Crafting Their Futures
Vanessa Lim and five fellow graduates pave the way with passion.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Tracy McGovern · Chair
Natasha Chmelir, DVM · Secretary
Jens Heycke · Treasurer
Mark Eberle · Honorary
Mike Naumes · Honorary
Mirek Bobek, MD
Steven Boswell
Tanny Flowers Sr.
Judy Gambee
Peter Grant, MD
Jeresa Hren
Christian Istel
Scott King
Amy Kranenburg
Tina Miller
Adam Peterson
Fr. Ken Sampson
Chuck Watson
Ryan Bernard · President
Frank Phillips · President Emeritus
Jim Meyer · Principal
Anita Cooper · Vice Principal, High School
Chris Johnson · Vice Principal, Middle School; COO
Lesley Klecan · Dean of Academics
Andrea Saxon Gibson · CFO
Bethany Brown Director of Advancement
Rebecca Naumes Vega ’99 Director of Enrollment Management
Sarah Primerano ’97 Director of Alumni Relations
Erin Maxson Kiene Director of Marketing and Communications
Jamie Young · Athletic Director
AT ST. MARY’S, WE ARE…
Dedicated Scholars who are college-bound, with the skills and knowledge to ask compelling questions and seek multiple perspectives.
Creative Thinkers whose inherent curiosity ignites a passion for new ideas and empowers us to embrace challenges.
Responsible Community Members who serve others and contribute to the betterment of the school and the world beyond.
Global Citizens who demonstrate empathy and integrity, guided by a sound moral compass.
Joyful Spirits who make time for school, family, friends, personal interests, and spiritual growth.
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Take Pride
As I sit quietly typing this missive on my mother’s deck in Colorado on a lazy summer morning, I find myself already nostalgic for the hustle and bustle, the noise and energy, and the hum of St. Mary’s in the fall. I can’t wait!
On occasion during the school year, I leave my office and stroll down to division morning meetings, sometimes just to be a passive observer, other times to lead a school S-M-S cheer, but most often to impart a little wisdom and perhaps some inspiration. And when I try to hold forth on such topics, I almost always begin by saying that I wear my St. Mary’s swag everywhere—at our games, on Sunday errands, to the grocery store, and on the golf course—and I do so for one reason: I am so proud of our school. I want our students to feel that same sense of pride. I want the same for you.
And why? That’s easy. Because we have so very much to be proud of! In this issue, as has become something of a tradition, we profile six of our recent graduates. I all but guarantee that by the time you close the back cover, you’ll be beaming with pride just like I am as I type.
First and foremost, all six of our outstanding profile subjects are matriculating to well-known institutions that range from the University of Oregon and Oregon State, to Stanford University and Carnegie Mellon, to Boston College and the University of St Andrews in Scotland! Second, these kids have lived all over the world (Medford, Oregon;
Pretoria, South Africa; Tianjin, China; Seoul, South Korea), and they want to continue exploring its furthest reaches. Heck, one is headed to Scotland for his undergraduate degree, and two others—raised right here in Medford— just got back from nearly two months traveling throughout Asia, including six weeks studying at St. Mary’s in Zhengzhou, China.
Highly decorated scholars all, this bunch also includes members of our state champion speech and debate team; star athletes in soccer, football, swimming, archery, basketball, and track and field; mock trial attorneys; robotics tinkers; model United Nations diplomats; and a mathematically inclined master potter.
“I am so proud of our school. I want our students to feel that same sense of pride. I want the same for you.” —Ryan Bernard
Their futures are so bright! And to think, you all get to say you “knew them when…”
We get to take pride in these students, and they get to take pride in St. Mary’s, knowing that our school provided the sturdy foundation from which to launch. Readers, you are to thank for that foundation.
When I first arrived at St. Mary’s 15 years ago (before our international program, before the Chapel, before the dorm, before the Naumes Center, before the Carrico Center, before the purchase of the property, before the mod system, and before the endowment), people called St. Mary’s a plucky little school—the Little Engine That Could. Well, admirable as those qualities are, St. Mary’s has outgrown those monikers. St. Mary’s is now a powerful locomotive—the big engine that simply is Take pride in that.
This fall, as has also become a tradition, on the first day of school we’ll distribute St. Mary’s shirts to all students and staff. Our parents’ association will also open and man a Spirit Store pop-up for parents, grandparents, younger siblings, and friends to get some St. Mary’s swag of their own. I hope all of our community members will grab some gear and wear it often because being part of the best school in the Rogue Valley is something worth sharing with the world.
Best,
Ryan F. Bernard · President, St. Mary’s School
Philosophy
St. Mary’s School teaches students to lead purposeful lives in service to others and is devoted to the pursuit of excellence in character and scholarship. A nurturing, internationally diverse community that encourages students and adults to respect and learn from one another, St. Mary’s School is dedicated to the development of global leaders through academic rigor and civic participation. Grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition, St. Mary’s School values all persons and encourages students to seek truth and meaning in their lives while integrating what they learn with how they live.
Sophia Cox has a powerful voice. You may have heard it if you’ve ever attended a St. Mary’s home game, where she and fellow student vocalists can frequently be found leading the national anthem. But Sophia’s vocal range extends far beyond those notoriously difficult one and a half octaves. In fact, over the past four years as a leader of the school’s speech and debate team, mock trial team, and Model United Nations team, she has found ways to make her voice heard on the state and national stages.
Sophia is a three-time National Speech and Debate Association national tournament qualifier, a two-time Oregon School Activities Association state champion in dramatic interpretation, and the 2022 Odd Fellows Pilgrimage for Youth program national speech contest winner. She is also a Girl Scout Ambassador, a varsity swimmer, and an AP Capstone Scholar. In other words, she is a true Renaissance woman who is just as comfortable using her voice to corral youngsters at Girl Scout camp as she is to deliver an academic presentation to an Institutional Review Board.
Part of the reason why Sophia’s résumé is so eclectic is because when it comes to learning, she is a self-described “kid in a candy store type,” with a tendency to develop deep and genuine interests in new subjects and then eagerly turn them into passion projects. For example, as part of the two-year AP Capstone program, she conducted extensive independent research on topics ranging from immigration to social media to K-pop, crafting the latter into a 5,000-word mini-dissertation that involved carefully coding 70 chart-topping songs to ascertain whether there is a correlation between their level of English usage and their popularity (conclusion: there isn’t).
During her senior year, with the AP Capstone Scholar credential already in hand, Sophia opted to undertake yet another independent scholarly research project—a St. Mary’s honors thesis. This time she designed an experiment to be implemented in our school’s very own Chinese I and Chinese II classrooms to assess whether collaborative writing strategies might offer an improved approach to second-language writing instruction (conclusion: sample size too small; results indeterminate).
Molly Bruins
Sophia Cox
“A big revelation for me was that things I’ve learned before can actually become usable material for writing a speech, for connecting with others. I never thought that a Kacey Dewing class in freshman year would help me win a debate at state in senior year.” —Sophia Cox
Although some might find the prospect of so much data crunching and literature review overwhelming, Sophia finds it energizing. In fact, she credits the AP Capstone program with sparking one of the most important revelations she had during her time at St. Mary’s: “I have a lot of questions about the world, but I don’t have to wait for those answers just to be bestowed upon me. I can be an active player in discovering the things that I really want to know about.”
And an active player she has been, not only in pursuing her innate curiosities but also in noticing connections across disciplines and thus developing new insights. Sophia says that the St. Mary’s mod system, where “intellectual freedom” is “baked into the structure,” facilitates this type of thinking and that the habit has contributed significantly to her speech and debate success: “A big revelation for me was that things I’ve learned before can actually become usable material for writing a speech, for connecting with others. I never thought that a Kacey Dewing class in freshman year would help me win a debate at state in senior year.”
Sophia won more than a few debates in her senior year, ultimately helping secure the team’s third sweepstakes state championship across her four-year high school tenure.
Given this track record, it is only fitting that next year she will be attending the University of Oregon Robert D. Clark Honors College, an institution named after the university’s former president and debate program founder. Sophia plans to obtain a degree in cognitive neuroscience, a field that intrigues her because of another cross-curricular revelation: that, ultimately, all of human behavior is driven by “this one giant system in our heads” and that “every interaction you have with another person is an opportunity to understand them.”
Sophia tentatively plans to go into medicine, though she also harbors the hope of having a paper published someday. Regardless of her career path, she is determined to find a way to use her talents and energies to give back to the community: “On my deathbed, I really want to be able to say that I have contributed to a field that has helped people understand themselves, made them less afraid of themselves, and made them more confident in their ability to feel good and participate in society.”
That’s certainly something worth singing about.
Eve Benton
Whoever coined the motivational phrase Don’t let anyone outwork you inadvertently created a guiding principle for Vanessa Lim. Vanessa wakes up earlier, stays up later, and takes on more projects in a day than many of us can imagine. That she concluded her senior year wading through multiple college enrollment offers and scholarship awards was not at all surprising after seeing her unflagging work ethic on display during college application season. Vanessa’s mind moves as quickly as her feet, allowing her to complete a yeoman’s workload with a teenager’s eye for fashion. Don’t let the crop top fool you. Vanessa has been preparing for success in college and her career, and the rest of the world may have to run to catch up.
Vanessa was invited to accept a full academic scholarship to St. Mary’s after her stellar performance at a local charter school designed to meet the needs of underserved members of the Southern Oregon community. Using her success at Kids Unlimited Academy as a starting point, she exceeded every expectation from freshman year onward, engaging as successfully with Physics as with Advanced Economics. Vanessa is the rare student who can set her sights on any target and work until she earns the A, defends her research, or draws a line figure with an exquisite eye for detail. She does not avoid a heavy workload because she has already strategized through the end game while the rest of us are still sharpening our pencils.
Vanessa believes that no goal is too lofty and no success is out of reach if she works hard, asks questions, and learns from teachers of all types. When she arrives this fall on the campus of Stanford University, there will be countless opportunities to apply her enthusiasm for learning from world-class faculty while she earns her undergraduate degree in economics. With an eye toward participating in campus finance clubs and learning about investments and venture capital, Vanessa is prepared to thrive in the heart of California’s Silicon Valley.
Vanessa Lim
“I witnessed firsthand the sacrifices my immigrant parents made: coming to an entirely new country with no family and a single bag of luggage, to raising three children. Their jobs in the fast-food industry instilled in me that hard work and dedication were a no-brainer.” —Vanessa Lim
It is impossible to speak with Vanessa without hearing how her family and upbringing have inspired her drive to succeed. She proudly shares the story of her Indonesian parents coming to the United States and working tirelessly to provide opportunities for Vanessa and her two brothers to make the most of their potential: “I witnessed firsthand the sacrifices my immigrant parents made: coming to an entirely new country with no family and a single bag of luggage, to raising three children. Their jobs in the fast-food industry instilled in me that hard work and dedication were a no-brainer,” she says. Her parents rejoiced with every acceptance letter and opportunity for Vanessa to reach her goals. Their work in our community set the stage for her to take on the world.
Vanessa believes that her willingness to risk rejection is what sets her up for success. When asked to share advice for students who may want to follow in her footsteps, she recommends taking the chance to be chosen. Never be afraid to ask is the attitude that inspired Vanessa to apply to top universities with nationally competitive scholarship programs. She has learned that putting herself and her credentials up for consideration has paid off in ways she
could not have imagined when she was a chatty middle schooler who had never even seen the St. Mary’s campus before applying. She advises other students to use the resources available to them.
The reminder You won’t know the outcome unless you try paid off as Vanessa reached advanced levels of scholarship competitions, including Coca-Cola Scholars, Stamps Scholars, and QuestBridge, simply by taking the chance to apply and believing that her potential to be chosen was as good as any other applicant’s.
By the time Vanessa travels to Stanford for move-in day, she will have completed an academic journey that challenged her intellectually, allowed her to explore the world by visiting China in Mod 7 (twice!), and made her family proud—all a result of generous donations and her own hard work.
“The scholarship I received was not just a gift; it was a lifeline that propelled me toward a brighter future,” she reflects with gratitude. “Without it the doors to a prestigious college prep school would have remained firmly closed.”
Joe Volk
After 40-plus years of teaching and coaching, the names and faces of students and athletes that I have taught and/or coached begin to blur, but it is with absolute certainty that St. Mary’s graduate TJ Flowers will not soon be forgotten.
I am fortunate to have taught and coached TJ since his freshman year. My assistant coach, Nicki Ford, recalls that during TJ’s 9th-grade track-and-field (T&F) season, his diminutive stature enabled Nicki to see eye to eye with him. It is an apt metaphor that by TJ’s senior year he had grown considerably. And while he has been a man of few words, he has let his actions exemplify his character. Some might look at TJ’s four-year, three-sport (T&F, football, and basketball) varsity lettering and his all-state, all-conference, and all-league honors and assume that those successes came easily to him. Nothing could be further from the truth. TJ is the embodiment of hard work and perseverance.
TJ is a young man of character. In addition to teaching him in class, I have been fortunate to have had him on my track team. Last spring I appointed him as one of our team captains primarily because of the character that I have seen in him, and this decision resulted in his leading with his soft-spoken example of work ethic, diligence, and commitment. This was on full display at last May’s Oregon School Activities Association 3A State Track and Field Championship meet in Eugene, where, despite a severe allergic reaction due to the high pollen count, TJ garnered multiple medals in the relays and horizontal events.
This became most evident during his senior T&F season. The coaches were looking forward to big things from TJ and his teammates—and they did not disappoint. TJ opened the season, setting personal bests in both relays and horizontal jumps. Throughout the season of successes, the Crusaders were confronted by myriad setbacks and challenges.
TJ Flowers
“One thing I’ve learned as your student throughout the years is your passion for the things you love, whether you’re talking about track, your favorite show, movies, or books, which I’ve come to admire. It’s taught me that I should appreciate the things in my life.”
—TJ Flowers
The biggest blow came in the weeks before district competition, when TJ suffered what would be a season-ending hamstring injury. He continued to rehab his hamstring with a stoic determination, but it would ultimately not allow him to compete. Aiden DeBoer stepped up courageously to fill in on the 4 × 100 and 4 × 400 meter relays. TJ would have to watch the Crusader foursome—Aiden, Oliver Ford, Andrew Lockwood, and Indy Olsen—break a 38-year-old school record with their time of 44.12.
TJ’s injury was particularly heart-wrenching for me, as he has been an integral team member all four years, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching him grow and mature as a student-athlete. I had hoped that he would finish his T&F high school career on a high note. But sport teaches many lessons, and TJ’s injury was an opportunity for him to demonstrate to his teammates and coaches that learning to deal with setbacks can be just as important as dealing with success.
It has been TJ’s ability to apply those lessons in life that I truly appreciate about him. TJ is a treasured reminder to me as a teacher of 40 years of why I got into education in the first place. A simple line from one of his reflections gave me great joy to see him take lessons learned to heart: “One thing I’ve learned as your student throughout the years is your passion for the things you love, whether you’re talking about track, your favorite show, movies, or books, which I’ve come to admire. It’s taught me that I should appreciate the things in my life.”
It has been an honor to have taught and coached TJ these past four years, and I am certain that he will use the lessons learned in classes and on the track, the field, and the court to leave an indelible mark on this world.
Jim Meyer
Because I know who I was (and wasn’t!) in my teenage years, I’ve often wondered how international students—at such a young age— decide to move thousands of miles away from their families to study at St. Mary’s.
In Mason Jun’s case, an avid curiosity and a restless desire to know more about the bigger world brought him to our school. And Mason knows the exact moment he made his decision to take the international leap.
Mason was 16 years old and attending one of the most prestigious and competitive schools in Seoul, South Korea. As he was preparing for a midterm exam, several sudden and surprising thoughts entered his mind: Why am I studying all of this? Do I want more than this? It was in this existential moment of questioning that Mason knew he wanted to study in the United States. Mason will tell you that St. Mary’s changed his life and that, indeed, the people at St. Mary’s—his teachers, his coaches, and his classmates—have helped him answer, in his words, “the why, the what, and the how of my life.”
It’s easy to see why Mason was selected by his classmates to be this year’s student speaker at the Class of 2024 graduation ceremony. Mason is incredibly bright and likable, and he was involved in numerous activities at St. Mary’s, from football and the math team to the Dorm Council and speech and debate. While he loved all of his activities, the most meaningful was football. The team and its coaches were so welcoming and supportive that Mason feels it was the foundation on which he built his success at St. Mary’s.
It was on this foundation that Mason, in his sophomore year, began to answer the why question. He took a great deal of social studies and English classes, and they provided him with the philosophical underpinnings to answer that fundamental query: “These classes really provided me the why part of what I want to do,” he says. “Why do I have to study this? Why do I have to act this way? Why do I have to think this way? These classes helped me understand why education and knowledge matter.”
Mason Jun
“These classes really provided me the why part of what I want to do. Why do I have to study this? Why do I have to act this way? Why do I have to think this way? These classes helped me understand why education and knowledge matter.” —Mason Jun
In his junior year, Mason took a challenging slate, including four Advanced Placement (AP) courses. These classes and his teachers enabled him to dive deeply and understand the interconnectedness of the subjects. Mason credits his Calculus teacher, Peter St. Onge, and the Junior Research Project (JRP) with helping him gain self-awareness of what he wants to do with this life.
Mason’s JRP on TikTok and artificial intelligence (AI) came to him because of his AP Statistics class with Jeff Cruzan, PhD, and the thought-provoking conversations he had with Dr. Cruzan and other teachers, such as Scott MacDonald, whom Mason spent hours talking to on many Saturday mornings in the dorm.
“The JRP was crucial,” Mason says, “as I was able to write about something I really didn’t know I had that much passion about.”
As Mason entered his senior year, he asked himself, How am I going to bring all this passion about AI to reality?
He engaged the College Counseling office, particularly Lesley Klecan and Lele Du, who guided him through the
college application process. It became clear that Carnegie Mellon, one of the leading schools in the world for studying AI, was the perfect choice.
“I am interested in so many ideas,” says Mason, “and I know I’m going to get sidetracked in college, pursuing my career and my passions. Carnegie is the best place for me to be distracted, as it uniquely explores so many interesting subjects, but I can also get a world-class education on AI.” Mason plans to double-major in AI and either computational neuroscience or statistics/machine learning or pursue a unique technology and art major.
Mason is ready to launch, and he attributes his readiness for college and life beyond to the people he met at St. Mary’s, the welcome he received, and the ideas they opened up to him: “St. Mary’s gave me the playbook to succeed. My growth as an individual came because of the activities I did and the people I met through them.”
Ryan Bernard
Many schools claim to be internationally focused, producing global citizens for the twenty-first century, but for most those are just catchy buzzwords that belie what the school actually does to meet those aims. Not so at St. Mary’s. Consider our residential student enrollment, our foreign language offerings, our internationally focused curriculum, our global travel opportunities, our exchanges with China and Argentina, our Mod Abroad program, and our schools overseas. When we say, “We are global citizens,” we mean it.
Recent graduate Leo Cronk, Class of 2024, embodies that statement.
Let’s start at the beginning. Just weeks after being born in Bethesda, Maryland, Leo began “living overseas, going back and forth between the United States and the next foreign destination.” Leo’s father works for US Aid Services, and his efforts to combat disease around the world have taken Leo and his family to multiple countries. Leo’s first stop was Guatemala, where he “picked up Spanish as [his] second first language.” Over time he lived in Ukraine, as well, but Leo identifies the four years he spent in Pretoria, South Africa, and attending an American International School there, as the experience that opened his eyes to a global perspective, one that he continued to develop at St. Mary’s.
“The perspective that I developed living overseas is very different from that of a typical US student,” says Leo, “and I’ve come to appreciate the opportunities we are given here, especially at St. Mary’s. I am very grateful to have seen all of these beautiful places, and I intend to keep an international lens on the rest of my life.”
At St. Mary’s, that lens helped Leo’s perspective come into sharper focus. He fondly remembers all of Kacey Dewing’s and Lauren Huizinga’s classes for their “very intriguing and comprehensive international approaches.” Leo singled out Mrs. Dewing, in particular, saying that her classes “on culture and politics and lifestyles around the world” inspired him to pursue geography and human development in college, which he will do next year, fittingly, abroad.
Leo Cronk
“The perspective that I developed living overseas is very different from that of a typical US student, and I’ve come to appreciate the opportunities we are given here, especially at St. Mary’s.” —Leo Cronk
After considering a dual BA program between Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, and Columbia University in New York, Leo ultimately decided that the University of St Andrews in Scotland would be the best fit: “Having grown up internationally, I was looking for a community that I could connect with on that level, which St Andrews provides and then some, with easy travel to Europe and to my family and friends in Africa.”
Leo’s time at St. Mary’s was not solely defined by his success in the classroom. Perhaps not surprisingly, his favorite sport is soccer. The beautiful game is indeed the world’s game, and Leo took to it from the start. Whether in Guatemala, Ukraine, South Africa, or the United States, Leo could always find friends on the pitch: “It’s been a community for me in every part of my life, no matter where I’ve been. I could meet people, understand them, learn the way they think, and really get to know them just by kicking a ball around with them.”
At St. Mary’s, Leo’s love of the game translated to a banner high school career, as he earned many personal and team accolades—and wins—“with a team that over time became like a family to most of us.”
As Leo heads off to St Andrews, he is thankful for his time at St. Mary’s—“a school that has helped me find myself and a really good group of friends”—and eager for his next adventure. For Leo the world really is his oyster. As he capped our interview, he said, “I can’t wait to take what I’ve been given all around the world—but first to Scotland!”
Betsy Moore
Evelina Fu excitedly enrolled at St. Mary’s as a freshman, just in time to stay home in China due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She spent the year online, meeting classmates as small on-screen faces late at night. Although Zoom sessions were not ideal for anyone during the pandemic, Evelina sensed that St. Mary’s teachers were nevertheless trying hard to make each class challenging, interesting, and worthwhile.
When she finally arrived on campus in the fall of her sophomore year, Evelina made the most of her experience. “I tried to do my best in classes,” she says, “but I also played basketball for a year, worked on the yearbook, and joined the robotics team and the outdoor program.” Evelina was surprised that she wasn’t homesick. Instead she regaled her parents with stories of her adventures in Medford.
The outdoor program opened Evelina’s eyes to an entirely different world: “In China,” she says, “we live in tall, compacted apartment spaces, so getting to go hiking and learn about the wilderness was astonishing to me.” Evelina kayaked on the Rogue River and rode the ski bus to Mt. Ashland. She camped in the mountains and the redwoods, marveling at teachers Alan McCreedy, Chris Johnson, and Jerry Burke, who “knew everything about the outdoors, endlessly identifying local flora and fauna along the trails.”
Classroom experiences too exceeded Evelina’s expectations: “In China we did not have the opportunity to explore our personalities or passions. I do like mathematics, of course, but also music, art, and ceramics.” At St. Mary’s, Evelina took all the available math and art classes. In AP Calculus with Caitlin Whispell, she developed confidence and the desire to study mathematics. From Peter St. Onge, she discovered the magic of delving deeper into multivariable calculus and 3D graphing. And in the art room with Elizabeth Moore, she found a surprising passion for ceramics. Realizing the connection between math and art, Evelina spent hours in the art room learning to manipulate clay—on ideas, drawings, and sculptures. Twice she was chosen to represent St. Mary’s in the Best of the Best Exhibition.
Evelina Fu
“I use the logic that I learned in my Multivariable Calculus class in my ceramic sculptures. Those things go together: thinking and making, seeing and imagining, logic and geometry—all of this made me feel very happy.” —Evelina Fu
In her senior year, Evelina says she “enjoyed the deep knowledge and the magic of mathematics, as Mr. St. Onge taught us to imagine and use 3D graphing and to consider big questions. This math thinking also applies to art: I use the logic that I learned in my Multivariable Calculus class in my ceramic sculptures. Those things go together: thinking and making, seeing and imagining, logic and geometry—all of this made me feel very happy.”
Evelina gained special permission to use the art room after hours to satisfy her need to create, spending countless evenings and weekends immersed in her work. She went on to submit an AP Art portfolio of her sculptures. Her thesis involved the stages of childhood through adulthood, the expectations of the child,
the hopes of the parents, and the weight of all of those things on a student. She created hand-built vessels, like mugs and teapots, as well as human forms that were both abstract and realistic.
“I was so surprised when I started to make things out of clay that my happiness would be so great,” she says. “If you have troubles, clay sculpture helps you feel more peaceful. It focuses your mind on the thing you’re working with, so it is a practice for mindfulness, peacefulness, happiness, and problem-solving.”
In the fall, Evelina will attend Boston College to study applied mathematics. “They have an art program too,” she says, “so I hope to engage with my passion for ceramics in Boston as well.”
Congratulations to all St. Mary’s students, who pursue academic excellence both in and outside the classroom.
Six members of the Class of 2024 earned Oregon’s Seal of Biliteracy.
The St. Mary’s speech and debate team placed first in the 4A/3A/2A/1A division of the Oregon School Activities Association Speech and Debate State Championship tournament for the second consecutive year.
St. Mary’s has more than three dozen clubs, including these academic programs whose members compete throughout the school year.
Brain Bowl team
Math team
Mock trial team
Model United Nations team
National History Day team
Robotics team
Science Olympiad team
Speech and debate team
Congratulations!
You did it! Congratulations on your graduation and for all of your accomplishments proud of you and know that you all have bright futures ahead. The hard work of your teachers, staff, and coaches have prepared you for college and life beyond. proud of and so much to be hopeful about. You have all made certain that the as ever. We wish you all the best and hope that you will remember St. Mary’s
Congratulations! accomplishments at St. Mary’s. We are so you’ve done and the good work beyond. You have a great deal to be future remains as promising fondly! 24 20 CLASS OF
LEGENDARY LEARNING
Jim Meyer
Peter St. Onge
Peter St. Onge leaves a legacy of true excellence at St. Mary’s.
For 27 years, Peter taught a variety of math classes at St. Mary’s, although most of his students will best remember his AP Calculus and Multivariable Calculus classes.
Peter possesses a remarkable intellect and the ability to make math interesting, practical, and relevant. He truly knows his students, and students often commented that they didn’t know they had it in them to reach the high bar that Peter set. His students experienced true achievement in a world that often rewards people for just showing up and doing the minimum.
Alums often commented that their math classes at St. Mary’s were far more rewarding, interesting, and better taught than the math classes they were taking in college. Many of Peter’s students were so inspired that they majored in math at college, and some have gone on to be math teachers.
Peter will be greatly missed at St. Mary’s, and we wish him all the best in retirement.
“He truly knows his students, and students often commented that they didn’t know they had it in them to reach the high bar that Peter set.” —Jim Meyer
Frank Phillips
Al and Ann Hunter
It’s hard to overstate the legacy that Al and Ann Hunter leave behind after 30 years at St. Mary’s. True intellects, they are among the most well-read faculty members in the school’s history. They believe, as English poet and cultural critic Matthew Arnold wrote, that great literature brings to students “the best that has been thought and said.” In other words, the literary content of English classes is of the utmost importance.
English at St. Mary’s is not, as it has been reduced to in some other schools, the reprehensible language arts—a term that can only have been devised by soulless bureaucrats. We do not study great literature simply to improve writing mechanics. We study great literature because it is great; it provides our students with an intelligent, considered ethical education. Great literature pushes students into contemplating the human condition and how they will conduct their lives; the great tides of human history, politics, and philosophy; the complicated promptings of the human heart and human mind; and countless other themes and topics that make us fully human, such as love, loyalty, duty, ambition, freedom—and their opposites.
Often, and lamentably in our modern culture, in a high school English class is the last time in their lives that students read great books, or perhaps any books— the last time they will seriously engage with the world’s greatest authors and thinkers and wrestle with the kinds of big, fundamental, existential questions that any intelligent person should both appreciate and ponder in a well-examined life. Students learn valuable things in any subject area, but in a well-taught English curriculum students learn to become civilized and thoughtful human beings.
More than anything else, this level of sophistication and the appreciation and understanding of “high literature,” both for its content and for its sheer artistic beauty, is the Hunters’ legacy at St. Mary’s— a legacy that we hope lives on at our school as Al and Ann enjoy their well-earned retirement.
“Students learn valuable things in any subject area, but in a well-taught English curriculum students learn to become civilized and thoughtful human beings.” —Frank Phillips
Ensuring Excellence for the Future
ST. MARY’S SCHOOL PLANNED GIVING
Transforming lives through education has always been the mission of St. Mary’s School, and now you can be part of securing our future for generations to come. Planned giving offers a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact while ensuring that our tradition of excellence continues.
Why Choose Planned Giving?
Secure St. Mary’s Future
Your gift will provide vital resources for financial aid, faculty support, and innovative programs that empower our students.
Leave a Lasting Legacy
Establish a legacy that reflects your values and commitment to education, inspiring others to follow in your footsteps.
Support Our Community By honoring St. Mary’s School with your gift, you are investing in the future leaders and changemakers who will shape our world.
Ways to Give
Bequests
Include St. Mary’s School in your will or trust, leaving a specific amount or a percentage of your estate.
Life Insurance
Designate St. Mary’s as a beneficiary of your life insurance policy.
IRAs or Retirement Plans
Name St. Mary’s as a beneficiary of your retirement assets. Together we can continue to provide outstanding education and opportunities for every student who walks through our doors.
Contact Us
Contact us today to explore how you can make a difference through planned giving. For more information, please contact Bethany Brown at (541) 414-1208 or bbrown@smschool.us
Thank you
TO ALL WHO GIVE
IN SUPPORT OF ST. MARY’S SCHOOL
“It was an easy decision to include St. Mary’s School in my estate planning. St. Mary’s has been a center of excellence in our community for nearly 160 years. An essential Rogue Valley institution, it has been the launching pad for so many successful, happy, interesting, and purposeful lives and careers, generation after generation. Not only did I enjoy a wonderful career at the school but my three children also benefited enormously from the education they received at St. Mary’s. Those of us who love the school can ensure that it thrives for decades to come by remembering it in our planned giving.
I urge you to join me in considering a planned gift to St. Mary’s School.”
—Frank Phillips · President Emeritus, St. Mary’s School
The St. Mary’s Society
The St. Mary’s Society honors lifetime gift support of donations totaling more than $1 million. These donors have been instrumental in our academic and capital improvements over the past two decades.
• Carrico Family Foundation
• Sid and Karen DeBoer
• Jed and Celia Meese
• Mike and Laura Naumes
• Piper Family Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation
The St. Mary’s Crusader Society
The St. Mary’s Crusader Society recognizes individuals who have made arrangements in their estates to support the mission and students of St. Mary’s School.
Robert Brady*
Cillie Bruce*
Father Nicholas Deis*
John Delimat*
Mark and Candice Eberle
Ike Eisenstein*
Marilyn Fink ’65
Dorothy Finke*
Rick and Leigh Hood
Robert Johnson*
Nancy Lewis*
Samuel and Rhode Lowell
Marylee A. Lowry*
Susan Mosley
Mike and Laura Naumes
Patrick Naumes*
Gladys Nollner*
Frank Phillips
Paul and Catherine Rimov
David and Lisa Robino
Kim Roemer
Hubert Smith
Malcom Stine*
*Deceased
THE ST. MARY’S SCHOOL ENDOWMENT
The St. Mary’s School Endowment provides funds in perpetuity for financial aid, faculty development, and program support. With assets of just over $4 million, the endowment provides annual income to the school and is managed by the St. Mary’s School Board of Trustees. These funds, combined with ther annual gifts, enable St. Mary’s to provide financial aid to worthy students, to support our faculty development, and to fund our programs.
Endowed Scholarship Funds
Carrico Family Foundation Fund
Established in 2022 through a gift from the Carrico Family Foundation. This fund provides scholarship support to students in need.
Chuck and Karin Watson
Family Scholarship Fund
Established in 2021 through a gift from Chuck and Karin Watson. Scholarships from this fund are awarded to students showing academic promise.
Dr. Beverly F. Fuller
Memorial Scholarship Fund
Established in 2022 in honor of Beverly Fuller, MD, who passed away from cancer. The wife of former St. Mary’s School President Frank Phillips, Dr. Fuller was the valedictorian of both her high school and college, a longtime ob-gyn physician in Medford, as well as an accomplished artist, musician, gardener, equestrian, and farmer. This scholarship was established to assist a student who has interests in any of those areas—or any student of academic and personal promise.
Eric DeGraw Scholarship Fund
Established in memory of St. Mary’s student Eric DeGraw, who passed away in 1992. Eric was outgoing, kind, and a friend to all. Scholarships from this fund are awarded to incoming 9th graders who share these traits with Eric.
Jerry and Ann Eiler Education Fund
Established in 2021 through a generous gift from Jerry and Ann Eiler. The Eilers are champions of high-quality education, character development, and service to their community. Jerry and Ann have seen firsthand the highquality education their grandsons received at St. Mary’s School and created this fund to provide that opportunity to others. Scholarships from this fund are awarded to students with financial need.
Loffer Family Scholarship
Established in 2004 by James and Linda Loffer. Scholarships from this fund are awarded to high school students with average grades.
Malcolm Stine Scholarship Fund
Established in 1991 through a gift from the Malcolm Stine estate. Scholarships from this fund support St. Mary’s student-athletes.
Mary Reeder Scholarship Fund
Established in 1996 in loving memory of Mary Reeder, mother of 11 St. Mary’s alumni, generous benefactor, and ardent friend. Scholarships from this fund are awarded to 9th to 12th graders in need.
Matilda Whitridge Scholarship Fund
Established in memory of Matilda Rhiannon Whitridge, who attended St. Mary’s with the Class of 2022. Matilda embodied quiet confidence with strength and grace and radiated joy and laughter. She is remembered for her loving personality and beautiful smile. This fund provides financial aid support for the Kids Unlimited Academy–St. Mary’s Scholars program and for other students who demonstrate a financial need.
M.E. and Virginia Abbott Scholarship Fund
Established in 2004 through an estate gift from Virginia Abbott. Scholarships from this fund are awarded to students with financial need.
Robert C. Bigelow Scholarship
Established in 2002 by Bernyne Bigelow, Beverly Ferguson, Hank Bigelow, and Lou Bigelow. Scholarships from this fund are awarded to children of St. Mary’s graduates.
William B. Smullin Scholarship Fund
Established in 1997 through a gift from William B. Smullin. Scholarships from this fund are awarded to incoming 9th graders.
Professional Development and Faculty Funds
Bernard Friends and Colleagues Fund
Established in 2022 by Ryan and Leah Bernard, MD, in honor of the outstanding St. Mary’s faculty and staff. Ryan often speaks about how, in his opinion, the professional should be personal. This fund, used for faculty compensation and professional development, recognizes the personal investment St. Mary’s employees make in their community, their school, their students, and one another.
Frank Phillips Fund
Established in 2023 through a collective gift to honor President Emeritus Frank Phillips. In 1989 Frank was hired as a part-time English teacher and librarian. By 2005 he had risen to the position of St. Mary’s School president. During his 33-year tenure at St. Mary’s, Frank transformed the college-preparatory school into a thriving studentcentered international institution with a highly unique modular schedule and calendar. Under Frank’s leadership,
enrollment increased by 66%, and the school’s net assets increased from $1.7 million to $19.7 million. His final goal was to establish an endowment to safeguard St. Mary’s School in perpetuity. The Frank Phillips Fund is used for faculty and administration recruitment, retention, and professional development.
High School Faculty Development Fund
Established by the EE Ford Foundation. This fund supports professional development for St. Mary’s high school faculty.
James R. Meyer Pegasus Fund
Established in 2022 by the Hren family in honor of James R. Meyer, St. Mary’s School principal. This fund is in gratitude for Jim’s tireless concern for others. Like the Greek mythical creature Pegasus, Jim inspires and empowers his students to achieve their own unique victories in life. The James R. Meyer Pegasus Fund supports faculty and staff professional development, as well as salary enhancement for St. Mary’s administrators.
Special Endowed Funds
Jerry and
Ann
Eiler Discretionary Impact Fund
Established in 2021 by former St. Mary’s School Trustee Jerry Eiler and his wife, Ann, to provide discretionary support for the general enhancement of school operations. Jerry served on the Board of Trustees from 2015 to 2021. His strong business and financial acumen made him an integral part of the campus expansion, St. Mary’s 2.0 curriculum change, and the property purchase. Jerry and Ann led the successful St. Mary’s 2.0 Campaign that transformed the campus with a new Student Commons and STEM Center.
Louise M. Peterson Library and Education Fund
Established in 2020 by St. Mary’s School Trustee J. Adam Peterson, along with his wife and St. Mary’s College Counselor Lucinda Peterson, to honor Adam’s mother, who dedicated her professional career to the preservation of libraries in Oregon’s rural communities. This fund provides support to the St. Mary’s School library for operation costs, including the annual purchase of new books, as well as funding for the school’s general educational and scholarship needs.
General Endowed Fund
Frank Phillips St. Mary’s First Fund
Established in 2022 by Mark, Candice, and Nick Eberle in honor of Frank Phillips, St. Mary’s School president and president emeritus. This fund recognizes Frank’s extraordinary leadership and unparalleled dedication during his 33 years at St. Mary’s. Through his unwavering guidance and always putting the school first, St. Mary’s experienced an explosion of growth, becoming a thriving international school with an innovative modular schedule. The Frank Phillips St. Mary’s First Fund provides discretionary support for the school’s general operations.
St. Mary’s Annual Fund
The President’s Circle
$15,000+
• Gary and Kathy Curtis
• Sid and Karen DeBoer
• Marion Denard
• Dr. Patrick Denard
• Ann Eiler
• Gambee Family Foundation
• Scott King
• Maggie Lowman
• Mike and Laura Naumes
• John North
• Wanda Olsrud
• Oregon Shoulder Institute
• Dani (Lowman) Prulhiere ’14
• Sid and Karen DeBoer Foundation
• Joe Weston
The Inspiration Circle
$10,000–$14,999
• Mark ’88 and Lauren DeBoer
• Nick Eberle ’12
• Joe and Frances Naumes Family Foundation
• Dr. Andy Kranenburg and Amy Kranenburg
• Tracy McGovern Lopiano and David Lopiano
• Rick and Katie Mayfield
• Philip and Simone Smith
• Chuck and Karin Watson
• Alan and Courtney Welburn
• Welburn Electric, Inc.
The Wisdom Circle
$5,000–$9,999
• Ameriprise Financial
• Drs. Adam AufderHeide and Emily Steinbis
• Leah Bernard, MD, and Ryan Bernard
• Drs. Mirek and Eileen Bobek
• Judith Crawford
• Elizabeth G. Maughan Charitable Foundation
• Dr. Peter Grant and Joan Grant
• Christian ’07 and Ayano Istel
• Kelly Jones
• Mike Kauffman, PhD (the Vasey Family)
• Jim and Colette Meyer
• Laurie Meyer
• Michael ’96 and Tina Miller
• OCF Community 101 Fund
• Frank Phillips
• John and Cathy Schleining
• Charles Smith
• Milo and Dana Smith
• Catherine Steigerwald
• David and Karyn Wetter
• Wetter Foundation
The Knowledge Circle
$2,500–$4,999
• Beth Andres-Beck ’01
• Anonymous
• Tom and Maureen Becker
• Eve and Joel Benton
• Dale Bernard
• Bethany and Berk Brown
• Jerry and Denise Burke
• Pat (Calhoun) ’61 and Frank Carrubba
• Dr. Natasha Chmelir and Bill Chmelir
• Carissa and Eric Dames
• Jill Eiler
• Larry and Rachel Hall
• Douglas and Gena Hauser
• Edward and Katy Impert
• Gus and Julia Janeway
• Lars Johansson and Magdolna Rozs Johansson
• Richie ’06 and Chandler Kaimie
• Ray and April King
• Jason and Karin Kuhl
• Craig and Kayde Lemley
• Ted and Melanie Menold
• Pathbonder Limited
• Jared and Joelle Pulver
• Rogue Valley Benefit Outreach Association
• Ryan and Nancy Suvoy
• Dylan and Megan Van Hoven
• Chad Xu and May Jin
The
Scholars’ Circle
$1,500–$2,499
• Abbott Fund
• Katie and Zak Ali
• Anonymous
• John and Nancy AufderHeide
• Kristin and Matthew Beers
• Mike and Jake Crennen
• Patrick and Katy Davol
• Steve and Annie Eadie
• John and Mary Eagle
• Mark and Shelly Eaton
• Ned and Elizabeth Ford
• Annie and Nathan Funk
• Andrea Saxon Gibson and Brady Gibson
• Dan ’96 and Ali Hildebrandt
• Russell Horn, OD, and Jackie Clair-Horn, OD
• Horton Family Foundation
• Al and Ann Hunter
• Christopher M. Johnson
• Ryan and Zoe Lehmann
• Greg and Susan Moffitt
• Eric and Chanel Palmer
• Diane and Matt Patten
• Dr. Jim Savage and Jackie Savage
• Dawn Seggelink ’84
• James and Elizabeth Walsh
St. Mary’s Club
$1,000–$1,499
• Anne (Baird) ’83 and Chris Adderson
• Caryn Anderson
• Anonymous
• Chris Borovansky
• Brett and Molly Bruins
• Chuck and Sandee Dibb
• Dylan McNeil Foundation
• Kaelynn Welburn Fletcher and Matt Fletcher
• Paul and Summer Gunn
• Rebecca and Ben Haden
• Sherri Herren
• Dieter and Betty Heycke
• Matt and Mary Hough
• Ronald and Jeresa Hren
• Edward and Ann Istel
• Eric and Holly Jensen
• Don and Julie Jones
• Karen Y. Freitas Charitable Fund
• Richey and Tamaria Kemmling
• Erin Maxson Kiene and Jesse Kiene
• Michaela and Howard Lavick
• Jason Lawrence ’11
• Shalana Lawrence ’13
• Kate Levin and Dr. David Levin
• Marcus and Sabrina McNeil
• Aundrea (Roberts) ’07 and Patrick Mitchell
• Susan F. Naumes ’66 and Diane Mathews
• Randy and Marlene Nelson
• Erik and Kristin Peterson
• Sarah (Naumes) ’97 and Kevin Primerano
• William and Linda Roemer
• Adrian and Katie Snyder
• Spartan Management, LLC
• David and Kathy Stewart
• Ann Swartz
• Gary and Claircy Welburn
• Ron Wilcox and Christel Steffen
• Darcy and Matt Yazzolino
Crusader Club
$500–$999
• Michael Agosta ’02
• Profe Rhiannon Batey
• Pam and Ben Bergreen
• Drs. Adam and Jessica Cabalo
• John and Emily Callahan
• Drs. David and Shireen Chamberland
• Vincent and Veronika Comerchero
• Laura Delgado
• Kim DeSimone
• Michael ’59 and Cathy Feiss
• Tanny Flowers Sr. and Miranda Flowers
• Brennan and Lisa Gardner
• Matt Hansen and Kris Darlington-Hansen
• Kimberly Hauser and Craig Berger
• Lauren Huizinga ’03 and Chase Frei
• Mark and Steffi Humphrey
• Eric Jensen ’67
• John and Sally Johnston
• Kevin and Nikki Keating
• Sean Keating ’19
• King Aesthetics
• Julie King
• Todd and Amanda Kotler
• Carole Manning
• Larry and Sophia Martin
• Kevin Mauseth ’98
• Grant Medley and Dr. Tamara Medley
• Betsy and Bernie Moore
• Marci and Nathan Mortensen
• Matt Oliva and Davis Wilkins
• Jeri Olson
• Paige and Scott Olson
• Paper & String, Inc.
• Adam and Lucinda Peterson
• John and Louise Peterson
• Lindsay Rytel ’00
• Bob and Cheryl Therkelsen
• Peter Watson ’09
• Jon and Caroline Wilbrecht
Blue and White Club
$250–$499
• Frank Ahern ’59 and Joy Bodnar
• Anonymous
• Hollie and Trevor Arnold
• Bill and Janet Bagley
• Jeff and Beth Barnard
• Annette (Sergent) ’77 and Andy Batzer
• Brandon and Tonya Bernardy
• Tom and Peggy Brennan
• Steven and Tina Chamberlain
• Kathy Chelminiak
• Muna Chiedozi ’29
• Kermit and Christine Compeau
• Lele Du
• Amy Dukes
• Sally and Jon Gasik
• Kelsey Gross ’09
• Jen Guo and Chen Xu
• Jens Heycke and Kelly Conlon
• Jerry ’62 and Pat (O’Hara) ’62 Higgins
• Paul and Jenna Hiratzka
• Jon and Geri Hoeft
• Chris and Emily Johnson
• Danielle and Roth Khieu
• Jung-Yup Kim
• Lia and Geoff Kirkpatrick
• Phil and Kathy Kolczynski
• Mike ’61 and Kathie Lewis
• Paulette Maxson
• Tia and Steven McKenzie
• Woolsey McKernon III and Steffani Aranas
• Scott Mulkins and Erin Sargent-Mulkins
• Frank Perez and Gloria Lopez
• Frank and Barbara Pulver
• Herb and Meloney Quady
• Bruce and Susan Taylor
• Ariana Thompson ’03 and Aaron Geerlings
• Chris and Tina Van Horn
• Richard and Marie Vasey
• Rebecca (Naumes) Vega ’99
• Hayley Vest
• VISA
• Joe and Susan Volk
• Adam and Veronica Ward
• Ava Welburn ’30
• Grayson Welburn ’27
• Caitlin Whispell
• Jeff Wiencek
• Hal and Fran Wing
• Whitney and Richard Yeamans
• Jamie Young and Mary Beth Salmon
Friends Club Up to $249
• Ryan Acido
• Gina Marie Agosta ’00
• Anonymous
• Nellie Barnard ’02
• Lisa Bebell ’97
• Steve Bernhardt
• Don and Coco Bevlaqua
• Chris Bingham
• Rita Bingham
• Blackbaud Giving Fund
• Dr. Scott Brodie and Kyleen Brodie
• Emarie Brown ’30
• Maddy Bryan ’18
• Kathy Bryon
• Daurel and Orrin Carhart
• Larry and Noreen Chamberland
• Chevron Matching Gift Program
• Tish Cohee
• Wayne ’64 and Wilma Cook
• Anita Cooper
• Dave and Linda Cox
• Didi Cushing
• Bill and Ursula Dames
• Hank and Carol Darlington
• Chad and Oakley Day
• Julie DeBolt
• Carrie and Joshua DiStefano
• Rob and Sarah DuPont
• eScrip
• Manuel and Rebecca Estrella
• Rob and Stacy Fields
• Juliana (de Sousa Solis) ’00 and Jack Gaither
• Mehdi and Lori Ghavam
• Karen (Schmitt) ’73 and Kelly Gibson
• Tom Goergen
• Amber Grijalva
• Shane and Katie Grimm
• Patricia Guyette
• Bill and Melanie Haden
• Mike and Dee Ann Harris
• Sue Harrison
• Dave and Vanessa Heckman
• Lori (Gibson) Higgins ’92
• Dale and Diane Jensen
• Tim and Emily Johnston
• Verna Jones
• John Jorgenson and Laura Hall
• Thomas and Cindy Kiene
• Lesley Klecan and Fred Thieme
• William Kranenburg ’21
• Reese Lam ’17
• Terry Lash and Liz Vogt
• Ernest and Nadya Lehmann
• Carrie Lockwood
• Rebecca Lovett and Timothy McFadden
• Kristen Lycett ’03 and Mike Haddaway
• Scott MacDonald
• Greg and Shannon Magda
• Mac and Bonnie McClung
• Mike and Teresa McGrath
• Katie (Hansen) ’98 and Marty Miller
• Nathaniel ’93 and Nicole Mucha
• Michael and Jan Murphy
• Sam ’69 and Sue Naumes
• Martin Nelson ’07
• Brooke Nuckles
• Sandra (Becic) ’73 and Matthew Obradovich
• Mike and Diana Oliver
• Kylee and Rick Otto
• Madeleine Palomino
• John Penewit
• Nick ’00 and Ashley Phillips
• Kody Prulhiere
• Chelsea Qi
• Cornelius Reynolds ’60
• Derek ’06 and Oi (Chuakeaw) ’06 Roemer
• Kim Roemer and Tony Scott
• Kieran Rooney ’17
• Frank and Joan Rote
• Matt and Melissa Rowan
• Maren (Zielony) ’00 and AJ ’00 Schultz
• Maureen Sergent ’76 and Tony Walters
• Michelle Seus ’14
• James and Margaret Shaughnessy
• Gary Simms and Cindy Peterson
• Melanie and Ronald Sircar
• Sean Snider ’04
• Southern Oregon Philatelic Society
• James and Roxanne Southwick
• Brian ’01 and Jen Staver
• Lauren Stearns
• Jennifer and Matt Stenson
• Luke ’01 and Miranda Tesdal
• Stephen Thomas
• Amy Thuren
• Shane and Amber Tracy
• Kevin Tresemer ’97
• Janet Truscott
• UK Online Giving Foundation
• Aneiage and Eric Van Bean
• Susan (Becic) Wainwright ’73
• Walt Disney Company Foundation
• Chris and Nicole Wasgatt
• Kamee and Joel Wearden
• Kirk and Cindy Winner
• Steve Withers
• Allan Wruck ’63
• Ben and Marcy Young
Grand Circle
$1,000+
St. Mary’s is grateful to the grandparents who support the St. Mary’s Annual Fund. They have experienced enough of life to truly understand the difference St. Mary’s makes in their grandchildren’s lives.
• Caryn Anderson
• Anonymous
• John and Nancy AufderHeide
• Tom and Maureen Becker
• Dale Bernard
• John and Kathy Chmelir
• Gary and Kathy Curtis
• Ann Eiler
• Brennan and Lisa Gardner
• Douglas and Gena Hauser
• Sherri Herren
• Dieter and Betty Heycke
• Mike Kauffman, PhD
• Ray and April King
• Ted and Melanie Menold
• Laurie Meyer
• Dave and Janice Mills
• John and Cathy Schleining
• Charles Smith
• David and Kathy Stewart
• Gary and Claircy Welburn
Grandparent
Giving Up to $999
• Caryn Anderson
• Anonymous
• John and Nancy AufderHeide
• Bill and Janet Bagley
• Tom and Maureen Becker
• Dale Bernard
• Don and Coco Bevlaqua
• Rita Bingham
• Tom and Peggy Brennan
• Larry and Noreen Chamberland
• Kathy Chelminiak
• John and Kathy Chmelir
• Tish Cohee
• Dave and Linda Cox
• Gary and Kathy Curtis
• Bill and Ursula Dames
• Hank and Carol Darlington
• Ann Eiler
• Brennan and Lisa Gardner
• Tom Goergen
• Patricia Guyette
• Bill and Melanie Haden
• Sue Harrison
• Douglas and Gena Hauser
• Sherri Herren
• Dieter and Betty Heycke
• Paul and Jenna Hiratzka
• Jon and Geri Hoeft
• John and Sally Johnston
• Mike Kauffman, PhD
• Thomas and Cindy Kiene
• Ray and April King
• Ernest and Nadya Lehmann
• Paulette Maxson
• Mac and Bonnie McClung
• Ted and Melanie Menold
• Laurie Meyer
• Dave and Janice Mills
• Sam ’69 and Sue Naumes
• Mike and Diana Oliver
• Jeri Olson
• Frank Perez and Gloria Lopez
• John and Louise Peterson
• Frank and Barbara Pulver
• Frank and Joan Rote
• John and Cathy Schleining
• Charles Smith
• Daniel Stallsworth
• David and Kathy Stewart
• Bruce and Susan Taylor
• Bob and Cheryl Therkelsen
• Janet Truscott
• Gary and Claircy Welburn
• Hal and Fran Wing
• Kirk and Cindy Winner
Board Giving
• Ryan Bernard
• Dr. Mirek Bobek
• Chris Borovansky
• Dr. David Chamberland
• Dr. Natasha Chmelir
• Tanny Flowers Sr.
• Judy Gambee
• Dr. Peter Grant
• Jens Heycke
• Jeresa Hren
• Christian Istel ’07
• Scott King
• Amy Kranenburg
• Tracy McGovern Lopiano
• Tina Miller
• Adam Peterson
• Chuck Watson
Alumni Parent Giving
• Anne (Baird) ’83 and Chris Adderson
• Anonymous
• Hollie and Trevor Arnold
• Tony and Sandy Barbieri
• Jeff and Beth Barnard
• Annette (Sergent) ’77 and Andy Batzer
• Tom and Maureen Becker
• Eve and Joel Benton
• Pam and Ben Bergreen
• Drs. Mirek and Eileen Bobek
• Chris Borovansky
• Kathy Bryon
• John and Emily Callahan
• Daurel and Orrin Carhart
• Drs. David and Shireen Chamberland
• Steven and Tina Chamberlain
• Dr. Natasha Chmelir and Bill Chmelir
• John and Donna Cox
• Mike and Jake Crennen
• Mark ’88 and Lauren DeBoer
• Rebecca DeBoer
• Sid and Karen DeBoer
• Dennis and Linda DeGraw
• Laura Delgado
• Chuck and Sandee Dibb
• Steve and Annie Eadie
• John and Mary Eagle
• Mark and Shelly Eaton
• Mark and Candice Eberle
• Jill Eiler
• Julie and Michael Fagundes
• Tanny Flowers Sr. and Miranda Flowers
• Ned and Elizabeth Ford
• Stephen and Judy Gambee
• Sally and Jon Gasik
• Karen (Schmitt) ’73 and Kelly Gibson
• Dr. Peter Grant and Joan Grant
• Larry and Rachel Hall
• Matt Hansen and Kris Darlington-Hansen
• Mike and Dee Ann Harris
• Dan ’86 and Rhonda (Webber) ’86 Hawkins
• Jens Heycke and Kelly Conlon
• Lori (Gibson) Higgins ’92
• Jim and Heather Holdermann
• Russell Horn, OD, and Jackie Clair-Horn, OD
• Matt and Mary Hough
• Ronald and Jeresa Hren
• Mark and Steffi Humphrey
• Edward and Ann Istel
• Eric and Holly Jensen
• Chris and Emily Johnson
• Don and Julie Jones
• Kelly Jones
• John Jorgenson and Laura Hall
• Kevin and Nikki Keating
• Lia and Geoff Kirkpatrick
• Lesley Klecan and Fred Thieme
• Phil and Kathy Kolczynski
• Todd and Amanda Kotler
• Dr. Andy Kranenburg and Amy Kranenburg
• Michaela and Howard Lavick
• Craig and Kayde Lemley
• Carrie Lockwood
• Tracy McGovern Lopiano and David Lopiano
• Maggie Lowman
• Carole Manning
• Larry and Sophia Martin
• Mike and Maura Mayerle
• Ted and Dawna McGill
• Mike and Teresa McGrath
• Grant Medley and Dr. Tamara Medley
• Jim and Colette Meyer
• Dave and Janice Mills
• Michael Mills and Cindy Bottasso
• Betsy and Bernie Moore
• Scott Mulkins and Erin Sargent-Mulkins
• Michael and Jan Murphy
• Mike and Laura Naumes
• Sam ’69 and Sue Naumes
• Randy and Marlene Nelson
• Matt Oliva and Davis Wilkins
• Zac Olson and Kari Skinner Olson
• Eric and Chanel Palmer
• Diane and Matt Patten
• Frank Phillips
• Herb and Meloney Quady
• Kim Roemer and Tony Scott
• Frank and Joan Rote
• Dr. Jim Savage and Jackie Savage
• James and Margaret Shaughnessy
• Gary Simms and Cindy Peterson
• Adrian and Katie Snyder
• James and Roxanne Southwick
• Ann Swartz
• Amy Thuren
• Richard and Marie Vasey
• Chuck and Karin Watson
• Claircy and Gary Welburn
• Hal and Fran Wing
• Steve Withers
• Ben and Marcy Young
• Jamie Young and Mary Beth Salmon
Alumni Giving
• Anne (Baird) Adderson ’83
• Gina Marie Agosta ’00
• Michael Agosta ’02
• Frank Ahern ’59
• Beth Andres-Beck ’01
• Anonymous ’95
• Anonymous ’13
• Nellie Barnard ’02
• Annette Batzer ’77
• Lisa Bebell ’97
• Jeremy Brady ’97
• Maddy Bryan ’18
• Pat (Calhoun) Carrubba ’61
• Wayne Cook ’64
• Mark DeBoer ’88
• Ryan DeGraw ’94
• Nick Eberle ’12
• Michael Feiss ’59
• Juliana (de Sousa Solis) Gaither ’00
• Karen (Schmitt) Gibson ’73
• Kelsey Gross ’09
• Dan Hawkins ’86
• Jerry Higgins ’62
• Lori (Gibson) Higgins ’92
• Pat (O’Hara) Higgins ’62
• Dan Hildebrandt ’96
• Lauren Huizinga ’03
• Christian Istel ’07
• Eric Jensen ’67
• Harrison Jensen ’16
• Richie Kaimie ’06
• Sean Keating ’19
• William Kranenburg ’21
• Reese Lam ’17
• Jason Lawrence ’11
• Shalana Lawrence ’13
• Mike Lewis ’61
• Kristen Lycett ’03
• Kevin Mauseth ’98
• Katie (Hansen) Miller ’98
• Michael Miller ’96
• Aundrea (Roberts) Mitchell ’07
• Nathaniel Mucha ’93
• Sam Naumes ’69
• Susan F. Naumes ’66
• Martin Nelson ’07
• Sandra (Becic) Obradovich ’73
• Nick Phillips ’00
• Sarah (Naumes) Primerano ’97
• Dani (Lowman) Prulhiere ’14
• Cornelius Reynolds ’60
• Derek Roemer ’06
• Oi (Chuakeaw) Roemer ’06
• Kieran Rooney ’17
• Lindsay Rytel ’00
• AJ Schultz ’00
• Maren (Zielony) Schultz ’00
• Dawn Seggelink ’84
• Maureen Sergent ’76
• Michelle Seus ’14
• Sean Snider ’04
• Brian Staver ’01
• Luke Tesdal ’01
• Ariana Thompson ’03
• Kevin Tresemer ’97
• Rebecca (Naumes) Vega ’99
• Susan (Becic) Wainwright ’73
• Peter Watson ’09
• Allan Wruck ’63
Honor Gifts
Honor gifts pay tribute to teachers, administrators, alumni, and students. Thank you for choosing to honor St. Mary’s with your gift.
Anne (Baird) Adderson ’83
• Ned and Elizabeth Ford
Emmy Bass ’29
• Jon and Geri Hoeft
Dr. Mirek Bobek
• Heidi Butler Huddleston
Tom and Darlene Butler
• Heidi Butler Huddleston
Leo ’24, Nico ’27, and Ren Cronk ’30
• Jon and Caroline Wilbrecht
Didi Cushing
• Ned and Elizabeth Ford
Lele Du
• Pathbonder Limited
Isabelle Estrella ’29
• Amy Dukes
Ben ’26 and Madeleine Faraoni ’29
• David and Kathy Stewart
Julia ’26 and Kaitlyn Hansen ’23
• Hank and Carol Darlington
Hunter Jorgenson ’19
• John Jorgenson and Laura Hall
Lia Kirkpatrick
• Ned and Elizabeth Ford
Rebecca Lovett
• Maddy Bryan ’18
Cole Mayfield ’25
• Rick and Katie Mayfield
Jim Meyer
• Pathbonder Limited
Betsy Moore
• Ned and Elizabeth Ford
• Grant Medley and Dr. Tamara Medley
Frank Phillips
• Mark and Candice Eberle
Darcy Yazzolino
• Pathbonder Limited
Jamie Young
• Ned and Elizabeth Ford
The Gift of a Garden Respite
Have you seen the new addition near the St. Mary’s Chapel? Thanks to the generous support of our Class of 1973 alumni, a beautiful bench now graces the tranquil garden surrounding the Chapel. This lovely spot provides a peaceful retreat for students to enjoy amid the lush greenery. Take a moment to relax, reflect, or simply unwind in this serene setting. A heartfelt thank-you to our alumni for their thoughtful contribution to our school community!
Memorial Gifts
Gifts in memory of a loved one are particularly special to St. Mary’s. As a donor remembers someone dear, it is an incredible act that they also remember St. Mary’s students. Thank you.
Eric DeGraw ’93
• Dennis and Linda DeGraw
• Heather and Ryan ’94 DeGraw
• Lenard and Darlene DeGraw
• Stephen and Anita Powell
Beverly Fuller Phillips, MD
• Sally and Jon Gasik
Carly Manning
• Carole Manning
• Kristen Lycett ’03 and Mike Haddaway
• Ariana Thompson ’03 and Aaron Geerlings
Patrick Naumes ’65
• Beth Andres-Beck ’01
Gifts in Kind
St. Mary’s sincerely appreciates our in-kind donors for the 2023–2024 school year.
• Al and Ann Hunter
• Dale and Diane Jensen
• Rogue Valley BMX
• Rogue Valley Manor
• St. Mary’s Dads’ Club
• Steven and Jocie Wall
• Jon Wayland, MD
• Alan and Courtney Welburn
• Welburn Electric, Inc.
Matching Gifts
Many employers match charitable contributions made by their employees. Thanks to these companies, donations were matched to provide an even more significant gift to St. Mary’s.
• Abbott Fund
• VISA
• Walt Disney Company Foundation
Faculty and Staff
Thank you to the many St. Mary’s faculty and staff who contributed to the St. Mary’s Annual Fund or the Crusader Athletic Fund.
• Ryan Acido
• Anne (Baird) Adderson ’83
• Anonymous
• Hollie Arnold
• Profe Rhiannon Batey
• Eve Benton
• Ryan Bernard
• Steve Bernhardt
• Chris Bingham
• Bethany Brown
• Molly Bruins
• Jerry Burke
• Vincent Comerchero
• Anita Cooper
• Didi Cushing
• Julie DeBolt
• Laura Delgado
• Lele Du
• Sarah DuPont
• Jill Eiler
• Rob Fields
• Kaelynn Welburn Fletcher
• Andrea Saxon Gibson
• Amber Grijalva
• Shane Grimm
• Jen Guo
• Rebecca Haden
• Kimberly Hauser
• Vanessa Heckman
• Lauren Huizinga ’03
• Al Hunter
• Dale Jensen
• Holly Jensen
• Christopher M. Johnson
• Verna Jones
• Kevin Keating
• Erin Maxson Kiene
• Lia Kirkpatrick
• Lesley Klecan
• Michaela Lavick
• Kate Levin
• Rebecca Lovett
• Scott MacDonald
• Tammy Martinez
• Mike McGrath
• Tia McKenzie
• Jim Meyer
• Katie (Hansen) Miller ’98
• Aundrea (Roberts) Mitchell ’07
• Betsy Moore
• Martin Nelson ’07
• Madeleine Palomino
• John Penewit
• Lucinda Peterson
• Frank Phillips
• Sarah (Naumes) Primerano ’97
• Chelsea Qi
• Derek Roemer ’06
• Maren (Zielony) Schultz ’00
• Michelle Seus ’14
• Sean Snider ’04
• Lauren Stearns
• Luke Tesdal ’01
• Stephen Thomas
• Kevin Tresemer ’97
• Anna Uschold
• Rebecca (Naumes) Vega ’99
• Hayley Vest
• Joe Volk
• Caitlin Whispell
• Ron Wilcox
• Hal Wing
• Darcy Yazzolino
• Whitney Yeamans
• Ben Young
• Jamie Young
St. Mary’s 2024 Gala Sponsors
9th Annual St. Mary’s School Gala: “Fiesta for Their Future”
Top-Shelf Sponsor
• KOGAP Enterprises, Inc.
• U.S. Bank Business Banking
Salt-on-the-Rim Sponsor
• Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
• Propel Insurance
Lime Wedge Sponsor
• Cutler Investment Group
• The Human Bean
• S & B James Construction
• Tucker Sno-Cat Corporation
• White Dental Studio, PC
St. Mary’s Endowment Fund
St. Mary’s is grateful to the following individuals and organizations who donated to the St. Mary’s Endowment Fund this past school year.
$75,000–$99,999
• Ann Eiler
$50,000–$74,999
• Leah Bernard, MD, and Ryan Bernard
• Mark and Candice Eberle
$25,000–$49,999
• Joe Weston
• OCF Joseph E. Weston Public Foundation
$1,000–$2,499
• Dennis and Linda DeGraw
Up to $500
• Anonymous
• Heather and Ryan ’94 DeGraw
• Lenard and Darlene DeGraw
• Brennan and Lisa Gardner
• Sally and Jon Gasik
• Jerry and Renee Hornbeak
• Heidi Butler Huddleston
• Harrison Jensen ’16
• John and Tammi Pitzen
• Stephen and Anita Powell
Crusader Athletic Fund Sponsors
Legacy Title Sponsors
$5,000
• Anonymous
• Lithia & Driveway
• Rogue Valley Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, PC: Dr. Michael Doherty
• Shlesinger & de Villeneuve Attorneys
• Workspace
Premier Sponsors
$2,000–$4,999
• Adderson Construction Inc.
• Charles Point Apartment Group
• Eiler Family
• Happy Alpaca Toys & Supply
• Oregon Shoulder Institute at Southern Oregon Orthopedics
• Jared and Joelle Pulver
• Pulver & Leever Real Estate Company
• Southern Oregon Neurosurgery
• Southern Oregon Orthopedics: Dr. and Mrs. Andy Kranenburg
• Stewart Meadows Village
Crusader Club
$1,000–$1,999
• Active Foot & Ankle Center: Dr. James and Heather Holdermann
• Bob’s Automotive Performance
• Brender-Rizvi Family
• John and Kathy Chmelir
• Eiler Family
• Electrodiagnostic Medicine/ Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation/ Interventional Spine:
Peter A. Grant, MD, PC
Collin M. W. Grant, MD
Austin M. B. Grant, MD
• Hiatt Metal Forming, LLC
• Jones & Associates Premier Insurance Solutions
• Kelley Connect
• Craig and Kayde Lemley
• McGill Family
• Dave and Janice Mills
• Zac Olson and Kari Skinner Olson
• Pure MedSpa
• Valley Family Practice: Cindy A. Konecne, DO
• Women’s Health Center of Southern Oregon
Varsity Club
$500–$999
• Scott and Elaine Loyd
• Tammy and Scott Martinez
• Adam and Lucinda Peterson
• Darcy and Matt Yazzolino
Navy and White Club
$150–$499
• Anonymous
• Hollie and Trevor Arnold
• Angela and Paul Baker
• Uzo and Rosemary Chiedozi
• John and Donna Cox
• Mike and Jake Crennen
• Mark and Shelley Eaton
• Kaelynn Welburn Fletcher and Matt Fletcher
• Edward and Katy Impert
• Holly and Eric Jensen
• Jesse and Erin Kiene
• Sarah (Naumes) ’97 and Kevin Primerano
• Chris and Tina Van Horn
• Joe and Susan Volk
• Adam and Veronica Ward
• Ron Wilcox and Christel Steffen
Spirit Club
$50–$149
• Anonymous ’13
• Tony and Sandy Barbieri
• Cody and Tiffany Bass
• Jeremy Brady ’97 and Andi Giachetti-Brady
• Bethany and Berk Brown
• Didi Cushing
• Hank and Carol Darlington
• Andrea Saxon Gibson and Brady Gibson
• Karen (Schmitt) ’73 and Kelly Gibson
• Shane and Katie Grimm
• Rebecca Lovett and Timothy McFadden
• Betsy and Bernie Moore
• Martin Nelson ’07
• Derek ’06 and Oi (Chuakeaw) ’06 Roemer
• Daniel Stallsworth
• Stephen Thomas
• Caitlin Whispell
• Stephen Withers
COLLEGIATE ATHLETES
Cannon Anderson
Basketball · Corban University
Annikka Fetro
Swimming · Linfield College
Lucas Impert
Swimming · Whitman College
and Holly Streets, Medford
6th Street, Jacksonville