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Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Houston, Texas Permit No. 9081

Houston, Texas 77019-5897

S C H O O L

UPDATE

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION 2401 Claremont Lane

J O H N ’ S

Volume 87

Alumni in Renewables • Jan Plan • SJS Network Social

Ceremonial Lower School Groundbreaking

Spring 2026

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The Alumni Magazine of St. John’s School 713.850.0222

alumni@sjs.org

Head of School DANIEL J. ALIG

Director of Advancement DAWSEY ROMERO

Volume 87 Spring 2026 Editor SUSAN CHAMBERLIN MUNSON ’97 Writers & Contributors LISA ARAGÓN-STOKES HAISE ROE BORGMANN ’90 PHILIP CANNON ’85

A L U M N I E V E N T S & I M P O R TA N T D AT E S

TAYLOR CHAPMAN ’01 ANNIE CHARLOT STEPHANIE CROWL

WHO AM I? HELP US IDENTIF Y THESE “MYSTERY ALUMNI”

APRIL 10-11, 2026

If you know who these students are, please contact alumni@sjs.org. Thank you!

BAILEY DUNCAN TESS GEE ANDREA LOPEZ ANA RODRIGUEZ ’20 CHARLES TSANG ALEX WILL CATHERINE WILLIFORD Senior Designer JIM CUNNINGHAM Jim Cunningham Design

MARCH | Phonathon | Tuesday, March 24 | 6 p.m. | On campus Template Design ELLEN PEEPLES CREGAN ’81 Cregan Design

APRIL | Reunion Weekend | Friday-Saturday, April 10-11 | On campus

Special thanks to the numerous parents, alumni, students, faculty, and staff who contributed to this issue.

Our Mission Statement

t. John’s is an independent, co-educational day school presenting a 13-year sequence of college preparatory training. A non-profit institution, it was founded in 1946 to provide the community with a school of exacting standards in the development of individual, spiritual, ethical, intellectual, social, and physical growth. While the means to achieve that purpose may change, it remains the basic mission of the School.

The School seeks to develop the whole person in preparation for a lifetime of personal fulfillment and contribution to society. In particular, it is dedicated to the enhancement and the expansion of future leadership for Houston and the country. The School offers talented, motivated, and energetic students a genuine challenge for academic accomplishment and for development of a sense of self-worth and of personal responsibility. The School in turn holds itself responsible for providing that challenge.

Cover image: Lower School Student Council members at the ceremonial groundbreaking for the new Lower School on January 9, 2026.

WHO AM I FALL 2025 JULIE LOUIS BAKER ’64, ANN BARBER ’63, and DAN WHITMORE ’63

Identified by JULIE LOUIS BAKER ’64

and NANCY GREENWOOD RIDDLE ’62

Please Note: In an ongoing effort to be good stewards of the School’s and Earth’s resources, we have reduced the number of Update magazines printed and now offer an electronic version. Please let us know if you would like to update your email address in the School’s database in order to receive an electronic copy, or if you would prefer not to receive a hard copy of the magazine. The St. John’s School Update is published by the School’s Advancement Office and is available for alumni, parents, and friends of St. John’s School. For more information, or to report an email or mailing address change, please contact 713.850.0222 ext. 223.

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J O H N ’ S

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UPDATE Letter from Dan Alig, Head of School ........................................................p a g e 2

FeatureStories 2026 Reunion Weekend Award Recipients......................................................3 • Distinguished Alumna - Dr. Lauren Averett Byers ’94 • Honorary Alumnus - Eric Lombardi • Lamp of Knowledge - Michael Seckman • Maverick Award - Allison Young Chavez ’03 & David “Deets” Hoffman ’06 Construction Update ..........................................................................................10 SJS Alumni in Renewables ................................................................................12

AroundCampus Family Picnic/Kinkaid Game ............................................................................19 Class 6 Grandparents & Special Friends Day ..............................................21 Mav Literary Fest..................................................................................................22 Chidsey Society List ............................................................................................23 Jan Plan 2026 ........................................................................................................24 Fine Arts & Athletics ..........................................................................................26

AlumniNews Letter from Rebecca Linn Hughes ’06, Alumni Board President ................28 A Walk of Purpose by Haise Roe Borgmann ’90 ........................................30 College-age Tea ....................................................................................................32 SJS in NYC ............................................................................................................33 SJS Network Social ..............................................................................................34 Alumni Recently “Seen on Campus” ..............................................................34

InMemoriam ....................................................................................................36

Alumni Board Mission Statement: The mission of the St. John’s School Alumni Board is to enhance relationships among St. John’s alumni and between the alumni and the School, to perpetuate the School’s ideals and goals, and to sustain its strong foundations. 1

LETTER FROM DANIEL J. ALIG, HEAD OF SCHOOL

2025-2026 St. John’s School Board of Trustees

Dear St. John’s Community,

William Gentry Lee, Jr. ’90 Chair Christopher B. Johnson ’86 Vice Chair Jonathan Sloan ’03 Treasurer Kathy Britton Secretary August Al-Uqdah Laura Arnold Jean-Pierre Baizan ’86 Scott Bender ’71 Alan Christensen Kate Hobby Gibson ’83 Will Giraud ’98 Lacey Fluor Goossen ’02 David Harvey Renju Jose Kuruvila Tola Laniyan LeRoy Melcher ’78 Ba Nguyen ’92 Caitlin Mullen Pickard ’01 Leslie Elkins Sasser Carson Yost Jing Zhou

s temperatures warm and azaleas pop, transformation continues on the St. John’s campus. Change is inevitable as we progress through the school year—classrooms dive more deeply into curricula; sports seasons and teams cycle; art productions shine and then sunset for the next round of performances and exhibits to emerge. Heading into the spring months, we begin to anticipate the school year’s end.

Last month, I shared a message with the community about artificial intelligence (AI) and its effects upon learning and its implications for our young people. St. John’s commitment to excellence and authentic, meaningful challenge stands to bolster the discovery and mitigate the risks AI represents. Our faculty members continue to experiment, iterate, and innovate with large-language models in their courses, harnessing their power to further instruction. At the same time, faculty members actively and exuberantly shun these tools, ensuring that they do not shortchange the habits of the mind, and struggle, that seed student growth. We have our work cut out for us. Striking that healthy balance in this ever-changing landscape will require patience and expertise, professionalism and fortitude, and wisdom. Fortunately, St. John’s teachers possess all of the above in abundance.

MEET THE Our physical campus reflects our students’ dynamism: We have officially broken ground on the new Lower School, and the Brown Campus water-detention project beneath Skip Lee Field is ahead of schedule. We will continue to send periodic updates. I am pleased to report that we remain on track to open that building in fall 2028. I encourage you to read more up-to-date information in the Construction Update included in this magazine. As we embrace changing landscapes, whether they are our physical plant or our teaching-and-learning models, St. John’s Precepts and Principles remain our North Star. Every spring, we are delighted to welcome our alumni back to campus for Reunion Weekend. This year, we bestow alumni awards on five individuals who have terrifically impacted their communities and professions—from medicine to education to hospitality; they have carried our Precepts and Principles into the wider world, exemplified them, embodied them. I am in awe of our great school and its people—students, faculty, and alumni alike. Heart and inspiration remain our constants. What an honor to serve St. John’s School, this community of excellence. With gratitude,

DANIEL J. ALIG, Head of School

2026 REUNION WEEKEND AWARD RECIPIENTS

Distinguished Alumna

DR. LAUREN AVERETT BYERS ’94

DR. LAUREN AVERETT BYERS ’94, a Professor and

Thoracic Section Chief at MD Anderson Cancer Center, traces her path from a self-described “rule follower” at St. John’s School to a global leader in oncology. Born in Berkeley, CA, she moved to Houston in fifth grade, where her journey at SJS began. Her scientific foundation was built in the classroom of SJS faculty emerita Alice Kagi, whose excitement for the future of medicine left a lasting impression. DWIGHT RAULSTON ’71, a longtime member of the St. John’s faculty, remembers Byers as “a great student, bright, diligent, and with a strong intellectual curiosity.” Classmates from her years at St. John’s have reflected that even then, her curiosity and discipline stood out, describing her as someone who was “quietly exceptional” and deeply committed to learning. Byers recalls a defining moment years later at Princeton University when a professor, struck by her proficiency, asked who taught her biology. “I said Mrs. Kagi,” she shared, “and he said, ‘you know more biology than most incoming freshmen.’” While at Baylor College of Medicine, Byers participated in a physician-scientist training — Continued on next page. 3

— Dr. Byers ’94 story continued.

program during a historic moment for genetics. “They sequenced an entire human genome and I got to go to the celebration and James Watson was there,” she recalls. That experience helped solidify her commitment to research during a period when scientific discovery was rapidly reshaping medicine. Her work ultimately led her to focus on small cell lung cancer (SCLC), a disease long associated with devastating outcomes and few effective treatments. For decades, SCLC had seen little progress, despite intense research efforts. Classmates working in medicine recall how meaningful it felt to learn that Byers had entered the field, particularly given how many families had been personally affected by the disease. As one classmate shared, “Small cell lung cancer had such a horrible prognosis for so long. Knowing Lauren was working on it was genuinely reassuring.” Moving away from a one-size-fitsall approach, Byers led groundbreaking research demonstrating that SCLC is not a single disease, but four distinct cancers defined by gene expression. This work laid the foundation for identifying targeted therapies for each subtype and helped determine which patients are most likely to benefit from treatments such as immunotherapy. Her research has directly informed clinical trials that have dramatically extended survival for some patients, outcomes described by classmates in oncology as “practice-changing.” This breakthrough was featured in the National Cancer Institute’s report to Congress as one of the most impactful advances of the decade. Byers’ contributions have been recognized with numerous

honors, including the 2025 Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award in Medicine, election as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the MD Anderson President’s Recognition for Faculty Excellence. As one classmate summarized her career, “She is truly one of the very few leaders in the field.” In addition to her research, Byers remains deeply committed to patient care, seeing lung cancer patients in clinic each week and supporting them through every stage of their cancer journey. Classmates who have observed her as a clinician note her compassion and willingness to spend as much time as needed with patients, often long after clinic hours have officially ended. Despite her international reputation, Byers remains closely connected to the SJS community. She is married to her classmate WILL BYERS ’94 and is a parent to WILLIAM ’28 and MARGARET ’33. Together, they have served as SJS alumni class representatives and remain active volunteers. Byers continues to give back through mentoring, career days, and presentations to the SJS PreMed Club, eager to pass along the love of learning instilled by Mrs. Kagi and other SJS teachers. She continues to be inspired by her mother’s “pebble in the water” metaphor: the belief that one person’s work can create ripples of impact far beyond their immediate community. As classmates have noted, Byers embodies what St. John’s strives to instill in its students: a commitment not only to excellence, but to using one’s talents in service of others.

Honorary Alumnus

ERIC LOMBARDI Eric Lombardi says that all he has done is “go to school” since he was five years old. St. John’s School is indeed fortunate that he has! This year’s Honorary Alumnus arrived on campus in 1996 as the new Middle School Dean of Students, just after the School established a standalone division specifically for students in Classes 6 through 8. Within three years, Eric was named the Head of MS, a role he fulfilled through 2015. When he departed SJS to lead Fort Worth Country Day, the Middle School was a well-oiled machine, full of teachers and coaches who shared his passion for teaching and supporting students, especially those navigating their early adolescent years. As a former colleague put it, ”No one person had a greater impact on helping establish the St. John’s Middle School division than Eric. His impact on the school in general, and the Middle School division in particular, continues to resonate more than a decade after his departure.” A product of independent school education, Eric started as a Kindergartener in his favorite school as a student, the progressive Lamplighter School in Dallas, TX, where he currently serves as a Trustee. He finished his K-12

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Join us for APRIL 10-11, 2026 schooling at St. Mark’s School of Texas before earning his AB at Dartmouth. Eric began teaching and coaching right out of college, serving five year stints first at Casady School in Oklahoma City and later at Head-Royce School in Oakland, CA, earning a yearlong master’s degree from Duke University between them. Eric left California for St. John’s for the same reasons that he had been originally attracted to Casady and Head-Royce, namely that all three schools offered him the opportunity to do many different things he was passionate about in a K-12 setting. While he held administrative roles in all three schools, among the three he was able to teach History and Spanish and in middle and upper school divisions. He was also able to coach volleyball at the varsity level, where upon reflection today, he feels he made the most direct impact on students in his care. While all three schools remain outstanding institutions that contributed to his professional growth, there were a few things about SJS that kept him in Houston for almost twice as long as his first two school tours combined. In pursuing school opportunities, Eric was very intentional about finding places with strong mentors who could help him learn and grow

as he advanced his career. As he considered St. John’s among other opportunities, he found just what he was looking for in the combination of then Head of Lower and Middle School Pat Adams and Middle School Counselor Sylvia Bartz. In addition to this “dynamic duo,” Head of School Philip Cannon, who had been trying to convince Eric to join the St. John’s team for years (“stalked him” Cannon has proudly said), provided him grounded guidance during his tenure. Most importantly, Eric really liked his colleagues and students at St. John’s. These strong connections kept Eric at SJS for nearly twenty years, until he was called to run a school of his own. Reflecting on his time at St. John’s, among Eric’s best memories are of the Big Bend trips that all Class 8 students attended each year. He acknowledged that while they encountered some daunting things there over the years, the authentic challenges found in that setting consistently offered remarkable and deeply impactful experiences for all involved, students and teachers alike. He was quick to identify and praise all those colleagues who contributed to this collective experience, noting the trip leaders over the years he participated ... Bobbie Oldfield, Kim Keany, and MARTY THOMPSON ’91.

This year marks Eric’s 40th year as an educator, his 11th as the Head of School of Fort Worth Country Day. When asked what inspires him to continue to work in his chosen field, he is quick to point to two things— students and teachers. He deeply values the opportunity to be around the next generation and to play a part in their growth and development during their K-12 years. At the same time, he cherishes working with colleagues who share his calling of wanting to work with these same students. It’s as simple as that. And as effusive as Eric is about those with whom he interacted at SJS, they recall him with high praise. A former MS student shared recently, “The lessons I learned from Eric continue to guide me. His emphasis on kindness, inclusion, and perseverance became the foundation of how I lead and serve others. His influence still echoes through my life and through the lives of the many students who were shaped by his care and vision.” Recognizing his good work and enduring impact on the students and teachers with whom he worked while at St. John’s, it is most fitting that the Alumni Board has named him an Honorary Alumnus of our school.

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in a work study program. It proved to be transformative for him. He notes, “It ignited something in me. It opened my eyes to what could happen at a school. As a part of that program, we had college counseling at a level that wasn’t at my public high school ... and I learned about Rice University.”

Lamp of Knowledge

MICHAEL SECKMAN

This year’s Lamp of Knowledge Award recipient Michael Seckman is nearing completion of his 33rd year at St. John’s School. Reflecting on receiving the award, Michael shared, “It was exciting to get recognition from the alumni body, which is a little different from getting recognition from the School. We hope as teachers that our instruction has staying power and that the positive impressions remain.” For former students of Mr. Seckman, they clearly do. Michael’s arrival at St. John’s School can really be traced back to an origin story of his own making when he was in high school. Michael grew up with five brothers and two sisters in Rome, GA. One day while reading a magazine, he happened upon an ad for a summer program at Phillips Academy Andover. The program offered financial aid for students to attend, so unbeknownst to his parents, Michael requested an application. He later heard back that he had been accepted into the program with all tuition and expenses covered. Experiencing his first airplane trip from Atlanta to Boston, Michael spent six weeks living in the dorms and eating in the dining hall while taking two courses and participating

Attending Rice University brought Michael to Houston, and he has never left. After earning his degree, Michael attended the University of Houston Creative Writing Program. He also began working with Writers in the Schools, “and that’s where I gained my love for and figured out my aptitude for working with young people. I was in elementary classrooms, teaching creative writing.” Michael began applying for teaching jobs, including opportunities in Spain, a country he had a great interest in visiting. Feedback from this process was that he needed experience working in a more traditional school setting. Consequently, Michael applied to the most traditional school he could think of in Houston, St. John’s. Unfortunately, he never heard back. Some time later, when Michael was working in the education department of the Contemporary Arts Museum, he learned that a group of Class 5 students from SJS was coming in to learn about an exhibition of conceptual art. Having still not heard back from St. John’s, Michael decided to channel his passion and lead the best lesson that he could muster for the visiting students. Apparently, he made an impact. Michael tells the story, “Kathryn Hooper pulls me aside and says, ‘Who are you? Tell me about yourself.’ And I said, ‘Well, by the way, I’ve put in an application at St. John’s, but I haven’t heard anything.’ She goes, ‘I can’t believe

it. Give me your name and your number. You're going to hear from us today.’” Next thing he knew he had an interview with Head of Lower and Middle School Pat Adams, and the rest is history. From the beginning, Michael taught in Middle School. He and Kem Kemp arrived together on campus and were charged with fostering creative writing in Class 7, which they did together for a number of years before Kem moved to Upper School. At the time of their arrival, the Middle School was housed north of Westheimer on the Cullen Campus, along with the Upper School. There Michael was surrounded by veteran English teachers, including Michael Cullinan, Theo Coonrod, George Goolsby, and Richard Johnson, among others. “There were all these folks who had a pretty profound influence on me as a young teacher. It was a place that fostered my learning as a young teacher, so I feel very indebted to those colleagues.” Throughout his time at SJS, Michael has taken on several different roles in addition to teaching Class 8 students. Having wrestled through high school, he coached wrestling alongside John Friday and later Coach De La Garza for the better part of ten years. Michael has also done Admission work, interviewing prospective students and sitting on the admission committee. Recognized for his leadership in the classroom and the division, Michael has served as the Middle School English Team Lead since 2017. And of course Michael has become a mainstay and key leader on the Class 8 trips to Big Bend and now Utah, better known as “Seckdog” in camp, where he has overseen the kitchen cleanup for years.

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Michael has great appreciation for the many opportunities St. John’s has afforded him, crediting the School with ultimately getting him to Spain, where he taught for a year through the School Year Abroad program, one of the best experiences of his life. He also earned a Fulbright Teaching Award that allowed him to exchange roles with a teacher in Romania for a school year, an eye-opening and affirming experience. In addition to Spain and Romania, St. John’s connections have allowed him to travel to Mexico, Costa Rica, France, Taiwan, and Japan, where in 2023 he trained for and climbed Mt. Fuji thanks to a grant from the Sarah Rabinow Pesikoff ’86 Faculty Summer Enrichment Fund. As he eyes his future, Michael draws upon the lessons and motivations he has learned from over three decades and counting, “The thing I would not have predicted from the beginning is just how much change would be a part of the job. Being in schools and being an educator, there’s always something exciting and new. And then the constant is the kids. I’m happy to be in this building with young people. It’s a tremendous, tremendous gift.” His colleagues know the inverse to be true as well, noting, “Michael cares deeply for his students, both as writers and as humans,” adding “they know how to write well!” and most notably, “Mr. Seckman’s students know that they are seen and loved.”

Maverick Award

ALLISON YOUNG CHAVEZ ’03 The story of Sweet Paris Crêperie & Café all started when a craving for crêpes combined with the savvy business acumen of ALLISON YOUNG CHAVEZ ’03. Allison arrived at St. John’s in Class 7, determined to prove she belonged at the academically rigorous school. She quickly found her footing, enthralled by passionate faculty members like Kim Keany and Alice Kagi. Allison is grateful for the experience she got here, from a memorable Bio II course to being captain of the volleyball team. While she developed a love of science, she knew early on she would be looking for an undergraduate business program. Allison and her husband, Ivan, met at UPenn while both studying at the Wharton School of Business. After graduating, Allison moved to New York to work in real estate for an investment bank. After a couple of years, Allison and Ivan decided to move back to Houston. While Allison had studied abroad in Latin American countries, Ivan had studied abroad in France. Allison remembers, “My crazy entrepreneurial husband had a craving for crêpes, and that sparked the idea for Sweet Paris.” Allison had an interest in business and entrepreneurship from a young age, “My dad would slip The Wall Street Journal articles under my door with ‘Allison’ scratched on it regularly.” While working full-time desk jobs, she and Ivan quietly poured their evenings and weekends into building something of their own. “We did not take any loans; we didn’t ask for investors. This was really just scrappy. But, I think we approached it from such a business background that we were confident in the numbers. The question was just if the people would come.” Allison used many of her SJS classmates as her first focus groups, asking questions like, “Have you ever tasted a crêpe?” and “Have you ever tried Nutella?” After this, she determined there was a real market for their idea. — Continued on next page.

— Allison Young Chavez ’03 story continued.

The first Sweet Paris opened on Mother’s Day in 2012 in Rice Village. Originally planned to be served in cones as a more to-go concept, Allison smartly pivoted to plated crêpes, taking advantage of the rising popularity of photo sharing apps like Instagram. Fast casual, yes, but with a sense of community: a place where people could sit, linger, and genuinely enjoy being there. Sweet Paris was designed to be a place for everyone—from teenagers sipping uncaffeinated drinks to 80-year-old couples who come every Thursday. Word spread and the restaurant took off. Allison’s background in business, real estate, and finance provided a steady foundation beneath the risk. When the second location opened in CityCentre in January 2015, she was able to lean fully into those skills, helping the brand grow thoughtfully rather than quickly for growth’s sake. That same intentionality has guided Sweet Paris’s expansion. With ten corporate-owned locations and 15 franchised stores, stretching across the U.S. and Mexico, the brand has reached a tipping point. Looking ahead, the pipeline points toward 60 locations within five years. Just as important as profits is the company’s commitment to social impact. Inspired by models like TOMS’ one-forone concept, Sweet Paris launched an initiative that tied food directly to giving. For every crêpe sold on a designated menu, Sweet Paris partners with local food banks in every market it serves, including the Houston Food Bank and Central Texas Food Bank, and has donated

more than 500,000 meals. As the company grew, that commitment didn’t fade—it became required. “Eat here, feed there” isn’t a slogan; it’s embedded in the business model. Allison's days now are a blend of big-picture strategy and hands-on detail: reviewing store plans at home, developing new menu items, training franchisees, and supporting the growing corporate team. What continues to inspire her most is people. Customers, for one. Team members, too, have become a source of deep pride. Watching a dishwasher rise to become head of food innovation remains one of her proudest moments. Asked who influenced her most, she points first to her father, Vernon. The champion idealist who once slipped articles under her door, he never stopped generating ideas. Once an owner of a burger chain in Austin, he now works alongside her mother, Elizabeth, at the family business. Allison swore she’d never work in real estate or with her spouse—she now does both, happily. Building Sweet Paris alongside Ivan, she’s learned the value of having a partner you can trust with everything. St. John’s, she says, has always exerted a kind of gravitational pull. Now a parent to three current Mavericks, Allison can be found on the SJS campus daily. Throughout the years, Allison reflects, the care, the passion of teachers, and the strength of the parent and alumni community have remained constants in her life and now her business.

Weekend Schedule FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Reunion Weekend Kick-Off Celebration 6 - 7:30 P.M. | Kensinger Pavilion Toast at 6:45 P.M.

Upper School Campus Tours 10 - 11:30 A.M. | Flores Hall

Cocktails and light bites provided by Armando’s, along with crêpes from Maverick Award recipient ALLISON YOUNG CHAVEZ ’03’s restaurant, Sweet Paris Crêperie & Café. Featuring a performance by HUNTER PERRIN ’95 and friends. 21 and over only, please.

Alumni Awards Luncheon 11:30 A.M. | Flores Hall Open to all alumni, emeriti, and trustees. Alumni Awards will be presented and the Class of 1976 will be honored for their 50th reunion. Lunch provided by Maverick Award recipient DAVID “DEETS” HOFFMAN ’06’s restaurant, Leaf & Grain.

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authenticity of our restaurant brands; I’d never hear the end of it if I did something contrived. They aren’t afraid to speak up if they don’t like a menu decision either,” he laughs, “But deep down, they’re really supportive.”

Maverick Award

DAVID “DEETS” HOFFMAN ’06

When DEETS HOFFMAN ’06 got the call that he was receiving the Maverick Award, he was honored and surprised. The term “maverick,” he admits, feels strong—reserved for someone doing something especially bold. To his classmates and many other fellow alumni, though, the award is a perfect fit. Classmate KEVIN DOWLEN ’06 says, “Deets has had an independent and creative spirit as long as I've known him.” JOHN GRIFFIN ’06 describes him as, “the most fiercely independent, creative, lovably 'weird' contrarian I know. He always took his own path.” As a student, Hoffman recalls, “I was really curious, and I was always trying to do things my way.” He wanted to be an entrepreneur from a young age. A “lifer” at St. John’s, his friends knew him well, predicting in the 2006 yearbook that he would be CEO of a Chain of Sandwich Shacks “In Twenty Years.” Today, Hoffman is founder & CEO of Leaf & Grain, a healthy restaurant chain, and Murray’s Pizza & Wine. Hoffman credits those friends with his successes: “Coming up through St. John’s and knowing each other as long as we have, we have a ‘unique’ bond ... We keep each other in check,” he says. “That’s driven the

While SJS was challenging academically, it prepared him for Washington & Lee, where he was pleasantly surprised to find that college was easier than St. John’s. After graduating with a degree in business, his early career followed a conventional path—management consulting at BCG, followed by private equity—but entrepreneurship was always the end goal. Working in New York, he spent lunch breaks studying restaurant business models, intrigued by their economics and growth potential. At the time, Houston’s healthy fast-casual market felt underserved, and Hoffman saw opportunity. He opened the first Leaf & Grain in 2017 in downtown Houston. “I thought it was going to be easy. I even looked into what jobs I might pick up on the side,” he says, shaking his head. “In reality, it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Every day, three of four workers would no-show. Suppliers would send us unusable product. I’d get in at 6 a.m. and end up cutting chicken and doing dishes until midnight. It went on like that for over a year.” All the while, they had lines out the door, and once operations stabilized, he opened his second location downtown. Within weeks, COVID hit, and downtown became a ghost town overnight. The business endured, and that period forced important reflection and improvement. As office

life returned, to his surprise, demand surged well beyond pre-pandemic levels and expansion followed. Intent on building a 100-year company, Hoffman is big on “responsible growth” and has been selective with new sites. Sometimes, though, when it rains, it pours, and 2025 tested him: three new locations in two months, including a new concept, Murray’s Pizza & Wine. In the middle of all that, Deets and his wife, Murray, welcomed their first child. Classmate LYDIA BRANTLEY MABRY ’06 says of Deets’ career, “Watching him develop his idea—with a blend of art and science—you could see the imprint of St. John’s. Deets’s was both a passionate and intellectual pursuit, bolstered by a confidence and drive built among the storied cloisters.” Deets credits the School with instilling a rigorous work ethic, attention to detail, and a standard for doing things the right way. Reflecting on his time at SJS, Hoffman said, “I want students to know that I had plenty of ups and downs in my academic career at St. John’s. Life is not a straight line up and to the right. There were many years that I wasn’t a great student, and I wasn’t alone in that either; some of the most successful people in our class were not rockstar students. We all have different strengths, and there are periods of struggle and moments of doubt. Just keep chipping away at it, and trust that those times make you stronger and prepare you for life ahead. Don’t give up on yourself. Success is about perseverance.”

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U P DAT E

KENSINGER OPENING

S T. J O H N ’ S FAC I L I T I E S T E A M

his campaign’s early success is already visible across campus, as sustained momentum continues to move projects from vision and planning into action. This fall the Angie Kensinger Pavilion and Facilities Operations Center officially opened. On September 29, more than 100 campaign donors, faculty, coaches, and friends and family of Angie Kensinger gathered for a reception to dedicate the building and celebrate its opening. The evening opened with remarks from Head of School Dan Alig, who reflected on the building’s significance and thanked the donors who made it possible while honoring Angie’s memory. CLAYTON CRUM HARKNESS ’08 then shared how Angie’s lasting impact inspired the Crum family’s leadership gift to the Kensinger Pavilion. The program concluded with PHILIP KENSINGER ’16, who spoke about his mother’s remarkable energy, passion, and love for the School community.

In November, the Facilities team officially moved into their new home - the Facilities Operations Center - located across the parking lot from the Kensinger Pavilion. Not only does this relocation provide important upgrades for our Facilities team, but it also makes room for the new Lower School building on West Alabama. The new building includes staff locker rooms, expanded storage spaces, additional air-conditioned and covered workspaces, charging stations for golf carts, and larger office spaces. Volunteers from the Parents Guild hosted a breakfast for the Facilities team to celebrate the move and welcome them into their new space.

The celebrations continued in November when the Mavericks faced the Kinkaid Falcons on Skip Lee Field for the first time in nearly 50 years. Just days after that spirited matchup, excavators and construction crews arrived to begin work on Skip Lee Field and the McMurrey Memorial Track.

S K I P L E E C O N S T R U CT I O N

urrently, behind the construction fencing at the heart of the Brown [South] Campus, crews are installing large underground vaults to meet water detention requirements for the next phase of this project, critical to supporting the next generation of Brown Campus development. Once the water detention system is in place, Skip Lee Field and the McMurrey Memorial Track will be rebuilt with brand-new turf and track surfaces ready in time for the 2026 fall season. Concurrent with the Skip Lee project, campaign donors gathered on January 9, 2026 alongside faculty and staff to officially break ground on the new Lower School—a significant milestone in shaping the future of St. John’s School. While the threat of inclement weather moved the ceremony indoors to Liu Court, the chance of rain did nothing to dampen the excitement of the day. More than 100 community members came together to celebrate this highly-anticipated moment and heard remarks from Dan Alig, Board Chair GENTRY LEE ’90, and campaign co-chairs ANDREW MCCULLOUGH ’86 and Liz Stepanian. The program also featured a performance by St. John’s Singers and a blessing from Reverend David Goldberg, Director of Spiritual Life. Following the program, guests made their way outside for the ceremonial groundbreaking. Wearing hard hats, several individuals who were instrumental in the planning and development of the building dug shovels in the sand, symbolically marking the start of construction.

ith the ceremonial groundbreaking complete, the construction team anticipates full construction of the new Lower School building to begin in March and open in fall 2028, pending weather and permitting. As this work moves forward, planning is also underway for the new Middle School, which will replace the current Farish Lower School Building, and Middle School Green, replacing the current parking lot between the Georges Middle School and the VST Fine Arts Center. To maximize efficiency, we plan to transition directly from the Lower School project to demolishing the current Lower School building and beginning the construction of a new Middle School along Westheimer Road. As we continue moving towards these milestones, the support and leadership of our community are essential to maintaining our momentum. We will carry this momentum forward together through a campaign that meets the needs of our growing school and ensures St. John’s remains a leader in education both locally and nationally.

DA N A L I G , H E A D O F S C H O O L

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Renewable, Cleantech, or Climate Tech? Many use these terms interchangeably, but here’s one alum’s quick summary of the distinctions: Renewables: A relatively narrow field typically focused just on renewable electricity sources: wind, solar, geothermal, etc. Cleantech: A broader array of technologies offering lower carbon emissions / less pollution, including renewables but also non-electricity products such as bioplastics or green steel. Climate tech: An even wider umbrella, encompassing the two above but also further categories of products related to climate change, e.g. extremeweather-tolerant building approaches, or advanced insurance risk modeling accounting for climate change.

SJS Alumni in Renewables

few years ago, I noticed a trend. I met a fellow Houstonian living in Brooklyn and working in climate tech. Where had he gone to school? St. John’s. GABE MALEK ’16. That CEO I heard on a podcast, who was using his oil and gas experience to extract lithium for batteries? JAMIE LIANG ’98. Perhaps the strangest: I was floating in the waves at NYC’s Rockaway beach, at a surf event for climate tech investors, and the woman next to me in the lineup mentioned that she’d grown up in Houston. You guessed it: LILY BERNICKER ’11.

I have been thrilled—though perhaps not surprised—to encounter so many Mavericks in the fast-growing world of climate tech. (And yes, it’s still growing fast, despite political shifts—in part because many of these technologies are now cheaper, faster and more efficient than legacy tech.) In the article following, you’ll encounter just a small sample of SJS alumni who are helping build a cleaner, more resilient future. And this matters— deeply—for the City of Houston.

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When I decided to move home to Houston in 2023 there were a few big motivators: family still in Houston; SJS; Houston’s livability and spaciousness. But during the pandemic, I’d also been reflecting on what I wanted to accomplish in the next phase of my career. I’d been a consultant, a tech startup leader, and a venture capitalist. But what impact did I want to have, especially in my hometown? Houston has benefited immensely from wealth and jobs generated by oil and gas, but Houston leaders like Bobby Tudor had begun to publicly recognize that the fossil industry’s role would decline, and that Houston would have to be proactive if it wanted to lead the energy world’s next phase too. The trends are clear. As the Chronicle put it in January 2026: “As 2025 drew to a close, oil and gas workers grumbled in social media threads about leaving the industry behind. When hopeful newcomers asked if they should still join the ranks, the answer was often a resounding: ‘don’t bother.’” Solar electricity has now eclipsed coal power on the ERCOT grid, and is forecast to remain the dominant source of new power additions even without subsidies. Houston-based fossil fuel companies announced over 10,000 layoffs in 2025, with a further 3,600 forecast for 2026. To be clear, layoffs are nothing to be celebrated; rather, they are a call to action for those of us who care about the city’s future. Meanwhile, climate tech in Houston is showing green shoots: in the most recent annual data, Houston added 3,967 new renewable energy jobs. This was the most in the U.S., and nearly three times the number in the second-place city.* As I moved home, I decided that I wanted to play a part in helping Houston seize the reins and become not just the legacy energy capital, but the future energy capital of the world. As I encountered more and more Mavericks in climate tech, it seemed to me that SJS must have helped shape their mindset and choices: pursuing “the lamp of knowledge” in novel technologies, but also seeking “selfless service” in accelerating a global transition that would lessen the impacts of climate change for billions of future humans. Here are five profiles of alumni who go to work every day seeking knowledge and selfless service. If you are an alum who’d like to get more involved, let me know. DEANNA ZHANG ’11, Gabe Malek and I have now worked together to publish reports on Houston’s climate-tech ecosystem and to build the Houston community, and we’d love to get you involved in this effort—the defining issue for our century and the City of Houston.

TAYLOR CHAPMAN ’01 invests in decarbonization-related startups at Houston-based New Climate Ventures and is a founding partner, alongside Gabe Malek ’16 and Deanna Zhang ’11, of the Texas Climate Tech Collective. * "Economy at a Glance," Greater Houston Partnership, September 12, 2025, https://houston.org/houston-data/economy-at-a-glance-september-2025/

JORDAN THOMAS ’07

ORDAN THOMAS ’07 didn’t set out to work in energy infrastructure. His path— from student journalist to union organizer to climate-tech policy leader—unfolded through curiosity, public service, and a defining moment of crisis that reshaped how he understood the power grid as a public good.

Thomas arrived at St. John’s School in Class 9, matriculating from River Oaks Baptist School. Like many students, the transition was daunting. “Going from eighth grade to ninth grade is a big leap,” he recalls. Some of the first people he recognized were years-long rivals from the basketball court. Those competitive beginnings quickly turned into friendships. In his senior year, Jordan found his passion working for The Review, “I got to just kind of let my curiosity blossom in a way that wasn't related to assignments that were due.” He carried this interest on at the University of Miami, studying journalism. — Continued on next page.

FeatureStories — Jordan Thomas ’07 story continued.

But Miami had other plans. As campus janitors organized for better wages and a union contract, Thomas found himself pulled into labor organizing and broader social movements. He became active in environmental advocacy and student government, helping pass legislation that created a new student fee to fund sustainability initiatives. The results were tangible: expanded recycling, composting programs, rooftop solar panels, and a reduced carbon footprint across campus. That experience shifted Thomas away from journalism and toward policy work. “I credit starting off at the paper for letting that curiosity bloom,” he says. Union organizing eventually led him into the electoral space, and back to Houston, where he served as Chief of Staff to City Council Member Letitia Plummer. It was work he loved—hands-on, consequential, and deeply rooted in public service. When Winter Storm Uri devastated Texas, leaving millions without power and causing hundreds of deaths, Thomas was shaken. “From a public policy perspective, I couldn’t imagine how this was possible,” he says. “My grandmother should not go four days in winter without any power. It was very much a public policy place for me.” For Thomas, the electric grid stopped being an invisible system and became a public policy focus.

His search for answers led him to Michael Skelly, a longtime renewable energy developer who was launching a new company called Grid United. The mission: to connect America’s fragmented power grids and make them more reliable, efficient, and resilient. Skelly recruited Thomas, and the move marked a turning point in his career. The challenge Grid United is tackling is fundamental. The United States operates on three major power grids, with surprisingly few strong connections between them. Each plans independently, often without coordination. This fragmentation becomes especially problematic as renewable energy expands. Wind and solar are intermittent, and different regions experience peak demand, weather patterns, and daylight hours at different times. By linking grids— such as projects connecting Colorado and Oklahoma—Grid United helps smooth those differences, allowing clean energy to flow where and when it’s needed most. Today, as part of Grid United, Thomas works at the intersection of energy, politics, and community engagement. No two days look the same. One moment he may be meeting with governors’ offices—the next, consulting with tribal leaders, navigating federal permitting, or learning about endangered species along proposed transmission routes. “The grid is part of our public good,”

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he says. “Helping the grid helps everyone.” In the summer of 2025, Letitia Plummer announced her bid for Harris County Judge. Thomas decided to launch his own campaign to fill her seat on Houston City Council, feeling uniquely positioned to fill the policy gap her departure would leave. While Thomas did not make it to the runoff, he says, “I don’t regret anything.” For now, Thomas is focused on the work ahead. The projects he’s involved in, he believes, will be game-changers for Texas and beyond. And if he returns to public office someday, it will be with the same guiding principle that has shaped his journey so far: that systems—whether schools, governments, or power grids—exist to serve the public good. Jordan encourages today’s Mavericks to have a similar attitude, “You’re surrounded by very smart people,” he says. “Just know that you are an enormously privileged person. If you can start thinking that way now, you’re going to be an asset to society. That’s the greatest thing I think you can be once you get that diploma from SJS.”

s I encountered more and more Mavericks in climate tech, it seemed to me that SJS must have helped shape their mindset and choices: pursuing “the lamp of knowledge” in novel technologies, but also seeking “selfless service” in accelerating a global transition that would lessen the impacts of climate change for billions of future humans.” — TAYLOR CHAPMAN ’01

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JOEY ROMANO ’01

able to install panels themselves. Joey served as President and CEO of Local Sun before selling the company in 2019. This was still early days for solar energy, which provided less than 1% of ERCOT’s power in 2019. By 2025, it had grown more than tenfold, surpassing coal to provide 14% of ERCOT’s power mix.

OEY ROMANO ’01 has a contagious passion for renewables. His career thus far has been characterized by a diverse set of projects that piqued his interest and satisfied his desire to be innovative, creative, and problem-solving.

Joey left SJS for SMU in 2001 and graduated with degrees in English and Art History. With interests in architecture and real estate development, Joey returned to Houston and interned for Mayor Bill White. Here, he gained a deep understanding of Houston neighborhoods and sustainability in Houston. This knowledge, coupled with his natural curiosity, became critical as he transitioned his career into a combination of real estate and clean tech, a familiar industry to Joey as his dad worked in the wind energy business. In 2009, Joey developed 2410 Waugh Drive, a sustainable apartment building in Houston’s Montrose neighborhood outfitted with solar panels, which he still owns today. It served as his introduction into the

relationship between community and energy. Inspired by this, Joey and others created another company called Mobile Grid. Mobile Grid purchased shipping containers and retrofitted them with solar panels, batteries, and multipurpose interiors. Mobile Grid’s work includes projects in the U.S., Nigeria, Mexico, Haiti, and Antarctica for customers such as the City of Houston, Argonne National Laboratory, Coca-Cola, and NRG. Joey helped operate this startup for a few years, building and selling units until 2014 when he sold half of the company to a group in Shreveport.

Through these ventures and others, Joey has learned he hits his stride working on independent projects. He founded Moonlight Interests to pursue projects and ideas he is most passionate about. Today, he can use his expertise to help other startups in the renewables field by fostering connections and advising on projects. Of his current work, Joey says, “When I started this, it was very small scale. I had to wear all the hats. Now, there are so many well-capitalized companies in this space. I can get the spark going and find the right partner company to carry projects across the finish line.”

In 2015, Joey started Local Sun, which developed a solar farm in Sealy, TX. The first solar farm serving the Houston area, Local Sun formed a partnership with MP2 Energy, a Shell subsidiary, to launch the first community solar program in an area served by retail energy choice. Through Shell, Houston homes and businesses could purchase this renewable energy through a short term plan. This made solar energy accessible to those who were interested but who would not be

The notion of sharing knowledge to advance a common idea to work together, to be creative, began back at SJS. “SJS was a unique experience. That ability to contextualize the world, be innovative and creative, problem solve, that didn’t come from nowhere. That was deeply rooted at SJS. Roadblocks and barriers always exist. In this field, people are challenged to come up with creative ways to make projects happen—it’s important to work together.”

SARAH JEWETT ’08

rowing up in Houston, SARAH JEWETT ’08 grew interested in energy early on. Though she spent most of her time in the city, Sarah loved the outdoors and spent summers with her family on the farm, in the mountains, and attending summer camp. She always knew working in clean energy was the path for her. Upon graduating from SJS, Sarah attended Dartmouth, home of the Big Green. While there, Sarah participated in four distinct internships: a climate change think tank, a small hydropower startup, a wind and solar startup, and oilfield services at Halliburton. The final internship with Halliburton, originating through an SJS connection, offered the most unexpected experience. Sarah was sent to Midland and had an amazing time installing electrical submersible pumps on a workover rig in the field. From there, her supervisor at Halliburton suggested she join the field engineer training program with Schlumberger. At Schlumberger, she ran a frac crew based out of Wyoming all over the American West and Alaska.

After four winters in the oilfield, Sarah decided it was time for her next move and went back to school, attending Harvard Business School to earn her MBA. After a short stint back in the oilfield services sector, Sarah found her way to the geothermal energy industry. “I could take all that I had learned in oil and gas—that technical knowledge—and use it for renewables,” says Sarah. In 2020, she joined Fervo Energy, which was leveraging drilling advances from the oil and gas industry to unlock geothermal power - historically limited to only a few volcanic sites - across huge swaths of land. Compelled by the vision, Sarah arranged a deal where she would consult for 10 hours a week until they could take her on full time. Coming on as their eighth employee, Sarah is now an SVP at Fervo Energy, which now has over 200 employees. In December 2025, Fervo announced that it had raised $462 million in new investment in service of delivering 500 MW of new carbonfree electricity from its Cape Station geothermal plant.

Today, Sarah oversees strategy, government affairs, communications and external affairs, and people operations at Fervo. “I am using skills I learned at SJS every single day. Two things I learned at SJS—grit and the ability to juggle a diversity of tasks at once. Academics, sports, and other extracurriculars gave me the confidence and the tools to figure things out and ultimately tackle my dreams.” Remarking on the many SJS alumni in renewables, Sarah says, “SJS students are trained to think big and focus on the world’s biggest problems. SJS does well with laying out big picture thinking, and arming students with the confidence to think about how they can participate and how they can be involved in solving big problems.” Since arriving at Fervo, Sarah has had the opportunity to hire other SJS alumni. “They stand out,” Sarah says of Mavericks, adding, “there is a quality I can trust.”

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JS was the best place for KATHERINE MORILLE ’12 “by leaps and bounds,” she says. “Because I’m really curious. I did not always achieve peak academic performance in class, partially because I have this insane curiosity. I want to be solving the hardest and most complex problems, regardless of the reward. The breadth of classes at SJS allowed me to dive into multiple areas of interest, and the brilliant teachers encouraged me to just run with it. I have followed this ethos my entire career.”

KATHERINE MORILLE ’12

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“I feel like I’m making a meaningful impact by working on one of the most pressing challenges of this generation — climate change.”

After graduating from SJS in 2012, Katherine matriculated at Texas A&M to study Finance. Always pursuing her side passions, she opted to take as many geology courses as possible. While at A&M, she was accepted into the highly selective Titans of Investing program. Her first job out of college was at the investment fund Avalon Advisors in Houston working on a $1.2B fund. Even as Katherine was enjoying the start to her career, she felt a familiar curiosity. She started getting excited about impact investing—investments that would generate a positive financial return and also a positive societal or environmental impact. Katherine shared that she realized, “creating measurable impact and meaningful financial returns is challenging and requires additional skillsets. So it was time for me to go to business school.” Focusing on top schools with sustainability and innovation curriculums, Katherine attended the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern. At Kellogg, Katherine joined the Energy and Sustainability Club. Within that club, she found a group of peers interested in clean tech, solar, wind, & geothermal energy, and in industrial carbon removal. Between school years, she interned for Phillips 66 on their renewables team developing new sites on the West Coast. After graduation, she went on to work for Persefoni AI. “There’s a big difference between working at a large oil and gas company and a start up. I wanted to work somewhere that was nimble—somewhere I could have a bigger impact from day one.” This led her to Vaulted Deep. Katherine joined Vaulted as the sixth corporate employee. While not an energy company, Vaulted uses oil and gas technology to provide waste management services that also remove carbon from the environment. They take non-hazardous, organic waste and inject it deep underground into subsurface formations. Rather than letting the waste decompose or run off into groundwater above ground, this permanently locks away CO2, methane, and contaminants, supporting cleaner land, air, and water. About her work today, she says “I feel like I’m making a meaningful impact by working on one of the most pressing challenges of this generation—climate change.” Today, Katherine is the Director of External Affairs for Vaulted Deep. In 2025, Vaulted was named a top-3 prizewinner in the $100M global carbon removal X Prize, and announced a contract with Microsoft to remove 4.9 million tons of CO2 from the environment. To others looking into clean tech, Katherine says, “We have this really good technology, and we can look around to see if it can solve other problems. Stay curious!”

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n 2010, DEANNA ZHANG ’11 was part of the SJS team that won the citywide Houston 2050 competition. She and teammates CAROLINE SPEARS ’13, PHILIP TAFFET ’13, and VERONICA CHU ’12 worked hundreds of hours on the five parts of the competition, building a model of Houston forty years in the future. The model, built primarily from recycled materials, was based on buildings that have been built in various cities around the world, designed to use less energy and to capture energy from solar paint, solar panels, wind turbines, and methane from sewage and landfills. It seems this was only the beginning for Deanna’s career in renewable energy. After graduating from SJS, Deanna was initially a pre-med student at Yale. She took a step back after shadowing a handful of doctors and becoming disenchanted with medicine. She had always loved math and started to see the potential in building a career in numbers instead. After completing a summer internship at Barclays in a subgroup focusing on chemicals, Deanna decided to return to Houston and work for Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co., a securities firm that specializes in advising the energy market. Deanna has always been interested in energy. “It touches every part of how we live. It’s such a basic utility that is necessary for everything we do, and yet it’s so complex.” As Deanna’s career flourished, her interest grew in the technology side of things. “I really wanted to make a hard pivot into climate. The way our infrastructure and energy systems should be built should always consider the environment and human health.” Deanna saw that clean tech was beginning to commercialize.

DEANNA ZHANG ’11

With her professional and academic background, Deanna moved forward with trying to build a career in finance that also had social impact. “For me, doing these things at the same time is both a fun puzzle to be solved and a meaningful problem to work on.” By 2022, Deanna identified that many cleantech companies must go through a first big deployment and buildout stage in order to reach scale and cost parity. She began to consult for promising upstarts for whom this hurdle was challenging. In doing so, she asked herself, “What are some more scalable ways that I can make an impact?” This question ultimately led to bigger things, driving Deanna to cofound Node in 2025. At Node, Deanna works with technology companies who are developing first-of-a-kind systems and will need to deploy them at a large commercial scale. This is a risky stage for such companies with few financing partners willing to take on this gamble. Node helps these companies find the right financial model, commercial

partners, funders, and strategic partners to get the deal done. Every day looks different for Deanna now. At Node, she is working on everything from business development, fundraising, and consulting to writing blog posts, organizing events, and researching new technologies. “I try to spend my time with companies that have a clearly defined project and near-term impact potential, but more and more funders are getting creative and engaging earlier.” Deanna credits SJS with her strong writing skills and much of her curiosity. She shared, “SJS students are trained to have a thoughtful perspective and lean into that perspective. SJSers should never be scared to speak up because chances are, they have something meaningful to add.” Her advice to current students would be, “Think about something 20 years down the line you’ll be proud to contribute to. Hopefully you’ll look back and know you made an impact,” just like Deanna and her classmates can now do, reflecting on their efforts fifteen years ago in the Houston 2050 competition.

AroundCampus

FAMILY PICNIC/KINKAID GAME

he weeks leading up to the Varsity Football game against Kinkaid are always filled with fun on campus! For the first time since 1977, our K-12 community members gathered together on campus mid-day and enjoyed music, food and game day festivities at our largest community event on Saturday, November 1. With tables set up in the VST parking lot for St. John’s and in the senior parking lot for Kinkaid, we had ample space for both schools to enjoy their pre-game meals and activities in advance of a 2:00 p.m. kick-off (Rice University played a televised game the evening before, precipitating the change in location and date). — Continued on next page.

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— Family Picnic story continued.

St. John’s families enjoyed lunch provided by Beck’s Prime and students and faculty participated in “Maverick Madness Spirit Day” the day of the game and enjoyed glitter face stickers, sunglasses, and airbrush face painting at Family Picnic. Students (and mascot Chidsey!) enjoyed dancing to hit songs played by the DJ and the Drum Corps and JV cheerleaders fired up the crowd with a mini pep rally. On our own Skip Lee Field, the Mavs started off strong with a first quarter lead, but wound up short in their 14-38 loss to Kinkaid. We are proud of our Mavericks for ending the season 5-5. This game was the largest athletic contest we have hosted at home and both communities came together marvelously for a terrific afternoon! We look forward to enjoying the annual game and Family Picnic on Kinkaid’s campus in 2026.

CLASS 6 GRANDPARENTS & SPECIAL FRIENDS DAY

e were delighted to welcome over 150 Class 6 grandparents and special friends on campus for a Valentine’s-themed celebration on Friday, February 13! Guests enjoyed breakfast, featuring heart-shaped pastries and fruit, followed by remarks from Associate Head of School Chris Curran and wonderful singing and dancing performed from the 2026 Cantatores Pop Show: “Endless Summer.” The featured summer songs spanned generations, including “Surfin’ U.S.A.,” “Walking on Sunshine,” “Roar,” and “Stronger” to name a few. Following the performance, guests and Class 6 students participated in the photo booth—featuring Valentine’s-themed props—and enjoyed a walking tour of the first floor of the Middle School.

MAV LITERARY FEST

ower School students enjoyed a fun morning filled with literary activities at this year’s Mav Literary Fest! NIKITA MALANI SHUKLA ’05 and Travis Johnson, the Mav Literary Fest Co-Chairs, planned an interactive morning for our Lower School students, featuring seven activity stations and a “book nook” again this year. The students spent the morning in the courtyard participating in various activities, designed by the Co-Chairs and inspired by Stacy McAnulty and Ruth Chan’s books: Are We There Yet, Space Ball, Bug Relay, and Brave Shields to name a few. The students especially loved playing “Space Ball” against an inflatable sun as the goalie! Most students, along with many parent volunteers, arrived dressed as their favorite book characters. Students enjoyed lunch in the “Vampire Zombie Café,” featuring special lunch selections (and décor!) tied to Stacy McAnulty’s books.

Students also received a “reading passport” with activities related to the visiting authors, and had an opportunity to complete a cosmic challenge crossword, a code cracked by using their “lightening power,” an activity detailing brave “Mavericks,” word searches and many more in the “book nook.” Middle School and Upper School students participated in reading-themed activity classes and had author visits from Ronald L. Smith and Dr. Ricardo Nuila, respectively. In addition, parent volunteers assisted with a book swap outside of the Lower School, once again donating the remaining books to Books Between Kids. Our SJS families ordered 794 bookplates, surpassing last year’s total, and raised $19,850 for our libraries to purchase books!

AroundCampus CHIDSEY SOCIETY

In 1993, the Trustees of St. John’s School established the Alan Lake Chidsey Society to honor those special individuals who have included the School in their estate plans. From the beginning, estate gifts have played a crucial role in the remarkable growth and success of St. John’s. A special thanks to each of our Chidsey Society members for carrying on this important tradition—your foresight will leave a legacy for generations of students to come and ensure our ability to plan for the future. Be sure to let St. John’s know if you have included the School in your estate plans. It allows us to thank you for the plans you have made, ensure that we are able to carry out your wishes, and it may even inspire generosity in others. To learn more about how to make a planned gift, contact Donor Engagement Officer Ashley Matthews at amatthews@sjs.org

Anonymous Mr. Mark G. Avery ’76 & Mrs. Nissa Avery Mr. Jonathan S. Avery ’80 Mr. Jerome C. Axelrod ’59 Marci & Bill Bahr Mr. John H. Beebe ’60† Ms. Maria Wyckoff Boyce ’81 & Mr. William J. Boyce Mr. E. P. Cannon & Mrs. Maurie Ankenman Cannon ’61 Mrs. Josephine Emilie Cannon† Mr. & Mrs. Chris Carpenter Mr. & Mrs. Albert Chao Mr. Ollye H. Christopher† Mrs. Theodore W. Cooper, Sr.† Mr. Bruce G. Crawford ’74 & Ms. Laura Rowe ’83 Mr. & Mrs. Samuel S. Crocker Mrs. Mary Woodson Crowell ’57† Mr. & Mrs. John Dorian Curtin, Jr.† Ms. Alice E. Davidson ’62 Mrs. Helen Bloxsom Davis ’55† Dr. & Mrs. Mark Desjardins Michelle & Mark Dini Mr. John L. Drye ’67 Mr. & Mrs. Brady Sherrod Edwards Mr. & Mrs. John W. Elder† Mr. A. Jennings Ellis, Jr. ’62† Mr. Jesse Byron Flansburg† Mr. L. Henry Gissel, Jr. ’54† Mr. Timothy L. Goodwin ’60 & Mrs. Virginia N. Goodwin Lt. Colonel Daniel Francis Goodwin ’88 & Mrs. Kathleen P. Goodwin Mr. David F. Gow ’81 & Mrs. Audrey H. Gow Mr. Lindsay Hall, Jr. ’62†

The Honorable Reagan C. Helm ’59† & Mrs. Cathy Helm Mr. Matthew Reagan Helm Mrs. Kate McCarthy Helm David Hendricks & Lorraine McKenna-Hendricks Mr. Edwin H. Higgins & Mrs. Page K. Higgins† Mr. C. Marks Hinton, Jr. ’60† & Mrs. Barbara Hinton Mr. Marks Hinton, Sr.† Mr. & Mrs. William J. Hitzhusen Mr. Paul W. Hobby ’78 & Mrs. Janet Hobby Ms. Molly T. Ivins ’62† Tom† & Rebecca Jay Ann & Johnny ’63 Johnson Mr. Lewis Avery Jones ’59† & Mrs. Judith G. Jones Mr. James J. Jump, Sr. Mr. Stuart R. Kensinger ’81† & Mrs. Angie Kensinger† Mr. J. David Kirkland, Jr. ’76† & Mrs. Anne A. Kirkland Mr. John A. Kley† Ms. Margaret A. Kostial ’82 Mr. & Mrs. David M. Kyle Mrs. Sally Lacey Ms. Margo E. Lamb ’52† Mrs. Brenda Lary Mr. Laurence Scott Leopold ’86 Mr. Roger Kutnow Lewis ’58† Mr. Leo Linbeck, Jr.† William J. Mares ’58† & Christine Hadsel Mr. Barry H. Margolis ’63 & Mrs. Rosalyn Margolis

Mr. Joseph M. Mayhew ’54† & Mrs. Joseph M. Mayhew Dr. Sally E. Miller Mr. John S. Moody ’67 & Mrs. Eileen A. Moody Mr. Hugo V. Neuhaus, Jr.† Mr. Charles R. Peissel ’67 Mrs. Sarah Rabinow Pesikoff ’86† Mr. Louis R. Pizzolatto† Dr. Dwight L. Raulston ’71 & Mrs. Elva Raulston Mr. Vincent M. Reyes ’24 Dr. George E. Rupp & Mrs. Nancy F. Rupp Dr. Herbert H. Schaumburg ’52 Mr. & Mrs. David G. Schmidt Dr. David J. Schmoll ’70† Mrs. Rex Shanks, Jr.† Ms. Katherine Shanks Dodd ’85 Mr. Jonathan L. Sloan ’03 & Mrs. Ashley C. Sloan Mr. A. Theodore Stautberg, Jr. ’64† Mrs. Elizabeth A. Stephens ’63 Mrs. June Gray Stobaugh† Mr. John R. Sult ’77 & Mrs. Susan Sult Mr. Payson Eliot Tucker ’95 The Honorable Carl W. Vogt ’54 & Mrs. Margrit W. Vogt Mrs. Carnes W. Weaver† Dr. Lisa L. Weaver Mr. & Mrs. Darryl L. Wilson Ms. Jocelyn V. Bell Winslow† Mr. James O. Winston, Jr.†

† Deceased

AroundCampus UPPER SCHOOL

Jan Plan 2026

MOLLY CAMPBELL VOORHEES ’94 | KYLE PARRISH ’01 | DR. ANNE CHAO | DAVID SEGAL ’99

his past January all Upper School students returned from winter break and spent their first week back in school participating in a new weeklong educational program years in the making. Dubbed “Jan Plan,” the course catalog describes it as a “week-long experience that presents students and teachers with a place for authentic learning, collaboration, risk-taking, and enthusiasm.” Offering a wide range of courses that both expanded upon and veered from existing curriculum, the program “enables teachers to share a passion through a variety of pedagogies, such as experiential learning and/or interdisciplinary study.” As an annual graduation requirement graded on a pass/fail basis, all students earned one credit for their daily participation in either a full-day class or two halfday classes. Given the complexity of matching over 700 students with over 50 offerings, students registered in September ranking their preferences for both full-day and half-day courses. With regard to placement in the classes, seniors who registered by the deadline were given first priority, followed by juniors, sophomores, and freshmen. In addition to being listed by duration, the courses were grouped by general topic, to include Humanities, Experiential Arts, Science/Technology, Classroom Houston, Cooking, and Wellness. You can see the full list of all of the courses on the next page, representing the incredible diversity of interests, the spirited creativity, and just the plain hard work of the Upper School faculty. While some led courses individually, others did so in pairs or small groups. In many cases, teachers invited

SJS alumni to participate in the teaching and learning. In addition to having many former students assisting teachers on campus, faculty took students to off-campus destinations throughout the Greater Houston area, some of which were hosted by alumni as well. Leading this collective effort was Head of Upper School Kevin Weatherill, who in addition to leading the planning and overall execution of the program, convened faculty for feedback even as the program was ongoing, making adjustments along the way. Director of Experiential Education and operations guru MARTY THOMPSON ’91 planned and coordinated the supremely complex logistical requirements of students and teachers safely traversing the Greater Houston area each day. Assessing the overall impact of the program after a few weeks of reflection, Kevin shared: “Jan Plan was a resounding success! Teachers and students jumped into the week with a spirit of excitement even amidst the uncertainty of newness. They worked alongside each other earnestly and rallied around the sheer enjoyment of learning for learning's sake. The enthusiasm extended beyond Claremont as many courses took advantage of the City of Houston as a type of classroom during the week. Now, we look to improve upon a positive initial version of Jan Plan by building year two. We hope this becomes a set piece that younger Mavericks can look forward to for years to come.” Kudos to the Upper School faculty, administrators, and students for a job well done, and many thanks to the many alumni who participated in various ways. It was a full team effort. Here’s looking forward to all the creative courses offered by the talented Upper School teachers for Jan Plan 2027!

JAN PLAN 2026 COURSES EXPERIENTIAL ARTS

SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY

Full-day • Basic House Construction and Maintenance, Turning Theory into Practice • Introduction to Songwriting and Performing • Made by Hand: The Art of Crafting • Paws on: Exploring Dogs Through Science and Service • The Art of Building a Model Airplane • The Magic of Glass Art • Unlock the Room: Design Your Own Escape Adventure • Geometry in Art

Full-day • High Tea, High Tech • Hurricanes, Tornadoes, and Tsunamis, Oh My! • Intro to Podcasting: Audio Storytelling and Production • IntroPoducing: Gen Z to BB • Tracing Life’s Evolutionary Journey

Half-day • Choral Skills 101 • Creativi-Tee: Fabricating Your Own Brand • Needlepoint: Very Demure, Very Mindful • Rug Tufting • Thinking Inside the Box(es): Solving and Constructing Crosswords • Woodsmithing 101

Half-day • On Thriftying • Roll for Insight: Collaborative Creativity in Tabletop Roleplaying Games • The Science and Culture of Food • What a Ride: The Physics of Amusement Parks

WELLNESS Full-day • Wellness Warriors Half-day

HUMANITIES Full-day • Automation, AI, & The Future of the Work We Do • Beyonce’s Radical Reclamation: Culture and Politics from Lemonade to Cowboy Carter • Crash Course in Film Studies • Cruel Summer: Hope, Defeat, and Geopolitics in the World Cup • Democracy in America?: A (Re) Construction Project • Fashion in Film • From Olympus to the Screen: Classical Myth and Cinema (open to Classes 10-12) • God of Love: Exploring The Heart of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam • Shadow Puppetry • To Flip or Not To Flip (The Script): The Staged Reading Half-day • Ars Moriendi - Death Ritual in a Global Perspective • “Crime is common. Logic is rare.” – Sherlock Holmes • How Books Are Built • The Good Life • The History of Comedy: From Shakespeare to Saturday Night Live (open to Class 12)

• Mind, Body, Wellness • “Ritmos Latinos”: A Course in Latin Dance • Strength and Fitness: Be Your Own Trainer and Design Your Own Workouts • Watercolor & Well Being: Painting for Creativity & Calm

CLASSROOM HOUSTON Full-day • Biking in Houston! • Bon voyage! Travel to France — in Houston • HustleTown: Historic Houston by Bike • Pack Your Boots! (open to Classes 10-12) • Urban Canvas: Exploring the Murals of Houston

COOKING Full-day • Mastering the Basics of Cooking Half-day • Breaking Bread • Confections on Claremont • Taste of Colombia: A Hands-On Food Experience

Images from Stage and Field STUDENT CHOREOGRAPHY SHOWCASE

LS, MS, & US FALL CHORAL CONCERT

CANDLELIGHT

MS & US INSTRUMENTAL FALL CONCERT

CHORAL/INSTRUMENTAL CONCERT

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL - SPC CHAMPIONS

US FALL PLAY “HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD”

MIDDLE SCHOOL WRESTLING - STATE DUALS

US STUDIO PLAY “LET THE RIGHT ONE IN”

BOYS WRESTLING - SPC CHAMPIONS

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY - SPC CHAMPIONS

US STUDIO PLAY “LOVE, DEATH, AND THE PROM” 27

LETTER FROM REBECCA LINN HUGHES ’06, ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT

Dear Alumni, his year I, along with my Class of 2006 classmates, have the great fortune of celebrating a milestone—it will be our 20-year reunion! Given that, I have had the opportunity to reflect more intentionally on St. John’s and its impact on my life. Perhaps surprising to my high school self, I do often use the mathematical concepts that I learned in Calculus and refer to the grammatical rules that I struggled with in English! However, more than the academic principles, the people of St. John’s have made the most lasting and meaningful impression on me.

This spring, I encourage each of you to think about the people—faculty, staff, and classmates—who made your St. John’s experience exceptional. As an Alumni Board, we have several different ways to help you do this.

Alumni Awards The 2026 Alumni Award recipients represent the immense talent, incredible determination, and caring spirit of members of the St. John’s community. Distinguished Alumna Award recipient DR. LAUREN AVERETT BYERS ’94 is on the front lines of the battle against cancer as her impactful research at MD Anderson Cancer Center is improving the lives of those with Small Cell Lung Cancer. The leadership and care of former Head of Middle School Eric Lombardi, this year’s Honorary Alumnus, inspired countless students and teachers over his nearly 20 years at SJS, creating a culture of respect and belonging that remains in the division to this day.

Fellow restaurateurs, this year’s Maverick Award Winners ALLISON YOUNG CHAVEZ ’03 and DEETS HOFFMAN ’06, have each pursued entrepreneurial excellence in the culinary community of Houston and beyond. Allison’s Sweet Paris Crêperie & Café has expanded to 24 locations nationally and continues to grow. Deets’ Leaf & Grain has expanded to six locations throughout Houston in addition to his new concept Murray’s Pizza & Wine that just recently opened. Michael Seckman will receive the Lamp of Knowledge Award this year for his teaching and coaching, as well as his encouragement and support of middle school students in the outdoors for over 30 years and counting. Please join us for Reunion Weekend as we honor these individuals and celebrate the Class of 1976 on the occasion of their 50th Reunion at the Alumni Awards Luncheon. All alumni are welcome to attend this event.

Reunion Weekend Each spring, the SJS community gathers in celebration of our school during Reunion Weekend. This year’s events will be held on Friday, April 10 and Saturday, April 11 with two key events for all alumni. The Reunion Weekend Kick-Off Celebration (formerly Spring Fling) will begin at 6 pm on Friday evening at the new Kensinger Pavilion and will include a 6:45 p.m. toast. Saturday’s Alumni Awards Luncheon will kick off at 11:30 a.m. in Flores Hall, with student-led Campus Tours available beginning at 10 a.m. These are fantastic opportunities to reconnect with the School and with fellow alumni as well as to celebrate the remarkable achievements of our community, and I urge you all to attend.

AlumniNews

Class Agents & Class Representatives It is no secret that SJS Classes with designated Class Agents have more Class Notes on classmates in each fall’s Update magazine. Similarly, SJS classes with Class Reps see wider participation in the St. John’s Fund, which continues to be the lifeblood for the School’s ongoing excellence in support of current students. If you have any interest in serving in these roles, or in joining classmates who are currently serving in this capacity, please reach out to the Alumni Team at alumni@sjs.org.

Summer Internship Program

2025-2026 St. John’s Alumni Board REBECCA LINN HUGHES ’06 President

Matthew Alexander ’02 Laura Hawkins Chapman ’03 Channing Bosler Davey ’90 Nick Dhesi ’03 Cherry Ding ’04 John Drye ’67

Our Summer Internship Program offers you the opportunity to engage with current SJS students. This program allows the students to experience work internships firsthand during the summer before their senior year. At the same time, sponsoring these interns gives you a unique opportunity as alumni to connect directly with today’s students. I encourage you to participate and help these students learn and grow as well as come to understand and appreciate the great impact of the SJS Alumni community.

Andrew Edelman ’01

It has been an absolute privilege to serve as the Alumni Board President these past two years, and I offer my sincerest thanks to our School and Alumni Community. The hard work, dedication, kindness, and generosity of this group is unlike any other. I look forward to celebrating this special school with you all at Reunion Weekend in April!

Nelle Pace Jennings ’85

Bradley Eisemann ’04 John Elkins ’10 Susan Gibson ’91 John Griffin ’06 Grace Hobby Grundy ’08 Jacob Halevy ’10 Noelle Hicks ’01 Sehr Charania Lalani ’03 Louisa Lummis ’16 Courtney Miller ’06 Morgan Allen Neal ’11 Kathryn Casey Principe ’89

See you on campus soon,

Emily Duncan Rodgers ’98 Marty Thompson ’91, Faculty Ex-Officio Stephanie Herbert Wiegand ’02 Lea Williams ’02

REBECCA LINN HUGHES ’06 Alumni Board President

Joshua Winslow ’11 Sushma Chilukuri Yalamanchili ’93 Alex Young ’06 Janie Wilde Zilkha ’10

AlumniNews

A Walk of Purpose BY HAISE ROE BORGMANN ‘90

What started as a conversation between two classmates prior to the Class of 1990’s 35th Reunion grew into a five-day discussion about life’s next chapter on the Camino de Santiago, a centuries-old pilgrimage route in Spain.

ecause of a scheduling conflict, LISA NEUBERGER FERNANDEZ ’90 couldn’t make it to the reunion but wanted to make sure to connect with SJS friends while in town from her current home in Madrid, so she invited a group of SJS alumni to her parents’ house to catch up. ALLISON WRIGHT BROOKS ’90 was among the attendees, and she and Lisa started discussing Lisa’s latest professional venture, the Next Chapter Accelerator (www.nextchapteraccelerator.com), chatting long after the party was over. What emerged from that conversation was a partnership of sorts between two former classmates, rooted in their shared history at St. John’s. Allison and Lisa have both had long careers in their respective fields—Lisa in consulting and Allison in executive recruitment. After 25 years as a strategy consultant and social innovator, Lisa was ready for a change. In addition to co-authoring a book, Rebalance: How Women Lead, Parent, Partner, and Thrive, Lisa has leveraged her experience in strategy

and innovation to become an advisor to CEOs of scaleups to help them grow their businesses sustainably. She also teaches strategy at IE Business School and runs talent accelerators to advance leaders’ careers. Allison has been leading Brooks Stacy, LLC, a boutique executive recruiting firm, for over 12 years after starting her career with global search firm Russell Reynolds. She works in the energy sector as well as with non-profits and many industries in between. As women in their mid-fifties, both with successful—and overlapping—careers and empty nests looming, they started comparing notes about the different phase of life ahead. Specifically, they were pondering what will be meaningful in the coming phase and how to leverage the experience and perspective gained in their first 50 years to achieve this meaning over the next 50 (fingers crossed!). As Lisa pivoted from her consulting career, she and a friend walked the Camino and, along the way, Lisa found her purpose for the next chapter of her life. The process of simultaneously finding her way on her feet and in her mind brought her clarity in what her next steps should be. She found the experience invaluable and wanted to bottle it and share it with

AlumniNews

other women in the prime of their careers who, like Lisa, are considering what comes next. She felt called to shift from being a front-line innovator herself to designing programs to help unleash the potential of other innovators and purpose-driven leaders. After her epiphany on the Camino, Lisa and a colleague formed the Next Chapter Accelerator, offering seminars as well as purpose-driven retreats on the Camino, where a small cohort of professional women gather each morning for a work session and then set out on the day’s journey, wrapping up each day with a fabulous meal and conversation. Throughout the day, they process the morning’s lesson, share experiences, learn from one another, and brainstorm about what steps they might want to take next. Lisa calls the process “the ultimate walk and talk,” a time during which the bonds of friendship are formed and the participants can let go of their baggage (figurative and literal, as their bags meet them at their next destination!) and start to see their futures. Already in the process of expanding her business into executive coaching, Allison was so inspired by the idea, both personally and professionally, that she shared it with other classmates at a reunion gathering. NICCI WHITE GREELEY ’90, a pediatrician of over 25 years, was similarly intrigued by the proposed journey and jumped at the chance to join. Over the next couple of months, Allison reached out to her network in Houston and pulled together a group for the fall 2025 Next Chapter Accelerator Camino retreat. St. John’s was wellrepresented: four of the participants are SJS alumnae (three from the Class of ’90, including Lisa) and three are current parents (two of whom, including Allison, are also alumnae). For Allison, who had recently completed training as an executive coach with the International Coaching Federation through CoachRICE at Rice University’s Doerr Institute, the Camino retreat could not have come at a more perfect time. In the midst of her own mid-life transition, she hopes to create intentionally an optimal next chapter, striving to make an impact, create community, and give back through thought leadership. From Allison’s perspective, the Camino was an organic, serendipitous experience and something that she can discuss professionally as an executive recruiter and coach. Not only did she come away from the retreat with a new purpose and a new vision, she also formed deep bonds with the other participants and has even witnessed some of them leverage the experience to launch into new professional opportunities. The Houston retreat

participants continue to gather together, bonded by their common experience on the Camino, to exchange ideas and encourage one another in their new endeavors. After returning from the Camino, Nicci was transformed. “It was one of the best things I have ever done,” she reflected. With an element of pride in her classmates, Nicci said, “Allison pulled together an amazing group of Houston women, and Lisa was a fantastic facilitator.” One of the greatest takeaways from the journey is the new friendships Nicci formed—not something she was expecting in her 50s. The women all hail from different backgrounds and were able to mentor each other in a variety of ways. Since coming back, the Houston participants, including Allison and Nicci, meet frequently for walks and will be joined by two Canadians from their cohort for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo this March! For Nicci, the Camino retreat was more of a personal journey than a professional one, yet what she found there, in addition to deep friendship, was an unexpected professional connection with one of the women Allison invited who is a doctor like Nicci. While chatting about their medical training, they figured out that a former patient with an extremely rare disease whom Nicci treated during her residency at Vanderbilt had become the patient this fellow doctor started her career with at Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania. This patient was pivotal in the medical careers of both women and is someone Nicci has remained close to since her residency—a discovery made possible by the network of friendships rooted in a shared experience at St. John’s with Lisa and Allison. Based on the fun they had together on the Camino, Lisa and Allison have been inspired to explore new business opportunities leveraging their expertise and networks and will be working together to build talent accelerators for CEOs of scaleups. From Allison’s perspective, Lisa is an inspirational mentor as a coach and corporate leader; she is a “giver” who wants to help other women, using common shared challenges and opportunities to launch them into their next chapters. She brings a framework and context for evocative questions and exploration, posed to the participants to guide them through intentional goal-setting. For both women, the common bond of attending St. John’s—a place that fostered curiosity and exploration and encouraged us to push ourselves beyond our comfort zones—set the stage for this next chapter. And it all started with a conversation at a reunion ...

AlumniNews

COLLEGE-AGE TEA

his December, we welcomed 80 college-age alumni back to campus for a well-earned break after their fall semester. Guests enjoyed kolaches and hot chocolate while reconnecting with classmates and faculty. It was a warm and relaxed gathering that reinforced the lasting bonds of the SJS community.

PIERCE CRIST ’25, BENJI ADACHI ’25

DANIEL COLSON ’22, ALEXANDER ELLIOTT ’22, ALEX FLORES ’22

Associate Director of College Counseling Steven Scales, LUCY WALKER ’25,

CAROLINE CHIAO ’25 32

AlumniNews

GRAY WATSON ’19, ELIZABETH AWAD ’18, BROCK CANNON ’18

MARK WULFE ’06, RISH SINHA ’06, TEDD RICHARDSON ’06, BOBBIE RICHARDSON ’11

SJS IN NYC

he Alumni Team traveled to New York City in the fall, where they hosted an alumni happy hour at Midtown’s 230 Fifth Rooftop Bar in Midtown on Thursday, November 13. A festive group of around 80 alumni gathered to connect and celebrate SJS. Pausing between classes, several college-age alumni in the NYC area also gathered for an authentic Mexican food lunch at Rosa Mexicano near NYU.

JORDY ACEITUJ ’23, WARREN KOZAK ’23

NADIYA NAEHR ’24, ANAHI MARQUEZ ’22, CAMERON EDERLE ’23, ADITYA AMBANI ’24, ROMIT KUNDAGRAMI ’22, EMMA CHANG ’24, LUKE ROMERE ’23 33

AlumniNews

SJS NETWORK SOCIAL

n November, we welcomed 50 alumni back to campus for an evening of networking with 70 SJS juniors and seniors. The Network Social gives students the chance to connect with alumni working across various industries, gaining first hand insight into potential career paths. While separate from the SJS Summer Internship Program, this event highlights the impact of alumni mentorship. ZAKI MIR ’27, AARON WU ’26, ERIC LIU ’27, SLOAN CRADY ’15

KENDALL ALLEN STRAIT ’13, BRYANNA MICU ’26, MORGAN ALLEN NEAL ’11

CHRISTOPHER MCCORD ’96, FELIPE CASAL ’27

A L U M N I R E C E N T LY S E E N O N C A M P U S

2026 SJS Distinguished Alumna DR. LAUREN AVERETT BYERS ’94

presented to the Pre-Med Club in mid-November. Sharing with the students her career highlights and award-winning research combating small cell lung cancer, Lauren sang the praises of Faculty Emerita Alice Kagi. Her Biology lessons made an impact on Lauren, first introducing her to genetics and their promise for future research and advancement in medicine.

DR. LAUREN AVERETT BYERS ’94

SUSHMA CHILUKURI YALAMANCHILI ’93, NATALIE SLOAN MURDOCK ’04, SEHR CHARANIA LALANI ’03

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CAMERON BAIRD ’27, RAFAEL D’SOUZA ’27

ALLISON WRIGHT BROOKS ’90, NELLE PACE JENNINGS ’85

SADIE BOYNTON ’27, ELI HASAN ’27, SAVANNAH BOYNTON ’27

NIKITA MALANI SHUKLA ’05, SONIA AMBANI ’27, SOPHIA GIRON ’27

WILLIAM LIANG ’27, JOHN DRYE ’67

ABBEY MOFFET ’12, CLAIRE CHIH ’27

SARAH JEWETT ’08 In early November, SARAH JEWETT ’08 presented to students in Ms. Faulk’s AP Environmental Science class as well as students taking Eleanor Cannon’s senior elective History, Economics, and Geopolitics of Energy. Sarah is a senior strategy leader for Fervo Energy, a leading company in the new and growing geothermal industry, and she shared information about her industry, her company, and her career. The title of her talk ... “Love What You Do on Tuesday.”

In early December DAVID ZIEMNICKI ’14 visited with students in the Aerospace and Engineering Clubs. David shared about his PhD research in robotic prosthetics, his career path in engineering, and his current work in spaceflight hardware at Novium Ltd. In his talk, David explained the Engineering Design Method and demonstrated its application in both professional and personal endeavors.

DAVID ZIEMNICKI ’14

InMemoriam CHARLES ORSON COOK Faculty Emeritus A mainstay in the St. John’s Upper School History Department for 25 years, Orson joined the St. John’s faculty in 1980 and retired in 2005 with the named distinction of Faculty Emeritus. Below are excerpts read by former Head of School John Allman at the 2005 Trustee, Faculty, and Staff Reception when Orson was honored: “ The esteem with which he is regarded by various members of our school community is apparent in countless ways. For ten years, he occupied an endowed teaching chair at our school. Every year, although he is known to be one of the most exacting graders on campus, he routinely is the teacher our students most frequently ask to write their college letters of recommendation. If you were lucky enough to be a student in his AP United States History course, you would quickly discover that he is a superb lecturer, able to weave fact, story and theory into a seamless, compelling historical tapestry. As his impressive scholarly credentials suggest, he is able to compose such masterful lectures in part because he knows his history and has remained an active practitioner of his trade. Blending the erudition of a scholar with the wit of a master storyteller, he is, in the words of one Cook alumnus, ‘clever and charismatic.’ Dr. Cook’s seemingly effortless eloquence and artistry in the classroom are, in fact, a product of intense off-stage preparation, reflection, and correction year after year, class after class. In his legendary AP US History course, Dr. Cook has created one of the most tightly structured, meticulously designed program of study in the School. As far as I can tell, nothing is left to chance; everything—every quiz, every lecture, every writing assignment, every test question—is consciously, carefully orchestrated. Admirably, Dr. Cook’s interest in his students isn’t exclusively or narrowly academic and doesn’t end when they leave his classrooms.” Inspiring students and colleagues alike, Orson taught with heart and devotion. He will be missed! Join us in continuing to keep Orson and his family in your thoughts.

AMELIA “MIMI” WHITE BOOKER ’54 DAVID H. BOYLES ’64 DR. CHARLES ORSON COOK Faculty Emeritus CHRISTOPHER S. COWLES ’57 LUCINDA STEWART FLEMING ’62 JERALDINE “JERI” FRANKE Faculty MICHAEL B. GOODWIN ’62 SANDRA DUNNAM JUSTICE ’54 THE REVEREND EDWIN B. NETTLETON ’58 THE REVEREND JOHN R. PITTS Former Trustee FRANK “RICK” D. RICKMAN, JR. ’89 DR. HERBERT H. SCHAUMBURG ’52

Winter 2026 Cover-Spine 17.1875 x 11.qxp_Layout 1 3/2/26 2:17 PM Page 2

The Alumni Magazine of St. John’s School 713.850.0222

alumni@sjs.org

Head of School DANIEL J. ALIG

Director of Advancement DAWSEY ROMERO

Volume 87 Spring 2026 Editor SUSAN CHAMBERLIN MUNSON ’97 Writers & Contributors LISA ARAGÓN-STOKES HAISE ROE BORGMANN ’90

APRIL 10-11, 2026

PHILIP CANNON ’85 TAYLOR CHAPMAN ’01 ANNIE CHARLOT STEPHANIE CROWL

ALUMNI EVENTS & I M P O R TA N T D AT E S

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

Young Alumni Happy Hour with Kinkaid & EHS Thursday, February 5 6-8 p.m. Kirby Ice House

Phonathon Tuesday, March 24 6 p.m. On campus

Reunion Weekend Friday-Saturday, April 10-11 On campus

WHO AM I? HELP US IDENTIF Y THESE “MYSTERY ALUMNI” If you know who these students are, please contact alumni@sjs.org. Thank you!

BAILEY DUNCAN TESS GEE ANDREA LOPEZ ANA RODRIGUEZ ’20 CHARLES TSANG ALEX WILL CATHERINE WILLIFORD Senior Designer JIM CUNNINGHAM Jim Cunningham Design Template Design ELLEN PEEPLES CREGAN ’81 Cregan Design

Special thanks to the numerous parents, alumni, students, faculty, and staff who contributed to this issue.

Our Mission Statement

Cover image: Lower School Student Council members at the ceremonial groundbreaking for the new Lower School on January 9, 2026.

WHO AM I FALL 2025 JULIE LOUIS BAKER ’64, ANN BARBER ’63, and DAN WHITMORE ’63

Identified by JULIE LOUIS BAKER ’64

and NANCY GREENWOOD RIDDLE ’62

Winter 2026 Cover-Spine 17.1875 x 11.qxp_Layout 1 3/2/26 2:17 PM Page 1

S T .

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Houston, Texas Permit No. 9081

Houston, Texas 77019-5897

S C H O O L

UPDATE

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION 2401 Claremont Lane

J O H N ’ S

Volume 87

Alumni in Renewables • Jan Plan • SJS Network Social

Ceremonial Lower School Groundbreaking

Spring 2026