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Alumni News
Alumni Events
Alumni Panel: College Athletes On Jan. 9, Upper School students were treated to a special panel featuring alumni participating in college athletics. St. Stephen’s Athletics hosted the event, featuring Chris Mabley ’19, Andrew Abikhaled ’17, Riley Nichols ’19, Anna Hartzell ’17, Kayla Thompson ’17 and Erin Mikeska ’16.
Lunch on The Hill Members of the classes of the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s joined Head of School Chris Gunnin and Michelle Geo Olmstead, director of alumni relations, for Lunch on The Hill events in January, February and March. Alumni reminisced with classmates, shared stories and learned about the current Spartan experience.
Spartan Alumni Regional Event: Dallas On February 13, alumni in Dallas gathered for dinner with Head of School Chris Gunnin and Michelle Geo Olmstead, director of alumni relations.
PHOTOS (middle) Rebecca Gibbs, Mallory Boyle ’04, Louise McNutt ’07, Chetan Panda ’09 and Charlton Perry; (bottom) Paul Talbot ’74, Chris Gunnin, Bart Wulff ’64 and Jordan Walker ’03
6500 St. Stephen’s Drive Austin, Texas 78746
In late February, Spartan alumni in San Antonio from the classes of 1951–80 were treated to “Crackers and Milk.” CRACKERS B MILK TOUR See ya soon! The “Crackers and Milk” series of events celebrates cherished Spartan traditions and enables alumni to share stories of their times on The Hill.
“Mamma Mia” Alumni Reception Before the Upper School performance of “Mamma Mia” on March 1, alumni gathered for a reception in the Helm Fine Arts Center foyer. The group then attended the show and received a special welcome from Lindsay Brustein, director of the Theatre Focus Program.
Virtual Events Due to physical distancing guidelines brought on by COVID-19, alumni gathered in new and creative ways this spring, participating in virtual happy hours, dinner clubs and study halls. They also attended online discussions on spirituality, diversity and the history of St. Stephen’s through the new series “Discussions on The Hill.”
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For up-to-date event information, check out our Spartan Alumni Network Join today at spartanalumninetwork.com
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PHOTOS (top to bottom) Chris Gunnin, Ruth Doty Killam ’54, Barbara Williams, Leighton Johnson Donnell ’56 and George Williams ’56; Elizabeth Hansing Moon and Jennifer Stayton ’85; Patricia Henna Rowe ’89 and Mark Rowe ’88
Alumni Check-In: St. Stephen’s College Athletes
Every year St. Stephen’s celebrates National Signing Day to honor members of the senior class who have inked letters of intent to play sports in college. These student-athletes join an impressive group of Spartan graduates who go on to play varsity sports in college, competing in a diverse array of programs that includes field hockey, football, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, track and sand volleyball.
We decided to catch up with a few of these alumni to learn more about their experiences playing collegiate sports and glean any advice they have for current Spartans.
Erin Mikeska ’16, WOMEN’S SOCCER Erin Mikeska matriculated to Rice University in Houston, Texas, where she played on the women’s Division I soccer team and served as captain of the team her junior and senior years. She believes that being a boarding student helped prepare her for college life. “I had learned how to manage my responsibilities,” she said of boarding life. “I knew how to balance my life and knew my priorities. I was able to stay on track with my studies and soccer schedule.”
Mikeska, who graduated in May with a degree in kinesiology, offered advice to other Spartans thinking about following in her footsteps. “I would say that it’s important to consider what you want out of your collegiate experience,” she said. “Even though soccer is a fall sport, we still had few weekends free in the spring. You are going to have practice just about every day, so weekend trips and staying out late are not things you will be able to do very often. But, if you love competing, being a part of a team and winning championships, those sacrifices will not seem like much to you.” Denise Devlyn ’18 WOMEN’S ROWING Denise Devlyn matriculated to the University of Washington in Seattle, where she was a member of the women’s rowing team that won the 2019 NCAA Championship. Devlyn said that she enjoyed a smooth transition to college, which she attributed largely to being on an athletic team. “It was a little overwhelming going from such a small, intimate school like St. Stephen’s to my general chemistry class with 200 other students,” she noted. “But athletics made me feel like I had that more intimate community like before.
“I think incoming freshmen feel lost sometimes because it is easy to lose structure to your day with the freedom college gives you,” she added. “But with my intense practice schedule, I was forced to stay organized. I also never felt lonely because my teammates quickly became my closest friends, and I always knew they had my back. I was able to find my place here.”
Last summer, Devlyn opted to stay in Seattle for an internship with King County working in the environmental lab. “I was an intern in the microbiology/ aquatic toxicology division that works on water quality monitoring and sampling throughout the area,” she said. “St. Stephen’s definitely helped instill my love for the environment.”
Michael Hewlett ’16, FOOTBALL Michael Hewlett attended Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, Canada, where he played on the football team. He enjoyed a smooth transition to college life. “The teaching at St. Stephen’s is top-notch,” he said. “Coming into the university, it was easy to tell that I was far better prepared than my fellow classmates. Another thing I learned at St. Stephen’s is that hard work will get you further than talent ever will and that there always will be people around you who are willing to help when you’re in need.”
Hewlett found the talent level of everyone around him to be the most challenging part of competing at the college level. “Everyone I played with and against were the top players on their respective high school teams,” he noted. Despite this challenge, he offered advice to students dreaming of playing sports in college. “Work harder than you ever have before, and go for it! Playing the sport you love in college is one of the most rewarding things you can do, and making the roster of a college team is such a great payoff for all the work you have put in over the years.”
Mallika Rao ’16, WOMEN’S LACROSSE Mallika Rao matriculated to Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn., where she played on the Division III women’s lacrosse team. As a first-year student, she drew upon several aspects of her St. Stephen’s experience. “Being able to write and express yourself in a clear and concise way is the most beneficial skill students can have as they start college,” she noted. “It makes every class so much easier because conveying your point and crafting an argument comes organically.
Rao said she appreciates that St. Stephen's allowed her to try so many different things. She believes this enabled her to become a well-rounded student. A neuroscience major on the pre-med track, she wants a career serving others. “Rhodes set me up with an incredible experience at LeBonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis last summer doing clinical research on epilepsy and functional motor disorders,” she said. “I was able to present this research at the Child Neurology Society conference in October. I will now move into clinical research for a year before applying to medical school.” Julian Flores ’16, MEN’S SOCCER Julian Flores attended the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., where he played on the men’s soccer team. Among the biggest challenges he faced was learning to appreciate his role on the team. “I was a practice player for three years,” Flores explained. “I spent the first two years thinking I was good enough to be starting or at least to be an impact substitution. In my junior year, I changed my mentality and focused on what I could control — my attitude, my effort and my mindset — and I was much happier. I also became the best practice player we had, and that was an important role for me so that I could lead the team by example and help rid the team of negative attitudes.”
Flores, who graduated in May with a degree in electrical engineering, also appreciated the unique college experiences he had by attending a military academy. “I was excited to be in a class where I learned to jump out of planes,” he said. “I was able to do an internship at Schweitzer Engineering, a company that specializes in protective relays for power grids. I also was paid to go to school, so I saved up my money to go on cool spring break trips with my friends. I’ve been to Italy, the Netherlands, Ireland and England.”
Elizabeth Sturley ’16, FIELD HOCKEY Elizabeth Sturley attended Amherst College in Massachusetts, where she played on the Division III women’s field hockey team. She offered valuable advice to other Spartans considering playing college sports. “Make sure you love the school itself, not just the chance to pursue your sport,” she said. “Sports are unpredictable, so you want to make sure you’re in an environment where you would be happy even if you were not playing.”
She also made the most of academic, study abroad and internship opportunities. “I spent a semester in Copenhagen, Denmark, studying justice and human rights. I also had some incredible chances to travel across the continent and learn through different perspectives. I spent my summers working for some really cool nonprofits, including a workers’ and immigration rights advocacy law firm, a genocide and atrocity prevention organization in Washington, D.C., and the Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission.” She wrapped up her college career by writing an interdisciplinary thesis about the rhetoric of genocide and atrocities.
Keeping the Gates Open for Everyone
Anyone who has spent time on campus likely has noticed the tall, lean bearded man wearing a cowboy hat and overalls. When I first joined the school community as a parent, I joked to my children that he was probably the most interesting person on campus. Now, after having had the chance to interview Charles Warlick ’83, French teacher and Spartan alumnus, I know that my initial assumption was absolutely true. During a lunchtime talk, Warlick shared with me why he has stayed connected to St. Stephen’s throughout his life.
I arrived at St. Stephen’s as a 7th-grade day student in the fall of 1977. I attended St. Andrew’s for elementary school, and the big question on 6th graders’ minds was whether they would apply to St. Stephen’s or go to public school. I decided to go for it, and someone must have been asleep at the switch, because they let me in. There is no way to give an accurate account of my St. Stephen’s experience without writing a book. St. Stephen’s has had a profound impact on almost every aspect of my life — from my career path to my spiritual journey. The St. Stephen’s family provided me safe refuge with structure, expectations, plenty to think about and wonder at, and worthy opponents like Robert Phipps and Dean Towner, who ensured that I always had windmills to tilt at.
One of the culminating events for seniors in the spring was a major theology paper on a book selected from a departmental list. I had picked up the habit somewhere along the way of labeling the pages of my essays with song lyrics instead of numbering them, e.g., first page “Yesterday,” next page “all,” followed by “my,” then “troubles” and so on. My theology paper was 13 handwritten pages, each labeled with a word from the Swell Maps’ song “Vertical Slum”: “I got a space between my eyes, and I never thought about it.”
When the Rev. David Hoster ’65 returned our papers, I saw that he had replied to my labeling with similar labeling of his own: “You've got a space between your ears not to think about it with.” Hoster had to read, annotate and grade 60 major papers in time to submit senior grades before graduation, yet he took the time to think up that brilliant retort in exactly 13 words. I have kept that paper all these years. St. Stephen’s awakened my brain, which I had not really used until junior year left me no alternative, and showed me how to use it and use it well. You would not know it to look at my transcript, but the considerable academic success that I enjoyed at Pomona College and University of Michigan was constructed on the foundation poured at St. Stephen’s. As a faculty member today, I know the academic program is as strong as ever without having become stagnant.
My mother, Doris Warlick, and I both have included St. Stephen’s in our estate plans because my parents could not afford to send me to St. Stephen’s without my grandmother’s help. We want to help ensure that the gates stay open to as many people as possible, regardless of their zip code.
We support this school because we had the privilege of experiencing firsthand what a foundational and transformational experience St. Stephen’s provides to its students and because we believe that the world would be a poorer place without St. Stephen’s in it.
—melody harman, director of planned giving
Class Notes
1952 Royce Drake and his wife, Pat, have been living in the University Village condos in Charlottesville, Va. They moved there in 2017 at the request of their two daughters, who live nearby.
1953 After graduating from St. Stephen’s, Bob Scott pursued a career in graphic art and design in Boston and New Bedford, Mass. In 1956, his uncle, James Parker Clements, advised him to attend art school rather than continue his liberal arts studies at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn. He applied and was accepted to Kansas City Art Institute and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. While at the Museum School, Scott met with the Rt. Rev. John E. Hines, who founded St. Stephen’s. The conversation led him to attend Tufts University, where he earned his bachelor of fine arts degree and subsequently found permanent positions in Boston and New Bedford in the textbook publishing and commercial printmaking fields. He and his wife, Dale Gifford, have been enjoying retirement by the sea in Wareham, Mass. His art studio is located at their home on Burgess Point near the west portal of the Cape Cod Canal. If you are interested in learning more about Scott’s work, visit robtdscott.blogspot.com.
1957 Ruth Wilson Witten sends greetings from the Midwest. She is well in the midst of these dark days, but never more grateful for her St. Stephen’s education. She can lose herself in a good book and turns to faith to keep grounded and thankful for her many blessings. She has been following the guidelines on keeping herself and her family safe and well.
1958 A true Spartan, Jeannette Schaleben Cook will serve as Spartan Pioneer representative on the Spartan Alumni Association board for 2020–21.
1962 Duncan Osborne was asked to give the annual Trachtman Lecture at the national meeting of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) last spring. This was a significant presentation and an honor for its presenters in the ACTEC circle. Osborne is a partner of Osborne, Helman, Knebel & Scott LLP in Austin. His practice focuses on domestic and international estate planning with an emphasis on asset protection planning. He is a frequent author and lecturer on estate planning topics and has made presentations and published articles both domestically and internationally on the subjects of offshore trusts and asset protection planning. Osborne is a former adjunct professor of law at The University of Texas School of Law and is dedicated to lecturing and writing on topics in his practice area and helping clients with all aspects of their estate planning. To hear his lecture, go to http:// www.actec.org/documents/MP3/2020/A20_Trachtman_ Lecture.mp3
1967 Randy Parten, Mike Parten ’69, Ellen Justice, Eric Leibrock and Jane Leibrock ’00 attended the celebration of Judge Justice’s 100th birthday at the Justice Center at The University of Texas School of Law. The group enjoyed an afternoon discussion on the center’s pro bono work at the school, which pairs students with real clients who need legal advice.
Last winter, the Partens visited Norie Clarke and her mom, who is 95 and in great shape. Clarke shared that her son, Alan, is having success with geothermal projects and biotech placements. Her daughter, Emma, after graduating from CUNY School of Journalism, is now working full time at MSNBC as a researcher for Ali Velshi. Clarke recently joined Code Pink in Nevada and had been barricading the entrance to Creech Air Force Base until she was carted away to jail. Upon being released, she acquired a dog, Arlo, named probably for Arlo Guthrie, who would have appreciated her civil disobedience.
The Partens also visited Daryl Hause Tanner and George Tanner in February. They are doing well and working to see the world. George has been recovering from a serious skiing accident that gave him a major concussion.
1968 During this unusual time, Molly Dougherty has rarely gone out except for walks with her wonderful and interesting brother, Chrys Dougherty ’69. She has been spending an inordinate amount of time ordering food and supplies. She is grateful for good health, as well as her loving husband, Kip, and adorable kitty, Holly. She misses her 2-year-old twin grandchildren, who just moved to Florida. She has been enjoying reading in the backyard hammock and watching television shows and movies. She misses “The Americans,” but has loved the final season of “Homeland.” She is addicted to news. She finds the politics and science fascinating and is a big fan of Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Although it’s been stressful, she says she has much to be grateful for! New Charitable Deduction for Taxpayers Who Do Not Itemize
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, was signed into law on March 27, 2020. This provision allows Americans who support charitable organizations in 2020 an above-the-line deduction of $300 for cash contributions, whether or not they itemize their deductions. Further, for individuals, the CARES Act suspends the 2020 cap of 60 percent of adjusted gross income limit for all charitable giving and increases it to 100 percent. (Section 2204—Modifications for Charitable Giving)
For more information, contact Christine Aubrey, associate head of school for advancement, at 512-327-1213 x118.
During this spring of isolation, Rob Henderson and his wife, Leilani, are finding ways to work from home, help with the grandkids while maintaining an appropriate social distance, and otherwise hold it together. Their shopping has diminished to a once-a-week outing. The couple is enjoying reading and talking with friends and family via Zoom and FaceTime. They are carefully masked and gloved when they go out. Henderson enjoys wearing a bandana to shop because it makes him feel dangerous. On a serious note, both of their daughters and sons-in-law are first responders; all have been quarantined during the lockdown given exposures to the coronavirus. Only one developed symptoms; fortunately, she was negative when tested. They are all back at work and are attentive and careful with their parents. They could not ask for a better team in their small circle. They feel blessed. In short, they are well and following the guidance of the folks who went to medical school.
John McFarland and his wife, Jill, spent the spring sheltering in place. His law firm closed its office, so they are all working from home. McFarland reported that his family is doing well. His son, J.T., has been learning how to make soap while sheltering in place in San Antonio. They are all learning to use Zoom.
Ellen O’Brien reported that son Keelan and his girlfriend’s planned move to Vietnam was canceled due to the pandemic. They quickly changed plans and
(left to right) David Long, Evan Judd, Greg Jones, Dan Richards, Roger Williams, Tim Judd and Robert Ettinger
headed to visit her and her husband, Duane, in the mountains of Western North Carolina with all their earthly belongings and their two cats. Since then, he has started working remotely in Vietnam. They beefed up their Wi-Fi to handle their work and visits with friends and family all over the country. They rotate who cooks, which is a lot of fun. They are both excellent cooks! O’Brien’s oldest child lives in Oregon and is busy with computer programming and math courses. They reported that despite all of them being stacked like cordwood, they have been enjoying the beautiful spring. Her county has a population density of 87 people per square mile, according to the last U.S. Census, so she feels pretty safe from infection and very blessed! She hopes all of her fellow members of the Class of 1968 are doing well and are taking care of themselves and their loved ones.
Nancy Pope has been doing well in St. Louis, considering the circumstances. Her family in St. Louis consists of her husband, younger son and Nancy’s former student, who substitutes for in-town daughter. They made the decision not to see anyone else for the duration of the lockdown. Nancy’s older son and daughter-in-law are equally well in the Chicago area, and they speak often. She is deeply grateful for her physical and financial health. She feels so privileged that she finds it guilt-inducing, and she is starting to understand why her mother always said she worried less when she prayed more.
1969 Jane Dryden Louis has joined the Spartan Alumni Association board as secretary. 1971 Last month, Don Wreden retired from his role as senior vice president of patient experience for Sutter Health in California. More than 41 years after graduating from medical school, it became clear to him that it was time for him to “graduate” into the next phases of his life. He said that after having planned this transition for more than a year, it was bizarre to leave health care less than one week before the overwhelming pandemic brought our country to a standstill and some parts of our health care system into crisis. It has been very emotionally challenging for him to be separated from the work being done to directly care for the sick. Wreden decided to continue to give back to his profession by serving with a group of physicians and nurses providing emotional and coaching support to medical colleagues impacted by
REUNION 2020 AND 2021
St. Stephen’s has moved Reunion 2020 from September to the weekend of April 16, 2021, making it Reunion 2020 and 2021! Please mark your calendars and save the date! Spartan classes ending in 0s, 5s, 1s and 6s will celebrate their reunions at that time. All alumni are invited to attend!
Reunion co-chairs Alice Nazro Nezzer ’87 and Shannon Powers Flahive ’96 and the planning committee are developing an extra special weekend. To join the planning efforts, please email Michelle Geo Olmstead, director of alumni relations, at molmstead@sstx.org. the fight against COVID-19. He is grateful for what feels like a meaningful contribution. He is also catching up on reading and exercise and has restarted playing piano. His daughter, Julia, got married last November and is currently in nurse practitioner school. His sons, Davey and Doug, continue to make a living in the video gaming world. His wife, Maxine, is still practicing integrative and functional medicine, though she is hoping to retire by the year’s end. The couple looks forward to finally being able to travel together. He hopes to be able to travel to the 50-year reunion for the Class of 1971. [We hope so, too!]
1973 Doug Anderson is still toiling away with the legal business in Victoria and surrounding counties. The lawyers have had to learn to use technology for online meetings and hearings due to the shutdown. Last year Anderson was asked to serve as senior warden at Trinity Episcopal Church. If someone had told him that he would have presided over the search for a new rector, the replacement of the interim rector, the departure of the associate rector and social distancing, he thinks he may have joined the Methodist Church. They are at the end of the search, and he is looking forward to things getting back to normal. Anderson still referees high school soccer, bay fishes and bird hunts. He did get to celebrate the birth of his second grandchild and first granddaughter in February. Kennedy Grace Anderson was born on Feb. 2 at 2 p.m., and her room was 2200. He said that he knows what her lucky number will be and is looking forward to her first soccer game.
1974 In late February, the St. Stephen’s Parents’ Association hosted its annual Spring Swing event. The program included an amazing video by director Michael Moss, featuring alumni Jennifer Stayton ’85, Mark Rowe ’88, Chetan Panda ’09 and Yasmine Smith ’12. Check out the video at https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=0oiPf3LuNi4&t=196s.
1977 Robert Ettinger reported that the monthly breakfast meeting that he holds with classmates Dan Richards, Roger Williams, Greg Jones, Tim Judd ’79, Evan Judd, David Long and Maury Domengeaux has turned into a Zoom conference call to stay in touch during the pandemic. Ettinger’s daughter, Lilly, recently was named collegiate recovery worker of the year. She is assistant director of wellness and recovery at Baylor University in Waco. His granddaughter, Caroline, is almost 2 and is a roving chatterbox. His son, Reilly, moved out of his apartment in New York City months ago and moved into his house in Dallas. He is a vice president at a private equity firm.
JOIN THE ALUMNI BOOK CLUB
This book club provides an opportunity for St. Stephen’s alumni to read interesting books and discuss them in an online community. Sign up to help us pick the next book at https://sstx.pbc.guru/.
1984 Sallie Smither Crotty and her husband, Mark, moved to Seattle last summer. He is executive director of the Northwest Association of Independent Schools. She has been busy with a couple of classes and looks forward to teaching again. She has enjoyed reconnecting with Curtis Vredenburg and his family. She looks forward to reconnecting with Brenda Turner, who recently moved back to Seattle. She hopes all is well with everyone! Please let her know if you make it to Seattle.
1985 After serving for the past three years as Spartan Alumni Association president, Jennifer Stayton has assumed the role of past president for the 2020 and 2021 school year. Stayton has been asked to serve as a St. Stephen’s trustee. You can hear her each weekday morning on KUT’s Morning Edition.
1987 Alice Nazro Nezzer has been appointed co-chair of Reunion 2020 and 2021. Nezzer currently serves as Middle School director at St. Andrew’s in Austin. She previously taught at St. Stephen’s.
1989 Patricia Henna Rowe has been appointed to serve as Spartan Alumni Association president. She has served as a trustee of St. Stephen’s for the past six years and chair of the trustee advancement committee. She and husband Mark Rowe ’88 have had two children graduate from the school: Andrew ’16 and Elizabeth ’19. Son Matthew is a member of the Class of 2023.
1995 Ben Chan has been appointed to the Spartan Alumni Association board as alumni regional representative for Washington, D.C. He will work with the school’s Alumni Relations office to design alumni programming for his area.
1996 After helping the Alumni Relations office with the Lunch on The Hill series and the alumni reception for “Mamma Mia,” Shannon Powers Flahive has been appointed to serve as co-chair of Reunion 2020/2021.
1998 Congratulations to artist Cheyenne Weaver! She recently was accepted into the 2020 Crit Group at the Contemporary Austin. The program builds a community and network of support for working artists in Austin dedicated to growing their artistic practices.
1999 Becky Hollis Diffen and Daniel Diffen have been appointed to serve as alumni co-chairs of the St. Stephen’s Annual Fund of the Spartan Alumni Association board.
2003 Michael Lockwood Crouch wed Daniel Edward Henning on April 5 at Manhattan Marriage Bureau. He is a voiceover actor in New York, and his spouse is marketing content manager of Music Theatre International. The couple met on the uptown local C train in New York City and have been together ever since.
2004 Mallory Boyle has been active on the Spartan Alumni Association board for the past three years. Next year she will take on the new role of alumni regional representative for Texas and will work with the Alumni Relations Office to engage Spartans throughout Texas.
Eric Neuhaus has served on the Spartan Alumni Association board for the past five years. St. Stephen’s is grateful for his time, dedication and leadership. 2006 A profile of alumna Virginia Cumberbatch was the cover story of the February issue of Austin Woman’s magazine. She discussed fighting for equity in her hometown and what it means to be a good neighbor. Cumberbatch also named two people familiar to most Spartans as women who inspire her: Yvonne Adams, St. Stephen’s director of equity and inclusion, and Yasmine Smith ’12.
2007 Paul Byars has been appointed to serve on the Spartan Alumni Association board as alumni chair of Spartans Engage. He will work with the Alumni Relations office and Parents’ Association Spartan Engage project chairs Laura Scanlan Cho ’89 and Robyn Gill.
Louise McNutt has been appointed to serve as chair of alumni recognition on the Spartan Association board.
2009 Chetan Panda ’09 served as alumni chair of the Annual Fund on the Spartan Alumni Association board throughout the school year. The association and St. Stephen’s are grateful for his efforts.
Last winter, D.J. Johnson coached the Spartan 8thGrade Boys’ Red Team to victory at the AIPL League Tournament Championship for Middle School Basketball. The Red Team went undefeated all year! Johnson currently works in the school’s Admission Office.
D.J. Johnson ’09
2013 Danielle Strasburger and Nathan Goldberg ’14 have been spearheading Harvard Forward, an effort to get the school to divest its financial holdings from investments in fossil fuels.
Caroline Herrera ’15 After serving for three years on the Spartan Alumni Association board, James Carter has agreed to continue his service. He has been appointed alumni regional representative for New York and will work with the Alumni Relations office to engage alumni and design programs for the area. 2015 Caroline Herrera has been serving on the frontlines of COVID-19 as a first responder in Mobile, Ala. We are grateful for her dedication to her community and her work during this difficult time. Hailey Wozniak received a year-long grant to study abroad this fall through the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship Foundation. As a student at Bowdoin, she co-founded Avant-Garb Magazine, a journal about fashion and culture Maddie Almanza ’16 with Coach Peter Menacker that features Bowdoin students and their personal styles. She credits this work as the inspiration for her travel itinerary. She plans to visit Brazil, India, Senegal and South Korea to explore how people use fashion to cultivate their identities, react to their environments and
break boundaries. 2016 This winter, Maddie Almanza coached the Spartan 7/8 Girls’ Purple Team to victory at the AIPL League Tournament Championship.
Mallika Rao, student athlete advisory committee (SAAC) president at Rhodes College, kicked off the inaugural Division III SSAC mental health social media campaign for mental health awareness on Instagram in May.
This spring, Elizabeth Sturley received the People’s Choice Award in the Three-Minute Thesis Competition for her work “An Atrocity by Any Other Name: Uses and Misuses of the Term Genocide.” More than 600 organizations from 80 countries participated in the competition. Sturley recently graduated from Amherst.
In Memoriam Alice Ann Lynch ’58 passed away peacefully from leukemia on Jan. 31. Her devotion to friendship may be her greatest legacy. At The University of Texas, her academic focus was history, but her true major was friendship. Her Theta sorority sisters became pillars in her life. She married fellow UT student William “Bill” Wyatt of San Antonio in 1962. Two years later they moved to San Antonio, where they were blessed with two sons, John and Richey. Lynch served in leadership roles of community and charitable organizations that included, among others, the START Gallery at the San Antonio Museum of Art, Learning About Learning and the San Antonio Library Foundation. She also served on The University of Texas Press Advisory Board in Austin and championed the Texas Book Festival and the San Antonio Book Festival. In January of 2000, she married Sam “Woody” Norwood at the top of Aspen Mountain. Lynch was diagnosed with advanced peritoneal cancer in 2016. She lived life with the same humor and zest as ever before, but with an evident and profound sense of gratitude, joy and acceptance. As recently as last year, she journeyed to Antarctica and became enraptured with penguins. Lynch is survived by her husband; her sons and daughters-in-law, whom she loved as her own; John Wyatt and Susan Ludwigson, of Glen Ridge, N.J.; and Richey and Joan Wyatt of San Antonio.
Tim Pettus ’62, alumnus and former faculty member, passed away on Feb. 1. After graduating from St. Stephen’s, Pettus studied at the University of Louisiana in 1967 and went on to earn his graduate degree in mathematics from the University of Georgia. He taught at the University of Louisiana, the University of Georgia, the University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn., St. Andrews, St. Stephen’s, Phillips Exeter Academy and St. Mark’s. During his sabbatical year from St. Mark’s in 1987, Pettus taught at the Shore School in New South Wales, Australia. This experience gave him a taste for international education. After leaving St. Mark’s in 2001, he spent 11 years teaching math in China as part of the School Year Abroad program. He will be remembered as an innovative teacher, a loyal friend and a true gentleman. Pettus is survived by his wife, Mary; his three children, Sarah, Tim Jr. and Stephen; and five grandchildren.
Alexandra “Sandy” Dodge Montgomery ’70 is remembered as a multi-talented woman: teacher and advocate for learning-disabled children, plaintiffs’ lawyer in significant health and abuse-related cases, and legal analyst for the California State Senate. She was generous with her time, helping friends and family with legal issues, as well as mentoring at-risk high school students in the CASA program in Orange County. Montgomery is survived by her son, Nathan Day; her mother, Margaret; her brothers, Robert and Carleton; her niece; Esther; and her nephews, Robert and Jacob.
Mark Clark ’71 passed away on March 12 at Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital. After graduating from St. Stephen’s in 1971, he received his B.A. in economics from Austin College in Sherman. Following his college graduation, Clark went into the electrical contracting business and was a pioneer in the electrical aggregating industry. From the age of 6, his gift for electrical wiring was evident to his family. His interests included traveling, reading, working in his shop and having Friday breakfast with ‘ROMEO’ buddies. Over the years, Clark served as a Mason, a Rotarian, a Paul Harris Fellow, Son of the American Revolution, and master electrician. Clark is survived by his wife of 43 years, Janet Russell Clark; his daughter and son-in-law, Lauren Clark Coleman and Teddy Coleman; grandsons James Tius ‘Ty’ Coleman and Taylor Eugene Coleman of College Station; brother George F. Clark III and wife Charlotte Ashcroft Clark of Dallas.
Robert Hewitt ’77 passed away on April 1. After graduating from St. Stephen’s, he attended The University of Texas at Austin. Hewitt then worked alongside his father and grandfather for many years as president of O’Connor & Hewitt Ltd. He also was active in The O’Connor & Hewitt Foundation in Victoria, Texas. Robert provided leadership and stimulus to those with whom he worked until full completion of various and many endeavors. His valuable input and steadfast efforts were evidenced through his many board appointments, benefitting the Dorothy H. O’Connor Pet Adoption Center (named for his paternal grandmother), Trinity Episcopal School, Victoria Economic Development Corp., Victoria Performing Arts Center, Victoria Crime Prevention Commission, Victoria Regional Airport Commission, Wells Fargo Bank and St. Stephen’s. His efforts and
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generosity touched the lives of many for the betterment of the community as a whole, always without limitation or boundary. He was part of the Hewitt family legacy at St. Stephen’s. His mother, Terry Hewitt ‘57, attended St. Stephen’s, as did his sister, Mary Hewett ‘85, and daughter, Ellen Hewitt Sanders ‘01. Hewitt served on the St. Stephen’s board of trustees for three terms (1989–2002) and was a member of the St. Stephen’s Endowment Corp. He loved St. Stephen’s and gave generously to many of its funds and projects.
William Lee Kemper III ’84 passed away on Nov. 24, 2019, in Bluffton, S.C. Kemper leaves behind his cherished wife of 20 years, Ann Marie Burgeson Kemper, and his two beloved daughters, Savannah Marie and Lily Ann. Kemper was a larger-than-life man who had a special way of connecting with everyone he met. He grew up in Houston and Austin, and although he and his young family moved to the lowcountry 16 years ago to be there for his ailing father-in-law, he remained a true Texan at heart. He had a true passion for travel and cherished the time spent with family exploring other cultures. Kemper had a Porsche race engineering business in Austin, and cars and racing were always a part of him. He recently transitioned into safer autocross with the SCCA Buccaneer Region. His daughter, Lily, did the race car graphics, and Savannah was the driver. He was such a hands-on father, making it his mission to teach and give of himself in every way to his girls and family. He was an artist and made fabulous wood sculptures, and he taught the girls a love of art, making sure they knew he valued whatever they did. He was a consummate storyteller, instilling a love of creative writing in the girls. He loved building sets and projects for his daughters’ schools and was a coach for the clay shooting team.
Elizabeth Henderson Jepson ’01, beloved wife of Bryan Leigh Jepson and daughter of George and Linda Henderson, died unexpectedly but peacefully on Jan. 31 at her home in Wichita, Kan. Jepson was a lovely, vivacious and caring person, who brought light and joy to everyone she met. After graduating from St. Stephen’s in 2001 and from The University of Texas at Austin (Plan II) in 2005, she graduated from Texas Tech University School of Law in 2009. In law school, she served as executive managing editor of the inaugural volume of the Estate Planning & Community Property Law Journal and as an articles editor of the Texas Tech Law Review. The most significant event in law school, however, was that she met Bryan, the love of her life, when randomly assigned to an editing exercise. They were married in 2011 and began life together in Amarillo, where they both practiced law. In 2015 they moved to Wichita and continued their legal careers while creating a warm and welcoming home for themselves and their rescue dogs. Jepson practiced law with Brown & Fortunato P.C., based in Amarillo, Texas, throughout her career. She held a certification in health law from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and was a member of the Texas, Kansas and Missouri bar associations. Clients from across the country relied on her for advice and guidance in complex regulatory matters and substantial business transactions, and she worked tirelessly on their behalf.
David Heberling, former faculty member, passed away in April. He received his undergraduate degree in English literature from Juniata College and his master’s degree in English literature from the University of Arizona. Heberling had an innate curiosity and was passionately interested in many things. He was a selfdescribed “Renaissance Man.” His passion for teaching, landscaping and weather garnered his attention throughout his life. He enjoyed two long careers. The first was as a high school English teacher at St. Stephen’s, where he was active in early sustainability efforts and helped found the environmental action group, which still thrives in a different form today. His children also attended the school, where they had the pleasure of hearing from their friends and classmates about all the quirky things he was doing. After 21 years of teaching, Heberling decided to turn a hobby into a career and began Prairie Wood Landscaping. His true passion was landscaping, and he happily spent the majority of his hours in his own backyard or someone else’s, single-handedly making the world a more beautiful place. He was a leader of the Native Plant Society of Texas. Heberling is survived by his parents, Paul and Louise Heberling of Huntingdon, Pa.; sister Judy Heberling and brother-in-law Michael Husband of Huntingdon, Pa.; brother Scott Heberling and sister-inlaw Diana Hubsch of Pittsburgh, Pa.; daughter Natalie Heberling ’99 of Golden, Colo.; son Paul Heberling ’01 and daughter-in-law Katie Wallat; and grandsons Will and Alex Heberling of Denver, Colo.
Khotso Khabele ’91
Khotso Khabele ’91 was a hero to me just like his mother, Joan Khabele, and his grandmother, Bertha Means, are today. He was an idealist and a doer.
My first memories of him are from the early 2000s, when he and then-wife Moya were beginning to envision the Khabele School. As he processed the tragic events and national crisis brought on by the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, he acknowledged the world as a changed place. He became a vocal visionary and sought ways to put his ideas about education into action.
Khabele liked to say, “We lean into change.” He prepared students for the changes that technology and globalization would bring to their lives. At the same time, he was a practitioner, teaching peace studies with a focus on balancing the rapid pace of life with spiritual centering.
“I think that he was one of the most highly spiritual people in the world,” said his sister, Inonge. “Khotso believed we were entering a golden age, melding technology and spirituality to make the world better together.”
He and I talked a lot about fundraising. Khabele loved the idea that through a gift, a donor was given the opportunity to become involved in something larger than themselves and invest in an institution’s mission and values. He embodied the qualities we wish for all of our St. Stephen’s graduates: to live into our school’s mission by creating a life of meaning and enriching the world.
St. Stephen’s English instructor Ben Hines ’91 remembers Khabele as incredibly idealistic. “Khotso loved to laugh, and he moved constantly to bring everyone together so we could all share in the joy of the moment,” Hines said of his longtime friend. “What he built for all of us who knew and loved him was a kind of spiritual home, where we could just be ourselves and be happy.”
Martin Quander ’82 agreed with Hines. “His sense of humor was infectious and his compassion immeasurable,” Quander said. “I am blessed to have known Khotso for more than 30 years and could not be more proud of the man, the teacher and the father that he became.”
—christine aubrey, associate head of school for advancement
Alumni Class Representatives
Will Brewster ’51 brewsterwilliam34@gmail.com Fred Heldenfels ’52 fheldenfels@gmail.com Edna Noel Heldenfels ’53 fheldenfels@gmail.com Michael Hines ’54 poppyhines@msn.com Colin Phipps ’55 colin@phippsfarm.com Ellen McCorquodale Martin ’56 ellenk.martin@aol.com Ruth Wilson Witten ’57 ruthwitten@aol.com J.P. Bryan ’58 BryanJ@teai.com Tom Romberg ’59 tromberg@me.com Pat Fatter Black ’60 ggpat77@gmail.com Steve Jolly ’61 stevejolly@mindspring.com David Sanders ’62 rdavidsanders@msn.com Julia Cauthorn ’63 julia@texancapital.com Joiner Cartwright ’64 joiner.cartwright@gmail.com Arthur Wright ’64 arthur.wright@tklaw.com Dianne Duncan Tucker ’65 ddtuck@aol.com Helen Candler Miller ’66 hcm@postoakfarm.com Randy Parten ’67 jrparten@parten.com Robert Henderson ’68 rehenderson@nvcc.edu Josh Harrison ’69 JHarrisonLaw@aol.com Kathryn Miller Anderson ’71 zjmiller1513@gmail.com Darrell David ’72 darrell.s.david@gmail.com Douglass Anderson ’73 dlalaw@hotmail.com Ann Rhodes McMeans ’74 armcmeans@gmail.com Dr. Mary L. Brandt ’75 mary.l.brandt@gmail.com Sylvia McIntyre-Crook ’75 sycrook1@cox.net Dan Norton ’76 daniel@danielnorton.com Robert Ettinger ’77 robert@ettlaw.com Mark Tucker ’78 mrtucker@mindspring.com Carroll Lively Reeser ’79 carroll@reeser.net Peter Larkham ’80 peter@peterlarkam.com Erica Peters Stafford ’81 Erica.Stafford@bvcpa.com Charlotte Stuckey Brigham ’81 charbrigham@gmail.com Wendy White Naughton ’82 wendy.naughton@gmail.com Laura Mears Mirecki ’83 Lauralynn787@gmail.com Suzanne Cantarino Pfeiffer ’84 SuzannePfeiffer@austin.rr.com Libbie Walker Ansell ’85 libbieansell@gmail.com Chris Breckwoldt ’86 cbreckwoldt@sstx.org Catherine Hoey Randall ’87 caterandall@sbcglobal.net Mark Rowe ’88 markrowe@henna.com Jonathan Quander ’89 jdquander70@gmail.com Joe Frisz ’90 joe.frisz@enovapay.com Liz Fleming Powell ’91 lz.powell@gmail.com Monika Powe Nelson ’92 giantmonsterprincess@gmail.com Davis Baldwin ’93 rdbaldwin@mac.com Catherine Cook Weiss ’94 cmcook76@aol.com Seth Alley ’95 sethalley@msn.com Ben Chan ’95 eyethump@gmail.com Hawkins Li ’95 hli3@yahoo.com Beth Cockerham Mack ’95 semack77@gmail.com Ann Strauser Palmer ’95 Annstrauserpalmer@gmail.com Rhea Benbow Thomas ’95 rheabt@gmail.com Meghan Alexander ’96 MAlexander@AlexanderAtty.com Shannon Powers Flahive ’96 spowers1@austin.rr.com Tina Bentsen Henrichson ’96 kbentsen@austin.rr.com Elizabeth Anne Sykes Rains ’96 earains1109@yahoo.com Cam Beesley ’97 leardsfool@gmail.com Jared Hockema ’98 jhockema@mac.com Rebecca Hollis Diffen ’99 bdiffen@mcguirewoods.com Claire Browder ’00 clairebrowder@gmail.com Katharine Bayer ’01 kittybayer@gmail.com Juliet Frerking ’01 frerking@gmail.com Kean Tonetti ’02 stonetti@gmail.com Brian Kaufman ’04 brian.r.kaufman@gmail.com Rachel Katz ’05 rpk228@gmail.com Sarah Cromwell Sheppard ’06 sarahhcromwell@gmail.com Selina Strasburger ’06 selina.strasburger@gmail.com Cole Arledge ’07 cole.arledge@gmail.com Anne Buckthal Chilton ’07 anne.buckthal@gmail.com Amanda Kushner ’08 amandakkushner@gmail.com J.J. Botha ’09 johannbbotha@gmail.com Chantal Strasburger ’09 chantal.strasburger@gmail.com Carlotta Garza ’10 carlotta.garza@gmail.com Omar Yaghi ’10 omaryaghi2@gmail.com Ryann Young ’10 rhy9@cornell.edu Lindsay Redman ’11 llredman93@gmail.com Henry Sikes ’11 WHSikes1@gmail.com Gray Twombly ’11 Twombly.Gray@gmail.com Alia Yaghi ’11 alia.yaghi1@gmail.com Yosua A. Husodo ’12 yosua.adiyasa@hotmail.com Helen Elizabeth Old ’12 helenelizabeth1@me.com Caroline Pringle ’12 carolinepringle93@gmail.com Jake Politte ’12 jake.politte@rocketmail.com James Carter ’13 jamesterelcarter@gmail.com Annie Nordhauser ’13 lisa.nordhauser@gmail.com Nathan Goldberg ’14 nathangoldberg@college.harvard.edu Jaclyn Horton ’14 jaclynlhorton@gmail.com Jim Old ’15 jamesold1@mac.com Nick Goldreyer ’16 nick.goldreyer@gmail.com Allie Goldreyer ’18 allie.goldreyer@gmail.com Blossom Maduafokwa ’18 bdm2140@barnard.edu Andrew Yow ’18 david.andrew.yow@gmail.com Wyatt Gill ’19 Wyatt.gill912@gmail.com Tom Guan ’19 guantomy@gmail.com Greta Katsner ’19 gretakastner@gmail.com Chloe Lawrence ’19 chloelawrence512@gmail.com Lucy Schmidt ’19 lucyschmidt88@gmail.com
The classes of 1970, 2003 and 2017 need a Class Representative. If you are interested, please email Michelle Geo Olmstead at molmstead@sstx.org.
T H E M A G A Z I N E O F S T. S T E P H E N’ S E P I S C O P A L S C H O O L
Winter 2020
Strength in Community
Class Notes Submissions
We encourage alumni to share personal updates with us for Class Notes. Spartan alumni are contacted by their Class Reps several times a year for news and information. For assistance contacting your Class Rep or to submit news directly by email, please contact Michelle Geo Olmstead, director of alumni relations, at 512.327.1213 x178 or molmstead@sstx.org.
Class Notes also can be submitted directly online at www.sstx.org/alumni/. Select the “Stay Connected” box.
For help finding your Class Rep, please visit our Alumni webpage at www.sstx.org/alumni.
We welcome high-resolution photographs with your Class Notes submission. Please send a JPG format in the largest size possible (at least 900 pixels; image 3 inches wide at 300 dpi). Please include the full names and class years of everyone pictured.
Spartan magazine editors reserve the right to edit or omit any information submitted.
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PARTING SHOT Middle School students shower love on a puppy during the MLK Day march at the Capitol
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