2019 SSSAS Summer Magazine

SUMMER MAGAZINE 2019

Graduates of St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School, go forth into the world in peace, bear yourselves with uprightness and integrity, rejoice in God's Creation, love all people, and remember this school family in your prayers.

Farewell and may God bless you.

~ The Charge

WHAT'S INSIDE

F E AT U R E S

8

Still Figuring it Out? You’re Great!

Excerpts from Valedictorian Lilly Cady's speech

10

A Q&A with Glenn L. Archer III '82 Meet the 2019 Commencement Speaker

12 Passion, Perseverance, and Community Excerpts from Glenn Archer's Commencement speech

8

16 Snapshots Moments from Commencement

20

Class of 2019 Fast Facts

22

Upper School Prize Day

24

Middle School Snapshots Awards Day and Eighth Grade Recognition

10

16

ON THE COVER: Seniors seeing their diplomas for the first time during the Commencement ceremony on June 8.

Photo by Cory Royster

26

Lower School Snapshots Fifth Grade Recognition and Grandparents and Special Friends' Day

28

Our Retiring Faculty and Staff

36

Saints springtime travel to nine countries

Global Studies

54 Robotics: Team Thunder Students Goes

to the World Championship

60 SSSAS Hosts a Social Entrepreneurship Summit D E PA RT M E N TS 6 Headliner 64

Saints in Action

68

Spring Athletic Highlights

79

Alumni Connections

82

Milestones & In Memoriam

THE MAGAZINE

SUMMER 2019 Head of School Kirsten Prettyman Adams Director of Communications Jen Desautels Editor Director of Design & Production Melissa Ulsaker Maas '76 Design Melissa Ulsaker Maas '76 Jameson Bloom '13 Amy Waggoner

36

Assistant Director of Communications, Digital Media and Marketing Mandi Sapp Admission & Communications Associate Marcia Mallett Alumni News Advancement Office

28

54

60

Photographers Jameson Bloom '13 Melissa Ulsaker Maas '76 Marcia Mallett Cory Royster Printer Master Print Questions/Comments Melissa Ulsaker Maas '76 mmaas@sssas.org To Update Your Contact Information or Mailing Preferences Please email atoman@sssas.org or call 703-212-2720.

Published by SSSAS for alumni, current parents, friends, and other regularly supportive members of the school community. Š 2019 St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School admits students of any race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school.

HEADLINER

In the words of Lilly Cady '19, this year's Valedictorian, “It's time to go forward, but don't forget to look back.”What a glorious year it was to be a Saint! As we look ahead to a new school year and new chapters, we remember fondly some favorite moments of 2018-2019.

Warmly,

Kirsten Adams Head of School

The Lower School gave an outstanding concert for our grandparents and special friends in May.

On Saints Mission Day our entire JK-12 community came together to listen to The Rev. Chris Miller '05 and for fun bonding activities on the Upper School campus.

For the first time, the Middle School mini-courses included a service trip to Puerto Rico, where the students worked hard and had some fun, too!

6 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

The Lower School participated in the 15th Annual ARTStravaganza, spending an entire day in hands-on performing and visual arts workshops.

Second graders cast molds to establish an oyster reef in a Chesapeake Bay tributary!

The molds were transported to the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

We inducted a new class of Saints alumni athletes and coaches into the Hall of Fame in April.

For the second year, a herd of goats—yes, goats—served as a sustainable way to remove invasive plants on the Lower School campus.

The Upper School welcomed impactful speakers, including Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi, Elizabeth Eckford, one of the Little Rock Nine, and Harvard swimmer Schuyler Bailar.

The eighth grade had a special two-day trip to Assateague Island in the fall, bonding and creating fond memories that help link them as a class and to their teachers.

The Upper School participated in the first Colloquium for the Common Good, spending the day in workshops about social issues facing society.

The first grade learned all about towns and built their own, Saintsville, in the amazing 20-year Town Fair tradition. www.sssas.org | 7

8 | St. Stephen's Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

STILL FIGURING IT OUT? YOU’RE GREAT! Excerpts from the Commencement Address

by Valedictorian Lilly Cady '19 on June 8.

I'd be lying if I said I knew exactly what I wanted to say to you today when I found out I was valedictorian. I gave a chapel talk earlier in the year, so I didn't think a deep personal story was really in order. And at the same time, in comparison to a lot of my classmates I haven't been at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes that long, so I felt that reflecting on tradition or something of that nature wasn't right either.

I eventually settled on basing my talk off of a poem by Billy Collins, titled "To My Favorite 17-year-old High School Girl." I had actually never heard the poem before until a few weeks ago, when Ms. Tyree read it at our final Coffeehouse of the year.

To give you a general idea of the poem, I'm going to read a quick excerpt that I find especially touching.

"To My Favorite 17-Year-Old High School Girl" Do you realize that if you had started building the Parthenon on the day you were born, you would be all done in only one more year?

Of course, you couldn't have done that all alone.

So never mind; you're fine just being yourself.

You're loved for just being you.

But did you know that at your age Judy Garland was pulling down 150,000 dollars a picture, Joan of Arc was leading the French army to victory and Blaise Pascal had cleaned up his room —no wait, I mean he had invented the calculator?

Of course, there will be time for all that later in your life, after you come out of your room and begin to blossom, or at least pick up all your socks.

The poem continues in this fashion, listing off various famous people and their achievements while wryly pointing out the differences between their accomplishments and those—or lack thereof—of the girl the speaker is addressing. What made the poem stick out so much to me was that this girl in the poem, whoever she is, is not all that different from myself. Though I loath to

admit it, I too, love hiding away in my room and leaving dirty laundry on the floor. The more major connection I suppose, and the one that the poem readily emphasizes, is that in my 17 years of life I have accomplished surprisingly little. I mean sure, I've done some cool things, been to neat places, but I haven't done anything of true significance in the historical, global sense. And is that something that bugs me? Not really.

My main point is that we should think it's okay to feel like the grand total of our life experiences is a big fat zero (I mean it's also okay if you feel like you possess the contained knowledge of the universe, too.) But once again, I digress. To sum it up, I know that right now it might seem like you need to know the cure for cancer or have your own tech startup to so much as get into a good college. It might seem like there are a lot of people out there who are better and smarter than you are in practically every conceivable way… and honestly, that's because there are.

But that doesn't mean that you and I aren't great.

Actually, I think we're great because of the fact that we are still very much figuring things out. I think we're great because most of us know nothing about taxes, or insurance deductibles, or even how to iron a button-down shirt. And yes, while eventually we will need to know how to do those things, right now it's okay to still be the 17-year-old girl who leaves her socks on the floor. And as we go off into the world and begin to actually figure out our lives, I ask that you don't completely abandon that version of yourself. Remember to still hold onto the memories and lessons you've gained from your time hereand yes, I even mean those from middle school when you had that awkward middle part and braces.

So once again, you all are pretty great. It's been a pleasure to take this journey with you. I look forward to seeing what you do as you move on to bigger things, and I congratulate you for all the big things you've done whilst at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes.

It's time to go forward, but don't forget to look back.

To hear Lilly's remarks, please visit our Livestream channel at www.livestream.org/sssas.

www.sssas.org | 9

HEAD OF SCHOOL KIRSTEN ADAMS WITH THE ARCHER FAMILY, NATE '14, SAMMY '16, JENNY, AND GLENN '82

GLENN L. ARCHER III '82 Meet the 2019 Commencement Speaker St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School was pleased to welcome Glenn Archer '82 as our Commencement speaker on June 8. He offered the Class of 2019 some sound advice for college and beyond, and excerpts from his remarks can be found on p. 12.

Glenn joined St. Stephen's in third grade and has been an active member of our community ever since. While at St. Stephen's, Glenn played football and soccer, and then ultimately fell in love with track; he hasn't stopped running since.

Glenn received his bachelor's degree from Yale University where he continued his track career. Glenn also served for over 15 years in the Virginia Air National Guard and the United States Air Force Reserves as an F-16 pilot. He is a graduate of the Academy of Military Science and a Top Gun at the Air Force Undergraduate Pilot Training

10 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

Program. Glenn currently serves as the Executive Director of the National Fusion Center Association where he represents the interests of the Department of Homeland Security recognized Fusion Centers. In addition to his fierce commitment to St. Stephen's and St. Agnes, he is deeply committed to our veterans and service members through his advocacy work via the Code for Support Foundation. Glenn has participated in triathlons for five years and counting, to raise money in support of this important cause.

Glenn has served on the SSSAS Alumni Association Board since 2010 and is finishing his third term as the Alumni Association Board President this year. He and his wife, Jenny, have two children, Nate, Class of 2014, and Samantha, Class of 2016, and reside in Alexandria, Virginia.

Q & A WITH GLENN Q. What does it mean to you to

come back to SSSAS as the 2019 Commencement Speaker?

A. It was one of the greatest honors of

my life. I was thrilled to be able to tell the graduating class of 2019 that they have a great life ahead of them. I've spent 47 years of my life involved in SSSAS between myself, my two children (Nate '14 and Sammy '16) and siblings (Tom '86 and Susan '76), and so the school has a special place in my heart.

Q. You are the Executive Director of

the National Fusion Center Association where you represent the interests of the Department of Homeland Security recognized Fusion Centers. When/how did this career develop? Were there any programs or teachers at St. Stephen's that helped prepare you for your career?

A.

The tragic events of September, 11, 2001, tranformed my work life. It helped formulate my mission of my company I had at the time and gave me a passion to ensure that citizens are safe from future terrorist attacks on United States soil.

Today, I run a national nonprofit focused on protecting America from future terrorist attacks. I work with hundreds of law enforcement agencies helping them create a real-time information sharing network that has stopped multiple, major attacks over the past ten years.

I was inspired by many of my teachers at St. Stephen's. Mr. Biddle had a teletype machine and he would teach us how to program back in the days before there was a PC. This and my physics and chemistry classes really inspired me and I use those skills in my career today.

Q. What do you enjoy most about your profession?

A. The interactions that I have with the

people across the United States that are in the business of counterterrorism. I enjoy working closely with them to ensure that we are prepared and that we continue to take preventative measures to deter terrorist attacks from happening in the United States.

Q. You served for over 15 years in the

deeply committed to our veterans and service members through advocacy work via the Code for Support Foundation and have participated in triathlons to raise money for veterans. Please tell us why giving back in this way is so important to you.

A.

I am passionate about supporting veterans. I consider myself lucky that I did not leave the military with any long-term issues. But thousands and thousands of our veterans do leave with major life issues, physical, emotional, and financial.

So, each year, I pick a race to raise money for the very neediest of veterans, those who are homeless, or in financial distress, those who have severe PTSD or need 24/7 care. Of course, I don't pick just any race. I pick only the hard ones. Over the last five years, I have competed in four Ironman races, one fifty mile trail race, and one double Ironman. Somehow I have managed to finish every race! But it's not about the race or even finishing.

What ultimately is most important is the support I get from my communities, my family, friends and colleagues, who all step up. They know that supporting veterans is MY passion and that I am willing to run literally for days to show that I care.

Q. You ran track at St. Stephen's and

continued when you attended Yale University. And as you mentioned, you have ran many triathlons over the years.

What has running meant to you in your life? What have you learned from the sport?

A.

Q. It's clear that entrepreneurship is very important to you. You recently appeared on the TV show "Shark Tank" to pitch your product "Brush Hero." You also served as a mentor at the SSSAS Social Entrepreneurship Summit this year. Why is this important to you? What have you learned through your experiences? What advice do you have for students?

A.

Every single child wants to be an entrepreneur no matter what they are into but nobody knows how to be one.

It's our job to go back and help and mentor children. There are lots of forms of entrepreneurship. Whether today's generation wants to own a company, start a band or club, create their own program, write their own game or book, my advice is to keep trying. I have started many businesses over the years. Some have been successful and some not. You have to keep trying. If it doesn't work out, step up and do it all over again.

Q. What is the most important piece

of advice you would give our students as they prepare for our complex and changing world?

A.

I believe that in order to reach greatness you must be passionate about what you want, you have to persevere despite the curveballs life throws at you, and you have to be willing to serve the communities that have served you so well.

Those three: passion, perseverance and service will make you great.

Running track transformed my life. It gave me a sense of worth and being and a sense of a place and a passion in my life.

It completely changed my outlook. It's a lot easier to run 50 miles when you are younger! Today, I do it because I like to be in shape and be outside. I do the races because I care about the veterans and the people that donate money for my races.

I raised over $40,000 for veterans in my last race!

Favorite Book: "Good to Great" by Jim Collins

Q. What does it mean to you to be an

Something people would be surprised to know about you: As I mentioned in my Commencement speech, I had a horrible stutter.

alumnus of SSSAS? What values do you feel you gain from being a part of a strong alumni community?

A.

Camaraderie, friendship, and networking. I still have deep roots in my class and surrounding classes from St. Stephen's.

INSIDE SCOOP...

What I'm binge watching now: For the last eight years it's been "The Game of Thrones"

Hidden talent: I found out at Commencement that I'm a decent speaker!

Life motto or favorite quote: "Live life to its fullest." This was my quote in my senior yearbook.

Virginia Air National Guard and the United States Air Force Reserves. You are www.sssas.org | 11

PASSION, PERSEVERANCE, AND COMMUNITY. Excerpts from the Commencement Address by Glenn L Archer III '82 on June 8.

As I sat in a hotel room in Copenhagen in midMarch early on a cold and rainy morning preparing for a meeting in Sweden, I came across an email from Mrs. Adams asking me to speak at this year's commencement. If that doesn't shock the system to wake up and

overcome jet lag, I'm not sure what does. The first question that raced through my head was, "Why me?" What did I do to deserve this honor?

Then I said to myself: I better find something inspiring to say to hundreds of people from a podium. Because I realized I couldn't remember a single word from the Commencement address at my graduation! I couldn't even remember who gave the Commencement address!

I wanted to change that for you. And I think the way to do it is to say something bold, something big, something inspiring. Something you will never forget.

12 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

When I graduated from St. Stephen's in 1982, I honestly believed that my class was the greatest class to graduate in the history of this school.

But today I now know that I was wrong—very wrong. After getting to know many of you, I am now 100 percent convinced that you, the Class of 2019, are going to be the greatest class! Wait did I say that loud enough? Yes, you, all one 108 of you, are going to become the greatest class to graduate from SSSAS. And I get to be the first to say congratulations.

And before I defend that big bold statement, let me digress.

How in the world did I end up here in front of this great class as your Commencement speaker?

My parents decided to send me to St. Stephen's in 1972 as an aspiring third grader, not because of its reputation, not because of its academic standards, and not because of its excellence in preparing graduates for college and beyond. I was sent here because my parents thought I needed a more welcoming and caring environment to help me understand and cope with my disability.

My disability was that I couldn't speak. Literally, I couldn't utter a complete sentence. As a third grader I had a stutter

and a lisp that impacted my ability to have any ordinary conversation with anyone.

I can't say that my first years at SSS were fun or inspiring. I was the outcast; I was the boy with the speech impediment, the boy with the stutter. The one that didn't really play a sport well, participate in a club, or have any close friends.

My disability impacted every part of my life. But I do distinctly remember each teacher from my elementary school days. Mrs. Jones in third grade, Ms. Holmes in fourth grade, and Ms. Beattie in fifth grade took care of me by keeping me safe, strong, and focused. They pushed me, knowing that I would someday overcome my disability.

In Middle School, I met my best friends ever—Jay Wadsworth, Jim Benson, and Harry Bondareff. We became the four Musketeers. We were completely inseparable and completely sworn to each other.

But those middle school years weren't easy either. My disability persisted and I still hadn't found my place, my thing, or, what I would call my passion.

Finally high school came around, and aided by my strong friendships with the three other musketeers and seven years of speech therapy, I was able to survive Mr Shell's ninth grade Honors English class. Imagine trying to read Shakespeare out loud to your classmates with a stutter and a lisp two or three times a week for months. I did it! Not very well, but I still did it. I have always looked back at that English class as my turning point. The time when I could start to communicate with

people. For the first time, I wanted to speak.

Most importantly, during that ninth grade year I found my niche. Inspired by Coach Osuna and Coach Barbee, I started pole vaulting and suddenly discovered I was good at it. Very good at it! It changed my life and my outlook at St Stephen's. By my junior year I was beating just about everyone in the region! And senior year just rocked. Pole vaulting became my passion.

I carried that passion to Yale University, where not only did I excel academically, but I also set the record in pole vaulting that stood for many years after I graduated. I even moved my poles and myself to Los Angeles after college to continue with this adventure. But everything has to come to an end. After realizing that I was still just shy of the qualifying height for the Olympic trials, I packed my poles up and started driving back east.

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But that didn't stop me. In fact, I had already decided that I wanted to be a fighter pilot. Hmmmm… How does a kid go from SSSAS to Yale, which did not even have an ROTC program, to wanting to be a fighter pilot?

That was easy because I made that decision in the spring of 1986, my last semester at Yale. I didn't want to go to law school, medical school, graduate school, or Wall Street like my friends. The next phase of my life was totally based on release of the movie "Top Gun" that spring. After watching it six times within seven days, I decided that I wanted to be Tom Cruise, and I wanted to date Kelly McGillis, and I wanted a cool call sign like Ice or Maverick, and I wanted to fly jets! Well I did—fly fighters that is. I never learned to play volleyball as well as Tom Cruise with his shirt off, and I never did get to date Kelly McGillis, which was fine because I did better, much better. I dated and fell in love with a girl named Jenny almost 28 years ago.

I remember back to my first days in the Air Force. I had all the passion required but not all the wisdom I probably needed. In truth, I was almost thrown out of my officer commissioning school for speaking at the wrong time, in the wrong place, with the wrong tone. Yes, its true, that shy stuttering young boy had somehow turned into a cocky, smart aleck of a young man.

I persevered and pressed on to undergraduate pilot training, where after a year of academics and flying I earned my Air force wings. This time with my mouth closed and, more importantly, first in my class—Top Gun! I had reached my dream to be a Fighter Pilot!

After spending time flying over Iraq and being deployed far too many times, I stopped flying in 1999. I realized that maybe I needed to find a safer profession. One that would allow me to spend more time with my beautiful wife Jenny, and our two children, Samantha '16 and Nate '14. The three people in the audience completely shocked at the fact that I am actually here speaking in front of you.

After giving up my flying career, I quickly went on to start my first company with my best friend from the Air Force, Ross Ashley. We had a vision that we could interconnect every homeland security database in the country to potentially stop the next terrorist attack. While we didn't necessarily succeed in reaching that vision, we did make a big impact and finally sold the company in 2004.

Since then I have started multiple companies, some of which have been successful and some not. I have launched several non-profits and served on many boards, including 10 years on the board of your Alumni Association.

I didn't just tell you my life story in five minutes because I think I ever really achieved anything. I told it to you because I believe that in order for you and your class to reach greatness, you must be passionate about what you want. You have to persevere despite the curveballs life throws at you, and you have to be willing to serve the communities that have served you so well. Those three: passion, perseverance, and service will make you great.

14 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

As each of you move through life, you will create many communities—a group of friends from your high school, your neighborhood, your work, your extracurricular activities.

They may come from your place of worship, your clubs, or your teams, but most importantly they will come from your family.

Why do I think communities are so integral to achieving greatness? Because communities are not only where you gain the strength to persevere, but also where you give back to this world—where you can change the world and where you can

“I didn't just tell you my life story in five minutes because I think I ever really achieved anything. I told it to you because I believe that in order for you and your class to reach greatness, you must be passionate about what you want. You have to persevere despite the curveballs life throws at you, and you have to be willing to serve the communities that have served you so well. Those three: passion, perseverance, and service will make you great.”

serve. Much of my own true passion is now focused on the communities that have supported me over the years.

Today, I run a national nonprofit focused on protecting America from future terrorist attacks. I work with hundreds of law enforcement agencies helping them create a real-time information sharing network that has stopped multiple major attacks over the past 10 years.

I am also passionate about supporting veterans. I consider myself lucky that I did not leave the military with any longterm issues. But thousands and thousands of our veterans do leave with major life issues, physical, emotional, and financial.

So I pick a race each year to raise money for the very neediest of veterans. Those who are homeless, or in financial distress, who have severe PTSD, or need 24/7 care.

Of course I don't pick just any race—only the hard ones. Just ask my wife; she thinks I am crazy. Over the last five years, I have competed in four Ironman races, one 50-mile trail race, and one double Ironman.

now. Instead, I want you to remember that your Commencement speaker was scared to stand in front of you. He was scared that his stutter and lisp would come back. I want you to know that no matter what obstacles you may face in life, with enough passion, perseverance, and support from your communities, you will overcome them. And when the time is right, you will be present to step up and serve those very same communities, just as they served you.

But it's not about the race or even finishing. What ultimately is most important is the support I get from my communities—my

family, friends,and colleagues—who all step up. They know that supporting veterans is my passion and that I am willing to run literally for days to show that I care.

Do you remember the four musketeers? Yes, we're still together.

Ever since middle school. Harry, Jim, Jay, and I are still incredibly close. However, one of us suffered a debilitating stroke a year and a half ago. So now every few months I fly to Portland to be with him and his wife, to help to take care of him and to give her little time off. As I sit next to his wheelchair, I always reflect back to my middle school days and think how important my musketeers were to me as I struggled to overcome my disability and find my passion.

I hope you remember two things from today. First, I promise, you don't have to remember my name 37 years from

Second, it is my prediction that it's not going to take long for this class, the Class of 2019, to take over the coveted honor of being the greatest class to graduate from St. Stephen's and St. Agnes. Individually and collectively you will rise to greatness and you will change the world in which we live. I am proud to be with you, to be speaking to you on your graduation day, and I will be watching you in the years to come as you will, without a doubt, earn the title of the "greatest of all time" and be forever enshrined as the GOAT class of SSSAS! To hear Glenn's full remarks, please visit our Livestream channel at www.livestream.com/sssas.

www.sssas.org | 15

SNAPSHOTS

COMMENCEMENT Our seniors graduated on Ju n e 8 , 2 0 1 9 , a t t h e Vi rg i n i a T h e o l o g i c a l Seminary

THEIR ADVISORS SAY THE SENIORS ARE

16 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

:

K I N D . . . E N G A G I N G . . . M OT I VAT E D . . .

TA L E N T E D . . . G O O D . . . I N Q U I S I T I V E . . . D E D I C AT E D . . .

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SNAPSHOTS

SPIRITED ... FUNNY ... ENERGETIC ... BALANCED ...

I N T E L L I G E N T . . . LOYA L . . . E M PAT H E T I C . . . S T E A D FAS T

18 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

PASS ION ATE ... CARING . .. C OM M I T TED . .. C R EAT I VE . . .

. . . I N S I G H T F U L . . . AC C E P T I N G . . . G E N U I N E . . . B L E S S E D

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CLASS OF 2019 FAST FACTS

Part of the winning alliance that won the Inspire Award (grand champion) at the Virginia robotics qualifier; won the Collins Aerospace Innovative Design Award at the Virginia State Championship; and advanced to 2019 FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship in Detroit.

Three National Merit finalists and 10 commended scholars.

Performed in the Virginia District X Music Festivals and participated in the Choral Evensong at the Washington National Cathedral.

108 Graduates

Won four Gold Keys, five Silver Keys, and four Honorable Mentions in the regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awards; 1st place at the Best of the Independent Schools Art Competition; Best Painting and Best Sculpture at the All-City Alexandria Art Exhibition; and three Honorable Mentions at the Congressional Artistic Discovery Competition.

Received a Cappies nomination for “Peter and the Starcatcher;” performed in all drama and musical productions, Evening of the Arts, Multicultural Night, and the Pit Orchestra; and wrote and directed the plays for the 2019 One-Act Play Festival.

20 | St. Stephen's Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

5

Students received appointments to military service, ROTC scholarships, the U.S. Air Force Academy Preparatory School, and the U.S. Naval Academy.

Won a National Latin Exam Scholarship and two gold medals.

Volunteered thousands of hours with local community organizations; built life-changing relationships with children in Romania, Haiti, and Nepal; founded non-profit organizations; developed innovative social enterprises; prepared food to our hungry neighbors, organized numerous supply drives, donated blood; and received the Alexandria Rotary Club's Jefferson Cup for Community Service.

IAC Champions in basketball and tennis.

ISL regular season champions in field hockey. ISL champions in soccer and lacrosse. VISAA state champions in boys basketball and lacrosse and girls lacrosse.

Won individual championships in track and field. Participated in league finals or state tournaments in 12 sports.

THEIR JOURNEY CONTINUES

More than 170 colleges and universities accepted our seniors and half of the class was offered college scholarships or merit aid. Here are their chosen destinations.

8

30

Seniors are going to the West

Seniors are going to the Northeast

3

54

11

Seniors are going to the Southwest

Seniors are going to the Southeast

Seniors are going to the Midwest

NORTHEAST Connecticut: Yale University

Delaware:

University of Delaware

Maryland:

Salisbury University Towson University U.S. Naval Academy University of Maryland - Baltimore County (3) University of Maryland - College Park (2)

Massachusetts: Boston College Boston University (2) Tufts University Williams College

New Jersey:

Princeton University

New York:

Colgate University Fordham University New York University Syracuse University (2)

Pennsylvania:

Carnegie Mellon University Dickinson College Lafayette College Pennsylvania State University (2) University of Pennsylvania (2) Villanova University

1

Senior is going overseas to Scotland

Vermont: Middlebury

SOUTHEAST Alabama:

Auburn University University of Alabama (3)

Georgia:

Georgia Tech Savannah College of Art and Design University of Georgia (2)

Mississippi:

Mississippi State University

North Carolina:

Davidson College High Point University North Carolina State University University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of North Carolina at Wilmington

South Carolina:

Clemson University Coastal Carolina University College of Charleston Furman University (3) University of South Carolina

Tennessee:

Rhodes College

Virginia:

George Mason University

College of William & Mary (7) Hampden-Sydney College Norfolk State University Randolph-Macon College (2) University of Virginia (7) Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Tech (7) Washington and Lee (2)

Washington, D.C.:

American University George Washington University Georgetown University

SOUTHWEST Texas:

Texas Christian University (3)

MIDWEST

Minnesota:

Carleton College

Nebraska:

Creighton University

Wisconsin:

University of Wisconsin - Madison

WEST California:

University of California - Santa Barbara University of Southern California (3)

Ohio:

Colorado:

Denison University Kenyon College Miami University Oberlin College

Colorado College Colorado State University U.S. Air Force Academy Prep School University of Denver

Illinois:

OVERSEAS

Northwestern University

Indiana:

Scotland :

St. Andrew's University

Butler University Notre Dame University Purdue University www.sssas.org | 21

SNAPSHOTS

UPPER SCHOOL ZHEODAY U P P EPRRSI C OL P R I Z E DAY

O n Ju n e 7 , t h e s e awa r d s we r e p r e s e n t e d i n recognition of our students' a c h i eve m e n t s i n a c a d e m i c s , the arts, athletics, c i t i z e n s h i p, a n d s e r v i c e .

The Faculty Excellence Award recipient, Upper School Art Teacher Joey Wade, with Glenn Archer '82

Nick Dupuis giving the farewell address.

Military Appointments: Christian DePollar, Kate MacArthur, Dannie Daley, Charlie Brenner, William Reid, Aron Sobers

The Arts Awards: Campbell Weiss, Mary Margaret Lehmkhuler, Quinten Staples, Maxwell Rudasill, Catherine Owens, Jennifer Varghese

The St. Stephen's and St. Agnes Medals, The St. Agnes Cup, and the The Emmett H. Hoy, Jr. Citizenship Award: Front Row: Helen Treadway, Mary Margaret Lehmkhuler, Allison Vuono, Elise Massie, Kennon Moon, Head of School Kirsten Adams; Back Row: Mark Repetti, Aron Sobers, Ephraim Reed, Chase Cohen, and Lucas Bires

The Athletic Awards: Front Row: Makeda Melkie, Helen Treadway, Emma Bradley, Caroline Burnett, Kennon Moon, Back Row: John Ryder Duncan, Charles Thompson, Andrew Tyeryar, Chase Cohen

Community, Service, and Spirit Awards: Ephraim Reed, Priya Katyal, Garrett Chiaramonte, Rachel Suleymanov, Mark Repetti, Jasmine Vargas 22 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

The Academic Awards: Front Row: Bette Vajda, Alicia Lopez, Makeda Melkie, Evelyn Perfall, Lilly Cady, Elise Massie; Back Row: Alexander Chiaramonte, William Reed, Thomas Van Buren, Chase Cohen, Zach Gaydos

THE FACULTY EXCELLENCE AWARD

THE PERKINS CUP

Joey Wade, Upper School 3D Visual Arts Teacher

Elise Massie

GOVERNOR'S SCHOOL RECIPIENTS

THE YEARBOOK DEDICATION

RECOGNITION OF MILITARY APPOINTMENTS/ SCHOLARSHIPS

Charlie Brenner Charlie has received an appointment to the United States Army ROTC scholarship for nursing and will attend Creighton University.

Humanities: Alice Hurley '20 Latin: Jessica Lopez '20 Spanish: Allegra Abizaid '20 Math, Science, & Technology: Sameer Augustine '21

Joyce Ames, Upper School Librarian Senior Editor: Charlotte Kho '19

The following recognitions and awards were presented to seniors unless otherwise noted.

THE HELEN ARNY MACAN SCHOLARSHIP AWARD

Sylvie Weiman '21

THE LESLIE JONES LATIN PRIZE

Alicia Lopez

THE MICHALOT CUP

THE SALUTATORIAN

Evelyn Perfall

Lilly Cady

THE MEDAL OF EXCELLENCE IN SPANISH

THE VALEDICTORIAN THE FAREWELL ADDRESS

William Reid William has received an appointment to the United States Navy ROTC scholarship Marine Corps option and will attend Boston University.

Nick Dupuis

THE MATHEMATICS AWARD

Thomas Van Buren

THE TECHNOLOGY AWARD Thomas Van Buren

Christian DePollar Christian has received an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy Preparatory School.

Lilly Cady

Chase Cohen

Makeda Melkie

Garrett Chiaramonte

THE O'CONNOR HISTORY PRIZE

THE SAINTS ATHLETICS CLUB AWARDS Jasmine Vargas and Garrett Chiaramonte

THE ASSOCIATION OF PARENTS AND TEACHERS AWARD

Bette Vajda

Chase Cohen

THE DAINGERFIELD ASHTON MODEL ATHLETE

THE MODEL ATHLETE FOR BOYS

Charles Thompson

Quinten Staples

THE MICHAEL HOLT AWARD Maxwell Rudasill

THE OUTSTANDING ATHLETE AWARDS

Rachel Suleymanov

THE ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES MEDALS

THE SAINT AGNES CUP

Caroline Burnett and Andrew Tyeryar

Kennon Moon

THE MARSHA A. WAY SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD FOR GIRLS

THE EMMETT H. HOY, JR. CITIZENSHIP AWARD

Helen Treadway

Ephraim Reed

THE SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD FOR BOYS

Lucus Bires Chase Cohen Mary Margaret Lehmkhuler Elise Massie Mark Repetti Aron Sobers Helen Treadway Allison Vuono

Emma Bradley

Catherine Owens

Priya Katyal

THE CARROLL LASTELIC AWARD

THE SCHOLAR ATHLETE AWARD

Mark Repetti

Adrienne Lai '20

Kennon Moon

Bette Vajda

Dramatic Arts: Mary Margaret Lehmkuhler Vocal Arts: Campbell Weiss Instrumental Arts: Jennifer Varghese

THE HOWARD CUP

THE HELENE HASKIN KRAUSE AWARD

THE ANN G. LINDSEY POETRY PRIZE

THE PERFORMING ARTS AWARDS

Bjorn Davidson '20

THE MACONDRAY TROPHY

Kate Coward '20

Alicia Lopez

THE VISUAL ARTS AWARD

Ephraim Reed

THE SENIOR CLASS AWARD

THE CHARLES JAMES SHELL MEMORIAL PRIZE IN ENGLISH

THE FRANK NIEPOLD ARTS PRIZE

THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY APPLIED SCIENCE AWARD

THE ESTHER CARROLL MURPHY AWARD FOR CREATIVITY

Evelyn Perfall

THE MONTGOMERY AWARD FOR THE HUMANITIES

Makeda Melkie

Tre Boone '20

Lilly Cady

THE KARIG WRITING PRIZE

THE JANE LYWOOD CUP

Bjorn Davidson '20, Ryan Vuono '20, and Jessica Lopez '20

THE JOHN MORROW STANTON MEMORIAL ATHLETIC AWARD

William Reid

THE MARJORIE M. NORRIS AWARD

Aron Sobers Aron will be attending the United States Naval Academy.

THE DAVID DONALD GAYLE SCHOLARSHIP MATHEMATICS PRIZE

THE COURTENAY MARSHALL COCHRAN AWARD FOR SCIENCE

THE ROY EDWARD BYRD AWARD

EXCHANGE OF STUDENT GOVERNMENT GAVEL Student Council Co-Presidents Ryan Vuono '20 and Indi Clayton '20

Dannie Daley Dannie has received an appointment to the United States Air Force ROTC scholarship and will attend Yale University.

John Ryder Duncan

THE EDWARD E. TATE SENIOR RELIGION PRIZE Zach Gaydos

www.sssas.org | 23

SNAPSHOTS

MIDDLE SCHOOL AWA R D S D AY A N D G R A D U AT I O N

O n Ju n e 5 , t h e s e awa r d s we r e presented in recognition of o u r s t u d e n t s ' a c h i eve m e n t s i n academics, the arts, athletics, a n d c i t i z e n s h i p.

T h e e i g h t h g r a d e wa s c e l e b r a t e d w i t h a R e c o g n i t i o n C e r e m o ny a n d R e c e p t i o n o n Ju n e 6 .

THE BROOKS MATH AWARD

For the greatest achievement and interest in math in seventh grade Colin Cross, Charlotte Nichols

DEPARTMENT EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Awarded to eighth grade students for demonstrating strong scholarship and interest in a particular subject

The Band Award

Kurt Gehlhoff, Lauren Irish

The Chinese Award

Lilli Biondi, CJ Tillman

The Chorus Award

Emmie Vajda, Phillip Williams

The Drama Award

Emma Lacy, Myles Sandy

The English Award

Ollie Nichols, Mikki Taye

The French Award

Alethea Callahan, Jack Trevisan

The St. Stephen's and St. Agnes Cup Finn Jensen '22 (2018 recipient) presenting to Carter Harris '23 The Math Award

Carter Harris, Finn Hartman

The Orchestra Award

Katharine Lavayen

The Religion Award

Ava Franklin, Jonathan Kho

The Saints Athletic Award

Alethea Callahan, Myles Sandy

The Science Award

Lily Hunsicker, Stuart Knops

The Spanish Award

Bailey Edwards, Jack Murphy

The Visual Arts Award

Devin Malloy, Ellie Minor

THE STEBBINS CUP

For exemplifying community, spirit, compassion, and consideration of others in sixth grade William Troy, Grace Hunsicker

THE SINCLAIR CUP

The History Award

Julianne Karol, Jake Nielsen

For exemplifying loyalty, integrity, leadership, cooperation, and scholastic endeavor in seventh grade

The Latin Award

Claire Helmreich, Isaiah Fahden

Kit Bolen, Ollie Nichols

Middle School Drama Teacher Lindsay Jagodowski presenting Myles Sandy '23 with the Drama Award.

24 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

Middle School Science Teacher Robert Davis presenting Lilly Hunsicker '23 with the Science Award.

Jonathan Kho '23 The Suzanne Griffin Nuckolls Fellowship Prize recipient THE RICHARD P. BABYAK AWARDS

For making our school and community a better place through their actions throughout the year Janie Becherer '23, Makin Blalock '23, Drew Hartman '23, Charlotte Heimbach '23 Mason Mantey '24, Gabi Milow '24, Jack Murphy '24, Sean Thompson '24 Macadger Byrne '25, Niels Merino '25, Katia Acosta-Mijulasek '25, Catie Poersch '25

DIRECTOR'S AWARD

For demonstrating character tenacity, and intellect Lily Hunsicker '23, Myles Sandy '23 Elona Michael '24, David Rhind-Tutt '24 James London '25, Claire Hanley '25

THE SUZANNE GRIFFIN NUCKOLLS FELLOWSHIP PRIZE

For possessing the best qualities of a true friend in eighth grade Carter Harris, Jonathan Kho

THE ST. STEPHEN'S AND ST. AGNES CUP

Awarded to an eighth grade student for exemplifying scholarship, character, leadership, and citizenship Carter Harris

Middle School English Teacher Susanne Wanamaker '82 presenting Ollie Nichols '23 with the English Award.

www.sssas.org | 25

SNAPSHOTS

LOW E R S C H O O L FIFTH GRADE RECOGNITION

O n Ju n e 4 , t h e L owe r S c h o o l recognized, celebrated, and b i d f a r e we l l t o t h e f i f t h g r a d e c l a s s a s t h ey c o n t i n u e t h e i r j o u r n ey a s S a i n t s t o t h e Middle School.

26 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

LOW E R S C H O O L

G R A N D PA R E N TS A N D S P E C I A L F R I E N D S ' DAY O n M ay 3 , t h e L owe r S c h o o l we l c o m e d o u r S a i n t s ' grandparents and special friends for breakfast, a concert, and classroom visits.

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Wishing8 A FOND

FAREWELL Honoring Our Retirees with 201 Years of Combined Service

28 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

DONNA RYAN

Donna Ryan with her last kindergarten class and members of the Class of 2019 who she taught.

Celebrating 35 years of service Kindergarten Teacher Donna Ryan has been an integral and beloved member of the St. Stephen's and St. Agnes community and leader of our school's kindergarten team for 35 years. Her dedication to generations of our youngest Saints and their families will be keenly missed.

Donna joined St. Agnes School as a kindergarten teacher in 1984 after teaching at a local pre-school for six years. When asked what she has particularly appreciated during her years at SSSAS, Donna responded, "The children! I have such a deep sense of gratitude for the honor and privilege of participating in the unique growth and development of each child in my class. At the beginning of Back-to-School Night, I share that the reason I teach kindergarten is because I love what I do! I love this magical age, their sense of wonder and curiosity, their playful spirit, and their joy in learning. I love discovering who each child is and learning from them."

"Many years ago," Donna explained, "we created the 'Quilt Project.' The goal of this project was to celebrate each individual in our community. We asked the questions: 'Who Am I?' 'Who Are We?' The result of this inquiry is the patchwork quilt hanging in Daniel Gym. It celebrates the unique story of each community member and the ongoing stories that we create together as a community. Our hope then and now is that year by year we would continue to create a community fabric that enhances a culture of diversity and inclusion."

Donna has served as the chair of the JK-12 Multicultural Committee for 16 years. Donna's contributions to the school's mission have had a lasting impact. In leading the committee, Donna's professional knowledge and personal commitment to the individuality and dignity of each Saint—regardless of age— ensured that our classrooms, conversations, and community

culture "honored the unique value of each of our members as a child of God in a caring community."

KiKi Davis, colleague and friend, said, "Donna's quiet demeanor, gentle spirit, and ability to teach and model empathy have served our students, faculty, and families for three decades.

Beyond being a master teacher, during my nine years at SSSAS, she has been a friend, an ally, and advocate for the crucial work of equity and social justice. We are a better place for children because of Donna Ryan."

In retirement—or as Donna prefers to call it, "a new adventure"— she plans on continuing her education and research in the field of education. She is also looking forward to spending time with her family, including her three children, their spouses, and four grandchildren.

"Donna, you are the heart of St. Stephen's and St. Agnes," said Head of School Kirsten Adams at the spring retirement reception. "Your whole being lives our mission, and your thoughtful consideration of decisions and children ensures that we are firmly rooted in our mission and vision. I am so grateful that I had five years to learn from you here at SSSAS. You'll be deeply missed."

ON JUNE 10, the school surprised Donna by naming "The Donna Ryan Multicultural Seminar" in grateful recognition of her 35 years of service and 16 years of commitment to the school's multicultural awareness and growth. The Donna Ryan Multicultural Seminar will ensure that future Saints' teachers will have the skills and knowledge to continue on this legacy. www.sssas.org | 29

KATHY NORMYLE Celebrating 35 years of service St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School says farewell to Director of Afterschool Programs Kathy Normyle after 35 years with our school and 39 years in the profession. Kathy joined St. Agnes in the fall of 1984 as a fourth grade teacher and moved to the directorship of our afterschool programs in 1999.

Prior to coming to St. Agnes, she taught third grade at Saint Bernadette's in Silver Spring, Md., and at Sea Pines Academy in Hilton Head, S.C.

place that Kathy has called "home" for 20 years. "Directing the extended day program has given me a unique opportunity to get to know and develop relationships with students and families over many years," said Kathy. "There is no other position within the school community that offers this benefit. It's also been my pleasure to have former students come back and work in the program, and a joy to have former students have their children come into the extended day program."

Before directing the afterschool programs, Kathy taught fourth grade and served as the director of Summer Programs for 20 years. In addition, she served on the professional growth and development committees, Lower School Head Search Committees, and co-created the fourth grade bake sale that benefits Children's National Hospital with friend Fourth Grade Teacher Beth Barrow.

In her retirement, Kathy will be moving to Hilton Head, S.C., to be closer to her family. She's looking forward to living at the beach, learning to play golf, and spending more time with friends and family, including her son Brennan '02.

"Kathy Normyle was my first mentor as a rookie teacher and my first friend at SSSAS," said Beth. "We team-taught in fourth grade together from 1993 until she moved into her role as an administrator. From Kathy I learned how to lead a parentteacher conference, how to meet each child where they are, and how to be a supportive, proactive member of a team.

Kathy has always been a true Saint: as a teacher, administrator, and friend, and this community has been blessed to have her."

Our afterschool program provides children with a safe, academically enriching, and fun environment, and it's a

30 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

"Kathy, you have been a steady and loving adult in the lives of our students for so many years," said Head of School Kirsten Adams at the spring retirement reception. Parents often remark that you are the constant for their family as you work with children over their whole Lower School career. Your impact on our children is broad-reaching and deep, and your presence will be missed on our Lower School campus."

ON MAY 28, the school dedicated "The Kathleen Normyle Sandbox" in honor of Kathy and in grateful recognition for 35 years of creating opportunities for our youngest Saints to find meaningful learning through play.

DEBORAH SUE POLLAK Celebrating 30 years of service Driven by wanderlust, inquisitiveness, and a love of artistic expression, Deborah Pollak served St. Stephens and St. Agnes school as a talented Lower School Art educator beginning in 1986. Before joining St. Agnes, Ms. Pollak taught art in New Jersey for 15 years and also was in charge of writing descriptions of the art at Rockefeller Center and Radio City Music Hall.

to her students and every aspect of their development.

She had an exquisite capacity to truly know and empower them, year after year. They adored her. Each year she chose a different culture to explore and be the focus for drawings, paintings, sculptures, food, stories, videos, and distinguished guests. It was enthralling to watch and be part of."

During her tenure, she wrote and implemented fine arts curricula based on the cultures of Mexico, Peru, India, Pakistan, Italy, Southern China, Guatemala, Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Bali. In 1992, Deborah was awarded a grant from the Japanese government to continue teaching Japanese crafts. She set up communications with a second grade class in Kanazawa, Japan, and our second grade students, to exchange artwork and fun facts about each other.

In 1987, in appreciation of her service to her students, Deborah was honored with a generous endowed gift that still helps support the Lower School art program today.

Another honor bestowed upon Deborah was the 2012 yearbook dedication in recognition for what she taught her students about the art and cultures of people around the world.

At the beginning of each unit, Deborah would gather students around her and enthrall them with artifacts, clothing, and particularly stories of the country, city, or culture being studied. Throughout the unit she would take them on an incredible journey, inspiring them to explore and express their creativity through many different media. Former colleague and collaborator Lower School Religion teacher Catherine Wheeler recalls, "Deborah was a true professional, totally devoted

After a total of 47 years in the art education profession, Deborah will now devote her time to painting and drawing in her studio near Mt. Vernon, as well as pursuing her passion for designing gold and silver jewelry. She also has two books in progress. We are so very thankful for the passion and creativity she brought to our youngest Saints.

www.sssas.org | 31

MARGARET TEAGUE Celebrating 29 years of service Margaret Teague, first grade teaching assistant, is

responsive. She is committed to the mission of SSSAS

retiring after 29 years of service to our school and 41

and its religious, moral, and educational values. In

years in the profession. Margaret joined St. Agnes in

teaching, it is important that we surround ourselves

1990. In addition to her current role, she has also served

with passionate people, because passion is catching. For

as a fifth grade writing assistant and the Lower School

all teachers, it should be a consistent goal to give our

service learning coordinator for 19 years. Margaret

children the opportunity to catch it from us. Margaret

began her teaching career in 1978. Prior to joining

has always demonstrated the passion that is needed for

SSSAS, she taught fourth grade, seventh and eighth

this job. Her devotion, her loyalty, her organizational

grade physics, and geography.

skills, her sense of humor, and her joy for life will be greatly missed."

Margaret has worn several hats as a first-grade team member. She volunteers for anything and everything

During her retirement, Margaret will be traveling,

from organizing field trips to ordering books and school

painting, gardening, and helping her son, Sam '11,

supplies when needed. She is a member of the Signet

to plan his October wedding. "Working at SSSAS has

Society, the Language Arts Committee, and the Social

been my ikigai—the place where my passion, mission,

Studies Committee, and serves as the resident "Sunshine,"

vocation, and profession intersect," said Margaret. "With

fire drill, and carpool leader of the Lower School. She has

the exception of being a wife and mother, teaching has

also volunteered at innumerable fundraisers sponsored by

been a true passion in my life and has given me a sense

the Association of Parents and Teachers.

of purpose. How blessed I have been to be able to spend 29 years in a community where we pursue goodness as

For the past 13 years, Margaret has worked alongside

well as knowledge. Here I have found my church, my

her colleague, Dedre Fiske, as her teaching assistant

friends, my ikigai, and my second family. 'For students,

and dear friend. "Teaching has never taken more skill

colleagues, and lifelong learning, I thank you Lord.'"

and energy than it does today," said Dedre. "Margaret abounds in both, and she is always accessible and

32 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

PARAG GUPTA Celebrating 29 years of service Parag Gupta, who has served in our Business Office and

Current parent Xiao Boynton shared the following

Extended Day Program, is retiring after 29 years with

words of gratitude for Parag: "Thank you for

our school. Parag joined St. Stephen's School in 1990 as

providing such amazing care to Eddie during

a payroll and benefits associate. In 1996 she became a

his first year at SSSAS. I always enjoyed chatting

general accountant for the school. She also has worked

with you at the end of the day and thanks for

in Extended Day and Summertimes since 2011.

spending those late hours watching Eddie. We will forever appreciate your care and kindness."

"It has been my pleasure getting to work with Parag for over 25 years," said Kathy Normyle, director of

During her retirement, Parag is excited to spend

Afterschool Programs. "She is a true professional who

time with her children, daughter Pooja '05 and son

has worn many hats at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes. As a

Neeraj, her grandchildren, and extended family. "I

staff member in the Business Office, Parag was always

left India when I was 21 and I'm hoping to be able

willing to answer my many questions with patience

to spend a lot of time back there again," said Parag.

and expertise. I was thrilled to have Parag join the

She also plans to volunteer, travel, and play bridge.

Summertimes staff and the Extended Day team! Her calm and nurturing nature has been an asset to our

"Parag, your kind and gentle soul will be missed here

staff and children. Nothing is too much for her! She is

at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes," said Head of School

flexible and willing to help where she's needed. Parag

Kirsten Adams at the spring retirement reception.

takes the time to get to know students and they, in turn,

"You have been successful with our youngest saints

love seeing her each afternoon. She has enjoyed sharing

and as an important member of our Business

her ideas and traditions with our children who are richer

Office. Thank you for bringing your whole self to

as a result of her presence. As a staff, we've loved her

the school. We wish you a wonderful retirement!"

wonderful sense of humor and fabulous cooking. We will miss her beautiful smile and her strong spirit!"

Photo of Parag with members of the Business Office: Donna O'Connell '84, Susan Hamon, Parag Gupta, Cipriana Merritt, Beth Chase, and Christina Graham.

www.sssas.org | 33

DEDRE FISKE Celebrating 24 years of service "Survivor, strong, positive, funny, compassionate, creative, hardworking, flexible, attentive, and brave. These are just a few words that many have used to describe my friend and colleague Dedre Fiske," said First Grade Teacher Terri Haughton in her speech honoring her colleague at the spring retirement reception. Dedre is retiring after a total of 24 years of service to our school and 30 years in the profession.

Dedre joined St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School in 1995. In addition to teaching first grade, she has also served as a longstanding member of the Multicultural Committee and most recently the Lower School Schedule Committee. Dedre began her teaching career in 1971 and taught third grade in the Loudoun County school system for six years followed by an 18-year maternity leave from teaching to raise her three children before joining SSSAS. She also served as the director of the Belle Haven Junior Sports Camp for 25 summers, where many SSSAS faculty members, students, and alumni worked with her as counselors and junior counselors over the years.

"The most rewarding goal in teaching is to help students progress from fair to good and from good to great," said Dedre.

"It is always amazing to watch boys and girls grow into caring, thoughtful, dynamic, and competent young people, and I have been fortunate to witness this process many times over the years. My hope has always been that I had just a small impact or influence on my students in some capacity, whether it be a love of reading, math, writing, or just playing games. If you were ever to ask a former first grader to name a favorite memory of that year's experience, I am sure most would mention the Town Fair. Likewise, I would have the same response, as I look back over the last 20 Town Fairs. It is a highlight that dominates one's

34 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

memory of the first-grade experience, by providing a meaningful and powerful, yet fun and age-appropriate, event."

Margaret Teague, colleague and friend of 24 years, said, "Dedre lives her passion for SSSAS as a teacher, faculty member, parent of an alumnus (Jimmy Fiske '04), and friend to many SSSAS families. She approaches her work as she does everything else in her life: 'Whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well.'

Nowhere is this more evident than the first grade Town Fair. Her 'Go Big or Go Home' town fair murals, costumes, and props are a highlight every year. Who can forget the burger restaurant 'Five Guys' with a cardboard box that became a coca-cola machine, a patio table with a 9-foot red umbrella, and real hamburgers and hotdogs? We will miss her wise, thoughtful, glass-half-full perspective, her devotion and dedication to the profession of nurturing children, and her ability to keep the magic in our students' lives."

In retirement, Dedre is looking forward to more travel, learning new skills and perspectives, creating lots of fun memories with her grandchildren, and finding a new identity. She hopes to start off her retirement by traveling occasionally on the senior tennis circuit with her husband, who recently won the National 70 and over Clay Court Doubles Tennis Championship. "This has been a lifelong dream of ours that can finally be fulfilled in retirement," said Dedre.

Head of School Kirsten Adams concluded her remarks at the retirement reception by saying, "Dedre, you have been a Saint through and through during your time at our school.

You have helped generations of Saints grow into their most authentic selves, and we are so grateful for your tremendous commitment."

PATTI LEASE Celebrating 19 years of service Teaching was a calling for Patti Lease, JK-2 science teacher, and it was in her DNA. Both of her grandmothers were teachers in one room school houses. Her love of science is attributed to her father, who she would accompany to his work as the Bug Camp doctor at the University of Michigan Biological Station. So it's fitting that during her career, Patti has taught almost every grade level from junior kindergarten through college. Patti is retiring after a total of 19 years of service to our school and 42 years in the profession.

Patti joined St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School in 2000. In addition to teaching, she has also served as a Sustainability Committee member and helped co-design and create the original Lower School Outdoor Classroom. Patti began her teaching career in 1976 and taught high school, middle school, preschool, and college students before joining SSSAS. At St. Stephen's and St. Agnes, Patti has particularly enjoyed designing the inquiry-based, hands-on science curriculum for JK-2 students and connecting children with nature.

"By nurturing a connection to nature, we foster a comfort with and respect for the natural world; we are able to have a positive impact on cognitive, emotional, and spiritual development," Patti said. "An early connection with nature lays the groundwork for children becoming stewards of the earth in our complex and changing world."

said Patti's colleague, First Grade Teacher Terri Haughton.

"Her passion for teaching science is infectious! Her students are always excited to learn about the world around them. She takes time to voice concerns about children to their teacher, always has a smile on her face and a positive attitude, and has impeccable handwriting. Her gentle voice and caring ways have made her a very loved and irreplaceable teacher."

During her retirement, Patti has lots of exciting plans! She and her husband, Pete Souza, will be moving to Madison, Wisconsin, this summer to be close to their daughter and son-in-law. She looks forward to being a senior guest auditor at the University of Wisconsin where she plans to take classes in astronomy, genetics, and Portuguese, as well as volunteering at the local JK-2 elementary school that focuses on garden-based learning. Retirement will also bring her time to go kayaking, swimming, cross-country skiing, and spend summers at her cabin in northern Michigan.

"Patti has inspired thousands of students to be curious, to wonder, to understand and appreciate the world around them," said Associate Head of School Bob Weiman. "She is indeed so enthusiastic about what she is teaching, that her students have loved coming to her class and merely being in her presence. We have been incredibly blessed that Patti has taught here and we wish her the best in retirement."

"Patti is a kind, nurturing, and a very organized teacher who sets clear, attainable, expectations for all of her students,"

www.sssas.org | 35

CHINA EL CAMINO

SPAIN

FRANCE

DENMARK CUBA

PANAMA

NEPAL

GLOBAL STUDIES

36 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

1

2

3

6

4

5

7

PHOTO CREDITS:

8

NINETY-SEVEN

Upper School Saints and their chaperones traveled far and wide this spring. During spring break they journeyed to China, Denmark, Nepal, France, and Spain. Two groups made their way to Spain, one on the Spanish Exchange and the other to walk the El Camino de Santiago route. In early June after the close of the school year, two groups headed south on service trips, one to Panama and the other to Cuba.

1. Emma Hughes '21 2. Andrew Knops '20 3. Patrick Hines '19 4. Zak Zeledon '19 5. Tim Keefe '20 6. Kimberly Scott 7. Ryan Felsenthal '20 8. Students Shoulder-to-Shoulder

www.sssas.org | 37

All photos: Katherine Hardwick

38 | St. Stephen's Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

CHINA

Evelyn Perfall '19 I had never truly known what it was like to be a fish out of water until I traveled to China. It's one thing to go to a country where you speak at least some of the language, and quite another to be somewhere you can't even identify the word for "exit." I was one of the few students on the trip who had never studied Mandarin, so I suppose in this respect my experience was different from the others' – but that was precisely what fascinated me most about the trip, how much our experiences varied.

The most obvious reason was appearance. Those of us who were black, blonde, curly-haired, or in any other way noticeably not Chinese stood out dramatically. Strangers on the street would take photos of us, sometimes asking permission but more often treating us as part of the scenery.

Our experiences at the school were similar, with students lining up for selfies. Meanwhile, those of us who looked Chinese were left unbothered, which prompted some interesting reflection and discussion about race and culture.

Our mealtime experiences varied too, particularly when it came to the levels of spice we could handle. Our homestay was in Chengdu, a city in China's Sichuan province, which is a region known worldwide for its delicious but mouth-burning, eye-watering, help-whereis-my-drink food. The locals' definition of "mild" was far from my own, and I learned quickly to steer clear of anything bright orange or red. When we were treated to hot pot, a popular meal in Chengdu, we each took careful note of which pots were the spiciest and made sure to seat ourselves according to our tolerance.

This trip was truly a wonderful experience.

The history, the architecture, the language, the Terracotta Warriors and the Great Wall— all of it blew me away.

We eventually split up to go to our homestays, knowing each of our families would have different activities and events planned. In my opinion, sharing our adventures when we all came together at the end was one of the best parts of the trip. Some of us went shopping and explored urban Chengdu, and had fun with our student hosts trying to beat an escape room. Others went to the Chinese opera and were amazed by the costumes, music, acrobatics, puppetry, and so much more. A few had the opportunity to cook with their hosts and learn how to make some traditional Chinese dishes. No matter who we stayed with, though, we were all impressed by the generosity and hospitality of our hosts. They welcomed us as if we were family.

This trip was truly a wonderful experience. The history, the architecture, the language, the Terracotta Warriors and the Great Wall—all of it blew me away. But what I appreciated most about my time in China was how no two of us came back with the exact same story.

We each had an experience all our own. Even so, I'm sure we can agree on one thing: our spring break was well spent. I know we will not soon forget this trip.

www.sssas.org | 39

NeAva Zayas '22 When we arrived in the very hot Havana Airport we were greeted by our travel guides for the week, Vasil and Yendri. We piled into two vans, and as we drove through the city they pointed out the university, the soccer and volleyball center, and the baseball stadium.

They also showed us how propaganda billboards and painted wall murals are used mainly for political and educational messages, as opposed to advertising.

Photo: Kemal Ozdemirli '21

As soon as we set foot in Cuba, we were thrown back in time. Havana looked like a beautiful but broken-down city. The first thing we noticed were the older cars. The buildings and houses looked as if they were going to fall apart, but the people livened the streets up and made Havana come to life. We stayed at a hostel on a busy street lined with stray dogs and kids walking to school and adults carrying radios as they walk. The energy we were met with in Havana was unforgettable.

On Monday we traveled to ViĂąales, Cuba, where we stayed for the duration of our trip. The drive was long, but beautiful. We passed mountains, animals, large grasslands, and farms. That day we got a taste of what Cuban culture was like. Our lunch included a variety of meats, green beans, cucumber, and more. In the evening we had a salsa lesson, which was one of the most memorable moments on the trip. Everyone was sweating, laughing, and dancing. It was fun to learn and throughout the week we would salsa to every song we heard.

Photo: Andrew Knops '20

Photo: Andrew Knops '20

Everyone was sweating, laughing, and dancing.

It was fun to learn and throughout the week we would salsa to every song we heard.

Every morning for three days we started out on the farm, Coco Solo, and we worked on different stations. The group's most important job was to get all the weeds out of the corn and calabasas with a hoe in a huge field. This station brought the group to laughter and we would scream out the Spanish word for the job, "Guatacayar" as we worked.

It took three days and three groups of six or seven students to finish the job, but in the end it was worth it to see the full field done. It gave us a sense of appreciation, not just for ourselves, but for the five workers who have to do this all by themselves in addition to other jobs on a daily basis.

Surprisingly, most of these farmers and most blue-collar workers have a degree because they finished university. I remember one of the farmers had a biology degree, while another one was a scientist who studies the wildlife of Cuba where only certain plants and animals are found.

Photo: Kemal Ozdemirli '21 Stephen's and St. Agnes School 40 | St. Stephen’s

As a group I believe we found a love and passion for the Cuban culture the Cuban people, who are so kind and understanding. When they realized that some of the students on the trip were not as fluent as others, they slowed their speech and by the end of the trip every single student was more advanced in the language than before we went on the trip. This trip was unforgettable and we hope it will continue to be offered.

CUBA

Photo: Andrew Knops '20 www.sssas.org | 41

DENMARK

Photo: Zak Zeledon '19 42 | St. Stephen's Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

Bette Vajda '19 Where can you explore a Cold War bunker, a Viking ship reconstruction, and a Renaissance castle all within days of each other? Denmark, of course! The Saints Go Global trip was, to sum it up in one word, an experience.

Photo: David Yee

Photo: Zak Zeledon '19

Photo: David Yee

Each SSSAS student stayed with a Danish host family in the town of Haderslev; we spent the night and some of the day alongside the Danish students, who all spoke embarrassingly perfect English. We crossed for a day into Germany, then took buses up to the cities of Roskilde and Helsignør to see the Viking Museum, the home of five real Viking ships, and Kronborg Castle, the setting of William Shakespeare's "Hamlet." Both destinations were en route to Copenhagen—or, as the Danes spelled it, København—where we saw the sights and sounds, including Tycho Brahe's observatory, the Glyptotek art museum, and the parliament building.

My favorite part was just learning. I had no real concept of Denmark beyond Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales and "Hamlet," and I had never been that far north in the world before.

My favorite part was just learning. I had no real concept of Denmark beyond Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales and "Hamlet," and I had never been that far north in the world before. Despite the country being geographically small and cold, it actually seemed warm and large; there was so much I had never seen before. I loved seeing museum artworks by artists I had studied in school as well as less-known Danish painters; I loved the old, ornate architecture of Copenhagen, the 900-year-old Cathedral in Haderslev, and the history of the country found in the National Museum.

I loved learning from the Danish people, but I also loved that they learned from me; the more I explained about America, the more interested questions they asked. I think there's a human proclivity toward connection, and it was readily apparent wherever I went. I had studied Danish for about a month before leaving for the trip, so I was able to read road signs out and about in the various cities, and I felt fairly integrated after just being there for a day.

The most eye-opening experience for me was the day trip (via bus) into Hamburg, Germany. In the United States, of course, there are detainment camps all across the USMexico border and talks to build a wall that would sever us from our southern neighbor. The Denmark-Germany border, however, was almost invisible. There were six flags—two Denmark flags, two Germany flags, and two EU flags—and a brief security checkpoint that took about three minutes to pass; no walls whatsoever were between the two nations. I only saw the border on the way back; on the way there, the transition from Denmark to Germany was so smooth I had actually slept through it, waking up in a different country from the one I'd fallen asleep in. I was reminded that the language barrier is really the only barrier that should be able to keep countries apart.

Photo: Bette Vajda '19 www.sssas.org | 43

Photo: Sydney Cordero '20

44 | St. Stephen's Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

FRANCE

Jessica Lopez '20 France is known for being the world's center of romance, and for us, it was love at first sight. The glittering lights piercing through the rich darkness of the night and the sound of the French language rolling off tongues and dancing through the cool crisp air truly set a fairytale scene for us 17 exchange students, and that was just the beginning. While waking up to the scent of fresh bread, eyeing brightly colored macarons through shiny store windows, and indulging ourselves in well-filled crĂŞpe desserts - that was when we truly fell in love with France!

Photo: Vonnique Van Way

Photo: Sydney Cordero '20

Photo: Julie Newman '20

In one word, I'd say the French trip was "enlightening."

From the crowded streets of Paris to the quiet alleys of Bayeux, we found ourselves completely immersed in a culture seemingly similar, and yet so different from our own. The most definite contrast between our cities and theirs was the age of it all. We found ourselves exploring cities older than our entire nation, examining the Bayeux Tapestry made centuries ago, and that history held a certain weight to it. At the same time, there was a modern feel to France, popping with quaint shops and tourism, brimming with people and advertisements. While looking out from the Eiffel Tower, cramming ourselves onto the stuffy Metro, and walking about town with our correspondents, it was difficult to believe that such a place had been around much longer than Washington, D.C.

In one word, I'd say the French trip was "enlightening." From the crowded streets of Paris to the quiet alleys of Bayeux, we found ourselves completely immersed in a culture seemingly similar, and yet so different from our own.

Of course, the most memorable part of the trip was the homestay. Each of us got a direct look into the life of a typical French student our age, from home life to school life, complete with a chance to hone our speaking and comprehension skills. Not a single one of us could have asked for a better exchange partner. The bonds, the friendships forged between us Americans and the French students during our week in France and in their following week in the U.S. are truly remarkable. The copious tears shed as the bus departed for the airport at the end of their stay attest to that. This trip wasn't about the separations, though. This trip was about bringing two exchange students, two schools, and two nations closer together, and it succeeded tremendously. Everyone involved with the Normandy Exchange this year is left with only one remaining question: "When can I go back?"

God Bless America and Viva la France!

Photo: Ashlyn Lee '20 www.sssas.org | 45

Chase Cohen '19 As we gathered at the airport on the first day of spring break, we didn't know what to expect from our much anticipated journey. We were tired and, at the time, dreading the long plane rides ahead of us, but despite our imminent struggles we were excited of what was to come.

Our eagerness, however, would prove to underestimate the profound sense of fulfillment and longing to serve with which our group was left at the end of the trip.

Photo: Students Shoulder-to-Shoulder

Photo: Ryan Felsenthal '20

Our eagerness, however, would prove to underestimate the profound sense of fulfillment and longing to serve with which our group was left at the end of the trip.

As I circumambulated Swoyambhu, an impressive stupa at the top of a steep hill, and gazed out over the buildings and streets of Kathmandu, I realized the enormous differences between the culture in Nepal and that of my own community. The awe-inspiring strings of prayer flags connecting nearly every building and the bustling streets packed with vendors, pedestrians, dogs, cars, and motorcycles blindsided me with their sharp contrast to the orderly, relatively quiet sidewalks of Alexandria, and I came to understand the beauty within these differences.

Although exploring Nepal's capital was culturally enriching, the most influential part of the trip for many of us came once we ventured out of the city and into the more rural setting of the Himalayan Hope Home.

The Hope Home is a project created by The Small World, a non-profit organization devoted to community projects, especially for young girls at risk of exploitation. By providing shelter, food, education, and, most importantly, a family for 30 girls who were separated from their parents, the Home opens the door for entirely new opportunities that these kids would not otherwise have. Despite their strenuous lives the girls welcomed us with bright smiles and open arms, and we instantly formed friendships that would strengthen exponentially during our short time with them. They gave us Nepali names and nicknames to make us feel at home, and they made friendship bracelets for us as a sign of our bonds. After meeting the girls, our project of building a garden became so much more than just an assignment; it was our way of showing how much we care about them, and, although we weren't the most skilled laborers, and at times the work was hard, the thought of the garden helping the girls grow their own food drove us onward. Of course, the promise of volleyball, singing, and dance afterward was a huge motivator as well. The busy days were followed by quiet, peaceful nights at a Buddhist monastery where we recharged and enjoyed prayer sessions with the monks.

Photo: Elizabeth Peckham 46 | St. Stephen’s Stephen's and St. Agnes School

The subsequent trek through the mountains to Chisapani and back down to Nagarkot allowed us ample time to reflect on our time at the Hope Home. We are so thankful to have had such amazing guides, Sonam and Ming Mar, to show us around an incredible country, and we are so lucky to have met amazing people that welcomed us with unconditional hospitality and with whom we forged bonds which we will never forget.

NEPAL

Photo: Ryan Felsenthal '20 www.sssas.org | 47

PANAMA

Photo: Students Shoulder-to-Shoulder 48 | St. Stephen's Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

Alice Hurley '20 During the descent, our plane from Panama City to Bocas Del Toro passed over a soccer field, where teenagers and children were in the midst of a game, kicking a tattered ball across the grass. I couldn't help but wonder about the inherent differences between our worlds.

Throughout the week in Panama I would discover so much more about the Bocas community and the lives of its people, further building my global understanding.

Photo : Students Shoulder-to-Shoulder

Photo: Trae Humphreys

Photo:Students Shoulder-to-Shoulder

Over the next few days we embarked on various excursions around the islands including: exploring a bat cave, bike riding to the beach, and surf lessons. I think it's safe to say, however, that everyone's favorite part of the trip was visiting the community center built by the NGO, Give and Surf, on the island St. Cristobal and getting the see the smiling faces of all the children. Each afternoon, once our group arrived at the island, we would walk past the wood houses and down the concrete sidewalk to the community center. Even from the first day, I could hear little voices coming from each side yelling, "Holas!" at us as I walked along the path. My heart warmed as I got to meet dozens of young children, eager to learn and play.

I immediately bonded with the children through gymnastics.

Within minutes, a group of children and I were tumbling upside down, doing handstands and cartwheels. All they wanted was to impress me and show off their skills, and they would shout the word, "Mira!" at me, which I soon found out means: "Look!" It gave me so much joy to know that we were there providing them with fun and attention while also inspiring a love of learning through playing.

My heart warmed as I got to meet dozens of young children, eager to learn and play.

Photo: Alice Hurley '20

Photo:Students Shoulder-to-Shoulder

Especially within the indigenous communities of Panama, education is poorly funded and most education doesn't begin until first grade. Children are not given fundamental preschool education, making it difficult to start first grade in the future. Our role in the community of St. Cristobal was to help brighten the lives of the children and help teach them through basic lessons and playing. We ran organized sports games, taught them arts and crafts, and even held English lessons. Also during our time on St. Cristobal, we weatherproofed and painted a brand new playground for the children in the surrounding community. We added bright colors such as teal, royal blue, and salmon pink to the seesaws, swings, and jungle gym. I could tell how eager the children were to use the play set because you could see their hands covered in blue or pink paint from starting to climb all over it.

During our final day at the community center on St. Cristobal, the intense afternoon sun was beating down on us and our time of departure was getting closer and closer. Yet no one wanted to leave, and the children made it obvious that they didn't want us to leave either by holding on to our limbs so tightly.

www.sssas.org | 49

Patrick Hines '19 Why does Spain get to be so cute?

That was the question that was asked by one of my fellow Camino walkers when we finally reached our hostel for the day. We were graced with beautiful weather while we were there, and the ambiance of the green countrysides combined with the rural villages we passed made for a tranquil experience.

Photo: Trip Pratt '21

Photo: Abbie Henshaw '20

While the Spanish country was something to be beholden, it was those that we walked with that made the experience a truly memorable one. It's surprising how long you can be at a school (this being my 13th year) and never truly get to know someone. Even with the relatively small grade sizes, there are some people that I haven't really spoken to in years.

While I knew many of the people that went on the Camino, some I knew much better than others. Being able to walk with, room with, and eat with people outside of the normal catalogue of individuals who I interacted with daily made me realize just how much possibility there had always been for friendship, not only on the trail, but back home too.

By the last few days we were singing trail songs, committing hijinks, and making terrible fun of each other's Spanish, like we had been living together for our entire lives..

By the last few days we were singing trail songs, committing hijinks, and making terrible fun of each other's Spanish, like we had been living together for our entire lives. The real magic of the trip wasn't in the beautiful scenery or the good food, but rather in the shared experience of walking 75 mies with your fellow students. At the beginning of the trip you could've been best of friends or complete strangers, but by the end you'll be a little something more.

Photo: Emily Geiger

Photo: Scott Strenak-Singer

Photo by Emily Geiger Stephen's and St. Agnes School 50 | St. Stephen’s

SPAIN

EL CAMINO DE SANTIAGO

Photo: Trip Pratt '21 www.sssas.org | 51

Lexi Olsen '20 Until the Spanish Exchange, I had never truly grasped the meaning of the words "culture shock." I am lucky to travel often, and so I almost felt impervious to such discomfort… until I found myself in front of the Colegio Villa de Griñón. From nearly always knowing how I wanted to express myself, I found myself searching for words, at times only speaking with the aid of convoluted circumlocutions. I went from spending each day with my twin, my best friend, to struggling to relate to my host family or her friends.

As the week passed, the shock that had seemed so insurmountable at first gave way to curiosity and, finally, delight.

As the week passed, the shock that had seemed so insurmountable at first gave way to curiosity and, finally, delight. I learned to forgive myself if my grammar was incorrect, and asked my host if I couldn't find the right word, even learning local slang along the way. Mid-way through the trip, we toured the historic city of Segovia. While its monuments were beautiful—they included a Roman aqueduct which dates to the second century CE— what most excited me was the freedom I gained traveling through a non-Anglophone country able to converse in the local language. I love to visit other places, but when unable to speak the native tongue, I often find myself reduced simply to an observer.

Knowing Spanish, I became an active participant in my travels, which increased my newfound sense of independence. And as I became more confident, I got to know my host family better, hearing their stories of the places which I had visited that day, or sharing stories of travels with our respective families.

Of course, as I became more comfortable the trip flew by more and more quickly, until I found myself on a plane bound for D.C. As I found my family on the other side of customs, hugging my sister and laughing as all of the students' parents waited together, I was struck by reverse culture shock. After the relative compactness and slowness of the Spanish lifestyle, I was acutely aware of the speed at which we live our lives and the size of the home to which I had returned. But my experience on my trip had shown me that I would soon feel at home again. As I watched the D.C. skyline pass by on my way home, I realized that my time in Spain had made me not impervious to culture shock, but willing to embrace it.

52 | St. Stephen's Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

SPAIN

THE SPANISH EXCHANGE

All photos: Kimberly Scott www.sssas.org | 53

Robotics

Team Thunderstone goes to the World Championship

BY ABBIE HENSHAW '20

Upper School Technology Education Teacher and Robotics Coach Tom Johnson and the Upper School robotics teams, Thunderstone and Iron Giants, had tremendous success in the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) this year, winning numerous awards and qualifying for the Virginia State Championship in February. Of the 177 teams in Virginia, 56 earned slots in the State Championship, where both Saints teams advanced to the semi-finals. In September Team Thunderstone began as one of 6,360 teams worldwide. After a series of qualifiers and tournaments, they won the Collins Aerospace Innovate Award for their outstanding and creative robot design, earning them an invitation to be one of only 160 teams to advance to the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship in Detroit in April. There the teams were split into two divisions of 80.

After three days of matches against the best teams in the world, they placed 44th, with a performance that put them in the top 1.5 percent in the world! Abbie Henshaw '20 shares Thunderstone's 2018-2019 journey.

The Upper School robotics team, Thunderstone, was founded in 2011 by my sister, Katie Henshaw '16, after years of participating in robotics outside of school. We compete in the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC), a branch under the bigger organization FIRST (For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). FIRST was founded by inventor Dean Kamen and legendary MIT professor Woody Flowers in 1989 to inspire young people's interest and participation in science and technology.

FIRST is made up of four different levels: Jr. FIRST LEGO League for kindergarten through fourth grade, FIRST LEGO League for fourth through eighth grade, FIRST Tech Challenge for middle and high school students, and FIRST Robotics Competition for high school students.

After participating in FIRST in Lower and Middle School, I joined the Thunderstone team three years ago as a freshman. While the team has morphed during that time, my teammates this year were Andrew Knops '20, Thomas Van Buren '19, and Zach Gaydos '19. Not only were we all experienced in FIRST, but we were also experienced working with each other, as this was our second year working together on the build team. Thomas was our head 3D modeler and programmer and I was the head of outreach and the engineering notebook.

THE ROBOT The robot, fondly known as Anteater, is in a constant state of development 54 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

throughout each season. From the beginning to the World Championship, the design and build process took about eight months. We are beyond lucky to be coached by Mr. Johnson. He not only has engineering experience, but also has coached FIRST teams all the way to the World Championship before, including a team that won the Inspire Award at World.

Even though he could probably build our robot in a few weeks, he only steps in to help if we ask him, and he only helps if we absolutely need it. That can be frustrating at times, but he supports failed ideas because we learn the most through failure.

I've sometimes spent hours trying to figure out CAD tricks he could have told me how to do in seconds, but then I wouldn't own the process or be as knowledgeable as I am doing it on my own. His method of coaching is invaluable because we can truthfully say our robot is entirely built by us (faults and all), which we think is quite special.

THE ROAD TO THE FIRST WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP In addition to designing the robot and keeping an engineering notebook, FIRST stresses the need to #FuelTheMission and spread FIRST and STEM throughout the community. Two of the seven FIRST awards, the Connect and Motivate Awards, are completely based on outreach that focuses on spreading stem to the wider community, such as mentoring younger teams and taking the robot to tech fairs. Outreach is a requirement for

the top award, the Inspire Award, which is given to the team that embodies the “challenge” of the FTC program and is a strong ambassador for FIRST programs and a role model for other teams.

During the time I've been participating in the FTC, this year was our best season ever. At our first qualifier we won first place for our robot performance, the second place Think Award (given to the team with the engineering notebook that best reflects their design process journey during the build season), and the second place Collins Aerospace Innovate Award (given to the team with the most innovative and creative robot design solution to the field elements). At the second qualifier we won the third place Innovate Award, the second place Think Award, the second place Control Award (given to the team that demonstrates innovative thinking in the control system to solve game challenges), the second place Design Award (given to teams that incorporate industrial design elements into their solution), and the first place Inspire Award, which is the highest honor in competition. Winning the Inspire Award qualified us for the Virginia State Championship in February.

At the State Championship things did not go as well as we hoped, as we were fighting a nasty bug in our code that was preventing our robot from performing at its maximum capability. By the end of the long competition, we had resigned ourselves to State being the end of the

The Robot: “Anteater” 18” x 18” x 18” Maximum Starting Size the for a Match

6010

The team number must prominently displayed

42 POUNDS Maximum Weight Including Battery

10

68,000+

6,818

Awards won by team Thunderstone during the 2018-2019 season

Students representing 37 countries participated in the FIRST Tech Challenge

Teams competed in the FIRST Tech Challenge

Team Thunderstone Abbie Henshaw '20

Andrew Knops '20

Zach Gaydos '19

Thomas Van Buren '19

www.sssas.org | 55

The team setting up their pit at 6 a.m. the first day.

season for us, but we won the first place Innovate Award for outstanding and creative robot design, which qualified us for the World Championship in Detroit in April. I don't remember ever celebrating as hard as we did that night on the bus going home.

After taking a weeklong break we hit the ground running once again, as our 5-month season had just become an 8-month season in a blink of an eye.

The next two months went by in a flash, including 6-hour weekend build sessions and weekly outreach events both at SSSAS and throughout Virginia. Before we knew it, it was April 22 and we were walking into school in our team shirts dragging suitcases. After the longest school day of my life, we met in the STEAM lab to pack the van with everything from the robot to an iMac to a fake plant, and we were off to Detroit to compete in the weeklong FIRST World Championship.

HELLO, DETROIT! Halfway through our second day of driving, we found ourselves outside of the Cobo Center in Detroit, where the competition takes. We spent that day checking in, getting our badges, and setting up our pit. The pit acts as a minilab, where we can fix any robot problems and meet with other teams about strategy.

Walking through the pits that day, we had our first interactions with teams from all over the world, including our friends from Maryland and teams from the UK, 56 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

Team Thunderstone's match schedule.

“I've been participating in FIRST for 12 years and I've done everything from competing to coaching and judging, but nothing could have prepared me for the sheer joy I felt at the World Championship.”

Japan, and the Netherlands. After setting up and meeting the teams we headed to the FIRST welcome party, where we were able to try out new VR headsets, play giant Jenga, and even go to a silent disco. We couldn't stay for long, however, because we had to get up at 5 a.m., to prepare for the beginning of competition.

THE INTERVIEW The World Championship had a typical itinerary, but stretched over four days instead of one afternoon. Our first todo on Sunday was the most important element of the day: the interview. FTC rewards teams not only for their robot performance but also for all aspects of FIRST, including the robot design, the engineering notebooks, the programming,

the team's outreach, and the team's relationships with the surrounding engineering community (both in mentorships and sponsorships). To judge the teams in all of these aspects, the teams attend an “Interview.” The interview is a 10-minute conversation with a panel of judges consisting of a 5-minute presentation and a 5-minute question and answer session. The team's performance in their interview is critical to making a good first impression on the judges and putting you in the running for awards. Despite constant rehearsals throughout the season, the interview is always the most nerve-wracking moment in the competitions. You never know what the judges are going to ask, so every team member needs to be prepared for any type of question that may be thrown at them. We arrived early to the interview to practice the presentation one last time and to get a pep talk from Mr. Johnson, and we were off. After our interview, which went quite well, we had to prepare for our first practice match.

THE MATCHES BEGIN Over the next three days we were to play 10 matches, each two minutes and 30 seconds long made up of a 30-second autonomous period in which the robot follows pre-programmed instructions and two minutes of tele-op in which one or two drivers control the robot. Matches are made up of four randomly selected teams, two teams on the “red alliance” and two teams on the “blue alliance.” The

A moment of intense competition during their matches, which ran from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

teams drive their robots around the field attempting to score as many points for their alliance as possible. As the matches started, we separated into our competition set up. As our head scout, Andrew was in charge of watching and recording the scores for all the matches from the stands, in order to inform the drive team about both our alliance teammates and our competitors. My role on the drive team as the drive coach put me in charge of watching the other robots for strategy and timing. As drivers, Thomas controlled the base of the robot and Zach controlled the other random functions. When not driving in a match, we stayed in our pit as other teams and visitors stopped by to ask questions about our robot and our team.

The matches were intense with a quick turn-over time, as we battled our way through the match schedule, played between 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. When we had a rare break, we visited all the other cool things at the competition, including visiting the pit of our fellow team from Alexandria, the TC Williams Titan Robotics; checking out the tech companies at the Innovation Faire, where tech companies were demonstrating the newest developments in their fields; and the college booths at Scholarship Row (FIRST offers thousands of scholarships to students each year). My dad and I spent a lot of what little extra time I had at the FIRST LEGO League (FLL) pits. FLL holds a special place in my heart. My dad coached my FLL team for five years when

I was younger, and I now mentor the St. Stephen's and St. Agnes FLL teams.

THE COMPETITION CONCLUDES At the conclusion of the 10 matches, our team ended up in the middle of the rankings. We were extremely proud, as we agreed we were competing in the hardest of the two divisions. Although we were not selected to play in the quarterfinals, our spirits were high as we sat back to watch the best robots in the world compete.

After a team lunch we went to watch the closing ceremonies and final matches.

FIRST Founder Dean Kamen was going to announce this year's winners and the theme of next year's competition. The closing ceremony was incredibly fun and it was amazing to watch the tense, final matches with thousands of other students who are just as invested in robotics as us. At the end of the ceremony, R2D2 wheeled onto the stage and a video from George Lucas announced that FIRST was partnering with Star Wars for the 2020 games. The crowd went insane.

I've been participating in FIRST for 12 years and I've done everything from competing to coaching and judging, but nothing could have prepared me for the sheer joy I felt at the World Championship. There was something so exhilarating about being surrounded by so many other students who ”get” it. From the late nights in the lab to the memes

Team Thunderstone’s robot, Anteater, fully extended.

about the programming, everyone there spends just as much time thinking about FIRST as I do on a daily basis.

One of the main “core values” of FIRST that I learned in third grade is “gracious professionalism” which says, “Fierce competition and mutual gain are not separate notions. Gracious professionals learn and compete like crazy, but treat one another with respect and kindness in the process.” The only other place I've felt gracious professionalism like I did in Detroit for that one week in late April is at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes, where we strive for goodness as well as knowledge.

FIRST DEAN'S LIST FINALIST Abbie was nominated by her teammates for the FIRST Dean's List Award.

Ultimately, Abbie was selected as one of four Virginia finalists and invited to a special luncheon at the World Championship. Each team can nominate up to two students who are in the 10th or 11th grade that exemplify leadership qualities, an entrepreneurial spirit, and are ambassadors of FIRST and FIRST Tech Challenge.

Nominees receive a 5-7 minute interview at the event where they are competing. www.sssas.org | 57

Saints Link Up A Q&A with Katie Henshaw '16 Abbie Henshaw '20 interviewed her sister, Katie '16, about her participation on the Upper School robotics team, Thunderstone, and how it has enriched her experience at MIT and helped her earn an internship at Universal Studios.

Q. You were one of the founders of the Upper School Robotics Program in 2011. How did that come about?

A. Before Thunderstone I was a member of a FIRST Lego League

(FLL) team that my dad coached in our basement. I did FLL from fourth grade all the way through eighth, however come high school, the robots started getting too big to reasonably keep in the basement. So before my freshman year at SSSAS, I reached out to Mr. Garikes about the possibility of starting a team. He put me in touch with Mr. Richard Rho, who was the Technology Education teacher at the time, and the two of us started making plans for a team. Early on we made a lot of mistakes however seeing the foundations of a team come together was super exciting. We actually won the first competition we attended which was aimed specifically at rookie teams. That meant we were able to go to the State Tournament in our first year as a team that I believe lit the fire for a lot of my fellow team members.

Q. What changes did you see in the robotics program both during and after your time as a Saint?

A. The team has come so far from the first year. Looking back at

old photos of the team, there were only five of us and our robots main mechanism was made out of literal cardboard. From there

58 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

we've grown in basically every facet. When I graduated we had embraced 3D printing, and now I hear that they are developing a machine shop with a mill and lathe which is just astonishing to me. To put this in context, we aren't allowed to touch those tools until sophomore year of college at MIT. These new machines combined with the improved use of CAD (computer software that lets you build the robot on a computer first to see if it will work) has improved the robot's design and functionality year after year. Beyond the robot itself, the team has really found its place within the FIRST community. Saints have become a common sight at state tournaments and made multi-year long alliances and friendships with other teams in the greater Virginia area.

We've also increased our outreach programs both within SSSAS and beyond. But definitely to me the biggest improvement in my eyes is that SSSAS now has a Lower School FIRST LEGO League team. When I was in Lower School, seeing how I could turn my love of LEGOS into robots that actually moved and competed is what made me want to become and engineer. The fact that more SSSAS students now have that opportunity makes me super excited for the future.

Q. How did your time on team Thunderstone affect your high school experience?

A. In many ways Thunderstone defined my high school

experience. The team was not just a team to me, but a family.

When you spend so much time working on a project like robotics, people inevitably grow closer. I met a lot of people that I otherwise wouldn't have gotten to know through Thunderstone.

Thunderstone and robotics is what inspired me to be an engineer.

Through Thunderstone I was given a lot of unique opportunities to explore STEM during high school. Both my sophomore and senior year we presented our robot at the USA Science and Engineering Festival, and we were able to attend the symposium before the festival where cutting-edge technology and scientific discoveries were discussed.

Q. How have the lessons you learned on team Thunderstone helped you in college?

A. Thunderstone helped me increase my literacy in both

technical and soft skills. Obviously a major part of robotics is the actual robot. I've gained skills in machining, CAD (computer aided design), computer science, and 3D printing. Beyond the technical skills, my experience on Thunderstone helped me improve my soft skills of working in a team and talking technically on different levels.

A major part of every FIRST Tech Challenge competition is the interview. During the interview we presented our robot design to a panel of technical judges. We talked about outreach programs the team had done to raise awareness of STEM in our community. We needed to be able to talk about our robot both in highly technical terms (to the judges) and in more general terms (to kids and other non-engineering people). This is a skill that has greatly helped me through my time at MIT as presentations like these are common and having the four years of practice at SSSAS has definitely been useful. Finally, there's the element of working on a team. While I loved working with my entire team, there were stressful moments where leadership within the team was critical.

In essence the problems I had to solve in Thunderstone are small pieces of problems that I am now trying to solve in college. The ability to lead a team and to bring out the best in every team member has been critical in college, and it's a skill I possess because of robotics.

Q. Last year you got to participate in the MIT class that inspired the founding of FIRST. How did that feel?

A. It was stressful for sure! There are a good number of FIRST

participants now at MIT who were all in the class with me, so it got a little competitive. In the end though it was a fantastic experience. Unlike FIRST competitions 2.007 (the class) is entirely a solo competition, meaning everything from design to construction to programming was done by me alone. Let's just say that in the end it really didn't work as intended—I did win my match though! Even though my robot wasn't really successful, I learned so many things I should and shouldn't do, that I never would have learned without the class. I'd like to think that if I got another shot it would turn out much better.

Q. How do you feel the values of FIRST are aligned with the SSSAS mission?

A. FIRST stands for “For Inspiration and Recognition in Science

and Technology”—meaning that in the end it's goal is to promote STEM and to inspire young children to try STEM for themselves.

It's main tenet is Gracious Professionalism, which is all about creating a community of students who understand that while they may be competing, they are working together and sharing ideas. Teams in FIRST are some of the friendliest people I've ever met. If you have a problem from a missing piece to a critical function not working—someone at a FIRST competition will help. In many ways this reminds me of SSSAS. We are a

Katie Henshaw '16 joined her sister, Abbie '20, in Detroit to support her at the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship. community of like-minded people who are always willing to offer advice, expertise, or just a listening ear. Both SSSAS and FIRST are seeking goodness as well as knowledge, and that philosophy has been something I've been attempting to embody now that my time with both is up.

Q. Have you discovered a passion at MIT? A. I would say that I've discovered a multitude of passions in my

time at MIT. On a smaller scale I've learned to love board games, dungeons and dragons, theater, and escape rooms. I've also found and grown my love of music. I'm actually pursuing a double major in mechanical engineering and music composition, but in the end I'm still pursuing robotics in a slightly different direction.

Through the help of a few friends I've learned that my real passion lies in entertainment design and engineering, or more specifically theme park design. I'm aiming to use my robotics and engineering abilities to pursue ride engineering to build the next roller coasters and theme park rides. I've made steps towards that goal with my internship at Universal Studios, but I've got a long way to go to make that dream a reality.

Q. Can you tell us about your internship at Universal Studios this summer?

A. My internship has been fantastic! I can't say a ton about what I'm working on because it's a secret, but I'm getting to use my robotics skills in new and exciting ways. It's been great walking in the parks each day and seeing so many families having a fantastic time, knowing that in a small way I am responsible for it.

www.sssas.org | 59

SSSAS Hosts a

SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Students from the Washington metropolitan area joined forces at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School for the inaugural Social Entrepreneurship Summit on April 5.

60 | St. Stephen's Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

Our school welcomed 80 students from 10 high schools,

empowering social entrepreneurs throughout the world. He is

all working to gain support defining their core values and

also a former high school teacher, counselor, and principal in

passions for social change. Conference attendees spent

South Florida and the Chicagoland area.

the day developing personalized blueprints for sustainable leadership; receiving direct mentoring from experienced

"I think more than ever before it's a critical time to be able to

social entrepreneurs, business coaches, and civic leaders;

provide young people with the opportunity to reflect critically

and exploring tangible strategies and building community

about their core values and convictions, what they feel most

networks for translating their social impact vision into

passionate about in the world, and also to help them translate

sustainable practice.

The conference included a session host and facilitator, summit opening speakers, and six innovative and interactive sessions. Session host and facilitator Daniel Meyer is the Founder and CEO of Under A Tree, a nonprofit organization that seeks to reclaim and redefine the meaning of leadership by empowering everyday citizens to lead socially conscious, professionally successful, and personally fulfilling lives.

He was the founding CLO and later CEO of Academica Virtual Education, an international network of accredited blended and online schools serving 10,000+ students and

"It's hard to talk about all the problems there are in the world, but it's really empowering to see how passionate people are about changing them," said SSSAS Senior Christina Cavallo.

"This summit has allowed for a lot of back and forth action between students and teachers bouncing ideas off of each other and working collaboratively, which has been nice!"

most recently served as the COO of The Global Good Fund, www.sssas.org | 61

that awareness and passion into personal accountability,"

After lunch, students participated in the "Mentoring

said Daniel. "Beyond the awareness, beyond the

in Motion: Learning from Leaders" session where 24

accountability, how do we also give them the practical tools

experienced social entrepreneurs, business executives,

to translate a lot of the idealism, a lot of the hope for the

nonprofit leaders, and social activists met with students in

future into realistic, practical, tangible, everyday action?

small groups to provide real-time executive mentoring.

What we want to do today for the students who already feel so emboldened, so positive, so certain and assured that they're gonna go out and change the world, we want to not demotivate them, but we want to make sure that they're also thinking critically through a lot of the practical realities that will inevitably present themselves along the way."

The six summit sessions were led by St. Stephen's and St. Agnes teachers and members of the local community.

Sessions included "This I Believe: Defining My Core Values," "Empowering Student Social Entrepreneurs: An Educator's Guide," "Creating & Sustaining Impact: Setting an Action Plan," "Mentoring in Motion: Learning from Leaders," "Impact in Action: Taking the First Step," and "Impact in

"Kids today don't want to wait until they are 50 or 60 to do something," John Reppeti ‘81 said. "They want to do something today and they are not willing to wait. And so giving them a blueprint on how you can do that as your life changes, as you evolve, and as you pick up other commitments, but still able to have this sense of purpose and significance in your life is really the main goal of today's summit."

Action: Continuing the Journey."

St. Stephen's alumnus John Repetti '81 is Founder & CEO SSSAS senior Blake Gillian said, "The sessions were great

of Sila Solutions Group and an SSSAS parent. He found the

because it allowed us to talk about different issues that are

format perfect for high school students and was excited to see

personal to us or something we want to try to fix. Then we

the enthusiasm shown during his summit mentoring session.

worked in our groups to come up with ideas of how we can

"Kids today don't want to wait until they are 50 or 60 to do

reach a solution for that issue guided by teachers."

something," John said. "They want to do something today and

62 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

PARTICIPATING Glenn Archer '82, Executive Director, National Fusion Center Association Christine Briscoe, Vice President, Responsible Business Alliance Juliana Cardona, CEO & Founder, Street Entrepreneurs John Chapman '99, Councilman, City of Alexandria Michael Chiaramonte, President, ProFlex Physical Therapy they are not willing to wait. And so giving them a blueprint

Carl Ehrlich, CEO & Founder, Flag Star Football

on how you can do that as your life changes, as you evolve,

Elise Emmons ‘00, CEO & Founder, Shima LLC

and as you pick up other commitments, but still able to have this sense of purpose and significance in your life is really the

Rick Fisher, CEP, PSP Holdings

main goal of today's summit."

Sara Jane Harris, Co-Founder, Swab a Cheek, Save a Life (Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation)

Social entrepreneurship is part of the Upper School

Michele Joseph, Executive Director, SGAP Leaders

curriculum at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes, where students in grades 10-12 can take the Seeding Social Innovation

Susan Keightley, Director of Programs, The Child and Family Network Centers

course. The course blends 21st-century leadership and

Dawnielle Miller, Executive Director, Casa Chirilagua

entrepreneurship skills including global perspectives, critical thinking, teamwork, and creative problem solving

Caitlin Morelli, Principal, KBD Consulting Services

with social impact. The knowledge and skills gained in this

Zarko Palankov, Founder, LeadIN

course will enable students to design and implement social

Loretta Penn, President, PECC

action projects. The course curriculum is provided through a partnership with LearnServe International. Lauren Jordan, Seeding Social Innovation Program Director at LearnServe, served as a facilitator at the summit. "St. Stephen's and

Joanna Pineda, Matrix Group International, Inc. Jessica Pointer, Communications Manager, American Petroleum Institute

St. Agnes has built a culture for the students to be able to

John Repetti '81, Founder & CEO, Sila Solutions Group

really channel those passions, and put them into action.

Victor Rortvedt, Ethereum Developer, Cryptoeconomist & Coder

Each year, the course has a different set of really amazing projects that students are coming up with. One thing that I've really enjoyed about St. Stephen's and St. Agnes students

Jennifer Sauter-Price, Executive Director & Founder, Read Early and Daily (R.E.A.D.)

in particular, is that they're really focused in on their

Nancy Shaffer, CEO & Founder, BRAVO! Events

community, and seeing the ways that they can change their school and city from within."

Michelle Sullivan, Executive Director, All Ages Read Together (AART)

The Social Entrepreneurship Program and the Social Entrepreneurship

Eleanor Vuono, Senior Legal Counsel, National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service

Summit were funded by the Edward E. Ford Foundation. www.sssas.org | 63

SAINTS IN ACTION

Academic Achievement Celebrated at Cum Laude Ceremony Twenty-two seniors were inducted as new members of the St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School chapter of the Cum Laude Society during a ceremony on April 26. The Cum Laude Society recognizes academic achievement in secondary schools for the purpose of promoting excellence (Areté), justice (Diké), and honor (Timé). Patterned after the college honorary society Phi Beta Kappa, the Cum Laude Society was founded in 1906 and has since grown to 382 chapters, primarily in independent schools, with approximately 24 chapters in public schools.

To be considered for membership in the SSSAS Cum Laude Society, seniors must be in the upper 20 percent of their

Jonathan Lamkay @ JonathanLamkay: Fifth graders enjoy a wonderful day in Philadelphia learning about the history of our nation.

64 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

class and have attained the qualifying grade-point average for three years of secondary school. Juniors who are in the top 10 percent of their class were inducted last June and recognized at the ceremony this month.

Congratulations to the Class of 2019 inductees: Tori Atkinson, Lucas Bires, Caroline Burnett, Lily Cady, Christina Cavallo, William Clark, Chase Cohen, Kendall Davis, Patrick Hines, Mary Margaret Lehmkuhler, Alicia Lopez, Makeda Melkie, Kennon Moon, Abby Murray, Evelyn Perfall, Ephraim Reed, Mark Repetti, Cameron Sweet, Rachel Suleymanov, Helen Treadway, Kitty Tyree, and Thomas Van Buren.

SSSAS also congratulated three members of the Class of 2019 who have been recognized as National Merit Scholarship Competition finalists, Chase Cohen, Patrick Hines, and Thomas Van Buren. More than 1.6 million students from more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2019 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2017 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. The highest-scoring entrants nationally qualify as semi-finalists and represent less than 1 percent of America's high school seniors. The National Merit Scholarship Program has selected less than half of the semi-finalists who met all requirements to advance to finalist standing in the competition.

Kelley Gorman @MsGormanSSSAS: Our inquisitive scientists were at Hard Bargain Farm today. Great activities, weather, and celebration of our Environmental Awareness Week! We loved the hands-on exploration of our Chesapeake Bay ecology! #LearnOutside

Senior Receives Service Award and Scholarship Jasmine Vargas '19 received the Alexandria Rotary Club's Jefferson Cup for Community Service. Recipients of the Jefferson Cup exemplify the Rotary motto of “Service above Self ” in their daily lives and volunteer commitments.

“Jasmine is outgoing, original, and independent,” Upper School Associate Director of College Counseling Tim Doyle said. “She is an SSSAS 'Lifer,' a 'go-getter' who can visualize a plan of action and convert it into reality.”

Jasmine's commitment to service has been extensive and well beyond the school requirements. During all four years in the Upper School, she partnered with Charity Water, which raises funds to build sources of clean water in underserved countries. She has also completed projects with Bikes for our World, which distributes bicycles to those in need of transportation to school and work.

Last summer Jasmine traveled with a group of Upper School students to our partner school in Haiti, St. Paul's, to run

a weeklong day camp. Her contribution to the Saints Go Global blog during her trip spoke to the impact the experience had on her. “Today, my life was changed...I never thought I could go to a place and not be homesick, but Haiti has changed my outlook on life,” Jasmine wrote. Upon her return, she served as the co-president of the Saints for Haiti Club, which raises awareness and funds for St. Paul's. In addition, she founded The Marot Foundation, which works to provide food, clothing, and other necessities, both locally and in Haiti. The foundation is named after a little boy she met and bonded with during her trip.

In recognition for her commitment to community service, Jasmine was nominated by the school for a Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarship.

The Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarship Program provides scholarships to students who strive to achieve their full potential, who are catalysts for positive change in their communities, who are involved in their schools, and who serve as models for their fellow students. “Jasmine is an agent of change, and exactly the kind of advocate that will be an asset to any community or college campus,” Tim said.

Lower School French Teacher Recognized for Excellence Lower School French Teacher Laura Walker was awarded the 2019 AATF Dorothy S. Ludwig Excellence in Teaching Award at the Elementary School level. This award, given by the American Association of Teachers of French, recognizes highly successful French teachers who also participate in conferences, are leaders in the foreign language field, and serve in their professional organizations. Laura was honored at an Awards Banquet at the AATF convention in Philadelphia on July 16.

St. Stephen's St. Agnes @SSSASsaints: Nurture, love, raise, cheer were a few of the verbs given out at Senior Chapel. As is the Saints tradition, every senior receives a leather-bound Book of Common Prayer imprinted with a unique, descriptive verb chosen by faculty for each student.

Keri Gritt @KeriGritt: 4th graders have been busy designing and 3D printing buildings on Tinkercad to go along with their trades for the colonial fair. We incorporated math concepts (the building's area had to be 3600 sq. mm) in the design process. #saintslearn

www.sssas.org | 65

SAINTS IN ACTION

SSSAS “Mathletes” Continue to Conquer Local Competition For students who have a passion for math, one of many challenging opportunities is to compete in various competitions throughout the year, such as the Junior Mathematics League. During the past ten years, our Upper School math teams have finished in first place eight times and in second place twice.

This year's team of Honors Geometry and Honors Algebra 2/ Trigonometry students won the Independent School Division (Fibonacci Division) of the JML, sponsored by the Northern Virginia Council of Teachers of Mathematics. The team competed in six contests over the course of the year and finished in first place. Students placing in the 2019-2019 competition are First Place: Adrienne Lai '21 and Second Place–Tie: Nico Rapallo '21, Catherine Seale '21, and Katie Whalen '21. Math Department Chair Laurel Daly said, “We are very proud of the team's dedication and accomplishments!”

Sophomores Katie Whalen , Catherine Seale, Nico Rapallo, and Adrienne Lai

Middle School Saints Place Second at Battle of the Books Two teams from the Middle School Battle of the Books Club participated in the third annual D.C. Area Independent Schools Battle of the Books in April. The sixth grade team placed second in the competition, in which seven local independent schools were represented. The sixth grade team included Eva Hirschmann, Gracie Hunsicker, Maddie Moore, and Cate Nickson, and team two included Alethea Callahan '23, Lily Hunsicker '23, and Selin Ozdemirli '24.

Competitors read 10 books and the teams competed in three rounds of questions designed to test how well they recalled what they had read.

The books were “The Golden Compass” by Philip Pullman, “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins, “Inside Out and Back Again” by Thanhha Lai, “One Crazy Summer” by Rita Williams-Garcia, “The Outsiders” by S. E. Hinton, “Shooting Kabul” by N. H. Senzai, “The War That Saved My Life” by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, “Where the Mountain Meets the

SSSASAthletics @SAINTS_sports: Congratulations to our boys 4x100m relay team of Christian, Malcolm, Christian and Curtis....VISAA STATE CHAMPS and NB National Championship qualifiers! #onesaint

66 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

Sixth Graders Maddie Moore, Cate Nickson, Gracie Hunsicker, and Eva Hirschmann Moon” by Grace Lin, “A Wrinkle in Time” by Madeleine L'Engle, and “Brown Girl Dreaming” by Jacqueline Woodson.

The students planned, prepared, and strategized for the competition. “I'm so proud of our Saints! They read and reread, took notes, and quizzed each other,” said Middle School Librarian Alicia Blowers said. “They really worked hard to put their best foot forward.”

St. Stephen's St. Agnes @SSSASsaints: Congrats to our Middle School Choir for earning a “superior” rating (the highest!) at Trills and Thrills Musical Assessment @SixFlagsDC Music Festival. Saints in band, and orchestra also competed and earned “superior” scores. GO SAINTS!

Juniors Isaac Ahdoot, Laetitia Haddad, Nick Griepentrog, and Andrew Knops

Catherine Owens '19, Xander Chiaramonte '20, Quinten Staples '19, and Gummy Nichols '19

Saints Receive Awards for Excellence in Literature and the Arts Four juniors were recognized by the National Society of Arts and Letters (NSAL) at an event held at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. on April 8. NSAL has recognized juniors in the Washington metropolitan area public, charter, and private high schools with an Award for Excellence (AEA) or a Certificate of Merit since 2004. These honors document students' artistic talent and are a point of distinction on college applications. The students are recognized in the disciplines of art, dance, drama, literature, music, and musical theatre.

Eight Upper School artists participated in The Artistic Discovery Competition sponsored by the Congressional Institute, and won four of the 13 contest awards on May 6!

Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in each congressional district throughout the nation. This year the National Art Education Association (NAEA) hosted the competition for U.S. Congressman Don Beyer from Virginia's 8th Congressional District.

St. Stephen's and St. Agnes student winners were nominated by our performing arts teachers, English teachers, and Visual Arts teachers and selected by Head of School Kirsten Adams and Upper School Director Michael Mallett to represent our school.

Nearly 50 works of art from 11 schools within this district were on display at the NAEA headquarters in Old Town Alexandria through the end of May, including the four winning pieces created by Xander Chiaramonte '20, Gummy Nichols '19, Catherine Owens '19, and Quinten Staples '19. Andrew Knops '20 and Ben Wayer '20 also had work on display. Steph Adrien '21 and Alex Galdamez '22 participated in the 11th District competition for Rep. Gerry Connolly, and their work was displayed at the Workhouse in Lorton. Winners are recognized both in their district and at an annual awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. The top winning works are displayed for one year at the U.S. Capitol.

The juniors recognized this year were Isaac Ahdoot: Award of Merit for Instrumental Music, Nick Griepentrog: Award of Merit for Vocal Music, Laetitia Haddad: Award of Merit for Literature, and Andrew Knops: Award of Merit in Visual Arts.

In addition, Bette Vajda '19, 2018 recipient of the Award of Merit for Literature, read an original short story for the audience.

SSSAS Receives Two Cappies Nominations The Cappies, (Critics and Awards Program), nominated the Upper School Stage One Players in two categories for the fall production of “Peter and the Starcatcher.” The Cappies is a program through which high school students are trained as critics, attend shows at other schools, write reviews, and publish those reviews in local newspapers. At the end of the year, the

St. Stephen's St. Agnes @SSSASsaints: Senior project spotting on campus.

William Clark '19 and Sophia Silis '19 are painting designated carpool spots in the Upper School parking lot as part of their project. #thesaintslife

student critics vote for awards that are presented at a formal Cappies Gala.

Jackson de Vallance '21 was nominated for Comic Actor in a Play and Mary Margaret Lehmkuhler '19 was nominated for Comic Actress in a Play.

SSSAS Languages @ saintslanguages: Saints AP Spanish students explored the Spanish paintings at the National Gallery of Art “Eso es!” #SaintsLearn #sssas#nga #estamoslistos #aplengua

www.sssas.org | 67

SPRING ATHLETICS

Saints Honored by Alexandria Sportsman's Club Eight varsity student-athletes were recognized at the 64th Annual Alexandria Sportsman's Club Banquet on May 28. The club honors athletes from Alexandria high schools who have excelled at their sports during the year.

Caroline Burnett '19 Athlete of the Year & Scholarship - Lacrosse

William Clark '19 Athlete of the Year & Scholarship - Tennis

Indi Clayton '20 Athlete of the Year - Softball

Malcolm Johnson '21 Athlete of the Year - Track & Field

Coach Mike Jones Boys Coach of the Year - Basketball

Charles Thompson '19 Athlete of the Year - Basketball 68 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

Tyler Smith '19 Athlete of the Year - Soccer

Kennon Moon '19 Scholarship Recipient

Andrew Tyeryar '19 Athlete of the Year - Lacrosse

25 Saints to Play at Collegiate Level Twenty-five student-athletes from the Class of 2019 will continue with their sports at college or university. Congratulations to the following graduates who will play NCAA Division I, III, and junior college teams, representing eight sports: Tory Atkinson Swimming at Tufts University

John Ryder Duncan Baseball at Randolph-Macon College

Emma Repke Lacrosse at Denison University

Curtis Borden Track & Field at University of Georgia

Nick Dupuis Lacrosse at University of Maryland Baltimore

Jackson Reynolds Lacrosse at Pennsylvania State University

Emma Bradley Lacrosse at Rhodes College

Tommy Dyson Lacrosse at Hampden-Sydney College

Caroline Burnett Lacrosse at Princeton University

Mason Edwards Lacrosse at University of Maryland Baltimore

Alex Burtnett Lacrosse at University of Virginia Gabriella Guadalupe Lacrosse at Dickinson College Christina Cavallo Lacrosse at Washington and Lee University Jalen Meares Basketball at Salisbury University William Clark Tennis at Davidson College Kennon Moon Lacrosse at University of Pennsylvania Chase Cohen Tennis at Williams College Ephraim Reed Basketball at New York University Christian DePollar Basketball at U.S. Air Force Academy

Tyler Smith Soccer at Washington and Lee University Quinten Staples Football at Carnegie Mellon University Charles Thompson Basketball at Towson University Sam Trainer Football at College of William & Mary Andrew Tyeryar Lacrosse at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Jared White Basketball at Norfolk State University

www.sssas.org | 69

SPRING ATHLETICS

2018-19 Saints End-of-Year Athletic Banquet On May 22, St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School presented these awards in recognition of our students' achievements in athletics.

John Ryder Duncan '19 summarizing the spring season for boys.

FALL SEASON AWARDS Cross Country Nathan Bezuneh '21, Outstanding Athlete Morgan Lewis '22, Outstanding Athlete Charlotte Carr '21, Saint Award David Weissman '20, Saint Award Shelvonne Burton '19, Coach's Award Turner Naef '21, Coach's Award

Field Hockey Christina Cavallo '19, Outstanding Athlete Mikaela Discenza '19, Outstanding Athlete Alex Burtnett '19, Saint Award Caroline Grace Butler '21, Coach's Award (JV)

Football Lamumba Howard '20, Outstanding Athlete Andrew Tyeryar '19, Outstanding Athlete Tre Boone '20, Saint Award Derek Johnson '20, Coach's Award (JV)

Soccer

Volleyball

Wrestling

Chumani Chamberlain '21, Outstanding Athlete Claire Cavanaugh '20, Saint Award Laetitia Haddad '20, Coach's Award (JV) Jordan Resnick '22, Coach's Award (9th)

Matt Larson '19, Outstanding Athlete Jake Felsenthal '22, Saint Award

WINTER SEASON AWARDS

Baseball

Basketball

Tim Keefe '20, Outstanding Athlete John Ryder Duncan '19, Saint Award Tripp Pratt '21, Coach's Award (JV)

Charles Thompson '19, Outstanding Athlete Bradyn Griffin '21, Outstanding Athlete Simone Holland '20, Outstanding Athlete Emma Bradley '19, Saint Award Ephraim Reed '19, Saint Award William Lane '20, Coach's Award (JV) Maria Simpson '20, Coach's Award (JV) Jimmy Young '22, Coach's Award (9th)

Ice Hockey Atticus Beane '20, Outstanding Athlete Christian Williams '19, Saint Award

Swim & Dive

Caitlin Bucceri '21, Outstanding Athlete Kyle Burbage '21, Outstanding Athlete Tyler Smith '19, Saint Award Allison Vuono '19, Saint Award John Fontham '21, Coach's Award (JV) Calum Wayer '22, Coach's Award (9th)

Adam Fischer '19, Outstanding Athlete Claire Fergusson '20, Outstanding Athlete Evelyn Meggesto '22, Outstanding Athlete Tory Atkinson '19, Saint Award Barton Balistreri '19, Saint Award

Girls Tennis

Curtis Borden '19, Outstanding Athlete Nyia Cummings '20, Outstanding Athlete Alexandra McEneney '20, Saint Award Tj Moss '21, Saint Award

Grace Crawford '19, Outstanding Athlete Emma Bradley '19, Saint Award Louisa Treadway '21, Coach's Award (JV) 70 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

Winter Track

SPRING SEASON AWARDS

Lacrosse Caroline Burnett '19, Outstanding Athlete : Defensive Kennon Moon '19, Outstanding Athlete : Offensive Andrew Tyeryar '19, Outstanding Athlete Emma Bradley '19, Saint Award Mason Edwards '19, Saint Award Patrick Ferguson '22, Coach's Award (JV) Olivia Wood '21, Coach's Award (JV)

Golf Bailee Register '19, Outstanding Athlete Charlie Craner '19, Saint Award

Softball Indi Clayton '10, Outstanding Athlete Amy Gastright '21, Saint Award Morgan Tracy '22, Coach's Award (JV)

Boys Tennis William Clark '19, Outstanding Athlete Christian Williams '19, Saint Award Jackson Montague '21, Coach's Award (JV)

Girls Athletic Director Stephanie Koroma and Mackie Wainstein '19

Coach of the Year Mike Jones and Boys Athletic Director Jeff Walrich

Track & Field Nyia Cummings '20, Outstanding Athlete Malcolm Johnson '21, Outstanding Athlete Emily Smith '21, Outstanding Athlete Curtis Borden '19, Saint Award Makeda Melkie '19, Saint Award Racquell Grey '22, Coach's Award (JV) Silas Witmore '22, Coach's Award (JV)

St. Stephen's and St. Agnes Coaches of the Year Coach Mike Jones, Boys Varsity Basketball Coach Dionna Jordan, Varsity Field Hockey, Varsity Girls Basketball, and Middle School Track and Field

Coach of the Year Dionna Jordan and Stephanie Koroma

Jeff Walrich and Mason Edwards '19

Silver Bowl Awards 8 out of 9 seasons: Alex Burtnett '19 10 out of 12 seasons: Will Evans '19 Trinity Gourdin '19 Timo Kirby '19 Kate MacArthur '19 Cameron Sweet '19 Sam Trainer '19 Jasmine Vargas '19 Allison Vuono '19 Mackie Wainstein '19

11 out of 12 seasons Emma Bradley '19 Shelvonne Burton '19 Kennon Moon '19 Bailee Register '19 12 out of 12 seasons Caroline Burnett '19 Mason Edwards '19 Cole Snodgrass '19 Helen Treadway '19 Christian Williams '19

Silver Bowl Recipients www.sssas.org | 71

SPRING ATHLETICS

800 Wins for Girls Lacrosse Coach Kathy Jenkins Varsity Girls Lacrosse Head Coach Kathy Jenkins reached a remarkable milestone in her 43rd season with the school—800 career wins. At a home game on May 14, the team defeated Episcopal High School 14-7, for win number 800. Kathy is currently the winningest coach in all of girls high school lacrosse, with a current record of 802 wins, 63 losses, and 10 ties at the end of this school year.

Kathy has been a national leader in girls sports for more than 40 years. She joined the faculty at St. Agnes School in 1971 (the year before Title IX was passed) and co-founded the girl's lacrosse program with Alix Fellows in 1976. Over the past 43 seasons, she has developed one of the most successful girl's lacrosse programs in the country. Her teams have won 31 conference tournament championships, 27 league titles, eight state titles, and have had eight undefeated seasons. She has sent hundreds of athletes on to play at the college level and has been inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Potomac and Virginia chapters of US Lacrosse.

"I think our girls in lacrosse realize what they have to do to be successful. It's all about being a team and working together.

And it's about having the same goals," Kathy said. "We have

72 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

high expectations of them; we know at what level they're able to perform. But they're also fun to watch. I do it because they're so much fun to be around."

When she started the team at St. Agnes, Kathy had never played lacrosse herself but was an experienced basketball coach and player. During her first few years of teaching P.E., she was finishing her college degree at American University, and one of her classes required students to start a new sports program. She suggested lacrosse. "It's such an exciting sport because it involves a little bit of a lot of sports. So it brought together everything that I love doin,” she explained. “And then seeing how much fun it was, it was something I just fell in love with." Then-Athletic Director Gudrun Callahan supported the idea and asked the Fathers' Club to help get them some sticks.

Alix Fellows volunteered to help coach, and Kathy's husband built them some goals out of wood and chicken wire that first season. They brought many basketball moves and strategies to girls lacrosse, which was considered very innovative and effective in the sport.

At the time, only a handful of schools in the area had girls lacrosse teams, and they played four to six games per season.

"I’m thankful for all my players who have enriched my life. I love every one of them and I wouldn't have 800 wins without their outstanding dedication to becoming the best players they could be." ~Kathy Jenkins But with her athletic experience, her passion, dedication, and the support of the school, Kathy quickly developed a winning program that has encouraged young women for more than four decades. In addition to coaching varsity lacrosse, she also teaches P.E. and coaches Middle School tennis and girls basketball at SSSAS. Kathy is recognized for her work with other schools and organizations to increase interest, participation, and support for girls lacrosse in the Virginia-Maryland-Washington, D.C. area, and nationally. She has served on numerous boards while coaching and mentoring athletes through clinics,

camps, and awards programs. She constantly seeks to develop her game by attending workshops, talking to college coaches, and watching as many matches as she can. "I feel like I can learn something new, every conference I go to, I learn new things. When I talk to other coaches, I learn new things," she said. "I try to be open to suggestions, open to change."

All of Coach Jenkins' lacrosse wins have occurred while coaching for St. Stephen's and St. Agnes. Certainly, she's had opportunities to coach at the college level but says she has never wanted to leave the school she calls home. She enjoys working with students at the younger ages, helping them develop the foundations they will need to succeed in the rest of life. "I’m thankful for all my players who have enriched my life,” Kathy said. “I love every one of them and I wouldn't have 800 wins without their outstanding dedication to becoming the best players they could be."

Among all of her accomplishments, the most important is her family. She and her husband, Henry, have four children who grew up at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes, watching her coach and often traveling with the team. They all played lacrosse in high school and college: Brooke '96 (University of Pennsylvania), Molly '00 (Dartmouth), Alec '06 (Trinity College), and Ande (Washington and Lee).

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SPRING ATHLETICS

BASEBALL Overall Record: 4-16 Final IAC Standing: 6th Defeated St. Alban's 6-4 on senior day

ALL-IAC: John Ryder Duncan '19 Tim Keefe '20

Roger White '19

John Ryder Duncan '19

Kirk McLean '19

SOFTBALL Overall Record: 9-8 Final ISL Standing: Tied for 3rd (ISL AA Division) Defeated TC Williams 9-7 on senior day and qualified for the VISAA state tournament for the second year in a row.

ALL-ISL: Indi Clayton '20 Amy Gastright '21

Lilly Cady '19, Libby Sterba '20

VISAA ALL-STATE SECOND TEAM: Indi Clayton '20

Amy Gastright '21

74 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

BOYS LACROSSE Overall Record: 18-6 Final IAC Standing: 3rd Finished 21st in the Nation 2019 VISAA Division 1 State Champions with a win over Paul VI, IAC Runner-Up ALL-IAC: Nick Dupuis '19, Mason Edwards '19 Jackson Reynolds '19, Andrew Tyeryar '19, Ben Wayer '20 VISAA BOYS LACROSSE BOB SANDELL PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Mason Edwards '19 Andrew Tyeryar '19

VISAA ALL-STATE FIRST TEAM: Nick Dupuis '19, Drew Pascal '20, Andrew Tyeryar '19, Ben Wayer '20 VISAA ALL-STATE SECOND TEAM: Jackson Reynolds '19 ALL-MET FIRST TEAM: Andrew Tyeryar '19 ALL-MET SECOND TEAM: Ben Wayer '20 ALL-MET HONORABLE MENTION: Nick Dupuis '19, Mason Edwards '19, Jackson Reynolds '19

Nick Dupuis '19

GIRLS LACROSSE Overall Record: 26-2 Final ISL Standing: 2nd (ISL AA Division) Finished #2 in the Nation ISL AA Co-Champions, defeated Georgetown Visitation to win the ISL AA Tournament and VISAA Division I State Champions with a win over Bishop Ireton.

ALL-ISL: Caroline Burnett '19, Christina Cavallo '19, Simone Holland '20, Kennon Moon '19, Rita Peterson '21 VISAA GIRLS LACROSSE COACH OF THE YEAR: Kathy Jenkins VISAA GIRLS LACROSSE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Kennon Moon '19

Christina Cavallo '19

VISAA ALL-STATE FIRST TEAM: Cate Bradley '21, Caroline Burnett '19 Simone Holland '20, Kennon Moon '19, Rita Peterson '21 VISAA ALL-STATE SECOND TEAM: Christina Cavallo '19 ALL-MET PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Kenon Moon '19 ALL-MET FIRST TEAM: Caroline Burnett '19 ALL-MET SECOND TEAM: Rita Peterson '21

Kennon Moon '19

ALL-MET HONORABLE MENTION: Emma Bradley '19, Christina Cavallo '19, Simone Holland '20

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SPRING ATHLETICS

BOYS TENNIS Overall Record: 11-6 Final IAC Standing: 3rd IAC Tournament Champions for the first time in school history IAC Co-Champions ALL-IAC: William Clark '19 Christian Williams '19 VISAA BOYS TENNIS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: William Clark '19

Chase Cohen '19

VISAA ALL-STATE FIRST TEAM: William Clark '19 VISAA ALL-STATE SECOND TEAM: Christian Williams '19 ALL-MET FIRST TEAM: William Clark '19

Christian Williams '19 William Clark '19

GOLF Full girls golf team for the first time in school history.

Competitive matches against Holy Child for the girls team and Landon and St. Alban's for the boys team.

Senior Day: Coach Garry Burke, Charlie Craner, Max Bjarnason, Jack Donovan, Allison Vuono, Mackenzie Cogar, Lucy Kromer, Bailee Register, Coach Bernard Joseph, and Coach Bud Garikes.

76 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

BOYS TRACK & FIELD VISAA State Championship Meet Results: 5th IAC Championship Meet Results: 5th ALL-IAC: Curtis Borden '19 VISAA ALL-STATE FIRST TEAM AND STATE CHAMPIONS IN 4X100M: Christian Barnes '20 Christian Borden '21 Curtis Borden '19 Malcolm Johnson '21 100m: Malcolm Johnson '21 200m: Curtis Borden '19 VISAA ALL-STATE SECOND TEAM: 100m: Curtis Borden '19 200m: Malcolm Johnson Jr. '21 ALL-MET FIRST TEAM: Malcolm Johnson '21

Curtis Borden '19, Malcolm Johnson '21

ALL-MET HONORABLE MENTION: Curtis Borden '19 NEW SCHOOL RECORDS: 100m (10.38) Malcolm Johnson '21 200m (21.32) Curtis Borden '19

GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD VISAA State Championship Meet Results: 6th ISL Championship Meet Results: 14th VISAA ALL-STATE SECOND TEAM: 200m: Nyia Cummings '20 100m Hurdles: Nyia Cummings '20 300m Hurdles: Nyia Cummings '20 VISAA ALL-STATE HONORABLE MENTION: High Jump: Emily Smith '21 NEW SCHOOL RECORDS: 100m Hurdles (15.65) Nyia Cummings '20 300m Hurdles (45.02) Nyia Cummings '20

Nyia Cummings '20

Helen Treadway '19 Helen Treadway '19 www.sssas.org | 77

ALUMNI REUNION WEEKEND October 18-19, 2019

Classes ending in 4s and 9s

Your Classmates. Your Friends. Your School. www.sssas.org/reunion 78 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

CHARLOTTESVILLE RECEPTION AT THE FARMINGTON COUNTRY CLUB, MARCH 28, 2019

Head of School Kirsten Adams, Lindsay Whittle Comstock '99, Caroline Bellino Marvel '99, Pender Ellett Koontz '99, Cassie Williams Guy '94

Nick Williams '10, Candace Carter Crosby '72, Upper School English Teacher Dr. Andy Sidle '78

Pender Ellett Koontz '99 and Dean of Enrollment and Strategic Marketing Andrew T. Weller

The Rev. Charles Mullaly and Leith Merrow Mullaly '62 listening to Upper School robotics students describe the inner workings of their robot. Members of our award-winning teams, Iron Giants and Thunderstone, attended the reception.

Kirsten Adams, Elliott Garber '99 www.sssas.org | 79

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

28TH ANNUAL SLEEPY THOMPSON MEMORIAL GOLF TOURNAMENT, APRIL 29, 2019 Thank you to our golf committee, Glenn Archer '82, Dave Cogar '87, Christian Ferry '93, Nick Gregorios '01, Alison Henry '02, Nate Solberg '04; our Alumni Association Board Members; and everyone else who helped make the tournament a success! Eighty players across our Saints community joined together for a day of golf with a friendly putting contest and a celebratory reception at Belle Haven Country Club.

Chris Miller '05, John Quinn '05, Christian Martin '05, James Tomaseski

Jacob Willis '06, Alec Jenkins '04, Andrew Smith '04, Anoush Rashidi '06

Marty Goodhart, Doug DuShuttle, Gary Goodhart, Roger Parks

Christian Ferry '93, Head of School Kirsten Adams, Glenn Archer '82

Maria Kirby, Jackie Gallagher '03, Matthew Witham, Scott Tompkins

John Chapman '99, Angela Kasey, Scott Price

80 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

TOURNAMENT SPONSORS The SSSAS Alumni Association thanks our 2019 sponsors for making the tournament possible!

TOURNAMENT SPONSOR

St. Agnes School and St. Stephen's School Classes of 1975

FOUR SAINTS SPONSORS

Broadleaf, Inc. C&W Services Dr. John D. Kling II, D.D.S. '75 ProFlex Physical Therapy Karen Franklin '73, Alison Henry '02

SCORECARD SPONSORS The Goodhart Group Compass Real Estate

GOLF CART SPONSOR Passport Auto

LONGEST DRIVE SPONSOR Avison Young

HOLE SPONSORS Athletic Director for Girls Stephanie Koroma, Coach Bernard Joseph, Kirsten Adams, Director of Upper School Mike Mallett

Alexandria Restaurant Partners AMA Construction Co., Inc. The SSSAS Association of Parents and Teachers Avison Young Brush Hero Colonial Parking Inc. The Habliston Family • Ann Morton Y. Habliston '78 • Caroline H. Morris '06 • Chazzo Habliston '09 • Bennet Habliston '13 Lancaster Landscapes Simpson Development

Tommy Croker '97, Brian Knutson, Mike Reinke, Bob Thomas

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MILESTONES & IN MEMORIAM

WEDDINGS Alumni John Chapman '99 and Monika Jones March 16, 2019 Micaela O'Toole '07 and Jared Thomas March 16, 2019 Joey Curley '09 and Ali McCraney April 14, 2019 Hank Couture '09 and Anna Binstein May 25, 2019 Jaclyn Bergeron '10 and Nate Leone April 28, 2019 Stephen Upton '10 and Annabelle Gilbride April 27, 2019 Nancy Bateman '12 and Patrick Butler April 18, 2019 Joe Kenna '14 and Sarah Heim May 25, 2019

IN MEMORIAM Alumni Sally Clarke Wright '51 July 29, 2017 Parker “Park” Bracken '53 March 26, 2019 Anne Clarke Harbold '53 June 13, 2019 Norborne “Norb” Patrick Beville, Jr. '59 February 16, 2019 William "Bill" Higgins, Jr. '81 November 14, 2018 Sammy Robinson '19 brother of William Robinson '21 April 18, 2019

Family & Friends

Faculty and Staff

Richard Lodish husband of Erica Kessler Lodish '66 December 19, 2018

Andy Carr (Middle School history teacher) and Kelly McDonough, March 22, 2019

J. Rex Watkins grandfather of Ian McLeod '09 February 28, 2019

Maura Carr (third grade teacher) and Ahren Freund May 4, 2019

Kathleen Dies wife of Harding Dies '66 March 24, 2019

New Additions

Brigadier General Ward Morehouse LeHardy husband of Judy Nevins LeHardy '55 April 18, 2019

Alumni Nick Gregorios '01 and Tori, a daughter, Amelia Grace February 6, 2019 Jay Sheffer '10 and Ashley, a son, William Blake March 23, 2019

Faculty and Staff Kirsten Becker Stammer (fourth grade teacher) and Chris, a daughter, Amalie Pearl May 1, 2019

82 | St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School

The Honorable Thad Cochran father of Clayton '86 and Katherine Cochran '88 May 30, 2019

Share Your News To tell us about the milestones in your life, please email Meredith Robinson, Senior Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement, at mrobinson@sssas.org.

Submitting Photos

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Amelia Grace Gregorios

Amalie Pearl Stammer with older sister Beckett

Monika Jones and John Chapman '99

Micaela O'Toole '07 and Jared Thomas

Annabelle Gilbride and Stephen Upton '10

Nancy Bateman '12 and Patrick Butler

Kelly McDonough and Andy Carr

Maura Carr and Ahren Freund

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400 Fontaine Street Alexandria, Virginia 22302 If the addressee no longer lives at this address, please contact the school: 703-212-2720 or atoman@sssas.org

The fourth grade had an incredible day on the water learning about the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.