Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine | Vol. 95, No. 2 | Fall 2025

Fall 2025, Vol. 95, No. 2

Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

125 Years

and Counting

SBC.EDU

Alumnae Magazine Fall 2025

Welcome

Dear Alumnae and Friends of Sweet Briar,

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s we celebrate our 125th Anniversary, our community has much to be proud of, including our vibrant campus life, our academic excellence, and the remarkable achievements of our students, faculty, and alumnae. None of this would have been possible without your engagement and philanthropic support. As you reflect on this milestone and our accomplishments, I hope that each of you will feel personal pride in the emotional investments you’ve made in Sweet Briar.

In the pages that follow this letter, you will learn more about our quasquicentennial celebrations, as well as the current events, projects, and students of Sweet Briar in 2025. We’ve highlighted the achievements of our faculty, students, and alumnae, and we’re honoring our history with lectures from well-known speakers, alumnae leaders, and commemorative events. You’ll learn about our most recent batch of Honors Summer Research Program projects, spanning topics in the sciences and humanities, and you’ll travel the globe through narratives from our students’ 2025 off-campus travel courses to Prague, Spain, Japan, and beyond.

Our students are why we are all here. In this issue, we’re focusing on their academic experiences, their research

accomplishments, and the incredible opportunities they’re pursuing both on campus and around the world. We’re also celebrating the legacy of Jane Goodall, who spoke at Sweet Briar eight times, including when she was bestowed with an honorary doctorate. She has left quite a legacy, and we celebrate her leadership and example to the world through her research and focus on primates and what they teach us.

In addition to these stories, our alumnae continue to make Sweet Briar proud. I know you’ll enjoy learning about Donna Meyer Hodgert ’89, who returned to Sweet Briar as director of Athletics in July of this year. We’re also highlighting our Admissions Ambassadors program through a Q&A between Asmita Bhandari ’27, vice chair of the Student Admission Ambassador Program, and Admissions Ambassadors Manager Tricia Dolph Fallon ’84. As you know, Sweet Briar is a small community, and, as such, each member of this community makes a significant impact on all of our lives.

One of the pieces in this issue that I enjoyed most is the feature article on our 125th Anniversary, which gives you a sense of how we planned and launched our celebration at Founders’ Day and an exploration of our history, with a more in-depth look at the College’s entire timeline to come in the spring 2026 issue of the alumnae magazine. Each event and milestone demonstrates that Sweet Briar College remains a vibrant place of learning, growth, and community.

If you find yourself on campus before March 21, 2026, I invite you to experience Eras: People Watching 200 BCE to 2022 CE, a magnificent exhibition in Pannell Gallery that highlights some of the amazing works in Sweet Briar College’s art collection at the C.T. and Kelley Fitzpatrick Center for Creativity, Design, and the Arts.

Please also save the date for Reunion 2026 from May 29–31, and for the Summer Arts & Writing Retreat from June 11–14, 2026. More details on both events are coming soon!

From all of us at Sweet Briar, we hope this edition of the alumnae magazine fills you with pride in what we are accomplishing together. It is through our mutual commitment and dedication to the mission of this college that we are able to focus on the education of women— their leadership and the promise of a better world. I look forward to welcoming you back to campus to celebrate our 125th Anniversary!

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

Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

Fall 2025

Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

Features

Fall 2025, Vol. 95, No. 2

Sweet Briar Magazine Staff Editor

Clélie Steckel

“Together, we’re advancing the leadership and accomplishments of women.”

44

Staff Writer

Rachel Balsley

—President Hutson

Contributors

Lea Sparks Bennett ’83, Asmita Bhandari ’27, Tricia Dolph Fallon ’84, Phyllis Watt Jordan ’80, Brianna Lee, Kathleen Placidi Art Direction and Design

Journey Group Photographers

Rachel Balsley, Cassie Foster Evans Photography, Cole Pillow

College President

Mary Pope M. Hutson ’83

Board Leadership Board Chair

Verda Andrews Colvin ’87 Board Vice Chair

The Honorable Robert “Bob” Goodlatte Board Secretary

COVER : SWEE T BRIAR COLLEGE ARCHIVE; ILLUSTRATION BY BRITTAN Y FAN

Katherine Williams

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

44 125th Anniversary Celebrating 125 years of women’s leadership at Sweet Briar College.

60 In Memoriam: Jane Goodall With the passing of Jane Goodall, Sweet Briar mourns the loss of one of its icons.

When you have finished reading this magazine, please consider passing it along to a prospective student or family. © 2025, Sweet Briar College

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Lean In

Boathouse Life During Families Weekend, the Sweet Briar community came together for the annual Cardboard Boat Regatta, when engineering students team up to construct boats made of cardboard and navigate a short course from the Boathouse docks. The regatta is one of many ways students continue to enjoy Sweet Briar’s natural beauty, a long-held tradition that started with “lake days” in the 1930s, even before the Boathouse was built. Today’s Vixens also use Lower Lake for “floathouses,” paddle boarding, canoeing through the Outdoor Program, hanging out on the docks, and—of course—Boathouse parties.

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Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 3

Now shipping!

Born from Sweet Briar College’s focus on sustainability and agricultural enterprises, in 2019 we planted grapes on our beautiful campus, situated in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Today, the College has a variety of wines available for purchase on campus from the Wine Shop in the Wailes Conference Center and at select local restaurants and shops. Customers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Maryland, and within Virginia can order our wine or join our wine club online. Visit sbc.edu/farm to learn more about ordering and our award-winning wines. Our wines are made primarily from grapes grown on campus and bottled in Charlottesville, Va.

Shop our wines: sbc.edu/farm

sweetbriarcollegefarm.myshopify.com

Departments

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On the Quad 9

History on Display Art exhibition highlights the College’s campus and community.

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Campus Happenings Alumnae are honored during Reunion.

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Snapshot A look at Alumnae Reunion 2025.

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Comings and Goings Welcoming new faculty.

20 By the Numbers Sweet Briar College Career Services.

Vixen Voices 21

Staff Profile Get to know Donna Meyer Hodgert ’89.

24 Community Conversations Tricia Dolph Fallon ’84 and Asmita Bhandari ’27 talk admissions.

28 Student Profile Elyse Samassekou ’27 finds her place at Sweet Briar.

30 A Day in the Life Join Nikki Adams ’23 during a day as the College’s sustainability fellow.

Onward & Upward 31

In Focus Honors Summer Research Program ignites student passions.

36 Giving Donor generosity makes daily impact on campus.

38 Faculty Publications Sweet Briar faculty share their expertise through a variety of publications.

P.9 Muralist creates unique art exhibition highlighting Sweet Briar’s campus and community.

40 Student Travel Travel programs open a world of learning for students.

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In Memoriam 68 Class Notes 88 The Last Word

42 Of Note Sweet Briar College celebrates several recent accomplishments, accolades, and pieces of exciting news.

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I L LUSTRATI O N BY MAYA NGUYEN

Lean In Through the Seasons

Sittin’ on the Golden Stairs

Art Barn

As any Sweet Sweet Briar Briar College woman is beautiful knows, through every season.

Step Pictured Singing ishere a beloved are thetradition Art Barnthat and other artistic spaces, is as cherished including today ceramics as it has studios been and a wood-fired kiln. throughout the College’s history. The event pays homage to each class, but with special attention to the group of those closest to graduating sitting on the Senior Steps in their decorated robes, which are passed down each year from a senior to a junior. Taking place once in both the fall and spring, Step Signing is not only a time for camaraderie, light-hearted teasing, and celebrating our tap clubs’ next generation of members, but also an opportunity to lean into tradition and spend a rare moment of togetherness across the entire student body.

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Make a gift and make a difference to our students!

You keep the bells ringing!

You can make a gift to support: • our students, through scholarships; • our faculty, through professional development and academic program support; • s tewardship of our natural and built environment, including our historic district on the National Register of Historic Places; and • our entire community through greatest needs.

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

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

I N T H I S S E CT I O N

History on Display → P.9 Campus Happenings → P.12 Snapshot → P.14 Comings and Goings → P.18 By the Numbers → P.20

On the Quad

History on Display

ILLUSTRATION BY M AYA N GUYE N

Defining Sweet Briar’s Lines and Landscapes

Exhibition highlights the college’s campus and community

By Rachel Balsley

Fall 2025

Walking into the Anne Gary Pannell Center between March and early September, visitors encountered a unique art installation covering the gallery’s notorious carpeted walls.

Self-taught muralist and mixed media/digital illustrator Nadd Harvin was invited to serve as a visiting artist and create a custom installation for Sweet Briar during the 2024–2025 academic year. Five hundred yards of yarn and 300 boxes of nails later,

Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 9

On the Quad

the result was a beautiful mural made of wool yarn depicting the College’s most iconic landmarks, as well as a collage of still lifes painted by Harvin and inspired by items submitted by community members. The installation, composed of blue yarn and blue paint, echoes the willow pattern you would find on the side of a teacup Indiana Fletcher Williams, the College’s founder, might have collected.

“I observed Sweet Briar, and instead of doing an installation that was just my point of view, I wanted to do something that

organically encompassed the natural sentiments of the space,” said Harvin. “I want it to have the organic voice of the people, so it’s not just me coming to a new place and then saying what I think.”

Harvin’s work is heavily process-based and influenced by the act of creating and markmaking to illustrate time and space while being deeply rooted in utilizing realism as a vehicle for abstract expression and creating compositions that blossom into endless storytelling possibilities.

Defining Lines: Drawing on History, Culture, and Tradition is

Right: Nadd Harvin works on the yarn mural in Pannell Gallery.

Left: Students document Sweet Briar items that hold meaning to them.

Bottom: Students participate in a sketch night with Nadd Harvin to inspire collaboration and inspiration. The “clouds” from the 2024 Under Land Over Sky exhibition were repurposed to provide comfortable spots to sketch Sweet Briar objects.

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a space installation and body of work derived from Harvin’s time exploring and studying the land, history, and people of Sweet Briar. Born from the desire to capture the rich and complex identity of the College in a genuine and reflective manner, Harvin spent time touring the campus, visiting classes, museums, and historical sites; talking to faculty, staff, and students; looking through archives; and documenting oral histories.

“Each year, I identify an artist who will join us on campus and really engage with Sweet Briar life, sharing their arts practice in ways that connect us all into their process,” said Clare van Loenen, director of galleries and museums. “Through Nadd, the sights, sounds, and traditions that Fall 2025

On the Quad

“I want it to have the organic voice of the people, so it’s not just me coming to a new place and then saying what I think.”

—Nadd Harvin

Above: Students admire Nadd Harvin’s still life paintings inspired by the Sweet Briar community.

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students experience on campus were captured at a moment in time, all in a distinctive historical blue-sketch approach.”

For a muralist, being presented with a wall of carpet rather than a hard surface presented both challenges and opportunities for Harvin.

“I had to adjust to the walls being carpeted. So I was like, ‘Okay, I can’t paint. How can I be most practical?’” noted Harvin. “The yarn just really worked out; it’s really clean and straightforward defining lines.

And on the other side, it’s a little bit more subjective.”

Crowning the installation space is a still life station intended to serve as a common backdrop for people to bring items to stage and photograph.

All elements of the exhibition combined to create a space where the people of Sweet Briar can reflect, acknowledge, and feel grounded in the diverse perspectives of its community.

This installation was a Friends of Art project as a part of the Kelley & C.T. Fitzpatrick Center for Creativity, Design, and the Arts and the Writers Series.

Alumnae, families, and friends interested in supporting the arts are encouraged to attend events on campus and make a gift at sbc.edu/friends-groups.

Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 11

On the Quad

Campus Happenings

2025 Alumnae Award Winners

By Rachel Balsley

Each year during Reunion, Sweet Briar recognizes and honors several alumnae for their service and accomplishments. Attendees gather as a part of Reunion Convocation to celebrate these women and hear more about their incredible journeys beyond Sweet Briar.

The Distinguished Alumna Award was first presented in 1988, created by the former Alumnae Association to recognize alumnae who have brought distinction to themselves and Sweet Briar College through outstanding professional or volunteer accomplishments.

This year, the award was presented to Brianna Meighan de Hanna ’05.

Brianna Meighan de Hanna ’05

is the founder and CEO of Forte Naturals Health & Wellness and chairwoman of the Brianna Group.

An international affairs major at Sweet Briar, she is best known for her nearly two-decade career as a top model and ambassador to some 12 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

Above: Brianna Meighan de Hanna ’05

of the world’s most iconic fashion brands, as well as former television host and co-creator of E! hit series “Hot Properties.” She added bestselling author to her resume when her book, How to Fly with a Baby: Your Mile-High Guide to Air Travel with an Infant, became a number one bestseller on Amazon.

In 2015, Brianna created her first private label brand, Forte Naturals, an array of dietary supplements tailored for individuals with gluten and dairy sensitivities. Within five years, the brand grew into an extensive product line. In 2023, she received the Young Global Leaders Nomination by the World Economic Forum, an award given to entrepreneurs under the age of 40 from all regions of the world based on their achievements, commitment to society, and potential to help positively shape the future of the world. Today, Brianna is paying it forward with

her new weekly podcast and video series, “UP CLOSE WITH BRIANNA,” where she interviews successful business owners about their entrepreneurial journey, career tips, and advice in hopes of inspiring more people to create the life and business of their dreams.

The Outstanding Alumna Award was established by President Anne Gary Pannell in 1968 upon the recommendation by the Board of the former Alumnae Association. The award is given to graduate alumnae who have been out of college for at least 15 years in recognition of outstanding service to Sweet Briar College in a volunteer capacity. This year, the award was presented to two alumnae: Ellen Harrison Saunders ’75 and Katie Maxwell Schellhammer ’95.

A psychology major, Ellen Harrison Saunders ’75 pursued a career in healthcare marketing Fall 2025

On the Quad

ILLUSTRATION BY M AYA N GUYE N

and development. She was the director of public relations and development at Obici Hospital and is a co-owner of Harrison Senior Living, a nursing home and senior skilled care facility founded by her parents. Ellen has served on several boards, including United Way and the foundation for the preservation of Virginia’s Executive Mansion. She is an active member of the Suffolk, Va., community where she and her family resides, having served on the Suffolk Council of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce and having been a writer and host of “This Week in Suffolk.”

Throughout her adult life, Ellen has been a tireless volunteer in the Sweet Briar community, having served on the Board of Directors and on the Alumnae Board twice.

As an Admissions ambassador for many years, she has recruited many students from the Tidewater area and was instrumental in promoting the Sweet Briar College Book Award for high school students. Mentoring class leaders as a Decade Chair for many years, Ellen most recently served on the Alumnae Alliance Council as a co-chair of the Class Leadership Working Group. She has been a class officer, serving as president

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and on the Reunion Gifts and Regional Planning Committees.

After graduating with Highest Honors and a B.A. in government, Katie Maxwell Schellhammer ’95

became a government grassroots professional working for the Society of American Florists and then the National Restaurant Association. Later she became a substitute teacher and piano accompanist at her church. Katie is an active volunteer with the Girl Scouts and Loudoun County Public Schools, and was a board

Above: Ellen Harrison Saunders ’75

Below: Katie Maxwell Schellhammer ’95

member for the Step Sisters, an organization whose mission is improving the quality of life for those impacted by breast cancer by funding needed support services in Northern Virginia.

Katie has been a dedicated volunteer for Sweet Briar since she graduated, helping plan events for the Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia, and Hunt Country Clubs. She has also been an Admissions ambassador and represented Sweet Briar at many college fairs in her area while helping recruit a number of students. She worked tirelessly for Saving Sweet Briar before taking a leadership position on the Alumnae Alliance Council shortly after it was formed as co-chair of “The Network” and Career Development Working Group.

“Sweet Briar alumnae are truly amazing. They consistently demonstrate their commitment to our college through their dedication as volunteers and accomplished professionals,” said President Mary Pope M. Hutson ’83. “I can’t think of better role models for our current students than the women who make up our alumnae network.”

Learn more about alumnae awards and nominate a classmate at sbc.edu/alumnae/awards.

Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 13

On the Quad

Snapshot

Reunion 2025

From top to bottom (this page): Joie Roderick Tankard ’90 and Mary ‘Squiffy’ Walker Christopher ’90 showcase their best Sweet Briar pink. • Janet Richards Oikawa ’75 dances the night away in Prothro Hall. • Alumnae showcase their class rings. • Alumnae ride past the iconic Sweet Briar Farm barn.

Clockwise from top (opposite page): The Class of 1975 celebrate their 50th Reunion. • Alumnae enjoy an evening of dancing in Prothro Dining Hall. • Jane Ellis Covington ’60 dances at Reunion. • Acacia Salazar Robinson ’15 joins a dance line during Saturday night’s festivities.

ILLUSTRATION BY MAYA NGUYEN

Each summer, alumnae return to campus not only to reconnect with classmates, but also to explore everything new happening at the College. This past June, alumnae, including those celebrating anniversary and milestone reunions, enjoyed a variety of events on campus and quality time with friends.

On the Quad

On the Quad

Clockwise from top: The Class of 1995 adds some bubbly fun to their Reunion class portrait. • Alumnae enjoy Sweet Briar College Farm wines. • Alumnae enjoy the opportunity to ride on campus. • Generations of Bum Chums gather in front of the Bell Tower. • Members of the Class of 1960 celebrate their 65th Reunion. • President Hutson speaks to alumnae during Reunion Convocation.

Above Alumnae enjoy the opportunity to ride on campus.

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On the Quad Top: The Class of 2015 celebrates Reunion.

Middle: Alumnae take a tour of the greenhouse.

Bottom: Alumnae go on a campus nature walk.

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On the Quad

Comings and Goings

Sweet Briar Welcomes New Faculty Members

By Rachel Balsley

Dr. Mika Lior Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance

Terese Mailhot Visiting Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing

Dr. Raven Edwards Assistant Professor of Biology Before coming to the College, Dr. Raven Edwards served in various roles at the University of Alabama–Birmingham (UAB), where she also received three degrees, including a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. At UAB, she served as a graduate teaching assistant, researcher, and lab instructor, among other roles. Dr. Edwards is currently continuing research on aquaculture techniques for sea urchins.

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Author of New York Times bestseller Heart Berries: A Memoir, Professor Terese Mailhot’s work has been featured in Time, Elle, The Guardian, Mother Jones, “Best American Essays,” Men’s Health, Guernica, and Granta.

Professor Mailhot also teaches creative nonfiction at Ashland University and was previously an assistant professor of English at Purdue University after serving as a Tecumseh Post Doctoral Fellow.

She received an M.F.A. in fiction from the Institute of American Indian Arts.

Dr. Mika Lior came to Sweet Briar in 2025 as a visiting assistant professor of dance, bringing myriad experience and expertise to the College. She has received three degrees in dance, including a bachelor’s from Sarah Lawrence College, a master’s from York University, and a Ph.D. in culture and performance from the University of California. Dr. Lior recently served as a postdoctoral fellow for York’s School of the Arts, Media, Performance, and Design in addition to working as a faculty member at the university.

Before York, she was a lecturer and resident academic on the tenure-track in dance studies at the University of Malta’s School of Performing Arts and world arts and cultures/dance course instructor at the University of Los Angeles. As a dancer, choreographer, and director, Dr. Lior has collaborated on numerous projects throughout her career, receiving awards and recognition for her work, ranging from the Fulbright-Hays’ Doctoral Dissertation Research Award to the Dance Studies Association’s Selma Jeanne Cohen Award, among others. She regularly leads professional workshops and serves as a guest lecturer at events around the world.

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On the Quad

Caroline Petrick Adjunct Instructor of Music

ILLUSTRATIONS BY MAYA NGUY EN; PH OTO BY K . JUGAR CREATIVE

Dr. Allison Trochesset Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science Dr. Allison Trochesset graduated from Stetson University with a B.A. in political science and government and the University of Georgia’s School of Public and International Affairs with a Ph.D. in law and courts, American politics, political science, and government.

Dr. Trochesset previously served as an internship director at Charleston Southern University, court research associate for the National Center for State Courts, and court business analyst for InfoTrack US.

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Professor Caroline Petrick is a current doctoral candidate at James Madison University, where she is pursuing a D.M.A. in piano performance, pedagogy, and literature. She holds a Master of Arts in music education with a cognate in performance from Liberty University, where she also earned her Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance.

During her time at Liberty, Professor Petrick received several accolades, including the Music Theory/Arranging Student of the Year Award in 2018 and the Senior Pianist of the Year Award in 2019. It was during her studies that she discovered a love for teaching, serving as a music theory and musicianship tutor and as a teaching assistant for group piano. In addition to adjunct teaching roles at Sweet Briar and Liberty, Professor Petrick regularly performs as a solo and collaborative pianist in the Lynchburg area. She specializes in the research, analysis, and performance of modern and underrepresented piano repertoire. As both a performer and teacher, she is dedicated to promoting the music of lesserknown composers by introducing her students to engaging, expressive new repertoire.

Shannon Ferguson Instructor of Riding Shannon Ferguson came to Sweet Briar following more than 20 years of experience in the equestrian industry. As a professional, she has provided top-level instruction to students at the local and national levels of show hunters and equitation. Through her own riding, Shannon ensures that the horses she works with are able to help students reach their goals and expectations by being trained, being sound, and having proper fitness. Shannon has trained and ridden an international Hunter Futurity Champion and a VHSA 3-year old Champion, while training Ariat Medal finals qualifiers, VHSA Equitation winners, and numerous horses and riders. She has also previously served as assistant manager at Morven Park International Equestrian Center and is the owner of Upswing LLC.

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On the Quad

By the Numbers

Career Services Starting their first year, the Office of Career Services helps students during their time at Sweet Briar and beyond. From hosting workshops for résumé writing and internship applications to exploring career options and coordinating job fairs, the team of two assists students in every step of their journey.

In the 2024-2025 academic year:

1,937

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Workshops & special programs held

Total points of contact with students

Left: Students collaborate on résumé writing with Career Services during the 2023 Coffee & Careers with Nomad Coffee Truck event.

Below: Sydnee Nichols ’26 meets with Director of Career Services Barbara Watts about upcoming opportunities.

88% of the student body utilized Career Services.

379

1:1 Appointments with Career Services staff

590

Student participants in tabling events

204

LinkedIn audits

Career Engagement by Class ​​99% OF FIRST YEARS 78% OF SOPHOMORES

70%

of the Class of 2025 graduated with a commitment for a full-time job, part-time job, or a graduate school admittance.

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83% OF JUNIORS 88% OF SENIORS

Left: Assistant Director of Career Services Nicole Brewer speaks to students during an Internship & Job Career Panel in 2023.

32% of seniors participated in the Alumnae Mentorship Program.

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I N T H I S S E CT I O N

Staff Profile → P.21 Community Conversations → P.24 Student Profile → P.28 A Day in the Life → P.30

Vixen Voices

Staff Profile

ILLUSTRATIONS BY MAYA NGUY EN

Donna Meyer Hodgert ’89 For some people, there are places that continue to call them back.

By Rachel Balsley

Fall 2025

That’s what it’s like for Donna Meyer Hodgert ’89, who not only studied at Sweet Briar College as a student, but has twice returned to coach and work in the Athletics Department, most recently, as its director beginning summer 2025.

“It’s been kind of a whirlwind for me to be back.

I’ve been gone for seven years and so many things have changed, from processes and procedures to new coaches and staff. I’m learning how everything is done now in a different landscape,” Donna said during an Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 21

Vixen Voices

interview in late August that took place in her office looking over the tennis courts and the College’s iconic scenery. “I forgot how peaceful the campus is. I’m living on campus and it’s been amazing to be busy during the day and then go enjoy the sanctuary that is Sweet Briar’s campus.”

A student-athlete herself at Sweet Briar, Donna returned to the College in 2014 when she was named head swim coach, aquatics director, and lecturer before spending a year as the interim director of athletics from 2017–2018. She then became the 22 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

associate director of aquatics at neighboring Liberty University, serving as the primary point of contact while leading game day operations for their Division I swimming and diving teams and U.S.A. Swimming events.

Following Liberty, Donna led the Country Club of Charleston’s aquatics program as director and coach. Across these two roles, she gained valuable experience hiring, supervising, training, and evaluating staff; managing facilities and programming; marketing the programs; generating revenue; developing and implementing

curricula; overseeing maintenance, operations, and budgets; and more.

“When I was here before, I was a coach working alongside my colleagues as a peer. Stepping into a leadership role at that time brought a very different set of challenges. I had to learn how to balance the relationships I had built as a teammate with the responsibility of making difficult decisions that affected the whole department. It was not easy to move from being ‘one of the group’ to being the one who guides and leads,” Donna Fall 2025

Vixen Voices

noted. “Now, I remind myself that I’ve grown—both in wisdom and experience—and that growth has prepared me to take on this responsibility with perspective and purpose.”

Seven years later, Donna picks up the mantle again as the leader of Athletics, focusing on growing the program and setting current and future Vixens up for success.

“Right now, we are focused on what I call the ‘three Rs:’ recruiting exceptional studentathletes who are the right fit for our College, retaining them by providing a supportive and transformative experience in their sport, and generating revenue through camps, clinics,

Below: Donna Meyer Hodgert ’89 coaches during her first tenure at Sweet Briar.

and facility rentals to strengthen and sustain our programs. Each of these priorities not only supports the success of our teams, but also helps us build leaders and ambassadors who will carry forward the mission of the College,” she said.

Donna is supported by a dedicated team of staff and coaches who go above and beyond for their students and programs.

Their offices are all located close by to one another in the Fitness and Athletics Center, allowing for easy access to each other, their facilities, and students during training hours.

“I’m coming back to a strong, stable department. What drew

since receiving her diploma in Spanish and international studies in 1989. While on campus, she was a member of the International Club and president of the international house following a childhood that included living overseas in the Philippines, where she first began competing in swimming.

While she originally anticipated being a dual-sport athlete and possibly riding at the College, Donna’s primary focus was swimming. As a student-athlete, she served as team captain, was named to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) All-Conference team all four years, and she still holds two

“Now, I remind myself that I’ve grown—both in wisdom and experience—and that growth has prepared me to take on this responsibility with perspective and purpose.”

—Donna Meyer Hodgert ’89

me back here was the coaching staff and their dedication to the student-athletes and growing their programs,” Donna noted of her colleagues across 11 sports. “I’m truly excited to work alongside a staff of coaches who not only believe deeply in the mission of Sweet Briar College, but who also bring an incredible passion for developing successful teams and, more importantly, shaping our student-athletes into the strong, confident leaders they are destined to become.”

In addition to a great foundation of experience at several schools and athletics programs, Donna’s Sweet Briar education has served her well Fall 2025

program records in the 400 Individual Medley (Short Course Meters) and 400 Medley Relay (Short Course Yards). Through all of these pursuits, the impact her college years made on her remains simple and clear.

“Overall, Sweet Briar has given me so much confidence,” Donna said, “Learning in a single-gender environment gave me one of the greatest advantages I could carry into the world: the confidence to succeed in industries often dominated by men, and truly, in any setting.

That sense of self-assurance has stayed with me and continues to shape the way I approach challenges and opportunities.”

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Vixen Voices

T

There are 160 alumnae and families of current Sweet Briar students who demonstrate a truly unique commitment to the College: helping to recruit the next generation of Vixens from their local areas. Admissions Ambassadors (AAs) Manager Tricia Dolph Fallon ’84 coordinates volunteers for a variety of activities, including attending college fairs on the College’s behalf, writing notes to students and prospects, coordinating the applicationgenerating “call-a-thon,” delivering materials to high school counselors, and awarding Sweet Briar Book Awards. Hear from her as she and Asmita Bhandari ’27, vice chair of the Student Admissions Ambassador Program, discuss how they got involved with Sweet Briar admissions and the importance of recruiting from both the alumnae and student perspectives.

Community Conversations

Tricia Dolph Fallon ’84 and Asmita Bhandari ’27 Talk Admissions 24 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

Asmita Bhandari: What made you get involved with Sweet Briar admissions as an alumna?

Tricia Dolph Fallon: I have been interested in Sweet Briar admissions since before the attempted closure. In 2015, after the attempted closure, alumnae all pitched in to get the word out about Sweet Briar. I attended my first college fair in Rhode Island in 2015 and have been representing the College at fairs ever since. I have found it absolutely the most fun you can have! I would leave the fairs completely pumped up with adrenaline and so excited. I love sharing the Sweet Briar story; I call it the ability to transform lives.

In the summer of 2024, Heather Colson Ewing ’90 decided Fall 2025

Vixen Voices

“I think students should be involved with admissions because it’s nice when prospective students can hear directly from current students like myself.”

ILLUSTRATION BY M AYA N GUYE N

—Asmita Bhandari ’27

Fall 2025

it was time to pass the torch as admissions ambassador manager, and I raised my hand for the role.

I knew what an important role it was, and I knew I didn’t want it to go unfilled.

AB: I think students should be involved with admissions because it’s nice when prospective students can hear directly from current students like myself. It has been great to share my experiences, how I came here all the way from Nepal, and I think it creates that connection. It makes it more personal, and also more authentic when you hear from a current student who is doing what you are going to be doing next fall. Tricia, why do you think it is important that alumnae get involved with admissions?

TF: It is such an important question, and people can get involved in so many different ways. It can be by being an advocate for Sweet Briar among family and friends. I know so many stories already of girls that are here on campus because an alumna got involved. We have a first year here, Celia Phelan ’29, who is a great family friend of Carter Frackelton ’72. The fantastic AA Sarah vonRosenberg ’72 encouraged Celia to apply for the Wyllie Engineering Scholarship, and now she’s here. Alumnae can hold a formal role and go to fairs, write notes, make calls during the call-a-thon, or they can just advocate amongst their network.

AB: That’s such a coincidence because I also have the Wyllie Engineering Scholarship and learned about Sweet Briar and the scholarship from a friend from Nepal who studied here. I wish I had a chance to visit before coming here, but I’m glad I’m here.

It has been a good fit.

TF: And we’re so glad you’re here!

AB: Thank you! It’s been a good experience. From your perspective, what’s the number one thing you want alumnae to know about being an AA?

TF: The most important thing is that all of our alums make a difference. Every bit of participation, whether they’re giving to the College, referring a student, hosting an event, attending a sporting event, or performing any of the AA activities, every bit of engagement matters. We often talk about making sure your car has a Sweet Briar sticker on it and you’re wearing SBC gear out and about. I’m always on the lookout for young people at my grocery store who are in high school. I will ask, “What are you doing next year? Where are you going next year?” Because you never know, right? Alumnae advocacy and attention make a difference.

AB: They do. I’m doing the Alumnae Mentorship Program this year and I’m really excited about it.

I think it’s a great program.

TF: That’s another good example of alumnae being involved!

AB: Yes, everything alumnae do for students here, I think it’s really exemplary. I also met one of the alumnae who was organizing Daisy’s Closet this summer, and it’s so organized and nice now.

It inspires me to give back after I graduate.

TF: That’s a great example because, here we are talking about admissions, but retention’s also important, and every bit of engagement, including Sweet Work Weeks, relates to current students feeling supported. Sweet Work Weeks is also a blast!

AB: That’s so true. As a student ambassador, I give campus tours, I make the Vixen Kits so that AAs can go to college fairs, I take phone calls from prospective families and answer their questions, I go to lunches with them, and then let them know about my experience so they can have a real feel of what student life would be like here.

What do alumnae do as part of the program? What kind of activities does it include?

TF: I’ll go through the calendar cycle. I started here last August, Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 25

Vixen Voices

and what we do in August is get ready for college fair season. And as you said, in conjunction with the work that goes on here, it’s a big effort to get those Vixen Kits out. This year, we attended fairs in 13 key states. Part of Vice President of Enrollment Management Dr. Christopher Smith’s strategy is that our focus is targeted on proven areas for Sweet Briar. Fall fair season is September, October, and November. We organize alumnae volunteers to go to fairs—we represented Sweet Briar at 80 fairs last year—we obtain the student contacts they collect, and then our team here follows up with everyone who expressed interest in the College. Then we really move into note writing season, which included writing more than 500 notes to accepted students last year. Every accepted student gets a note handwritten by an alumna, often in their area, which congratulates them and encourages them to visit campus, including utilizing the fly-in program! High school juniors and seniors can visit campus, and we will house them at the Elston Inn and reimburse them for travel expenses. Last year,

26 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

for the first time, we also worked on an application-generation call-a-thon. We called over 1,600 students to encourage them to apply. Sarah vonRosenberg ’72 won first prize—she called 1,000 students! We have several firstyear students on campus now because we reached them through the call-a-thon. It was great.

So, that’s kind of how the cycle goes. The main pieces are usually college fairs, writing notes, the call-a-thon, and delivering packets to high school counselors. Any alumna can say, “can you send me some packets?” and we’ll send them some to deliver to their local high school counselors. AAs delivered over 40 packets to high schools last year! K. Ellen Hagan ’81 in Georgia is our leader in that area.

AB: That’s great. It’s interesting you mentioned that because the packets you send, we make them here, and I have also written a lot of notes and birthday cards for prospective students, and made deposit student boxes for them after they get accepted. Speaking of campus involvement, what kind of help do you provide while doing events on campus?

TF: Members of the admissions staff attend on-campus events

almost year round. We greet prospective students and parents and connect them to their counselor, current students, and faculty. I came down to move-in day this year in the summer—boy, was it hot in August!—and it was great because I felt like I knew half the parents already from all the different events last year. The events are a lot of fun. Parents are trying to navigate a complicated landscape, and I’ve already had three kids go to college, so I know a little bit about it.

AB: Going to fairs and helping the same students move-in on campus next fall sounds very fulfilling. What’s been your favorite part of working with Sweet Briar in this capacity?

TF: Meeting all the alumnae, developing connections with them, some of whom I haven’t even met yet, but that I talk to all the time. We have about 40 AAs who go to fairs across the country, and I cannot thank them enough! Suzanne Stryker Ullrich ’78 is just unbelievable in how supportive she’s been, going to fairs all over Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland. Lee Lombardy ’82, who is also one of the Alumnae Alliance co-chairs with Epiphany Soward ’15, attended over 15 fairs in Florida in September 2025 alone. Arielle Sperrazza Morgan ’15 and Katie Maxwell Schellhammer ’95 covered Northern Virginia this year. Jeanne Rovics Dees ’88 is great at the big fairs. Alums cover almost all of the big national fairs at the request of Sweet Briar. The alumnae inspire me! The list of “super AAs” goes on and on!

Before an AA attends a fair, we have a prep session so the alumna is up-to-speed on all things SBC. Prospective students ask about all kinds of careers such as criminology or forensics. It’s important to know that we have alumnae who’ve gone on to every imaginable career. We have Ph.D.s in forensics, judges, lawyers, Fall 2025

Vixen Voices

“Each individual AA can decide how they want to get involved. It could just be writing notes. It could be going to a fair.

You can be as involved as you want, but there’s no downside to joining as an AA.” —Tricia Dolph Fallon ’84

13 Key States for Recruitment:

California Florida Georgia Louisiana Maryland New Jersey New York North Carolina Pennsylvania South Carolina Tennessee Texas Virginia

Fall 2025

architects, and vets. It is possible to come through Sweet Briar and go into almost any career you want.

AB: That’s true. My favorite part of working with Sweet Briar admissions is meeting prospective students and answering their questions. When I was applying to colleges, I was in Nepal. I didn’t even know the Common App existed before I actually started applying. And people would say, “apply to your best fit college,” and I didn’t even know what that really meant. You don’t know which college is your “best fit” when you are just a high school student graduating and figuring out the college application process. So, at that time, if I had somebody to answer questions and if I had a chance to visit college and talk to a current student about things I was interested in, I think it would have been helpful. I really like doing that for prospective students because Sweet Briar is great, but it might not be the place for everyone. Helping them figure out if they want to be here and if they can thrive here with our opportunities is important.

I have also made very good connections in the past two years working in admissions. In the spring of 2023, during a Girl Scout engineering event, I was talking to a mom of a Girl Scout. We talked the whole day and she asked me a lot of questions, including what I miss most about home. That was my very first semester here, and I told her I missed the spicy

food most. A few days later, she surprised me with three jars of pepper flakes with a different spice level in each in my post box, which I think was really sweet.

TF: That’s sweet. You touched their hearts.

AB: It really meant a lot to me, too. Moments like that remind me how meaningful these connections can be. I know you have been involved a lot in Sweet Briar admissions, so can you tell our other alumnae how they can get involved if they want to?

TF: Each individual AA can decide how they want to get involved. It could just be writing notes. It could be going to a fair. You can be as involved as you want, but there’s no downside to joining as an AA. It’s what you feel comfortable with. We don’t have a lot of AAs in Pennsylvania, and I met Jennifer Fesche-Thuot ’87 at Reunion and asked her if she’d be interested in attending a fair. She signed up and she drove an hour to go to a college fair in Harrisburg, Penn., and I’m grateful because she may have changed someone’s life.

Someone recently asked me, “Tricia, what would success look like for you for me to go to this fair?” And I said, “Showing up and putting out the tablecloth that says Sweet Briar is success.” We are so lucky that we can still tell our story!

The importance of alumnae attending fairs cannot be overstated: It is critical to our success.

Get involved and sign up now at sbc.edu/ambassador or refer a student at sbc.edu/refer-a-student

Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 27

Vixen Voices

A

Student Profile

Elyse Samassekou ’27

Finds Her Place at Sweet Briar

By Phyllis Watt Jordan ’80

28 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

At an age when so many college students are pigeonholed as athletes or artists or scholars, Sweet Briar allows Elyse Samassekou ’27 to be all three.

The junior is an alto in the Sweet Tones, a member of the En Garde fencing club, a Bum Chum president immersed in planning the tap club’s annual holiday bazaar, and a member of Paints ‘n’ Patches who has performed in three recent theatre productions.

This fall, she added another dimension to her college experience: the soccer team. While Elyse acknowledges she sits on the bench for most games, she relishes the opportunity to practice with the team six days a week, work out in the “morning lift,” and bond with her teammates.

“This must be one of the only colleges where you can really say, ‘I think I want to do that and do it,’ and be given the range, given the leadership positions, creative opportunities, business opportunities, even close relationships with professors, internship opportunities, and work study opportunities,” she says.

Elyse first came to Sweet Briar in fall 2020—drawn to the college that her mother, Tobias Trout Murphy ’01, and aunt, Tia TroutPerez ’02, both attended. But amid the pandemic, she found it hard to connect with her professors and fellow students. She went home to Huntington, W.Va., and tried out a community college and a local university. Nothing stuck.

Then her aunt urged her to give Sweet Briar another try.

“I was afraid I was going to fail again; I was afraid it was going to be the same thing,” Elyse recalls.

Fall 2025

Vixen Voices

PE TE E MERS ON; KYLEN E HAYSLETT ’08 ; ILLUSTRATION BY MAYA NGUYE N

Top to Bottom: Elyse Samassekou ’27 competes in a soccer game, greets her cohort of new students during Orientation, performs during the Scary Stories English and creative writing course, and performs in the College’s fall 2024 production of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812.

Fall 2025

“I was going to overwhelm myself, that I couldn’t do it.”

“Prove to yourself you can do it and go back,” her aunt told her.

“There was something about how she said it,” Elyse says, smiling at the memory. “She’s a very, very smart woman … and when she says something, it’s best to listen.”

She took her aunt’s advice and returned to campus in the 2023– 2024 academic year. “It was a lonely first semester, but I proved to myself I could do it.” She did well in her classes and then started joining clubs, determined to experience everything that Sweet Briar had to offer, everything she missed the first time around.

She performs a capella regularly with the Sweet Tones— this year’s theme is Broadway— and she had roles in last year’s production of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, as well as a play that was part of a student’s senior thesis.

This fall, she is focused on planning the Bum Bazaar, an annual fundraising event set for Dec. 5 in the Fitness and Athletics Center.

The tap club, known for pursuing their rival QVs, also supports philanthropic giving. Each year it brings in community organizations, local businesses, and even some students who have goods to sell. Proceeds go to local charities.

Adding soccer into the mix this fall was a big commitment of time. But her roommate plays on the squad, and Elyse wanted to experience a team sport. “I’m definitely entering a new world with soccer, but it’s lovely,” she says. “The team is incredible, and nothing but supportive.”

She likes the comradery among the players. And she likes how the coach keeps the team members accountable for academics and provides a sense of structure. “I knew it was going to be very, very hard, especially with all the things I was doing already, but I had a feeling it was going to

be very good for me. And it has turned out that way.”

Elyse accomplishes all this while taking a full academic load.

She arrived at Sweet Briar without a clear idea for her major, but soon found her passion. “I took a philosophy class, and I realized that I felt I was good at it, and I felt excited to go to the class. I felt like I wanted to take every class they offered in it.”

She credits philosophy professors Dr. Christopher Penfield and Dr. Zhen Liang not only for their engaging instruction, but also for the support they provide. The connections she has

with professors are a big part of what makes Sweet Briar work for her, she says.

“If you have questions, you’re able to go to a professor or faculty member and say, ‘I think I want to do this. Can you help me?’ People want to see you succeed, and they want to help you to the best of their ability.”

She’s not sure what she will pursue after graduation, something she’s not too concerned about yet. Law school is a possibility, but she adds, “I think my thing right now is that I don’t have an idea. I know there’s a lot out there, and I’m open to a lot of things.

“It’s very easy as a 17- or 18-yearold to think you can just choose a career and everything falls into place. But it really does not work that way. And it’s a great thing to be able to accept the changes that come. It sounds like I’m a very old person when I say, ‘No, life gets in the way,’ but it does.”

Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 29

Vixen Voices

8:30–9 a.m.

A Day in the Life

Nikki Adams ’23

9–11 a.m.

Check out a typical Friday for Nikki Adams ’23, Sweet Briar’s first-ever sustainability fellow. An environmental studies major and Leadership in Sustainable Agriculture & Food certificate holder, Nikki worked in the greenhouse and participated in the Willits Summer Food Systems Fellows Program as a student before returning to Sweet Briar in 2025.

I typically start all my days at the greenhouse! I always start with irrigating and watering the baby plants on the soil side, checking in with our greenhouse manager, Amanda Keller, to assist her if needed, monitoring our produce, seeing what is available for the public market and CSA, and a general overview of how the greenhouse is doing.”

8 a.m.

Arrive at the greenhouse 8:30-9 a.m.

Check in with Dean Powell

12–6 p.m.

8-9 p.m.

9-11 a.m.

Office and greenhouse work, from researching more efficient ways to ship wine and working on the website to watering plants and delivering produce 11-11:30 a.m.

Packing and shipping wine orders

“

11–11:30 a.m.

11:30 a.m.–12 p.m.

Lunch 12-6 p.m.

Managing the wine shop, including leading guided tastings

30 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

Fall 2025

I N T H I S S E CT I O N

In Focus → P.31 Giving → P.36 Faculty Publications → P.38 Student Travel → P.40 Of Note → P.42

Onward & Upward

In Focus

ILLUSTRATION BY M AYA N GUYE N

Honors Summer Research Program Ignites Student Passions

By Rachel Balsley Fall 2025

Leah Partington

Each summer, honors students have the opportunity to expand their knowledge on a topic of their choosing through the Honors Summer Research Program (HSRP). This year, 10 Vixens spent eight weeks on campus deepening their understanding of their fields of study, from analyzing earthquake data to explore forecasting models to studying the relationship between conquistadors and the conquered.

Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 31

Onward & Upward

During the program, Chloe Burchett ’26 examined

Byzantine-era jewelry and the connection it has with gender, including how it was used to elevate women’s political and social power in society.

In addition to discovering new identifiers about female ownership or cultural markings, Chloe and her faculty advisors, Dr. Tracy Hamilton and Dr. Erin Pitt, drew connections between women’s personal jewelry, protest, and their domestic

As a part of this year’s Honor Summer Research Program cohort, archaeology major Atty Bestwick ’26 focused on Western influence on the modern view of Andean Peru and its history by closely studying Caral-Supe and Cusco. Her project, “Decolonizing Peruvian Archaeology,” included scholarly research about the social structures, culture, and remains of both cities; how imperialism affected what we’ve been able to learn historically; and how recent research has started to challenge the existing narrative. From her research, Atty concluded that more local knowledge needs to be incorporated into historical texts for a more well-rounded picture of each city; individuals need to acknowledge and remove their bias when examining and publishing; and that education largely determines either the continuation or deviation from the imperial narrative.

32 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

Fall 2025

Onward & Upward

lives, and how jewelry was used to denote status and power in period artwork. An art history and archaeology double major, her primary research methods included examining visual records and primary sources that talk about women wearing jewelry, what it meant at the time, and the associated symbolism.

For her HSRP project, Gabby Hammond ’26 studied Aboriginal female artists, specifically focusing on the work in the University of Virginia’s Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection. As a part of her project, Gabby traveled to Charlottesville, Va., to view objects from the collection and interview their senior collections manager, Nicole Wade. Throughout her research, the art history major questioned how female Aboriginal artists fit into the global art world and Fall 2025

Left to Right: Atty Bestwick, Gabby Hammond, Chloe Burchett, Ciara Nauful

current repatriation efforts in the Kluge-Ruhe art collection.

Gabby’s project, “Shifting Tide: Exploring Aboriginal Art and Repatriation in the Modern Age,” was also influenced by studying repatriation during her classes at Sweet Briar.

For her research, Ciara Nauful ’26 set out to prove the efficacy, benefits, and potential increased use of the Grants for Engaged Learning (GEL) program at Sweet Briar College. GEL supports a variety of experiential learning opportunities including research projects, artistic endeavors, entrepreneurial activities, travel, internships, job shadowing, and more. During her research, Ciara examined various data points and factors related to students who are awarded these grants and the potential impact on graduation rates. A math major

who is also pursuing a M.A.T. in secondary teaching, she drew on both of her concentrations while applying a Bayesian statistical model to analyze the data. Though limited by the data currently available, Ciara’s preliminary results suggest that receiving a GEL has a positive impact on a student’s probability of graduation.

Studio art and biology double major Leah Partington ’26 focused her HSRP project on building community through book arts. As a part of her project, “Bound by Words: A Journal of Strangers,” Leah worked with the College’s underutilized typesetting and gilding equipment to create a handbound book to be used as an open-ended, collaborative experience for users. She also looked into ways to revitalize Sweet Briar’s moveable Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 33

Left to Right: Indu Sharma, Leah Partington, Kendall Rander, Lorelei Teeter

type collection and make it more accessible to students.

Starting this fall, the book, a cross between an artist’s book and a journal, will serve as a means to repair and reignite friendships, build community, and share personal stories and encouragement. Split into three themed sections and guided by instructions and existing hand drawn and sewn typography, illustration, and decoration, the journal is an open-ended canvas designed to build mutual trust, inspire creativity, and forge bonds. While mainly focused on building community through tangible media, Leah is also incorporating a website and blog to catalogue her process, showcase the book’s journey and evolution, and connect with the project’s participants.

Throughout the program, Kendall Rander ’26 studied

34 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

the conquest of Guatemala in order to better understand how it impacted the Maya while also evaluating how the Spanish used or destroyed the land they conquered. In the project, “You Are What You Eat: Maize, Cannibalism, and Communion in the 16th Century Guatemalan Highlands,” Kendall examined various historical documents and leveraged their interest in political conquest and organization to evaluate different responses to these cross-cultural interactions.

Kendall also explored how the Maya reinterpreted Spanish customs to fit their preexisting religious beliefs, specifically looking at burial customs, communion practices, and figurative cannibalism.

Indu Sharma ’27 used her time in the program to collect and analyze project evaluation

data from BRICS countries, comparing infrastructure projects funded by the New Development Bank (NDB) and the World Bank. She used Principal-Agent Theory to compare similar infrastructure projects across four countries in sectors like urban rail, roads, energy, and rural development.

Her research indicated that NDB projects tended to stay on budget and often met or exceeded output targets, particularly in simpler sectors, while World Bank projects appeared to place greater emphasis on reporting social and gender impacts. Indu’s work Fall 2025

Onward & Upward

highlights the trade-offs between efficiency and accountability in development finance and raises questions about whether newer institutions define and deliver on sustainability goals or use them for institutional positioning.

Lorelei Teeter ’26 used the eight-week program to create a Bayesian statistical model with current and paleoseismic data on the Cascadia subduction zone and four similar faults to explore a new approach to earthquake forecasting. She also examined factors that typically precede earthquakes such as aseismic slips, seismic gaps, and an

increase in radon levels in local waters. In addition to Bayesian statistics, she used numerous mathematical techniques to study patterns in the data, including the Gibbs Sampler algorithm, trace plots, and Metropolis-Hastings algorithm.

An environmental science major, Lorelei combined her interest in the math and science behind earthquakes with the human element and impact natural disasters have on people affected by them.

Learn more about the Honors Program by visiting sbc.edu/honors-program.

Above Lorelei Teeter.

Fall 2025

Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 35

Onward & Upward

Above: Dr. Becky Bivens presents during an art exhibition opening.

Left: Prospective Presidential Scholars visit campus for a special event.

Giving

Donor Generosity Makes Daily Impact on Campus

By Rachel Balsley

A

s with most nonprofits, philanthropy plays a huge role in the world of higher education. From unrestricted annual giving to endowed funds, charitable gifts make up the gap between what tuition covers and an institution’s actual operating budget, as well as funding programs and special opportunities for students and faculty. The same goes for Sweet Briar College. Without the Sweet Briar Fund, endowments, and gifts to restricted areas, the College could not operate and fulfill its mission of educating women leaders.

Sweet Briar Fund

Over the past year, the Sweet Briar Fund has reorganized the collection and distribution of funds to give donors more options for their 36 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

gifts while honing in on the heart and soul of our community: current students and faculty.

As a budgeted item, the Sweet Briar Fund, and the donors that support it, impact our students and faculty each and every day. Through its four funding “buckets,” all areas of campus life thrive because of your philanthropic giving.

Funding areas that donors can make an unrestricted designated gift to include: Greatest Needs, Academic Support, Student Scholarships, and Stewardship of the Natural and Built Environment. Donors can give to the Sweet Briar Fund at any time at sbc.edu/give.

Faculty Grants

It’s a Match!

According to Double the Donation, 78% of donors are unaware if their company offers a matching gift program. Head to sbc.edu/match to search the Double the Donation database to see if your employer will match your gift!

The process is simple and only requires a few forms.

Match your gift today!

Teaching faculty can apply for funding through Sweet Briar’s competitive faculty grants program to support publishing and presenting papers, completing research, and attending academic conferences around the world.

In the 2024–2025 academic year, nearly 20 professors across various disciplines benefited from faculty grants including: • Professor of Psychology Dr. Tim Loboschefski who used funding to purchase a replacement lab computer to facilitate his research with colleagues at the University of Virginia to reexamine data collected as part of his work on EEG markers for ADHD. • Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Nick Kinney used his grant to publish the paper “Short Tandem Repeat Variants are Possibly Associated with RNA Secondary Structure and Gene Expression” that he co-authored with Dikshya Pathak ’25, Emma Evans ’26, and Paola Arias ’25 in the journal PLOS One. Fall 2025

Onward & Upward

Dr. Nick Kinney writes on the board.

• Faculty grants were used to supplement Visiting Assistant Professor of Art History Dr. Becky Bivens’ presentation of a paper about and continue her research on writer and scholar Sonya Rudikoff.

“This research wouldn’t be possible without a faculty grant, which allowed me to visit the archives in person,” noted Dr. Bivens.

Grants for Engaged Learning

Students also have access to funding to support their studies and gain real-world and hands-on experience through the Grants for Engaged Learning (GEL) program. Each student can apply for these grants, awards of up to $2,000 during a student’s time at Sweet Briar, which can be used in a variety of ways.

From conference registration and internship housing fees to supplementing research and global travel, GEL funding empowers students to take even more control of their education.

Recent recipients have included travel expenses for Catherine Aldridge ’25 to attend an archaeology field school in Ireland; travel and lodging fees for Adele Lenz’s ’25 study abroad

and internship in Brussels, Belgium; and travel and housing expenses for Etaf Jumaa ’26 to serve as an undergraduate intern with Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s Sarasota Dolphin Research Program at the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium.

“This was by far one of the best work experiences I have been a part of. I learned so many new skills, and gained so much knowledge, experience, and suntans,” Etaf said of her summer internship. “This will help me prepare for my applications to a master’s program in marine biology, and contribute to my ultimate goal of being a marine animal veterinarian.”

GEL can also be used to aid students with fees related to obtaining their GIS Technical Certificate, MAT and GRE courses, and graduate school applications, to name a few.

Student Scholarships

Numerous endowed funds support need- and merit-based scholarships for talented students, allowing the Financial Aid Office the flexibility to meet the needs of prospective Vixens and the Admissions Team to recruit the best and brightest.

One notable use of scholarship funds is the Presidential Scholars program and its tier of related awards. These scholarships celebrate the College’s top applicants in recognition of their academic accomplishments.

Scholars are invited to participate in special accepted applicant events to deepen their interest in joining the Sweet Briar community. Thanks to the support of generous donors and endowed fund revenue, Sweet Briar has been able to increase the average Presidential Scholar award amount by 286% from fall 2018 to fall 2023, with the minimum and maximum award amounts having tripled.

“I am very grateful for my scholarship because it has

allowed me to attend Sweet Briar and receive an education that I might not have otherwise gotten,” said Presidential Scholar Maggie Minton ’26. “It has also allowed me to receive the rewards of attending an all-women’s college and the benefits of being pushed to be a female leader.”

No matter how donors decide to support the College, gifts to the Sweet Briar Fund make a direct and immediate impact on the current campus community while estate and endowed funds help ensure future generations of Vixens will have incredible experiences. Due to the generous support of alumnae and friends, Sweet Briar is able to offer lifechanging educational experiences that extend past campus. Thank you for your continued support!

Learn more about supporting Sweet Briar, how to match your gift by your employer, and other ways to give at sbc.edu/ways-to-give.

Etaf Jumaa ’26 participates in a summer internship.

Onward & Upward

What are you reading?

What would you recommend to a fellow alumna?

We want to know! Send your recommendations to communications@sbc.edu by March 1, 2026, to help us compile an alumnae summer reading list. Chosen titles will be included in the spring issue of the magazine. We can’t wait to see (and read) what you suggest!

Faculty Publications

March 2025– September 2025

Nick Kinney, Ph.D.

Faculty Publications, Awards, and Exhibits Paige Bridges, DBA

Assistant Professor of Business Conference presentation: • “Marketing as a STEM-Designated Field: Emerging Opportunities for Social Impact,” was nominated for the Best Paper award at the 2025 Marketing Educators’ Association Conference, April 2025.

Tracy Hamilton, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Visual Arts: Art History • One of two lead panelists in the Medieval Academy of America’s Digital Humanities Showcase this May. She spoke about the successes and challenges in creating and maintaining her project, “Mapping the Medieval Woman.”

Lou Haney

Adjunct Assistant Professor • Featured in the “Shelf Life” exhibition in the Reynolds Gallery in Richmond, Va., September 2025.

Solo show, “Passé,” was on display at the One Rivers School in Hartsdale, N.Y., SeptemberOctober 2025.

Dr. Tracy Hamilton (above) and Dr. Anne Elise Thomas (below)

38 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

Assistant Professor of Biology • Published “Short tandem repeat variants are possibly associated with RNA secondary structure and gene expression” alongside three students, Dikshya Pathak ’25, Emma Evans ’26, and Paola Arias ’25, in PLOS One, 20(6), June 2025.

Megan Kobiela, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Biology Poster presentation: • Society for the Study of Evolution, June 2025

Bryan Kuhr, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Engineering • Organized the IEEE SIEDS Conference at UVA in May 2025, coordinating volunteer judges, paper reviewers, and securing the event’s plenary speaker, Alan Thomas, Vice President for Products & Engineering, Installed Base America, Framatome, Inc.

Anne Elise Thomas, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Performing Arts: Music • “Tarab as Pedagogical Practice for Deep Learning.” Book chapter in TARAB: Music, Ecstasy, Emotion and Performance, edited by Michael Frishkopf, Scott Marcus, and Dwight Reynolds. University of Texas Press.

Richard Hollister, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Mathematics Conference presentation: • “Quasi-triangularization of matrix polynomials in Maple” at the International Linear Algebra Society Conference, June 2025.

Fall 2025

Dr. Bryan Kuhr (above) and Dr. Megan Kobiela (below)

Fall 2025

Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 39

Onward & Upward

Student Travel

A World of Learning: 2024–2025 Student Travel Programs & Experiences

Fall Semester: Japan During the fall 2024 12-week term, Meredith Farmer ’25 spent nearly two months in Kyoto, Japan, totally immersing herself in a new place, culture, and way of life. As a part of the Doshisha Women’s College Japanese Studies Program, Meredith explored Japanese language, culture, and history. In addition to classroom study, the cohort of students enjoyed field trips to local temples, experienced local nightlife, and engaged with various clubs, opening the door to activities such as tea ceremonies and donning traditional kimonos.

40 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

Throughout the academic year, students have numerous opportunities to study off campus, be it through travel programs, internships, or other immersive experiences. In the 2024–2025 year, several individuals and groups of students left campus to explore another area, including these six trips, be it nearly a full semester studying Japanese culture or spending time in the nation’s capital to dive into philosophy and art.

Spring 3-Week: Spain During the spring 3-week session, 12 Sweet Briar students and faculty set off on an exciting excursion to southern Spain to explore the history of the Iberian Peninsula (today Spain and Portugal).

Through the art history course Medieval and Renaissance Iberia, students examined how artifacts and architecture illustrate crosscultural influences as well as unique cultural and religious forms and functions. While in Spain, the group visited breathtaking sites and saw history come to life as they experienced a different culture and community.

Spring 3-Week: Prague This past spring, the 21 students in the 3-week courses Exploring Literary Masters and Philosophy and Literature, accompanied by Dr. Susannah Nevison, Dr. Christopher Penfield, and Dr. Joshua Harris, explored the city of Prague through the eyes of writers Rainer Maria Rilke and Franz Kafka. Together, the courses explored how place shapes art, with daily excursions that put course content in conversation with our current moment. Students read The Trial and then went to the Kafka Museum; discussed Kafka’s The Metamorphosis and attended Dvorak’s opera “Rusalka;” and read

Rilke’s suite of Prague-based poems and then visited the very same sites.

Final projects allowed students to develop their own voices as writers and critical thinkers, with students in each class learning from one another through shared lectures and readings. In addition, students explored the city on their own, cultivating their burgeoning relationship with Prague.

Fall 2025

Onward & Upward

ILLUSTRATIONS BY MAYA NGUY EN

Spring 3-Week: Washington, D.C. The Philosophy and the Arts course used part of the spring 3-week term to travel to Washington, D.C., to better understand the concept of beauty and what it means to have an aesthetic experience.

The course explored the richly complex, complementary, and contentious relationship between philosophy and art, beginning over 2,400 years ago in ancient Greece and extending to our present day.

While in the nation’s capital, the group of 13 Sweet Briar students and faculty enjoyed visits to iconic landmarks and museums such as the National Gallery of Art and National Museum of Asian Art, as well as guided tours of the Capitol, Victims of Communism Museum, and People’s House, including a visit with U.S. Representative John McGuire (VA-05).

Fall 2025

Summer: Virginia Program at Oxford For six weeks this summer, seven Sweet Briar students and recent graduates participated in the long-standing Virginia Program at Oxford alongside their peers from five other Commonwealth colleges.

During the program, students experience the Oxford system, which is based on the tutorial method consisting of weekly small-group lessons accompanied by readings and a paper on each subject. The rigorous coursework is paired with daily lectures from renowned speakers followed by discussions. Students also get to live on grounds at Oxford’s St. Anne’s College and explore England through excursions. This year’s cohort was one of the largest groups of Sweet Briar students to attend in program history.

Summer: Matohasanaj Archaeological Project For the second summer, students and faculty journeyed to Albania to participate in the Matohasanaj Archaeological Project as a part of Sweet Briar’s archaeology and ancient studies program. Led

by Assistant Professor Dr. Erin Pitt with assistance from Field Director and Adjunct Instructor Mirgen Shametaj, the project is a professional research opportunity coupled with a field school.

This year, Arin Armistead ’25, Alyssa O’Quinn ’26, and Isabel Perdue ’28 benefited from this unique hands-on program, learning excavation techniques, discovering artifacts, and exploring the region and other historical sites.

Students interested in studying abroad or participating in an offcampus trip have numerous ways to explore the world. They are also encouraged to apply for Grants for Engaged Learning (GEL) to support their research, internships, or travel; sign up for classes that involve travel; or participate in a number of the other travel programs available.

Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 41

Onward & Upward

Of Note Vixens Visit Rock Climbing National Championships — In May, two members of the College’s rock climbing team traveled to Salt Lake City, Utah, to participate in the Collegiate National Championships at the USA Climbing National Training Center. Vixen Athletics and Friends of Athletics fully funded the trip to allow Emily Allred ’26 and Liza Dareing ’26 to gain experience competing on courses designed for the highest level of collegiate competition, helping to prepare the team for future matches. Though they did not qualify to officially compete in the championship, Emily and Liza were able to climb bouldering and top rope routes, gaining invaluable experience. Established in 2023, the team looks forward to another year of competitive climbing as they hone their skills.

42 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

“The College Tour” at Sweet Briar —

In August, Sweet Briar debuted its episode of “The College Tour,” a documentary-style series that offers valuable insights for prospective college students and their families as they navigate the college selection process. Presented by Amazon Prime and guided by host Alex Boylan, the 30-minute episode tells the story of what life is truly like at Sweet Briar from the perspective of nine remarkable students. Watch our episode at sbc.edu/thecollegetour, through the QR code, or as a part of season 15 on Amazon Prime.

S&P Global Reaffirms College’s BB+ Rating —

Sweet Briar College’s financial health has been reaffirmed

by S&P Global, which has maintained the institution’s long-term rating at “BB+.”

S&P noted that the College’s outlook is stable, the eighth time in 10 years that S&P has either raised or reaffirmed Sweet Briar’s bond rating.

Twice during that period, the agency has raised the College’s outlook, most recently in 2024.

S&P identified Sweet Briar’s strengths as healthy financial resources, low long-term debt, and improved financial operating performance over four of the last five fiscal years.

Founders’ Day Land Acknowledgement Plaque Dedication —

During the College’s Founders’ Day celebration on Sept. 26, Sweet Briar officially dedicated a Land Acknowledgement plaque honoring the Monacan Indian Nation, upon whose historical homeland our College is located and who have lived on this land for generations. The ceremony, featuring remarks by Tribal Chief Diane Shields and Tribal Assistant Chief Edith Lou Branham Parrish, took place on the Quad where the plaque is now displayed.

Fall 2025

Onward & Upward

Tennis Takes ECAC Championship Title —

In spring 2025, Sweet Briar tennis secured the ECAC Division III Women’s Tennis title for the first time in program history. The team topped the Baruch College Bearcats with a 4–1 win following several decisive victories in both singles and doubles matches. Lucia Bovard ’26 was named Most Valuable Player of the Championship match.

Vixen Volleyball Returns —

Sweet Briar proudly welcomed the return of the volleyball program for the 2025 season. Led by Alejandro “AJ” Escobar, Jr., the College previously offered volleyball as a varsity sport from 1994–2010 and saw success on the court with three student-athletes named to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) All-Conference Team in 1995, 2001, and 2002. Competing as an independent team as they rebuild the program, the volleyball Vixens are facing a full schedule against a selection of schools in the Mid-Atlantic region. The team is composed of both new and returning students.

Sweet Briar Welcomes Back the Richmond Symphony —

In September, the Richmond Symphony kicked off their season with a return to Sweet Briar for the second consecutive year to perform for the campus and extended community. Hundreds of students, faculty, staff, and guests gathered in the Murchison Lane Auditorium to hear a beautiful selection of classical pieces from Louise Farrenc, Bedřich Smetana, William Grant Still, Carl Maria von Weber, and Alexander Glazunov directed by Associate Conductor Hae Lee. The performance was partially funded by the Virginia Commission for the Arts.

ILLUSTRATION BY MAYA NGUY EN

Sweet Briar College Farm Expands Wine Offerings —

This summer, Sweet Briar College Farm expanded its offerings, adding four additional wines to its selection, as well as launching shipping options for select states. Visitors to campus and select local businesses can now purchase bottles of Briar Bubbly, Constitution Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon, Farmhouse Road Franc, and Slightly Sweet Briar. These and all of the farm’s wines can be ordered in multiples of six and shipped to Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, Maryland, and within Virginia.

Find more information about how and when to purchase all of our agricultural products and the College’s Center for Human & Environmental Sustainability at sbc.edu/farm.

Fall 2025

Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 43

“Together, we’re advancing the leadership and accomplishments of women.”

—PRESIDENT

MARY

POPE

M.

HUTSON

’83

125 SWEET BRIAR C EL EB R AT E S

YEARS (And Counting!)

OF WOM EN ’ S L E A DER SH I P

BY

CLÉLIE

STECKEL

In 2026, Sweet Briar College marks its 125th Anniversary of women’s education and leadership. While Feb. 9, 2026, marks the date on which the charter of Sweet Briar Institute was approved and filed with the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the College has already begun hosting a series of events and planning opportunities to reflect on a century and a quarter of success.

One hundred and twenty-five years after its founding, the College is still at the forefront of women’s education, forging ethical leaders with the skill, compassion, and vision to create a more just and sustainable world.

Sweet Briar’s year-long celebration officially kicked off Sept. 26 during the College’s annual Founders’ Day festivities. At Founders’ Day Convocation, President Mary Pope M. Hutson ’83 concluded the ceremony with remarks about the festivities to come, as well as Sweet Briar’s history, founding, and future.

“I’m so excited about the plans for our year-long celebration of the College’s 125th Anniversary, during which we will salute Sweet Briar’s legacy of women’s leadership, with a variety of special events and programs,” said President Hutson. “Together, we’re advancing the leadership and accomplishments of women, and what we do today will help determine what the next 125 years in the life of the College will be like. I know that 125 years from now, in the year 2151, the community of Sweet Briar College will be celebrating its 250th Anniversary!”

Prior to the official launch of events, the Honorable Anita McBride came to campus for a moderated discussion with Dean of the College

Fall 2025

Dr. Lisa Powell as a soft opening to the series of events, talks, and activities. Ms. McBride had lunch with students and faculty, spoke on serving as Chief of Staff to First Lady Laura Bush and bipartisanship in the White House, and also signed copies of her book, Remember the First Ladies: The Legacies of America’s History-Making Women.

On Oct. 15, the Honorable David Beasley, former Governor of South Carolina and former executive director of the U.N. World Food Programme, also visited campus. He joined Dr. Allison Trochesset’s Introduction to American Government course to talk with students and answer their questions. Governor Beasley then gave a talk in Mills Chapel about his experiences leading the state of South Carolina and the World Food Programme. He addressed global hunger concerns, the balance of public service with personal viewpoints, and took questions from the audience on sustainability, global conflict, and food insecurity both at home and abroad.

On Oct. 22, the College celebrated Women in Agriculture with a forum featuring industry leaders such as Heidi L. Hertz, principal at Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies; Natalia Zappernick, director of horticulture at Babylon Micro-Farms; Muriel Forrest, barn owner and trainer of Wheatland Farms; and Dr. Jessica Walters, program manager for the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matthew Lohr also came to campus for the event.

The first off-campus 125th Anniversary event was held on Oct. 26 at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture in Richmond. The event touched on Sweet Briar’s historic campus and plans for future preservation efforts and brought alumnae, families, and friends of the College together to celebrate 125 years of women’s leadership.

Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 47

Top Left: President Mary Pope M. Hutson ’83, Richmond Event Top Right: The Honorable David Beasley

Future celebratory opportunities will include events on campus and at alumnae clubs around the country. Events will include talks, in person and virtually, by invited guest speakers on topics related to Sweet Briar and its history, as well as women’s leadership, while celebrating the College and the mark it has made on our campus, Commonwealth, country—and the world.

Sweet Briar faculty and staff are preparing a portable exhibit detailing the timeline of Sweet Briar College’s history in tandem with American history, the history of Virginia, and the history of Amherst County. The exhibit will travel to alumnae gatherings at clubs and cities around the country.

Alumnae and friends of Sweet Briar can get involved in celebrating the 125th Anniversary in a few ways: • Host an event for your alumnae club in your city. Contact the Office of Alumnae Relations and Development at alumnae@sbc.edu or 434-381-6131 to get started.

• Submit your memories of Sweet Briar or the Centennial celebration in 2001. See “The Last Word” on page 88 for details.

• Make a gift in honor of the 125th Anniversary to the fund that matters to you the most.

Visit sbc.edu/give to give online or use the envelope included in this edition of the alumnae magazine.

Many of the events on campus will be livestreamed and/or recorded. We hope you will join us in celebrating our quasquicentennial and all of the College’s incredible accomplishments while we look ahead to the next 125 years. Learn about more events, read the latest news about 125th Anniversary speakers, and more at sbc.edu/125.

Bottom Left: Women in Agriculture Forum Bottom Right: The Honorable Anita McBride

The 125th Anniversary Planning Committee

Staff & Advisors Supporting the Committee

Sally Old Kitchin ’76 Committee Chair Virginia Beach, Va.

Peter Bryan, Special Assistant to the President for Community Engagement

Mary Pope M. Hutson ’83 President

Claire Dennison Griffith ’80, Vice President for Alumnae Relations and Development

Martha Holland ’72 Board Member Alexandria, Va. Rebecca Michie McVeigh ’87 Lynchburg, Va. Annora Melton ’27 Student Representative Lynn Rogerson Shirey ’76 Alexandria, Va. Rachel Elkins Thompson ’91 Amherst, Va. Holly Brooke Trent ’97 Lynchburg, Va. Sharon Watts Turner ’91 Amherst, Va. Jenny Young ’11 Richmond, Va.

48 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

Cathy Cash Mays ’84, Director of College Events Rich Meyer, Senior Director of Buildings and Grounds Ben Phillips, Director of Dining Services Elizabeth Pinkerton, Advisor Kathleen Placidi, Director of Institutional Grants Anna Pretty, Admissions Events Manager Clélie Steckel, Director of Communications, Marketing, and Events John Thomas, Director of Physical Plant and Projects Tony Wood, Advisor

Fall 2025

ER AS OF US NEW EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS THE BREADTH OF SWEET BRIAR’S ART COLLECTION e rs in th (125 yea g) makin

Top Left: Students enjoy friendship bracelet making and themed snacks during the exhibition’s opening event.

Top Right: Gallery Assistant Shadia Suleman ’26 and Adrianna Jernigan ’27 admire the Eras exhibition.

Bottom: Professor Claire Stankus presents about Sally Mann during the exhibition’s opening event, 2,000 years in 10 minutes.

Fall 2025

There are many ways to view history and examine human evolution. This year, in Pannell Gallery, Sweet Briar is utilizing its extensive art collection to do just that.

Organized by the galleries and museum team of staff and students, Eras: People Watching 400 BCE to 2022 CE opened on Oct. 9 featuring 65 pieces from the College’s art collection. The exhibit homes in on the way people have been portrayed across time, the clues about the eras in which they lived, and the artists who have shaped our view of history.

From medieval martyred saints to women rebelling against restrictive dress codes, the exhibit spans more than 2,000 years and mixes significant artists with household names, such as Rembrandt van Rijn, William Blake, Mary Cassatt, and Carrie Mae Weems. Through the art, viewers can watch people, especially women, being constrained, celebrated, and liberated across the eras.

The exhibition also highlights the breadth and depth of the College’s art collection, which will be featured in an upcoming art catalogue produced in recognition of Sweet Briar’s 125th Anniversary. Of the pieces in the Eras exhibition, 29 are featured in the upcoming catalogue, making the exhibition a fantastic opportunity to see these works up close.

Sweet Briar is just one of the 10% of post-secondary institutions offering object-based learning with access to an art collection, a celebration of the teaching potential of this visual encyclopedia.

Some 26 courses actively use the collection, from art history to creative writing to archeology and leadership. Resulting student work can be found in the gallery alongside the collected works, including photogrammetry 3-D printouts, which open the timeline in 400 BCE; award-winning creative writing; and classical drawing studies that conclude the timeline in 2022.

During the opening, the exhibited art was paired with a series of brief lectures covering 2,000 years in only 10 minutes. Ten subjectmatter experts spoke about a piece or collection of exhibited work for a minute each (or a few minutes, in some cases), weaving the selection together while offering insights to the pieces or artists themselves. The lectures included: • 400 BCE: Dr. Erin Pitt on Classical and Pre-Columbian collection works (presented by Dr. Hamilton) • 1490 CE: Dr. Tracy Hamilton on “Circe and Ulysses” in the Nuremberg Chronicle • 1493 CE: Dr. Lynn Laufenburg on martyred saints in the Nuremberg Chronicle • 1825 CE: Professor Laura Pharis on William Blake • 1934 CE: Dr. Joe Sacksteder on Walt Disney Studio’s Grumpy • 1941 CE: Heath Ballowe on Thomas Hart Benton • 1941 CE: Dr. Becky Bivens on Fernand Léger • 1992 CE: Professor Claire Stankus on Sally Mann • 1995 CE: Dr. Kathleen Placidi on Carrie Mae Weems • 2022 CE: Dr. Clare van Loenen on Mahsa R. Fard The opening event also featured themed refreshments such as gingerbread people representing humanity throughout the ages and Mediterranean and medieval-inspired fare, a scavenger hunt, and friendship bracelet making.

Eras will be on display until March 21, 2026, in Pannell Gallery, which is open Thursday–Saturday from 12–5 p.m. while classes are in session.

Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 51

A History of Sweet Briar College From Founding Through Present Day 1900s The story of Sweet Briar began long before 1901, and will continue far beyond 2026.

The College’s evolution since its founding is simultaneously a story of innovation, resilience, tradition, and vision. From the first graduating class in 1910, to adopting the Vixen as our mascot in 1978, to Dave Matthews performing in the Dell in 1996, to our curriculum reset in 2018, our history is a tapestry woven by the members of our community and our mission to educate women to create a more just and sustainable world.

52 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

1901

Sweet Briar Institute (now known as Sweet Briar College) founded.

Fall 2025

1910

Establishment of Sweet Briar’s nationally renowned riding program.

1910 Sweet Briar College graduates its first class of students.

Members of the first graduating class celebrate in 1910.

1910 Paint and Patches, the first tap club, is established; today there are 11 tap clubs.

1919 The first international student, Antoinette Malet, joins the student body from France.

1910s

1909

First Founder’s Day celebrated.

ILLUSTRAT ION S BY STEVEN NOBLE; BRI TTAN Y FAN; S HUTTERSTOCK

1906 The first class of 51 students enters Sweet Briar College.

Sheep graze on campus in 1914.

1906–1931 The main campus of the College, designed

by Ralph Adams Cram, is constructed.

The first Sweet Briar field hockey team in 1919.

An early image of the Sweet Briar College campus.

Fall 2025

Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 53

One of the original Sweet Briar College entrance gates in 1935.

1921 Sweet Briar becomes a member of the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, the American Association of University Women, and the American Council on Education, and is approved by the Association of American Universities.

1920s

1930s

1941

The Boathouse is built on Lower Lake, which was created by a dam in the early days of the College.

1940s

1927 Sweet Briar House fire damages the central part of the house.

1938 Students design and help construct the Outing Cabin.

Sweet Briar House before the 1927 fire.

Students enjoy the Outing Cabin.

54 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

Fall 2025

The Class of 1945 sits on the “Golden Stairs” in front of Pannell.

1952

Sweet Briar becomes a charter member of the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges (VFIC).

1950s

1956 Dew residence hall is constructed.

Students study astronomy in 1952.

ILLUSTRAT ION S BY BR ITTAN Y FAN

Former President Martha Lucas reads with three international students on the steps of the library in 1949.

The Sweet Tones perform at Sweet Briar’s 1957 Midwinter dance.

Fall 2025

Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 55

Students work in a lab in Guion Science Center, which opened in 1964.

1960 Meta Glass residence hall opens.

1961 Babcock Performing Arts Center is dedicated.

1970

Sweet Briar House is added to the National Register of Historic Places.

1964 Construction is completed on Memorial Chapel (now called Mills Chapel) and Guion Science Center.

1960s

1970s 1969 The Wailes Center opens.

1966

Sweet Briar integrates its student body and enrolls its first African American student, Marshalyn YearginAllsopp ’68, who enters in September.

1971 The Harriet Howell Rogers Riding Center is constructed, replacing the Riding Center on Farmhouse Road.

Students play a game of Monopoly in 1963.

Students study in the library in 1960.

56 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

Sweet Briar’s first African American student, Marshalyn YearginAllsopp ’68, graduates.

Fall 2025

Snow blankets campus in 1982.

1995

1975 Prothro Natatorium is constructed.

1978 Athletics adopts Vixens as its mascot.

1984 The former Refectory is renovated to become the Anne Gary Pannell Fine Arts Center.

1980s

The Sweet Briar College Historic District, consisting of the 21 buildings constructed between 1906–1931, is listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places.

1990s

1983 Prothro Dining Hall is constructed.

Dave Matthews performs on the Dell in 1996.

Students participate in the annual Rock and Hitching Post Fight in 1987.

ILLUSTRAT ION BY BRITTANY FAN

Students pose with guest lecturer and actress Jessica Lange in 1997.

The Ear Phones in 1990.

Fall 2025

Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 57

2018

Students utilize the Boathouse and Lower Lake as part of the Learning on the Land program in 2001.

Sweet Briar launches a bold academic reset anchored by an innovative 10-course Women’s Leadership Core curriculum, a new academic calendar, and interdisciplinary Centers of Excellence, and the Grants for Engaged Learning (GEL) program.

2004 Sweet Briar inaugurates its Master of Arts in Teaching program.

2000s

2018 Sweet Briar establishes its apiary and wildflower pollinator meadow.

2010s

2005 Sweet Briar enrolls its first students in the engineering program, which is one of only two ABET-accredited engineering programs at a women’s college in the U.S. In 2010, the program was named the Margaret Jones Wyllie ’45 Engineering Program for her endowed gift.

2015

On March 3, the Sweet Briar Board of Directors and thenpresident James F. Jones, Jr. announced that the College would close at the end of the academic year.

In response, and in concert with a dynamic coalition that included employees, students, parents, and friends, alumnae launched an aggressive fundraising campaign and legal battle. These efforts resulted in the June 22 settlement by the Attorney General of Virginia that kept the College open under a new administration led by President Philip C. Stone and a new Board of Directors chaired by Teresa Pike Tomlinson ’87.

Sweet Briar College survives the attempted closure of 2015.

58 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

Fall 2025

Students participate in the annual Founders’ Day walk to Monument Hill in 2024.

Members of the Class of 2019 enjoy the Fancy Hat Brunch, an enduring tradition.

2024 Mary Pope Maybank Hutson ’83 is inaugurated as the College’s first alumna president.

2024 The first wines from Sweet Briar College Farm are available for purchase.

Onward to the next 125 years!

2020s

2024 2019 The first root stock for the vineyards is planted.

2022

The Board of Directors approves a revised Mission Statement that emphasizes Sweet Briar’s focus on educating women for ethical leadership.

Board of Directors adopts Land Acknowledgment Statement.

ILLUSTRAT ION BY BRITTANY FAN

2020 26,000-square-foot greenhouse opens.

In 2020, the College opened its 26,000-square-foot greenhouse.

Fall 2025

Dr. Dwana Waugh and President Mary Pope M. Hutson recite the land acknowledgement with Monacan Indian Nation Assistant Tribal Chief Edith Lou Branham Parrish during a ceremony on campus.

Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 59

Jane Goodall In Memoriam

Primatologist, Trailblazer, Honorary Alumna of Sweet Briar College

By Clélie Steckel

Illustration by Bee Johnson

O

“Jane Goodall visited SBC many times in the ’70s and ’80s, but I was glad I had the opportunity to hear her talk while I was a student.

Just yesterday, I mentioned her in A&P class while talking about how primates have facial expressions.

Her legacy will live on.”

— Julia Schmitz ’03

On Oct. 1, 2025, the Sweet Briar community

lost one of its icons: Dr. Jane Goodall, D.B.E., world-renowned primatologist, ethologist, and anthropologist. Dr. Goodall studied chimpanzees at the Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania for more than 60 years.

As many alumnae and friends of Sweet Briar know, Dr. Goodall lectured at Sweet Briar many times in the ’70s and ’80s. In total, she spoke to students, faculty, staff, alumnae, and friends at Sweet Briar eight times, always drawing a huge crowd.

It all began with the Sue Reid Slaughter Fund, which was established by the 1913 alumna’s estate in 1962 “to bring distinguished scholars and prominent national and international figures to Sweet Briar.” On April 29, 1976, the Slaughter Fund brought Dr. Goodall to campus to present her film “The Shadow of Man,” which dealt with infant-child development in chimpanzees.

The 1976 lecture seems to have inspired Mr. and Mrs. John A. Ewald, Jr. (Jane “Kitchie” Tolleson ’52) to establish the Ewald Scholarship Fund that same year. In 1978, the Ewalds made a gift to fund four total visits each spring from 1978–1981, during which Goodall also served as visiting professor of anthropology at Sweet Briar. Dr. Goodall’s visits were also funded by the L.S.B. Leakey Foundation, named for Dr. Goodall’s mentor, which also supported her research and her lecture travel.

62 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

JANE GOODALL BY HUGO VAN L AWICK

Fall 2025

Each appearance included at least one lecture, but usually two or three, and included slides or film, with titles such as “Aggression and Violence in Chimps,” “Gombe Baboons and Their Relationships with Chimpanzees,” “Chimpanzee Family Life,” “The Nature of the Mother-Child Relationship,” “The Female in Chimpanzee Society,” “Problems of Adolescence in Chimpanzees,” and more.

Of all of Dr. Goodall’s visits to Sweet Briar, two in particular stand out. In 1981, the College held a two-day symposium featuring four internationally acclaimed women primatologists: Dr. Jane Goodall, Dr. Dian Fossey, Dr. Biruté Galdikas, and Dr. Francine Patterson.

The Symposium, “Homonids and Pongids: What We Can Learn About Humankind From the Apes,” was moderated by Gilbert M. Grosvenor, president of the National Geographic Society at the time. Like Goodall, Fossey, Galdikas, and Patterson were all protegés of L.S.B. Leakey.

At the time, Dr. Fossey, who studied gorillas, was project coordinator of the Karisoke Research Centre in Rwanda and visiting professor of anthropology at Cornell University. Dr. Galdikas, who studied orangutans, was director of the Tanjung Putting Research Centre in Borneo and visiting professor of archaeology at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia.

Dr. Patterson was president and research director of the Gorilla Foundation and adjunct research associate in anthropology at San Jose State University.

The symposium was filmed and broadcast as a television program called “Humans and Apes.”

Attendance for the event was so large that the College used closed-circuit television to broadcast the events to Guion, the Wailes Center, and other locations on campus.

Of course, the impact of Dr. Goodall’s visits to Sweet Briar was not strictly academic. In 1982, Professors Dr. Catherine Seaman, Dr. Claudia Chang, and Dr. Brent Shea presented a skit at that year’s Faculty Show called “Prime-Time Primates” in which Dr. Seaman played Dr. Goodall trying to manage a retinue of apes for a TV program. Drs. Chang and Shea played the apes.

In 2002, Dr. Goodall made her final appearance at Sweet Briar College. As part of her “Reason for Hope” tour, she returned to Sweet Briar for a Q&A with students in the afternoon, dinner at Sweet Briar House, and a public lecture in the evening.

Dr. Goodall’s talk addressed environmental impacts Fall 2025

Top: Jane Goodall presents at Sweet Briar College in 1976.

Bottom: Julia Schmitz '03 with Jane Goodall during her 2002 visit to Sweet Briar.

on her research and the chimpanzee population in Gombe, Tanzania, where she conducted her longterm studies. At that time, she was also awarded an honorary doctorate from Sweet Briar College, only the second time one was awarded in its history (the first was to historian Doris Kearns Goodwin in 2001; since Dr. Goodall’s honorary doctorate, another was awarded to Norma Patteson Mills ’60 in 2025).

“In 2002, Jane Goodall visited Sweet Briar College, where I was able to listen to her amazing story. I had done research with rhesus macaques that year, so understood her love of chimpanzees,” said Julia Schmitz ’03 following Goodall’s passing. “Jane Goodall visited SBC many times in the ’70s and ’80s, but I was glad I had the opportunity to hear her talk while I was a student. Just yesterday, I mentioned her in A&P class while talking about how primates have facial expressions. Her legacy will live on.”

Jane Goodall’s impact on Sweet Briar was tremendous. Generations of Sweet Briar alumnae remember these lectures as transformational experiences, no matter their fields of study.

Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 63

In Memoriam 1942

1957

1963

Edith Brainerd Walter June 5, 2025

Stella Moore McClintock July 3, 2025

1964

1945

1958

Patricia “Pam” Miller Callsen May 21, 2025

Nancy “Scottie” Newell Lennon April 12, 2025

1946

Peninah Meighan Martin April 14, 2025

1965

Mimi Galloway Duncan April 17, 2025

Margaret Booth Pierce July 12, 2025 Helen Spratt Murchison Lane May 18, 2025

1948

Harriotte Bland Coke March 20, 2025

Carolyn Hinshaw 2022

Susan Avril Schneider February 19, 2025

1959

1949

Jane Kroeger Larimore July 30, 2025

1950

Kathleen “Kathy” Tyler Sheldon July 29, 2025

Julia Easley Mak July 22, 2025 Anne Peyton Cooper August 22, 2025

1951

Barbara Hahn Smith May 19, 2025

1952

Erna Arnold Westwig July 17, 2025

1960

Margaret “Peggy” Cook Lunt June 26, 2025

Keir Henley Donaldson May 12, 2025

Melinda “Mo” Moore Sweet July 19, 2025

Patricia Beach Thompson June 15, 2025

1961

1953

Annabell Sweeney Ames October 1, 2024

Eleanor Hirsch Baer August 24, 2025

Ruth Jones Bassett August 22, 2025

Betty Bentsen Winn January 15, 2025

Molly Owens Parkinson May 7, 2025

1954

1962

1956

Elizabeth “Betsy” Shure Gross July 15, 2025

Margaret “Peggy” Jones Steuart November 19, 2024 Sandra McGee Bradford June 27, 2025 Susan Clay Disharoom July 6, 2025 Adelaide Brown Stalker May 30, 2025 64 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

Martha Baum Carlton July 1, 2025

Molly Harris Jordan June 8, 2025 Judith “Judy” Whitacre Snider Unreported

Doris Chu Unreported Sara “Sally” Gump Berryman August 3, 2025

Caroline MacMillan Robinson April 3, 2025 Julie Bradshaw Sackett February 11, 2025

1966

Louise Du Rona Sklower August 9, 2025

1967

Marie Elizabeth Sushka April 5, 2025 Ann Denton Wells May 13, 2025

1968

Mary Gress March 9, 2025

1970

Louise Lambert Kale March 26, 2025 Janine Brockie McKee June 18, 2025

1975

Mary “Marybeth” Connor Hamlin July 10, 2025 Patricia “Patti” Tucker O’Desky June 15, 2025

1976

Allyson Wilmer Jacobs January 6, 2025

1979

Katherine Moore Van Voorhis September 7, 2025

2009

Abigail “Abby” Adkins June 30, 2025

Data reported as of Sept. 18, 2025. Please send alumnae obituaries to alumnae@sbc.edu.

Fall 2025

In Memoriam

1946

Helen Spratt Murchison Lane

MAY 18, 2025

Helen Spratt Murchison Lane ’46 died on May 18, 2025, just 14 days shy of her 101st birthday. The first daughter of Helen Spratt and Charles Holton Murchison, she moved to Jacksonville, Fla., when she was two months old and lived there for the rest of her life. A graduate of Bartram School and Sweet Briar College, she married Edward Wood Lane, Jr., with whom she had four children. She is survived by her son, Edward W. Lane III (Barney); daughter, Palmer L. Dorn (Joe); daughter, Anna T. Lane; son, Charles M. Lane; and 13 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Helen loved Jacksonville and, together with her husband, Ed, actively supported the Jacksonville community throughout her life. She was a lifetime member of the Garden Club of Jacksonville and a founding member of the Acacia Garden Circle, where she was president three times and the perennial trip chairman. With Ann Baker and Jackie Holmes, she was a founding member of the Arts Assembly, now the Cultural Council of Jacksonville.

She was a member of the Jacksonville Junior League, founding member of the Women’s Giving Alliance, and a member of the Colonial Dames. Helen served on the boards of trustees of the Jacksonville Symphony, River City Band, Community Foundation, Sweet Briar College, Bartram School, Bolles School, Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, Cummer Gallery of Art and Gardens, and Jacksonville Historical Society.

Her community and civic service was often publicly recognized. She was named Outstanding Alumnus of both the Bolles School and Sweet Briar College. She received the Tillie Fowler Award from the Jacksonville Junior League, and the Arnolta Johnson “Mama” Williams Lifetime Award at the Florida Times-Union Eve Awards ceremony. With her husband, Ed, she was honored with the Outstanding Philanthropist Award from the local chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Helen was granted the Bishop’s Cross Award from St. John’s Cathedral, named Woman of Distinction by the Jacksonville Historical Society, and received the Florida National Trust Award for Historic Preservation for her work restoring Victorian homes in Riverside. Helen’s civic engagements included serving on the Jacksonville Historical Commission, appointed by Mayor Hans Tanzler, and on the Jacksonville Historic Landmark Commission, appointed by Mayor Jake Godbold.

While raising four children and staying engaged in the civic and cultural life of Jacksonville, Helen nonetheless found time to edit and publish the Best of Lucifer, Queen Victoria Cooks (with Dolly Day), Jacksonville Historic Calendar 1976, and Jacksonville Memory Calendar 1978 (both with Susan Caven). She and Dolly Day owned and operated a 30+ rental house business for the better part of three decades. An adventurer as well, Helen traveled with Ed to more than 25 countries; drove Palmer, Carita, and Anna, with three horses in tow, around the Florida equine circuit; attended a Buddhist retreat center with Anna; and even climbed the Matterhorn with Ed in Zermatt, Switzerland.

Helen loved people and was able to find something interesting and positive in everyone she met, regardless of the circumstances. With these social gifts in combination with her manifest beauty and charm, she lit up the room wherever she went.

Fall 2025

Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 65

In Memoriam

1942

Mimi Galloway Duncan 1967

Marie Elizabeth Sushka

APRIL 17, 2025 Born and raised in Memphis, Tenn., Mimi Galloway Duncan ’42 died on April 17, 2025 at 103 at her landmark home Palm Beach, Fla., where she was a resident for 54 years. She is survived by two sons, a stepdaughter, four grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren, and was predeceased by her husband of 50 years, J. Russell Duncan, and stepson, J. Russell Duncan II. A proud alumna of Sweet Briar College, Mimi loved literature and history and was herself a gifted storyteller. Before becoming a full-time homemaker, she worked at the Commercial Appeal, penning the paper’s Penelope’s Peeps column, a resolutely polite, yet lively, section of society news.

Mimi had a brief, early marriage that ended in divorce. During a post-divorce visit to post-war Italy, where her father had been appointed Ambassador to Trieste (then a disputed territory), she met J. Russell Duncan, who was working in Rome on the Marshall Plan, and helped Mimi and her sister Hope get a taxi on the Via Veneto in the rain. They were married in Tucson, Ariz., Russell’s hometown, two years later.

Due to her husband’s burgeoning career as an industrial turnaround expert, the couple moved to Los Gatos, Calif., Sheboygan, Wis., Chicago, Ill., and Minneapolis, Minn., before settling for 10 years in New York City, N.Y., where Mimi was deeply involved in development for St. David’s School, which her sons attended. Meanwhile, her husband went from itinerant CEO to majority owner of Steego Corporation. In 1971, the Duncans moved themselves and their company to Palm Beach.

With her extensive art collection, as seen in the coffee table book Living With Art, it was natural for Mimi to be drawn to the Norton Museum, serving two years as board chair. Having grown up in Memphis amid horses, turkeys, pheasants, and dogs, she was a devoted lover of animals. She was also an avid tennis player and longtime member of the Bath and Tennis, Beach Club, and Everglades Club, which called on Mimi, approaching her own 100th year, to reminisce on-camera for its centennial video. In 2006, thanks to her characteristically far-flung friendships and extensive knowledge of 20th century British history, she had lunch at Windsor Castle with Queen Elizabeth II.

66 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

APRIL 5, 2025 Dr. Marie Elizabeth Sushka ’67 passed away on April 5, 2025 at age 78 at home after a brief illness. A professor of finance at the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University (ASU), Marie was a Distinguished Scholar on the Dean’s Council of 100 at ASU, a Distinguished Visiting Research Scholar at the HEC Business School, Paris, and a visiting professor at the Institute of Finance, University of Paris.

Born in Washington, D.C., Marie obtained her undergraduate degree from Sweet Briar College in 1967, where she was elected to the Society of Phi Beta Kappa. She later obtained a master’s in Russian area studies, master’s in economics, and Ph.D. in economics, all from Georgetown University. Marie was initially employed by the Rand Corporation, conducting analysis in the field of Soviet Naval Strategy, and subsequently served as an economist in the Division of Research and Statistics at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in Washington, D.C. She later served on the faculties of the University of Georgia, Boston University, and Georgia Institute of Technology before starting at ASU in 1984 at a time when female finance professors were rare. She transferred to emerita status at ASU in 2020. Marie was a dedicated teacher, spending considerable time with her students, giving them advice on their studies and on life in general. She often kept in contact with them long after they had graduated.

She published four books and more than 50 peer-reviewed articles, many of which appeared in the profession’s most prestigious journals.

She was named the Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund Visiting Scholar in Hong Kong in 1998. She was also appointed as a member of the Arizona State Compensation Fund Investment Committee by Governor Bruce Babbitt in 1984.

She is survived by her loving husband, Myron Slovin, her sister-in-law, Mary Jae Abbitt Sushka, and her nephew, Kevin. She was predeceased by her beloved brother, Peter.

Fall 2025

In Memoriam

Joe Malloy

Emile Auguste Langlois MAY 3, 2025 Joseph “Joe” Malloy II passed away on May 3, 2025 at Westminster Canterbury in Lynchburg, Va. He is survived by his son, Luke J. Malloy III; his sisters, Laura M. Sackett (Luck) and Mary Helen (Molly) Malloy; and his sister-in-law, Polly M. Holt (Buddy). Joe was predeceased by his wife, Martha Mason Malloy, and brothers, William Riley Malloy, Jr. and Francis Paul Malloy.

Joe met the love of his life, Martha, in Lynchburg. He knew immediately that she was the one, telling his mother the following day that he was “in love.” From the first time they met, Joe and Martha were inseparable. The two would eventually marry in 1973.

Joe was a graduate of E.C. Glass High School and the University of South Carolina, where he earned a master’s in library science. He began his librarianship career at the University of South Carolina—Beaufort, where he lived for 10 years. Joe and Martha loved the Low Country, living in a small house near the water. However, the Blue Ridge Mountains were truly their home, and they eventually returned to Virginia to settle down. In 1985, Martha gave birth to their only child, Luke. Joe and Martha were loving and caring parents until the very end.

Joe worked as a librarian at Southern Seminary College in Buena Vista, where he also coached the softball team. In 1996, he came to Sweet Briar College, where he truly found his niche. Joe was beloved by students and faculty alike, and engaged in many extracurricular activities, including softball, fly fishing, and hiking. He was a master storyteller and writer, with several published writings. He was also a skilled musician who loved bluegrass and old-time music. He played multiple instruments, including the banjo “claw hammer” style. Joe organized bluegrass and old-time music festivals, which were held annually in Buena Vista, and judged the bluegrass competition at the Virginia State Fair. His band, the Bramble and Rose, were often seen playing in the common grounds at Sweet Briar and elsewhere. He participated annually in Project Healing Waters, where he guided wounded veterans. He also loved hiking with his golden retrievers and was a naturalist who knew the name of every mountain and gap in the Blue Ridge and beyond.

Fall 2025

MARCH 15, 2025 After a long illness, Emile Auguste Langlois died peacefully at his home in Discovery Village, Bradenton, Fla., on March 15, 2025. He leaves behind his beloved wife of 62 years, Pamela; two children, Marc-Olivier Langlois (Michelle) and Dominique Sierra (Mark); five grandchildren; and four brothers and a sister in France. Another brother predeceased him.

Born in Paris, France on Aug. 10, 1935, he spent his childhood in Étampes (91). After his baccalaureate, he received a License ès Lettres from Paris-Sorbonne, a CAPET from L’École Normale de l’Enseignement Technique, followed by an Agrégation in English and a Doctorat 3ème cycle (Montpellier). Upon completion of his military service and his marriage to Pamela Stent in 1963, he spent two years teaching English in Tunisia before obtaining a two-year Fulbright visiting lectureship to teach French at Shippensburg State College in Pennsylvania in 1965. He went back to France for two years with the Westchester State College Year abroad program, but returned to settle permanently in the U.S. in 1969 in South Hadley, Mass., where he taught French at Mount Holyoke College for 15 years. He moved to Lynchburg, Va., in 1984 as professor of French and director of the Sweet Briar College Junior Year in France Program until 2001.

He and his wife retired to Sarasota in 2002 where they enjoyed a life of travel and the arts. He also pursued his passion for genealogy and was active in the Sister Cities Organization and the Alliance Française, where he led the popular book club for many years.

Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 67

Class Notes 1947

1957

classnotes@sbc.edu

classnotes@sbc.edu

Ann Colston Leonard: Wanted to share my favorite SBC Memory.

President Roosevelt died in Warm Springs, Ga. SBC students went across the road to the train station to watch his casket go by on the way to D.C. in 1945.

Page Phelps Coulter: I still live in New Hampshire with beautiful views of the White Mountains, if anyone would like to visit! I host twice-weekly poetry and writing workshops, and am working on my seventh book of poetry. My partner of ten years, a mathematics professor emeritus from Dartmouth College, died last October. I’m recovering from that and looking forward to my nineties!

Carroll Weitzel Rivers: I miss my brain, eyes, and ears, but I am still verticular and playing croquet.

Elaine “Lainy” Newton Peters: Sadly, my entire house burned down on January 7 in the horrible CA fires, and I had to evacuate so quickly that I lost almost everything. Packed a few clothes, passport, and my Scottie dog in the car. I am now living in a wonderful Senior living facility called the Ocean House in Santa Monica. No more cooking for me as the meals are fabulous, the view of the Pacific Ocean from my studio apartment is gorgeous, and the people are very nice.

Kay Diane Moore Bowles: Looking forward to hearing about what exciting travels, etc., classmates are doing. I have moved into a retirement home after 52 years in one house. Quite a job, and I do miss my garden. Nice individuals here and welcoming, but hard to adjust. Any old friends in the DC/ Bethesda area, do call.

1955 Mitzi Streit Halla 1733 Kirby Rd. Apt. 1307 Mc Lean, VA 22101-4835 mitzihalla2015@outlook.com Mitzi Streit Halla: Sadly, I have no 1955 news to send you. I do miss hearing from/about my classmates.

My husband and I did have health issues, but we are much better now.

We are thankful for the Sweet Briar news sent to us, both website and print versions. I am concerned about the freshman enrollment’s downward slide. Our class enrolled 160, with 80 graduating. Those who left early generally continued at their state universities, remaining friends with SBC classmates. Most of us had extensive work experience, paid or as volunteers, many with graduate degrees. I’m proud of them all.

68 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

1959 Elizabeth Johnston Lipscomb 501 V.E.S. Road, Apt. B513 Lynchburg, VA 24503 lloydlipscomb36@gmail.com Tabb Thornton Farinholt writes, “I now live at Cedarfield, a really nice senior facility just outside Richmond. I’m well taken care of here and enjoy fine people including my descendants. Two great grandsons are especially delightful.”

Sue Hight Rountree tells us, “Joe and I are now in Florida at the Senior Living Addington Place in Stuart. We miss Williamsburg but now the whole family is in one state. To answer the question about projects accomplished, I did write four books for Colonial Williamsburg: Christmas Decorations in Williamsburg, Entertaining Ideas from Williamsburg, From a Colonial Williamsburg, and a book on the miniatures of the Folk Art collection.”

Ann Young Bloom and I chat on the telephone regularly about life in our retirement communities and activities we enjoy.

Sarah Jane Murdock Moore lives about a mile from us here in Lynchburg, and I keep up with her family news through her son-in-law who is our dentist!

Lloyd and I celebrated his 89th birthday in August with a family ZOOM meeting—the youngest present was son Tom’s two-year-old daughter Sally Elizabeth.

I know that age is presenting challenges for all of us, and we continue to grieve for the loss of beloved classmates. I wish the best for each of you. Love, Elizabeth.

1963 Allie Stemmons Simon 3701 Guadalajara Ct. Irving, TX 75062 asimontc@outlook.com Greetings, Ladies of the Class of ’63! Unfortunately, our ranks are dwindling. Sweet Briar has received notification of two recent deaths: Nancy “Lark” Schulze (Sept. 2, 2024) and Doris Chu (date unknown). May they rest in peace. Of the rest of us, many

are going strong while others are dealing with health issues for self and their spouses.

Betsy Parker McColl writes, “I am in good health, but my husband, Jim, has dementia, so our lives are limited. We have lived in the same house in Columbia for 53 years, but still spend a few days each month at our home in Blowing Rock. I have been blessed in many ways and am grateful to be able to play tennis regularly and take tame bicycle rides in the afternoons. I think about SBC often and will always treasure what I learned there, in the classrooms and the dorms with my roommates and dear friends.”

From Jean Meyer Aloe, “I’m still dating the man I met online two and a half years ago. In May, we spent time in Paris, then attended the wedding of his granddaughter in Florence, held in a 13th-century monastery. One grandson will be a sophomore at Northwestern (3rd generation). My dog and I are aging together—bad eyesight, bad hearing. He’s wearing diapers, thankfully, I am not. Keep rocking and rolling, ladies!”

After many years of moving, Susan Enns Tully and Paul are enjoying their “permanent home” in Lake Placid, Fla., where all their family loves to visit (a total of 23 and counting, including 5 great-grands). Susan says, “Even though we both struggle with some common aches and pains of aging, we still love to travel and visit with friends and family.”

From Katherine Haskell Subramanian, “My life is simple and satisfying these days now that I’ve overcome the travel bug and am content to stay home with Ken and our cat. I continue working in our organic garden, singing in the Oratorio Society, bicycling, and supporting organizations working to uplift life on our planet.”

Lynn Carol Blau and Jeffrey are still very active playing golf and hiking, and traveling to NY, the Berkshires, and Cape Cod this summer. Their daughter Elizabeth is busy opening restaurants in the US and the Middle East, and their daughter Alexandra is having an art exhibition at the first museum in Nashville this fall. Their granddaughter will be attending William and Mary College this fall, and they plan to visit her and also go to Sweet Briar.

Prue Gay Stuhr writes, “For you horsey folks, or if you want to Fall 2025

Class Notes read about a Sweet Briar graduate, my husband, Ed, gave me the book Dragon by Katrina Balding Bills, purchased from the SBC bookshop.

It chronicles the life with her fiery thoroughbred. One of the sections is named “The Sweet Briar years”.”

Ed is in rehab for a second time this year after hospital stays, so Prue is making house adjustments for when he comes home. Their last remaining Dalmatian, Derby, is a great joy to them.

From Margaret Millender Holmes. “My goodness, I’m a great-grandmother and now another grandchild is getting married.

Instead of bemoaning my old age, I think I shall rejoice in the fact that I’m here to enjoy them!”

Keitt Matheson Wood and Frank report no major travel recently but enjoy visiting their children in Denver and Kansas City.

An event they enjoy every Memorial Day weekend is the Chamber Music Festival of the Bluegrass with fabulous musicians from The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, which is held for three days in Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Ky. Stevie Fontaine Keown writes that her husband, Mark, had two strokes last November, and recovery has been slow—very

frustrating for him and stressful for Stevie. Lots of Doc visits and lots of PT. Stevie and Lee Kucewicz Parham walk together almost every morning, which they have been doing for years. Lee and John went to Colorado last May with their son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter to celebrate Lee’s sister’s 50th wedding anniversary. Lee has retired (again) from the girls’ school after having taught French there for 10 years, followed by 15 years of substituting in every discipline, including PE: sixth-grade kickball!

This fall, she will begin tutoring in their church’s school program. She still sings in the church choir.

Finally, a wonderful letter from Renee Regan Sage in Australia.

“I often think of our class members and am sorry to have been such a poor correspondent. I think it has something to do with living on the opposite side of the globe. As I’m sure has happened to others, I was Ed’s caregiver for the last six years of his life. He died two years ago, from lung, kidney, and heart disease. Our two daughters have helped me so much, and I am lucky to have a wonderful group of friends. I continue to coordinate a painting group that meets on Mondays at our outstanding art school. This will be the 35th

SPOTLIGHT

Eleanor “Nina” Sledge Burke ’64 Awarded DAR Historic Preservation Medal Eleanor “Nina” Sledge Burke ’64 was recently honored by the Colonel Joseph Glover Chapter of the South Carolina Daughters of the American Revolution in Walterboro with the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Historic Preservation Medal. The award was given in recognition of her lifelong dedication to historic preservation and volunteer efforts across four states and spanning five decades. Nina joined the DAR in 2005, but has been active with the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation since 1973. She was a founding member of the Atlanta Preservation Center, and received its Volunteer of the Year Award in 1980 and the Outstanding Service Award in 1985 after completing a term as the organization's president.

Nina joined the National Society of Colonial Dames in Georgia in 1988, serving in several leadership roles. As a member of the Peachtree Garden Club in Atlanta, she was awarded the Garden Club of America Zone VIII Historic Preservation Award in 2006, recognizing her work in local, regional, and national historic endeavors. Nina and her husband, Frank, are active in historic preservation in their personal lives and have been recognized for their efforts in restoring and preserving historical homes in the south.

Nina continues her commitment to historic preservation with ongoing research, conducting historic tours, presenting programs and demonstrations, and speaking to various groups.

Fall 2025

1965 Bonnie Chapman McClure at a mosaics workshop. year we have been painting together.

I have two step-great-grandchildren and am about to have a third. How did we all get so old so fast? I send my love to everyone and hope we can all stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible. Much love, Renee.”

Lynn Frazier Gas shares, “It has been a fairly quiet two years except for having knee replacement surgery in November 2024. Just now (June 25), it feels like it should.

Also, Francois took a nasty fall down the steps carrying our puppy. He broke six ribs, broke his collarbone, clavicle, and shoulder blade, and punctured his lung! (Jan. 28, 2025).

He is still doing P.T. and not allowed to fly until August. As you know from Roxie’s 80th birthday submission, I traveled to Denver for her birthday celebrations. We had so much fun!

Great to see Maryan Mathews Kelly as well. Much reminiscing… .”

And last, I’ll send a little news of my own—my husband, Heinz, died on August 3 after seven months in hospice for dementia and other issues. I am grateful for 54 years of marriage and wonderful adventures together. Now, after years of living on a computer, I am finding it problematic and am trying to eliminate things that are difficult for me, and that includes class notes for both Sweet Briar and my high school. I have loved being your class secretary and keeping in touch with you all.

If anyone would like to take over, please speak up and volunteer. It’s a heartwarming and rewarding job.

All the best, Allie.

1965 Molly Sutherland Gwinn 147 North Euclid Avenue, Unit 301 Oak Park, IL 60302 mdsgwinn@gmail.com For some of us, one of the highlights of the year was returning to campus for our 60th reunion. While only 10 of us made the journey, many others were on our minds as we revisited old haunts and recalled the serious and silly events of our four years together. Carol Reifsnyder Rhoads wrote about the fun of a mini reunion with her roomies from senior year, Katy Weinrich van Geel, Susie Strong McDonald, Anne English Wardwell, and their husbands.

Still the intrepid traveler, Sally McCrady Hubbard, reports that she and her sweetheart Laurence Alvarez (soon to be 88) crossed the Atlantic in 12 days on their 5-masted sailing clipper with interesting fellow travelers. The trip ended with short visits to Barcelona and Paris. The family news from home is that both her children (57 and 58) are back in school online; her son is earning his master’s in law at Cornell, and her daughter is studying environmental biology and sustainability at Arizona State. Another accomplished musician in the family, granddaughter Margaret, and her partner brought their violin and flute to play trios during their visit to Sewanee. Accompanying the piano was her brother Waring (also soon to be 88). Generations of talent!

Bonnie Chapman McClure, our faithful correspondent in France, wrote that she has had visitors, including her daughter and Molly Poole Wolfe’s daughter, Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 69

Class Notes plus Joanne Galleher Young, her son Ben, and three dogs who were on their way from London to Umbria.

Bonnie added a photo of herself (above) having fun in a mosaic class.

Late-breaking travel news: Mibs Sebring Raney is looking forward to a trip to Switzerland in late summer with her granddaughter, a rising sophomore at the University of Chicago. My good luck is that she is spending a day in Chicago on her way home to Austin, Texas. Mibs and her husband, Bev, recently moved from North Carolina to a retirement community in Austin to be closer to their children.

Carol Reifsnyder Rhoads and husband Bob also transitioned to a new home in a retirement community, Bermuda Village.

Their new address is 128 Laurel Place, Bermuda Run, N.C. 27006.

For those of us in the Southeast or Midwest who sweltered in the summer heat, Barney Walker Lutsk’s description of her home in Belfast, Maine, with gorgeous sunrises over Penobscot Bay, sounds like the perfect hot-weather retreat.

She writes that she is so fortunate to have both her daughters and grandkids nearby—but adds she would love to see any Sweet Briar friends if they are in the area.

And I would second that thought.

Reunions with classmates and old friends are one of the tonics of life in the 80s.

1967 classnotes@sbc.edu Linda Fite: Same old house, same old car, same dear old friends,

1967

Linda Fite sketching at the Met.

70 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

same old what-me-worry. Health good, finances fine, kids good, grandkids good, cat good, little flock of chickens OK (despite hungry hawks, foxes, raccoons, and a mink).

Went to see Pam Ford Kelley recently to celebrate her 80th (gasp!)

I celebrated mine in January, at my cousin’s wonderful annual Cochon de Lait in south Louisiana (Cajun music and food all day and night!).

Any classmates who want to swing by for a visit are welcome: My Hudson Valley is gorgeous!

1969

1969 Claudette Harloe Dalton 175 Rosewood Drive Nellysford, VA 22958 cla.dal2t@gmail.com If there is a theme for this update, it is how resilient and tough our classmates are as they face new challenges in their lives. And, how they find new outlets for creativity and activity. I am convinced much of this ability to renew is a legacy of our days at Sweet Briar.

Kim Johnson-Smith models that creative trait. She has really filled her “twilight years” after what can only be called an eclectic career (She has done a bit of everything!), with fascinating activities. She studies national events, the crises at UVA, and some historical happenings. (I loved that she credits Dr. Hapala for much of this interest and a framework to study those interests.

For many of us, he was a favorite professor.) She also travels quite a bit— the Olympics, India, Morocco—she has ridden camels and swam with sharks. On top of all that, she volunteers with veterans, does volunteer journalism, is involved somehow with legal issues at the courthouse level, and supports her husband in his multiple county government volunteerisms and while running his tractor over hill and dale and garden.

Despite the usual events of aging, they are happy, and she is turning to her stacks of unread books and public health articles.

After sixteen years as the head of the very prestigious McLean School in Potomac, Darlene Pierro is a leader in her local HOA, keeps up with local politics without getting sucked into conflict, and is on the board of the Virginia Foundation for Learning Disabled Students,

Left: Betsy West Dripps and husband Craig with all seven grandchildren at their home on Martha’s Vineyard. Right: Hattie

Coons Babbitt at Laguna de los Tres in Patagonia, Argentina. thus continuing her good educational work. In 2023, she returned to Paris for the first time since 1985 and delightedly lived like a native.

She tried to find the old office of the Junior Year in France program, but it is gone, and she laments the loss of the Sweet Briar program. She also designed a spring break program for the McLean students that was modeled on her experience. She says, “I am busy with meaningful work and I’m healthy. What more can I ask for?”

More resilience is found in Cathy Hall Stopher, who has gotten back to her golf game after two hip replacements in 2023. That shows toughness! She recently saw Keithley Rose Miller and Page Kjellstrom and emails book reviews with Nancy Crawford Bent. Much of her time is spent with her very active grandchildren—movies, horse shows, swimming, sports camp—but she also saves time for her husband, recently celebrating their 55th anniversary.

Speaking of Nancy Crawford Bent, she has sent another missive from what she calls “the bumpy, potholed road of old age.”

Unfortunately, she has had a tough year. Her husband Peter got a whopping case of a tick-borne disease. There is no clear diagnosis, but he was very, very ill with several transfusions for severe anemia and several stays in the hospital. He rallied for a while but is slipping again. So, they have started looking for a retirement community. On the upside, Crawford enjoys several book groups, as Cathy notes, and has a rescue dog named George. All of the offspring and grands are thriving, as seen in a picture of a

granddaughter’s birthday.

Last year, Marcy Bernbaum’s update came too late to make the letter. She had just returned from Guatemala City, where she worked with Safe Passage, an organization that encourages families reduced to working in the local garbage dump to send their children to school instead of making them work at the dump.

Apparently, over 10,000 people work at the dump rescuing items to resell. She interviewed fifteen teens who are now planning to finish high school and either learn a trade or attend the university. For Marcy, this was a dangerous trip because several gangs prowl the area, and she was not allowed to move around much.

When one speaks of challenges, Hattie Coons Babbitt conquered a 15-mile round-trip hike in Patagonia with some friends. They hiked to Laguna de los Tres and posed in front of Mount Fitzroy, named for the Captain of Darwin’s Beagle. On another challenging note, Hattie and her husband, Bruce, downsized from their DC home of 31 years to an apartment that looks out over the canopy of Glover Archbold Park in DC. She says it is like being in a treehouse in their own private park.

JP Powell is handling aging with aplomb. She does Pilates three times a week and, between that and gardening, keeps fit enough to do some serious traveling. She took the Rocky Mountain railway from Vancouver to Banff and Lake Louise in Canada. This is a seriously gorgeous tri, and we both recommend it. In May, she and her sister did a walking tour of the Cotswolds and ended up in Edinburgh. US travel included a trip to Sea Island with Haden Ridley Winborne, and she zooms frequently with Haden and Fall 2025

Class Notes Ginny Stanford Perdue. A new great-nephew has been added to the family, who will be meeting soon in Williamsburg for their annual gathering.

Got a lovely update from Terry Taylor Hamilton in Birmingham, Alabama, who writes that her lawyer husband, Duncan, has retired to a life of golf and bridge. As for Terry, she still teaches tennis seven days a week at three locations! This must work for them both as they celebrated their 54th anniversary this year.

Another sports enthusiast is Betsy West Dripps, who still golfs, swims, or walks every day on Martha’s Vineyard. She and Craig are lucky to have all four of their children healthy and able to join them each summer, along with the seven grandchildren.

Betsy also unashamedly cheers on the college-age grands at many of their sports.

I keep in touch with Jan Sheets Jones and Jimmy. They, too, are living very productive and busy lives. They recently went to London to join in the annual Shakespeare’s Birthday celebration in Stratfordon-Avon, where they met a former student who was participating.

They managed to dodge the London Marathon as well. When they returned home, they only had one day to get their gorgeous remodeled home on the Druid Hills Tour of Homes. They spent the day getting rid of all traces of themselves and the three dogs, and also getting Jimmy’s antique cars ready for the tour. Over 1,000 people came through, and then Jan had to figure out where she hid everything and unpack from the trip!

Despite only being in the house for about ten years, they are planning a major downsizing move to an

1969

Atlanta CCRC. She says of the twenty-plus moves they have made, this one is “the least fun!” Jan adds that she is glad to see we are all keeping in touch and supporting each other as a class.

Mary Mahan Marco is a faithful correspondent. The deadline for this update was before the annual gathering she had with Ann Moore and Sue Roessel Gibson. Sorry about that. But Mary herself has had a busy year with a week at Hilton Head with husband, Bob, and then they drove to Marblehead, Massachusetts, to care for granddaughters while another grand was being born—Mallory Mary Marco. Then, more travel with an eleven-day Rhine cruise with a side trip to Lucerne, followed by a week with the entire family right by the Cape Cod National Seashore.

Eight grandchildren, ranging from two months to thirteen years, made it special.

More exotic travel news from Keithley Rose Miller, who is crossing items off her bucket list.

She went to Egypt for 10 days with her brother Tanner and ex Tony.

They did the whole itinerary: Cairo, Giza, and the Nile Cruise.

They saw the new museum and the King Tut exhibit. She is still in Palm Beach working at Kemble Interiors with her daughter, Tory.

They and her granddaughter are going to Richmond to see May Humphries Fox (’70), and she stays in touch with Cathy Hall Stopher in Florida and Lyn Oakes Miller, who has had a hard year with the Pacific Palisades fires. Lyn plans to rebuild, and Keithley says she has an optimistic attitude.

Got a special update from Atlee Walker that highlights her 60th

Left to Right: 1. Mary Mahan Marco and her husband, Bob, with their family at Cape Cod. 2. Mary Mahan Marco, and her husband, Bob. 3. Nancy Crawford Bent’s daughter-in-law, Siobhan Bent with

Celeste (age 3) and Rory Bent.

Fall 2025

high school reunion. That made her remember how much she is grateful for her Sweet Briar classmates.

She reminds us that she was an introverted transfer student, but I remember her as a lovely, involved friend. She, too, has made the move to a CCRC. Her grandchildren are well. One is at the University of Maryland and is the goalie for the Women’s Lacrosse team, and the other is a junior at a boys’ prep school. Her husband is 88 and a ham radio enthusiast. She keeps him going for those late nights and long days listening to faraway broadcasts. She is involved with some online communities.

Ann Tremain Lee has bravely made some adjustments to her life, too. Husband Saint is in memory care now since he progressed beyond Ann’s ability to keep him safe.

Needless to say, this has been a big adjustment for both of them, especially for Ann, since this is the first time she has lived by herself since getting married right out of college.

All three children are very supportive, and she has wonderful friends who also help. She shared this wisdom from a deacon at her church: “Life is short and we do not have much time to gladden the hearts of those who travel with us. So be swift to love, make haste to be kind, and go in peace to love and serve.”

Someone who also supplies wisdom and insight is Bryan Alphin Bente. She claims to be an “advisor” to the class leadership team, but she is more than that. She is more like our “conscience.” Bryan has a calm perspective that reminds us that Sweet Briar gave us the education and confidence to pursue careers in whatever field we chose, whether male-dominated or not. She has

shared those lessons with colleagues throughout her career and continues to mentor others. On a personal level, she and husband Paul continue to walk miles each day and are generally healthy. They are downsizing as they plan to move to a community near their daughter in Denver. They will help care for the two grandchildren while there.

Our class president, Lynn Pearson Russell, has been busy with her family’s annual Cape May vacation and invited Ginny Stanford Perdue, Mary Frere Murchison Gornto, and Ginny Kay Baldwin Cox to visit. They did long beach walks, visited the historic Congress Hall hotel for cocktails, and had long memory trips on the house porch. Back home, Lynn and Liz Medaglia and Maria Ward Estefania gathered at the Cosmos Club in DC, where they all belong and will get together again at the end of the summer.

Mary Frere Murchison Gornto feels life is good for her and hubby Dean, despite some minor health issues for Dean. They did a cruise around the British Isles last year, but this year had to cancel a visit with her daughter’s family because of unprecedented snow in Wilmington (where Frere lives) and New Orleans (where her daughter lives). Who would have ever predicted snow in those two Southern places? Frere is helping with planning for her church’s Tricentennial in 2029 and still playing Mahjong and bridge. All the offspring are well and happy and will likely join her at their beach house in the fall.

Jane Merriam Wickens usually splits her time between Charlottesville and Cape Cod. This year, the Cape Cod trip has been delayed due to her husband’s health. He is getting chemo for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, which is, luckily, often a treatable cancer.

After treatment, they hope to get to Cape Cod in the fall. Otherwise, she and the family are doing well, with one of the teen grands hoping to go to UVA in a few years.

Another stressful year has been endured by Nancy Wendling Peacock. She lives in Nashville and works full-time as a music publisher and sync licensing agent. (A sync licensing agent finds music for film, TV, and commercials.) She and her creative director are planning to phase out the business by 2026. She will continue to write songs, but may want to find some non-musical work Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 71

Class Notes too. The recent death of her former mother-in-law at 110 and then the sudden death of her ex-husband Tom have thrown her for a loop. On top of that, this leftie injured her left thumb and ended up in a cast, followed by finding a cancerous skin lesion. Someone crashing into her car was the final straw, even though she was not injured. Fortunately, her family is doing well with Josh and his wife in L.A., working as architects. Recent projects for Josh are a Google project in California and the San Antonio Spurs basketball training facility. Lia, Josh’s wife, helped with the renovation of part of the LA airport. Daughter Jenni is also successful working with the US Attorney General in D.C., and granddaughter Lorelei is at Smith College and will study film in Prague next year. Nancy has also been to Atlanta and seen Ann Arnspiger Canipe.

On a final sad note, I do not know if the class has been told that Rosemary Warner Seawell passed away last year. I apologize if this is a repeat notice.

Again, I am so grateful to have been a part of a class of smart, creative, and tough women. Like Bryan Bente, I have found strength in your examples since the day I matriculated. It has helped me survive and thrive in the male bastion of medicine. Keep in touch, and whatever happens, remain proud of what Sweet Briar bequeathed to the Class of 1969.

Keep in touch with each other and with your leaders. Let us know what you are doing and thinking.

1971 Barbara Brand 3415 Fairfield Road Gettysburg, PA 17325 babrand@embarqmail.com Alix Sommer Smith 39 Goose Creek Circle Fredericksburg, VA 22406 alixsmith9@hotmail.com As you read these notes, we are only months away from our fifty-fifth reunion, May 29–31, 2026. Be sure to mark your calendars. This time, we will be toasting with Sweet Briar wine instead of milk from the dairy, enjoying our honey instead of yogurt, and eating salad grown in our greenhouse, but it will be the same 72 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

beautiful campus we called home from 1967 to 1971. We may have gray hair and live in Continuing Care Communities, but hopefully, we are the same bright-eyed people who entered college together way back when. Here is what some of us are doing these days…

Pam Henery Arey still lives in Severna Park, Md., watching the seasons roll by on Cypress Creek off the Chesapeake Bay. She and her four children and their two spouses are well. She recently helped with Vacation Bible School, managing arts and crafts. She has fun leading the Senior Center Trip Committee, planning mini-trips as well as oneday and multi-day excursions. But she gripes that historic homes don’t put elevators in their buildings in the name of preserving history! What about preserving knees and hips?

After leaving Sweet Briar and graduating from Boston University, and following several moves, Cathy Baier landed in the Florida Keys, where she has lived ever since. She works at the Florida Keys SPCA in Key West as the Behavior Program Manager, working with both dogs and small animals. She has been in a committed relationship with the same person since the late ’70s.

Her family is all four-legged. She has been following the progress of Sweet Briar over the years and hopes someday to go back for a reunion. Think 2026!

Beryl Bergquist recently returned from a family wedding in Helena, Mont., where she was the East Coast representative. Weddings have changed: the Bride had a Man of Honor, her best friend; the spunky 9-year-old ring bearer handed over a ring box to the Best Man; the flower girl carried a bouquet to the Man of Honor; and the wedding cake had hand-painted scenes of the Rocky Mountains on each layer. It was beautiful and it was fun, even though it was only three degrees cooler than Georgia in summer!

Barbara Brand is fully recovered from the subdural hematoma she had after a fall last June while riding. She is back in the saddle, though this time wearing a safety vest. She is facing eventual shoulder replacement (from arthritis, not the fall), but not yet. She is excited about returning to Italy in October, after 56 years. The group tour is focusing on Northern Italy, spending most of the first week on Lake Como—bliss!

More blissful is that the trip ends in

1971 Clockwise: 1. Lynne Manov Echols and BFF get into the Basque Country dance mood. 2. Richard, Sam, Linda, and Guess Who! 3. Maddy wins High in Trial! 4. Wendy & Gil Smith in India. 5.

Family Photograph with Our Favorite Soccer Players! (Left to Right): Dylan Hazarian (11), Donald E. Chappell, Wendy Weiler, Caroline Chappell Hazarian ’09, Steven Hazarian, Julianne Hazarian (8). 6. Sweet Briar College Reunion—2025 (Left to Right): Wendy Weiler, Evangeline Easterly Taylor ’00, Caroline Chappell Hazarian ’09.

Fall 2025

Class Notes Florence, where she lived for four months in our Junior year.

Rhoda Allen Brooks sends greetings and hopes we had a good summer, but says she doesn’t have anything “earth-shattering” to report.

Wendy Norton Brown is extremely happy in her new Continuing Care Retirement Community in Richmond! She moved there a year and a half ago, and has met so many new friends, and there are so many activities to do. Best of all, her four grandchildren spent the night recently, and she loved that! She has had some health issues, but nothing too serious. She is so happy to have made this move!

Three hundred seventy-five.

That is how many chemo caps Anne Sniffen Cates has knitted and donated so far! When she is not knitting, you can find her reading, following the news, studying Spanish, or playing the occasional computer game. She and Ward took a lovely trip to Italy and Spain in April, made nicer by the company of their daughter, Katherine.

Denise Beardsworth Costa has had a year of big changes. She sold her home near Richmond, Va., and moved into a continuing care retirement community located just on the other side of the huge park she has been walking in for years.

Three of her grandchildren are only a five-minute drive away, and it takes about 15 minutes to drive in the other direction to visit the other three. She is also involved in the Osher Institute at the University of Richmond, taking classes there regularly. It all makes for a very busy retirement.

After 51 years working for the Department of Energy and its predecessor agencies, Martha Stewart Crosland will retire on Dec. 31, 2025. The deferred resignation/ retirement offer was too good for her to pass up. She misses the intellectual challenge of her job as Deputy Assistant General Counsel for Civilian Programs, but she is discovering several new interests and loves having more time to spend with her two adorable grandchildren, ages six and two. She splits her time between Florida and Maryland.

Brooke Thomas Dold still loves living in Houston. She and Wylie had their 50th anniversary on Aug. 16. She enjoys water aerobics at her YMCA at least five days a week. She is President of her P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Fall 2025

Organization) Chapter this year and next. She asks if any of us is involved with this organization? She is looking forward to reading the Class of 1971 notes and sends special thanks to our class secretaries.

Globetrotter Lynne Manov Echols reports that traveling in Andorra and through the Pyrenees was a hoot. Highlights of their trip were standing in Ferdinand and Isabella’s throne room in Zaragoza and sipping the healing water at Lourdes. The Guggenheim at Bilbao was…different. Next, they took the Romantic Road in Germany, where they scored a “gite” built into the medieval walls of Rothenburg! There will be no more u-drive-it trips, though—from here on out, it will be group tours for them. In Spring 2026, she and her BFF will visit Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia with a quick transit of Helsinki.

Maggie Mather Feldmeier belatedly celebrated her 75th birthday in May with a trip to her favorite city, Paris, with her daughters, including a side trip to Colmar in Alsace. She and Jake are taking the whole gang (10, with kids and grands) to Alaska in August, making memories while they can! The other news is they have added a furry friend to their family, an adorable two-year-old Havanese they adopted to keep them company. She hopes all of us are well.

Lendon Gray is still teaching young riders all over the U.S. through the organization Dressage4kids that she started in 1999. Unfortunately, she is not home enough to enjoy the native pollinator garden she is trying to nurture. She was awarded the US Equestrian Lifetime Achievement award in January (highlighted in the Spring Alumnae News magazine).

Katie Horan sends best wishes to everyone. She feels so fortunate to still be running agility trials with her English Cockers. They recently attended the National Specialty Show of the English Cocker Spaniel Club of America, where her 3-year-old, Maddy, was “High in Trial”—the highest scoring dog in the agility trials! She competed with five of her dogs, and all came home with at least one new title. When she’s not training or competing with her dogs, she still finds time to paint.

Nashville is still home for Linda Whitlow Knight and her husband, Dick. Though she retired in 2022, Linda kept her law license and remains active in bar activities. She is also Secretary of a cemetery asso-

ciation in her hometown of Jackson, Tenn., and a cemetery in Orange County, Va., where Dick’s ancestors are buried. Her daughter Katherine and her husband live in the next county, and her daughter Elizabeth and her Italian husband and two grandsons visit several times a year and WhatsApp often.

Dee Kysor and her husband, George, have put the house in Goochland County (east of Richmond), where they have lived for thirty-two years, on the market.

They are planning to move closer to their daughter and grandchildren in Buffalo, N.Y. They will be grateful to leave Virginia’s heat to be outdoors and hike. When the days turn short and cold, they will enjoy reading and being with family.

Kathy Wilson Lamb and Rex continue to enjoy Lexington, Virginia, and see their children every summer at their Bois Blanc Island summer place. Kathy’s Myelodysplasia, a blood cancer, is slowly getting worse, but her transfusions every two weeks and shots every three weeks are keeping her alive. She had a great lunch with Maureen Conway when she came this way for her granddaughter’s graduation.

A Continuing Care Community in Winchester, Virginia, is the next move for Mim Washabaugh Meglan and her husband, about an hour away from their current residence in Frederick, M.D. They are currently “deaccessioning” two-thirds of their belongings.

Mim’s sister, Elizabeth Jarvis, ’75, is moving to the same place and will live right below them. Mim has been in close contact with Susan Greenwald and Ann Tippin Prestney this year.

Jacque Penny’s big news is that, in February, she moved out of her condo of 18 years and bought a little house on the mainland of Vero Beach. She just wanted to end her days in a home instead of a condo, and it felt like “now or never.”

Jacque hopes to see everyone at our 55th reunion!

In the summer heat in Beaufort, N.C., Susan Schmidt walks her Boykin Spaniel, Pippa, at 6 a.m., wanders in gardens until 9 a.m. She and Pippa swim offshore at Radio Island and pick up beach trash left by tourists. She works as a developmental editor, top 10 in New England. She is continuing to work on her sailing/oceancurrent/climate-change memoir.

She lives at high ground, 14 feet above sea level. All her books are available on Amazon.

After moving from Naples, Fla., Marilyn Boyd Silar is now living in a new home in New Kent, Va., just twenty minutes from downtown Richmond. She fell in love with the area in 1993, when she lived there for thirteen years. She hadn’t realized how much she missed the seasons. And, she has friends and family nearby.

In May, Alix Sommer Smith and Denise Wissell O’Connor took their third annual Virginia wine-tasting trip, this time to the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula. The wine may not have been as tasty as other sections of Virginia, but the boat trip on the Rappahannock with the cute young Hampden-Sydney grad was scenic.

In late June, Alix joined old roomie Elodie Taylor Thompson and her family on an Alaskan cruise and excursion to Denali. They learned that southeastern Alaska is a temperate rain forest, as it rained every day on the cruise, but they were fortunate to be part of 30% who saw Denali in the sunshine. Their travel agent was Deborah Eck, another Sweet Briar classmate.

Wendy Weiss Smith and Gil moved into a Continuing Care Community about 45 minutes from their former home and are enjoying the new people and offerings. They traveled to India and Nepal with W&L, hiked the Azores as a couple, went to a Kentucky state park with New England friends, enjoyed a North Carolina beach with local friends, and Wendy took a class on “Middle Ages” at W&L with Susan Greenwald. Whew! And the year isn’t over!

When Amanda Megargee Sutton wrote, she was recovering from rotator cuff surgery. It was placing most of the burden for tending their three acres and wonderful garden on the “love of her life,” but things were improving. She was feeling lucky to stay in touch with classmates Brooke Thomas Dold and Frances Barnes Kennamer.

It is good to know that friendships made at Sweet Briar can last more than fifty years. Elodie Taylor Thompson invited Alix Sommer Smith along on a cruise to Alaska with her and members of her family—and they were still good roommates! Elodie, a retired elementary school librarian and a widow for 17 years, lives on Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 73

Class Notes High Peak Mountain not far from Sweet Briar. Her two children and their families live nearby.

Deborah Chasen Wyatt’s younger son, Will, is expecting a son in September. She already has a grandson through her older son, Tom, which allows her to tap into her ever-ready “inner child” and gives her something to focus on besides our “leader’s seemingly deliberate destruction of what we love most about our country.” She just visited, enthusiastic, full of projects, Anne Holler, in New York, and is also in frequent contact with Bev Van Zandt, who is involved with many interesting things down in San Miguel.

Bev Van Zandt wrote that she is still enjoying splitting her time between San Miguel and road-tripping in her Roadtrek, the freedom of living in Mexico, and RV’ing.

She loves time with her daughters, their husbands, and her four grandchildren. She said that she and Martha Stewart Crosland are already planning their trip to Reunion, and are hoping the whole class can be together for the 55th.

Jean McIlhenny Gaskins sent a long and detailed account of her year, which included knee surgery followed by sciatic nerve flareups afterward! She still managed a cruise around Italy covering Greece, Sicily, Malta and Tunisia. She spent three days in Rome with the highlight of a four and a half hour private tour of the Vatican—she appreciated all those Art History classes!

Wendy Weiler continues a very busy working and charity life, which includes serving on the Board of the Friends of Art at Sweet Briar and as our Class President. She and her husband, Donald, work in New York City, but live in a bit of paradise in the New Jersey suburbs with a flower garden and pool, and their daughter, Caroline Chappell Hazarian ’09, and family live nearby.

Wendy went to Sweet Briar’s 2025 reunion to get ideas for our upcoming celebration. “It was so much fun drinking award-winning Sweet Briar wine and eating delicious farm-to-table meals.” And she was proud to be present when the class of 1971 was honored with the Visionary Award for classes giving more than one million dollars in contributions this year. “Thank you so much!” she says.

One last note from Wendy: YOU MUST SAVE THE DATES FOR OUR 55th REUNION. It will be so 74 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

special to be together as a class, May 29–31, 2026, for an epic weekend with wonderful friends. Please try to join us. It will not be the same without you. I guarantee that you will be glad you did.

1973 Susan Dern Plank 11 Muterfield Court Slingerlands, NY 12159 sbc1973notes@gmail.com Betsie Meric Gambel: I had a quick lunch this spring with Magee Leigh, who was in New Orleans as a conference speaker. This summer, my two sons, Gregory and Meric, and their families joined me to sail in the British Virgin Islands—such a great trip. Meric’s two, Emily and Sellers, came to stay with me at the beach in June to go to sailing camp in Pass Christian, MS. They had such a great time they returned to The Pass in late summer, inviting their best friends, Caroline and Mills Gallivan, who are Carol Anne Provence Gallivan’s grandchildren—such a small world!

They all live in Greenville, SC. In Philadelphia, Gregory’s twins head to college: Fordham College in NYC and The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. How is it even possible that I have college-age grandsons? While semi-retired, I am still involved with my PR firm, Gambel Communications, and publish The New Orleans 100, affiliated with about 24 network newsletters across the country.

Laurie Norris Coccio: I’m enjoying life in Saratoga Springs, but we get away to Florida in the winter months. My mom is still living at home there, at age 96! We are healthy and still traveling! We go to England once or twice a year to see our new grandson, and we always add on a wonderful trip, usually to Italy to see friends. Chris is still working, and I am enjoying organizing our life. Susan Dern Plank joins me for mah-jongg, as part of our healthy brain program, whenever we can get it scheduled.

Kathleen Pretzfelder Steele: Dave and I continue to enjoy an active life in Florida, playing pickleball, riding bikes, playing cards, line dancing, and organizing community activities. I have chaired a Fall Craft Fair in our community clubhouse

since 2014. We also love to travel to new places. This past year, we experienced the awesome scenery in Sedona and the Grand Canyon, and recently enjoyed a small ship cruise along the Maine coastline. But our favorite activity is spending time with our three wonderful grandchildren, ages 13, 10, and 5, who so far still enjoy time with nana and papa!

Life is good!

Ginger Woodward Gast: My highlight was returning to Italy this Spring to teach English for a month in a school in the Piedmont region. I team-taught grades 1–5 to adorable and eager to learn children with a friend. I also visited other friends in Rome and the Marche region. We are having a cousins’ reunion this week.

All nine grandchildren are having fun together. My husband and I celebrated 49 years of marriage this July, but we are not sure what we will do for the big 50. I still enjoy needlepoint, water aerobics, and reading both in English and Italian.

Carter Morris: She wrote that she had no news to report.

Marion McKee Humphreys: Hunter and I stayed at the (Elston) Inn on campus this summer on our way to a family vacation. Lots of memories walking around, and the campus is as beautiful as ever!

We are still in Memphis; four of our seven grandkids (ages two to 17) live around the corner. It is hard to believe we have a rising high school senior who will be in college next year—remember the days?! We have been blessed with good health, good friends, and continue to work and work out. Hope all is well with you and yours!

Anita McVey O’Connor: I am now retired and enjoying life with my husband. I am learning that the nicest thing about being retired is that my stress levels have declined.

Evelyn Carter Cowles: Evie had a fun year with several small fishing trips and a one back to Montana to visit old friends—and fish, of course. Reynolds had a meeting in Charleston, so she enjoyed a fabulous culinary tour. We attended Melissa Leib Veghte ’74s 50th wedding anniversary in May. It was great fun seeing everyone we hadn’t seen in many, many years. The grandchildren are doing well: Jake is married with a baby due this fall; Tanner is engaged and planning a March wedding; Mackenzie is working as an accountant in D.C., and Taryn has a new job at the Virginia Cooperative Extension. Reynolds had a knee

revision on his 17-year-old replacement in March. Not easy, but he is up and running now, ready to fox hunt this fall.

Lisa Fowler Winslow and Debbie Pollack Arce: In May, Lisa and I enjoyed a two-week trip to the Alps. We visited regions in Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, and Germany. Highlights of the trip included boating around Lake Maggiore in Italy, seeing the Matterhorn, and going 7,000 feet up into the Jungfrau region in Switzerland, having dinner with a Swiss family, visiting Innsbruck, and touring the Oberammergau Theatre in Germany, where the Passion Play is held every 10 years. We met lovely local people and travelers from around the world, showing us once again how world travel is educational, enlightening, inspiring, and so much fun!

Susan Dern Plank: Life goes on routinely as David and I ended 2024 with our annual trip to Belize and into the New Year. Life there continues to be relaxing, but diving was nixed as we seemingly had nearly daily rain. My youngest niece, a veterinarian, spent a week with us there before flying back to Austin.

(She moved to Chesapeake, Va., in June for a new job.) As usual, we drove to Tennessee for our grandchildren’s Spring Break and our daughter’s 40th birthday. The grandchildren visited us for several busy, fun-filled weeks in July. We also spent time with them in October and will see them again for Thanksgiving.

As Laurie wrote above, we see each other when our schedules align. Our “Belizean daughter,” Elisa Garcia ’22, an electrical engineer, visited us in early August before starting a master’s degree in project management.

We are planning a kayaking trip in March to the Everglades…

1973

Lisa Fowler Winslow and Debbie Pollack Arce.

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Class Notes Nan Robertson Clarke: In “The Gift of Years,” its author, a Benedictine nun, writes that with small tweaks in attitude, your later years can be the best of your life.

My Sweet Briar self would never have believed that, but I am finding to my delight that it is true. (My younger self would also have been astonished that I read that book at all, but it was chosen by one of my book clubs, and we all loved it).

I now have time to see family (we have 10 grandchildren scattered across the U.S.) and stay in touch with friends, including Zoom meetings with Emily Garth Brown, Diane Leslie, and Susan Craig, and monthly lunches with Diane Dale Reiling. Add a long and happy marriage, some gardening, a lot of reading, and the occasional trip NOT to help with grandchildren, and you end up with a great life— especially if you ignore housework as much as possible!

Kristy Alderson: Not much has changed in my life. Still teaching high school math in humid Florida, and Mark is still renovating houses. My brother and sister-in-law just built a house next door, which is great fun for us. Tegwyth is pursuing acting, among other endeavors, in NYC, so we visit lots. I just found some letters my mom saved that I wrote while at SBC. Remember writing letters? They brought back terrific memories of wonderful times!

1975 Anne Cogswell Burris 423 Cheves Drive Charleston, SC 29412 ac_burris@comcast.net Randy Anderson Trainor: What a fun time at Reunion! It was great to see everyone. Now I’m back in the summer grind. Business has exploded, so I’m busy there.

Then we have visits with all of the children and grandchildren planned. Tom and I are trying to fit some golf in between everything. Plus, we are heading over to Kennebunkport, ME, in August to see more family. Lots of good, fun things are happening!

Bet Bashinsky Wise: Doug celebrated his 80th trip around the moon in January 2025. He decided he wanted to go to the Northern Fall 2025

Lakes of Italy on a hiking trip with BackRoads. I had my doubts since his activities consist of riding around in golf carts on the golf course. It turned out to be a magical trip with amazing history, views, people, and FOOD. Then it was off to Venice and Slovenia, which is now my new favorite country in Europe. We stayed on Lake Bled in Tito’s hunting lodge, and the food was delicious. I will say the 7-mile climb going into Croatia about did me in on my road bike.

Summer was brutally hot in Tennessee, but Doug and I spent some time in August in Montana.

It was so wonderful to see everyone at Reunion. GLAD we had name tags!! I miss riding horses on that gorgeous campus.

Unfortunately, now my back doesn’t allow me to get on a horse.

Betsey Clay: Before I give information on family, I want to tell you how much I enjoyed being at the reunion. We were speaking about how friends made at college end up being the closest ones for life.

We don’t have to pretend anything; we just connect and share our lives. Sometimes we cry and other times we laugh, but they are always followed by a big hug that heals all.

That to me is true friendship. Don’t forget the spring of 1974 when our class made the first streak across campus. Names aren’t necessary, but the fact is!!

Our son Juan and his family, wife, and two granddaughters, have moved back to Louisville. He runs his own business from home, doing estimates and planning for engineering projects. Barbara is teaching at the girls’ school. Both girls are active in sports: ice skating, squash, and track and field are their favorites. We miss them loads but know they are happy. Most of our family now lives in Louisville, so it is just a one-stop visit for us.

Daughter Martha has celebrated her first anniversary at Foster’s Hollywood, a popular restaurant chain. She is part of an employment plan from her workshop for full labor inclusion and loves where she is working. José has recovered from lingual cancer with normal side effects, but is happy that the episode in his life is over. He is consulting on some communication projects and lecturing when called. At home, his nickname is MacGyver as he repairs, changes, and adapts parts of appliances to fix them. He goes to the

1975

Clockwise: 1. Anne Cogswell Burris and Lon in Glacier National Park. 2. Dr. Lenz’s portrait by Dorsey Tillett Northrup.

3. Linda Lucas Steele at son Austen’s wedding in Aruba.

gym three times a week, so at 80, he’s very fit. As for me, Most days I spend cooking, reading, and doing yoga in between chauffeuring Martha and visiting friends. We get to the eastern coast of Spain in summer to soak in the Mediterranean and head to the northern coast of Spain for the New Year’s celebration with longtime friends. I loved being at SBC in May and will treasure the evening reunions at the Inn. Best wishes to all!

Catherine Cranston Whitham: Great fun to be with so many classmates for Reunion 50. I thought we all looked remarkably healthy and were as engaged as ever, especially on the hot-button issues affecting Sweet Briar. Kudos to Wendy for her ongoing cheerful leadership…and to Cogs for keeping us in touch. Whit sends his best to many of you whom he remembers well from his many road trips to SBC starting in 1972. Dot Jester was always in place to check him into first-floor Dew. A different era, and so much fun.

Beverley Crispin Heffernan: I very much enjoyed seeing so many classmates at our 50th reunion!

Good food, good fun, and good discussions! Jim and I continue to enjoy retirement, dividing our time when not traveling between our homes in Sandy and Hurricane, Utah. Sons

Jimmy and Chris are doing well, too.

We have traveled a lot internationally in recent years, and in 2025 are staying closer to home with a few trips around the US. But we’re already planning a trip to England in 2026.

Since son Chris is ranked 5th in the US in the sport of mounted archery, we will be watching him compete at the World Championships in Lewisburg, Tenn., in September. We will be joined by Cynde Manning Chatham, Robin Singleton Cloyd, Nancy Haight, and possibly Bet Bashinsky Wise, along with a few family members. I’m still competing in mounted archery too, not ranked nearly as high as Chris, but hey, if they had an over-70 category, I’d be number two! We still golf, and I spend a lot of time playing with my horses. Life is good!

Melissa Greenwood Riemer: It’s been almost two months since our 50th reunion, and not a day goes by that I don’t think about it. I must admit to you that the week before the reunion, I almost chickened out. I was embarrassed to be using a cane, I was nervous about making conversation with people (some of whom I hadn’t seen in 50 years), and I was worried I wouldn’t remember names! It turns out that chickening out would have been the worst decision of my life. Being with all of Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 75

Class Notes you was one of the most inspiring, energizing, heartwarming experiences I have ever had. You brought back so many fun memories, but you also helped me understand more than ever how much my four years at Sweet Briar (and being with all of you) shaped me. You are so smart, so strong, so resilient, so spunky, so fun!

Thank you for holding the van for me, thank you for buying distilled water for my CPAP machine when you went to town, thank you for not drinking all the beer before I could get to the bar! Please know how much I loved seeing you all and catching up.

Cyndi Hardy McCabe: It has been a busy year indeed! In the early spring, Dave and I drove north to attend Patricia “Patti” Parker’s Celebration of Life dinner. It reminded me of how much we all become truly sisters— sharing such a critical time in our lives. There were many fun stories I could share with her daughter, Sarah, and I realized in the sharing how much these escapades became part of my own story. It was one of these fun escapades that led to meeting Dave! We then drove over

1975

to visit my Aunt in Acushnet, MA (near New Bedford on the coast).

She is the last of five generations of whaling captains.

Granddaughter Cassie graduated from SBC in May—I never expected to be the start of a legacy, but she is the third generation to attend SBC, and we are so very proud of her accomplishments while there. Next came our 50th Reunion, which I always hoped I would make and feel blessed to have been able to do so. It was wonderful to see so many fabulous women and share some time with them. I even met some new SBC friends that I had only known on Facebook.

Dave and I will celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary in August.

I simply cannot believe it—I still remember our first date at SBC! Our family has expanded, and our six grandchildren are growing quickly!

We’ve been organizing our home at Wintergreen, and the welcome mat is always out!

Ellen Harrison Saunders: We missed our classmates who were unable to attend Reunion and send grateful appreciation to our class leaders for planning a fabulous 50th

Clockwise: 1. Bet Bashinsky Wise and husband Doug celebrating his 80th. 2. 50th reunion—Ann Wesley Ramsey,

Beth Montgomery, Anne Cogswell Burris, Betsey Clay, Wendy Wise Routh, Betsy Burdge Murphy, and Chris Hoefer Myers.

3. Christian Myers, daughter of Chris Hoefer Myers. 4. Coni Crocker Betzendahl In Iceland.

76 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

reunion. It was magical to reconnect with everyone. Thank you to the leaders who have volunteered for the next five years. Can’t wait to see everyone again!

Chris Hoefer Myers: This year has brought unimaginable heartbreak. My beautiful daughter, Christian “Chris” Myers, passed away on Feb. 21, 2025, after a brave and grace-filled 16-month battle with triple-negative breast cancer.

Her loss is profound, and it is only through my faith, my family, and the steadfast support of friends—including many of you I was fortunate to see at our 50th reunion—that I find the strength to carry on.

Chris was a bright light, known for her fierce intelligence, infectious energy, and boundless compassion.

Even in the face of devastating illness, she uplifted everyone around her with joyful grace and courage. To honor her extraordinary spirit, two scholarships now bear her name: the Christian Myers Scholarship in Accelerated Nursing at the Medical University of South Carolina, and the renamed Chris Myers Scholarship for anesthesiology students at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. These tributes reflect the resilience, empathy, and leadership she embodied every day.

Linda Lucas Steele: As I reflect on life events, I consider our 50th SBC reunion as transformational.

Reconnecting with smart, accomplished, interesting women was meaningful and inspirational. I travel frequently to Richmond to visit family and friends—Christine Kjellstrom Douglas, Ashton Williams Harrison, Terry Starke Tosh, and I enjoy the VMFA with Beth Montgomery. I catch up often with Ashley Randle Averell, Jacque Johnson, Polly Mason Holt, Sarah Clement, and Leslie Thornton. Son Austen’s wedding in Aruba was legendary. He and his bride are building their dream house on property adjacent to mine in Daleville, Va. I spend wonderful times with my three children, three grandsons, and we just celebrated the birth of my first granddaughter.

My family traveled to Omaha to enjoy an amazing Steele/Crawford Family Reunion.

Beth Montgomery: I’m writing this a month after our 50th Reunion. And what a wonderful, laugh-out-loud time it was! I still miss everybody. Before the reunion, Wilson (the fella I’ve been dating for two years) and I took a cruise in

October from Rome to Barcelona.

We went to Key West to fish for his birthday in March, because my Christmas gift from him was a two-week trip to France—Paris, Normandy, and the Loire Valley—in May. We had a blast and I loved using my French again from my Junior Year abroad!! Nothing like finally finding love at age 70!! Best to all of you.

Kathy Osborne Spirtes: I wish I could have made our reunion, and I would be interested in a get-together before another five years pass!! Love to all of you!!

Betsy Rawles: What a fabulous reunion weekend! So much fun to reconnect with friends, new and old. Unfortunately, I had to leave early to fly to St. Petersburg, Fla., to stay with my great nephew (3) while his parents were both on business trips.

Ginny Shipe Cameron: Our 50th reunion was wonderful.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I’m glad so many attended, and I loved all the letters, photos, and anecdotes we shared. One thing I’ve learned is that the key to growth is to push yourself out of your comfort zone. We all did that, and I’m very grateful to be part of the SBC Class of ’75.

I got to spend a few days with Heather MacLeod Gale and Helen Harrison Witty before driving to Sweet Briar and reuniting for lunch with Betsey Clay and Anne Ross Shipe. What a blast reminiscing about those carefree college days! Lots and lots of laughs! Then on to the beautiful campus to reunite with our class of 1975! Of course, we had to start with the bookstore before our special dinner with classmates.

It was just heartwarming to see all the smiling faces and catch up with old friends. Unfortunately, I had to leave to go to a special 25th anniversary meeting of an industry organization in Pebble Beach. It was a long trip, but worth it. I hope we can all stay in touch.

Sweet Briar was such an important part of our lives. Loved seeing everyone. Thanks to those who put together a great event.

Ann South Malick: I’m so sorry I missed the reunion. It sounded and looked like so much fun! I’m afraid the timing for my shoulder replacement surgery got in the way. My old roomie, Shari Mendelson Gallery came to visit, and it was wonderful seeing her.

Fall 2025

Class Notes It was as if the years just melted away! Other than that, it has been a quiet summer. I’m still spinning and weaving and enjoying life at the Weavers Cabin of Harmony, PA. It is a historic town and we love to promote our crafts. So far, Mark, Kacer, and Mary Frances are all enjoying the summer in Pittsburgh.

Gray Thomas Payne: So sorry to miss you all at our 50th Reunion.

We have enjoyed a busy travel year, which is why I missed the reunion… we were in Amsterdam because I had the dates wrong! So far, we have visited 15+ countries, including our Seventh Continent. Summer in Maine is delightful, especially with visits from adult kids and grandchildren. We get to Virginia once or twice a year, where I connect with Ann Wesley Ramsey and Beth Montgomery, and we still Winter in Nashville, where it is wintery!!

Any Alums there??

Hard to believe that we are this old…and starting to lose friends…too many this year. On we go…feeling very fortunate and grateful for the life I ended up with and certainly could not have predicted!! As I say to the kids…you never know where you might land!!

Leslie Thornton: Since Sweet Briar, I have had a successful career in the DC metro area, including working at Gray and Company/ Hill & Knowlton, a PR/lobbying firm, in the 1980s. For the last 20 years, I was at RAND Corporation, a research company and government contractor. I worked on Air Force and national security projects that required Secret and Top Secret security clearances. I retired in 2021 during COVID. After living in the DC area (Georgetown, Alexandria, and Arlington) for almost 50 years, I moved back to Roanoke, Va., in January 2025. While living in a group townhouse in In the late 1970s, a recent UVa graduate, Katie Couric, moved in before she was “Katie Couric.” In Roanoke, I have been reconnecting with high school friends and seeing more of Linda Lucas Steele. I moved from a twostory townhouse to a single-level condo. I do not miss the steps or the endless traffic and road work in the DC area. Another plus is having great new neighbors.

Dorsey Tillett Northrup: I am so glad I went to the reunion, even though my 20 closest people dropped away, one by one, and only a couple were left. The year after our Fall 2025

40th reunion, I was asked to attend and speak at the memorial service of Dr. George Lenz. He was a very popular and dynamic physics professor at the time. I agreed I would paint a portrait of Dr. Lenz, although I had not painted many portraits. Claire said that it would go in the administration office, and it hung there for probably eight years.

When I was there for the reunion, it was in storage, but it would be alternated with other portraits from time to time. I was a physics major because of his encouragement. He made a tremendous difference in my life. Sue West (RIP), who was number one in our class, was the other physics major. It was a little bit hard keeping up with her!

Ann Wesley Ramsey: Says she has nothing new to add. She stays busy with grandchildren, gardening, renovating a cottage on their property in Richmond, and volunteering with the Robert E. Lee Memorial Association Board, which manages the mission and preservation of Stratford Hall (the home of the Lee family of Virginia).

Wendy Wise Routh: What a year!! Of course, the Reunion is sharp in my mind…So much fun and what a joy to reconnect with everyone!! The campus was SO beautiful. Life before the reunion was filled with work, which I am thrilled to still be doing. Decorating has gone through so many changes… from all white back to color and trimming! I am lucky enough to have jobs in Palm Beach and Delray, Fla.; California, The Hamptons, NYC, and Connecticut. Lexie is working for Bloomberg Philanthropy, and JohnCarlos is remotely working as head of logistics for WARP. Carlos had another back surgery in November, and in July, he began playing 18 holes. We are looking forward to the US Open at Shinnecock next year. Last winter was magical with Hampton (JC’s red golden retriever) and Charleston (our white lab) basking in the sun and the pool. Unfortunately, the brothers…

Memphis and Charleston crossed the rainbow bridge at 12 years of age.

But Tennessee arrived in July and is Lexie’s new white English Lab. Tennie keeps Hampton on his toes!

I learned that Ashton Williams Harrison is near me in Florida, so we will have a mini reunion this winter!! That’s about it…Stay healthy and happy!

Kathy Wilson Orton: What an AMAZING 50th Reunion we had in

May. So much fun exchanging stories and catching up on each other’s lives.

But most of all, we were in awe of what the campus looked like and thrilled to see the many programs and opportunities for today’s Sweet Briar women. Not quite the same as 50 years ago, but still going strong.

Janet Richards Oikawa: Great seeing everybody at our 50th Reunion. Hope to see you again at our 55th Reunion!

Coni Crocker Betzendahl: We are well into retirement mode with travel and maintaining three properties. Cape May, Vermont, and Pa! Three grandchildren who enjoy visiting, and they are close by. Bonus.

I am still painting, playing guitar, and have now started knitting. One Icelandic wool and two Nordic styles. Yes, I just had to go to Iceland again, my fifth time riding there on an ultimate trek, as it is called. Rode a fabulous horse and had to bring her home. Be well, all. Love your dream, live your dream!

Anne Cogswell Burris: I think all who returned for our BIG reunion agree that it was a very memorable and meaningful gathering for all of us septuagenarians!! We missed those who were unable to make it.

Lon and I have been blessed with another year under our belts. We enjoy spending time with our grandchildren weekly as they live nearby. I cannot believe the four boys and one girl range in age from six to 12!

We travelled to Ireland in September for golf with friends.

Beautiful but most challenging experience due to weather conditions and the difficulty of the course! We followed that trip up with 10 days in Italy. The country, wine, and food were divine, but the crowds were overwhelming at times. It was quite different from Syracuse Junior Semester in Florence over 50 years ago!! Ann Wesley Ramsey and I played in each other’s MemberGuest Golf tournaments in May. We decided that having fun and being together were better than winning!! Chris Hoefer Myers, Wendy Wise Routh, and I were able to visit with the Ramseys before we gathered for the reunion and enjoyed an evening of much laughter over college memories, along with Beth Montgomery. Then Lon and I spent a week at Flathead Lake, MT, in July with a childhood friend, which was an experience of a lifetime!

Many thanks to all who submitted something for Class Notes.

I know as we grow older our news gets less exciting and sometimes too sad to share, but as we all realized at reunion, our experiences at SBC created a bond between all of us that will last forever. No matter how many years pass, whether they be good or bad, always remember the importance of friends and long-time relationships. May we all be thankful for the circumstances, companionships, and sisterhood of Sweet Briar College. Holla, Holla!!

1977 Christine Weerasinghe Hand 197 Waterworks Road Ashgrove, QLD 4060, Australia gampolanook@gmail.com A big “thank you” to everyone in the Class of 1977 for your contributions and ongoing participation that keep our class together. This is all the more important, given that our 50th Reunion is not far off, just down the track (May 2027).

Molly Reeb Nissman has been the ignition behind the mini reunion that took place in September in Idaho. Apart from that, the year has been marked with monumental events for Molly. She finally retired from UBS Financial Services after 48 years in the industry! But the highlight of the year was in the spring of 2025, when her son Andrew married his Dickinson College sweetheart, Emily, in May. Molly’s first project is clearing out her closets, and she sends her best wishes to the class of ’77. Good luck with your retirement, Molly, and we hope you enjoy the well-deserved time with your family and friends.

Patricia Wornom had a difficult start to the year with hand surgery for arthritis. She is unable to putter around in her garden as a consequence. However, she’s enjoyed time with her grandchildren and her two very beloved and spoiled Shih Tzus. She remains active as the vice president of the Homeowners’ Association Board. We hope you will soon be fully functional, Patricia.

Debbie Koss McCarthy and husband David love retirement, with time spent between Charlotte and Lake Lure. They enjoy visiting family, church activities, and volunteer work. In November, they had a superb cruise on the Danube visiting Vienna and Budapest, Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 77

Class Notes

1977 Clockwise: 1. Elvira Cash Pecora and Chip in an Opera House

in Paris. 2. Elvira Cash Pecora, son Kent, Katherine, new daughter-in-law, husband Chip in Paris. 3. Elvira Cash Pecora’s son Greg, 7-month-old Ava, 5-year-old Luca, and daughter-inlaw, Amanda in SC. 4. Husband Chip and Elvira Cash Pecora at Utah Beach in France. 5. Linda Guardabassi Michael, Doug, and family for Doug’s 75th birthday reunion in Rapid City, S.D. 6. Sunset in Lagos, Portugal, taken by Elvira Cash Pecora.

7. Elvira and Chip Pecora.

78 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

with the bonus of the enchanting Christmas markets. What a perfect way to end the year! Debbie is delighted to announce the arrival of a grandson in NYC this fall, to join his almost five-year-old sister and Debbie’s two teenage grandchildren in Charlotte. Debbie extends her heartfelt thanks to all classmates who contributed to Sweet Briar’s annual fund this year. She is looking forward to the 50th Reunion.

Kathy Roantree Renken is about to become a grandmother for the ninth time. It’s made her and her husband, Jeff, decide that it is time for them to retire. She will miss being an academic librarian but says that teaching will always be a part of her life. She aims to continue with her GED class and anything else that might crop up.

Kate “Mac” McElhinney Montgomery is still busy writing, producing, teaching, and sailing, and she loves being a grandmother. She hosts a Class of ’77 Book and Movie Zoom every two to three months, where we have been having fun reconnecting and sharing thoughts and observations, just like we once did on campus. If you’d like to participate, contact kateonfilms@ icloud.com.

The Ellen Sellers McDowell Cookbook Club made its culinary trip to Oregon last fall. Becky Frost Good and Steve were on the trip. Ellen’s next trip in April 2026 will take in the wineries and historical sites of Richmond and Charlottesville. She is pleased to announce the birth of their eighth grandchild, Mark Wayne Martinson III, born on Dec. 19. Quite remarkably, his great-grandmothers on both sides were Sweet Briar women. On a sad note, however, Ellen and her family were deeply affected by the flooding in Texas. Janet Baldwin McColloch ’80 lost her precious grandchild, Janie Hunt. Janet’s sister is Anne Baldwin ’78. Ellen participated in the mini reunion with Stella Wright Martin in Idaho in September.

Vera Blake Thiers reports from farther afield in Germany that, although retired, she is more than busy with horses, fox-hunting, books, travel, and her grandchildren in Berlin. She is involved with a fun group of riders who wish to ‘see the world’ on horseback! That sounds rather adventurous, Vera.

On visiting the U.S., Vera had a great

time getting together with “Mac” (Kate McElhinney Montgomery) in Connecticut last year. She tried visiting Angela Scully in March but missed her. More successful were her reconnection visits with Meg Richardson Wiedersheim ’78 and Megan Morgan Fischer ’76. Her visit to the U.S. ended with six days of fox-hunting in Virginia, which brought back wonderful memories of times gone by.

Since selling their home of 30 years in Chapel Hill, N.C., Elvira Cash Pecora and her husband Chip have travelled across the U.S. Midwest/East Coast and Canada and spent time in Lagos, Portugal, and Paris. Their furniture, pictures, crockery, and crystal are in storage in Chapel Hill, where they return every four months to change clothes and retrieve articles for the next trip.

They have two grandchildren and one arriving in December, plus a new daughter-in-law. Elvira and Chip travel between California and South Carolina to visit/stay with their sons’ families. Their adventures in 2026 may include Italy and Croatia. Happy travels to our “Homeless Gypsies!”

Gay Owens Gates and her husband have a new granddaughter born to their daughter Lily on May 21. They are grandparents to three girls and a boy, whom they enjoy babysitting. They had some fabulous trips to the Azores, Oregon, Arizona, Connecticut, Massachusetts, the Finger Lakes, and Delaware. They also had a family reunion in New York and a nephew’s wedding in Rhode Island. They happily embrace retirement.

Stella Wright Martin, who hails from Alabama, and her husband, Tom, headed west five years ago and settled in Victor, Idaho, just outside of Jackson Hole. They took with them their three dogs and three cats on the Teton River. Victor is now the “international” headquarters for their two businesses: Bellemonde is their luggage and travel accessory business, and Mini Many Memories makes custom ornaments.

Stella is on the road doing shows and says that she may pop up in YOUR town. They have also been building a guest house and would love you to visit.

Linda Guardabassi Michael is active as a discussion leader for Bible study at her church and has been on two overseas missions. In Cuba, they hosted a women’s conference which attracted 300 attendees, and in Italy, she worked with Fall 2025

Class Notes refugees fleeing war-torn countries.

She currently mentors a young woman who has been sexually trafficked. Linda and her husband Doug love to cruise. They’ve been through the Baltic, including Sweden, Norway, St. Petersburg, Russia, and also New Zealand and Australia, Marseille to Normandy, and along the Rhine. In February, they plan on going to Norway to take in the Northern Lights. Linda also went on an African safari, which she regards as the best trip ever.

However, Italy remains her favourite place, where family-owned property from 1930–1987 is in Perugia. Linda and Doug have two sons and a daughter, all married with their own families. Their daughter, Krista, is their trainer.

Linda catches up with Kari Andersen Shipley ’76 when she makes her annual trip to Fort Lauderdale. Although Linda has not actively participated in the Book Club, she faithfully keeps up with the readings.

Laurie Fitzgerald Nowlan: I’ve recently published two picture books: Robbie To The Rescue! and Squiggles, A Very Merry Chrismouse.

This was excellent timing since Pat & I just celebrated the birth of our 12th grandchild: 10 boys and two girls, ages seven and under! Life is busy, but I wouldn’t change a thing.

Clara Garbett is still in Glen Allen, Va., trying to keep up with her plants and animals… “I sadly had to say goodbye to my horse, we had him for 28 of his 34 years, and he was such a great horse for us. It is hard not to see him and care for him.

Still have my corgi and two goats…

I have finally returned to Cape Cod with my daughter and her boyfriend and my brother…that was a great trip. I have been visiting a friend in England twice a year and just love it there.”

Lastly, from far-away Australia, I, Christine Weerasinghe Hand, am grateful that Kate keeps us together with her Zoom sessions. I had some problems with mobility earlier in the year, but now that I am better, I’m making the most of it and attending lots of cultural events (theatre, concerts, opera, etc). I’ve also gone back to my old hobby of dressmaking and installed some greenhouses in the garden to save my plants from the multitude of pests out here. Should any of you be interested, my second book of short stories, Life in All Its Quirkiness, is now available as an audiobook.

Fall 2025

Alex and I are looking forward to our daughter visiting us (from Germany) at Christmas.

Please get in touch with me if there is any news you wish to share with your Sweet Briar friends. My contact: gampolanook@gmail.com.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

1981 classnotes@sbc.edu Carol Hays Hunley: I retired last year and now wonder how I ever had time to work! I am chair of the local chapter of the National MS Society and am very involved with the League of Women Voters. I do miss a paycheck, though. One of the highlights of this year was a visit from Vickie Archer in May for a family and friends gathering and a baseball game—it was wonderful to catch up. Tom and I will celebrate our 40th anniversary in August with a trip to Italy with family—I hope it cools down!

May Carter Barger: Still regularly enjoys traveling with Allison Greene, Nan Loftin, and Jane Terry. This fall, we shall all rendezvous at my daughter’s wedding in Salo, Italy, on the Isola del Garda! Busy making plans and with volunteer work, selecting art for the Carolina Thread Trail, part of a 1,500-mile trail through the Carolinas!

in the fall to visit their daughter.

Leslie volunteers for Backpack Ministries and Sleep in Heavenly Peace, two organizations close to her heart.

Bobbie Serrano Black and her husband, Paul, welcomed grandsons Patrick last summer and Rory in March. She now has six wonderful grandchildren who live in Nashville, Atlanta, and Washington, DC. Last year Bobbie and Paul went on a W&L trip to Istanbul and Cappadocia, Turkey, but this year they focused on family, traveling between the three cities, visiting kids and grandkids.

Bobbie is still in Roanoke, Va., and would love to see our classmates more often!

Blair Clarke Swoope is still teaching in the Math Department at Old Dominion University.

Whenever possible, she spends time with her three-year-old granddaughter and daughter Kathryn Smith Johnson ’10 in N.Y.C. (and eating Levain cookies of course), or visiting her four-year-old and one-year-old grandchildren in Virginia. Blair recently visited Anne Little Woolley and Melissa Byrne Partington in Virginia and

Lucy Chapman Millar in Georgia.

She loves reading Wylie Jameson Small’s books and looks forward to listening to her recordings one day as she makes the long road trips for visits!

Cate McNider is celebrating the second anniversary of her second poetry collection, Escape Velocity. Her first poetry collection, Separation and Return, has been out for fifteen years! Cate is working on her third collection and other forms of writing. She has also been working for 35 years as a psycho-physical practitioner and is President of The Listening Body.

She reports that “retirement is an attitude, and I will be working and creating until I drop!”

Anne Little Woolley has been doing “a little bit of work, a lot of painting, babysitting, and traveling.”

She and husband, Doug, have a one-year-old granddaughter, Liza, who is toddling around and entertaining them. Anne and Doug babysit whenever they can. In April, Anne met up with Wylie Jameson Small, Alice Cutting Laimbeer, and Lucy Chapman Millar and “ate and drank our way through

1983 Wylie Jameson Small 10 Creekdale Lane Rochester, NY 14618 wjsmall61@gmail.com Leslie Malone Berger is in her first year of retirement from fulltime employment. She continues to serve as a substitute speech pathologist within her school district, demonstrating her ongoing commitment to supporting students with communication needs. Also newly retired is Leslie’s husband, Kevin. The Bergers are the proud grandparents of two grandsons: baby James arrived in April, and big brother Andrew (2.5) is handling his new position very well. They are also looking forward to a trip to Arkansas

1983

Clockwise: 1. Wylie Jameson Small’s latest book. 2. Bobbie Serrano Black and her grandchildren. 3. Lee Anne MacKenzie

Chaskes and Wylie Jameson Small when Lee Anne visited us on Kiawah. 4. Anne Little Woolley, Wylie Jameson Small, Lucy Chapman Millar, and Alice Cutting Laimbeer at their mini Reunion in Charleston.

Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 79

Class Notes Charleston!” Anne also regularly sees Melissa Byrne Partington, Blair Clarke Swoope, and Elizabeth Taylor Webster. In June, Anne took a trip with some Richmond friends to Provence, France, and painted in Vaucluse de Fontaine and St. Remy.

Lee Anne MacKenzie Chaskes and her husband will celebrate 40 years of marriage this fall, but they can’t decide how to mark the occasion. Lee Anne says that “figuring out what to have for dinner each day takes up all our bandwidth!” All is well with their boys. William is in NYC; Robert is in South Florida; Adam is in Charleston, SC, where Lee Anne and Rob celebrated his graduation from the College of Charleston with a degree in studio art. Lee Anne loves visiting Charleston as she was able to connect with Wylie Jameson Small and her husband on their last visit.

Mason Rummel Bennett reports that all is well in Kentucky.

Mason and husband, Rick, are grandparents of two gorgeous children (Ellie and Pip) who live in the NYC area. They try to see them whenever they can. Their children, Bennett, Annie, and Emma, are delightful adults in their 30s and are doing well. Mason and Rick recently spent some time at Cumberland Island, Ga., where they are starting to contemplate retirement. Mason says that “Life is good. So is our alma mater, whose board I’ve been honored to serve these last ten years.” Thank you for your service to SBC, Mason!

Kathy Barrett Baker writes that, “at 64, in the words of The Cars: ‘How did we get here?’” I agree, Kathy! Kathy is especially thankful for her lifetime SBC friendships, especially valuable when transitioning through difficulties that life throws at us. She comments that the friendships are “the most important intrinsic value SBC offers.”

For Lucy Chapman Millar, 2025 has been quite a year. Sadly, one of her brothers passed away in February. Despite the loss, Lucy had a lovely reunion in April in Charleston with Wylie Jameson Small, Alice Cutting Laimbeer, Anne Little Woolley, and their spouses. In early July, Lucy returned from a trip to find her refrigerator in Atlanta had been dead for days; the next day, her place in Bluffton, SC, caught fire due to a lightning strike. The fire 80 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

was devastating, and although no one was hurt, the house needed to be gutted. Aside from rebuilding and redecorating, Lucy is enjoying her two-year-old granddaughter, who is “very bossy, but very cute and growing fast.” Here’s to the next chapter in fire education and home renovation! We are all hoping Lucy’s home is rebuilt quickly!

As for me, Wylie Jameson Small, Stuart, and I are loving being grandparents to our beautiful granddaughter, Raina (2). Son Rudy and his family moved to Charleston, SC, and we are thrilled as they are close to our second home on Kiawah Island, where we spend the bulk of the year. My fifth novel, The Hag Stone, was published in April. Set during the bubonic plague of the 14th century, the novel focuses on a female protagonist as she attempts to redefine herself in medieval society. My previous four books, A Knight’s Duty, The Failed Apprentice, To Kill a Queen, and A Shaft of Light, are all available on Amazon under my pen name, W.J. Small.

1985 Vicki Vidal Blum 12133 Beaver Creek Rd. Clifton, VA 20124 vickividal@yahoo.com Vicki Vidal Blum: A warm hello as the new class Secretary. Husband, Dave, and I live in Clifton, Va. I still work at Intercontinental Exchange.

I loved seeing friends at Reunion, hanging with Ginger Ryon Church, and attending Caperton Morton’s great pie party. I went to Italy in September for sightseeing in Rome, then painting in Umbria. My son returned from Argentina, where he played soccer for two years while getting his B.S. and graduating this year from Radford.

Jane Cox Childress and husband, Vince, live in Asheville, N.C., and are “almost” empty-nesters, with one in college, one in the working world, and one in law school.

Jane recently accepted the position of Marketing Director for Deerfield Episcopal Retirement Community.

Life is sweet in the mountains!

Mary Jo Ellis: I lost my husband of over 20 years to cancer in May. He fought hard, but was unable to rally. I’m so grateful his passing was quick and peaceful.

1985

Clockwise: 1. Ellen Reed Carver’s Reunion Visit with Joyce Coleman. 2. Horse of the Year Title Class Winner with Leigh Watkins Taylor 2024. 3. Karla Kennedy Hicks in Times Square with Mallihai Lawrence Tambyah and Heidi Stukey Shott ’84. 4. Oleisky

Family hike in AZ.

Now I’m losing myself in work as an Estimator for a welding shop; I then become project manager for any jobs that I win. It’s challenging and keeps me busy.

Ellen Reed Carver lives in Hampton Roads. She loves her job empowering young girls to be happy, healthy, and confident through Girls on the Run! She absolutely loved seeing classmates at Reunion, especially the visit to the home of Turning Point classmate and class mom, Joyce Coleman!

Leigh Watkins Taylor: Kia Ora from Waikato, New Zealand. I have two beautiful grandsons (one and two). I’m running my B&B “3 Cowleigh” and two businesses: Reel NZ Productions and Love 2 Jump (event management—mostly horse shows). I teach all things equestrian full-time. I was home in the US in November 2024–January 2025. My dad (85) came here in May and enjoyed time with his great-grand-

kids, plus deer stalking, trout fishing, and a big birthday party!

Come see me!!

Jeanie Guthans Wilkins: All is well in Mobile. Richard and I are enjoying the Bay and having two of our three sons and daughterin-laws back in Mobile. We see Laura Morrissette Clark and her husband, Burton, frequently.

Enjoyed a visit with Louise Jones ’84 in Mobile recently. I stay in close touch with Cathleen Brooke Dunkle and her husband, Kurt. Harriet McNair Alexander ’86 and her husband, Chris, are the best ambassadors for Houston, Texas, and have taken great care of me when I visit. Our precious granddaughter (4) lives in Arlington, Va. Barbara Tragakis Conner retired Aug. 1 after more than 20 years in college counseling and college admissions. She is moving to her house on Cape Cod, where Fall 2025

Class Notes she will live year-round! If you visit the Cape, please reach out to her for lunch or dinner and a good catch-up!

Karla Kennedy Hicks writes: Ever wonder what happened to our fabulous valedictorian, Mallihai Lawrence Tambyah? She is a professor in Brisbane, Australia.

Due to the good graces of Heidi Stukey Shott ’84, we had an awesome Manhattan weekend last summer. Mallihai has not aged a bit!

She has two grown kids. Her son quarantined with Heidi in Maine during the pandemic.

Maha Kanoo is still in Dubai and working for the family business, but is trying to retire. She keeps in touch with DeAnne Blanton, Anne Maus, Heidi Belofsky Cromwell, and Sandy Whaling Wierman. She writes: I miss you all. Lots of things are happening in Dubai. Can’t believe when I came to SBC, no one heard of Dubai, and now it’s the centre of the world.

Debbie Fischer Oleisky had a great year full of fun, travel, and meaningful moments. She writes: Since retiring from the classroom in June 2024, I traveled to the Minnesota State Fair, Yellowstone, and then the Grand Teton with my eldest daughter before helping her drive to New Orleans. I visited Marco Island, where my youngest presented her research at an orthopedic convention. A true highlight was returning to SBC for our 40th Reunion. I’ve enjoyed serving on our Friends of the Library Board and embracing post-teaching life.

Laurie Limpitlaw Krambeer had fun catching up with classmates at Reunion. Her younger daughter graduated from Emory this year.

Since becoming empty nesters, she and her husband have been hiking in Colorado as much as they can.

Laurie still works for her practice. In August, Laurie went to Milan to visit her older daughter, who is working in Italy.

Heidi Belofsky Cromwell and husband Doug are empty-nesters and write: we divide our time between our farms in Wellington, Fla., and my hometown of Warrenton, Va. I am thrilled to be able to fox hunt both in Virginia and Florida. My horse snowbirds back and forth with us.

Fall 2025

1989 classnotes@sbc.edu Courtney Keil Price: Even though I was only at SBC for two years, I think of it and the people I knew with joy, even though I’m probably not remembered lol. 3 years ago, my boyfriend and I sold everything and moved to France.

We are restoring our second house here (if anyone wants to visit, we are here!)

Sydney Loughran Wolf: My family is approaching our 15th year living in St. Louis, MO. For Fall 2025, I’ll be the assistant coach of the St. Joseph’s Academy Girls’ Varsity Tennis Team, which has won state the last several years! I still actively volunteer in the community and serve on several boards, including the St. Louis Public Library Foundation Board and the Washington University Women’s Society Board. My husband Andreas continues to run companies in the Healthcare space, my daughter Schuyler (23) lives in NYC and works in consulting, and my son Charlie (20) is a rising junior at Wake Forest University.

1991 classnotes@sbc.edu Joan Dabney Clickner: There is much change in my family’s life! My husband is moving his acupuncture clinic to our home in August. Ian just finished college and is embarking on a career in international development. Georgia is off to UVA, majoring in astrophysics! She and I just took a 3-week trip to Croatia and the Albanian Alps—which were stunning! Anticipating loneliness and boredom from an empty nest, I have decided to work for Home Depot, in addition to my sedentary, remote part-time job. Come say hi if you venture into the brand-new Charlottesville Home Depot!

Lorraine Haire Greer: Tom & I have relocated back to New Bern, N.C. I am so happy to be home and look forward to moving into our dream home in September. Our son, Alex, graduated from Pinkerton Academy this spring. He will be

attending High Point University this fall. I look forward to reconnecting with Sweet Briar classmates now that we are back down south. Tom and I are also looking forward to traveling. Last year we traveled through Switzerland, and this year we are traveling to see the Christmas markets in Germany, Austria, and Prague.

1993 classnotes@sbc.edu Norma Bulls Valentine: I’m still in real estate, and Nancy is taking care of my horses & donkey Eeyore in Aiken, SC…I rolled off the Board of Directors at Sweet Briar in October & have been working at Sweet Briar in the Alumnae office. I have been taking riding lessons with Mimi when I’m on campus, which has been a lot of fun!

Jennifer Mooney Risey: Happily living on Daufuskie Island, SC, with my husband Chris and two dogs. No bridge! All three of my kids completed their Master’s degrees and are gainfully employed and off my payroll. I have taken up golf between tennis and pickleball matches. Kerry Pollock Huskey and Camelot Lindauer are visiting in August. I was elected last January to serve on the Daufuskie Island Council to represent my community with Beaufort County on island matters.

Tracy Parker: Job promotion to In-Home Residential Program Manager. Celebrating 30 years of love with my soulmate, Tim. We are exploring all the North Carolina beaches to find our favorite. Life goes by quickly, but wow, what a ride.

1993

Pamela Subranni Berman: We have been having a fabulous summer here at the Jersey shore. Our kids come to visit on the weekends, and they bring our grandson Beckham too! I have been busy planning our daughter Colby’s upcoming wedding, Sept. 20, 2025, which will be at Cipriani Wall Street. I just helped pack 55,000 meals for the homeless in Atlantic City, and I am preparing for our CCTC’s largest fundraiser in October. Enjoying all of the fundraising activities we do at The Do Gooders, Philadelphia. Just rescued another dog too! Life is good!

1995 Katie Maxwell Schellhammer 22914 Goldenrod Dr. Brambleton, VA 20148-6967 The Class of 1995 had a beautiful 30th reunion in May. Although we missed many because of graduations, surgeries, ailing parents/kids/ spouses, work, and distance, we were a small but close-knit group. We wined and dined, and we laughed, laughed, and laughed all weekend.

The hallway of Grammar became very loud! The wine from our vineyards is delicious, and the SBC Farm to table meals are scrumptious. SBC’s donuts are better than Krispy Kreme! Professor/Dean Jeffrey Key joined us for the Friday Boathouse Party, and a lot of fun stories were told. At Convocation, I was presented the 2025 Outstanding Alumna Award for my roles as class leader/admissions rep/DC Clubs leader/Alumnae Alliance founding member. I feel very honored. Thank you all.

Left: Norma Bulls Valentine and Barbara Baisley ’92 at the Upperville Horse Show in June. Right: Pamela Subranni

Berman’s Summer walk.

Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 81

Class Notes

1997 classnotes@sbc.edu

1995

Clockwise: 1. Reunion 2025. 2. Katie Maxwell Schellhammer (top),

Heather Aspinwall Chiles (left), and Kate Steptoe Fisher (right).

3. (Left–Right): Cari Miller James, Jen Parker Raudenbush, Kelly Hall, Art Raudenbush, Doug James.

Heather Theis Hernandez couldn’t make it to Reunion, but she and her family flew from CA to DC for a family vacation and had dinner with me, Anna Reilly, Rob & Stephanie Pearson Davis.

Heather’s daughter Desi is a social media manger in Orange County.

Her son T is a 2L at Arizona State, and her youngest son, Max, starts high school in the fall. Heather is working as a Director of Development at California State University Bakersfield. She and a fellow Marine Mom launched a fun podcast and Substack called: Letter Jacket Ladies. Most importantly, she agreed to stay on as our class’s planned giving officer.

Holla! Holla!

Kelly Hall reports that she still a study-abroad director at Cedar Crest College in PA. This year she took her sophomores to Lisbon for an amazing (if rainy!) week, and she also led a study-tour expedition to Antarctica. She is going again in 2028 if anyone would like to join!

Kelly also took some great trips in the last year to Greece, the UK, and Belize, and she is looking forward to Scandinavia this fall. She saw Jen Parker Raudenbush and Cari Miller James this summer—Jen 82 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

was the mini golf winner! Kelly says, “Great to see folks at Reunion, and I was elected ‘Dean of Fun’ class officer, so keep your eyes peeled for upcoming news!”

Heather Aspinwall Chiles has almost fully recovered from major surgery. She was devastated to miss Reunion. She, Kate Steptoe Fisher, and I met up when I drove through Columbus, Ohio last fall.

Dawn Leary Schwarting and Sarah Butcher Howell hosted a Sweet Briar Day in Marshall, Va. with a special speaker, Nargis Zadran, an Afghan refugee. It was so impactful. Thank you ladies. But we forgot to get a photo!

As for the rest of the classmates, on Facebook I am seeing a lot of college drop offs and ailing parents/ spouses—even some retirements! I am also loving the vacation photos and mini-reunions. For the emptynesters, hang in there and plan a trip to visit SBC.

Lisa Tedder Baker: I’m living in Atlanta and loving my second career as an ER nurse! I’m working in the biggest level one trauma hospital in Atlanta, and if you’ve watched that new show The Pitt, then you’ve seen what my job is like. My kids are 17 and 13 now and very into theater, so I play a stage mom on the weekends.

I still use my SBC English degree to write about health topics on the side!

In my free time, I enjoy teaching community first aid classes.

Gina Miller Brown: I turned 50, my oldest graduated, and I decided to go back to school to work on my MA in Library Media at St. John Fisher Univ. Mason will head to the Univ. of Dayton in the fall, Garett is going to the 10th, and Austin 7th grade. I am a 2’s preschool teacher and part-time project manager for Impact Earth, a composting company. I am working with them to spearhead a program in our school district. I love keeping busy, volunteering, and gardening!

Kathryn Cunningham McMahon: Stitching Fox needlepoint is celebrating 5 years in business. I love the balance of being creative and business-minded. Casey is now 9 years with Mettler-Toledo.

We are still enjoying living in Western North Carolina with travels this year to Anguilla, Turks & Caicos, and the Dominican Republic. To celebrate my 50th birthday this spring, I hosted a “Peruvian Carnivale” party at our home. We will travel to Machu Picchu this fall

1997

to see the spring equinox. I am looking forward to seeing 9 SBC sisters this November at our annual Lake Toxaway, N.C., getaway, thanks to Melanie Chriscoe Peters.

Ute Koehler Sartin: The past year has been full of exciting new changes. I am now the proud grandmother of Catherine McKay Sartin, Hastings and Mollie’s daughter, born Nov. 28, 2024. I also completed my weight loss goal and am back to my pre-USA weight, and am much healthier and definitely infinitely happier. I’m making new friends, including my first best friend ever, doing things (Morgan Wallen concert in Miami), going on a cruise, girl-only trips, learning to ride, e-biking, and living my life to the fullest each day. Still working, not retiring any time soon-enjoying my income and independence. Life is good!

1999 Sarah Kingsley 940 W Princess Anne Rd. #A1 Norfolk, VA 23507 Sarahkingsley99@gmail.com Donna Hoogland Harwood and her husband still live on their farm in Charles City, VA. This will be her 7th year working in the special education department for Hanover County Public Schools. It will be 8 years since she started in HCPS, but there was a gap year in there where she worked in St Thomas, USVI! Donna is also an elected member of the Charles City School Board. It has been a learning experience being on that side of the school system. An amazing time was had during her

Left: Desiree Valenzuela Gribshaw, Kathryn Cunningham

McMahon, Maia Pearson Bannon, Sarah Cunningham ’00.

Right: Baptism of Catherine McKay Sartin, 8 June 2025, Mt. Lebanon Chapel (St. James Episcopal Church), Wilmington, NC. Fall 2025

Class Notes

1999

Left: Marilen, friend, and Sarah Kingsley at Relay For Life.

Right: Aunties Megan Butt and Angela Walton Carpita at a

slumber party.

25th SBC reunion in 2024, and she looks forward to the 30th!

Amy Gibbs Brown’s first stand-up comedy special, “Indoor Wife” is out now on YouTube at Amy Brown Comedy! Her last child graduated from high school this year, and she is ready to travel. If you would like some lady comedy near you, reach out.

Angela Walton Carpita continues teaching High School science, raising two teenage boys.

Find her often working out, walking her dog, cooking, or traveling. She founded a Friends Group between USNA and civilian neighbors and stays active in local organizations to uplift marginalized groups in Annapolis, MD. She aspires that her light will be God’s love for ALL, amplified. Highlights this year include ongoing group texts with Kibby Fergusson ’00, Tara Hartnett, Sarah Dorminey, Megan Butt, and Jill Triana (all Niners.) Megan, Jill, and Angela recently enjoyed a fabulous birthday weekend in Raleigh, spoiling and celebrating Jill’s daughter Emory.

Christine Carl Allison and family are enjoying life on the Eastern Shore. This year will be her 20th Anniversary with James, a fact which surprisingly only slightly grosses out their teenager.

Christy’s business, Webbed Presence, is branching out with a new brand, Shore Starter Sites, to help local business owners and nonprofits get online. Since her daughter and friends would likely not meet the current mandate for admission (or would feel unwelcome by the Administration), Christy keeps a “You are safe with Fall 2025

me” Allyship pin on her Vixen ballcap at all times.

Kelly Turney Gatzke continues to love her job as a Librarian and making sure all voices are heard and all students are represented in her library. Her JYS Spanish is being put to good use at a Title 1 elementary school with 85% minority students, many

2001

of whom are learning English. It’s extremely fulfilling to help others.

Sarah Kingsley has been with the American Cancer Society for two years. She is proud that the organization is the highest funder of cancer research (other than the federal government, which may have changed) and works to protect EVERYONE from cancer. Her only child is attending SCAD, and they are majoring in animation. Last year, she swam with humpback whales alongside Christine Rangel ’00. She sees Marilen Sarian Crump ’00, Lillie Tillar, and sometimes Lindsey Kelly. She saw Gregor Lee ’00 while in Asheville. Sarah went on her first mission trip to El Salvador.

2001 Sarah Houston Kenning 2192 Monterey Drive NW Atlanta, GA 30318 sarah_e_houston@yahoo.com Rami Achterberg Heers reports that after over 20 years of teach-

Top: Sarah Belanger Levinson’s daughters, Claire and Evelyn,

with Natasha Nickodem Stevens’ children Marietta and Mack.

Bottom: Megan Thomas Rowe with her daughter, Sylvie Rowe, and family friend, Quinn Ball (both Class of ’32 hopefuls).

ing German, she has decided on a complete career change. She is now a student services coordinator in the College of Vet. Med. at Utah State University and absolutely loving her new job.

Sarah Belanger Levinson is embracing her soccer mom era as daughters Claire and Evelyn (10) enter their second year of playing with a club team. In June, Sarah welcomed a visit from Natasha Nickodem Stevens and family.

The newest member of Sarah’s family is an Aussie Doodle who was adopted in August and turned one in February.

Megan Thomas Rowe: I just saw some artwork that said, “Never stop being a good person because of bad people.” It hit home in multiple areas of my life. I went to the SBC 2025 Reunion because it is an annual tradition for me to take my teenage daughter. It was great seeing the Class of 2000 celebrating their 25th. They were hoping more of their class would be there. In the same fashion, I hope to see many of you in 2026 for our 25th. Until then, keep on being a good person!

And, I, Sarah Houston Kenning, am happy to report that while still working as an acute care Speech Language Pathologist, I will also be job-sharing with Nicole Redwine beginning this school year as a reading specialist at a local Montessori school.

Nicole and I had the pleasure of hosting Anna Lundberg Baso from Minneapolis and Elizabeth Parker from Virginia Beach this past fall in Atlanta, although we missed the rest of the group chat ladies. We are hoping to see Christine Rangel this September if we can catch her between all of her globe-trotting trips. I also had a wonderful time visiting Dawn Martin and her daughter, Katie, in Lynchburg this past June while taking my son, Jackson, on college tours. Katie will be a freshman in college this year and is already an amazingly talented potter. Lastly, I still have the pleasure of working out with Amy Gibbs Brown ’99 every week and was happy to be in the audience for the taping of her very first comedy special, Indoor Wife. If you haven’t already, please check out her comedy special on amybrowncomedy.com—it is hilarious.

Our 25th Reunion is coming up in May of 2026, and I do hope to see everyone there.

Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 83

Class Notes

2005 Mindy Wolfrom mindywolfrom@gmail.com

2003

Left: Megan Doughtie and Danielle Oberg Ross in Charleston, SC. Right: Laura Ison Russell, Katy Kummer, and Julia Schmitz.

2003 Jane McKenzie Davis 611 Mann Lane Shipman, VA 22971 jmd03.sbc@gmail.com Friendships, celebrations, and reunions continue for the Class of 2003!

Danielle Oberg Ross shares that this spring, “my marriage was deemed legally allowed to drink as we reached the 21st anniversary milestone and celebrated with a trip to Paris!” In May, Danielle and Megan Doughtie visited Savannah and Charleston for a mini reunion.

Danielle’s daughter finished middle school this year and kicked off the summer with a trip to Japan with her bestie and several other students. In between all of this, Danielle’s family moved into a new house—in the same town but with more space. Career-wise, things are busy as Danielle is leading a global project across the US. Christine Nail begins her 4th year as a special education teacher this fall, teaching employment and life skills to 18–22-year-old adults.

Christine and Josh will celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary in October! Their oldest son graduated from high school in June, and their youngest son will be a high school sophomore. This past summer, Christine hiked the Adirondack mountains and jumped off cliffs into waterfalls!

Christine shared, “Being in the mountains will remind me of Sweet Briar and my time with SWEBOP!” Claire Affleck celebrated her 20th year of “Claire Affleck Training”, her horse training operation, which began in 2005 and 84 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

is based in Auburn, NY, but has a winter branch in Ocala, Fla., where Claire and her clients compete at the World Equestrian Center during the winter circuit. And of course, she reports “Claire Affleck Training’s barn colors are pink & green!”

Julia Schmitz traveled to Winnipeg, Manitoba, to present at the Association for Biology Laboratory Education conference.

During her presentation, she trained participants in adopt-astream protocols so they could learn how to help keep their home streams clean. She was also able to catch up with classmates Laura Ison Russell and Katy Kummer in Kentucky this summer.

As for me, Jane McKenzie Davis, I continue to develop the coaching aspect of my work, but I took a break from work this spring to visit a childhood friend in Key West, Fla., Sweet Briar Little Sister, Ebony Scurry ’04 and daughter (12), visited me in May, and Julia Schmitz visited in June. Megan Ogborn and I are making plans for a delayed birthday celebration! I enjoyed volunteering with the Alumnae Mentorship Program this year and was partnered with Gail Faulkner ’25. I participated in Sweet Work Weeks and helped paint Daisy’s Closet during Sweet Work Weeks.

I love spending time in my flower gardens. I had several occasions this summer to take advantage of vegetables from Sweet Briar’s Greenhouse, and it is quite amazing. Watching things grow gives me joy and hope, but I have a green thumb!!

I hope you are living your best life and sending you joy and best wishes for a successful year ahead!!

Joyce Scott and Amanda Watts Moffett met up in Northern Georgia to celebrate with Katie Barker in advance of her upcoming wedding. Joyce Scott attended our 20th Reunion at SBC and enjoyed reconnecting with classmates, Beth Goldring and Ashley Ruffead. Joyce also loved catching up with Jennifer Sirois Campbell and Amy Walker Hricko ’06 for dinner while she was in town.

Tamara Himelright Helton says she is ready to start her

2005

second full year of teaching high school biology in Winchester, Va., and she loves it! Time continues to fly by. Next year, she will have two of her very own high schoolers.

They spent three weeks of their summer break in Puerto Rico, soaking up the sun. She also enjoyed the Sweet Briar 20th Reunion and is counting down the days till next time!

Liz Eager Marvel shares that she finished her Ph.D. in History at Baylor University and took a position with a small non-profit that works to develop theological education for church leaders in the majority world. She now teaches undergraduates at Baylor and also taught a class on Women in the History of Christianity in Zimbabwe and India last year! She and her

Clockwise: 1. Amanda Watts Moffett, Joyce Scott, Katie Barker.

2. Joyce Scott, Beth Goldring, Ashley Ruffead. 3. Amanda Watts Moffett’s family visiting Harper’s Ferry. 4. Tamara Himelright Helton and her family. 5. In Hyderabad, India, Liz’ colleague

graciously let her take the less-spicy rice off of the top of the biggest pot she had ever seen!.

Fall 2025

Class Notes family recently moved to a small farm outside of Waco, Texas, and they love country life, the recent rattlesnake notwithstanding. Even after traveling the world, she shares that there’s no place quite like Sweet Briar. She loved getting to catch up with other 2005 alumnae at Reunion and hopes to see you all at our 25th!

Cathy Sobke joined the locally well-known and respected Pike & Lustig, LLP, a business and personal injury litigation law firm, this year as an associate attorney.

She is based in their offices in Wellington and West Palm Beach, Fla. She also attended a Sweet Briar Luncheon in Palm Beach and saw some new and familiar alumnae faces.

Torrey Shallcross Kraiss and her husband recently relocated from DC to Atlanta, Ga., where they joyfully welcomed their beautiful baby girl, Katherine Ford Kraiss.

Alexandra Lussier Kohlberger joined Torrey for a lovely baby shower at the Swan Coach House and made a special return visit to meet baby Katherine! Torrey also launched her own firm, Fundraising Insights and Solutions, a boutique consultancy focused on nonprofit fundraising strategy.

Amanda Watts Moffett has worked for the Secret Service in forensic currency analysis for 18 years now and continues to love her job! She and her husband, Jimmy, celebrated 14 years in April. Where has the time gone? They have squeezed in several trips abroad, on their own and with their two kids, Anna (10) and James (11). Everyone has the travel bug and will also go to Morocco with her mom in November. This trip is in memory of her dad, who passed in February, and to show the kids where she grew up.

She says, “Miss you all!”

Brentz Basten East writes that another year has flown by!

Her daughter, Rosa (17), will be a senior in high school and has just earned her Girl Scout Gold Award.

William (14), a freshman in high school, will start his Boy Scout Eagle Award project. She and her husband, Matt, have been busy with work and being scout leaders, playing pickleball and hiking, and keeping their house maintained!

She says it was great to see everyone who came to Reunion. She can’t believe it has been 20 years since graduation! She hopes to see many of you in five years for our 25th Reunion!

Fall 2025

Mindy Wolfrom moved to Las Vegas, Nev., with her husband, Stan, and their three adorable cats, Pumpkin, Banana, and Ginger.

She teaches 7th-grade English and coaches middle school basketball and swimming. Nevada’s constant sunshine and blue skies have been a powerful source of healing for her following the unexpected losses of both her mother and brother. She loved giving Stan a tour of Sweet Briar at Reunion. Being there reminded her of all the reasons Sweet Briar was worth saving, and she is happy to serve as the 2005 class secretary again.

2011 classnotes@sbc.edu Alexandra Herrera: Last fall, I was honored to be recognized by Marquis Who’s Who for excellence in the events production industry After 14 incredible years in the agency world, I made an exciting transition and joined Semafor, Inc. in October 2024 as their Senior Director of Live Journalism.

Laura Wolf: Hey Vixens!

For the 2024–2025 school year, I accepted a position with Nelson County Public Schools as their division-wide Behavior Specialist.

I am so happy to be living and working in Nelson County, where I also have an outdoor guide business, Three Ridges Touring. I enjoy taking clients on hiking and biking adventures in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. In March, Kevin Childress proposed, I said yes, and we are engaged!

2011

2013

Clockwise: 1. Elizabeth & Jackson with nephew, Luke Bowser, at USMA. 2. Jackie Montero-Sharpe and her horse Wendell.

3. Cristina, James, Drew, Beaux, and Will—Easter 2025. 4. Sarah

Lindemann Richardson and Hilary Bowie ’12 at the Kentucky Horse Park this spring.

Mai McCarthy: I’m working on a second master’s, this time in counseling, while working full-time at my dream job just outside of Houston. I was fortunate enough to be recognized by the state of Texas as an Exemplary teacher this spring, which is honestly a nod to my own teachers and peers at Sweet Briar and elsewhere. I also got the chance to see classmate Kaytlin Colburn in the spring, which rejuvenated my soul! We are casually planning to attend Sweet Briar Work Weeks in 2027, 20 years

Left: Kaytlin Colburn and Mai McCarthy reunite after PlantCon in Houston. Right: Making memories on Bald Head Island—Cassidy

DeWitt, husband Matt, and little ones Jones (4) and Collins (2) soaking up summer together.

after first setting foot on campus.

Perhaps we’ll see you there!

2013 Sarah Lindemann Richardson 287 Geri Lane Louisa, VA 23093 sarahmlindemann@gmail.com Elizabeth Hansbrough Riley: Elizabeth has kept busy the last few months with work, friends, and family events. In April, she reunited with classmates from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business to celebrate their five-year reunion. Then, in May, her family gathered in New York to celebrate her nephew’s graduation from West Point Military Academy.

In their spare time, Elizabeth and H-SC’s husband, Jackson, attend a lot of North Carolina Hurricanes games and play with their dog, Daisy (now 12 y/o!).

Kaitlin Eckenberger Stephens: Kaitlin has been promoted to Vice President, Global Benefits & Enterprise Health at IBM. Jackie Montero-Sharpe: I am still serving as the Director of Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 85

Class Notes Admission at Fork Union Military Academy, a boys’ boarding school in Virginia. Outside of work, I’m still riding my Thoroughbred, Wendell— who was recently featured in Horse Illustrated! Life is full with my husband, Ryan, and our corgi, Charlotte. We’ve been enjoying traveling and are planning a big trip to Spain. I also live just down the road from Sarah Lindemann, and our Sweet Briar shenanigans are alive and well—think wine nights and porch chats.

Dani Humphrey Daniels: Dani and her family still reside just outside of Indianapolis, IN. They will soon be welcoming their second baby, Jacob, in August. Jacob was diagnosed with a variation of HLHS (Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome) and will need to undergo a series of surgeries immediately after birth.

If anyone has any heart warriors in their family, they would love to connect! Their eldest, Gavin, just turned 3 in June. Dani accepted a new role as Associate Producer for MTV’s Ridiculousness back in October, too.

All in all, everyone is in high spirits and awaiting the arrival of Jacob!

Cristina Thomas Harrington: After working for the CT Attorney General’s Office as an AAG in Child Protection since 2018, Cristina decided to take a hiatus to stay home full-time with her three boys: Drew (4), Beaux (3), and Will (1). She and her husband, James, are very excited to announce they are expecting a little Vixen in September 2025.

Annamarie Lichtenberg Spencer: So much going on; only so many words allowed. The best things to happen were a visit to the Pink Bubble this past March with a few other alumnae (Pictures below) and, of course, attending Sweet Work Weeks. I have also been busy planning mine and Scott’s vow renewal. Also, would like to express disappointment in our alma mater.

Other than that, my 40s are treating me great!

Ann Roach Dodge and her husband Gideon are enjoying their first year as a family of four. They welcomed Molly Dodge to the family in October 2024. Their daughter Virginia turned three in February.

They have spent their summer boating, beaching, and relaxing.

Sarah Lindemann Richardson and her husband, Dan, celebrated two years of marriage in May. She is enjoying a new passion for working in the garden and continues to spend as much time at 86 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

the barn as she can. She is lucky to live a few minutes from Jackie Montero-Sharpe and they are always looking for new equestrian adventures to have together. In April, Sarah and Hilary Bowie ’12 made a pilgrimage to Lexington, KY for the Kentucky Three-Day Event.

They are already planning a return trip next year and plan to connect with several other SBC alumnae while there.

2015 Amber MacKay 1703 N Cliff Alexandria, VA 22301 amberlmackay@gmail.com Annie Rich Simmons works in real estate development, specializing in self-storage. She recently celebrated her sixth wedding anniversary this summer with her husband, Ryan Simmons H-SC ’16. She is over the moon to be expecting her first child, a baby girl, in December.

Much of 2025 has been spent on the road for Allie Raifsnider Eudy, and—as we know—all roads lead to Sweet Briar! This year’s milestone Reunion was a joyful weekend spent with friends both new and old. In June, a group gathered to celebrate the life of Elyse Betz, who is deeply missed by so many. August brought another special gathering with the wedding of Caileigh Bryant and Spencer Plunkett, where Sweet Briar was well represented. Allie, her husband Taylor, and their six-year-old son Bennett are still enjoying life in the greater Philadelphia area, always planning their next adventure!

Verena Joerger: Had a lot of fun at our 10-year Reunion!

Hopefully, this ages well, but I’m still working for the U.S. EPA. It’s an agency with a mission close to my heart, and despite multiple offerings of the “Deferred Resignation Program,” I’m staying put and remaining optimistic that we will be able to carry out the mission of protecting human health and the environment. On a more cheerful note, I became an aunt! My niece, Emelia, was born on July 3.

Acacia Salazar Robinson welcomed her second child in April, James Junior (aka J.J.), and is adjusting to life with two littles. She is also beginning to learn mahjong!

Epiphany Soward VandeBogart greatly enjoyed attending the 10-year Reunion and reconnecting with classmates.

Along with volunteering for Sweet Briar, she continues to enjoy her career as a civil environmental professional engineer for the City of Lynchburg, where she lives with her husband, Shaun.

Caitlin Daniel: This April, I welcomed an adorable nephew named Reid, and he is, in my opinion, the most precious thing in the world. I cannot wait to spoil him. I also enjoyed my 10-year Reunion with my classmates from the Class of 2015, especially my roomie for the weekend and friend for life, Allie Raifsnider Eudy.

And this August, several of us Sweet

2015

Briar ladies will be attending the wedding of our classmate Caileigh Bryant in Massachusetts.

Rebecca Matheson MacCormac: Melting away in Ala. still, but we just welcomed our third baby in June—Cordelia Claire.

Chara Southworth: I’ve been loving life here in Kentucky. Time is flying by. In what feels like the blink of an eye, I’ve bought a house, had a kid, and now Eden will be turning three this year. I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying life!

Amber MacKay loves to travel and has been busy in the last year.

She visited Ireland and Iceland, walked the length of Manhattan with Kim Orchowski Quinn, enjoyed time with her classmates at our

Clockwise: 1. Flowers gifted by the Class of 2015 in memory of their late classmate, sister, and friend Elyse Betz. 2. J.J. Robinson, son of Acacia Salazar Robinson. 3. Allie Raifsnider Eudy

and Caitlin Daniel enjoyed getting back to campus for Reunion!

4. Eden, Chara Southworth’s daughter, with her pumpkins.

5. Amber MacKay and her husband Marty in Iceland, June 2025.

Fall 2025

Class Notes 10-year Reunion, spent a few weekends in Cary, N.C., to see Acacia Salazar Robinson and Grace Herion Hoyt and their families, and relaxed on various East Coast beaches this summer. Amber is still enjoying work at the Washington Speakers Bureau and living with her husband and dog in Alexandria, Va.

2021

2023 classnotes@sbc.edu Emily DuBois: Along with becoming a legislative document specialist for the North Carolina General Assembly, I’ve also been onboarded as a story and scriptwriter for an indie video game studio!

classnotes@sbc.edu Rachel Logan: In May, I graduated with my master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from Wake Forest University!

Liberty O’Donnell LaDuca: My Husband Tim and I got married August 16th, 2025! I am currently working as an administrative assistant for the Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Information Officer of a bank. After an exciting and fulfilling four years in Washington, D.C., I will be relocating to upstate NY with my husband and our beloved cat Schmee!

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.

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• 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.

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

2021 Fall 2025

Left: Liberty O’Donnell LaDuca’s Wedding day!

Right: Rachel Logan at her Master's Ceremony!

(even-numbered class years only): Jan. 11, 2026

Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine 87

The Last Word

Looking Back, Forging Ahead With the celebration of Sweet Briar’s 125th Anniversary in full swing, we look back on the decades of accomplishments, history, and victories of our community and the incredible people who have played a role in it.

In the spring issue of the Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine, we plan to highlight the many things the College has to be proud of, similar to how we celebrated Sweet Briar’s Centennial anniversary in 2001. We encourage you to join us in this stroll down memory lane and read this incredible encapsulation of all Sweet Briar is and has been. Visit sbc.edu/centennial to read the centennial issue of the magazine, which explores myriad pieces of history—from the selection of the College’s motto, “rosam quae meruit ferat,” by the first Board of Directors to the continual growth of the curriculum as the world changed outside the “pink bubble.”

If you’d like to share a memory or congratulatory note for possible inclusion in future 125th celebratory materials, please send it and any associated images to communications@sbc.edu.

Please join us over the next year as we celebrate the first extraordinary 125 years at Sweet Briar College and turn our focus to the next.

88 Sweet Briar Alumnae Magazine

Fall 2025

Ensure Your Legacy Makes a Lasting Impact 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 make a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QDC) from their IRA or at age 73 a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD).

Not sure how to get started?

Visit: sbclegacy.org For questions, please contact the Alumnae Relations and Development Office at 434-381-6131 or alumnae@sbc.edu.

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Box 1057 Sweet Briar, VA 24595

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CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

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 2026 May 29–31, 2026

All classes welcome, honoring classes ending in 1 and 6!

We can’t wait to celebrate with you!

Learn more and register at sbc.edu/reunion!