Spring 2018

| VOL. | VOL. SUMMER SPRING 2015 2018 XVIII. 21. NO. NO. 21

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GLOBAL PROGRAMS

CONNECT OUR STUDENTS TO THE WIDER WORLD

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INSIDE: College Counseling

| Tech Trailblazers | Giving Back

Winner of the #ViewFromTheCroft photography contest

by JENNA SEIDENFRAU ‘23, featuring ELLA SMITH ‘23 and CARTER ANDERSON ‘23 On the cover: (l to r) Students CAROLINE BARDINI ’18 and ALEXANDRA KANSLER ’17 embrace the experience during a 2016 service project in Zambia

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There’s more Ravenscroft Magazine on our website!

Visit www.ravenscroft.org/ springmagazine2018 for web-only bonus content including videos, photos and additional stories, plus archives from previous magazines.

TRAILBLAZERS

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FEATURES 10 Global Citizenship

Global Programs Prime Students for Meaningful Engagement

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Academic Excellence

College Counseling Program

16 Innovation & Technology

Tech Trailblazers

22 Creative Leadership

Giving Back Is in Our DNA

DEPARTMENTS 2 Vision & Voice

Doreen Kelly, Head of School: Cultivating Student Interests and Passions

3 Embrace Possibility

Teachers Give 100% Every Day

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Lead From Here Exploring Diversity and Inclusivity Across Campus

6 Notes From the Nest

News and Updates from the Ravenscroft Community

24 Student Showcase

“If I Ruled the World” by Delaney Washington ’22

In the 2017 Report on Giving, Mr. and Mrs. Elbert M. Boyd Jr. and the E. Boyd Family Foundation should have been listed in the Founder’s Society Lifetime Giving category, and Gail Kansler should have been listed in the Oak Tree Society Leadership Giving category. In addition, Mr. and Mrs. Chris M. Farrow and Ms. Melissa H. Hogan should have been listed as parent donors for the Class of 2018.

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Please direct any corrections or comments for the Spring 2018 magazine to Karen Lewis Taylor at karen.taylor@ravenscroft.org.

30 Class Notes 48 Ravenscroft Rewind

Design by M Creative | Counseling illustrations by Grace Washko Photography by Mary Kornegay, Karen Lewis Taylor, Bob Handelman and Tim Truble; “PyroMan” courtesy of T-PACC at NC State University

Lower School Fine Arts: Setting Students Up for Success

28 Game Day Senior Rookies: Trying a New Sport

VISION & VOICE A message from our Head of School

Cultivating Student Interests and Passions Doreen Kelly, Head of School

DEAR RAVENSCROFT ALUMNI, PARENTS AND FRIENDS, Recently, I was asked the question, “How does Ravenscroft help students find their passion?”

All students are different. Some identify their interests early and with great passion while others discover them later in the journey, trying a lot of new things along the way. At Ravenscroft, we work to facilitate conversations and develop curricula to help students explore and discover their interests, talents and passions. Each day, our faculty and staff draw on their professional development and work with the Center for Creative Leadership, using their facilitation skills to support and encourage our students in

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the classroom, on the stage and on the playing field.

We encourage students to try new things, often challenging things, with the understanding that failing is not failure — rather, it is a healthy form of innovation, of moving forward and even learning something new about themselves. With the help of our talented teachers and coaches, students learn what excites them, what they are good at, and even what they don’t enjoy. In this process, our teachers embrace the many possibilities for our students, nurturing each student’s individual interests and potential, as our mission calls us to do. Our breadth of educational programs allows students to explore new ideas and

opportunities in healthy, productive and constructive ways.

In this edition of Ravenscroft Magazine are several wonderful stories about students and alumni exploring their passions. Whether it is our youngest Ravens exploring the fine arts or our seniors trying a sport for the first time; Upper School students beginning to think about their journey to higher education or alumni taking advantage of service opportunities around the globe; kindergarteners coding for the first time or alumni working at the frontiers of science and technology, Ravenscroft encourages them all to take that risk and try something new.

We’ve also included an update on Embrace Possibility, the Campaign for Ravenscroft, which provides funding for ongoing professional development for our teachers, who are the foundation of the excellent education our students enjoy. Thanks to the generosity of our many supporters, each day we move closer to achieving our $15 million goal.

I hope you’ll be as inspired by the stories in the following pages as I am.

Sincerely,

Doreen C. Kelly Head of School

EMBRACE POSSIBILITY CAMPAIGN

Embrace Possibility The Campaign for Ravenscroft

Teachers Give 100% Every Day Embrace Possibility, the Campaign for Ravenscroft is approaching our $15 million goal in support of the one-of-a-kind community of teachers and learners growing and thriving on our campus — but there’s still more to do.

Your gift supports the continued excellence of our spirited, committed, adaptive faculty who are at the heart of our academics, athletics, fine arts and citizen leadership development.

Don’t miss your opportunity to be a part of this historic campaign.

Visit giving.ravenscroft.org to make your gift in any amount today. (top photo) Karrah Lewis, Emily Roach, Lana DuBose, Ann Carroll, Alfie Hobbs, Mary Beth Immediata and John Karny; (bottom photo) Sarah Baker, Aaron Sundstrom, Wes Brown, Greg Anysz, Bubbie Whitmore, Sameera Anwar, Gina Taylor and Bob Hale

LEAD FROM HERE Updates from our movement

Courageous Conversations: Exploring Diversity and Inclusivity Across Campus

As part of Ravenscroft’s “beautifully diverse” Lower School, these friends have fun supporting “Pink Out!” Day for breast cancer awareness

Lead From Here compels us to foster a vibrant, diverse community of learners and leaders.

To answer that call, our board, administration, faculty and staff — in partnership, as always, with our alumni, parents and students — have committed significant thought, effort and resources to ensuring Ravenscroft is a culturally and ethnically diverse, inclusive place, reflecting the rich human tapestry our students will experience as citizen leaders in the 21st century.

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in our classrooms? As an integral part of Lead From Here, this work requires an all-in commitment to openness, vulnerability and what we call “courageous conversations.”

LOWER SCHOOL: Starting Courageous Conversations Our Lower School community is beautifully diverse in a variety of ways. Creating and nurturing an environment where all members feel welcome and valued is a

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critical part of supporting our students academically, socially and emotionally.

Through our Community Conversations, Lower School faculty and staff provide a brave space for Ravenscroft community members to engage in open, honest conversations related to topics of diversity and inclusion, especially what it means to be culturally inclusive as it relates to different viewpoints. This is an important Lead From Here competency which we believe is

essential in achieving our mission.

Our most recent Community Conversation focused on the importance of cultivating a learning environment that positions every Lower School student to thrive.

Participants explored ways they could partner, as parents and educators, to continue to grow in our cultural competence, discussing what Ravenscroft is already doing well and ways in which we can improve or grow.

By Karrah Lewis, Dante Johnson, Denise Colpitts, Alfie Hobbs and Susan Perry

MIDDLE SCHOOL: Building Bridges and Mixing It Up The Middle School has embraced the need for courageous dialogue about diversity and inclusion as well. Our goal is to create a safe space for all by helping students, faculty and parents understand how to foster respect for and understanding of each individual.

Connecting to our Lead From Here competency on self-awareness as the cornerstone of our work, faculty began this journey by working to understanding their own viewpoints and biases. They continue to explore ways to manage conversations and comments with students.

Parents, students and faculty have “reached across the table” — literally and figuratively — during a Community Conversations dinner to discuss ways students are learning to Lead With Others when faced with situations that are not inclusive and Changing Your World by building bridges with those we do not know well. In addition, our developmentally appropriate “Mix-it-Up” activities create cross-grade “nests” that encourage students to engage in courageous conversations, which has led to our being named a model Mixit-Up School by Teaching Tolerance.

UPPER SCHOOL: Making Connections Through Affinity Groups The Upper School sustains the thread of courageous conversa-

Students in Upper School affinity groups take pride in their cultural connections and often take the lead in exploring topics on diversity and inclusivity

INCREASE IN STUDENT BODY DIVERSITY (defined as racial/ethnic and international) 17%

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tions as part of the Lead From Here competencies of being self-aware, communicative and reflective. One way we’ve done this is through the establishment of affinity groups.

Affinity groups allow students with shared characteristics to connect with one another in meaningful ways and discuss their feelings around topics tied to the group’s common

Middle School students “mix it up” across grades to build bridges and open dialogue on challenging topics

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bonds. Groups such as My Brother’s Keeper and Nubian Queens have shared a sense of pride in promoting the awareness of Black, African, African-American and AfricanCaribbean cultures and experiences amongst themselves and with the larger Upper School community.

However, we don’t want to limit those conversations to the affinity group space. Our goal is to be able to have different groups interact and share experiences, sometimes through difficult and courageous conversations, so that everyone has an opportunity to learn and to begin to understand a perspective that is different from their own.

Our students grow and thrive when they feel empowered to “lead from here” by starting their own courageous conversations. We are proud to highlight one such accomplishment in our Student Showcase on p. 24. R Spring 2018

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NOTES FROM THE NEST News from around the campus

Middle School Tops Its Division in Food Bank Drive

Lower School Students Become “Secret Agents of Kindness”

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initiative kicked off in the fall, with faculty, staff and older students brainstorming how to put kindness into action (pictured above). Interested students signed up to participate in the program, committing to spreading kind acts—anonymously, as the name suggests — for a twoweek period in November. The movement took off from there, with notes from younger students (signed “SAOK” or “Secret Agents of Kindness”) appearing across the Lower School as well. In January, the entire fourth grade decided to dedicate their Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service project to spreading secret notes of kindness and gratitude.

One participating student said, “What we are doing can change someone’s day. Even something as simple as ‘Hi, I like your shirt,’ ‘Do you want to play with me?’ or ‘I’m glad you’re here today’ can make someone’s day better and change their world.”

ANDREW BECTON ‘24 and classmates with donations for food drive

The Middle School was the top donor in its division in the Students Against Hunger Food and Fund Drive, sponsored by the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina to provide meals for families in its 34-county service area, which includes Wake County.

The Student Council facilitated the drive, encouraging students to bring canned items to the fall dance and organizing a competition between seventh- and eighth-grade advisory groups to promote community-building. They collected 1,791 pounds of food Oct. 2-Dec. 2, enough to supply 1,508 meals to our neighbors in need!

Student Fundraising Exceeds $25K Goal for A Crucial Catch In its first year as a student-led effort, Ravenscroft’s team fundraising for A Crucial Catch exceeded its $25,000 goal. Samantha Doherty ’19 and Paige Gordon ’18 led the team, Ravens Fighting Against Breast Cancer, in support of the partnership between the National Football League and the American Cancer Society, which funds cancer screenings, treatment and research.

The team raised $25,972.98 to become the top fundraising team in the nation. They were recognized by the American Cancer Society, which sent Samantha and Paige to sound the siren at the Carolina Hurricanes’ Nov. 19 “Fight Cancer Night” at PNC Arena in Raleigh.

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Ravens Fighting Against Breast Cancer team members (left to right) FIONNA PROVENCHER ’18, NIKHIL SACHAR ’20, DAVIS MACNABB ’19, SAMANTHA DOHERTY ’19, PAIGE GORDON ’18, CLAIRE ZIPERSKI ’20 and CAROLINE RUTIGLIANO ’20

Eighth Graders Win Engineering Challenge Three Middle School Engineering I students — Ethan Browne ’22, Samantha Schantz ’22 and Mary Broderick ’22 — took first place in September’s KidWind Challenge, a monthly competition in which students design and test wind turbines. The design submitted by their team, Squiggi Reckies, earned a small cash prize and recognition on KidWind’s website.

“Our students’ design was incredibly innovative. They won because of their creativity but also because their design produced a lot of power with high efficiency,” said their teacher, Michelle Nunalee.

Read how Ravenscroft is shaping tomorrow’s technology innovators in our Innovation & Tech feature, p. 16.

Theater Program Stages Shakespeare’s “Richard III” The theater department’s steampunk-inspired staging of “Richard III” in October featured a strong cast led

by Matt Sheaffer ’18 as Richard, a character so blighted by malevolence that Shakespeare portrays him as hunchbacked; Margaret Russell ’20 as Queen Margaret, widow of King Henry VI; and Zoe Nagel ’19 as Queen Elizabeth, wife to King Edward IV and mother to the two young princes whose throne Richard covets. Nicole Mason ’19, whose

MATT SHEAFFER ’18 as King Richard III

Taylor Hubbard ’19 Selected to Honor Band of America Trumpet player Taylor Hubbard ’19 has been in high demand this year. In addition to attending the North Carolina Association of Independent Schools (NCAIS) Honors Band Clinic alongside 10 fellow Ravens, he was selected to join the Triangle Youth J. Perry Watson Brass Band, Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble and Triangle Youth Philharmonic Orchestra. In a culmination of his hard work and talent, he has also been named to the Honor Band of America, one of three national honor ensembles that are part of the Music for All National Festival.

Other Ravenscroft students performing in selective community youth groups include Nevin Jonson ’18, Nicole Finney ’19, Charlie Winston ’19 and Sarah Israel ’20, North Carolina Youth Wind Ensemble; Mark Naslund ’21, Triangle Youth Academy Brass Band; and Hannah Ramusevic ’18, NCMEA Young Professionals’ Symposium.

costume sketches for “Thoroughly Modern Millie” won top honors at the International Thespian Society Festival last year, was costume designer. George Labusohr ’10 served as fight coordinator.

Matt also appeared over the summer in North Carolina Theatre Conservatory’s “Oklahoma!” as villain Jud Fry and in Raleigh Little Theatre’s “Avenue Q” as Bad Idea Bear. He said he was thrilled at playing the unrepentantly evil Richard: “In so many plays, the protagonist is with the audience, and the villain is set apart, his intentions unknown. But Richard, who is the villain, tells the audience what terrible things he’s going to do. And then he does them. That makes it interesting for me as an actor,” he said.

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NOTES FROM THE NEST News from around the campus

Girls Golf is NCISSA Runner-Up for Second Season in a Row

Ravens Take London for New Year’s Day Parade Performances Members of the Upper School choir, band and orchestra programs traveled to London, England, over the holiday break to participate in several events as part of the 32nd anniversary London New Year’s Day Parade.

Their week-long trip involved several performances, including the LNYDP Festival Concerts and the London International Choral Festival Gala Concert.

“We made stops at places like Royal Albert Hall, St. Paul’s Cathedral and Buckingham Palace before going to the orchestra and band rehearsal at St. John’s Smith Square,” said Mia Russo ’19, who is in Ravenscroft’s orchestra.

“My peers and I are incredibly thankful we were able to travel together to another country,” said choir member Ashley Zucker ’18. “We ate British food, picked up British slang, made British friends, learned British history and fell in love with Great Britain altogether.”

The Girls Varsity Golf team finished their season with a record of 29-3, undefeated in dual matches and as Triangle Independent Schools Area Conference (TISAC) champions. The team fell just short of first place in the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association (NCISAA) championship, finishing as runners-up for the second straight year and the third time in the history of the program.

Teammates Holly McCann ’19 and Carson Jenkins ’19 were selected for NCISAA All-State and N&O All-Metro honors. In addition, Holly was among 13 female golfers nationwide named to the 2017 Transamerica Scholastic Junior All-America Team.

Ravens Recognized for Athletic Prowess

Moriah Evans ’24 Wins Gold Medal at AAU Junior Olympics Moriah Evans ’24 won a gold medal at the 2017 AAU Junior Olympic Games’ Girls Javelin Throw Turbo competition in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The event took place July 29-Aug. 5, just weeks after her first-ever competition at the Powerade State Games in Greensboro, where she received a gold medal.

Moriah went on to compete in the AAU State and Regional Qualifiers, where she ranked in the top three among 11-year-olds in the turbo javelin throw. Moriah then won the gold medal at the Junior Olympics event, bumping her ranking to No. 1 in the country.

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QUINN RILEY ’18, MADISON TAYLOR ’18 and GRACE BERGSTROM ’18 and their coaches on signing day

Four additional fall athletes were honored with All-State recognition: Samantha Driscoll ’18, girls cross country; Caroline Schmalz ’19, field hockey; Thompson Schollaert ’18, soccer; and Calvin Atkeson ’18, football. Calvin was also named to the N&O All-Metro Football Team and the 2017 NCPreps. com Private School All-State Football Team.

In another reflection of our high-quality athletics, six seniors have committed to college sports. Three students signed a National Letter of Intent: swimmer Grace Bergstrom ’18, Sacred Heart University; golfer Quinn Riley ’18, Duke University; and basketball player Madison Taylor ’18, College of Charleston. Three others have committed to college athletics: swimmer Mary Pruden ’18, Columbia University; lacrosse player Patrick Ednie ’18, St. John’s University; and football player Calvin Atkeson ’18, Dartmouth College.

FACULTY NOTES News from our faculty and staff

Faculty and Staff Notes

On Aug. 25, Ravenscroft’s Athletic Director Ned Gonet coached his 400th game as head coach of the varsity football team. The previous week, on Aug.18, he won his 250th career game with the Ravens’ 48-27 victory over the Sandhills Titans.

Coach Gonet is in his 37th year at Ravenscroft and has won five NCISAA State Championships, with the most recent championship in 2015. He has coached 11 conference championship teams and received numerous Coach of the Year awards. Coach Gonet’s career record is 256-154.

World Languages teacher Kristy Rogers was recognized as “Best of FLANC!” for her presentation, “¡Sabe a chocolate!,” at the Foreign Language Association of North Carolina’s 2017 Fall Conference, held Oct. 20-21 in Durham. A total of 120 sessions were presented over the two-day conference, which provides professional development and networking opportunities for foreign language teachers. “¡Sabe a chocolate!” received the most votes for top presentation, based on criteria including topic, delivery, usefulness, audience response and expertise. Rogers, who teaches Spanish and is chair of Ravenscroft’s PreK-12 World Languages Department, presented with Bethanie Drew.

David McChesney, director of fine arts, and staff accompanist S.K. Chipley were invited to perform at “Candlelight Christmas Evenings” at Biltmore Estate in Asheville. Performing on trumpet and piano as the Oak City Duo, the two entertained visitors to the gracious French Renaissance chateau with traditional carols and hymns from the era of the first Christmas at Biltmore in 1895. The performances took place Nov. 3-4.

Varsity boys basketball coach Kevin Billerman notched his 400th career win on Jan. 31 with the team’s 7664 victory over Word of God Christian Academy.

His career record now stands at 404-144.

The 2017-18 season was Billerman’s 18th year as the head coach at Ravenscroft. His teams have played for four NCISAA Championships, winning in 2012, and won 17 TISAC regular season championships (including the last 12 consecutive) and 14 TISAC conference tournament championships. His players have gone on to collegiate basketball at Duke University, UNCChapel Hill, NC State, Wake Forest University, The United States Military Academy, UNCWilmington and many others.

Billerman, who played at Duke University from 1973-1975, has also coached at Northern Durham High School, UNC-Charlotte and Florida Atlantic University as well as the World Basketball League. Overall, Billerman has been part of 805 team victories.

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GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP

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RAVENSCROFT’S GLOBAL PROGRAMS PRIME STUDENTS FOR MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT ACROSS BORDERS

- BY STACY CALFO LEAD FROM HERE, RAVENSCROFT’S SIGNATURE FRAMEWORK, CHALLENGES US TO COMMIT TO A BOLD NOTION: THAT THROUGH THE CULTIVATION AND PRACTICE OF PERSONAL AND INTERPERSONAL LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES, OUR STUDENTS CAN CHANGE THEIR WORLD. IT HELPS, OF COURSE, FOR THEM TO SEE AND UNDERSTAND MORE OF WHAT THAT WORLD HOLDS.

AVID KATES, Ravenscroft’s director of global education and initiatives, put it this way: “Global citizenship focuses on supporting students and alumni to thrive in an interconnected world. What happens in the classrooms and beyond is aimed to instill the idea of being ambassadors of families, school and country and to be thoughtful citizens in every sense of the word.”

Our students and alumni have embraced that role, exploring global topics, immersing themselves in new cultures and partnering with like-minded organizations in service to the worldwide community.

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THINK GLOBALLY AND LEARN GLOBALLY Service trips are one way our Middle and Upper School students begin to see themselves as citizens of the world.

Students traveling to Belize explore public healthcare challenges and gain hands-on experience with basic medical interventions. In Costa Rica, other groups gain an authentic understanding of different worldviews and social needs. Students visiting Zambia learn about critical rural challenges such as access to quality education and employment, environmental stewardship and lack of infrastructure. New this year is a trip to the Blackfoot Indian Reservation in Montana to learn about elder care service.

“When we partner with different communities across the globe, we aren’t going there to ‘save’ anyone,” Kates said.

“It’s more about learning from each other and creating sustainable partnerships.

We go, we listen, we learn.”

Karyn Miller ’10 credits Ravenscroft with teaching her the importance of service and maintaining a global perspective. After hearing a presentation about the Global Citizen Year program, Miller decided to get involved. Working in Bahia, Brazil, she assisted a community health care worker with medical

duties. Miller then attended Georgetown University, earning a degree in nursing and health studies. She went on to spend two years in the Peace Corps as a community health volunteer in Rwanda.

“I was always impressed by the school’s intentional incorporation of global curricula and the way in which they encourage students to explore the world, whether inside or outside of the classroom,” Miller said. “I think it’s important for students to think globally and learn globally, so that we can all focus on what unites us rather than what divides us.”

A TOPIC YOU’RE PASSIONATE ABOUT Ravenscroft students can also earn an International Diploma. Liz Kloster ’13 noted that the experience shaped her mindset, as well as her skill set, in important ways.

“I took courses geared toward international studies and fulfilled requirements such as studying abroad, hosting [international] students, taking a higher-level foreign language and doing a senior internship that was internationally focused,” Kloster said. “I was not able to

ANNA PUGH ’17 poses with students of the Uyoba School in Mfuwe, Zambia, during a 2016 school service trip; (opposite page) farmers in Senegal work in partnership with MELISSA FUNSTEN ’12 and other Peace Corps volunteers to implement sustainable agroforestry practices

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RWANDA KUWAIT THAILAND

(clockwise from top left) KARYN MILLER ’10 and a local official survey a kitchen garden in Rwanda; Middle School students and chaperones show off the chicken coop they built at Escuela San José Norte, a school in Costa Rica, in 2017; American Creativity Academy teacher LIZ KLOSTER ’13 visits the Grand Mosque of Kuwait; MELISSA FUNSTEN ’12 (front row at left) and other Peace Corps volunteers visit with Senegalese farmers after a class on tree nurseries. Enjoy more photos and stories at www.ravenscroft.org/springmagazine2018

“IT’S IMPORTANT FOR STUDENTS TO BE EXPOSED TO SERVICE AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES BECAUSE THE WORLD IS FLATTENING. WE WANT OUR STUDENTS TO BE ADEPT AT 21STCENTURY SKILLS AND ALSO HAVE A COMPASSION FOR DIFFERENCES, NOT TOLERATING DIFFERENCES BUT EMBRACING THEM.” — DAVID KATES, RAVENSCROFT’S DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL EDUCATION AND INITIATIVES

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travel while at school, so I was really grateful to be able to host students from other countries at my home and build friendships that still last today.”

Kloster’s international focus continued into her college years. While studying education at UNC-Wilmington, she did her student teaching in Kuwait and taught English at a school in Thailand for children at risk for human trafficking. She is now teaching first-grade girls at the American Creativity Academy in Kuwait.

Will Hayman ’11, who worked in marketing at Ruamrudee International School in Bangkok, identified Ravenscroft history teacher Mary Beth Immediata’s work with the WorldQuest team as a formative global experience for him. He also cited Ravenscroft projects such as “Adopt A Stream” as an important introduction to community service. Building on that foundation, Hayman volunteered while in Thailand, teaching English to prison inmates.

His advice to students looking to make a difference?

“I would suggest immersing yourself in a topic you’re passionate about by studying its impact around the world,” he said.

LEARNING AND GROWING Melissa Funsten ’12 also believes that early exposure to service is important. “It was instilled in me from [Middle School on] that community involvement is important and worth engaging in,” she said.

Funsten has gone all-in since she graduated from Davidson College, joining the Peace Corps and serving in Senegal, where she works with farmers in agroforestry. She has organized camps for girls, malaria prevention trainings and scholarships for female students.

“For my first 22 years, I was given incredible opportunities — I was able to study at top academic institutions, participate in various sports leagues and travel around the world,” Funsten said. “My education

has taught me to think on my feet and to learn as I go.

In being here, I am also learning and growing, and by sharing my experience, I hope others may be able to open their minds about the world as well.”

That goal has led her to partner with Ravenscroft social studies teacher Greg Anysz on a pen-pal program between his middle schoolers and students in Senegal.

“We’re hoping to foster a better understanding between the two cultures, taking comfort in the similarities and learning from the differences,” she said.

The seeds of these commitments to serving the global community were nurtured at Ravenscroft — and that’s by design, Kates said.

“It’s important for students to be exposed to service and developing countries because the world is flattening. We want our students to be adept at 21st-century skills and also have a compassion for differences, not tolerating differences but embracing them.”

WHILE RAVENSCROFT DIDN’T YET OFFER THE GLOBAL EDUCATION AND INITIATIVES PROGRAM when Wade Halva ’94 was a student, he said that teachers’ encouragement to be open to new possibilities was a key influence in his life.

Today, as a Presbyterian minister in Marion, Illinois, Halva believes global experiences help people cultivate different notions about what’s possible.

He is passionately committed to the Marion Medical Mission, which provides clean drinking water to people living in the rural African countries of Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia.

“These are people who only make 41 cents a day.

Most are subsistence farmers, and if they get sick and lose a day in the fields, it’s a crisis for a family,” he said. “There is a 60 percent infant mortality rate, and another 60 percent die by age 5, mostly because of water-borne illnesses.”

Since 1990, mission volunteers have installed 30,000 wells in villages across Africa. Halva has been on two service trips, in 2012 and 2016. His next trip is slated for September.

“During one visit, the village head said, ‘You came to me two years ago and told me that you would build a well, and I didn’t believe you. The government told me they would build us a well 20 years ago. It didn’t happen. But you made it happen, and now my people won’t get sick,’” Halva recalled. “It’s fascinating to see firsthand what else is out there. It gives me a strong sense of appreciation for what I have.” R

MALAWI TANZANIA ZAMBIA

W ADE HALVA ’94: COMMITTED TO SERVICE AT HOME AND ABROAD

WADE HALVA ’94 (bottom photo, center) and other volunteers work with villagers in rural African nations to build wells that will provide clean drinking water for their communities

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ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

Ravenscroft College Counseling

A Collaborative Journey to College Preparedness

By Shannon T. Zarb Illustrations by Grace Washko

TWO THINGS IMMEDIATELY DISTINGUISH the amber-paneled offices of the Ravenscroft College Counseling Department from others of its kind. First is the open-door policy, made evident by the steady stream of students dropping by. Second is that students are genuinely encouraged to do just that.

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AVENSCROFT IS UNIQUE

in our approach to college preparedness,” program co-director Bill Pruden said. “We not only want to know who our students are, we want to know who they want to be.”

them into their college experience, and they are able to self-advocate, be adaptive and continue honing their problem-solving skills,” said Prugh.

An Individualized Path to Success Staffed by three full-time counselors — Pruden, Lia Prugh and Sean Kennedy — with more than 50 years of combined expertise, the department assists students in all phases of the college journey. The comprehensive program complements Ravenscroft’s Lead From Here initiative as each Raven charts an individualized path, developing the insights and tools to take ownership of decisions about their futures.

“The confidence that our students gain through identifying their own strengths and interests carries with

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AKSHAY LULLA ‘18 confers with Bill Pruden, one of three college counselors working with Upper School students

Guiding students on that path to selfdiscovery is where these counselors excel. Counseling assistant Millie Florio, who has been with the department for almost 14 years, knows firsthand the personalized attention each student receives.

“Students come here every day to discuss anything and everything — their essays, their plans, their fears. What makes Ravenscroft so special is that our counselors really get to know our students,” Florio said.

Tools of the Trade Sensitivity to the needs, interests and goals of every Raven is at the forefront of Ravenscroft’s philosophy, and to this end the college counseling department employs an impressive array of tools. There are advisory programs, enrichment opportunities, one-to-one assistance, application support and opportunities for self-reflection and discovery every step of the way.

“It’s an incremental process,” Kennedy explained.

“We provide the options; students provide the need and direction. As our students become more and more focused, so does our program and the support we offer.”

Also supporting students in this discovery is Naviance, a comprehensive software application that assists students in aligning their strengths and interests to long-term goals. Naviance gives students access to selfassessments, testing dates and deadlines, and insights into the college admission process, all meant to uncover and refine academic aims.

Even more support was introduced this past year.

“Senior Boot Camps,” offered during select community times, teach students the nuts and bolts of college preparation, such as navigating Naviance, requesting teacher recommendations, obtaining transcripts, understanding the Common Application and more — helping alleviate the stresses that can burden students during their senior year.

Relationships Matter With such a broad range of tools at each student’s disposal, however, it may be a more basic approach that has the greatest impact: building meaningful relationships. Fundamental to Ravenscroft’s philosophy is fostering collaborative experiences for students and families while nurturing individual potential.

Senior Dean of Students Kat Belk has seen its benefits.

“One of the best things Ravenscroft does is foster relationships,” Belk said. “There’s not a single senior who walks across the stage who doesn’t have an adult in the building who knows them well.”

And this support extends beyond the classroom. In her monthly dean’s newsletter, Belk shares information and reminders with parents of seniors — as she put it, “like a mom, but for college” — but she also addresses the emotional roller coaster of college acceptance.

Lia Prugh, co-director of college counseling, meets with students in her office

“Students get upset and need someone to talk to about their frustrations,” she said.

“They have concerns like ‘I don’t know where I want to go’ and ‘What do I do now?’ There’s absolutely an emotional component to college acceptance that needs to be addressed.”

The Advantages of Choice

Another advantage for the Ravenscroft student is choice.

Counselors attend numerous regional and national events to enhance their understanding of what’s out there. Their staying abreast of current admission trends, policies and data ultimately benefits students, but, equally as important, it establishes relationships with universities both locally and abroad.

“There are instances when only one student in 10 years went to a particular school,” Pruden pointed out.

“But we have a relationship with them and [know] that one school is the right fit for that one student.”

Knowing those “right fits” can be a real advantage, even for students with clear goals.

As Taylor Patel ’16 recalled, “My parents are in the hospitality industry, so I already knew what I wanted to do. But Ravenscroft helped me focus. Mr. Kennedy ... opened my eyes to the options I had.”

Now a sophomore at Boston University majoring in hospitality administration, Patel appreciates the support she received from her counselor. “Mr. Kennedy advocated for me. He showed me how to set myself apart.

I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support and guidance of Ravenscroft,” she said.

She’s not alone in her praise. A survey sent to members of the Class of 2017 asked if “the college acceptances my child has to choose from provided him/ her with an option(s) that is (are) the right fit for his/her education after Ravenscroft.” An impressive 96.8 percent of students and 93.2 percent of parents either strongly agreed or agreed.

Ultimately, that’s what Ravens receive from the counseling office — confidence that their college path has been uniquely tailored for them alone. After all, they’re the ones who will be taking it.R Spring 2018

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INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY

BY KAREN LEWIS TAYLOR

TECH A

TRAILBLAZERS

S STRANGE AS IT IS TO SAY, we’re living in an age of technology that was once science fiction.

The agile and innovative thinkers leading that charge into the future pull from educational experiences that encourage creative problem solving, perseverance and intellectual discipline. Here, we profile three Ravenscroft alumni who are blazing trails in the ever-evolving field of technology.

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ARASH KASEBI ’13

F

ARASH KASEBI ’13 works in the lab at NC State’s College of Textiles

Graduate Student in Textile Engineering and Volunteer Firefighter OR ARASH KASEBI ’13,

an interest in textile technology combined with a passion for service put him on track to developing better safety gear for firefighters.

“I was initially drawn to textiles because of how much it overlaps with other fields. Textiles are found in artificial heart valves and in safety components in NASA’s space shuttles,” he said. “But what really inspires me is how textile technology can make a difference in people’s lives.”

At a time when the industry is undergoing a high-tech makeover — thanks in large part to research and development at NC State’s College of Textiles, the only one in the nation — that potential was driven home for Kasebi when he became a volunteer firefighter following his freshman year in college.

“I realized how amazing it was that I could go into a burning building and come out unscathed,” he explained. “I got interested in the science behind it.”

Kasebi’s research interests include the intersection of textiles with material science and human physiology. As his team works to improve firefighters’ hoods, they use a mannequin that breathes and sweats to simulate human use. (Trials on the lab’s famous “PyroMan” test dummy, depicted in the background on p. 16, are also on the horizon.) He’d also like to use his work to address rising rates of cancer among first responders due to carcinogens from plastics and other harmful materials in house fires.

Ravenscroft teacher Nelson Nunalee credits Kasebi’s “growth mindset and tireless work ethic” for his success.

“Both in physics and in honors engineering, he experienced each new discovery as if he had been given a great gift,” Nunalee said. “It doesn’t surprise me at all to hear that Arash is doing creative and innovative work at NC State.”

“My work in the lab is very closely shaped by what I do in the fire service, and it works the other way as well,” Kasebi concluded. “I feel I’m in an excellent position to ensure that whatever innovations and ideas arise [in research] are feasible and practical at the end-user level.”

“Both in physics and in honors engineering, Arash experienced each new discovery as if he had been given a great gift.”

— RAVENSCROFT TEACHER NELSON NUNALEE

Spring 2018

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MICHAEL RHANEY ’04, seated in the cockpit of a friend’s plane, smiles as he heads to Stanford for his freshman year

MICHAEL RHANEY ’04 Aerospace Engineer Advatech Pacific

E “I loved to build, to find out how things work, and to understand not just the ‘what’ but the ‘why.’”

— MICHAEL RHANEY ’04

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VEN BEFORE HE WAS ONE of four engineering students at Stanford University who designed their own concentration in aeronautics and astronautics, Michael Rhaney ’04 was a bit of an innovator. Take Chris Kelly’s physics class at Ravenscroft, for example.

One project challenged students to build a device to protect dropped eggs from breaking. “The boys in our class wanted to build trebuchets instead, and Mr. Kelly said yes,” Rhaney remembered. “We had an amazing time flinging small weights across the room, but even better, we were far more engaged in a project we could take ownership of.”

Kelly remembers Rhaney’s curiosity and drive: “The trebuchet project highlighted Michael’s desire to use science to find the most effective building techniques. He did a superb job and was a leader in the class,” he said.

That practical application of knowledge is what drew Rhaney to engineering.

“I loved to build, to find out how things work, and to understand not just the ‘what’ but the ‘why,’” he said. “One of my favorite professors told us that engineering, more than memorizing formulas or searching through tables in textbooks, was a way of thinking about the world — a way of looking at a problem, breaking it up into what you know and what you don’t, and methodically using the information you have to come up with a solution.”

Today, Rhaney partners with the fuel team at Parker Hannefin, a Californiabased company that designs, manufactures and tests components for commercial and military aircraft. He is often tasked with investigating product failures — which Rhaney says can be frustrating but also are among “some of the most interesting things I’ve worked on in my professional life.”

“We know the way parts are supposed to behave, but given the sometimes incomplete information of the conditions under which it failed, we have to try to recreate that environment and show that under the same conditions the valve will, or won’t, fail again,” he said. “Teasing out the answer often turns out to be one of the more rewarding parts of the job.”

NINA BARNETT ’15 developed the Grooop app during her sophomore year at UNC-Chapel Hill

NINA BARNETT ’15

Developer Grooop App

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S NINA BARNETT ’15 PUTS IT, her future is “wide open,” which is just how she likes it. The physics and drama double major (with a minor in math) at UNC-Chapel Hill has been moonlighting as a tech entrepreneur, translating her passion for personal safety into a mobile app that brings a social interface to the utility of GPS. The idea behind Grooop first came to Barnett at Ravenscroft, when she realized that the increasingly ubiquitous cell phone technology could provide friends with an easy way to stay safe when they’re on the go. But it wasn’t until mid-2016, after hearing about several personal safety incidents on college campuses, that she began looking for a tech partner to help develop her app.

“I realized that if I didn’t invent it, someone else would,” she said. “I didn’t like the thought of someone else capitalizing on my idea!”

Drawing on her strong STEM background, Barnett moved quickly through product development, doing market research and beta-testing the app at colleges across the country. An updated version launched in August 2017.

Grooop works by allowing users to designate safe zones — home, class, work, etc. — and automatically notifying their “grooop” of their status (“Good,” “Ready,” “Out and About”). Users can quickly send out alerts with their location if they feel threatened. “The app makes safety part of your daily routine,” Barnett said. “And the ‘Ready’ button has a social aspect that’s very popular.”

Math teacher Michael Erikson, who taught Barnett for two years at Ravenscroft, sees the project as a fitting outlet for her talents.

“While I have had plenty of students with mathematical talent, Nina is one of the rare few with both an aptitude and enthusiasm for math,” he said. “I was thrilled to find out she had combined her technical skills with her natural energy to create a successful mobile app.”

“I definitely have an entrepreneurial spirit. I love tech and want to stay in it, especially as a woman,” Barnett said. “But I could go anywhere — finance, solar energy. I like working on a new idea, something that’s growing and developing.”

“I definitely have an entrepreneurial spirit.

I love tech and want to stay in it, especially as a woman.”

— NINA BARNETT ’15

READ ABOUT BARNETT’S SELECTION FOR THE ADAMS APPRENTICESHIP AT UNC-CHAPEL HILL IN CLASS NOTES, P. 46.

Spring 2018

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Students in the Lower School Power Up Club use the design process to create “squishy circuits” using Play-doh, LEDs and a battery power pack

HOW IS RAVENSCROFT SHAPING TOMORROW’S

TECHNOLOGY INNOVATORS?

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AVENSCROFT HAS INVESTED IN TECHNOLOGY instruction across all three divisions, giving our budding engineers, programmers, designers and researchers access to the tools and information they need to become the next generation of tech trailblazers.

Middle School engineering student ASHLEY PASSMORE ’23 explores Marbles Kids Museum’s hands-on STEM exhibit during a class field trip

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(left) Fifth graders in Mr. Fiedler’s class test parachutes on the playground as part of an engineering design challenge (right) Members of the Upper School Robotics Club compete at the NC First Tech Challenge Robotics Tournament at Cardinal Gibbons High School

Early and frequent exposure to design thinking and coding Even the youngest Ravens are introduced to micro robotic Hexbugs and kid-friendly coding programs including Kodable, Minecraft and Lightbot. As they move up, they complete visual block coding lessons through code.org and Hour of Code - Learn. Older students are also challenged with digital “breakout� activities that require critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and communication to open a series of digital locks.

Strategies and processes for investigating and solving problems Middle School engineering students design solar panels and craft blades for a wind turbine, incorporating creativity into the engineering design process and learning to collect data to test and refine their products. Computer science students take apart a computer to see how it works and develop games, art and movies to become proficient in computational thinking, learning along the way to think of themselves as tech creators as well as consumers.

Hands-on learning and real-world applications of knowledge As their understanding of math and science deepens, Upper School engineering and computer science students take on increasingly challenging projects. From creating a digital music player to writing programs that encrypt and decrypt messages to programming robots to compete in constrained environments, Ravenscroft students explore the practical applications of technology and revel in how many different ways there are to approach a real-world challenge. R

Upper School computer science students participate in a cybersecurity simulation as part of Computer Science Education Week

To see short videos of our students engaged in hands-on STEM+ activities, visit www.ravenscroft.org/springmagazine2018 or scan the QR code.

Spring 2018

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CREATIVE LEADERSHIP

LAURA HELTON KALORIN ’92 in Winston Library with children HOPE ’28, AUDREY ’26 and VICTOR ’24; (above) the Kalorin children’s handwritten pledge envelopes for Embrace Possibility, the Campaign for Ravenscroft

giving back is in our dna AS CAMPAIGN DONATIONS GO, THESE STAND OUT. Addressed in a child’s hand using magic marker, the envelopes are a curiosity even in a campaign that has seen hundreds of reply cards delivered to the school. The pledges, made in honor of teachers the young donors admire, are pretty inspirational. After all, not every child donates their hard-earned savings to their school’s strategic fundraising efforts.

But for VICTOR ’24, AUDREY ’26 and HOPE KALORIN ’28 — and many other Ravens striving to change their world — philanthropy and service are part of their everyday experiences, from the examples set by their families to opportunities for engagement on campus.

Giving back, you might say, is in their DNA.

WHY PHILANTHROPY MATTERS HE KALORINS ARE TYPICAL CHILDREN IN MANY WAYS — Audrey loves art, Victor loves P.E. and Hope loves just about everything, including a pair of classroom scissors she named “Fred” — but they also speak with familiarity about giving back. They have sold their artwork to help rehabilitate sea turtles. Audrey supports the ASPCA. Victor once spent part of a trip to Greece playing soccer with children in a refugee camp.

“We didn’t know what one another was saying but we still understood,” he said of that experience. “The kids knew there were people who cared about them and wanted to help.”

Their mother, Laura Helton Kalorin ’92, a physician, volunteers every Thursday at a clinic that serves uninsured Wake County residents. A “lifer” who has served on Ravenscroft’s Alumni Council and Board of Trustees, she said instilling in her children a sense of responsibility and engagement — which she learned from her parents — is vitally important.

“I want them to take ownership and understand why philanthropy matters,” she said. “They’re starting to get it, that the world is bigger than the three or four places they know.”

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~ by Karen Lewis Taylor ~

A DUTY TO DO SOMETHING GOOD

Siblings GARRETT ’14 and TYLER ANDERSON ’11

SOMETHING I WAS PASSIONATE ABOUT Community service and outreach have been purposefully integrated into the Ravenscroft experience, with food drives, disaster relief, service trips, and cancer awareness and fundraising now part of the rhythm of campus life.

When Tyler ’11 and Garrett Anderson ’14 — whose father, Kevin ’82, and grandfather Chip ’55 have both served as Ravenscroft trustees — were students in the Middle School, they volunteered as buddies at the Frankie Lemmon School, which serves children with disabilities.

“That was an important experience to have,” Garrett remembered, “to understand the challenges other people face.”

Tyler agreed. “That was my first experience working with children with special needs,” she said. Later, when Ravenscroft hosted Special Olympics, “I really wanted to spend time with the kids.”

Tyler and her mother continued to volunteer with Special Olympics on campus even when she was in college. Today, she is a therapist working with children with autism. “My parents and my grandparents always encouraged me to find something I was passionate about, whether through work, volunteering or giving,” she said.

Through such philanthropy, Garrett added, “we’re giving back, but we’re also investing in the future.”

For Joe Diab ’83, Ravenscroft “provided some of my first and most valuable opportunities to put service in practice. It really shaped me.”

His experience as president of the Upper School’s Student Council, in particular, underscored his family’s mantra that “your gifts and talents create a duty to do something good,” he said. “It was one of my most significant initial encounters working with and through others to do things on a larger scale than I could do alone.”

Today, Diab — who has served on Ravenscroft’s Alumni Council — is board chair at St. Timothy’s School and manages a private family foundation that supports the arts and sciences. His daughter, Maggie ’21, shares his passion for service.

“I started doing service work before I was required to because I wanted to learn more about it,” she said. “My mom has helped me find opportunities to get involved and stay focused on why it’s important to give back.”

Maggie enjoys volunteering with the Teen Leadership Corps of Wake County Public Libraries and baking brownies for families at the Ronald McDonald House in Chapel Hill. She has also joined Key Club.

“Ravenscroft students are lucky to be here,” her dad concluded, because the school provides “a platform to do something inspiring.” R

MAGGIE DIAB ’21 with her parents, Ann and JOE DIAB ’83

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STUDENT SHOWCASE Highlighting exceptional student work

If I Ruled the World

by Delaney Washington ’22

This speech was given in the fall by Middle School Speech and Debate II student Delaney Washington ’22. The assigned topic was “If I Ruled the World.” Teacher Karen Westbrook asked students to complete this statement by suggesting one change that was needed for our world and how they might go about making that change. Watch Delaney deliver this speech at www.ravenscroft.org/springmagazine2018.

I

F I RULED THE WORLD, racism

would be nonexistent. I believe that the reason why racism is still alive is because of the lack of education in the world. Not everyone has the resources to gain knowledge to understand and respect every single race. So if I ruled the world, I would make sure that racism was nonexistent by putting a new subject in

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schools, making a law that makes people dedicate one hour a day to speaking to someone of a different race, and always integrated schools.

Racism is a mindset, not something that one is born with but taught. As Nelson Mandela once said, “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background or his

religion. People learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” If everyone was exposed to and learned what the race they so-called “hate” goes through and has been through, it would make a huge difference that would eliminate racism. This is why if I ruled

the world, I would create a law that dedicates one hour a day for people to spend time with other people that don’t look like them. No matter what time zone people live in, when their clock strikes one o’clock, they will do this until two o’clock.

Novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is the brilliant author of a speech called “The Danger of a Single Story.” Growing up on a university campus in eastern Nigeria, Chimamanda began reading and writing at a very young age. She always read books where the main character was white. Blonde hair, blue eyes, living in America and privileged. She had the mindset that every person looked and lived that way in America. She eventually went to school in the States and was quite surprised and even surprised others. She shared a story in her speech that was quite interesting to me. Her American roommate asked to hear her some of her favorite “tribal music.” Her friend was quite surprised when she turned on the latest song

by Mariah Carey. All her friend had ever heard or seen of Nigeria was people not having enough food or water, uneducated people, and terrorists. She began to find out that they have a lot more in common. I can relate.

Before I went to school here, I went to a public school. It was definitely a culture shock and something to adjust to. As all of you guys probably know, there is a lack of African Americans at Ravenscroft.

I eventually noticed that people thought just because I am an African American, my family couldn’t pay full tuition. They had the single story. The story about how African Americans are less privileged and how they represent bad things. But people don’t give us credit for how hard we work to prove that stereotype to be untrue. But this happens all of the time all over the world.

DELANEY WASHINGTON ’22

People don’t know enough about any culture except for theirs, so they automatically assume things. This is why if I ruled the world, I would put a new subject in school that is an equivalent to math and language arts that teaches kids about a race other than theirs.

“Racism is man’s gravest threat to man — the maximum of hatred for a minimum of reason,” said Abraham Joshua Heschel. If this quote is true, and I believe it is, why is racism still alive and well? Why are there still KKK riots? Why do people automatically assume that just because a person is a certain color they’re bound to have a weapon on them? It is almost 2018. The world needs a change. The reasons that I have stated before you today, and many more, are reasons that if I ruled the world, racism would be nonexistent. Thank you. R

“If I ruled the world, I would create a law that dedicates one hour a day for people to spend time with other people that don’t look like them.

No matter what time zone people live in, when their clock strikes one o’clock, they will do this until two o’clock.”

—Delaney Washington ’22

To see Delaney deliver her speech, visit www.ravenscroft.org/springmagazine2018 or scan the QR code.

Spring 2018

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CENTER STAGE Students and alumni excelling in the arts

Lower School Fine Arts:

Setting Students Up for Success

Lower School students enjoy a robust arts curriculum, including our strings program beginning in first and second grades

When a child has spent days on a sculpture, he understands how difficult it is to get the lump of clay to look like the image he has in his mind. He’s probably had to start over a few times, maybe even change course. He learns that perfection is relative and that he is capable of seeing a challenging task to completion. Knowing the difficulties in the work, he can appreciate his classmates’ projects.

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HE BENEFITS OF FINE ARTS EDUCATION have been widely

studied, and the results are clear: exploring the arts builds confidence, strengthens problem-solving skills, enhances academic performance and broadens civic engagement.

At Ravenscroft, all of that starts in the Lower School.

Our youngest students enjoy a robust arts curriculum, starting with music and visual art in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, expanding to include violin, viola or cello lessons in first and second grades,

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then band and choir in fourth grade.

Ravenscroft’s investment in these subjects is significant: nestled inside the fine arts building are universitycaliber rehearsal, studio, classroom, gallery and performance facilities — including the 454-seat Jones Theatre — used by students of all ages.

As music teacher and choir director Katie O’Neill said, “Every student in PreK through third grade has the opportunity to perform in front of their parents, as they all participate in Lower School programs such as Veterans Day, Special Friends

Day and Holiday Sharing. First grade and higher all do a performance on the big stage in Jones Theatre. It’s quite an experience for them!”

The Lower School’s fine arts instructors — O’Neill, Mary Royall Hight (music and drama), Amber Hitchcock (strings) and Amelia Karpowitz (art) — model, encourage and facilitate skills and mindsets that will mold young Ravens into evermore-confident artists. Their work also supports the broader goals of the school’s citizen leadership framework, Lead From Here.

By Karen Shore

“Participation in the arts encourages communication between the left and right brain.”

— Dr. David McChesney, Director of Fine Arts

Visual arts students are encouraged to explore their creativity

“It is my goal to engage each young artist with a wide range of materials so that they can discover the mediums and methods that appeal to them individually, and to help them cultivate their own artistic eye,” Karpowitz said. “I also strive to create connections with students with artists in history. Doing so can foster strong bonds of expression and understanding that have strong ties to our character-development work here at Ravenscroft, as students see traits modeled by artists, such as courage, resilience, determination and empathy.”

Director of Fine Arts David McChesney sees the benefits of these experiences in students every day.

“Participation in the arts encourages communication between the left and right brain,” he said, “and helps students develop persistence, achieve a balance between confidence and competence, and gain the ability to think independently and appreciate individuality in others.”

After all, a student who has practiced violin with other beginners for months understands that each individual is important to the sound of the group, that practicing leads to

Music classes encourage students to have fun with sounds

improvement and that her own impact on the final performance is real.

Ravenscroft’s comprehensive fine arts programming meets students where they are, providing them the tools and encouragement to grow and succeed. The long list of accolades earned by students in the Middle and Upper schools — and after graduation — is a testament to the dedication and talent of the Lower School instructors who lay the foundation for all Ravens to soar, in the arts and beyond. R

Private lessons give Lower School students an opportunity to expand their skills Spring 2018

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GAME DAY Students and alumni support outstanding athletes

Senior Rookies:

Trying a New Sport Builds Confidence, Forges Bonds

ALEX MURPHY ’18, foreground, performs a routine with the cheerleading squad at a varsity boys basketball game

Senior year often revolves around applying to colleges, tackling difficult courses, relishing senior status on campus, and looking toward the future. Some Ravenscroft seniors, however, have also seen their final year at school as an opportunity to challenge themselves with new athletic endeavors.

A

LEX MURPHY ’18, for example, matter what their skill levels,” on the tennis and track teams, said his

is one of three seniors who joined the cheerleading squad for the first time this year. Alex said she’s always been interested in cheerleading and decided to make the most of her senior year by trying something new. She credited Ravenscroft teachers and coaches with creating a community that encourages students to step out of their comfort zones.

“The great aspect of athletics at Ravenscroft is that coaches are so welcoming to all athletes, no

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Alex said. “The coaches work with players to develop their skills and let new teammates jump in right away.”

Also a JV and varsity softball player, Alex exemplifies one of her favorite mottos: never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.

With similar attitudes, three seniors decided to try out for the varsity football team this year, embracing the team camaraderie and the rigorous six-days-a-week practice schedule.

Ryan Micelli ’18, who has also been

football teammates were one of the highlights of his experience.

“My teammates are like a whole new family — they were always willing to help and show me how to become better, which created a bond that allowed us to share in each other’s achievements,” he said.

Bennett Phillips ’18 agreed. “The team really starts to feel like a family as the season goes on, and we share common experiences that we can bond over,” he said.

by Stacy Calfo

In addition to supportive and welcoming teammates, Noah Mix ’18 credited the encouragement and patience of the coaches with making his football experience a success.

“Coach Gonet was very welcoming to me,” Noah said. “The coaches were very patient, knowing that I did not know any of the plays or formations coming into the season, and my teammates did everything they could to help me out.”

Other factors can also determine whether students have a positive experience when they try something new. Varsity cheerleading coach Emily Porter emphasized the importance of a strong work ethic when a student tries a new sport, especially in their last years of high school.

“If you are going to try something new, at any age, you have to work for it,” Porter explained. “You can’t just rely on practice time. You have to do a lot on your own.” She praised the seniors who were new to the cheerleading squad with working hard over the summer, asserting themselves at practices and giving one hundred percent.

Athletic Director and varsity football coach Ned Gonet said he’s proud

Varsity football players, including NOAH MIX ’18 (#11, second from left), greet Lower School students heading to the fall pep rally

of the unique environment at Ravenscroft that allows students to try new sports. He stressed that coaches are open to every student who is willing to try out and work hard.

As these seniors complete their last few months at Ravenscroft, they can be proud of getting the most out of their Upper School experience, right through their senior year, and of building confidence by trying new experiences, in athletics and whatever else the future may hold. R

RYAN MICELLI ’18, NOAH MIX ’18 and BENNETT PHILLIPS ’18 played football for the first time under Coach Ned Gonet

“My teammates are like a whole new family — they were always willing to help and show me how to become better.”

— Ryan Micelli ’18

ALEX MURPHY ’18 and teammate ALEXANDRA NICKOLAS ’19 prepare for a game Spring 2018

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CLASS NOTES Catching up with our alumni

BIRTHS

as of December 15, 2017

1

3 2

4

6

1. Heidi Wicker ’96 and her husband, Jonathan, welcomed George Wicker Pompan in November 2017.

5. Michael Woodson ’07 and his wife,

2. Phillip Simson ’00 and Laura welcomed

6. Lauren Miller Wieczorek ’08 and her husband, Clay, welcomed Charlotte Anne on Oct. 5, 2017.

Dabney James Simson on Nov. 1, 2017.

3. Anna Claire Murnick Price ’03 and her husband, Pat, welcomed Lucille “Lucy” Watson Price on May 18, 2017.

4. Lauren-Kelly Devine Greenbacker ’07 and her 5

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husband, Robertson, welcomed Michael Everett Greenbacker on Nov. 8, 2017.

Vanessa, welcomed Jordyn Maria Woodson on Nov. 3, 2017.

7. Sally O’Herron Hogan ’01 and her husband, Mike, welcomed Elizabeth Bays Hogan on Dec. 5, 2017.

Class Notes information as of December 15, 2017

1974 Class Agent needed! If you are interested in serving, please email Tammy Haywood, director of alumni activities, at thaywood@ravenscroft.org.

Mel Broughton’s daughter, Hunter ’11, married Joshua Caleb Diamond on June 17, 2017.

1976 Joel Reames joel@joelreames.com

of. The weather is simply part of the worthwhile package. Let us know if you are in the Naples area, as we love having visitors. God bless!”

Margaret Mahood Mills is still working hard at Ravenscroft as the director of admissions.

Her son, Baker ’11, graduated in May from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine with his master’s degree in biomedical sciences, and he is now in his first year of medical school there. He accepted a commission as an officer in the U.S. Navy and will attend Officer Development School in Newport, Rhode Island, next summer.

Several classmates, including Margaret Mahood Mills, Marsha Saunders Ragsdale, Greg Byrd and Jeff Morrison, enjoyed mingling with the Class of 1977 at a reception at Margaux’s during Homecoming and Reunion Weekend.

Lee Bunn writes, “I am traveling with Pamela and Bible Study Fellowship International staff and board members once or twice a year as a ‘board spouse’ and helping with their domestic and international leadership retreats.

Our two sons, their wives and our two grandchildren live in Austin, Texas, and our daughter is a teacher in St. Louis, Pamela’s hometown. I am still involved in the industrial and self-storage real estate business, as I have been for many years, and Pamela and I are enjoying living in Naples, Florida, where we moved in January. We had some damage from Hurricane Irma, but that is getting taken care

1977

KEN MARSH ’75 (pictured with JAXSON STOCKS ’17 AND SAHIB SINGH ’17) at the Ravenscroft Rendezvous, held at Pugh Pond during Reunion Weekend

Terry Chambliss Wallace terry.chambliss@duke.edu

The Class of 1977 had a fun time celebrating our 40th Reunion! We had a great turnout for our reception at Margaux’s on Friday night with members of the Class of 1976 and at the brunch at Mandolin, which is owned by Sean Fowler ’98.

Several classmates also attended the Ravenscroft Rendezvous at Pugh Pond on Saturday night.

Kudos to the planning committee for their time, energy and effort to bring us back together! It was fun seeing Mark Baratta, Ray Barbour (thanks for sharing the photo gallery!), Debbie Baughn, Diane Gupton Becton,

LEE BUNN ’76 and family

Dan Boyce, Greg Byrd ’76, Eleanor Mangano Cioffi, Robin Bailey Colby, Ed Cole, Shelly Cole Morgan

Ava Watkins ’76 HONORED FOR WORK IN ANIMAL RESCUE Ava Watkins ’76 was honored for her work in animal rescue at

the Sutton Area Community Fall Gala in New York on October 15, 2017.

In addition to her work as managing director of Quoin Capital, a boutique investment banking firm, and as founder of the Alternative Asset Group, Watkins is a partner with Wild Animal Film and Entertainment, Inc., a New York-based developer of interactive, multiplatform documentary film and entertainment products that leverage the power of social media and mobile sharing to save homeless, abused and shelter animals. She is also the New York coordinator of USA Dogs AVA WATKINS ’76 (left) at the Sutton Area Community Fall Gala in New York City on October 15, 2017 Bless You Rescue, which takes Southern shelter dogs to safety by flying them to France and finding them loving homes.

In recognizing Watkins’ work on behalf of animals, the Sutton Area Community noted, “Her mission and goal in life has been dedicated to dog rescue, and she has facilitated the saving of hundreds of dogs.”

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CLASS NOTES

Our condolences to Tucker Gaddy Fogarty, Tina Bugg Coughlin and William Parrish on the passings of their mothers.

Byrd Rawlings’ daughter Caroline got married this summer.

Evelyn Scruggs married Stuart Davis on July

Class of 1977 Reunion

’75, Lynn Dewey Conto, Fairley Bell Cook, Elizabeth Cozart, Earl Johnson, Ginny Johnson, Tommy (“TK”) King, Priscilla Gilliam Laite, Page Littlewood, Marsha Saunders Ragsdale ’76, Margaret Mahood Mills ’76, Joy Ruhmann, Joe Seawell, Lillien Zug Stevens, David Trent, Edith Upchurch, Eddie Woodhouse and Chuck Wright at the events throughout the weekend. (Photo at top.)

Rebecca Dameron has taken on a new adventure and has opened The Noke Training, a sports performance and functional fitness training facility, with a business associate in Roanoke, Virginia. She writes, “If you’re in the area, come check us out: www.thenoketraining.com!”

Connect with Ravenscroft Alumni!

Join the new Ravenscroft Connect social networking platform. Log in through your LinkedIn account to learn about campus and alumni news, find classmates, build and engage with your professional network and volunteer to be a mentor!

Sign up today at www.RavenscroftConnect.com!

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Tal Mangum writes, “After graduating from the University of Iowa, our daughter, Calley ’13, is spending a year in the Raleigh Fellows program. The program requires a paid internship three days a week. And her internship is at Ravenscroft, where she is exploring all aspects of independent school operations, from subbing in kindergarten to helping grade Upper School English papers. Our son, Walker ’08, is still in Dallas, where he was recently promoted to the director of athletic ticket operations at SMU.”

1978 Class Agent needed! If you are interested in serving, please email Tammy Haywood, director of alumni activities, at thaywood@ravenscroft.org.

1979 Allison Gilbert Holmes allisonholmes@nc.rr.com

8, 2017. She shares that her husband suffered third-degree burns on Memorial Day, and the UNC Burn Center kept him for almost a month for skin grafts and therapy. When Evelyn wanted to postpone the wedding, the nurses at the burn center encouraged her to keep the date, as their wedding gave Stuart a reason to fight for his recovery. They were married as scheduled at Emerald Isle. Evelyn says that even though the wedding didn’t go as planned, she has finally gotten it right: she has married her best friend. Her daughter was her maid of honor.

Allen Massey’s son, Will ’11, got married on Sept.

23, 2017, in Atlantic Beach.

Hope Strickland Pflaum’s daughter, Angel, and Angel’s husband, Dave, are proud parents to Amelia Reese Brown (who was 9 weeks old at the end of September 2017). Hope says that being a grandparent is as great as everyone says.

Margie Johnson Springer says that she is still working on her company, Kenzania, importing clothing and accessories from East Africa. She just returned from Kenya and Tanzania, where she visited her vendors and picked up some more items to sell at upcoming trunk shows. Margie’s kids are all out of college and employed, which allows her time to travel to Africa two times a year. She is happily living in Raleigh and is glad to run into classmates.

Shahab Isfahani wrote that he and Tim have moved back to Raleigh again. They did very well in Los Angeles but decided to move to be closer to Shahab’s parents, as they are aging and still running the Lunch Box Deli, which they established 27 years ago. Tim has retired now, and they will help run the deli. Shahab still does limousine sales from Raleigh and travels to Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco and Atlanta quarterly to maintain his accounts, which include Disney, Time Warner and FremantleMedia. Tim and Shahab celebrated 24 years together by going to Italy, Greece and Croatia.

Lawrence Watts shares news about his family: Adam, 21, is a junior at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He landed his dream internship in New York City with UBS’s

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS TO THE HONORARY CLASS OF 1862

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AVENSCROFT WELCOMED TWO NEW MEMBERS to its honorary Class of 1862 during the Alumni Annual Meeting

and Luncheon held Oct. 13, 2017, as part of Homecoming and Reunion Weekend. Carol Miedema and Michelle Piette joined the Class of 1862, which bestows honorary alumni status to community members who have provided an outstanding level of commitment and service to Ravenscroft.

Carol Miedema began her career at Ravenscroft in 1979 as a developmental learning specialist, taught kindergarten and eventually served as head of the Lower School for seven years. She then served as associate director of admissions for the Lower School for eight years. Miedema has received the Lucia Rooney Karnes Award for Excellence in Volunteer Service as well as the Ravenscroft Distinguished Faculty Award, given annually by the Parents’ Association. She is also mother to three Ravenscroft alumni, Gretchen ’87, Jared ’93 and Seth ’93.

Michelle Piette (“Coach P”) spent 32 years at Ravenscroft, serving as teacher, coach, mentor and more.

In her role as assistant athletic director and head athletic trainer, Piette pioneered Ravenscroft’s athletics training programs and represented Ravenscroft on numerous local, regional, state and national committees. She has also received the Helton Award and the Lichtin Award at Ravenscroft.

Honoree Carol Miedema with SCOTT MANNING ’03, alumni council president, and Head of School Doreen Kelly

Investment Banking Sales and Trading Group. His youngest son, Daniel, is now almost 6 feet 4 inches tall.

He transferred this year from Charlotte Latin to 4A Myers Park and is having a terrific year in school, leading the varsity soccer team to the playoffs. Tracy has now retired for the third time and has started her own photography business. Her first showing was a huge success in Charlotte. Lawrence became head of originations at SunTrust EFG a few years ago and has now picked up a $2 billion project finance group, so that is keeping him busy.

Skipper Day says that the family has been busy with work, school, playing a little golf and spending time at the lake. The outlook for 2018 appears to be busy for his family. Wilson ’11 has

Honoree Michelle Piette with ELIZABETH WARREN HAMILTON ’97, MELISSA WARREN DOUGHER ’00, former staff BJ Warren and JANIE SMITH BROOKS ’98

been with Gregory Poole/Caterpillar in sales and business development for approximately 18 months. Chad ’07 will complete his MBA at UNC-Chapel Hill in May 2018 and will return to Captrust in Raleigh. Graduation day should be nice, but it will be awfully tough to head to Chapel Hill for it, says Skipper.

Elizabeth Williams Martin and I spent a parents’ weekend together in the fall at the Phi Gam house in Chapel Hill and had a blast! Elizabeth looks just the same as she did in high school.

She has been a big help to me in navigating the college and fraternity thing.

I have been enjoying being a preschool teacher for 2-year-olds. It has been quite a change, from selling wine to teaching preschool, but

Spring 2018

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CLASS NOTES

one that I have enjoyed greatly. My boys are both in college. James is at NC State and Stuart is at UNC-Chapel Hill. They really have had a great time and met great friends. Tom and I have been having a great time being empty-nesters.

1981 Class Agent needed! If you are interested in serving, please email Tammy Haywood, director of alumni activities, at thaywood@ravenscroft.org.

Members of the Class of ‘81 at Milburnie Fishing Club in October

Members of the Class of ’81 got together on Oct. 6, 2017, for dinner at Milburnie Fishing Club in Raleigh. Present were Louis Wooten, Jeff

Jarema, Bill Little, William Allen, Vernon Hunter, Bill Steed, Harvey Haigler, Scott Plumber and Bill Sewell.

Haywood Hardin and William Allen got together to hunt, as they have for 45 years since meeting at Ravenscroft. They hunted pheasant in South Dakota, a hunt they have been doing annually over the last 20 years.

1984

Bill Smith ’83, John ’85 and Laynette Rustin ’86, Tim Wicker and others from Ravenscroft and other area high schools.

Unfortunately, this brings us to four members of our class who have passed away. Monica Strahl passed away several years ago, and Harry (“Scott”) Scott and Karen Tattersall also passed away in 2017. Not the best news — but I wanted to make sure you knew.

I joined the ranks of classmates with children going to college, with my oldest, Jordan ’17, attending the University of South Carolina. She is having a good semester pledging a sorority, attending class and loving SEC football games in Columbia.

I see Vance Edwards and Whit Procter in Beaufort at Whit’s house and Tom Rohweder and Tim Wicker at Gateway or around town. All are doing well with their children in college or starting first jobs.

Let me hear from you, and come by campus when you are in town!

1985

John Parham jparham@tcfnmail.com HAYWOOD HARDIN ’81 and WILLIAM ALLEN ’81 on their annual hunting trip in South Dakota

I attended the life celebration for Whitney White Zinner on Dec. 4, 2017, at White Memorial Presbyterian Church in Raleigh. It was a wonderful service with Whitney’s husband, Cliff, children and sister Laurie all speaking. Many of us remember Whitney as a caring, sweet and funny person. She will be missed by all who knew her. Also in attendance were Chuck Wicker,

Class Agent needed! If you are interested in serving, please email Tammy Haywood, director of alumni activities, at thaywood@ravenscroft.org.

Madeline Gilbert writes, “Henry (‘Mitch’) Mitchell posted on Facebook that he ran the Athens Marathon and actually finished. It was tough, through a mountain range. I ran into Kelly Worth Mitchell in Starbucks this fall. It was fun catching up with her.”

Allexia Brewer ’83 PUBLISHES CHILDREN’S BOOK Allexia Brewer’s first published book, “Monadiki, The Goddess of Fierce Leader-

ship,” is the tale of a Greek girl born into a world of gods and goddesses who goes through many of the common struggles of growing up and learning about herself. Her parents know there is greatness in her, but Monadiki can only see one thing: that she is different from the other girls. She doesn’t like eating lamb or wearing gladiator shoes, but she thinks fitting in is the only way to happiness— until she realizes that what makes her different is exactly what makes her special.

In the first book of the series under the “Fierce Girls Lead” brand, Brewer promotes a strong message of leadership for young girls, encouraging them to be proud of their uniqueness and follow their dreams.

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Classes with no notes submitted have been omitted. See Alumni at ravenscroft.org for class agents.

1987

1993

Class Agent needed! If you are interested in serving, please email Tammy Haywood, director of alumni activities, at thaywood@ravenscroft.org.

david.r@psychorockproductions.com

Classmates had fun catching up on Friday night of Homecoming/Reunion Weekend at North Ridge. Joining in on the fun were Reza

Hatefi, Julie Loria, Chuck Underwood, John Dauterman, Woofer Davidian, Matt Thompson, Stephen Conner, Gerry Jacobs, Amy Horowitz, Angie Eddins, Amy Sparks, Katherine Hamlin, Ashley Allen ’86, Dayna Kirk Corcoran, Kate Hauser, Candice White and James Peden. (Photo at bottom.)

1988 Class Agent needed! If you are interested in serving, please email Tammy Haywood, director of alumni activities, at thaywood@ravenscroft.org.

David Lanning and wife Margaret celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in August 2017.

Their daughters, Sydney and Rachel, both had lead roles in their high school musical, “Into the Woods,” in November.

1992 Stephenie Butler Kovac Stiffe1974@aol.com

Classmates who attended our 25th reunion included Anna Yarur Norris, Michael Woody, Leigha

Privette Anderson, Nina Young McCord, Cindy Thornton Maddox and Laura Helton Kalorin. (Photo on p. 37.)

David Rountree Taking over as class agent for 1993, I was happy to reconnect with several old friends!

Trent Wadford is living in Raleigh with his son, Christian, 18, who is a senior in high school, and his daughter, Chandler, 15, a sophomore.

Currently Trent is working as the senior director of business development for Ashfield Pharmacovigilance and also spends time volunteering as a football coach for at-risk kids at Carolina Elite Football. Trent hopes that many of us can catch up at our 25th reunion next year!

After four great years in Tampa, Penny Abrahams Rogers moved back to Raleigh and says it’s wonderful to be “home.” She is now working as a consultant with Independent School Management, a firm based out of Wilmington, Delaware, consulting in fundraising, marketing communications and enrollment management for private independent schools throughout the country and abroad. Her daughter, Julianna ’21, is a freshman at Ravenscroft, and her son, LJ, is a junior at The Fletcher Academy. Penny says she hopes to bump into those of you who are still living in the Triangle!

Craig Williams is happy to share that he is living in Raleigh and working as a dentist. His older son is 14 and into basketball and fishing. Craig’s twin daughters are 11 and play travel volleyball. His younger son turned 9 and loves baseball, which makes Craig happy, as he now gets to tell him about our legendary Ravenscroft baseball teams.

Colby Burrell McClure, her husband and four children are living in Bluffton, South Carolina.

Her oldest, Sloan, is 13 and in the eighth grade. Blaine Jr. is 12 and in the sixth grade, and twins Walker and Shields are 8 and in the third grade. They enjoy living on the May River and spending their weekends on the water.

Class of 1987 Reunion

Coach NED GONET with football players BRYSON WICKER ‘18 and, from his first Ravenscroft team, TIM WICKER ‘84 and JOHN PARHAM ‘84

Jared Miedema reports that he and Megan still live in Raleigh with their three daughters. One (age 14) is a freshman at Sanderson High School and two (12 and 9) are at Quest Academy, and all are

DAVID LANNING ’88’s daughters in “Into the Woods”

BOBBY MADISON ’92’s and JEN MADISON SNOOK ’95’s sons on Bald Head Island in the summer of 2017

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CLASS NOTES

WEDDINGS as of December 15, 2017

1

3

2

4

5

7

6

9

8

1. Fanny Slater ’03 married Tony Paixao on

5. Kyunghwa Kim ’07 was married on Nov. 4,

Sept. 2, 2017.

2017.

2. Briana Mahoney ’05 married Andrew (“AJ”)

6. Haynes Strader ’07 married Christine Fiedler on April 8, 2017, with Olivia ’14 (at left) and Jane Strader ’09 in attendance

Johnson in June 2017.

3. Rachel Ressner ’05 married Javier Arteaga on Sept. 3, 2017.

7. Lucy Turner ’08 married Kevin Burson on

4. Elise Dorsett ’06 married Marco Levati on

Nov. 4, 2017.

April 29, 2017.

8. Annie Brown ’09 married H. L. Montague on Oct. 28, 2017.

9. Melis Tanik ’10 and Sean Kelly ’11 were married on Aug. 12, 2017.

10

10. Hunter Broughton ’11 married Joshua Caleb Diamond on June 17, 2017.

11. Will Massey ’11 married Julia Amend on Sept. 23, 2017.

12. Reid Pair ’11 married Katie Powell on Oct. 14, 2017.

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1994 Tim Johnson tej916@gmail.com

Katie Perry Barr is loving life in Virginia with her five kids. Every year at the end of school, Katie loads up the crew and heads out on a multiweek road trip to check out different parts of the country.

This past summer they got to set foot in the chilly Pacific Ocean.

Class of 1992 Reunion

actively involved on soccer teams through Wake FC. Jared has worked at Wake Stone Corporation for almost 20 years and now is director of engineering. Jared would like to send a shoutout to his and Seth’s mother, Carol Miedema, who received Ravenscroft’s honorary alumni award inducting her into the Class of 1862.

Meredith Yarborough Cohoon graduated magna cum laude from Duke Divinity School in 2015 as part of a new program marrying theology with practical ministry application.

She currently serves as director of Christian education for First Moravian Church in Greensboro, where she resides with her husband, Greg, and 5-year-old daughter, Rorie (who began kindergarten at Ravenscroft rival Greensboro Day School this year!).

Among their frequent travels, the Cohoons enjoyed an epic adventure out west last summer, including a visit to the Grand Canyon.

I am still living in Los Angeles and working in the entertainment industry. I have written/ produced five feature films and directed four, with the last two receiving national theatrical releases . I am currently executive producing and directing the voices for the 3-D, sci-fi animated film “The Body Defenders” and working in the voiceover loop group for the television show “Designated Survivor.” Rosie Garcia, my wife of 11 years, has a recurring role on the CW show “Jane the Virgin,” and my 6-yearold daughter, Chloe Jo, began kindergarten.

Chloe Jo can currently be seen in a series of commercials for Nutella and Wells Fargo. Over the summer, my brother Benji ’95 and I met up in Chicago for an amazing Wrigley Field weekend, where we were able to watch our Cubbies sweep all three games against the Blue Jays.

As for me, my wife, Hadley, and I are well and enjoying life in San Francisco. Unless you’re rich or want to live in the fog, most folks have little to no outdoor space, but we do have great playgrounds. A tough year for us as I lost my mom suddenly in late 2016. She’s with my dad now, though, so that gives me a big smile. They were a great pair!

MEREDITH YARBOROUGH COHOON ’93’s daughter, Rorie

JARED MIEDEMA ’93 with his wife, Megan, and daughters

(Class photos on p. 38.)

1995 Jen Madison Snook jmadison77@gmail.com

Matt Cantando and his family took a year off to travel the world. Matt and Amy left their jobs and took Jack out of school, and they put everything they didn’t sell into storage.They traveled west, starting in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, and hit 23 other countries across Southeast Asia, Africa and Europe. Matt’s favorite part of the trip was RVing in New Zealand for a month, Amy’s was going on safari in the Serengeti in Tanzania, and Jack’s was skiing in Zermatt, Switzerland. After returning to the United States in June, they moved to Raleigh.

They live in the North Hills area, and Jack is in second grade at Ravenscroft — in the same class as Katie Pressel Gillespie’s son, Joe. Matt had not lived in Raleigh since graduation and is excited to return and live closer to his parents and siblings. He has connected with a handful of people since being back and would love to catch up with other classmates who live in Raleigh.

(Class photos on p. 38.)

DAVID ROUNTREE ’93 with wife Rosie Garcia at the ALMA Awards in Los Angeles

COLBY BURRELL MCCLURE ’93 and family

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CLASS NOTES

1996 Class Agent needed! If you are interested in serving, please email Tammy Haywood, director of alumni activities, at thaywood@ravenscroft.org.

Heidi Wicker writes, “My husband, Jonathan Pompan, and I are delighted to announce the birth of our son, George Wicker Pompan, in November 2017. George is a bundle of joy and we are treasuring every second with him!”

KATIE PERRY BARR ’94’s family in the Pacific Ocean in the summer of 2017

1997 Elizabeth Warren Hamilton Ecarver22@nc.rr.com

Classmates who attended our 20th reunion included Laura O’Brien Stavlas, Elizabeth Warren Hamilton, Thomas Durham, Abby Pressel and Jeff Walker. (Photo at bottom.)

TIM JOHNSON ’94’s children, Lucy and Gus

still enjoying Raleigh. He recently marked his fifth year working with technology giant Cisco.

melissawdougher@gmail.com

Kelsey Frohman Marks shares that “no news is

daughter, Dabney James Simson, on Nov. 1, 2017.

good news”: she’s still “momming” and working part-time as an art therapist in New York.

2001

David Morgen and his wife, Alie, welcomed their

Thanks to Jaclyn White Morgan for her work as Class Agent! Emily Taylor Farrell will be the new Class Agent for the Class of 2001.

Chris Young writes, “We have recently expanded our juice bar, Juicekeys Inc., to a second location in Lafayette Village. We have been able to make this big leap as a business in part due to the wonderful backing of many Ravenscroft students and parents. We continue to be so impressed with Ravenscroft students, many of whom have become employees and passionate supporters of our brand.

They are truly some of the finest young people within our entire community!”

Class of 1997 members

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I have settled into living in Atlanta. We relocated from Wisconsin three years ago and do not miss the cold winters at all. One year ago, I purchased a dental practice in Marietta. It is going great and you can check us out at wohlersdentistry.com. Emily Farrell’s paintings can be seen at the front office when you walk through the door! Stephen works downtown as an attorney at Georgia Power. We have a 4-year-old son and a 3-year-old daughter. We have truly loved the Atlanta area and are excited to call it home.

Carolina, who is included in our family photo [p. 39], is our au pair. We love having her with us, and the kids are learning Spanish.”

Melissa Warren Dougher

Emily Taylor Farrell

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Jennifer Howard Wohlers writes, “Stephen and

Stephen Farrell shares that he’s doing well and

emilyannefarrell@gmail.com

JEN MADISON SNOOK ’95 and family at Disney World over Thanksgiving 2017

Alston Mann and his wife, Jessie, welcomed their baby girl, Haynes Virginia Mann, in June 2017.

2000

Phillip Simson and his wife, Laura, welcomed a

MATT CANTANDO ’95 and family on top of Fox Glacier on the southern island of New Zealand

Jessica Gladwin celebrated five years as a planner with the Town of Butner this year, and she is building a house in Raleigh, to be ready in early 2018.

second child, Wesley Jude Morgen, on May 17, 2017.

Wendy Noel Brugh and her husband, Graham, welcomed daughter Riley Jane Brugh on Dec. 28, 2016. Big sister Molly Mae is 2.

Sally O’Herron Hogan welcomed Elizabeth Bays Hogan Dec. 5, 2017.

As for me, I am still in Raleigh with my husband, Mike, and daughter, Emma, 3. I am currently working for an Italian wine importer managing a territory within the mid-Atlantic, and most recently during 2017 turned a painting hobby into a small business, even selling a few pieces to a couple of fellow alumni! Mike is with a residential home builder in the area.

2002 Alan Haydon ahaydon@gmail.com

Laura Eberhardt Woodard writes, “Last fall we welcomed twins, a girl and boy, into our family and moved back to North Carolina.”

Guy Crawford shares, “This year, The Learning Experience nominated me for our Teacher of the Year award. I was nominated along with other candidates across the country, and it’s an honor and a privilege to have been selected to represent my location!”

Moss Withers welcomed twin boys, Crew and Myers, on April 29, 2017. (Photo on p. 40.)

2003 Anna Claire Murnick Price annaclaireprice@gmail.com

Sydney Ransom writes, “My fiance and I will be moving to Atlanta this spring to be near my family. After a decade each in Manhattan, career changes and many, many friendships, it’s time for the next chapter. I, sadly, will be leaving my job as events manager at my nonprofit, NFTE, in order to make the move happen — but I am excited to look for new opportunities down south. Jeff will be continuing remotely as senior digital manager, SEM and product manager for the digital marketing firm Path Interactive. If you know anyone from our class who lives in the area, please let me know! We will be hunting for new friends come summer!”

RICHARD FORSYTH ’96 and family on campus for a football game in September 2017

Warren Harvey writes, “I started a new job with Petway Mills & Pearson, PA, as a tax manager.

We provide audit and tax services.”

Samantha Barnett Evans writes, “I started a new job working in team sales for my dad’s company, BTC Electronic Components.”

Anna Claire Murnick Price welcomed Lucille “Lucy” Watson Price on May 18, 2017.

STEPHEN ’01 and JENNIFER HOWARD WOHLERS ’01 with their children and au pair, Carolina

Fanny Slater married Tony Paixao on Sept. 2, 2017.

(Class photos on p. 40.)

Sarah Cortina ’03 WINS DAYTIME EMMY FOR OUTSTANDING CHILDREN’S ANIMATED PROGRAM

EMILY TAYLOR FARRELL ’01 with husband, Mike, and daughter, Emma

Sarah Cortina ’03 took home a 2017 Daytime Emmy

for her work as line producer on the children’s animated program “Lost in Oz,” a modern-day take on “The Wizard of Oz.” The career opportunity arose when Cortina, who studied Japanese in college, decided to live in Japan and got involved in the production of another animated series. When “Lost in Oz” was nominated for an Emmy — and then won — in its first season, Cortina said, “we were honestly shocked. It had really felt like we were the underdog.”

Cortina and her team traveled to Los Angeles for the creative arts portion of the Emmy Awards, which, she noted, is separate from the star-studded, televised ceremony where awards such as Best Actor are presented. “So no, I really wasn’t rubbing elbows with movie stars or celebs,” she added. “There was a red carpet, though!”

Class of 2001 members CHESTER ALLEN and wife, M.A.; ALSTON MANN and wife, Jessie; SALLY O’HERRON and husband, Mike Hogan; and STEVEN LICHTIN and wife, Jocelyn Spring 2018

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CLASS NOTES

2004

2007

Gretchen Presnell Hyde GretchenPHyde@gmail.com Ashley Board ashleyboard@gmail.com

robertgbyrd@gmail.com

Raina Smith has been living in the Czech

MOSS WITHERS ’02 and family with twins, Crew and Meyers

Republic for the past few years and playing professional basketball. She has also obtained her international coaching license. Currently, she is an active player, an international head coach for a team in Litomerice, Czech, and also an assistant coach for the U15 national team selection camps for the Czech Basketball Federation, where she is a demonstrator and lead trainer for ball handling and warmups.

Gretchen Presnell Hyde is in her eighth year of working full-time for YMCA Camp Sea Gull and Camp Seafarer, where she has held various roles. She is currently serving as the director of development and divides her time between Raleigh and Arapahoe.

ADAM ’02 and DAN ’99 at the wedding of sister RACHEL RESSNER ’05

2005

Classmates at Reunion included Eliza Ragsdale, Luke McMurray, Jay Holt, Randall Schneider, Haynes Strader, Peter Farrell, Finch Troxler, Alex Moss, Thomas Brown, Chad Day, Lauren Kahn, Blair Cross, Courtney Newcombe Aldridge, Rob Byrd, Bahati Mutisya, Whytney Pickens, Cody Clifton and Gates Aldridges.

Glad they could come out! (Photo on p. 41.)

Tré Cotten received an MFA in acting from The University of Washington’s School of Drama in Seattle. He made his international debut in the role of Joshua in “The Christians” by Lucas Hnath and this spring will be playing the Prince in “Cinderella” in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Haynes Strader married Christine Fiedler on April 8, 2017, in Austin, Texas. The wedding party included Cody Clifton, Peter Farrell, Paul Gozzo, Lance Landvater, Jane Strader ’09 and Olivia Strader ’14. The couple lives in Dallas.

Class Agent needed! If you are interested in serving, please email Tammy Haywood, director of alumni activities, at thaywood@ravenscroft.org.

Lauren-Kelly Devine Greenbacker and her husband,

Briana Mahoney married Andrew (“AJ”) Johnson in Golden, Colorado, in June 2017.

Michael Woodson and his wife, Vanessa, welcomed a daughter, Jordyn Maria Woodson, on Nov. 3, 2017. They live in Waco, Texas. Jordyn was born on the sixth anniversary of the passing of her grandmother, beloved Ravenscroft teacher Maria Woodson.

Rachel Ressner married Javier Arteaga on Sept.

3, 2017.

ELISE DORSETT ’06 and classmates at her April 2017 wedding

Rob Byrd

2006 Celeste Allen Chapman chapman.celeste@gmail.com

Tonia Davis, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is an assistant professor of communication sciences and disorders at California State University-Sacramento.

Elise Dorsett married Marco Levati on April 29, 2017. Classmates who attended the wedding included Dee Condrey, Lauren Janson, Lynnae Vana,

Peter Mangano, Neil Shrimanker, Celeste Allen, Diego Lund, Elizabeth Darden and Victoria Young.

Lindsey Merwarth married Steven Wilson on

Sept. 23, 2017.

Robertson, welcomed a son, Michael Everett Greenbacker, on Nov. 8, 2017. They live in Atlanta.

Eliza Ragsdale moved from Charlotte to New York City for a job as the lead gemologist for a diamond company. She lives in Brooklyn and works in the heart of the NYC Diamond District.

Kyunghwa Kim was married on Nov. 4, 2017, in Seoul, South Korea. Rebecca Kang ’06 and Ryan Kim were in attendance. After graduating from Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Kyunghwa moved home to Seoul to work at LG Electronics as legal counsel.

2008 Taylor Rankin tfr813@aol.com Lauren Miller Wieczorek lauren.m.wieczorek@gmail.com Casey Stevenson casey.stevenson0422@gmail.com Stahler McKinney is now a consultant with FMI. He has also joined the Ravenscroft Alumni Council.

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Ray Davis IV is working for a new company as a divisional continuous improvement manager.

The role requires a lot of travel to different manufacturing plants. which Ray notes has been a nice way to experience some new cities in the Southeast. He adds, “One of my plants is just a couple hours from Raleigh, so I hope to make it to the area one of these days. I have also been visiting family a lot down in Tampa — trying to be a very involved uncle!”

Lucy Turner is in the second year of her Ph.D. in historical musicology at Columbia University in New York and is really enjoying the program.

Her main research interests are Beethoven’s string quartets and early German Romantic music. Lucy and Kevin Burson were married on Nov. 4, 2017, at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh.

Sarah Van Name ’09, Claire Monaghan and her brother, Oscar ’11, were in the wedding party.

Lucy and Kevin live on the Upper West Side and are enjoying getting to know the city.

Gabe Skwara is still living in Asheville and working for a local internet company called Skyrunner, which specializes in bringing high-speed internet to underserved areas. He does a mix of field and office work. Gabe and his wife, Christy, have a 1-year-old son, Solomon. Gabe writes, “He is awesome! We also have a sweet Plott Hound named Gypsy.”

Anna Hunter Underwood recently celebrated her first anniversary with her husband, Cody. They love traveling to western North Carolina to visit his family and getting away to the coast to do some fishing and kayaking. She still works in downtown Raleigh at the district attorney’s office as a legal assistant in the general felony unit, so she gets to be in the courtroom a lot and is able to see a wide range of cases. Cody works in

Raleigh as an accountant for a CPA firm, but he also gets to travel to several areas across the state as well as to Georgia and Virginia. Anna writes, “By far the coolest thing ever is being aunt and uncle to our niece and nephews!”

Raven Shaday King is at Emory University getting her master’s degree in public health management.

She is looking forward to graduating in May 2018 and starting a nonprofit clinic for uninsured and underinsured patients. Recently, she has been focusing more on bridging the gap between healthy food access and controlling chronic disease within underserved populations. She says, “I met my husband last year and we were recently married in June! Looking forward to building our careers and starting a family one day.”

GABE SKWARA ’08 and family at Sam’s Knob on the Blue Ridge Parkway in western North Carolina

Jack Manley writes, “After leaving my old company, InDemand, in July, I have been refocusing on chasing a personal dream of mine, and I can officially announce that I will begin training to become a professional wrestler. It’s a business I have loved since I was a kid, and at 27, it’s the perfect time for me to take my shot. I plan to wrestle under my actual name — let’s face it, I’m not coming up with a pseudonym better than ‘Jack Manley’ — and with dedication, hard work and a little bit of luck, I’ll be in the ring working matches by early 2018. The ultimate goal is, of course, making it to a major promotion like the WWE and earning my way to a world title!”

William Myers writes, “My two-year anniversary in Colombia is coming up. My company has just finished construction on our new brewing facility in Medellín and is waiting for the government to give us licensing. I’m not an owner, but I’m the head of production, so it’s a great opportunity to grow a company up from scratch and do all the creative development. I’ve designed six beers for the Colombian market that bring some of my favorite aspects of U.S. craft beers but are a little lower in bitterness since the palate here isn’t used to it (yet!). I’m definitely excited to get our normal beers out on the market so I can start experimenting with local ingredients like coffee, cherries and maracuyá fruit, as well as seeing how sours go over with this crowd.”

ANNA HUNTER UNDERWOOD ’08 and family

BETH BOSWORTH ’08 in New Zealand

Class of 2007 Reunion Spring 2018

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CLASS NOTES

Ryan Sandman is currently in his last semester at Georgetown University’s sports industry management master’s program and venturing out in the sports industry. He shares, “I have had an amazing time in the program, working for the Nationals and Capitals most recently.”

Beth Bosworth recently wrapped up a four-week

STEPHANIE KRÄMER ’08 in Brussels, Belgium

LOGAN ALDRIDGE ’09, PHILLIP FAJGENBAUM ’09 and PARKE JONES ’09 at the alumni lacrosse game

trip through New Zealand. She was working as an R&D engineer at Medtronic but is excited to be starting a new engineering role at Verily, Google’s life science division. She will still be living in San Francisco, she says, but the best part is no longer having to commute.

Stephanie Krämer still works in EU Health Policy based in Brussels, Belgium, which lobbies on behalf of patients and clinicians in the field of neurological and psychiatric disorders. She does communications and advocacy, mostly trying to get their presence known around town through events in the European Parliament and awareness campaigns. She is also part of the European Health Parliament’s vaccine initiative committee, developing and providing policy recommendations for pan-European immunization laws. She adds, “Come to Europe! We’ve created a little Ravens bubble here with Sarah Hatton and Victoria DeAndrade!”

Walker Mangum is still in Dallas, where he was recently promoted to director of athletic ticket operations at SMU.

Lauren Miller Wieczorek and Clay welcomed a daughter, Charlotte Anne, on Oct. 5, 2017.

2009 Kathryn Fogartie katfogartie@gmail.com Jack Greenberg jack.d.greenberg@gmail.com Annie Brown married H.L. Montague on Oct. 28, 2017.

2010 LEAH LING ’11 running 50-mile ultramarathon

Tyson Presnell tcpresnell@gmail.com Natalie Salmonese natalie.salmonese@gmail.com Chase Bernhardt ccbern@umich.edu Melis Tanik and Sean Kelly ’11 got married Aug. 12, 2017, at Tara Farm in Raleigh, right behind Ravenscroft. Sean proposed to Melis in November 2016 on Tara Farm, and it has grown to be a very special place for them. Ryan Kelly ’09 was the best man and Layla Tanik ’13 was the maid of honor. Melis comments, “It was a magical, extremely warm (and sweaty!) evening.” Sean

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and Melis are now living in Santa Monica, California, with their dog, Rudy.

Tim Monaghan writes, “I’m finishing up my certificate in business analysis at Wake Technical Community College. I’ll be done in May. I went on vacation this year to Arizona and visited cities like Scottsdale, Sedona and Prescott.

I also got to see the Grand Canyon. I visited my alma mater of James Madison University twice this year, once for Madipalooza, which is like Lollapalooza, just not as big, and another time to see the James Madison Dukes play football against East Tennessee State. I also saw them play at Elon and East Carolina. I made sure to see the Washington Nationals play this year against the Phillies. Finally, I’m working part-time as a tutor and pet-sitter.”

Zak Dearinger is a financial planner and stock broker in Columbia, South Carolina.

2011 Patrick Bailey jpb693@gmail.com Zaki Haidary zakihaidary@gmail.com Allie Withers alliewithers@gmail.com Will Hayman enjoyed his time in Thailand and returned to North Carolina in July. He entered Kenan Flagler MBA and law school at UNCChapel Hill in August.

Hunter Broughton married Josh Diamond on June 17, 2017. Hunter and Josh met when attending East Carolina University. Hunter works for the North Carolina Museum of History Associates as the director of special events, and Josh teaches business and marketing at Rolesville High School and serves as the head JV football coach.

Sarah Stumpo graduated in May 2017 from UNC-Charlotte’s School of Architecture. Since then, she has moved to Richmond, Virginia, to work for international firm Gresham Smith and Partners in their aviation architecture division.

Leah Ling writes, “After thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in the summer of 2016, I came home to Durham and started training for a 50-mile ultramarathon. I ran three 50-milers this year and finished on the podium for each. I love all the people I have met out on the trails so far, as well as the excuse to train in the mountains most weekends. Follow along on my blog at leahshappytrail.com!”

Sean Kelly and Melis Tanik ’10 got married on Aug. 12, 2017, at Tara Farm in Raleigh, right behind Ravenscroft. Sean proposed to Melis in November

2016 on Tara Farm, and it has grown to be a very special place for them. Ryan Kelly ’09 was the best man and Layla Tanik ’13 was the maid of honor.

Baker Mills graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in May 2017 with his master’s degree in biomedical sciences, and he is in his first year of medical school there.

He accepted a commission as an officer in the U.S. Navy and will attend Officer Development School in Newport, Rhode Island, next summer.

Will Massey married Julia Amend on Sept. 23, 2017, in Atlantic Beach. Lots of Ravens were there. Bo Newcomb, Patrick Bailey, James Troxler,

Spencer Cates, Connor Gonet, Reid Pair, Rhett Johnson, Robert Boyce, Baker Mills, John Haslett and Stephen Stephano were in the wedding party.

James Troxler shares, “I graduated from NC State and am currently living in Raleigh working as a commercial real estate broker for Covenant Commercial Realty and enjoying it!”

Reid Pair writes, “I married Katie Powell on Oct. 14, 2017, and we are living in Raleigh.

I franchise restaurants in North Carolina, two of them being Smithfield’s Chicken N’ BBQ.” John Haslett writes, “I️ moved back to Mississippi to start training on the T-45 for carrier qualifications in Navy pilot training. I️’ll get my wings sometime closer to October 2018.”

2012 Angelika Barth angelikagaledesigns@gmail.com Jordan Jeter jjeter@elon.edu Lewis Stocks lhstocks22@gmail.com Alex Kumbar is working as an IT engineer with Cisco.

Caroline Browning is working as a CRM agent with Accenture.

Angelika Barth graduated from NC State and is a freelance designer.

Eliza Kramer graduated from Vanderbilt with a

BA in psychology and is a research assistant with the Child Mind Institute.

Corey Garrity graduated from Concordia University in Chicago and is a youth and young adult leader at Redeemer Lutheran Church.

Melissa Funsten graduated from Davidson Col-

lege with a BS in psychology and is working in the Peace Corps.

Caroline Lindquist graduated from UNC-Chapel

Hill with a BA in town and regional planning and is a planning technician with the City of Raleigh, working on the Dorothea Dix Park Design Development.

Sarah Fritsch graduated from UNC-Chapel

Hill and is currently attending law school at Wake Forest University.

Court Youngbar graduated from Virginia Poly-

technic Institute and State University and is an intern with Population Services International.

Jordan Jeter graduated from Elon University and is an account executive with ezCater.

Cameron Litcher graduated from High Point University and is a pharmacy tech with CVS Pharmacy.

Brad Ehilegbu graduated from Randolph College and is working with ABA One Financial as a sales rep.

Hunter Nance is a Q2 automation engineer with Measurement Inc. Parker Troutman graduated from Alabama State and is an associate portfolio manager with BMO Wealth Management.

Ann Barnett graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill and is a middle school Spanish teacher at the Wesleyan School in Norcross, Georgia.

Garrett Bird graduated from Carnegie Mellon and is a project engineer with Power Engineering Construction. He also played in the Alumni LAX game at Ravenscroft over Thanksgiving.

Madison Jones is in graduate school.

Laura Beacham graduated from Clemson University and is a data analyst consultant with LMI.

Max Dearinger graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in mechanical engineering.

2013 Emily Bedsole ebedsole2@gmail.com Bryant Dowd bd45fb@gmail.com Thomas Sigmon thomasigmon@gmail.com Dillon Ragusa graduated from NC State in June 2017 and started the graduate program in construction management at East Carolina University in August. Between programs, he spent three weeks traveling through Europe (Greece, Italy, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands).

Save the Date for Homecoming/ Reunion Weekend 2018 FRIDAY, 10/5 Alumni Association Annual Meeting Luncheon Homecoming Football Game SATURDAY, 10/6 Class Reunions All-Alumni Ravenscroft Rendezvous at Pugh Pond Stay tuned for the full line up of activities!

Reunion classes are 1978, 1988, 1993, 1998 and 2008. Please contact Tammy Haywood, director of alumni activities, at thaywood@ravenscroft. org to learn more or get involved in planning.

Visit www.ravenscroft.org to learn more.

CLASS NOTES

Summer Programs at Ravenscroft June 11 – August 11

Julia Laird ’13 MAKES A SPLASH IN OPERA PERFORMANCES After graduating from Arizona State University in 2017 with a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance, Julia Laird ’13 sang the national anthem at graduation ceremonies in front of over 100,000 people. And that was just the start of a spate of performances marking her entrance into the world of opera.

Over the summer she was a featured soloist at the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival in Fairbanks, Alaska, and was a semifinalist in the American International Czech and Slovak Voice Competition in Green Bay, Wisconsin. As a first-year master’s degree student in opera performance at ASU School of Music’s Lyric Opera Theatre, she was cast as Esmeralda in “The Bartered Bride” and premiered the role of the Cloaked Woman in the Lyric Opera Theatre and Arizona Opera’s lab production of “The Halloween Tree.” She performs the title role in “Les Mamelles de Tiresias” this spring.

Laird was awarded the first-ever Warren Hoffer Art Song Scholarship at Arizona State, which provides funding for research and development of a solo recital meant to educate the community in classical music. “My goal from the beginning has been to help others love this 400-year-old art form as much as I do,” she said. “If I can come out of a performance with an audience member telling me I moved them in some way, I’ve made it.”

Averi Gaines graduated with honors in psychol-

Calley Mangum has spent time in Ravenscroft’s Low-

ogy from Haverford College in May 2017 and secured a prestigious two-year position as clinical research coordinator at the University of Pennsylvania. She plans to apply for graduate school to obtain her Ph.D. in psychology.

er School this year for her internship as part of the Raleigh Fellows program. She primarily served as a substitute teacher and was involved in supporting other aspects of Lower School as needed.

Arash Kasebi recently graduated with a degree in

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.

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textile technology with a concentration in medical textiles from NC State. He is now pursuing an MS in textile engineering at the College of Textiles. There, he hopes to improve the safety of firefighter protective gear while continuing to volunteer as a firefighter in the Raleigh area.

(Read more about Arash’s work in the feature on Innovation & Tech, p. 16.)

Sarah Pupa graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with honors in May 2017 and is now attending University of Pittsburgh to pursue a doctorate in audiology with a pediatric focus. She will always be a Tar Heel but is excited about a grad school adventure in a cool city with an urban campus.

Margaret Edwards taught Spanish at Apex Friendship High School for the Fall 2017 semester.

Emily Bedsole graduated in May 2017 and stayed on in Chapel Hill in the master of accounting program.

Jordan Bednar writes, “I graduated from Elon University in May 2017 and I am currently enjoying living in Boston and working for Oracle. I hope everyone at Ravenscroft is well.

Go Ravens!”

Chase Duncan writes that he was slated to graduate and be commissioned as a second lieutenant in December 2017 and start serving as a field artillery officer in the U.S. Army. He adds, “I do not have a report date yet and I do not know where I will be stationed. All I know is I received Signal Corps but a branch detail into field artillery, so my first four years will be in FA.”

IN MEMORIAM

Turner Makepeace ’13 RECEIVES STEPHEN COLBERT AWARD FROM HAMPDEN-SYDNEY COLLEGE

as of December 15, 2017

ALUMNI

Turner Makepeace ’13 received the Stephen Colbert

Award for Most Excellent Rhetoric Student at Hampden-Sydney College in April 2017.

The college is known for its rhetoric program and requires each student to take three courses that focus on argumentative and analytical writing and presentational speaking and pass the Rhetoric Proficiency Exam. Makepeace chose to minor in rhetoric as well, taking advanced public speaking, writing and English courses. The award, which is decided by professors of rhetoric at the college, was announced during an award ceremony. It came with a framed certificate and a cash gift given by Stephen Colbert, who attended Hampden-Sydney in the early 1980s.

Makepeace graduated in May 2017 and is working with BB&T as a small-business lender in the Early Career Development Program in Virginia Beach.

Margaret Boylan Gaddy, Tucker Street alumna, passed away on June 22, 2017.

Harry (“Scott”) Scott ’84 passed away in August 2017.

Quinton Maynard ’97 passed away on Sept. 15, 2017.

Karen “Tweedy” Tattersall ’84

passed away in November 2017.

Whitney White Zinner ’84 passed away on Dec. 1, 2017.

FACULTY/STAFF JT Fritsch worked on a full-length feature film

Claire Fuscoe is graduating from Emory in May

in Raleigh in fall of 2017. JT will graduate from UNC-Wilmington in May 2018 with a degree in film studies and minor in entrepreneurship.

2018 and will begin a full-time position at Booz Allen Hamilton in Atlanta.

Megan McAllister writes, “I recently started a new job here in Chicago. I am now a social media assistant at Zapwater Communications, a public relations agency specializing in lifestyle brands.”

2014 Mary Grady Bell mgbell@live.unc.edu Humza Rizvi humzarizvi@gmail.com Mike Fagan writes, “Excited to announce that I have accepted an offer to work at Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG). Thank you to everyone who has helped me along my journey. I am excited to start this new chapter in life and can’t wait to move to Austin, Texas!”

Morgen McCreedy is attending the University of Tennessee, where she is a senior majoring in kinesiology. She’s also a student assistant athletic trainer for the UT Volunteers football team and works part-time at UT Medical Center as a CNA on the post-operative neuro/spine floor.

Mary Grady Bell plans to graduate from UNCChapel Hill in May 2018 with degrees in business and history and a minor in journalism. She looks forward to working as a business analyst at McKinsey & Co. in Atlanta next year.

Andrea Gilliard has interned with Merck Corporation and conducted undergraduate research with East Carolina University’s Pharmacology & Toxicology Department. Currently, she is conducting studies regarding cell-driven neutrophilic asthma and developing a 3-D augmented-reality navigation system for surgeons. She will graduate from East Carolina University with a bachelor of science in biomedical engineering and minor in mathematics in May 2018. Following graduation, she plans to attend graduate school to further her studies in international business.

Max Haensel plans to graduate in May 2018 with an Sc.B. in applied mathematics-economics and has accepted an analyst position at Peter J. Solomon Company in New York, which he will start in July.

Dick Fulkerson, who served as head of the Upper School in the 1970s, passed away on Aug. 31, 2017.

Adelaide Brooks, former Lower School teacher, passed away on Sept. 11, 2017.

Clyna Chavis, who worked in laundry services in A.E. Finley Center, passed away on Nov. 6, 2017.

Terri Welty, kindergarten

teacher in the 1970s through early 1980s, passed away on Dec. 10, 2017.

Chase Johnson will be spending the spring semester of 2018 studying abroad in Hong Kong, before graduating from George Washington in May. Thomas Matthews is president of Eta Sigma Phi, the honorary society for classical languages at Rhodes College, and is a mentor in the Memphis Grizzlies’ TEAM Mentorship Program. He will graduate in May 2018 and is currently applying to master of science programs.

Spring 2018

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CLASS NOTES

Vanessa May is a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill, double-majoring in political science and journalism with a concentration in public relations, and is planning to graduate in 2018.

Gina Patalano has transferred to Berklee College of Music in Boston. Her prospective major is composition, and she will graduate in 2020 or 2021. In the future, she hopes to be a music composer, and, later on in life, a choral instructor or conductor.

Emily Ratliff will be graduating in May 2018 with JOHN PUPA ’15 in the Tatra Mountains in Zakopagne, Poland, in the fall of 2017

a degree in industrial engineering from Georgia Tech, and she will work as an analyst at Insight Sourcing Group in Atlanta.

Kayla Reali plans to graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill in May 2018 with degrees in English and economics.

Since his graduation from George Washington in May 2017, Humza Rizvi has been working as a paralegal at Hollingsworth LLP in Washington, D.C., and is currently applying to law school.

Kathryn Anne Robinson plans to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis in May 2018 with degrees in anthropology and Spanish.

She also serves as the rush chair for her sorority, Alpha Epsilon Phi. NINA BARNETT ’15 has been selected for the Adams Apprenticeship at UNC-Chapel Hill

Tori Zillmann will be graduating from Elon University in May 2018 with a B.S. in exercise science and dance science.

2015 Mykayla Perry mperry52@uncc.edu Rebecca Qubain rqubain@purdue.edu Alex Woodward awoodward322@gmail.com Caitlin Dorsey received the Scholar Athlete Award and Most Improved Award at the 2017 College of Charleston Athletics “Coug Awards” Sports Banquet.

Mel Broughton attends Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida, and is the goalie for their soccer team — the first walk-on goalie in the school’s history! He enjoys coming home when he can and visiting Will Farrow, Jack Dempster, John Pupa and Zack Hofstadter when Zack is home from Auburn.

John Pupa spent the fall semester of 2017 studying abroad in Poznan, Poland, with 45 STEM students from NC State’s College of Science and College of Engineering.

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Erin Kelly is enjoying Elon University and is a starter on their volleyball team. She is majoring in economics with minors in psychology and business administration and is set to graduate a semester early.

Nina Barnett has been selected for the Adams Apprenticeship at UNC-Chapel Hill, a prestigious program that provides high-achieving students with resources to build successful entrepreneurial careers. “I can’t wait to work with the program at UNC and while I am studying abroad in London this spring,” she said. (Read more about Barnett’s development of the Grooop app in the feature on Innovation & Tech, p. 16.)

Rebecca Qubain shares, “This semester, I changed my major to marketing. I became a pilot of the Boilermaker Special VII, Purdue’s official mascot. I was also the committee chair for the dedication of the Xtra Special VIII, our newest, smaller train.”

Katherine Booth writes, “I am currently pursuing an international affairs specialization at the University of Toronto and have declared a double-minor in French and economics. I will be celebrating my first year working for Disney in January and am in the process of applying for their Ambassador Program to take on a larger leadership role in the company. I am looking forward to graduating next year and exploring potential graduate programs in either international relations or international economics.”

Talia Wahl shares, “I’ll be graduating a semester early and will be pursuing my master’s degree in public health shortly after I graduate. This January, I will be traveling to India, where I’ll be volunteering and conducting research on rural health practices. Thankfully, I will be completing my statistics minor next spring. ” Hannah Makepeace writes, “I have transferred to NC State, where I am in the Alexander Hamilton Scholars Program. This is a dual-degree program, so I am double-majoring in economics and international studies global sustainability and development. I will be studying abroad this coming fall at the University of Business and Economics in Vienna. I will also be traveling to Peru this summer to hike the Inca Trail, Machu Picchu and Old Mountain. Following this, I will be going to Europe for a 14-day boat trip down the river Rhine with my family. ”

Ford Layman writes, “I have changed my major to recreation management with a concentration in commercial tourism at Appalachian State. I’m also getting a minor in marketing. I recently was selected for an awesome internship in the summer with Chetola Resort in Blowing Rock

and would love to be published. I’m also working with the Outdoor Programs Department at ASU, working toward leading trips for students, and am training in Charleston, South Carolina, before my internship.”

Mateo Schiemann writes, “This year I continued working as an admissions intern at NC State and I’m very happy representing the university.

I recently added a major and minor, so now I am double-majoring in chemical engineering and German, with a minor in food science. Next summer, I hope to do an internship in Germany.”

Alex Woodward recently transferred to NC State and is majoring in design studies.

Olivia Aschman and Anna Collawn ’16 traveled with their University of Colorado lacrosse team to Australia in December 2016, playing the Australian National Women’s team during World Cup tryouts.

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 classagents2020@gmail.com Sabrina Earp is at NC State and is a biomedical engineering major in the joint degree program with UNC-Chapel Hill. She completed her freshman year as an honors student and was awarded the Abrams Scholars paid research position for her sophomore year. She is currently working in two research labs on different projects while carrying a hefty 18-hour course load.

She also performed a minor role in CDC’s ballet “The Night Before Christmas” at Fletcher Auditorium in early November 2017.

Lucy Russell will be spending the spring semester at a UNC-Chapel Hill Honors College program in Washington, D.C., interning for Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.

Johnny McNeill received honorable mention in the 2017 Men’s Soccer All-Southern Athletic Association (SAA) postseason awards. McNeill was one of three defenders named to the AllConference Team, as Honorable Mention. He finished the season with one goal and one assist for the Sewannee Tigers.

countries. She is currently a student at UNCChapel Hill and is playing for their field hockey team. This past season the team won the ACC Tournament and made the NCAA Final Four.

Payne Lubbers is writing for The Daily Tar Heel at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Chloe Mikles is a sophomore at Cornell University and was accepted to Cornell’s Ocean Research Apprenticeship for Lynch Scholars, where she will spend the spring semester doing research on the Big Island, Hawaii, and at Friday Harbor Laboratories in the San Juan Islands, Washington.

Devin Gaines is attending the University of Michigan and plans to major in the PPE Program (political science, philosophy and economics).

ANNA COLLAWN ’16 and OLIVIA ASCHMAN ’15 at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia on Dec. 26, 2016

Caroline (“CC”) Poole writes, “I am enjoying my second year at UNC-Chapel Hill as a journalism major. I currently hold a position in ADPi and am also in the Society of News and Design Club. I will also be studying abroad over the summer in Florence!”

2017 Douglas Dillon douglaswdillon@gmail.com Jordan Parham jparham2@me.com Jaxon Stocks jaxson.stocks@gmail.com Natasha Zaletel natash99@mac.com

JORDAN PARHAM ’17 with “Cocky” at USC

Jordan Parham joined Delta Zeta sorority at the University of South Carolina and has become a part of Dance Marathon and the Greek Impact Ministry on campus. She was the 2017 recipient of the American Hackney Horse Society Foundation Scholarship.

Joseph Wadley is in China doing a gap year and really enjoying it, becoming more fluent in Mandarin and getting to travel quite a bit as well.

Andrew Williams writes, “I plan on double-majoring in urban planning and economics. This semester, I have joined the Jefferson Literary and Debating Society and the Virginia Undergraduate Real Estate Club, serve on two Student Council committees (sustainability and buildings and grounds) and volunteer with the Albemarle Housing Involvement Program. I plan on rushing a fraternity in the spring.”

After graduating from Ravenscroft, Megan Ragusa took a gap year and lived in the UK for 10 months, where she played field hockey for Surbiton Hockey Club, just outside of London.

While living abroad, she visited 22 cities in 16 Spring 2018

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RAVENSCROFT REWIND A look back in time in Ravens history

When Sports Traditions Got Their Start (top photo) Soccer team 1973 (bottom photo) Aug. 11, 2017, Soccer Reunion: (front row) Akshay Lulla ’18, Dan Ressner ’99, Kelvin Jones ’16, Kendall Jones ’19, Varun Atree ’19, Zane Laughery ’13, Matthew Silver ’18, Connor Gridley ’16, Payne Gridley ’20, Hayden Gridley ’12, Will Byrd ’10, Thompson Schollaert ’18, Simon Copeland ’17, John Daniel Sawyerr ’17, Travis Young ’05, Ben Schwartz ’18; (middle row) Klaus Steinmann ’18, Jake Schneider ’19, Jack Barnes ’19, Matthew Mehr ’17, Nick Zullo ’19, Bradley Taber ’20, Michael Penick ’05, Parker Sutherland ’13, Peter Farrell ’07, Taylor Smith ’16; (back row) Coach Alix Charles, Corey Chandler ’14, Kevin Stevenson ’04, Jeff Phillips ’04, Gavin Dawson ’08, Nevin Jonson ’18, Luca Al-Habash ’20, James Castleman ’18, Casey Stevenson ’08, Samuel Petrov ’22, Oliver Sheikhli ’21, Jackson Corigliano ’19, Emmanuel Petrov ’19, Evan Bartle ’19, Tommy Attride ’93

(top photo) Lacrosse team 1984 (bottom photo) Nov. 24, 2017, Lacrosse Reunion: (front row) Wes Proctor ’06, Robert Vaughan ’14, John Bailey ’15, Carter Voelkel ’13, Jimbo Barnes ’13, Fen Rockwell ’17, Parke Jones ’09, Cody Clifton ’07, Cole Cutter ’15, McLean Voelkel ’15; (back row) Alex Floyd ’04, Lance Landvater ’07, Jeremy Bull ’00, Coach Bob Powell, Logan Aldridge ’09, Trip Killinger ’10, Phillip Fajgenbaum ’09, Spencer Cates ’11, Rhett Johnson ’11, Stephen Stephano ’10, Drew Davis ’16, Jack Van Lokeren ’15, Alex Spears ’10, Steven Benedict ’08, Dan Ressner ’99, Alex Payne ’15, Garrett Bird ’12, Coach Sandy Kapatos

Want the scoop on these sports reunions? Visit www.ravenscroft.org/ springmagazine2018 or scan the QR code to access bonus content.

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Remembering Ravenscroft in Your Will:

A Sensible Choice

AS THE PARENT OF TWO RAVENSCROFT GRADUATES,

Jean Gordon Carter speaks proudly of the excellent education her children, Christy ’05 and William ’12, received here.

“Both of our kids went on to Wake Forest University and did incredibly well,” she said, adding that Christy is an OB-GYN resident and William is an investment banker.

“At the end of the day, the proof of Ravenscroft’s success is in how well their students have done after graduation.”

That experience, she said, is the biggest reason why she and her husband, Michael, remain committed to supporting Ravenscroft and helping ensure that future Ravens will be able to enjoy the same opportunities and advantages Christy and William had.

But as an attorney focusing on estate planning and charitable giving for tax-exempt organizations, Carter also speaks knowledgeably about the benefits of philanthropy. And as a Jean Gordon Carter, husband Michael and former Ravenscroft trustee and member of the Trustee Advisory children CHRISTY ’05 and WILLIAM ’12 Council since 2011, she understands, perhaps better than most, why her family’s choice to include Ravenscroft in their estate planning is not just a sentimental one — it’s also a sensible one.

“I know the options and alternatives well,” she said, noting that her family’s estate planning has evolved over time as her children grew up and became independent. “Retirement assets, such as IRAs and 401(k)s, are not always the best assets to leave to one’s children. Leaving them to charities is a great option, because they won’t have to pay the taxes as children would.”

With the tax landscape in flux following recent changes in legislation, she added, it’s more important than ever to stay on top of estate planning and reflect on the importance of charitable giving.

“Supporting the organization’s mission and helping others is one advantage,” she said. “Thinking strategically about one’s children’s inheritance is another.”

The Josiah Ogden Watson Society was established to honor and recognize those individuals who have included Ravenscroft in their estate plans.

To establish a new gift or add to an existing plan, contact Phil Higginson, assistant head of school for institutional advancement. phigginson@ravenscroft.org | 919-847-0900

7409 Falls of Neuse Road Raleigh, NC 27615

Non-Profit Org US Postage PAID Raleigh, NC Permit No. 9

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.

Lower School art: (clockwise from left) Emma Idler ’25 created a self-portrait in the style of Pablo Picasso by drawing continuous lines and filling in the shapes with colored pencils; Eli Strick ’30 squeezed liquid watercolor from a pipette onto paper then added kosher salt for a textured effect; Liam Hanna ’31 used dot stampers in homage to Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama.