly with Upper School students in Jones Theatre

34 RAVENSCROFT MAGAZINE

3. Alumni Fine Arts Hall of Fame inductee MICHAEL C. HALL ’89 with his mother, Janice (second from left), and fine arts staff Elisabeth and David McChesney

on the trail. We stopped in Helena, Arkansas, when we crossed the Mississippi River. Our plan is to pick up where we left off next summer and complete the entire trail over three summers.

During our week on the trail, we rode through rain and mud, over mountains and through creeks, and enjoyed rural America. Over two years in the making, our trip was full of adventures and lots of laughs. Good times!”

1986

TODD HARRIS, president of Skill-

shot Media and co-founder of HiRez Studios, was recently voted one of Atlanta’s Most Admired CEOs. Read about Todd’s pioneering work in esports in Makers, p. 8.

1989

Sonya Smith Beacham (sbeacham@cfcc.edu) Amy Copeland Petitfils (acpetitfils@yahoo.com) EASTER MAYNARD and MICHAEL C. HALL were recognized during

2

the annual Alumni Association meeting and luncheon on Friday, Oct. 11, kicking off the 2019 Alumni Celebration Weekend.

Classmates on hand to celebrate their awards (see photo at right) included (front row) MARY CATHERINE HALL , SONYA SMITH BEACHAM, AMY COPELAND PETIFILS , ANNE LEHMAN MEHR ; (back row) STEVEN PEDEN , HALL , TROY DREYFUS , TOM HELTON, FRANK LORIA, SUSANNAH QUINCY BEARD, MAYNARD, BETH PURRINGTON ALLEY and JENNIFER SOUZA SHIMER.

1990 3

1991

Please contact Dan Ressner (dressner@ravenscroft.org) if you would like to be the class agent.

Shelli and ROB RICE welcomed Wyler Kendrick Rice on June 18, 2019.

1993

Ashley Allen ash.allen68@gmail.com

1

Read what Ravenscroft Sports Hall of Famer JOHN (“BUC”) WILLIAMS has been up to lately in 3 to Watch, p. 28.

1990s

Christi Jones cjones@davidsonandjones.com

Save the date for Alumni Celebration Weekend, Oct. 9-12, 2020! See details on p. 44.

David Rountree david.r@psychorockproductions.com

1 1. Members of the Class of 1989 with alumni award recipients MICHAEL C. HALL ’89

(standing, second from left) and EASTER MAYNARD ’89 (standing, third from right)

DAVID ROUNTREE shared, “Still

living out in Los Angeles, working in the entertainment industry and in development on several upcoming feature films. I am currently directing/producing a television series pilot that started filming in January. My film “CUT!,” which ran in U.S. theaters back in 2015, is now in theaters in India.

Summer Programs at Ravenscroft June 15-Aug. 7, 2020

Via Instagram, I was also able to stay in contact or reconnect with DEVIN DOWNEY ’92, NINA DANE YOUNG ’92 and DOUG MYERS ’92. Devin continues to remind me of old stories from back when we were Ravens. Nina is very proud of her kids’ athletic and academic achievements, and Doug’s son (15) is playing middle linebacker on his high school football team. On a recent trip back to NC, I was able to catch up with PENNY ABRAHAMS ’92 and even talk filmmaking with her daughter, who is exploring the world of music and sound in film.

My brother BENJI ’95 and I took some time to go over to the Ravenscroft football field and relive our past by kicking field goals on the field that, although it is no longer a bowl, gave us so many wonderful memories. Flying back to LA, I ran into CHANDRA WATKINS ’96 in the airport. We had so much fun catching up and sharing stories from our past.

FROM BASEBALL TO BROADWAY to rocketry, Ravenscroft offers more than 80 academic, athletic, arts and enrichment half- and full-day programs for PreK through grade 12.

Learn more and register at ravenscroft.org/summer or email summer@ravenscroft.org.

SPRING 2020

35

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

weddings

as of Dec. 31, 2019

8

11

6

1 1. CAMILLE CONDREY ’09 married Schaefer Marks on Feb. 23, 2019.

36 RAVENSCROFT MAGAZINE

2

4

3

5

2. FINCH TROXLER ’07 married Britton Hunter on Feb. 23, 2019.

3. CLAY STROUD ’13 married Paige Johnson on March 9, 2019.

4. BOLTON BONEY ’79 and Holly Graham were married on March 2, 2019.

5. JEREMY BULL ’00 married Megan Fish on March 30, 2019.

9

7 6. KATELYN PAUL ’06 married Richard Prosser on April 12, 2019.

7. JENNA PEPE ’04 married Jonas Petersen on Sept. 9, 2019.

12

10 8. KEVIN COOK ’07 married Chris Cedrone on April 27, 2019.

9. RACHEL BARNETT ’09 and HAYDEN MAPLES ’09 were married on Oct. 26, 2019.

10. COLE GONET ’09 married Sara Wilburn on Nov. 23, 2019.

11. MARY LANIER ZAYTOUN ’08 married Brett Berne on June 15, 2019.

12. JENNY STOKES ’92 married Scott Thomas Jr. on Nov. 16, 2019.

SPRING 2020

37

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES TRENT WADFORD is a proud

dad, as his kids are excelling in lacrosse, swimming and even playing around on the guitar. They also enjoyed heading over to Carter-Finley Stadium to watch the Wolfpack play football.

1994

Tim Johnson tej916@gmail.com WILLIE WILKINS’ kids are do-

ing great things in athletics, and his son recently played in the 4A State Championship football game over at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill.

1995

Jen Madison Snook (jmadison77@gmail.com) Matt Cantando (mattcantando@msn.com) Save the date for Alumni Celebration Weekend, Oct. 9-12, 2020! See details on p. 44.

Read what Ravenscroft Sports Hall of Famer MEREDITH CAGE QUALE has been up to lately in 3 to Watch, p. 28.

1 1. MIKE ’98 and EMILY HUBER CALLAHAN ’98’s son Jack with Gritty, the mascot of the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers

1998

Ellen Mann O’Connor ellen.b.mann@gmail.com SHANNON DOOLEY RINELLA

We want to hear from YOU! ALUMNI CLASS NOTES appears in print once a year, in the Spring issue, and includes alumni milestones — weddings and babies, degrees and recognitions, promotions, relocations and retirements — from the previous calendar year. Send us your news and photos from 2020 anytime via our Alumni Portal. Find those links, contact information for class agents and more at ravenscroft.org/alumni.

Remember, you may keep your friends and classmates updated all year long via our Alumni Facebook page (facebook.com/groups/ravensalumni) and through any class-specific social media accounts your class agents may have set up.

We look forward to hearing from you!

38 RAVENSCROFT MAGAZINE

won the Outstanding Faculty Award at Georgetown University, where she is an adjunct in the Masters in Global Hospitality Leadership program. She shared, “A ton of credit for this award goes to our Ravenscroft teachers Sharon Beineke, Steve Swaim and Mary Beth Immediata. I pull a lot of my approach from what I remember experiencing in their classes!”

ELLEN MANN O’CONNOR and her husband, Patrick, welcomed a baby girl on Oct. 27, 2019. Elizabeth Charles O’Connor arrived at 12:53 a.m. and weighed 16 pounds, 15 ounces. Ellen shared, “Older brother Jack (3) was over the moon to

have a baby sister! We also moved recently and are now next-door neighbors to ROB WRIGHT and ‘backyard’ neighbors to TRIPP LUMPKIN! It’s so amazing to see all our kids play together and makes me feel very old!”

ELIZABETH KREUL-STARR and

her husband, Jesse, welcomed baby Miles in September. Both Owen (2) and Calvin (70 in dog years) have been wonderful big brothers. The family spends most of their free time outdoors, hiking in the many parks of Pennsylvania. Elizabeth has been with Johnson & Johnson for 12 years and was promoted to senior director of marketing for the company’s immunology business.

Here is an update from MICHAEL and EMILY HUBER CALLAHAN on their sweet little boy Jack: “Our addition isn’t your typical Class Notes submission, but we wanted to keep people updated on what we’ve been up to this last year. In February 2019, our son Jack (then 3 years old) was diagnosed with metastatic cancer, a germ-cell tumor which spread to his lungs. We went through initial treatment at UVA hospital (right around the corner from our house). In June, we discovered that Jack would need additional treatment and that we’d need to temporarily relocate to Philadelphia to seek care at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. We remain in Philadelphia and are happy to report that things are progressing well.

It’s our hope to return home in March. Through it all we have been overwhelmed by the love, support and kindness showered upon our family, including an amazing video created by the children of the Class of ’98!

We never pictured ourselves in this position (who does?), but we have been amazed at Jack’s grit, strength, resolve and the joy we are able to find every day as a family, despite the circumstances. We can truly say that our child is our hero. Thanks to the Philadelphia Flyers and the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald

House, Jack even got to spend his fourth birthday with his hero, Gritty, the mascot of the Philadelphia Flyers!”

Michael and Emily, the entire Class of 1998 is thinking of you and keeping you in our prayers! To keep up on their journey, you can read updates on Jack’s CaringBridge page.

Allison Drummond Stewart allisonkathleenstewart@gmail.com Read about MEREDITH SUTTON ’s journey as a jewelry artist in Inspired, p. 26.

2000s

Melissa Warren Dougher melissawdougher@gmail.com

Save the date for Alumni Celebration Weekend, Oct. 9-12, 2020! See details on p. 44.

JEREMY BULL married Megan

Cooper Fish on March 30, 2019, in Rocky Mount. They were joined by fellow Ravens (see photo at right): MICHAEL ERTISCHECK ’00 , JEFF WALKER ’97 , DAN RESSNER ’99 , LEVI BOYD ’00, EDDIE O’HERRON ’99, AJ BOARD ’00 , MICHAEL ANDERSON ’98, LANCE LANDVATER ’07, ALEX FLOYD ’04 and GEORGE PASCHAL ’04 (kneeling). The groom is president of Walker and Associates Landscaping and the bride is an accountant for Planet Fitness. They live in Raleigh.

2001

Emily Taylor Farrell emilyannefarrell@gmail.com Billy Ray and BRITTANY HUNG RUTLEDGE welcomed Ellis Louise Rutledge on Nov. 17, 2019.

2003

Anna Claire Murnick Price annaclaireprice@gmail.com

MAGGIE SIMONS was awarded

a 2019 PGA Teacher of the Year Award for the Oregon Chapter.

1

DAVID FAJGENBAUM has re-

1999

2000

SARAH CORTINA relocated back to the U.S. in July after 12 years in Tokyo. “I am now living in Los Angeles and working as associate producer at Crunchyroll, helping to create original animated series,” she said.

leased a memoir, “Chasing My Cure: A Doctor’s Race to Turn Hope into Action,” about his near-fatal onset of Castleman disease, his journey to recovery and his own research to find a successful treatment. As part of his book tour, David visited Ravenscroft’s campus on Sept. 16, 2019, and shared the lessons he has drawn from overcoming the odds against recovery and how he turned his hope for a cure into action.

2

2005

Please contact Dan Ressner (dressner@ravenscroft.org) if you would like to be the class agent.

Save the date for Alumni Celebration Weekend, Oct. 9-12, 2020! See details on p. 44.

2007

Rob Byrd robertgbyrd@gmail.com ELIZA RAGSDALE shared that she and ANDREW ROBINSON

were among members of the Class of 2007 who reunited at Leatherwood Resorts for the wedding of LIZZY SIMMONS and Victor Colella in June 2019.

3 1. Ravens at the wedding of JEREMY BULL ’00 and Megan Fish 2. DAVID FAJGENBAUM ’03 (center) with current and former Ravenscroft faculty Sarah Adams, B.J. Warren, Carolyn Everett, Melony Lightfoot and Leslie Pressel before his book talk

3. ANDREW ROBINSON ’07 (left) and ELIZA RAGSDALE ’07 (second from right) at the wedding of LIZZY SIMMONS ’07 and Victor Colella

BAHATI MUTISYA was appointed

by Mayor Nancy McFarlane to the Board of Commissioners for the Raleigh Housing Authority.

She will provide oversight in the planning, construction and operation of housing for people with low income within Raleigh and Wake County.

Do you need to update your email, address or phone number in our database?

Visit ravenscroft.org/alumni to access our Alumni Contact Information Update Form.

SPRING 2020

39

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

Alumni Love Ravenscroft Athletics YEAR AFTER YEAR, our Ravens keep coming back for

1

2

3

alumni athletic events. In addition to the annual Alumni vs. Varsity Soccer Scrimmage on Aug. 9 and the Alumni Boys Lacrosse Game on Nov. 29, the year included a chance for Ravens in town for the Alumni Celebration Weekend to play a little golf, with proceeds from the 24th Annual Ravenscroft Golf Classic going to support the school’s outstanding coaches, student-athletes and programs.

Also during the reunion weekend, the 1989 state-championship football team was honored at the Homecoming football game to mark the 30th anniversary of their undefeated season. Catch up with 1989 football champion and Ravenscroft Sports Hall of Famer JOHN (“BUC”) WILLIAMS ’90 in 3 to Watch, p. 28.

1. Alumni Boys Lacrosse Game athletes: (front row) Coach Peter Voelkel, CHASE DOUGLAS ’10, ALEX SPEARS ’10, GREY BERRY ’09, PARKE JONES ’09, CARTER VOELKEL ’13, JIMBO BARNES ’13, GARRETT BIRD ’12, CHASE STORCH ’16, Coach Sandy Kapatos; (back row) VAL EDWARDS ’19, WILL BIRD ’16, ROBERT VAUGHAN ’15, DREW DAVIS ’16, JOSH EDWARDS ’04, WHIT KELLEY ’06, JEREMY BULL ’00, PHILIP FAJGENBAUM ’09, JACK BARNES ’19, HAYDEN SWITZER ’19, CHARLIE WINSTON ’19, MATT WIMSATT ’03, DAN RESSNER ’99, THOMAS MATTHEWS ’14 2. Alumni participants in the Alumni vs. Varsity Boys Soccer Scrimmage: (front row) DAN RESSNER ’99, KLAUS STEINMANN ’18, CONNOR GRIDLEY ’16, JOHN DANIEL SAWYERR ’17, COLE MALONE ’18, KENDALL JONES ’19, WILL BYRD ’10, VARUN ATREE ’19; (back row) THOMPSON SCHOLLAERT ’18, JOHNNY MCNEILL ’16, EMMANUEL PETROV ’19, MEL BROUGHTON ’15, CARR WALKER ’13, COREY CHANDLER ’14, SIMON COPELAND ’17, PARKER SUTHERLAND ’13, EVAN BARTLE ’19, JACKSON CORIGLIANO ’19, JAKE SCHNEIDER ’19, CHRIS BOERICKE ’13 3. Ravenscroft Golf Classic participants KENNETH DICKINSON ’89 and CHARLIE GRANT ’89 with Ravenscroft trustee and event co-chair KELLY POWELL GOULD ’90

4

40 RAVENSCROFT MAGAZINE

4. Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the 1989 Ravenscroft state-championship football team: Coach Chip Hoggard, YORKE PHARR ’90, RUSTY DEMENT ’90, TOM PARKER ’90, CHARLIE MITCHELL ’90, ROB RICE ’91, TY THOMAS ’90, student trainer CHRISTI JONES ’90, Coach Ned Gonet, student trainer TAMARA JOYNER ’90, TRENT WADFORD ’93, BUC WILLIAMS ’90, CHRIS CARR ’91, DOUGLAS MYERS ’92, KEVIN ROSE ’90 and CHARLY CREEL ’91 (not pictured)

RYAN YOUNGBLOOD and his

STEVEN LIM is a resident phy-

wife, Brittany, welcomed their first child, Hayden Grace, on Sept.

29, 2019. Ryan received a promotion at BB&T in his third year at the company within the insurance division, and he and Brittany relocated to Winston-Salem.

sician at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

RYAN KIM returned to the U.S.

from South Korea in summer 2019 and will be living in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for the next four years. He works for a subsidiary of a Korean company.

MICHAEL LANG received his Ph.D. in cell and developmental biology from the University of Michigan in 2016, studying the regulation of lipids and proteins within cells. In 2019, Michael through-hiked the 2,192-mile Appalachian Trail, ran the New York City marathon and started a new job in Boston at Sanofi Genzyme, directing market research of Dupixent, a medication for asthma and eczema.

2009

Kathryn Fogartie (katfogartie@gmail.com) Jack Greenberg (jack.d.greenberg@gmail.com)

2011

Patrick Bailey (jpb693@gmail.com) Zaki Haidary (zakihaidary@gmail.com) Allie Withers (alliewithers@gmail.com) SPENCER CATES recently relo-

cated to Seattle, Washington, to work for Amazon at its corporate headquarters. He will be working in category procurement supporting North America Customer Fulfillment.

Many alumni and former students attended the wedding of HALEY BAREFOOT ’11 and Staats Battle, pictured at right, including JOHN HASLETT ’11, MELINA GOZZO ’11, SHANNON MCDONNELL ’11, WILL MASSEY ’11, ANNIE REALI ’11, PEYTON BURGESS ’11 , BAKER MILLS ’11, GRAYSON MILLER ’11, GARRETT MCQUEEN ’11, KRISSY FAJGENBAUM ’11, WILL BAREFOOT ’13 , JULIA HEFFRING ’11, SLATER BAREFOOT ’17, PATRICK BAILEY ’11, ROBERT BOYCE ’11 and CHRIS CORCHIANI ’14.

RYAN KELLY is playing basket-

ball in Japan with Sun Rockers Shibuya.

LOGAN ALDRIDGE was recently

named the world’s fittest onearmed man, a distinction that was covered in stories by news outlets around the country. Enjoy a profile on Logan in Fit, p. 6.

2010

GRAYSON MILLER has been liv-

ing in Atlanta since graduating from the University of South Carolina in 2015. After being with UBS Private Wealth for over four years, she accepted a job with Goldman Sachs in September. She plans to transition to the role of private wealth advisor in 2021.

2010s 2012

Natalie Salmonese (salmonesenc@appstate.edu) Tyson Presnell (tarheel2006@gmail.com) Chase Bernhardt (ccbern@umich.edu)

Angelika Barth (angelikagaledesigns@gmail.com) Jordan Jeter (jjeter@elon.edu) Lewis Stocks (lhstocks22@gmail.com) COREY GARRITY was named the

Save the date for Alumni Celebration Weekend, Oct. 9-12, 2020! See details on p. 44.

vicar of the Redeemer Lutheran Church and School in Redwood City, California. Previously he held the title of Minister for Youth and Young Adults.

1

2 1. MICHAEL LANG ’07 at the Northern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail on the day he completed his through-hike in the summer of 2019

2. Ravens at the wedding of HALEY BAREFOOT ’11 and Staats Battle

Honor an Outstanding Raven!

THE DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD, the Alumni Sports Hall of Fame Award and the Alumni Fine Arts Hall of Fame Award recognize the outstanding achievements of Ravenscroft alumni. The Class of 1862 Award bestows honorary alumni status to faculty and staff, volunteers and other supporters who have provided an outstanding level of service to the school.

The deadline for nominations is May 1, 2020. Learn more at ravenscroft.org/alumni/alumni-awards.

SPRING 2020

41

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

births 1

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

as of Dec. 31, 2019

3

2

5

4 1. Cody and ANNA HUNTER UNDERWOOD ’08 welcomed Adalyn Elaine Underwood on Jan. 29, 2019.

2. Katie and DAVID JONES ’04 welcomed Wesley Barrett Jones on Feb. 21, 2019.

42 RAVENSCROFT MAGAZINE

7

6 3. WHIT BROWN ’06 and Abby welcomed Eleanor Thorp Brown on Feb. 15, 2019.

4. ANNIE BROWN MONTAGUE ’09 and H.L. welcomed Jones Craighill Montague on June 20, 2019.

5. LAUREN JANSON MCILWAINE ’04 and Peter welcomed Calum Peter McIlwaine on Feb. 20, 2019.

6. ELLEN MANN O’CONNOR ’98 and Patrick welcomed Elizabeth Charles O’Connor on Oct. 27, 2019.

10

8

11

9

12

7. ELIZABETH KREUL-STARR ’98, Jesse and big brother Owen welcomed baby Miles in September 2019.

8. RYAN YOUNGBLOOD ’07 and Brittany welcomed Hayden Grace Youngblood on Sept. 29, 2019.

9. SCOTT MANNING ’03 and Carter welcomed Elizabeth Pierce Manning on Oct. 15, 2019.

10. CHRISTINE BENEDICT LARAMEE ’06 and Kevin welcomed Orion Laramee on Sept. 16, 2019.

11. HEATHER STEELMAN COLEMAN ’05, Will and big sister Adaline welcomed William Glenn Coleman (“Liam”) on Oct. 3, 2019.

12. JOHN BOWER ’03 and Samantha welcomed Lucas Asher Bower on Dec. 4, 2019.

SPRING 2020

43

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES HAYDEN GRIDLEY started a new

S AV E

THE

DAT E !

JOIN US FOR OUR

ALUMNI CELEBR ATION

WE E K E N D O C T. 9 - O C T. 1 2

position as a data strategy manager at Seer Interactive in Philadelphia.

2013

Emily Bedsole (ebedsole2@gmail.com) Bryant Dowd (bd45fb@gmail.com) Thomas Sigmon (thomasigmon@gmail.com) BRYANT DOWD moved to New

FRIDAY, OCT. 9 Alumni Association Lunch and Annual Meeting

followed by the opening reception for the Alumni Art Exhibit Homecoming fun and athletic events

SATURDAY, OCT. 10 ALL-ALUMNI PARTY Dinner and drinks, music and mingling with fellow alumni and honored faculty and staff at Pugh Pond

All alumni donors to the Fund For Ravenscroft may enjoy the party on us!

MONDAY, OCT. 12 25th Annual Ravenscroft Golf Classic at North Ridge Country Club

Proceeds benefit Ravenscroft athletics

Learn more at RAVENSCROFT.ORG/ ALUMNI-WEEKEND

HALEY GARDNER graduated from

UNC-Chapel Hill in May and is now working at Eckel & Vaughan, a strategic communications agency in Raleigh.

NINA BARNETT is now work-

BRANDON TUNG was recently

promoted to Nuclear Safety Analysis Engineer II at Dominion Energy.

ALEX PAYNE moved to Alexan-

York and started a new position as an investment banking associate at Wells Fargo Securities in June 2019.

VOEKEL completed his Master of Accounting at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler School of Business and took a position as an assurance associate for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Denver.

JUSTIN FLEURY started a new

position as an inside sales consultant at Ally Bank.

2014

Mary Grady Bell (mgbell@live.unc.edu) Humza Rizvi (humzarizvi@gmail.com) REBECCA ISRAEL started as a

graduate research analyst at the Floating Hospital, a nonprofit organization that provides health care services to medically underserved communities in New York City.

2015

Mykayla Perry (mperry52@uncc.edu) Rebecca Qubain (rqubain@purdue.edu) Alex Woodward (awoodward322@gmail.com)

dria, Virginia, where he works for Vault Consulting as an accounting and finance consultant for nonprofits in the Washington, D.C., area.

JACK PHILLIPS graduated from

the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in May, he shared. “I had about 30 days off before coming to Charleston, South Carolina. I went to Europe for two weeks with one of my best friends, who is on the same ship as I am. We went to Prague, Vienna and Budapest.

In Charleston, I am stationed on USCGC James, a 418-foot cutter, and have already completed one patrol, responding to Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas and then heading to the eastern Pacific for a drug interdiction mission. I am currently the division officer for the Electrician’s Mates. It has been a great position to grow as a leader and really set me up for future tours.”

MOIRA PELTON graduated from

Virginia Tech in spring 2019 with a major in computer science and a

44 RAVENSCROFT MAGAZINE

minor in business. “I have relocated to Seattle and started working as a software engineer for Microsoft. So far I love my new job and my new city!” she said.

KYLE PELTON graduated in May

ing full-time in New York City to promote and advance Grooop, the app she developed while a student at UNC-Chapel Hill. She reported that the company has been accepted into two business incubators: the Vital Voices x Tresemme Leadership Incubator, for female founders making a social impact, and Newchip Accelerator, to prepare for Grooop’s next round of funding in 2020. Nina does stand-up comedy at comedy clubs around New York and is still acting as well.

CARTER

A fun-filled weekend with something for ALL alumni!

graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with a degree in business administration and is now working for SunTrust Bank in Atlanta as a commercial real estate/banking analyst.

MCLEAN VOELKEL

2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Georgia Tech and in May 2019 with a Master of Science in Computer Science, also from Georgia Tech.

He has since started work as a software engineer at L3Harris Technologies in Palm Bay, Florida.

MITCHELL STUMPO signed a

free-agent contract with Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks in June 2019 and was assigned to its Pioneer League affiliate, the Missoula Osprey, in Missoula, Montana. Stumpo, a right-handed pitcher for Guilford College in Greensboro and two-time Second Team All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference honoree, spent the summer of 2018 pitching for the Coastal Plain League’s Gastonia Grizzlies, earning a spot in the league’s AllStar Game. He graduated with a degree in business administration last spring.

2016

Henry Atkeson (henry.atkeson@gmail.com) Emerson Burkhardt (burkhardt.emerson@gmail.com) Megan Ragusa (meragusa@yahoo.com) Lucy Russell (lucyrussell414@gmail.com) Zoe Strafford-Price (zstraffordprice@gmail.com) LUCY RUSSELL shared, “I was honored to be recognized for student leadership at the Chancellor’s Awards in April 2019. I received the Brenda W. Kirby Award, which is given annually to the student who has most effectively worked to establish a community of cooperation and service between students and constituents of the larger university.”

KOBI JOHNSON will join Gold-

man Sachs as a private wealth

management analyst in its Philadelphia office after his graduation from Brown University.

ALEXIS HUNTER graduated from

UNC-Charlotte in December 2019 with a major in computer science, concentrating in cyber-security, and a minor in mathematics. She began a full-time role as a technical associate at TIAA in January.

CHARLETTE WADE spent the

fall semester of 2019 studying finance at National Taiwan University. “Being abroad for a semester allowed me to really immerse myself in the culture and learn the importance of traveling globally and mastering a second language. I encourage others to travel to even farther destinations not commonly chosen, like East Asia and Africa,” she said.

1

MEGAN RAGUSA shared, “I am

in my third year at UNC-Chapel Hill now, and for the past few years I have been involved with several groups and organizations on campus, especially the varsity field hockey team. We have gone undefeated for the past two years and have won three ACC titles and two NCAA Division I National Championships. I have been lucky enough to letter for two years and be named to the NFHCA All-Academic Squad all three years. I have also held leadership positions in Admissions Ambassadors, a student-run organization that gives campus tours; Order of the Bell Tower, the university’s oldest secret society, which specializes in keeping Carolina’s traditions alive; and Phi Sigma Pi, a national honor fraternity. I am majoring in exercise and sports science and minoring in chemistry, with plans to attend medical school.”

2

JOHNNY MCNEILL was one of

two student-athletes from Sewanee, the University of the South, named to the First Team of the 2019 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division III Men’s Scholar All-South Region Team. He was a Third Team All-Region selection by the coaches organization and

3 1. MITCHELL STUMPO ’15 pitching with the Missoula Osprey 2. CHARLETTE WADE ’16 studying abroad in Taiwan in the fall of 2019

3. MEGAN RAGUSA ’16 with the 2019 NCAA Field Hockey Championship trophy, the UNC Tar Heels’ second straight national championship

SPRING 2020

45

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES a First Team All-Southern Athletic Association representative as a defender. McNeill closes his career at Sewanee as a twotime SAA Academic Honor Roll member. Earlier in the season, the SAA recognized McNeill as Defensive Player of the Week and teammate THOMPSON SCHOLLAERT ’18 as Offensive Player of the Week following back-to-back wins against East Texas Baptist and LeTourneau.

2017

Douglas Dillon (douglaswdillon@gmail.com) Jordan Parham (jparham2@me.com) Jaxon Stocks (jaxson.stocks@gmail.com) Natasha Zaletel (natashazaletel@gmail.com) IAN DUBOSE was inducted into

Chi Alpha Sigma, the National College Athlete Honor Society.

1 1. Sewanee soccer standouts JOHNNY MCNEILL ’16 and THOMPSON SCHOLLAERT ’18

in memoriam as of Dec. 31, 2019

Alumni RICK REDDICK ’74, Feb. 21, 2019 RHYNE ANDREWS ’07, March 14, 2019 DANIEL WINTER ’15, April 9, 2019 CHUCK POE TS (TUCKER STREET) ’65, May 2, 2019 JERRY ELLISBERG TS ’51, June 15, 2019 JANE WINSTON WITHERSPOON TS ’46, June 18, 2019

NATALIE LANG is a team lead for UNC-Charlotte’s Dean’s Ambassadors for the Computer Science Department and a community assistant in the Computer Science Living Learning Community.

She also serves as vice president for Alpha Omega Epsilon. She will be interning at Citizens Bank this summer as a UX/UI developer.

2018

Dasha Teyf (dashateyf@live.com) Bella Church (bella.g.church@gmail.com) RuthAnne Winston (rbw.1999@gmail.com) Camilo Corrales Gil (camicorrales@hotmail.com)

DAVID DRIGGERS-HUGHES ’94, Aug. 19, 2019

KATHRYN HUBBARD shared, “At

BETSY PURCELL TS ’55, Sept. 5, 2019

Lynn University, I am in the sorority Tri Sigma. I am currently the copy editor of my school newspaper and will be the editor-inchief in the fall. I am involved in the Lynn Leadership Institute, which focuses on leadership skills and community service. I also made the Dean’s List for the Fall 2018 term.”

LUCIUS (“SANDY”) JONES ’85, Sept. 26, 2019

Faculty/Staff SANDY BASS, former Middle School teacher, Feb. 8, 2019 MARILYN BUDROW, former strings instructor, Nov. 11, 2019 LOUISE CRUM, former keyboarding teacher, Nov. 16, 2019

46 RAVENSCROFT MAGAZINE

Annual Legacy Lunch Reinforces Ravenscroft Ties THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION’S annual Legacy Lunch, held this year on Feb. 12, marked another opportunity for alumni to gather on campus and celebrate their ties to Ravenscroft — in this case, their children and grandchildren who are also Ravens.

“This is my first year as alumni engagement officer, and it was an honor to get to be part of this event,” said DAN RESSNER ’99. “What a special opportunity to see the years of tradition and Ravenscroft’s continuing legacy, all in one place.”

The event brought approximately 40 alumni and their children and grandchildren to Cox Court for lunch. In a fun exercise in nostalgia, Board of Trustees vice chair JOHN PARHAM ’84 and his son, RHETT ’20, shared their then-and-now perspectives on favorite teachers, meaningful classes, offcampus lunches, service learning projects and the one-of-akind camaraderie that comes with being a Raven.

Enjoy photos from the lunch at right — then see Ravens Reflect on p. 48 to enjoy some of John and Rhett’s exchange about their most memorable Ravenscroft moments.

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7 1. Legacy families in the traditional after-lunch group photo

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2. BROOKE PARKER RIVERS ’00 and daughter LEAH ’29 3. SAREENA SINGH ’27 with her father, AMAR ’86 4. Current trustee LAURA HELTON KALORIN ’92 and former trustee EASTER MAYNARD ’89

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5. JAMIE ADAMS ’90, JENNIFER SOUZA

SHIMER ’89 and GARLAND GOULD ’24 6. SAMANTHA ROSENBERG GRIFFIN ’04, CHRISTI JONES ’90 and RUSTY DeMENT ’90 7. KATIE PRESSEL GILLESPIE ’95, DOUG SCHULTZ ’92, LIZ BURNETTE GIBBONS ’96 and MATT CANTANDO ’95 with their children 8. BILLY RAMSEY ’93 and BRENT WRIGHT ’95

SPRING 2020

47

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

VIEW ADDITIONAL RESPONSES FROM JOHN AND RHETT’S LEGACY LUNCH QUESTION-AND-ANSWER SESSION ON OUR WEBSITE: ravenscroft.org/springmagazine2020

Ravens Reflect on Meaningful School Moments — Then and Now DURING THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION’S 2020 Legacy Lunch, held Feb. 12, we asked trustee JOHN PARHAM ’84 and his son, RHETT ’20 , a series of questions about their times at Ravenscroft. Here’s what they had to say!

Who was your most memorable teacher?

JOHN: Probably Peg Byrd, my sixth-grade homeroom teacher. If any of you remember middle school years, those were interesting to say the least! She was a great source of guidance. Second was probably the band director, [Coordinator of Fine Arts] James Powers. He allowed me, as an eighth-grader, to sit and play with the high school band. I was in a little over my head, but it was a great learning experience.

What do you miss/think you will miss most about being a student at Ravenscroft?

J: You get some years on you and you run across a classmate that you haven’t heard from in 35, 40 years.

Just to catch up and have that bond, that a long time ago we crossed paths because we had the same senior hall together. What you miss is that camaraderie at a young age. When I look back at 54 years old, those were special times.

RHETT: For me, it was freshman year with my English teacher, Tinnie Salzano, who is now on the Middle School Leadership Team. She had a great environment in the classroom, and we had an excellent time. She had these bins of puzzles, brainteasers, every time we got to class.

She really invested in us, supported us and made our experience — especially in our freshman year — a great time.

What was your most interesting class?

R: What I’ll miss most is the connection I have to the school and the myriad involvement I have with it.

Like my dad said, it’s the camaraderie, that we’re all part of the Ravenscroft community — we’re all here together.

RHETT PARHAM ’20 and his father, JOHN ’84, at the Legacy Lunch Feb. 12.

J: I’m going to change it to the most useful class: typing, in 10th grade [with Louise Crum]. I can still type without looking at the keys.

R: This year I took Stagecraft because I needed a fine arts requirement to graduate. It’s been one of the most fun classes I’ve had in my whole high school and school career. We’re in the woodshop behind the theater in the fine arts building with Russell Vacanti — we call him Mr. V. He’s a great teacher. He’s taught me a little about woodworking and a lot about life.

48 RAVENSCROFT MAGAZINE

John, if you could go back to Rhett’s first day of freshman year, what advice would you give him?

Every Raven, Every Day T H E F U N D FO R R AV E N S C RO F T

At Ravenscroft, we believe in nurturing every student’s potential —

Enjoy the journey. It is a journey. It’s not an easy four years, but it is a fulfilling four years. So don’t rush, don’t stress, just enjoy each day for what it is.

Rhett, if you could go back to your first day of freshman year, what advice would you give yourself?

That’s absolutely great advice from my dad. I wish, looking back on the moment right now, that I had enjoyed it more. I was so caught up in looking at the future — I needed the A’s in the classes because college was right around the corner. I wish I had taken the time to enjoy every single moment of it.

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Your gift to the Fund For Ravenscroft creates opportunities for our students to explore their world and discover their passions. Thank you for supporting Every Raven, Every Day!

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FUND FOR RAVENSCROFT:

ravenscroft.org/giving

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7409 Falls of Neuse Road Raleigh, NC 27615 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

OUR MISSION The Ravenscroft community, guided by our legacy of excellence, nurtures individual potential and prepares students to thrive in a complex and interdependent world.

Lead From Here

A Lead From Here Moment Collaborative: Listens to others and contributes ideas in group settings so that any final product represents contributions from all members of the group.

LAUREN CARTER â&#x20AC;&#x2122;20 leads her Upper School Wind Ensemble classmates (including GRACE VANDE BERG â&#x20AC;&#x2122;20, in foreground) in warm-ups, a new practice co-directors of bands Matthew Parunak and Kelly Nivison have instituted with Upper School classes in support of Lead From Here.