Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine | Vol. 93, No. 2 | Fall 2023

Fall 2023, Vol. 93, No. 2

Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

The Curious Naturalist SBC.EDU

A lifetime of studying and teaching Sweet Briar’s ecology.

Alumnae Magazine Fall 2023

L ea n i n

Daisy Ceremony New students, including transfers and members of the Class of 2027, line up for the annual Daisy Ceremony. This tradition, created in 2016, officially welcomes new students to the Sweet Briar community. Each student received a daisy from Interim President Mary Pope M. Hutson ’83 and Katie Grush ’24, president of the Student Government Association. The tradition marks the beginning of their Sweet Briar experience and is bookended by Baccalaureate, when students receive a pink rose to symbolize Sweet Briar’s motto, rosam quae meruit ferat, Latin for “she who earns the rose may bear it.”

Welcome

Dear alumnae and friends of Sweet Briar, As time marches on and I approach the start of my ninth year at my alma mater, I have been reflecting on the reawakening of our college. Our first-year students have completed the sixth cycle of CORE 110, the Design Thinking course, which teaches them how to approach the Leadership Core courses and their liberal arts education through analysis, organization, self-awareness, and empathy.

Students continue to have transformative experiences off-campus, too, including internships and study abroad trips like the Virginia Program at Oxford, both of which you can read about in this issue of the Alumnae Magazine. These opportunities,

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30

The Alumnae Alliance Council leverages volunteers and their activities for Sweet Briar.

44

Professor Linda Fink retired from Sweet Briar this past June.

supported by our excellent faculty and staff in our Career Services office, are hallmarks of a Sweet Briar education.

As time passes, new professionals join us for the evolution of the Sweet Briar story, and at the same time, we also say “until we meet again” to some of the cast. While Professor Linda Fink has retired from Sweet Briar, she still joins us frequently to tend to our apiary, as you will read on page 44.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, our alumnae engagement has evolved to support the areas of the College where alumnae can make the most significant impacts. The Alumnae Alliance Council, profiled on page 30, focuses our volunteers around these areas and provides them with a network of dedicated alumnae to support our shared initiatives.

I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention the significant financial support that you, our alumnae and friends, continue to give to Sweet Briar. As we covered in the Spring 2023 issue of the Alumnae Magazine, the Where Women Lead campaign seeks to provide the financial support to help Sweet Briar realize its full potential.

Simultaneously, the Sweet Briar Fund addresses our operational needs, and we have yet to fall short of those goals since the College’s resurgence in 2015.

As you page through this issue, I hope you will feel as proud of Sweet Briar as I do. Our college has a bright future ahead, thanks to all members of the Sweet Briar community for keeping the momentum and being forever vigilant in our endeavor to make Sweet Briar an iconic institution.

With gratitude, Mary Pope M. Hutson ’83 Interim President

Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

Features

O n t h e Cover

Illustration by Sally Caulwell showing some of the species studied at Sweet Briar.

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Fall 2023, Vol. 93, No. 2

SBM Staff EDITOR

Clélie Steckel CONTRIBUTORS

Jane Dure ’82 Phyllis Watt Jordan ’80 ART DIRECTOR AND DESIGNER

Journey Group

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Amy Berta ’24, Hayley Blevins, Hillary Deane, Cassie Foster Evans, Brittany Fan, Tulio Faneite, Lathan Goumas, Chris Nazario, Cole Pillow, Virginia Pitts, Doug Schommer, Thomas Townsend

College President INTERIM

Mary Pope M. Hutson ’83

Board Leadership BOARD CHAIR

Mason Bennett Rummel ’83 BOARD VICE CHAIR

Verda Andrews Colvin ’87 BOARD SECRETARY

Sally Mott Freeman ’76 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBER AT LARGE

Fred “Buzzy” Griffin

This magazine aims to present interesting and thought-provoking content about Sweet Briar College, its people and its connections around the world.

Publication of the material does not indicate endorsement of the author’s viewpoint by the College. We reserve the right to edit and revise all material that we accept for publication. If you have a story idea or content to submit for publication, contact the editor, Clélie Steckel, at cdsteckel@sbc.edu.

CONTACT INFORMATION Office of Alumnae Relations and Development P.O. Box 1057 Sweet Briar, VA 24595 When you have finished reading this magazine, please consider passing it along to a prospective student or family. © 2023, Sweet Briar College

FSC Logo

44

34 Presidential Medalists Learn how ten presidential medalists demonstrate leadership and community involvement.

44 Professor Linda Fink, Curious Naturalist Linda’s time as a professor at Sweet Briar is marked by a love of the campus and the admiration of her former students.

P.52

“Every day I was studying in the Bodleian Library, which has at least one copy of every book published in the UK. I was able to find any source I needed both for program research and my own historical research.”

—Madigan Swartz ’24

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 3

BUZZ AT THE BOOK SHOP:

Sweet Briar Honey Products In the summer of 2023, Sweet Briar harvested 799 pounds of honey with assistance from the Willits Summer Food Systems Fellows. This gift from the bees in our apiary is available to purchase in the Book Shop, either on its own or in a variety of products made with honey. Our soaps, lotion, and body scrub tend to fly off the shelves, so be sure to place your order soon.

shopsweet.sbc.edu

434-381-6106

Monday-Friday, 10 am-4 pm ET

Departments

Where

14

8

Results and Goals Alumnae and friends continue to answer the call for the Sweet Briar Fund and other charitable giving.

10

New & Returning Faculty Meet some of the new (and returning) faces at Sweet Briar this fall.

12

Questions for Former President Meredith Woo Phyllis Watt Jordan ’80 catches up with Sweet Briar’s 13th president.

Women 14

Information Superheroes A large number of alumnae work in libraries and archives, some of whom chose that path in Mary Helen Cochran Library.

22 Honors Summer Research Students explore and produce original work under faculty sponsorship.

P.22 Lead P.30 The Alumnae Alliance Council and Sweet Briar provide volunteers with opportunities for engagement.

26 Learning Off Campus Students share their internship experiences at home and abroad.

30 Alumnae Alliance Council The Council offers many ways for alumnae to get involved and volunteer for Sweet Briar.

In Memoriam 60 Class Notes 86 The Last Word 58

P.26 Shalom Beyene ’24 was a teaching assistant at Explo, a science camp for high schoolers.

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 5

Make a gift & make a difference!

The Sweet Briar Fund needs your support each year — that’s why we call it our annual giving program.

Keep the bells ringing!

GIFTS TO THE SWEET BRIAR FUND SUPPORT:

• • •

Our students, through scholarships; Our faculty, through professional development and academic program support; and Stewardship of our natural and built environment, including our historic district on the National Register of Historic Places.

Use the envelope enclosed with this issue of the Alumnae Magazine, make a gift online at sbc.edu/give, or visit sbc.edu/alumnae/give/types-of-gifts for other ways to make a gift.

A L UM N A E R E L AT I O N S A N D D EV E L O PM E N T O F F I C E | 4 3 4 -3 8 1- 6 1 3 1 | A L UM N A E @ S B C . E D U

Where Stories about Sweet Briar’s place and landscape

Int ro

Recruiting Students In July of 2023, Sweet Briar held admissions events called “Summer at Sweet Briar,” where prospective students and their families were able to have an extended experience on campus.

In addition to campus tours, groups were able to spend some time at the Harriet Howell Rogers Riding Center, an afternoon floating at the Boathouse, a greenhouse tour, and ample opportunities to sample Sweet Briar’s dining, including several options made with fresh produce grown on campus.

In this section of the Alumnae Magazine, you’ll read about new faculty and achievements from our current faculty, an interview with Sweet Briar’s 13th president, Meredith Woo, and news on Sweet Briar’s financial goals for the current fiscal year.

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 7

Where

News

Results and Goals: Looking to Future Success

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Sweet Briar College exceeded all of its fundraising goals for the 2022–2023 fiscal year thanks to the continued outstanding generosity and participation of its alumnae, parents, students, faculty, staff, and friends.

Sweet Briar’s philanthropic giving totaled $18,746,632 for the year.

Donors contributed $6,546,578 to the Sweet Briar Fund, the College’s annual giving program, which primarily supports students, faculty and operations. The restricted giving to specific scholarships and programs totaled $2,119,854. Finally,

donors contributed $10,080,200 to Where Women Lead, Sweet Briar’s current campaign to support academic programs and scholars, capital improvements, and specific endowments that support the implementation of the College’s fiveyear strategic plan.

This success builds on previous years of exceeding fundraising goals, demonstrating donors’ continued commitment to Sweet Briar’s financial gains. As for all institutions of higher education, tuition revenue does not fulfill all of Sweet Briar’s financial needs. Contributions from

Where

“I’m convinced that Sweet Briar College will not merely endure, it will prevail.”

ILLUSTRAT IO N BY AL AINA JO HNSON

—Judge James Updike

all members of the Sweet Briar community help to offset these needs, including scholarships, faculty and academic program development, and the stewardship and maintenance of the College’s buildings and grounds.

When enrollment increases, so do the College’s tuition dollars. As the number of students increases, Sweet Briar’s reliance on fundraising decreases, specifically in areas of unrestricted need. This restored balance is reflected in the College’s Sweet Briar Fund goal for the 2023–2024 fiscal year, which is $4.25 million.

While the goal for the Sweet Briar Fund has decreased this year, with a campaign in process, Sweet Briar’s restricted needs have increased. The College is raising lead gifts for the Where Women Lead campaign prior to its public launch, as detailed in the Spring 2023 issue of the Alumnae Magazine.

No matter the designation, every gift truly makes a difference to Sweet Briar and its students.

Whether making an investment in operating funds or a restricted area, each gift is a demonstration of the donors’ commitments to Sweet Briar’s future. These donors make a commitment not just to the

News

institution, but to the people who comprise the Sweet Briar community: the students who receive their education, the faculty who provide that education, the staff who support the students, faculty, and the built and natural environment of Sweet Briar. These people are the future of Sweet Briar.

On June 22, 2015, when the case to save Sweet Briar was settled at the final hearing in Bedford County, Judge James Updike said, “I’m convinced that Sweet Briar College will not merely endure, it will prevail.”

It was a pivotal moment in the fight to save Sweet Briar, and a phrase that not only brought relief to those in the courtroom, but spurred on the determination and commitment that made alumnae and friends successful in their crusade. While that success has continued in the eight years hence, that sense of determination and commitment must never wane.

The size of the gift does not matter. Where the gift is designated does not matter. The gift itself is what matters, and each year, renewing that gift demonstrates each donor’s ongoing commitment to Sweet Briar not just enduring, but prevailing— and to the people who will ensure that it will.

Sweet Briar Fund Annual Goals Fiscal Year

Goal Amount

2016 $20,000,000

2017 $20,000,000

2018 $12,000,000

2019 $9,700,000

2020 $6,000,000

2021 $5,000,000

2022 $5,000,000

2023 $5,250,000

2024 $4,250,000

When alumnae and friends saved Sweet Briar in 2015, unrestricted support was at an all-time high. For the next few years following the averted closure, the need for giving revenue was much higher due to the decreased revenue from tuition. The staff committed to working to decrease the annual unrestricted goals to 15% for the Sweet Briar Fund at that time, and as you can see from the chart above, we have accomplished that goal. As tuition revenue has increased with Sweet Briar’s increase in enrollment, the need for unrestricted dollars to offset tuition revenue has declined. For the 2023–2024 fiscal year, the Sweet Briar Fund goal is the lowest it has been since the 2014–2015 fiscal year.

2023-2024 Goal

$4,250,000 Raised as of October 12, 2023:

$300,000 Left to raise:

$3,950,000

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 9

Where

Co m mu n ity

New & Returning Faculty

Sandra Duis Assistant Professor of Psychology Sandy Duis is no stranger to Sweet Briar, having previously worked as an adjunct and associate professor between 2000 and the present.

She earned her B.S. in psychology from The College of William and Mary and her M.A. and Ph.D. in school psychology from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. She is also a clinical psychologist trained in school psychology, neuro psychology, and pediatric psychology.

Sandy has been published in Social Education, The International Journal of Neuroscience, and Topics of Early Childhood Special Education. Sandy is teaching Introductory Psychology and Human Neuropsychology this fall.

Sandy lives in Lynchburg with her husband, daughter, and her Havapoo dog. She has a son in college.

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Megan Ratliff Adjunct Instructor of Art History Megan Ratliff is a doctoral candidate at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va., following earning her Master’s degree from the University of Edinburgh in Interdisciplinary Creative Practices, and her B.A. from Carnegie Mellon University in Fine Art and Cultural Anthropology.

Megan has worked on exhibitions in Richmond, Edinburgh, and Seoul, South Korea, during her time there while teaching English as a second language. She received two research grants from VCU and has been published in Assembling Identities.

This fall, Megan is teaching Twentieth-Century Art and an Independent Study in Brazilian Art. She lives in Petersburg, Va. with her spouse and cats.

Zhen Liang Assistant Professor of Philosophy Zhen Liang comes to Sweet Briar from Oxford College at Emory University, where she was Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy.

She earned her B.A. from St. John’s College in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with a degree in Liberal Arts and Science. Zhen earned her Master’s and her doctorate at DePaul University in Chicago, Ill., both in philosophy. She also earned a graduate certificate in Business Ethics from DePaul.

Zhen has been published in Philosophy Today, the SAGE Encyclopedia of Leadership Studies, and Cosmos and History: The Journal of Natural and Social Philosophy. This fall, Zhen is teaching Fundamental Philosophical Questions and Exploring Our Modern Condition.

Zhen is excited to be near the mountains, loves exploring the American West where she spent her college years, and because the Chicago Cubs ended their 108-year drought shortly after she moved to the area, is a proudlyobligated Cubby.

Where

S ch o l a r s h ip

Faculty Publications Lisa J. Powell Director of the Center for Human and Environmental Sustainability, Associate Professor of Environmental Science and Agriculture Featured in recorded (with students) and live studio segments of the season finale of the television show “Virginia Home Grown” on Virginia Public Media. The segments focused on SBC’s greenhouse and agriculture programs.

Molly Boggs Writing Instructor Book Review Published: Charles Dickens and the Properties of Fiction: The Lodger World, by Ushashi Dasgupta in the Winter 2022 edition of Victoria Studies.

Ashlyn Brady-Lusk Assistant Professor of Psychology

ILLUSTRAT IO N BY AL AINA JO HNSON

Conference Presentation: Brady, A., & Baker, L.R. (2022). Gender differences in sexual experiences: An integrative data analysis. Paper accepted for presentation at the conference of The Love Consortium. Durham, NC. Chris Penfield Assistant Professor of Philosophy Forthcoming book: Deleuze’s Foucault (single-authored monograph), is now officially under contract with Edinburgh University Press, scheduled to appear in 2024.

Blair, Sammy A., Gabrielle Edwards, Katharine Yu, Eduardo Jovel, Lisa Jordan Powell, Kerry Renwick, and Annalijn I. Conklin “What Is a School Farm? Results of a Scoping Review” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 20, no. 7. 2023.

Amelie Smucker Field Placement Coordinator & Adjunct Instructor of Education Smucker, A. D. (2022). Exploring the growth of inclusive curriculum: A systematic review of scholar and practitioner perspectives. International Journal of Inclusive Education.

Smucker, A. D., & Grant, L. (2022).

A formative tool and approach to assessing strategic plans in higher education. Educational Planning 29 (3), 7–22.

Powell, Lisa Jordan; Mendly-Zambo, Zsofia; Newman, Lenore Lauri.

“Perceptions and acceptance of yeast-derived dairy in British Columbia, Canada,” Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, April 26, 2023.

Received the Association for Environmental Studies and Science (AESS) Early Career Award. This award recognizes outstanding accomplishments and promising future potential for teaching, research, policy, or activism in any field of environmental science and studies. Through this award, AESS honors individuals who are early in their careers, but have made significant contributions to knowledge, community and diversity in environmental studies and science, and have a career plan and trajectory that promise to continue and bolster such contributions.

Gareis, C. R., & Smucker, A. D. (2022). Under the hood of growth assessments. VASCD Journal 19, 16–27.

Smucker, A. D. (2022, November).

Teacher Preparation Program Standards & Collaboration Between General and Special Educators. 45th Annual TED Conference, Teacher Education Division of the Council for Exceptional Children, Richmond, VA. Smucker, A. D. (2023, March).

Belonging in general education classrooms: Special educators need inclusion, too. CEC 2023 Convention and Expo, Council for Exceptional Children, Louisville, KY. Received the Presidential Volunteer Service Lifetime Achievement Award from President Joe Biden for service to Girl Scouts’ Virginia Skyline Council.

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 11

Where

The alumnae at Sweet Briar come from all segments of our society and are diverse in all kinds of ways, including in age. So, it would be foolish to generalize, but I will go out on a limb and say Sweet Briar women are different from the alumnae of the larger universities I had served. I have become good friends with so many of our alumnae, who often have the most attractive combination of grace and practicality. They are the best examples of American women, I would say.

As for financial support, we will need to sustain a high level of support even after we achieve the desired enrollment. We will need to invest in excellence. The support for the College is not a sprint or a 100-meter dash—it is a long march.

Ref l ect i o n

Questions for Meredith Woo Interview by Phyllis Watt Jordan ’80

After a career in academia, this was your first experience at a women’s college. How did that differ from your past positions?

The students at Sweet Briar want a more meaningful and personal relationship with their teachers as well as their president. When I was at the University of Michigan or Virginia, I was a dean—as in an occupant of a position. I don’t think the students knew who their academic dean was, and I would have been surprised if they did.

Sweet Briar women know who their president is, and they were suitably impressed when I showed up at their events and miffed if I did not— and they’d let me know! I was aware that I held a mirror of the future for them, so I tried to be my best.

What role did alumnae engagement play in supporting your work? How can the college sustain that level of support?

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You’ve made a number of changes to the curriculum, the faculty, the tuition, and campus life. What do you consider most consequential?

The changes were inevitable. We had no choice. God knows we couldn’t sustain our high tuition and couldn’t possibly have so many majors and large offerings through “general education requirements.”

But I don’t want to be remembered for all the cuts. Rather, I want to be remembered for what we put in place instead: women’s leadership.

I think our core curriculum is very cool and much needed. I myself would like to take many courses in our core curriculum, including Decision-making in a Data-driven World, Dollars and Sense, Mindful Writers, and all those wonderful art courses!

You’re leaving Sweet Briar with a five-year strategic plan for improving facilities and academics. What are the key elements that need addressing?

The five-year plan is a kind of no-brainer. It has five areas—we called them “pillars”—where Sweet Briar has indisputable strengths, and you know what they are. We need to build on them and make them world-class.

We need to make the core curriculum on women’s leadership as brilliant and practical as possible—so the whole world will try to emulate it! And we need to double the size of engineering, please! Practice sustainability rather than paying lip service to it! Add academic programs around our winning equestrian program so more students can go to veterinary schools when they graduate—that is logical, no? Finally, our campus should not be a best-kept secret. It should be best known as the arts destination in Virginia and beyond.

You set a goal of bringing enrollment back above 600 students. What will it take to achieve that goal?

Sweet Briar is a great college; its education is the best deal out there.

“Greatest bang for the buck” is what I used to tell parents. There is no reason why we could not get up to 600 very soon, even with the demographic headwinds.

Do you have any advice for the next president of Sweet Briar?

Leading Sweet Briar is not a cakewalk but is most meaningful work. Sweet Briar is a profoundly American college with noble inspiration, high ambition, and spectacular surroundings. So, stay focused on the mission, and have fun with our wonderful students and staff!

What’s next for you? How are you spending your time now?

Toward the end of my term at Sweet Briar, I wanted to return to the life of a scholar. Now, I spend my days catching up on the scholarly literature in the field I had missed.

I often feel like Rip van Winkle, waking up to another time—not so much in terms of the scholarly content generated while I was in the President’s office but the technology available to facilitate research. I am both overwhelmed and overjoyed that most books I want to read are available online and that on programs like Zotero, I can create a bibliography—something I used to hate doing—effortlessly.

Women

Remarkable students and alumnae and their extraordinary experiences

Int ro

Student Research In the summer of 2023, Audrey Flattich ’26 participated in the Honors Summer Research Program; her work was supported by the Christine McLain ’71 Fund.

Audrey and her faculty supervisors examined how wineries use environmental characteristics and geographical features to differentiate wine and wine regions within Virginia. While there has been work in this vein in other wine-producing areas in the United States, Canada, Europe, and New Zealand, Virginia’s 300+ wineries are understudied. The team also partnered with Ankida Ridge, a vineyard in Amherst County and other high-elevation vineyards in Virginia, in their pursuit of a new American Viticultural Area. Audrey worked with soil and climate data, as well as digging into regulations and policies, building on skills she has learned in courses such as Environmental Field Methods and Environmental Policy.

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 13

Women

Al u m n a e P ro fe s s io n s

Information Superheroes

Alumnae librarians, archivists, and conservators pave the way to information

When we think of service-oriented professions, what usually comes to mind are people on the front lines of supporting a community—first responders like firefighters, EMTs, and police, or care providers like physicians, nurses, and faith leaders. Throughout the process of interviewing alumnae who are librarians, archivists, conservators, and technical assistants, one thing has become clear: these women are often the first resource for their communities and are responsible for providing dedicated customer service to all of their constituents. Not only are they a primary resource, they are among the most selfless and patient members of any community.

Fundamentally, librarians are responsible for connecting their communities with the resources they need. Depending on the position, these resources can take many forms. In an academic library, like Sweet Briar’s Mary Helen Cochran Library, librarians connect our students with the tools they need to conduct research: subscriptions to academic journals, searchable databases of articles and books available for inter-library loans, and perhaps, most importantly, a beautiful space to study, compile research, and find space for quiet, focused work.

For public librarians, patron requests for resources can run the gamut.

With the increase of digital resources available, public libraries have evolved to provide workspaces to use their WiFi, virtual programming that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic and has remained (and in some cases, evolved into increased in-person programming), established partnerships to amplify community engagement for patrons of all ages, and of course, e-book and physical book loans.

Archivists and conservators are often behind the scenes and provide invaluable services to researchers in academic libraries or cultural heritage organizations. Archivists, who catalog, describe, and create finding aids for primary source material, are responsible for connecting researchers with this material through accurate descriptions and access to their collections. Conservators conduct item or collection treatments

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to ensure the stability, preservation, and access of documents and books, and create finding aids for such materials. These processes include examination, documentation, treatment, and preventive care for books and paper, objects, audiovisual material, paintings, and more. Many conservators use these skills in their own freelance work as well, committing to preserving cultural heritage collections that are in continuous use.

Regardless of their positions, each of these women have been utterly devoted to their positions and careers. While many people come to be librarians or in library-adjacent careers later in life, none of the alumnae interviewed for this article left their careers to try something else. The services provided in these institutions draw these women in, where they commit themselves to the mission and the patrons. What’s more, they work to encourage their members and patrons to become more involved in their institutions and be as dedicated as they are. After all, these institutions are perpetuated by the people they serve.

Many of the alumnae profiled here were inspired by the Mary Helen Cochran Library itself. This building was designed by architect Ralph Adams Cram and completed in 1929, providing a quiet space devoted to research, study, and exploration. For some who worked there during their four years at Sweet Briar, it was an introduction to working in libraries, while for others, it was a retreat for long hours of research, writing, or cramming for exams. Many recall the subterranean stacks with light switches at the end of each aisle, imbued with an eerie feeling for some.

Pre- or post-renovation, study carrels offer students a place to camp out and accomplish their work in solitude. With the renovation, the library has added spaces for group work, a more common component of course work in these times.

Stacks still exist in Cochran Library, though their footprint is much smaller with the development of compact shelving that can take up less space while housing a larger collection. In place of the previous stacks, the campus community is provided with more open spaces for events and lectures, like the guest speakers who come to campus for The Mindful Writer (CORE 120), the second course in the Women’s Leadership Core Curriculum.

No matter each alumna’s position, each of them readily offered to support current Sweet Briar students and any fellow alumnae interested in working in libraries or library-adjacent careers through career advice, internship opportunities, or tours of their institutions. Not only do they support their own communities and organizations, they support the Sweet Briar community.

Read on to learn more about each alumna and their perspectives on what libraries and archives have to offer all of us as community centers, academic institutions, and centers for learning.

Women

Public Librarians and Public Library Assistants

Science from the University of North Texas along with an advanced graduate certificate in management of libraries and information agencies. “There is so much flexibility and variability in the profession itself and how you get there. There are so many different types of programs that you can choose that fit into your needs and your lifestyle.”

Jill Butcher ’97 B.S., Psychology M.L.S., Library and Archival Sciences, Rutgers University Assistant Director, Warren County Public Libraries, Belvidere, New Jersey

Allison Wiley Blount ’11 B.A., English M.S.L.S., University of North Texas Librarian, Chesterfield County Public Libraries, North Courthouse Road Branch Allison’s love of libraries started even before she was a student at Sweet Briar, when her mother would take her to story time at her local public library. “That was a really formative experience for me,” she said. “That was where I learned that school wasn’t the only place that you could accumulate knowledge. I really feel that’s important—having that ability to invest in your own education aside from formal spaces. I really enjoy letting people discover and lead their own discovery of education.”

After working in Cochran Library for all four years at Sweet Briar, Allison taught English and served as librarian at Brunswick Academy in Lawrenceville, Va. for three years, followed by eight years working in various capacities for Meherrin Regional Library. In 2020, she earned her Master’s of Science in Library

“The public library was where I learned that school wasn’t the only place that you could accumulate knowledge.”

Jill’s career path was shaped by being introduced to libraries at an early age, working in Cochran Library for all four years at Sweet Briar, and doing an internship at a community college library during January term. After the internship and speaking with librarians, she decided she wanted to go on for an M.L.S. degree, which she completed a few years after graduating from Sweet Briar.

Jill remembers following one of the Cochran Library student worker traditions of saying “good night” to Mary Helen Cochran’s portrait in the Browsing Room each night when closing the library.

Her recommendation to anyone interested in working in libraries is to volunteer or do an internship at a library, public or academic depending on your potential career focus.

She encourages students or alumnae who may be interested to reach out to alumnae librarians to learn more about libraries as a career. “I remember I felt so prepared coming out of Sweet Briar. Particularly for public librarianship, the liberal artsbackground is very helpful.”

Brigid McGlynn Lengyel ’85 B.A., Government M.Ed., Lesley College (now Lesley University), Cambridge, Massachusetts Technology Librarian, Paul Pratt Memorial Library, Cohasset, Massachusetts Brigid’s introduction to working in libraries began when she worked at a Montessori school as the assistant children’s librarian. When her children were young, she learned how to mend books for the public library nearby, and then she substituted at the circulation desk. From there, she took on the young adult librarian position and helped to develop relationships between the library and local schools.

She had the opportunity to take on responsibilities related to technology, and then, when her children were no longer teenagers, she transitioned to working as a technology librarian full time.

Like many librarians, Brigid’s role became very significant during the pandemic. With the need to access books on e-readers or other devices, Brigid spends a lot of time helping people learn how to use these pieces of technology in addition to purchasing e-books through Libby, the main app libraries use for e-lending services.

While she didn’t set out to become a librarian while she was at Sweet Briar, Brigid recalled the excellent education she received and the practical experience she gained, from taking a public speaking course to helping one of her government professors order books through Sweet Briar’s library.

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 15

Women

PUBLIC LIBRARIANS AND PUBLIC L I B R A R Y A S S I S TA N T S (CONTINUED)

Stephanie Prato ’12 B.A., English M.L.S., Library and Information Sciences, Syracuse University Head of Children’s Services, Simsbury Public Library, Simsbury, Connecticut For Stephanie, being head of children’s services means many opportunities to be creative with programming.

She relies on what she learned at Sweet Briar to keep her community interested in the library’s offerings. “Sweet Briar women, myself included, are intrinsically motivated. That motivation, as cliché as it sounds, to continually improve to be the best you can be—I bring that to library work using a servant leadership model.”

Sweet Briar prepared Stephanie for her leadership position, and her work in the library since she was working on her M.L.S. has also prepared her to lead a team of 13 people. In addition, the library has established meaningful community partnerships with other groups and organizations, sharing their messages to amplify them and support their work, too. This spirit of collaboration has played into the evolution of libraries establishing community partnerships and developing as community centers.

Alex Schlomer ’11 B.A., Classical Studies M.L.S., Archives and Archival Administration, Simmons University Head of Adult Services, Lynchburg Public Library In her role as head of adult services, Alex emphasizes the diverse range of services and programming that public libraries now offer. “The more diverse we can make our services, the more important we can make ourselves and the more libraries can grow in this new climate.” Alex started in the library as a shelver to test out that career path and now works on collection development and weeding books, connects with people in the community, and brings new services to the library, such as Johnson Health Center, which offers free appointments monthly.

“This is one of the most rewarding careers that you can have. As a public librarian, I know that I have an effect on people every day,” said Alex.

The Lynchburg Public Library is close to a shelter and therefore offers many resources to the unhoused population. “There are people in the worst periods of their lives, and they can come to the library to be safe, to use the internet, to read a book, and to get resources.”

16 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine Fall 2023

“The more diverse we can make our services, the more important we can make ourselves and the more libraries can grow in this new climate.”

Susan Hughes Huffman ’83 B.A., History M.S., Longwood University, School Library Science Branch Manager, Nelson County Public Library, Jefferson Madison Regional Library System After teaching for many years at Tye River Elementary School in Nelson County, Va., Susan Huffman decided to transition to be a school librarian.

While working in her school’s library, she earned her M.S. from Longwood University. After teaching for 30 years, she transitioned to branch manager of Nelson Memorial Library. Her love of children’s literature and seeing children develop a love for reading led her to the next step in her career.

As branch manager, Susan is most proud of being able to raise $500,000 for extra materials to compliment a library expansion which was completed at the end of 2020—a remarkable feat, especially in the midst of the pandemic.

For those who may be interested in pursuing a career in libraries, Susan said, “Go with what lights you up.” She pointed out that there is a shortage of librarians—particularly school librarians—and that “we need people to be able to inspire children and adults in all the things that the world has to offer them.”

Susan’s library has adopted a formal partnership with the local schools. One of the programs is “Nelson Reads,” which provides each elementary school 12 books and a variety of activities to go with them.

At the end of the year the students pick one of those 12 books to be the Nelson Reads book of the year.

Women

School Librarians

Academic Librarians Catherine Jannik Downey ’93

Jackie Hauslein Kruchten ’00

ILLUSTRAT IO N BY AL AINA JO HNSON

B.A., Art History M.Ed., School Librarianship, Longwood University Librarian, Gainesville High School As a school librarian at the newest high school in Prince William County, Va., Jackie has had opportunities to mold the library’s space into a resource that meets all of her students’ needs. As a modern school library, you might expect that the number of books would be smaller, but in fact, that’s not the case. “As far as checkouts go, students still prefer a physical book.” However, Jackie’s school library offers plenty of technology and alternative spaces, including a podcast studio, meditation room, charging stations, and soft seating of all kinds—like egg chairs.

As a legacy, Jackie was no stranger to Sweet Briar when it came time to look for colleges; her grandmother and her great-aunt also attended. She knew that Sweet Briar would help her on her career path. “Sweet Briar helped me in so many ways. It gave me the courage to try a lot of things and not be afraid to dip a toe in or put a foot in. Sweet Briar gave me the chance to amplify my voice even though I’m not the first to go up and speak all the time, I certainly wouldn’t have had that courage if I didn’t have the professors I did.”

Jackie was happy to reflect on those professors, including Christopher L. C. E. Witcombe, who is Eleanor Barton and Aileen ‘Ninie’ Laing ’57 Professor Emeritus in art history, Ninie Laing, professor emerita of art history, Diane Moran, professor emerita of art history, Laura Pharis, professor of studio art, and Jim Alouf, professor emeritus of education.

“Sweet Briar gave me the chance to amplify my voice even though I’m not the first to go up and speak all the time, I certainly wouldn’t have had that courage if I didn’t have the professors I did.”

Nicole Basbanes Claire ’04 B.A., English and Creative Writing M.S.L.I.S., Rare Books and Special Collections, New York University and Long Island University M.Ed., Library Media Studies, Salem State University Library Media Specialist, Paul P. Gates Elementary School, Axton Boxborough Public Schools Nicole worked in Sweet Briar’s libraries—including its music, science, and art history libraries as well as Cochran Library—for all four years. It wasn’t until her senior year, when Lisa Johnston, head of library services, encouraged her to think about getting a degree in library sciences that she really considered that option.

“I realized that the library is a perfect place to work in because you can always keep learning about things that interest you, and preserve and protect these materials that tell you about these different careers, activities, and interests. Librarianship is perfect for someone who has so many interests and can’t think of what they want to do.”

B.A., Government and History M.A., American History, University of Southern Mississippi M.L.I.S., University of Southern Mississippi Associate Professor, Head of Access Services and Information Commons, Georgia Gwinnett College Catherine’s interest in becoming a librarian, like many librarians, started with a love of books and reading.

The librarians she encountered at her local public library fostered her interest, and her parents allowed her to read anything she wanted.

Sweet Briar’s library was not only a study space for her, but she also gained archival experience in Dr. Gerald Berg’s Sweet Briar history course. Catherine chose to do her research on Sweet Briar students’ involvement in protests against the Vietnam War, including students being allowed to leave classes early in 1970 to join movements with the intention of changing the world.

“It was an amazing introduction to how a historian actually works,” said Catherine. “Now, having been an archivist and creating one nearly from scratch, I understand the work that goes into it on the historians’ part, too, because it’s not always just the archivist. Sometimes historians come in and they help find things, you hear about it all the time.” Catherine plans to replicate this course’s approach at Georgia Gwinnett College to give students archival experience.

Catherine also credits her Constitutional Law class with professor Barbara Perry for giving her the opportunity to use the library extensively. Students were required to write a Supreme Court opinion on a case before the court

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 17

Women

ACADEMIC LIBRARIANS (CONTINUED)

Archivists

during the semester and if the decision was delivered before final papers were due, students were held to the Honor Code to not read the justices’ opinions.

DeAnne Blanton ’85 B.A., American Studies M.A., American History with a concentration in Historic Preservation, Wake Forest University Retired, Archivist at the National Archives specializing in 18th and 19th century Army records

Lara Corazalla ’03

Emily Leming La Jeunesse ’91 B.A., History Head of Access Services, Drew University Library When Emily arrived at Sweet Briar, she had worked in her hometown’s public library. She submitted her paperwork for a campus job, which she anticipated would be in the library.

To her surprise, she was placed in the campus safety department, but she “planted” herself in a wingback chair in the rare book room in Mary Helen Cochran Library to study for her history degree. It wasn’t until she was volunteering in her son’s elementary school library that she got back into libraries and then took a position at The Library of the Chathams in Chatham, N.J. Now, Emily is Head of Access Services at Drew University, where she oversees all of the student workers in the library. She has had the opportunity to lean into her creative talents, both through creating student programming to attract students to the library as well as through creating a social media team of students.

“My favorite part of the job is working with students because that’s something I’ve always enjoyed. It stems from Sweet Briar, where I was also a tour guide.”

B.A., Government M.L.I.S., Library Sciences, Texas Woman’s University Doctor of Law, Southern Methodist University Periodical and Electronic Resources Librarian, J. S. Bridwell Library at Southern Methodist University serving the Perkins School of Theology Lara started her career in library sciences in Sweet Briar’s library as a student and then went on to a paraprofessional position in technical services at Southern Methodist University (SMU). From there, she earned her M.L.I.S. from Texas Woman’s University along with her juris doctor degree from SMU. “There were wonderful librarians and library staff that I worked with at Sweet Briar, and I didn’t consciously decide to be a librarian based on that. It was in the back of my mind that I would love to do what they did—they helped so many people.”

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“There were wonderful librarians and library staff with that I worked with at Sweet Briar ... ”

“Sweet Briar gave me the confidence in myself and my abilities to pivot away from what I originally wanted—a career in historic preservation—and use my skills to pursue something I had never done before— archival work.”

When she graduated from Sweet Briar and her Master’s program at Wake Forest, DeAnne’s heart was set on finding a job in historic preservation or museums. She moved to Washington, D.C. to get a job there, but the Smithsonian wasn’t hiring.

However, the National Archives was hiring archivist trainees, so DeAnne applied and was hired. This initial opportunity evolved into a 31-year career at the National Archives.

DeAnne’s work involved assisting researchers who wanted to use records from the American Revolution through the Spanish-American War, including organizing collections, creating finding aids for the records, assisting curatorial staff in creating exhibits, and helping many genealogists. She got to work with Revolutionary War documents signed

by George Washington, Civil War records signed

by Abraham Lincoln, the last military correspondence of Lieutenant Colonel George Custer prior to his death at Little Bighorn, and her own great-great-great grandfather’s Civil War military service record.

“Sweet Briar gave me the confidence in myself and my abilities to pivot away from what I originally wanted—a career in historic preservation—and use my skills to pursue something I had never done before— archival work.”

Women

Melanie Rinehart ’14 B.A., History M.L.S., Library and Archival Sciences, Indiana University at Bloomington Archivist, American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania While Melanie’s campus job was at the riding center during her four years at Sweet Briar, she said, “I went into the library during orientation week and just never stopped going.” Like many of our alumnae librarians, the Mary Helen Cochran Library was Melanie’s home during finals weeks. In the summer of 2013, when renovations to Cochran Library began, Melanie assisted with moving Sweet Briar’s collections to protect them during the renovation. With a significant interest in research as it related to her history major, her work now at the American Philosophical Society (APS) ties into both her undergraduate and graduate degrees.

The APS touts itself as the oldest learned society in the United States. Founded in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin to “promote useful knowledge,” the Society notably holds Franklin’s manuscripts and the journals of Lewis and Clark (Thomas Jefferson was president of the APS while he was vice president and president of the United States).

The Society also holds significant collections relating to the history of science and vast early America, as well as hosting the Center for Native and Indigenous Resources. Melanie works to make sure that all of these materials, but especially those in the history of science, are arranged, described in finding aids, and made accessible for researchers.

Melanie’s advice to those interested in pursuing a career in archival work includes making sure that it’s something you really want to do.

Archival work can be a difficult field to get into, and the work is often funded by grants, which can make consistent employment a challenge.

Melanie has found that her research skills developed as a history major and her continued interest in historical inquiry have supported her work as an archivist.

States and in the United Kingdom, including an internship at the Georgia Archives. It wasn’t until after she’d been offered the internship that she and Kim Knox Norman ’85 made their Sweet Briar connection.

“I was really excited to get into conservation, but it was even more special to me that I got to be mentored by an alum,” said Leah.

Conservators Kim Knox Norman ’85

Leah Humenuck ’15 B.A., Chemistry M.A., (with honors) Conservation Studies, West Dean College of Arts and Conservation Ph.D. (degree anticipated), Color Science, Rochester Institute of Technology Color science, or the study of color including lighting, optics, measurement of light and color, and color reproduction, is a critical component of conserving paper and visual materials. Now in her second year of her Ph.D. in color science, Leah passed her qualifying exam and is narrowing down her ideas for her dissertation focused on cultural heritage preservation and imaging.

In talking with Leah about her path to her Ph.D., it’s clear that her experiences at Sweet Briar tie into her postgraduate journey.

Leah has leaned into the alumnae network, meeting alumnae in cities where she’s had interviews and internships.

Leah has had a number of internships around the United

“I was really excited to get into conservation, but it was even more special to me that I got to be mentored by an alum.”

B.A., Sociology B.F.A. program work, Graphic Arts, Corcoran School of the Arts and Design M.F.A., Book Arts and Printmaking, University of the Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Director of Preservation and Digitization Services, Emory Libraries at Emory University Kim, like Melanie, worked at the American Philosophical Society in their conservation lab as a graduate school intern while she was in her M.F.A. program. During her internship, she trained in conservation with a mentor, Hedi Kyle, who was the conservator at APS. Following graduate school, Kim accepted a grant-funded position in Atlanta, Ga., at Nexus Press, part of the Contemporary Arts Center.

She quickly connected with the conservator at Emory Libraries, Ann Frellsen, and kept in touch over the years until a staff job became available. Since then, Kim has worked for Emory Libraries in three different positions since 2002.

The conservation lab at Emory Libraries is one part of the larger

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 19

Women

C O N S E R VAT O R S

Lifelong Librarians

(CONTINUED)

nine-person Preservation Department that serves all campus libraries, treating circulating and special collections for Emory University.

This department also includes an audiovisual team for moving or sound-based media and a digitization team for capturing still images and 3-D photography. Each library sends its material to the Preservation Department where staff meet with stakeholders during scheduled collection handoffs and determine the best course of treatment.

As you might imagine, Kim has treated some interesting pieces of history over the years. One such project was conserving a Rabbinic Bible for the Pitts Theology Library at Emory, printed in the early 1500s in Hebrew and Latin for broader language exposure and access at the time. When the book was first brought to Kim, it was wedge-shaped and would not close completely due to the debris and detritus between its pages. Kim cleaned the book so that it could close and would not incur further damage, saving and examining the debris uncovered (sand, dried insects with wings, and red whiskers). Kim has also done freelance work over thirty years for individuals and organizations. Such work includes two 15th century historic copies of the Torah for Congregation Mickve Israel, one of which was brought to Savannah, Ga., in 1733 with the establishment of the Georgia Colony.

Kim’s most valuable advice for a student considering a career in preservation and conservation would be to consider all related disciplines of interest and intern for various types of organizations.

Learn what may or may not be of interest as a career through practical experience or preparation for graduate school with this approach.

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Jean Campbell Barquin ’66 B.A., French M.A., French, New York University M.L.S., Library and Archival Sciences, University of Maryland at College Park Retired, Librarian at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Day School, Washington, D.C. While Jean retired from library work, her first career started at IBM immediately after she graduated from Sweet Briar. At the time, IBM had announced a new computer series, for which they projected they would need 50,000 computer programmers in five years. Jean signed on after taking the programming aptitude test, and then spent the next 13 years working for the company after transitioning to the market research department. At the time, IBM would cover the cost of graduate school

even if the degree didn’t apply to the employee’s position, so Jean also earned an M.A. in French from NYU. Once she had her children, Jean began volunteering—in the library at her son’s school as well as being a docent at the National Gallery of Art. After four years of volunteering, the librarian position at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Day School opened, and Jean decided to attend the University of Maryland at College Park’s M.L.S. program.

Once she earned the degree, she took on the position and stayed there until after her daughter graduated from college.

“There’re so many fascinating places that you could go with library science,” said Jean. While working on her M.L.S. degree, she used the library at the National Gallery of Art for a research project, tying her previous experience in with a new opportunity. “Librarians, as a bunch, are very cool people. And if you’re a techie, it offers huge possibilities.”

“There’s so many fascinating places that you could go with library science.”

Women

Eugenia Bull Ryner ’67 B.A., English M.L.S., Peabody College M.A., California State University, Bakersfield

Ashley Carroll ’10 B.A., Philosophy and Religion M.L.S., Rutgers University Marketing Specialist, Cabells Ashley worked at Cochran Library following graduation from Sweet Briar as Executive Assistant to the Director of Integrated Information Systems, John Jaffe. After leaving Sweet Briar in 2015 during the attempted closure and litigation to work in banking, Ashley realized how much she loved working at the library. At the encouragement of Lisa Johnston, head of library services at Sweet Briar until 2015, Ashley began earning her M.L.S. from Rutgers University in 2016 and completed her degree in 2018. She then worked in Lynchburg’s public library system as a library assistant and branch manager, and then worked at Virginia Military Institute’s library as a research librarian.

In 2022, she took a job at Cabells International, a company that provides intelligence on academic journals for resource professionals.

“I was well prepared for graduate level work and in some cases, I felt as though Sweet Briar might have been more challenging than graduate school. If a student is willing to put in the effort to do well at Sweet Briar, should they choose to go on and do further education, they will be well prepared for it. I felt very confident participating with my classmates and in the work that was required, but also in my career, I felt confident speaking up, and having my opinion heard. I think Sweet Briar definitely created an environment that fostered the ability to speak my mind.”

Eugenia’s interest in libraries started at the age of 10, when she would spend her days at her local public library in Winnetka, Ill. “I never even thought of another career—that was just always my career,” she said. Eugenia was attracted to Sweet Briar for its Junior Year in France program, but later switched to majoring in English.

Immediately after graduating from Sweet Briar, she earned her M.L.S. from Peabody College in Nashville, Tenn., now part of Vanderbilt University. She began her career at the Yale University Library, then moved to the public library sector at the Omaha Public Library and other public libraries.

Eugenia then returned to academia at the California State University campus in Bakersfield, Calif., during the last year of which she received a Fulbright award to teach library science at the Makerere Library School in Kampala, Uganda. At the end of the year, she married Stephen Ryner, an American diplomat she met while in Uganda, and who attended Eugenia’s rival high school in Illinois. Following Stephen’s reassignment to Washington, D.C., the couple moved to Virginia, where Eugenia became the Director of the FBI Library in Quantico.

“I think what was interesting about my career was that I was able to work in both public libraries and academic libraries and government libraries and special libraries. I had a taste of everything, and that made me a little more flexible in terms of the way I managed different libraries. I thought my last job was sort of a culmination of everything I had done, and that was very satisfying.”

“I think what was interesting about my career was that I was able to work in both public libraries and academic libraries and government libraries and special libraries. I had a taste of everything.”

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Women

Honors Summer Research at Sweet Briar Students explore and produce original work under faculty sponsorship Each year, the Honors Program awards fellowships

to a select group of Sweet Briar students to support them in conducting independent research projects under the supervision of a faculty member. The Honors Summer Research Program is an eight-week, on-campus program that brings together students and faculty from all disciplines. The program creates a unique academic experience for the participants by providing the opportunity for intensely focused research, a oneon-one working relationship with a faculty mentor, or mentors, and weekly meetings and presentations by both faculty and students highlighting their ongoing research as well as research methodologies across the academic disciplines.

Read on to learn more about three of these projects from summer 2023.

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Women

The Science and Business of Virginia Wine

“I dropped a business class and needed to fill the spot, so I took cancer biology. Loved it. So now, I'm on track to research cancer post grad.”

—Shannon Carter ’24

Protein Suppression in Ovarian Cancer Rising seniors June Alomari and Shannon Carter have worked closely at Sweet Briar this summer with Dr. Kala Bonner to examine the effects of protein suppression in the treatment of ovarian cancer, particularly high grade serous ovarian cancer, which is the most common and lethal form of ovarian cancer.

June’s research involved suppressing a protein found in cancer cells to determine whether it affects the cancer cells’ ability to metastasize throughout the body. Shannon’s research also involved protein suppression, but her goal was to see how the protein affects cancer cells’ ability to proliferate.

Shannon says she came to Sweet Briar intending to become a veterinarian, but now plans on continuing cancer research in graduate school. “I got into cancer biology on accident. I dropped a business class and needed to fill the spot, so I took cancer biology. Loved it. So now I’m on track to research cancer post grad. Dr. Bonner’s graduate research was with the same protein,

MACF1 in Glioblastoma, which is brain cancer; studies suggest that there is a correlation between MACF1 expression and treatment resistance in ovarian cancer, so we decided to explore.”

June sees her research as an important step in reaching her goal of becoming a gynecologist. “Doing this research helps me learn more about different diseases ... as well as help me be a better member of society and prepare me for my academic endeavors in the future.”

“There’s a misconception that because Sweet Briar is a small school you can’t scale down big research projects like this to fit our resources, but you totally can,” adds June. “I want other students to know that, to know that they can do amazing research here.”

June, from Sterling, Virginia, is majoring in biology and minoring in English and creative writing. Shannon, from King George, Virginia, is a biology major and chemistry minor, as well as a member of the IHSA equestrian team.

Audrey Flattich ’26 Mountains and Majestic Vistas: Investigating How Virginia Wineries Make and Market Place Dr. August Hardy and Dr. Lisa Powell

June Alomari ’24 An Evaluation of the Impact of Microtubule Actin Crosslinking Factor 1 (MACF1) Suppression in the Therapeutic Treatment of HighGrade Serous Ovarian Cancer (HGSOC) Dr. Kala Bonner Shannon Carter ’24 siRNA Suppression of MACF1 in High Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma Dr. Kala Bonner

Audrey Flattich, a rising sophomore from Statesboro, Georgia, spent the summer studying the Virginia wine industry and how regional vineyards market themselves. Her research allowed her to blend topics in environmental science and economics under the guidance of Dr. Lisa Powell and Dr. August Hardy.

Audrey says the support from her professors and the College has been unbelievable. “Sweet Briar gives us so many opportunities like this, and the professors are so encouraging.

You just have to take the first step and express interest. The personal attention you get here is somewhat hard to believe; it makes you feel like the main character of a movie.”

Before coming to Sweet Briar, Audrey’s expectations for college were much different from how things are turning out. “Just a few years ago I never would have imagined college could be like this.

I never thought about taking big steps because I didn’t really know what I was capable of, but at Sweet Briar I’ve done more in sports and academics and with my friendships than I thought I ever could.”

Audrey is majoring in economics and environmental science and is a member of the IHSA equestrian teams.

“The personal attention you get here is somewhat hard to believe; it makes you feel like the main character of a movie.”

—Audrey Flattich ’26

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Women

“My faculty advisors are always available to me while allowing me the chance to take responsibility for my individual project.”

—Olivia Heffernan ’25

Summer 2023 Honors Summer Research Program Students and Projects June Alomari ’24 An Evaluation of the Impact of Microtubule Actin Crosslinking Factor 1 (MACF1) Suppression in the Therapeutic Treatment of High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer (HGSOC) Dr. Kala Bonner

Unraveling Ancient Mystery Cults Olivia Heffernan, a rising junior from Penn Laird, Virginia, examined the mystery cults of ancient Greece and Rome to better understand why they were popular in antiquity, how they evolved over time, and why they have, ultimately, fallen out of favor in the 21st century. Her summer research took a look at the everyday role of these mystery cults, which were extremely secretive and restrictive compared with civic or state religion and their perception in ancient society.

Olivia blended her majors in art history and archaeology by using literary and material artifacts to learn about the cults of Aphrodite, Isis, and Hecate. She referenced primary ancient texts, examined artifacts, and read scholarly works to better understand the role of these cults in ancient societies and to

debunk elite and popular misconceptions about them.

“When I came to Sweet Briar, I thought I was going to be just a history major. Then I took an archaeology class for my history major and an art history class was a required course for our women’s leadership program. I ended up loving both of them, so I kept taking art history and archaeology. It just happened naturally that I began taking classes that fit my career goal of working as a museum curator and archivist.”

“Sweet Briar is already a very supportive environment,” adds Olivia.

“But summer research takes it to the next level. My faculty advisors are always available to me while allowing me the chance to take responsibility for my individual project.”

Olivia plans to continue her research on these mystery cults as part of her ongoing academic work.

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Olivia Heffernan ’25 The Mysteries, Mysteria, and Mystai of Ancient Greco-Roman Religion Dr. Erin Pitt and Dr. Tracy ChapmanHamilton

Shannon Carter ’24 siRNA Suppression of MACF1 in High Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma Dr. Kala Bonner Parboni Dey ’25 Effect of Organic Fertilizers on N Mineralization and Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration Mediated by Iron Minerals Dr. Lili Lei Audrey Flattich ’26 Mountains and Majestic Vistas: Investigating How Virginia Wineries Make and Market Place Dr. August Hardy and Dr. Lisa Powell Olivia Heffernan ’25 The Mysteries, Mysteria, and Mystai of Ancient Greco-Roman Religion Dr. Erin Pitt and Dr. Tracy Chapman-Hamilton Nishu Hoque ’25 Zinc Whisker Growth Mitigation Via Reduced Mechanical Deformation Dr. Michelle Gervasio Julia Jessen ’24 Reduce, Reuse, or Recycle? Economic Incentives’ Effects on Disposable Plastic Bag Usage Dr. August Hardy Elizabeth McElveen ’25 Shattering into Pieces: Destruction Through the Lens of Art and Philosophy Dr. Kimberly Morse-Jones and Dr. Chris Penfield Ana Patino ’25 Developing Solid Insulators with 3D Printing Materials and Analyizing their Breakdown Phenomena Under Various Environmental Conditions Dr. Farhina Haque

Lead

From innovative curriculum to excellence in the classroom

Int ro

Leadership at Every Turn Each year, Sweet Briar welcomes first-year and transfer students during orientation week, usually the week before classes begin.

These students are divided up into smaller groups led by Orientation Leaders, or OLs, who are upperclasswomen who have gone through their own training prior to the new students’ arrival.

Senior Gracie Applewhite leads Asia Feil ’27 and Ava Cawrse ’27 to their classrooms in Guion, part of orientation. Gracie, originally from Conway, Arizona, has been an OL for two years. “Being an orientation leader, especially as a first generation student, has helped me give the tools and instill the knowledge that I wish I had when I was coming into college. Sweet Briar has taught me so much about how to utilize my strengths and experiences to be a leader in our community and also to positively impact the lives of others. The orientation team helped me give back to the Sweet Briar community in ways I am so, so thankful for!”

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 25

Lead

Off-Campus Experiential Learning Students gain career readiness through internships When Sweet Briar students were recently asked about their internship experiences over the past year, there was a resounding consensus among them: if you have the opportunity to be an intern during your four years at Sweet Briar, take it. This chorus of support came from students of a variety of intended majors and certificates as well as spanning all classes of current Sweet Briar students. That’s not completely surprising, considering eight out of 10 students complete at least one internship while attending Sweet Briar—30 percent more than students at other schools.

Many of these experiences were identified and shared by faculty, but a consistent thread through each conversation was the support of Barb Watts, director of career services, and Nicole Brewer, career and internship counselor. From identifying opportunities, to advising on resumés, to finding the right paperwork, Barb and Nicole are a dedicated team to guide these students throughout the entire process.

“The whole Sweet Briar community is just so supportive of you getting an internship, whether that’s the professors helping you prepare in class or career services helping you prepare to get the internship,” said Molly Booth ’25. Sweet Briar was there every step of the way, from announcing internship opportunities, to helping Molly feel that she was competent to apply for her internship in Dublin, Ireland. At the

National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Molly was the only undergraduate intern. Her cohort took industry tours, trained on cell culture and newer technology like mass spectrometry, and received an overview of the industry.

Molly learned about the internship from Sweet Briar’s engineering program director, Jonathan Bender, while Barb and Nicole helped Molly prepare for her interview with the admissions committee.

What’s remarkable about these internships is the students’ enthusiasm about their projects, tasks, and takeaways from each position.

Aunannya Banik ’25, an intern at the Washington University School of Medicine’s Department of Radiation Oncology, said, “After getting into this field, I’m not only curious, I have a purpose. I have a goal to make a difference and make this world better.” Aunannya’s

26 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine Fall 2023

internship included shadowing a clinician, working in a lab under a postdoc, running experiments in radiation of cervical cancer cells, and analyzing data from each experiment. Upon earning her position as an intern, she was provided the choice of working in cervical cancer or brain cancer.

Aunannya chose cervical cancer for her mother, who suffered from a malignant uterine tumor. “It’s for my mom,” she said. “I want to make this a bigger purpose for her, so her suffering will not go in vain.”

As a result of her internship, Aunannya is planning to apply to combined M.D. and Ph.D. programs so she can have the opportunity to work as a clinician and a full-time scientist when she graduates.

Similarly, Dominique Cunningham ’24 is interested in working for the Department of Defense after working in her internship there over the summer. Her cutting-edge

“After getting into this field, I’m not only curious, I have a purpose. I have a goal to make a difference and make this world better.”

—Aunannya Banik ’25

Lead

The National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, the home of Molly Booth’s internship.

research into artificial intelligence and how it could be applied to software or machines used by the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Virginia, may help some machinery used by warfighters become automated. Dominique says that Sweet Briar’s team-oriented approach to engineering set her up for success in her internship.

While internships provide valuable experience for students in their chosen career paths, they can also help students who have not yet decided on their careers narrow down their choices. For a sophomore like Hailey Sturgis ’25, her marketing internship at Weichert Realtors Mason Davis allowed her the opportunity to explore a potential career. She was inspired to pursue an internship there after taking Professor Paige Bridges’s Social Media Marketing class this past spring. Hailey appreciated the opportunity to branch out and figure out if this would be a career that might interest her through her summer internship.

Many students at Sweet Briar benefit from connections and networking, both through partnerships

that Sweet Briar offers and thanks to alumnae connections. For Isabela Guilarte ’25, making a connection with an alumna was critical to finding an internship placement.

After applying through LinkedIn, Handshake, and Indeed, Isabela was having trouble connecting with anyone at companies she was interested in. She turned to her alumnae friends who were

Isabela Guilarte ’25 at her internship in Altavista, Va.

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 27

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Shalom Beyene ’24

juniors and seniors when she was a first year and got in touch with Elisa Garcia ’22, who put Isabela in touch with her supervisor at Altavista Instruments and Controls.

Isabela was invited to interview for an internship and wrapped up the experience the week before school started this August, where she has gained experience that has strengthened her interest in a career in electrical engineering. “I feel like this internship has made me realize that I can be really good at this if I keep going,” said Isabela.

Two other students learned about their internships not through Sweet Briar, not through alumnae, but through connections they already had who mentioned opportunities to them. In high school, Avery Jones ’24 volunteered at her local farmers market for her National Honors Society hours. After another internship fell through, she was connected to the CFO for Nel Hydrogen while at the farmers market and was able to quickly secure a position there this summer, where she learned about

28 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine Fall 2023

and worked with hydrogen generators that use polymer electrolyte membranes. For Abigail McAllister ’24, a family friend was sure to tell her about a position at Industrial TurnAround Corporation, an engineering and construction firm offering design-build solutions.

From that experience, Abigail is now also considering a career related not only to engineering, but project management.

In November of 2022, Sweet Briar established a partnership with Cognosante, a technology company that supports government agencies and offers a summer internship program in a variety of fields through their Women in STEM initiative.

Natania Jones ’24 had an internship this summer through Cognosante in the Social Security Ticket to Work Program as a social media and marketing intern. More than 2,000 students applied and Natania was offered one of 17 spots. The summer analysts, as Cognosante calls their interns, were split into teams, where they researched charities for Cognosante to support through

a charitable contribution. Using presentation feedback she received from professor Lynn Laufenberg in her Contemporary Ethical Questions class (CORE 210), Natania led her team to success, resulting in a $1,500 contribution to the Dunbar Alexandria Olympic Boys and Girls Club and guidance on how Cognosante can continue to support the organization beyond a check.

Through learning how to include facts, make an emotional appeal, being a persuasive writer and speaker, and being concise, Natania applied her Sweet Briar education to her internship. While her summary analyst position ended at the beginning of August, Cognosante offered Natania an opportunity to stay on through December and have discussed opportunities in their marketing department for her following her graduation in May of 2024.

Acadia ElzHowe ’25 also did an internship with Cognosante in the summer of 2022, but this year, she interned with the Nebraska Department of Transportation in North Platte at their District Six office. When she learned that most respondents for this article were engineering majors, she was sure to emphasize that internships are available to and intended for everyone, regardless of their major.

“Sweet Briar offers a great opportunity because we can do internships in the summer or not, for credit, or not for credit. It’s very, very important to do internships and I would try to do as many as possible.”

Students at Sweet Briar have many opportunities to learn about internship opportunities. Besides professors announcing opportunities to students and career services offering one-on-one meetings, Barb and Nicole also offer lunch and learns on a variety of topics and areas of interest. In the 2023 fiscal year, they offered 669 programs to students and had 1,405 points of engagement with them. These contacts provide students the chance to learn from current employees at companies and organizations, bring

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in representatives from government agencies, provide resumé-building advice, interview practice, and cover many other areas of support.

“If you’re stressing about your career, just know that career services is here and they’re going to do everything they can to help you,” said Mariam Lara ’26, who goes by Lara. Her summer internship was at Explo, a summer exploration school for eighth and ninth graders. Lara served as a chemistry and engineering instructor as well as a resident advisor. Her internship harkened back to her tutoring experience at home in Bangladesh, where she started tutoring a friend’s younger brother, and when word got out about her tutoring services, she ended up tutoring 12 students in her neighborhood from second graders to tenth graders. She’s not certain she wants to become a teacher, but it’s definitely on her list.

Shalom Beyene ’24, from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia also had an internship with Explo, though her experience was at their Wellesley College camp location. Shalom was a laboratory teaching assistant

and worked directly with professors. Shalom’s internship focused on biochemistry, bioengineering, and forensic biology. A highlight of her program was getting to meet Dr. Henry Lee, the first researcher to use DNA analysis in criminal research, and who also was an investigator in the O.J. Simpson case. In addition to meeting an expert in the field, Shalom got a lot of practical experience in dissection. She also benefited from trainings at MIT, Harvard, and Northeastern University.

Each of these students’ internships have been a pivotal experience to their Sweet Briar educations, regardless of their majors or future career plans.

What’s more, future Sweet Briar students can lean on these same opportunities for years to come thanks to established relationships and partners in these fields of study. Parents and alumnae can also continue to make a difference in these areas by sending more opportunities to Sweet Briar’s Career Services Office, where students can connect with these opportunities and continue to build their experience.

Ca reers

Here to Help

Are you interested in offering an internship to a Sweet Briar student?

Visit sbc.edu/careerservices/for-employers to learn how your employer can set up an internship opportunity to help the next generation of students.

ILLUSTRAT IO N BY AL AINA JO HNSON

Dominique Cunningham ’24

Mariam Lara ’26 (center) during her internship with Explo

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 29

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A l u m n ae Volu nte e rs

Get to Know the Alumnae Alliance Council

Some of the Sweet Work Weeks volunteers in 2023.

30 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine Fall 2023

After spring elections, the 2023– 2024 Alumnae Alliance Council has been seated.

“We have a solid group of co-chairs returning for another term and a couple of new co-chairs who have already brought a lot of good energy to the Council,” says Michelle Badger ’06, co-chair of Operations. “We also have a number of alumnae who have joined some of our working groups this year, which makes us more effective and builds our bench for

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future leadership. We welcome all alumnae to join a working group and to share their talent and time to continue to grow the Alliance.”

“We have two co-chairs who will be serving in an interim capacity.

We lost Operations co-chair El Warner to cancer in the early spring, which was a huge blow on both a personal and a Council level,” she adds. “But though we can’t replace El, our Principles of Governance provide for unexpected vacancies, and we had council members step up. In our brief history, we have learned to evolve.”

After the unfortunate events in the spring of 2015 and the ultimate settlement that kept the College open, the Board of Directors installed as a result of the settlement, began working on a new alumnae organization. Sarah von Rosenberg ’72 and Debra Elkins ’93 were tapped to lead the new organization, which was called the Alumnae Alliance (AA). Following efforts led by Alice Dixon ’82, the Board liaison to the AA, the Alumnae Committee of the Board put into operation a “hub and spoke” structure. Debra and Sarah, with input from other alumnae, developed the initial working groups, each led by co-chairs, who constituted the Alumnae Alliance Council.

The Board Bylaws of September 26, 2015, officially established the Alumnae Alliance (AA) and charged it with choosing its leadership and, through that leadership, “formally proposing to the Board and the President general policies for the continuation and betterment” of the College. “The beginning ideas for the Alliance were to establish an alumnae organization that replicated the efforts to save the College, which was grassroots and bottom-up, not top down—a continuance of that grass roots effort—that the work of the alumnae in saving the College from closure should continue in supporting the College in perpetuity,” Sarah says. “The hub-and-spoke model offered an opportunity for cooperative collaboration among the alumnae-led working groups and the College. We hoped to help identify talent among the alumnae that the College could use. The initial working groups represented the areas of greatest needs of the College where the alumnae could help.” The Alliance and the Alumnae Relations and Development Office executed a Memorandum of Understanding so that the administration of the College could direct the work of Alumnae Alliance toward activities of most benefit to the College.

“The hub-and-spoke model offered an opportunity for cooperative collaboration among the alumnae-led working groups and the College.

We hoped to help identify talent among the alumnae that the College could use.”

—Sarah von Rosenberg ’72

Alumnae Alliance Council Priorities Clubs Class Leaders

Sweet Work Weeks

Alumnae Alliance Council

Governance

Communications

Admissions Ambassadors

Operations Young Alumnae Support

The original Council brought together two key groups that had not always been on the same page: leaders in the effort to save the College and the members of the former Alumnae Board, which had elected not to take a public position after the closure announcement, though independently, several members Alumnae Board were working to save the College. That bit of fence-mending enabled the Council to leverage the knowledge and experience of the Alumnae Board members and the desire among the alumnae for greater engagement with the College.

Class leadership, admissions, clubs, development, networking, and media and marketing were among the first focus areas of the working groups. Phyllis Watt Jordan ’80 initially co-chaired the working group focused on class leadership. She then moved to Communications. “As a member of the Alumnae Board, I was concerned how I would be received

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 31

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“It’s clear to me that the alumnae are never going to let this college shut down.” and perceived in the new alliance.

But it quickly became clear that we all had the same goal—to rebuild and restore Sweet Briar—and were ready to work hard for that goal.

It’s clear to me that the alumnae are never going to let this college shut down,” says Phyllis. “Communications was a big part of getting the College back on its feet. People needed to know that Sweet Briar was still open. My background is in journalism and public relations; so this came naturally to me. As the College rebuilt its marketing team, I pitched stories to reporters I knew from my days in newspapers.

In the Communications working group, we divvied up social media platforms and helped amplify and support what the College was doing. We edited class notes for the Alumnae Magazine and sometimes wrote articles for publication.”

As the College’s media and marketing team has ramped up, the Communications working group’s activities have evolved. Today, the

V. M. Galgano ’64 connects with Abigail McAllister ’24 at the 2023 Volunteer Leadership Conference.

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group manages the AA’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, sharing College and alumnae news and supporting the other working groups’ media needs.

The Admissions working group arose out of what every alumna knows—alumnae can be pretty good salespeople for the College.

Today known as Admissions Ambassadors, the working group coordinates with Alumnae Relations & Development (along with the other working groups) to deploy alumnae around the country, and in several countries, to recruit new students by attending college fairs, visiting high schools, and writing cards and letters to prospective students.

The working group of almost one hundred of alumnae has grown into a well-trained, well-informed team collaborating with Heather Colson Ewing ’90, who co-chaired the working group before being hired by Admissions to manage the Ambassador program.

The Council has adapted as the needs of the College and the needs of alumnae have evolved. At a campus leadership conference for alumnae in the fall of 2016, young alumnae made the case that they needed a voice. Most are paying back college loans and are new to jobs with limited vacation time. Giving back time, talent, and/or treasure to their alma mater and networking with each other and other alumnae had to look a little different. In response, the Council developed the Young Alumnae Support (YAS) working group to address the challenges of young alumnae in maintaining engagement with the College.

According to Sara Buttine Parsatoon ’11, who, with Alex Grobman ’12, was one of the original co-chairs of YAS, “YAS was formed because Alex and I identified a gap within the alumnae network and AR&D support. There was no focus on the young alumnae, As young alumnae at the time, we knew there were talents we had to offer, support we could lend, and relationships to blossom, within our network, including the College.

For the future of Sweet Briar, we needed Sweet Briar to recognize the evolution of the alumnae base, and cultivate that relationship.

“From a social aspect, young alumnae can offer other young alumnae support to ease into their new professions, new work environments, graduate school, traveling, and more. The squad a young alumna surrounds herself with can make her more successful, grounded, and available to embark on the journey ahead of her.”

YAS continues that focus. “I saw YAS as an opportunity to further establish and strengthen a community for younger Sweet Briar alum-

ILLUSTRAT IO N BY AL AINA JO HNSON

—Phyllis Watt Jordan ’80

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nae,” says Jackie Vari ’22, a current co-chair with Arielle Sperrazza ’15.

“With each passing year, our impact grows and we are able to bring together more young alumnae, fostering crucial camaraderie (in a post-pandemic world).”

YAS has recently added to its portfolio being a resource to seniors in their transition from student to graduate and alumna. “YAS is a way to help future graduates know that the sisterhood is everlasting,” Arielle says.

The creation of the Sweet Work Weeks working group is another example of the AA’s ability to evolve.

The first Sweet Work Weeks, in 2015, truly was a grassroots effort, with a mission to spruce up campus before the students came back that fall.

The College recognized the value of having this opportunity for alumnae to give back to their alma mater in this way, but that volunteerism needed to be channeled into projects the College needed to be done.

The Sweet Work Weeks working group has grown this volunteer opportunity into the most popular alumnae engagement activity aside from Reunion. The organizational ability of the co-chairs and their collaboration with their working group members and the working group’s campus counterparts in the Alumnae Relations and Development Office have translated into real savings for the College— and the alumnae have become excellent weeders, landscapers, and painters of anything.

All alumnae are members of the Alumnae Alliance, but we hope you join us as volunteers with a working group. You can join a working group anytime and choose your level of participation. Nominations for next year’s Council elections will be held in April. For more information about the activities of the AA and the working groups, go to sbc.edu/alumnae/volunteer/ alumnae-alliance-council.

“With each passing year, our impact grows and we are able to bring together more young alumnae...”

—Jackie Vari ’22

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Jessie Ashton Denva Mary Sydney Kat Alex Spencer Casey Elizabeth

P.35

Presidential Medalists Ten past Presidential Medal recipients demonstrate that a Sweet Briar education lasts a lifetime.

Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

Sweet Briar’s Presidential Medal is the College’s most prestigious award given to a student. While the president and president’s cabinet ultimately makes the decision on each year’s recipient, nominations are invited from all faculty and staff. Each nomination includes supporting documentation of the nominee’s accolades and accomplishments.

The criteria for Presidential Medalist, while fairly straightforward, demonstrate the hallmarks of Sweet Briar excellence: service to the community, contributions to the arts, enlargement of the College’s global perspective, athletic fitness and achievement, leadership, and contributions to the community discourse. Nominees should have distinction in some or all of these areas, and almost all recipients have earned distinction in these areas and more during their time at Sweet Briar.

Once the president and cabinet have decided on the Presidential Medalist, they begin planning how the medalist will be informed. Traditionally, the medalist finds out at the same time as the rest of the student body at the Academic Recognition Dinner, though those circumstances are not required. Each medalist receives a medal, a replica of the one worn on ceremonial occasions by the College’s president.

36 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine Fall 2023

After catching up with ten past recipients of the Presidential Medal, it turns out that the traits that qualified them for the medal are characteristics that they carry on throughout their lives, for years far beyond the four they spend at Sweet Briar. No matter what path they choose for themselves, they go on to make a difference in their professional lives and in their communities, be they geographic communities, communities of practice, or—especially in our post-pandemic world—communities that are connected virtually.

These medalists maintain their positions as high achievers, who treat their accomplishments not as resumé building material, but as life experiences that they can learn from. One unexpected trait among these women is their introspection into their own lives and paths. These are women who are not afraid to pause for a moment and ask themselves the tough questions to stay true to their values, beliefs, and potential.

For Jessie Schuster ’17, the journey to leadership at Sweet Briar and beyond started with seeing opportunities to make a change. While talking with a classmate at Sweet Briar, Jessie shared that she saw an opportunity to do something in a different way, and possibly a better way. Her classmate challenged her to think about not just seeing opportunities, but actually running as class president to make those changes happen. “That moment of realizing ‘don’t just talk about it, do it,’ was a really big moment for me,” said Jessie.

Jessie, who is now assistant state attorney in the Ninth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office in Florida and domestic violence misdemeanor specialist, has carried that mentality with her in her professional life.

“I have a small caseload of felony cases because I’ve essentially just taken them. If people aren’t going to do it right, I’ll just do it—I’ll step into that role and make sure that these victims are getting advocated for. I don’t think I would do that if I hadn’t had the experiences I did at Sweet Briar.”

Jessie always knew she wanted to practice criminal law in some way. Following her graduation from the University of Florida with her juris doctor, Jessie had applied and been accepted in to the Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG). After a period of reflection while studying for the bar, Jessie decided that path was ultimately not the right one for her. Even though she changed her path, Jessie is still incredibly proud of being accepted into the JAG Corps.

If people aren’t going to do it right, I’ll just do it—I’ll step into that role and make sure that these victims are getting advocated for.

Ashton M a Richards '1ys 8

—JESSIE

Jessie Schuster ’17

While Jessie had many cheerleaders during her time on campus, the one who she recalled making a significant impact on her time at Sweet Briar is former president Phillip Stone. “He was so phenomenal in a moment where we were all scared and hurting and he was such a comforting presence,” said Jessie. As Student Government Association president, Jessie and Phil would meet frequently to discuss SGA and student matters. Jessie remembers that Phil was supportive of the structure of SGA as well as the processes to rewrite the SGA constitution, a hefty project that Jessie took on during her time as SGA president.

Like Jessie, Ashton Mays Richards ’18 was impacted by the attempted closure. Ashton is not only an alumna, but she’s also a “campus kid”—her mother, Cathy Cash Mays ’84, is the Director of Hospitality at Sweet Briar’s Elston Inn and Conference Center. The 2014–2015 school year was Ashton’s senior year at Amherst County High School, and also when she chose to attend the University of Virginia. While Ashton was finishing her senior year, Cathy, her classmates and friends were watching the attempted closure unfold.

Ashton started at UVA that year, but decided pretty soon after she started that she would transfer to Sweet Briar.

Ashton, who had previously sworn not to attend Sweet Briar, remembers calling her mom to share the news. “We’re sending in applications right now,” she said to Cathy.

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 37

I’m still learning to trust myself,

Denva Jackson ’05

“And where are we applying?” asked Cathy.

“Sweet Briar.”

“Anywhere else?”

“No,” Ashton replied.

“I truly don’t know where I would be without her,” said Ashton. “It was always ‘just follow your dreams.

What’s our next step? I’m here to support you.’”

The next step was Sweet Briar as an intended psychology major. After her first semester there, Ashton decided she would follow the path to become a nurse.

Transferring away from Sweet Briar was not an option Ashton would consider, so she began planning how to accommodate this plan for her life after Sweet Briar.

Ashton found out that she had been accepted to the Duke University School of Nursing the same day she found out that she was Presidential Medalist.

She completed the accelerated B.S.N. program in 16 months, passed her boards, and then started in the pediatric intensive care unit at Carillon Roanoke Memorial Hospital. Ashton then moved to a position in general pediatric outpatient care, and within a year was promoted to clinical team lead—something very unusual for a young professional.

“My involvement and leadership positions at Sweet Briar definitely helped me in nursing school and in my career,” said Ashton. “I gained the confidence to speak up and share my ideas and voice my opinions while at Sweet Briar.”

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Mary Dance Berry ’08

and still learning to do it well. —MARY

For three of the presidential medalists we spoke to, that confidence also translates to the classroom. The first, Denva Jackson Gallant ’05, recently took a position at Rice University as Assistant Professor of Art History after teaching at the University of Delaware and receiving the Rome Prize from the American Academy in Rome. Prior to those experiences, Denva tutored with MATCH Corps in Boston, a division of AmeriCorps, and then went on to get her Master’s degree and her doctorate from Harvard.

Denva remembers that in many facets of her Sweet Briar life, she saw a model of what professors should be. In an independent study with Sweet Briar’s former religion professor, Cathy Guttierez, she learned about the bravery that true scholarship requires. Cathy’s lesson in compassionate reading is something that Denva carries with her: “You acknowledge the work, and you critique with compassion. I always like to set the context for my students ... these are the things that you really understand when you’re doing the work. It doesn’t happen when you just critique.”

Writing her honors thesis at Sweet Briar is something that Denva recalls also gave her a sense of agency.

Through her scholarship on John of Morigny and through professor Tracy Chapman-Hamilton, Denva connected with Claire Fanger, an expert on the topic.

Fifteen years later, Claire and Denva’s paths crossed again (Claire is now an associate professor at Rice), and Claire volunteered that Denva’s honors thesis is still one of the best papers on the topic that she has ever read.

Denva also has a book coming out in 2024 called Illuminating the Vitae patrum: The Lives of the Desert Saints in Fourteenth-Century Italy, which examines the sudden popularization of the Desert Fathers in the 14th century and the imagery that accompanied that popularization.

Mary Dance Berry ’05 is in her final year of earning her doctorate in religious studies at Duke University, following earning her Master’s there as well as completing the Presbyterian ordination process. Prior to continuing her graduate work, Mary worked in Sweet Briar’s admissions office and then as a government contractor.

“Government contracting to a Master of Divinity is a hard pivot,” said Mary with a laugh. However, Mary relied on her trust in herself and her trust in her own abilities to prepare her for the transition. “I’m still learning to trust myself, and still learning to do it well.”

Mary’s dissertation examines ecological hermeneutics—reading the biblical text with the

Sydney 1 Campbell ’2

environment in mind—in three different reading communities, namely African biblical interpreters, Euro-American evangelical interpreters, and EuroAmerican mainline or non-evangelical interpreters, and considers how their reading approaches can shape an understanding of the prophetic texts in the Hebrew Bible. Mary’s project started with the realization that different reading communities are often insular—only reading others who look and think like they do—and with the desire to see how the biblical text can speak to a current and pressing ethical issue.

Ultimately, Mary would like to teach at a small liberal arts college like Sweet Briar. She was recently accepted to the Preparing Future Faculty Program at Duke, where she will be matched with a faculty mentor at a nearby institution.

While Sydney Campbell ’21 is only in the third year of her Ph.D. program in statistics at the University of Virginia, she also is leaning toward teaching at a small liberal arts college. Her program’s structure does not allow for students to start teaching until their second year, which Sydney did, but in a rather unusual way: some staffing issues led to her teaching a much larger class in Data Science in Python to about 90 undergraduate students. “I absolutely loved it,” said Sydney.

Sydney has also had two research opportunities, including analyzing concussion data to develop predictive modeling for recovery from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is part of her research coursework. Through the Center for

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 39

Kathryn r Alexande ’11 zi Martinuz

Statistics and Applications in Forensic Evidence (CSAFE), funded by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) out of Iowa State University, Sydney is also doing friction ridge analysis in latent fingerprints in order to incorporate inconclusive decisions into the calculation of error rates. This research took Sydney to Sweden this past summer, where she presented proposed methodologies for including error rates to the International Conference for Forensic Inference and Statistics.

Sydney, who was one of Sweet Briar’s “COVID Captains” during the COVID-19 pandemic, has also put her leadership skills gained at Sweet Briar to work in her Ph.D. Program. She runs the graduate student seminar at UVA for the statistics department, and plans to bring alumni of the program back to talk about their experiences after graduating and joining the workforce.

Kathryn “Kat” Alexander Martinuzzi ’11 also put her Sweet Briar experience to use in the classroom after earning her Ph.D. in political science from Duke University. “I wanted to do for students what my professors did for me ... I wanted to be at a liberal arts college because of the experience I had at Sweet Briar.”

Kat’s journey to becoming an assistant professor at Wheaton College in Illinois began with a study abroad program through American University, where she studied peace and conflict resolution and traveled to Turkey. As a government major at Sweet Briar, she studied the Cyprus conflict, which she also studied in her program through American. Kat explains, “I fell in love with Turkey and became really interested in Turkish politics and the role of religion.”

When she returned to Sweet Briar, Kat connected with former anthropology professor Deborah Durham, who Kat was aware had done research on Turkey. She asked that Debbie teach her some Turkish, and Debbie agreed and became one of Kat’s mentors. “That really jumpstarted the rest of my postgraduate career,” said Kat. Kat applied to the Fulbright Program and was awarded a year-long fellowship to teach English at a Turkish university in Trabzon, during which she also I wanted to be at a liberal arts applied to graduate school for a Ph.D. in political science.

After teaching at Wheaton for four years and college because of the experience experiencing the pandemic, Kat and her husband, who is

I had at Sweet Briar. a historian, reevaluated their priorities for their growing —K AT family. The couple and their child, recently joined by a second child, moved just down the road from Kat’s parents in the mountains of western North Carolina. Kat took a bootcamp in user experience research and made the transition to industry, and now works as a senior user experience researcher for Lenovo.

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Really, the basis for everything that I’ve done, I learned at Sweet Briar. —SPENCER

While she no longer teaches, Kat continues to be inspired by Sweet Briar. She and her husband are working to reestablish Kat’s family farm as a working farm, beginning with bringing in goats to graze down the invasive species on the land. “I think my next step is to get involved in local politics, maybe with county commissioners,” said Kat. A global perspective was also a career-defining opportunity for Alex St. Pierre ’12, who held a 2-year-long internship at Newmarket Equine Hospital in Newmarket, England following earning her veterinary degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a year-long internship at the University of Georgia.

Now, as a small-animal veterinarian in South Hamilton, Massachusetts, Alex says she loves being a part of a community, something she didn’t get working with race horses in Newmarket.

“I love being someone in the community that young women get to look up to,” said Alex. Recently, the local Brownie troop visited Alex’s clinic to learn what it’s like to be a veterinarian. “We did bandages on all their stuffies and learned how to use a stethoscope.” For Alex, who worked with male veterinarians when applying to vet school, it was a special experience to show these girls what a career as a veterinarian can look like.

Alex shared that one of the most important pieces of advice she can give is to “say yes.” One of Sweet Briar’s hallmarks for Alex is “to go for it and we’ll figure it out as we go along.” She shares that it’s empowering to say yes, because you can always decide it’s not for you later on.

“Sweet Briar gave me a space where my only responsibility was to figure out who I was, to take my classes and do as well as I could in them ... and afforded me a space and surrounded me with people who were there to figure out what was the best version of themselves,” said Alex.

Spencer Beall ’14, an associate at a global full-service law firm in Washington, D.C., relishes her memories and the people she met at Sweet Briar, too.

“Sweet Briar is everywhere because it’s the people that you meet along the way that you had as professors, friends, and mentors, and that always stays with you,” she said. Spencer was a triple-major student at Sweet Briar: French, history, and art history with a minor in medieval and Renaissance studies.

While at Sweet Briar, Spencer translated French writers and historians’ commentaries on works of art across various periods in art history to create

Alex 2 re ’1 St. Pier

r Spence 4 Beall ’1

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 41

an art criticism compendium for her Honors Summer Research project, paired with examples of art movements and paintings referenced in the commentaries. She worked on the project with former professor Marie-Thérèse Killiam—the pair are co-authors of the resulting iBook, Painting With Words: Writers’ Transpositions of Masterpieces into Art (2013). High image licensing costs created an obstacle to hard copy publication, but it opened a door to a future in law. While working on the project, Spencer developed an interest in intellectual property law, specifically trademarks, copyright licensing, and brand protection. “Really, the basis for everything that I’ve done, it started at Sweet Briar,” she said. “I love intellectual property law because it is equally relevant as it is challenging; it touches almost every facet of society and offers a fascinating history that makes it amazing to be a part of. It also comes up when you least expect it, even during a trip to a museum.” One of Spencer’s favorite paintings from her Sweet Briar studies, “Le Bar aux Folies Bergère” by Édouard Manet, features the very first trademark registered in the UK—the iconic red triangle design on the bottles of Bass ale in the lower right of the painting.

Spencer earned her J.D. from Georgetown, where she studied in London at the Center for Transnational Legal Studies with Kings College. After earning her law degree in 2018, Spencer became licensed to practice law in New York, the District of Columbia, and most recently, in England and Wales. Following a bar exam that required more than eight days of in-person testing during the second lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic, Spencer was sworn in as a solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales during a 2021 admissions ceremony in London, a milestone that will help her globalize her practice.

Another attorney who graduated from Sweet Briar, Casey Knapp ’05, has a practice helping corporate clients design and maintain benefits and executive compensation programs. Casey continues her Sweet Briar experience by developing a professional bond with other female leaders. Casey accepted a position as a summer associate at Foley & Lardner LLP in Milwaukee, Wisconsin following her first year of law school. While an associate at Foley, Casey served as

Casey Knapp ’05

Being in a male-dominated industry, there are still plenty of times when I’m the only

female on the call and I have to stand my ground and have the confidence that I know the client I’m talking about. —ELIZABETH

42 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine Fall 2023

the chairwoman of the Associates Committee, and quickly worked her way up the firm’s ranks, now in her sixth year as an equity partner. During her time on the firm’s Associates Committee, Casey formed close friendships with seven other female associates from across the country who would eventually also become partners. As they continue to build their practices, these women collaborate on opportunities to exchange leadership articles, share business, and provide each other with valuable emotional support (and even some comic relief ).

While she may not have fully appreciated the difference it made at the time, Casey says that having

Elizabeth Hansbroug h Riley ’13

the opportunity to be in a room of women who are intellectual, have shared extracurricular interests, and make decisions together fostered something in her during her time at Sweet Briar. “Being in a co-ed environment after Sweet Briar helped me recognize the strength in being empowered to be outspoken in a productive way, the benefits of collaboration and the joy that comes with leading and supporting others to achieve their best,” says Casey.

Like many of the presidential medalists we’ve profiled, Casey is no stranger to saying “yes” to new things. While at a luncheon for female attorneys, she learned that another attorney was doing Tae Kwon Do. Casey decided to try it and now has her black belt.

This year, she’s working on becoming scuba certified.

Elizabeth Hansbrough Riley ’13 was recently named as a Rising Star by the Women’s Bond Club, of which her employer, Truist, is a member.

Elizabeth began her work with Truist in WinstonSalem, N.C. when the company was called BB&T as a member of their leadership development program in commercial banking. After deciding she wanted to do more in banking, Elizabeth enrolled in the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. The program was an excellent fit for her, particularly because it is focused on women’s entrepreneurship and female success in business.

Elizabeth has since moved over to the asset-based lending group, handling public companies and working on deal structuring. “Even though I didn’t really have much experience in that type of lending, having just gone to business school would be a pretty good launchpad for me to say, ‘Hey, while I don’t have that experience, I can leverage these skills that I built on, starting at Sweet Briar.’”

As a member of the Rising Star cohort of the Women’s Bond Club, Elizabeth will receive leadership training, opportunities for networking with other female executives, and career coaching. When connecting this opportunity back to Sweet Briar and her experience at Duke, Elizabeth said, “I think being in that environment gave me the confidence in class to ask questions, to speak up. Being in a male-dominated industry, there are still plenty of times when I’m the only female on the call and I have to stand my ground.”

These ten women exemplify the tenets of a Sweet Briar education not just through their Sweet Briar experiences, but through their careers and community involvement today. They demonstrate the tenacity and flexibility to adapt to their professional demands and their environments. Even then, they do more than adapt; they are agents of change to make these settings a place where they and women who will come after them can thrive. These are women who truly make a difference—to Sweet Briar and the world.

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 43

Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

The Curious Naturalist P.45

Retired professor Linda Fink joined Sweet Briar’s faculty in 1990.

Her career as Dorys McConnell Duberg Professor of Ecology has inspired countless students and other faculty and staff.

STORY BY C L É L I E ST E C K E L I L L U S T R AT I O N S B Y S A L L Y C A U L W E L L

On the 35-minute drive from Sweet Briar’s campus to Linda Fink’s house in Nelson County, there was plenty of time to reflect on memories of Linda and what I already knew of her time at Sweet Briar.

Annika Kuleba ’22 and Dr. Linda Fink with honey from Sweet Briar’s apiary.

46 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine Fall 2023

First, the years when we both lived on Woodland Road, when Linda and her husband, Lincoln Brower, were part of a close-knit neighborhood, along with Laura Pharis, Susan and Lee Piepho, Ralph Aiken, Kay MacDonald, Rebecca and Douglas Lane, Phoebe and Scott Hyman, Rosalia Ascari, Mabel and Buck Edwards, Claudia Chang and Perry Tourtelotte, Rosemary and Chris Witcombe, Jeff and Kerri Key, along with their children and many others.

There, campus kids like my neighbors and me were allowed to roam freely and were always under someone’s watchful eye, even when we didn’t realize it. No matter whose eyes were watching, these beholders were teaching us, too.

When I passed Linda’s pond, I thought about the species that Linda has studied while at Sweet Briar alongside her students: spotted salamanders, chameleons, walkingsticks, monarch butterflies, and of course, honey bees, as Linda assists in tending Sweet Briar’s hives in its apiary. Even in her retirement, Linda comes back to Sweet Briar’s campus several times a month to look after the bees.

Annika Kuleba ’22, now a graduate student at Clemson University, shared, “Some of my fondest memories with Dr. Fink are the times we spent working alongside each other in the apiary.

From harvesting honey to marking queens, we learned alongside each other and then shared that knowledge with other students.”

As my car climbed the steep, winding gravel road up to Linda’s house for our interview, I glimpsed a sign proudly proclaiming that visitors are on land protected by a conservation easement, which Linda and Lincoln created with the Virginia Outdoors Foundation. As I parked in front of the house, I noted that Linda’s garden is full of plants to feed pollinators. I didn’t have much time to take it all in, as Linda greeted me at the front door with Niko, her Danish-Swedish Farmdog puppy. Niko is named for Niko Tinbergen, who wrote a book entitled Curious Naturalists.

Cara Cherry ’06 also observed Linda’s home garden on her visits to the house and its land. “What really

“Dr. Fink taught me to find wonder in our natural world, and I am so lucky to have had her as a professor.”

—Cara Cherry '06

impresses me is how science weaves into all aspects of her life,” said Cara. “I had the privilege of going to her house on multiple occasions for delicious food (I still dream about her raspberry sauce) and fascinating conversations. But my favorite part of these trips was going around the property with Drs. Fink and Brower and hearing about all the nature on their property. To this day, I have never met someone who keeps scientific log books about their pond or puts out a white sheet with lights to count butterflies and moths. Dr. Fink taught me to find wonder in our natural world, and I am so lucky to have had her as a professor.”

After enticing Niko to sit calmly for a treat, we went into the house and Eveready, a tuxedo cat, greeted us. Eveready got his name because a small white spot at the very tip of his otherwise black tail resembles a flashlight.

Linda led me into her large, bright kitchen, to a table in front of a large bay window overlooking the Tye River valley. Outside the window hung a 6-cup hummingbird feeder, absolutely swarmed by females. It was a fitting backdrop to catch up with Linda and hear about her life as a biologist, professor, and curious naturalist.

Linda joined Sweet Briar’s faculty in 1990. Her Bachelor of Arts in biology is from Amherst College, while her Master of Science and her Ph.D. are from the University of Florida in zoology.

As with all things at Sweet Briar, we cannot mention one faculty member or one character in our shared history without also sharing the history of their predecessors. In Linda’s case, that person was professor Ernest “Buck” Edwards, who grew up on Sweet Briar’s campus. Linda succeeded Buck as the ecologist in the biology department, and in 2009 she was appointed as the Dorys McConnell Duberg Professor of Ecology, a title previously held

by Buck. When asked about Dorys, Linda eagerly jumped up to retrieve a file, which she brought back to the kitchen table in less than 30 seconds.

She presented a memo written by Martha von Briesen, former director of public relations, in September of 1971. Dorys was an alumna from the Class of 1916, who attended a course in cryptogamic botany at Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island, prior to coming to Sweet Briar. Later, she owned and operated a working farm in Weston, Connecticut. Dorys was the daughter of David Hall McConnell, founder of the Avon Corporation. Sweet Briar is not the only beneficiary of the Dubergs’ philanthropy; Yale and Johns Hopkins both have professorships endowed by the couple in neuroscience, cell biology and urology.

After handing over a copy of Martha’s memo so I could consult it later, Linda asked me what I remembered about Buck. I wished I had more to say as I shared that he and Mabel were part of the nightly parade of walkers on Woodland when I lived there. I wasn’t prepared to answer questions from Linda—after all, the interview was supposed to be about her life at Sweet Briar.

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 47

Linda and students installing a drift fence for the spotted salamander census in Guion woods.

Jenn Wiley Schmidt ’06 and Linda doing monarch butterfly research in Michoacan, Mexico. Photo taken by Lincoln Brower.

Linda in 2015 in Constitution Oaks. Photo taken by Rob Alexander.

As I found out from Jenn Wiley Schmidt ’06, Linda has always taught her students through her own driving sense of curiosity. “Every class, students were on the button, being asked what you think, why something was important or interesting, and if the data made sense,” said Jenn. “Dr. Fink entertained our wild curiosities, like juvenile veiled chameleon sleep habits and monarch butterfly muscles. Her passion and expectations were infectious and she made me want to work harder.” Jenn spent a summer conducting experiments and “spending long evenings dining over data” at Linda and Lincoln’s home and traveled with them to Mexico to conduct butterfly research.

My conversation with Linda turned tangential as we talked about faculty and staff as stewards of institutional knowledge of Sweet Briar, from what we have in our minds to what has been documented over the years. Buck passed along to Linda 35-mm slides of faculty shows and student field trips, correspondence and documents relating to college land use, and campus bird and plant lists he'd collated over many years (the latter in collaboration

48 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine Fall 2023

with his wife Mabel). Buck had spent countless hours identifying, mapping, measuring every tree in plots in three of the College’s forests. Linda, along with students and several colleagues, revisited the plots to remeasure those same trees. The data set holds stories about Sweet Briar's forests as they change over time: senescence and toppling of 150-year-old white oaks, recruitment of red maples, and impacts on dogwoods of a fungus called dogwood anthracnose.

Starting with what she learned from Buck, and adding 33 years of her own observations, Linda’s mind is a treasure trove of information related to Sweet Briar’s natural history.

Much of that knowledge has been shared with hundreds of students. She inherited a course called Field Natural History from Buck, and said, “All my zoologist friends were so envious of me at other schools because this is the kind of course that disappeared as biology programs went more molecular, more mechanistic, et cetera.”

The course wasn’t a prerequisite for any other course, so it could evolve idiosyncratically.

“I would tell students, ‘it’s sort of like journalism of the natural world’ in that I wanted them to learn who, what, when, where, why, and how. To be able to go out there and say ‘Who is that?

Why does it live there? What’s it doing?’

And the questions are generated from what you see yourself,” said Linda.

Just prior to Linda’s arrival at Sweet Briar, the College had received a matching grant from the Kresge Foundation.

During a Board meeting, Linda and her colleagues in Guion were sharing their work with the Board of Directors, including Sara Finnegan Lycett ’61.

Sara was inspired by “that new young biologist” and made a gift designated to the matching grant, which allowed Linda to purchase a video camcorder for students to use.

Linda used that camcorder in Field Natural History as a way to focus students’ attention on their surroundings on campus. Everyone was a fan of David Attenborough, the natural historian and broadcaster who has

narrated many spectacular documentary films about the natural world. The students used the camcorder to gather footage and then visited a film studio in Lynchburg to edit their works, adding narration, music and titles.

That experience led Linda to successfully apply for a grant from the National Science Foundation, which allowed her to purchase additional Hi8 camcorders and editing equipment. Field Natural History students subsequently produced films about tree architecture, squirrel foraging, bark beetles, and for one student team, the beaver residents at the Lower Lake.

Commander Fionna Matheson ’98, a ship captain for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, made her Field Natural History documentary about the beavers that lived on the lake and the ecosystem they supported. “Dr. Fink was my guide to the great outdoors,” said Fionna. “I would take off on my own on that campus and I would hike for hours through the woods. It felt safe to do that because Dr. Fink, from day one, even before we got into the Field Natural History course, introduced us to the environment around us, to the plants, to the animals, to the ecology of the place we were living in. And that knowledge gave us guideposts ...

Just the sense of knowing about our environment gave us the freedom to go explore it.”

“Dr. Fink entertained our wild curiosities, like juvenile veiled chameleon sleep habits and monarch butterfly muscles.

Her passion and expectations were infectious and she made me want to work harder.”

—Jenn Wiley Schmidt ’06

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 49

Fionna earned her M.A. in filmmaking from American University in 2015.

While being ship captain is her primary job, she’s been able to do some video production over the years. Now, she’s the captain of the Oscar Elton Stette, a fisheries research vessel. This year, the mission is the Hawaiian Island Citation survey, meaning the crew is listening with hydrophones and looking with big eye binoculars for whales and dolphins throughout the Hawaiian islands.

After the world moved to capturing video digitally instead of on videotape, Linda replaced camcorders with field journals in which students documented their observations of the natural world.

One regular assignment was to observe the flowering of the crab apple tree that grew in front of Benedict until it was sadly taken out by a storm in 2021.

One constant throughout all of the iterations of Field Natural History for Linda was teaching her students the Latin names for the species they observed on campus. “I’m sure that quite a few of them still know those things, because I still remember them from when I was an undergrad,” said Linda.

Linda became good friends with studio art professor Laura Pharis while both lived on Woodland Road, and they wanted to teach a course together. They taught Nature Journals one January Term and one other time during a spring semester. They weren't able to continue teaching a full course together, but over the years Laura would join Linda’s class to

50 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine Fall 2023

give a lecture on drawing animals, while Linda would loan Laura specimens for students to use in her art courses. The relationship between the two was fruitful for their friendship and the students. “I love the fact that many students double-majored in a science and arts of some kind,” said Linda. “It’s a distinctive Sweet Briar thing.”

In 2014, Linda and Laura pulled together their biology and studio art students to produce a self-published booklet called “The Secret Life of Sweet Briar’s Salamanders,” telling the story of the spotted salamanders in Guion pond, a project of Linda’s that spanned many years and many students, starting with Kim Leach Burge ’00.

The salamanders spend most of their lives under leaf litter in the woods, but on rainy nights toward the end of winter or the beginning of spring, the salamanders migrate to the same pond where they were born. Kim wrote an essay on the spotted salamanders she saw coming into Guion pond. The essay made Linda pay closer attention to the salamanders, and she became concerned about the effect that two pond predators, mosquitofish and red swamp crayfish, might be having on salamander eggs and larvae. Along with other Sweet Briar faculty at the time, Linda developed a protocol for Field Natural History and Ecology students to census the salamanders, and they conducted eight censuses between 2007 and 2020. They documented, unfortunately, a decline in the population from more than 600 breeding adults to fewer than 100.

“A walk in the woods with Dr. Fink was nothing short of magical. She seemed to effortlessly find a balance between expecting rigor and offering support."

—Marlena Koper ’00

From left: Marlena Koper ’00, Linda, and Dina Orbison '00.

Linda and Jessie Waitt ’09.

Linda’s Animal Behavior students studied a variety of species and the most memorable was undoubtedly the veiled chameleon. When former professor Jeff Janovetz joined Sweet Briars faculty in 2002, he brought a bluetongued skink (Azula, who still lives in Guion), bearded dragons, and Faulkner, the veiled chameleon. Linda decided the students would be intrigued by observing juvenile chameleons, so she purchased eight of them. At the end of the semester, Linda made sure the chameleons found good homes—one, Fergus, moved into the Mary Helen Cochran Library. Linda bred her female, Ginger, to Jenn Wiley Schmidt's male, and the following year students were able to watch the development of the next generation of chameleons.

One of this second group of baby chameleons found a home with Jessie Waitt ’09, who earned her M.S. from Virginia Tech in Food Science and Technology. Jessie said, “Dr. Fink is truly an extraordinary lady. She exemplifies the prestigious vibrant spirit of Sweet Briar College. She pushes boundaries, drives curiosity, instills confidence,

Field Natural History visit to Linda’s pond in 2010.

spurs us into being future independent thinkers ... but above all, her love and joy of teaching is evident. She truly cares about her students’ well-being while being our biggest advocate.”

On my drive back to Sweet Briar after spending two hours interviewing Linda in her kitchen, I observed that Linda had interviewed me as much as I had interviewed her. When I later asked some of her students for their reflections on Linda as their professor and mentor, I learned Linda didn’t just teach students how to become curious naturalists, she modeled what it means to be a curious naturalist herself. She lets those journalistic questions—Who? What?

When? Where? Why? How?—drive every aspect of her life, her career, and her interactions with the people who are lucky enough to cross paths with her.

Marlena Koper ’00 summed it up perfectly: “A walk in the woods with Dr. Fink was nothing short of magical. She seemed to effortlessly find a balance between expecting rigor and offering support. ... In harmony with the ‘Holla, Holla,’ I feel that Dr. Fink always works for the good and works for the right.”

So, here’s to Linda Fink—happy retirement!

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 51

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Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

Virginia Program Timber frame architecture in Oxford.

Since 1981, Sweet Briar has been one of six colleges in the Commonwealth of Virginia that participates in the Virginia Program at Oxford. For six weeks each summer, 40 students from Sweet Briar, Virginia Military Institute, Washington & Lee University, Mary Baldwin University, Roanoke College, and HampdenSydney College have the opportunity to experience their education in the Oxford system, which is based on the tutorial method.

“It’s extremely rigorous,” says Lynn Laufenberg, Sweet Briar’s professor of history and this year’s American director of the program. The students from all six colleges are divided into smaller sections of three students, who meet weekly with their tutors (which we call professors in the United States). Tutorials are intensive, one-hour sessions among the small group of students and their tutors.

Students have two tutorials per week, one in English literature and one in English history

The Radcliffe Camera.

and are required to write one paper each week, alternating in each tutorial subject. They must prepare readings in both subjects and are expected to discuss, challenge, debate, and reconsider their ideas about each topic in their tutorials.

Both tutorials cover the TudorStuart period of British history and literature from 1485 to 1668.

In addition to their weekly tutorials, students also receive daily lectures from renowned speakers, after which they discuss the lectures over tea with the speakers and their fellow students. After that, the discussion sometimes continues over drinks at nearby pubs, with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options available. While all students are of age to drink, many choose not to and come out for the company; Dr. Laufenberg emphasized how this year’s students were wonderful representatives of the U.S. in the U.K.

Aerial view of Oxford.

Oxford

at

Illustrations by Sam Kalda

With speakers like the director of the Royal Shakespeare Company (twice) and three Knights of the Realm, the students who experience Virginia Program at Oxford (VPO) receive lectures of a higher caliber than those who regularly attend Oxford during the school year.

“The classes at VPO are equal parts challenging and rewarding,” says Chloe Burchett ’26, one of Sweet Briar’s VPO students from this past summer. “After a couple of weeks you start to become more and more confident in your abilities as a student and as an academic.

Moreover, you are constantly acknowledged by both tutors and lecturers who are interested in you as a person ... in addition to being some of the foremost experts in their field!”

Chloe Burchett ’26

Chloe, an archeology major, had a book of poems by Sir Christopher Ricks waiting for her upon her return to Sweet Briar this fall.

Ricks studied and taught at Oxford and Cambridge and then became Professor of English Literature at Boston University and until recently, was also Professor of Poetry at Oxford. He is the author of many works about poetry, including a study of Bob Dylan’s lyrics.

Chloe received outstanding grades and is also the recipient of this year’s Simpson Award, given to the student who has contributed the most to the intellectual and cultural success of the program.

Nadia Abrego ’26 and Melody Cooper ’25 also participated in the 2023 Virginia Program at Oxford.

While this year’s Sweet Briar participants were all history or archaeology majors or minors, students from all disciplines are welcome to attend VPO. For example, Doreen McVeigh ’09 was a biology major when she attended the program.

Doreen happens to have another connection to the program: She

married Ken Fincham, the VPO British director, who started as one of the program’s tutors and has served in his current role since 1996.

All participants live “in college,” meaning on the grounds of St. Anne’s College, the VPO’s home in Oxford, in residence halls occupied

by St. Anne’s students during the school year. St. Anne’s is one of Oxford’s newer colleges, founded in 1879, and—fittingly for Sweet Briar students—was one of the first women’s colleges in Oxford.

St. Anne’s is about a 20-minute walk from the Bodleian Library in north-central Oxford, which means that students are off of tourists’ beaten paths in the city, a popular destination in the summer months.

The Bodleian Library is one of the oldest libraries in Europe and the second-largest library in Britain after the British Library. It contains more than 13 million printed objects and its current iteration dates back

The Ashmolean Museum

54 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine Fall 2023

to 1602. Because of the understandable centuries-old fear of fires in libraries, all who enter must swear an oath not to set fire to the library.

The Bodleian occupies five buildings now, including the Radcliffe Camera. While members of the public are not allowed access to the Radcliffe Camera, which also serves as the main reading room for the Bodleian, VPO students are. As the first circular library in England and with such an imposing edifice, the Camera is is one of the most iconic pieces of architecture in Oxford.

Excursions are also part of the experience, with two visits to see Shakespeare’s plays at The Globe in London and another in Stratford-upon-Avon, birthplace of the bard. The students also toured Hampton Court Palace in London, home of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey and King Henry VIII. Students also take advantage of opportunities to explore on their own. The Sweet Briar contingent in 2023

The Bodleian Library.

The Bodleian Library is one of the oldest libraries in Europe and the second-largest library in Britain. visited Stonehenge, Hadrian’s Wall, and Edinburgh. There are other opportunities to explore in Oxford as well; students visited the Ashmolean Museum, an excellent art and history museum just 15 minutes from St. Anne’s College.

Dr. Laufenberg took the students to Port Meadow, also a short walk from St. Anne’s. An open common land, where cattle, horses, and wildfowl graze, Port Meadow is protected from development and is also home to wild ponies.

“The things I miss the most about Oxford are the library and the city itself,” says Isra Byrne ’24.

“Studying at the Bodleian was a fantastic experience. Having access to any book I could need for my research, in physical or digital form, was a game changer.”

From left: Isra Byrne ’24, Madigan Swartz ’24, Nadia Abrego ’26, and Melody Cooper ’25 at the final party for the Virginia Program at Oxford.

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 55

The Oxford Museum of Natural History.

"Every day I was studying in the Bodleian library, which has at least one copy of every book published in the U.K." —Maddie Swartz ’24

56 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine Fall 2023

While students are the primary beneficiaries of the VPO, it’s also an amazing opportunity for the participating colleges’ professors.

Dr. Laufenberg, who attended all of the lectures for students, had the opportunity to receive a lecture from Sir Keith Thomas, author of Religion and the Decline of Magic, published in 1971, which Dr. Laufenberg read while she was in high school. “He was there at 90 years old in full form, loving talking to these students,” says Dr. Laufenberg.

Dr. Laufenberg was also able to do some of her own research while in Oxford, which dovetailed quite well with the previous six weeks she spent in Italy conducting research.

When she wasn’t attending lectures with students, she was in the library

transcribing the thousands of images she’s taken of manuscripts she will use in her book on women, crime, criminal punishment, and the Black Death.

Students also had the opportunity to conduct original research while in Oxford. “Every day I was studying in the Bodleian Library, which has at least one copy of every book published in the U.K.,” says Maddie Swartz ’24. “I was able to find any source I needed for program research and my own historical research.” Maddie has been working on her own research on King Edward II for two years, and took advantage of the Bodleian during her free time to add to her Honors thesis. As the first of two kings removed from the English throne, Maddie wants to find out why we don’t hear more about a king with such a terrible reputation. During her Honors Summer Research project last year, she used texts from the 14th century, contemporary with King Edward II. While at the Bodleian, Maddie found pamphlets from the 16th and 17th centuries that she didn’t know existed and spent her time looking at popular print reports to discover his reputation later on.

For Anna Davis ’20, VPO is part of an educational arc that started at Sweet Briar and has taken her to Western Michigan University

Hertford Bridge, also called the Bridge of Sighs in Oxford.

in Kalamazoo. Anna knew that she wanted to become a medievalist when she came to Sweet Briar and Dr. Laufenberg encouraged her to consider attending VPO. During the summer between her first year and her sophomore year, Anna conducted an Honors Summer Research Project that was focused around coroner rolls, the documents that recorded “unlawful deaths” in medieval England. The project required that Anna know Latin (which she already did) and learn and practice paleography, the study of reading historical handwriting.

It is unusual for an undergraduate student to have that level of experience in reading manuscripts.

While in Oxford, Anna obtained a Reader’s Ticket to access the British National Archives to read coroner rolls and gaol ( jail) delivery rolls to expand on her Honors Summer Research Project. “The really insane thing, at least to me, was that everything clicked together and I was able to make use of such a trip: I knew what I wanted to look at, and most importantly, I knew how to read it.” Anna then crafted her Honors thesis on a woman who died in gaol after being accused of counterfeiting money. “It really lent me a lot of credibility when going forward in

my Masters, since I was able to prove I had already done research at the National Archives,” says Anna.

Anna is working on her Master’s thesis now, which relies heavily on the manuscripts she’s worked with in the National Archives. Anna examines early 14th-century gaol delivery rolls—particularly the records of female prisoners brought to jails—to understand the concept of women’s agency and how women were “allowed” to be criminals under the legal regime of English Common Law. The Virginia Program at Oxford is one of many possible experiences at Sweet Briar that provide a transformational education. These opportunities and the faculty who support them are part of what makes Sweet Briar a place for scholarship and innovation.

Christ Church at Oxford.

Are you an alumna who attended the Virginia Program at Oxford? If so, please let us know at alumnae@sbc.edu so we can update our records.

The Turf Tavern in Oxford dates to 1381.

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 57

Class Notes

In Memoriam 1941

Virginia Carson Garver June 20, 2023

1944

Louise Smith Barry September 27, 2023 Jean Blanton Stein July 30, 2023

1946

Sarah “Sally” Bubb Bruch June 18, 2023 Betsy Bowman Wright May 11, 2022

1947

Mary “Mary Lib” Vick Thornhill August 6, 2023

1948

Martha Garrison Anness February 13, 2023

1949

Mary Liz Hancock Fritzsche March 27, 2023 June Krebs Liversage July 8, 2022

1950

Louise Curry Horine May 9, 2023 Ellen Warner Hudson March 20, 2023

1951

Ann Benet Yellott May 3, 2023

1952

Mary “Polly” Plumb deButts September 29, 2023 Evelyn Lane Fozzard September 19, 2023 Brigitte Guttstadt March 27, 2023 Carroll Morgan Legge August 23, 2023 Theresa Swaim Moreland August 20, 2022 Mary Leith Rutrough April 23, 2023

1953

Sarah Vaughan Jones August 17, 2023 Joan Flohr Kerrigan September 16, 2023

1959

Anne Brooke April 17, 2023 Shirley Poulson Broyles July 27, 2023 Caroline Chobot Garner June 21, 2023

Juanita Mixson Cox April 23, 2023 Joan Schladermundt Osgood February 13, 2023 Jane Winje Ruedi April 23, 2023 Elizabeth Duke Seaman October 4, 2023 Patricia Davis Sutker April 28, 2023 Barbara Lewis Weed February 6, 2023

1955

1960

1954

Kathleen Peeples Ballou May 15, 2023 Ethel Green Banta March 24, 2023 Frederika “Fritz” Merriman Naylor August 14, 2023 Agnes Barden Sabiston August 5, 2023 Mary Lou Swain Sabo July 2, 2023 Frances Bell Shepherd February 14, 2023 Newell Bryan Tozzer March 12, 2023 Patricia “Pat” Tucker Turk May 14, 2023

1956

Harriet Cooper May 19, 2023 Anne Marie Jacobson Schramko March 26, 2023

1957

Anne Gwinn Fox May 7, 2023 Barbara “Bari” Baker Hart March 20, 2023 Christine “Chris” Smith Lowry September 24, 2023 Barbara Tetzlaff March 27, 2023 Marguerite McDaniel Wood June 9, 2023

1958

Gertrude Sharp Caldwell April 25, 2023 Nancy Floyd Midgette April 26, 2023

58 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine Fall 2023

Julie Langie Fitzsimmons July 2, 2023 Rebecca Towill McNair July 5, 2023 Margaret “Margot” Saur Meyer September 15, 2023

1962

Enid Ballantyne July 13, 1905 Virginia “Ginger” Borah Meislahn August 14, 2023

1964

1967

Mary Bonnie Jackson February 17, 2023 Sue Reineke March 29, 2023

1968

Mary Cantey Dunn July 12, 2023 Francine Frate McNeill August 29, 2023

1970

Susan Malcolm Glenn March 8, 2023 Cheryl Tyree Mayo August 7, 2023

1971

Joan Stenhouse Murphy December 20, 2021

1975

Nelly Osinga Branson July 5, 2023 Carol Porter April 1, 2023 Cecilia Robertson Queen July 18, 2023

Kathleen Hsu Jeong December 10, 2013 Linda Lee McAndrew May 22, 2023 Johanna Nicole Shields September 23, 2023 Marianne “Mimi” Couch Teschner February 9, 2023

1978

1965

Chandler Zoch Harper September 12, 2023

Margaret Highlands Gale May 11, 2023 Isabella “Belle” Williams Smith August 7, 2023

Marybeth Lipinski Perez Soto August 9, 2023

1986

Katherine Kay Redmond Teague August 23, 2023

1998

2001

Melissa Williams Pagbeleguem June 7, 2022

1966

Nadean “Deanie” Finch Hampton July 15, 2023 Susan Sudduth Hiller September 1, 2023 Andrea Pearson Pennington March 11, 2023

Data reported as of October 12, 2023. Please send alumnae obituaries to alumnae@sbc.edu.

InClass Memoriam Notes

1959

Elizabeth “Betsy” Etheridge Duke Seaman 1952

Joanne Holbrook Patton

SEPTEMBER 24, 2023 Joanne Holbrook Patton, 92, philanthropist and activist in support of special-needs citizens, veterans, military families, open lands, sustainable agriculture, education and the arts, passed away peacefully on September 24 at her senior residence in Darien, CT. Joanne hailed from five generations of military officers through both parents. Her 1952 marriage to Captain George S. Patton IV, son of General George S. Patton, Jr., of World War II fame, may therefore have seemed an inevitable return to the military life of far-flung postings and extended spousal absences that she’d experienced as a child. But her studies at Sweet Briar College had awakened talents in journalism and musical theater (she was a gifted pianist and composer) that led to a beckoning career in New York City. Captain Patton’s proposal won out, however, and their 52-year marriage would produce five children and involve multiple household moves across America and Europe until his retirement as a major-general settled them at the Patton homestead in South Hamilton, MA in 1980.

War and duty were factors during much of their marriage. The couple’s eldest daughter was born while George was fighting in Korea. Their two youngest children were born amid his three tours in Vietnam in the 1960s.

As everyone who worked with Joanne can attest, her engagement was hands-on and tireless. She also remained devoted to her Virginia alma mater, Sweet Briar College. As president of its Class of ’52, Joanne played an active role in the 2015 fund drive that restored Sweet Briar’s endowment and helped elevate it to the top ranks of women’s colleges, with particular emphasis on engineering and business leadership. She visited the campus regularly, including for her class’s 70th Reunion in 2022.

Predeceased by son George earlier this year, Joanne is survived by her siblings, Willard Holbrook and Marian Roberson; her children, RM Margaret Georgina Patton OSB, Robert Patton and wife Victoria, Helen Patton, Benjamin Patton and wife Blair; eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. With steadfast Christian faith, Joanne was ever buoyant and graceful. She will be remembered as a loving wife and mother, an American patriot, and friend to all.

OCTOBER 4, 2023 Betsy is survived by her children, Katherine Barbara Seaman, Peter Watson Seaman, and Mary Seaman Sarkes; her son-inlaw, Louis Anthony Sarkes, Jr.; and her four grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Peter George Seaman, Jr. Betsy was born on February 12, 1937, in Durham, N.C., to Joseph Haywood Duke and Elizabeth Savage Etheridge Duke. She was raised in Greensboro and was a graduate of St. Mary’s School in Raleigh and Sweet Briar College. After she and Peter were married, they lived in Chapel Hill for two years before moving to Richmond. While raising her children, Betsy was actively involved in their education. She also served the Junior League of Richmond in various capacities and served on the Women’s Council of Sheltering Arms Hospital. Once her children were out of high school, she joined the workforce and began an almost 40-year career as a consultant to charitable foundations until 2022. Betsy was a longtime faithful member of Grace & Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, where she served in numerous roles, including as a member of the vestry and the foundation board. She was a member of the Country Club of Virginia and the Woman’s Club.

1960

Margaret “Margot” Saur Meyer SEPTEMBER 15, 2023 Margot was born in New York City and raised in Short Hills, N.J. She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Robert (Bob) Meyer; a stepsister, Lucille Alonzo; her daughters Amy Meyer Horman (Fred Horman) and Dr. Jenny Meyer Colman (Dr. Bill Colman), her son, Philip Avery Meyer II (Stephanie Smith Meyer); and her eight grandchildren. Margot was a graduate of the Kent Place School and Sweet Briar College.

She and husband Bob were married in 1963, and after five years living on different military bases around the country while Bob trained and then served as a Naval Aviator with the US Marine Corps, they settled in Bernardsville, N.J., where they raised their family. Margot was a musical soul, a talented piano player, alto singer, and lifelong rhymer and harmonizer. Tall and athletic, she excelled in sports, later learning tennis and paddle tennis, playing on many winning teams with the Essex Hunt Club and Morristown Field Club. She was a devoted homemaker and mother, for years driving her three children to many practices, and cheering them on at their every competition. In her later years, she channeled her introspection and creativity into writing rhyming poetry, was a supporter of the Ethics Institute at the Kent Place School and sponsored the development of athletic turf fields at Sweet Briar College, which bear her name and that of Mildred “Bee” Thayer ’61, who were Kent Place and Sweet Briar classmates.

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 59

Class Notes

Class Notes 1953 classnotes@sbc.edu Kirkland Tucker Clarkson: Jack and I are still enjoying our retirement community in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. We are near all of our family, and we now have eight great grandchildren! We can no longer travel, but we enjoy remembering all of the wonderful and adventurous trips we took. We have just celebrated our 70th wedding anniversary with a lovely dinner party given by our two children.

Mary Alexander Sherwood: It’s very hot in Texas right now, and we need rain over the whole state, just not a hurricane. I’m still living in the same house my husband and I built in 1960, and the house and I have survived 13 hurricanes with only minor damage. Lost lots of trees, however; but plenty remain to shelter the birds I love to watch.

I became a serious birdwatcher in the 1980’s and especially now that arthritis has slowed me down, and made tennis and pickleball joys of the past. I’ve enjoyed keeping up with what’s going on at SBC and am forever grateful for my time in that splendid place and all that I learned there. SBC is still teaching important lessons to colleges everywhere; their presidents, boards, faculty and students.

Courtney Willard Conger: I own and operate the Carolina Real Estate Company (check out www. carolinacompany.com) in Aiken, S.C. I threaten my agents with retirement, but then what would I do all day? In addition to real estate,

I continue to serve on the Board of the Hitchcock Woods Foundation (2000 acres in the middle of the City of Aiken reserved for pedestrians and equestrians) and walk in the Woods with my daughter and assorted canines almost every day.

Nothing exciting, but life is good.

Ann King Dietrich: I just came back from a grand trip to Winter Park, Colo. The gathering was to celebrate the 90th birthday of one of my very closest friends. We were married to first cousins and so all of our descendants are cousins. 38 of us connected and reconnected and had a grand time. My eight grandchildren were there (no great-grands yet). I passed on white water rafting, but though the high altitude challenged my breathing, I enjoyed the bluest sky and whitest clouds I ever remember seeing. I will now stay on the east coast as my four children are nearby. Vinson Hall, just outside of Washington, is a retirement community just right for me. This is my fifteenth year here.

I look forward to reading the news of others.

1957 classnotes@sbc.edu Jackie Ambler Cusick: Ralph and I are enjoying spending the summer in Rehoboth Beach, Del. We still live in Bethesda and spend the winter in Naples.

Cynnie Wilson Ottaway: I continue to be overwhelmed and so blessed with my posse of great-grandchildren. I have nine

60 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine Fall 2023

greats and number ten in the oven.

The greats range in age from 12 years to one month. My three children and 11 grandchildren are around a lot and very helpful. I also have six “steppie-greats” who are wonderful. My life is very full as I move from Walloon Lake, Mich. to the Country Club of Florida, Boynton Beach. Life is good.

Ninie Laing: Life has become much quieter since my last horse died and COVID sequestered us for so long—not to mention my advancing years. However, I did go to Amsterdam last year for a visit with my god-daughter and to Barbados in January with my sister and her children and grandchildren. I see Judith Ruffin Anderson frequently as we enjoy local theatre and concerts together. One of my great delights is the annual (or sometimes a bit more) gatherings with my former art history students, who say they belong to NLFC (Ninie Laing Fan Club)—Lynn Pearson Russell ’69, Lynn Kahler, Shirey ’76, Kate Haw ’92, and Emily Pegues ’00. I am still active in my garden club although I shifted to the sustainer category with fewer demands. At church, I remain a member of the Altar Guild and the Flower Guild; occasionally I still serve as chalicer, but on the whole I have reduced my active participation. A big house and extensive grounds keep me busy, although I have succumbed to hiring help for many of the bigger chores—age has its compensations and this gives me more time for reading! Health is good, but energy level is diminishing!

Helene Bauer Maguder: We have lived in Indianola, Iowa, for 47 years and are still happy. I am busy gardening and taking care of my bonsai collection.

Carroll Weitzel Rivers: At this elderly time, I keep on by playing croquet, gardening, painting and playing bridge. I appreciate every day. Seven months in Charleston and five in Cashiers, N.C.—so lucky!

1959 Ann Young Bloom 77 Middle Rd. #364 Bryn Mawr, Pa. 19010 (610) 283-5949

(call preferred over email/no texting)

annbloomie@gmail.com

Erna Arnold Westwig writes “Fortunately Ralph and I are just fine”. Ralph and Erna are enjoying retirement village living in Ithaca, N.Y. after moving from Corning nine years ago. Erna says it is nice being near Cornell, Cayuga Lake and their son, Erik and his family.

Unfortunately, they sold their sailboat they had kept there at the marina for 25 years before they found this place! Their daughter, Karen and family, still live in Southboro, Mass., and also Norwich, Vt. (at least those that still live at home!). Ralph still has a few fellow grad students who stayed at Cornell and Ithaca College rather than follow the corporate route so they reminisce about the old days. Erna enjoys her bridge and book clubs and keeping up with six grandkids!

She says to look for John Westwig’s crossword puzzles in the NY Times and to cheer for Amherst’s basketball team ... among others!

The Honorable Gay Hart Gaines and Stanley will be celebrating their 64th year of marriage Aug. 28! They recently returned from a wonderful Silver Seas Cruise of the British Isles and stopped in Atlanta, Ga., to see their newest great-grandson. She is thrilled her granddaughter and husband named him Hart! Stanley and Gay have 11 grandchildren and three great-grandsons. She says they are coming to visit over Labor Day weekend. Gay was elected President of the Palm Beach Republican Club once again and is working hard on the upcoming season and our elections. She is fighting “woke” with all her energy and says there is much to do!

“Cheers, Gay”.

Judy Nevins LeHardy is living at The Lodge at Old Trail in Crozet, Va., near her daughter, Sally. Judy’s sons visit regularly. Ward lives in Arlington, Va. Marcel lives in Roanoke, Va. Pete lives in Annapolis, Md. Judy is expecting her fifth great-grandchild in October.

Class Notes

1959

Valerie Stoddard Loring with family on 09/10/2022 at her granddaughter’s wedding.

Elizabeth Johnston Lipscomb thanks everyone who contributed to the SB Fund this year. She reports the participation rate of our class was an excellent 34.4% and rejoices our class remains so deeply committed to the College.

Elizabeth and Lloyd celebrated the marriage of their older grandson and the birth of a new granddaughter (Sally Elizabeth) this year. They also revisited Lloyd’s childhood homes and cousins in Canada.

“This has been our summer of trains, planes and automobiles!”

Elizabeth looks forward to seeing at least 35% of us at our 65th reunion May 31–June 2, 2024!

Virginia (Ginny) Marchant Noyes sends ...

Existential Query for Class of 1959: Are we now VIXENS ... or can we still be a ROSE? Either/Both?

Who, in the Patch, or our person Knows?

Patsy Bulkley O’Brien laments she no longer rides. She says it is maddening she cannot do it the way she used to but she is fortunate to have a lovely pony to drive. Sometimes she competes in Combined Driving. Patsy says it is “great fun! Look it up!”

The Reverend Fleming Parker Rutledge is shaken up to realize we are beginning to exit in greater numbers after so many years of mostly surviving. She is missing our departed ones. “My life is greatly circumscribed, literally speaking, because of Dick’s alzheimer’s, but he’s still fun and I am starting to work on yet another book.” Fleming is proud of SBC’s record of alumnae giving,

which definitely makes us stand out from the pack.

Debora Swan Snyder is still playing tennis and pickleball.

Along with her husband, Don, they spend winters in Williamsburg, Va., and summers in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. They took a cruise from Singapore to Dubai with friends in April. Their three children, their spouses and seven grandchildren are all in and out of Maine often this summer. One of their special events in July was watching their sophomore grandson on the Annapolis sailing team race at Martha’s Vineyard.

Note, they have a change of address from 3004 Willow Spring Court, Williamsburg, Va. 23185 to 3015 The Mall, Williamsburg, Va. 23185.

Marge McCollum Tillman moved to a newly built retirement home after the death of her husband. Recently she had a great get together with Ann Turnbull Lowry as Ann was in Santa Fe visiting her daughter.

Jini Jones Vail is still happily writing and just posted two new titles: Conversations with Queen Alienor of Aquitaine and NOT by Chance Meetings. Both are free downloads on her website: jinijonesvail.com “LOVE, REAL HUGS TO Y’ALL! JINI” Valerie Stoddard Loring and her husband, Steve, are enjoying their seventh year living at OceanView Retirement Community in Falmouth, Maine. They had a happy family gathering on Sept. 9, 2022 at their first granddaughter’s wedding where their 60th wedding anniversary was also recognized.

Valerie and Steve feel fortunate to have healthy family; two sons and a daughter with spouses all working.

They have seven grandchildren with interesting jobs; the youngest heads to Colby this fall. Valerie was thrilled to reconnect with Judy Chalmers Simpson recently.

Ann Young Bloom enjoys being class secretary and is thrilled to get classmate news from so many friends. She loves hearing how many are still active and alive!

Ann’s limited vision prevents her from reading (emails and texts included) but she still has Allison Baur, who has assisted her these past five years, a phone call away.

Allison and her husband moved to Oregon this summer to be near family. She has three daughters, two son-in-laws and two plus (another due this fall) grandchildren in Oregon and now sees them often. One daughter and family (three more grandchildren) still live here in the east so she will be back for visits. In the meantime, Ann has another assistant, Sally, who is catching on quickly ... and get this, her last name is “Allison”!

Ann continues to live and thrive at Beaumont at Bryn Mawr with so many activities available. Ann and Allison are already looking forward to Reunion 2024 and are anticipating connecting with so many of you there. Put it on your calendars now!

You may reach out to Allison for information at (267) 218-4401 or awbaur46@gmail.com. And, if you are in Oregon, she would love to get together with you!

1961 Rue Wallace Judd ruejudd@icloud.com Mary Denny Scott Wray: All is well with me. No weddings or babies and only good health. Love being in touch with Judy Greer Schulz, Bee Newman Thayer and Celia Williams Dunn and hearing about SBC, all of which gladdens me. We miss Meredith but she has left the college in great shape.

Judy Greer Schulz: I am happily settled into WestminsterCanterbury in Lynchburg, where I play piano for sing-a-longs and various other occasions and enjoy the company of friends, old and new. Am still teaching piano two days a week at Sweet Briar and am delighted to report that the students are engaged and seem to

be thriving at the college. As part of the leadership team of our class, I love keeping up with Mary Denny, Bee, and all the others who have helped our class reach a 40% participation level of giving. Thanks to all!

Mary MacKenzie Shaw: I am healthy and busy. Currently serve on three Town Committees (Chair of Finance Committee, Chair of Community Preservation Committee and recently elected to my fifth three-year term on the Board of Trustees for the Eastham Public Library) I enjoy bridge, volunteering at the Library, reading, walking and socializing with many friends. Have five grandchildren, (oldest just graduated from UVM in nursing program, a junior at MIT, a junior at Merrimack who is on the USA Synchro ice skating team and competes worldwide, one just off to Carnegie Mellon for computer science). Aware that several of my friends from SBC have passed away—Terry Reece Michie, Robin Wawro Bataillon.

I spent my junior year of college at the University of Geneva in Switzerland with them. Enjoyed the last zoom meeting for our class and hope we can do it again.

Sally Mathiasen Prince: Trying to simplify my life! I sold my home in Maryland after 45 years and moved to a nearby charming townhouse with a very manageable garden. I sold my condo and Lemon Twist Shop in PonteVedra, Fla. and now rent further south.

I have reconnected with Maury Bethea Cain there which is great!

I still spend summers in New Hampshire where my children also have homes. I have Lemon Twist Trunk Shows periodically and sell at benefits, basically now non-profit. Time to give back. I find moving around so much is trying, plus I have visited my son who is living in London. But I’ll do it as long as I can! Living in DC at this time is more than fascinating, and depressing as we saw firsthand so much chaos culminating in the Jan. 6th insurrection.

I have hope for the future as our young people realize the dangers of climate change, assault weapons, inequality, gender and racial bigotry. Wish more of our peers did!

Bee Newman Thayer: Still enjoying my days in New Hampshire, half the year in the mountains, then to Kendal, a CCRC, in Hanover. Wonderful to

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 61

Class Notes have my children not too far away, and four grandchildren pursuing jobs in their varying interests and locations. Two younger ones still in elementary or high-school.

Concerned about our country and world, but excited and hopeful about SBC’s momentum in educating young women!

Susie Prichard Pace: I am happy to announce the birth of my first GREAT-GRANDCHILD, a very active baby boy!

Celia Williams Dunn: I had a lovely visit last week with Mary Howard Patterson Hatcher ’84 and Richard who stayed with Larry and me in Savannah for Laura Connerat Lawton’s ’62 daughter’s 60th birthday luncheon. Richard is the nephew of the late Tita Hatcher ’61. So sad about the recent passing of Becky Towill McNair ’60. Becky was my Big Sister my first year at Sweet Briar. So sweet of Wendy Weiler ’71 to give a money gift to Sweet Briar in my honor. Wendy and I are friends from the years we spent on the Sweet Briar Friends of Art Board. I see Malinda Bradley Bergen ’87 at the Trustees Garden Club where she was President for the last two years. We were so saddened by the passing of her sister Helen Bradley Tarbutton ’89 and her aunt, Jane Bradley Wheeler ’64.

I enjoy talking with Bee Newman Thayer, frequently, who is such a generous supporter of Sweet Briar.

Judy Greer Schulz enjoys teaching piano at Sweet Briar. Mary Denny Scott Wray, Marion Lucas Fleming, Rue Wallace Judd, Lou Chapman Hoffman, Julie O’Neal Arnheim, Susie Prichard Pace, Emily Whaley Whipple, etc all keep in touch. Sad over the passing of Ginger Borah ’62. I had lunch with Stuart B. Evans in Tryon right before she moved to Charlotte and had lunch with Mary Cosby Rinehart in Linville,NC. Recently, I attended the Savannah Philharmonic Orchestra concert with Ashley Peeples Oberlin ’89 and her mother. Ashley, her husband and two sons have just returned to Savannah from Denver to live. The twin sons are college freshmen at Clemson and University of Texas, and Ashley is an architect working on a big project in Mexico. After graduating Sweet Briar, Ashley got her Masters in Architecture from Georgia Tech. Larry and I sold our residential real estate company, Celia Dunn Sotheby’s International Realty, almost two

years ago and are now Associate Brokers with Daniel Ravenel Sotheby’s International Realty who bought our company in Savannah, Bluffton, and Hilton Head Island.

We are enjoying our three grandchildren ages 15 girl—who thinks Sweet Briar is awesome after spending the weekend there—boy 10, and girl 7. Sweet Briar holds a very dear place in my heart, and I hope that each of us will continue to give as we are able to insure it will always be the fine college we were able to experience.

1963 Allie Stemmons Simon 3701 Guadalajara Ct. Irving, Texas 75062 asimontc@outlook.com Ralph Greetings, Ladies of SBC 1963! Fourteen of our classmates returned to Sweet Briar last June for our 60th Reunion!

Attending were Jean Meyer Aloe, Jane Yardley Amos, Lucy Otis Anderson, Laura Lee Brown, Nancy Dixon Brown, Betty Stanly Cates, Polly Wirtzman Craighill, Dearing Ward Johns, Ginger Cates Mitchell, Lee Kucewicz Parham, Lyn Clark Pegg, Anne Leavell Reynolds, Jessica Bemis Ward and Keitt Matheson Wood.

Joining them were four husbands—Herbert Reynolds, John Parham, Frank Wood, and Steve Wilson (Laura Lee’s husband). Our outgoing Class President, Lucy Anderson, and outgoing Class Agent, Lee Parham, did a fabulous job of organizing our Reunion and also accepted the many awards showered on our class for our contributions to Sweet Briar.

Our own Laura Lee Brown was honored as Distinguished Alumna and responded with a wonderful speech. Thanks to Lucy’s foresight a slate of class officers for the next five years had been selected and was approved at our class meeting, so going forward we will be led by Nancy Brown as Class President and Jane Goodridge as Class Agent with me, Allie Stemmons Simon, continuing in the role of Class Secretary. My old roomies, Lee and Keitt, sent me bulletins and pictures throughout the Reunion and it appears a grand time was had by all.

62 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine Fall 2023

My first response to my pleas for news post-Reunion was from our new Class President, Nancy Brown, who said “We certainly missed you at Reunion. What a fun time and I was really impressed with all the new innovations that they have implemented. Thanks to President Woo. The greenhouses were fascinating. I wish I was back in school!

Not much going on in Atlanta. I have traveled with family and enjoy being healthy and happy.”

Everyone started their responses saying how sorry they were to have had to miss Reunion.

Betsy Parker McColl said “My consolation was a visit with Lucy Otis Anderson, Nancy Dixon Brown and Jane Yardley Amos at Lucy’s house in Charlotte the morning of their drive to SBC. Seeing them was a huge treat.

Several weeks later, I had the pleasure of a visit from Jane in Columbia, S.C., on her way to the coast so I got to hear firsthand some of the details about Reunion.

How proud we can be that our class was in the spotlight from start to finish!”

Prue Gay Stuhr echoed that and thanked Ginger Cates Mitchell for sending her pictures of Laura Lee receiving her award.

She continued, “Ed and I have been keeping up with health challenges.

I am grateful for medical support when we needed it most. Our two Dalmatians, Ticket and Derby, bring joy and the need to keep learning about dog training. I find value in contributing to our regional and national Dalmatian clubs. I am grateful that teaching Middle School for 38 years gave me some transferable skills. We have five grandchildren who keep us connected to the youth of today!”

Tish Skinner Dace wrote from her home in Bonaire, “At this point in my life most everything worth commenting on involves what parts of my body still work and how bad all the others are! From scanning your request for news I find it amazing how many of us appear to still be alive and kicking—so I’m just going to celebrate that!” We are not only alive and kicking but traveling as well, mostly to see family.

Mary Ann Utterback Burritt says “Jim and I decided we needed to make the most of each year so this spring we chartered a boat with friends and sailed for a couple of weeks in the windward islands.

Then we returned home to redeem

the dog and headed to Naples for a couple of months. Our daughters (including Cheri Burritt Yates, ’84) and grandson joined us there. Now we are taking day trips on our boat on the Chesapeake Bay.” Keitt Matheson Wood reports that in May, before Reunion, she and Frank spent two wonderful weeks at Pawleys Island, the first just them and ‘Pawley’ (their dog), the second with daughter Helen, son Gordon, brothers and sisters and cousin Elizabeth Matheson, ’64.

Lee Kucewicz Parham and John had a nice trip after Reunion to Colorado to visit Lee’s sister, Veta, and her husband, Joe. Lee and John are very proud of their two grandchildren, both of whom graduated from the University of Tennessee in May. Emmeline, their granddaughter, is a budding archeologist and off to Vermont for her first ‘dig’. After years of teaching French, Lee is looking forward to a Road Scholar trip to France this fall including Normandy, Giverny and Mont St. Michel.

Chris Devol Wardlow says “Hard to believe, but our great-granddaughter, Nini, is starting first grade! She lives north of Denver with her mom, Anna Richards, ’14. Our daughter, Dianna, and her husband are starting to plan their retirement. That really makes me feel old!” Chris and Gary spend winters in Vero Beach, Fla., and the rest of the year in Castle Pines, Colo. What a life!!

Lynn Carol Blau, who is always a great correspondent, reports “Jeffrey and I are well, enjoying hiking, golf, bridge, and spending time at Cape Cod and Southampton with friends and family. Grandkids are all going back to school ... already! We’re planning fall trips to Nashville and Las Vegas to see them.” In Texas, Heinz and I are enduring the ridiculous heat and praying for fall weather. It has taken me longer than anticipated to recover from my hip replacement last year but I am now up and around, walking mostly without a cane, and resuming some of my household chores although I’m not yet able to drive. Bummer! But we have lots of good help and are comfortable in our home and have nothing to complain about. Hope you are all equally blessed. All the best—Allie

Class Notes

1965 Sally Hubbard 47 Parsons Green Circle Sewanee, Tenn. 37375 931-636-7320 sally@hubbard.net Our long-time officer Mary K. McDonald begins with this: “As class leaders, Brenda & Mary K. would like to thank Sally for YEARS of news gathering for our class notes. She also stepped up to take notes from our zoom calls—way beyond the call of duty! Thanks to all our classmates who met the $80+ challenge to give to the Sweet Briar Fund. We contributed $130,650 with a 39.9% participation rate. Yeah us! We treasure connections with our classmates and memories of Sweet Briar more each year. Keep June 2025 on your calendar for our 60th reunion!”

Lillian Norburn Alexander, professionally a systems engineer for IBM, inherited a pile of stories written by her father Dr. Charles S. Norburn (1890–1990). Sequestered during COVID, she took 30 of them in 2022 and compiled them into a book, The Cry in the Night: Dramas from the Life of a Doctor, now internationally available as a book and ebook. The stories are about things that actually happened, and are considered creative nonfiction.

Norburn was a Mayo surgeon, Surgeon-General in the Navy, and President Harding’s personal surgeon for a trip to Alaska. After leaving the Navy in 1923, he settled in Asheville and established a hospital with the latest medical technology and a valuable medical library. On the side, he created and held patents for pipe organ inventions and installed an organ in his parents and his own home. Hearty congratulations to Lillian.

Melinda Musgrove Chapman had a wonderful exciting year, including the beautiful wedding of her granddaughter Ashley Chapman to her sweetheart at a resort in Amelia Island. Then in April, she was able to be with the whole family again when Ashley’s youngest brother got married in Brooklyn.

Recently their older brother got engaged. Melinda has three more granddaughters in their 20s so who knows what’s next. Looking forward to seeing us in 2025!

Molly Sutherland Gwinn, angel that she is, has agreed to take over the Class Notes duties. Her email address is mdsgwinn@gmail. com. After years in Pinehurst, N.C., Molly has relocated to Chicago to be closer to her son and family.

Gabrielle Fraser Hale (Babette) escaped Texas heat by visiting grandchildren in beautiful, peaceful Washington, Conn. Her second book is scheduled to come out in Spring 2024—a memoir about her late husband, titled This Familiar Heart. Babette was blindsided by grief when he died during COVID, but continues working on short stories and volunteering along with many others in our age range in Round Top, Texas.

Sally McCrady Hubbard, decided 80 was the moment to retire from several volunteer activities, including as class secretary, in hopes of auditing courses, traveling, and hiking next year. Looking through her haphazard file, it looks like she’s done the notes since 2007, 16 years ago, probably inspired by our 40th Reunion. And here we are at 58?!

It’s been a pleasure being in regular touch with so many of you. Sally and Laurence started the year with an unforgettable trip on a five-masted clipper ship visiting islands around Barbados. In spring they visited her granddaughter, Margaret, in Bloomington, Ind. where she is stage manager of a performing arts organization. September will bring a trip to Ireland and Scotland.

Carpe diem! Daughter Anna is a knowledgeable caregiver and helped greatly with Sally’s brother last summer. Son Hayne and his wife, Katie, celebrated their 30th anniversary on a five-week trip around the world. He is the Senior Vice President of Internet Business for Mouser Electronics.

Nancy MacMeekin reports that she and Vicky Thoma Barrette spent the month of May in Portugal and Spain, a lovely trip with Overseas Adventure Travel. At home, she always seems to have too much to do and hasn’t even looked back at her many photos from the May trip yet.

Bonnie Chapman McClure’s big news this year is a pacemaker.

In spite of her dog and horse dying within two weeks of each other and her husband suffering with nasty dementia, Bonnie has a great attitude and says “just hang in!”

Mary K. Lee McDonald’s turbulent year included a cousin’s

wedding in a barn in Maine, and a Folk Art Society of America trip to Charleston. But then a not-fun episode of gout. She escaped to Florida for six weeks in spring but came home with kidney stones and contracted COVID while recuperating from kidney surgery. Good grief.

Susan McDonald is framing some of her botanical paintings and hanging an art tour show in mid-August in northern Wisconsin.

Her current painting is of a small brown butterfly called a “Small Satyr,” feeding on sedge. Her paintings can be seen on the show’s website, herbsterstudioarttour. com. Susan remembers Alice Virginia Dodd with affection and admiration for her remarkable accomplishments.

Laura Haskell Phinizy celebrated her 80th birthday at Kanuga with not just her daughters and their families but also sister Judith ’67 and her children, and her cousin Barbara Gracey Backer ’71 and her 3 children and their families. Daughter Louise is an invaluable help in keeping up their spacious home and yard in Augusta, where Laura hopes to stay until her grandchildren go to college. She continues exercising and enjoying friends. Laura’s looking forward to a visit with Sally Hubbard in October including a trip to an Augusta Players performance.

Carol Reifsnyder Rhoads has monthly chats with her SBC suitemates Susan Strong, Katy Weinrich, and Anne English. She and her family lived in Japan after the war when her father was in the army. Bob and Carol and their two sons are going to Japan with Rice University alums to celebrate her 80th birthday. Her main outlet is duplicate bridge—a great way to meet people, especially being new to the Boone, N.C., area—where the Blue Ridge Mountains are much cooler than Winston Salem.

Jane Hamill Sommer is not exactly downsizing (or retiring).

They have moved from their home of 48 years in St. Louis to a lovely small farm in East Fallowfield, Pa., to be near the east coast children.

So happy to be in a blue state!

There’s plenty of room for pups, cat, chickens and hopefully a little Connemara horse, family, and friends. Meanwhile, they enjoy maritime life on their Nova Scotia farm for six months of the year with three Norwegian Fjord horses, chickens, bees, organic vegetables,

and a new little cedar greenhouse to extend the growing season. Their son, Sandford, and wife, Karine, moved to Germany for three years where he is the senior corporate VP at Boehringer Ingelheim. Daughter, Jane, an abstract artist, continues to teach art to young children.

Her husband, Alden, is head of Simpson Thatcher law firm in NYC. Youngest, Graydon, an attorney, works from home and spends winters at the Nova Scotia farm.

All six grandchildren are well, with the two youngest seniors in college, two working in finance, one in software tech, one entering law school this fall, and the other thrilled to be working in the Southern District of New York DA’s office as she prepares for her LSATS. Katherine Weinrich van Geel and husband, Tyll, have decided to downsize and move closer to Boston where their son and daughter live. It’s difficult to leave their Amherst, Mass. friends. Katy enjoys regular zoom calls with her senior year roommates, as Carol said above. They visited Carol and Bob in NC last spring, and stopped at SBC on the way home to hike around the campus, seeing the new greenhouses (awesome), smelling the wonderful aroma of the boxwood hedges around Sweet Briar House, and enjoying all the flowering trees.

1967 Gracey Stoddard 1225 Park Avenue, #10E New York, NY 10128 graceystodard@hotmail.com The Sweet Briar Class of 1967 has come through again with 14 classmates (including yours truly) responding to my plea for news!

Wahoo! That’s one more than last year, so congratulations and keep it coming. I’d like to hear from the rest of you still out there, anytime during the year is fine, and about anything you care to share. I’ll just add your late news for news of 2024.

I was very sorry to receive the news that Joan McClure McNamara had passed away on Jan. 11 of this year. We send our deep sympathy to her family and will keep our wonderful memories of Joan in our thoughts and

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 63

Class Notes prayers. For now, here is what I have heard from members of our class: Gretchen Bullard Barber writes that, after selling their long-time home in Warren Village, Vt., which had a postcard-view of Sugarbush Mountain, she and David have been still spending this summer in a rental house in the same village, while family and friends come to visit. Beginning Sept. 1, they’ll spend three weeks in Rye, N.Y., with their daughter Wray’s family, eventually returning to home base in Avalon, N.J. Like many weathercasters recently, Gretchen also reports that they’ve not been so lucky with the weather this summer, especially in August, with rain pelting them every night. Nevertheless, they’ve enjoyed being again in Vermont and, at least, escaped the very bad reported flooding in southern Vermont. She ends by saying that she and David are “continually aging as gracefully as we can.”

Katherine Barnhardt Chase writes that, after 43 plus years in Amherst, she and her husband, Bob, have relocated to Westminster Canterbury Lynchburg, moving into a new apartment with a balcony and a view. She says that they know many of the people who live there through various organizations; and there is so much to do there that, some days, sitting quietly on the nature trail is a must. She adds that, due to the generosity of former SBC biology professor, Dr. Margaret Simpson, she enjoys a lovely water feature on the grounds of her new home.

She also reports that Bob is still fishing and delivering Meals on Wheels, while she is volunteering for a local NAACP chapter, local International Rescue Committee affiliate, while serving monthly at St. Paul Bear Mountain, Amherst.

Linda Fite, reports, verbatim, of course, that “A hundred words, eh? Well, this [is] an editor’s challenge for sure (89 more to go). First I’m alive and ambulatory, so yay!

Second, I’m still an excellent driver.

Third, still having fun whenever and however possible. Kids good, kids’ mates good, grandkids good, current crop of chickens intact. A deer clobbered my 2004 Subaru, so I had to get a new/old replacement.

Still driving the 2003 Mini Cooper (243k miles!). Going to Firenze the first week of October with my sister (+ mate) and Susan Bokan ’68 (+ her guy). Fifth wheel, moi! Carpe Diem, right?”

Lynn Frazier Gas reports “I am hanging in there. No complaints. Have been busy gardening this summer. Have a community garden plot and am growing lots of vegetables and tomatoes. Hard to keep up with. Give a lot away.

Otherwise, Francois and I are in good health. Planning a trip to France this fall. Our daughter lives nearby, so see her once a week.

Hope everyone is well.”

Maria Wiglesworth Hemmings observes the inescapable but true fact that it’s been: “60 years since we arrived as freshmen!” She goes on to say that she just finished her 2nd COVID round after a fun two days in NYC with Pam Fromme Formato and says that “The mighty have fallen: at age 45 Emery gave birth to our grandson whom I adore, our one and only.” In conclusion, she and her husband are “sharing time between Connecticut, Florida, and Wyoming, volunteering at church as a Stephen Minister Leader and still the nurse on adult mission trips ... saw Dolly Caballero Garcia in PR this spring, and off to Vietnam and Cambodia 8/26.

Enough for me as my cousin says, I can still sit up and take nourishment and walk.”

Victoria Jones sent me the following: “I’m happy to report no big news, which is a good thing.

My husband and I have been in the same comfortable grooves in Manhattan and Long Island for decades now and don’t plan to change a thing, though the world is definitely changing around us; our son just took a job in Phoenix, where he has a front-row seat for the new normal there of 117 degrees. I spend a lot of time on the internet trying to keep up with the world, and it really makes me appreciate my SBC education!”

Betsy Argo Kurtz reports: “This has been quite a summer for us with friends and family visiting constantly and lots of laughter and fun. Jimmy and I are compulsive hosts and love company in our northern Michigan cottage in the great North Woods. Hello to everyone. Pam Pryor was here with us for a week of laughter.”

Stephanie Harrison Lucas writes: “I am still working as a commercial real estate lawyer and proud to be honored as one of the Best Lawyers in America. I am taking ballet classes at Houston Ballet Academy four to six times a week.

64 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine Fall 2023

Maybe I just don’t do changes.

Ted and I see a lot of our grandsons—Benjamin (9) and Andy (7) so we get to do things we would not otherwise do—like see the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movie last week. Life is good, if uneventful.”

Marion MacRae tells us: “I am well except for Parkinson’s, which hasn’t slowed me down yet. Still have a housemate who is only 64.

Amazing to think what we could do back then. I am thankful for what he does for me now. Like enjoying the husband I never had—though I didn’t want one then.”

Lindsay Smith Newsom writes: “Just had a great visit at Atlantic Beach, N.C., with Sue Morck Perrin and Page Munroe Renger. They are both well and look fabulous these days—even better than they did at Sweet Briar!! Gretchen Bullard Barber and Sally Haskell Richardson needed to be at home during our get-together, but they’re still answering the “I’m doing fine” Roll Call! Meanwhile, I’m packing for a trip to Wales, Cornwall and Bath for a couple of weeks. Good to get on the road again, especially as I’ve stayed pretty close to home since Mac (who loved Sweet Briar!) died suddenly in February 2022.

Church, my family and friends have been wonderfully supportive. I am mighty grateful!! Daughter Kate is still at Trinity Church and now the Web Site’s Art Director. She’s busy being the co-chair of their new Diversity Group and I’m mighty proud of her!!.”

Bonnie Blew Pierie reports: “Husband Tim and I are doing pretty well as we feel our age and learn to live with it. So far, so good.

News is that we are currently in Massachusetts and are planning a trip by air to Florida where we will pick up our auto to drive to Alabama for the wedding of the youngest son of old friends.

Having never been to the Alabama coastal region, we expect to visit Apalachicola, Fla., along the way where the oysters are supposed to be wonderful! We so enjoyed our stop at SBC last Fall. Maybe again this year?”

Page Renger writes: “Took my family to Italy this summer where we rented a villa outside of Orvieto for a week; it was lovely and I learned afterwards that the owners live in Raleigh, N.C.! My son and his girlfriend had to return home after a few days in Rome so took

my daughter’s family on a Tauck tour of Venice, Florence and Rome.

Have not spent as much time in Myrtle Beach as I had hoped but did just return from a long weekend at Atlantic Beach with Lindsay Smith Newsom and Sue Morck Perrin.

Such fun catching up since I hadn’t seen Lindsay since her husband passed away in February 2022 and neither of them have changed a bit!”

Judi Stigle reports: “I am presently working as a caregiver in the Venice, Fla. area. I love working with the Elderly and learning about their lives. I work approximately 38 hours a week and come home exhausted!! But it is so worth my tired self. I’ve seen my old roomie, Bonnie Blew Pierie, throughout the winter. We are on different political sides but we still enjoy each other. We met in September 1963 as roommates on the first floor of Grammar—60 years ago.

I waited all day with my parents until nine pm to meet my new best friend. Alas, she arrived carrying her saddle!!!”

Melissa Sanders Thomas tells me: It is hot here, too. Last spring Kay Trogdon Hightower was in charge of a day to celebrate the contributions of Thomaston, Ga., to World War II. The mills there supplied materials and uniforms for the soldiers. Kay’s husband’s family had owned these mills until only recently. There were exhibits and articles from the wartime, with printed newspaper articles and posters from that era. There was also a house that had been decorated in that time frame. Kay has been so active in the Historical Society. She was recognized for all the work she had done for her town, and they told about it while presenting her with beautiful flowers.

Diane Mann Lankford, Boyce and I all were there to sing her praises.

Gracey Stoddard still loves living in NYC with its proximity to the opera, theater, great museums, a very international population, and most importantly, to her two sons who live in the city. She continues to focus most of her spare time on supporting the African Dream Academy in Liberia, West Africa, and will travel there in late October to attend its third high school graduation. She also serves on the Board of the National Institute of Social Sciences, which annually recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the social sciences, while also providing

Class Notes financial assistance to selected PhD students who are completing their dissertations. To relax and have some fun, last spring, she fulfilled a long-held dream to visit New Orleans and loved it. This spring she expects to travel the Belgium and Dutch waterways by ship during the tulip season. If anyone would like to come along, you know where to find me. Best wishes to all.

1969 Claudette Harloe Dalton 175 Rosewood Drive Nellysford, Va. 22958 cla.dal2t@gmail.com I was hoping for steamy news from the class to match the weather we have been having. But it seems that everyone is minding their manners and behaving as becomes Sweet Briar Ladies! Who would have thought it? Or maybe you are all saving the really juicy news for our 55th Reunion.

First, some left over news from last year’s notes: Nancy Trotter Kendall and husband, Chip, moved about two years ago now to Vermont for their main address after Chip retired from the family business and left son Willie to run things.

Six grandkids keep things busy but Trotter still has time for tennis and golf. They spend the fall and winter on an island near Hilton Head.

A note from Ann Tremain Le that reports that she and husband, Saint, are in Nags Head, N.C., with family. She says nothing else to report but that she is thankful for her friends and family—and the beach!

Betsy Blackwell Laundon is one of our most loyal correspondents. Her twin granddaughters went to SBC’s Engineering Camp in July for inspiration before starting high school in the fall.

Betsy and her “devoted partner” took a Viking Panama Canal cruise and are probably on a Lewis and Clark river cruise as I write this. I am so glad Betsy has found a new relationship after the death of her husband a few years ago.

Winston-Salem, N.C., is home for Carol Moseley Tash who keeps busy with grandchildren, book club and church. She hosted Sally Boucher Megeath and Midge Yearley in May and showed them

all the sights in town. Carol Jones Elstner was their fourth suitemate but couldn’t make that trip although the four of them zoom often.

Peggy Davis Molander writes from Portland, Ore., although she is spending lots of time in Seattle helping with their first grandchild—a boy. Sounds like that youngster will be on the PGA tour soon since Peggy and spouse play golf five to six days a week! A birdwatching trip is planned soon as is a family reunion in Guatemala this winter.

Atlee Walker says she has no news from the senior retirement village she and hubby moved to. I challenge her to look deeper for the drama beneath the placid exterior!

If it is anything like my little enclave, things are more exciting than you would think!

Got a lovely long note from Nancy Wendling Peacock who remains in Nashville (known now as the City of Stars, Cars and Bars) pursuing her music career. Kay Hutton Barry, Ginny Stanford Perdue and Mary Nelson Wade also live in Nashville. Nanner owns Washington Street Publishing, a company that runs a sync licensing music library.

Originally, the company pitched her music and that of others to artists but now they find and license music to film, TV and advertising producers. The filming and editing are done in Atlanta and she hopes it will launch on Kajabi (Kajabi is an all-in-one business setup business) in October. She still writes music and had a song and video released this summer by Abby Stewart, a new Canadian artist. She also wrote “Love’s Gone”, recorded by Kelsey Ballerini and Brad Ellis. (And I think she had a number one hit in Australia a few years ago!) Daughter Jenni continues a sterling legal career in Washington, D.C. Jenni’s daughter, Lorelie Jobe will start college this fall. Son, Josh, is also a star but in architecture. He and his wife, Lia have moved to LA but travel the world doing their projects.

Nanner reminds us that her email is mwpeacock@gmail.com.

Frere Murchison Gornto writes from Wilmington, N.C., that she and husband, Dean, are still upright and mobile and still playing pickleball and Mah Jongg, gardening and traveling. They did a cruise from Avignon to Lyon where they looked for Frere’s French ancestors.

They are off on another cruise to the British Isles and ending in Norway during our reunion time, so she

1969

CLOCKWISE 1. Claudette Harloe Dalton, Frere Murchison Gornto,

Martha Brewer on the sound at Wrightsville Beach, NC. 2. Front row (Left to right) Ginny Stanford Perdue, Lynn Pearson Russell, Nancy Wendling Peacock. Back Row: Frere Murchison Gornto, Martha Brewer, Claudette Harloe Dalton, Elizabeth Lewis—House 3 mini-reunion at Wrightsville Beach, NC.

will miss the gathering of the clans!

She is excused because she hosted a gathering of House three vets last fall at her wonderful beach house in Wrightsville. Martha Brewer, Ginny Perdue, Elizabeth Lewis, Lynn Pearson Russell, Nancy Wendling Peacock and myself joined her for a gentle and restorative long weekend of sunshine, sea air, good friends and good food. We FaceTimed with Ginny Kay Cox and Lynne Pottharst McMillan too.

Ginny Kay Cox reports from eastern Virginia that life is good and that her garden flourishes.

Family is good too—especially husband, Tommy. Lynne Pottharst McMillan spends most of her time in New Orleans these days rather than Colorado and by now should be moved into a new, smaller retirement home. She has been having some medical issues but is holding her own. Elizabeth Lewis has kept her California zen and keeps us all mellow and happy.

No flies will settle on Lynn Pearson Russell during retirement! She is in California now with family but soon back to the East Coast to Cape May, N.J. where a family beach house awaits. In October, she is off to Spain—a country that seems to be a favorite with our class.

Thanks to Lynn for being our lead on fundraising and she gets my vote for the next Class President!

No newsletter is complete without the news from Nancy Crawford Bent. She has gotten late-onset muscular dystrophy but it isn’t slowing her down! She gets on her Rollator and birdwatches, volunteers at the Cemetery Commission getting old records digitized and binging on the New York Times daily “Spelling Bee” and Flannery O’ Conner novels!

Peter paints and repairs violins. He encountered a bear on one of his daily walks and added it to the list of wildlife he sees: a lynx and cub, a barred owl and a beaver. Sounds like the “back-of-beyond”! (Nancy says that as an English major, she origi-

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 65

Class Notes nally thought the owl was a BARD owl! LOL!) This sense of humor and just plain toughness inspires me and I hope you too. Ain’t none of us getting younger and while I don’t report on all the illnesses you report, I know this group will face things with grit and laughter.

Mary Mahan Marco is also a consistent correspondent and she and Anne Moore Lust, Ellen Miller Bristol, and Sue Roessel Gibson had their annual reunion at Sue’s house on Canandaigua Lake. (The fourth largest of the NY finger lakes.) They had not seen Ellen since she left SBC during her sophomore year. Ellen recounted her junior year in France and her career teaching music. Ann lives on Lake Ontario and Sue is busy helping with her three grandchildren. Mary and her husband, Bob, celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary with a cruise through the Netherlands and Belgium— later, they met their youngest son and his family in Maui. (I hope none of our class lost friends or real estate in the fires in Maui—I sat under that huge Banyan tree once with my family—it is so sad to think of that devastation!)

Less Guthrie Keller is in San Diego where she retired as the CEO of Episcopal Community Services a few years ago but real retirement was postponed by COVID since her organization was deemed an “essential services provider”. She has made up for that enforced delay by now serving as treasurer of a regional theater company, Cygnet Theatre, that is the midst of building a new art theater building. She is on the board of St. Paul’s Senior Services, is involved with her grandchildren and does executive coaching for non-profits. On the recreation side, she had a trip to Prague, Vienna and Budapest and zooms frequently with Ginny Stanford Perdue, Haden Ridley Winborne and Mary Nelson Wade. She recently saw Kay Giddens Glenday in DC too.

Jan Sheets Jones and Jimmy are still loving Atlanta and seem to always be hosting some visitor or another either there or at Tybee. Their long-postponed home renovations are done and was chosen to be on the garden tour last year. All of the family are thriving. Jimmy teaches part-time at a local private school and Jan is the ultimate grandmother. Jan had

a breast biopsy recently and the news is good—stage 0.

Another loyal correspondent is Betsy West Dripps. Betsy is still in Martha’s Vineyard and is a grandchildren groupie, attending all sports and arts events for seven grands. She does that between hikes, swims and golf games, helping at hospice events and working to protect the local beaches and ponds. And she is off to Ireland in September to play golf with friends.

Like many of us, she has lost a parent recently—her 99 year-old father.

She carries his golf driver and his inspiration as a “straight shooter” with her always.

Another loss is reported by Maria Ward Estefania. Her best friend of 40 years passed away in the fall. She took a trip to Egypt in February—she could hear Miss Barton talking about the pyramids and tombs!

She and Bob have readjusted to post-COVID retirement and spent the summer visiting Bob’s children and grandchildren—in Overland Park and Asheville, and ending at Lake Magog in Quebec with friends. Maria also sees Kay Giddens Glenday and Liz Medaglia regularly.

Another frequent flier is our esteemed class Prez, Martha Brewer. First, to Portugal with some med school pals, and frequent samplings of the wine and olive oils.

Then, she and Anna went on a fiveday hike with friends on the Whale Trail in South Africa and finally, San Miguel de Allende with Atlanta friends. She has managed to do all this without incurring any new medical issues and her “new” knees did very well! Unfortunately for the rest of us, she has another trip planned for the time of our reunion!

Cathy Hall Stopher writes that she and Ed celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary in June.

I hope the five grandchildren were there to see such a happy occasion.

Cathy broke her leg in January and is still not fully healed. But it doesn’t interfere with her bridge playing five times a week and gives her a good reason to read a lot!

For myself, I have no interesting news to report—just paring down of my “organized medicine” responsibilities at the AMA and the Medical Society of Virginia. My last AMA meeting will be June of 2024, so it is really winding down.

We had a lovely family beach trip to Emerald Isle, N.C. This was our

66 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine Fall 2023

50th year of vacationing there.

Sometimes we just sit and watch the water while sipping cocktails and noshing on seafood. It restores us all—even the teenagers.

In June, like Betsy, I lost a parent—this time a surrogate parent.

My own dad died two weeks before I started med school and this doctor took me under his wing and advised and mentored me right up to his last week in hospice. He was 98. I share this because one thing he taught me is that friendships are so very important but need nurturing and renewal. And we must mentor and support those women who come after us.

As we get older, we must balance distance and mobility issues with the need to share history with those who really understand us.

Please come to the Reunion and let’s again share our youthful days with each other and also use our experiences to support each other as well as to mentor the current students. Mark your calendars for

1971

May 31 until June 3, 2023, book your rooms early and drive, fly or crawl to SBC!

1971 Barbara Brand 3415 Fairfield Road Gettysburg, Pa. 17325 babrand@embarqmail.com Alix Sommer Smith Alix Sommer Smith 39 Goose Creek Circle Fredericksburg, Va. 22406 alixsmith9@hotmail.com Pamela Henery Arey and her family are well; she still lives in Severna Park, Md., and is trying to focus on downsizing and an eventual move. She stepped down as President of the Arnold Senior Center, but remains Chair of the Trip Committee. Trips this spring

CLOCKWISE 1. Barbara Wuehrmann and partner Greg in

Alaska July 2023. 2. From Left to Right—Wendy C. Weiler ’71, Donald E. Chappell, Caroline Chappell Hazarian ’09, Julianne Hazarian (6), Dylan Hazarian (9) and Steven Hazarian—Summer 2023, Maui, Hawaii. 3. Mimi Washabaugh Meglan is a crack shot and trophy winner at Sporting Clays. 4. Alix Sommer Smith received this Sweet Briar puzzle from her goddaughter Katie Moncure. The puzzle photo was taken by her uncle Todd Hostetter, who is Environmental and Set-Ups Manager at SBC as well as a photographer.

Class Notes included Beaufort and Charleston, S.C., and Savannah, Ga. To keep in shape and stay connected, Pammy serves on her church Vestry, sings in the choir, swims, and enjoys chair yoga & Tai chi.

Barbara Gracey Backer is winding down her working life, as two of their children are taking over the business. She is in her second year as president of their country club, both a joy and a challenge.

She and Ron play lots of croquet, stay involved in church service, and travel. She has stepped down from other organizations to make time for the growing family—seven grandchildren between them, with another on the way. She looks forward to the next season of life—with gratitude for Sweet Briar friends.

Beryl Bergquist almost crossed paths with Jennifer Slade Belovsky in Montana this May. They’d met years earlier at the National Bison Range, but this time they missed connections.

Beryl completed renovation of a 1910 Craftsman home. A 1950’s brick bungalow is her next project.

She is training at Wild Nest Rehab to rehabilitate birds injured by cat attack or window strike and orphaned nestlings.

Wendy Norton Brown told us that she has been busy purging 45 years’ worth of stuff from her house to prepare for moving into a new retirement community! She has kept busy with support groups related to Lee’s Alzheimer’s journey, and she does a lot of volunteer church work. She is ready to make new friends and have some FUN! It was a bittersweet year for Anne Helms Cooper with a lovely Mississippi cruise with her husband in the fall, followed, however, by his death by cardiac arrest when they were at their grandson’s college graduation in May. The support of her family and friends has been wonderful.

After retiring from her journalism career in 2019, Denise Beardsworth Costa moved to Richmond, Va., from Oregon.

When her husband, John, died in 2021, she found being near family had become even more important, and now she is near their daughter and her family and one son. The oldest son is not too far away in New York.

The Lifelong Learning program at the University of Richmond has been a huge help in making new friends, and learning new

ways to communicate.

Margaret Highsmith Dickson wrote from the “wonderful” Chesapeake Bay home of Michela English and her husband, Rob Quartel. It is a favorite place to visit, and she has been there with Claire Kinnett Tate, and her husband, John—a real Sweet Briar fest!

Life goes on in Raleigh with her big news being a new granddaughter, born in April. She sees Jane Powell Gray ’72 often as they are in a lunch group together.

The biggest news in Mimi Fahs’ life is an adorable granddaughter born in December.

The second biggest news is that her seven-piece string band, the Mudflats, was invited to play in the Sag Harbor American Music Festival! It was a busy summer, playing across Long Island’s North Fork. She reported that, for her, retirement is fun, but productive, as she is serving on several boards: the North Fork Audubon Society, the Ashokan Foundation, and she is in her third term on our own Sweet Briar Board. She is so grateful we saved our college!

An intergenerational trip to Costa Rica with two grandsons made for an exciting recent trip for Maggie Mather Feldmeier. It was a fabulous adventure—a wonderful way to create lasting memories. She and her husband split their time between their home in Cazenovia, N.Y., and Hilton Head, S.C., for the winter, traveling in between. Both she and Jake are still involved with his company; they can work remotely and have cut back significantly. One daughter lives nearby in Cazenovia while the other is in Denver so trips out west are part of their schedule.

In the middle of her term as Senior Councilor for her Congregational Church, Judy Brown Fletcher reported that she is “sooo sick of zooms.” But she is over-the-moon excited about the arrival of a “pick of the litter” Greater Swiss Mountain Dog puppy—Mill Side Flavia Garanus FCI, called Flavia, which Judy traveled to Poland to retrieve. Of course, that means puppy-proofing the house once again. Her vegetable garden is thriving, and she thinks the trick may be the micro minerals from the small rocks she has added.

Carol Remington Foglesong was about to leave on a Viking Ocean cruise around Iceland when she wrote. Still convinced her

1971

CLOCKWISE 1. Linda Whitlow Knight at the Grand Canyon.

2. Kathy Garcia Pegues, husband John, and grandkids Bryan and Siena. 3. Catherine Gross Hendren at African Village in America in Birmingham created by folk artist Joe Minter—a stop on the Great Southeast Renaissance Tour with Pamolu Oldham. 4. Ginger Lord McKee (Gigi) and Gordon, the youngest of five grandchildren.

decision to move into a continuing care community was the right one, she is making new friends, routinely exercising, going out to eat, and visiting new places—it reminds her of freshman year. She had a hip replaced in January and she’s glad not to be “clicking” as she walks.

If you are traveling through the southwest, make a point to stop in Santa Fe and find Elizabeth Glassman. Though she still has an apartment in Chicago for her “city fix,” Santa Fe has been an “excellent landing, post working—or as Connie Zweig talks about in her recent book: time to go from ROLE to SOUL.” In September, Liz will return to Paris to receive, from the French Government, the highest award in the arts: Commandeur, Order of Arts and Letters.

Happily retired from the legal profession, Katharine Brown Grala moved to Portland, Maine, to be near her daughter and three grandchildren, Thomas, KitKat, and Lizzie, who provide lots of

opportunities for babysitting. She is also a docent at the Victoria House and Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse.

She and Broni spent three weeks in Southern France where they got to see some of the Tour de France.

Lendon Gray continues to teach young dressage riders and instructors through Dressage4kids, Inc., which she founded 25 years ago. Her teaching has taken her to Bermuda, Maine, Louisiana, Texas, Florida, Arizona, Hawaii, New Zealand and elsewhere.

Susan Greenwald joined Dee Kysor in an Audubon Society Camp last fall. She had a good visit with Master Gardeners Robbie Randolph and her sister Molly Randolph ’67 in July. She plans to visit Dee in October for the Blessing of the Animals and her birthday.

Carol Johnson Haigh and her husband Tim traveled to Austria, Norway, Scotland, and the Orkney and Shetland Islands earlier this year. They also enjoyed an annual vacation in the West Indies with

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 67

Class Notes their daughter, son-in-law, and two grandsons.

In June, Frances Barnes Kennamer and her husband took their family to Jackson Hole and Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. Without a doubt, her favorite part of the trip was seeing the wonder and delight in her granddaughter’s eyes.

Linda Whitlow Knight retired from her law firm last December, but is keeping her license and stay-

1971

ing active in her associations. She and Dick, her husband of 52 years, are busy with several historical organizations. They are also traveling, including out west and to Maine.

She enjoys reading and gardening.

Daughter Katherine is the senior attorney for Mitsubishi Motors North America in Franklin, Tenn., and lives nearby with her husband.

Daughter Elizabeth and her Italian husband live in Rome and have two sons. They visit and Skype.

CLOCKWISE 1. Frances Barnes Kennamer ’71 with her family

at Jenny Lake, Grand Teton National Park in June. 2. Sue Greenwald ’71, Amy Simmons ‘86 and Dee Kysor ’71 at National Audubon Camp, Hog Island, Maine last summer. 3. Denise Beardsworth Costa—take a look at that birthday cake!

4. Maggie Mather Feldmeier, husband Jake, and grandsons in Costa Rica. 5. Carol Johnson Haigh ’71 and her husband, Tim, while hiking in Austria this summer.

68 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine Fall 2023

Dee Kysor wrote on her way to Hog Island, Maine, for an Audubon Family Camp with husband, daughter, and grandkids. She had been to Sweet Briar twice recently, once to participate in the Arts and Writing Retreat in June led by faculty member Erica Trabold.

She enjoyed being with Coleen Butterick ’74 and Harriet Twig ’74. She also painted in Manson, Pannell and House 5 during Sweet Briar Work Weeks.

Relaxing in her summer cottage in Michigan, surrounded by family, Kathy Wilson Lamb noted that she continues to fight Myelodysplasia, a blood cancer, with shots and blood transfusions. Luckily, she feels okay much of the time. Her husband is looking forward to a knee replacement in September.

Mim Washabaugh Meglan spent much of the year recuperating and rehabbing after two major joint replacements, but she was eager to resume her Sporting Clays shooting passion. She won a trophy for Ladies’ High Score last fall!

While unsuccessful at reprising a reunion in Philadelphia with Anne Tippin Prestney and Susan Greenwald, she did manage a lunch in nearby Middleburg, Va., with Alix Sommer Smith.

Ginger Lord McGee sent a charming photo of herself (Gigi) with Gordon (1) who is “definitely last grandchild.” There are four others, Emily (16), Sage (14), Lucy (10), and Jo Flo (8).

Louise Dempsey McKean wrote that her family has enjoyed the return of a more normal routine, splitting time between New Hampshire and Quebec, where most of the family lives.

They are planning a European river cruise in 2024 to celebrate all the missed milestones. Eldest grandson Tucker is off to Colgate University—bringing back to Louise “the happy, vivid memories that I have of arriving at SBC on that hot, late summer day in 1967 ... new friendships in a beautiful, very different climate.”

Beverly Wright Miller creates and donates quilts to many charities for their fundraising auctions. She also has been enjoying her book group for over 15 years. She and husband Roger hope to take one more big trip before deciding on a retirement community. Her 55th reunion from Amherst County High was held at the Wailes Center

and she was glad to see the campus looking great!

Hopefully by the time the Alumnae Magazine goes to press, Caroline Tuttle Murray will be in her new house in Greensboro across from her daughter and family. Her son’s family in Raleigh will also be closer. She has had to balance the fun of building a new house with the emotional and physical difficulty of moving. She talks to Diana Zeidel and Mimi Pitts Dixon weekly.

Pamolu Oldham retired two years ago to her farm in the Sandhills of North Carolina, just finished a manuscript, and is building a studio. She took the Great Southeast Renaissance Tour, a road trip with Catherine Gross Hendren from her home in Austin, Texas, to Winston-Salem, N.C. The year has not gone as planned for Kathy Pegues! She was hospitalized for several days with a pulmonary embolism. John had to have radiation, 8 years after his initial surgery. Unfortunately, they had to miss Sweet Briar Work Weeks.

They are feeling better, getting to see their grandchildren’s athletic and musical accomplishments.

Kathy enjoys her non-fiction book club and a painting took a ribbon at the county fair!

Jacque Penny reads a lot— often at 4:00 am! Some of her suggestions are Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story by Bono, Chemistry Lessons by Bonnie Garmus, and Resurfacing: Sisterhood, Sharks, and Storms—A Memoir by Laura DeSisto. She went back to southern France for over three weeks in May (where she used to live) and is returning in October through year’s end. She hopes to live half the year there, half in Florida.

Can you believe that Mary Lyman Ray is in an all-girl band called “Girls Just Want to Have Fun?” When she is not playing bridge or mahjong, attending Broadway musicals, playing golf, going to line dance or water aerobics classes, or putting on singing shows with some of her neighbors, she’s playing with her six grandchildren, or on yet another trip to Europe.

Yes, this girl is definitely having fun!

Shannon Salmon noted that, since her husband’s diagnosis of vascular Parkinsonism dementia, her travel has been limited. But this October, she has planned a trip to the Caymans. She hopes to go to Australia and New Zealand in 2024.

She thanks all who helped save SBC.

Class Notes In April, Susan Schmidt contra-danced a week in Ely, UK, then walked the Mid-coast Wales Coastal Path for another week. She followed up with knee replacement surgery and physical therapy! Now she is walking with her Boykin Spaniel Pippa, tending her gardens, swimming, kayaking, and sailing in regattas. Her most recent book of poetry is Drought Drought Torrential. She continues to edit books.

Alix Sommer Smith and Denise Wissell O’Connor enjoyed a May winery tour around Charlottesville—eight in three days—and are planning another foray next spring. Favorite reads in ’23: Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead, Anthony Doerr’s Cloud Cuckoo Land, and Geraldine Brooks’ Horse. They were hits with both her book groups. Some of Horse is set in the Smithsonian and reminded her of Carolyn Rusch Rose who spent her career as an archeological conservator there.

Hopefully, by publication time, Amanda Megargee Sutton will be healed and back to her normal routine of gardening, swimming, cooking, and knitting. She has been battling bursitis and piriformis syndrome and had surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome and ulnar nerve release.

Nancy Liebowitz Voss and her husband Bob have been traveling—to Greece, Turkey, Australia, and New Zealand. A few years ago, they went to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. (Bob thought Vietnam was much better as people were not shooting at him this time!) Both are active in prison ministries; Nancy takes therapy dogs, a Great Dane and a 100-pound Lab mix, on her visits.

Bev Van Zandt still calls San Migel de Allende home. This year Michela English and Margaret Highsmith visited, and Anne Holler is also active in the SMA scene. She thinks her next chapter will by RV-ing. She plans to start small with a Roadtrek. If you have any advice for her, write her at beverlyvz@gmail.com.

Carolyn Jones Walthall is still trying to eat well and exercise, have fun and minimize obligations, learning to say yes when she wants to and no when she doesn’t want to.

Good advice for us all!

Barbara Wuehrmann retired from family practice seven years ago and in 2018 got divorced after 34 years of marriage. In 2020 she met

a “lovely gentleman” in Colorado where she spends summers and parts of the winter. They are now “happy partners” and traveling companions—to Panama and Alaska— and enjoy skiing, hiking, and biking in the Colorado mountains. He joins her in her permanent home in Arizona when the winter gets to him. She sees Betty Rau Santandrea ’70 in Santa Fe coming and going.

Deborah Chasen Wyatt had the misfortune to be in NYC with the Canadian smoke. She has taken other short trips and is planning a longer visit next June to Scotland.

But the most fun is playing with her almost three-year-old grandson, who is now a small but reasoning human being.

Our class president Wendy Weiler still has her executive search and consulting business in New York with no plans to retire. Her most important passion is family, with daughter Caroline Chappell Hazarian ’09, and family nearby.

They took a trip to Hawaii this summer where they visited niece Victoria Chappell Harvey ’06 who lives outside Honolulu. Wendy also passionately fights for underserved populations of the world, working for the Advisory Council of Action Against Hunger and French-American Aid for Children.

She and her husband are also avid gardeners, and their garden is their paradise. Her message to our class is to continue supporting our beloved alma mater and plan to attend our 55th in 2026!

1973 Evelyn Carter Cowles PO Box 278 Free Union, Va. 22940 ecc52@icloud.com Marion McKee Humphreys: We are doing well. Hunter is still practicing law and teaching at the law school. I just wrapped up teaching my seventh Chronological Bible study. I am “on call” for my Memphis grandkids, see my Nashville crew as often as I can, and just welcomed our seventh grandchild March 26th. We spend a lot of weekends at our lake house in Ark. and chasing our white Lab around.

I am still working out and swimming especially since I now have replacements — one knee and two

hips. I plan to leave my body parts to the scrap metal place in Ark.!

Renee Sterling: Merged my 31-year financial practice at Morgan Stanley with a fellow broker who also has 30 some years under his belt so our team is now seven strong and we have a CFP, mortgage banker and a wonderful young support staff.

I have never felt as free! If the temps ever cool down, I’ll travel!

Anita McVey O’Connor: I had a wonderful time at our 50th Reunion weekend seeing many friends I hadn’t seen at previous reunions. I have continued to volunteer as Treasurer for the Pa. Association of Senior Centers and consult part-time as a grant writer for nonprofits. My husband and I occasionally travel. Our last visit was to Florida with snow bird friends in Fort Myers and we look forward to traveling with friends for a week in the fall to South Carolina.

Otherwise, we live quietly at home and enjoy seeing our families.

Ginger Woodward Gast: Our Reunion was a three-day party with great friends and great food. It was wonderful to see the environmental changes and learn about the engineering program. It’s completely different from when we were there 50 years ago, thank goodness! If you missed it, we’ll catch up at the 55th or 60th!! We are expecting our ninth grandchild later in August, three boys for youngest daughter, Katie.

She lives close by so I’ll be doing a fair amount of babysitting. I’m keeping up with my Italian studies for a return trip next year for a wedding.

Joan Eltonhead Bromley: I was sorry to miss our 50th reunion, which sounded like fun.

Unfortunately, I am unable to travel due to polycystic kidney disease, an inherited disease that has necessitated dialysis. Family and friends have offered to donate a kidney, as I really need one, but so far everyone has screened out due to medical conditions. (If you’re interested in learning more about my story, kidney donation or being tested to see if you are eligible to donate, please visit www.nkr.org/nhy394). Both my husband and I, married for more than 36 years, are retired and our daughter recently married. I have been an occupational therapist since 1980 and worked at Easter Seals and then at an elementary school until retirement. We moved back to Pennsylvania to help with the care of my parents for the last years of their lives.

Kathy Pretzfelder Steele: Reunion was so much fun! Soon after our Reunion, Dave and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary with our two daughters and their families. They arranged for a Hibachi Chef to come to our house and cook a three-course meal for us over a flaming grill on our pool lanai. It was such fun and a unique and memorable way to celebrate.

Dave and I then took an amazing 17-day land and sea tour of Alaska with Princess and spent a couple of extra days exploring Vancouver and Victoria before flying home.

The scenery was breathtaking, especially Denali in all its splendor.

The wildlife! was incredible viewing humpback whales and orcas, moose, caribou, eagles, otters, sea lions, seals, and Dali sheep. It truly was the trip of a lifetime.

Susan Craig: Our 50th Reunion was spectacular! I am back to my practices of writing poetry, critiquing with my monthly zoom group, and trying to survive the heat. We moved into our new bungalow three years ago this August, and it is beginning to really feel like home now, after 34 years in a 1934 era house in which we raised two sons. They both have longtime “girlfriends,” and are happy in their careers, Bennett, an environmental lawyer in Columbia and his younger brother, Edward, in sales for a legal software/AI company in Los Angeles. Summer was retreating to the N.C. mountains, a May trip to Portugal. In August and a trip with women friends in the Hudson River Valley. Wayne and I enjoy cooking, mountain hiking, and reading. We are devoted to our dog Charlie (That is, of course, until/if we one day, have an actual human grandchild!).

Ann Major Gibb: I had a wonderful time at our Reunion. I was so happy to see so many of our classmates there. This summer we celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary in Williamsburg with our children and grandchildren.

Anna Billings McDougall: Our daughter Maggie and her husband, Jonathan (UVA grad) now live in Japan with their six daughters. Our son Jim (W&L grad) and his wife Rachel live nearby in Orlando with their three. I note those schools to show that my Virginia roots have not disappeared even though I live in nobody’s favorite state, Florida!

Ed and I are mostly retired. I am

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 69

Class Notes still counseling part-time but plan to retire at the end of this year. I’m thankful to be a Sweet Briar girl, past, present, and future!

Lacy Williams: I am living in Richmond, Va., Virginia Beach, Va. and Boca Raton, Fla. (during the winter months) with my husband, Bill White. Just started playing golf which I am not very good at.

We have also been traveling a lot.

Enjoying life.

Kathleen Cochran Schutze: What a wonderful time I had at our 50th reunion! I reconnected with friends I had not seen since graduation. I am serving as the registrar for a new DAR chapter and I’m enjoying so many new friendships and service activities. Our oldest grandchildren started kindergarten in August. Yikes!

Susanne Garrison Hoder: This has been a year of recovery from Hurricane Ian. The eye passed right over our Florida condo last fall. Rebuilding continues all around us and we are thankful to have everything but our roof complete.

It was great to see so many friends at the reunion in May. We were in Virginia. again in July as we made our annual trek to Rhode Island. We also visited friends in Annapolis and spent time with our sons in DC. It has been a year of career change for both. Our only grandchild is still the four-legged variety, and we enjoyed having her with us for eight months this year. We’re getting ready for a Sept. cruise to Greece and Turkey.

Hoping for cooler weather there.

Phebe Callaway Robertson: Geoff and I made a pandemic move to live with daughter Phebe Wahl and family in Bedford Hills, N.Y. Sandie Schwartz Trooper: After waiting three years, my husband and I finally made the trip to South Africa. It was worth the wait. Travel to Italy in July was hot but the wine tasting was terrific. I continue working as an art appraiser and teaching valuation and appraisal practice for the American Society of Appraisers and about to teach a course again this year for George Washington University on the art market. Peter continues to travel around the world for work with numerous projects in Africa and Europe.

Susan Bundy: So glad I attended Reunion! The campus looks amazing and it was so great to be able to connect with so many classmates I hadn’t seen in years.

I got an offer on my house this

summer and have since moved.

Still in Norfolk but in a condo on the Lafayette River very near where I grew up. Never thought I’d like condo life but, I already knew some other residents and it’s really a great community. Everyone is so friendly and caring, which is just what I need right now. Next week I undergo surgery for cancer in a couple of lymph nodes in my neck and then, if things go well, five weeks of radiation.

Scary but, with prayers and luck, I’ll pull through. It’s been a rough year but, I hope things are going to get better from here.

Susan Dern Plank: Our grandchildren visited us in New York in October 2022. We also saw them for Thanksgiving week, meeting again at an AirBnB in Bristol. In December, we finally returned to Belize after nearly three years, delayed by “COVID Time”, as it’s called there. Paul and Ginger Woodward Gast visited us in January. Ginger and I met Olive Ann Eiley Dominguez ’90, who has a wonderful restaurant in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye serving traditional Belizean recipes over an open hearth. In March, we visited our grandchildren twice, with a Road Scholar kayaking trip on the Crystal River in the Gainesville, Fla. area in between. Of course we attended our 50th Reunion in June—what fun we had renewing acquaintances. In July, while our daughter and family visited our granddaughter (11) went to a day camp at her mother’s H.S. alma mater in Albany, N.Y. David and I took our grandson (8) on a Road Scholar trip to Plymouth, Mass. In the first week of September, we went on an L.L.Bean 50 mile canoeing trip “off grid” on the Allagash River.

I do see Laurie Norris Coccio occasionally as she continues to host Mah Jongg games at her lovely home. I have also seen Elisa Garcia on several occasions to hear about life post-graduation”.

Betsy Thayer: The 50th Reunion was lots of fun and so special. Spending time with so many from our Class of 1973 felt like 50 years ago! I returned to SBC in September for Founders Day giving me a chance to see my cousin Jeannette Pillsbury ’72, Associate Professor and Director of the Education Program, march with the faculty. Life this summer has been enjoying Vt., family visits, giving tours at the Ethan Allen Homestead, and kayak camping on a beautiful, remote, lake here with lots of loons!

70 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine Fall 2023

Betsie Meric Gambel: Loved seeing everyone at Reunion and then enjoyed a post Reunion trip to the Virginia Chesapeake and Williamsburg with Lisa Fowler Winslow and Jane McFaddin.

Next up was a bucket list trip on the Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver to Lake Louise and Banff. Majestic!

Carol Anne Provence Gallivan: I loved hearing about the success of our Reunion! Mills and I were in Italy celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary. Our three adult children and their spouses joined us, and it was such a memorable trip. Mills has not retired from his law firm yet, but has cut down his work load a little bit. We are thoroughly enjoying our children, their spouses, and our six grandchildren, who all live in town. We spend a good bit of time at our lake house, especially in the summer. Traveling has been a priority for us. I loved getting to see Betsie Meric Gamble and Lisa Fowler Winslow when they came to Greenville to visit Betsie’s son, Meric.

Nan Robertson Clarke: What an amazing year it was! Fun trips to Chicago (Believe the person who tells you that late March in the Windy City is not spring) and the Amalfi Coast plus the arrival of our eighth grandchild, all culminating in the most spectacular 50th Reunion weekend imaginable. So many wonderful friends to hug and so many more fabulous memories formed! Plus, as Reunion co-chair, I got to fulfill a lifelong dream of being a journalist, lyricist and Broadway producer. Many thanks to the great Class of 1973 for making it all happen (did I mention two Reunion awards?) and special thanks to my partners in crime, Diane Dale Reiling and Evie Carter Cowles, for an unforgettable year.

Diane Dale Reiling: My husband, Chuck and I are enjoying our new life on the shores of Lake Norman in N.C. Shortly after our Reunion weekend, Chuck was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.

The bright side is that there is medication to slow the progression and ease the symptoms. As they say, “getting old ain’t for sissies!” We are delighted we made the across country move when we did, and we are pleased with our 55+ community near Charlotte.

Evie Carter Cowles: My news is slightly more exciting this year. Besides the fun of Reunion

planning, my husband Reynolds and I were lucky to take some fabulous trips. We started in England in August 2023 visiting friends and then in February we were off to Patagonia fishing with Mont. friends. Lastly this July/August we went to Botswana and Kenya, visiting four different safari camps, while stopping for two nights in Victoria Falls. We were very lucky in seeing every animal we wanted and a huge number of incredible birds. I highly recommend the trip should be on everyone’s “bucket list”!

In conclusion, Nan Robertson Clarke, Diane Dale Reiling and Evie Carter Cowles are taking a victory lap after our fabulous 50th Reunion. We are all very proud of the many accomplishments of the Class of 1973. Huge thanks to our Reunion Committee, who were named in the last email newsletter.

Our achievements were the result of many, many contacts with our classmates and our results were pretty extraordinary!! To carry things forward, our new Class Officers will be Susan Dern Plank, as our Class Secretary and Diane Dale Reiling as our Fund Agent. Beyond our 50th, are we now “Alumnae Emeritae?”

We must stay connected and continue to support each other and our beloved Sweet Briar. Your Class Officers welcome your continued involvement with both the Class and the College.

1975 Anne Cogswell Burris 423 Cheves Drive Charleston, SC 29412 ac_burris@comcast.net Randy Anderson Trainor: We are up to five grandchildren now, ages six months to 19 years. Quite a spread! All is good here in N.H., though I’m still working like a crazy woman. The construction, and hence, the interior design industry keeps getting busier with no sign of slowing down. Tom, I and our family celebrated my 70th birthday, 40 years of marriage, the birth of our newest grandson, and our son-in-law and son turning 40 this year. It was quite a party!

Wishing everyone happiness and good health!

Bet Bashinsky Wise: 2022 was a travel year for Doug and

Class Notes me. We were supposed to go on a COVID-delayed Baltic Sea Ponant Cruise stopping in St Petersburg, but Putin ended that trip before it could begin. I had visited the USSR after my freshman year at SBC and I wanted to see the positive changes that had occurred in Russia. Moscow, Leningrad (St Petersburg), Georgia, and Kiev.

We ended up on a Rhine River and BackRoads bike/river boat cruise. By the end of the trip, 14 of our 18 tested positive for COVID, and Doug and I were stuck in Amsterdam until we could return to the states. In December, Doug and I took Case, my 40-year-old Spina Bifida son to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. It was a trip of a lifetime, and his smiles made all the planning worthwhile.

In May this year, we headed to Ireland and Scotland. Doug whacked golf balls and I hiked.

After celebrating my 70th with a special dinner at a castle, it was off to St Andrews to meet couples for golf and hiking the Scottish coastline. I’m still in contact with Gail

1975

Ann Zarwell Winkler who has become a first-time grandmother.

I have fun getting my grandchild fix through family and friends.

Betsey Clay: I personally want to thank Sarah Clement for her wits and energy in keeping our old stomping grounds at SBC open.

Here in Spain, we are having record temperatures and bad air coming up from Africa which means sand and everything looks hazy. All the family is well—José recovered from lingual cancer, no signs of any more.

Martha is busy with on-the-job training programs. Juan, wife and our two granddaughters are back in Spain. He works from home, doing cost estimates for U.S. engineering projects. The girls are darling and loads of fun at 10 and 12. I have no health issues, just robotic hands and trigger fingers. There is nothing I’d rather do more than get together with the Meta Glass girls from 1971 and laugh all night after catching up on kids and health. I look forward to seeing everyone at our 50th!!

Sarah Clement: I’m still enjoying being work-free for

the past four years, even though lockdowns, shutdowns, quarantines and isolation were imposed not long after I retired. Hiking, biking, dogging and SBC Alumnae Alliance volunteer work continued throughout so I managed to keep myself busy and connected with people who make me laugh. So long as I find ways to keep doing that, I figure I’ll enjoy my 70s despite looking and feeling my age.

My sisters both came to celebrate the big birthday that I and all of us born in ’53 had this year. Onward to our 80s!

Catherine Cranston Whitham: At the start of this major decade for our class, I’m grateful for good health, family nearby, and interesting volunteer projects to keep me engaged when my grandchildren and my garden don’t need me. Whit and I spend a week or more each month at our mountain house in Highlands, N.C. and travel whenever we can. I see Beth Montgomery, Randy Anderson Trainor, and Libby Whitley

CLOCKWISE 1. Coni Crocker Betzendahl in Iceland. 2. Chris Hoefer Myers with grandsons Liam and

August, daughter Aidan Hatch and her husband Mike, and daughter Christian Myers. Isle of Palms, SC. 3. Ella Hanson Magruder with son Conan and Nelly Osinga Branson—1982 Glacier National Park in Montana. 4. Shari Mendelson Gallery—Back: L-R daughter Emily, son Matt & wife Taryn, daughter Tory (Emily’s twin), son Nathan & his wife Monique. Front: L-R granddaughter Eva, husband’s cousin & my childhood friend, Mary Tanner, me, and husband, Phil. Note the lovely finger-knitted neckwear from granddaughter that I’m wearing! 5. Anne Ross Shipe’s son and grandson.

regularly. Sadly, our classmate and my oldest friend from growing up in Augusta, Ga., Celia Robertson Queen, died in July.

Looking forward to seeing many of you at our 50th in 2025.

Coni Crocker Betzendahl: My biggest story is trekking in Iceland (my fourth time) with a loose herd of 60 horses. We took the herd at low tide between islands and then left them at a corral. It was too crazy having that many horses loose on the beach! It was so exhilarating for five days. We are still bouncing around between Vermont, Chadds Ford, Pa. and Cape May, N.J. Our kids are great, our grandies are great and our health is still great so no complaints. We are all doing well. Both Richard and I turned 70 this year, and it is what it is.

I don’t want to arrive at death’s door in a perfectly preserved body; I want to come sliding in, banged up screaming “that was a hell of a ride”!

Penny Czarra: Q&A: Time to retire? YES. Probably Spring ’24.

Time to be humble? YES. Downgrade from an e-bike to an e-trike.

Time to get my ass in gear and go full-time camping for as long as I can? YES. (while the bod and the spirit is still able and willing).

Time to just be joyous and grateful? YES, YES, YES. Melissa Greenwood Riemer: All is well here, creaky knees and morning stiffness, notwithstanding (hard to believe I used to do somersaults off the top bunk in my dorm room!) Our big news is that Jeff and I became grandparents in September. Drew is such a joy!

Katherine, Dan and Drew live in London and our other daughter Emily lives in Philadelphia so we are on the move a lot. I am also very involved in helping my theatre company (Steep) develop its new home, which is very exciting.

Otherwise, we are just trying to age gracefully in Wilmette, Ill. (suburb of Chicago). Sending all my love to all my classmates!

Ella Hanson Magruder: It was wonderful to see Janet Richards Oikawa and her husband Shio on campus this past year. Having retired in 2020, it has also been a joy for Mark and me to see so many of our former SBC students both on and off campus.

A real treat for us was a magical 50th annual conference

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 71

Class Notes of the American College Dance Association hosted by Betty Skeen Gorinson ’07 in March at SBC. This was something Mark and I were never able to do in our 35 years teaching dance there. Over 30 different colleges and universities participated in performances and classes, and everyone got to see Babcock’s new lobby and the gorgeous dance studios.

In May, we took a fantastic Rick Steves trip to Scotland with our good friends, Bill Kershner (retired head of performing arts at Sweet Briar) and his wife, Nancy Dodge Kershner ’90. The visit to the Isle of Iona where Macbeth’s remains are purported to lie, was a high point of the trip. Theater history AND such beautiful flowers!

The low point was that half of the tour group of 28 came down with COVID; but we all had plenty of vaccinations so those who came down with it handled the symptoms well.

In July, our daughter Mia, her husband Chris (they reside in Chicago) and our son, Conan Magruder ’11, M.A.T. at last were all together with us in Virginia for a good visit. Conan is a school administrator and high school teacher in Beijing, China, and because of the pandemic, he had been unable to travel home for more than three years! We had a wonderful reunion.

However, the ache in my heart lingers from the passing of Nelly Osinga Branson. I was lucky to have been an “on call person” for the journey through her last year.

She was supportive of me when I had a successful battle with breast cancer in 2021–22 and brought me the book on survival by Janet Sheppard Kelleher. The last thing Nelly said to Mark and me during our brief visit is that she had seen the most beautiful blue perennial geranium at a local nursery. She told us that we just had to plant one. Since Mark is a fellow plant lover, we planted the geranium; I will always think of Nelly when I see it. Not a rose, but a different and lovely, blue-eyed, Sweet Briar flower fair.

Ellen Harrison Saunders: A quick hi to all our classmates. Our family was grateful to have a wonderful celebration of my big 7–0 at Sea Island, Ga. with our children, spouses and four grandchildren.

Sweet Work Weeks was fun and worthwhile, as always. Our 50th

Reunion will be here before we know it. Now, more than ever, we need to reconnect and celebrate!

Helen Hodges Richards: I live a quiet retired life in Carrollton, Texas where I have been since 1995. I sold my house to my youngest daughter, and I live with her and pay rent! My oldest daughter lives in North Dallas, which is about two miles from me. I go to visit my son and give piano lessons to my granddaughter. He has a small farm in Canton, Texas, and I like looking at the cows and chickens and the garden. I, also, like playing with my three grandchildren. My health is good. Last May, I traveled to Roanoke, Va., and spent a week with my sisters. It was a good visit. Since Mother and Daddy died, I have tried to stay in touch with them and my brother.

Take care, everyone.

Chris Hoefer Myers: I have enjoyed assisting Ann Wesley Ramsey and Wendy Wise Routh in another successful year of fundraising for the Class of 1975. In 2023, my travels have included rafting and camping on the National Wild and Scenic Grande Ronde River in Oregon, Mardi Gras in New Orleans, La., and Gyrotonic training in Atlanta, Ga. The highlights of the year were large family gatherings at the Isle of Palms, S.C., and in Ireland.

Jacque Johnson: It’s been a while so I thought I would contribute. I made it through double knee replacement surgery, physical therapy and am finally enjoying life without knee pain! I have been focused on renovating my grandparents’ home room by room, while I continue to work from home for the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The most exciting thing recently was the removal of a giant hornet’s nest under my camellia bush! In my free time, I am enjoying being a member of the Dolley Madison Garden Club, a board member of the Boys and Girls Club of Orange, reading with two book clubs and seeing the ladies of our local GNO group! Until next time.

Linda Lucas Steele: I lost my husband Roger on Father’s Day 2023. I reflect on 46 years of a storybook marriage. I fell in love with the man of my dreams at Sweet Briar. Roger was a favorite of my SBC sisters—the handsome polo player & dashing UVA mounted cavalier. We were part of a USA Polo delegation to England, where

72 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine Fall 2023

1975

CLOCKWISE 1. Anne Cogswell and Lon Burris, Paris 2023.

2. Patti Tucker and Billy O’Desky. 3. Patti Tucker O’Desky and family (Billy, Charlie and wife with Avalon and Aly). 4. Bet Bashinsky Wise and son Case in Galapagos Islands. 5. Bet Bashinsky and Doug Wise in Ireland celebrating Bet’s 70th.

6. Patti Tucker O’Desky with granddaughter Avalon.

Roger competed along with future King Charles III. We raised three amazing children—Evan, Molly & Austen—all of whom helped with caregiving and establishing Roger’s legacy as a cattle rancher and businessman. We have three grandsons. We moved our Black Angus cattle operation from our farm in Daleville, Va., to Kansas— close to Martha French Roberts’ uncle’s ranch. Thank you, my SBC sisters, for your love, prayers and long-lasting friendship, especially the visits from Leslie Thornton, Ashley Randle Averell, and Kit Newman Detering ’76.

Margaret McFaddin: I am beginning to settle into retirement (my second year), but I still haven’t determined what I will do for my next phase! As part of

an annual gathering with my high school friends, I was asked to bring something I held on to from the 70’s. I couldn’t attend but wrote in that I held on to and still see my college roommates every year.

This year was no different. Jody Anderson Wharton, Kathleen Ryan and I spent a week together at Pawleys Island, S.C. Jody has moved to Charleston, so I get to see her more now!

Shari Mendelson Gallery: Sitting here at the computer awaiting the photographer to take photos of our property to put on the market tomorrow! After 41 years, it is hard to let go of the two houses we built ourselves and where we raised our four kids and countless Christmas trees that helped support us. But all the kids have moved

Class Notes away and none is likely to return.

So it makes sense now to move closer to at least one of our children (daughter, Tory, is in Stephens City, Va., so we’re looking in the Winchester/Stephens City area for something more manageable).

It is unbelievable how much stuff accumulates when you let it! We had built the house next door for my mother-in-law. After she died, we turned it into a vacation rental, which we have operated for 20 years, so it is completely furnished as well. It’s a beautiful place and we shall miss it dearly, but it is just too much to maintain, and I don’t want to watch it deteriorate. Meanwhile the kids were very sneaky and successfully pulled off a major surprise 70th party for me in June.

Elizabeth “Beth” Montgomery: This past year has been great! Travels took me to British Columbia, Israel, Vietnam, St. Bart’s and The Homestead for a family reunion.

Of course, being 70 means aches and pains, too. I screwed-up my shoulder by overdoing swimming (350 miles in 3 years) and then falling on it when I sprained my ankle! But life is good and I wish all a happy, healthy year ahead.

Missy Nesbitt Voigt: I don’t think anyone will even know who I am, (only there for freshman year!) but if you are desperate for news, here you go! All is well in Nashville! Within the span few months last year we sold our house, lost my precious 98 year old mom, had her memorial service and bought a house on the same day, two weeks later had our daughter’s wedding, four days later husband had to have a cardiac stent so canceled trip to Europe, cleaned out our house of 33 years, moved, sold and cleaned out my mom’s house, gutted kitchen and bath in new house, went to Spain in May, and are finally expecting our second grandbaby after a 12 year hiatus! It has been a wild year but we have survived and are so grateful for our good health and everything else! Our three children and spouses and families all live in Nashville—what a blessing!

I spend my time sewing, traveling, gardening, teaching knitting to high schoolers, playing bridge and determined to play golf (that isn’t going so well). I love being in touch with Susan Lilley on Instagram and with Patti Tucker O’Desky at Christmas. Of course, I love catch-

ing up with all of you, too, through our annual notes.

Kathy Osborne Spirtes: Greetings from Waterville Valley, N.H.! I am a late in life ski bum! In addition to improving my skiing, I want to hike all 48 of the 4000’ peaks in the White Mountains.

Seven down, 41 to go! I had a wonderful time last June at the first Summer Arts Program at SBC. I loved being back on campus, taking a writing class and remembering my two years there. 80 years ago my mother arrived as a freshman and I loved feeling her presence on campus. I definitely plan to attend the summer arts program next year! I highly recommend it!

Linda Poole Magard: I am happily living my life in California between homes in Corona Del Mar and Los Angeles. I am VERY involved with Arts organizations sitting on three Boards. I have two married sons, Buck and Ben, both with two kids each! I have one granddaughter and three grandsons!! Life is good! I travel extensively (last spring to Dubai and Qatar; June to Scotland & Ireland on a golf trip (still golfing!), and Iceland in August! I plan to go to NYC and Austin, Texas, later in the year. I see Patti Tucker O’Desky when she is not traveling! At the end of the summer, I am hosting a “Sip & See” for Patti’s first granddaughter, Avalon!

Louise Pulizzi: Now that my husband and I are both “professionally inactive” (I avoid the “R” word—it’s so antiquated), we are very excited to be starting the next chapter of our story. We will be living in Paris most of the year. The remainder will be divided between DC and Sarasota, Fla. If you’re in the neighborhood(s), don’t hesitate to reach out. My email is lep75017@gmail.com.

Janet Richards Oikawa: Shio and I volunteered for Sweet Work Weeks 2023. Three days of work and fun. Make sure to plan for our 50th. Hope to see you all then!

Anne Ross Shipe: Not much news in Charlottesville except Jim and I had our 40th anniversary in April and, like many of you, I came screaming into being 70. Where does the time go? I love being retired and going to our house on the Northern Neck (I try to go at least one week a month or more).

The quiet is wonderful and I would love to see anyone coming our way.

Ross lives in Charlottesville with

his wife and my two grandsons (6 and 3). Somehow 70 isn’t so bad when you hear the word “Mimi.”

Miss all of you.

Elizabeth “Buffy” Shelton Smolens: While I spent only one year with you at Sweet Briar, our class and the school have always been close to my heart! As I write this, I am cooking a farewell dinner for my grandson who, will enter Texas A&M this week. I remember my excitement when I moved into Grammer! Peter and I are enjoying retirement in San Antonio! When not traveling, we are blessed to spend time with family. My son, James, is a veterinary radiologist; Anne is head of a small episcopal school. The five grandkids (4–20 years) keep us busy! Health and happiness to all!

Ginny Shipe Cameron: I’ve had a wonderful year and just celebrated my five-year mark for no cancer! Elaine Altice Baker and husband Saman came to visit from Orlando, along with Heather MacLeod Gale. We spent some time together in Ocean City, Md., watching the White Marlin Tournament and reminiscing about SBC years. Also saw Heather, her daughter, Megan, and granddaughter at my surprise 70th birthday party at a farm I bought with my friend, David, in W.Va. It was a blast! We’re restoring a 54-acre farm and are turning it into a wedding venue. Quite an undertaking at 70! Still working full time.

Ann South Malick: No exciting news here! We did downsize ... sort of. Still spinning and weaving and it keeps me out of trouble. So far, we only have one grand horse.

No kids yet! Life is pleasantly uncomplicated for the time being!

Love to all!!!

Barbie Tafel: Turning 70 is exciting as I am saying YES to every opportunity! I continue to work as a realtor here in Louisville, Ky. and have my own Exterior Design company, which I still adore. I’ll never retire; but I am carving out more time for family, traveling, cooking and entertaining—and pickleball (I play every morning before work). My three children and five grandchildren and mother remain a large part of my life. My Coast Guard Captain son and his family moved to Anchorage, Alaska, and I look forward to visiting them in the Fall.

Then, on to Japan.

Dorsey Tillett Northrup: I am glad to be three months out from my second knee replacement!

Frank and I went to the Taylor Swift concert in Pittsburgh and had a blast with 72,000 females under 25! I am checking into Adele for my next concert. I had tickets for Carrie Underwood on my 70th birthday, but I got the eight-hour flu at 4:00 pm the day of the concert! I love attending world class performances like Gaga in Vegas, then Pink and others. I’ll just be known as Dorsey in my next life. I will become POTUS after I finish my entertainment career. I’m at Cleveland Clinic as I write this with Frank getting a double bypass on 7/29. All is OK. Love y’all.

Patti Tucker O’Desky: Greetings from sunny California!

I’m not sure if any of my photos will make it into the Fall issue but I’m including one from my 70th birthday that may need some editing before printing! I crossed the decades on July 15 and celebrated four days with Billy and the family close by on Naples Island in Long Beach, as we have a new baby in the family. It was the best weekend, of course; and each morning my granddaughter, Avalon, woke me up. (7:00 am she’d show up with our son, Charley, and he’d plop her in bed with us, just like we used to do to my parents!). Full circle.

Lisa Walker: My husband and I are living in Atlanta, Ga., and busy with lots of volunteer work. I’ve spent time at the beach several times with Jody Anderson Wharton, Margaret McFadden and Kathleen Ryan, which is always filled with fun and lots of laughs. A couple of months ago, we added a new family member, a Norwich Terrier puppy—what was I thinking?! He is extremely exuberant; lucky for him, he’s very cute. Looking forward to seeing you all at Reunion!

Carroll Waters Summerour: Toby and I are finally traveling again. We went on our own “barge trip” down South where we “barge in” on friends. We enjoyed golf and visits with friends in West Palm Beach, Fla., St. Simon’s Island, Ga., and Hilton Head Island, S.C. We also traveled to Amsterdam and visited my Uncle Peter’s grave at the American Cemetery. We met the family who has tended his grave for years. This was so meaningful! After leaving Amsterdam, we enjoyed a relaxing Viking

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 73

Class Notes cruise down the Rhine. In April, we celebrated my 70th birthday and our 50th wedding anniversary with our entire family of 14 (including six grands) at Isle of Palms, S.C. Wendy Wise Routh: Our newest family member is Hampton! He joins Memphis and Charleston (our homebred labs).

He’s a red golden retriever and so good! This year has gone by so fast! I’ve been busy working on houses in California, Florida and Long Island! Of course, we are all entering our 70’s but I don’t feel any different.

I am so proud of our class giving back to SBC! We had 32 percent of our class participate in giving to Sweet Briar in the 2022–2023 fiscal year. The team that Ann Wesley Ramsey put together along with our Past President Dorsey Tillett Northrup and your current officers Chris Hoefer Myers, Beth Montgomery and Anne Cogswell Burris worked hard to achieve all the challenges presented and succeeded! Next year will be a rehearsal for our 50th Reunion!!

Let’s continue the good work! It’s an honor and a pleasure to serve as your Class President.

Suzanne Wright Godfrey: As I write this, I am on family vacation in Montana in between activities—go-karts and aerial ropes course so not much time.

My husband had a wakeup call with a stroke the week before Christmas last year. Fortunately, there was no residual damage.

Our oldest son and family (two granddaughters) moved back to Atlanta after spending nine years in Houston. Our youngest son and family (an 18 month old) live in Denver and just learned another one is on the way in March 2024.

So, we spend time in Denver as well. I am working on winding down the family business, as well as gardening, playing golf and bridge and needlepointing. I hope all is well with everyone.

I, your Class Secretary, am looking forward to moving back into our house after nearly two years of renovations. I look forward to rediscovering the furniture and items that have been in storage for three years! Lon is still working with Wells Fargo Advisors, although more “work” seems to be done on the golf course than in the office. I, too, find myself on the golf course a couple

times a week, although I wouldn’t call what I do “playing golf.”

After 15 years in my part-time bookkeeping job, I retired in June and turned the reins over to my daughter. The job is a perfect fit for Carrie with her active boys, Ben (6) and Charlie (4). Son-in-law Sam is in real estate (for any of you who are thinking of joining the rest of the country who have moved to Charleston, S.C.!). Lon and I spend a lot of time with Carrie’s family and son, Will, Katie and their two, Birdie (7) and Billy (5). Scott and Harriet are enjoying the smalltown life in Camden, S.C. (two hours away) where Thomas (10) enjoys horseback riding, golf, soccer and baseball. Lon and I traveled to France and Switzerland in May to celebrate 47 years of marriage and my 70th which we will all celebrate with friends and family closer to the real day in October.

Thank you all again for answering my call and submitting notes, especially those who did not graduate with the class!

1977 Christine Weerasinghe Hand 197 Waterworks Road Ashgrove, Qld 4060, Australia gampolanook@gmail.com Hello, everyone. After a long absence, the class of ’77 is once again on the radar. I hope that over time, more of you will reconnect by submitting your news.

Hearty congratulations to Molly Reeb Nissman who has completed her MBA at William & Mary as the oldest student in her class. She and husband, Harry, live in Virginia Beach and share ten grandchildren between them.

Are there more to come, Molly?

Molly loves reconnecting with classmates and is eager to return to the beautiful campus of Sweet Briar for the 50th Reunion. She still works as a financial advisor for UBS. Glenn King Springer and husband enjoyed a trip to France for their son, John’s wedding in May. She zooms actively with classmates, making plans for the 50th Reunion.

Ellen Sellers McDowell has recovered well from a broken leg.

She still runs the Cooking School

74 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine Fall 2023

and hosted two Cookbook Club Dinners featuring Portuguese food. She and Rex traveled to Portugal in October to experience the real deal. They have seven grandchildren.

Frances Redmont Malone sold the Two Sisters Gallery (custom framing and art gallery) which she co-owned with her sister, Lucille Flournoy ’81, for 25 years. Now that she is retired, she has plenty of time for her garden, which has loads of tomatoes worth a fortune. Her retirement plans include travel with her husband.

Cathy Goodhart Henson is still in Atlanta and celebrated a high school reunion with Helen Milner Gordon in April. Her three daughters Catherine (42), Susie (40) and Laura (37) live in DC and Little Rock. All three graduated from W&L; and strangely enough, all three sons-in-law graduated from W&L, as well. She visits her six grandchildren often. She met with a few classmates in September to plan the 50th Reunion celebrations.

Vera Blake Thiers moved to Frankfurt, Germany, after graduation. In 2007, she took a job as Manager of Marketing and Public Relations at the Frankfurt International School. She retired in 2021, but still does a bit of freelance work for the school. She loved her work but relishes the extra time she has for her daughter and son and two granddaughters, who she visits often in Berlin. In June, she and her son met up with Kate McElhinney Montgomery’s daughter, Susanne, in Berlin.

Horse riding is her passion and she has been fox hunting ‘Down Under’ and in Western Mongolia.

1977

Harriet Milks above the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska.

She returned to the U.S. in October for her high school reunion and participated in three hunts in Ohio, New York and North Carolina. Vera is very much looking forward to reconnecting with classmates in 2027.

Elvira Cash Pecora and husband are retired and enjoyed travels around the U.S. and Europe and highly recommend the Viking cruises. They are active at the Seniors’ Centre in Chapel Hill and enjoy pickleball, Mahjong, outdoor concerts and film noir movies. Their son, Greg, lives near Charleston, S.C., with wife, Amanda, and son, Luca (3), while son, Kent, lives near San Diego with girlfriend, Katherine. Elvira would love classmates to visit her.

Gay Lynn Owens Gates retired in 2019. She and hubby live in Maryland and are busy with their three grandchildren and traveling once again since COVID. They had a fabulous time celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary in Greece in September. Gay had her 50th high school reunion in West Virginia.

Kate McElhinney Montgomery worked for a decade at The Wall Street Journal. She changed her career path in the early 90s, moved into screenwriting and filmmaking, and set up her own company, Circle Bay Films.

Her current project is a documentary about saving Sweet Briar from closure in 2015. We wait in anticipation of this. Kate and husband have also moved from California to New England. It is closer to family and friends, including son, Delano, who lives in New York and daughter, Suzanne, and husband who have made a major move from New Zealand to Berlin. Europe is certainly on their list for travel.

Debbie Koss McCarthy loves retirement and spending time with their three grandchildren at their mountain getaway in Lake Lure, N.C. She and David enjoy church activities, volunteering and hiking while David has become an avid golfer as well. Debbie loves being part of the 50th Reunion Planning Committee, reading the class newsletter (thanks to Angela) and participating in the book/movie club (thanks to Kate).

She thanks all those who support Sweet Briar financially and hopes for a fantastic turnout for the 50th.

Patricia Wornom is enjoying her five grandchildren. She

Class Notes is happily retired and exercises regularly. She keeps in touch with several classmates on Facebook and recently talked with Sarah Abrell, now a Hollywood actor.

Twenty years ago, Harriet Dinegar Milks and husband left their law practice in the sunny Jersey Shore and moved with their two little children to Alaska for a two-year stint. She was privileged to work as Senior Assistant Attorney General on some extraordinary issues, including advising Alaska’s recreational cannabis industry from its inception in 2014 through its colorful early years. They love life in Alaska and last year husband, Bill, son, Reece, and Rachel hiked Hadrian’s Wall across England from the North Sea to the Irish Sea. In spring this year, she was fortunate to snag a ticket to the Rijks Museum’s exhibition of Johannes Vermeer — an artist she fell in love with during her Junior Year in France. Harriet is certain that she owes all of these adventures and so many more, to the strength of spirit that took root in her at Sweet Briar.

Lastly, a few words about myself, Christine Weerasinghe Hand.

I am finally settled in Brisbane, Australia, after living in England, Switzerland and South Korea. I lectured in management at university for two decades and, then, ran a business until COVID disturbed us. On retirement, I put my hand to writing short stories and published two books last year. Thanks Kate, for running the discussion on my first book through the book club. If you ever come to Australia, please feel free to visit. I love gardening and spending time with my three cats (down from six). I also look forward to expanding our class notes section, so please contact me anytime on gampolanook@gmail.com.

1983 Lee Anne MacKenzie Chaskes 298 Woodlake Circle Deerfield Beach, FL 33442 lachaskes@sbc.edu What a glorious reunion we had: lots of laughter, fun, and heartfelt connections! Always a joy to continue as if no time had passed since last we met! Many were missed. Please plan on returning

to campus for our 45th Reunion in 2028!

Wylie Jameson Small will be serving as Secretary for our class for future Alumnae Magazines.

Wylie is busy this season publishing her THIRD novel, “To Kill a Queen,” which joins previous novels “A Knight’s Duty” and “The Failed Apprentice,” all published

by London-based Sharpe Books.

All are available through Amazon.

Wylie and husband, Stuart, travel between Rochester and their second home on Kiawah Island, S.C., where they enjoy golfing, running, and cycling. They welcomed their first grandchild, Raina Jameson Small, in August 2023.

Sarah Sutton excitedly shares about the remarkable success of the nonprofit, Environment and Culture Partners, she co-founded with a graduate student from the first museum studies class Sarah taught at The George Washington University (2008). The organization supports the culture sector’s museums, zoos and aquariums, gardens and historic sites, as they take climate action for themselves and their communities. As part of that work, Sarah attended the United Nations’ Conference of the Parties in Egypt last November, presenting at an official U.S. Side Event. For the last four years, Sarah has been working out of Tacoma, Wash., where she lives with her son, Parker, and near her son, Taylor. Loving the Pacific Northwest, Sarah is so grateful for Amy Boyce Osaki’s friendship and presence nearby, even if Sarah too rarely gets to come out to play.

Bobbie Serrano Black delights in the blessing of three beautiful grandchildren since 2020, Daisy, Baker, and Nell ... and another grandchild is due this fall.

Life is Good!

The Rev. Canon Percy Grant retired as Canon for Ministry in the Diocese of Ohio in July, after 31 years of ordained ministry.

Percy and her wife relocated to Washington, Maine, and are looking forward to this new phase of life, a time to reconnect with old friends.

Barbara Page attended Reunion with her daughter, Janet Page ’87, and was thrilled to see everyone and receive such a warm welcome. A few of Barbara’s books were highlighted in the SBC library this year.

Attending our 40th Reunion was thrilling and heartwarm-

1983

CLOCKWISE 1. Bobbie Serrano Black’s granddaughter, Nell, in

Atlanta. 2. Bobbie Serrano Black’s granddaughter, Daisy, and grandson, Baker, in Nashville. 3. Wendy Chapin Albert ’83, Eleanor Albert, Annie Albert Delaroderie, and Tolly Albert at the Annual Ronny Maher Memorial Polo Match on July 21, 2023.

4. Sarah Babcock’s macro photo of an ailanthus webworm moth, taken during her Smartphone Photography class with Medford Taylor at Sweet Briar’s Arts & Writing Retreat this past summer. 5. Lucy Hudson Powell, granddaughter of Lucy Chapman Millar ’83. 6. Miriam Baker Morris, Lee Anne MacKenzie Chaskes, Virginia Claus Buyck, and Ellen Clare Gillespie Dreyer. 7. Sarah Babcock’s macro photo of an Red Milkweed Beetle, also taken during the Sweet Briar Summer Arts & Writing Retreat this past summer.

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 75

Class Notes ing for Wendy Chapin Albert!

Wendy and her husband, Tolly, are enjoying having family closer to home since daughter, Annie, and her husband, Thomas, moved from Tallahassee to Richmond. Their daughter, Eleanor, is the Stakes Coordinator for Maryland Racing and works for the Maryland Jockey Club. Tolly and Wendy enjoy traveling and the companionship of their standard poodle.

Tolly continues to love his work at Chapin Davis Investments and Wendy remains active on several boards and loves gardening, daily walks, and photography.

Leslie Malone Berger experienced a busy and wonderful year for her family! Son, Kiernan, married his lovely wife, Madison, in Nashville, N.C. on Nov. 19, 2022. Son, Alex, and his wife, Elena, blessed the Bergers with their first grandchild!

Baby Andrew arrived in February 2023 and Kevin and Leslie have fully embraced their new roles! Daughter, Emilie, loves living in Atlanta and working for Clorox. Retirement is in the near future but Leslie still enjoys her career as a speech language pathologist. Leslie loved seeing so many dear friends at Reunion!

Dr. Elena Quevedo accepted the position of Chief Development Officer with Americans United for Separation of Church and State based in D.C., working remotely, and is thrilled to have joined such a talented group of constitutional and public interest attorneys. Elena has a Quevedo family reunion planned for October in Granada, Spain, and a mother/daughter trip to the Atacama Desert (Chile) and Uyuni Salt Flats (Bolivia) in January. Also, Kim Howell Franklin and Elena are planning a mini 1983 Reunion in April 2024 in the Brandywine Valley/Delaware area. Please join!!

December 2022 was a big month for the Lucy Chapman Millar and family with the arrival of Lucy Hudson Powell, the daughter of Peyton and her husband, Will. First grandchild! Spending time between Atlanta and Bluffton S.C., Lucy is planning a 20th anniversary celebration of her Annie Oakley Shooters group in Atlanta, of which Lucy is a founding member. They organize monthly clay shooting for women and instruction if needed. Who knew blowing up clay pigeons could be so fun and empowering? A fun group of women for sure!

Wedding bells are ringing for

Carol Barlow Schneider! Carol retired from teaching English and theater in May and married Charles, a retired attorney, ten days later. After a honeymoon in New Orleans, they are now figuring out how to combine two households.

Best wishes to the Schneiders!

Sarah Babcock is happy living on her little farm in Richmond, Va., surrounded by animals and (this summer) a giant vegetable garden. She is the Chief of Education & Training at the Richmond SPCA and (among other things) teaches lots of dog agility classes. After having a great time at SBC Reunion 2023, Sarah returned to campus two weeks later for the first ever Sweet Briar Summer Arts and Writing Retreat, during which she took a wonderful iPhone photography class with faculty member, Medford Taylor.

Much fun!! And what a wonderful excuse to explore the campus!

1985

76 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine Fall 2023

Miriam Baker Morris was overjoyed being back at SBC and catching up with everyone at Reunion. Their lake house is finally finished after a pipe burst in March. Her summer had a late start this year! Miriam and husband, Clay, are also enjoying their grandchildren, Margaret (4) and Baker (2). Miriam’s door is always open in Birmingham, Ala. Come visit!!

Lee Anne MacKenzie Chaskes and family celebrated the graduation of son, Will, from W&L Law School in May 2023. Will had a blast at Sweet Briar during Reunion and was deemed “a good date” by all. Husband Rob continues to work from home and play golf (no hole-in-one this year!) Sons, Robert and Adam, are healthy and happy in South Florida and Charleston, S.C., respectively.

The Class of 1983 is beyond proud of classmate, Mary Pope M.

CLOCKWISE 1. Elizabeth Morris Srinivasan (third from right)

at the wedding of her son Christopher. 2. Stacy Zackowski Lukanuski, Karla Kennedy Hicks, her daughter Rebecca, and Martha Shorter Lanier Daughtery at Rebecca’s wedding.

3. Sweet Briar Day at the home of Heidi Belofsky Cromwell.

4. Barbara Tragakis Conner at her new position of Recruitment Director for Franklin and Marshall College.

Hutson, and her recent appointment as interim president of Sweet Briar College. We are confident in her success and commitment to Sweet Briar. Nothing that she cannot do!

1985 DeAnne Blanton 501 E. Riverside Dr. Bridgewater, VA 22812 ddblanton@gmail.com Our Class President, Beth Anderson Kearns, is loving retirement. She earned her first degree black belt in karate, and has traveled to Seattle, Victoria, B.C. and Quebec City this year.

Beth also took part in Sweet Work Weeks this summer. Beth led the Class of ’85 during the Memorial Service in July for our beloved El Warner, who was laid to rest in the Columbarium on Monument Hill. Attending the service were Caperton Morton, Chris Corcoran Trauth, Katie Hearn, DeAnne Blanton, Ellen Carver, Kim Knox Norman, and Heather Beck Frank.

Heidi Belofsky Cromwell hosted a Sweet Briar Day event with President Woo at her farm in Wellington, FL. Ann Martin Gonya is living on a farm near Keswick, Va., which includes an apiary. Her beekeeper also manages the hives at SBC. Mary-Jo Ellis is a project manager for Riverside Iron in Potsdam, N.Y. Jane Cox Childress is the marketing director for Kanuga Retreat in Biltmore Forest, N.C. Barbara Tragakis Conner has a new position in Lancaster, Pa. as Director of Recruitment in the Admission Office at Franklin & Marshall College.

Cheryl Fortin Young is loving being a grandmother in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Elizabeth Morriss Srinivasan is praying for grandchildren in the Brandywine Valley of PA, especially now that son Christopher has married! Wedding bells also rang for Rebecca, daughter of Karla Kennedy Hicks. Martha Shorter Lanier Daughtery and Stacy Zackowski Lukanuski attended the wedding.

Renata Leckszas Davis has been globetrotting this year and will be visiting Germany in the

Class Notes Fall. She and her husband live in Annapolis, Md. Dale Banfield Banning is still in Newport News, Va. She will be traveling to France this Fall with Nancy Ness and Ruthann Holland Zins.

Perry Liles Lucas was diagnosed with ALS in 2022.

Classmates who want to support Perry on her journey may visit her Caringbridge site at www.caringbridge.org/visit/perrylucas.

1987 Verda Michelle Andrews Colvin colvinverda860@gmail.com I am privileged to serve as Class Secretary and write our Class Notes. I am happy I received at least a few more notes!! Sweet Briar is even more beautiful than what we experienced. The grounds, the renovated dorms, the greenhouse, the vineyards and so much more ...

Ann McAllister-Thomas: It is my 10th year as Creator Director at DixonSchwabl.com in Rochester, N.Y. I am enjoying yoga, gardening, and visiting my daughters. I have been staying in touch with Stacy Pae and June Richardson ’86. My daughters, Priscilla, and Grace, have mostly completed graduate school. Priscilla Thomas is loving American University and living in DC. She is looking for work and building her network in her field of Political Communication/Public Policy. She would love to connect with an alumnae living in the DC. area. Grace is in Boston and finished her master’s degree in Public Health and is currently a Fellow at Boston’s Children’s Hospital.

Mary Sue Cate Mayes: I have had a busy year. I celebrated my 33rd year at Iowa State University in style as a research scientist.

I received a professional and scientific research award and am an inaugural member of CLS staff champions who interact with the administration to improve communication with staff. All good things! Larry and I celebrated our 33rd year together and live for the time we spend with our grandson, Theo. It is such a blessing that he and our kids live close by now. Life is good!

1987

June Lee Richardson ’85, Stephanie HardenO’Brien ’87 and Stacy Lee Pae ’87 in San Francisco China Town after a lovely tea.

Lee Carroll Roebuck: I am enjoying life as an empty nester in Baltimore. I have a great gig as a “professional” dog walker, which is so much fun, even in horrible weather. I have switched from coaching girls’ field hockey to coaching girls’ golf and have been playing lots of golf. I serve on the women’s committee for the Maryland State Golf Association, which I really enjoy.

Both of my children have ended up in Charlotte. My son works in Financial IT and my daughter is in year two at Wake Forest School of Medicine and recently married her college sweetheart.

Dr. Anne Ferrell: Hello! I hope this finds everyone well. I have just celebrated my 30th year at Lakes Animal Clinic here in Antioch, Ill. Still very busy, even though I stopped working with large animals some time back.

Other than work, I have been training my dogs to do HRC and AKC hunting tests-luckily there is no time limit and it is pass/fail.

Enjoy keeping up with everyone on Facebook too!!

Stephanie Harden-O’Brien is still loving San Francisco and her morning walks. She enjoys traveling to Texas and New York to visit family. She and Kevin purchased her grandfather’s home and are having fun fixing it up. Her youngest daughter, Cecelia, is a high school senior and college bound! Daughter Coco is graduating from the University of Texas this year. Her son, Westley, graduated from the University of Oregon this year. Stephanie is dabbling in event planning and substitute teaching. She visited

with Stacy Lee Pae ’87 and her sister June Lee Richardson ’85.

Stephanie hopes to reunite with Brook von Maur, Kelly Brown, Stacy Sickels ’88, and Cece Gunn.

As for me, Verda Andrews Colvin, I am now fully settled on Georgia’s highest state court and continuing all my community service, which feeds my soul and is truly my life’s purpose. My son, Weston, is a Project Manager and learning a lot as he continues finding his path. My daughter, Taylor, is entering her Junior year at Trine University and already studying for the LSAT. I never would have expected she would follow my path. I absolutely love sharing all our class notes. This time we doubled the notes ... let’s triple, quadruple, and sextuple our notes next time. Vixen class of 1987—YOU ROCK!!

1991 Carey A. Bates 65 Railroad Avenue Apt 1B Milford, CT 06460 c.bates.c@gmail.com Karen Hott: Because All Roads Lead to Sweet Briar, nearly all of my interior design projects are connected to SBC friends. This past Spring, we had a fun mini-reunion in Aiken to attend the Annual Horse Show at Hitchcock Woods.

We had such a fun dinner at Beth Hensley Martin’s house that we never got a photo! Also, Leigh Ann White ’86, Kathy Barkley ’87, Girl Conger-Wolcott ’87, Laura Ferrazzano ’88 and Katherine Martin ’21 were there.

I have also recently joined the Georgia Chapter of the American Society for Interior Designers (ASID) to continue to make community connections and to promote the interior design profession.

Elliott Pitts: I still love living in beautiful Maine. I spent all summer out on Squirrel Island, where I serve as the Chapel Association President. I still work as a fundraising consultant and coach for children’s hospitals, which keeps me out and on the road. I was lucky enough to spend a laughter-filled January weekend with Beth Robinson Dean, Mamie Farmer Farley, Christine Flint Canterbury, Anne Crow

Galanides, and Dawn Monahan Nelson (Brice McRae Tunison, you were missed)! Another outing is planned for a Camino de Santiago (the old way) hike this fall. Finally, and most exciting, my postcard was FINALLY pulled and I went to The Lost Kitchen in May. Keep sending in those postcards, ladies; it’s worth the wait!

Cathy Tavi Goslau Rainold: Unfortunately, I had a year of loss in 2022. My beloved horse, Almond Joy, had to be put down after a freak accident. My second father, who took care of me all through my SBC years, passed away. I did step down from teaching and I am now in the home furnishings business.

My Colorado family is well! AJ (15) is now driving. He got his first paid job this summer and made the varsity wrestling team as a freshman and is thriving in the sport. Harriott Hoffman ’92 lives near me, so it has been a blast hanging out with her!

Christine Flint Canterbury: I have been living in Austin for 14 years with my husband, Joe (W&L ’91). We became empty nesters last year. Our son graduated from West Point and is now serving at Ft. Bragg. Our middle daughter just graduated from Trinity University and is headed to W&L Law School. Her dad is over the moon! Our youngest is a rising sophomore at the University of Arkansas and loves Fayetteville.

I had an amazing reunion last January with dear SBC friends: Dawn Monahan Nelson, Mamie Farmer Farley, Beth Robinson Dean, Anne Crow Galinides, and Elliott Pitts. When we are together, I feel 20 again!

Nandini Sett: After my mother passed away on April 14, 2023, I am absolutely single. I live alone, reading books written in English and Bengali. I have booked a holiday to Rajasthan for September 2023. There, I am looking forward to seeing forts, palaces and other sites. The highlight of the holiday will be seeing and riding camels against sand dunes. Rajasthan has a lot of history. Hence, while in India, I recommend you all to spend a few days there. You can board “The Palace On Wheels.”

Joan Clickner: I spent June 2023 on an exciting trip through Europe with my 16-year-old daughter, Georgia. We spent five weeks swimming, hiking, and exploring towns and local cuisine in beautiful parts of

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 77

Class Notes

1991

CLOCKWISE 1. Joan Dabney Clickner and daughter, Georgia, in

Omis, Croatia. 2. Beth Robinson Dean, Mamie Farmer Farley, Christine Flint Canterbury, Anne Crow Galanides, Dawn Monahan Nelson and Elliott Pitts during their January reunion weekend. 3. Karen Hott and roommate/classmate Stephanie Banton Troutman ’91. We’ve promised to visit more often!

4. Karen Hott and classmate, Allene Doucette, at her son Alistair’s lacrosse game in North Atlanta.

France, Germany, Italy, Austria, and Croatia, making wonderful memories to last a lifetime. I urge everyone to join the quarterly class zoom gatherings (shared via email and the Sweet Briar Class of 1991 Facebook group), which are a lovely opportunity to reconnect and support old friends.

D’Andra Simmons: My husband, Jeremy Lock, and I are finally moving to our new home in the Preston Hollow area of Dallas next week, after three years of a huge renovation project. We are excited to get in and enjoy the outdoor space as it is on an acre of land and has a studio indoors.

I am still running my businesses Hard Night Good Morning skin care and Ultimate Living nutrition company. I finished the Executive Program at Dallas College Culinary School this summer. I am doing competition cooking in BBQ and live-fire private chef dinners, plus my acting!

Victoria Campo Byrd: Hi to everyone! I cannot believe how time flies so fast! Gar and I are still in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Our oldest son, Garnett, just graduated from W&L and will start his aerospace

engineering Master’s at Purdue in the fall. Our middle daughter, Ellie, comes home from a summer abroad in Ireland this week and will start her third year at UVA in Aug. Our youngest, Caroline, has verbally committed to play D1 lacrosse at the University of Michigan and will be a senior in high school this fall. Loved catching up with Cara Ardemagni ’92 and her daughter, who were seeing colleges this spring.

Mary Lanford Price: Tim and I are empty nesters this fall!

Ren is attending Bard College in New York and Elaine is attending Dickinson College in Pennsylvania. I stay busy with my work as development writer for the VMI Alumni Agencies, and I’ve also been hired to teach freshman composition at VMI this fall. I love VMI (it’s my Dad’s alma mater), but I miss my SBC classmates.

Here’s hoping we’ll have a good turnout at our next reunion!

Amy Lemieux: Our Victoria got married in March on a mountain top in Colorado. Anyone who is planning a wedding and needs to vent, give me a call. I’ll listen and make you laugh. Reminder ladies,

78 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine Fall 2023

I’m still looking for Reunion pictures from each year for a collage at our next Reunion. Frank and I are still in northeast Maryland.

Remember: if you’re traveling on 95 and need a break, we’re 8 minutes off exit 100.

Allene (Al) Doucette: We’re still in Pensacola, Fla. Alastair (almost 17) is a junior this year, running cross country and playing lacrosse. Hopefully, he will be an Eagle Scout soon. Billy is flying for Chevron and I manage to stay busy running the house, volunteering and staying sane by being creative.

Spending time with SBC classmates was a highlight of my year. I saw Karen Hott in Georgia and Penny Tadler and Judith Kobliska Goetz in New York. Cheers!

Connie Gehrman: I just had my 31st year anniversary at WTW. We sold our house in Raleigh, N.C., and made the move out to Wrightsville Beach, where we have fully embraced the Salt Life.

Jennifer Gregg: All is well in Vermont. I lead the global total rewards function for a terrific science and technology company (Cytiva). Tawnya and I continue to get in as much golf, gardening, and travel as possible. Recent adventures took us to Aruba, Czech Republic, England, and Wales. Our four-leggeds Finn (18), Watts (12), and George (3) keep us active with trips between the vet and daycare.

If only they could drive themselves!

Carey Bates: Life in Connecticut is great! Lots of fishing, including trips to Sheepshead Bay to fish in Long Island Sound.

Didn’t get to Maine this year to tackle (pun intended) the 50lb stripers reported up there, unfortunately. Not much golf this summer due to elbow surgery last October, but making new friends and bought a fishing kayak!

I recently saw Amber Hollis Vellenga, Margo Ten Broeck and Rebecca Carle ’92 in DC. I also speak with Suzanne Petrie Liscouski occasionally. Looking forward to seeing everyone on our next class zoom and at Reunion!

1993 classnotes@sbc.edu Norma Bulls Valentine: Great seeing everyone at our 30th Reunion!

Nancy Bulls and I still are busy doing real estate—in Wellington, Fla., and busy with horses on the farm in Aiken, S.C. I’m still on the Board at Sweet Briar. It’s been wonderful seeing all the wonderful things going at Sweet Briar & catching up with Mimi Davies Wroten when I’m on campus. Recently saw Tracy Imse Thomson.

Sisi Zirkle Carroll: It’s been a great year here in Montana.

My husband Wil and I are loving running the boys around (now all three are in high school) for various sports and activities. When I’m not selling my family’s wine (Richard Böcking Wines) in the US, I am in Germany at the winery, running the business with my father. I LOVED reconnecting with so many classmates at Reunion in June. It was a great weekend. SBC is truly flourishing: I took special note of the terrific SBC wines and vineyard. Please look me up if you find yourselves in Montana.

2001 Sarah Houston Kenning 2192 Monterey Drive NW Atlanta, Georgia 30318 sarah_e_houston@yahoo.com Gwen Wray-Samans is relocating with her family to Ocoee, Fla., to pursue her certification as a

1993 Sabryna McClung

Roberson and Norma Bulls Valentine at Reunion.

Class Notes

1995

LEFT Sarah Weaver and family.

RIGHT Heather Aspinwall Chiles, wrinkled Flat-Pearl ’95,

Stephanie Pearson Davis, Katie Maxwell Schellhammer, and Anna Reilly.

Montessori Secondary teacher.

Jennifer Lauren Salapaka writes that since graduating from SBC, she has been to 35 countries, living for a long time overseas. She is now living in balmy Los Angeles, Calif., and is the proud owner of Life Guidance Publishing. She reports that Life Guidance Angel is her brand and that she is also a life coach and author. Her first book, “Lipstick Nomad” was published in 2008. Since then, she has written the “Life Guidance Angel Enchanting Unicorn Planner,” “Life Guidance Angel Gratitude Journal,” “Inspiring Quotes for the Poetic Soul,” and “Little Black Book of Love.” She is planning a book launch for “Mission Mermaid Coloring & Activity Book,” and a book for fatherless daughters.

Sarah Belanger Levinson and Nicole Redwine, along with their families, traveled through Virginia this past fall and spring. Both spent time at SBC and visited with Dawn Martin in Lynchburg. Dawn also spent time with Sarah Quortrup ’02 when she evacuated from Hurricane Ian. Luckily, there was only minor damage to her outdoor plants.

Dawn is still working in commercial insurance and trying to grow her business—Click2Bind Insurance.

I, Sarah Houston Kenning, am still hanging out with the usual crew and am excited to fly to Miami in September with Nicole Redwine to visit with Christine Rangel.

Since moving to Atlanta, I have had a chance to visit with many SBC classmates and connect with other alums in the area. Recently, the very funny and talented Amy Gibbs Brown ’99, performed her Nerdy Dirty Comedy routine for an event Nicole and I planned. Amy also has a weekly

podcast, Nerdy For, which is always a guaranteed laugh. My niece, Emily Dixon ’23, graduated from SBC this spring and it was such a pleasure to see her walk across the same stage that we did just 22 years prior.

2003 Jane McKenzie Davis 611 Mann Lane Shipman, VA 22971 jmd03.sbc@gmail.com The Class of 2003 celebrated their 20th Reunion in June with 36 classmates coming back to the College. It was great to be together and we missed all of you who could not attend so start thinking about our 25th reunion in 2028!

On July 18, the Class of 2003 held a Virtual Class Election.

The following classmates agreed to serve as class officers for the next five years: Julia Schmitz as President, Nicole Crowder, and Jade Boardman as co-Fund Agents, Kim Martin Tecklenburg as Social Media Secretary, Angelique Milone Dodson as Stewardship Officer, and Jane McKenzie Davis as Class Secretary. Carrie Speck joined the call and encouraged participation by all!

Shirley Pinson Hendricks and Courtney Pfaff Kimble loved being at the College for Reunion and seeing their classmates so much that they extended their reunion when their families spent time in Santa Maria Island, Fla. They enjoyed boating around town and enjoying the sights of the beau-

tiful Gulf Coast! They are currently planning another trip for some time next year!

Shirley Pinson Hendricks is back to school, teaching sixth and seventh grade social studies and loves it!

Jade Boardman shares that she thoroughly enjoyed the 20th Reunion and loved seeing the College thriving and continuing to change with the times.

Carolyn Eney Miller, Allison Albanis Strohmeyer and Blair Baigent Gordon had a mini reunion when they met up for a whirlwind girl’s weekend in NYC in March. Their daughters accompanied them and cannot wait to do it again!

Nicole Crowder, Olevia Neary and Jane McKenzie Davis were back at the College in July when they participated in Sweet Work Weeks. Their special skills included painting dorm rooms and landscaping the College. We missed seeing Kristin Farris Bergquist, who is always a regular, and the many others who have volunteered at Sweet Work Weeks! Be on the lookout for this fun and reward-

2003

ing opportunity each year!

Michaela Krohn is still living her best life as the owner/operator of a chiropractic clinic in Fairbanks, Alaska. Michaela and her Border Collie, Wynn, earned a spot on the prestigious Agility world team and traveled to Austria to represent the U.S. last fall in an international competition, where they came in 6th place. Based on that placement, they were invited to come to England to compete at Crufts in March, where they qualified for Finals. Most recently, they traveled to Ohio and won their category at the AKC Premier Cup competition.

Christine Nail went back to school for an MS. Ed. with a specialization in autism from Nazareth College and graduated in 2022.

She now teaches 18 to 21-year-old students daily living and employment skills, and absolutely loves her work. Husband, Josh Beisker, is a partner at Underberg & Kessler.

They live in New York with their two teenage boys. Christine still enjoys hiking, camping, and using the skills she learned in the Sweet Briar Outdoor Program, SWEBOP. Kylene Smith DeFrate shared that it was great to be back on cam-

CLOCKWISE 1. Carolyn Eney Miller, Allison Albanis Strohmeyer

and Blair Baigent Gordon with their daughters in NYC. 2. Michaela Krohn and her Border Collie, Wynn, earned a spot on the prestigious Agility world team and have been competing internationally. 3/4. Megan Ogborn, Jade Boardman, Jane McKenzie—May 2003 and then again in June 2023 at our 20th Reunion!

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 79

Class Notes pus for the 20th Reunion! Kylene and her family have lived outside St Louis, Mo., since 2020 and enjoys seeing fellow alumna and former Lacrosse teammate Sarah Bellanger Levinson ’01 as often as we can. “Sarah-Bell” welcomed Kylene with open arms just weeks after the move and solidified for Kylene, once again, that there is nothing like our alumnae network!

Kylene recently finished a workforce development program called LaunchCode, learning several programming languages and using the program to help break into the tech field. After 20 years of working in the mental health/ social work field, it is a welcomed change. Kylene reports that she and her family are really enjoying the midwest and exploring all the different greenways and rivers; but hopes to be back on the east coast one day and, most importantly, within 20 mins from the ocean. HAHA!! Kylene has two grade school children, Stanley, in 4th grade and Wren, just started kindergarten.

As for me, Jane McKenzie Davis, I will start the Leadership Coaching for Organizational Wellbeing program at George Mason University in September.

The five-month experiential program emphasizes strengths-based approaches and methodologies to deepen self-awareness, develop coaching presence, and facilitate organizational well-being. I am excited to get started!

celebration with friends in Las Vegas this September!

Brentz Basten East: Just had a lovely weekend with Tamara Himelright Helton, Cat Brumley, and Lauren Byrne ’04. It’s always nice to relax with friends! Matt and I just celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary!

My shoulder, which was injured while playing tennis, is finally better after 3 surgeries! Rosa (15) hurt her shoulder swimming, and is on the mend after surgery this summer. William (12) is loving Boy Scouts and Rosa is loving Girl Scouts. Matt is an assistant Scoutmaster and I am a Girl Scout Co-Leader. Rosa is working on her Gold Award and William is

2005 Hilary Cook hilary.c.cook@gmail.com Savannah Humphrey Long: Mike and I moved into our dream home last year, on the 14th hole of the Thorncreek Golf Course! Every day is a vacation!

We got a third kitten (Da Baby).

My real estate career has been phenomenal; I love helping my clients achieve their dreams—it’s challenging in the best way and so fulfilling! I am an active member of the Junior League of Denver, a women’s philanthropic organization, and I procure items for our fundraising auctions. I am busily planning our 10-year vow renewals and MEGA 40th birthday

2005

80 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine Fall 2023

TOP Savannah

Humphrey Long— happy homeowners!

BOT TOM Mindy Wolfrom and her husband, Stan Tsai, at their wedding in Santa Barbara, Calif. on May 28th, 2023.

working towards Star Scout. Lots of camping and badge fun!

Mindy Wolfrom: After 5 years of teaching Latin & Greek at Taipei American School in Taiwan, I moved to Toronto, Canada, with my husband, Stan Tsai. We were married May 28th, 2023, in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Casey Knapp: I still call Milwaukee home, but I spend about half my time in Chicago with my wonderful partner, Steven. I am a partner at Foley & Lardner, LLP and was recently recognized in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business and The Best Lawyers in America (2023). My kids, Charlie (13) and Hadley (10), are continuing to grow up—please make time stop! The whole crew is looking forward to skiing around the country this winter and then heading to Belize to celebrate my 40th birthday and the kids’ middle and elementary school “graduation” year!

Hilary Cooper Cook: First, HAPPY 40TH BIRTHDAYS TO OUR CLASS!!! Matt and I have now been in Dallas for 10 years and can officially call this home (we’re Texish). I started a new job at Marriott International leading global Marketing Personalization and Operations. Kimblery McDonald, Lori Giguere, Ashley Oakley and I will be enjoying the perks of Marriott in October when we celebrate our 40th birthdays in Mexico.

Jennifer Woodson Morton: I am starting my 15th year teaching Spanish. I finished my library degree in May 2023 and plan to move into the library at Altavista Combined School in the near future. My daughter, Chloe, and I moved to Hurt, Va. in January 2022. Chloe is starting 7th grade and loves writing, drawing, and playing clarinet. Savannah Humphrey Long visited for a housewarming/ paint weekend in February 2022.

Savannah and I are planning another meet-up in September.

2007 Caitlin Ashley-Lizarraga Elsa Cannon SweetBriarClassof2007@gmail.com It is hard to believe it was just a year ago that we celebrated our 15th Reunion at SBC. A year later, we are all just as busy: starting new jobs, running after little ones, and taking on new skills.

Danielle Briggs-Hansen Chase just celebrated her daughter’s third birthday. She’s still working at Esri and living in Olympia, Wash. In her spare time, she is working on house projects/ renovations, volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, attending classic car shows and coordinating play dates.

On March 16, Ferrell Lyles Pollard married her best friend, James Pollard, in Jackson, Wyo. The couple were surrounded by their immediate families and closest friends. Jennifer Wolf Smith and her husband, Alan, were there to help celebrate. The newlyweds live in St. Petersburg, Fla. She adds, “if anyone is around, we would love to see you!”

Rebekah McSpadden and Ruban welcomed their first child, Bodhi Winship Burger, on May 5. Rebekah is still a second grade teacher in Oregon, but is on extended maternity leave.

In November 2022, Theresa Jorgensen Addison got a job at the Pittsburgh Glass Center as the new Hot and Cold Glass Coordinator! The Pittsburgh Glass Center is one of the largest nonprofit, public access glass studios that offers glass education in multiple types of studios and rental space for artists in the area.

She is happy to be blowing glass for her own artist expression, as well as teaching new glassmakers.

Laura Schaefer Grace writes, “The thing about being middle-age is that there aren’t a lot of exciting details! Same house, same pets, same job (Energy Trust of Oregon) and excited to make it through Pre-K & fourth grade school years.

The summer went by too fast. I did get in a quick visit with Margaret Loebe ’06 in Michigan and my annual visit to Maryland to see Rachel Reynolds Baxtresser had a special guest this year—

Class Notes

2007

CLOCKWISE 1. Danielle Briggs-Hansen Chase with husband

celebrating her daughter’s third birthday. 2. Rebekah McSpadden with her first child, Bodhi Winship Burger, born on May 5, 2023. 3. Eleanor O’Connor with new and old friends at Sweet Work Week. Pictured left to right: Eleanor O’Connor, Kerry Coleman-Proksch ’97, Michelle Badger ’06, Nicole Crowder ’03, and Annamarie Spencer ’13. 4. Ferrell Lyles Pollard with husband, James Pollard on their wedding day in Jackson, Wyo. 5. Lisa Wolff on her summer girls trip to Isle Royale, Mich. 6. Ferrell Lyles Pollard on her wedding day with good friends Jennifer Wolf Smith and Adam Smith.

Maggie Saylor Patrick!”

Lisa Wolff has been keeping busy this summer with lots of sailing, including a girls’ trip to Isle Royale, Mich. It was a 22-hour voyage to cross the “big sea water” Gitchi Gami. She writes, “[It was] so worth it! From fox, to moose, to otter, the wild island was such a treat to visit! The next exciting step in life is that all three boys will be in school full time this year! Time flies!”

Eleanor O’Connor writes, “In April 2023, my husband and I took our long awaited Mediterranean cruise. We had a wonderful time and toured amazing wineries in Provence, France and Tuscany, Italy. In July, I spent five days on campus for Sweet Work Weeks. I really enjoyed meeting alumnae from the 1960s through the 2020s. I even got to paint my junior year room in Grammer—what a flashback! I hope more 2007s will consider joining the fun next summer.”

After guest teaching at Baylor University for a semester in the spring, Emily Olson moved to Kerrville, Texas, in August and began a new job as the Director of Youth Programming at Playhouse 2000, a non-profit community theatre. She looks forward to new adventures there and to exploring the Texas Hill Country and nearby San Antonio with family and friends who come to visit.

Kimberley Battad shares: “Hello classmates! Hope you are all well. I am still in Portland, Ore. and really loving the Pacific Northwest!

I recently left my job at Northwest Perinatal Center for an exciting opportunity with The Oregon Clinic working with their surgery department! It’s a lot of new things to learn, but I am looking forward to growing into a new role and working with some great people.

I am also continuing to volunteer with local theatres in the area (finally in person again!). In the next year, I am hoping to continue to grow my community outreach program, Sweet Lemonade Productions, which brings local artists to local nursing homes. The goal is to file for nonprofit status sometime soon.”

Elsa Mittelholtz Cannon started a new job in August 2023, going back to her roots as conference planner, for a small nursing association. She and her family visited Minnesota this past summer. Elsa was excited to share

similar memories from her favorite summer trips growing up with her husband and children.

2009 Jenny Walkiewicz Dill 13938 SW Crist Court Tigard, OR 97223 Jenny.Dill11@gmail.com Erin Coppersmith Aitken and her husband, Thomas, welcomed their fourth child, a daughter, Talan Erin, on Sept. 13, 2022. They live in Walnut Creek, Calif., with their daughter, and three sons, Declan, Nolan and Whelan Mary Susan SinclairKuenning is expecting her first child with her husband, Jim Flanagan! It is a baby boy due Jan. 11. They are thrilled and both she and the baby are doing great.

Brooke Agee has a new job with American Marketing and Publishing, which is a partner with Google. She is loving her new position as she is able to help small businesses with their online visibility and reputation management. She still has horses, cats and dogs, and is living in the Charlottesville area.

Nikki Stabler gave a TEDx Talk in April, called “The Power of Doubt.” Interestingly she had to completely change her topic two weeks before the event because the organizing committee would not let her give her original talk on cults.

She rewrote the talk but it wasn’t quite right. The final version was finished only 24 hours before she gave it!

Heather Theunissen Gregg and her family welcomed their third child, Crew, to the family in September 2022. They spend their weekends outdoors, hiking and corralling three kids and two dogs! It’s quite the circus but they’re super thankful for it all!

In 2021, Jessica Baker completed an M.P.H. at George Washington University in DC. Shortly after, she started a new position as a communications specialist with FHI 360, an international development organization.

Through this role, she had the good fortune to travel to South Africa for the first time and looks forward to future travel opportunities. During the pandemic, her sister, Ashley

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 81

Class Notes

2009

CLOCKWISE 1. Erin Coppersmith Aitken ’09 with her husband

Thomas and their four children—Declan, Nolan, Whelan, and Talan. 2. Heather Theunissen Gregg ’09 with her husband Brad and their family—Harlow (2.5), Brooks (4), Crew (1) and their two dogs Willa and Bubba. 3. Brooke Agee ’09 with her friend, Krystle Myer. 4. Nikki Stabler ’09 giving a TEDx Talk in April on “The Power of Doubt”.

Baker ’15, moved to Switzerland.

Jessica has been able to visit her twice and Ashley has shown her around the truly stunning Alps. A little closer to home, she has been able to visit Liz Zuckerman in Philadelphia. They have a tendency to spend their visits as good English majors do: visiting bookshops!

Jessica continues to live in the DC area. She is happy and lucky to be well, and hopes all the best for her fellow 2009 classmates.

I, Jenny Walkiewicz Dill, will be starting a new job this fall! I will be working at my daughters’ school and am really looking forward to it.

My daughter, Alexa (7), starts 2nd grade and my daughter, Emmeline (3), will be in preschool. We have stayed close to home this year and finally completed all the remodels on our house; it only took us 7 years! I am REALLY looking forward to our 15th Reunion in June and hope to see all my 2009 sisters there! Holla, holla!

dogs, vegetables, a pony, and a horse. Breadmaking, canning, and spending time with family and friends. Finding peace in the mundane. Lots of painting, boating, and pool time planned for the rest of summer. Thinking about teaching myself to knit this winter, continuing to build my old lady vibes.

Kaitlin Eckenberger Stephens (Submitted by Matt Stephens H-SC ’13, Kaitlin’s husband): I could not be prouder of Kaitlin with everything she has accomplished in her young career. I am proud to say Kaitlin has recently been promoted to the North American Health Leader, Benefits Strategy, Design & Delivery Team Lead for IBM. Kaitlin from the bottom of my heart, we love you and couldn’t be prouder. Love, Matt, Bear, & Weston.

Elizabeth Hansbrough Riley: My husband, Jackson, and I love living in Cary, N.C., with our dog, Daisy. We’ve had a great year so far with two family weddings in Calif., a mission trip to Guatemala with our church, as well as receiving accolades and promotions at work. I had so much fun at our 10-year reunion in June and so excited that the class is finding new ways to reconnect!

Margaret Johnson: In January, I started a new job as the US Corporate Communications

Lead for Oncology at Sanofi in Cambridge, Mass.

Whitney Waller Davis: My family just moved back from living a year abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark. We’re settling into life here in Cary, N.C., again and expecting our second child in early October. Our oldest son, Alden, is 4 years old. I’m currently staying home with the kids, as we make the transition to life stateside and adding a new member to our family.

Cody Anders Gross: In May, my family and I ended our time at Fort Cavazos (Hood), Texas.

I was awarded the National Infantry Association’s Shield of Sparta (Heroine of the Infantry), Yellow Rose of Texas, and Public Service Commendation Medal for my volunteer work with the Troopers and leadership with the spouses of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment. My family and I will be stationed at Fort Knox, Ky., for the next two years.

Sarah Lindemann Richardson: Sarah married her sweetheart of the past seven years, Dan, in Highlands, N.C., on May 5, 2023. They met in 2015 and enjoy traveling, paddling, and hiking together. They are both vintage audiophiles and together have an impressive collection of 1970s highend audio gear. Sarah and Dan own a home in Louisa, Va., on 20+ acres

2013 Jackie Montero-Sharpe jackiermontero@gmail.com Sarah Lindemann Richardson sarahmlindemann@gmail.com Jackie Montero-Sharpe: Last October, Jackie and Sarah Lindemann Richardson went on a foxhunting trip to Ireland and had an absolute blast! It was amazing sharing this experience with a Sweet Briar sister. They are planning on returning to Ireland for more horse adventures in 2024.

Jackie also purchased a very sweet Thoroughbred named “Wendell” this past January. They are enjoying trail riding, and competing in the hunters at local shows.

Ann Roach Dodge: Enjoying life ten years post-graduation.

Raising a daughter, chickens, two

82 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine Fall 2023

2013

CLOCKWISE 1. Maddie Hodges Rodriguez with her husband,

Major Andrew Rodriguez, and 3 kids, Amelia (7), Abraham (6) and Jett (3). 2. Annamarie Lichtenberg Spencer’s Sweet Work Weeks photo. 3. Julie Moorhead Devine with her husband Jack, one and a half year old daughter Violet. 4. Ali Davidson.

Class Notes

2013

CLOCKWISE 1. Alumnae Ann Roach Dodge ’13 and Victoria Mills Ramsey ’13 vacationing in Ocracoke Island, North Carolina. 2. Jessica Murphy

’13 with her fiancé Austin Oliver and their basset hound, Dolly. 3. Cody Anders Gross and family. 4. Sarah Lindemann Richardson (L) and Jackie Montero-Sharpe (R) about before hunting with the Sligo Harriers in Ireland. 5. Jackie Montero-Sharpe and Wendell. 6. Dani and her son Gavin after celebrating his birthday with cake! 7. Fenness Gough recently got engaged and will be marrying Philip Coelho.

and celebrated their marriage with friends and family (including Sweet Briar alumnae!) at a gathering at their home in October. Sarah is thrilled to be back in the saddle and is leasing a Westphalian gelding (“Pacific Storm” aka Winnie) who is introducing her to eventing. Sarah is chronicling their adventures on Instagram on the profile @sarahrichardsoneventing and would love to connect with other alumnae who event or foxhunt, as she has a newfound appreciation for the sport after traveling to Ireland last October to hunt with Jackie Montero-Sharpe.

Dani Humphrey Daniels: After a fun-filled year living in Nashville, Dani and her family have relocated to Noblesville, Ind. (outside of Indianapolis)!

Her husband, Tim, is pursuing an R.N. to C.R.N.A. degree, so they’ve moved a lot. Recently, they enjoyed celebrating their son, Gavin, on surviving his first year of life back in June and their seventh year wedding anniversary on July 2! They have started getting accustomed to the larger city life once again and welcome

any vixens to Indianapolis.

Ali Davidson: Ali is currently spending half of the year on our farm in Wellington, Fla., and the other half on a recently-purchased farm in Lexington, Ky., working with horses.

Jenness Gough: Jenness recently got engaged and will be marrying Philip Coelho in June 2024. She also started a new job as the Director of Marketing & Client Relations for OfficeSource, Ltd. Maddie Hodges Rodriguez: Maddie currently resides in West Point, N.Y. with her husband, Major Andrew Rodriguez, and three kids, Amelia (7), Abraham (6) and Jett (3). In her time away from her family, she volunteers on the board of the West Point Spouses Club, planning events for the military community and their families.

She, most of all, loves using her Art History degree while volunteering at the West Point Museum. Her guest room is always available for anyone who loves to shout, “Go Army! Beat Navy!”

Julie Moorhead Devine: Julie has been settling into a new job as Professional Staff

handling aviation policy on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee of the U.S House of Representatives. She is currently working with her colleagues to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration. She has also moved into a new home in Falls Church, Va., with her husband, Jack, daughter, Violet (1.5), and their feisty dachshund, Marley.

Jessica Murphy: I moved to Stillwater, Okla., and am in my second year at Oklahoma State University as the Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance. In February 2023, I got engaged to Austin Oliver. We are planning to get married in Oklahoma in June 2024.

Brianna Belter: I have been the Associate Director of Riding at St. Timothy’s School, just outside of Baltimore, Md., for the past eight years! I have a dog named Charlie.

I was lucky enough to attend our reunion at SBC this year and loved getting to spend time with many classmates I haven’t seen since graduation, as well as meeting new friends from different classes!

Annamarie Lichtenberg Spencer: Annamarie had a terribly

bad no good 2022. However, with help from many of her Sweet Briar sisters, she made it through. She thanks: SM and AC (c/o13), RM (c/o 14) and AC (c/o10) specifically. She attended the class of 2013’s 10th Reunion. It was a dose of good Sweet medicine. She loved making new memories with those who were able to attend and missed those who couldn’t. She also attended Sweet Work Weeks this past summer. Victoria was there as well. She recommends it to everyone. Other than that, life in Pittsburgh is what it is.

2015 Amber MacKay amberlmackay@gmail.com Rebecca Matheson has had several changes over the summer. She finally changed her last name to her husband’s and they welcomed a second baby into the world on July 4th.

She continues to live in Alabama wishing for cooler weather.

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 83

Class Notes Jesse Schaaf graduated from Baker University this past May with a M.S. in Student Affairs for Leadership in Higher Ed. Caitlin Daniel is currently living in Mechanicsville, Va., and very busy with her two businesses, The Brave Girl Collective and Cedar and Saltwater Co. Both of which have enabled her to re-engage her creative side. She, recently, was on campus in the spring to sell her products at a campus Farmer’s Market, and loved being back on campus with everyone. When she is not busy with her businesses, she enjoys playing with her dog, Bear, spending time with friends and family, FaceTiming SBC friends, and advocating for patients with chronic illnesses and disabilities.

Kim Orchowski Quinn and husband, Kyle Quinn, welcomed a precious baby boy into the world in May of 2023. They are living their fun city life in Baltimore but are anxiously waiting for the rates to go down to move to the suburbs.

Epiphany Soward married Shaun VandeBogart in April.

Together they have enjoyed traveling to the shore and mountains of N.C., kayaking the local waterways, volunteering for Sweet Work Weeks, and finding secondhand treasures in antique stores. They are happily adjusting to married life.

Erin Geiersbach Gavlek married her husband, Eric, in November 2022. She is eternally grateful for the unwavering support she received from her Sweet Briar sister and maid of honor, Mayalin Quiñones ’16, who somehow managed to keep her sane throughout the planning process. The couple is looking forward to celebrating their first anniversary in Antigua.

2019 Cecilia Mahan 100 Sudbury Street Unit 303 Boston, MA 02114 Mahan19@sbc.edu Cecilia graduated from law school and earned a Master’s degree in accounting. She took the Massachusetts Bar Exam in July before moving to Boston. She will work at an accounting firm and is excited to join the Boston Alumnae Club!

Caroline Thomas and her husband, Riley, celebrated their one-year anniversary this spring and have made a move with their two dogs from Maryland to Charleston, S.C. She made a career change and is currently enrolled at the Charleston School of Law in pursuit of a law degree. Please reach out if you are in the area!

Emily Schlosberg is still in the process of completing her residency to become a licensed therapist!

She has recently been promoted to completing diagnostic assessments and moving to outpatient therapy.

She will sit for her board exam in the next six months. She also picked up a side hustle, and is teaching pure barre classes at the three studios in Richmond! She is happy to say she recently moved into a town home in Short Pump as well.

Nicole Sabovik and Jackie Montero-Sharpe ’13 have been spending lots of time riding around the Goochland area.

Mikia Hundley recently welcomed a new addition to the family. On Oct. 29, Brinson Heath Holloway was born, weighing 8lbs

2015 LEFT Bride Erin Geiersbach with her Sweet Briar sisters (L-R)

Charlotte von Claparède-Crola, Ashlynn Watson Compton, Mayalin Quiñones, Tristin Burke, Jacqueline Burke, and Katherine Brown Haring.

RIGHT Erin Geiersbach and husband, Eric, on their wedding day.

84 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine Fall 2023

2019 LEF T Nicole Sabovik ’19 (left) and Jackie Montero-Sharpe ’13 (right). RIGHT Brinson Heath Holloway.

8oz. She says he’s the happiest baby you’ll ever meet. He smiles and claps for everyone. He loves to spend time outside and play with his dogs, cats, and horses.

She thinks he’ll quickly become the Vixens’ biggest fan and looks forward to introducing him to all her Sweet Briar sisters.

2021 Bea Wray 1824 Duke of Gloucester St. Colonial Hts. VA, 23834 wray21@sbc.edu Rania AlJak is currently living in her first studio apartment in Chicago, working as a Model Risk Governance Analyst at Interactive Brokers, but really misses Virginia, especially Sweet Briar. She plans on going to grad school part-time to study her passion, Bayesian statistics.

Since graduation, Julia Bell has moved to Richmond, Va., and has started working for Summer Springboard, an educational travel company. She also recently attended a wedding to celebrate her Sweet Briar classmate and best friend, Taylor Allen ’20, and her husband, Will Milburn. It was such a treat for her to celebrate with fellow Sweet Briar sisters.

Madison Harpham got married in October 2022! She also started a Master’s program at George Mason University in Applied Behavior Analysis.

Mỹ-Xuân Hillengas studied 940+ hours in Tokyo, Japan, at KCP (Knowledge Coexistence Peace) International Language

School. Back in the U.S. for graduate school at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign to study East Asian Languages and Political Science.

In 2022, Lauren Phillips Laferriere moved to Florida and married her husband, Reese, after five years of long-distance dating. While they were wed in a courthouse in February, they later had a wedding reception in Virginia that fall. Standing alongside her as her bridesmaids were Abigail de Leon and Natalie Carroll.

Angel Lindberg passed her Fundamentals of Engineering Exam and is currently applying for her EIT (Engineer-InTraining) certification, as she works towards her Professional Engineer license. Angel also got engaged to her boyfriend of four years this past spring and is looking forward to wedding planning!

Rachel Logan has been accepted into Virginia Tech— Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences Master’s program at the Wake Forest location!

Bea Wray has been accepted and is attending the University of North Carolina Greensboro.

They will be getting their master’s in Library and Information Science, focusing on Archives and Historic Preservation. Bea will be living in Greensboro during their time as a student.

Class Notes

Send in your news!

New career? New baby? New adventure? Update your class secretary or visit sbc.edu/magazine to submit your notes through our online form.

Email photos with captions, subject names and class years to classnotes@sbc.edu.

How to Send Photos • When emailing, ensure that your email service or operating system does not shrink or compress your pictures.

• If uploading your photos to our website (sbc.edu/magazine) through our online form, please check the size of the image so we can download your photo at the highest resolution.

• Low resolution or low quality photos may not be included or may appear very small in Class Notes.

• Print of photos may be mailed to our office, but will not be returned. Please include the names of the subjects in the photo, their class years, and a caption for every single image.

2019 CLOCKWISE 1. This is Madison’s new cat, Ellie, enjoying her

time in her new home. 2. Lauren Phillips Laferriere with her bridesmaids Natalie Carroll ’21 and Abigail de Leon ’21.

3. Emily Dodson Sadler ’18, Annie Rich Simmons ’15, Sydney Williams ’17, Taylor Allen Milburn ’20, Julia Bell ’21, Carlina Christy ’26, Caroline Thomas ’19 celebrating Taylor Allen Milburn’s wedding to William Milburn this summer. 4. Lauren Phillips Laferriere and her husband, Reese, on their wedding day in November of 2022.

Disclaimer While the Alumnae Relations and Development Office reserves the right to edit submissions for any reason, our goal is for Class Notes to represent the multitude of alumnae voices. To that end, we limit editing. Alumnae should be aware that they are submitting notes to a college publication and utilize appropriate grammar, punctuation, spelling, word choice, content, and correct spellings of classmates’ names. Please be mindful that Class Notes are a place for updates and friendships but are not to be used as a political platform. The thoughts and opinions expressed in Class Notes are personal and do not reflect those of Sweet Briar College. Sweet Briar women have strong ideas and thoughts that may not be shared by all readers. Our community is a loving and accepting place for all.

Next Class Notes Deadline

(even numbered class years only): Jan. 15, 2024

Fall 2023 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 85

The Last Word

Order Up!

Dig into some Sweet Briar nostalgia Since 1992, the Alumnae Relations Office has been housed in the former Boxwood Inn. In 2015, the Alumnae Relations and Development Offices rejoined forces and spread out between Boxwood Alumnae House and the Development and Communications building at the corner of Elijah Road and Sweet Briar Drive.

Boxwood, as we’ve shortened it in our daily usage, is imbued with the College’s history everywhere you look. Our attic still contains remnants of its purpose as a former residence hall and the inn that preceded it, while our updated parlor holds Sweet Briar memorabilia, from editions of The Briar Patch, to alumnae magazines (an excellent resource for this editor), to versions of Sweet Briar plates and glassware.

In that spirit, we bring you two recipes from the Boxwood Inn,

Refectory, and Prothro archives.

Rosa Franklins, sometimes referred to as Sweet Briar cookies, are a hallmark of our holiday gatherings on campus and alumnae club events across the country. Making them can be tricky, as the environmental humidity can have an impact on how much or how little they crumble after baking.

Cheese Betty is still served in Prothro, though usually for occasions when alumnae will be on campus for brunch. This eggy, cheesy casserole is easy to make, but the recipe to the right appears to be the first time we’ve published it for home cooking rather than “for a crowd”—the original recipe called for five loaves of bread cooked in 20 casserole dishes.

We hope you enjoy these recipes and savor the taste of Sweet Briar home cooking!

86 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine Fall 2023

Cheese Betty recipe: ¼ to ⅓ loaf of bread 2 cups of milk 3 eggs ¾ pound of shredded cheddar cheese salt and pepper to taste 1 stick of butter Butter a casserole dish. Place a layer of bread followed by a layer of cheese in the dish. Follow with another layer of bread, another layer of cheese, and a third layer of buttered bread. Lightly beat the eggs and incorporate the milk along with salt and pepper. Pour the milk and egg mixture over the bread and cheese in the casserole dish.

Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees until golden brown. Let cool and serve immediately.

Start Planning Your Legacy In 1899, Indiana Fletcher Williams founded Sweet Briar College through a visionary planned gift.

Indiana’s vision of a college for the education of young women inspired her to establish a trust of land and other assets that became her enduring legacy. This planned gift has provided transformational education opportunities for generations of young women for more than 100 years.

Please join us as a Williams Associate to ensure that her legacy—and yours—will prosper in perpetuity.

Donors who are 70 1/2 or older may find an IRA charitable rollover gift to be particularly beneficial to you and Sweet Briar College. Visit our website to learn more and keep the bells ringing!

Not sure how to get started?

Visit: sbclegacy.org For questions, contact: Margaret McClellan Driscoll ’92 434-381-6337 | mdriscoll@sbc.edu

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If this magazine is addressed to a person who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please email us at alumnae@sbc.edu with their new address. Thank you!

Reunion 2024

May 31-June 2, 2024

The party starts when you arrive!

Learn more and register at sbc.edu/reunion!