AUTUMN VIEWS
Head of School Magazine, Summer 2025

This is normally a spot where I would share some remarks on 2024-25, which was full of remarkable moments in the 115th year of the School. It is hard to imagine, however, being able to offer words of wisdom and reflection more memorable than our own Class of 2025 Commencement speaker, James Buford ’25. I offer you a transcript of his speech, a poignant reminder to us all to invest in and elevate others and honor the present with complete attention. — AAG
By James Buford
Maybe it’s the uncertainty — the pressure to make the right choices, build meaningful relationships, and step into adult responsibilities. The future feels overwhelming, and the idea of “real life” can be daunting.
Or, is it? Upon reflection I find that this illusion of “real life” starting tomorrow confuses me.
This is real life. And that’s the point. Real life is not what happens the moment we get our diploma. It’s what has already been happening — quietly, constantly, sometimes invisibly — for the last four, seven, 10, 12, 17, 18, possibly 20 years. Real life is what was happening on those long days when you showed up in this “unholy trinity” state of tired, confused, overwhelmed, and still sat down to learn anyway. Real life was there during extra office hours, eighth grade exhibitions, outdoor Chapels, seeing practices and rehearsals pay off, hiding from Timmy and Ryan during Senior Assassin, learning to drive, getting a job. During success and triumph, disappointment and misery.
There’s a myth that life starts later. After college. After the job. After you “figure it all out.” Well first, who knows when we’ll “figure it all out.” And second, in all honesty, life has felt pretty real, maybe the most real, at this school, with these people, and you all.
And the more I look to the future, the closer I become with the past — the first grade
water party, marveling at mummification, Burke’s rendition of “Rainbow Connection” in the voice of Kermit the Frog.
We’ve already started living. And we’ve already started choosing what kind of person we want to be.
The truth is: we are becoming someone every single day. With every decision. With every response to boredom, stress, new achievements, disappointment, huge wins, or failure. We are shaping ourselves with what we give our attention to, with the way we speak to others, and with the way we speak to ourselves when no one is listening. We’ve been told to chase success. But success is not a fixed point. We never really arrive at it. It moves. It stretches. And sometimes it disappears entirely. If we de fine our lives only by how much we achieve we will always be chasing. Never arriving. But if we define our lives by what we pay attention to — by how fully we show up in ordinary moments — we begin to live now, not later. Real life is made of milestones.
And also of mornings. Commutes. Sidewalks. Long lines. Performing in talent shows, poetry festivals, pandemics, good food, maybe faith, state championships, arts, greeting Ms. Meney for the hundredth time or strangers for the first.
The things we barely notice — until one day, like today, we do.
That noticing is everything.
Because the easiest thing in the world is to become numb. To stop seeing people as people. To stop listening because we already think we know. To build walls around our empathy. And no one will call us out for it. In fact, the world will often reward us for going numb — because numb people are efficient. Quiet. Insensitive. They keep moving without stopping to feel anything…functioning, not living. They float through their days never really seeing the beauty — or the pain — right in front of them.
So I’m not going to tell you to follow your dreams. I’m going to tell you something harder. I’m going to challenge you. I’m going to ask you to stay awake. To notice things. To resist the quiet temptation to check out of your own life. Because this is real life. This is real life.
Notice the friend who always asks how you’re really doing. Notice how AJ was just as lively and caring on Zoom as they are in person. Notice Colin’s drive. Notice the deer on Garth Road which hit you twice (that’s a personal one). Notice when you’re wrong, and learn from it. Notice when you’re right, and stay humble about it. Notice the sky. Sofia’s music. Sanaa’s drawing. Sammy’s smile. The way your stomach flips when something feels real. The way it sinks when something’s not.
Because again, we don’t need to have our lives figured out. In fact, it might work out better if we don’t. Because the future doesn’t exist. The only thing that exists is now and our memory of what happened in the past. But we do need to show up for it — eyes open, heart engaged, present. Keep yourself open to the possibilities you haven’t even thought of or know exist.
Because this is real life. Not the highlight reel. Not the version we curate for others. The messy, beautiful, exhausting, bustling version that we’re in right now.
And someday — five, 10, 20 years from now — we’ll look back. What we’ll remember is how it all felt. We’ll remember the people. Mr. Bartholomew’s humor, Brynn’s quiet compassion, Kelsey’s kindness, Mr. Clark’s wisdom, Austin’s humility, Brody’s passion, Mr. Fisher’s friendship and chicken fingers. We’ll remember, not because the moments were big, but because we were awake for
So if I leave you with anything, let it be this: Stay awake to your own life. Because when our focus shifts from...
“Where will we go?” to “Look where we have come from,” “What will we do?” to “Look what we have already accomplished,”
“How will we get there?” to “Look how far we’ve reached,”
...the here and now feels pretty great. And it should.
Move forward with ambition, yes, but also with gratitude. Carry with you the lessons of this place, the imprint of those who have shaped your path, and the memories — both profound and quiet — that define this chapter. They are, in the end, what we truly have. To have grown up at this school together is a gift, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Truly. Take this gift with
Not everything will be easy. Not everything will be fair. But it will always, always be real. And if you’re paying attention, that’s more than enough.
Congratulations, Class of 2025. This is not the beginning of something. It’s the continuation of everything. Cheers to us. Let’s celebrate! Thank you all.
St. Anne’s-Belfield School
Lisa Ha, P. ’29 & ’39
Art Director
Photography Kelsey Dowling, Erika Phillips, Digital Minerva, Faculty and Staff
Editorial Contributors
James Buford ’25; Megan Carter, P. ’31, ’31, & ’35; Dr. Autumn A. Graves, P. ’33 & ’35; Lisa Ha; Seth Kushkin, P. ’24 & ’25; Shannon Mrazik, P. ’31
2024-25 Senior Administrative Leadership Team (SALT)
Dr. Autumn A. Graves, Head of School; Beth Miller, P. ’22 & ’25, Head of the Upper School; Marie Reed, P. ’27 & ’30, Head of the Middle School; Lisa Keeler, P. ’15 & ’16, Head of the Lower School; Seth Kushkin, Director of Athletics; Randie Benedict, Associate Head of School; Lisa Ha, Chief Communications Officer; Pam Winthrop, Chief Advancement Officer; Tim Stutzman, Chief Operating and Financial Officer (COFO)
As of June 6, 2025
It is with pride and admiration for our seniors that we share the list of colleges and universities that accepted members of the Class of 2025. Colleges in bold are where students plan to enroll (matriculate) in the fall.
Adelphi University
American University
Amherst College
Appalachian State University
Auburn University
Bard College
Belmont University
Boston College
Boston University
Bridgewater College
Bryant University
Bryn Mawr College
California State University (Fullerton)
California State University (Long Beach)
California State University (Los Angeles)
Case Western Reserve University
Christopher Newport University
Clark Atlanta University
Clemson University
Coastal Carolina University
College of Charleston
College of the Atlantic
Colorado State University (Fort Collins)
Coppin State University
Dartmouth College
Davidson College
Dickinson College
Drexel University
East Carolina University
Eastern Mennonite University
Elizabethtown College
Elon University
Emerson College
Fairfield University
Florida International University
Florida State University
Fordham University
Franklin & Marshall College
George Mason University
Georgia State University
Germanna Community College
Gettysburg College
Hamilton College
Hampden-Sydney College
Hampton University
Harvard University
High Point University
Hofstra University
Hollins University
Indiana University (Bloomington)
Jacksonville University
James Madison University
Johnson C Smith University
Kennesaw State University
Lawrence University
Liberty University
Longwood University
Louisiana State University
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola University Maryland
Maryland Institute College of Art
Marymount Manhattan College
Marymount University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
McGill University
McPherson College
Methodist University
Miami University (Oxford)
Michigan State University
Middlebury College
Morehouse College
Mount Holyoke College
Mount St Mary’s University
New York Institute of Technology
New York University
Nichols College
Norfolk State University
North Carolina Central University
North Carolina Wesleyan University
Northeastern University
Old Dominion University
Pace University (New York City)
Penn State University (University Park)
Pepperdine University
Piedmont Virginia Community College
Princeton University
Purdue University (Main Campus)
Queens University of Charlotte
Quinnipiac University
Radford University
Randolph College
Randolph-Macon College
Reed College
Rhodes College
Roanoke College
Rochester Institute of Technology
Roger Williams University
Rutgers University (New Brunswick)
Rutgers University (Newark)
Saint Joseph’s University
San Diego State University
San Jose State University
Sarah Lawrence College
Savannah College of Art and Design
Seton Hall University
Sewanee: The University of the South
Southern Methodist University
St Catherine University
St. John’s University
Stony Brook University
Syracuse University
Temple University
Texas A&M University
Texas Christian University
The American University of Paris
The New School
The Ohio State University
The University of Alabama
The University of Tampa
The University of Tennessee (Knoxville)
The University of Virginia’s College at Wise
Towson University
Tufts University
United States Air Force Academy
United States Naval Academy
Unity Environmental University
University of California (Berkeley)
University of California (Davis)
University of California (Irvine)
University of California (Merced)
University of California (Riverside)
University of California (San Diego)
University of California (Santa Barbara)
University of Central Florida
University of Colorado Boulder
University of Delaware
University of Denver
University of Florida
University of Georgia
University of Kentucky
University of Lynchburg
University of Mary Washington
University of Maryland (Baltimore County)
University of Maryland (College Park)
University of Massachusetts (Amherst)
University of Memphis
University of Miami
University of Michigan
University of Minnesota (Twin Cities)
University of Mississippi
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
University of North Carolina Wilmington
University of Oregon
University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh)
University of Rhode Island
University of Richmond
University of South Carolina
University of South Florida (Main Campus)
University of St Andrews
University of Utah
University of Vermont
University of Virginia (Main Campus)
University of Washington (Seattle Campus)
University of Waterloo
University of Wisconsin (Madison)
Vanderbilt University
Villanova University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia State University
Virginia Wesleyan University
Wake Forest University
Washington and Lee University
Washington University in St. Louis
Wellesley College
West Virginia University
Western Carolina University
William & Mary
Wingate University
Wofford College
Xavier University
Josh Ross Elizabeth Copeland Norfleet Award
Sophie Speidel P. ’10, ’13, & ’15 The Malone Prize
Karine Boulle P. ’19
Diana Edwards Smith Teaching Mastership
Mark Knight Michael E. Waylett Service Award
Students in Senior Regional Orchestra
10
Pathfinder Program Graduates
Learn more at stab.org/ academics/upper-school/ pathways-program
23
committed to play college sports (20%)
48 all conference student-athletes
participated in VISAA state tournaments; coed squash played in a national tournament
4
State Championship Teams
Boys’ Lacrosse
Girls’ Swimming
Girls’ Tennis
Field Hockey
All-Conference/All-State Players of the Year
Jack Adair ’25 — Dive
Quinn Eliason ’26 — Cross Country
Colin Maher ’25 — Lacrosse
Harmony Williams ’27 —
Girls’ Basketball
Chance Mallory ’25 — Boys’ Basketball
Will Browne ’25 — Swim
5
Individual State Champions
Quinn Eliason ’26 — 1,600 & 3,200 run
Tyson Boyd ’27 — Discus
Emily Maurer ’26 — Discus
Grace Browne ’28 — 100 Fly
Will Browne ’25 — 100 Free & 50 Free *
*Set VISAA state record in the 50 Free
2
State Players of the Year
Brynn Pemberton ’25 — Field Hockey
Colin Maher ’25 — Boys’ Lacrosse
54 all state studentathletes
broken in swim & dive and track & field
3
State Coaches of the Year
T.J. Dumansky — Girls’ Tennis
Nic Bell, P. ’35, ’37, & ’40 —
Boys’ Lacrosse
Phil Stinnie, P. ’09 & ’13 — Girls’ Basketball
3
League & Central VA Coaches of the Year
Ann Bell, P. ’35, ’37, & ’40 — Field Hockey
Carrington King ’98, P. ’24, ’26, & ’29 — Girls’ Lacrosse
Kristyn Wilson — Swimming
Tyson Boyd ’27 — Track (Discus) *All American honors will be published after all are released
From inspiring performances to joyful classroom celebrations, parent-led initiatives helped fuel the spirit of our school this year. The Parents’ Association (PA) and their subcommittees, the Arts Boosters and Saints Athletics Club, offered time, talent, and thoughtful touches that strengthened our programs and brought our community closer together. Whether through behind-the-scenes support or hands-on engagement, these efforts showcased the incredible impact of our families’ generosity and creativity.
• Hosted seasonal grade-level celebrations for K – 8, a Grade 9 parent/guardian social, and a senior graduation party
• Celebrated faculty daily during National Teacher Appreciation Week with meals, notes, and thoughtful gifts
• Welcomed 500+ guests during Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day for age 2 through Grade 4
• Raised $1,110 reviving the cherished St. Anne’s-Belfield Christmas tree sale tradition
• Launched a school supply delivery option for new and returning families
• Shared gratitude with faculty and staff through:
• Over 100 bouquets of flowers
• 225 Thanksgiving pies
• Delivered 57 care packages — including onesies, flowers, treats, and gift cards — for community members in times of celebration or need
• Treated Facilities staff to thank you cookies following snow removal efforts
• Hosted an end-of-year catered lunch for the Facilities, Dining Services, Grounds, and Security teams
• Raised $16,043.27 through Saints Closet, which was shopped by 207 families
• Coordinated parent/guardian library volunteers and held three after-school read-aloud events
• Sponsored the Wednesday Wellness parent/guardian enrichment program featuring “Middle School Superpowers” with Phyllis Fagell
• Supported a field trip for all seventh- and eighth-grade students to attend programming at the Paramount Theater
• Coordinated a rehearsal luncheon for Lessons and Carols performers across divisions
• Welcomed guest performers at the Upper School musical and A Cappella Fest
• Helped revive “PLUM,” the Upper School’s student literary and visual arts showcase publication
• Offered fee support for the annual Wearable Arts Runway Show and resident artist Annie Temmink ’07
• Hosted an interactive art activity station at the Fall Family Festival
• Spearheaded the launch of Art Lab, a new creative community space on the Belfield campus
• Purchased supplemental art supplies, framing, and display pedestals for cross-divisional use
• Sold flowers at performing arts events on both campuses to celebrate student performers
• Raised approximately $6,000 for strategic arts programming through the Annual Spring Plant Sale
• Organized Music and Movement receptions and Arts Boosters membership gatherings
• Created a runway design workshop for Grades 4 – 6 with guidance from Upper School students
• Purchased branded tents and coolers to support student-ath letes, teams, and school spirit at events
• Provided new physical therapy recovery equipment for athletic trainers on both campuses
• Provided volunteers for the Athletics Hall of Fame
• Helped celebrate state championship teams with funding for recognition gifts
• Sponsored guest speaker, Coach Tara Harrington, P. ’32, for families
• Funded new storage equipment to help Athletics organize uniforms and gear
• Purchased protective field tarps to maintain the quality of the baseball field
• Equipped student sportscasters with new audio technology
• Raised $3,436 from fall sweatshirt and spring t-shirt sales to support Athletics
• Offered concessions at numerous games and events across multiple fields
• Supported the creation of senior posters for each team and season
• Partnering with Upper School Student Life Committee, increased school spirit through game themes with coordinated swag
In 2023-24, we undertook the exercise of completing a Portrait of a 2036 Graduate, which defines the habits, mindsets, and skill sets we believe are essential for our graduates in the present and in the future. Per our Portrait (see portrait.stab.org), “we believe that all of our students should become exemplary citizens, as stated in our school vision statement. We define exemplary citizens as those who are strong in body, broad of mind, tender of heart, and responsive in soul, as articulated in our mission. The Portrait of a 2036 Graduate further explores how we define these ideas and our expectations for our students as they grow into exemplary citizens. Each of the School’s six core values (integrity, curiosity, diversity, creativity, agency, and impact) is found in these definitions.”
With these vital concepts defined and articulated, over the course of this school year, it has been the role of a new design team to further breathe life into the Portrait. Simply put, if we expect exemplary citizens, in what areas should double down as an age 2 through Grade 12 community?
The 2024-25 Portrait Design Team identified Civic Education and Service, Place-Based Education, and Student Voice as the three pillars, or lenses through which we should view and teach Exemplary Citizenship. Strategic programs that we choose to prioritize as a school should meet the standard of supporting at least two of these pillars. By 2036, it is our goal to have fully realized the Portrait.
These are some strategic programs I am currently considering:
(Civic Education and Service; Place-Based Education; Student Voice)
In 2025-26, the Humanities Department will be undergoing a comprehensive curriculum review to identify the strengths of the current program, help bring more vertical alignment across divisions, and intentionally design and implement a civics program that includes service to the school and service to the greater Charlottesville community.
(Civic Education and Service; Place-Based Education)
Similar to Humanities, a curriculum review of the Science Department aims to build on the great work taking place within our Science program with the aim of expanding Environmental Science to all levels, with an emphasis on field work. Examples include our Upper School Science’s license to collect data for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) and, at the very start of our program, the direct, hands-on learning our Early Childhood Program and Lower School students receive from our teachers while immersed in nature.
(Place-Based Education; Student Voice)
This year as a community, we have explored the impact and benefits of “making” in multiple ways: through the Booth Family Inspiration Speaks Series with two visits from national thought leader Kelly Corrigan, parent/guardian chats with division leaders, K – 4 STEM Night, the Wearable Arts Runway Show, and more. I have been wondering what it might look like to make “making” an experiential component in our academics through an Entrepreneurial Studies program. Is it a garden that supplies food for both our school lunches and other area schools or food banks? An egg and possibly honey business run by students? A maker’s market? The possibilities are exciting to explore. We will implement the most viable ones.
(Civic Education and Service; Place-Based Education; Student Voice)
With our second year of the Civic Engagement Initiative complete, we wish to continue building a robust service-learning program with deepened ties to a select few number of community organizations. As we mature our program, the next iteration will likely include a service to the school component, which will provide students oppor tunities to practice service in a way that provides tangible value to their own community.
Of course, this list is not comprehensive of everything underway or under consideration at the School. We know, for example, that we have work to be done to enhance our field trips and off-campus experiences. Next summer, we are also hoping to pilot a Collaborative Leadership program. The work of continually evaluating and improving ourselves in our mission to educate the whole child is never complete. I hope, however, that this provides some insight into my colleagues’ and my thinking on how we will move forward to realize our Portrait of a 2036 Graduate.
This spring, we invited parents/guardians, students Grades 6 – 12, and employees to share their experiences through the SAIS School Community Feedback Survey. The survey is designed to help independent schools reflect on how well they are meeting the expectations of their communities.
Feedback categories include a range of dimensions of school life, including academics, student support, school culture, co-curricular and extracurricular activities, dining, and more. Today, we are sharing a high-level summary of the data. A more detailed analysis will be released this fall after the Senior Administrative Leadership
Team has had the opportunity to carefully review the results and make recommendations to guide future planning. We are grateful to all who participated. Your voice plays a critical role in shaping the school’s direction and deepening our shared mission of preparing students to be, in the words of our founding headmistress Mary Hyde DuVal, “strong in body, broad of mind, tender of heart, responsive in soul.”
Scale: 5 (More than Expected) 3 (As Expected) 1 (Less than Expected)
Students participate in school clubs, athletics, fine arts, or other extra curricular activities
The school supports environmental learning
The school promotes collaboration and teamwork
The school supports the development of critical thinking
The school fosters responsible citizenship
The school supports social-emotional well being
Students, faculty, and staff are respectful of one another
The priorities, programs, and actions of the school are in alignment with the school’s mission.
Varied idealogical beliefs are welcomed and included
Each summer, I look forward to the chance to read more deeply in order to pursue answers to my various wonders, to grow in my professional practice, and for pleasure. In my role as head of an organization that employs nearly 250 faculty and staff, I often think about what draws people into the work of educating students, what sustains them, and how we stay attuned to the evolving world around us. This year’s professional development reading list reflects that curiosity.
From the neuroscience of youth motivation to the complex architecture of information networks, these books offer insight into how we learn, connect, and thrive.
I also make space for “just for fun” books, as stories can move us forward in unexpected ways, too.
Dear Alumni,
Please allow us to reintroduce ourselves. It’s your Alumni Council, reimagined.
This Founders Day, Sept. 9, 2025, we’re relaunching with a renewed focus on connection and purpose. Our goal is to give you more meaningful ways to engage with each other and St. Anne’s-Belfield School.
classmates who left a lasting impact on your life — however you choose to engage, your time and experience can make a difference.
Keep an eye out for your invitation as we kick off this exciting new chapter. Let’s shape the future of the School together. Go Saints!
Whether you’re across the street on Ivy Road or across the world, there’s a place for you. Help mentor students, host interns, serve on a committee, celebrate faculty, staff, and Alex Goodman ’03, P. ’35, ’38, ’41
Visit stab.org/news to read more
(NAIS) Equipping Students in the Age of AI with Autumn Adkins-Graves
(UVA Today) Meet the Hoo’s Hoo of Football Alumni
Helping Heath Miller in His New Career
(Daily Progress) Switch from tennis to volleyball has been a big hit for Caroline L. ’25
Getting to Know the Middle School
Where Hedgehogs Play and Learning Stays
(29 News) Eligible St. Anne’s-Belfield School seniors vote in first election
(K-12 Dive) St. Anne’s-Belfield School seniors learn the value of civic engagement and constructive dialogue
(WTVR) Watch ‘Battle of the Brains’ replay: St. Anne’s Belfield vs. Fort Defiance High School
(29 News) LEGO Robotics Competition Draws Students Across Virginia
(CBS19 News) St. Anne’s-Belfield hosts FIRST LEGO League qualifier
Meet in the Middle: Developing Healthy Boundaries
Middle School Announces Exciting Tech Pilot Program for the Class of 2031
Saints Athletics Club Fall 2024 Newsletter
St. Anne’s-Belfield School awarded the Earth Flag from The Sierra Club
Our Lower School Knows How to Put On a Show
Upper School Honors Ac ademic Life and Scholarship in a Special Community Forum
(MoonshotOS) Tackling Institutional Challenges: When do you lay down a longstanding program?
Eleanor C. ’26 Named a Winner of Voices of Democracy Student Writing Competition
(Share America) Volunteers answer Martin Luther King Jr.’s call to serve
(CBS19 News) Recycled Runway: St. Anne’s-Belfield students showcase wearable art
Exploring the Cosmos: Grade 6 Students Connect with SpaceX Astronaut Scott Poteet
Girls’ Swim and Dive Team are Division II State Champs!
(WINA Morning News) Autumn Graves
Carnegie Hall Lights Up with Young Talent
Athletics Hall of Fame Induction
Residential Life Students Get A Taste of Home During Culinary Arts Classes
St. Anne’s-Belfield Earns AP Computer Science Principles Female Diversity Award
Strokes of Inspiration
(CBS19 News) Robotics Team Wins World LEGO
Belfield to the Big Screen: A Conversation with Composer John R. Graham ’79
(29 News) One Love continues advocacy, 15 years after death of UVA lacrosse player
Celebrating Kathy Carpenter
Honoring Pearce Johnson
Math Students Can Count on Compassion in Ms. Hampton’s Class
Academic Team Competes in National Quiz Bowl Competition This Weekend
Spanish 3 Students Share Bilingual Books with Young Readers at Discovery Museum
(CBS19 News) Middle School Visits Our Lady of Peace Retirement Community
Þæt ealde Englisc gemēt þæt nīwe: Old English Meets New in Independent Study
PLUM Showcases 88 Student Visual and Literary Artists
James Buford’s ’25 Commencement Address
Middle School Teams Win KidWind World Championship
(NOAA Fisheries) NOAA Field Tests Underwater Camera Invented by Middle School Robotics Team
(NAIS) Finding the Balance of Human Connection and Technology in Admission