Summer 2020 Socially Distanced Baccalaureate and Commencement ∙ Working the COVID-19 Front Lines ∙ DEI Q&A
The socially distant hat toss
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Summer 2020
Baccalaureate and Class Day Speeches Graduation Working the Front Lines in a Global Pandemic Campus News Virtual COVID Reality Virtual Campus News Q&A with St. Mary’s DEI Director Retirements Class of 2020 Class Notes Milestones
On the Cover: Phoebe Lusk-Hussong in her graduation dress and matching face covering. Phoebe embroidered her dress with 60 forget-me-nots representing each of the 60 members of the Class of 2020. Director of Communications / Editor Lacey Hibbard P’27’31 | lhibbard@stmarysschool.org Assistant Director of Communications Kirkwood McClintock P’11 | kmcclintock@stmarysschool.org Director of Alumnae Gigi Gould ’70 | ggould@stmarysschool.org Director of Admission & Financial Aid Nicole Hernandez P’26’27’33 | nhernandez@stmarysschool.org Director of Advancement Angie Gardner P’01’04 G’32’34 | agardner@stmarysschool.org Photography Lisa Buser P’14 (otherwise noted) Design Creative Punch Marketing Group, Chris Porter | creativepunchmg.com Contributors Amiah Williams ’20,Victoria Ouyang ’20, Elizabeth Schatz Passarella ’95, Caroline Goodman, Courtney Taylor Humphreys ’01 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 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 Wendy Pritchartt Ansbro ’79 P’09 James H. Barton, Jr. P’85’91 G’12’18 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 (Sandy) (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 BOARD Elizabeth Simpson Alrutz ’82, President Essie Arrindell-Williams ’98 Aarti Goorha Bowman ’92 Madge Logan Deacon ’69 Amina Dilawari ’95 Beth Brown Dunn ’79 Whitney Baer Foster ’00 Sudha Nimmagadda Ganguli ’83 Cara Greenstein ’10 Angie King Keesee ’72 Lida Kruchten ’13 Corinne Friese McLaughlin ’76 Tabitha Francisco McNabb ’78 McKenzie Aiken Crisp ’85 Katie Broer Parr ’98 Patti Person Ray ’65 Lisa Breazeale Roberts ’85 Anna Snyder Rojas ’01 Courtney Shove ’96 Lauran Glassman Stimac ’00 Kate Metcalf Sullivan ’01 Abby Yandell Talbot ’03 Gabrielle Taylor ’14 Jennilyn Jennings Utkov ’77 Katie Zanone Webb ’93 Jan Valentine Wiygul ’76 Lizzy Holt Yatsula ’08
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“On March 12, during what turned out to be a well-timed school break, we announced that St. Mary’s would close our campus instead of returning to school after spring break travel. Six days later, St. Mary’s began distance learning and conducting school remotely. Since then, each day has brought challenges and opportunities, with the disruptions often outpacing the response to the outbreak of COVID-19.” Little did I know when I began that message on March 25 just how tumultuous the next five months would be. In short, we operated remotely for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year, held a socially distanced Baccalaureate and Commencement, and have spent the summer preparing for several scenarios moving into the 2020-2021 school year. But there was so much more to the months between March and August. Baccalaureate and Graduation were as special as we could make them under the circumstances, and the new McNeill Family Gym found another important place in our lives. I know you will enjoy reading the two speeches given by Class President Amiah WIlliams and Valedictorian Victoria Ouyang. They beautifully sum up the feelings of so many in the Class of 2020. The world seemed to turn upside down during the months we were sheltering in place. St. Mary’s alumnae were among those who rose to the challenges of COVID-19, and the pandemic brought out the best in them. Alumnae across the country continue to be on the front lines, both in and out of the medical profession. Elizabeth Schatz Passarella ’95 shares the stories of several of these brave women in a piece she wrote from her home in New York City. On the academic front lines, our faculty undertook and continues to do heroic work during this health crisis. Thanks to years of training and adapting to different models of blended learning, they were able to respond quickly to the challenges that distance learning presented. Caroline Goodman gives an educator’s point of view in her piece on Virtual COVID Reality. Into this challenging moment, an older plague intensified in our community and nation. I have heard from alumnae and parents who have shared heart-rending accounts of how the ongoing episodes of racism are causing fear and anxiety. I have been listening and responding to our own school stories about exclusion and bias in classes and curriculum. I have promised to hold myself and St. Mary’s accountable to address the hard questions and continue our efforts toward Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. I have learned from and planned with Dr. Teresa Jenkins, our DEI Director, who has been doing important work at St. Mary’s for several years. Courtney Taylor Humphreys ’01 had an opportunity to talk with Teresa about what influenced her to begin her work and how she goes about doing what she does to make St. Mary’s a more inclusive community. Lastly, thank you. Thank you for being the kind of community that rallies around your school and the things that matter, especially in moments of conscience and crisis. Thank you for your honest expectations, kind offers, and your patience as we navigate these unprecedented times. Thank you for believing in the mission of St. Mary’s to encourage and enable each student to reach her individual potential. As an institution, we strive to reach our full potential as well. With your help, we will do so.
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Baccalaureate & Class Day
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Class Day Awards PATTI PERSON RAY ’65 CITIZENSHIP AWARD Celia Stem BETTY LOU STIDHAM SERVICE AWARD Evie Oliver COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD Iman Naseer DONNA OSBORNE BRADLEY ’74 AWARD Mikayla Jones LAWRENCE LOBAUGH SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD Celia Stem SUMNER BAKER ATHLETIC AWARD Emily Ferguson BEST ALL-AROUND ATHLETE AWARD Ginny Bratton 2
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1. Simone Ivy and Mary Jones give a thumbs up for finally being back on campus. 2. Emily Ferguson listens attentively. 3. Lily Beasley is ready for Baccalaureate. 4. Seniors in the nave during a combined Baccalaureate and Class Day ceremony. 5. Bennett Vaughan masked and ready to be part of the tradition. 6. Salutatorian Natalie Vallejo SUMMER 2020 | 5
CLASS PRESIDENT
Amiah Williams Mr. Throckmorton, Dr. Steakley, Mr. Fogelman, Bishop Roaf, and the Class of 2020: I was not expecting to leave this place on March 5th. I was expecting to come back Monday, March 16 after spring break to complete my last quarter of senior year. Unfortunately, that did not happen, and, like every single member of the class of 2020, I was left devastated. This feeling of frustration is shared by graduates all over the world. While there is a sense of comfort in knowing that high school and college graduates everywhere all feel this pain, it does not take away any of the disappointment in what seems to be an anticlimatic ending to years and years of hard work. The day we learned we would not be returning March 16, Georgia Bruno texted our group chat, “What if we already had our last day of high school...” Weeks passed and as the health crisis progressed, it quickly became clear that we indeed already had our last day. In Reverend Bush's Black Friday message to us all, she shared the words of Preacher Frederick Beuchner. He says, “The past is inviolate. We are none of us safe, but everything that has happened is safe.” Nothing can take away what has already happened, because our time here is safe in our hearts and in our memories. I know this is true because even if I did not know just what it was at the time, I can always appreciate my last day here. I had a good last day. So, I will take this opportunity to appreciate and cherish it now. Thursday, March 5th. I got in my car to begin what was my last school day at St. Mary's. I walked into the den to find Livie sitting with her Ugly Mug cup, ready to ask me if I understood Stat. After coming to the conclusion that neither of us knew what a Chi-Square Test was, the bell rang and I was off to my last ever free period at SMS. Eventually, the bell rang again, and I made the trek from the library all the way to Doc's room in Buckman where Lily VanBrocklin and I attempted and failed to do our solo part in The Lord of the Rings one last time. We did not know then what we know now. We would not be able to play our solo parts in The Lord of the Rings at Doc and 6 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL
Ms. Millen's last band and choir concert together - but it was still a very good last day. Then, I crammed into Cheney Parish hall sitting tightly shoulder to shoulder to Kate and Mikayla as they prepared to give the last senior speeches. Kate reminded us that everything is a choice and “Kindness is not wasted energy" and Mikayla revealed how she began to show her true identity here, at St. Mary's, the one where “Orange Mound meets Perkins Extd.” After hugs and tears from my classmates' wise words, I went to Meaning of Life class and plopped down on Mrs. Ray's carpet for our last physical journal readings. After a beautiful and vulnerable conversation about pain and suffering, the bell rang again on this good last day. I headed back to the den, to grab all the $1 bills and loose change I could find for the Belles Lettres coffee house where Mrs. Herr so graciously gave me three Starbucks coffees when I only paid for one just because there were extras. The bell rang once more and I went to what was probably the most painful last of all - my last Stat class. Mrs. Herr's life advice and the extraordinary variation of personalities that is 4th period Stat, make that classroom on the second floor so hard to say goodbye to. But, once the bell rang, I had to say goodbye. Then, I went to Brit Lit where Mrs. Love let us watch a movie but told us to MAKE SURE we bring Paradise Lost home “just in case” the break gets extended. The bell rang for the final time and I went back to the den to pack up my things. The idea of not coming back in 10 days seemed highly unlikely, so I did not bring Paradise Lost home despite Mrs. Love's reminder just an hour prior. I walked back to my car and started my spring break with a trip to Multinational Memphis with Georgia. I did not know that Thursday, March 5, would be my last class day at St. Mary's. But even if I'd known this fact, I think I might have lived the day exactly as I did. In the beauty and joy and fun that a very good day brings. I know we are all disappointed that our year had to end like this. That one day in March, we left this building as students, and today we return as graduates. But, I am so grateful that I can look back on that day with the fondest of memories. I had a good last day. Even if it was not what I expected, it still had so much meaning. Our whole senior year has been a series of unexpected events, but that does not mean our senior year was not meaningful. Even being here, today, is unexpected in its own way. We aren't in Chapel, it isn't May, and some people we thought would be here with us have to watch this from home. But every situation is still meaningful if we choose to see the beauty in it. Every memory I have here that makes me laugh or smile or cry has been shaped by each and every one of you, and none of it would be the same if I experienced this year with different people. My memories here are not shaped or shaded by our grade seemingly getting the short end of the stick this year when it came to construction and the pandemic. Because we are not shaped by the events that come into our lives. We are shaped by our reactions to these events, our choice to persevere, and choose happiness. My memories here are shaped by the fact that you all have chosen to find happiness in every little thing this year. I will always remember that, and I am better for it. And, of course, I will always remember my good last day. Thank you.
VALEDICTORIAN
Victoria Ouyang “Of course this happened to our grade.� The 60 of us are very familiar with this phrase; for the past several years, you would have found us constantly grumbling this phrase or even laughing at it. We utter this saying when anything remotely strange or disappointing happens to our grade. In 8th grade, we protested the laws of physics because of a girl on a parade float - of course that happened to our grade. The newspapers incident in sophomore year, the canola oil of Derby Day, and accidentally starting a fire in the physics classroom - of course all of this happened to our grade. Every time we get 4th place in a competition with only four grades competing, we say it - of course this happened to our grade. This past year, though, the Class of 2020 has said it more than we ever have. We couldn't give our senior speeches or have Chapel in the sanctuary our senior year - of course this happened to our grade. We endured two years of construction, only to have the new facilities for two months - of course this happened to us. We didn't have a chance to fully experience so many senior traditions that we have looked forward to since freshman year - no typical senior parking lot, no typical Christmas pageant, no typical last Springfest, no White Thursday, and no Black Friday; we spent the last quarter of our high school careers at home - of course this happened to our grade. We've always said that phrase rather pessimistically, but if we listen to it again; of course, all of this happened to us.
What better group of passionate, intelligent, beautiful girls is there to handle whatever the world throws at us. The St. Mary's Class of 2020 is a strong unit; the people next to you right now have shaped you to become strong, capable individuals. In awe, we've watched our classmates on the field, in the courtroom, on the stage, and in the classroom. We've listened to each other's stories and insight, constantly learning from our classmates so that we could improve and reflect on ourselves. In fact, these past few months, what I missed most wasn't prom or the senior traditions like I thought; instead, I missed waving to all of you in the halls and spending the last quarter that we had together talking with you and listening to you. Although it may seem like an odd time for celebration, this new graduation should be just as joyful as it would've been in May, if not more, because what we've accomplished is real and worthy of celebrating. The Class of 2020 is incredibly special; as part of the millions of other students who are graduating this year, we've been flooded with support and addresses from friends, family, and countless celebrities. I watched several of these, listening to adults we look up to say that they're proud of us, that we shouldn't be afraid, that we should always stay true to ourselves, and that we should always stay kind even if that task seems impossible. I'll admit, I was feeling incredibly inspired after hearing their valuable advice, but it also became clear to me that these influencers expect much from us. We've always been told by social media and adults around us that we are the ones who will change the world for the better. And that puts a lot of pressure on our shoulders. The world has seen a lot of tragedy and change in the past few years, even in the past few weeks, forcing us to grow up faster than we might have wished. But of course, all that we've experienced has happened to us - we are the ones who are able to endure it. As we continue to grow, change, and impact the world, never forget to listen to your values and stick to your truth. Remember that our values are shaped by the voices we listen to, but also by the ones we don't listen to, so always keep your ears open for everyone. Our generation is the one that is the most educated, most empathetic, and most tolerant; let's choose to keep it that way. We have truly felt the challenges of the past few months, but the Class of 2020 gets to decide how we view this time and how it ends. Now that our graduation is here and we're marking our passage into adulthood, we have the opportunity and ability to take charge of the future and make it ours. And after spending these last years together with all of you, I know that the world is in good hands. I want to thank each and every one of you for inspiring me and giving me the best community that I could ask for the last five years. I've been influenced by so many people in this room, especially the 59 other girls in the St. Mary's Class of 2020. I hope that this day is a happy one for all of you; you deserve it. After disappointment, sadness, drastic changes, cancellations, and a global pandemic, we still managed to graduate with our heads held high. Of course, this happened to our grade. Of course, we got through it together. Thank you. SUMMER 2020 | 7
CL ASS OF 2020
Graduation Awards
MARY M. DAVIS LOYALTY AWARD
Phoebe Lusk-Hussong
CATHEDRAL AWARD
Amiah Williams
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ELLEN FEILD TODD AWARD
Brooklyn Johnson
SPIRIT OF ST. MARY’S
Sarah Bratton
HAZLEHURST GOLD CROSS
Kate Stukenborg
TABOR NOVAK AWARD
Ginny Bratton
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1. Maria Krahn with daughter Katie 2. Gabriella Couloubaritsis and Eesha Gudiseva enjoying a moment before Commencement. 3. Lillian Bannister prepares to be the third St. Mary's graduate in her family. 4. Anna Deason poses in her beautiful graduation dress. 5. Celia Stem and flower girl Liza Moore ’32
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1. Sisters Kate Hill ’31 and Mary Hill ’33 await the start of Commencement. 2. Ananya Malhotra and flower girl Seldon Hare ’31 3. Simone Ivy is ready for graduation to begin. 4. Rachel Eubanks and Iman Naseer are enjoying the afternoon socially distanced. 5. Rhea Vohra poses for the camera before Commencement. 6. Emma Feinstone in her dress of antique lace. 7. Elizabeth Higareda shows off her headpiece at graduation.
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1. Sisters Elizabeth and Anabeli Higareda ’17 2. Sisters Marylee and Audrey Muscari '16 3. Sisters Anjum ’13 and Ananya Malhotra 4. Isabella ’14 and Lillian Bannister with their mother Lea Mary Smith Bannister ’80. 5. Sarah Montgomery Prudhon ’00 with daughter Etta Louise ’32. 6. Anna Snyder Rojas ’01 with daughter Jane ’32. 7. Trustee Ted Davis with daughter Mason 8. Iman Naseer with sister Lyba ’17. 9. Mia Jones with mother Palmer Thomson Jones ’77 10. Sisters Grayson ’17 and Phoebe Lusk-Hussong 11. Early Childhood Physical Education teacher Wendy Gallik with daughter Taylor 12. Dorothy Biedenharn ’33 with her mother Louise Chandler Biedenharn '01. 12 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL
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13. Ginny Robinson Burbank ’93 with daughter Blaise. 14. Mary Brooks Morgan ’32 with her mother Anne-Morgan Brookfield Morgan ’99. 15. Mary La ’19 with sister Emmy ’20 16. Louise Pietrangelo ’32 with her mother Sarah Matthews Pietrangelo ’01. 17. Lisa Ansley Clapper ’00 with daughter Lily ’32. 18. Audrey Dattel Belvin ’91 with daughter Ella. 19. Sisters Maryanna ’18 and Gabriella Couloubaritsis 20. Samantha Lee ’18 and Claire Lee ’20 with their mother Moriah McStay Lee ’88. 21. Trustee Will Jones with his daughters Mary and Leila ’17. 22. Mary Knight ’32 with her mother Grace Jensen Knight ’05. 23. Courtney Taylor Humpheys ’01 with her daughter Heloise ’32. SUMMER 2020 | 13
ins s Cumm r Robert le d n a h C
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Kathryn Fowler ’10, Hannah Allen ’11, and Ramie Mansberg Glick ’12 model safe social distancing while working the COVID-19 testing center at Tiger Lane.
Working the Front Lines in a Global Pandemic By Elizabeth Schatz Passarella ’95
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ack in March, during the early days of the pandemic, I had a lot of people ask me if I was getting the heck out of dodge, dodge being New York City, where I live. My family, like yours, was abruptly conducting all business—school for my two oldest children, back-toback Peppa Pigs for my toddler, and work for me and my husband—in one spot, our home. Except, unlike many of you, our home is a two-bedroom apartment. We do not have a backyard. There is no room for an emergency bounce house or trampoline. Friends and family members thought we should move to my mom's house in Memphis, quickly. Some thought we should relocate to South Carolina, where my sister lives, where we could escape to the beach. People suggested rental homes in the suburbs. Cabins in the woods. Anywhere but the city. Here is the problem, though. I feel about New York the way I feel about my marriage, which is to say: I stay put, even when it's hard. Just as I said, "For better, for worse, in sickness and in health," to my husband at the altar of Holy Communion in 2005, I said the same in 1999 to New York, which has felt like a different kind of soulmate. Marriage is not easy. It is messy and frustrating. Same goes for New York, even before the shutdown. The subway in summer can feel like the undercarriage of a Florida swamp gator, and not a single store sells Sister Schubert's rolls. But in marriage, you persevere when things aren't ideal. You take the ugliness—yours or your spouse's—and apologize and forgive and keep going. That's what I'm doing in my city right now. That's why I didn't flee for temporary ease (which, by the way, is a myth, because kids are annoying no matter how many square feet you have). I'm committed. In some ways, living on top of each other was the worst when it came to COVID. New Yorkers certainly spread the virus more rapidly because of the city's density. In other ways, it was the best. We could check on elderly neighbors or share our dinner by simply walking up or down the stairs. We were quarantined—again, with no bounce house—but we weren't isolated. I could hear my next door neighbor, a musician, singing in the afternoons. I could walk through Central Park with my kids and nod
at countless other families in solidarity. At 7 p.m. every day for months, people leaned out of their windows and clapped, whooped, and banged pots and pans to cheer for essential and health care workers. The noise swelled in courtyards and rolled down side streets like a righteous roar. Sometimes staying put when we'd rather run (to Turks and Caicos) is exactly what God calls us to do. Jesus stayed put on the cross. He was separated from his family, just like so many of us were, and he could have gone anywhere, but he stayed. All of you have stayed, in a sense. Stayed at home. Stayed away. Stayed in the kitchen to make the 943rd meal for your children. The Sisters of St. Mary stayed put during Yellow Fever, when others fled. And that's exactly what these four remarkable alumnae did in their own cities, from Manhattan to Queens to Memphis to Dallas. They all carried on the spirit of those Sisters in selfless love for their communities. Things are much better in New York as I write this. I no longer hear ambulance sirens all day and night. But who knows what's to come. For now, I am bolstered by the stories of people sticking it out when it's exhausting. These brave women, definitely, but all of you, too.
Elizabeth Schatz Passarella ’95 is a magazine writer and columnist for Southern Living. Her first book, an essay collection titled Good Apple: Tales of a Southern Evangelical in New York, will be published on January 19. SUMMER 2020 | 15
Dr. Caitlin Carr '04 Gynecologic Oncology Fellow, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York 16 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL
For a woman who loves the outdoors, is trained as a wilderness EMT, and spent two years between college and medical school as a ski instructor, moving to Manhattan may not have seemed like the obvious choice. "It was terrifying," says Caitlin. "One night, I was at some cool spot, on a rooftop, and I looked out and saw no trees and had a panic attack. I thought, 'This is never going to work.'" When New York became the epicenter of the COVID pandemic, however, it was precisely those mountaineering survival skills and focus under pressure that made Caitlin an asset to her patients. "I know now that I was supposed to be here. I don't like to sit down and not help. If I'd been anywhere else, I would have wanted to be in New York," she says. Caitlin had to quickly shift focus from day to day treatment of her patients—women with cervical and ovarian cancer—to covering general OB-GYN rounds as part of rotating pods of doctors, nurses, and staff who stuck together, reducing the contact between hospital workers should one person get sick ("Wartime scheduling," says Caitlin). She was also redeployed to a sister hospital to test and triage other health care workers. Closing her oncology clinic and postponing surgeries required her to make determinations about which patients could wait, for example, to have a mass removed, or how to continue chemotherapy, the effects of which would make women even more susceptible to the virus. "We were battening down for the storm, talking to each patient to discuss the risks of continuing treatment without knowing a lot. That was really difficult," she says. In one instance, a patient needed a biopsy to determine if she had ovarian cancer. If the answer was yes, Caitlin said, she could start chemotherapy that would slow the growth of the tumor until she was able to have surgery.
But scheduling a biopsy in the early days of the pandemic wasn't guaranteed. Caitlin performed a less invasive procedure, managing to capture enough cells for a positive diagnosis and start treatment. "She was the first person to get surgery when we opened back up. That early diagnosis changed her life," says Caitlin. "It was a big, weird win in all of this." There were also losses, of course. Caitlin had several patients pass away from COVID. And while working in oncology has given her some training and familiarity in talking about death or breaking bad news to family members, this, she says, was different. "I'm used to uncomfortable communication, but I was out of my depth. This wasn't cancer. It was an unfamiliar virus." Zoom calls with families were never enough, she says. As for how she feels about New York these days, things have changed. For one, she escapes periodically to the beach in Montauk, on the eastern tip of Long Island, where her boyfriend lives. But even her 450-square-foot city apartment feels like home. Especially during the nightly 7 p.m. cheering for health care workers. "One day, I was coming off of a shift at 7:00, and some friends were dropping off some food. I was in my scrubs, and they kept me in the courtyard of my building while people just screamed and yelled. I was very uncomfortable," she says. "But I just stood there and cried. It lifted me up. Health care workers are very good at displacing emotion, but that 7:00 time was cathartic. The city really banded together, and I'm so proud to live here."
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Chelsea Chin '15 Registered Nurse in the Emergency Department at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas 18 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL
Chelsea Chin did not have years of nursing experience under her belt before COVID-19 came to her community in Dallas. She did not have a year of nursing experience. She started her job in the emergency department in October, just months before the pandemic hit. She was fresh out of nursing school. "I'm brand new, a baby nurse," she says. While many of her friends were complaining about being stuck at home during quarantine, bored by Netflix, Chelsea was suiting up for long, exhausting shifts filled with more and more critically ill COVID patients. Every night, she returned to her apartment, alone. "My friends in Dallas are all nurses. We couldn't really do much together, because of exposure," she says. But as new to the job as she was, Chelsea was not unprepared. When she was in middle school, she began volunteering during the summers at Baptist Hospital in Memphis, delivering supplies throughout the hospital. "I saw the relationships the nurses had with their patients," she says, and she decided that was the health care path she wanted to take. "I wanted to be at the bedside, to have those personal relationships." It may not seem like a frantic emergency room would be the place for meaningful, nurse-patient bonding, but, in fact, that's exactly what the crisis provided. Chelsea was occasionally a stand-in for family, being at the bedside when they could not. One evening, after a successful day of discharging several COVID patients, an elderly woman came in from a nursing home. She was rapidly deteriorating, and the hospital had to communicate with her family on the phone to determine treatment, ultimately deciding not to put
her on a ventilator. "The doctor was FaceTiming the family from his personal cell phone. It broke my heart," says Chelsea. "She came into the hospital around 5 p.m. My shift ended at 7, but I stayed until 9, because I wanted to be there when she passed. It was my duty. I was the point person." On her way home that night, she called her parents and cried and told them how much she appreciated the opportunity to get an education and be a nurse. Being separated from a support system was difficult, she says, but the situation revealed other positives that kept her going. "I know that when I get to work, I will have a team behind me. I'm never stranded," she says. And she feels love from the community in the form of catered meals, homemade cards—and basic things, like groceries. "Everyone thinks doctors and nurses are essential workers. But it's also the people manning Trader Joe's and the crew that cleans our hospital," she says. As "terrifying" as those early weeks were, Chelsea knows that God put her in an emergency department in Dallas for a reason. To sit at the bedside of an elderly patient. To be a voice of comfort through a phone. To be the one to tell a young couple that the nausea and weakness the woman was feeling was because they were going to have a baby. ("Among all the sickness and death, that was a bright spot," says Chelsea.) Even in the face of rising cases this summer, she stays hopeful and "grateful to be a tiny piece of this huge puzzle." We need all the pieces, even the baby ones, to see the big picture.
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Dr. Catherine Robilio Womack '82 Physician in private practice and Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Admissions at UT Medical School in Memphis 20 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL
All of us have experienced the duality of life during this pandemic, the "yes... but" thinking that's part of every conversation. "Yes, my school-age children are driving me crazy, but we'll probably never have family time like this again." Or, "Yes, I'm tired of being at home, but I've gotten to know my neighbors so much better." Catherine Womack's life has been no different. As the Dean of Student Affairs at the the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) College of Medicine, she had to pull students out of their hospital rotations and classes and help others navigate Zoom graduations. As a physician, she had to counsel patients through a computer screen when they tested positive for COVID. There are the "buts," though. Moments of joy and success in the midst of uncertainty—and Catherine has an extraordinary knack for focusing on the upside. Yes, her students were sad to lose the hands-on instruction, but they found another way to engage. Catherine supervised the set up of a mobile testing site at Tiger Lane in the Mid-South Fairgrounds, which her students had up and running within two weeks of classes being halted. "It was amazing to see my students being so kind and polite and comforting to the patients, who were scared," she says. "Medicine is a team sport. My nurses and office assistants and receptionists helped me, so that I could help the students. Everyone pitched in." Tiger Lane is still going strong as one of the several mobile testing sites in the city. And yes, Catherine is worried about rising cases in Memphis and a surge that could come in the Fall, when students return, but she's also encouraged by how the medical community and the city have prepared, noting a new field hospital in the Commercial Appeal building that she was able to tour. "I'm proud of our city. I'm proud of how our
students have helped people without complaining. I'm proud to be able to teach the next generation of physicians how to care for patients in a pandemic," she says. She's also proud of how the students have embraced Black Lives Matter and organized a White Coats for Black Lives rally. "We are having those hard conversations—but with hope. I think there is momentum to make change in Memphis," she says. Initially, Catherine was worried about not seeing patients in her regular practice. But, she says, telehealth has turned out to be a huge asset. "It's wonderful. It's not going away after this," she says. "Think about how great it will be not to sit in a waiting room because the doctor is behind. Now you can stay at home." Catherine says you'd be surprised how much a doctor can diagnose through a screen. "I can't look in people's ears or listen to their lungs. But I can see rashes!" (Note: You've never heard someone so happy about seeing a rash.) For one woman, she was able to help with shoulder pain just by watching her move around her living room. And for patients diagnosed with COVID, she could assess their breathing and discuss whether or not they needed to go to the hospital. Although the visit was virtual, "They could see me, I could see them, and they didn't feel alone,'" says Catherine. Working from home with her husband and son—who has dueling conference calls with his mother—hasn't always been easy. And yet, Catherine finds the good. Her St. Mary's book club, going on 34 years, has met more consistently than usual. And her daughter and son-in-law come over to play cards. "When, on a Friday night, when you are 56 years old, do you play cards with your adult children?" It's not what anyone expected, she says. But it's also really fun.
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Dr. Shani Armstrong André '94 Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of The Floating Hospital in Queens, New York
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"I did not know immediately that I had COVID," says Shani Andre. Back in March, when cases were just beginning to rise in New York, and most people were looking for respiratory symptoms, Shani thought her headache and backache might be the flu. But when a flu and strep test were both negative, and she developed a fever at the end of her work day, she decided to take a coronavirus test—in the parking lot of her office. "I drove around to the back door and had a coworker pass off a test. I swabbed myself, so I didn't unnecessarily expose another provider," she says. It turned out to be positive. So Shani stayed home, quarantining with her five-yearold daughter, Sidney, who had been feverish on and off for a couple of weeks (and Shani suspects could have been patient zero), while trying to steer clear of her husband in their apartment. Just as there is no rest for the weary, though, there is no time off for the boss, even if she is sick, when the city is preparing for a pandemic. Shani oversees all operations for The Floating Hospital, a nonprofit, outpatient clinic that provides primary care, dental care, and behavioral health services to the surrounding community as well as to women and children living in homeless shelters and domestic violence safe houses. "At the time I was sent home for two weeks, we were seeing the biggest impact of the virus on our organization," she says. From her computer in bed, Shani had to temporarily close the office to in-person visits, furlough 50 percent of her staff, and source webcams, speakers, laptops, and other equipment that would allow the doctors to pivot to telehealth. She was also looking at grant funding to cover the drastic loss of revenue.
Even telling the tech team to change the information on the website as the situation shifted by the day was her call. "There are pros and cons to being in charge. We are pretty lean from a managerial standpoint. I didn't have a lot of red tape to go through, which was good. But the weight of making decisions fell on me," she says. Eventually, Shani was able to return to work, where one half of the building had been turned over to COVID testing. She says they were not overwhelmed like other New York hospitals, primarily because the families they cared for lived in individual units—as opposed to large, bunk-like housing for other homeless populations—and were young and less at risk. "They were already sort of self-isolated. That was a saving grace." She says her staff continues to worry about patients with chronic conditions—it's hard to monitor blood pressure remotely—but that there is more engagement with behavioral health check-ins, since everyone is at home. After Shani and her daughter tested positive for the COVID antibodies, they flew to Memphis, and Shani dropped off Sidney with her mom for several weeks. "Sidney needed a break from being stuck at home with Daddy all day. Trying to work and homeschool and spend time with her... it was a huge lift. It was terrible for everyone," says Shani. "Now, it's strange that she's gone, but it's nice. I can come home and work out." She is conscious of helping her staff avoid burnout, too, organizing afternoon yoga, free milkshakes, and hula hoop contests in the office. "I want to keep up morale," she says. "I love what I do, and I love the people I work with."
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CAMPUS NEWS
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1. Real World 101 (February 28) 2. Instructional College Tour with the sophomore class (February 28) 3. Cast members from Ray Bradbury's "The Veldt" recreate with sound and body the African veldt. (February 21) 4. Rachel Beem, Natalie Vallejo, and Fraser Johnston at St. Jude’s 5th Science Scholars of Tomorrow Symposium (March 4) 5. Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland and Simone Ivy ’20 during Real World 101 (February 28) 6. SK Frozen Coding (March 2) 7. 5th grade JA Biztown (March 4) 8. Lower School Maker Fair (March 5) 9. 1st grade space green screen (March 3) SUMMER 2020 | 25
CAMPUS NEWS BETA CLUB
National Beta Club recognizes outstanding achievement, promotes character and social responsibility, encourages service involvement to school and community, and fosters leadership skills. This year, St. Mary's was recognized as a National Beta School of Merit. The 2020 inductees are:
Leah Balkaran ’23
Makayla Fulford ’23
Laura Isaacs ’21
Hannah Kerlan ’22
Georgia Carls ’23
Sadhi Ganguli ’21
Haniyah Ismail ’23
Shea Kiersky ’23
Grace Ciaramitaro ’23
Miriam Gardner ’21
Ava Jalenak ’23
Charlie LaMountain ’23
Lily Cloud ’21
Ayushi Gaur ’22
Sofia Jalenak ’23
Rachel Larkins ’23
Sophie Droke ’21
Naisha Gaur ’23
McBride Jamieson ’22
Cam Lawrence ’23
Grayson Finks ’23
Annie Gowe ’23
Grace Jones ’23
Emery Lindy ’23
Mela Ford ’23
Sydney Graeter ’21
Michelle Jun ’23
Bella Littleton ’22
Merrill Ford ’22
Isabelle Herzke ’22
Maeve Karnes ’22
NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY
On Monday, March 2, the St. Mary's chapter of the National Honor Society inducted 34 new members, 33 juniors and one senior. The National Honor Society, founded in 1921, is an organization which recognizes and encourages academic achievement, character, service, and leadership. Congratulations to these new inductees who were recognized for their outstanding achievements and joined the 26 seniors who were inducted last year: Hallie Anderson, Rachel Beem, Cecilia Boswell, Sarah Bratton, Ruth Callicott, Ellen Feild, McKinley Gilmore, Caroline Gramm, Ellie Bridges Greenfield, Maya Gurley, Lily Hanissian, Olivia Hankins, Madeleine Hays, Laura Isaacs, Fraser Johnston, Jessica Joshi, Kyla Kendrick, Kate Kiameh, Amelia Kreher, Madeleine Lee, Makenzie Lester, Meriwether McLean, Lizzy Moody, Madison Owens, Ria Patel, Faith Preston, Rose Rezaee, Margaret Saab, Kate Shackelford, Anjali Shah, Ansley Skipper, Chloe Webster, Sydney Weiss, and Rachel Yeung. 26 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL
ATHLETICS
Vicki Ladyman Award for Freshman Athlete Erin Roy
Lawrence Lobaugh Award for Sportsmanship
Lawrence Lobaugh Award for Sportsmanship
Jessica Joshi
Celia Stem
Sumner Baker Award for Athletic Leadership
Best All-Around Athlete Ginny Bratton
Emily Ferguson
COLLEGE SIGNINGS FEBRUARY 5, 2020 Eesha Gudiseva University of Mississippi Tennis
Mason Davis Washington and Lee University Swimming
Lucy Patterson Kenyon College Swimming
Taylor Gallik Roanoke College Soccer
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CAMPUS NEWS
MOSS HALL ART AWARD
Ivy Uhlhorn, Class of 2029
PALMER ADAMS BURT ’99 ART AWARD 2020
Angela Xu, Class of 2020
PALMER ADAMS BURT ’99 ART AWARD 2020
PALMER ADAMS BURT ’99 ART AWARD 2020
Frankie Pierce, Class of 2028
Eve Pai, Class of 2025
JOYCE GINGOLD ART AWARD 2020
Rachel Yeung, Class of 2021
PALMER ADAMS BURT ’99 ART AWARD 2020
Aniyah O'Kelley, Class of 2033
JOYCE GINGOLD ART AWARD 2020
Day Galbreath, Class of 2026 28 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL
C O VI D
VIRTUAL REALITY
As a result, over the summer we quickly shifted to a Hybrid Learning model that allowed for maximum flexibility between online and on-campus instruction. In this model, students learn in a classroom environment when able and also receive instruction online. In fact, a truly hybrid learning model gets the most out of both online and f2f (face-to-face) learning, combining the effectiveness and socialization opportunities of the classroom with the technologically enhanced active learning possibilities of the online environment. If done well, this shift can provide increases in interaction between the student and instructor, the student and her peers, the student and the content, and the student and outside resources.
By Caroline Goodman
Blending the best of online and f2f in order to maximize learning seems like a logical direction for education to move in the future. Of course, the biggest challenge in a hybrid model is the redesign; teachers and St. Mary’s continue to invest heavily in teacher education and
The Internet, software, applications, Web 2.0, cloud computing, laptops, iPads, smartphones … We teachers have been working for years to utilize technology in our lessons and classroom environments as quickly as possible, but as of March 2020 none of these tools or devices had truly transformed the conventional structure of the classroom. Enter COVID-19. And quarantine. And the need to continue providing an excellent education even when we can no longer be with our students daily in the classroom. The layout of the classroom and the role of the teacher were forced to change. St. Mary’s was ready, continually working and learning. Our teachers had already begun using a Learning Management System, implementing the power of Google, and choosing to utilize the technology that enhanced what they were doing in the classroom. The transition to remote learning wasn’t easy, but we had a solid foundation on which to build. Of course, we believe in the value of the classroom and the teacher/ student relationship. Of course, we believe that teachers teach more than their content. Of course, we believe in the value of looking into someone’s eye when having a conversation. Of course, we believe that girls learn best through deep and meaningful relationships. With our core values in place, we quickly moved learning online, designing lessons that met our students’ needs and seamlessly carried them to the end of the school year. We met them synchronously online whenever possible and employed the technology tools available to us to provide meaningful and engaging instruction and timely feedback. From Google Meets to collaborative online projects using Voicethread, Padlet, or a Google doc to Powerschool Learning dropbox assignments to screencasts to Google drive image uploads, we made it work. And we learned a lot about education in the process.
professional development. No doubt teachers will spend a significant amount of time redefining their roles, redeveloping their courses, and planning a well-blended hybrid curriculum. That’s what we do, though. We work hard to offer the best education for our girls, whether in the classroom or online – or a bit of both. Sure, we have more to do than is humanly possible. Sure, we will continue to teach the content and connect it to important life lessons. Sure, we will grade stacks and stacks of student work as we mold thinkers and writers and doers. But while we continue to do what we’ve always done, we will continue to move forward and rethink what SMS girls need to get the most out of their educational experiences. Back in 2010, William Powers wrote in Hamlet’s Blackberry, “there is a way to pull the good ideas from the past into the reality that surrounds us.” This is true of what we are now doing. We teachers are working to create effective learning environments in a hybrid format in order to sustain and improve what we know works well. We teachers will remain instrumental in the best educational programs, but our roles are changing, and we are not afraid. Caroline Goodman is starting her 17th year at St. Mary’s. She began as the 11th grade Brit Lit and AP Language and Composition teacher and now teaches AP Language and Composition, Marginalized Voices in American Literature (a curriculum she designed), and Humanities 1 and 2. She now serves as the MS/US Integrated Curriculum and Technology Specialist. Caroline created and has taught a summer Harlem Renaissance online humanities course for the last 9 years. She created and manages the student writing center, The WRITE Place, teaches SAT and ACT test prep, and sponsors Tatler, the student-run school newspaper.
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VIRTUAL CAMPUS NEWS
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1. Springfest Princess Lilly Robbins 2. Springfest Queen Madison Owens 3. Twin flower girls Penny and Oli Cardenas deliver flowers to twins Elena and Isabel Campos. 4. Sydney Ellen Blen delivers a yearbook to classmate Amiah Williams. 5. Senior Kindergartener Avery Scott learns in her virtual classroom. 6. 6th Virtual Field Trip to Huntsville
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VIRTUAL CAMPUS NEWS
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11 7. Catherine Williams pretends to be an astronaut during the 6th grade virtual field trip to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL. 8. Mikayla Jones in the senior parade 9. Junior class food drive for Memphis Food Bank. 10. Fifth grade Zoom virtual field trip to the Country Music Hall of Fame with recording artist Paulina Jayne 11. Dean of College Counseling Vicki Englehart-Thompson delivers a yard sign to senior Bennett Vaughan. 12. Flowergirls Charlotte Fields ’31 and Sloane Clark ’32 deliver flowers to senior Abigail Apple. SUMMER 2020 | 31
VIRTUAL CAMPUS NEWS CUM LAUDE SOCIETY
The Cum Laude Society promotes sound learning and scholarship in secondary schools. It is the most selective organization at St. Mary’s, considering for acceptance only students in the top 20% of their class. Seven members of the Class of 2021 and six members of the Class of 2020 were inducted into the Society this year. ISABELLA BREWER ’20
MADISON BRODE ’20
ISABEL CAMPOS ’20
GABRIELLA COULOUBARITSIS ’20
MADELEINE HAYS ’21
JESSICA JOSHI ’21
KATE KIAMEH ’21
MADELEINE LEE ’21
LIZZY MOODY ’21
KATE SHACKELFORD ’21
KATE STUKENBORG ’20
CHLOE WEBSTER ’21
ANGELA XU ’20
MAYS WRITING AWARDS
The Mays Prize in Writing was established by Diane and Kit Mays in honor of their daughters Bethany Mays Owen ’93 and Mary Austin Mays Smith ’03. The annual fiction-writing contest promotes and encourages creative writing in all grade levels at St. Mary’s. This year, students in grades 1-12 wrote stories using as inspiration one of the construction photographs of the new Athletic and Wellness Center taken by Mrs. Fletcher’s Photography class. Alyssa Bettin ’31 for “The Stairs” Savannah Rai Martin ’30 for “The Lost Pony” Kylin Menard ’29 for “My Luck” Emma Jordan ’28 for “The Haunted School” Brooke Brown ’27 for “Saving the Insects” Lilly Coggin ’26 for “The Outside World”
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Genesis Martin ’25 for “Glove Full of Memories” Elizabeth MacQueen ’24 for “Advice” Sara Ottinger ’23 for “A Truck-Shaped Home” Ann Wilson ’22 for “A Mid-Afternoon Escape” Chloe Webster ’21 for “A Pair of Gloved Hands” Anna Deason ’20 for “A Moonlight Bench”
VIRTUAL CAMPUS NEWS MIDDLE SCHOOL AWARDS
Ensemble Integrated Arts Award
Joyous Christian Living Award
Carmine B. Vaughn Service Award
Carmine B. Vaughn Service Award
Gilmore Lynn Christian Service Award
Sophie Jordan
Mary Kate Kalodimos
Bianca Dishmon
Mila Szatkowski
Caroline Garrett
Anne Westmoreland Garrett Award
Geoffrey C. Butler Honor Prize
Ellen Feild Todd Scholar
Vicki Ladyman Award
Mary Paoli Award
Isabella Tamburrino
Laurel Lund
Averie Howell
Casey Jang
Maggie Kustoff
LOWER SCHOOL AWARD
The Lila Phillips Gould Award is given each year in memory of Lila Phillips Gould, mother of Gigi Gould ’70 and grandmother of former 2nd grade teacher, Heather Hengen Hendry. This award, given by the Phil McCaull family, recognizes a fifth grader for qualities of character, generosity, and vivaciousness, which Lila Phillips Gould had in abundance. This year's recipient is Thea Larschan.
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Q&A with St. Mary’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Director DR. TERESA LEARY JENKINS By Courtney Taylor Humphreys ’01
Imagine a class of St. Mary’s Junior Kindergarten students huddled together — hands extended, examining each other’s skin tones. The girls’ teacher, Allison Warren, worked with Dr. Teresa Leary Jenkins, St. Mary’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Director, to plan this learning experience that included Dr. Jenkins reading All The Colors We Are: The Story of How We Get Our Skin Color by Kate Kissinger. After the girls excitedly compared their skin tones and connected to the idea that they each have different amounts of melanin in their skin, they used paint to mix and name their own, unique skin color. This moment, among many others that have occurred in St. Mary’s classrooms in recent years, is the type of learning experience Jenkins strives to create, inculcating deep understanding of and respect for racial differences “from the babies to the board room.” Jenkins is mother to Phoebe, St. Mary’s class of 2025, and James, a rising junior at Arizona State University. With a Masters in Social Work from the University of Chicago and a Masters in Teaching and Doctorate in Education from the University of Memphis, Jenkins is passionate about her work, channeling her past experiences and her own racial trauma to effect change. I had the opportunity to talk with her bright and early on a recent Friday morning over breakfast and coffee (via Zoom, of course!) about her background, her role at St. Mary’s, and what motivates her in her work. Tell me a little bit about yourself. What is your background? Where did you grow up? I was born in Rhode Island in 1968. I am a twin, and my father was a well known Baptist pastor and a liberation theologian; he was all about empowering the community and working collaboratively with different organizations. I grew up watching him preach on Sunday mornings and protesting as an activist on Saturday. In high school, we were bused from Milwaukee to Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin. One day, I was researching colleges at the library during my study hall when another student walked in and said, “I don’t know why you’re
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doing that, you’re not going to college.” That moment changed everything for me. I’ve never been called the n-word in my life, but I have been made to feel that way. He removed my blinders, and I remember thinking to myself, “Wow, I’m different.” I attended Spelman College in Atlanta and then went to the University of Chicago for my Masters, where I experienced the same feeling of “you don’t belong here” that I had encountered in high school. From these experiences, I know what it feels like to be an only and to be othered, but I also know what it feels like to integrate a predominantly white environment and benefit from that as well: as a giver and as a receiver. You work in diversity, equity, and inclusion at a predominantly white independent school. I imagine there are both challenges and gifts that come along with such complex, meaningful work. What motivates you to persevere? What are the challenges? What are the gifts? The challenge initially was framing the position and figuring out what this role would look like. I want everyone to know I’m not here to tell people what they’re doing wrong but to celebrate what they’re doing and add to that. Between chaplains and counselors, Global Learning, and Service Learning, we all work together. Helping predominantly white schools grapple with these challenging issues is something I feel uniquely qualified for as a social worker, an educator, and a preacher’s daughter. I bring a variety of lenses, and I am patient because I believe in the goodness of people. It makes my heart sing to walk in my office and find it plastered with girls waiting to have conversations that we understand as Black women. That’s not to be divisive at all, and that’s important for people to understand. Having affinity groups is not a negative; it’s actually a positive. When a student feels connected because she has that affinity, then she feels connected to the overall school community because she feels valued and seen.
Your dissertation focused on racism in independent schools. I'm curious how your research shapes your current thinking and practices. What were your key learnings, and what do independent schools need to do better moving forward? In preparing my dissertation, “Invisible in Plain Sight: The Lived Experience of Black Female Graduates of P-12 Private Schools,” I spoke to twelve women from all over the country who graduated from the 1970s through the late 2000s. Shockingly, they all had the same experience: one of racial trauma, isolation, a lack of connectedness and belonging-- creating an extremely difficult learning environment. In the early 2000s, clinical psychologist and researcher Dr. Howard Stevenson wrote a report from a longitudinal study, and it shared similar data. 75% of students in his study said they had to work extra hard to fit into the community, and 82% reported they had negative experiences at their schools. And yet, 91% said the education they received would prepare them for college and life. Students are disconnected but connected, just like the University of Chicago experience was for me. We must protect every student entrusted to our care, and that means we need to look at how we develop the racial identity of each girl. Schools need to evaluate policies to ensure equity and eliminate traditions that isolate and lead to othering. We need to make sure that all stakeholders, from board members to babies, are educated around microaggressions and racialized behaviors in developmentally appropriate ways. Can you talk about some of the work that is happening within our school community (students, faculty, alumnae) around diversity, equity, and inclusion? We’ve been quietly doing this work for a long time, molding and creating something that is unique to our school. Most recently, faculty and staff played Factuality (an interactive game that simulates structural inequality in America.) That experience revealed that we need additional information about systemic and institutional racism, which led to our reading Debby Irving’s Waking Up White as a school community. Currently, we are evaluating a racial literacy curriculum to be integrated into our existing framework so that our girls learn about racial identity in a strategic and developmentally appropriate way beginning in their earliest years. In addition, we are continuing to update the online DEI Resource Manual available to faculty and staff, as well as planning training and discussions for trustees, parents, and alumnae. While St. Mary’s has made significant progress in terms of the racial diversity of the student body, the faculty and staff is less racially diverse. What do you think needs to be done in order to hire and retain a more racially diverse faculty and staff? Representation is important because all students benefit from a diverse teacher who is able to share her experiences in the classroom using her unique voice and viewpoint. The challenge is that there’s a nation-wide teacher shortage. We are a relational community, so we have to create a community where people can get to know diverse educators. One entry point is through our after school program or as a substitute teacher, but we have to be intentional about putting people into those roles. We also have to build relationships with students while they’re in college.
I’ve been in communication with HBCU’s (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) in the area, building a trusting relationship so they know we’re consistently interested and that we want their students. I started the People of Color Independent School- Memphis group to provide a community for educators of color in independent schools. We hosted a diversity career workshop and a Diversity Career Fair to introduce the school world to job seekers of color and give them the opportunity to meet independent school leaders, ask questions, and learn about the benefits of working in an independent school. St. Mary’s was one of the first Memphis independent schools to integrate in 1968. Have you had the opportunity to meet any of the first black women who attended St. Mary’s, and have you learned about any of their experiences? I have developed a close relationship with Dr. Donna Osborne Bradley, ’74, one of St. Mary’s first two black graduates. Dr. Bradley’s experience in coming to St. Mary’s in 1968 mirrored the experiences of the women I interviewed for my dissertation. She-- and many other alumnae of color-- have recalled painful experiences from their time at St. Mary’s. Many have expressed a sense of isolation and frustration because they felt invisible. They have shared that they did not always feel connected because they did not see themselves represented in the curriculum, faculty, or staff. The absence of seeing themselves represented in their school life meant that they felt as if they didn’t belong. Finally, some shared that ongoing comments about their physical appearance made them feel “othered”. We continue to listen to and respond to alumnae who share their stories with us. We want to acknowledge their experiences and work to ensure that no other student repeats those experiences. Racial trauma for students is real trauma, and our work is to ensure that no student experiences that at St. Mary’s. We chose to honor Dr. Bradley because she was a trailblazer at St. Mary’s. We wanted to honor her legacy through the newly created Dr. Donna Osborne Bradley ’74 Award. The award is given annually to a student who embodies the courage, conviction, resilience, and perseverance of Dr. Osborne. The murders of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and Rayshard Brooks have ignited a national outcry about racism in our country. Many white members of the St. Mary’s community are likely wondering what they can do to learn and to make progress towards being anti-racist. What advice do you have? The important thing is to have open conversations about race in your home. Be honest with your kids about your own feelings of confusion and discomfort, and then do your own research. Don’t rely on people of color to do your work for you. Make sure your world is diverse. Ask the question, “When was the last time someone who didn’t look like me sat at our dining room table?” If you’re an employer, look at your employees. Do you have a diverse employee base? Is your pay equitable? Are your vendors diverse? Look at the people who work in your home—who do they look like? Make sure that is not just one type of person. When you start really diving in, you may start feeling a sense of overwhelmed hopelessness. I really want to encourage people to silo it down and handle your own six inches. If you, with intention, handle your own six inches in this world, then we will collectively see movement. This work requires bravery; bravery is key. SUMMER 2020 | 35
RETIREMENTS
Rosanne Anderson
Lee Avant
Gail Brewer
Judy Brundige
21 years, PK Teacher
21 years, Registrar and College Counseling Coordinator
15 years, 7th Grade History Teacher
43 years, 6th & 7th Grade Science Teacher
Cathy Evans
Cherry Falls
Kathleen McElroy
Dr. Rhendle "Doc" Millen
43 years, Third Grade Teacher
32 years, Art Teacher
36 years, US Band Director and Humanities Teacher
Nancy Miller
Marilou Mulrooney
20 years, Music Teacher
39 years, 8th Grade English Teacher
25 years, Director of Libraries
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CLASS OF 2020 SCHOLARSHIPS
Ginny Bratton received and accepted an offer of appointment to the United States Naval Academy Class of 2024. After four years at Annapolis, Ginny will be commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy or Marine Corps. A licensed pilot and Second Lieutenant in the Civil Air Patrol, Ginny aspires to become a Naval Aviator.
Madison Brode was awarded the Mississippi State University Provost Scholarship, part of Mississippi State's Judy and Bobby Shakouls Honors College. The award includes an academic scholarship, funding for study abroad, grants for research or creative discovery, and travel.
Kate Stukenborg earned a Morehead Cain Scholarship at the University of North Carolina. In addition to full tuition, room, board, and all fees, the scholarship provides stipends for study abroad, research, and summer enrichment programs.
COLLEGE DECISIONS Ana Albrecht, University of Alabama Abigail Apple, Loyola University Chicago Lillian Bannister, University of South Carolina Lily Beasley, Louisiana State University Ella Belvin, Hofstra University Madelyn Black, University of Memphis Sydney Ellen Blen, University of Texas, Austin Sarah Bratton, Auburn University Ginny Bratton, Naval Academy Isabella Brewer, Rhodes College Madison Brode, Mississippi State University Georgia Bruno, University of Denver Blaise Burbank, Santa Clara University Elena Campos, Tufts University Isabel Campos, Vanderbilt University Gabriella Couloubaritsis, Indiana University Mason Davis, Washington and Lee University Caitlyn Dawson, University of Memphis Anna Deason, College of Charleston Rachel Eubanks, Arizona State University Emma Feinstone, Virginia Tech Emily Ferguson, Gap Year to pursue International Trap Shooting
Alex Fogelman, Tulane University Taylor Gallik, Roanoke College Mary George, Sewanee, University of the South Livie Glazier, College of Wooster Eesha Gudiseva, University of Mississippi Elizabeth Higareda, DePaul University Helen Hudson, University of Denver Simone Ivy, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Brooklyn Johnson, Rhodes College Mary Jones, Texas Christian University Mia Jones, University of Arkansas Mikayla Jones, University of Memphis Samantha Koplon, Tulane University Katie Krahn, University of Georgia Emmy La, Saint Louis University Claire Lee, University of Southern California Ruby Liles, University of Maryland Phoebe Lusk-Hussong, Barnard College Ananya Malhotra, University of Miami Marylee Muscari, Wake Forest University Iman Naseer, Rhodes College Evie Oliver, Fordham University Victoria Ouyang, Yale University
Lucy Patterson, Kenyon College Mary Margaret Rainer, University of Arkansas Linda Rossi, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Maria Roudnev, Santa Clara University Chloe Starns, Northeastern University Celia Stem, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Kate Stukenborg, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Ana Taylor, University of California, Davis Riya Valaulikar, Washington University in St. Louis Natalie Vallejo, Johns Hopkins University Lily Van Brocklin, Sewanee, University of the South Bennett Vaughan, University of Denver Rhea Vohra, University of California, Berkley Amiah Williams, Oxford College of Emory University Angela Xu, New York University
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NOT PICTURED: Livie Glazier Lucy Patterson
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CLASS NOTES 1963 CANON THOMAS HALL
The Class of ’63 members have used the last few isolating months to count their blessings. Julia Alissandratos (SC) writes, “I alternate between a low-level of constant anxiety that rises with each delivery to my home to a very peaceful feeling of great gratitude for many things that took hold of me after this year’s Easter: the gorgeous, long, cool spring we’ve had, the beautiful sights I see in Charleston when I take my walks, the lovely flowers that I now stop to smell on my path, the calming waters of the Ashley River near my home, the friends I have been more in touch with after many years, the nearby friends whom I even sometimes see during my walks, the relatives who share my backyard on occasion to deliver groceries or share a meal. I am deeply grateful to be the age I am, so I don’t have to worry about going to work and to have had the life I’ve had, including the good fortune to have traveled extensively early and throughout my adult life. But most of all I am grateful for my wonderful parents’ generous gift of love to me and my dear siblings. This almost serene feeling of gratitude and some good doses of daily sunlight override my concerns. I wish equally gratifying lives for all SMS women. The young ones who go through this period will emerge to be the strongest yet!” Tina Heslep Ciliberto (CA) has been dealing with the seemingly 40 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL
endless sheltering-in-place life by reading, baking, playing the piano and bird watching. Like many of us, she admits to avoiding anything to do with organizing closets, cupboards or drawers. She thanks Heaven for books, pies, Chopin and binoculars. Donna Lansing Copp observes: The COVID Life: what to wear has become much simpler, exercise garb if occasionally motivated to do yoga stretches. Who needs makeup when you can don a surgical mask? Dusting off the ice cream maker for strawberry sorbet. Lemon next? Outdoor parties with the neighbors. Putting in a vegetable garden. Finding great contentment and joy during house arrest. Realizing just how little we really need for happiness. While many of us bemoan that one day is much like a repeat of the one before, Sara Sorsby Dennis (CA) declares “Well, it’s not Groundhog Day at our house! With 6 of us—three 13 year old grandchildren, my daughter and my husband and I—everyday is different. The days are filled with homework, ping pong, basketball, walking the dog, going to the Starbucks drive-thru with my spouse while listening to oldies but goodies, to name a few things which keep me busy. I am still seeing patients on Zoom.” Jenny Emison Ewing (TN) reports that while missing their usual springtime travels or hosting friends at their wonderful house on the lake, she is taking delight in the wonders of spring all around—many beautiful and fragrant flowers and
watching the hatching of osprey chicks on their swim deck. On Sundays, she and Ward share church and lunch with their “pod”—those who are close enough to count as in quarantine with you. Their pod consists of Ward’s three brothers and their wives. They hope their little open-air lake-side church (St. Barnabas) can reopen soon. Carolyn Collier Johnson (MS) is embracing the isolation by happily sheltering in place (her new freedom from social engagements) and stays busy taming her unruly backyard, reading indoors and out, watching and hearing spring birds, working mind challenging games, avoiding housework and TV news. She is also growing a ponytail. Patty Ozier Riffel (AR) is enjoying travel shows on television, Blue Apron meals, walking at the river park with husband Kirby, doing a little gardening, zoom meeting with her family, on-line bridge with friends like Helga in Vienna and Hia in Damascus. Jackie Whiteleather (CO) says her county in Colorado is not accepting visitors and tourists right now so Buena Vista is “so nice and quiet that you can lie down in the street.” She is staying active enjoying hiking, biking and working on her yard to “to keep me sane.” Joyce Wilkerson Kaplan (WA) is living happily with husband Jon at the end of the road on the Olympic Peninsula. She is spending a lot of time in her studio learning how to paint and dye fabric and enjoying the new mediums. Joyce is also keeping an eye out for the new murder
CLASS NOTES hornets! Canon Thomas Hall (TN) is weathering the quarantine just fine. She is spending her time and money on books and food and baking for the grandchildren. Really missing the grandchildren’s hugs but driveway visits are wonderful.
1965 CATHY HOOVER ALLEN
We are looking forward to celebrating at Alumnae Weekend. After all, a banner year for us - the 55th class reunion! Kathy Sweany Bertram is thankful she stopped being the medical director of a nursing home last fall!! She’s still seeing a few patients in person but mainly by telemedicine and only working 3 days a week. Julia Malone still lives in DC and is living high…that is a high-rise condo with nearly 200 units! She says it has its challenges and rewards at this time. She adds she still continues to enjoy photography – perhaps even more now! Ellen Rumsey Bellenot is busy on Facebook! If you want to get a blast from the past, she has quite a few stories. Look her up on Facebook and join her as she shares what she calls “dibs and dabs of the Rumsey family.” St. Mary’s is woven into her stories quite frequently too. Marion West Hammer has had a busy and exciting start to 2020. In November, she sold her condo in Memphis in two days and moved to Charlotte, NC the week before Christmas to be close to her daughter Elizabeth and her family.
She loves spending time with her daughter as well as granddaughters Evans, 3 1/2, and Rose, who was born in January! Patti Person Ray has a couple of things that make her smile bigger these days. Her son Trey Crump has moved to Memphis, so you know Momma’s happy! She also has a new family addition – an adorable mini Australian Labradoodle. What a cutie!!
1967 BETTE WEST BUSH
Thanks to the many who responded to my email request for news in time to be included. We still have our sense of humor, even during our forced lockdown with all of the inconveniences that it entails. Hair jokes were a top priority, thanks to Lynn Bledsoe Buhler, who got us started with her joke about roots. Libba Mann Harbin and Lou Archer Slater then chimed in with jokes of their own, not only about roots, but about not being able to get haircuts, washing our own hair, etc. Food, mainly acquiring it, cooking it, and learning how to make it tasty, was also a great topic of conversation. Shelley Smith has decided that she is definitely not a domestician. She’s thankful for her law practice, which took her out of the home for so many years, and even more grateful for her mother, who was able to be such a loving and gracious hostess and homemaker. Travel (mainly the inability to do so) also kept us laughing. Jean Stitt
Otto is happy that she was able to move within the Tucson area but even more grateful for lawn service and friends, since they cannot return to their Bainbridge Island home for the time being. Poor (tee hee) Lee McGeorge Durrell is in Corfu with partner Colin making home renovations and caring for their cat and newly adopted stray pup. She doesn’t know when they will be able to travel back to Jersey (what a pity). Dottie Parish Peterson was able to travel from her home in North Carolina to Ireland last October and to the Memphis area in January before the lockdown, but now she doesn’t know when she and Wally will be able to take a trip to New England. Jeannie Whitman Esdaile was also able to come to the states from her home in Sussex in February to see her sister Nancy Whitman Manire ‘64, son Robert and his wife Marion, and daughter LeeLee, arriving home just before the travel restrictions were put in place. Anne Hyde Dale also enjoyed traveling with husband Jamie from Black Mountain, North Carolina, to Elk Rapids, Michigan, for her daughter Elinor’s wedding last August to her partner Sarah. But then Jaime’s health issues, despite their best efforts with eating right and exercise, surfaced, and he ended up having quadruple by-pass surgery in September. Fortunately, he is now on the road to recovery, and they are enjoying hiking again. Speaking of health, Debbie Boehme Salter and Susan McNeely Nicholas both seem to be SUMMER 2020 | 41
CLASS NOTES bravely battling their cancer. Debbie is happy to report that her stage 4 lung cancer that she was diagnosed with 4 years ago has not progressed. Both classmates miss spending more time with their grandchildren but understand the risks. Debbie also celebrated her and Ted’s 50th wedding anniversary at home, planning to wait until the pandemic is over to take a trip. Also, on the sad news front, Susan lost her 98-year-old mother, Camille McNeely. Those of us who met her remember what a lovely lady she was. Finally, Janie Allen Till reports that being an introvert has its advantages. She is content to read, cook, and do needlecrafts, but, of course, since she and Bob are living in the Denver area with their son Stephen and his family, they are not hurting for company. I am enjoying being a homebody too, since that is what I do best. Daughter Jane has finally agreed to let my grandson West come for visits, which I relish.
Farms at Bailey Station in Collierville and she hopes to see St Mary’s friends very often! Marta Alison Richards reports her son, Richard Massony, who has two sons, James and Shep, is practicing law with the Hunton firm in Richmond,VA. She has been very anxious to visit them but COVID-19 has kept her in Baton Rouge, and has had to cancel her annual August trip to Scotland. She is hoping to be able to travel to England for a previously planned Christmas trip. Marta is also a Louisiana Master Gardener and works with roses and citrus trees and other plants/flowers. (I envy her because I seem to plant roses that self-destruct and continually laugh at me!) She also enjoys reading many great mystery and romance series, practicing law from home when a client needs her, and trying to adopt out some foster pups without being able to take them to adoption events. Connie Loveless Friend states that 2020 has not been much fun, but 2019 was very exciting! After taking many road trips with 1969 her sister, Robbie, (Lucy Loveless PAM MCNEELY WILLIAMS Archer ’76), they traveled to Spain with two brothers and their wives It is with great sadness to report to a multitude of places including that our mom, Camille Adrienne Madrid, Segovia, Avila, Salamanca, Whitmore McNeely, passed away Toledo, Cordova, Sevilla, Granada, this past spring and Susan McNeely Nicholas ’67, Josie McNeely Walker ’76 Ronda, Mijas, Malaga, Fuengirola, Aranjuez to just name a few! I am and I are heartbroken to see her gone. We certainly appreciate the staff worn out listing all the wonderful places they visited! Connie planned and PALS who cared for her at the to work with SCS ESL this spring Belmont Assisted Living Community but, of course, the virus cut that short. in Memphis. Julie Bonds Greene She has entertained herself by doing is excited to be moving back to a deep spring cleaning and purging Memphis in the near future to The 42 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL
of non- essentials! Do you hire out? Hopefully, later this year she can hit the road again with Robbie. Anne Short Born in Beaufort is doing well and surviving the pandemic boredom of lockdown by working on genealogy. She enjoys the DAR, has applied for the Mayflower Society, and is now applying for the Huguenot Society of SC. She says she has turned into a nerd! So not true! I was looking at our annual and it fell open to the classmates who earned commendation and finalist status for the National Merit exam and I thought it would be nice to remember them: Laurie Cawthon, Ellen Flowers Burch, Nora Heflin Williams, Deborah Poodry, Marta Richards, and Ellen Topp Toplon. Way to go girls! Brian and I are in the middle of major repairs on our house with new water and sewer lines and a french drain. We have had a beautiful vivid yellow backhoe in our front yard for the past 4 months and I think I will decorate it for the upcoming holidays! The news with our family is the birth of Rhett Joseph Williams to Brooke and Scott Williams at the beginning of this year and who reside in Oakland, TN. Matt, our youngest son and his wife, Hannah, finished their active duty with the Air Force and have relocated to MN where he is in Physician’s Assistant school at St. Catherine’s in St. Paul. We are the proud grandparents of 9 grandchildren!!! Once again, any new emails or addresses for our classmates please forward to me! Lots of love and be safe!
CLASS NOTES 1971 CAROLYN COCKROFT
The class of 1971 was quite generous in our submissions! We all seem to be faring well during the pandemic. Most of us are attending virtual church services and praying for the suffering, loss of life, and our nation’s recovery. We realize this is a time to tap into our creativity and seek ways to help others. And we have discovered blessings that have arisen during the quarantine: tackling projects that were long overdue, having more time to bond with loved ones, and enjoying Mother Nature and much-needed exercise. Some have been sheltering with their children’s families and learning new ways of being respectful and tolerant. Everyone said they are looking forward to our 50th class reunion next year! We extend deepest sympathies to Nancy Johnson Foster, Elizabeth Johnson Bogard, and Marty Jones, whose mothers passed away recently. Marylane Stratton Johnson was a member of St. Mary’s Board of Trustees for nine years, and Margaret Loaring-Clark Jones ’45 served as librarian at SMS. Nancy Foster’s daughter Kate Foster Lindsey ’07 gave birth to a baby boy May 26. Julia Sprunt Grumbles’ term on the University of North Carolina Board of Trustees ended, and she spends more time in the mountains where she is involved in a foundation committed to supporting a biological field station. Julia visited Mildred Donelson Huffman and her sister
Sisters Alice Cockroft Oates ’67 and Carolyn Cockroft ’71 and their husbands enjoyed a cruise through the Greek Isles. Pictured L to R: Jack Oates, Alice, Carolyn, and Chris Brown.
Helen Donelson ‘70 in Monteagle. Julia lives in Highlands, NC, which provides lots of hiking and beautiful scenery. Marietta Canale Haaga enjoys her work as Recreation Director at Saint John's Episcopal Church and personal training. This all came to a halt so Marietta has had time to bond safely at home with husband Fletcher who retired in March. They have been busy with many yard and home projects. In addition, Marietta is captain of St. John’s team in Moving in Faith 6 Week Fitness Journey! a competition with other churches that promotes staying fit during COVID-19. Marietta has been happy that they have been babysitting grandchild Charlotte, 2, and get to know her new little sister, Sigi, who was born February 26. Judi Hoffman has been serving as co-pastor at East End Methodist Church in Nashville, TN. The buildings and parsonage were damaged so badly during a tornado that she cannot return to
the house or the church for what may be two years. After emptying what was left of the church, and dealing with COVID-19, Judi was appointed by the bishop to serve at St. John’s United Methodist Church in Memphis, beginning in July. Ann Vandeventer Ince and husband Paul love living in the country in LaGrange, TN where they attend Immanuel Episcopal Church. Marty Jones and husband Fred enjoy Zoom game nights with daughters, Elise in Los Angeles and Julia in Charlottesville. Marty added 60 flights of stair climbing to her daily exercise and has so far summited the highest peaks on six continents with Mt. Everest now in sight! Marty thanks all who contributed to the St. Mary’s Annual Fund. Avery Malone Kaserman reports that daughter Julia lives with seven other ladies in a new group home nearby and highly accessible for disabled individuals. She is happier and well cared for. Also, Avery is proud of son Mark, SUMMER 2020 | 43
CLASS NOTES
Peggy Bodine, Meg Jemison Bartlett ’72, Jeanne Jemison, and Mike Bartlett at the opening of the Athletic and Wellness Center
a RN in a local hospital and one of many heroes caring for the sick. Christie Stratton Moody’s career changed prior to the American Craft Council Show in Atlanta when the show was cancelled because of virus safety protocols. Since then, Christie has been selling more glass art on line (ChristieMoodyGlass on Etsy or blueheronglass.com) as well as enjoying flower and vegetable gardening and caring for her granddaughters so her daughter can work from home. Christie is sheltering at a 200-year-old home in the woods where she can hike along the creek and swim in a neighboring quarry. They have also spent time at their house in Darien biking, hiking, canoeing, and birding in the marsh. The whole family traveled to Puerto Rico in January and son Devin proposed to his girlfriend on the trip. Wedding will be in Hawaii 44 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL
next summer. Husband Michael has been able to keep the Broad River Outpost open with lots of safety precautions and Christie is glad they can provide a safe way for folks to get on the river for a needed commune with nature. Jan Muirhead has a new month-old granddaughter, Madeline Norton, who lives in Philadelphia with stepson Matt and daughter-in-law, Jess. Jan hopes to visit this summer. Jan and husband Larry still live in Nashville where she works part-time as a nurse practitioner in an internal medicine clinic. Staying home during the pandemic has allowed Jan Carruthers Sturdivant to enjoy her farm and garden. “Pickleball is catching on in Greenwood.” She adds, “Worshiping on my sofa, in my barn clothes, sipping on a breakfast smoothie and singing duets with husband Mike will be hard to give
up later on.” I am grateful that, prior to the pandemic, my husband Chris and I were able to join my sister Alice Cockroft Oates ‘67 and husband Jack on a cruise through the Greek Isles, an item on my bucket list. Among the highlights were Patmos and Ephesus, noteworthy Biblical sites. I serve on the Board for the Community of Hope International, a pastoral care outreach program, which has established 22 new centers since the first of last year. Like my fellow classmates, I have been sheltering in place since mid-March just after we returned from our annual ski trip to Lake Tahoe. I miss singing with fellow choir members at church; however, I had the joy of playing the prelude during the virtual streaming of our Maundy Thursday service. Chris and I have relished the time playing our music together, and we performed a few COVID19-inspired songs on Facebook. We recently gave an impromptu neighborhood concert from our garage.Yes, indeed, many blessings come in unexpected ways during unstable times.
1973 OLIVIA MONTGOMERY
As I write this in May, some of our classmates reported on their rearranged lives during the pandemic. Sarah Peeples Hodges had just returned from a month in the Sinai in early March, so she quarantined in Hardy, AR with her son, Joe, who had just been
CLASS NOTES repatriated from a semester abroad in Madrid. Unfortunately, she canceled a trip to Tunisia, but has spent her time reading soul-nourishing books and looking forward to getting out on the Spring River. Bron Gayna Schmit FINALLY retired from 41 years of teaching and principaling, spent some time in the mountains and at the beach. Then she injured a disk in her back, recovered, and then the pandemic hit. She says the start of her retirement has been surreal. Carol Richardson Hunter is an old hand at retirement, having 2-1/2 years of experience. She’s been enjoying extensive work on legislation and policy for the Garden Club of America. Deborah Caldwell Halvis has been keeping busy during Staying Home in Maryland. She’s loving having the time to read, garden and, of course, eat chocolates! Judith Jay lives on a small farm in Kentucky with her husband, a lot of cats and an aged Golden Retriever. They have a vegetable and flower garden, and pretty much stay put except for venturing out for supplies and doctor appointments. Molly Hudson Calvo’s daughter Beth got married last spring and bought a house in middle Tennessee. After 35 years of purebreds, Harriet McGeorge adopted a rescue dog named Henny, who she says is a little dear and fine companion. Nell Dickerson is working from home full time, in a new house with lots of studio space and a humongous commercial-grade Viking stove. Milner Stanton and
I have been playing golf, socially distanced, of course. It’s a shame the LPGA tour is on hiatus, because we were almost ready to join it. By the time this comes out, I hope the worst of this pandemic is over and we’re well on our way to a vaccine. Until then, hope everyone stays well and safe.
1975 LAURIE WALPOLE
The Class of 1975 has been busy in quarantine. Susan Roberts Colpitts is planning to retire at the end of the year from the company she’s been building for the last 25 years. She says it feels wonderful and awful at the same time. She’s spending her weekends on the Eastern Shore with her husband and two of their three daughters. She says they all love cooking, so the food is fantastic! She’s started a vegetable garden, which will enhance their food even further. Robin Bartusch Goertz refers to her home as G.A.L., Goertz Assisted Living, as she and husband Gerry rarely go out and constantly wipe down surfaces and the groceries that are delivered. She said she got so desperate for a haircut that she allowed Gerry to cut it even though his previous experience consisted only of cutting the dog’s hair. Hmmm, Robin didn’t report how her hair turned out. Jill Jemison Margolin is the proud owner of 3 rescue horses, which she keeps at a friend’s place near Tunica. She loves riding with her
daughter and claims it’s a great way to enjoy social distancing. Her husband Peter retired last year, and they are enjoying the downtime, but she misses singing in the choir at Lindenwood and playing tennis and bridge during quarantine. Deborah Adelson Johns writes from Colorado that she enjoys hiking with her daughter and having social distancing parties with her neighbors in their driveways on nice summer days. She says she’s finally recovering from rotator cuff surgery, which I have heard is not easy. Betsy Olim wrote that she was about to record her 14th podcast. Congratulations, Bets! She’s also been working on a screenplay, which didn’t surprise me. When you’ve got the creativity gene, you’ve got it! Betsy, we get to say we went to high school with you!
1977 JANEY BUTLER NEWTON
Lucy Walt Wepfer’s daughter Annie has graduated Magna Cum Laude from Mississippi State University with a BS in Kinesiology. She is heading to Western New England University for graduate school where she will be working on her Doctorate of Occupational Therapy. Congrats to Annie! Another recent graduate is Laura Sanderson Healy’s daughter Lucy, who graduated from the University of Mississippi. Lucy is considering staying in Oxford to get her masters degree at Ole Miss. She enjoyed her time canvassing for Bernie SUMMER 2020 | 45
CLASS NOTES Sanders’ presidential campaign in Memphis and Oxford. Anne Cole Billings will soon become a mother in law as her daughter Mimi ’14 is getting married. Best wishes to you, Mimi! I have joined the ranks of grandmothers in our class. Son George had a boy, Crosby, who is a total joy and I just can’t get enough of him! Wishing everyone peace and health in these unusual times.
1979 BETH BROWN DUNN
Greetings from the class of 1979. Our hearts have been heavy as our precious and most fierce warrior, Candy Reed Pearson, passed away in March. Candy was a true example of love and grace. She never missed a reunion and smiled her way through any adversity. She taught us so much without uttering a word. Her children, Maggie And Reed, will carry on her legacy of love. She was married to her husband Tim for 8 years and he embraced us all as her sisters too. Her sister, Angela Reed Yakel, was in the class of 1982; our beloved freshmen. Irene Orgill Smith is having loads of fun with her precious grandson, Neely. He turned two in June. His momma, Kate Smith Mallory ’07, is working from home and is a mental health counselor. Freddy Smith is teaching pre calculus and algebra at Germantown High School. He is also working on his Masters in Education at CBU. Irene and Fred are staying home, taking a lot of 46 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL
The Class of 1978 visit with lifelong friends.
walks around the beautiful lake and playing bridge online with friends! Irene and Beth Mayhall Sherr are doing a zoom meditation class together. They are also writing a play. It is a full length monologue. It has been aired on WIOX FM and it has received rave reviews. How exciting is that! Cannot wait to hear it! Beth lives in the Roxbury Mountains with her dogs. They are riding out the pandemic together. Lenelle Morse is a precious grandmother to Nora Lucille Ross who was born on January 17, 2020. Lenelle’s son, Ross and his wife, Allison live in Bellingham WA. Lenelle was able to visit before the pandemic. Nora favors her Grandmother! Jane Tillman Germany is going to be a grandmother too. Her son and his wife are expecting a boy in September. They have been in NYC but moved to Atlanta right before the shutdown. Jane is in
Albany, GA and they have been hit really hard with COVID. She has been spending time in her beautiful yard. Jeanne Thurman Cross welcomed her new granddaughter, Evelyn Joan Moats in January 2020. Susan Browne Law has a precious new granddaughter in Atlanta. Campbell Pace Burke was born last fall. Big sister Parker will be 3 soon. Lynn Neibel Tress and family had a beautiful wedding in September 2019. Son Christopher married Kayla Mausolf in Michigan. My grand news is I have a precious daughter-in-law. My youngest son, Brook, married Catie Rainey on October 4, 2019. It was a spectacular day, filled with so much love and joy. They live in Memphis. My oldest son, Christopher, is in Nashville working at The Golf Club of Tennessee.
CLASS NOTES 1983 BONNIE BOLTON LOPEZ
Cynthia Hodges Cobb writes that she has no news and learned nothing new during quarantine because she was busy with her two high school boys plus two college kids back home. It was my joy to host her oldest son David III and bride Makenzi who spent the night with me in late May on their way through MS. Allison Wellford Parker reports that the silver lining of being quarantined has been the absolute joy of having each member of her family together. They spent time doing puzzles, baking bread, taking walks, and binge watching shows, plus hours of just talking and laughing. She is abundantly grateful to have had this time with her adult children back home. Annie Parker ’16 graduated from Northwestern University with a virtual ceremony in June. Beth Jennings Kuhn has entered her second year of organ lessons (on Skype during quarantine) and has made an exciting purchase of a home-sized organ that arrived just days before the factory closed. She must be learning well because her church used a recording of her playing for an online service recently. Kara Winsett Gibson works in healthcare and has continued work all through the pandemic. Exercising caution is extremely challenging as a pediatric speech therapist, but she has obtained special see-through masks made partially of plastic so her patients can benefit from seeing her mouth during therapy. Daughter
Kaely (21) graduated from U of Memphis with a BFA in Theatre Performance and a minor in dance. Daughter Ainsley (18) graduated from high school with several awards including Most Outstanding Thespian. She will study nursing at U of Memphis. Kara’s husband is a musician and thus has been out of work during the pandemic, but he has been recording lots of cover songs and parodies during this time. To hear the father-daughter duo sing, search YouTube for “A Million Dreams by Hunter and Ainsley Gibson.” It is beautiful. Catherine Trippeer Jameson is very proud of her twin grandsons Greyson and Pierce who live in Columbia, TN, and who just graduated from kindergarten. Catherine is recovering very nicely after back fusion surgery and is even back jumping her horse. She plans to begin showing again as soon as restrictions are lifted. Julie Harris Knox welcomed her first granddaughter in May and the second in June! Eppie Lunsford-Ozen is in London with husband Ergun and daughter Emily (19) and is grateful that their government encouraged outdoor exercise in parks during quarantine. Remember that Eppie is one of 13 children! They have all been holding precious weekly Zoom meetings with each other and their mom. Brandon Garrott Morrison has been reading and gardening, but has not had a break from working on the Shelby County budget in her role as County Commissioner. Congratulations to Lucia Menzer
Marshall who has a newly published book just in time for recent graduates. My Parents Didn’t Teach Me $%+! About Money is subtitled A Crash Course on All the Finance Stuff You Didn’t Know You Needed to Know. This is available online at all the typical book retailers. Allison highly recommends this book as her girls have already read it. After reading its description, I think everyone could benefit from this read. I am grateful to Lucia who has also been keeping many of her friends introduced to new ideas and activities with a daily email to get us all through the quarantine months. Joan Mauldin Hurst has been using IT to talk with trading partners around the worldmost of whom are also working from home-in her work for the Office of the US Trade Representative. Her family has also been taking long walks and enjoying a garden that “has never looked better!” I, Bonnie Bolton Lopez, wish I could say the same about my garden, but my tomatoes have done well for a change. We have rediscovered bike riding as a family along the broad sidewalk that runs along the beach. Having homeschooled now for two decades, we never missed a beat with school. Neal enters 11th grade and Sam enters 12th this fall. Since all summer plans were canceled, they have spent the summer with husband Felix framing a barn on our land outside Columbia. They don’t love the work, but they are getting stronger and learning a lot. We now have five grandchildren! SUMMER 2020 | 47
CLASS NOTES
Anne Townes Daw ’87 and her family in the UK quarantine during the pandemic.
1987 ALLISON TONKIN
Our most heartfelt prayers go to Cindy Cates Moore and daughters Isabelle and Lucy ’29 after her husband Scott passed away surrounded by family and friends after lung transplant rejection. We are always here for you, Cindy. In Pittsburgh Paula Jernigan Gordon worked on a COVID floor daily for five weeks, caring for fragile medically complex patients. With careful reuse of personal protective equipment, thankfully no healthcare workers were infected. Paula held hands with two patients as they died so they would not be alone. She notes “survivors” are frequently left with disabling lung disease and psychological issues. Her proudest moment? Being called a “badass” by a neurosurgeon. Paula’s Josh starts sixth grade middle school while Libby begins fourth grade. Perhaps not considered pandemic 48 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL
front lines, but with Pediatric and Oncologic Pathologic care ongoing, Ruth Cheney Patton continued “new normal” work at Pediatric Consultants with Kurt at West Cancer Center. Both missing friends and basketball, Bauer is MUS varsity team manager while Glover’s Grace St Luke’s team won the league tournament. “Stuck” in Bali since the pandemic struck, Janie Barnett now has adopted dogs. Missy Huettel Carter’s family quarantined in Sewanee before returning to Memphis to allow the boys “non parental socialization”. The pandemic shortened Vienna, Austria study abroad time for Laura Halle Nunnally’s Lizzie, now performing a virtual internship with a Raleigh, NC public relations firm. After graduating from The Baylor School in Chattanooga, Anna starts at TCU, joining Courtney Morris Monaghan’s Stuart ’18, a junior in the nursing program. Courtney’s Tom begins UT, with Ellie in SMS 10th
grade. In the Seattle COVID-19 US epicenter Gail Borod Giacobbe’s kids finished up 8th and 10th grades online. Gail’s Microsoft team is working nonstop to help global customers using Microsoft Teams, helping hospital systems, school districts, families and small businesses adapt quickly to remote work. Gail encourages all to support the great work Virginia Reed Murphy’s Playback Memphis provides through police training programs to spread empathy and peace in the community and reduce violence. Leaving San Francisco, Gwynne Keathley and Randy have been sheltering in Park City, enjoying daily afternoon outdoor adventures. With design projects on hold during lockdown in the UK Anne Townes Daw has been doing her own construction and landscaping projects at home. She has cherished the additional home time with Georgia (16) and Eli (14). In NYC Beth Levy and family have embraced home schooling, indoor vegetable gardening, and the 7 o’clock clap. Beth enjoys working with Mary Louise Mooney, even if virtually now, loving reconnecting online with Anne, Kim Justis Eikner and Gigi Gaerig McGown. Not front lines material, my radiology clinical work has been surpassed by administrative operational and patient safety duties for the 23 Intermountain Healthcare hospitals. Andras has used extra time to work more on our AlanaTokaj winery business. With PreK and Kindermusik Zoom classes and
CLASS NOTES Facebook Live Little Gym, Chip (4) is now a computer whiz, missing only swim lessons!
1989 COURTNEY MORRIS WILLIAMSON
Greetings from the “Last of the Ladies of the 80’s”! Thank you to Kathy Patterson Scogin for organizing a class Zoom call in May. It was fun to catch up with Kathy, Ashley Saxon Abraham, Alice Chuang Ivester, Anne Alexander Clinton, Tiffany Loewenberg, Elizabeth Dill Welch, Jennifer Ranson Allen, April Buffington, Lara Babaoglu Reynolds, Emily Mallory and Rebecca Fisher! Kathy is living in Columbus, GA and is working as a neonatal nurse practitioner in a level III NICU. She has three adult children and her oldest, Anna is getting married in September. Ashley is in Oxford, MS, works at a boutique on the square and is an empty-nester with her husband, Michael. Their daughter Kate is a rising junior at Ole Miss and their son Jack is playing his last year as quarterback at Southern Mississippi. Alice is doing well and is working as the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs at the UNC School of Medicine and busy keeping up with her two children- #Chuangsters, makes me laugh every time! Anne is busy with three children in Franklin,TN, loves kayaking and canoeing and we have committed to get together as soon as we are able to get past quarantine. Tiffy is in the San Francisco area and
we had a great time watching her husband handle their dogs while we were on the call- it looks like she has a fun and busy household! Elizabeth is doing great in Tuscaloosa, AL and is “retiring” from teaching. No doubt her next career will be creative and meaningful- can’t wait to see what she does next! Jennifer may have been my favorite Zoom call participant as she was able to fit us in while driving- her screen was sideways the whole time! Safety note- she was completely legal and hands-free while driving. April is a dentist in AR and we talked as a group about her position on the Arkansas State Board of Dentistry and how she was shaping policies of dentists practicing during COVID-19 restrictions. Lara is in Memphis working in the UT Health Science Center Development Department. She also enjoys travel with a recent diving trip in the Azores- yes, diving with sharks, and hopes to be able to go on a planned trip to Tahiti this fall. Emily Mallory is a teacher in Seattle, WA and is loving being an aunt- the best job in the world! Rebecca is across the bay from Tiffy and she still has her infectious smile. Rebecca is staying busy by continuing to write. I loved hearing from more SMS Turkeys located in Memphis not on the call! Mary Elizabeth Treadwell Pittman is the executive assistant to the senior pastor at Christ Methodist Church. Her daughter Catherine ’09, teaches 1st grade at CMDS, Camille ’12, is an occupational therapist at a Memphis nursing home and Will is going to be a junior at MUS! Mary
Maysey Craddock ’89 and husband Shaun completed this 70-foot-long sculpture of five winding rivers representing the many generations of women who have graced the halls of St. Mary’s over the years. It hangs over the Haslam Grand Staircase.
Pritchartt Muscari is mom to Frank (10) and Meredith ’30.They had a wonderful trip to Jamaica for Spring Break and returned home to distance learning when Mary started her temporary new role of homeschool teacher! Brooks Turley Klepper is busy with her two growing boys and spending time in Memphis and on the lake. Jake is graduating from MUS this year- congratulations to Jake! Missy Voehringer Rakers also has two boys and enjoyed having them home this spring.Tyler will be a junior at Tulane and Drew will be a freshman at Wake Forest. She and her husband Brent have mixed feelings about being empty nesters. Maysey Craddock and husband Shaun are still able to work and create in their studios in downtown Memphis. Please drive by the SMS campus to see their new HUGE sculpture for the Haslam staircase by the new Athletic and Wellness Center at St. Mary’s! Nancye Starnes and her daughter Mary Barker Starnes ’95 generously funded this project - it’s a 70-foot-long powder SUMMER 2020 | 49
CLASS NOTES coated aluminum sculpture of 5 winding rivers representing the many generations of women who have graced the halls of St. Mary’s over the years. Maysey is creating more works for her show in Dallas and upcoming shows at the University of Memphis and the David Lusk Gallery. The award for the longest-distance connection goes to Tiffany Perel Monjauze! Her oldest just finished her freshman year at college in CA and her son (now 15) is “very British” and they plan to stay in England long-term. She is missing traveling and visiting family and friends. I vote that we move our next reunion to England! I am in Nashville, Director of Admission at Franklin Road Academy and about to be an empty nester like many of you! Hale is a rising senior at Samford University and Kelton will be starting Auburn University in the fall. Hailey and I are in the process of building a new home with spaces for entertaining and guest bedrooms- come December, all are welcome for a visit! Please continue to send me your updates at: courtneywilliamson@comcast.net.
1991 CAMELLIA KOLEYNI
Hello Class of 1991. I can only imagine how all of your lives might have been turned upside down in the past few months during this pandemic. I hope that your loved ones, friends, and colleagues are doing well. Audrey Dattel Belvin along with husband Sean plus 50 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL
daughters Ella ’20 & Kate have “made the best out of these crazy times''. They have enjoyed the extra family time and have been doing a lot of driving on empty roads with Kate (before she turns 16 late this summer). CONGRATULATIONS to Audrey’s daughter Ella who finished off her 15 years at SMS with a graduation parade! Ella was really touched by all the students, teachers, and staff cheering for the class of 2020. Audrey said her favorite moment was seeing Ms. Falls holding a poster and hearing her shouts of congratulations for her former Frogs! This fall Ella will start at Hofstra University as a Presidential Scholar majoring in Music Business and prior to that she has an internship through Hofstra as a talent scout for Falcon Records, working on a project for Sony Music over the summer. Audrey is “so proud of all of the girls in the SMS class of 2020 and can’t wait to see everything they will accomplish!” Susan Hanemann Rogol along with daughter Meyer (age 9) and husband Michael are all adjusting to the COVID-19 “new normal” as they enter their 4th year in Fukuoka, Japan. Susan is really enjoying all the quality time with Meyer during homeschooling. She has spent a lot of time thinking about Ms. Deadrick and Ms. Falls since Meyer is straddling 3rd grade in Japanese online school and 2nd grade in US online school. Susan says that, if Meyer could, she would make an entire curriculum out of LEGOs
and jewelry-making! She is intrigued by how this time will redefine education for Meyer’s generation and is “embracing the uncertainty and all its prospects.” Alison Taylor Nooks and her family have been adjusting to life during the COVID-19 pandemic, “a true bonding experience”!! They have been taking long walks in their beautiful neighborhood (following CDC guidelines and using tips provided by her physician-epidemiologist uncle who works at the CDC), and Alison has even taken up baking bread. Daughter Anniston wrapped up her freshman year at Mercer University (Alison & Kirk’s alma mater) with all. They are very proud of the fact that she will be a resident assistant (like her father was) next year. The twins also “knocked 2nd grade ‘out the park’ and have loved being home. Both Alison and Kirk work for University System of Georgia (USG) institutions. Alison says it’s really been something to watch Kirk lead his institution through these incredibly difficult times. Both of them have had colleagues, friends, and students be affected, and they lost a good friend to COVID-19. Serving as First Lady has continued to be rewarding for Alison. She has had the opportunity to “meet and read books to many 2nd grade classes in various schools (books about having strong character & making good choices) via ZOOM” as part of her annual First Lady Initiative & Tea. She hopes to be able to celebrate local teachers and the power of reading at the fall
CLASS NOTES tea, and she would also love one day to celebrate healthcare heroes such as those in the school of nursing at Gordon State College (where Kirk is president). Alison enjoys working with her students and engaging them. She is also taking time to complete some personal goals: completing her website, working on a children’s book, and taking a computer science for certification class at Harvard. In her role at her university, she works with faculty on online course development for the School of Arts & Letters and is doing minor edits that require some minor coding, so she thought she would try to learn some basics in this area. Alison says, “My father is in a longterm care facility nearby – and sadly they lost many residents so far due to COVID-related illnesses (as have may facilities throughout the state)– but praise God – my father is still 1 of the 34 residents who is negative for the virus [...] so we give God praise! We enjoy weekly window visits with him as well.” I can only imagine how tough it must be to not be able to be with him in the same room, but am so thankful to hear that so far he is doing well. Finally, Alison and Kirk work with married couples doing weekly virtual sessions as leaders for the Family Life Ministry at their church. For Vineet and I, it’s been a unique time to be part of the healthcare system, one in which we are actively learning along the way about COVID-19 (the information seems to change daily if not hourly) and trying to support
patients and students we interact with as best as we can. I am beyond grateful to all the first responders and others who are working hard and taking risks every day to help all of humanity, whether it be healthcare providers, scientists, grocery store employees, truck drivers hauling supplies, local schools providing free meals to students, farmers, volunteers, and so many others. Each day we are reminded that, though we are all in this difficult time together, the most vulnerable in our world are still most at risk for poor health outcomes. We must do what we can to support everyone in this world as best we can and make sure we give extra support to those who face health and social inequities. I wish the best for all of you and your families.
1993 KRISTEN MISTRETTA WILSON
Our hearts are with Bradley Ray Crawford as she bravely faces her breast cancer diagnosis and treatment with strength and grace. She has also been grieving the unexpected loss of her mother in early March. She recently finished some of her chemo, and before her next treatments begin, she and her family are going to the NC mountains to safely quarantine, rest and recharge before returning to VA for more treatment. Please keep Bradley in your prayers. Alexia Fulgham Crump shared that daughter Catherine ’34 is starting Junior Kindergarten at SMS
in the fall of 2020! Alexia and her family went to FL over Memorial Day weekend and have a trip to Destin, FL planned for their annual family vacation in July. Alexia continues her important work in the Shelby County DA’s office. Allison Keltner Musick (Mak) shared that she is now doing acupuncture at ZüpMed in Laurelwood Shopping Center, an on-demand concierge medical clinic owned by SMS parents! Mindy Kronenberg shared that she traveled to Portugal in late February and was luckily able to get back to the US before the stay at home orders began! She said it was a wonderful trip and her Facebook pictures have me longing for travel again! Ever the kindhearted soul, Mindy said that her hope is that everyone is managing in this 2020 environment. Kathryn Brookfield shared that after 11 weeks of homeschooling in Atlanta things have finally started to return to normal. The silver lining was all the time she was able to spend with her children (ages 12, 11, and 9) and having absolutely nowhere to be. She said that as a full time working single mom, having that time with her children day in and day out was truly a gift, especially before the teenage years hit! I love her perspective and agree! On the work front, Kathryn won President’s Club with her company this past year and pre-pandemic was headed to Hawaii in May. Hopefully the trip will be rescheduled for September. She says that her Peloton bike was a SUMMER 2020 | 51
CLASS NOTES saving grace during the shut down and that she is hoping to catch a ride with Lee Raines Buchmann soon! If anyone else does Peloton, let her know! She is #HottyToddySpins on the bike. Leigh Weinberg Abbay shared that it is hard to believe that her oldest son, Bo, graduated from MUS this year and will be heading to University of Arizona in Tucson in the fall. They’re looking forward to some nice visits to Tucson! Her youngest son,Van, will be a sophomore at MUS this fall. They squeezed in a family trip to Grand Cayman the first week of March before the pandemic truly hit. Professionally, Rob continues to grow Abbay’s and Leigh is very happy with her job at Cantor Fitzgerald in sales. She spends a lot of time with Christian Turner and her precious son, Owen. Price Phillips Massey shared that she and her son, Matthew, made it to the end of second grade! She joked that she wasn’t sure if she did any better with second grade math the second time, but they finished. I agree that remote learning with the kids this spring was rough! Price and her family plan to spend time at Horseshoe Lake this summer. Pete Nelson from Treehouse Masters built an amazing treehouse at their lake house a few years ago and they have made a lot of good, family memories there. As for me, Kristen Mistretta Wilson, I continue to live in Charlotte, NC with my husband Jake and three boys (ages 11, 9 and 5). During the pandemic, we finally gave into the 52 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL
boys’ requests and added a very mischievous golden retriever to the family. Love to the class of 1993 and thanks for keeping in touch!
1995 CARRIE SUE CASEY
In the midst of a pandemic, our class rallied for an epic Zoom 25th Reunion with about 30 virtual attendants. Thank you Murff Oates Galbreath for the idea! It was a bright light during a challenging time; I particularly loved the glamorous lounging turbans of some classmates. In addition to that catch up, I got some “official reports.” Leigh Walker, who does IT project management and systems analysis for Cigna-Healthspring in Nashville, is engrossed in the music world in her spare time. She also has a cat who believes he’s a human or perhaps a dog - ha! Clare Kenney Foglesong and her family have “gone country” as she says, living in a farmhouse complete with a garden and chickens. She’s also a homeschooling veteran (help me, wise one), and her oldest Landon (14) will start high school this fall. Lyla (10) loves art and writing, and Nathan (3) is the family caboose. Her BFF is still Carolyn Seelbinder Boetger, with whom she visits regularly families in tow. Fellow country dweller Lisa Mulrooney Coombs reports that she got her Mississippi law license – so now she can practice in TN and MS. Elizabeth Cochran Hill completed nursing
school - and at the top of her class! Congratulations on this achievement (while also parenting two children)! She plans on being a cardiac nurse in the Atlanta area. Dhevi Kumar Broecker is loving Baltimore with son Ranga (7) and daughter Ambika (5). She resigned from a management consulting job to be with her family, and is on a United Nations Committee for Women First International (microfinance for women entrepreneurs in India and Africa) and the professional development lead for Women in Global Health. She enjoys being in the same town (and on the same kids’ soccer team) as Hallie Dinkelspiel Label ’94! Katherine Arnold Zenus reports that during the first weekend of quarantine, she and her husband got ambitious and set up an Olympics competition with their five kids. Now in a less labor intensive phase, she and her youngest daughter try to find fourleaf clovers on every walk - and usually succeed. Birminghamians (is that a word?) Hallie Bourland Wagner and Kathryn Wiseman are doing well. Hallie is rallying her three boys at home - important and hard work - and Kathryn is enjoying her work as a designer at Signature Homes, but Kat does miss globetrotting. Allison McConomy Davenport has been riding her Peloton with Kat when not busy with work at United HealthCare or her two girls (8 and 10) in Philly, where she has become a big Eagles fan. In Vienna,VA, Simone Kiersky
CLASS NOTES Coyle and husband Will are holding down the fort with homeschooling champs Evan (11) and Elise (9) and working from home. Fellow DC area turkey Ashley Goldstein Allen and her family moved into a new house and are smitten with their puppy, Arya Bark, sister of Calder Britt Clark’s puppy, who resides in Charleston, SC. Elizabeth Schatz Passarella and her family are doing well in NYC, all things considered - but wait, wait - her book The Good Apple: Tales of a Southern Evangelical in New York, will come out in 2021! A collection of stories about her life in New York, it shares why she lives in a two-bedroom apartment with three children, and explores her political proclivities and her faith. I hear some classmates, including Olivia Ralston, make appearances, but you’ll have to read it to confirm. Sonia Torrey continues her career as a therapist at an intensive outpatient program, working towards licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor. A fellow SMS grad from ‘09, Leah Bearman Pinkston, works with her! Sonia is still running like the wind on the Memphis streets, and when she’s home, caring for her cat Theo. And last but not least, our own thunder down under Allison Roberts has earned another graduate degree in - you guessed it - ornithology. Go Allison! She continues to thrive in Australia and we love hearing all of her zoological adventures. As for me, I am living off of regular Zoom calls and
contact with folks like Gabrielle Rose, Liz Jenkins, Dhevi Kumar Broecker, Olivia Ralston, Tricia Graue, Murff Oates Galbreath, and others, including Marion Forsyth Werkheiser ’97 and Adrianne Gray Bugg ’97. It was fun to catch up with Autumn Witt Boyd ‘97 over Zoom recently, too. I am so grateful for the extended SMS community and send everyone love, good humor, and best wishes during this challenging year.
1997 HOLLYE FERGUSON STIGLER
It’s hard to put into words what’s happening in our world this year. At the midpoint of 2020, we have faced deep sadness, grief and anger as we navigate a global pandemic, a cry for justice and the urgent need for policy reform. Like so many others, our classmates have transitioned to lives in quarantine for the past few months and stepped out to speak up in protests. Mandy Reed Ferguson wrote about her experience transitioning to working from home during the Spring. Cecelia Watson wrote our class and summed up these most recent days of 2020, “I'm peacefully protesting along with the rest of my community, because Black lives matter.” There will be many more opportunities for reflection and action in 2020 and beyond as we seek healing and work to ensure our communities are better places for all people.
1999 KELLY BUCKNER DALLAS
It was great hearing from so many of you and how you have been these past couple of months. Hilary Dinkelspiel Dona writes from Manhattan saying that she and her husband have loved spending the extra time with their one year old Wilder while both working from home. Thankful that you have been safe and healthy, Hilary. Kellyn Griffith Kropinak has been staying busy in Durham, NC with her children Griff and Ryn trying to homeschool and work from home. She is looking forward to escaping to the beach this summer. Jenny Jones Savage has also been enjoying extra time with her three little ones while at home. Her oldest Maddie ’33 will be in SK at St. Mary’s next year, Penny ’35 will be in PK, and Michael almost turning two. Sidney Hawkins Gargiulo has loved being home and constantly entertained by her baby girl Coraline and her son Jack. Several other babies have been born this spring. Thankful for all of the healthy new additions! Lillian Askew Everdell just welcomed baby girl Hayden in May. Her older daughter Charlotte is loving being a big sister! Susan Wunderink Mettes welcomed baby boy Lazarus to her family in May as well. Marynelle Wilson McNamara had a little girl Meredith in May to join her two-year old Rory. She writes that maternity leave has been much easier than trying to work SUMMER 2020 | 53
CLASS NOTES
Presley and Orion, children of Brittany Blockman Pelletier ’99
from home without any childcare. I think many of us can relate to that sentiment! Brittany Blockman Pelletier welcomed her son Orion last November. Brittany and her family just recently moved to Boise, ID for her to take the position of medical director for a new pediatric integrative medicine center at St. Luke's Children's Hospital. She is soaking in the natural beauty of that area with the many hiking trails and snowy ski mountains. Best of luck in your new role, Brittany! You make us all want to come visit Boise! Anne-Morgan Brookfield Morgan was also promoted to a new role as Executive Sales Representative for Eli Lilly this spring. Congratulations, AnneMorgan! She plans to spend some time this summer in NC with her parents before her two girls return to St. Mary’s in the fall. Elizabeth Hatzenbuehler 54 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL
Rory and Meredith, children of Marynelle Wilson McNamara ’99
recently accepted a new position as Senior Community Nutritionist at a Brookside Community Health Center in Boston working with the WIC program. Elizabeth graduated from Tufts University with a dual Masters Degree in Nutrition Science and Policy and Public Health (MS/MPH) in February. Congratulations, Liz! Erica Smith is celebrating her 11th year at ALSAC/St. Jude and recently returned to the Direct Marketing team as a Campaign Architect II. Besides that, she is looking forward to celebrating her twin boys’ first birthdays this summer and moving to her forever home. Not a dull moment for Erica these days! Courtenay Adams is thankful to be at Dixon Hughes Goodman for her 16th year working alongside Meg Parker Prewitt. She was disappointed to have to cancel her trip to Hawaii
this spring but hopes to reschedule for next year. She cannot wait to hug all her friends and family soon. I am with you, Courtenay! Annie McLaren Neufeld transitioned to Small Groups Pastor at her church in Pasadena, CA last year to spend more time with her two little girls. She was thrilled to be able to preach this spring—just the fourth time ever a woman has preached at her church. Last year she was the first! Way to go, Annie! Other than that, she has really been on lockdown in CA, not leaving at all except going to the grocery and to play in a friend’s backyard (while they weren’t there!) What an unusual and challenging time this has been for all of us! I have been home this spring with our three kids trying to homeschool and work. I have honestly enjoyed the slower pace and more time at home with the kids, but I am very hopeful that they will be back in school this fall. I have never been more thankful for the great and hard work teachers do every day! My oldest daughter, Mae ’27, will be in sixth grade at St. Mary’s. It is hard to believe she will be in middle school. There have been some changes since we were there though –fancy lockers, the amazing new gym and new dining hall along with the soonto-be-implemented uniforms! It is an exciting time to be at St. Mary’s. Hope you all have a safe, healthy, and fun summer!
CLASS NOTES 2001 LAUREN ANDERSON STONE
Well friends, what a heavy time this has been in our world.Yet time marches on, babies are born, children grow, careers flourish, and we are able to appreciate the good things in life with fresh perspective. I’m glad to be able to share some of those good things in this space. Caroline Gardner Donlin gave birth to her daughter Eleanor (Ellie) Gardner Donlin on May 18. Sudipa Sarkar Spaderna welcomed daughter Kirthi Sarkar Spaderna on the same day! Congratulations to these growing families. Courtney Taylor Humphreys is very thankful to have finished out this school year, and Tucker, Heloise ’32 and Annie ’34 are looking forward to 3rd grade, 1st grade and JK next year. She says she didn’t expect to be the mom lamenting the passing of time, but here we are! Courtney lives around the corner from Louise Chandler Biedenharn, and they’ve been having a blast letting their kids play outside together. Tanya Sibai Race’s kids Dudley, 7, and Vivienne, almost 4, both attend St. George's Episcopal School in New Orleans, where Tanya was Treasurer for the Parents Group Board. She still works for Latrobe Management, but has also started a new balloon decor business that really took off with the stay at home mandate in the spring. Powdered Wig Balloons is a full service custom balloon decor company that allows people to decorate in over-the-
top NOLA style but in a more environmentally mindful manner. Most of the balloons they use are high quality 100% latex, which is 100% biodegradable, and they are inflated with air, not helium. What a great idea! Anna Snyder Rojas says Jane ’32 is entering 1st grade at St. Mary’s and loves it, of course! Ben will be starting PDS next year and is so excited. They got to see Hayley Bower Gerber and her boys over the summer and had so much fun playing together. Claire Davies Rhodes got tenure at Florida State College at Jacksonville. Congratulations, Claire! Sara Beth Dike Frye recently replaced her 11 year old CR-V with a new 2020 CR-V Touring model with a heated steering wheel and remote start, which just may help a Southern girl survive another Ohio winter! She and Jason have done well with teleworking, and Patrick, 8, enjoyed preparing his first power point presentation, on COVID-19 statistics, and sharing it with his classmates via Zoom. Mira Patel shares that in 2018, she left the National Gallery of Art to pursue a Master of Arts in Production Design from the Savannah College of Art and Design. She worked on independent films and commercial shoots in the DC area until March, when she and Ben moved to Brooklyn for her new job in the Art Department for the TV show FBI, airing on CBS. Production shuttered the following week due to COVID-19, but she’s looking forward to rejoining the
team when they can reopen. My family has enjoyed all the extra time together, and my three kids amaze me daily with their creativity and resilience. We are so grateful for our health and safety thus far. Thinking of you all and sending Light & Life and love.
2003 LAURENCE GOODWIN
It was great to hear from Emily Edwards, Catherine Fox, Audrey Bourland Hurst, Mary Kneeland Metcalf Nice, Carmen Carson Gorospe, Anne Taylor Tipton Manning, Allison Jones, Katie Hobson Novikoff, Julia McMillen, Anna Schwarz Shabtay, Elle Carolino Drouin who all claim they don’t have much to report but who all sound very busy to me! Melissa Malone Teague has recently joined a startup, Kairos Power, as a senior nuclear fuel engineer helping to design an advanced small modular reactor to be competitive with natural gas prices but with zero greenhouse gas emissions. Nelie Zanca Lynch took over as head of marketing for Quilted Northern toilet paper in Atlanta in February and jokes that “sales went up almost immediately…” (!) Lizzie Gill has recently become engaged to Justin Foreman (MUS ‘04). Congratulations, Lizzie! Carey Faber Campbell recently had her second daughter, Lucy. Her elder daughter, Dottie, ’32 has just SUMMER 2020 | 55
CLASS NOTES finished her 3 year old year at SMS with Mrs Coates as her teacher. Mary Austin Mays Smith had her fourth child, Ollie, in April. Her daughter, Phoebe Diane, will start at SMS in August along with Abby Yandell Talbot’s daughter Winn. Jessica Scott Fowler and Ben have enjoyed spending time with their son, Henry, during lockdown. Camille Herman Boyle’s son Austin is turning 2 next month; she is expecting another little boy in September. Speaking of babies, Elizabeth Fong Honey recently had identical twin boys while Maggie Norville Brackin and Whitney Bainer Schablik both gave birth to girls in January. Michelle Ralston Morris also added to the ‘03 brood with a son in April. Congratulations on all the babies y’all! Rachel Bresinger Ashkenazi reports that things are slowly returning back to more or less normal in Israel. She has been spending the last two and a half weeks with her children, Omer (4) and Hadar (2). Jess Pfeffer is still working at Deerfield Academy as the Assistant Director of Academic Support and recently taught an elective to seniors (over Zoom) this term called Gender on Screen (about gender and film). Alexandra Bicks has recently moved back down south to North Carolina with her partner Adam and has just been made the educational director of the Conservative synagogue in Durham.
56 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL
Kathryn Beale Flannigan is still working as an assistant professor of nursing at Arkansas State University and now serves as the clinical coordinator and still teaches the maternal-newborn content. She, David and their six year old twins have discovered a love for hiking recently. Joelle Pittman Elliott married Evan Elliott in April; she and Evan are living in Bowling Green where they are renovating a house that was built in 1880. Saira Khan Shaikh is still in Pittsburgh working as the program director for endocrine at Allegheny General. She’s been busy seeing patients remotely and in the clinic as well as creating all-virtual interviews for the fellowship program this year (and trying to keep up with her toddler). As for me, I've been reconnecting with a lot of people over Zoom and Whatsapp group calls over the past couple of months which has been a bright spot amongst the chaos. In May, some of the MUS/SMS theatre crowd got together to read Neil Simon's Rumors which we first performed about 20 (!) years ago. Morgan Beckford ’05, Polly Klyce Pennoyer ’02, Caroline Fourmey ’02, Lindsay Coates Horvatich ’02 and Ansley Fones ’05 were all there. It was great to see everyone and I'm weirdly grateful for the pandemic for giving us the push to get back in touch with each other.
James Musice, son of Hillary Edwards Musice ’05
2005 SARAH ATKINSON BALL LAUREN WIYGUL RILEY
Wonderful to hear from you all, as always! Rainey Ray Segars writes, “We were sad that the last quarter of school was cut short by quarantine, but Teddy had a great year as a Grace St. Luke's Mudpuppy, and I had a terrific year at SMS. Quarantine helped Teddy discover some fun at-home activities, like squirting our garage with water guns and dumping out all of the glitter onto the driveway during craft time, to see if he could ‘make the street sparkle.’ Elizabeth Tipton Musick recently partnered with another attorney to form a small firm in Bozeman called Musick & Tierney Law, PLLC. They specialize in criminal defense and family law. Alison West Pettus can’t believe she has been living in Nashville for 15 years now. Daughter Brittain turned three in April and is
CLASS NOTES now big sister to baby Evans, born on February 10. Grace Jensen Knight is enjoying her three kids and can’t believe daughter Mary ’32 is finishing in the SMS Early Childhood Center and headed to 1st grade. Everyone is doing well! Laura Holladay Fletcher welcomed baby girl Caroline in January. Congratulations to the Fletcher family! Katie Brookoff reports, “I co-made a video game about someone getting her boss coffee (a classic video game trope)! www.landlubbersgame.com and I got a jump rope, but I am not as good as I used to be during my peak ‘Jump Rope for Heart’ days. Other than that, I am just really embracing not physically going in to work and having weird zoom conversations with elementary school kids.” Laura Jennings Yacoubian has enjoyed spending the last few months at home with her girls and has really expanded her vegetable garden this year. Daughter Helen starts kindergarten in the fall. Laura and Paul will celebrate their tenth anniversary this summer. They were looking forward to spending it in NYC but are postponing their trip for another time. Rebecca Harris writes, “I’ve been in lockdown in my studio apt and working from home since March 6. At the time of writing this, that’s 82 days. Cleaning, organizing, cooking, bingeing every streaming service that exists, gazing longingly out the window. I wouldn’t call it thriving, but I’m surviving COVID in NYC!” Sarah
Atkinson Ball and husband Erik welcomed baby Nate in November. In other news, their cat-sons Withnail and Terence have become sworn enemies and live on separate floors of the house.
2007 CAITLIN CLARK CAITLIN COLCOLOUGH WILLIAMS
Adrienne Adler-Neal is now officially an MD, PhD! She matched at UTSW for psychiatry residency starting in July. Caitlin Clark is completing her Internal Medicine residency in June, and moving from Cleveland to Durham, NC in July with her new mini goldendoodle puppy Cody to start her Neurocritical Care fellowship at Duke University. She’s taking care of lots of COVID patients in the meantime. Caitlin Colcolough Williams is taking over her mom’s Lisa Britt Colcolough ’77 stationery and gift business and gets to work closely with Linley Prosterman Stokes as her in-house stationer designing wedding invites and wedding day pieces. Cameron Colcolough Reynolds has enjoyed shooting porch portraits to raise money for local charities focused on COVID-19 relief efforts. Chelsea Cook got sworn into the North Carolina Bar in December and is practicing in Durham as part of the Legal Aid of North Carolina's Eviction Diversion Team. Otherwise she’s climbing mountains, gardening, and baking pies and the occasional
wedding cake. Charlotte Eagle is currently riding out this pandemic alone in NYC. Last week, she graduated with a Masters in Library and Information Sciences from Pratt Institute School of Information making her a full blown librarian! Pre-pandemic she was working at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and for the Gagosian Gallery (in their respective libraries). Caroline Fentress is in the Bay Area now working as a producer on the game Marvel's Avengers that comes out on Sept 4. Bryson Schaeffer Kennedy graduated Duke’s MSN program and is now a Nurse Practitioner with Eventus WholeHealth in Charlotte, NC and loves it! She cares for her own facility of about 100 acute rehab and long term care patients. She says she’s grateful to be in healthcare right now, hoping to make a difference in this crazy unpredictable time! She also lives in an almost 100-year-old home and have some renovation plans in the near future! Allie Stephens Eick welcomed her third son, Peter, in December. She says that life with three little boys is loud and messy, but it’s also full and filled with lots of love and silliness! Julie Markowitz Warheit and her husband recently built a house, and says they’ll be in MI for the long haul. She was promoted to Journals Manager at Wayne State University Press (only took 6.5 years)! So things have been pretty good recently, aside from the world collapsing around us. Elizabeth Womack Edmundson started working as a research SUMMER 2020 | 57
CLASS NOTES coordinator at UTHSC mostly focusing on cancer health disparities research. She will be running a digital 2.5 day workshop where trainees will have the opportunity to speak with nationally-recognized experts in Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) who will present on a variety of CBPR components and research across the cancer continuum. In addition, trainees will have the opportunity to develop their own study ideas and receive feedback from experts in the field. She also got a dog, Archer!
2009 SYLVIA BROOKOFF BAILEY BETHELL FOUNTAIN
Lindsey Driver and her fiance Joe Pagni bought a house in Colonial Acres in Memphis. They will be married in November 2020! Alex Tyler just celebrated 6 years at iProspect, where she is currently managing advertising teams for the Tory Burch and Urban Outfitters accounts. She is also planning her upcoming October 2020 wedding in Fort Worth, TX with her fiance, Kyle Harding! Catherine Vaughn Bunker still enjoys teaching first grade at Christ Methodist Day School. Her daughters, Caroline and Wallis, will be starting JK and 2K there in the fall. Wallis Tosi Steiner married Josh Steiner on April 4, 2020, in her backyard on Zoom due to COVID-19. She and her husband started a new creative 58 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL
concept company, W&J (check them out on Facebook and Instagram!). She continues to work at Karen Adams Designs where they have renovated a warehouse in the Edge District and are moving into their new headquarters in early summer. Sam Baumstark is still based in Orange County, CA and is working as a software consultant for New York City’s public health system during a very interesting time! She is getting married in November 2020 to her fiance Ryan Daza. Sophie Page Lintner and her husband moved to Austin, TX. She just completed her seventh year teaching 4th grade! Austin Nichols Boukli and her husband welcomed the birth of their daughter, Ann Campbell, on March 12, 2020! In may they moved to Nashville where Sam is practicing law and Austin is enjoying maternity leave. Brandon O’Brien Jankovsky and her husband are enjoying their first year of marriage in Houston, TX. Brandon celebrated 5 years with Discovery Education this April, and during quarantine she re-read East of Eden. Jordan Reeve is in Houston, TX, working as a Sales and Operations Manager for Caterpillar Financial. She will celebrate 7 years with the company this summer! Sylvia Brookoff is engaged and suddenly a mom to a 5-year-old! She works in Brand strategy at the airline JetBlue and recently bought two guinea pigs (latke and Phineas). Leah Bearman Pinkston and her husband welcomed their daughter,
Dorothy, on October 23, 2019. Leah is working as the Intensive Outpatient Program Coordinator at Mental Health Resources. Claire Riley survived one of the world’s strictest lockdowns in a Europeansized studio for 75 days while transitioning her students’ classes to be fully online.Virtual game nights with Kathryn Waggoner Edwards, Christine Petrin, Jordan Reeve, and Natalie Jacewicz Kern helped her pass the time between her weekly supermarket trips! Natalie Jacewicz Kern graduated from NYU law school in May and is based in NYC as a fellow at the Institute for Policy Integrity, a law and economics think tank focused on environmental issues. She will move to D.C. this summer to clerk on the D.C. District Court. Kathryn Waggoner Edwards continues to enjoy living in Atlanta, where she met up with Alexandra Yawn and Rainey Gernigan for a Grizzlies game before the pandemic. In her time at home, she baked sourdough (like many other 20-something year-old women in America), celebrated her sister Elizabeth Waggoner’s ‘16 virtual college graduation, and played countless tennis games with her husband Pearce. Christine Petrin graduated from medical school at Tulane and will be moving to DC for a combined residency in Internal Medicine-Pediatrics at Georgetown. Until then, she’s spending quarantine re-watching The Office. Sasha Hosick moved back to Memphis
CLASS NOTES last fall, bringing a new foster care support non-profit, Foster Village Memphis, to our community. She has been working through the ins and outs of a non-profit startup along with advocating for children in foster care and making connections with the state and community connectors, all while nannying her favorite littles. Karen Stein Robbins and her husband are loving their new home in Baltimore! Karen just celebrated 7 years at SPANX and continues to lead the Brand team and now Wholesale Marketing team as well. Elizabeth Ansbro loves living in Austin, TX, where she is an Office Tenant Representation Broker at JLL. Lavanya Mittal was deployed to treating COVID-19 patients in New York City. On her last day, she left straight from work to go to upstate New York and adopt a Maltese puppy named Benji! Aubree Penney is currently developing an exhibition on witchcraft, domestic space, and neoliberalism for 2021 in Brussels. She is looking forward to a post-pandemic curatorial residency focusing on audio description as visual practice at Dimensions Arts Center in Chongqing. Bailey Bethell Fountain still loves her job at Le Bonheur where she is a Physician Assistant in Cardiothoracic Surgery. Liza Leatherman will be starting nursing school at University of Tennessee Health Science Center in the fall! Overall the Class of 2009 continues to thrive during the tumultuous year of 2020!
2011 MEG CORNAGHIE ALLYSON PATTERSON DALTON
Hannah Allen is graduating from University of Tennessee Medical School and will be starting OB GYN residency at VCU in Richmond,VA. Catherine Bolich loves working at Amazon and living in Seattle. Allie Williams Borovik had a son! His name is Quinn Borovik and was born at home on February 3. Allie is still growing veggies in Austin! Louisa Boyd graduated with highest honors from University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) College of Medicine and is excited to move to St. Louis to start her 6-year plastic and reconstructive surgery residency. Suzette Coors is teaching 7th grade language arts in Charleston, SC and was named the teacher of the year at her school! Meg Cornaghie is starting her second year as an Orthopedic Surgery resident at University of Arkansas in Little Rock and just bought her first house! Teresa Hendrix Daniel joined the Digital User Experience team at FedEx as a Senior Design Strategist working on the mobile app. Caroline Frisch is starting her second year at Harvard Business School and will be working in Tennessee this summer on the COVID response effort. Katie Kaelin Fronterhouse spent the spring virtually teaching Kindergarten in Dallas. Abby McAtee Gatliff is studying to earn her Masters
of Divinity and is preparing for the birth of her daughter! Eliza Hendrix is pursuing her doctorate in Occupational Therapy at Washington University in St. Louis and will be working at a rehab hospital in Fort Worth, TX this summer. Tinsley McBride spent the last year relocating from Nashville to Knoxville to open the new Free People location and get it on its feet. In her 5th year with the company, she will be moving to Tampa to lead a new relocation. Anna Morten is celebrating her 5th anniversary at The Link Group this year! Mary Peeler graduated medical school (virtually!) in May. She’ll be staying in Baltimore at Johns Hopkins for her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Taylor Simms moved to San Francisco for her new job in business sales at TMobile. In February, Erika Steuer embarked on a 4,000+ mile, solo cross country road trip, visiting 15 cities and 7 National Parks and traded the cold weather of upstate NY for sunny Southern California. Olivia Grace Wolfe moved to Colorado Springs in 2018 to pursue a corporate career but because of a favorable connection, she was introduced to a couple who helped her take control back of her life and create financial independence, so she could walk away from her corporate job. She now spends more time with her family, close friends, and sweet dog Cella! Angela Yu is recently engaged! Maria Zoccola has been busy in Savannah, Georgia. SUMMER 2020 | 59
CLASS NOTES This year in her nonprofit job, she’s started a program for Latinx youth, expanded the after-school writing program into the local high schools, and is about to launch virtual summer camps for her middle school youth.
2013 ANNA STUKENBORG ANNA UTLEY
Lida Kruchten bought a house in east Memphis. Dakota Beasley graduated from the University of Memphis Law School with a JD and MBA and will start work at Glanker Brown in September. Sarah Spiers designed and is leading the International Game Developer Association Foundation’s Online Diversity Program, recently released a game with PBS for their new TV show, and ran another 5K. Anna Stukenborg just finished her second year teaching in Greenville, SC and is pursuing a Masters in Counselor Education at Clemson University. Caela Rhea graduated from University of Alabama with a Masters in Counselor Education and is planning a COVID-19 safe wedding. McKenzie McClanahan graduated from UTHSC with a Doctor of Physical Therapy and will take her board exams in July. Ellie Harrison is starting her third year in her Masters of Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Loyola University New Orleans and will be working as an intern at the New Orleans Family Justice 60 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL
Center. Hannah Stein Hammer is living in Dallas with husband Evan and will begin teaching first grade in the fall. Lucy Newton is living in Tuscaloosa, AL, working as an Industrial Engineer at Brose, and finished her first half marathon race earlier this year. Emma Less was promoted to Development Manager: Annual Giving and Grants at the Levitt Shell and is completing the New Memphis Embark leadership program. Ariyan Nicole Cox is wrapping up her time as Chief Scribe at Baptist East ER and will be starting medical school at St. George’s University this August. Sukriti Mohan has been following up with recovering COVID-19 patients while starting her third year of medical school at USC. Katie Heard was admitted to the Harvard School of Business and will begin the MBA program next year.
2015 MICHELLE CHU EMMA FARRIS
Ami Agrawal graduated from Cornell University last year with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and is currently pursuing her Masters of Engineering at Cornell as well. Emma Farris graduated from The George Washington University last spring with a B.A. in International Affairs, specializing in Security Policy and Latin America. Emma is the Princeton in Latin America (PiLA) Fellow for the 2019-2020
year at the Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress in Costa Rica. Due to COVID-19, Emma has received early alumni status as a PiLA fellow but continues to work in San José, Costa Rica for the Foundation as a full-time employee. Lynley Matthews graduated from Columbia University and is currently finishing her first year of medical school at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. Lynley was hired as a suture tech at Regional One Health and recently volunteered at a COVID-19 testing site. Abbie Warr graduated from Sewanee: The University of the South last year with a degree in psychology. She recently finished her first year of her Masters in speech-language pathology. Maggie McAtee is living in Birmingham, AL. She is a Neonatal ICU nurse at Grandview Medical Center. Her favorite part of the job has been watching babies hit milestones that weren’t imaginable just a few days before they were achieved. Not only does she work with babies, but she is very patiently waiting for the arrival of a baby niece, courtesy of Abby McAtee Gatliff ’11. Mary Thompson is back in Memphis working at the David Lusk Gallery, supporting social media strategy for Smarthistory, an online art history resource, and volunteering at Planned Parenthood. Samantha Wischmeyer recently graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design studying motion media design. Now, Samantha is working as a motion designer at BLKBX
CLASS NOTES
Lily Russell ’17 donates plasma for COVID-19 patients.
Creative Group in LA. Olivia Bernabe is living and working in Brooklyn, New York City at a spiritual healing center called Maha Rose, where she will be getting certified in Reiki this summer. She is also working at an off-broadway theatre company called the COOP, while continuing to audition for shows and completing some gigs for MTV and HBO. She is also part of an activist group called Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir, where Olivia works with music and song throughout NYC. Lila Gordon graduated from Temple University studying Neuroscience and Global Studies and will complete a research internship in the fall if the pandemic situation permits. Jane Morrison is living in New York City and working for Ernst and Young as a consultant in the Financial Services
L to R: Mary Peeler ’11, Margie Peeler ’17, and Anna Peeler ’13 enjoy their trip to Machu Picchu in Peru.
Advisory program. This fall, Jane will be running as a St. Jude Hero for the NYC 50th Anniversary Marathon with Melissa Byrd ‘12, who works as a Regional Manager of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (ALSAC). Michelle Chu graduated from Oberlin College last spring with majors in Film and Creative Writing and currently works in Los Angeles at Topple Productions as the Office Production Assistant. Michelle also works as a video editor for an upcoming culture app. Ashton Terry graduated in December with a Psychology degree and a minor in Child Development. She currently works as an assistant teacher in a classroom with toddlers in addition to starting prerequisites for an Occupational Therapy Masters Program. Hannah Pfrommer recently graduated
from the University of Colorado Boulder with a Masters in Science in Integrative Physiology, researching how sleep disruption increases type 2 diabetes risk. Hannah is currently applying for medical schools. Liza Curran recently graduated from the University of Mississippi with a major in Accounting and a minor in Real Estate. Recently, she took a gap year to travel and will be moving to Dallas to start a new accounting job.
2017 RACHEL CHIN JEAN JACKSON ANAR PARMAR
Emma Mansberg celebrated her virtual graduation from the University of Alabama with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. She is excited to get her master’s degree next year in Women’s Studies at the University of SUMMER 2020 | 61
CLASS NOTES
The Class of 2017 celebrating and reuniting BR: Lelia Jones, Caroline Culpepper, Mary Ashley Murrah, Lilly Russell, Meg Jones. FR: Ramey Bourland, Lily Saab, Elizabeth Caradonna.
Alabama as well. Roll tide! Grayson Lusk-Hussong is keeping busy during this quarantine and spending her summer interning with Little Friends for Peace this summer in Washington D.C. Megan Wassef worked hard this year even though it was cut short, but still received the Student Supervisor of the Year Award for her job at Rhodes College. Margie Peeler is currently working for an organic produce farm outside of Knoxville this summer. Before the lockdown, Margie went to Peru with her sister Anna Peeler ’13 to visit her eldest sister Mary Peeler ’11 who is currently doing a rotation at a hospital there and visited Machu Picchu. Celie Shankman was studying abroad in South Korea before the lockdown and since then, she has been working at the Humane Society of Memphis and Shelby County for 62 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL
Olivia House '18 with Madeline O'Toole '18 at Rhodes College bid day.
five months and started her own jewelry shop! Ramey Bourland has an internship this summer in Dallas, TX for a digital ad and PR agency called Matchfire where she will serve as an account management intern. This fall, Camryn Dean had the opportunity to continue her studies of Psychology with a minor in Film & Television abroad at Uppsala University in Sweden. She says, “It was a great experience, and I really enjoyed making friends from all over the world!” Back in the states, Camryn has continued to take Swedish classes and hopes to visit Sweden again. This fall she will return to UCLA where she will serve as the Marketing Chair of The Bruin Experiment, an on-campus organization whose goal is to spark scientific curiosity in underprivileged youth in Los Angeles. Every year, they help middle school students create their own science fair projects for a science fair annually hosted by
Class of 2018 friends Evie Laney, Hattie Fogarty, Martha Kay Williams, and Claire Daniel in Sewanee, TN
UCLA. Lexie Rook is spending her summer studying and sitting for the LSAT and working as an intern for Gerber Taylor in Memphis. Due to COVID-19, she was sent home from her study abroad program in Italy in early March.This fall, she will serve as a student ambassador for the Walton College of Business and the University of Arkansas as well as the VP Membership for Order of Omega. She will also participate in Arkansas’s most advanced finance program, Portfolio Management. Lexie will be applying to law schools for Fall 2021. Lucy Landrum is in the pharmacy fast track program at Samford University. She received her white coat in October and just completed her first year of pharmacy school. This fall she will start her second year and intends on receiving a Doctorate of Pharmacy in May 2023. Additionally, Lucy plans to pursue a dual degree of a Masters in Public Health.
CLASS NOTES
Taylor Ann Wilson ’19 in a gymnastics competition.
2019 FAITH BRADLEY ARABELLA MCGOWAN
The Class of 2019 spent their first year as St. Mary’s alumnae! While many started their first year of college, Liv Gamble took a gap year working as an au pair for a family in Paris and traveling around Europe. In Memphis, Karsen Springfield was inducted into the Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society at CBU. At Rhodes, Mary La was Secretary of A.S.I.A. and Financial Officer of Rhodes's Big Brother Big Sister chapter. This summer, she will be participating in a month long health professions education program as a SHPEP scholar. Kiki Whartenby was on the honor roll this semester at Rhodes where she is studying history and English. Kiki also pledged Chi Omega and began
teaching Sunday school at Christ Community Church. Annie Leatherman, Abby Utley, and Becca Shutzberg also pledged Chi Omega. Annie is pursuing a degree in integrated marketing and communications at Ole Miss. Abby is majoring in Multimedia Journalism at Loyola University Chicago where she writes for the satirical newspaper, The Gull, and volunteers for Best Buddies International. Becca is studying biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Georgia and joined the Undergraduate Pediatric Society. Also at Georgia, Langston Myers pledged Alpha Delta Pi and became their formal chair. She plans on majoring in psychology and minoring in business and is a part of UGA Miracle on their family relations staff. Another Alpha Delta Pi, Jordan Gurley is an officer for her chapter at the College of Charleston where she is studying arts management. Emily Richards is a member of the University of South Carolina's Honors College and Top Scholars Program. She is studying accounting and is considering applying for the accelerated Masters of Accountancy Program. She was accepted into the Business Community Leadership Fellowship, a program that connects business undergraduates with businesses in the Columbia community in order to connect the business with community needs more easily. She was also a member of U of SC's Dance Marathon
staff, raising over $600 for a local Columbia children's hospital. Also at the University of South Carolina, Zoe Roussey joined Alpha Gamma Delta and is studying psychology. Emma Harkavy is also studying psychology and has joined Sigma Delta Tau at Tulane. In Florida, Sophia Meibohm plans to major in neuroscience and minor in chemistry and Spanish at the University of Miami where she plans outreach for the service organization Art of Healing and is an Orientation Fellow. Also at the University of Miami, Joy Jackson joined the women’s club rugby team, but her first season was unfortunately cut short. Jessie Shutzberg is majoring in mechanical engineering with a minor in biomechanics at the University of Florida where she joined Dream Team Engineering and Volunteering for UF Health Shands Hospital. Sidney Seale is involved with service learning through Tulane’s 5 year bachelor of architecture program as well as the Tulane Women in Architecture Club. Faith Bradley is studying biomedical engineering at Vanderbilt University where she serves as the Public Relations Chair for the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). Also at Vanderbilt, Gabby Perez is involved with the Catholic ministry and Alpha Chi Omega. She will be a counselor at The Pines Catholic Camp this summer and lead freshmen welcome events in the fall. SUMMER 2020 | 63
CLASS NOTES
Class of 2019 gather before leaving for college. BR: Snehi Vaghela, Lily Smith, Bella Zafer, Zoe Roussey, Arabella McGowan, Merrill Culpepper, Maddie Jenks FR: Lindsey Fields, Jordan Gurley, Langston Myers, Jessie Shutzberg, Sara Fraser, and Becca Shutzberg
Arabella McGowan plans to study history, English and government at Dartmouth College where she enjoyed spending her first year hiking and skiing in beautiful New Hampshire outdoors and volunteering for local schools in the Upper Valley. Maddie Jenks joined Alpha Omicron Pi and Kappa Alpha Pi, a pre-law fraternity, at the University of Tennessee. Merrill Culpepper is studying nursing at the University of Alabama where she pledged Kappa Delta. Bella Schaffer is also studying nursing at Texas Christian University and has enjoyed being a member of her sorority Alpha Chi Omega. Abbie Ryan also pledged Alpha Chi Omega at the University of South Carolina where she is majoring 64 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL
in marketing and minoring in Spanish. Abbie is involved with the Capstone Scholars community service program and the Dance Marathon organization. Sara Fraser finished her first year at Colgate University and enjoyed serving as a member of the President’s Club Student Committee, Colgate’s version of the SMCF. Mackenzie Fittes made the Dean’s List as well and will spend her summer working at Billy Hardwick's All Star Lanes. She was also extended an invitation to UT's freshman honors fraternity. Taylor Ann Wilson, Megan Tang, Abbey Autry and Claire Pellegrin all had successful seasons in their first year as college athletes. Taylor Ann is a member of the Ladies Gymnastics Team and
is studying biology at Centenary College of Louisiana. Megan Tang is playing Division I golf and studying kinesiology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Abbey had a busy year both in and out of the classroom swimming at Rollins College where she is majoring in Business Administration. She made the Dean’s List both semesters and joined Chi Omega. Claire swims for the Centre College swim team where her team placed 2nd overall in the SAA Conference. Claire also made the Dean’s List and participated in SGA. Though the end of this school year did not play out as expected, the Class of 2019 has found time to appreciate and reflect upon their first year after graduation.
MILESTONES MARRIAGES
Helen Donelson ’70 to Wayne Brafford November 30, 2019 Joelle Pittman ’03 to Evan Elliott April 6, 2020 Katherine Fockler ’06 to William P. Steele III April 18, 2020
Alix de Witt ’12 married Ryan Harte on December 21, 2019. Celebrating with her classmates are L to R: Katherine Patronis, Amritha Kanakamedala , Alix, Sara Kim and Lauren Pate
Ginni Fischer ’07 to Andrew Larkins August 3, 2019 Wallis Tosi ’09 to Josh David Steiner April 4, 2020 Alix de Witt ’12 to Ryan Harte December 21, 2019 Meredith Taylor ’12 to John Serdakowski February 8, 2020
Meredith Taylor ’12 married John Serdakowski on February 8, 2020.
Ginni Fischer ’07 married Andrew Larkins on August 3, 2019.
Wallis Tosi ’09 married Josh David Steiner on April 4, 2020.
Katherine Fockler ’06 married William P. Steele III on April 18, 2020.
Jordan Upton ’12 to Jackson Schieffler March 7, 2020 Callie Wallace ’13 to Keaton Vann February 22, 2020 Mimi Billings ’14 to Will Lindberg June 27, 2020
SUMMER 2020 | 65
MILESTONES
Mimi Billings ’14 married Will Lindberg on June 27, 2020. Celebrating with her are classmates: Maddie Droke, Camille Cowart, and Katherine Donovan Dean.
BIRTH/ADOPTIONS
Mary Louisa Copp to Melissa Carson Copp ’96 October 1, 2019 Hayden Elizabeth Everdell to Lillian Askew Everdell ’99 April 29, 2020 Meredith Grace McNamara to Marynelle Wilson McNamara ’99 May 8, 2020 Lazarus Oak Mettes to Susan Wunderink Mettes ’99 May 23, 2020 Orion Wilder Pelletier to Brittany Blockman Pelletier ’99 November 28, 2019
66 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL
Eleanor “Ellie” Gardner Donlin to Caroline Gardner Donlin ’01 May 18, 2020
Charles Fassett Hickey to Cathleen Ray Hickey ’04 December 6, 2019
Kirthi Sarkar Spaderna to Sudipa Sarkar Spaderna ’01 May 18, 2020
Emma Rose Flug to Morgan Lobe ’04 February 20, 2020
Benjamin “Ben” Andrew Wooldridge to Kate Thornton Wooldridge ’02 April 28, 2020
Frederick Alexander Mills to Patricia Ellen Blount Mills ’04 November 10, 2019
Claire Amelia Brackin to Maggie Norville Brackin ’03 January 11, 2020
Michael Everett Morich to Victoria Luke Morich ’04 January 23, 2020
Lucille Jeanne Campbell to Carey Faber Campbell ’03 January 2, 2020
Rhett Anker Olesen to Laine Peeler Olesen ’04 October 23, 2019
Henry Patton Fowler to Jessica Scott Fowler ’03 April 12, 2020
Ari Louise Francisco Rosenberg to Ashford Carney Rosenberg ’04 April 18, 2020
Jackson Dale Honey and Harrison Peter Honey to Elizabeth Fong Honey ’03 January 22, 2020
Carter Ellis Tait to Blair Carter Tait ’04 January 16, 2020
Frederick Howell Morris to Michelle Ralston Morris ’03 April 20, 2020 Oliver Patrick Smith to Mary Austin Mays Smith ’03 April 9, 2020 Joy Marie Dugger to Elise Addington Dugger ’04 January 1, 2020
Laura Holladay Fletcher ’05 with daughter, Caroline Faith Fletcher, born January 9, 2020.
MILESTONES Nathaniel Horace Ball to Sarah Atkinson Ball ’05 November 29, 2019 Caroline Faith Fletcher to Laura Holladay Fletcher ’05 January 9, 2020 Caroline “Evans” Pettus to Alison West Pettus ’05 February 10, 2020 Benjamin Heschel Cooper to Elliott Machin Cooper ’06 July 7, 2020 Thomas Pine Moore to Ellen Page Moore ’06 November 16, 2019 Edward “Ed” Stephen Lindsey to Kate Foster Lindsey ’07 May 26, 2020 Benjamin Leonard Anthony III to Rebecca Schaeffer Anthony ’09 February 11, 2020 Ann Campbell Boukli to Austin Nichols Boukli ’09 March 12, 2020 Dorothy Ann Pinkston to Leah Bearman Pinkston ’09 October 23, 2019 Quinn Borovik to Allie Williams Borovik ’11 February 3, 2020
Nate Ball, son of Sarah Atkinson Ball ’05 born on November 29, 2019.
Eleanor Elizabeth Gatliff to Abby McAtee Gatliff ’11 June 8, 2020 Levi Tatem Lipari to Julia DeVincenzo Lipari ’12 June 10, 2020
PROFESSIONAL UPDATES
Anne-Morgan Brookfield Morgan ’99 Executive Sales Representative, Eli Lilly Brittany Blockman Pelletier ’99 Medical Director for the Pediatric Integrative Medicine Center, St. Luke's Children's Hospital, Boise, ID Laurence Goodwin ’03 Head of U.S. and International University Applications, Sevenoaks School Rachel Bearman ’04 Moving to St. Louis, MO to begin her new position as the Associate Rabbi of Congregation Shaare Emeth
Lauren Arnold Bell ’04 Graduated residency in Pediatrics and started a threeyear Adolescent Medicine Fellowship at Indiana University/Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, IN Amy Crawford Céspedes ’04 Joined Accenture LLP’s legal department as Senior Legal Counsel, Litigation & Dispute Management Elizabeth Jemison ’04 Published book Christian Citizens: Reading the Bible in Black and White in the Postemancipation South with University of North Carolina Press, forthcoming fall 2020. www.uncpress. org/book/9781469659695/ christian-citizens/ Meredith Robinson ’06 Senior Recruiter at Moda Operandi Suzette Coors ’11 Teacher of the year, Philip Simmons Middle School, Semifinalist teacher of the district Allyson Patterson Dalton ’11 WELL Accredited Professional: denotes expertise in the WELL Building Standard and a commitment to advancing human health and wellness in the built environment. SUMMER 2020 | 67
MILESTONES Ellery Ammons ’12 Senior Consultant, Booz Allen Hamilton in Washington, DC
Christine Petrin ’09 Doctor of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine
Lauren Petrin ’12 Juris Doctorate, University of Maryland
Sara Kim ’12 Deployed to the Enhanced Surveillance Epidemiology Task Force as part of the CDC’s COVID-19 Emergency Response
Hannah Allen ’11 Doctor of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Dakota Beasley ’13 Juris Doctorate and Masters in Business Administration, University of Memphis
Lauren Pate ’12 Policy Specialist, Twitter in San Francisco, California
Lousia Boyd ’11 Doctor of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center
POSTGRADUATE DEGREES
Teresa Hendrix Daniel ’11 Masters of Arts in Journalism and Strategic Media, University of Memphis
Elizabeth Cochran Hill ’95 RN, BSN, Georgia Baptist College of Nursing of Mercer University
Chandler Lee ’11 Doctor of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Allison Roberts ’95 Graduate Degree of Ornithology, Charles Stuart University
Mary Peeler ’11 Doctor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Elizabeth Hatzenbuehler ’99 Masters in Nutrition Science and Policy and Public Health (MS/MPH), Tufts University
Christian Bradley ’12 Masters of Public Health,Yale University
Charlotte Eagle ’07 Masters in Library and Information Sciences, Pratt Institute School of Information Bryson Schaeffer Kennedy ’07 Master of Science in Nursing, Duke University Natalie Jacewicz Kern ’09 Juris Doctor, NYU School of Law 68 | ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL
Melissa Byrd ’12 Masters of Science, Nonprofit Management, Columbia University Amritha Kanakamedala ’12 Doctor of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine Priyanka Moolchandani ’12 Doctor of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine
McKenzie McClanahan ’13 Doctor of Physical Therapy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center Caela Rhea ’13 Masters in Counselor Education, University of Alabama Camille Cowart ’14 Master of Education, Peabody College,Vanderbilt University Hannah Pfrommer ’15 Masters of Science in Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder
In Memoriam Sarah Loaring-Clark Flowers ’47 Diane Dyer Bates ’61 Lois Estes Ruleman ’64 Candy Reed Pearson ’79
THANK YOU TO THE
1,400 PEOPLE WHO CONTRIBUTED
$946,189 I N 2019-2020, TO H E L P U S D O W H AT W E D O B E S T. ENCOURAGE AND ENABLE GIRLS TO DISCOVER THEIR INDIVIDUAL POTENTIAL AND BECOME YOUNG WOMEN OF
I N T EG R I T Y, CO M PA S S I O N, A N D CO N F I D E N C E FORMERLY ST. MARY'S ANNUAL FUND
Get back to the barre with Buckman Dance Conservatory! With limited class size and COVID protocol in place, registration for dancers age three and up is now open. Visit buckmandanceconservatory.com or call (901) 537-1483
SUMMER 2020 | 69
ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL 60 Perkins Extended Memphis, Tennessee 38117-3199