Titan Trail (Spring 2023)

TITAN TRAIL

OUR MISSION

Our charge is to challenge Trinity students to discover their paths, develop their talents and strengthen their character within a dynamic academic community.

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Earlier this spring, as part of our 50th Anniversary celebration, I interviewed Tom Aycock, former Head of School, in an all-school assembly. We spoke of the ingredients that make Trinity a great place for students to discover their talents, and Tom told some of his favorite stories from the past, some poignant and others humorous. To follow up, we challenged our students during their advisory period to think about what they would like to still see at Trinity 50 years from now. Aside from a few light-hearted wishes to see young teachers still here in the year 2078, the responses were remarkably thoughtful and earnest. The one theme that came up again and again was that Trinity students cherish and value the freedom and trust we extend to them. They grow from this freedom and feel a sense of belonging. We love seeing the way this adult privilege allows them to accept more responsibility, learn about themselves and ultimately give back to the world.

This year, as we concluded our 50th Anniversary celebration, we honored the past and those who helped create the school we love. Many of you reading this publication — alums, parents, past teachers, coaches, or friends of Trinity — have had a hand at some point in the creation of our school we know and love today. I am proud of what we have accomplished together and excited about the future. Thank you.

MISSION STATEMENT:

Our charge is to challenge Trinity students to discover their paths, develop their talents and strengthen their character within a dynamic academic community.

We are also nearing the end of the fifth and final year of our strategic plan, which challenged us to think differently and collaborate at unprecedented levels. Over the past five years, we have connected with the greater Richmond area like never before with community engagement and tasked ourselves to use both qualitative and quantitative data to measure progress in our plan in all areas. I am pleased and proud with how the challenges laid out by the plan have made us stronger as an institution. Every single teacher and staff member participated in this process, and as a result we are now well-positioned for the next chapter.

Our next strategic plan — one that will guide the school into 2028 — is now in the final stages of design and planning, led by a thoughtful team of school leaders. We continue to grow excited about the future of teaching and learning. We love our size; at just over 500 students, we are small enough to know our students and large enough for robust classes, co- and extracurricular activities and friend groups. More than ever, it is important for teenagers to feel connected, and we see bonds form every day. In our next plan, released over the summer, you will see more work in this important area of focus.

We love the challenge of looking into the future. With new technological tools becoming available each day, it is our human skills which will be needed more than ever. Trinity is a place where these skills form. We want our students to be creative, be comfortable with communication skills and be open to looking at the world to find paths to design, invent and solve complex problems with others. These formative years of a student create a rich period in which to learn about the world and develop their talents.

As we prepare Trinity students to live a life of meaning and purpose in an ever-changing world, we know that the freedom and trust that we have given to them over the past 50 years will pay dividends for them and for the world — for the next 50 years and beyond.

Rob Short Head of School

www.trinityes.org

The Titan Trail

Development: Communications:

Alyssa McBride David Ready Director of Development Director of Communications & Marketing

James Flowers Breanoh Lafayette-Brooks

Alumni Relations Coordinator Digital Marketing Manager

Sarah Herbert

Board Relations and Stewardship Coordinator

Photography:

David Ready, Malcolm Bell, Bridget Hazel Photography, Tom Woodward, Ned Trice, Lee Huss, Maria Bartz, Lily Jennette ’23, Adam Lonon, Stefanie Jochman, Molly Sanyour ’01, Hillary Grotos ’77, Andrea Amore, Elizabeth Kelley, Kendall Fleet '23, Nathaniel Milligan '23, The Richmond Forum

ADMINISTRATION

Robert A. Short, Head of School

Mary Jordan, Head of Employee Life

Brian Phillips, Head of Campus Life

Laura Hamlin Weiler ’00, Head of Community Engagement

Alyssa McBride, Director of Development

Anna Prillaman, Athletic Director

Margie Vaughan Snead ’85, Director of Admission

Joseph Monaco, Director of Operations

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Charles T. Hill, Jr. ’98, Chair

Chris Ellis ’81, Vice Chair

John G. Mills ’90, Treasurer

Cynthia L. Coleman, Secretary

Lisa J. Acquaye

Sourya El-Ayoubi

Henry D.W. Burt

Kyle W. Hendrick ’05

R. Braxton Hill IV

David C. Kearfott ’94

Anne McCray

Jana P. McQuaid

Ann Marie Petrucelli

Clay C. Reynolds

Randy Sullivan ’83

Tia Walker

Todd Willett

Sam Williams ’08

ADVISORY BOARD

Mary Bliley

J. Read Branch, Jr.

Otis L. Brown

Milton Cerny

Swannee Goodman Ericson ’75

Carol Estes-Williams

Daniel Allen Gecker

Mary Jane Hogue

Stephen E. Hupp

Joseph C. Kearfott

Kelly J. O’Keefe

W. B. Perkinson, Jr.

José Santiago

Martha V. Singdahlsen

Richard Thweatt Wilson, III

Charles F. Witthoefft

AROUND THE COURTYARD

A SPECIAL TRADITION

The cross country team continued their annual tradition of partnering with Special Olympics of Virginia for a one-mile run at the Trinity track on the first Saturday in September. “We have the pleasure of working with special needs athletes for about five or six weeks leading up to a final fun run at the end,” said Olivia Sibley ’24, event leader. “I was looking forward to being able to help lead the Special Olympics this year for my Collaborative Service Project because I got to be more involved with this amazing program.”

BACK TO BACK

For the first time in school history, Trinity can boast not one but two Richmond Forum Scholars among its current students. Layal El-Ayoubi ’23 was selected to serve the 2021-22 season, while Cameron Walker ’24 is now serving the 2022-23 season of the Forum. The Richmond Forum Scholar program is a highly competitive program that selects five high school juniors from the Richmond area to serve in support with each program. They interact with the speakers, sponsors, moderators and staff of the Forum and attend all programs. El-Ayoubi and Walker are Trinity’s third and fourth Forum Scholars in recent years, following Owen Ayers ’15 and Tolliver Mance ’19.

TO A TEE

During a busy first week of school, seniors continued the tradition of parading into the PAC during Morning Meeting sporting senior class tee-shirts on their “last first Friday” as Titans.

GOOCHLAND CARES

In October, the 8th grade made over 60 Halloween treat bags for their community partner, Goochland Cares. The organization handed out the bags to those using their comprehensive services. Goochland Cares is one of five grade-level nonprofit Community Partners, chosen by Trinity students for targeted service and support.

DIWALI TREATS

To celebrate the culmination of the festival of Diwali in late October, over 40 students and faculty/staff signed up to gather during lunch and learn more about South Asian culture while tasting Indian foods such as samosas, gulab jamun, peda and burfi.

APPLICATION CONGRATULATIONS

To congratulate seniors on the successful submission of over 600 college applications by the early November 1st deadline, the college counseling office distributed cookie treats with a green and white check mark on top. Congratulations, seniors! We can’t wait to see where you will discover your path next!

VENI, VIDI, VICI

A dozen Latin students participated in the Virginia Junior Classical League Convention in October against almost 900 students from across the state in creative and academic contests centered around Latin.

READ TO THEM

Breaking down language into its basic elements — while practicing communication skills like tone and inflection — students in Alicia Raymond’s Beginning Communications class read to Kindergarten and 1st grade students at neighboring St. Michael’s Episcopal School this fall.

KING OF THE JAMES

With five students competing and one volunteering, the Trinity Outdoor Program was well represented at the 8th Annual King of the James Adventure Triathlon on Sunday, November 13. “KoJ is a staple event in the RVA Outdoor Community,” said Outdoor Program Coordinator Michael Stratton ’02, “and since the James River Park System provides so many amazing experiences for Trinity students we are very excited to play a role in helping to make the event possible!”

FRIENDSGIVING

On the day before Thanksgiving Break, the Science Society student club continued their tradition of frying a turkey and hosting a Friendsgiving. This year, they pulled out a Vernier temperature probe and plugged it into Logger Pro on a laptop to calibrate the temperature to perfection!

“WHEN I SAY CHRISTMAS…”

In the final Morning Meeting of 2022, the popular tradition of Christmas Quiz Bowl returned in December, emceed by school chaplain, world religions expert and honorary Santa’s elf, Brian Griffen. Teams of students and faculty competed for the coveted Quiz Bowl trophy, answering trivia questions about holiday pop culture and religious holiday history.

BELOVED COMMUNITY

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a dozen Trinity students and four faculty/staff members joined area middle and upper school student representatives for the “Beloved Community” conference hosted by Virginia Diversity Network (VDN) at the Steward School. VDN is made up of independent schools from around the region, and the conference’s discussions and presentations were centered around the question: “What can we do to further Dr. King’s dream of this Beloved Community?”

MEDICINES FOR ALL

Twelve juniors and seniors taking Chemistry II with Daniel Fisher Enjoyed a trip to the Medicines for All Institute (M4ALL) at VCU in early December. With a hands-on tour of the facility’s flow reactors and instruments for conducting liquid and gas chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance, students made direct connections not only to their own experiments in mass spectrometry back in the lab at Trinity, but also with the economics of the pharmaceutical industry.

FRONT PAGE

Trinity student volunteers returned to the Altria Theatre last fall for the The Richmond Forum. Stuffing programs, welcoming patrons and distributing surveys, the Trinity volunteers facilitate an exchange of ideas that broadens our understanding of the world, fosters partnerships across cultures and inspires tomorrow’s leaders.

COMMON GROUND

Trinity 8th graders and 5th graders from Obama Elementary School in Richmond’s Northside collaborated on a series of science-themed outdoor activities in Forest Hill Park and here at Trinity, including a science demo from Mr. Trice, water testing in the nearby creek and activities in the gym led by Trinity students.

FACULTY NEWS

Following a season in which the Trinity boys soccer team advanced farther than it ever has before in the VISAA postseason, Wetmore noted: “Even and perhaps especially during years where he doesn’t have the most talent, Coach Phillips is always able to build teams that are tough to play and committed to each other, a winning combination by any measure.”

In accepting the award, Phillips passed along the praise. “This award really belongs to generations of young men who put their trust in the coaching staff and show up every day and have the same values and desire to play hard but do it in the right way,” he said. “Thank you to all of those players — those of you here in this room and those of you who have been a part of the process, so to speak, since 1996.”

BELOVED COMMUNITY

Aparna Harger, Trinity French teacher and board member of Virginia Diversity Network (VDN), led a workshop on belonging and allyship for non-black students of color at VDNs “Beloved Community” conference at the Steward School on Monday, January 19 In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. “It was focused on how students of underrepresented racial/ethnic groups can find their true place while honoring their identities and also supporting and amplifying the experiences of their Black peers,” said Harger.

A CAREER IN SPORTSMANSHIP

Representatives from the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA) attended Morning Meeting on Monday, December 5 to surprise Brian Phillips, Trinity’s boys varsity soccer coach for the past 27 seasons, with a unique honor.

Sean Wetmore from Norfolk Academy and Pete Gambardella from Benedictine presented Phillips with the inaugural Charlie Blair Award for Excellence in Coaching, named for Charlie Blair who “set a golden standard in this regard during his 37 years as head coach at Collegiate.”

“The recipient has exhibited to an exemplary degree the qualities of respect for the game and the people who play it, has conducted himself as a gentleman in all interactions and has therefore been a credit to the coaching profession,” the award states.

“Like Coach Phillips we were honored every day to coach this great sport against excellent teams that play the game the right way and are led by men who cared more about their players than the score,” said Wetmore. “When this award was established at the occasion of Coach Blair’s retirement we agreed that it would not be given every year, rather we would give it only when a deserving nominee came to our attention. In fact this is the first award we have ever given, and our committee voted unanimously to give the award this year to Coach Phillips.”

FACULTY MILESTONES

Nadia Hassan and her family welcomed Lennox Mitchell Manley at 9:52 am on November 24, 2022. Weighing in at 7 lbs 4 oz. and 19.5 inches long, Lennox and big brother Luxson are adjusting to being a family of four!

World languages teacher Louis Ferro welcomed Adelaide Charlotte Ferro on Monday, January 30, 2023.

HASSAN

FERRO

TRINITY WELCOMES…

SEPTEMBER 28

Rev. Jeunée Godsey

Rector, St. Michael’s Episcopal Church

“Like all pilgrimages, our own personal destinations are not the only goal. It’s the journey with others along the way that makes life interesting and fulfilling.”

OCTOBER 3

Christian Hansen ’08

Chaplain, St. Michael’s Episcopal School

“When you are generous with your time or resources, when you show grace to others, especially when they don’t deserve it, and when you love others as you would yourself, only good things can come from that.”

OCTOBER 5

Hunter Leemon

Executive Director, Sportable

“Sports are such an important part of your experience here at Trinity. We want to make sure everyone has access to those same kinds of experiences.”

OCTOBER 17

Rev. (Padre) Mario Meléndez

Chaplain, St. Miguel/St. Michael and All Angels

“All I ask of you is to keep an open mind. We all have different lenses through which we see the world. We all have our own blind spots and prejudices and we, without even knowing it, might be acting in a way that’s not respecting the dignity of every human being.”

OCTOBER 31

Rasheed Wright Director, Pro Skills Basketball

“You have to be able to come out of your comfort zone and learn something different… No one succeeds alone.”

NOVEMBER 10

Baxter Perkinson Artist, philanthropist

In the building bearing his name, Dr. Perkinson shared reflections on his love of art, especially watercolor, along with a demo of his newest technique, pouring acrylic paints.

NOVEMBER 21

Chris DeRoco

Director of Counseling, Redemption Hill Church

“It’s not happiness that makes us grateful, it’s gratefulness that makes us happy.”

JANUARY 11

Marlene Forrest

Priest-In-Charge, St. Phillips Episcopal Church

“[During the season of Epiphany] finding Jesus calls us to unfamiliar places and to dare to look beyond what might be right in front of our eyes and to expand our views and our risk-taking.”

SOUND INVESTMENT

The Trinity community welcomed Dr. Kevin Hallock, president of the University of Richmond, to speak to students and faculty on the morning of Friday, January 20 in the Perkinson Arts Center theater.

Introducing Dr. Hallock, Head of School Rob Short praised the years-long partnership that Trinity has built over the years with the University of Richmond, neighbors just across the James River. “We visit their facilities, talk to their professors,” said Short. “That kind of partnership is incredibly important.”

An award-winning teacher, Hallock is a labor market economist and author or editor of 11 books and over 100 publications on topics such as the gender pay gap, executive compensation and job loss. “From an early age, my parents encouraged me to study hard and to ask questions,” said Hallock, tracing his own path to higher ed and beyond. “I had a lot of jobs when I was younger. I had a paper route, I picked cucumbers and tobacco, and I worked in a lumberyard. And I became fascinated with how people were paid, and why they’re paid the way they’re paid — and I still teach about it today.”

Hallock said his hope for all college students is to both discover something new and to develop deep knowledge in something specific. “Maybe you have ideas about what interests you and maybe you’re still figuring it out,” he told the assembled Trinity students. “Most students don’t know what they want to major in at college or what they want to do next. And that’s okay,” he said. “You might amble along into something you didn’t even know existed.”

Just as Trinity aims to equip students with future-ready skills to lead a life of meaning and purpose in an ever-changing world, Hallock’s vision for a liberal arts college education is one where students are prepared to adapt and be flexible. “Colleges should prepare you with greater knowledge about the world and a stronger capacity to think critically,” he said. “These are important kinds of tools for the future and tools that will be useful for an entire lifetime. These are not facts to be remembered or looked up, but skills for navigating a fulfilling life.”

Equally important for Hallock are the social experiences that a college education offers. “I firmly believe you learn as much in

college as outside of the classroom,” he said. “Today’s colleges bring together people from different places, with different backgrounds and different beliefs. Whatever you do after you graduate will involve people. Being part of a university community should help you work with and understand people who might be different from you.”

Addressing college affordability, Hallock encouraged students not to count out any school because of its so-called sticker price. At the University of Richmond, he said, only after admission decisions are made are the financial circumstances of families then considered, a practice known as “need-blind admission.”

As both a college president and a labor market economist, Hallock is in a uniquely authoritative position to address the lasting value of a college degree. While today’s tight labor market might make going directly into the workforce appealing, Hallock counseled a longerterm approach. “Overwhelming evidence suggests that people who are prepared for it — and being students here [at Trinity], you are prepared for it,” he said, “are profoundly better off going to college than not going to college.”

“Investing in college will give you a return,” he said. “But getting a college education isn’t just about higher earrings. It will also open up opportunities for you to have a happier and more fulfilling life.”

Concluding his talk with some simple and memorable advice, he told students to work hard, find balance and be safe. “You have so much going for you and so much ahead. So many people are depending on you,” he remarked. “Take care of yourself and look out for others.”

Dr. Kevin Hallock, University of Richmond president and labor market economist, extolls the value of a liberal arts education

Music Man

Brian Rollins reflects on 25 years of teaching music at Trinity

Alumni reflections on Brian Rollins

Reid Barden ’14

He would always do whatever he could to make others feel seen and show his genuine compassion for everyone he met. He held us to the highest standards he knew we could hold, but never pushed us beyond what we were capable of doing. From his special "Rolly" doodles when you did well on exams, to hanging out before or after jazz band on Thursday nights to talk about this weird new music we found, to keeping the team spirit strong with the pep band, he showed his compassion for students and love for giving us the support we needed to succeed in school and the lessons to succeed in life.

Katie Cantone ’16

I took Studio Music Production with Mr. Rollins sophomore year. I still go back and listen to the MP3 files of mixes we made. It amazes me that Mr. Rollins was able to teach 15-year-olds to do something so cool, and I have used the basic audio mixing skills I learned in that class throughout the years since—including in audio production for musical extracurriculars in college and law school!

Matt Elgin ’11

Mr. Rollins imparted a reverence for the art of music across genres and disciplines. Whether the studied song was a classical piece, a jazz standard or an Earth Wind, & Fire tune — good music was always equally appreciated without analysis getting in the way of its enjoyment. That balance that I learned in his classes is something that has supported my love of listening, writing and performing to this day.

Andrew Elgin ’16

"If you're going to make a mistake, make it loud," is a Rollins-ism that I quote more than you'd probably believe. He drove home that shame and timidity have no place in pursuing something great — music or otherwise. Mistakes can only be ameliorated if you have the confidence to make them noticeable. I'm currently training as a Naval Aviator and I have relied again and again on that lesson to give me the confidence to err in pursuit of perfection. He thought I wouldn't notice that he disguised sage life advice as band practice.

ver his 25-year tenure at Trinity, Brian Rollins has left an indelible mark on the spirit of the school. Many of the school’s favorite traditions — from the Fight Song to the Pep Band and Jazz Fest to Cabaret — either would not exist or may not have persisted without the infectious enthusiasm of Trinity’s music man.

Brian Phillips, his colleague and hallmate in the Perkinson Arts Center over the decades, describes his “deep love and passion for his art,” “open, warm and positive manner,” and “high expectations that set an inspirational standard.” Said Phillips: “His unabashed enthusiasm and willingness to put it all out there while leading the Pep Band or teaching the fight song or alma mater to the school always energize my spirits and fill me with appreciation of the many gifts he shares with our community.”

Rollins grew up in Marshville, NC, about 30 miles east of Charlotte, the son of a piano teacher. “Our house was full of music,” he said. “Back then, piano was the social media of the day, if you weren't involved in sports, there was a very good chance you were taking piano lessons, and my mother was the go-to teacher in the town.” Rollins’ mother turned out to be the first of three inspirational teachers in his life that he attributes to his path as an educator.

The second was Dr. James Glenn, chorus director at Elon, where Rollins earned a BA in music education. “You always knew that you were cared for and that he was passionate about the music, and you knew that he was in the trenches with you,” Rollins says of Glenn, and could easily be describing his own teaching style. “Inevitably there would be times in rehearsal when things would get frustrating, but never let that obscure the fact that we were engaged in a pursuit that we would ultimately enjoy.”

The third? His wife of 30 years, Beth. “She is a hardworking rock of the family. She has multitudes of patience to put up with me and my unpredictability. She inspires me every day with her organization, her perseverance.”

“Beth was the impetus for me getting into teaching professionally,” says Rollins recalling his first few jobs working on the “periphery” of the music profession as a salesman and even a cruise entertainment director, where he “learned you can do your job well and still get fired.” When the couple moved to Virginia, Rollins discovered music teaching jobs were few and far between. “Music teachers in rural communities tend to leave for one of two reasons: they either retire or they die.” Beth convinced him to go to night school and get certified as a science teacher, which is what he continued to teach even during his first two years at Trinity, from 1998 to 2000.

His first impression of Trinity? “At the time, I found it hard to believe that the students could actually be so happy just to be at school.” After a couple of years, not only did he begin teaching music full time, but the band room was moved out of a low-ceilinged anteroom off

the hallway of the PAC and into the brand new basement of Morgan Hall. In addition to teaching band, Rollins was also the choral director and taught part-time guitar. “From then to now, there has been just a quantum difference in diversity of music programming,” he says, quick to praise his two colleagues in the department, Chris Markunas and Kimberly Ryan, in addition to Brian Phillips, Tom Aycock and Rob Short for their steadfast support and encouragement of the music program.

“If you wake up every day and feel like there is something that you're ready to contribute, and there is an opportunity for you to market that contribution, that is the most important driving factor in life other than love,” he says. “Knowing you have something that you can make the world a better place with. This school has enabled me to do that from day one.”

Inducted into the Trinity Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015, Rollins was recognized for his indelible contributions to school spirit through his consistent presence on the sidelines leading the Pep Band. Rollins has also had the benefit of viewing Trinity’s mission in action through the perspective of his two children, Matthew ’22 and Magovern ’25. “Trinity has a unique environment for students to be free to explore and they know they’re safe. This school does that exceptionally well. We give a place for students to try out new possibilities.”

He credits his students with keeping him young. “The way I get introduced to new music these days is by students. The older I get the more diverse my appreciation becomes. Blake Whitaker ’23 has introduced me to several musicians, like Derek Trucks, Paco de Lucia, which is a reflection of his excellent taste as a musician. I’ve learned that once Blake mentions something it's worth checking out.”

An avid gardener, Rollins draws parallels between his work with flowers and shrubs and the growth of the hundreds of students who have called the band room a second home. “With gardening you get pretty immediate feedback. By the following season, or two to three years max, you start to see the impact. If you’ve prepared the soil conditions, put them in the right light, etc. then they flourish.”

Head of School Rob Short says he is consistently “amazed and inspired” by the way Rollins works with beginning musicians. “Brian is really quick to dispel the myth of ‘raw talent’ lying underneath as the primary force behind generating a musical genius. Instead, he stresses love of subject and practice, practice, practice. Brian makes the pursuit of the beauty of music accessible to all.”

For Brian Rollins, the point of school is not to learn music — or math, or science, or history or English, for that matter. “Those are noble pursuits, but they are vehicles for how we become better human beings and how we share what we’ve learned to make the world a better place. That’s the most important thing any school can teach any student,” he says. “We are fortunate that we have an environment here that makes that not only possible but inevitable.”

RETURN TO THE VALLEY

After two years of hosting this time-honored Trinity tradition on campus, the Freshman Class Retreat returned to the Shenandoah Valley this fall. The talented staff from the Horizons Outdoor Learning Center guided our 9th graders through an awesome array of outdoor learning and team-building activities in their ropes courses, athletic fields and on-site farm and garden. A beloved Trinity tradition for the past three decades, Trinity's 9th graders were encouraged to challenge themselves, meet as many other freshmen as possible and build class unity over three days and two nights.

WILDERNESS ADVENTURES

8th Grade Retreat Moves from the Shore to the Mountains

One of the things that makes Trinity unique is our 8th grade — no other independent high school in Virginia has one! That unique group of 30 or so 8th graders enjoyed a fittingly unique three day outdoor adventure and class bonding experience at Wilderness Adventures at Eagle Landing in Newcastle, VA.

With activities including hiking, canoeing and sleeping in tents, the trip provided a first-time wilderness experience for many of the students in the grade, while a spelunking adventure challenged everyone to try something completely new. And through it all, the emphasis on Trinity values helped the group build connections and learn team-building that they could apply to their on-campus lives.

“It was so great to get them out there in nature, away from technology,” said Lee Huss, trip chaperone and social studies teacher. “To see a student challenge herself, swing across that rope and have her classmates cheering for her. It meant something to everyone on the trip. Overall it has been my favorite Trinity overnight experience.”

FALL/WINTER ATHLETICS

Times Dispatch All-Metro Team:

First Team: Davion Brown ’26 (WR), Mario Thompson ’23 (LB), Cam Fleming ’23 (DB)

Second Team: Trey Grant ’24 (RB), Zahir Rainer ’24 (DB), Carlos Moore ’23 (OL)

All-Metro Defensive Player of the Year: Elijah Rainer ’23

All-Metro Coach of the Year: Sam Mickens

FOOTBALL

CAPTAINS: Mario Thompson ’23, Matthew Houston ’23, Elijah Rainer ’23, Cam Fleming ’23, Trai Ferguson ’23

RECORD: 11-0 (5-0)

HONORS: Player of the Year: Mario Thompson ’23 (LB)

Coach of the Year: Sam Mickens

1st Team All-State: Taegan Logan ’25 (QB), Trey Grant ’24 (RB), Davion Brown ’26 (WR), Cooper Gardiner ’24 (OL), Carlos Moore ’23 (OL), Elijah Rainer ’23 (LB), Cam Fleming ’23 (DB), Zahir Rainer ’24 (DB).

Second Team All-State: Ryan Mitchell ’24 (OL), Davion Brown ’26 (RET), Darrick Badley ’23 (DL), Jon Brooks ’23 (DL), Robbie Dunn ’23 (DL), Hunter Brooks ’23 (LB), Cornell Allen ’24 (DB)

Honorable Mention: Trai Ferguson ’23 (WR), Isaiah Robinson ’25 (WR), Matthew Houston ’23 (OL), Will Rosen ’24 (OL), Deuce Edwards ’24 (DB), JD Stemhagen ’23 (K), Jay Williams ’24 (LB)

Coming off the heels of their first Division I state championship victory in 2021, the external expectations were set for the Titans: repeat as state champions. But internally, the message couldn’t have been clearer: maintain the standard that was set before you. In a season full of firsts, including the first prep league title in football in school history and first back-to-back state titles for Trinity football since their 2014 and 2015 campaigns, the Titans continued to outclass the field and break records along the way. With an overall record of 11-0, Trinity simply dominated each one of their opponents, outscoring competition by an average final score of 409. Trey Grant ’24 broke the single-season rushing record with over 1,200 yards on the ground. Elijah Rainer ’23 established the new single-season tackles mark and Cornell Allen ’24 set the single season interception record with six.

“The [game] that has come to symbolize our season was the comefrom-behind, 20-16 victory versus St. Mary’s Ryken,” head coach Sam Mickens said when asked about the turning point of the season. “The game was played in St. James athletic complex, a state of art indoor football facility in Northern Virginia, in front of a large crowd.”

As far as the future goes for the program, there’s no slowing this thing down anytime soon as far as Sam Mickens is concerned. “This group of seniors and juniors has impacted the program indelibly,” he said. “I’m confident our underclassmen are up to continuing the standard set for them to follow.”

FIELD HOCKEY

RECORD: 20-4 (7-0 LIS)

The Titans field hockey legacy continued this fall with a 19-2 regular season campaign, including a 7-0 regular season against LIS competition, while only allowing 18 goals for the season. Under the leadership of captains Valentina Ambrogi-Torres ’23, Kendall Fleet ’23, Kari Rogerson ’23 and Olivia Schmincke ’23, the Titans completed an undefeated regular season in conference play behind 14 shutouts from Ambrogi-Torres which propelled them to their fifth consecutive LIS championship game. The Titans made another run to the state tournament and dropped St. Paul VI 2-0 in the quarterfinals. A trip to the state semifinals followed and despite a season-ending loss to the cross-town Cougars, Trinity concluded the season with a 21-4 record.

HONORS:

First Team All-State: Olivia Schmincke ’23, Valentina Ambrogi-Torres ’23, Darcy Kopsinis ’24

Second Team All-State: Mary Hazel Davis ’24

First Team All-Metro: Olivia Schmincke ’23, Valentina Ambrogi-Torres ’23

Second Team All-Metro: Darcy Kopsinis ’24, Mary Hazel Davis ’24

All-LIS POY: Olivia Schmincke ’23

All-LIS: Valentina Ambrogi-Torres ’23, Mary Hazel Davis ’24, Darcy Kopsinis ’24, Karsin Beatty ’25, Ellie Johnson ’24

“We always work hard to utilize the talents of our teammates,” head coach Margie Snead said after her 24th season leading the charge for the field hockey program. “A huge strength of our team is the depth of talent and hockey IQ on our roster. Anyone is capable of being a difference maker in those critical moments that determine a game. This season certainly proved that when we use our strength in numbers, we play our best.”

One of the biggest matchups of the season happened to be the first game of the year versus Providence Day School (Charlotte, NC) who won the 2020 (and eventually 2022) NCISAA state title.

“Aycock Stadium was packed and the girls rose to the occasion and played one of their best games of the season,” Snead said. “It set the bar for what they were capable of and gave our younger players some valuable confidence.”

VOLLEYBALL

RECORD: 13-8 (7-5)

Trinity finished their season with a 13-8 (7-5 LIS) record, good for 3rd in LIS standings, and their best finish since the 2012 campaign. Led by captains Lily Jennette ’23, August Gregory ’23 and Kaitlyn Watkins ’24, the Titans closed out the season on a 6-1 streak in their final 7 matches. Jennette displayed her leadership by leading the team in passing percentage, kills and digs. Four seniors graduate having seen the program battle through finishing with single-digit wins to the COVID seasons to earning 13 wins in a single-season.

HONORS: Lily Jennette ’23, All-LIS

“We wanted to make the LIS finals and didn’t get there, but made it to the semifinals,” head coach Steve VanHuss said. “We achieved a first round home playoff match, which we won, by virtue of being third in the LIS. On the court we relied on good, solid defense with effective serving and pass receiving on offense. We achieved our community service goal by having a canned food drive and delivering it to FeedMore. The team’s future is bright. Of the 11 top players, we return eight of those players next year.”

BOYS SOCCER

RECORD: 14-2-4 (3-0-2 Prep League)

The boys soccer team churned out one of the most exciting seasons in school history this fall, captained by Colin Flood ’23, Davis Guise ’23 and Charlie Kemp ’23. Capped off by the first state tournament championship final appearance in program history, the Titans went on a 7-0-1 run en route to their fourth matchup of the season versus St. Christopher’s. The team scored 67 goals and allowed just 17 on the season, outscoring opponents by a near 4-to-1 clip. Highlights of their 14-4-2 season include Woodberry Forest Invitational champions, a 10-round shootout victory over those same Tigers in the VISAA quarterfinals and a 2-0 record versus Collegiate — a team they had not beaten once (much less twice) in over a decade.

“Our team motto this season was SCORE: Sportsmanship, Communication, Organization, Resilience, Effort,” head coach of 27 seasons Brian Phillips said. “This team had excellent chemistry and embraced the team motto fully. This was the most successful season in 25 years for the boys soccer program. It was a joy to be around this group of players and coaches every day — training or matches. Great work on the part of the seniors who fully committed to the process, the team and each other.

HONORS: Colin Flood ’23, Davis Guise ’23, Charlie Kemp ’23, All VPL: Seth Mileski ’24

1st Team VISAA All-State: Colin Flood ’23

2nd Team VISAA All-State: Jack Fannon ’23

United Soccer Coaches All Region: Colin Flood ’23

GIRLS TENNIS

RECORD: 9-7 (4-6 LIS)

The prevailing feeling around the tennis season is excitement for a bright future. With lots of young talent in the pipeline, the potential for growth and continued success is what’s on deck for girls tennis. “We are growing and we are getting stronger every season,” fourth-year head coach Alicia Raymond said when asked about this season compared to ones in the past. “It’s a huge plus for the program as a whole. The future of Titan tennis is getting brighter and brighter.”

Chloe Aboujaoude ’23 and Lucy Rowe ’23 led the charge as captains for the season. There were different growth points for Raymond to reference when reflecting on the season, but the most prevailing highlight was defeating two of Collegiate’s top three doubles teams. The Collegiate matches not only proved to the team that they could compete with one of the best teams in the league but also achieved one of the team’s goals.

“As a coach, I wanted more variety in the schedule and for girls to start playing mentally and physically tough,” Raymond said. “I feel that we were able to accomplish both of those goals.”

BOYS CROSS COUNTRY

CAPTAINS: Jack Plaugher ’23, Cooper Michalik ’23, Frank Halloran ’23

RECORD: 6th in VPL, 18th in VISAA

Consistency, accountability and grit were words head coach Will Cottrell used to describe this year’s boys cross country team.

“Cross country is a hard sport, and racing the 5K distance is challenging on the mind,” Cottrell said. “Our guys learned to run their own race while working for their teammates, pushing each other through the pain to finish well.”

The team showed its consistency as there was progressive improvement across the stretch of the fifteen week season. As the team continued to show steady growth, accountability between teammates became a focal point to the team’s success.

“We progressed by holding each other accountable to attend practices, finish workouts, recover well, and race as a team.”

Their Prep League season was capped off by seeing many personal accomplishments be met which, in turn, sparked the entire team. At the Prep League Championship at Pole Green Park, Spencer Anthony ’25 and Carter Erwin ’24 ran personal bests in the 5K with times of 18:02 and 19:56, respectively. Anthony finished 16th overall on the day.

“The Prep League Championship was a defining moment for our team,” Cottrell said. “Most of the athletes ran a personal best that day, showing off the hard work we’d put in all season. The guys made up for the small roster with big commitment. They were consistent in practice and meets, and kept each other accountable.”

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

“Going into the season, I hoped that the team would come together and see themselves as a collective unit and that each runner would improve and come away from the season feeling more empowered and with a lasting appreciation for running,” first year head coach Ellis Mumford ’16 said. “We were a young team with a new coach, and it was exciting to see runners build from workout to workout to achieve goals.”

The theme on the Trinity girls cross country team is always family — the idea of being a family that is authentic with each other and supporting each other through ups and downs gives athletes the courage to put their all on the line in an often difficult sport. Furthermore, the team reflected a lot on TITAN values this season: Toughness, Intentional, Trustworthy, Altruistic, Neighborly.

“We talked about being TOUGH through races and hard workouts as well as INTENTIONAL about the effort we put into each practice and the way we prepared for meets and postseason,” Mumford recalled. “We also focused on being TRUSTWORTHY - in running no one else can do the work for you so we emphasized the importance of doing what you set out to do and holding yourself accountable.”

As a result of their cohesiveness and conscious effort to train as a team, nearly every athlete who competed in the LIS meet earned their personal record time for a 5k.

HONORS: All-LIS: Sarah Coleman ’23

BOYS BASKETBALL

Led by seniors Leland Coleman ’23 and Luke Fisher ’23, boys basketball returned to the postseason for the first time since the 2019-20 season. Although the season ended with a loss to Bishop Ireton in the first round of the state tournament, the culture and energy in the Estes Athletic Center was felt in every home game, but especially those against local rivals (St. Christopher’s, Benedictine and Collegiate), against which the Titans went 6-2 against this season. The boys posted a 16-11 (5-5 Prep League) record and finished 3rd in the league, a vast improvement from second-year head coach Andrew Blazar’s squad from last year's five-win campaign.

Coleman, who led the team in field goal percentage (52%), along with the arrival of Davion Brown ’26, enabled the Titans offense to flow with tempo and quickly retreat back on defense. Alex Chaikin ’24 set a high bar by shooting nearly 40 percent from beyond the arc and nailing over 80 percent of his free throws.

Transfers Trey Coles ’24 and Mason Patrick ’25 made an immediate impact on the season, combining to play in more than 50 games, helping spark the Titans’ turnaround. Their leadership and playing minutes will be critical going into next year with six seniors graduating in 2023.

“The returners are excited to continue to improve and build on the 11-win improvement from the previous year,” Blazar said. “This year, winning the Travis Tournament in convincing fashion was the turning point of our season. We’re going to continue to build the program and culture and work towards our goal which is to win the Prep League this coming season.”

HONORS All-Prep League: Leland Coleman ’23, Luke Fisher ’23

All-Prep League Tournament Team: Alex Chaikin ’24

INDOOR TRACK & FIELD

The winter track and field season saw its share of historic performances this season: from the boys runner-up finish at states, to Lilly Versen ’24 jumping to a state title in long jump to the boys 4x200m relay racing their way to the top of the podium.

“We had a group of athletes that wanted to break school records to maximize our team's point scoring potential,” interim head coach Marcus Jones ’00 said. “Having athletes win league and state championships is always memorable.” Jones, in his 13th season of coaching winter track, took the helm this season on an interim basis to help in the coaching transition.

What he oversaw was a program that contributed record-breaking performances. Lilly Versen ’24 broke her own school record and was the LIS and state champion in the long jump with a leap of 17’3.5”. Sister Lucy Versen ’26 broke the school record in the pole vault by clearing 9’0”. The elder Versen was also part of the new school record-setting 4x200m girls relay team, including Logan Snyder ’24, Eila Crumlish ’25 and Julia Pollard ’24, with a time of 1:52.73.

On the boys side, the boys 4 x 200 relay team of William Hoffler ’24, Nathan Sims ’24, Deuce Edwards ’24, and Cornell Allen ’24 were Prep League and VISAA state champions with a speedy time of 1:30.91. Edwards, Hoffler and Sims all set new school records in the hurdles (Edwards), 200m (Hoffler), 300m (Sims) and long jump (Sims) respectively.

In league postseason action, the girls finished 4th in LIS and the boys wrapped up their season 3rd in the Prep League. At the VISAA State Championships, the girls posted an 11th place performance out of 24 teams while the boys were state runners-up, representing the highest finish for boys winter track in school history.

The girls were led by Lilly Versen who was the high scorer and recorded wins throughout the winter in both the jumps and the sprinters. Other key contributors for the girls were Lucy Versen ’26, Lily Jennette ’23, Sarah Coleman ’23 and Lainie Murray ’23.

In looking to next year, Jones has high hopes for the program and its future success. “The team will return a lot of talent next year,” Jones said. “Especially the boys. They’ll have a good opportunity to compete for championships.”

SWIMMING

If you ask fifth-year head coach Tim Johnson where the trajectory of Titans swim and dive is headed, he’ll answer with an emphatic, “We’re on the up!” As with so much else, COVID affected the development and pipeline for the future of Trinity swimming — but momentum and energy is building with a strong foundation of young talent on campus.

In the 2022-23 season, both the boys and girls teams concluded their seasons in the top five of their respective leagues: 5th place for the boys in the prep league while the girls took 4th in LIS. Five captains took the helm in leading the Titans to six top-five finishes in meets during the season: Nick Clopton ’23, Nathaniel Milligan ’23, Anna Gorey ’23, Ann-Sidney Ragsdale ’23 and Caroline Roberts ’23. Giulia Gardiner ’24 captained the dive team.

“Do More. Dream Bigger. Defy Expectations.” Those three phrases were the bedrock for the season on which the Titans leaned. Nobody embodied that more than junior Patrick Puzon ’25. Named All-Prep League and All-State, Puzon broke the school record in the 50m freestyle with a blazing time of 20.87 seconds. One of the most defining moments of the season came at the state meet in Lynchburg. Giulia Gardiner ’24 took home a 6th-place finish while Brooke Bailey ’24 and Marcy Mortimer ’24 put together competitive races to set up the relays which sealed the girls’ top-five finish at states. The boys faced adversity with unexpected illness at the state meet but rallied for 7th place.

“Don't sleep on Trinity Swim & Dive,” Johnson said. “We're slowly working our way back to the top of the state.”

GIRLS BASKETBALL

While Titans girls basketball is still in rebuilding mode, sixthyear head coach Adam Lonon saw lots of improvement over the course of a season where the team rebounded from their two-win campaign in the 2021-22 season. Returning a core built around youth with seven underclassmen on the roster, Addy Winn ’23 and All-LIS recipient Sophie Dolan ’23 led the way as seniors. An 8-11 (0-8 LIS) record doesn’t tell the full story of the season for the Titans, who made their first postseason appearance in the state tournament since the 2019-20 school year.

“Last year, our goals revolved around development,” Lonon said. “This year our goal was to compete in every game. Because we had such a young team in the 21-22 season, this year was about identifying who we wanted to be as a team, what culture we wanted to build, and showing people how we were going to compete on the floor.”

There were many moments that stood out this season where the development of athletes shined through and players stepped out of their shell. In a 45-39 win over Norfolk Academy in December, Alexa Linton ’25 scored a career-high 14 points. Sophie Dolan ’23 made eight three-pointers vs Central Virginia Home School and Addy Winn ’23 dropped a career-high 21 in a 42-34 February victory over Veritas.

“Those are the moments you take away during the season that define each player's growth and development,” Lonon said. “Our JV team was strong this year, and I look forward to building upon a successful season.”

HEADLINE MAKERS

Twice as Nice

Football (and Basketball and Baseball) are Family

A three-sport varsity athlete, Carter Schuma doesn’t see any of it as work

Carter Schuma ’23 hadn’t put on a set of pads much less stepped on a football field since his freshman year. But after some convincing from head coach Sam Mickens, he decided to give it one last go. Schuma, now a Randolph-Macon College baseball commit, had all of the athletic and mental tangibles to be a great football player, but there was plenty of work to be done to get him in the right shape.

Following a full summer of baseball action, Schuma practiced with the Titans for the football team’s first official workout in August. The first game was in three weeks’ time and Schuma had yet to learn the playbook. By the third game of the season against Norfolk Academy, the senior tight end was ready.

“Coming back, he really had to make up ground and I think what really endeared the guys to him was that he put in a ton of work in a short amount of time,” Mickens said. “It allowed him to become one of the integral chess pieces of our offense.”

A football season ending in a state championship title didn’t leave Schuma with much time to rest as he quickly turned his attention to basketball where he contributed as a forward, relentlessly attacking the rim. Now as the weather heats up and the days get longer, Schuma’s focus has since shifted to baseball. In his junior campaign, Schuma hit to a tune of .262 with 3 HRs while striking out 36 batters in 30.0 innings pitched. This season, he expects more from himself and is a go-to leader in the baseball clubhouse.

In a time where sport-specialization- the idea of focusing on year-around training for one sport- has become the norm for many athletes, Schuma’s journey encapsulates what Trinity teaches: discover your path by jumping headfirst into something new. “I love the culture of being a part of teams,” Schuma said. “It becomes a family.”

Football ‘runs it back’ to the state title game and repeats

For the second time in Trinity’s history, the varsity football team repeated as state champions en route to their second consecutive title in the Division I ranks. On top of that, they achieved what no other team had done before them and took the prep league crown as they finished without a blemish on their 11-0 (5-0 Prep) record. In total, 22 athletes earned a record haul of honors at season’s end, including player of the year recipient Mario Thompson ’23.

High-water Mark

Boys soccer makes their mark during their state championship chase

Boys soccer burst onto the scene and made a run all the way to the state championship game across the river at City Stadium, home of the Richmond Kickers. Along the way, they won the Woodberry Invitational and defeated rival Collegiate twice, showing all in the Prep League that this team was there to compete. Senior Colin Flood ’23 finished the season tied for most points in the league with 56 (22 G, 12 A), averaging 1.75 points scored per contest. Flood was the leading goal-scorer in Prep League action with seven goals.

Head Ball Coach

Football coach Sam Mickens takes home high honors after a record-setting season

After leading the Titans to their first back-toback state titles since the 2014 and 2015 seasons and their first prep league title in school history, Sam Mickens was named All-Metro Coach of the Year. After his 15th year coaching the Titans, he is sending nine seniors to play at the next level which is the largest signing class since he’s been leading the program.

A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME

Parents, family, coaches and students gathered in the Estes Athletic Center on two occasions to support and celebrate seven Trinity seniors officially committing to competing in intercollegiate athletics next year. These dates have become a customary time for seniors to sign their national letters of intent, and Trinity seniors joined student-athletes nationwide for these “National Signing Day” ceremonies.

Coaches reflected on their individual experiences with each athlete, shared words of praise and encouragement and also expressed their appreciation for what each senior contributed to their team and school community.

FALL 2022

NATIONAL LETTER OF INTENT SIGNEES

Kendall Fleet (field hockey) Haverford College

Logan Janney (baseball) Longwood University

Maisen Jenkins (lacrosse) Bridgewater College

Daniel Miller (baseball) Chatham University

Olivia Schmincke (field hockey) University of Delaware

Carter Schuma (baseball) Randolph-Macon College

JD Stemhagen (baseball) Manhattan College

Neely Winefordner (field hockey) Randolph-Macon College

WINTER 2023

NATIONAL LETTER OF INTENT SIGNEES

Hunter Brooks (football) Davidson University

Jon Brooks (football) Christopher Newport University

Robbie Dunn (football) Virginia Military Institute

Trai Ferguson (football) U.S. Naval Academy

Cam Fleming (footbal) Virginia Tech

Matt Houston (football) Christopher Newport University

Carlos Moore (football) Hampton University

Elijah Rainer (football) College of William & Mary

Mario Thompson (football) Old Dominion University

THE ARTS

Three cheers for the performers, backstage crew and parent volunteers who joined forces to pull off another Cabaret, Trinity’s annual musical revue. From Herbie Hancock to Metallica, Billy Joel to Dua Lipa, and the Eagles to Pharell Williams, this year’s talented student and faculty musicians ran through a top-20 countdown of some of the greatest gold records from the last 50 years — finishing with a curtain call to “We are Family” by Sister Sledge. Guests were also treated to a trombone duet from music maestro Brian Rollins and former headmaster Tom Aycock.

Special thanks to Tawanna Berry for overseeing and decorating the beautiful patron tables and to Tom Woodward for capturing and sharing these spectacular images from the event.

MIXED MEDIA

Winter Art Show dazzles with original student works across nearly a dozen categories

Students, parents and guests enjoyed the return of the annual Winter Art Show to the Perkinson Arts Center on Thursday, December 12, featuring hundreds of original works of art produced by Trinity students across nearly a dozen categories of media. From paintings and drawings and photographs, to sculpture and ceramics, to mixed media and video, all levels of student progress were represented. Professional artists judge the works in ten categories according to technical skill, content, display and overall creativity.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE PARTICIPANTS.

Here is a complete list of this year’s honorees:

BEST IN SHOW

Ashley McFadden ’24

2D DEPARTMENT AWARD

Kate Stocks ’25

3D DEPARTMENT AWARD

Ash Bell ’26

PHOTOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT AWARD

Ella Holloway ’25

PAINTING

1. StellaBrakman ’23

2. Nora Rufe ’25

3. Kendall Kryszon ’27

DRAWING

1. Logan Snyder ’24

2. Mary Grace Kurtz ’24

3. Mac Corso ’24

ANALOG

1. Emily Krickus ’24

2. Laila Talibi ’24

3. Ben Mills ’23

MIXED MEDIA

1. Ellie Johnson ’24

2. Caroline Roberts ’23

3. Darcy Kopsinis ’24

DIGITAL

1. Lily Jennette ’23

2. Kiel Mahoney ’23

3. Stephon Woodson ’24

FUNCTIONAL CERAMICS

1. Brook Bailey ’24

2. Alexa Linton ’25

3. Gabreille Strickler ’24

NON-FUNCTIONAL CERAMICS

1. Claire Arnold ’23

2. Ellie Daglio ’23

3. Brydan Kelley ’24

SCULPTURE

1. Rockira Harris ’25

2. Kiel Mahoney ’23

3. Kari Rogerson ’23

SCHOLASTIC REGIONAL AWARDS FOR TRINITY ARTISTS

Three Titans recognized for exceptional art and writing by Scholastic

GOING TO NATIONALS

Sadie Holloway ’24 spent four days with elite singers from all fifty states at the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) All-National Honor Ensembles (ANHE) Conference just outside of Washington, D.C. in early November. The ANHEs represent the top performing high school musicians in the United States, and is described on their website as “a comprehensive and educational experience.” Holloway’s recent experience certainly fits that description.

Two Trinity artists, Ella Holloway ’24 and Sam Nedeff ’25, and one writer, Ellie Hoke ’24, have been recognized in the annual Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, described as “the nation's longest-running, most prestigious educational initiative supporting student achievement in the visual and literary arts.”

“Submissions are juried by luminaries in the visual and literary arts, some of whom are past award recipients,” reads the official award description. “Panelists look for works that best exemplify originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision.” Recognizing exceptional artwork by students in grades 7–12 throughout the U.S. Scholastic provides the largest source of creativity-based scholarships for middle and high school students.

Trinity’s 2023 Regional Scholastic Art Award Winners:

Ella Holloway ’24 — Gold Key (photography) “Climbing Ivy”

Ella Holloway ’24 — Honorable Mention (photography) (2)

“Highway Lights” “The Glowing Night”

Sam Nedeff ’24 — Silver Key (photography) “A Delicate Moment”

Sam Nedeff ’24 — Honorable Mention (photography) “Warping”

Ellie Hoke ’24 — Honorable Mention (novel writing)

“The Cickle Bunny”

“It was unlike anything I have done,” Holloway says of the experience of rehearsing and performing with nearly 200 other singers under the direction of some of the most prominent and inspiring musical educators in the country. When the group belted out Wangol by Sten Källman, a popular Haitian folk song, Holloway says, “I could feel the floor shake.”

Read more about Holloway’s remarkable musical journey at

trinityes.org/connections

SOUTH CENTRAL SENIOR REGIONAL ORCHESTRA

Three Trinity students, Sylvie Dow ’25 (harp), Elizabeth Ray ’25 (violin) and Marcy Mortimer ’24 (violin) were accepted into the South Central Senior Regional Orchestra! (SCSRO) last fall. Selected by competitive audition, the group is open to 9th12th graders in Richmond and the surrounding area, including Charlottesville, Lynchburg, and more. The honor earned them the opportunity to rehearse and perform with a prestigious guest conductor in November.

NEW ART CITY

From the ancient to the modern, the full spectrum of New York City museums inspires IB Arts course candidates

“I’ve never seen the studio so intense,” says Amy Chaplin, head of the Visual Arts Department. Returning to New York City for the first time in three years, Trinity’s IB Arts course candidates are making the most of their four-day experience at some of the world’s leading institutions of fine art. “Since we’ve gotten home — the seniors in particular — their heads are down, they're inspired, they're working. They are really engaged with the making process. They were so incredibly inspired.”

Nearly 40 students and eight chaperones traveled to the city January 12–15 to see the unrivaled mix of ancient and classical art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the American modern collection in the architecturally unique Guggenheim and the last days of the popular Edward Hooper exhibition at the Whitney. But the museum that made the impact on this year’s group was the modern, multimedia array on display in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMa).

“In the lobby was a big AI art exhibition, which is creating a huge conversation across disciplines,” Chaplin recalls. “Is it art? What defines art? What defines artists? One student thought it was the coolest ever, while some others were worried about what AI means for the future of art makers. It sparked a lot of thought about how technology and our society will continue to intersect.”

Another favorite was the Met, where Chaplin says students really connected with the ancient works on exhibition. “Things that we cared about 3,000 years ago we still care about today,” she says. “Family, human relationships, the need to question why we’re here… these are things we are still questioning today.”

A favorite Trinity tradition for nearly 15 years, the trip has included visits to Chicago and Philadelphia in the past. Next year’s group will also visit sites in Brooklyn. Staying in upper Midtown between Times Square and Central Park also gave students the opportunity to experience the city’s incredible food, go ice skating and take in a Broadway show.

“Seeing their excitement when they come find you to show you something in a gallery makes it all worth it,” says Chaplin. “This group especially — because of COVID, so much of what they’ve had to look at has been on a digital platform. It’s just a different experience when you are interacting with it in real time. Even something as ubiquitous as Van Gogh’s Starry Night. They’ve seen it a million times — on postcards, on cocktail napkins — but to see it in real time, and have that visual experience is amazing.”

Breakfast TITANS with the

Fundraiser Event Showcases Trinity’s Mission

On March 24, nearly 200 supporters gathered for the first annual “Breakfast with the TITANS.” This free, one-hour fundraising breakfast showcased the school’s mission while inviting the community to help grow Trinity’s financial support. Twenty volunteers served as table hosts by personally inviting guests who came from all circles of the Trinity community: founding families, alumni, current and past parents, trustees and faculty and staff.

Guests were welcomed into the Estes Athletic Center early in the morning with hot coffee and soft music by cellist Sylvie Dow ’25 and violinist Elizabeth Ray ’25. Anna Prillaman, athletic director, kicked off the program by praising the way that Trinity respects each student’s inner desire to learn and grow. “Although we help guide decision-making, of course, we don't create a mold for these kids we think is best and make them fit into it,” she said. “Instead, we make them feel comfortable and confident in the mold that they strive to create for themselves. This is what Discover Your Path means.”

After opening music performed by the Tritones, Trinity’s acapella group, and a prayer from Brian Griffin, Trinity chaplain, guests enjoyed a continental breakfast and the opportunity to chat with current students who sat at each table.

“We are excited for the future and what comes next. What students gain here at Trinity is more needed and relevant than ever,” Head of School Rob Short said. “We want our students to discover where their talents and joy meet the world's deep needs. They practice creativity, communication and working with other people… These are skills that will not be replaced by automation or technology.”

Rob Methven, Trinity parent of five past students (’18, ’16, ’14, ’12, ’10) and former trustee reflected on how Trinity's mission played out for each of his five children. “Five separate experiences, five different colleges, five different careers,” he said, noting that their paths after Trinity have not always been smooth. “You might say this is a fault of Trinity — no. This is not a bug in Trinity's mission or process. This is a feature of it. Anne and I firmly believe that the experience that the five kids got here has enabled them to become independent and confident enough to deal with change.”

Torey Burston ’12, Trinity campus coordination specialist, shared a testimonial of his own years as a student, alum and administrator. “Pouring your all into everything that is given to you — because you are bound to receive great things in return — is what I learned

at Trinity,” Burston said. “My coach Mike Rhoades at VCU once said to me, ‘It's great that you've done great things in your career, but can you give it back? Can you pay it forward to someone else?’ That is exactly what it feels like being back here at Trinity full time."

Trinity premiered two videos at the event: This is Trinity!, a welcome montage; and a series of reflections from a diverse group of alumni who answered the question “How has being part of the Trinity community impacted or enriched your life?” Guests enjoyed additional music performances by guitarist Blake Whitaker ’23 and Trinity’s Jazz Ensemble.

At the conclusion of the program, Kelly O’Keefe, parent of three alums (’06, ’03, ’01) and former trustee, invited guests to support the mission of the school through one-time gifts and multi-year pledges in support of the Annual Fund. Over $200,000 was raised

The 2023 Table Hosts

in gifts and pledges. Breakfast sponsors who helped underwrite the cost of the event included David and Lauren Flood, Trinity parents (’17,’19, ’23); Benjamin and Erin Bacon, Trinity parents (’18, ’23); GoneGirl, a virtual consignment service; Sarah and Stanley Elliott, (’24, ’26) and SwimMetro Management; Kurt and Lisa Schuster, Trinity parents (’20, ’23, ’26). The Breakfast brought together Trinity’s philanthropic community to help celebrate the 50th anniversary and to steward and build our passionate and sustaining supporters.

For more information about “Breakfast with the TITANS,” please contact Alyssa McBride, Director of Development at alyssamcbride@trinityes.org or 804.327.3154.

Tom & Kae Aycock ........ Former Head of School, Trinity Parents (’94, ’99)

Lisa Acquaye Trustee, Trinity Parent (’18, ’24)

Maria Bartz ............. English Teacher / Student Services Coordinator

Otis Brown Advisory Board Member, Trinity Parent (’81, ’87)

Cynthia Coleman Trustee, Trinity Parent (’20, ’23)

Chris & Rebekah DeRoco Trinity Parents (’17, ’24), TPA Officer

Chris Ellis ’81 Trustee

Swannee Ericson ’75 ...... Advisory Board Member, Trinity Parent (’05, ’09)

Kyle Hendrick ’05 Trustee

Chase Hill ’98 Trustee

Joe & Diane Monaco ’81 Director of Business Operations & Math Teacher, Trinity Parents (’21)

Sam Mickens ............ Admissions / Head Football Coach

John Mills ’90 Trustee, Trinity Parent (’23, ’26)

Clay Reynolds ........... Trustee, Trinity Parent (’25)

Betsy Reid English Department Head / Parent Pathways

Rob Short Head of School

Randy Sullivan ’83 Trustee, Trinity Parent (’20)

Trinity Parents Association (Lisa Schuster & Sarah Elliott)

Tia Walker .............. Trustee, Trinity Parent (’23, ’24)

Meghan White Trinity Parent (’26)

SUPPORT TRINITY WITH A GIFT HERE >>

MISSION IN ACTION

Reflecting on the successful completion of Trinity’s five-year strategic plan, “Honor the Mission” (2018-2023)

“As a school, we are always in search of a brighter future for our students,” Head of School Rob Short said in a video released in the fall of 2018 announcing the launch of “Honor the Mission,” a five-year strategic plan — a roadmap for the school designed to be inclusive, data-driven and adaptable to future needs.

“Everything inside the plan aims to strengthen, support and build upon our unique and cherished mission,” stated then board chair Rob Methven. Over the past five years, the plan has guided and supported the community, allowing Trinity to excel, adapt, grow, evolve, extend, unite — through the challenges of the pandemic, through its historic 50th birthday and beyond.

Five years later, the Trinity mission is as strong and as relevant as ever, bolstered by a sustained and intentional campaign to utilize the strategic strength of the Trinity community.

“When deciding to make the grade-scale change, the goal was to improve communication with students, parents and colleges,” says Maria Bartz, head of student support and academic program. “While preparing for that change, we studied our grade data to ensure we wouldn't inflate or deflate grades once the 10-point grade scale was adopted. We found that process was helpful when planning for the next year, quarter, or even week — so we have continued to do a school-wide grade distribution analysis after each quarter. Teachers and administrators use the data to ensure instruction, assignments and assessments are balanced and fair and that they properly communicate our students' mastery of a subject.”

Strategic Strength

One of the plan’s most innovative aspects was to build “proficiencies around strategic thinking” among the entire community. In the fall of 2018, all faculty and staff had the opportunity to select a Collaboration Team to begin to build those strategic thinking muscles by tackling projects and exploring current concepts together With topics like “Data Informed Decision Making,” “Faculty & Staff Individual & Collaborative Work Spaces,” and “Student Time Management,” the goal was to involve the entire faculty and staff in meaningful work to shape the school's future, strengthen internal communication and build a common sense of purpose.

Some of the substantive advances that emerged from the groups included the development of a customized daily planner for students, the move from a 6-point to a 10-point grading scale in 2020 and a thorough evaluation of grade distribution.

Bartz appreciated the way the Collaboration Teams model gave each faculty and staff member a voice in the direction of the school. “With the grading scale change, especially, there was a strong feeling of buy-in. A group of their peers researched and presented the proposal to the faculty. They were the ones saying, ‘this will be helpful in our classrooms and for our students.’”

Many teachers enjoyed the opportunity for connections and professional growth the team structure provided. “We all got to work with people that we normally don’t work with as part of our day,” Bartz says. “Teachers are creative and inquisitive, but very rarely are teachers asked to do something ‘big picture,’ like a strategic plan. It exercised a muscle we use all the time but in a different way.”

Operational Excellence

With the study of grades came a more intentional use of data to inform other decisions across the school. “We’ve invested time, money and energy, and we’re thinking differently about how to maximize our instruction using data,” says Short.

A strong example of this is occurring among teachers in the IB Diploma Programme, who now have the ability to drill down into aggregate IB test score data to Improve alignment between Trinity grades and IB scores and identify areas for targeted growth and curricular improvement.

Kasie Kemp values the way this data has helped her become a better teacher by seeing where her students’ strengths lie on each topic and at each level. “It's using the past to inform the present,” she says. “I can look at historically how other groups performed and decide whether to focus more on short-answer or multiple-choice, for example. Where’s my weak point as a teacher?”

Marti Truman called this sharing of data a “huge leap.” Giving teachers within each department the opportunity to see each other’s test results “was a step toward being vulnerable,” she says, noting that sharing of information has spurred collaboration and increased “vertical alignment” from level to level — all to the benefit of students. Other advances toward excellence in the classroom have come through the work of Collaboration Teams and greater collaboration within academic departments.

Over the past five years, the science department has implemented a transformative instructional technique called modeling. As described in the spring 2020 issue of the Titan Trail: “Instead of presenting a list of facts to memorize and confirm with a predetermined lab, the teacher begins each unit with an event, a research question or an open-ended lab investigation. When students ask the teacher a question, they don’t get a simple answer — they get another question, one aimed at probing deeper toward a conclusion based on their own observations and reasoning.”

“It has transformed the science classrooms here,” says Bartz of the modeling approach. “The kids are really integrated in the process of learning.”

Over the same time frame, the social students department has redesigned their curriculum to feature more inquiry-based learning (IBL). “IBL is a prominent component of the IB curriculum and we've long seen the benefits it has on those students but we wanted to add the IBL aspect into our non-IB social studies classes,” says Marcus Jones, IB Global Politics teacher and head of the department. “It allows students to take ownership of their work as they make decisions on what to research and it promotes intellectual curiosity. We've found that inquiry based learning is the perfect vehicle to teach the problem solving and communication skills that are goals of the curriculum.”

All of these advances fall under the umbrella of the strategic plan’s renewal of the school’s commitment to invest in the success of those who put the mission into action — our faculty and staff. The plan laid out a commitment to professional development and core faculty values, recognition of excellence in teaching, and human resource support. In 2022, Mary Jordan accepted the new position of head of employee life, created specifically to support and guide faculty and staff.

Marti Truman, a leader and mentor for younger teachers in her roles across her three-decade tenure within the science department and as IB coordinator moved into a full-time faculty-development coaching role in 2022. “Her intentionality, team building skills, and her strong strategic thinking for Trinity has led us to the creation of a new position for which she is the natural choice,” wrote Short, announcing the transition.

First-year science teacher John Benson has appreciated Truman’s support. “She has helped me brainstorm ways to find challenges for advanced students,” says Benson. “There is always a focus on how we can make our kids come out of Trinity prepared for their next step. Does each goal help the kids get to where they need to be?”

School Culture

In the research process leading up to the adoption of “Honor the Mission,” the most common theme among respondents was a desire to bolster and maintain Trinity’s cherished community and unique school culture.

Inspired by the plan’s prompt to “build mechanisms to assist the transfer of culture/school values to the whole community,” Trinity launched the Parent Pathways program in 2022. Led by Betsy Reid, head of the English department, the initiative aims to build stronger communication, programming and relationships between parents and the school. “Trinity has always had a strong partnership with parents, and Parent Pathways is a way to highlight and put a focus on resources and opportunities for parents,” she says. Already this year, Reid has launched a multi-episode podcast (available on the Trinity website), hosted two educational/social events for parents and will be adding more programming in 2023-24.

For students, the past five years have seen the successful embrace of the TITANS Values (Trustworthy, Intentional, Tough, Altruistic, Neighborly and Sincere), six characteristics that define what it means to be a Titan. Every Friday in Morning Meeting, students and faculty share specific examples of these values in action in the community.

To go along with Junior Work Week and the Freshman Class Retreat, there are additional unique gradel-level programs for other grades as well. The 8th grade has evolved their Fox Island Chesapeake Bay trip into a three-day bonding retreat in the mountains in early fall. The 10th grade has expanded their traditional neighborhood cleanup day to include an afternoon of team-building facilitated by Challenge Discovery, a local leader in this area.

But it almost goes without saying now that there has been no greater challenge to school culture over the 50 years than the COVID-19 pandemic. The guidance provided by the plan laid the groundwork for a commitment to, in the plan’s words, “strengthen processes to seamlessly maintain our culture in an environment of ongoing change.”

“[The strategic plan] allowed us to transition to the hybrid model and keep us open with some sort of social contact,” says Brian Phillips, head of campus life. “Not everyone liked it, but the reality is we didn’t close, and we didn’t go very long without having the community in person. Even in the spring of 2020, we figured out how to have graduation as a community.”

Campus Enhancement

“With COVID, we appreciated outdoor spaces more,” says Bartz. “We now have this massive influx of picnic tables that the kids use all day every day. The kids love them. That has brought people closer together on the campus.”

The pandemic also spurred the school to improve indoor air quality. With a new HVAC system, teachers have much greater control over the temperature of the classroom, and UV ionization units mean that students are less likely to get ill. “We added windows to every classroom, knowing that light and natural beauty is important to learning,” says Short. The school is also in the final stages of construction on the new 1,200-square-foot Dawson Commons, on the site of the former Dawson Garden, behind E-Hall, which will provide a much needed, all-weather common area for students to use during study hall, Discovery Period and lunch.

The Innovation Lab, housed in Morgan Hall’s Powell Library has grown to five times its size in 2018, with dedicated space for 3D printing, individual robotics projects and a classroom space for Cynthia Chinworth, hired in 2022 as a full-time innovation and technology teacher. “We want students creating, designing and building cross disciplinary discovery and partnership with other students,” says Rob Short. “Understanding technology is important, but using technology to better humanity is critical. The added space allows our students to create, discover and solve problems.”

Across campus, the Outdoor Shed has continued to expand to meet the needs of the school’s unrivaled Outdoor Program. “The Trinity Outdoor Program is still growing every year, and I contribute that to having a designated spot on campus associated with outdoor activities,” says Michael Stratton. “Everything we are doing is intended to be sustainable long-term [for] both athletics and environmental impact. This year we also created the Active Trail Building class, and we are adding more than half a mile of trail to our 100 acre forest every semester — completely designed by students.” (read more about this class on page 30 of this issue.)

Community Engagement

That system of trails between Trinity and neighboring St. Michael’s Episcopal School is just one of the many ways that Trinity students have built connections with the greater Richmond community over the past five years through the strategic plan's emphasis on community engagement.

Soon after the plan’s launch, Weiler was tapped to lead the school’s efforts in this area and soon implemented a grade-level community partnership program that is still thriving. At the start of each year, elected student leaders from each grade help their class choose a local nonprofit organization to pair with for a year’s worth of targeted service and support. Through community service projects and by learning about each nonprofit's mission, students see firsthand the value and impact of these organizations within their community. The impact is evident in the dozens of thank-you notes Weiler has received over the years from grateful nonprofit directors from groups like the Doorways, Goochland Cares, UMFS, Sportable, Shalom Gardens and REAL Life, to name a few.

Students have been measurably more involved with community service as a result. “Most importantly, though, is the greater awareness that these partnerships have built among our population about the different needs of the greater Richmond area and the various nonprofits that work to serve those needs,” says Weiler. “Students (and faculty/staff) have grown in their knowledge and understanding of the challenges facing our region and they have been inspired to help mitigate some of those challenges through their service with these groups and others.”

Weiler is proud of how these programs have yielded not just greater growth and awareness but also an appetite to do more. “We are certainly more aware of being a part of something bigger than ourselves,” she says. “By contributing our gifts to others — while also learning from people and groups that are different from ourselves — we create a much more complete context about the world around us.”

Of Trinity’s community engagement programs, Short is equally bullish. “At a time when the world was retreating into a bubble, we were reaching out like never before,” he says. Whether bagging and delivering shoe donations for SHOOD, creating festive holiday cards for UMFS —welcoming to campus organizations like the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities, Mayor Levar Stoney and both of the two recent presidents of the University of Richmond — or partnering each year with Obama Elementary School on a series of science-themed outdoor activities — Trinity students continue to have opportunities to integrate life into learning and learning into life.

Looking Ahead

As the 2022-23 school year comes to close in just a few short weeks, so too will the school’s 50th anniversary celebration, “Ever Onward,” and the five-year plan, “Honor the Mission.” The success of each has been the product of Titans of all stripes coming together — to reflect on the treasures of our shared past — to push each other forward toward the highest of our aspirations — and to sustain Trinity Episcopal School as a place where each

student can develop their talents, strengthen their character and discover their path.

“Now we are beautifully aligned to think about the school and its future,” says Weiler, reflecting on the plan's successful conclusion this year. “Even though laborious at times, gathered so many different perspectives and experiences from stakeholders, it positioned us well so that we can look forward to where we want to be while still honoring the mission over the last 50 years.”

HONOR THE MISSION

Trinity Episcopal School

The five themes centered around what extensive surveys and research determined was the school’s greatest asset: Community.

School Culture

Care for and protect our culture, which fosters an environment where people feel a sense of belonging and thriving.

to excellence and stewardship of financial resources to provide the broadest possible foster learning, collaboration, socialization,

connections beyond traditional boundaries, expand perspectives and bring life into learning and learning into life.

Strategic Strength

Fortify our competitive advantage by building proficiencies around strategic thinking, planning, implementation and celebration.

TITANS OF THE TRAIL

Students get their hands dirty in new interdisciplinary elective

Take a stroll southeast from the Trinity campus — past the soccer field, the baseball field, past the old, brick Wright House sitting atop the hill — and you’ll soon find yourself in the forest between Trinity and St. Michael’s Episcopal School. Now dubbed the “100-acre wood,” the expanse comprises 30 acres on Trinity's side, with the other 70 on the St. Michael’s footprint. And if you’re there on a school day, you’re likely to find a team of students, hard at work with shovels, rakes, and wheelbarrows full of recycled bricks and soil.

Open to students in any grade, Michael Stratton’s Active Trail Building class began in the fall of 2022 and has grown in popularity. Using primarily found and surplus materials, the students are building trails and structures like benches for hikers and ramps and jumps for mountain bikers. “We’re trying to make it more accessible to school and community at large,” says Stratton. The trail work also has a benefit to the natural environment. “We actually chopped down a lot of invasive wisteria that was killing trees, so the woods are going to be healthier.”

Students apply interdisciplinary lessons in geography, environmental science, land management and sustainable forestry. Step one in the trail design process is to find places that won’t erode from bad weather. “Instead of going staring down a hill, you try to find a spot that will withstand water erosion,” says Stratton. “So we’re designing it in a way that works with the land.”

“At first I thought it would be tough getting kids to work, but I’ve had kids ask to come on the weekends,” says Stratton, noting that each semester a new group of students taking the class will take over the project, with the goal of adding one mile of new trail per year.

LES BEAUX ARTS

After postponing for two years, 19 Trinity students and 3 faculty-chaperones finally got to travel to France to explore art, history and culture on a 12-day trip from June 13-24. The group visited Paris, Giverny, Nice, Cannes, Aix-en-Provence, Arles, Cassis and Marseille to explore the museums, ateliers of famous artists and historical sites.

“The students took two painting classes during their time in France, and the art instructors were all impressed with our students’ abilities and talents thanks to their training in Trinity’s art studio!” said Maria Bartz, trip chaperone and global engagement coordinator. “Between the many sites and activities, students learned about French culture, language and food with the help of our tour guide, Emma. It was a trip that everyone will remember forever!”

Trinity's first graduates return to celebrate Trinity’s 50th Birthday with current students

Happy Birthday, Trinity!

Students and guests marked the 50th anniversary of the school’s very first day of school on Tuesday, September 6 with a celebratory Chapel service in the morning and a festive 50th Birthday party during lunch.

Bishop Susan Bunton Haynes, of the Diocese of Southern Virginia, began the Chapel service with a homily in which she lauded all Trinity teachers, past and present, for fulfilling a sacred duty to prepare the future leaders of the world.

Guests included the first graduating class (’75) as well as surviving members of the families of the leaders who helped establish the school fifty years ago: Bob Goodman (first headmaster), Billy Shands (first board chair) and Rev. Bob Steilberg (then rector of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church). Representatives from those families shared with our students reflections of the school’s earliest days — each noting that their parents would be especially proud of how much the school has grown and prospered. On behalf of the student body, Student Government Association (SGA) President Leland Coleman ’23, presented each family with a commemorative photo of the school’s groundbreaking.

Following the Chapel, Matthew Steilberg ’83, Swannee Goodman Ericson ’75 and Laura Shands Ferguson '81 recreated the iconic photo of the three founders of the day of the school’s groundbreaking ceremony surrounding a common shovel.

Speaking on behalf of the Shands family, Head of School Rob Short stated: “The people who founded the school wanted a sound framework that welcomed all and centered around Episcopal education. The holistic view was there — although we didn’t yet call it ‘Discover Your Path,’ — it was about the whole student. The key was to establish a great team that would guide the school forward… and Billy was there to steer it… Billy and others helped to rally the community, who pulled together to better the school. We keep this core value alive today with our history of generosity that continues to improve the campus.”

“My dad loved these people and this school dearly,” said Ericson, daughter of Bob Goodman, to the gathered students. “For years he came back to Art Shows, the Jazz Festival and any sporting event he could get to. It’s my wish, and I know it would have been his as well, that you come to love this school and your Trinity family as he did.”

“[We stand here today] on the shoulders of giants,'' said Steilberg, “but there are giants all around this room, and you are one of them… you will leave [Trinity] knowing what it means to be decent… educated… kind… adventurous… consequential... and you're going to make a big difference... and I can't wait to see where you go!”

For the rest of the day on September 6, students enjoyed a birthday party hosted by the Trinity Parents Association (TPA), making every student feel a part of the festivities with an ice cream cart, cupcakes and 50th Anniversary tee-shirts.

ever onward

FRIDAY CONVERSATIONS

During two school-wide student assemblies, pairs of alumni shared reflections on their time as Titans. Focusing on the essential community threads that continue to be woven into the fabric of Trinity, these conversations have encouraged the community to maintain these values ever onward into Trinity's future.

On November 11, Margie Snead ’85 , director of admission and head field hockey and girls lacrosse coach, sat down on stage with her longtime friend and colleague Hillary Grotos ’77, admission associate and events coordinator. Each first walked onto campus during the school’s earliest years, and each returned to Trinity to work in departments, like admission and development, dedicated to highlighting the best of Trinity and welcoming both newcomers and alumni to campus. It was not hard for them to identify the common themes of community and relationships among students and teachers over their decades as Titans.

“When I was a student here, we had over 400 students in just the academic building and the original gym, so you can imagine it was a little squishy,” recalled Grotos of the school’s first years, where “giant plastic curtains” hung to separate the gym into classroom spaces. “Physically the school was very different, but the feeling was the same. Everyone has always been very open, very honest. Everybody is accessible.”

“When I came in ’81 I didn't realize how young the school was,” said Snead. “To think about the energy in the building, and how everybody loved to be there and how we were all a part of building something that turned out to be pretty darn cool.” When she returned as a staff member, she felt just as welcomed. “The thing that draws people here today is what drew me in back then.”

Both Snead and Grotos recalled raising children that not only attended Trinity but called the campus home even in strollers. “Some of my children came from public and some from independent schools, but all had an easy transition coming in because everyone was new,” said Grotos. “What impressed me as a parent was that my children found something they had no idea they were interested in before they came to Trinity.”

On December 2, Rick Hamlin ’96, social studies teacher and head girls soccer coach, interviewed Chris Markunas ’01, guitar and theater tech teacher,

Both reflected on the values and lessons of hard work and toughness learned through their participation on teams — both athletic and artistic.

As both a soccer player and a member of the stage crew, Markunas saw these parallels firsthand. “They are all teams of a different sort," he said. "You have to work hard, spend a lot of time together. If we do our job well, no one notices what we did. No lack of intensity in either department.”

He expressed his appreciation for the high expectations and responsibility given to him by his teachers at the time, like Brian Phillips. “I was given more jobs as a student than now. Overseeing things, teaching people as you go… being intentional and neighborly… Phillips taught the approach to whatever I'm pursuing, I already had the 'work will get done' mentality.”

For Hamlin that the intensity of some of his memories as a student athlete now help guide his approach as a teacher. “One thing we can appreciate is the time management that you all have," he said. "I remember going to a practice, getting home at 6:30 and still having 3 or 4 hours of homework. Remembering what that’s like is important for us as teachers. “

He also drew a connection between his greatest memory and today’s students. “If you're fortunate enough to win a state championship, it's an incredible culmination of a lot of hard work, but it's not the winning of the trophy, it's the pursuit of the trophy and what it takes, the sacrifices you make, the things that you put yourself through. When you put yourself out there, it is a lesson for life no matter what.”

TITAN TO TITAN

“One Small Step” StoryCorps project facilitates reflections across time

Inspired by the success of “One Small Step,” Trinity’s two-year partnership with StoryCorps, a long-running oral history project often heard on public radio, Stefanie Jochman, English teacher, thought the model would be a natural way to bring students and alumni together to celebrate the school’s 50th anniversary.

A few dozen students have signed up to participate and several have been paired with alumni volunteers invited to “compare notes and share memories and experiences from life at Trinity then and now.” Conversations recorded using the StoryCorps app may even end up in the archives at Trinity and the Library of Congress. Jochman and Laura Hamlin Weiler ’00 developed a conversation guide and taught participants how to record their interviews.

Jochman recalls that one student participant was a bit nervous before the conversation, but by the end was inspired to do it all over again. “It's great for students, because you have this adult who doesn’t know you and is really taking interest in your story, your experience, and wants to see you succeed, because this is a place they care a lot about.”

“The hope is that students recognize what Trinity’s legacy is, how it has grown and maintained some special traditions,” said Jochman “It’s also useful for alums to see how we’ve grown and how we’ve stayed the same. It can be really powerful for both sides of that conversion to recognize how much they share in common, and also how time has changed anyone's experience in high school.”

John Mills ’90 and his daughter Ruby enjoyed a conversation together on topics like key figures from TES past, how being a freshman has evolved, favorite traditions and how social media has influenced school culture.

"It was really fun to sit down with Ruby and hear the excitement in her voice as she talked about her freshman year so far,” said Mills. “She spent a lot of time on campus as a child and her brother is a current senior, so Trinity wasn't entirely new to her. Now that she's creating her own experience here, it's so rewarding to listen to how she's immersed herself in the school culture. During our conversation, I was struck by her comment about how the community is ‘like a family.’ From Morning Meeting to sporting events, she loves that students, teachers and administrators come together every day. Ruby genuinely feels grateful to be a Titan, and I love that we can share in the school's history and future together."

AT HOME ON PITTAWAY

Titans of all ages celebrate five decades of Trinity at Homecoming Weekend 2022

Homecoming is a time to celebrate our school and demonstrate our Titan Pride. It’s a time to experience the people, the place, the past and the present. This year is special in many ways, but especially because we are celebrating 50 years of Trinity all year long. Homecoming is a time where everyone in the Trinity community can gather together to look back on fond memories but also look forward to what lies ahead.

Under the umbrella of celebrating the 50th, Homecoming weekend was a three-day affair that involved all Titans. To kick off the celebrations, over 130 grandparents joined their grandchildren oncampus for Grandparent’s Day. They enjoyed a Q&A session with Headmaster Rob Short and live student musical performances from the chorus and jazz band. There were lots of smiles and excitement from students and guests alike as Homecoming weekend was officially underway.

Wade Jeffrey ’77 returned to Trinity to speak with art and science students in the Perkinson Arts Center before presenting his exhibition of spectacular Antarctic photos on Friday morning (read more on page 39). Completing the arts circuit on the musical side, Brendan Kelley ’21, Ethan Rosen ’21 and Peyton Rowe ’21 lit up the courtyard during lunch for their Pach’s Place reunion. Later that evening, it was all-hands on deck for the annual Oyster Roast! Parents, alumni, grandparents, and friends of the community gathered together to celebrate their relationship with Trinity. Nearly 400 people from across the country were in attendance, marking the event as one of the best attended in recent history. Attendees enjoyed music from all decades while greeting new friends, making new ones and marveling at the changes to the campus since graduation.

Classes of ’2s and ’7s celebrated their reunions this fall. It was special for the class of 1977 as they are the first full graduating class to start in eighth or ninth grade and graduate. The class of ’77 was one of the best attended reunions as they came together for their 45th reunion. Additionally, the classes of 1982 and 2017 were well represented in their reunion parties. A Friday filled with spirit and fellowship led into an exciting Saturday afternoon.

Faculty and staff from all decades of Trinity’s history were invited back to campus to mingle with each other while enjoying a catered picnic before Saturday’s football game. Teachers and faculty that taught students from all five decades since Trinity’s founding were represented. While current faculty and staff gathered, Titan athletes

spanning multiple decades gathered to celebrate the ‘first’ football teams of 1974 and 2004 and honor the newest Hall of Fame inductees: the 1996 Boys’ Basketball State Championship team. The newest members of the Hall of Fame are: Chris Aycock ’99, Hunter Beggarly ’97, Ben Bretz ’97, Chris Gaffney ’96, Brett Gibbs ’96, Ryan Gibbs ‘99, Tyler Harris Jr. ’98, Rick Hamlin ’96, Aaron Rose ‘96, Robbie Shields ’97, Ned Witthoefft ’96, the late Brad McNeer ’96 and head coach Dale Travis. Complete with an on-field recognition, it was a special day for all athletes who returned to campus.

— continued on next page

An electric spirit week energized campus in both the academic and athletic arenas. Field hockey, boys soccer and volleyball all played competitive matches and were cheered on by enthusiastic crowds of students fed by the energy of a sensational pep rally on Friday. To cap off the weekend, top-ten ranked Titan football welcomed St. Michael the Archangel to Aycock Stadium. Taegan Logan ’25 threw for 217 yards and four scores while Mario Thompson ’23 showcased his athleticism with three touchdowns of his own: one on the ground, one through the air and an interception returned for a score. A 55-7 win for the Titans brought them to 6-0 on the 2022 campaign.

If you couldn’t join us for the entire weekend, we missed you and hope you can join us for one of our events this year or for Homecoming weekend in 2023!

Celebrating Five Decades of Trinity Episcopal School

EXTREME MEASUREMENTS

Oceanographer Wade Jeffrey ’77 delights Trinity students with tales of Antarctic scientific adventures

“You guys are all going to graduate soon. Where is the Titan Trail going to take you?” asked Dr. Wade Jeffrey ’77, Trinity alum, oceanographer and microbiologist, to students assembled in Morning Meeting on Friday, October 7, 2022. “Well, it’s taken me to some pretty cool places. And I owe most of what I have done to Trinity’s foundation in education that allowed me to get started. It made a big difference.”

Now the director of the Center for Environmental Diagnostics and Bioremediation at the University of West Florida, this was Jeffrey’s fourth visit to present to Trinity students since 2007, once for each of his five-year alumni reunions. Jeffrey says he loves the opportunity to show students a potential career path in the sciences and to see how much the school has changed.

“So choose your path. Go someplace cool. Do something neat,” he told students. “In my case it happens to be the Antarctic.” With a powerpoint presentation jam packed with photos, graphs and diagrams, Jeffrey took about 50 science students on a detailed dive into the history of Antarctic exploration, his own experiences on 14 trips there, and a data-driven analysis of how low ozone levels at the Earth’s poles affect UV radiation and bacteria growth in the ocean.

“I like to call myself an extreme microbiologist,” said Jeffrey. “I happen to work in places that are unusual: extreme because they are hot, or cold or high in altitude. A lot of that has to do with ultraviolet radiation and where there’s a lot of it.”

Later that morning, he delivered a “gallery talk” to two dozen art students, pointing out both the art and the science behind over a dozen large photographic prints of Antarctica hanging on the walls of the Perkinson Arts Center Lobby. Jeffrey made each of the larger-than-life prints from his own photographs taken during 14 expeditions to Antarctica.

“Sometimes it's just dark,” he said, noting the need to underexpose the shots and clean them up later in Photoshop. “Especially in the winter, it was the only way I could get a fast enough shutter speed. If you’re using a telephoto lens on a vibrating ship, you’ve got to shoot at speeds of a 500th to a thousandth of a second.”

After leaving Trinity, the exhibition traveled to the University of Lynchburg’s Daura Museum of Art, where it will remain on display through December 9, 2022. Jeffrey donated one of the prints from the collection to Trinity, which will hang in the Science Discovery Center.

GRANDPARENTS DAY

WE LOVE OUR GRANDPARENTS!

Trinity welcomed the grandparents of new students to campus for the annual Grandparents Day event in early October. With wonderful fall weather, grandparents were able to hear from students, Head of School Rob Short, and new Director of Development Alyssa McBride while also enjoying performances by the strings and jazz ensembles.

“At Trinity, there is nothing more important than that sense of belonging,” said Short. “As you walk the halls and visit campus with your grandchild, you can see that there are so many ways that they have already begun to feel at home. If you can give that child a sense of belonging — a sense that this is their school — then usually everything else follows.”

New students were able to tour their grandparents around campus at the conclusion of the program.

CLASS NOTES Alumni

Class of 1978

On August 15, 2022, Dr. Karl Kelley ’78 was awarded an endowed chair, the Harold & Eva White Distinguished Professor in the Liberal Arts, at North Central College in Naperville, IL. A professor of psychology, Dr. Kelley found enjoyment in talking to people in college at Virginia Commonwealth University which eventually led him to switch his major to psychology at the end of his junior year. Currently, he teaches courses such as Statistics, Industrial/ Organizational Psychology, Personality, Psychological Assessment, and occasionally Positive Psychology. He also serves as a faculty athletic mentor to the Cardinals women’s lacrosse team.

Class of 1995

On January 5, 2023, Rupa Somanath Murthy ’95 was selected as the next CEO of YWCA Richmond. Prior to her new position, Rupa served as the YWCA’s chief advancement and advocacy officer. She has also held the role of director of development and communications for the department of psychiatry at Virginia Commonwealth University and also served in the office of former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner.

Class of 2000

Brian Beggarly ’00 has opened the only restaurant in Appleton, ME, a town 15 miles inland and 30 miles east of Augusta. Alongside chef Andrew Bridge, the pair have opened Foda, an old English word for “food,” which serves as the town’s only restaurant and bar. Farmhouse-turned-restaurant, the rustic building can hold 38 hungry guests who will dine on New England cuisine. The menu is to change nightly and is based on locally sourced ingredients, utilizing the location surrounded by farmland.

Class of 2008

Joanna Bolstad Simmons ’08 and Kyle Simmons were married on December 3, 2022. Among Trinity alumni present at the ceremony were the following: Christine Riedel ’10, Nathan Cohee ’08, Desiree Tunnell ’08, Riley (Matsen) Steele ’08, Sarah (Jones) Mancuso ’08, Heath Johnson ’04, Wyatt Moore ’10, Caleb Jones ’05, Caitlin Sarlo ’08, Kathleen (Watkins) DelBuono ’08

Class of 2014

On September 1, 2023, Hunter Clark ’14 was named an assistant coach for the Utah State Aggies men’s tennis team. Clark joined the

Aggies from University of Alabama-Birmingham where he helped guide the Blazers to an 8-15 record. Before UAB, Clark spent the 2020-2021 season at University of Missouri-Kansas City. Clark competed for the ’Roos during the 2016 season as a walk-on and graduated from UMKC with a degree in journalism.

Class of 2015

Kyle Schaefer ’15 writes, “I am currently working as a Foreign Service Officer for the US State Department. I am recently engaged and will be getting married in June 2023.”

Class of 2016

Joshua Hemenway ’16 writes, “Stephanie and I met in the spring of 2016 and we’ve been dating ever since. We recently visited our alma mater of William & Mary where I proposed in front of the Crim Dell, a bridge that legend says ties those who cross it together for life. We plan to be married in the spring of 2024. We can’t wait for the rest of our life together to begin in earnest!”

Class of 2018

Luke Garcia ’18 won gold and silver at the United States Masters Swimming National Championships held in Richmond at SwimRVA in August 2022. Competing in the men’s 18-24 age group, Luke earned a time of 2:28.55 which placed him first in the 200-meter backstroke. He also notched a second-place finish in the 100-meter backstroke.

Class of 2019

Megan Minor ’19 was featured in the January 2023 edition of ‘Howling Success,’ an initiative of the Division of Academic and Student Affairs at North Carolina State University which aims to recognize "truly exceptional and well-rounded undergraduate students who are showing how they think and do." Megan is a peer supervisor at the Academic Success Center, a tour guide for the Undergraduate Admissions Office and a volunteer for the Crisis Text Line.

BOLSTAD SIMMONS

HEMENWAY MINOR

FOR A GREATER RICHMOND

Richard Hankins ’13 shares his story of advocacy and passion for public transportation in RVA

Richard Hankins ’13 returned to Trinity to speak in Chapel on the morning of Monday, October 24. Hankins shared the story of his career path from a geographic information systems (GIS) major at the University of Miami to his current role as a public-transit advocate working for the local nonprofit RVA Rapid Transit. Hankins was featured in the Miami Herald for the 24-hour bus marathon he and a colleague made in 2018 to document the good, the bad and the ugly of the public transit system in Miami.

“Even in the most walkable neighborhoods in America, not owning a car bars you from so many job opportunities, grocery stores, pharmacies, and I don’t think that’s right,” said Hankins. “My thesis in life for my work is that no one should be a second-class citizen because they don’t have a car.”

As part of his motivation for this work, Hankins cited a 2012 study by the Brookings Institute that ranked Richmond 92nd out of the top 100 metropolitan areas in terms of transit giving access to people for jobs. Hankins then shared recordings of stories told by actual riders of the Richmond area’s buses to illustrate the challenges they face. “So many people want to work these jobs that will help them get out of poverty and gain upward mobility," he said, “but they can’t because they can’t afford a car, and the bus doesn’t go where the jobs are.”

Another of his organization’s aims is to encourage local transit authorities to provide dedicated places to wait with dignity for a bus. “Only 5% of the stops have shelters, and only 20% have benches,” he said, “and for the elderly and disabled, that’s really hard for them.”

He concluded by encouraging all students who live near a GRTC line, to try taking the bus. “I promise you it’s not as scary or jarring as it might seem to be,” he said.

Brian Griffen, school chaplain, concluded the Chapel by thanking Hankins for being such a strong ambassador of Trinity’s values of neighborliness and altruism. “On behalf of all Titan Nation, we want to say just how proud we are of you and your work,” said Griffen. “In this Chapel, you really showcased the IB Learner Profile and what it means to be a global citizen.”

Discover your path murmurs through the walls of Trinity as frequently as green and blue are worn on campus the Friday of a Titan gameday. All Titans share their own interpretation of Trinity’s slogan. But for Thomas Eaves ’07, it is a literal translation.

In April, Eaves will embark on forging his own path up an unclimbed mountain in Alaska. It will be his fourth trip to Alaska and just the second time he’s attempted to find a new way up a descent.

“The area that we’re going to, it’s next to Denali National Park,” Eaves said. “Hence why a lot of it is undiscovered, because everyone goes to Denali.”

What sparked Eaves' motivation was a simple case of FOMO, or the fear of missing out. Posts from friends on social media sparked an immediate interest in the current software developer.

“I saw a lot of posts on social media and I thought to myself, ‘I can do that, but I can probably do that better,’” Eaves said.

In May 2019, Eaves landed in the southwest corner of Denali National Park. The 14-hour excursion on the Alaskan ridge saw him travel over 10.5 miles and experience a total elevation gain and loss of 4,200 feet. While a hike like this sounds physically exhausting, it takes mental fortitude to power through a journey of such magnitude.“The mountains call out the worst in you and if you

FORGING A PATH

Thomas Eaves ’07 combines his love of outdoor adventure with a desire to support young people’s access to the outdoors

NPR is what gets me out of the zone. It’s nice to hear people talking after a climb.”

Eaves’ motivation to be the first person in uncharted territory stems from his love for sharing the outdoors with others. It even led him to working with the Richmond nonprofit Blue Sky Fund which connects Richmond youth to the natural environments in the River City region.

“I partnered with the Blue Sky Fund because it’s encouraging children who need to be outdoors and making the outdoors accessible to them,” Eaves said. “They’re bringing the outdoors that’s close to us and turning it into something that actually has an impact on other people.”

As Eaves turns his focus towards his April climb, he will continue to get the word out about the sport. As Eaves described, everything about the sport is uncomfortable: physical and mental exhaustion come with the territory, but it’s something that all people can relate to when they’re pushing through adversity of any kind.

“It overlaps with so many different people in many different ways,” Eaves said. “What I love about this is I talk to athletes, veterans and people because it’s relatable. Talking about the outdoors breaks down barriers and that’s why I love talking to people about it.”

Thomas has found his love for the outdoors and continues to discover his path and new ones through his newfound passion. Within the passion, Trinity played its role in forming the persistent hiker.

“Trinity produces the caliber of person that puts a route on a mountain

ALUMNI LAX GAME

Two dozen boys lacrosse alumni returned to Aycock Stadium on the first Saturday in January for the first annual boys lacrosse alumni game vs. the current varsity team. With many alumni (both participating and watching) and current parents in attendance, there was no lack of competition on the field. For those keeping score, it was the alumni who came away with the victory.

“Folks just showed up and the turnout was amazing,” head coach John Hardy Willson said. “It’s something we look forward to doing next year.” Over 50 athletes were in attendance which spanned generations of Trinity graduates.

Hoops Hangout

Over 30 alums joined us for our first ‘Hoops Hangout’ of the year during the basketball contests against St. Catherine’s and St. Christopher’s at the Estes Athletic Center on Friday, January 13. It was a great opportunity for recent and past alumni to re-engage over a bite to eat and a basketball game. Alumni in attendance got to see a competitive matchup with the cross-town Saints which resulted in a 65-57 win for the boys. The home environment surrounding Dale Travis court proved to be a difference in many home contests for the Titans basketball teams as both teams combined for 14 home wins within their friendly confines!

College-Age Alumni Luncheons

The annual celebration of college-age alumni kicked off the second semester with the IB Diploma ceremony and young alumni luncheon. Teachers and staff joined graduated Titans in the Speight Alumni Room for a catered lunch to catch up on the latest achievements, adventures and accomplishments.

Congratulations to Class of 2022 graduates Estelle Kang, Emery Lauer, AC Tetterton, and CJ Rufe who received their IB diplomas in the ceremony before the college-age alumni luncheon!

In October, IB coordinator and science teacher Elizabeth Kelley joined Head of school Rob Short and alumni relations coordinator James Flowers ’16 at Christopher Newport University in Newport News to catch up with Luke Zamagni ’22, Maxwell Reece ’22, Ethan Rosen ’21 and Brendan Kelley ’21. Topics of conversation

at the CNU college luncheon revolved around technology, physics and college life in close proximity to the shore.

In November, Rob and James paid current Keydets and Generals a visit at Virginia Military Institute and Washington and Lee University in Lexington. Carter Steward ’19, Ty Barker ’19, Andrew Arnold ’20 (W&L), Carter Hugate ’20, and Max Cullen ’21 all attended the visit at the PX before they went about the rest of their day. Former Trinity parent and VMI graduate Steve Hupp and current VMI professor and Trinity alum Rebekah Martin ’09 joined as well.

In Sympathy

The Trinity community offers its condolences to families of the following people who have recently passed away. We apologize for any unintentional omissions.

As of February 28, 2023

Robin M. Courts, former faculty member, passed away on March 30, 2017.

Henry Modlin Jr., grandfather of Sallie Ellett ’16, passed away on August 3, 2018.

Mary Baxter, mother of Harry Baxter ’12, passed away on November 24, 2022.

William W. Moseley, father of Billy Moseley ’78, passed away on July 23, 2019.

Marlene A. Short, mother of Head of School Rob Short and grandmother of Rebecca Short ’21 died on March 15, 2022.

Betty Anne Blumenthal Burkholder, former faculty member and parent of Karl Funderburg ’78 and Gretchen McCue ’85, passed away on April 20, 2022.

Ruby Cash, mother of faculty Angela McMurtry and Robin Dudding and grandmother of Jason McMurtry ’00 and Holly McMurtry ’07 died on May 11, 2022.

Phil Bavaro, father of staff member Jason Bavaro and grandfather to Kayla Bavaro ’20, passed away on June 2, 2022.

Richard Lee Higgins, father of faculty member Christy Darlington and grandfather to Becca Darlington ’10 and Shelby Darlington ’12, died on June 22, 2022.

Nan Rolling, former faculty member, passed away on September 12, 2022.

Elizabeth Lyne Girone ’77 died on September 23, 2022.

Colleen Berry Hiller, mother of Shannon Hiller ’24, passed away on October 13, 2022. Staff member Walter Burke passed away on November 15, 2022.

Ann Ross Gunn, mother of Ken Gunn '76, passed away on November 16, 2022.

John A. Zaun, grandfather of Christopher Thurston ’08 and Beeba Thurston ’09, died on November 17, 2022.

Virginia Goodman, former faculty member and widow of Robert Goodman, mother of Martha G. Goodman ’75, Robert C. Goodman III ’76, Alice Brown ’85, and grandmother of Ellie Sherrill ’05 and Will Ericson ’09 died on December 21, 2022.

Harold L. Cole, III, father of Hayden Smith ’18 and Carthen Smith ’19, passed away on December 26, 2022.

Rev. Isabel Boyd Fourqurean Steilberg, widow of Rev. Robert Steilberg, died on February 11, 2023.

Trinity community was saddened to learn of the passing of Jinny Goodman (wife of the late Bob Goodman, first headmaster of the school) over the 2022 winter break. In Morning Meeting on January 4, Head of School Rob Short offered students some words of remembrance for Jinny Goodman’s enduring love of the school and pride in all of the students’ accomplishments — from the art room to the playing fields to the performance stage. An accomplished artist herself, her watercolors were put on display in the Goodman Room for a week in remembrance of Mrs. Goodman.

I GIVE because…

I know Trinity prepares young people for college and beyond. I recently found a letter among my mother’s belongings that I wrote to her from college during my sophomore year at Hampden-Sydney College. I wrote, “Economics is hard, but my background from Trinity will come in handy.” Trinity helped prepare me for that economics class, for my career and for my life. As the Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees I see that this preparation continues today, and I am honored to invest in the futures of our students and the future of Trinity.

Chris Ellis ’81, Trustee

Discover Your Path

In honor of the school's 50th anniversary, this year's Cabaret musical revue was titled "GOLD," featuring performances of popular songs that achieved "gold record" status over the past 50 years. (See more photos inside on page 20)