Spring Magazine 2019

Athletics Injury Protocols 6 The Morton Art Collection 12 Musician Billy Mutschler ’84 26

M A G A Z I N E

S PR I N G 2 0 1 9

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How Lead From Here Empowers Citizen Leadership in the 21st Century

RAVENS REPLY Alumni Remember Historic Moments on Campus We asked our Ravenscroft Alumni Facebook friends: Did you experience a significant moment in history while on campus (for example, the bombing of Pearl Harbor or Hank Aaron’s breaking Babe Ruth’s home-run record)? What was it, and what do you remember about reactions on campus?

— from the Ravenscroft Alumni Facebook page, Jan. 2, 2019

WANT TO GET IN ON THE FUN OF RAVENS REPLY? VISIT OUR WEBSITE, www.ravenscroft.org/springmagazine2019, TO ADD COMMENTS TO THIS ALUMNI THREAD. FOLLOW OUR OFFICIAL SCHOOL SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS (www.ravenscroft.org/social-mashup) OR ALUMNI SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS (www.ravenscroft.org/alumni) FOR UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES TO CONTRIBUTE.

RAVENS REPLY

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1. LOU ANN PHELPS ’75 2. Photographers from the 1975 Corvus staff documented the dramatic scene on campus as five National Guard helicopters landed on the school’s soccer field May 1, 1975.

3. BRAD STEED ’78 4. High school sweethearts BRAD STEED ’78 and CATHY PLUMMER ’78 met as freshmen and later attended the 1977 Homecoming dance, where Cathy was honored among members of the Homecoming Court.

7 5. PHIL JONES ’76 6. STEPHENIE BUTLER KOVAK ’92 7. The Spring 1989 issue of Nevarmore, the school newspaper, covered the Nov. 28, 1988, tornado that did significant damage to parts of North Raleigh.

8. BROOKE BAKER BELK ’99 9. (background, opposite page) News headlines from the year, including many about the Watergate scandal, were used in a collage in the 1973 Corvus yearbook.

SPRING 2019

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CONTENTS INSIGHTS

We Are Growth-Minded I

N THE UPPER SCHOOL, Lead From Here defines growthmindedness as a willingness to listen and reflect on feedback in order to move forward with a new perspective. For middle schoolers, it means believing that ability can be enhanced through dedication and hard work. Lower School Ravens say, “I take risks to learn new things. I am open to new ideas and ways of doing things.”

However we define it, growth-mindedness is what education is all about. As an institution dedicated to excellence in teaching and learning in an increasingly complex and interdependent world, Ravenscroft is growth-minded as well.

We’ve seized the moment with new programs that focus on innovation and design thinking. We’ve engaged in the NAIS AIM self-study to identify opportunities for improvement in

the areas of school culture and inclusivity. Our forward-thinking board has begun campus master-planning with a vision to propel us into the next decade.

This issue of our magazine reflects growth-mindedness, too.

After a yearlong review that included feedback from alumni, parents and students, Ravenscroft Magazine has gotten a cover-to-cover overhaul, with streamlined storytelling and a digital-friendly format for today’s reading habits. Student and alumni voices will resonate in every issue. New features will explore the great things happening on campus while also satisfying our alumni’s interest in school history and their time as Ravens. As the magazine’s centerpiece, Ethos will dig into topics that touch the heart and soul of Ravenscroft.

This issue’s feature story on citizen leadership — the foundation of Lead From Here — takes us from our PreK classrooms to performing arts and STEM programs and out into the community. In these and many other ways, our students live and share the framework’s core competencies to lead self, lead with others and change their world. R —DOREEN KELLY, HEAD OF SCHOOL

FEATURE

ETHOS

14 SPHERES OF INFLUENCE Citizen Leadership Framework Defines What It Means to Be a Raven Learn how Lead From Here draws our youngest Ravens into our community of learners and leaders, nurtures a culture of collaboration in the performing arts and empowers girls to embrace STEM. Then read student reflections on how Lead From Here has helped prepare them to take on roles as citizen leaders in the community and beyond, available exclusively on our website: www.ravenscroft.org/springmagazine2019

ON THE COVER: LILJA GUDMUNDSSON '23 enjoys the challenges of Middle School Engineering II. Read how girls in STEM electives are inspired and supported by female teachers and mentors in our feature story, "Spheres of Influence," on p. 14.

Photo by Simon Capell Photography

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ENJOY EXTENDED STORYTELLING, PHOTOS AND VIDEOS ON OUR WEBSITE: www.ravenscroft.org/springmagazine2019

CONTENTS

M A G A Z I N E

SPRING 2019

HIGHLIGHTS

EXPRESSIONS 22 SPARK

REYNA ISLAM WILLIAMS ’28 and TREY MESSIER ’27 write about

joyful moments

24 A THOUSAND WORDS

GRACELYN BROWN ’30 is cheered

on by her Potato Relay teammates

6

FIT: SPORTS AND WELLNESS

Athletics practices and protocols aim to keep students safe

8

MAKERS: INNOVATION AND CREATION

Programs build cross-functional skills and interpersonal know-how

26 INSPIRED Musician and songwriter BILLY MUTSCHLER ’84 shares his tribute to North Carolina

28 3 TO WATCH Catch up with JUSTIN BRADLEY ’09, JACK GREENBERG ’09 and SARAH VAN NAME ’09

DEPARTMENTS 1

RAVENS REPLY

4

NEW @RAVENSCROFTNC

30 RAVENS REWIND 32 ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

10 ONE WORLD: GLOBAL PROGRAMS AND PERSPECTIVES STEPHANIE KRÄMER ’08 loves living “in the middle of it”

12

FRAME: ARTS AND HUMANITIES

The Morton Collection honors and inspires artists

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

How Lead From Here turns a Hula-Hoop relay into a lesson in collaboration (p. 16)

#2

Why people skills remain as essential as technical skills (p. 8)

#3

What our alumni are most thankful to Ravenscroft for (p. 48)

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

Design by M Creative | Photography by Mary Kornegay, Karen Lewis Taylor, Laura Bradford, Bob Handelman and Simon Capell Photography Archival content appears courtesy of Ravenscroft unless otherwise noted.

SPRING 2019

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NEW @RAVENSCROFTNC

Facility Upgrades Focus on Security, Upper School Improvements

Announcing the “Every Raven” Giving Society

AIM Study to Provide Insights into School Climate, D&I Efforts

A S PA R T O F O U R C A M P U S security and safety plan, Ravenscroft has implemented a key-card access control system — similar to that used in the Lower School — in several additional campus buildings. Exterior doors in the Middle School, Upper School and Keim Center are now locked during the school day and after hours. Parents and other visitors enter each building through one central entrance, where a doorbell and an intercom with camera have been installed.

In the Upper School, this upgrade has helped pave the way for a redesign in three key areas. Administrative offices will be moved to the corner currently occupied by the Upper School Café, creating a more welcoming main entrance with staff supervision. The café will move to the old administrative space and receive its own upgrade with the addition of a terrace and student seating on the campus green. The project will also include renovations to the College Counseling suite. All three areas will be completed by the start of the 201920 school year.

LAST FALL RAVENSCROFT debuted the Fund for Ravenscroft, formerly the Annual Fund, with an emphasis on supporting Every Raven, Every Day. In keeping with that new focus, we’re proud to announce the Every Raven Society to recognize friends and supporters whose total giving to the school is $5,000 or more annually.

Ravenscroft’s culture of philanthropy supports and sustains our remarkable teachers, programs and community. The generosity of donors at this level turns visions into reality — from creating cutting-edge STEM+ facilities and programs to developing a robust Student Wellness and Support Program to ensuring our groundbreaking Lead From Here citizen leadership framework remains an integral part of everything we do.

Learn more about the Every Raven Society at www.ravenscroft.org/every ravensociety.

AS PART OF RAVENSCROFT’S ongoing efforts in the area of diversity and inclusivity, school leadership has engaged the entire school community in the Assessment of Inclusivity and Multiculturalism (AIM), a comprehensive self-study tool developed by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). In November 2018, faculty and staff, students, parents and alumni participated in a confidential online survey; since then, internal committees have worked with trained experts from OpenSource Leadership Strategies to explore issues of school culture with focus groups from across our key constituencies.

Insights gleaned from this important work will be shared with the entire school community in the months to come.

“Ravenscroft has a commitment to diversity, inclusivity and providing a welcoming educational environment where everyone feels safe,” KEVIN ANDERSON ’82, chair of the Ravenscroft Board of Trustees, said. “The board views this work as mission-critical in preparing our students to thrive in a complex and interdependent world.”

(above) Upcoming renovations to the Upper School will create a secure main entrance.

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Follow @Ravenscroft_Baton on Instagram!

Each week, one of our teachers takes over the account to share "a week in the life” of their classes at Ravenscroft. Get a great new perspective on teaching and learning by following @Ravenscroft_Baton!

NEW @RAVENSCROFTNC

Introducing Hub: The Innovation and Research Blog

Partnership with the Hill Learning Center of Durham

Calling All Alumni: Alumni Weekend Promises Fun for Everyone

WITH THE OPENING of the Keim Center for Innovation and Research in September 2018, Ravenscroft has raised the bar for STEM+ and other distinctive programming that puts 21st-century skills front and center. With modern classroom spaces, robotics and technology labs, library resources and collaboration spaces, the Keim Center expands our vision of project-based learning — already showcased in two dedicated MakerSpaces and in classrooms and labs across campus — and establishes Ravenscroft as a school committed to innovation.

But you don’t have to be in the Keim Center, or even on campus, to follow students’ work in research, design thinking and hands-on learning. On Hub: The Innovation and Research Blog, Ravenscroft faculty, staff and students in PreK12 will document and share the many ways they teach, learn, collaborate, refine and produce across campus.

Check out the blog at www.ravenscroft. org/hub.

FURTHERING CONNECTIONS to the greater Raleigh community, Ravenscroft is hosting the Hill Summer Lower School Program, led by staff from the Hill Learning Center of Durham. Modeled after the flagship Hill School curriculum, this academic summer program supports students with learning differences through research-based methodologies and individualized instruction.

As part of the ongoing work of Ravenscroft’s Student Wellness and Support Program to meet the needs of all of our students, Academic Skills teachers in all three divisions have received professional development training through the Center.

As Suzanne Carothers, chair of the Academic Skills Department, said, “Our valued partnership with the Hill Learning Center continues to benefit our students, teachers and the wider community.”

THIS FALL, a full slate of weekend activities for Ravenscroft alumni gives everyone a reason to “come home” to campus Oct. 11-14. The fun- and friend-filled Alumni Celebration Weekend will feature exciting events for all alumni, including:

(above) Upper School robotics is just one of the programs explored on Hub: The Innovation and Research Blog.

> The All-Alumni Party at Pugh Pond, slated for Saturday evening, with food, drinks and live music. Retired Ravenscroft faculty and staff are also invited to attend! > Ravenscroft sporting events and Homecoming fun, kicking off Friday afternoon > Sandbox Party for alumni with young children Saturday morning > Ravenscroft Golf Tournament at North Ridge Country Club, taking place Monday (details at www.ravenscroft.org/golf) > Individual dinners and socials for reunion classes (1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999 and 2009) throughout the weekend See p. 46 for details, and be on the lookout for more information in the months to come. We hope you’ll plan to attend! R (above) Reunion Weekend 2019 offers fun for everyone, including the All-Alumni Party at Pugh Pond.

SPRING 2019

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FIT

BY STACY CALFO

1. Student trainer ALEXIS FENNER '19 tapes varsity basketball player EMILY HAYMAN '20's ankle before practice.

1

“GET OUT IN FRONT OF INJURIES”

Athletics Practices, Protocols

Aim to Keep Students Safe “We are talking about protecting kids long-term, not just during the current sports season.”

—TIM SAVAGE, HEAD ATHLETIC TRAINER

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S

PORTS-RELATED INJURIES, especially to the head, are hot-button

topics in the media, galvanizing doctors, coaches and trainers — and worrying families with young athletes at home. The Ravenscroft Athletics Department has taken a proactive approach, hiring certified trainers, developing protocols and procedures, and focusing on prevention and education to keep athletes as safe as possible.

“We try to get out in front of injuries,” said Athletic Director Ned Gonet, who is also head football coach. “You wish you could go through a season without injuries, but we are prepared to help athletes with rehabilitation and recovery when it happens. We are doing all we can to make sure we have the right procedures and people in place.”

“We are talking about protecting kids long-term, not just during the current sports season,” head athletic trainer Tim Savage added. “We want to create healthy, productive young people.”

WATCH THE FOOTBALL TEAM’S ROBOTIC TACKLE DUMMIES IN ACTION, LEARN ABOUT "RETURN TO LEARN" PROTOCOLS AND MORE

FIT

ON OUR WEBSITE: www.ravenscroft.org/springmagazine2019

2. Improvements in protective gear and innovative training methods help protect football players (seen here practicing with assistant coach Jim Gibbons) from concussions and other injuries.

3. (below) Conditioning and stretching can help student-athletes, such as Middle School Gold Team players JASMINE TRAN ’23 and ALEXA GILLON ’24, lower their risk of injury during games.

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Two Full-Time, Professional Athletic Trainers

Training Protocols and Equipment

Education for Student-Athletes, Teachers and Coaches

> All head coaches are CPR-certified in case of an emergency.

> Nationally certified and licensed in North Carolina, athletic trainers Tim Savage and SOFIA ARMSTRONG ’11 take the lead to help prevent and treat injuries.

> The Athletics Department prioritizes educating studentathletes about the dangers of not reporting injuries such as concussions and ensuring they feel comfortable sharing concerns.

> All student-athletes must have an annual physical exam to help identify any health concerns and document their health history for quick access by trainers.

> They get to know members of sports teams and establish consistent communication and follow-up before, during and after the season.

> Each athlete also undergoes King-Devick screening, which provides a clear baseline for what’s normal and healthy for that particular athlete. That baseline can be consulted if an athlete has a head injury, for example, and needs sideline evaluation.

> Following a model established by retired Ravenscroft trainer Michelle (“Coach P”) Piette, they train and mentor students interested in sports medicine as student trainers. Although the students largely observe in the training room, they can help with tasks like applying heat or ice and wrapping or taping.

“Students can see how we access, treat and get athletes ready to return to play,” Savage said.

> P.E. teachers and coaches emphasize the importance of warm-ups and conditioning in injury prevention, working with even the youngest Ravens to develop healthy habits. > Coaches of contact sports such as football have adopted new techniques to limit collisions during practice and games. R

> Use of proper equipment (such as properly fitted helmets) and innovative technology (such as mobile robotic tackle dummies) aid in the effort to avoid injury. > Staff in athletic programs adhere to the Return to Learn Program, an initiative started by the Brain Injury Association of America, in managing student recovery from concussion.

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5 4. Athletic trainer SOFIA ARMSTRONG ’11 evaluates wrestler ERIC BELCEA ’22 for a potential knee strain.

5. Trainers work with athletes, such as JARED SULLIVAN ’21, to build trust and emphasize the importance of reporting injuries.

SPRING 2019

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MAKERS

BY SHANNON T. ZARB

REAL-WORLD PROBLEM SOLVERS

Programs Build Cross-Functional

Skills and Interpersonal Know-How

2,000

Network-connected devices

T

WO INNOVATIVE Upper School programs offered for the first time

this year — Genius Lab and Lean Six Sigma Junior Green Belt Academy, both overseen by Ravenscroft IT specialist Chris Michael — are equipping students with both real-world problem-solving skills for the industries in which they’ll one day work and the leadership competencies necessary to put them into successful practice.

Genius Lab I and II

4-6

WEEKS OF STUDENT TRAINING for IT role

< 24

AVERAGE # OF hours to resolve service tickets

1,352 BETWEEN

AUG. 1, 2018 - JAN. 1, 2019

100%

OF CALLS RESOLVED

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Calls for service

WITH MORE THAN 2,000 ENDPOINTS or network-attached devices at Ravenscroft, the help-desk team staffed by students enrolled in Genius Lab courses works hard to get up to speed with the many skills they need to get the job done.

“It takes four to six weeks of training to get students on board with increased access,” Michael said. “At first they’re just tagalongs with very guided movements. Eventually, they’re diagnosing problems and speaking with division heads.”

The program, modeled after the hugely popular Genius Bar in Apple stores, fosters the technical expertise needed for IT specialists, but, Michael noted, it’s often the skills commonly described as “soft” that prove invaluable. With each service call, students refine their email etiquette, customer service approach and communication techniques.

“One of the first skills we teach is how to bring someone’s guard down,” Michael said. “No one calls on us when they’re happy.”

The program also represents a paradigm shift: most students aren’t used to talking to teachers on a professional level, and many teachers aren’t used to their students being the experts.

“It’s an adjustment for us all,” Michael said with a laugh.

But the adjustments are paying off. As Sarah Loyola, director of educational technology, explained, “Faculty members have said what’s most impressive about Genius Lab students is their dedication to customer service. Chris believes in the importance of politeness and positivity and has put a big focus on teaching students how to interact with adults. "[Upper School registrar] Debbie Pirotte recently commented on how professional Genius Lab students are,” she added. “You think they need your help, and it turns out they’re there to help you!”

EXPLORE WORK PRODUCTS FROM STUDENTS IN THESE PROGRAMS ON OUR WEBSITE: www.ravenscroft.org/springmagazine2019

MAKERS

Lean Six Sigma Junior Green Belt Academy “LEAN SIX SIGMA” might not be a household name, but its focus on efficiency and waste reduction is more relevant than ever in an increasingly resource-strapped world.

Ravenscroft is one of only two local high schools participating in the pilot program for Lean Six Sigma Junior Green Belt Academy, a business model and certification course offered by N.C. State’s College of Textiles. The university bills it as “a two-staged approach which drives continual improvement and strives towards greater than 99% efficiency, creating enhanced customer satisfaction and less wasted resources.”

If it sounds intense, it is. But the four Ravenscroft students who earned their Junior Green Belts in the course leaned on competencies emphasized in Lead From Here, Ravenscroft’s citizen leadership curriculum.

“Together we were able to overcome the obstacles we faced and bring the lessons we learned into practice

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STUDENTS

inside and outside of the classroom,” KATIE SHEARIN ’19 said. “The training gave me the opportunity to put my leadership and teamwork skills to the test.”

Practitioners of Lean Six Sigma aim to solve some of manufacturing’s biggest concerns. The Ravenscroft cohort focused on an efficiency challenge that hits home daily for them and their classmates: lunchtime.

“Our students conducted a process-improvement project on the Dining Hall’s traffic flow. Students monitored flow patterns, checkout times and how long it took patrons to get to their tables,” Michael said. “Then they made recommendations, added signage and redirected traffic — each reducing checkout times. Small improvements can have a big impact when we’re talking about a forty-minute lunch period!” R

Combined hours of TRAINING + CLASSWORK

in first cohort

>5

MINUTES shaved off maximum wait time after changes made

3

Recommendations

FOR CHANGE made to lunchtime

6

STEPS OF RESEARCH

in process analysis

99.99966%

Targeted ef ficiency rate in a process

170

MIDDLE SCHOOL students

surveyed about lunchtime

SPRING 2019

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ONE WORLD

BY STACY CALFO

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2 1. STEPHANIE KRÄMER (here, visiting Florence, Italy) says one of the best things about living in Europe is how easy it is to visit other countries.

2. She proudly displays her diploma after receiving a Master of Law from University of Edinburgh in 2014.

3. As an advocate for brain health in the EU, KRÄMER, second from right, participates in a presentation of the European Health Parliament Vaccine Committee’s recommendations to the European Commission in Brussels.

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THINK GLOBALLY, LIVE GLOBALLY

Stephanie Krämer '08 Loves Living "in the Middle of It" A

FTER LIVING IN 11 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AS A CHILD, STEPHANIE

says it was natural for her to become a globally minded person. After she settled in Raleigh as a sophomore, Krämer said, it was Ravenscroft that helped fuel that international flame.

“While I loved my writing classes, which is primarily what I do today, and my government and history classes opened the door to politics for me, it was really the overall curriculum at Ravenscroft that put me on my current path,” Krämer said. “The school offered a well-rounded curriculum that prepared me for any career I chose.”

KRÄMER ’08

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ENJOY MORE STUDENT REFLECTIONS ON THE INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMA AND PHOTOS OF ALUMNI STUDYING AND WORKING ABROAD ON OUR WEBSITE: www.ravenscroft.org/springmagazine2019

She didn’t stay stateside for long.

Krämer went on to study international relations and diplomacy at Schiller International University in Heidelberg, Germany. She then earned a Master of Law in International Law at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. An internship in the public information department at the United Nations headquarters in Vienna, Austria, led her to develop an interest in the communications side of political and international affairs and her current position as communications and advocacy coordinator for the European Brain Council, a non-governmental organization based in Brussels, Belgium.

The EBC works with the European Union Parliament and the European Union Commission to advocate and lobby for everything related to the brain, representing doctors, patients, scientists and pharmaceutical companies with the overall goal of bringing together key players and raising awareness of brain conditions and the need for research funding.

That advocacy is important. While the EU spends over $800 billion to treat brain conditions, from Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis to depression and traumatic brain injuries, the issue receives far less attention than conditions such as cancer.

Krämer is working to change that, focusing her efforts on public engagement and external communications through social media, the EBC website, publications and project assistance. She also coordinates the council’s major events.

“In November, for example, we hosted almost 200 people for an awareness event,” she said. “The event helped people learn how treatments are developed and the science, research and innovation that goes into treating brain conditions.”

While she loves the work, she also loves living in Europe, especially the last three years in Brussels, which she describes as a melting pot of international professionals with a strong expat community. She also enjoys the ease of traveling to many other countries.

ONE WORLD

“Our world is global.

What better way to experience it than to live in the middle of it!”

—STEPHANIE KRÄMER ’08

In considering advice for current Ravenscroft students, Krämer encouraged students to study and live overseas and emphasized the support many European universities offer with cultural adjustment and study abroad.

“Our world is global,” she said. “What better way to experience it than to live in the middle of it!”

Interested in Exploring Europe and Beyond?

STUDENTS INTERESTED in studying, working and living abroad can get a leg up with the International Diploma, a Ravenscroft program that helps students develop the knowledge, skills and perspectives to thrive in global environments like the one STEPHANIE KRÄMER ’08 describes. Through a combination of curricular, extracurricular and travel/hosting experiences, students explore global issues, world languages and cultures, exchange programs and more. Learn more at www.ravenscroft.org/ why-ravenscroft/global-programs/international-diploma.

TATE REPLOGLE ’14 said of her experience with the International Diploma program, “This program set the foundation for me and ignited my passions of service and travel. What I learned and gained through this program carried me through college, including studying abroad in India, Greece and England. I am now a Peace Corps trainee in Albania, and I am excited to live and serve in Albania for the next two years.”

Today, more Ravens than ever are matriculating at colleges and universities overseas, including ALLISON ARBER ’17 (University of Oxford, England), LILY WAYNE ’17 (Trinity College, Ireland) and AUSTIN MORIN ’15 (University

of St Andrew’s, Scotland).

Gap-year experiences, available through organizations such as Global Citizen Year and EnglishSpeaking Union, are growing in popularity as well, providing recent high school graduates with cultural immersion and service opportunities around the world before they begin their undergraduate studies.

ALLISON ARBER ’17 is studyDavid Kates, Ravensing at Oxford. croft’s director of global education and initiatives, said, “Studying in another country and participating in gap-year experiences provide students with time for selfdiscovery and to become proficient in other languages. They enable students to immerse themselves in another culture and shape their global perspectives.” R

SPRING 2019

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FRAME

BY SHANNON T. ZARB

"A LIVING, BREATHING EXPERIENCE"

The Morton Collection Honors and Inspires Artists I

F YOU’RE CURIOUS ABOUT THE ECLECTIC COLLECTION OF ART

lining the hallways of the Fine Arts Center, just ask a student. Chances are they’ve studied a piece or two as part of their art class.

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12 RAVENSCROFT MAGAZINE

1. One of several Bob Timberlake pieces in the Morton collection, “Mrs. Leonard’s Marigolds” carries a handwritten inscription from the artist to Hugh Morton Jr. 2. Silvia Heyden’s tapestry “Golden Flow” has been used by Lower School art teacher Amelia Karpowitz in a lesson on weaving.

3. Sandra and William Brown dedicated their daughter MELISSA ’89’s painting “Peony” to Upper School art teacher Joyce Fillip in January 2019.

4. The collection’s eclectic character is in part a reflection of the diverse groups of students who have helped select pieces over 20-plus years.

5. Karpowitz and Pansy Morton attend the dedication ceremony for “Peony."

ENJOY MORE PHOTOS AND A VIDEO ABOUT THE COLLECTION ON OUR WEBSITE: www.ravenscroft.org/springmagazine2019

The brainchild of iconic North Carolina artist Bob Timberlake, the collection was established to honor Hugh Morton Jr., a prolific photographer, editor and producer. Now numbering more than 80 pieces, the Hugh Morton Jr. Collection serves as both an ever-expanding legacy and a valued educational resource.

A FITTING TESTAMENT Many years ago, Morton used his background in advertising and public relations to help bring wider public recognition to Timberlake’s paintings.

When Morton died in 1996, Timberlake, wanting to honor his friend, donated a painting and some pottery to Ravenscroft, where Morton’s wife, Pansy, was a teacher and their son JACK ’96 was a recent graduate. Timberlake’s gifts were the first pieces in what would become a significant collection.

In the 20-plus years since, visual arts faculty have partnered with students in fifth through 12th grades to select new pieces. Visiting local art galleries to explore artists’ work, the committee uses funds from donations and gifts to secure selections. (In the past, students raised money by selling their own artwork as well.) Student involvement ensures the collection remains valued and relevant to the entire school community.

“The committee looks for artists working at a high level who speak to the movements they represent,” Joyce Fillip, Upper School art teacher and resident expert on the collection, explained.

“When we make a purchase, the process tends to be organic.”

CONNECTING YOUNG ARTISTS TO CURRENT ARTISTS While the art is valued for its intrinsic worth, faculty make sure the lovingly curated collection also does its part to fulfill Ravenscroft’s mission. Art classes regularly visit the hallway galleries, exploring a particular work or comparing and contrasting pieces to analyze the many ways artistic expression takes shape.

“The most recent piece I’ve used is Silvia Heyden’s tapestry ‘Golden Flow.’

We look at several different styles of tapestries, and I include Heyden’s as one with a contemporary, abstract design,” Lower School art teacher Amelia Karpowitz said. “It is so beneficial to connect young artists to current artists.

It lets students know that art is a living, breathing experience and that they have just as much right to participate in it as anyone else.”

One of the more personal pieces in the collection is a painting by MELISSA BROWN ’89, an abstract painter and a graduate of the San Francisco Art Institute, who passed away in 2001.

Done when she was a fifth-grader at Ravenscroft, “Peony” was recently given to the school by Brown’s parents and dedicated to Fillip, a cherished mentor from Brown’s time at Dartmouth.

“The painting poignantly reminds us of our role in nurturing and developing talent in all of our artists,” Fillip said.

THE BIGGEST OF DREAMS As the collection has grown, pieces have been displayed in different spaces across campus, including the former Library and Technology Center. Last summer, the entire collection was exhibited in the Fine Arts Center’s Pugh Family Lobby — a reunion Pansy Morton would love to see made permanent.

“If I could have the biggest of my dreams, there would be a space reserved just for the collection,” she said.

After all, big dreams are what the Hugh Morton Jr. Collection is all about.

From its beginning as a four-piece tribute to one man’s memory, to today — its many works imbued with both the artists’ vision and the artistic fervor of students spanning two decades — this one-of-a-kind collection embodies the spirit of inspiration within us all. R

FRAME

5

“It is so beneficial to connect young artists to current artists.

It lets students know that art is a living, breathing experience."

—AMELIA KARPOWITZ, LOWER SCHOOL ART TEACHER

SPRING 2019

13

ETHOS

BY KAREN LEWIS TAYLOR

spheres of

influence

14 RAVENSCROFT MAGAZINE

ENJOY MORE PHOTOS, ARCHIVED STORIES AND EXPANDED CONTENT ON CITIZEN LEADERSHIP ON OUR WEBSITE: www.ravenscroft.org/ springmagazine2019

Citizen Leadership Framework Defines What It Means to Be a Raven

S

INCE ITS IMPLEMENTATION in the 2013-14 school year, Lead From Here has integrated citizen leadership education across all disciplines and

divisions. From faculty and staff professional development to “launch lessons” in each grade and even parent education sessions, this groundbreaking curriculum conceptualizes leadership as three overlapping spheres —

Leading Self, Leading With Others and Changing Your World — and develops in all Ravens the competencies that fuel citizen leadership in the 21st century.

“It seems a bit strange to say of a school with our long history, but I used to wonder what Ravenscroft would look like when it grew up,” Chris Harper, longtime Ravenscroft counselor and Lead From Here coach, said. “I think we’re beginning to know. It’s a parallel track, really, between the school’s coming of age and growing and developing into the future and what we’re trying to do do with our students: ‘Who are you?

Who are you now? What do you stand for?’ All of these questions are important as well for our faculty and staff, parents and the school as a whole.”

In the stories that follow, learn how Lead From Here draws the youngest Ravens into our community of learners and leaders, nurtures a culture of collaboration in the performing arts and empowers girls to embrace STEM. Visit our website, www.ravenscroft.org/springmagazine2019, to read about the many ways students define what it means to be a citizen leader beyond our campus boundaries.

Explore our focus on citizen leadership with A Lead From Here Moment, on the back cover of every issue of Ravenscroft Magazine, and on our website at www.ravenscroft.org/why-ravenscroft/ leadfromhere.

“ ‘Who are you?

Who are you now?

What do you stand for?’ All of these questions are important as well for our faculty and staff, parents and the school as a whole.”

—CHRIS HARPER, LEAD FROM HERE COACH

1. STRATTON HUEBNER enjoys the Hula-Hoop relay during a PreK Lead From Here family picnic.

2. Co-concertmaster MELISSA KONG ’19 performs with fellow violinists at last fall’s strings concert.

3. Middle School girls explore hands-on learning and design thinking with a solar energy project in Engineering I. SPRING 2019

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ETHOS

LEADING SELF

preK ravens join the

circle of community

1

“They take a lot of pride in doing a particular job for a week and learn to respect others’ positions.”

—BETSY BARNETT, PREKINDERGARTEN TEACHER

16 RAVENSCROFT MAGAZINE

ETHOS THE CIRCLES OF THE LEAD FROM HERE framework are reflected in the PreKindergarten curriculum in many ways. In the mirrors students hold up to spark self-awareness. In the bubbles and balloons they test for resilience. In the “dirt cups” they fill, step by motivated step, to make a tasty snack. In the Hula-Hoops they pilot at the family picnic to illustrate the growth-mindedness needed to “steer” with a partner rather than alone.

Most important, teachers reinforce those conceptual circles whenever their students form a real circle together, reflecting on what it means to lead themselves in the classroom and beyond.

“One of the challenges for PreK-aged children,” Lead From Here coach and interim Lower School counselor Chris Harper said, “is not just knowing who you are but also how you work and fit in as part of a community.

Leading Self is exactly where we need to start.”

“WE ALL SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE” It’s not a stretch to suggest that citizen leadership begins with the youngest Ravens. In fact, their role in the transformation of Ravenscroft’s approach to teaching and learning was always a critical part of the plan.

In developing the framework with the Center for Creative Leadership, faculty and staff worked to translate the corporate-focused leadership training into a model that would resonate with even our youngest students.

As the competencies identified as critical to citizen leadership were mapped out by division and grade, the Lower School team focused on making concepts such as “strategic,” “accountable” and “ethical” accessible to younger students.

Today, PreK teachers draw on a resource-rich curriculum that builds on developmentally appropriate interests and skills to mold their students into good friends, helpers, learners and leaders.

According to Harper, the Ravenscroft team never doubted that four- and five-year-olds could participate fully in citizen leadership development. As a result, she said, “we all speak the same language” — which means the competencies students learn in their earliest years at Ravenscroft are the same ones they’ll reflect on in their senior speeches.

“LEARN AND EXPLORE WHAT IT MEANS TO LEAD” It starts with assigning responsibilities, establishing routines and communicating expectations.

“We ask them, ‘How can we keep our classroom fun and happy?’” teacher Crystal Garris said. “They start thinking about being helpful and supportive. The language of Lead From Here becomes an easy go-to for giving reminders and praise.”

“They take a lot of pride in doing a particular job for a week and learn to respect others’ positions, too,” teacher Betsy Barnett said. “They also build social skills.”

EMMA HANNA, a student in Lana DuBose’s PreK class, said she likes being the line leader and the “squistle

squeezer,” who “lets everyone know when it’s time to come in from recess.

The squistle makes a funny noise when you squeeze it, and everyone laughs.”

“We provide a setting where they can learn and explore what it means to lead,” DuBose said. “Other Lower School faculty, like the P.E. teachers, reinforce the curriculum, too, so our students hear consistent messages no matter where they are.”

“LOVE THE LEAD FROM HERE FRAMEWORK!” That includes at home as well. Lead 2 From Here parent education workshops help family members reinforce the important work going on at school.

Chamberlyn Marks, in an email to Barnett, shared an exchange with her son that reflects the curriculum’s far-ranging impact on PreK students: “I asked WESLEY to clean up a mess his little brother had made,” she wrote, “and he replied, ‘Of course! I can do anything you ask me to do. Or if I can’t do something yet, I will keep working on it until I can, because I’m growth-minded!’ Love the Lead From Here framework!”

Jackie Catalahana said her daughter, MADELEINE, now a first-grader, has thrived as she’s moved through the curriculum.

“The reinforcement over time has helped her acquire incremental qualities such as empathy, adaptability and resilience, allowing her to overcome the challenges that come with each school year, such as new teachers, classmates and curriculum,” she said. “This impact is also evident in her interactions outside of school.”

Harper concluded, “This initiative is collaborative across all faculty and staff, applicable to all students and adults, and embraced, modeled and messaged by leadership across campus.”

And, as it turns out, by the youngest Ravens, too.

1. PreK student EMMA HANNA delights in classroom jobs such as being the “squistle squeezer,” just one way the youngest Ravens begin to learn about citizen leadership.

2. HAYES GERBER keeps an eye on his dad during the relay activity at the PreK Lead From Here family picnic.

SPRING 2019

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ETHOS

1. The tradition of the Madrigal Dinner represents an intense artistic collaboration between the performing arts faculty and student stage crew, actors, musicians and singers, including ZOE KING ’22, SUNISHKA DESHPANDE ’22 and LILY TYLER ’22.

2. ALEXII CADY ’24 plays bass in the strings classroom.

LEADING WITH OTHERS

performing

arts

1

create

venue for collaboration “I not only have to lead with my experience as a senior choir member but also listen to my fellow members and be open to critique when necessary.

We help each other grow as singers.”

—BEK CAMPBELL ’19

18 RAVENSCROFT MAGAZINE

ETHOS DRAW ING F RO M M AN Y C U LT U R ES AND TRADITIONS, the performing arts have developed their own vocabulary, from “prompt corner” and “stand partner” to “tonality” and “blocking.” Performing arts students master the terminology as they master their crafts.

When it comes to the language of Lead From Here, they have found the citizen leadership framework speaks to the core values of their discipline: accountability, motivation, cultural inclusivity, adaptability, empathy, self-awareness, collaboration.

As band director Bill Pendergrass put it, “What better place to learn these competencies than in the arts?”

“WE HELP EACH OTHER GROW” ZACH SKUBIC ’19, who plays trombone in the Upper School band, agreed, noting that the performing arts provide the perfect blend of leading self and leading with others.

“Whether you’re playing a challenging solo by yourself or an easy part with a 72-piece ensemble,” he said, “you have to remain aware of your tone, your place in the music and your dynamics as well as what is happening around you and how others play their instruments.”

Honors Choral Ensemble member BEK CAMPBELL ’19 added, “I not only have to lead with my experience as a senior choir member but also listen to my fellow members and be open to critique when necessary. We help each other grow as singers.”

Faculty also incorporate student leadership into their class structures. Section leaders like Bek, for example, make notations on scores, provide feedback to polish the group’s sound and even lead rehearsals with director Cameron Bolin. Pendergrass’s Band Council organizes student orientation, decorates for concerts and manages the department’s inventory of instruments.

Strings director Pamela Kelly provides opportunities for leadership in Middle School strings, modifying the traditionally competitive “seating” structure to allow students to rotate through chair positions.

“If I want a strong crop of ninth-graders in the orchestra, it’s in my best interest to give all Middle School students the opportunity to lead,” she explained. “It’s a different feeling when you’re sitting behind somebody than when you’re up front. It’s important to experience both.”

“POSITIVE ENSEMBLE ETHIC” Mentorship is another role familiar to students in the performing arts, where upperclassmen frequently rehearse and perform with younger students. Both Bolin and Pendergrass team freshmen with seniors who help them acclimate to Upper School. Kelly’s Honors Strings students regularly work with the Lower School orchestra.

In the theater department, “we are always collaborating with younger Ravens so they can learn the ropes and eventually be the student leaders,” lead stage manager KEMMIA GHODRAT ’19 said.

In fact, collaboration may be the Lead From Here competency that feels most essential to Ravenscroft’s performing arts programs.

“Both collaboration and competition are always present in the theater,” drama director Jason Sharp said. “We strive to create what I call a positive ensemble ethic — a sense of support for one another’s work, safety and growth.”

That emphasis makes an impression. Last fall, concertmaster MELISSA KONG ’19 was sick in the weeks preceding the strings concert. Assistant concertmaster MIA RUSSO ’19 stepped up and prepared for Melissa’s solo.

When Melissa returned in time to perform, the two decided to play together, in what Kelly proudly called “a collaborative solo.”

“It ended up working out much better than if one of us had played the solo individually,” Melissa said. “Mia was very supportive and accepting.”

“THE POWER OF STUDENT LEADERSHIP” Lead From Here has also empowered Ravens in the performing arts outside the classroom, mentoring young talent or teaching underprivileged children. In January, many performing arts students participated in the school’s SPEAK program, exploring diversity and inclusivity through performances and workshops. Members of an Upper School club, Share the Love and Music, perform regularly at a local nursing home.

“Taking a leadership position in the theater department was a segue to other opportunities outside of school, like the Honors International Thespian Society,” Kemmia said.

“I have felt more confident putting myself out there, trying new things and meeting new people.”

For nearly a decade, the Band Council has organized an ambitious fundraiser in support of St. Baldrick’s Foundation. The popular event — at which students, faculty and staff, alumni, families and friends shave off or cut their hair in exchange for pledges — has raised nearly $600,000 for childhood cancer research.

“The work students put into St. Baldrick’s events speaks to the power of student leadership and the impact Lead From Here has on our local and even national and global communities,” said Zach, who, as president of Band Council, led this year’s event. “It might not have much to do with playing an instrument per se, but it serves as a perfect example of how a leadership framework like Lead From Here can help students change our world.”

2

SPRING 2019

19

ETHOS

1. Computer science student DANI ROWE ’19, seen here with Innovations instructor Sarah Loyola, feels confident about her future in the field.

2. Lego Robotics students KYLIE SCOTT ’24 and LOLA PATEL ’24 test and refine their robot’s programming with support from teachers Michelle Nunalee (pictured) and Janet Vande Berg.

1

CHANGING YOUR WORLD

faculty mentors

inspire girls

in STEM electives

20 RAVENSCROFT MAGAZINE

“It can be hard to walk into a room where you are different from everyone there and feel like you have to prove yourself every day.”

—ARDEN HENLEY ’21

ETHOS LEAD FROM HERE’S vision of citizen leadership illuminates the critical work of diversity and inclusivity — of helping all students see in themselves the capacity to be leaders and contributors in an increasingly global society.

This focus is particularly strong in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) classrooms. Supported by a cadre of outstanding female teachers and mentors, more girls than ever are digging into electives such as computer science, engineering and robotics.

“Having female teachers in my STEM classes has really helped me believe in myself,” said LILJA GUDMUNDSSON ’23, who has taken Middle School electives including Engineering I and II and Computer Science I. “Their influence will continue to help me throughout my STEM journey.”

“BREAKING THE ICE” Even as opportunities in STEM-related careers grow, women and girls interested in these traditionally male-dominated fields continue to face challenges.

Ravenscroft’s female STEM teachers said they understand how intimidating it can be for girls to enroll in their electives.

Middle School science and engineering teacher Michelle Nunalee noted that, while she was “very fortunate” to have female advisors in graduate school, “in the field and department, there were very few women. I didn’t feel I had an example that helped me see myself as a professor.”

Anna Lawrence, Upper School computer science teacher, recalled there were few women in her programming courses. “Later, working in the industry, I noticed the gender disparity again,” she said. “I felt conspicuous, as though I had to do excellent work so it wouldn’t reflect badly on other women in the field.”

Her student ARDEN HENLEY ’21 echoed that sentiment: “It can be hard to walk into a room where you are different from everyone there and feel like you have to prove yourself every day.”

SANYA FIROZVI ’24, who takes Middle School Computer Science I with Emily Roach, compared her experiences to “breaking the ice.”

“I do code with my friend LAUREL CAPLAN ’24 and we help one another.

But whenever I ask for help with the

computer, the boys in our class fix the problem,” Sanya said. “One of my peers asked for help, and when I fixed the problem she was shocked. That shows our stereotypes.”

“THE BEST WAY TO GET GIRLS INVOLVED” As Ravenscroft’s STEM offerings expand, faculty are determined to help girls push through those barriers.

“Keeping girls excited about STEM once they’re in these courses is easy. It’s getting them there that’s the challenge,” Upper School physics and robotics teacher Lorre Gifford said.

“I infuse my physics curriculum with problem-based learning that gives girls the opportunity to build confidence in themselves and enthusiasm for STEM.” To encourage girls to give STEM a try, Middle School electives are pass/fail and include some girls-only sections.

Lawrence lets students choose projects based on their own interests.

The effort also includes providing positive examples. Middle School STEM teachers donned costumes for a 2018 presentation on “Women in Science History,” which included slides on how they became interested in science themselves. They have brought in Upper School girls to advise their female students on STEM courses. Roach started a chapter of Girls Who Code, whose mission is to teach girls to “be brave, not perfect” through code.

For many members, Girls Who Code is their introduction to computer science — and a meaningful way to flex their leadership skills. DELANEY WASHINGTON ’22 said the club “shaped my confidence tremendously. Being able to help out the younger girls in the club last year, while furthering my education in computer science, was very empowering.” She has since co-founded a club in the Upper School.

“Research has been very consistent that having female role models is the best way to get girls involved in STEM,” Nunalee said. “And STEM electives are a great way to teach leadership competencies.”

“WILLING TO TACKLE PROBLEMS TOGETHER” These efforts are paying off. While there are still STEM electives with just a few

2

girls enrolled, female students are finding success in some of the school’s most rigorous STEM-related programs.

Arden and MARTINA FREDERICK ’20, for example, were among the Ravenscroft students at the FIRST Tech Challenge robotics tournament in January.

KATIE SHEARIN ’19 was one of four students in Ravenscroft’s first cohort of the Lean Six Sigma Junior Green Belt Certification Academy. DANI ROWE ’19 — who has won two National Center for Women & Information Technology “Aspirations in Computing” awards — provides campus IT assistance through Genius Lab. In the new Innovations course (led by Sarah Loyola, director of educational technology), she is exploring even more advanced applications of her skills.

Dani said she knows heading into a predominantly male field “will have its ups and downs, but I really love the work and can’t wait for the future ahead.”

Whatever path students choose, Nunalee said, “our students are challenged to be growth-minded and collaborative, and by the end of the course they are more willing to tackle really challenging problems together. Sometimes the leadership lessons are more important than the subject knowledge.” R

Learn about Genius Lab and Lean Six Sigma in Makers, p. 8.

SPRING 2019

21

SPARK

S

IX LOWER SCHOOL STUDENTS had their work selected at

the local level of the North Carolina Reading Association’s annual Young Authors writing competition. The theme for 2019 was “What makes your heart lift up?” Contestants were encouraged to write about their own experiences, in a genre of their choosing. Two winning Ravens wrote personal essays about spending time with special relatives.

22 RAVENSCROFT MAGAZINE

READ OTHER STUDENTS’ WINNING SUBMISSIONS AND LEARN MORE ABOUT RAVENSCROFT’S LOWER SCHOOL WRITING CURRICULUM ON OUR WEBSITE: www.ravenscroft.org/springmagazine2019

SPARK

“Joy”

“Back to Nature”

By Reyna Islam Williams ’28

By Trey Messier ’27

She has short curly hair, bright green eyes, a big joyful smile and she is my wonderful Auntie Joy. She lives in cold, far away South Dakota, but she visits us a lot during the year. Her visits are what makes my heart lift up with joy! Auntie Joy is my dad’s big sister. She is a lot older than me but she totally acts like a kid when she is with me and my brother Gabriel. We laugh together until we cannot take it anymore and we play together, creating adventures along the way. She is a joy to be around.

A day with Auntie Joy is both fun and hilarious. We may play with Legos, creating a family with a Crazy Aunt who does silly things all the time, like wearing mismatched clothes and buying the wrong thing at the grocery store. For example, Crazy Aunt was supposed to buy bananas but instead she bought herself a hat!

We also like to play school with stuffed animals as the students and Auntie Joy as the teacher. There is always one student who misbehaves, causing a lot of mischief and laughter. For example, during nap time, Sally decided to eat ice cream and spill it on the faces of her friends. Silly Sally! There is also all the fun we have making pastries with Play-doh, but that is a story for another time!

Auntie Joy’s visits are so wonderful and that makes her departures very depressing. It is hard to let my playmate go. I wish she lived near me but her life is in South Dakota. However, when I think about the next time she will come to Raleigh, that really makes me smile again!

Who knows what adventures we will have when she visits in December?

What lifts me up, you might ask? A lot of things do, but one thing in particular was a week this summer I spent with my Uncle Joe, Aunt Meredith and my baby cousin Grace in New Jersey. This year I transferred from a yearround school to a traditional school, so I got a really long summer vacation. So, this summer my grandparents from Florida picked me up in North Carolina on the way to New Jersey to visit. I did many things with my Uncle Joe. The first enjoyable thing I did was shoot an air-rifle.

I shot one before, but this time I hit the bull’s eye. This time I also got to load it by myself. My uncle has two air-rifles and I shot both. It was very enjoyable. The next thing I did was go canoeing. I love canoeing. My uncle and I went as far as we could go on the river. It wasn’t long though because we were going against the current.

Another way I spent my time at his house without my parents was learning to shoot a bow and arrow. This was amazing to me since my parents aren’t really outdoorsy.

I am really a country boy at heart just like my Uncle Joe. I learned to shoot a compound bow while spending almost the whole week outdoors. Lastly, I got to chop down my first tree with an ax. Basically, it was a lot of hacking and chopping with my ax and arms. My uncle and I set up a rope system to make the tree fall in a safe direction.

Playing outdoors like a survivalist or naturalist really lifted me up. I really like the outdoors, which made me feel like Daniel Boone. Everyone should spend more time in nature.

SPRING 2019

23

A THOUSAND WORDS

24 RAVENSCROFT MAGAZINE

Ravens Spirit:

GRACELYN BROWN ’30 is cheered on by her Potato Relay teammates — from left, students SHANE OLANDER ’22, PALMER CIMINO ’32 (hidden), GRAYSON KEEN ’28, SIENNA GILBERT ’23, ALEXIANE PLAYE ’26 and JAKE SMITH ’20; and faculty/staff members Carol Arant, Kalista Richardson, Ruth Danoff (hidden) and Bernardo Guzmán — during the Fall Sports Pep Rally, held Oct. 5.

SPRING 2019

25

INSPIRED

26 RAVENSCROFT MAGAZINE

WATCH BILLY MUTSCHLER ’84 AND HIS BAND, DIME STORE POETS, PERFORM “I’M COMING HOME (BACK TO CAROLINA)” ON OUR WEBSITE: www.ravenscroft.org/springmagazine2019

INSPIRED

“I’m Coming Home (Back to Carolina)” Lyrics by Billy Mutschler ’84 The Great Smoky Mountains, ancient echoes, and a highway slung like a rope.

Every autumn, take a drive through fire.

Hills don’t die there, they explode into orange, crimson, and gold.

Head east in the springtime, cast your lines out into the graveyard where great ships have drown.

There’s a lighthouse spiraling upward, and a great dune where flight was found.

To this day folks climb the salt air and fly around.

I’m coming home, back to Carolina where the seeds of my best days are sown.

The evening sings pine needle music.

Carolina, I’m coming home.

I carved my name once into a memory, just north of Raleigh ’neath the bluest sky.

Every time I’m in need of heaven, there’s an oak tree that will testify, to where my best days will always lie.

I’m coming home, back to Carolina where the seeds of my best days are sown.

The evening sings pine needle music.

Carolina, I’m coming home.

Carolina, I’m coming home.

M

USIC IS A CONSTANT IN MY HEAD. It has always been in there, bouncing around. Tiny threads of musical notes sometimes appeared from nowhere. Most of the time, however, they were melodies of the Beatles, Stevie Wonder, the Eagles and a thousand other artists too numerous to recount. I could never ignore the music, nor did I ever want to. In the predigital era of my youth, black vinyl grooves and magnetic cassette tape were the analog path to life enhancement. FM radio became the timeline of my life. AM radio still played real country music. I learned early to frame my memories in these three-minute masterpieces of escape. My ears needed their melodies like my lungs needed oxygen.

My first year at Ravenscroft was 1974, and my mother insisted that I learn to play an instrument. Because I could carry a tune, I protested. I heard music in my head, so there was no need for an instrument. Besides, I had basketball to master on the Lower School playground. She won the argument, though, and so under the instruction of Jerry Davis, I managed to learn four chords on a beaten-up nylon-stringed guitar. One year later I got back to basketball, but I never forgot those four chords. Years passed, and as I entered the Upper School, I often found that guitar in my hands again. Somehow, those four chords had multiplied into many more, and I was accepted into the Upper School jazz band. Terry Lightfoot, the band conductor, encouraged me to develop the original melodies that spun in my head. I enthusiastically, albeit awkwardly, began to do just that.

After my graduation in 1984, I continued to perform and create music while earning a degree in American history from UNC-Chapel Hill. In 1988, while others went off to graduate school, I nervously walked into the world of songwriting. Thirty-four years have passed, and only rarely have I second-guessed my decision to pursue the music in my head. It has been triumphant and humbling at times but never dull. I have been fortunate. I wake up to coffee, my instruments and melody. I have penned nationally and regionally released jingles for AG Edwards and Northwest Airlines. I have scored the screenplay for an award-winning independent movie, “Kopy Kings.” I’m still composing songs and playing them at venues throughout Texas. Though I miss North Carolina, I’m happy to call Austin, Texas, my home.

The beaten-up nylon-stringed guitar, plus a few more, is still with me. R —BILLY MUTSCHLER ’84

BILLY MUTSCHLER '84 plays guitar in jazz band, 1982-83.

SPRING 2019

27

3 TO WATCH

We asked three members of the Class of 2009 — coming up on their 10th reunion in the fall — to tell us about their work and reflect on their time at Ravenscroft.

BY KAREN SHORE

JUSTIN BRADLEY ’09

JACK GREENBERG ’09

SARAH VAN NAME ’09

28 RAVENSCROFT MAGAZINE

3 TO WATCH JUSTIN BRADLEY ’09 Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach at Dartmouth College

JACK GREENBERG ’09

SARAH VAN NAME ’09 Author, "The Goodbye Summer"

Google Product Manager

In 2018, I was listed as an honoree on the National Association of Basketball Coaches’ Under Armour 30-Under-30, which recognizes up-and-coming young coaches in men’s college basketball.

I’m working on YouTube, which is a lot of fun. I mostly spend my days on technical discussions with the engineering team, yet also get to think about other aspects of launching a product like the visual design, financial plans, marketing strategy, or legal diligence.

My first book, “The Goodbye Summer,” will be published in May. It’s a Young Adult novel about friendship and relationships, and I’m thrilled to have it out in the world.

Ravenscroft changed my life in so many ways. The relationships with the teachers and friendships that I built have left lasting impacts on me.

I learned how to advocate, how to be organized and that being challenged helps you grow.

Academically, Ravenscroft gave me a great foundation to build on and prepared me for college.

I also believe that the people I met, the friends I made, my volunteer project, music programs I participated in — those experiences were equally important to gain perspective and experience.

Ravenscroft taught me how to focus, work hard and manage my time well. I have a really busy day job, so I need to consciously carve out time in my day — or often, late at night — for writing. Ravenscroft played a huge part in giving me the skills and discipline I need to do that.

When you were at Ravenscroft, did you visualize yourself in your current role?

I don’t think I knew exactly what career path I wanted to go into post-college, but I knew I had a few specific interests. I always thought that I would attend law school, run for public office or hold a position in the government, but then I caught the coaching bug in college.

I can't say so! As I was preparing for college, I was definitely leaning toward science and engineering, but I stumbled across product management roles at a career fair and immediately loved the idea.

I always knew I wanted to write as part or all of my job, but I also knew it was unrealistic to expect to support myself entirely with creative writing. I mostly wrote poetry in high school, and it wasn’t until after college that I tried longer-form writing.

What advice would you give to your 2009 self?

Take the time to forge meaningful and lasting relationships with the people around you.

Do the things that you enjoy and stay present.

Seek out as many interesting opportunities as possible while truly being able to enjoy each of them and the people there with you.

Cut your hair. Be less afraid.

My next goal is to continue to learn and grow as much as I can and ultimately become a head coach.

I just moved to New York City a few months ago and don't quite feel at home yet. I still need to find those favorite places like the coffee shop to get work done or the lunch place to catch up with a friend or even a running path around the neighborhood.

Finishing my next book.

A lot of people say it’s much harder to write your second book than your first, and I have definitely found that to be true.

What’s something about your professional life today that makes you proud?

How did your experience at Ravenscroft set you up for success?

What’s your next goal?

KNOW A RAVENSCROFT GRAD WE SHOULD HAVE ON OUR WATCHLIST? SEND US THE DETAILS VIA “SUBMIT A CLASS NOTE” AT www.ravenscroft.org/alumni SPRING 2019

29

<<RAVENS REWIND The First Junior Mountain Trip

1

I

N THE LATE 1980 s , when new Headmaster Jim Hendrix first proposed an outdoor experiential learning opportunity for students in the Upper School — a Ravenscroft tradition known ever after as the Junior Mountain Trip — he drew on his experience at the Greenhill School in Dallas, Texas, where a fiveday hiking trip in the San Juan mountains had helped ninth-graders transition to upper school, and similar trips for juniors at Greensboro Day. “Having become convinced that a strong senior class was a critical factor in a good school year, I felt that a welldesigned outdoor education program, placed at the end of the 11th-grade year, would strengthen a sense of unity among the class, give them some leadership skills and position them for a positive role in the coming school year,” he recalled.

30 RAVENSCROFT MAGAZINE

The initial response from families of the Class of 1990, the first group to participate, was skeptical at best.

“One thing I recall that is pretty funny in hindsight is that there was a big uproar about students being made to go on the trip,” RUSTY DEMENT ’90 said.

“Parents protested. It was a mess.”

CHRISTI JONES ’90 remembers student resistance, too.

“No one wanted to go! The girls complained about no showers for four days, and the boys did not want to be around us complaining!” she said.

But it turned out that the five days of hiking, camping and doing their own cooking in Pisgah National Forest offered students much more than they had expected.

“I vividly recall a student, in the nightly sit-around-the-fire conversations, saying to another, ‘Julie, we’ve

been in school together since kindergarten and have never really gotten to know each other until this trip!’” Hendrix said.

“Students often learned more about themselves, their abilities to stretch their horizons — indeed, more than a few of them had never even spent the night in their backyards! — and to learn of both the beauty and fragility of nature.”

“It ended up being a great trip,” DeMent concluded.

The trip has been a tradition at Ravenscroft ever since, and today it is an eagerly anticipated rite of passage for many juniors.

“For me,” Hendrix concluded, “the personal growth, self-awareness, bonding of classes and much, much more represented the most powerful learning I witnessed in my 40 years in schools.”

ENJOY ADDITIONAL PHOTOS AND READ MORE OF JIM HENDRIX’S REFLECTIONS ON OUR WEBSITE: www.ravenscroft.org/springmagazine2019

“The First-Ever Class to Go” I DID NOT REMEMBER that we were the first-ever class to go on this trip. I reached out to as many of my classmates as I could to get funny stories and pictures. Remember, this was way before iPhones and the Internet — and it was 1989! I have trouble finding my car keys these days!

Jennifer Legen Mills and most of the girls remember hiking boots that were too big and the blisters that followed. Our packs were big and bulky and heavy, and I recall several girls falling over backward more than once. One of the groups got lost on the first day and ended up having to hike about 10 miles. Audrey Weathers and her group were so tired they decided not to put up the tents. This led to many unwanted creatures — bugs, mosquitos and spiders (possibly a snake) — to get up close and comfortable with everyone! Trisha Connor Barto and her group ate as much food on the first night as they could so they would not have to carry the food any longer!

2

RAVENS REWIND

BY CHRISTI JONES ’90 The trip was set up so that each group was not supposed to see anyone from another group the entire time. I remember this being a huge issue with the couples that were split into separate groups. So, a few people left “notes” to their girlfriend/boyfriend on a huge rock that everyone had to climb.

I guess we used the chalk that was provided for our hands for the rock climbing. Another group decided that the mountain water was purified enough and chose to NOT use the waterpurifying tablets. That had a terrible outcome! The water was freezing and no matter how much we wanted to bathe, I do not think anyone really did. The boys did much better on this adventure and taught the girls some things.

Vincent Taylor and Roger Price, although in different groups, had limitless energy and taught us how to tie bandanas on our heads.

As I think back on this time, I remember we were instructed to keep a journal and write in it each night. I specifically remember doing this, as does everyone I asked, but not one person could locate that journal. How much fun would that have been? R

3

1. (pictured at left) The Class of 1990, seen here in their traditional class photo at the gazebo in the original Upper School (now Middle School) courtyard, was the first group of Ravenscroft students to go on the Junior Mountain Trip.

2. KRISTIN SNYDER KASH ’90 and JAMIE ADAMS ’90 relax after a long day in Pisgah National Forest (photo courtesy of SONA GUPTA WUCHENICH ’90).

3. JENNIFER LEGEN MILLS ’90, KEVIN ROSE ’90, TAMARA HICKS JOYNER ’90 and CORRINE BARMORE BAILEY ’90 prepare for another day’s hike (photo courtesy of TAMARA HICKS JOYNER ’90).

SPRING 2019

31

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES PHIL JONES is working as a registered nurse for Aveanna Pediatrics, which does home care for children with special needs. “It’s a very rewarding second career,” he says. “And I’m working on the guitar and voice for the retirement career!”

ALUMNI

CLASSNOTES 1974

1970s

Lynn Wall McKinney lynnwmckinney@gmail.com Mark your calendars for Alumni Celebration Weekend, Oct. 11-14, 2019, with something fun for everyone! See p. 46 for more details. If you’re interested in helping plan your class reunion or the all-alumni party at Pugh Pond, please email Tammy Haywood, director of alumni activities, at thaywood@ ravenscroft.org.

1

1975

Cindy Poole Roberts cindy@cindypoole.com

2

3

The Class of ’75 planned another reunion for April 6, 2019. Join the Ravenscroft Class of ’75 Facebook page for details on that event and future opportunities to connect!

TIM SCHEFFLER writes, “Who would have thought that I would be in my 10th “Nutcracker” ballet (40+ performances over 20 years), with three performances as Drosselmeyer. I don’t wear the eye patch ... being our age is enough!”

1976

4 1. Tucker Street Class of 1955 members CHIP ANDERSON, LEAH MILLER BERMAN, MARGIE PARK LUCAS, MAX MILLER and FRANK BYNUM on Nov. 29, 2018 2. BILLY ’73 and MARIAN WOOTEN TROXLER ’74 with

32 RAVENSCROFT MAGAZINE

FINCH ’07, JAMES ’11, LILLIE ’09 and her husband, Will, at KATHERINE ’05’s wedding to Paxton Campbell 3. TIM SCHEFFLER ’75 as Drosselmeyer in “The Nutcracker” 4. Members of the Class of 1978 at the Ravenscroft Rendezvous

Joel Reames joel@joelreames.com MARGARET MAHOOD MILLS has a new role at Ravenscroft as director of enrollment management.

1977

Terry Wallace Chambliss terry.chambliss@duke.edu

BYRON JONES writes, “I retired last January after 30 years in public education in North Carolina, with 19 years as an art instructor and 11 years as an administrator. Loving retirement. Creating and selling art and helping to raise our granddaughter. Check out my website for B. Jones/Visual Imagery on Facebook.”

TERRY WALLACE CHAMBLISS is still living in Durham and working at Duke. “My husband, Joe, and I recently found ourselves as empty nesters — how did we get here so fast?” she writes.

“Our daughter, Carter (22), graduated from UNC last May and is working for Linder Global Events in Washington, D.C. Our son, Tyler (19), is a freshman at George Washington University.”

TAL HINNANT MANGUM writes, “Though it seems WALKER ’08 is firmly ensconced in Texas and enjoying his job as the director of athletic ticket operations at SMU, I’m happy to report that CALLEY ’13 has just began a new job in Raleigh in communications at the N.C. Family Policy Council, led by Ravenscroft alumnus John Rustin. MICHAEL is still traveling all over the U.S. and Canada as a consultant but stays in tiptop shape as a devotee of hot yoga. I am thrilled to travel with Michael when the schedule permits, which lately has been rare, owing to my devoting many hours per week as the volunteer treasurer of a Raleigh nonprofit.”

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

1978

Members of the Class of 1978 at the Ravenscroft Rendezvous, pictured on p. 32: (front row) ANDY MAJORS, HAM,

WALTER

HOLLY

NOTTING-

VIALL,

CATHY

PLUMMER STEED, MARGARET DAVIS ARGO, KELLY EDWARDS, ANN O’NEAL, LAURA LIEBERT WEISNER,

LARRY

JAREMA;

(back row) CHRISTINE DEENER, GEORGE SMITH, BRAD STEED, ROB CHRISTIAN, TONY TUCKER, CHARLES WINSTON and MARTY

up. Because they also love their life and friends in D.C., they are keeping their house in Georgetown.

After 11 years of running communications at NEA Foundation, Edith was looking to “pre-tire” in January 2019 and take a few months off to see how she likes a life of leisure and then decide what to do next.

LISA PHILLIPS PERKINSON’s son,

Page, married Michele Russo on Oct. 19, 2018, in Andover, New Jersey.

THOMPSON.

SKIPPER DAY reports that he and

1979

WILSON ’11 and his wife, Haley,

1

Barbara are doing well. Their son

Allison Gilbert Holmes allisonholmes@nc.rr.com Mark your calendars for Alumni Celebration Weekend, Oct. 11-14, 2019, with something fun for everyone! See p. 46 for more details. If you’re interested in helping plan your class reunion or the all-alumni party at Pugh Pond, please email Tammy Haywood, director of alumni activities, at thaywood@ ravenscroft.org.

DAN SAPP says he’s doing great

in his fifth year living with Stage 4 cancer. He is still exercising, surfing and playing music. His wife, Anne, retired after 20-plus years in financial services but would love to jump back in. Walker is a sophomore at Elon University studying sports management, and Mason is a freshman at California Polytechnic State University, studying economics and playing goalie for the lacrosse program. Dan says any Ravens planning on a trip to San Francisco should give him a call!

KELLY CORPENING THORNTON’s

older daughter, Taylor, recently welcomed a new daughter, Quinlan; big sister Reagan is 7, and Finley is 5. Kelly’s younger daughter, Mary Carter, is getting ready to start a master’s program.

EDITH WOOTEN BAILEY and husband Ivan bought a second home, in the Oakwood section of Raleigh, and are looking forward to fixing it

are enjoying their new home in Wendell. Wilson is with Gregory Poole/Caterpillar in Raleigh and has recently been promoted to a new position. CHAD ’08 graduated from the Kenan-Flagler Business School MBA program in May and is working with CapTrust in Raleigh. He married Caroline Cordell in Pinehurst on Oct. 13, 2018.

2

DAVID COZART, Valerie and the

kids are doing great. Banks is at High Point University, Liza is at University of the South (Sewanee), and Ward is a junior at Woodberry Forest. Both boys plan to study in Spain this summer.

I, ALLISON GILBERT HOLMES, went to Asheville this fall with

3

KELLY CORPENING THORNTON, SUE FINLEY COTTON, LISA PHILLIPS PERKINSON, ANITA DANIEL KRAYNIK and CATHY EDWARDS LULL. We had the best time rem-

iniscing about our high school times. There was a lot of laughter and good food and beverages!

1983

1980s

Caroline Day Plummer carolinedayplummer@gmail.com ALLEXIA BREWER writes, “Our first year in Blowing Rock has been nothing short of spectacular! My second book release, ‘Monadiki and the Leopard League,’ is coming in January 2019, with two more books coming soon after. My dream of

4 1. Members of the Class of 1978 at the Ravenscroft Rendezvous during Reunion Weekend: TONY TUCKER, JENNIFER INGRAM MADDRY, CHARLENE FERRELL NEWSOM and GEORGE SMITH 2. SKIPPER DAY ’79 with sons CHAD ’07 (center) and WILSON ’11 and family

3. LISA PHILLIPS PERKINSON ’79 at her son Page’s wedding 4. Class of 1979’s ALLISON GILBERT HOLMES, CATHY EDWARDS LULL, ANITA DANIEL KRAYNIK, SUE FINLEY COTTON, KELLY CORPENING THORNTON and LISA PHILLIPS PERKINSON in Asheville in September 2018

SPRING 2019

33

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES writing a leadership book series for girls is being powerfully embraced and celebrated! My family has also opened the only Greek taverna in Watauga County, The High Country Greek, serving authentic Greek specialties to a community that is devouring us!

We are located in the Deer Valley Athletic Club in Boone.”

1984

1

John Parham jparham@tcfnmail.com Mark your calendars for Alumni Celebration Weekend, Oct. 11-14, 2019, with something fun for everyone! See p. 46 for more details. If you’re interested in helping plan your class reunion or the all-alumni party at Pugh Pond, please email Tammy Haywood, director of alumni activities, at thaywood@ ravenscroft.org.

2

Enjoy the work of songwriter and musician BILLY MUTSCHLER of the Dime Store Poets in our new alumni feature, Inspired, on p. 26.

1985

After spending the last 16 years building his law practice with Boxley, Bolton, Garber & Haywood, KENNETH HAYWOOD became a partner with the law firm of Howard, Stallings and From. His main practice areas include corporate/business law, eminent domain and commercial real estate.

3

1986

Ashley Allen ash.allen68@gmail.com GERRI ROBUCK HERAKOVICH

4 1. Class of 1979’s BYRD RAWLINGS, GEORGE ANDREWS, NYLE WADFORD and DAVID COZART during a golf outing 2. GERRI ROBUCK HERAKOVICH ’86 (third from left) and her sister SHELLY ROBUCK BISHOP ’88 (center back) at JAMIE HERAKOVICH ’14’s wedding

34 RAVENSCROFT MAGAZINE

3. Members of the Class of 1988 and guests at the Ravenscroft Rendezvous 4. STEVEN PEDEN ’89, TY THOMAS ’90, HENRY FAISON ’90 and DAVID MERRIMAN ’89 at City Barbeque

writes, “2018 was a very momentous year with a lot to celebrate, starting with JAMIE ’14’s graduation from NC State in May. Then, within three weeks, I turned 50, and Jamie married Sydney Robling. A month later, Doug and I celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary.”

1988

Cathy Carlino ccarlino@carolina.rr.com Members of the Class of 1988 and guests at the Ravenscroft Rendezvous, pictured at left: MANDEEP DHILLON, DAVID LANNING, Eric and HILARY WALDENBERG LAMB, Karen and JASON SCULLYCLEMMONS, REGGIE and CANDICE DEMATTEIS and STEPHEN ARNOLD.

1989

Sonya Smith Beacham ssmittyb@gmail.com Mark your calendars for Alumni Celebration Weekend, Oct. 11-14, 2019, with something fun for everyone! See p. 46 for more details. If you’re interested in helping plan your class reunion or the all-alumni party at Pugh Pond, please email Tammy Haywood, director of alumni activities, at thaywood@ ravenscroft.org.

1990

1990s

Christi Jones cjones@davidsonandjones.com Enjoy photos and memories of the Class of 1990’s experiences on the first-ever Junior Mountain Trip in our expanded Ravens Rewind on p. 30.

1993

David Rountree david.r@psychorockproductions.com DAVID ROUNTREE shares, “Although I was unable to attend the 25th reunion this past year, I understand there was a solid turnout. I recently connected with classmate PENNY ROGERS during a work trip she had to Los Angeles. It was great catching up and exchanging stories about our kids and former classmates. I am still out in Los Angeles and my first-grade daughter has started acting professionally. She and my wife, Rosie, recently worked together in a television commercial

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES for T-Mobile. Over the holidays, we will be in Florida visiting my brother BENJI ’95, who is doing well and is a terrific uncle. Via social media, I have been able to reconnect with several former Ravens, including one of my closest high school friends, DEVIN DOWNEY ’92. Also connected with KRISTEN PEED, the first smiling face I met in the halls on my first day as a Raven; TRENT WADFORD, who is so proud of his daughter for recently competing in her first-ever swim meet; and CHAD HOSKINS ’97, who is doing well and hopes to visit the West Coast soon. Hard to believe 25 years have passed since we walked Senior Hall. Best wishes, Class of ’93, and here’s to another 25 years.”

Members of the Class of 1993 at the Ravenscroft Rendezvous, pictured at right: CRAIG WILLIAMS, CRAIG PAKE, JENNIFER RICHARDS KAPLAN, ADAM

1997

Elizabeth Warren Hamilton Ecarver22@nc.rr.com ROY HYKAL shares, “Still happily

married and have two mischievous kids: Rafi, age 6, and Oli, age 5. Recently changed jobs … now working for Krispy Kreme in the new Charlotte HQ.” NATHAN WITTKAMP writes that

1

he and his family have been living in Lynchburg, Virginia, for five years — “the longest we lived anywhere by far!”

As for me, ELIZABETH WARREN HAMILTON, THOMAS DURHAM

and I both had sons playing football for the North Raleigh Bulldogs this fall (on different teams, but we enjoyed seeing each other at practice), and they are now participating in wrestling together with the Wolfpack Wrestling Club.

2

LICHTIN, RHIAN MCGRATH, JUD BURNETTE, CHRISTY WORSLEY GUNDUZ, PENNY ABRAHAMS ROGERS,

TRENT

WADFORD,

KRISTEN PEED, BRENT SHARPE, AMY MACKIE and MICHELLE GIESLER SHARPE.

1994

Tim Johnson tej916@gmail.com Mark your calendars for Alumni Celebration Weekend, Oct. 11-14, 2019, with something fun for everyone! See p. 46 for more details. If you’re interested in helping plan your class reunion or the all-alumni party at Pugh Pond, please email Tammy Haywood, director of alumni activities, at thaywood@ ravenscroft.org.

1995

Matt Cantando mattcantando@msn.com JEN MADISON SNOOK ’95 and

her husband, Steve, are enjoying raising their boys, Christian (4) and Charlie (2), in Raleigh.

1998

Ellen Mann O’Connor Ellen.b.mann@gmail.com Hello to the Class of 1998! A huge thank-you to all who helped make our 20th reunion so much fun. It was great to see so many faces, and a big night was had catching up while rocking out to the best/ worst tunes of the ’90s and rewatching our senior slideshow!

For those of you who weren’t able to make it, we hope to see you at the next one! And make sure you join our Ravenscroft Class of 1998 Facebook page to see all photos from the night … or at least the ones that were OK to post.

Members of the Class of 1998 and guests at their class dinner at Coquette Brasserie, pictured at right: ANNA WHITE HOSEA, JOSH OTTO, TRIPP LUMPKIN, CHRIS HAMRICK, CHRIS WHITE and guest, ADRIENNE DENNINGER EDMONDS and LIZ ROGERS BIGGERSTAFF.

3

4 1. DAVID ROUNTREE ’93 at Film Con LA with actor Chevy Chase (center) and Stage32. com founder Richard Botto 2. Members of the Class of 1993 at the Ravenscroft

3. JEN MADISON SNOOK ’95’s sons, Christian and Charlie 4. Members of the Class of 1998 at their class dinner at Coquette Brasserie

Rendezvous

SPRING 2019

35

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

1

2

LIZ ROGERS BIGGERSTAFF is starting a new role as director of undergraduate admissions at Wingate University. This change comes after 16 years in the Wingate Athletic Department, 12 ½ of which were spent in NCAA compliance. Liz writes, “I am really looking forward to this new challenge and even more excited about playing a vital role in the continued growth of my alma mater.”

KATE SKVARLA CUTSHALL has

3

4

made a big life change and moved from New Canaan, Connecticut, to Tampa, Florida, in August. She writes, “The kids are loving school at Berkeley Prep and enjoy hanging out with ANNE FORSYTH ENGLISH’s nieces and nephews (RICHARD FORSYTH ’96’s children), who are at the same school! We are enjoying the much warmer weather and the sunny life in Florida and hope we get lots of visitors! Loved seeing all the fellow ’98s at the reunion in October!” recently joined the nonprofit consulting firm Moss +Ross, led by former Ravenscroft trustee, staff member and parent Mary Moss. Her current clients include StepUp Ministry and Marbles Kids Museum. Her son Henry just started kindergarten at Lacy Elementary and her other son, Edward, is in preschool.

She said she enjoyed seeing a lot of you at our reunion in October!

ANNA HOSEA WHITE

5

KELSEY FROHMAN MARKS and Andrew welcomed Tobias Hart Marks on Oct. 30, 2018.

1999

6 1. TREY LEWIS ’03 and wife Karrah with Elijah (5), Jack (11) and baby Preston 2. NEETIE DOSHI ’03 and husband Alex Fox with baby Kian 3. DAVID ’03 and CAITLIN PRAZENICA FAJGENBAUM ’06 with baby Amelia 4. Sisters KATIE HYDE MILLER ’06 and SARAH HYDE BENEDICT ’08 with their daughters, born just nine days apart

36 RAVENSCROFT MAGAZINE

5. TAYLOR MACHIKAS WILLARD ’07 and husband Jon with baby Tenley 6. Alumni with their kids at the Sandbox Party during Reunion Weekend: ANNA CLAIRE MURNICK PRICE ’03, CELESTE ALLEN CHAPMAN ’06, JESSIE HALE TESH ’05, NIC HEDSTROM ’98 and CATHERINE SMITH FARLEY ’05

Allison Drummond Stewart allisonkathleenstewart@gmail.com Mark your calendars for Alumni Celebration Weekend, Oct. 11-14, 2019, with something fun for everyone! See p. 46 for more details. If you’re interested in helping plan your class reunion or the all-alumni party at Pugh Pond, please email Tammy Haywood, director of alumni activities, at thaywood@ ravenscroft.org.

2001

2000s

Emily Taylor Farrell emilyannefarrell@gmail.com JESSICA GLADWIN shares, “I bought my first house, a brandnew town house in Brier Creek, and moved in at the end of February 2018. In September 2018, I celebrated six years with the Town of Butner. As administrator for the Parks and Recreation Department, I coordinate athletic and private-event rentals at all of our facilities and work closely with park staff to ensure everything runs smoothly. I also manage the websites and Facebook page, coordinate our annual community events, and design our banners and flyers.”

JENNIFER HOWARD WOHLERS

writes, “William (5) and Catie (4) are so excited to be big siblings to their baby sister, Addyson.

We are enjoying living in Atlanta.

STEPHEN continues to work for

Georgia Power as an attorney.

I have really loved owning my own dental office and helping people every day.”

JEANNINE BENOIT ADAMS and Elliot welcomed Bennett Gregory Adams in July 2018.

As for me, EMILY TAYLOR FARRELL, Mike and I are having fun being on Ravenscroft’s campus so much now that Emma has started PreK. I am still working full-time in sales and also managing my growing art business, while Mike is working in residential home building.

2002

Alan Haydon ahaydon@gmail.com MOSS WITHERS recently opened the first North Carolina office for Lee & Associates. Lee & Associates Raleigh Durham specializes in the representation of owners and occupiers in the acquisition, disposition and leasing of indus-

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

Alumni Association Honors Winston ’78 and Muti, Hosts First Alumni Art Exhibit THE RAVENSCROFT ALUMNI ASSOCIATION honored two outstanding Ravens at its annual meeting on Friday, Oct. 5, in the Keim Center for Innovation and Research.

CHARLES M. WINSTON JR. ’78 was recognized with the Distinguished Alumni Award. A successful restaurateur best known as co-founder of Raleigh’s Winston’s Grille, Winston served on the Ravenscroft Board of Trustees 2005-2015, and he and his wife, Jenny, were co-chairs of the five-year, $15M Embrace Possibility campaign.

Jill Muti, former director of fine arts and assistant head of school, was inducted into the Ravenscroft Alumni Fine Arts Hall of Fame. Muti, an accomplished flutist and music educator, elevated Ravenscroft’s fine arts programs during her tenure here, advocating for the funding and construc-

1

3

tion of the Fine Arts Center, which opened in 1993. In 1998 she and her husband, Lorenzo Muti, launched the Spoleto Study Abroad program.

Attendees also enjoyed the opening of Ravenscroft’s first alumni art exhibit, held in the Pugh Family Lobby of the Fine Arts Center.

“It is always such a treat coming back to campus each year to see classmates, other alumni and teachers and to see all of the changes going on on campus,” said ANNA CLAIRE MURNICK PRICE ’03, president of the Alumni Council. “The Alumni Association was pleased to recognize the accomplishments of both Charles and Jill and to celebrate the importance of the visual arts in the lives of so many Ravenscroft students and alumni.”

2

4

1. Distinguished Alumni Award recipient CHARLES WINSTON ’78, center, with Price, Head of School Doreen Kelly and VIC BELL ’74 2. Alumni Arts Hall of Fame inductee Jill Muti, second from left, with PRICE, TAL HINNANT MANGUM ’77 and Head of School Doreen Kelly 3. Samples of Nanga Mai “Sleep Ware Fabric” designed

by EMILY SIKKEL ’15 4. Oil on canvas: At left, ERICA ARCUDI ’10, “SelfPortrait”; BRETT HIGHTOWER ’79, “Is Daddy Home?”

SPRING 2019

37

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

Alumni Sports Reunions

1

2

3 1. JOHN HASLETT ’11 and PHILIP FAJGENBAUM ’09 at the Alumni Boys Lacrosse game on Nov. 23, 2018 2. Alumni Boys Lacrosse game participants: (front row) MATT WIMSATT ’03, CLAY BAKER ’18, PHILIP FAJGENBAUM ’09, GREY BERRY ’09, CARTER VOELKEL ’13, RHETT JOHNSON ’11, SPENCER CATES ’11, DAN RESSNER

38 RAVENSCROFT MAGAZINE

4 ’99, JIMBO BARNES ’13, ALEX PAYNE ’15; (back row) REED FARROW ’18, PATRICK EDNIE ’18, ALEX SPEARS ’10, JEREMY BULL ’00, DREW DAVIS ’16, JOHN HASLETT ’11, SAM BASS ’04, STEVEN BENEDICT ’08, MATT JOHNSON ’16, KUBI JOHNSON ’13, HENRY ATKESON ’16 and Coach Sandy Kapatos

3. Alumni at the Alumni vs.

Varsity Soccer Scrimmage: (front row) ALEX LINDSAY ’17, GREER RICHARDS ’07, WILL BYRD ’10, KELVIN JONES ’16, JOHN DANIEL SAWYERR ’17, CONNOR GRIDLEY ’16, ZANE LAUGHERY ’13, DAN RESSNER ’99; (back row) MATTHEW QUESENBERRY ’13, SIMON COPELAND ’17, CARR WALKER ’13, ROBERT COOLEY ’16,

MACKIN BOYLAN ’15, STAHLER MCKINNEY ’08, GAVIN DAWSON ’08, MATTHEW MEHR ’17, CASEY STEVENSON ’08, KLAUS STEINMANN ’17, TRAVIS YOUNG ’05, MATTHEW SILVER ’18 and THOMPSON SCHOLLAERT ’18 4. WILL BYRD ’10, CHRISTOPHER GLENN ’22 and JOHN DANIEL SAWYERR ’17 at the Alumni vs. Varsity Soccer Scrimmage Aug. 10, 2018

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES trial, office, retail, flex, land and investment properties.

2008

2003

Anna Claire Murnick Price annaclaireprice@gmail.com

Taylor Rankin (tfr813@aol.com) Lauren Miller Wieczorek (lauren.m.wieczorek@gmail.com) Casey Stevenson (casey.stevenson0422@gmail.com)

MATT and DANA CAROTHERS

MATT ’09 and MEGHAN MCDON-

WIMSATT ’04 welcomed Harper

Rose Wimsatt on Sept. 23, 2018.

2004

Gretchen Presnell Hyde (GretchenPHyde@gmail.com) Ashley Board (ashleyboard@gmail.com) COREY BASS is working for Allen

Tate and recently moved to the Charlotte area. “We now have two sons, Easton (2) and Preston (7 months),” he writes.

EMLYN JOHNSON shares, “The American Wild Ensemble, which I direct and perform in, released our first album, “Music in the American Wild,” in September.

This album includes music inspired by American national parks and video footage of our tour through seven national parks in 2016. Both audio and video are currently available on iTunes.”

STEPHIE HALE NORRIS and hus-

band Josh own and operate Green Brothers Juice Co., a fresh juices and superfood smoothies store with three locations in Charlotte.

Check them out at www.greenbrothersjuice.co and stop by next time you’re in the Queen City!

MACHIKAS

Members of the Class of 2008 and guests at the Ravenscroft Rendezvous, pictured at right: STAHLER MCKINNEY, Sarah-Butler McKinney, CLARK SMITH, Kalah Burke, SARAH WESLEY WHEATON and guest, MARK WELLS, JUSTIN CATES, Lindsey Horton, MACKENZIE WILLOW-JOHNSON, LAUREN

MEADOWS

HEILMAN,

WILLIAM HEILMAN, and Tom and

WILLARD

and husband Jon live in Chapel Hill and welcomed a daughter in October 2018. Taylor is currently working as a proposals manager for IQVIA in Durham.

2

3 1. RYAN ’09 and LINDSAY COWHER KELLY ’09 with baby Ruth in Tokyo 2. JOHN HASLETT ’11 with the F/A-18 Super Hornet

3. Members of the Class of 2008 and guests at the Ravenscroft Rendezvous

LINDSEY WALDENBERG.

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

Rob Byrd robertgbyrd@gmail.com

1

Read about STEPHANIE KRÄMER’s work with the European Brain Council in Brussels, Belgium, in One World, p. 10.

2009

2007

TAYLOR

NELL WILSON welcomed their first baby in October 2018. They live in Raleigh, where Meghan works as a labor and delivery nurse at WakeMed Raleigh Campus and Matt sells artificial intelligence software at Leoforce.

Mark your calendars for Alumni Celebration Weekend, Oct. 11-14, 2019, with something fun for everyone! See p. 46 for more details. If you’re interested in helping plan your class reunion or the all-alumni party at Pugh Pond, please email Tammy Haywood, director of alumni activities, at thaywood@ ravenscroft.org.

RYAN KELLY is playing basket-

ball in Tokyo, Japan, with Hitachi Sun-Rockers Shibuya. He and wife LINDSAY welcomed their third child, Ruth Margot Kelly, in September 2018.

You might have noticed we’ve made a few changes to Ravenscroft Magazine!

AS PART OF OUR cover-to-cover magazine redesign, Alumni Class Notes will appear in print once a year, in the Spring issue, and will include alumni milestones — weddings and babies, degrees and recognitions, promotions, relocations and retirements — from the previous calendar year.

Share your updates with fellow Ravens throughout the year via our alumni social media channels (Facebook, Ravenscroft Connect or any class-specific pages your class agent may manage). And you may still send your milestones and photos for Class Notes anytime, via our Alumni Portal! Find those links, contact information for class agents and more at www.ravenscroft. org/alumni. We look forward to hearing from you!

SPRING 2019

39

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES Enjoy mini-profiles of three members of the Class of 2009 — JUSTIN BRADLEY, JACK GREENBERG

and SARAH VAN NAME — in our new alumni feature, 3 to Watch, on p. 28.

2011 1

2

2010s

Patrick Bailey (Jpb693@gmail.com) Zaki Haidary (zakihaidary@gmail.com) Allie Withers (alliewithers@gmail.com) ALLIE WITHERS recently joined

the Christina Valkanoff Realty Group, a Top-25 real estate team in the Triangle, as a broker. She enjoys working with current families and classmates from Ravenscroft!

3

4

1. Logo for REBECCA MILLER ’13’s new coffee shop, Birch 2. MARGARET EDWARDS ’13 in Chile

3. UNC-Chapel Hill women’s field hockey goalie MEGAN RAGUSA ’16 with NCAA National Championship trophy 4. LUCY RUSSELL ’16 working at the Capitol

LT. J.G. JOHN HASLETT will finish Navy pilot training in Meridian, Mississippi, this spring. He will be based in Norfolk and fly the F/A18 Super Hornet.

2012

Angelika Barth (angelikagaledesigns@gmail.com) Jordan Jeter (jjeter@elon.edu) Lewis Stocks (lhstocks22@gmail.com) ANGELIKA BARTH is in an ABSN-

MSN program at Duke University’s School of Nursing.

Honor an Outstanding Raven!

THE RAVENSCROFT ALUMNI ASSOCIATION is proud to recognize our outstanding alumni in three ways: the Distinguished Alumni Award, the Alumni Sports Hall of Fame Award and the Alumni Fine Arts Hall of Fame Award. Our alumni have an incredible tradition of achievement, service and integrity, and these awards are our way of recognizing this achievement.

In addition, the Class of 1862 Award bestows honorary alumni status to faculty and staff, volunteers and other supporters who have provided an outstanding level of service to the school.

The nomination deadline for these awards is May 1, 2019. Details about each award and the nomination form are at www.ravenscroft.org/alumni/alumni-awards.

40 RAVENSCROFT MAGAZINE

GARRETT BIRD left San Francisco this past summer and is currently spending his much-needed vacation time in Australia with his girlfriend. If you happen to find yourself in Australia in the near future, you can find Garrett riding around the country in a camper van!

ALEX BOWEN is an associate

for Ipreo, an IHS Markit portfolio company based in Raleigh.

Additionally, he is studying for the third and final CFA exam, scheduled for June 2019.

After graduating from Clemson University, ALEX CAMUTI spent two years in a management training program in Savannah, Georgia, and is now managing an electrical distribution store in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

DAIN CLARE moved to Chicago from Atlanta in 2018. He is working as an analyst for SunTrust Robinson Humphrey.

MATT COLWELL is employed at Fidelity Investments and is currently working on becoming a licensed 401(k) guidance representative.

ANDREW FRANZ still lives in New York City and recently left Deutsche Bank to join the Finance Team at Fluent, a digital advertising firm.

SARAH FRITSCH is in her second

year of law school at Wake Forest.

CONOR FRY recently moved from Atlanta to Greensboro for a new job. He is working as an analyst for an advertising agency.

SCOTT GOLDCOTT recently returned from Thailand, where he taught English to young students.

He spent his free time traveling and backpacking through Southeast Asia. Scott is now back in the U.S. and is looking forward to his next adventure.

MOLLY HULL is living in Florence,

Italy, completing a master’s program in Renaissance art history through Syracuse University.

ALEX KUMBAR is a franchisee

with OsteoStrong, helping athletes and elderly people alike strengthen their bodies.

RACHEL LANDERS is living in Washington, D.C., working as a product manager for a business intelligence software company.

She has spent most of her free time traveling over the past year.

AMANDA LAMPURI is living in

Arlington, Virginia, and working at MCI Group, a marketing and events firm, where she plans events for clients in D.C. and around the world.

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

HANNAH LEAHY is now a certi-

NICK WARING is starting medical

fied public accountant!

school next fall.

CAROLINE LINDQUIST works for

TRAVIS WHITE is working toward

the City of Raleigh on the master plan design for Dorothea Dix Park.

a master’s degree in psychology at UNC-Charlotte.

MATHIAS MARCHINGTON is editing his first two books to be sent off to publishers and working in Columbia, Missouri, on marketing global non-GMO soy and pork trade.

COURT YOUNGBAR

CAROLINA MASON works at V Magazine, a fashion and culture magazine in New York City.

NATE MCDOUGALL is an inside sales representative at Kasasa in Austin, Texas.

MATT MCDOWELL recently be-

gan a physician assistant program at East Carolina University, with an expected graduation date of December 2020. “Go Pirates!” he adds.

WILL MUELLER lives in Charlotte and works for Ernst & Young in financial services consulting.

REID SCALES is in law school at Emory University in Atlanta.

MORGAN STAFFORD is in her third year of medical school at Wake Forest University.

LEWIS STOCKS recently moved

from New York City to Charlotte to work as a consultant for Dixon Hughes Goodman. He is also studying for the second exam for certified financial analyst, which he will take in June, as well as preparing for the GMAT and considering going back to business school in the near future.

CASEY

TOMPKINS-RHOADES

graduated from the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering with a degree in bioengineering and a minor in chemistry in April 2017 and is in her second year of medical school at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

graduated with a Master of Public Health from George Washington University in May. She is currently working in Arlington, Virginia, at the Association of State & Territorial Health Officials as part of its environmental health team. Her work focuses on food safety and vector-borne disease.

weddings as of Dec. 31, 2018

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

2013

Emily Bedsole (ebedsole2@gmail.com) Bryant Dowd (bd45fb@gmail.com) Thomas Sigmon (thomasigmon@gmail.com) RYAN CARR is a software engineer at Collins Aerospace.

FRANCES

(REBECCA)

MILLER

completed an MBA in revenue management from College of Charleston in June 2018. She now lives in Columbia, South Carolina, and opened Birch coffee shop in January 2019. The shop focuses on incorporating herbal flavors into natural coffees and pastries.

MARGARET EDWARDS is teaching English for a year at Colegio San Marcos in Santiago, Chile.

EMILY BEDSOLE earned a Master

of Accounting from UNC-Chapel Hill in Fall 2018. She’s excited to be living in Charlotte, where she works at Grant Thornton as a tax associate.

TATE REPLOGLE shares, “I graduated from Elon University in May. After working as a teacher’s assistant in Portugal, I am heading to Albania to start my training and work with the Peace Corps!”

1. ALEX FLOYD ’04 married Kaitlyn Stilley on Sept. 7, 2018.

2. KATHERINE TROXLER ’05 married Paxton Campbell on July 14, 2018.

3. DEE CONDREY ’06 married Andrew Pinto on Sept. 1, 2018.

4. CASEY STEVENSON ’08 married Caroline Marks on Sept. 29, 2018.

5. CHAD DAY ’09 married Caroline Cordell on Oct. 12, 2018.

6. TYSON PRESNELL ’10 married Rebecca Martin on May 12, 2018.

7. TYLER ANDERSON ’11 married Blake William Spencer on Sept.

22, 2018.

8. JAMIE HERAKOVICH ’14 married Sydney Robling on June 9, 2018.

SPRING 2019

41

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

births 1

as of Dec. 31, 2018

2

5 1. ANTWAN HARRIS ’96 and Takisha welcomed Mylin on Aug. 21, 2018.

2. LIZ ROGERS BIGGERSTAFF ’98 and Patrick wecomed their fourth child, Noelle Braden Biggerstaff, on Dec. 18, 2018.

3. DOUG BRITT ’98 (left) and Alice welcomed James Decker

42 RAVENSCROFT MAGAZINE

3

4

6

7

Britt on Dec. 11, 2018. On the same day in the same hospital, CHRIS DRUMMOND ’98 and Wurth welcomed Mary Douglas Drummond.

4. BRETT WELLS ’98 and Ally welcomed Ainsley Olivia Wells on Nov. 16, 2018.

5. CHESTER ALLEN ’01 and MA welcomed Lula on July 27, 2018.

6. STEPHEN ’01 and JENNIFER HOWARD WOHLERS ’01 welcomed Addyson Richmond Wohlers on Aug. 31, 2018.

7. NEETIE DOSHI ’03 and Alex Fox welcomed Kian Diego Doshi Fox on Dec. 9, 2018.

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

8. DAVID ’03 and CAITLIN PRAZENICA FAJGENBAUM ’06 welcomed Amelia Marie Fajgenbaum on Aug. 19, 2018.

9. TREY LEWIS ’03 and Karrah welcomed Preston Samuel Lewis on Aug. 17, 2018.

10. RACHEL RESSNER ARTEGA ’05 and Javier welcomed Nicolas Philip “Nico” Artega on Oct. 29, 2018.

11. JOE GREW ’06 and Mary Catherine welcomed Ann Safrit Grew on Jan. 9, 2018.

12. KATIE HYDE MILLER ’06 and Nick welcomed Grace Katherine on July 1, 2018.

13. TAYLOR MACHIKAS WILLARD ’07 and Jon welcomed Tenley Lynette Willard on Oct. 13, 2018.

14. STEVEN ’08 and SARA HYDE BENEDICT ’08 welcomed Eliza-

16

beth Grace “Ellie” Benedict on July 10, 2018.

15. RYAN ’09 and LINDSAY COWHER KELLY ’09 welcomed Ruth Margot Kelly on Sept. 23, 2018.

16. MATT ’09 and MEGHAN MCDONNELL WILSON ’08 welcomed their first baby, Reagan Grace, on Oct. 18, 2018.

SPRING 2019

43

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

in memoriam as of Dec. 31, 2018

Alumni

DAVID MCGREW ’76, May 31, 2018 JOHN B. (“J.B.”) GAITHER JR., Tucker Street (TS) ’50, June 5, 2018 MARTHA ANNE OLSEN SIGMON TS ’42, June 17, 2018 SALLY MOORE ’04, July 4, 2018 JAMES WINSTON TS ’51, Sept. 9, 2018 MAC BOXLEY TS ’60, Oct. 17, 2018 MICHAEL ADAMS ’75, Oct. 20, 2018 JEFF SMITH ’75, Oct. 27, 2018 LOUISE JOHNSON ’89, Nov. 12, 2018 FRED PUGH ’80, Nov. 16, 2018

Faculty/Staff

NED FOX, former head of school, July 29, 2018 HOMER CREECH, former staff member, Aug. 7, 2018 LOIS JOHNSON (CLEMENTS), former fifth-grade teacher, Aug. 11, 2018

Summer Programs at Ravenscroft June 17-Aug. 9, 2019

2014

Mary Grady Bell (mgbell@live.unc.edu) Humza Rizvi (humzarizvi@gmail.com) SHANNON STRONG has com-

pleted her degree in biological engineering and is working as an engineer for the Kraft Heinz Company in Columbia, South Carolina.

In December 2018 JAKE ISLEY graduated from Clemson University with honors and a double major in marketing and management with a concentration in entrepreneurship. He plans to work for Vanguard in Charlotte.

2015

Mykayla Perry (mperry52@uncc.edu) Rebecca Qubain (rqubain@purdue.edu) Alex Woodward (awoodward322@gmail.com) CHLOE PACYNA will graduate from Johns Hopkins University with degrees in biophysics and history of medicine. She received a 2019 Marshall Scholarship, a program funded by the British government for Americans to study in the United Kingdom, and will pursue a Ph.D. in pediatric cancer genomics at the Wellcome Sanger Institute at the University of Cambridge.

NINA BARNETT writes, “My com-

pany, Grooop, is going through a seed round of funding in the spring. This past summer I completed an internship in finance at Carbon3D in San Francisco. I have not decided on my career path after school, but I will be graduating in May 2019.”

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 www.ravenscroft.org/summer or email summer@ravenscroft.org.

44 RAVENSCROFT MAGAZINE

shares, “I changed my major again to industrial management with a concentration in operations and supply-chain management. I will still graduate in December 2019.”

REBECCA

QUBAIN

2016

Henry Atkeson (henry.atkeson@gmai.com) Emerson Burkhardt (burkhardt.emerson@gmail.com) Megan Ragusa (meragusa@yahoo.com) Lucy Russell (lucyrussell414@gmail.com) Zoe Strafford-Price (zstraffordprice@gmail.com) LUCY RUSSELL worked for Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand on Capitol Hill in the spring of 2018. Over the summer, she was chosen by the UNC Public Policy Department as the inaugural Thomas W. Ross North Carolina Leadership Fellow, through which she worked at the Public School Forum, a nonpartisan champion of better public schools. She has also served as president of the UNC Institute of Politics’ Student Leadership Team and is looking forward to pursuing other opportunities to channel her love for public service.

ALEXIS HUNTER will be interning at TIAA with their cybersecurity team this summer in Charlotte.

She is on track to graduate from UNC-Charlotte in May of 2020 with a degree in computer science and a concentration in cybersecurity.

DEWAYNE WASHINGTON II, a junior at University of Miami, is a finance major with minors in accounting and business law.

Through the Foote Fellows Honors program, he has had the opportunity to work closely with other highly motivated students and has mentored a new fellow.

DANIEL STRONG is a biomedical engineering major at Texas A&M. He serves on the Student Engineering Council and is sergeant major for the 3rd Regiment of the university’s Corps of Cadets, which rendered honors to the late President George H.W. Bush when he was laid to rest there on Dec. 6, 2018. He said it was an experience he will never forget.

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

2019 Legacy Lunch: Celebrating Three Generations of Ravens THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION’S annual Legacy Lunch, held on Wednesday, Feb. 6, brought together dozens of families for lunch and a celebration of the ties that bind these three generations of Ravens together.

All told, Ravenscroft boasts 78 alumni (76 parents and two grandparents) with 115 children currently enrolled as students, including seven of the nine alumni on our Board of Trustees. That's quite a vote of confidence!

2

1

3

4

5

1. Several generations of Ravens together for the traditional group photo at the Legacy Lunch 2. JOE DIAB ’83, JOHN PARHAM ’84 and KENNETH HAYWOOD ’85 3. MARY BURR FONVILLE EDWARDS ’85, ANNA YARUR NORRIS ’92 and HILARY WALDENBERG LAMB ’88 4. Current students JACK MORRISON ’27 and COLE VENTERS ’27 5. ALUMNI BRYAN KANE ’00 and JOHN RITCHER ’01 with John’s children, JAMES ’29 and SOPHIA ’31, and Sophia’s friend SUSANNA GILLESPIE ’31

SPRING 2019

45

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

2017

S AV E

THE

DAT E !

JOIN US FOR OUR

ALUMNI CELEBR ATION

WE E K E N D

O C T. 1 1 - O C T. 1 4

A fun-filled weekend with something for ALL alumni!

FRIDAY, OCT. 11 Alumni Association Lunch and Annual Meeting Homecoming fun and athletic events

SATURDAY, OCT. 12 ALL-ALUMNI PARTY: Calling all alumni!

Join us for drinks, music and mingling with alumni and your favorite faculty and staff during an oyster roast at Pugh Pond.

MONDAY, OCT. 14 24th Annual Ravenscroft Golf Classic Tournament at North Ridge Country Club

Learn more at WWW.RAVENSCROFT.ORG/ ALUMNI-WEEKEND

46 RAVENSCROFT MAGAZINE

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

families in crisis. She plans on spending 10 weeks in the summer of 2019 in Mozambique, working with a ministry called Iris Global.

DILLON WINGO applied to upper

BENJAMIN ZUCKER is a member

division of the nursing program at the University of South Carolina and is awaiting the results. She participated in Dance Marathon and in Men in Nursing, a nursing mentorship program, and is a part of the risk management, new member and corresponding committees of Kappa Kappa Gamma.

of the club baseball team and symphonic band at UNC-Wilmington.

DANIELA MAINZ attends Universi-

NATALIE LANG will be doing a tech internship with NBC in New York City in the summer of 2019.

LYNN JOHNSON was accepted

into Emory University’s Goizueta Business School and plans on a double concentration in business and health innovation. She is also a member of the women’s basketball team.

SPENCER WINSTON is a mem-

ber of the Chi Phi fraternity at UNC-Chapel Hill and is an economics major.

ERIN HUGHES is a member of Alpha Delta Pi at Washington & Lee University and is a psychology major with a minor in women’s and gender studies. She is currently a starting guard on the women’s basketball team.

ty of California, Los Angeles, where she is an internship director for a student government office and also director for an office that runs workshops on financial literacy. She recently joined Gamma Phi Beta.

JORDAN PARHAM is the intramu-

ral chair of Delta Zeta at the University of South Carolina and is part of the Health & Wellness and Sisterhood committees, as well as a small-group leader. Her flag football team won the intramural championship this fall. She is very involved in Dance Marathon and Exercise Science Club and shadows the athletic trainers of the football team.

BRIANA DESTAFFEN is majoring in neuroscience with minors in medical anthropology and French. She participates in research in an autism lab and works as an admissions ambassador for UNC-Chapel Hill. She is very involved in the campus theater program, studied abroad in France the summer of 2018, and plans to return next fall.

LOGAN BOGGIS recently joined Zeta Tau Alpha at Furman University and is applying to be historian of her chapter next semester.

She works at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, where retired people in Greenville take classes. She participated in intramural soccer and is a computer science and communications double major. She won a CCSC:CE, a computer science research competition, in November 2018.

SIDNEY VINSON is a global stud-

CAROLYN MAY is on UNC-Chap-

ies major and was admitted into the Kenan-Flagler Business School for a business minor. She spent the summer of 2018 in Uganda working with a nonprofit, Watoto, where she created and taught a month-long program for teenage girls. She now volunteers at a Raleigh nonprofit, Hope Reins, which serves children and

el Hill’s ski team, is a member of Alpha Delta Pi and serves on the fundraising team of Habitat for Humanity. She is a public relations and advertising major through the School of Media and Journalism and was recently accepted into the Kenan-Flagler Business School as a business minor. She is also in the Women in Business club.

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES ZACHARY MURPHY is a health and exercise science major at Wake Forest University and is a member of the football team.

He scored his first NCAA points against Rice University during the 2018 season.

CASEY SHUEY is a biology major with a sociology minor and a leadership minor in the President’s Leadership Program at Christopher Newport University. She is the marketing director for University Sounds, an a cappella group (with an album, “Hide Away,” available on Spotify/ Apple Music), and she is starting a soprano club. She plays intramural soccer and will do research in sociology during the spring semester.

LAURA ZIPERSKI was accepted

into the Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC-Chapel Hill and hopes to hold a leadership position in her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma, in the near future.

2018

Dasha Teyf (dashateyf@live.com) Bella Church (bella.g.church@gmail.com) RuthAnne Winston (rbw.1999@gmail.com) Camilo Corrales Gil (Camicorrales@hotmail.com) TOMAS VAN DEN BRAND has de-

clared a double major in industrial technology and French and has been invited to join the Council of Student Affairs at East Carolina University.

BELLA CHURCH, who is attending UNC-Chapel Hill, was selected for the Alumni Connections Committee for Carolina Women in Business, joined the Marketing Club and is teaching music lessons through Musical Empowerment, which provides one-onone music lessons to children in underserved communities.

She is planning to major in business studies and minor in music.

RUTHANNE WINSTON , CLAY BAKER, TENLEY ZIPERSKI and REED FARROW have joined the

club lacrosse teams at their respective universities: UNC-Chap-

el Hill, Duke University, Indiana University and UNC-Wilmington.

LILY SYKES is on the pre-med

track at Clemson University and is planning to major in bioengineering. In addition to being on the Dean’s List, she has joined Kappa Delta and is a recruitment and public relations officer for the sorority. She has also been selected to join Phi Delta Epsilon, a professional medical fraternity.

SYDNEY SCHIFF has joined Caro-

lina for the Kids, an organization that supports patients and families at UNC Children’s Hospital.

Class Agents Needed CLASSES WITH NO UPDATES are omitted from Alumni Class Notes. Find a list of current class agents, submit your update and more at www.ravenscroft.org/alumni.

Class agents are needed for 1978, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1987, 1991 and 2005! If you’re interested in helping members of your class stay in touch with one another and with Ravenscroft, email Tammy Haywood, director of alumni activities, at thaywood@ravenscroft.org.

Class Notes are now published once a year, in the Spring issue.

CAROLINE CRUMPLER is ma-

joring in humanities at NC State. She wants to become a psychologist and is currently shadowing a therapy practice.

COLE HUDSON has declared his

major in international business with a minor in Asian studies (Mandarin) at Elon University.

THOMPSON SCHOLLAER start-

ed for the men’s soccer team at Sewanee, the University of the South, and was named “Tiger of the Week” on Oct. 16, 2018.

MATT SHEAFFER is a musical theater major at New York University and plans to run for student government.

BAKARI YOUNG-SMITH is majoring in nursing and has joined Phi Gamma Delta at New York University. Service activities include going to soup kitchens and volunteering at KEEN sports events, which help children with disabilities play sports.

KIM has joined the First Year Focus Council at UNCChapel Hill.

SAMMIE

MATTHEW SILVER is attending

Colgate University, majoring in philosophy with a minor in religion, and has been working with an archeologist digitizing archeological records for the Mexican government.

Ravenscroft Connect: Your connection to alumni!

LOG ON TO Ravenscroft Connect, our Ravens-only social networking platform, to learn about campus and alumni news, find classmates, build and engage with your professional network and volunteer to mentor an up-and-coming Raven in your field!

If your company offers summer internships or has job openings, post them on Ravenscroft Connect to find the best and brightest candidates.

Our college-age alumni are looking to secure summer opportunities now! Contact Tammy Haywood, director of alumni activities, at thaywood@ravenscroft.org with questions.

Joining is easy! Use your LinkedIn credentials to log on to Ravenscroft Connect anytime.

SPRING 2019

47

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

Ravens Reflect on #croftGRADitude AS PART OF OUR #croftGRADitude focus on alumni giving in November 2018, we asked alumni and members of the Class of 2019 the following questions:

What are you thankful for at Ravenscroft and beyond? What stories and advice do you have to give? How has Ravenscroft helped you achieve your goals?

Here’s what some of our Ravens had to say!

Inspiration

Class of ’12

When a fellow student’s father taught a photography course during a mini-semester my senior year, it started me on a path that eventually led to both a passion and a career. My camera has allowed me to travel around the world, meeting everyone from Desmond Tutu to rural farmers in remote areas of Bangladesh. Thanks, Ravenscroft! — BILLY HOWARD ’73

Can’t believe it’s been six years since I graduated! Ravenscroft prepared me for college and beyond in ways I never even realized. Mr. League, Ms. Immediata and Señor Kates are just a few of the amazing teachers who challenged me to not just be an apt student but to be exceptional in all of my academic pursuits. — ANONYMOUS

Appreciation Joan Battle was an engaging and inspiring English literature teacher during our time at the school. She lived a remarkable life and did many extraordinary things. Her passion for teaching brought literature to life and helped instill future interest in language and writing. Who could forget her introduction to “Beowolf” by reciting its opening lines in the original Old English!? — CHARLIE RAWLS ’75

I have Ravenscroft to thank for my leadership!

If I hadn’t attended Ravenscroft, I would never be as involved in my career and community as I am today. The smaller class sizes and celebration of stepping up and standing out set me and all of my fellow students and peers up for success in the “real world.” As a class and as a school, we are engaged, involved and passionate about serving others, all thanks to our teachers’ support and example. — ANONYMOUS

Thank you! Class of ’04 Ravenscroft was a huge part of my growth and development as a leader and student. I am so grateful for all of the opportunities it exposed me to, the ways I was challenged and the community that I will be a part of forever. Thank you!

— ANONYMOUS

Appreciation for ’14 How lucky we are to have attended a school that embraces fine arts, athletics and scholarship, and teaches all so well! Thank you, Ravenscroft, for allowing me to pursue many passions.

— ANONYMOUS

48 RAVENSCROFT MAGAZINE

There are many steps, both big and small, in the Ravenscroft journey … … making a first best friend on the playground … learning to write letters and numbers … giving back through service and leadership … shining on stage as part of a fine arts production … exploring the world through literature, history and science

… discovering how to be a good teammate and fierce competitor … getting that long-awaited college acceptance letter

… and every step helps make our Ravens who they are.

The journey of today’s Ravens is possible because of donors like you who believe in Ravenscroft’s mission and the opportunities your gift makes possible for Every Raven, Every Day. THANK YOU!

Learn more about The Fund for Ravenscroft: www.ravenscroft.org/giving

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

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

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

Lead From Here

A Lead From Here Moment Adaptive: I understand that there are many ways to get things done.

I can be flexible and help adjust a plan when things change.

Michelle Schulze's fifth-graders CHARLOTTE STRINGER ’26, ANNA STONE ’26, MILES HUGHEY ’26 and SAWYER PARKER ’26 engage in a cooperative activity that emphasizes the importance of adaptability: working to balance a tennis ball on string. Later, students reflected on how their adaptive behaviors influenced others in the group as well as the outcome of the task.