Winter 2021 Magazine

E X C E L L E N C E A C A D E M I C

THE COLLEGE LIFE: ALUMNAE IN HIGHER EDUCATION Answering Uniform Questions ∙ Global Education Program ∙ College Counseling in an Independent School

In This Issue 4 10 12 14 16 20 20 25 26 34 60

Winter 2021

The College Life: Alumnae in Higher Education St. Mary’s History of Academic Excellence College Counseling in an Independent School St. Mary’s Global Education Program Answering the Uniform Questions Campus News New Assistant Head of School Hilary Davis Robinson ’90 St. Mary’s Senior Spends the Fall Working in D.C. St. Mary’s Honors Independent Research Study Class Notes Milestones

Director of Communications / Editor Lacey Hibbard P’27’31 | lhibbard@stmarysschool.org Assistant Director of Communications / Editor Kirkwood McClintock P’11 | kmcclintock@stmarysschool.org Director of Alumnae Gigi Gould ’70 | ggould@stmarysschool.org Photography Lisa Buser P’14, Kathy Daniel Patterson ’78 P’11, Skipworth Photography Design Creative Punch Marketing Group, Chris Porter | creativepunchmg.com Contributors Meg Powell Cullar ’78, Patricia Person Ray ’65, Kirkwood McClintock, John Nichols, Ansley Skipper ’21 Class Notes Editor Courtney Taylor Humphreys ’01 P’32’34 Letters to the Editor Please address all correspondence to: Lacey Hibbard St. Mary’s Episcopal School 41 North Perkins Memphis, TN 38117 lhibbard@stmarysschool.org (901) 537-1426

The mission of St. Mary’s Episcopal School is to provide a superior educational experience for girls which will encourage and enable each student to reach her individual potential.

HEAD OF SCHOOL Albert L. Throckmorton

The mission of St. Mary’s Episcopal School is to provide a superior educational experience for girls which will encourage and enable each student to reach her individual potential.

Academic excellence is a hallmark of St. Mary’s, and even during a year that presented more than its share of challenges, we have broadened our understanding of what defines a “superior educational experience.” It begins and is sustained in our mission, but it is lived out in our students, teachers, and alumnae.

As we have conducted school (and experienced life) in ways that we never thought we would during the pandemic, we have grieved the temporary restrictions of some cherished traditions.

But our superior academic experience continues every day, no matter where our students and faculty are. St. Mary’s girls are still curious, creative, competent, compassionate, and confident. And they love to learn.

Whether remote or physically distanced, we discovered that at our core, the most familiar and resilient part of our school is our commitment to doing well in any circumstance.

In the pages that follow, you will find this excellence illustrated in the stories of people and programs guided by the shared mission. The five alumnae featured in our cover story on “The College Life” each developed a love for learning at St. Mary’s. Each of them continues to learn and grow as they help foster a love for learning in their students.

St. Mary’s history of academic excellence is a subject with which former Head of Upper School and current history and government teacher Patti Person Ray ’65 is very familiar.

She has seen through her experiences as a student, a teacher, a division head, and an alumna, what a St. Mary’s education does for girls. Patti loves the traditions and those aspects which have remained constant, yet she continues to embrace innovations, courses, and requirements which have developed and changed with the times.

Excellence at St. Mary’s propels students to excellence beyond. As we encourage each girl at St. Mary’s to reach her individual potential, we help her find that particular college where she can continue to grow and thrive. The college counseling team begins working with freshmen, and each year there are activities and exercises in which students participate that help narrow their focus by the time they are seniors.

Because we enable girls to pursue their individual interests, they are often able to take advantage of unique opportunities. One such opportunity was pursued by Ansley Skipper ’21 who spent the first semester learning remotely while she worked in Washington, D.C. Academic excellence is sustained by excellent academic leaders. John Nichols tells us his journey in Global Education. There also have been exciting changes in leadership this year.You may read about Assistant Head of School Hilary Davis Robinson ’90 and her journey to her current position, and as well as our three outstanding new division heads.

While we look forward to returning to the more familiar landscape of campus unmasked, we are encouraged by the breadth of our mission, especially when it leads us to new discoveries.

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES Robert F. Fogelman II P’29, Chair Timothy E. Davis, Jr. P’20’22, Vice Chair Jeffrey Block P’24’26, Treasurer Cristina S. Fockler P’06, Secretary MEMBERS Wendy Pritchartt Ansbro ’79 P’09 James H. Barton, Jr. P’25 Allison Garrott Braswell ’88 P’22 Edward S. Chin P’15’17 Mikara Davis P’28’32 Mary Kavanagh Day ’82 P’23 Brooke Dishmon, D.D.S. P’24 Brian Fowler P’21’25 Malika Tuli Goorha, M.D. P’26’29 Laurita B. Jackson P’17’19 James R. Jenkins P’25 Stephanie Linkous P’21 Andrew Mathes P’21 Julia Chesney McDonald ’96 P’31 Ann-Morgan Brookfield Morgan ’99 P’29‘32 Ellen Clark Moore ’73 Elvira R. Ormseth P’24 Joelle Rogin P’25’27 Monica Skipper P’21 Mary Katherine Stout P’29 Kendall Visinsky P’26’29 Hallie McNeill Ward P’25 AT LARGE MEMBERS Sara L. Hall P’18 Linda McNeil William Orgel P’17 EX OFFICIO MEMBERS The Right Reverend Phoebe Roaf (Bishop, The Diocese of West Tennessee) The Reverend Alexander H. Webb II (Rector, Church of the Holy Communion) Elizabeth Simpson Alrutz ’82 P’15 (President, Alumnae Association Board) Marlene R. Shaw (Senior Warden) Albert L. Throckmorton (Head of School) TRUSTEES EMERITI Thomas M. Garrott III P’83’88 G’08’09’15’22 Barbara R. Hyde P’17 Brooke A. Morrow ’74 ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION BOARD Elizabeth Simpson Alrutz ’82 P’15, President Essie Arrindell-Williams ’98 P’25’29 Aarti Goorha Bowman ’92 Madge Logan Deacon ’69 Amina Dilawari ’95 P’34 Beth Brown Dunn ’79 Whitney Baer Foster ’00 Sudha Nimmagadda Ganguli ’83 P’21’30 Cara Greenstein ’10 Angie King Keesee ’72 Lida Kruchten ’13 Corinne Friese McLaughlin ’76 P’16 Tabitha Francisco McNabb ’78 McKenzie Aiken Crisp ’85 Katie Broer Parr ’98 P’30 Patti Person Ray ’65 Lisa Breazeale Roberts ’85 P’12’18 Anna Snyder Rojas ’01 P’32 Courtney Shove ’96 Lauran Glassman Stimac ’00 Kate Metcalf Sullivan ’01 Abby Yandell Talbot ’03 P’36 Gabrielle Taylor ’14 Jennilyn Jennings Utkov ’77 Katie Zanone Webb ’93 Jan Valentine Wiygul ’76 P’05 Lizzy Holt Yatsula ’08

New Trustees Elizabeth Simpson Alrutz ’82, Alumnae Board President Elizabeth is an attorney with Lewis Thomason. After graduating from St Mary’s, Elizabeth earned her BA in Psychology at Davidson College and then her JD at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. She is a lifetime Trustee at Idlewild Presbyterian Church and also serves as an Elder. An avid St. Mary’s booster, she served on the Parents Association and has held numerous positions during her two different terms on the Alumnae Board. Elizabeth and her husband, Doug, have two grown children, Liza ’96 and Jim.

James H. Barton, Jr. Jim is Head of Risk Management at Southeastern Asset Management. He earned his BA in history from Dartmouth College where he still holds multiple basketball records, including all-time leading scorer. He has served on the boards of Arts Memphis and Youth Villages and is currently on the board of Peer Power Foundation and Memphis University School. Jim also works as mayoral appointee on the City of Memphis Pension Investment Committee.

Jim and his wife, Alison, have three children, Annsley, James, and Ali ’25.

James R. Jenkins Jim is Managing Director of Jenkins Global Capital Management, LLC. He earned his BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan, where he was a Regents Scholar, and his MBA from the University of Chicago, where he received the Amoco Scholar Award. He serves as Board Chair for Collage Dance Collective and is Preschool Services Committee Chair on the Porter-Leath Board of Directors. Jim has two children, Phoebe ’25 and James, and is married to Leslie.

Anne-Morgan Brookfield Morgan ’99 Anne-Morgan is an Executive Sales Representative for Eli Lilly & Company. She attended the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College at the University of Mississippi, earning her BS in International Business. She volunteers for numerous non-profit organizations and has served on the Church of Holy Communion Vestry and multiple St. Mary’s committees, including the Early Childhood Head Selection Committee. She was the recipient of the Lilly President’s Council Award and the Corre Anding Stegall National Leadership Award. Anne-Morgan and her husband, Michael, have two children, Anne Elise ’29 and Mary Brooks ’32.

Linda McNeil Linda is the Senior Account Manager at Gaskill Strategies. She earned her BBA in Finance from LeMoyne-Owen College and has spent her career in non-profit fundraising. She serves on the board of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and is a member of the Strengthening Communities Grants Committee of the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis. Linda has served numerous non-profits, including Collage Dance Collective, the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis, MIFA, and Brown Girls Dream. She received the Crystal Award as Fundraising Executive of the Year from the Association of Fundraising Professionals and was recognized as one of the Tri-State Defender’s Women of Excellence. Linda has three adult children and is married to Major.

WINTER 2021 | 3

THE COLLEGE LIFE: ALUMNAE IN HIGHER EDUCATION

by Meg Powell Cullar ’78

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ollege campuses exude a certain charm, whether from the spectacular architecture of a literal ivory tower or just from that aura of transformation and youthful energy hovering about the buildings and playing fields. University alumni return for reunions to soak up that atmosphere and reminisce about their own halcyon days on campus — if only it could have lasted forever. Well, for some, life in higher education has indeed continued, although the experience is different once it’s a job.

These St. Mary’s alumnae took various pathways to a career in higher education but all for the same reason — a conscious decision never to stop learning. They also chose to dedicate themselves to guiding others in learning — whether through pursuing and imparting knowledge in a particular academic field or through mentoring students during the life-defining selfdiscovery that often occurs during college years. Often, it’s both.

Not surprisingly, St. Mary’s alumnae are finding success in the competitive milieu of academia. They credit St. Mary’s with providing foundational knowledge, study skills (obviously), motivation for success, and permission to pursue their own passions.

Now these alumnae are influencing their own students, many of whom will likely remember their college days fondly with appreciation for these leaders in higher education.

Meg Powell Cullar ’78 is the Director of Communications for the School of Education at Baylor University, overseeing online, print, and other communications for the School.

A graduate of Baylor, she spent 18 years prior to that as news editor at the Baylor Line, an alumni magazine. She has also worked in communications and marketing for a publishing company and done freelance writing for various publications.

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The Rev. Dr. Jeanne Stevenson-Moessner ’66

PROFESSOR OF PASTORAL CARE AND PASTORAL THEOLOGY SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY, PERKINS SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY

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r. Jeanne Stevenson-Moessner began her teaching career at St. Mary’s.

After graduating with a major in religion from Vanderbilt in 1970, she returned to St. Mary’s and taught religion for almost five years, and it was St. Mary’s students who drove her to pursue an advanced degree.

“The students had such profound questions, especially some of our Jewish students asking such provocative questions from the Hebrew Bible; they actually sent me to seminary,” Moessner said. “I realized I had to go deeper.”

She pursued a master’s at Princeton Theological Seminary, primarily during the summers, finishing up in 1975 before heading overseas with her new husband and eventually living in Germany, Switzerland, and England.

While teaching in an international school in Germany, Moessner found that her students once again pushed her onward.

Moessner’s students often struggled with their identity — particularly their faith identity — because they had grown up in multiple cultures. Also serving as a guidance counselor, Moessner felt a need to better understand their struggles, so she pursued a PhD at the University of Basel in Switzerland.

She wrote her dissertation on the theological dimensions of growing up in multiple cultures.

“Students not only teach you, but also prod you and entice you and lure you into studying more,” she said. “I have to give credit where it’s due.”

Moessner’s scholarly and research work focuses on women’s issues in ministry and on the unique pastoral needs of women, incorporating multi-cultural perspectives.

She has written or edited around a dozen books on these topics, as well as on issues of pastoral self-care and adoption. Her latest edited book is on women and the vote: Women with 20/20 Vision: Theologians and the Vote, Voice, and Vision of Women, exploring the Christian beginnings of the women’s suffrage movement.

Moessner has been at SMU’s Perkins School of Theology since 2005, teaching a variety of courses including theology, pastoral care of women, practical theology, and crisis ministry. In the same way that students drove her pursuit of higher degrees, they have also driven her scholarship and research interests.

Her first teaching role was at Columbia Theological Seminary, and while her expertise was pastoral care, many other professors were teaching that. “I looked through the catalog to see what was not being taught, so I could step in and make a difference,” she said. That’s when she began teaching on the pastoral needs of women in particular, and her courses were well received, with graduates in the pastorate often expressing gratitude for the insights they had gained. She continued these courses in teaching posts at Samford University and Emory University’s Candler School of Theology.

To find resources for her course, Moessner scoured ministerial and theological journals to collect articles for students, and she had to copy them and create a spiralbound booklet.

“One day I got tired of standing at Kinko’s Xeroxing all of those articles, and I thought there needs to be a textbook,” she said. So, of course, she created one, editing what became four volumes on the pastoral care of women. Similarly, she saw the need among her students to address burnout among ministers and co-wrote (with a psychiatrist) The Elephant in the Church: What You Don’t See Can Kill Your Ministry.

While Moessner clearly enjoys her academic research, and especially pursuing it in collaboration with other scholars, she feels her greatest inspiration is in the classroom, when a student experiences a “transforming moment” when his or her calling becomes clear. “It is the work of the Holy Spirit in the classroom,” she said. “It is one of the most

energizing experiences. People call it the ‘aha’ moment or the light bulb going off, but for me it’s also transforming to be able to witness that.”

Moessner’s career is filled with so many accolades, honors, and awards, it’s impossible to enumerate. She’s especially proud of serving as president of the Faculty Senate at SMU, an elected role. And she’s proud that the Religion Room at St. Mary’s was dedicated in honor of Moessner and her former students from 1970-75.

Her expansive office at SMU is embellished with various artifacts to remind her of meaningful moments in her career, with awards and doctoral regalia among them. But the reminders also include her St. Mary’s diploma and a framed chapel cap. She explained, “I really could not be doing this without the background I had at St. Mary’s, where I gained the love for learning.”

WINTER 2021 | 5

Dr. Anne Beeson Royalty ’79

PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR HEALTH ECONOMICS RESEARCH INDIANA UNIVERSITY–PURDUE UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS (IUPUI)

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r. Anne Beeson Royalty made a calculated decision to study economics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “I majored in economics because I liked math,” she said. “But I didn’t want to be a math major; I wanted to use math to do something more applied.”

Developing an expertise specifically in health economics was more of an evolutionary process. “When I was in graduate school, most universities did not have a program in health economics — which I didn’t know I wanted to do anyway — and I studied labor economics,” she said regarding the PhD she earned from Yale University.

“As I studied compensation more broadly than just wages, I got really interested in health insurance as compensation, because the cost of health care and insurance was just starting to rise,” she said. The field remains “very complicated,” she noted. “We will never run out of research questions.”

Royalty’s current academic research developed in the unique context of 2020.

She started the year on sabbatical in the United Kingdom, studying the health systems of the UK and The Netherlands as a way to discover “lessons we might learn in the U.S.,” she said. She had to cut her stay short because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but a new research opportunity opened up.

“I had already studied the Dutch health system extensively, and I had learned that the Dutch system is actually based on a philosophy — one of solidarity,” she said. “In their minds, you can’t have a health system without embracing the idea that it is meant to work for everyone.”

She wanted to explore whether Americans could embrace such a philosophy and how attitudes about health care might be influenced within the context of COVID-19.

She is collaborating with a colleague who studies the economics of “pro-social behavior,” and they are conducting surveys 6 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

in which participants hear different stories about COVID-19 that are designed to evoke either empathy or anxiety. Then they see if participants have different opinions about what kind of health insurance aid the U.S. government should provide. While the project is focused on COVID-19, she believes it will have implications in a broader context.

Comparative studies of international systems is not new for Royalty, who has done extensive research previously comparing other countries’ health systems, particularly in Europe, with the U.S. “In Europe, there’s a lot more of a ‘system’ to their healthcare,” she said. “In the U.S. we call it a ‘system,’ but there’s not really anything systematic about it.”

Her other strands of research and publication have involved the organization of physician practices and its effect on delivery and cost of care, the employment effects of the Affordable Care Act, how workers choose employer-offered health plans, how much value employees place on employer-provided health insurance, and the sources of health care cost growth.

At Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), Royalty has spent the last ten years developing a new program from scratch as the founding director of the PhD in Economics with a specialization in Health Economics. She has just relinquished that administrative role but continues to be director for the university’s Center for Health Economics and Research.

Royalty said developing the PhD program was an important part of her professional life.

“It was energizing in a lot of ways but also exhausting,” she said. PhD graduates have gone on to positions in higher education, but also in government agencies or private pharmaceutical companies. The professional options make a doctorate in economics a good field of study, she said.

While it was a love for math and economics that led her into higher education,

Royalty does enjoy teaching. Her time at IUPUI has focused on doctoral students, but in her first professorial role, at Stanford University, she taught more undergraduates.

In fact, during her last two years there, she and her family lived in a Stanford residential hall, where she and her husband served as the academic leaders. “It was a fascinating experience, really getting to know students and experiencing campus life in a different way,” she said. They supervised a staff of students while trying to bring a specific faculty focus to the table.

She sees economics as an exciting field and said it has opened up to women more significantly during her professional life, although economics was very maledominated when she began her career.

“I tried not to think about this too much, because you just have to forge on if you’re going to do it,” she said. “But looking back, it was hard.”

She said intentional programs in mentoring for women are being sponsored by groups such as the American Economics Association; she benefited from those as a junior faculty member, given how few women were in any particular university’s department, and she now serves in a mentor role.

Margaret McClintock ’11

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF INTRAMURALS AND ADVENTURE PROGRAMS WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY

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argaret McClintock intended to become an English teacher at St. Mary’s, according to the eighthgrade presentation poster about herself that she recently found in her childhood bedroom. She’s only 28, so there’s still time for that, but for now she has launched instead into a career based in university life at her college alma mater, Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia.

McClintock did pursue English literature long enough to earn her degree with an English major in 2015, and she still loves a good novel. “I’d love to sit in an English class again and discuss character development, why the characters said what they said, and all the allegory,” she said. “I think literature does have a connection to working with people.”

Immediately after graduation, she migrated to Nashville — not so far, but not too close to home — and worked for a digital media company. It was a great way to get to know the city, she said, because she was managing marketing for several local businesses. Then she spent a short time in marketing for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum before joining the alumni staff at Vanderbilt.

“It seemed like a great opportunity to dip my toe into higher education before making a commitment to going back to school,” she said. She was considering pursuing an MBA combined with a degree in higher education.

McClintock said she enjoyed her role as a chapter liaison to Vanderbilt alumni groups, but it became clear rather quickly that her desire to work in higher education was focused on the students, rather than on alumni.

For McClintock, the college experience had been a time of development and growth, influenced by important mentors.

“I thought that was really cool and that I would love to be able to be a part of that for an 18-to-22-year-old,” she said. “It’s

such an interesting age, and there’s so much happening as you develop your sense of self.”

When the opportunity to work at Washington and Lee arose, it seemed like a natural fit, because the job involved working with undergraduates and developing them for leadership roles. McClintock’s own college resume reads like the thesaurus entry for “leader.” She was president of this organization, chair of that effort, treasurer of another group, and head of several other entities.

While she is not a teacher in a classroom now, she is definitely teaching students every day in her leadership role.

McClintock develops, implements, and oversees the university’s intramural and outdoor recreation program, including league opportunities and special events.

She facilitates team-building programs for campus leaders of all sorts, directing a ropes course for students. “Adventure Programs” include activities in biking, hiking on the Appalachian Trail, and other organized outdoor fun.

To assist her in organizing these myriad activities, McClintock has only the help of students. She interviews, hires, and trains a student staff to take on increasing amounts of responsibility, handle their own budgets, and learn to supervise others. McClintock’s job is definitely a management role, but without the benefit of having employees who are focused full-time on the job; they are students pursuing degrees. She tries to provide the kind of leadership that she sees in her own managers, because while working in higher education, she has experienced leaders who are “looking out” for her, she said.

“I’m fortunate to have managers who are aware of my growth and how I can continue to be challenged and master skills,” she said.

“Yes, I need to do this job well, but there’s also an expectation that I will be getting something from the position and growing.

That is a huge gift.”

It’s a management mindset that is often part of higher education, she believes, and that’s one of the main attractions of the work environment.

McClintock is still considering more school but is glad she took the advice of a mentor to gain some on-the-job experience.

She finds that her past job experiences in marketing were also helpful, because encouraging students to be involved in recreation is definitely an exercise in persuasive communication.

“I think an English degree can serve you in any capacity. It’s amazing the number of people, outside of St. Mary’s, who do not know how to write well,” she said.

WINTER 2021 | 7

Dr. Lara Kriegel ’86

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF HISTORY AND ENGLISH AT INDIANA UNIVERSITY, FACULTY DIRECTOR OF COLLINS LIVING-LEARNING CENTER

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ariety is the spice of Dr. Lara Kriegel’s academic life at the University of Indiana in Bloomington.

“I think everyone in academia is juggling a lot,” she said. But Kriegel’s professorial life is especially broad. She holds a dual faculty appointment in two departments — history and English — and, in the summer of 2020, took on an additional role as faculty director of Collins Living-Learning Center, an undergraduate residence hall. Although she does not live in the residence hall, she works with residents to design seminars and other academic programming. Additionally, she serves in editorial positions for several academic journals. She said the university’s association with significant journals — in combination with the ability to mix disciplines — drew her there a decade ago.

Kriegel said her entry into a highereducation career might have been preordained or, as she put it, “I was kind of doomed.” Her father taught British history at the University of Memphis, so she was familiar with the life of an academic. “My father told me, ‘Whatever you do, don’t become a historian,’” she said. “And then, ‘Whatever you do, don’t become a British historian.’” So perhaps she was just a rebel. “I did exactly what my parents told me not to do,” she said.

Actually, she thinks St. Mary’s might be more to blame. “It was there that I got such a strong foundation in British literature and had such great teachers in history and art history.”

St. Mary’s built her confidence in writing — through journal assignments three times a week from Mrs. Gill and writing for the Tatler. She even had a turn at teaching, when Mrs. Fisher asked her to teach art history class one day.

Kriegel earned a BA in history from Emory; two MAs — one in women’s studies from University of York in England and one in history from Johns Hopkins; and a PhD in 8 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

history from Johns Hopkins.

Kriegel’s particular academic focus is nineteenth-century British literature and history, especially the Crimean War, which was fought from 1853-1856 between Russia and the alliance of Britain, France, the Ottoman Empire, and Sardinia. It may be a bit fuzzy in most people’s history course recollections, but it spawned literature and legends that are more familiar — Florence Nightingale and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem about her, The Lady with the Lamp, and The Charge of the Light Brigade, an actual event from the war that’s possibly not as famous as the poem about it

by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

War is not what interests Kriegel, but how wars have a ripple effect on the home front in society and culture. By way of example, she pointed out the effects of World War I, in the spotlight recently during its 100th anniversary. “And you see this around the Civil War,” she added, “with references still today to the ‘lost cause’ or debates around statues. Wars linger in sometimes unexpected ways,” she said.

When earning her first master’s degree in London, Kriegel thought she might zero in on British women’s history. (“Women’s history was really big at the time.”) But she was always drawn back to the nineteenth century.

“I’m interested in the ways it continues to reverberate,” she said, noting current references to Florence Nightingale during the pandemic. And she’s buoyed by the rediscovery of another heroic Crimean War nurse, Mary Seacole, a Black BritishJamaican who was largely forgotten until more recently.

Kriegel enjoys studying the 1850s in particular, because of the rise of museums, which “make history visible.” The museum that became London’s Victoria and Albert Museum had beginnings during that decade.

These two topics — the effects of the

Crimean War and the study of museum origins — have inspired two books, one coming out in 2021 from Cambridge University Press titled The Crimean War and its Afterlife: Making Modern Britain. Her 2007 book was focused on the museum in Victorian culture.

Kriegel’s teaching duties have also been broad, including courses on children’s literature, food writing, and British diaries, in addition to the usual history offerings.

She also enjoys the variety of students at Indiana. Sometimes teachers want to mold their students into “little versions of themselves,” Kriegel said. But she has learned to accept and appreciate her students wherever they are on their journey.

When you get to know your students, she said, you’ll find that they are really great, and then you can help them get the education they need. “A lot of high school students feel pressure to go to the ‘right’ university,” she said. “But students can make almost any school into the ‘right’ school.”

Dr. Elizabeth Jemison ’04

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF RELIGION CLEMSON UNIVERSITY

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lot of students walk into Dr. Elizabeth Jemison’s religion courses at Clemson University thinking that they already know quite a bit about religion in America, because they grew up going to church. Jemison is thrilled to challenge their assumptions.

The joy that Jemison finds in teaching is through “making the familiar foreign and making the foreign familiar.”

By that, she means revealing to students the unfamiliar aspects of their own religion’s history in America — most often White Protestant Christianity — and also introducing them to America’s different religious traditions, pointing out the intersections and commonalities.

“Students often come to college wanting to ask questions about the traditions they’ve been raised in,” Jemison said, and looking at history through the eyes of religion can broaden their perspectives and provide a more complex view of history. “And that’s what I really love about teaching,” she said.

Teaching about the history of Protestantism, especially in the South, can include some unpleasant revelations, particularly about race and the role of Southern denominations in defending slavery. Some groups “made all kinds of arguments for White supremacy,” Jemison said. “I guide students in looking at these different ideas and where they’ve come from — this idea that slavery was a legitimate form of household hierarchy.”

Taking a historical look at these issues in the U.S. and the South goes beyond the African American experience, Jemison noted. She also teaches about Native Americans’ experience with religious freedom, the long history of Judaism in South Carolina and other places, voodoo in New Orleans, and how different immigrant groups have been viewed in American history. “There was a time when Irish Catholic Americans were not seen as White,

so how race is structured in America is beyond what people’s skin color actually looks like,” she said.

With a background in gender studies as well as religion, Jemison also delves into theological arguments against women’s equality, which can be hauntingly similar to the arguments defending slavery.

Jemison has just finished a book on these topics, Christian Citizens: Race and Politics in the Post-Emancipation South. “It’s not a pretty story,” she said, but it’s a story worth knowing. She believes it’s important for her students to understand the kinds of arguments that come into play, so they will recognize them.

Jemison said she “happened upon” religious history while an undergraduate at Princeton. “I wanted to study everything,” she said, and was focusing on the strengths in English and history she had built at St. Mary’s. She signed up for a class in religion with a friend who was considering it as a major. The friend went another direction, but Jemison was hooked.

“I was totally fascinated. I loved that I could take the analytical thinking skills I had developed at St. Mary’s — and that I’d been applying to history and to literature — and use them to think about religion in those ways,” she said.

“By the end of my sophomore year, I not only wanted to major in religion, but I wanted to become a professor of American religious history,” she said. “I tell students all the time that they don’t need to decide their life plan when they are 20, but that’s exactly what I did.”

After college, Jemison spent a year in South Africa with an HIV/AIDS relief organization that worked to prevent HIV in babies born to positive mothers. She knew she would pursue graduate school but enjoyed a gap year with a non-academic schedule. Her duties were writing training materials and doing office work. Any extra

time when she was not traveling around Africa seeing lions and elephants, she was working on graduate school applications.

In 2015, Jemison earned a combined PhD and master’s from Harvard University in the study of religion, with a secondary field in “Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.” Her current role as assistant professor at Clemson is her first academic assignment.

The job market in academia is challenging, she said, especially in the humanities. She said she is fortunate to have found a great job and is thankful to be doing meaningful work.

Clemson offers a major in religious studies, but Jemison said she does not expect many of her students to pursue that career path. “I realize it’s not as practical as a degree in nursing or marketing,” she said.

But she enjoys teaching about a subject that’s important to her and that matters a great deal to her students also. And she enjoys doing that during a crucial time in students’ lives.

Teaching undergraduates is exciting because college is a time for “growing up and wondering about the world,” she said.

“It is really rewarding to have the chance to mentor students and often to see how much they grow from freshman year to senior year. You really see that transformation.”

WINTER 2021 | 9

ST. MARY'S HISTORY OF

Academic Excellence

A

cademic excellence at St. Mary’s is a combination of

There are other factors that contribute to academic excellence

several factors that are unique to the School. The strength

at St. Mary’s. The teachers are well-prepared to teach the way

of our curriculum is a result of the input of talented and

in which girls learn best. Establishing relationships is a critical

dedicated teachers in each department who strive to create a

part of the learning environment at St. Mary’s; girls know that

liberal arts and science education that is vertically analyzed to

their teachers truly care about them. Teachers are supportive

make certain that the content and skills offered are expanding and

and accessible, from sharing their cell phone numbers with the

building from the youngest to the oldest students. Through the

students and encouraging them to text or call them if they have

curriculum, the bar is set

questions, to helping them after

high for the girls, allowing

graduation with college courses

them to stretch themselves as

that might need clarification.

they learn, discover, and think

Many girls feel so close to their

critically while they are guided

teachers that when they return

to reach their individual

home from college, St. Mary’s is

potential. The small class

one of the first places they visit,

sizes allow girls to be known

just to see their teachers.

well by their teachers, which

The community of St. Mary’s

results in individualized and

is rare. During my years as

differentiated instruction.

Head of Upper School, I held exit interviews with each of

St. Mary’s graduates have the

the graduating seniors. One

confidence to face unknown

question that I asked them

challenges as they move

was, “What is the strength of

forward on their academic

St. Mary’s?” Of the nearly 500

paths. The wonderful thing

students interviewed, the top

about this educational

three answers were student/

journey is that the faculty

teacher relationships, the

walks beside the girls as they

community, and the academics.

tackle new and seemingly

K.W. ’09 said that, “Our sense of

difficult material. As the Head

community is our strength, which

of Upper School from 2000 to

is critical for everything else

2015, I had the honor of watching this process in action.

to work well.” The St. Mary's community is wrapped not only in

I often thought about a young child learning to ride a bicycle for the

close student-teacher relationships but also in shared experiences.

first time. The nervous child would move slowly at first, while the

Middle and Upper Schools attend Chapel everyday during which

loving parent ran along beside her as she gained confidence in her

students hear uplifting messages and share in celebrations and

ability to master this skill. To me, that is the amazing gift that St.

time-honored traditions. St. Mary's environment is one of trust

Mary’s teachers give to their students – confidence, coupled with

supported by the Honor Code which elevates all relationships.

extensive content knowledge, learning strategies, and unparalleled writing skills.

10 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

St. Mary’s students are dedicated, success-oriented, and

principal of Cordova High School. This was not a position that

supportive of each other. They are guided to develop an attitude of

many women applied for because of the time commitment

social responsibility and an understanding of cultural differences.

expected, but I felt that I was ready after my years spent in

Leadership opportunities abound in academic related activities,

administration at Germantown High School. As it turned out, I

in the theater arts, and in athletics, enhancing their ability to

was the first female high school principal in the legacy Shelby

gain self-confidence and self-motivation. The students create an

County Schools since the turn of the century. That “can do”

environment that not only adds to the academic excellence of

attitude allowed me to continue my education to receive an Ed.D.

the school, but also one that allows the closest friendships to be

in Educational Leadership. Currently, I am utilizing my degree as

established. As one senior put it, “The students at St. Mary’s make

an adjunct professor in the Graduate School of Education at Union

each other better.” L.F. ’10

University. I have the honor of teaching those who are transitioning into teaching as a profession, as well as those who are seeking

Of course, academic excellence is more than just making good

an M.Ed. and an Ed.D. in educational leadership. I also began

grades. It is the development of a passion and curiosity for

research on learning and the brain in the late 1990s and have been

learning, stretching and discovering intellectual capacities, and

fortunate to be able to present my findings at several national and

unleashing individual potential. At St. Mary’s, girls achieve high

state conferences.

levels of academic and personal success based on a challenging curriculum, strong relationships with supportive and caring

In 2000, after retiring from Shelby County Schools, I was thrilled

teachers and friends, an amazing community based on shared

to be able to return home to St. Mary’s as Head of Upper School.

experiences filled with inspiration and the consistency of traditions,

It was wonderful to walk into the nave of Holy Communion for

the development of leadership skills, social responsibility and

Chapel and experience many things that were so familiar to me

cultural understanding, and the rising tide of motivated students.

as a student there. I was transported back as I watched the

All of these factors give students the confidence to face their

current students partake in many of the traditions that my class

future beyond St. Mary’s and to make meaningful contributions

experienced. I witnessed the strong bonds of friendship develop

to society. Seniors from the Class of 2011 and 2012 offered

among students and was grateful that some of my closest friends

great insight into the success that is St. Mary’s. They said, “Our

today are those with whom I attended St. Mary’s. I retired as Head

teachers know us, motivate and lift us all up, because excellence is

of Upper School in 2015, but St. Mary’s is a hard place to leave.

expected here.” A.E. ’11 “The formula for this perfect school is an

When I was asked to return on a part-time basis in 2018 to teach

environment that fosters independent women to grow and follow

a few AP classes, I jumped at the chance. It is such a thrill to work

their passions.” E. A. ’12 “My school environment builds such

with these amazing young women who exemplify the essence of

confidence that I never thought that I could be anything other than

dedication, self-motivation, and academic grit that is such a part of

a leader.” M.B. ’12

St. Mary’s students.

As a proud St. Mary’s graduate from the Class of 1965, I can

For almost 175 years, St. Mary’s has provided a challenging,

gratefully say that I am a recipient of the gifts of St. Mary’s.

supportive environment in which girls can learn and grow. A

I graduated with a strong feeling of confidence in my ability, not

student from the Class of 2015 captured the strength of St. Mary’s

only in my college classes, but also in my leadership potential.

when she said, “My school encourages the development of the

For many of my classes, I had studied much of the information

most well-rounded, empowered women who will improve the place

in high school, so I could go to a deeper level in my educational

in which they live.” I.A.

journey. I eventually followed my passion to become a teacher and have loved every job that I have ever had. My confidence level allowed me to apply for and be selected as the founding

Dr. Patricia Person Ray ’65 Former Head of Upper School and Upper School History/Government Teacher

WINTER 2021 | 11

COLLEGE COUNSELING IN AN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL

by Dean of College Counseling Vicki Englehart-Thompson

E

very year, St. Mary’s graduates attend a unique group of schools that meet the educational, personal, and financial needs of each girl. Our College Counseling program is highly individualized, encouraging every student to consider her own interests and talents as she embarks on her college search. Each college counselor works with 30-35 students, serving as a resource for information, building relationships with students and their families, supporting each girl through the application process, and advocating for her with colleges and universities across the country.

Every St. Mary’s girl has a story, and those stories deserve careful consideration as we advise each girl on her college search. We learn the story through formal and informal discussions, meetings with families, our own observations, and observations of teachers and those in the community with whom our students interact. Each girl’s story,

12 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

showcasing her impact in our community and her academic strengths, is told in a letter of recommendation to her chosen college(s), written by her college counselor.

Our programs are designed to address the college process developmentally and appropriately over four years of Upper School. Early on, the focus is learning and preparing well for college and becoming good citizens of the world. Each subsequent year, the focus is narrowed so that students and their families may find the best fit for their college experience. Naviance is a tool we use to help us assess our students' interests in majors, colleges, and careers.

Each freshman is given an account, and her interaction with Naviance increases each year as she engages in a college search. We use Naviance to help students organize their college applications and deadlines and deliver their documents to colleges.

9th Grade We encourage freshmen to focus on a successful transition to high school. The goal of freshman year is to do well academically and beyond academics, to engage with the school and the wider community. Each girl is assigned a faculty advisor to serve as a mentor throughout her four years of Upper School. The Director of Studies meets with each student to plan her schedule and to map out a four year plan based on her goals and interests. The college counselors meet with the freshman class to lead them through an activity that will help them understand what is important to consider when choosing a college. Students are introduced to Naviance Student and complete an interest and personality inventory. This is the first year that girls are invited to participate in the St. Mary’s college tour which travels to a different part of the country each year.

10th Grade Sophomores, freshmen, and their parents attend College Planning 101 where they hear from a college admission professional about the factors considered in reviewing applications. Girls in grades 9-12 are encouraged to attend our three Evenings with Colleges, hosted by Hutchison, MUS, and St. Mary’s each fall. Sophomores take the PSAT to provide practice for college admissions tests and complete a career assessment in Naviance. To become familiar with a college tour, comfortable asking questions of a tour guide, and form a foundation for building their college list, they travel as a class with the college counselors to a local small private college and large public university. Each sophomore is assigned a college counselor in late spring.

11th Grade In the fall, the college counselors meet with the junior class to introduce them to Naviance College Search and then with the junior class and their parents to officially kick off the college search. In October, families of both juniors and seniors are invited to learn about the financial aid and merit scholarship process. Juniors and seniors are encouraged to meet with the college representatives from all over the country who visit St. Mary’s. Juniors take the PSAT a final time to be considered for National Merit scholarships. Both students and parents attend The College Forum which includes a panel of admission professionals and a case studies exercise for students to familiarize them with each piece of a college application and the entire admission process. Each student meets individually with her college counselor and is joined by her family in a follow up meeting to discuss her college list and map out a course for success in the application process.

12th Grade We begin senior year with St. Mary’s Application Boot Camp. Over three days during the first week of school, our seniors complete their Common Application, attend essay workshops, and have a practice college interview with one of our alumnae. To ensure a successful application experience, the process becomes very focused on the individual student and her family during senior year. Students meet regularly with their college counselor to finalize a college list and complete applications for admission and scholarships. They prepare essays for applications and work to meet college deadlines. When the work of applying to colleges is done, the college counseling team continues the work with seniors and their families as they consider their options for college and offers of financial aid and scholarships.

Beyond St. Mary’s When our students graduate, the relationships continue. We meet them for lunch or coffee when we visit their college campuses. We assist them with a transfer or a graduate school application. We put them in touch with current students who may be interested in their college or career. These relationships are vital to what we know as the St. Mary’s experience which spans a lifetime.

WINTER 2021 | 13

St. Mary’s Global Education Program

by Director of Global Education John Nichols

W

hen I first viewed Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s — now very famous — TedTalk several years ago, I didn’t realize how heavily I would rely on her message in multiple facets of my professional and personal life. Published in 2009 and viewed online more than 25 million times, her talk entitled “The Danger of a Single Story" uses personal vignettes to describe how people defined a story for her — as a Nigerian — when she came to the United States for postsecondary education.

Before meeting her, many Americans assumed tales of hardship and disadvantage or a lack of sophistication, when in actuality Adichie, who was born to university professor parents in Lagos, lived an upper-middle-class life that included comfortable amenities, strong education, and regular house staff.

These new school acquaintances, however well-intentioned, had single stories for Africans that they 14 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

had developed through their own interactions with literature, media, and education told primarily from Western lenses.

She also describes the single stories of peoples and cultures other than her own that she herself had developed.

She, like all of us, was not immune to falling prey to the danger of a single story. But she worked. Those internalized stories were challenged and dismantled through learning, travel, and most importantly, personal connection. Stories are powerful. If limited to a specific and single type, they can confine our thinking — or they can liberate it.

For me, hearing Adichie’s stories was a strong reminder that even I, a seemingly progressive educator working in inner-city schools, could develop single stories about people and places different than myself.

I rewatch Adichie’s talk annually.

And, regardless of my class content,

I strongly encourage — and sometimes mandate — my students watch it, as well. I reference it throughout the year to what is probably an eye roll-inducing amount for my students. To me, her messages perfectly illustrate why global education is crucial for all people of all ages, now more than ever.

My road to becoming Global Education Director at St. Mary’s School has been far from linear, but it does make a certain amount of sense looking back. After graduating from Rhodes College in 2010, I was accepted as a Teach For America corps member for Chicago where I taught high school classes for two years. In Chicago, the most important thing I learned was that I still had a lot to learn about the world, even though I was officially living in it as a working adult. Daily, I was served strong doses of reality that tempered my do-gooder idealism. I quickly had to rewrite the single stories I had developed for

myself, the young, inner-city school teacher inspired by the gripping but incomplete films like “Dangerous Minds” or “Stand and Deliver.”

Returning to Memphis, I spent the next six years working at The Soulsville Charter School where I fell into taking high school students on various trips throughout the American Southwest and Western Europe.

These trips quickly highlighted how magical experiential education can be for students and how the biggest takeaways aren’t necessarily placespecific. Is seeing the Colosseum in person a breathtaking experience?

You bet. Is completing a sunrise hike at Arches National Park a worthwhile achievement worth celebrating?

Absolutely. But, what about having to ask someone in Florence how to make change for a purchase when you aren’t fluent in Italian? Or, having to make sense of a confusing set of directions with a peer to successfully get from Piazza Signoria to the Boboli Gardens? Or driving through the Navajo Nation, bearing witness to the results of our nation’s treatment of its indigenous peoples? This is where the magic happens: making sense of the unfamiliar, building confidence in one’s ability to navigate the world, and developing a connection with someone you don’t know — people whose experiences do not mirror your own.

As I was developing my own identity as a globally-minded educator in South Memphis, St. Mary’s was on a path to formalize its own global learning. When I arrived in 2018, The Board of Trustees had established a space for conversations about global education, and I was hired to formalize global programming for not only our Upper School students, but for all

divisions. Global learning should and does live across all grade levels and ages. As Director of Global Education at St. Mary’s, my efforts will build on the rich work that was already taking place in classrooms and on travel experiences before my arrival. Like schools throughout the world, our 2020 travel was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Forty-six St. Mary’s students were set to travel on a National Parks tour in the Colorado Plateau and to France this past spring and summer.

Although disappointing, this fall provided opportunities to highlight the importance of global work happening in curriculum and classrooms each day, and how this is as important as the trips themselves. This year, I am teaching multiple sections of the 9th12th grade elective courses, Honors Global Issues I and Honors Global Issues II. My classes are an obvious space to foster global competencies in our students, but the work exists beyond my classroom. Our teachers continue to assess the relevance of their individual curricula, ensuring that our students have the most pertinent and enriching educational experience, without sacrificing academic rigor.

St. Mary’s values its membership in the Global Education Benchmark Group (GEBG), a consortium of independent schools throughout the world working to ensure best practices occur at each of our respective institutions. GEBG defines global competencies as “knowledge, skills, dispositions, and habits that students will need to thrive in an increasingly complex and interconnected world.”

The future of the working world is transforming in dramatic ways, all of

which have been exacerbated by the pandemic. There has never been a time when robust global education programming is more necessary for our students' success in their postsecondary endeavors. The Asia Society, a leader in global education efforts, goes a step further with its Four Domains of Global Competence: Investigate the World, Recognize Perspectives, Communicate Ideas, and Take Action. These four domains are easily accessible to students and other stakeholders and can be differentiated across grade levels and content areas.

This global emphasis underscores our school’s curricular intentionality. As responsive educational practitioners, it is our job to recognize globalization and its associated challenges and opportunities, so we can provide our girls with a roadmap for their postsecondary journeys. In short, a broader perspective will only enhance our school’s mission: To ensure each St. Mary’s girl realizes her individual potential.

At the conclusion of her talk, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie states, “Stories matter. Many stories matter.

Stories have been used to dispossess and malign, but stories can also be used to empower and to humanize. … When we reject the single story, when we realize there is never a single story about any place, we regain a kind of paradise.” In a year where I am continuously reflecting on gratitude, I am immensely grateful to support our school in bringing global stories to our students — both in the classroom and throughout the world. I hope you will join us on that journey.

WINTER 2021 | 15

ANSWERING THE UNIFORM QUESTIONS

by Head of School Albert Throckmorton 16 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

B

eginning this school year, St. Mary’s requires uniforms for all students in grades 1-12 with optional uniforms for Early Childhood.

The uniform includes choices among skirts and pants, shirts, and school spirit wear. Because there were many questions and conversations around the topic of a uniform, not only among parents, but in both the alumnae and broader communities, we sat down with Head of School Albert Throckmorton to discuss the new policy.

AFTER NOT REQUIRING A UNIFORM FOR OVER 170 YEARS,

WHAT WAS THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS?

WHAT PROMPTED ST. MARY’S TO ADOPT A UNIFORM?

My seventeen years at St. Mary's have informed my understanding of how students and parents feel about uniforms. Over those years, dress codes and uniforms have been questioned in virtually every survey, conversation, visit, and interview. I made this policy decision with overwhelming support from the administration and advice from the Board of Trustees. We reviewed the 2005 decision, discussed the idea with past and present stakeholders and other heads of girls schools. Although there was not a recent parent survey that explicitly asked the uniform question, the confusion about rules and appearance came through loudly in the Head of Upper School search, last fall’s Accreditation visit, and daily conversations with both current and prospective parents.

Every year I have been here, parents and students have asked about uniforms. In 2005, the school stopped short of requiring uniforms but committed to a stronger dress code. Since then, we have spent too much time trying to adopt dress codes that were confusing and difficult to enforce. Implementing a uniform gives us more time to focus on teaching, provides a clear expectation for students and teachers, and reduces the frequent, often personal, conversations about student appearance. Since 2005, more and more girls have adopted a uniform skirt, and the clothing industry has challenged our ability to articulate what is appropriate to wear to school. It was time to change our approach. When the most recent discussions among the administrators revealed a unanimous preference for uniforms, we decided it was time to make the switch. With a commitment to a simpler system, the school’s goal is to unite our community intentionally and visibly and to focus our time and energy on our mission.

WHAT ABOUT STUDENT INDIVIDUALITY AND EXPRESSION? ISN’T THIS OUR MISSION?

Individual potential and individuality are really two different things at school. I concede that a uniform limits how a student may express herself through clothing, but a uniform is ultimately superficial. Uniforms do not diminish our pursuit of each student’s individual potential and the many deep, meaningful ways students express themselves, including through academics, athletics, arts, community service, and leadership. We are not giving up on our mission. Our most accomplished national girls school peers have uniforms while encouraging and enabling, as we do, each girl’s identity, voice, and potential.

HAVE WE LOST OUR DIFFERENTIATION? COPIED OTHER SCHOOLS? IS THIS ABOUT MAKING US LOOK THE SAME?

All schools set standards about students’ appearance that address safety, equity, discipline, and school spirit. The vast majority of girls schools have uniforms, and they all maintain their individual mission. The new uniform enables us to have clear, consistent, and enforceable expectations, while promoting unity and school spirit.

St. Mary’s will not be imitated or undermined by a change of clothing.

HOW WAS THE UNIFORM SELECTED?

We formed a committee to interview vendors and review options.

We communicated with them our desire for choices, including pants, comfort, sizes for all body types, and a unique St. Mary’s look.

We asked the rising seniors for input and included a senior-only polo shirt and color. We did not anticipate the delays that would be caused by COVID-19, but our vendor rose to the challenge.

And at the heart of the operations, Cyndie Fogarty, who manages the Gobble Shop, devoted countless hours to serving each family during the transition.

HOW DO YOU THINK THE UNIFORM HAS AFFECTED THE CULTURE OF ST. MARY’S?

Virtually every message I have received in response has shown a shared passion for the School mission, the students, and our unique culture. The girls started the school year on campus in their uniforms. The seniors are sporting their custom pink polos and college sweatshirts, and they choose to wear the optional blazer on special occasions. Although this has been a different year, we seem to have seamlessly made the transition and are benefiting from the ease and simplicity of uniforms.

WINTER 2021 | 17

ST. MARY'S NEW UNIFORMS 18 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

WINTER 2021 | 19

CAMPUS NEWS New Assistant Head of School Hilary Davis Robinson ’90

By Kirkwood McClintock

W

hen Hilary Ellen Davis left St. Mary’s in May of 1990, she never imagined that 30 years later, she would be back at St. Mary’s, assuming the role of Assistant Head of School. The Class President, Beta Club President, Varsity Basketball Captain, and Editor of the Carillon headed to Millsaps College and “real” life. She pursued a degree in French and Elementary Education and applied to law schools, planning to do something “international.” As so often happens, life had other plans for her.

During her final semester at Millsaps, in order to finish her education major, she was required to student teach at a local school. She taught 3rd-5th grade students with mild to moderate learning disabilities. By April, she had fallen in love with teaching and could not see herself doing anything else. She ended up writing the law schools to tell them she wasn’t coming.

The school where she had been student teaching offered her a job, and she never looked back.

After 10 years teaching in public schools in both MIssissippi and Tennessee, in 2004, Hilary Davis Robinson came “home” to St. Mary’s. Here, she taught fifth grade--her “fifthies,” as she calls them. “They are just gaining their independence, and they still love their teachers. It’s such a fun year to see huge change and growth.” She remained in that role for 11 years, teaching middle school girls. “I love teaching girls because girls are verbal and like discussions. They want to talk things through and really understand the 'why' behind the 'what'.

They also show such joy and excitement as they work through the learning process. They just come into the classroom bubbling over with ‘what are we going to do today?’”

In 2009, Robinson decided to pursue a master’s degree. She and fellow middle school teacher Marcy Kueffner enrolled together and completed an online curriculum at Marygrove College. She enjoyed the online classes because her discussion groups included people from all over the country. “It was a great way to learn what education looks like in places other than Memphis.” In 2015-16, she spent a year as Head of Lower School at Bodine where she was immersed in the daily running of the school and learned about school administration firsthand. Because a large part of her job was finding placement for students transitioning from Bodine after intensive remediation for reading and writing differences, she also learned a lot about Memphis area independent schools. After a 20 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

conversation with then Assistant Head of School Leigh Mansberg (who can be very persuasive), Robinson returned to St. Mary’s and resumed her middle school role, until she was appointed Head of Lower School in 2017.

St. Mary’s has changed in many ways since Robinson was a student, "Now girls (particularly Upper School) have options in the curriculum and can tailor their classes to their strengths, and really 'dive into' what interests them. For example: a strong STEM student can take an Honors English class (as opposed to AP) and really step up her science game with AP Physics/Calculus options." Another huge change is Athletics. “Whoa!” she says.

“The new Athletic and Wellness Center is a far cry from Barth Gym where I played basketball!” But much of St. Mary’s remains the same as it was in 1990. “The traditions are the same… we still pray together in Chapel, celebrate the Christmas Pageant and Class Days. Our beautiful Commencement is the same. The sisterhood among the girls is the same.”

In spring of 2020, Robinson was appointed Assistant Head of School, a job well suited to her interactions with students, her rapport with parents, and her dedication to innovation and best practices. Her favorite part of St. Mary’s has always been the relationships between the girls and their teachers. “I very much want to continue the close connection that I have with students and families. I can’t wait until we can have everyone together again on campus to celebrate the school and each other!”

When asked what advice she would give to 18-year-old Hilary Ellen Davis, about to leave St. Mary’s for Millsaps in the summer of 1990, she says: “Ohhhh so much advice, but here are the big ones: It’s not all about you. Do things for other people before they ask you. Even little things…Put yourself in others’ shoes.” She then laughs, “And don’t worry so much. If something is bothering you enough that you are worrying, then do something about it. If you can’t do anything about it, stop worrying.”

Hilary is married to Charlie and mother to Mary Harper ’17, Austin, Henry, and Dillard. Those who work with her know that she often does things for other people without being asked, she knows when to act on something that is bothering her, and she does her very best not to worry.

CAMPUS NEWS

Terri Theil

NEW FACULTY AND STAFF

L to R: Walton Allen Webster ’00 (PK Teacher), Christy Askew (US Learning Specialist), Windy May (5th Grade Math and Geography Teacher), Megan Ford (JK Teacher), Tony Brooks (US Chemistry Teacher), Hannah Halford (MS English Teacher), Hallie Klunder (JK Teacher), Alexis Ramsey (SK Teacher), Rachel Giampapa (MS Science Teacher), Samia Khouzam (US French Teacher), Amaziah Hooks (SMP Teacher), Lacey Ledlow (PK Teacher), Anne Fockler (MS History Teacher), Lauren Mitchell (SK-5 Counselor), and Catherine Smith Denman '06 (North Campus Librarian).

Early Childhood Music Teacher

LEADERSHIP TRANSITIONS Brennan Adrian Brennan Adrian assumed her new role as Head of Early Childhood January 4. As Interim Head of Lower School, stepping into the role when Hilary Robinson became Assistant Head of School, she led the Lower School through a semester of hybrid teaching and learning.

Hired in 2015 as St. Mary's first Early Childhood and Lower School Counselor, Adrian held that position for six years, serving as Director of Counseling for two years. She earned a B.S. in Elementary Education (K-6) and a M.S. in School Counseling, both from the University of Memphis. Her work as North Campus Counselor included leading parent discussions on young girls' social and emotional growth and development, providing individual counseling services for students, working with families to support their daughters, and collaborating and consulting with teachers on ways to best support students' individual needs.

Adrian is excited about this new opportunity. "I look forward to working alongside teachers and parents as we guide our youngest girls in their work and play. The Early Childhood years are magical ones, and I am thrilled to be able to be a part of them here at St. Mary's."

Brennan is married to Duncan, and they have two daughters, Corinne, who is in St. Mary's Pre-Kindergarten, and baby Evaline.

WINTER 2021 | 21

CAMPUS NEWS LEADERSHIP TRANSITIONS Dr. Marcisha Brazley-Keith Dr. Marcisha Brazley-Keith began her role as Head of Lower School January 4. She came to St. Mary’s from Shelby County Schools where she was a Special Education Advisor, supervising K-5 special education teachers as well as the Special Education Preschool Program. Dr. Keith earned both her B.A. and M.A. from Morehead State University, her Ed.D. from the University of Memphis, and her Licensure in Instructional Leadership from Christian Brothers University.

A St. Mary’s parent since 2007, Dr. Keith is well known to parents and faculty in all four divisions. As Head of Lower School, she looks forward to furthering the mission of St. Mary's. "St. Mary's Episcopal School takes great pride in the superior education of each girl entrusted to its care. I believe that it is my responsibility to uphold this standard and to encourage and challenge teachers and students to work to their potential in the hopes that their experiences in school will help to educate, encourage, and inspire future generations of students."

Dr. Keith and her husband, William, have three daughters who attend St. Mary's, Kai ’22, Kaela ’23, and Kamryn ’28.

Lauren Rogers St. Mary’s welcomed Lauren Rogers as Head of Upper School in July. Rogers came from Salem Academy, a girls boarding and day school in Winston-Salem, NC, where she served as Dean of Students. Prior to her 13 years at Salem Academy, she served as Director of Annual Giving at PorterGaud School in Charleston, SC. She earned her B.A., cum laude, from Barnard College, Columbia University, her M.A. from the University of Georgia, and a Master's degree in Private School Leadership from Klingenstein Center, Teacher's College, Columbia University. In addition, she is a Fulbright Scholar, a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellow, and a former adjunct instructor at Salem College.

Rogers has experience in curriculum, accreditation, strategic planning, faculty hiring, risk management, student discipline, and student life as well as programming focused on student wellness. She has been a regular speaker at national conferences on topics that range from pedagogy to adolescent sleep research and is one of eight writers for the National Latin Exam which is administered to more than 130,000 students worldwide.

22 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

CAMPUS NEWS FACULTY AND STAFF AWARDS Judy Brundige receives Gold Cross Award The Gold Cross, St. Mary’s highest award was recently presented to Middle School Science Teacher Judy Brundige. For 43 years, Brundige’s hard work and dedication to her students were a blessing to St. Mary’s. Her high expectations and belief in each girl’s ability to succeed led one of her former students to say this about her: “I have never had a teacher who teaches things so well. You would still have to study, but it was like she just magically got the information into your brain. She genuinely desired that her students understand the material and always made sure that they did. You would walk out of her classroom knowing that you learned something. She went above and beyond to help us understand how to study and love to learn. I still use the study skills she taught in her 6th-grade classroom in my college classes today.”

Cyndie Fogarty receives Apple Award Cyndie Fogarty accomplished two remarkable feats: opening St. Mary’s spirit retail store, the Gobble Shop, and implementing a school uniform for the first time ever. Our entire community benefited from Fogarty’s creativity and the spirit she brings to everything she does. She called on her enormous reserve of kindness and ingenuity to respond to every question, measurement, exception, and “COVID-19 complication.”

Judy Bearman receives Apple Award For the last 20 years, St. Mary’s Director of Health Services Judy Bearman has cared for our community. She has worked tirelessly this school year to keep us safe in a pandemic while also handling the daily health needs of each girl. Last summer, during her “vacation,” she took the Johns Hopkins contact tracing course and also wrote COVID-19 protocols and contact tracing documents for Shelby County Health Department.

During this unprecedented time, Nurse Judy’s abundance of kindness, patience, and care to everyone in the St. Mary’s community has been appreciated beyond measure.

WINTER 2021 | 23

CAMPUS NEWS FACULTY AND STAFF AWARDS

Carrie Ruhland receives Creative Teacher Award Whether building a personal pinball machine or creating a beautiful garden from a forgotten patch of grass, Carrie Ruhland makes science come to life. Her peers describe her as someone who works tirelessly for her students, who provides a rich environment for brainstorming and exploring, and creates a space where tinkering, creating, and making are always celebrated. Ruhland is a patient and understanding technology trainer and inspiring collaborator.

Sherronda Whitmore Johnson '82 receives Ellen Feild Todd Staff Award Sherronda, who first graced the halls of St. Mary's in the 1970's as a middle school student, is known for her quiet and steady personality, the persistence and determination with which she meets challenges, and her ability to untangle the most complex puzzles. She is one of the most knowledgeable Senior Systems (database) experts on campus and has been the driving force behind launching a new admission platform. In a year when almost every activity had to be “re-imagined,” she challenged the admission staff to think about the "why” before deciding the “what" and pushed them to step outside their comfort zones to learn new technology skills. She has a heart for students with financial need and was the brainpower behind developing the St. Mary's Lending Library. Each summer, she sorts through hundreds of donated textbooks and creates an online inventory so students with need can borrow books free of charge.

Beverly Peterson receives Fannie Warr Award for Service It takes a special person to be able to transform her work habits and preferences to the idiosyncrasies of seven different heads of school over three decades. After supporting three headmasters at MUS, Beverly devoted herself to St. Mary’s for nearly 25 years (during four headships). She was the planner and invisible presence of all-school meetings and Board meetings; she spread sunshine, calmed callers, and exercised discretion and courtesy. She was the cheerful voice on the phone, the welcoming face, the master proofreader, party planner, and taker of tedious minutes. She was always present; always smiling; always saying “yes.” She is a faithful friend of Fannie Warr to this day and a faithful friend and loyal colleague to us all. Beverly retired in January 2021.

24 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

CAMPUS NEWS St. Mary’s Senior Spends the Fall Working in D.C.

By Ansley Skipper ’21

i

n April 2020, homebound because of the pandemic and bored, I stumbled across an article in The New Yorker about a Republican strategist and publisher named Sarah Longwell. Sarah and I are two of a small breed: young female Republicans who did not support the president. And Sarah was the founder of Republican Voters Against Trump.

Feeling a connection, I found a general inquiry email and introduced myself, not thinking anything would come from it. But, before I knew it, I found myself working as a paid summer intern with her firm.

Eight weeks later, I was supposed to be packing up my rented studio apartment and moving home to Memphis to begin my completely virtual senior year, my parents working right next door.

Because of my family’s health situation, I would have to take virtual classes from my house, while my friends would be able to be at school. But something hit me – I knew there were few things I could control amidst a pandemic, but I also knew that it wasn’t time for me to return to the chaos and disappointment of a virtual senior year. Not with the election less than 100 days away.

hallowed halls of St. Mary’s, I carried with me on my finger a physical connection to the St. Mary’s community. And to the most important lesson that I’ve learned in my 15 years here: Even when it feels like I am a prisoner to my situation, say a global pandemic, I have a choice. There is reason for hope. I have the power to choose to make the life I’m given a purposeful, hopeful one. So I chose to remain 1,000 miles across the country on my own, work at a political communications firm, and take my high school classes online.

I spent every day for five months walking to work just blocks from the White House. Once school was in session, I’d attend my synchronous classes during the day from my office, work the remaining four hours for the firm’s clients, and then walk back to my apartment to spend several hours on homework, cook dinner, and do some household chores. It was challenging at times to balance my courses, work, and living on my own, but my teachers were always understanding and interested in the work I was doing.

Luckily, I could do virtual school from anywhere—including my D.C. office.

So I chose to stay, and for the first semester of my senior year, I lived alongside two of my co-workers, balancing school and work.

There, I was making a difference, doing what I love in a city that I love.

Ansley Skipper ’21 outside her apartment in Washington, D.C.

During my junior year, I experienced a moment of clarity of purpose that would lead to my decision to go to D.C. in the first place. During Mrs. Ray’s English elective on American and European poetry, I discovered T.S. Eliot’s masterwork "Four Quartets." The entire piece — it’s cliche but true — changed my life, but one of the four poems in particular has informed every decision I’ve made since I read it.

In “Little Gidding,” Eliot writes of the human condition, of life, as “torment,” “the intolerable shirt of flame which human power cannot remove.” We can’t change the pain that life throws at us; we have no choice. But we do have a choice about how we respond. As Eliot says, “we only live, only suspire, consumed by either fire or fire.”

When I ordered my St. Mary’s class ring, I had the phrase “fire or fire” engraved inside the band.

I wear my class ring everyday and doing so became even more important to me while I was in D.C. Though I couldn’t be in the

I was fortunate to find a meaningful and fulfilling internship. I created and curated social media and written content, raised thousands of dollars through the email newsletters that I drafted and designed, single-handedly ran our TikTok account (a fact which will surprise my friends who know I’m not the most technologically savvy), wrote op-eds and letters-to-the-editor, edited videos, and on-boarded new volunteers, just to name a few of the tasks entrusted to me.

As a St. Mary’s girl, though I was just a high school student, I was prepared to handle a full load of school and work. Through four years on the staff of St. Mary’s Tatler, I could jump right into writing op-eds for national newspapers. Four years as a member of the St. Mary’s Community Fund prepared me to solicit donations and recruit volunteers.

Three years as an attorney on the mock trial team gave me the confidence I needed when I was tasked with reporting research I had done for one of my bosses, a former chief of staff to the vice president of the United States. And numerous history and science classes (as well as the guidance of the St. Mary’s librarians) gave me the research skills that I relied upon when a new research task was sent my way.

Most importantly, though, St. Mary’s (and T.S. Eliot, introduced to me by Mrs. Ray) taught me to take initiative, to stand up for what I believe, and to choose the experience I wanted for my senior year.

Many times during my time with the firm, my boss, Sarah, seemed to express her surprise that I was just a high school senior. Though I know, if Sarah knew St. Mary’s, she would not be so surprised.

WINTER 2021 | 25

CAMPUS NEWS

UPPER SCHOOL GIRLS ENGAGE IN WORKFORCE AS PART OF HONORS INDEPENDENT RESEARCH STUDY PROGRAM St. Mary's Honors Independent Research Study (HIRS) program offers students the opportunity to experience high-level, engaged research as part of their academic experience. Taking advantage of the unique historical time of a pandemic, HIRS students this year selected topics related to COVID-19, and over summer and fall they conducted in-depth research using primary literature, historical data, and interviews. In November, each girl produced a final research paper based on her findings and gave a public (online) presentation of her work. By participating in HIRS, St. Mary’s students develop critical thinking skills, gain knowledge and expertise in an area of personal interest, and prepare themselves for the transition to college and the rigors of self-motivated success.

Fraser Johnston ’21 COVID-19’s Impact on the Oncology Community How the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the oncology community by both patient susceptibility and compromised care.

Due to cancer treatments (surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy) and the cancer itself, patients are at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19, and the effects seen are more drastic. Additionally, cancer care, including clinical trials, surgery, and diagnosis have all been disrupted by the virus.

Makenzie Lester ’21

The Social Impacts of Animal Virus Transmission into Human Populations An investigation into the human response to zoonotic disease pandemics including how animal viruses get into humans, the psychological impacts of pandemics, and how pandemics cause social, economic, and political change.

Sydney Weiss ’21

Margaret Saab ’21

Public Art during Pandemics: The Role of Public Art as a Response to Health Crises The look and purpose of public art when responding to health crises differs by country, regional artistic traditions, and the nature of the pandemic. An investigation of Public art, both in the United States and globally, produced during the HIV/AIDS crisis and COVID-19 considers the artist’s purpose in choosing medium and symbols, as well as the role the art itself serves in response to the health crises.

Lizzie Moody ’21

Exercise's Effect on Health and the Immune System in Response to COVID-19 How exercise, specifically outdoor exercise, can impact mental and physical health. Recommendations for frequency, intensity, volume, and types of exercise that most benefit our bodies is explored together with how exercise impacts the immune system and potentially the body's response to COVID-19.

The Path to a Vaccine Investigating the history of vaccines and the process of vaccine development to understand how scientists are creating a COVID-19 vaccine. The social and scientific obstacles faced in creating a vaccine for this pandemic are explored.

26 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

CAMPUS NEWS NATIONAL MERIT SEMIFINALISTS

ANJALI SHAH

LIZZIE MOODY

AMELIA KREHER

OLIVIA HANKINS

MADELEINE HAYS

LILY CURLIN

NATIONAL MERIT COMMENDED STUDENTS

ELLEN FEILD

RIA PATEL

MADELEINE LEE

SYDNEY WEISS

NATIONAL MERIT

Ten seniors, or 14% of the class, were recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program. Six seniors qualified as semifinalists, scoring in the top 1%, and are among approximately 16,000 high school seniors who will have the opportunity to continue in the competition for over 7,000 National Merit Scholarships to be offered in the spring. Four seniors qualified as Commended Students, who typically score in the top 3-4%.

ELLEN FEILD ’21 MAKES PERFECT SCORE OF 36 ON ACT

36 WINTER 2021 | 27

CAMPUS NEWS ATHLETICS

VARSITY CROSS COUNTRY

The team finished the season as the 2020 Regional Runner-Up. Seniors Jessica Joshi and Lizzie Moody finished first and second respectively in the Regional Meet. Moody and Joshi were selected to the Daily Memphian All-Metro Team. Joshi was also recognized by the Daily Memphian as a “Runner of the Year” finalist. At the State Meet, the team finished in 8th place and Joshi finished 2nd overall.

MIDDLE SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY

Runners in 6th-8th grade finished in fourth place in the Shelby League Championship. Five St. Mary’s Middle School runners placed in the top 25.

VOLLEYBALL

LOWER SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY

Twenty seven girls in grades 3rd-5th competed on the Lower School cross country team. Two 4th graders, Ella Federico and Sarah Taylor Stout, qualified and competed in the elementary cross country State Meet in Knoxville,TN.

This year we introduced a new varsity coach, Sergio Rangel. Sergio came to St. Mary's from Desoto Legacy Volleyball Club in Southaven. He was the assistant coach at Desoto Central High School last year, and before that he spent 11 years in Colorado, taking several teams to state and regional tournaments.

The varsity volleyball team finished 3rd in the region. With the three seed, the team traveled to Nashville for the first round of the State Tournament.

All-Region Honors First Team: Cecilia Boswell ’21 and Hallie Anderson ’21 Honorable Mention: Kate Shackelford ’21 and Kai Keith ’22 Senior Cecilia Boswell was also selected to the Daily Memphian All-Metro Team.

28 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

CAMPUS NEWS ATHLETICS

SOCCER

This year St. Mary's welcomed a new varsity soccer Coach, Patrick Kabano. Patrick is a former professional soccer player who has over 25 years experience coaching college and club teams. He comes to St. Mary’s from Harding Academy where for 6 years he was the director of soccer and coached both boys and girls. He is on the Tennessee Olympic Development Program staff and coaches three teams for Purple Rain Soccer Club.

The varsity soccer team finished 3rd in the region. With the three seed, the team traveled to Harpeth Hall for the first round of the State Tournament.

All Region Honors: Laurel Lund ’24, Emily Taylor, ’21 Caroline Stem ’22, Louise Laney ’22 Daily Memphian All-Metro Team: Laurel Lund ’24, Emily Taylor ’21, and Louise Laney ’22

MIDDLE SCHOOL GOLF

VARSITY GOLF

Hana Barber plays on the varsity golf team as a middle schooler and was the only 8th grader to compete in the TSSAA State Individual Tournament. In the tournament, Hana shot an 84 and an 87 over two days placing 13th in the state. She was also named to the Daily Memphian All-Metro Golf Team.

The Middle School golf team finished in 5th place at the Shelby League Tournament. There were many highs this season, including 8th grader Addie Dombroski being the low medalist in a September match shooting a 34.

WINTER 2021 | 29

CAMPUS NEWS In 2020, as with many traditions and ceremonies, the Christmas Pageant had to be “reimagined.

TABLEAU I ANNUNCIATION - LEONARDO DA VINCI

TABLEAU II SHEPHERDS KEEPING WATCH - BERNARD PLOCKHORST

TABLEAU V BIRTHDAY OF CHRIST - STORCH

TABLEAU VI THE NATIVITY - GHERARD DELLE NOTTI

30 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

CAMPUS NEWS While the second and third grade choirs could not sing, and the congregation of parents, alumnae, and friends could not gather in the beautifully renovated nave of Church of the Holy Communion, the 12 to 15-year seniors were able to participate in what remains St. Mary’s oldest and most cherished tradition. It looked a little different, but the message remained the same. Many thanks to all those who made possible what is for many in our community the beginning of their Christmas celebration.

TABLEAU III ADORATION OF THE SHEPHERDS - BARTOLOME ESTEBAN MURILLO

TABLEAU IV ADORATION OF THE SHEPHERDS - GUIDO RENI

TABLEAU VII ADORATION OF THE MAGI - SEBASTIANO CONCA

TABLEAU VIII THE NATIVITY - POMPEO GIROLAMO BATONI WINTER 2021 | 31

CAMPUS NEWS

SPRINGFEST QUEEN MADISON OWENS ’21

SPRINGFEST IN THE FALL

SPRINGFEST PRINCESS LILLY ROBBINS ’26

With students back on campus this fall, we were able to celebrate our Springfest tradition in person with Queen Madison Owens and Princess Lilly Robbins in the nave of Church of the Holy Communion.

FALL FESTIVAL

THE FEEL GOOD RADIO SHOW

The annual Lower School play was reimagined this year and recorded, The Feel Good Radio Show. Thirty-two 4th and 5th graders, along with Director of Plays Jenny Madden and 14 Upper School girls met virtually, rehearsed, and recorded the show using an online tool called Vocaroo.

One of St. Mary’s most fun traditions, the Halloween Bazaar, could not happen as usual this October so the event was reimagined on both North and South Campuses. Faculty, staff, and students wore their favorite costumes, halloween snacks and movies filled classrooms, and special outdoor activities included yarn weaving amongst trees that mimicked a spider’s web, a candy chute, and a pumpkin patch.

32 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

CAMPUS NEWS FALL 2020 ART AWARDS

LOLA CRANFORD (5TH GRADE)

won Honorable Mention for her painting entitled Tea Party on Mars at the Briarcrest Regional Art Contest and Exhibition.

EVELYN BARTLETT (8TH GRADE)

won Honorable Mention for her drawing in ink, marker, pencil, and tempera paint entitled Mind.

LILY SAAVEDRA-WILLET (6TH GRADE)

won Third Place for her mixed media piece entitled Jaipur Elephant in Sapphire Splendor.

WINTER 2021 | 33

CLASS NOTES 1964 PHYLLIS KOLLER WILLS

Ann Humphreys Copp is happily living with Dan II since a year. She moved to Baltimore 20 years ago to be near her mother. Sadly her mother died in March, a month short of her 101st birthday. For 30 years she was a prolific artist. Family and friends have her abstracts as memories of her. Ann’s daughter is a midwife in Madison, WI. Her son is a family practice doctor in Portland, OR. Ann has four grandchildren. She misses being with them because of the pandemic. Susan Storer Clark and her husband Rich live outside Seattle. They are heavily involved with their church as the technical team for live streaming of services.

Susan is on the Board of Trustees.

In February Susan went to NC to register new and relocated voters.

In the weeks before the election she telephoned or text-banked to get out the vote for a couple of hours a day. She has not finished her second novel yet or taken the planned long train trip east. Instead of a big celebration of their 39th wedding anniversary, they painted the interior of a “Tiny House” constructed by members of their congregation.

The house went to Tacoma to a family in need. Betsy Springfield Lindstrom and her husband David have continued to play golf and dine in safety at their club in Naples. They canceled travel plans because of the pandemic and hope to visit friends in 34 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

Canada next year. Drew, Scott and Erik are doing well.

Drew’s daughters Mallory, 12 and Natalie, 10 are in school despite the challenging circumstances. Scott is in San Diego with daughter Avery, 7 and son Dylan, 5. Erik is finishing academic pursuits and lives with his significant other in State College, PA. Ainslie Pryor Todd and her husband Hardy cancelled their May trip to Italy. They continue their Pilates workouts and Ainsley meets with a trainer twice a week at the gym.

Other than going to the grocery store they don’t get out much. She is so bored! Nancy Whitman Manire got a Corgi puppy she named Mr. Darcy in January. He is her 4th in 25 years. She had hip replacement surgery last year in November and is riding again. She is very involved on the vestry at Calvary Church downtown. Her grandchildren are 18 and 20. Mallory Macdonald ‘18 is a sophomore at UT-K. Whit graduated from Lausanne and was accepted at Embry Riddle in Prescott AZ. He has a pilot’s license and wants to fly commercially. Phyllis Koller Wills and her husband Jim were unable to go to their home in France for the summer, Europe being closed to Americans because of the state of the pandemic here. It was the first time in 30 years. This year is their 50th anniversary and their travel plans in celebration had to be cancelled.

Phyllis plays in bridge tournaments on-line with her partner, participates by zoom in her book club in France, also on Kiawah, and is continuing

family research on-line. She and Jim participate in Great Decisions, America’s largest discussion program on world affairs. They have social distance outside a few times with friends and go on walks.

1968 CLASS SECRETARY NEEDED

Elinor Baker Jones writes that it’s been a crazy year! They have been trying to get in some travel the last couple of years-- including a trip to Egypt in February and a trip to the beach this summer with their younger daughter and her family, and another beach time to counteract cabin fever in mid-October. Holly Rogers writes, “What curves this year has thrown all of us. I have

Susan Storer Clark ’68 and her husband Rich spent part of their 39th anniversary painting the interior of a Tiny House in Shoreline, Washington. The pose was their version of the American Gothic painting.

CLASS NOTES been working the entire pandemic time. With choir participation being mostly silenced, I miss singing in choirs tremendously, but my car gets a lot of my singing and I sing to CDs at home. In mid-October 2020 my mother at age 99 fell and suffered a pelvic fracture which thankfully did not impact her hip. I flew to Memphis for 2 weeks and diagnostic tests and TLC for Mother filled my days. She now seems to have returned to her pre-fall comfort in her easy chair with crossword puzzles keeping her happy and content in her own home. We had a memorable special drive by parade sponsored by her Church for my Mom’s 100th birthday! Wishing good health and a steady life to all my classmates.”

Congratulations to Mary Helene Hamlin (now Uhlir) who was just elected to the Banning, CA City Council beating the incumbent and a former mayor by a substantial margin. Here is a link to an article www.recordgazette.net/tncms/asset/ editorial/a5828468-1fa7-11eb-845bcb8153d5d2ef. She also married Charles "Skip" Uhlir on October 10, so she has been very busy! Chris Wright Wilson had been seeing Pam Joyner Evans and Jan Cone Davis and even Marilyn Muirhead from time to time last year, but not now…boo hiss. She wrote in , “I have not seen Lucy Pontius Underwood or Libby Wetter Witherington since List died. Am still in my home in Cordova. Can you say paid for?! Bill’s been gone almost 6 years now…my heart goes

out to the newest widows in the class, and Lucy is the last one I can think of. So sorry if I’m forgetting anyone else. I want to remind you to ask me about long term care plans for themselves or grown children in 40/50 range.. So few companies sell it anymore and the New York Life plans are almost the fastest selling ones in the nation! Really. Sorry about the commercial there but it’s WAAY important! If my mom goes back into a “facility” then BOTH of her LTC policies will have paid off… home health at home, and facility care at one of those. What a blessing to have these. Miss seeing everyone!!!

This virus is the worst!” Marilyn Schwinn Smith recaps her family news: “My three sons are all married and are all homeowners. The oldest two each have a son and a daughter.

Sean and I returned from Minnesota and grandchild duty in mid-March, just in time for the lockdown and the birth of the fourth grandchild.

The upside to giving birth during lockdown was that mom, dad, and daughter had the leisure to get to know each other undisturbed by visitors. Sean and I are remarkably self-sufficient, so do not suffer unduly in these un-social times. But cold weather and snow have arrived in the northland and our outdoor meetings come to an end. I will, though, sorely miss working on my porch. I had organized a panel at a major international conference, now virtual. I spent this morning practicing the technology, happily discovering that I can, indeed, read

Throwback to 2000: Julia Sprunt Grumbles ’71, Musette Sprunt Morgan ’72, and Sue Sprunt Stoudemire ’69.

my paper from the computer screen, almost appearing as though I'm looking at the audience. Don't know when we'll gather again.” Best wishes for the health of all!

1970 CRISTINA BRESCIA MICHTA

Betty Coe Cruzen Manuel and husband David's younger son Robert married in a small family ceremony in October in Chicago. He and his bride live in Washington, D.C. Their son, Edward, his wife and three children live in Fort Worth near Betty Coe and David. Betty Coe's mother, Betty Cruzen, also lives nearby and will celebrate her 99th birthday in January 2021. In recognition of our 50-year reunion, Mary Edna Parish quilted and embroidered, with the St. Mary's emblem, lovely potholders for the class. It was her way of celebrating with everyone in 2020.

WINTER 2021 | 35

CLASS NOTES

Throwback to 1990: The Class of 1970 celebrates their 20th class reunion on a firetruck.

Linda Stratton Hancock writes that she and husband Cary have enjoyed quality time together during COVID-19. They helped distribute food from the Food Bank at their church and have delivered flowers and cards to shut-ins. They took a COVID-19 safe trip to Destin to celebrate Linda’s birthday with their daughters and their families.

They spent a few days in Fairhope helping daughter Holly and family to clean up debris after hurricane Sally. Even seven year old Hannah gathered lots of branches! Linda enjoyed seeing Cristina Michta while she was in Memphis. Evelyn Anderson McGehee is enjoying her eight grandchildren-from the oldest who is a senior in high school to an 18 month old. They live in Pensacola, Charleston and Anniston.

During the pandemic they have all visited her beach house frequently and enjoyed quarantining at Perdido Key, FL. There was damage after the two recent hurricanes, but thankfully her house is fine! She hopes all are staying safe and we can see each other soon. Kathy Baker Penn looks forward to visiting Memphis and mom, Presh Gill, this Fall, as soon as 36 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

COVID-19 precautions allow. She and Bob, plus extended family, spent 6 weeks at Sea Island this summer, where adults “worked from home” and grands played at the beach. They connected with Ruthie Stratton Samaha and her family there. Her hobbies are now cooking, urban hiking and golfing. Pat Gray Coats had cornea transplant surgery in July and had to leave her job at Quality Inn. She can’t see to drive or work.

Her kind son, Michael, sent in his Mom’s news. Pat still plans to attend the class reunion. Denise DuBois Taylor and husband Sledge were invited to attend the final debate in Nashville in October. Sledge's cousin, the Executive Director of the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD), invited them to attend as her guests. They enjoyed a behindthe-scenes look at how the CPD coordinates such a complex and highly-detailed, international event, which began with COVID-19testing at their hotel, transportation, and satellite feeds for hundreds of media, etc. They really enjoyed the event! Cary Pridgen Slatery and husband Herb are in Nashville where he serves as Tennessee Attorney General. In her quest to make a difference in Nashville, Cary has begun a project to create a bronze statue of Dolly Parton.

The statue will be placed in a small park near the Main Library. Dolly will be seated on a bench, holding a book. Dolly Parton began The Tennessee Books from Birth project.

Like many children in Tennessee,

Mary Edna Parish ’70 cross-stitched potholders for each class member in honor of their 50th class reunion.

Cary’s granddaughter thinks that Dolly is her friend, because she sends books to her in the mail. Corona has certainly changed our lives here in Bavaria, but I continue to enjoy mountain bike riding and hiking in the mountains. Gigi Gould is looking forward to celebrating our 50th reunion April 16-17. It will be a combination of virtual and in person. My husband, Andrew, enjoys his work as Dean of the College of International and Security Studies at the George C. Marshall Center for Security Studies. Our daughter, Chelsea ‘09, has submitted her PhD dissertation to Cambridge, and soon we will have a second Dr. Michta in the family. She has a fellowship at the Victims of Communism Foundation in Washington DC. The Class of 1970 looks forward to healthier times to celebrate our 50th anniversary at St. Mary’s. We hope that you and your families are safe and healthy.

CLASS NOTES

1972 CHRISTINE MAYER TODD

We certainly hope you are all doing well and staying safe. Thanks to our classmates who always remember their SMS time with affection and want to keep us posted on their lives. I am looking for all your cards and letters. Jackie Pentz Watkins says, “Life's pretty dull here. We walk the dog, work a crossword and a Sudoku puzzle, and watch NCIS, Castle, or Criminal Minds every day. And twice a week we go grocery shopping just to get out of the house.” Meg Jemison Bartlett is excited that Home Place Pastures Retail & Sandwich Shop in Como is now officially open! WednesdaySunday, 10 am - 6 pm. “Y’all come!

(Masks required, lots of room for social distancing.) Check out our website http://homeplacepastures. com/ to learn more! Ship your gifts this holiday season! We’re so excited to have made the @foodandwine best mail order food gifts list! We ship our pastured, certified humane, antibiotic & hormone-free meats all over the continental U.S and we make a great gift for any meat-eater.”

Jane Gordon Simmons is the best Pickle Lady; she is packaging and selling the homemade sweet pickles she had growing up and has given for many years as gifts. “My mama was no cook but she made a darn good pickle! I have the Original and the Hot and Sassy.” Musette Sprunt Morgan said, “My only

news is that Allen and I are now very contented apartment dwellers and love sending the trash down the chute.” I remember doing that in New York, and loved it when I was little. Musette also asked me to write about our Outreach work at Calvary.

Yes, we have been trying to serve our neighbors experiencing homelessness every week since the pandemic began. We have about 20 stalwart volunteers who work to deliver a warm delicious breakfast and muchneeded full sets of clean, warm clothing to our neighbors. Since March we have been serving outside.

There is no place in downtown Memphis for our neighbors to use restrooms, find potable water, or even wash their hands. Calvary has rented port-a-johns, sinks, and provided water but, as you can imagine, it’s not enough. People experiencing homelessness have a horrible time accessing services since so many agencies are closed.Your prayers and support are appreciated. If you and a friend wanted to come downtown for a couple of hours to sort and label clothing, you would have a great day and be really appreciated.

Keep those cards and letters coming.

Have a wonderful holiday and here’s to hoping for a great 2021.

1974 DESI FRANKLIN

The Class of 1974 handled the seemingly never ending Year of the Coronavirus much as the rest of the

world – by coping with all the many unexpected changes. Sue Anne Turpin Davis had a planned trip to France scrapped, as did I (Sue Anne: Brittany and Normandy/me: Paris and Provence). Instead, Sue Anne and husband Mike took a couple of road trips, traveling to Texas and then to Cashiers, NC. Louie Mann moved from Fayetteville, AR back to Signal Mountain, TN. Louie says the guest suite will be ready for visitors in Spring, 2021. Make your reservations now. Minette Allen Kinney’s life in the country remained largely the same, except for people “Zooming” in and out at her dining room table on a regular basis. She continues working on her house and yard projects, and missing people (don’t we all?). According to Susan Page Tranby, trying to run a business during COVID-19 was not fun. However, they made it through the season. As it was with other small businesses, adaptation was the watchword. Their Vermont resort, Shore Acres, didn’t open until June 8th, and the restaurant could only serve at 50% capacity. Susan put dining tables in front of all the rooms and everyone lost weight running from one end of the building to the other serving meals. Daughter Majken was an incredible help, standing in for the 6 employees they lost. Son Paul is married, still living in New York City. Susan’s biggest news is that they have sold Shore Acres. 2021 will see Susan and Mike planting their garden at the house they bought across the street. After WINTER 2021 | 37

CLASS NOTES the transition, Sally Fri can expect her and Mike down in New Zealand (Sally’s current adopted home). As for Hayes Harrison, being retired from copy editing and unwilling to visit her book clubs via Zoom (me, too, it’s just not the same), Hayes is finally living the life of a self-educating gentlewoman: reading whatever she wants! She eases COVID-19 isolation by channeling her inner 1950s teenager and gabbing for hours on the phone. She's also very grateful to have helpmeet Rich in the house.

For Lucy Gerald Cook, 2020 was a tough year, due to losing both of her parents, made worse by the enforced isolation of COVID-19 restrictions during her mother’s last days. Lucy, her brothers, sister in law and nephew made a trip to the Mississippi Delta to scatter their parents’ ashes together in the creek in her Dad's hometown, as they had wished. Lucy also visited daughter Rebecca, husband Jeremy and perfect grandchild Josephine in Santa Monica. Son David and wife Carolyn live in Pittsburgh, where he’s an assistant college football coach and she’s a pediatric oncology nurse.

Son Jeff took a new position with ABC’s LA bureau as a regional field producer based in Denver, covering everything from too many wildfires to the Vice Presidential debate, and loving Colorado life! Since July, Lucy and husband Charlie have been holed up in Maine enjoying the view of Casco Bay. Charlie has been working remotely (WFH, as we say) and Lucy has staved off boredom with good books, movies, cooking 38 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

and Zoom gatherings with friends.

Mary Hills Powell and husband John are splitting their time between Charlotte and Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, to help out John’s mother. Mary Hills’ best news is a new yellow lab puppy named Abby (aww, puppies!).

While not playing with Abby, Mary Hills is painting landscapes with a water theme, while John is WFH. Check out Mary Hills’ art on her website, Maryhillspowellartist.com.

As for me, in addition to canceled travel plans and WFH since March (busier than ever due to pandemic legal needs), I’m enjoying the little midtown bungalow I bought in 2019 – on a quiet picturesque street with great neighbors. I grew a record breaking COVID-19 garden of San Marzano and Cherokee heirloom tomatoes. At some point, I will take off these leggings and Birkenstocks.

Maybe in 2021…Alex Kenner married Carolyne Young in October 2020 (outside, socially distanced) and they’re expecting a little girl in the spring! I can’t wait to meet little Eleanor Kenner. I’m going to spoil her rotten.

1976 ALLISON BROWN COATES

I saw this quote and thought about our Class of ’76 friendships and memories. "No one will ever be as entertained by us as us!" Martha Flowers and her family are doing well through this COVID-19thing. She is especially busy at First

Horizon helping associates stay healthy. Her daughter, Austin ’12, is working at Leadership Memphis, and son Buckner just completed his second certification in Air traffic Control for the Navy in Norfolk, VA. All of us appreciate his service!

2020 has been a tough year as Martha and her family lost their mom and grandmother in March – a really tough hurdle, then Lu Jones (Martha’s first cousin) lost her mom and dad, too. We are so sorry for your loss, Martha. Your mom was one very special lady!

Kaky Ossorio Wakefield decided during the COVID-19 pandemic that it was the perfect time to say yes to her school director and move from full-time substitute teacher to having a class of her own. Kaky feels blessed to have 10 precious 4 year olds to play with and nurture. Kaky, do you realize how blessed they are to have you as their teacher? It is a match made in heaven! Theresa Alissandratos Schnepf and her sister Asimoula ’63 (who lives in Charleston, SC) have become opera buffs, thanks to the Met Opera's daily free streaming. She highly recommends it even if you don't like opera. The modern productions are visually stunning, staged by movie and Broadway directors and sung by the best singers you'll ever hear. (And you can fast forward through parts you don't like!) A big leap from the old traveling productions Miss Reiners painstakingly prepared us to watch! Hats off to her for

CLASS NOTES trying! I understand! When I try to explain to my peers at school about our Sunday afternoon bus rides and concerts, gloves and all, they are a little skeptical.

Theresa's retirement has been good preparation for the pandemic.

Simply deciding how to spend each day was already a focus, albeit now with major constraints! She and George have been fortunate to continue bicycling 4 or 5 days weekly. She is also playing piano and reading more as she had hoped for retirement. (It's Beethoven's 250th birthday year, yay!) Julie Davidson Barton reports that she and Keith have been hunkered down since March, like everyone else. John and Carolyn are fine and are the proud parents of a little black Labrador retriever! She says her golf game remains bad, but she enjoys whacking away at it whenever possible. Josie McNeely Walker and I are still hanging out at St. Mary's! The difference is that Josie is the SENIOR TURKEY! (not by age but by how long she has been teaching at SMS). I have the best gift, though. I have her granddaughter, Jane ‘36, in my class! She is such a sweetheart.

As I come to the end of our class notes, I have one more quote for all of us to think about as we find happiness and stay healthy in these challenging times. "One of the greatest things we can do is let people know that they are loved."

Love to all of you!

The socially distanced Class of 1978: Stephanie Riggs, Kathy Edmondson Riley, Tracy Walko Balton, Jacqueline Hughes Romo ’77, and Kathy Daniel Patterson.

1978 TRACY WALKO BALTON

This past year has certainly had its boring moments but there is still a little news! Kate Wellford Gould started a Zoom meeting for our class last Spring. Sadly, I missed them all, so some of this news may be repetitive for a few of you. I was frantically busy trying to assist clients with SBA loan applications in an effort to save failing businesses. I never thought I would actually feel blessed to have the opportunity to work, but I enjoyed a sense of accomplishment this year like no other. Kelley Hoffman Hook said the Zoom calls were just like the reunion – chaotic, fun happy hours.

Thank you to Bailey Johnston Farrin, Carol Fri Robinson and Jekka Ashman Pinckney who continued with them. We have all reached the age that we are now caring for our parents or sadly

celebrating the end of their lives.

Sunita Sheth, Tandy Gilliland Taylor and Shelia Davis each lost a parent this year. As Carese Clarke Bott so truthfully stated, although this stage of our lives is expected, it is still never something we want to deal with. Carese still feels like she is in her 40’s. Her sister and father live with her now. Her daughter Katie moved back home to go to Baylor Nursing School and she is a big help. Son David is still in NYC but was able to work remotely from Dallas during the pandemic. Carese was awarded Teacher of the Year for her school last year as a reading teacher! How fabulous is that? She was offered a similar job at her high school in the ELA department.

She loves this position and glad she is not required to teach Beowulf.

Kate has moved her Dad into her home and is challenged with his daily care management. Kathy WINTER 2021 | 39

CLASS NOTES Daniel Patterson and I moved our fathers into nursing homes recently.

Managing their care is emotionally exhausting and watching their mental decline is heartbreaking. We can only hope that as daughters of these once strong and powerful parents, we can all continue their legacy through our own lives and through the lives of our children. A few of us got together for Labor Day at my house.

After working from home for many months, Kathy Edmondson Riley and Stephanie Riggs were happy to be out of the house! Kathy was missing daughter Claire Riley ‘09, who had just returned to Spain to her teaching job there. She recently traveled to upstate New York with husband Billy to enjoy the fall leaves, hiked in the Adirondacks and visited OMI, a contemporary sculpture park that had massive sculptures over about 100 acres. Stephanie has remained fairly isolated, as her husband John is the sole caregiver for his aging mother, so they try to be extremely careful. We got some great sociallydistanced pictures too. Kathy P had just moved from her home of 20 years. Oh the agony of moving, but they are happy to have down-sized to Germantown. Jacqueline Hughes Romo ’77 joined us as well. She was my and Stephanie’s roommate in college at Tulane. Coincidentally, she recently moved next door to my sister, Cindy, with whom she has become a good friend. The one advantage of COVID-life is that everyone seems so happy to actually lay eyes on a friend, when given the 40 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

opportunity. Seeing them was such a treat. Sunita and husband David enjoyed dinner with Steve and me when they were in town to wind-up her father’s affairs this November. We received a free wine lesson from the sommeliers! They travelled to Death Valley in late February for a planned hiking excursion. It was a great trip but they had quite an experience trying to fly home cross-country to Philadelphia, just as the pandemic hit, causing massive flight cancellations.

Andrea Gilliom Anderson is still enjoying her new home in FL and this year, managed to pull off not one but TWO weddings. Her daughters, Meg ’14 and Elizabeth Anderson ’09 had each planned a big traditional wedding, which sadly was forced to be a small family gathering. But the girls were happy, the pictures were beautiful and both of them looked like fairytale princesses. Andrea has also been able to spend lots of time with her new grandbaby, Amelia Eby, daughter of Rebecca Anderson Eby ‘06. Carole Klein is excited to be moving back to Memphis in January 2021 after 25 years in Hong Kong.

The move will allow her to spend some quality time with her mother and to reconnect with old friends. If you know of any job opportunities in PR/Marketing within the hospitality industry, please let her know. Debby Waltz Hayes’ grandson, Noah was happy to start 1st grade at Westminster Academy this year. Daughter Maggie is having her 3rd baby in February!

My granddaughter Lyla Furlong ’28 was thrilled to be back at St Mary’s

after a long 6 month break. Ladies, I have thoroughly enjoyed writing this newsletter for the past seven years, but it is time to pass the baton to a new class secretary, preferably one whose social media skills can allow her to keep up with everyone. So please volunteer! If anyone is interested, please contact me or Gigi Gould at SMS. Go *78’ers!

1980 CHALMERS PEYTON VALENTINE

The Class of 1980 has been in quarantine! We hope all are doing well amidst this very strange time.

Working remotely, keeping to ourselves and keeping up with family are a common theme everywhere.

Elaine Schmeisser Miller will have had her daughter Aubrey’s ’13 wedding by the time this is published and plans have changed drastically over the recent months. She also writes that son Bennett is finishing his final year at UT Knoxville.

Josie Gilliland Williams remains in Greenville, SC teaching at the Michelin School. Jamie Feild Baker is working at McCallie in Chattanooga and meets Phil on the weekends at their lake house in Alabama. It seems that the vacation home thing has been popular with the Ziggy class! I had a great visit with Dana Anderton Miller over the summer. She and Don have also been doing the lake thing on Lake Austin. Melissa Bateman Ryder is in New York surviving the

CLASS NOTES

Throwback to 2000: Class of 1980 celebrating their 20th class reunion, Chalmers Peyton Valentine, Dana Anderton Miller, Kathy Buckman Gibson, and Susan McCaull Schaefer

pandemic, with her children back and forth. Kathleen Welch Campbell writes that life in Florida is different, but not as stringent as in other parts of the country. Molly Pitts Adams is busy visiting daughters Kate and Haley in Dallas all the while very busy running Famous Footwear out of St. Louis, and commuting between California and Destin! Wow! I literally ran into Lucia Saunders Dillon while out walking my dog and although we have not seen each other in years recognized each other immediately. Steve and I picked up in March and went to Greers Ferry, AR for the biggest part of our COVID-19 experience. Fortunately we had a great Spring and it was a great place to be. I am also working with a nonprofit (G.A.M.E.) centered around pickleball and started by Taylor Holden Taylor ‘90, where I got to play with Jeanne Burrow Wilbourn! As expected, Jeanne ran me all over the court, but we sure had fun! My best to you and yours over the holidays and to a Happy 2021!

Emily Adams Davis ’82 and family at daughter Bailey's wedding in May 2020.

1982 OLIVIA BRUCE HURLOCK

A big turkey cheer for Elizabeth Simpson Alrutz for her long-time service as our Class Secretary! She’s done a fabulous job of keeping us all connected, and has expanded her role in the SMS community by becoming president of the Alumnae Board. I can’t think of a better person for the job.Thanks to so many of you for helping to ease me into this role by responding to my request for news! Mary Kavanagh Day (another ’82er who continues to serve the SMS community as a trustee) responded within minutes of my first email with the following report: “After receiving an unexpected offer for our house, we have moved to Crosstown Concourse! We are thoroughly enjoying apartment life in this ‘Vertical Village.’ Anyplace with homemade ice cream in the lobby is OK with me! Even though I still have a 7th and 10th grader, I feel like I’m getting a taste of the empty nester lifestyle that many of you are living!

Also, Grace ‘23 and her classmates look great in their new uniforms and really like wearing them. I wish we had them when we were there.”

Sarah Willmott Cowens’ younger daughter Margaret ’16 graduated in May from The University of Tennessee. She lives in Memphis and is employed by Independent Bank.

Ellen ‘14 lives in Atlanta, and was engaged this summer to her longtime boyfriend, who is the son of Sarah’s roommate at Centre! Sarah is busy planning a wedding for April 2021. Gail Jones Mallery writes that she is still living in Dallas. “I work in the mortgage loan division of City Bank Texas and it has been a busy year for us and the industry. My spare time is spent largely in service as Board President for a new non-profit ministry for women suffering from the effects of generational poverty in South Dallas. In only 3 years and in spite of the obstacles COVID-19 has presented this last year, we have purchased “The Well” which will be a center for women to learn job skills, build relationships, and receive whatever help they need to overcome the many barriers they face daily.The glory goes to God and the blessings fall on us. Other than that I, my fur babies,Volee and Weezer, have enjoyed a great year hunkering down and staying well!” Angela Reed Yakel has been “managing the ‘hurricane of the month’ club on the Texas Gulf coast.Thankfully, no direct hits for us, but close enough that we prepped for each and every one. My family continues to recover from the WINTER 2021 | 41

CLASS NOTES

Elizabeth Thrasher Kantor ’82 and family (including her mom Mrs. Anne Fisher) at son Billy's wedding in May 2020

devastating loss of our precious Candy.

It's been a real tough road. In lieu of traditional Christmas at Mom's house, we're all headed to Orange Beach to celebrate the holidays.This is a good opportunity to remind everyone to love your sisters (and brothers) as much as you can, and aggressively mind your ‘sisters.’ After lots of time off this summer thanks to COVID-19, hospitals are re-engaging in performance improvement so it's time to get on an airplane and get back to work!” Speaking of hospitals, I hope you all saw the summer issue of this magazine and noted that our Frieda Menzer MacArthur and Catherine Robilio Womack were featured!

Catherine writes that she is “just trying to keep all the medical students six feet apart and masked when around others, so they can get through their course work and graduate.

We are going through a surge right now and may have to open our field hospital.”Three of us have organized gorgeous “COVID-19” weddings for our children! In April, Karen Adams’ daughter Wallis Tosi Steiner ’09 was married in a 42 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

“zoom” wedding. Both Wallis and Avery, Karen’s son, work with Karen at her eponymous design firm in Memphis. Elizabeth Thrasher Kantor excitedly reported that “in May, our son Billy got hitched!

Though it was smaller than we had planned on and we missed many friends, it was a wonderful wedding with close family and a wedding party including friends going back to Billy's playgroup days.The beautiful bride is Sarah Harpring (now Kantor), and our first grandchild is already on the way, due in the spring of 2021: Joseph Norbert Kantor, named after my step-father Joe Fisher and Sarah's grandfather.” I think this will make Elizabeth our first grandmother!

Wedding #3 was a lovely backyard ceremony for Emily Adams Davis’ daughter Bailey, also in May.There was a fabulous livestream for those of us who weren’t able to be there in person. Bailey and her new hubby Holden are also expecting a baby next May! Congrats to all three families for this happy news! My son Charls got engaged in August, and he and his fiancée are planning a wedding for June 2022! Daughter Lucy started at Penn Veterinary School this fall, mostly remote with some in-person anatomy labs, and is loving it. Since livestock is not allowed in the city limits of Philadelphia, her pet pig, Melvin, still lives in my kitchen. My youngest, Sarah Katharine, is taking the year off from Middlebury because of the pandemic. She worked in Wyoming this fall and is currently job-hunting and continuing to train

for field hockey. I hope you all stay healthy and busy as we head into the winter with this pandemic, and please stay in touch.

1984 VANESSA ALLEN DOBBINS

The year 2020 has been a year like no other in our lifetimes. I know we are all looking forward to putting it behind us with visions of a brighter, healthier, less volatile and less exhausting 2021. With that said, a global pandemic has certainly made us appreciate our loved ones and cherish the moments we have with them. When I asked for news, Ally Burr-Harris put it so succinctly by saying… “I am curious to know what news one has during a global pandemic. It’s pretty much Groundhog Day here.

Nothing newsworthy for sure.” But a few of you did have something to report. Carolyn Thompson closed her practice three years ago to work as the Chief Medical Officer for a healthcare startup called riskLD which builds software that interfaces with the hospital EMR to deliver better outcomes for laboring mothers and their babies. She is clinically active as a part of UT’s faculty in the Dept of OB/Gyn, teaching residents and serving as an OB Hospitalist. And as all of us must agree, she writes that COVID-19 quashed travel plans for the year, but we still dream. Merri Leigh Masters Johnson had six weeks of teaching under her belt before

CLASS NOTES the TWU campus locked down and all instruction moved online... including her very first lab practical, which proved to be interesting with students having to grab a spouse, girl/ boyfriend, roommate or parent to act out the role of a patient. In the fall most of her lectures and labs moved on campus but socially distanced.

Son Jack is a high school senior and Charlie a high school freshman navigating the COVID-19 crisis as best as they can. Anne Crocker Hefter worked with the League of Women Voters on lobbying Senators for stimulus funding for safe voting, vote by mail, and election protection.

She also monitored polling places in MD. She is looking forward to a visit from her college aged sons. Cathey Turner Alexander’s youngest daughter Ellen is finishing her senior year at University of Memphis majoring in film. Oldest daughter Elizabeth ’14 is completing her Masters in Nursing at San Francisco State and will be working in the ICU at Vanderbilt Hospital early next year.

Alison Potts Hollewand paints a different picture of how Australia and her state of Queensland has handled the COVID-19 crisis in a successful manner. Their way of life has been almost “business as usual” with just a few hiccups. Alison’s daughter Izzy (16) works at the local bookshop as she continues to study over her summer break. She is a dedicated, joyful scholar. Husband Mike has embraced the fitness craze while Alison has worked tirelessly on her vision. She ran a 100 Hour

1988 ANNA MCQUISTON HOLTZCLAW

Throwback to 1995: Class of 1985 10th class reunion, Lucy Cheek Gordon, Mary Gowen Simmons, and Melissa Thrasher Peeler

Yoga Alliance-accredited Innate Meditation Teacher Training by producing two 200-page manuals and then teaching the intensives to a group of 19 amazing women.

Most had been studying with her via coaching/workshops/courses and classes for years. She designed the annual training to be applicable to a range of modalities and therapies and she is amazed and humbled by the reviews. Liz Sullivan popped up to say that she is living in New York City and wants us to visit. On a very sad note Celeste Barzizza Stallings’ husband John passed away after several years of battling bile duct cancer. We continue to carry Celeste and her family in our thoughts and prayers.

Martin and I have been entertaining ourselves with visits to Shelby Farms and the Botanic Gardens. As others probably encountered, we were forced to cancel travel plans to the UK due to the pandemic. Working from home has been a grateful pleasure for me, but I do miss daily interactions with my coworkers. As Ally said at the start…it certainly feels like Groundhog Day. All the best to everyone.

In a year that most of us spent at home with nothing unique to report, the Class of 1988 had a little fun with our notes. Moriah McStay Lee will spend her winter break creating the next great American novel, only none of the characters will be American, it will take place in space, and it will be written in Zoom reaction emojis. She cannot remember what it feels like to wear clothes with zippers. After a few weeks of being trapped in her house with the entire family, Emily Ragen Smith decided to spend the summer hiking the Appalachian Trail. She is now living off the grid somewhere in the foothills of the Smokey mountains. Margaret Malone Rosser gave up on 2020, pulled her kids out of virtual school, and went off to homestead in Appalachia near Emily Smith. Her family is living off of goat’s milk, homemade jam, and eggs from their 27 free-range chickens. Kelly Allen Bauch gained 27 pounds during COVID-19, eating and drinking her way through 2020.

She had a blast and is now in an anonymous 12 step program. Taylor Uhlhorn Laird lost a hundred pounds during quarantine. She took up bungee dance yoga. She has given up social work as it was taking too long to get her license. Taylor looks so good, she is working at the Pink Pony. Congratulations Taylor on your new career choice. Beth Gowen Gillespie writes that Barry WINTER 2021 | 43

CLASS NOTES ran away with the Carnies when the fair was in town. She adjusted to the long distance relationship and got a new job guessing people’s weight or age, so she might join him on the road as she loves to travel. While baking 2000 mini pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving, Shannon Moore noticed a raging wildfire heading her way. She escaped, with pumpkins in tow, but lost her eyebrows. At the hospital, doctors discovered she was pregnant with triplets! The babies are due on Christmas and names have been chosen... Dancer, Prancer, and Vixen. Congratulations to Shannon and Stuart! Taylor was honored to plan the gender reveal party!

Meanwhile Anna McQuiston Holtzclaw, who tries very hard to keep her classmates in line and on track, has thrown in the towel.You can find her living in her attic, where she spends her days developing a time travel machine to take her back to 1988, a time before Fake News existed. So, onto some real news, 2020 was the year a lot of the Class of 1988 turned 50. For many of us birthday plans were cancelled or postponed and we are looking forward to celebrating turning 51!

Amy Weinberg Pearce is taking the California real estate licensing exam and expects to start working in the industry in early 2021. Besides quarantining, this year Frances Coughlin Fenelon had a stress fracture in her toe and shingles within a couple of months, but on a good note they have been doing college visits for her oldest daughter.

44 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

Catherine Denton Wilfong’s boys Jonathan (25), Bennett (24) and Luke (22) all live in Dallas and as of May 2021 will all be employed and on their own. She and John are having quality AND quantity time together while he works from home. Pidge Colbert Macdonald is still in Medical Sales. Mallory ’18 is a junior at UT, a Tri Delt and on Dean’s list. Whit is a freshman at Embry Riddle studying Aviation and Global Security Intelligence.

Pidge rides Mallory’s horse and is adjusting to life as an empty nester.

Katherine Florendo writes she doesn’t know which has kept her busier at work: COVID-19 or the post Super Bowl baby boom. CarolAnn is a junior at KU, Mary-O is a junior in high school; and Charlie is a Metallica fan and drums and plays guitar while figuring out hybrid learning. She bought a new house in 2019 and says “Decorating has never been my thing so it’s been an interesting process.” Emily Ragen Smith’s family is working and doing school from home except Becca who is doing online classes in Athens, GA. Emily is learning Spanish, experimenting with art projects and trying new recipes thanks to Jennifer Chandler. Jennifer Hanemann Chandler works at The Commercial Appeal reporting on restaurants. Sarah is a senior in high school and Hannah a junior at University of Colorado Boulder.

Christy Reed Simpson is sad to report she lost her big sister, Candy Pearson ’79, to breast cancer in

March. She and Angela Reed Yakel ’82 are proud aunties to Candy's kids, Reed and Maggie. One bright spot was her recent promotion at AT&T and she is learning to paint!

Betsy Carnesale Wiseman likes being in Nashville. Sarah Lang is in first grade and Peter is in JK. Lang enjoys his work with the governor, but they miss Memphis and hope to get to visit more in 2021. Kelly Allen Bauch is thriving in Austin with Brandon and high schoolers Julia, a sophomore, and Jackson a senior who plans to go to Baylor University. Bluebird Photography Studio and KBHeadshots are doing great, as Kelly focuses on head shots and graduates. It was good to hear everyone’s news – fake and real.

Here’s hoping the next class notes are full of travel, experiences, and time together.

1990 MIRM KRIEGEL

True confessions, I considered just submitting last year’s write up since we’ve essentially been frozen in time.

(Plus I’m two weeks late on this.)

But while I may be a procrastinator, I’m no cheat. So here we go. Perhaps the most depressing write-up you’ll ever see from the Class of ’90.

Guess this is what we call meeting the moment (not even gonna try to make this sound glam). Here we go. Ellen Rawlins Uzarowicz is still pretty isolated out in LA. Her kids are still home from school with

CLASS NOTES no sports or dance. Her husband is working from home and she’s costuming her first Zoom play.

Tricia Hood Thomas reports that all of her favorite things to do (minus golf for Brian) have been cancelled due to COVID-19. She’s still in Admissions at St. George's, and, like many of us, has had to pivot and reimagine many parts of her job. Caroline Archer Baker and Shelley Kuykendall Herzke moved their daughters into UT this August. They’re suitemates, trying to make the best out of virtual college.

Alexis Zanone shared that LA has really shut down, with the exception of outdoor restaurants. The silver lining: they all allow dogs. She loved seeing Kristen Thompson Keegan over a taco lunch during her last visit to Memphis. Speaking of Kristen, she’s an empty nester! John is a junior at University of Colorado and Jim is a freshman at University of Washington. She’s had the welcome distraction during COVID-19 of moving houses, and she’ll be subbing next semester at SMS in Junior Kindergarten during someone’s mat leave. Anne Copper DiFronzo is still living in Great Falls,VA and working part time for Cultural Care Au Pair while facilitating distance learning for her 3 kids. Last month, her niece moved from Memphis to help her out (jealous!). Paige Russell Brooks is teaching 5th graders virtually and face-to-face, and twins Caroline and Greyson are spending their senior year at home so far. Because 2020 wasn’t challenging

enough, she moved to a new house and totally renovated it during the pandemic. (Why, Paige?) Bright side: both her kids got into University of Georgia. Go Dawgs! Missy Kramer Taranto wrote on the heels of Hurricane Zeta, which knocked out power for four days in New Orleans.

In keeping with 2020, it overlapped with two family birthdays that got totally blown off (or, blown over – see what I did there?). She just finished a three-year restoration of their historic home and is thrilled to be in the house now (with plenty of time to spend in it!). Beth Kreamer West shares that while they had a head start on this quarantine thing – they already homeschool and like to camp – it’s still been a challenging 2020. They also got walloped by hurricanes. But they went to the Smoky Mountains twice, and that was a good escape. Stacy Goldate had a bit more optimism in her update. She spent much of the fall phone-banking for Biden/Harris and Democratic candidates for Senate. She hopes everyone at SMS eligible to vote exercised that right and that the current SMS students who are under 18 recognize the power they will one day wield as voters. The future belongs to them.

Hilary Davis Robinson started as the Assistant Head of School at St. Mary's on July 1. (What a time to start a new gig!) Mary Harper ’17 is trying to finish nursing school (also tricky during COVID-19). Austin is a freshman at Mississippi State in their Engineering program, Henry is

Throwback to 1990: TSSAA Tennis Championship team members Melissa Goldate ’93, former Head Tom Southard, Megan Saxon Murphree ’91, Stacy Goldate ’90, Meredith Chiles Dolhare ’92, Wendy Sacks Sklaver ’92, and Taylor Holden Taylor ’90.

a senior at MUS, and Dillard started his freshman year at CBHS. Leave it to Mary Anne Kish Seibert to find the sunny side, even in a global pandemic. The four of them (hubs and two kids) are working and schooling from home. Aside from the logistical challenges, they feel very lucky to be able to be at home together. “Fortunately, we all really like each other!!” Taylor Holden Taylor writes that the pandemic has actually been very good for Pickleball, because social distance.

Also, people are finding it wildly therapeutic. Taylor passionately and eloquently extolled the virtues of Pickleball and her nonprofit , G.A.M.E., but because of word count, allow me to direct you here to read more! www.aceandgame.com Sadly, she lost her mother-in law, The Reverend Senter Cawthon Crook II, but they have “many fond memories of the strong, kind, precious mother and grandmother she was to us.”

Taylor, our deepest condolences to WINTER 2021 | 45

CLASS NOTES

Throwback to 1996: Class of 1991, Margaret Craddock McLean, Elizabeth Middlecoff Allen, and Jennifer Breazeale Young

you, Cameron, and your family. It feels off-brand to punk anyone in a pandemic, so all you non-responders in the Class of ’90, consider yourself spared. As for me, I just came off of a most bizarre and fascinating experience serving on a Grand Jury for a month in Brooklyn with the EDNY (Eastern District of New York). Strange in its own right; stranger during COVID-19. I’m not allowed to discuss the specifics of any case (classified), but let’s just say some of them were intense (sounds like shmurder). Otherwise, grateful to be healthy and employed.

Our biggest complaint is that we’re suffering from a bit of cabin fever working from home with a hybrid learning situation. But as MAK shared, at least we all like each other.

And no one is happier than our dog Mason. Wishing everyone safety and good health in this dark (but hopefully short!) road ahead before we see the light. We’re so close. And who knows? Maybe we’ll get to have our 30th reunion one year late.

Here’s to reconnecting in person on the other side.

46 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

Class of 1994 friends: Amy Byrd Spencer, Heather Shove, and Sigrid Longsworth Orr

1994 KATHRYN DEROSSITT REYES

Elizabeth Lake Lovett and family are doing good in Atlanta. They spent most of the COVID-19 spring and summer in the NC mountains where husband John’s family has a place. They loved having the place to themselves most of the time and the kids loved the freedom. Both kids started a new school – daughter Grace in Kindergarten and son Ralph in 4th grade. Both schools are inperson but Elizabeth is not sure her kids know what her friends look like without masks! Grace loves ballet and Ralph loves sports, but is only able to do tennis, so from 4:00 until dark there is the constant sound of a tennis ball being hit against the side of her house while the Candy Cane dance from the Nutcracker plays on repeat inside! No buses or carpooling is allowed, and Elizabeth has discovered Audible for all the driving Sarah Cole-Turner Vincent urges everyone to join Sarah Lacy’s internet company, Chairman Mom. Sarah says the daily e-newsletter is the only

thing she consistently reads every day. Sarah’s North Carolina county hasn’t started in-person school, so daughter Caroline is doing online learning while Sarah stays busy with virtual speech therapy for her pre-k. Son Ben is attending a small Catholic school in person. Husband Hal is teaching at Elon College half in person/half remote and is looking forward to a new course release in the Spring! Sarah continues to volunteer at the food pantry and with her local historic preservation. After a quick school change in response to the public schools staying closed, all of Virginia Ralston Jaramillo’s children are back in school full time which has been transformational for Mateo and Virginia whose work schedules made home-schooling difficult.Virginia reports that her daughter Carolina’s new school feels a lot like SMS in terms of language arts fundamentals.Virginia is loving the worksheets on active verbs! Virginia and family took a quick trip to Memphis in late October to see her parents, flying “double masked” and “bathed in sanitizer.” The trip was a COVID-19-free success! Joann Self Selvidge has recently discovered the Ukelele (as has Sarah Lacy), and is working in the non-profit sector, and musician husband Steve will be live-streaming his band’s annual Brooklyn Bowl shows right after Thanksgiving. Son Stevie, 6, has gone to in-person school since August, and after 3 months of home school with daughter Frannie, 9, Joann and husband put her back in the virtual

CLASS NOTES program at Snowden this November.

Joann is really looking forward to finishing her feature film JUVENILE, which will be released next year.

Joann and Sigrid Longsworth Orr have enjoyed Sarah Lacy’s Chairman Mom virtual meetings. Sigrid has recently moved into a new house with an unobstructed view of the stunning Blue Ridge Mountains in Cleveland, TN with a cow farm at her backyard fence. Her daughters are doing great - Lux is a Freshman at Lee University studying Business, and Ava and Ila are at Tennessee Christian Prep. Kara Witherspoon Giles sends greetings from Oxford’s City Hall where she is the assistant to the Mayor and communications director – never a dull moment at work! Both sons are in school – one had to quarantine after exposure and the other went virtual for 2 weeks but otherwise it has been smooth.

Her biggest news is that she was one of the designers of the new Mississippi flag, a project that lasted from August - November 2020 and was just unveiled. Congratulations on this huge, historic achievement Kara! Jamie Morano Re is staying busy growing telemedicine programs throughout the VA and FL to catch up with ongoing coronavirus cases, while continuing inpatient hospital calls, joining the COVID-19 vaccine trial, and keeping up with the pandemic scientific advances. At home in Tampa, her son is continuing remote school at home. He loves architecture, has transformed their living room into a mini hand built

metropolis! Her husband continues to do well at Microsoft. Sarah Lacy reports that she is still employed running her company, Chairman Mom, is still healthy, and has loved all the extra time with her partner Paul and kids during the pandemic.

Sarah and family had tons of fun at her house in Palm Springs, making s’mores and swimming until midnight and doing slumber parties in their airstream down there. Sarah started illustrating the kids’ imaginative play with comics and is putting together a book of them for the family! Sarah also started taking Ukulele lessons and learned a Bob Dylan song that Claire Grant challenged her to video!

1996 JAIME NEWSOM

I hope that everyone is doing well and staying safe during this incredibly stressful time. Laura Ray Logue’s mother passed away earlier this year and Laura writes that it has been a challenging grief journey but the support from friends (both old and new) has been amazing. With all the changes and craziness, she and her husband Tom decided to go ahead and leave Memphis a year earlier than they had originally anticipated. They have moved to Tucson, AZ and love it out there! Her dad’s family moved there when he was a teenagee so it was another place that Laura called home. Gwyn Fisher continues to serve as the Regional Director of Economic and Community

Class of 1996 enjoys a Zoom call.

Development for the State of TN, and things have been especially hectic as she and her team work to help businesses and communities navigate the pandemic. Gwyn and Pete purchased an amazing home near Central Gardens, and they’ve had a blast updating, cleaning, planting, and painting. It’s been great to have a project while they’re all stuck at home. She really miss Laura and her family, but is looking forward to 2021 when hopefully they can begin traveling again. Alexis Nussbaum is in her 10th year teaching at St. Mary’s. We all loved seeing her in the Teacher Feature recently! Natalie Nussbaum, after quarantining for two weeks and testing negative for COVID-19, spent a month with her parents in Florida for the holidays.

Bernice Chen arranged a zoom meeting that allowed a few of us to catch up. It was so great seeing Bernice, Natalie, Alexis, Sharlene Sidhu Keithley, Vivian Gambles Lane, and Leslie Forell Boyle, even though it was virtually. Again, please take care of yourselves and your families and here is wishing for a brighter, and healthier, 2021.

WINTER 2021 | 47

CLASS NOTES 1998 LAURIN MADDUX

Greetings from Memphis! Thank you to all who wrote in to share your news. It was great to hear from everyone! Erin Wade writes that she and husband Kyle have stayed busy at work throughout the pandemic and she is excited to be wrapping up her fellowship this Summer. She recently had a book chapter about fractures in children published as a part of an initiative by the National Partnership to End Interpersonal Violence Across the Lifespan (NPEIV). Congratulations Erin! Congratulations are also in order for Carly Hansen Fritts.

As you may have inferred from the name change, Carly got married!

Not one to do small things, Carly got engaged, married, moved into a new house, and got two tiny dogs all so far in 2020! She definitely has made the most of this year. Nupur Sidhu Bal, Patience Chambliss Wiggins, and Allison Martin Nolen all write that they are also the proud owners of pandemic puppies!

Allison, in addition to raising a puppy, also continues to work as a nurse in CA. Allison and her family are managing through the wildfires in the area and the learning curve that comes with having children engaged in distance learning. Monica Wilson Barton is keeping busy with her two kiddos, Erica, 4 and Wyatt, 6 and working remotely with State Farm.

Lauren Webb Mitchell writes 48 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

she is also working remotely in NY, but is grateful that her son, Henry, is able to go to school (at least at the time of writing this!). Lauren also has good news to share, that she and husband Luke are expecting a baby in February! Meg Kinnard Hardee reports that she has been hot on the campaign trail this year, and that this presidential election is her fifth one to cover. Hopefully, by the time this article goes to print, Meg will be back to somewhat of a normal life with the election winding down. She is also working on her thesis for her Masters in Digital Communication. Congratulations are also in order for Ashley Bellet as she started a tenure-track job as a professor of costume design at Purdue University. She is also the Vice President for Commissions for USITT, and serving as guest editor for an upcoming volume of Theatre Design and Technology, and recently had a lovely Google chat with Mavis Negroni while she was stuck in Paris for quarantine. More congratulations go out to Ann Frizzell Pretzer who won the Volunteer of Excellence award for the Girl Scouts Heart of the South. She extends an open invitation to any SMS alums who would like to come talk (via Zoom!) to her daughter’s troop. I don’t have much exciting news to share. Still working from home and seeing clients via tele-health from my sunroom turned office! As much as I am ready to be back in the office, more time at home has given me more time to expand my sewing business, which has been

a much needed creative outlet for me during these trying times. Stay safe and well everyone!

2000 WHITNEY BAER FOSTER

In this surreal and challenging year, the kindness and sense of community in the Class of 2000 is a profound reminder of the best ways in which SMS continues to have an impact on our lives. As I started to write these notes in the Fall of 2020, I wondered what I could possibly say. When so many of you wrote in with stories and pictures, it demonstrated our indomitable spirit. For those of you that couldn’t write, perhaps because you are overwhelmed by this year and all that has happened, please know that you are loved and that we are thinking of you, too. Tami Sawyer continues to be a force for the city of Memphis and a powerhouse in her own right. Currently, Tami is working on her MA in Communications with a focus on race & gender rhetoric. In her 3rd year as County Commissioner, she is chair of the education committee and is also serving on the state of Tennessee’s COVID-19 Health Disparity task force. She recently interviewed with Forbes on the importance of political participation and with both Marie Claire and Essence on her work in racial equity in the South. She is also featured in two new publications on civil rights: Picturing Resistance and Down Along with that Devil’s Bones:

CLASS NOTES

Megha Karkera Kanjia ’00, with her husband Mayur, and children Kiran, Koel, and Kish.

Reckoning with Monuments, Memory and the Legacy of White Supremacy.

Additionally, Tami launched a new podcast this year - Black Steel Magnolia. Kim Fleischhauer Short wrote to share that she married Blake Short on May 12 in Charleston, SC. Her daughter, Elsa (18) will graduate from Briarcrest in the spring and plans to study public policy. Walton Allen Webster graduated in April with an ED.S. degree in Higher Education from Concordia University.

She started teaching Pre-K at St. Mary’s this year and absolutely loves it. Lessie Calhoun Rainey is balancing work in the Memphis DA’s office with family life during this difficult year. Lessie’s son, James (5), is in JK at PDS with Amy Reinhardt Robinson’s son, James! Both Amy and her husband, Jay, are working from home and they rescued an adorable quarantine puppy, Cookie!

Lisa Ansley Clapper writes that she has been enjoying a lot of family time during this COVID-19 year.

Her daughter, Lily ’32, was a flower girl in this year’s St. Mary’s graduation, along with Sarah Montgomery Prudhon’s daughter, Etta Louise ’32.

Anna Snyder Rojas ’01 and Hayley Bower Gerber ’01 children: Jane Rojas, Cole Gerber, Carter Gerber, and Ben Rojas.

Sarah is still a nurse anesthetist at Le Bonheur (working with Megha’s dad!). Megha Karkera Kanjia and her family welcomed baby Koel Devi Kanjia in July. Baby Koel shares a birthday with her dad and grandpa! Mary-Kathryn Millner Herrington is keeping busy with her three kiddos - Millie (7), Logan (5), and Ryn (2). She is still working in interior design. Mershon Sneed Bergeron took a leap of faith after 16+ years at Regions Bank and joined a local community bank based out of Lafayette, LA called Home Bank. She is the Vice President of Treasury Management for the Greater New Orleans area. In addition to her other work, she has been doing a lot of events in the community most recently Habitat for Humanity Women’s Build in St. Tammany.

Mershon installed windows and loved working side by side with the future homeowner. From our northeastern contingent, Courtney Routt Worthman shared that after 17 years in New York City, she and husband, Michael, and Miles (4.5) moved to Connecticut. Also in

Connecticut, Jessie Swanson Fila has been finding some solace in walks on the beach and hikes in the woods with her twins. She also started a pretty incredible garden and reported her first tomato harvest yielded 11 pounds of ripe tomatoes and 16 pounds of green tomatoes! While the pandemic prevented us from having a 20th reunion in 2020, never fear! We will have an opportunity to celebrate virtually in 2021 and look forward to all that the SMS Alumnae team has in store. Stay safe, stay sane, stay strong, and best wishes for everyone to have a good start to the new year!

2002 POLLY KLYCE PENNOYER

Friends, what a truly weird and generally awful year it’s been. This time last year I was riding the high of a wonderful NYC SMS alum gathering, with plans for a year of programming and togetherness, along with, y’know, plans to continue heading out in the world on a regular basis. And 2020 started off promisingly in that respect—we had another fun gathering of NYCarea alums in early February, and I was thrilled to run into Erica Kronenberg and her adorable daughter, Nori, when we both had the idea to sneak back to Memphis with the kids for MLK Weekend.

Then my kindergartener got sent home from school on March 6 with a heads up that they had decided to WINTER 2021 | 49

CLASS NOTES cancel school for the next week and start Spring Break early, “just in case.”

After eight truly terrifying weeks in NYC, we were extremely fortunate to have somewhere else to go—when the weather warmed up and remote school was taxiing towards its bizarre anticlimax we decamped from NYC to northeast CT, where we spent the summer sheltering in place with a rotating cast of in-laws and family. It was heaven for the children, deadly for the vermin (ticks = 7; mice = 5), and survivable for the adults who were trying to hold it all together.

We’re back in the city for the time being, generally holding it together.

Victoria, our now-first grader, has adapted to mask wearing and COVID-19 protocols at school like a champ; Cooper (20 mos.) has spent a solid 1/3 of his life living this extreme version of family togetherness and seems to be liking it fine. Robbie and I remain cautiously optimistic that there will be a version of life after this one, and we continue to try to be good to each other (and not trash the house too much) till then. It was lovely to hear from my sister turkeys who are weathering the storm with grace and generosity wherever they are—thank you for writing!

After five years tending to national park trails in Colorado, Margaret McQuiston has recently relocated home to Memphis, where she’s been putting her groundskeeping skills to work on behalf of City Beautiful Memphis. Also in Memphis is Emily May Lequerica, who is doing Admissions work and overseeing 50 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

the faculty nursery at PDS. She, Frank, and their daughter, May, have been enjoying settling into their new home (they moved in the spring), and May is now in Pre-K and loving her dance lessons. Kate Thornton Wooldridge writes from Nashville, where she and husband, Andy, are truly on the front lines of the COVID-19 response there, as Kate works in Hospital Medicine and Andy in Palliative and Hospice Medicine at Vanderbilt. Kate, we are so grateful for the sacrifices your family is making to take care of all of us—thank you. Rachel Andersen has written in from New Orleans, where she is currently taking a leave from her software engineering program and working as the residential engagement director at an assisted living home, where she is bringing all of her fabulous energy and creativity to providing stimulating (and sometimes hilarious!) programming to folks who are, like the rest of us, pretty penned in. They are so lucky to have her! Leslie Guinn Jerkins reports that she and her family remain thrilled to have relocated to Idaho, as they’ve been able to enjoy so much outside time and activities this year. Leslie also tackled homeschooling all three of her kiddos (3rd grade, 2nd grade, and K) for the first quarter of the school year—whew! Now that they’re back in person for most of the time, she’s optimizing her quarantine bingo card with sourdough, succulents, letter writing, piano, and time with their puppy. Catherine Ferguson

Conger has also been managing at-home learning for her crew, with one in virtual school and the other three full-time homeschooled; lucky kids! Good luck, Catherine. Wendi Muse writes that although she’s been feeling a bit behind in working on dissertation stuff, it’s been partly because she’s been loving her time with baby Harriet, who arrived last winter. I’ve seen pictures. This kid is cute! She’s also been busy out on the academic job market, as well as producing several podcasts, including one specializing in politics and motherhood. Nicole Osborne Steck wrote in what so many of us were thinking—what is there to report when EVERY DAY is the same?? Nonetheless, we know she’s earning her crown in heaven working on a 2400 piece Lego set with her first grader, Braden, while somehow also managing to keep Chloe (in pre-K) peaceful and entertained.

I always say it, but this year it’s especially true—I dearly love hearing from all the wonderful women in the Class of 2002. And to those of you working in the medical world right now, I spend a particular message of gratitude; for all of us I send prayers for a speedy resolution and a safe transition to whatever “new normal” will look.

2004 PATRICIA ELLEN BLOUNT MILLS

The Class of 2004 had a busy 2020, and we have lots of teacher and

CLASS NOTES

Courtney Taylor Humphreys ’01, winner of her age division in the St. Jude Marathon, with sister 2x Ironman competitor Lawrence Taylor Elliott ’04.

education-related updates to share!

Elizabeth Stevenson Brenner has been teaching remotely since March and has learned that six-year-olds are surprisingly good at Zoom! Elizabeth is grateful to be working from home since she and her husband, Aaron, are expecting their first child in February. They are thrilled to be welcoming a baby boy. They also got a second dog, Winnie, in September to keep things interesting. Winnie and Sadie are excited to meet their baby brother soon! Shea O’Rourke Quraishi is enjoying work-fromhome life with toddler Maeve and is thankful for grandparent support.

She remains at Frameworks, a nonprofit that promotes social and emotional learning (SEL), and is focused lately on creating virtual parent and educator workshops on navigating the pandemic in ways that maintain and promote wellness.

Elise Addington Dugger loves being a mom to her daughter, Joy (10

months). While Joy is at baby school learning important things like how to diagram sentences, Elise continues to work for the YMCA Center for Civic Engagement, planning Model UN and Youth in Government conferences for Tennessee students, albeit virtually for the 2020-21 school year. Blair Carter Tait has enjoyed being a part of SMS as a parent, as Mary Mason ’35 started in pre-K this year and is loving every second, though she is still anxiously awaiting the day that “hospital tag” is on the agenda. Carter (9 months) is an absolute delight despite being born in the middle of a pandemic, and she has joyfully entertained them with her full body smiles and fearless crawling antics. Jessie Walker Wiley is also enjoying raising a Turkey! Daughter Jane ’36 attends St. Mary's Place (the littlest grade) and loves her friends and teachers. Jessie started a new role as Director of Development & PR for SRVS, a non-profit organization that supports people of all ages with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Martha Ferguson Burke’s spirits were just lifted by a backyard visit from Blair Carter Tait, Lori Goldstein, and their five girls!

Martha homeschooled Lizzie (5) and Lucy (3) for the first months of the school year until all signs pointed towards back to school. The girls have been crafting, creating jets out of cardboard boxes and taking more family walks during the pandemic.

Camille Wingo continues to reside in Dallas, TX and recently assumed the role of PepsiCo’s Sr. Marketing

Manager of K-12 Education, where she leads the development of FritoLay’s innovation pipeline for school cafeterias. She will be drawing upon her SMS experience, during which oversized chocolate chip cookies and cream cheese stuffed pretzels were highly-anticipated post-chapel treats.

Victoria Luke Morich is greatly enjoying life as a family of 4 (plus the fur babies) since the arrival of her son Michael in January! Working from home has allowed her to have a lot more family time each day and instill new routines, such as a family walk before school/work every day and story time right after school/ work. Her family is currently reading Dr. Seuss’ Cat in the Hat but should move up to Great Expectations by the spring. Lauren Brooks Foti and husband Alex celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary in June.

Her sons Michael (5) and Rob (1.5) are so excited to welcome a sister, Lily Catherine, due December 2020!

She enjoyed spending time with Natalie Hartmann Malone this fall during a vacation to the mountains.

Lawrence Taylor Elliott recently opened her own private practice in the Broad Avenue Arts District in Memphis. Her daughters, Eliza Quinn (6) and Briggs (3) are thriving at St. Luke’s Day School. In November, Lawrence did two exciting things: she completed her second Ironman triathlon, finishing in the top 10 in her age group AND she got to see Zoë Kahn during her most recent trip to Memphis! Elizabeth Jemison is excited that her first WINTER 2021 | 51

CLASS NOTES book, Christian Citizens: Reading the Bible in Black and White in the Postemancipation South, was published this fall by UNC Press. Life will be even busier soon in Greenville, SC, when she and husband Andrew Malwitz welcome a second child in April 2021, making Walter (3) a big brother. In June, Rachel Bearman moved to St. Louis and began serving as the Associate Rabbi of Congregation Shaare Emeth, the largest Reform synagogue in the state.

She also began her second term as the Communications and Marketing Vice President of the Women’s Rabbinic Network. Kaitlin Ridder Jaqua joined Anne Arundel Urology practice in Annapolis, MD last year, and it’s going great! She is also sponsoring Ginny Bratton ‘20 at the US Naval Academy. They have loved getting to share SMS memories!

Shelby Deeney is still with the Colorado State Public Defender, but after almost 3 years of work as a trial attorney, she will be going back to the Appellate Division by the end of the year. Shelby and her husband Brian recently adopted a rescue cat named Rex, who adds lots of personality to their home office, with their giant dog Bodie. She and Lizzie Stevenson Brenner have been able to enjoy a few outdoor gatherings together in beautiful Colorado. Taylor Fisher Morrison and her husband, Kyle, welcomed their daughter, Ann Margaret, into the world on July 9! Taylor continues to work as the Director of Wellness and Sports Medicine Dietitian for Scottish Rite 52 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

Hospital in Dallas, TX. Taylor loved getting to visit with Piper Gray on a recent trip to Memphis and Ann Margaret has loved getting to know Morgan Lobe’s daughter and Cathleen Ray Hickey’s kiddos on all of their virtual playdates! Clare Patterson reports that she was very sick for 2 weeks with COVID-19, and then worked every day with occasional breaks to get her biweekly COVID-19 test. She is hoping to donate convalescent plasma soon just to mix things up. Piper Gray’s office isn’t reopening until June 2021 (that’s the plan at least!) so she’s taking a break from NYC, spending some time in Memphis with her family, and then wintering near Lucy Harris Collins and her fam in Santa Barbara—and then who knows? We are excited to see what’s in store for the Class of 2004 in 2021!

2006 BECKY BICKS MAMIE KOSTKA FINCH

The 2020 calendar year has been a challenge for so many but the class of 2006 continues to strive for excellence, as all St. Mary’s girls are taught. Mimi Arnold Lyon has moved from New York to Providence, RI after earning her PhD from Columbia University. She accepted a position as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Brown University.

Back in Memphis this past summer, Holly Hendrix Vitalis received her NCARB certificate, meaning she

Ann Stewart Wild, daughter of Lulu Wilson Wild ’06

will be able to practice architecture in more states than just TN soon. She stays in touch as much as possible via facetime with fellow classmates Lauren Bunch, Ellen Bransford, and Elize Mercer.Very thankful for the technology that is keeping them as sane as possible! The class of 2006 had a few wonderful weddings in 2020 as well! As is typical of this year’s bride, Katherine Fockler Steele adapted to the hurdles of COVID-19 and married husband Bill at her parent’s house in a beautiful backyard wedding. She continues to work as an Account Director for an agency that does marketing for Nissan USA and their Golden Retriever Penny has loved having Mom and Dad at home full time. Ellen Makowsky also made some scheduling changes but was able to celebrate her marriage to Abe Jacobs on June 5th on a beach in Malibu, CA. On October 3, Elize Mercer married Sam Hewitt in a small ceremony in Charlottesville,VA. Ellen Bransford was able to attend the intimate celebration, representing

CLASS NOTES SMS proudly. These fantastic nuptials come on the heels of Elize and Ellen taking an epic road trip to Wyoming and back in July to spend some much needed time in the mountains. Elize has also started a new job at Spire Collective where she is their Director of Brand and Marketing. Speaking of the mountains, Mamie Kostka Finch and husband Dylan took a two week road trip out west in August, visiting a handful of National Parks, towing and living in a trailer camper through Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. The 06ers added a few new faces to the family as well! Lulu Wilson Wild and husband Will welcomed a baby girl Ann Stewart Wild (Annie) on September 8th, making Huck and Otis big (dog) brothers! They are so in love with their little bunny.

They’ve also recently bought a house in Richmond,VA and have been enjoying it so much with all the extra time at home. Elliott Machin Cooper and husband Jonathan welcomed a beautiful baby boy!

Benjamin Herschel Cooper arrived in July and is an amazing addition to the Cooper family. Rebecca Anderson Eby moved with her family from Austin, TX to Scottsdale, AZ for a great new job opportunity at Vanguard. Her husband has been working remotely these past few years, and this positions him to work in his company’s (Amex) second headquarters post-COVID-19. With a great job opportunity for her and an itch to get back into the office for him, it was just a win-win for both

of them! Their daughter Lemon is 15 months, as of writing. Catherine Smith Denman is joyfully sharing books and teaching research skills as a librarian in the Kelsey Zehring Library at Moss Hall! Her daughter Adelaide ’33 is loving being an SK Turkey. It is a lifelong dream come true for her to be back at SMS with her daughter here, too. She is also serving as the co-chair for the Family Ministry Team at Second Baptist Church, putting her tech skills to use as they come up with creative ways to engage children during the pandemic.

Courtney Foreman Guilfoile’s son David is turning 2 next week, and she is due with her second son (Luke) mid-January! She is still working full-time remotely for a benefits administration company based in Houston. She still loves living in the suburbs of Raleigh, NC and hopes that her family is in the area for the foreseeable future. Chandler Ford has moved in with her partner onto a 48 ft sailboat and they are sailing around Mexico. She will be painting while they are anchored. Rachel Johnston-White is in her second year as an Assistant Professor at the University of Groningen, her puppy is now a boisterous adolescent, and her husband Iain has found a job at the same university as her, which saves him commuting to and from London during the global pandemic... a much-needed change! Otherwise, Rachel is learning Dutch, adapting to online teaching, and trying to finish her book. Morgan Beckford is still at the Community Music Center of

Boston. They’ve gone hybrid, with about 30% of our programming in person and 70% online, so she spends lots of time researching the effects of aerosol spread for singing and wind instruments, exploring software to help students rehearse synchronously, and ensuring that faculty are putting the mental health of the students first in this difficult time. Katie Camille Friedman is enjoying working as a product development scientist for Brita water filtration at Clorox, which has been a very interesting place to work during a pandemic! She and Prakhar got married in India last January and are so grateful they were able to have that experience before travel restrictions began. Elliott Machin Cooper and her husband had a baby in July, and they could not be happier or more sleep deprived. His name is Benjamin Herschel Cooper (aka Ben, Benji, etc.) and Elliott says it’s the best thing they’ve ever done! Neelam Khan Ali graduated from residency and OFFICIALLY moved back to Memphis, bringing her hubby with her! She joined Levy Dermatology in East Memphis and has already gotten to see an amazing assortment of SMS '06ers and other alums young and old, as well as some current students who come to the clinic wearing their uniforms (!).

Her practice is 5 mins away from my parents’ house, which is where they currently living and enjoying ALL of Mama Khan's cooking and Papa Khan's shenanigans. She is so beyond happy to be back and her WINTER 2021 | 53

CLASS NOTES husband Mohammad is thankfully also liking being here and very much enjoying being a Univ of Memphis law student. Lauren Bunch finished her clinical ethics fellowship in Albany in August and then moved down to Columbus, GA to start as an Assistant Professor of Bioethics & Professionalism at Mercer University School of Medicine. Moving and starting a new job during a pandemic was very weird, but she is grateful to have gotten the job amidst so many hiring freezes. Her sweet corgi, Stella, turned ten in April and is still going strong. Aasiya Mirza Glover is still in New Rochelle, NY, though her family has been completely work from home since March 10. Her son Elias is now 6 (7 in January), and her daughter Harper Anne just turned 5; they are fully living the uncanny valley that is school life in a "pod", trying to create some semblance of an education in a remote environment.

She is now a senior associate at Debevoise & Plimpton, and her husband Clayton is now Manager of Global FX Strategy and Operations at IBM. Becky Bicks is still living in Beacon, NY, doing freelance writing for a range of organizations and publications, and running an online retail store of her graphic and textile designs on Etsy: Punch Line Design.

In March of 2020, she adopted a dog from Hattiesburg, MS that she was told would be a small lab/hound mix, but it turns out (according to DNA tests) the dog is mostly Great Pyrenees and Catahoula Leopard Dog, so she is now contending with 54 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

a 70-pound 8 month old puppy. The puppy’s name is Prunella Parton (she goes by Prune), and she is a gigantic love, if unwieldy.

2008 KATELYN AMMONS BARNETT MARGARET LIDDON EMLEY EDIE MILLER

We’re glad to hear the Class of 2008 is staying busy and well this year! Margarett Frisby Brown recently joined JPMorgan Chase as Vice President, Communications, Commercial Banking. She is enjoying living in Chicago with her husband and two dogs. Allie Morrison moved to Philadelphia and is in the Wharton MBA Program! Hanna Gordon Oysel bought a house this year and is itching to travel again postCOVID-19! Anna Wheeler started a new position at St. George’s teaching kindergarten. Divya Moolchandani celebrated one year with her dog Quincy, who won her apartment’s cutest dog contest! Our class welcomed several new babies this year! Sloane Metcalf Hosack and her welcomed their second baby in October. They are still living in the Washington D.C. area and bought their first house in July.

Kathryn Feder Cooper and her husband Alex welcomed their first baby, daughter Ruth, in September.

They are enjoying life as a family of three in Atlanta and fully embracing the combo pandemic/new parent

lifestyle of never leaving the house or wearing “real” clothes. In January, Sarah Kramer Ozbun and her husband welcomed little girl Olivia.

Mary Greer Simonton Gorman and her husband welcomed a new daughter in August. We can’t wait to meet your new little ones! Cristen Garrett Cain is in her last year of anesthesia residency at Emory and will be graduating in June 2021. She and Ryan will be moving with their English Cocker Spaniel, Crosby, to Pittsburgh in July for her fellowship in pediatric anesthesia. Ayana Fletcher-Tyson and Margaret Liddon Emley got to have dinner with Christina Carson Sirus when she was driving through Nashville on her way back to Denver! Making the best of the quarantine, Margaret Liddon Emley has enjoyed spending much of the summer at the lake with her parents, son, and husband while working remotely this year. Victoria Lee has been enjoying quarantine by cooking and spending time in her new condo with her dog and boyfriend!

After completing her Masters in Social Work in June 2020, Rachael Holley now works as a Health Coach helping people reverse their Type 2 diabetes.

2012 ELLERY AMMONS CHANDLER ROBERTS CUMMINS

Although teaching during a pandemic has its challenges, Alex

CLASS NOTES

Class of 2010 celebrating the wedding of Alex Fountain Crooks. L-R: Sahar Mokhtari Moshref, Nica Cabigao Graunke, Hensley Loeb, Mary Frances Street, Alex, Kendall Hennessy Rosati, Olivia Marchbanks, Folake Thomas, Lauren Echlin Luna, and Mary Stevenson Thompson.

Buford Ashby loves her 4th graders and her school. Her husband Kyle is traveling across the country working for Chick-fil-A and opening up new locations. Meredith Taylor Serdakowski moved to Jamestown, RI where she bought her first home with her husband John. Chandler Roberts Cummins has been very busy the past year working in an adult ICU in Fort Worth, TX and recently started school to become a nurse practitioner. Melissa Byrd earned her Masters in Nonprofit Management from Columbia University in May and she continues to work as a Regional Manager for ALSAC/St. Jude in their NYC office. During quarantine, she has taken up running and has raised over $8,000 for St. Jude through her

half marathon and 5k fundraising pages. Ramie Mansberg Glick is a fourth year medical student at UTHSC and is currently applying to residency in pediatrics. She recently spent time creating and implementing a Crisis Medicine course for over 350 medical students.

Jodie Struminger is graduating in December with her MBA from the University of Memphis and is still enjoying her job at FedEx. Grace Bethell Carlton recently married in December 2019 and worked a COVID-19 crisis assignment in New York City. She is enjoying living in Florence, AL with her husband.

Lesley Stevenson has been splitting her time between Madison, WI and Memphis during the pandemic as she finishes the last year of her

MA in Media & Cultural Studies at UW-Madison. She’ll continue onto the PhD program with her dog, Poppy. Ellery Ammons is a Senior Consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton and lives in Washington, D.C. Maggie Yang recently moved to work with the Charlotte Hornets after spending three NBA seasons in player and media relations with the Memphis Grizzlies. Alix de Witt Harte has joined Kaizen Realty as an affiliate broker in Tennessee. She just celebrated her second closing, helping her clients find their dream home. Sara Kim was promoted to epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Carol Elsakr is completing her 1st year of residency at UT Knoxville and was able to “mentor” Diana WINTER 2021 | 55

CLASS NOTES Zhou during one of her rotations.

She is currently working in the ICU. Megan Guyton is engaged and getting married in January. When she is not working as an HR Employee Relations Advisor, she is running.

Hannah Morehead is still enjoying her time in Washington DC and has recently been promoted to a senior subcontracts administrator at Lockheed Martin. Ellen Mitchell graduated with a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from UTHSC in May 2020 and is now working as a pelvic health physical therapist for Moses and Johnson Therapy.

Julia DeVincenzo Lipari and her husband, Alex, just welcomed their first baby boy, Levi, in June.

Nothing kills your social life quite like the combo of a newborn and a pandemic, but he is smiley and curious and so worth it! She also recently renovated a new home and celebrated 4 years at iProspect, working as a digital marketing Director in Fort Worth.

2014 NATALIE MEEKS

The 2014 Turkeys have lots of marriages to celebrate and another wedding on the horizon! Nicole Sanford O’Malley married Philip O'Malley on August 1, and Mimi Billings Lindberg married Will Lindberg on June 27. Both couples live in Memphis! Elle Prosterman Hartness married Ralston Hartness on May 30. They live in Nashville, 56 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

Maddie Droke ’14, Natalie Meeks ’14, Ellen Cowens ’14, and Margaret Cowens ’16 at engagement party for Elle Prosterman Hartness ’14

where Elle is completing her master’s in clinical mental health counseling at Vanderbilt. Elizabeth Alexander is about to move to Nashville too!

She has accepted a job in Vanderbilt Medical Center's Surgical ICU. Before she moves, she is graduating this December with a BS & MS in Nursing from San Francisco State University. She was inducted into Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. She also passed the NCLEX (nursing boards) and is a Registered Nurse in the state of California. Ellen Cowens is still living in Atlanta, GA and works for Ameris Bank as a Communications Coordinator. She is engaged to Blaine Harrison, and they are getting married in April!

Adira Polite is in her first year at Emory’s Candler School of Theology, where she is pursuing a Master of Divinity with a concentration in

Criminal Justice Ministries. Outside of school, she edits and publishes Christian testimonies to her blog, Then God Moved. Rosemary Dunn is currently a travel nurse in the ER. She also adopted a cat named Val from the Humane Society. She’s an excellent road trip partner! Adair Smith is still working as a Strategist at MRM McCann in New York and has also been fostering kittens!

Abby Huber is living in midtown Memphis and works as the Parish House Receptionist & Ministry Associate at Grace-St. Luke's Episcopal Church. Maddie Droke is in her third year of graduate school to receive her Doctor of Audiology at the University of Memphis. She will move to Birmingham, AL in May for her 4th year externship with ENT Associates of Alabama, PC. Theresa Green started law school at the University of Minnesota Law School this fall. Haley Steinman will graduate from SMU Law School in May and start as an associate at Kirkland & Ellis in the oil and gas group in Houston after graduation.

Alana Olswing graduated in 2019 from the Kellogg School of Management with a MS in Management Studies. She recently started working in Stamford, CT as a Business Development and Communications Associate with INTEMPO, a nonprofit that focuses on increasing music education accessibility and inclusivity. Bailey Archey is enjoying her vet school clinical rotations and was selected as the Vice President of the

CLASS NOTES International Student One Health Alliance. Martha Upton is still in New York and has a new job as a Marketing Project Manager for Studs, a piercing and e-comm startup based in New York City. Gurbani Singh also recently started a new job. She is now based in Los Angeles doing investor relations for Marlin Equity Partners.

2016 A’DORIANN BRADLEY GRACE UGWUEKE

Katie Brown has now graduated from Baylor University with a degree in elementary education in May. Currently, she teaches 5th grade math and science in Dallas.

Iliana Watson graduated in May with a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Saint Louis University. After much frustration and applying, she was finally able to land a job as an electronic systems design engineer with The Boeing Company here in St. Louis, MO; working on the EA-18 Growler. She has officially moved into her new house and will begin work this month. During the pandemic she adopted a Giant Schnauzer puppy named Bowie who she loves to spend time with.

She is excited to start this new journey and new chapter of her life.

Madeleine Fisher graduated with honors from New School with a BFA in acting in May - she is back in NYC bartending, nannying and making her own films and music while the pandemic rages on - she

Paige and Olivia Nielsen ’18

recently made her thesis film, a short film with 3 friends and has been applying to agencies and managers for representation!

2018 OLIVIA NIELSON KEITH ELLIS PREST JULIA RUTH PRESTON

Despite the challenges of the last six months, the alumnae of the Class of 2018 continue to pursue their passions, interests, and talents! Lauren Davis holds an undergraduate research position with the Center of Musculoskeletal Research through the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, analyzing

Elena Hanissian ’18 and Grace Murray ’18

orthopedic implants through fluoroscopic imaging. Both Hattie Fogarty and Evelyn Roberts continue to safely play lacrosse at Sewanee: The University of the South and the University of Richmond, respectively. This past summer, Evelyn also held an internship as a member of the brand and marketing team at Duke Cannon Supply Company in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Alexis Jamison recently pledged to Delta Sigma Theta at the University of North Carolina. Jenna Joshi studies Cognitive Neuroscience at Georgia Tech, and works as a medical scribe at the Piedmont Atlanta Hospital ER. Lauren Ledger continues to put on digital performances with WINTER 2021 | 57

CLASS NOTES

Isra Ahmed ’18 and Hibah Virk ’16

the Honeybees, a singing group at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Lauren also had the pleasure of acting in a feature film, produced by a company that regularly partners with Netflix and LifeTime.

Samantha Lee is working at Nine Stories Productions, a New Yorkbased film, theater, and television production company. Hannah Matthews serves as a recruitment director for Kappa Alpha Theta at the College of William and Mary and a member of the Art Team for the fashion and art magazine Rocket.

Ellie McGhee is currently working for the Hollywood Feed marketing team, while continuing her studies remotely at the University of Notre Dame. She is majoring in Biochemistry, with a concentration in Neuroscience and Behavior, and Arabic. Nayla Nassif is continuing her involvement at St. Mary’s by working at the After3 program.

58 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

Mackenzie Barnes ’18 and Sam McCann ’18

Olivia Nielsen is currently a junior at the University of Memphis, pursuing a degree in Human Development and Learning; she’s looking forward to starting her year of student teaching in the fall. Also, Olivia recently got the chance to help run the winning campaign of a local Bartlett School Board member.

Paige Nielsen spent her summer working at Teton Valley Ranch Camp in Dubois, WY, where she expanded her role of Parent Coordinator from the previous summer and worked on the disease management plan with other members of the leadership team. She is now back on campus for her junior year at Hope College, where she serves as the Chief of Staff for Student Congress. Paige is wrapping up her Psychology major early and plans to graduate this spring before starting her law school search. Madeleine O’Toole is currently the Marketing Director of

The Bridge at Rhodes College and has interned at Edible Memphis and Just City. She received the Buckman Fellowship for studying abroad and hopes to study food systems in Ecuador and Uganda when it is safe to do so. Julia Ruth Preston was recently elected Producer of First Year Players, the largest student theatre group at the University of Virginia. She also serves as a publicity chair for the University Singers and Chamber Singers, UVa’s two flagship choral ensembles.

And finally, Sabrina Spence is still actively involved in journalism, theatre, and poetry at Washington University in St. Louis. Currently, she is stage managing two productions and works as a senior editor for the campus newspaper. The Class of 2018 can’t wait to see what the coming year has in store for us!

CLASS NOTES

2020 SARAH BRATTON GABRIELLA COULOUBARITSIS

Gabriella Couloubaritsis attends Indiana University, where she is learning how to sail, consulting non-profit clients with other business school team members, and pitching investment strategies for the university’s endowment fund. Sarah Bratton is a Presidential Scholar in Auburn’s Honors College, newly initiated into the national Panhellenic chapter, Alpha Xi Delta, and the professional business fraternity, Delta Sigma Pi. She also serves as a committee member of both University Program Council and Auburn Dance Marathon, all while dominating Auburn campus’s Spikeball groups. Eesha Gudiseva attends University of Mississippi, where she is on the tennis team and has gained a new appreciation for I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter and Theatre. Ginny Bratton is a proud Plebe at the US Naval Academy where she is working hard to become physically and mentally prepared to lead Sailors and Marines. She leads her company in Professional Knowledge, is a part of the Officer’s Christian Fellowship, and intends to try out for Women’s Club Lacrosse. Elena Campos is enjoying her first year of a five year dual degree program at Tufts University and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at

Tufts. She loves being a part of a creative and loving environment unparalleled by any other school.

Abigail Apple is loving her time as a virtual freshman at Loyola University Chicago where she’s joined the Mock Trial team and the Army ROTC program. She’s looking forward to moving to Chicago in the spring and joining city life. Emily Ferguson is enjoying her Gap Year shooting International Trap. She works parttime as a COVID-19 Screener for OrthoSouth and is a volunteer coach for the St. Mary’s Trap Team. She’s also retaken her ACT and has applied to colleges- for real this time. Kate Stukenborg is currently at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Next semester, she’ll continue to take classes - hopefully in-person - and will serve as an intern at The Life Center in Durham. She’s especially excited to experience her first Carolina basketball season!

Mary Jones is absolutely loving Texas Christian University. She will have a hybrid of in person and online classes next semester. She is currently involved with Reformed University Fellowship and just got initiated into Chi Omega. Lillian Bannister is currently at the University of South Carolina and is loving it. Claire Lee is a student at the University of Southern California who has already changed her major three times and is currently writing this during a class. Mason Davis is currently

in her first year at Washington and Lee University, looking to pursue a degree in the cognitive sciences and a minor in Poverty and Human Capability Studies. She is a member of the General’s varsity swim team and can not wait to begin her freshman season in January. On campus, she is a member of the pre-health club, the outing club, and a volunteer at Campus Kitchen, a non-profit volunteer organization that cooks and provides meals to the greater Rockbridge area.

Ruby Liles is enjoying her first year at the University of Maryland, where when she is not poorly attempting to assimilate to DMV culture, she spends her time tutoring low-income students with IMPACT Silver Spring and providing mentorship and community to young girls through GirlUp UMD. Madison Brode is currently a biological sciences major at Mississippi State University.

She currently spends her time participating in undergraduate research focused on global change ecology, taking random nature photos, and volunteering at the Grant Presidential Library and Mississippi State community garden.

She also recently earned her open water scuba diving certification.

WINTER 2021 | 59

MILESTONES MARRIAGES

Mary Helene Hamlin ’68 to Charles “Skip” Uhlir October 10, 2020 Carly Hansen ’98 to Randy Fritts June 20, 2020 Kim Fleischhauer ’00 to Blake Short May 12, 2020 Lizzie Gill ’03 to Justin Foreman October 10, 2020 Nora Kahn ’05 to Bayard Roberts Wilson October 24, 2020

Andrea Gilliom Anderson ’78 and husband Ben with their daughter Meg ’14.

Elize Mercer ’06 to Sam Hewitt October 3, 2020 Ellen Makowsky ’06 to Abe Jacobs June 5, 2020 Margarett Frisby ’08 to Michael Brown May 30, 2020 Lindsey Driver ’09 to Joe Pagni November 21, 2020 Alex Tyler ’09 to Kyle Harding October 3, 2020 60 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

Linley Prosterman Stokes ’07, Elle Prosterman Hartness ’14, and Kallen Prosterman ’10 at Elle's wedding in May 2020.

MILESTONES Alex Fountain ’10 to Jeremy Crooks October 24, 2020 Elle Prosterman ’14 to Ralston Hartness May 30, 2020 Nicole Sanford ’14 to Philip O’Malley August 1, 2020 BIRTH/ADOPTIONS

Koel Devi Kanjia to Megha Karkera Kanjia ’00 July 29, 2020 Alex Fountain ’10 married Jeremy Crooks on October 24, 2020. Photo: Mary Kate Steele

Patrick John Budde to Kathy Chen Budde ’01 January 31, 2020 Naomi Zerbe Norton to Katie Runyan ’01 July 24, 2020 Harriet Nesrin Muse Morova to Wendi Muse ’02 February 21, 2020 Margaret “Llewellyn” Warren to Falconer Robbins Warren ’05 August 3, 2020 Everett Mathis Boyle to Camille Herman Boyle ’03 September 16, 2020

Lizzie Gill ’03 married Justin Foreman on October 10, 2020. Photo: Tindall Stephens

Crews Michael Carter to Martha Guinn Carter ’04 October 15, 2020 WINTER 2021 | 61

MILESTONES James Rowan Pinegar to Lindsey McAlpin-Pinegar ’04 August 13, 2020

Ruth Grace Cooper to Kathryn Feder Cooper ’08 September 25, 2020

Ann Margaret Morrison to Taylor Fisher Morrison ’04 July 9, 2020

Anne Margaret Gorman to Mary Greer Simonton Gorman ’08 August 11, 2020

Henry Christopher Calkins to Elizabeth Batchelor Calkins ’05 July 16, 2020 William Lawrence Rainer to Faye Kenner Rainer ’05 September 1, 2020 Edwin Richard Skees to Caroline Covington Skees ’05 October 1, 2020 Mary Evelyn Sumner to Claire Arnett Sumner ’05 October 12, 2020 Anne “Annie” Waller Zanca to Elizabeth Sharpe Zanca ’05 September 9, 2020 Benjamin Herschel Cooper to Elliott Machin Cooper ’06 July 7, 2020 William “Patton” Steele IV to Katherine Fockler Steele ’06 December 3, 2020 Ann Stewart Wild to Lulu Wilson Wild ’06 September 8, 2020

62 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

Cabot Gabriel Hosack to Sloane Metcalf Hosack ’08 October 13, 2020 Olivia Staley Ozbun to Sarah Kramer Ozbun ’08 January 30, 2020 James Whit Turberville to Erin Fischer Turberville ’09 September 12, 2020 Joy Katherine Stevens to Lucy Foster Stevens ’10 November 10, 2020 Eleanor Elizabeth Gatliff to Abby McAtee Gatliff ’11 June 8, 2020 Judah Clayton Stubblefield to Lauren Harrington Stubblefield ’11 June 27, 2020

PROFESSIONAL UPDATES

April Buffington Massengale ’89 Recipient of the Pierre Fauchard Academy, the International College of Dentists, and the American College of Dentists fellowships Serving as the district one representative for the Arkansas State Dental Association political action committee Lara Babaoglu Reynolds ’89 Appointed Director of Marketing for the Bank of Fayette County Kathy Patterson Scogin ’89 Neonatal Nurse Practitioner in level III NICU at Piedmont Columbus Regional in Columbus, GA Malini Gupta ’91 Harvard Medical School Postgraduate Certificate in Media & Medicine 7/2020 Camellia Koleyni ’91 Tennessee Academy of Family Physicians: Family Medicine Physician of the Year Award 2019, Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians (FAAFP) 2019, and affiliate faculty member for Vanderbilt University's Department of Medicine, Health, and Society.

Ashley Bellet ’98 Tenure-track position as a professor of costume design at Purdue University

MILESTONES Erin Wade ’98 Published a book chapter about fractures in children in the Handbook of Interpersonal Violence Across the Lifespan Tami Sawyer ’00 Named Who's Who of Memphis by Memphis Magazine Laura Colgate ’02 Named New Concert Master at National Philharmonic Washington, DC Catherine Fox ’03 Post-doctoral Fellow at the Society of Fellows in the Humanities, University of Hong Kong Laurence Goodwin ’03 Head of US and International University Applications, Sevenoaks School, UK Nelie Zanca Lynch ’03 Senior Brand Building Manager, Bath Tissue Brands, Georgia-Pacific Jess Pfeffer ’03 “Trans Materiality: Crooke's Mikrokosmographia, Sexual Dimorphism, and the Embodiment of Identity" published in the Journal for Early Modern Cultural Studies (Fall 2019) Lindsey McAlpin-Pinegar ’04 Working as OB Hospitalist for Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola

Lauren Bunch ’06 Graduated from Albany Medical College, postdoctoral fellowship in Clinical Ethics, August 2020

Natalie Jacewicz Kern ’09 Judicial clerk on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia

Holly Hendrix Vitalis ’06 Received her National Council of Architectural Registration Boards certificate

Leah Bearman Pinkston ’09 Intensive Outpatient Program Coordinator at Mental Health Resources in Memphis, TN

Ashley Edge Adams ’08 Vice President at Edge Biologicals Inc. Meg Fowler ’08 Judicial law clerk for Judge Janis Jack in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas Jenny Guyton ’08 Joined Health Velocity Capital Estes Gould Hughes ’08 Innovation & Talent Director, Economic Development Partnership of Alabama Victoria Lee ’08 Senior Specialist, TD Ameritrade Institutional Fixed Income Passed Series 9 Exam Grace McNatt ’09 Promoted to Paralegal II within DaVita’s Legal Operations Team and transferred to headquarters in Denver, CO Sasha Hosick ’09 Founder and director of a new nonprofit, Foster Village Memphis

POSTGRADUATE DEGREES

Angie King Keesee ’72 PhD in American Studies, Montana State University Kathy Patterson Scogin ’89 Master of Science in Nursing, University of South Alabama Jessica Johnson Webb ’94 PhD in Educational Psychology, University of Memphis Walton Allen Webster ’00 Ed.S. in Higher Education, Concordia University Catherine Fox ’03 PhD in Comparative Literature and African American Studies, Yale University Lauren Bunch ’06 PhD in Philosophy, Duke University Mimi Arnold Lyon ’06 PhD, Columbia University

WINTER 2021 | 63

MILESTONES

POSTGRADUATE DEGREES CONTINUED

In Memoriam

Jenny Guyton ’08 MBA, The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania Rachael Holley ’08 Master of Social Work, University of Denver Nayha Patel Shetty ’08 MD, Tulane University School of Medicine Alana Olswing ’14 Master of Science, Management Studies, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University

Tracy White Barrett ’48

Elizabeth Taylor Shindler ’57

64 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

WINTER 2021 | 65

Non-profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Memphis, TN Permit No. 810

ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL 60 Perkins Extended Memphis, Tennessee 38117-3199

No Matter Where You Are, Let’s Connect Near and Far

Alumnae Weekend FRIDAY and SATURDAY APRIL 16 - 17, 2021

Schedule of virtual events to come

All alumnae are welcome

Celebrating classes ending in 0, 5, 1 & 6 stmarysschool.org/alumnae