Class Notes

We are so excited to welcome back the Classes of ’2s and ’7s for their Reunions — along with all alumni to celebrate Trinity’s 50th Anniversary — at Homecoming weekend on October 7-8! It’s a weekend you won’t want to miss packed with sports contests, alumni reunions, the annual Oyster Roast and more! Stay in the know about Homecoming weekend events at www. trinityes.org/homecoming.

SPECIAL THANKS TO THE REUNION CLASS CHAIRS!

Our class chairs create communication channels for your class, encourage class donations and generate excitement around Homecoming. They are also charged with planning for any offcampus event for your class that isn’t organized by Trinity, if they so choose. Class chairs are our boots-on-the-ground advocates for ensuring class participation! You can reach out to class chairs with any questions you may have or to find out if your class is gathering off-campus over Homecoming weekend!

Class of 1977

David Pierce — david@pierceandthornton.com Eddy Frayser — eddy@thefraysergroup.com

Class of 1982

Billy Snead — wsnead1964@gmail.com Doug Dipboye — dougduboy@gmail.com Janet Dwyer — janet@kuzas.net Mary Evans — maryevans1@yahoo.com Deana Sutton — mommys3miracles@rcn.com

Class of 1987

Liza Forness — lizahoo@aol.com Laurie Price — blackrocklaurie@gmail.com

Class of 1992

Faith Cranston — fcranston74@gmail.com Tadd Meyer — eamtm@aol.com

Class of 1997

Thomas Lancaster — thomas@lancastercustombuilder.com

Class of 2012

Lucy Methven — lucyomethven@gmail.com Claire Watkins — cwatkins93@gmail.com Sage Parker — sagemadison@gmail.com

Class of 2017

Zach Jacobs — zjacobs2211@gmail.com David McMurtrie — dmcmurtrie7@gmail.com Ella Donahue — elladonahue5@gmail.com

RODRIGUES & TORRES

Class of 1976

Jim Ware ’76 writes: “After over 38 years as an insurance financial analyst with the Virginia State Corporation Commission, I joined my wonderful wife Maria in retirement in May 2022 (Maria just completed a 41-year nursing career, most of it in cardiac care). Maria and I have been happily married for 35 years and have raised two great boys, Phillip and Daniel. Phillip is a meteorologist with the National Weather Center, while Daniel is employed in business development with a publicly-traded software vendor. Maria and I are looking forward to some travel, hiking, the beach, and (not-somuch) the never-ending upgrades that home ownership requires. Our new motto upon retirement: ‘Every day is Saturday!’” Class of 1978

Cathy Doss ’78 served as the commencement speaker for the 2022 VCU School of Business graduation ceremony in May. Doss joined the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond as chief data officer in 2018. In 2020, 2021 and 2022, Doss was named one of CDO Magazine’s Global Data Power Women which recognizes women who are “reshaping the business environment and pioneering the data and analytics field.” Class of 1985

Clay Black ’85 writes, “After more than 20 years of living in several cities across the country, I have relocated back to Richmond. My partner and I are thrilled to be here and look forward to participating more in the great things happening at Trinity!” Class of 1986

Agustin Rodriguez ’86 visited Chile for the first time in early July 2022 and spent some time with fellow Titan classmate Javier Torres ’86. Agustin was able to personally wish Javier a happy birthday and, in addition to amazing cake, was treated to seafood, wine and dangerous but delicious Pisco Sours. Agustín reports the experience was like visiting Europe and he hopes to return to hit the ski slopes that Chile has to offer.

The March Madness Experience

The rich history and tradition of the Trinity Basketball program was thrust into the national spotlight last spring as Armando Bacot ’19 and Henry Coleman ’20 had the opportunity to experience the madness of March during college basketball’s postseason. UNC’s Bacot led his team to not only a Final Four appearance but a trip to the National Championship game, while Texas A&M’s Coleman led his team to a championship berth in the SEC Tournament as well as a trip to the final game of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). In their own words here, they each share reflections on their March Madness experience, advice for aspiring college athletes and how much they appreciated the support shown by the Trinity community during that time.

Armando Bacot ’19

Describe the “March Madness” experience in your own words.

“The March Madness experience was epic,” said Bacot. “Being able to play in front of so many fans and then going on to play in the final four and national championship in front of 75k fans was an experience I’ve never seen before.”

What has it been like to make the jump from high school to college?

“The jump from high school to college was tough but going to Trinity allowed me to be able to get that college structure, academically,” said Bacot. “Some classes at Trinity were tougher than in classes I’ve taken in college.”

How did it feel to have the entire Trinity community rallying around you throughout the season and during March Madness?

“It felt amazing just knowing that I had support back home from the Trinity community. Everyone rooting for me, from the Head of School all the way down to the students, was amazing,” said Bacot. “I was thankful to be able to put on for Trinity and be one of the first player’s to play in the Final Four and the National Championship.”

What message would you give to current Trinity athletes?

The message I would give would be to listen to your coaches and follow the process,” said Bacot. “All of the top college coaches, in every sport, will be looking at Trinity just because we produce so many great athletes so really take advantage of things like lifting with Coach Banwarth and getting extra work in with your coaches.”

“If you follow the mold, everything will work out,” said Bacot.

Henry Coleman ’20

Describe the “March Madness” experience in your own words. (SEC Tournament/NIT)

“March Madness and the SEC tournament are experiences like no other. It encapsulates the whole world of sports, not just basketball,” said Coleman. “It allows the sports world to enjoy the game of basketball at the highest level for two weeks. Personally, it is life changing, it exposes you to so many new things, new people and new experiences.”

What message would you give to current Trinity athletes?

“I would go back to Trinity and relive my three years there in a heartbeat. It is a place where everyone is different but share the same love and passion for the school,” said Coleman. “I would tell them to soak up as much knowledge as possible, be open to trying new things and get out of your comfort zone. Lastly, get involved in any club, sport, organization that you want – it is life changing and has the ability to change your life and others around you.”

What has it been like to make the jump from high school to college?

“One of my biggest jumps from Trinity to being a collegiate student athlete was time management because you have a lot of free time, within basketball and school,” said Coleman. “Trinity prepared me a lot for this, with a lot of time on my hands, I found ways to be productive. Whether that be going into the gym to get extra shots, going to a professor or just taking a walk around campus.”

RATHER CLASBY KIRTLAND & SHUGART

Class of 2007

Emily Bowlus-Peck ’07 and her husband, Samuel, are expecting and are due in October.

Class of 2008

Anne Curtis Croxton Rather ’08 and husband Brian welcomed their first child, Ada, on January 28, 2022. Class of 2009

Maura Stephens-Chu ’09 and husband Daniel welcomed their first child, Samuel, on January 6, 2022. He weighed 7 lbs., 10.5 oz. and measured 20 in.

Corinne Young Clasbey ’09 and her husband Zachary Clasbey ’09 welcomed their first child, Cyrus Curtis Clasbey, on April 18, 2022 at 8:05 p.m. Young writes: “He was born at the University of Virginia Medical Center and weighed 7 lbs., 7 OZ. and was 20 1/4 inches long. It has been a learning experience, but we are loving being parents and watching him grow.”

Philip Tickle ’09 writes, “I recently graduated from Longwood University with a master of science degree in educational leadership. In July and August, I will celebrate having completed this degree (my second master’s) as I solo hike the 84 mile Hadrian’s Wall Path in the north of England. My family (including Pierce Tickle ’11) were also happy to welcome our former exchange student Betty Blömer and her boyfriend to the US for a month-long visit this summer. Betty stayed with us as part of the three-weeklong exchange program with her school in Germany during the spring of 2010, then returned for a full-year at Trinity for the 20102011 school year. We have remained extremely close, visiting Betty at her home in Germany and having her visit us here in the states. This is her first visit back in a number of years (thanks, in large part, to COVID).”

Class of 2012

Chris Alba-Cantone ’12 and his wife Elena welcomed their first child, Cyrus Nash, on March 23, 2022. Class of 2014

Buck Kirtland ’14 writes: “Cole Shugart ’16 and I were at a track meet in southern California in April 2022. The meet was the Azusa Pacific University Invite where Cole competed in a 10K on the track (25 laps). Cole is an athlete for New Mexico State University and I am the assistant coach for the track program. I thought it was really cool to have two Titans working together at a university in a different state. What a small world!”

Class of 2010

Gabriela Larus Gear ’10 and Zack Gear ’11 welcomed their first child, Henry Blaisdell, on April 22, 2022!

Garrett Simpson ’10 writes: “I finished my PhD in biomedical engineering last spring and am halfway through my medical physics residency at the University of Miami (FL). I am training in the radiation oncology department where I am working with the machines that deliver radiation to cancer patients and continuing research in machine learning for treatment response prediction.”

Fitness cycle

On April 30, alums of all ages joined in a group cycle class at the Cyclebar, hosted by current Trinity parent Donna Surro.

College Knowledge

Young alums in college share advice with Trinity seniors in a virtual panel Q&A

On February 25, the senior class gathered in the auxiliary gym of the Estes Athletic Center to hear testimonies from recent Trinity alumni about what life in college is like. Hosted in a joint effort by the college counseling office and alumni relations office, the event was focused around how Trinity prepared students for the academic and social rigors of college.

Class of 2021 graduates Tiffani Bartee ’21 (Connecticut College), Kaila Hewitt ’21 (East Carolina University) and Joe Crews ’21 (Belmont University) participated in the event via Zoom.

“Trinity does a really good job managing your downtime with the whole study hall system,” Cruz said, in response to a question about downtime and scheduling. “It trains you to get your homework done. Professors aren’t going to tell you ‘You need to do your homework.’ Trinity does a really good job training you to have your free time and how to use it.”

Bartee, a member of the women’s basketball team at Connecticut College, spoke on what life is like as a student-athlete on a college campus. “You don’t have time to do a lot of other things,” Bartee said. “We go through most breaks and we’re in the gym more than we’re in school most of the time. But because it is a collegiate sport, it is a lot of fun and you get a lot of opportunities to see different cities and states and it gives you a very close family. My teammates are some of my best friends at school.”

When asked about her involvement and experience as a student in the Honors College and a member of the ECU club swim team, Kaila Hewitt felt that being involved in different areas of campus gave her numerous opportunities to make friends. “I have found that a lot of my friends are in the Honors College,” Hewitt recalled. “We got put into groups at the beginning of the year and a lot of these people I hang out with in my free time. Since we live in the same building, it’s easy to find time to hang out with them.”

The panel answered questions ranging from what to pack to what the on-campus dining experience is like to how to make friends while at school.

At the conclusion of the event, the students were asked to give one piece of advice to the senior class. In the end, it’s relationships that mattered most to the panel-members.

“Don’t be afraid to talk to people in your hall,” Cruz said. “No one knows each other. This is everyone’s first time so don’t be afraid to walk across the hall and introduce yourself to someone on campus that’s also a freshman. You never know, they could be a really cool person.”

GAFFNEY ROSE

HIEGEL

Catie-Reagan Palmore ’14 received her doctorate of education in learning and organizational change from Baylor University in summer 2022.

Class of 2015

James Gaffney ’15 and Brittany Peele were engaged in September 2021. Gaffney writes, “We’re looking forward to the many future years of love and adventure we will spend together!”

Jamie Hiegel ’15 has been climbing up the road race rankings in his most recent races. He placed 7th in The Virginia 10-miler in Lynchburg, Virginia with a time of 52:11. He finished 21st in the Cherry Blossom 10-miler in Washington, DC with a time of 50:30.

Harrison Rose ’15 and Jane Buelow were engaged in April 2022. Harrison writes: “Jane and I met in Pensacola, Florida in August of 2020. I was stationed in Pensacola for Naval Intelligence training and Jane was attending nursing school online. After completing my training in Pensacola, I received orders to Augusta, Georgia. We can’t wait for our wedding, currently set for November 2023 in the Charlottesville area.”

CARRYING THE FLAG

Matt Williams ’20 competed for the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Pan American Lacrosse Association (PALA) World Qualifiers in Medelin, Colombia in July. It marked the first time the USVI Lacrosse Association competed in an international tournament.

“Getting to play lacrosse in a different country that’s dominated by soccer was so cool to watch,” Williams said. “Walking down the street with our sticks in our hands with people cheering us on was a cool experience. This July was what we were working for to get to PALA and the world games.”

Williams made history at the event, scoring the first goal in international tournament history for the USVI. After leading the team in scoring, Matt was named team MVP and held the honor of flag bearer for USVI in the closing ceremonies.

“Being flagbearer, it was a complete shock,” Williams recalled. “I was at a loss for words because this was the first USVI lacrosse team in history and it was an unbelievable honor to be able to hold the flag for my country.”

In the meantime, he will strap up for Randolph-Macon ahead of his junior campaign in the spring of 2023, a year after he notched 14 points for the Jackets. But he also knows he has a bigger responsibility now that he’s been on the world stage.

“Our team motto on our jerseys was, ‘For the Next Seven Generations.’ It means what it sounds like: We’re setting the stage for the next young lacrosse players who are coming to the island to pick up a lacrosse stick and learn the game. It really is an awesome opportunity to grow the game.”