Alumni News

Thank you to all of our alumni who participated in and attended our 20 virtual events during Reunion Weekend, April 16-18. We are also grateful to Reunion Co-Chairs Alice Nazro Nezzer ’87 and Shannon Powers ’96 and Spartan Alumni Association President Patricia Henna Rowe ’89 for planning such a fun celebration. It was a fabulous weekend that engaged those near and far.

Spartans connected over and through various topics, including Episcopal identity, the school's COVID-19 response, admission to St. Stephen’s, the student experience and results of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Audit. Alumni played trivia with our very own game show host Gus Davis ’99 and learned from other Spartans about beer, journalism in 2020, astrophysics, modern art in Austin and charting fish populations in Hawaii.

During the weekend we also recognized two amazing alumnae. At the Pioneer Reception on Friday, evening, Jill Matthews Wilkinson ’64 was honored with The Founders’ Distinguished Alumni Award. This honor is conferred by the Spartan Alumni Association to a person whose lifelong contribution to the school has been exemplary. The evening concluded with Wilkinson’s grandson, Dennis Wilkinson ’24, surprising her with a special gift. At the Leadership Reception on Saturday, Jennifer Stayton ’85 was honored with the Spartan Alumni Leadership Award. The award honors an alumnus/a who has provided outstanding volunteer leadership in service to St. Stephen’s and the Spartan Alumni Association.

We are grateful to each of you for joining us, and we look forward to next April, when we will host Reunion 2022 in person and back on The Hill.

To learn more about the current student experience, we have put together a small video library at www.sstx.org/spartan-experience.

PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Gus Davis ’99 during trivia game night at Reunion; Jill Matthews Wilkinson ’64; Patricia Henna Rowe ’89; Alice Nazro Nezzer ’87; Shannon Powers Flahive ’96

Reunion 2021 Spartan Spotlights

Laura Christie ’04

A certified Cicerone, Laura Christie ’04 is a big fan of beer. And she is not just an ordinary fan of the fermented grain beverage itself, but the history, industries and communities built around it.

Armed with a B.B.A. in entrepreneurship from Texas State University and a bad case of the Mondays from too many years in corporate tech sales, Christie dove into the world of craft beer. She showed up at the then-new 4th Tap Brewing Co-op and helped out with whatever they needed to open the doors.

The hard work led to a full-time job, and over the course of two-and-a-half years, Christie donned many hats. She worked in the office, taproom and packaging line on reporting, sales, events, pilot brews, charity donations, and sensory panels and merchandising, and she experienced some really long canning days. Through this cross-training, she was encouraged to pursue and become involved with the local chapter of the Pink Boots Society. This professional group provides resources and education to women in the fermented/alcoholic beverage industry. The chapter encouraged her to become a certified Cicerone in March 2018. This certification program provides education to beer professionals to elevate the beer experience for consumers.

Shea Little ’96

Shea Little ’96 is one of the co-founders of Big Medium and continues to serve as executive director, overseeing the artistic vision, direction and operations for the organization and all its programs. After graduating from St. Stephen’s in 1996, Little received his B.F.A. from the School of Visual Arts in NYC in 2000 and attended The University of Texas McCombs School of Business and achieved an arts management certificate in 2015.

Little is also an artist and has shown his artwork in galleries and museums throughout Texas, both as an individual artist and as part of a three-person collaborative group called Sodalitas. Nowadays, most of his free time away from Big Medium is spent with his wife, Jana Swec, raising their three wonderful children.

Jennifer Stayton ’85

From covering a global pandemic to presenting the news during a sharply divided presidential election, 2020 pushed journalists like Jennifer Stayton ’85 into a new sense of normal, where breaking news happened daily. In her Spartan Spotlight session, Stayton shared what it was like to be a journalist in 2020 and some thoughts about where she thinks the profession is headed.

After graduating from St. Stephen’s in 1985, Stayton received her B.A. in psychology from Williams College. While attending Williams, her career path took a turn after she started volunteering at Williams’ student radio station. She received her M.S. from Syracuse University in Radio-Television-Film. You can catch Stayton each morning on KUT 90.5 in Austin, where she serves as local anchor and host of NPR’s “Morning Edition.”

Stayton served as president of the Spartan Alumni Association from 2017–20 and currently serves as past president. She is also a trustee on the St. Stephen’s Board and is chair of the Trustee Advancement Committee. She was recipient of the 2021 St. Stephen’s Alumni Leadership Award. Stayton serves on the Advisory Committee for KTSW 89.9 at Texas State University in San Marcos. She is also a member, mentor and board member of Women Communicators of Austin.

Stayton lives in Austin with her husband, Charles, stepdaughter Samantha, and cats Tidbit and Durango. Her twin sister, Catherine, is a 1985 graduate of St. Stephen’s.

Ben Richards ’94

From getting his scuba license in Austin to exploring the waters off the coast of Hawaii, Ben Richards ’94 is passionate about marine biology.

After graduating from St. Stephen’s in 1994, Richards went on to study at Hampshire College, where he graduated in 1998 with a B.A. in marine biology and photography. He then began his career as a program specialist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

In 2004 Richards moved to Hawaii, taking a position with the Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research in the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) Coral Reef Ecosystem Division while pursuing his graduate studies. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Hawaii–Manoa in 2007 and 2010. In 2011, Richards transitioned to the Fishery Research and Monitoring Division Stock Assessment Program to begin development of a fishery-independent survey for the main Hawaiian Islands Deep 7 bottom fish stock (BFISH).

Richards also led the development of the modular optical underwater survey system to collect imagebased, species-specific, size-structured abundance data for Deep 7 species. He transitioned to the Science Operations Division in 2020 and currently serves as lead scientist for the survey, responsible for developing or providing guidance or oversight for all aspects of experimental survey design, administration, implementation, technology development data analysis and reporting. Richards has served as PIFSC representative to the NOAA Fisheries Advanced Sampling Technology Working Group and chaired the NOAA Fisheries Strategic Initiative on Automated Image Processing. He also has served as chief scientist or science advisor on 10 PIFSC missions and serves as a central point of contact for artificial intelligence, machine learning and computer vision.

In 2019, Richards received a U.S. Department of Commerce Gold Medal Award for his work leading the NOAA Fisheries Strategic Initiative on Automated Image Processing, developing the first open-source toolkit for automated image analysis to harness big data for marine ecosystem science and ocean stewardship. He was awarded a U.S. Department of Commerce Bronze Medal Award for his role in enhancing stock assessment methodologies with the unprecedented inclusion of research video-camera surveys and fishing industry engagement in 2020.

Sarafina Nance ’11

Sarafina Nance ’11 graduated from St. Stephen’s in 2011 and went on to study physics and astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. Nance was especially inspired by her 11th-grade astrophysics teacher Frank Mikan, who worked with her on an independent study of dark energy and supernovae during her final year of St. Stephen’s. Mikan introduced Nance to her future college advisor, J. Craig Wheeler, Ph.D., whom she worked with throughout her undergraduate career on simulating exploding stars.

During college, she spent a summer at the McDonald Observatory doing science communication and another summer at Harvard’s Center for Astrophysics, continuing her supernova research. Nance graduated with dual degrees in physics and astronomy, and she was the 2016 University of Texas College of Natural Sciences commencement speaker. She is now a National Sciences Foundation fellow and Ph.D. candidate in astrophysics at The University of California–Berkeley, where she researches supernovae and computational cosmology.

At the age of 23, she was diagnosed with the cancer-causing BRCA2 genetic mutation, giving her an 87 percent lifetime risk of breast cancer. At the age of 26 she moved forward with a preventive double mastectomy. She shares her experiences—in science and in breast cancer/preventive medicine—as a way to empower women and encourage others to advocate for themselves. She was chosen as one of Forbes 30 Inspirational Women, one of Arab American Institute’s 40 Under 40 and has been featured in BBC’s 100 Women, NPR, POPSUGAR, Refinery29, National Geographic and more.

Nance hosts the astronomy TV show “Constellations on Seeker” to an audience of more than 5 million and is the author of two forthcoming books: Little Leonardo’s Fascinating World of Astronomy, a children’s book (forthcoming August 2021), and STARSTRUCK, a memoir (forthcoming 2023). She leads science communication efforts online and through speaking engagements around the world. Throughout her journey, she has recognized the importance of representation, and she hopes to be the woman that her younger self would have looked up to by empowering other women to advocate for themselves and pursue their dreams. She has been chosen to be part of the Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation, a Mars Analog Astronaut Simulation on Mauna Loa.

Alumna Making a Difference: America Gonzalez ’20

America Gonzalez ’20 has taken full advantage of her gap year by benefitting her community in countless ways. While she had always considered taking time off after high school before starting college, the pandemic confirmed her decision to defer matriculation at the University of Colorado–Boulder for a year so she could gain valuable work experience and also not miss out on normal first-year traditions due to remote learning.

As a St. Stephen’s lifer, Gonzalez was able to explore many cocurricular opportunities and discovered a passion for both fine arts and medicine. She performed in both choir and the Madrigal Singers, held a position on the Theatre Focus Council for four years and put on a student production of “High School Musical.” Additionally, she became involved with Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Youth Explorer Post at the start of 11th grade and realized she held a special interest in emergency medicine.

The Youth Explorer Post engages people age 14 to 21 in educational programs and volunteer opportunities, such as pop-up resource clinics for unhoused populations, medical supplies distribution events and emergency medical technician (EMT) skills workshops. Gonzalez has been commander of the Post for almost a year now and oversees all 40 youth participants, as well as nine officers. She has continued to serve in this role during her gap year, and she also earned her EMT certification, allowing her to work as a medic for a private EMS company.

Working in emergency medicine during a pandemic has been eyeopening for Gonzalez. She has witnessed the ways in which COVID-19 has changed how organizations function, and she has worked in different capacities than she would have otherwise. Most often, she is stationed at Austin Energy for mandatory health screenings before employees are authorized to work together. She also assists at local events, such as film shoots and Stubb’s concerts and the Austin Rodeo, where bandaging competitors after the calf scramble was a highlight.

As if her volunteer positions and 13-hour EMS shifts were not enough, Gonzalez is also in the process of starting a private nonprofit organization to give Austin-area schools more access to theater. “Because theater meant so much to me in high school, I wanted to take all of the theatrical experience I had and give those opportunities to people who don't have them,” Gonzalez explained. She has compiled theater kits, which include scripts she wrote for various age groups, as well as set pieces and costumes she made, which she hopes will make it easy for teachers with limited funding for the arts to engage their students in theatrical performances. Her new goal is to determine where her kits would be most helpful, do a distribution test-run, and gain feedback from teachers to help her project grow.

Gonzalez’s gap year has been very rewarding, and she is excited for what the next chapter will bring. She hopes to major in neuroscience and minor in either astrophysics or planetary sciences while also following a pre-med track. To earn her continuing education credits, she plans to join one of CU Boulder’s EMS student clubs, and she will try to work for the university’s emergency ambulance services. She also plans to participate in a theater or a cappella group to keep her creative energy flowing.

Gonzalez certainly has not let the pandemic deter her from pursuing her passions, and her community is all the better for it.

—liza ayres ’14, chair, communications and social media, Spartan Alumni Association Board

Alumni Connect

St. Stephen’s Alumni Facebook Group

This past winter, at the invitation of the school’s administration, the Spartan Alumni Association Board worked to determine the best path forward as it relates to the private St. Stephen’s Alumni Facebook Group. We were grateful to so many of you who shared constructive input on the administration’s initial response. The majority of feedback stated that political issues, social justice and human rights are inextricably intertwined with daily life and impossible to separate entirely from meaningful and productive dialogue about the school, its alumni, and this community's place in the world. Instead of attempting to eliminate certain types of discourse, we will focus instead on ensuring that communication on the platform is respectful toward all community members. To this end, the Spartan Alumni Association has rewritten the group's statement of purpose and added a code of conduct for all members. We expect all participants to read and abide by these new guidelines.

Additionally, the Spartan Alumni Association Board named four alumni volunteers to serve as moderators of the St. Stephen’s Alumni Facebook Group. The board is pleased to announce that Liza Ayres ’14 will serve as chair of alumni communication and social media on the Spartan Alumni Association Board. This chair will help the Spartan Alumni Association engage its alumni through its many communication channels, including the St. Stephen’s Alumni Facebook Group (private), Spartan Alumni Network, St. Stephen’s Alumni Facebook Page (public) and St. Stephen’s Alumni Book Club. Kathryn Miller Anderson ’71, Booker Vance ’75 and Mark Sugeno ’87 have been named moderators of the group. All four will share primary responsibilities for the supervision and oversight of the Facebook group, and they will be provided ongoing training opportunities on social media and civil discourse.

All alumni are encouraged to participate in the St. Stephen’s Alumni Facebook Group, the Spartan Alumni Network, the public St. Stephen's Alumni Facebook Page and the St. Stephen's Alumni Book Club. All four provide online opportunities for alumni to connect with each other and the school in meaningful ways.

Lunch on The Hill

This winter and spring, Spartan alumni were virtually busy with opportunities for connection. In January, our Discussion on The Hill series welcomed Elizabeth Hansing Moon, chair of the fine arts department, in a conversation about the arts at St. Stephen’s. In May, Jon McCain, athletic director, provided an update on student athletes, sports and athletics during COVID-19. Alumni, split up by decades, also spent time in Spartan Study Hall, where they reconnected with old friends and made new ones. Spartans in California, Houston, San Antonio and New York attended virtual events as part of the On the Road: Spartan Tour series.

As life returns to normal, we plan to incorporate these virtual events into our regular alumni programming. Although we are looking forward to in-person events, it has been so fun to connect with alumni that we do not always get to see. We have learned so much this year and plan to put that knowledge to good use in engaging our Spartans near and far. Please be on the lookout for more information on Spartan alumni events and activities in August.

Have an idea for an event or activity? Email the Spartan Alumni Association at alumni@sstx.org.

Spartan Alumni Association Board

Patricia Henna Rowe ’89 President

Jennifer Stayton ’85 Past President

Jane Dryden Louis ’69 Secretary Liza Ayres ’14 Chair, Alumni Communications and Social Media

Mallory Boyle ’04 Alumni Regional Representative – Texas Louise McNutt Brazitis ’07 Chair, Alumni Recognition Paul Byars ’07 Alumni Chair, Spartans Engage James Carter ’13 Alumni Regional Representative – New York Ben Chan ’95 Alumni Regional Representative – Washington, D.C. Jeannette Schaleben Cook ’58 Pioneer Spartan Representative Becky Hollis Diffen ’99 Alumni Co-Chair, Annual Fund 2020-21 Daniel Diffen ’99 Alumni Co-Chair, Annual Fund 2020-21 Shannon Powers Flahive ’96 Co-Chair, Reunion 2020-21 Alice Nazro Nezzer ’87 Co-Chair, Reunion 2020-21

Class Notes

1958

St. Stephen’s and the Spartan Alumni Association would like to thank Jeannette Schaleben Cook for her three years of service as the Pioneer Spartans Representative on the Spartan Alumni Board.

At Reunion in 2000, Sarah Ford ’61 re-met John Terrey. The couple married two years later in New York and recently celebrated 20 years together. The couple continues to be fine and well and can report that their five children and five grandchildren are all well. As the world navigates the pandemic, both alumni are grateful to be able to say this. Their oldest granddaughter is in her senior year at Dartmouth, and their next oldest seems to be on his way to Scotland to attend college. He will graduate from Boston Latin, where his sister is a sophomore. The last two grandchildren are in high school in New Hampshire, and the youngest is a 6th grader in Los Angeles. Each has brought the couple so much joy. Terrey retired from Raytheon a number of years ago and started publishing a magazine for collectors of antique radios. He is now trying to find new homes for his thousands of items on eBay. Ford’s current project is to recreate a video streaming version of her solo show, “Georgia & Me.” She also curates an online story writing circle that was inspired by COVID-19. The couple thanks St. Stephen’s for providing many blessings.

1964

Bayard Breeding recently enjoyed a class that he took on Chinese medicine. He also finished up a class on trading for the common good based on the works of Christian Felber. He found both interesting. Each year he looks forward to the time that he can start work on the garden. Breeding and his wife, Peggy, spend a lot of time taking their crazy Boston Terrier on outings. He hopes to make it back to Texas this fall on business and a visit. Bayard, make sure you put some time aside to visit your friends on The Hill. We would love to see you!

1965

David Hoster and Chris Phillips are serving on the St. Stephen’s board of trustees.

1968

Pam Pitzer Willeford is serving on the St. Stephen’s board of trustees.

1969

Jane Dryden Louis is currently serving as secretary of the Spartan Alumni Association. During alumni Chapel during Reunion, she presented the reading. Kathryn Anderson Miller ’71 (right) with best friend Lou Porter Bailey '71 and Mrs. Porter

1970

Ellen Jockusch wishes to thank Fred Myers '71, and his wife, Jennifer, for hosting the 50th reunion party for the classes of 1970 and 1971 on their gorgeous property, the Inn at Jennifer's Gardens. She especially enjoyed seeing Lynn and Phil Hadley, who she is pretty sure she had not seen since graduation. “While the last 18 months have been fraught with loss, most especially with the loss of our beloved Lou Porter Bailey ’71, these months have also been a time of deepening friendships among St. Stephen’s friends of my era, in particular Julia Buckthal Person ’71, Kathryn Miller Anderson ’71, Claire McKay ’71 and Scott Bailey ’70. I have also loved connecting with younger Spartan Katherine Bailey Brown ’05.”

Dee Meador sends a big hello to all Spartan alumni. Dee and his wife, Jennifer, have been enjoying the retired life since fall of 2016. Between the two of them, the couple has six adult children ages 32 through 39, four granddaughters and one grandson. Meador worked for the Texas Information Technology for 42 years, the last 10 as chief information officer of two state agencies. He said he misses the social aspects of work, but not the stress and complexities of it. Jennifer is a registered nurse and spent her last few years at The University of Texas Urgent Care Center. Before COVID-19, the couple did a lot of traveling, including a couple of trips to Europe, one on a beautiful river boat on the Danube. Meador’s parents are both deceased, but he and his sister still co-own the house in Bandera, Texas, where they grew up. The family still spends a lot of time there. He reflected that it has been a great escape during the pandemic. He plays golf a couple of times a week, plays the guitar and piano regularly, flies his 1956 Cessna, fishes, hangs out with grandkids and engages in lots of other activities. Meador said it is still a pretty full life, even without work taking up such a big chunk of it. He wishes everyone well!

1971

Walter Adams is still in Guatemala looking after his mother, who will turn 92 in March. He is finishing his sixth book stemming from the Field School of which he was co-director for 13 years. He hopes that it will be published by SAR Press out of New Mexico. Walter also began a master in public health program at Concordia University and is writing a grant proposal dealing with a nutritional supplement that may help reduce domestic violence stemming from alcohol abuse. He is also teaching a methods class to six Mayan university students studying health sciences. In his spare time, he makes cold processed soap and skincare products.

Chris Butler has been busy keeping up with old Spartan friends. Last summer, he had lunch with Vicky Williams Harrison ’69 and Josh Harrison ’69 while he was in Santa Fe. He also spoke with Andy Fraser, who is close by in Los Alamos. He had a great time corresponding with other old friends Michael Emery and Michael Henderson. Chris is also playing his guitar and ukulele more lately and working on his vocals. He had a great time in the big blizzard here in Austin. He was able to practice his snow and ice driving like old times in Michigan.

Will Dibrell just wrapped up four years as a Norwegian resident this June, having lived in the “temperate” Arctic for more than five years. Since 2019, he has missed spending some months each year in the U.S. and is

Alumni Spanish Club members Liz Foster ’72, Kathryn Miller Anderson ’71, Philip Doig ’81, Phil Hadley, Claire McKay ’71, Lynn Hadley, Tom Tuohy ’71 and Don Roth

hoping for a long return visit later this year. In the meantime, spring has arrived, and he has embarked on further adventures and experiments in Arctic vegetable gardening.

Andy Fraser retired from Los Alamos National Laboratory in September. He reported that after 15 years, he left in a huff. When it is safer, he plans to travel, but plans to continue living in the town of Los Alamos.

Larry Jones wrote, “High school is supposed to be an awful, awkward and unrelenting experience. Not for me. I relish that memory and appreciate all involved who were responsible for that moment and my memories.”

Julie Person is serving on the St. Stephen’s board of trustees.

Nine Spartans who were at St. Stephen’s in the late ’60s, ’70s and ’80s have formed a Zoom book club/Tertulia in Spanish! The group includes three former teachers, Don Roth and Lynn and Phil Hadley and six students, Jane Dryden Louis ’69, Tom Tuohy ’71, Claire McKay ’71, Kathryn Miller Anderson ’71, Liz Foster Luczycki '72, and current St. Stephen’s Spanish teacher Phillip Doig ’81. It has been especially cool for McKay, Anderson and Hadley, as he was their Spanish IV teacher 50 years ago! The group is reading Gabriel García Márquez again!

Kathryn Miller Anderson wrote, “The classes of 1970 and 1971 celebrated their 50th at the April reunion! Those of us who joined the incredible Zoom reunion programs/games/trail tour were so impressed with how wonderful our school still is! And a group of us celebrated in person (carefully!) outside at Fred Myers ’71 and Jennifer Myers’ home.”

Spartans at the party included Phil and Lynn Hadley, Scott Bailey ’70, Mary Pincoffs Wilson ’70, Hank Ewert ’70, Gaye Holcomb Everett ’70, Ellen Jockusch Garrison ’70, David Lindzey ’71, Claire McKay ’71, Fred Myers ’71, Ginger Borron ’71, Chris Edmonds ’71, Gwin Steph ’71, Chris Butler ’71, Phebe Davol ’72, Katherine Enyart ’73 and Mike Enyart, Kathryn Miller Anderson ’71, and Julie Person ’71 via Zoom. Mike Petry ’71 baked homemade bread and sent it from Dallas to be delivered during the party. The group plans to have a huge gathering of classmates, friends and former teachers at the next St. Stephen’s reunion!

Kathyrn Miller Anderson has been named one of the three moderators for the St. Stephen’s Alumni Facebook Group. She is an active Spartan and serves as Class Representative for 1971.

1975

Booker Vance was named one of the three moderators of the St. Stephen’s Alumni Facebook Group. Vance lives in Chicago, where he is policy outreach coordinator for Elevate Energy. During Reunion Weekend, he delivered one of the prayers during alumni Chapel.

1982

Emilie Talbot is still living in the San Francisco Bay Area, although she gets to Austin as often as she can to visit her mother at Westminster. She is still acting, directing, teaching and doing voice overs —although this year has been a doozy. She had several major contracts canceled, and all stage work has evaporated. However, she just finished shooting a short film in March, so she believes that things may be looking up. Talbot has continued teaching through the shutdown at the Academy of Art University's Schools of Acting and Motion Picture and Film. Otherwise, her life is all about hiking and wine. If any Spartans are headed to San Francisco, please stop by! Check out more from Emilie at http://www. emilietalbot.com.

1984

Congratulations to John Abikhaled, M.D. He was recently selected by his peers as Physician of the Year at Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin. As president of Travis County Medical Society, Abikhaled has worked tirelessly for the education of patients and physicians during the pandemic. He has protected physicians with advocacy and delivery of personal protective equipment during this crisis while also caring for his patients. Abikhaled currently serves as a member of the St. Stephen's medical advisory board. He and his wife, Shannon, are the proud Spartan parents of Andrew '17, Ben '18 and Elly '21.

1985

Glen Reynolds is excited to announce that his daughter, Zoe, will be attending St. Stephen’s as a 9th-grade boarder in the fall of 2021. With daughter Charlotte going back to Sarah Lawrence for her sophomore year, Reynolds and his wife, Brenda, are anticipating emptynest syndrome for the first time. The couple lives in Los Angeles, and Reynolds is in his 15th year running his company, Circus Road Films, which is dedicated to helping independent filmmakers find distribution for their movies. Brenda works for the City of Los Angeles, approving grant applications for local artists.

1987

Alice Nazro Nezzer served as co-chair of Reunion 2021 and planned a successful weekend full of 20 virtual events and activities.

Mark Sugeno is serving as one of the moderators of the St. Stephen’s Alumni Facebook Group. He recently moved to North Carolina from New York City.

1989

Jonathan Quander co-hosted a Spartan forum discussion on the school’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) audit summary during Reunion Weekend along with Yvonne Adams. The two are co-chairs of the DEI taskforce. Quander also serves on the St. Stephen’s board of trustees.

Patricia Henna Rowe will begin her second year as president of the Spartan Alumni Association this summer. In this role, she also serves on the St. Stephen’s board of trustees.

1993

Rosa Lockett McCormick is serving on the St. Stephen’s board of trustees.

Current St. Stephen’s teacher Kurt Oehler has been coordinating internships for students through the Saxena Student Program for several years. He has now joined forces with current parents Robyn Gill and Laura Scanlan Cho ’89, alumni Paul Byars ’07 and Patricia Henna Rowe ’89, and Michelle Geo Olmstead, director

of alumni relations, on the Spartans Engage initiative, which provides opportunities for students to gain career experience through internships and mentorships with parents and alumni.

1994

Travis Greig is currently serving on the St. Stephen’s board of trustees.

1995

Ben Chan is currently serving as Alumni Regional Representative for the Washington, D.C., area.

1996

Shannon Powers Flahive served as co-chair of Reunion 2021 and planned a successful weekend full of 20 virtual events and activities.

1998

Michael Ybarra is serving on the St. Stephen’s board of trustees.

1999

Gus Davis stole the show during Saturday night’s Reunion activities. Gus, the host of Trivia Stream, hosted an amazing trivia event. It was filled with references to his time at St. Stephen’s. Fun was had by all.

Becky Hollis Diffen and Daniel Diffen served as alumni co-chairs of the Annual Fund for 2020–21.

2001

John Turpin, wife Stephanie, and children Junia and Henry moved in April 2021 to Amman, Jordan, where he is pastor of an English-language church, Oasis Church.

This past winter, Laura Neuhaus Zittrain collaborated with English Department Chair Jenny Huth, Ph.D., and spent three days co-teaching a unit on robots, artificial intelligence and Freud in Huth's English 12 elective, “Freud and Psychoanalytic Criticism.” Zittrain is the Wheatland Curatorial Fellow at Harvard University.

2002

Jordan Jaffe is serving on the St. Stephen’s board of trustees.

2003

Upper School Chaplain Adam Varner led and coordinated alumni Chapel during Reunion Weekend.

2004

Mallory Boyle is currently serving as Alumni Regional Representative for Texas on the Spartan Alumni Association Board.

2005

Lauren Klotzman opened a gallery in Marfa, Texas, in March. This unique art space opened with a show on healing. To learn more, go to www.laurenklotzman.com.

2007

Paul Byars is serving as alumni chair of Spartans Engage for the Spartan Alumni Association Board.

Louise McNutt Brazitis is serving as chair of alumni recognition. She interviews alumni for the Spartan Spotlight feature in the electronic newsletter for the Spartan Alumni Association.

2013

James T. Carter is currently pursuing his doctorate at Columbia University. He serves as Alumni Regional Representative for New York City.

2014

Liza Ayres was named chair of alumni communications and social media for the Spartan Alumni Association Board. In this position, she will work with alumni relations staff to engage Spartan alumni through various communication and social media platforms. Ayres is currently working at St. Stephen’s as an International Program fellow.

Liza Ayres ’14

2015

Congratulations to Colin Hancock for his Grammy nomination in the “Best Album Notes” category. His teachers report that he was a wonderful trumpet player in the St. Stephen’s jazz band, where he developed his love for early jazz and the gramophone.

2016

This year Maddie Almanza coached Middle School girls’ Lacrosse, and Maya Sampleton helped out with the Middle School track team.

2017

The past year at Emory University, Star Liu helped develop the school’s COVID-19 Equity Interactive Dashboard. To read more go to https://news.emory.edu/ stories/2021/04/er_covid_19_dashboard_liu/campus.html

2018

Franklin Lassandro coached Middle School and Upper School Lacrosse at St. Stephen’s.

2019

Chloe Lawrence coached varsity tennis this year at St. Stephen’s. She also serves as the Class Representative for 2019.

2020

David Houston and Roman Rhone helped with the Middle School track team this spring.

In Memoriam

Hildegarde “Hilde” Brewster Bird ’53 passed away peacefully on May 27 surrounded by family. She was known for her strength of character, positive outlook, sense of fairness, amazing resourcefulness and genuine hospitality. She had the great gift of being present in the moment and making the ordinary seem remarkable. Bird was the second of six children of St. Stephen’s founding head of school, the Rev. William Brewster, and wife Elizabeth Brewster. She attended Simmons College in Boston to study nursing. During her first year she attended a church service and instantly was taken with its young preacher, Henry Bird. The attraction was mutual, and the couple married less than a year later. She put her studies on hold to support her husband's ministry, which took them to New England and out West. The couple raised five children: William, Holloway, Thaddeus, Paul and Anna-Sarah. They also welcomed a steady flow of foster children into their home. A true Renaissance woman, Bird was a scholar, an athlete, an artist and a musician. While continuing to support her husband’s work and family, she completed two degrees in education focused on children with special needs. She received a bachelor's degree from the University of Maine and a graduate degree from the University of New Mexico.

Last February, Elaine DuPuy Harder ’53 passed peacefully at her Kansas home with family by her side. One of our pioneers, she graduated from St. Stephen's in 1953 and went on to study at Colorado College, where she graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in chemistry and medical technology. While in Colorado, Elaine met Kansan Roy Harder. After the couple married, they made their home in Manhattan, Kan., and welcomed three children. As a medical technologist, Harder balanced her time in the lab with raising her children, playing golf and tennis, and finding the first piece of the ranch property that would eventually become Sun Rock Ranch. Her love of the outdoors was the foundation for her long love affair of ranching in the flint hills of Kansas. Harder loved her time on The Hill. She found great comfort in the teachers and classmates who were a part of such a groundbreaking experience. She served as proctor and loved the close friendships that she built with both faculty and students. Harder is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Michele Harder Gee '86 and Tommy Gee '85; sons Aldwin Harder and Kelcey Harder; and many family members.

John Orms Heldenfels '56 passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family on Feb. 6, 2021. While on The Hill, John was a scholar and superb athlete. He played football for the Spartans and was the quarterback, defensive back and team captain. He led his team to the ATPS All-Conference Championship in 1955 and was honored to be named to the All-State Association Preparatory School Team. Following his

graduation, Heldenfels continued his studies at Texas A&M. He was a walk-on for the Aggie football team and played under Coach Bear Bryant. He graduated in 1960 with a degree in civil engineering. In 1961, he married his love, Marion Conn. They had a beautiful life together, raising their two boys, Johnny and Steven. John worked for Heldenfels Brothers Inc. He also served as chief executive officer of HCM and president and CEO of 521 McBride Corp. He was a lifetime member of the Church of the Good Shepherd. Heldenfels is survived by his wife, Marion, of 59 years; his sons, John Heldenfels Jr. and Steven Heldenfels; granddaughters Catherine and Isabelle Heldenfels; his brother and sister-in-law, Fred Heldenfels III ’52 and Edna Noel Heldenfels ’53.

Jim Lynch ’60 passed away on March 19. Lynch made his way to St. Stephen’s as a sophomore in 1957. While on The Hill he played football, continued his passion for playing classical piano, began his study of Christian theology, and met his lifelong best friend. He attended and graduated from The University of Texas. He then attended Virginia Theological Seminary (Episcopal) for one year, after which he completed additional graduate work at The University of Texas. While in Austin, he got married and was soon blessed with sons Jim and Terry. After divorcing his first spouse, he met Mary Ann, who would become his wife of 49 years. He attended Trinity University in San Antonio and earned an M.S. in hospital administration. He earned a M.Ed. in bilingual education from The University of Texas at El Paso. He is survived by wife Mary Ann; son Jim Lynch and his wife, Stephanie Lynch; son Terry Lynch; daughter Christina Morel and her husband, Robert Morel; and son Ben Lynch; and many close family members.

Tom Flory '64 passed away peacefully at home on Feb. 14 with his family by his side. After Flory graduated from St. Stephen's in 1964, he earned his B.A. from The University of Texas at Austin. He went on to have a successful career in finance, serving as CEO of Texas Commerce Bank and later Chase Manhattan Foundation. In 2011, Flory returned to campus, but this time as a trustee. He served on the board from 2011–19. He was known for being a good listener, a remarkable problem solver and someone who understood how important it was to support the adults who inspire our students. Flory is survived by his wife, Rae; sons David '93 and James; brother and sisterin-law, Mark Flory '75 and Libby Brosier Flory '75; and many close family members and friends.

Lou Porter Bailey ’71 passed away on Feb. 11. She was a devoted and loving Spartan for more than a half-century, initially as a student and later as a beloved employee and engaged alumna. Bailey arrived at St. Stephen’s as a 10th grader in 1968, graduating in 1971. She made lifelong friends as a boarding student, always delighting her classmates with her unforgettable sense of humor and great kindness. She then earned a B.A. from Duke University and a J.D. from The University of Texas at Austin, while continuing to serve our school as an alumna active in planning and attending class reunions and school-wide events. From 2004 to 2017, she served as our dedicated director of alumni relations and director of planned giving. During this time, she planned successful all-school reunions every year and parties with alumni across the country. Bailey welcomed alumni of all generations back to The Hill with a big smile and love of all things St. Stephen’s. Following her retirement, Bailey continued to participate in the life of our school. Her love for St. Stephen’s was a family affair. Her mother, Elizabeth Porter, was a librarian at the school. Her husband, Scott Bailey ’70, daughter Katherine Bailey Brown ’05, and son-in-law, T.J. Brown ’99, are all Spartans. Last summer, the family welcomed their first grandchild, John Field Brown.

Annie Boddy McClintock '71 passed away peacefully on Jan. 22 after a long struggle with cancer. McClintock grew up north of Henrietta with her siblings Macon Clark and Ellen Boddy Randall '61. After graduating from St. Stephen’s in 1971, McClintock studied at The University of Texas, where she graduated with a B.A. in history in 1975. She then moved to New York City, where she taught at the Lycée Français and the Buckley School for Boys. She met her future husband, Stuart McClintock, in New York where they taught at the same school. They married in 1989 and moved to Texas following their honeymoon. McClintock became involved with the family cattle business and participated in local and state organizations. In 2000, she helped found the Clay County Animal Shelter with a few other concerned animal lovers who felt that there had to be an alternative to euthanizing stray and unwanted animals. The no-kill shelter has now been in operation for 21 years and has found forever homes for hundreds and hundreds of dogs and cats. McClintock is survived by her husband, Stuart; her brother, Macon Boddy, and sister, Ellen Boddy Randall '61; nieces Brooke Messer and Taylor Brownlee; niece Mollie Middleton; nephew David Middleton; and numerous cousins and in-laws.

Bruce Spindler ’78 passed away on Oct. 5, 2020. After graduating from St. Stephen’s in 1978, Bruce went on to be a Plan II honor student at The University of Texas in Austin and attended Texas Tech University School of Law, where he received his J.D. in 1988. He began his law career as a briefing attorney for the 5th Court of Appeals in Dallas. He then moved to San Antonio, where he joined the firm Soules and Wallace, which became Langley & Banack in 2003. He practiced at the firm until his death last fall. Spindler met the love of his life, Laura, as a teenager. The couple met at Echo Hill Ranch in Medina, Texas, where they were both camp counselors. They have two beautiful daughters, Dava and Grace, a precious granddaughter, Eve, and step-grandson, Ben. He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather.

Chris Smith ’79 passed away on Jan. 5 from complications related to Multiple Systems Atrophy, first diagnosed as Parkinson’s, when he was 48 years old. After graduating from St. Stephen’s, Smith received his B.B.A. in economics and international business and completed postgraduate studies in finance and accounting at Georgia State University. For most of his career, Smith served as a consultant in domestic and international private financial services. Most recently he worked for the start-up Global Food Exchange. Smith was married to Carol Hallman Smith for 36 years before she passed away in 2020. When Smith was first diagnosed with Parkinson’s 10 years ago, he said, “Don’t worry about me, I’m a warrior.” He is survived by his parents, Jane and Rod Smith; his stepmother, Annette Smith; her daughter, Juliet Waldrop; his brother and sister-in-law, David and Susan Smith; and his beloved last dog, Lily.

Kevin Ramsey ’81 passed away on April 8. Ramsey attended St. Stephen’s, but graduated from Highland Park High School in Dallas. He earned a B.A. at The University of Texas at Austin. He is survived by his wife, Caroline Tracy Ramsey; children Siena Sarah Ramsey, Maximillian Mackay Ramsey, Kieran James Ramsey, and Sebastian Keith Ramsey; his parents Mary Stewart and Jim Ramsey; his brother Jimmy Ramsey; sister Rosemary Ramsey Stewart and husband Matt; and numerous other close family members.

Garrett Lockhart '09 passed away on Nov. 23 in Los Angeles. Lockhart was a boarding student and a member of the St. Stephen’s Tennis Academy. Anyone who knew “G,” as friends and family referred to him, knew how focused he could be when learning something new. At the age of 12, tennis became that passion and he pursued it until he had a spot on a Division I team at George Washington University. After graduation, he studied electronic music at ICON Collective in Los Angeles, where he learned the music production trade. Lockhart’s DJ name was i_o and was named "one to watch" by Billboard Magazine in 2018. Lockhart poured his whole heart and soul into every dream he pursued, and because of that gift, he is missed by so many he touched throughout this world.

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 Helen Candler Miller ’65 ddtuck@aol.com Dianne Duncan Tucker ’66 hcm@postoakfarm.com Randy Parten ’67 jrparten@parten.com Robert Henderson ’68 rehenderson@nvcc.edu Josh Harrison ’69 JHarrisonLaw@aol.com Dee Meador ’70 meadortx@yahoo.com Kathryn Miller Anderson ’71 zjmiller1513@gmail.com Darrell David ’72 and Brenda David 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 Charlotte Stuckey Brigham ’81 charbrigham@gmail.com Erica Peters Stafford ’81 Erica.Stafford@bvcpa.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 Gerry DeLeon '96 gerryadeleon@gmail.com Elizabeth Anne Sykes Rains ’96 earains1109@yahoo.com Cam Beesley ’97 leardsfool@gmail.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 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 Jake Politte ’12 jake.politte@rocketmail.com Caroline Pringle ’12 carolinepringle93@gmail.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 Kastner ’19 gretakastner@gmail.com Chloe Lawrence ’19 chloelawrence512@gmail.com Lucy Schmidt ’19 lucyschmidt88@gmail.com Lizzy Jones ’20 lizzyjonesatx@gmail.com Sophia Waugh ’20 sophiastoylewaugh@gmail.com

We are seeking Class Representatives for the classes of 2003 and 2004 If you are interested, please contact Michelle Geo Olmstead at molmstead@sstx.org.

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.

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.

Get Social! Connect with St. Stephen’s and your classmates online.

Spartan Alumni Network https://spartanalumninetwork.com

Facebook: StStephensAlumni

Instagram: SSTX_OnTheHill

YouTube: StStephensAustin

Private Alumni Facebook Group: Facebook. com/Groups/StStephensAlumniGroup

St. Stephen’s Alumni Book Club: https://sstx.pbc.guru/

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If you have not received emails from the Alumni Office recently, we may not have your current email address. Please send your information to molmstead@sstx.org so you do not miss invitations to events and news about your classmates. Thanks!

Grow Your Legacy with a Planned Gift to St. Stephen’s

By supporting St. Stephen’s with a planned gift, you will provide longterm support and financial security to current and future Spartans and create a permanent legacy at the school you love.

You can easily make a commitment today for a significant future gift to St. Stephen’s without affecting your current lifestyle.

The benefits of a planned gift are enormous compared with the minimal time and effort it takes to make this type of non-binding commitment:

• Support the school’s mission and our students • Preserve and sustain our school’s proud tradition of excellence • Honor current or past beloved faculty members • Endow a favorite St. Stephen’s program or initiative • Lead in preserving strong traditions of philanthropy • Establish a legacy that will live for generations to come

Wills and Bequests

• Specific/Percentage Bequests • Residuary Bequest • Gifts of Property

Trusts

• Charitable Trusts • Charitable Lead Trusts • Charitable Remainder Unitrusts • Charitable Remainder Annuity Trusts

Beneficiary Designations

• IRA/Retirement Funds • Insurance Policies • Investment/Savings/Bank Accounts

To Plant a Seed Is to Believe in Tomorrow!

https://sstx.giftlegacy.com Contact Melody Harman at mharman@sstx.org

6500 St. Stephen’s Drive Austin, Texas 78746

If you receive multiple copies of this publication or have updated address information to share with us, please send an email to ecrouch-ponder@sstx.org. Thank you!

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PARTING SHOT Class of 2021 with pictures of classmates attending school from abroad during the pandemic

NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID AUSTIN, TEXAS PERMIT NO. 2556