134th Commencement
Summer 2019
Senior Kindergarten flower girls Mae Gowen, Alexandrea Partee, and Riya Veluswamy play before Commencement.
In This Issue 3 6 14 16 19 24 34 57
Summer 2019
Baccalaureate Commencement: Pomp and Pageantry Commencement Speeches
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Outstanding Alumna Sarah Willmott Cowens ’82 Alumnae Weekend: Coming Home Campus News Class Notes Milestones
On the Cover: Second-generation alumnae Allie Johnston, daughter of Amy Rhodes Johnston ’87, Emily O’Toole, daughter of Jeannie Beauregard O’Toole ’83, and Sara Fraser, daughter of Margaret Jones Fraser ’83.
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Director of Communications / Editor Lacey Hibbard P’24’27’31 | lhibbard@stmarysschool.org Assistant Director of Communications Kirkwood McClintock P’11 | kmcclintock@stmarysschool.org Director of Alumnae Gigi Gould ’70 | ggould@stmarysschool.org
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Director of Admission & Financial Aid Nicole Hernandez P’26’27’33 | nhernandez@stmarysschool.org Photography Lisa Buser P’14 Design Creative Punch Marketing Group, Chris Porter | creativepunchmg.com Contributors Meg Kinnard Hardee ’98, Courtney Taylor Humphreys ’01, Brandon O’Brien ’09 Letters to the Editor Please address all correspondence to: Lacey Hibbard St. Mary’s Episcopal School 41 North Perkins Memphis, TN 38117 lhibbard@stmarysschool.org (901) 537-1426
The mission of St. Mary’s Episcopal School is to provide a superior educational experience for girls which will encourage and enable each student to reach her individual potential.
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HEAD OF SCHOOL Albert L. Throckmorton BOARD OF TRUSTEES Robert F. Fogelman II P’29, Chair Allison Garrott Braswell ’88 P’22, Vice Chair Jeffrey Block P’24’26, Treasurer Cristina S. Fockler P’06, Secretary Wendy Pritchartt Ansbro ’79 P’09 James A. Breazeale P’85’91 G’12’18 Edward S. Chin P’15’17 Mikara Davis P’28’32 Timothy E. Davis, Jr. P’20’22 Mary Kavanagh Day ’82 P’23 Brooke Dishmon, D.D.S. P’24 Brian Fowler P’21’25 Malika Tuli Goorha, M.D. P’26’29 Laurita B. Jackson P’17’19 Stephanie Linkous P’21 Andrew Mathes P’21 Michael L. Matthews P’15’18 Julia Chesney McDonald ‘96 P’31 Gretchen Wollert McLennon ’93 P’23 Ellen Clark Moore ’73 Elvira R. Ormseth P’24 Joelle Rogin P’25’27 Monica Skipper P’21 Mary Katherine Stout P’29 Kendall Visinsky P’26’29 Hallie McNeill Ward P’25 AT LARGE MEMBERS Sara L. Hall P’18 William (Billy) Orgel P’17 EX OFFICIO MEMBERS The Right Reverend Phoebe Roaf (Bishop, The Diocese of West Tennessee) The Reverend Alexander H. Webb II (Rector, Church of the Holy Communion) Margaret Frazier Gardner ’85 P’21 Katie Zanone Webb ’93 (President, Alumnae Association) Kelly Gerhart P’22 (President, Parents Association) J. Michael Murphy (Senior Warden) Albert L. Throckmorton (Head of School) TRUSTEES EMERITI Thomas M. Garrott III P’83’88 G’08’09’15’22 Barbara R. Hyde P’17 Brooke A. Morrow ’74 Michael D. Rose* ALUMNAE BOARD Katie Zanone Webb ’93, President Elizabeth Simpson Alrutz ’82 P’15 Ellery Ammons ’12 Essie Arrindell-Williams ’98 P’26’29 Aarti Goorha Bowman ’92 Madge Logan Deacon ’69 Amina Dilawari ’95 Beth Brown Dunn ’79 Whitney Baer Foster ’00 Sudha Nimmagadda Ganguli ’83 P’21’30 Cara Greenstein ’10 Lexie Hicks Johnston ’00 Angie King Keesee ’72 Corinne Friese McLaughlin ’76 P’16 Tabitha Francisco McNabb ’78 Katie Broer Parr ’98 P’30 Patti Person Ray ’65 Lisa Breazeale Roberts ’85 P’12’18 Anna Snyder Rojas ’01 P’32 Courtney Shove ’96 Lauran Glassman Stimac ’00 Kate Metcalf Sullivan ’01 Abby Yandell Talbot ’03 Gabby Taylor ’14 Jennilyn Jennings Utkov ’77 Jan Valentine Wiygul ’76 P’05 Lizzy Holt Yatsula ’08 *Deceased
Respect and Responsibility. Perkins and Walnut Grove. Blue and White. Grace and Strength. Mind and Soul and Body. Encourage and Enable. Light and Life. St. Mary’s is a school of “ands.” We rarely speak of our students or our community without connecting at least two qualities, ideas, or ideals. “Tradition” and “Innovation” are words I often use to describe our approach to teaching and learning. We revere those rites of passage, rituals, and celebrations that are immutable, and we move forward, focusing on research, anticipating trends, and adapting to changing technologies and philosophies. We are truly “old and improved.” Since 1847, St. Mary’s has been educating girls and sending them out into the world to be mothers, teachers, community volunteers, doctors, architects, soldiers, lawyers, and anything they aspire to be. This year’s Outstanding Alumna Sarah Willmott Cowens ’82 is the personification of a “St. Mary’s girl.” She is an active volunteer who has assumed leadership roles in nearly every endeavor on which she has embarked. Both St. Mary’s and Church of the Holy Communion, institutions dear to her heart, have benefitted from her wisdom, enthusiasm, integrity, loyalty, and unselfish service. Spring at the corner of Perkins and Walnut Grove is especially a time of “ands.” We welcome our alumnae back to campus, watching them reconnect and recount memories of times past, and a month later, we graduate a class of seniors whose eyes are on the future and all that it promises for them. We were delighted to be joined at this year’s 134th Commencement by the Diocese of West Tennessee’s new Episcopal Bishop and our new Ex-Officio Trustee, The Right Reverend Phoebe Roaf. Both Phoebe and the graduating seniors are starting new chapters in their lives, near and far. Lastly, this spring, we said “goodbye” to spaces as we have known and lived in them, and we look forward to all of the new areas and opportunities the Athletic and Wellness Center will bring. Construction is scheduled to be completed around the end of the year. I hope to update you on the progress in the months to come.
Bishop Phoebe Roaf, Chaplain Katherine McQuiston Bush ’93, Head of School Albert Throckmorton, and Church of the Holy Communion Rector Sandy Webb.
' And they re off! !
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1. The Class of 2019 processes into Baccalaureate. 2. Valedictorian Gabby Perez and Pooja Talati adjust their caps. 3. Salutatorian Lindsey Fields and Emmaline Rogers wait to process. 4. Abbey Autry, Zoe Roussey, Jordan Gurley, Bella Schaffer, and Emily O’Toole snap a selfie. 5. Faith Bradley, Sophia Meibohm, Catie Lockhart, Emma Harkavy, Abbie Ryan, Morgan Celeste Paley, Claire Pellegrin, Sidney Seale, Mia WIlson, Emily RIchards, Sophie Morrow, Gabby Perez, and Ananya Thakur ham it up after Baccalaureate. 6. Hadiyah Qureshi, Megan Tang, Sophie Morrow, Madiha Sohani, and Sophia Meibohm give a “thumbs up.” 7. Smiling classmates Langston Myers, Zoey Roussey, Snehi Vaghela wait to enter the Church. 8. BR: Allie Johnston, Sophie Morrow, Chloe Guerra, Madiha Sohani, Lauryn Carr; FR: Mackenzie Fittes, Taylor Ann Wilson, Maisie Raburn, Emily Richards, Mary La 9. Bizzy Walker and Mia Wilson jump for joy. SUMMER 2019
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Commencement: Pomp and Pageantry By Meg Kinnard Hardee ’98 he pomp and pageantry of St. Mary’s Commencement are like none other, especially for the St. Mary’s girl who, having seen older girls take part in the graceful parade, has awaited this special day for what feels like ages. The anticipation of donning a floor-length white gown and flower crown; the feeling of receiving the diploma for which she has labored so diligently; the notion that, at last, the hard work has paid off. St. Mary’s Commencement is not only a rite of passage from one phase of life to another; it’s an event unto itself that, even years later, this St. Mary’s girl recalls joyfully. Most of the elements of St. Mary’s Commencement have remained constant during the school’s more-than-170year history. Flowers play a special role in the day, with nearly every senior donning a floral crown and carrying a beribboned bouquet of pink roses. As in the tradition’s earliest days, graduating seniors wear long white dresses, many choosing to wear a family heirloom, perhaps a relative’s wedding gown or, in some instances, a preserved hand-me-down from a commencement or cotillion past. For others, the creation of the perfect graduation dress is a time-intensive but cherished process, searching for just the right piece of lace to adorn a handmade creation that will live on forever in photos and videos. It’s possible (and probable) that more effort and thought go into some graduation dresses than go into many wedding dresses that follow years later. One of the most special aspects of St. Mary’s graduation is the participation of flower girls who precede their seniors down the long aisle of the Church of the Holy Communion, participants described by Mary M. Davis in her history of the school, 6
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A Remarkable Journey, as “shy but captivating.” In years past, each graduate asked whomever she chose to serve as her flower girl, but in the 1990s, the entire Senior Kindergarten class was invited to serve as flower girls. Since then, everyone in the Senior Kindergarten class has been included in this special occasion. After the addresses have been given and diplomas handed out, the graduating class processes out of the church and stops for a group photo on the steps of Holy Communion, a place where, over the years, they have gathered for photographs of this club or that organization, these award recipients or those future enrollees of college soand-so. But on this day, the newly minted St. Mary’s alumnae stand together for a joyous photo, their bouquets in hand, proud of their singular and joint accomplishments. In the years to come, through their college experiences and far, far beyond, when they think back on their time at St. Mary’s and what it has come to signify, they won’t fret over the tests on which they could have performed better. They won’t worry about the volleyball match or debate competition that didn’t go their way. Instead, they will remember the majestic strains of the organ playing trumpet tunes, the nervous anticipation in their flower girls’ eyes, the pride effervescing from friends and relatives. They will remember standing alongside their classmates with fluttery heartbeats, to fête themselves and take pride in the amazing journey that led them to this most special moment in time. They’ll always be St. Mary’s girls, but now they’re also alumnae, members of a special sisterhood steeped in far more than just white dresses and flower crowns, but also in assiduity, diligence, and honor. And they’ll always have a place at the corner of Walnut Grove and Perkins Extended to call home.
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1. The Class of 2019, now alumnae, gather on the steps of Church of the Holy Communion immediately after Commencement. 2. Seniors and flower girls prepare to enter the Church. 3. Senior kindergarten flower girls Hazel Spotts and Caitlyn Taylor recess out of the Church at the end of the service.
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1. Spirit of St. Mary’s Award recipients Catie Lockhart and Arabella McGowan 2. Seniors pose for photos before Commencement. 3. Avery Noel, Langston Myers, Sophie Meibohm, Emily O’Toole, Madison Motley, Kaitlyn Jang, Stella McCain, Anna Alexander, and Mary La await their classmates outside the Church. 4. Madison Motley and Bella Schaffer share a joyful embrace.
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5. Bella Zafer, Sara Fraser, Snehi Vaghela, and Arabella McGowan before Commencement. 6. Flower girl Millie Savage and her senior, Emily O’Toole, share a laugh before their photos. 7. Taylor Ann Wilson and her flower girl, Lula Fitch. 8. Kaitlyn Jang embraces a fellow graduate. 9. Ellen Feild Todd ’81 Award recipient Ananya Thakur and Hazlehurst Gold Cross recipient Faith Bradley.
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1. Cathedral Award recipient Sophia Meibohm 2. Graduates and their sisters: Doriann ’16, Faith, and Pearl ’12 Bradley, Kit and Harlan ’16 Hutton, Caroline ’17 and Merrill Culpepper, Jean ’17 and Joy Jackson, Anna ’13 and Abby Utley, Elsie ’18 and Sophie Morrow, Madeleine ’18 and Emily O’Toole, Hana ’13 and Zoe Roussey, and McKendree ’15 and Bizzy Walker
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3. Sisters Annie and Eliza ’09 Leatherman celebrate the day. 4. Sisters Bailey Wilson ’07, Mia Wilson, and Collin Wilson Buckner ’05 5. Flower girl Madelyn Beaty ’31 with her senior, Maisie Raburn 6. Lindsey Fields with her sister Kaitlin ’16 7. Shutzberg sisters Jessie, Abby ’17, and Becca.
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1. Lauryn Carr and Karsen Springfield dance with their flower girls Rowan Porter ’31, Sophie Porter ’31, and Karsyn Gatewood ’30 before Commencement. 2. New alumnae Taylor Ann Wilson, Faith Bradley, Claire Pellegrin, and Emma Harkavy 3. St. Mary’s alumnae celebrate their daughters: Sara and Margaret Jones Fraser ’83, Allie and Amy Rhodes Johnston ’87, and Emily and Jeannie Beauregard O’Toole ’83. 4. Lena Soares receives a happy card from her flower girl, Marian Alvarez-Carrillo ’31.
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5. Abby Utley and her flower girl wait quietly before entering the Church. 6. Trustee Laurita Jackson with daughter Joy, recipient of the Tabor Novack Award 7. St. Mary’s alumnae with flower girl daughters at Commencement: Anne-Morgan Brookfield Morgan ’99 with Anne Elise ’29 and Mary Brooks ’32, Sudha Nimmagadda Ganguli ’83 with Sarada ’30, Amy Rinehardt Robinson ’00 with Mimi ’31, and Julia Chesney McDonald ‘96 with Janie ‘31 8. St. Mary’s faculty and staff with daughters: Early Childhood Head Laura Hutton with Kit, Director of Operations Sarah Jenks with Maddie, St. Mary’s Place teacher Tamiko Alexander with Anna, and St. Mary’s Place teacher Nancy Wilson with Mia. SUMMER 2019
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The Place You Can Call Home Anna Alexander, Senior Class President
emphis, Tennessee, the 901. For many of us here this is the place we call home. This little city east of the Mississippi is our place of living, learning, and growth. To many outsiders, Memphis doesn’t seem like much more than a city on a bluff that has something to do with Rock’n’Roll and Elvis Presley. But as Memphians, we know it as much more. I don’t think I’ve ever seen people with more pride in the place they live than I see in Memphis. I know when anyone asks me where I’m from, I’m always happy to say, “I’m from Memphis, Tennessee.” We have Choose901, our beloved Grizzlies, where you feel the spirit
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of Memphis surrounding you in the Forum, St. Jude, where people come from all over the world to receive medical care and the whole city comes out to support the marathon, and of course, our top-notch barbecue, celebrated at the Memphis in May festival. Though Memphis has its flaws, in the end, our strengths always outweigh our flaws. These strengths are why our pride is so strong. I am thankful for Memphis and all of the places I love, but there is one place in particular that I am especially proud to call home. It sits at the corner of Walnut Grove and Perkins Extended. I’ve seen this pride manifest itself in many forms. Whether it’s the whole school spending a day voting for our Turkey to win the best mascot
in the nation, or everyone chanting the announcements cheer for Pep Club on Thursdays in Chapel, or even when one of our amazing sports teams beats another certain all-girls school in a tough game and the entire school cheers and supports them. As Turkeys, we wear our pride on our sleeves because this school has given us so much to be proud of. Just like Memphis, we have our flaws, but we don’t let them define us or weaken our pride. Our pride is what makes St. Mary’s such a unique place for all of us. Whether you start here in the beginning or come in Upper School, St. Mary’s is a place you carry with you forever and always the place you can call home. For me, St. Mary’s wouldn’t have been the home it has been if I weren’t surrounded by my 56 remarkable friends that I will have for the rest of my life. St. Mary’s, you are Light and Life, and now as we all go our separate ways, we will each take a little bit of you with us.
The Way is Open Emily Richards, Valedictorian
good friend once told me dreams are like walls that need to be torn down. We still need to have dreams, but our dreams cannot become distant, tall, and mighty ideals that we take no steps towards achieving; we must tear down each obstacle that stands in our way of the dreams we desire. I happen to agree. As still naive
Photo: Senior Class President Anna Alexander and Valedictorian Emily Richards
eighteen-year-olds, our futures seem so distant and uncapped that it’s easy to daydream about all the wonderful things we’re going to do and how each of us has a unique facet of the world we’re going to save. But there are many walls we need to tear down before we can do that. John Steinbeck’s East of Eden offers a helpful perspective on the new freedoms that will allow us to accomplish our dreams. He highlights this free will and human choice by exploring the translations of the passage in Genesis when God speaks to Cain about sin. The significant difference in these translations is verb choice, which inevitably leads to whole new meanings of Cain’s, and therefore all of humanity’s, control over sin. In the first translation, the verb choice is “thou shalt.” Cain, humanity, WILL rule over sin. God is telling Cain that triumph over sin is predestined. So this is the verb that suggests that we can sit back and daydream because some of our dreams are effortless. It’s seeing our beautiful classmates in the tableaux or our queen Faith walking down the aisle at Springfest. It’s Hadiyah’s “ayoos,” Catie’s excited thigh pats during the announcement cheer it’s Mary’s “Hey guys!” every single morning in the den. The dreams were easily accomplished - we didn’t have to work for them. Looking back, I’m certain we are all grateful for the happy little daydreams that we didn’t have to work for.
In the second translation, the verb choice is “do thou,” a command. God orders Cain to overcome sin and forces Cain to beat at his, and humanity’s, wall. So this is the verb that gives us no choice, requiring us to tear into our walls every day. Similarly, for the past fifteen years, St. Mary’s has, very lovingly, encouraged and gently pushed us to hack at our walls. We struggled to chip away at AP chemistry. We practiced day in and day out until we beat Hutch in lacrosse or MUS in trap. We painstakingly assembled our robots for 6th-grade robotics. We shamefully disassembled the hygiene locker after the perfume debacle. We had to beat at our walls because we had to fulfill requirements to get here; those walls were mandatory. Those walls gave us guidance and discipline to work hard, giving us a drive that will hopefully carry over to when we must work only for ourselves. But the third, the third is different. In the third translation, the verb choice is “thou mayest.” Cain, humanity, may rule over sin. May is a very tricky verb here, but a very freeing one, because “may” signifies choice. As Steinbeck says, “It may be the most important word in the world. It says the way is open. It throws it right back on a person. For if ‘thou mayest’ - it is also true that ‘thou mayest not’. ” We have the choice to lay siege at our wall, and for the first time the wall could defeat us. But the paradise just beyond that wall is much more rewarding than
anything predestined or commanded because we tore down that wall of our own choice. And this, my wonderful class, is where we stand now. We have no more gentle “encouragement” and no more predestination. We truly are at the precipice of our own future, at the base of our own wall, at the wheel of the rest of our lives, and maybe for the first time, we hold the key. We have the choice to attack our walls and fulfill our dreams. To finally write the best-selling novel we’ve been dreaming of for ten years. To become an anesthesiologist and save lives. To be United Nations ambassadors, architects, engineers, forensic psychologists, interior designers, surgeons, pro-golfers, neurocriminologists, or even astronauts. But these walls are hard to tear down. Ideally, the choice would be easy and all our dreams would be fulfilled. But it is not easy. To my beautiful class of 2019, let’s decide to choose anyway. Let’s chase our dreams and hack at our walls, even though it’s not easy. As my friend said, “All of your dreams, for your own joy or the joy of others, small or big, past, present, or future, even those unknown to you now, are beautiful. They are so beautiful that no matter the odds, no matter the amount of struggle that stands before us, we have to go for them.” So go for them. Thou mayest.
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Sarah Willmott Cowens ‘82 OUTSTANDING ALUMNA 2019
This year, Ellen Cowens ’14 and Margaret Cowens ’16 nominated their mother, Sarah Willmott Cowens ’82, for the Outstanding Alumna Award, writing, “We believe that she is a perfect candidate for this award and fully embodies the St. Mary’s values of light and life....Her selflessness, servant leadership, ability to always be there for anyone, and her love of life makes her the whole package. Margaret and I are so fortunate to have a mom who not only teaches us these lessons but who also lives them out within her own life. She, without a doubt, possesses integrity, spirituality, loyalty, courage, compassion, service, and leadership, which are the qualities that we St. Mary’s girls revere.” The following is excerpted from Sarah’s speech: 16
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express what someone nce or don’t take the time to Oftentimes we don’t get a cha rd seems to have us. And today, the written wo (or something) has meant to are St. Mary’s girls and g, and snapchatting. But we given way to texting, tweetin to take pride in our d to love the written word and it is here that we have learne love letter of sor ts to letter inspired me to write a writing skills, so my daughter’s and Perkins: this cor ner of Walnut Grove munion, Dear St. Mary’s and Holy Com attending St. Mary’s. by my moving to Memphis and My life was forever changed a chance on two Yankee ry Davis was willing to take I am so grateful that Mrs. Ma to believe that I have been from Connecticut. It is hard sisters moving down south d here, my girls were ner for 45 years. I was marrie loved and nurtured on this cor my mother’s funeral was their diplomas right here and baptized here, they received have taken place within these times and my saddest times here. Some of my happiest d by teachers who saw life-long friends, was nurture day and on Sundays, where walls. It was here that I made my presence in chapel every by ted roo was h fait my ere ng ’t see it, wh the honorable thing to do. Bei potential in me when I couldn ng the right thing was always doi t tha and nity dig and t re erve respec I learned that all people des ndations and relationships we after. It is a place where fou e com to was t tha ing ryth r me for eve and challenging girls for ove in this community prepared ting, supporting, championing mo pro n bee e hav you t tha thankful confidence, strong academics, made and never lost. I am so duated I had a toolbox full of gra I en wh And . fad a not is n goal, you and it rking together for a commo 170 years. It is not new for is where I learned about wo e Her ms. tea on ying pla rking in and n you do in your wins. writing skills and years of wo learn more in your losses tha you es etim som how and nt grades interacting with girls in differe . We e was at Bolton High School inst Hutchison and the gam aga nt me rna tou l bal ket bas re in the district m was there (remember, the I remember when we were only part of the Hutchison tea and e tim e gam to n dow game. was ticking enough players to start the were warming up, the clock nt and they still didn’t have we and e cam e tim e Gam back then). uded one of my best friends were no cell phones or GPS Now, mind you this group incl in. g nin run e cam m tea the the rest of e by forfeit since they missed Shortly thereafter, however, We could have won the gam yer. pla t bes ir the be to ed did. just happen game. So that was what we who went to Hutchison and eit and that we would play the forf by win not uld wo we t of said tha near as long as the memory the start time. But Coach Cox t the loss didn’t stick with me tha is ny fun at’s Wh ng. losi ended up ch Cox anship. I am grateful to Coa We played the game and we , thanking us for our sportsm son chi Hut of er ast dm Hea nford, the receiving a note from Mr. Sta ng the right thing to my girls. sed on the importance of doi pas e hav I lly, efu hop and for that lesson was I really did enjoy working and erly entered the workforce. eag I , girl ry’s Ma St. a of gton confidence an Don Sundquist in Washin After college and with all the rking full time for Congressm wo rted sta I en wh nity mu Mary’s com e Golwen most appreciative of the St. fortune to be there with Ann college, and it was my good of r yea ore hom sop my r him afte that Ann D.C. I had been an intern for red me Ann’s job. I suspect Memphis, they called and offe to k bac ve mo to dy rea was Brand, Class of ’79. When Ann I am forever grateful for that. put in a good word for me and an Resources at a medical I worked as a manager in Hum his, mp Me to k bac ved mo an d and we e full time. It was and wasn’t After Tom and I were marrie ided that I would stay at hom dec we ld, chi ond sec our e of r we had e our needs and sacrifice som manufacturing company. Afte ich means we had to prioritiz wh , me inco one ing hav ant rse, it me easy decision for us. Of cou kly, I was a little scared. stay at home mom and fran of role nal itio trad the in ned myself our wants. I had not envisio SUMMER 2019
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However, I thought back to my
days as a counselor here at day camp. Surely two sum of my bundles of joy. Well, mers meant I was qualifie d to take care I quickly learned the differe nce between an SMS day camp counselor and a sta at day camp someone com y at home mom…. es and picks those childre n up at 3:00! It was quite an adjustment. Being at hom some of the most frustrat e ing and at the very same fulltime was time rewarding experience s I ever had. But, you had be anything that I wanted pre par ed me to do and so I embraced the chaos - I really did love playing Jun ior Scrabble, Red Rover, dre reading Sleeping Beauty pro ssup, bably 10,000 times. coloring, and This corner has always enc ouraged us to love and ser ve our neighbors, so enterin g the volunteer world was progression for me. I joined a natural the Junior League and I inc reased my involvement her e at Holy Communion. I sta week at Perea Preschool rted reading once a and I joined the Books from Birth Board. And of course, I started vol unteering here at St. Mary’s . I worked a lot with the Alu mnae Office because if any how to say no to Gigi Gould one has learned I would love to know the secret. I will be forever gra teful for being asked to ser Trustees as a representativ ve on the Board of e from Holy Communion. I was delighted to be able to give back to the two ins me on my path and were titutions that had set now loving and challengin g my children. These two institutions are special and creates a unique relationshi living here together p. It is a relationship that wo rks because the leaders of both of them are willing to with each other. listen to and work I am forever grateful to tho se people with whom I ser ved and who helped mento r me and supported me. I things right, and luckily my didn’t always get fellow board members we re there for advice and dire ction. It was a privilege to and staff here give their bes watch the faculty t each day to continue the mission of helping each girl reach her individual potent setting the standard for aca ial. Thank you for demic excellence. It has bee n a commitment of yours, and we all are better for it. And how in the world do I thank you for the fabulous friends I have in the Class of ’82? What is the magic been sprinkled on us? It has fairy dust that has been an honor and a priv ilege to grow up with and journey through life with the smartest women by my sid kindest, funniest, e. I still have my Norton Ant hology book from Mrs. Gill ’s junior English class. I thin always a symbol of survivi k for me it was ng the academic experience here. I took it to college wit h me just in case I ever nee and it has made every mo ded to refer to it ve with me since. Once my girls started attending St. Mary’s, I couldn’t wait unt our shared Beowulf lesson il we could bond over s. While I may not have refe rred to that book many tim es since high school, what time and time again in goo I have gone back to d times, bad times, trying times, and just everyday tim es are the many people sitt today. Spending time on this ing in these pews corner changes you. Wheth er you are here for 1 year or 15 years, there is a bon with the people in my class d, and not just but women in classes abo ve me and below me, tea chers who have now becom classmates and alums tha e friends, parents of t have become peers. We are connected through this place and to this place--a to work hard, do your bes place that teaches you t, to cheer for each other, to listen to each other, and to be there for each other. I am so grateful that St. Ma ry’s is not a place that tell s us to be alike; it is a pla ce that says be the best YO me is what outstanding loo U can be. And that to ks like. With much love and gratitu de,
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Alumnae Weekend: Coming Home
ALUMNAE WEEKEND
by Brandon O’Brien ’09
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Leading up to my 10-year reunion, I couldn’t help reflecting on change, all the things you think you’re supposed to notice at a high school reunion. However, when I look back on the weekend earlier this spring, I am most grateful for the familiarity of St. Mary’s. On Friday morning outside of Chapel, I was immediately swept into a group of my classmates, some of whom I hadn’t seen in years. Of course, we acknowledged all of the changes in each other’s lives from career moves, new cities, marriages, having children of our own but after minutes of catch up, we were immediately in fits of laughter drawing up memories of the last time we stood on those steps. Moving into the school, we knew we were going to see differences in the building, faculty, students, etc., but in the Chapel service we found the words for Day by Day coming back to us like a Taylor Swift song. And looking through old yearbooks after Chapel only made the memories pour in.
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Taking a tour of the school that afternoon felt just like coming back to our parents’ houses. You might notice your mom has renovated the kitchen (much needed), or dad has added on in the back of the house, but seeing family, friends, that familiar dining room table in Mrs. Mulrooney’s room, we were overcome by the comfort of this place that knows us so well. Finishing out Friday’s events with a BBQ outside the “new” kindergarten, our class couldn’t help but reflect on all of the changes we had seen in St. Mary’s that day. But overlooking Moss Hall and the staircase that most of us had climbed over two decades ago, we again came back to this feeling of home that St. Mary’s continuously provides. And we stayed there talking and laughing until the sun had gone down.
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1. Laurin Maddux ’98, Jenny Maddux Stenberg ’01, and their mother retiring PreK teacher Becky Maddux. 2. Class of 1994: Sigrid Longsworth Orr, Jessica Johnson Webb, and Hallie Dinkelspiel Label. 3. Class of 2014: Kelsie Jones, Ellen Cowens, Gabby Taylor, Keila Mumphord, and Maddie Droke.
Celebrating their 50th class reunion: Candy Keirns-Bitensky, Pam McNeely Williams, and Janie Hicks Jeter. SUMMER 2019
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ALUMNAE WEEKEND
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ALUMNAE WEEKEND
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1. Alumnae Board President Katie Zanone Webb ’93, Outstanding Alumna Sarah Willmott Cowens ’82, Board of Trustees Chair Margaret Frazier Gardner ’85, Assistant Alumnae Weekend Chair, Laurin Maddux ’98, Alumnae Weekend Chair Katie Garrett Harris ’00, and Outstanding Alumna Selection Committee Chair Lauran Glassman Stimac ’00 2. Class of 2004: Lauren Lazar, Taylor Fisher Morrison, Elizabeth Jemison and Martha Guinn Carter 3. Class of 1984: BR: Vanessa Allen Dobbins, Merri Leigh Masters Johnson, Kelly McCracken; FR: Carolyn Thompson, Leslie Darling, Cathey Turner Alexander, and Kelly O’Shields Klinke 4. Anna Snyder Rojas ’01, Hayley Bower Gerber ’01, Erin Bower Jarrett ’99 and Laura Freeman Rouse ’99 at the BBQ 5. Cathy Hoover Allen ’65, and Candy Keirns-Bitensky ’69 visit. 6. Class of 1982: BR: Hallie Peyton, Mary Kavanagh Day, Lee Martin Rantzow, and Cecile Williams Leggett; MR: Angela Reed Yakel, Lee Anne Johnson Roehm, Emily Adams Davis, and Elizabeth Beck Fioravanti; FR: Mary Long Merritt, Elizabeth Simpson Alrutz, Sarah Willmott Cowens, Carol Gilliland Jordan, and Catherine Robilio Womack 7. Alumnae gather in chapel as daughters and granddaughters of alumnae participate in the processional. 8. Class of 2009: BR: Elizabeth Ansbro, Jordan Reeve, and Karen Stein Robbins; MR: Austin Nichols Boukli, Wallis Tosi, Bailey Bethell Fountain, Christine Petrin, and Brandon O’Brien; FR: Catherine Vaughn Bunker, Sarah Donaldson, Jillian Smith, Liza Leatherman, Reagan Bugg, and Sylvia Brookoff 9. Class of 1979 with Sadie Kiel ’24, recipient of the Anne Westmoreland Garrett ’79 Award presented at Alumnae Weekend Chapel: BR: Jane Tillman Germany, Corinne Johnson Frick, Wendy Pritchartt Ansbro, and Sandy Weaver Clark; MR: Robin Rader Stein, Anne Beeson Royalty, Julia Newsom, Lenelle Morse, Candy Reed Pearson, and Nell Archer; FR: Sadie, Jan Lettes Zauzmer, Gina Barron Huck, Beth Brown Dunn, and Anne Golwen Brand SUMMER 2019
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ALUMNAE WEEKEND
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1. Class of 1999: BR: Brittany Blockman Pelletier, Anne-Morgan Brookfield Morgan, and Courtenay Adams; MR: Virginia Falvey King, Laura Freeman Rouse, Meg Parker Prewitt, and Kelly Buckner Dallas; FR: Rebecca Fones Rhea, Sidney Hawkins Gargiulo, and Jenny Jones Savage; 2. Class of 1989: BR: Mary Pritchartt Muscari, and Missy Voehringer Rakers; MR: Julie Bielskis, Courtney Morris Williamson, Ashley Saxon Abraham, and Brooks Turley Klepper; FR: Valerie Faquin Medovich, Elizabeth Dill Welch, Maysey Craddock, and Ellen Roberds; 3. Class of 1964 celebrating their 55th reunion: Woodis Allen Dunn, Nancy Whitman Manire, and Linda Ogle Roach; 4. Alumnae Weekend BBQ; 5. Alumnae visit at the Alumnae Weekend Brunch. 6. Class of 2009 visit the new Senior Den. 7. Class of 1974: Kathy Bell Adams, Ruth Gordon White, Beth Williford Carson, Kristi Hoffman Jones, and Pam Brady Ray.
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The Class of 2019 The 57-member class of 2019 matriculated to 39 institutions and earned more than $14 million in merit-based scholarships. Anna Alexander, Loyola University Chicago
Mary La, Rhodes College
Abbie Ryan, University of South Carolina
Abbey Autry, Rollins College
Annie Leatherman, University of Mississippi
Bella Schaffer, Texas Christian University
Faith Bradley, Vanderbilt University
Catie Lockhart, Spring Hill College
Sidney Seale, Tulane University
MacKenzie Camp, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Stella McCain, University of Colorado at Boulder
Jessie Shutzberg, University of Florida
Lauryn Carr, Mississippi State University
Arabella McGowan, Dartmouth College
Becca Shutzberg, University of Georgia
Merrill Culpepper, The University of Alabama
Sophia Meibohm, University of Miami
Lily Smith, Sewanee: The University of the South
Lindsey Fields, University of Virginia
Sophie Morrow, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Lena Soares, Bates College
Mackenzie Fittes, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Madison Motley, Tulane University
Madiha Sohani, Georgetown University
Sara Fraser, Colgate University
Langston Myers, University of Georgia
Karsen Springfield, Christian Brothers University
Olivia Gamble, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Avery Noel, Louisiana State University
Pooja Talati, Tulane University
Chloe Guerra, Saint Louis University
Emily O'Toole, Rhodes College
Megan Tang, University of Illinois at Chicago
Jordan Gurley, College of Charleston
Morgan Celeste Paley, Pace University
Ananya Thakur, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Kennedy Hamblen, Dartmouth College
Claire Pellegrin, Centre College
Abbie Utley, Loyola University Chicago
Emma Harkavy, Tulane University
Gabby Perez, Vanderbilt University
Snehi Vaghela, The University of Texas, Austin
Kit Hutton, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Hadiyah Qureshi, Rhodes College
Bizzy Walker, Marymount Manhattan College
Joy Jackson, University of Miami
Maisie Raburn, DePaul University
Kiki Whartenby, Rhodes College
Kaitlyn Jang, University of California, Los Angeles
Emily Richards, University of South Carolina
Mia Wilson, Marymount Manhattan College
Maddie Jenks, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Emmaline Rogers, Kenyon College
Taylor Ann Wilson, Centenary College of Louisiana
Allie Johnston, University of Arkansas
Zoe Roussey, University of South Carolina
Bella Zafer, University of Denver
SUMMER 2019
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CAMPUS NEWS
ST. MARY’S TRAP TEAM By Bill Quinlen ounded in 2009 by St. Mary’s parent Boyd Wade, the
a 171/200, closely followed by Mary Morrow, Abby Neal, Regan
first Turkey Trap Team took to the field with eight novice
Lewis and Shea Kiersky. Their excellent score of 805/1000
shooters but with high aspirations. From these humble
becomes the new SMS JV record.
beginnings, the team now has 35 seasoned athletes and competes
For varsity, seniors Sophie Morrow and Emily Richards, junior
in the 400+ student Shelby County Scholastic Clay Target
Emily Ferguson, plus sophomores Ashely Graflund and Saanya
Association league.
Srivastava posted a team record score of 946/1000, obliterating
St. Mary’s is by far the league’s smallest school, but numbers
the previous SMS record of 906. The 946 score, which included a
alone cannot trump grit and determination. At the recent State
team record 16 perfect boxes of 25 straight, placed the Turkeys in
meet in Nashville, the varsity team posted a school record score
17th place out of 119 teams – male, female and coed - good for
of 464/500, finishing 18th out of 92 squads. This placed them
the top 15% at Nationals, another team record. And, for the third
ahead of rivals MUS, MBA, BGA, Briarcrest, Hutchison, Houston,
year out of the last four, St. Mary’s was the top all-ladies squad at
Collierville, and Arlington.
Nationals.
The Turkeys were led by junior Emily Ferguson’s school record
The most notable individual performance – once again - was
99/100, which tied her for top lady at State. Seniors Sophie
turned in by junior Emily Ferguson, whose near perfect 199/200
Morrow, Sidney Seale and Emily Richards, and sophomore Ashley
topped her own SMS record of 195 set last year. She also
Graflund, all shot in the 90’s – another first for the team.
smashed her own school record of hitting 75 targets in a row with
Not to be outdone, the junior varsity team posted a score of
a run of 119 straight. Emily’s 199 score placed her 3rd place out of
418/500, breaking their own record set this year at the Regional
190 ladies in the Varsity Division, another school record finish. Her
tournament.
performance was truly spellbinding.
In July, the St. Mary’s trappers competed in the High School
In addition, Emily won the Jeanette Rudy Cup, which since
Division at the 2019 Scholastic Clay Target Program National
2005 has been awarded to the top Tennessee shooter, male or
Championships in Columbus, OH. St. Mary’s sent 16 varsity
female, competing in the National Championships. Of the 309
and five junior varsity Turkeys to the firing line, with each athlete
Tennessee high school athletes competing at Nationals this year,
shooting 100 targets per day, for a total of 200 targets for the
Emily was the top shooter. There are now 15 names engraved on
tournament. Overall, there were 2,033 individuals competing.
the Rudy Cup, 14 gentlemen and one St. Mary’s sharpshooter.
For the first time, SMS fielded a full JV squad at Nationals made up of five freshmen. Amelia Quinlen led the JV team with 24
ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL
Fear the Bird!
ATHLETICS
COLLEGE COMMITMENTS
Four St. Mary’s athletes (pictured above) committed to play collegiate sports this year. Megan Tang signed to play golf at the University of Illinois-Chicago, Claire Pellegrin committed to swim at Centre College, Abbey Autry signed to swim at Rollins College, and Taylor Ann Wilson will compete in gymnastics for Centenary College in Louisiana.
VARSITY LACROSSE
LOWER SCHOOL LACROSSE
Last spring, St. Mary’s Athletics launched Memphis’s inaugural season of lower school girls’ lacrosse. Thirty-five St. Mary’s girls from grades 3rd through 5th took the field three times a week over an eight-week season to learn the game and improve their skills. The girls competed against Lower School teams from Hutchison, Lausanne, and ECS on Saturday mornings from March to May. They worked hard, had fun, and are looking forward to another season in spring 2020.
Varsity Lacrosse won their Regional Championship and advanced to the State Final Four for the third year in a row. Six players were named to the All-Region Team: Ginny Bratton ’20, Merrill Culpepper ’19, Carrington Davis ’22, Virginia Horton ’21, Mary Jones ’20, and Rebekah Leventhal ’21. Virginia Horton, Mary Jones, and Rebekah Leventhal were named to the All-State Team. Ginny Bratton, Virginia Horton, Mary Jones, and Becca Shutzberg ’19 were four were nominated for Commercial Appeal Lacrosse Athlete of the Year. Additionally, U.S. Lacrosse recognized Ginny Bratton ’20 as an Academic All-American and Virginia Horton ’21 as an All-American.
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ATHLETICS
COMMERCIAL APPEAL PLAYERS OF THE YEAR Virginia Horton ’21 and Eesha Gudiseva ’20 were named Commercial Appeal Players of the Year.
BASKETBALL
SWIMMING
Seventh grade basketball defeated Briarcrest 36-31 to win the Shelby League tournament this winter. Laurel Lund was named tournament Most Valuable Player. Mila Szatkowski and Izzy Isaacs made the all tournament team.
Middle School Swimming won the Shelby League Championship this winter.
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CAMPUS NEWS DR. LISA DAMOUR RETURNS TO ST. MARY’S
Dr. Lisa Damour returned to St. Mary’s this spring to discuss her new book on teen anxiety and stress, Under Pressure. Dr. Damour is a psychologist, author, teacher, speaker, and consultant who writes the monthly “Adolescence” column for the New York Times and is a regular contributor at CBS News. She serves as the Executive Director of Laurel School’s Center for Research on Girls.
Upper School Counselor Allison Wellford Parker ’83, Middle School Head Katherine House, Head of School Albert Throckmorton, Dr. Lisa Damour, and Assistant Head of School Dr. Laura Leathers.
OUR TOWN
The Upper School Play, Our Town, included Head of School Albert Throckmorton and was directed by Katherine Neely English Chair Shari Ray.
Dr. Damour spoke at St. Mary’s last year following the publication of her book, Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood. This spring she was brought back to campus by the Joseph Orgill III Endowed Speaker Series. During her visit, she gave an evening presentation to the St. Mary’s community, spoke in Chapel the following morning, met separately with the student support team, and the Middle and Upper School faculties.
42ND STREET
The Middle School Musical, 42nd Street, featured 31 Middle School students (2 of those were MUS boys) and 12 Upper School student helpers.
STEPHANIE JONES, ARTIST IN RESIDENT
Louise T. Archer ’40 Artist in Resident Stephanie Jones, owner of local DIY boutique Me & Mrs. Jones, worked with St. Mary’s girls of all ages in art classes, on projects such as embellished board books and calligraphy, and at the Lower School Maker Fair.
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CAMPUS NEWS
THE CLASS OF 2023 CELEBRATES GRADUATION FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL
GOLD CROSS AWARD WINNERS
The Gold Cross is the highest honor awarded to faculty and staff at St. Mary’s Episcopal School. It celebrates superior service, dedication, and a long-standing contribution to our community. This year’s recipients were Melissa Lofton, retiring Chief Information Officer, and Barbara Snyder, retiring Senior Kindergarten teacher.
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APPLE AWARD
Presented to Early Childhood/Lower School Counselor Brennan Adrian and Middle School Head Katherine House. The award goes to those individuals who “are kinder than necessary.”
CAMPUS NEWS
MAYS WRITING AWARDS
TRUSTEE AWARD RECIPIENTS
Fifteen years ago, Diane and Kit Mays established an endowed fund in honor of their daughters Bethany Mays Owen ’93 and Mary Austin Mays Smith ’03. The Mays Prize in Writing is St. Mary’s annual fiction-writing contest which promotes and encourages creative writing at all grade levels. This year, students in grades 1-12 wrote stories using the Mr. Rogers’ Won’t You Be My Neighbor song/ video as inspiration.
Gilmore Lynn Spirit of St. Mary’s Award recipient Allison Garrott Braswell ’88 and James Brinkley Taylor, Jr. Award recipient Board Chair Margaret Frazier Gardner ’85
CREATIVE TEACHER AWARD
LILA PHILLIPS GOULD AWARD
Presented to Lower School Science and Robotics teacher Meagan Michael.
FANNIE WARR AWARD FOR SERVICE
Presented to Assistant Head of School Dr. Laura Leathers
Presented to 5th Grader Avi Goorha
ELLEN FEILD TODD STAFF AWARD
Presented to Mario White
SUMMER 2019
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CAMPUS NEWS RETIREMENTS
Barbara Snyder
Becky Maddux
Charlotte Zehring
30 years, Senior Kindergarten, Gold Cross Recipient 2019
20 years, Pre-Kindergarten, Nanette Quinn Outstanding Teacher Award 2010-11
34 years, Middle School 29 years, English, Cross Country Pre-Kindergarten Coach, Received Outstanding Teacher Award in 2002 and Gilmore Lynn Spirit of St. Mary’s Award in 2000
SPRINGFEST
Springfest Queen 2018 Faith Bradley and Queen 2019 Kate Stukenborg surrounded by Springfest Princess 2018 Julia Jabbour, 2018 pages Madison Jefferson and Leia Green, 2019 pages Ellie Bailey and Jane Rojas, and 2019 Princess Cami Culbertson.
Cynthia Dickson
Melissa Lofton
Mia Drinan
25 years, Gold Cross Recipient 2019, Ellen Feild Todd Staff Award 2007, school’s first Director of Network
12 years, Upper School English
Communications
SUMMER IMMERSION PROGRAM
Seventeen St. Mary’s students, accompanied by Señora Sally Rosenberg, participated in an immersion program in Alicante, Spain for 21 days this summer. The girls lived with Spanish families, went to school every day, embraced the culture of Spain, and visited many interesting historical and natural sites. All the students report that this immersion experience not only succeeded in helping grow their Spanish language abilities but also broadened the students global perspectives.
TWO PERFECT ACT SCORES
Congratulations to Evie Oliver ’20 and Victoria Ouyang ’20 who each scored a perfect 36 on the ACT. Approximately two-tenths of one percent of students who take the ACT earn a top score. In the U.S. high school graduating class of 2018, only 3,741 out of more than 1.9 million graduates who took the ACT earned a top composite score of 36. 30
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2019 2020
SEASON PERFORMANCES
BUCKMAN_Program19.indd 1
6/17/19 10:12 AM
Main Stage Performances Iris DeMent September 15, 2019, 7:00 p.m.
An Evening with Gaby Moreno Friday, January 17, 2020, 8:00 p.m.
Dirty Dozen Brass Band February 9. 2020, 7:00 p.m.
Catapult Shadow Dance Theater September 29, 2019, 7:00 p.m.
Popovich Comedy Pet Theater January 23, 2020, 5 and 7:00 p.m.
The Flying Karamazov Brothers March 29, 2020, 7:00 p.m.
Zimbabwe’s Nobuntu October 20, 2019, 7:00 p.m.
Swedish Jam Factory January 31, 2020, 8:00 p.m.
An Evening with Oleta Adams April 18, 2020, 8:00 p.m.
Leo Kottke November 2, 2019, 8:00 p.m.
Magic Carpet Ride Series On Your Toes with Sugar Plum Fairy August 17, 2019, 10:00 a.m.
Cazateatro’s Dias de Muertos October 26, 2019, 10:00 a.m.
Weightless Aerial September 14, 2019, 10:00 a.m.
Trout Fishing in America February 29, 2020, 10:00 a.m.
Memphis Made Center Stage Series Star and Micey Trout Fishing in America November 1, 2019, 8:00 p.m. February 28, 2020, 8:00 p.m. Annie Freres with Weightless Aerial September 13, 2019, 8:00 p.m.
SUMMER 2019
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1. Washington, D.C. Area Alumnae gathering hostess Anabeth Guthrie ’93, Head of School Albert Throckmorton, and Kendall Hennessy ’10 2. Class of 2007 friends at the D.C. alumnae event Kat Morisy, Bailey Wilson Vitez, and Erin Fowler 3. Members of the Class of 2012 at the Washington, D.C. Area Alumnae gathering: Hannah Morehead, Meredith Taylor, Lauren Petrin, Carson Mullins Pigg, Sutton MacQueen, and Lauren Pate 4. Allie Morrison ’08, Bailey Bethell Fountain ’09, and Teresa Hendrix Daniel ’11, at the SMS/MUS/Hutchison Young Alumnae gathering at Ghost River Brewery 5. Alumnae enjoying a behindthe-scenes tour at Muddy’s Bake Shop: Emily Templeton Gray ’05, Cori Friese McLaughlin ’76, Abby Huber ’14, and Ramie Mansberg Glick ’12. 6. Class of 2007 Elizabeth Summitt Gordon and Erin Sandifer Meeks enjoy the Luminary Leadership Circle gathering in the First TN Bank suite at the Grizzlies game. 7. Class of 2005 Alumnae Board members: Emily Templeton Gray and Erica Evans 32
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ALUMNAE
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1. Elle Prosterman ’14, Natalie Meeks ’14, and Terry Maguire Elzinga ’73 at Terry’s home in Charlottesville, VA. Terry and her husband, Ken, are Elle’s host parents 2. Alumnae Chapel speaker Kim Malone Scott ’86 with classmates Irene McDonnell Ayotte, Jean Vaughan McGhee, and Head of School Albert Throckmorton 3. Attending the Washington, D.C. alumnae event: Joan Mauldin Hurst ’83, Daphne Trainor Bahl ’01, and Hallie Dinkelspiel Label ’94 4. Attendees at the Luminary Leadership Circle Grizzlies event: Mary Kavanagh Day ’82, Barbara Patronis, First Tennessee Chair of the West TN Region Bruce Hopkins, Catherine Robilio Womack ’82, and Lisa Moore Cook ’82 5. Council of Advisors luncheon alumnae panel: Jennilyn Jennings Utkov ’77, Melissa Thrasher Peeler ’85, Alexia Fulgham Crump ’93, and Mary Austin Mays Smith ’03 6. Allie Morrison ’08, Margaret Craddock McLean ’91, Alumnae Chapel speaker Ashley Edge Adams ’08, Wendy Pritchartt Ansbro ’79, and Kathy Bell Adams ’74 7. Meg Fowler ’08, Erin Fowler ’07, and Liz Womack Edmundson ’07 SUMMER 2019
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CLASS NOTES 1963 CANON THOMAS HALL
The class has been busy with travel, gardening, family and birdwatching. Last May, Julia Alissandratos enjoyed a fabulous trip to the Greek Isles visiting with family and friends. Before heading to Greece, Julia had dinner with Nancy Perry Gautier ’66, her husband and son. Julia says there was much catching up and reminiscing. In September, Julia was temporarily displaced by Hurricane Florence as it headed toward Charleston. Julia in now looking forward to the Fall Alum Trip to Barcelona and Provence. In September, Donna Lansing Plumer Copp hosted a showing of her paintings at a pop-up gallery in the newly renovated Sears Crosstown Building. Patty Ozier Riffel, Nancy Whitman Manire ’64 and Canon Thomas Hall were among the many enjoying the show. In March, Donna and her husband Dan traveled with Patty and her husband Kirby on a riverboat cruise from Prague to Berlin. Donna visited with children and grandchildren in Texas for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Donna proudly announces the birth of another grandson. At home, Donna is planting an English garden and writing down her memories of life before TV, AC and iPhones for her grandchildren. Tina Heslep Ciliberto enjoys travel, music and her grandchildren—one set in Grass Valley, CA. and another in Santa Cruz, CA. In addition to attending choral music performances, Tina has 34
ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL
been practicing piano pieces taught to her by Mrs. Evelyn Perry. She says her memorization skills are not what they used to be. Tina has Kite birds nesting high in a Redwood tree on her property. Jackie Whiteleather has turkey vultures in the trees across the street from her home in Colorado. She is thrilled with lots of snow this year. Sara Sorsby Dennis fills much of her time supporting grandchildren in their sport pursuits. She is still in private practice and in October, she had an article published in a psychology journal. In her spare time, she enjoys Pilates and writing poetry. Carolyn Collier Johnson stays busy with her church, Garden Club, her yard and a myriad of community projects— such as leading her Garden Club in beautifying Pass Christian’s City Park and reopening a butterfly garden. Jenny Emison Ewing and family spent Thanksgiving in Williamsburg in the restored Ewing family home. In December, Jenny and husband Ward vacationed in Cancun. January found them at Lake Tahoe for the winter wonderland wedding of their son, Miles. Jenny reports that an osprey has built her nest on their swimming dock and they look forward to watching the baby birds. Joyce Wilkerson Kaplan reports a rare bald eagle sighting near their home in Washington state. She has been busy planting lettuce and peas and teaching tai chi. Spring travels will include DC, Nashville, and Kentucky. She and husband Jon are looking forward to a sailing
adventure in June. When not traveling, Patty Ozier Riffel plays lots of bridge, sometimes in tournaments. Canon Thomas Hall is enjoying grandchildren and looking forward to the birth of another granddaughter in August. Canon has been fascinated with a pair of doves that return each year to her courtyard to raise babies. They have become so tame and will perch close to her on the patio furniture.
1965 JULIA MALONE
Our class may be small, but our outreach is wide and our activities varied. “Doc” Kathy Sweany Bertram is still practicing Internal Medicine and serving as medical director of a nursing home, making her one of the few classmates still in the ranks of the full-time employed. She takes time off to visit Wyoming in the fall and goes to “multiple” musical festivals, including Jazz Fest in New Orleans this spring. Lucy Minor Glasebrook leads a high energy life, serving on the board of the Bruce Museum of arts and science in her hometown of Greenwich, CT, and also on the board of the Coastal Georgia Historical Society near her winter home in Sea Island. She continues her devotion to collecting contemporary art and plans a September visit to Scotland and Ireland. She’s now back in Greenwich to celebrate birthdays of her two grands, Hunter, 3, and Sloane, 2. Patti Person Ray is keeping her ties to St. Mary’s by teaching an “AP” course in Human Geography online
CLASS NOTES
Jeanne Stevenson Moessner ’66 with her grandchildren.
to 22 “amazing” freshmen in addition to continuing to teach graduate classes. Patti and husband Barry are planning an Alaskan cruise. Sally Pace Gingras reports two adventure trips, including a spectacular cruise to Patagonia that rounded Cape Horn twice (“the Holy Grail for sailors”) and a bike-and-barge trip in Holland to see the tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths in full bloom. She has sold her Bozeman, Montana, condo and is soon to break ground on a home outside of the city within sight of the house where Susan Hoefer Foster and husband Brad now live most of the year. Susan reports that she is still loves Montana despite record cold and snow this past winter. She and Brad are soon to celebrate their 50th anniversary and 50th college reunion. “Hard to believe,” she says, reflecting a view many of us hold! Marion West Hammer is delighted that retiring from teaching means more time with grandchildren. She expects her 2 ½ year old granddaughter Elizabeth to
travel from Charlotte for a Memphis visit this summer, and two grandsons live nearby. “All is well!” says Marion, adding that “Gigi” was heading out the door to watch 10-year-old Caleb, play soccer. Liz Pryor MacEachran reports the closing of her alpaca business, which she says was great fun, “but it was time to move on.” She finally joined Garden Club once discovering she could work on trail maintenance and conservation and never have to arrange flowers. She and John are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary with a small boat cruise to Norway and various Scottish islands in August. She’s up to six grands, ages 11 months to 15 years. And after repair of her rotator cuff, she’s back on the tennis courts: “Great way to spend time with friends.” Julia Malone (class secretary) seconds that emotion! She plays tennis often and competes on a USTA team, pretending to be the jock she never was. She’s still happy in the nation’s capital, after falling in love with it during our ninth grade St. Mary’s trip. During the past year she took a photography trip to Matera in the boot of Italy, where the tourists were few and the setting amazing. Last fall, she toured Japan, where the most memorable stop turned out to be Hiroshima, now a gleaming city and symbol of peace and recovery.
1967 BETTE WEST BUSH
The Class of 1967 is not letting age get in the way of fun. Debbie
Boehme Salter outside Atlanta is doing well in spite of her broken leg which she sustained May 3 when she slipped on pine needles in her yard. Her two grandchildren, Elyse 7 and Mason 4, are still “a light in her life.” Shelley Smith in Chicago reports “no drama” except that she had to watch her alma mater Duke lose in the NCAA tournament. She hopes that all of our class is equally drama free and healthy. Susan McNeely Nicholas enjoyed our Memphis group lunch in February which Margaret Barton organized, attended by me, Susan, Margaret, Lou Archer Slater, and Lynn Bledsoe Buhler. Susan feels lucky to have her 5 grandchildren all living in the Memphis area and keeps busy carpooling, babysitting, attending exercise classes, and working with neighborhood committees and organizations. We heard from both of our classmates “across the pond.” Lee McGeorge Durrell has been busy with Colin renovating, repairing, and starting a vegetable garden at their new home, which they bought last summer in Corfu. They spent Christmas there with only one log fireplace for warmth. Lee points out that their house “looks very like the one in the TV series ‘The Durrells.’” Jeannie Whitman Esdaile enjoyed a one day visit from Shelley last year. (Shelley, why didn’t you mention your “delightful” visit?) In early May Jeannie’s choir, The Leconfield Singers, performed Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius at the Royal Festival Hall London with the SUMMER 2019
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CLASS NOTES English Philharmonic and two sister choirs, a total of about 250 voices. She is retiring from her Chairman’s role in October, so is pleased with her “pretty cool swan song.” Sister Nancy Whitman Manire ’64 is coming for the Autumn Concert in September, and Jeannie hopes to see her two children Robert with wife Marion and LeeLee over the summer. Even though Jeannie says that she and husband Christopher are settling into retirement, she still works a few days a week archiving at James Purdey and Sons in London. Jeannie has also recently been asked to help Chichester Cathedral with an American initiative to share treasures and other interests in West Sussex, so if you’re planning a trip to England, contact Jeannie before you go! Lastly Jeannie and Christopher are still training working cocker spaniel Elvis who loves “finding things, his major lust in life---and if you want to dig to China, he can do that too!” Lynn Clark White in Virginia can probably relate to Jeannie’s dog stories because she is training her red standard poodle puppy Ripley “to be a good citizen.” During class time he seems to be more interested in what everyone else is doing, but he is “the life of the party.” Lynn is still working with husband Jon in the water valve business, but they found time to take a train trip last summer from Chicago to Seattle with a stopover at Glacier National Park and a car trip down to Oregon to visit friends. They also spent Christmas in New Orleans with younger daughter 36
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Lee and her family. Libba Mann Harbin in Georgia, like me, does not “do” Facebook, so all the news from classmates was news to her as well. She and husband had her outof-town daughters and families for two weeks in the spring and then her New York daughter Margaret and family came back for Easter. Lots of fun! Margaret Barton opened an Airbnb last September in her twostory carriage house, which was built with her home in 1912. Much to Margaret’s surprise this latest project has been a great success with her meeting all kinds of interesting people. Margaret still has her interior design business and has loved decorating the carriage house. “I call it my mini me!” she says, showing us beautiful photos of the rooms at our February lunch. Alice Cockroft Oates continues to love living in Williamsburg and being a guide at Bruton Parish Episcopal Church. She served as ECW President this past year and attended the diocesan council. This summer she and her husband are traveling to Greece with sister Carolyn Cockroft ’71 and her husband. Signe Magnuson Spencer in Massachusetts is surprised to still be “gainfully employed,” taking on a project of new knowledge around Purpose, “hard work but fun!” In April she enjoyed visiting oldest daughter Krista in London. Happily daughter Emily, husband, and Signe’s two grandchildren, Rose 4 and Locke 2, now live nearby so that Signe can see them on weekends. Daughter Julia, husband, and dog live
with Signe and cook for her! Janie Allen Till in Colorado experiences the weird spring weather, snow one day and 80 degrees soon thereafter. She looks forward to a summer of “Granny Camp” with all of her grandchildren living in the area. She and husband Bob plan a trip to Greece in September with 10 days helping at the refugee center on Lesbos. Lynn Bledsoe Buhler claims she has nothing to report, but she is filling her retirement days (“It took me all of 15 minutes to adjust to life without deadlines or new securities regulations”) with gardening, traveling, cooking, manicures, lunches, gym, and fitness camp. She is looking forward to the St. Mary’s Alumnae fall trip to Barcelona and southern France. Finally, I retired from teaching Walker’s Sunday school class last August after 32 years. My life is nice and boring, just the way I like it! Grandson West finished first grade, and he and son Walker along with daughter Jane and her husband Justin are all of the excitement I can take.
1969
PAM MCNEELY WILLIAMS
Jean Phillips Lorton can’t imagine that 50 years ago we were ready for proms, white gowns, red roses, flower girls and graduation after beginning our upper school years with that dreaded Freshman Initiation! In the Senior Den we were engaged in long conversations about college selections with remembrances of Mrs. Curry, AKA “Did you read it,
CLASS NOTES girls”, calculus and final semester exams! Our class was comprised of 30 very different, very smart and very independent young women who were going to colleges all over the country! She also states that although we were different- we all had one thing in common: we learned a LOT at SMS not only in academia but in life itself. Some of us became physicians, attorneys, administrators, teachers, CPA’s, and so on, and many married and welcomed children! I lovingly remember the wonderful coffees and teas hosted for our class at the Phillips’, Hicks’, & Loveless’ homes and with many other great moms. What a great group the class of 1969 is! Speaking of our class, Candice Keirns-Bitensky, M.D., a Spanish medical interpreter, Janie Hicks Jeter, and Pamela McNeely Williams had a joyful time at our reunion with a great chapel program and a delicious bistro-style luncheon with the other classes. Barbeque was the Friday night menu and festivities were held on Saturday. It is always great to see Janie and her sister, Ginger who are still in Georgia and who are excited about the new changes occurring at St. Mary’s! Nora Heflin Williams, M.D., reports her 30 year- old son lives in New Zealand, and her husband and she have visited him many times and just love the country. Now that they are both retired, they love to spend part of every USA winter in the warm Southern Hemisphere. Nora has a great idea
if any members of our class would attend a mini reunion in Memphis or Nashville possibly in the fall? Her email is norawilliamsmd@me.com. Olivia Young Fisher has a new email address: oyfisher99@gmail. com. Anne Short Born resides in Beaufort, SC and was unable to make the trip to the reunion and hopes everyone had a great time! She would love for any of us to visit! Brian and I had a memorable fall out West with the October birth of Levi Clive Williams to Hannah and Matt Williams who are both Captains in the AF at Los Angeles, CA. He is their first child and is truly a delight to all. We came home for a few weeks and then arrived in Rapid City, SD for the November birth of Sarah Grace Kowalchuk, daughter of Ellen LeVaughn Kowalchuk ’96 and Andy. Sarah has rounded the family to 7 children; 4 girls, 3 boys and a 12 passenger Nissan van! I am afraid they are going to put Brian and me in rocking chairs on the van top just like the Griswolds! All the children are so delightful and unique! Andy, a Lt. Col. in the AF, will retire this summer after 21 years of service to our country. Thank you, Andy, for your service! If you know email addresses for: Carroll LeFleur, Susan Strain, Lisa Fulmer, Mary Ballentine, Jane Ann Hill, Laurie Cawthon, Beth Jones, Anna Danielson, Alma McCool, Melissa Mullens, Ellen Topp, and Jan DeWoody, please e-mail to usafa2@sbcglobal.net or text: 901-674-6361.
Christie Stratton Moody ’71 with one of her Blue Heron Art Glass pieces.
1971
CAROLYN COCKROFT
Deborah Abernathy is engaged to Dillard Brown, whom she knew when they were kids and his mother had been Deborah’s teacher in grammar school. According to Deborah, he is “a lovely man… I guess it is never too late to say ‘I do’.” No date is set as yet, but it will be with family only. Julia Sprunt Grumbles continues to love living in Chapel Hill, NC and being involved in UNC activities and programs. Her tenure on the Board of Trustees will soon end and she will have more time to devote to her number one passion: women and girls. She writes that “Working with female faculty and students has been a real joy, watching them step into their true identity and exercising their voices, intelligence and influence.” Julia and husband Bill will head to Highlands, NC, for the summer. Marietta Canale Haaga SUMMER 2019
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CLASS NOTES and husband Fletcher are enjoying being grandparents to Charlotte, daughter of son Martin and wife Kathy. Charlotte, presently their only grandchild, is walking, actually running, babbling words, and keeping them on the go. Marietta is still busy with working at Saint John’s and her personal training. Fletcher is retired, as the house husband, but still plays tennis and golf. They are renovating their bathroom, “which is disruptive but exciting.” They hope to travel in the fall of 2020 to Italy, Marietta’s true homeland. Husband Chris and I are look forward to summer when we will join my sister, Alice Cockroft Oates ’67 and her husband Jack on a cruise of the Greek Islands. Since fall, I have been serving on the board of the Community of Hope International, a nonprofit, Episcopal-based organization that equips churches with training to establish centers of pastoral care. I also give piano lessons, a dream I have always had. I continue with my music ministry at church (adult choir, bell choir and gospel band) and playing at a weekly Eucharist at a retirement home.
Sarah Peeples Hodges ’73 enjoys her time at the Taj Mahal in India. 38
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1973
OLIVIA MONTGOMERY
Beth Brady Belcher is still teaching special education and has a new granddaughter, Lily Ester, named after her mother. She and Bill celebrated their 40th anniversary this summer in Hawaii. Sarah Peeples Hodges is also teaching, in some rather exotic places. Last winter she taught English in Northeast India. That was following a three-week stint in Iraq (where she wore the hijab and a long black robe called an abaya) and a brief respite in Thailand. Her brother, John joined her in India and together they toured Delhi, Mumbai and the Taj Mahal. Nell Dickerson is now working in Dallas as an aviation architecture project manager for a big engineering firm that builds airports. She has no idea why they insisted she relocate to Dallas because her projects are on both coasts. But Nell never actually moves for a job; she keeps her Memphis house and “works from home” as much as possible. She can’t retire because she must fund her photography trips to Africa. Her third trip in 4 years was May 2019. Stay tuned for her next book, but she has no idea when. Meanwhile, you can see some of her wildlife photos at https://www. instagram.com/nelldickerson. Susan Cloninger Pfahl is recovering from breast cancer treatment and is thankful for modern medicine and all the money being spent on breast cancer research. She’s still working in architecture with her husband Kevin and daughter Carly, who got married
last year. She and Kevin are loving living in the new house they designed and built. Deborah Caldwell Halvis enjoyed attending her grandson Leo’s graduation from preschool, where they sang “I’m a bundle of possibilities “ as they accepted their diplomas, kind of like “Day by Day”.
1975 LAURIE WALPOLE
Nora Wingfield Tyson is loving retirement and life. She and husband Wayne have decided to sell their house in Virginia and move to Tucson so they can play more golf; they hope to be settled there by Thanksgiving. Other than getting their house ready for sale, Nora is busy with leadership/ motivational speaking, consulting, and serving on the Vanderbilt Board of Trust. Another classmate moving to Arizona is Jennifer Jones. She and Roger are moving from New Jersey to Flagstaff. I had forgotten they even lived anywhere but on the road with the way they travel; they went to the western U.S. twice in 2018, visiting Santa Fe, Death Valley, plus Washington and Oregon. But the big news is that Jen passed the teacher certification for American Tribal Style® Belly dance. Congratulations! Her troupe, Black Bear @ Oasis, will participate in the NYC Dance Parade in May. The troupe is planning to continue to dance with Jen via Skype after she moves. Deborah Adelson Johns says that her new hobbies for 2019 are hot yoga and Mahjong. She also enjoys spending
CLASS NOTES time with her daughter and grand dog. Her son moved back to Seattle, so maybe I will get to see her out here for a visit! She certainly doesn’t mind traveling, having spent “spring break” in Florida visiting friends and planning a trip to New York in September and a 2-month stay at their Michigan cottage in the summer. Sally Hummel Chumney moved back to Memphis in 2018 after being away for almost 12 years. She’s still a nurse practitioner for MinuteClinic, but her favorite job is babysitting her 3 granddaughters. Her 4th granddaughter lives in Knoxville. Sally’s son is a Memphis Police Officer, and she requests prayers for his safety. Penny Spiegelman Register-Shaw is also in the notretired club, having had 5 jobs in the last 12 months. She is now at Walmart eCommerce as a Vice President in Supply Chain. Husband Adam and their two dogs are still in Seattle, but a move to Hoboken, Bentonville, or San Bruno is likely in their future. So they are on their Seattle bucket list tour, including hiking and visiting Bruce and Brandon Lee’s graves. Robin Bartusch Goertz is also in the club. She predicts that one day her co-workers will come into the office one morning and find her slumped over her computer (or whatever the next “thing” is) either right before or right after rigor mortis sets in. Lisa Francisco Abitz, on the other hand, is enjoying retirement and is looking forward to a trip to Alaska with husband Don. Betsy Olim has had a busy year so
far. She and husband Stevy attended Sundance Film Festival, where they visited son Dylan, who was working there, watched the St. Louis Cardinals’ spring training in Florida, and went to the Memphis Comedy Festival. She says nothing’s changed: the comics always spot her in the crowd and pick on her; it reminds her of high school! She’s also still working and in addition to helping her clients export wherever in the world they can compete, she’s recorded the 1st two episodes of her podcast “Export Stories.” Angie Rose is still loving her 2-day a week stint at Whole Foods; she considers it a low-impact workout. She still also works at Kerns-Wilcheck, where we had a wonderful reunion party a few years ago. Mary Elizabeth Partin says her best friend had a severe stroke at the end of last year. So sorry to hear that, Mary Elizabeth! Susan Apperson sent a photo of her mother Violet posing beside a Studebaker many years ago in front of St. Mary’s. It shocked me how different it looked back then: even the Middle School add-on that we had in 5th grade wasn’t there yet. It pretty much was just the church! Wendi Sloane, another member of the antiretirement club, is still busy going from Chicago to Colorado, wreaking havoc on the weather wherever she goes.
1977
JANEY BUTLER NEWTON
Lisa Britt Colcolough has lots of news to share! Son Britt is engaged and will get married this
year in Austin, Texas, where they live. Daughter Caitlin Colcolough Williams ’07 got married last year to Caleb Williams (also a twin!). Daughter Cameron Colcolough Reynolds ’07 and husband Ned are expecting a baby in October. Lisa was with Adele Orgill Wellford in Atlanta for a quick garden tour. This year she and John have been to Napa, and are going to Scotland and England. A happy season for the Colcolough family! And, in case you missed it earlier, Adele’s daughter Liza Fletcher now has two sons and teaches at SMS. Susan Alexander Price has retired and moved back to the Sarasota, FL area from North Carolina. Daughter Amanda got married last year and is a teacher in Tampa. Daughter Rachel is getting married this fall. She is a defense attorney in Sarasota. Susan lost her beloved dad earlier this year, and our deep sympathies go to Susan and her family. Lucy Walt Wepfer’s daughter Annie, who is majoring in kinesiology, has been in South Korea with Mississippi State. She is getting to see South Korea’s sports programs and is making presentations about sports in the US. Son Walt is expecting baby #two in the fall.
1979
BETH BROWN DUNN
A grand time was had by all!! Our 40th reunion was one for the books. We had such a great turnout from near and far. The entire weekend was full of laughs and tears and stories and love. Irene Orgill Smith was SUMMER 2019
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CLASS NOTES
Friends from the Class of 1979: Nancy Smith Douglas with Wendy Pritchartt Ansbro at their class reunion dinner.
overjoyed to share news of her grandson, Neely. He was born in June 2018. The best news was that he is moving 204 steps from Irene’s door. Irene’s son, Freddy, is spending his time volunteering at P.U.R.E.Youth. He is teaching science and math. He is hoping to start a Master’s program in education in August. Terry Lupo Lebedevs is surrounded by grandbaby love. Her daughter, Hannah, will have her third daughter in November. Ruby is 3 ½ and Millie is 22 months. Her daughter, Camille, moved to Memphis too. She is teaching English at Crosstown. Her son, Rob, is working at FedEx and getting his Master’s in marketing. Susan Browne Law is expecting a new grandbaby too. Her daughter, Madeline will have a bundle of love this summer. Parker is 2 years old and Susan goes to Atlanta to play with Parker and “her puppies” any chance she can get.You know the Brownes always have lots of puppies!!! Our heroic Candy Pearson Reed came from Fort Worth. She teaches us everyday about strength and faith. Gina Barron Huck arrived from 40
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Fort Worth, too. She shared precious pictures of her new grandson, Wylye. Jane Tillman Germany came home from Atlanta. She looked stunning and is our warrior in faith and prayer. Anne Beeson Royalty and her husband, Bob, came down from Indiana. Lenelle Morse, Sandy Weaver Clark, Corinne Johnson Frick and Jan Lettes Zauzmer traveled south as well. Nell Archer flew in from New York. She was able to spend Friday with us. She had to get back for Palm Sunday services at her parish in Bushwick Abbey. Julia Newsom, aka Star, was here from Tupelo, MS. She is managing a Barnes and Noble. She loves it. Mrs. Gill would be so proud of your literary selections. Nancy Smith Douglas traveled from Reno, NV. She came for our fun night out at McEwan’s. We found out later that she had a slipped disc in her back. She gets the trooper award.
1983
BONNIE BOLTON LOPEZ
We are doing some exciting things in this time of life! Bisha Sisk Harrington and husband Clay are empty-nesters now that their last child has matriculated to UGA. They became grandparents this year when son Jake and wife Ella adopted three siblings (ages 7, 5, 4) whom they had fostered for 18 months. Bisha cruised the Rhine River with Clay and visited Iceland with sister Leigh. Joan Mauldin Hurst has been working for eight years in the White House. She negotiates agricultural
trade agreements as part of the office of the US Trade Representative. Joan recently traveled to Tunisia for work and fulfilled a long-held wish to visit Carthage. Daughter Katie graduated high school this spring. Cissy Bruce Jackson is also in D.C., where she serves as counsel to US Senator Doug Jones. She recently made a trip with him and two others on the Armed Services Committee to Afghanistan and Iraq. She assures me that she is keeping a journal of this exciting chapter of life. Beginning a new chapter herself, Liza Johnston is enrolled in a program to become a licensed clinical mental health counselor. She plans to be finished by December 2020. Beth Jennings Kuhn retired last year and is taking pipe organ lessons! Her teacher plans for her to be ready to play at church on their newly-installed, premier organ very soon. She sounds giddy over the whole pursuit. Lela Bellows Simpson-Gerald still works at Buckman Laboratories, but spends all her free time marketing her Jacko’s Pepper Jelly which is now in 37 stores and 12 states! Son Max has one more year at Alabama, and son Jack will be a freshman at Lausanne this fall. Lisa Page May is working from her newly-built home in Soddy-Daisy, 20 minutes from Chattanooga, but only one mile from the marina where they keep their boat. She invites you to visit! Eppie Lunsford-Ozen is sending another child back to the states! Emily will join brother Ellis while attending Fordham in NYC. Eppie and husband Ergun split their
CLASS NOTES time between the UK, Turkey, and now NYC! Eppie is also returning to music as she takes piano lessons again after 40 years. I am so proud to know such interesting people.
1985
IVY WILROY CARAVATI
Lucy Cheek Gordon and Mike renovated their Scottsdale house and report that daughter Claire graduated from the University of Arizona and returned to Scottsdale to work with the fitness app MindBody; daughter Madeline loves living in Austin, TX; and son Clay finished his AP-filled Jr year and spends every free moment rock climbing. Kara Kilpatrick Preston’s daughter Julia ’19 completed her first year at UVA, son Thomas will be in 9th grade next year, and husband Tom continues practicing law. Kara enjoys tennis, works at a plant nursery, and keeps life running smoothly! Glynn Field Dean celebrated her 24th year in Memphis at Gerber Taylor as the Senior Investment Analyst. Her son Adam finished his second year at Ole Miss in the accelerated law program and looks forward to starting law school. Husband Benjamin runs their farm and Brangus herd. Libby Alexander Schaller reports that Emmy graduated from Bentonville High, interned at the Embassy Suites, and will attend Barnabas Prep (2-yr post 2ndary) in Branson, MO. Wade graduated from SMU
and will work at Stephens in Little Rock as equity research analyst in the transportation industry. Wade will see Glynn Feild Dean in Memphis at the WGC- FedEx St Jude. Through Bart’s travels for Synchrony Financial, Libby attended the Avengers movie premiere (2018) where she saw Mindy Hamilton ’84. Libby serves on church vestry, volunteers at hospice, and loves her new puppy! Laurie Carnesale Wagner’s son Ben graduated from medical school (Honolulu residency). Laurie’s son Matthew graduated from law school, will marry his HS sweetheart Katie in October, and will live in Cincinnati. Daughter Allie has her masters in educ. and is teaching HS history in Lexington, KY. Lars is division chief of pediatric oncology at Duke. For McKenzie Aiken Crisp, her daughter Catie finished her Junior year at USJ (University School of Jackson), and son Drew finished his first transfer year at MTSU and loves it. McKenzie and friends are enjoying Memphis, especially Beale Street Music Fest, where they heard Dave Matthews Band and One Republic. McKenzie’s Kitchen celebrated its 2-yr anniv. She loves cooking meals for friends and customers and focusing on health. Julie Graber Hoffman lives in Seattle with University of Washington professor husband Danny (anthropologist and photographer/filmmaker), and
three girls- Corey (13) and Lucy and Eve, (10-identical twins). They have adjusted to Seattle rain and love time back in Santa Fe, NM each summer to “glamp” in the tiny cabin they built (and where Julie has crossed paths with Amala Barnett). Julie shows her photographs and teaches art to children. Danny’s work took them to France to watch the first week of the Women’s World Cup. Meredith Ciscel Milowski reports that they have downsized to a small house in Tempe, AZ. Husband Daniel completed his coursework for his PhD in History and will start writing his dissertation this fall. For those history lovers, follow him on Twitter: @dmilowski. Daughter Lydia finished her 1st year at NAU in Flagstaff, is majoring in Spanish and computer science, and is working as a counselor at a summer music camp. Aubrey completed her Jr. year at Tempe HS and has been diagnosed with pectus excavatum, and will hopefully have surgery this summer. Meredith is in her 7th year at ASU as a nurse educator. Julie Huettel Lowe is enjoying being a newlywed and sends blessings and peace to everyone. All is well with her children, parents, and family. A big SMS thanks to Margaret Frazier Gardner, who has served as Chair of the Board of Trustees of St. Mary’s for the past 2 yrs. She has loved giving back to SMS and is SUMMER 2019
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CLASS NOTES proud of the capital campaign for a new Athletic and Wellness Center - complete with new dining hall (with windows!) and terrace, new gym, strength and conditioning area, and a Gobble Gear store! Son Frazier (14) is obsessed with baseball and loves playing for MUS. Miriam ’21 (16 ) loves finally driving, is interested in interior design/fashion, and will go on pilgrimage to Ireland with her church youth group. Amala Barnett is on the big island of Hawaii, having been very dislocated due to the volcano’s eruption. She has her massage license and works with motor vehicle accident folks. She is open to any suggestions for the ‘best place’ ever to live! She is still traveling some with Amma and just returned from 10th trip to Australia and Singapore. Nancy Dilts’ daughter Grace started HS this yr and will compete for the 3rd time in the Nationals competition for National History Day in Washington, DC. After 5 yrs of Nancy Dilts Wardrobe Consulting, Nancy says, “being an entrepreneur is a roller coaster ride, and I’m always learning new things and moving out of my comfort zone.” Nancy went to Paris and now can’t get enough French food and wine, art, style, and architecture. We all thank Trina Traywick Sippey for her witty updates from Cali! She makes us all laugh. She reports that Kate is going to UCLA and is 42
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actually thinking about an art history major. Caroline (15) finished her 1st yr of HS and loves dance. Michael and Trina made their first trip to the Kentucky Derby - what a crazy year to see the race in person. Michael is back working in start-ups, and Traywick Contemporary will be celebrating 23 years this fall! Trecia Knapp Tapolsky loves having a son-inlaw in the family, as Galya and Nuno have been married a year. Galya is working at the Sephora SF headquarters in design and packaging, and Zhenya works as a Transaction Specialist at Compass (where Trecia works). Bruno and Trecia have enjoyed their Destin, FL condo, and Trecia looks forward to sailing this summer. They bought a country home (complete with a few cows and sheep) in Sonoma and have invited us all there! Lisa Breazeale Roberts’ daughter Chandler ’12 married Sam Cummins and is living in Fort Worth. Chandler is an ICU nurse, and Sam works for Lockheed Martin in the missile division. Daughter Evelyn ’18 loved her fun 1st yr at University of Richmond, where she is on the lacrosse team. Lisa and Ken are enthusiastic lacrosse fans, serve on the UR Parents Council, and see Ivy Wilroy Caravati and her family in VA. Ken and Lisa have completed a whole-house renovation after a water line broke. Although she continues the grief journey, Lisa writes “there is NO
denying that God is here with me and that Jackson is with us too.” She is so grateful for her friends and family and the SMS community of support. Melissa Thrasher Peeler writes from the empty nest (her girls are SMS ’11, ’13, and ’17--so check out the notes from those classes) that they are looking forward to summer travels and are enjoying time in Memphis. She encourages all of us to take care of ourselves and to please connect with her when in Memphis. She reports that Mary Gowen Simmons’ son Scott graduated from W&L this year, and son Brown just completed his first year at UVA. Sounds like all is going well for him in Charlottesville. Colleen Kavanagh keeps us all up to date about pesticides and harmful residues in food and encourages us to go regularly to her company’s Zegofoods facebook page. Thanks, Colleen, for creating snacks for people with multiple food restrictions! Jeanne Marie Rea Fenster reports from CT and MA that she has started and is running a new insurance company under WR Berkley. She attended her sister’s wedding and took a quick trip with her father. Her son Sam is in his last year at Rhodes, son Menashe is in the midst of college visits, and the twins are in high school. Tino Sage heads to France for 6 weeks for the French Open and the Women’s World Cup. She will
CLASS NOTES enjoy traveling with friends and Kristi, who was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for Directing in Animation! Thank you, Tino, for your words of wisdom about running a company and mid-life challenges. Beeland Dill Voellinger had Lisa Breazeale Roberts come for her daughter Bee’s confirmation this spring. Bee starts HS next yr, and son Will will be in middle school. Will is looking forward to STEM camp and NASA space camp and loves music. David and Beeland have enjoyed family time in Charlotte and are happy David has a few more doctors working with him! For the Ivy Wilroy Caravati family, Charlie (22), Sid (20), and Thomas (18) all enjoyed 1 yr of college together in Charlottesville, VA (actually, we all did!). Charlie graduated with an Econ Major/ Math minor and a love for the music management industry. Sid interned last year in Memphis with DU. The boys love travel, sports, and the outdoors. I am a reluctant farmer, slowing taking over managing our Angus cows and weather-dependent hay...I am grateful for our SMS friendships and the connections our children are making as well. Polly Piper Rickard, thank you for all the years of being class secretary!
1987
ALLISON TONKIN
With the tragically early loss of dear classmate Catherine Jenny Craig
1987 classmates Gail Borod Giacobbe, Fontaine Taylor Albritton, and Virginia Reed Murphy in New Orleans.
we extend deepest condolences to husband Hal, children Schuyler and Sarah and sister Anna-Lea Jenny Kahn. With her generous spirit Catherine was loved by the SMS community. Gigi Gaerig McGown’s daughter Ryan ’22 is excited about the Athletic and Wellness Center. Her son, Thomas (Lausanne 6th grade) enjoys soccer and theatre tech. Gigi, Mid-America Apartments Legal/Risk Management VP and Will, Crosstown Arts wood shop manager completed the Telluride region house construction - their vacation home, our AirBnB! Andrew, Paula Jernigan and kids hiked Grand Canyon, Zion, and Bryce.They love puppy Dilly. Shearon Barbee Craig, director at her outpatient physical therapy clinic, says daughter, Sarah works towards CPA. Her son, Will continues college. Courtney Morris Monaghan’s daughter Stuart Monaghan ’18 transferred to TCU nursing school. MUS senior/ University Club lifeguard Tom’s The Little Prince study evoked memories of Nanette Quinn’s class - only Karen Bell saw the sheep!
Playing tennis like Courtney and Peter, Ellie ’23 moves up to US from SMS middle school. Lauren Moran Waddilove’s son, Taylor graduated from Rhodes. Son, David begins University of Georgia while son, Matthew begins high school. Lauren works at neighborhood Kindergarten. Continuing in MUS middle school English, Anne McCarroll McWaters says Smith started UT. Mary Virginia (“Boo”) is a St. George’s senior. MUS college counselor/administrative assistant Kim Justis Eikner hopes to see Ruth Cheney Patton, now with Bauer there. With Brooks a Princeton junior, Nora James ’22 was nominated for the Orpheum Theater High School Musical Theatre Award for the MUS musical 1776 in the Martha Jefferson role. After completing her PTA President term, Janelle Zarecor Ranieri resumed her Lakeside pickleball obsession. Son, John III (high school junior) drives and daughter, Lucy enjoys Dartmouth. Suzanne White Howell has a new home in Oakton,VA. Son, Jack enjoyed playing STEM magnet school lacrosse. Her daughter, high schooler Audrey is an animal whisperer for their pets. With a newly built Wellington, FL townhouse and great Turks and Caicos vacation Margaret Alexander Cone says Hospitality Management graduate Bowers supervises two Marco Island Marriott restaurants. Palmer loves Clemson. Margaret works fall/winter in FL and the rest in CO, KY, NY, and OH. Gail Borod Giacobbe SUMMER 2019
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CLASS NOTES returned to Microsoft as Product Management and Data Science Director. She, Antonio, Isabella and Marcus enjoyed family adventures to Mexico City, Alta, North Cascades, Italy! Gail spent a great New Orleans weekend with Virginia Reed Murphy and Fontaine Taylor Albritton. In New York Mary Louise Mooney continues editing books, often with Beth Levy, and has returned to acting (auditions and headshots!). With pink parasol, ML again led the NY Pride March as Sirens motorcycle club marshal for 50th anniversary Stonewall uprising. My husband, Andras had repeat Wine Spectator Grand Tour success with our Alana-Tokaj wine. Son, Chip loves Kindermusik, Swimkids, and Little Gym and begins preschool! My life as radiologist and Intermountain Healthcare Imaging Quality/Safety administrator is hectic but rewarding. Empty nesters since now senior Anna left for Chattanooga Baylor School, McKee and Laura Halle Nunnally say UNC junior Lizzie interned for a Sydney, Australia Advertising/Public Relations firm. Laura had great fun as Forward Arts Foundation annual fundraiser chair for Atlanta visual arts.
1991
CAMELLIA KOLEYNI
Heather Pearson Chauhan and her family had what sounds like a very exciting trip to Antarctica in January 2019! In fact, she and daughter Claire Chauhan ’25 took a picture there with an SMS sweatshirt with 44
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the “Light and Life” symbol. I can’t imagine how unique a trip that must have been! Claire is finishing up 6th grade (SMS) & son Reid is finishing up 8th grade (MUS). Heather’s business, Exceed Hormone Specialists (which focuses on perimenopausal & menopausal women) will turn 5 and has been running smoothly. Her little brother Taylor turned 30 recently and got married in Baltimore. Congratulations, Heather, on the exciting news regarding your children, business, and brother! Alison Taylor Nooks and family moved back to GA (from MO) because Kirk accepted another college Presidency as 4th President of Gordon State College (founded 1852, part of the University System of GA) and he began June 1, 2018. Alison is incredibly proud of him because he’s the youngest president in the system and the first African American to serve in this role! In her role as First Lady, Alison has made one of her key initiatives to visit nearly all of the 14-county primary service areas. She’s been busy reading to 1st graders, meeting their teachers, discussing importance of developing strong character in children, hosting teas...all while teaching part-time at Georgia State University and being a mom! In addition to new homes and new schools for the kids….they also got her father settled into a new facility. Their oldest child Anniston (straight-A, senior high school school student/ honors graduate plus “too many other accolades to list”) was accepted into all 6 of her school selections. Alison and husband Kirk are so proud of
Heather Pearson Chauhan ’91 and Claire Chauhan ’25 in Antarctica.
her! September 2018 they celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary (full vow renewal, ceremony, reception) at the Biltmore Ballrooms in Atlanta with their children (who were in the ceremony). Wow--what an incredible number of exciting events, Alison! Congratulations to all of you. Finally,Vineet and I continue to love exploring all the fun things to do in Nashville plus trying new restaurants that are opening up all the time (so many that we can’t keep track). I’m really enjoying my work with two programs that involve interprofessional groups of students (medicine, nursing, pharmacy, social work) plus clinical and advocacy work. Though we have not traveled outside the country recently, we took trips to Coeur d’Alene, ID then Washington state (both last year) as well as Asheville, NC this year.
1993
KRISTEN MISTRETTA WILSON
Each time I gather updates from my classmates for this newsletter, I am so
CLASS NOTES proud of the kind and accomplished women with whom I graduated from St. Mary’s. I am prouder still to call them all friends these many years later. The lovely Anabeth Guthrie, who is the Chief of Communications for the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. never ceases to amaze me. She delivered the 2019 undergraduate commencement address for the University of Mary Washington. In her address, she set forth five pieces of advice for the graduates’ first Monday morning in the workplace, focusing on hard work and integrity. You can find a detailed article regarding her commencement address on the umw. edu website. Courtney Mainardi Burger continues to live in Houston, TX with her family. Her twins Ellie and Alexis are completing 6th grade and son William is finishing 3rd grade. She and husband Charlie spend their lives at their children’s baseball games, field hockey and lacrosse tournaments. She does have exciting upcoming travel plans - a trip to London in July and a trip to Italy over Christmas with her parents. She continues to work in admissions at St. John’s School, where her children attend, and her husband Charlie moved from legal to compliance at AIG. Alexia Fulgham Crump continues to work in criminal court at the DA’s office, and her daughter Catherine ’34 is finishing her first year at St. Mary’s. Catherine will be starting pre-k at St. Mary’s in the fall. Alexia recently connected with Natalie Lyon Horne when Natalie was in
Larry Lacy and his wife Carol Lacy, former US English teacher, with their daughter Sarah Lacey ’94 at the Alumnae Weekend Picnic on the Playground event.
Memphis for a visit. Aparna Murti Givens shared that her little boy Karthik is now a rowdy three year old. She said that he is a chatterbox like his mama and a spitting image of his daddy. Aparna and husband Preston continue to both work for Methodist as outpatient family physicians. She loves her three full days a week schedule as it gives her lots of time with her little boy. Aparna and Preston also recently completed a marathon challenge and she quipped that they have the Ibuprofen bottles to prove it. She will be taking a trip with her sister Suvi to Salt Lake City, UT in July. Jo Cowles Ellis was excited to share that she is commercializing her brand new digital product in May 2019. She has 4 children: Anna (16), Logan (13), Bethany (11), and Alexis (9). Gretchen Wollert McLennon joined Becky Rafter for Becky’s 44th birthday bash in Atlanta. They enjoyed catching up, dishing out, and getting in some great laughs.
Becky is two-years cancer free, and recently completed a just executive leadership transition at Georgia WAND, focusing on supporting the next generation of women of color leadership in the nuclear harm reduction space. Christian Turner shared that her precious son Owen is ALL BOY! He makes the most mysterious and pensive faces and often gives her looks like he thinks that she is totally ridiculous. He is also so funny because he believes that there is never an inappropriate time or place to dance. He’s onto something! Bradley Ray Crawford shared that her family took their first big spring break trip to the California coast. Bradley, her husband Rich and the children flew into Orange County and took 11 days to drive up the coast. In true Griswold form there was plenty of fighting and lots of reminders to the kids to “please appreciate this beauty” as the trip progressed. However, the trip was truly about memories that will last a SUMMER 2019
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CLASS NOTES lifetime as they explored together and stayed in town after town. Bradley is looking forward to a low-key summer with the kids and hopes to make it home to Memphis this summer. Lee Raines Buchmann shared that her family is relocating from Denver, CO to Bozeman, MT in June 2019! They are very excited to be closer to the mountains to be able to mountain bike, ski, fly fish and hike. Alison Simmons Boyd enjoyed the ski season in Denver, CO this year with Mason (7) who is getting more confident on the slopes. So confident, in fact, that he nearly gave her a heart attack during every single run. Alison’s daughter Katherine (4) also spent her first year on the slopes and was fantastic! Alison is entering her 15th year with FedEx doing advertising and loves that it still brings her to Memphis often. Martha Allison Keltner Musick wrote that she wanted to thank the SMS family (and especially the Class of ‘93) for the support she received around the time of her mom’s death in March. She was more than reminded that the strength and the depth of St. Mary’s friendships endure. Her son William will be in JK at Grace-St. Luke’s this fall and turns 5 in November. He recently enjoyed eating shaved ice with Lisa Bratton Chiles’ children at the SMS Alumnae Weekend Picnic on the Playground in April. Mak is working part-time in Communications for St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral and has enjoyed seeing the SMS sophomore and senior classes as they visited the 46
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Cathedral this past school year. She occasionally is able to see Laura Foster Gettys ’94 and Katherine McQuiston Bush too! Mak has also revived her acupuncture practice (part-time), offering house calls to women for aches, pains and injuries and for overall well being. Julie Bhattacharya Peak’s law practice continues to keep her busy. She manages a team of 15 attorneys and is also heavily involved in diversity and equity work through Liberty Mutual and on the Board of Trust of her children’s school. She attended the NAIS People of Color conference and reconnected with Allison Wellford Parker ’83 and Hilary Davis Robinson ’90. She had a chance to connect with Gretchen Wollert McLennon and Katie Zanone Webb this winter too. In February, she happened to judge the state mock trial round with St. Mary’s students competing. She said that they were excellent and it was fun to see the young SMS ladies in action in the courtroom. Julie’s children are 13 and 10 and the family went to the Bahamas for Spring Break but they are all looking forward to the slower pace of summer. As for me (Kristen Mistretta Wilson), my husband Jake and I continue to live in Charlotte, NC with our three boys: Jacob (10), Alexander (8) and Matthew (4). We spend a lot of time at baseball and soccer fields, tennis courts, pools, and the like. I adore these boys and I am doing my very best to raise some upstanding young men. We miss our friends and family in Memphis, but
North Carolina does have a lot to offer – the mountains and the beaches are not far from Charlotte! Thanks to my wonderful SMS friends for staying in touch.
1995
CARRIE SUE CASEY HANBACK
Class of 1995 is rocking and rolling – new jobs, degrees, and cities! Elissa Mulrooney Coombs and husband Glen love their new house in the country, where her NextDoor inbox is flooded with posts about goats. We “kid” you not. (I cannot take credit for that joke – all Lisa.) She also moved jobs to work at the firm of David E. Gordon in Memphis, which she’s enjoying. And - Ragina Gupta got married! The photos are magical, and it was lovely to see fellow Turkeys Natasha Heflin Davis and Sonia Torrey celebrating with her in Durham. Best wishes, Ragini! Sonia deserves kudos for earning her Master’s Degree in counseling from University of Memphis, and for braving The Escape Room with Natasha, who continues running a Brownie troop, parttime bookkeeping, and mom duties galore in PA. Sonia and I caught up in Memphis, chatting at Railgarten while my children ran around like banshees. Murff Oates Galbreath hosted me for breakfast during my trip home, and we fell out over my terrible 9th grade yearbook photo. Go look at it. THE worst. Murff ’s two girls enjoyed Moss Hall this year, and she has tackled yoga handstands, turkey hunting, and fly fishing!
CLASS NOTES
Gabrielle Rose ’95 offers her support and expertise to SMS Lower School swim team. Pictured is Samantha Do ’30, Gabrielle’s daughter Annie Chang, and Claire Do ’29.
Simone Kiersky Coyle reports her children are growing like weeds and that she has stopped gardening because of deer. I can relate. They are like a cross between a squirrel and a horse. Kathryn Wiseman never began gardening, but did move to Birmingham, AL, for her new job as a designer with Signature Homes! She also found Simone’s missing junior yearbook, so that mystery is solved. Fellow Birminghamian Hallie Bourland Wagner is busy raising her three boys and will soon celebrate her 10th wedding anniversary. Elizabeth Richardson Fitzgerald is still teaching gifted 9th grade English at Ridgeway and Central. She chaperoned a Europe trip, where she purchased a questionable children’s book. She is also teaching daughter Erin to drive, onto sidewalks apparently. Hubcaps were lost. Speaking of English, Allison McConomy Davenport scored a discount at a bookstore
for spontaneous recitation of (part of) the prologue to The Canterbury Tales – in Middle English. Thanks, Mrs. Gill! (We also learned Ashley can still do the whole thing.) “Whan that Aprile…” PS – It was NOT my backpack. Ashley Goldstein Allen, Alysia Shell Shaver, Calder Britt Clark, Sarah Trosper Olivo and I met up in Austin, TX, where we learned the Texas Two Step with a tiny cowboy who came up to our chins. I am serious. (Also, check out Insta handle @og_joot.You’re welcome.) Ashley is a world traveler for work and pleasure; her family hit Scotland last Thanksgiving, and they met up with Calder and her crew for skiing at Steamboat over spring break. Then, Calder and Sarah connected again at Merlefest, where they listened to music in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Allison Roberts (“Aussie Al” for short) remains adventurous, having spent her 9th year as a Volunteer Guest Manager at the Australian Wildlife Conservancy Bowra Sanctuary. She continues to rehabilitate birds and teach others to do the same. She also visited New Zealand, which she loved, and is planning a trip to see family and friends stateside. Liz Jenkins has relocated from San Francisco to LA, where she was tapped to be the Chief Financial Officer at Hello Sunshine, Reese Witherspoon’s production company. So cool! I can’t wait to see her, Dhevi Kumar Broecker, Gabrielle Rose, and Olivia Ralston during our upcoming girls’ weekend in
La La Land. Cybil Mah Lieu just returned from Guatemala, where she managed a CARE trip to show a member of Destiny’s Child and actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley what the organization does to fight poverty, as well as the political implications of foreign aid or lack thereof. Hats off! Atlanta will soon welcome Morgan Chiapella Roselle in her new career as a Claims Analyst for Tanner, Ballew, and Maloof. Her sporty kids are involved in golf and baseball. She met up with Elizabeth Cochran Hill during a recent visit. Elizabeth’s kids Suzie Marie (7) and Wally (5) are doing well – and Elizabeth is halfway through nursing school, which she loves. She accepted a nurse tech job at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and is rocking the momming and working-outside-the-home gig. Congratulations on all this achievement, everyone! Elizabeth Schatz Passarella caught up with Vanessa Buch in Vanessa’s home Tucson over Easter, where they took their collective five kids old school roller skating. There were tacos, many delicious tacos.Vanessa and husband “Bird” are both teaching at University of Arizona’s law school. As for me, things are chugging along – small biz, kidz, plans to go to Ocracoke Island and San Francisco with the fam. I love getting together with fellow Richmonders Adrianne Gray Bugg ’97 and Marion Forsyth Werkheiser ’97. Adrianne and I hit up the band St. Paul and the Broken Bones. He wears a bird suit. Highly recommend. Keep in touch, y’all! SUMMER 2019
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CLASS NOTES 1997 HOLLYE FERGUSON STIGLER
Happy summer everyone! It’s been quiet on the Class Notes front this year for our class. We have one major update to share and huge congratulations for Rebecca Hanover Kurzweil. Rebecca’s debut young adult novel, The Similars, was published in January 2019 by Sourcebooks Fire. She already has the sequel in the works set to come out in January 2020. We are so proud of you, Rebecca!
1999 KELLY BUCKNER DALLAS
First of all, thanks so much to everyone who made the effort and came to celebrate our 20th class reunion at Alumnae Weekend! We really had so much fun and loved getting to catch up with friends, some whom we had not seen in years. Sidney Hawkins Gargiulo and Brittany Blockman Pelletier win the award for coming the farthest from California- and with their two precious kids. Sidney also announced that she is expecting her second child! In other baby news, Meg Parker Prewitt is expecting a baby boy in October, her first, and Erica Smith will be adding twins to her growing family! Hilary Dinkelspiel Dona is due with her first baby any day now. She is still living in New York City and working in house as employment counsel but, most of all, just getting excited about the baby! Libby Lawson Foster welcomed her second child in February, Etta 48
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Lenore Foster, and is loving her super sweet little girl. Rebecca Fones Rhea’s little boy, Bo Burnette Rhea, Jr., arrived this March. Her girls enjoy playing with and helping take care of him. Congratulations to everyone! Courtenay Adams wrote in while on her two-week trip to Croatia this spring. She has survived her 15th tax season at Dixon Hughes Goodman. I know she deserved that trip! AnneMorgan Brookfield Morgan is looking forward to spending some time in North Carolina this summer with her family. She recently was awarded the Platinum Performer award at Eli Lilly and couldn’t be more honored. Priscilla Caldwell wrote in that she is back in Memphis and just took her first round of med school boards. She is really having to work hard to keep up with those 22 year-old students. Good luck, Priscilla, I can’t imagine! Lastly, a big thanks goes to Anne-Morgan and Jenny Jones Savage for helping plan and host the reunion events. It was a team effort! As for me, we are keeping busy with the kids and looking forward to summer. Please let me know if you’re ever back in Memphis. I’d love to get together! And, mark your calendars for the big 25th reunion in five years. We’d love to have more of you able to attend!
2001 LAUREN ANDERSON STONE
Courtney Taylor Humphreys and McKee are excited to send Annie (3) to St. Mary’s Pre-K in the fall. Heloise ‘32 (5) had a blast in JK, and
Courtney has really enjoyed being at St. Mary’s so much recently. She says it has been pretty amazing to watch her daughter grow in confidence and find her voice! As her kids have grown and entered a new (little less demanding?!) phase, Courtney has had time to pursue running again and is planning to run more races this year. Hayley Bower Gerber enjoyed seeing a few classmates and many from her sister’s class at Alumnae Weekend! It made her and Anna Snyder Rojas eager to celebrate our 20th reunion, which will be here before we know it! Hayley started an art consulting business, Hayley Gerber Art, this year and is enjoying helping clients in Nashville find art for their homes and businesses. Cole and Cartter are loving kindergarten and Preschool and continue to keep her and Charlie very busy and having a lot of fun! Susan Buckner Rose welcomed son Hayes Buckner Rose in September! She reports that he’s the sweetest baby, and big sister Finley (2) loves having a real life baby to care for. Life is fun but crazy with two! Nishta Mehra and her family relocated to Phoenix over the summer (she says late July is definitely the best time to move to the desert, ha!) and are loving Arizona life. They’ve tried to take advantage of everything the city has to offer, including lots of hiking and trips to Flagstaff and Sedona. It’s been a big year, with Shiv starting kindergarten, Nishta’s new job, and her book, Brown,White, Black: An American Family at the Intersection of
CLASS NOTES
SMS Alum Moms in Chapel: Jenny Jones Savage ’99, visiting Carey Faber Campbell ’03, Sarah Matthews Pietrangelo ’01, and Anne-Morgan Brookfield Morgan ’99.
Race, Gender, Sexuality and Religion, which came out in February. She says the absolute highlight of book travel was the chance to read at Novel in Memphis, where she was supported by a big group from our class and many other SMS teachers and friends! Kemper Kelso Brennan reports that Charlotte (2) loves being a big sister to Thomas! She says Oribe Hair Care was purchased by Kao USA Inc. a year ago, and she has been very busy integrating the company, team and culture into the new environment. Tanya Sibai Race and her crew are still living in New Orleans and enjoying all festivals the city has to offer! Dudley (5) and Vivienne (2) both attend St. George’s Episcopal School, where Tanya is Treasurer for the Parents Group Board. For the past four years, she has been Chief Operating Officer for Latrobe Management, and she does freelance work on the side with Raizk Design. She and Carey King Slocum are
The Class of 2001 attend the booksigning of Nishta Mehra at Novel Memphis. BR: Joni Gossett Oates, Emily Harris Halpern, Nishta, Anna Snyder Rojas, Amanda Vogel, Kristen Beazley McGlasson. FR: Jenny Maddux Stenberg, Courtney Taylor Humphreys, and Lauren Anderson Stone.
still very close, and they love that their children get to grow up together in such an amazing city! Katherine Eder McDonell welcomed daughter Ailsa Ellen McDonell in January and enjoyed a nice maternity leave. She finished her Master of Science in Clinical Investigation (MSCI) degree last spring and just got an internal grant from the Vanderbilt Faculty Research Scholars Program to help support her research studying early behavioral changes in young adults with Huntington disease. She’s also seeing patients in clinic two days a week and hopes to apply for a NIH grant in the fall. Caroline Gardner Donlin and Pat bought a house in Chicago last summer, and Caroline was promoted to Managing Director at the bank where she works! Sarah Veazey Finney married Scott Finney on June 15, with Ashley Ayres Bryant as matron of honor! They vacationed in Charleston after the wedding and are planning a big
honeymoon to Greece sometime later this year. Sara Beth Dike Frye was recently hired by the Air Force as an Acquisition Program Manager. Coming from graphic design, it was quite a career switch, but she’s really enjoying the new challenge and contributing to our nation’s defense in a small way. She and Jason and Patrick are settling into life in Dayton, OH, and really enjoying the abundance of local parks and kids activities, though she doesn’t think she’ll ever get used to the cold! After a spell in Greenville, Louise Chandler Biedenharn and her family have moved back to Memphis, where Jay is now the Rector at Saint John’s Episcopal Church. I think my family is almost as excited to have them back as her mom is! We were also thrilled this year to welcome baby sister Mary Evelyn, who has been an absolute joy. Anderson (6) and Waring (3) are the best big brothers, so good at making her laugh and keeping her out of SUMMER 2019
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CLASS NOTES trouble since she started crawling. ME was baptized at Bishop Johnson’s final visitation at Holy Communion in April, and we had the best time celebrating with her godparents, Victoria Corder and Tony, and precious little Charles (1). We had a joint baptismal celebration with Kate Metcalf Sullivan, whose son, Carter, is six weeks younger than Mary Evelyn. His big sister Grey (2) had no trouble keeping up with all the boys and their toy power tools! Back in the hallowed halls of SMS, we used to dream about spending time together with our children someday, and it is so fun and so special to be living this phase of life alongside some of my oldest and dearest friends!
2003
LAURENCE GOODWIN
As a class we have been celebrating a wave of babies, promotions, exciting travels and moves. Alexandra Bicks appeared on Jeopardy this May as part of the Teachers Tournament. She is currently living in Boston and tries to see Jessica Pfeffer when she can. Jess has recently accepted a job at Deerfield Academy where she will be serving as the Assistant Director of Academic Support working with the Office of Inclusion to develop programs. Anne Taylor Tipton Manning, husband Reid and daughter Eleanor have happily settled in Corpus Christi. They got a chance to see Margaret Ann Klinke Mays and baby Ford on a visit home over spring break. Margaret Ann 50
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is still loving working in radiology at Methodist Hospital, focusing on breast imaging most days. Lizzie Gill is working hard at No Limits Tutoring helping students get through their exams, while Rachel Bresinger Ashkenazi has started working at an accountancy firm in Shoshan. Julia McMillen and Steve just celebrated their one year anniversary and are still living in Madison. Carmen Carson Gorospe and husband Mike welcomed a baby girl in March. Carmen is still working in food as a catering consultant, a private chef and a buyer for a restaurant group. Louise Schumacher Timmons is juggling work with Interior Designers at Jerry Pair in Atlanta and parenting her two girls, Kate and Anne Parkes. Chloe Lackie Zingaro, husband Joe and son Luke are still in Dallas where Chloe is working in private practice as a psychotherapist. Catherine Fox is finishing her PhD while living in San Diego with her husband and son. Mary Kneeland Metcalf Nice and her husband John welcomed a son, Smith, in January. Congratulations! Brianna Winsett Chapman and husband Matt travelled to Paris, Casablanca and Marrakech in February to celebrate their 10 year anniversary. Their two girls, Grace and June, are keeping them busy. Abby Yandell Talbot is still at the Ruch Clinic and enjoying spending time with daughter Winn. Mary Austin Mays Smith is keeping busy with her three little ones and her job. Her residency research article on parental preference
on sugar substitutes for their children was recently published in Pediatric Dentistry magazine. Nelie Zanca Lynch is still working in Atlanta and encourages people to visit if they are in the area. Stephanie Dunavant Loftin and husband Taylor are finally managing to take their honeymoon to Costa Rica in June. They are still enjoying living in Florida. Camille Herman Boyle is enjoying spending time with her son Charlie and has recently completed a CrossFit all female competition raising money for breast cancer support and education. Musette Morgan Connelly and husband Liam are enjoying the spring in Wisconsin; she reports that “there are turkeys everywhere. They are not shy, and one even looked like it was going to charge me the other day.” Sounds about right for a turkey! Vi West Williams and husband Andrew married last October. They live north of Dallas and enjoy creatively cooking together when not working. Melissa Malone Teague took a new position in September at Sandia National Labs working on nuclear fuels again. She is still running and hoping to complete her first 50K in the autumn. Maggie Norville Brackin and husband Sam married in April 2017 and now live in Marion, AR. As for me, I moved to the Isle of Wight (just south of Portsmouth) to take up a job as Head of Latin at Ryde School. Happily for me, I’m also directing plays at school and managing to find time to work on my latest project, an audio drama. It has been a pleasure as always to hear everyone’s news and
CLASS NOTES to be reminded of what a supportive, kind and accomplished group we are. Looking forward to our next round of notes!
I lost my mind and decided to go to law school. After three years in Tuscaloosa, we have become Bama fans.” Hillary Edwards Musice and husband Jimmy welcomed 2005 SARAH ATKINSON BALL baby James in March! Hillary is LAUREN WIYGUL RILEY navigating life with a newborn each day and loving every minute! Rainey Ray Segars is still very Barbara Phillips Hunsicker writes, happily teaching world religions and “Felicity is growing quickly, and we assistant chaplain-ing at SMS. Son are having lots of fun on the journey Teddy “is not only talking more but is of parenthood! She truly lives up to now helping me to understand that a the meaning of her name, ‘happiness.’ brachiosaurus, an argentinosaurus, and David has accepted the position a diplodocus are NOT THE SAME of associate pastor at Covenant THING, MOM. FYI - they look the Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, same.” Fully embracing her life with all boys, Lauren Wiygul Riley started AL, so after nearly a decade in Los Angeles, we are moving back to the a new adventure at Presbyterian Day South in early June and looking School this past year. She teaches sixth forward to being just a few hours grade English Language Arts, and her away from family and friends in own two boys started at PDS as well: William (age three) just completed the Memphis!” Claire Arnett Sumner Young Knights program and is headed and husband Andy welcomed baby Baird in December. As of 2019, to Pre-K in the fall, and Andrew Claire is a partner at Atlanta law (age one) happily attends the PDS firm Carlock, Copeland & Stair, nursery. Tea Stoecklein Wells and where she focuses her practice on husband Henry are expecting their healthcare and general liability defense. baby boy, Charles James Wells, in June. Congratulations to them, and we can’t Congratulations, Claire! Grace Jensen Knight still enjoys working in wait to hear the news of his arrival! Admissions at St. Mary’s. Her kids are Abby Schwimmer Fox writes, “I doing well, and oldest Mary ’32 will am happy to report that I have finally be in SK at SMS in the fall! Alison kicked the lifelong student thing and West Pettus writes, “Nashville is finished up my law degree this spring. No more school, for real this time! We great! Brittain turned two in April and loves to go to Mother’s Day Out two just bought a house in Birmingham, which we absolutely love. It’s a lot more days a week. I have absolutely loved staying at home with her, but I have manageable than Atlanta was. I will kept busy with various things. My be starting with Balch & Bingham’s energy practice group in August, which sister, Brittain West ’07, and I started an Etsy shop called The West Village, is somewhat of a continuation of the energy policy work I was doing before which designs invitations, enclosure
cards, stationery, and art as well as addresses envelopes in calligraphy. I also sub occasionally where I used to work, Harding Academy, and I help Linley Prosterman Stokes ’07 with her wedding planning business. I also assist my husband with his real estate business. So if you know someone looking for a home in Nashville, let us know!” Laura Jennings Yacoubian had fun celebrating Danielle Lewis’ bachelorette weekend in Chicago with Erica Evans and Miles Kueffner! Catie Jane Berger Myers had a baby! Cutest baby in the world Jonah arrived punctually on his due date, 8/20/18. Feline siblings Jonquil and Snapdragon are adjusting marginally well to their new brother. Elizabeth Batchelor Calkins is “just chillin’ (literally-it’s still freezing) up here north of the Mason-Dixon in Harrisburg, PA., missing the hot and humid weather of Memphis! I’m having a blast being at home with William (age 2) and our new baby girl, Carolyn (7 mos.). Marine Corps-wifeing-it is still fun, and PA isn’t all bad: I got to spend my latest babymoon in Hershey, PA (which is 20 minutes away) indulging in all things chocolate! Yumm!” Rebecca Harris is still living and working in NYC. She has moved onto a new account at work and is now working on Meow Mix, Milk-Bone, and Pup-Peroni. “It’s pretty great - and comes with the perk of being on set with super cute dogs and cats at commercial shoots.” Katie Brookoff graduates from social work school at the end of May— congratulations, Katie! SUMMER 2019
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CLASS NOTES 2007
CAITLIN CLARK CAITLIN COLCOLOUGH WILLIAMS
The Class of 2007 has had some big changes during the last year. Mary Dickinson Plosser gave birth to her second boy, William Gray on May 1, 2019. Melissa Graunke Decosimo gave birth to twin girls, Mabel Margaret and Catherine Rosemary last May, and they will be one year old on May 29. Ginni Fischer is getting married to Andrew Larkins on August 3, which will take place outside Asheville, NC. Caitlin Colcolough Williams got married to Caleb Williams on September 15, 2018. Cameron Colcolough Reynolds, Brittain West, Mary Dickinson Plosser, Virginia Dickinson LaSala, and Linley Prosterman Stokes were all bridesmaids. Mary’s elder son George and Linley’s daughter Addie were the ring bearer and flower girl! Rachael Brown Nolan recentled graduated with a MSC in Social Responsibility and Sustainability from Aston University, and looks forward to her next trip across the pond to Memphis. Anna Bearman just graduated from Memphis College of Art, and will be starting an internship with The National Civil Rights Museum in their marketing department. Charlotte Eagle is currently in graduate school at The Pratt Institute, working toward a Masters in Library and Information Sciences. She is also working as the library fellow at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and will be spending this summer creating an artist archive 52
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in New Orleans. Martha Gillon just finished her tour in Bamako, Mali with the State Department, and will be starting a new tour in Kigali, Rwanda this October. Cory Yandell Lewis had a baby boy, William Graves Lewis, on January 7. Mary Grace McQuiston Arehart got married on October 6 to Matthew Arehart. Erin Sandefer Meeks had a baby girl, Madison McKinney Meeks, on December 9, 2018 (future Turkey). She is opening a pharmacy at BMG - The Medical Group on Wolf River. Elizabeth Summitt Gordon is welcoming a baby with her husband Preston mid-July, and could not be more excited! Hoping for a future turkey! Kate Smith Mallory is graduating in May with her Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Wake Forest and will be working as a therapist at Sage Hill Counseling. Victoria Riz is graduating from Hematology/Oncology fellowship next month, and will be moving to NYC in the fall to start working as an Oncologist specializing in breast cancer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Caitlin Clark is beginning the process of applying for fellowship, and getting ready to start her final year of Internal Medicine residency in Cleveland, OH.
2009
SYLVIA BROOKOFF BAILEY BETHELL FOUNTAIN
The Class of 2009 enjoyed their 10 year reunion this spring with an excellent turnout! Aubree Penney received her Master of Fine Arts
with a distinction in Curating from Goldsmiths College, University of London. She will be in residence at Crosstown Arts in Memphis in July as she develops an exhibition on embodiment for a gallery in Pennsylvania. Alex Tyler is engaged and looking at a Fall 2020 wedding with her fiancée Kyle! She is celebrating 5 years at iProspect and still resides in Fort Worth, TX. Karen Stein Robbins was promoted to Senior Brand Marketing Manager at SPANX. She and her husband will be moving to Baltimore in July for her husband’s Gastroenterology fellowship. No fear! She will still be “shaping” lives from Baltimore. Sasha Hosick passed her licensure exam and is now an LBSW. She has been with Alabama Baptist Children’s Home in Montgomery, AL for nine months and spends her days recruiting, training, and licensing foster families while managing foster placements and supporting foster parents. Claire Riley is still teaching high school in Madrid and is entering the third year of her university program for ESL Methodology. She was reunited with Jordan Reeve and Reagan Bugg when they took a trip to sunny Spain in May! Sophie Page Lintner is moving to Austin, TX for her husband’s new advertising job. She will begin her seventh year teaching fourth grade at a private school, and will serve as the Elementary Science Coordinator as well! Natalie Jacewicz Kern graduated from NYU Law with honors. She will be a legal fellow at the Institute for
CLASS NOTES
Elise Heuberger Reecer and Mary Frances Street ‘10 having fun in Nashville, TN.
Policy Integrity, an environmental legal think tank in NYC. This past semester she testified before the New York State Senate as a legal “authority” on divesting from fossil fuels. Elizabeth Ansbro is moving to Austin, TX to work in commercial real estate. She is training for her second Chicago Marathon, this time as a St. Jude Hero in honor of Eliza Leatherman being 26 years cancerfree! Leah Bearman Pinkston has become a Licensed Professional Counselor and is working toward her Mental Health Service Provider designation. She and her husband are expecting their first baby in October 2019! McKenzie Fields is a Creative Strategist in LA. Her most recent work for Clorox has won several of the industry’s most prestigious awards
and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal and AdAge. Samantha Baumstark is recently engaged and is currently bicoastal, living in Orange County, CA and working as a software consultant for NYC Health + Hospitals. She is training for her first marathon and feels like it will probably be her first and last because running that much is not natural. Catherine Vaughn Bunker still loves teaching first grade at Christ Methodist Day School. Her daughter, Caroline, will be in Pre-K there in the fall. Gracie Gelfand is still trying product liability lawsuits across the country as an associate with Wolff Ardis P.C. and most recently was on trial teams that secured a 3.4 million dollar verdict against a Canadian trucking company in Columbia,TN, a 4.9 million dollar verdict against Ford Motor Company in Texas, and a 2.7 million dollar verdict against Kroger in Memphis. Next up is trial against Hyundai in Los Angeles. Bailey Bethell Fountain still loves her job as a Physician Assistant in Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis.
which farms private yards and sells the produce at pop-up markets. Meg Cornaghie is graduating from Baylor College of Medicine in May and is moving to Little Rock, AR to start her orthopedic surgery residency at University of Arkansas. Allyson Patterson Dalton, Margaret McClintock, and Lucy Wade Shapiro enjoyed having Teresa Hendrix Daniel and Anna Morten in Nashville for Steeplechase. Teresa Hendrix Daniel is continuing to work on her Masters in Journalism and is enjoying her role in social media at FedEx, where she recently began leading the redesign of the FedEx blog. Caroline Frisch is moving to Boston to attend Harvard Business School this fall. Meg Gould finished her first year of law school at Columbia and will be working in Sierra Leone this summer with a criminal justice organization. Naziyya Haque is graduating with a Masters of Public Health from Emory and finishing her internship with the CDC, Office of Minority Health and Health Equity. Eliza Hendrix just finished her second semester in the Occupational Therapy program at 2011 Washington University in St. Louis. MEG CORNAGHIE Becca Rinehart Howard moved to ALLYSON PATTERSON DALTON Indianapolis and is hoping to stay put for a while! After working for Free Meriweather Adams is moving People for 4 years, Tinsley McBride to Indianapolis in June for a job in will be moving to Knoxville to open warehouse operations. Catherine a new retail location as Store Brand Bolich lives in Seattle and works in sales strategy for Anheuser Busch. Allie Leader. Margaret McClintock Williams Borovik moved to Austin, enjoys her work in the Development and Alumni Relations office at TX with her husband and started Vanderbilt. her own business, Neighborfood, SUMMER 2019
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CLASS NOTES
Alumnae Chapel speaker Adira Polite ’14 speaks to students in grades 6-12 in Chapel.
2013 ANNA STUKENBORG ANNA UTLEY
Lily Yant Hurt just got married. Lida Kruchten is now a licensed CPA. Olivia Stevens is going to Vanderbilt for a Masters degree. Sophie Skouteris Mahaffey is a mom and a Registered Dietician. Dakota Beasley is working on her JD/MBA at the University of Memphis. Emma Less is working at the Levitt Shell doing communications and development and loves living with McKenzie McClanahan in the Cooper Young district. Caela Rhea is engaged and is finishing her Masters degree at the University of Alabama. Helena Anderson is in Brooklyn and working on short films, theater, and writing projects. Hana Roussey is working as an observation medical and surgery Nurse in Nashville. 54
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Catherine Moore just completed her Doctor of Pharmacy degree at Samford University and is moving back to Memphis. Mary Tuggle is leaving Goldman Sachs and starting a new job at SIMON in Manhattan. Devon Simms is in Amsterdam working as a strategic marketing analyst for FedEx. Claire Fogarty is a graphic designer and animator in Brooklyn. Anna Taylor graduated from UTHSC Nursing School and is working as a Neurology Nurse at Methodist University Hospital. Anna Stukenborg is a middle school teacher in Greenville, SC and is excited for summer. Anna Utley is living in Downtown Memphis and is also excited for summer. Bhavya Jha is moving to London in the fall to pursue her studies as a Fulbright Scholar. Callie Wallace is working in Dallas at USB in private wealth management. Anna Peeler quit nursing to pursue a doctorate degree in nursing at Johns Hopkins University. Hannah Stein Hammer is in Dallas working as a kindergarten teacher and got married this past November. Mashal Mirza is graduating with a Masters degree in public health from Emory. Danielle Tyler moved back to Memphis after completing her studies in Art History and African American Studies at UT Knoxville.
2015
MICHELLE CHU EMMA FARRIS
Katherine Harwell graduates with a degree from the University
of Tennessee, Knoxville in Global and Religious Studies with a minor in Public Policy Analytics. She is moving to Cambridge in the fall to pursue her Master’s degree in Theological Studies at Harvard. In the meantime, she will be a counselor at Camp DeSoto. Brooke Saharovici graduates Magna Cum Laude from the University of Missouri School of Journalism with a degree in Strategic Communication and dual minors in Business and Psychology. She is interning this summer at Edelman in Chicago. Emma Farris graduates from The George Washington University with a B.A. in International Affairs with concentrations in Security Policy and Latin America and a minor in Spanish. In June, she will move to San José, Costa Rica where she will be the 2019-2020 Princeton in Latin America Fellow at Fundación Arias, working on security issues in Central America. Maggie McAtee will graduate from nursing school at Auburn University. Her last semester has been full of rolling Toomer’s Corner and cheering on the basketball team. In the fall, she plans to move to Birmingham, AL to pursue pediatric nursing. As a graduating senior, Abbie Warr is a finalist for the Clarence Day Award for Community Service. She will be working toward her M.A. in Speech Language Pathology at the University of Memphis’ School of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Meredith Wells graduates with a B.S. in Neuroscience from the
CLASS NOTES University of Chicago. Next year, she will be living and working in Brazil as a Fulbright Scholar, conducting research on a project supported by St. Jude through one of its sister hospitals. Samantha Wischmeyer graduates in May with a BFA in Motion Media Design. Afterwards, she will intern with BLKBX Creative Group in Los Angeles as a designer and animator. In the meantime, she hopes to improve her baking and boxing skills. Lynley Matthews graduates with a B.A. in Biology and Psychology and will start medical school at UT in Memphis this August. In April, she was awarded the IGC Greek Leader of Distinction by the Inter Greek Council at Columbia for her work as President and VP of Finance of the Panhellenic Council. At Sewanee, Mary Jane McCaghren’s tennis team won their tennis conference championships this spring. After graduation, Mary Jane will be working for Mercer Capital in Memphis as a financial analyst. After finishing up her community health internship at the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission this semester, Nessa Steinberg graduates with high honors with a B.S. in Community Health and Health Administration from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In August, she will start grad school at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in order to pursue her Master’s degree in Epidemiology with a concentration in Aging. She is excited to be living in downtown Baltimore for the
next two years. Camille Brown graduates from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a B.S. in Criminal Justice with a minor in Forensic Psychology. At UAB, she joined Sigma Gamma Rho sorority. This year, she will be working at House Arrest, where she interned last semester. After graduation, Mary Thompson will intern with an organization called Smarthistory, which is an online art history educational resource for high school and college students. The organization also supports Khan Academy’s art history content. She will be doing image research and content management for them. Since the internship is remote, Mary will stay in Tacoma, WA. Liza Curran graduates with an accounting degree and will move to Dallas in the fall of 2020 to start her full-time job with a public accounting firm. Before moving to Texas, she will be pursuing her CPA and traveling frequently. Michelle Chu graduates from Oberlin College with degrees in Cinema Studies and Creative Writing. She plans to move out to LA following her internship with Topple Productions, shadowing the tv show, Transparent. Kylie McDowell graduates with a B.S. in Sustainable Urban Environments from NYU Tandon School of Engineering, winning the Sustainable Urban Environment Achievement Award for overall achievement in the major. Kylie also won the Founders Day Award, placing her in the top 40% of the graduating baccalaureate
students. She was accepted into NYU’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service Masters of Urban Planning Program and plans to stay in NYC after graduation. Gretchen Vogt is graduating from Northwestern University with a double major in Mechanical Engineering and Creative Writing. She will be attending Northwestern’s Masters in Engineering Design Innovation in the fall. In addition, Gretchen recently finished a first draft of her novel. Pooja Moolchandani graduates with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Southern California. Pooja will be getting her PhD in Robotics at Georgia Tech’s Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines. This summer, she will intern at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. Kathryn Mitchell graduates from the University of Mississippi with a Bachelors of Accountancy after completing an accounting internship this past semester in Memphis. She will attend the University of Mississippi for another year to get her Master’s degree in accounting. Chelsea Chin graduates from Baylor University with her B.S. in Nursing and will be moving to either Dallas, TX or Jacksonville, FL where her parents are moving. Jane Morrison graduates from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a Globe Scholar from the Kenan-Flagler Business School and Honors Carolina. This year, she will work at EY in New SUMMER 2019
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CLASS NOTES York. McKendree Walker graduates from Rhodes College with a B.A. in English with a creative writing focus in poetry and a B.A. in Spanish. Mckendree received the Allen Tate Creative Writing Award for poetry at graduation. This year, she will continue working on her photography and take on a new role as both the Creative Director and Graphic Designer for 4 Memphis Magazine.
2017 RACHEL CHIN JEAN JACKSON ANAR PARMAR
Amy Kathawala helped found a photography club called Hoya Snaps at Georgetown University. Since their startup they have received full access to benefits from the student government. She also works at the The Corp, largest student run non-profit corporation in the world. In addition to Hoya Snaps and The Corp, Amy has also been able to choreograph for Rangila, a massive philanthropy showcase of Indian dancing which has raised nearly $30,000 for nonprofits in India. Sarah Taylor is doing a project engineering co op at West rock in Demopolis, AL for the upcoming fall, spring, and summer semesters. Addie Quinlen is now the copy editor for the UR student newspaper “The Collegian” and has also written several stories for them. Grace Marr will be studying Russian this summer in New York City at Columbia University and 56
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Class of 2015 friends: Olivia Landau, Pooja Moolchandani, and Mary Jane McCaghren.
will be studying abroad this fall in St. Petersburg, Russia. Lyba Naseer is the Muslim Student Association President and received the Baptist Memorial Health Care’s Summer Scholar Internship for the summer. Annabelle Baer will be interning with Microsoft this summer. Anna Clay Panetta studied abroad in Madrid this past spring semester in order to improve her Spanish fluency and loved it so much that she is now transferring to finish her undergraduate career in Madrid. In addition to school, she will be teaching English there as well. Kate Herzke transferred to University of Memphis and her family opened a franchise of Buff City Soap. This summer she will be working there and interning at St. Jude ALSAC. Abby Shutzberg will be interning
in Israel through Onward Israel and is also going to be a Business Management intern at Intlock in Tel Aviv. Molly Aslin is on the Mount Holyoke varsity rowing team and has an internship this summer at the Cyclotron Institute at Texas A&M. Jean Jackson will be interning at V2 Media in Memphis this summer. Carmen Freeman will be interning With Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE) Partnership program which focuses on RISE to vote. Claire Hyde will be in Charleston this summer for her Morehead internship where she will be writing public art laws for the city.
MILESTONES POSTGRADUATE DEGREES
Sonia Torrey ’95 Master in Counseling, University of Memphis Katherine Eder McDonell ’01 Master of Science in Clinical Investigation,Vanderbilt University Shea O’Rourke Quraishi ’04 Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy, Florida State University Katie Brookoff ’05 Master of Social Work, Silberman School of Social Work Abby Schwimmer Fox ’05 Juris Doctor, University of Alabama Kate Smith Mallory ’07 Master of Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Wake Forest University Rachael Brown Nolan ’07 Master of Science in Social Responsibility and Sustainability, Aston University Jenny Guyton ’08 Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Management, Wharton School of Business Natalie Jacewicz Kern ’09 Juris Doctor, New York University School of Law
Aubree Penney ’09 Master of Fine Arts with a distinction in Curating, Goldsmiths College, University of London
Brooks Wingate ’12 Doctor of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee
Rachel Green ’10 Juris Doctor, Stanford Law School
Renee Yang ’12 Master of Business Administration, University of North Texas
Meredith Whitten ’10 Master of Environmental Management, Duke University
Mashal Mirza ’13 Master in Public Health, Emory University
Meg Cornaghie ’11 Doctor of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine
Catherine Moore ’13 Doctor of Pharmacy, Samford University
Naziyya Haque ’11 Master of Public Health, Emory University Mary Peeler ’11 Master of Public Health, Harvard University Katie Danehy Wagoner ’11 Master of Science/Educational Specialist in Counseling, UNC- Greensboro Belle Harris ’12 Juris Doctor, University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law Sutton MacQueen ’12 Master of Global Policy, Boston University Camille Vaughn ’12 Master of Occupational Therapy, University of Tennessee
MARRIAGES
Ragini Gupta ’95 to Patricio Garcia, April 19, 2019 Sarah Veazey ’01 to Scott Finney, June 15, 2019 Maggie Norville ’03 to Sam Walton Brackin, April 22, 2017 Mamie Kostka ’06 to Dylan Finch, May 11, 2019 Caitlin Colcolough ’07 to Caleb Williams, September 15, 2018 Mary Grace McQuiston ’07 to Matthew Arehart, October 6, 2018 Yuni Graham ’08 to Brandt Daniel Cowan, June 2, 2018
SUMMER 2019
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MILESTONES
Elizabeth Stevenson ’04 married Aaron Brenner. BR: Class of 2004: Marion Phillips, Sarah Carter, Lauren Lazar, Jennifer Soun, Elizabeth Jemison. FR: Patricia Blount Mills, Angela Wilcox Palmer, Supriya Sarkar, Elizabeth, Shea O’Rourke Quraishi, Brittany Johnson Hernandez, and Mary Stevenson ’10.
Lauren Echlin ’10 to Jacob Luna, March 23, 2019 Rachel Erin Stuart ’10 to Denton Nemeth Fogle, May 24, 2019 Shelby Chambliss ’11 to Joe Pascal, June 9, 2018 Ramie Mansberg ’12 to Jason Glick, December 23, 2018 Ellen Mitchell ’12 to Alec Ossorio, April 6, 2019 Chandler Roberts ’12 to Sam Cummins, May 25, 2019
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Katherine Donovan ’14 married Luke Dean.
Hannah Stein ’13 to Evan Stewart Hammer, November 10, 2018 Lily Yant ’13 to Ben Hurt, March 30, 2019 BIRTHS/ADOPTIONS
Brayden Elliott Boyle to Leslie Forell ’96 March 15, 2019 Etta Lenore Foster to Libby Lawson Foster ’99 February 2, 2019 Bo Burnette Rhea, Jr. to Rebecca Fones Rhea ’99 March 5, 2019
Shelby Chambliss ’11 married Joe Pascal.
MILESTONES BIRTH/ADOPTIONS (CONT.)
Ailsa Ellen McDonell to Katherine Eder McDonell ’01 January 7, 2019 Hayes Buckner Rose to Susan Buckner Rose ’01 September 22, 2019 Mary Evelyn Stone to Lauren Anderson Stone ’01 October 3, 2018 Carter Smith Sullivan to Kate Metcalf Sullivan ’01 November 24, 2018 Russell Cooper Pennoyer to Polly Klyce Pennoyer ’02 April 1, 2019 Isabel Pamela Brackin to Maggie Norville Brackin ’03 February 13, 2018 Clara Asly Gorospe to Carmen Carson Gorospe ’03 March 3, 2019 Benjamin Sanford “Ford” Mays Jr. to Margaret Ann Klinke Mays ’03 January 5, 2019 Johnston “Smith” Nice to Mary Kneeland Metcalf Nice ’03 January 6, 2019 Miles Michael Roy Collins to Lucy Harris Collins ’04 March 18, 2019
Perry Rose Eble to Hallie Rose Eble ‘04 October 15, 2018 Carter Bess Farley to Abigayle Kostka Farley ’04 January 30, 2019 Robert Charles Foti to Lauren Brooks Foti ’04 May 31, 2019 John Wilder Pinegar to Lindsey McAlpin-Pinegar ’04 November 17, 2018 Maeve Cannon Quraishi to Shea O’Rourke Quraishi ’04 May 31, 2019 Jonah Gregory Myers to Catie Jane Berger ’05 August 20, 2018 Carolyn Elizabeth Calkins to Elizabeth Batchelor Calkins ’05 October 18, 2018 Felicity Christine Hunsicker to Barbara Phillips Hunsicker ’05 August 27, 2018 James Holt Musice to Hillary Edwards Musice ’05 March 27, 2019 Benjamin Adam Schnall to Marianne Rizk Schnall ’05 April 12, 2019 Andrew Baird Sumner to Claire Arnett Sumner ’05 December 28, 2018
Mary Evelyn Stone born October 3, 2018 to Lauren Anderson Stone '01.
Mabel Margaret Decosimo and Catherine Rosemary Decosimo to Melissa Graunke Decosimo ’07 May 29, 2018 William Graves Lewis to Cory Yandell Lewis ’07 January 7, 2019 Madison McKinney Meek to Erin Sandefer Meeks ’07 December 9, 2018 William Gray Plosser to Mary Dickinson Plosser 07 May 1, 2019 Louise Stephens Ford and Michael Patton Ford, III to Elizabeth Stephens Ford ’09 April 29, 2019
SUMMER 2019
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MILESTONES PROFESSIONAL UPDATES
Kathy Buckman Gibson ’80 Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry Woman of the Year Award Shearon Barbee Christopher ’87, Physical Therapy Clinic Director Gail Borod Giacobbe ’87 Microsoft Director of Product Management and Data Science Nishta Mehra ’01 Published Brown,White, Black: An American Family at the Intersection of Race, Gender, Sexuality and Religion Shelby Deeney ’04 Senior Deputy State Public Defender Victoria Morich ’04 Senior Shopper Insights & Analytics Manager at Coca-Cola Claire Arnett Sumner ’05, Partner at Carlock, Copeland & Stair, LLP Evie Lyras ’06 Sony Pictures, digital marketing department Molly Quinn ‘06 Executive Director of OUTMemphis: The LGBTQ+ Center for the Mid-South Meredith Robinson ‘06 Talent Operations Manager for the Flatiron School, New York City 60
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Amanda Castroverde ’08 Marketing Manager of Global Acquisition for Americas at HomeAway/Vrbo
In Memoriam
Ayana Fletcher-Tyson ’08 K-2 Dean of Academics at East End Prep Jenny Guyton ’08 Joining Health Velocity Capital Estes Gould Hughes ’08 Earned real estate license in Alabama Nica Cabigao Graunke ’10 Business Manager for the rehabilitation department of Advocate Health Care, Chicago
Grace Brown Brown ’45
Rachel Green ’10 Joined Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann, & Bernstein in San Francisco Cara Greenstein ’10 5-year anniversary at local creative communications consulting firm DCA Hensley Loeb ’10 Director of Research and Business Intelligence for JLL, Miami Melissa Byrd ’12 Regional Manager at the ALSAC/ St. Jude New York City Office Alix de Witt ’12 Beginning law school at the University of Memphis Lauren Iskander ’12 Joined D.E. Shaw Group
Kempie Craddock Jenkins ’74
ATHLETIC AND WELLNESS CENTER CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
As of the end of July: • All windows have been installed and the 2nd floor is fully conditioned. • All cabling and communications wiring is being finalized. • Insulation is in place and dry wall continues to be installed on both floors. • Tiling of the faculty and staff locker rooms and kitchen will begin soon. • Final work on elevator installation is underway. • 85% of outside brickwork is complete. • Work has begun on the Haslam stairway which will be the outside route to Chapel. • Taylor Building renovations are finished along with new junior commons area, complete with lockers. Thank you for supporting St. Mary’s For Girls. For Life. For Generations. Campaign. We are grateful for your support! If you would like more information on the new Athletic and Wellness Center or how to support the project, please contact: Angie Gardner • Director of Advancement • 901-537-1421 • agardner@stmarysschool.org
ST. MARY’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL 60 Perkins Extended Memphis, Tennessee 38117-3199
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