St. Mary's Magazine Fall 2022

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The second grade wrapped up a quarter-long collaborative project on birds, flight, and kites with Kite Day at Shelby Farms. The project began in science class where the students learned about birds and the principles of flight.

Each student selected a type of bird to research in the library. The students were then tasked with creating kites that represented their birds before heading to Shelby Farms with their parents and teachers to test out their kites.

Philanthropy

Vaughan

Alumnae

Wiygul

Perkins

OF SCHOOL

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Timothy

Joelle

Wendy

Susan

Mikara

Brooke

Susan

James

Lawrence

Hallie

Stephanie

Andrew

Anne-Morgan

Albert Mosley

Elvira

Monica Skipper

Mary

Jennilyn

Hallie

At Large Members

Linda

Floyd

Ex Officio Members

The

The

Elizabeth

Albert

Trustees

Thomas

ALUMNAE BOARD

Anna

Ex Officio

Dear Friends,

After the confines of the pandemic, we celebrated with gusto at our gala in April and unfettered commencement in May. We marked a new milestone and returned to a familiar tradition. William Faulkner wrote, “A monument only says at least I got this far while a footprint says this is where I was when I moved again.” St. Mary’s is proud to say on our 175th anniversary that we got this far, but we have not stopped to build a monument. During my 18 years at this remarkable school, I have often said we are “old and improved” as a way of communicating how we continue to follow a set of core values and traditions while we pioneer new experiences for the future of the girls.

The recent years of striving in the face of challenges may tempt us to gasp, “I got this far.” But even in the season of crisis response, we have been learning and growing as we have practiced respect, responsibility, and kindness. As you will read, St. Mary’s remarkable journey continues with confidence, curiosity, and creativity. St. Mary’s sends out ripples of kindness from our sisterhood of scholars.

That sisterhood is easy to recognize. I have been fortunate to continue visiting alumnae in various parts of the country this summer. Alumnae of all ages show a consistent family trait of pursuing education beyond school, taking initiative in their workplace, and engaging in their community. I am often asked about the mission, teachers, curriculum, and culture of our school and often find that our community’s vision for St. Mary’s resonates with our goals. We share the same desire to support and encourage each girl in mind, soul, and body. We are “old” by persisting in the basics of reading, writing, literature, scientific discovery, and creative expression. We are improved by the innovations that drive life pursuits not imagined when we were their age. And we do it in a community that deeply cares for each girl.

St. Mary’s is not building monuments; we are preparing pilgrims for a path that moves from the familiar to the undiscovered. As they move on, we recognize each footprint.

Light and Life,

Head

Albert Throckmorton

Alumna Kathy Buckman

Creative Counseling

The book illustrates the ripple effect or how each small act sends ripples into the world, sparking a conversation about how students can make an impact on their community with a simple act of kindness. Students shared how donating to charities, helping their teachers in the classroom, using reusable straws, and sharing

(Above) In a project inspired by the concept of STEMpathy, the 2nd grade brainstormed solutions to real-world challenges. The students worked with Science Teacher Carrie Ruhland and Lower School Counselor Lauren Mitchell to build a model of their device.

“How can our kindness ripple out into the world?” asked one student.

Fourth-grade students considered this simple yet, powerful question in their school counseling lesson while discussing the book Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson.

A proactive and unique approach to counseling teaches senior kindergarten – fifth-grade students life-long skills such as empathy and perseverance

good news around campus can positively affect the world around them.

North Campus Counselor Lauren Mitchell encourages conversations like these during school counseling lessons. These discussions are a critical component of the North Campus counseling program, which promotes academic success and helps students regulate emotions and develop interpersonal skills. Mitchell works to ensure that “school counseling is for everyone” by providing programming for all students in senior kindergarten through 5th grade. Lesson topics include communication, empathy, perseverance, resiliency, and using their voices.

“Our counseling program is proactive instead of reactive. Beginning in SK, we work to empower the girls with the skill set they need to navigate friendships, communicate effectively, and understand their feelings,” shares Mitchell.

Mitchell aims to teach students how to advocate for themselves, work through challenges, and embrace mistakes. Through one-on-one interactions and small group discussions, Mitchell is able to get to know each girl and create comfortable settings where students can

express themselves and ask questions.

“Every single student in fourth and fifth grade gets an intentional face-to-face interaction,” adds Mitchell. Fourth and fifth-grade students participate in Minute Meetings. During Minute Meetings, students spend a few minutes with Mitchell discussing and setting goals for the year and planning the action steps needed to reach their goals. These conversations provide each girl with a road map to learning or trying new things and overcoming obstacles to guide them as they progress in school and beyond.

The fourth and fifth grades also participate in small group lunches covering topics like organization, time management, setting boundaries, and friendship. The lunches allow students to develop new skills while connecting and learning from one another.

Mitchell holds similar

small group discussions with 1st-3rd-grade students. In third grade, the curriculum incorporates the Big Life Journal as a guide in their lessons. The journal employs inspirational stories, group activities, and discussions to help the students develop perseverance and resilience. Mitchell hopes the lessons will encourage a growth mindset and thoughts like “I can’t do it yet, but I’ll keep trying,” and “I will take it one step at a time,”

In collaboration with Molly Logan’s art class, Lower School Counselor Lauren Mitchell asked 4th-grade students to consider the impact they can have on their community with a simple act of kindness.

when learning new concepts or facing a challenge.

The students read real-life stories of people who overcame challenges, achieved a goal, or served their community. Their stories demonstrate how challenges help us grow, how to bounce back when we make mistakes, and the power of the word “yet.”

Lower School Counselor Lauren Mitchell says her goal is to ensure that each St. Mary’s student has the tools she needs to succeed in and out of the classroom. She creates intentional programming for SK-5th-grade students focused on the importance of learning from your mistakes, overcoming obstacles, regulating your emotions, and communicating.

“I hope our girls are inspired to embrace mistakes, challenges, and setbacks as part of the learning process. Through these lessons, I want to instill the confidence in each girl to believe that she can do hard things and understand that dreams are achieved by the individual steps we take each day.”

“I hope our girls are inspired to embrace mistakes, challenges, and setbacks as part of the learning process.”

North Campus Counselor Lauren Mitchell

This message is also reinforced by collaborations with other subjects like art and science, as well as weekly Chapel programming. “The Bridge to Caring is woven into every single lesson that I teach, Mitchell said. “I try to be very intentional about that and make a connection to one of the Bridge to Caring character traits in our lessons. For instance, I’ll teach them that it’s an example of courage when you make a mistake or face an obstacle and are able to work through it. When you say, ‘I haven’t figured this out yet, but I’m going to try a new strategy,’ that’s courageous.”

After their classroom conversation on the book Each Kindness, the 4th-grade students continued the

lesson in Molly Logan’s art class. They experimented with marbling by capturing ripples on paper using water and paint. The students then created artwork with visual and written representations of how their own acts of kindness could create a ripple into the world.

“Collaborations between art and counseling evolve naturally because art, by nature, is therapeutic. I love working with Ms. Mitchell to engage the girls creatively. When we are able to reinforce the skills from each other’s classes, the girls develop deeper connections with what they are learning,” added Logan.

In a collaborative project with counseling and science, 3rd-grade students first read about an architect who created foldable cardboard houses for people experiencing homelessness. The students were then tasked with creating something out of cardboard that could help their community. They joined Applied Technology and Innovation Coordinator Meagan Michael and Mitchell in the

Makerspace where they had access to an abundance of materials and tools to build their cardboard creations.

The Big Life Journal guides the school counseling lessons for third grade. The journal includes a variety of inspirational stories and group activities to drive discussions and teach key lessons. After reading about an architect who created foldable cardboard houses for people experiencing homelessness, students created their own cardboard solutions to help their community.

“What I love most about these projects is how they make them their own and show their personality,” Mitchell said. Each lesson, discussion, and project allows the

students to think creatively and critically about the topics they cover and how they can apply them to their everyday life. For Mitchell, the most rewarding moments are when the students practice the skills and implement the strategies she teaches them.

“When a student tells me that something I taught them helped, or I hear feedback from a parent, or a teacher mentions they saw a student go into the quiet corner and practice her breathing, that is the best feeling,” she said.

Mitchell also loves how the school counseling program empowers students to initiate their own projects. This year, a group of 5th graders came up with an idea to honor the faculty and staff by establishing the Pillars of St. Mary’s award. Inspired by the Caring Turkey award, a weekly honor given to students who demonstrate one of the Bridge to Caring traits, the students felt it was important to recognize the faculty and staff members

working to make St. Mary’s a better place.

“The opportunity to nominate each other and faculty and staff for these special awards encourages the girls to apply the Bridge to Caring traits in their daily lives and look for them in others,” Mitchell said. “I love that the awards offer the opportunity for them to share the good things that happen in the classrooms, lunchroom, and playground and celebrate them among our community.”

Mitchell is consistently impressed by the compassion, empathy, and curiosity demonstrated by her young students. She believes the students truly benefit from a unique approach to school counseling.

“We talk about these complex things like effort and resilience, but how do we make that applicable to an SK girl or 3rd grader? We can talk about it and have a meaningful discussion. We can also bring it to life with hands-on projects.”

Third-grade students share and discuss their cardboard creations.

175 Years of St. Mary’s

Spring at St. Mary’s is full of activity and excitement. Each year, we commemorate the arrival of spring by celebrating the accomplishments of the school year, as well as new beginnings as students prepare to move on to the next grade level, and we say goodbye to our beloved seniors. Long-standing traditions like Springfest and graduation are the fabric of the St. Mary’s experience and highlights of the season. Spring also provides an opportunity for students to showcase their artistic talents at annual events like the Upper School spring theatre production, the Middle School art show, and musical performances at Lower School Class Days. Each of these pivotal moments creates lasting memories for our girls. To celebrate 175 years of St. Mary’s, alumnae reflect on the traditions and experiences that have made St. Mary’s a special place for girls to learn and thrive.

A Joyous Celebration of Song and Dance

By Lauren Wiygul Riley ’05

Springfest, a treasured tradition at St. Mary’s, has evolved over the years, both in name and festivities. Called May Day until 1990, Springfest dates back to when the Sisters of the Order of St. Mary led the school. Each year, a junior is elected Queen by her Upper School peers, and a sixth grader is elected Princess by her classmates. During the Springfest ceremony held every April, the Queen and Princess are both crowned by the former Queen and Princess. Each senior presents an iris to a member of the junior class, marking the transition of leadership. The Queen and Princess are both chosen because they demonstrate the ideal qualities of a St. Mary’s girl: kindness, compassion, positivity, involvement, hard work, and leadership.

As the 87th Queen of St. Mary’s, Margot Bell Roberts ’78 fondly recalls her time on the May Day Court. May Day was the highlight of the school year (along

Margot Bell Roberts ’78, crowned the 87th Queen on May Day, has fond memories of the treasured tradition, especially the elaborate performance. She invited Anne Sharp and Emily Mallory ’89 to join the ceremony as her pages.

with the Christmas Pageant) and a joyous celebration of song and dance. In a special tradition that continues today, students performed musical tributes for the elected Queen and Princess. In the year of Roberts’ coronation, the performance was inspired by the Grimms’ fairy tale, “The Twelve Dancing Princesses.”

Roberts remembers how students worked hard in Mrs. Derek Rooke’s ballet class all year to perform for the court at the May Day ceremony, culminating in a stunning performance of elaborate costumes and carefully choreographed ballet routines. The remarkable production took place outside, and the whole school was involved. “May Day was magical to watch and always will be one of my favorite memories from St. Mary’s,” Roberts said.

Roberts also credits the teachers who worked equally hard to bring the performances to life. “There were many teachers that made an impact on all of us through our years at St. Mary’s, but Mrs. Rooke and Music Teacher Ms. Anne Reiners made the creative classes so enjoyable and fun,” says Roberts. “They truly had a passion for what they taught, and the students benefited greatly from their love of music and performance.”

May Day was a highly-anticipated event, not only

because of the performance but also because the tradition marked the end of the school year and a symbolic transition of leadership from the seniors to the juniors.

Similar to today’s tradition, Roberts donned a long, white dress and chose Anne Sharp and Emily Mallory ’89 to join her during the procession as her pages. During the ceremony, Roberts received a crown and a mantle, passed down each year from the previous Queen. Being crowned Queen was an incredible honor for Roberts, a St. Mary’s “lifer,” who was also Princess during her sixth-grade year.

For Roberts, May Day represented everything she loved about St. Mary’s. It was a moment for students and teachers to honor each other with a joyful tribute and celebrate what it meant to be a St. Mary’s girl.

After graduating, Roberts attended Vanderbilt and met her husband, John. They have three children and have lived in Tokyo, London, and New Jersey; they currently reside in Charlotte.

Lauren Wiygul Riley ’05 holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Auburn University and a Master of Education from Vanderbilt University. After teaching at St. Mary’s for six years, she now teaches sixth grade English at Presbyterian Day School. She is married to Pete Riley, and they have three boys: William, Andrew, and Neal.

A Tradition of Sisterhood

By Ansley Skipper ’21

Throughout my time at St. Mary’s, as an only child, I always thought of my 73 classmates as sisters. However, no tradition made me feel as much a part of the sisterhood as the flower girl and senior pairing for graduation.

During my Senior Kindergarten year in 2008-2009, I was beyond excited when I heard that we would get to be flower girls for the “big girls” across the street. Luckily, those in charge of the pairing knew which senior would be a great “big sister” to me, Kathryn Waggoner Edwards ’09.

Kathryn and I hit it off immediately. Even as an awkward introvert, I felt comfortable around her and her whole family—because the Waggoners were a package deal. I quickly got to know dad, Bob, and mom, Julia, who always hosted the best flower girl “playdates,” and Kathryn’s sisters, St. Mary’s girls Lizzie ’16 and Susan ’11 Waggoner.

Kathryn Waggoner Edwards ’09 and Ansley Skipper ’21 (left), joined by fellow flower girl Mary Claire Hamm, danced on the steps of the Chapel and were featured in the 2009 summer issue of St. Mary’s Magazine

The Waggoners knew St. Mary’s inside and out. For example, at Kathryn’s graduation, we arrived early and danced on the Holy Communion steps because Kathryn said we might get photographed for St. Mary’s Magazine. Sure enough, a picture with Kathryn—lace dresses, flower crowns, and all—was the first time I graced the pages of this publication.

Even after Kathryn left to attend Texas Christian University, I got the benefits of being a bonus Waggoner daughter. Julia invited me over to bake and do crafts, and Susan and Lizzie were my go-to sources of advice as I went through Lower and Middle School.

Being Kathryn’s flower girl didn’t give me one “big sister;” it gave me three.

Kathryn and I still saw each other whenever she could come home and visit. Eventually, those visits included Pearce Edwards, whom Kathryn married in 2015. My parents and I were there for that, too.

Fast forward to my senior year in 2021-2022, a non-traditional school year, to say the least, where I got to continue this beloved tradition. Though we only met at the beginning of the spring semester, I still got matched with my very own flower girl, Hattie Logan. Hattie and I were a match made in heaven. My parents say that she reminds them of me at that age.

After a semester of baking cookies, swinging, and playing Tenzi, Hattie and I were ready for graduation, and my “little sister” got to meet my “big sisters” at a graduation party the Waggoners hosted for me. The flower girl tradition had come full circle.

The flower girl/senior tradition is critical to the culture of St. Mary’s. This very tradition creates connections across grades, campuses, and families. We all learn that we have a place in the larger St. Mary’s family. Anyone who cherishes this opportunity, like Kathryn and me, can create friendships that last a lifetime.

Ansley Skipper ’21 is a Jefferson Scholar studying politics and history at the University of Virginia. She also works in political communications in Washington, D.C.

Encouraging Me to Be Me

By Taylor Ragan ’07

Growing up, “Light and Life” was more than just a motto to me, and St. Mary’s was and continues to be more than just a school. I truly enjoyed going to school. The support of the community created a desire to strive for excellence. The teachers embodied love and acceptance. Their passion for teaching instilled a love of learning and encouraged me to live life to the fullest. In essence, St. Mary’s was and still is synonymous with home.

While in school, I was involved in almost every club and activity SMS offered, but my passion was acting. I loved the thrill of engaging an audience to make them feel something—to cause them to consider the world in a different light. But, more than anything, I relished stepping into someone else’s shoes for a few hours because that simple act taught me empathy and how to be a better version of myself.

When I reflect on my involvement in theater at St. Mary’s, there is not necessarily a single moment or a play that made the experience so special; there is one person— former Director of Plays Jenny Madden. Mrs. Madden had a gentle yet firm manner that garnered affection and respect. She has always been a constant in her students’ lives as someone they can depend on and trust.

Mrs. Madden is one of the most accepting and supportive people I have ever met, and she loves her students

Ansley Skipper ’21, “big sister” Kathryn Waggoner Edwards ’09, and flower girl Hattie Logan celebrate Ansley’s graduation.

Taylor Ragan ’07 (right) portrays Wendy in an Upper School production of Peter Pan in 2007. Ragan joined St. Mary’s as a Performing Arts Teacher beginning in the 2022-23 school year.

as if they are her own. Because of her encouragement, I felt comfortable being myself unabashedly—no matter how ridiculous I might have been at times. One of my favorite memories is an example of that. In 5th grade, I was eager to impress Mrs. Madden with my first Middle School play audition, so I had my father do reconnaissance work for me. He found out that Mrs. Madden loved Tennessee Williams. My dad, who knew nothing about the theater or finding appropriate monologues for children, proceeded to help me learn and prepare a Blanch DuBois monologue from A Streetcar Named Desire.

On the day of the audition, 11-year-old me mounted that stage in Schadt Hall and proceeded to spill my guts as I discussed the morbidity of death and attempted to embody the mind of a fallen woman. Despite being an utterly absurd and inappropriate choice of audition material, Mrs. Madden never

The 2021-22 school year marked the end of the tenure of Director of Plays Jenny Madden. Madden led the St. Mary’s theatre department for 24 years. Madden now serves as Director of Auxiliary Programs.

laughed. She gave me that warm smile and told me what a good job I had done. I felt so proud and accomplished. As I began to grow in this art and chase my dreams, I was not afraid to try and fail because of Mrs. Madden. I felt loved for who I was and felt confident to be myself.

Almost anyone you ask has at least one teacher they remember as having a powerful impact on their life. For many SMS girls, Mrs. Jenny Madden is that teacher. She was my first acting teacher, who fostered within me a deep love for the arts. So much so that after St. Mary’s, I received a bachelor’s degree in theater from the University of Mississippi and pursued a career in acting.

Jenny Madden continues to be my role model and friend. I am ecstatic to be following in her footsteps as the new leader of the theatre department at SMS. Although I can never take her place, I hope to make her proud. If I can help change one child’s life the way she changed mine, I will feel like I have accomplished something great in this life.

Taylor Ragan ’07 was heavily involved in the theater program while at SMS. Ragan earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting and English literature from the University of Mississippi. After graduating from Ole Miss, Ragan spent the next ten years in Los Angeles, CA, working as a commercial actor while living with her husband, Gene, and dog, Presley. Ragan joined the St. Mary’s faculty as a Performing Arts Teacher. She is thrilled to return to Memphis and Rose Theater.

Congratulations to the

class of

The 67 members of the Class of 2022: Earned acceptances to 129 colleges. Matriculated to 42 different colleges in 20 states and Washington, DC. Earned college scholarships totaling over $15 million. 85% are attending out-of-state colleges.

Tabor Novak Award

Award

St. Mary’s Kai Keith

Alumnae mothers with their graduating daughters: Shelley Kuykendall Herzke ’90 and Isabelle; Kim Justis Eikner ’87 and Nora James; Cathy McCormick Wilson ’88 and Ann; Gigi Gaerig McGown ’87 and Ryan; Allison Garrott Braswell ’88 and Jane Clare

Louise Laney, Maggie Rosenblum, Gracie Gerhart, and Jane Chancellor

Board of Trustees members with their graduating daughters: Allison Garrott Braswell ’88 and Jane Clare, Board Chair Ted Davis and Carrington

Alumnae with their graduating sisters: Lauryn Carr ’19 and Madison; Evie Laney ’18 and Louise; Kate Herzke ’17 and Isabelle; Bebe Chancellor ’16, Lucy ’18, and Jane; Molly Aslin ’17 and Meghan; Addie Quinlen Davis ’17 and Amelia Quinlen

Davis & Amelia Quinlen

Mary M. Davis Loyalty Award Nora James Eikner & Tallulah Taylor

Hazelhurst Gold Cross Maggie McFadden

Ellen Feild Todd ’81 Award

Mia Townsend

Erin Monroe, Sriya Jampana, Addison Wilson, and Caroline Stem

Faculty and staff with their graduating daughters: Head of Lower School Dr. Marcisha Brazley-Keith and Kai; SK Teacher Shelley Kuykendall Herzke ’90 and Isabelle; Latin Teacher Patrick McFadden and Maggie; Billing Coordinator Katty Griffin and Caroline; SMP Teacher Meredith Jamieson, Lane, Murphy, and McBride; SK Teacher Megan Ford and Merrill; Science Teacher Carrie Ruhland, Lila, and flower girl Walks ’34

Lilly Linkous

Class of 2022 cheering as they exit the church after the Commencement Ceremony.

Alumnae mothers with their flower girl daughters: Louise Chandler Biedenharn ’01, Lucia ’35, and Dorothy ’33; Carrie Evans Benitone ’93 and Elizabeth; Anna Kathryn Taylor Halton ’03 and June ’34; Courtney Taylor Humphreys ’01 and Annie ’34; Alexia Fulgham Crump ’93 and Catherine ’34; Anne-Morgan Brookfield Morgan ’99 and Mary Brooks ’33; Abby Yandell Talbot ’03 and Winn ’36; Amina Dilawari ’95 and Nadiya Morrison ’34; Mary Jensen Nease ’10 and Nora ’36

Jane Clare Braswell with flower girl Nora Nease ’36 and Nora’s mother, North Campus Nurse Mary Jensen Nease ’10. Jane Clare served as Nurse Nease’s flower girl in 2010.

Isabella Littleton, Assistant Chaplain Rainey Ray Segars ’05, Maeve Karnes, and Ann Wilson

Kelsey Brown and flower girls Harper Yancey ’34 and Vivienne Sheffield ’34

Hannah Chancellor and flower girl Eleanor Dill ’35

Astrid Balink and Chloe Schwartz

Hita Mohan, Olivia Feliz, and Amal Panjwani

Emma Hurst, Maggie McFadden, Elisabeth Chen, and Mishi Ali

Regan Lewis, Sheridan Austin, Hayden Goode, and Addie Heehs

Amelia Dowling and Ayushi Gaur

Murphy Jamieson and flower girl Corinne Adrian ’35

Ellie Smith

Ella Benitone and Tallulah Taylor

Mishi Ali Meghan Aslin Sheridan Austin

Astrid Balink

Ella Benitone Willow Blythe

Jane Chancellor Elisabeth Chen Hudson Clift Carrington Davis Amelia Dowling Nora James Eikner

Caroline Griffin Addie Heehs Isabelle Herzke

Emma Hurst Lane Jamieson McBride Jamieson

Kai Keith

Shea Kiersky

Louise Laney

Regan Lewis

Lilly Linkous

Bella Littleton

Mary Morrow

Lucy Nassif

Abby Neal

Amal Panjwani

Amelia Quinlen Maggie Rosenblum

Tallulah Taylor

Alexandra Touliatos

Mia TownsendAshwinaa Vaithianathan

Class of 2022

Kristiana BowlingJane Clare Braswell

Kelsey Brown Mary Claire Carney

Madison Carr Hannah Chancellor

Anna Katherine Farmer Olivia Feliz Merrill Ford Ayushi Gaur

Gracie Gerhart Hayden Goode

Murphy Jamieson Sriya Jampana Ryleigh Johnson

Eleanor Jones

Sam Jones Maeve Karnes

Maggie McFadden Ryan McGown

Mallory Miller

Audrey Mirth

Hita Mohan

Erin Monroe

Lila Ruhland

Chloe Schwartz

Kate Shanaman Ellie Smith

Kathryn Smothers

Caroline Stem

Caroline West

Addison

Wilson Ann Wilson

CAMPUS NEWS

2021-22 Student Awards and Honors

Early Childhood

Lower School

Lila Phillips Gould Award: Jada Lin ’29

The 5th-Grade Robotics Team Excels in Competition this Year

What an incredible year for our VEX robotics program! Throughout the year, students work in teams to build and test a robot under the guidance of Applied Technology and Innovation Coordinator Meagan Michael.

As members of the robotics team, girls learn valuable critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The teams must write, draw, and diagram their ideas in an engineering design notebook that they submit for judging during competitions. At the competitions, the students with the highest scoring design notebooks

move on to the interview round, where they explain their design process and choices.

This year’s competition theme, Pitching In, challenged students to build a robot that can move balls into goals and hang on structures. At the Tennessee State Championship, the 5th-grade team of Briana Brown, Anika Kharbanda, and Sahana Mudigouda placed 3rd in the state and received the prestigious Design Award for demonstrating a highly organized and professional approach to the design process, project and time management, and team organization. The 5th-grade team also earned a bid to compete in the VEX IQ World Championship.

This May, Briana, Anika, and Sahana traveled to Dallas

to compete in the three-day tournament. The international tournament brought together over 500 elementary school teams from 36 nations and 49 states to celebrate

STEM excellence. The 5th-grade team shined during divisional teamwork matches and made it to the finals. The girls placed 5th out of 57 teams. We are so proud of the 5th-grade girls and their impressive season!

The class of 2029 is headed across the street to begin Middle School. Good luck to these students as they take on 6th grade.

Senior kindergarten celebrates moving on to Lower School with a musical performance at graduation.

Middle School

Vicki Ladyman Award: Leighton Visinsky ’26

Joyous Christian Living Award: Allan Golden ’26 and Katherine Williams ’26 Carmine B. Vaughan Award for Service: Eva Ferdinand ’26 Gilmore Lynn Award: Ivy Carls ’26

Mary Paoli Award: Molly Kirshbaum ’26 and Lucy Roberts ’26

Geoffery C. Butler Award: Lilly Coggin ’26

Joyce GIngold Art Award: Uma Satpute ’27

Palmer Adams Burt ’99 Art Award: Caroline Chandler ’26 Anne Westmoreland Garrett Award: Eva Ferdinand ’26

Upper School

Patti Person Ray ’65 Citizenship Award: Sarah Mae Fields ’25, Bianca Dishmon ’24, Leah Balkaran ’23, and Addie Heehs ’22

Betty Lou Stidham Service Award: Hannah Chancellor ’22

Community Service Award: Astrid Balink ’22 and Maggie McFadden ’22

Donna Osborne Bradley ’74 Award: Kelsey Brown ’22

Vicki Ladyman Athletic Award: Casey Scobey ’25 and Charlotte Stakem ’25

Lawrence Lobaugh Sportsmanship Award: Mary Claire Carney ’22 and Louise Laney ’22 Sumner Baker Athletic Award: Amelia Dowling ’22 and Caroline Stem ’22

Best All-Around Athlete Award: Jane Chancellor ’22 and Carrington Davis ’22

Award of Excellence: Wallis Rogin ’25, Averie Howell ’24, and Charlie LaMountain ’22

Drs. Raghavia and Indira Nimmagadda Intellectual Curiosity Award: Ayushi Gaur ’22

The class of 2026 is moving on to Upper School.

Upper School

This year, we inducted 30 Upper School students into the National Honor Society. The National Honor Society was founded in 1921 to recognize and encourage academic achievement, scholarship, character, service, and leadership. Congratulations to the new inductees who serve as examples of passionate, dedicated, and caring student leaders.

Congratulations to the 2022 Mays Prize Winners

The Mays

annual fiction-writing contest. Students from grades

writing stories. This year’s prompt, “Growing Up is Magical,” asked

imagine a character the same age as them and tell the story of something

happens to that character during their school day. We are proud

entrants

their impressive and inventive stories.

daughters

Chapel

support

Mays Owen

honor the winners.

sincere

Theatre

CAMPUS NEWS Events

Mary Poppins: The Musical

This year, the Upper School spring production was supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! Our talented theatre department performed Mary Poppins. With magic, beloved music, and toe-tapping dancing, our students brought this classic tale to life!

Matilda JR.

Middle School students took the stage for a fun-filled performance of the musical Matilda JR. The students thrilled and delighted audiences with the story of the special little girl with an extraordinary imagination. Upper School students from the Performing Arts class lent a helping hand and assisted with direction, choreography, and design.

Happy Birthday, St. Mary’s!

This spring, we hosted a campus-wide birthday celebration for our 175th anniversary with birthday pencils, games, and cake! We are so thankful for 175 years of traditions, memories, and friendships.

Field Day

Early Childhood and Lower School girls participated in our annual Field Day. The students took to the field to compete in various relays and games. Special thanks to all the dad volunteers who made sure that our girls had a blast!

175th Celebration and Auction

Something this spectacular only happens once every 175 years! In April, St. Mary’s families, alumnae, friends, faculty, and staff danced the night away at the 175th Celebration and auction, benefiting the St. Mary’s Fund. Thanks to our Parents Association, led by Ali Fowler and Alison Thomas, for organizing the live and silent auctions.

JSA Welcomes Holocaust Survivor Sam Weinreich

It was an honor to welcome Mr. Sam Weinreich to campus. In an event organized by St. Mary’s Jewish Student Alliance (JSA), Mr. Weinreich, one of the few living survivors of the Holocaust, shared his story with our Middle and Upper School students, faculty, and staff in Chapel. His words left a lasting impact on our students.

Mother-Daughter Tea Party

Junior kindergarten students celebrated Mother’s Day with a Mother-Daughter Tea Party. In this annual tradition, JK moms were treated to a musical performance and an afternoon of tea and snacks with their daughters.

Maker Fair

Before spring break, our Lower School students participated in the 7th annual Maker Fair, a large-scale show and tell where students learn something new. This Lower School tradition allows students to spend a morning exploring, creating, learning, and leading. This year’s Maker Fair was full of fun and challenging activities. The students traveled around the gym building harmonicas, racing balloon cars, tie-dying shirts, concocting potions, and participating in many other creative activities.

Springfest

Each year during Springfest, members of the junior class and 6th-grade class select a classmate to serve as the Queen and the Princess. Springfest Queens and Princesses are considered leaders among their peers and represent what it means to be a St. Mary’s girl. This year, the junior class crowned Fia Arbelaez as Springfest Queen, and the 6th-grade students selected Lyla Furlong as Princess.

SMCF Grantees

This year, the St. Mary’s Community Fund (SMCF), our student-led, grant-making organization, awarded $35,620 in grants to six charitable organizations. The recipients were Baptist Centers for Good Grief, Community Legal Center, Eikon Ministries, Girls on the Run Memphis, Madonna Learning Center, and Memphis Child Advocacy Center. We are incredibly proud of the students involved in SMCF and their philanthropic efforts this grant cycle.

CAMPUS NEWS Athletics

Track & Field

Congratulations to the Track & Field team for a record-setting season. The team placed 3rd in the Regional Championship. Three athletes advanced to the State Championship. Amelia Dowling ’22 competed in 100M hurdles, and Emmie Infeld ’24 competed in the pole vault. Bronwyn Saatkamp ’24 and Amelia also competed in the pentathlon at the State Championship, where both athletes set personal records.

Trap

The Trap Team competed in a series of events this season, including the 12th Annual Boyd Wade Invitational against rival Memphis University School. After a great season, the Trap Turkeys advanced to the State Tournament. The JV team broke their record for the season with 398/500 targets. Varsity scored 448/500–St. Mary’s third highest score at the state competition.

Erin Roy ’23, Laurel Lund ’24, Caroline Griffin ’22, and Abigail Fernandez ’25

Bronwyn Saatkamp ’24

Director of Student Life & Cross Country Coach Holly Hensarling, Maggie Kustoff ’24, Hannah Kerlan ’23, Kyra Jalenak ’25, and Eve Pai ’25

Mela Ford ’23, Audrey Mirth ’22, Averie Howell ’24, and Ruth Ann Seale ’23

Trap team members Caroline Hunt ’24, Regan Lewis ’22, Mary Morrow ’22, and Gabby Smith ’23 with coaches Robert Shy, Bill Quinlen, Richard Morrow, Rick Lewis, and Charlie Bechtel

Tennis

The Varsity Tennis team had a fantastic season. The team finished as the 2022 Region Runner Up in Division II Girls Tennis. Claudia Ribeiro ’25 dominated on the tennis court, winning the Regional Singles Tennis Championship and advancing to State. Ribeiro was also named to the All-Metro Team for Tennis.

Lacrosse

After a great season, Varsity Lacrosse advanced to the State Quarterfinals. Several members of the team were honored by Tennessee Girls Lacrosse Association. Carrington Davis ’22 and Amelia Quinlen ’22 were named to All-State and All-Region teams. Both athletes were also named as US Lacrosse Academic All-Americans. Elaina Santos ’23 was named to the All-Region Team as well.

College Signing

Congratulations to Varsity Soccer player and Track & Field team member Amelia Dowling ’22. This spring, Amelia signed with Birmingham-Southern College, where she will continue her athletic career in both soccer and track.

Elaina Santos ’23

CAMPUS NEWS Faculty and Staff

Each year, faculty and staff members are honored with awards for their hard work and dedication to St. Mary’s. At the close of this school year, seven outstanding members of our faculty and staff received awards recognizing their dedication to students of St. Mary’s. These leaders show compassion, creativity, and loyalty every day.

2021-22 Faculty and Staff Awards

Nanette Quinn Outstanding Teacher Caroline Goodman Integrated Curriculum & Technology Specialist and US English Teacher

Gold Cross Award Allison Wellford Parker ’83 Former Director of Counseling

Apple Award Caryn Brannen Lower School Librarian

Creative Teacher Award Molly Logan Lower School Art Teacher

Ellen Feild Todd ’81 Staff Award Andra DeVincenzo Donor Relations Manager

Fannie Warr Award Linda Crawford Facilities

Apple Award Penny Bower Middle School Librarian

Jeff McCalla Received the T3™ Leadership Award

Congratulations to Upper School Math Teacher Jeff McCalla. Jeff traveled to Dallas, TX, this spring to receive the Teachers Teaching with Technology (T3) Leadership Award. Teachers Teaching with Technology is a professional learning organization with a proven history of excellence in teaching mathematics, science, and STEM education.

Thank You to the Retiring Members of Our Faculty and Staff

At the end of the school year,

years of

service

are incredibly appreciative of their contributions to our school community.

said goodbye to longtime members of St. Mary’s faculty & staff who retired after several years of service to our school.

Liz Davis Middle School History & Ensemble Teacher

Barbara Leach Assistant to the Head of Lower School

Rebel Marzec Middle School Learning Specialist

years of service

Martha May St. Mary’s Place Teacher 30 years of service

Allison Wellford Parker ’83 Director of Counseling 28 years of service

Sandra Pitts

of Student

Athletic Director

Patti Person Ray ’65

School History/

Teacher

Head

Sally Mansberg Rosenberg ’80

School Spanish Teacher

years of service

Barbara Umfress

School History Teacher

years of service

Welcome the Team

We are excited to welcome the newest members of the St. Mary’s faculty & staff to campus.

give a warm welcome to:

Grace Allen St. Mary’s Place Teacher

Miranda Cully Chaplain

Erin Lyttle Do ’98 Fifth Grade Teacher

Emma Kirkpatrick Edge First Grade Teacher

Helen Fentress Early Childhood Teacher

Caroline Fockler Philanthropy Manager

Dominique Gates Assistant to the Head of Lower School

Jeremy Gilbrech Database and Information Manager

Ben Graunke Sixth Grade History Teacher

Nicole Hindman North Campus Nurse

Margo Huber Upper School Physics Teacher

Mekea Johnson Lower School Science and Robotics Teacher

Emily Metz Ninth Grade History Teacher

Taylor Olsen Fifth Grade Teacher

Rachel Markovitz Upper School French Teacher

STAFF

Karen Ulman Pai Instructional Support

Hannah Fruitt Penn Junior Kindergarten Teacher

Whitney Plumpton Communications Advisor Amy Poag Director of Counseling

Taylor Ragan ’07 Performing Arts Teacher

Sarah Rager Second Grade Teacher

Margaret Robertson Ninth Grade English Teacher

Jana Smigielski Ninth Grade Wellness Teacher

Whet Smith Upper School History & Government Teacher

Amber Stewart Lower School Spanish Teacher

Yari Torres Middle School Learning Specialist

Mark Van Voorst Upper School Math Teacher

Alison Warren Senior Kindergarten Teacher

Mary Elizabeth Washburn Lower & Middle School Ballet Teacher

Kendall Visinsky Assistant Athletic Director

SUSAN WHITTEN GRABER ’86

Susan Whitten Graber ’86 is the Director of the St. Mary’s Community Fund. She holds a Bachelor of Science in international relations and African studies from Georgetown University and a Master of Science in educational psychology and research from the University of Memphis. Graber returned to her alma mater, St. Mary’s Episcopal School, where she taught from 1993 to 2005 and again from 2010 to 2018.

Graber received the Nanette Quinn Outstanding Teacher Award in 2005, an award given to a St. Mary’s teacher “whose passion, dedication, and excellence in all matters are manifested daily in the classroom and hallways of St. Mary’s.”

Then, in 2018, Graber received the Gold Cross Award, the highest honor given to a member of St. Mary’s faculty or staff who has been at St. Mary’s for over 20 years and has displayed superior service to the school.

Graber and her husband Blair have three adult sons, Anthony, Nathan, and David.

HALLIE DINKELSPIEL LABEL ’94

Hallie Dinkelspiel Label ’94 is the Founder and CEO of Expect Equity. Prior to founding Expect Equity, she was Chief Operating Officer of Rock Springs Capital from 2014 to 2021, a healthcarefocused hedge fund based in Baltimore. Before that, Label was a Principal at Menlo Park, CA-based Makena Capital, where she had responsibility for the $3.5B global equities portfolio, including investments in long-only funds, long-short equity funds, and public-private hybrid funds. Earlier in her career, she selected equity managers at Hall Capital Partners and was an analyst at a hedge fund and a junior equity associate at a mutual fund company.

Label has an A.B. in economics from Princeton University, where she played soccer and rugby, and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business. She is a Trustee of McDonogh School and serves as a mentor to the next generation of financial leaders through the Ceresa Mentorship Program.

Label lives in the Baltimore area with her husband and three children, Henry, Sam, and Katie.

DR. ALBERT MOSLEY

Dr. Albert Mosley is the President of Morningside University in Sioux City, IA. He previously served as Senior Vice President and Chief Mission Integration Officer for Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare. He is a first-generation college graduate with degrees from Millsaps College, Duke University, Yale University, and the University of Georgia. Mosley frequently travels around the country and globally, lecturing on transformational leadership and change management.

Mosley currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Leadership Memphis and as Chair of Volunteer Memphis. He is a member of the Tennessee Hospital Association’s Board of Directors and serves as its Chair of the Council on Inclusion and Health Equity. Mosley serves on the Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct, as well as the Board of Trustees for LeMoyne-Owen College and Martin Methodist College. He is also Vice-Chair of the University Senate of the United Methodist Church.

Mosley and his wife, Dr. Syreeta McTavous-Mosley, are the proud parents of Avery, Todd, Addison, and Ava-Rose ’32.

You help prepare girls to change the world.

Since 1847, St. Mary’s has been committed to providing exceptional opportunities to all of our students. When you give to the St. Mary’s Fund, you’re making an investment in a girl’s future that brings significant returns throughout her life.

The St. Mary’s Fund provides supplies for creative cross-discipline learning in our Makerspace, new books featuring powerful women for our library, top-notch athletic f acilities including our new track and turf field, and so much more.

today.

2022 Outstanding Alumna Kathy Buckman Gibson ’80

By Olivia House ’18

Kathy

Buckman Gibson ’80 is a St. Mary’s girl through and through. She’s a pillar in the Memphis and global business communities and a leader of many philanthropic endeavors. Gibson serves as the president and CEO of KBG Technologies, LLC, a company she founded that distributes chemical products and technologies for the pulp and paper industry. This spring, the Alumnae Board recognized Gibson as the 2022 Outstanding Alumna.

Gibson credits St. Mary’s for inspiring her success and confident spirit as a young woman. The school’s teachers and leaders “had a heritage of encouraging students to find their own voice and independence, instilling the belief that they could do anything they wanted to do with their lives.”

Rooted in St. Mary’s culture of academic excellence, Gibson earned a law degree and Master of Business Administration from Emory University after completing her undergraduate career at Duke University. She then began practicing law at Smith, Gambrell & Russell in Atlanta.

In 1993, Gibson returned to Memphis to work for Buckman, her family’s chemical manufacturing business, where she held multiple positions over the years, including general counsel, corporate secretary, and director.

Returning home allowed Gibson to cherish her time

with her grandmother. A philanthropist, a leader, and a champion of women’s educational rights, Mertie Buckman further instilled within Gibson the importance of finding one’s voice and digging deep within to find one’s passion. Mertie Buckman’s commitment to quality women’s education is visible on St. Mary’s campus, where the Buckman Performing & Fine Arts Center is named in honor of her generosity to the school.

Gibson’s grandmother inspired her philanthropic spirit and encouraged her to engage more deeply in her community. “It was never a question of whether I’d be involved in the community—it was just a matter of how,” Gibson said.

For Gibson, this “how” materialized as work in early childhood education with organizations like First 8 Memphis, a nonprofit dedicated to providing Shelby County children with quality education and childcare in the first eight years of life. Driven by gratitude for her St. Mary’s education, as well as her own experience of motherhood, Gibson invested her time, energy, and voice into childhood education in the Memphis community. She now serves as the chair of First 8 Memphis and on the boards of Seeding Success and Tennesseans for Quality Early Education. Gibson’s passion for

A corporate powerhouse. A community leader. An engaged philanthropist.

Class of 1980 friends at Alumnae Weekend Chapel: Elisa Brock, Margaret Stone Graham, Helene Norcross Rayder, Alex Eddings Walter, Kathy Buckman Gibson, Chalmers Peyton Valentine, Molly Francis Roberts, Josie Gilliland Williams, and Melissa Bateman

–Kathy Buckman Gibson ’80

educational equality is fueled by her belief that “it’s a moral imperative for our city.” In her Alumnae Weekend Chapel speech, Gibson says, “There is no justifiable reason that a child in our community should not have the same quality of education that we receive here at St. Mary’s—no matter the zip code they are born in.”

While working at Buckman, Gibson combined her philanthropic spirit with her corporate prowess to lead the BuckmanCares initiative, fostering corporate social responsibility while creating volunteer efforts and philanthropic giving programs. Working in a maledominated environment, Gibson faced the difficult reality of what it meant to be the only woman in the workplace and what it meant to voice her own opinions on matters of business. “It can be hard to stand up for what you believe when the tide is going out the other direction,” Gibson said.

During Alumnae Weekend, Gibson shared that the drive and confidence she gained at St. Mary’s pushed her to embrace her position as a woman in business and to trust the merit of her voice.

“Like the leaders of this school over generations, you persevere in advocating for what you believe is important for a path forward, and you have faith that it will one day be possible.You search for open doors, and then you find

the courage to walk through them,” she said.

Her perseverance, courage, and drive further propelled Gibson into an incredible and successful business career full of honors, accolades, and awards. In 2018, Gibson founded KBG Technologies. In 2019, the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry named Gibson Woman of the Year, and Leadership Memphis honored her as a Change Maker for the City of Memphis. Additionally, Gibson’s corporate achievements recently landed her a spot on Memphis Business Journal’s Power 100 List.

A former St. Mary’s Board of Trustees member, Gibson now serves her city as a board member for the Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis, National Civil Rights Museum, and as a member of the Chairman’s Circle of the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce. Gibson and her husband, J.W., are the parents of Alicia and Savannah Gibson.

An inspiration to St. Mary’s girls both past and present, Kathy Buckman Gibson ’80 continues to shine brightly in all areas of her life.

Olivia House ’18 attended Rhodes College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience. At Rhodes, she was a member of the Women’s Soccer team.

Kathy with husband J.W. and daughter Alicia Gibson

Kathy Buckman Gibson ’80 with Head of School Albert Throckmorton

“We must stand up, find the courage to raise our voices, and have the perseverance to continue searching for the place that we want this world to be for our women, girls, and all humanity.”

Alumnae Weekend

I

tWAS

A DELIGHT to have our alumnae on back campus to celebrate Alumnae Weekend and St. Mary’s 175th anniversary. Alumnae from near and far joined us for the festive weekend.

We kicked off the weekend with a Thursday evening reception at the Levy Gallery to view Waves of Change, an exhibit of fused glass works from Christie Stratton Moody ’71. Friday, our alumnae joined our students for Chapel to hear from this year’s Outstanding Alumna Kathy Buckman Gibson ’80. Following Chapel, alumnae caught up with former classmates, faculty, and staff during brunch.

Saturday, alumnae and their families gathered for an afternoon of food and fun at our family picnic. We ended the weekend with our spectacular 175th Celebration. Thank you to all those who attended. We can’t wait to see you next year on March 31 and April 1, 2023!

Members of the Class of 1972 celebrate their 50th reunion. Back: Karen Adelson Strauss, Musette Sprunt Morgan, Jennifer Wilde Lovejoy, Meg Jemison Bartlett, Angie King Keesee, and Suzanne Hauser Schlittenhart; Front: Susan Ossorio, Jane Gordon Simmons, Ashley Moore Remmers, Jacqueline Pentz Watkins, and Anne Remmers Phillips

Elaine Summers Travis ’70, Linda Stratton Hancock ’70, Bette Gordon ’70, Christie Stratton Moody ’71, and Catherine Dailey Berger ’71 enjoy the Waves of Change art reception.

Helen Donelson Brafford ’70 and Milly Donelson Huffman ’71 catch up at the Waves of Change art reception.

Marietta Canale Haaga ’71, Jennifer Wilde Lovejoy ’72, and Anne Remmers Phillips ’72 at the Waves of Change art reception

Members of the Class of 1971 celebrate their 50th reunion. Back: Elise Dann, Christie Stratton Moody, and Bond Nunn Moore; Middle: Jan Carruthers Sturdivant, Jinka Hoover McLaurin, Jean Schelhorn, Marty Jones, and Nancy Johnson Foster; Front: Nancy Goza Godbold, Catherine Dailey Berger, Avery Malone Kaserman, Jan Muirhead, Elizabeth Johnson Bogard, and Jenny Jones Wardwell

Alumnae Weekend

Members of the Class of 1977 celebrate their 45th reunion at Alumnae Weekend. Back: Erin Saunders, Lucy Walt Wepfer, Lisa Britt Colcolough and Alicia Harwood Baker; Middle: Lynn Hitchings Albano, Janey Butler Newton, and Valerie Hoyt; Front: Susan Francisco, Sara Muirhead Shanley, and Jennilyn Jennings Utkov

The Class of 1975 at Alumnae Weekend Chapel: Angie Rose, Lisa Francisco Abitz, Watty Brooks Hall, Whitney Jones Devine, Flo Sites Sares, Susan Roberts Colpitts, and Susan Page Gates

Members of the Class of 1992 celebrate their 30th reunion. Back: Hannah Copp, Jessica Wyatt, Jennifer Martin, Linsey Knight, and Alison Roesler Coons; Middle: Rebecca Hornstein Doede, Kelley Grant Macdonald, Brintha Vilvarajah, Leslie Pettit Canon, Alexis West Summers, and Wendy Taylor Todd; Front: Ellie Morris Weiss, Aarti Goorha Bowman, Hester Shipp Mathes, and Melissa Anderson Kirby

Members of the Class of 2001 celebrate their 20th reunion. Back: Susan Buckner Rose, Hayley Bower Gerber, Louise Chandler Biedenharn, Amanda Vogel, Caroline Gardner Donlin, and Kemper Kelso Brennan; Front: Courtney Taylor Humphreys, Victoria Corder, Joni Gossett Oates, Anna Snyder Rojas, Lauren Anderson Stone, and Kate McCalla

Members of the Class of 1987 celebrate their 35th reunion at Alumnae Weekend. Fontaine Taylor Albritton, Gigi Gaerig McGown, Kim Justis Eikner, and Courtney Morris Monaghan

Members of the Class of 1982 celebrate their 40th reunion. Back: Elizabeth Thrasher Kantor, Hallie Payton, Meg Beeson Wallace, Sarah Willmont Cowens, Olivia Bruce Hurlock, Lee Ann Johnson Roehm, and Cecile Williams Leggett; Middle: Elizabeth Clifton Rice, Angela Reed Yakel, Jean McLeod Roche, Lisa Moore Cook, Catherine Robilio Womack, Mary Long Merritt, Emily Adams Davis, and Sally Johnson Spencer; Front: Christy Ragen Goss, Jeanie Harwood Sikes, Carol Gilliland Jordan, Leslie Johnson Owens, Frieda Menzer, Elizabeth Simpson Alrutz, and Elizabeth Beck Fiorvanti

Alumnae Weekend

Former Upper School Head Anne Fisher, Allison Garrott Braswell ’88, Courtney Morris Monaghan ’87, and Wendy Pritchartt Ansbro ’79 at Alumnae Weekend Chapel

Members of the Class of 2002 celebrate their 20th reunion: Polly Klyce Pennoyer, Anna Traverse Fogle, Leslie Guinn Jerkins, Whitney Long Neal, and Laura Hettinger.

Members of the Class of 2017 celebrate their 5th reunion at Alumnae Weekend. Back: Hannah Orgel, Meg Jones, Margie Peeler, Josie Campbell, Meredith Hood, Mary Ashley Murrah, and Alina Perez; Front: Julia Greenstein, Grace Marr, Sidney Parish, Kate Herzke, Elizabeth Caradonna, Lilly Russell, Lily Saab, and Aubrey Guyton

Members of the Class of 2012 celebrate their 10th reunion. Back: Megan Guyton Markle, Chandler Roberts Cummins, Alix de Witt Harte, Carson Mullins Pigg, and Frances Hord; Middle: Marie Peeples, Jordan Upton Schieffler, Grace Bethell Carlton, Jodie Struminger, and Ellery Ammons; Front: Renee Yang, Alex Buford Ashby, and Julia DeVincenzo Lipari

Members of the Class of 2007 celebrate their 15th reunion: Cory Yandell Lewis, Elizabeth Womack Edmundson, and Kate Smith Mallory.

Former Outstanding Alumna Recipients at Alumnae Weekend Chapel: Marty Jones ’71, Lisa Francis Turner ’78, Jeanne Stevenson-Moessner ’66, Watty Brooks Hall ’75, Susan Roberts Colpitts ’75, Musette Sprunt Morgan ’72, Ashley Moore Remmers ’72, Sarah Willmott Cowens ’82, and Lisa Moore Cook ’82

ALUMNAE

It’s always a pleasure to hear from our alumnae and to have them back on campus to speak to our students at Chapel.

Alumnae Weekend

Former Upper School Head Anne Fisher, Alumnae Chapel speaker Courtney Ellis Felts ’96, and Alexis Nussbaum ’96

Class of 2004 friends: Lauren Brooks Foti, Natalie Hartmann Malone, Zoë Khan, and Lawrence Taylor Elliott

Apple Award recipient Middle School Librarian Penny Bower with daughter Hayley Bower Gerber ’01, Anna Snyder Rojas ’01, and former kindergarten teacher Barbara Snyder

Alumnae Chapel speaker Martha Ferguson Burke ’04

Class of 2001 friends with their children at the Alumnae Weekend family picnic: Louise Chandler Biedenharn, Sarah Matthews Pietrangelo, Caroline Gardner Donlin, and Courtney Taylor Humphreys

Former Outstanding Alumna the Reverend Dr. Jeanne Stevenson-Moessner ’66 and Diane Taylor Newton ’66 at Alumnae Weekend Chapel

’63

CANON THOMAS HALL

’65

CATHY HOOVER ALLEN

Both

Asimoula Alissandratos and Jackie Whiteleather are mov ing to new homes this summer. Julia is moving into a retirement community in Charleston, SC. Jackie is in search of new digs in CO. Carolyn Collier Johnson has continued to turn her backyard into her private sanctuary in Pass Christian, MS. Jenny Emison Ewing and husband Ward are gearing up for lots of company visiting them on the lake at Ten Mile, TN. They are also headed to Paris, France, in July. Donna Lansing Copp found two half-sisters through ancestry.com and is looking forward to meeting them this summer. She and husband Dan have built and are enjoying a new sauna–greenhouse outbuilding at their home in Memphis. Tina Heslep Ciliberto and husband Tony will visit the Ahwahnee Lodge at Yosemite Park, CA—a bucket list item for them. Patty Ozier Riffel and Kirby continue to be in Pocahontas, AR, and welcomed their sixth grandchild this spring. Joyce Wilkerson Kaplan and Jon are enjoying springtime in Port Townsend, WA, watching deer and some eagles nesting near their home. Sarah Sorsby Dennis has resumed her in-office practice as a Jungian analyst after working via Zoom for two years. Canon Thomas Hall and Clay are sticking close to home and enjoying grandchildren and the family of her nephew, niece, and great-nephews

There were three of our Class of ’65 attendees at St. Mary’s Alumnae Weekend—Patti Person Ray, Joyce Burkett Scruggs and Cathy Hoover Allen. We all had a wonderful time! Patti has retired from classroom teach ing at St. Mary’s, but she now has the role of school historian. She is the one who receives things for the St. Mary’s archives. Patti has also planned a won derful St. Mary’s Alumnae and Friends tr ip to Ireland in October 2023.

’67

BETTE WEST BUSH

we sadly lost another classmate to cancer. Susan McNeely Nicholas died on May 9, 2022, after an almost 20-year battle. She leaves husband Kevin, two sons and their wives, five grandchildren, and two sisters, Pam McNeely Williams ’69 and Josie McNeely Walker ’76. We all remember her fondly as a sweet and kind person and brave fighter who we were lucky to know. Lynn Bledsoe Buhler lost her dear husband Jon in September 2021. She and Jon had moved to the Woodlands before he died. Our classmate Margaret Barton is getting their Central Gardens home “in shape” to sell. Margaret went to

Well,

NY in May to visit her college room mate and to go to a niece’s wedding. Lee McGeorge Durrell wrote right after I submitted last year’s class news to say that she and Colin take turns going to Jersey from Corfu because they now have two dogs and two cats that love playing together but can’t be left alone. Jeannie Whitman Esdaile says that Lee is coming to Jersey soon and will stay with her in England for a couple of days. They plan to call Lynn B. while Lee is with her. Alice Cockroft Oates’ husband Jack was diagnosed with cancer in August 2021, so they were busy with his surgery and treatments for several months. He has been cleared to travel, and they went to France in June with sister Carolyn Cockroft ’71 and husband Chris. Alice said that “the world is a sadder place” without Susan, whom she knew at Rhodes as well as at St. Mary’s. Janie Allen Till had another year home-schooling grandchildren (“only” two this time), learning “more about dysgraphia than I ever wanted to know.” She and husband Bob celebrat ed their 49th wedding anniversary in June in Greece after a long absence. Lynn Clark White remembered Susan’s “large, wonderful extended family” and the “wonderful legacy she leaves.” Shelley Smith and husband Jim FaceTime with their granddaughter almost every day because of the travel difficulties during the pandemic, which they used to renovate their whole downstairs, but are looking forward to visiting in person soon. Anne Hyde Dale and husband Jamie visited daugh ter Elinor and wife Sarah in May in

St. Mary’s friends enjoyed dinner with the Reverend Dan Matthews and his wife Deener: Katharine Phillips Huffman ’61 and Class of 1969 members Julie Bonds Greene, Sally Dabbs Shroyer, Karen Haglund Terre, Anne Stepp Beale, and Sue Sprunt Stoudemire.

Diane Taylor Newton ’66 and Ashley Moore Remmers ’72 with husbands Ed and John at a symphony event

Wheaton, IL. Elinor is product manager for a nonprofit, and Sarah is the attor ney for a nonprofit shelter for battered women. They have a golden retriever, Emma. Bette West Bush lost broth er Mercer to Covid in August 2021, but the good news is that great-neph ew Caleb has been cancer-free since December 2021, and niece Elizabeth had twin girls in May 2022 (now has four girls, all 5 and under). Elizabeth is the daughter of Marion West Hammer ’65, and Caleb is her oldest grandchild by son Dan and his wife.

’69

CONNIE LOVELESS FRIEND

Our sincerest condolences go out to Carroll Lafleur Blair on the loss of husband Chris Odden and to Pam McNeely Williams on the loss of her sister Susan McNeely Nicholas ’67. Our thoughts and prayers go out to them and their families. Carroll reports that son Parish Blair has re located to NM; she is contemplating moving there but is still mulling over her options. Jean Phillips Lorton reports from Nashville that she and husband Orlan are doing well and still working! Her twin daughters both have teens of their own, two in high school and one going into eighth grade. Other than several trips to Memphis to visit sister Katharine and to the beach, she and husband Orlan have not traveled much. Anne Short Born now lives in Beaufort, SC, and feels blessed to have her children living nearby. She and hus band spent COVID downtime working on their family genealogy, which led to joining different societies to a joint project with the Jamestown Society, all of which have proven interesting and rewarding. She stays busy with her church and Bible study and credits SMS with a significant impression on her spiritual life. Candy Keirns-Bitensky used her language skills during COVID as a bilingual contact tracer for the Shelby County Health Department. She reports she was very impressed with their efforts to respond to the COVID crisis and to modernize the de partment. However, she has decided not to continue with them but to resume her part-time job as a freelance medical

CLASS NOTES

interpreter. Olivia Young Fisher had lots of exciting news. She recently spent six weeks in Europe on three separate trips that had been postponed due to COVID. She traveled with two different sets of friends on two journeys—one to the Baltic States and Poland and another via bicycle in Greece. The third trip was with her husband to northern Spain. She has two grandchildren and looks forward to spending the summer at her vacation home in Jackson Hole. Connie Loveless Friend tells us that, though she retired from full time teaching in 2013, she continued to work for the Shelby County Schools (now Memphis-Shelby County Schools) as an ESL tester until the schools closed in 2020. Once the schools reopened, she decided to not return and became fully and wholly retired. Other than several trips to the beach with sister Robbie and several trips to Michigan, she, too, has sadly not done much traveling. She is, however, trying to arrange a trip for daughter Katie’s 40th birthday next year, maybe to Ireland. Thank you so much to Pam for her many years of dedicat ed service as our class secretary. We so appreciate you! We would love to hear from all of you, and please let us know if you have any updated personal information or any milestones to report. Wishing you all a safe and healthy 2022.

’71

CAROLYN COCKROFT

Jean Schelhorn, Jan Carruthers

50th

Reunion: In 2021, Zoom reunion calls were attended by all but one classmate. Our 2022 “in-per son” reunion was attended by over 60% of our class! Live reunion “blow out” spanned three days! Attendees: Deborah Abernathy, Catherine Dailey Berger and Steve, Elizabeth Johnson Bogard, Elise Dann (first reunion attendee in 50 years!), Nancy Johnson Foster and Eddie, Nancy Goza Godbold, Marietta Canale Haaga and Fletcher, Milly Donelson Huffman and Doc, Ann Vandeventer Ince and Paul, Marty Jones, Jinka Hoover McLaurin, Avery Malone Kaserman and Joel, Christie Stratton Moody (sec ond “first reunion attendee in 50 years!”) and Michael, Jan Muirhead,

Sturdivant, Jennifer Jones Wardwell and Fred, Bond Nunn Moore and Jim, Susan Williford Montgomery, smoked trout, a kaleidoscope of glass butterflies (thanks, Christie!), pink duct tape, basketball, swimsuits (or not), an unbelievable spread of food and beverages (thanks especially to Nancy and Eddie), incredible per sonalized cookies (thanks to Nancy’s d aughter), tasty nuts (thanks, Anne), fire pit (thanks, Michael, for keeping it going), old stories shared, and new ones created. A common theme was renewed friendship as we connected after 50+ years, and gratefully between pandemic surges. We received first-row chapel seating (sans chapel caps and gym shorts), toured an SMS grown in many ways, and visited Dinstuhl’s (ask Jinka) to heal broken bones. We learned a class can reunite without a reunion chair; some things change— and more importantly, things don’t ever change! At our awesome Airbnb, we experienced magical conversations between lifelong friends and the guys who always join! A reprise? Stay healthy and connected; our dream—every one of us will be there next time, with swimsuits or not! Thanks, SMS and Gigi, for being our grounding point to reunite in 2021 and 2022. Next time, we will sit in the front row in chapel! – floor? choir pews? Christie thanked classmates for reconnecting at her SMS Glass Art Show and reunion dinner; a special thanks to Nancy Foster (we all join that thank you)! Christie and family will visit son Devin and fiancée Nicole in Oahu. Look up their Airbnb, “Frog Hammock,” in Darien, GA, an hour south of Savannah with beautiful, lovely beaches. Ann says, “Our reunion filled a vacancy I didn’t realize existed. I feel more centered after reuniting with classmates, reliving memories and making new ones. So proud to know these amazing women and thankful to have attended SMS.” Elise says, “Reconnecting with old friends was fabulous.” Elise and husband soon travel to Spain/Portugal for a neuroscience and architecture conference. Afterward, they will travel to Mexico City for her niece’s wedding (black-tie-optional may need to engage Sturdivant/Godbold personal shoppers). “We love New Hampshire!” Nancy Foster “loved see ing everyone at the reunion. Amazingly

some looked just the same as they did in high school!” Her granddaughter is excited to attend SMS kindergarten this fall. As for me, I regret missing our reunion but hope to see you next year! Many thanks to Jean and Marty for writing these class notes! Enjoy sum mer, and prepare for Zoom gatherings to be scheduled soon!

’73 OLIVIA MONTGOMERY

Elizabeth Jetton completed her master’s in education at the University of Georgia in 2019 with distinction in adult learning, leadership and organizational development; she was also awarded The Heart of Financial Planning award by the national Financial Planning Association. She, husband Michael, and their two terriers moved to Coker Creek, TN in January in the Cherokee National Forest. She still consults and coaches and is a senior adjunct professor in the M.S. in advanced financial planning online program at Golden Gate University. Harriet McGeorge finally retired in July 2021, after 45 years of landscape architecture and loves having no dead lines or projects. With retirement and the pandemic, Ginger Hicks Smith doesn’t have a lot to report. But, of course, her response was longer than everyone else’s. She has spent a lot of time at home and on Zoom but is happy and healthy with books, needlepoint, neighborhood walks,

and her cats. Her cats are Delta, named for her 50-year association with Delta Delta Delta, and Dewey, named for the Dewey Decimal System and her nearly lifelong association with library work. She reports they are very cute and very good company. Ginger has traveled just a bit with family—to the beach in SC last summer and to Cedar Key, FL after Christmas. Last June, she volunteered at the annual session of the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church and will do so again this sum mer. She served on the board of trustees for her local United Methodist Church, on the board of trustees for the North Georgia Annual Conference of the UMC, and on the commission on archives and history for the Southeastern Jurisdiction of the UMC. Ginger continues to volunteer for Tri Delta and for Emory, where they welcomed a new universi ty president and launched a big capital campaign in the midst of the pandemic. They launched their last big campaign in the midst of the 2008 economic crisis— they do know how to time these things, don’t they? She concludes a six-year stint as a member of the national board of directors of the Foundation for Fraternal Excellence. Closer to home, she continues as a member of a local study club that has been in continuous operation since 1894, and they think their long-ago founders would be proud of them for using Zoom for two years so that they did not miss a beat. Ginger presented a paper this year entitled, “Native American Language and Literature in Signs, Syllables, and Subject Headings.” Milner Stanton recently went to Cleveland to see the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She felt a bit like a traitor because as we all know that mu seum should be in Memphis. The Hall of Fame was well worth seeing, although that is probably the last time she will go to Cleveland. Not the most happen ing city, although the Art Museum was quite impressive. Next up, Detroit! After 53 years, Nell Dickerson decided to continue where she left off—horseback riding. So far, she’s had three lessons on a hunter jumper and has made tremendous progress from sitting on the horse to trot ting without falling off. Advance moves such as cantering are in the near future. Maybe in a few years she’ll graduate from stepping over a log to jumping over it, provided the horse feels like leaping about 8” into the air. To quote Nell: “I don’t remember riding being this difficult or

technical. The horses weren’t so compli cated at day camp. I actually have to use my abdominal and leg muscles to stay in the saddle…what a workout! Why the sudden reinvention? Nell’s next trip to Africa in 2023 includes a horseback safari. How cool it’ll be to experience wildlife on their own turf in Kenya’s savannah. Nell also volunteered to host our 50th class reunion at her home in Memphis next year. Please stay tuned for more details. Hope everyone can come!

’75

LAURIE WALPOLE

The Class of 1975 used this year’s Alumnae Weekend to celebrate our 45th reunion two years late. Unfortunately, my flight didn’t get into Memphis until late morning on Friday, so I missed chapel, the tour, lunch, and the other Friday morning festivities at the school. However, we had a won derful class party Friday night at the home of Betsy Olim and husband Stevy Levy. They spent the afternoon preparing plates and plates of fabulous hors d’oeuvres while Susan Roberts Colpitts and I watched. I wish I could say we were keeping them entertained while they worked, but really it was the other way around. Guests that eve ning included Lisa Francisco Abitz, Connie Cape Ashley, Whitney Jones DeVine, Margaret Flowers Ferguson, Susan Page Gates, Watty Brooks Hall, Jill Jemison Margolin, Flo (Cissy) Sights Sares, Penny Spiegelman Register-Shaw, and Murfy Watson Stewart. We spent the evening munching, talking, and laugh ing, very much like a day in the senior den! Our next reunion (the big five-0) is now only three years away, so we’ll be planning it soon. Let’s start collecting ideas!

’77

JANEY BUTLER NEWTON

What a wonderful time we had being with classmates from near and far at our recent reunion! We sat together in chapel and relived the old traditions.

Kaky Ossorio Wakefield ’76, Susan Ossorio ’72, and Christine Mayer Todd ’72 enjoy a visit.

We caught up with teachers and shared many memories with one another. Adele Orgill Wellford hosted us for dinner at her fabulous home. Thank you, Adele! There was a group that went to the SMS 175th grand celebration at school on Saturday night. It was a great party! We missed those who weren’t able to come for the weekend and hope to see you next time. Our love goes to Lucy Walt Wepfer on the loss of her dear father this year. His long life impacted many people, and we are grateful to have known him.

’79

ELIZABETH BROWN DUNN

Jan Lettes Zauzmer has another children’s book on the market! Maxine’s Critters Get the Vaccine Jitters is the title, and it is wonderful! Son Ben is the new assistant general manager for the Mets! Play ball! Daughter Julie mar ried Gabe Weil in August. Julie reports for the Washington Post and was on the team that won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize. Lenelle Morse has a precious new grandson, Toby Ross. Big sister Nora is crazy about him. Lenelle moved to Bellingham, WA to be close to them. Happy grandmother! Susan Browne Law and family were here for a visit in August. Her daughter, Madeline, brought her two precious granddaugh ters, Parker and Campbell. Susan is still teaching in Roanoke, VA. She loves her job and helps those who need an extra boost. Anne Golwen Brand’s lovely mother passed away this spring. Love and prayers to her family. Robin Rader Stein and husband Gil trav eled to see their daughter, Hannah, this spring. She will be moving to San Antonio with husband Evan. My new est blessing is precious Libby Dunn. Son Brook and wife Catie welcomed this bundle of love on March 11.

’81

CAREY STANTON

CLASS NOTES

in Memphis. After graduating from Rhodes, Felix interned and now works for Made in Memphis Entertainment. He lives Downtown on South Front St., not far from Anne’s parents. Anne loves their visits to Memphis to be with her family and see Memphis through her son’s fresh perspective. Youngest son Kai is at the University of Indiana. Claudia Broeker Egger completed a half-marathon (walking) in Austin, TX in February, exactly one month after surgery for bladder cancer. Wow! In March, she traveled to Portugal with daughter Dominique. Claudia will be in Memphis for a week in June and then off to Spain and Morocco in October and November. She plans to see daugh ter Cassie in Seattle before the year is out. I hope to see Claudia this summer when she visits Dominique, who is in a PhD program at UT Austin. Ashley Uhlhorn Fricano and husband David celebrated their 30th anniversary with a fun family trip in Puerto Rico. Ginia Knapp Northcutt had a great visit with Lisa Jaeger Schwandt and Lisa Richmond last fall at Ginia’s farm in East TX. They hope to make it an annual event! Lisa R. joined Ginia on a medical mission trip to San Raymundo, Guatemala in February. Lisa has taken an adult gap year doing amazing things: She rode her bike from the Canadian border to north of San Francisco, went to the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, took

Spanish lessons in Antigua, and has traveled to Australia to visit fami ly. Ginia and husband Gordon visit with Leanne Jennings Martin and husband Steve often. They attend ed Ginia’s son LeGrand’s wedding in Richmond and daughter Conlan’s wedding in Longview. Katherine Lucas Hall also recently saw Leanne and Steve at a wedding. Katherine is selling real estate in Greenville, SC. She and husband Richard love their hometown and having Kay and Luke living nearby. Katherine says that Mary Tully Dicken is enjoying her two granddaughters, Maurey and Libby. Mary’s son just graduated into the Green Berets. I’ve enjoyed seeing both Katherine and Margaret Salmon Bright this past year. Margaret and husband William split their time be tween Memphis and Nashville to visit their daughters Ella and Annabelle. They just celebrated Annabelle’s M.S. in clinical mental health counseling. Our youngest, Jill, often stays with Margaret in Memphis to break up her drive back to the University of Tennessee. It feels like home for me to visit my alma ma ter with Jill and meet her new friends, especially those from Memphis (sev eral from St. Mary’s). Matt and I spent this past year close to home in Austin, except to visit Caroline, who just com pleted her first year of law school and is working this summer for a firm in Los Angeles. Caroline and I have enjoyed lots of road trips with her German Shepherd to and from school visiting national parks and some of our favorite towns along the way from Northern CA to TX. I love hearing from folks who say they are “rocking along” and looking forward to a healthy 2022 for everyone. Here’s hoping our many col lective paths and travels cross this year.

’83

BONNIE BOLTON LOPEZ

nne Harvey Whipple and husband Tim are enjoying their home in Northern VA and traveling to visit with oldest son Felix, who now lives

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After 28 years of superior service to St. Mary’s, Allison Wellford Parker has retired, but not before SMS bestowed upon her the school’s highest honor, The Gold Cross. Head of School Albert Throckmorton wrote a beau tiful announcement in which he said, “A counselor’s job is infinite and doesn’t

Catherine Robilio Womack ’82 views her daughter Liz Womack Edmundson

on the history wall panel in the Athletic and Wellness Center.

follow business hours. Allison has faithfully and selflessly lived and breathed this calling for the love and health of this community.” To appreciate what an honor this is, consider the distin guished list of prior recipients, including Mary Davis, Katharine Phillips, Gilmore Lynn, Peggy O’Sullivan, Anne Fisher, Presh Gill, Carol Lacy, and Virginia Pretti. Congratulations, Allison, and blessings on your retire ment! Catherine Trippeer Jameson visits her three grandchildren in the Nashville area and her parents in Memphis occasionally and recent ly gathered with Posey Saunders Cochrane, Lela Bellows SimpsonGerald, Margaret Jones Fraser, and Elise Kilpatrick Atkins. Lela an nounced that older son Max is engaged and younger son Jack is a rising senior at Lausanne. Max is getting a preview of college life while spending the summer at Bard and SCAD. Margaret celebrated son Will’s graduation from MUS and will be sending him to U of Colorado Boulder, where he will study engineering. Daughter Sara, a rising college senior, is doing an environ mental studies internship in Prague. Laurie Osborn Moody continues to practice pathology in Memphis. Daughter Lizzie ’21 is a freshman at UNC, and son Jackson is majoring in electrical engineering at GA Tech. Michelle Anderton Waterhouse has moved to Tampa with hubby Paul and his boys. Three horses, Dakota, Cash, and newest member Halo, and dog Memphis also made the move, though Michelle still has her home in Lookout Mountain, GA that she leases. Jenny Jon Jarratt seems to get the award for moving the most and accepting job promotions. She has bought a home in Hampton Cove, AL, near Huntsville, where she has become the senior sales account manager with UPS. She has a new passion for safari décor and has reconnected with Beth Jennings Kuhn and Kristi Dart Tsakir, who are accomplices in her acquisition of el ephants and giraffes and such. Beth and Jenny Jon saw the Rolling Stones in concert in Nashville together. (I hon estly don’t think you could pay me to go to a Rolling Stones concert.) Beth still takes organ lessons and has played in church and in a recital. Kathryn Carpenter Swords’ son John graduat ed from Vandy. He will work in D.C.,

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and daughter Sara, a 2020 graduate of University of Michigan, works at Vanderbilt’s Bill Wilkerson Center for Hearing and Speech. Kat continues to love her teaching gig at Ensworth. Brandon Garrott Morrison said goodbye to her beloved father, Tom Garrott, who died March 30. He was a trustee emeritus of SMS and dearly loved the school. Brandon and Joe are anticipating their first grandchild from son Joe and wife Caitlin. Daughter Ruthie Morrison ’09 married Blake Vaughan at Thanksgiving, and they live in Houston. Allie Morrison ’08 received her MBA and Healthcare Management degree at Wharton. Jane Morrison ’15 is in law school at Vandy, and son Murray is in his third year with Susquehanna in Chicago. Brandon won her recent primary race for re-election to the Shelby County Commission. Her district now covers much of Germantown in addition to Memphis. Holly Walters Craft is the proud mother of a recent MUS salutatorian. Son Collin swam for the Memphis Tigers for years and was co-captain of the MUS swim team. He was given the Doing the Most Good Award by The Salvation Army for his dedication to community service. Collin made a perfect score on his ACT and will be attending Duke in the fall. Eppie LunsfordÖzen has an empty nest. Son Ellis (25) has been in Istanbul working in film. His recent film The Three Kisses features Eppie! Daughter Emily (21) enjoys cooking, improv, and first aid classes. Eppie is doing several inde pendent projects in the arts—one of which is making drawings for her friend’s YouTube channel. Sweet Joan Maudlin Hurst celebrates her 30th anniversary with husband Kevin this year. She has now been in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative for 11 years and recently got to go to Kenya for work. Her daughter is in UVA’s nursing program, and her son is a rising freshman at a Christian school in the D.C. area. Lifelong learner Laurie Bell Lewandowski recently earned her M.A. in theology from Franciscan University and began a very fulfilling second career teaching undergraduate theology. She has even been taking online Latin classes! I, Bonnie Bolton Lopez, just graduated my final child from high school. It is a bittersweet

ending to 22 years of home education. On Mother’s Day, my children present ed me with four crystal apples representing the four graduates from The Lopez Family Home School. I am so grateful for the precious years we had together. Neal will join brother Sam at LA Tech, where they will be room mates. I have begun working at the Women’s Resource Center in my area as a client advocate for women with unplanned pregnancies. Our mission is to uphold the sanctity of life while encouraging the physical, emotional, educational, and spiritual well-be ing of the mother. It is a privilege to walk through decision making with these young women and to offer them support and guidance. Felix is looking forward to having me more available to join him in his activities now that I am retired from teaching. Bisha Sisk Harrington corrected my poor math and reminded me that next year is our 40th reunion! Jenny Jon says we should try to beat our attendance record of 35. I agree. Plan now to attend the reunion next March 31–April 1, 2023. They are always so much fun.

’85

IVY WILROY CARAVATI

mala Barnett is thrilled to finally be back in India after being gone for over eight years; she will continue to be based on the Big Island, HI. In Sono ma, CA, Trecia Knapp Tapolsky has mostly healed from a past car accident, has created a beautiful oasis (complete with pool) in Sonoma with Bruno, and continues to sell real estate and love on her two labradors. Kara Kilpatrick Preston’s UVA college graduate, Julia ’18, is looking at grad programs in history and education, and son Thomas is a rising HS senior. Margaret Frazier Gardner’s daughter Miriam ’21 has enjoyed her freshman year at Auburn, and Frazier will be a senior at MUS. Colleen Kavanagh’s Zego Foods continues to roll out nationwide and support a cleaner food system. Liam works at Chicago Fed Reserve, Kelsey is a junior at University of Chicago, Evie studies voice and computer science, and Erik practices law. Talia Puzantian Atkinson, Tino Sage and Kristy, and Colleen all gathered for

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dinner—and included Laurie Carnesale Wagner via Zoom. Carrie Mook Bridgman and husband James bought a house in Louisville. Jeanne Marie Rea Fenster continues in the startup world, with Berkley Small Business Solutions, and was named in Business America’s Hot 100 list of industry leaders. Jeanne has one child in Budapest, three boys in college—one working toward med school, the other two engineering. All is well in Berkeley for Katrina Traywick Sippey! Her youngest just graduated from high school and is joining her sister at UCLA in the fall! She requests all empty-nesting advice! Michael and Melissa Thrasher Peeler are looking forward to a delayed 30th anniversary Paris trip with all three girls and two boyfriends! Lisa Breazeale Roberts has finally recovered from rotator cuff surgery, daughter Evelyn ’18 graduates from the University of Richmond and has her last season of lacrosse, and daughter Chandler ’12 works as an ICU nurse and critical care specialist in TX while working on her doctor of nursing practice. Chandler and husband Sam will move to Memphis in 2023. I love my role as Evelyn’s second mom in Richmond. Beeland Dill Voellinger’s children, Will (6th grade) and Bee (HS junior), are thriving at their school in Charlotte and are all looking forward to a family beach trip this summer. I appreciate all of the love and support from our class when my father passed away. The funeral couldn’t have happened without you. My boys, who were so close to Doc, are spread across the U.S.: Charlie in Tampa at a tech startup in the music industry, Sid in Denver with software sales, and Thomas in Charlottesville in statistics and computer science. Chip and I plan to focus more on managing our cattle farm and traveling to see friends and family. Here’s to health and joy in the upcoming year.

’89

COURTNEY MORRIS WILLIAMSON

Hello to the last ladies of the ’80s! I hope this finds everyone doing well during undoubtedly busy seasons in our lives. Kathy Patterson Scogin is looking forward to becoming a grandmother in December as daugh

NOTES

ter Anna and husband are expecting. Kathy and husband Richard are traveling as Kathy is also working as a neonatal nurse practitioner in a NICU in Columbus, GA. Mary Pritchartt Muscari is doing well and working in development at Church Health, where she ran into Aarti Goorha Bowman ’92. Mary recently caught up with Ashley Saxon Abraham and with Ellen Roberds. Ellen is busy work ing on her Hospitality Hub women’s shelter project and is making incredible strides to impact the homeless commu nity in Memphis. It was great to hear f rom Tedie Sanford Cole, who has recently retired from counseling and is now teaching elementary art. She and husband Chance are celebrating 32 years together and have three children. Her oldest just finished her freshman year of college and is enjoying Austin, TX, and her middle daughter will be a senior in high school. Her young est daughter is busy with basketball and volleyball. I am still working and living in Nashville and trying to get to Memphis more often. Please reach out to me at courtneywilliamson@ comcast.net if you would be available for lunch or a cup of coffee!

’91

CAMELLIA KOLEYNI

Hello, everyone! I hope all are doing well. Malini Gupta’s artistic talents continue! She has had three art exhibits (GPAC, Buckman, and Crosstown) and will have a fourth this summer at Memphis Jewish Home. Her incredible medical food art—on Instagram @g2endo and Twitter @ maliniguptamd—has received much media attention and was featured in an article: medscape.com/viewar ticle/969170. Daughter Nisha ’28 is finishing sixth grade at SMS, and son Sohan is finishing his freshman year at MUS. Be sure to check out her art and her SMS milestones! Nancy Austin Patterson’s oldest son Dean graduated from high school and will attend Mississippi State University’s Shackouls Honor College this fall. Congratulations, Dean! Congrats are also in order for Holland Schatz Burns’ oldest son, Barron, who grad-

uated from high school and will attend Clemson this fall! The preparation for all of that has kept them busy. Holland also sees Asha Kumar Veeraswamy ’89 quite a bit, which she says has been fun. Alison Taylor Nooks’ new position as director of graduate career manage ment services at Mercer University’s Stetson-Hatcher School of Business is going well. Unfortunately, her Dad was in the hospital for seizures but is out now. Glad he’s doing better! She and husband Kirk enjoyed the opportunity to see the first class of students who completed all four years at Gordon State College since they’ve been there. Alison also finished her fourth year of the First Lady Reading Tour. Daughter Anniston, a rising senior, had another all As term and is the top student in her degree program. Congratulations, Anniston! She went to Rwanda with Mercer on Mission (MOM) in May and then will be a summer intern in D.C. for the Congressional Black Caucus. Alison said, “Twins are wrapping up 4th, too, with all As. Our girl twin [is] the top reader of her grade and [the] top student in her school! Our son, boy twin, is a ‘Math Fact Whiz Kid.’” Lots of great news, Alison! This past fall, I taught a health disparities course at Vanderbilt. It’s quite a different experience teaching pre-med undergraduates versus gradu ate health professional students (which I’ve done for years), but I loved the experience and hope to do it again in the future! Also, I continue to serve as a mentor for Vanderbilt’s global health

Malini Gupta ’91 received The Excellence in Humanities Award from the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology in May.

MPH students and for Vanderbilt’s Social Medicine Committee. By the time this publication comes out, I hope to be back to providing medical care to refugees and the underserved. My long-term goals continue to be geared towards health-equity related issues, so I am always on the lookout for these types of opportunities! On a personal level, Vineet and I continue to be so thankful for all that we have and the fact that we’ve been so lucky during this pandemic. We’ve enjoyed visiting family and taken a couple of short trips. As always, I wish the best for all of you and your loved ones!

’93

KRISTEN MISTRETTA WILSON

Greetings from the Class of 1993! Alison Simmons Boyd contin ues to live in Denver with her family enjoying the wonderful CO weather and all that the great outdoors has to offer. Son Mason is 10, and daughter Katherine is 7. She is still in advertis ing at FedEx going on 17 years! She enjoyed coming back to Memphis this spring for a visit and was able to catch up with our classmates Amelia, Ginny, Bethany, Carrie, Christian, Mak, and Price. Amelia Treadwell Howard and husband Nathan are celebrating their 25th wedding anni versary in August 2022. Son George g raduated from MUS in May 2021 and just finished his freshman year at the University of Arkansas. Daughter Anna Laura just finished her sophomore year at ECS. Anna Laura is a soccer play er like her dad. Amelia works at the ECS lower school, where she is the assistant to three principals and loves her job! She said it keeps her busy during a time in her life with one off to college and the other one almost gone. Kathryn Brookfield shared that son Ryland will start high school this fall, son Brooks will be in eighth grade, and daughter Kate Kannon will start middle school. The boys are both at Marist, and Kate Kannon is at St. Martin’s Episcopal. She changed jobs in 2021 and is now in oncology with Bristol Myers Squibb. She said it’s a bit like drinking from a firehose at the beginning, but she absolutely loves

CLASS NOTES

it! There is always something new to learn, which keeps her on her toes. She still lives in Atlanta and doesn’t get back to Memphis as much as she’d like. If anyone is in Cashiers, NC over the summer, please let her know. She’ll be spending some time up there with her parents and children. Last September, Kim Lupo made the decision to leave Nike (and Portland, OR) for an incredible leadership role at Walmart (in Bentonville, AR!) as the SVP, Total Rewards, People Partnering, and Digital Acceleration. It might seem like a crazy move, but when she learned about Walmart’s mission to help customers save money so they can live better, coupled with knowing that if she could help solve for some of our most acute social issues like financial stability, living wage, access to care and services, health inequities, etc. at Walmart and for their 2.4M employ ees—that’s a blueprint for many! Deb and puppies Lulu and Poppy are also settling into life in Northwest AR and are all loving it. She says that there are some pretty amazing running/ walking trails, great museums, and it’s a spot much closer to her mama and sister. Now that she is a 5-hour drive away, she hopes to make more trips back to Memphis and join in more SMS reunion activities! Martha Cousins shared that she continues to love her job at BNY Mellon as a Principal in Regulatory Oversight/ Strategy. She works on a team with six men and all seven of them are ranked, so it’s very competitive, but she disarms them all with humor; it seems to be working! She also shared that it’s a long, strange and surprising story, but she “inherited” a large apart ment in major need of remodeling, with art, antiques, and a huge library (with a lot of leather-bound books we all read together in high school at SMS) through a dear older friend in the Colonial Dames of America. She has been busy at work restoring and upgrading it this past year—one room at a time—while learning a lot (drill bits, refinishing floors, tiling, lighting upgrades, cabinet pulls, etc.) She gets to Memphis about every other month. Josephine Cowles Ellis works for Fiserv in Alpharetta, GA. She is a lead Product Director for CARAT digital payouts. She designed and led the build out of the new platform and is current

ly leading an international effort. Oldest daughter Anna graduated from high school in 2021. She is just finishing a gap year and will attend college in the fall. A mber and Ben will graduate from high school in May 2023. Logan is fin ishing his freshman year, Bethany has completed eighth grade, and Alexis fin ished fifth grade. Mindy Kronenberg has been living the good life and was able to take an amazing vacation to Puerto Rico this past year. Katherine McQuiston Bush has moved from St. Mary’s after 12 years (!) as chaplain to Calvary Episcopal Church. We wish her the best and know that she is missed. Alexia Fulgham Crump shared that daughter Catherine ’34 was a flower girl at SMS graduation, and she was in the spring ballet at the Buckman as well as the Nutcracker last Christmas. She will be in first grade at SMS in the fall. She’s excited about lower school but not thrilled that she has to wear a uniform. Mom, how ever, is very happy about that. Alexia is still at juvenile court with the DA’s office. She also ran into Bethany Mays Owen at the last Early Childhood chapel, where she and Catherine were able to take a photo with Bethany and niece Phoebe Diane ’36. As for me, I continue to live in Charlotte, NC with husband Jake and three sons—Jacob (6th), Alexander (5th), and Matthew (K). I adore them all. I guess you could say that we are a sports-obsessed family and keep busy with the boys’ schedules and travel when we can fit it in! Much love to all and looking forward to our upcoming reunion in 2023!

’95

CARRIE SUE CASEY HANBACK

Y’all! Katherine Crone Wilson’s senior superlative was “Most Likely To Run a Harlequin Bookstore,” and her romance novel Just A Fling comes out soon! Dawn Law was a beta read er, and Michelle Pao Levine support ed her throughout. The book is 18+, so Katherine’s mother “isn’t allowed to read it.” My mother confiscated my Bret Michaels poster and hid it in her sweat er drawer, so I think we know whose mother will pre-order. Sonia Torrey is now a Licensed Professional Counselor–

Mental Health Service Provider. Congrats! She recently saw Ragini Gupta, Natasha Heflin Davis, and Lee Davidson Holt. Natasha helped Lee make a unicorn cake for Lee’s daughter Dorothy’s 7th birthday. My fave Sonia news: She is taking curling lessons at The Ice House in Southaven. I repeat: There is an Ice House in Southaven. Also, Natasha and Sonia rode 3-wheelers in Bolivar. If that isn’t Tennessee, I don’t know what is. Ann Wood Ray’s oldest son is graduating from high school soon! She is also rais ing chickens a.k.a. her “girls.” She says, “Collecting their eggs is like Christmas every day.” I was so sorry to learn that Ann’s dad, Dr. Tom Wood, passed away in February 2022. She and her family are planning his celebration of life in Memphis, and I hope it’s wonderful. Elizabeth Richardson Fitzgerald’s daughter Erin heads to UTK and will be in the marching band; she is also a TN state champion in archery! Alysia Shell Shaver’s 6-foot-3 “baby boy” is going on college soccer vis its, and Murff Oates Galbreath is soon to have an SMS high schooler. Sarah Trosper Olivo is watching her two children play many spring sports. She’s also looking into starting a podcast for college student mental health! Dhevi Kumar Broecker and Olivia Ralston get to hang IRL in Memphis soon. On the discussion agenda, Dhevi’s new job in healthcare partnership at Microsoft and Olivia’s ongoing entrepreneurial endeavors from her home in London! In LA, Liz Jenkins’ family welcomed precious son Oliver Jackson Jenkins-Snell. He does not take a bad photo. Behold his beauty. Clare Kenney Foglesong, her spouse, and kids (15, 11, and 4) road-tripped to the Grand Canyon, Capitol Reef, and Arches in Utah. Allison Roberts has been in the U.S. seeing family and National Parks, too. Ever the homebody (wink), she went to Cirque Du Soleil in Vegas with Elizabeth F. and dined with Kathryn Wiseman in Birmingham. Kathryn took a 50th wedding anniver sary vacation with her parents (slated for 2020 but…covid). They winded from Switzerland to Hungary, up the Danube to Slovakia, Austria, and Germany. She is also flipping houses and has found the perfect pickup for this side hustle, which she called “the truck baby of Dolly Parton and Boss

CLASS NOTES

Hogg.” However, while she was on the phone—card in hand to purchase said truck—someone test drove it and bought it out from under her. One star. Elizabeth Schatz Passarella is buy ing a “bit of a hoarding situation” NYC apartment. The hilarious story forms the basis of her essay collection It Was an Ugly Couch Anyway, out May 2023! Can’t wait. The Memphis ice storm derailed plans for her, Murff, Hallie Bourland Wagner, and Blair Bobo Geer to visit Vanessa Buch, so here’s to better travel luck. I went to NYC to see Tina Turner’s musical (high ly recommend). I saw Tricia Graue for dim sum where I consumed (all the) dumplings. I do not recommend discovering your child needs a negative covid test three hours before curtain. The SMS “mafia” (as my husband calls us) came through, though. Elizabeth P. brought me a tampon in Central Park and the coordinates to a drugstore stocked with covid tests, while Tricia steered me to the best mass transit routes and met me for brunch the next morning. I saw Calder Britt Clark and Ashley Goldstein Allen in D.C., where we terrorized their husbands with inside jokes. Elizabeth Cochran Hill and Ashley visit soon, and I cannot wait for Rat Face Extravaganza 2022: The Rodent Edition. If you are near Richmond, I implore you: Come see me.

’97

HOLLYE FERGUSON STIGLER

Congratulations to the Class of 1997 for passing the 25-year reunion mark! We will have to plan for big festivities in five more years for the 30-year reunion, hopefully in a season where travel is more predictable. It would be wonderful to see many of you then. Until then, please keep sharing updates via email. Melissa Ohsfeldt wrote that she still lives in Nashville and has enjoyed running her own aviation consulting company for a few years now. Her kids keep her busy with Charlotte in fencing, ascal diving, Valen in Tae Kwon Do, and Orinda has just started ice hockey. Husband Bennett just finished his first year as the chair of Vanderbilt’s new electrical

and computer engineering department. Happy summer to you all, and save the date now for April 2027 for our next reunion!

’99

KELLY BUCKNER DALLAS

Thanks to everyone who sent in an update. It’s always nice hearing from so many of you. I can’t believe that Courtenay Adams is wrapping up her 18th year at Dixon Hughes! She looks forward to spending some time in Honduras this summer. Courtenay, we always love hearing about your travels! Lauren Hinson has a new role with Ralph Lauren on the store design team and will cover Europe and the Middle East. She is definitely going to have some exciting travels in her fu ture, too. Angela Lam looks forward to a trip to Cancun this summer with husband Chester after a series of some difficult events for their family. Angela, I hope your trip provides some rest and rejuvenation. Rebecca Fones Rhea is heading on a new adventure—moving with her family to Oxford, MS. We will miss you in Memphis, Rebecca! Erin Bower Jarrett moved this past year from Nashville to Blowing Rock, NC. She, husband Josh, and Great Dane Sookie love the outdoor activ ities and beautiful scenery. Melissa Reedy Buchanan also just moved from Georgia to Memphis. Welcome back, Melissa! She will be working for her family’s real estate business, and her new home is a few doors down from Anne-Morgan Brookfield Morgan. What a great neighbor to have! AnneMorgan stays busy with her two girls and even coached volleyball for the fifth graders. Anne Elise ’29 looks for ward to the move across the street next year for sixth grade. Anne-Morgan has also been serving on the St. Mary’s Board of Trustees. Thank you for serving our school! Annie McLaren Neufeld is also busy with her two girls and enjoying the southern California sunshine playing soccer and swimming. I hope to catch up with Annie when she makes it back to Memphis to visit her family at the end of the summer. As for us, all is well! I have been at my new job at Diversified Trust for a year

now. I’m part of heir wealth advisory and financial planning group and really enjoy it. Mae ’27 is going into eighth grade, Julia into sixth, and John into first! I’m soaking in all these fun and busy moments with them. As always, please let me know if you are ever in Memphis. I would love to catch up with each of you!

’01

LAUREN ANDERSON STONE

It was so great to see everyone at the reunion this spring! Courtney Taylor Humphreys said she loved being back at St. Mary’s and making a ruckus in the hallways. She contin ues to recognize how special our St. Mary’s connections are and already looks forward to when we can all be together again. Same here! Courtney’s husband, McKee, is about to transition jobs, moving from PDS administra tion to MUS, and her kids are gearing up for a fun summer. Emily Harris lives in Midtown Memphis and is busy keeping up with her two boys, one who is officially a teenager! She is director of communications and en gagement at Memphis Medical District Collaborative, working to improve the neighborhoods between Midtown and Downtown. Emily received her RYT200 yoga teacher training certification last summer. In August, Mira Patel was admitted into United Scenic Art ists Local 829 (IATSE), the New York union for scenic arts. Since then, she has worked as an assistant art director on several productions, including Net flix’s upcoming series “Partner Track,” Peacock’s “The Missing” (2023), and the original Law & Order. After more than 11 years with Oribe Hair Care, Kemper Kelso Brennan left last year and has started working with female founders in the beauty industry. She created Bravura LLC and looks forward to building her consultancy with a soft launch this summer. Katie Runyan, Patrick, Naomi (2), and pups moved to Vancouver, WA, outside Portland to be closer to Katie’s sister, Elspeth Runyan ’05. Stephanie Vieron Leary and family are doing well in Baltimore. She’s wrapping up year 12 of teaching all-girls middle-school English and has

NOTES

been busy with their newest addition, Buddy, a Pit Bull mix puppy. He is super-sweet, but he is a handful! Caroline Gardner Donlin was selected by American Banker as one of the Most Powerful Women in Banking: Net 2022. Congratulations, Caroline! Carey King Slocum is still enjoy ing New Orleans with Whit and their three boys, Walker and Davis (8) and Henry (6), especially with the return of festivals, live music, and events! Carey is working at HRI Communities as VP of development finance. Nishta Mehra’s family is moving back to Houston! After a wonderful adven ture in the desert, they are excited to return to Shiv’s hometown. Shiv will start fourth grade in the fall, after a summer of theater camp and overnight

full tour. She ran into Ms. Lyttle and shared pictures of herself sitting behind the Queen at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 2017! Morgan has a full summer of travels to Mallorca, Amiens, Reims, Glasgow, Court, and Nor way. She will be back in Memphis in December and would love to see some classmates while she’s here. Clifton and I recently moved to a new house with our three kids, Anderson (9), Waring (6), and Mary Evelyn ’37 (3). I abso lutely loved being back on campus this year with my daughter in SMP. There are new-to-me faces and buildings, but the spirit remains the same, and I am so looking forward to watching her enjoy all the friendships and traditions of St. Mary’s.

’03

LAURENCE GOODWIN

Great to hear from Elle Carolino

camp, and is busy trying to convince her parents to start a Tik-Tok account for her so she can become famous and meet Lizzo and Beyonce. Nishta is stepping away from full-time teaching and just signed a contract for a new book! The working title is More Than You Bargained For: Teaching & Parenting in “Unprecedented” Times. Jill will continue teaching and consulting in Houston but is most looking forward to gar dening in Zone 9 again. Nishta’s mom is moving, too, and will be just down the street. Morgan Raines is still in London, lawyering away. She came to Memphis for Easter and went to SMS to see Mrs. Umfress, who gave her the

Drouin, Catherine Fox, Nicole Dennis Bremseth, Margaret Ann Klinke Mays, and Chlöe Lackie Zingaro this round of notes. Anne Taylor Tipton Manning and fami ly are moving back to Memphis later this year. Daughter Eleanor will be a little first grade turkey this fall! Suzie Loveless has expanded her earring business, Handmade With Loveless, and has recently traveled to Roatan, Honduras to lead eight community jewelry workshops for women on the island. Melissa Malone Teague loves her job in NM. Nicole Henderson Trenholme and husband Brian enjoy living in Illinois, where Nicole works as an assistant professor in veterinary anesthesia and pain management. Penny Shelton Townson has recently taken on a new position with TVA as a Regional Economic Development Consultant, working in North Alabama. Mary Austin Mays Smith stays busy working as both a pediatric dentist and running her brother-inlaw’s diaper balm company, Doctor O’s Diaper Balm, which is in the process of expanding. Daughter Phoebe Diane ’36 loves Pre-K at SMS. I’m still enjoy ing doing some tutoring for Lizzie Gill Foreman’s company, No Limits, and working as the Head of US and International University Applications

Class of 2001 friends: Daphne Trainor Bahl, Hayley Bower Gerber, and Susan Buckner Rose

at a school just outside of London in Kent. We’re all looking forward to our 20th class reunion next year—time really flies!

’05

SARAH ATKINSON BALL LAUREN WIYGUL RILEY

Alison West Pettus says that everything is great in Nashville! They moved to a new house last sum mer, and daughter Brittain is starting kindergarten in the fall. Evans is two years old, and she loved her first year of school going two days a week to Westminster. Husband Scott is enter ing his 15th year in real estate as well a s coaching at MBA. Alison is loving staying at home with the girls as well as playing a lot of tennis, which she recently took up this past year. Alison and sister Brittain West ’07 also have an Etsy shop called The West Village Shop, where they sell high-quality custom paper products like stationery, notepads, invitations, Christmas cards, placemats, enclosure cards, stickers, etc. They’d love to help you with any of your paper needs! Laura Jennings Yacoubian started a new job as direc tor of development at Temple Israel. Daughter Helen ’33 is finishing her first year at St. Mary’s, and little sister Lizzie will eventually join her as a fel low Turkey. Laura is enjoying her backyard vegetable garden again this year, and she and husband Paul are looking forward to getting some work done on their house to spruce it up after it has

CLASS NOTES

been well lived-in during the pandem ic. Grace Jensen Knight is still working at St. Mary’s and next year will be the Assistant Director of Admission for Early Childhood and Lower School. She says, “It’s a lot of fun!”

’07

CAITLIN COLCOLOUGH WILLIAMS

Lauren Lieberman Beneke just got back into riding horses after a 12-year break. She still lives in Dallas but will be keeping a horse in Memphis. Caitin Clark is official ly done with training! She moved to Tupelo, MS, in September and took a job as a hospitalist physician at North Mississippi Medical Center, which is the largest rural hospital system in the U.S. She bought a house in Tupelo and loves it so far! Melissa Graunke Decosimo is busy with her 4-year-old twins and 2-year-old daughter! She works full-time heading up strate gy for Kenco, a third-party logistics company in Chattanooga that is the largest woman-owned 3PL in the country! Erin Fowler still lives in D.C., though she works in Maryland and just got married in Memphis! She married a former colleague named Andrew Stickrath and is trying to decide whether she will change her last name! Elizabeth Summitt Gordon welcomed a little boy on March

29, 2022—Preston Bond Gordon Jr.—“Bond.” He has been a wonderful addition to the family, and his older sister loves baby brother! Their daugh ter Eloise will begin the two year old program at St. Mary’s Place starting in August. It is really fun to be back on campus seeing it from a differ ent perspective. It’s a truly incredible place! Miranda Kaltenborn is still in Metro Detroit and started a new job as a design researcher at Ford last fall. Ginni Fischer Larkins is still enjoy ing life in Charlotte with her daughter Maggie (16 months); she and husband Andrew are excited to be expecting baby girl #2 in September! Ginni works part time as the assistant director of women’s ministry at her church and loves the flexibility of a part-time job that allows her to be home quite a bit with Maggie. Since Covid ruined their honeymoon, she and Andrew toured Northwest AZ and loved it—Grand Canyon, hiking to see the Pueblo cliff dwellings, etc.! Cory Yandell Lewis is still an LCSW in private practice in Chattanooga. She was trained in a modality called EMDR this fall that has been an exciting addition for her and her work with clients. Cory had another little boy arrive on September 21, 2021, Jennings Shaw Lewis. He is a little ray of sunshine, and things are fun and busy! Kate Smith Mallory is still working as a mental health coun selor for Kardia Collective in Memphis and loves it! She and Neely are enjoy ing their 3 yo and 1yo and are grate-

Cameron Colcolough Reynolds ’07 with sons Tram and Riggs

Ruth Louise Finch was born to Mamie Kostka Finch ’06 in April.

Class of 2007 friends at Chapel: Charlotte Eagle, Chapel speaker Jasmine Bolton, Anna Bearman, and Alexandra Mims Pike

fully expecting their third child (and last!) in September! Mary Dickinson Plosser and husband welcomed their third baby boy, John Hastings “Hayes” Plosser, on February 3! Taylor Ragan will be taking over Mrs. Madden’s position as the director of plays at SMS in August! Also, she got mar ried on May 21! Alexandra Mims Pike had a lot of fun in February reuniting with SMS friends Anna Bearman and Charlotte Eagle at Jasmine Bolton’s chapel talk! Along with Anna and Charlotte, she also got to see classmates Hallie Flanagan, Emily Sells Franklin, Suzanne Ray Margello, and Chelsea Cook at Vicky Rizk’s wedding in February! Alexandra is wrapping up her post doctoral fellowship at MIT and will be moving to Ohio in January to be a Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology at Oberlin College. She’s also seeking a tenure-track biomedical research and teaching position for after the visiting professorship ends. Cameron Colcolough Reynolds welcomed their second son, John “Riggs” Reynolds on October 1, 2021. Tram has loved being a big brother and takes his brotherly duties very seriously! Vicky Rizk got married to Arash Naghvi on February 12, 2022! Then moved down to Tampa from Manhattan to be in the same place as her husband. She left her job at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and joined as a medical oncologist specializing in breast cancer at Tampa General Cancer Institute. Ann Atkinson Schnuerer moved back to Memphis from California almost a year ago and has loved being here. She is about to have baby #3 in June (a boy). Her daughter, Lee ’36 is in pre-k at St. Mary’s! Ann is the Fund a Cure Champion/keynote speaker this year for JDRF (the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) at their Promise gala at the Peabody. She has been working hard to help them fundraise to find a cure for Type 1 diabetes! Mary Katherine Thinnes is thrilled to report that she has recently been appointed director of merchandising at PAIGE! It’s a really exciting time for the brand, as they are opening stores across the U.S., expanding globally and launching new categories, but most importantly they’re experiencing great success as a female-founded company with the genuine mission of empow

NOTES

ering others. She is still enjoying life in LA, in large part due to her mighty trio of St. Mary’s girls there: Maddy Pryor, Evie Lyras ’06 and Nora Kahn Wilson ’05. She is also the proud godmother to Erin Sandefer Meeks’ beautiful son, Michael! Bailey Wilson is still in Washington, D.C.; she quit her job with Turner Construction and now works on Walmart’s cybersecurity team. She is learning a lot of new tech things and enjoys the people she works with!

’09

BAILEY BETHELL FOUNTAIN

The Class of 2009 is busy as always! Natalie Jacewicz Kern will be moving to New York City in August to begin a fellowship at NYU, one last stop (she hopes) to becom ing an environmental law professor. This spring she attended a St. Mary’s reunion in Washington D.C. where she got to catch up with Christine Petrin and Karen Stein Robbins. Wallis Tosi Steiner is expecting a baby girl in October! She just returned from a fabulous retreat in Morocco. Aubree Penney has joined public art and history studio Monument Lab in the role of Assistant to the Director and Curatorial Associate. Claire Riley recently celebrated the one year anniversary of her travel business, Duende Travels, and has gotten to catch up with many SMS alums through planning their trips in that first year! She continues to live and work in Madrid, Spain. Ruthie Morrison Vaughan married Blake Anthony Vaughan in November 2021. They are living in Houston, TX where Ruthie is finishing up her Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship. Sasha Hosick is serving foster families in Shelby County as director of her non-profit, Foster Village Memphis. She’s living in Colonial Acres and waves to neigh bor Lindsey Driver Pagni on walks with her pup, Babs. When not packing Welcome Packs for children in foster care, hosting Foster Mom Gatherings, planning fundraisers, or partnering with DCS to fight the child welfare crisis, she’s chasing kiddos and work ing on organization projects for local

families. Alex Tyler Harding lives with her husband Kyle in Fort Worth, TX with their boxer dog Cricket. Alex will be celebrating 1 year at Square this July where she manages paid marketing for their International markets. Sarah Donaldson graduated this spring from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where she earned her MBA. She will be moving back to New York City to pursue a career in healthcare private equity. Jillian Smith is still in Los Angeles working in unscript ed TV as a director of development. She’s currently working on a pilot for Magnolia Network, which will be announced later this year. Last fall, she helped her company launch an affiliate talent management firm where she serves as director of talent, working with media personalities and brands. Eliza Leatherman graduated with her B.S. in nursing from UTHSC and is working in the neuro ICU at Baptist East in Memphis. Rebecca Schaeffer Anthony welcomed daughter Kristi in February. She loves to host play dates with Leah Bearman Pinkston (daughters Dottie and Ari) and Bailey Bethell Fountain (daughter Mary)!

’11

MEG CORNAGHIE ALLYSON PATTERSON DALTON

Meriweather Adams is working as a consultant for a warehouse automation company and moved back to Memphis in October with her dog, DeeDee. She just took her first inter national solo trip to Amsterdam, where she saw the tulips in bloom and is look ing forward to a trip to Barcelona in a few weeks! Meg Cornaghie is starting her fourth year of orthopedic surgery residency in Little Rock and still loves being a homeowner with her cat, Opal. Allyson Patterson Dalton is enjoy ing her new role as a future of work consultant for a global gaming compa ny. Teresa Hendrix Daniel recently earned a Certified Usability Analyst certification from Human Factors International and enjoyed attending the Nancy Walton Laurie Leadership Institute of Chi Omega in Memphis. Katie Kaelin Fronterhouse just bought a new house in Dallas and loves

being a mom to her 18-month-old son. Eliza Hendrix graduated with her doctorate in occupational therapy from Washington University in St. Louis in December 2021 and is excited to begin her career as an occupational therapist. Morgan Van Dyke Ivy moved to Memphis and works for Young Life. Margaret McClintock is still loving life in Lexington and was promoted in the fall to associate director of recre ation at W&L. The past three years have solidified not only her love of outdoor activity but also helping students find their favorite ways to be active! Anna Morten bought her first house in the Morningside/Virginia Highland neigh borhood in Atlanta and is quickly learning the joys and trials of homeownership! Mary Peeler is continuing her OB/GYN residency in Baltimore and is looking forward to a family vacation to Switzerland and France this summer. Taylor Simms is working as a cus tomer success manager at a healthcare startup and loves living in San Francisco with her pup, June! Lindsey Pearson Smith is graduating from Vanderbilt’s Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program this summer and can’t wait for Lauren Harrington Stubblefield to be her neighbor in Nashville! Erika Steuer started her master’s in food business at Culinary Institute of America. Katie Danehy Wagoner is enjoying being a mom and working in her counseling prac tice in Charlotte. Whitney Wortham Priester just moved into a new apart ment in Brooklyn and is excited to have a backyard. She just finished the first year of her PhD at NYU!

’13

EMMA LESS

The Class of 2013 mourns the loss of our beloved classmate, Danielle Tyler (May 18, 1995–April 28, 2022). She was an active member and Captain of the Varsity Dance Team, served as President of the Visual Arts Club, and was involved in Beta Club, Student Council, and the Wind Ensemble. Above all, she was “incandescent,” a genuine joy to be around, and a friend to all. She is greatly missed.

CLASS NOTES

’15

MICHELLE CHU EMMA FARRIS

toward her master’s in art history.

A

shton Terry Marceau got married in November 2021 and is now living in Cochrane, Ontario, looking to get permanent residency status soon. Emma Farris is working in San José, Costa Rica, at the University for Peace of the United Nations at the Chair on Countering Illicit Trade and Preventing Transnational Organized Crime. She recently joined the 2022 cohort of the White House Historical Association Next-Gen Leaders. Mary Jane McCaghren is working at Mercer Capital in Dallas and was recently pro moted from financial analyst to senior financial analyst. Hannah Pfrommer is living in New Orleans and started medical school at Tulane University in the fall of 2021. She received a grant to conduct research on atherosclerotic plaque rupture (cardiovascular research for non-science folks) this summer at Tulane. Olivia Landau will be attend ing the Graduate Institute of Geneva in the fall, pursuing a master’s degree in international and development studies with a concentration in conflict, peace, and security. She hopes to gain both theoretical and practical backgrounds in international development studies to grow as a practitioner in the field. As a Forté Fellow, Jane Morrison is pursuing a joint JD-MBA degree at Vanderbilt University. At Vandy, she is vice president of both the Women Law Students’ Association and the Law and Business Society. This summer, Jane will intern with Balch and Bingham in Atlanta, GA, and Haynes Boone in Dallas, TX. Natalie Dean complet ed two years as a teaching assistant in Nice, France and, starting this summer, will be pursuing a master of arts in teaching at the University of Southern California as a Presidential Teaching Scholar. Samantha Wischmeyer will be going back to school this fall to get her master of design at the University of Arkansas. Michelle Chu is still living in Los Angeles and working at the animation studio Bento Box. Mary Thompson is a graduate student at Hunter College in NYC, working

Abbie Warr graduated with a master’s in speech therapy in August 2021. She is now working as a speech therapist with LeBonheur’s school-based team in two elementary schools. Liza Alrutz is living in Chicago and working full time at Northwestern University as an event production manager. Katherine Harwell is working for the Appalachian Regional Commission in D.C. Madeleine Lee is moving to Brooklyn and is working as a produc tion coordinator in NY. Emily Shores got married this March and is still living in Greenville, SC, and in medical school.

’19

FAITH BRADLEY ARABELLA MCGOWAN

angston Myers is busy working in two research labs, one conducting a meta-analysis and one studying per sonality disorders, specifically narcissism. She presents her research for the meta-analysis lab at the APS national conference in May. Langston is also the professional development chair for Psi Chi Psychology Honor Society and a peer tutor. Arabella McGowan will spend her summer working in consult ing in NYC and traveling abroad for a few weeks before starting her senior year at Dartmouth College. Emily O’Toole recently switched her major to accounting. This summer, she is in terning for Ernst & Young in addition to traveling to Thailand. Maddie Jenks graduated this May. She plans to either complete an Americorp Research Fellowship focused on the digital divide around Knoxville or pursue a master of public policy and public administration at UT this fall. This past semester, Lily Smith worked as a marketing intern for Springbot in Atlanta. She plans to study abroad in India this sum mer.

L

Karsen Springfield is the vice president of Tri Beta Biological Honor Society. She was also inducted into Psi Chi Psychology Honor Society, elected president of the Mu Epsilon Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, and selected to be an orientation guide and peer tutor. This summer, she will be applying to dental school. Abby

CLASS NOTES

Utley has taken her junior year at Loyola University Chicago to get involved with a plethora of activities that suit her interests. She is a weekly DJ at WLUW, the stu dent-run radio station, where she has recently accepted a position for next year as production director. When she’s not listening to music, you can find her polishing her writing skills or singing with her fellow members of Loyola Acapella, the pre mier coed singing group on campus. Like her high school days, Abby is still made up of 60% water and 40% hummus, except now she’s encased in a more insulat ed, ridiculously oversized jacket. Sara Fraser is currently serving as the risk manager of her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma, and will be in Prague this summer for a sustainability internship.

’21 MIRIAM GARDNER LIZZIE MOODY RIA PATEL

Margaret Couloubaritsis loves Baylor University; she has gotten really involved in Mission Waco and event planning for Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. Evie Fowler just wrapped up

her first year at Belmont University in Nashville as a songwriting major. Evie is the head of communications for the Belmont Songwriting Association and a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. She can be found regularly playing her music around the city, going to concerts, and drinking a little too much coffee from Nashville’s best spots. Miriam Gardner is studying apparel merchandising at Auburn University. She is going to London this summer to study British fashion! She has loved going to Auburn football games and meeting new people! At Lake Forest College, Kate Kiameh has enjoyed running on the track team and tutoring at the writing center. She can’t wait to travel to visit with prospective students and alumni as a Gummere Fellow! Lizzie Moody has loved getting involved in Carolina For the Kids and Phi Mu at the University of North Carolina. This year, she enjoyed cheering on the basketball team as they advanced to the National Championship! Ansley Skipper is studying history and politics at the University of Virginia. She’s a competitor on the mock trial team at UVA, which placed fourth in the nation this year. Chloé Webster is excited to work as a student envoy for Team USA during the World Track and Field Championships in Eugene. She has also been elected as a senator for the University of Oregon’s Student Government.

In

We remember 6th grader Elizabeth Dunlap.

a talented dancer and participated in St. Mary’s drama program and climbing club.

Sarah Bratton

Class of 2020 friends in California: Blaise Burbank, Maria Roudnev, Lily Van Brocklin, and Helen Hudson

Susan

Elizabeth

Marriages

Zoë Kahn ’04 to Amos Vernon, June 18, 2022 Erin Fowler ’07 to Andrew Stickrath, May 7, 2022 Taylor Ragan ’07 to Gene Micofsky, May 21, 2022

Vicky Rizk ’07 to Arash Naghvi, February 12, 2022 Anna Roach ’08 to Matthew Bledsoe, December 18, 2021

Ruthie Morrison ’09 to Blake Anthony Vaughan, November 20, 2022

Emily Shores ’15 to Austin Richardson, March 19, 2022

Ashton Terry ’15 to Ryan Marceau, November 20, 2021

MILESTONES

Births/Adoptions

Oliver Jackson Jenkins-Snell to Liz Jenkins ’95 August 9, 2021

Caroline Kelly Ridder Brown to Kaitlin Ridder Brown ’04 April 24, 2022

Aiden Naveen Wellikoff to Saradasri Karri Wellikoff ’04 May 11, 2022

Sarah Virginia Ball to Sarah Atkinson Ball ’05 February 10, 2022

Miller Kathryn Finlay to Weezie Cannon Finlay ’05 March 28, 2022

Margaret Linden Musice to Hillary Edwards Musice ’05 May 2, 2022

Ruth Louise Finch to Mamie Kostka Finch ’06 April 12, 2022

Elliott David Moore to Ellen Page Moore ’06 February 28, 2022

Preston Bond Gordon Jr. to Elizabeth Summitt Gordon ’07 March 29, 2022

Jennings Shaw Lewis to Cory Yandell Lewis ’07 September 21, 2021

John Hastings “Hayes” Plosser to Mary Dickinson Plosser ’07 February 3, 2022

Ashton Terry ’15 married Ryan Marceau on November 20, 2021.

Class of 2007 friends Hallie Flanagan, Emily Sells Franklin, Jasmine Bolton, Vicky Rizk, Anna Bearman, Chelsea Cook, Alexandra Mims Pike, and Charlotte Eagle at Vicky’s wedding in February.

Births/Adoptions

John Riggs Reynolds to Cameron Colcolough Reynolds ’07 October 1, 2021

Henry Browning Adams to Ashley Edge Adams ’08 May 4, 2022

Brooke O’Brian to Jenny Guyton O’Brian ’08 May 9, 2022

Kristine “Kristi” Carney Anthony to Rebecca Schaeffer Anthony ’09 February 25, 2022

Caroline Annette Edwards to Kathryn Waggoner Edwards ’09 April 4, 2022

David Pendleton Lintner to Sophie Page Lintner ’09 March 19, 2022

Charles Edward Rosati to Kendall Hennessy Rosati ’10 February 23, 2022

Hayden Black Trotz to Lauren Pelts Trotz ’10 March 26, 2022

Professional Updates

Mary Lacy Bell ’88 Ryan White Social Worker, art therapist, and early intervention specialist, Hope House Memphis

Emily Piovarcy Carlson ’88 Business & Product Analyst, SchoolMint

Pidge Colbert Macdonald ’88 Medical sales and marketing, Mays & Schnapp Neurospine and Pain

Amy Weinberg Pearce ’88 Realtor, Sotheby’s International Realty

Malini Gupta ’91 Recipient of the 2022 American Association of Clinical Endocrinology (AACE) Excellence in the Humanities Award

Allyn Jaqua Lowell ’98 Joined Thompson & Coburn to head its Texas labor and employment practice

Sarah Pazar Williams ’03 Partner at Hall Booth Smith, P.C.

Elizabeth Jemison ’04

Associate professor with tenure, Clemson University Provost Junior Outstanding Teacher Award, 2022

Clare Patterson ’04

Selected for Honor Council, 20222026; Workshop Coordinator of the Emergency Medicine Medical Group and the Disaster Medicine Group (American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine)

Kaitlin Ridder Brown ’04 Urologist at Urology Associates of Southeastern North Carolina (Wilmington, NC)

Susan Schwarz ’04 Resource Planning Operations Team Leader, Apple Inc. (Austin, TX)

Shona Strachan Singer ’04 Communications and Campaign Lead for Aberdeenshire North Foodbanks at Trussel Trust (Scotland, UK)

Atina Rizk Stavropoulos ’04

Associate Professor/Director of Written Communications, The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center & School (Charlottesville, VA)

Isabel Marie Harte and Hagen Thomas Harte were born to Alix de Witt Harte ’12 and Ryan Harte on January 21 and January 22 respectively.

Charlie Rosati, son of Kendall Hennessy Rosati ’10, shows SMS spirit.

Saradasri Karri Wellikoff ’04 Medical oncologist and hematologist at West Cancer Center (Memphis, TN)

Camille Wingo ’04

Director of Marketing at Hollywood Feed (Memphis, TN)

Grace Jensen Knight ’05

Assistant Director of Admission for Early Childhood and Lower School at St. Mary’s Episcopal School

Laura Jennings Yacoubian ’05 Director of development at Temple Israel

Meredith Robinson ’06

Launched Meredith Career Consulting, which offers resume writing and career advice to professionals looking to navigate the competitive job market

Mamie Kostka Finch ’06 Principal/owner at BFT Land Design

Ellen Page Moore ’06

Sr. Director of Product at Ro, a direct-to-patient healthcare company providing high-quality, affordable healthcare without the need for insurance

Caitlin Clark ’07 Hospitalist physician at North Mississippi Medical Center

Miranda Kaltenborn ’07 Design researcher at Ford Motor Company

Taylor Ragan ’07

Director of Plays at St. Mary’s Episcopal School, August 2022

Mary Katherine Thinnes ’07 Director of merchandising at PAIGE, a California lifestyle collection for men and women

Bailey Wilson ’07 Walmart CyberSecurity team

Nicolette Overton ’08

Senior project manager, patient communications, and product marketing at Medidata Solutions

Nica Cabigao Graunke ’10

Director of Clinical Operations, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Mary Jensen Nease ’10

Early Childhood and Lower School nurse, St. Mary’s Episcopal School

Erin Stuart ’10 Senior pastor, Victor UMC and East Bloomfield UMC

Mary Frances Street ’10 Management and program analyst, United States Department of Education

Ali Fishman ’10 UX designer, H&R Block

Postgraduate Degrees

Elizabeth Jetton ’73

Master of Education, University of Georgia

Laurie Bell Lewandowski ’83 M.A. in theology, Franciscan University

Mary Lacy Bell ’88 M.A. in clinical mental health counseling and art therapy, Lesley University in Cambridge, MA

Malini Gupta ’91

Post-graduate Media and Medicine Certificate, Harvard Medical School

Atina Rizk Stavropoulos ’04

LL.M., The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center & School

Allie Morrison ’08

MBA, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

Sarah Donaldson ’09 MBA, Stanford Graduate School of Business

Eliza Leatherman ’09 B.S. in nursing, University of Tennessee Health Science Center

Sahar Mokhtari Moshref ’10 DDS, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, College of Dentistry

Bailey Archey ’14

Doctor of veterinary medicine, Mississippi State University

Maddie Droke ’14 Doctor of audiology, Vanderbilt University

Elle Prosterman Hartness ’14 M.Ed. in human developmental counseling, University of Memphis

CELEBRATING A QUARTER CENTURY OF SHOWS

Leo Kottke | Friday, September 23, 2022, 8:00 p.m.

Tiffany | Sunday, October 16, 2022, 7:00 p.m.

Jimbo Mathus | Sunday, October 23, 2022, 7:00 p.m.

Happy Birthday, Buckman with 1Breath Quartet | Friday, October 28, 2022, 7:30 p.m.

Dar Williams | Thursday, November 3, 2022, 7:00 p.m.

Rusted Root Revisited with Michael Glabicki and Dirk Miller | Friday, January 20, 2023, 8:00 p.m.

Livingston Taylor | Sunday, January 29, 2023, 7:00 p.m.

Cirque Zuma Zuma | Friday, February 3, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Siudy Garrido Flamenco Dance | Friday, February 10, 2023, 8:00 p.m.

Popovich Comedy Pet Theater | Saturday, April 1, 2023, 5:00 and 7:00 p.m.

Jose Limón Dance Company | Sunday, April 16, 2023, 7:00 p.m.

Maddie