Issuu

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 86

Construction Update • Graduation • Fellowship Grants

2 0 2 5 C l a s s 8 U t a h Tr i p

Fall 2025

The Alumni Magazine of St. John’s School 713.850.0222

alumni@sjs.org

Head of School DANIEL J. ALIG

ALUMNI EVENTS & IMPORTANT DATES

Director of Advancement DAWSEY ROMERO

Volume 86 Fall 2026 NOVEMBER SJS vs Kinkaid Football Game Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025 12:30 p.m. | Picnic 2 p.m. | Kickoff

Editor SUSAN CHAMBERLIN MUNSON ’97

SAVE THE DATE

Writers & Contributors LISA ARAGÓN-STOKES PHILIP CANNON ’85

................

ANNIE CHARLOT

Network Social Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025 6:30 p.m. | Alums & Intern Sponsors 7 p.m. | Alums, Intern Sponsors, Students Chao Family Assembly Room, Flores Hall

STEPHANIE CROWL BAILEY DUNCAN TESS GEE MARC NATHAN PHOTOGRAPHERS MARTY THOMPSON ’91

Begin the evening with alums and intern sponsors, then continue with networking in Flores alongside Classes 11 & 12. ................ New York Alumni Happy Hour Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025 | 6 p.m. 230 5th Rooftop, Penthouse Lounge

APRIL 10-11, 2026

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

Come visit with fellow SJS alums. Toast at 7 p.m. ... ............. DECEMBER College-Age Tea Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025 | 11:30 a.m. The Quad Close out the year with cocoa, classmates, and teachers — just in time for the holiday season. ................ FEBRUARY Young Alumni Happy Hour with Kinkaid & EHS Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026 | 6 - 8 p.m. Location TBD ................ MARCH Phonathon Tuesday, Mar. 24, 2026 | 6 p.m. ................

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

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.

KENLEY TURVILLE

Who Am I - Spring 2025 Back Row: JASON GIPSON, BOB GATES, HART TYSON, BRANDON BEHRENS, Coach Mark Reed Front Row: EVAN KAJANDER, ANDREW DODSON, JOSH SCHAFFER, ALEX KURINETS, DANIEL PESIKOFF, JOSH BARNARD Identified by MARTIN COLACO ’95, DANIEL PESIKOFF ’95,

RUTHIE JOHNSON MILLER ’95, TODD LEFFLER ’95, JOSH SCHAFFER ’95

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

S C H O O L

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

FeatureStories Opening Day Assembly ........................................................................................4 K-12 Back-to-School Dinner................................................................................5 Construction Update ............................................................................................6

AroundCampus Graduation Coverage ............................................................................................8 • Alumni with Graduating Seniors • List of Schools & Colleges Trustee, Faculty, & Staff Reception ................................................................14 New & Departing Trustees ................................................................................16 Reunion Weekend Recap....................................................................................18 Fellowship Grants ................................................................................................20 Chidsey Society ....................................................................................................33

AlumniNews Letter from Rebecca Linn Hughes ’06, Alumni Board President ................34 Summer Internship Program............................................................................36 Utah Trip ................................................................................................................40

ClassNotes ......................................................................................................41 InMemoriam ....................................................................................................79

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

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

fter a painful summer for our community, the school year began with sadness, remembrance, and reflection. We came together to heal from the Hill Country tragedy, and we continue to support one another with compassion, moving forward individually and collectively as best we can. The new year also brought great momentum and energy. Inside the classroom, on the fields and courts, and on the stage, St. John’s students continue to flourish and excel.

We have accelerated our construction projects. In the last issue of the Update, I touched upon the amazing generosity of several donors who have propelled our Brown (South) Campus’s transformation. You can already bear witness to the fruits of their investments across campus. This past spring, we opened a new softball complex and the Blanton Family Tennis Center, both on the Taub Campus. We have also recently completed and opened the Angie Kensinger Pavilion overlooking Caven Field as well as the Facilities Center adjacent to it.

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

Philanthropically, it was the most successful 12 months since the School’s founding in 1946, when we acquired the Cullen Campus, built West Farish Hall, and recruited our first cadres of faculty and students. The 2024–2025 St. John’s Fund topped $6.8 million, matching Rice University’s annual fund. Led by the Board’s commitments, we embarked upon the leadership phase of our next campaign — an effort that will double our last campaign’s total. To date, we have received over $140M in comprehensive gifts — annual giving, endowment, and capital. The last portion alone exceeds $125M, and we are just getting started.

Ba Nguyen ’92 Caitlin Mullen Pickard ’01 Leslie Elkins Sasser Carson Yost Jing Zhou

In mid-November, demolition of Skip Lee Field and the Frank McMurrey Memorial Track will begin. We will install enormous vaults beneath them to meet water-detention requirements for the next generation of Brown Campus development, including a new Lower School, a new Middle School, and a Middle School green replacing the parking lot between our existing Middle School and the VST Fine Arts Center. Once this water detention is in place,

Fall/Winter 2024 Groundbreaking for Facilities Operations Center and Angie Kensinger Pavilion

January 2024 Campaign Case for Support Completed

Groundbreaking for Lower School

June 2024

Fall 2022

Groundbreaking for Blanton Family Tennis Center & Softball Complex

Board of Trustees Approved Strategic Plan

2022

February 2026

2023

2024

Fall 2023 Board of Trustees Approved Capital Improvement Priorities

2025

2026

March 2028 Projected Groundbreaking for Middle School Building

2027

January 2025 Spring 2024 Campaign Feasibility Study Conducted

Completion of Blanton Family Tennis Center & Softball Complex

we will install a new turf Skip Lee Field and a new McMurrey Memorial Track on the same footprint. That entire project will take eight months and be ready for the 2026–2027 academic year. This upcoming spring, alongside our Skip Lee project, we will break ground on our new Lower School. We are finalizing designs for it this fall and will push for permitting this winter. Construction will span 18 months. Opening during the 2027–2028 school year, the new building will double the square footage of our existing Lower School; it will accommodate far larger, more flexible instructional spaces for our teachers and dynamic play spaces for our little people. It will be the finest elementary school in Texas — it will be stunning.

December 2027 September 2025 Completion of Angie Kensinger Pavilion & Facilities Operations Center

Projected Lower School Building Completion

2028

2029

July 2029 Projected Middle School Building Completion

We hope to harness construction efficiencies by moving directly from this big, complex project right into demolition of the current Lower School in 2028 and construction of both the new Middle School green and the new Middle School itself, which will be positioned along Westheimer Road. Fundraising momentum will be integral to maintaining this construction momentum. It’s an exciting, ambitious time on Claremont Lane — fitting as we celebrate the School’s 80th year. I hope that you will join us this spring for Reunion Weekend and behold our progress in person. Thanks for supporting our St. John’s cause. Thanks for championing your alma mater. With gratitude,

DANIEL J. ALIG, Head of School

FeatureStories

OPENING DAY ASSEMBLY

he first day of school was celebrated by the K-12 community during the annual Opening Assembly. Led by Class 12 students, our youngest Mavericks walked into the gym hand in hand. With a nod to the SJS leading Precepts & Principles on written display, student representatives from each division welcomed students – new and returning – to the start of the new school year as K-12 students, faculty, and staff gathered on Liu Court for the annual Opening Assembly. Our youngest Mavericks, from Kindergarten and Class 1, were paired with Class 12 students and entered the gym hand in hand to kick off the morning. A student representative from each division — Lower, Middle, and Upper — welcomed new and returning students back to campus and gave well wishes for the new school year. Head of School Dan Alig shared reflections and encouragement for the school year ahead. To wrap up the assembly, one student from each class shared a historical fact about the school. Then it was off to class to start the first day of the new year!

K-12 BACK-TO-SCHOOL DINNER Another fun Back-to-School dinner in the books! K-12 families gathered on Sunday, August 24 for spaghetti dinner provided by the fantastic SJS Food Services team. From dinner, lawn games, and to perusing the Spirit Store, attendees had fun reconnecting with old friends and making new friends alike. Thank you to both the SJS Food Services and Facilities teams for another fun night for the school community!

FeatureStories

Construction Update The St. John’s campus has experienced remarkable growth over the past several years and will soon begin significant campus projects over the next few years. This transformation began three years ago, when then–Board Chair Mark Rodriguez led the Board of Trustees in finalizing an updated strategic plan focused on four key pillars: academic excellence, community and belonging, strategic growth, and campus improvement.

In August 2023, the Board approved capital priorities aligned with this plan. Thanks to the leadership of former CFO Greg Swan and current CFO Ileana Del Toro, the School engaged project managers and a team of architects to design new facilities across Scottland Yard, the Taub Campus, and the Brown (South) Campus. Most notably, plans include new Lower School and Middle School buildings. Design work for these projects is currently underway, and their construction is soon to follow. When Board Chair GENTRY LEE ’90 began his tenure on July 1, 2024, he led the transition from planning to action — securing leadership donors and launching construction. The past 12 months have been the most successful

FeatureStories

philanthropic year since St. John’s founding in 1946, when the School acquired the Cullen Campus, built West Farish Hall, and recruited its first faculty and students. The 2024–2025 St. John’s Fund raised more than $6.8 million, matching Rice University’s annual fund. Building on these results and led by strong Board commitments, we have embarked on the leadership phase of our next campaign — an effort projected to double the total of our last campaign. To date, we have received over $130 million in comprehensive gifts, including more than $120 million in capital support, and we are just getting started. This early generosity has already had a visible impact. Last spring, we opened a new softball complex and the Blanton Family Tennis Center on the Taub Campus. In September, we unveiled the Angie Kensinger Pavilion overlooking Caven Field and the new Facilities Operations Center next door. This November, we will begin major infrastructure work on Skip Lee Field and the McMurrey Memorial Track to install underground water detention vaults — critical to supporting the next generation of Brown Campus development. Once this work is complete, both the field and track will be rebuilt with brand-new turf and surfaces, ready for the 2026–2027 academic year. This project will also make way for a new Middle School green to replace the current parking lot between the Middle School and the VST Fine Arts Center. We will break ground on the new Lower School building this spring, timed to run concurrently with the Skip Lee project. Final designs will be completed this fall, with permitting scheduled for the winter. Construction will take approximately 18 months, with completion projected for late 2027 — weather permitting. The new building will double the size of the current Lower School and provide spacious, flexible learning environments and vibrant play areas for our youngest students.

AroundCampus

Class of 2025 T H E 7 5 T H G R A D U AT I N G C L A S S O F S T. J O H N ’ S To watch recordings of the Baccalaureate and Commencement ceremonies for the Class of 2025, visit: https://www.youtube.com/@SJSMavTV/streams

n Thursday, May 22, the Class of 2025 gathered on the Great Lawn for the School’s 75th Commencement Ceremony. Joined by St. John’s faculty and family, the 176 graduates gathered together to hear inspiring words from Head of School Dan Alig, Board Chair GENTRY LEE ’90, and this year’s Commencement speaker, Renu Khator, President of the University of Houston. The night before, Baccalaureate was held at the Church of St. John the Divine. Head Prefect MARK DOAN ’25 and Upper School History teacher Gara Johnson-West shared reflections upon their own time at St. John’s as well as advice and best wishes to the Class of 2025. It is with great enthusiasm to welcome these graduates to the alumni community!

AroundCampus

COMMENCEMENT

B AC CA L A U R E AT E

Renu Khator PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON “

et your dreams define your path, let your passion carry you forward, and let your humanity keep you anchored.”

“

Gara Johnson-West

Mark Doan ’25

UPPER SCHOOL HISTORY

HEAD PREFECT

istory is happening quickly, and time is fleeting. So even as life takes its twists and turns, you’ll find your way home through your shared humanity, your connection to people you met along the way.”

“

hether this is the creature of habit in me talking or whether it’s a generally valued principle, perhaps the most effective way to face change is by remaining true to who we are.”

ALUMNI WITH GRADUATING SENIORS

TOBY ’91, GRADY ’25, and ERIN TOBOLA MCMILLAN ’91

TESS ’25, PIA ’25, Isabel Artzer, and MARISA REUTER ’88

ASHLEY ’25 and DANIEL RINGOLD ’93

CHASE ’25 and LAURA HERBERT PEAVY ’85

ELSA ITZ CHAPMAN ’93 and JACKIE ’25

OLIVER ’25 and ETHAN CARLYLE ’93

CHIP ’91 and AMELIA EARLE ’25

ROBERT MIXON ’25 and BOB GRAHAM ’64

STOCKARD ’25 and KATHRYN LEE BRAGAN ’94

CESC ’25 and JEAN-PIERRE BAIZAN ’86

WILLIAM ’25 and JENNIFER GROSSMAN OAKLEY ’83

WINFIELD ’91 and CONNOR CAMPBELL ’25

GENEVIEVE ’25, BRYN ’88, and TY LARSEN ’25

SARAH ’25, CATE ’25, and HENRY ADAMS ’87

— Continued on next page.

ALUMNI WITH GRADUATING SENIORS

HILLARY JORDAN ’04 and AUBREY BISPING ’25

GRACE O’MALLEY EBAUGH ’89 and MAUREEN ’25

KATHRYN STASNEY CHILDERS ’89 and WYATT CHILDERS ’25

CAROLINE ’16, JIM ’28, WILLIAM ’25, LESLIE, and Shannon SASSER

ALISON WEAVER ’89 and MAX MARTIN ’25

BEN ’91 and TALIA MUSHER ’25

MASON ’25 and MARK LUM ’89

MAC ’23, ADAIR ’25, and SHAWN PATTERSON ’93

CONNOR ’25 and EVELYN SU-MCCAIN ’92

NOT PICTURED:

MELISSA CROSS ’89 and JACK BOWLING ’25 RUSSELL ’86 and JACOB GREEN ’25 CARTER ’92 and ELIZA PERRIN ’25 WINIFRED KELSEY RISER ’91 and MAC RISER ’25 ALLEN ’89 and ALEXANDER RUSTAY ’25 PHILLIP ’88 and ANNA SAMPSON ’25 JOHN ’87 and GRANT YOUNG ’25

MOLLY CAMPBELL VOORHEES ’94 and DAYTON VOORHEES ’25

KATE ’25 and JOHN MOODY ’67

AroundCampus

B E S T O F LU C K Amherst College (2) Auburn University (2) Bard College Boston College Bowdoin College Brown University (2) Bryn Mawr College California Institute of Technology Carleton College Carnegie Mellon University Case Western Reserve University Chapman University Claremont McKenna College Colby College Colorado School of Mines (3) Columbia University Cornell University (4) Dartmouth College Emerson College Emory University Fordham University Furman University Georgetown University (4) Georgia Institute of Technology Grinnell College Hamilton College

St. John’s graduates from the Class of 2025 are attending the following colleges and universities. We wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors! Harvard University Howard University (2) Indiana University-Bloomington Lehigh University (2) Louisiana State University New York University (4) Northeastern University (4) Northwestern University Oberlin College Pepperdine University Pomona College Princeton University (2) Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rice University (15) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Southern Methodist University Southwestern University St. John’s College (MD) Stanford University Texas A&M University (11) Texas Christian University (3) The College of Wooster The University of Austin The University of Tennessee The University of Texas at Austin (19) Trinity College

Trinity University Tufts University Tulane University (3) University of California-Berkeley University of California-San Diego University of California-Santa Barbara University of Chicago (3) University of Colorado Boulder University of Florida University of Georgia University of Miami University of Michigan (6) University of North Carolina (2) University of Notre Dame University of Oklahoma University of Richmond (2) University of Southern California (2) University of Virginia (2) Vanderbilt University (6) Vassar College Wake Forest University Washington and Lee University (2) Washington University in St. Louis (5) Wellesley College William & Mary (2) Yale University (6)

AroundCampus

Trustee, Faculty, & Staff Reception TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2025 SERVICE AWARDS

10 YEARS Scott Alan Lisa Aragón-Stokes Bob Bellard Kim Bushman John Esparza Clint Everts Bethany Goldman Clay Guinn ’92 Russell Hardin Andrew Herman Julianne Howard Betty Joya Carol Kar Franco Posa David Price Monica Rose Suzanne Webb Tricia Zeuner

20 YEARS Estella Villarreal

30 YEARS Dan Havel

Kem & Paula

Excerpts from Head of School Dan Alig’s transcript at the reception.

FA C U LT Y E M E R I T I Kem Kemp | 32 YEARS “

y the time she joined our English Department, Kem had already logged over a decade in Cy-Fair middle-school English classrooms. She was also a veteran yearbook sponsor at that point — a role she kept here at St. John’s for another 20 years. That, my friends, is over 30 doorstopper yearbooks — think of all of those photo roundups, editorial meetings, and Saturday workshops.

Over her first decade at St. John’s, Kem migrated from Middle School to Upper School, where she found a home in Class 9 English, serving for years as that program’s stalwart — its heart and chief architect. Hundreds and hundreds of freshman writers have grown under Kem’s tutelage — her unfailing patience, direction and redirection, and kindhearted ear.

AroundCampus

Just as impactful has been her collegiality. Kem’s specialty is welcoming and mentoring new faculty; she has a knack for guiding them and learning from them simultaneously. According to Chair Rachel Weissenstein, “No one searches wider or harder for new knowledge; the English Department printer is always abuzz with Kem’s latest finds” — from offbeat interpretations of Twelfth Night to Jungian archetypes. Kem is a Longhorn and a native of small-town Texas; she’s made St. John’s her own small town in Houston — and her knickknack-ed, quirky classroom a living room for us all. We will miss her greatly as she spends more time on Cape Cod and dotes on her two grandchildren.

T.C. EVANS AWARD Rachel Weissenstein stablished by the Prefects of the Class of 1963, this award is presented to that member of the St. John’s family who best exemplifies devotion to the School through spirited devotion and continuous support of its activities.

Thank you, Kem, for 32 wonderful years at St. John’s.”

E. PHILIP CANNON AWARDS Paula Angus | 30 YEARS Salvador Aquino “

aula grew up in Southern Ohio and earned her undergraduate degree at Morehead State University. In the spring of 1988, she began her teaching career here in Houston at Dowling Middle School. The next fall, she landed at Elsik High School, where she taught all levels of biology and sponsored the environmental club. Seven years later, Roxie Allen convinced her to join us on Claremont Lane. Teaching biology, anatomy and physiology, and neuroscience, Paula has anchored life sciences at St. John’s since her arrival.

I give you Roxie’s words about her dear colleague: “Paula is one of those rare people whose curiosity about the world seems endless. A devoted biology teacher, she brings science to life not just in the classroom but in everything she does. Whether she’s birdwatching with quiet patience, crafting her own natural fabric dyes, or diving deeply into the complexities of the human brain, Paula approaches learning with passion and joy. Her love for plants and animals is matched only by her kindness toward people — she is a deeply supportive colleague and an even better friend. Her presence inspires those around her to slow down, look closely, and keep asking questions.”

Melvin Baker Jennifer Bowen Gara Johnson-West o honor the work of Headmaster E. Philip Cannon, each year we recognize people who have contributed greatly to the life of the School — teachers and staff members who serve kids and colleagues with heart and without fanfare. This year, we are excited to pay special tribute to four individuals particularly deserving of our gratitude.

Paula, thank you for inspiring hundreds of young people; for encouraging all of us to slow down, to cherish and celebrate the natural world, and to keep asking those questions. We will so miss your love of learning, spirit of inquiry, and sense of wonder.”

AroundCampus

New Trustees MEET THE NEWLY ELECTED MEMBERS TO THE ST. JOHN’S BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Renju Jose Kuruvila, CFA enju has spent his entire career with NOV, Inc., a multinational company based in Houston with 33,000 employees and operations in more than 60 countries. He has been a President at NOV since 2019 and is currently focused on building a digital platform for the energy industry. Prior to that he was VP, NOV Ventures, focused on setting up joint ventures and investing in early-stage startups. From 2007 – 2014, he was part of NOV’s Corporate Development team, executing on 100+ mergers and acquisitions, with an enterprise value of over $15 billion, in more than 25 countries. Renju joined NOV in 2002, and held operational roles in the UK, UAE, and Venezuela in his early years. He currently sits on the board of NOV’s joint venture with Schlumberger and previously was on the board of NOV’s joint venture with Saudi Aramco where he headed the audit committee. He holds an MS in Manufacturing Systems Engineering from UT Austin, an MBA from The Wharton School, and is a CFA Charterholder. He serves as President of the Board of the Houston Area Parkinson Society, is on the Board of the Wharton Club of Houston, is a member of the Pastoral Council at St. Anne Catholic Church and a member of the Investment Committee at St. John’s School.

Prior to moving to the United States for his education in his 20s, Renju managed his family’s natural rubber plantation business in India. He lives in Houston with his wife, Asha, who is a gastroenterologist with UT Physicians, and his two sons JOSEPH ’30 and ISAAC ’32 who are at St. John’s School.

D E PA RT I N G T R U ST E ES : ANGELA FULLEN ANDREW MCCULLOUGH, JR. ’86 CAMILO MUÑOZ LIZ STEPANIAN

On behalf of the entire St. John’s community, we extend our thanks to the Trustees who completed their Board term this year. We are grateful for their unwavering support, counsel, and service to the School.

AroundCampus

Caitlin Mullen Pickard ’01 aitlin Mullen Pickard graduated from St. John’s in 2001. She then received a BA with a Major in Politics from the Commerce School at Washington and Lee University. She returned to Houston to work as a Corps Member Teacher and then Program Director with Teach For America Houston. While teaching at-risk students, Caitlin was elected Teacher of the Year two consecutive years in a row. She completed her MBA with honors from The University of Texas McCombs School of Business and joined Goldman Sachs in 2010 to be an Investment Advisor. She currently runs a team managing ~$2 billion in investments for both private client and nonprofit clients. In addition to joining the Board of Trustees for St. John’s, she also serves on the Board of Teach For America. She and her husband, RYAN ’01, have two daughters, PENNY ’34 and DOTTIE ’35, who attend St. John’s School, and two dogs.

Carson Lee Randolph Yost arson was born and raised in Houston and attended St. John’s from Kindergarten through eighth grade, after which he was shipped off to the frigid woods of New Hampshire to matriculate at St. Paul’s School. Following boarding school, Carson earned a B.A. in Economics from Duke and an MBA from Stanford.

Early career roles at J.P. Morgan, Trilogy Software, Luther King Capital Management, and S.A.C. Capital Advisors paved the path for Carson to launch his hedge fund, Yost Capital Management (YCM), in 2010. YCM employs fundamental and quantitative strategies to invest on behalf of endowments, foundations, and high-net-worth individuals. YCM has offices in Fort Worth and Houston. Carson’s better half, Lexi Yost, graduated from Trinity Valley School in Fort Worth and SMU before earning a graduate degree in gemology from the Gemological Institute of America in New York. Lexi works as a consultant for the jewelry department at Sotheby’s. The Yosts have two daughters, CYPRESS ’28 and MARY CARSON ’31, both of whom attend St. John’s. Prior to enrolling at SJS in 2020, the girls successfully endured the verbal and culinary abuses of the British educational system at Knightsbridge School in London. Thus far, both children have managed to clear the low bar set by their father’s legacy at SJS.

AroundCampus

Leslie Elkins Sasser 2025 PAUL D. CHAPMAN '71 DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENT PRESENTED AT THE 2025 ALUMNI AWARDS LUNCHEON

t the 2025 Alumni Awards Luncheon, the School presented the Paul D. Chapman ’71 Distinguished Service Award to LESLIE ELKINS SASSER. Named for her dear friend, this award is presented by the Head of School to an alum who has exhibited exceptional dedication to the school community and contributed mightily to its betterment. Today an award-winning architect, Leslie’s exposure to art and architecture came early on in her life. Growing up in a Staub house and watching her father select art for First National Bank, Leslie learned the importance of art and space at a young age. She took a summer job for Morris Architects while still in Upper School at SJS. After a brief stint in New York City, Leslie returned to Houston to attend the University of Houston and receive her Master’s degree in Architecture. Leslie was recruited to work for Charles Tapley here in Houston before starting her own firm.

Leslie and husband Shannon returned to SJS as parents of CAROLINE ’16, WILLIAM ’25, and JIM SASSER ’28. Leslie has lent her expertise time and time again to the SJS community. A current SJS trustee, Leslie has served on the Committee on Community & Inclusion, the Strategic Planning Committee, Capital Planning Committee, and has chaired both the Facilities Committee and the St. John’s Fund. She has lent her unique insight into the design process of our future Lower and Middle School buildings, while also opening up her home to community members to hear more about these projects. Leslie has also been a generous financial backer of the School and these projects. With more than 20 years of consecutive support to the St. John’s Fund, Leslie has been inspirational to other donors, always willing to pick up the phone for SJS. Leslie was also an integral part of the incredible leadership gift from the Elkins Foundation — a $5 million grant towards the current capital campaign. She has truly made a lasting impact on the Cullen Campus of today and the Brown Campus of the future.

2025 Award Recipients: L to R - LESLIE ELKINS SASSER, Doug Elliott (Lamp of Knowledge), TRACEY DOSS BROWN ’75 (Distinguished Alumna), BACH MAI ’07 (Maverick Award), Alumni Board President REBECCA LINN HUGHES ’06, Joe Dilg (Honorary Alumnus), Head of School Dan Alig

SAVE THE DATE

BRADY LUM ’85, SUSIE BURKS BRENNAN ’85, Sean Brennan, Eleanor Cannon

APRIL 10-11, 2026

CINDY VIETOR KAHLE ’70, LESLIE ELKINS SASSER, JOHN ELKINS ’06, Jenine Alig

AroundCampus

FELLOWSHIP GRANTS n

The St. John’s Endowment is home to a multitude of funds that provide for the School and our community in perpetuity. These four fellowship opportunities featured here provide faculty and students opportunities for enrichment beyond our storied cloisters.

CLAIRE ADKINS ’26

PAUL CHAPMAN ’71 FELLOWSHIP IN SERVICE LEARNING

s a devoted volunteer, lifelong learner, and servant-leader, PAUL CHAPMAN ’71 exemplified service-learning. He used his curiosity, positivity, and passion to better the St. John’s community. Established in 2019, the Paul Chapman ’71 Fellowship in Service Learning provides grants to students to conduct self-directed domestic projects that seek to identify, research, and help resolve a relevant problem in the community. Projects may cover a variety of issues, including but not limited to: education, the environment, health care and aging, urban planning, arts in the community, human rights, peace and security, and public policy.

ver the past few years, I have dedicated myself to learning Spanish. As I immersed myself in the language, I discovered that it opens the door to deeper, more meaningful connections that wouldn't be possible otherwise.

This year, I began teaching elementary school girls at Étoile Academy with the community service project “Girls for STEM.” There, our goal was to create a comfortable learning environment for girls to pursue STEM and be encouraged to share their opinions freely. I noticed, however, that many kids were lost as we explained various topics because they knew little English and felt more comfortable speaking in Spanish. Although I knew that exposure to a new language at a young age is crucial, I also knew that if we only taught in English, the girls would not feel completely comfortable in this class. To solve this, I taught the main lesson in English then explained directions and answered any lingering questions in Spanish. Immediately, I noticed a difference. The girls started smiling more, listening attentively to the lesson, and participating in more activities.

Inspired by this success, I decided to propose a bilingual summer camp about US history. In my opinion, history is one of the most important subjects for young kids to learn as it directly impacts the way the world works today. With this in mind, I wanted to make learning US history something fun and exciting for the kids so they would appreciate the subject from a young age. With the support of the Paul Chapman ‘71 Fellowship, I was able to plan a two-week summer camp that consisted of interactive history lessons and hands-on activities for kids to show what they had learned. Using the funding, I bought supplies for the 20 kids in the camp such as paint, clay, markers, notebooks, and lunch for the kids each day. Throughout the camp, I taught the story of US history beginning with the diverse groups of Native Americans and ending with the Roaring ’20s and The Great Depression. Each day, I began with an interactive power point lesson to give background on the subject followed by activities related to the lesson. For example, one day I taught about the founding of the US as a nation: the Constitution, branches of government, and founding fathers. Afterwards, they

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RAKA AGRAWAL ’26 & JAYA LAL ’27 oth of us had a New Year's resolution in common: read more. Throughout the school, we are privileged to have deep and interesting discussions through our English classes, but we forget to leave time for recreational reading outside of class. After starting to read outside of school, we found just how fulfilling and fun reading could be, and we wanted to share this passion with others. Through our research, we found that reading could be most impactful for young children and senior citizens on cognitive abilities.

B each created their own country with different flags, forms of government, and mini-constitutions. I found that teaching in both languages not only helped their comprehension and understanding of history, but made them feel comfortable in a new classroom. Over time, their confidence and willingness to offer their opinions only increased. Originally, the camp was planned for ages 7 and up, however, within a few days the kids wanted to bring their younger siblings and I couldn’t say no. With an age range of 5-12, planning lessons became difficult but I learned that even the younger kids were able to understand and participate in more complex lessons. I found that adding coloring activities and crafts for them to do as I taught did the opposite of distracting them. Because they were energetic and hyper kids, the coloring helped to calm them and increased their attention span. Over time, I became good friends with my students as we celebrated Emma’s birthday with cupcakes and played four corners during our breaks. I realized that we grew together — both my confidence in teaching and their confidence in participating. When the last day of camp came, I realized that it would be hard to say goodbye to both the parents and the kids. One mother, in particular, might have been the kindest person I have ever met. When on the last day, we hugged and she told me I was a role model for her daughter, I broke down in tears. In the end, I realized that this camp had evolved into more than just history — it was about confidence, building relationships, and making once in a lifetime memories.

We created partnerships with various community service organizations across Houston of various ages and created book clubs with the members. These clubs would meet weekly at the non-profit's facility, where we would have open guided discussions with the members, often encouraging them to share their own stories and experiences. After the guided discussion, we would have a short activity/craft relating to the book. Thanks to Belmont Village, Nehemiah Center, and BakerRipley, we were able to do three book clubs. At Belmont Village, a local senior home, we read Klara and the Sun by Kazuro Ishiguro, a book that ponders the meaning of humanity and the impacts of artificial intelligence on human connection. At BakerRipley and the Nehemiah Center, we read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which emphasizes how all of our actions have consequences. — Continued on next page.

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We were excited to work with Belmont Village because, through our research, we found that reading can boost cognitive abilities, prevent dementia, and reduce loneliness in seniors. After talking to the Volunteer Coordinator to find out what books the residents would enjoy, we landed on Klara and the Sun, our 10th-grade summer reading book, because it had a good balance of abstract and concrete ideas to analyze. Through the book, we were able to explore the themes of loneliness, friendship, connection, social class, and technology. We were able to engage with the text but also get a new, diverse perspective completely different from our own. Moreover, we wanted to do a book club with 3rd and 4th graders as well to boost creativity, vocabulary, and academic skills, counteracting the effects of screen time specifically on attention span for the kids, and connecting the kids to a love of reading that can be forgotten through the school year. We were able to work with Neimiah and BakerRipley to create these book clubs. In them, we had many crafts and activities such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory word searches, designing, sculpting, and describing, dream candies out of clay, making gumball machines, and making Willy Wonka hats. These activities were able to lead us to group discussions that reached kids of all different levels, some working on spoken English, while others were working on their reading skills. These book clubs connected us and the kids in ways that we couldn’t imagine, and we are so grateful.

After completing the book club portion of our grant, we were inspired by the benefits that we could see in connecting people through reading. It was clear to us that access to reading and opportunities to engage sparked lifelong skills such as curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking. We wanted to expand the impacts of this grant past the initial book clubs, so we decided to focus on early literacy. We started by reaching out to local schools that needed more books for their students. Together, we partnered with KIPP and Small Steps to create small classroom book nooks for children ranging from ages two to eight. The idea behind these book nooks was not only to make books physically accessible to children but also to create a fun environment for them to read and let their imaginations loose. We brought this vision to life by decorating bookshelves with lively book characters from our own childhoods. Then we organized a book drive with the St. Johns community, who generously gave hundreds of

book donations that we then sorted through for each age. With these efforts, we donated a total of six book nooks to hopefully foster a love of reading and develop literacy skills at an early age. Following the donation of the book in 2026, we also plan to continue working with KIPP and Small Steps to do monthly read-aloud sessions. Our goal is to keep reading exciting for students while extending the lasting impact of this grant. From discussing blueberry gum with the kids at BakerRipley, to talking about the usage of artificial intelligence with the seniors at Belmont Village, to setting up the book nooks at Small Steps, we are so grateful for the opportunity and impact we were able to make. A huge thank you to all the volunteer coordinators with whom we worked. Due to the Paul Chapman ‘71 Fellowship in Service Learning, we were able to reach hundreds of kids with access to books and ignite a passion for reading.

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ISABELLA ADACHI ’27

TURK ADROGUÉ EL-HAKAM FELLOWSHIP IN SCIENCE

or decades, Erol Turk’s talents in teaching and his devotion to his colleagues in the science department were used to make teaching and learning physics a special experience at St. John’s. Mr. Turk inspired students, faculty, and community members with his positivity in the face of adversity. Established in 2019, the Turk Adrogué El-Hakam Fellowship in Science awards students grants to conduct domestic summer research and/or participate in a domestic summer experience or internship that seeks to research, learn about, and/or apply science. It is an opportunity to explore science further in either academics or real world applications. Projects, experiences, or internships may cover a variety of science-related topics, including (but not limited to): physics, biology, chemistry, medical sciences, the environment, and other STEM-related fields.

ith the support from the Turk Adrogué El-Hakam Fellowship in Science I had the opportunity to learn clinical research throughout this summer. The project that I was involved in studied the relationship between cystatin C and the rapid aging that patients with HIV experience. Using cystatin C levels and clinical frailty assessments, my goal was to investigate if this protein could be a non-invasive budget-friendly biomarker of aging in a Hispanic population.

My experience began by reading the medical literature to further improve my initial hypothesis. People with HIV face unique health challenges that accelerate their aging process, including a higher risk of kidney dysfunction. When exploring biomarkers, I came across cystatin C. Cystatin C is a protein produced by nearly all nucleated cells and filtered exclusively by the kidneys. Different from creatinine, which level is influenced by muscle mass, cystatin C provides a more reliable indicator of kidney function. Small studies have demonstrated a correlation between increased cystatin C and reduced — Continued on next page.

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handgrip strength, a surrogate marker for frailty and biological aging. Since declining handgrip strength is associated with aging, I hypothesized that cystatin C could not only be a marker of kidney function, but also an indirect marker for aging in people living with HIV. I completed the Good Clinical Practice and Human Subjects Research trainings, which review the regulatory requirements and ethical standards that govern clinical research, to reinforce my knowledge on protecting the safety of participants while ensuring the integrity of the clinical data. Additionally, I learned how to design a clinical protocol including defining clear objectives, selecting an appropriate sample size with the assistance of a statistician, establishing inclusion and exclusion criteria, and outlining endpoints. One method of measuring the levels of cystatin C is by EnzymeLinked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) that offers both qualitative and semi-quantitative results. I learned and practiced the steps of the ELISA under the guidance of Dr. Ochoa’s lab team who walked me through all the biochemical processes and techniques. This hands-on experience advanced my lab skills and knowledge as I was taught how to properly dilute and pipette solutions that contained the antigens to coat the surface of the wells, the enzyme conjugate antibodies to bond to the antigens, and the substrate to initiate the reaction. Buffer solutions between steps to remove unbound substances, and the stop solution was added to halt the reaction allowing for the color changes and concentration of cystatin C to be measured using a microplate reader. Besides the biochemical data collecting, I learned how to use a dynamometer to clinically assess physical frailty by measuring grip strength, an indicator for overall muscle strength and a marker of aging. In addition to sample size calculation, this experience also allowed me to learn the basics about statistical tools such as chi-square tests, Wilcoxon rank sum tests, Pearson correlation analysis, received operation characteristics (ROC) analysis, and multivariate linear regression needed to analyze the relationship between the concentration of cystatin C, handgrip strength and frailty. Overall, this opportunity deepened my knowledge of the scientific process and highlighted the impact of research in patient care. The univariate preliminary results confirmed my original hypothesis; however, further multivariate statistical analysis will be performed to show if other variables could impact the outcome. I plan to continue this project throughout this school year and the data generated will be presented at a conference.

CARSON WANG ’26 n February 2021, Winter Storm Uri devastated Texas’s power infrastructure, leaving over 4.5 million homes without electricity and causing an estimated $130 billion in damages. Cities like Houston were hit especially hard, as freezing temperatures left residents without power to heat their homes. This crisis exposed vulnerabilities in Texas’s isolated power grid, managed by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), and emphasized the need for more accurate electricity demand forecasting.

Thus, with the help of the Turk Adrogué El-Hakam Fellowship, I was able to create a random forest regression model that would extrapolate historical weather and electrical data to predict the demand. In order to create an accurate forecast, I needed to train my model with a sufficient amount of data for both weather and its corresponding electrical demands. I collected data on four weather metrics that I thought could have an effect on civilian electricity usage: temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, and wind speed. With these metrics in mind, I collected daily data from 2020-2023, and also found the corresponding electricity usage values published by Centerpoint Energy. This 1096-entry dataset would become the historical data to train my model. Because I did not want to manually go through each day’s excel sheet and input the data, I created a program that would read publicly available weather and electricity data, and compile them into one neat file that would be easier to read for my model as well. Lastly, in order to measure how successful my model was, I implemented a calculation of the value, or 𝑟2 the coefficient of determination, which would quantify how well the model fits my data. Another extension of my project was a comparison of the different weather metrics against each other to see which weather

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This graph shows the comparison of each model’s 𝑟2 value.

1.00 0.75 Model Validation Score (𝑟2)

FIGURE 1: Effects of Different Predictor Variables on Model Validation Scores for Electrical Demand Predictions

0.05 0.25 0.00

-0.25 All Variables Together

Temperature Only

Humidity Only

Pressure Only

Windspeed Only

All Variables Together

Temperature Only

Humidity Only

Pressure Only

Windspeed Only

This graph shows a comparison of each model’s deviation from real data.

10 % Error

FIGURE 2: % Error of Each Model in Comparison to Experimental Data

Real Data From Experimental Time Frame

measurement is most suitable for predicting electrical demand. To do this, I created four “mini models” that each only look at historical data for one metric instead of all four together. On top of comparing just their values, I wanted to see how 𝑟2 far off each model deviated a real time period and the electricity used from that time period; this would become my “experimental time period.” Because the program utilizes the historical weather and electrical data, but also experimental weather data to make its prediction, I fed the model the actual weather data from the experimental time period, and compared my predictive demand with the actual demand to get a percent error. Therefore, I had two ways of measuring model effectiveness–the values and % error. For the 𝑟2 values, the result was very apparent: temperature clearly was very effective, with none 𝑟2 of the other metrics even coming close (figure 1). However, the % error results were much more ambiguous. Again, we see the temperature model having the highest accuracy, but the other models did not fall too far behind either (figure 2). Ultimately, I concluded that temperature was the most effective electrical demand measuring metric, which makes sense because we often adjust our AC’s based on the temperature around us, creating a large influx of demand when it gets too hot or too cold outside. I was also able to create a predictive model with an 𝑟2 value of 0.83, and a percent error of just 6% from real data.

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RAQUEL GAYTÁN ver the last year and a half, as I prepared an honors-level Spanish class offered for the first time during the most recent academic year, I gained a great deal of knowledge about the culture and history of Guatemala. For example, I learned that today over 40% of its total population speaks one of 22 distinct Maya languages, as well as Garifuna and Xinca, two non-Amerindian, critically endangered languages. Focusing on the Maya linguistic communities, I learned that each one has its own unique traje or traditional attire and that wearing a traje, which is a representation of the group’s cultural identity, can have significant political and social implications. However, the most impactful lessons I learned as I researched for the class came from a more personal source: each Saturday of the school year, my students and I spent our mornings with a group of Maya Q’eqchi’ children (our amiguitos or little friends), some of whom are living in the US without their parents. These visits not only brought the

O JAMAIL GRANTS

hanks to the generosity of the Robert and Louise Jamail family, an endowed fund was established to finance significant summer enrichment opportunities for teachers. These grants are intended to enable faculty to explore topics both within and outside their area of teaching. By allowing teachers to pursue significant enrichment opportunities, these grants recognize and support the continuing, interdisciplinary education of faculty within a community of learners. During the school year, faculty members submit a proposal for consideration of an enrichment opportunity for the coming summer break.

themes explored in the classroom — migration, loss, and cultural resilience — into sharp focus, but in many ways, reminded me of my own experience as a migrant child. This past June, I had the opportunity to spend two weeks in Guatemala, both in the urban centers of Guatemala City and Antigua, and in smaller mountain communities including Santa Catarina Palapó and Panajachel. As I came in contact with the local languages, visited museums, walked the cobblestone streets, spent time in the local markets, admired the stunning landscape, and savored the regional food, I repeatedly pictured the faces of the children my students and I played with, read to, and wrote with back in Houston. Watching the local children playing in the plazas, going to school, and helping their parents as they earned a living informally, I could not help but imagine the lives our Houston amiguitos might have lived had they not left Guatemala. Exploring the smaller communities, observing the narrow streets, almost alleyways, full of sounds of people and animals, made me wonder what was gained

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and what was lost with their migration. I also reflected on how my students and I can contribute to helping them feel part of a community here in Houston, especially at this moment in time in the US. Undoubtedly, this experience will deeply enrich my teaching moving forward. The people, the landscape, and the stories I have come in contact with while in Guatemala have given new life to the lessons I will share in the classroom. Having walked in the places where our amiguitos came from has provided an even stronger purpose to having my students accompany them in Houston. It has reaffirmed yet again that learning a language is about more than vocabulary and grammar or earning a good grade; it is about people, communities, and belonging. I look forward to continuing to help my students learn a language with empathy for the broader world. I am deeply thankful to the Jamail Grant for making this experience possible.

SUMMER PAO or the 2026 Jan Plan, I proposed to teach Shadow Puppet Theater. I was greatly blessed with the endowment of the Jamail Grant, which awarded me a rare learning opportunity at the Chinese Theatre Works, a school full of passionate culture workers who take pride in passing the torch of ancient Chinese performing arts to the younger generation. During that special week, I felt impressed by the dedication of the staff who painstakingly paid attention to the smallest details: the position of the lighting, the angle of the puppet show screen, just to name a few.

One of the most important lessons that I learned in the workshop was the three types of puppet theaters: 1) the conventional, where all the puppeteers sit or stand right on the stage, behind the screen, 2) the modern overhead projector, where the light source is projected on a vertical flat surface and the puppeteers are not the focal point 3) the hybrid, which incorporates both methods, where the puppeteers are front and center on the stage and behind the screen, but others man the background scenes from an overhead projector out of the way We were allowed to produce the same play with all three methods, which brought the pros and cons to light and inspired me as a classroom instructor. Before the workshop, I had my mind set on the conventional stage and screen, assuming the direct placement of the center stage would be the most beneficial for the weeklong class. But after trying all three, I learned that the hybrid method would actually yield the most advanced visual satisfaction by allowing the maximum degree of spontaneous student participation. This knowledge is precious to me in directing students to create a background scene on the projector that is separate from the manipulation of the puppets up front. The independently controlled background contributes to the likelihood of a rolling background, which achieves the visual effects of seamless motion picture, the ultimate goal and success of a well-executed shadow puppetry. Hide and Seek Another great lesson that I learned from the workshop is the nature of the shadow puppetry, a hide-and-seek with light. Once kids learned to sort how objects appear to be translucent, transparent, or opaque on the screen, an exciting treasure hunt and impromptu lab experiment began. A piece of lace served as a great way to portray the cumulonimbus cloud before a storm, and the cutout from a plastic egg carton was instrumental in mimicking an owl’s sparkling eyes. It was an amazing sight to see young kids grasping applied physics on the spot: they squealed over their

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bragging rights when making accurate predictions of how light would appear on the screen and laughed when surprised to see a completely different outcome. When teachers can create a cross-disciplinary learning experience in the classroom, and when kids take charge in making discoveries by hands-on tasks, that spontaneous unpredictability produced by the self-led exploration becomes the biggest motivational hook. In our Jan Plan in 2026, I hope to achieve the same fearless and creative learning environment, where students dare to take risks and push their own intellectual boundaries for the sake of fun in my workshop. Tangible Heritage During the workshop, we learned about the legacy of Pauline Benton, a lifelong enthusiastic collector and curator of Chinese shadow puppets. The Kansas-native spent some time in Asia and fell in love with the performing arts there. She acquired some authentic yet damaged shadow puppets in Beijing and brought them back to the States. After successfully restoring the puppets made of donkey hide and cured in Tung oil, she continued to find more similar treasures that were desperate for love and some elbow grease to regain their former glory. With special permission, I was allowed to touch and observe some of the oldest known shadow puppets outside of China. Nobody knew how much time and work were poured into the restoration of the precious pieces, but I felt a sense of duty as I caressed the vibrantly colored figures. It is an absolute privilege to learn from Stephen Kaplin, the authority on Shadow Puppetry in North America. It’s my turn to pass the torch of this precious cultural heritage to students in SJS. I am humbled and forever grateful for the generous gift from the Jamail Grant to partake in this feast of light and knowledge in New York in July 2025.

SARAH RABINOW PESIKOFF ’86 FACULTY SUMMER ENRICHMENT FUND

rior to her passing in the summer of 2015, SARAH RABINOW PESIKOFF ’86 thoughtfully worked with her husband, DAVID ’86, to establish the Sarah Rabinow Pesikoff Summer Enrichment Fund. This fund was designed to enable faculty who have served SJS for 10 or more years to explore topics outside of their area of teaching. By allowing teachers (K-12) to pursue significant enrichment opportunities outside their area of instruction, the School is able to promote the importance of balance for teachers. The School shares Sarah’s belief that creating the opportunity will ultimately benefit both faculty members and the greater school community, strengthening their contributions to students by allowing the recipients to do something over the summer that enhances their well-being.

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performance. Sitting in that theater, surrounded by Irish music, culture, and energy, I felt a deep sense of gratitude.

GANESA COLLINS his summer, the Pesikoff grant gave me the opportunity to travel to Ireland for two weeks. This trip was transformative for me, as it pushed me completely outside of my comfort zone, and I was constantly reminded of how powerful new experiences can be for personal growth and well-being. For two weeks, my husband and I road-tripped around the entire island of Ireland — and although I’d always dreamed of visiting one day, I never imagined I’d experience it in such an immersive, hands-on way.

One of the best parts of the trip was that everything felt both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. We rented a car and I immediately faced one of my biggest challenges: driving on the left side of the road, with the steering wheel on the right, in a manual car — shifting gears with my left hand. That first day behind the wheel was nerve-wracking (to put it lightly), but little by little, I became more comfortable on the roads and eventually developed a sense of pride that I could navigate the roads.

During the trip, we hiked along Ireland’s stunning coastline, climbing steep hillsides that overlooked the ocean. At times, the wind was so strong we had to pause and brace ourselves — but every time we rounded a corner, another breathtaking view made all the hard work of the climb feel worth it. One of the biggest highlights of the trip was running The Great Rossa Run half-marathon, complete with barely any stops and plenty of brutal hills. It wasn’t just physically demanding; it was mentally demanding as well. There were moments when I doubted whether I could keep going, but step by step, I pushed forward. The final mile, which they fittingly named “the endless mile,” was entirely uphill. Crossing the finish line exhausted and in a lot of pain, I felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. It was the kind of victory that stays with you long after the moment is over. What a way to be reminded that the things we’re most afraid of attempting often end up being the very things that help us grow the most. While in Dublin, we attended an authentic Riverdance

And then there were the people. Each day brought interactions with strangers who quickly began to feel like friends — the taxi driver who shared stories about his childhood, another runner who offered encouragement when I was struggling up that last hill, the lovely woman at the Ardboe High Cross who told us about the generations of her family buried there. These small, unplanned connections became some of the most meaningful parts of the experience. They reminded me how important it is to stay open — open to people, to new stories, and to different ways of life. By the end of the trip, I realized I had done something I never would’ve believed I could do, not just visit Ireland, but truly navigate it, explore it, and experience it on its own terms. I returned home more confident, more grounded, and far more willing to take healthy risks. Growth, gratitude, and perspective came to me while navigating tiny coastal roads, halfway through the race, wondering if I would make it, and sitting in a theater watching dancers tell a story through music and movement. This trip reminded me that peace, self-care, and healing don’t always look like rest or quiet. Sometimes they may look like challenge, risk, and adventure. I am so thankful that I was given this opportunity to step out of my comfort zone, ultimately bringing me back to myself.

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MICHELLE CHEN itting on a folding stool in the middle of Taipei’s most historical and popular night market, I’m thinking that I’ll probably regret this. But because my Taiwanese husband is so lovingly preparing the perfect bite for me, I feel like I have to do it. “It” being, of course, eating a big chunk of stinky tofu, ladled out of a vat of boiling oil just minutes ago. I’m not kidding (and stinky tofu fans would not be offended) when I say that the smell of stinky tofu is comparable to that of a garbage dumpster on a hot summer day. Honestly, it wasn’t bad at first, but then the signature smell hit the back of my throat and, well, let’s just say that I didn’t ask for another bite.

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For a relatively small country, Taiwan boasts a dizzying array of local dishes, most of them so delicious that it was a daily struggle to decide whether to eat the same dish again or try something new. At the risk of sounding overly millennial, I confess that almost all of my trip highlights are linked to food. The hot breakfasts in particular are unlike anything you’d find in the States: crispy pan-fried radish cake and meat buns, delicate soup dumplings, thin egg pancake rolls, fluffy steamed buns, purple rice rolls stuffed with savory fillings I’ve never seen. For the first time, I tried “orh jian,” a gooey oyster pancake dish so Taiwanese there’s no real Mandarin translation, everyone simply calls it by its Taiwanese Hokkien name. On the High Speed Rail to Taichung, we enjoyed a railway bento lunch while watching the lush green mountain scenery whiz by. Yes, the fiery sunset against the black sand beach at Anping was breathtaking, but our ensuing dinner of beef noodle soup and ice cream (matcha, mango, milk tea, and passionfruit, with boba topping) was just as unforgettable. Before we could enjoy any of these, however, our Mandarin proficiency (equivalent to a first grader’s, at best) was put to the test almost every time we ordered food. Looking back, I’m so grateful for our decision to just roll with our lack of an eSIM and survive off of 7-Eleven wifi. The lack of Google Translate, combined with our desire for local food, forced us out of our comfort zone on a daily basis. Sometimes we could only read 10% of the characters and cobbled together the rest from context. Once, when trying to determine which flavor of fried squid we wanted at a night market, we asked the customer in front of us to read the flavors aloud. There were plenty of times we asked for some clarification and were met with a reply that was even harder to understand. The first few days were unnerving and humbling, to say the least. My teacher self gently reminded me that this was what some of my students probably feel in class on a regular basis. As much as I encourage my students to take risks and make mistakes, I don’t often put myself in situations where I am uncertain or clueless for sustained periods of time. But from that consistent struggle emerged a true sense of pride by the end of two weeks. As someone who only learned simplified Chinese characters growing up, I genuinely was delighted by how many traditional Chinese characters I started to recognize. My husband and I both resolved to renew our efforts to engage in learning Mandarin. (Full disclosure, we haven’t made much progress, but perhaps admitting this gives a sense of accountability.) My one big souvenir of the trip summarizes it best: a yellow backpack with “I LOVE TAIWAN” printed all over it. Usually, I’d cringe at purchasing such a touristy item. So why am I planning on using it to lug my laptop and papers around for the foreseeable future? Well, simple. All over the backpack are adorable renderings of Shiba Inus enjoying a variety of Taiwanese foods: a slab of Taiwanese fried chicken, a mountain of mango shaved ice, a cup of boba milk tea, and yes … even a platter of stinky tofu.

BETHANY GOLDMAN first studied French at age thirteen and was immediately drawn to it. Over the years, I have continued to study the language on and off, alongside other pursuits, but French has always been the one I return to.

This summer, thanks to the generosity of the Pesikoff family and with the support of my SJS colleagues SHELLY STEIN ’88 and Elizabeth Hythecker, I had the opportunity to spend five weeks in France: two weeks in a language immersion program at the Alliance Française in Vichy, followed by three weeks in Paris.

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In Vichy, I stayed with a host family and attended daily classes at the Alliance. The program brought together students from around the world, including some who, like me, had first connected through the Alliance Française of Houston. The rhythm of morning and afternoon lessons, combined with the daily practice of speaking French at home, provided a true immersion experience. My host family lived in a beautiful old home in the historic center of Vichy, and I got to know two other students also staying there, one from Mexico and one from Saudi Arabia. Being in the position of a student again reminded me how demanding, and how rewarding, steady progress can be. My interest in languages extends way back and in college, I took Spanish and Japanese along with mathematics. But French has remained my favorite, in no small part because of my high school teacher in Little Falls, New York, Madame Bladek. She was a gifted teacher, and I can recall her teaching us French songs, accompanying

herself on guitar, and breaking down grammar in a way that made it approachable. Decades later, I still find those lessons coming back to me in unexpected ways. Following the two weeks in Vichy, I spent three weeks in Paris. Much of that time was devoted to practice — reading in cafés, navigating the city, and speaking with people in everyday encounters. I found a skilled tutor in Paris, and we met regularly at a café in the 18th arrondissement. Those sessions were both challenging and energizing, and they gave me the chance to use the language in a natural setting. Paris also offered the chance to reconnect with friends of friends from the United States, which provided another perspective on life in the city. Together we explored neighborhoods and restaurants, sharing experiences as both visitors and learners. One highlight was a food tour of Montmartre, where we sampled breads, cheeses, chocolates, and pastries while hearing the

history of the area. It was the kind of experience that combined language, culture, and community in a way that was especially memorable. Throughout my time in Paris, I was reminded of how language shapes experience. Ordering coffee, asking directions, or chatting with a shopkeeper became important milestones as my confidence grew. The experience renewed my commitment to French, and since returning to Houston I have enrolled in another class to continue my studies. It also gave me a fresh perspective on teaching. Returning to the role of student reminded me of the persistence and patience required in learning, lessons that I hope will inform the way I work with my own students in mathematics. I am grateful to the Pesikoff family for making this opportunity possible, and to my colleagues for encouraging me to pursue it. The time in France was both professionally valuable and personally meaningful, and it strengthened my sense of the importance of lifelong learning.

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.

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† Mrs. 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

AlumniNews

LETTER FROM REBECCA LINN HUGHES ’06, ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT

Dear Alumni, he purpose of the St. John’s School Alumni Board is to enhance relationships among our over 7,000 alumni and between our alumni community and the School. Our designation as alumni begins with graduation. In recent years our Head of School Dan Alig has repeatedly shared with our graduating seniors his message that Claremont Lane would always be “home” for the students of St. John’s. It is my hope as the Alumni Board President that our Board can carry forward this message with our alumni community.

While alumni-focused events help to serve this purpose, some of the most impactful experiences for our former students come from their engagement with current ones. There is something quite special about the connections formed between our alumni and the current students. As a Board, we are excited to continue these efforts in the year to come. In addition to social gatherings, our Alumni Board Networking Committee fosters alumnistudent engagement through the Summer Internship Program. This past summer, 87 different sponsors hosted nearly 70% of the Class of 2026. This committee is also putting together a more formal structure for connecting current students with alumni in different industries and professions to help these students learn more about possible career paths beyond the Storied Cloisters. A goal for our Alumni Board this year is to increase engagement with our Young Alumni. Our College Counseling team does a remarkable job of keeping up with our alumni through their college years, but once they graduate, we too often lose touch with some. Our newest alumni are doing incredible things across the country, and our St. John’s community would benefit from their perspective. To this end, please be on the lookout for future engagement opportunities specifically for our younger alumni. We hope you all enjoy reconnecting with classmates and getting to know our alumni community.

One way that ALL Alumni from near or far can engage with SJS is by identifying and nominating alumni for Alumni Awards. Our fellow alumni continue to do amazing and impactful things throughout the world, and it is an honor to lead this effort to recognize some of them each year. Alumni Awards nominations are now open through Wednesday, October 29 on the alumni page of the SJS website. Descriptions of these awards as well as lists of all past recipients are available on the page as well. While each of our experiences at St. John’s was unique, we are bound by a common student connection to the School. Over the next year, I encourage you all to strengthen your alumni relationships with St. John’s so that SJS remains profoundly relevant to you and a place where you always feel at home. We have several events planned to help you connect in these ways:

SJS vs Kinkaid Football Game 2 pm, Saturday, November 1, 2025 The rivalry returns to Skip Lee Field for the first time since 1977, when SJS beat the Falcons to close out backto-back undefeated seasons. This is going to be BIG!

Network Social 6-7:30 pm, Tuesday, November 11, 2025 This event allows SJS students in Classes 11 & 12 network with alumni community members.

SJS NYC Happy Hour 6 pm, Thursday, November 13, 2025 SJS is returning to the Big Apple for the first time in almost three years! Join fellow SJS alumni in Manhattan for libations, light bites, and a lively update on all things SJS. Toast at 7 pm. 230 Fifth Rooftop Bar.

AlumniNews

College-Age Tea 11:30 am, Thursday, December 18, 2025

2025-2026 St. John’s Alumni Board

Kicking off winter break, college-age alumni will gather in the Quad to reconnect with classmates and mingle with teachers.

REBECCA LINN HUGHES ’06 President

Young Alumni Happy Hour with Kinkaid & EHS 6 pm, Thursday, February 5, 2026 SJS Alumni from Classes 2006 through 2021 are invited to join alumni from Kinkaid and EHS for a casual night out. Location details forthcoming.

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

Phonathon 6 pm, Tuesday, March 24, 2026 During the Phonathon alumni can engage in friendly Class competition with the chance to win prizes throughout the evening. Milestone classes can earn additional funds for Reunion planning with the highest participation and dollars raised.

Andrew Edeleman ’01 Bradley Eisemann ’04 John Elkins ’10 Susan Gibson ’91 John Griffin ’06 Grace Hobby Grundy ’08

Reunion Weekend April 10–11, 2026

Jacob Halevy ’10

Our biggest alumni event each year, we will have events for all alumni on campus throughout the weekend, including the Alumni Awards Luncheon on Saturday. Milestone reunion classes will have special events for you to reconnect specifically with your classmates.

Nelle Pace Jennings ’85

As my classmates and I approach our 20th reunion year and St. John’s celebrates its 80th year, I remain grateful for the relationships that I have with this School and with fellow alumni. I hope that you will engage with this community this year so that SJS continues to resonate in your lives as well.

Morgan Allen Neal ’11

See you on campus soon,

Noelle Hicks ’01 Sehr Charania Lalani ’03 Louisa Lummis ’16 Courtney Miller ’06 Kathryn Casey Principe ’89 Emily Duncan Rodgers ’98 Marty Thompson ’91, Faculty Ex-Officio Stephanie Herbert Wiegand ’02 Lea Williams ’02 Joshua Winslow ’11 Sushma Chilukuri Yalamanchili ’93 Alex Young ’06 Janie Wilde Zilkha ’10

REBECCA LINN HUGHES ’06 Alumni Board President

AlumniNews

Seeing the Future ST. JOHN’S SCHOOL INTERNSHIP PROGRAM PROVIDES TRANSFORMATIVE SUMMER EXPERIENCES

reated by the St. John’s School Alumni Board in 2011, the Student Internship Program acquaints students with potential future professions in real-world work environments. Designed for rising Class 12 students, the program provides valuable opportunities to explore career paths, build connections with alumni and parents outside of the School, and develop selfconfidence and professionalism.

For HENRY CAPUTO ’26, the summer included an internship with Dealermart, a Texas-based automotive dealership group. He quickly discovered that the internship was less about engines and more about people, ideas, and collaboration. Guided by mentors, Henry explored economic concepts, analyzed balance sheets, and even coded loan calculators. By the end of the internship, he had gained a strong foundation in business and built meaningful connections that made him feel fully part of the team.

The internships, which typically run for two consecutive weeks, place students in pre-professional roles across a variety of industries. Sponsors are drawn from the School’s alumni and parent communities and provide meaningful projects and workplace experiences. Students benefit from both hands-on work and guidance from professionals. At the conclusion of the program, sponsors and students are asked to share feedback.

At Noble Corporation, one of the world’s largest offshore drilling contractors, CARSON WANG ’26 worked alongside college interns and industry leaders in a rigorous professional environment. His two-week internship included training sessions at Noble’s state-of-the-art facility, coffee chats with the CEO, and lunches with executives eager to share career insights. Carson’s main project — a market analysis and technical summary of both the company and its industry — culminated in a professional presentation before the entire office. “One of the most transformative experiences I have ever had,” Carson reflected, noting that he not only learned about oil and gas but also honed his networking and presentation skills.

This past summer, 123 students participated in the Internship Program, supported by 87 sponsors. Survey responses reflected the program’s ongoing success: nearly every sponsor reported that their interns were professional and prepared, overwhelmingly saying students exceeded expectations. One sponsor described their intern as “one of our best yet,” while many expressed eagerness to continue: “Please keep me on the list for 2026.” Students echoed these sentiments, with most rating their internships as excellent. As one participant put it: “My internship was pretty much the best possible internship for business/engineering.”

Meanwhile, LEE MONISTERE ’26 pursued her interests in medicine through an internship at the Veterans Association Hospital under Dr. Mahdieh Parizi, founder of the breast imaging department. Lee observed biopsies, read mammograms, and interacted directly with patients — experiences that confirmed her desire to work in a people-centered career. Her internship highlight was creating and presenting a research project on breast cancer risk factors. “Working at the VA was the highlight of my summer,” she said, grateful for the opportunity to gain firsthand medical exposure.

AlumniNews

123 STUDENTS PARTICIPATED

These student stories capture only a fraction of the extraordinary learning that took place across the Summer 2025 Internship Program. With strong sponsor support, overwhelmingly positive feedback, and meaningful experiences that inspire confidence and curiosity, the program continues to be a cornerstone of St. John’s commitment to preparing students not only for college, but for the broader world they will one day lead.

Henry Caputo ’26 | DEALERMART don’t love cars. Some people are obsessed with them, treat them like their children. Some people could recognize the minute differences between a Porsche 911 and a 718 (to me, they might as well be identical). So when I first entered the office for Dealermart, a company with a collection of auto dealerships in Texas, suffice it to say that I wasn’t confident in my technical knowledge. The team at Dealermart, however, quickly informed me that their business wasn’t all carburetors and suspension. From nine to five, for the next two weeks, I learned more about their company, bit by bit. To give me some base economic knowledge, John (a former St. John’s graduate) introduced me to one of the most fundamental concepts in the car-buying and banking worlds by way of a paper: the Market for Lemons. As Mr. Shetty gave me balance sheets to scour and loan calculators to code, I also learned more about my coworkers as people. Daniel and John told me about their experience at St. John’s (eerily similar to mine), while Mr. Shetty asked me what I thought about the Kevin Durant trade. When I interned at Dealermart, I felt like a part of the team. I never did learn the technical knowledge that made me anxious, but what I did learn were new lessons in ideas, collaboration, and people.

Carson Wang ’26 | NOBLE CORPORATION hroughout my two weeks at Noble Corporation, one of the largest offshore drilling contractors in the world, I was able to work alongside paid college interns in a real work environment. Needless to say, it was an invaluable experience. I was able to attend some amazing experiences, including an industry standard intern training day at their training facility, talk to the CEO of the company in a coffee chat, and eat lunch while talking to experienced company executives about their careers and insights. However, among other things, I loved to be immersed in a professional environment surrounded by industry leaders. My project, which I completed alongside a fellow SJS intern, consisted of conducting a market analysis and technical summary of the industry and Noble Corp itself. This was achieved through research and many meetings with a variety of people from every department. Ranging from company executives to software engineers, we were able to get a sense of both the macro and micro aspects of what the company is doing to establish itself at the forefront of the oil industry. Our project was summed up by our presentation in front of the whole office.

As one of the most transformative experiences I have ever had the pleasure of being a part of, I had many takeaways that will continue to impact me. I was able to learn and practice the important skill of networking, since I made it a point to talk to as many people as I could to get to know them; whether I was getting coffee, or sitting down to eat lunch, I learned that people are often more than happy to spend a few minutes to allow you to pick their brains. I also learned how to effectively and professionally present information, which was an important part of our presentation. Because the company has a strong sense of culture and customs, our presentation needed to match the Noble Corporation style they are familiar with. This meant using their templates and complying with the communication team’s rules and regulations. Lastly, I had a lot of fun being able to work in such an amazing work environment and getting to work alongside so many industry professionals.

— Continued on next page.

AlumniNews

Lee Monistere ’26 VETERANS ASSOCIATION HOSPITAL his summer, I interned with Dr. Parizi, the head and founder of the breast imaging department at the Veterans Association Hospital. I spent my days shadowing her: watching biopsies, reading mammograms, and interacting with patients. Throughout my experience, I learned to communicate with people in a professional setting, and I realized how much I love working with and interacting with other people, solidifying the fact that I want to have an interactive job when I grow up. My favorite part of the internship was creating and presenting a research project about breast cancer and its different risk factors. Working at the VA was the highlight of my summer, and I will always be thankful for the experience.

Sallie Alcorn Houston City Council Member Sallie Alcorn

MATTHEW ALEXANDER ’02 Sysco Foods - Corporate Development JEAN-PIERRE BAIZAN ’86 SolvChem, Inc. and PSC David Baskin Kenneth R. Peak Brain & Pituitary Tumor Center

STEVEN BENDER ’01 Cactus Wellhead MICHAEL BILGER ’02 59 North Capital DAVID BLOOME ’98 Fondren Orthopedic Group MOLLIE BRACEWELL ’04 Yetter Coleman WINFIELD CAMPBELL ’91 Methodist West Orthopedics Carol Cantrell Cantrell & Cantrell John Chapman Tudor, Pickering & Holt TAYLOR CHAPMAN ’01 New Climate Ventures

ALLISON YOUNG CHAVEZ ’03 Sweet Paris Creperie & Cafe Pierre Chevray Houston Methodist Hospital Plastic Surgery

CORPORATE SPONSORS DARLA CHOW ’01 Circle B Veterinary Hospital PAUL DAVEY ’82 Balcara Group, LLC GEORGE DEMONTROND IV ’01 DeMontrond Automotive

FRANK DONNELLY ’00 Kensinger Donnelly CAMPBELL EIFLER ’01 Quorum Software ROBERT EIFLER ’98 Noble Corporation BRADLEY EISEMANN ’04 Eisemann Plastic Surgery Center Warren Ellsworth Houston Methodist West

NISHA GADGIL ’05 Texas Children’s Hospital Amy Garrou Washington Heights Veterinary Clinic

WILL GIRAUD ’98 Verde NEEL GONUGUNTLA ’02 Dallas Venture Capital GRACE HOBBY GRUNDY ’08 Hobby Family Office Amy Halevy Bracewell LLP Herschel Hamner Sidley Austin Spencer Harkness Pearl River Companies

LAUREN BECK HARRIS ’84 Porter Hedges, LLP AMANDA HASSLER ’06 Hassler Dermatology DERRY HERLIHY ’07 Morgan Stanley Nola Herlihy Reproductive Medicine Associates of Houston

TO THE VOLUNTEERS WHO HOSTED STUDENTS DURING THE SUMMER OF 2025!

MATTHEW HINES ’04 Hines

Mahdieh Parizi Debakey VA Medical Center - Radiology

Rohan Shetty Dealermart

DEETS HOFFMAN ’06 Leaf & Grain

Nicole Perdue 133rd Civil District Court, Harris County

AYDIN SOHEILI ’02 Houston Methodist - Radiology

Christopher Hollins City of Houston - City Controller

HUNTER PERRIN ’95 hunterperrin.com

ELLIOT STAMEY ’01 Arnco Technology

Ugo Ihekweazu Fondren Orthopedic Group

JOSHUA PESIKOFF ’87 Revolution Energy

Natalie Steen The Nat Note

RYAN JEWETT ’07 The Finger Companies

MICHAEL PIPKIN ’01 Rushmore Resource Partners

JOHN STROHMEYER ’97 Strohmeyer Law PLLC

BEN JOHNSTON ’98 Ben Johnston Design

ADAM POLLOCK ’87 Stellus Capital Management, LLC

Mas Takashima Houston Methodist Dept. of Otolaryngotomy

Min Kim Houston Methodist Head of Thorasic Surgery

Mahesh Ramchandani Houston Methodist Cardiothoracic Surgery

ALAN KOLODNY ’00 Kolodny Law Firm, PLLC

DAVID RANDALL ’82 Baylor Orthopedics

TODD LEFFLER ’95 Todd A. Leffler, Attorney at Law

TAL RAPHAELI ’98 Houston Colon & Rectal Surgery

JAMIE LIANG ’98 TerraVolta Resources

JOEY ROMANO ’01 PearlX Infrastructure

Frank Liu Sr. POST Houston and TaskTag

PASCALE RUCKER ’10 Houston Museum of Natural Science

DAVID LUMMIS ’75 Houston Trust

AMINAH MAE SAFI ’05 Author - Aminah Mae Safi (California) - virtual

Jordan Magaziner The Buzz Magazines

MICHAEL MAREK ’05 Vinson & Elkins CHRISTOPHER MCCORD ’96 Healthcare Growth Partners

RAJ SALHOTRA ’09 Momentum Education LESLIE ELKINS SASSER Leslie Elkins Architecture DON SCHAFFER ’69 Pediatrics of Greater Houston

ANGUS MITCHELL ’09 Founder of Flank (Austin) Tech, Info, Internet

RANDY SCHAFFER ’67 The Schaffer Firm

CHRIS O’SULLIVAN ’78 Paloma Resources

FELICIA SEATON GRIGGS ’03 Houston Methodist Sugar Land

Heather Timmis Nick Finnegan Counseling Cener

ROSS TOMSON ’02 TerraVolta Resources STEFFIE NELSON TOMSON ’02 Steffie’s MOLLY CAMPBELL VOORHEES ’94 Beck’s Prime/Winfield’s WES WALLACE ’14 Walker & Dunlop ANGELINE WANG ’12 Asher Young Studio Angie Wedlick Breakthrough Houston

EDWARD WILLIAMS ’09 The Property Tax Group PATRICK YIP ’96 Climate Investment ALEX YOUNG ’06 Artisan American Corp.

AlumniNews

INAUGURAL ALUMNI SHERPAS

2025 Trip

had never been to Utah before, and reconnecting with my teachers, coaches, and SJS friends was the cherry on top. It was great to take a break and be present in the natural beauty of Utah, especially since I had never been there before. I enjoyed hiking at Bryce and Zion National Parks, along with canyoneering and UTVing (two things I had never done). Moments of chit-chatting and laughing in the adult circle, getting to know each of the 8th graders, and traversing the Coral Pink dunes added to the countless memories I now have from the trip and will carry with me forever. This was a trip to remember. Thank you for letting me be a part of it. — ELIZABETH MCNEELY ’19

SEEKING CLASS 8 UTAH CAMPING TRIP ALUMNI SHERPAS - MAY 12-18, 2026

ast May, five amazing young alums joined 140 students and teachers in remote southwest Utah as our inaugural “Alumni Sherpas” on St. John’s 48th annual Class 8 camping trip. Sherpas flew into Las Vegas a day ahead of the group to help load camping gear and food into moving trucks and get it to our basecamp before students and teachers arrived. Throughout the week, the Sherpas joined work groups cooking meals, cleaning dishes, and tending to other basecamp responsibilities. They also hiked, climbed and rappelled with students and faculty each day. After the trip, both students and faculty raved about how awesome, helpful and fun these young alumni were.

So we’ve decided to begin recruiting our second group of Alumni Sherpas for this year’s trip, Tuesday, May 12 - Monday, May 18, 2026. Who:

Young, fit SJS alums who enjoy camping and being outdoors.

What:

Help support the Class of 2030 and faculty on this year’s Class 8 camping trip. Camp, hike, cook meals, clean dishes, help with camping gear, and food pick-up.

When:

Tuesday, May 12 - Monday, May 18, 2026

Where: Southwest Utah (Coral Pink Sand Dunes SP, Zion, Bryce Canyon) Why:

A chance to unplug and get outside in a uniquely beautiful part of the southwest. Share time working alongside former teachers, fellow alums, and current students. An opportunity to give back to the St. John’s family and to support this special tradition!

Reach out to Marty Thompson ’91, SJS Director of Experiential Education (mthompson@sjs.org), to express interest in or ask questions about being an Alumni Sherpa on this year’s trip!

ClassNotes

ClassNotes DEAR ALUMNI,

The purpose of Class Notes is to share updates on life events and accomplishments. We enjoy reporting on marriages and births (but as policy do not report engagements or pregnancies). In addition, this is not intended for advertisements or PR. For many of our classes, there is at least one Class Agent who gathers the Class Notes. Classes not listed simply did not have Class Notes to report at this time. If you are interested in volunteering to be a Class Agent, please contact alumni@sjs.org.

CLASS OF

1954

JIM GREENWOOD

jmgrnwd@aol.com Thanks to the wonderful teaching from Mr. Salls and Mr. Nelson and football coaching from Mr. Richards, as well as over sixty years of great support from his wife Lois, JAN MARES has enjoyed multiple careers in New York City and now in Washington, D.C. They have included corporate law practice and business management in a chemical corporation, Assistant Secretary positions in the Reagan Administration, and creating a novel office to link the private sector to the Department of Homeland Security. His latest role is Senior Advisor at Resources for the Future, a very well regarded non-partisan economic think tank where he is working on geothermal energy, climate change, and other energy issues.

CARL VOGT shared, “We live in San Francisco and all SJS memories are excellent.” And from LOUISA STUDE SAROFIM, “I guess no news is good news. I’m sad to say there are no exciting updates to share. Cheers.”

Becky and DON RUTHVEN live in Houston where Don is enjoying sleeping through the break of dawn. He has pleasant encounters with past patients in grocery stores. Along with Becky he exercises six days a week, still pursues photography, and does a bit of hunting (“spring turkey and a couple of quail hunts with brother Penny”). In the fall of 2023, he and Becky went to Paris, France and spent a couple of weeks with a granddaughter. Next fall they are planning a trip to Ireland and Scotland to include a visit with a grandson who is spending a semester in Edinburgh.

JIM GREENWOOD enjoys following city and national politics and occasionally writing letters to the Houston Chronicle with his opinions — a few have gotten published. Although I have gone to Rice undergraduate school and UT law school, both of which have exceptional faculties, my fondest memories of teachers are those encountered at SJS, especially Mr. Salls, Mr. Flansburg, Mr. Rogers, Mr. Richards, Mr. Moore, and Mr. Groblewski. The best advice I ever received from a faculty member anywhere came from Mr. Flansburg who was my “advisor.” I had asked him to help me prepare a “study schedule.” He asked me what I did on Saturday mornings. After I told him I usually slept late, he suggested I get up on Saturday morning and do my next week’s math homework. All of it! I followed his advice and ended up as one of the recipients of a “most improved” honor in the 11th grade.

ClassNotes

CLASS OF

1957

CLASS OF

1958

NELDA MCCULLOUGH HIRSH wrote in to share that, “JEANETTE FAVROT PETERSON has published numerous articles and art history books. I think everyone would enjoy seeing her gorgeous art books.”

Nelda further shared, “I am currently working on a new publication about America’s first Chief Justice John Jay and his wife, Sarah Livingston Jay. I haven’t nabbed a publisher for that one yet. Below is my list of publications over the past 15 years. They are all historical novels having to do with early American history– especially the Founding Fathers period. They can all be found on Amazon and the latest, Honor Among Thieves, is also at Barnes and Noble and other book stores.”

•

Honor Among Thieves (2025) -

•

Takes place at St. John’s School, 1956 American Triangle (2019) Thomas Jefferson, his daughter Patsy, and Sally Hemings

• • •

•

A Bohemian Life: M. Evelyn McCormick (1862-1948) American Impressionist (2013) The Royal Huguenot (2015) Henri IV of France and the women in his life Julia Du Val (2011) My grandmother & American Indian issues, Ft. Gibson, OK

Roger is survived by his wife, Eleanor Roberts Lewis, of Washington, D.C., his son, Kevin M. Lewis, and daughterin-law Katherine A. Lewis of Virginia, four granddaughters, brother BRIAN J. LEWIS ’61 of California, sister Helen Lewis Fox of Houston, and several nieces and nephews.

ROGER KUTNOW LEWIS

ROGER KUTNOW LEWIS died on October 2, 2024, in Washington, D.C., of complications after kidney surgery.

CLASS OF

1959

HARRIS GREENWOOD

harrisgreenwood@gmail.com ROGER BEEBE

Roger was born in Houston in 1941. After graduating from St. John’s, he attended MIT where he received a B.Arch in 1964. Roger then served as an architect in the Peace Corps in Tunisia for two years. He returned to MIT to get an M.Arch in 1967 before moving to Washington, D.C. In 1968, Roger joined the faculty at the new School of Architecture at the University of Maryland where he taught until 2006. In 1969, he established his architecture and urban planning firm that did award winning projects in the United States and abroad. From 1984 to 2022, Roger wrote a column in The Washington Post called “Shaping the City” which was often accompanied by his witty cartoons. He wrote a number of other articles and books, most notably the best-selling book Architect? A Candid Guide to the Profession published by MIT Press in 1985 with two subsequent editions.

Beginning in 2009, Roger was president of the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation authorized by Congress to create a Peace Corps Park on National Park Service land in Washington, D.C.

rogerbeebe@outlook.com CAROL BOREN reports, “I am still enjoying life in Colorado Springs, keeping busy with golf, pickleball, hiking, Mahjong, etc. Sad to say that I finally decided it would be prudent to give up my very favorite pastime–skiing. Lots of crazy people on the slopes! So, I substituted that with a snowshoeing trip with friends in January. Compared to skiing this sport is all work and no thrills, but still a good way to enjoy the beautiful mountain scenery. I spent Christmas with my family in Rome, and then we all went on a wonderful family vacation in Marrakesh. The last week of March I attended a conference in Annapolis and really enjoyed my time there–including lots of great crab dishes, and a tour of the Naval Academy, the State House, etc. I was also able to visit with friends in Washington, D.C., which coincided with the beautiful cherry blossom season.

ClassNotes

I’m looking forward to a great summer in beautiful Colorado and would certainly welcome a visit from any of our classmates. Please keep in touch. While preparing this entry for the SJS Update, MARVIN HARRIS GREENWOOD and ROMELIA FAVROT ’61 had the pleasure of attending high school graduations of their two youngest grandsons, George Ballantyne Hemingway (son of AMY NORQUIST GREENWOOD ’85) graduated from The Kinkaid School and Elliot Greenwood Morrow (son of MELISSA GRAY GREENWOOD ’83 and GREG OREN MORROW ’82) graduated from St. Stephen’s Episcopal School in Austin. You may recall that our Class of 1959 was the first class to play Kinkaid on their new campus off San Felipe in the fall of 1958. We won 6-0 with SJS’s new head football coach Lamar Skip Lee, who SJS acquired from Kinkaid in the summer of 1958. This was after our first and only football coach Phil Richards took his Princeton Single Wing offense with him when he became headmaster at some eastern prep school and turned over our varsity girls basketball coaching to Doug Osburn.

**LITTLE KNOWN FACTS ABOUT OUR CLASS OF 1959 CLASSMATES THAT EVEN MOST OF OUR MATES DON’T KNOW.** STEPHEN JONES was appointed lead counsel for Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma City Bomber. Stephen protected all of Timothy’s rights and the right thing was done. Even Lady Justice could see with her blindfold on. ALBERT MAHER was a personal friend of and bodyguard to Bob Dylan. Albert led the Freedom Flights to Cuba and appeared on the cover of a prominent national magazine being carried feet-first out of the House Committee Meeting on Un-American Activities for supporting and ultimately establishing the right of free travel for all Americans. Albert had transferred from SJS to the Cushing Academy, where a former SJS history teacher named West had become headmaster and had an extra Harvard slot for Albert. JOE SHOOK, a cousin of Admiral Nimitz, dropped out of Rice Institute, joined the Navy, served on one of the first nuclear submarines, and ultimately went back to college in Austin, where he temporarily roomed with a Marine and Eagle Scout by the name of Charles Whitman long before he did his terrifying deed. More recently, Joe wrote a book about him entitled The Charlie I Knew. When Joe was employed by Boeing, he was assigned to the Lunar Astronauts to assist in the design of the Lunar Landing Module interior as to the positioning of all the various controls according to the astronauts’ preferences, efficiencies, and expectations.

LEWIS AVERY JONES skipped final exams our senior year and was captured by SJS’s favorite USMC faculty member named Goodrich at the West Gray Bowling Alley. Despite his MIA status at exams,“Wishie” ended up with a diploma in his black folder at graduation, fulfilling a joint Chidsey/Salls promise to his mother Mrs. Jones.

We knew DAN BOYLES drove his mint condition Model A Ford to school the last few years, but we just didn’t know that Dan’s mentor and lead mechanic who helped him restore the Model A was none other than famous SJS science teacher Warner Banes. A few of us knew that LEE HARRELL’s favorite summer job in high school was being a rodeo clown helping thrown bull riders dodge Brahman bulls on the summer rodeo circuit. What we didn’t know was that to keep his adrenaline up after graduation, Lee technically climbed most of the famous peaks in Europe and South America, then sailed his yacht into a number of hurricanes just for fun he said. Yes, HARRIS GREENWOOD did play in a major championship at Pebble Beach in 1961 and was recognized for taking out one of the favorites. Later quoted in a 1999 Monterrey newspaper front page article, Pebble Beach’s Director of Golf still remembered what “Greenie” had done 38 years before. When asked what it was like to play in a Pebble Beach major, he indicated that “it was a whole lot of fun if you didn’t have to

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play M. Harris Greenwood from Texas.” Over the years since Pebble Beach, Harris has been blessed with many awards and honors but none was greater than his invitation from the St. John’s Class of 1985 to give its Baccalaureate speech, to which E. K. Salls gave his capital B “Bravo!”

ink market. There they revolutionized the process by which the product was made that enhanced the ability of ink to stick to plastic thereby increasing its marketability.

CONRAD HIRSCH, our most likely valedictorian, left St John’s on his way to Reed College with his National Merit Scholarship, then pursued other degrees at Stanford before heading off to Africa, where he spent the rest of his life as a white water river boat guide in Ethiopia dodging the Ethiopian Military who thought Conrad was a spy.

DIANA BLAND LINDER

DR. ANDREW K. SCHWARTZ was the biggest oil trader in the world and as a third generation Organic Chemistry Ph.D. possibly the only oil trader who knew what you could do with that oil if you had to take delivery. When Andy was at St John’s, his dad gave him the Caska Nursery at the corner of Westheimer and Weslayan, which his dad had taken as collateral on a personal loan.

Andy was really good about hiring all his classmates to work at Caska Nursery whenever we needed a weekend job or just a little jingle in our jeans. Andy paid above market hourly wages but the only day off Andy gave us was Juneteenth when Andy cooked steaks for his employees on the grill in Sugar Land on the bank of Oyster Creeks. Later, Andy left the oil trading business to partner with classmate WILLARD WARREN SHUART (SJS 1992 Distinguished Alumni Award winner, along with his wife CAREY ’62) to build a chemical plant they named Shu-Chem down in Manvel that impacted the commercial

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1961

dlinderhaus@aol.com This is my first post for several years, during which time we’ve lost some precious friends (like JANE HATFIELD MARONEY in 2022 and MARGARET BAILEY in 2023) and had others embrace harsh health and/or vision realities, none of which I’ll go into here, but know that we ‘see you’ and we care . . . .

CAROLYN JOSEY YOUNG and LOIS FARFEL STARK joined MAURIE ANKENMAN CANNON for Maurie’s 81st birthday

In April 2024 I was privileged to sing at St. John’s Reunion weekend with the Alumni Chorus, and MAURIE ANKENMAN CANNON came back after and shared news of her stroke in October 2023. Since then, hard work

has improved her speech and skills greatly, and now she is driving, walking, doing Pilates, gardening, and keeping up with friends. Husband (former SJS Headmaster) Philip is busy riding his bike, mediating, and building a fishing skiff with his oldest friend. Their son, PHILIP, JR. ’85 is Alumni Director at St. John’s, and his wife, Eleanor, teaches history and coaches JV field hockey there. Both their sons graduated college and are working in NYC. Daughter SARAH ’89 and her husband Duncan also have two children still in college. Maurie says “We stay connected with former colleagues at SJS as time and events allow. Look forward to the next reunion in spring of 2026!” JOHN BEHRMAN, still quite active in Democratic politics, and LAURIE NEUHAUS PEW are two I check on from time to time on Facebook. Laurie is still working as a psychotherapist, but less than half-time now. Her husband, Tom, is retired, serves on three boards, and tends their large vegetable garden. Two of their three children live nearby in Tucson, along with younger grandchildren. Their youngest lives in Healdsburg, CA and has a fabulous organic garden yielding produce he sells at farmers’ markets and to a company that supplies restaurants and supermarkets. Their oldest grandchild is married and living in Frankfurt; another granddaughter is a student at Parsons in Paris; and a third is a senior at boarding school in Rhode Island. She and Tom took their youngest, a 12-year-old grandson, to Africa in 2024, and last July they met up with Laurie’s three siblings and their families in Maine.

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ALAN ARSHT shared “I am definitely feeling older but still playing tennis reasonably well. Mostly we are enjoying our four grandsons, each as different as can be (but all good students). One will go to college in a year! Two are tournament tennis players. We are traveling a bit but packing and unpacking has lost its charm. Making ribs on a smoker and relaxing on a sailboat or hammock are pretty high on my list.” KATHY BLOOM HIESINGER was given a wonderful retirement reception last fall as long-time curator at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. (I get her news from ROMELIA FAVROT, whom I see each month in our most enjoyable book club out here in the Texas Hill Country). LOIS FARFEL STARK sent this contribution, which I loved: “Several happiness-making events occurred somewhat recently. Two granddaughters arrived, now aged one and three, making us grandparents for the first time later in life. Also, River Oaks Chamber Orchestra commissioned a composer and animator to create a work for a 40-piece orchestra based on my book,

The Telling Image: Shapes of Changing Times. The performance premiered at the Miller Outdoor Theatre during its 100th anniversary. It felt full circle to be part of Hermann Park, where some of my very early birthdays were celebrated.”

CAROLINE SAWTELLE NANCE is living in Memphis to be near her daughters and their families, and TRINKA BLAFFER TAYLOR answered my email request with “I am in the Adirondacks with kids and family, enjoying the cool weather.” She now has two granddaughters in college, Laura in Georgetown and Helen at Columbia this fall.

Just spoke with JOHN BLINN, who bragged on his two daughters, Camille and Deborah, for realizing each of their teaching and administrative dreams with schools in Memphis and Fairfax, VA. As for me and mine, we’re blessed with six grandkids ranging in age 15-27, the eldest a newly-hewn stage director in Hamburg, Germany (his father Chris lives in Berlin), and the youngest a freshman at Kinkaid. Also, my 87-yr old husband, Bob, travels more than I do (he’s headed to Iceland soon with our eldest son, Woody, for a photography-based trek while I stretch my arms and do some work), and he does it with great enthusiasm. Our daughter, Anne, is our frequent hostess in Houston, a very tolerant woman. Next year will be our 65th graduation celebration from SJS . . . hoping to see more of us at the Alumni Luncheon in April, on the campus . . . more to come!

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1963

A.P. (ANDY) GREENWOOD

apgreenwood1946@gmail.com TOM JACKSON and wife Pat have lived in Cotacachi, Ecuador for the past 12 years and love it. He reports the climate is perfect, the people delightful, the culture fascinating, and the cost of living a third of the U.S. Along with their Shih Tzu, PJ, they spend their time visiting friends, both expats and Ecuadorian, going to their health club, and eating out in local restaurants. Lately they have spent time in one of the many hot springs in the area and they took a short vacation in Baños. For a couple of octogenarians, they are in good shape. Pat has had a hip replaced and Tom had a hip and both shoulders replaced. Tom says that medical care in Ecuador is excellent.

A normal day in GEORGE HURLBURT’s household consists of keeping up with George and Mary Joy’s non-profit activities, and George’s editing and writing for technical journals. Both appreciate their generous retirement benefits and are committed to paying back through engagement. George was recently designated a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for his editorial work in the IEEE Computer Society. He also chairs the Board of Advisors for the University of Maryland at Southern Maryland. Mary Joy sits on a national education board for the Xavierian Brothers, and runs a local corporate foundation. Both he and Mary Joy enjoyed Clooney’s Good Night, and Good Luck in NYC and enjoyed a 22-day journey from Norway to Sweden through the Baltic Sea. George says as they grow older, the 45

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sound mind, sound body paradox kicks in. So far, the sound mind has the upper hand on formerly sound but still functional bodies. The couple remains on the shores of the tidal Potomac River near the Chesapeake Bay in St. Mary’s County some 90 miles south of Washington, D.C. From his home in Evanston, IL, DAN WHITMORE reports that he, like another classmate, has lumbar spinal stenosis, and has chosen to reject the opportunity to undergo a lumbar epidural, for fear of steroids. That stance he says may change the moment the pain gets worse. He recently celebrated his seventh anniversary with wife Lori and proudly admits his household chores include washing both dishes and clothes. Much of Dan’s life remains about his son, Calvin, now 17, who continues to split his time between households that are several miles apart, and so far, he has only his learner’s permit. Two days a week, Dan has door duty at his church’s hospitality center. He finally finished his three-year term as the secretary of the vestry. He continues to sing in the choir, not as the one and only bass as before, but instead one of three. Lori and Dan went to London for a week at the end of August, for the first time ever! He has plans to return to Houston to get home to see his brother and sister. Travel is a large part of CANDY CLARE KNUDSON and her husband Tom’s life. The fall included several trips to the east coast for USNA football and the USNA Foundation meetings, and they often combine those trips with seeing their grandchildren in Virginia and friends in North Carolina. This year they have been back and forth to their home in Fredericksburg (Boot Ranch) and had a trip to a conference in

London in May, and then in the summer a trip to London and Paris with part of their family. Candy reports that her health is okay if she can stay on her feet. She’s had a couple of falls and fortunately nothing was broken. She’s going to physical therapy and doing pilates to try and stop that trend. She is still involved at her church with women’s Bible study, and lately has been reading a number of historical fiction novels. TODD EVANS is still living in Atlanta but travels frequently to see his kids. He and wife Dorothy go to Chicago to support a son whose wife is fighting breast cancer; they have six children. They’ve been to San Francisco and LA seeing their daughter and another son. And, of course, they regularly see his two Atlanta sons and their kids. Todd claims his days can be busy but are fairly simple. He and Dorothy eat breakfast out, do chores, meditate, try to do spiritual exercises in the course of the day, eat dinner, and, with their dog and cats and sometimes a few grandchildren, watch mystery shows on TV at night. Always working to improve his mind, Todd’s latest reading was The Holy Trinity and the Law of Three by Cynthia Bourgeault.

Quoting Benjamin Franklin from the 1736 Poor Richard’s Almanac, MARTIN KAPLAN follows the routine of early to bed and early to rise. His day starts early, typically before 6 AM, and ends at bedtime around 9 PM. He feels very fortunate that his only serious medical issue is that his life has become sedentary after two knee surgeries. Chairs are Martin’s best friends, and walking for him has become a chore; certainly no long distances. In August, he and wife Debi took a trip to Reno, her hometown where a good friend of

theirs was having his 80th birthday party. Martin’s two sons, he’s proud to say, are both prosperous, and their families are well. He notes that his grandchildren’s lives are quite different than ours were at their ages. It was an active spring for JOHNNY JOHNSON, attending a college graduation at Vanderbilt and the wedding of a great nephew in New Orleans. He is still golfing fairly regularly but admits the golf ball doesn’t go as far as it once did, and still does not go anywhere near where he’d like for it to go. As has been the routine for some time, Johnny and wife Ann spent summer in the cooler environment of Nantucket. ANN STRICKLAND SHERRER, as group leader, starts her day Monday through Friday walking for 30 minutes with the Happy Hikers at the Keller Senior Activity Center. Some days she spends mornings in balance classes at the center, as she’s constantly working to improve her balance. On Tuesdays, Ann still volunteers at her church in the food pantry, serving those who are food insecure in her community by giving them food to supplement their grocery shopping. On Wednesdays, she serves as a volunteer at the church helping with distribution of the food from Meals on Wheels of Tarrant County. Sundays she spends at her church. In the summer she worked at vacation Bible school for a week. Ann considers herself to be a professional volunteer since she retired from education years ago. She’s still living in the same old house in Keller that she and her late husband, John, moved into almost 45 years ago. Although she’d like to travel, Ann says it’s too hard to travel by herself. She rarely leaves Keller. She says her health

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recently took a nose dive as her body is uncooperative on many fronts. Ann chooses to tell her arthritic joints that she’s not giving in, that she feels blessed to still be here, still mobile, often surrounded by her family.

Mr. Mercado, Mr. Wallace, Mr. Fairweather, Mr. Salls, and many others fabulous teachers.

Comfortable in his retirement in Dallas, TOM ADLER and wife Diane enjoyed a trip to New York, which he says is always great for plays, museums, and many other attractions, if you can tolerate the perpetual traffic jam. They spend a lot of time helping with their grandchildren and going to doctor’s appointments for a range of conditions which according to Tom, while common for our age group, are nothing terribly serious. Still trim, Tom exercises regularly, mainly biking and weights.

BETSY HARRIS STEPHENS says that there is not much exciting going on in her life, but she is coping well with some significant challenges. She is still doing volunteer work with the Bay Area Service League. It’s the same organization with which she’s been involved for years, only with a different name. She also goes to Austin for family visits. Betsy had Covid in 2023, and the result has been some kidney issues for her. Also, this year she was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was detected very early and surgery was scheduled. No radiation or chemo, so she feels very blessed.

ANNE PEDEN TUCKER is living in the same townhouse just outside loop 610 west of Memorial Park, enjoying daily two to three mile walks in the neighborhood with her black (now graying) poodle, Claudie. She reports that her pacemaker installed a year ago has held off arrhythmias, so for her turning 80 has been smooth so far. She has enjoyed birthdays, lunches, and other events as some of her classmates have also crossed 80, specifically Margie and Candy. In June, she spent an elegant evening with BARRY MARGOLIS and Rosalyn with other classmates and spouses including JOHNNY and Ann and ANDY and Tanya. At St. John’s Anne volunteers weekly in the Archives with Becky Jay, having fun working with old photos and memories while integrating new SJS materials like yearbooks, Review newspapers, etc. into our very crowded space upstairs in the Quadrangle. She reports that the spaces on the north and south Quadrangle sides are now two stories, yet it looks the same as when we were in class with

The very honorable Judge BILL BRYSON is still working full time, handling trial and appellate cases. He still enjoys the work and hopes to continue doing it for a while longer or until he stops finding it challenging. He claims the only news worth noting is that he and his wife, Penny, have continued their bucket list quest to see all of the paintings by the Baroque artist Caravaggio that are on public display. The project has been great fun and has taken them to some places they probably would never have gone otherwise. Last September, they traveled to Sicily and Malta to see several of the Caravaggio paintings they’d never seen before. Bill reports that Malta in particular is a fascinating place, a beautiful country with a rich history going back thousands of years. The island is so small that the entire country is served by a single municipal bus service run out of the capital Valletta. That was to be their Caravaggio trip for the year, but when they returned to the States, they heard

that a lost Caravaggio painting had surfaced in Spain and would be on public display for only a few months before being retired to a private collection. So, they promptly booked a quick trip to Madrid to catch the painting before it was too late. Then, in the spring, they got word of a huge exhibition of Caravaggio paintings that was to be held for a couple of months in Rome. While they’d already seen most, but not all, of the paintings in that exhibition, some of them were from private collections and were on display only for that occasion. So, on the spur of the moment, they headed off to Rome for a long weekend where they enjoyed the exhibition immensely and had a great time reacquainting themselves with Rome, one of their favorite European cities. They are now down to one remaining Caravaggio painting (other than a few in private collections) that they have not seen. It’s in Berlin, so next year they might be booking a trip to Germany. Stay tuned. MARGIE BALDWIN ESSE and husband Brent enjoy their beautiful midrise home near the Galleria in Houston, and especially the concept of lock and go. Margie works out at the fitness center in her building about four days a week and plays tennis twice a week. She says she tries not to cook and makes Brent take her out to dinner. As she has for many years, twice a week Margie volunteers at the Ronald McDonald House in the Texas Medical Center. She and Brent traveled to Ft. Worth to the Casa Mañana Theater with 38 friends and family members to see Cats that their son had directed and choreographed. Last fall, they took a cruise from Florida to Barcelona, and this fall were planning on another cruise in the Caribbean with their daughter and son-in-law.

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Janet and JIM HAMILTON still divide their time between their gorgeous homes in the California desert and the California coast. Jim is still playing golf as and when he can. Some of his West Virginia brethren call it “cow pasture pool.” He made his 26th odyssey to West Virginia for a week of traditional music with kindred spirits deeply steeped in the same. For Jim, there are no bad days in music. He says the worst days are still quite good and the best days are Nirvana. Janet and Jim enjoyed several day trips to the Deep End Ranch near Santa Paula to see some top traditional musicians perform in an intimate setting. He invites you to check out The Deep End Sessions on YouTube. BARRY MARGOLIS enjoys his wonderful home in Houston and his wonderful lake house on Lake Conroe. He and wife Rosalyn stay very busy and are, as always, involved with supporting many worthwhile community organizations including Texas Children’s Hospital and the Houston Symphony. They also enjoy travel–this year to Colorado and Japan, and plans for next year to Portugal and Spain. They are proud grandparents with their grandson, Alex, a senior at Indiana University and their granddaughter, Olivia, a senior at SMU. Barry’s pastimes include spending time with friends, playing golf, and playing poker.

In the summer, JUDY CARMACK BROSS headed to Quebec and her beloved Murray Bay. For her, being there is a source of such great joy with friends from all over, wonderful hikes, a church where they have lots of interesting programs and fine visiting ministers, and the beautiful St. Lawrence River nearby, with picnics and family coming for visits. Judy claims that her French may not be any better, but 48

being in Quebec is wonderful. Classic Chicago Magazine, Judy’s weekly online magazine, is growing and has 50,000 readers. It covers what’s terrific about Chicago that brings great joy, and Judy reports that she has fine writers who add a wide variety of articles on locals, social history, architecture, traveling, and more. She says she’s channeling her wonderful parents and their newspaper careers and thinks of them so much. Judy enjoyed travelling with her daughter, Charlotte, to Buenos Aires and Iguazu Falls and had fun on shorter trips to Memphis, Savannah, and Sea Island with her grandchildren. She also said it has been much fun visiting her kids in New York, Dallas, and D.C. Always a generous spirit, Judy loves working on outreach feeding programs in Chicago and plans to return this winter to volunteer in Chiapas. JIM GAY moved into the Tradition on Woodway in Houston and is enjoying the best of luxury senior living. He’s got a great view from his tenth floor apartment and enjoys all of the amenities provided including great meals, exercise facilities, and a wide variety of activities. What he likes most about the Tradition is the people, both the staff and the residents. He still enjoys visiting his two daughters and his grandkids–Courtney, who lives about a mile away, and Caroline, who lives in Austin. RICHARD MOORE still lives in (but not on) Pawleys Island, SC where he spends his time bird-watching, enjoying watching other wildlife– chasing the deer away from the begonias and the racoons from the pond turtle nests and growing habanero peppers for his homemade hot sauce. His idyllic home, situated

in a wooded area next to a lake, is less than a mile from the Atlantic, 30 miles south of Myrtle Beach. It’s an incredible area for wildlife. He’s still working on revisions to two textbooks (Biology of Fishes and Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico). He and his wife, Robin, have been doing some traveling, both to Australia to visit their son, Merlin, and most recently a cruise from Barcelona to Lisbon (fortunately before the recent anti-tourist demonstrations). Richard reports that both cities were wonderful to visit and were the highlights of their trip. During the summer, JOHN WADE HARRIS spent six weeks in the wild forests of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. He was there after driving his friend there as he’s done for years because that friend needs to avoid Houston’s summer heat for health reasons. John Wade reports the drive north was okay, although adrenaline kicked in after hitting a few orange plastic barrels. No damage. After that he spent some more time at a friend’s goat ranch west of Austin and enjoyed the recently-added swimming pool there. Other than that, John Wade said he participated in a lot of “senior doctor appointments” that accumulate as we slowly wind down. Due to rapid intensification of Parkinson’s Disease, our recently honored Distinguished Alumnus GRANT THOMAS entered hospice care in June. A few weeks later in a telephone call with Andy Greenwood, it was good to know that Grant’s intellect and wit was still solidly intact. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Grant and to his marvelous wife, Margot.

ClassNotes

In all the years ANN BARBER has lived in the Hollywood Hills, she’d never had a mandatory fire evacuation order for an imminent fire. Last January 8, her luck ran out. At 6 PM, her cell phone shrieked a Stage 2 evacuation order, a “prepare to evacuate” alert. Her fire, The Runyan Fire also called The Sunset Fire, was right over the hill, only a mile away, well within the range of flying embers. “Prepare to evacuate” meant that Ann had to gather passports, birth certificates, photos, medication, and pets. After everything was in the car and the dogs were leashed with their crates by the door, she waited it out on the phone with her brother and sister-in-law in Colorado. The fire had then made it to the crest of the hill above her, and as she was about to make a run for it and not wait for the order, from all five news channels, she saw a single helicopter silhouetted against the ferocious blaze. Within a few moments, the hellish scene went from a fast-moving inferno to a completely black peaceful hillside. The only sad faces on the block were two little dogs at her place who realized that they weren’t going on a trip. The whole “leash, crate thing” had been a cruel hoax. Ann felt very lucky, grateful and traumatized and she kept her stuff in her car for two weeks. As a consolation prize, the dogs got to stay longer at the park the following day. Some classmates didn’t submit reports for publication, either being too busy or because they believed that there was nothing exciting or significant to report. Despite that, some information was obtained. NANCY TIPS is still enjoying life in Vermont, while LESLIE SEYFRIED SALMON, still living in Lynchburg, VA, celebrated her 80th birthday with her entire family at the

Isle of Palms near Charleston, SC. LESLIE MCGRATH reported that she and her husband are unfortunately facing a challenge, as her husband, David Reid, was recently diagnosed with cancer. Thoughts and prayers to David and Leslie. In a telephone conversation, RICK HARGROVE said he was still involved with photography and trains and that he and his partner, Jack, now have homes in High Point, NC, Maine, and Missouri. ANDY GREENWOOD spends his days writing, watering 85 plants in the summer when it doesn’t rain enough, playing golf once a week, cooking all the meals, and doing the majority of the grocery shopping. He’s still living in Houston in the Hunters Creek Village. He published his 14th novel, another contemporary detective novel, Honky-tonk Hell. In the fall, he and his wife, Tanya, went on a 4,079-mile road trip covering New Mexico, Utah, Idaho, Yellowstone, and the Black Hills of South Dakota. He visits San Angelo several times a year where he enjoys the friendly people, restaurants, shopping, great rodeo, high school football (Friday Night Lights), and Angelo State football and baseball. Currently he’s fighting lumbar spinal stenosis, but he’s on his treadmill or stationary bike every day, and does inhome physical therapy on his own three to four times a week. He has AFib, but his cardiologist promised him that it’s not a significant problem. In the spring, Andy and Tanya hosted a mini-reunion pizza party in their home. In attendance were virtually all of the classmates living in Houston, along with Rachel Gray, Susan Wilson Dickson, and friend of the class Lucy Clark Shaw.

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1964

ROB MUIR

robmuirphoto@yahoo.com Well, the notice went out and some interesting responses were received. LEE ENFIELD LOCKWOOD says it is hot in D.C. (probably in more ways than one) and she is easing into 80. So that means we all have more time to observe and enjoy this great world that surrounds us. Example: TIM GUILFORD says, “Had fun this spring learning the leaves of the bluebonnets (genus Lupinus) in his front yard turn throughout the day to follow the sun and return east during the night in preparation for the morning sun. Proof an old dog can learn something!” Response: “Tim, you may be an old dog, but you are a purebred. While driving the Penn Turnpike two weeks ago when the sun was low in the sky, I took note that the trees all had rounded tops. Realizing that a flat surface does not get as much sun coverage as a round surface, I decided that God likely made trees rounded on top to get more food from the sun. Asking my very astute teenage grandson if he had ever noticed that fact about the rounded tops of trees, he said no–then he clicked quickly on his phone and said I was right. It only took me close to 80 years to notice that. Guess I am also an old dog, probably a mutt.” THEA ENTZMINGER BALDWIN reports “no horses and a while since waterskiing. Staying in shape with younger grandchildren (9) walking the beach in Matagorda searching for sea glass (we compete). The oldest grandson was married this past summer.”

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U. and is now Laurel Anne Sprangler with a beach wedding. She wants to follow family tradition and be a teacher, yes, yes, yes.

ETHAN HIRSH has published his book My Search for Jazzbo Jones about a

friend that went blind. With reclaimed land Ethan and his wife have created a natural habitat and built a pond. He has become quite the photographer, including using trail cameras. Please check out his images at press/ greenmountainfarm. The pictures will relax you. Mo Ranch

RV TERRELL updates us that, “We just got back from our annual weekend at Mo-Ranch with Peggy and TOM CURRIE, Kathy and BILL HEINZERLING, MAVIS and WENDY KELSEY, Annie and BOB GRAHAM, Janet and REED MCROBERTS, Drue and DAVID BOYLES, and of course Karen.” MAVIS and WENDY KELSEY have been true to SJS with grandsons playing football and lacrosse then ROBERT RISER ’23 moving on to UT Plan 2 and brother MAC ’25 going to W&L. Cooke is a staff attorney for the Eighth Court of Appeals. Lots of traveling with a visit to KAREN DAVIS in NY and anticipated visits from BROOKS DORN STEWART and GINGER ROTAN YOUNGREN in Crested Butte. JOHN JAY says he will get back to me in due course. Just like a lawyer.

Flash! Hold the presses! JOHN JAY just responded and explained that ‘due course’ is a relative expression of procrastination. Home-schooled daughter just graduated from Liberty

SARAH BLAFFER HRDY is quite the writer! Her latest book is on target about the importance of fathers. Unlike most such topics, she explores fathers as part of our species with extreme background. Father Time: A Natural History of Men and Babies was listed as a 2024 New Statesman Best of the Academic Presses; a Daily Express Best Book of the Year; a Financial Times Best Summer Science Book, and a Telegraph Best Book to Read This Summer. Click here to learn more and for reviews, visit:citrona.com/fathertime-book-sarah-blaffer-hrdy. To watch an English trailer of Jacqueline Farmer’s documentary based on Father Time: Paternité: Une métamorphose décryptée, airing fall 2025 on Arte, visit: https://vimeo.com/ 974132034?share=copy.

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1966

ANN MACNAUGHTON

ann.macnaughton@lpl.com DON KAROTKIN

dkarotkin@comcast.net Ellen and DUPUY BATEMAN are still living in Albuquerque. Dupuy IV is 35 and living in Denver. Both well, and enjoying daily walks along the Rio Grande with Nika, their beautiful husky.

TOM HUDSPETH

TOM HUDSPETH, since retiring in 2015 after 43 years teaching and conducting research in environmental studies, sustainability, and natural resources at the University of Vermont, remains involved with the Greater Burlington Sustainability Education Network; engages in climate change communication, education, and activism as a trainer for Climate Reality Project founded by Al Gore; and works with Third Act, founded by writer and activist Bill McKibben, on climate action and opposing assaults against democracy. As a master gardener, he plants his own pollinator gardens and rain gardens, and helps others in the community do the same. He and his wife, Ginny, enjoy traveling and spending time with their two daughters and four grandchildren, all of whom fortunately live nearby in Burlington.

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CHA FOXHALL MABRY moved to Santa Fe 12 years ago. She built a Spanish Colonial style house and designed a garden with a waterfall. Santa Fe is a marvelous place to live - perfect climate, sublime performing arts, and no traffic, mosquitos, or hurricanes!

Kathy and DON KAROTKIN have been keeping busy with son John, a Houston orthodontist, and daughter Emily, a Georgia homemaker in Milton, and their Georgia grandchildren, Luke, Max, and Parker. They are looking forward to Caribbean cruises this fall and next spring.

ANN MACNAUGHTON and Geoffrey Brune working hard at Fogo Island Inn

JOHN KELSEY and Tina Morrow-Kelsey live in suburban Dripping Springs, TX. John likes to cook, and for the past ten years, has posted photos, recipes, and anecdotes in his Facebook page with the banal name, “The Food Blog by John Kelsey.” Tina enjoys gardening and loves to putter in her potting shed and greenhouse. John retired from a solo criminal defense practice in Pennsylvania in 2011 and returned to Texas a year later. After trying to get on a jury for 40 years, he finally made it last year and served as the foreman. HARRY PINSON retired from Lazard in 2018 (he thinks) and now spends about half the year in New England either on Nantucket or in Sharon, CT, which serves as the family rendezvous for his two daughters and their husbands and sons who live in Brooklyn. He still serves on the board of Houston’s Menil Museum, where he served for six years as President, and The Beacon, a facility serving Houston’s homeless population. He just celebrated 52 years of marriage to Karen, whom he stole away from her service as a Kindergarten teacher at St. John’s.

ANN MACNAUGHTON and Geoffrey Brune are raising another specialneeds cocker spaniel. James and Ann are out the door as often as possible every morning for blue/golden light walks. She’s learned whole-foods, plant-based oil-free cooking, plans never to retire, and with Geoffrey is learning to laugh for no reason–did you know that laughter yoga is a thing? Retired 25 years ago from business law and consulting, she retired again five years ago from Merrill Lynch and now manages her own financial planning and investment advisory practice down the street from SJS. No globe-trotting since Covid landed, but she hopes for a return visit to Fogo Island Inn off Newfoundland’s north shore–right after our 60th Class of 1966 Reunion next year.

Two and a half years ago HELEN TEMPLE CUMMINS relocated from California’s Sacramento area to a small town in Utah near her son Will who, after a career in pro soccer with Utah Blitz and Real Salt Lake, coaches competitive soccer in Park City. His son Colin is not far away in SLC. In Utah, she’s made some exciting changes to the restored Victorian house where she and her long-haired miniature dachshund, Emi, relocated: a sun porch, a large art studio, and a dog run for Emi and the two shorthaired mini dachshunds, Josey and Lula, that Helen and Emi adopted after moving. Their new home is still a work in process, Helen hopes to complete installation of outdoor lighting and landscaping by her studio before winter—including a free form labyrinth. She spends her days working in a large perennial garden next to the small greenhouse she restored near her studio, or in her studio. Principally a watercolorist, Helen also prints monotypes on her press and has created art quilts too — one of which was shown in an international show in San Francisco. Helen travels annually to DC to visit her daughter, Lily, a partner at Wilmer Hale, and her son-in-law, Carter, whose two daughters are in college: Lila at Dickenson College and Paige at USC. “All of us are doing what we love most,” Helen reports. She said she’s looking forward to catching up with classmates at our 60th class reunion next year!

ClassNotes

CLASS OF

1967

JOHN DRYE

jldarch@aol.com

CLASS OF 1967’S 58TH CLASS REUNION Left to right (roughly): POLLY HUTCHESON, DAN REMICK, Terri Balantyne, DANA BALLANTYNE, JOHN DRYE, STEPHEN COFFEE, ANN BOYLSTON FARNELL, CHARLIE PEISSEL, TISH PRIOR PEDEN, Mollie Schaffer, NANCY HULL GODSHALL, RANDY SCHAFFER, and DAVID PEDEN.

It is with profound sadness that the Class of 1967 mourns the death of Mollie Schaffer, our honorary classmate, in the July 4th floods. Mollie and Randy were married for over 50 years and Mollie was the spark plug of our reunions and gatherings. They are parents of RANDY, JR. ’87 and JOSH ’95, as well as grandparents to JACOB ’29 and WYATT ’31. We will all miss her smile, laughter, and her welcoming, loving spirit. Picture (above) from our 58th Class Reunion gathering at Goode Company in Houston last Reunion Weekend, which Mollie and others attended.

CLASS OF

1970

MICHAEL CHADWICK

REUNION

mike@michaelschadwick.com The Class of 1970 enjoyed an enthusiastic 55th reunion get together participating in SJS Reunion Weekend held during the month of April 2025. Of 36 living classmates out of a graduating class of 47, some 15 alumni, along with a few former students, participated in the festivities. In addition to on campus events, Saturday night dinner was held at Saltgrass Steakhouse while Sunday brunch was enjoyed in the Wine Cellar at River Oaks Country Club. To conclude the weekend, a few classmates and spouses gathered for a farewell and planning (for next time!) dinner, also at ROCC. It was great to get together and share many SJS memories, and all are looking forward to the next reunion.

ClassNotes

CLASS OF

1973

TOM PEDEN

tbottspeden@gmail.com From MOLLY BENTSEN, in April: “I am still enjoying retirement! I get together with ANNE COCHRAN FRISCHKORN and ELSA WHITMORE MORSE often! Sometimes I run into ROBERT BLAND and his wife, LOUISE RIDDELL BLAND ’75, and MIMI BERKELEY SADLER and I text all the time. I keep busy by taking classes, reading, exercising, and seeing family and friends. I am headed to a big family wedding in Rehoboth Beach at the end of next month; my niece Meredith Bentsen, who lives in Washington, is getting married.”

experience sailing on such a large ship around the beautiful Caribbean islands. We did some snorkeling and excursions as well. In April, we visited friends in Tucson and our son Thomas in Flagstaff, where he’s working on a doctorate in Physical Therapy. Our other son Dylan is still living and working in San Diego. Both were here for a long visit last Christmas. We’re looking at some other travels later in the year. From FRANZ BROTZEN, in April: “In Germany, restaurants often have something called a Stammtisch. It is a table set aside for a group of regulars who gather once or twice a week at the same time for food and conversation. A group of SJS ’73 has been meeting at a Vietnamese restaurant (Huynh) on Houston’s East Side for years. PAUL NACOL and his wife, Linda, are the driving forces. We are joined by other regulars including RICHARD MCDUGALD and JOHN TURNER. ROBERT BLAND and JOE KAPLAN make appearances. KRESS WILLIAMS and DEVITT ELVERSON show up when they’re in town. We meet on Mondays for lunch; join us at our Stammtisch if you’re interested.”

ROBERT CLAIBORNE and his wife, Gwyn, sailed the Caribbean in March.

From ROBERT CLAIBORNE, in May: “I’m entering my fifth year as president of Community Sailing of Fairfield, an allvolunteer local non-profit sailing and kayaking club. It’s a lot of fun, and I frequently go out sailing in Long Island Sound. Gwyn continues to volunteer several times a week at a local food pantry. In March, Gwyn and I enjoyed a seven-day Caribbean cruise through the Windward islands aboard the Royal Clipper, the world’s largest squarerigged sailing ship. She has five masts and 42 sails! It was an amazing

From FIELDING COCKE, in May: “Meredith and Fielding Cocke spent the last year gloriously turning 70 (FLC), visiting Mission friends in Kampala, walking the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem, riding camels in Giza, sailing down the Nile, scuba diving in the Red Sea, climbing Mount Sinai, tasting Assyrtiko in Oia, eating healthily in Chania, revisiting Georgioupoli where TREVOR VIETOR and I were in 1978, and watching Alicia and Alexander Cocke bring Howell Lewis Cocke into the world on December 29th, 2024.”

From ANNE COCHRAN FRISCHKORN, in June: “Gardening, in my own areas and with the Garden Club of Houston, researching and documenting family and Texas history, and wildlife photography in West Texas and the Brenham area have all occupied enjoyable times this year for me. I am looking forward to traveling with my husband to a new mine that is opening in Wyoming, to West Virginia where he is from, and to New York City later this year. Finally, I am still an active volunteer on a board for young adults on the spectrum, the NonPareil Institute. (St. John’s alumnus NORRIS JUDD FERGUSON ’72 is also a board member there). From LEA DEMONTROND, in June: “The most significant thing for me is that I am still on this side of the dirt. Considering that my granddaughter, her husband, and their two kids have been living with me for the last two years...that says a lot. Just kidding! It has been a blessing. I hope to see you all at our 55th.” From SUSAN MCKALLIP HARP, in June: “Susan and Bill Harp moved back to Panama after spending the past 13 years going back and forth between north Idaho and Panama in semi-retirement. We live on 25 acres in the Pacific Beach area, about a three hours’ drive west from Panama City. Our retirement interests are taking care of our fruit trees and collected ornamental plants. We now have one three-year-old granddaughter who lives with her parents in California and looks just like Susan when she was three. Our other daughter works in Panama City and runs her own eco-tourism guide company.”

ClassNotes

From JOHN MONTGOMERY, in June: “Hi, all! I’m still very engaged with new and old work at Bridgeway Capital Management and splitting vacation time between London, New York, and Washington to see our eight grandkids. (Oh, and three daughters). My favorite bumper sticker reads: “If I’d known how much fun grandchildren are, I would have had them first.” Starting my training to run the Houston Marathon in January, a once-a-decade tradition. Thankful for family, friends, purpose, health, and not taking any precious moments for granted. Peace, John.” PATTY NEUHAUS NAPOLEON, MEREDITH JOHNSON LANDRY, and Meredith’s grandson.

From PATTY NEUHAUS NAPOLEON, in June: Frank and I, along with daughters Edith, Patricia, and their families, took a vacation in June to the Texas Hill Country. We had the good fortune to be there at the same time that MEREDITH JOHNSON LANDRY was there with Gary, their children, and grandchildren. We all spent a fun, fabulous day together at the Johnson home on the Guadalupe River. The combined families totaled 26 of all ages! The photo is of Meredith, holding her new grandson, and me. Meredith, SUSAN MCKALLIP HARP, and I have planned a trip to the Adirondacks in late September. We will belatedly be celebrating our 70th birthdays. So looking forward to it!”

From GREG STOUPNITZKY, in June: “Currently, I am an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of International and Public Affairs. The courses are offered under the auspices of the Center for Global Energy Policy. I’ve been doing so since 2020. I’m sure some of my classmates will probably be allergic! But hey, someone has to keep students up to speed.” From KRESS WILLIAMS, in June: We celebrated my 70th (ugh!) in Aspen this year with the kids and decided to build a home there south of Denver. My mom is 96 and still sees a trainer twice a week!! And we celebrated with family, plus ROBERT BLAND and LOUISE RIDDELL BLAND ’75 and Martha and RICHARD MCDUGALD. Vanessa and I were on Sicily’s Mt. Etna 12 hours before it erupted!! Sacha is going to Booth for his MBA, and Alex is attending the University of Vienna getting a masters in Economics. My youngest Cameron is touring the world managing a DJ and is in Ibiza for the summer. Chase has moved to Houston from Chicago.”

My youngest, Cameron, with my mom at her 96th birthday party.

Our rescue Multipoo and my wife Vanessa on Mt. Etna 12 hours before it erupted!

KRESS WILLIAMS with Cameron and Chase on Aspen Highlands

KRESS WILLIAMS and Family at Aspen Highlands

ClassNotes

From JOHN NICKELSEN, in June: “The Nickelsens are all doing well. Garrett and his band, The Maine, are on a short tour on the East Coast. Then they are off to Brazil in August for a couple of shows and are signed up for a West Coast tour in the fall. Our older son Trey is loving living in LA. He is a shift manager of a grocery store by day and a struggling musician by night, hoping to follow in his brother’s footsteps. I have committed to retiring this coming April and am counting the days down. Carol and I have just returned from a visit to Ecuador and a seven-day cruise around the Galapagos islands. The country is beautiful, and they are working hard to preserve the islands in pristine condition. All of the creatures were amazing.” From TOM PEDEN, in June: “I retired in 2021 after 41 enjoyable years of teaching English and Creative Writing at Kinkaid. Working with three different grade levels let me dive into a ton of great literature, both new and old, prose, drama, and poetry. For 16 years, it was a treat to host a special January course for grades 10 and 11 on American military aircraft from 1939 onward, a subject near and dear to my heart since childhood. I also helped Middle Schoolers produce a literary magazine each spring. Familywise, my son, Jack, and his born-inScotland wife, SJ, are both software experts in Austin. They have two delightful kids, daughter and son, aged three and one respectively. Our daughter, Alice, has made us proud for years by providing physical therapy for patients at the M.D. Anderson Hospital. Margaret and I are enjoying this phase of our lives!”

From TRACY VAUGHT, in July: “Coming up in September, we will debut a new restaurant in the new Skanska building on Discovery Green. We continue to rebuild Backstreet from the ground up. This project has been a complicated one, but we are finally breaking through. Expect it to open spring 2026. Our daughter, Sophia, has come aboard and is working daily side by side with me. She will gradually take the reins. Very proud of her!”

CLASS OF

mid-1700s. We also work on historic buildings all over Texas and get up to a Vermont project when we can. Class of ’75: I was very, very sorry to miss our 50th reunion–was really looking forward to catching up with all of you. I appreciate the phone calls and extra-reunion meetings. I heard there was speculation about the bona fides of Franco as the newest direct addition to Class of ’75. So I’m attaching the DNA evidence. Very best wishes – Chip”

1975

DIANE BIEGEL

diane@dianebiegel.com

CHIP BRISCOE & Family

Class of 1975 Award for youngest child goes to … CHIP BRISCOE: “Hello SJS friends–and greetings from the southern border. My wife and son– Julie and Franco–and I spend most of our time in the generally quiet pueblo of San Ygnacio, Texas, a little bit down the Rio Grande from Laredo. I started working in this area about 35 years ago (I work in architectural conservation) in Roma, TX which has an extraordinary historic center. Like several parts of what is known as the Frontera Chica– the border region between McAllen and Laredo–there are some spectacular buildings, including Spanish and Mexican colonial structures from the

CHIP BRISCOE

CHIP BRISCOE’S

Back in the Day

son Franco

Cabrina and STEVE OWSLEY provide a family update: “Our son, MANSFIELD ’21, is a rising senior at Georgetown University, and he plays right tackle for the Hoyas football team; our daughter LUCIANA ’24 is a rising sophomore at Miami University where she is a music major, and our daughter, FINNIAN ’26, is a rising senior at St. John’s, plays on the basketball team and is the Vice President of the Johnnycake Society. VIVIAN LANDER PERMENTER has a new grandchild, Emma Valentina Permenter, born in March 2025.

ClassNotes

TOMMY SMITH tells us that daughter JULIE SMITH ADAMS ’09 had twins Stan and Art last year.

ALISON VIETOR CROSSMAN and Family

ALISON VIETOR CROSSMAN with her

ALISON’S Art

Granddaughter

From our delightful ALISON VIETOR CROSSMAN: “Hi Diane! Jennifer loved seeing you at the 50th this past April. We have lived in the delightful low country in South Carolina for 30 years now. Our daughter and her family are in New York City and our son and his wife just bought in Savannah GA (only an hour from us). We have two granddaughters born on the same day but three years apart. I have been busy painting and making ceramics while working on a one-person art show that will open in December.”

REUNION

ALISON FORD DUNCAN reports, “I have a 9-month-old granddaughter named Scottie Ford Duncan. [Yes her name is Scottie and she’s a girl. She’s my older son’s first child. His middle name is Scott, Robert Scott Duncan.] Often I affectionately call my son Scottie, and his wife Lizzy liked it so much she chose it as a name for a baby girl. My mother CLARE ATTWELL GLASSELL ’53 also had Scott as her middle maiden name (Clare Scott Attwell). Scottie Ford Duncan is my first grandchild and my mother’s first greatgrandchild.”

ClassNotes

REUNION The SJS Class of 1975 held their 50th reunion at the home of Karl and ANN BARNETT STERN

ClassNotes

CLASS OF

1976

PETE GIBSON is planning a move to the Windy City! He’s bought a condo in Chicago. He writes: “I have always wanted to live in a pedestrian-friendly city like Chicago or New York that has good public transportation.” Anyone from SJS in his neighborhood for him to connect with?

CAROLINE WILLIAMS HASSELL

carolinehassell98@gmail.com The Class of ’76 was the Bicentennial Class! Celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with the StudentTeacher-Alumni production of 1776 and a full “Bicentennial Day” including a red-white-and-blue hot air balloon! And now nearly 50 years later, it’s our turn to be celebrating our 50th class reunion in the spring of ’26 and celebrating 250 years of American Independence. Got me thinking about the GARBowl. This annual history review before exams was run by the History teachers, but led by the illustrious Chuck Garwood. BRUCE BASKIR, our class expert on board games, remembers the choice of questions earned yardage on the green “black” board. ODETTE MCMURREY MACE, for some reason, only remembers the punitive side: an eraser hurled at the student who couldn’t answer the simple questions or just a do-not-passgo ticket to detention hall! What a way to learn! Loved it! Bruce did add that he’s the proud grandfather of FIVE under FOUR. He writes: “I look forward to bringing them all over to the dark side by teaching them to play board games.” BASS WALLACE has gone back on the board and horticulture committee of the Houston Botanic Garden and is playing more croquet with JOHN BROWN and others in the Houston Croquet Association. If you haven’t visited the Houston Botanic Garden, add it to your list (especially for their Christmas lights!).

DAVID LAUFMAN and PHILIP BOEHM

In March, PHILIP BOEHM had a nice visit with DAVID LAUFMAN in D.C. Who knew back in ’76 that we had “Twin Sons of Different Mothers” in our class! Also in D.C., MIKE MCCANLIES is newly retired, while his wife, Laura, is still enjoying leading AI efforts at the IFC. Mike is “pursuing my hobbies from high school, practicing bass and guitar, riding my motorcycle, hiking. Plus lots of travel with family: London, Italy, Portugal, and soon on safari in Africa!” AMES SMITH writes that he has moved his medical practice to Boise, ID and has stopped the surgical part of his practice (after 40 years of surgery). “I now have a full-time hereditary cancer/ high-risk breast clinic. Charlotte [and I] still have a home in Northern Idaho, but I work in Boise during the week.” Their daughter is headed to Gonzaga Law School, while their son lives in Houston. LISA LEE QUENON has been volunteering at the Hill Country Arts Foundation in Ingram, painting scenery for their plays. Sounds like fun! She was out of harm’s way for the terrible flooding on July 4th.

Personally, I still do lots of genealogy and am very involved in the Daughters of the American Revolution (with ODETTE MCMURREY MACE and DEBORAH BEARDEN MARTIN and hopefully soon DIANA HAWKINS MAYOR). (We celebrate 1776 all the time!!) Through this, I’ve done lots of research on Houston during the World War I period and Camp Logan (now Memorial Park) and now serve on the advisory board for the coming Memorial Groves, the place to remember for which Memorial Park was originally created! We were sad in May to hear of the passing of our classmate JOHN DEITRICK. John had devoted his life to service for the underserved across the world. He first served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Upper Volta (well, that’s what our 6th grade history teacher, Mr. Nixon, taught us.... Now it’s Burkina Faso). From there, he served in several other countries, finally settling in Cambodia, where he worked at Helen Keller International and Population Services International. He had only recently retired. BILL BELLIS wrote on his memory page: “I have enormous respect for him for dedicating his life to helping and working in developing countries and trying to make this world a better place. In particular, I will miss his wry sense of humor and our discussions of World and Texas politics as well as his thoughts on the status of our favorite American baseball team, the Houston Astros.”

ClassNotes

CLASS OF

1978

LEROY MELCHER

leroy3@gmail.com EDDIE ALLEN suggested that, at our age, most people want to know about their classmates’ upgraded body parts. Eddie, seriously?

But then ANN DEBES WATKINS reported in with her “big news” regarding signing up for a Medicare supplement and Rx plan! Was EDDIE really on to something? On the other hand, MARGARET WILSON RECKLING threatened litigation if I disclosed any of her HIPPA-protected information. CARLOS DUNCAN corrected my suggestion that he had picked up some titanium reinforcements after his skiing accident, pointing out that they were stainless steel. Carlos, this is not the time to go cheap!

On a more serious note, KEN MINTER now resides in assisted living. He always enjoys visitors. On the grandchildren front, PAUL HOBBY noted that he has six (and remembers the names of five!).

Also joining Karl Marx’s reserve army of the unemployed, SCOTT MARTIN is retired with four grandchildren, but looking to catch up with Paul. He spends his time between his home in Florida and ranch in Texas, and wonders how he ever had time to work? And also solidly retired, SUSAN JACOBE is a great aunt to four and confesses an utter failure dealing with technology and house plants. RISHER RANDALL warned that he, JOHN STRAWN, and EDDIE ALLEN are on their way to visit WELLS STEWART this summer. That sounds like the script of a movie that will never see a theatrical release!

A not so “free agent,” EMILIE ATTWELL is moving in the opposite direction, holding down two jobs! She shared news about her new knee braces. Eddie was on to something.

Governor Abbott appoints DAVID GUNN to the First Court of Appeals

As for me, LEROY MELCHER, I flew across the North Atlantic with my son MAX MELCHER ’14 in his light twin. This was the first over-water leg of his flight around the world. I still run the occasional triathlon, but getting in and out of my survival gear was as hard a workout as I have had in years.

CLASS OF

1979

LARRY MORRIS

texas@netropolis.net Bouncing between Houston and Dallas to keep an eye on her five grandchildren (and squeezing in a burger at Avalon), FRANCES EVANS ROGERS says that life is fun as a “free agent.”

ANNE DOWNS RICHTER is now retired and living near Boulder, CO. Anne enjoys spending time with her three young grandchildren in Denver and Pennsylvania.

Welcome, Della Margaret Coon,

MARIAN WALLACE BRISCOE and BRIAN BRISCOE ’80’s first grandchild!

Marika and JONATHAN SCHOOLAR are happy in Chapel Hill, NC. Libby graduated from Colorado College last spring, focusing on politics and religion. Ben competes in Special Olympics in both Virginia and North Carolina while attending the LIFE program at George Mason University. They miss old friends from Houston, so call them if you are anywhere near the Triangle. Brenda and RICHIE MERCADO at a Track and Field Meet in Austria

ClassNotes

CLASS OF

1981

MARK WORSCHEH

mworscheh@aquinasco.com Our 45th Reunion is set for April 2026, so make your plans to come to town, see old friends, and enjoy all the changes that have taken place. See you there! Next time you’re headed along the “Shepherd bend” by Backstreet Café (now being rebuilt!), wave or stop by Kanos Capital Management, where KIRBY SHANKS has been handling investment strategies for more than 20 years now. If it’s the weekend, though, you’ll find him with Stephanie in Galveston! Kirby reports he had lunch with CHARLIE ROWAN recently, who retired and now lives on a remote ranch in Northern Colorado, single with three labradors at 8,200 feet elevation. Prior to ranch life, Charlie worked for his family’s engineering and construction products company, which took him to South America, Thailand, and more. “I wish all my former classmates the very best,” he says. CHRIS KOLENDA, remains “semi-retired,” still handling complex tax returns for Wealth Enhancement Group in Houston. ALEX FLATHER-MORGAN CIST reports from the Boston area that she and David have been enjoying having daughter Natalie nearby, as she’s a STEM teaching fellow at Lexington Christian Academy. Younger sis Katie went from William & Mary to Cornell, where she’s doing a fellowship at Chesterton House, which integrates studies with faith.

Professor DAVID BRENNER will celebrate his 10th year at Texas A&M next year, with a full load of German, European,

and International Studies courses, including study abroad courses … and he commutes back and forth to College Station from Houston!

CLASS OF

1983

GEOFF ANGULO

CINDY HARBOUR BATCHELOR reconnected with SUSAN HILLIARD on Whidbey Island in WA after not seeing each other for 43 years. Susan owns an aviary called Flying Colours where she selflessly looks after over 200 mainly surrendered birds/parrots. It was such an awesome experience and felt as if time stood still from all those years ago.

geoffangulo@gmail.com LARRY and MELANIE ROSENTHAL MARGOLIS, Adrienne and STEPHEN BUNTING, and Craig and LORI MASSIN TELLER recently traveled to Greece and Turkey to celebrate 60th birthdays and the Buntings’ 30th anniversary. They had a great time exploring Athens and the Greek islands, as well as Ephesus and Istanbul in Turkey. CINDY HARBOUR BATCHELOR and SUSAN HILLIARD on Whidbey Island

MARGOLIS, BUNTING, and TELLER Families celebrating in Greece and Turkey.

ClassNotes

CLASS OF

1985

WALTER KALMANS

wkalmans@gmail.com

CAROL SHANKS PRICE and CHARLES CHAMBERLAIN in New Orleans

CAROL SHANKS PRICE got to hang out with CHARLES CHAMBERLAIN in March. He led a Houston Seminar tour of South Louisiana, where the group learned tons about Cajun culture, Zydeco music, and so much more. “It was great to see Charles! We learned he has an upcoming book, Gumbo Ville (LSU Press, 2025), which covers the

complete history of New Orleans— he’ll hopefully be in Houston for a book signing at some point in the fall.”

PATRICK DYSON

The Class of 1985 had a big 40th anniversary celebration, hosted by Claire and JOHN CURTIN. More than 50 classmates and 20 partners and spouses attended reunion events throughout the weekend. Many thanks to John and Claire for opening their home for the gathering. Thanks also to NELLE PACE JENNINGS for leading the host committee for the event!

PATRICK DYSON found time to sneak out for some climbing while he and Debbie were recently visiting their son Peter in Denver. He claims to not be doing much new and interesting, but I think this picture tells a different story!

I’ll wrap this Class of ’83 update with a picture from our senior dinner in May of 1983. Thanks to Jim Marcus for supplying this blast from the past.

JOHN CURTIN and DORIS DAVIS

Class of ’83 Senior Dinner (l to r): SARAH RAGAN FOLEY, ALEX KAZIM, PAM BARGER, JIM MARCUS, HAL BOYLSTON, BO DAWSON, MIKE CASEY, and GEOFF ANGULO

ADRIANE HARRIS ARNOLD, Joel Vela, and MEREDITH JANES VELA

ClassNotes

REUNION

FOX BENTON, ELLIOTT SMITH, PHILIP CANNON, MICHAEL LUTHER, and KATHERINE SHANKS DODD

SUSIE BURKS BRENNAN, Sean Brennan, and BRADY LUM

WALTER KALMANS, Amy Wood, DAVID WOOD, and BRADY LUM

KYLE WARD, Amy Wood, TOM GUEST, and NELLE PACE JENNINGS

40TH REUNION (Seated, l to r): MICHAEL LUTHER, BRADY LUM, SUZANNE MOUTON-ODUM, GEORGE HAGLE, DAVID GLASSCO, STAN STRATTON (Standing, l to r): NELLE PACE JENNINGS, SAURABH SHAH (right behind Jason), JASON LEDER, AMY GREENWOOD HEMINGWAY,

GENEVIEVE HUTCHESON BUTCHER, JOHN CURTIN, SHARI SCHWINGER CHRISTIAN, WILL RANDALL, GINGER STAMPLEY, KIM SALLS, PHILIP CANNON, WILL HOLSTEAD, JACK SINS, MEREDITH JANES VELA, HERMAN STUDE, EMMA ROSS DEL FRATE, KAREN RUBEY DEVLIN, KENDALL JONES, WILL HOOPER, WALTER KALMANS, HARRY MASTERSON, FOX BENTON, LAFFY HERRING, ERICA HERNDON MCCREADY, ALEX BAR-SELA, JEROME CROWDER, BEATRIZ AUTRIQUE HAVRE, SUSIE BURKS BRENNAN (just behind Beatriz), KATHERINE SHANKS DODD, WARD CONOVER, KIRBY ATTWELL, and MARKIA BATMANIS.

ClassNotes

Class 8 Trip - March 1980 - Washington, D.C.

BILL BAINS reports that life is good in Houston. He recently celebrated 30 years of marriage and has two grown children. DAVID GLASSCO has relocated to Costa Rica where the weather is beautiful and he lives on the side of a mountain with views of the Pacific Ocean. HELEN HUTCHISON LEVIN writes that she has recently relocated to Austin from California. LEE ANN GROSSBERG writes that she lives in a farmhouse in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina, about one hour from Asheville. She continues to practice forensic pathology and has five children ages 24 to 31 and two grandsons!

PHILIP CANNON returned to St. John’s in late 2022 in the role of Director of Alumni Engagement. His wife, Eleanor, still teaches History in the Upper School and coaches field hockey there. Their sons, BROCK ’18 and PETER ’20, are both enjoying living and working in NYC. Recently, he found a blast

from the past — a photo from the Class 7 trip to DC! SHARI SCHWINGER CHRISTIAN writes that she’s been back in Austin for the past ten years. Her three kids are now living in Boulder, Nashville, and D.C. Her daughter (D.C. child) was married in April.

SUZANNE MOUTON-ODUM attended the 30th Reunion and this year’s 40th. She is a practicing psychologist and professor at Baylor College of Medicine.

A special shout-out to SUSIE BURKS BRENNAN for taking on the role of Class Agent for our class beginning this year. Through her efforts, our class participation in the annual fund well over doubled to 36% from 14% the prior year. Last but not least is me, WALTER KALMANS. I’m still in Austin, TX and have a junior and senior in college. I’ve taken over Class Agent for our Class going forward.

ClassNotes

CLASS OF

1990

HAISE ROE BORGMANN

haiserb@me.com We had a wonderful reunion gathering at the end of April at Amy and GENTRY LEE’s house. They were gracious hosts, welcoming those of us who could make the gathering into their beautiful home. It was a lovely evening in a lovely setting; for old times’ sake, everyone who wasn’t ready to say goodbye continued the party at Volcano. Thank you to the Lees as well as our Reunion Committee, who together made the magic happen: ALLISON WRIGHT BROOKS, CHANNING BOSLER DAVEY, and STUART ROSENBERG. Plans are already underway for our 40th! Kudos to KATE GORDON for bringing an old class photo (pictured in our reunion photo!) to prove that we all look exactly the same and haven’t aged a bit! We also had a special guest appearance by MAC WILCOX, who left for boarding school somewhere along the way but was a welcome sight to see!

JIM BOYNTON and ROB LANE catch up at Reunion.

MEG MILLER CULP, O.J. LATIN, and MARY KESSLER NEUHAUS SAUER

KAREN DALTON WALKER, HAISE ROE BORGMANN, and PAIGE BUDDEKE DOMINEY

STUART ROSENBERG, CRAIG DAWSON (fresh from coaching Little League!), and SCOTT WAY

CHANNING BOSLER DAVEY, RAINEY KNUDSON, DAVID MACKIE, Steve Satterwhite, and Elizabeth Mackie enjoy our 35th reunion, with MAC WILCOX peeking in from behind. 64

NICCI WHITE GREELEY and MANDY RISEDEN GILES

ClassNotes

REUNION

Members of the Class of 1990 gathered at Gentry Lee’s house for our 35th reunion: (l-r, front row) CHANNING BOSLER DAVEY, MARCY GORDON YOUNG, MARY KESSLER NEUHAUS SAUER, NICCI WHITE GREELEY, YVONNE ROSENBLUM COSGROVE, ROMY CASSACK, KATE GORDON, ALLISON WRIGHT BROOKS; (second row) KATHERINE PANNILL CENTER, ELIZABETH PERRIN EADES, JULIE RINGOLD PRICE, MEG MILLER CULP, MANDY RISEDEN GILES, NICOLE WILKINS MANNING, RACHEL LANIER GILLETT, RAINEY KNUDSON, ROB LANE, SCOTT WAY; (back row) MARK YOUNG, DAVID EKIZIAN, Gordon Center, Elizabeth Mackie, DAVID MACKIE, KAREN DALTON WALKER, Steve Satterwhite, PAIGE BUDDEKE DOMINEY, HAISE ROE BORGMANN, JIM BOYNTON, STUART ROSENBERG, O.J. LATIN, MANI SHORT, GENTRY LEE

Mr. Cullinan, renowned English teacher and creator of our oft-cited comma rules, passed away in October 2024. He would be pleased to know that his legacy lives on in so many of his former students who have become authors. Read on to hear about the latest members of the Class of ’90 who are bringing something to print.

Scott Brooks, ELIZABETH PERRIN EADES, Gordon and KATHERINE PANNILL CENTER

JIM BOYNTON “was honored to give a formal lecture on my late father Jack Boynton’s life and work as a renowned Texas modern artist at the annual CASETA (Center of Advanced Study for Early Texas Art) in Dallas on Father’s Day. This is a project I have 65

ClassNotes

been working on for two years and will serve as a foundation for a future major book publication on his life and work. If you like art, take a look: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Bo ynton. Virginia Roeder and Jane Eifler were the two art teachers at SJS when we were in school and both had been former students of my late father. STUART ROSENBERG is also now working with me on making this presentation again in Houston.” DONOVAN HOHN is “still Professor of English and Director of Creative Writing at Wayne State University, but I’m also now acting editor of Lapham’s Quarterly, in which role I’ve been hosting Lewis Lapham’s old podcast The World in Time, available wherever you get your podcasts.” You can read all about it in the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/12 /books/laphams-quarterlyrelaunch.html.

Always making an impact in the art world in new and creative ways, RAINEY KNUDSON reports that “I’m still in Houston, writing full-time, all is well. My book MFAH 100 comes out this fall, published by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. This grew from a personal project on my blog where I wrote 100 words each about 100 works from the museum’s collection that I selected in honor of their 100th anniversary. It was great fun, and I’m so pleased the museum wanted to publish it as a book. I loved seeing everyone at the reunion–those of you who couldn’t make it, consider coming to the 40th! We’re all getting older, who cares, it’s great to connect with old friends.”

BEN JOHNSON published Texas: An

American History in February. The book tells a comprehensive history of Texas and its influence on the wider world. Ben kept having flashbacks to Mr. Mitchell’s 7th grade Texas history class as he wrote it. Also hot off the presses, our NYT bestselling author KATHERINE PANNILL CENTER wrote that, “My newest novel The Love Haters was an instant USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and New York Times bestseller in May of this year, and, Jodi Picoult says, ‘Katherine Center is the balm we need in the world right now.’ I just finished a 31-stop, coast-to-coast book tour that included a totally dreamy evening at the legendary Paramount Theater in Austin—in conversation with Gen and Jared Padalecki for a packed audience. My 2026 novel is all turned-in, and I’m just about to start work on 2027! Come see me next summer on book tour! Sign up for updates at my website katherinecenter.com!” ANDREW SCHWARTZ’S daughter, Amelia, with her horse, Minty, competed in the National Junior Hunter Finals in Lexington, KY and earned a top third finish out of 94 riders. She is off to the University of Denver in the fall, leaving Andrew and Sylvia as empty nesters. MANI SHORT has moved back to Houston after many years in Atlanta. He’s happy to be back and looking forward to reconnecting with SJS classmates.

ALISON WEAVER ’89, LISA NEUBERGER FERNANDEZ, STUART ROSENBERG, KIMBALL JOHNSON MORINIERE, ALLISON WRIGHT BROOKS, and BRYN LARSEN ’88 gathered at LISA NEUBERGER FERNANDEZ’S parents’ house when she was visiting Houston from Madrid.

Author and entrepreneur LISA NEUBERGER FERNANDEZ was back in town just before the reunion but unfortunately had to leave before the festivities: “Hola todos! Thrilled to share that Allison and I reconnected at a 2025 pre-reunion party at my parents’ house with this fab group and sparked a collaboration starting with her joining me to walk on the Camino de Santiago as part of my one-year-old social venture, the Next Chapter Accelerator. We go on a Camino Walking Retreat with purpose-driven leaders to chart our path forward in joy and sisterhood. Reach out if you want to learn more. Next trip is October 1-5th. You can check out our website: https://thewildnetwork.org/ next-chapter-accelerator/.” MELISSA MCSHERRY, CHRISTINA LING MCALLISTER, and HAISE ROE BORGMANN had a mini-reunion in D.C., gathering for a fun dinner to catch up in February.

ClassNotes

CLASS OF

1992

BA NGUYEN

banguyen@comcast.net KRISTIN SCHIMEK MCCULLAR reports that her youngest daughter, Reese, graduated from high school this past year and will be attending Elon University in the fall. She credits LAURA MAYER CYPROW with providing great information related to all things Elon (the school and the town), as Laura’s daughter, Lilly, just completed her freshman year at Elon. Laura reports that Lilly also gave a tour of the Elon campus to SCOTT BOYD and his family. Kristen further reports that she also received her shingles vaccination this year. Laura reports she got hers this past year as well. For that matter, in response to a general call for updates to the class, the most common report received from classmates was that they got their shingles shots. In addition to Kristin and Laura, shingles vaccinations were reported by MARGARET COX MOUSOUDAKIS, LARA NAAMAN, MARY HAMILL LASLEY, and STEPHEN LASLEY.

This past May, CARTER PERRIN and his wife, Lizzy, saw their daughter ELIZA ’25 graduate from SJS. Eliza will be matriculating at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she will also be playing field hockey. DREW DYLEWSKI and wife Bethany’s daughter Caroline will also be starting at UNC Chapel Hill in the fall as a Morehead-Cain Scholar, after having taken a gap year that took Caroline across six continents and 42 cities around the world, anchored by three months living in Lisbon.

DOUG CROSS reports that in February he moved into the role of Chief Operating Officer for Vitenas Cosmetic Surgery and Mirror Mirror Beauty Boutique, both located in Houston. Doug previously was in management positions with Star Furniture and Ermenegildo Zegna. As of press time, the shingles vaccination statuses of Doug, Carter, and Drew are unknown.

CLASS OF

1994

VIDYA BALA

bala.vidya@gmail.com

Lauren’s parents, John and Lynne Averett, and LAUREN and WILL BYERS at the TAMEST (Texas Academy of Medicine, Engineering, Science & Technology) Award Ceremony.

celebration and learn about the many types of scientists, engineers, etc.” www.mdanderson.org/newsroom/—two-md-anderson-researchers-electedaaas-fellows—.h00-159774867.html

LAUREN AVERETT BYERS, MARGARET BYERS ’33, Annie Broom, KATIE BYERS BROOM ’01, and Ellie Broom

It has been a big year for our classmate LAUREN AVERETT BYERS, MD, MS. Below is the press release about her election as a Fellow of AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) for contributions to the field of lung cancer. She attended the AAAS Fellow Forum for the formal ceremony for newly elected members in Washington, D.C. on June 7. Lauren reported, “My daughter MARGARGET ’33 was excited to come with me to the event in D.C. on June 7. I invited KATIE BYERS BROOM ’01 and her two girls so they could also be part of the

Below is another press release from MD Anderson for the TAMEST Award in Medicine that Lauren received earlier this year that recognizes the top medical researcher in Texas each year. Lauren shared, “Every Texas institution can nominate one person for the award, and I was fortunate to be selected this year.” https://tamest.org/news/odonnellaward-medicine/2025/ www.mdanderson.org/newsroom/laure n-averett-byers-receives-tamest-odonnell-award-seminal-contributionslung-cancer-research.h00159703068.html

ClassNotes

CLASS OF

1995

REUNION

RUTHIE JOHNSON MILLER

ruthiejmiller@gmail.com The Class of 1995 held a lively 30th St. John’s reunion last spring, with alumni joining us from around the city, state, and country. The event was at The Railyard, a local dive perfect for the occasion, and we were thrilled when Head of School Dan Alig showed up to toast the group. The 1995ers always have a great time when we’re together, and this reunion was certainly no exception. We hope to see everyone at our 35th reunion … but also well before.

JULIE AMAON, REYAD NASSER, EVAN KAJANDER, TANGI HUNTER FORD

MICHELLE PHILLIPS, NANCY HUTCHESON DOLAN

VICTOR YOUNG, TODD LEFFLER

RUTHIE JOHNSON MILLER, LANE DILG, JULIA GLASGOW ENGELBRINK

ClassNotes

CLASS OF

1996

CLARK WRAY shares that after finishing his 25th season with the Denver Broncos, he has moved on to On Location where he is the Director of Ticketing and Business Operations for FIFA World Cup 2026. Clark continues to live in Denver with his wife, Julee, and daughter Audree.

MINDY MCGEHEE RISEDEN

mriseden@craincaton.com CHRISTINA ALMY reports that BRIDGET MCNEESE CUMMINS won the Amateur Five-Gaited Championship during The World’s Championship Horse Show on Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024 at Freedom Hall in Louisville, KY.

Gracey DeMontrond-Johnson at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in 2025

MELISSA DEMONTROND reports that her daughter, Gracey DeMontrondJohnson, participated in the rodeo mutton bustin’ this past rodeo season (maybe didn’t win, but definitely best dressed!). Gracey will also be joining the SJS Class of ’38 in the fall of 2025.

LARRY SCHOOLER is now a full time Assistant Professor at UT Austin, teaching courses in leadership and communication and conflict resolution. He and his wife, Jolie, just celebrated their 17th anniversary, and their older son, Sammy, just celebrated his Bar Mitzvah, with great help from his younger brother, Robby.

In January this year, LEIGH MANNING and JOHANNA BICK flew from Houston to Portland, OR to meet up with two Seattle area SJS alumnae, SUZANNE BICK ENDERS and CHRISTINE KIM KUTAC, for a girls’ wine tasting trip through the Willamette Valley.

BRIDGET MCNEESE CUMMINS at The World’s Championship Horse Show in August 2024

SUZANNE BICK ENDERS, CHRISTINE KIM KUTAC, LEIGH MANNING, and JOHANNA BICK enjoying a girls’ trip together in the Willamette Valley.

ClassNotes

CLASS OF

2000

CLASS OF

2002

CLASS OF

2003

NELL LUKOSAVICH

ALICIA BLACKBURN SUMMERS

WHITNEY BOSSIN BURNS

nell.lukosavich@gmail.com

alicia.b.summers@gmail.com

whitneybburns@gmail.com

Charlotte Hendryx

On May 13, 2025, DEBORAH HENDRYX welcomed her daughter, Charlotte Anne Hendryx. Mother and baby are enjoying Deborah’s maternity leave before she goes back to work as an Ob/gyn at the Woman’s Hospital of Texas. MAYA ANGELA SMITH celebrated the publication of two books this year.

Reclaiming Venus: The Many Lives of Alvenia Bridges came out in October and Ne me quitte pas: A Song by Jacques Brel and Interpreted by Nina Simone and Others came out in February. She had the pleasure of sharing her work with classmates and community members at Barnes and Noble during the 2025 SJS Reunion Weekend.

Lovett Grace Lyman

ALI LYMAN is currently teaching at Pooh Corner, and she welcomed her daughter, Lovett Grace Lyman in June 2024! NEELIMA GONUGUNTLA continues to be civically active serving on the Dallas County District Attorney’s advisory council as well as other nonprofit boards. In January, she was inducted into the Texas Lyceum as a Director, Class of 2025.

After living in New York for 17 years, CLAIRE FROST and her life partner, José, moved back to Houston to raise their child near family. She has been helping people get organized for 20 years as a Certified Transformational Clutter Coach. She continues studying Italian and Italian cinema in her spare time. You can learn more about her services at clairenoellefrost.com. Join her community to stay in touch!

LAURA HUGHES and SARAH LABRIE at Basket Books & Art in November holding a photo from their school days.

In November, LAURA HUGHES hosted a book reading for longtime friend and classmate SARAH LABRIE at Laura and her husband’s Midtown Houston bookstore, Basket Books & Art. Sarah had just written and published her first book, a memoir titled No One Gets to Fall Apart, which received critical acclaim including being listed as a New York Times Editors’ Pick and Notable Book of the Year.

ClassNotes

CLASS OF

2004

COURTNEY BLACKBURN JEFFREY

courtbjeffrey@gmail.com After a cloistered year at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, CHRIS REED is moving to the Upper West Side this fall. After six years at Arnold Ventures, EVAN MINTZ has returned to the Houston Chronicle as editor for opinion and community engagement.

COURTNEY BLACKBURN JEFFREY’S

MITCH FELDMAN with wife

two daughters, Sabrina and Violet

Brynne and new baby Leo

COURTNEY BLACKBURN JEFFREY and her husband, Jeff, welcomed their second daughter, Sabrina Jane Jeffrey, on December 27, 2024. Big sister Violet is overjoyed and their family is complete!

CLASS OF

MITCH FELDMAN and his wife, Brynne, welcomed Leo James Feldman on April 16, 2025, their first child. Both they and their Frenchie Harvey are thrilled with the wonderful new addition to their family.

2005

NISHA GADGIL

gadgil.nisha@gmail.com ALEXANDRA JARDINE

apjardine86@gmail.com JORDAN SCHMIDT SCHAUGHNESSY

jordan.k.s.shaughnessy@gmail.com BOBAK FATEMIZADEH married Andrea Brennan on December 14 in Mexico City. A number of SJS classmates joined them to celebrate including JAMIE LEADER, THANASSI and LINDSAY GIAM LEFAS, BENJI BARRON, JULIA ALLEN, ANTHONY ZOGHBI, SAMEER KIRTANE, GEORGE DENFIELD, ROBERT MOLONY, ROBERT WILSON, EVAN HOWELL, NIKITA MALANI SHUKLA, ATMAN SHUKLA ’03, and BRAD SMITH.

BOBAK FATEMIZADEH and his wife, Andrea, along with numerous SJS friends at their wedding in Mexico City

ClassNotes

REUNION

SJS Class of 2005 at their 20-year reunion SJS Class of 2005 celebrated their 20-year reunion at River Oaks Country Club in April! Classmates from near and far joined the celebrations, and a good time was had all around.

CAROLINE GALLAY MAY

CAROLINE GALLAY MAY semi-recently left her job at a large ad agency to found a boutique branding and design studio called Grown. Since launching in late 2023, her small team of writers and designers have done awardwinning work for James Beardrecognized bars and restaurants, major manufacturers, private colleges and universities, and historic city districts. Their favorite clients, though, are other entrepreneurs and small business owners. Caroline loves almost everything about working for herself, and tolerates the spreadsheets.

COLIN DELANEY and his partner, Bob, enjoying the Netherlands

COLIN DELANEY is now living in the Netherlands with his partner, Bob. He is finishing his Executive MBA at the University of Rotterdam. He has chosen to resign from ExxonMobil after 15 years and is looking for his next career opportunity.

STEPHANIE KOKOLIS SCHMIDT with husband Shawn, son George, and new baby Sophia Aurora

STEPHANIE KOKOLIS SCHMIDT and Shawn Schmidt are pleased to announce the birth of their second child, Sophia Aurora, born December 5, 2024. She joins big brother George, who is delighted by the new arrival. The family of four is doing well and grateful for this wonderful addition.

ClassNotes

Baby Simran Narang

AVANI GUPTA NARANG and her family welcomed their newest addition Simran Narang on May 13, 2025. Big brother Raghav Narang, age 5, is already stepping into his new role with pride and excitement. Avani is currently enjoying her maternity leave and cherishing this special time with her growing family. She will return to her role at Indus Communities, which was recently recognized by the Houston

AMRAPALI MAITRA’S cute kids, Ishan and Anika Below: Anika graduated to Kindergarten

HANNAH FOGLER with husband Lance and stepdaughter August

Business Journal’s 2025 Family-Owned Business Awards–a proud achievement for the entire team.

CLASS OF

2006

DEETS HOFFMAN

deetshoffman@gmail.com

Bernadette “Bitsy” Anne Young was born to Katie and ALEX YOUNG on April 23, 2025.

AMRAPALI MAITRA is on the faculty at Stanford Medical School, where she teaches, leads research in the medical humanities, and sees patients in Hospital Medicine. She’s working on her first book. Amrapali and Lahiru’s daughter Anika (almost 5 years old) is moving up to Kindergarten in the fall; currently she loves swimming, dancing, reading Roald Dahl’s Matilda with her parents, flying to Houston to see grandparents, and sleepovers at auntie’s house nearby (APARAJITA MAITRA ’13)! Son Ishan (1.5 years old) is happiest running after his big sister, climbing everything in sight, and reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear. Happy summer, everyone! Please say hello if you’re in the Bay Area.

HANNAH FOGLER got married in the woods! In June 2024, Hannah married her partner of six years, Lance, and became stepmom to August, the most awesome 12-year-old in the world. Her sisters, ALICE FOGLER ’10 (current SJS teacher) and CALLIE FOGLER KWARTLER ’03, and her best friend of 26 years HANNAH CURRY-MCDOUGALD stood beside her as bridesmaids and maid of honor, respectively. NICK MANN still lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Lauren, and his toddler, Dawson. Nick makes weekly videos on wild edible plants. Find him on YouTube and TikTok @nickmannfilm.

ClassNotes

JULIET KROLL married Robert Oliver on November 9, 2024, at First Presbyterian Church in Houston. They were delighted that several St. John’s alumni could witness their vows, including those in their wedding party: LAUREN BAILEY JONES, ELIZABETH OLIVER ’07, REBECCA LINN HUGHES, ALEXANDRA TENNANT, KATHERINE HAWKINS WEIGAND, and SAM OLIVER ’13. Juliet moved back to Houston after finishing her doctorate in clinical psychology and is working as an Assistant Professor at MD Anderson Cancer Center.

CLASS OF

2007

ALLISON BLAND FLICK

sjsclassof2007@gmail.com

JULIET KROLL OLIVER and Robert Oliver

Laurel Rhodes DeLuca

Matt and ANNA DOMNING DELUCA welcomed a baby girl, Laurel Rhodes DeLuca, on December 20, 2024. NORA NIEBRUEGGE BOWERS recently earned her certification as a Functional Medicine Health and Wellness Coach and is now working toward becoming a Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBHWC) in the coming months. She empowers individuals to make lasting lifestyle changes that address the root causes of chronic conditions and enhance overall health and well-being. Her coaching focuses on modifiable lifestyle factors, including nutrition, sleep, movement, stress management, and relationships. If you’re curious about how coaching can support your health journey, she’d love to connect with you!

ALEXANDRA TENNANT, ELIZABETH OLIVER ’07, KATHERINE HAWKINS WEIGAND, JULIET KROLL OLIVER, REBECCA LINN HUGHES, LAUREN BAILEY JONES

ClassNotes

clients, and family offices. As a Senior Director in the Private Client Practice, she focuses on developing the firm’s private client businesses in the South, building relationships with high-networth families and family offices. She’s excited that her new role brings her to Houston more often!

Charles Otto Ziemnicki

Catherine and MATTHEW ZIEMNICKI joyfully welcomed their second baby boy Charles Otto on July 5, 2023. His big brother, Pearce, and the entire family are completely smitten with their newest addition. Meanwhile, Matthew is embracing his return to the University of Texas at Austin campus, where he serves as Director of Development in the President’s Office. Exciting times for the Ziemnicki family!

GEHRS Family

Tyler and KATE DONNELLY GEHRS welcomed their third child Grace Cluett on October 30, 2025. Grace’s big siblings Ellen (4) and Pete (2) love to pamper their baby sister! MARY MARTHA DAVIS HARDEN has joined Cambridge Associates, a global investment firm specializing in building and managing custom portfolios for endowments, foundations, private

Phil and KARA FISHER BULHON welcomed daughter Brooke on June 4, 2025, in Dallas. Brooke joined big brothers James (4) and Miles (2). Everyone is happy, healthy, and enjoying life as a family of 5! MAGGIE MCDANIEL WELCH has joined Onstott Group as Chief Operating Officer. After more than a decade in the energy, research, and data analytics sectors, she is excited to bring her experience to the executive search industry. At Onstott, Maggie will lead finance and operations, helping build the foundation for the firm’s continued growth.

Jennie Caven Adams

JENNIE CAVEN ADAMS and Dawson joyfully announce the birth of Grace Marie Adams, who arrived on February 3, 2025. Grace was welcomed with love by Jennie, Dawson, and big sister Isabel Adams.

ALLISON BLAND FLICK, ADAM HINES, DERRY HERLIHY, BUCK ELKINS, ELIZABETH EASTERLY, ELIZABETH BLANTON, and KALETA BLAFFER JOHNSON celebrated BACH MAI’S Maverick Award during reunion weekend this year. The Class of 2007 is so proud of Bach and his award!

ClassNotes

CLASS OF

2008

LAURA DIEZ

CLASS OF

2012

Class Agent needed

CLASS OF

2014

NIKHILA KRISHNAN

laura.diez.12@gmail.com

njk33@georgetown.edu

On September 14, 2024, LUKE PHILLIPS married Halina Wojtkowski at the Chapel of St. Basil in Houston.

After graduating from Texas A&M University, ZACH COTON completed Officer Candidate School in Newport, RI where he received a commission in the United States Navy. Upon completion of primary flight training, Zach was selected for strike fighter training and earned his Wings of Gold at Naval Air Station Meridian, MS. He is now flying the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet in Lemoore, CA with Strike Fighter Squadron 122 (VFA-122).

Lily Epner Petersen

MARGEAUX EPNER PETERSEN and her husband, Nick, welcomed the birth of their baby girl Lily Epner Petersen on April 6. Margeaux is also graduating from her residency training in anesthesiology at UT Southwestern and moving back to Houston. Nora, MARGARET GREENBERG, Reece, and Erik

MARGARET GREENBERG and her husband, Erik Blumenkranz, welcomed their son, Reece Abram Blumenkranz on November 18, 2024. Big sister Nora (3) is handling the family changes with aplomb. Margaret and her family are living it up in Marin County, north of San Francisco. CRISTINA MASSON LYNCH and her husband welcomed baby Elena Marie Lynch on May 10, 2025.

Fields Clark Fertitta with his big brother

CAROLINE REASONER FERTITTA and her husband, Jonas, welcomed their second son, Fields Clark Fertitta, to their growing family.

ClassNotes

CLASS OF

2016

JENNIFER TRIESCHMAN

jennifertrieschman@icloud.com CHRIS GILLETT has been appointed by the Austin City Council to the Electric Utility Commission for the City of Austin. The Commission is the advisory board of Austin Energy, which is the city’s power utility and the 3rd largest municipal-owned utility in the US. Chris shared, “It’s very meaningful to me to be using knowledge I’ve developed through my career in the power industry to serve my community, which is a value I learned at St. John’s.” PHILIP KENSINGER earned his Master of Science in Finance from the University of Houston in December 2024.

JEFFREY PAINE and Carolina

JEFFREY PAINE married Carolina Cuppetilli on May 3, 2025 at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Houston. A celebration followed at the McGovern Centennial Gardens. PHILIP KENSINGER, CHARLES DORFMAN, CHRIS RANDALL, TREY LEWIS, ARDEN ONANIAN, WILL BICKHAM, MICHAEL COWAN, LAKE LEPPERT, and CADE LUEDDE joined in the fun to celebrate Jeffrey and Carolina!

Laura Trautner

MARGARET TRAUTNER and her husband, John Lathrop, welcomed their daughter, Laura, in October 2024.

Laura was born prematurely—three months early and weighing less than three pounds—and spent three months in the NICU. She is now home with her parents and doing well! PAINE wedding party

ClassNotes

CLASS OF

2020

MIRA THAKUR

mirasthakur@gmail.com SARAH JANE LASLEY and JAMES REDDING, high school sweethearts from the Class of 2020 married on November 2, 2024, in Candler, NC. The photo at right includes all St. John’s alumni who attended the wedding.

CLASS OF

2021

Class Agent needed PIERCE EDERLE graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he was a member of the West Point Parachute Team. He was commissioned into the U.S. Army as an infantry officer. Upon completion of infantry officer training, he will join the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vicenza, Italy.

CLASS OF

2020 - LASLEY & REDDING WEDDING Sitting in front row:

KATHERINE KING ’92, LARA NAAMAN ’92, MARY HAMILL LASLEY ’92, STEPHEN LASLEY ’92 , and SAM SCHNEIDER ’17 Standing (roughly) left to right:

MONA BUCHSBAUM BLOOM ’82, LIBBY CARR ’17, MEGAN ROUTBORT ’15, HANK LASLEY ’17, ALISON WONG ’92, JONATHAN BLOOM ’17, GREG LASLEY ’92, SUSANNA YOUNG KARTYE ’92, MARY GRACE WISCHMEYER HAMILL ’65, SAMANTHA BOYD ’27, STELLA BOYD ’30, SCOTT BOYD ’92, JAMES REDDING, SARAH JANE LASLEY REDDING, LEXIE FARNELL, ELEANOR DEVETSKI, ABIGAIL PRICE, CLAIRE HUFF, PETER WADE, RYAN DOUGHTY, KAY WISCHMEYER AUTREY ’72, KYLE PUCKETT, SAM ASKEW, WESTON CLARKE, and JONATHAN LU

2023

EVIE VU

evievu913@gmail.com Showing great SJS pride and enthusiasm, ISABELLA GIDI rallied fellow Maverick college students in Boston for a gathering in late February. Renting out the MIT ice rink on a Friday evening, Isabella had several fellow SJS alumni join together for a fun night on the ice including classmates ADDISON SPIEGEL, MATTHEW LEE, ARIANNA DOSS, and JOSIE FELDMAN. Way to go, Isabella!

2023 - MIT SKATING MAVERICKS (left to right): DAWSON CHANG ’24, ABIGAIL HINDMAN ’24, ANNIE JONES ’24, ADRIANA TORRES LI NING ’24, ISABELLA GIDI, ADDISON SPIEGEL, MATTHEW LEE, AMELIA SCHUEPPERT ’21, ARIANNA DOSS, AND JOSIE FELDMAN. Not pictured but in attendance, RAUNAK KUNDAGRAMI ’19.

InMemoriam

InMemoriam he St. John’s community remains heartbroken over the loss of two beloved Lower School students and fellow classmates, ANNA MARGARET BELLOWS ’35 and ELLEN ELIZABETH GETTEN ’35, who succumbed to the Texas Hill Country floodwaters on July 4, 2025.

“From her start at St. John’s, Ellen was an empathetic and kind friend to all” Head of School Dan Alig reflected. Ellen’s family shared, “Every day, she was excited to go to school and to see her friends and teachers and found so much happiness there. She worked on her tennis game, attempted to hit a golf ball, and swam and medaled on the Mean Green swim team but most of all loved to play Roblox with her sister …. Ellen woke up happy, went to sleep happy, and made everyone around her happy. Though her nine years on earth was brief, she will always be remembered for her love of others and her sweet smile. Ellen would want to give everyone more hugs.” Ellen is survived by her parents, JENNIE ’03 and Doug GETTEN, sister GWYNNE ’32, aunt and uncle ABBIE ’98 and WILL ’98 GIRAUD, cousins CHARLIE ’27 and LUCY ’30 GIRAUD, uncle WALT WILSON ’00, along with many other loving family members and friends. Anna Margaret Bellows was described as “a sunburst of joy. She loved family, friends, pets — anyone and everyone everywhere, even if she and they had never crossed paths. She was smart and tenacious and bold. She loved her sports, especially field hockey, soccer, and basketball. And she brought joy wherever she went: she was pura alegria, pure joy. We will miss her hugs that were a bit too tight, laughter that was a bit too loud, and ‘five more minutes’ at bedtime. But we celebrate what we were given, not mourn what we don’t get to see. Margaret was truly a gift. She lived 100 years in fewer than 9. She loved it all, and she was so easy to love.” Head of School Dan Alig reiterated that “Margaret was a tremendous source of brightness and joy in our community.” She is survived by her parents, PATRICIA ’03 and WARREN ’03 BELLOWS, sister MARY ’32, aunt ELIZABETH BELLOWS BROCKMAN ’99, uncle ROBERT BROCKMAN ’92, and grandmother Ruth Bellows (faculty emerita) amongst treasured friends and family.

Ellen Getten & Margaret Bellows In a message sent by Head of School Dan Alig to the community at the beginning of the school year, he wrote, “We will continue to grieve Margaret and Ellen and reckon with the pain of that early July weekend in the Hill Country. We will hold sadness in our hearts while also assuming the obligations of a new school year: back-to-school agendas and logistics, reading quizzes, sharing circles, calculus lessons, volleyball matches, theater rehearsals. We will mourn, and yet we will carry forward — holding our heartache and fear alongside our responsibilities and aspirations, even alongside the joy of school experiences and relationships … This year begins in grief, but we will soon witness, and be comforted by, the wonder that has defined St. John’s for 80 years. And through it all, we will lean on one another. We will persevere.” Please join us in continuing to keep Ellen and Margaret, along with their families and loved ones, close in your thoughts and prayers.

InMemoriam HANNAH E. BAKER ’10

PATRICIA HARRIS BAYNE ’66

ANNA MARGARET BELLOWS ’35

CHAPIN BURKS ’52

JOHN M. DEIDRICK ’76

MARIE CHRISTOPHE DE MENIL ’51

ELLEN ELIZABETH GETTEN ’35

MOLLIE EDGAR HILL ’53

DR. ALBERT J. HUDSPETH ’63

WILLIE JO SCHAEFER

Staff Emerita JOAN WILSON TAYLOR ’51

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