THE MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI, PARENTS, AND FRIENDS | SUMMER 2026
THE BLAKE CENTER
at the heart of innovation
(and our campus)
BRINGING COMMUNITY TOGETHER IN THE CENTER OF CAMPUS
The new Historic Quad, nestled in the heart of campus, connects Pressly Hall and The Blake Center– the School’s oldest and newest buildings–creating a community space for all. On Friday, April 17, the entire School community gathered on the Quad to honor and celebrate President Keith Evans upon his retirement.
FUELING THE EXPERIENCES SHAPING TOMORROW’S LEADERS The Blake Center is advancing how Westminster students connect, learn, and lead. Inside new and reimagined spaces, The Westminster Fund fuels the experiences that empower students and teachers to create and innovate every day. The impact of your support lives in the daily opportunities for our students: moments that spark curiosity, encourage creativity, build confidence, and prepare them to lead lives of purpose.
Make your gift by visiting westminster.net/giving or scanning this QR code
SUMMER 2026
CONTENTS
CONTRIBUTORS
FEATURES
Executive Editors Liz Ball Emilie Henry Managing Editors Jenifer Cooper Tracy Lott Art Direction & Design Jenifer Cooper Production Manager Marisa Crissey Editorial Staff Annie Kaser Landon Rowe Contributors President Jay Rainey Erin Dentmon Pamela Nye Caroline Rawls Strumph ’08 Macy White Regina Wood
18
Design Green Gate Marketing
The Blake Center and Westminster’s New Era of Innovation
Photography Claire Abel Clyde Click Jenifer Cooper Annie Kaser Landon Rowe Paul Ward Student, faculty, staff, and parent photographers The Lewis H. Beck Archives at Westminster
The Blake Center, Westminster’s new home for innovation that opened in January 2026, has transformed the School, leading to a new era of opportunity for students–one of greater connection and collaboration. Situated at the heart of campus, The Blake Center is changing how Wildcats learn, teach, and connect.
DEPARTMENTS
44
Printing Perfect Image
48 Faculty and Staff 50 From the Beck Archives 52 Alumni News 58 Class News
STAY CONNECTED Address comments to Tracy Lott, Director of Marketing and Communications, at tracylott@westminster.net. Submit class news items online at westminster.net/classnews. Change your address or update your contact information online at westminster.net/updateyourinfo.
04 From the President 08 Wildcat Tracks 42 The Westminster Fund 44 Wildcat Den
53 WESTMINSTER | 3
Letter from the President Jay Rainey Westminster embarked on an exciting new chapter this summer. On July 1, Jay Rainey stepped into his role as the School’s sixth president, succeeding Keith Evans, who retired at the end of the 2025-26 academic year. Throughout the coming school year, we look forward to welcoming Jay and his wife Ruth into the Westminster community.
Dear Westminster Community, This summer marks the beginning of my tenure of leadership at Westminster. Ruth and I are grateful to have arrived in Atlanta after so much anticipation. We are now settling in on campus and getting to know the extraordinary people whose character, expertise, and tireless commitment to excellence have so long distinguished Westminster among American independent schools. We are thrilled to be here. Over the past year, I have heard a consistent refrain about Westminster—that it is a place where students, faculty, alumni, and families are collaboratively invested
in shaping the life of the School—and already, even in these early weeks, I have begun to see what such collective dedication looks like in practice. Westminster is anything but quiet during the summer season. Our classrooms, fields, and stages play host to scores of popular camps and other programs, and faculty and staff are busy preparing for the coming academic year. I have had the chance to witness the School in motion—young people hustling between activities, coaches preparing teams for the fall season, teachers organizing curricula and classrooms ahead of August—
“We are honored to begin our Westminster journey in mutual purpose with you.”
Jay touring the campus with Jim Justice, Dean of Curriculum and Academics.
4 | Summer 2026
This past spring, Jay and Ruth had the opportunity to visit the campus before his official arrival—meeting with students, parents, faculty, and staff for several informal discussions and tours.
and time and again I have been struck by the robust warmth and engagement that animate this special place. I have been impressed as well by the reflections shared by so many of you about your time here—the relationships you’ve built, the opportunities you’ve pursued, and the ways that Westminster has shaped you. Taken together, these early encounters reveal a school community that is connected, intentional, and oriented to something greater than our individual selves. When the poet Ovid was banished by Augustus to the shores of the Black Sea, he had no choice but to speak the local language (“I, the Roman bard, am forced to utter most things in Sarmatian fashion!”), and he decried his waning command of Latin as “not the fault of the man, but of the place” (“non hominis culpa, sed ista loci”). After only a few weeks on campus, I can think of no more fitting observation of Westminster’s transformative imprint and impact than the antithesis of Ovid’s sentiment: that the School does not diminish but rather improves the individual it envelops, and that the successes each of us achieve here, and hereafter, are not of the person but of the place—something greater than ourselves indeed. This issue of Westminster Magazine celebrates the opening of The Blake Center. Completed in January and situated at the heart of the Historic Quad, it embodies so many of the qualities I have come to appreciate about this institution. It is a space shaped by the ideas and ambitions of students and faculty alike and designed to fuel the engines of collaboration and innovation that have for so long propelled Westminster forward.
I am mindful that I am entering a story already filled with inspiring characters, replete with absorbing plotlines, and rich with meaning. Westminster’s history has been defined by thoughtful leadership and steady stewardship, and its growth and prosperity over the course of that history are a credit to those who have believed in its mission and invested in its future. As we embark on the 2026-27 school year and the 75th anniversary of Westminster’s founding, there will be opportunities to reflect on that legacy—on the phenomenal success of the Lead On Campaign, the extraordinary campus transformation it has made possible, and the chapter that comes next. My part is not to change but to sustain this compelling narrative. So much of the story remains to be told. For now, I simply want to express my gratitude. Thank you for the warmth of your welcome—for the conversations, introductions, and countless small gestures that have already left a lasting impression. And if Ruth and I haven’t had the chance to meet you yet, well, don’t be a stranger! The President’s House and Pressly Hall are right where they’ve always been. We are so grateful to have joined such a vibrant, joyful, and resolute school community. We are honored to begin our Westminster journey in mutual purpose with you.
Jay Rainey President
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WESTMINSTER
ADMINISTRATION Jay Rainey President Toni Boyd Vice President for Finance and Operations Frank Brown ’04 Director of DEI and Community Engagement Lauren DuPriest Head of Lower School Emilie Henry Vice President for Institutional Advancement Jim Justice Dean of Academics and Curriculum Leslie Ann Little Head of Middle School
J. Donald Childress David D. Cummings Walter M. Deriso III Clare H. Draper IV Rand Glenn Hagen ’95 F. Sheffield Hale ’78 Angela Hsu Ira L. Jackson ’83 Joia M. Johnson ’77 Suja Katarya Jenny Pocalyko Latz ’91 William L. Levine ’88 Richard V. McPhail III Allison Bolch Moran ’86 R. Brand Morgan ’94 R. Davis Noell Leslie D. Patterson Jonathan D. Rodbell ’90 William P. Stengel II Alexander C. Taylor Sarah Hawkins Warren ’00 D. Scott Weimer Warren C. Wick II
Marjorie Mitchell Williams ’82 Head of Enrollment Management
PRESIDENT
Danette Morton Executive Director, Center for Teaching
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION REPRESENTATIVE
Thad Persons ’88 Dean of Faculty Chanley Small ’87 Head of Upper School Shannon Soares Director of Athletics 2026-27 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Floyd C. Newton III ’73, Chair Dana Weeks Ugwonali, Vice Chair Marilyn S. Black Elizabeth Kilcullen Blake Javan T. Bunch ’81 Mahnaz R. Charania
Jay Rainey
Caroline Rawls Strumph ’08 EMERITUS TRUSTEES Claire L. Arnold Betsy Barge ’69 Lisa Borders ’75 James E. Bostic Jr. Henry L. Bowden Jr. ’67 Rosalind G. Brewer Peter M. Candler ’60 Samuel G. Candler Nelson C. Chu William Clarkson IV Richard W. Courts II ’55 Ann Draughon Cousins Suzanne LeCraw Cox ’71 F. T. Davis Jr. ’56
Winifred S. Davis ’57 Harold A. Dawson Jr. ’82 Michael J. Egan ’74 W. Douglas Ellis Jr. Dorsey D. Farr ’90 J. Rex Fuqua Lillian Cousins Giornelli ’78 Thomas K. Glenn II ’65 Henry W. Grady III ’80 Allen S. Hardin Scott D. Hawkins Douglas J. Hertz ’70 Thomas D. Hills ’62 Ronald P. Hogan Barbara Benson Howell L. Phillip Humann M. Hill Jeffries Jr. ’73 Katharine W. Kelley ’82 James C. Kennedy E. Cody Laird Jr. J. Hicks Lanier ’58 Stephen S. Lanier ’96 Janet M. Lavine William H. Linginfelter David M. Love ’90 Dennis M. Love ’74 James E. Love III ’75 Carolyn Cody McClatchey ’65 Lisa Olivetti McGahan Terence F. McGuirk Joel T. Murphy ’76 John F. Oglesby ’79 Rahul Patel William T. Plybon Olga Goizueta Rawls ’73 Kelly A. Regal Margaret Conant Reiser ’73 B. Clayton Rolader ’72 Louise Scott Sams ’75 S. Stephen Selig ’61 Alana J. Shepherd NAPS ’47 Jeffrey P. Small Jr. ’85 C. Austin Stephens ’93 Andrew M. Taylor ’79 L. Barry Teague Lucy Carpenter Vance ’61 Charles W. Wickliffe III ’85 George B. Wirth
This listing reflects Westminster’s leadership during the 2026-27 academic year.
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Wildcat Tracks
In true Wildcat fashion, students across all divisions seized every opportunity to savor the fall 2025 semester, diving deep into their studies, travels, and artistic endeavors. From the classroom to the stage, Wildcats excelled as they explored every inch of campus and corner of Atlanta, earning accolades and forming friendships along the way.
Cats Back on Campus After a summer of rest, relaxation, travel, and personal pursuits, Wildcats received a warm welcome back to campus for the 2025-26 school year with a week of exciting events to connect with new and familiar faces. From Love Hall’s Pre-First Popsicle Party to Blessing of the Backpacks, campus buzzed with excitement and activity. At the entrance of campus, seniors celebrated the start of their last year as Westminster students, holding posters and cheering together as cars entered the gates. The following week, the Class of 2026 gathered in front of Barge Commons for the annual Senior Supper, a dinner for connecting with classmates and rejoicing in anticipation of the year ahead.
8 | Summer 2026
WILDCAT TRACKS
El Mes de la Música Wildcats marched to the beat of Hispanic music all September long as they embraced traditional Mexican and Spanish song and dance at division-wide assemblies in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. In McCain Chapel, México en el Corazón brought 65 musicians, dancers, and performers to share Mexican traditions from Guanajuato, Yucatán, Jalisco, and beyond with the Westminster Upper School community. Across campus, Love Hall students received a special visit from Spanish gaucho dancers, while parents, Upper School students, and teachers taught them about unique Hispanic culture and traditions from their respective countries of origin.
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WILDCAT TRACKS
National Merit Semifinalists In fall 2025, 38 Westminster seniors earned National Merit Semifinalist status, an honor claimed by only the top one percent of PSAT/NMSQT test takers. This year was the highest statewide cut-off score in the test’s history, marking an exceptional performance for our National Merit Semifinalists. Scan the QR code to view the full list of Westminster’s National Merit Semifinalists.
Turning on the Wildcat Pride On Friday, October 3, 2025, the Westminster community turned green with Wildcat pride for the annual Pigskin Picnic and Pep Rally. During the day, students from all three divisions gathered in Turner Gymnasium to cheer, dance, chant, and celebrate the accomplishments of the fall sports teams with their peers. Later that evening, the Westminster community gathered on Murphy Plaza for food, fun, and festivities before heading to Alfred E. Thompson Stadium to watch the Varsity Football team take on Cambridge High School.
WILDCAT TRACKS
Kicking Off Co-Curriculars Wildcats kicked off the school year by launching into myriad clubs and co-curriculars that foster learning and play. Scattering around campus from the courts to the library, Middle School students celebrated their first week of clubs with table tennis, knitting, Taylor Swift, and more. Meanwhile, Upper School students perused their options at the annual co-curricular fair held outside Barge Commons. Strolling the walkway from Barge Commons to Pressly Hall, ninth through twelfth graders explored tables representing more than 50 interests and passions.
A Visit from a Violinist Tracy Silverman, a world-famous electric violinist, joined Upper, Middle, and Lower School musicians to share his expertise through interactive workshops and words of encouragement. Exploring everything from alternative technical bowing styles to Tracy’s personal musical background and accolades, Wildcats learned closely alongside Tracy, receiving personalized instruction and feedback to propel them in their musical journeys.
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WILDCAT TRACKS Museum of Mythology and History Embodying famous figures from Egypt, Rome, Mount Olympus, and beyond, fifth-grade students brought history and mythology to life at the Ancient Civilizations Parade and Living Museum. Students selected a notable figure to showcase and dressed the part, performing monologues for attendees and sporting historically inspired textiles and accessories from togas to flower crowns and metal armor.
Sounds of the Season The Middle School Band and Middle and Upper School Orchestra celebrated the start of autumn with two separate and enchanting performances held in McCain Chapel. Through string and band compositions, our talented Wildcats filled the air with captivating melodies, highlighting the strength of Westminster’s instrumental programs and the hard work and dedication of students in a memorable fall season of music.
12 | Summer 2026
WILDCAT TRACKS Arts of All Ages Lower, Middle, and Upper School artists filled Barge Commons with color, vibrance, and community for the Barge Commons Art Reception, as they celebrated their works on display. From impressionist paintings to playing card sculptures, the works of the young creatives infused life and personality into the Barge Commons art gallery, adding to the colorful atmosphere of one of campus’ most welcoming spaces. Their work continued to be on display for the duration of the 2025-26 school year.
Witches, Wolves, and Wildcats Wildcats put on their ghostly garb and cute costumes for the annual Halloween parade from Barge Commons to Love Hall. From Rubik’s Cubes to witches to superheroes, pre-first through second-grade students and faculty strutted down the walkway in their Halloween best as friends and family members looked on in support and celebration.
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WILDCAT TRACKS
Cats Take On Kellett The StageCats transformed The Kellett Theatre from an enchanted forest to the Greek Islands, as the Middle School gave an impressive performance of The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood, and the Upper School lit up the stage with the music of Mamma Mia!
The Middle School’s comedic and whimsical rendition of the traditional Robin Hood tale ignited laughter, while the older StageCats transported the audience to the fictional island of Kalokairi through the music of ABBA, engaging dance numbers, and the classic romantic tale.
14 | Summer 2026
WILDCAT TRACKS
The Festival of Lights Wildcats across campus celebrated Diwali, the Festival of Lights, during October and November, sparking The Oglesby Room with energy and excitement. Middle School students lit up the dance floor, as they received a traditional Hindu dance lesson in addition to an educational presentation on the holiday, while the Upper School’s South Asian Affinity Group (SAAG) held a vibrant celebration featuring food, trivia, energetic dances, and fascinating tales from the festival’s origin.
Valiant Veterans in Love Hall Generations gathered in Love Hall’s Taylor Auditorium to celebrate Veterans Day and the courageous men and women who serve our country. Performing honorary songs, students paid homage to servicemen and women while veterans and relatives from several different branches of the U.S. military educated the young Wildcats with stories of their experiences. Students were encouraged to invite their loved ones who served, creating a special morning for connection and gratitude.
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WILDCAT TRACKS
Fourth Grade on the Frontier Heading west without leaving Love Hall, fourth-grade students simulated the Westward Movement, learning about life on the Oregon Trail, as they received updates about their health and quality of life throughout the journey. From baking historically accurate recipes to embroidery, crafts, and journaling about their experiences on the trail, the Wildcats explored the Wild West throughout the fourth-grade hallway.
Out of the following most-liked Instagram posts from the first semester, can you guess which photo took first place? Gary Jones Commons Naming Ceremony
Glenn Early Learning Center Opening
Homecoming King and Queen
16 | Summer 2026
Answer: Homecoming King and Queen
Welcome Back to Campus
Lower School Halloween Parade
WILDCAT TRACKS
Christmas and a Cause In the spirit of giving and spreading holiday cheer, students from all divisions transformed Barge Commons into a holiday gift shop for the annual Alternative Gift Fair, featuring handmade gifts and treats for community members to purchase. With proceeds going to community partners and global charities, the 19th year of this event highlighted the impact of the Westminster community, the Glenn Institute, and the philanthropic spirit of our Wildcats.
Wildcats Making Merry Wildcats embraced song, scripture, and Westminster traditions throughout December, lighting up McCain Chapel with the joy of the season through division-wide services. Lower School students had their annual Christmas Pageant, Upper School students gave a moving performance of Handel’s Messiah, and the Middle School showcased their talents through their annual holiday concert. Retelling the Christmas story through song, scripture, and orchestral compositions, Wildcats spread Christmas cheer to family, friends, and the entire Westminster community.
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By: Erin Dentmon, Westminster Contributor
putting
possibility in the center
THE BLAKE CENTER
Celebrating 10 Years of Campus Transformation
18 | Summer 2026
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20 | Summer 2026
O
n any given afternoon, you can stand on Westminster’s Historic Quad and watch ideas taking shape.
Through a wall of glass, a WCAT broadcast is underway— students adjusting lighting, testing graphics, preparing to go live. Just outside the studio, a classmate delivers a business pitch from the base of the Spanish Steps, pausing as others lean in with questions. Upstairs, a group gathers around a table, sketching and revising a design. Downstairs, a robot is being rebuilt after a test run that didn’t go quite as planned. The work is visible. So is the thinking behind it. The Blake Center, which opened in January 2026 across from Pressly Hall, sits at the physical and symbolic center of a campus that has been steadily transformed over the past decade. As part of Lead On: The Campaign for Westminster, new and reimagined buildings have
reshaped how students experience their school day— where they gather and connect, how they share ideas, and how those ideas come to life. The Blake Center is the final capstone project realized through Lead On, and it brings the core ideals of the campaign into sharp focus. Its glass walls and open sightlines draw students into one another’s work. Its studios, labs, and shared spaces inspire experimentation, iteration, and exchange of perspectives. A project rarely belongs to one discipline, and a first attempt is rarely the last. For many years, students in Robotics, Visual Arts, and WCAT tinkered, iterated, and edited in makeshift spaces across campus—tucked in basements, repurposed closets, and aging classrooms. Now, their pursuits unfold in full view, at the heart of campus life.
Visible by Design The 40,000-square-foot brick and limestone building is designed to be a place for students to see and be seen. Like other recently built and renovated buildings on campus, The Blake Center utilizes glass throughout, allowing views to and from the Quad as well as between classrooms and disciplines. “All that glass cultivates curiosity. So when I’m looking through the glass, I’m
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THE WORK IS VISIBLE. SO IS THE THINKING BEHIND IT.
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The Blake Center’s state-of-the-art broadcast studio and production suite provides a new home for Westminster’s Emmy Award-winning WCAT and StudioW and opens up possibilities for all Upper School students to learn digital storytelling.
thinking, ‘What are they doing?’ And that’s what we want students to do,” explains Toni Boyd, Vice President for Finance and Operations, who oversaw the execution of the School’s campus planning. In place of a traditional lobby or a wall of exterior-facing classrooms, the Spanish Steps, a tiered staircase with integrated seating, provide a striking architectural feature in the front of the building. The staircase itself breaks the barrier between the quad level and the upper floor, and its floor-to-ceiling windows eliminate the barrier between the building and the new Historic Quad. “All of the new spaces are just so open and connected and allow me to see my friends and see what people are doing. It fosters connection, which I really, really enjoy,” says Celeste Roselli ’27, a member of the robotics team. “It’s designed so thoughtfully with the smaller seating areas everywhere, like the Spanish Steps. I’ll be sitting there working, but it’s so open, and everyone can see it, so someone will just come up to me and ask me about what I’m working on.”
Classrooms and labs also feature glass walls, creating open sight lines that inspire students to think more broadly. “It allows cross-pollination of ideas between disciplines. Students who are working to solve robotics problems can see students who are in 3D design and find different ways to solve a problem that they never would have realized before,” says Head of Upper School Dr. Chanley Small ’87. “Being in such close proximity to students from other disciplines, our students are collaborating like never before.” Broadcasting in Broad Daylight Walking in from the Quad, the broadcast studio immediately grabs your attention. Through the studio’s glass walls, you may see WCAT anchors sitting at the desk, recording a broadcast. You may see someone tinkering with the brand-new video background screen or reconfiguring the overhead lighting. You might see a history student working on a video essay, or a member of the StudioW filmmaking program shooting a scene in front of the retractable green screen.
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40,000
Adjacent to the studio, the WCAT team produces broadcasts from a new 1,600-square-foot editing room. The technological capabilities contained here rival college and professional production suites, including technology that will enable live studio broadcasts for the first time. The new production suite will also make group editing easier for WCAT and StudioW. The room is oversized compared to most editing rooms, intentionally leaving space for students to teach their peers. “Going live is a big project to take on. It takes a lot of people, but with the resources that we have, the new cameras and new editing room, we’ll be doing live broadcasts soon, which we couldn’t have done if it weren’t for the new space,” explains Gabbie Cropper ’26, a member of WCAT.
square feet of new space at the heart of campus
THE VISIBILITY OF THE NEW STUDIO PAID DIVIDENDS ALMOST IMMEDIATELY.
The facilities are already inspiring student broadcasters and filmmakers With a floor-to-ceiling video wall, a green screen, and movable furniture, the to try new storytelling techniques. broadcast studio inspires students to experiment with new storytelling techniques. Creative choices that were arduous before have now been made easier thanks to custom track lighting, a floor-to-ceiling video screen behind “Now that we can add a graphic or a the broadcast desk, blackout curtains, a green screen, cycle of images behind us on the video and movable furniture that are all easy to operate. “Now that we can add a graphic or a cycle of images behind us on the video wall, the presenters have to think about that; it’s not just sitting at the desk and talking. There are more components now, and we’re just getting started,” says WCAT faculty advisor Daniel Searl. Beyond the broadcast and filmmaking programs, the studio opens up possibilities for all students to learn digital storytelling, from personal narratives and historical documentaries to instructional content and interactive stories.
24 | Summer 2026
wall, the presenters have to think about that; it’s not just sitting at the desk and talking. There are more components now, and we’re just getting started.”
– Daniel Searl WCAT faculty advisor
The WCAT crew can be seen almost anywhere there’s action happening at Westminster. The student-led
WCAT and
STUDIO W
broadcasting group publishes a weekly news show, covers athletics, broadcasts live from campus events, and produces special content, including alumni interviews and more. WCAT’s YouTube channel includes thousands of videos chronicling student life. StudioW is Westminster’s filmmaking program. Members write and produce short films, including documentaries and scripted fiction. StudioW members created the Westminster Film Festival in the mid-2010s and soon decided they wanted to do more to celebrate student filmmaking beyond Westminster’s gates. Now, StudioW hosts the Atlanta High School Film Festival (AHSFF), screening and judging films in 15 categories from high schoolers across the southern United States. The AHSFF marked its ninth year in 2026. Through the years, both groups have earned NATAS Student Production Award Emmys. In spring 2026, Wildcats took national gold in the following categories: Fiction Short Form (two awards), Live Sporting Event, Promotional Video, Editor, Writer, and Talent–News/Sports.
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“History classes, English classes, and language classes are all learning digital storytelling with access to the studio space. Students might be reenacting something, weighing its meaning on camera, or reporting on it like a news event. All of that is part of a bigger initiative of digital storytelling across all disciplines,” Daniel says. The visibility of the new studio paid dividends almost immediately. In its former location in the basement of Askew Hall, WCAT was a true “hidden gem.” With no walk-by traffic, membership grew almost exclusively through word-of-mouth. Shortly after the opening of The Blake Center, curious students were already popping in to learn. “People see us working in there, and if they want to be a part of it, it’s not hard at all to become a part of it,” Gabbie says. “[Recently] when we were filming news, there was a freshman in there shadowing one of the juniors. He was in the editing room watching what was going on and how the programs for editing and putting together the news work.” With the WCAT studio now front and center in The Blake Center, the storytellers themselves are finally being seen.
(continued on page 31)
Honoring the generosity of the Westminster community, The Blake Center’s main stairwell features lines of binary code with the encoded names of donors who made the building possible.
9
innovation labs
INNOVATION
groups
Innovation spaces across campus are filled with furniture, tools, and equipment to empower students to create. But these facilities truly sing because faculty and student leaders have poured into making innovation happen—even before the facilities matched their ambitions.
Innovation Fellows are juniors and seniors who take an important leadership role as peer guides. Innovation Fellows are trained to operate the more complex equipment in The Blake Center and the Goizueta Catalyst Hub in Hawkins Hall, including laser cutters and disc sanders. These student leaders are chosen from a competitive application process and help run the innovation spaces during their free periods. So, when a history class of 18 students is using the space, faculty are able to concentrate on helping students generate and troubleshoot ideas, while Innovation Fellows expertly run the various machinery. Innovation Fellows feed their own curiosity by carrying out year-long independent projects utilizing the innovation spaces. The Innovation PLC (Professional Learning Community), led by Upper School Visual Arts Chair Ben Steele and Upper School Innovation Coordinator and history teacher Mark Labouchere, advises a new group of Upper School faculty each year about reinvigorating their classes through hands-on, project-based innovation. Faculty across all disciplines participate, sharing ideas for how to teach
important concepts through handson invention rather than relying solely on lectures and memorization. Once students complete the newly designed projects, faculty report back to one another, building on each other’s success. The kind of ambitious, creative spirit that led to these groups forming is the same kind of spirit that inspired The Blake Center, Hawkins Hall, and The Roberto C. Goizueta Center for Innovation.
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4,030
square feet of visual arts and classroom space
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THE BLAKE CENTER IS BEYOND A TRADITIONAL STEM BUILDING, UNIQUELY INCORPORATING THE ARTS THROUGHOUT.
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Westminster’s Visual Arts program invites students to explore their creativity through drawing, painting, ceramics, sculpture, photography, and digital art.
VISUAL
Arts
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This approach helps students develop the creative mindset, artistry, and technical skills to interpret the world and voice their own experiences through art. The visual arts are woven into interdisciplinary experiences, including JanTerm offerings such as Raku Ceramics and the Japanese Tea Ceremony. Advanced Placement offerings, working with visiting artists, and arts-focused travel opportunities provide avenues for deeper exploration.
Art Everywhere The Blake Center is beyond a traditional STEM building, uniquely incorporating the arts throughout. Every floor of The Blake Center includes visual arts classrooms, like the digital design and photography space on the quad level next to WCAT, and the ceramics and 3D art rooms on the lower level. “The fact that visual arts have a presence on each floor speaks to not only our discipline, but also the way that we teach it, and the School’s recognition of that,” says Visual Arts Chair Ben Steele. Atop the Spanish Steps on the upper level of the building, the floorto-ceiling windows offer sweeping views of the Historic Quad. To the right, large glass windows and doors into art studios punctuate walls filled with works in progress. In the classrooms themselves, modular furniture and cabinetry allow students to switch from creating still life images at individual easels to spreading out for large mixed-media projects to coming together for a critique circle. Large windows with blackout curtains, paired with customizable overhead lighting, let art students control the level and angle of lighting as needed. “We went from the basement of Broyles to now having all the light we could ever possibly want in this space. It’s just a creative dream. It’s surreal,” says visual arts teacher Pamela Martinez.
A STUDENT-RUN GALLERY CAPS OFF THE UPPER-LEVEL HALLWAY, OFFERING STUDENTS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT AND PRACTICE CURATING.
“The fact that visual arts have a presence on each floor speaks to not only our discipline, but also the way that we teach it, and the School’s recognition of that.” – Ben Steele Visual Arts Chair
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1,360
square feet dedicated to robotics and engineering
A geometry class (above and right) designed and produced putt-putt trays that second-grade classes had the opportunity to test out on the Historic Quad (below).
Between the two classrooms, an outdoor terrace provides a never-before-seen view of the Westminster community: Clarkson Hall in the foreground, with Love Hall on the hilltop. Likewise, the youngest Wildcats can look down the hill from the front of their building and see the spaces where their ideas will one day come to life. Complementing existing exhibit space in Broyles Arts Center and Barge Commons, a student-run gallery caps off the upper-level hallway, offering students a unique opportunity to learn about and practice curating. “Art was hung all over the Broyles basement, even on the ceiling, but most students never even saw it,” says
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GARAGE DOORS OPEN UP ONTO THE GOIZUETA CATALYST PLAZA, CONNECTING TO THE OUTDOOR SPACE OF THE GOIZUETA MIDDLE SCHOOL CATALYST HUB.
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Connecting creativity with collaboration, the maker spaces feature large garage doors that open directly onto the Goizueta Catalyst Plaza and the outdoor area of the Middle School’s Goizueta Catalyst Hub.
Huntley Hargraves ’27, who hopes to curate an exhibit in the new gallery. “I have been able to explore many different kinds of art at Westminster such as photojournalism, printmaking, and digital design. With The Blake Center now as a resource, I’m super excited to continue building my creativity with others and individually, and to create more art!” Tinkering, Trying, and Saying ‘Yes’ The lower floor of The Blake Center, which sits level with the Goizueta Middle School Catalyst Hub in Clarkson Hall, is where students encounter the spaces and tools that empower them to create from their ideas. The ceramics and 3D art rooms allow ample space both to create and store large artworks. With two maker spaces, a 3D printing and laser cutting room, a wood shop, and a metal shop making up the rest of the
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lower level, these spaces create “productive collisions” between arts and engineering—times that students are inspired by one another’s creative processes, even when dealing with different materials or working toward seemingly unrelated goals. “That proximity allows students to think more creatively and divergently, regardless of what they’re primarily interested in. The building was designed with glass walls and open sightlines so students can literally see into different worlds. This cross-pollination doesn’t just build creativity; it builds community and empathy as students see and appreciate all the different ways people think and make things,” Chanley says. Garage doors open up onto the Goizueta Catalyst Plaza, connecting to the outdoor space of the Middle School’s Goizueta Catalyst Hub.
Every year, the WiredCats design, program, and build an industrial-size robot, then put it to the test in local, state, and national competitions through FIRST Robotics.
ROBOTICS
Having started as a hobby team in 2008, the WiredCats consistently win awards at the district and state levels and have qualified for world championships. Middle School teams have seen similar success, having won three state championships and qualified and competed at the world championships five times since 2020. Students learn leadership through taking responsibility for different “teams” within the team, like design, coding, driving, project management, and business.
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“The building was designed with glass walls and open sightlines so students can literally see into different worlds.” – Dr. Chanley Small ’87 Head of Upper School
10+
informal collaboration spaces
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“In a word, The Blake Center provides more: more tools, more space, more resources, and, in turn, more options,” says Max Schoelle ’26, an Innovation Fellow. “For instance, the Goizueta Catalyst Lab in Hawkins Hall already offers us a few 3D printers and two laser cutters, but The Blake Center contains a room filled with many more 3D printers and two much larger laser cutters.” Max notes that the availability of more and larger tools means less waiting to fabricate 3D elements, and the ability to create on a larger scale. The tools are as freely available as safety will allow. So, the woodshop and metal shop are only open when an adult is present, and students can only use them after going through training. Smaller hand tools, however, are available at all times. “That means anytime someone’s got an idea or a free moment in their day, they’re able to come down here. If they just need to grab a screwdriver or socket set or whatever, it’s there. It’s unlocked, it’s available to them,” says Mitchell Greist, an engineering design teacher.
Like the other innovation spaces on campus, the classrooms within the Goizueta Catalyst Hub are home to a few specific functions (engineering design classes and the Upper School robotics team, in this case), but are assets for the entire division. Faculty and staff continue to introduce hands-on pursuits to students in all disciplines. All students in Physics I (so, every ninth grader) will use The Blake Center’s maker spaces to create projects to display at Physics Field Day. “We have teachers who like to dream big. The Goizueta Catalyst Lab in Hawkins Hall has been an amazing space, and we outgrew its capacity five times over. That’s the beauty of this place— everybody’s got ideas and big dreams, and they want to bring them to life. We’re going to be able to say ‘yes’ to so much more,” Mitchell says.
1,360
square feet dedicated to robotics and engineering
The space, teacher training, and programming that come together on the first floor enhance everyone’s experience in the Upper School. But just like with the broadcast programs, The Blake Center also brings one of Westminster’s most dynamic programs into the light—literally. Room for Robots The WiredCats, Westminster’s robotics team, made its home in a small basement room underneath Clarkson Hall, affectionately known as the RoboDen, for well over a decade. With nonexistent storage space, no windows, and no way to separate the sounds of power tools from conversations about design strategy, the team built and programmed robots that won regional and national competitions. Now, the team makes its home in The Blake Center’s maker spaces, giving them space to spread out, an organized tool system, whiteboards for collaborating, and enough room to practice on a course that mimics those used in competitions.
WESTMINSTER | 37
Westminster’s campus was purposely designed around a quad, inspired in part by the University of Virginia. Historically, the grassy area between Westminster’s
HISTORIC
Quad
main academic buildings has been home to important traditions like Commencement and prom, as well as the site of many of the day-today interactions that create community. Parts of the School’s original Quad had a steep grade, making the area difficult to navigate during community gatherings. In an effort to establish a more welcoming and accommodating space in the heart of campus, 1,800 truckloads of dirt—enough to fill up 228 swimming pools–-were brought in to create a level green space for the School’s quintessential gathering spot. Students, faculty, alumni, and guests once had to traverse hills and stairs to move between buildings. Now, a flatter landscape puts Pressly Hall and The Blake Center on a more even plane and expands the Quad’s role as a community space. In fact, the grassy area can now accommodate gatherings for the entire student population! The first all-school gathering on the reimagined Quad, held in late April, was a fitting tribute to President Keith Evans upon his retirement.
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“In the RoboDen, we did not have any room for the field,* which was a pretty big piece of carpet with all the field elements, all the goals we have to shoot into,” says Tommy Weng ’27, a member of the robotics team. “We’d have to go into the Middle School, use their big auditorium, and carry out really heavy carpet and the robot [typically weighing about 150 pounds] every time we had to test it.” In addition to the practical improvements, The Blake Center integrates robotics into the life of the School. As Celeste Roselli describes it: “We’re no longer just a team tucked away in a room. We can see that we are part of a larger creative community. It feels like there’s an air of connection instead of being siphoned off into different spaces. I feel that with all of the new buildings I’ve seen rise during my time at Westminster.” Creativity, Connected The Blake Center brings welcome upgrades for the specific programs it houses. But its purpose goes far beyond. Students who may one day invent lifesaving surgical robots benefit from the early exposure to engineering, of course. But so do those who will become teachers, entrepreneurs, and community leaders. “Laser cutting or running a chop saw are not life skills that all Westminster students need to have, but coming up with an idea and creating a plan for how you’re going to physically create that based on the tools and materials available to you, that’s a life skill. Executing that plan, failing somewhere along the way, and then having to iterate on that plan and make it so that it works a little bit better each time—that’s absolutely a life skill,” Mitchell explains.
As a building used by all, The Blake Center puts dynamic learning at the center of campus. “They are creating in more sophisticated ways and imagining what’s possible in The Blake Center. When students go into the wood shop or the metal lab, they’re working with their hands in a way that many of them never have before,” Chanley notes. “And so they are seeing problems and solving problems in different ways, and for the first time, they’re really able to make abstract ideas into physical realities.” Students’ ideas for how to solve these problems don’t always work the first time they design a solution. In fact, they rarely do. But in The Blake Center, the magic is in the trying. As visual arts teacher Michel Reese puts it: “Whether it’s robotics, photography, circuits, or charcoal, the work begins the same way. You try something, it doesn’t quite work. You adjust. You try again. That rhythm—attempt, revision, persistence—is the sound of learning.” Attempt, revise, persist. In The Blake Center, students have the tools, the support, and the opportunities to do just that. It is an incubator for leaders who will solve problems, create with purpose, and bring world-changing ideas to life. “You take young people with the same curiosity and drive to make a difference that Westminster has always had, and you give them these incredible new spaces, tools, and collaborative pathways, and suddenly the possibilities expand exponentially,” Chanley says. “And, then, our students truly ‘Lead On.’”
* The field references the designated, enclosed area where the robots operate and compete.
WESTMINSTER | 39
Celebrating the Philanthropy
THAT INSPIRES US TO LEAD ON The new Blake Center recognizes the generosity of Liz and Frank Blake, devoted champions of Westminster and its commitment to innovation. Their belief in the potential of our students and the power of innovation served as an inspiration to our entire community. On Wednesday, March 11, the Blakes, along with the many leadership supporters of Lead On: The Campaign for Westminster, gathered on the Historic Quad to celebrate the opening of The Blake Center and the culmination of a vision nearly a decade in the making. The event was a powerful tribute to the leadership, generosity, and belief in Westminster that have ushered in a new era for our campus, empowering students to pursue even bigger dreams. Marking both the grand opening of our new home for innovation and a celebration of the Lead On Campaign, the evening served as a tangible example of our shared purpose, collective imagination, and a community willing to invest in ideas that matter. Guests experienced a glimpse of the impact of their philanthropy through a series of interactive activations showcasing The Blake Center’s state-of-the-art facilities. In the maker labs, broadcast studio, and art labs, teachers and students guided donors through hands-on projects, bridging the gap between philanthropic vision and daily academic life. The power of generosity was also felt through the voices of people who have experienced The Blake Center’s immediate impact on our campus firsthand.
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“Because of your generosity, students like me get to walk into spaces like this and believe that our ideas are worth building. We get to try things that may not work. We get to stay curious for longer. We get to take ownership of something bigger than ourselves,” said Celeste Roselli ’27, a member of the robotics team since sixth grade. Visual arts teacher Michael Reese reminded supporters that The Blake Center makes a powerful statement about creativity: “The Blake Center creates a space for making across disciplines, across skill levels, across interests. When students walk into a space created specifically for making and imagining, they understand that this work counts. The message of this building carries weight.” And Trustee Liz Blake reminded the crowd of the true purpose of The Blake Center and the Lead On Campaign: “The center is not about a name. It’s about Westminster. It’s about the students who will fill these rooms with curiosity and creativity. It’s about the teachers who will inspire and guide them. And it is about ideas that will begin here and travel far beyond this campus to change the world.” Our creative, curious students inspired philanthropy that has transformed our campus. That generosity has shaped a place that, in turn, will inspire further generations of students to carry their ideas into the world.
Learn more about Lead On: The Campaign for Westminster.
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Thank You!
Westminster Fund Volunteers
With heartfelt gratitude, we thank the alumni and parents who volunteer their time and talents in support of The Westminster Fund. Their leadership and enthusiasm, especially during the recordbreaking EveryCat Challenge and the conclusion of the transformative Lead On Campaign, ignite generosity across our community and make a lasting impact on our students and faculty. We are proud to recognize our 2025–26 volunteers, whose dedication, outreach, and belief in Westminster help ensure all Wildcats continue to thrive and lead on.
261
Westminster Fund volunteers
Volunteers across
58
class years
Parent volunteers contacted
1,352
current families
Each volunteer connected with an average of fellow parents or classmates
35
100%
of students benefit from The Westminster Fund annually
We give our time to Westminster because education is a core value for our family. Supporting this community is a shared responsibility, and we believe every voice and hand makes us stronger. — Manu and Gayathri Diwakar P ’37
When I came to Westminster, I joined more than just a school; I joined a family and community. The values and knowledge instilled in me by Westminster taught me the importance of giving back. As an alumnus, stewardship of the ‘Westminster Way’ is a top priority. I strive to provide the same or better experience to future Westminster alumni, whether it be through financial contributions, volunteering, or mentorship. — J.Edward Robinette ’20
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THE WESTMINSTER FUND
Volunteer leaders and staff welcomed new families at The Westminster Difference event in August 2025. The evening highlighted how many of Westminster’s exceptional experiences are made possible through the generosity of our community, helping new families understand the vital role philanthropy plays in sustaining the Westminster difference. Left to right: Alumni Giving Chair Zibby Stokes Doob ’99; Vice President for Institutional Advancement Emilie Henry; Parent Giving Chair-Elect Ronnie Mabra; Senior Director of Admissions Wendy Sheats; and Parent Giving Chair Carolyn Patterson.
Jana Dopson Illston ’00 Katherine Thomas Jacques ’00 Campaign Leadership Lee Peifer ’00 Davis Noell Ellen Richter ’00 Trustee Chair Will Andrews ’04 Zibby Stokes Doob ’99 Harrison Anthony ’04 Alumni Giving Chair Mark Kaufman ’04 Carolyn and Joe Patterson Katie Grien Littman ’05 Parent Giving Chairs Stephanie Newton Bedard ’07 Ronnie and Dawn Mabra Steven Menendez ’07 Parent Giving Chairs-Elect Blake Culberson ’09 Caroline McKinley Westphal ’09 Susan and Scott Hawkins Grandparent Giving Chairs Caroline Gwynn Monagle ’10 Katie Boyd Grondines ’14 Alumni Volunteers Mallie Egan ’15 Leadership Giving Committee Jimmy Balloun ’17 Palmer DuBose Strickler ’75 Richard Spencer ’19 Henry Grady ’80 Mary Louise Rogers ’20 Rob McDonough ’80 Emily Levy Heimermann ’94 Parent Volunteers Jason Chambers ’95 Leadership Giving Committee Mary Dickinson Trammell ’95 Angela Ulrich and David Spencer Boice ’00 Abraham P ’36 Daisy Kraft Starr ’00 Naga Meduri and Sivi Palmer Dobbs ’03 Bakthavachalam P ’30, ’31 Alex Bartko ’04 Shelly and Jason Cropper P ’26 Henry Bowden ’04 Jana and Adam Fleming P ’33, ’34 Laura Dopson Almquist ’05 Amy and Jay Harrison P ’31 Lawson Anderson ’05 Denise and Vern ’80 Hendrix P ’27 Nick Harper ’05 DeAnna and Gene Kansas P ’33 Franklin Sacha ’08 Katie and Chris Kirtley P ’29 Stephen Shepherd Jr. ’08 Madison ’00 and Ahra Sallie McSwain Stinnett ’08 Kitchens P ’35 Grey Notermann ’12 Jessica Pardi and Bobby Nigel Walker ’13 Lanier P ’27 Jorie Moran ’15 Benton Routh P ’26 J.Edward Robinette ’20 Caroline Wainright and Colby ’93 Schwartz P ’30, ’32 Class Agents Amy and Rob Sherrell P ’33 Mary Beth Farr Hutchison ’92 Julia ’91 and Steve Smith P ’27 William Kitchens ’97 Jenny and Bryan Stewart P ’27, ’30 Niki Walker McCann ’97 Nathan Kitchens ’98 Class Callers Esther Hong Kulp ’99 Class of 2026 King Davidson ’00 Shelly and Jason Cropper Ben Hill ’00 (Grade Chairs)
Dana ’93 and Tres ’94 Carpenter Benton Routh
Class of 2027 Ashley and Shawn Hall (Grade Chairs) Millar ’89 and Matt Freeman Nancy Liu and Drew Yao
Class of 2028 Mary Susan and John Wheeler (Grade Chairs) Precious Anderson Liz and Josh Ball Lisa and Lance Berry Erica and David Cummings Anne Park ’95 and Matt Hopkins Betsy and Geoff Meacham Melissa and Allen ’87 Moseley
Class of 2029 Maggie and Michael ’91 Wallace (Grade Chairs) Wei Lin and Wenlin Huang Deanna and Marvin Shoyoye Todd and Nina Sprinkle Mary Susan and John ’90 Wheeler
Class of 2030 Naga Meduri and Sivi Bakthavachalam (Grade Chairs) Andrew and Stacey Evans Mya and Calvin King Stacy Sanders Nathan Hartman and Christopher Sipes
Class of 2031 Cinda ’90 and Mark ’91 Boomershine (Grade Chairs) Libby and Brooks ’99 Barge Isioma and Chukwuka Okwumabua Susan ’99 and David Reynolds
Class of 2032 Bunmi Akinmowo Flora and Gilbert Gitiche
Class of 2033 Emily and Rene Sauerteig (Grade Chairs) Bliss and Blake Campbell Maria and Juan Carlos Martinez Mary Riddick Stallworth and William Stallworth Sophia Deng and Alex Xu
Class of 2034 Ginny and Nathan Borghi (Grade Chairs) Taylor ’02 and Michael ’02 Butkus Ruchi and Trushar Dungarani Carolyn and Marcus Gates Jessie ’99 and Clinton ’99 McKellar Shannon and Jeff ’91 Sugarman Christina and Bryan West Jennifer and Sam Wilson
Class of 2035 Courtney and Neale Nickels (Grade Chairs)
Class of 2036 Laura and Bronson ’98 Smith (Grade Chairs) Sineet and ChiChi Berhane Shipla and Adam Israelov
Class of 2037 Afia and Ernest Smith (Grade Chairs) Manu and Gayathri Diwakar Sarah Sun and Jason Li Dee Taylor Elaine Kim and Jordan Waters Amelia and Milton Wilkes Daisy Yu and Junda Zhu
Class of 2038 Jana ’02 and James Illston Elizabeth and Sandeep Murthy Dhana and Josh Wolfort
WESTMINSTER | 43
FALL SPORTS 2025 Varsity Boys Cross Country Varsity Boys Cross Country dominated the 2025 season, sweeping the Sectional 2, Region 6, and 4A State Championships, while racking up individual medals along the way. At the Wingfoot XC Classic, the team captured the meet title and the prestigious Wingfoot Cup, earning the lowest cumulative team time. Individually, Jacob Jacquot ’26 led the pack as the Region 6 and Sectional 2 Champion, earning 4A All-State and First Team All-City honors. Aydin Damji ’26, Rohan Gazula ’26, and Harris Healy ’26 secured All-Region and All-City honors, while Ellis O’Brien ’29 earned an All-City Honorable Mention. Jacob and Rohan will take their talents to the Ivy League this fall, with Jacob attending Brown University and Rohan attending Columbia University.
Varsity Girls Cross Country From the opening gun to the 4A State Championship, Westminster Varsity Girls Cross Country led the pack this season. The Wildcats swept titles at the Wire2Wire and North Oconee invitationals before claiming the Region 6 and 4A Sectional crowns. The TrailCats also captured the Wingfoot XC Classic meet title and the prestigious Wingfoot Cup. Led by captains Taylor Walstad ’26, Bethany Chern ’26, and Colby Frieden ’26, the roster’s depth was reflected in All-City honors spanning from the senior to the freshman class. Individually, Caroline deButts ’28 paced the Wildcats with All-Metro Third Team honors and a First Team All-City selection alongside Jane Kiely ’28. Elizabeth Rogers ’27 and Luca Plyler ’27 earned Second Team nods, while Finley Braintwain ’29 and Taylor received Honorable Mentions to round out an elite postseason.
Varsity Softball The BatCats showed their strength in 2025, securing a hard-fought third-place finish in one of the state’s most grueling regions thanks to the veteran leadership of captains Adelaide Banks ’26, Mckenna Bekkers ’26, and Townsend Post ’26. Adelaide reached a major career milestone, surpassing her 300th strikeout and finishing the season with 381—the third-highest total in School history. The team was also recognized at the regional level: Addison Tsang ’27 earned First Team All-Region honors, while Adelaide, McKenna Bekkers, and Kate McDonald ’26 secured Second Team All-Region honors. In a meaningful tribute to McKenna’s family legacy as a secondgeneration BatCat, the MVP Wildcat Award was officially renamed the Bekkers Family Wildcat Award, which was presented to Adelaide and McKenna.
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Varsity Football Under the leadership of new head coach Nelson Stewart and team captains Clark Jordan ’26, Chase Marable ’26, and Jack deButts ’26, Varsity Football stormed into the season, clinching back-to-back wins against Lovett and Pace Academy to open with a 2–0 record. While the early victories set the tone, the remainder of the season showcased the team’s grit and growth. This development translated into individual postseason recognition: Clark and Aditya Kaul ’26 secured First Team AllRegion honors, while Jack, Chase, and Luke Smith ’26 earned Second Team selections. Honorable Mention recognition went to Will Barton ’26, Jayden Desnoyer ’26, Harris Farr ’26, Will Davis ’26, Drew Scott ’26, Vikas Reddy ’26, and Drew Hill ’26.
Varsity Volleyball The VolleyCats set, served, and spiked their way through an outstanding season this past fall, culminating in an impressive performance at the 4A Semifinals and a 37-11 overall record. In addition to the team’s collective success, several players earned individual recognition. Toni Odujebe ’27, Ashley Adams ’26, Sophia Bonadies ’27, and Munday Tyrone ’27 were named First Team All-Region. Ashley and Toni also earned All-State honors, with Toni being named AllRegion Offensive Player of the Year. Toni and Ashley have committed to continuing their volleyball careers this fall at Brown University and Rhodes College respectively.
WINTER SPORTS 2026 Varsity Boys Basketball The HoopCats excelled on the court this year, opening the season with a remarkable 16-game winning streak, including upset wins over state-ranked teams, and finishing with an impressive 21–4 overall record. Two standout athletes, Zade Elshihabi ’26 and Nico Searl ’26, both eclipsed the 1,000-point career scoring mark along the way. Zade now holds the School’s 21stcentury records for total points and career three-pointers, while Nico ranks second in career triples and stands among the program’s all-time leaders in assists. The team’s success at the individual level reflected its depth, as Zade, Nico, Conrad Ogden ’27, and Caleb Patterson ’26 earned All-Region honors. Looking ahead, two HoopCats will continue their careers at the collegiate level: Zade will attend Washington and Lee University, and Nico will join the team at Emory University.
Varsity Girls Basketball In a season marked by growth and consistency, Varsity Girls Basketball racked up 19 victories and a second-place regional finish, advancing to the state tournament. An important milestone for the HoopCats was a collective trip to Charleston, where they captured three victories at the Carolina Invitational and strengthened their team chemistry. Beyond their outstanding teamwork, several players received individual honors: Julia Stallworth ’26 earned First Team All-Region recognition for her standout play, while Sophia Israel ’26 was named Second Team All-Region, and Addison Tsang ’27 received Honorable Mention. Julia will take her hoops skills to Rhodes College this fall.
WESTMINSTER | 45
Varsity Boys Swimming and Diving The Varsity Boys Swimming and Diving team made a splash in the 4A division, winning races, setting school records, breaking personal bests, and capping off the season as Region and Metro meet champs. Leading the charge was standout swimmer Connor Christopherson ’27, a Stanford commit and double-event state winner who clocked All-American times in both the 50-meter freestyle (19.68) and 500-meter freestyle (4:26.73) and shattered four school records. Joining him in the record books was Max Rodbell ’26, who claimed a state title and a new school record in the 100-meter backstroke (49.32). Two relay teams dominated the lanes; Eric Jiang ’27, Chase Myers ’26, Darrel Xiao ’28, and Connor captured the State Title in the 200-meter freestyle relay, and the 400-meter freestyle relay team (Eric, Chase, Darrel, and Connor) set a new school record and secured third at state.
Varsity Girls Swimming and Diving Varsity Girls Swimming and Diving showcased incredible talent from the blocks to the diving board. Reid Adams ’29 put her skills on display her debut year, capturing the State title in 1-meter diving with 497.60 points, an All-American qualification, and a prestigious nomination for Georgia’s Diver of the Year. In the lanes, the team’s veteran leadership was on full display. Greta Myers ’26 dominated the distance events, earning first place and All-American qualification times in the state 500-meter freestyle (4:52.92) and second in the 200-meter freestyle. Greta, who also achieved All-American marks in the 100-meter freestyle and 100-meter butterfly, will continue her swim career at Princeton University, while fellow senior Ansley Sgrosso ’26, who finished second at State in the 100-meter freestyle and fifth in the 50-meter freestyle, will swim for Georgetown University.
Varsity Boys Squash The Boys SquashCats dominated the court at the national level, sweeping victories at the Division IV High School Nationals. They led a series of upsets, defeating the fifth, sixth, and eighth-seeded teams. This stellar performance marked the third-highest squash Nationals finish in School history.
Varsity Girls Squash The Girls SquashCats earned big respect at the Division IV High School Nationals, defeating the fourth- and eighth-seeded teams. The squad earned sixth place at the tournament–the fourth-highest Nationals finish in Westminster Varsity Girls Squash history.
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WILDCAT DEN Varsity Wrestling The MatCats were a powerhouse this year, finishing second in the region and securing their second consecutive trip to the Team State Tournament with a 16-10 dual meet record. Captain Jackson Bailey ’26 led the charge, capping his career with a 48-7 season and as a four-time state qualifier, two-time state medalist, and two-time Jimmy Funk Outstanding Wrestler Award winner. Three other state qualifiers, Clayton Clemmons ’26, Luca Bellman ’28, and Griggs Mealor ’29, joined Jackson in the postseason spotlight. Clayton displayed impressive versatility, racking up 27 wins as he competed across the 175, 190, and 215-pound weight classes. Lowerclassman Luca and standout freshman Griggs, both earned their spot on the state stage, signaling a bright future for the Varsity Wrestling team.
Varsity Cheerleading The CheerCats brought unwavering energy to the sidelines this year as they cheered on the HoopCats and Varsity Football teams to victory. Beyond Turner Gymnasium and Kent Field performances, the team traveled to State Farm Arena to perform at an Atlanta Hawks game that raised support for the Christopher Rascoe Memorial Fund at Westminster. On campus, the CheerCats connected with our smallest Wildcats and the broader Westminster community. From spirited performances in Taylor Auditorium to welcoming students during Lower School carpool alongside the basketball teams, the CheerCats served as ambassadors of school spirit. The team also cheered at the annual Play4Kay, raising more than $1,200 for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and breast cancer research through their bake sale.
BEYOND THE COURT:
HOOPCATS EN ESPAÑA
In June of 2025, the HoopCats traveled across the Atlantic for a series of exhibition games and cultural immersion in Spain. The team faced high school opponents in Bilbao, Madrid, and Malaga and engaged with local community members, hosting a basketball camp for more than 150 elementary school students in Bilbao. Between games, the student-athletes delved into the unique culture of the Spanish cities, exploring architecture, navigating the local food scene, learning
traditional dances, and bonding with their teammates along the way. The team relished in the region’s natural beauty and historical sites, visiting Burgos Cathedral, Palacio Real Madrid, La Alhambra Granada, El Teatro Romano de Málaga, and other landmarks. The HoopCats returned to Turner Gymnasium with a broader global perspective and a strengthened foundation for a successful upcoming season.
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Catching Up with Retired Faculty Jane Armstrong
A Writer with a Heart for Westminster As she embarks on her own retirement, “Catching Up with Retired Faculty” contributor Jane Armstrong reflects on 12 years of helping Wildcats stay connected. By Erin Dentmon, Westminster Contributor Jane Lauderdale Armstrong ’74 has loved Westminster as long as she can remember. In fact, some of her earliest memories are of visiting her dad, former Westminster English teacher David Lauderdale, on campus. That love for Westminster brought her back to the School as a faculty member in adulthood and eventually led her to a project that, for the past 12 years, has connected the School’s past and present with humor and heart. Jane joined the Westminster faculty in 2000 as a Middle School Bible teacher. As an instructor, she opened students’ eyes to the wisdom of the New and Old Testaments, guiding them like her teachers had done for her. In 2014, her influence grew beyond the classroom when she accepted a nudge from Dave Drake ’61, a fellow faculty member who’d also grown up on campus with faculty parents. “Jane had been asked to write for the alumni magazine, and I said, ‘Students want to know what happened to people. Where are they? What are they doing now? And so that’s where the idea came from,” Dave remembers. Jane picked up the phone to call her first subjects: the late Gwen Warren, one of Jane’s former English teachers, whom she credits with teaching her how to write; former English teacher and wrestling coach Leon Scott; and the late Bob Spence, Westminster’s longtime accompanist. From there,
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Westminster Magazine’s long-standing feature “Catching Up with Retired Faculty” was born. “Jane was the ideal person for the job—smart, articulate, and Westminster all the way,” Dave says.
Jane did more than highlight beloved teachers’ memories. She transported readers back to the days of eating Mary Harris’ cake in the dining hall, learning algebra from Middle School math teacher Betsy Spruill, hearing Spanish teacher and community
Jane now and then: Yearbook photos from the 2025-26 school year and as a Westminster student.
Over the next 12 years, Jane’s profiles covered the giants of Westminster’s early years, including her own teachers, colleagues, and the staff who made it all happen. Her admiration for her subjects jumps off the page. Following each interview, Jane bubbled over with anecdotes, jokes, and nuggets of wisdom from her time with a retired faculty or staff member. She took great care to craft each profile so that it captured the essence of her subjects’ lives, careers, post-Westminster passions, and the difference they made for the students they encountered.
service coordinator Stan Moor’s latest pun during Philanthropy 101, and more. For younger alumni and parents, “Catching Up with Retired Faculty” painted a picture of Westminster’s early years—times that played a pivotal role in shaping the School. And no matter your class year, it’s impossible to read one of these profiles and not be proud to be a Wildcat. “Each story has been an honor to tell,” Jane says. “I have written about people whom I hold in the highest regard even as I have anguished over the many more whose stories also need to be shared.”
CATCHING UP
1
2
3
4
5
Retired faculty and staff interviewed by Jane over the years: 1 Paul Koshewa, 2 Bob Spence, 3 Mary Harris, 4 Judy Marine, and 5 Betty Norman.
Jane is quick to say that “Catching Up with Retired Faculty” was fueled by admiration for her subjects—but it was also a lot of fun. “Who was probably the most fun? Paul Koshewa. My stars, I had so much fun writing that one,” she says of the late Westminster teacher and track and cross country coach. “His World War II stories were terrific. And his story was emblematic of our earliest faculty. They
Most Likely to…
The staff of Westminster Magazine asked Jane to name a few unique superlatives from her years spent talking with retired faculty and staff: Most Interesting Retirement Hobby Leon Scott for competitive longbow shooting and induction into the Georgia Sportsman Hall of Fame
Most Likely to Stay Connected
Nancy Beane: “Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat!”
Most Interesting Post-Retirement Job
Leigh McKay for becoming a professional golf writer
Most Enduring Comment or Quote
What else? “Go Cats!” from our very own Scoot Dimon
bought into the vision of Westminster, and they poured everything they had into helping Dr. Pressly create it.” Another great source of joy for Jane was writing profiles about non-teaching staff members, like the late Betty Norman and Mary Harris, two members of the dining staff during Jane’s years as a student. “When my dad had faculty meetings and I was supposed to stay put, I was all over the place. So it wasn’t unusual for me to go over and just go see what the kitchen staff was doing,” Jane explains. “I got to know Betty and Mary Harris growing up. Those two ladies were very special to this School, and to me, they were emblematic of a group of people without whom there would be no Westminster.” By preserving the stories and memories of beloved faculty and staff members, Jane has ensured that their legacies continue to resonate, even when they are no longer with us, like when she spoke with retired Elementary School principal Judy Marine in 2019: “The number of people who came up to me to thank me for the article was a testimony to the breadth of her impact. Literally everyone had a Judy story they wanted to tell. When the School recently shared the news of her passing and reprinted that story, I received a second wave of comments from people who were grateful to read the article again.”
When Jane reflects on catching up with more than 30 faculty and staff members spanning 20-plus magazine issues, she sees common ground in each person’s commitment to serving something greater than themselves. She remembers almost every subject expressing a sense of call and “certainty that God’s hand was at work in how he or she came to be at Westminster.” As she enters her own retirement— from the classroom and from her writing—Jane leaves a legacy of the kind of love and devotion she so admired in her subjects. “It is important to capture the names and attributes that have been the bedrock of Westminster’s foundation. That itself might be enough; however, it is my hope that the stories will inspire those who hear God’s whisper and respond to His nudge in the years to come,” she says. Jane brought the very spirit of Westminster to writing “Catching Up with Retired Faculty,” building a bank of stories that alumni could look forward to reading in every issue. Through her storytelling, Jane has helped our community remember, reconnect, and carry forward the stories of many people who shaped Westminster. For that, the Wildcat Nation is grateful.
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From the Beck Archives:
To Grow in Stature From its founding to present day, Westminster’s campus has transformed to physically reflect what our School values most: community, belonging, creativity, and curiosity.
The pursuit of academic and personal excellence in a changing world means adopting a relentless commitment to continuous improvement. That goes for the built environment, too. Westminster’s new campus addition, The Blake Center, not only houses some of the School’s most dynamic, future-focused opportunities; it also continues a long-standing Wildcat tradition of enriching the student experience through capital improvements.
By Pamela Nye, Director of Archives
From the Lewis H. Beck Archives Collection.
Fred J. Turner Gymnasium When many student-athletes are dressing in classrooms, the School’s wrestling team trains in a makeshift building, and there’s “no gymnastics room at all,” it’s time for a change. That’s how founding President Dr. William L. Pressly summed up the state of Westminster’s athletics facilities in 1964. Thanks to $600,000 from the How Far Westminster? capital campaign, a new building was in the works by October 1968. Completed in 1970, the Fred J. Turner Gymnasium offered 55,000 square feet of competitive spaces, offices, classrooms, and locker rooms. The Southern Bell Telephone Company honored the memory of Turner, its late president and chairman of the board, by donating the major funding to build the gymnasium. A generation later, Westminster faced more growing pains athletically after a remarkable expansion of its sports programs. From 1968 to 1998, the girls’ athletic teams increased from 5 to 35, and the boys’ teams jumped from 20 to 33. Just two years later, the number of programs would increase another 15 percent to 78 total.
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From the Lewis H. Beck Archives Collection.
Watercolor of the front entrance of the then newly renovated Turner Gym painted in 2001 by Jack Shields, former Westminster faculty member.
A primary focus of the Framing the Future campaign, the Turner Gymnasium expansion plan called for more than tripling the space to 167,000 square feet. Dr. Pressly was on hand for the March 3, 1999, ground breaking, and on December 3, 2000, students, faculty, and staff were able to enjoy a new facility that included five practice courts and four international squash courts, a natatorium, an indoor track, a wrestling room, a 33-foot-tall rock climbing wall, training and fitness rooms, three multi-purpose classrooms, more than 1,000 lockers, and 18 offices for coaches and faculty.
FROM THE BECK ARCHIVES Clarkson Hall During Westminster’s first three decades, the Middle School moved around from off-campus locations to Scott Hall to the Upper School and back to Scott Hall— including a stint in the former McLarty Hall Dormitory along the way. For the last 20-plus years, it has called one place home: Clarkson Hall.
From the Lewis H. Beck Archives Collection.
Broyles Arts Center In the mid-1980s, Westminster’s art classes were dispersed across buildings and rooms originally designed for different or more limited purposes, with student and faculty enthusiasm flagging as a result. School leadership once again stepped up—and the community rallied in support—to ensure the built environment aligned with the goals of the department and institution. In September 1986, Westminster kicked off The Campaign for Westminster, seeking $10.5 million over three years, $3 million of which would be dedicated to constructing an arts and activities building. The capital goal was surpassed in one year.
From the Lewis H. Beck Archives Collection.
“The entire building was conceived of as being a tool for teaching,” says Bo Adams, the Junior High School principal in 2005. As Director of Studies, Bo worked closely with architect Mike Mascheri to incorporate the vision of the Junior High teachers, taking into account the emotional and physical needs of the children. “I am happy that the curriculum drove the building and the building didn’t drive the curriculum.” Originating from Westminster’s 2002 Strategic Plan, the Junior High School construction began in June 2004 with the more than 100,000-square-foot facility nearly quadrupling the size of Scott Hall. In addition, for the first time in the School’s history, a pedestrian-only thoroughfare was created connecting Love Hall to the new Junior High and on to the High School.
Did You Know? From the Lewis H. Beck Archives Collection.
The 36,000-square-foot Broyles Arts Center would bring classroom space designed for Wildcat student artists, sculptors, singers, actors, and musicians with an entire level dedicated to the visual art disciplines. It would include a more than 450-seat theater with a state-of-the-art control room and a full orchestra pit; eight professionally designed music practice rooms, one to facilitate a 50-piece orchestra; and a professionally designed foyer/art gallery to accommodate professional art exhibits. The adjoining campus center and amphitheater provided student activity space and a natural setting for outdoor entertainment. Named in honor of Dr. Vernon S. Broyles Jr., Westminster’s founding Chairman of the Board, the Broyles Arts Center was dedicated on October 15, 1988. It was the first time in the School’s history that the majority of the arts programs were housed under one roof.
Construction of Interstate 75 blocked the original entrance to Westminster In October 1951, Westminster purchased 100 acres of land from Mr. Fritz Orr on which to build the School. However, in 1953, the State Highway Department was moving ahead to construct the northwest leg of the planned expressway, which would run between the campus and Howell Mill Road, cutting off the gateway to the School. New entrances had to be created, and the Board came up with two solutions in 1954. Mr. Fritz Orr helped by providing 24 acres located on West Paces Ferry Road. The West Paces Ferry entrance included a road with a bridge over Nancy Creek. Off of West Wesley Road, a road was built to the School through the agreement of one of our neighbors at the time. By 1955, both of these new entrances were in use by the School community.
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Alumni News Dear Fellow Alumni, As I reflect on my first year as President of the Alumni Governing Board, I recognize that it is also one that marks a truly transformative moment for our institution and our alumni community. While construction was underway on The Blake Center and the newly envisioned Historic Quad, our Alumni Association has also been a work in progress, constantly shifting to meet the evolving needs of our alumni community. Since the development of our strategic framework in 2024, we have been committed to connecting alumni to one another and to students, bringing them home, and celebrating them. A special focus this year has been on engaging alumni who have already celebrated their 50th Reunion—our Golden Wildcats. Their inspiring stories and continued
dedication are invaluable to our community. We are deepening opportunities for Goldens to connect with one another, from Homecoming festivities to Reunion Weekend, and to remain active contributors to Westminster in ways that are meaningful at this stage of their alumni journey. In addition, we are excited to continue to advance a more intentional approach to regional engagement with our plan for the greater Atlanta area. As we learned from the 2023 Alumni Survey, Atlanta is naturally one of our most vibrant and growing alumni cities with potential for enhanced connection. Our Alumni Governing Board, Young Alumni Council, and Black Alumni Council are already hard at work delivering signature events to alumni like the ones you may have experienced this year: CatTalks featuring Richmond Federal Reserve President Tom Barkin (P ’14, ’18), Industry Networking Night spotlighting real estate panelists, and a Candid Cat Conversations event centered on purposeful career pivots. Focusing on our local alumni creates more space for us to build connections, guide students, and strengthen our community. In the year ahead, we will support even more alumni-driven opportunities at home. As we approach the coming year, our focus is on building momentum from this historic chapter. We look to broaden alumni participation across generations and regions, evolving in ways that reflect the diversity and interests of our community. Just as important, we are committed to listening—learning how we can better serve you and ensure that your connection to Westminster remains meaningful and relevant. Thank you for the many ways you have helped shape this extraordinary chapter. I look forward to continuing this work together. With appreciation and pride,
Caroline Rawls Strumph ’08 President, Alumni Governing Board
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Alumni and Community Events Young Alumni Night at the Braves July 22, 2025 The Young Alumni Council (YAC) welcomed the Class of 2025 to the alumni crew at Truist Park! More than 70 young alums met up at Punch Bowl Social for some good vibes before heading out to cheer on the Atlanta Braves against the San Francisco Giants. This was just one of the many fun events YAC hosts throughout the year to keep everyone connected.
DC Chapter Service Event at DC Central Kitchen July 26, 2025 DC area alumni came together for a rewarding day of service at DC Central Kitchen. Volunteers rolled up their sleeves to help prepare and package nutritious meals for local residents in need. The event was not only an opportunity to serve the community but also a chance for our alumni to reconnect and show their Wildcat generosity.
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ALUMNI AND COMMUNITY EVENTS DC Mid-Career Alumnae Mixer August 8, 2025 DC alumnae gathered at the Hi Lawn rooftop for an afternoon of conversation, career insights, and celebration. The group discussed themes ranging from career progression to work-life integration. The gathering offered an excellent, in-depth opportunity for alumnae to understand ways that they can support each other in their respective journeys, all while enjoying beautiful views of the DC skyline.
Dallas Alumni Mixer September 19, 2025 The Dallas Area Alumni Mixer brought DFW alumni together for a lively evening of connection and community at HIDE Bar. Alumni and friends gathered to reconnect over shared Westminster memories, swap stories, and welcome fellow Wildcats to the local community.
Alumni Baseball Game October 4, 2025 The Alumni Baseball Game was a home run, as baseball program alumni returned to the Westminster diamond to meet current baseball staff and players, learn more about the program, and enjoy a few friendly innings.
NYC Annual Alumni Reception October 29, 2025 The New York City Alumni Chapter hosted the annual chapter reception at 10 Grand Central. Wildcats in the New York City area gathered 24 stories up to hear School updates from President Evans and enjoy tasty food and drink in some warm
54 | Summer 2026
Wildcat company. A special thanks to members of the NYC Alumni Chapter for making this a magical evening–Sam Barkin ’14, Jason Gold ’77, Maya Hafeez ’20, Clare Lascelles ’03, Meghna Patel ’18, and Haynie Lowrey Wheeler ’74!
ALUMNI AND COMMUNITY EVENTS
Westminster Homecoming October 17, 2025 Homecoming Dinner More than 200 alumni and their families returned to campus for our annual Homecoming Dinner—an evening filled with school spirit, reconnection with old friends, and cheering on the Varsity Football team as they faced the Blessed Trinity Titans under the lights of Alfred E. Thompson Stadium. The celebration was made especially meaningful as the 2015 State Championship Football Team gathered alongside our Golden Wildcats—alumni celebrating 50 or more years since graduation—bringing generations of Wildcats together in a shared sense of pride and tradition.
Breithaupt Athletic Hall of Fame The 2026 Breithaupt Athletic Hall of Fame inductees were honored on Homecoming weekend with a pregame ceremony and an on-field appearance at halftime before a crowd of family, friends, coaches, and alumni to celebrate this remarkable accomplishment. This year’s class included (from left to right) Jack Cahillane ’17 (Track and Field), Tyler Hilliard ’11 (Soccer), Tanner Kaplan ’13 (Soccer), Caroline Rawls Strumph ’08 (Softball), Katie McGahan ’16 (Lacrosse), Cabell Zakas ’16 (Lacrosse), and George Berry (Coach).
Black Alumni Council Homecoming Social The Black Alumni Council (BAC) hosted alumni and their families in Pressly Hall for an evening of celebration and connection ahead of the Homecoming game. Members of the Black alumni community gathered in the Carlyle Fraser Library to exchange memories and share laughs before heading to the stadium for the big game.
San Francisco Alumni Chapter Welcome to the City Event November 8, 2025 Bay Area alumni gathered at SPARK Social for an afternoon of lawn games, putt-putt golf, and snacks from local food trucks. This was a fun opportunity for alumni new to the San Francisco area, as well as longtime locals wishing to grow connections and kick back in one of the city’s well-known hangouts.
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ALUMNI AND COMMUNITY EVENTS
Student Alumni Council & College Counseling Career Exploration Coffee Chat November 12, 2025 A group of eight young alumni returned to campus to share coffee, bagels, and inspiring conversations with our Upper School students about college and career exploration. The morning was filled with insight, laughter, and meaningful connection hosted by the Student Alumni Council and College Counseling. Thank you to everyone who helped make our first-ever Coffee Chat a wonderful success!
CatTalks featuring Tom Barkin November 13, 2025 More than 100 Wildcats showed up in person and online to learn about the state of the economy from Tom Barkin, President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. The former Westminster parent discussed tariffs, industry trends, career advice, and more in front of an enthusiastic crowd at Barge Commons. Special thanks to Matthew Munday, Upper School history teacher, who moderated the discussion.
Lifting as We Climb: Alumni Panel at the Black Student Affinity Group Meeting November 14, 2025 Alumni returned to campus for a panel at the Black Student Affinity Group meeting. Panelists offered insights on how the Westminster experience shaped their trajectory and openly shared stories of humor, resilience, and community. Topics covered included the wonders of study-abroad programs, navigating imposter syndrome, and more. We are especially grateful to panelists (from right to left) Brynne Holt ’01, Erika Redding ’13, Christina Randolph ’19, Judia Elmore Black ’80, Cole Walker ’19, and R Matthews ’15.
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ALUMNI AND COMMUNITY EVENTS
Young Alumni Winter Warmer December 4, 2025
The Young Alumni Council hosted alums from the classes of 2010 to 2025 at Boone’s Patio at Bobby Jones Golf Course for a night of fun and holiday cheer. Guests enjoyed connecting with former classmates over drinks and appetizers on the patio.
Black Alumni Council Holiday Pop-Up December 18, 2025 The Black Alumni Council hosted a festive and joyful gathering to bring Black alumni together ahead of the holiday season. Old acquaintances reconnected and new connections were made while guests enjoyed light bites and beverages against the festive backdrop of Industry Tavern.
College Alumni Holiday Brunch December 19, 2025 The Student Alumni Council welcomed more than 100 college-aged alumni back to campus for an opportunity to catch up with each other and see former teachers and coaches. The brunch featured raffle items, a campus update from President Evans, and plenty of great conversation.
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Class Notes From travel to making connections to exciting career moves, Westminster alumni never sit still. Read on to find out what your fellow Wildcats have been up to! Visit westminster.net/classnews to join in and submit your updates for the next issue. This issue reflects class news submitted by March 15, 2026.
1952
1967
1961
1968
Patricia Griffin Emerson writes: “I am 91, still live alone in the passive solar home that I had built in 1983. I do not have any grandchildren, but my three children, 72, 70, and 65, live in California, Florida, and my youngest lives here in Atlanta and is my constant helper. I still play the violin in the Four Seasons Chamber Orchestra. I am not volunteering as much as before I turned 91. I read constantly, take my eight-pound poodle for walks, and enjoy the children in my neighborhood. My neighbors take good care of me and stay in touch. I am active in the Unitarian Congregation of Atlanta, where I have been a member since 1965.” Liz Godbey Ryder finished her third term as the mayor of Penney Farms, Florida. Now, she and husband Tom are enjoying a six-month vacation and exploration of Malta. They have traveled to Sicily with plans to embark on a British Isle cruise in May. We don't let grass grow under our feet...not yet, anyway.
1963
1 Eleanor Howell Effinger writes: “Bill and I are
presently the proud grandparents of four college students who graduated from Westminster: Ella Freeman ’22, Tyler Harris ’23, Ashlee Freeman ’24, and Hallie Harris ’25. We have three still there: Leighton Harris ’26, Hope Freeman ’27, and Foster Harris ’31. We have enjoyed their many activities from athletics to Writing Fellows. Just wish we had Eva and Luke Upton in Atlanta, too!”
1966
2 Laurie Lea writes that she’s been invited to exhibit
in the Venice Biennale 2026 (May 8 to November 22 in Venice, Italy), “so our days are filled with very complicated preparations as I’m taking an enormous work called Kingdom Works. Kingdom Works follows the arc of human history—creation, fracture, redemption, and glory. Meaning emerges through material and process: how light pours, fractures, and dwells; how minerals hold weight; how translucence allows light to pass through. This work is rooted in a biblical cosmology expressed through contemporary materials.” To learn more, visit: laurielea.com.
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John Ager writes: “Annie and I remain on our mountain at Hickory Nut Gap Farm in Fairview, North Carolina (just outside Asheville). We are always interested in indulging in nostalgia from 50 years ago, and welcome visitors. Our farm is thriving. We also have a large camp project, HNG Education Project, with year-round equine lessons and six weeks of summer camp. We host over 45 horses, somehow, someway!!! My son Eric holds my North Carolina House seat in Raleigh, and his brother Jamie is running for Congress. Birds, dogs, chickens, a cat, all the horses, and grandchildren come begging for food, and we are happy to oblige!” Wesleyan School unveiled a new STEM building, Young Hall, named after Zach Young and wife, Studie. Zach recently retired from Wesleyan after serving as head of school for 18 years.
1969
3 During a recent visit to Highlands, North Carolina,
Ren Davis and his wife, Helen, had lunch with Ren’s brother, R. Carter Davis Jr., MD, ’57 and his wife, Dinah Hamilton Davis ’78. After lunch, Helen was able to corral the brothers long enough to snap a photo.
4 Recently, a few Golden Wildcats from the
class of 1969 and their spouses gathered in Highlands, North Carolina, to enjoy fellowship and cool mountain air. Days and evenings were filled with stories, laughter, and delicious food. The group is already planning another gathering. On the trip were Richard and Georgia Hightower Patterson, Clay Montague and his wife, Wendy Hurd Montague ’71, Margaret McKever Cobb and her husband Ike, Ren Davis and his wife Helen, and Eric Harris.
5 This past March, more than 30 members of the
great Class of 1969 gathered for lunch and laughs at the Whitehall Tavern. True to form, the crew arrived early and stayed late to make the most of the mini reunion! It was such a fantastic time that plans are already underway for a repeat gathering in 2027.
CLASS NEWS
In November, Ren Davis was named chair of the board for the Dr. Luther C. Fischer Foundation, which was set up by Dr. Fischer before his death in 1953 to provide support for charity care at Crawford W. Long Memorial Hospital, now Emory University Hospital Midtown. “Dr. Fischer was cofounder of the hospital, then known as the DavisFischer Sanitorium, in 1908, with my grandfather, Dr. Edward Campbell Davis,” Ren writes.
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1972
6 Michael McBay and his pop rock band Circle the
Earth played the Motofiesta Leon concert in Leon, Mexico, in late February before a crowd of more than 10,000 people, the largest crowd the band has ever played to.
3 4
Hayes Foster is a first-time grandfather upon the arrival of William Hayes Foster on February 1, 2026. The parents are Caroline Stroud Foster and Benjamin (Ben) Norman Foster.
1975
7 Jim Durrett writes that he and his wife, Pat, got a
jump on his March retirement with a week and a half in Scotland from Christmas Eve through the Hogmanay weekend. “Marvelous! We then headed to Denver for the birth of our granddaughter, Cataleya Patricia Durrett. We took care of Cataleya’s ‘big brother,’ Mateo, while mother and father were in the hospital. We are going to enjoy retirement!”
5
8 Kevin Sims writes: “One year later, still basking
in the glow of our 50th Reunion. Wish there had been more time for more conversation and to speak with more classmates. I began coaching soccer with classmate Mark Leviton in ’74, and we both are still coaching. My meaningful and fun final coaching chapter is with the Charlotte FC Unified Team, while serving Special Olympics through creating and supporting Unified teams across North Carolina. Classmate Peter Kezios is coaching with the Wilmington team. Unified soccer brings together Special Olympics athletes and community partners to enjoy the beautiful game. My wife, Janet, our boy Ethan, our dog, Chipper, and I would love to entertain folks in Charlotte.”
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9 Clare Perrie Summers writes: “Last year was our
50th high school reunion. It was a weekend filled with lots of fun, reconnecting with classmates, and meeting others that I never knew 50 years ago. The organizers did a phenomenal job. Last August, I decided I needed some new life goals. At 68 years old, I decided to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, and my friend would celebrate her 70th birthday with
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CLASS NEWS
me. We made it to the summit and back, although rewarding. He recently covered the Carter funerals it was more physically and mentally demanding and wrote about the future of Plains for The than expected. The trip exceeded all expectations; Washington Post and reported on the Ellabell not only did we succeed in our goal to summit, Hyundai plant raid for The New York Times. “And we also had a great time on the safari, hiked to for what seems like the first time in my adult life I waterfalls, swam in the tropical hot springs, made actually have time to read a book,” he adds. new friends from all over the world, and even met someone from Atlanta who went to Westminster 11 In November 2025, Adele French Hamilton and 55 years ago. It was the best adventure ever. I’m Wendi Wood McAfee co-hosted a mini-reunion not sure what’s next.” weekend for the ladies of the Class of 1977. The group gathered at Adele’s home in Big Canoe. 1976 Front row L-R: Nancy Hanger Canada, Chi 10 Claire Kerby Danielson reports impressive Chi Payne Taylor, Lydia Green Davidson, section-hiking distances on the Appalachian Marie Ellis Murdaugh, Wendi Wood McAfee, Trail: she’s backpacked all of Georgia, the first Dodie Lesen McCoy, Adele French Hamilton, hundred miles of North Carolina, about 60 miles Katherine Mansfield Fortner, Sarah Huie in Tennessee, and all of Maryland, with plans Coleman, Anne Lester Barge, Cindy this past spring to do the first 60 miles or so of Woodward Kelly, and Joia Johnson. Pennsylvania. “I’ve always been outdoorsy, but Back row: Vance Bohachek Riticker, Bobin Bryant since moving to Western North Carolina 11 years Williams, Stacy Stubbs, and Lulu Dobbs Mann. ago, I rediscovered backpacking. I’ve also been fortunate to have done long walks in the UK, most 1978 notably Wainwright’s Coast-to-Coast and the West Kris Smith shares that his daughter, Kate Smith Highland Way. Fortunately, my backpacking and Stroh, has finished up her rookie season on the walking buddy is a registered nurse. Ha! You’re LPGA tour after a successful college career at never too old to start something new!” the University of Nebraska. His son Karter, a Drake University alum, works for Baton Global in 1977 Des Moines. “My wife Margery and I moved to Jim Lynn writes that while he loves retirement, Des Moines in 2022 after spending 22 years in projects that do come his way are particularly Minnesota,” he adds.
LEAD ON.
AND BEYOND. Westminster recently celebrated eight years of extraordinary generosity through the Lead On Campaign that will continue to shape generations of future Wildcats. During the Lead On Campaign, more than 30 new members have joined The Cornerstone Society by including the School in their estate plans. As Westminster approaches its 75th anniversary, we invite our community to join this growing group of Westminster visionaries, whose generosity and thoughtful planning pave the way for our School’s future. Contact Katie Laney ’03, Associate Vice President for Leadership Giving and Capital Programs, at KatieLaney@westminster.net or 404-609-6230 to learn more about how you can help lead our Wildcats beyond the Campaign.
CLASS NEWS
1980
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10
12 Rachel McConnell Palko has expanded her retreat
location on St. Simons Island, The Sandbox SSI Corporate Retreat Center. Located across from Mullet Bay, The Sandbox is now available for reunions and other special events, up to 75 people. Rachel, as a Westminster Alpha Omega, welcomes all Wildcats: “There is always a beverage available, live music across the road, and a chair to relax in for a proper catch-up chat. All classes welcome!”
11
13 Henry Grady III celebrated with friends and family
the July 2025 wedding of Julia Grady Cecil ’17 to Andrew Cecil.
1981
Russell Gray is celebrating 20 years as Top Producer (Silver Phoenix) with the Atlanta Board of Realtors. 14 Nancy Ellis Riggs retired from her position as
the Artistic and Managing Director of Piccadilly Puppets, but she is still involved in puppet slams and performed in eXperimental Puppetry Theatre at the Center for Puppetry Arts in 2025. In early 2026, she was an understudy for the Girl from the North Country at Actor’s Express Theatre. She played the role of Elizabeth numerous times, performing with Bryan Davis ’79! The last time they were in a musical together was Plain and Fancy at Westminster. Diana Fiedotin showed up for opening night. Nancy continues to figure skate as a coach and competitor.
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1982
Bill Mitchell and Barb continue to endure Rochester, New York, winters, eased slightly by occasional forays to their beach getaway outside of Beaufort, South Carolina. Barb is moving toward retirement, and Bill will soon follow.
1983
As a pastor in the Charlotte area, Berry Stubbs recently published a weekly devotional called Midweek Manna I, which is available on Amazon. “Check it out and leave me a review,” he adds. 15 Berry Stubbs enjoyed watching son Luke, wide
receiver #80, and the Clemson Tigers in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium in the snow after Christmas.
1984
16 John Carroll is the new executive editor of the Key
West Citizen in Key West, Florida. For the last three years John has worked as managing editor of the Livingston Enterprise in Livingston, Montana.
Photo: John standing outside Jimmy Buffett’s former music studio in Key West.
1985
Jim Beach, the host and producer of the nationally syndicated School for Startups Radio, was recently named the #1 “Speaker to Watch” in 2026 by Microsoft MSN and ranked the #2 “Business Keynote Speaker to Follow” by USA Today in 2025. In addition to his award-winning program broadcast five days a week on more than 100 AM and FM stations, Jim has published five bestselling
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CLASS NEWS
books, with his first, released by McGraw-Hill, reaching #9 on Amazon. CNN called him the “Simon Cowell of venture capital.”
1986
Lezlee Peterzell-Bellanich shares that Jax Yacht Charter, a company owned by her and her husband, Captain Rob, has launched downtown Jacksonville, Florida, operations for public cruises and private charters aboard Royal Princess, their 125-foot tri-level U.S. Coast Guard-certified, 180-passenger vessel. She says, “It has taken us two years to fully renovate our dinner yacht, which is now stunning. We won the RFP giving us a 10+ year lease along the river walk on the south bank of downtown.” For more info, visit jaxyacht.com. 17 EveAnna Dauray Manley retired after more than
three decades at the helm of Manley Laboratories, where she created some of the world’s most highly regarded high-end vacuum-tube pro studio and audiophile gear. With the company sold, she is “now free from the responsibility of running a multi-million-dollar business, managing over 30 employees, and caring for tens of thousands of customers worldwide—giving her the space to reconnect with her inherent creative self.” She reports that her Altadena, California, home survived the Los Angeles wildfires, and she is redeveloping property in nearby Eagle Rock to build a post-production audio hub and personal maker-space.
18 Mary-Laurence Bevington writes, “Wildcats
Stacy Mattingly was a 2024-25 Fulbright U.S. Scholar to Bosnia and Herzegovina, where she has collaborated with writers for more than a decade. She joined the University of Sarajevo’s Faculty of Philosophy and developed a creative writing workshop for students and a public conversation series with writers, editors, and translators from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the U.S. She published an essay about the experience in Literary Hub, “Words Between Worlds: Creative Writing in Sarajevo.” 20 Nancy Mitchell Hatcher, Stuart Wright
Kronauge, Brooke Rasnake Lowry, Yancey Lanier McCollum, Gabrey Croft Means, Nan Sanford Riddle, and Elisabeth Ayres Rogers all gathered at Nan’s home in Fort Worth in February for a mini reunion, including a trip to the rodeo! The fun also included Yancey and Brooke’s children, who are currently enrolled at TCU. Last year the group enjoyed a trip to Costa Rica that also included Kate Howell Klitenic and Stewart Lathan. For 2027, the full group is planning another gathering somewhere warm to continue reconnecting, having fun, and being forever grateful for the ties that bind.
1990
Mary Talley Dorn Bowden, MD appeared on the Joe Rogan and Tucker Carlson podcasts to share her experience treating thousands of COVID patients during the pandemic. Her book, Dangerous Misinformation: The Virus, the Treatment, and the Lies, is listed with Simon & Schuster.
go curling for a Class of 2026 birthday party, 1991 celebrating Nora Bevington ’26 at Peachtree Curling Association.” In attendance were Mary and 21 Derek Kahn represented out in Joshua Tree, California, last winter with Emanuel Citron, David George Bevington, Justin Bevington ’90, and Eva Shapiro, and Jamey Howard. Bevington ’25 as well as Westminster parent Tracy Bevington, Westminster aunt Brenda, and “lots of soon-to-graduate friends and cousins of Nora.” 1992 22 George Connell shared a photo with classmate Mary Kent Harrison Ellis celebrating the Fourth of 1988 July in 2025. Allison Almand Ezell recently became the CEO and head of school for The Global Village Project, a school for refugee girls located in 1996 Decatur, Georgia. “The teachers and students 23 Kate MacKenzie Susong published her first at the school–the only school of its kind in book–A Truth Occasionally Acknowledged! This the U.S.–are doing amazing things…Visit us at novella brings Jane Austen’s characters to 21stglobalvillageproject.org to learn more!” century Atlanta, where Darcy and Elizabeth attend a tailgate, Emma Knightly runs a matchmaking business, Isabella Thorpe regrets her choices, and 19 Classmates Kim Maziar Hockstein, Ashley Hurt George Wickham does not. “Prepare for laughs Bollwerk, Lindsay Bishop, and Ashley Wolfe and happy endings,” she writes. “Look up Kate spent a wonderful weekend hiking, reconnecting, Susong on Amazon to get your copy!” and reminiscing in Big Canoe.
62 | Summer 2026
CLASS NEWS
24 Margaux Hanes Brown recently moved to
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Canberra, Australia, where her husband works on an Accenture contract with the Australian Defence Force. Their children, Hudson (15) and Pilar (12), attend Canberra Grammar School. Margaux continues her clinical practice, specializing in girls’ mental health and supporting American teens and adults living internationally. She integrates research and practice in her Substack and podcast for moms, Be on Her Side, in which she explores girls’ challenges navigating today’s world. She is working on a forthcoming book for counselors and teachers on supporting girls with learning differences, anxiety, ADHD, and related mental health challenges.
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1999
25 Andrea Fuller would love to be a resource for
anyone with aging loved ones. Her company, Full Heart Home Care LLC, has been serving Atlanta area families for nearly seven years through in-home care and, more recently, Virtual Care Services. She is a Certified Dementia Practitioner and recently published a line of activity books customized for three different stages of cognitive decline.
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2001
21
Noah Britton’s new solo comedy special, Noah Britton: The Best Stuff I’ve Ever Done, is now available and streaming.
2002
26 Aviva Leebow published her first book in January
2026. Shift Your Day: A 365-Day Journal for Gratitude, Growth, and Mindset Shifts is “a simple daily practice designed to help you slow down, notice what matters, and choose how you show up—even on rushed or difficult days,” she writes.
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2003
27 Emily Hart Cobb Breece was promoted to partner
with the law firm of Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein in Atlanta. She handles commercial real estate transactions including acquisitions, sales, and commercial leases. Parker Poe is a regional, full-service law firm with offices throughout the Southeast and Washington, DC. The firm’s Atlanta office celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.
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CLASS NEWS
2008
28 Mia Ozegovic has been recognized as part of Emory
University’s “40 Under Forty” for her leadership and impact in public service. The Emory and Harvard Kennedy School alum serves on the advisory team of the UAE Minister of Community Empowerment.
2011
29 Shelby Grady and her husband, Gavin Fields,
have launched a legacy documentary company, Rememeo, on the heels of two successful feature films–Brutal Season and Window Shopping–and a decade of short-form documentary filmmaking. The venture aims to capture family history, stories, and memories to be shared with future generations. Each documentary incorporates an interview with archival photos and home videos, along with lifestyle B-roll to create an end product that acts as a watchable time capsule.
2012
30 Lauren East was accepted to the Advanced Heart
Failure and Transplant Fellowship at Baylor Scott & White Health, one of the busiest heart transplant centers in the world. She will finish her general cardiology fellowship at UAB this summer before heading to Dallas with her two young children, two-year-old Elle and five-month-old Jack. She looks forward to a career in heart failure focused on equitable access to left ventricular assist devices and other mechanical support therapies, the topic of her recent publication in Heart & Lung journal.
2013
and several alumni cross country team members: L-R Molly Bush ’15, Coach Eubanks (RF), Mary Craig Lindgren ’15, Kate, and Elizabeth Ferguson ’15.
2023
Levi McMillan has been named the recipient of the Frances James Outstanding Vocalist Award at Grinnell College. This distinguished award is presented to the top vocalist among first-, second-, and third-year students competing in the annual Hill Solo Auditions. As the 2025 recipient, Levi will receive enhanced voice instruction and a professional development stipend to support opportunities such as travel, master classes, and other advanced training experiences.
Former Faculty
34 Murphy Evans, who taught English and Language
Arts at Westminster from 1989 to 1991, recently published his first novel, New Boy, available on Amazon. Murphy drew on his teaching experience at Westminster to write this coming-of-age story set at a prep school in Virginia. 29
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31 Anna Kate Heller married Tom Pritchard Jr. on
March 7, 2026, in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, celebrating the occasion on the groom’s birthday. Anna Kate and Tom were surrounded by family and friends, including many cherished Westminster friends and families, in the city where they met and fell in love. It was a joyful reunion and a special opportunity to celebrate both their marriage and the lasting friendships formed during Anna Kate’s time at Westminster. She is grateful to remain close with many of her Westminster classmates and loved having them there to share in such a meaningful day.
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2018
32 In February, Emily Henegar celebrated the 15th
anniversary of her custom cookie business, Cookie in the Kitchen! Celebrations were held in Nashville, Tennessee, and Atlanta to honor the people who have been a part of the sweet run...and, of course, to eat some cookies.
2019
33 Kate Lindgren shared a photo from lunch with
beloved former cross country coach Amy Eubanks, 64 | Summer 2026
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In Memoriam
CLASS NEWS
We extend our deepest sympathies to the members of the Westminster community who have recently lost a loved one. Included in these listings are immediate family members of the deceased who graduated from or attended Washington Seminary, NAPS, or Westminster. This issue reflects deaths reported or received by March 15, 2026. Family listings may not be comprehensive.
NAPS Alumnae 1942
Mary Todd Harvey, October 19, 2025
Washington Seminary Alumnae 1943
Julie Reeves Roberts, November 7, 2025
1944
Dorothy “Jean” Fraser Duke, November 7, 2025
1948
1957
Iverson Branch Cook, November 19, 2025 Mary Earl Shugart Matlins, January 7, 2026 Mary Wayne Dixon, September 17, 2025
1960
Bonneau Ansley Jr., December 31, 2025, father of Fayne Ansley ’91 and Bonneau Ansley III ’94 Harrison Jones II, October 1, 2025, brother of Ann Gordon Jones Bonner ’66 and Kathy Jones Davis ’72 Larry Hess, August 15, 2025, brother of Richard Lemer ’69 *
Jean Mason Morris, October 27, 2025
*Editorial Note
1950
In the print version of the summer 2026 issue of Westminster Magazine, Richard Lemer ’69 was incorrectly included in the "In Memoriam" section. We extend our deepest apologies to Richard and his family for this error and any confusion it caused. Our deepest condolences go out to Richard Lemer and his family on the passing of his brother, Larry Hess ’60, whom we honor and remember above.
Carolyn Mann Caswell, February 28, 2026
1950
Lamar Ellis Oglesby, November 22, 2025, mother of John Oglesby ’79, Richard Oglesby ’82, and Ellis Oglesby ’85 Lorette “Rhette” Taylor Greenlees, January 10, 2026 Beatrice “Bee” Hinson Reichel, December 22, 2025
1952
Barbara Shedden Mattison, January 5, 2026
1953
Nannette McBurney Crowdus, October 31, 2023 Nancy Jean Osborne, November 2, 2025
Westminster Alumni
1961
Perry H. McCarty, September 21, 2025, brother of Rucker McCarty ’66; father of John McCarty ’95 and David McCarty ’98
1962
Daneyse “Dancy” Allcorn Cassell, February 20, 2026, sister of Frank Allcorn IV ’65
1963
1955
David A. Dodd, March 18, 2025, brother of Zane Dodd ’65 and Dale Dodd Stice ’69
Jean Candler Glenn, September 20, 2025
Jeff Galloway, February 25, 2026, brother of Charlie Galloway ’67 and Frances Galloway ’70
Elizabeth “Betsy” Sojourner Smith, October 16, 2025 William “Bill” C. Hughes, March 11, 2026, father of Nancy Hughes McCord ’80, Dee Hughes Pinckney ’82, Lou Hughes Perreault ’84, and Helen Hughes Plaehn ’87
1968
1956
1970
John Grier, December 3, 2025 John “Jack” W. Rooker, December 13, 2025, father of Spalding Rooker ’82, Cynthia Robinson Fox ’82, and John Rooker ’98
Lawrence “Larry” Fricks, August 3, 2025 Arthur Bradsher “Brad” Hayes, September 4, 2025 Charles Johnson, January 17, 2026, brother of Jim Johnson ’74 WESTMINSTER | 65
IN MEMORIAM
1974
Valery Voyles, November 6, 2025, mother of Jessica Singleton Gosnell ’00 and Chase Singleton ’02
1976
Judith “Judy” Dickerson Bullock, October 5, 2025, mother of Caroline Bullock Lambert ’92 (former staff) Alexander “Steve” Clay IV, November 21, 2025, father of Andrea Clay ’85
Ken Schenck, January 29, 2025
John Ham, January 10, 2026, father of Charlie Ham ’19
1989
J.D. Humphries III, January 3, 2026, father of Josh Humphries IV ’99 and Laing Humphries ’02
John “Jay” Engel Jr., March 6, 2026, brother of Ryan Engel ’98
1999
Erik Entrekin, April 22, 2025, brother of Alex Entrekin ’02
2003
Matthew “Matt” Thomas Hinz, September 28, 2025, brother of Holly Hinz Kaufman ’02
2010
Constance “Connie” Lide, November 23, 2025, wife of Brooks Lide ’75; mother of Caroline Hansen ’08 Judith “Judy” Marine (retired faculty), October 14, 2025, mother of Linda Marine Spock ’75 and Jan Marine Robinson ’76 Michele Mitchell, September 22, 2025, wife of Charlie Mitchell ’61; sister of Joel T. Murphy ’76; mother of Nancy M. Hatcher ’88 and Bill Mitchell ’92
Weldon Lummus, December 23, 2025, sister of Elizabeth Lummus ’10 and Will Lummus ’14
Benjamin “Ben” Townsend Mosteller (former faculty), October 29, 2025
2011
Antoinette “Toni” Parker (retired staff), February 25, 2026
2012
Robert “Bob” Petty (retired faculty), October 22, 2025, father of Carter Petty ’83 and Karen Petty Love Cote ’86
Harrison James Larkins, December 15, 2025 Stephen Wilson Powell Jr., August 26, 2025, brother of Elisabeth C. Powell ’10
Community Herschel Bloom, January 18, 2026, father of Lawton Bloom ’89 and Robert Bloom ’92 Carl Edward Bolch Jr., December 26, 2025, father of Allison Bolch Moran ’86, Natalie Bolch Morhous ’01, and Melanie Bolch Isbill ’02
Houston Smith Jr., December 30, 2025, father of Samantha Smith Wiseman ’87 William “Bill” Teasley (retired faculty), September 20, 2025, father of Sarah T. Trope ’88 Howell “Rudy” Rudolph Warren, November 30, 2024, father of Trent Warren ’94 and Ansley Warren ’00
The Gary Jones Commons Dedication The Gary Jones Commons, located in Clarkson Hall, stands as a lasting tribute to Gary Jones, the beloved Westminster teacher, coach, and friend. Members of the Jones family and the Wildcat community gathered in December 2025 to honor Gary’s life and legacy with the renaming of the Arts and Science Commons, fittingly located just steps from Gary’s former classroom. During the ceremony, his children received the traditional faculty retirement gift of a Bible, along with a memory book filled with notes and photos from students and colleagues.
66 | Summer 2026
IN MEMORIAM
Judy Marine Judy Marine spent more than three decades at Westminster as a reading specialist, teacher, and Elementary School principal. She was a champion of children— attentive to their needs, confident in their potential, and unwavering in her belief that every student deserved to be known and supported. Judy passed away last October at the age of 92, surrounded by her family. An Atlanta native, Judy attended Agnes Scott College and earned her Master of Education in the teaching of reading from Emory University. She joined Westminster in 1970 as a part-time reading specialist, encouraged by her mother, Westminster teacher Judy Promnitz. After several years in Denver with her family, she returned to Westminster to teach reading and help develop a Bible curriculum for third through sixth grades.
In the summer of 1983, following the unexpected passing of Elementary School Principal Lee Aronin, Judy stepped into the role of interim principal. She became the permanent principal the following year, with President Donn Gaebelein’s promise that she could continue meeting with small reading groups in her office. Even as she led the Elementary School, she remained closely connected to the daily work of teaching and learning that mattered most to her. At Love Hall, Judy led with steadiness and a deep sense of purpose. She expanded the Learning Team to better support students who needed additional help, introduced a Global Education component to the curriculum, and strengthened the School’s commitment to service. “Judy will long be remembered not only for her distinguished career as a teacher and principal at Westminster, but also for the
family she created in Love Hall and the foundation of caring, compassionate, and studentcentered learning it continues to provide today,” says Julie Boggs, a Lower School faculty member for more than 40 years. “She saw the best in everyone and expected and encouraged her faculty to do the same. There was no hierarchy of worth or importance in Judy’s life—she engaged all she knew with genuine love and compassion and made everyone feel they were an important and valued part of the School.” Judy often described herself as “always for community, always for education, and always for children.” That belief guided her far beyond Westminster—from teaching in East Africa at Mt. Kenya Academy to her service as co-president of the board of Children’s Literature for Children, helping bring books to young people around the world. Her legacy also lives on closer to home. Her son, Steve Marine, and grandson, Tom Marine— now a fifth-grade teacher in Westminster’s Lower School— continue a family commitment to education that Judy helped shape.
Judy Marine (right) pictured with a Westminster student and former Westminster Director of Research and Records Johnnie Oliver (left).
“What impressed me most about Judy was her sincere love of her students, teachers, and the parents—truly a remarkable person who was the perfect person to lead her school,” says Dr. Lee Friedman, who succeeded her as Elementary School principal. “I was genuinely blessed to have had her as a friend and colleague.”
WESTMINSTER | 67
Marriages Congratulations to all Wildcats celebrating recent marriages! This section reflects announcements received by March 15, 2026.
1993
Allyson “Ally” May and George Kimbrough Taylor III December 20, 2025
2005
2006
Rayna McClendon and Matthew Marks February 16, 2026
Elizabeth Franchot and Phillip Roux May 10, 2025
2008
Sandra Lynne Fryhofer and Nick Wellkamp January 18, 2025
2011
Ginger Abblitt and Wesley Rondinelli May 3, 2025
2013
Anna Kate Heller and Tom Pritchard Jr. March 7, 2026
68 | Summer 2026
CLASS NEWS
2014
Hannah Chen and Michael He September 27, 2025
2015
Caroline Daugherty and Ben Weinberg April 26, 2025
2016
Maggie O’Connor and Dallas Weaver June 28, 2025
2016
Laura Street and Justin Cole October 18, 2025
2016
Lily Morgan and Ben Scharmann November 1, 2025
2017
Julia Grady and Andrew Cecil July 12, 2025
WESTMINSTER | 69
Births and Adoptions Welcome to the Wildcat family, new additions! This section reflects announcements received by March 15, 2026.
1989
2007
2000 and 2001
2007
2002 and 2005
2008
2003
2008
2007
2008
Malachi Patrick Bassey, May 20, 2025 Son of Pamay Bassey
Hawthorne Thomas Henry, September 12, 2025 Son of Kimberly Hall Henry and Justin Henry
Betty Beasley Prickett, May 3, 2024 Daughter of Ali Gray Prickett and Clay Prickett
Archer Anderson “Anders” Beebe, August 18, 2025 Son of Callie Ellis Beebe and Riddick Beebe
Grace Lois Cutbirth, October 30, 2025 Daughter of Elisabeth and Matthew Cutbirth
70 | Summer 2026
Matthew James Menendez, October 7, 2025 Son of Amy and Steven Menendez
Simone Kaur Strong, September 4, 2025 Daughter of Brindar Sandhu and Marcus Strong
Reeves John Redfearn, September 6, 2025 Son of Laney Pait Redfearn and Lee Redfearn
Charlotte Spears Caffyn, February 8, 2026 Daughter of Caroline Robinson and James Caffyn
Nicholas Andrew Wellkamp Jr., November 7, 2025 Son of Sandra Lynne Fryhofer Wellkamp and Nick Wellkamp
CLASS NEWS
2009
Quinn Lyons Joel, January 25, 2026 Daughter of Abby Joel and LB Joel (faculty)
2010
Celia Brianna Bancherosmith, September 25, 2025 Daughter of Celia Quillian and Neil Bancherosmith
2010 2009
Virginia Dalton Long, February 16, 2026 Daughter of Ellen and Crawford Long
Knox Marshall LeBlanc, September 17, 2025 Son of Hannah Woodward LeBlanc and Justin LeBlanc
2010 2009
Charlotte Davis Lukens, January 9, 2026 Daughter of Catherine Ellis and Davis Lukens
William Bedingfield Wedge, October 22, 2025 Son of Kit Compton Wedge and Rob Wedge
2011
Nora Laine Higgins, December, 29 2024 Daughter of Jojo Olsen Higgins and Sam Higgins
2009
Isabelle “Sawyer” Namnoum, March 16, 2025 Daughter of Caitlin Paulette Namnoum and Spencer Namnoum
2013
Anabel Chapman Duffie, November 27, 2025 Daughter of Anne Louise Portwood Duffie and JD Duffie
2009
Cameron Wilson Saldana, August 23, 2025 Son of Caroline Meyer Saldana and Kyle Saldana
2016
Rhodes Carragher Woley, September 30, 2025 Son of Elizabeth Hawn Woley and Rankin Woley
WESTMINSTER | 71
WORTH
1,000
WORDS
The opening of The Blake Center marks the culmination of the most transformative chapter in Westminster’s history. Together with the new Historic Quad, this modern space has reenergized the center of campus—bridging the School’s storied past with a vibrant future of curiosity, collaboration, and innovation, all while ensuring students remain at the heart of it all.
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