The more things change, the more they stay the same. This well-known saying resonates with me as I look through the pages of our 2025 “Where Are They Headed?” feature – a favorite Buzz tradition since 2013. When we started this feature 12 years ago, hard copies of the students’ photos were regularly dropped off at our office. But this class of grads grew up entirely in the digital age. Every photo since they were born is on a parent’s phone and is easily emailed to us. That is wild to think about. (And just writing this officially makes me the old neighbor!) However, despite the changes in technology, one thing remains constant: The unwavering support of our community in encouraging and nurturing the next generation. As you read through this issue, I hope you’ll feel the same sense of pride and optimism that we do. The more things change, the more they stay the same. And to all seniors, remember, no matter where you are heading, you’ll always have a place to call home here in your neighborhood. So, here’s to the Class of 2025 – may your future be bright. And remember to call (or even write!) your parents! And stay connected with The Buzz (and this ol’ neighbor!) along the way. joni@thebuzzmagazines.com
THE BUZZ MAGAZINES
Published by Hoffman Marketing & Media, LLC 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, Texas 77401 info@thebuzzmagazines.com
Editor-in-Chief
Joni Hoffman
Publisher Michael Hoffman
Editor Jordan Magaziner Steinfeld
Associate Editor Caroline Siegfried
Design Manager John Duboise
Staff Writers Tracy L. Barnett
Sharon Albert Brier
Cindy Burnett
Andria Dilling
Angie Frederickson
Todd Freed
Cindy Gabriel
Cathy Gordon
Michelle Groogan
Dai Huynh
Annie Blaylock McQueen
Jennifer Oakley
Ben Portnoy
Cheryl Ursin
Accounting & Contract Administrator
Meena Dost
Account Managers Andrea Blitzer
Leslie Little
Jo Rogers
On our cover: 2025 grads include Parker Johnson (Stratford – Colorado School of Mines), Josh Cestero (HCHS – Duke), and Carolina Factor (MHS – Texas A&M). Cover photo by Nikky LaWell, lawellphoto.com
I feel so very lucky! When we discovered that Cindy Gabriel had the very same surgery [for hyperparathyroidism] that I scheduled with the very same wonderful Dr. Helmi Khadra, and that she shared her story with readers, she further helped to guide me through the process!
When my surgery had to be delayed after a small glitch, due to my anemia, once again, Cindy was so supportive and thoughtful! I approached my upcoming surgery with a very positive feeling. My outcome was successful, and my healing process continues in a very positive direction.
Once again, I must say how lucky I am to have read Cindy’s two wonderful articles about her journey [A Diagnosis: Can be a good thing, Nov. 2024 and Life After Surgery: Cindy Gabriel gives an update, Dec. 2024] and that The Buzz offered me, and my family, that opportunity.
Shellie Lewis
Editor’s note: Shellie, we’re so glad to hear these articles were helpful and that you connected with Cindy before your surgery and during your recovery.
Importance of imagination
Regarding the article The Power of Fairy Tales: They aren’t just for children [by Cindy Gabriel, April 2025] I must say – thank you for a timely and meaningful life lesson. The reminder that “Imagination is more important than knowledge,” as attributed to Albert Einstein, could not be more relevant.
Imagination fuels humanity’s creativity, helping people invent, write, build, and solve problems in unique and transformative ways. It also nurtures empathy, allowing us to envision life through someone else’s eyes –an essential part of being human.
I needed reminding that imagination is what makes learning more engaging, connecting moral truth to real-world understanding. It encourages curiosity and open-mindedness, bringing to mind the quote often linked to Walt Whitman (and revived by Ted Lasso): “Be curious, not judgmental.”
In a world that often prioritizes as well has confuses facts and figures, it’s good to be reminded that wonder still matters.
Clover Bailey
Never forget
I want to compliment you on the article, Lest We Forget: A Holocaust survivor’s mission [by Cathy Gordon, April 2025]. I found it to be so inspiring. It is important that the horrid things that happened under the Nazis never be forgotten lest we fall victim to something similar. May her testimony [Ruth Steinfeld] be spread far and wide. Thank you for sharing her story!
Marsha Hunter Smith
A happy place
Spectacular! Thanks for such a well-written article [Bear’s Garden: Cultivating a new generation of gardeners by Andria Dilling, April 2025]. Through her interviews, and the article Andria wrote, she truly captured the essence of Bear’s Garden as Haran’s “happy place.” It brings such joy to share it with our
grandchildren and others. It is incredible how widespread your readership is. We have received such positive feedback and magazine copies from West U, Tanglewood/River Oaks, friends from out-of-town, and of course, Bellaire! Our okra list has expanded, so hopefully it’s a bountiful harvest this year.
Cheryl Levy
Houstonians in Portugal
Tracy [Barnett], that was an excellent article on Portugal in the April edition of The Buzz [From Houston to Portugal: A Love Affair with Culture, Cuisine, and Coastline, April 2025 Travel Buzz]! Lots of great info! Adding it to your other article from the Silvas [Exploring family heritage in Portugal, Oct. 2022 Travel Buzz]! If I have anything new to add when I visit Portugal in September, I will let you know but I think you have really covered Portugal!
Risé Johns
Editor’s note: For more, also see our April 2025 Wedding Buzz column including the Bijlanis, who married in Portugal.
Email us at mailbag@thebuzzmagazines.com. Or send to Mailbag, The Buzz Magazines, 5001 Bissonnet St., Suite 100, Bellaire, Texas 77401. Please include your name, address, phone number and email address for verification purposes. Letters or emails addressed to The Buzz Magazines become the property of the magazine, and it owns all rights to their use for publication. Addresses, phone numbers and email addresses will not be published. Letters are subject to editing for clarity and length. Views expressed in letters do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Buzz Magazines, and The Buzz takes no responsibility for the content and opinions expressed in them.
We are looking for residents for upcoming articles who:
• Were recently married and would like to participate in an upcoming Wedding Buzz column.
• Have special summer traditions with family or friends.
• Know a Buzzworthy neighbor to feature.
• Have an interesting travel tale.
• Have a unique passion or hobby.
If this sounds like you or someone you know, please contact us at info@thebuzzmagazines.com or 713.668.4157, ext 102.
Inside This Issue
2025
4 Editor’s Note
Mailbag: Letters from Readers
Father’s Day: The past and present by Ben Portnoy
“Father’s Day, Shmather’s Day?” Writer Ben Portnoy remembers Father’s Day and Mother’s Day celebrations when he was growing up and investigates how the holidays got started.
The Su-pawstar Parade Pooch: Andy the Sheepdog takes the wheel by Cathy Gordon
Attendees of the 2025 Houston Art Car Parade were in for an extracute treat this year: Andy the Sheepdog starred in the parade, taking the wheel of a 2004 BMW. Owner Billy Cohn converted the car into a radio remote-controlled vehicle.
Igniting a Passion to Volunteer: Ways to give back, even if you’re little by Annie Blaylock McQueen
A group of second-grade Boy Scouts from The Kinkaid School, the 2025 Wolf Den of Cub Scout Pack 695, organized a fun run to raise money for victims of the Palisades fire. They raised $10,350 – far surpassing their original goal of $1,000.
Book Recommendations for Dad: Father’s Day ideas by Cindy Burnett
A book would be a good gift for Dad this Father’s Day. Find recommendations for dads with all kinds of interests.
A College Town Worth Visiting: Kids and vacation rolled into one by Andria Dilling
Sometimes, a child’s new adventure can bring new adventures for the parents.
Rumor Has It by Sharon Albert Brier
Buzz Reads by Cindy Burnett
Travel Buzz: Vatican Secrets and Tuscan Villas by Tracy L. Barnett
Bob and Louise Parsley’s recent journey to Italy included a spiritual and meaningful return to the Vatican and the Scavi in addition to beautiful views and delicious culinary experiences in Tuscany.
Class of 2025: Where are they headed? by Caroline Siegfried
Congratulations, Class of 2025! Our annual tradition is to share our graduating neighbors’ plans, as they reflect on high school and consider what advice they would’ve given their kindergarten selves.
SportzBuzz by Todd Freed
SportzBuzz Jr. by Annie Blaylock McQueen
Buzz Kidz: How a liver transplant transformed my life and mission by Isabella Charlotte Arlt
Neighborhood Tails by Giselle
Buzz About Town by Angie Frederickson
Back Porch: Let Them: Putting the mantra to work by Andria Dilling
Writer Andria Dilling dives into Mel Robbins’ widely discussed Let Them Theory
by Ben Portnoy, staff writer
Father’s Day
The past and present
Many years ago, when I was a kid, my father would scold me or my brothers if we failed to carry out our tasks – raking leaves, shoveling snow, mowing the lawn, or sweeping the back patio. The scolding always referenced those two days set aside to show appreciation to parents. Dad would preach, “Mother’s Day, Shmother’s Day, Father’s Day, Shmather’s Day, what about all the other days of the year?”
As a result, to this day, each year on one of the above-mentioned days, my brother Joe will call me or I will call him and begin our conversation with, “Mother’s Day, Shmother’s Day, Father’s Day, Shmather’s Day!”
This parental admonition kind of lumps the two special days together, but I believe there is a difference between the two. As a father, I feel that the spirit of Father’s Day leaves it as a second-class holiday compared to the more important Mother’s Day.
Are mothers more deserving than us fathers? Maybe so.
Mother’s Day has a long history that is rooted in the work of Ann Jarvis who founded Mother’s Friendship Day in 1868 to try to reunite families divided by the Civil War. Her efforts as the years passed were mostly focused on mothers’ roles in improved sanitation and standard of living. She died in 1905.
Anna Jarvis, her daughter, was inspired by her mother’s work and felt that a day should be set aside to honor mothers. She obtained help from the Philadelphia merchant, John Wanamaker. On May 10, 1908, the first Mother’s Day was celebrated at a worship service at St. Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. On the same day, there was a larger event at the auditorium of the Wanamaker store in Philadelphia. Over the next few years, many states made Mother’s Day an official holiday, and on May 8, 1914, U.S. Congress made the second Sunday in May the nation’s official Mother’s Day. President Woodrow Wilson signed the bill. And Mother’s Day has been celebrated annually ever since.
Father’s Day has a more checkered past. It began in Spokane, Washington, in 1910. Sonora
Smart Dodd heard a sermon about Mother’s Day in 1909, and this stirred in her the feeling that fathers deserved equal recognition. Her father, William Jackson Smart, a Civil War veteran, had raised her and her five siblings as a single parent after his wife passed. The next year, she asked local pastors to celebrate fathers. The Spokane Ministerial Alliance pastors prepared their sermons and made the date the third Sunday in June. The first Father’s Day celebration was June 19, 1910.
Father’s Day did not catch on right away. Initial observances tended to fade away as the years passed. Dodd stopped promoting it as she was studying art in Chicago. In the 1930s, she returned to Spokane and started promoting Father’s Day with the support of manufacturers of ties, pipes, and menswear.
In 1916, President Wilson spoke in Spokane at a Father’s Day celebration.
President Calvin Coolidge supported Father’s Day. But the Congress failed to pass any legislation to denote a Father’s Day. Congress feared that such a holiday would be commercialized. But, in many states, Father’s Day was observed without an official designation.
In 1957, Senator Margaret Chase Smith of Maine argued that Congress had ignored Father’s Day for 40 years while honoring mothers. In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson proclaimed the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day, and on April 24, 1972, President Richard Nixon finally signed a bill designating Father’s Day as an official U.S. holiday, 58 years after Mother’s Day was declared.
Where are we now? Take your mother to brunch on Mother’s Day. You had better make
a reservation well in advance if you want brunch with Mama. Bring her flowers, candy, a loving greeting card, or maybe a long-distance phone call. A present? I was told long ago that a present for Mom must not have a plug. Father’s Day brunch? Give me a break. How about a chain saw instead or a cool dashcam for the car? Send a card with a funny line such as, “I gave my father $100 and said, ‘Buy yourself something that will make your life easier.’ So he went out and bought a present for my mother.” (Rita Rudner) Or contemplate other witty analyses such as “Father’s Day is important because, besides being the day on which we honor Dad, it’s the one day of the year that Brookstone does any business.” (Jimmy Fallon)
My father died when I was a teenager, so Mother’s Day gained importance for me. I cannot recall any special observation, but when I was in my early 30s, my brother Joe and I bought the cemetery plot next to my father’s and gave it to Mom for Mother’s Day.
OK, I think you get the idea. No doubt about it, Father’s Day takes second place.
Do I care? No. I say, “Mother’s Day, Shmother’s Day, Father’s Day, Shmather’s Day.”
FATHER’S DAY, SHMATHER’S DAY The author shows off his super intelligent face in this Father's Day photo while sitting on his father Sam's lap. His older brothers Richard and Joe may be thinking “Father's Day, Shmather’s Day.”
by Cathy Gordon, staff writer
The Su-pawstar Parade Pooch
Andy the Sheepdog takes the wheel
Every dog has its day. Andy sure did. The fun-loving Old English sheepdog, loyal companion to Bellaire resident Billy Cohn and family, usually rides shotgun, his shaggy ears flapping in the breeze. But in the 38th annual Houston Art Car Parade this spring, he took to the wheel of a bright red BMW convertible, “driving” past adoring attendees like a boss. Not another soul in the car.
Throngs lining Houston’s streets went wild. What? Look! Is that a dog driving that car??!
All the while, Andy’s tail thumped back and forth, waving proudly like a patriotic flag. The King of Fluff staying the course. Tongue out. A good boy. A very good boy.
“Oh, he was into it! He loved it. His tail was wagging the whole time,” says Billy. The cardiothoracic surgeon, engineer, and prolific medical
device inventor (widely recognized for his contributions to the development of the continuousflow, totally implantable artificial heart), converted a 2004 BMW into a radio remote-controlled vehicle that one could steer and brake, and shift into park or drive, without being in it.
Well, Andy was in it. Behind the wheel.
A convertible suits Andy. The wind in his hair. So. Much. Hair.
Undeniably the cutest driver in the 38th annual Art Car Parade, the largest celebration of its kind in the world, featuring over 250 entries.
“We practiced a lot with Andy so we could make sure he would sit in the car and not jump out. We went to an empty church parking lot at night and certain times of day when no one was there, me walking behind the car with the
controls,” Billy explains. “Then we got bolder, and we’d leave the parking lot and drive him home on the streets of Bellaire, me walking behind the car. More and more I was comfortable that we would be good to go on Allen Parkway and downtown streets. There are so many things that could’ve gone wrong. But we prepared for so many exigencies. It could not have gone better.”
His youngest son Chris made a remote-control kill switch as a precaution.
“We put an emergency kill switch on a second radio so we had a second button he could push at any time if he thought the car was too close to something, or if for some reason I became inattentive. And we made a manual brake, a cable, from the back of the car that you could come up and grab
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DANDY ANDY What’s better than a loveable loaf of a sheepdog? A sheepdog driving in Houston’s Art Car Parade. Andy “drove” the length of the 2025 parade, courtesy of his owner, inventor Billy Cohn, who converted a 2004 BMW into a radio remote-controlled vehicle that he could steer and brake while his dog cruised solo in the driver’s seat.
Charlie Ewing
(continued from page 12)
and it would apply the brakes and stop the car instantly. With all those safeguards and all the practicing, we were good to go.”
The 4-year-old sheepdog was cordoned off from the backseat by a plexiglass partition, also designed by Chris. Little need. Andy appeared to enjoy being behind the wheel, says Billy. “Every once in a while, he’d go over to the passenger side and people were shouting and laughing and he’d stand up and wag his tail. I’d just say, ‘Come on, Andy! Behind the steering wheel!’ And he’d get back behind the steering wheel.”
The turns were the most exciting part, he says. “There aren’t many turns in the parade. I was so proud of navigating those just right, staying nice and parallel and making a nice rightangle turn.
“People would sometimes see me and point and say, ‘Hey, he’s making the car go! It’s him! Over there!’” says Billy, whose sons Billy and Robert and daughter Elizabeth followed along behind the car with him and Chris. Billy’s wife Shaun was also on hand, helping with logistics and getting water for the dog, he says.
It’s a wonder Billy made it to the parade at all. He was in Australia for “artificial heart work,” and didn’t make it home till the wee hours on Saturday, thanks to a plane snafu (he suspects mechanical problems) that left him struggling
to get back to Houston. He found another flight in the nick of time. Got in at 1:30 a.m., the day of the parade.
“Every once in a while, he’d go over to the passenger side and people were shouting and laughing and he’d stand up and wag his tail. I’d just say, ‘Come on, Andy! Behind the steering wheel!’ And he’d get back behind the steering wheel.”
Thanks to a trial-run of the course by Shaun and Chris while he was away, they discovered more work had to be done to make Andy’s ride flawless.
“Chris and Shaun drove the course while I
was in Australia to see how long it was, and if there were any steep hills. Turns out there were two. So, at 3 a.m., now back in Houston, I woke up Chris and we drove the course, realizing, indeed, we can’t make it up these hills. We had to make this Lucite fixture with a turnbuckle so I could set the RPMs just how I wanted them on the gas pedal. It made it possible to get up those hills.
“It was a family jam,” he says of the all-out effort. His son Billy helped him work on and test the emergency brake cable as well as design RunOver-Cat stickers for the car with his brothers Robert and Chris. (Side note: Andy doesn’t really hate cats. He’s a lover, not a hater.)
“We did a lot of work, but Andy was the star of the show. He was such a good boy, just sitting behind the wheel like a gentleman,” says Billy.
Indeed, Andy earned a trophy for his pawsome parade appearance. “We won the Bowl Me Over award at the Art Car Parade’s award’s ceremony. He’s such a social and gregarious dog, so he loved getting all the hugs and pets. He was really into it. He earned it.”
Editor's note: Find a video of Andy in the Art Car Parade at thebuzzmagazines.com; search for “Andy the Sheepdog.” Read more about owner Billy Cohn in Magic, Music, Medicine, More: And this inventor’s ‘humerus’ Halloween by Cathy Gordon, Oct. 2024.
RIDING SHOTGUN Billy’s favorite pastime is driving around Bellaire with his dog, Andy. The sheepdog sits there like a proper gentleman, taking in the sights and entertaining neighbors, his tail always wagging.
by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer
Igniting a Passion to Volunteer
Ways to give back, even if you’re little
It is never too early to let children find ways to give back. That’s the belief of mom-of-four and Boy Scout troop leader Erin Beckwith, whose troop felt compelled to help in the aftermath of the devastating Palisades fire. “I wanted these kids to know they can help, even though they are young,” said Erin.
And help they did. The group of secondgrade boys from The Kinkaid School, the 2025 Wolf Den of Cub Scout Pack 695, organized a fun run as their service project to raise money for families affected by the wildfires. Pack 695 has 77 kids from Kinkaid, from first to fifth grade, with each grade level called a den. The second-grade troop led an effort to help the victims of the devastating fires.
Pack 695 has been part of The Kinkaid School community for more than 35 years, with boys from first through fifth grade participating. The Wolf Den has 19 second-grade boys including Bennett Beckwith, Henry Williams, Greg Pappas, Andy Thomison, Sterling Gray, Jack Milam, Wells Milam, Aiden Ayala, Aydin Naqvi, Max Mertz, William Currie, Luke Plachy, Finn Koster, Augie Fangman, Benjamin Simpson, Walter Easterly, Jackson Dewhurst, Eric Dean, and Mac English. The Wolf Den moms are Erin Beckwith, Virginia Williams, and Allison Thomison.
The boys chose to raise funds for the Palisades after seeing the wildfires on the news. “I noticed my kids started coming home from school talking about the wildfires in California,” Erin said. “They were hearing about it from friends and teachers, and they were concerned. I could tell they were worried about all the families whose homes and communities were just, suddenly, gone.”
As part of the Cub Scouts program, dens are encouraged to complete service projects each year. Erin and the other moms saw this as an opportunity not only to meet that requirement but also to teach something deeper about volunteer service. “I knew that if my kids were worried about it, other kids would be worried about it, and instead of just feeling worried, we decided to empower them to do something,” she said. “I wanted them to know that if you are moved by something, you can help. And you can help,
even if you are only 8 years old.”
Erin did some research to help identify a reputable local nonprofit to ensure their donations would go directly to support recovery. “When I was trying to figure out a good organization to send the money to [in Palisades], I immediately
“I wanted them to know that if you are moved by something, you can help. And you can help, even if you are only 8 years old.”
thought of Miles Partain. I know his family through my sister,” said Erin. “Miles played beach volleyball in the 2024 Paris Olympics for Team USA. He is very active on social media and when the fires were blazing through the
Palisades, he was going live showing his followers the destruction. His childhood home burned down in the fires.” Miles directed the troop to Palisades Forever, a nonprofit founded by longtime residents of the Pacific Palisades community to help rebuild and restore institutions affected by the fires.
Their plan moved into action, and what began as a small service project for their troop quickly grew into something much bigger. They organized a fun run at the school’s track to raise money for the victims of the fire. In the weeks leading up to the event, each scout collected pledge donations from family and friends. They knocked on doors, posted on social media, and talked to anyone they could about contributing.
On the day of the fun run, families gathered at the school track as music played over the loudspeakers. “[The music] filled the entire stadium,” said Erin. The boys warmed up, then lined up at the starting line. The lower school nurse announced, “Runners, take your mark!” and Erin sounded the starting gun. Off they went. A countdown on the football
tracked their laps. They had
(continued on page 18)
scoreboard
YOUNG HELPERS These second-grade Boy Scouts from The Kinkaid School, the 2025 Wolf Den of Cub Scout Pack 695, organized a fun run to raise money for victims of the Palisades fire. Pictured (standing, from left) are Augie Fangman, Wells Milam, Mac English, Aiden Ayala, Andy Thomison, Benjamin Simpson, Kinkaid headmaster Jonathan Eades, Henry Williams, Walter Easterly, Max Mertz, Greg Pappas, Jack Milam; (sitting, from left) Sterling Gray, Aydin Naqvi, Bennett Beckwith, and Eric Dean.
Erin Beckwith
Forever, a California-based nonprofit supporting victims of the wildfire. Together, the troop completed 158 laps and raised $10,350 – far surpassing their original goal of $1,000.
(continued from page 16)
30 minutes to run as many laps as possible.
“There were a couple of parents that stepped in to run with their sons, and some siblings,” said Erin. In the end, the boys – just eight years old –ran 158 laps, totaling more than 39 miles.
Their initial goal had been modest. “Our den goal was $1,000,” said Erin. “When we collected all the donations that the boys raised, it was $10,350, which surpassed our goal by a landslide.”
The boys took away valuable lessons. “We may be little, but we are mighty with helping,” said troop member Aydin Naqvi.
“We were excited to run, but most important-
ly to help people in need,” said troop member Jack Milam. “It was running and helping people. I loved it,” added Eric Dean.
“It was truly inspiring to see the boys take complete ownership of the entire process,” said troop mom Virginia Williams. “From brainstorming fundraising ideas, setting personal goals, to choosing whom to support with the funds raised, they were incredibly dedicated. Also, witnessing the positive impact of social media was particularly moving.” Virginia said some boys and their parents used social media to promote the fun run, reaching beyond their immediate circle – and they had a great response.
“I learned that we should be more grateful for what we have,” said troop member Henry Williams.
The success of the fun run is a powerful reminder that kids do not have to wait until they grow up to have influence. The values instilled through programs like Cub Scouts – leadership, empathy, and responsibility – can begin at any age.
“I think we did the right thing doing it. I hope it makes a big difference in California,” said troop member Augie Fangman.
“I think what they learned is that they do not have to just watch bad things happen and feel sad,” said Erin. “They can be part of the solution. Even if they are in second grade.”
Volunteer Opportunities in Houston for Kids
Teaching kids that they have the power to make a difference develops a lifelong habit of service. And as the Wolf Den of Pack 695 has shown, it is never too early to start and there is no amount too small to help someone in need. Summer is a good time to encourage kids to serve in the community. Some volunteer opportunities are limited to kids 10 and older, but here are several organizations that welcome younger children (with parent supervision):
• Little Lights Houston: This nonprofit offers weekend volunteer opportunities for families to help prepare and deliver weekend food bags to children experiencing food insecurity. littlelightshouston.org
• Kids’ Meals Houston: Children under 10 can help decorate lunch bags at home or with a school group, and families can volunteer together to pack meals. kidsmealshouston.org
• Houston Food Bank: The minimum volunteer age at the food bank’s main warehouse is 6 (with an adult), and they offer family-friendly opportunities throughout the year. houstonfoodbank.org
• Ronald McDonald House Houston: Families can collect needed items or host donation drives for children and families staying at RMH. rmhhouston.org
• Houston SPCA: While direct animal volunteering is limited to those 16 and older, kids can help from home by organizing donation drives or collecting towels, toys, and pet food. houstonspca.org
ON TRACK Siblings Henry and Annie Williams ran side by side in the troop's fundraiser for Palisades
by Cindy Burnett, staff writer
Book Recommendations for Dad
Father’s Day ideas
Looking for a great gift for Father’s Day? Books are perfect for almost anyone because they cover any topic imaginable. Here are some suggestions.
For the dad who enjoys thrills:
The Writer by James Patterson and J.D. Barker – Denise Morrow, a popular true crime writer, is making headlines but for the wrong reasons. Her husband has been murdered, and the police consider her their prime suspect. Detectives Declan Shaw and Jarod Cordova are assigned to the case and are intent on solving it, but everything may not be as it seems. There are so many entertaining red herrings and crazy twists and turns; this one is quite a fun ride for those who enjoy solid thrillers and those looking for a quick read.
For the dad who is interested in the tech world: Dead Money by Jakob Kerr – As one of the first employees at Airbnb, Jakob Kerr is intimately familiar with the world of start-ups and Silicon Valley, and his experiences inform this twisty, funny, and clever thriller. The controversial CEO of tech’s hottest startup Journy has just been murdered, leaving behind billions in “dead money” frozen in his will. Mackenzie Clyde, a fixer for the venture capital company that invested heavily in Journy, is brought in to consult and help solve the murder, but her help is not welcomed by the FBI. This intelligently constructed mystery into the wild and surreal world of the tech industry and startups where nothing is as it seems will keep readers on the edge of their seats.
For the dad who likes quirky reads:
I’m Starting to Worry about This Black Box of Doom by Jason Pargin – Lyft driver Abbott nervously accepts an offer of $200,000 cash to transport a woman named Ether across the country with a large black box. But she has a list of rules he must follow: He cannot look inside the box; he cannot ask questions about the box; he cannot tell anyone what he is doing; they must leave immediately; and he must leave all trackable devices behind. What ensues is a hilarious and timely tale about the way technology and the internet have completely overrun our
lives. As the internet community speculates about what’s in the box as well as sparking rumors that this duo is preparing to launch a terror attack, the tension mounts.
For the dad who likes the outdoors:
Beartooth by Callan Wink – Faced with losing their family home due to large medical bills following the loss of their father, two brothers, Hazen and Thad, struggle to make ends meet. Residing in Montana on the edge of Yellowstone National Park, the brothers resort to illegal poaching jobs to survive, including a large, risky one that goes awry. While the heist storyline is enthralling, the true draw of Beartooth is Wink’s ability to transport the reader to this stunning but often inhospitable landscape; the setting is brought to life so vividly. Moreover, his characters are well drawn and complex, and the indepth exploration of family relationships and the roles family dynamics play in those relationships is engaging. This short book packs a huge punch, and fans of Peter Heller’s books and other stories set in nature and the backwoods will love this melancholy but ultimately hopeful tale.
STORY SET IN NATURE Searching for a Father's Day gift for someone who loves the great outdoors? Beartooth by Callan Wink is a great fit since it is set on the edge of Yellowstone National Park and focuses on life there.
and his friendship with Samuel Clemens, who ultimately publishes his memoirs. While the focus is clearly on Grant in this tale, the book also serves as a fascinating glimpse into the Civil War and Reconstruction-Era years from a perspective I have not encountered previously. This thought-provoking and stunningly crafted story of Grant’s life and legacy from his own perspective is outstanding. This is a must-read book for historical-fiction fans and history lovers alike.
For the dad who enjoys historical fiction: The General and Julia by Jon Clinch – Near the end of his life and battling throat cancer, Ulysses S. Grant struggles to complete his memoirs before he passes away, in order to leave his family financially sound. He chronicles his love for his family, his role in the Civil War as well as Lee’s surrender, serving as a twice-elected president, losing his entire fortune to a swindler,
For the dad who likes compelling stories: My Friends by Fredrik Backman – Backman returns with another beautifully-crafted story, this one centered around four friends with difficult home lives who inspire a painting that becomes world famous. Twenty-five years later, 17-year-old Louisa encounters the painter and is subsequently gifted this famous painting. While coming to terms with her
(continued on page 22)
Cindy Burnett
bequest, she sets out on a cross-country journey to understand how the painting came to be as she learns about these four friends and their lasting legacy. My Friends delves into grief, love, overcoming hardship and trauma, the creation of art, and the lasting power of friendship. The ending was unexpected and welcome, demonstrating that happy endings do not always take the form that we expect.
For the dad who likes to read about other time periods:
Splinter Effect by Andrew Ludington – In this action-packed debut, time traveling archaeologist Rabbit Ward maneuvers through the past to recover a long-lost, precious menorah hiding out in ancient Rome. This engaging novel grabbed my attention from page one. The main character visits 6th-century Constantinople, and the author does an absolutely incredible job of bringing the time period, the city, and its surroundings to life without it feeling like a history lesson. Splinter Effect is a great fit for those who love time travel and fun mysteries, and it is the start to a new series.
For the dad who loves his dog(s):
Dogland: Passion, Glory, and Lots of Slobber at the Westminster Dog Show by Tommy Tomlinson – Dogland is enthralling and entertaining as well as thought-provoking and educational. As a long-time dog lover, I was fascinated by some of the questions Tomlinson raises. Are show dogs happy? And what about pet dogs – are they happy? These questions sent the author on a three-year quest to better understand the dog-show world and its inhabitants and to gain insight into the relationship between humans and dogs. The result is this delightful book. Dogland mainly follows a champion show dog named Striker as he competes at
the Westminster Dog Show in New York, but the author includes how dog shows began, who participates and why, how the relationship between humans and dogs has evolved, and how to evaluate the happiness of dogs.
For the dad who enjoys a good memoir: Being Henry: The Fonz…and Beyond by Henry Winkler – Henry Winkler’s first big role in Hollywood, as The Fonz in Happy Days, defined him for decades after the show went off the air. His incredible story starts earlier with a troubled home life and undiagnosed dyslexia and follows him through his role as The Fonz and into the acting roles he has subsequently played and children’s books he has written. Fans of Happy Days will enjoy the details he divulges about the show, including the origin of the term “jumping the shark” and how he was treated significantly better than the rest of the cast and the tension that created. The audiobook is phenomenal as well for this one; Winkler and his wife Stacey narrate.
For the dad who likes science fiction: Dissolution by Nicholas Binge – Maggie Webb has spent the last 10 years caring for her husband Stanley, whose memories are slowly disappearing. When a stranger shows up at her home and tells her that someone is purposefully removing Stanley’s memories, she is given the chance to save Stanley. Maggie dives into her husband's memories, uncovering a decades-old feud threatening reality itself. The science-fiction elements are clearly explained – the science does not bog down the story – and the relationship between Stanley and Maggie is a standout. The ending is what truly makes the book; it is outstanding and so clever. This compelling and timely novel takes the reader on a page-turning trek through memory and time.
For a dad who likes Formula 1:
On the Grid: Life Behind the Scenes of Formula 1 by Luke Smith – This insider’s account of what happens on and off the grid of Formula 1 is a fascinating glimpse into the popular sport. Only 20 drivers are counted among elite ranks of Formula 1, but behind each one is an army of professionals devoted to the sport. In On the Grid, F1 journalist Luke Smith brings to life the behind-the-scenes stories that don’t make it to viewers’ screens. I love these deep dives into worlds about which I am not very familiar, and this one is outstanding. He covers the gender gap in F1, the fan base, carbon emissions, climate change, the growing popularity of the sport in the U.S., and so much more. As the 2025 F1 season is now in full swing, this is a timely read.
For the dad who likes to cook:
What I Ate in One Year by Stanley Tucci –In What I Ate in One Year, Tucci records 12 months of eating – in restaurants, kitchens, film sets, press junkets, at home and abroad, with friends, with family, with strangers, and occasionally just by himself. It is an engaging, humorous, and heartfelt book that frames his memories in terms of the meals he consumed as well as celebrating the way food means much more to people than simply what they eat. This would be great for foodies and those interested in the acting and publishing worlds (his wife is the renowned agent Felicity Blunt). His companion memoir Taste: My Life Through Food is also outstanding.
Editor’s note: Book reviewer Cindy Burnett also writes our monthly Buzz Reads column and weekly Page Turners column. She hosts an award-winning book podcast entitled Thoughts from a Page Podcast (www.thoughtsfromapage.com), runs the Instagram account @thoughtsfrompage, and regularly speaks to groups about books.
FATHER’S DAY IDEAS My Friends by Fredrik Backman, Dissolution by Nicholas Binge, and On the Grid by Luke Smith will make great gifts for the reader in your life.
Cindy Burnett
Cindy Burnett
Cindy Burnett
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by Andria Dilling, staff writer
A College Town Worth Visiting
Kids and vacation rolled into one
Sending children off to college is a rite of passage. There are all the feelings, of course: the lead-up of 18 years of prep, the dread of an empty bed, the anticipation of a child’s new adventure.
And also: a child’s new adventure brings new adventures for her parents. Some call this the “empty (or semi-empty) nesters gone wild” phase. For those of us whose children chose to go to college in a vacation-worthy city or college town, it’s that much better.
Rich Deutsch feels like he and his wife Michele have gotten to experience two of the best college towns – Austin and New Orleans –through their children. Their son Colton just graduated from The University of Texas, where Rich, a lawyer, in Houston, teaches international commercial arbitration and international investor-state arbitration and serves on the advisory board of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Center for Energy, Law and Business. And their daughter Berkeley just completed her first year at Tulane.
“It’s been a lot of fun with Colton being in Austin,” Rich says, “but that wasn’t a big adventure, because I know Austin pretty well. Austin is eclectic and cowboy and old Texas, and of course there’s the music and food scene there. But it’s totally different from the music and food scene in New Orleans.”
In Austin, Michele says they like to eat at Elizabeth Street Café, a Vietnamese-French café and bakery; Birdie’s, a prix-fixe, counterservice restaurant that Food & Wine named the 2023 Restaurant of the Year; and the South Congress spot Neighborhood Sushi. She recommends the Kelly Wearstler-designed Austin Proper Hotel for a home base.
Further comparing Austin to New Orleans, Rich adds: “You could walk across the whole Tulane campus in about 10 minutes. At Texas, that would take you 45 minutes.
“I’ve been going to football games in Austin with Colton for 15 years. That’s all I knew. Football games at Tulane are a completely different experience. There’s no Bevo, but you get to follow a New Orleans band in a parade into the stadium. I’ve gone from being the complete Austin freak to the complete New Orleans
AUSTIN FANS Rich and Colton Deutsch enjoy many aspects of Austin, especially Texas football games, which bring more than 100,000 fans to Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
freak. You would think I’m on the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce board.”
The Deutschs had been to New Orleans before as tourists, visiting Bourbon Street or going to parties. But together as parents of a new
resident, Rich and Michele, who owns a cookie-baking business, have embraced the city.
“As parents, you get all excited thinking that your son or daughter can go to school across the country. You think, wouldn’t it be great if my
kid were in the mountains or by the ocean. But then they go, and they’re so far away. With New Orleans, you get the excitement and experience of going out of state, but it’s not too far away. You can hop in the car or hop on Southwest and get there. I just like the whole idea. The best was when Berkeley called and said Let’s have dinner.” Rich made a quick trip and enjoyed a little father-daughter time.
That proximity was a huge benefit a few weeks ago when Berkeley’s dorm flooded, just before the end of the school year. “That was an unplanned visit,” Rich says of the time he spent moving her out of and into her dorm room. “The hard part of that was that she was on the eighth floor, and of course the elevators were not working. So I was carrying stuff up and down 16 flights of stairs. And by the way, none of the 18- or 19-year-olds were offering to help.”
But after the shlepping, while Berkeley arranged her room, Rich explored the city. “When you have [a child] living there, they plug you into what you wouldn’t see as a tourist,” he
says. “You don’t have to go to Bourbon Street.” Michele and Rich call Shaya, the award-winning Mediterranean restaurant on Magazine St., a favorite. They’ve also come to love several “little, local breakfast places” they wouldn’t have found on their own. Molly’s Rise and Shine tops their list. “If you live there,” Rich says, “everybody knows about it.” The French restaurant Lilette is another star in the Deutschs’ book, as is St. James Cheese Co. (which was started by a ’90s-era Tulane couple). Mealtime, Rich says, “is when we can be together.” Otherwise, Berkeley is in class, and Michele and Rich explore.
When he was there for the flood clean-up, Rich says Berkeley went to Jazz Fest with friends (he wasn’t invited), while he went to see a show at the Joy Theater, a historic landmark movie theater turned event venue. “Totally New Orleans,” he says. For hotels, they like the Garden District Hotel St. Vincent or an Airbnb near campus to truly feel a part of the neighborhood. Walks in Audubon Park, adja-
cent to campus, fill any spare time.
Rich also is a fan of an independent local bookstore. “New Orleans has some fabulous ones,” he says. “Once I was at Octavia Books so long that I don’t know how I made my flight home. That’s the fun thing – she can be studying for finals, and I can go to the bookstore. It’s neat to get to spend all this time in college towns where, for most people, you go for a vacation, but we’re just visiting our kids there.”
The Deutchs are thankful for the draw of the city their daughter calls home during the school year.
“When Colton left [for school], that was hard,” Rich says. “I don’t think I went upstairs for four months. And when Berkeley left, it was a bigger change than I had anticipated. You spend 20 years getting them ready, and then they’re gone. It’s a big adjustment. You make this huge commitment to put your kid in the best possible position to have the life they want to have, then they’re going down that path, and you can kind of feel left behind. Or on the flip side, you can enjoy it and be a part of it.”
NEW ORLEANS CONVERTS Berkeley and Michele Deutsch parade into Tulane's 30,000-seat Yulman Stadium before a football game.
KIDS
by Caroline Siegfried, staff writer
Class of 2025
Where are they headed?
It’s funny, the things we remember. You might forget your fourth-grade science project, but you remember the exact color of your pencil box, and all the stickers that covered it. You remember the day in first grade when a boy taught you how to draw a star. The moments that form us happen over months, years, decades: gentle traces like water carving through a sand dune. I hope you remember your high school friends’ inside jokes, and the best water fountain in school, and the crazy realization that somewhere along the way, while you weren’t looking, you grew up.
That’s why, every once in a while – graduations, birthdays, New Year’s Eve – we stop and think a little. To wonder if we’ve changed and how it happened.
Our annual tradition here at The Buzz is to share our graduating neighbors’ future plans. As they leave the nest and transform from mischievous kindergarteners to high school graduates, we celebrate their achievements. Read on to see their favorite elementary school stories, what they wish they had known as kindergarteners, and what will always make them think of high school.
Seniors, you did it. Congrats, Class of 2025!
Alden Farrow – Frostwood Elementary School, Memorial Middle School, Memorial High School
Alden Farrow is headed to Northwestern University, where she will major in journalism. Alden would tell her kindergarten self to never be afraid of being different if that means doing what you love. She credits her freshman English teacher, Ms. Jamie Campbell, with changing her life by encouraging her to sign up for the school newspaper. Alden says all her favorite high school moments took place during late-night newspaper meetings, and that “every time we were on deadline, we would stuff their faces with food and get through the hours with humor and support from one another.” Her dream job is working for Vogue, interviewing public figures for each month's cover story. One thing that will always remind her of high school is Gilmore Girls. She watched it on her first day of freshman year to get into the school spirit and then
rewatched it each new school year. Her best elementary school story was from kindergarten, when they were supposed to decorate a brown paper bag vest. She had a meltdown and refused to wear brown, then covered it with pink paint and heart rhinestones.
Josh Cestero – Frostwood Elementary School, Memorial Middle School, Houston Christian High School
Josh Cestero is off to Duke University, where he plans to major in economics. He would tell his kindergarten self, “Don’t make your own mistakes, learn from others.” He is grateful for his seventh-grade English teacher Mrs. Serveat: “Because of her, I always remember all my comma rules and when to use who vs. whom.” He says that his favorite moment of high school is celebrating with his team after winning the SPC football state championship. The song "Southern Nights" by Glenn Campbell will always remind him of high school. His dream job would be a college history professor. His best elementary school story was from kindergarten: “I would always want to use the blue crayons, but another kid liked to hoard them. During our lunch break, I stole the blue crayons and put them in my pocket so I'd always have them for coloring time. When I went home, I forgot to take the crayons out of my shorts, and our washing machine ended up covered in half-melted blue wax. Since that day, I have never stolen another crayon.”
Carolina Factor – Frostwood Elementary School, Memorial Middle School, Memorial High School
Carolina Factor is attending the Texas A&M University Honors Program, majoring in finance at Mays Business School. She would tell her kindergarten self to keep asking questions. The teacher who changed her life was Ms.
Patricia Kassie in third grade, who taught Carolina that opportunities are endless if you truly put your mind to it. They kept in contact for many years. Carolina says that’s the type of teacher she prays every student comes across: One who truly cares about you and your wellbeing, not just your grade. Stranger Things season four will always remind her of high school, particularly the songs in that season like “Running Up That Hill” (Kate Bush). Her favorite high school memory was her sophomore year, when they won the regional title for 6A tennis. It was the 15th year in a row they got the title, breaking a state record for consecutive regional championships won. She’ll never forget the memories from that season, like the state semifinals when one of her teammates clinched the game through a tiebreaker. She says they weren’t just a team that year, they were a family.
Parker Johnson – Rummel Creek Elementary School, Memorial Middle School, Stratford High School
Parker Johnson will be going to Colorado School of Mines, where he has committed to play football as safety and plans to major in engineering and minor in business. He would tell his kindergarten self to work hard in school and sports and never quit. A teacher that changed his life was Ms. Kate Potter in kindergarten; “She taught me everything I know.” His favorite moments from high school were beating Memorial in football back-to-back years. Eating at Whataburger with his friends is a core high school memory for him. His dream job is being happy and successful as an engineer.
Chrysanthos Fetokakis – Annunciation Orthodox School, Strake Jesuit College Preparatory
Chrysanthos Fetokakis is
Alden Farrow – Northwestern University
Josh Cestero – Duke University
Carolina Factor – Texas A&M University Honors Program
Parker Johnson – Colorado School of Mines
Chrysanthos Fetokakis – University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Carter Camfield – The University of Texas at San Antonio
Courtney Duncan – Texas A&M University
JJ Jackson – Drury University
John Joshue Laboy, II – Columbia University
Priscilla Dickson
Marlo Wise
Photography
Kian with Elegant Portraits
Little Bird Photography By Eden
Jennifer Maley Photography
VYPE Media
headed to University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he will major in business finance and hospitality and play offensive line on their football team. He would tell his kindergarten self to enjoy the playground while you can, because when eighth grade comes around, school matters. He says that Mrs. Nikkie Kyriasoglou changed his life because she displayed an immense amount of love and kindness not just to him but everyone who stepped foot in AOS. She was a great example and role model, and unfortunately passed away last year. His favorite moment from high school was going three rounds into the playoffs with his senior year football team. His team's football trophies in the trophy case at Strake Jesuit, along with their jerseys in his family’s restaurant Niko Niko’s, will always remind him of high school. His best story from elementary school was when he and his friends tossed a kickball in the stairwell, and one of them hit a camera and broke it. The principal then started a “manhunt” to find them, and they eventually got detention. His dream job is to take over the family restaurant, Niko Niko’s, and have locations nationwide.
Carter Camfield – Sherwood Elementary School (Dual Language), Cornerstone Academy, The Briarwood School
Carter Camfield will head to The University of Texas at San Antonio, where she will major in Psychology. If she could give her kindergarten self one piece of advice, it would be: Don’t let the fear of others’ opinions dim your light. Be brave enough to be fully yourself. She says her 11th-grade chemistry teacher, Mr. Darrell Causey, showed her the power of authenticity and taught her to stand firmly in who she is and what she believes. Her favorite high school memories are “the late nights with my friends –horror movies, random drives, nonstop laughs until we couldn’t breathe. Pure chaos, pure fun, absolutely unforgettable.” Ribbons will always make her think of high school because she and her friends would wear them in their hair every day junior year – “we’d meet in the gym before school, do each other’s hair, and trade ribbons like friendship bracelets. It was our little tradition, and it made every morning feel special.” Her dream job is something in psychology. Her best elementary school memory is always being with her best friend Izzy: “We were glued at the hip – if one of us wasn’t there, everyone just assumed the other was not around. And the best part? We’re still best friends to this day.”
Courtney Duncan – Second Baptist School
Courtney Duncan is going to Texas A&M University to study business. She would tell her kindergarten self to meet as many new people as you can. Her favorite moments from high school were getting to cheer at football games with her best friends. The teacher who changed her life was her junior-year physics teacher, Mr. Nathan Nease. “He taught me more than just physics;
he taught me friendship and compassion. He would always give me advice and I am so thankful I had him as a teacher.” Her best elementary school memory was when someone brought exotic bugs to show-and-tell day. Her dream job would be to start her own clothing line.
JJ Jackson – First Baptist Academy, Holy Spirit Episcopal School, Memorial High School
JJ Jackson is heading to Drury University in Springfield, Missouri, where he has committed to play on the rugby team and plans to major in exercise physiology. He’d tell his kindergarten self: Start working out sooner, be more attentive to what’s happening around me, and be thankful for everything. His favorite teacher was the late Mrs. Nan Harvey, his fourth-grade art teacher. She taught him how to look at things from a different point of view. His favorite moment from high school was when he received a D1 Rugby offer from Drury University. His dream job would be as a starting flanker for the Australian Wallabies rugby team.
John Joshue Laboy, II – Hunters Creek Elementary School, Cornerstone Academy, St. Francis Episcopal School
John Joshue Laboy, II is headed to Columbia University, where he will be studying finance and playing basketball. He’d tell his kindergarten self: “Believe in yourself, reach for your highest dreams, and never stop believing – God has His path for you.” His most influential teacher was Ms. Dowell in kindergarten, who allowed him to explore, learn, and play at his own pace. His favorite memory from elementary school was dissecting a shark in fourth grade. His favorite moment from high school was winning the state basketball championship with his friends. His dream job is to be an NBA player.
Janie Frederickson – Frostwood Elementary School, Memorial Middle School, Memorial High School
Janie Frederickson is off to John V Roach Honors College at Texas Christian University to study allied health science. She would tell her kindergarten self to talk to the people sitting around you in your classes – it’s one of the best ways to make new friends! She says her senior year AP Lit teacher, Mrs. Erin Buckles, is one of the dedicated teachers she’s ever had, and she makes sure each student feels prepared and supported: “It’s obvious that she loves teaching and her students, and her class is a highlight of my day.” Hanging up her hat at her senior spring show for the Memorial Markettes was her favorite high school moment: “It was super bittersweet to end my time with them.” The song “Ribs” by Lorde will always remind her of high school. Her dream job is working as a nurse.
Madison Ramke – Frostwood Elementary School, Memorial Middle School, Memorial High School
Madison Ramke is off to the University of
Georgia to major in business. She would tell her kindergarten self to enjoy having no homework and being able to hang out with friends at any time. Mrs. Lisa Mayer, her second- and fifth-grade teacher at Frostwood Elementary, changed Madison’s life. “She was one of the first teachers to treat us like young adults and not kids. I felt much more prepared for middle school, and even high school, with her advice and stories.” She’ll always remember Cotillion, and the excitement of finding dresses and making plans. Her dream job would be to be a business analyst. Her favorite moment from high school was making varsity soccer her freshman year. She says, “It truly changed my life and gave me my best friends ever.”
Davis Miller – Wilchester Elementary School, Cornerstone Academy, Houston Christian High School
Davis Miller will head to the University of Houston to study engineering and theater production. If he could give his kindergarten self one piece of advice, it would be: “Everyone is good at something. Keep looking and trying until you find something you love.” Davis is thankful for Ms. Juli Pendergrass (a.k.a. Ms. P), his seventh- and eighth-grade Theater Tech teacher at Cornerstone Academy. He says she was the one who introduced him to theater tech and gave him the freedom to learn and discover and develop a love of the “behind-the-scenes” world. His favorite part of high school was being nominated as a finalist for Tommy Tune Awards all four years. His dream job is being on tour as a light designer. Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers will always remind him of high school.
Kai Chong – Rummel Creek Elementary School, Cornerstone Academy, Strake Jesuit College Preparatory
Kai Chong is heading to Texas A&M University to major in business. He would tell his kindergarten self to accept whatever challenge the world throws at you. His most influential teacher was Mrs. Carolyn Tacker, his fifth-grade math teacher at Rummel Creek, who told him if he showed his work, he would never get the answer wrong. His best elementary school memory was Boogie Down Brittmoore, a Rummel Creek event for graduating fifth graders featuring a pool party, water balloons, and water guns. His favorite high school moment happened recently, when he earned his first-degree black belt in Hapkido, something he's worked hard to accomplish at Strake Jesuit over the past four years. Things that will always remind him of high school include great chicken parm and football games.
Peter Vescovo – Nottingham Elementary School, Spring Forest Middle School, Stratford High School
Peter Vescovo is heading to Texas A&M University, where he will major in business. He would tell his kindergarten self to skip his seventh-grade Zoom classes
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Janie Frederickson – Texas Christian University
Madison Ramke – University of Georgia
Davis Miller – University of Houston
Kai Chong – Texas A&M University
Peter Vescovo – Texas A&M University
Layne Lease – University of Arkansas
Owen Bennett – Texas A&M University
Rylan Reichenau – University of Alabama
Margaret Rotan
Margaret Rotan
BluMoon
Theresa Trevino
Priscilla Dickson
Michael Martinez
Chrissy Burdsall
during the pandemic. “Don’t do it. Spend every day outside with your friends. You will never have that much free time again.” His favorite high school moments were beating Memorial in football every year – freshman, JV, and twice on varsity. His dream job is to be a ship broker. He says Mr. Kody “Jedi” Bibik (seventh- and eighth-grade math) gave him a great foundation in algebra that helped him succeed in high school, and “he also put up with me, and I appreciate that.”
Layne Lease – Rummel Creek Elementary School, Memorial Middle School, Stratford High School
Layne Lease is headed to University of Arkansas, where she will study supply chain management. If she could give her kindergarten self one piece of advice, it would be, “Not everyone wants to be friends, and that’s okay! You will find people who love you so much you forget about the people who don’t! Also always pack your own lunch from home! (It always tastes better).” Layne says her fourth-grade English teacher, Ms. Stephanie Roache from Rummel Creek, sparked her love for reading by introducing her to Harry Potter. Every time she cracks open a book she thinks of Ms. Roache. Her favorite moment from high school was when Stratford won the Memorial vs. Stratford football game her junior year. She says the crowd went wild and all her friends went to Raising Cane’s to celebrate. Her dream job is to work in supply chain management and travel all over the world. Her favorite memory from elementary school was Boogie Down Brittmoore, the tradition that Rummel Creek has for its fifth-grade graduates. “My whole class runs down Brittmoore Road while getting pelted by water balloons… Who knew kids could throw water balloons so hard?”
Owen Bennett – Rummel Creek Elementary School, Memorial Middle School, Stratford High School
Owen Bennett is headed to Texas A&M University, where he will major in construction science. He would tell his kindergarten self to be kind to others, like his favorite teacher, Mr. Elmore. His dream job would be to become an NFL player. His favorite elementary school memories are winning races, and his favorite high school memories are hitting home runs.
Rylan Reichenau – Rummel Creek Elementary School, Memorial Middle School, Stratford High School
Rylan Reichenau is majoring in finance/accounting at the University of Alabama. He’d tell his kindergarten self: Enjoy these years because time flies by. Rylan says that Coach Joshua Hall at Stratford has been the most influential teacher/coach in his life. “He is someone that encourages growth and has motivated me to be the best I can be.” His favorite high school moment was hitting the game-tying
RBI one pitch away from ending the game in the second round of baseball playoffs in 2024. Stratford went on to win that game. His dream job is to be a professional baseball player. Nerf Mafia will always remind him of high school. He’ll always remember how fun it was to run in Boogie Down Brittmoore after fifth-grade graduation at Rummel Creek Elementary: “It's the best tradition there is!”
Hannah Haygood – Wilchester Elementary School, Memorial Middle School, Stratford High School
Hannah Haygood is going to The University of Texas at Austin and majoring in nutrition. She’d tell her kindergarten self: “Hang tight to your recess buddies, because one day you will be throwing your cap at graduation alongside them!” A teacher who changed her life is her third-grade teacher Mrs. Joanne Thomas. “Before I was diagnosed with ADHD, I had trouble focusing and doing well in class. Most of my teachers never took the time to help me succeed, but Mrs. Thomas worked thoroughly with me and helped me believe in myself.” Her favorite memory from high school was going to the state final with her soccer team this year. The Spartanaire Spring Show will always remind her of high school. She watched the show in awe as a little girl, and then her best friend Anna Hardig became the colonel. Her dream job is to be a private chef in a home in the Hamptons. Her best story from elementary school is “Buddies Café;” Every recess, she and her friends would work tirelessly sitting tables at their fake restaurant made of gravel and grass.
Michael Peavy – Hunters Creek Elementary School, Spring Branch Middle School, St. Pius X High School
Michael Peavy is headed to Texas State University, where he has committed to play baseball (catcher) and plans to major in political science. He would tell his kindergarten self that one bad grade doesn’t define you. Coach Pamela Thompson was one of his favorite teachers. He says, “She believed in me. Her passion and enthusiasm is something that will stick with me forever.” His favorite moment from high school was being voted in and winning homecoming king. His best elementary school memory was the Hunters Creek fifth-grade clap out, when all the students and teachers come out of the classrooms and cheer the leaving fifth graders as they walk the halls for the last time. He hopes to one day step on the field as a Major League Baseball player.
Hayden Pettit – St. Mark Lutheran School, Cornerstone Academy, Memorial High School
Hayden Pettit is headed to the Pratt Institute, where he plans to major in architecture and play on the soccer team as goalkeeper. He would tell his kindergarten self to enjoy the small moments and to keep moving; he says he often puts focus on the final product instead of
enjoying the process. Hayden says that his most influential teacher is Ms. Kelly Bolen, his English teacher his junior year. He has never been able to connect and enjoy his class and teacher as much as he did that year. He says he has experienced almost every memorable high school moment with his buddies (the “Locker Room Boys”) while in the locker room during lunch: “The constant laughter, deep talks, or shenanigans that went down during our short lunch period will never be forgotten.” Hayden has known his dream job since freshman year of high school: He plans to run his own architecture firm. He wants to be able to use his own creative freedom to develop residential buildings and other projects.
Will Young – Second Baptist School
Will Young is going to Texas A&M University and majoring in business. He would tell his kindergarten self to look for the good in every situation. His best elementary school memory was leaving school early to go to the rodeo on his birthday. He says Bible teacher Mr. Derek Hickle deeply impacted his life. His favorite part of high school was having fun with his friends every day. Cabo Bob's, the burrito place near Second Baptist, will always make him think of high school. His dream job is being an MLB commentator/fisherman.
Nadia Jett – The Imani School, The Kinkaid
School, Episcopal High School
Nadia Jett is going to Howard University, majoring in biology and chemistry. The advice she’d give her kindergarten self is: “Don’t spend hours wishing for the future or the past, but ground yourself in the present.” Her favorite elementary school memory was buying junk food for the first time when they took a field trip to Fiesta. She is grateful for Mrs. Katie Samson, her freshman Biology teacher and AP Biology teacher senior year, for showing her students how she was a real person: “Mrs. Samson showed us how Biology relates to caffeine, her love for birding, and her obsession with trying to beat the AP board. She inspires me to be myself, and advocate for my needs, and respect others.” Her dream job is no job. Her favorite moment from high school was creating the first African American club that celebrated African American culture, and starting a dodgeball tournament fundraiser. She says, “Students from every race came to compete and I really saw the community that I intended to build come to life.”
Robert Edward Langston Satcher III –Condit Elementary School, St. Mark's Episcopal School, The Kinkaid School
Robert Edward Langston Satcher III is heading to Harvard University, where he will study biomedical engineering. He plans to be a walk-on for the track and field team as a triple jumper. He would remind his kindergarten self to always believe in himself, and to know that he can do anything if he works hard
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Hannah Haygood – The University of Texas at Austin
Michael Peavy – Texas State University
Hayden Pettit – Pratt Institute
Will Young – Texas A&M University
Nadia Jett – Howard University
Robert Edward Langston Satcher III – Harvard University
Marisa Boué – Baylor University
Madeline Yeh – Washington University in St. Louis
Wise Photography
Lisa Jane Photography
Charlene Reddy Photography
Kara Trail at Miroma Photography and Design
Richard Davis Photography
and stays focused on the end goal. He is grateful for Mrs. Nancy McMillan, his art teacher at Kinkaid, who was always friendly and supportive, and helped him to develop his artistic talents. His best elementary school memory is Mrs. Kathy Higgins’ kindergarten class eggdrop challenge. When he thinks of high school, he will always remember game nights with his friends – both going to Friday night football games and also having friends come over to play strategy games. His favorite moment from high school was when he broke Kinkaid's school record for triple jump. His dream job is to work as a physician/researcher. He hopes to one day have a pivotal role in research that helps to improve the lives of others.
Marisa Boué – West University Elementary School, The Kinkaid School
Marisa Boué is headed to Baylor University and will participate in the 3+2 Program to pursue a Bachelor’s in human health studies and a Master’s in athletic training. She’d tell her kindergarten self: Don’t be afraid to be different. Her favorite moment from high school was being on the sideline while the football team won SPC her senior year. She says the Wiz Khalifa song “The Thrill” will always remind her of high school. Marisa says that Ms. Tianna Tomlinson, the 9th/10th-grade athletic trainer at Kinkaid, inspired her to be herself, and fight for her own health and her athletes’ health. Ms. Tomlinson is why Marisa ultimately decided to become an athletic trainer.
Madeline Yeh – The Village School, Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions, The Village School
Madeline Yeh is going to Washington University in St. Louis, where she will study molecular biology and biochemistry. Her most influential teacher was Ms. Marla Maharaj, her biology teacher at DeBakey – “She taught me a lot about having a good mindset for school and life in general.” Her favorite high school memory is her school trip to Puerto Rico. The BeReal app will always make her think of high school. She hopes to one day work as an oncologist. Her best elementary school memory was doing line dances on Go Texan Day. She would tell her kindergarten self to appreciate nap time.
Sophia Moncada – Houston Quran Academy, Second Baptist School
Sophia Moncada is headed to University of Houston Honors College to attain a B.A. in economics. She would tell her kindergarten self that there is a straightforward formula to a successful high school career: “Keep God and prayer as your center focus, surround yourself with supportive friends and family, and push yourself to succeed so you know that at the end of the day, you did everything humanly possible.” Mrs. Melissa Farias changed her life the most throughout her high school career. “She not only taught us the gram-
mar and more difficult aspects of Spanish, but she made her class a safe space for all of us to voice our thoughts, opinions, and to have healthy discussions. This class will forever hold a special place in my heart.” Her favorite moment of high school was her Guatemala mission trip in her junior year, where they successfully built four houses. She says interacting with the families they built the houses for was the most rewarding part of the trip. Her dream job is to work at a mass tort law firm and eventually become partner.
Norah Watts – Travis Elementary School, Saint Thomas’ Episcopal School, St. Pius X High School
Norah Watts is headed to the University of Oregon, where she will major in human physiology. The most important advice she would give to her kindergarten self is to never stop believing in yourself; “trust that you are smart, skilled, and worthy, and to not be so hard on yourself during this time of enormous growth.” She says there are two teachers who have helped shape who she is today: Mrs. Donna Cusack and Mrs. Diane Krugh. They were her dance instructors, mentors, teachers, and, at times, second moms to her. “They taught me that while success is always something good to aim for, failure is just as important. It's in the failures that we learn and grow the most.” They have been beside her cheering her on every step of the way for 10 years. Her favorite elementary school memory was her first Scottish Highland Dance competition, which kicked off an eight-year stretch of her competing locally, nationally, and internationally. Her dream job is working as an athletic trainer for an NFL team. Her favorite moment in high school was stepping on the football field for the first time as a student athletic trainer. She says that was when she knew what she wanted to study in college and what she wanted to do professionally.
Aidan Pulido – St. Mark's Episcopal School, St. Thomas High School
Aidan Pulido is headed to The University of Texas at Austin to major in biology on a premed pathway. He would tell his kindergarten self to be up for every challenge, even if it scares you; you will learn more and meet great people that way. His most influential teacher was his AP Physics teacher at St. Thomas High School, Mrs. Pam Masau, who challenged him to think critically while making physics enjoyable. He also says his kindergarten teacher, Ms. William, taught him kindness and love of learning. His favorite moment from high school was when the St. Thomas students broke the school record by raising over 1 million dollars in 2025 to go towards scholarships for deserving students. It was meaningful for him as he was one of the many students who benefited from the scholarships that St. Thomas gave out. Hoodies will always make him think of high school – “we live in hoodies, even in the 100-degree Texas heat.” His dream job is working in dermatology.
Addison Mouton – St. Thomas More Parish School, Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart Addison Mouton is off to Louisiana State University, studying kinesiology on a pre-athletic training track. She would tell her kindergarten self: “Don’t ever shrink yourself to make others comfortable. Your hair, your voice, your dreams are all meant to stand out.” Ms. Kellie Reedy, her sixth–eighth grade teacher at St. Thomas More, changed her life by always believing in her potential and pushing her to lead with confidence and compassion, even when she doubted herself. Her favorite moment from high school was founding the Black Student Association; “It was empowering to create a safe space where Black students could celebrate our culture, support each other, and be unapologetically ourselves.” One thing that will always remind her of high school is the sound of “Snooze” by SZA playing in the background while she and her friends “laughed, vented, and vibed” in the parking lot after practice or games. Her dream job is to become a sports medicine physician or an athletic trainer, working with elite athletes to help them recover, perform at their peak, and stay healthy both on and off the field.
Jack Allen Peveto – The Joy School, Lanier Middle School, St. Francis Episcopal School
Jack Allen Peveto is going to the University of Missouri, where he will major in mechanical engineering. His dream job is to be an engineer for Ferrari. The advice he’d give his kindergarten self is: “You may be good at math, but make sure you learn to write well.” Jack says that Dr. Jared Staller at St. Francis was an inspiration, and always easy to talk to about classes. Sabrina Carpenter songs will always remind him of high school. His favorite moment from high school was being elected president of the student body.
William Oakley – Kindergarten at the House at Pooh Corner, St. John's School
William Oakley is headed to Bard College where he will major in economics and play on the baseball team as pitcher. His favorite part of high school was being on the SJS Varsity Baseball team and winning their first championship in 33 years. He would tell his kindergarten self to enjoy every moment you have. He says that Mr. Jack Soliman, his advisor for four years, taught him how to be a better man, and to take education seriously.
Sonia Motter – Da Vinci Connect, The Saint Constantine School
Sonia Motter is heading to Texas Woman’s University, where she plans to study business and entomology. She would tell her kindergarten self to never stop loving. The teacher who changed her life was her fourth-grade teacher at Da Vinci Connect, Ms. Megan Katz. Through her example and her teaching, she learned to love learning and reading and the joy it brings. Her favorite
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Sophia Moncada – University of Houston Honors College
Norah Watts – University of Oregon
Aidan Pulido – The University of Texas at Austin
Addison Mouton – Louisiana State University
Jack Allen Peveto – University of Missouri
William Oakley – Bard College
Sonia Motter – Texas Woman’s University
Taryn Heng – The University of Texas at Austin
Kim Graeter
Sonya Sellers
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KeAndra
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Meredith Symonds
Caroline Martinez
Emily Gilliam
moment from high school was hiking a mountain in West Texas with her senior class on their astronomy trip. Her dream job would be studying wetlands, tidal biodiversity, and conservation in New Zealand.
Taryn Heng – Lady Eleanor Holles School (U.K.), The Awty International School
Taryn Heng will be going to The University of Texas at Austin and majoring in finance. She would tell her kindergarten self: “Fearlessness isn’t about never facing hardship – it’s about trusting that even in difficult times, goodness will guide you forward. When you live with kindness and integrity, you don’t have to chase happiness; it will naturally return to you.” Taryn says that Ms. Brandy-Artrese Giles, her Environmental Systems and Societies teacher, changed her life by helping her turn her love for the environment into action. She says that, oddly enough, a waffle machine will always remind her of high school. She and her friends would bring a waffle machine into school during free periods and make everything from pizza to cinnamon rolls. Before she even knew the word “entrepreneurship,” she said at her kindergarten graduation that she wanted to be an “inventor.” She used to sell lemonade, busk outside her mom's restaurant in Singapore, and host garage sales. Her best elementary school story is the saga of her “extremely serious” slime business: “I had a whole deposit fee process, refund/return policies, seasonal slimes, and spreadsheets calculating my costs to pay my parents back for my ingredients, along with my sales and promotion tactics.” At one point, she secretly added more borax to her slimes so they would harden quickly and offered a “magic solution” (body lotion) to fix them. “Yes, it was very unethical, but I was also 10.”
Lucy Walker – Annunciation Orthodox School, St. John’s School
Lucy Walker is headed to The University of Texas at Austin to study journalism in the Moody Honors College. She hopes to become a journalist. The advice she’d give her kindergarten self is: “Take it all in. Life moves pretty fast – if you don't look around every once in a while, you could miss it.” Lucy says her thirdgrade teacher at AOS, Mrs. AT Williams, was nothing short of incredible: “Because of her, I am more organized, driven, and happy.” Red plaid will always remind her of high school. Her favorite high school moments were late nights before sending the school newspaper to the printers: “The energy in room Q201 at 7 p.m. on export day is ridiculous.” Her best memory is from middle school: “I broke my arm in sixth grade falling off my skateboard. Not a month later, I was tripped by another runner during a track and field race. I had a cast on both arms until summer. When I got to high school, I figured out my classmate (and now fellow editor on the newspaper) was the one who tripped me. We are going to be roommates in the fall.”
Suri Mehta – Condit Elementary School, Pin Oak Middle School, St. Agnes Academy
Suri Mehta is off to The University of Texas at Austin, where she will double major in youth and community studies and government. She would tell her kindergarten self to believe in herself and never give up. Suri says that Ms. Sharon Gehbauer, her 10th-grade English teacher at St. Agnes, changed her life by teaching her that writing isn’t just about structure –it’s about finding your voice and sharing your perspective with courage. Her favorite moment from high school was performing a Bollywood dance with her friends at the annual cultural pageant. She says the energy, music, and joy were unforgettable. Her best friends will always remind her of high school: “We went through all the highs and lows together, creating memories, sharing laughs, and supporting each other through it all.” Her dream job is to be a family lawyer who advocates for young kids.
John W. Ratchford – Condit Elementary School, Pershing Middle School, Strake Jesuit College Preparatory
John W. Ratchford is heading to Auburn University to study industrial engineering. He would tell his kindergarten self, “Lock in, more than you think.” John says Dr. Scott Berger changed his life, both because of how he taught inside the classroom and his ability to connect with his students outside the classroom. His favorite high school memories are playing Wavelength and other games with his friends at the end of the school year, when most of his classes were done and he basically only had free periods left. His dream job: “Anything that makes me good money.”
Stella Frank – Jack Segal Academy of Beth Yeshurun, Trafton Academy, Episcopal High School
Stella Frank is heading to Texas A&M University to major in zoology. Her dream job would be working as a dolphin trainer at Clearwater Marine Aquarium. She would tell her kindergarten self that she should live in the moment and enjoy being a kid. This is her favorite high school memory: “On the first day of freshman year, we were sitting criss-cross on the floor in gym class while our teacher read over the syllabus, and this random girl was sitting next to me. When the bell rang, she got up, but her legs had fallen asleep, so she fell straight on top of me. I was horrified. She was horrified. We have been best friends ever since.” Stella says every time she smells the limited-edition Anitta x Sol De Janeiro perfume, it reminds her of sophomore year. She says that Mr. George Brock, who taught and directed her in theatre classes and productions at Episcopal all four years, was the most influential teacher she has had. “He cares so much about his students, and that is evident in everything he does for us. He not only has given me the strength in pursuing my passion for theatre, but he has also taught me so many wonderful things about myself, and I am forever grateful.” Her best elementary school memory was in first grade
when they transformed the classroom into “Camp Learn-a-lot,” complete with sleeping bags and a fake campfire in the middle of the classroom.
Maddux Elijah El-Hakam – Horn Elementary, Lanier Middle School, Lamar High School, St. Francis Episcopal School
Maddux Elijah El-Hakam will be playing baseball at Howard Payne University and majoring in either finance or religious studies. He would tell his kindergarten self to do more than you think you should do. The teacher who changed his life was Mr. Nirupom Paul, his 10th-grade math teacher at Lamar. He says Mr. Paul was a fun teacher who worked hard to help students understand difficult math concepts. One of his favorite memories from high school was being captain of the football team his senior year, which was the first year that his school had varsity 11-man football. He and his teammates had a strong bond, and after football games they would always spend time together. His dream job is to be a Major League Baseball player.
Timothy Nguyen – River Oaks Elementary School, Lanier Middle School, Saint Thomas' Episcopal School
Timothy Nguyen will be playing tennis at the University of Chicago, where he plans to study business economics. He aspires to be an investment banker. He would tell his kindergarten self to be the hero of his own story. He is glad he still has close friends from elementary school, even though many of them went to different middle and high schools. He is thankful for Mr. Rolando Chaves, his high school college counselor at Saint Thomas’ Episcopal, who cared for all the students, making sure they always had everything they needed. During the stressful summer before senior year, he helped Timothy decide which university was best for him. His favorite part of high school has been winning four state championships for his school. He says it is something he will cherish forever. The word “Alas!” will always remind him of high school –their English teacher loves to use that word whenever something comically unfortunate happens, like spilling a water bottle during class.
Carter Burke – River Oaks Baptist School, Episcopal High School
Carter Burke is going to Duke University to major in statistical science and financial economics. He says that the teacher who most impacted him was Mrs. Rachel Merren, his seventh- and eighth-grade math teacher. She taught the first math class that really challenged him and fueled his love for math. His dream job is to become a private equity or quantitative analyst. He’d tell his kindergarten self to eat his vegetables.
Hayden Kincaid – Westbury Christian School, Pershing Middle School, Westbury Christian School
Hayden Kincaid will
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Lucy Walker – The University of Texas at Austin
Suri Mehta – The University of Texas at Austin
John W. Ratchford – Auburn University
Stella Frank – Texas A&M University
Maddux Elijah El-Hakam – Howard Payne University
Timothy Nguyen – University of Chicago
Carter Burke – Duke University
Hayden Kincaid – University of Houston Honors College
Debra Alexander Natural Expressions
Jennifer Vera
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attend University of Houston Honors College (College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences) and pursue a B.S. in psychology. He would tell his kindergarten self “to be more accepting of myself, and start learning to be proud of myself for even the little things.” A teacher that changed his life was Ms. Hannah Stone (Westbury Christian). She encouraged him to pursue anything that he would like and to give his all to everything that he does. His best story from elementary school was his final day of fourth grade, when they had a class party, and got to reminisce over the year. His favorite moment from high school was the closing night of WCS’ production of The Wiz –“It was such an emotional time, and ending the last play of the year with the people I love and care about is a priceless experience.” One thing that will always remind him of high school is the morning sunrise, because it reminds him of the early starts to every day in high school, and that every day is a new day. Hayden hopes to become a cognitive or clinical psychologist.
Sofie Brandsberg-Dahl – The Fay School, The Awty International School
Sofie Brandsberg-Dahl will be heading to University of California, Los Angeles to major in business economics. She would tell her kindergarten self: Don’t be afraid to be loud, messy, or different, because that’s where all the fun comes from. She says that Mr. Robert Rusnak, 11th-grade IB Global Politics, was the best teacher she has ever had, because he challenged her to think globally, speak up, and stay open-minded. Her favorite moment from high school was making it to the SPC finals with her soccer team senior year. Her team had never made it that far before. She’ll always remember the Parade of Flags at her school’s annual International Festival. “It's a senior tradition to walk a flag during the opening ceremony, and when it was my turn, it felt like a full circle moment after watching it all those years.” Her dream job would be working in international business or global development – something that lets her travel, speak different languages, and make a real impact on underserved communities.
Cayla Pavlik – St. Francis Episcopal School
Cayla Pavlik is headed to the University of Alabama, where she will major in business. She would tell her kindergarten self, “Don’t let other people’s opinions get to you. Be your own person & everything will turn out as God intended.” She says that Ms. Duncan, her fourth-grade English teacher, taught her to love reading and helped her when she got in trouble at school for the first time ever. Her favorite memory from high school was her senior-year spring break, when she went to Cabo with her friends. She says a core memory of her high school years is how, before any big events, she and her friends would get ready at her house, listen to music and
do their hair and makeup together. Her dream job is to own a wedding-planning company, so she would be able to help people prepare for one of the highlights of their lives. Her best memory from elementary school was a dance competition when the music stopped halfway through the routine. Their team persevered, finished the dance, and won first place.
Avila Hickman – St. Thomas More Parish School, The Saint Constantine School
Avila Hickman is heading to the Franciscan University of Steubenville, where she will work toward a B.S. in Psychology. She would tell her kindergarten self to play as hard as she can while she is still able – “life gets harder, and you’ll no longer be able to be as free as you are at that age.” Blazers will always remind her of high school. She says the teacher who changed her life was Ms. Erika Donatto, who always encouraged her to believe in herself. She says she always loved her high school retreats and bonding with her classmates, who felt like family. Her dream job is to become a children’s therapist/teacher.
Dove LeBlanc – Homeschool, The Saint Constantine School
Dove LeBlanc is going to Saint Constantine College for Orthodox studies and literature. If she could give her kindergarten self one piece of advice, it would be: “Work hard, love yourself, and forgive.” Dove says that Mr. Zach Harris was the most impactful teacher she has had. She says, “He was hard but fair, and didn’t make me feel stupid for not understanding, He was (and still is) a very gracious man who I look up to.”
Dove says that getting close to all the other seniors this year has meant a lot to her, and that the astronomy trip was a special experience. Her best elementary school memories are playing in the rain, barefoot. Her dream job? “Rich housewife. Linguist.”
Marianna Jansen Cardone – St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School, Saint Thomas’ Episcopal School
Marianna Jansen Cardone is headed to Universidad de Navarra in Spain, where she will study international law. If she could give her kindergarten self any advice, it would be, “Join St. Thomas Theatre as early as you can, and make sure you keep those friends you have now, because they'll grow to be your closest confidants.” She says she is grateful for Mr. David Hutchinson, her history teacher at SVdP, because “he truly was like a father to me and guided me when I was troubled in middle school.” Her favorite moments from high school were all the STH plays, particularly her final role as the Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. She says that every time she hears any musical song, she thinks of STH Theatre and the times they blasted songs in the makeup room. Her dream job is to be a homicide detective with a side gig as an actress/singer.
Antonella N. Wesson – Corpus Christi Catholic School, Saint Thomas’ Episcopal School
Antonella N. Wesson will be heading to Baylor University to study economics/law. She would tell her kindergarten self: Go with the flow, and don't blindly trust everyone you meet. She says Mrs. Carol Selby, her tutor for about 11 years, was her most impactful teacher. She taught her to read, caught her up with school, and helped her learn both studying skills and people skills. She says she won't ever be able to have a popsicle without thinking of her friends, and her senior year specifically. Their senior lounge was stocked with popsicles, and they ate them every day. Her dream job is to be a “big shot lawyer” in a firm she owns or is a partner in. She has dreamed of being a lawyer since she was a sixth grader, and says, “I can't wait to see what the future holds, and to hopefully have my Legally Blonde moment where I get to lead a courtroom to defend my client.” Her best elementary school memory was her fifth-grade retreat to Camp Kappe, when the first snow any of them had ever seen in Texas came down. The next morning, they had a huge snowball fight and built snowmen together.
Emma Scudder – Roberts Elementary School, Lanier Middle School, Saint Thomas’ Episcopal School
Emma Scudder is headed to Southern Methodist University, where she will study marketing/finance. If she could give her kindergarten self one piece of advice, it would be: don’t rush to grow up – cherish the carefree days of being a kid. “I remember thinking nap time was boring and even recess felt routine sometimes, but looking back, those were moments filled with love, simplicity, and joy.” Emma says her second-grade teacher, Mrs. Tamyra Palmer, completely changed her life. “She made me fall in love with learning and helped me understand how I learn best. Her patience and encouragement made school feel exciting, not scary, and that mindset has stuck with me ever since.” Her favorite part of high school was transferring to a new school junior year and finding her place. She says starting over was scary, but she met amazing people who made senior year so much fun. She’ll never forget all the late-night Whataburger and Taco Bell runs with her friends. “We weren’t really going for the food –we just wanted an excuse to drive around, park somewhere, and talk for hours in the car. Those nights were full of laughter, bad music, deep conversations, and lots of memories.”
Grey Warren – West University Elementary School, The Emery/Weiner School
Grey Warren will be heading to Williams College. If he could give his kindergarten self one piece of advice, it would be: “Don’t rush to grow up. Stay curious, keep asking questions, and never be afraid to be a little
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Sofie Brandsberg-Dahl – University of California, Los Angeles
Cayla Pavlik – University of Alabama
Avila Hickman – Franciscan University of Steubenville
Dove LeBlanc – Saint Constantine College
Marianna Jansen Cardone – Universidad de Navarra
Antonella N. Wesson – Baylor University
Emma Scudder – Southern Methodist University
Grey Warren – Williams College
Margaret Rotan
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Emily Gilliam
Antonella Wesson
Kristina Irwin
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weird – sometimes that’s where the magic starts.” Mr. Kelly Dean, his music teacher from sixth to 12th grade, changed his life by teaching him how to be both a strong leader and a supportive group member, helping him to find his voice and express himself in ways he never had before. Nutri-Grain bars will always remind him of high school. His favorite moment from high school was the final curtain close during their production of Pippin. “We were sweaty, slightly off-key, and running on pure adrenaline – but in that moment, it felt like Broadway. The energy was wild, the applause was loud (probably from our parents), and for a second, we all forgot we had math homework.”
Bella Perdue – River Oaks Elementary School, River Oaks Baptist School, Episcopal High School
Bella Perdue is off to Baylor University to study allied health, kinesiology, and leisure studies. The sound of a Stanley cup falling in a quiet room will always remind her of high school. She’d tell her kindergarten self to get involved in as many activities as you can, and to find things that you enjoy. Bella says that Mrs. Stephanie Calderon in second grade helped her adjust to her move to Houston, and introduced her to some of her best friends. Her favorite moment from high school was her freshman-year interim trip to Disney World, where she got to learn about the mechanics behind the rides at Disney and then enjoy them with her best friends. Her dream job is to become a pediatric endocrinologist or a labor and delivery nurse. Her best elementary school story is her childhood YouTube channel, which is full of 30-minute unedited videos of her reviewing new toys: “Those videos are still on the internet, forever haunting me.”
Daniyal Khan – Condit Elementary School, Lanier Middle School, The Awty International School
Daniyal Khan will attend the UTSA to UT Austin CAP program and major in economics. He’d tell his kindergarten self to enjoy every minute of elementary school. His fourth-grade math teacher Ms. Andrea Schultz changed his life by teaching him to find enjoyment in everything he does. His favorite moment from high school was the 2023 Awty Connects trip, where he and his friends went to Germany and raced on Lime scooters down a big hill. He says that his Qatar World Cup soccer ball will always remind him of high school. He and his friends would play soccer together during their lunch and free periods, and he was always in charge of bringing the ball. His dream job is to be a pilot. His favorite elementary school memory is when he and his friends used to try catching lizards in the school garden.
Eden Reese Williams – Condit Elementary School, Westbury Christian School
Eden Reese Williams is headed to Spelman College to study health science. She would tell
her kindergarten self: “You have the ability to make people smile; be a light, no matter what.” She says Mr. Ronnie Blaine, her theatre teacher and director since sixth grade, has changed her life by teaching her to never conform to anything, and “to be the true Eden that I am.” She is so grateful to him for believing in her. Her favorite high school moment was her Senior Experience retreat, when all of the seniors gathered around a bonfire to eat s’mores, tell scary stories, and simply enjoy one another. She says she will never forget it. Her signature baby blue Converse high tops have been through many memorable high school moments with her and will always remind her of high school. Her dream is to become an obstetrician-gynecologist with her own practice.
Isabella Soliz – Saint Thomas’ Episcopal School, St. Pius X High School
Isabella Soliz is going to Stephen F. Austin State University to study nursing. She would tell her kindergarten self to have an open mind about trying new things, to be kind and respectful of others, but mainly to be able to roll with change. A teacher who changed her life was Ms. Angela Stinner-Trimble, her Theology 3 teacher at St. Pius. “I have dyslexia and ADHD so when it came to taking tests, I was not able to take it like other people. She would go out of her way during her free time and take the test verbally with me and honestly, it truly impacted me a lot. It made me feel like someone was able to understand me.” The song “Driver’s License” by Olivia Rodrigo (and the lore around it) will always remind her of high school. She says the best part of elementary school was how when it was your birthday, you got to wear a princess gown, and everyone paid attention to you all day. Isabella hopes to be a pediatric nurse.
Nathan Robleto – St. Thomas More Parish School, Western Academy, The Saint Constantine School
Nathan Robleto will be majoring in philosophy at The Saint Constantine College. He would tell his kindergarten self to always choose to be joyful. He says his Theater director, Galen Nicol, changed his life because his theater program filled him with purpose and new life, and he made every friend he has from doing the plays. His favorite moment from high school was his senior retreat to Big Bend. “My senior class is 11 people, and we all rode in one van for the 9 hours there and 9 hours back. We bonded and laughed and perhaps even cried a little.” He says reading a good book will always remind him of high school. He would love to be a professional musician in any capacity, whether touring, recording or production.
Sophia Guadalupe Rodriguez – Condit Elementary School, St. Thomas More Parish School, Westbury Christian School
Sophia Guadalupe Rodriguez is going to
University of Houston-Downtown, where she will major in biology. She’d tell her kindergarten self to try new things. She says that her Spanish teacher Ms. Malaika Lund has helped her in expressing herself as well as being able to relax in stressful situations. Her favorite moment from high school was their senior experience roasting s'mores and telling spooky stories while the sun was setting, looking at the stars and piecing constellations together. Her dream job is to be an Ob-Gyn. Her best memory from elementary school was when her favorite teacher took her on a trip to the zoo, and they went to almost every animal exhibit. Each time they saw a different animal, she would give Sophia a little plastic version of the animal they saw.
Bennie Heitmann – St. Rose of Lima Catholic School, Xavier Educational Academy Bennie Heitmann is heading to University of St. Thomas to attain an Associate of Applied Science degree. If he could give his kindergarten self one piece of advice, it would be, “With God, all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26). Bennie says that Coach Charles Gipson, Jr. changed his life because he was always ready to listen and gave him the support he needed through his high school years. His best memories from elementary school were playing soccer. His favorite high school memories were practicing jiu jitsu, which he says made him stronger both physically and mentally. His dream job would be working as an architect.
Hannah Song – Multiple elementary/middle schools, The Awty International School
Hannah Song is going to Harvard College to study computer science and sociology. She would tell her kindergarten self to be more grateful: “There are more love and blessings around you than you realize.” The most influential teacher she has had was Mr. Tav Tavakoli, her 9th- and 10th-grade U.S./Modern History teacher. She says his strong work ethic, interpersonal skills, and genuine passion for lifelong learning are qualities she admires and tries to emulate in her own life. His teachings also sparked her interest in social studies and helped her see its value in understanding people and societal dynamics. Her favorite high school memory was her freshman homecoming. It was her first time dressing up and going to a classic high school event. She remembers jumping around in the mosh pit, her feet bruising from people landing on her, but she didn’t care because she was so happy to be there, surrounded by music, new friends, and the feeling that high school had really begun. Stanley cups will always remind her of high school – “they're carried around like lifelines.” Hannah hopes to one day leverage technology and design to increase access to social goods for vulnerable populations.
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Bella Perdue – Baylor University
Daniyal Khan – UTSA to UT Austin CAP program
Eden Reese Williams – Spelman College
Isabella Soliz – Stephen F. Austin State University
Nathan Robleto – The Saint Constantine College
Sophia Guadalupe Rodriguez – University of Houston-Downtown
Bennie Heitmann – University of St. Thomas
Hannah Song – Harvard College
Kelli Durham
Shanelle McClain Photography
Emily Large Photography
Emily Gilliam of Oh.Em.G photography
Cayley C
Emily Marie
. by Sharon Albert Brier, staff writer
Rumor Has It
From funky park to gardens. On a warm breezy spring day, 38 Memorial Drive Garden Clubbers boarded a Harris County bus for a field trip arranged by Sue Shefman. Laughter and trivia not related to gardening was shared during the drive-by of the Orange Show and onto the neighboring whimsical Smither Park. Pete Gershon, curator of the Orange Show, enchanted them with the fascinating history. What’s a field trip without food? Beverly Mattern planned part two, an excursion to Charlton Park, where the gals scrambled for shade to enjoy box lunches. Two guides at the Houston Botanic Garden showed them the Culinary Garden (medicinal and edible plants) and the Global Collection Garden (plants around the world that thrive in the sometimesunbearable Houston climate).
Unique New York trip. No one loves vintage shopping more than Anna Lumbreras, who shared a curated NYC weekend with gal pals Kelly Anzilotti, Lindsay Lumbreras, Kasey Briggs, Erin Ingledew, and Steph Anderson The group gravitated to the iconic vintage celebrity preowned clothes at What Goes Around Comes Around. Reinvented as stars, they designed their own fragrance at Olfactory NYC and created a custom waffle robe with dye at Manhattan Bleach. Chatting about their purchases while reveling in a 270-degree view of the city was a great dining experience at Nubeluz by José Andrés. Back to earth, Houstonians.
Prom 2025. Juniors and seniors at The Kinkaid School picked a vibrant Rio de Janeiro theme for prom, beating out Agent 007 and Alice in Wonderland. Sage Barreto and friends kicked off the night with photos at Ian Goldstein’s house, then headed to dinner at Flora’s. The dance was electric – live DJ, singers, dancers, and even teachers showing off on the dance floor! With a photo booth, face painting, a mock casino, and raffle prizes (Maithreyi Asthagiri scored a karaoke machine!), the night ended in formalwear at a movie theater featuring Minecraft. Other juniors that joined in the fun-tastic night were Eliya Gibson, Cynthia Cai, June Courville, Cate Schmidt, Abby Ahuero, Megan Wu, Kyle Yang, Irene
Pletcher, Alejandro Ibarra, Charlie Assif, Jackson Chapoton, and John Patterson. Nowhere to go for Easter? Never fear. Joni and John Zavitsanos hosted a Paschal Feast with roasted lamb for those that had no one to celebrate Easter with. An air-conditioned tent contained the overflow of 100 people that feasted on lamb and more. Father Michael Lambakis started with a Hymns of the Day ceremony before the guests hopped to the feast and to a huge array of desserts, which included a large chocolate Easter egg. Father Lambakis, who will be Dean of Students at Holy Cross School of Theology, is moving to “Mass” after 25 years in Houston.
What – me? Imagine the surprise Lisa Mark Henderson received when Southern Living Magazine contacted her. Not only did they want to include her house in their May issue, but the brick-and-wood traditional home was featured on the cover with her two dogs, Lefty and Poncho. Lisa grew up in Memorial but moved to Dallas after graduation from Baylor. She and husband Luke have three children, Lottie, Luke Jr., and Libby. Lisa’s parents, Allyson and Dan Mark, still live in Piney Point with bragging rights.
The party lasted an extra hour. Everyone walked over for the 19th annual Piney Point Manor Cocktail party, which was hosted by longtime residents Cindy and Brian Atlas, who have lived in the same home for 45 years or
so (and they’re still young at heart). It has been remodeled and stretched over the years and used for HEB commercials featuring Roger Clemens. Approximately 30 gathered and met new neighbors while dining on appetizers and drinks. A few Piney Pointers were Kristin Waring, Kitty and Steve Oldham, Angie and David Habachy, and Amanda and John Atcheson, who moved into the neighborhood in August 2024, and the newest residents, Caroline and Wesley Knapp. Roofttop dining and a lively night scene. They wanted to improve their Spanish and immerse themselves in Mexican art and architecture, but they got even more. World travelers Carla O’ Dell and Stewart Vreeland unexpectedly experienced mi casa, su casa in San Miguel Allende. At the Spanish school, Academia Hispano Americana, they bonded with the instructors and other American students and used their newfound language skills at art and cultural tours. They found themselves immersed in the heart of the historic district, steps away from renowned landmarks and within easy reach of the vibrant festivals that lit up the central square almost daily. A return is inevitable. Hasta luego.
MORE ONLINE
See Rumor Has It at thebuzzmagazines.com for additional photos. Have some good news to share? Email us at info@thebuzzmagazines.com.
FIELD TRIP Memorial Drive Garden Clubbers field tripped around Houston. Here, they’re pictured at the colorful Smither Park.
. by Cindy Burnett, staff writer
Buzz Reads Five picks for June
Buzz Reads is a column about books by reviewer Cindy Burnett. Each month, Cindy recommends five recently or soon-to-be released titles.
Detective Aunty by Uzma Jalaluddin (mystery) – Widowed mother and grandmother Kausar Khan becomes an amateur sleuth when her daughter is accused of murdering the landlord of her clothing boutique. For the first time in 20 years, Kausar returns to the Toronto neighborhood of Golden Crescent, where she raised her family, and sets out to solve the landlord’s murder. Kausar comes to terms with how much the area has changed while working to piece together who wanted the landlord dead and uncovering the secrets her daughter is harboring. Jalaluddin weaves in a good amount of detail about Muslim culture and traditions while crafting a clever whodunnit. She also touches on mental health, the power of secrets, repairing familial relationships, and the joy of community. This is the start of a new series, and I look forward to book two. Detective Aunty will appeal to fans of light-hearted mysteries steeped in culture and family.
The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark (thriller) –The Ghostwriter follows Olivia Dumont, an only child, who has been engaged to write her estranged father’s memoir, the man from whom she has spent years trying to distance herself. Vincent Taylor, her father, is a highly successful horror author who many suspect murdered his sister and brother when they were teens. While the police cleared him of the crime, persistent whispers followed him and, as his career grew, so did the accusations. Now, suffering memory loss and worried about the truth dying with him, he is finally ready to talk about what really happened to his siblings years ago. The story is relayed in alternating timelines and points of view, and the tension slowly builds through numerous twists and turns and red herrings. The truth is elusive, and no one feels entirely reliable as the story progresses. Clark’s intelligent thriller combines strong characters, a well-plotted mystery at the heart of the story, and 1970s nostalgia. This book will appeal to fans of clever thrillers with depth and originality.
It’s a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan (romance) – Jane Jackson is a former child actress
famous for playing the nerdy sidekick on one of the country’s favorite sitcoms. Now in her 30s, Jane is an aspiring producer working to get her first project off the ground, a sweet romantic movie. Dan Finnegan, a cinematographer and Jane’s one-time crush, surprisingly agrees with Jane about the film and is willing to help her get the project greenlit. They travel cross country to Dan’s home to attend a music festival to track down popular musician Jack Quinlan – who Jane claimed in a panicked moment that she knew well enough to convince him to write a song for the project. What Dan does not know is that Jane hasn’t spoken to Jack in 20 years. While the romance occupies center stage, Monaghan also weaves in other themes, including the importance of being true to oneself, worthiness and sense of self, and family. These characters have stayed with me since I finished the book, especially Dan’s wonderful family, and I loved the way Jane and Dan’s relationship developed. Those who enjoy engaging tales with standout characters and fans of the enemies-to-lovers trope will devour this one.
The Summer We Ran by Audrey Ingram (fiction) – Two decades after their teenage romance suddenly ended, Tess Murphy and Grant Alexander are running against each other for governor of Virginia. No one knows about their relationship, including their spouses, but secrets from that summer begin to rise to the surface threatening their political ambitions as well as their families. While lighter themes such as second-chance romance and first love are explored, the book also addresses the role of family expectations and obligations, ambition, tragedy and its impact on lives, and class inequality. The Summer We Ran is a timely read as well considering the country’s current political climate and the standards to which women
are held versus men when both are in the public eye. It will be a great fit for those who enjoy cross-genre stories and compelling dramas. Welcome to Murder Week by Karen Dukess (mystery) – After her estranged mother passes away, Cath is cleaning out her mother’s belongings and stumbles across two tickets to England for a murder mystery week, something that Cath finds very out-of-character for her mother. Even stranger, her mother had apparently planned the trip for the two of them. On a lark, Cath decides to attend the event, hoping to understand her mother better. Upon arrival, she meets two other Americans, Wyatt and Amity, who she teams up with to solve the fake murder mystery as well as her mother’s decision to attend the mystery week. Bibliophiles will revel in the literary references sprinkled throughout this delightful book, and the quaint English village setting and its entertaining residents make this a highly enjoyable read. Welcome to Murder Week is a wonderful blend of intrigue, travel, romance, and unexpected connections. It is a must-read for fans of light mysteries, a strong sense of place, and thoroughly engaging characters.
Editor’s note: Book reviewer Cindy Burnett also writes our weekly Page Turners column at thebuzzmagazines.com. She hosts an award-winning book podcast entitled Thoughts from a Page Podcast www.thoughtsfromapage.com, runs the Instagram account @thoughtsfrompage, and regularly speaks to groups about books.
WHAT TO READ This month’s selections include a light mystery set in the English countryside, a sweet love story, a haunting thriller, a political tale, and a cozy mystery set in Toronto.
Cindy Burnett
. by Tracy L. Barnett, staff writer
Travel Buzz
Vatican Secrets and Tuscan Villas: Following the Parsleys to Italy
When Bob Parsley wandered into Mercato and Company, the authentic Italian market that recently opened in West U, he couldn't have known it would shape his and wife Louise's next Italian adventure.
Bob struck up a conversation with Tatiana Perna, Mercato chef and co-owner, who recommended her parents’ restaurant in Rome – and told them about her villa in Tuscany.
That unexpected encounter helped plan the Houston couple's trip to Rome, Florence, and the Chianti region of Tuscany. But there was another purpose to their journey – a deeply personal connection to one of the Vatican's most extraordinary archaeological discoveries. They were joined on the journey by Bob’s sister, Jana McHenry, and his niece, Georgia.
A Legacy Beneath St. Peter's
Bob's maternal grandfather, George W. Strake Sr., played a pivotal but long-secret role in one of Catholicism's most significant archaeological projects – funding the excavation that discovered St. Peter's tomb beneath the Vatican.
“My grandfather was a very devout Catholic,” Bob explained. Strake was a close personal friend of Pope Paul VI, who was formerly Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini, when he served as a senior official in the Vatican’s Secretariat of State. The Cardinal would stay with Mr. and Mrs. Strake in his visits to the United States.
In the late 1930s, a startling discovery was made at St. Peter’s Basilica: Workers broke through a floor and uncovered hidden ruins beneath the basilica.
What happened next was extraordinary. Vatican representatives approached Bob's grandfather with a highly unusual request. The Church needed someone to fund the excavation – confidentially, and without revealing the purpose.
“If it was me, I’d say, okay, what’s the reason for your request? He asked that question, and the response was, we can't tell you. You have to just take it on faith.”
That excavation would eventually uncover the archaeological site known as the Vatican
Necropolis, or the Scavi. Ultimately, it led to what are believed to be the bones of St. Peter himself, a discovery later confirmed by Pope John XXIII.
“I always say that he had deep faith to be willing to underwrite whatever the cost of this excavation was with absolutely no idea of what he
was supporting,” Bob said with pride. The story of that 75-year search is chronicled in the book The Fisherman's Tomb by John O’Neill.
The Vatican Scavi Tour
Among the highlights of Bob and Louise’s recent trip to Rome was a return to the Scavi,
WHERE THE SAINTS REST Bob Parsley’s maternal grandfather, George W. Strake Sr., played a pivotal role in one of Catholicism's most significant archaeological projects – funding the excavation that discovered St. Peter's tomb beneath the Vatican. Pictured, preparing to enter the Scavi inside St. Peter's Basilica, are (from left) Louise and Bob Parsley and their niece, Georgia McHenry.
which they had visited several times over the years. This time, one purpose of their visit was to meet Monsignor Tom Powers, the newly appointed rector of the Pontifical North American College. This Vatican-affiliated institution, which Louise describes as “basically the Harvard of Catholic seminaries,” hosts young priests for a three-year commitment.
For years, Bob had maintained a warm friendship with the College’s leadership, often reaching out to help friends secure access to the exclusive Scavi tour – a small but meaningful way of sharing the Vatican’s hidden treasures, and honoring his grandfather’s legacy.
“We had a friendship with the previous rector,” Louise explains. “And that's who Bob would always contact when people would say, ‘Hey, can you give me tickets to the Scavi?’”
When the College appointed a new leader, the Parsleys felt it was important to build a new relationship, seeing the College as a living link to the faith, history, and discovery that their family helped preserve.
They arranged a dinner with Monsignor Powers during their stay in Rome, meeting him at Da Vittorio Il Ciociaro – the small family-run restaurant of Tatiana’s parents. They also spent time in Rome with a group from Strake Jesuit, led by Father Jeff Johnson, who was in the city with students for their spring break. The Parsley family has a deep-rooted connection to Strake Jesuit and enjoyed meeting with Father Jeff Johnson and some current students.
Although they had toured the Scavi before, Bob and Louise made time to visit again on this trip – a ritual that never loses its impact.
“It's hard not to feel extraordinarily spiritual when you’re walking through the Vatican and you go down to see St. Peter’s bones,” Bob reflects.
The labyrinthine network of ancient tombs
lies between 5 to 12 meters beneath St. Peter's Basilica. This subterranean world, unearthed during excavations in the 1940s, reveals a tapestry of Roman burial practices and early Christian history.
The tour culminates at the presumed tomb of St. Peter, marked by the “Trophy of Gaius,” a second-century monument erected in his honor.
“It’s hard not to feel extraordinarily spiritual when you’re walking through the Vatican and you go down to see St. Peter’s bones,” Bob reflects.
This site, considered one of the most sacred in Christendom, is believed to house the remains of the apostle himself. The profound spiritual atmosphere here is palpable, offering a moment of reflection and connection to the early roots of the Catholic Church.
What surprises the Parsleys is how few people know about this remarkable site. “What we're always amazed about is how few people are aware that it exists,” Bob said. “They actually do nothing to market it. It’s one of the best-kept secrets in the Vatican.”
The Jubilee Year
Their visit coincided with a special time in Rome. "This year, 2025, is what they call a Jubilee Year in Italy," Louise explained. The
Jubilee Year, or Holy Year, is a deeply significant event in the Catholic Church, traditionally marked every 25 years by pilgrimage, repentance, and the ceremonial opening of the “Holy Doors” of Rome’s major basilicas. Pilgrims passing through these doors are granted a plenary indulgence – the full remission of temporal punishment for sins.
The doors are remarkable structures. “At St. Peter’s, the Holy Doors are made of bronze and decorated with inscriptions and Christian symbols,” said Louise. “They are massive, over 20 feet tall. The legend is that anyone who walks through the Holy Doors is guaranteed to go to Heaven.”
The Parsleys visited the four basilicas with these special doors: St. Peter’s, St. Mary Major, St. John Lateran, and St. Paul Outside the Walls. Their journey unfolded in the early months of the Jubilee, while Rome was still alive with the spirit of hope and renewal that Pope Francis had envisioned. Only later, in April, would the city be plunged into mourning with the beloved pontiff’s death, casting a bittersweet shadow over the Holy Year.
From Rome to Tuscany
After Rome, the couple headed to Florence and then to the Chianti region of Tuscany. There they stayed at Podere 1384, the villa hotel owned by Tatiana in Castellina, one of the small towns dotting the Chianti countryside.
The landscape captivated them. “It's very hilly,” Bob describes. “Rolling hills and then it has those tall Italian cypress trees; they look like soldiers. There are olive trees throughout there, and obviously, vineyards covering the hillsides.”
Tatiana had meticulously renovated the villa, blending modern and antique touches. The couple also enjoyed the beautiful back patio and pool. “The patio just over-
(continued on page 46)
VINES AND THE VATICAN Left: A view of the Chianti countryside from Podere 1384; right: Bob with Strake Jesuit President Jeff Johnson, in the Vatican beneath a statue of St. Ignatius – founder of Society of Jesus (the Jesuits).
father of Da Vittorio Il Ciociaro serves pasta in a scooped-out giant cheese wheel.
(continued from page 45)
looked these rolling hills with other villas kind of dotting the horizon,” recalled Louise. “It was magical."
Culinary Adventures
Bob and Louise said their culinary experiences were highlights of the trip. On arrival in Tuscany, they immediately went to lunch at a unique restaurant in Panzano run by a butcher named Dario Cecchini.
“He serves two seatings every day of the year except Christmas. And it’s 125 people per seating. So he serves 250 people every day. It’s eight courses of beef,” Bob recalled. “It's kind of like a Brazilian steakhouse... and they had beans and a jug of Chianti. And it was packed.” In Rome, their dinner was at Da Vittorio Il Ciociaro, owned by Tatiana’s parents. “They prepared something I’ve never seen before,” said Bob. “They scooped out the center of a giant wheel of Parmesan cheese about three feet in diameter and prepared my pasta inside it.”
At Podere 1384, the couple took a four-hour cooking class with the villa’s chef. “We started out by walking out, not into the garden where the herbs were being grown, but just out into the hillside. And he literally would lean down and cut up, what I could have sworn was a weed,” Louise recounts. “He picked flowers that were edible...
We just kind of foraged for about 15 minutes, and that was all the greens for the salad.”
They made gnocchi, homemade pasta for ravioli, and a traditional “pauper soup” made from tomatoes and day-old bread. “He was cooking the tomatoes down with garlic and olive oil, and we kept adding bread and adding bread,” Louise said.
What made their experience special was the people they met along the way. In addition to Tatiana’s parents, they spent time with Andrea, the manager of Podere 1384.
“He would just sit down with us at the table, and by the time we had been there a couple of nights, we really felt like we had formed a lasting friendship,” Bob said.
Recalling the legendary Italian hospitality, Louise added, “They are so warm, and inviting, and they just make you feel very welcome. Very animated.”
Reflections on Italy
Looking back on their journey, the Parsleys treasure both the spiritual moments at the Scavi and the peaceful beauty of the Tuscan countryside.
“I think we could go to Italy multiple times a year and never see the same thing. And if we did, we’d enjoy it just as much as we did the time before,” Bob reflects. “There are certain places in your life... Italy is one for us that we love going to.”
Louise agrees: “Experiencing the Podere 1384
Tips from Our Travelers
was so special. It’s definitely someplace that we would like to return.”
Back home in Houston, when the Parsleys are craving a taste of Italy, they pay a visit to Mercato & Co on University Blvd.
Touring the Vatican Scavi
For those drawn to history and faith, the Vatican Scavi tour offers a glimpse into an ancient world – a hidden city beneath the city. Layer upon layer of Roman and early Christian history lies preserved beneath the metropolis, waiting to be uncovered.
As Bob marvels, “It is hard to imagine, but 90 percent of Rome is underground.”
Tours of the Vatican Scavi must be booked well in advance. To request tickets, email the Scavi office at scavi@fsp.va. In your email, provide:
• The exact number of participants;
• The name of each participant;
• Your preferred language;
• All possible dates you are available – spell out the month: 01 January 2021;
• An email address for the main contact.
If your request is granted, you’ll need to pay by credit card ($13 Euros) within 10 days. The Scavi office will send a link to pay online. The Jubilee Year 2025 will bring larger crowds to Rome, so early planning is essential.
By Louise and Bob Parsley
Worth the splurge: Private Rome tour guide with driver
Don’t miss: Scavi, St. Peter’s Basilica, Sistine Chapel
Currency exchange: Very easy to obtain Euros before departing and at ATMs when there
Packing: Always advisable to check the weather before leaving, it rained 75 percent of the time we were there.
Don’t forget: Comfortable walking shoes
What to avoid: Be cautious of street vendors aggressively trying to sell items; avoid making eye contact or engaging.
Local favorite: Sistine Chapel, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Colosseum
Safety tip: Leave passport in hotel safe. Use a crossbody purse.
Unexpected hit: Before departing, we arranged for roundtrip passage between Rome and Florence, but failed to look into train tickets from inner Rome to the airport. Fortunately, the Rome train station is easily navigated, and we were able to purchase them there.
LA FAMIGLIA IN THE KITCHEN Left: Chef David Targetti at Podere 1384 became a good friend during the family's stay. Pictured (from left) the chef himself; Bob’s sister, Jana Parsley McHenry, Bob Parsley, Louise Parsley, a sous chef, and niece Georgia McHenry. Right: Prior to the Parsley’s trip, Tatiana Perna, chef and co-owner of Mercato in West U, recommended her parents’ restaurant in Rome to the couple – and told them about her villa in Tuscany. Here, Tatiana's
SportzBuzz SPORTS
. by Todd Freed, staff writer
With its dramatic victory in the final race of the state meet, the Lamar Texans captured the UIL 6A Boys State Track and Field Championship. The Texans claimed the championship by winning the 4x400 meter relay in a time of 3:11.94 to edge out Killeen Shoemaker by six points for the state title.
“Going into the mile relay (4x400 meters) we knew we had to win to get the state championship,” said Texans boys track and field coach Gerrick Green. “Our four runners had set the state record in the mile relay just a couple of weeks earlier at regionals so I simply told them that this is our event and to just go out there and take care of business.”
As it stood, the Texans foursome of Ryan Johnson, Bailey Hashmi, Devin Carpenter, and Jordan Godfrey had not only set a state record at regionals in the mile relay but also ran the nation’s fourth fastest time ever, setting the stage for even more heroics in an electrifying finale to the state meet.
“We were in front going into the final handoff but there was a bobble on the exchange and Jordan literally did a 360-spin as he took the baton and took off to pull out the win over the final 400 meters,” said Green. “It was pretty amazing.”
Earlier in the meet, Hashmi, Carpenter, and Godfrey teamed with Kayden Falls for a thirdplace finish in the 4x100 meter relay to also score valuable points for the Texans.
The state title was a half-century in the making, given Lamar hadn’t won a state championship in boys track and field since 1956. “We knew we had an outside chance of winning state, but it was going to be difficult. It was all pretty surreal. The support we had from a big following from Lamar, who came to Austin for the meet, was also amazing,” added Green.
In baseball, the Kinkaid Falcons captured the SPC title with a 4-1 victory over rival Episcopal in the SPC Championship Final. “This was a senior-led team with a culture and camaraderie that was off the charts,” said Falcons head coach Steve Maas
In the championship win over Episcopal, Falcons
senior and Texas Longhorn signee Jack Paris fired a three-hitter with eight strikeouts to lead the way, while fellow senior and designated hitter Kristopher Carlson connected on a two-run single in the sixth inning to help propel the victory.
Along the way all season, Maas lauded the play of many other senior standouts, including catcher and Rice University signee Landon Layhew, who owned a .333 batting average with four home runs while playing outstanding defense behind the plate. In addition, shortstop Cooper Chambers, a two-sport athlete who will play both baseball and football at Trinity University, hit for a .300 average. “Cooper is the best defensive shortstop I’ve ever had the opportunity to coach,” said Maas. “He also stole 19 of 20 bases this season.”
In addition, senior first baseman Marcus Harris was a powerful force connecting on seven home runs this past season. Harris, Paris, Layhew, and Chambers were freshmen on the Falcons 2022 SPC Championship team.
Yet another senior who played a huge role all season, according to Maas, was pitcher Isaac Ly, who posted the victory in the Falcons SPC semifinal victory over Houston Christian. “Our senior class leaves a blueprint for success behind,” said Maas. “It’s going to be hard to replace, but it’s now the job of our underclassmen to follow their path.”
It was sheer dominance for the St. Thomas Eagles, who captured the TAPPS Division 1
State Track and Field Championship. The Eagles won the meet by a lofty 61 points for their ninth state championship in the last 20 years. “It was really exciting to see,” said Eagles head coach Nathan Labus. “We scored points in virtually every event across the meet.”
Scoring a remarkable number of points for St. Thomas was senior Edward Bocock, who was named the Athlete of the Meet. Along with running on the winning mile relay team, the Rice University signee also won the long jump while additionally finishing third in the 110meter hurdles and 300-meter hurdles, plus taking second place in the triple jump.
The Eagles posted victories in all three relay races. Logan Branting, Derek Stevenson, Damarcus Batiste, and Blake Coogan teamed up to set a meet record in winning the 4x100 meter relay in 41.35 seconds, while the very same foursome finished first in the 4x200 meter relay. In the mile relay, Bocock, Caleb Soluren, Ryan Bordas, and Logan Debose captured the gold medal. Back in the field events, Elijah Henry also won gold for St. Thomas in the triple jump.
Editor’s note: Todd Freed is the host and executive producer of H-Town High School Sports, which airs Saturday at 10:30 p.m. on CW39 and Monday-Thursday on AT&T SportsNet SW. To submit high school sports news for possible inclusion in SportzBuzz, please email todd@thebuzzmagazines.com.
PILE ON IN The Kinkaid Falcons celebrated the SPC Baseball Championship with a 4-1 victory over the Episcopal Knights in the SPC title game.
David Shutts Photography
. by Annie Blaylock McQueen, staff writer
SportzBuzz Jr.
Welcome to SportzBuzz Jr., a column spotlighting neighborhood athletes in elementary and middle school.
Go Pig or go home
At Post Oak Little League, team spirit runs deep – and sometimes, it even oinks. The Minors team IronPigs had a memorable season, including a very special fan: Bacon the pig. Bacon made a surprise appearance at the POLL fields to root for the team. The team was coached by Matt Menger, Rodolfo Cooper, and Jeff Zarr, and brought energy and great sportsmanship to every game. Pictured (top row, from left) are player Jackson Bartlein , Coach Matt, Coach Rodolfo, Coach Jeff; (middle row, from left) Quentin Cooper, Russell Kline, Maximus Menger, Hawkins Clark, Coco Chambon, Cooper Zarr, Max Croley; (front row) Will Doherty , Bacon the pig,) Bram Beddingfield ; (not pictured) Alex Paizi . A big thank you to Cooper Zarr’s uncle, Mark Burney , for bringing Bacon to the ballpark and cheering on the IronPigs in unforgettable fashion.
Going the distance
It was a day of grit and determination and some sweat at CityCentre. The boys of Let Me Run, Rummel Creek Elementary’s student running club, laced up and conquered their 5K run with confidence and camaraderie. The group trained for weeks, building not just endurance but also leadership and character. Congratulations to the runners including (pictured, front row, from left) Grayson Rohr, Jack Hobson, Oscar Rincon, Decker Humiston, Alex Osterhaus, Jamie Smith, Jude Alaniz, Jake Schifano, and Jamal Rasulov. Each one pushed through the challenge and crossed that finish line. The boys were coached by (pictured, back row, from left) Coach Matt Alaniz, Coach Christopher Clatt, and (not pictured) Coach Michael Hertlein cheering them on with every stride.
Shining bright
Making their debut this spring on the volleyball court were the fourthgrade Supernovas volleyball team, a Spring Branch-Memorial Sports Association volleyball team. Their teachers from Rummel Creek Elementary came to cheer them on at a game. The players lit up the court this season with powerful serves and smiles, learning the game along the way. Each one was a force to be reckoned with. From their first practice to their final match, the Supernovas proved that teamwork, determination, and a little fun go a long way. They are excited to return next year as fifth graders. The girls included (pictured, from left) Penny Lamb, Kennedy Swilling, Elin Hiller, Lucero Forero, Wynn Caddell, Avery Koy, Cora Hewitt, Korie Rollo, Kelsey Tan, Claire Smith, Piper Esslinger, and (teachers, from left) Caroline Harger, Kyndall Dupre, Stacy Foster, and Denise Adams
Editor’s note: Send your best high-resolution photos and behind-the-scenes stories about young local athletes, in both team and individual sports, to SportzBuzz, Jr. at info@thebuzzmagazines.com. Include all contact info, names, ages, grades and schools. Featured athletes must live in Buzz-circulation neighborhoods. Items will be published on a space-available basis.
by Isabella Charlotte Arlt, age 17
Buzz Kidz
NLIFE-SAVING, LIFE-CHANGING Isabella Charlotte Arlt, a junior at St. Agnes Academy, was diagnosed with liver failure at age 15. Receiving a liver transplant saved her life. Now, she is working to honor the donor’s legacy by sharing her story and advocating for organ donation.
How a liver transplant transformed my life and mission
early two years ago, I was like any other high schooler – playing soccer and field hockey, tackling freshman year, and looking forward to my 15th birthday. I pictured a day filled with cake, selfies, and friends. Instead, I was hit with something I never saw coming: a diagnosis of liver failure. In an instant, my world flipped upside down.
The days that followed were filled with an abundance of tests and procedures and endless, agonizing waiting. There were dark moments –unimaginable fears that entered my mind. Ironically, at the darkest moment is when I realized I was not alone. As I lay in pain, I was surrounded by overwhelming support. No matter the time or the day, someone was there to support me. The beauty was that I did not need to
look further than to my family, friends, and the amazing team at Texas Children’s Hospital. This served as my arsenal of hope. I was lifted by the optimism conveyed by this support group. After what felt like three years but was only three weeks, I heard the two words that would unburden me: Liver Transplant.
Someone who I’d never meet was about to selflessly save my life. This profound act of kindness inspired me to embrace a greater purpose: Raising awareness about organ donation and fostering a deeper sense of empathy that transforms others.
Organ donation is far from a mere medical procedure. It is the consummate act of generosity. I am here today because of an organ donor. I will never be able to thank the person who gave me the ultimate gift, but I am committed to honoring
her legacy by making my mission to raise awareness about organ donation.
To be named the 2025 American Liver Foundation’s Pediatric Liver Champion is a humbling honor. It is a chance to speak for those who cannot do so, and to remind the world of the difference one simple decision can make. Each donor can save up to eight lives. We can help everyone have the chance to have a 16th birthday and many more. Take a moment to register as an organ donor and leave a legacy of compassion and generosity. By giving life, you contribute to a legacy that makes a lasting impact on the world.
Want to be a Buzz Kid? Email approximately 350 words, a high-resolution photo and caption to info@thebuzzmagazines.com.
PETS Neighborhood Tails
Giselle, age 6, Mix, Spring Valley
Hi, I’m Giselle! I was born six years ago at the Fort Bend County Animal Shelter and my mom adopted me from Saving Our Companion Animals (SOCA) shortly after. You may have seen me on rescue missions with my mom, Callie. She likes to take me with her because dogs seem to like me and trust her more when I’m around. I have helped her save many animals in the Spring Branch/Memorial area just by being me. My favorite things to do are wake my brothers up for school, nap, and slip-n-slide (seriously!). When I’m at home during the day, I run security and make sure no one passes by my house without letting them know I’m there. I’m smart, friendly, sweet, and very athletic. No fence is too high for me! We aren’t sure what breed I am, but it doesn’t matter because everyone always tells me how pretty I am. If you happen to see me out and about, come say hello!
Got a cute critter? Email a picture of your pet with approximately 150 words to info@thebuzzmagazines.com or mail it to The Buzz Magazines, 5001 Bissonnet, Suite 100, Bellaire, Texas 77401.
Probate and living trusts
Probate in California is so expensive that residents there favor an inter vivos revocable trust, a “living trust,” rather than a will as their primary dispositive instrument. Their goal is to avoid probate by using the trust and maybe beneficiary designations to transfer title on death without a court order. Probate in Texas is so much cheaper that Texans usually embrace probate without trying to avoid it.
Probate of a decedent’s estate begins when the potential executor (named in a will) or administrator (not named in a will) files an application with the clerk of the probate court. A hearing is held within a month, maybe two or three; the judge enters an order approving the application, and the clerk issues “letters,” proving the applicant’s authority to manage the estate. Probate isn’t mandatory, and most families will skip it unless necessary to collect an asset.
In contrast, assets owned by the trustee of a living trust avoid probate on both death and disability. First, sign a trust instrument naming yourself as trustee and beneficiary and include the right to revoke your trust. Second, either title your assets in your own name as trustee now or else designate your successor trustee as the owner on death, e.g., with a beneficiary designation. When death or disability overtakes you, the successor you named signs the form dictated by your trust declaration and immediately replaces you, all without the delay, publicity, or expense of a very public probate court hearing.
When relying on a living trust as the primary dispositive instrument, best practice is to also make a “pour-over” will leaving any probate assets to your
successor trustee. It is very common to be forced to probate because Mom or Dad left just one very large asset out of the living trust. You might inherit something and die before retitling it in trust. You might fail to retitle your LLC membership because no one told you how. The custodian of your favorite investment might refuse to retitle it in trust.
Even if you don’t miss a single asset, probate may still be worth the candle, especially in a larger estate. Texas probate law includes a robust process for dealing with creditor claims that can wipe out otherwise valid debt. The subpoena power that comes with probate is handy for collecting assets, credit reports, statements, and account agreements. Usually, the letters alone that the clerk issues are respected without a subpoena. When trusts are private or an asset is missed, a pour-over will can be a handy tool to invoke the power of a probate court that backs up executors and administrators.
We write wills and go to probate court. Foreign nationals and international families welcome.
Russell W. Hall, Bellaire Probate, Attorneys at Law, 6750 West Loop S. Ste. 920, Bellaire, Texas 77401, 713.662.3853, bellaireprobate.com/blog
. by Angie Frederickson, staff writer
Buzz About Town
Houston’s heroes
Brigitte Kalai, Deborah Duncan, and Alicia Smith (pictured, from left) attended Crime Stoppers of Houston’s 2025 Houston’s Heroes Awards Luncheon. The fundraising event was held at the Royal Sonesta Houston Hotel and proceeds benefit crime prevention and publicsafety programming. Ryan Dumais, Kaleta Johnson, and Whitney Lawson, founding members of the new Young Professionals Board, opened the event with welcoming remarks to supporters. Guests also heard from Crime Stoppers CEO Rania Mankarious and Houston Mayor John Whitmire about the impact Crime
Stoppers has in our city. The Johnny Klevenhagen Award was given to K9 Rocky of the US Marshals Service, by Tena Faust and Tama Lundquist. K9 Rocky, a Belgian Malinois, was recognized for his heroic efforts apprehending the suspect who killed Brazoria County Deputy Sheriff Jesus “Jesse” Vargas in the line of duty.
Rivals unified
Before the Memorial High School Mustangs and Stratford High School Spartans took the field at Rice University’s Reckling Park for the highly anticipated end-of-regular-season baseball game, they put rivalry aside for something bigger. Both teams joined together to pray for Spartans senior captain Blake Barry who was recently diagnosed with aplastic anemia, a rare blood disorder. Barry is undergoing treatment at Texas Children’s Hospital and has had visitors from his team. “Our kids have buzzed their hair and taken trips to the hospital to show their support. I’d say they’ve rallied behind Blake in a way that’s much bigger than baseball,” said Stratford baseball coach Josh Hall. “The Memorial players respect and love Blake just like we do, so the pre-game tribute was a really a player driven act by both teams. The kids wanted to show that we’re united as an entire Spring Branch community behind Blake.” Read more at thebuzzmagazines.com by Todd Freed; search Rivals Unified
Soaring to new heights
Margaret and Stephen Yerkovich (pictured) were among the 550 guests at The Post Oak Hotel to support Communities in Schools of Houston (CIS). The Soaring to New Heights gala raised more than $603,000 to employ schoolbased support managers for at-risk students across Greater Houston. Event chairs Caroline and Will Brown and Virginia and Cramer Williams welcomed guests to the evening that started with a cocktail reception and moved into the ballroom decorated with colorful hot-air balloons. Emcee Lisa Malosky introduced special guest Linda Gale White, former First Lady of Texas. Joseph Patty of Chapelwood United Methodist Church offered the blessing and then Malosky announced gala honoree Jan Redford After the program concluded, guests danced the night away to Houston’s own Klockwork band.
An evening for Texas Exes
Jason and Kisha Itkin, Tara Arnold, Chris Del Conte, and Kurt Arnold
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Quy
Tran
Matt Bennett
Dave Rossman
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(pictured, from left) joined other Longhorn alumni at an event hosted by The University of Texas at Austin’s Texas Exes Houston Chapter. Texas Exes supporters were dressed in burnt-orange casual at River Oaks Country Club to raise funds for Success for Student Scholarships at the event honoring Kisha and Jason Itkin and Tara and Kurt Arnold. Guests posed for photos with UT mascot Bevo before entering the club and enjoyed entertainment from the Longhorn Alumni Band and Spirit Squad – Texas Cheer & Pom. Recent UT grads and scholarship recipients Janelle Chavez and Will Florer shared how the scholarship positively impacted their lives.
Helping children hear
Randy and Leslie Newcomer (pictured) were honored at the Texas Hearing Institute’s Hear
With You! gala. More than 430 supporters attended the record-breaking event at The Post Oak Hotel and raised $1,040,000 to help give
children with hearing loss the opportunity to hear and speak. This was the most successful event in the organization’s 78-year history. Event chairs Claire and David de Roode welcomed guests to the gala that featured a cocktail reception, dinner, auction, and remarks from keynote speaker Rebecca Alexander.
Laughing with Fred Armisen
Sippi Khurana, Fred Armisen, and Ajay Khurana (pictured, from left) were among the 430 guests at The Post Oak Hotel for CHILDREN AT RISK’s Stand Up for Children event. Armisen, Emmy Award-nominated comedian and actor and Grammy-nominated musician, entertained the crowd with comedic bits and live entertainment including singing and playing the drums and guitar. Stand Up for Children was chaired by Suzan and Jeremy Samuels and Beth Wolff and raised more than $360,000 for CHILDREN AT RISK, a nonprofit that advocates for children facing poverty. Local physician Sippi Khurana, M.D. was the event’s community honoree, and her third-grade daughter Seva gave the evening’s invocation.
Supporting our neighbors
The Rev. Dr. Russell Levenson, Laura Levenson, and Michelle Shonbeck (pictured, from left) celebrated the Christian Community Service Center (CCSC) at the 28th annual Azalea Gala. More than 675 friends and supporters joined together at The Post Oak Hotel to honor longtime supporters Laura and The Rev. Dr. Russell Levenson, raising more than $835,000 to expand CCSC’s programming to provide emergency food, (continued on page 60)
David Shutts
Daniel Ortiz
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financial assistance, and vocational training to people in the community. CCSC Board Chair Jeanie Arnold presented the Levensons with the Azalea Gala 2025 Honoree Award, celebrating their partnership with CCSC and efforts to help those affected by poverty.
Branching out
Trees For Houston’s 2025 Root Ball: Branching Out was a huge success. Larry Meacham and Juli Japhet, and Sheila Condon and Mark Wilson (pictured, from left) were among the more than 440 tree-loving Houstonians who gathered at The Forest Club. Sheila Condon and Juli Japhet chaired the 31st annual Root Ball and welcomed guests down an azalea-lined
path to the party that raised a record-breaking $600,000. Supporters enjoyed dinner on the clay courts that were transformed for the event, along with live piano music from Thomas Cokinos who entertained song requests and singalongs. The evening concluded with guests taking home Bur Oak acorns, a unique party favor symbolizing seeds for future growth.
A celebration of reading
Danny Ward and Nancy Ames (pictured, from left) enjoyed the 31st annual A Celebration of Reading hosted by the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation. Supporters gathered at the Hobby Center on what would have been Mrs. Bush’s 100th birthday and raised $2.6 million to further her efforts for literacy. This year’s program began with a recorded video message by the 66th U.S. Secretary of State, Dr. Condoleezza Rice, followed by Texas A&M University’s Singing Cadets performing The Battle Hymn of the Republic and God Bless America. Celebrity authors Nate Bargatze, H.W. Brands, Kelsey Grammer, and Victoria Christopher Murray took the stage and entertained the nearly 1,300 guests with stories about their experiences as writers. Founder and Chairman of the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Neil Bush announced the launch of the Literary Legacy Society, which will be
Embracing autism
Jason and Sidney Fagan (pictured) enjoyed a country and western-themed evening supporting Avondale House. The fourth annual Embracing Autism Evening: Hear Our Voices was held at River Oaks Country Club with 300 guests who raised more than $300,000 for Avondale House’s efforts to provide education, training, and resources to people living with autism. Event chairs Sidney and Jason Fagan and Crystal and Jean Neustadt, and honorary chairs Emily and Allen Capps and Ashley and Christian Nelly, welcomed supporters to the evening featuring performances by Nashville songwriters Phillip White, Brice Long, and Grady Block
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served by Deborah and Monte Stavis as cochairs and Susan Baker as honorary chair.
Quy Tran
Priscilla Dickson
Daniel Ortiz
Luxe Studio Productions
. by Andria Dilling, staff writer
Back Porch
Let Them: Putting the mantra to work
Have you heard about The Let Them Theory? It’s the title of the motivational podcaster, author, and speaker Mel Robbins’ new book. It’s also the new mantra for millions of people who follow her, and for millions more who are friends of her followers.
If you haven’t heard about it yet, you likely will. It’s hard to get far without someone saying let them, and someone else nodding in agreement. Recently I was playing mahjong in a small room with four tables of players. One person mentioned reading The Let Them Theory, and play at all four tables stopped while we talked over each other about reading the book, listening to the podcast, or putting the theory to work.
The book The Let Them Theory: A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can’t Stop Talking About is a #1 New York Times bestseller and one of Oprah’s best books of 2025. Robbins’ premise: “If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or frustrated with where you are, the problem isn’t you. The problem is the power you give to other people. Two simple words – Let Them – will set you free.” Basically: let them do what they want, say what they will, behave in ways you wouldn’t. Stay in your own lane, don’t judge, and refuse to be judged.
That simple mantra – let them – has made Robbins more of a household name than she already was. Her previous book The 5 Second Rule prompts followers to get up and out of bed within five seconds of their alarm beeping. And The High 5 Habit espouses that by giving yourself a high-five in the mirror every morning, your outlook will improve.
Neither could hurt, but I can’t get behind high-fiving myself in the mirror every day, or even popping out of bed without hitting snooze. But let them do whatever works.
One friend heard about the book while on vacation with several couples, all of whom were discussing the concept. “It’s a simple read, and it just frees you from having to worry about what someone else thinks of you,” she says. “Some of us humans can obsess over whether somebody likes us, or what they think about us, or whether we are being judged. I think we all do that.
“It is really what people need, with all the political turmoil and people not getting along. Let them vote for who they want, agree to dis-
agree, and we’re moving on. Wouldn’t it be great for third graders to learn how to say let them?”
But even as we all strive to let them be, The Let Them Theory has stirred up its own controversy. Cassie Phillips, a Virginia mother and author, wrote a poem entitled Let Them when her military husband returned from the Middle East several years ago. She had been struggling with depression and began living by the concept of let them, which she says saved her. The poem (much abbreviated) includes:
Just Let them.
If they want to choose something or someone over you, LET THEM…
…Let them show you who they truly are, not tell you…
…Let them have a safe place in you.
Let them see the heart in you that didn’t harden. Let them love you.
It went viral on social media, and Phillips tattooed her arm with “Let them” in her own handwriting. Three years later, Robbins published her Let Them Theory book, which she says she was inspired to write when her daughter pointed out
that Robbins was micro-managing her son’s prom night. Her daughter Sawyer, a co-author of the book, said, “Mom, if Oakley and his friends want to go to a taco bar for pre-prom, LET THEM. It’s their prom. Not yours.”
Now there’s let them merch, and a copycat The Art of Letting Them book by “Cassandra Philips” (note the absence of an extra “L” in “Philips”), and numerous Substack articles about plagiarism (one entitled “Let me plagiarize”). Whose idea was it?
To those who say Robbins capitalized on a concept that has been around at least since Phillips’ poem, and probably for ages, my friend says, “I’m just glad she brought it to the forefront, whether or not it’s a new concept. She put it on the map, and it’s helping people.”
It’s also spinning off into late-night comedy territory. Actor Becca Bastos has dressed up in a wig and posted videos impersonating Robbins: “So your husband of 18 years met a woman on a work trip and got her pregnant. Let them. Let the baby be ugly.”
I bet Robbins and Phillips both are having to put those let them mantras to work now.
LETTING GO The Let Them Theory, according to Mel Robbins, began when her son wanted pre-prom tacos and she thought he should be going to a nice dinner. Mel’s daughter Sawyer, a co-author of the book, said, “Mom, if Oakley and his friends want to go to a taco bar for pre-prom, LET THEM. It’s their prom. Not yours.”
