Winter 2020-21
IN THIS ISSUE Why Downtown? High School Gym & Wellness Center (re)Imagine! Alumni Profile: Riley Gregor G’10, ’14
Why Down By Alexandra S. Thurstone G’80, ’84
Senior Addie Regnier summed it up: “They trust us. They’re giving us this kind of responsibility, but also this freedom, which I think is so cool for a high school to do. They really are treating us like the young adults that we are.”
Wyvern Report
Why do we have two campuses, one in Goshen and one Downtown? This is an often-asked question. Simply put, we believe that the 64 acres of the Goshen Campus are the perfect place for children to learn and grow, and that for adolescents, the best preparation for higher education and adult life is a challenging academic program that takes advantage of the classrooms outside our walls: the downtown Louisville community. In 1976, founding Head of the High School, Tom Pike, and the Board deliberately located the High School downtown in our historic former YMCA building so that adolescents, who are preparing to be part of the adult world, would be situated in that world and have access to all the cultural and educational opportunities of an urban environment city. The High School’s location has had a significant impact on the kind of education our students receive. As senior Teagan Morrison G’17 commented, “I think it really adds a whole other level to your education because we are right across the street from the local public library. We have a lot more options as far as places to go to eat and places to go on quick field trips. Other people wouldn’t have that opportunity but we can walk there.”
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ntown?
Families new to the High School often have questions about how it all works. What do our high schoolers do for lunch? What is a sign-out system? Is it safe downtown? Students have choices when it comes to lunch: ordering in, bringing lunch, or signing out with a friend to eat lunch at a nearby eatery. (This year, of course, there are a number of COVIDrelated restrictions on the sign-out system.) The ability to sign out teaches students to balance freedom with responsibility. Coming to know and negotiate the city environment, our students develop self-reliance and sophistication. Soon, they’ll be on a college campus, perhaps in a large city, and will be expected to know how to handle it and navigate life on their own. Our open campus provides students a step in this direction, still with a big safety net underneath them (our 7:1 student:teacher ratio that allows us to know them and keep an eye on them). Parents often worry about the safety of the downtown experience. Student well-being is at the center of all we do, and we have sign-out rules and protocols in place. Our
students sometimes encounter homeless people and people asking for money, and we talk openly with them about how to handle this. Overall, we do not encounter major safety issues in the downtown environment surrounding St. Francis, and we do find that our students come away with open eyes about the realities of our world. As with many aspects of the St. Francis philosophy, we believe it’s essential to help students learn how to navigate the real world, with parents and teachers to guide them. As sophomore Jackson Sleadd G’19 recently noted, “In college, you’re on your own. And I think a big difference is that at St. Francis they start feeding you into that. You start growing independent.” We believe that going to our High School results in graduates who are ultimately best prepared for life on their own in college. Senior Addie Regnier summed it up: “They trust us. They’re giving us this kind of responsibility, but also this freedom, which I think is so cool for a high school to do. They really are treating us like the young adults that we are.”
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Phase 1: High School Gym By Síofra Rucker G’84, Associate Head of School Development and External Relations
Open sports area for team skill work
Our final building in our Capital Campaign, the High School Gymnasium & Wellness Center, will create on-campus athletic facilities to enhance both our varsity athletics program and day-to-day school life. The first phase, a 7,000 square foot renovation of basement space in our 233 West Broadway building that is currently unused, will include a weight room (that will ultimately become an exercise classroom) and open sports area on which teams can practice when needed. The second and final phase, a stunning gymnasium, will be built on our current parking lot; parking will move to the space that the former Gray’s Bookstore currently occupies. The gym will include a regulation high school-sized basketball court, volleyball court, concessions, weightlifting facilities, and locker rooms and restrooms. Lobby space for students to gather and store belongings while working out
We hope to see our students stretching, working out, and playing in these Phase 1 spaces by the 2021-22 school year. We are so grateful to all our donors to the Capital Campaign as we embark on this project. Our hope is to begin work on the Gymnasium in the next couple years – as soon as sufficient funds are raised. And, each gift made towards the High School Gymnasium & Wellness Center, including this Phase 1 project, will be matched dollar for dollar by our $2 million matching grant! See the visuals of Phase 1 renovations above and to the left.
Weight Room/Exercise Studio
Wyvern Report
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mnasium & Wellness Center why we give
Cheri & Jonathan Baize Current and Alumni Parents
The faculty and staff at St. Francis are more than we could have hoped for or imagined. They are brilliant thinkers who bring their very best to the classroom (or Google Meet!) each day, Eden ’21 and Kelly ’20 with their exchange student The Baize siblings sporting their Wyvern Bowling shirts Ignacio “Nacho” Seco Legarda finding clever ways to invite participation Students spend seven hours a day in school. That is 35 hours and to challenge their students to be better today than they a week, roughly 140 hours each month, over 1,200 hours a were yesterday. They teach resilience and tenacity as much year, and, with extracurriculars, almost 5,000 hours in the as English and science. They recognize when a student is in course of four years of high school. This time is precious and crisis, academically or emotionally, and take action. They must be invested well. teach students to use their gifts and talents charitably by leading community service project groups, but also by helping Our four children (mostly) began their St. Francis School make puppets for a school play, investing hours in Quick experience as freshmen. They were searching for a school that Recall practices and matches, and stepping up when a new would prepare them for college, but we, as their parents, were sports team needs a coach. They come and sit in the audience searching for a school that would prepare them for life. They or bleachers to cheer for their kids, our kids. wanted to learn new skills and explore new ideas. We wanted them to have a safe space to (sometimes) fail so they could 5,000 hours invested into every student. learn how to succeed, find their unique voice, and make So far that makes almost 17,500 hours (and counting) impassioned arguments. They were excited to forge new the faculty/staff of St. Francis has invested in our children. friendships, to join teams and clubs. We were excited that We have seen fulfilled our fervent hope that our children’s time spent with said teams, clubs, plays, jazz concerts, art experience will make them critical thinkers, lifelong learners, shows, and academic competitions was creating friendships change-makers, good citizens, kind neighbors, and that would last well beyond the classroom (and was secretly compassionate family members. We want them to look preparing them to be well-rounded college applicants). back upon their time at St. Francis and see that investment, and we want all of this for every other student who wants it as well. That is why we give.
annual report Our 2019-20 Annual Report is available on our website at StFrancisSchool.org/Publications. If you would like a hard copy of the Annual Report, please contact Kenisha Kelsey, Director of Annual Giving, at KKelsey@StFrancisSchool.org.
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(re)Imagine! Art Au
On Saturday, October 10th, we hosted our annual Imagine! Art Auction + Scholarship Fundraiser, which for the first time was an entirely virtual event. In place of a beautiful event at a downtown hotel, guests hosted socially distant (re)Imagine! At Home celebrations with family and friends. In groups of 10 or fewer, each party received a catered dinner delivered by Wiltshire Pantry, as well as a delivery of Matisse-inspired (our Imagine! theme this year) floral arrangements, decor, and party favors. Guests not attending a party chose to celebrate at home with a dinner by Wiltshire Pantry, or by making their own festive dinner and drinks. We still had all of the amazing art, jewelry, trips, and experiences you can expect from a St. Francis School gala, but our silent auction items were only available for online viewing and our live auction bidding was done through a livestream event, (re)Imagine! Live, hosted by Kevin Harned and Bill Menish on YouTube and Facebook. In spite of this unconventional model in an unconventional year, we are thrilled to tell you that we raised over $185,000 for the scholarships fund and the students of St. Francis – the highest ever for Imagine! We are beyond grateful for the way the community stepped up to make sure that the event was successful, even in the year of COVID-19. This is a huge testament to the community, and it would not have been possible without everyone’s help – our Presenting Sponsor, Buffalo Construction; our Gold, Silver, and Wyvern sponsors; our Chairs, Jamie Gregor and Emily Kirchdorfer; the entire Imagine! committee; everyone who participated in Stand for a Student, and bought art, experiences, or live auction items; and the larger St. Francis community as a whole. Thank you!
Wyvern Report
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uction + Scholarship Fundraiser
Committee Chairs: Jamie Gregor and Emily Kirchdorfer
Presenting Sponsor: Buffalo Construction, Inc.
Committee: Cheri Baize Joanne Caridis Beverly Cote Michelle Browning Coughlin Kim Hales Paul Harshaw ’86 Allison King Stewart Lussky Andi McLeroy Dana McMahan Lee Middendorf Stacy Plotts Judy Riendeau Rudy Salgado Amanda Schriber Olivia Sleadd Gerri Willis
Gold Sponsor: Commonwealth Bank & Trust Company ISCO Industries LLC Office24 Silver Sponsor: Algood Food Company Langsford Learning Acceleration Centers MPI Printing Norton Brownsboro Hospital Wyvern Sponsor: Altman Insurance Associates in Pediatric Therapy Borders & Borders PLC Health Choice Enterprises Jones, Nale & Mattingly PLC
Lenihan Sotheby’s International Realty Luckett & Farley OB/GYN Associates of Southern Indiana Sterling Thompson Company In-Kind Gifts: Cross Country Mortgage Blackfire Security Event Team & Vendors: Axxis Inc. Beverly Cote Country Squire Florist VideoBred, Inc. VideoYeti Wiltshire Pantry
(re)Imagine! behind the scenes This year, Imagine! took more than just our Development Team and Committee to successfully implement. Our event team, along with the audio and video crew of Videobred – a full-service production studio located in the Highlands – worked behind the scenes to create everything our guests experienced during the livestream at home. While guests saw a beautifully furnished room with auctioneers Kevin Harned and Bill Menish leading a high-energy evening, behind the scenes was a massive green screen, extensive lighting, multiple cameras, rows of computers and monitors, a very skilled tech crew – and a lot of nerves!
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Riley Greg
Riley’s SFS senior photo in 2014
What’s up? What are you doing in your life right now? My life is very busy right now, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. I am currently a full-time student at the University of Louisville working towards a B.F.A. in 2D Art with a minor in Entrepreneurship. I am chasing the dream of large-scale, commissioned murals – inspired by graffiti and street art – in the Louisville community and surrounding states. I am also organizing a Street Art Jam in Marion, IN with a friend of mine and the mission is to bring vibrant street art to rural America. Of course, I still find time to push my personal artwork to try and keep sane.
Wyvern Report
How did you get to where you are today? All of the credit goes to a decision I made just shy of three years ago to get sober. The amazing amount of support from friends, family, and my higher power has given me the ability to live a life of meaning, service, and progression. I believe the simple equation of staying sober one day at a time + hard work + being of service to others + doing the next right thing = a life worth living, and is what holds true to how I got where I am today.
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gor G’10, ’14 What three words come to mind first to describe St. Francis? Diverse, Open-Minded, Progressive Looking back on your time at St. Francis, how would you describe what makes a St. Francis’ education unique? Personal connection. Whether you want it or not, the faculty at St. Francis cares and genuinely wants to see you succeed. Don’t fight it. The education here is a combination of guided curriculum, personal experience, and accountability. How did your experience at St. Francis impact your career path and/or life? St. Francis gave me the ability to explore. It gave me freedom. It gave me the ability to grow and shape who Riley Gregor is. One of the strengths of St. Francis is how diverse it is. There is no such thing as “conforming” within the walls of St. Francis, and I respect the heck out of that! What are the highlights of your career thus far? One of the major highlights thus far actually revolves around the relationship I have with St. Francis. I recently completed a large-scale mural on the old Gray’s Bookstore (owned by SFS)
which sits on the corner of 2nd and Broadway in downtown Louisville – my biggest mural to date! St. Francis not only had faith in my work, but gave me an amazing opportunity to bring color and positive imagery to the local community. How do you define success? Continuation of growth and pushing the boundaries of oneself. What brings you joy right now? I’m simple. A blank wall and a full range of artistic freedom! What advice would you give to a student or family considering joining the St. Francis community? Get involved! Get involved with as many activities and people in the St. Francis community as you can. The best relationships I have to this day have been a product of St. Francis. If you have an idea, a want, or a passion, share it, and I can almost guarantee you St. Francis will help, guide, and promote you along the way. What’s next for you? Who wants a mural? I go by the artist name SpadeOne if you are looking for a large-scale mural artist!
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Joe Dinwiddie ’87
Charley Miller ’96
Olivia Beres ’14
Rosemary DeMarco ’16
Joe Dinwiddie ’87 received a patent this year for his design of a 3D arch puzzle. Karen Thompson G’88 was recently awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers for her research on English-language learners in schools. Recipients of this award represent departments such as NASA, the Environmental Protection Agency, Health and Human Services, and more. This award is stated as “the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on outstanding scientists and engineers who are beginning their independent research careers and show exceptional promise for leadership in science and technology.” Karen lives in Oregon with her husband David Ricardo and son Leo, and is currently an associate professor at Oregon State University. Charley Miller ’96 and his Louisville-based technology company, Unitonomy, launched four new products in August that aim to foster culture and collaboration for remote teams at growing companies, cultivating their work culture and measuring collaboration in new ways. Liz Bingham G’03 graduated from Rhodes College in 2011. Liz worked at Brown-Forman in PR before moving to Washington, D.C. in 2014 where she worked in politics and nonprofits. In 2017, Liz moved back to Louisville and joined The Voice-Tribune staff before becoming its Editor-in-Chief in early 2020.
Liz Bingham G’03
Francisco Estevez was a member of the Class of 2007, who transferred and graduated from the School of American Ballet in New York. After New York, he went to Harvard and danced with the Boston Ballet before moving to Spain to dance in Angel Corella’s company. He is now a principal dancer with the Colorado Ballet. He lives in Colorado with his wife Tracy Jones. Francisco also developed a photography business (check him out on Instagram @candidlycreative), contributing pieces to Imagine! this year, and will be launching the “Netflix of the Arts,” called Artflix, to help support the performing arts industry through this pandemic. Lexie Lancaster Larsen G’07 has been passionate about building businesses from the ground up and is now the COO of Spiritless – the third female-founded company she has had the opportunity to grow. Spiritless is a distilled, non-alcoholic spirit crafted to complement all bourbon cocktails. Spiritless supports the conscientious cocktailers, the no-and-low-ers, the people who want to live fully, but drink differently. Pre-orders for Kentucky 74 are now open for fall deliveries at spiritless.com. Olivia Beres ’14 has accepted a position with the digital integration team at Mary’s Center-Briya School. Mary’s Center is a federally qualified health center that provides medical, dental, and mental health care to immigrant families. Briya is Mary’s Center’s education arm, offering two-generation education to immigrant families so parents and children can learn together. Olivia helps teachers integrate engaging digital tools into high-quality lessons to close the digital divide in Washington, D.C. Olivia also had an article recently published in Slate. Rosemary DeMarco ’16 is currently working as a community coordinator at Class & Co in Brooklyn, NY but, at heart, she is a writer turned printerpainter hitting her stride as a multimedia artist. You can check out her poetry, writing, and print work at fruitforyourlabor.com. And, as a side note, the Fruit For Your Labor website was designed by alum Charley Drew-Wolak ’16. A big “thank you” to Goshen Campus alum Will Boland for his help mending the fences surrounding the Goshen Campus!
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baby wyverns Julie Purcell G’88 and her partner Todd Klinglesmith welcomed their first child, Eve, on March 9th, 2019. Julie says 45 years was well worth the wait. Lexie Lancaster Larsen G’07, her husband Aaron, and big sister Everly welcomed Witten James on June 3rd, 2020. Baby Eve
Witten James Larsen
in memoriam Van Andrew Cavett G’77, ’81 passed away July 1st, 2020 at his Ben Cowley ’09 Tinsley Nugent ’15 Cara Schoen ’08 Muff Morton home in Tennessee. Andrew was a member of the Church of the Good Shepherd Episcopal Tinsley’s family and friends have decided to honor her Church and a former chef at Rock City in Chattanooga, TN. memory by creating the Tinsley Noreen Nugent He was an avid photographer, media specialist, and film Scholarship Fund. aficionado. He was preceded in death by his father, Van Cara Christine Schoen ’08 passed away June 28th, 2020. Andrew Cavett. He is survived by his mother, Caroline Cara loved all animals, especially horses. Her gentle spirit Cavett, and sister, Anne Cavett G’76. drew them to her and her nurturing heart cared for them. Benjamin Hardy Cowley, who was a member of the Class She loved to work on creative projects with her mother and of 2009, passed away November 9th, 2020. Ben was a expressed herself in her award-winning art in her former graduate of Miami University and of Indiana University’s law years. She also loved to sew and was currently working on school. He was passionate about environmental protection COVID-19 masks, a contribution she was excited about. and sustainability, economics, alternative methods of She is survived by her parents, Sandy and Jeff Schoen, and governance, and social justice. He is survived by his parents her brothers, Graham, Eric, and Christian. Marianne Cowley and Tom Cowley; his wife Cam Le Isabel “Muff” Hildebrand Morton passed away in October Cowley; his siblings, Anna, Sam, Tevy and Nam Le Cowley. 2020. Muff was the High School Development Director Tinsley Noreen Nugent ’15 passed away June 19th, 2020. early in the history of the high school and a former member Tinsley had a wicked sense of humor and was fiercely of the St. Francis Board of Trustees. Muff grew up in South independent and stubborn. Quick to grasp, she was a Carolina, but was a proud Louisvillian for the past 50 years. brilliant, high-achieving student and an extremely talented She served as President of the Louisville Junior League and writer. She was a keen observer of the world and its people, chaired and served on many committees as an advocate for with a great deal of empathy for her fellow citizens who find children. She was a pioneer in the field of patient themselves at the margins of society. She relished her time representation at Norton Children’s Hospital and retired as with books, in nature, and with animals. She leaves behind that department head. She is survived by her four children, her mother Síofra Rucker G’84; her father, Andrew Nugent; David St.Pierre DuBose III, Marjorie DuBose Rogers, her younger sister, Bella Nugent G’17, ’21; her grandfather, George Dial DuBose, and Retta DuBose Strohecker and Embry Rucker Jr.; her uncle, Embry Rucker G’87, ’91; her by her three stepchildren, Thruston Ballard Morton, III, aunts, her uncles, and many cousins. Michael Clark Morton, and Morel M. Alexander.
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We THINK; therefore, we are St. Francis. 233 West Broadway
Louisville, KY 40202
Check out some of our high schoolers sporting our new merch - available on our website under Spirit Wear!