Connections - Summer 2024

THE MAGAZINE OF ROLAND PARK COUNTRY SCHOOL

THE SEMIQUAVERS CELEBRATE 70 YEARS

A REIMAGINED MIDDLE SCHOOL

STUDENT EXPERIENCE PAGE 20

NEW MOCK TRIAL TEAM HAS THEIR DAY IN COURT PAGE 24

REMEMBERING JUDY WATERS, 1950 PAGE 42

From the Outgoing Head of School

Dear Roland Park Country School Community,

At Commencement a few years ago, I shared the following reflection with the graduating Class of 2022:

“The thing about life is that in the living of it — all of it: the fierceness, the joy, the sorrow, the love, the laughter — in the seemingly cacophonous notes of your life, you will find your way to a rhythm and song that is uniquely yours.”

As we share this year’s issue of Connections with you, I am reminded of these words and struck by how true they ring for all members of our community, from our youngest learners to our graduates, from many years ago and everyone in between. In this particularly poignant year when I am stepping down after eight years as the Head of School at RPCS, these words resonate with me personally as well.

Through these pages, we share stories across the many disciplines of Roland Park Country School that are all unique, yet share a strong sense of history and purpose, both of which are grounded in supporting, challenging and enriching the lives of our students, graduates and community members. Our cover story is literally about rhythm and song, a focus that is unique to our past, current and future students at RPCS, as we celebrated the 70th anniversary of the Semiquavers this spring (page 28)! We also highlight several of our graduates and the remarkable paths their lives have taken. Read a special interview with Nancy Townshend Haas, 1969 and Nancy Potter Bennett Davis, 1942, who sadly passed away shortly before this issue went to print, (page 16), and learn how we celebrated our newest induction class into the Athletic Hall of Fame on page 34. We also spotlight some of our graduates who have dedicated their lives to research (page 38) and our alumnae who returned to campus earlier this year to share their best career advice with our Upper School students, on page 26.

We also provide glimpses into what’s happening in our classrooms, including a feature story about our newly reimagined Middle School student experience on page 18 and the successes of our new Mock Trial club in the Upper School on page 24. Each story serves as a reminder of the boundless potential that lies within each of us and the transformative power of teaching and learning at Roland Park Country School.

At this year’s Commencement, I reminded our graduates of the words from Tennyson’s Ulysses, “I am a part of all that I have met,” and as I step down as Head of School, please know that it has been an absolute honor and privilege to serve and support and be a part of your lives. As RPCS welcomes Joan Smith back to campus as Interim Head of School, I know that you will be in wonderful hands and wish her and you all the best in the future.

As our Centennial Song states, we “are the notes of a song that goes on and on and on. Some are melody, some are harmony.” Let this issue remind us that at Roland Park Country School, we are a symphony of song. Thank you for an incredible journey. I know that the notes, harmony, symphony and song that define the essence of RPCS will be etched upon my heart forever.

With deep affection and love,

Caroline Blatti Head of School

From the Incoming Head of School

Dear Roland Park Country School Community,

When I first joined Roland Park Country School in 1993, one of the first functions I attended was the Upper School Spring Choral Concert. It was a major production and the event on campus. I remember being so impressed with the talent of the girls and the preparation that went into the beautiful performances. In many ways, it was the perfect introduction to this wonderful school community.

From belting out “Let’s Go Singing” during our Opening Day Convocation to singing along to “Hodge Podge Halloween” with the Lower Schoolers, joyful music is a hallmark of this school. As former music teacher and Semiquavers director Doug Forbes, HA so eloquently put it, “We are a community that sings.”

I am thrilled to be back at Roland Park Country School and am delighted that music continues to play a major role in the culture here. My return to RPCS feels “back to the future” in many ways. Tradition is so important – for many reasons – as it grounds us, provides continuity and reminds us of the history that brought us to the present moment. But tradition is also the foundation of innovation and at RPCS, both can co-exist comfortably and effectively, as we also look forward and plan for the future. Therefore, this issue of Connections is especially timely as we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Semiquavers. As you read through the magazine, you will hopefully find several examples of how both tradition and innovation inspire our students, graduates and greater community.

Many of you may be familiar with and have probably heard at least part of The Centennial Song, which was composed and arranged by Ruth Elaine Schram, and planned with Doug Forbes, in honor of the school’s 100th anniversary, almost 25 years ago. The lyrics of this musical composition were inspired by our entire community, especially our students, who submitted short stories and poems about what the school meant to them. The entire Centennial Song is 13 minutes long and is comprised of four sections, one sung by for each division, and then one portion sung together by all three divisions. The unifying lyrics within each section are: “I have not been the first, and I will not be the last to dance in the halls of Roland Park Country School…we are many, we are one.”

Thank you all for welcoming me back warmly to Roland Park Country School. I look forward to celebrating both our traditions and innovations as we all work together to ensure the success of our students, with plenty of joyful music along the way. We are many, we are one.

Warmly,

Joan Smith, HA Interim Head of School

Don’t Lose Your Laughter

An Interview with Nancy PotterBennett Davis, 1942*

A New Middle School Student Experience Learn about the revitalized culture, curriculum and community in grades 6–8

All Rise! Upper School Mock Trial Team Has Their Day in Court A new team is off to a strong start in its first year of competing

Symphony of Song: The Semiquavers

Remembering

HEAD OF SCHOOL: Caroline Blatti

INTERIM HEAD OF SCHOOL: Joan Smith, HA

EDITORS: Abbey Pulcinella, Director of Strategic Communications; Katy Spencer, 1993, P’36, Director of Alumnae and Parent Engagement; Melissa Tully, Senior Communications Associate/Photographer; Molly Baldwin-Abbott, Communications Associate

DESIGN: Josephine Bergin

CONNECTIONS is published annually for the Roland Park Country School community.

04 WITHIN THESE WALLS A snapshot of what’s been happening around campus

08 BEYOND THESE WALLS See how our students learn outside of the classroom

10 ATHLETICS Cheering on our REDS!

12 CELEBRATING THE ARTS

26 PROFESSIONAL CONNECTIONS

RPCS alumnae share career advice with Upper School students

34 ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME RPCS celebrates individual, coach and team inductees

36 SENIOR PROFILES Learn about four remarkable students from the Class of 2024

38 ALUMNAE STORIES Read about two extraordinary RPCS alums

44 15TH ANNUAL ALUMNA ART SHOW

45 VALENTINE’S LEGACY LUNCHEON

46 100TH NIGHT DINNER

47 ALUMNAE WEEKEND AND REGIONAL REUNIONS

59 CLASS NOTES 111 SYMPATHIES

112 ALUMNAE BABIES

114 CLASS OF 2024 LEGACY RELATIONS

115 CROSSWORD PUZZLE

* Deceased

Within These Walls

FOOTLIGHTS THEATRE ENSEMBLE PRESENTS A HAUNTED TRAIL ADVENTURE

Zombies and vampires and ghostbusters, oh my! The RPCS Backwoods were filled with all the things that go bump in the night this past October for our first-ever Haunted Trail show! Members of the Footlight Theatre Ensemble and other Upper School students worked diligently to create an interactive scene-by-scene narrative as the audience walked through the trail. It was a sold-out event and an exciting way to expand our boundaries in the performing arts!

This year’s Lower School STEAM Week was out of this world! With guest speakers — including astronauts! — field trips, a family night, and daily inschool activities all focused on space, our girls were over the moon for space exploration! In the words of our Lower School students: “This is the coolest thing I’ve ever done,” “That was the most amazing person I’ve ever met — and I’ve met Elsa!” and, “I can’t believe we got to do that.”

In February, Roland Park Country School was proud to host the annual 2024 HBCU Experience: Historic Black Colleges and Universities Night, which was co-sponsored by several local independent schools. Keynote speaker Chelsea Roberts, 2012 and Spelman College class of 2016, is the current Chief Operating Officer of HBCUvc, a nonprofit dedicated to transforming how investment capital is formed and allocated to benefit historically underestimated groups, spoke to the packed auditorium.

WHO IN THE WORLD IS … ?

Last October, family and friends from the Class of 2035 came together for a celebration of learning with a new project in the first grade: “Who in the World Is ... ?” In a multi-week, interdisciplinary project, the girls wrote self-reflective poems, created posters about themselves, and created battery-operated bobblehead dolls that represent themselves. After giving a small presentation, the girls were able to walk their guests around and proudly show off their work.

FIFTH

GRADE FLOATS

Throughout the school year, the Middle School is hosting monthly competitions — both athletic and academic — for the inaugural, yearlong Red vs. White Cup! With a monthly tally for each team, stay tuned to find out who won the first year’s Cup!

LITTLE REDS HEAD OF SCHOOL FOR THE DAY

Last fall, one of our Little Reds friends became Head of School for the day! This fun adventure, which was a winning auction item at the Night Under the Stars fundraiser in 2023, included Charli P., 2038 visiting with school leadership to plan the menu for a party, reading a book to her Little Reds friends with Mrs. Blatti, and having a snack with the Assistant Heads of School. She also helped find Pepper, who had somehow gone missing around campus! In true leadership fashion, she also decreed a PJ Day for Little Reds! Everyone was charmed by Charli, who took to her new leadership role with finesse and enthusiasm!

Last fall, our fifth graders used engineering and coding principles and their own creativity to create outstanding parade floats! Each group of two or three students came up with a float theme, ranging from Taylor Swift and the Lorax to the circus and Peppa Pig, and then coded both movement and music into their robotic floats. In November, they presented their final creations to the entire Lower School and their families. This is the second year of this fun and challenging project, led by Lower School STEAM teacher Ms. Heather Samet.

Within These Walls

THE ART OF LEADERSHIP

Head of School Mrs. Blatti and Upper School Head Mrs. Rollfinke were back in the classroom last fall! Together, they taught a new class called The Art of Leadership for the 2023–2024 school year. An offering in the Gore Leadership Institute, the course focused on the essential qualities of leadership, including how to manage conflict, and the impact different leadership styles can make. The students also gained more insights into their own leadership and personality styles and discussed women in leadership and the common strengths and vulnerabilities of a leader.

Our inaugural all-school Black & Beyond Convocation in February was a joyful and powerful celebration of Black culture and history! Members of the Upper School Black Student Union emceed the event, which featured moving performances of singing, dancing, the recitation of an original poem and a tribute to Mary McLeod Bethune from our Lower School Branches and Leaves for Black Girls affinity group. Keynote speaker, scientist and advocate Dr. Kilan Ashad-Bishop spoke about how excellence is inherent in all of us and can be channeled into dreams. “Excellence is all around,” Dr. Ashad-Bishop told the audience. “Excellence is not an endeavor or something to earn. It’s already inside of you and only needs to be harnessed.” The Student Diversity Association then presented Black & Beyond Core Value Awards to students in grades K–12 who were nominated by the community for exemplifying the school’s core values. Ms. James, Assistant Head of School for Culture, Community and Belonging, culminated the event with a rousing speech uplifting our Black employees and community.

Our Little Reds friends gobbled and wobbled down the Backwoods path during our third annual Turkey Trot last November! Fast feet and happy faces bounded down and around in a celebration of Thanksgiving and friendship in the Little Reds community. The kindergarten classes and some older REDS also spectated with homemade signs to cheer on the little ones during their run, bringing multiple divisions of RPCS together.

INAUGURAL TRUSTEE DAY

We were thrilled to welcome RPCS Board of Trustees members to campus for our inaugural Trustee Day last October! After a spirited thank you breakfast for employees, our Board members experienced a day in the life as our students do. From eating in the dining hall, attending morning meetings, and sitting in on classes, to chatting with student leaders, exploring various clubs and organizations, and taking learning walks, it was a joyful morning. The day was filled with thoughtful questions and discussions, dynamic interactions between students, teachers, and Board members, and an overall strengthened sense of community. We are so grateful to have such a dedicated and engaged Board of Trustees!

REDCON: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN-CONFERENCE AT RPCS

In February, RPCS faculty and staff attended the newest and most cutting-edge conference in town …REdCon! This inaugural “in-conference” on the RPCS campus was created and led by Assistant Head of School for Academics and Programs Dr. Elizabeth Elizardi and Director of The Holliday Heine STEM Institute Dr. Neda Blackburn. The day focused on elevating our faculty members’ voices to address the most important topics currently facing education and our school community. With an energizing welcome and keynote address, two tracks of thought-provoking educational sessions led by RPCS faculty, and a State of the School update from Head of School Caroline Blatti, it was an exciting and inspirational day of professional development!

In December, students from our Upper School had the unique and remarkable opportunity to travel to St. Louis for the NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference. This multiracial, multicultural gathering of student leaders from independent high schools around the country focuses on self-reflection, forming allies, and building community. Students spent four days developing cross-cultural communication skills, designing effective strategies for social justice practice through dialogue and the arts, and more. Our students left St. Louis feeling energized, hopeful and excited about sharing their knowledge with their classmates and contributing to an inclusive RPCS community.

MODEL UNITED NATIONS

SUMMIT

In January, 18 Middle School students represented 18 countries at a Model United Nations Summit in Hershey, PA. Each student researched their country and debated two real-world problems: food insecurity and nutrition, and combating misinformation. Delegates collaborated with other countries on solutions they then wrote, defended, and voted on in the envoy room. We are so proud of our delegates for taking a seat at the table and leading for the greater good!

In honor of American Indian Heritage Month last November, the Middle School welcomed Louis Campbell of the Lumbee and Blackfoot tribes and Keith Colston of the Tuscarora and Lumbee tribes to RPCS. Mr. Campbell, a Northern Traditional dancer and instructor at the Baltimore American Indian Center, performed traditional dances, while Mr. Colston described the movements and themes behind the dances. They also discussed the regalia worn by Mr. Campbell and brought up Middle School volunteers for a traditional social dance! The girls enjoyed the entire presentation and had the chance to ask both guests questions afterward. Also in the audience were our third graders, who were learning about Native Americans in their social studies unit at the time.

These Walls Beyond

At Roland Park Country School, the world is our classroom! Here are just a few examples of how our students expanded and enriched their learning beyond campus.

Kindergarten Meteorologists in the Making To complete their weather and meteorology unit, our kindergarteners enjoyed touring the WJZ-TV studio and were treated to a behindthe-scenes tour to see the different aspects of a news station this past winter! They peeked into the control room, checked out the broadcasting tower, saw a smaller news set where they learned how a teleprompter works, and then went into the main station area where they met morning news anchor Sina Gebre-Ab and meteorologist Meg McNamara! The girls loved seeing the robotic cameras and stepping in front of a real green screen. Students were overheard saying, “This was the best day ever!” and, “This was the best day of my whole life.”

Fifth Graders Advocate for Change in Annapolis

In February, our fifth graders had an exciting and empowering day as they traveled to Annapolis to speak to district senators and delegates about the important issues they extensively researched to advocate for change. They enjoyed a tour of the Maryland State House and were invited to the gallery while the House and Senate were in session to see the process of voting on bills. This interdisciplinary unit, which incorporated social studies, STEAM and literacy, was well worth the tremendous effort and this culminating day at our state’s capital!

Third Graders Visit the Maryland Center for History

and Culture In January, the third graders traveled to the Maryland Center for History and Culture, where they examined artifacts and maps, wrote with quills, and discussed the different types of people who settled in Maryland. Learning about our state’s history was part of the girls’ social studies unit: the Maryland Colony. They were very engaged, asking questions and sharing their excitement to see the exhibits.

Eighth Graders Reflect at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

As a culmination of their interdisciplinary Holocaust unit, eighth graders traveled to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., in January. Students were asked to contemplate how a national monument or museum remembers a tragic past, and they were deeply impacted by what they learned. In addition to their field trip to the museum, the class also made a local stop at the Baltimore Holocaust Memorial on Lombard Street. Students reflected on the symbolism and the location of this memorial.

Middle Schoolers Explore Baltimore

Last October, the Middle Schoolers snapped on their fanny packs and grabbed their cameras to become tourists in their own hometown!

All students in grades 6–8 visited different locations around Baltimore, including the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Pierce’s Park, the Garden at Flag House, Fort McHenry, Wetlands, Oyster Gardens, the painted screens in Canton, and more. They even participated in an ecowalk from the Inner Harbor to Fells Point.

RPCS Students

Take the Plunge for the Special Olympics Maryland This past winter, members of the Upper School and Middle School braved the 30-degree waters of the Chesapeake Bay for the Polar Bear Plunge! The Upper School Polar Bear Plunge Club and Special Olympics Club took the plunge, along with many seventh and eighth graders. The Special Olympics Club plunged with special guests from St. Elizabeth School, which made the day even “cooler!” This is the seventh year that RPCS has participated in the Cool Schools Plunge, with many of our students coming back to the event year after year!

REDS Represent at

Ivy League Model United Nations Conference This past January, more than 60 Upper School students traveled to Philadelphia for the Ivy League Model United Nations Conference, hosted at the University of Pennsylvania. Within three full days of more than 15 hour-long sessions, our students worked on important, relevant discussions on trade disputes, hunger and poverty, resource disagreements, human rights violations, global warming, nuclear disarmament and international security, public health, and more. Each student represented a country delegation. On multiple occasions, our students stepped up to speak to the entire session to discuss, debate and negotiate issues and resolutions for their country. It was clear that all of our students were earnest and thoughtful in their work over this long weekend.

Budding Biomedical Engineers Visit Johns

Hopkins University

The Upper School Biomedical Engineering

Innovation class, part of the Holliday Heine STEM Institute, visited Johns Hopkins University last October. They gained insights into the ongoing research developments in robotics engineering, and each student had an opportunity to test out the da Vinci Surgical System. Students also toured the campus, learned about the college admissions process, and met up with their Johns Hopkins instructors, who teach them virtually throughout the year!

Athletics: Cheering on Our REDS!

It was an action-packed year full of competition, teamwork, growth, fun, and several championship wins for our student-athletes and sports teams! Read on for some of the major highlights during the 2023–2024 school year.

Next Level REDS

Thirteen members of the Class of 2024 committed to continuing their athletic careers at the collegiate level. Eight student-athletes signed National Letters of Intent in the early signing period last fall and four REDS were celebrated at our spring signing ceremony. We are excited to cheer on our REDS as they compete at the next level this fall!

Tennis Team Aces Their Season

The varsity tennis team had a very strong season, finishing in second place in the regular season in the A Conference with a record of 6-2. In the IAAM Championship tournament, our freshmen doubles “3” team of Isabel Knott, 2027 and Saje Sandhu, 2027 advanced to the final round where they had an exciting comeback but eventually lost 1-2 vs. McDonogh. Congratulations to the full varsity team who finished tied for second place overall in the tournament!

Lindy Briggs University of Denver, lacrosse

Jane Fox University of California, Davis, lacrosse

Maryanne Harris American University, lacrosse

Skylar Nixon Villanova University, lacrosse

Maria Zaporozhski Rhodes College, field hockey

Riley Bittinger St. Joseph’s University, lacrosse

Jacinda Connor University of South Florida, lacrosse

Alli Craig University of Delaware, rowing

Tyler Williams

Morgan State University, tennis

Taylor Goldstein University of Rhode Island, lacrosse

Nikki Boyd Bates College, track and field

Amelia Giese Rhodes College, lacrosse

Hannah Cerny Trinity College, swimming (from left to right)

Varsity Squash Team Crowned US High School Team Champions

It was a busy and successful year on the courts for our squash program! The varsity team finished the regular season in second place with a conference record of 5-1 and then fought hard for a second-place finish in the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland (IAAM) Championship. In the postseason, the varsity team traveled to Philadelphia, PA, where they won Division IV of the US High School Team Squash Championship!

Toni Armstrong Named IAAM Swimming Coach of

the Year

In March, Head Varsity Swimming Coach Toni Armstrong was named the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland (IAAM) Swimming Coach of the Year! Coach Armstrong joined the RPCS community in the fall of 2022 and quickly made an impact over just two seasons. “With the strong support of assistant coach Laura Groseclose, and an unwavering commitment to the sport and our athletes, Toni has been able to refocus the program by creating a remarkable team culture in which our athletes can thrive,” said Dani Kell Steinbach, 2004, Co-Director of Athletics. Coach Armstrong credits “mutual mentoring” between coaches and players that paid off this season.

Varsity Swimming Team Wins IAAM B Conference Championship

The IAAM Championship celebration continued this winter when our varsity swimming team claimed the IAAM B Conference Championship title on February 4! Our REDS went undefeated in the regular season and entered the Championship meet as the favored team with the chance to set some new school records. Our REDS earned 15 individual medals with podium finishes in all 11 events, set two new school records and won the team championship with a total of 427 points.

Middle School Running Program Takes the Lead

The Middle School running program at RPCS continues to grow and thrive. This past fall, our Middle School crosscountry team went undefeated in five league competitions! Three Middle School track athletes competed in the USATF Junior Olympics Cross Country Championship in Louisville, KY. Eliana Hastings, ’28, Ella Donohue, ’29 and Adeline Hastings, ’30 competed along with other members of the REDS Track Club in the 11–12 Girls, 13–14 Girls and 15–18 Boys races. Ella D. and Adeline H. contributed to the team’s 11–12 Girls 33rd place finish. And members of the Winter Running Club used their season to stay in shape with practices on campus.

Cross-Country Team Once Again Recognized as Top Program in Southeast Region

The cross-country team enjoyed a season that combined IAAM competitions with several exciting invitationals. At the IAAM Championships, many of our runners had season-best times, and the team finished in second place in the Open Race! At the MD Private School Cross Country State Championship, our REDS earned first place in the JV race, with five of our runners finishing in the top 12! Plus, Skylar Carr, 2024 finished 16th overall in the Varsity race, where our team claimed fourth place. In late fall, nine members of the team traveled to Cary, NC, to compete in the Nike Southeast Regional Cross Country Championship where our varsity team took 14th in the Girls Open Invitational race and our freshmen had a strong showing in the Girls “Rising Star” race. Our team defended their All-Region Honors from last year and was recognized as one of the top programs in the Southeast Region for a second year in a row!

Varsity Soccer Team Captures Conference Championship

It was a truly special season for the RPCS soccer program as our varsity team won the IAAM B Conference Championship! The 1-0 victory over St. Paul’s School for Girls on November 4 earned our REDS the second soccer championship title in school history. The team finished the regular season 8-1 in conference play to earn the #1 seed in the tournament and finished with an overall season record of 15-4, including 11 shutout wins where their opponent did not score. The team’s incredible performance this fall earned them a #14 spot on the Baltimore Sun Girls Soccer Top 15 ranking!

Visual Arts

The visual arts at RPCS enable students to apply creative and critical thinking skills, strengthen their ability to articulate their ideas, and demonstrate vulnerability and honesty in sharing their work. Our visual artists also come to profoundly understand who they are and what they are capable of creating. Here are a few highlights of some of the memorable visual art pieces that kept our student artists busy this year!

This year, second graders worked on creating two projects: Louise Nevelson assemblages and Alpana designs. Both projects take a closer look at art produced by women. Students created abstract sculptures using found objects arranged in interesting ways. The second project focused on an art form called Alpanas, which incorporates repeating patterns in decorative radial designs. This Alpana design was created by Charlotte Donohue, 2034.

Fourth grade students completed their split state drawing project, a crosscurricular project with Social Studies, Library/Research and Art. Each student selected a photograph from their assigned state; some chose monuments, landscapes, or cityscapes. These images were then cut in half and each student drew in detail the other half using colored pencils. The goal was to continue drawing to match the colors as closely as possible. Through this project, the fourth graders sharpened their skills in observational and proportional drawing, creating value in color drawing, and using multiple colors to create warm or cool tones. Artwork by Avery Doehne, 2032.

The Middle School Art Room focuses on developing each student’s artistic thinking as they explore an individual art practice. Student artists are given open-ended studio time to experiment with materials, cultivate artistic skills, and utilize what they learn during lessons. Students use paint, collage, and other mixed-media materials to create their best work for the All-Student Art Show. Artwork pictured left to right: Adeline Swift, 2029, Macy Berk-Jones, 2030, and Alexis Russell, 2028.

The Upper School Photo Exhibit featured work from all first-semester photography students in AP Photography, Advanced Photography, Intro to Photography, and Darkroom Class. The work displayed consists of both digital and analog photography, and it encompasses a range of visual techniques and creative applications. The photograph, above left, is by Olivia Cooper, 2027. The photo above right is by Gracie Smallwood, 2026.

Last winter, the Upper School Ceramics exhibit featured work from all first-semester Upper School Ceramics students. Work included wheel-thrown pottery, slab and coil-built work, relief sculptures, and both functional and decorative pieces! The pink vase is by Bria Christian, 2024 and the bowl is by Jasper Perez, 2024.

Our nine Advanced Placement (AP) visual arts students have worked incredibly hard this year to apply critical and creative thinking skills to demonstrate their interpretation of an idea or problem through a variety of media. Their beautiful and moving paintings, drawings, mixedmedia work, photography, ceramics, and digital imaging were on display in the Knott Lobby this past spring, culminating in an AP Art Exhibit Reception in April. The photograph above on the left is by Daniela Roberts, 2024 and the piece on the right is by Clara Adams, 2024.

Congratulations to 11 of our art students for earning 20 Regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, with two pieces winning Gold Key recognition and moving on to the national round! Pictured above, top is Gold Key winner Eva Killingstad, 2025’s mixed media (photo) piece, “Amani.” Pictured above, bottom is Gold Key winner Violet Walsh, 2025’s drawing, “Jewelry.”

Performing Arts

Through the performing arts at RPCS, students deepen their connection to their own imaginations and the world around them. They also learn lifelong skills to become engaged citizens, such as understanding the value of sustained effort over time. This year, our student artists in all divisions shared their talents, skills and passions and discovered the joy in bringing our community together, either on stage (or in the Backwoods!) or behind the scenes. Brava!

Congratulations to the Upper School Performing Arts department on three outstanding performances of their Upper School Musical “Head Over Heels” last November!

Earlier this school year, the tri-school students participated in a 53-hour Film Festival and then premiered their videos to the RPCS Upper School! The 29 students were divided into three groups and created three films that their peers voted on at the showing. Each group was given a genre, a line, a character, and a prop — and then had 53 hours to brainstorm, write, cast, shoot, produce, edit, and postproduce a movie.

Above left: Last December, the Semiquavers performed for patients, families, and staff at Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital, adding a little joy and laughter to their days. Visiting this hospital is a wonderful tradition during their caroling outings each December, which also included visits to two retirement communities. Above right: The Semis also had the honor of singing at the Government House in Annapolis at Governor Wes Moore’s first Holiday Open House.

The Middle School Winter Concert this past January was a spectacular showing of our students’ impressive artistic abilities. Students in grades 6–8 recited poems from memory and performed instrumental, choral and dance numbers. Above left: The Eighth Grade Dancers performed an unforgettable performance to “Hold My Hand” by Lady Gaga. Above right: The Seventh Grade Guitarists performed “Ode to Joy.”

Last September, the Roses and Semiquavers worked with Devon Wallace from ClancyWorks Dance Company, our guest choreographer for the year. Devon worked with our students to create a piece that details the evolution of Hip Hop since its inception 50 years ago!

The Upper School Winter Dance Concert was a beautiful showing of our past, present, and future REDS’ outstanding talent. The concert opened with the Roses and Rosebuds dance, a beloved tradition where our first graders dance with the Roses. In addition to impressive performances from our Studio Dance Class, Advanced Dance Class, and Roses, we were honored to see multiple performances from alumnae! Above Top: In a beautiful collaboration, the Roses and Rosebuds performed “Smile” by Maya Elizabeth Hairston, 2012. Above: Niya Cockrell, 2026, Claire Bachman, 2025 and Nnezem Ogbaekwe, 2026 from the Advanced Studio Dance class performed to “Umbrella” by Rihanna featuring Jay-Z.

Last December, for the first time ever, all six Upper School singing groups from the tri-school community came together for a choral concert. The concert opened with every singer on stage and was followed by different collaborations of each group singing together. It was a beautiful and moving performance that brought REDS, Hounds and Mawrtians together!

The Lower School Winter Concert this past December was an incredibly beautiful, moving and festive showcase of our K–5 students’ vocal, instrumental, and dance talents. Joy, energy and community filled the Sinex Theater. Below: Second graders Giselle Woodward, Olivia Molot, Charli Terry, and Mackenzie Smith played “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Right: From the class of 2032, Tati Smith, Paige Russell, Ella Lofink, and Rose Hughes danced to “Vivir Mi Vida” by Marc Anthony.

We were thrilled to welcome back alumnae near and far across many generations, as well as students, parents and guardians, employees, and friends this past December for our Traditional Upper School Christmas Program and Alumnae Candle Lighting! The Living Reproductions, a series of elaborate tableaus depicting famous Christmas paintings and images, were incredibly impressive, as were the spectacular holiday carols, beautiful readings and the traditional alumnae candle lighting. Above left: Lilah Bracken, 2029, Nell Miles, 2030, Scarlett Caffo, 2029, Evie Howard, 2029, and Avery Shaughnessy, 2029 performed a stunning Living Reproduction of “The Adoration of the Shepherds.” Above right: Footlights Theater Ensemble members Lorelei Barganski, 2024 and Yvonne Romulus, 2025 performed a reading of “Snow” by Jared Carter.

Kudos to the incredibly talented company, crew, and production team of this year’s fabulous Middle School musical, Disney and Pixar’s “Finding Nemo, JR.!” Our Middle Schoolers wowed our audiences in three memorable performances. A special thank you to alumna Maya Elizabeth Hairston, 2012, music director of this production, for bringing her passion and talents back to RPCS.

An Interview with Nancy Potter Bennett Davis, 1942*

* deceased

Don’t lose your laughter...

Over the years, Nancy Townshend Haas, 1969, a member of the Roland Park Country School Alumnae Board who lives in Philadelphia, heard a few anecdotes of another RPCS alumna from her husband’s college friend, Peter Bennett. Peter’s mother, Nancy Potter Bennett Davis, was a graduate from the Class of 1942 and Nancy H. thought it would be fascinating to interview her about her time at RPCS. The two alumnae connected over Zoom last fall.

Sadly, Nancy Potter Bennett Davis passed away on March 29, 2024, about six weeks shy of her 100th birthday. Nancy lived a full, active life in Scarborough, Maine, with the same energy and optimism she had during her days at RPCS.

“Throughout the interview, I marveled at and enjoyed Nancy’s spirit,” Nancy H. said. “It was a treat to get a glimpse of what life was like for a RPCS student at that time.”

ABOVE: Nancy Potter Bennett Davis with her basketball team in 1942

A self-described “mischief-maker,” Nancy D. spoke about joining RPCS in first grade, participating in the Living Reproductions tableaux in Middle School and “standing still for what seemed like forever,” her love of Bing Crosby, and how her headmistress at the time, Miss Castle, secured her entrance to Wellesley by calling the school to inform them she was coming! She and Nancy H., who joined RPCS in pre-K, reminisced over the special friendships they made and graduating from the former campus and agreed how well the school prepared them for life.

Do you have any special memories from your primary or middle school years?

I joined RPCS in first grade and was in a small class of about nine to 10 students, so we all knew each other very well. All of my teachers were very nurturing and wonderful in shepherding us through, and I particularly remember Mrs. Preston in my primary years. Grades fifth through eighth were known as “Lower Main” at the time. Our school had open corridors and Lower Main had a separate hallway from the rest of the school. I remember we had to walk outside through the outdoor corridor to get to our classes.

What do you remember about that open-air environment at RPCS? It left me with a tremendous need for fresh air all the time. My sister Barbara Potter Milton, 1930, who was 12 years ahead of me in school, felt the same way. It was a very healthy environment, but it was kind of odd. I remember it best in high school. We would wear blue, heavy-duty “sports” sweaters everywhere. In each classroom, there were big blankets sitting on the back of each chair that we would wrap ourselves in and I often wore gloves since my hands were so cold. I remember seeing steam from the radiators, but there were big windows in each classroom that were always open at the top, even during the winter when the temperature averaged 30 degrees. I think there was something to it. Always getting us in the fresh air and not being that comfortable and learning to cope with things. It was good!

Do you remember your teachers from high school? How did they influence you?

I remember all of my teachers! Ms. Graham was the chemistry teacher and also my class teacher. Ms. Hawxhurst taught Latin, Miss Ellinger taught us English, Miss Lamb taught French, and I loved all of them. Some of the teachers were very reserved and I learned what it was like to be dignified and aloof by watching them. Then, there were some teachers like Ms. Graham, who were warm and loving and cared about each student as a total person, which was wonderful. The teachers did such a great job with us, particularly me, because I couldn’t care less about learning! They were very good.

The 1941–1942 Athletic Association, including president Nancy Potter Bennett Davis (back row, second from left)

How did your time at RPCS influence your path in life?

Every now and then, I catch myself acting like my teachers. I went to Wellesley College and worked very hard, more than I did in high school! It wasn’t until I was getting my master’s degree [in counseling and guidance] that I realized how well RPCS and Wellesley prepared me to learn.

I remember being at the school during key historical times, particularly when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. What was it like for you after Pearl Harbor was bombed?

Nobody forgets when they heard about Pearl Harbor. We were listening to a concert on the radio on a Sunday and the broadcast was interrupted to announce that Pearl Harbor had been bombed. We couldn’t believe it at first and it was really hard to take in. That memory has always stayed with me.

One happier memory was when Prince Edward VIII, the Duke of Windsor, and his fiancée, Wallis Warfield Simpson, the soonto-be Duchess of Windsor, visited Baltimore — her hometown! I remember all of us girls in our uniforms lined University Parkway as they drove by in an open car and gave us royal waves. We were all very impressed!

Do you have memories of the Great Depression?

Yes, but we were not affected because my father had a job with the Baltimore Transit Company. Everywhere we drove, we would see men on the corners with small items to sell, like apples or pencils. It was so sad and that’s how we knew people were suffering because our families would never talk about it, even if we asked questions. We never talked about it at school either. There was a lot of protecting children from the truth at that time.

Did you stay in touch with close friends?

Yes, I stayed in touch with Margery Kimball Hartzell, 1942, who was my closest friend when we graduated. We were in each other’s weddings and the last time I saw her was when I visited her in Portland, Oregon. We had a wonderful time. The others I lost touch with because the year I graduated high school, my father took a job with the federal government in Chicago to help with transportation during the war. I never went back to that house in Baltimore and lost touch with friends.

LEFT: Nancy Potter Bennett Davis, far left, with the field hockey team in 1941 BELOW, TOP: The 1941–1942 Quid Nunc staff, including sports editor Nancy Potter Bennett Davis, 1942 BELOW, BOTTOM: Caption: Nancy Potter Bennett Davis, with the 1942 lacrosse team

As president of the Athletic Association, I know you loved athletics, but according to Quid Nunc, your favorite sport was “misbehaving!”

Well, I was not really under control, Nancy. I did everything I could to disrupt! Teachers were very good to me. I had a sick mother and it had a tremendous effect on me and my brother. My teachers knew this and gave me a wide latitude because they knew what was going on in my life. I played field hockey, lacrosse and basketball, and field hockey was the most fun for me. Lacrosse was so new and it was very unusual for girls to play at that time. I remember playing against Garrison Forest and Bryn Mawr. I was very competitive as a child!

If you could give a message to RPCS students today, what would you tell them?

Keep laughing — don’t lose your laughter. Have a light touch with life. Sometimes I forget this myself! Don’t take life too seriously. And keep learning. Definitely keep learning.

Community

A New Middle School Student Experience

The 2023–2024 school year was an exciting one for the Middle School. In their second year in their leadership roles, Middle School Head Margaret Lofgren and Middle School Dean of Students Tiana Redfern Oguaman, 1999 created and launched a plan that reimagines and revitalizes the culture, curriculum and community of the RPCS Middle School.

By Melissa Tully

Introducing Middle School Themes

How can we make a Middle School student feel more connected to one another and their school? This was a question explored in the summer of 2023 that culminated in a project to create a grade-specific, thematic structure that helps our Middle School students learn more about themselves, each other, the RPCS community, and the Baltimore community. That summer, a committee was formed to create a Middle School Student Experience (MSSE) program for each grade for an entire school year; a theme that is tied to the curriculum, field trips, advisory, and afterschool activities. In addition, each theme corresponds with one or more of the RPCS core values. When the school year started, students and their parents and guardians were introduced to the themes:

Sixth grade: Wayfinding – Independence and Navigation

Core Value: Live healthy and be well Seventh grade: Belonging – Identity and Community

Core Values: Seek and embrace diversity, Build each other up

Eighth grade: Advocating – Voice and Choice Core Values: Lead for the greater good, Take your seat at the table

Sixth grade: Wayfinding

Under the theme of wayfinding, the sixth grade team encourages their students to forge their own paths and strategically develop their independence in a safe, nurturing environment. Modeling the core value to live healthy and be well, the sixth grade students are provided with the perfect blend of opportunities for support and independence. Examples include organizing their own movie night (see more below), participating in guest speaker presentations on overcoming obstacles and cultivating a resilient spirit, and developing skills in geography with a semester-long mapping project, a physical manifestation of finding their way around Middle School.

Seventh grade: Belonging

The feeling of belonging is woven into the fabric of RPCS and is promoted to our seventh graders in line with the core values of seeking and embracing diversity and building each other up. Individual identities are explored in a community setting both socially and as part of the curriculum, focusing on social identifiers and pinpointing how a person’s persona and character impact their experience with those around them. Students also form bonds with students in sixth and eighth grade during the new RPCS Cup monthly competitions.

Eighth grade: Advocating

With the introduction of advocating as the class theme, our students are challenged to answer the question: How will you create positive changes in the world? Through the interdisciplinary work across subjects such as English and history, the girls focus on developing their own voices through speeches, podcasts, and writing a historical fiction novel. They are also provided additional leadership opportunities and participate in an annual Civil Rights field trip as a culminating experience of their English and history curricula.

Additionally, the new Middle School STEM curriculum was framed around the grade-level themes. For example, in sixth grade, students explore technology, creativity and problem-solving skills through wayfinding, learning coding and robotics, design thinking and digital media exploration. In seventh grade, the curriculum empowers students with a diverse skill set and immersive projects to develop technical proficiencies and cultivate a deeper understanding of the role technology plays in shaping inclusive communities. In eighth grade, students embark on a journey of exploration, collaboration, and creation, leveraging the power of technology to advocate for meaningful change in their community and beyond. This past year, STEM 8 introduced a new prosthetic hand project as a powerful example of advocacy through technology.

Increasing Leadership Opportunities

Another aspect of the evolving Middle School Student Experience is the focus on leadership. While the eighth grade theme focuses on finding and sharing student voices, Middle School students were provided additional opportunities to lead and, more importantly, to develop and understand how to be productive leaders.

Student-Run Committees and Events

Every student was offered placement in a gradespecific committee that was tasked with organizing a social event. These committees, consisting of 15 to 30 students per grade, developed, promoted, set up and ran one social event for the year. The sixth grade decided on a movie night, seventh grade planned a mixer, and eighth grade organized a “red carpet” formal dance. The movie night, which took place in the fall, was a viewing of the 1998 film The Parent Trap in the Sinex Theater. The night included thoughtful and creative details, including plastic lizards glued to water bottles and a pretend fire pit, along with all the necessary movie-going snacks — all, of course, organized by the students and guided by Jenna Conny, sixth-grade history teacher and advisor, who was a true advocate for all three grades’ committees!

Wellness Leadership Workshops

The required Wellness Leadership Workshops are part of the introduction of the Gore Leadership Institute to the Middle School. This is a yearlong program split into two parts: a half year of wellness and a half year of leadership. Students are exposed to different leadership styles and dive into important topics such as emotional intelligence, how to collaborate with others of differing leadership styles and strengths, and general wellness issues. Each grade’s workshop curriculum was developed to align with that grade’s theme.

Eighth Grade Capstone Project

Launched in the 2022–2023 school year, the Eighth Grade Capstone Project — as part of the Gore Leadership Institute — allows our students to shadow a professional in the workplace as a culminating project of Middle School. By eighth grade, students have learned how to evaluate sources, analyze information, take notes, think critically, discuss ideas, and take initiative with their learning process. The Capstone experience offers students the opportunity to apply these classroom skills to the real world in order to learn from life experiences. “It is our aim that students come out of the program with increased confidence, new skills, a thirst for knowledge, and a desire for more learning opportunities in ‘the classroom of the world,’” said Sarah Morehead Pope, 2006, Gore Leadership Institute Coordinator. “We hope they are enticed by this taste of what lies ahead in their Upper School GLI experience.”

The Revitalization Continues

Mrs. Lofgren, Mrs. Oguaman and their team aren’t done yet. As the years progress, so too will the Middle School Student Experience. Plans are in motion, with a particular focus on revamping the advisory program to incorporate the themes and determining what the fifth-grade theme will be when they join the Middle School in the 2025–2026 school year. Mrs. Lofgren and Mrs. Oguaman also hope to incorporate more community service in the curriculum and elevate some field trip opportunities. Students, families and the faculty are excited to see how the Middle School Student experience continues to evolve in years to come!

PHOTOS AT RIGHT: 1. Grace Notarangelo’s Eighth Grade Capstone experience at BCT Design Group, working with Janet Meyer Euwer, 1990 and her team on architecture, landscaping and interior design projects. 2. Sixth graders (left to right) Caroline Oster, Brooklyn Smith, Sadie Watson, Makayla Engelman, and London Gillman at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall to see Jazzing the Symphony 3. Eighth grader Maddie Colón with Maryland Governor Wes Moore at the State House during a bill proposal that she observed as part of her Eighth Grade Capstone experience. 4. Seventh graders using their research, writing, and critical thinking skills to create a podcast highlighting Acts of Resistance through history, particularly during the Holocaust. 5. Eighth graders on their Civil Rights Trip at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C. 6. The sixth grade committee that organized a movie night to watch The Parent Trap 7. Middle School students spending a day learning about Baltimore 8. The first RPCS Cup games this fall, which were a huge hit this year! 9. Three eighth graders, Nori Cambell, Meghan Brady and Ariana Counsell (pictured left to right) visited Whiting-Turner for their Capstone Experience and were hosted by Virginia Hodges Jeffery, 1994.

ALL RISE

A New Upper School Mock Trial Team Has Their Day

Thanks to an inspired student idea, Roland Park Country School’s brand-new Mock Trial team successfully completed its inaugural year of competition! In the spring of 2023, thenjunior Kalli Marinopoulos, 2024 approached Upper School world languages and Gore Leadership Institute teacher Dr. Elisa Frost with the idea to create a new mock trial team at the school. With Dr. Frost’s support as a faculty advisor, the legal background and mentorship from lawyer and RPCS alumna Lauren Dodrill Benjamin, J.D., 2001, Kalli’s leadership, and the group’s hard work, their tireless efforts resulted in a strong team that performed well in several competitions this school year.

“There is nothing like the feeling of being able to compete in a real courtroom with a real judge,” Kalli said. “I’m so proud of our team for really committing to our roles and accomplishing as much as we did with limited time to prepare.”

In addition to the team, a new mock trial class was piloted through the Gore Leadership Institute in the spring of 2024 to offer Upper School students a stronger understanding of what trial lawyers do and how to argue cases, while also honing the team members’ skills in preparation for competition.

In February, Roland Park Country School’s Mock Trial team participated in its first Maryland Youth & the Law Mock Trial competition. Although they lost by a slight margin, the team received high praise from the presiding judge, who told them: “You know your case better than some attorneys in court,” and observed that they were “supremely prepared.”

Their second match was another close defeat, but they won their third competition by a sizable margin. Even after the mock trial season ended, the team participated in a national tournament in May via Zoom. In addition to Kalli, the following students participated in the first few competitions: Claire Bachman, 2025; Lorelei Barganski, 2024; Julia Foley, 2026; Charlotte Goldman, 2026; Jenny Jin, 2024; Kallie Lorber, 2024; and Cate Rivers, 2026. Two additional students, Alexis Maglin, 2026 and Rory Miller, 2026 joined the team midyear and will begin competing next year.

Kalli, who has always been interested in law and plans to pursue it as a career, would love to stay involved with the RPCS team as she heads to college in the fall and hopefully joins a new team as well.

Professional Connections:

REDS Return to RPCS to Share Career Advice

“If you don’t seek, you don’t find. So, keep looking!”

This was one of many pieces of valuable advice RPCS graduates shared with Upper School students at the school’s annual Professional Connections program in January. Organized by the Alumnae Office, five RPCS alumnae participated in a panel discussion to talk about their career paths, offer perspectives on exploring professional pursuits and to reflect on how RPCS prepared them for life after graduation.

Moderated by Cary Zink Kassouf, 1995, Alumnae Board President and Executive Director of the Baltimore Research and Education Foundation (BREF), the panelists covered multiple topics, from ways to achieve work-life balance, how an allgirls environment impacted the graduates’ college experiences, the value of asking for help, and how nonlinear career paths can bring professional and personal fulfillment.

Lauren Dodrill Benjamin, 2001, Director of Alumnae Relations at Notre Dame Prepatory School, shared how RPCS built her sense of confidence. “I never doubted that I should have a seat at the table working in a male-dominated industry,” she said. Lauren also credits RPCS for teaching her mental toughness and perseverance, how to think critically and deeply and how to write well — all important skills for any career. Lauren also advised the girls to pursue networking opportunities and informational interviews to learn about different career options.

Maya Jackson, 2011, Psychotherapist, Intake and Services Coordinator, and Case Management Supervisor for Optimum Health Systems, shared three pieces of advice with the students: Don’t be afraid to ask for help, get involved in school activities, and enjoy being a kid. She also encouraged the students to invest in their mental health. “We only get one life,” Maya said. “Just enjoy what you’re doing!” Currently studying to become a Licensed Certified Social Worker-Clinical (LCSW-C), Maya credits RPCS for teaching her how to apply herself and take her education seriously.

“Choosing what you want to learn is very impactful.”

Lulu Zeitouneh, 2001, a Creative Director who has worked in media for almost two decades, is grateful for the values of confidence and courage that RPCS taught her. “You’re laying the groundwork for your lives here,” she told the students. Lulu urged them not to be afraid to put themselves out there, stay flexible in this ever-changing world and pivot career paths, as needed. “There is value in failure, even as an adult,” Lulu told the students.

Similarly, Mackenzie Birely, 2015, a nurse who plans to pursue a career as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, talked about how change is great for growth and assured the students that they don’t need to know yet what career paths they may want to pursue. She encouraged the students to take advantage of opportunities in college to follow their passions. “Don’t be afraid to take your shot,” she told the audience.

Regan Gore, 2015, Head of Operations for Wisdom Ventures, who is also pursuing a Master of Education with a focus on social foundations and connections, spoke about the value of being scrappy and connecting with graduates from other all-girls schools. Her best advice to the students was, “Listen to your parents! They are always in your corner, and they know you best.” Several students asked the speakers thoughtful questions about ways to network and how to know an interest may be worth pursuing as a career. Afterward, the students and graduates mingled in the Faissler Library to continue the conversation.

From left to right: Cary Zink Kassouf, 1995; Lauren Dodrill Benjamin, 2001; Lulu Zeitouneh, 2001; Mackenzie Birely, 2015; Maya Jackson, 2011; and Regan Gore, 2015

song

A SYMPHONY OF THE SEMIQUAVERS

CELEBRATE 70 YEARS

Roland Park Country School’s beloved auditioned vocal and memories through their music to both the school

Valentine’s serenades on campus, to open houses at the Governor’s Mansion and the Washington Monument

everyone lucky enough to hear them perform. The group’s notable history also includes performances at Camden Yards, Disneyland and the White House, and three concerts at Carnegie Hall (one of which the Semiquavers were selected as the featured choir) — as well as trips to Ireland and Scotland.

As this year marks the 70th anniversary of the Semiquavers, past and present members and directors of the group gathered to celebrate this milestone during Alumnae Weekend this past April. Let’s look back at what makes the Semiquavers so very special to RPCS.

A Brief History

Louise Larkins Bradford established the Semiquavers during the 1953–1954 school year. The group’s name refers to a sixteenth note in music, and for many years the ensemble had 16 students. In 1958, Miss Margaret Ingle took over the group. Helena John came to Roland Park Country School in January 1963 to direct the Semis, which she did until 1975. Although not an official faculty member, Helena came to campus for practices only, as it was convenient from her full-time teaching job in Baltimore City. She auditioned new members, and she selected the music. She chose a substitute for each of the four sections so the balance would still be there if a student were to be absent. Since the subs knew the music as well as the other girls, it was decided that they could also perform in the concerts. So, for a few years, there were 20 Semiquavers.

In 1975, Helena left to take a teaching position in Baltimore County. The group then rehearsed on their own with student leaders until Headmaster Gordon Lenci, HA hired Biff Fink in 1977. According to Biff, the girls were miffed that they could not run the group themselves any longer!

Doug Forbes came to the school in 1981 as the Lower School music teacher and began teaching in the Upper School when Biff left in 1983, directing the Semiquavers until 1993. Rhonda AbouHana then directed the Semis from 1996 to 2008, and then Erin Farfaglia took the role in 2008.

In 2012, Lisa Diver, 2006, a former Semiquaver, returned to Roland Park Country School after earning a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Delaware and a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Westminster Choir College. She began directing the Semis, a position she still holds today, in addition to teaching Middle and Upper School music.

Being a Semiquaver is now a credit course in the Upper School curriculum. As a core academic class, students meet every other day for 80 minutes and study techniques of good vocal tone production, musicianship, and showmanship.

The

enjoyment of singing and the confidence to sing is so special.

—

DOUG

FORBES, HA

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Kim Bogue Barbaro and Connie Lee from the 19911992 Semiquavers; 1983 Semiquavers, the first group to be directed by Doug Forbes, HA; Former Semiquavers director Doug Forbes, HA conducting the Glee Club at City Hall in December 1992; The Semiquavers performing as the Featured Choir at Carnegie Hall, directed by Lisa Diver, 2006; the 2019-2020 Semis performing their beloved annual Valentine’s Day serenades

The first group of Semiquavers in the 1953-1954 school year

Favorite Traditions and Memories

As ambassadors for RPCS, the community outreach and public appearances are an integral part of the Semiquavers experience and one of Ms. Diver’s favorite parts of the job. From caroling during the holidays at retirement communities and the Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital to singing traditional songs at various school events and the national anthem at Orioles games, among other performances, Ms. Diver loves working with the student artists to spread joy through performing.

Former Semiquavers director Rhonda AbouHana, who is now a voice teacher in Italy, agrees. “Spreading joy through music is the best feeling in the world! The moments in the spring as the senior Semis marked their final performances were always bittersweet. The passing down of the cummerbunds from the graduating Semis to the incoming members brought tears without fail.”

One of Mr. Forbes’ favorite memories is of the Semiquavers performing “Let’s Go Singing” and “We’re All Together Again” at Opening Day Convocation. “The enjoyment of singing and the confidence to sing is so special,” Mr. Forbes said. “As the lyrics so eloquently state: ‘This road is rocky ... life’s not easy, this we know. So we’ll be singin’ wherever we go!’”

Hannah Andrews, 2019, a former president of the Semiquavers who earned a degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Delaware and is now pursuing a music career, fondly remembers performing at Carnegie Hall. “The sight of the audience from the stage at Carnegie Hall, the way the lights danced on the gold and red of the room, the sounds of our voices in the choir, that’s a memory that has been pleasantly seared into my mind since that very day,” Hannah recalls.

“One time all four Alto 2’s, riding in the same car, got lost on the way to a performance,” Sarah Berger, 1994, a professional chorister and soloist, remembers. “We had to vamp with our two- and three-part repertoire until they eventually arrived. After that, we traveled in mixed-section groups. Life lessons!”

Patricia Burt, 1991, now a professor of Music Theory and Analysis at The Juilliard School, remembers hearing the Semiquavers perform for the first time when she was in the sixth grade. “I had never heard anything like them before,” she said. “In that moment, becoming a Semi was my main goal for my time at RPCS.” Being a member of the Semis, and the president of the group her senior year, was incredibly meaningful for her.

Ms. AbouHana remembers the close relationships the girls would build. “There was a feeling of safety and trust between each member, whether they were friends outside of Semis or not,” she said. “That’s one of the magical things that arts training offers us — tools to build relationships and trust. We shared a lot and laughed a lot!”

The sight of the audience from the stage at Carnegie Hall, the way the lights danced on the gold and red of the room, the sounds of our voices in the choir, that’s a memory...

— HANNAH ANDREWS, 2019

Semiquaver Reflections and Tributes:

“Meeting Ms. Diver and being introduced to the Somettos (the school’s vocal ensemble for freshmen and sophomores) and Semis was one of the biggest reasons I decided to attend RPCS for high school… My experience in Semiquavers was a catalyst for the rest of my life as a performer, and that is something I am truly thankful for.”

— Hannah Andrews, 2019, Independent performing artist

“I fondly remember sitting next to my friend, Jassmin, and getting to express ourselves through music. I’m grateful I had so many opportunities at RPCS to explore and embrace my love for music and performing. While I ended up studying marketing and graduated from Howard University as valedictorian of the School of Business, I never stopped singing or making music.”

Maya Elizabeth Hairston, 2012, Singer-songwriter, Worship Leader and Inspirational-Soul Artist

“Back in 2020, when we were unable to hold live performances due to COVID, we created a virtual Christmas program compiled of footage from previous programs through the years. A really special moment of the program was a compilation of more than 80 Semi alums who had submitted videos of themselves singing “Softly the Stars Were Shining,” a piece that Mr. Forbes introduced as an addition to the Christmas program in 1983 and is now a cherished part of the Semiquaver repertoire. When the world was experiencing one of its darkest times, we leaned heavily upon the arts as a means of comfort, and in true RPCS spirit, so many alums, and former Semis directors, were eager to participate.”

— Lisa Diver, 2006, Semiquavers Director, 2012-present

“I will always have truly fond memories of Doug Forbes at the piano, and he remains one of my absolute favorite teachers and mentors. The friendships I made in the Semis were invaluable, and it was fabulous to be able to hang around with the grades above and below my own. The Semis were the foundation for my love of singing around the world with Yale a cappella groups, cabaret performances in New York and Baltimore, and now as the singer in my recently formed cover band, Midlife Crisis!”

— Betsey Swingle Hobelmann, 1993

“The Semiquavers helped me develop the skill of true listening, not just hearing. To successfully perform as a group, the Semiquavers had to really listen to each other in order to present a powerful and memorable performance. It wasn’t until many years later that I realized how few people know how to listen. My years being a member of the Semiquavers planted the seeds for me to value listening.”

— Mary Longrall Pinkard, 1974, Music Therapist

“The Semis are like my sisters, and we will always be there for each other. It has been magical to be part of such a close-knit community.”

“To be an RPCS Semiquaver is to serve the school, the community, and yourself by spreading beauty, creating touching moments, and modeling what it is to commit to something you are passionate about. To those thinking about auditioning: Do it if you love it! To those who audition and are not selected: Sing anyway! If you love to sing, just do it. Don’t let anyone tell you not to use your singing voice.”

— Rhonda AbouHana, Semiquavers Director from 1996 to 2008

TOP LEFT: The 2023-2024 Semiquavers perform at the Traditional Upper School Christmas Program; TOP RIGHT: Lisa Diver, 2006, leads the 2016-2017 Semiquavers in singing the National Anthem at Camden Yards; BELOW: The Semiquavers performing at The White House in December 2016. OPPOSITE PAGE, LEFT: Doug Forbes, HA and current and past Semiquavers celebrate their 70th anniversary during

— Laila Carroll, 2024, Semiquavers Co-President for the 2023–2024 school year

Alumnae Weekend on April 20, 2024. OPPOSITE PAGE, RIGHT: The 1960 Semiquavers.

RPCS Inducts New Members into Athletic Hall of Fame

On Friday, September 8, 2023, Roland Park Country School proudly inducted eight individuals, one coach and one team into the RPCS Athletic Hall of Fame. The 2023 induction class is the seventh group of inductees to be honored since the inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006.

“We are gathered this evening to celebrate and honor the incredible athletic achievements of a very special group of student-athletes and coaches who have made a significant impact on the athletic program at RPCS,” Co-Director of Athletics Dani Kell Steinbach, 2004 said at the beginning of the ceremony. “With spirit and pride for this school and their teams and sports, our inductee class strived for excellence in competition, while also showing incredible commitment, work ethic and character that defines what it means to be a RED.”

The evening was a celebration full of inspirational speeches from the inductees and the special people in their lives, and shared memories of proud moments with former teammates and coaches. Each inductee expressed their gratitude for launching their athletic careers in an environment that fostered a spirit of dedication, competition and camaraderie.

In sports, you realize that every day, every minute, every second matters,” said Barbara Seaman, 2006, a new inductee. “I learned to appreciate every moment, that the real victories aren’t always reflected in the scoreboard — although it does feel that way at the time — but are in the journey, the daily grind, the lessons you learn, the people you meet, the memories you share with your teammates … I am most of all grateful for that time when I got to put on that red uniform, represent my programs and school, and just be an athlete. I am beyond honored to be included in this Athletic Hall of Fame — but most of all, I am beyond grateful and proud to be a RED.”

The following day, inductees were honored at halftime of the Sally E. Nyborg field hockey game, as part of the RPCS Fall Sports Festival. The REDS took the field in Sally’s honor and earned a 7-1 victory vs. Friends. Go REDS!

BELOW LEFT: The Varsity field hockey team earned a 7-1 victory vs. Friends at the Sally E. Nyborg field hockey game on Saturday, September 9, 2023.

BELOW RIGHT: Members of the 1998 field hockey team and their families pose with the 2023 Varsity field hockey team during halftime at the Sally E. Nyborg field hockey game.

Congratulations to the RPCS Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2023 Inductees:

Gin Barrett Shanley, 1970

Becky Pindell Ford, 1975

Kelly Sloan Warlow, 1996

Molly Frew Peterson, 2003

Barbara Seaman, 2006

Hayley Milbourn, 2007

Daeze Alaeze-Dinma, 2012

Audrey Todd, 2012

Jane Seibert, P’06, Coach

1998 Field Hockey Team

Debbie Bloodsworth – Coach

Melissa Carter-Bey, 1992 –Coach

Gretchen Crook Bauer, 1999

Jill Casey, 1999

Christina Smith Fenton, 1999

Kristin Sudina Freitag, 1999

Wendy Forbes Grossman, 1999

Carey Williams Jenny, 2000

Allison Higgins Keenan, 2001

Meghan Kelly Long, 1999

Ashley Zink McLain, 1999

Stasia Thomas Nardangeli, 1999

Anne Visser Nicholson, 1999

Meghan McInnes Palmer, 2000

Whitney Jamison Price, 1999

Liz Ryan, 1999

Kelsey Twist Schroeder, 2001

Alex Thomas Shapiro, 2001

Betsy Gaines Skalski, 1999

Carey Scanlan Swift, 1999

Anne Saldutti Wroniewicz, 2000

Lindsey Zeren Zarlengo, 1999

1998 Field Hockey Team

Honors Sally E. Nyborg

On May 17, 1998, Sally Elizabeth Nyborg, a Varsity field hockey player and a member of the Class of 1999 at Roland Park Country School, passed away from complications caused by lupus. A very bright and energetic teenager, Sally challenged herself in all aspects of her life, including field hockey, which was her passion. She participated in the U.S. Futures Program and relished the challenge of learning and competing with some of the area’s best high school athletes. Sally also loved to run and to help others, as demonstrated by the $1,800 she raised for the Leukemia Society by running in the Marine Corps Marathon in October 1997. All who knew Sally marveled at her work ethic and her dedication to academics, athletics, and all that she pursued.

In Sally’s memory, RPCS holds the annual Sally E. Nyborg Tournament to commemorate the life of an exceptional young woman and celebrate the game she so loved. Roland Park Country School is grateful to the parents, grandparents and friends of Sally E. Nyborg and the Class of 1999 who established an endowment to help underwrite this event. The endowment also funds the Sally E. Nyborg Scholarship, a financial assistance grant awarded to a student entering the School in the ninth grade, the grade Sally joined RPCS. Additionally, the Sally E. Nyborg Award is presented annually at Class Day to that junior who best exemplifies Sally’s concern and care for others, her commitment to community involvement, and her perseverance in facing challenges.

This past fall, the members of the 1998 field hockey team honored Sally’s memory by organizing a fundraiser. Teammate Jill Casey, 1999, led the effort and, together with the team, raised $1,900 to support athletics as RPCS.

“We wanted to acknowledge our teammate and the impact she and her death had on our lives,” Jill explained. “She would have been on the team again in the fall of 1998. It felt like the right thing was to bring her memory into that day, as well as show our support for her legacy. Sally truly loved field hockey and her presence was felt by our team all throughout the 1998 season. Though not with us in body, Sally was definitely with us in spirit.”

Nikki Boyd senior profiles

During the last 13 years at Roland Park Country School, Nikki Boyd has developed confidence, motivation, and strong leadership and communication skills, both on and off the field. “RPCS Athletics has shaped me as a student as I’ve learned balance and drive,” Nikki said.

“The amount of energy and enthusiasm my coaches bring to practice every day has taught me to put the same effort and passion into studying, which has also led to my academic success.”

This past fall, Nikki was part of the REDS varsity soccer team that won the 2023–2024 IAAM B Conference Championship, a thrilling and fitting way to end her soccer career at RPCS, surrounded by teammates, many of whom she has played with for years. As one of three soccer captains and one of three indoor track captains, Nikki was also All-Conference for indoor track in 2023 and earned excellence awards last year for both indoor and outdoor track.

Earlier this year, Nikki served as co-president of the Holiday Fair Committee, a role she loved. “I have gone to the Holiday Fair since kindergarten and wanted to contribute to the joy and fun of it for those younger students,” she said. Nikki is also in many clubs, including Zen Club, Think Pink Club, Polar Bear Plunge Club, One Love Club, Model UN Club, and Spike Ball Club.

Laila Carroll

Throughout her 13 years at Roland Park Country School, Laila Carroll has taken every opportunity available to discover her passions: singing and musical theater, diversity work, photography, and telling stories. Laila has also cultivated a compassionate and inclusive leadership style and the courage to face life’s challenges, which she attributes to her involvement in the performing arts at RPCS.

As co-president of the Semiquavers, the school’s auditioned junior and senior a cappella group, and the lead roles in several Upper School musicals, including “Head Over Heels” last fall and “Disney’s Descendants” her junior year, Laila is a star both on and off stage. In addition to managing the Middle School musical her sophomore year and running the sound and lighting in the tech booth during all Upper School meetings, Laila is also copresident of the Film Club, a member of the Student Diversity Association, and a member of the Inclusive Excellence Leadership Program, which is an initiative to position students to facilitate discussions about diversity, equity and inclusion. She has also volunteered throughout Upper School with the Bridges Program at Gilman to mentor and build connections with children in the community.

Laila credits her teachers at RPCS for allowing her the space to form her own opinions, while also giving her the tools she needs to thrive and advocate for herself. “RPCS has also set me up with great communication skills, and being able to bond with such a tight-knit community has really taught me about siblinghood and how close people can be,” Laila said. “This has been such a wonderful experience and I’ve loved my time here.”

Nikki has been on the honor roll every semester of high school and was awarded the World Languages Certificate this past spring for her formal intensive study of both French and Spanish throughout Upper School. Last summer, Nikki completed a week-long internship with orthopedic surgeon Dr. Edward McFarland at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, where she was able to observe several shoulder surgeries in the operating room and patient check-ups. This incredible experience cemented her interest in pursuing a career in medicine.

Nikki credits RPCS for pushing her to find the courage to try new classes, sports and activities that she otherwise would not have pursued. “I’ve also learned to speak up for myself and have the confidence to do so because of the small class sizes, encouraging teachers, and extremely positive all-girls environment,” Nikki said. She is so grateful for the wonderful friends she has made and will also miss her teachers, sports teams, classes and the overall school environment that she called home for so long.

Outside of school, Nikki loves to play club soccer, go on runs and hikes with her friends and spend time with family. This summer, she will travel to San Diego, Richmond and the Dominican Republic, before heading to Bates College in the fall, where she will join the track and field team and study biology.

“The amount of energy and enthusiasm my coaches bring to practice every day has taught me to put the same effort and passion into studying.”

This past winter, Laila created a 45-minute documentary for her Disabilities in Literature class about the intersectionality of Race and Disability and wants to pursue more opportunities to share the stories of others who are marginalized and don’t have a voice. As a member of the Holliday Heine STEM Institute, she was also part of the inaugural Biomedical Engineering Innovation college-credit course taught by Johns Hopkins faculty. Laila was inducted into the National Cum Laude Society as a junior and was awarded both the STEM Certificate and Arts Certificate of Distinction this spring.

Last summer, Laila completed an internship at Catonsville Primary Care Center, where she shadowed pediatrician Dr. Sherri Gruneberg and learned about the adaptability, patience and compassion required in healthcare. This insight will be helpful as Laila plans to pursue a career as an Occupational Therapist.

Laila will miss her supportive classmates and teachers and also many RPCS traditions, including the annual Welcome Back party, Christmas caroling, Valentine’s Day serenades and the Alumnae Valentine’s Legacy Luncheon, and singing with her kindergarten buddy in the Upper School Spring Choral Concert.

This summer, Laila will intern for the second year in a row with Irvin Simon Photography to hone her photo editing skills. This fall, she will attend the University of Maryland (Scholars Program) and will major in biochemistry and minor in cinema and media studies.

“RPCS has set me up with great communication skills, and being able to bond with such a tightknit community has really taught me about siblinghood and how close people can be.”

Molly

Jethwa

When Molly Jethwa joined Roland Park Country School as a sophomore, she discovered her collaborative learning style, a love for public speaking and strong leadership skills. “I’ve really found my voice here,” Molly said. “In addition to growing as a student, RPCS has taught me how to become a more innovative and thoughtful person.”

As president of both the Student Diversity Association and Red Key (a group of student ambassadors who provide campus tours for prospective families), copresident of the REDS Dance Company, and a member of Model UN and the Polar Bear Plunge Club, Molly has found joy in connecting and empathizing deeply with her peers. She was also captain of the field hockey team this year, plays squash and is a sailing instructor.

Molly credits her classmates who have served as real-life role models for her, which in turn, encouraged her to create personal goals to give back to the school and set a good example for others. In addition to volunteering at St. Elizabeth School, Molly is also a Peer Health advisor and was a founding member of the Inclusive Excellence Leadership Program, which teaches and empowers students to facilitate discussions about diversity, equity and inclusion.

Rebecca Showalter

At Roland Park Country School, Rebecca Showalter found a special community through her robotics team. As a member of the Bionic Bears, Rebecca has learned to collaborate with others and reach her full potential alongside her teammates. “RPCS has taught me how to problem solve tenaciously and to never be afraid of making mistakes, and robotics has allowed me to put this into practice,” Rebecca explained. “I’ve learned through robotics that when I work with other people, we can create something much bigger than ourselves.”

Throughout her four years at RPCS, Rebecca has also been involved in the Fine Arts Association and served as president her senior year. She enjoyed being part of the school’s inclusive arts community and planning coffee houses to give fellow artists a safe space to hone their craft.

Last year, Rebecca earned Roland Park Country School’s Women in Science Award and the Harvard Book Award, which is awarded to exemplary high school students who display excellence in scholarship and achievement in nonacademic fields. She was inducted into the National Cum Laude Society as a junior and has been on the honor roll every semester in Upper School.

The summer before her senior year, Rebecca spent a month interning with the Duncan Lab, part of the NanoBioengineering Respiratory Department at the University of Maryland, College Park. While there, she learned about studying viral gene therapy, which is a field of medicine that uses viruses to replace mutated

Last year, Molly was the recipient of the Benjamin Franklin University of Pennsylvania Book Award, an honor awarded to a junior with exemplary citizenship and community service and evidenced leadership in academics and athletics. A member of the Holliday Heine STEM Institute, Molly loved participating in group projects that encompassed multiple perspectives and she graduated with a STEM Certificate this spring.

A favorite school tradition of Molly’s is one she and other members of her Power Lunch program initiated last year. As a co-portfolio manager for the Davidov Family Power Lunch Program, she and her team raised enough money from their investments to fund a field trip to New York City to visit two financial services institutions: Brown Advisory and Nasdaq MarketSite, where they attended the closing bell ceremony. This year, they raised enough money for an overnight trip and Molly hopes this tradition will continue for years to come.

Molly will miss the strong and comfortable relationships she has with her RPCS classmates, teachers and advisor, Ms. Marx. This fall, she will head to the United States Naval Academy, where she will major in general engineering.

“I’ve really found my voice here.”

genes with correct genes. Later, she created and conducted her own experiments. In addition to learning many practical lab skills, Rebecca also learned general life skills, including venturing outside of her comfort zone to work alongside professional researchers and emailing nearly 100 researchers in Maryland to request an internship, which increased her confidence and sense of initiative.

Rebecca is grateful to RPCS for being a comfortable place where she can still be challenged, which in turn has helped her become a more courageous and empathetic person. “Roland Park Country School taught me not to be afraid of hard things, but to instead see challenges as opportunities to grow and discover my full potential,” Rebecca said. She will miss the small, discussion-based class dynamics that foster both great and challenging conversations and a tight-knit community. “I’m also going to miss learning and laughing alongside my friends at RPCS,” she said.

Outside of school, Rebecca loves to read, paint and teach biology classes at her local community lab. This summer, she will continue to conduct research and spend time with friends and family before she heads off to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) this fall, where she will study bioengineering.

“RPCS has taught me how to problem solve tenaciously and to never be afraid of making mistakes.”

alumnae profiles

Maura Chippendale, 1980

Growing up, Maura Chippendale’s parents taught her that she could create whatever life she wanted and they valued the importance of an excellent education as a strong foundation. “When I joined RPCS in second grade and experienced how empowering an all-girls environment was, there was no stopping me or my classmates,” Maura said. “I always knew I would go out and make a difference in this world.”

While at RPCS, Maura was on the varsity badminton team and manager of the tennis team. She was also a shepherd in one of the Traditional Upper School Christmas Program’s Living Reproductions tableaus and still remembers the position she had to hold during the performances! Maura’s graduating class was the last one at the former campus. After a devastating fire during Thanksgiving weekend her freshman year, Maura recalls cleaning up campus with her classmates while wearing T-shirts that read, “Destroyed, But Not Defeated,” and sitting in classes with no heat, wearing hats, mittens and blankets while studying Chaucer. However, her best memories are of her classmates and teachers, including Mrs. Hall, who taught her math throughout all four years of high school. “I mostly remember the friendships and

the feeling of empowerment that comes from being around like-minded people,” Maura said. “We were all empowering each other to be our best selves.”

Throughout her 11 years at RPCS, Maura also came to appreciate the discipline she learned to help her organize her time and mind, which became invaluable in college and beyond. After graduation, Maura earned a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Education degree, both in Audiology from the University of Georgia. A Fellow of the American Academy of Audiology, Maura went on to earn a Doctor of Audiology (AuD) degree from A.T. Still University, from the Arizona School of Health Sciences. Today, she owns her own audiology practice, Chippendale Audiology, in Cape Coral, Florida. Her daughter, Erica, is the office manager of the practice. Feeling at a crossroads in her career several years ago, Maura became involved with Hearing the Call, a nonprofit organization that brings audiologists and hearing health to areas of the world where there is no hearing healthcare. Since 2018, Maura has traveled with audiology humanitarian teams to South Africa (Johannesburg and Plettenberg Bay), New Delhi, India, and Amman, Jordan, where she volunteers at community outreach clinics with 100 or more patients per day. Through these trips,

Maura and her team members aim to provide relief, development and empowerment to the communities they serve. Maura’s daughter and her daughter’s wife also joined her on a trip last year as part of her support team. In addition to her international humanitarian work, Maura has also established a local Hearing the Call – Southwest Florida project, where she provides affordable hearing healthcare for individuals in her community.

Additionally, Maura is passionate about fundraising, and her philanthropic work resulted in the opening of The Darkhorse Lodge, a retreat near Paris, Tennessee, for combat veterans to spend time together for peer counseling, fishing, and relaxing at no charge.

Later this year, Maura will return to South Africa and will also travel to the Sherpa Valley in Nepal, with her son, Logan, and his girlfriend joining her support team with Hearing the Call. She also recently joined the nonprofit organization’s Board of Directors.

“We all go to school with this feeling of wanting to save the world, but it’s sometimes hard to feel an impact in our day-to-day lives,” Maura said. “Helping people in need makes me feel like I really am making a difference.”

“The school fostered an environment that allowed me to explore my interests, make mistakes, laugh, be silly, be creative, and every little emotion and feeling in between.”

Ajée Robinson remembers exactly when she decided to become a lawyer. In seventh grade at RPCS, an attorney came to speak to her class. The lawyer was so impressed with Ajée’s questions that she predicted she would pursue a career in law, and the rest was history. “It didn’t matter to me that, up until then, I had no interest in being a lawyer or that I was only 12 at the time,” Ajée recalls. “All that mattered was that she made me believe in a dream that I didn’t even know was on my horizon.”

After graduating from RPCS in 2019, Ajée earned a B.A. in Sociology with a double minor in Political Science and Criminology from Villanova University in 2023. She received a Presidential Scholarship, a renewable, merit-based award covering tuition, housing, meal plan, textbooks, and additional expenses for all four years. Last summer, Ajée worked as an SEO Fellow at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP., in Washington, D.C., where she enjoyed expanding her legal knowledge through working on various legal matters across a range of different practice groups. Ajée just completed her first year at Columbia Law School and will return to Baltimore this summer to work as a 1L

Ajée Robinson, 2019

Summer Associate at Venable LLP. She is interested in pursuing a career in litigation, specifically investigatory and appellate practice.

Ajée credits her classmates, teachers and staff for making her feel safe throughout her 11 years at Roland Park Country School. “I walked into RPCS as a 7-year-old girl with no idea that education could represent safety for me,” she said. “But I left as a confident young woman who understood the value of my voice, presence, and perspective and how I could use these aspects of myself to be a catalyst for change and progress anywhere I went.”

Ajée fondly remembers many of her favorite teachers, including Ms. Fowler, Mrs. Rollfinke, Ms. Carter-Bey and Ms. Diver, as well as her college counselor, Ms. Diehl.

“RPCS taught me how to navigate this complicated world as a young Black woman by reassuring me that what I had to say, how I felt, and who I was, deserved to take up space,” Ajée said. “The school fostered an environment that allowed me to explore my interests, make mistakes, laugh, be silly, be creative, and every little emotion and feeling in between. Being at RPCS also taught me

how to confidently walk into any room and speak with intention and conviction, even when I have butterflies in my stomach.”

Representation has always been and remains very important to Ajée. Throughout high school, she was involved in the Bridges Program at Gilman. This year-round initiative provides summer enrichment, school-year success resources that include group programming and individual support, and school placement support for elementary-aged students from Title I public schools in Baltimore. She guided, mentored and tutored the students and continued her involvement with the program long after graduating from RPCS.

“Although I have always been valued, nurtured, and fostered as a Black student at RPCS, I also quickly recognized the importance of being a resource for more people who look like me,” Ajée said. “So, many of my Black peers and I strived and continue to strive to show up as the best versions of ourselves so we would be in the best positions to pass the torch to little Black girls just like us who are capable of more than they know but may not have the access or opportunity needed to see just how capable they are.”

Research REDS in . . .

ALEXANDRA DAY, 2011

Graduates of Roland Park Country School have gone on to pursue incredible careers with varied paths, taking them all over the globe. In this annual feature story, we highlight REDS with careers in specific industries. This year, we are spotlighting our alumnae who have dedicated their careers to research. These women investigate important issues and pursue breakthroughs, all to uncover new knowledge for a better world.

TANAIRA CULLENS, 2008

Tanaira Cullens is an environmental scientist at Biohabitats, an environmental consulting firm. She ardently believes in pursuing work that either directly or indirectly conserves, protects or enhances the natural environment, especially along coastal areas. Tanaira is also the internship program coordinator at Biohabitats, which she continues to grow for students of color and young women in the environmental science, engineering and landscape architecture fields. After graduating from RPCS, Tanaira earned a B.S. in Biology from Morgan State University and an M.S. in Environmental Science and Policy from Johns Hopkins University.

Alexandra is in a five-year Ph.D. program in computer engineering at Northwestern University that she will complete in 2025. She is currently pursuing interdisciplinary research projects at the intersection of machine learning and high-performance computing and is working with a group in the Materials Science and Engineering Department to characterize nanoparticle images and accelerate their acquisition and analysis turnaround times. After graduating from RPCS, Alexandra earned her bachelor’s degree in Physics with a Math minor from Wellesley College. She is also a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellow.

KATHRYN FOREMAN, 2017

Kathryn is a graduate researcher in chemistry in the Bowen Group, an experimental chemical physics laboratory at Johns Hopkins University. After RPCS, Kathryn attended Towson University, where she graduated with bachelor’s degrees in Philosophy, Chemistry, and Forensic Chemistry specializing in Trace Evidence/Drug Analysis. While at Towson University, she worked as an undergraduate researcher in the Tran-Ba Lab, where they perform super-resolution imaging of soft matter and complex liquids. She also spent time as a lab member in the Kollmann Research Lab, where her role was to de-flesh human remains in order to prepare the bones for examination and educational purposes. In addition to her research being published in the Journal of Applied Physics, The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, and the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Kathryn has also presented talks at various conferences and internationally about the research she has conducted.

BETH WINKELSTEIN, 1989

LAUREN BATTLE WILLS, 1998

Lauren is an associate professor of biology at Charleston Southern University. She teaches courses in General Biology, Environmental Policy and Law, Environmental Toxicology, and the accompanying labs. Lauren earned a B.S., magna cum laude, in Biology from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. She then earned a Ph.D. in Environmental Science and a certificate in Toxicology from Duke University. After completing her dissertation, Lauren worked as a Ruth L. Kirschstein Individual National Research Service Award Postdoctoral Researcher at the Medical University of South Carolina, and as a research specialist for MitoHealth, Inc. As an industry and an academic researcher, Lauren developed a high-throughput respirometric assay to measure mitochondrial function, and successfully completed multiple high-throughput screens that identified novel mitochondrial toxicants, as well as potential therapeutics.

Beth is currently Deputy Provost and the Eduardo D. Glandt President’s Distinguished Professor of Bioengineering and Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn). She served as Penn’s Chief Academic Officer in the role of Interim Provost from 2021 to 2023.

After graduating from RPCS, Beth earned a BSE, cum laude, in Bioengineering from Penn in 1993, as a Benjamin Franklin Scholar. She then earned a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from Duke University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Dartmouth College before joining the Penn faculty in 2002. In that time, Beth has become one of the world’s leading innovators in research on new treatments for pain in the spine and related joints. Her pioneering interdisciplinary research focuses on the mechanisms of bodily injury and pain — especially injuries from sports, automobile accidents, and degenerative diseases — and has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Department of Defense, among many others, including a Presidential Early Career Award from the NSF.

CARY ZINK KASSOUF, 1995

Cary is the executive director of the Baltimore Research and Education Foundation (BREF), a position she has held since 2018. BREF focuses on improving the health and well-being of veterans through facilitation and management of transformative biomedical research and education within the Veterans Affairs (VA) Maryland Health Care System, as well as at VA medical centers in Virginia and West Virginia. Cary earned a B.S. and Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Emory University. She then performed her post-doctoral training and served as a research fellow at the National Institute of Mental Health. Prior to her current position at BREF, Cary was a scientist in the Clinical Sciences Division at the Lieber Institute for Brain Development, a research institute affiliated with Johns Hopkins Medicine. There she ran a clinical research lab focused on identifying biomarkers for mental illness using genetics and functional brain imaging.

Judy Waters REMEMBERING

On December 27, 2023, Eleanor Murray “Judy” Waters, 1950 passed away peacefully in Towson, Maryland. A beloved alumna and former faculty member who gave more than 50 years of her life in service to RPCS, Judy was an extraordinary woman with a deep love for Roland Park Country School.

Judy will be remembered not only for her professional accomplishments, but also for her personal dedication to the artistic, academic and athletic growth of RPCS students. She will also be remembered for her brilliant work in the beloved Living Reproductions tableaux of our Traditional Upper School Christmas Program.

She was a member of the inaugural RPCS Athletic Hall of Fame class in 2006 and the recipient of The McCauley Bowl in 1992, recognized as a member of the community who distinguished herself through long service to the school and its graduates. In 2007, The Judy Waters, 1950 Faculty and Staff Prize was established in her honor, which is awarded annually to a member of the faculty or staff who embodies the dedication exemplified by Judy’s teaching and tenure.

Judy’s incredible passion, dedication and spirit touched so many lives. Many members of our community shared their reflections on her lasting impact on all of us who were fortunate enough to know her.

“As part of Living Reproductions in eighth grade, then stage crew from ninth–11th grades and stage manager in 12th grade, I learned so much from Ms. Waters. On the day of my graduation (see photo far left), Ms. Waters stayed afterwards to find me and wish me good luck in the future. While she worked with so many students during her time at RPCS, she really made each girl feel so special! She will be missed.”

– Molly Beidleman, 2016

“As an eighth grade student at RPCS, I had the honor of being chosen by Ms. Waters to portray a shepherd in the Living Reproduction of “The Adoration of the Shepherds.” It was a wonderful experience that has left a lasting impression! I remember her patience and intense attention to detail. I often fondly think back on that experience. Thank you, Ms. Waters!”

– Dee Hilliard Minton, 1975

“Ms. Waters was an absolutely inspirational teacher who balanced her insightful instruction with grace and warmth. She was tough, but very caring, and pushed each student to excel. She was an excellent

teacher and sculptor of young talent. Art was one of my favorite classes because of the creative energy she fostered in her classroom. I am forever grateful for the privilege of having Ms. Waters as my art teacher at RPCS.”

– Molly Christhilf Finnegan, 1995

“Ms. Waters was a great art teacher. I remember for one whole year, my assignment was to paint a copy of Winslow Homer’s “Breezing up (A Fair Wind).” Every time I thought I was finished, Ms. Waters would say, ‘What about that little area right over there at the top of the sail?’ and back to work I would have to go. She gave me essential tools for working in oils — all based on the time-honored traditions of the masters — that I am still grateful for today.”

– Jeanne Martinet, 1976

“What I most remember about Judy was her kindness and understanding. It was her nature to empathize and spend the time to connect with her students. When I was a senior at RPCS, I was going through a rough period, and she went out of her way to help me and not judge me. She saw me and read me well. She stuck her neck out for me. I have always remembered her kindness, and her support. It made a big difference in my life. She was a rare and precious asset in the Roland Park Country School community. She will be missed.”

– Sandy Cissel Olson, 1964

“Ms. Waters taught our art class how to draw and use vanishing points and perspective. My mind reeled at this simple construct that allowed us to depict our world. Much later in life, I have been exploring drawing and watercolor, and her teachings flooded right back. In a larger sense, appreciating perspective is foundational.”

– Sue Ellen Darnell May, 1966

“Judy started as my art teacher, then advisor, then mentor, and then friend. As an art teacher, she was so calm and helpful. As an advisor, she kept me focused and guided me to understand that I could succeed in the classroom as well as on the sports field. The confidence she gave me and helped me build and define is something I rely on every day

in my career. As a mentor, she helped me get to decisions. Her insight was invaluable, and again, the lessons I learned from her I use every day. I will remember our long talks and the love she had for her family and Roland Park Country School. I will miss her insights and her ability to tell you just what you needed to hear (even if you didn’t know it at the time). Rest well, Judy.”

– Susan Taseff deMuth, 1978

“I worked as part of the behind-the-scenes team for the Christmas tableaus my junior and senior years. Judy’s attention to detail was quite well known to the Living Reproductions participants and she would NOT let us rest until the finished product was just right. She had a vision and would elevate her team to meet it. Surpass it, even! May she rest in peace and may all be inspired to lean into their creative outlets, no matter their skill level!”

– Liza Randolph Hunwick, 2000

“Not only was Ms. Waters my art teacher all the years I was a student at RPCS, but she became my daughter’s art teacher as well, making us doubly lucky. She was a careful, clear, knowledgeable teacher. I hoped to become an artist and writer, and working under Ms. Waters was excellent preparation. One year at Christmastime, my daughter and I were surprised to run into Ms. Waters at Greetings & Readings. What did we talk about? Dogs! Ms. Waters advised us that a simple way to obtain a really nice golden retriever was to fly one home from England, stowed under the airplane seat. I’ve wanted to try it ever since!”

– Katy Yarlott, 1974

“I know how important Judy Waters was to RPCS, but my fondest memories centered around her contribution to Camp Netimus in the Poconos. Judy hired me, as well as many students from RPCS to be counselors and also encouraged many younger students to be campers. She was an exceptional role model for me, and I think one of the reasons that I was a teacher for 40 years.”

– Susan Wood Schuchts, 1960

15th Annual Alumna Art Show

with Linda Bond Verdery, 1962

One of our great traditions every year is the Roland Park Alumna Artist Exhibit, where we highlight the artistic talents of the former students who used to walk our halls. We were honored to welcome painter Linda Bond Verdery, 1962 back to RPCS last fall for our 15th Annual Alumna Artist Reception! Linda was selected by the Art Department and Alumnae Office as our 15th Annual Artist in Residence for the 2023–2024 school year.

“Academic training in comparative literature and art history has focused my attention to culture, structure and style,” Linda wrote in her artist statement. “Like writing, painting requires something worth saying.” Her monthlong exhibit was on display in the Knott Lobby and culminated in a closing reception enjoyed by alumnae, employees, classmates, and Linda’s friends and family, including her siblings and fellow RPCS alumnae Kitty Bond Allen and Barbara Bond, 1965.

Alumnae Valentine Legacy Luncheon

We love our legacies! The Alumnae Office hosted the annual Valentine’s Legacy Luncheon for our current RPCS students and alumnae legacy relatives. With more than 115 people in attendance, it was a wonderful way to celebrate love and honor the special RPCS connection among our families.

Mycah White, 2029 and Cydney White, 2019

Annie Martin, 2032 and Toni Madrigal Martin, 1965

Shannell Richardson Cockrell, 1997 and Niya Cockrell, 2026

Isabel Knott, 2027, Ashby McGill, 2025, Carroll Knott McGill, 1993 and Olivia Knott, 2026

Gigi Cutillo, 2034 and Tara Markowski Cutillo, 2000

Melissa Ladenson DeLong, 1993 and Rosie DeLong, 2027

Ellee Sale, 2031, Helen Williams Sale, 2002, Lou Lou Sale, 2034 and Lilah Noyes, 2016

Eileen Talucci Mutch, 1984 and Livvy Mutch, 2029

BACK ROW: Anne Garrett Randolph, 2027, Julia Garrett Randolph, 1997, Courtney Wiggs, 2029, Tammy Passano Wiggs, 1997, Cary Baugher Piraino, 1997, Brooke Grumbine, 1997, Niya Cockrell, 2026, Shannell Richardson Cockrell, 1997, Nikki Sheridan Alworth, 1997, Finley Alworth, 2027 FRONT ROW: Ellie Wiggs, 2031, Lizzy Wiggs, 2034, Alice Baugher, 2035, Parker Grumbine, 2031, Grayson Grumbine, 2034

Victoria Carroll, 2017, Laila Carroll, 2024, Gwen Wilson, 2028 and Olivia Carroll, 2017

Violet Lewin, 2024, Nancy Lord, 1989, Kate Gaines, 2024, Martha Brune Gaines, 1985, Kelly Donovan-Mazzulli, 1994, Maggie Mazzulli, 2024, Zoe Hiller, 2024 and Emily Flanigan Hiller, 1990

Niki Steel Phillips, 2011 and Charli Phillips, 2038

Ellen Crosby, 2027 and Katherine Behrens Crosby, 1990 Kaylee Steinbach, 2032 and Dani Kell Steinbach, 2004

BACK ROW: Emily Black Soref, 2007, Anna Scanlan Swift, 2006, Adeline Swift, 2029, Carey Scanlan Swift, 1999 FRONT ROW Lou Soref, 2035 and Nora Swift, 2035

100th Night Dinner

This past spring, the Class of 2024 gathered for the annual 100th Night Dinner, a beloved tradition hosted by the Alumnae Board that started in the 1980s. Typically held the night before Senior Day, this special dinner marks 100 days until Commencement!

Alumnae Weekend

April 19 - April 21, 2024

Dushane Luncheon

April 19 - April 21, 2024

1 Members of the Class of 1969 enjoy the Dushane Luncheon in celebration of their 55th Reunion. 2 Members of the Class of 1964, Martha Dorman Clark, Lin Turner Hardy and Judy Mitchell Wright enjoy catching up at the Dushane Luncheon! 3 Susan Townshend Townsend, 1963, Ginna Naylor, 1963 and Nancy Townshend Haas, 1969. 4 It feels so good! Classmates from the Class of 1964 reunite to kick off the weekend. 5 Members of the Class of 1964 gather to celebrate their 60th Reunion! 6 Members of the fifth grade distributed roses to guests after performing for them! 7 Missy Nesbitt Masland, 1964 8 The Class of 1954 enjoying their 70th Reunion! 9 Brooke Mangels Travelstead, 1964

Alumnae Weekend

50th Tea with 5th Grade Pen Pals

1 Deborah Patterson, 1974 talking about all things RPCS with Julia Mazziott and Lulu Abdul-Latif from the Class of 2031. 2 Members of the 5th Grade and 50th Reunion classes exchanging stories and looking through yearbooks together! 3 Lara Schafer McLaughlin, 1974, with Pen Pals, Nina Coles, 2031 and Ellie Wiggs, 2031. 4 Katharine Somerville Whitmore, Class of 1974, with 5th Graders, Wren Eplett and Emily Furrer, Class of 2031 5 Parker Grumbine, 2031, with her 50th Reunion Pen Pals, Marguerite Howard Morrison and Cathy Spicer Tolliver. 6 The Class of 1974 returns to RPCS for the start of Alumnae Weekend to meet their 5th Grade Pen Pals.

Classroom Experiences

1 RPCS graduates gathered with current robotics students in the Innovation Lab to learn about their work along with Dr. Neda Blackburn, Director of the Holliday Heine STEM Institute. 2 Alums heard from students in the Davidov Power Lunch Program, along with Sarah Morehead Pope, 2006, Coordinator of the Gore Leadership Institute, about the incredible work they are doing this year! 3 Alums met with Julie Bierman, Director of Learning Support and current sixth grade students to experience how students learn about their brains.

Roland Park Walking Tour

Members of the 50th Reunion class gathered together and enjoyed a walking tour of the footpaths of Roland Park generously led by Kathy Hudson from the Class of 1967!

Alumnae Weekend

Family Fun Fest

April 19 - April 21, 2024

1 Courtney Kuhn Callegary, 2009, and her family enjoy lunch at the Family Fun Fest. 2 Emily Dierkes Rohrer, 2002, with her daughter, Trixie Rohrer, 2038 and Upper School English Teacher Katherine Sharpe with her children. 3 Entertainment and loads of fun with the magician! 4 Charli Phillips, 2038, getting her face painted at the Family Fun Fest! 5 Diana Litvak, 2030. 6 Audience participation for the magic tricks! 7 Cary Zink Kassouf, 1995 with her children. 8 Hula hooping and playing games on the front lawn.

Semis Celebrate 70 Years

COO-A-FA-FA! Current and former Semiquavers gathered for the 70th Reunion of the vocal ensemble!

State of the School

State of the School address with Caroline Blatti, Head of School and Elisha James, Assistant Head of School for Culture, Community and Belonging.

Alumnae Weekend

April 19 - April 21, 2024

Margo McElvain McClellan, 1954 awarded the 2024 McCauley Bowl

Excerpted from Cary Zink Kassouf’s, 1995 address at the Alumnae Champagne Reception on April 20, 2024

Congratulations to Margo McElvain McClellan, 1954, the 2024 recipient of the McCauley Bowl!

The McCauley Bowl is awarded periodically to an alumna or other member of the school community who has distinguished herself or himself through long service to the school and its graduates. This award is presented in memory of and in gratitude for the life of Bell Lazenby McCauley, 1931. Mrs. McCauley’s life of service defines the standards and values, which are used by the Board of the Alumnae Association in selecting recipients of this honor.

Margo is a passionate and devoted member of the RPCS community, serving in many roles through the years since her graduation. If there is an event on campus, a fundraiser, or a need to connect with classmates and encourage attendance at an event, Margo is all in with bells on and so much REDS spirit. She helps to rally support for the Annual Fund with genuine intention and as a member of the Red and White Legacy Society herself, and puts so much effort into making sure her classmates are aware of opportunities to engage and stay informed about all that is happening at RPCS, holding the important role as Class Rep for many years.

In a note to Margo to thank her for decorating classrooms, former Headmistress Anne Healy wrote to her: “I can probably only guess at the gifts of time and energy you have bestowed upon us. They cannot be measured, or adequately or appreciated in words…but they can be treasured! Your generosity and dedication, your artistic concepts, and practical application of them, and the devotion you have shown to Roland Park are overwhelming and deeply moving. From all of us, and especially me, I send constant delight and abiding gratitude.” Margo’s REDS spirit shines brightly in all that she does and her commitment to the school she holds so dear.

Past Recipients

1990: Eleanor Graham, 1916

1991: Helen Metcalfe Duncan, 1921 and Elizabeth Protzman Webb, 1921

1992: Judy Waters, 1950

1993: Marguerite Kelley, HA

1994: Kay Hamilton Cavanaugh, 1937

1995: Anne Healy, HA and former Headmistress (1950–1975)

1997: Peggy Webb Patterson, 1947

2000: Agness Fulton Bond, 1941

2002: Betty Ann Schmick Howard, 1957

2003: Celeste Woodward Applefeld, 1964

2006: Ginny Wood Delauney, 1964 and Janie Susemihl Griffin, 1974

2007: Jane D. J. Daniels, 1982

2008: Courtney Jones McKeldin, 1958 and Pam Miller Loya, 1969

2009: Lil Wise, 1950, *

2010: Ann Wittich Warfield, 1948

2011: Jane Wilhelm Daniels, 1946

2012: Ingrid Boynton Polk, 1982

2013: Laurie McCulloch Fisher, 1963

2014: Mary Ellen Thomsen, HA

2015: Jean Waller Brune, 1960, Former Head of School (1992–2016)

2016: Libby Rutledge Murphy, HA

2017: Kathy Hudson, 1967

2018: Janet Bauer Hartman, 1968

2019: Diane Hutchins, 1972

2020: Judy Mitchell Wright, 1964

2021: Carol Witz Hunt, 1976

2022: Cathy Huether McClelland, 1968

2023: Ann Daniels, 1983

Dani Makia, 2009 awarded the 2024 Distinguished Rising REDS Award

Congratulations to Dani Makia from the Class of 2009, who was selected as the fourth recipient of this year’s Distinguished Rising REDS Award!

Established in 2021, the Distinguished Rising REDS Award celebrates an alumna under the age of 40, who has enhanced the reputation of Roland Park Country School through outstanding professional achievements, personal accomplishments, significant contributions to their community and/or engagement with RPCS.

After graduating from RPCS, Dani earned a B.A. in government with a minor in English from the University of Virginia and then earned a J.D. from William & Mary. Now an accomplished lawyer, Dani serves as a Vice President and Data Privacy Compliance Officer at IDB Bank in New York, focusing on data privacy and protection matters. In 2022, Dani also co-founded and serves as Chief Operating Officer of a nonprofit diversity pipeline organization called Pembe that is dedicated to mentorship and boosting the representation of people of African descent in the legal profession. In addition to her career, Dani has been a passionate volunteer through the years. As a Young Professionals Board member for the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF), the largest Africa-based healthcare nonprofit that serves millions of people each year, Dani helps to raise awareness and critically needed funds for the organization’s work

in Africa through social media campaigns and event planning.

Dani has also continued to volunteer her time on behalf of RPCS, serving as a member of her 10th and 15th Reunion Committees and continues in her role as one of the 2009 Class Reps, helping to keep her class connected and engaged with RPCS. Dani is making a lasting impact on the world as a RED through her outstanding leadership and remarkable achievements!

Past Recipients:

Dani Makia, 2009 with Alumnae Association President Cary Zink Kassouf, 1995

Margo McElvain McClellan, 1954 with Alumnae Association President Cary Zink Kassouf, 1995

* Awarded posthumously HA - Honorary Alum

On the Forefront of Desegregation: Neetu Dhawan-Gray, 1972 Honored at Alumnae Weekend

“The Board of Trustees, in accord with the statement of principle inherent in this report, wishes to make the following announcement: For the following academic year, 1963-1964 and thereafter, the Roland Park Country School will consider without discrimination application for admission by all qualified applicants.” –Miss Anne Healy, March 2, 1962.

That report, which was directed more specifically to the admission of Black students, is a cogent and well-reasoned statement to the Board. In the section entitled “Welfare of the School,” there is one portion in answer to the question as to the effect on the students of the clarification on admission that Miss Healy was requesting that is particularly applicable at this moment. “It would certainly introduce them to the reality of life in the world where people of all races and faiths intermingle; it would ask of them a suspension of belief while they came to know and to appreciate a girl of another color; it would put upon them demands of wider sympathy and understanding of stronger patience and tolerance.”

In January 1964, a nine-year-old girl was flying over 7,700 miles. From India. Alone. She knew two things. She was going to be with her mother. She was landing in someplace named Friendship. She arrived on Saturday and was sitting in a classroom in the Roland Park Country School on Monday. The average high temperature that January was 33.8 degrees.

Susie Roland Parker (blonde haired, blue-eyed, athletic, and a straight-A student) she was not. She had a single mother who worked outside the home. Her zip code did not end in 10 or 12 or 04. She did not know much about snow.

She had no way of knowing that she was the perfect embodiment of Miss Healy’s answer.

She was learning about the United States of America through living side-byside with upper middle and upper class white girls with whom she had little in common, while wearing a uniform that to the rest of the world looked like a blue version of the standard maid’s uniform.

There had been a Hungarian refugee who transferred to another school the same academic year that she arrived. So, she was not the first immigrant her classmates had known. While she made friends, some of whom have been life-long, she also faced slights and hurts and cruelty on an almost daily basis. There were those who viewed her presence and her dark skin as horrifying and aberrant. She found ways to deal with that, working through her anger and her wounds without becoming bitter.

Neetu was going to find a way to make this environment work for her. She was going to learn everything she could. She was warm and inquisitive and a risktaker. Neetu decided to not let the fact that she was the only person of color in her class for two and a half years and the only person of color in the Lower School during the 1965-1966 school year impede her progress. She discovered “Illegitimi Non Carborundum” long before she had Mrs. Wilks teaching her Latin.

Along the way, Neetu became our teacher. She taught us grace and how to smile through your fears. She laughed at herself and taught us how to laugh at ourselves. She taught us that scarves are your friends and that they could be worn with panache and not just on your head or around your coat collar. She taught us that ignorance does not equate to stupidity. That having a well stamped passport is a goal worth pursuing. And achieving.

Being in an all-girls school taught us all that there was nothing we could not do because, if we didn’t do it, it wouldn’t get done. But Neetu taught us that being the first to do something in an unfamiliar and potentially uncomfortable space was part of what makes life worth living and that repeating that scenario was not foolhardy. She also taught us that caring speaks volumes.

I am thrilled and privileged to present this plaque to Shubanjali (Neetu) Dhawan-Gray that honors her presence on the forefront of desegregating the Roland Park Country School.

Excerpted from Diane Hutchins’, 1972 address at the Alumnae Champagne Reception on Saturday, April 20, 2024

Diane Hutchins, 1972, Neetu Dhawan-Gray, 1972 and Alumnae Association President Cary Zink Kassouf, 1995

Alumnae Weekend

Champagne Reception

1 Members of the Class of 1954 celebrated together during the Champagne Reception, Carolyn Powell Lalley, Lynn Brewington Havard, Welby Hamilton Loane and Jeanie Walter Teare. 2 Members of the Class of 2009 gather at the Champagne Reception for their 15th Reunion and in support of classmate, Dani Makia, 2024, recipient of the Distinguished Rising REDS Award! 3 Members of the Class of 1994 celebrating their 30th Reunion: Hala Tomhe Alsadek, Kelly Donovan-Mazzulli, Virginia Hodges Jeffery, Peggy Boutilier Williams and Lisa DiLonardo Lyman. 4 The Class of 2019 celebrating their 5th Reunion. 5 Jane Woltereck, Mayo Levering and Penny Johnson Brown from the Class of 1974. 6 Judy Mitchell Wright, 1964 with Bev Edwards, RPCS Lower School Librarian, and Doug Forbes, HA. 7 Bracken Woolley and Ava Todd from the Class of 2014, celebrating their 10th Reunion. 8 Members of the Class of 1969 enjoyed catching up in celebration of their 55th Reunion! 9 Paris Grady Warfield, 1974 and Jonnie Struven Barroll, 1959.

Pickleball and Brunch

Alumnae Weekend 2024 wrapped up on Sunday with a pickleball tournament, brunch and mimosas!

The 2023-2024 Alumnae Board at the September Dinner and Meeting in the Faissler Library at Roland Park Country School

The 2023-2024 Alumnae Board celebrating a successful year in May 2024.

April 19 - April 21, 2024

Class Reunions

Class of 1954 – 70th Reunion

Class of 1959 – 65th Reunion

Class of 1964 – 60th Reunion

Class of 1969 – 55th Reunion

Class of 1974 – 50th Reunion

Class of 1979 – 45th Reunion

Class of 1984 – 40th Reunion

Class of 1989 – 35th Reunion

Class of 1994 – 30th Reunion

Class of 1999 – 25th Reunion

Class of 2004 – 20th Reunion

Class of 2009 – 15th Reunion

Class of 2014 – 10th Reunion

Class of 2019 – 5th Reunion

Regional Gatherings

1-3

4-7

In February, alumnae and RPCS community members reconnected in Washington, D.C. to mingle and hear updates from school leadership.

Our sympathies to the families and friends of:

1942

Nancy Potter Bennett Davis, 1942 Sister of Barbara Potter Milton, 1930* 3/29/2024

1950

Eleanor (Judy) Murray Waters, 1950

Sister of Pat Waters Barrett, 1945*, Cousin of Janet Waters Flagle, 1945* and Betsy Waters Roughen, 1950, Aunt of Gin Barrett Shanley, 1970, Amy Barrett Frew, 1972, and Barbara Barrett Neale, 1973, Great-Aunt of Molly Frew Peterson, 2003, Barrett Neale Scott, 2006, Carroll Neale, 2010, and Hooper Neale Cooke, 2013 12/27/2023

1954

Mary Donna Maher Anand, 1954 9/2023

Mary Susan (Sue) Whiteley Payne, 1954 4/28/2024

1958

Norvell Pearson Brinton, 1958 11/29/2023

Clare Callard, 1958 1/22/2024

1961

Joan (Jodi) McDorman Wilson, 1961 5/9/2023

Dorothy (Dottie) Sparrow, 1961

Sister of Connie Sparrow, 1964, Cousin of Katherine (Kit) Willis Monroe, 1951*, Nancy Norris-Kniffin, 1957*, Betty Norris Govatos, 1959, Betsey Norris, 1961, and Barbara (Babs) Norris Woodward, 1961 9/3/2023

Julia (Judy) Tinley Lenz, 1961 9/17/2023

Sister-in-Law of Dorothy (Dorrie) Boone Talbott, 1961, Aunt of Julie Tinley D’Ambrogi, 1984 and Brooke Tinley Kremer, 1987

Margaret (Robin) Buck Nicolls, 1961

Niece of Adele Buck Ware, 1939* 2/19/2024

1964

Katherine (Kitty) Walker Schoenig, 1964 12/22/2023

1966

Suzanne (Suzie) Merryman Cousin of Eleanor (Merry) Roszel Rogers, 1960 1/10/2024

1967

Lucy Ritter Skeen, 1967

Sister of Mimi Ritter O’Neill, 1959, Mother of Marietta Skeen, 2002 5/7/2024

1971

Katherine (Kathy) King, 1971

Mother of Charlotte E. Eyring, 2001, Sister of Ann King Kotmair, 1969 7/6/2023

1973

Stephanie L. Schmidt Graham, 1973

Sister of Ann Schmidt Wiltzius, 1970, Sisterin-Law of Gay Graham Wagner, 1983 11/28/2023

1974

Viola McBride, 1974 5/22/2023

Hollis (Holly) Albert Coxe, 1974

Sister of Carol Albert Heidel, 1968, Elizabeth Albert Apple, 1971, and Anne Albert Patterson, 1974 3/2/2024

1982

Thomasenia (Tommie) P. Duncan, 1982 4/23/2024

Former Employee Yvonne Hughes

Main Office Assistant Employee: 1984-2010 12/13/2023

* DECEASED

We extend our sympathy to the family and friends of Thomasenia “Tommie” P. Duncan, 1982 who passed away in April. Tommie’s vibrant personality and authentic curiosity resulted in longlasting friendships from childhood. Her passion for social justice and advocacy was nurtured while attending Roland Park Country School. As a high school student, she interned at the State of Maryland Public Defenders Office in Baltimore City. After graduating from Brown University in 1986 and earning her J.D. at the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1989, Tommie dedicated her career to public and community service. Staying rooted in her dedication to change the conditions that perpetuate voicelessness, Tommie invested her time and talents in a wide range of organizations. In her most recent position, Tommie served as Panel Executive for the United States Judicial Panel on Multi-district Litigation. She was an elected member of the American Law Institute. Tommie’s intellect, charm, and joy were unparalleled, and her laughter was medicine for an enormous circle of friends. Tommie is survived by her partner Rayner (Ray) Johnson; son, Hunter Harold; aunt Sylvia Banks Fisher; cousins Vivian Cidney Banks and Eric A. Banks - EL and countless other family and friends.

Alumnae babies!

Kristin Raneri Nicolini, 1998 Peyton James Nicolini

Treasa Beyer Matysek, 2001 Dominic Peter Matysek

Susanna Ingalls, 2003 Idris Ingalls Qazi

Carla Johnston Driscoll, 2004 Brynn Josephine Driscoll

Laura Welch Nevarez, 2004 Daniela Victoria Nevarez

Kelly Soth Nolan, 2004 Charlotte Rose Nolan

Tara Lewis Bisciotti, 2005 Blair Whitfield Bisciotti

Julie Smyth, 2005 Llewyn “Lew” McFadden

Shannon Burke Vail, 2005 Callan Jacob Vail

Laura Keenan Lindsey, 2006 Parker Frances Lindsey

Casi Horstman Dougherty, 2007 Mckenna Joy Dougherty

Bethy Hagan Flaherty, 2007 Hagan Patrick Flaherty

Molly Sober 2007

Lila Estelle “Stella” Fischbeck

Carrie Gamper Smith, 2007 Morgan Jacqueline Smith

Emily Black Soref, 2007 Charles “Cubby” Rylan Soref

Kerry Weir Rubin, 2008 Teddy Franklin Rubin

Lilly Siems, 2008 Leo Michael Pressimone

Nia Clark Usher, 2008 Amir Usher II

Betsy Hebert-Williamson, 2011 Hadleigh Anne Williamson

Zoe Jack, 2011 Exie Jack Cormier

Kiera Davis Smith, 2011 Kassidy Olivia Smith

Natalie Polk Ebel, 2012 Elsa Marie Ebel

Abbey Muhly Staton, 2014 Harper Jane Staton

Claire Evans DeSmit 2016 Joy Amara DeSmit

Alumnae Legacy Relations for the Class of 2024

Front Row, left to right:

Margaux Kim

Loren Kim, 2022, Sister

Daniela Roberts

Susie Roberts Bingham, 1982, Aunt

Zoe Hiller

Kathie Flanigan Asmuth, 1963, Great Aunt

Emily Flanigan Hiller, 1990, Mother

Eileen Flanigan Doane, 2005, Cousin

Maggie Mazzulli

Debbie Donovan Smith, 1975, Aunt Christine Donovan, 1976, Aunt

Mary Donovan O’Hern, 1983, Aunt Kelly Donovan-Mazzulli, 1994, Mother

Katie O’Hern, 2012, Cousin

Kelly O’Hern, 2014, Cousin

Molly O’Hern, 2016, Cousin

Mary Mazzulli, 2023, Sister

Ella Kowitz

Makenzie Kowitz, 2021, Cousin

Violet Lewin

Janet Lewin, 1988, Aunt

Nancy Lord, 1989, Mother

Casey Lord Briggs, 1991, Aunt

Emily Briggs, 2021, Cousin

Lindy Briggs

Nancy Lord, 1989, Aunt

Casey Lord Briggs, 1991, Mother

Emily Briggs, 2021, Sister

Kaitlyn Rochlin

Sam Rochlin, 2022, Sister

Second Row, left to right: Jessica Tannebaum

Jill Tannebaum, 1984, Aunt*

Maddie Tannebaum, 2023, Cousin

Kate Gaines

Liz Brune, 1982, Aunt

Martha Brune Gaines, 1985, Mother

Caroline Gaines, 2023, Sister

Violet Smith

Joan Smith, HA, Grandmother

Lucy Waldron

Julie Rider Waldron, 1991, Aunt

Maggie Waldron, 2023, Sister

Abby McDonnell

Ida Kemp Cockey Passano, 1921, Great Great Aunt*

Susie Passano Macfarlane, 1950, Cousin*

E. Magruder “Mac” Passano, Boy Alum, Grandfather

Margie Macfarlane Long, 1976, Cousin

Catherine Passano McDonnell, 1994, Mother

Tammy Passano Wiggs, 1997, Aunt

Sarah Passano Meech, 2001, Aunt

Kate Long, 2005, Cousin

Ellie Macfarlane, 2014, Cousin

Irene Macfarlane, 2018, Cousin

Emma McDonnell, 2022, Sister

Taylor Goldstein

Madison Goldstein, 2022, Sister

Reena Jari

Riya Jari, 2022, Sister

Laila Carroll

Alexandra Carroll, 2011, Cousin

Olivia Carroll, 2017, Cousin

Victoria Carroll, 2017, Cousin

* DECEASED

Brain Teaser

Grab a pencil (or pen if you’re feeling confident) and enjoy this crossword puzzle with some RPCS-specific clues, created by Upper School World Languages (Arabic) Teacher, Ethan Cooper.

Out With It, Quickly

ACROSS

1 *Information in a store window

6 Need a massage

10 Learn the ___ (get accustomed to a new job)

15 Attach

21 First-generation immigrant from 137-Across

22 *"Sounds good"

23 Not at all hidden

24 Tracks the record company has less faith in, typically

25 RPCS auditorium

26 Roll in the athletic trainer's room

27 ___ memory (acting technique)

28 *Kind of suit worn when cleaning up a toxic spill

29 Recent and unexpected medium for public art in Baltimore

31 Zag sharply

33 Keel over in a faint, from Yiddish

35 A Semiquaver should have a good one

36 Totes, for example

37 They're made by typing Shift-7

42 Gave the wrong impression

46 Presidential squashing of legislation

47 Speedy

48 Small-ish battery size

49 ___ Bolt, legendary Olympic sprinter

50 Call during the taking of attendance

51 "___ the single ladies": Beyoncé

52 Frequent topic for senior speeches

55 Buona ___ (Italian for "good evening")

56 Like an ideal Honor Board candidate

58 Folks on a movie set who might have wigs but no lines

61 "Before you say no, just listen"

63 Like an overdressed salad

65 Biggest blood vessel in the human body

66 Autumn implement

67 Month eagerly anticipated by students and teachers

68 Request during a celebrity encounter, maybe

69 *___ Tagovailoa, Dolphins quarterback

72 "Whenever, Wherever" singer

76 Formal agreement

77 Rock's ___ Fighters

78 Excalibur, for one

80 Tempt

81 What it sort of sounds like if you read the starred answers fast and in numerical order

86 Frustrated cry

87 Darkness at noon and an owl killing a falcon in "Macbeth," e.g.

89 "I'm afraid to even ___"

90 Cafeteria carrier

91 Spewed gas and lava

93 School club that discusses LGBTQ issues

94 Diner breakfast side

97 Goal for the Ravens' Justin Madubuike, often

98 What the earth revolves around

99 The Marcia referred to in the classic TV line "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!"

100 "Public Ivy" in Westwood

101 "Respond to this message"

106 What might be assigned to you around winter break?

110 Sailors' tune that was a random TikTok trend of 2021

112 Mystique

113 Ammo for Katniss Everdeen

114 "___ Lips Are Sealed" (1981 hit featured in the 2023 fall musical)

115 "For ___ Us A Child Is Born"

116 Break up with someone

117 ___ Manning of the Class of '27

118 Wrathful

120 *German supermarket chain

121 Strange quirk

122 Fate of RPCS's old gyms in 2007

126 Appeal to a higher power

127 "Chase powder," so to speak

128 Safe refuge

129 It might be "half" in a real estate listing

130 Pin ___ (relationship between RPCS Upper Schoolers)

134 Pico de gallo ingredient

137 Country whose flag is white with a red circle

140 ___ house (fall admissions event)

142 ___ Wars (19th-century conflict between China and the West)

144 Ring ___ (child's wedding role)

145 Hollywood representative

146 Sound from a pigsty

147 Ward off

148 65-Across, for example

149 Gets dripping wet

150 They usually have collars but no sleeves

151 *Scorches, as the surface of a steak

DOWN

1 "___ voice is a familiar sound": Taylor Swift

2 Suffix with psych-, acid-, or toxic-

3 Annapolis inst. attended by Natalie O'Neill, Class of '23

4 Short Instagram video

5 Age for many juniors

6 Any member of RPCS's FTE, for example

7 Gently persuade

8 Softball infielder's concern

9 Makes more sophisticated

10 RPCS dance ensemble

11 Done with

12 Confident test taker's writing tool

13 Triage sites, for short

14 Grassy plain

15 Thoroughly detest

16 College Board's exams for underclassmen

17 Specialty for Pepe's on Falls Road

18 Music genre that includes house and techno

19 Largest teacher's union in the U.S.: Abbr.

20 Biannual reason you have to figure out how to change the clock on your microwave: Abbr.

30 Billie Eilish's "___ guy"

32 Problem that might surface during a group project

34 "Never ___ Me Go" (2005 Kazuo Ishiguro novel)

36 Headwear notably worn by Bonnie in 1967's French-influenced "Bonnie and Clyde"

37 Mixture of metals

38 Combine

39 It might get filed during your spa day 40 Disney chipmunk 41 "She speaks yet she ___ nothing": Romeo 42 *What your brain might turn into after watching too much TV 43 "Understood" 44 ___ Rollfinke, Head of the Upper School 45 Untrustworthy person 46 Big decision for a wedding planner

47 Story with a moral 50 Caterpillar's accessory in "Alice in Wonderland"

52 Baltimore's ___ McHenry

53 Necessarily insured items

54 Degree from U. of Md.'s Robert H. Smith School

56 Cardiologist's specialty

57 What museums might not let you do

59 Search engine with an exclamation point

60 Scooby-___ 62 Procedure that might reveal a muscle tear 64 As a complete sum 67 It beats a 10

Small bouquet of flowers

Basis for a civil lawsuit 70 Strongly encourage 71 Reason for getting extended time on tests, perhaps

72 Long, arduous task

73 Air conditioner sounds

74 πr2, for a circle

75 2024 Academy Award-nominated role for Ryan Gosling

76 Discreet way to start a library conversation

77 Harshly negative feedback

79 2020 hit single for Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion

82 Unchallenging class taken for the GPA boost

83 Killer whales

84 Beside

85 Covered with filth

88 *Scatter around 92 Mixed-___ development 95 Ingredient in some raisin cookies

96 Feature of the cheapest Netflix plan

97 Like a horror movie 98 "___ A Woman" (1851 Sojourner Truth speech) 99 Stereotype of a boys' lacrosse player

100 Illegal maneuver at Roland Avenue and Deepdene Road

101 Good at fixing stuff

102 Coachella booking

103 Certain German car

104 Lit ___ (rhyming course for an English major)

105 "Hot N Cold" singer ___ Perry

106 What you might accidentally bring home from the beach

107 Closest of the Great Lakes to Baltimore

108 Study last-minute for a test

109 "The plan is cancelled"

111 Toy that usually goes to waist

116 People in charge of Quid Nunc

118 Dominated, in modern slang

119 Famously stealthy assassins

120 Mrs. Rohrer's class

121 Gives the stamp of approval

123 Chicago's biggest airport

124 "See ya"

125 Former piano key material

126 Navy blue RPCS uniform option

127 They're found under bathroom mirrors

129 Hamm from "Toy Story" is one

130 Email folder you'd hate to find a typo in

131 78-Across, at the Olympics

132 Kelly ___, morning TV host since 2001

133 Litigious kind of person

134 Abbreviation meaning "up in the air, schedule-wise"

135 "___ the land of the free..."

136 Yoga surface

138 Word near the beginning of the Gettysburg Address and the "Star Wars" text crawl

139 Item in a fairy-tale sleep experiment

141 Unit of 17-Down

143 Sports org. Lionel Messi has played in since 2023

Congratulations to our varsity swimming team, who went undefeated in the regular season and claimed the IAAM B Conference Championship title in February. Go REDS!