The Column, 2025-2026 30th Year Celebration (Issue 12)

EDITOR

Nathan Clendenin | nathan.clendenin@tsdch.org HEAD of SCHOOL

Chip Denton

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Katie Stokes CONTRIBUTORS

ASSOCIATE HEAD of SCHOOL

Jez McIntosh

BOARD of TRUSTEES 2025–2026

Harmony Garges, Chair Sandy Kennedy, Vice Chair John Hand, Treasurer Marsha Ebert, Secretary Rick Adams Roger Brooks Laura Perkins Paul Robbins Jay Thomas Didi Wong Chip Denton (ex officio)

MISSION

The mission of Trinity School is to educate students in transitional kindergarten to grade twelve within the framework of Christian faith and conviction—teaching the classical tools of learning; providing a rich yet unhurried education; and communicating truth, goodness, and beauty.

Nathan Clendenin Chip Denton Spencer Dicks Leah Dotson Lynn Hand Linzy Kurien Janet Ray Sophie Smith

Trinity School of Durham and Chapel Hill

summer 2025 | issue 12

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Notice of Nondiscriminatory Policy as to Students. Trinity School of Durham and Chapel Hill admits missionally qualified applicants of any ability, color, ethnicity, national origin, race, religion, or sex, to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, or sex in the administration of its educational and admissions policies, offers of flexible tuition, or execution of athletic or any other school-administered programs.

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TABLE of CONTENTS From the Head of School Remembering and Connecting 4

Non Nobis

Curtain Up: Trinity Finds Its Voice in Musical Theatre 28

The Genesis of Trinity: Celebrating 30 Years of Vision 6

An Enduring Canvas: The Arts at Trinity through the Years 31

Faithful Founders: Building Trinity’s Pillars 8

30 Things to Love about Trinity 34

The Race That Three Girls Won 10

Across the Years, Down Pickett Road 36

30 Years of Grace: A Trinity Timeline 12

Portrait of a Learner 37

Truth, Goodness, and Beauty

Known and Loved

Looking Both Ways: Then and Now 14

Becoming Themselves: Reflections on the Faces and Places That Left a Mark 38

Two Small Rooms and a Big Vision: The Founding and Flourishing of the Upper School 16

Early Memories from Trinity’s First Teacher 40

The Next Leg: How Trinity Athletics Passes the Baton 18

Honoring a Legacy: David Spence’s Enduring Gift to Trinity School 42

Unknown Battles, Unlikely Historians 20

Congratulations to the Class of 2025!

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Rich and Unhurried Trinity Alumni List 22

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Moments That Matter 24

Remembering and Connecting

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rinity turns 30 in 2025, and it’s a joy to send this Column out to the wide and growing Trinity community to share our gratitude. If you’re reading this issue, you’re probably part of this story, and we’re glad we can remember together how the Lord has acted bountifully for Trinity School for three decades now.

30 TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

letter from the head of school 4

One of the challenges of a growing school is to stay in touch with people who have moved on to the next stages of their lives. This transition is, of course, a good thing: our mission is to prepare students for their life after Trinity. Still, the contrast between life during a Trinity education and afterward can be a bit jarring. This is also felt, perhaps most intensely, by alumni parents and grandparents whose last child graduates, who often lament losing their close connection to the community of the school. I’ve heard from many that The Column is a welcome arrival in their mailboxes, providing one way for people who love Trinity to stay in touch.

This issue takes a broader perspective than a typical Column. You’ll find here a butter slide through the first 30 years—a timeline of highlights, voices from the past, and stories from recent days and long ago.

Rita Davis, the first teacher we ever hired, shares memories from Trinity’s early years. I’m gratified to remember that the tradition of writing the names of students on the sidewalk for the first day of school was born in year one: “Known and Loved” was there from the start.

Trinity’s story is not just one big beginning, like a Big Bang of school creation. It is a series of firsts, of next steps. Rebecca Stevenson’s story of the birth of the Upper School is a powerful celebration of one of those new beginnings.

The student photos (“Looking Both Ways: Then and Now”) are fascinating and very well done. They remind us that Trinity’s story

Visit p. 40 to read reflections from Trinity’s first teacher

Visit p. 16 to read about the start of Trinity’s Upper School.

Dr. Denton addresses the class of 2025 during Trinity’s 16th Commencement on Friday, May 30, 2025. Below: Staff and faculty members celebrate the kick-off of Trinity’s 30th year celebration in the Lower School office.

has multiple perspectives, that we all see the school from different angles. I’m grateful that we serve a God who can hold all that together in his good and great purposes for this school.

“30 Things to Love about Trinity” is a clever collection that reminds me how much the little things matter. Each of us has a story, an indelible image, a person or event that evokes powerful memories from our Trinity experience.

“Reflections on the Faces and Places That Left a Mark” is another wonderful tribute to some of these recollections.

We want this 30th year to be a year of reconnecting with people who have been away from Trinity for some time,

and we’re planning events that we hope will make this easy. If you’re in town, why don’t you join us at our Up, Up, and Away! 30th Anniversary Fall Festival on October 3? We’ll be glad to give folks a tour of some of the exciting changes at our school. And if you’re an alum, please join us on December 13 for the Bring ’Em Out Alumni and Community Basketball Night.

Thank you for being part of the story of Trinity School.

Chip Denton, Head of School 5

NON NOBIS | Trinity School

The Genesis of Trinity: Celebrating 30 Years of Vision

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his spring, Trinity launched its 30th-anniversary celebration with a campus-wide event remembering the school’s founding moment: February 1, 1995. Students and staff paused to reflect on God's faithfulness in planting and growing our school community.

Middle and Upper School students marked the moment with cupcakes and conversation. Lower School students joined in the fun with pom-poms and a surprise visit from Leo the Lion. It was a joyful start to a special year filled with memories and gratitude.

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e t a D e h t e v a S As the celebration continues, please join us for these upcoming anniversary events:

OCTOBER 3, 2025

DECEMBER 13, 2025

DECEMBER 19, 2025

Up, Up, and Away!

Bring ’Em Out!

Lessons and Carols:

30th Anniversary Fall Fest

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Alumni and Community Basketball Night

30th Anniversary Edition

For more details, including photos from the events, visit: trinitydch.org/30th

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NON NOBIS | Trinity School

Faithful Founders: Building Trinity’s Pillars

“

by LYNN HAND

Chip asked each one to share their dream: his was classical, Jim’s was Christian, Kathy’s was Charlotte Mason, mine was unhurried…

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NON NOBIS | Trinity School

L

ong before our first building rose, Trinity’s foundation was laid in prayer. In the mid-1980s, three friends began praying for God to raise up a school that was both academically strong and deeply Christian. They were former Chapel Hill alderman George Coxhead, former UNC–Chapel Hill athletic director and U.S. congressman Bill Cobey, and David Spence, founder and CEO of First Century Voyages. Though the timing wasn’t yet right, they continued to pray.

In the early 1990s, parents Jane Adams and Kathy Tyndall—seasoned educators in public, private, and homeschool settings—sensed the need for a school that sparked a love of learning and formed children in Christ.

They longed for a place where students would grow intellectually, morally, socially, and spiritually, nourished by both rich content and deep faith.

Opening was only the beginning. The founding board and early faculty continued to develop the school’s mission, and Jane Adams, Nancy Brooks, and Kathy Tyndall worked tirelessly together to refine and extend the curriculum. Over time, Trinity’s now-familiar four pillars— Christian, classical, rich, and unhurried—took shape at each grade level, guiding teaching and learning.

Trinity’s Pillars Trinity offers a Christian, classical education that is rich yet unhurried. We root all learning in Christ, teach students to use the tools of the classical tradition, nourish minds with living ideas, and move at a pace that allows for deep understanding, creativity, and rest.

They weren’t alone. On February 1, 1995, Chip and Desirée Denton and seven others—Nancy Brooks, Bob Byrd, David English, David Hostetler, Pat Kiefer, Jim Lamont, and Kathy Tyndall—gathered at the Dentons’ home to dream together. Nancy Brooks recalled, “Chip asked each one to share their dream: his was classical, Jim’s was Christian, Kathy’s was Charlotte Mason, mine was unhurried.…The funny thing is, I don’t believe one person in that room knew what all the other people were talking about!” By the end of the meeting, these founders agreed to forge ahead in doing the work to hone their vision and bring it into being.

In May 1995, Trinity School of Durham and Chapel Hill was officially incorporated. The task ahead was daunting. In just a few months, they secured a location, hired teachers, built a curriculum, and enrolled students. After hundreds of hours of work, Trinity opened its doors on September 5, 1995.

In the years that followed, land was purchased, a headmaster was hired, and more teachers, staff, and students joined the Trinity community. A second wave of faithful founders—Ben Case, Fred Brooks, Janice McAdams, Tom Kawula, Roland Wilkins, Rick Adams, Celeste Nykamp, and John Nicholson, among others—carried the vision into new grades, new buildings, and new seasons of growth.

Trinity stands today because of God’s provision through our faithful founders. Thirty years on, he continues to raise up builders to carry the mission forward. Early prayer and later Board chair Bill Cobey put it best: “This is his ministry, the ministry of Jesus Christ. We are only implementing and grabbing hold onto a vision given to us by God.…And as long as we keep our eyes on the vision, the mission of the school, things are going to work out.”

LYNN HAND has worked at Trinity since 2006 and currently serves on Trinity’s communications team

in the Advancement office. The mother of Trinity alumnae Sarah and Rachel Hand, she and her family have been part of the Trinity community since 1999. When Lynn’s not at Trinity, she loves traveling and watching the dolphins swimming in the sounds of the North Carolina coast.

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NON NOBIS | Trinity School

The Race That Three Girls Won

by CHIP DENTON

Originally published in the fall of 2002, this story captures a memorable and missional moment from Trinity’s early years. We followed up with the two Trinity girls at the heart of the race. We hope you enjoy this retelling—and their reflections—nearly twenty years later.

This is a true story about two schools and three girls who gave their best.

more.” And then, as is his custom, he led them in a prayer.

On Tuesday, September 24, 2002, Trinity’s cross-country team traveled down the road to Duke Middle School for a three-way meet, the first of our season. Cross-country teams need a minimum of five runners to finish in order to score as a team, and our girls were one shy of the five.

At the last minute, the team recruited a fifth girl, Mary Mac, to run. This sixth grader had practiced with the team some, but because of her club soccer team, had decided not to compete.

When the girls came out of the woods, there were two Trinity girls out in front. One was the novice, the sixth grader, running stride for stride with Taylor, last year’s front runner. I remember saying to someone nearby, “Mary Mac has gone out too fast. She’ll never keep up.”

The second time they emerged from the woods, still the two were running strong, in front with a Duke School runner, Emily, close behind. Imagine our surprise and puzzlement when, three minutes later, Mary Mac emerged from the woods in the lead, with the Duke School girl in pursuit, and Taylor nowhere in sight.

One of my favorite things is to sidle up inconspicuously to the huddle and listen in as Coach West gets the athletes ready to run. Down on their level, eye to eye, with the intensity of a preacher, he said to them, “What I’m asking for is your best. You give that, and no one can ask for Before joining Trinity as our first Athletic Director, Coach Hubert West made history as the first Black head coach at UNC–Chapel Hill, where he led the track and field program. His legacy in North Carolina athletics continues to inspire.

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NON NOBIS | Trinity School

The Duke School track circles three times through the woods, so that all the moms and dads stand around for several minutes after the start not knowing who is in front.

The girls took one final lap around the soccer field and Mary Mac finished first. That victory, for a sixth grader, was itself a tale, but soon I learned that it was only half the story, and maybe not even the best part of it.

When two other Duke School runners emerged from the woods, they shouted that a runner was down and needed help. Coach West ran down the trail to find Taylor. I saw him, minutes later, coming out of the woods, carrying Taylor, whose knee was banged up pretty badly.

Mary Mac (top left) and Taylor (bottom) also enjoyed playing soccer together during their time at Trinity.

Right: Coach Hubert West, Asst. Coach Leslie (Unger) Petrie, and the Cross-Country team pose for a photo before a race.

It was actually a couple of days before I heard the full story. Taylor, in the lead, had twisted her knee and fallen. Emily, the Duke School runner, stopped to help, and so did our own Mary Mac. Emily, obviously concerned about her opponent, looked to Mary Mac and said, “You got her?”

Mary Mac assured her she did and Emily ran on. Then Taylor, looking up through tears and pain, said to Mary Mac, “Go! Finish!” So Mary Mac took off through the woods to the finish line and Taylor lay motioning all the runners on past her until help came.

Three girls won that race. The one who fell, who swallowed her disappointment, pain, and fear and told the

others to go on. The one on the other team, who gave up seconds and a sure advantage to show compassion on a worthy opponent. And the one who gave up her lead for the sake of her teammate, and then found the kick to overtake the lead again.

Non nobis, domine, non nobis, sed nomini tuo da gloriam. Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to your name be the glory. First place goes to the one who has learned that she is third: God first, then neighbor, then self. There is truth and goodness and beauty in that order. This is an eternal glory which no Nietzschean, trash-talking superstar can ever reflect. This is the pattern of the One who ran the race and finished, who stopped to pick us up and carry us along, who was, simply, the Best There Ever Was.

We caught up with Taylor and Mary Mac recently and asked them to reflect on that race, nearly twenty years afterward. Taylor (Ray) Curtis recalled, “It was one of those moments where I felt like lessons and teachings my parents and teachers had tried to instill in me were in the flesh— selflessness and kindness put into action when personal gain was at stake.” MaryMac (Thielman) Hoehn still remembers the words of Coach West’s prayer from Isaiah 40: “They will run and not grow weary.” She said, “I’ve drawn from this passage many times in the last 20 years, and when I read it, I still hear Coach West’s voice.” Taylor and Mary Mac are still in touch today, and though their running looks a little different, they’re still moving together—chasing after their children on playdates.

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TRUTH, GOODNESS, and BEAUTY | Trinity School

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NON NOBIS | Trinity School

30 Years of Grace: A Trinity Timeline 5

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Trinity Founders’ First Meeting On February 1, 1995, nine people gathered at Chip and Desirée Denton’s home at 509 Colony Woods Drive to envision a new Christian school for Durham and Chapel Hill. Inspired by a shared faith and a commitment to strong academics, they planted the seeds of Trinity’s classical, rich, and unhurried Christian education. By May 16, 1995, Trinity School was incorporated, and preparations for its first school year began.

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Starting a Middle School Trinity grew from 39 to 158 students in five years, adding grades and traditions along the way. The school expanded into sixth and then eighth grade, and many of Trinity’s now beloved traditions were established—including Grandparents Day (1996) and the Turkey Bowl (2002)—laying the foundation for Trinity’s permanent home and future.

1990s

The Birth of Trinity Athletics Even before Trinity had its own buildings, the Middle School Cross-Country and Track teams were launched. A donor’s challenge led to the building of the Blue Gym, a place for basketball and volleyball games.

With new fields, our athletic program continued to grow. In 2000, the students chose the Lions as Trinity’s mascot, and Leo the Lion became a beloved symbol.

2000s 4

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The First Day of Trinity School Trinity School opened on September 5, 1995, with 39 students in three classes at Hope Creek Church on Erwin Road.

Families came from different cities and churches, united by a shared desire for a classical, rich, unhurried, and Christ-centered education—values that have shaped Trinity from the very beginning.

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Building a Home, Growing a Legacy

Graduating the First Senior Class

As Trinity grew, so did the need for space. In 1998, the Board secured land on Pickett Road, launching a $3M capital campaign. On October 1, 2001, Trinity dedicated its first building and gym, expanding enrollment by 40% and laying the foundation for future growth.

In 2000, the Board established the High School Task Force and began planning for the Upper School, which was launched in fall 2006. Winterim, robotics, varsity sports, and Senior Capstones soon followed. Trinity’s first senior class graduated in May 2010.

From a rented church building and 39 students to a vibrant campus serving hundreds, Trinity’s first 30 years tell a story of growth, grace, and God’s faithfulness.

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Growing Up: Expanding for the Future

The HUB: Honoring Blake Hubbard’s Legacy

As the Upper School increased in size, the Growing Up capital campaign funded the construction of the new South Building and Gold Gym. These new facilities doubled Trinity’s classroom space and expanded its athletic and community facilities. The Gold Gym became a central location for chapels, events, athletics, and student activities.

Blake Hubbard embodied Trinity’s spirit of joy and faith.

After his passing in 2012, over $2 million was given in his memory, enabling the building of the Blake Hubbard Commons.

Dedicated in 2016, the HUB is a shared space for worship, study, and play—honoring Blake’s legacy by enriching the life of every Trinity student.

2010s

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30 Years of Trinity From 39 students and 6 teachers in 1995 to 600 students and over 150 faculty, staff, and coaches in 2024, Trinity’s growth over 30 years is a testament to God’s gracious provision and faithfulness.

2020s

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Launching the Digital Learning Initiative (DLI)

Expanding Creativity: The Brent Clark Arts and Engineering Building

In 2010, Trinity equipped teachers with MacBooks and iPads, laying the groundwork for the Digital Learning Initiative. Then, after years of planning, the Board approved a 1:1 student device program in 2014, launching it in 2015. Trinity continues to embrace technology thoughtfully, balancing innovation with wisdom and care.

As Trinity grew, so did the need for more classrooms for the arts and STEM. With the support of the Trinity Forward campaign, construction began in 2020, and the new building was dedicated in 2021 in memory of Brent Clark. Today, this beautiful space fosters creativity in music, theatre, visual arts, and engineering for all students.

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TRUTH, GOODNESS, and BEAUTY | Trinity School

Looking Both Ways: Then and Now

By NATHAN CLENDENIN

Students in the Digital Storytelling class set out to reimagine the past in the present. Using archival photos of campus, they carefully overlaid them with present-day images taken from the same spot. The result is a striking visual echo—two moments in time held together in a single frame.

This series invites us to see how far we’ve come and to wonder, with eyes wide open, what Trinity will look like in 2055. What stories will future students tell with the images we leave behind?

On October 1, 2001, Trinity dedicated its very first building—now the Lower School. With just 150 students, the school was steadily growing, adding grades and class sections. Today, that same building, the oldest on campus, is undergoing renovation and expansion to welcome a new generation of learners—up to 375 Lower School students in the years to come.

Photo by Lucy Harshbarger ’26, EJ Thomason ’26, and Kate Wilder ’27

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This quiet moment on the second floor of the Lower School invites us to wonder: Did the construction crew ever imagine all the bright faces that would pass through this hall—high-fiving, hugging, or pausing for a quick drink of water? Fleeting as they are, these everyday moments form part of the invisible fabric of a Trinity education.

Photo by Judah Schaad ’27 and Micah Strawn ’25

On the first day of the 2011–2012 school year, students played four square on the Lower School playground—a simple game that still echoes there today, passed down from class to class.

Photo by Jane Linares ’27 and Davis Nichols ’26

This stretch in front of the Lower School has welcomed a steady stream of cars for decades—morning drop-offs, afternoon pickups, day after day. If we could watch the last 30 years on fast-forward, we’d see fashions shift, backpacks evolve, and cars come and go. But one thing wouldn’t change: the smiling faces of Trinity students, eager to begin school or grateful to return home, their heads full of true, good, beautiful ideas.

Photo by Jane Linares ’27 and Davis Nichols ’26

When this photo was taken in 2011, Trinity’s Upper School was still young. Back then, the students standing here looked to their left onto an open stretch of trees, with the Penny family property behind. Today, that same spot offers a view they could hardly have imagined: the beautiful Brent Clark Arts and Engineering Building, a symbol of how far the school has come.

Photo by Lucy Harshbarger ’26 and EJ Thomason’26, and Kate Wilder ’27

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TRUTH, GOODNESS, and BEAUTY | Trinity School

Two Small Rooms and a Big Vision The Founding and Flourishing of the Upper School

By NATHAN CLENDENIN

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ineteen years ago, a small group of teachers gathered in a modular beside Trinity’s Blue Gym to launch the Upper School—the final phase of Trinity’s Christian, classical, rich, yet unhurried mission. Around 20 ninth graders arrived that fall of 2006 with backpacks and fresh notebooks, stepping into a high school that didn’t yet fully exist. The faculty had outlines, prayers, and a shared vision shaped by the grammar and logic stages of classical development. But what would the rhetoric phase look like for teenagers preparing for life beyond Trinity?

“We had no choice but to jump straight in,” remembers Rebecca Stevenson, then the only full-time Upper School teacher. “Thankfully, we had some firm plans guiding our way.” Trinity had decided not to offer AP classes, freeing our faculty to create an engaging, unhurried, missional curriculum. As the Humanities teacher, Rebecca birthed an interdisciplinary course that would invite students into deep reading, thoughtful writing, and rich conversation on important topics.

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The first years of Trinity’s Upper School—filled with hands-on science, socratic Humanities discussions, Winterim courses, and much more—set the tone for what it has become today: a place where students are known, challenged, and sent out, ready for college yet steeped in a deeper purpose. Those early efforts took grit. As Rebecca recalls, “All of this was happening out of a two-room modular building!”

Beyond academics, the faculty worked hard to shape a rich student life. “From the outset,” Rebecca notes, “advisories met regularly. We launched a student newspaper and started an art club.” Upper School programs continued to expand, with student-government elections, an a cappella group, art electives, and even a jazz band.

Rebecca shares, “These were heady days, rife with discovery regarding ourselves, the students, and the curricula we were designing and then implementing for the first time. We all worked hard to bring our shared vision to fruition in a cramped space.” That early work reflects the

Top left: Rebecca Stevenson (in pink) leads a group of adventurous students on a hiking expedition along the Mount Mitchell Trail during Winterim 2009. Top right: Trinity’s college advisor Megan Bryant helps Martin Martinez Lopez ’12 prepare to take his Trinity education to the next stage. Bottom: In May 2010, Trinity’s first Upper School graduating class received their diplomas.

dedication of our teachers and administrators, who built the Upper School with a clear aim: to know and love each student.

In year two, the South Building opened, creating room to grow, and the following school year brought our first Director of Upper School, Warren Gould, who went on to serve for 13 years. The Upper School added a robotics club, drama electives, many more sports, Cornerstone morning meeting, senior awards, college counseling, and Trinity’s first prom. By the time Rebecca stepped away from Trinity in 2012, the Upper School had taken root. It had grown into a place where students were not only pre-

pared for the next stage of life, but also shaped as lifelong learners. When she returned to the faculty in 2023 as a theology teacher, much had changed—and yet, so much felt the same. “The upper hallway now throngs with students,” she says. “Once again, I am given a gift—to build a new theology curriculum.”

The Upper School that Rebecca helped launch now lives and breathes the mission that shaped its beginnings: rooted in tradition, open to discovery, and committed to knowing and loving each student who walks its halls. Reflecting on this, she says, “It’s good to be back.”

NATHAN CLENDENIN serves as Trinity’s Assistant Director of Advancement for Marketing and

Communications. He advises the Yearbook and teaches Journalism and Marketing in the Upper School. Nathan is also editor of The Column magazine. A husband, father of four, and Trinity parent, he’s often found listening to a great podcast while training for the annual Blue Ridge Relay race.

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TRUTH, GOODNESS, and BEAUTY | Trinity School

The Next Leg:

How Trinity Athletics Passes the Baton

By SOPHIE SMITH

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t Trinity, our athletic compass is clear: we don’t pursue victory at all costs. Instead, we measure success by the virtues of courage, justice, wisdom, and self-control. Looking beyond the scoreboard makes success harder to quantify, but this philosophy is central to our athletic program and broader mission. Participation in athletics has been vital to student formation and well-being since Trinity’s founding. The journey includes both joy and heartache, because learning to compete well always will.

In speaking with two coaches—one a former Trinity athletic director now serving in collegiate athletics, 18

the other a UNC–Chapel Hill undergrad stepping into her first season as a coach—the baton of this philosophy becomes visible, passed from one generation to the next. As former Trinity Athletic Director Sue Eckstein, now at Furman University, explains: “Athletics, when guided by the right principles and purpose, become an extension of the classroom.

They offer students the chance to develop resilience, character, and leadership in ways that lectures alone 7.

Athletics, when guided by the right principles and purpose, become an extension of the classroom.

cannot provide. Competitive athletics—rooted in education—amplify the lessons learned in school and prepare students for life beyond it.”

Passing the baton is more than a track metaphor at Trinity—it’s a lived reality. The philosophy that shaped earlier leaders like Sue Eckstein now continues in the hands of younger coaches, who are carrying it forward.

Today our coaching staff includes faculty, Trinity alumni, nearby college students, and even current Upper Schoolers. Over the years, more than ten alumni have returned to coach—a testament to the deep connection they feel to the program.

One of our newest coaches this season is Laura Martin, a Morehead-Cain scholar from UNC. As one of those who’s received and is now passing on the baton, she reflects on her experience coaching at Trinity: “There’s a deep, unmistakable commitment to excellence. It’s a kind of love that both challenges and supports—calling athletes to rise higher while walking alongside them as they put in the work. That combination is what sustains and strengthens athletics at Trinity.

challenged them to strive for excellence, and it’s been inspiring to watch them rise to it.”

Athletics challenges students both physically and mentally to shape their character and build perseverance. These lessons are not just for the season—they last a lifetime.

I truly believe that today’s athletes are best equipped to graduate into life’s challenges beyond college.

From the start, Trinity Athletics was designed to support the school’s mission to form students. It brings me joy to see that thread continue, offering opportunities through our Learning and Leading in Athletics track, which enables students to coach, lead, and grow. Josh Worsham ’26, who coached Middle School basketball, shared what the experience meant to him: “Coaching has been a really awesome experience for me this past season. Getting to work with the boys every week and seeing them develop so much—that was really special and rewarding. Those connections across the Upper and Lower School are really important.”

The baton keeps moving forward. And with each handoff, the mission deepens.

“I’ve been deeply encouraged by the student leadership I’ve witnessed across many teams. We SOPHIE SMITH serves as Trinity’s Athletic Director, overseeing three seasons of interscholastic

athletics for over 30 teams and 30 coaches. She has recently completed a Quality Program Assessment of our athletic programs as part of her Certified Masters in Athletic Administration (CMAA) through the NIAAA. She especially enjoys working with the Student-Athlete Leadership Team, our Athletic department interns, and our coaching staff.

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TRUTH, GOODNESS, and BEAUTY | Trinity School

Unknown Battles, Unlikely Historians

By NATHAN CLENDENIN

African American Civil War soldiers, 1865, Petersburg, VA, courtesy of Project Gutenberg https://www.gutenberg.org/files/43922/43922-h/43922-h.htm

O

ver the past thirty years, Trinity’s mission has been at work in countless lives, forming young minds to seek truth, communicate well, and ask better questions. While the curriculum, trends, and even buildings have grown and changed, the heart of Trinity’s educational philosophy has remained: a classical, rich, and unhurried approach that equips students not only to reason clearly, but also to speak courageously.

In 2012, Libby Dondero ’16 wrote a history essay that took the reader (and her as well, as you’ll see) well beyond the classroom. Her essay, The Unknown Battle of the Civil War, won first place in the nation in the Gilder Lehrman Institute’s Civil War Essay Contest for middle school students.

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Drawing on letters, laws, speeches, and government records, Libby uncovered a rarely told story: the uphill fight African American men faced not only on the battlefield, but in their quest to even be allowed to serve— and to be paid fairly once they did.

something thoughtful and clear. Her analysis tracked the slow, reluctant change in the Union’s policies and showed how prejudice didn’t end with enlistment. African American soldiers were routinely given only labor duties and paid less than their white counterparts.

“Of these men fighting in the first two years of the war, there were no African Americans because of the negative prejudice the white soldiers had towards them. The African Americans who wanted to join the army were free men…

Then why were these African Americans not allowed to fight?”

“Congress still thought of African Americans as slaves, not as real soldiers, which really makes no sense. They had proven themselves to be great fighters. Why did they not get paid more than some of the white soldiers who were not very good fighters, then?”

Libby’s work exemplified the Trinity way: she engaged deeply with primary sources, asked morally serious questions, and took the time to craft

Libby didn’t just quote sources—she wrestled with them. She used the tools she learned at Trinity not to decorate her essay, but to dig beneath the surface.

Mary Dondero, a longtime Trinity teacher and Libby’s proud mother, remembers the moment she found out Libby had won the national award for her essay. “At first I assumed she meant the Trinity contest. But when she said it was the national prize, I was floored.” At the award ceremony in New York City’s historic Union League Club, Libby sat with professional historians who praised her work. “She handled it all with grace,” Mary added, “even though she didn’t exactly share their passion for footnotes.”

Notable Mentions Over the years, many other students have brought creativity and courage to bear on their research—adding their own thoughtful questions to the great conversations of history. These eighth grade writers received recognition by the Gilder Lehrman Institute as well: The Roles of Lincoln: Father, Husband, and President?

Today, Libby lives in New York and works as a senior manager at Kargo, a mobile-first advertising tech firm.

She graduated from UVA’s McIntire School of Commerce with concentrations in marketing and IT—and a minor in Spanish, a love she first discovered in Trinity’s Lower School. She continues to use the public speaking and presentation skills she practiced at Trinity, from the kindergarten art gallery to Medieval Day and Upper School seminars.

Madeleine Yancy (2014) – A nuanced portrait of Lincoln’s personal and political character.

Disease: The Civil War’s Third Enemy

Campbell Rand (2013) – A study of how illness shaped the war’s outcome, often more decisively than bullets.

Why Did They Pick Up a Pen? Former Slaves Writing

Her closing words from that winning essay still resonate: “This struggle of pay and all other struggles African Americans had to face to try to gain equality was their own battle of the Civil War. Even though this battle was unknown, since it was never officially recorded as part of the Civil War, it did, unfortunately, happen.”

to Their Former Owners

Julianne Freck (2017) – A powerful window into the letters of freed people confronting the past.

Tears of Ink: The Civil War in Verse

Cecilia Anne DeGuzman (2018) – A lyrical analysis of wartime poetry that captured loss and memory.

Libby’s story is just one among many—one bright thread in the larger tapestry of Trinity’s thirty years. It reminds us what can happen when students are given space to research, explore, and write with purpose.

Read Libby’s full essay online at https://trinitydch.org/tc12-civil-war

Present day Libby Dondero

NATHAN CLENDENIN serves as Trinity’s Assistant Director of Advancement for Marketing and

Communications. He advises the Yearbook and teaches Journalism and Marketing in the Upper School. Nathan is also editor of The Column magazine. A husband, father of four, and Trinity parent, he’s often found listening to a great podcast while training for the annual Blue Ridge Relay race.

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Laura Chamberlain, Jordan Van Dyke, Courtney Couch, Jenny Crowell, Charlie Fritsch, Eric Bratt, Rick Frothingham, Ben Johnson, Nathaniel Adkins, Justin Dealy, Nathan Thorp, Sam Thorp, Davis Murphy, Julia Murphy, Anna (Wolfe) Coyne, Paige Kawula, Tyler Dealy, Tony Hutson, Alison Luntz, Sara Suh, Esther Linnartz, Hannah Sauerwein, Robbie Fisher, Jonathan Mathew, Kylan (Lamont) Smith, Lindsay Holland, Teddy Denton, Haleigh Erb, Amy Patrylick, Nicholas Wisner, Daniel Hostetler, Peter Linnartz, Katherine Schaefer, Leigh McAdams, Paul Williams, Patrick Wilson, Happi Adams, Hannah (Suh) Kittinger, Leigh (Tyndall) Snow, Matthew Gay, Anna Carol Thorp, Lucas Van Dyke, Ben Case, Christopher Ray, Samantha Vaillancourt, Elizabeth Watts, Hannah (Watts) Nanney, Emma (Clark) Myrick, Stephanie Humphreys, Will Roper, Yana Kanarski, Alex Hunt, Augusta Hanes, Kaitlyn Jongkind, Satie Munn, Victoria Spring, Jesse Cathell, Emily McSwain, Ellie Poole, Evan Kawula, Devan Faulkner, Taylor (Ray) Curtis, Ana (Smith) McVicker, Lauren Lyle, Cari Druckenbrod, Tim Smith, Felicity (Van Vleet) Lewis, Andrew Phillips, Jordan Rose, Zac Allison, Kurt Dalton, Jenny (Denton) Bodnar, Austin Hirschfield, Tucker Lane, Raleigh (Froeber) Daniel, Lauren (Asay) McGovern, Eliza Mathew, Davis Fisher, David Cusick, Diane Tyndall Nelsen, Isaac Uhlenberg, Walt Peters, Bren Lamont, Emily (Wolfe) Berthold, Ben Murphy, Meghan Gay, Alex Hostetler, Jeff Holland, Andrew Hove, Samuel Linnartz, Caitlin Sipe, Matt Williams, Dhugie Adams, Alan Bohn, Ben Clark, Robert Hubbard, Stefanie Adamson, Brennan Hirschfield, Alexis Kessler, Nathaniel McKeel, Anne Moore, Tyler Biggs, Bekah Edie, Kara Jongkind, Joshua Atkinson, Breaugh Olson, Stefan Sundseth, Davis Pugh, Sam Poole, MaryMac (Thielman) Hoehn, William Parham, Mark Bell, Chad Denton, Jaimee Reid, Grace Bidgood, Philip James, John Norman, Rashad Perry, Hadley (Griffin) Wilson, Mark Bell, Matt Bonner, Reilly Butler, Ethan Adkins, Alana Asay, Derek Skeen, Bryan Waffa, Ria Wooten, Jocelyn Idriss, Danie Skakle, Preston Parham, Will Shoe, Ryan Carson, Taylor Pennington, Lauren (Hubbard) Shelton, Katie Laffoon, Kate Holland, Cobey Culton, Todd Eckstein, Barrington Hall, Thomas Hostetler, Reid Goss, Scott Miller, Stuart Sundseth, Ruthie (Waters) Willis, Sarah Hand-Safford, Meagan Hove, Sarah (Bohn) Hilton, Jack Wagstaff, Cookie (Arky) Sledge, Camille Morgan, Sean Del Corral, Renee Easterlin, Hansen French, Nikki Behnke, Caroline (Waters) LeFave, Fielder Thomas, Trey Deimler, Martin Lopez, Julia Rao, David Moon, Aaron Leslie, Andrew James, Becca Griffin, Olivia Bland, Sheridan Guest, Max Whelan, Colleen McKeel, Will Govert, Matt Dengler, Kelly-Anne Martin, Will Powell, Emily Barnett, Lindsay Grigg, Tyler Eckstein, Christian Kowalski, Bekah (Ray) Punt, Arwen (La Dine) Broughton, Luke Ervin, Kellie Schaefer, Jacob Stauber, Chris Dotson, Jesse Sanchez, Alex Gould, Todd Echstenkamper, Hayes Thielman, Abby Turner, Josh Monroe, Zoe Whisenhunt, Samuel Feaver, Savannah Wicker, Grace French, Michael Lindia, Mitch Wimberley, Ren Jacques, Bryn Morgan, Sarah Spencer, Jenna Hutcheson, Kelsey (Schaad) Feaver, Harrison Wicker, Garrett House, Anna Eckstein, Xavier Idriss, Spencer Grant, John Eveleigh, Somer Szostak, Mark Hove, Matthew Lindia, Charlotte McGlone, Ella Rose, Brie Charles, Emily Sarratt, Maddie (Rios) Idriss, Forrest Shivers, Alaina (Yeatts) Weaver, Mackenzie Russell, Mary Pakes, Zachary Dickson, Olivia Chaney, Rachel Baker, Harrison Czajkowski, Madison Rust, Elmer Garcia, Christopher Sanchez, Eleanor DeBerry, Jackson Froeber, Elena Kovalik, Catherine Chestnutt, Ainslie Cullen, Jay Irwin, Carr Bonner, Luke Farley, Catherine Linsley, Grant Demarest, Holly Dorfman, Evan Norfleet, Harper Ensslin, Sydney Williams, Anna (Merritt) Echstenkamper, Layson Peters, Jeanie Stouffer, Daniel Ray, Patrick Knight, Christopher Wu, John Matthews, Anna La Dine, Connor Martin, Raheem Poole, James Yarborough, Jay Kowalski, Rosamond Walker, Victoria James, Lina Habib, Zachary Schaad, Josh Bratcher, Bennett Goss, Milan Moshay, Catherine Fay, Austin Blair, Alexandra Hall, Lee Parham, Robert Smith, Alex Idriss, Ted Hampton, Cammie Behnke, Evan Kottiel, Paul Dunlap, Angela Tawfik, Esten Walker, Tim Govert, Anna (Dengler) Schaad, Brian Wright, Leah Sykes, Ashley Low, Rachel Hand, Leslie Knight, Isabel Leslie, Libby Dondero, William Gardner, Chandler Younts, Cassie Forbis, Peter Lindia, Mikael Koeneke, Connor Grigg, William Chestnutt, Davis Culton, Kayli Hight, Andersen Ward, B-Lo Lopez, Matthew Miller, Nico Rios, Ellie Feaver, Dowdy Sarvis, Anna Liles, Corky (Walker) Rios, Barnes Powell, Riley Patterson, Erin Turner, Wade Wilson, Philip Sporn, Ryan Lynch, Grant Shadduck, Jackson Eberts, Mary Neeley, Tae Law, David Stewart, Jack Lynch, Allison Dear, Michael Arcidiacono, Eli Parker, David Proaño, Gina Kovalik, Abigail Lloyd, Ryean Airall, CJ Lucas, Nigel Mavhura, Taylor Hayden, Eliza Irwin, Julia Sisk, Addison Woods, Jay Winters, Ireland Stauber, Elise (Pinheiro) Piehl, Alyvia Schaad, Ellie Waters, Perry Dickson, Jane Parris, John Sampson, Alex Keene, Trey Holland, Emma Friesen, Lucy McLeod, Kathryn James, Lindsey Kirby, Charlie Piehl, Angus Isley, Graham Dale, Hunter Durst, Katie Biggs, Benjamin Gould, Joshua Bryan, Josie Cranfill, Callie Boyd, Tom Stockton, Heather Wright, Anna Hofmann, Alex LeGrand, Philip Lindia, Matthew Sanders, Pate Dunlap, Avery Fletcher, William Thorp, 22

RICH and UNHURRIED | Trinity School

Benjamin Wu, Ellie Winters, Luke Garges, Brad Fay, Anna Low, Tommy Biggs, Caroline (Barnett) Passaro, Catherine Byrd, Jessica Matthews, Josh Arcidiacono, Justin Lloyd, Quinn Mullins, Peter Passaro, Mackenzie Smith, Cameron Griffin, Erin Engel, Alex Fong, Frances Merritt, Daniel Morken, Taylor Price, Sami Habib, Nicole Van Buren, Clay Liles, Eryn Dennehy, Sarah Nelson, Daniel Mangum, Matthew Celeste, J'Maal Law, Monica Hernández Rodríguez, Siobhan Powers, Jacob Jones, Margaret Prost, Kirsten Weems, Jess Adams, Marcotis Hall, Noah Dinkins, Brandon Arnold, Alyssa Davis, Lily Gardner, Daji Lymore, Heyab Zeresenai, Madeline Mueller, Sanya Raynoe, Daniela Hernández Rodríguez, Holly Hutcheson, Kathryn Yarborough, Emily Celeste, Hope Mutter, Annabel Smith, Katie Blair, Dane Kottiel, Caroline Dear, Natalie Epps, Ashton Edwards, Emme Griffith, Cameron Hemmerich, Abby Young, Ian Hall, Caroline Willingham, Julia Broughton, Ariana Motamedi, Elizabeth Yee, Hannah Stepp, Katie Piehl, Khamisi Jackson, Pedro Lopez, Eric Nelson, Annie O'Brien, Owen Lloyd, Timothy Oakley, Naomi Pridgen, Kyle Nichols, Luke Nicol, Ragan Copeland, Kevin Wright, Grace Bryan, Henley Younts, Claire Friesen, Turner Wood, Gentry Wood, Lauren Garges, Karley Long, John Charles Glenn, Annika Padilla, Cameron Durst, Marshal Mavhura, Caleb Smith, Kelsey White, Melissa Mavhura, Moriah Powery, Addie Low, Estelle Mangum, Inga Morken, Collin Waugh, Jarrett Herndon, Alex Mason, Katie McAlexander, Isa DeGuzman, Isabelle McMurray, Leah Schaad, Katie Service, Jeff Lindsay, José María Barbeito, Ulices Urbano, John Urbano Nolasco, Ralph Erdmann, E'Manuel McIntosh, Hannah Grace Jacob, Alaina Chandler, Evan Bates, Conor Dunn, Lillian Fitts, Gavin Bizyak, Ansley Anders, Cole Nicholson, Ari Tshihamba, Jayden Smith, Briana Ballentine, Ava Rao, Will Shoenbill, Elise Benware, Ethan Benware, Jonathan Resendiz-Mancía, Alyssa Morgan, Brian Li, Yolanda Liu, Dawson Kennedy, Rachel Jiang, Micah McNeal, Noah Jacob, Joseph Musso, Rakata Raynoe, Christian Baudet, Jennie Holland, Henry Lima, Cindi Flowers, John Dondero, Franklin Kennedy, Caleb Engel, Ben Marshall, Peter Thomas, Liza Kelley, Andrew Arcidiacono, Abigail Hartemink, Beth Liles, Daniel Byrd, Peyton Smith, Gabriel Tempest, Samuel Gould, Samuel Johnson, Grayson Hoffman, Lauren Hostetler, Zoe Love, Ben Engel, R.J. Wildermann, Abby Love, Seth Brown, Price Furr, Justin Saenz, Ben Hayes, Emily Fong, Tim Celeste, Wilson Furr, Alexa Roberts, Lizzie Piehl, Bridget Hight, Eli Jared, Cole Zoubek, Garrett Powers, Jeffry Low, Claire Kennedy, Bowen Young, Finley Woods, Jacob Hahn, Sophia Spence, Gracie Sloop, Alexis Mosu, Emma Little, Sydney Larson, Lydia Wood, Charlie Mario, Jack Marshall, Caroline Mumford, Hunter Messick, Julianne Freck, Ella Nolen, Tess Hopkins, Hopewell Hawkes, Georg Erdmann, Francisca Barbeito, Avery Hayden, Kate Salemson, Katherine Prost, Morgan Williams, Demarius Mason, Lucas Lowe, Danielle Morgan, Allie Hartsfield, Thomson Falk, Lauren Shaw, Peter Zhang, Bernardo Albuquerque, Jeff Fu, Maddie Proaño, Rigo Soto-Hernandez, Ryan Barber, Wilkin Galindo, Karissa Cinque, Gray Chandler, Ben Ballentine, Kelvin Soto-Hernandez, Ken He, Ben Shoenbill, Peter Dunson, Prince Rivers, Alice Wang, Christian Calderon-Vidal, Theodore Lucas, Enoch Sanchez, Brandon Clark, Will Cavender, Amari Brightman-Dorns, Abigail Jacob, Annie DeGuzman, Hannah Hawkins, Tarey Gettys, Eli McMurray, Ellie Thomas, Daniel Arcidiacono, Turner Merritt, Emily Miller, Will Hahn, Mercy Rose Tomlinson, Sarah-Morgan Smith, Catherine Kennedy, Laurel Hoffman, Annie Friesen, Ariana Mason, Lilly Treible, Ava Miller, Cole Kaminski, Savannah Hicks, Nick Gribnau, Elise Peele, Holly Copeland, Anna Darr, Ben Gribnau, Emma Johnson, Addie Thomason, Wesley Wadman, Charlotte Ruffin, Kaitlyn White, James Salemson, Olivia Goodwin, Addie McKethan, Ruby Wadman, Daniel Stepp, Scott Lloyd, Caroline Page, Zachary Powery, Parker Zoubek, Andrew Hartemink, Isabelle Thurman, Ryan Oakley, Charlie Sloop, George Spence, Gabrielle Bagley, Ryland Burgin, Greyson Togni, Casson Brown, Candace Harrison, Kyler Buxton, Grace Waugh, Sasha James, Jason Bonilla, William Epps, Carlos Gonzales Guevara, Matthew Josiah Louesy, Nathaniel Gatling, Giada Tricoci, Ezra Tuchman, Peyton Palmer, Anna Schutte, Paul Kang, Nichol Humphery, Grace Rao, Kyren Smith, Khiley Palmer, Liam Moon, Alex Maties, Ashlyn Lange, Asa Gerend, Abbie Vaughn, Amelia App, Zoe Lloyd, Zoe Kirk, David Nolen, Mason Miller, Allie Glenn, Micah Johnson, Lily Grace Tomlinson, Cole Matheson, Griffin Matheson, Quinn Dickson, Sam Freedman, Natalie Freck, Jack Larson, Luke Marshall, Eliza Crissman, Jacob Mosu, Alina Ruffin, Mac Patton, Solano Barbeito, Samuel Hayes, Caleb Fitzgerald, Lily Sen, Micah Robinson, Zachary Robinson, Lyndsay Stone, Caleb Rodgers-Gates, Claire Schutte, Micah Strawn, Owen Thornton, McKenna Williams, Ellie McClurg, Jose Gutierrez, Madeleine Hughes, Andrew Work, Hazel Bouille, Matt Cinque, Sam Nava-Martinez, Sadie Shoenfelt, Penny Lamus, Abigail Harrison, Emma Kirk, Harper Quigley, Alli Osborne, Wyatt Stephenson, Ward Long, Anna Bernardo, Noah Kim 23

RICH and UNHURRIED | Trinity School

Moments That Matter

By TRINITY ADVANCEMENT

Hazel Bouille ’25 had the vision to deepen the mission by pairing the oldest Trinity students with the youngest for her TK Buddies Capstone Project.

Louise Holland, TK Teacher

Teaching at Trinity is more than a job. For many, it’s a calling that weaves together deep relationships, spiritual formation, and a love for learning.

Here, faculty and staff don’t just teach—they grow. They are stretched and strengthened by the rhythms of school life, the richness of community, and the joy of walking alongside students as they grow in wisdom and faith.

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Reflections from the Journey We invited some of our longest-serving faculty and staff members to look back and share the moments that have stayed with them. These memories—some profound, others playful—offer a glimpse into what makes life at Trinity so memorable.

When we lost ninth grader Blake Hubbard in a tragic accident, his parents found that Blake had written in his Bible when he had accepted Jesus as his Savior. Blake lived out his love for Jesus with a joyful love for others—he was a friend to everyone.

Ellen VanTongeren, Blake Hubbard

With two of my own children in the Lower School, I’ve come to greatly appreciate Trinity’s signature experiences. The Lower School’s weekly memory work connects to the mission of the school and the curriculum across the divisions. Students might memorize a psalm in third grade that turns up in a Humanities class, or learn a Langston Hughes poem in fifth grade that relates to an eighth grade historical unit. I love the connectivity of the tradition of memorization and the habits it builds.

US Dean of Christian Life

During my early years at Trinity, I had the opportunity to teach kindergarten, first, second, and third grades in succession over a four-year period. I had the pleasure of teaching several students twice, and one remarkable student three times during those years.

Priscilla Wood, Reading Specialist

Spencer Dicks, MS and US History Teacher

In 2008, I watched my Middle School Volleyball team win their tournament for the first time. The joy that these girls exhibited was inspiring. I'd told the team that I would color my hair if we won—and I showed up for school the next day sporting pink hair.

Cheryl Blake, School Nurse 25

When It Clicks—Moments of Growth Some of the most memorable moments in a teacher’s life come when a student suddenly gets it—when an idea lands, a question turns into insight, or a quiet student finds the courage to speak.

Sometimes growth shows up in the classroom; sometimes it takes the shape of a prayer, a decision, or an act of kindness. However it comes, these moments remind us why this work matters. Here are a few that have stayed with us.

The young men in the class of 2015 were always a fun group, as they reveled in their childhood. They enjoyed creative play in a way that was rare for older students. They have matured into great young men who are accomplishing a lot, though they never seemed to lose their sense of wonder and possibility.

Dr. Matt Hall, Head of Middle School

In TK, growth and development occur daily!

I appreciate Charlotte Mason’s approach of educating the whole child through developing good habits, creating a home-like classroom, and fostering a love of learning. Creating masterpieces that were inspired by Paul Klee’s brilliant colors and shapes enables students to explore their artistic abilities.

Louise Holland

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Students who have health conditions often struggle to keep up academically as they miss school time. I find it rewarding to watch their self-care and self-advocacy grow over their years at Trinity. To see them graduate is extremely satisfying.

Priscilla Wood

Laughter in the Halls Trinity has always made space for joy. Alongside the deep learning and spiritual growth, there’s plenty of room for laughter, surprises, and the kind of stories that live on long after the school bell has rung. Here are a few lighthearted moments that our teachers and staff will never forget.

It was the last day of school during my first year at Trinity, and the kindergartners were dressed in their finery waiting for Closing Chapel.

The porch door was open, and to my surprise, a lizard made its way inside. Soon several of my students were wildly chasing it around the room. Just then, Dr. Denton walked in to wish us well on the final day of school—definitely not the composed atmosphere I had hoped for him to witness! He took it all in stride, and I was impressed when one of the girls managed to catch the lizard with her bare hands.

Priscilla Wood

One year, Dr. Denton dressed as Steven Tyler and lip-synced to one of his songs.

Ellen

One of the funniest moments occurred during our annual TK Circus, when our Ringmaster smelled the popcorn throughout the performance. He abandoned his role and stopped introducing the next act. Instead, he would only say “Popcorn!” over and over.

VanTongeren Louise Holland

One of my favorite parts of teaching in the Middle School is how quickly students can flip the switch from serious, mature, and studious to playful, youthful, and spirited. In 2022–2023, a months-long soccer match organically started between the seventh and eighth graders, who competed during every break.

It was entirely student led and grew to include student-refs and student-coaches, who were dressed to the nines. For us as faculty, this student-led match was both absurd and beautiful.

Spencer Dicks 27

RICH and UNHURRIED | Trinity School

Curtain Up: Trinity Finds Its Voice in Musical Theatre

By JANET RAY

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TRINITY'S MUSICALS 2018 MIDDLE SCHOOL | TRINITY'S FIRST MUSICAL

Singin' in the Rain Jr.

T

he curtain rose on Trinity’s first musical in 2018: Singin’ in the Rain Jr. You could feel the excitement and electricity in the air as the students stepped into the Broadway-like stage lights—many for the very first time. Were we all a little nervous?

Absolutely. But we were even more thrilled to be launching our first Middle School musical.

Eighth grader Ryan Barber took on the lead role of Kathy Selden, belting out melodies and learning what it meant to carry a story. What she didn’t know then was that she was also helping launch a tradition—one that would go on to reshape the artistic life of our school. Ms. Barber says of that role, “I was 12, new to the school, and absolutely terrified to audition, but something pushed me to try out for the part of Kathy Selden. I had so much fun acting alongside my friends, learning intricate choreography, and putting together an amazing show.”

In the seven years since that first curtain rose, Trinity Theatre has become a kind of communal hearth—warm, a little chaotic, and deeply formative. Each production grows from close collaboration between the Director of Arts, the musical director Carrie Sippy, and an army of faculty, staff, and parent volunteers who make it all possible. Since the Brent Clark Arts and Engineering Building opened in 2021, our sets and props have taken a leap forward, thanks to engineering teacher Jon Hicks and his crew of maker-space wizards.

2019 MIDDLE SCHOOL

The Music Man Jr.

2022 UPPER SCHOOL

Beauty and the Beast

2023 MIDDLE SCHOOL

Newsies Jr.

2024 UPPER SCHOOL

Seussical the Musical 2025 UPPER SCHOOL

Mary Poppins

2025 MIDDLE SCHOOL

The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition

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The Upper School cast brought the whimsical world of Dr. Seuss to life with energy, color, and heart—reminding us that imagination has no age limit.

“Theatre challenges students to step outside of their comfort zone,” said Ms. Sippy. “While for some, stepping on the stage feels like coming home, others surprise themselves as they learn to take risks and create.”

With each new show, new actors and singers carry forward the tradition. Newsies Jr. wowed the audiences with an impressive Middle School cast full of grit and revolution.

Seussical took everyone on a wild romp through rhyme and color. Most recently, students brought to life Mary Poppins and The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition, shows that asked them to balance spectacle with spirit.

Ryan Barber returned in 2022 as a senior to play Belle in Beauty and the Beast. Her voice stronger, her presence

assured, she gave the school a moment of wonder: the girl who had helped open the curtain four years earlier now helped inspire the next generation of actors, singers, and dancers to build the program even further. She notes, “The comradery built during this show was truly one-of-a-kind, and I felt so poured into and cared for by everyone around me. I think that we can underestimate how important supportive and loving environments like what I got to experience are in these crucial years when we’re developing our self-esteem. I’m not sure if I would even be studying music in college right now without the way that my teachers and peers built me up to believe that I could do so and enriched my love of music and performance.”

What began as an experiment has become something rooted. It’s not just a theatre program—it’s a way Trinity teaches truth, goodness, and beauty in real time. The lights go up. The story begins. And each year, a new generation steps into the light.

While for some, stepping on the stage feels like coming home, others surprise themselves as they learn to take risks and create.

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RICH and UNHURRIED | Trinity School

An Enduring Canvas: The Arts at Trinity through the Years By janet ray

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NON NOBIS | Trinity School

T

he Arts Festival has undergone quite a transformation over the years. We hosted our inaugural event in the early years of Trinity’s Upper School, when extension cords and twinkle lights made the gallery, and our teachers hung student work well into the night. Those shows were joyful, if a bit makeshift.

Now, with the opening of the Brent Clark Arts and Engineering Building, we enjoy the gift of time and space. Our gallery has permanence. The show is carefully installed. Our students are honored, their work thoughtfully displayed. And our community gets to linger—unhurried—among pieces that are sometimes whimsical, often personal, and always expressive of something more than just skill.

The visual arts program itself has grown in both scope and spirit. What began as a ceramics course offered every other year has become a vibrant sequence of classes. Two full sections of Vessel Ceramics fill the fall, each one outfitted with its own throwing wheel. In the spring, students turn to sculptural forms. And in Middle School, every seventh grader now rotates through ceramics, drama, and band—tasting the joy of making in many forms.

Even more important than the expansion is the collaboration.

Our visual arts teachers are artists, and their shared practice

Top left: Ceramic creations from the Upper School's ceramics class on display during the Arts Festival.

Right and next page: Conversations spark connection at the Arts Festival reception.

Next page: Student portraits featured in the Upper School gallery exhibition.

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enriches the classroom. They challenge each other. They encourage one another. In doing so, they draw out not just creativity in their students, but also courage—the kind that tries, fails, remakes, and finally delights.

That is what fills our walls each year: not just pieces of art, but expressions of discovery.

“As artists and as teachers, we’re trying to model what it looks like to listen well—to our own instruments, but also to each other,” says music and band teacher Martin Stam. “That kind of attention is its own form of care, and it’s one of the best gifts we can offer each other.”

Education is never only about mastery: it’s also about meaning. The arts help us see the world more clearly, attend more deeply, and speak what is hard to say. In the making, something is also being made of us.

“As artists and as teachers, we’re trying to model what it looks like to pay attention—to the world, to our instruments, to each other,” says music and band teacher Martin Stam. “That kind of attention is its own form of care, and it’s one of the best gifts we can offer our students.”

JANET RAY, Trinity’s Director of Arts, knew from her first year at Charles E. Jordan High School that

teaching was her calling. After a transformative student-teaching experience at her alma mater and earning her degree from UNC–Chapel Hill, she launched her career at Carrington Junior High. Janet took a 12-year break to focus on family and then returned to the classroom in 1999 at Trinity School.

Guided by her deep faith, she draws daily inspiration from Isaiah 40:31, a testament to the strength and resilience she brings to her role.

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RICH and UNHURRIED | Trinity School

30 Things to Love about Trinity To celebrate Trinity’s 30th year, we asked students, faculty, and staff to share the moments, traditions, and small joys that make this place feel like home. From first grade fairy tales to senior prom, here are 30 things we love about Trinity.

Finding an object for a nature study in the Hundred Acre Woods and sketching it into memory.

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Waking up Leo from his summer slumber at Opening Chapel.

Becoming a blacksmith for second grade Colonial Trade Day.

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Chatting up famous characters from Greece and Rome at “Zeusbucks” on Greco-Roman Day!

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Narrating a story back to your teacher—and realizing you’re becoming a storyteller.

Getting a little competitive in the Spirit Stick challenge (and still cheering for your friend).

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Building a battery better than your peers for the eighth grade Science Expo.

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Performing in a play, and forgetting for a moment that you’re on stage.

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Having a conversation about justice, beauty, or Hamlet…at lunch.

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Competing in the annual Turkey Bowl kickball tournament.

Dressing up as Mother Teresa— or Wayne Gretzky— for fourth grade Biography Day. 12

Singing in Latin at sixth grade Medieval Day. 3

Dropping a Shakespearian insult on the seventh grade ELA whiteboard.

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Discovering that you enjoy baking, reading, hiking, watercolors, weight lifting, or filmmaking in Winterim.

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Being part of the team that builds a robot that makes it to the FIRST Tech World Championships.

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Hearing your voice blend into the school song, “Non Nobis, Domine.”

Speaking the name of Jesus in Humanities discussions because that’s totally normal.

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Jamming on the HUB stage as part of the Worship Planning Team.

Celebrating a friend’s college acceptance like it were your own.

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Writing your own “Lost Tale of Narnia” in the C. S. Lewis class.

Realizing that your school isn’t just a school. It’s a village.

It’s your family.

Experiencing what it means to be truly known—and deeply loved.

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Spotting a younger sibling across campus and giving them a wave.

Dancing in the “mosh pit” at prom—yes, that’s still a thing.

Seeing your art framed and displayed like it belongs in a museum.

Noticing that your math teacher sings in Worship.

Building a house that can withstand the Big Bad Wolf on first grade Fairy Tale Day. 27

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Coaching a younger student and discovering your own growth.

Hearing someone say “Non nobis” and knowing what that truly means.

Realizing your potential when the faculty assign you a virtue at the Eighth Grade Celebration.

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Across the Years, D o w n Pickett Road

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Celebrate three decades of life at

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Trinity School by puzzling your

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way through the people, places,

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and principles that have shaped our rich and unhurried story.

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Answer key on p. 50

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Down 1.

Dr. Denton used to dress as this Greek philosopher to visit Lower School students Across

2.

Trinity’s motto is

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The school’s colors are blue and

6.

City where Trinity School is located

4.

This team uses 3D printers, a laser cutter, and a CNC

7.

This toxic element was in the title of a Trinity theatre

machine to bring their designs to life 5.

Trinity’s early childhood program is called

production in the past few years 9.

Kindergarten 8.

Trinity’s educational approach is described as classical, rich, and

The Upper School’s visual arts students display their

11.

The street where Trinity School is located

work at the annual

12.

Chalked on bricks before the first day of school

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Trinity seniors complete this independent project,

Festival

10.

The current head of Trinity School

16.

Dr. Denton once dressed as a rock star from this

dedicating 75–100 hours to explore a chosen

band during an all‑school chapel

discipline under faculty guidance

17.

Trinity emphasizes truth, goodness, and

18.

Trinity's mission aims to produce lifelong

20. The school’s biannual literary publication is called The

14.

These bright yellow flowers bloom on Trinity’s campus in early spring

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State where Trinity School is located

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Trinity’s educational philosophy is influenced by

23. One of Trinity’s foreign language offerings 24. Trinity’s campus is surrounded by trails, creeks, and

Mason 20.

This major college town is near Trinity School

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Trinity’s education is rooted in

25. Nickname for our TK students 26. At Trinity, students are 27.

Trinity alumni are Lions for

conviction and loved

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The name of Trinity’s annual fall celebration

25.

Mummified creature that is in Trinity's time capsule outside the Lower School building

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faith and

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Trinity School's mascot

Practices the tools and habits of learning (the liberal arts)

Nurtures the imagination and curiosity Makes connections eloquently and elegantly

Loves to learn

Lives with a sense of wonder

Seeks wisdom

Does justice

Enjoys play

Exercises self-control

Makes useful things well

Practices courage

Creates and appreciates beautiful things

For an interactive, web-based version of the Portrait of a Learner, visit https://trinitydch.org/pol.

37

In the years after graduation, Trinity alumni aren’t prone to discussing grades or college acceptances (with which they were no doubt obsessed in their final months at Trinity). They talk about the people—teachers who saw them, classmates who made them laugh—and the moments that helped them become someone they recognize today.

Eli Parker ’16 puts it this way: “Senior year swim team was among my earliest memories in which I can recognize my current self in my past self.” That recognition—that what you have become was already flickering into shape while you were still a student—rarely announces itself at the time.

For William Hahn ’23, this recognition came through robotics. He spent hours in the lab, learning calculus and physics from Mr. Laucas over lunch. “I used [the lab] both for class and for hobby projects. It had all the equipment to start with an idea and end up with a product.”

That freedom to try, learn, and create had roots. Hahn remembers the day in kindergarten when everyone was handed a can of shaving cream. He tried to build a castle.

38

“I used way too much and made a huge mess. I did not succeed.”

Still, the challenges at Trinity often stood beside grace.

Liam Moon ’24 shares that Ms. Caulfield didn’t always know what to make of him: “I got in trouble in her class a lot,” he says. But she never stopped watching. “She always understood me and checked in on me if she felt like I was going through a hard time.” One day, caught in a tense moment during a Civil War simulation, Liam stood up and gave an impromptu speech as Abraham Lincoln.

“I cracked her up and lightened the mood a little bit.” The moment defused the day—and marked a turning point for them.

Others name the influence of their teachers more directly. “Mr. Cate was kind, intelligent, and modern,” Eli Parker recalls. “His Democracy in America elective was a particularly valuable framework for understanding the

Pictured in their current environs, these alums are living on the trajectories that were set during their time at Trinity.

Left to right: Ethan Benware ’21, Olivia Chaney Tye ’14 with husband Jonathan, and William Hahn ’23.

nation.” He also remembers Mrs. Steel, who led a trip to Italy: “She was a gracious and passionate educator.”

Cookie Sledge ’11 still remembers the sound of Miss Price reading aloud to her class. “She was such an engaging and kind teacher,” Cookie says. “We chose to stay inside so we could keep listening.”

Milan Moshay ’15 points to the power of creative encouragement: “Creating my first short film for my Senior Capstone was a memorable moment for me.” She credits her humanities teachers for inspiring her writing voice— one she now uses professionally. “It’s an experience I cherish, and I continue to use the film today.”

So many of the alums mentioned the care they received while at Trinity. “Mrs. RG [Rodgers-Gates]…we still go out and have coffee from time to time!” says Amelia App ’24. “She always cared for so many of us students like her own.” Ethan Benware ’21 recalls that same attentiveness with Mrs. RG, adding in, “Mr. Jones, Mrs. and Mr. Gould…they all took time to know me,” he says.

Care also included attention to detail. Olivia Chaney Tye ’14 recalls watching her theatre teacher, Ms. Summers (now Mrs. Lye), sketch out a stage plan alongside her soon-to-be husband. “I had the opportunity to sit in on the early set-planning and lighting setup…I learned a lot during that time.” Several years later, Olivia used that knowledge to write her own full-length play as part of her master’s degree.

And Trinity places? They mattered, too.

Ethan Benware remembers the quiet presence of mentors in Mrs. Brown’s office, offering just enough space to set dreams and goals—and a gentle reminder to enjoy the ride. Milan Moshay loved the picnic tables outside during lunch: “It was where I could hang out with my friends.” For Cookie Sledge, it all depended on the year and the building. But one memory still stands out— staying after school with friends to film a reenactment of Charlemagne with her camcorder. “It was such a fun afternoon. I still have the video.”

Amelia App’s favorite spot was under the Arts and Engineering Building stairs. “It was quiet and had lots of outlets.” For her, it was a sanctuary. Eli Parker preferred a different stairwell, one where students weren’t supposed to be. “I enjoyed hanging out under the stairwell, specifically because we were told not to do so.” It wasn’t rebellion: just a small test of where the boundaries stood…and who was paying attention.

These aren’t dramatic stories. There are no epiphanies, no sweeping conclusions. But in the spaces between the quotes—in the mess, the mischief, the offstage moments—you begin to see what kind of school Trinity was, and still is. Not just a place that teaches, but a place that waits. That listens. That lets the learning take its time.

A place where students, in their own unique, sometimes halting ways, become themselves.

39

KNOWN and LOVED | Trinity School

Early Memories from Trinity’s First Teacher Reflections from RITA DAVIS

We asked Rita Davis, Trinity’s first full-time teacher, to share some stories from the first years of Trinity School, at Hope Creek Church on Erwin Road.

Chalked Names and a Lasting Tradition On the very first day of school, every student’s name (there were only 35!) was chalked on the walkway so that every child was “known,” welcomed, and called by name.

That became a tradition and is now practiced each year as the classrooms open for the Lower School.

"Now Is the Time"—A Modern Flash Mob for a Timeless Piece The second year of Trinity was the first time my students recited Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. I pulled out an excerpt from it and taught the students hand and body motions to use. We split it into parts so that sometimes one student spoke and other times a “chorus,” and sometimes a crescendo from one or two voices gradually adding more to emphasize a stanza. It was performed like a flash mob experience—the class came in the back of the sanctuary silently after the other classes had entered and been seated. Then out of the silence came this beautiful, large sound, “Now is the time…” They began to move toward the front of the room while they spoke until all were at the front. The recitation was powerful and meaningful for all. There were 40

many years the students recited that for parent groups… and there were always tears. It is a timeless and powerful piece.

A Football Lesson, A Friendship, A Crush Recess in those early years was so fun, like a little oneroom school, where all the students played together. One day a kindergarten girl watched intently as the fourth grade boys played football. She told me she wanted to learn how to kick. Her observation period continued for several days. Finally, one of the fourth grade boys saw her and asked her if she wanted to play. She explained that she just wanted to kick. So he left the game to teach her, and he practiced with her, coaching and demonstrating.

By the end of that recess (I may or may not have extended recess long enough for her to really get a good kick in) she had it down! They were both so excited and cheered and hugged…and this teacher got a little emotional, too. Later when that little girl got to fourth grade, she confessed to me that she had also had a crush on “the older boy” at the time and was so happy that he helped her and she got to spend time with him.

Left (center circle): Rita Davis leads students in a handwriting lesson during the school’s early years at Hope Creek Church.

Top left: Fourth graders in 2025 carry on a quirky tradition: mummifying chickens as part of their study of ancient Egypt.

Top right (Polaroid): "Preparing the bodies of The Great and Wonderful

Bottom left: Nancy Brooks (one of Trinity’s founders) converses with

King Kluck-An-Kommon and Queen Hennen-Chic-Chic." An earlier

young Cleopatra during one of the school’s first Pharaoh Days.

generation brings poultry to posterity—a classroom tradition that has

Bottom right: The first 39 students of Trinity School in 1995—

returned in recent years.

representing grades K–4, with big dreams and plenty of smiles.

Spiders, Wonder, and Interrupting the Head of School

Mummified Chickens and the Return of Pharaoh Kluck-An-Kommon

Call me crazy, but the teacher in me never fully shuts off.

One afternoon, I interrupted a meeting between Chip and a Board member because the parking lot was swimming in black widows on long strings. They appeared to float through space all across the parking lot. They had just hatched and were everywhere. I think they thought I was crazy, but I just had to share this awe-inspiring moment with someone else.

We began the first year mummifying chickens and naming them as part of experiential learning in the Egyptian unit. We always had fun coming up with appropriate monikers for the Cornish hens, like King Kluck, Pharaoh Chick In Pot, Queen Chick Set, or Pharaoh KluckAn-Kommon. This tradition got lost somewhere in the 2010s, but it was revived again during the spring of this year by Mrs. Amy Chauncey and Mrs. Lindsay Rogers.

41

KNOWN and LOVED | Trinity School

Honoring a Legacy David Spence’s Enduring Gift to Trinity School

David Spence (middle) with his Trinity Alumni grandchildren: George Spence, Sophia Spence, Holly Hutcheson, Jenna Hutcheson, Spence Hutcheson.

At Trinity School of Durham and Chapel Hill, our story has always been shaped by the faithful generosity and vision of those who believe deeply in our mission. Among these remarkable individuals, David Spence stands out as a steadfast supporter whose legacy will impact generations of students to come.

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KNOWN and LOVED | Trinity School

D

avid, an incredibly generous donor and devoted friend to Trinity, left a planned gift in his will—an act of foresight and love that speaks volumes about the values he held dear. His commitment to the school spanned nearly three decades, from Trinity’s founding through the graduation of his youngest grandchild. That kind of long-term devotion reflects more than just support. It reflects belief: belief in the power of a Trinity education, in the strength of Trinity’s community, and in the importance of investing in future generations.

“David has been a faithful friend to Trinity for many years, from its 1995 beginnings through his youngest grandchild’s graduation in 2024,” said a family member.

“We are thankful for David’s life and his decision to love all of Trinity’s students by giving generously toward its mission. It takes a village to raise up the next generation, and the Spence family is forever grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Trinity community.”

Planned giving, such as the legacy David left, is a powerful way for individuals to support causes close to their heart beyond their lifetime. Whether through bequests, charitable trusts, or beneficiary designations, planned gifts create enduring opportunities for students, teachers, and the entire school community. These gifts often come at pivotal moments—fueling new programs, providing

scholarships, expanding facilities, or simply ensuring the long-term sustainability of Trinity’s mission.

For David, giving was more than a financial contribution; it was a reflection of a life lived with purpose, generosity, and deep connection. It was a decision rooted in gratitude—for the education his grandchildren received, for the friendships formed, and for the transformative impact he witnessed firsthand.

Trinity School is profoundly grateful for David’s legacy and for the example he set. His generosity not only honors his own values but also lights the way for others who may be considering how they, too, can leave a lasting mark.

We encourage members of the Trinity community to think about how they might include Trinity in their own legacy plans. Every planned gift, large or small, carries forward a vision for the future and sustains the mission of forming students in faith, character, and intellect.

David Spence’s story is one of hope and generosity, and his legacy reminds us that the seeds we plant today will bear fruit for years to come. Trinity will carry his memory forward with gratitude, and with a renewed commitment to preparing the next generation of leaders, learners, and faithful servants.

your legacy, trinity’s future One simple decision today can shape lives for generations. Include Trinity in your estate plans and invest in a future rooted in faith, learning, and love.

Contact Leah Dotson at advancement@tsdch.org to learn more.

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30 Years of Trinity: Word Search P

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CURIOSITY Did you find the bonus word?

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KNOWN and LOVED | Trinity School

Answer key on p. 50

30 Years. One Mission. Timeless Style.

Celebrate Trinity’s 30th with Limited Edition Spirit Wear!

Mark three decades of truth, goodness, and beauty at Trinity School with commemorative Spirit Wear from the Trinity Parent Organization (TPO)! This specialedition collection includes t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and totes—designed just for this milestone year.

Every purchase supports our amazing teachers.

Proceeds from the TPO Spirit Store go directly to initiatives that bless and encourage Trinity’s faculty and staff throughout the year.

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KNOWN and LOVED | Trinity School

Order Now at trinitydch.org/30thGear

KNOWN and LOVED | Trinity School

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AS

S OF 20 25

! s n o i t a l u t a r g n o C

These remarks are excerpted from Dr. Denton’s graduation speech on May 30, 2025. Beginning with the class of 2026, a newly established tradition will allow seniors to choose a faculty or staff member to speak at their graduation.

Class of 2025, I’ve long said, “As goes the senior class, so goes the school.” It’s been a good year at Trinity—and much of that is because of your leadership.

Noah and José, you shaped Crossover Club into a safe, thoughtful space for younger students. Caleb Fitzgerald, your quiet strength in Tech Theatre made others shine.

Claire, your leadership in athletics let teammates flourish.

Natalie, your ESL tutoring program modeled discipleship in action. Hazel, you brought Upper Schoolers and TK Buddies together—and those little Lions adored you.

Sam Freedman, your coaching deepened our volleyball program. Quinn, your steady presence on the field and court made space for others to belong. Matt, your dedication to swimming and the Special Olympics showed discipline and heart. Sam Hayes, your insights on classical education made Vision Night meaningful.

Owen, behind those sunglasses, you led us in song and recorded your own album. Maddie, you helped knit together your peers in a Christian Life Breakout Group.

Anna, you led courageously in theatre and worship. Eliza, your murals and poetry helped us see more clearly. Allie Glenn, you turned pain into purpose, creating something beautiful for others.

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KNOWN and LOVED | Trinity School

Harper, you captained the swim team and brought jazz to the Senior Center. Mac, you served as Student Government President, worship leader, and theatre intern—a true servant leader. Abigail, your 100+ hours at the Purpose Lab reflected real learning and love. Caleb RG, you started a business, caught a snake, and welcomed families to Trinity.

Emma, you served theatre and Worship with joy.

Cole, you coached lacrosse and gave back with your gifts. Mason, your digital storybooks honored your grandmother’s life and taught you the power of memory.

Ward, your directness built team unity. Micah Johnson, you led quietly—with the Bible Study, on the court, and as a three-time All-State player.

Penny, your mentorship of Middle School girls built bridges. Jack, your authenticity moved us at Closing Chapel, and your teammates followed your lead. Luke, you captained baseball and coached Middle Schoolers.

Wyatt, your Capstone shaped better systems for welcoming students. Jacob, you designed a transplant case and supported emerging tech ventures.

Lily Grace, you served on Honor Council and reflected deeply on transformation. Lyndsay, your love of dance

brought joy to younger students. Andrew, you fixed cameras, printers—anything. Griff, you built a shot-put circle for future athletes. Lily and Sadie, you co-directed Annie Kids, bringing the Lower School to life. Sadie, you also edited the 30th anniversary Trinity Yearbook.

Sam Martinez, like your father, you coached two youth soccer teams—a gift to our community. Ellie, you brought light to SECU Family House. Solano, your leadership touched every part of school life. McKenna, you led the swim team with quiet strength. Alli Osborne, your art and friendship with Carol Woods residents were acts of grace.

Micah Robinson, you served in theatre and weekly Worship with humble consistency. Zach, you built a new culture on the baseball team. Alina, your design talents and ambassadorship enriched Trinity. David, you built bikes and built up your peers. And Micah Strawn, your spiritual renewal led to revival—your words at Worship left a mark.

You have been builders—of teams and clubs, of murals and memories, of spaces where others feel seen and safe.

You’ve led with humility, served with joy, and left behind more than accolades: you’ve left a culture. And now, Class of 2025, we send you out—grateful, expectant, and proud. You go with our blessing, and with the prayer that what you helped shape here at Trinity will echo in the places you go next.

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ADVICE FROM TRINITY ALUMS

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We asked alums for their advice to the graduating class, and they did not disappoint!

“Don’t take life too seriously,” says Amelia App ’24. “Set dreams and goals, and have fun while doing so. Don’t let anything stop you,” adds Ethan Benware ’21. Olivia Chaney Tye ’14 encourages humility: “You’ve been the top dog for a year…but fight the urge to think you’ve got all the answers. Learn from those around you, especially those who are older than you.” She adds, “Your parents are probably wiser than you think.”

Liam Moon ’24 offers this practical tip: “Join an organization as soon as you step on campus—it makes it a lot easier to get used to the transition.” And William Hahn ’23 reminds us: “Don’t wait for it to feel like the right time to learn something new. Go out there and do it.

It may take you places you never imagined before.”

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Answer Key

30 Years of Trinity: Word Search

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