The Magazine of St. Christopher’s
UNITED IN SPIRIT Page 8
ANNUAL REPORT Page 66
The Magazine of St. Christopher’s
STC Magazine Staff EDITOR Kathleen Thomas VISUAL CONTENT EDITORS Cappy Gilchrist and George Knowles SPECIAL FEATURES EDITOR Gene Bruner ‘78 PHOTOGRAPHERS Jay Paul, Jesse Peters GRAPHIC DESIGN Merry Alderman Design CONTRIBUTORS Parker Cullinan ‘22; Sharon Dion, director of communications; Whitney Edwards, Upper School chaplain; Kim Hudson, director of The Center for the Study of Boys; Mason Lecky, headmaster; Derek Porter, Middle School history teacher; Jennifer Scallon, assistant director of annual giving and alumni affairs; Davis Wrinkle ‘81, director of annual giving and alumni affairs
COVER ART Kyan Patel ‘23 “In this art piece, I wanted to capture the significant events so far from this year, 2020, while still tying in my school, St. Christopher’s. The different races of hands symbolize the coming together and supporting important issues in the world and the Richmond area, uniting them together as one. Everything inside, such as the coronavirus, Richmond skyline, SpaceX, an American flag, the Red Cross symbol and Chamberlayne Hall, shows that we can still get through these tough times, together.”
St. Christopher’s School 711 St. Christopher’s Road Richmond, VA 23226 P. 804.282.3185 F. 804.285.3914 www.stchristophers.com
IN THIS ISSUE ON THE COVER 8 UNITED IN SPIRIT
Finding Community in Crises
FEATURES 28 GRADUATION
New traditions
58 ON THE FRONT LINE DEPARTMENTS 2 MESSAGE FROM THE HEADMASTER 4
FACULTY VOICES
The Rev. Whitney Edwards, Upper School chaplain Derek Porter, Middle School history teacher
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AROUND CAMPUS
Before COVID-19
42 CLASS NOTES/REUNIONS
56 FACULTY/STAFF UPDATES News Retirements New hires
66 ANNUAL REPORT 2019-20
The year in review
Thanks to all the parents, students, alumni and friends who provided content and pictures for this publication. Please send your news and photographs to scallonj@stcva.org for use in an upcoming issue.
MESSAGE FROM THE HEADMASTER
The front page of The Pine Needle dated Oct. 25, 1918 during the influenza pandemic
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From the Headmaster
Crises Can Bring Out the Best and Draw Communities Closer The Nov. 22, 1918 edition of The Pine Needle, the student publication of what was then the Chamberlayne School, to become St. Christopher’s School less than two years later, declared, “SCHOOL AT LAST OPEN — The signing of the armistice, the epidemic of the Spanish influenza, the six weeks vacation from school thereby necessitated — all these are things of the past. Once again we hear the excited hum of voices each morning as the school is called in; once again we sing loudly and lustily the daily hymn; once again we study (?) our lessons and recite them — these facts attest that we are now really back at school.” Written 102 years ago by teenage boys on our campus, could those words not be said again in the fall of 2020? There are similarities, of course, between the pandemic of 1918 and the one we face today, but also differences worth noting. While classes ceased altogether for six weeks in the fall of 1918, classes never really ceased here at St. Christopher’s in 2020. Instead, our faculty and staff pivoted — in a matter of days — to a new form of instruction, virtual delivery, upholding our mission to reach and teach young men by shifting our pedagogy in rapid and dramatic fashion. I remain humbled by and grateful to our extraordinary faculty and staff who have rallied over these past many months, remaining agile, positive, and fully committed to doing right by the boys in our care. I believe that crises can bring out the best in humanity and also draw communities closer together — I have seen both on clear display at St. Christopher’s. Like the reopening in November 1918, our return to campus this fall has been glorious, joyful, and triumphant, but also different in important and sobering ways. The return in 1918 coincided with Armistice Day — November 11, 1918 — combining a declared end to a devastating world war and the end of restrictions meant to curtail a lethal pandemic that claimed tens of millions of lives worldwide and a thousand lives in the city of Richmond alone, including our own beloved student and Chamberlayne Cadet Corp leader John “Jack” Langbourne Williams II, Class of 1919.
I remain humbled by and grateful to our extraordinary faculty and staff who have rallied over these past many months, remaining agile, positive, and fully committed to doing right by the boys in our care.
In Richmond and elsewhere on November 11, 1918, there were parades and celebrations to mark the end of local and global hardship. On our campus and throughout the world in 2020, parades and celebrations must wait. Still, we should feel no less pride and gratitude for what we have accomplished as a community these past many months. We have demonstrated the true strength of the St. Christopher’s community — our care for our boys and for each other — and we have proven, without a shadow of doubt, that our 109-year-old mission of knowing and loving boys, in person through lifelong relationships, is as vital and relevant as ever. Thank you to each one of you for your support of St. Christopher’s School — we feel it and appreciate it here on campus, even if from a distance. And may we all look forward to the day when we can, once again, gather in person in celebration of our mission and shared commitment. Yours,
Mason Lecky
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FACULTY VOICE
The Rev. Whitney Edwards teaches in an outdoor classroom.
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Let the Questions Guide Us By Whitney Edwards, Upper School chaplain Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself? Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being? — Book of Common Prayer, page 305
So much of our time at St. Christopher’s is spent in questions. From the urgent whys and hows of JK to the existential hunger of senior year, it is second nature for our boys to ask, ponder and wonder questions they may well spend their lifetimes answering.
ordination in the Episcopal Church and found a successful school for boys. Yet, of all the questions which compelled him, none would be more essential to his life and work than those of his baptism: “Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?” “Will you strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being?”
What a gift our way of life turns out to be, now as much as any time, as we are in a new season with so much that is unknown and unfolding. We gathered after six months apart, busy with a long list of very unfamiliar safety protocols and few guarantees about what our school year would look like. We are grappling as a region and nation with long unattended civil struggle calling every one of us, young and old, to examine our social, political and racial perspectives. These days are most often described as confusing, disorienting and unprecedented.
We are so fortunate to live in a community of people who value each other and the guiding principles upon which we have chosen to shape our lives.
This fall of 2020, there is much that is different and continuously changing, but what remains is far more powerful: an abiding understanding that our questions will guide us and our community will accompany us. We come by our questions honestly. The Rev. Dr. Chamberlayne, our School’s visionary and founder, was compelled by questions around the power of knowledge, the nature of God and the potential of a single man to impact the world. His questions drove him to earn his Ph.D., receive
These questions posed by the ancient rite of baptism are not the sort that can be simply asked and answered. These are questions that are answered in the arc of an entire life. As a school founded on these questions, sometimes we have to seek out opportunities to explore their meaning, be it in our studies, community service or chapel services. But other times, they come knocking upon our doors, urgently and insistently, demanding that we answer:
“Who is my neighbor?” “What do justice and peace look like?” “How can I respect another person’s dignity?” We are living in such times. Now, of course, there is another aspect to times like these of which we must be acutely aware. In our haste to find easy answers and quiet the insistent knocking, we can find the challenge to serve our neighbors to be too great, and choose not to do so. In the name of expediency, we can easily set our efforts in opposition to the causes of justice and peace. We can act to oppose, undermine or even destroy another human being’s dignity. We have that power within us, too, because we have seen it happen before. We have within us the ability to deny who we are in baptism and what we are as a community shaped in the principles of baptism. We are so fortunate to live in a community of people who value each other and the guiding principles upon which we have chosen to shape our lives. In our longing for answers we must never forget the questions we most value. If, in exploring these profound questions around how we are to live and treat others, we find our worldview shifts and definitions around community expand, so be it. We will know we are remaining true to the God who first asked them and created us to ponder them.
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FACULTY VOICE
Moving Beyond Passivity By Derek Porter, Middle School history teacher During this moment of social justice reckoning, Middle School History Teacher Derek Porter turns to lyrical reflection. Last summer, he spent time in the new Arts Center and at home working on an album titled “Bloodlines,” his first release under the artist name “SebastianSound.” It’s featured on all platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and TikTok. The doctoral candidate in the K-12 administration program at the College of William & Mary has an M.A. in religion from Yale University. He describes the album as a reflection on the comments and experiences he has “passively navigated as a Black man in majority white spaces, while doubling as a devotional that explores an intersection of race and the gospel of Jesus Christ.” He shares his perspective here.
The bells cannot shackle a teaching spirit. Outside of the school day, I am energized by my work through hip-hop. It is my megaphone to galvanize a growing community of support and also a brave space for therapeutic reflection. I have been rapping for over a decade now, but this autumn season denotes a milestone in self-expression as I release my first project on all streaming platforms. The “Bloodlines” album is an auditory application of the atonement of Jesus Christ to my contemporary experiences as a Black man. I have spent the lion’s share of my life politely participating in predominantly white spaces. This project will give listeners a glimpse behind the mask into the profound insecurities I receive grace for each day. I spent my early childhood 13 blocks from where George Floyd was murdered. Defying U.S. census data, my neighbors on either side had both parents in the home. Woefully, this made my Black experience in America an anomaly. Because of my advantage, I feel ostracized. After all, what do I know about government housing, food stamps and Title I schools? This musical journey has enabled me to identify ways in which internalized racism continues to shape me. From an early age, I felt an internal drive to conform my social persona to the worst stereotypes of my culture. I flirted with vulgar language, noncommittal relationships, oversized clothing etc., all while needing to develop burgeoning intellectual and spiritual convictions. This is what psychologists call cognitive dissonance. Tragically, due to the post-traumatic slave syndrome in this country, my positive attributes are generally disassociated with those blessed with higher levels of melanin. Everyone cares about what other people think of them. However, I have often believed myself to be at the mercy of these perceptions. Like Aaron Burr, I chose to “talk less and smile more.” It is a summation of code switching, a survival tactic used by many minorities to feign assimilation into the dominant culture. All you have to do is forfeit your potential and abandon the quest toward self-discovery.
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In an attempt to move beyond this noncommittal passivity, I speak candidly through the microphone in a complex and layered manner fraught with vulnerability and sarcasm. This is my Jacob moment (Genesis 32:24-28), wrestling in the night hours with powers beyond my capacity to control. I labor through the pain to obtain a more glorious understanding of my identity. As a Middle School history teacher, I relate to Hercules, a mixed breed misfit who underwent 12 labors to prove his inherent value. Racism is a Herculean hydra, a beast that cannot be defeated by merely severing the heads. Indeed, that is where its true power lies. Inequitable policies are a blight on society. Its first slithery tongue whispers, “You deserve everything you have. Don’t feel guilty. Uphold our traditions, and leave a legacy for your children’s children.” His twin interjects, “You have a shameful history and an unknowable future because of them. They are guilty of not only exploiting your ancestors; they have also robbed you of a legacy for your grandkids.” I have always embraced the company of a diverse friend group, but that has not shielded my soul from the insidious whispers of racism. This album is my tactical deconstruction. I share it with our community to enlist your help in severing the head of racism and searing the flesh with a hot iron so that nothing can grow back. The most scorching flame I know is passion. It burns in my heart for the glory of God in the face of Jesus. As I uproot bitterness, He applies grace. As I acknowledge my human dignity, He affirms the Imago Dei. Victory is ours.
Derek Porter records one of his songs.
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UNITED IN SPIRIT
United in Spirit
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS UPLIFT AND SUSTAIN THROUGH CHALLENGING DAYS “St. Christopher’s has been through many challenges in its storied 109-year history, including world wars, national tragedies and even another pandemic,” said Headmaster Mason Lecky. “We have made it through those, and we will make it through this, too.” St. Christopher’s sense of community has long been its hallmark. With spring quarantine, online learning and state-mandated social distancing, our greatest strength became our greatest challenge. As the virus spiraled, nationwide protests and riots, sparked by the killing of George Floyd, roiled, calling for social justice and a civil rights reckoning. The Saints community responded to both crises, going above and beyond to connect in real and meaningful ways and to address social justice issues with renewed intention. Here’s a snapshot of what transpired March through August 2020. 8 | StC Magazine
SZYMENDERA IS GRATEFUL TO BE PART OF A COMMUNITY WHOSE MEMBERS RESPOND IN CRISIS WITH, “WHAT CAN I DO?”
PUTTING CRISES IN PERSPECTIVE After 34 years at St. Christopher’s, Tony Szymendera has a broad take on challenges the School has confronted in recent decades, from the 9/11 attacks to the D.C. sniper to debilitating hurricanes and snowstorms. The COVID crisis has been different, and by far the most challenging, with the task of reinventing school, not knowing when it’s going to end or what plans can be brought to fruition. The Upper School head and varsity baseball coach grieved the loss of connection during the last months of the 2020 school year, missed time in his classroom, the ball field, as well as chapel, graduation and other year-end celebrations. Szymendera is grateful to be part of a community whose members respond in crisis with, “What can I do?” He said that every faculty member delivered with excellence, with student concerns at the forefront. “A lot of communities don’t have the talent, resilience, focus and drive this community does,” he said. “It’s always reassuring and makes you proud to be part of that kind of organization.” Amidst pandemic stress, Szymendera remained alert to social justice issues. To prepare Upper School faculty to help students engage in thoughtful conversations, he organized visits to the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and Monument Avenue/Jackson Ward areas at the conclusion of teacher orientation week in August. Also last summer, he devised a plan to substitute a ninth grade BUILD (Boys Using Innovation to Learn and Design) initiative, stalled due to social distancing requirements, with a new civil rights course to help the youngest Upper School students process current events.
Tony Szymendera The Upper School head working in his home office last spring
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UNITED IN SPIRIT
SPIRITUAL CONNECTIONS Chaplains Whitney Edwards and Durk Steed orchestrated innovative chapel services using technology with various members of the community taking part to provide comfort and inspiration to shuttered students, families, faculty, staff and alumni. Students recorded themselves reading and performing musical pieces in their homes. The School chaplains preached on such themes as personal sacrifice for spiritual growth, opportunities to give back, even in crisis, and the importance of hope. The Rev. Edwards and the Rev. Steed collaborated on several chapel talks on behalf of Lower School, and they produced an Easter chapel with the St. Catherine’s team, which featured a digital gallery of resurrection-inspired art by the kindergarten classes of St. Catherine’s and St. Christopher’s. In Upper School, Edwards kept up the beloved practice of student chapel talks, where students reminded each other they were in the crisis together. “Viewership was high, and entire families watched together, which was wonderful,” she said.
KEEPING TABS ON MENTAL HEALTH
Open Lines of Connection Upper School Chaplain Whitney Edwards and School Counselor Sazshy Kane-West discuss mental health issues during quarantine via Zoom.
“IT WASN’T PRACTICAL TO BE IN A ZOOM ROOM FOR EIGHT HOURS A DAY, SO OUTREACH WAS IMPORTANT.” — Sazshy Kane-West, School counselor
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Meanwhile Sazshy Kane-West, Middle School and Upper School counselor, faced challenges. She relies on spontaneous connections with students, running into them throughout the day and having boys drop by her office during free periods. “It wasn’t practical to be in a Zoom room for eight hours a day, so outreach was important,” she said. She connected with students she meets with regularly by text, email, phone and Zoom and dropped in on online advisory meetings. She was also part of the Student and Health Wellness team that sent out surveys to all Middle School and Upper School students. Student advisors followed up with those who communicated they were experiencing high levels of stress. Meanwhile, the Upper School hosted a virtual health and wellness day. Matt Bellace, a psychologist who is also a national speaker and author, gave a presentation, while Math and Science Teacher Casey Torrence hosted a waffle cook-off, and Math Teacher Ross Gitomer led a workout session. Ending the day on a mindful note, Chaplain Whitney Edwards and History Teacher Joshua Thomas held a guided meditation. “It was a community kind of effort doing some healthy things online, giving guys some opportunity to be reflective and maybe take a break,” said Dean of Students John Green.
EXTENDED DAY HOSTS ALUMNI AND SPECIAL GUESTS Extended Day, which provides care for children after normal school hours, pressed on virtually. Tuesday afternoons were a highlight when Teacher Nancy Steed, joined by her husband, Middle School Chaplain Durk Steed, hosted lively interviews to connect students with alumni and guest speakers. The rundown: • Swayne Martin ’15 discussed his career as an airline pilot and aviation filmmaker. • Basketball standout Nick Sherod ’16 advised: “Be consistent with your work ethic. If you work hard, you’ll be successful.” • Garrett Taylor ‘15 spoke about his football career at Penn State and recent Buffalo Bills signing. He recommended thorough preparation as the best way to handle success and attributed it as the key to his Cotton Bowl pick-six.
Garrett Taylor ‘15 One of several alumni who “Zoomed” into Extended Day
• Brandon Thomas ’16 discussed his career as a globally recognized “100 Thieves” content creator. • Craig Martin, a Richmond-based world-traveling filmmaker, talked about his new PBS docuseries on global philanthropy, “The Good Road.” His advice: “There are two things to think about when trying to help others. First, you’ve got to love people as genuinely as you love your best friend. And, second, you have to look at them as your equal.” • Finally, Will Hardy ’06 shared some career experiences in his rise from San Antonio Spurs film editor to assistant coach.
SENIORS READ WITH KINDERGARTNERS Throughout distance learning, seniors continued to connect with their kindergarten buddies through Zoom, reading, talking and sharing jokes.
ADVISORY DRIVE-BYS
Kaleb Bey ‘20 and Baylam Bowmer ‘32 Reading buddies during the 2020 school year on campus and last spring on Zoom
Upper School Spanish Teacher Asha Bandal and her senior advisees drove in separate cars to visit fellow advisory members. Outside gatherings followed socially distant protocols, with students’ parents and family sometimes joining in.
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UNITED IN SPIRIT
LEWIS HELPS LEAD 804 COACHES FOR CHANGE As protests gathered momentum, Stephen Lewis got a call from Armstrong High School Coach Darryl Watts. Lewis, who knew the basketball coach as a high school player and reconnected professionally in recent years, was Watts’ first tap for the newly formed group, 804 Coaches for Change, which aims to provide a voice for high school student athletes. The goal is to help youth handle police interactions and trauma confronted in person or online. The group organized a peaceful protest June 6 at Monument Avenue’s Arthur Ashe statue, where about 400 people showed up, more than 20 from StC. “I felt very humbled, positive and optimistic because of the turnout and everyone who wants to be involved,” Coach Lewis said. Lewis oversees the 804 Coaches for Change website, email and social media. The organization is in the process of forming a 501(c) and creating programs, most recently the CARE League, which stands for Conversations About Race & Equality. Lewis looks forward to having more discussions with the students. “We’re big on empathy at StC,” said the assistant director of athletics, director of sports information, Middle School activities coordinator and coach. “That’s a good word, at this point, for what’s going on. Everyone needs to have empathy for one another when you’re part of a team and a community. The more we can do to have players and coaches and the community as a whole understand where everyone is coming from, I believe everything will improve.”
EXTRACURRICULARS CARRY ON
Stephen Lewis 804 Coaches for Change gathered at the Arthur Ashe statue on Monument Avenue early last summer.
“EVERYONE NEEDS TO HAVE EMPATHY FOR ONE ANOTHER WHEN YOU’RE PART OF A TEAM AND A COMMUNITY.
Several Upper School clubs kept boys connected in extracurricular pursuits.
... [WHEN WE] UNDERSTAND
Political Action Committee kept its regular schedule, meeting Wednesday nights via Zoom. Attendance was lower than in-person meetings, but still averaged about 20 people per week. “PAC helped things feel somewhat normal despite being virtual,” said club President Robert Mish ’21. He said protocols were challenging at the get-go. “It’s easier to articulate what you want to say in person, easier to share perspectives, but doing it online did have some benefits. It’s nice to have a computer where you can do some quick research and fact-check yourself.”
WHERE EVERYONE IS COMING
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FROM ... EVERYTHING WILL IMPROVE.” — Stephen Lewis Assistant athletic director
Meanwhile, journalism students created an online publication, ThePineOnline2.0, which chronicled student life during the pandemic, and the yearbook staff, who use an online program, worked through the summer. Following the School closure in March, Raps & Taps Advisor Jeb Britton had the final April deadline extended, and last bits of information were collected electronically through the summer. The senior section was expanded to honor the class most affected by COVID, with parents providing additional pictures through the years. “Everyone chipped in when we reached out to get information,” Britton said. “The boys did great work to make sure the book got completed under the circumstances of being quarantined at home.” Seniors picked up their 2019-20 book before leaving for college, and other students received theirs in early September. In addition, What’s Next thrived. Founded last year by Cleighton Hilbert ’21 to help students consider a variety of majors and careers, the club organized online gatherings with guests, including former Duke University basketball player Jay Bilas.
Jay Bilas and Cleighton Hilbert ‘21
STC GENEROSITY PREVAILS
A Zoom conference call last spring for What’s Next
When the pandemic hit, StC’s development team paused fundraising appeals. As unemployment reached numbers unprecedented since the Great Depression and health concerns skyrocketed, the School focused on offering support to parents, alumni and friends. After six weeks, Director of Development Jane Garnet Brown advocated for fundraising to resume. Gifts from a pre-pandemic mailing continued through March, and voluntary calls from donors offering help provided glimmers of hope. Researching organizational responses during financial crises indicated those who buried their heads in the sand had more difficulty rebounding. “It may seem uncomfortable. It may seem like poor timing, but we had to move forward and get back to it,” Brown said. The School revived annual giving, an unrestricted fund that can help, for example, defray pandemic response costs or support families in need. It is particularly critical for 2020-21, Brown said, to maintain commitments to faculty, staff and students. The June 2 Day of Giving broke a record in number of gifts (715) as well as dollars raised ($161,982), primarily through email and phone calls. “The outpouring of support for the School was heartwarming,” Brown said. “It’s a testament to our community, a testament to our team’s hard work.”
Student publication goes online The Pine Needle converted from print to online when the School shuttered last spring.
Overall, annual giving finished out the year stronger than ever, surpassing its goal and setting a School record of more than $2 million raised.
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UNITED IN SPIRIT
Middle School Choir
SINGING SAINTS GO VIRTUAL
Virtual rendition of “Homeward Bound” The Facebook post read, “We can’t be together on campus, but we are united in spirit,” referring to the Middle School Choir’s virtual rendition of “Homeward Bound.” Colby Wallace ‘25 performed the first solo, Ben Butterfield ‘25 joined for a duet, and Walker Morris ‘26 had the second solo. “All the responses were really positive,” said Middle School Choir Director Nick Brata, noting that the School Facebook page had more than 6,500 shares. A few weeks later, the Beaux Ties performed “Seven Bridges Road” by the Eagles. In both instances, boys videotaped themselves singing while listening to prerecorded music with headphones. A professional recording studio compiled the videos and mixed and balanced the sound.
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STAYING FIT AND SUPPORTING THE ATHLETES The athletic department worked to keep athletes connected. Coaches reached out to team members via Zoom and email, sending out home workouts and drills. Coach Keith Wright, for example, demonstrated proper mechanics for a different lift each week via video, and Head Athletic Trainer Robin Eldridge posted rehab exercises for common injuries.
Athletic Connections Home workouts via Zoom kept athletes connected to their coaches during the Spring.
Meanwhile spring coaches compiled videos to honor seniors, while StC held a virtual signing day for those committed to play in college, streamed throwback games on the StC YouTube channel and held a virtual Athletic Banquet. In early June, the School put practice protocols in place and the weight room reopened for small groups by appointment. “All this was made possible by the commitment of our teachers/coaches, an amazing group of people dedicated to keeping our boys safe, active and engaged throughout,” said Director of Athletics Ren O’Ferrall.
THANKING FRONT-LINE WORKERS Thanking Front-Line Workers Chris Beach ‘23 introduces the ninth grade Creativity Through the Arts project that recognized first responders for their efforts throughout the pandemic. He also thanks his aunt for working in respiratory tents, caring for people in hospitals and “running toward danger, not away from it.”
Upper School Drama Teacher Rusty Wilson’s Creativity Through the Arts class, a ninth grade requirement, normally includes an end-of-semester project in lieu of an exam. Last spring, boys were divided into small groups on Zoom and charged with identifying a front-line worker to thank and share as a chapel service. They wrote thank-you letters, videotaped themselves reading the letters, and opened and closed the chapel service. “It was a total exercise in empathy with a wide range of people who were thanked,” Wilson said. “Some boys have parents who are firefighters or doctors, while others identified people from around the world they read about. It was nice to put faces and names to the service they were giving us and share them with our community.”
MAINTAINING TRADITION AND CELEBRATING SENIORS
New graduation traditions for 2020
StC celebrated the Class of 2020 with signs put in yards, a driveby parade and individual profiles posted on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Graduates were given a class composite, StC flag and School tie. The culminating moment was a short ceremony on the Terraces (see page 34) with administrators, where each boy was celebrated and photographed with his family.
Joe Brennan ‘20 picks up his yearbook and graduation gift from the School. FALL 2020 | 15
AROUND CAMPUS
AROUND CAMPUS
HAPPENINGS FROM THE HALLS OF ST. CHRISTOPHER’S
Author Erik Weihenmayer Visits Lower School In January, the Lower School hosted Dads Read, a program that encourages fathers or other male mentors to read with students. The event featured a Skype chat with Erik Weihenmayer, author of “No Barriers: A Blind Man’s Journey to Kayak the Grand Canyon.” Weihenmayer discussed his book and outdoor adventures as the first and only blind person to summit Mount Everest. In conclusion, boys split into groups to compete for prizes based on questions from three books they read last fall.
Battle of the Books Encourages Reading The Lower School Battle of the Books is a reading incentive program that encourages students to read good books and have fun while competing in a question-answer game. This year, 130 students comprising 12 teams turned out, with Rocky Readers declared the 2020 champs.
Youth Speaker David Flood Returns Through powerful personal stories, Youth Speaker David Flood visited StC in February with an overall message of encouragement for Middle School boys to be kind, inclusive and compassionate. He challenged students to do three things: assume that everyone has the same feelings they do, thank two adults for their support, and never let someone eat lunch alone. “The most important thing in life is how you love others and how you love yourself,” Flood said. 16 | StC Magazine
Fifth Graders Raise Money for the Hungry Fifth grade boys sold retired St. Christopher’s basketball jerseys and used the $500 raised to buy groceries for St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church’s Food Pantry. Afterward some went shopping, while others helped visitors select supplies.
Inspiration from Maggie L. Walker Second grade boys learned about the life and legacy of a Richmond community leader, businesswoman and teacher through a handson tour of the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site. The February visit was part of the curriculum tied to Black History Month.
Middle School Students Design and Build Bridges Using WhiteBox Learning, a web-based engineering, science and technology program, eighth grade students designed and built balsa wood bridges. First, boys researched designs and used physics to develop three proposals. Winning designs met project standards for stress, yield and load capacity. Once the digital prototype was approved, the boys began building. The project goal was for boys to transfer the digital aspects of design to a hands-on experience. “Where we see the students struggle the most is the build, and that’s something we actually want to see,” said Middle School Science and Health Teacher Kyle Burnette. “When they’re having a hard time, the question is, can the guys problem-solve to get to a solution?”
Peter Paul Development Center Director Addresses Race, Poverty, Public Works and Richmond’s History Mike Brown, director of volunteer services at Peter Paul Development Center, spoke to Upper and Middle School students and faculty about connections between Richmond’s history, housing policy, poverty and race. He explained how redlining, the practice of denying services and loans on the basis of geography, contributed to racial injustice and poverty, particularly in Richmond’s East End. He also explained how public works projects like the I-95 corridor displaced large numbers of African Americans who lived in neighborhoods where the highway was built. Brown encouraged students to consider volunteer opportunities at Peter Paul. He said, “There’s always something we can do about our issues, but we have to look at them from an honest place. We have to be willing to listen and maybe unlearn some things that we assumed.”
Freshmen Lead Interactive Spanish Reading with Little Saints A good way to master something is to teach it. Last spring, a class of StC freshmen visited Little Saints Day Care to read stories in Spanish. The boys practiced their language skills, writing stories and reading aloud. It reinforced classroom lessons while exposing Little Saints to another language. “My goal is for them to remember this a lot better than they would in a normal educational setting,” said Upper School Spanish Teacher Asha Bandal. “They got the chance to be the teachers in this situation.” FALL 2020 | 17
AROUND CAMPUS
Faculty Artists Showcase Talent A February art show in the Luck Leadership Center Playhouse included 25 works from St. Christopher’s and St. Catherine’s faculty.
Laura Partee, first grade co-teacher Acrylic on canvas, “Wetlands”
Amanda Livick, Upper School digital arts teacher Digital photograph, “Brooklyn”
Diego Sanchez, Upper School art teacher Opaque acrylics, “Composition 102”
Alex Knight, Middle School English teacher Acrylic on canvas, “Swimmer No. 1”
Nastassja Swift, Lower School fine arts teacher Wool felting, “Before They Wake”
Lisa Snider, Lower School director of curriculum and instruction Ceramics, wheel-thrown lidded cannister and hand-built vase 18 | StC Magazine
The Blessing of the Arts Center By Parker Cullinan ’22 For the last few years, the St. Christopher’s community has seen construction of the new building devoted to a key area: the arts. Following its completion last winter, the Louis F. Ryan Recital Hall was blessed on March 4. The Arts Center, which houses the Recital Hall, is approximately the size of the Luck Leadership Center. The 30,000-square-foot space also includes classrooms, practice spaces and recording studios to appeal to all categories of arts, not solely visual or performing. The Louis F. Ryan Recital Hall is named after an alumnus of St. Christopher’s from the class of 1965. Ryan, a current Board member, volunteer and leader, has shown impressive generosity to our School, helping turn our dream for an arts center into a reality. Ryan Dining Hall also bears his name. St. Christopher’s has aspired to build a center to house arts programs on campus since the 1990s. The Board of Governors hopes that the new building will bring the arts to similar levels of performance as athletics and academics. Now, St. Christopher’s is home to a dedicated arts space that stands out for its quality and innovation. “We worked in collaboration with sound engineers to establish high-quality acoustics for the Recital Hall,” Headmaster Mason Lecky said at an opening chapel service in February in the new space. “In fact, the engineers believe that the Louis F. Ryan Recital Hall is home to some of the best acoustics in all of Central Virginia.” Middle and Upper School students began to have classes in the new spaces in February. Leslie Long’s Middle School Band students, Brian Evans’ Lower School String Ensemble and John Winn’s Upper School Jazz Band and Rhythm Band also moved in last winter, followed by Middle School English Teacher Alex Knight and Middle School Art Teacher Marshall Ware last summer. When the Recital Hall was blessed, Mr. Lecky stated that the new space belongs to current and future students, who will sing, speak, paint, create and perform. “First, know that without you, both faculty and students, this facility is but a hollow shell,” Mr. Lecky said. “... This Arts Center, this Recital Hall, needs our voices, it needs our efforts, our triumphs and our failures to become all that it should be. I urge you all to take risks in this space, to succeed, fail, and to try again; be bold, make noise and sound; create in this space, both visually and through your words.” Opening receptions that included student and alumni performances were canceled due to COVID. Parker Cullinan ’22 wrote this story for the winter edition of the student publication, The Pine Needle.
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THE CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF BOYS
Responsible Sexual Citizenship in Today’s World: The Challenges Confronting Boys By Kim Hudson, Ph.D. Director of The Center for the Study of Boys
As we guide our boys to be future leaders in our community, our nation and our world, a topic of critical importance is responsible sexual citizenship. Although that may sound like something we would discuss only with our oldest boys, responsible sexual citizenship is really about healthy, respectful relationships, and it’s never too early to teach and model healthy relationships. Beginning in 2018, St. Christopher’s participated in a groundbreaking global research project entitled “Responsible Sexual Citizenship in Today’s World: The Challenges Confronting Boys.” The research was sponsored by the International Boys’ Schools Coalition (IBSC), and as a member of the Research Committee, I was fortunate to partner closely with Ada Sinacore, Ph.D., the principal researcher, and her team at McGill University in Montreal. The aim of the two-year study was to learn from students what information they have related to topics such as gender and sexuality, sexual health, consent, healthy and unhealthy relationships, digital responsibility and media literacy. The study also sought to find out where boys get their information about these topics and whether it is accurate. In addition, parents and teachers were surveyed about current practices regarding sexual citizenship and digital education as well as strengths, challenges and barriers to these practices. Twenty-three boys’ schools from across the world participated in this study, which is the first of its kind.
THREE KEY FINDINGS CONSENT | Most boys believed that as males they have a greater responsibility to obtain consent and viewed getting consent as formal and awkward. When given scenarios with and without alcohol, students were less able to determine consent when alcohol was present. A large majority of students surveyed were unable to identify the components of consent (which goes beyond “yes” or “no”). BYSTANDER EFFECT | Given scenarios that provide an opportunity to help someone in a vulnerable position, such as someone being cyberbullied, a majority of boys surveyed recognized that help was needed, but indicated they would not be willing to intervene. DIGITAL RESPONSIBILITY AND MEDIA LITERACY | Students overestimated the control they have over what they post online. They also indicated that they view pornography as a source of education about sex, and grade 12 respondents reported that they believe pornography influences their friends’ intimate relationships.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? It’s important to note that we are not starting from scratch in educating our boys about responsible sexual citizenship. Our faculty has been doing this work for many years, so our challenge and opportunity is to use the findings of this research to build upon our existing curriculum. We must not shy away from difficult conversations about consent, healthy relationships, and what it means to be a good citizen in person and on the screen. In partnership with parents, we need to equip our boys with developmentally appropriate knowledge about responsible sexual citizenship and provide the space and opportunities for them to ask questions and to learn without judgment.
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WELCOME NEW BOARD OF GOVERNORS MEMBERS
Dr. Mark Jones ’79
Carolyn Paulette
Laurel Wise
OrthoVirginia surgeon Mark Jones ’79 graduated from Duke University and the Medical College of Virginia. He is chief of orthopedic surgery at Johnston-Willis Hospital and associate team physician for the University of Richmond. He served on the StC Alumni Advisory (2008), the Centennial Committee, Alumni Board (1995 to 1998) and Board of Governors (1997 to 2000). His son Elliott graduated from StC in 2006 and his daughter Taylor from St. Catherine’s in 2009.
Carolyn Paulette, former StC Ampersand director, health and drama teacher, graduated from North Carolina Wesleyan College. She serves on the StC Strategic Planning Committee for Our People Task Force, the Westhampton Citizens Association and Virginia Repertory Theatre boards. Her son Will graduated from StC in 2001, and she has three grandchildren who are Saints.
Education consultant Laurel Wise graduated from Wesleyan University with a B.A. in American studies and from Johns Hopkins University with an M.A. in teaching. She taught middle and high school English before working in admissions at Gettysburg College, the University of Pennsylvania, University of Richmond and University of Miami, and as a major gifts officer at George School. Laurel has served as an ad hoc member of the Board of Governors Admissions and Marketing Committee and as a member of StC’s Strategic Planning Committee and Academic Task Force. She has two sons who are Saints, Will ’22 and Wes ’23.
The Winter 2020 edition of StC Magazine incorrectly identified the son of Board of Governor’s member Randy Daniel ‘78. He is Ian Daniel ‘12.
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The Arts Highlights from 2020 StC student theater productions
Three Groups Pull Off “Willy Wonka Kids” Fourth group canceled due to COVID-19 By Mary Tryer, Lower School music teacher The sets were beautiful, the costumes were adorable, the actors and musicians were prepared — and then — COVID-19. We were lucky to have three successful productions of Roald Dahl’s “Willy Wonka Kids.” We had all the parts covered from kindergarten Oompa Loompas to fifth grade Charlies and Wonkas. There was even a Toothpaste Factory Band that supplemented Mr. Lee Covington’s piano playing to create fun and magical musical accompaniments. I was so disappointed for the final group of actors and musicians who didn’t get their turn to take the stage and perform. They had learned all of their lines and parts and been waiting for four weeks to show their stuff. They saw Group III’s performance and were itching to go! What a letdown! Wah, wah. (Music from “The Price is Right” overbid is playing in my mind … daht, daht, dah, dah … ) Many special thanks go to Chairs Kerry Delacey and Stephanie Parker, who did a wonderful job organizing volunteers, painting sets and securing props. I would also like to thank Costume Chair Christine Valentine, Makeup Chairs Micah Morano and Betsy Nelson, and our talented artist John Wade Nelson. The sets are taken down, wrapped in plastic and stored. The costumes are washed, sorted and packed. I eagerly await the next generation of Oompa Loompas and Wonkas to take the stage, whenever that may be. I hope it is soon!
Scenes from “Willy Wonka Kids”
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Outré Bedazzles on Different Stages By Jeremy Dunn, Middle School teacher of science and drama Outré, the collaborative theater company between the middle schools of St. Christopher’s and St. Catherine’s, got to live up to its name, which means unusual, surprising and outstanding, in the 2019-2020 season. With both schools in a state of artistic flux as we build new structures for our creative endeavors, we were challenged to reimagine what our season would look like without our longtime home in good ol’ McVey Theatre. The plan was always to continue onward and provide our students with the opportunity to do our standard two productions. After a lot of work determining options, it became clear that for at least this year, our company would gain experience as a traveling troupe. The first stop on the Middle School’s grand tour for “The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland” was across the street. While relocating to the Lower School Auditorium was not an exotic locale — in fact most of our young men starred in their first roles in Lower School musicals in that very room — it was interesting to recontextualize the space for a Middle School show. Also, as you might imagine, that auditorium was busy. There’s a lot going on in there on any given day, and that’s before adding in the 80 students involved in the show. To leave the smallest footprint and disrupt our hosts the least, the students and staff designed the set to be minimalistic and modular so it could be dismantled nightly and stowed to the side of Ms. Tryer’s classroom, to then be reconstructed nightly for rehearsals and shows. “The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland” coupled with a retelling of Lewis Carroll’s poem “Jabberwocky” were perfect shows for kids to take a madcap character and truly make it their own. The cast of “Jabberwocky” especially gelled and dove into the creation of something bizarre and wonderful. For “Wonderland,” we at least had the opportunity to rehearse where we were going to perform ahead of show week. For the winter musical, the company got a true taste of what it is like to take the show on the road. Our production of “Disney’s Aladdin Jr.” was rehearsed on our home turf, but moved to the Robins Theatre at Steward School for performance week. This was a taste of the type of theater complex coming in our near future, as we gained experience with an expansive stage and fly gallery. Outré, as a company, prides itself on being student created and student run in as many aspects as possible. Asking Middle School students to learn entire new technical systems and spaces and effectively relearn all of the blocking for every scene in four days is a daunting task. But, this is exactly what they poured their all into with eagerness and enthusiasm, and then ended most nights with a dance party. Perfectly Middle School.
Scenes from “Disney’s Aladdin Jr.”
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The Arts Highlights from 2020 StC student theater productions
Not an Empty Seat in the House for One Acts By Rusty Wilson, Ampersand director and Upper School drama teacher The 2020 Winter One Acts featured 10 plays, 13 directors, at least 15 stage managers, multiple designers and more than 35 roles, with many actors playing multiple parts. Playwrights included Thornton Wilder, Samuel Beckett, David Ives, Jonathan Rand, Jon Jory, Lynn Nottage and John Wooten. The evening also featured an original play, “Soup,” written and directed by our very own Virginial Nelson ’20. From political metaphor in Beckett’s “Catastrophe,” to a series of really bad dates in “Check Please,” to Mozart being offered a commission to compose the Requiem Mass without credit, to office upheaval in “Soup,” to building the Tower of Babel in “Babel’s in Arms,” to the evolution of a relationship in “Always,” to someone being turned into a pile of dust in “Poof!”, to unexpected romance in “Arabian Nights,” to an actress who gives new meaning to “stealing a role” in “The Role of Della,” these one acts entertained on every level. The variety of plays was fantastic, taking audiences on a whirlwind of storytelling and engaging audiences of all ages. In fact, the production was so successful that audiences were being turned away because of full houses nightly. The 2020 Winter One Acts were definitely a smash hit by any standard.
Students perform in Winter One Acts.
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Student News StC student highlights and standouts
James Segneri ’26 and Joaquin Torres ’25 made All Virginia Chorus, which was canceled due to COVID. Eighty fundraisers for the St. ChristoCURES team collected $15,930 for the VCU Massey Cancer Center, with many taking part in a virtual 5K the first week of June. The team, sponsored by faculty members Asha Bandal and Kim Hudson, won the Massey Challenge for the 10th time in the past 11 years with students and captains Olivia Armfield ‘20 and Nicholas Armfield ‘20 both raising more than $2,000.
Nash Steed ’21 and Weston Williams ’21 participated in the Summer Institute for Leadership and Service, also held virtually through St Christopher’s. Drew Brown ’21 completed an online class at New York University for filmmaking and took online courses at Stagedoor Manor in directing and theater design. Kyan Patel ‘23 and his mother Kamal created a portrait called “Blue Tape” that combines the features of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Trayvon Martin and Breonna Taylor. The 33.5” x 47” piece, created on cardboard and misted with white spray paint, hangs in the StC Arts Center, and they are selling giclée prints. Kamal Patel’s statement online said, “Each part equaling the sum of one, suffocated around simple ‘Blue Tape.’”
Cochrane Summer Economics Institute at Collegiate School met virtually, and Jack Omohundro ’21 and Braxton Page ’21 took part. JJ Powell ‘23 won the RGA Junior Championship, shooting a 2-over 144 at Jefferson Lakeside Country Club. Powell won the tourney by one stroke, birdieing the 36th and final hole on Thursday, July 23. He shot a 1-under 70 in the first round, the best round of any of the competitors.
JJ Powell ‘23 competes at the RGA Junior Championship.
“Blue Tape” by Kyan Patel ‘23 and his mother Kamal
Joseph Long ’22 and Kevin Omohundro ’22 participated in the Virginia Space Coast Scholars program for high school sophomores, completing the online program during the 2020 school year, and both took part in a virtual summer program, normally held at NASA Wallops Island on the Eastern Shore. Summer Governor’s School academic programs were canceled, but these students were accepted in the following programs: Hugo Abbott ’21 and Coleman Wray ’21 (Math, Science & Technology); Scott Neely ’22 (Visual & Performing Arts for Vocal Music); and Killian Winn ’22 (Visual & Performing Arts in Drama). Miles Mullins ’21 attended a virtual Latin Language Academy, which, similar to the Governor’s School programs, is part of the Department of Education’s summer agenda. The Richmond Times-Dispatch and Sports Backers named Walker Wallace ‘20 the boys scholar-athlete of the year. He’s the fourth Saint to capture the honor, joining Pope Hackney ‘97, Clarke Gottwald ‘08 and Noah O’Neill ‘16. Walker was a threesport captain and won the Davenport Award, the School’s top athletic honor. He earned all-state honors as a receiver in football and was a three-year starter on varsity basketball, earning All-Prep honors after averaging 10 points and 6 rebounds. The All-American lacrosse goalkeeper will play at Cornell University.
Walker Wallace ‘20
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SPORTS RECAP
BASKETBALL The varsity basketball team finished 17-7, placing third in the Prep League, bouncing back from 2019’s 8-20 finish. Gill Williamson ’20 and Walker Wallace ’20 were named All-Prep League, and Keishawn Pulley ’22 made the Prep League all-tourney team.
FUTSAL The more veteran StC Red futsal team captured the 2020 Valentine Classic with tournament MVP Gerard Broussard ’20 and all-tourney selection Warner Collier ’20. The Saints swept the event with a total score of 23-0, including a 6-0 victory in the final over Collegiate School.
INDOOR TRACK The indoor track team won the Prep League championship, its fourth consecutive title. Jayden Smith ’21 was named field-event MVP in the Prep League and VISAA meet. The Saints secured a second-place finish at VISAA with Ian Smith ’20 placing second in the 1000 after winning the 500 at Preps. The 4 x 800 relay team was the state champ. Sully Beck ’20 was tremendous in the 3200 at Preps, taking the lead for good in the final lap.
SQUASH The varsity squash team finished the season 10-1 in head-to-head matchups, with only one loss to Potomac School. The team won the Mid-Atlantic Squash Tournament and placed 46th out of 115 teams in the U.S. Squash Nationals.
SWIMMING & DIVING Swimming & Diving pulled off the double, winning the Prep League and VISAA meets. Miles West ’20 took the 50-yard freestyle, and Aubrey Bowles ’21 won the 500 free to lead the way. The 200 and 400 free relays were also victorious. West broke the School record in the 50 free at states in 21.04 and also led the 200 free relay champs to a School record-breaking victory with Hunter Sundlun ’20, Emory Wise ’21 and Nick Washington ’21 (1:25.01).
Information compiled by Stephen Lewis, sports information director
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WRESTLING For the 20th consecutive year, the varsity wrestling team won the Prep League Tournament with eight individual champions and league wrestler of the year Erik Roggie ’21. Roggie, Jake Keeling ’21, David Smith ’20 and Jameson Knotts ’20 won state titles, pacing the Saints to a second-place finish. A week later the team placed 10th at National Preps behind runner-up Roggie. Kevin-Michael Schork ’21 placed third, and Keeling was seventh.
SPRING SPORTS Before COVID-19, the spring season looked promising. Lacrosse, state finalist in 2019, and tennis, unbeaten state champs in 2019, brought back talented teams who were itching to gather more hardware. Outdoor track brought back a similar team from indoor season, and baseball and golf also had outfits poised for Prep League supremacy.
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Class of 2020 28 | StC Magazine
Brett Akin
Nicholas Armfield
Meyann Avele-Eya
Hoby Ballou
Carlisle Bannister
Sully Beck
Gerard Broussard
Alaister Burke
Tomas Castro-Albano
Turner Clary
Warner Collier
Spencer Coor
Austin Ford
Hayden Forrest
George Freeman
Nigel Green
Harwell Harrison
Zach Harrison
Thomas Lamb
Porter Lewis
William Loving
Alexander Mayer
Cole McCoy
William McDermott
Joe Parker
Jonathan Phares
Jude Reiferson
Russell Richards
Oliver Sabo
Alex Sadid
Cameron Talibi
Will Tazewell
Reed Terry
Chris Thomas
Rollins Thompson
William Tune
Brian Bell
Eli Bemiss
Kaleb Bey
Elijah Bossola
Peter Bowles
Joe Brennan
Gray Broaddus
Eric Czaja
Teddy Damgard
Neal Dhar
Jack Dragone
Jack Edmonds
Harry Farley
Hank Feiler
George Hodgson
Will Horsley
Thomas Hunter
Loudon Hurt
Benjamin Jones
Zack Kirsner
Jameson Knotts
Aidan Menen
Jeffrey Moore
Garnett Nelson
Liam Nolan
Wheat O’Hagan
Bradford Owen
Vaden Padgett
Christopher Schroeder
Reynolds Short
Jack Siewers
David Smith
Ian Smith
Chas Steinbrugge
Hunter Sundlun
Hank Valentine
David Wallace
Walker Wallace
Miles West
Johnny Whitlock
Jeb Wickham
Gill Williamson
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GRADUATION 2020 | LOWER SCHOOL
LOWER SCHOOL FINAL PROGRAM Once the Lower School heard the final program would be virtual, the faculty quickly went into planning mode, deciding what would translate well via Zoom and what they might pare down. Having students lead the ceremony continued to be paramount. Accompanist Lee Covington played a piano interlude while fourth and fifth grade boys and their families signed on. Fifth grade boys provided opening and closing prayers as well as the welcoming speech. While the leader of the Lower School speech is typically a compilation of memories through the years, LT Nguyen ’27 came to St. Christopher’s in fourth grade, so he came up with a different approach that focused on Lower School core values, including kindness, courage, empathy and patience. He also presented the Chamberlayne Cup, which this year was awarded to the Chamberlayne Grays, and announced this year’s Lower School Leader, Tal Horton ‘28. The final program was followed by a campus drive-by with a slotted time for each grade level. Lower School faculty, bedecked with signs and noisemakers, lined the Pepper Avenue circle and adjacent parking lot. Each boy received a goodie bag, and each parent a handwritten expression of thanks for their patience and diligence during distance learning. “The dedication to make this as nice a moment as we possibly could made me really proud to be working with these students, faculty and staff,” said Laura Ambrogi, Lower School reading specialist/academic support services and a lead organizer of the Final Program.
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LOWER SCHOOL AWARDS DOROTHY M. BUGG MEMORIAL AWARD Tucker Wilson ’29
DUFFEY AWARD FOR LEADERSHIP IN ATHLETICS Charlie Blanton and Hugh Mack
ALBA WHITE MEMORIAL AWARD Brendan Cosby ’28
SCIENCE AWARD Coleman Mayer
WILLIAM ADAMS PINDER AWARD James Carney ’28
SPANISH AWARD Everett Reeves and Sammy Shipkoff
WILLIAM S. GRIFFITH PRIZE FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE Stanton Czajkowski ’28 and Lawler Wherry ’28
HENRY J. TOBLER ‘85 MEMORIAL AWARD FOR ART Thomas Bowen-Rees
THOMAS NELSON PAGE PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN ENGLISH COMPOSITION Matthew Matthews
OLIVIA HARDY BLACKWELL AWARD Loch Macfarlane
HELEN SHEPHERD MUSIC AWARD Gentry Vaiksnoras ANDREW BEIRNE BLAIR AWARD FOR LOYALTY AND BEST SPIRIT IN ATHLETICS Ford Morano and Henry Nelson
BEATTIE MEMORIAL PRIZE FOR LEADERSHIP LT Nguyen NORMA ALLEY PRIZE FOR FACULTY EXCELLENCE Glorietta Jones, second grade teacher HAWKINS HIDEAWAY PRIZE FOR LOYALTY AND SERVICE Gail Warren, Lower School technology coordinator/Learning Commons All student prize winners are members of the Class of 2027 unless otherwise noted.
Glorietta Jones, second grade teacher
Gail Warren, Lower School technology coordinator/Learning Commons
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GRADUATION 2020 | MIDDLE SCHOOL
August Lange ‘24, his brother Charles ‘26 and parents Mark and Tiffany
Seth Aschheim ‘24 and his father David
Kahlil Nash ‘24 and his mother Shadé
MIDDLE SCHOOL FINAL PROGRAM During the final program, Middle School Head Warren Hunter got emotional when talking about the choir’s virtual performance of “Homeward Bound” released last spring. “I missed those guys so much,” he said. “Three months of being away came pouring out.” During the truncated virtual ceremony, he said, “This spring we were bound to our homes, but St. Christopher’s is also our home. We are a community, and we are a family. Being away from each other this spring and being home was incredibly difficult. However, we know we will be able to return again … and we can’t wait until your journey leads you back to School to retrace your steps to St. Christopher’s, back to home.”
Charlie Allen ‘24 with his brother Robert ‘17, sisters Cat ‘20 and Mary Catherine ‘22 (St. Catherine’s), and parents Rob and Kathleen
Hunter also gave a message on adversity and resilience, saying the two things students can control are effort and attitude. He said he was proud of those taking action to help others, such as writing cards to health care professionals, making masks and delivering meals, and encouraged them to continue to turn their focus outward. The May 29 program also included students reading the School psalm and School prayer as well as grade-level breakouts for student remembrances, a tradition formerly held in person. “Somehow they weren’t as meaningful in person as they were online,” Hunter said. “The teachers were emotional as well.” A few days later, eighth graders also had time on campus with their families. Each had a photo taken in front of Wilton Hall and received a graduation certificate and gift card. “I was proud of how accepting everyone was of the situation,” Hunter said. “Everyone embraced this as a new normal, and they went with it, which made it very enjoyable.” 32 | StC Magazine
Joe Bell ‘24 with his brothers Pete, ‘21, Adam ‘27, Brian ‘20 and parents Mike and Hannah
MIDDLE SCHOOL AWARDS ROBERT W. BUGG AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CITIZENSHIP IN GRADE EIGHT Charlie Hudson WILLIAM R. BABCOCK ‘63 MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP Coleman Bowles MONICA FRISCHKORN WENZEL MEMORIAL SERVICE AWARD Grady White SARA WHALEY FORSYTHE MEMORIAL SCIENCE PRIZE Patrick Mayer and Nathan Parker FRANKLIN & GRACE MULLINAX MATHEMATICS AWARD Theo Cross and Grady White T. FOSTER ‘46 AND ANN WITT HISTORY PRIZE Jack Fraine Eric Brown ‘24 with his parents Karen and Eric
“I missed those guys so much. Three months of being away came pouring out.” - Middle School Head Warren Hunter
T. FOSTER ‘46 AND ANN WITT ENGLISH PRIZE Oliver Smith BENJAMIN BRISCOE WHITE MEMORIAL SPANISH PRIZE August Lange LATIN PRIZE Captain Worrell DULANEY WARD FRENCH PRIZE Charlie Seaman CHINESE AWARD Briggs Ireland WOODWORKING AWARD Patrick Mayer MUSIC AWARD Grady White DRAMA AWARD Theo Cross ART AWARD Wynn Hladky ATHLETIC AWARD Taegan Logan and Bo Stocks CENTENNIAL CITIZENSHIP AWARDS Grade 6: Lukas Gordinier, Drew Pendlebury, James Segneri, Beckett Thorp Grade 7: Dougie Boardman , Zach Davila, Nicholas Meyers, Colby Wallace, Harris Wolfe Grade 8: McGuire Boyd, Anderson Gates, Wright Hilbert, August Lange, Bennett Long, Patrick Mayer, Bo Stocks All prize winners are members of the Class of 2024 unless otherwise noted.
Bennett Long ’24 with his sister Caitlin and parents Maria and Patrick
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GRADUATION 2020 | UPPER SCHOOL
Cole McCoy ‘20 hugs his father Tim ‘87.
“The care and thoughtfulness of the ceremony mattered. It allowed the culminating moment to be uniquely ours.” - Qasarah Bey, mother of Kaleb Bey ’20 Kaleb Bey ‘20 with his mother Qasarah and grandmother Willie Mae Crump
UPPER SCHOOL GRADUATION Restrictions on in-person gatherings most impacted StC’s traditional culminating event — Commencement. Wanting to give the boys a full ceremony and provide closure, administrators came up with a plan for an intimate ceremony that gave each senior and his family a moment on the terraces.
George Freeman ‘20 with his father George ‘81 and mother Louise
All members of the Class of 2020 received a prayer from Upper School Chaplain Whitney Edwards, diploma from Upper School Head Tony Szymendera and words of remembrance from teachers compiled by Headmaster Mason Lecky, while Upper School Academic Dean and Director of College Counseling Jim Jump announced awards and recognitions. Qasarah Bey found the family ceremony for her son Kaleb unexpectedly endearing. “The care and thoughtfulness of the ceremony mattered,” said Bey. “It allowed the culminating moment to be uniquely ours.”
Nicholas Armfield ‘20 celebrates receiving his diploma with his mother Janie and sisters Carter ‘97 and Olivia ‘20 (St. Catherine’s)
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George Freeman ’81 also expressed appreciation for the personal nature of the ceremony. He reflected back on his graduation 39 years ago on the Terraces, one area of the campus that is virtually unchanged. His wife Louise said the service offered closure for her son George ’20, and she appreciated the sacrifices made by faculty, those who took part and those who stood nearby in the hot June sun three consecutive days, waving, smiling and sending well wishes.
Zack Kirsner ‘20 and family
UPPER SCHOOL AWARDS WILLIAM CARTER BOWLES JR. ’56 MEMORIAL MUSIC PRIZE Alexander Mayer and Johnny Whitlock DOUGLASS P. GRIFFITH PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN MATHEMATICS Garnett Nelson SCHOOL PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN ENGLISH Joe Parker SCHOOL PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN SPANISH Eli Bemiss SCHOOL PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE Neal Dhar SCHOOL PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN COMPUTER SCIENCE Liam Nolan and Joe Parker SCHOOL PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN HISTORY Neal Dhar MOORE PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN FRENCH Joe Parker E.W. BOSWORTH LATIN PRIZE Gray Broaddus SCHOOL SPIRIT OF CHALLENGE PRIZE Meyann Daniel Avele-Eya, Hoby Ballou and David Smith
THE HEADMASTER’S PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ST. CHRISTOPHER’S COMMUNITY Joe Parker and Jude Reiferson ALEXANDER MCNEILL CARRINGTON ’41 MEMORIAL AWARD Eli Bemiss JOHN NEWTON GRAY ’35 MEMORIAL PRIZE FOR OUTSTANDING LOYALTY Walker Wallace DASHIELL MEMORIAL PRIZE Garnett Nelson IRVING H. BLACKWELL MEMORIAL PRIZE FOR HIGH DEVOTION TO THE HONOR AND TRADITIONS OF ST. CHRISTOPHER’S SCHOOL Kaleb Bey WILLIAM CABELL BROWN PRIZE FOR CHARACTER AND ABILITY Sully Beck JOSEPH BRYAN MEMORIAL PRIZE FOR LEADERSHIP Garnett Nelson MARY ARMSTRONG-JENNINGS FACULTY AWARD Robert Johns, Upper School mathematics teacher and computer science department chair
THE REV. MELISSA K. HOLLERITH PRIZE FOR SERVICE, COMMUNITY-BUILDING AND INCLUSION Austin Ford and William Tune
ANDREW JACKSON BOLLING III FACULTY AWARD Craig Chewning, Middle School director of student conduct and mathematics teacher; Claudia Sloan, junior kindergarten teacher; and Casey Torrence, Upper School science and math teacher
CHARLES M. STILLWELL PRIZE FOR LEADERSHIP Chas Steinbrugge
CARL J. KOENIG PRIZE FOR FACULTY EXCELLENCE Ron Smith, Upper School English teacher and writer-in-residence All student prize winners are members of the Class of 2020.
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GRADUATION 2020 | UPPER SCHOOL
2020 UPPER SCHOOL AWARDS Upper School awards are normally announced during an assembly in late May, which could not take place this year due to COVID. Senior recognitions were celebrated at their graduation ceremonies on the Terraces with their families, and juniors will be recognized this fall.
DAR GOOD CITIZENSHIP AWARD Alexander Mayer
PHYSICS AWARD Sully Beck and Garnett Nelson
GLEE CLUB AWARD William Tune
ECONOMICS AWARD Garnett Nelson
POETRY SOCIETY OF VIRGINIA AWARD Joe Brennan
RPI SCIENCE AWARD Edward Pasco ’21
VISUAL ART AWARDS (PHOTOGRAPHY) PRESENTED BY THE ALLIANCE FOR YOUNG ARTISTS & WRITERS Drew Brown ’21 (silver key) Charles Hancock ’23 (silver key) Christian Johnson ’21 (gold key & silver key) Freddy Preston ’22 (gold key)
BAUSCH + LOMB HONORARY SCIENCE AWARD Coleman Wray ’21
OUTSTANDING UPPER LEVEL FRENCH STUDENT Alexander Mayer
RANDOLPH-MACON COLLEGE LEADERSHIP AWARD Jayden Smith ’21
LA SOCIEDAD HONORARIA HISPANICA Kevin Omohundro ’22 and Will Wise ’22 NATIONAL LATIN EXAM Gray Broaddus (gold summa cum laude) Austin Ford (cum laude)
ST. LAWRENCE BOOK AWARD Jack Omohundro ’21 HAMPDEN-SYDNEY BOOK PRIZE Mac Suskind ’21
SEWANEE BOOK AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN WRITING Colin Royal ’21 KENYON COLLEGE PRESIDENTIAL BOOK AWARD Will Stevens ’21 WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY BOOK AWARD Hugo Abbot ’21
JUNIOR HISTORY PRIZE Jayden Smith ’21
WILLIAM & MARY LEADERSHIP AWARD Cleighton Hilbert ’21
WORLD HISTORY II RESEARCH PAPER AWARD Willy Hall ’23 and Kevin Omohundro ’23
WEST POINT LEADERSHIP AWARD Curtis Hale ’21
BRITISH LITERATURE AWARD Jack Ireland ’22 WILBUR DAVIS BAILEY PRIZE Colin Royal ’21 BIOLOGY AWARD Wheat O’Hagan CHEMISTRY AWARD Turner Clary and Brad Owen
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO AWARD Drew Brown ’21 WILLIAMS COLLEGE BOOK AWARD Nash Steed ’21 DARTMOUTH BOOK AWARD Morey Levy ’21 JEFFERSON BOOK AWARD Edward Pasco ’21 HARVARD CLUB OF VIRGINIA PRIZE Coleman Wray ’21 All students are members of the Class of 2020 unless otherwise noted.
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CL ASS OF 2020 COLLEGE ATHLETES With 26 college athletes, the Class of 2020 has more college athletes than any other class in school history.
These include Meyann Avele-Eya (Bridgewater College, football), Kaleb Bey (Randolph-Macon College, football), Gerard Broussard (Campbell University, soccer), Alaister Burke (University of Richmond, tennis), Warner Collier (VMI, soccer), Jack Dragone (Mary Washington University, swimming), Nigel Green (Millersville University, basketball), George Hodgson (Denison University, lacrosse), Loudon Hurt (University of Virginia, wrestling), Thomas Lamb (Washington and Lee University, wrestling), Porter Lewis (Salisbury University, lacrosse), Cole McCoy (Denison University, lacrosse), Aiden Menen (Santa Clara University, crew), Jeff Moore (Denison University, football), Wheat O’Hagan (Trinity College, soccer), David Smith (Shenandoah University, wrestling) Ian Smith (Columbia University, track and field), Hunter Sundlun (Gettysburg College, swimming), Will Tazewell (University of Richmond, lacrosse), Reed Terry (Louisville University, rugby), Christian Thomas (Brown University, football), William Tune (University of Richmond, cross country/track), Walker Wallace (Cornell University, lacrosse), Miles West (George Mason University, swimming), Jeb Wickham (VMI, football), Gill Williamson (Virginia Tech, basketball).
AP Scholars Brett Akin Hoby Ballou Brian Bell Kaleb Bey Elijah Bossola Peter Bowles Evan Carpenter ‘21 Turner Clary Spencer Coor Teddy Damgard Hayden Forrest Oliver Hale ‘21 Robert Hancock ‘21 Charlie Holdaway ‘21 Thomas Hunter Thomas Lamb Wheat O’Hagan Henry Poarch Ian Smith Mac Suskind ‘21 Evan Thompson ‘21 Christian Thomas Miles West
AP Scholars with Honor Alaister Burke Tomas Castro-Albano Warner Collier Will Farrell ‘21 Curtis Hale ‘21 Harwell Harrison Cleighton Hilbert ‘21 Will Horsley Loudon Hurt John Jordan ‘21 Jameson Knotts Aidan Menen Alan Padgett Colin Royal John Sadid Herbert Short William Tazewell Reed Terry Max Wallace Henry Weatherford ‘21 Riley Wood
National AP Scholars Sully Beck Garnett Nelson Joe Parker Chas Steinbrugge
AP Scholars with Distinction Hugo Abbot ‘21 Sully Beck Eli Bemiss Neal Dhar Jack Edmonds Harry Farley Austin Ford Mike Hawkins ‘21 Zack Kirsner Morey Levy ‘21 William Loving Alexander Mayer Miles Mullins ‘21 Garnett Nelson Liam Nolan Jack Omohundro ‘21 Bradford Owen Joe Parker Edward Pasco ‘21 Jude Reiferson Chas Steinbrugge Nash Steed ‘21 Will Stevens ‘21 William Tune Hank Valentine Walker Wallace Weston Williams ‘21 Emory Wise ‘21 Coleman Wray ‘21
Commended National Merit Students (top 5% nationally) Sully Beck Eli Bemiss Austin Ford Garnett Nelson Brad Owen Joe Parker Walker Wallace
Lexus Pursuit of Perfection Sully Beck Neal Dhar Walker Wallace All students are members of the Class of 2020 unless otherwise noted.
Gerard Broussard ’20
FALL 2020 | 37
GRADUATION 2020 | UPPER SCHOOL
ATHLETIC AWARDS Presented at the 63rd Athletic Banquet, June 2020
BUERLEIN DISTANCE RUNNING AWARD Sully Beck
STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING AWARD Hank Feiler and Hayden Forrest
HUGH BRENAMAN FOOTBALL AWARD Hayden Forrest
VOICE OF THE SAINTS AWARD Joe Brennan and William McDermott
ANNA P. GOODALE SOCCER AWARD Warner Collier and Wheat O’Hagan
MONOGRAM AWARD Neal Dhar, Ian Smith, Hank Valentine
JAMES W. PROFFITT ’48 BASKETBALL AWARD Walker Wallace and Gill Williamson
ROBERT WILLIAMS HERZOG AWARD Garnett Nelson
FUTSAL AWARD Gerard Broussard
JAMES TURNER SLOAN II ’40 AWARD Meyann Avele-Eya, Jameson Knotts, David Smith
RANDOLPH BURWELL CARDOZO JR. ’74 INDOOR TRACK AWARD Ian Smith
BRADFORD ALLEN PARRISH ’91 AWARD Harry Farley and William Tune
SQUASH AWARD Vaden Padgett and Chris Schroeder
TALMADGE ABBITT DUPRIEST ’91 AWARD Sully Beck and Cole McCoy
SWIMMING & DIVING AWARD Gray Broaddus
NELSON HILL HOTCHKISS JR. ’70 AWARD Gill Williamson
E. OTTO N. WILLIAMS ’27 WRESTLING TROPHY Loudon Hurt
ATHLETIC DIRECTOR’S AWARD FOR COMPETITIVE EXCELLENCE Alaister Burke, Gerard Broussard, Jeff Moore, Ian Smith, Miles West
JOHN R. BRINSER BASEBALL AWARD Brian Bell, Ben Jones and Rollins Thompson
JOHN T. SIEGEL ’57 MEMORIAL PRIZE Kaleb Bey
HARRY W. EASTERLY JR. ’40 GOLF AWARD Oliver Sabo, Alex Sadid, Christopher Schroeder
SLATER PRIZE Will Tazewell
C. BRAXTON VALENTINE ’41 LACROSSE AWARD Teddy Damgard, Jack Edmonds, Harwell Harrison, George Hodgson, Porter Lewis, Cole McCoy, Jeff Moore, Jack Siewers, Will Tazewell, David Wallace, Walker Wallace, Gill Williamson
DAVENPORT TROPHY Walker Wallace
OUTDOOR TRACK AWARD Meyann Avele-Eya, Hoby Ballou, Sully Beck, Warner Collier, Neal Dhar, Hank Feiler, Nigel Green, Ian Smith, Chas Steinbrugge, William Tune, Hank Valentine, Johnny Whitlock BART JAN LAVERGE ’57 TENNIS AWARD Eli Bemiss, Alaister Burke, Austin Ford, Joe Parker
ALBERT LUCK “PETEY JACOBS” MEMORIAL AWARD FOR DISTINGUISED COACHING Track Coach Chris Carrier COACHES AWARD Given to students who have participated in a sport each of their 12 Upper School seasons Meyann Avele-Eya, Sully Beck, Neal Dhar, Hank Feiler, Austin Ford, George Hodgson, Cole McCoy, Ian Smith, Chas Steinbrugge, William Tune, Hank Valentine, Walker Wallace, Johnny Whitlock All students are members of the Class of 2020.
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COLLEGE DESTINATIONS BRIDGEWATER COLLEGE Meyann Avele-Eya
LEHIGH UNIVERSITY George Freeman
BROWN UNIVERSITY Chas Steinbrugge Chris Thomas
MILLERSVILLE UNIVERSITY Nigel Green
BUCKNELL Zach Harrison CAMPBELL UNIVERSITY Gerard Broussard CLEMSON UNIVERSITY Brian Bell Hank Feiler COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON Christopher Schroeder COLLEGE OF WILLIAM & MARY Vaden Padgett Alex Sadid COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY Joe Parker Ian Smith CORNELL UNIVERSITY Walker Wallace
RANDOLPH-MACON COLLEGE Kaleb Bey SALISBURY UNIVERSITY Porter Lewis SAMFORD UNIVERSITY Johnny Whitlock SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY Aidan Menen SHENANDOAH UNIVERSITY David Smith STANFORD UNIVERSITY Jude Reiferson TEMPLE UNIVERSITY Oliver Sabo TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY Jonathan Phares Jack Siewers TRINITY COLLEGE Wheat O’Hagan
DENISON UNIVERSITY George Hodgson Cole McCoy Jeffrey Moore
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA Will Horsley
FURMAN UNIVERSITY Russell Richards
UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE Reed Terry
GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY Miles West
UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON Jack Dragone
GETTYSBURG COLLEGE Hunder Sundlun
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Zachary Kirsner
INDIANA UNIVERSITY Joe Brennan William McDermott
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL Nicholas Armfield Garnett Nelson
JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY Hoby Ballou Carlisle Bannister Tomas Castro-Albano Benjamin Jones Cameron Talibi
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND Alaister Burke Will Tazewell William Tune UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA Teddy Damgard Hayden Forrest David Wallace UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA Sully Beck Eli Bemiss Elijah Bossola Gray Broaddus Neal Dhar Jack Edmonds Harry Farley Austin Ford Harwell Harrison Loudon Hurt Jameson Knotts William Loving Liam Nolan Hank Valentine VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE Warner Collier Reynolds Short Jeb Wickham VIRGINIA TECH Turner Clary Spencer Coor Eric Czaja Thomas Hunter Brad Owen Rollins Thompson Gill Williamson WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY Peter Bowles WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY Thomas Lamb Alexander Mayer
UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA Brett Akin
FALL 2020 | 39
AROUND CAMPUS
NEW STUDENT LEGACIES
2020 GRADUATING LEGACIES
Junior Kindergarten
Carlisle Bannister IV, son of Carlisle Bannister III ’90
Leo Al-Attiyah, son of Dave Al-Attiyah ‘89
Eli Bemiss, son of Sam Bemiss ’73 and grandson of Gerry Bemiss ‘40 *
Marshall Croft, son of Marshall Croft ‘98
Peter Bowles Jr., son of Peter Bowles ’88 and grandson of Gene Bowles ‘55
Parker Gottwald, son of Thomas Gottwald ‘05 and grandson of Teddy Gottwald ‘79 Hunter Loving, grandson of George Howell III ‘74 Bowie Lyne, son of Wickliffe Lyne Jr. ‘98 James Martin, grandson of Larry Blanchard III ‘68 Win Noble, son of Joey Noble ‘00 Hays Ould, grandson of Johnny Burke ‘70 James Trice, son of Holt Trice Sr. ‘87 and grandson of Frank Trice Jr. ‘56
Gray Broaddus, son of Allie Broaddus ’84 and grandson of Reuben Broaddus Jr. ‘47 Turner Clary, grandson of Bev Clary ‘66 * and Jim DeJarnette IV ‘54 * Warner Collier, son of Brian Collier ’85 Harry Farley, son of Mathew Farley ’87 Hayden Forrest, son of Alex Forrest III ’86 George Freeman IV, son of George Freeman III ’81
Kindergarten
Will Horsley, son of Shelt Horsley IV ’81 and grandson of Shelton Horsley III ’45 *
Mills Broaddus, son of Chris Broaddus ‘93
Benjamin Jones, son of Wayland Jones ’80
Cardwell Grandis, son of David Grandis ‘91
Thomas Lamb, son of Doug Lamb ’89
Wilson Guthridge, son of Morgan Guthridge ‘99 and grandson of Charlie Guthridge ‘63
Cole McCoy III, son of Tim McCoy Jr. ’87
Sebi Harris, son of Matt Harris ‘04
Garnett Nelson, son of Kinloch Nelson ’89, grandson of Kinloch Nelson ’61
Wit Ramsey, grandson of Armistead Talman ‘50 *
Bradford Owen, son of David Owen ’93
Owen Tate, grandson of Charles Snead ‘75 and great-grandson of L.O. Snead Jr. ‘45 *
Vaden Padgett II, son of Vaden Padgett ’91
First Grade Vaught Lyne, son of Wickliffe Lyne Jr. ‘98
Second Grade Quinton Wallace, son of Wally Wallace IV ‘93, great-grandson of Bill Wallace Jr. ‘28 *
Joe Parker IV, son of Jody Parker III ’92, grandson of Joe Parker Jr. ’63 Christopher Schroeder Jr., son of Chris Schroeder ’89 Jack Siewers, son of John Siewers III ’91 Rollins Thompson, son of Carter Thompson ’85 and grandson of Matthew Thompson ’60 Hank Valentine IV, son of Henry Valentine III ’77 and grandson of Henry Valentine Jr. ’45
Sixth Grade
David Wallace, son of Arch Wallace IV ’86
Colter Hackney, son of Roby Hackney ‘93
Walker Wallace, son of Fleet Wallace ’86 and grandson of Gordon Wallace ’55
Marshall Luck, son of Marshall Luck Jr. ‘94
Johnny Whitlock Jr., son of John Whitlock ’75
Eighth Grade John Thompson, son of Jack Thompson ‘96
Ninth Grade Braxton Bourne, grandson of Gene Bourne ‘57 Miller Tatum, grandson of Scott Miller ‘67 * Deceased
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NEW MISSION STATEMENT UNVEILED In September 2020, the School introduced a new mission statement. Approved by the Board of Governors at a March 4 retreat, the unveiling was delayed due to COVID and the resulting uncertainty.
NEW MISSION STATEMENT
For three years, the Board of Governors, administrative team and faculty prepared for the update. A periodic review, required by Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS) accreditation, is considered good practice for independent schools. The 2019 VAIS accreditation and strategic planning processes affirmed that an update to the mission statement, one that more succinctly captures the essence of St. Christopher’s, was in order.
• We take pride in our whole-boy approach to education. A St. Christopher’s education develops boys intellectually, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
The previous statement served St. Christopher’s exceptionally well for more than 25 years.
St. Christopher’s School knows, loves, and celebrates boys, promotes their pursuit of excellence, and prepares them for lives of honor and integrity, service, and leadership.
CORE BELIEFS • We love and understand boys. St. Christopher’s cherishes boys for their energy, curiosity, competitiveness, sense of fair play, humor, and lack of pretension.
• We are committed to academic excellence and preparing boys both for college and for life. St. Christopher’s offers a superior academic program that provides a foundation both for success in college and for lifelong learning. • We recognize that we are part of something greater than ourselves. St. Christopher’s embraces the Episcopal Schools’ tradition that: sees each person as a child of God; values inclusion and spiritual growth; seeks to educate for lives of meaningful service. • We value the power of relationships and community. At the heart of the St. Christopher’s experience is a close-knit sense of community built on meaningful relationships between students and adults that both inspire each boy to become his best self and give him the confidence to serve the larger community both locally and globally. • We believe that every boy has both the capacity and responsibility to make a positive impact on the world around him. Boys are inspired by a sense of mission and heroic purpose, and St. Christopher’s actively encourages each boy to find and fulfill his unique promise to serve others. • We care most about developing young men who possess character and integrity. The defining feature of a St. Christopher’s education is the development of character— honor and integrity, personal responsibility, compassion and respect for others, and willingness to work hard.
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION STATEMENT St. Christopher’s School is committed to the holistic development of each student in order to help every boy reach his full potential. The School fosters a diverse and inclusive school community in which every boy is known, loved, and celebrated for his individual gifts and perspective. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion is based on a genuine respect and appreciation for individual differences that enrich our School and reflect the broader community that we serve. Further, our commitment to diversity and inclusion ensures that each student is prepared to engage and lead in an interconnected world with integrity, civility, and respect. The foundational element of St. Christopher’s is our community, strengthened by our diversity and our trust in one another, and thus, our fervent belief that all who come here are essential. FALL 2020 | 41
CLASS NOTES 1970s 1969
John Harris was mentioned in the same story. Harris serves as the online service announcer and has been involved with the radio broadcasts since 2004.
Are you interested in becoming a class scribe? We are recruiting alumni to help us gather news. If interested, contact Jennifer Scallon: scallonj@stcva.org.
1960s 1964 CLASS SCRIBES Mr. Thomas “Bumby” Cary Gresham ‘64 fenwayfan1952@hotmail.com Harry “Le” Leland Frazier Jr. ‘64 lighthorsesh@verizon.net George Ross Scott wrote, “Due to my desire to be mobile in my search for interesting places to live and good work opportunities, I bought an RV, a 30-foot travel trailer, which I tow behind my Ford F-150 pickup truck. In my first nine months of learning to tow it to the various places I have been, it has been quite an adventure. It is not so unlike the life that I lived for years before that, living aboard various boats in my travels up and down the East Coast, working in the yacht brokerage business.”
1966 CLASS SCRIBE Gus Epps ’66 auguste48@gmail.com Steve Kemp, volunteer administrator and engineer at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, was mentioned in an April story in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. While many churches scrambled to stream services in a COVID world, Grace Covenant easily carried on because it has broadcast Sunday services weekly since 1924, in recent years with Kemp’s help.
1973
Earlier this summer, Hobie Claiborne completed a nine-year term on the Board of Governors at St. Catherine’s, serving as chair the last two years.
1980s 1980
Vernon Glenn is now a father of three — Emmys, that is. For the third straight year, he received an award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Glenn has been the weekend sports anchor/weekday sports reporter on KPIX-5 in San Francisco since 2012.
1974
Paul Basden has co-written a book, “Tough Stuff Parenting: Helping Your Kids Navigate Faith and Culture,” which deals with such challenging issues as divorce, alcohol, drugs and suicide.
1977
Frank Maloney continues to develop his radio businesses in Richmond. His sports radio program, “Hoos Talking,” embarked on its 12th season in August. It will surpass the 400 live broadcasts mark in late 2020, and his business program, “Speaking Frankly,” kicked off its second season in late August. He was delighted to report that classmate Robert Brooke and StC Headmaster Mason Lecky were guests on his business show during season one.
1978
Vern Glenn ‘80
1983 CLASS SCRIBE Alexander Macauley ’83 alexander@macjamlaw.com
1984
Allie Broaddus is the new vice president and commercial relationship manager at Chesapeake Bank, a 120-year-old company headquartered in Kilmarnock, Virginia.
Just before the pandemic struck, classmates from the Class of 1978 gathered at Streamsong Resort in Florida. Jim Cain, Pratt Cook, John Orgain and Ed Schoeffler enjoyed a few rounds in the sun. Schoeffler was happy to treat everyone to drinks that afternoon, when he had a hole-in-one on the fifth hole at Streamsong Blue. Attendees said it was a nice getaway before stayat-home orders shut things down.
Golf gathering for the Class of 1978: John Orgain, Ed Schoeffler, Pratt Cook and Jim Cain
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1985
Billy McGuire received a service award for 30 years of service with Goochland County Fire-Rescue.
Lankford Wade ’95 Supports NYC Health Care Workers By George Knowles
1986
As chief financial officer at Summit Medical Group/CityMD, Lankford Wade ‘95 and his group are squarely in the middle of the effort to provide care to patients in New York City, initially one of the areas hardest hit by COVID-19.
Sasha Vlahcevic moved from New York back to London to launch a credit opportunities fund (Acer Tree Investment Management) with former colleagues there.
1987
John McLeod’s architectural firm, McLeod Kredell Architects, in Middlebury, Vermont, was named a 2020 Design Vanguard by Architectural Record magazine, along with nine other national and international firms.
1990s 1990
Greg Case is completing his seventh year at Komatsu America as a senior design engineer, designing large mining trucks.
1994 CLASS SCRIBE Massie Ritsch ’94 massie.ritsch@gmail.com Thomas Yeatman, his wife Darcy and their daughters live on Florida’s Space Coast, where he has been leading a transformation of food services at the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne. The Denver-based company he works for serves zoos and other institutions nationwide. Errett Buis has visited the Class of ’94’s very own “Florida Man” and reports that the Yeatmans have a sweet hot tub and can watch rockets launch from their backyard. Speaking of backyards, if your summer or fall bonfires got smoke in your eyes, Miles Clarkson has the solution. A lover of all things outdoors, Miles and his business partners created and sell fire pits around which there’s “no bad seat at the fire.” The design reduces smoke with a “specially designed flange and airflow system.” If you thought you’d never see the word “flange” in this magazine, well, you just got smoked. Check out the
Wade is responsible for running the group’s finances, and much of his work is the procurement of essential medical supplies and testing kits. “It’s my job to ensure that all the back-office pressures that might exist in a traditional medical practice are taken care of so our clinical workforce can show up every day and think of nothing else but how to take care of patients.” The group, which owns and operates 130 urgent care facilities in and around New York City, conducts thousands of coronavirus tests per day, and Wade pays close attention to the disease progression. At one point, he estimated that his group conducted more than 25% of COVID-19 testing in the area, which placed a heavy burden on urgent care staff and continues to push their limits. “We have to figure out how to motivate the workforce to show up for work every day, knowing that they are going to be on the front lines and engaging with the sickest of the sick and risking their own health,” said Wade. “It’s almost like they’re on the front lines of a war. They have to walk into an urgent care center where there’s likely a line of people that want to come in the door who are all displaying symptoms of the virus.” During such a challenging time, Wade credits much of his attitude toward teamwork and resilience to his time at StC. “It taught me how to play a role as a team member,” he said. “In an environment like this one, you have to realize that you can trust the person next to you, just like when I was a member of the St. Christopher’s football team. You do your part and play your role, and the person next to you will play theirs.” This story was written last spring at the outset of the pandemic.
Richmond-based company, Burly, and place your order at burlyusa.com. Bonfires and beers pair nicely, don’t they? Carter Bundy’s home-crafted brews under the label “Backdeck Brewery” have won a number of awards at recent Virginia beer competitions: a silver medal in the international amber lager category at the 2019 Dominion Cup, a gold medal in the IPA category, and the brewer’s choice award for IPAs, which gave Carter and his
brewing/life partner Claire an opportunity to craft their beer at Kindred Spirit Brewery in Goochland. “We brewed our recipe on their system, and they sold it to their patrons.” Earlier this year, before we had to stop drinking together, Carter and Claire competed in the Virginia Beer Blitz put on in Tidewater by Colonial Ale Smiths & Keggers (CASK). They received the silver medal for American stouts and gold for their New England IPA, which also won best in show. FALL 2020 | 43
CLASS NOTES Hardware pictured here. Amateur beer critic Bryce Rowe vouched for Carter’s IPA on a Zoom happy hour last spring — “Nice and crisp, but hoppy. They’re phenomenal.” Unfortunately, Carter says, “Our house is the only location currently serving Backdeck Brewery beers.” When he’s not brewing, Carter is the treasurer of First Community Bank. He and Claire live in Richmond.
1999 CLASS SCRIBE Merrill Cann ‘99 mpc7k@yahoo.com
2000s 2001 CLASS SCRIBE Paul Evans ’01 evans2pm@gmail.com
Carter Bundy 94’s beer wins Best of Show.
1995
Rich Griffith started a new position as client success director, litigation and regulatory, with UnitedLex in Richmond. The team combines technology, legal expertise and process innovation to help clients lower costs and achieve higher operational performance throughout litigation, investigation and regulatory life cycles.
Jacob Boone has been involved for 15 years with the Surfer’s Medical Association, a group dedicated to education, service and surfing. As a medical student in 2006, he traveled with the group to Fiji, helping provide donations and health care to two local villages. At its first annual medical conference in 2019 at Kelly Slater’s Surf Ranch in Lemoore, California, he discussed medical and surgical management of urologic sports trauma. In December, he will speak on wellness and the prevention of physician burnout. Boone is a board-certified urologic surgeon and partner at Kaiser Permanente Southern California. He and his wife Liz, daughter Mattie (5), son James (3), and dog Gus (4) “are currently living the dream in Solana Beach.”
2002
After completing his residency in 2019, Osteopath Grayson Goldman moved back to Richmond, where he serves Bon Secours emergency rooms as part of Richmond Emergency Physicians Inc. Mike Gray is running for the City of Richmond’s First District Council seat.
2003
In January, William Burke co-founded Five Flute, a San Francisco-based company that helps engineers, designers and manufacturers build prototypes.
2004 CLASS SCRIBE Ben Traynham ’04 traynbht@gmail.com
Ashby W. Price founded Ashwood Financial Partners, which provides financial planning and wealth management services for families, and retirement plan advisory services for businesses and nonprofits.
Eric Jensen founded Antrim Investment Research, an equity research boutique. Jensen graduated from the University of Virginia and worked for Thompson, Siegel & Walmsley and The Riverstone Group.
1998
Jacob Boone ‘01
Adam Lynn was elected partner at McAllister, DeTar, Showalter & Walker, where he focuses on banking, finance, real estate 44 | StC Magazine
Nelson Reveley was also featured in the Richmond Times-Dispatch story on Grace Covenant Presbyterian mentioned earlier. Reveley, who received a Master of Divinity from Union Presbyterian Seminary and a Ph.D. in religious studies from the University of Virginia, serves as parish associate for outreach there. He is also a curriculum and research associate for the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities and serves on the boards of RVA Rapid Transit, Virginia Community Voice, Maggie Walker Community Land Trust and Grace Covenant Child Development Center.
Jonathan Wright recently launched Pocono Browns Deer Camp LLC in Pennsylvania for novice and experienced hunters.
1997
Baxter Hines is now the chief investment officer at Honeycomb Digital Investments in Dallas.
and corporate law. He and wife Katelyn live in Easton, Maryland, with their son Jack (5) and daughter Abigail (2).
2005
Todd Brengel has been named vice president of client success and growth at PandoLogic in Richmond.
CLASS NOTES Burton Fuller ’01 Plays Key Role in Medical Supply Chain By George Knowles At the outset of the pandemic, Burton Fuller ’01 worked day and night to ensure the delivery of critical medical equipment. As vice president and chief supply chain officer at Johns Hopkins Health System, he oversees the procurement and distribution logistics for six acute care hospitals, six surgery centers and a 175,000-square-foot consolidated services center. Drawing on the support of a dedicated warehouse and a self-distribution model for equipment, Johns Hopkins Hospital System was better positioned than many, but the demand for equipment outstripped supply. Most personal protection items, including gloves, gowns and masks, are manufactured overseas, and the need has never been more urgent. “The market dynamics were challenging in that 95% of these items are manufactured in China,” said Fuller. “We had to find new ways of doing business.” The pressing demand drove Fuller and his team to adapt to what he calls a “gray and black market,” in which new, unfamiliar companies offer their products or services. In this new reality, Fuller sought a quick response to fluctuating export laws and a careful, systematic vetting approach. In addition, transporting the materials successfully to Johns Hopkins presented other challenges. Shipments from China are sometimes rerouted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to areas identified as in greater need. Facing global shortages, Fuller and his team were resourceful and creative, facilitating a partnership between Johns Hopkins, Maryland’s correctional system and a spirit distillery in Baltimore to produce hand sanitizer. The makeshift bottling operation, located in the hospital system’s warehouse, supplies the hospital staff with 27,000 liters, enough for the whole staff. He put in massive amounts of overtime, only taking two days off the first five weeks of the pandemic. Under pressure, he sees his time at StC as formative in developing how he approaches his work. “A lot of my work ethic was the result of my experience in athletics at St. Christopher’s,” he said. As a football player and wrestler, Fuller learned the importance of resilience: “That mindset and mentality of putting your head down and bouncing back was something I took into college and my career.”
Tying the Knot Under the Pines When COVID-19 hit, plans for John Young ’03 and Hayley Evans’ wedding changed from 140 guests at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden to a small service and backyard reception with eight family members and friends. When all Virginia Episcopal churches closed, the couple received permission from the Diocese to marry on the steps of St. James’s Episcopal Church. Then, two days before the wedding, the minister called to say the steps were no longer an option due to protests along Monument Avenue. So Young called Davis Wrinkle ‘81, director of alumni affairs and annual giving, and received permission to be married on school grounds. River City Bride, a wedding planning resource and online publication, wrote a story on their wedding in late July.
FALL 2020 | 45
CLASS NOTES 2006
Jon Broscious moved to Austin in 2015 after several years in Washington, D.C. He recently joined Mucker Capital, which primarily focuses on software investing outside of Silicon Valley at seed and Series A stages. The San Antonio Spurs posted a video on Facebook in early June of Assistant Coach William Hardy sharing his perspective on racism and history: “It breaks your heart for people that you care about, for people you interact with every day. When I leave the practice facility, the world that I head out into and the world that our players head out into is nowhere near the same, and that’s hard to comprehend. I cannot imagine having to assess my surroundings and my situation that closely every day. I move with an unbelievable level of freedom every day. I get in my car. I go here, I go there. I never think twice about where I’m going or how I’m going there or what I’m wearing. … It’s important to try and give both sides of history. … I’m finding out I haven’t asked enough questions. I probably haven’t listened closely enough. That’s been a hard realization because I know where I stand on the issues, but I don’t think that I’ve been standing there in a way that maybe I should have. … You have that awful feeling in your stomach you can’t move it back, so how do you help move it forward?”
2007 Photo Credit: Matt Riley | UVA athletics photographer
MITCHELL ’17 GOES ON SCHOLARSHIP Wide receiver Hayden Mitchell ‘17, who joined the University of Virginia football team as a walk-on, was put on scholarship last summer. In an article that ran in VirginiaSports.com, Mitchell said, “Coming in as a walk-on, you always have that goal of earning a scholarship, but to be honest, it stays in the back of your mind, I think. It’s not something you focus on every day. Regardless of if you earn it or not, you want to work as hard as you can.” At StC, Mitchell was a two-year letterwinner and captain as a senior, and he set a single-season school record with 1,345 receiving yards and 14 receiving touchdowns, and a single-game school record of 226 receiving yards.
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CLASS SCRIBES Brelan Hillman ’07 brelan.hillman@gmail.com Thomas Jenkins ’07 tjenkins43@mac.com Trigg Brown was named one of the best new chefs of 2020 by Food & Wine magazine. Next time you’re in Brooklyn, make sure to visit Win Son, his groundbreaking Taiwanese-American hot spot.
2008 CLASS SCRIBE John Garland Wood ’08 jgwood89@vt.edu
CLASS NOTES Paul Ferramosca is now running Classic Painting of Virginia. He also owns the antique shop Paul’s Place in Richmond.
Henley Hopkinson is a 2L and Global Law Scholar at Georgetown Law. He spent summer 2020 working at the Securities and Exchange Commission and spent fall 2020 working at the Federal Trade Commission in addition to his classes.
Daniel Fletcher started a new job in July with Viatechnik, a virtual design and construction consulting firm in New York CIty.
2009 CLASS SCRIBE Christopher Alexander ’09 c.c.alexander@gmail.com Clarke Manley started a new position in January as senior account executive Mid-Atlantic at Technology Integration Group in Richmond. Ross O’Connor was featured in the 13th Annual Ballroom Battle in Boca Raton, Florida. Inspired by “Dancing With the Stars,” O’Connor was paired with a local professional dancer to raise money for the George Snow Scholarship Fund, which provides financial and other support to local students. His moves were aired live on local television in September. Austin Pace was hired as the first employee and vice president at G Squared Capital Partners LLC, a new investment bank in Washington, D.C., focused on aerospace, defense and government services transactions.
2010s 2010
Billy Belt graduated from Boston College in 2014 with a B.S. in environmental geosciences and from St. George’s University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2020. Belt passed his national veterinary boards (NAVLE) and is practicing as a licensed veterinarian with Banfield in Florida. Titus Matthews is pursuing his master’s in counseling at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis while also working at Chick-fil-A, where he serves as director of talent and culture. Last year, while working for Chick-fil-A in Detroit, Matthews was one of 12 team members awarded a $25,000 scholarship that recognizes leadership, academic achievement and community involvement.
Titus Matthews ‘10 with Chick-fil-A President and Chief Operating Officer Tim Tassopoulous
After graduating from the University of Virginia, Matthews volunteered for the International Justice Mission, a human rights organization in India, and worked for the U.S. House of Representatives as well as AmeriCorps VISTA, where he developed a volunteer program for Petersburg City Public Schools, one of Virginia’s lowest performing school districts. Matthews then moved to Detroit where he worked for Chick-fil-A and as a site coordinator for Communities In Schools, supporting low-income high school students in the neighboring city of Dearborn. After completion of his counseling program, he plans to one day work with incarcerated individuals “to honor their stories of trauma and to hope in the midst of deep heartache.”
2011 CLASS SCRIBES Kurt Jensen ’11 kurtmj93@gmail.com Henley Hopkinson ’11 thhopkinson@gmail.com
Richmond photographer Meghan McSweeney created “An Ode to Arthur Miller” series of Ira White ‘11 dancing on graffiti-covered Monument Avenue statues. Miller, a dancer with New York City Ballet in the 1950s and ’60s, was the founding director of the Dance Theater of Harlem. White’s Facebook post about the series read, “When Mr. Miller passed away in 2018 I knew that I wanted to find a way to both commemorate his legacy and express how appreciative I am for all he’s done for black people in the dance world. ... I share this with all my fellow black dancers who have had to struggle to succeed in an art form that, at times, didn’t love us back. For all those who paved the way just for us to be seen on stage. I dedicate this to all who continue to fight the just fight so that we can exceed how we are preconceived.”
2012
J.P. McGuire received an award for 10 years of service with Goochland County Fire-Rescue, alongside his father Billy McGuire ‘85. In his Facebook post with a photo from the awards dinner, he wrote, “Growing up, there wasn’t much time for sports practice, but I did spend the duration of Hurricane Isabel on the sofa at the firehouse while my dad was out saving the world. I have so many things to be thankful for, but I’m most thankful for my dad teaching me the finer points of smooth bore vs. fog nozzles and why certain types of flashing red lights were inferior to others.”
Chase Gunter started at the University of Virginia Law School this fall. Drew Distanislao had an eventful May in 2020, graduating from Campbell Law School and getting married to Lindsey Swain. He has accepted a position with CowanGates in Richmond. Max Parks has accepted an offer from UCLA to pursue a Ph.D. in planetary science. Billy McGuire ‘85 and J.P. McGuire ‘12
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CLASS NOTES
Will Bruner ’13 Runs 50 Miles to Honor Quent Alcorn ’12 Will Bruner ’13 got in a funk after a Zoom call in early May announced an extended work furlough. To clear his head, the New York City-based film and TV location specialist went for a 10-mile run and spied a dollar bill on a Bandy Field sidewalk, which got him thinking: “I’m doing all this running just to keep myself sane, why not just do something with it?” So he called friend Christian Alcorn ’13 about a 50-mile run in honor of his brother Quent ’12, who died in 2015. Bruner was one of 18 committed to climb Mount Rainier this summer in Quent Alcorn’s memory to raise money for the Jed Foundation, a nonprofit devoted to preventing teen and young adult suicide. This year’s trek was canceled due to COVID-19 but will be replaced with a virtual climb with an altitude equivalent to Mount Rainier. “I’m so grateful, not only for the run and the fundraiser, but that Will volunteered his time and his energy for Quent,” Christian said. “With the pandemic, the need is greater than ever.” Alcorn, who works for a law firm in Washington, D.C., accompanied Bruner for the last 20 miles. The May 16 run, which coincided with Mental Health Awareness Month, encompassed a five-mile loop along Grove and Patterson between Three Chopt and Malvern, a longtime cross country favorite. The singletclad Saint circled it 10 times in seven hours. Training involved running 10 miles twice a day, with some longer runs on weekends. On good days, Bruner would knock out 10 miles in 65 minutes. For him, running is therapy. “I have really big anxiety, and this allows me to get rid of it,” he said. “It allows me to figure things out on my own, especially in this time of uncertainty.” Bruner and Quent Alcorn became best friends participating together in the 4x800 relay, an event in which he, Christian, Will Abbott ’13 and Ben Moore ’15 set an outdoor record their senior year, breaking the 8-minute barrier (7:56). He calls Quent the best surrogate big brother a guy could have, an All-American in every sense of the word. The message of his struggle resonates: “How an individual can look so strong and successful on the outside, but unless that individual says something, he cannot be helped.”
Will Bruner ‘13
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CLASS NOTES 2013 CLASS SCRIBE Morgan McCown ’13 msmccown@email.wm.edu Robert Murphy lives in Los Angeles and works at Fox Sports where he develops highlight packages, creates game summaries and writes scripts for shows under the Fox Sports network. Sam O’Ferrall graduated from West Point in 2017 with a B.S. in geospatial science. Shortly after, he attended U.S. Army Ranger School and earned his Ranger Tab. He is deployed in the Middle East in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, where he serves as an executive officer in the 82nd Airborne Division. Upon his return to the States, he plans to watch his younger brothers, Griffin and Henry, play baseball next spring for the Saints. He credits St. Christopher’s for establishing his foundation of leadership that has made him successful as a U.S. Army paratrooper and officer.
2014 CLASS SCRIBES Peyton McElroy ’14 peytonrmcelroy@gmail.com Alec Ball ’14 alba9518@outlook.com Alec Ball is living in Boulder, Colorado, working as a proposal coordinator for Flatiron Construction, a heavy civil infrastructure firm that does bridges, highways, water/wastewater and airport work for government entities. He works primarily in alternative delivery procurement and generates marketing/technical documents to compete for work that requires more than a numeric bid. Christian Frediani recently moved to Washington, D.C., where he works as a credit analyst at Union Bank. Bailey Galstan has taken his “dream job” at Advoco in Richmond. In his words: “I’m going to be a solutions consultant dealing with enterprise management software
used by manufacturing clients. Basically, the company trains me on utilizing the software, and then I travel around to manufacturing facilities and tailor and implement a software solution that fits their needs.” As part of the interview process, Galstan was asked to make a 30-minute presentation on one of his passions. He chose travel and centered his presentation on his 2012 X-Term trip to Peru. He believes it was this presentation that landed him the job.
2015 CLASS SCRIBE Fitz Fitzgerald ’15 hef4ac@virginia.edu
and held protest signs. When asked about the vandalism and the protest, Sherod said Spiders fans and UR student-athletes should not be afraid to speak out, saying: “... what happened on our campus is pretty unacceptable. And I think sometimes people don’t want to intersect sports and social activities, but I don’t think you can do that. Whoever’s door that slur got written on, that’s going to be with them for the rest of their life. ... It took a lot of courage for [protesters] to come out because I think that a lot of people wouldn’t have wanted that to happen. I respect them, because I think peaceful protests are really powerful. I think what they did was really strong.”
Thomas Cottrell is an account progression representative at Oracle in Washington, D.C. The Buffalo Bills signed Garrett Taylor to a free agent contract following the 2020 NFL draft. After leaving StC, Garrett played for Penn State, where he made 169 career tackles, four interceptions, 15 pass deflections and a sack. He was also elected a team captain for his senior season last fall.
2016
Stephen McCray accepted a job as a civil analyst for Kimley-Horn in Richmond after graduating from Virginia Tech with a degree in civil engineering. Nick Sherod was featured in a Richmond Times-Dispatch article as winner of the University of Richmond Engaged Leadership Award, which recognizes a graduating senior who demonstrates ongoing care and concern for the community. The 6-foot-4 starter, who averaged 12.7 points for the Spiders last season, was quoted in the article saying the award was particularly meaningful because he works hard to try to be known for things outside of basketball. Sherod was recognized, in part, for comments he made in a postgame meeting with the media after a University of Richmond defeat by Dayton last January and an African American student’s residence hall door was defaced. After the game, some UR students wore black
Nick Sherod ‘16
2019
After graduating from StC, David Millman worked as the volunteer youth outreach coordinator for a state senate campaign in Henrico County. At Dartmouth College, he jumped into the Democratic primary campaign, working for Bernie Sanders, where he rose to a paid staff position for the campaign, managing 20-plus volunteers leading up to the New Hampshire primary. Millman said, oddly enough, working for the campaign made him more moderate, but he gave speeches and met many politicians, including the senator himself.
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CLASS NOTES The former Saints for Environmental Awareness and Action Club head has written articles for RVA Mag and the Richmond Times-Dispatch about environmental issues, and he’s part of several Dartmouth environmental clubs. He also is the co-chair of the New Hampshire branch of the Every Voice Coalition, a student organization dedicated to passing legislation to stop sexual violence on college campuses. As part of that, he testifed before the New Hampshire Senate Judiciary Committee to help get the “Act Relative to Policies on Sexual Assault in Higher Educational Institutions” (NH SB 679) passed. He was also appointed to the Dartmouth College Sexual Violence Prevention Project Student Advisory Board, helping create programming within the Student Wellness Center. In addition, Millman was elected a Dartmouth Student Assembly senator and serves as the Student Assembly representative on the Undergraduate Finance Committee for the college.
Running Virtually On a Friday evening in early May, a grown man in a faded gray T-shirt and red shorts leaned over a makeshift starting line in front of his house. With one hand on his watch, he felt prerace nerves that he hadn’t experienced in years. The faraway voice of Bruce Nystrom haunted him: “I want today’s effort to be slightly uncomfortable.” After a countdown and a yell of “Go!” Gene Bruner ’78 bolted across the line. It was just like any other race — except he pitted himself against an invisible foe. Welcome to the 2020 StC Virtual Alumni Run. With large-scale gatherings shut down during the pandemic, the Alumni Office turned to technology to remain connected with the school’s storied running community. StC hosted a virtual run during a 10-day period in early May. Using Google Docs and fitness apps such as MapMyRun and Strava, Saints from coast to coast posted their times for the annual 5K run. It was the 40th year for the annual event that this year drew 25 participants. Bruner, who underwent hip replacement surgery four years ago, went out too fast the first mile and his back locked up. By mile two, he debated the pros and cons of walking. The third mile, he said, was definitely uncomfortable, but he threw in a sprint for the last block and stopped the watch a step after the finish line at 42:25, almost making his 40-minute goal. Participant(s) farthest away Romain Kang ‘80, Charles Alexander ‘82 and Casey Fox ‘11 — all California residents Oldest Class Participant Freeman Jones ‘75 Youngest Class Participant Ned Ukrop ‘13
David Millman ‘19 meets Bernie Sanders.
Fastest Father-Daughter Team: Caroline and John McCammond ‘77 Fastest Husband-Wife Team: Sarah and Knox Hubard ‘92 Fastest Time Robert Herring ‘96 (20:59) Inspiration Gene Bruner ‘78 for leading the charge John McCammond ‘77 was one of 25 StC alumni who participated in the May 2 Alumni Virtual 5K. He was joined by his daughter Caroline, both proudly displaying StC gear.
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IN MEMORIUM 1941
Dr. Herbert Augustine Claiborne Jr. of Richmond, Virginia, died Feb. 16, 2020. He is survived by his sons Herbert A. Claiborne III ’73, William R. Claiborne ’77 and Thomas H. Claiborne ’83.
1942
Gregory Gray Garland Jr. of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, died May 29, 2020.
1945
Dr. John Shelton Horsley III of Richmond, Virginia, died June 18, 2020. He is survived by his son J. Shelton Horsley IV ’81.
1946
Dr. Henry Fairfax Conquest of Richmond, Virginia, died Feb. 21, 2020. He is survived by his son Christopher S. Conquest ’80.
William Elliott Moorman Jr. of Gloucester, Virginia, died Feb. 21, 2020.
1950
Yuen Kan Hsu of New York City, died April 18, 2020.
1951
Roderick Dew Brown of North Chesterfield, Virginia, died June 13, 2020.
Jaquelin Taylor Robertson of East Hampton, New York, died May 9, 2020.
Leonard Harrison Simpson III of Richmond, Virginia, died Feb. 28, 2020.
1953
Randolph Williams McElroy of Richmond, Virginia, died Dec. 20, 2019.
1954
George Vowles Moncure Jr. of Manakin-Sabot, Virginia, died May 5, 2020.
1958
David Vincent Haynie of Reedville, Virginia, died May 17, 2020.
1959
Parke Deans Joyner of Virginia Beach, Virginia, died Jan. 7, 2020. He is survived by his brother Crawley F. Joyner III ’52.
1961
Randolph Fowler Totten of Richmond, Virginia, died July 23, 2020.
1962
Seldon Taylor Tompkins of Manakin-Sabot, Virginia, died May 24, 2020. Survivors include his brothers Dr. William F. Tompkins III ’58 and Benjamin T. Tompkins ’76 and sons S. Taylor Tompkins Jr. ‘86 and James N. Tompkins ’90.
1966
Frank Taylor Hyde Jr. of Richmond, Virginia, died Feb. 7, 2020.
1968
Barnwell Sams Dunlap III of Richmond, Virginia, died Feb. 24, 2020.
1970
Morris Kent Mallory Jr. of Petersburg, Virginia, died April 17, 2020. He is survived by his brother W. Douglas Mallory ‘76.
John Francis Powers of San Francisco, died July 14, 2020.
William Clarke Scott of Richmond, Virginia, died April 2, 2020.
1979
Ivan Lawrence Appelrouth of Richmond, Virginia, died Feb. 7, 2020. He is survived by his brother Scott A. Appelrouth ’83.
1980
William Mackall Wilson of Richmond, Virginia, died June 23, 2020. Survivors include his brother Russell P. Wilson ’78 and son William M. Wilson Jr. ’17.
1982
Neal Coleman Cosby, Ph.D., of Sunnyvale, California, died Feb. 28, 2020.
1985
Giles Mebane Robertson III of Brooklyn, New York, died May 13, 2020. He is survived by his father Giles M. Robertson Jr. ‘60
1990
John Paul Barclay Reynolds of Richmond, Virginia, died Aug. 17, 2020. He is survived by his father David W. Reynolds ‘60.
Thomas Henry Scales III of Richmond, Virginia, died Dec. 19, 2019. He is survived by his father Thomas H. Scales Jr. ’54.
1996
Douglas Phillip Whitley of Charlotte, North Carolina, died July 27, 2020.
1997
Kristopher Charles Sandlin of Acworth, Georgia, died March 17, 2020.
FACULTY, STAFF AND BOARD OF GOVERNORS Bonnie Golladay of Richmond, Virginia, died April 29, 2020. She served as an assistant librarian in the Upper School and is survived by her husband, Middle School Math Teacher Don Golladay. Elizabeth Marshall Hillsman of Richmond, Virginia, died May 11, 2020. She was a longtime teacher in Extended Day. Jimmy James of Richmond, Virginia, died May 10, 2020. He was a longtime member of the dining hall staff. True Farr Luck of Richmond, Virginia, died Oct. 28, 2019. She served on the Board of Governors. Louis Clifford Schroeder Sr. of Richmond, Virginia, died Jan. 29, 2020. He served on the Board of Governors. Margaret Temple Sharman of Glen Allen, Virginia, died July 18, 2020. She was a longtime teacher in the Lower School and Extended Day. FALL 2020 | 51
ALUMNI MILESTONES
BIRTHS 2001
Dr. Joseph H. Ellen III and Dr. Meghana Gowda Ellen, daughter Amara Gowda, May 28, 2020
Mr. and Mrs. Blakely H. Kimbrough, daughter Virginia “Ginny” Anne Marie, July 20, 2020
2002
Mr. and Mrs. Marshall D. Tucker Jr., daughter Nola Eliza, Dec. 30, 2019
Mr. John H. H. Cronly and Dr. Jo Cronly, daughter Georgina Miller, Jan. 18, 2020
Mr. and Mrs. Christopher D. Purdy, son Felix, March 3, 2020
Mr. and Mrs. Hugh T. Antrim Jr., son George Taylor, April 7, 2020
2003
Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan C. Wright, son Caleb Eugene, Oct. 22, 2019
Mr. and Mrs. Michael T. Hoffmann, daughter Virginia Matthews, March 19, 2020
2004
Mr. and Mrs. John S. Molster Jr., son George Henderson, Dec. 20, 2019
Mr. and Mrs. M. Stephens Johnson, daughter Marion “Miller,” March 6, 2020
Mr. and Mrs. Granville G. Valentine IV, daughter Georgia Anne, May 19, 2020
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas B. Valentine Jr., daughter Lila Doubleday, Aug. 4, 2020
2005
Mr. and Mrs. Matthew C. Conrad, sons John Whitmore (Whit) and Peyton Fleming, Dec. 15, 2019
2006
Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Swain Molster, son Troy Darden, April 16, 2020
2007
Mr. and Thomas J. Moore IV, son Henry Justin, March 31, 2020
Mr. and Mrs. Alexander C. Hall Jr., daughter Sophie Virginia, April 8, 2020
2008
Mr. and Mrs. Carter B. French, son Harvey Monroe, Aug. 6, 2020
Mr. and Mrs. Neal C. Moriconi, daughter Ines Maria, Jan. 5, 2020
Mr. and Mrs. Pierre B. Molster, son Louis Berkshire, March 15, 2020
Mr. and Mrs. James C. Meadows Jr., son James Charles III, March 31, 2020
Blakely Kimbrough ‘01 with his wife Julia and baby Ginny
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Joseph Ellen ‘01 and Meghana Gowda Ellen with their daughter Amara
Robert (almost 1) and Trigg (4) Smith-Harrison proudly show off their Saints T-shirts. Their father is Tito Smith-Harrison ‘01 and their grandfather is Bob Priddy ‘63.
The Antrim family
MARRIAGES 2002
Chandan Aryan Singh to Alisha Shay, May 15, 2019
2003
John Atwell Young III to Hayley Evans, June 6, 2020
2005
Howard William Bullock to Alexa Robinson, Sept. 14, 2019
2006
Elliott William Jones to Lauren Martin, Feb. 1, 2020
Jon Anthony Broscious to Brooke Oles, April 4, 2020
2009
Charles Taylor Jenkins to Iziar Moure, Feb. 28, 2020
2010
Michael Edward Custer Jr. to Meg Murphy, Nov. 2, 2019
James Alexander Vozenilek to Kristen Duncan, July 25, 2020
2013
Edward Berkeley Ukrop to Margaret Merrick, July 25, 2020
Wedding party for Lauren and Elliot Jones ‘06 included the following Saints: Chris Barnes ‘06 (seated left), Taylor Jones ‘09 (St. Catherine’s) (third from left), Cap Young ‘06 (fourth from left), Mark Jones ‘79 (fourth from right), Malcolm Hines ‘06 (third from right)
Brooke Oles and Jon Broscious ‘06
Saints at Edward Custer’s wedding in the back row: Chris Gill ’10, Thomas Johnson ’10, Charlie Vaughan ’12, Ben Waterland ’10, Will Vaughan ’10, Edward Custer ’10, Patrick and Chris Delaney ’10; and in front: Hawley Martin ’10, Meg Murphy and Ted Gottwald ’10
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REUNION
Atlanta Jan. 13, 2020 at Piedmont Driving Club
While our traditional reunion weekend was curtailed by the COVID crisis, Saints from around the country gathered in the months before.
Washington, D.C. Nov. 21, 2019 at Sauf Haus Bier Hall & Garten
WASHINTON, D.C. | Top: Marshall Hollerith ‘13, Robert Molster ‘06, Jenna Molster; Bottom: Charlie Yorgen ’13, John Buoyer ’13, Ben Foley ’13, Churchill Young ’13
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ATLANTA | Top: Davis Wrinkle ’81 and Mark Jenkins ’78; Middle: Jay Smith and Colin Smith ’16; Bottom: Nadya Bryant, Wat Bryant ’70, Perry King ’79
Charlotte
New York
Feb. 11, 2020 at the home of Brent and Anne Stokes Bowman ‘96 (St. Catherine’s)
Feb. 5, 2020 at The Yale Club of New York City Tom Wolfe ’47 Dogwood and Pine Needle Dinner
CHARLOTTE | Top: Stephen Davenport ’08 and Jimmy Proffitt ‘76; Middle: Cameron Barlow ’12, Hiter Harris ’10, Jack McDowell ’12; Bottom: George Alston ’85, Geoff Wrinkle ’85, Lee Rimler ’85
NEW YORK | Top: Penny Kyle, Sofia Gottret, Kyle Menges ’07; Middle: Jake Holleran ’11, Conner Beck ’11, Rob Vozenilek ’11; Bottom: Peter Partee ’10, Richard Baker ’08, Kyle Wittenauer ’10
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FACULTY NEWS
NE W FACU LT Y CH A IRS
PROFESSIONAL NEWS St. Christopher’s academic resource teachers hosted a January lunch on campus that drew more than 20 teachers from 14 independent Virginia schools to discuss their support roles and student accommodations, as well as study skills and strategies.
Third Grade Teacher Cynthia Brown, Robert W. Bugg Chair of Distinguished Teaching Award
JK Teacher Margaret Hunter, John Page Williams Chair of Distinguished Teaching
Director of Health Services Ann Vanichkachorn, A.J. Bolling Chair of Health and Wellness
Upper School School Teacher Sue Varner, Dr. Churchill Gibson Chamberlayne Memorial Chair
Teacher Paula Marks, Lower School Technology Coordinator/Learning Commons Gail Warren and Lower School Academic Support Services Teacher Jen O’Ferrall completed a University of Richmond graduate course. Priorities for all teachers include mental health for themselves and students, tools and subscriptions, synchronous vs. asynchronous instruction and assessments. In addition, the teaching, learning and academic technology teams curated articles and resources for teachers to help design distance learning modules.
by participating in the second annual StC Curriculum Institute in June. The group collaborated for three days, reviewing curriculum, planning and setting goals within each department JK-12.
Major Gifts Officer Stephen Davenport, Communications Director Sharon Dion, Director of Planning Giving Penny Lowrey, Assistant Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Affairs Jen Scallon and Director of Alumni Affairs and Annual Giving Davis Wrinkle attended the January 2020 National Association of Independent Schools conference in Atlanta. The focus was taking action to spark change.
Sharon Dion, Penny Lowrey, Stephen Davenport ‘08, Jen Scallon and Davis Wrinkle ‘81
Kindergarten Teacher Meredith Smart and Second Grade Teacher Amy Buerlein published an article, “BUILD Across the Curriculum,” for the Virginia Children’s Engineering Council’s 2020 winter journal. All StC faculty engaged in online summer courses to prepare for 2020-21 distance learning. Most completed courses through Global Online Academy, while First Grade 56 | StC Magazine
The world languages and academic resource faculty from all three divisions finished their formal year of evaluation
Lucinda Whitehurst, Lower School Learning Commons coordinator and librarian, was elected to the Children’s Literature Legacy Award committee, which studies children’s authors and illustrators to recognize a winner who has made a “substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children through books that demonstrate integrity and respect for all children’s lives and experiences.” The committee is selected by members of the Association for
Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association. Middle School History Teacher Derek Porter attended American University’s virtual Summer Institute on Education, Equity and Justice in June. The theme was uplifting women and girls of color through antiracist pedagogy, practice and policies. Upper School Science Teacher Casey Torrence presented findings of her action research on giving physics students voice through choice design tasks at the International Boys’ Schools Coalition (IBSC) Virtual Conference in July. Kim Hudson, director of The Center for the Study of Boys and Upper School resource teacher, also participated in the IBSC conference as a panelist for a discussion on the coalition’s global research, “Responsible Sexual Citizenship in Today’s World: The Challenges Confronting Boys.” In February, Dr. Hudson presented with IBSC colleagues at the NAIS conference in Philadelphia on “Boys and Responsible Sexual Citizenship Today.” Director of Academic Technology Hiram Cuevas served on the planning committee for the Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools annual conference. Cuevas and Technology Director Bill Stites from Montclair Kimberley Academy gave a webinar on protecting student privacy and school data to the Florida Council of Independent Schools. In January, MadHat Press published a second edition of Writer-in-Residence Ron Smith’s first book, “Running Again in
Hollywood Cemetery,” featuring a new poem, a never-before-published photograph and other slight revisions. In March, Mr. Smith was interviewed about the new edition of “Downtown with Rich Kimball,” a live radio broadcast from Maine, where he also read two of his poems. Smith’s new poems published this year include the following: “[Paris] [New York] [Philadelphia],” in Plume Poetry 8, a paperback collection; “Moveable” in Plume, an online poetry magazine; and “Public Servant, Country Squire” in the American Journal of Poetry. In March Smith also published an essay, “A Loveseat Anthology,” in Style Weekly. In April, Amherst Glebe Arts Response delivered poems to homebound seniors, including two of Smith’s. Also in the spring, Smith judged several poetry contests, including the Joe Pendleton Campbell Memorial Prize for narrative poems, the Library of Virginia Poetry Prize for best 2019 books by poets with Virginia connections, and the Virginia Poetry Out Loud statewide poetry recitation competition.
Jump also served as moderator for a panel of college admission deans, the closing session for the virtual conference held by the Potomac and Chesapeake Association for College Admission Counseling.
PERSONAL NEWS The Powhatan Board of Supervisors tapped Upper School Science Teacher Vicki Hurt to serve as a planning commissioner, starting in January, for a four-year term. Upper School Math Teacher Frank Kiefer, an active leader of the Houlagans’ Rest nonprofit that saves dogs from kill shelters, has started a Facebook page with updates on adoptions and intakes. Extended Day teacher Kate Sweeney gave birth to Hoyt Hill May 20.
Director of College Counseling and Upper School Academic Dean Jim Jump, along with journalist Jeff Selingo, were panelists for the keynote sessions of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities legislative conference. He also wrote an article on how independent schools should respond to the Operation Varsity Blues scandal, for Net Assets, the magazine of the National Business Officers Association, and was quoted in a Hechinger Report article on aggressive recruiting tactics used by colleges after the removal of ethical restrictions on “poaching” students.
FACULTY ON CAMPUS THIS FALL
FALL 2020 | 57
ON THE FRONT LINE that allow for six-foot distancing between students. This included tearing down 10 walls in the Lower School and Gottwald Science Center and creating a new classroom in both the Lower School and Extended Day. They also pulled carpet from 17 classrooms, replacing it with vinyl wood flooring that allows for more thorough cleaning, and coordinated installation of 17 hands-free water fountains, 50 hands-free faucets and 50 hand-sanitizing stations. Meanwhile Chernau coordinated classroom reconfigurations and removal of excess furniture, at least three dozen sofas, most now housed in long-term storage. A new Lower School addition is an oversized deck in the area formerly occupied by the Lower School garden and JK House, both razed last year. Wrapping around a large and shady oak, the deck serves as an outdoor classroom and gathering space.
KATIE CHERNAU Director of capital improvements
For months, Katie Chernau looked out at empty parking lots. With nary a parked car in sight, she crossed paths with dozens of families biking around the campus, getting to know some who passed through regularly. When schools and most of the world shuttered mid-March, StC’s director of capital improvements, along with the maintenance staff, were lone rangers on the premises, putting in normal hours five days a week, ranking them high on the list of unsung heroes through COVID-19. Chernau and Director of Facilities Mark Gentry work hand-in-hand on all renovation projects and, in this case, to coordinate work required for the reopening of School. “Since COVID started back in March, every single person has come to work and worked hard to get the School ready for this school year,” Gentry said. “We got the job done, and we were ready when school started.”
All the while, the crew kept up with their regular summer duties, including work orders, preventive maintenance, groundskeeping and unloading truck deliveries. Gentry gave a shout-out to Security Guard Shaun Guice, who pitched in and power washed all the brick on campus when COVID curtailed his regular duties. Advantages in the situation, Chernau said, were moving ahead with already scheduled work without conflicts from class or school activities. While her presence on campus is needed because her responsibilities call for meeting with subcontractors and overseeing the work, she prefers working out of an office to her home anyway. “I was thrilled to be able to come in and have a job, that someone needed me,” Chernau said. “ … It has been really amazing to see how the School decided we’re going to open and figured out how to do it.”
Throughout the spring, maintenance worked on the Middle School renovation of its east wing, which included seven revamped classrooms as well as new floors, windows, lighting, ceilings, cabinetry and an air filtration system. They also completed a punch list of to-dos for the new Recital Hall. Not having other regular duties allowed the School to save money on work that it normally would have subcontracted out. With the start of summer and plans for reopening that adhered to specific safety guidelines, the 12-man team created spaces
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MARK GENTRY Director of facilties
life and death,” she said. “The mental processing of risk and benefit is really second nature to me. Using that skill set to think through what makes the most sense for the School and for boys, my brain is already prewired for that.” She is grateful for her work, then and now, which gives her purpose. At the top of her agenda last spring and summer was researching and detailing reopening plans, one for Phase 2 and another for Phase 3, in addition to the School’s outbreak response policy. Reopening plans, mapped out before the end of June, required going into each classroom in each division, stocking desks and measuring out to determine how to maximize a 6-foot diameter safe distance around each student. Vanichkachorn is responsible for culling recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization and Virginia Department of Health, which sometimes differ, and deciding what to follow and how to put practices in place. With limited research and data specific to the novel virus, the landscape continues to shift.
DR. ANN VANICHKACHORN Director of health services
Dr. Ann Vanichkachorn got a jump-start on COVID-19 from her younger son’s experience as a New York University Shanghai freshman. As the virus spiraled in Wuhan, China, NYU offered its Shanghai students spots on other campuses. After Christmas break, Josh ’19 landed in New York City for six weeks before the outbreak there sent him packing again, this time to Richmond for spring and summer. Thus StC’s director of health services began to critically examine the virus before many, diving into acquisition mode in January, stashing up on hand sanitizers, disinfecting wipes, Lysol, masks and gloves for school use. She got a firsthand look at NYU’s approach to distance learning, all information she brought to StC as it faced its own challenges in the months to follow. Her job as StC director of health services is broad and intense, particularly through this crisis. She is a key part of the School Readiness Task Force that prepared for the 2020-21 opening. Her primary focus continues to be keeping students, faculty and staff safe, particularly the most vulnerable. The scope seems daunting, but the caring physician, who routinely bakes for colleagues and students, said that the current challenges are nothing out of the ordinary. “As an OB-GYN, every day of my professional life entailed
She is also working with StC facilities staff to make sure filters are changed and ventilation maximizes air flow. She made recommendations for cleaning staff, including two full-time day porter hires to focus on high-touch areas and bathrooms. In addition, Vanichkachorn is part of four consortiums who meet regularly via Zoom to share tactics and protocols — a team of Richmond-area independent school nurses, a 400-member international school nurse coalition based out of Switzerland, the Virginia Department of Education School Health division that includes all state private and public school nurses, and the Virginia Association of Independent Schools reopening delegation. The goal is to have as much time together as possible this fall, given the typical trajectory of winter, when illnesses peak. She is hopeful for spring. “Perhaps we’ll have a vaccine and better therapeutics so we can shift to more normalcy,”she said. “A lot of it is cased in hypotheticals; all of it is best-guessed.” She emphasized that all policies are based on science, medicine and data. She emphasized the need to embrace the rights of the collective: “It’s a village. Everyone is going to have to do their part, including the families, including what we all do on weekends. It has severe ramifications. We have a lot to lose if we don’t do this right.” Headmaster Mason Lecky described the StC doctor as a team MVP who has built a reputation of trust and respect through her competence and desire to serve. “Without her, we wouldn’t be as far along and I wouldn’t be sleeping as well,” he said. “I trust her implicitly and explicitly.” Meanwhile Vanichkachorn, known for her can-do spirit and optimism, sees a light at the end of the tunnel, that we will learn to live with this virus, just as we have with smallpox, measles and other diseases, particularly with the help of more advanced technology. “Our common goal is to protect each other, cherish each other and keep each other healthy,” she said. “Then we can move forward from there.”
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NEW FACULTY & STAFF Extended Day First Grade Teacher Laura Allin has been an Extended Day substitute teacher for the past five years. She earned a B.S. in elementary education and a master’s in reading from Virginia Commonwealth University. For the past 13 years, Allin has been a preschool teacher and assistant director at St. Matthew’s Preschool. Dustin Anthony is working with multiple grades in Extended Day. He graduated from Old Dominion University and formerly worked as an assistant high school track and field coach and football coach. Most recently, Anthony worked as a laser technician with Fortec Medical. Middle School and Upper School Nurse Courtney Ash has served in this role on a part-time and substitute basis for the last three years at St. Christopher’s. She has also served as a substitute nurse at St. Catherine’s. Ash has a master’s in nursing from VCU and served as a nurse practitioner at Bon Secours and The Physical Medicine Center.
Extended Day Junior Kindergarten Teacher Claudia Iznart Booth, a native of Madrid, is a graduate of St. Louis University - Madrid Campus. She worked as a teacher and tutor in Madrid and Bangkok. Junior Kindergarten Teacher Debbie Brown most recently worked at All Saints Episcopal Preschool as director and the lead junior kindergarten teacher. She also taught at three schools in North Carolina, and she has worked as a tutor. Brown received her B.A. in environmental education from Warren Wilson College and her M.Ed. in curriculum and instruction from Western Carolina University. She and her husband Hill Brown ’85, a Middle School history teacher, are parents of St. Christopher’s graduates Will ’16 and Alex ’19.
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Upper School Librarian Emily Burkot formerly worked in public libraries in Cincinnati and Kentucky before relocating to Virginia, where she joined the Chesapeake system. Burkot earned her B.A. in medieval and Renaissance studies from Ohio Wesleyan University and her master’s in library and information science from San Jose State University. In the public sector, she specialized in teen and young adult literature and services. Extended Day Teacher Gracie Cuevas is a graduate of James Madison University, where she worked in classrooms ranging from pre-K to middle school, assisting ELL students and teaching sexual health education. Last year she co-taught English at an elementary school in Mexico City as a Fulbright-García Robles grantee. Eliza Ertel supports multiple grade levels in Extended Day. The Virginia Commonwealth University graduate is pursuing a dual M.S. in clinical mental health and school counseling through Walden University. She has worked in school settings as a substitute teacher, summer camp instructor and assistant swimming coach. Bill Frank, Jr. joins St. Christopher’s as a part-time security officer. He brings extensive experience from the Chesterfield County Police Department and FBI.
Extended Day Kindergarten Co-Teacher Chris Hillsman graduated from Mary Baldwin College and the College of William & Mary with an M.Ed. in school psychology. For the past five years, she has taught preschool at Westhampton Day School. Mary Ann Joel is working with multiple grade levels in Extended Day.. The Hollins University graduate volunteered with Girls Scouts of the USA for more than 10 years as a troop leader. For the past two years, she has been a substitute teacher in Extended Day.
First Grade Co-Teacher Kourtney Kidd received her undergraduate degree in interdisciplinary studies and a master’s in early and elementary education from Virginia Commonwealth University. She taught preschool in Henrico County and was a substitute and assistant teacher at River Road Church Preschool. Kidd has two sons who are Saints, Henry ’31 and Robert ’34. Extended Day Nurse Kate Kristofak most recently worked at LeafSpring School, and before that for Rockwell Physicians, Partner MD, and Wiley and Arkin Pediatrics. She earned her nursing degree from ECPI University Medical Careers Institute.
Robert Lane joins the information technology department as a part-time PC technician. He is studying information technology at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. He formerly held multiple positions at CEC Company in Richmond.
Extended Day Junior Kindergarten Teacher Lauren Lazzara graduated from East Carolina University and completed her student teaching in a kindergarten classroom in Farmville, North Carolina. She worked in Extended Day and summer programs at Nansemond-Suffolk Academy for several years. Mark Leeper is a part-time security officer. He retired from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and formerly served in the U.S. Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance. Maria Long, who is helping first grade students in Extended Day, worked there in the early 2000s. Since then, she has worked in preschool and elementary school settings as a substitute teacher, tutor and after-school enrichment teacher, while also running a media company from home. She is a graduate of Vanderbilt University, where she earned a B.S. and M.Ed. in counseling.
Rachel McDaniel is an Extended Day first grade teacher who graduated from Virginia Tech. She served as a Young Life staffer and has also worked as a substitute teacher, preschool volunteer teacher and WyldLife leader volunteer. Fifth Grade Language Arts Teacher Quentin Moore formerly worked at St. Theresa’s Catholic School in Austin, Texas, where he taught middle school and served as language arts chair. Before that, he taught at two Minnesota schools and earned his undergraduate degree from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, his master’s in athletic administration from Concordia University, Irvine, and his master’s certificate in school leadership from Creighton University. Upper School English Teacher Emily Nason earned her B.A. from Kenyon College and recently completed her M.F.A. in poetry from the University of Virginia, where she also taught undergraduate courses in writing and poetry. Nason’s poems have been published in a number of journals and reviews, and she served as poetry editor of UVA’s “Meridian.” Upper School Spanish Teacher Alex Nicoll ’97 earned a B.A. in modern foreign languages from James Madison University and has lived in Newport News, Virginia; Torreon, Mexico; Sun Valley, Idaho; and most recently San Antonio, Texas, where he taught elementary, middle school and high school and once served as a middle school principal. Marissa Sanghvi is working in Upper School as a Childrey Teaching Fellow, a two-year program designed to provide training in educational theory and classroom experience. In May, she earned her B.A. in applied mathematics from Yale University, where she served as a firstyear counselor, business manager for an a capella group and board member of a student athletics spirit group.
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NEW FACULTY & STAFF Jake Simard, who works with Extended Day kindergarten and fourth grade students, graduated from Pace University with a B.F.A. in acting. Simard most recently served as the theater director for Windham High School and also worked as a teaching associate for Triple Threat Theatre Camp, both in New Hampshire, and as a tutor for high school and college students. Lower School Chaplain Darren Steadman earned a B.S. in biological systems engineering from Virginia Tech and a master of divinity from Virginia Theological Seminary. He formerly taught math at Hermitage High School and was a part-time instructor of middle school science at the MathScience Innovation Center in Richmond. He has worked as chaplain and director of the Explorers’ Camp at Shrine Mont, as a youth minister at St. Thomas Episcopal in Richmond, and most recently as assistant rector at Christ Church Episcopal in Glen Allen. Vince Stratton joins the buildings and grounds department serving as lead carpenter. He formerly worked at a local heating and plumbing company and Randolph-Macon College.
After 25 years with Ace Electric, Lee Thurston joins the buildings and grounds department as an electrical technician. In his job at Ace, he worked on some projects on the StC campus.
Julia Tompkins joins the Upper School world language faculty. A graduate of the University of Mary Washington, she earned an M.Ed. from George Mason University and taught Spanish at Glen Allen High School and Deep Run High School. Last fall, Tompkins served as a long-term substitute in the Middle School at StC.
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John Tyler is working as the Middle School counselor after a career working with Chesterfield Mental Health Support Services. Most recently he served as an AES program manager, overseeing multiple Chesterfield County mental health programs and supporting school counselors and psychologists, as well as social workers. Tyler has his master’s in social work from Virginia Commonwealth University and is a licensed clinical social worker. Lyndsey VanCaster joins the business office as an accountant. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from the University of Virginia and began her career with KPMG LLP.
Second Grade Teacher Hayden Vick came to StC from the Town School for Boys in San Francisco, where he served as a kindergarten and fourth grade teacher in its New Teacher Institute, which combines theoretical and practical aspects of teaching.
Alissa Yazinski, Upper School geometry and AP statistics teacher, graduated from The Spelman College and earned an M.S. in mathematics from Virginia State University. She worked for the U.S. Navy at the Naval Surface Warfare Center before switching careers to education. For the past 13 years, Yazinski has taught math in Chesterfield County, most recently at Monacan High School, where she was named Teacher of the Year. She is helping with community service along with StC’s community and inclusion efforts.
Retirements Veteran JK Teacher Claudia Sloan Departs By Kathleen Thomas Margaret Hunter said no one is more caring, selfless, passionate or hardworking than fellow Teacher Claudia Sloan, who retired at the close of the 2019-20 school year. After graduating from Skidmore College with a degree in developmental psychology, Sloan earned her teaching certificate from the University of Richmond, where she befriended Vickie Alley, StC’s former assistant Lower School head. They studied together and took their boards together. While Alley first landed as a kindergarten teacher, Sloan served as assistant to her mother-in-law, Norma Alley, who started the school’s junior kindergarten program in 1985. After two years working together, Alley retired and Sloan took over. Sloan initially struggled to find her own style. “It took two to three years to trust myself to be my own teacher,” she said. With Alley’s influence still permeating, Sloan expanded and grew the JK curriculum that prepares boys not quite ready for kindergarten. During her 31 years, she has been honored with the Norma Alley Award, the Charles E. Noell Award, the Robert W. Bugg Chair of Distinguished Teaching Award and the Andrew Jackson Bolling III Faculty Award. For Sloan, the trust between a teacher and her students and their parents is essential. She strove to meet every boy’s needs and fulfill all responsibilities with heartfelt intention. Even after 31 years, she still got the jitters at the start of school. “It’s a good thing if you get a little nervous or anxious because it means you still care,” she said. “First impressions are so important, and the first month is so critical in setting boys up for success.” When the second JK house was demolished last fall, Sloan was often asked if she was sad. Her reply was always no, that she has a bank full of indelible memories, which she now carries forward. She is quick to express thanks and appreciation to former comrades, including former and current JK Co-Teachers Pam McDaniel and Amma Gatty, as well as fellow JK Teachers Hunter and Holly Moreland, who started a second class five years ago. She also remembers former Athletic Director Dick Kemper’s kindness and mentorship when she taught tennis at StC’s Summer Experience as a teenager. She describes StC as her second home, saying, “It was a family and community I could count on and get strength from.” During Christmas break 2019, she decided that it was time to retire from teaching. Now working as an administrative assistant for Atlee Chiropractic Center, she said, “I still want to help. I still want to feel needed.”
“So, thank you, Claudia, for being a team player, a wise and patient mentor, a humble, honest and dedicated colleague and, most importantly, a loyal friend.” — Margaret Hunter, fellow JK teacher
Sloan’s Favorite Things About JK Delivering a lesson when every boy hangs on every word: “That’s a really good high.” An environment of love: “If a boy hugs me, I don’t need a paycheck, really.” Laughter: “If you’re not laughing every day when you’re teaching young children, there’s something wrong.”
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Retirements Three Veteran Maintenance Workers Retire By Gene Bruner ’78 It’s odd to walk into the maintenance shop and not find Flip, Rusty and Chief. Their recent retirements left big gaps to fill.
Esau “Chief” Couser has been a prominent fixture on campus since 1979. A dedicated employee with a wry sense of humor, Chief railed against politicians who lied, wasteful spending, bureaucrats who lacked common sense, litterbugs and Dallas Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones’ poor decision-making. Due to his careful consideration and dutiful acts of kindness, he provided a welcoming and warm salutation from the driver’s seat of his green Gator. Whether you were tall or short, young or old, skinny or rotund, he had just the right nickname for us all — Slim.
Esau “Chief” Couser
Buford “Flip” Filpy may be the only person alive who knows the original colors of every room on campus. With practiced professionalism, he is more than just a painter; he is a skilled artisan. He goes quickly and methodically about his projects with calm intent and a steady hand. In conversation, he speaks with a warm southern accent about rugged individualism, the power of education, love of God and country and the fundamental decency of ordinary people. A Vietnam veteran, this avid gun collector and motorcycle enthusiast will likely be spotted riding his Harley Road King on the “Nickle & Dime” route (Route 5 East to Jamestown and Route 10 West back to Richmond) and other assorted scenic routes that crisscross the state. Buford “Flip” Philpy
Rusty Wheeler is a quiet, sturdy man who can fix, build and do just about anything. StC’s campus is filled with gems of his carpentry. Like most master craftsmen, the blueprints for his sheds, shelves, fencing and doors are not available online; they are in his head. Generous with his time, Wheeler helped students build furniture for myriad outreach projects. He plans to travel the country in a motorhome for an extended period before returning to campus as a part-time employee. A diehard Washington football team fan, Wheeler plans to continue his ongoing feud with colleague, friend and longtime Dallas Cowboy enthusiast, Esau Couser.
Rusty Wheeler
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Cary Mauck ’79 StC Student Athlete, Leader, Mentor, Coach By Gene Bruner ‘78 In a word, Cary Mauck ‘79 might be described as versatile. He jokes. He jibes. He comes through in the clutch. He might go to a fancy restaurant and charm the snootiest waiter but guffaw with a kid wearing a UNC jersey dribbling a basketball down the street. He knows how to tease the brash and boost the meek. On one of the hottest days last summer, Mauck sank a magnificent putt for a birdie. Loping off the green, head down, arms tucked close to his sides, he moved in a slow trot, up on his toes, an athlete aging gracefully. He tried to conceal his smile. Whistling like a canary, he confided, ”You know, I think I’m going to like retirement.” As a student and faculty member, Mauck amassed a 44-year tenure. A walking Rolodex of institutional knowledge, he is cut from the “old school” cloth. His professional posture is clear and constant. He loves this place. Mauck built an impressive StC resume: standout student, All-Prep pitcher (he tossed a no-hitter as a sophomore), star basketball player, alumni director, admissions director, basketball coach, baseball coach, advisor and most recently major gifts officer. He is deeply connected to the School and its philosophy.
He captivated those under his charge by action, example and a gracious heart.
For 17 years, Mauck and Rich Hudephol coached J.V. basketball, notching a 147-23 record during a 10-year span. Mauck started as Hudepohl’s assistant and credits him with teaching him how to coach. Eventually the two switched roles, while the team’s chemistry, passion and strength remained constant. San Antonio Spurs Assistant Coach William Hardy ’06 recalled how much fun he had shooting half-court shots with the coaches at the end of practice. The year Hudephol died, Mauck coached the team to an undefeated season. Mauck’s impact is forever woven into the fabric of StC’s long history. His devotion stands out, as well as his humility, honor and simple civility. He will be sorely missed. As his good friend and Upper School Teacher John Burke pointed out: “We are not saying goodbye to Cary; we are saying farewell.”
He captivated those under his charge by action, example and a gracious heart; he thrived by building relationships. In one instant he could calm the nerves of young boys visiting campus for the first time, and in the next he could inspire an advisee who lacked academic focus. Always on the job, he cheered for the School, students, colleagues and alumni. He embraced the essence of being a Saint: dignity, fairness and honor. Mauck’s love for sports and flair for coaching came from his father, Bill Mauck ’48, a standout athlete who went on to pitch at Washington and Lee University and for several local and semi-professional teams before choosing medical school over the big leagues. Dr. Mauck taught his son to pitch with accuracy and to deliver a curveball.
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St. Christopher’s School welcomes qualified students to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation or national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial aid policies and athletic and other School-administered programs. The Magazine of St. Christopher’s
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