St. Mary's Magazine Spring 2022

Celebrating

Fifth grade VEX IQ robotics team members Riya Kumar and Anika Kharbanda build a robot for competition. This year’s competition theme challenges students to build a robot that can move balls into goals and hang on structures. As members of the VEX team, girls learn valuable critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Director of Communication Jennifer Parris | jparris@stmarysschool.org

Assistant Director of Communication Ainsley Willis | awillis@stmarysschool.org

Director of Philanthropy Carrie Vaughan P’20 | cvaughan@stmarysschool.org

Director of Alumnae Gigi Gould ’70 | ggould@stmarysschool.org

Director of Admission & Financial Aid

Nicole Hernandez P’26’27’33 | nhernandez@stmarysschool.org

Photography

Lisa Buser P’14

Design

Gabrielleschi Creative, Jerry House

Class Notes Editor

Courtney Taylor Humphreys ’01 P’32’34

Contributors

Alison Taylor Nooks ’91, Lucy Nassif ’22, Rainey Ray Segars ’05, Shonda Keys, Carrie Sue Casey ’95, Courtney Shove ’96

Letters to the Editor:

Please address all correspondence to: Jennifer Parris

St. Mary’s Episcopal School 60 Perkins Extended Memphis, TN 38117 jparris@stmarysschool.org (901) 537-1426

The mission of St. Mary’s Episcopal School

HEAD OF SCHOOL

Albert L. Throckmorton BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Timothy E. Davis, Jr. P’20’22, Chair

Wendy Pritchartt Ansbro ’79, P’09, Vice Chair

Jeffrey Block P’24’26, Treasurer

Mary Katherine Stout P’29, Secretary

James H. Barton, Jr. P’25

Allison Garrott Braswell ’88 P’22

Susan Roberts Colpitts ’75

Mikara Davis P’28’32

Brooke Dishmon P’24

Brian Fowler P’21’25

James R. Jenkins P’25

Lawrence Jensen P’05’10 G’32’34’36

Roberta Nevil Kustoff P’24

Stephanie Linkous P’21

Andrew Mathes P’21

Julia Chesney McDonald ’96 P’31

Anne-Morgan Brookfield Morgan ’99 P’29’32

Elvira R. Ormseth P’24

Joelle Rogin P’25’27

Monica Skipper P’21

Jennilyn Jennings Utkov ’77

Kendall Visinsky P’26’29

Hallie McNeill Ward P’25

At Large Members

Linda McNeil

William Orgel P’17

Floyd Tyler, Jr. P’24

Ex Officio Members

The Right Reverend Phoebe Roaf, Bishop,The Diocese of West Tennessee

The Reverend Alexander H. Webb II, Rector, Church of the Holy Communion

Elizabeth Simpson Alrutz ’82 P’15, President, Alumnae Association Board

Robert F. Fogelman II, P’29, Former Chair, Board of Trustees

Stephen W. Maury, Senior Warden, Church of the Holy Communion

Albert L. Throckmorton, Head of School

Trustees Emeriti

Thomas M. Garrott III P’83’88 G’08’09’15’22

Barbara R. Hyde P’17

Brooke A. Morrow ’74

ALUMNAE BOARD

Elizabeth Simpson Alrutz ’82 P’15, President

Elizabeth Middlecoff Allen ’91

Essie Arrindell-Williams ’98 P’26’29

Morgan Beckford ’06

Jenay Gipson Boggs ’06

McKenzie Aiken Crisp ’85

Madge Logan Deacon ’69

Elizabeth Cashman Dickinson ’86

Amina Dilawari ’95 P’34

Elizabeth Brown Dunn ’79

Whitney Baer Foster ’00

Sudha Nimmagadda Ganguli ’83 P’21’30

Hayley Bower Gerber ’01

Grayce Gordon ’10

Gigi Gould ’70

Celeste Bailey Herburger ’91

Angie King Keesee ’72

Sharlene Sidhu Keithley ’96

Lida Kruchten ’13

Corinne Friese McLaughlin ’76

Tabitha Francisco McNabb ’78

Katie Broer Parr ’98 P’30

Polly Klyce Pennoyer ’02

Patti Person Ray ’65

Lisa Breazeale Roberts ’85 P’12’18

Anna Snyder Rojas ’01 P’32

Jordan Upton Schieffler ’12

Courtney Shove ’96

Kate Metcalf Sullivan ’01

Abby Yandell Talbot ’03 P’36

Falconer Robbins Warren ’05

Katie Zanone Webb ’93

Jan Valentine Wiygul ’76 P’05

Lizzy Holt Yatsula ’08

Dear Friends,

Happy 175th anniversary! Occasions like this are a time to recollect—both in gathering together and in bringing to mind. I first heard of St. Mary’s when I was on an accreditation team in Virginia with former Assistant Head Keith Evans. He spoke fondly and mystically about the history and history play we call The Remarkable Journey. I remember wondering, “Who were these sisters? What is this school?”

My next impression came in 2004 when I visited campus for the first time to interview for assistant head. In Willmott Gym, I saw a junior finish her student council campaign poster and then walk over to help another junior competing for the same office. I remember asking myself, “Who are these girls?”

And then I met the faculty and staff—one remarkable person after another whom I have come to know and love over the past 18 years. They are energetic, dedicated, and immersed in the joy of teaching and the support of students. I met Nanette Quinn and Josie McNeely Walker ’76 (She came to me a week before school to ask for sledgehammers to expand a room. I said no.) I met Shari Ray and Katherine McQuiston Bush ’93, who captivated classes with the Meaning of Life. I tried to reconcile my own middle school experience as I admired Lynda Lyttle’s advice to “throw the fish back.” I reveled in the opportunity to co-teach and wordplay with Doc Millen and marveled at Jenny Madden’s craft in Rose Theater. Sheila Patrick shone as the sage and storyteller. Bobbie Goforth’s watercolors and character taught me the Bridge to Caring. Allison Wellford Parker ’83 continues to embody compassion, and Patti Person Ray ’65 models scholarship and life-long learning.

And I heard the legends of those who preceded them: Gilmore Lynn’s devotion and courage to meet the challenge and move the school when Holy Communion invited us; and Nat Hughes’ insistence on academic excellence and integration. Many alumnae carry life skills from Presh Gill and the Tome, Peggy O’Sullivan’s grammar instruction, Betty Lou Stidham’s Latin conjunctions, and Anne Fisher’s love of art history. As I recollect on “What is St. Mary’s?” The answer is clear: St. Mary’s is the people.

To omit any name, as I must on a single page, leaves the portrait incomplete, but the subject is nevertheless vivid. St. Mary’s is a school built and sustained by one remarkable person after another: the dynamic duo of Jeanne Wilson and Barbara Snyder; Virginia Pretti’s hand on your shoulder (or grip on your elbow!), and her embrace of all children; and mentor and dynamo, Marlene Shaw, who showed tireless drive to create a modern, sustainable school and curriculum.

I was incredibly honored and humbled to tell Mary Davis, who was in her 90s at the time, the news of my eventual headship. It was a joy to promote Hilary Davis Robinson ’90 to associate head, the very alumna classmates voted as most likely to grow up to be Virginia Pretti.

I sing a song of the saints of St. Mary’s, patient and brave and true, each in her day who has toiled and fought and lived for the school she loved and knew. As the hymn concludes, they lived not only in ages past, there are hundreds still, and you can meet them at school where they continue to make the world bright with light and life.

Light and Life

Albert L. Throckmorton Head of School

The History of St. Mary’s

“Old and improved” can aptly describe St. Mary’s Episcopal School. Now in its third century of operation, St. Mary’s is rich in history. In 1847, a small parochial school came into existence at Calvary Episcopal Church because of the vision of a woman named Mary Foote Pope. Pope’s firm belief that women should have the opportunity for the same excellent education offered to men continues to drive St. Mary’s. Today’s outstanding graduates are indebted to her early emphasis on women’s education. Pope’s 25 years of leadership spanned one of the most tumultuous times in American history. In 1862, Pope relocated the School to Hernando, Mississippi, until the Civil War ended, and St. Mary’s moved back to Memphis.

From 1873 until 1910, the Sisters of the Order of St. Mary led St. Mary’s Episcopal School. During their tenure, the Sisters and the School endured the consequences of two yellow fever epidemics. The Sisters’ devotion and dedication to the School and the Memphis community, despite immense challenges, allowed St. Mary’s to survive and continue to offer girls a fine college-preparatory education through the Depression and two World Wars.

In 1953, St. Mary’s expanded to the sixth grade and relocated to the Church of the Holy Communion. Five years later, St. Mary’s was incorporated, and the Board of Trustees hired Lawrence Lobaugh as the School’s first Head of School. By the fall of 1959, St. Mary’s enrollment had nearly doubled to 400, and faculty had increased to 30. In 1962, the School received accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.

Perhaps the individual most responsible for St. Mary’s gaining its outstanding reputation as a college preparatory school, not only in Memphis but throughout the country, was Dr. Nathaniel Cheairs Hughes. Hughes was Head of the School from 1962 to 1973. St. Mary’s graduated an increasingly high percentage of National Merit Scholars and was incorporated as an independent Episcopal school during his tenure. Hughes also established the Honor Council in 1962, creating a tradition of student integrity that continues today. In 1968, St. Mary’s became the first independent school in Memphis to integrate its student body.

Since Dr. Hughes, St. Mary’s has thrived under the leadership of five Heads of School, including the Reverend David Leech, Geoffrey Butler, Thomas Southard, Marlene Rutledge

Shaw, and today’s Head of School, Albert Throckmorton. Leech, Head of School from 1974 to 1981, was instrumental in acquiring Moss Hall, the heart of the North Campus. Butler oversaw many changes in both curriculum and facilities during his tenure from 1981 to 1987. Technology increased from one computer in the development office to a computer in every classroom and library.

From 1987 to 2001, Tom Southard led St. Mary’s to the dawn of the next century, crafting a successful capital campaign to add the Willmott Gymnasium and Hyde Activity Center and growing the endowment. Marlene Rutledge Shaw was named Head of School in 2003. On day one, she began the difficult task of launching a major capital campaign to build the Early Childhood Center, Garrott Hall, and the Windland Smith Rice Building. The Early Childhood Center was named in her honor after her retirement in 2012.

In 2012, Throckmorton became Head of School after eight years as Assistant Head of School. In 2020, the School opened the Athletic and Wellness Center.

Through 175 years, considerable challenges, and incredible growth, St. Mary’s has remained steadfast in its mission of providing a superior educational experience for girls. Our history, traditions, Episcopal identity, and reputation for academic excellence will allow us to help girls discover their strengths, develop resilience, and explore what’s possible for generations to come.

In 1888, St. Mary’s constructed a three-story building and chapel next to the Cathedral.

St. Mary’s was under the direction of the Sisters of the Order of St. Mary from 1873 to 1910. Sister Constance served as Sister Superior until her untimely death in 1878 after succumbing to yellow fever.

175 Years

Mary’s Episcopal School

St ry of a School St.

“St. Mary’s exists today because women wanted it to. St. Mary’s has existed in a miraculous manner, to meet threats against its existence… It has weathered all the different storms, thanks to a small number of women who had enough foresight to realize the school’s potential for progress.”

– David Leech as quoted in a 1970s article published in the The Press/Scimitar

1847

St. Mary’s is founded by Mary Foote Pope at Cavalry Episcopal Church.

1888

Construction of a three-story building and chapel at 366 Poplar Avenue begins.

1878

Second yellow fever outbreak which claimed the lives of several Sisters, including Constance, Thecla, Frances, and Ruth.

1866

The first school newspaper, The Bouquet, is published.

1865

1862

Mary Foote Pope moves the school to Hernando, MS during the Civil War.

St. Mary’s moves to the Baptist Female College in Hernando, MS.

1875

Enrollment reaches 100 students.

1903

Publication of The Twentieth

1902

Edith Lee Collier graduates from St. Mary’s and is believed to be the first graduate to attend college.

1873

Re-opening of the school after the yellow fever epidemic.

1868

St. Mary’s moves back to Memphis, located at 350 Poplar Avenue.

The Right Reverend Charles Todd Quintard, Bishop of the Diocese of West Tennessee assumes direction of St. Mary’s and Sisters of the Order of St. Mary arrive in Memphis to teach during the yellow fever epidemic.

1895

A second newspaper, the St. Mary’s Scroll, is published.

1898

The Right Reverend Thomas Frank Gailor, author of the St. Mary’s School Prayer, becomes the third Bishop of the Diocese of Tennessee.

Century Tatler.

1923

St. Mary’s moves further east to 1257 Poplar Avenue.

1922

Helen Loomis and Katherine Neely assume direction of the school after Mary Paoli’s death.

1958

St. Mary’s hires first headmaster, Lawrence Lobaugh.

1957

St. Mary’s enrollment reachers 239 students with 17 faculty members.

1956

St. Mary’s resumes all-girls enrollment after admitting boys for a short time.

1910-1921

St. Mary’s operates under the direction of Mary Paoli and Helen Loomis.

1910

Sisters of St. Mary leave Memphis. Helen Loomis becomes Principal of the Upper School, and Mary Paoli becomes Principal of the Lower School.

1949

St. Mary’s moves to Grace-St. Lukes Episcopal Church and opens with kindergarten through fifth grades only.

Gillmore Lynn assumes the role of Principal after Katherine Neely and Helen Loomis retire.

1968

St. Mary’s becomes the first independent school in Memphis to integrate.

1953

St. Mary’s moves to its current location on the campus of the Church of the Holy Communion.

1961

St. Mary’s receives accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.

1959

Enrollment reaches 400 students with 30 faculty members.

1972

St. Mary’s Board of Trustees officially recognizes 1847 as the founding date of the school.

1967

St. Mary’s enrollment reaches 562 students.

1962

Nat Hughes becomes the second Headmaster of St. Mary’s.

1960

St. Mary’s receives accreditation from the State of Tennessee.

1981

Enrollment reaches close to 700 students.

1996

1981

Geoffrey C. Butler becomes Head of School.

1975

St. Mary’s acquires Moss Hall.

1974

The Reverend David Leech becomes Head of School.

St. Mary’s opens the Mertie Buckman Performing and Fine Arts Center.

2015

St. Mary’s opens the Nathaniel C. Hughes Learning Center.

2020

St. Mary’s opens the Athletic & Wellness Center.

2012

Albert L. Throckmorton becomes Head of School.

1989

St. Mary’s opens the Margaret R. Hyde Activity Center.

1987

Thomas N. Southard becomes Head of School.

2008

St. Mary’s opens the Windland Smith Rice Building.

2005

2004

St. Mary’s opens Garrott Hall.

St. Mary’s opens the Marlene R. Shaw Early Childhood Center.

2003

Marlene R. Shaw becomes Head of School.

175 Years of St. Mary’s

175 Years of St. Mary’s

For 175 years, the mission of St. Mary’s Episcopal School has been to provide a superior educational experience for girls. Our robust academics, Episcopal identity, and rich traditions create an environment where girls flourish as students, athletes, creators, performers, and more. Most importantly, at St. Mary’s, integrity, compassion, and confidence are the norm for our girls. From Chapel to the PE class, alumnae reflect on the experiences and traditions that have made St. Mary’s a special place for girls to learn and thrive for 175 years.

Mrs. Leonard: What Love Looks Like in Teaching

By Alison Taylor Nooks ’91

Since our founding in 1847, St. Mary’s has strived to provide girls with an exceptional education. 175 years later, St. Mary’s is one of the premier college preparatory schools for girls. Our dedicated faculty and staff are driven by the goal of helping every student reach her full potential. Our girls develop essential life skills such as decision-making and leadership, enabling them to succeed in college and beyond.

Light. Life. Learning. Commitment. Perseverance. Impact. Growth. Kindness. Encouragement. Life-Changing. These are just some of the words that come to mind as I think of my academic journey.

My academic journey from my years at St. Mary’s to college, to earning two master’s degrees, to now with 25 years in higher education and serving as the First Lady of Gordon State College, has been deeply rooted in my relationships. My family, friends, amazing teachers, and dedicated faculty have encouraged me along the way.

It was not always easy, and some boldly declared my

improbability of success. Thankfully, those who believed in me far outshined those who did not. From incredible highs, like getting into college or completing graduate school, to even unbelievable lows, like losing my mother and several other loved ones within the first two years of college, I was blessed with individuals who were permanent fixtures in my personal cheering section.

When I think about my support system, I often think back to Mrs. Faith Leonard, who taught me algebra and geometry at SMS. It was because of her that I minored in mathematics. Not because I thought I would teach it someday or had a larger plan for my

career, but because she made me feel special, valued, and cherished as a math student.

Mathematics is a reminder of what love looks like in teaching and learning. It reminds me of what I want every student to feel like when our paths cross. At St. Mary’s, most people knew me for my gifts in ballet, theater, or singing in the SMS Choral Ensemble, and each of those experiences provided some of my happiest memories.

However, my SMS years were crucial in laying the groundwork for my academic success as a first-generation college student. I suspect few knew the complexity of

Mrs. Faith Leonard, Upper School MathTeacher from 1977-1994, was beloved by many

Allison Taylor Nooks ’91 credits teachers like Mrs. Faith Leonard for instilling in her the confidence that she could succeed in the classroom and beyond.

my path, but in Mrs. Leonard’s class, I knew with certainty that I was capable and that she shared in that belief. In her class, math was more than math. She communicated care, humor, empathy, and encouragement in every lesson.

When I am teaching a college course, reading to 2nd graders in the community, or working with graduate students in preparation for their first job, I remind them of the power of impacting lives in any field they pursue. I remind them that the goal of a joy-filled profession is touching lives in a meaningful way.

I often share my Mrs. Leonard story and how I still love mathematics because of one special teacher and how moments in her class would shape me in ways she likely never could envision. All of these years later, I am still grateful for the light and life of Mrs. Leonard, who truly understood the power and transformative impact of teaching and learning.

Day by Day: Words Etched in Our Hearts

By Lucy Nassif ’22

From its origins in Calvary Episcopal Church to the incredible story of Sister Constance and her companions, St. Mary’s is deeply rooted in its Episcopal identity. As an Episcopal school, St. Mary’s is known for its inclusive approach to education. We are committed to respecting all faiths and ensuring each girl feels valued. One of the visible markers of our Episcopal identity is Chapel. Chapel services have been a regular practice since St. Mary’s was led by Sisters of the Order of St. Mary. Girls in Early Childhood and Lower School attend Chapel once a week, and Middle and Upper School students attend Chapel daily. Amid the busy schedules of students, faculty, and guests, Chapel allows our community to pause and come together to sing, pray, and reflect.

The rain was pitter-pattering on the pavement outside on a cold January afternoon when I found myself kneeling in a cramped closet at the back of the library—the St. Mary’s archives. I already sifted through 30-year-old graduation photo albums and 60-year-old The Tatler articles when I stumbled upon a program made for a special Chapel event in 1995. As I scanned the 27-year-old sheet of paper for any information relevant to my article, nothing initially stood out as particularly remarkable. But as I slid the sheet back into its folder, I caught a glimpse of these lyrics:

“Day by day, dear Lord, of thee three things I pray: to see thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, follow thee more nearly, day by day.”

I cannot remember a day in St. Mary’s Chapel when we did not conclude the service by singing “Day by Day.” I then realized why this sheet of paper was different from the other things

Alison Taylor Nooks ’91, MBA, MA, is the First Lady of Gordon State College and the Director of Graduate Career Management Services, Stetson-Hatcher School of Business at Mercer University. She also serves as the Co-coordinator of the Spouse/Partner Program for the American Association of State Colleges & Universities.

I had found in the archives—it was familiar.

Every morning, Assistant Chaplain Rainey Ray Segars ’05 commences the service by asking students to take a moment to notice our breath. She reminds us that in Chapel, we have no control over our test scores or mid-quarter grades; we must allow ourselves to settle into the rhythm of the present moment. In this way, Chapel is a moment of rest for students, or, as Reverend Hester Shipp Mathes ’92 calls it, Sabbath time.

“God asks us to observe the Sabbath because it is a reminder that we are worthy because we are the children of God, not because of what we produce and achieve,” she explained.

“So much of school is centered around what we are producing. To have the daily reminder that ‘I can sit here and be, and that in itself is enough’ is daily Sabbath.”

In this sense, the tradition of Chapel surpasses the history of St. Mary’s, even the history of the Anglican Church; Sabbath-keeping is an ancient tradition.

Reverend Mathes believes that Chapel is St. Mary’s daily opportunity to ground ourselves in a “larger arc and wisdom of spiritual connection.” Our ancestors and our successors have and will walk through this world in different ways, but “the common thread running through our journeys is the intentional daily practice of Sabbath,” she said.

Chapel is not only our consistent reminder but also our opportunity to practice holding, breathing, and reveling in God’s creation, moment by moment, breath by breath. As the words of this prayer have been etched into the hearts of generations of students, St. Mary’s tradition of Chapel will continue to offer our community the gift of spiritual nourishment “Day by Day.”

Reverend Hester Shipp Mathes ’92 currently serves as the Senior Associate Rector at Church of the Holy Communion. Mathes joined Church of Holy Communion in 2014 as Curate. Beginning in April, she will serve as the priest of Church of the Holy Trinity and the Memphis campus of St. George’s Independent School.

Lucy Nassif ’22 has attended St. Mary’s since pre-kindergarten. Her favorite hymn is number 456: “O Love of God, how strong and true.”

Photo by Cindy McMillion

A Family Legacy: St. Mary’s TraditionOldest

By Rainey Ray Segars ’05

The Christmas Pageant is St. Mary’s oldest and one of its most beloved traditions. Although there is no clear documentation of the first Christmas Pageant, the tradition began under the tenure of the Sisters of the Order of St. Mary over 130 years ago. The Pageant

has grown and evolved but is timeless in its beautiful and moving sentiment. The current iteration of the Christmas Pageant features seniors, who have attended St. Mary’s for 12 years or more, posed in living tableaux depicting the birth of Christ as 2nd- and 3rd-grade students provide the soundtrack for the program.

Every December, Lynn Hitchings Albano ’77 stands behind the Christmas Pageant box with shepherds, angels, and Josephs. As the 2nd- and 3rd-grade choristers sing angelic tunes, St. Mary’s

seniors quietly sing under their breath the familiar carols they once performed. Since their days in St. Mary’s Early Childhood Center, these now-seniors have looked forward to their places in their own Pageant. And now, their day has come, and it is, as always, led by Lynn Albano.

For Albano, the Christmas Pageant is not only St. Mary’s oldest tradition but also a family legacy.

“My history with the Pageant is almost as old as I am,” Albano shared. “My grandmother was Gilmore Lynn (beloved former St. Mary’s teacher and principal), and I can remember being four years old in Junior Kindergarten, helping her with the pageant. I would run down the hall and get things from her office for her. My grandfather built the box we used in the 40s, and I helped her with the Pageant every year, except the years I was singing in it, which was grades 1-6 back then. When my grandmother retired, my mother (Mary Catherine Lynn Hitchings ’47) took it over around 2007. I never really considered any other volunteer roles. It always had to be the Pageant.”

Albano loves that the Pageant is St. Mary’s oldest tradition and that it has continued for close to 130 years.

Christmas Pageant volunteers Lynn Hitchings Albano ’77, Barbara Snyder, Kathy Daniel Patterson ’78, Allison Brown Coates ’76, Kirk McClintock, Shelley Kuykendall Herzke ’90, and Lisa Francis Turner ’78 ensure this beloved St. Mary’s tradition continues for many years to come.

“We have tried hard over the years not to change it much. We want it to stay very low-tech. Although my biggest worry is always whether or not the curtain will open,” Albano laughed. “One time, it stuck on the first song, ‘The Angel Said Unto Mary,’ and stayed there through the whole song. It didn’t open until the song was over, and when it finally did, Lower School Music Teacher Nancy Miller turned around and said, ‘Well, let’s do that one again!’ Then, they just sang it again. To this day, when things go wrong, we think of Nancy and simply say, ‘Let’s run that one from the top!’”

Albano believes the Christmas Pageant’s consistency and authenticity throughout the years is its main charm. “That’s why people come back year after year because it is the same as it was in 1940 and 1960. Like nothing else, the Pageant links the past and the present. Of course, now there is a larger box and more participants, but we have the same shape, same gold, and the same old-timey curtains we pray will continue to work.”

For Albano, the Pageant is a visual reminder of how, at St. Mary’s, changes come, and yet traditions persist.

“This tradition has just been kept alive for so long. In earlier years, a small wooden chapel in St. Mary’s Cathedral was the site for the Pageant. When I go to the Cathedral for a wedding or a funeral, I think of how beautiful the Pageant must have been there. Then it moved to the attic of St. Mary’s Poplar location. It moved to the gym when the church was under construction. Then it persisted amid COVID. I am so proud that we made it happen during COVID, and those girls didn’t miss out on the tradition. The Pageant persists, regardless of the circumstances around it.”

“St. Mary’s has other traditions,” Albano concludes, “but in my biased opinion, this is the best.”

A Gift and Tribute: The Carillon

By Rainey Ray Segars ’05

St. Mary’s first publication was the Twentieth Century Tatler in 1903. Since then, St. Mary’s students have launched a variety of publications, including current editions: video publication Bella Vista, literary magazine Belles Lettres, audio journal Belles Melodies, and the school newspaper The Tatler. Every year, Upper School students chronicle and celebrate life at St. Mary’s through the school yearbook, Carillon. First published during the 1959-60 school year, Carillon, named for the bells of the church, is one of St. Mary’s oldest publications.

On St. Mary’s campus, one of the biggest days of the school year comes at the end of April—yearbook distribution day. For days before, the yearbooks stay hidden on campus in boxes and under blankets, waiting for the big reveal of the cover and theme in Upper School

Rainey Ray Segars ’05 is a life-long lover of St. Mary’s. She is the former Director of Alumnae and the current interim Chaplain. Her dearest wish is that her child could go to SMS, but alas, the child is a boy—Gobble, gobble.

Former Carillon Editor Sarah Matthews Pietrangelo, MD ’01 views the yearbook as a gift to each year’s senior class.

Chapel. Once they are distributed, class is disrupted for the rest of the day as teachers fight a losing battle against a constant chorus of “Sign my yearbook!” Families put them on their coffee tables as décor. Younger Turkeys ask their parents to read to them from the yearbook at bedtime. The excitement around St. Mary’s yearbook, the Carillon, is a long-standing culture, since before the time of then-yearbook editor Sarah Matthews Pietrangelo, MD ’01. Pietrangelo recalled her time as Carillon editor. “The theme I chose for the 2001 yearbook was ‘Poetic License,’” she shared. “I loved the creative outlet that the yearbook afforded me. Looking back, I see the many influences of some of my favorite SMS teachers: the ideas from Upper School History Teachers Ms. Joan Traffas and Mrs. Sheila Patrick’s classes, the great literature from Upper School English Teachers Mrs. Carol Lacy and Mrs. Leigh Mansberg’s classes, the appreciation for music that Dr. Rhendle Millen instilled in us (regardless of how

off-key we might have sung!), and the geometric precision in layouts from Mrs. Marsha Stemmler’s geometry class. Upper School Physics Teacher Mr. Michael Volpe actually loaned his BMW convertible for the front page picture. I always hoped the class of 2001 would view the yearbook as my gift to our class—such a wonderful group of women. I also now hope that the incredible faculty of St. Mary’s see how their hard work and lessons concretely shaped us and see the yearbook is a tribute to them as well.”

Pietrangelo, a current St. Mary’s mom, feels that the gravitas of the yearbook persists today as an emblem of all that is possible in the life of an SMS Turkey. “What I love about the yearbook is that it is important and relevant to my daughter as a current student and to me as an alumna. My 2nd-grade daughter Louise enjoys finding pictures of her teachers and friends, but her favorite part is looking at photographs of the older girls and seeing the possibilities and the opportunities at St. Mary’s as she gets older—the theater productions, the soccer team, and the field trips,” Pietrangelo said. ”The yearbook does a wonderful job of capturing the essence of St. Mary’s,” Pietrangelo added. “For me, the yearbook brings the joy of the past—memories of old friendships, beloved teachers, and of those special and formative years at St. Mary’s. Everyone and every aspect of St. Mary’s are equally represented in the yearbook—one page for track and field, one page for Model UN, one page for the French club, one page for Honor Council, and one page for class pictures. Every contribution to the St. Mary’s community is acknowledged and honored.”

When “You Can” Became “I Can”

Since the 1900s, the opportunity to participate in athletics has been a critical part of the St. Mary’s experience. Whether on the field, in the water, or on the court, athletics allow our girls to explore new talents and develop key skills while learning the value of commitment and teamwork. Today, St. Mary’s offers 12 sports to Lower, Middle, and Upper School students. From the growing list of collegiate athletes to recently winning the school’s first state championship in lacrosse, the athletic program continues to improve and excel.

When the DJ started playing the Commodores’ 1977 hit song “Brick House” at a recent wedding she attended, Elizabeth Van Brocklin Still ’80 was instantly transported back to the gym at St. Mary’s. It’s been more than 40 years, but Still could see herself running laps around the gym as the song played in the background.

And every time Still gets a cramp while running, she can see former Upper School PE Teacher Mrs. Barbara Smith with her blond Dorthy Hamill haircut and hear the words, “Breathe in through your nose. Out through your mouth.”

There is so much about St. Mary’s that Still has carried with her all these years. The way Upper School Math

Pietrangelo loves flipping through the pages of the Carillon with her daughters Margaret ’35 and Louise ’32 and seeing the possibilities that await them.

Teacher Mrs. Faith Leonard made sure her students understood “how to get from point A to point B before moving on to point C.” The way dance teacher Mrs. Louise Rooke was forever patient in ballet class even when her students lacked the poise their teacher demonstrated. The way her faith was nurtured through daily Chapel and weekly Bible classes.

But most importantly, Still credits St. Mary’s athletic program with instilling in her the confidence that she could and can do anything. PE class included games like Red Rover, soccer and volleyball, and dances like the Virginia Reel. Students took turns choreographing exercises to music and teaching the rest of the class.

As an athlete and varsity tennis player, Still developed habits and practices that she would carry with her throughout her life. During her junior year, she started riding her bike to school regularly, a practice she continued as an adult. She once had to replace a relatively new car

battery because she drove the car so infrequently, preferring the bicycle for transportation.

“St. Mary’s is very good about delivering the message to all students that they can do anything they set their minds to,” she said. “Through athletics, we were taught to move, to stretch ourselves, to try and fail, and keep trying. Sports provided opportunities to try so many different things. Eventually, it was no longer the school telling me that I could; I was believing and experiencing I could.”

And in September 2020, Still needed to know more than ever than she could when her son, Finley, passed away. “After Finley died, I would run on our treadmill, row on the erg, and stretch. I was numb and didn’t feel like doing it,” she shared. Still kept moving because history taught her she could turn to exercise for

expression and catharsis. “Faith, family, the support of friends, and physical exercise literally helped me continue to be able to put one foot in front of the other.”

Elizabeth Van Brocklin Still ’80 treasures the mint julep cup she received after playing tennis for four years in high school. She remembers Susan McDearman handing the engraved mint julep cups to her and fellow tennis players and class of ’80 members: Meg Loeb Milligan, Molly Francis Roberts, Jeanne Burrow Wilbourn, Laura Kilpatrick Lamar, and Margaret McDearman Green. Still went on to play tennis at Mount Holyoke College. Today, she enjoys playing pickleball and golf at home in California.

St. Mary’s 1978-1979 Varsity Tennis team

CAMPUS NEWS

Student Awards and Honors

Congratulations to our four National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists: Seniors Amelia Quinlen, Erin Monroe, Hita Mohan, and Maggie McFadden. Each year, St. Mary’s students take the Preliminary SAT/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). Students who score in the top 1% of test-takers qualify as National Merit Semifinalists.

Congratulations to our six senior National Merit Commended Scholars: Willow Blythe, Sriya Jampana, Astrid Balink, Addie Heehs, Amelia Dowling, and Nora James Eikner. Sudents who achieve a score in the top 3-4% of PSAT/NMSQT test-takers qualify to be National Merit Commended Scholars.

The Upper School Model United Nations team traveled to Murfreesboro, TN, for a conference organized by the Tennessee YMCA’s Center for Civic Engagement. Seniors Hita Mohan and Alexandra Touliatos served as officers, and sophomores Lily Karnes and Anum Raza were elected officers for next year.

The Honors Independent Research Study (HIRS) is an opportunity for our Upper School girls to participate in professional-level, engaged research as part of their academic experience. Under the guidance of a community mentor, students design and conduct a summer research project. This year, 11 seniors participated in the program: Carrington Davis, Amelia Dowling, Gracie Gerhart, Ryleigh Johnson, Mallory Miller, Hita Mohan, Erin Monroe, Amal Panjwani, Amelia Quinlen, Alexandra Touliatos, and Ashwinaa Vaithianathan. From “Inequities in the Juvenile Justice System” to “The Effects of Exercise-Induced Stress on the Gut Microbiome,” our girls took on a broad array of challenging topics and presented their findings to an audience of SMS and Memphis community members.

Thirty-three Middle School students participated in the YMCA Middle School Model UN conference. Four of the eight teams had resolutions make it to the afternoon docket. Eighth-grade students recognized as best delegates include top row: MC Hitt, Lilly Coggin, Allan Golden, Ella Townsend, Avi Goorha; bottom row: Emma Thompson, Lilly Robbins, and Sophie Fernandez.

Art Awards

Congratulations to our Middle and Upper School students recognized for their outstanding artwork in the Mid-South Scholastic Art Awards. Ryan McGown ’22 received the Gold Key. The Brooks Museum of Art displayed her award-winning piece. Caroline Chandler ’26 and Virginia Skipworth ’24 received Silver Keys. MC Hitt ’26, Grayson Finks ’23, Hayden Hedges ’23, and Mia Townsend ’22 received Honorable Mention. The Mid-South Scholastic Art Awards is an annual student art exhibition held at the Memphis Brooks Museum. Every year, local art teachers submit over 2,000 pieces by 7th-12th grade students to a panel of professional judges. The submissions are judged based on originality, technical skill, and personal vision.

Honorable Mention MC Hitt ’26 Seeing the Sun

Honorable Mention Grayson Finks ’23 Fly

Honorable Mention Hayden Hedges ’23 Holes

All-West Tennessee Band and Orchestra

Honorable Mention Mia Townsend ’22 Try to Keep Your Head Above Water

Congratulations to Middle and Upper School students: Caroline Brezina ’27, Christina Moon ’27, Ella Curlin ’24, Sarah Moon ’24, and Michelle Jun ’23 for participating in the All-West Tennessee Band and Orchestra clinic. The students auditioned for the ensemble and earned an opportunity to perform with their peers at the Cannon Center for Performing Arts.

Gold Key Award

Ryan McGown ’22 Deep-Sea Tundras

Silver Key Caroline Chandler ’26 Tamino in the Woods

Silver Key Virginia Skipworth ’24 Somebody’s Watching Me

Caroline Brezina ’27

Christina Moon ’27 Ella Curlin ’24

Sarah Moon ’24

Michelle Jun ’23

CAMPUS NEWS

Theater

This fall, audiences were treated to three fantastic performances of the musical, Free to Be...You and Me by our Lower School students. Fourth and 5th-grade students performed the modern children’s classic that blends music and humor to expand children’s horizons about what is possible.

Before Thanksgiving, Upper School students performed a one-act version of the Shakespeare classic A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In just one act, the cast delighted audiences with the well-known characters and physical comedy that make the original a hit.

River Meander Dedication

This fall, we welcomed guests to campus for a dedication ceremony for “River Meander,” a sculpture created by Maysey Craddock ’89. Inspired by 1940s maps tracking the Mississippi River, each color represents a generation of the river, present, and past, coursing together and shaping the world around it. Craddock shared her vision for the installation at Chapel. Art patron Nancye Starnes (pictured below) attended the dedication. “River Meander” flows along the north wall of the Athletic and Wellness Center down the Haslam Grand Staircase.

Halloween Bazaar

Our Turkeys dressed up for one of our favorite events of the year, the Halloween Bazaar hosted by the Upper School Student Council. Our girls and their families enjoyed a fun afternoon filled with lots of games and treats.

CAMPUS NEWS

Family Fun Day

The Parents Association hosted Family Fun Day, an afternoon of inflatables, face-painting, popsicles, and fun with the Mighty Turkey. The weather was beautiful, and our families had a blast.

Wally Funk Chapel & Assembly

Gracie Shy ’23 and Malone Chapman ’30 invited their cousin, American aviator Wally Funk, to campus to speak to our students. At 82, Wally is the oldest woman to travel to space after embarking on a journey to space with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in July 2021. Wally shared her fascinating life story, from her first flying lessons at seven years old to her recent trip to space. Wally’s story of perseverance inspired our girls to dream big. She encouraged our girls to be spontaneous, responsible, and determined as they pursue their dreams.

Grandparents Day

Senior Kindergarten and 2nd-grade students welcomed their grandparents to campus for one of our favorite events of the year, Grandparents Day. The students taught their grandparents about the Bridge to Caring, St. Mary’s character education program, through song. Each song represented a value we hope St. Mary’s girls embody as they grow into women who make a difference in the world around them.

Turf Field & Track Groundbreaking

This fall, we broke ground on a regulationsize turf field and a renovated track and field complex for our Turkeys. We held a groundbreaking ceremony with our Middle and Upper School students. The Mighty Turkey and Pep Club took the fun to North Campus with a parade so our Early Childhood and Lower School students could join the celebration. We can’t wait for our lacrosse, soccer, and track teams to use the new facilities.

CAMPUS NEWS

Christmas

Pageant

For more than 130 years, St. Mary’s students have participated in our oldest and most beloved tradition, the Christmas Pageant. In a moving Christmas program unlike any other, 2nd- and 3rd-grade choristers serenaded the audience with angelic songs as seniors posed in beautiful tableaux. The tableaux depict famous portrayals of the birth of Christ. Senior participants are all St. Mary’s “lifers” or girls who have attended St. Mary’s for 12 years or more. We are grateful for our dedicated team of St. Mary’s staff, alumnae, volunteers, and students who helped us carry on this beautiful tradition for yet another year.

I. Annunication (da Vinci) Mary – Kai Keith Angel – Hayden Goode

II. Shepherds Keeping Watch (Plockhorst) Shepherds – Hannah Chancellor, Hudson Clift, Amelia Dowling, Ayushi Gaur, Samantha Jones, Tallulah Taylor, Mia Townsend

III. Adoration of the Shepherds (Murillo) Mary – Nora James Eikner Joseph – Alexandra Touliatos Shepherds – Carrington Davis, McBride Jamieson, Abby Neal, Caroline Stem

IV. Adoration of the Shepherds (Storch) Mary – Lucy Nassif Joseph – Caroline West Shepherds – Madison Carr, Jane Chancellor, Isabelle Herzke, Lane Jamieson, Eleanor Jones

V. The Nativity (delle Notti) Mary – Amelia Quinlen Joseph – Jane Clare Braswell Angel – Murphy Jamieson Shepherds – Gracie Gerhart, Shea Kiersky, Maggie Rosenblum

VI. Adoration of the Magi (Conca) Mary – Regan Lewis Joseph – Anna Katherine Farmer Kings – Caroline Griffin, Ryan McGown, Ann Wilson

VII. The Nativity (Batoni) Mary – Maggie McFadden

Athletics

Soccer

Varsity Soccer began the season impressively, winning the Smoky Mountain Cup. Louise Laney ’22 and Carrington Davis ’22 were named to the All-Tournament Team. The team ended the season as a quarter-finalist in the state tournament. Davis ’22, Laney ’22, Laurel Lund ’24, and Bronwyn Saatkamp ’24 were recognized as All-Region Team athletes.

Both Middle School Soccer teams finished the season as runners-up in the Shelby League Championships. The Blue Team finished 2nd in the AA Division, and the White Team finished 2nd in the A Division.

Golf

Volleyball

Varsity Volleyball ended a great season by placing 4th in the region. Madison Carr ’22, Kai Keith ’22, Kayla Gurley ’23, and Carroline Robinson ’24 were all named as All-Region Team athletes.

Congratulations to 6th Grade Volleyball for finishing as the PAA league runner-up.

Freshman standout Hana Barber placed 3rd in the state for Varsity Golf. She also received All-Metro honors and was nominated as Girls Golfer of the Year by The Commercial Appeal.

Middle School Golf finished the season as the runner-up in the Shelby League Championship.

Cross Country

Varsity Cross Country began a successful season by placing 1st in the MYA meet. The team ended the season as 3rd in the county and placed 12th in the state.

Middle School Cross Country also had a great season, finishing as league runner-up.

Laurel Lund ’24, Louise Laney ’22, Carrington Davis ’22, and Bronwyn Saatkamp ’24

Middle School Soccer

Louise Laney ’22

Caroline Stem ’22

CAMPUS NEWS

Athletics

Swim

Varsity Swim placed 2nd overall at the County Championship meet, advancing to the State Championship. At the State Championship, Grace Ciaramitaro ’23 finished 4th in the 200-meter freestyle and 10th in the 100-meter backstroke, and Claire Chauhan ’25 finished 16th in the 50-meter freestyle.

Tennis

Middle School Tennis ended a great season as Shelby League Champions.

Basketball

Varsity and Junior Varsity Basketball welcomed new coaches: Varsity Head Coach Jerry Dover, JV Head Coach David Norton, and Assistant Coach Sarah Williams. The Varsity team advanced to the State Tournament. Four senior players, Jane Chancellor, Kai Keith, Louise Laney, and Caroline Stem, were recognized as All-Region Team athletes.

Middle School Basketball had an excellent season. This season marked the first for the St. Mary’s 5th-Grade basketball team. Both the 5th and 6th-grade teams captured the Shelby League Tournament Championship.

Varsity Swim at County Championship

Varsity Basketball

6th Grade at Shelby League Championship

5th Grade at Shelby League Championship

Faculty and Staff News

The Apple Award

The Apple Award, established by Lizzie Apple ’14, recognizes St. Mary’s community members who inspire students by being kinder than necessary. It is given annually to people at St. Mary’s who have touched students’ lives through their passion for their subject and compassion. This year’s Apple Award recipient is substitute teacher Karen Ullman Pai, recognized for her kindness and generosity. Pai is always eager to lend a helping hand. She radiates positivity and is known for her compassionate nature.

Jenny Madden Takes Over Auxiliary Programs

In January, Jenny Madden began her tenure as the Director of Auxiliary Programs. Before joining the Auxiliary team, Madden served as the Director of Plays at St. Mary’s for 24 years. Madden is excited to take on a new role and hopes to bring innovation, a friendly smile, and a willingness to work with students, faculty, staff, administrators, and parents to Auxiliary Programs.

Shonda Keys

St. Mary’s Hires Director of Belonging

In November, Shonda Keys joined St. Mary’s as Director of Belonging. Previously, Keys served as the Assistant Principal of T-STEM Academy at East High School where she also served as Director of Admissions. Keys received a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Tennessee, and a bachelor’s degree in English. Keys leads programs and outreach that sustain a diverse, equitable, and inclusive school community. She collaborates with the Belonging Task Force of the school’s Board of Trustees and chairs the faculty and staff Belonging committee.

Jenny Madden

Auxiliary Programs started the year with a new team: Director Jenny Madden, Program Coordinator Tessa Breakfield., and Interim Assistant Director Briana Morrow.

Karen Ullman Pai

November 29, 2021, was my first day at St. Mary’s. Though beginning a new job at a new school a mere three weeks before the end of the semester is unconventional, my request to start at this time was by design. Christmastime is my absolute favorite time of the year. Being at St. Mary’s during the holiday season is simply magical. In countless ways, those celebrations, from the joyous lighting of the Christmas tree at the ECC to the solemn beauty of the Christmas Pageant, felt like God’s reminder to me that I was exactly where I was supposed to be. I say this often, and I mean it every time: I belong at St. Mary’s.

Before coming to St. Mary’s, I served students and educators at Memphis Shelby County Schools with love, loyalty, and diligence for over 20 years. My time there was fulfilling, but one day I woke up wondering what was next for me. I knew I was being called to my next thing. For over a year, I struggled to figure out exactly what that next thing would be. Where did I belong? Where was God calling me to serve next? I kept my eyes, ears, and heart open. Then on a Friday afternoon in September, my phone dinged, indicating an incoming text message.

Friend: St. Mary’s is looking for a Director of Belonging. You could totally do it!

Me: Oh my! This sounds so much like me! Let me freshen up my resumé. Friend: Right? Even my mom says it sounds like a good fit for you!

For over two hours, I scoured press, delved into social media, and fondly recalled meeting St. Mary’s educators at a Facing History and Ourselves professional development event years prior. This was it! This is where God was leading me. In so

Where I Belong

By Shonda Keys

many ways, God affirmed this for me. The Monday after I applied for the job, I saw two of my former middle school students who are currently St. Mary’s girls. On an afternoon walk in my suburban neighborhood, I walked by a St. Mary’s yard sign that was either never there, or I never noticed. My closest co-worker cried tears of joy and heartbreak when I shared with her the job posting for the Director of Belonging because she knew that this was the perfect next step for my career.

“I hope that every girl who steps foot on our campus can say with as much conviction as I do that, ‘I belong at St. Mary’s.’”

Shonda Keys, Director of Belonging

I was as sure in September before even applying for this role as I am now: I belong at St. Mary’s. As the Director of Belonging, my first official duty was to cultivate relationships. During the first three weeks, I set up my cozy office with fluffy pillows, a blanket, and a tootall-for-the-room Christmas tree. This gigantic Christmas tree brought in teachers, students, and staff members alike. It was the perfect conversation starter. I also made sure that everyone left with a snack. The warmth, love, and generosity of spirit across both campuses during those first few weeks gave me comfort and joy and reminded me once again that I belong at St. Mary’s.

I am now three months into my tenure. The real work is starting. What exactly does a Director of Belonging do? Along with the help of the adults and the girls at St. Mary’s, our parents, and professionals who serve as Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging practitioners across the country, I am creating a foundation for Belonging at St. Mary’s.

St. Mary’s girls are as unique as they are brilliant, and I want all girls to know that they belong here. All girls from St. Mary’s Place to the Upper School should be seen, safe, supported, valued, and celebrated. I am working to support teachers as they take on the gargantuan task of preparing today’s young women and girls to be empathetic and intellectually curious global citizens. As we fill open positions, I am teaming with the Associate Head of School to cultivate a more diverse faculty across all divisions.

In my heart, I am storing away moments and treasures–from the Christmas Pageant to senior speeches to Chapel speakers that include a Holocaust survivor–to remind me why I am here at St. Mary’s. During my tenure and beyond, I hope that every girl who steps foot on our campus can say with as much conviction as I do that, “I belong at St. Mary’s.”

Shonda Keys, Director of Belonging

INSPIRED TO SERVE:

St. Mary’s Incorporates Service-Learning Across Campus

Since 1847, St. Mary’s has equipped girls with the skills to make the world a better place. Our girls learn to be leaders in the classroom and the community. Across campus, the curriculum integrates community service in meaningful ways. The goal of service-learning is to educate students on their community, as well as the needs of their community and how to address them.

On North Campus, that starts with St. Mary’s signature education program, the Bridge to Caring. The eight characteristics that comprise the Bridge to Caring are “the fabric of what we do,” shared North Campus Chaplain Mary Henry Thompson. Each month, curriculum and chapel talks focus on one of the traits: respect, responsibility, thankfulness, kindness, self-control, honesty, courage, and cooperation.

Thompson also incorporates the Bridge to Caring in her religion classes and the 5th-grade course Finding Your Voice From art to counseling to science, teachers in both the ECC and Lower Schools reinforce the Bridge to Caring in their classrooms.

Thompson also works with Lower School teachers to organize service projects for their classes. Past projects have benefited various local organizations, including MIFA, St. Jude, and the Humane Society. This fall, 5th-grade students partnered with the Mid-South Food Bank to organize a food drive.

“The 5th graders steered that whole project,” Thompson said. “They began to understand that you can’t just decide to you’re going to do a food drive. They learned the broad

The 7th grade spent a morning volunteering at the Mid-South Food Bank.

scope of what it takes to do a project like that, from figuring out what items to collect to sharing information with the campus community.”

Thompson is most proud of how the students demonstrate a clear understanding of the Bridge to Caring traits and incorporate them into their daily lives at school and home. The students get excited about nominating and awarding each other the Caring Turkey award, given each week to a student for an act of kindness or service. Recently, the 5th-grade students worked with Counselor Lauren Mitchell to create the Pillars of St. Mary’s award to recognize faculty and staff members who embody the eight character traits.

for MIFA’s Meals on Wheels program and organizing donation drives. The 7th-grade students get excited about managing the projects and encouraging 6th- and 8th-grade students to participate.

“At a young age, the girls understand how they can positively impact those around them, which is what service is all about,” added Thompson.

In Middle School, the curriculum expands on the Bridge to Caring in a service-focused course for the 7th-grade, Community Connections. Led by Middle School Counselor Andrea Peredo, the class partners with MIFA, a local nonprofit that supports vulnerable seniors and families. Students learn about the challenges facing the Memphis area, such as homelessness, food insecurity, and health inequity, and how MIFA works to address these issues. Students hear from leaders at MIFA, including the President & CEO, Vice President of Family Programs, and Chief Development Officer. The students also participate in service projects like volunteering

Peredo wants the students to gain a greater understanding of why they should serve others and what it means to serve others effectively.

“I hope the students develop a better understanding of the needs of the Memphis community, and that within Memphis, there are multiple communities with differing needs,” said Peredo. “There are so many ways you can serve. It doesn’t necessarily just mean donating money or volunteering at a food bank. Effective service comes out of knowing what the need is.”

In the Upper School, service is a regular part of student life. Through clubs, organizations, and extracurricular activities, students constantly engage with the community and demonstrate a commitment to serving. The quintessential example of this is the St. Mary’s Community Fund (SMCF), a student-led, grant-making organization, established in 1998.

The mission of SMCF is to “educate young women about the importance of philanthropy through hands-on community service, fundraising, and grant-making.”

In its first year, the members raised $2,000 and awarded grants to the Exchange Club and Hope House. Since then, SMCF has raised approximately $600,000, benefiting over 50 organizations. The students are responsible for raising money and overseeing the entire grant process. From reviewing applications to site visits, the SMCF members get an in-depth look at the work of the organizations across the city and what it takes to operate and fund a nonprofit organization.

“Most of our members come to SMCF with a sense of responsibility to give back to their community,” shared Director

The 5th grade organized a food drive to benefit the Mid-South Food Bank.

Senior Astrid Balink shared that she has learned many life skills through participating in St. Mary’s Community Fund.

of SMCF Susan Whitten Graber ’86. Graber, who has been the SMCF sponsor since 2012, hopes SMCF members develop a “sense of agency in running the organization.” She ensures that the SMCF is truly student-led. “I want them to generate their own ideas about how to raise money and whom they believe it is important to fund. I am just there to help with resources and as a sounding board.”

“Through SMCF, I’ve learned so many important life skills,” said senior Astrid Balink. “I’ve learned to be a leader while also working together with my fellow SMCF members. In grant reviews, site visits, and solicitation calls, I have to work in a group where each member holds the same important responsibilities. I’ve also learned to use critical thinking skills to decide which organizations I believe SMCF should fund and do awkward adult things like asking people to donate money.”

For SMCF members, the obligation to serve doesn’t stop with grant-making. All SMCF members must meet a 12-hour service requirement. The students work with organizations

they have previously funded to find volunteer opportunities for SMCF members and all Upper School students.

“I think one of the most important aspects of SMCF is that we are not just having one-way relationships with agencies by giving them grants,” said Graber. “We are consistently trying to connect with them by serving them. That leads to authentic relationships with agencies’ staff and the constituents the nonprofits serve.”

The students love getting involved with grantees and organizations with missions that support youth in Memphis. “I’ve met so many people in my community, at organizations like the St. Mary’s Cathedral and the Memphis Child Advocacy Center,” added Balink. “I’ve met people in charge of these wonderful nonprofit organizations. I’ve also met people who use their services and learned more about their experiences.”

As part of their fundraising, SMCF hosts the Give901 campaign, a campus-wide campaign that involves students in Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools. This year, the top contributing class in the Middle and Upper Schools (7th and 12th) were awarded a morning off for a service opportunity. Students on North Campus can’t wait to get involved in what the “big girls” are doing. “Our 5th graders get an opportunity to work with SMCF and get a glimpse of the work they do across the street.” said Thompson.

Although service-inspired learning takes different forms across the divisions, one thing remains constant—the students’ desire to serve.

“Many students participate in service activities outside of school, whether through their family or religious organization,” shared Peredo.

Thompson agreed, “it’s always fun to see a group of girls get excited about starting a lemonade stand to raise money for St. Jude or Le Bonheur. I believe many of the things we do here inspire our girls to do more when they’re not here. These girls are driven to make the world a better place.”

From fundraising to application review to funds distribution, St. Mary’s Community Fund members facilitate the entire grant-making process.

As the top contributors to the SMCF’s Give901 campaign, 7th-grade students received an off-campus service opportunity as a reward.

AROUND ______ CAMPUS

2. Class of 2018 friends Paige Nielsen, Olivia House, Hattie Fogarty, and Caroline Ciaramitaro at the Young

3. Class of 2021 friends gather over the holidays. Top row: Chloé Webster, Rachel Beem, and Sophie Droke. Bottom row: Ansley Skipper, Evie Fowler, Madeleine Lee, Lizzie Moody, and Sydney Weiss

4. Class of 2015 friends Abbie Warr, Alumnae Chapel speaker Emma Farris, and McKendree Walker

5. Alumnae enjoying Newport, Rhode Island on the

1. Alumnae and friends in Martha’s Vineyard on the alumnae trip to New England in October 2021

Alumnae Winter College Reunion

biannual alumnae trip: Cathy Hoover Allen ’65, Susan Hall Wilson ’70, Martha Flowers ’76, Lisa Morrow Morten ’76, Gigi Gould ’70 and Patti Person Ray ’65

6. Alumnae gather in Chapel for the Winter Reunion: Rachel Beem ’21, Lillian Bannister ’20, Phoebe Lusk-Hussong ’20, Claire Lee ’20 and Bennett Vaughan ’20

7. Alumnae Chapel speaker Maddie Rhodes ’14 with classmate Katherine Parker ’14

8. Class of 2020 friends Bennett Vaughan and Kate Stukenborg speaking at the Winter Young Alumnae Reunion

9. Class of 2020 sisters Ginny Bratton and Sarah Bratton in Chapel

St. Mary’s: A Far-Reaching

St. Mary’s: A Far-Reaching

On the 175th anniversary of the founding of St. Mary’s Episcopal School, Jean Vaughan McGhee ’86 and Jill Schaeffer Broer ’68 shared how the school has affected their lives, their families, and how St. Mary’s values thrive in the Memphis community and beyond.

Traditions create the fabric of our communities. They mark our beginnings, endings, and hard-won victories. These rituals are our lives’ signposts into which we pour emotion, store memory, and derive meaning. As the oldest independent school in Tennessee, St. Mary’s has used tradition to guide girls to the cusp of adulthood since 1847. These traditions include white dress graduations, Derby Day, and the quotidian tradition of Chapel. St. Mary’s traditions create a far-reaching legacy linking us to those who came before and extending a hand to those who will come after.

For Jean Vaughan McGhee ’86 and Jill Schaeffer Broer ’68, St. Mary’s legacy of 175 years of dedication to girls’ education is also one of service, community, integrity, hard work, and hospitality. These values, bestowed upon them during their time at St. Mary’s, have guided them throughout their careers and were passed along to their daughters and granddaughter, who are alumnae and current Turkeys.

Three generations of Turkeys have commuted from Collierville to attend St. Mary’s: Jill Schaeffer Broer ‘68, daughter Katie Broer Parr ’98, and granddaughter Eleanor Parr ’30.

a critical springboard for their successful careers. Broer, who recently retired after 47 years as CFO of Wolfchase Nissan and Honda, recalled that in the 1960s, “people didn’t talk much to girls” about professional aspirations. However, St. Mary’s was different. It trained its students to “think and write.” She remembered her “legendary” Head of School, Dr. Nathaniel Hughes, setting stringent academic standards, increasing the number of National Merit Finalists from St. Mary’s, and advancing its already stellar academic reputation.

From early on, academic excellence has reigned at St. Mary’s. In 1901, Thomas Gailor, then bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Tennessee, admired how St. Mary’s did not fall prey to “the mere social veneering which some people ‘call the education of girls.’”

St. Mary’s was not a finishing school. The school helps “girls to learn to value their brains,” says McGhee.

Both McGhee and Broer cited SMS’s legacy of strong academics as motivation for sending their daughters (Ellie McGhee ’18, Carmen McGhee ’27, and Katie Broer Parr ’98) and granddaughter (Eleanor Parr ’30) to the school—and as

McGhee traced a line from how SMS encouraged her to embrace leadership to the collaborative way she leads her team as Co-Owner of Hollywood Feed, the beloved natural and holistic pet specialty retail store with 180 locations. McGhee attributed her commitment to lifting up other women and her leadership mantra of “How can we do this together?” to

Far-Reaching Legacy

Far-Reaching Legacy

By Carrie Sue Casey ’95

the lessons she learned at the corner of Walnut Grove and Perkins Extended. St. Mary’s, McGhee explains, is “knit into the fiber” of who she is.

Broer corroborated this line of thought, sharing that her family gladly weathered a commute from Collierville for her daughter and granddaughter, Eleanor Parr ’30, to attend SMS. Broer loves the days when she gets to drop off granddaughter Eleanor at Moss Hall and tells her that she is “62 grades” ahead of her. One of her favorite memories is watching Eleanor sing at the Christmas Pageant in 2019.

The hauntingly beautiful annual tradition of the Christmas Pageant is part of the school’s longstanding religious history and an element of educating the “whole girl.”

In addition to being leaders in the Memphis business community, McGhee and Broer have held various roles at St. Mary’s. McGhee served as Class Secretary, and Broer served as Alumnae Board President. This level of engagement is a family tradition. McGhee’s parents, Bill and Carmine Vaughan served as Trustees for the school. Her mother was also a beloved teacher. Her sister, Dr. Leigh Vaughan Jaimes, graduated in ’88. Broer’s brother Joey Schaeffer also served on the Board of Trustees, and some of us may remember when her husband Rick Broer served on the faculty as a history teacher.

Broer and McGhee are incredibly proud of the generations

of St. Mary’s graduates making a difference in the Memphis community and beyond. SMS girls “are not afraid of hard work,” says McGhee. Broer emphasized that her time at St. Mary’s made her feel she “could do anything,” a statement that resonates with many SMS alumnae. Whether we are still Memphians or are far across the globe, we are links in this remarkable chain of women.

Carrie Sue Casey ’95 is the Founder and Principal of OODALOOP, a firm that helps non-profit boards and educational leaders tap into people potential. She also serves as a consultant to the Veterans Affairs Administration through Technical Assent. She spent over 14 years as a civil servant in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. She earned a Masters in Public Policy and served as an international affairs specialist and, later, an organizational health strategist. Carrie Sue prefers her books in hardback, her linens

and her BBQ from Memphis.

vintage,

McGhee cited a legacy of academic excellence, community, integrity, and service as motivation for sending her daughters Ellie ’18 and Carmen ’27 to St. Mary’s. McGhee’s sister, Leigh Vaughan Jaimes ’88, and mother, former faculty Carmine Vaughan, are also part of that legacy.

Carrie Sue Casey ’95

1966

Diane Taylor Newton

Jeanne Stevenson-Moessner is setting up a fun class gathering at her condo in Destin, FL in September. We are all looking forward to a big crowd for that! Cissy Lansing Moriarty has been busy traveling. Trip #1 was a month long cruise in Italy; Trip #2 was a 2 week trip to Iceland (highly recommends); Trip #3 was with the grandchildren; Trip #4 plans are in the works to visit Japan in the Spring to see the blossoming of the cherry trees. Wow! Thank you Julia Laney Clarke for organizing our class on a Zoom call for our virtual Alumnae Weekend 2021. It was so special seeing and talking with each other. Julia is an avid supporter of the Albuquerque Public Libraries. Our condolences to Minna Thompson Glenn on the loss of her beloved husband, Alan. Minna set up our Zoom call that lasted over two hours! Nancy Perry Gautier extends an invitation to visit her in France when the country opens up. Diane Taylor Newton is loving her horses and farm life. She is now the proud owner of a registered kid friendly Shetland pony named “Sweet Tea”. She is busy organizing and hosting a variety of Perfect Pony Parties in her barn and on the farm at Wildlife Manor in Piperton, TN. Grandparents, parents and children are all invited to enjoy the farm experience.

CLASS NOTES

a blessing! Betty Coe Cruzen Manuel reports that her mother Elizabeth “Betty” Coe Cruzen passed away peacefully in March at the age of 99. Mrs. Cruzen moved to Texas to live near Betty Coe and family in 2017. Betty Coe and husband David now have four grandchildren, 3 in Fort Worth and a beautiful new baby girl born in July in Chicago. It was a blessing to have their sons and families together for the holidays. Denise DuBois Taylor enjoyed a few trips in the fall. She visited son Will and wife Ray at their new home in Minneapolis, where Ray has begun a PhD program in the Philosophy of Science. (Will is completing his PhD in physics from Brown University and will officially receive his PhD this spring.) Denise also enjoyed a wonderful week in NYC with her brother John and sister-in-law Kristina. Denise and husband Sledge spent the Christmas holidays in Seaside, FL with friends and brother-in-law Bart Hudson. Cristina Brescia Michta and husband Andrew continue to enjoy life in Bavaria, despite the lockdowns. Thankfully, they can escape to Italy every now and then. Daughter Chelsea completed her PhD at Cambridge with (unfortunately) a virtual graduation. She enters the USA Army to begin a career in Army Intelligence. The Class of 1970 wishes happiness and good health to all.

Asalways, the fun and exciting members of the Class of 1970 are busy with family, friends, and having lots of fun (like we did in 1970). Susan Hall Wilson and husband Bubba are enjoying their busy life as grandparents to Sam Harris (7) and Charlotte (4), who live close by. Susan and Bubba continue to teach second graders at Independent Presbyterian Church, and enjoy family and travel to places like Santa Fe (their favorite place!). Susan Cooley retired this year and doesn’t know what she did with her time before retirement! She is involved in volunteering, but she also finds time for rest and relaxation. What

1972

Anne Remmers Phillips

Ithas been 50 years since we graduated! For 15 of those years Christine Mayer Todd faithfully communicated for our diverse class. She continues to serve Calvary Episcopal Church as director of Outreach Ministry managing the Clothes Closet among many other duties. Lee Taylor Boyd was awarded “Nurse of the Year 2021” for Prisma Health Baptist in Columbia, SC. She participated in the Olympic Triathlon for cancer patients in

Washington, DC. Lee has three grandchildren. Two are competitive hunter jumpers. The oldest (Ellen Taylor Boyd) captured a National Championship in KY! Joining the Nakanawa Camp friends often, Lee stays connected to Memphis friends. Admirably Dawn Bonner O’Connor is independent as a Marketing Advertising Consultant in FL, raising horses and caring for her husband who broke his hip. Melinda Fields lives in CT on a small farm. Lucky for CT she grows and freezes black eyed peas. She introduced neighboring farmers to this “great, nutritious, southern comfort food” Hoppin’ John. Mandy Richards Vogel has two sons and a granddaughter. She and husband Pate McCarthy have dual residences in Knoxville, where she follows fireflies and in FL, where she looks like a model on the beach. For road trips and workout, she highly recommends “Dolly Parton’s America”. With fond memories of Miss Reiners and Mrs. Baker/Gill she also remembers “Nat’s” sweater with the elbow pads. Jackie Pentz Watkins joined the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology counting birds. With her sharp eyes she has spotted 34 species out of 352 from her backyard! Ashley Moore Remmers and husband John are building a vacation home in FL next door to my mother. Her brother Fontaine’s estate endowed in the name of their mother Madeleine Luce Moore the seat of the assistant conductor for Memphis Youth Symphony Orchestra. Jane Gordon Simmons is so happy with her new home. She salutes her fifth year at Oak Hall and her pickling business grows exponentially. Musette Sprunt Morgan’s son Worth is in his seventh year as a Memphis City

1970

Cristina Brescia Michta

Enjoying New England on the alumnae trip: Susan Hall Wilson ’70, Martha Flowers ’76, Lisa Morrow Morten ’76, and Gigi Gould ’70.

Councilman and announced his candidacy for the Shelby County Mayor. He and wife Bonner are committed to public service. Musette travels to the “frozen north” of Milwaukee as much as possible to visit daughter Musette Morgan Connelly ’03, son-in-law Liam, and two grandsons. Jennifer Wilde Lovejoy’s stone carving, “Convergence,” from purple wonder stone, is displayed at The Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke, VA. Her daughter Lauren manages an Airbnb called Blue Horn designed and built by Jennifer and late husband Tom. Hunter Haizlip Oppenheimer visits son Hayes, daughterin-law, and three-year-old grandson Henry Sylan in NC. She painted three colorful and whimsical terra cotta pots for Meg Jemison Bartlett. She paints in acrylics on rock, mandala designs on boxes, nature inspired scenes on terra cotta or “anything not tied down”. Through storm or snow Meg Jemison Bartlett and husband Mike visit their grandchildren in upstate NY. Mike is recovering well from a farm accident. Tempe Brown Garriott lives in FL and works as a CPA virtually from home. She golfed a hole in one last May and is learning to paint with colored pencils. Elisabeth Maury Curtner and husband Clay live in Newport, AR. They have four grandchildren. Her prayers on Facebook are as impressive as her brother Tannen’s drone photography spotlights the devastation in KY and the highlights of great sports events. Susan Ossorio upholds her high standards teaching young children in her home and embellishing a museum

CLASS NOTES

quality Christmas tree. Karen Adleson Strauss lives in Park City, UT and has four grandchildren. Her children live in MN, CT, and MA. Her doctorate focused on risk perceptions, and public health. Angie King Keesee traveled to NY to visit a friend around Christmas BUT returned safe! Despite COVID Suzanne Hauser Schlittenhart had a great 2021. She flew to South Padre Island for her birthday, to Memphis to visit her son Ryan and Austin TX to visit her husband Cliff’s daughter. She and I look forward to seeing everyone for our 50th!

1974

Desi Franklin

Doris French Jones and husband Ransom are embarking on a big adventure—they’re planning a move from their longtime home in Mississippi to South Carolina to be closer to their grandchildren. Doris is looking forward to mountain hikes, reading, and gardening with the grands. The pandemic has provided Doris with a different lens on the world... sadly, it brought an end to her longtime in person storytelling visits in schools and libraries, which Doris really misses. Beth Williford Carson-Wallace is teaching piano at Hutchison and also giving private lessons, employing her wonderful musical skills. She enjoys spending time with her grandson, Jackson Carson, who is the apple of her eye. Mary Hills Baker Powell has moved to Ponte Vedra Beach, FL but also spends time in Dallas, visiting her two children in Stratton Mountain, VT, and lots of time in Memphis with her mother, former St. Mary’s English teacher Presh Baker Gill, who is in assisted living at Trezevant Manor. Mary Hills is a wonderful artist who has been focusing on beautiful paintings of water in the last year. Lucy Gerald Cook and husband Charlie sold their home in MD and a little summer place on the coast of ME and have moved to a year round house in Harpswell, Maine, where it’s very quiet and

peaceful. They have cows and chickens and a spectacular view of Casco Bay. They travel to CA to see their daughter and family several times a year, spent Thanksgiving with their son who lives in Denver and his girlfriend, and for New Year’s with their other son and daughter-in-law, enjoying plenty of good family time despite all the distances between them. I am still practicing law in Memphis, where I live on an awesome street in midtown and have some really great neighbors, many of whom are SMS students and alums. My son Alex Kenner and wife Carolyne had an adorable baby girl, Eleanor, in February 2021. She has become famous on my Facebook page, where videos of her antics get lots of likes. Luckily, I was able to go to France last September with traveling buddies including Christine Mayer Todd ’72 and husband Carroll. Two weeks in Provence, Champagne and Paris, oh la la! Many of my friends are retiring, but I think I’ll keep working so I can afford to keep traveling the world. I hope everyone stays happy and safe in this seemingly never ending pandemic!

1976

Allison Brown Coates

Josie McNeely Walker has retired from the Spanish Department and St. Mary’s. (Thank you for all your years of service. I know you are missed.) Josie enjoys taking care of their new granddaughter, Camille (6 1/2 months). Camille’s big sister, Jane ’36, is in Walton Allen Webster’s ’00 class at SMS. Allison Pitcock Fentress and husband Bob have sold their home and moved into a townhouse. They are gearing up to move to Asheville, NC in about a year. Bob’s daughters live and work in Charlotte, NC. Their family had two weddings during the pandemic! Allison planned two weddings, one for each daughter! I bet it was a little stressful but very fun! Virginia Donelson Curry and Ed are almost done with the construction/renovation of their cottage in the Monteagle Assembly. The two-year project will be “just as we have always wanted it.” Virginia will enjoy her new studio! She plans to paint, knit, and learn new art skills with other artists

1972 classmates gathered at Susan Ossorio’s house: Christine Mayer Todd, Meg Jemison Bartlett, Ashley Moore Remmers, Hunter Haizlip Oppenheimer, Anne Remmers Phillips, and Susan.

CLASS NOTES

that live in the area. They are looking forward to spending time celebrating their grandson’s 14th birthday in Alexandria, VA. Burkley Mann Allen is still serving on the Metro Council in Nashville. It has been such a challenging year with Covid, a tornado, flood, bombing, and racial unrest. We are glad to hear that things are slowly getting back to normal. In 2022, Burkley hopes to get back to focusing on issues like housing affordability and restoring the city’s tree canopy. Most of all, Burkley loves playing with her three year-old grandson. He keeps everything in perspective. That is the truth! Ginny Waller Zanca and David are enjoying their newest grandchild, Laura Claire. Daughter Nelie ’03 is the mom to Laura Claire and David (2 ½). Peter and Elizabeth ’05 have purchased a home in Memphis. Ginny and David enjoy spending time with Henry (4) and Annie (1). Actually, they love being able to be engaged with all their grands.. and their parents! So what is Ginny “not doing.” Ginny has retired from serving as a volunteer rules official with the United States Golf Association, NCAA, and Tennessee Golf Association. She met so many interesting golfers and rules officials from all around the world. She even became proficient in the pronunciation of Korean, Thai, Mexican, Chinese, Greek, and other nationality names. Ginny, I bet you loved being entrusted with the microphone! So what is “Ginny doing?” They are spending time in North Carolina at a cabin they purchased to be close to Nelie and her family. The entire family enjoys hiking and paddleboarding in the beautiful forest, mountains, and streams near the start of the Appalachian Trail. BJ Fiser Jones reports that their fifth grandchild was

born in March 2020, just as the world shut down. When their church closed, so did the Titus 2 mentoring program BJ helped start and loved. Her brother died unexpectedly in July outside of Holly Springs, MS. Ed and Virginia Donelson Curry were very helpful as they began to settle his estate, and she is thankful for so many classmates who expressed sympathy and support. As for 2021, she says it has been a year of surprises, even in the midst of continued health, social and political “belief and incredulity”: they were finally able to act on a decades-long dream and built a cabin in Murphy, NC, the mentoring program began meeting in person again in September, and daughter Maggie married David McCollum on December 18. They’re expecting grandbaby #6 in June! Sending best wishes for health and happiness in 2022!

1980

Chalmers Peyton Valentine

Well,the class of 1980 has been quiet, but definitely “on the move” in so many respects! Our biggest news is that our own Kathy Buckman Gibson has been awarded the Outstanding Alumna Award for 2022! Everyone mark your calendars for March 31- April 1 for Alumnae Weekend to celebrate this great honor with Kathy and SMS! (More plans on the weekend to come soon!) I have some news from several classmates which are of interest. Margaret Stone Graham reports that son Nelson is living and working in Nashville after getting his MBA and recently got engaged with a wedding in 2022. Also, son Garrott has gone back to school for his master’s degree in literary reportage from NYU. Margaret and Sam also purchased a getaway home in Monteagle. Lisa Williams Hallman reports that she is a grandmother to Shepard Rowan Delaney and is over the moon about it! Lisa is looking to move in or around the Boone, NC area soon and needs a realtor! If anyone has any connections, please let her know. Speaking of realtors, Rachel Darnell-Heath is in Santa Fe and has turned over a new leaf selling real estate. Rachel, if you happen to expand your market to Boone, NC, Lisa would love your help! Sadly, Josie Gil-

liland Williams lost her mother, Tandy Jones Gilliland, a little over a year ago. I was glad to spend a lot of time with Josie when she came to Memphis last summer for the memorial. Josie and Russ are living in Greenville, SC, where she has been teaching at the Michelin School Helene Norcross Rayder is living in the Washington, DC area working for Lincoln Financial. Dorothy Halliday Butler and Tony remain in Summit, NJ, where they just built and moved into a new house. Dorothy comes into Memphis to keep tabs on her nieces and nephews, and occasionally we will get together. Dana Anderton Miller and I have seen each other a few times. Once in Austin at their lakehouse and we were able to have dinner in Dallas in the fall! Daughter Taylor just had her first baby, and Taylor’s jewelry business (Hazen) is a huge success! (Look it up and place an order!) Elisa Brock has returned to SMS as a substitute teacher in honors global issues for John Nichols, who is on paternity leave. Although she will only be there until mid-February, she says that she has fallen right back into the culture and routines of SMS and doesn’t want to leave. After almost thirty years in public schools, she is still shocked that there are no PA announcements several times a day. It’s been a wonderful experience to be back! As for me (Chalmers Peyton Valentine), ever since Covid arrived in 2020 Steve and I have spent the majority of our time at our

Carol Gilliland Jordan ’82 with son Jeremy and his bride, October, 2021, Lake Lanier, Georgia.

Class of 1977 classmates Jane Dailey Duell, Janey Butler Newton, Lucy Walt Wepfer, Adele Orgill Wellford, and Lisa Britt Colcolough.

CLASS NOTES

lake house in AR. Fortunately, I am married to a tech person, so having the ability to work from there hasn’t been an issue.… And while there I have been learning to raise bees! It is very fun and interesting. Anyway, our boys are in Denver, LA, and Memphis so between commuting back and forth to Memphis, visiting our kids, and the occasional adventure to other parts of the country we’ve been enjoying traveling. I hope to see you at Alumnae Weekend to celebrate with Kathy!

Olivia Bruce Hurlock

Mary Long Merritt writes, “I moved my parents, Sis and Bill, to Atlanta in September. They are settling into their new retirement community about 1 mile from my home. I feel very lucky to have them so close to me now. My son Christopher was married in March of 2021. He and his wife Rachel are living in Wichita, KS, while he completes his medical residency. My son Stephen, living in Atlanta, recently got engaged. He and his fiancee, Jordan, are planning a wedding in 2022. My daughter Katherine is graduating from dental school in May and plans to move to Seattle, WA. David and I are both enjoying our retirement and looking forward to a lot of travel in 2022!” More wedding news from Carol Gilliland Jordan: “My son Jeremy was married in October, outside of Atlanta at Lake Lanier. He married an Indian woman

so we had a Hindu ceremony and a western ceremony. It was just beautiful and I loved every minute of it! Also, my daughter got engaged this summer, so I will have another wedding next June. It will be here in Lexington. They are keeping me busy! I am looking forward to our reunion in April. I sure hope no one invites Omicron.” And another update on offspring came from Elizabeth Beck Fioravanti. “Our news is inevitably about our children! Our daughter Anne (26) graduated from NYU with a dual degree in Early Childhood Education and Special Education in May 2021 (despite COVID-19’s best efforts to delay it all!), and is now living in the East Village and teaching Grade 3 Special Ed at PS 230 The Doris L. Cohen School in Brooklyn School. Year 1 of teaching, following—and still during— COVID-19, has proven challenging at best, but Anne is enjoying her work and living in the Big Apple. Our son John just graduated from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor with a dual degree in German and Psychology. He completed a 10-week psych internship in Chicago last summer, and is finishing another psychology internship in Ann Arbor now while determining what’s next. Mark and I are trucking along. Mark is President & CFO at Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. and I am still working full-time at Harding Academy in Nashville as the Human Resources and Accounting Manager. Life in the hospitality industry and in human resources has been a special treat for each of us during COVID-19! We’re hoping the world returns to some kind of new normal soon so we can resume

far-reaching travel. We have so many places in Europe we’ve yet to see!” After Covid canceled two trips for my family last year, I’ll echo the wishes for travel options in 2022, with a trip to Memphis for our 40th reunion at the top of my list!

1984

Vanessa Allen Dobbins

Itseems many classmates have been on the move recently. Anne Crocker Hefter and Scott left DC for Lyme, CT, where he will be closer to work in Manhattan. Smitha Gollamudi and family also left DC for Little Compton, RI to be closer to aging parents. Daughter Chander is at Williams College, and son Devi is finishing at Whitman College. In the DC area Meade Jones Hanna has a new job with Fairfax County, VA at their crisis stabilization unit and loves the work of voluntary, inpatient mental health and substance abuse. Son Zach wants to transfer to City College of New York for International studies and son Patrick enjoys the Outdoor Education curriculum at Southern Oregon University. Daughter Grace is thriving at school and volleyball. While visiting Memphis, Meade helped Samantha Grilli Long with a catering job. Carrie Jaeger Carpenter and family moved locally to midtown after 20 years in Collierville. Carrie looks forward to retirement in May, planning to travel and snuggle her beautiful grandchildren. Leslie

Allie Morrison ’08 with sister and bride Ruthie Morrison Vaughan ’09, mother Brandon Garrott Morrison ’83 and, sister Jane Morrison ’15.

Amy Rhodes with daughter and Alumnae Chapel speaker Maddie Rhodes ’14, and Katherine Parker ’14, and mother Allison Wellford Parker ’83.

CLASS NOTES

Darling relocated to Nashville to be near her parents. She commutes to NYC each month for her advertising job, but loves walking her dogs, playing tennis, and reconnecting with SMS gals in Nashville and Memphis. Kelly McCracken visited Leslie and enjoyed seeing Amy Grant and Vince Gill’s Christmas show at the Ryman. Kelly continues to work in commercial real estate. Carolyn Thompson continues to do clinical outpatient procedures in Nashville and is steadily building a consulting practice for health tech entrepreneurs, predominantly in women’s health. In Nebraska Peggy Harris celebrated a milestone thirty years with the railroad and currently develops public-private partnership infrastructure opportunities and manages relationships with a dozen west coast passenger rail operators. Her current horse is twenty-two, and she volunteers at the local therapeutic riding facility. Alanda Horne Dwyer sadly lost her horse but replaced it with a mule from a faltering New Orleans carriage company. She still works in the DA’s office in Memphis with other St. Mary’s girls. Liz Sullivan lives in NYC and wants us to visit and have coffee. In Atlanta Clare Halle Brown and Brad spend time at Lake Rabun with Laura Halle Nunnally’s ’87 family and have reconnected with families, Olivia Bruce Hurlock ’82 and Wallace as well as Cissy Bruce Jackson ’83. After taking a year off, Cathey Turner Alexander is teaching yoga again at Mind Body Haus in mid-

town. She is thrilled to share therapeutic hatha yoga. Alison Potts Hollewand appreciates living in an almost COVID free Queensland. Daughter Izzy will be attending the University of Queensland in Brisbane and parents are thrilled to have her at home. Alison ran her second year of her Meditation Teacher Training and Mental Wellness training. Her main area of interest is trauma and trauma sensitivity. Ally Burr-Harris expanded her trauma-focused services and is supervising psychologist residents who specialize in trauma and parent-child attachment. Due to Covid she developed an outdoor therapeutic day camp which was her most exhausting (but rewarding) professional endeavor. Her children continue to thrive with Jonah heading to law school, Solomon heading to Rome for a semester abroad, and Rae loving dance and fashion. Merri Leigh Masters Johnson continues to teach neuro content at Texas Woman’s University PT Program. Son Jack loves Trinity University where he is first chair tuba in the wind ensemble, and son Charlie is a 10th grader recently advancing to All Area competition for a chance to advance to All State in both Orchestra and Band. May we all stay healthy and happy. Here’s to hope and a brighter future for all.

1986

Jean Vaughan McGhee

Satyamegha (formally Kate Hunt) writes that she is enjoying life and working as a chaplain in Nottingham despite the many covid challenges. She and Vanessa have stayed healthy and are hoping to be able to travel more in the future. Susan Whitten Graber is still working with the SMS Community Fund as well as facilitating Facing History. She is the proud mom of a new puppy June whom I expect to be as fabulous as a therapy dog as Mabel. Susan, Helen Scheidt Gronauer, Liz Whitsitt McEwan, Elizabeth Cashman Dickinson, Irene McDonnell Ayotte, Sissy Roberds Carpenter, and I had a wonderful impromptu lunch this fall at the Botanic Garden where we shared many memories and laughs. Thanks to Helen for arranging that reunion. Sissy,

Irene, and Helen are all empty nesters now; they are all enjoying the freedom that allows. Irene sadly lost her dad this fall; he is certainly being missed by all the McDonnell family. I can hear his deep laughter and enjoyed visiting with him this summer in Michigan. My last memory was his telling Elizabeth Bowers Farrar that she looked 10 years younger than the rest of her classmates! Elizabeth used this inspiration to complete her first half marathon this year in celebration of having her last child graduate from college. Elizabeth’s husband celebrated his 60th birthday this fall and was surprised with a Generics reunion which I was fortunate enough to attend. I am sure many of my classmates remember seeing this band of Rhodes musicians back during high school. Leigh Gordon Wright is also getting used to having an empty nest of sorts now that John is in school at AL. Her daughter Allie has returned to Tuscaloosa after spending a fall in Aspen working as an event coordinator. Elizabeth Stokes Bran welcomed two new grandchildren this year which brings her total to 5! Her youngest started at SMU while Elizabeth and her sister Mim Stokes Brown ’81 have started a business flipping houses. While still working as a counselor, Elizabeth has joined the FIRM to further her real estate career. Prayers continue to go out to her daughter Kristina who spent much of last year in chemotherapy battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Kathryn Haggitt Fisher and husband Brad are finishing a long-awaited house renovation project delayed by Covid. Kathryn is working with the management team at Fulcrum Capital as the Chief Wealth Strategist. Her girls are in college and her son Carter is in high school and playing lacrosse. Meg Gary Woodhouse is still living on Long Island where her oldest started high school this year and all three of her children keep busy playing hockey. My daughter Ellie ’18 will graduate in the spring from Notre Dame while Carmen ’27 stays busy playing soccer and attending 7th grade at St. Mary’s. My son Davis recently transferred to TCU where he seems to be on a mission to start a collection of cowboy boots! I loved hearing from everyone and hope we are free to gather in person more often in the future.

1984 classmates Leslie Darling and Kelly McCracken.

CLASS NOTES

1988

Anna McQuiston

Frances Coughlin Fenelon writes that Nev is living her best life as a freshman at the University of Washington. She loves her classes, her friends, her dorm, and even the weather. She missed all the girlfriends she had at an all girls’ school, so she joined Chi O! Nora is looking to go to college out West and currently is a junior at Harpeth Hall. Both daughters have babysat for Betsy Carnesale Wiseman, and they love her kids. Jennifer Hanemann Chandler and Paul are now officially empty nesters! Hannah is a senior at the Univ of CO and Sarah is a freshman at UTK. Kelly Allen Bauch and Brandon have now been in Austin, Texas for 16 years. Jackson (19) is a freshman at Baylor University and Julia (17) is a junior in high school, playing lacrosse and visiting college campuses in the southeast. Kelly has narrowed her scope of photography to individual portraiture, focusing on senior graduates, corporate headshots and authors. She works often as photographer for Lake Austin Resort and Spa. Brandon started a new job, after 19 years, as the new CRO at Guaranty Home Mortgage. During their downtime, they travel as much as possible, namely to Linville, NC and their parents’ new home in Cashiers, NC in Trillium Links on Lake Glenville. Emily Ragen Smith works at a local non-profit helping women in crisis pregnancies in Columbia, SC. Jason is still working from home. Becca is in the middle of her 4th year at UGA. Mateo is playing lacrosse and beginning to look at colleges wherever they travel. Or as Emily says, “Jason and I are looking at colleges wherever we go and dragging him along in hopes that he will find somewhere he loves.” As for me, Anna McQuiston, Caroline and I moved into a new house this summer (just down the street from the old one). We of course had plenty of time at home this year to get settled in—one of the benefits of working from home. I am working right now with a group of tri-state mayors to address issues that require regional collaboration and I love the new challenge and the new learning it provides. Caroline ’24 is a sophomore at St Mary’s where she plays

soccer and lacrosse and is a much better student than I ever dreamed of being.

1990

Mirm Kriegel

Missy Kramer Taranto sends everyone an open invitation to N’Awlins. She loved catching up with Anne Fisher, who rented Missy’s VRBO when she was visiting her family for Thanksgiving. Missy has enjoyed subbing at her daughters’ school (which Mrs. Fisher’s granddaughter also attends!) Anne Copper DiFronzo started a new job at Madeira, an all-girls boarding school near Great Falls, where her eldest daughter goes. Hilary Davis Robinson is still doing her thang at SMS and still wrangling children (though three-quarters of her brood are in college!) And Ali Reaves Smith is still doing her vet thing while son Cole is enjoying his final year of elementary school at St. George’s. Beth Kreamer West is living Groundhog’s Day in Orange Beach, where kids are 9, 13, and 16 and “still pretty like-able.” She shared the sad news that she lost her mom this year after a brief illness. Beth, we’re so sorry for your loss –sending you much love. Ellen Rawlins Uzarowicz and husband Piotr are renovating their 100-year-old house in LA.

Harlow is a senior and applying to colleges and Evie is a junior. They’re planning a trip to Paris for their 25th anniversary to show their daughters where they met. (Who says romance is dead?) Stacy Goldate and her husband dabbled in the art of work/ life balance by spending most weekends of 2021 unplugged in the desert. When in LA, she was making documentaries, including a sweet animated one for kids and another one that’s unanimated and wholly unsuitable for children. Mary Anne Kish Seibert is in her 20th year as Director of Counseling at Hendrix College and husband Rob is in his 20th year as an archivist at the Clinton Presidential Library. By the time you read this, son Turner will have his driver’s permit and they’ll know where daughter Zoe is attending college! Kristen Thompson Keegan is still selling jewelry and subbing at SMS while renovating their house (within walking distance to school!) John is a senior at Colorado and Jim is a Sophomore at Washington. After too much time off, Alexis Zanone is thrilled to be back at work at Four Seasons and to be traveling again. Tricia Hood Thomas turned the big 5-0 and had a wonderful month of celebration with friends near and far. She and Brian are looking forward to celebrating their 25th anniversary in June. Kasha Winker Shaw and her family are literally escaping to WI (tractor, homestead, and all) about an hour from where her parents grew up—a far cry from Pearl Harbor, where they’ve been stationed with Navy-husband Zeb. (Reads like she was punk’d —but nope, that’s for real.) Paige Russell Brooks is coping as an empty-nester, pursuing an Education Specialist degree and adopting a bulldog puppy (Moose). Meanwhile, twins Caroline and Greyson are relishing college life at Georgia. Caroline Archer Baker announced that after 25 years of teaching Kindergarten/PreK, she’s retiring! Her son moved back to K’ville to work with a commercial developer, and Sarah is a sophomore at UT. Taylor Holden Taylor is crushing her Senior Pro Pickleball career with a brand-new knee and won gold in Nationals at Indian Wells! Son Bruce is in boarding school in Rhode Island, and Holden ’25 is a freshman at SMS, where she dances at Buckman and writes for the Tatler. As for me, I managed to replace the

Missy Kramer Taranto ’90 and daughters Evie, 17, and Jessica, 14, at a recent Mardi Gras ball

kitchen hardware that has been bugging me since March, 2020 and snuck in some travel during Covid’s recession: to Arizona with mom and sister Lara Kriegel ’86 and to the Alaskan glaciers with my husband before they melt away. Besides the usual work/kid juggle, I ran the NYC marathon recently, only to come shy of my goal time by 69 fleeting seconds, due to excessive chatting/embracing friends and family along the course, including Shaila Rao Bheda (mile 7) and Rachel Lightman (mile 18—see what I did there?). Time management has never been my strong suit, which means I need to run it again. Maybe 5th time’s a charm? Finally, it’s with unequivocal certitude that I announce my retirement from Class Notes. It’s time to peace-out, pass the baton, and share the experience with another beloved member of the Class of ’90. I look forward to reading everyone’s reports with gusto. And may we all feel a little lighter and brighter by next year’s Notes. For real this time.

1994

Kathryn DeRossitt Reyes

Mary Evelyn Stevens Fore’s daughter Evie ’25 is an SMS freshman! Daughters Eleanor and Margaret are at GSL in 5th and 7th grades. Husband Dan transitioned his surgery practice to Baptist East, closer to home! She volunteers at school/church and is the afternoon “Uber” for all the extracurriculars. Virginia Ralston Jaramillo works in digital health at Omada and husband Mateo is running Form Energy. Daughter Carolina is 13, August is 10, and Luis Oscar is 6. They got back from Jackson, WY where they skied in a winter wonderland! Mary Denton Sensing’s graduating senior, Denton, is headed to Ole Miss. Son Benjamin is a Sophomore at Vanderbilt. They started a Christmas light installation business and it’s been fun to see their entrepreneurial spirits! Mary continues to work part time at an elementary school. Heather Shove is in her 22nd year teaching and staying busy with daughters Jane and Claire. Jane, 8th grade, plays volleyball, and daughter Claire, 10th grade, stays busy with the marching band, and both are

CLASS NOTES

excellent students! Sarah Lacy moved to Palm Springs! Sarah bought a house there in 2019 but will keep their home in the mission district. Their olive tree destroyed its pipes, a remodel ensued, and they have been living in hotels—a magical adventure! Her company, “ChairmanMe” grew in 2020, and Sarah loves seeing SMS folks in its courses!! Sarah Cole-Turner Vincent continues working with Pre-K as a speech pathologist in Burlington, NC. In her spare time she’s working on house projects and dealing with the historic commission. She joined the board of the children’s theater and is an elder at First Presbyterian. Daughter Caroline is in 5th grade and son Ben is in 8th. Laura Foster Gettys began 2022 at her parents’ home in Bozeman, MT. After 11 years at St. Mary’s Cathedral, she accepted the call to serve as clergy at her childhood church, Grace-St Luke’s Episcopal. Oldest son Foster is in 5th grade at GSL and Joseph is in 3rd grade. Husband Josh has moved into a consulting position, and he has been enjoying it! Katherine Dudley Gray’s daughter McNaron ’26 (13) loves theater, soccer, basketball at St. Mary’s along with sister Parsons ’29 (10). Parsons and Carolyn Porter Cates’ daughter are in the same grade at SMS and have become friends—so much fun! She and her husband have renovated a 1974 Bauhaus-style home in East Memphis. They just added two puppies to test how much chaos they can stand. Jamie Morano Re and husband Sergio recently celebrated a 7th anniversary, son Alex is 6, and she continues as a full-time infectious disease/internal medicine physician at the Tampa VA. Carolyn Porter Cates is adjusting to daughter Amelia being in college, son Thomas is a junior, and daughter Campbell ’29 is in her second year at SMS! As for me, after ten hectic but fulfilling years as a solo practitioner, I have transitioned from criminal to civil law— fair housing litigation, legal counseling, and HUD mortgage counseling.

1996

Jaime Newsom

Aswe steamroll into year two of COVID, I hope that everyone is

hanging in there. Courtney Shove writes that 2021 was filled with joys and challenges. She took a new job as a marketing specialist at Confluent Strategies and loves it. In August, her mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Thankfully, she is feeling pretty good despite chemo treatments, but her energy levels have taken a hit. Courtney is enjoying her second term on the SMS Alumnae Board and looks forward to Alumnae Weekend on March 31–April 2. Please make plans to attend—especially the 175th anniversary celebration on Saturday, April 2!! Laura Ray Logue had a great visit to Memphis in early December for the St. Jude Marathon weekend. She loved spending time with her family for an early holiday celebration and catching up with Julia Chesney McDonald. Laura and her family had a quiet Christmas in Tucson with her stepdaughter Jess, who was able to fly in from Hungary. They are so excited that Jess will be moving to Tucson in July to live with them! Sharlene Sidhu Keithley now has a freshman in high school and a 7th grader. She is the assistant practice administrator for Desoto and Senatobia Children’s Clinics, her family’s business, and is excited about a new grant they got for an early literacy project! She also recently joined the SMS Alumnae Board and is thrilled to be part of SMS from CO. Bernice Chen Wen changed jobs in November, joining a cloud communications company. She and her family have been enjoying more outdoor activities in the Bay Area, as well as spending time with sister Judy ’98 and her family. Natalie Nussbaum changed jobs as well, moving back into financial planning and analysis at Anthem. Natalie, Alexis Nussbaum, and I went glamping in Michigan in early May and had a fantastic time, even though it was freezing. Alexis appreciated being able to teach in person throughout the 20202021 school year. This year, she is also part of a committee that helped search for the best learning management system to help support teachers at SMS. Leslie Forell Boyle writes that she has been riding the roller coaster of navigating Covid with a 2 and 5 year old. She was grateful to have seen her family a few times over the past year. She is also looking forward to her brother’s wedding in June. Andrea Martin Armani continues to make waves in her

professional career, serving as a Vice Dean of New Initiatives in the Viterbi School of Engineering at USC and earning membership into several prestigious organizations. She and Deniz also celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary this past year. My family made the most of our remote work/ school situation, taking several workcations across the US, if for nothing else than a change of scenery. I continue to enjoy my work in college admissions, and recently changed positions to work for a new university. Stay happy and healthy!

1998

Laurin Maddux

Eydie Hill Tyer’s exciting news is that she and husband Indy just bought a house! They are really excited about it and still in the process of unpacking and getting settled. Erin Wade Ogles and husband Kyle have settled into St. Louis since moving there this past summer. She is an attending physician at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital and an assistant professor in pediatrics at St. Louis University. She writes she was lucky enough to spend some time with Elisabeth Callihan and her husband this summer and would love to see any other turkeys if anyone makes their way to St. Louis! Monica Wilson Barton and family took two wonderful trips this year—Aruba in April and Quebec in July. Her children are enjoying first

CLASS NOTES

grade (Wyatt) and pre-k (Erica) and she is STILL working from home full time for State Farm. Meg Kinnard Hardee writes that nearly a year’s worth of cancer treatment—16 rounds of chemo, two surgeries, 44 rounds of radiation, and a move 1,000 miles from home—yielded clear margins and a clear PET scan. She shared that the SMS c/o 98 loved on her every single step of the way. She will be participating in an immunotherapy clinical trial every three weeks at MD Anderson, for the next two years, but this year is celebrating a year of trial, hard work, love, and gratitude. Ashley Bellet moved to Indiana and is the head of Costume Design at Purdue University. She signed a contract with Focal Press to write about new ways to teach fashion history and received a grant from the university to help her do so. She is still on the Board of Directors for USITT and will be designing costumes this summer for an opera house in Utah. Erin Lyttle Do took a job teaching 6th grade history at St. George’s and moved to 6th and 8th grade math a few weeks into the year. Emmy Collins McClain ’99 is her boss and Tony Whicker is her co-worker! Daughters Samantha ’30 and Claire ’29 both play lacrosse for St. Mary’s and were in the lower school play this year. Claire also plays basketball for St. Mary’s! 2021 brought Tracy Burch Voyles and her family had a surprise! Avery Kathryn Voyles was born on December 9, joining her brothers, Ethan (17) and Luke (10), and sister, Claire (11). Needless to say, she has all the emotions

with a newborn and senior! Bridget Crown Mirza celebrated the birth of her 4th daughter in April and in May, they celebrated their eldest’s accomplishment of graduating 8th grade from SMS with the Mary Paoli Award. Lily ’25 is currently in 9th grade at SMS, Violet is in 8th, Samarra is in 6th, and baby Laurel is eagerly awaiting the time when she can find out what it is her sisters go to do every day! Nupur Sidhu Bal will be taking over as President for the Children’s Hospital of Richmond Foundation Board, and her law practice is especially hectic and busy after Covid. Nupur and her family also traveled to Spain and the Bahamas recently. Allison Martin Nolen and her family have spent the past year learning new skills and growing closer as a family. Allison learned how to do deep resin pour with a live edge river table. Allison’s younger daughter, Sadie, is in her first school play and they are welcoming their older child’s transition from Daniel to Robyn. She is enjoying both girls’ big hearts and larger-than-life personalities!

2000

Whitney Baer Foster

Itwas such a joy to hear from so many members of the Class of 2000 at the end of 2021. Seeing pictures of celebrations and sharing in messages for the new year was incredibly special. In spite of another challenging year, so many of you

Megha Karkera Kanjia ’00 with her family

Kim Fleischhauer Short ’00 with her family

CLASS NOTES

are thriving, your families are growing, and we are all turning 40! Katie Garrett Harris updates that her kids are growing up fast. Louise (14), Wilkes (11), and Hill (8) are all enjoying their schools and various activities that take them all over town. Katie recently joined the board of Historic Clayborn Temple and is excited to see this important Memphis landmark fully restored and impacting the community in the near future. Lessie Calhoun Rainey is still working at the DA’s office in Memphis and loving it. James (6) is in senior kindergarten at PDS. Tami Sawyer is heading into her last 8 months on the County Commission. She will be leaving public service in August and is pursuing a PhD in public policy. She will graduate from the University of Memphis with an MA in Communications in May 2022. Kim Fleischhauer Short writes to share that her oldest daughter Elsa (19) has wrapped up her first semester of college at Ole Miss, majoring in public policy leadership through the Lott Institute and the Honors college. At the same time, Kim and husband Blake welcomed Kyle Henry Short to the family on March 4. Walton Allen Webster continues to enjoy teaching at St. Mary’s. Her oldest, Jack (16), is now driving! He plays the trumpet, is a sophomore at Houston High School and is working at Wangs. John Henry is in 8th grade and is playing baseball and basketball. Walt is in the third grade and is a mess! Megha Karkera Kanjia notes that Kish (7), Kiran (5), and Koel (1) keep her on her toes. Megha and her family had their first visit to Memphis in over 2 years during Thanksgiving and had the best time visiting with Lisa Ansley Clapper, Sarah

Montgomery Prudhon, and Walton Allen Webster and their kids. 2021 was a big year for Liz Palomo-Phillips. In October, she was able to visit her Dad and her brother in Spain for the first time in 3 years. In November, she moved to Boston, and in December she and Erik got engaged. Best wishes, Liz! Mary-Kathryn Millner Herrington is still in Oxford and keeping very busy with interior design. She has been working on a project to convert an Airstream into a mobile print shop/retail store. Millie is in 3rd grade, and is obsessed with tumbling, reading and her hip hop dance class! Logan is in 1st and loves to ride his bike, build legos and fight with his sisters. Ryn turned 3 in October, and entertains the family constantly. Jessie Swanson Fila writes that she and Ken still live in coastal Connecticut and love cold, snowy winters and warm, beachy summers. Abbey and Wilder (5) are in kindergarten and still homeschooling. The family loves to hike together and they have been working their way through the New England Scenic Trail which is a 212 mile trail from CT to NH. Lauren Weinrich Bernstein reports that the Bernsteins are officially a family of 4 with the addition of Jack Ezra Bernstein on May 11. After maternity leave, Lauren was promoted into an EVP role heading up the account management team at EVERFI. She works with some of the biggest brands in the world on education programs in critical areas including financial literacy, mental health, and diversity and inclusion. Courtney Routt Worthman has completed her first full year in CT. Her son Miles is about to turn 6! Amy Reinhardt Robinson was able to visit her at the beginning of December. Courtney is leading the growth of Burns Entertainment and helped the company to have the most productive year in 50 years! As for me (Whitney Baer Foster), I continue to enjoy managing operations for St. Jude Global, including some very special work this year on the team putting together a partnership with WHO to provide childhood cancer medicines to low-and middle-income countries. Charley and I celebrated five years of marriage, and I try

to visit Marley Baer Schauer ’02 in Florida as much as possible. It is with profound sadness that I also must share the passing of our classmate, Jolynne Loggains. I hope that all who knew Jolynne will remember her for her kindness, intelligence, and incredible talent for music.

2002

Polly Klyce Pennoyer

Although the upheaval of the last two years of pandemic living has challenged the stalwart members of the Class of 2002, we soldier bravely on, and it’s been lovely to hear from those of you who wrote in to update us on local happenings. Wendi Muse continues to trek up and down the I-95 corridor, teaching at NYU while finishing her dissertation mostly in the middle of the night in her Baltimore home. She recently translated an important book on Black Brazilian feminism into English, and she has been keeping extra busy co-parenting her delightful daughter Harriet, who has lived most of her life in lockdown and so doesn’t know much different. Wendi speaks for all of us in observing the considerable exhaustion of managing small children under pandemic conditions. She also reported a lovely (outdoor) coffee date with Amanda Chiu when Amanda passed through Baltimore recently. Lindsey Coates Horvatich remains in sunny Florida, where she too has been experiencing the unique demands of the pandemic on the mental health of her patients. She is keeping busy taking Spanish, planning a huge garden for the coming spring, and training to become a Somatic therapist. Kate Thornton Wooldridge and husband Andy both continue to practice medicine in Nashville, where they have recently upgraded to a larger house to contain their three growing boys—Kate reports that sons Luke (7), Noah (4) and Ben (1) are “all just wild and fine.” From New Orleans, Laura Hettinger reports that the highlight of her year is the anticipated raising of her home 4.5 vertical feet, paid for by the good folks at FEMA, to mitigate flood risk. Ah, the joys of home ownership, right? Her two kiddos, Ike (4.5) and Mia (3), are also doing well, and Laura is looking forward to

Lauren Weinrich Bernstein ’00 with her family

dancing in this year’s Mardi Gras celebrations with the Krewe Boheme. Rachel Andersen Bass is also in NOLA, where she has been supporting herself during a period of reflection and reinvention working as a freelance ghostwriter, copywriter, and programmer. Rachel, we send all wishes for a triumphant next chapter. Valerie Hartmann is also considering a career change, after 9 years working for the Department of Defense; in the meantime she is keeping busy with two little boys under three—Jacob and Tyler. The big news from Lisa Mabry Smith was the birth of Hank Edward Smith in April 2021. Hank joins big brother Harrison, who has taken his promotion rather well, all things considered. Lauren Deeley wrote in from CO, where she has recently made a career shift to working as a financial advisor. She is also anticipating an ambitious run across the Grand Canyon this coming spring— good luck, Lauren! Catherine Ferguson Conger also wrote in from the coalface of pandemic parenting; she has taken comfort and support from her church community, where two of her four kiddos have been involved in theater activities. All four of her four kiddos have been subjected to online schooling for much of the past few years, and she is correct—virtual kindergarten is a mess! Leslie Guinn Jerkins wrote in from northern ID, where she and her fam have posted up these last few years. Southern roots notwithstanding, she reports loving the snowy winters! Less favorable has been managing her three kiddos’ schooling logistics in the last few years (noticing a theme here?). Anna Coplon Suen reports also experiencing (enjoying?) some aggressive Midwest winters, and she, too, is managing the ups and downs of working remotely while pandemic co-parenting her son Brandon, now in first grade. Michelle Goldwin Kaufman and husband Jay moved back to Memphis last summer; they now reside approximately one mile from both sets of grandparents—the dream! Kiddos Max and Nora have been in and out of school as the health climate permits, but they are doing well overall. Michelle is contemplating her next moves professionally, now that she has completed the clinical psychologist licensing requirements for TN. Margaret McQuiston has also moved back home recently to be closer to family,

CLASS NOTES

and she continues to enjoy her work with Memphis City Beautiful. I remain up in NYC, which always seems to be on the front page of pandemic news, and rarely in a good way. COVID-19 to the side, for the moment, my family’s had a few bits of good news recently, the biggest of which was the arrival of baby #3. James Meriwether Pennoyer was born a few weeks early at the end of September, and so far he seems pretty happy to have joined the team. We hope he soon gets the memo that third babies are supposed to be good sleepers. Ahem. This is clearly a tough season for many, for reasons both personal and global. Although COVID-19 may dampen some of the momentum of our 20th reunion this year (!), I remain both impressed by and grateful for the mutual support and solidarity our class continues to offer each other. To brighter days ahead, my dearies!

2004

Patricia Blount Mills

TheClass of 2004 has some exciting professional announcements to share! Camille Wingo recently began a new marketing role at PepsiCo, working on the digital media plans for the Super Bowl Halftime Show. Victoria Luke Morich stepped into a new role at Coca Cola at the beginning of this year, joining North America’s Growth Strategy group. Zoë Kahn is engaged to Amos Vernon and will be getting married at her uncle’s vineyard in Sonoma this June. She continues to grow her psychotherapy practice in Los Angeles and recently started supervising associate clinicians. Martha Ferguson Burke enjoyed leading training for SMS new faculty and staff on self care and boundaries last fall. She opened her own private practice in August and counsels adolescents and adults in Germantown, two doors down from the Commissary! Christine Ruby Coveny is enjoying her new role as youth art instructor at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens. As for the medical professionals, Shelly Stephens recently moved from UT back to TN to do a fellowship in perioperative medicine at Vanderbilt. This is her second anesthesia fellowship, and she looks forward to

finally getting a real job in the near future. She also just got engaged to her partner, Eric! Clare Patterson published her third major scientific publication and started Medical School with the Dean’s Academic Scholarship. Lindsey McAlpin-Pinegar continues to work for the OB Hospitalist Group in Pensacola, FL. She and husband Beau just purchased their forever home in nearby Lillian, AL and they are enjoying getting settled with their two boys Wilder (3) and Rowan (1). Several classmates also have updates on their growing families! Lauren Brooks Foti and husband Alex had their third child, Lily Catherine Foti in December. Her big brothers Michael (6) & Rob (2) adore her. Natalie Hartmann Malone and husband Michael welcomed their second child, Brody Carroll Malone in October to join big brother McCall (2). Kaitlin Ridder Brown had a big year! She got married this summer to Paul Brown, and they are excited to be expecting a baby girl in April to join their clan of 4 boys. Jessie Walker Wiley and husband Chris welcomed baby girl Camille. Jane ’36 loves her new job as a big sister. Morgan Lobe and husband Jonathan welcomed son Noah James Flug in October.. Big sister Emma (21 months) is taking her role very seriously and has done a fantastic job of welcoming him. Shelby Deeney and husband Brian welcomed baby boy Raymond Francis Hanson in December. Just a month before his birth, they moved within Denver and so are having a busy time getting situated and adjusting to life with a newborn. Also in CO, Elizabeth Stevenson Brenner has enjoyed this year at home with her son, William. She was happy to spend the summer months traveling to see family and friends. Brittany Johnson Hernandez and husband Saul are in the midst of restoring a historic row house near downtown Washington, DC. Blair Carter Tait is loving being an SMS parent to her big JK’er, Mary Mason ’35 (5)! Carter (2) just started school and is hilarious, very verbal, and has the best laugh in the world! Blair and Tom are enjoying life in Memphis. Andrew and I have also been renovating our home in Nashville, and I recently started working part-time for a non-profit educational foundation.

CLASS NOTES

`` 2006

Beck Bicks

Mamie Kostka Finch

Thisyear brought lots of celebration to the class of 2006. Mansi Narula Michaels enjoyed an intimate and beautiful wedding ceremony this past September and spent a few months in Mexico City honeymooning and enjoying the digital nomad life with husband, Wes Michaels. They had a Hindu ceremony where she got to honor her religion, culture and family, wearing part of her mom’s wedding outfit and jewelry! They plan to have a reception this year involving her SMS community. Another marriage brought together fellow class members. Elize Mercer Hewitt celebrated her marriage in VA, bringing together fellow class members Holly Hendrix Vitalis, Lauren Bunch, Ellen Bransford, Liz Braden Beck, and Courtney Foreman Guilfoile Another wedding is being planned as Madeline Smith got engaged to Thomas Lanigan, who just happens to be a nephew of the great late Madame Quinn! Kimberly Johnson Radant has moved to Oklahoma City, OK this past summer for her husband’s job and actually lives in the same neighborhood as Allison Watts Hood and her family. She works as a public middle school counselor. Big career updates also came this past year as well! Aubrey Turner became a nurse and is loving her new role as a critical care float RN at the children’s hospital in Louisville, KY where she hopes to see progress on children’s vaccination rates. She also bought a house, got a dog and is planning more travel in the new year! Evie Lyras has a brand new job as a producer in the entertainment business in LA. Mamie Kostka Finch had a busy 2021, moving to a new home in March and adopting a puppy in August. After over 10 years with the same company, she is starting a new landscape architecture firm in Nashville at the start of the new year, and along with husband, Dylan, is expecting a baby in the spring! Ellen Makowsky Jacobs and husband Abe welcomed their baby boy, Levitt Dylan Jacobs in November. Catherine Smith Denman is thoroughly enjoying her second year in the Kelsey Zehring

Library at Moss Hall. She is learning all kinds of fun facts about the library—did you know the floor is heated, and the room was originally added to the house to display the Mosses’ silver collection? Adelaide ’33 is in first grade, and her classroom was Catherine’s first-grade classroom! Adelaide ’33 has loved getting to spend time with Aasiya Mirza Glover and her kids, Elias and Harper Anne, this summer when they visited, and again this fall when they went to Morgan Beckford’s wedding. Catherine enjoyed spending the evening with Aasiya, Mishi, Frances, Katie Camille, Melissa, and Chloe. Chandler Ford is living her best life on a sailboat in Mexico, survived COVID, and recently visited LA where she got to see Evie Lyras. Last month, Rachel Johnston-White received tenure at the University of Groningen, where she teaches contemporary history. With job security finally in hand, she and her husband Iain are hoping to start the crazy process of buying a house in the Netherlands. Wish them luck! Morgan Beckford was thrilled to be able to have her wedding to wife Liz in Massachusetts in October, so she’s proud to finally be Mrs. Morgan Auguste-Beckford! (although she’s keeping her legal name the same as it has always been). Work-wise, she got a part-time gig singing at Trinity Church in Copley Square as one of their staff sopranos. It’s a pretty well-respected gig in the Boston music community, and in addition to singing solos for large works, she’ll be going to England this summer to participate in choral residencies in York and Durham. Hopefully she’ll be able to connect with Nikki Jones and Rachel Johnston-White when she’s there! During the day, Morgan still works at the Community Music Center of Boston, and although navigating change through the pandemic has been challenging, it’s given her lots of opportunities to grow as an arts administrator. Beck Bicks is still living in Beacon, NY, raising a gigantic puppy, running her web content writing business and busy Etsy store (Punch Line Design)—and she is now hard at work writing a loosely-autobiographical collection of connected short-short stories about girls’ schools (among other things) that she hopes, someday, you will all get to read (and maybe recognize yourself in). For motivation, she recently taped a poster to her office wall

Molly Himmelstein Hollenberg ’08 (with husband, Dan, and dog, Teddi) earned her MBA from Columbia Business School

Victoria Lee ’08 and her family (Stuart Morris, Bentley, and Yogi) at one of their favorite dog-friendly patios in Dallas

Hanna Gordon Oysel ’08 posing with bride Caroline Harris Hugon ’08 at her wedding

with a quote by Anne Lamott that reads: “Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.” It has helped her get past the very-linked hurdles of perfectionism and procrastination (once a Turkey, always a Turkey!), and she hopes every SMSer will keep this important lesson in mind whenever they feel ready to write their own stories.

2008

Katelyn Ammons Barnett

Margaret Liddon Emley

Edie Miller

Sarah Wortham Nielsen graduated with a Master of Science in Nursing from Drexel University in August 2021. She and husband Gus moved to Austin, TX and are enjoying their new home. Ayana Fletcher-Tyson moved to New York City in August of 2021 to pursue a Masters of Gifted Education at Teachers College at Columbia University. City life agrees with her—especially when she received a visit from Margaret Liddon Emley in December! Molly Himmelstein Hollenberg earned her MBA from Columbia Business School and started a new job as a product manager at American Express. After a year-long postponement, Amanda Castroverde celebrated her marriage in October. She is so grateful to all her St. Mary’s sisters who travelled to celebrate and cut up the dance floor all night long! Ariel Mason Kelly and her husband bought a house this year and had the time of their lives on a family trip to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, UAE. Victoria Lee is in the process of relocating her family from Dallas, TX to Birmingham, AL! Margaret Liddon Emley and family have been busy this year house-hunting, moving, and keeping up with a very busy 2-year-old. One of the highlights of Margaret’s year was visiting Ayana Fletcher-Tyson in NYC. Edie Miller moved back to Memphis, started a new job as Chief Operating Officer at Pediatrics East and got a precious Maltese puppy named Rosie. Edie is currently house hunting! With virtual teaching stories galore, Katelyn Ammons Barnett is elated to be back in the classroom and is teaching

CLASS NOTES

third grade at a new school in Greenville, SC. Mary Ward Pollard Black welcomed daughter Anna Christine Black and is loving every second as a family of three in Bozeman, MT. She enjoyed getting to spend time with former St. Mary’s classmate Meredith McKee Ruth this summer. Jenny Guyton O’Brian married Dan O’Brian in the summer of 2021. Jenny also joined Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe as an Operating Partner and The Health Management Academy as a Managing Director. In her joint role, she focuses on health care private equity investments. Cristen Garrett Cain is currently living in Pittsburgh, PA finishing up her fellowship in pediatric anaesthesia. She plans to move back to Atlanta later this year with her husband and son Garrett. She is loving being his mama! Divya Moolchandani was recently elected Chairman of the Board for the McClendon Center, a nonprofit primary and mental health care provider. She, Brad, and pup Quincy continue to love the DC life and dinners with Mary Greer Simonton Gormon. Hanna Gordon Oysel and her family were the cover story of the January 2022 edition of Collierville Town Magazine! Hanna’s husband, Franck, was inducted into the L’Academie Culinaire de France of the North American region. Caitlin Smith Bowron and her family relocated to Birmingham, AL in the summer of 2021. Caitlin started a new job as the Corporate Archivist for Alabama Power Company.

2010

Mary Frances Street

Elise Heuberger Reecer, Irene Makapugay, and Allison Connell reconnected in Denver over the past year, spending time with Elise’s newborn Stella. Kendall Hennessy Rosati moved

to Austin, TX with husband Nick and stepdaughter Evie. Callie McCool started her second year fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Erin Stuart Fogle officially became a doctoral candidate and is writing her dissertation on cognitive linguistics and gender in Ezekiel. She is also teaching her first non-language class at Spelman College this spring. Ali Fishman recently transitioned careers into user experience design, is getting married to life-time partner Evan Bell in 2022, and moved to Wrigley Field in Chicago. Mary Frances Street moved to Capitol Hill in Washington, DC and looks forward to reconnecting with Rachel Green, who also recently moved to DC.

2012

Ellery Ammons

Chandler Roberts Cummins

Alex Buford Ashby is loving her first year as an elementary school counselor in Austin, TX. Ellery Ammons has recently started working as an Associate with Brailsford & Dunlavey in DC, providing planning and advising services to colleges and universities in the Northeast. She also enjoys sharing her love of DC as a history and architecture tour guide with DC Design Tours. Grace Bethell Carlton graduated nurse practitioner school in August and is working as a nurse practitioner at Tennessee Valley Pediatrics

2010 classmates Irene Makapugay, Elise Heuberger Reecer, and Allison Connell with Elise’s newborn Stella.

Cristen Garrett Cain ’08 and son Garrett James Cain

in Florence, AL. Linda Fu left a teaching job because of a personal emergency in the pandemic and started working at a non-profit in Chicago called Church of the Beloved. She has begun a job search in tech and is currently transitioning into a new life in Chicago, loving every moment of learning and connecting with old friends. Austin Hasenmueller started a new position in August 2021 as Assistant Director of Annual Fund and Alumni Programs at Memphis University School, and recently bought a house in the Sea Isle area of Memphis. Amritha Kanakamedala completed her preliminary year of residency in internal medicine at WashU and is now a first year ophthalmology resident. She enjoyed a mini reunion in DC earlier this fall! Hannah Morehead is still enjoying her job at Lockheed Martin and moved back to Texas from DC. She’s looking forward to getting married in November 2022. Ellen Mitchell Ossorio became the Director of the Didactic Program in Dietetics at the University of Mississippi this Fall. She is enjoying being an undergraduate instructor and living in Oxford, MS with her family. Lesley Stevenson got her MA in Media and Cultural Studies from UWMadison and plans to continue studying for her PhD. She enjoyed catching up with the turkeys at Lauren Petrin and Priyanka Moolchandani’s weddings. Lauren Petrin Troiani loved celebrating her wedding to Brooks Troiani in the fall of 2021 and bringing all of her SMS friends together

CLASS NOTES

in DC to celebrate! Camille Vaughn recently got engaged over Christmas and is looking forward to her wedding in the fall of 2022.

2014

Natalie Meeks

Ellen Cowens Harrison married

Blaine Harrison in April and moved to Knoxville. It feels like yesterday we were sitting in the Senior Hallway smiling in the background of their first Snapchats together. Ellen was also promoted to Internal Communications Specialist with Ameris Bank. Bailey Archey is finishing her last year of vet school and is doing clinical rotations. She has traveled to NC, VA, and TX for externships. Gabrielle Taylor works for the Biden-Harris Administration at the White House. She loves exploring Washington, D.C. and building community with new friends. Miles Schaeffer is in her 3rd year of medical school at University of Maryland and is looking into a career in anesthesiology. Theresa Green is a second-year law student at the University of Minnesota Law School in Minneapolis. She is enjoying her tenure as co-president of the Women’s Law Student Association and as a staffer on the Minnesota Law Review. Grace Wetzel spent the last 6 months as a travel COVID ICU nurse in LA, and now works in the Trauma ICU at Inova Fairfax in Virginia. She also started in University of Maryland’s Acute Care DNP program this past fall. Gurbani Singh moved to LA in the spring of 2020 and started a new role in Investor Relations at Marlin Equity Partners. She and Hallie Katz are roommates! Katherine Donovan Dean will be practicing as a pediatric nurse practitioner after completing her boards. Maddie Rhodes is doing it all these days! She is currently an MFA candidate at Mississippi University for Women, works in production support on the golf crew for CBS Sports, substitute teaching, tutoring, and coaching the high school boy’s golf team at Vail Christian High School, and doing contract work for the Church Health Center. Haley Steinman graduated law school at SMU in May 2021

and started a job as a corporate attorney at Kirkland & Ellis in Houston. Maddie Droke loves living in Birmingham, where she is completing her externship at ENT Associates of Alabama. She will receive her Doctor of Audiology in May. I was recently on the phone with Maddie, telling her a story about something that made me think of “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” We reminisced about Norton’s Anthology…Maddie misses how the pages smell. Then we both started reciting The Canterbury Tales, piecing together each other’s sentences. We touched on Dunlap’s Chemistry class (Avogadro’s number to be specific) and 8th grade History with Mrs. Whitaker (anyone remember that voice recording about Manifest Destiny? “And why is she so large?”). I love when these moments happen—when things bubble up from SMS that you hadn’t thought about in a while. You sometimes think these memories are lost. You can’t always recall them on command, but it just takes one little thing. One memory triggers another, and you’re transported right back to that classroom, hallway, lunch table, church pew…they were special days, and the older I get, the more dear the memories become. I must be feeling extra nostalgic today… I miss each of you and am grateful for y’all!

2016

A’Doriann Bradley Grace Ugwueke

Ali MacQueen works in New York for Sotheby’s Auction House in their Old Masters department. Emily Louie is in her second year at UTHSC College of Medicine. She’s very excited to start clinical rotations and see patients in the coming year. Kaitlin Fields is also in her second year at UTHSC College of Medicine. Her roommate is Margaret Cowens who works as a legal assistant at an estate planning law firm in Memphis. Mary Elise O’Brien works in Atlanta as the corporate relations manager for the Gary Sinise Foundation which serves veterans and first responders. She is also the proud mom of a rescue pup, Brooks, and recently ran in the St. Jude Memphis Marathon, where she was thrilled to see so many SMS students

Class of 2013 friends gather in Central Park in New York City: Mary Egan Clark, Sukriti Mohan, and Bhavya Jha.

and alumni! Elizabeth Bateman lives in Portland, OR and works at Hennebery Eddy Architects as an architectural designer on track for licensure. She is an LEED Green Associate. Harlan Hutton earned her M.S. in Data Science from NYU in May and will be joining Google as a software engineer in the bay area! Catherine Norwood is in her second year of law school at the University of Richmond. She will be a summer associate for two MidSouth firms this summer. Taylor Bone resides in Memphis and works in operations for Murphy Maude Interiors, an interior and architectural design firm. She loves working alongside amazing women everyday. Six years later and she’s still pursuing the all-girl environment. Katie Hieatt is a second-year Americorps member at the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence. She’s also learning to play the guitar. Iliana Watson works for Boeing in Ridgecrest, CA as a flight test engineer. She runs lab, ground, and flight testing on jets such as the EA-18G at China Lake Naval Base. Soon, she will head to MD and assist customer needs at Patuxent River Naval Base. Caitlyn Cooper lives in Nashville, where she works in hospitality as a hotel manager. She participates in the Nashville Armored Combat sports team, a historical medieval battle with real armor, swords, and fights! She also works as a fairy during the summers for renaissance festivals. Julia Williams is currently in her second year of law school in NYC pursuing a career in public defense. This past summer she worked at the Shelby County Public Defender’s Office! This coming summer she will be at Brooklyn Defender Services. Meg Peters earned her Masters of Accountancy from the University of Mississippi this past summer, and moved to Nashville to work as an audit assistant for Deloitte & Touche LLP. She enjoys exploring the city with her sister Sims Peters ’13. Hilary Norcross recently moved to New York City, where she works in digital advertising. Liz Capocaccia works as an auditor at Ernst & Young and has just passed the CPA exam. She lives in Atlanta with Sarah Lowe, who earned her Masters in Taxation from the University of Mississippi in May 2021, passed 4 CPA exams, and is currently pursuing her license while working at KPMG.

CLASS NOTES

2018

Julia Ruth Preston

Isra Ahmed plans to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis in the spring with a Major in Cognition Neuroscience and minors in Biology and South Asian Language & Culture. She will begin dental school in the fall of 2022. Erin Jewell recently graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Memphis with a B.S. in Health Sciences. She will be starting a graduate assistantship for her Masters of Public Health in epidemiology later this month. Jenna Joshi will be graduating from Georgia Tech in May 2022 with a B.S. in Neuroscience. She has just completed her undergraduate research thesis on a cognitive psychology project aimed at improving online education. Jenna has also been working as a scribe in the Piedmont Atlanta Hospital ER since July 2020 to help with pandemic efforts. Lauren Ledger is continuing to pursue professional performance opportunities at SCAD. She is currently rehearsing for a cabaret at the historic Lucas Theatre, where she will perform alongside American Idol’s Season 12 winner Candice Glover, Hamilton’s own Isaiah Johnson, and Grammy-nominee Stacie Orrico. Lauren also had the opportunity to co-star in Hulu’s The Girl from Plainville with Elle Fanning. Samantha Lee is graduating from the University of Southern California with degrees in Screenwriting and History. She interned at both Comedy Central and MTV last semester and is continuing her work at NBC in the spring. Hannah Matthews is currently interning at a defense nonprofit and working as a research assistant. She plans to graduate from William & Mary in the spring. Paige Nielsen recently graduated Summa Cum Laude from Hope College with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She finished her time at college interning in the Victim Services division of the Ottawa County Prosecutor’s Office and working as a Student Director for Hope College’s peer-tutoring center for writing. She is currently working as a Social Media Manager for Teton Valley Ranch Camp and finishing up her law school applications for the fall of 2022. Madeleine O’Toole will graduate in May

Erin Jewell ’18 graduated summa cum laude from the University of Memphis with a B.S. in health sciences.

Paige Nielsen ’18 graduated summa cum laude from Hope College with a Bachelor’s degree in psychology.

Sneha Sharma ’18 was quoted in an Insider article featuring young Americans and their thoughts on approaching adulthood in 2021.

CLASS NOTES

2021 from Rhodes College as a Business and Urban Studies double Major. She is currently serving as the college’s Honor Council Vice President, the Marketing Director for student-led nonprofit The Bridge Streetpaper, and remains involved with Chi Omega. Outside of school, Madeleine is an intern for Just City and a photographer for Edible Memphis. Keith Ellis Prest is currently in her third semester of an internship with ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as the Performance Marketing Intern. She is graduating from the University of South Carolina in May 2022 with a Visual Communications Major and Business Administration minor. She also currently serves as the Public Relations and Marketing Chairman for Tri Delta at USC

during her final year. And finally, Sabrina Spence is still very much involved in theatre as a stage manager and continues to nurture her love of journalism. She recently became Vice President of Publicity for her performance poetry team at Washington University in St. Louis.

2020

Sarah Bratton

Gabriella Couloubaritsis

TheClass of 2020 has had a fun year, enjoying pets, travel, sports, service, work, and school. Livie Glazier is a Teaching Assistant for the College of Wooster course “Philosophy, Anew.” She helps teach how we can approach philosophy in a way that is useful when living in a crisis, war, etc. Sarah Bratton is a Girls Who Invest Summer 2022 Intensive Scholar, pursuing a career in Investment Banking. She was also elected Academic Achievement Chair and Head Recruitment Data Analyst for Alpha Xi Delta (Zeta Xi) chapter at Auburn University. Mary Jones joined the TCU club lacrosse team! Two classmates spoke at St. Mary’s this year! Introduced by Coach Hensarling, Ginny Bratton shared stories about her time in the U.S. Naval Academy and spoke about resilience, time management, communication, and teamwork. (Her Black Friday prank ideas have finally been put to good use at USNA!) For St. Mary’s Young Alumnae Winter Reunion, Bennett Vaughan introduced Kate Stukenborg, who discussed empathy.

Marriages

Mandy Richards Vogel ’72 to Pate McCarthy, October 30, 2021

Caitlin Carr ’04 to Vaughan Cutillo, September 18, 2021

Kaitlin Ridder ’04 to Paul Brown, August 13, 2021

Miles Kueffner ’05 to Reade Achilli, January 1, 2022

Morgan Beckford ’06 to Elizabeth Auguste, October 9, 2021

Elize Mercer ’06 to Sam Hewitt, October 3, 2020

Mansi Narula ’06 to Wes Michaels, August 25, 2021

Amanda Castroverde ’08 to Santiago Dietche, October 30, 2021

Reagan Bugg ’09 to John Bartholomew, October 2, 2021

Sylvia Brookoff ’09 to Bree McCormick, October 9, 2021

Annie Ruthie Morrison ’09 to Blake Anthony Vaughan, November 20, 2021

Callie McCool ’10 to Zach Kadow, September 25, 2021

Allison Connell ’10 to Connor Hoppe, September 4, 2021

Angela Yu ’11 to Keaton Burney, October 4, 2021

Louisa Boyd ’11 to Tyler Ragsdale, September 25, 2021

Mashal Mirza ’13 to Omair Kazi, July 31, 2021

Isra Ahmed ’18 and Liz Saeed ’18 celebrate a friend’s wedding together at Shelby Farms.

Ruth Callicot and Olivia Hankins from the Class of 2021

Class of 2020 friends Maria Roudnev and Blaise Burbank at Santa Clara University

Mansi Narula ’06 married Wes Michaels on August 25, 2021.

Class of 2011 celebrated the wedding of Louisa Boyd Ragsdale: Allyson Patterson Dalton, Sarah Jemison, Addison Blake, Louisa, Meg Cornaghie, Angela Yu and Alise Hanissian.

Amanda Castroverde with Class of 2008 friends at her October 2021 wedding.

Callie McCool ’10 and husband Zach Kadow

Allison Connell ’10 and husband Connor Hopper

Class of 2013 celebrated Mashal Mirza’s wedding in July 2021: Hana Roussey, Sukriti Mohan, Mashal, and Bhavya Jha.

MILESTONES

Births/Adoptions

Jack Ezra Bernstein to Lauren Weinrich Bernstein ’00 May 11, 2021

Kyle Henry Short to Kim Fleischhauer Short ’00 March 4, 2021

Fiona Katherine McDonell to Katherine Eder McDonell ’01 October 20, 2021

Vivian Penelope Nagy to Liz Keltner Nagy ’01 July 24, 2021

Hank Edward Smith to Lisa Mabry Smith ’02 April 14, 2021

James Meriwether Pennoyer to Polly Klyce Pennoyer ’02 September 28, 2021

Elizabeth “Betsy” Gwin Barratt to Jordan Robbins Barratt ’02 December 21, 2021

Bear James Dennis to Kelly Sandefer Dennis ’03 April 24, 2021

Isabelle Castleman Elliott to Joelle Pittman Elliott ’03 March 16, 2021

Paul Walter Foreman II to Lizzie Gill Foreman ’03 August 20, 2021

Laura Claire Lynch to Nelie Zanca Lynch ’03 December 21, 2021

Louise Wei Ko to Lanier Yeates ’03 May 4, 2021

Raymond Francis Hanson to Shelby Deeney ’04 December 13, 2021

Noah James Flug to Morgan Lobe ’04 October 11, 2021

Lily Catherine Foti to Lauren Brooks Foti ’04 December 14, 2020

Brody Carroll Malone to Natalie Hartmann Malone ’04 October 15, 2021

Cormac Campbell Quraishi to Shea O’Rourke Quraishi ’04 November 5, 2021

Camille Monroe Wiley to Jessie Walker Wiley ’04 June 21, 2021

Sophia Rose Schnall to Marianne Rizk Schnall ’05 May 7, 2021

Aristéa “Mae” Wells to Téa Stoecklein Wells ’05 June 7, 2021

Nolan Stephen Myers to Catie Jane Berger Myers ’05 June 13, 2021

Levitt Dylan Jacobs to Ellen Makowsky Jacobs ’06 November 18, 2021

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

Lucy Marie Margello to Suzanne Ray Margello ’07 July 16, 2021

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

Julia Mary Stokes to Linley Prosterman Stokes ’07 December 4, 2021

Anna Christine Black to Mary Ward Pollard Black ’08 February 26, 2021

Garrett James Cain to Cristen Garrett Cain ’08 April 28, 2021

Ferris Shabir Fedoruk to Anisa Allad Fedoruk ’08 October 20, 2021

Catherine Ellis Jankovsky to Brandon O’Brien Jankovsky ’09 July 19, 2021

Ari Lynn Pinkston to Leah Bearman Pinkston ’09 May 6, 2021

Rebecca Blain Robbins to Karen Stein Robbins ’09 July 16, 2021

Stella Helen Reecer to Elise Kay Reecer ’10 October 11, 2021

Ruth Palmer Luna to Lauren Echlin Luna ’10 April 13, 2021

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

Adam Henry Daniel to Teresa Hendrix Daniel ’11 October 17, 2021

Professional Updates

Aravinda Ayyagari ’89

Started her own pediatric practice, where all of the care is delivered in the child’s home

Lara Babaoglu Reynolds ’89

West Tennessee Marketing Manager for FirstBank in Memphis

Camellia Koleyni ’91

Faculty Member for Vanderbilt University’s Department of Medicine, Health, and Society; Faculty Member for Vanderbilt University’s Drinking Water Justice Lab

Alison Taylor Nooks ’91 Director of Graduate Career Management Services, Stetson-Hatcher School of Business, Mercer University, Atlanta Campus; Co-Coordinator, Spouse/Partner Program, American Association of State College and Universities (AASCU)

Andrea Martin Armani ’96

National Academy of Innovators Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science Honorary Fellow

Nicole Henderson Trenholme ’03

Assistant Professor of Anesthesia and Analgesia at the University of Illinois’s College of Veterinary Medicine

Sarah Pazar Williams ’03

Elected to the partnership at the law firm of Hall Booth Smith, P.C., in Memphis, where she practices civil defense, specializing in medical malpractice, negligent security, and other personal injury defense

Sasha Castroverde ’04

Product Marketing Manager, Marketing & Engagement, Salesforce.org

MILESTONES

Patricia Blount Mills ’04

Executive Director of the Goodlark Educational Foundation

Marion Phillips ’04

Research Manager, Georgia Power Community & Economic Development

Atina Rizk Stavropoulos ’04

Major, Judge Advocate General’s Corps, US Army

Laura Holladay Fletcher ’05

Received the full-year MVP for the operations department of Blackbaud Educational Services

Nora Kahn Wilson ’05

General Counsel at Occidental College, Los Angeles

Heather Nadolny ’05

Director of Development and Communications at Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, MD; recipient of the annual Values Award at her previous school, DC Prep

Caitlin Clark ’07

Hospitalist in Tupelo, MS

Kathryn Morisy ’07

Selected as 2022 Shawn Brimley Next Generation National Security Fellow

Caitlin Colcolough Williams ’07

Launched personalized party box business, All Boxed Up, in December 2021

Jenny Guyton O’Brian ’08

Joined Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe as an Operating Partner and The Health Management Academy as Managing Director

Edie Miller ’08

Chief Operating Officer, Pediatrics East

Divya Moolchandani ’08

Chairman of the Board, McClendon Center

Elizabeth Ansbro ’09

Promoted to Vice President at JLL in Austin, TX

Natalie Jacewicz Kern ’09

Clerk on the D.C. Circuit; next year will be an academic fellow at NYU School of Law

Austin Nichols Boukli ’09

Director of ADA Services at Tennessee

Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Kendall Hennessy Rosati ’10

Associate Director of Reunion and Class Engagement at Vanderbilt University

Rachel Erin Stuart ’10

Ordained June 19, 2021, Upper New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church

Lindsey Pearson Smith ’11

Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner student at Vanderbilt

Ellie Harrison ’13

Mimi Heebe Excellence in Play Therapy Award Recipient and now working as a Child and Adolescent Counselor at Nourish Counseling Studio in New Orleans

Mashal Mirza ’13

Started as a Strategy Consultant for Northwestern Medicine

Lucy Newton ’13

Started as a Senior Business Systems Analyst at FedEx

Sarah Spiers ’13

Named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 in Games, Class of ’22 and was inaugurated into the Women in Games’ Hall of Fame

Anna Utley ’13

Associate Interior Designer II at Collect and Curate Studio

MILESTONES

Postgraduate Degrees

Gwynne Keathley ’87 Executive MBA, University of California, Berkeley

Meg Kinnard Hardee ’98 Master’s in Digital Communications, UNC-Chapel Hill

Kathryn Beale Flannigan ’03 Doctorate in Education, Teachers College, Columbia University

Martha Ferguson Burke ’04 PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision, University of Memphis

Supriya Sarkar ’04 PhD in Epidemiology, Emory University

Molly Himmelstein Hollenberg ’08 Master of Business Administration, Columbia Business School

Sarah Wortham Nielsen ’08 Master of Science in Nursing, Drexel University

Kimi Nathani Patel ’08 Doctor of Medicine, American University of Antigua

Brooke Peeples ’08 Doctor of Medicine, University of Arkansas

Kathryn Waggoner Edwards ’09 Master of Business Administration, Emory University Goizueta School of Business

Elise Lasko ’09 Master of Fine Arts, Bennington College

Mary Frances Street ’10 Master of Public Policy, Vanderbilt University

Abby McAtee Gatliff ’11 Master of Divinity, Beeson Divinity School

Meg Gould ’11 Juris Doctor, Columbia Law School

Bobbi Fischer ’12

Master of Science in Nursing, Executive Leadership Degree, University of Memphis

Ramie Mansberg Glick ’12 Doctor of Medicine, University of Tennessee College of Medicine

Lesley Stevenson ’12

Master of Arts in Media & Cultural Studies, University of WisconsinMadison

Jodie Struminger ’12

Master of Business Administration, University of Memphis

Rachel Ostrow Cabot ’13

Master’s in Mechanical Engineering, University of Alabama

Ellie Harrison ’13

Master’s of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Loyola University New Orleans

Kim Taylor Freeman ’13 Doctor of Dental Surgery, University of Tennessee

Francie Saunders ’13

Master’s of Business Administration in Global Social and Sustainable Enterprise, Colorado State University

Katherine Donovan Dean ’14 Master of Science in Nursing, Emory University

In Memoriam

Susan Elizabeth Seiferd Parker ’72

•

Beth Stidham Levenson ’72

•

Jolynne Loggains ’00

Preparing girls to change the world

For 175 years, St. Mary’s Episcopal School has helped girls discover their strengths, develop resilience, and explore what’s possible. Today, our alumnae are making the world a better place thanks to the skills they learned here.

When you support the St. Mary’s Fund, you’re helping girls reach their highest potential.

Your gift provides our girls with things like:

$250 costumes to encourage imaginative play

$1,000 hands-on tools for learning math skills and so much more! The St. Mary’s Fund ensures that each girl has all she needs to learn, grow, and thrive.

$400 class set of leadership books

$750 professional development conference for one teacher

$800 lunch for one student for the entire school year

today.

$3,000 all-day visioning retreat for seniors