Wesleyan School Fall 2018 Magazine

WESLEYAN t h e m a g a z i n e o f w e s l e ya n s c h o o l

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volume xv, issue i

FALL 2018

T A B L E

4 Letter from the

Head of School 5 55 Years 6 Homecoming 8 Montana Adventure 16 Athletic Traditions

Board of Trustees Rob Binion Chairman Mark Adent Charlotte Beltrami Land Bridgers Chris Brown Mark Chapman Dan Cowart Jamie Hamilton Erika Laughlin Tom Menefee Billy Milam Mike Nicklaus Stephanie Powell

O F

20 Faculty Fellows 24 Fine Arts

Lasting Legacy 28 Campus Security 32 Parent Community Social 34 Joy Gala

Drew Prehmus '04 Todd Ratliff Yumi Shim Danny Strickland Anna Tanner DeVane Tidwell Chris Cleveland Ex-Officio Becky Cardwell Board Assistant Emeritus Trustees Sherri Austin Howard Bowen Betty Crawford

Gerald Daws W. Neal Freeman Chip Groome Helen Kenwright Alice Ramsey H. Bronson Smith Jim Stephenson Paul Robertson Raymond Walker William C. Warren Robert Worthington Headmaster Emeritus Zach Young

C O N T E N T S

36 Faculty 38 New Faculty 40 Randy Cailor 42 Summer Sabbatical 44 Faculty Weddings/News 45 Faculty Babies 46 In Memorium

Magazine Staff Brooke Dant '12 Creative Director

Jennifer Copeland

Assistant Head of School for External Affairs

Bradley Gossett '12

Communications Director

Cara Grace Hildebrand Digital Media Director

Chris Cleveland Head of School

47 Alumni 48 Fall Alumni Events 50 Kerri Metz '11 52 Alumni Weddings 56 Alumni Babies 58 Class Notes 61 Nicky Mingledorff '06

Photographers Cara Grace Hildebrand Hannah Graham Brian L. Morgan

OUR MISSION: Wesleyan's mission is to be a Christian school of academic excellence by providing each student a diverse college preparatory education guided by Christian principles and beliefs; by challenging and nutruring the mind, body, and spirit; and by developing responsible stewardship in our changing world.

Proof Readers Becky Cardwell Sylvia Pryor Mitzi Ritchie Melissa Thorson

Special appreciation goes out to the alumni, faculty, parents, and staff of Wesleyan School whose contributions make this magazine successful.

Comments, inquiries, or contributions should be directed to Brooke Dant, Creative Director, bdant@wesleyanschool.org.

Wesleyan Magazine is published by the Communications Department of Wesleyan School and printed by Bennett Graphics.

LETTER from the HEAD OF SCHOOL

C H RIS

C L E V E L A ND

Dear Wesleyan Family, Thank you for taking the time to read this edition of the Wesleyan magazine.

In the pages that follow, you will learn much about our students, our programs, and our growing alumni body. I hope you will enjoy learning more about what makes Wesleyan such a unique and wonderful community, which are the amazing people God continues to bring to this place. Their individual stories collectively tell the broader story of Wesleyan School.

While Wesleyan is known for its beautiful buildings and immaculate grounds, the foundation of our school is built on people, not bricks and mortar or green grass. We believe that education, whether it be spiritual or intellectual, is best delivered in the context of personal relationships.

As Christians, this is first and foremost modeled for us in the personal relationship with Jesus Christ that is offered to us through God’s gracious plan of salvation. As teachers, regardless of where our classroom might be, we believe that a personal investment in the lives of students is critical to instruction in any area.

Over time, schools have a tendency to do two things. First, independent schools can drift away from their original mission.

Mission drift is something we discuss frequently at Wesleyan, and we remain committed to being true to our original mission to be a Christian school of academic excellence. The second thing that schools tend to do over time is to become less student-centered. This slide away from student-centered education is all too easy as adults run schools, adults fund schools, and adults make the decisions at schools. This is a tendency that we want to actively fight against because we believe that schools should be making decisions that are in the best interests of children and not for the convenience of adults.

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In recent years, our leadership team and faculty have worked diligently to make strides towards creating a school environment in which we are actively making decisions to benefit children. We have revised our philosophy on the role of homework in a college preparatory environment and a healthy approach to overall student workload. Division principals and teachers have created daily schedules that are developmentally appropriate and allow for a balance of instructional time, social time, and activity time. Our administrative team has worked to create a school calendar that provides regular breaks with no homework weekends to provide margin and rest. This will always be a work in progress and the tension that exists in a school between the needs of students and the needs of adults will never end.

However, this battle is worth fighting. Not because we want to teach children that they should be the center of their own universe. Not at all. But, in order to best teach, lead, mentor, and invest in children, we must never demand that children meet us where we, the adults, are; rather, we must meet children where they are. That is where the teachable moment lives. And if we can connect enough teachable moments together, we can see the transformative power of education, and personal relationship, unleashed.

Enjoy your reading, and thank you for your continued support of Wesleyan School.

For His Glory,

Head of School

In keeping with tradition, the Wesleyan community celebrated its

55TH ANNIVERSARY by assembling on Robinson Field for an overhead picture of the students and faculty. A special thank you to Jeff Foster and Brian Morgan for organizing and taking the picture.

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A NIGHT AT THE DRIVE-IN This year’s homecoming was filled with a lot of firsts - first high school field day, first middle school outdoor chapel, and first twin homecoming winners, George and Amanda Doane! Alongside these new events, Wesleyan continued beloved homecoming traditions such as the Hoedown, powderpuff, student/ faculty basketball game, homecoming pageant, parade, and high school dance.

High School students celebrated homecoming with different dress themes for each day. These themes included Spirit Shirt Day, Matching Day, High School Stereotype Day, Decade Day, and Drive-In Movie Day corresponding with this year’s homecoming theme, A Night At the Drive-In. Lower, Middle, and High School students spent the week showcasing their school spirit in anticipation of Friday night’s football game. The Varsity Football team played Landmark Christian on Friday night, winning 38-0.

On Friday, the Wesleyan community welcomed back alumni and alumni parents at various events such as the Alumni Mom’s Coffee, Alumni Parent Tailgate, and Alumni Tailgate. Alumni featured on the field at the game included the class of 1998 and the 2008 Football State Championship team.

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MONTANA ADVENTURE A WESLEYAN TRADITION

Written by Greg Lisson Photographed by Stevie Crawford, 12th WESLEYAN SCHOOL MAGAZINE | FALL 2018

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ack in 2011, Wesleyan took its first-ever school sponsored trip to Montana.

A group of thirteen boys and three faculty embarked on a journey into the wilderness and formed deep bonds of friendship that still stand today. From the day that trip ended, Greg Lisson and Jason Scheer, two of the faculty leaders on the 2011 trip, dreamed of how they might return to Montana with another group of students. Seven years later, in the summer of 2018, that dream became a reality as Wesleyan sent two trips, including twenty students and six faculty, back to Montana. The all girls trip ran from June 7-14, and the second, all boys, ran from June 11-

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18. Each trip included three nights of backpacking in the wilderness with team members carrying their own gear, preparing their own meals, setting up their own tents, and generally surviving on their own. In the middle, the two trips overlapped for a few days of fun – white water rafting, driving through Glacier National Park, and enjoying the beauty of Montana together. The students and faculty had spent months in preparation for the trip, including team meetings to discuss gear and packing, courses to learn wilderness first aid, an all day event to practice proper water filtration, tent setup, and camp cooking. The group also took an overnight retreat to Panther

"My favorite part of the trip was also probably the hardest part. On the third day of hiking we experienced what I would say is the hardest day in the outdoors that I have ever experienced. We hiked to the highest point of elevation, in the coldest weather, with non-stop rain. It was in that moment that our group really came together and helped each other make it to the campsite and through the night and eventually to an incredible hike out on the final day."

JOSH SMITH Faculty Chaperone

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"On the trip, I learned that our leaders are incredibly selfless people. The leaders were always the last to eat, go to bed, or get water. They willingly shared their dry clothes and even sleeping bags when ours were soaking wet. I was humbled by their generosity and positivity throughout the trip. " OLIVIA CURRAN 12th Grade 12

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Creek Falls to experience the fun and challenges of sleeping outdoors.

Even with all that training, the wilderness still managed to deliver some unexpected challenges.

“Always in the big woods when you leave familiar ground and step off alone into a new place there will be, along with the feelings of curiosity and excitement, a little nagging of dread. It is the ancient fear of the unknown, and it is your first bond with the wilderness you are going into.”

Wendell Berry

Anyone who has ever ventured into the wilderness understands these words from Wendell Berry. Though we know the natural world often causes feelings of awe and wonder, it can also bring with it a sense of fear and discomfort. For those

of us who live highly structured, constantly entertained, fast food, climate-controlled lives, the wilderness can often seem a little too, well, wild. But that is the beauty of adventure. In fact, a case can be made that the best education happens when we step beyond the boundaries of comfort, ease, and familiarity and test ourselves against challenges we cannot control. Again Wendell Berry’s words are fitting: “It may be that when we no longer know what to do, we have come to our real work, and when we no longer know which way to go, we have begun our real journey. The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings.”

Wendell Berry

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Both trips stepped away from the familiar and experienced the kind of formative education only the wilderness can offer. Three nights in the Great Bear Wilderness of northern Montana provided an opportunity to experience nature in all of its unpredictable beauty. These adventurers trudged through snow and rain, over mountains and rivers, in sunshine and in frigid temperatures. They laughed and cried and tripped and sang and walked and climbed and wondered.

The wilderness tested them in profound ways, but together they persevered.

They were like the stream of Wendell Berry’s poem – the impediments didn’t stop them, but simply caused them to sing. Through it all the group formed tight bonds of friendship, experienced natural beauty beyond words, and found strength they didn’t know they had.

As many of them said later, it was one of the hardest things they’d ever done, and also one of the best.

"While in Montana, I realized that I probably want to go to school out west. After the trip I traveled through Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado to look at the colleges there. I don’t think I would be looking at those schools had I not gone on this trip."

STEVIE CRAWFORD 12th Grade 14

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"I could not have been more proud of the resilience of the girls on this trip. There were many physical and emotional challenges, but the girls had the best attitude and came back with a great sense of pride in all that they accomplished. The way they worked together and encouraged one another was remarkable."

JEN SHEPPARD Faculty Chaperone

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by Hannah Hufham, 12th

ATHLETIC

TRADITIONS Looking across the athletic landscape, you may notice that many storied programs hold fast to their history and traditions. In large part, these traditions keep a sense of family and unity alive as a fan or athlete moves into a different stage of life. In much the same way, many Wesleyan athletics programs have developed traditions that transcend success on the field. These traditions create a fun atmosphere, increase participation, build relationships and comradery, and create memories that last beyond the athlete’s years at Wesleyan. Wesleyan coaches have found a way to use these traditions to go beyond just the X’s and O’s of coaching and invest personally into the lives of the athletes.

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their times written on it. The idea stems from McDaniel growing up in Macon, Georgia saying, “One thing you could count on growing up in Macon was the Mail Carrier coming every day.”

Aside from the obvious silliness of the award, the coaches believe that it gets the athletes thinking about their personal best times in a different way. This is especially true for runners who may not be on the Varsity teams, but still want a goal to strive for in their athletic careers.

Cross country at Wesleyan is unique in that most outsiders would think it is not a popular sport among middle or high school aged students. If you visit other campuses across the state, you will often find uninspired, small cross country teams.

To create a culture that makes running fun, coaches Chad McDaniel and Chris Yoder, among others, have started several popular traditions that have made the cross country team the largest team on campus.

Some traditions involve more than just our current students on campus and include our alumni population as well. This is true for the cross country team tradition of alumni sending personal letters to the Varsity State Meet team prior to their final race. The night before the meet, coaches will read the letters in front of the athletes where the alumni explain what cross country meant to them, and give advice on how to best perform in a state meet. This tradition has created a space for alumni to stay connected with the program in a small way and allow them time to reminisce on their days with team.

A recent addition has been the Mail Carrier award. If a runner sets a personal best four years in a row, that individual receives a literal mailbox at the end of the year with

The swim team is another team steeped in traditions that help participation. One of those is Sock Day, led by team captains at a practice in the second half of the season. This

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involves members of the team finding unique socks to wear along with their bathing suits to practice. Head coach Kevin Kadzis says “Everyone wears their favorite pair of fun, goofy, or outlandish socks to practice which provides an opportunity for swimmers and divers to have a little fun late in the season when anxiety about upcoming big meets are high. Sock day may not be our most significant tradition, but it is memorable for all involved. Afterall, who isn’t amused by a clever pair of socks?”

If you happen to find yourself near Davidson Natatorium on a Friday night in the winter, you may just hear the rumblings of the kickboard cheer that the swim team does before each home meet. The cheer involves the team hitting kickboards against the starting blocks in rhythm together. This cheer has origins dating back to 2008. Senior Luke Schiller says about the cheer, “We have been doing the kick board cheer for a while now, and the great thing about it is that it engages the entire team. Everyone on the team participates in making a loud beat that intimidates the other team, which gets the fans in the stands hyped up too.”

Wesleyan's football team also has a unique way to involve the fans in one of their traditions. After every victory, the team will come over to wherever the fans happen

to be sitting in the stands and sing the Wesleyan fight song with the crowd as the Marching Wolves play. Head Coach Franklin Pridgen is a proponent of the tradition saying, “It’s a great moment of triumph for the team that also involves the whole community. It’s really great when we bring the team, cheerleaders, fans, and the band all together as one.”

Pridgen and the football team also involve the alumni family in a tradition called “Circle The W” which happens the Thursday before the Homecoming game.

The team comes together to create a circle around the ‘W’ on Robinson Field, and each senior has the chance to speak about why they have chosen to stick with the team and what Wesleyan football means to them. Alumni come back every year as well to talk to the team about what Wesleyan football has meant to them while moving into different stages in life.

Says Pridgen, “It’s an awesome night where we get to reiterate the core values of our program while building a greater sense of identity in the team. It reminds the players that they are part of a family bigger than themselves that will last long after they have left the school.”

Meanwhile, the volleyball team has used a book club since 2013 as a tool to enhance

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their team dynamics. Every year, the team reads a book, usually one from author Jon Gordon. The books are easy reads that promote conversations about being good teammates and what it looks like to be a wellfunctioning team.

When the book club first started in 2013, Head Coach Ted Russell felt team dynamics were going to be the key to success that year. The book, The Energy Bus, talked about “Energy Vampires” and “Positive Dogs” as different types of teammates, and the team ended up using those phrases throughout the season as they would notice the different ways they were interacting on the court. Says Russell, “We were without a doubt a better team in 2013 because of the conversations we had through reading that book.” The volleyball team ended up winning the state championship that year.

One of the most historically successful teams on campus, the girls basketball team, has a few traditions that bring the team together before each game and prior to the season starting.

Before each game (including state championships), the girls sing the same song in the locker room – “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”

by Marvin Gaye. Head Coach Jan Azar believes the tradition was started by

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either Jenny Hall Winter ’02 or Kelly Hall Stafford ’07 after watching the movie Stepmom where the main characters bond over the song. Brittany Stevens ’13 remembers the song saying, “As a middle schooler, you aspire to be part of that team and that tradition one day. And when you are part of it, it is somewhat of a privilege to get to pass it on to the younger grades.

It's really cool to know that 5 years after I graduated, the girls on the team now are still doing the same pregame routine!”

Like a few other teams, girls basketball has dinner at their head coaches house before the first game of the year. Azar has been organizing this event since she started coaching at Wesleyan in 1999. One thing Azar learned early on is that the underclassmen still need time to learn clean eating. Courtney Kovanis ’01 spilled spaghetti on her new couches (in 2001), so the underclassmen girls today have to sit at the table while eating the food Azar provides.

While these traditions mix between silly and serious, one aspect they all have in common is that they have nothing to do with the strategy of the sport.

Instead they focus more on the mental and spiritual dimensions of the athlete, two dimensions of coaching that most coaches never even attempt to get into.

Earlier in the fall, Wesleyan coaches and staff were given the opportunity to attend a lunchtime seminar hosted by former Wesleyan Varsity Baseball coach Mike Shaheen. In his seminar, Shaheen spoke about the importance of coaches becoming ‘3-Dimensional.’

That is to say not just focusing on the physical, but investing in the mind and spirit of the athletes as well. Examples were given about building up the confidence of the athlete through getting to know them personally, and how many athletes later in life will cite coaches as their biggest influences.

Through the traditions that Wesleyan athletics has established, it is evident that Wesleyan coaches are making a conscious effort to invest in the mind and spirit of the athlete. They encourage participation, healthy competition, and promote an atmosphere where coaches can be role models to the student. These traditions make the Wesleyan athletic experience one of immense value to the student.

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fa cu l ty f e l l o w s

The Wesleyan Way

They arrive on campus every August – a group of fresh faces eager to become a part of the Wesleyan community. New to education and new to Wesleyan, some of the group will be on campus for a year, and others may stay for a decade or more. Originally from a wide variety of cities and towns, their collegiate loyalties are just as far reaching. In fact, on the surface, it can appear that the members of this group do not have much in common.

In reality, however, they have one very important commonality – they are all faculty fellows. Created in 2004, Wesleyan’s Faculty Fellows Program has now been emulated by countless schools across the country. The purpose?

To bring young professionals with a heart for students and Jesus to campus for a year. Fellows get to explore education in a comprehensive K-12 Christian school environment to determine if teaching is a career they want to pursue. Each faculty fellow is assigned to a master teacher whom they shadow and train with all year. They also participate in a year-long teacher internship class. Outside the classroom, they serve as assistant coaches and sponsors each season and chaperone mission trips. To say this is a busy year for fellows and that they complete the year with a wealth of experience under their belt is an understatement.

But, the positive impact is not only for the fellows. The entire Wesleyan community benefits greatly from this program.

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“A healthy academic community is committed to continually expanding our experiential footprint,” said Ramona Blankenship, Associate Head of School. “The Faculty Fellows Program is a way that Wesleyan brings five to six new faces with varying backgrounds and life experiences to campus to contribute to the collective knowledge of our greater campus community.”

With that variety in background also comes a group of role models for students, particularly in the high school. “Our fellows are typically much closer in age to our high school students than the rest of our faculty,” said Jane Leake, Faculty Fellows Coordinator. “Having this team on campus for a year provides our students with excellent examples of what adult Christian relationships look like, what life after college can be for young adults, and it gives them another potential touch point with an adult in our community to help them navigate their high school years.”

Having a fellow is also an excellent professional development opportunity,” reports past master teacher and current Sixth Grade Girls Chair, Laura Siron. “The years when I have worked with a faculty fellow have provided me extra moments to pause and ask myself whether or not what I had been doing for my students was still the best way. I wanted to make sure to pass on to the fellow in front of me how to develop the most successful classroom for the students. It was my desire to intentionally model a variety of instructional and as-

2018-19 fellows (top to bottom, left to right)

Blake Edwards, Ellen Riggins, Garrett Adams Sara Bachtel, Shannon Smith, Kaile DeLoney WESLEYAN SCHOOL MAGAZINE | FALL 2018

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former fellows | current faculty (top to bottom, left to right)

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Dawson Zimmerman HS English Robert Holmes MS History Jamie Wochele McNearney Kindergarten Lead Mary Stephenson '04 Asst. Dean of Students HS History Peer Leadership WESLEYAN SCHOOL MAGAZINE | FALL 2018

Mitchell Mayfield MS Science Joseph Antonio MS Principal MS Math Brittany Knight Haverty 4th Grade Lead Jenna Ramsey 1st Grade Lead Grade Chair

Cameron Bradley Alexander HS English Chris Paroli HS Math Abby Johnson HS Latin Megan Trotter HS Science Kali Jones Sessions HS Bible Service Coordinator

How do you become a Faculty Fellow?

The best candidates for the Faculty Fellows Program are either approaching college graduation or are early in their career and, while they may not have a degree in education, are considering teaching as a vocation. Applications for 2019-2020 Faculty Fellows openings are online at www.wesleyanschool.org/facultyfellows and due February 18, 2019.

If you would like to learn more about the program, please contact Jane Leake at jleake@wesleyanschool.org.

At this time, Wesleyan alumni are not eligible to apply for the Faculty Fellows Program. While we welcome the application of alumni for full-time teaching positions, the Faculty Fellows Program is designed to include candidates with a variety of backgrounds and experiences.

sessment strategies, classroom management ideas, and so much more with excellence. For that reason, I believe our students were not only positively impacted by having a fellow join me in the classroom that year, but they benefited in the years that followed as well.”

dinner because Andy Clack, who is now at Princeton, was back in town. We’ll sometimes say, and it might seem like a hyperbole, that the fellows year was the single best year of our lives. Maybe part of that is just looking back with nostalgia, but I know, for me, I really mean it.”

Over the past 14 years, the Faculty Fellows Program has also helped Wesleyan recruit new faculty who have become beloved members of the divisions in which they now work. Former fellows who have transitioned into full time faculty have grown over the years to take on the roles of Grade Chairs, Assistant Dean of Students, and Middle School Principal. Other former fellows who have not stayed on faculty at Wesleyan have gone on to teach in independent and public schools, work in full time ministry, attend medical school, work as attorneys, serve as a news correspondent for ABC news, earn doctoral degrees, and work in fields such as cybersecurity and financial management. The vast majority remain in close contact with one another and with members of the Wesleyan community in the years following their fellows year.

The 2018-2019 Faculty Fellows class has brought another wave of energy and excitement to all three divisions of the school.

“It’s a testament to the comradery established within the Faculty Fellows Program that not only do I still keep in touch with my fellows class, they’re still some of my best friends,” said Wesleyan English teacher and former fellow Dawson Zimmerman recently. “Last week the majority of our class got together for

“My experience in the Faculty Fellows Program has helped me grow as a teacher, a person, and a follower of Christ,” said Kaile DeLoney, a 2018-2019 fellow working alongside Barbara Lewis in Fifth grade. “I am constantly challenged and supported by my fellow Wesleyan family members who truly care about me in all areas of life. This program is equipping me to be the very best version of myself, in and out of the classroom, with Christ at the center of it all.”

The fellows year is a special one for the faculty fellows themselves and the greater Wesleyan community. In the 14 year history of this program, 86 men and women have served as fellows. Each has left a lasting impact on students, faculty, and the greater Wesleyan community – a valuable mark that makes Wesleyan the school it is today.

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A

PLACING

IN WESLEYAN

At first glance, it looks like what you would expect in an art class.

Clay, paint, canvases, and pastels are spread throughout the room.

Teachers are instructing students on how to effectively capture what they see. Students are working hard to finish their pieces. But what is really taking place in Wesleyan’s Fine Arts building is much deeper than just an everyday art class. Under the careful instruction and mentorship of visual arts faculty, students’ lives are being impacted and, for some, a lifelong love of art is discovered and cultivated.

“It is inspiring to watch students realize their innate talent for art at any level,” says MEAGAN BROOKER, Assistant Director of Fine Arts and a Visual Arts Teacher in the program.

“Creativity is an essential form of literacy. We believe that teaching students how to think creatively is just as important of a skill as reading and writing. It offers problem-solving, resilience, and critical thinking skills that apply to any future career or path.

Most students begin their journey in art classes with the knowledge that they love to create. By the time they graduate, visual art students are infused with the creative thinking skills as well as the technical skills necessary to study art in college. But even if they decide to study something different, their creative prowess will be a highly regarded asset for any career.”

“My art teachers at Wesleyan were not just my teachers. They were my mentors and encouragers,” said ANGELA WHITED PETIT ’10. “I’m

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now teaching middle school art, and my teachers at Wesleyan influenced not only my career path, but also my teaching philosophy.”

The fine arts curriculum at Wesleyan is intentionally designed to expose students K-12 to the arts broadly and deeply. In lower school, classes are broader in focus, and with each year, students gain a deeper understanding of the arts. Throughout middle school, students are given the chance to explore more of the arts, and once they reach high school, students can take a deep dive into a wide variety of classes.

“Our goal is to expose every Wesleyan student to the visual and performing arts and nurture their God-given gifts to maximize their skill and passion for the arts,” said MEG FOSTER, Director of Fine Arts. “This journey is unique to each student in each division, and Wesleyan is proud to offer a wide variety

of opportunities in all branches of fine arts. God has blessed our students with enormous talent, and our expert teachers help take them to the next level – both here at Wesleyan and beyond. It is especially exciting to see Wesleyan students pursue a career in the arts after they have experienced such growth and success here with us.”

Angela isn’t the only Whited working in the arts as a result of their experience at Wesleyan. ANDREW WHITED ’10 works as Graphic/Software Designer for IBM. “Wesleyan prepared me both academically and creatively,” said Andrew. “By encouraging some autonomy and responsibility in projects, the school prepared me for the structure of college and my professional life.”

Andrew goes on to share, “I think it is important to realize how vast your career options are in the fine art and creative fields. The skills you begin WESLEYAN SCHOOL MAGAZINE | FALL 2018

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learning at Wesleyan are invaluable and can be applied to more than just painting or drawing.”

The visual art program at Wesleyan has both breadth and depth. For example, Wesleyan offers multiple course offerings in 2D Art, Photography, and 3D Art which allows students to take a deep dive into the media of their choice, while also offering a wide range of classes to fit multiple interest levels.

SARAH MOON ’18 is currently attending the University of Georgia’s Lamar Dodd School of Art and agrees that she benefited from Wesleyan’s program providing her with a wide exposure to the life of an artist.

“I always knew I wanted to pursue a career in fine arts, but taking AP art junior and senior year with Mrs. Brooker helped me push my technical skills and try out different mediums to determine

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what I really love to do,” recalls Moon. “I can confidently say that AP Art and the Artist Market were the two best parts of high school for me personally. I learned so much about myself as an artist and a human being in those two years and I am very thankful for the people and artists that helped make those years so impactful.”

“Part of the beauty of teaching at Wesleyan is that we are able to layer in spirituality and purpose in a unique way to our classrooms,” Brooker went on to say. “The visual art teachers as a unit offer a holistic breadth of technical skill that enables the students to study under expertise. All of this combined produces passionate artists with the technical skill to be a fine artist and the creative problem solving skill to be current in this day and age.”

Wesleyan’s robust fine arts course offerings combined with its state-of-theart facilities elevate the program to the level of many colleges. Combine that with a highly educated group of visual art teachers with diverse skill sets and a passion for the arts, eager students, and Jesus and you get something very special – and impactful.

Middle School Art Offerings 2D Art 3D Art Advanced Art Advanced Band Advanced Chorus Art Band Chorus Drama Media Technology High School Art Offerings Advanced 2D Design Advanced 3D Design American Movie AP Music Theory AP Studio Art Ceramics Chamber Singers Class Piano Digital Photography I Digital Photography II Drawing Introduction to Studio Art Music Appreciation/Theory Painting Public Speaking Sculpture Symphonic Band – Brass/Woodwinds/Percussion Theater Appreciation and Performance Write, Play, Act! WESLEYAN SCHOOL MAGAZINE | FALL 2018

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CAMPUS SECURITY Wesleyan School has been guided and protected by the hand of God for over twenty years in Peachtree Corners. We see this daily when we look at our campus, our student body, and the faculty and staff who are so committed to serving our school. But, we also realize this when tragedy strikes, and the national news is filled with reports of another act of violence on a school campus. When these heartbreaking scenarios play out again and again across our country, school leaders and parents alike are left wondering how we ensure the protection of our own children day in and day out at school.

While many things in this world remain out of our control, the administration and board of trustees of Wesleyan are

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of the belief that it is our job to continually prepare ourselves to be as equipped as reasonably possible for the various emergency scenarios that could occur on campus. With that in mind, following the tragedies in Florida and Texas in the 2017-2018 school year, school leadership felt it was time to request the input of a third party for an objective assessment of the school’s security strengths and weaknesses.

“In 2007, following the tragedy at Virginia Tech, Wesleyan retained the services of National School Safety and Security Services (NSSSS), a school security consulting firm that specializes in helping schools like Wesleyan assess emergency preparedness,” said Chris Cleveland, Head of School. “Over

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the decade since that visit, we have continually implemented additional security measures to ensure the safety of students, parents, employees, and guests in a wide range of potential situations on campus.”

“Following the tragedies in other states last school year, and considering it had been ten years since our last security audit, the administration and board of trustees made the decision to bring National School Safety and Security Services back to campus,” Cleveland went on to say.

“Our goal was to have them assist our leadership team in reviewing our current practices, identify any opportunities for improvement, and to prioritize any future enhancements to security on campus.”

Consultants from NSSSS visited campus in May and spent two full days (and nights) on and around campus refamiliarizing themselves with the Wesleyan community. While on campus, the NSSSS team met with various small groups of administrators, parents, and students. Their report, delivered to the administration in August, was a comprehensive assessment

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of Wesleyan’s present strengths, potential weaknesses, and opportunities to consider for enhancing emergency preparedness in the future.

COMMENDATIONS The NSSSS team’s report included a long list of commendations noting areas where the school has invested appropriately in safety and security. The group commended the school’s decision to add gates to each entrance, the upgrades to the quantity and quality of security cameras, and the automated locks on the exterior doors of all buildings. They noted that they fully supported the school's planned overhaul of the campus-wide intercom system, which took place in the summer months following the NSSSS team’s visit to campus. NSSSS felt that Wesleyan’s relationship with the Gwinnett County Police Department was healthy and supportive and that having a police officer on campus every day was a prudent policy. Lastly, they commended the administration, faculty, and board for placing a priority on being proactive in the area of campus safety and security.

RECOMMENDATIONS During the visit with NSSSS, administrators shared several areas in which the school was piloting new policies. In each scenario, NSSSS supported these becoming standing policy on campus. These included the enhanced visitor check-in and badge process, identification badge or nametag requirements for all employees at all times, and continual assessment of which exterior facing doors to leave unlocked at any time during the school day.

NSSSS also recommended that Wesleyan increase and expand the engagement of a campus Crisis Management Team. This has moved from an ad hoc committee to a standing team of administrators that has already been meeting frequently this school year and will continue to do so moving forward. The consultants were complimentary of both the physical precautions in place as well as the priority the administration places on preparedness. They encouraged the school to keep expanding training and the varying of drills to continue proactively identifying any areas of potential weakness.

This summer, following a recommendation from NSSSS, a Gwinnett County Police Officer was on campus while summer camps were in session. Beginning this fall, the quad-side doors of both Yancey Gymnasium and the Fine Arts building remain locked during the school day, another recommendation from the group. Additionally, the hours that the police officer is on campus have been extended to provide a law enforcement presence earlier in the morning and later into the evening to meet the needs of students who are dropped off early and participate in after-school activities.

Finally, there are some opportunities to further enhance security camera coverage of the campus and, at the recommendations of NSSSS, Wesleyan is currently assessing next steps for shoring up camera coverage in all areas around campus.

“We are thankful for the expertise provided to Wesleyan by NSSSS and for the encouragement they have provided our leadership team,” said Cleveland. “Assessing and planning for campus security must be a careful balancing act – while we cannot ignore the realities of the world around us, we also do not want to create a climate of fear and anxiety among students, parents, faculty, and staff. NSSSS helped to provide constructive feedback to guide our team in making reasonable decisions as we continue to make every effort to keep our campus safe.”

“I continue to maintain that the best protection for our campus is to pray daily for the safety of our campus, students, and families,” he concluded. “God has protected us and given our leaders the conviction that this continues to be a vital area in which to invest. It is incumbent upon us to make sure we take every reasonable precaution to keep our children safe and that, in the event of an emergency, we are prepared to respond properly.”

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When crossing paths on campus, moms and dads are often rushing from one child’s activity to another, working hard on a volunteer project for the school, or headed to work and other commitments.

On November 1, Wesleyan parents gathered in the homes of fellow Wesleyan parents throughout the metro Atlanta area for fun and, most importantly, uninterrupted fellowship.

Every Wesleyan parent was invited to join a party in their area on the same night at the same time. Getting to know one another was the goal, and thanks to our host houses and committees, a great time was had by all. Thank you to everyone who participated in this new tradition!

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PA R E N T COMMUNITY SOCIAL

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Coming Up // 2019 JOY GALA

2019

JOY GALA Sneak Peak

Mark your calendars for the 2019 JOY Gala on March 2nd! Hosted by the Wesleyan Parents Club, this year’s live auction will feature experiences and items you won’t want to miss including a seven-night stay for four at your own personal villa in Tuscany!

To purchase tickets, view silent and live auction items, and for hotel information, visit bidpal.net/2019joygala. Special thanks to this year’s chairs – Erin Andrews, Amy Bowling, and Bethany Davidson – as well as the entire host committee and Wesleyan Parents Club leadership. This biennial event is entirely volunteer driven and would not be the special night it is without the dedication of this group.

See you at the JOY Gala in March!

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check out the

villa view!

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faculty

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2018-19 NEW FACULTY

WELCOME

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GARRETT ADAMS HS Bible Faculty Fellow

SARA BACHTEL 1st Grade Faculty Fellow

KRISTEN BELL LS Counselor

RANDY CAILOR Director of STEM, Computer Science Teacher

BRITTNEY BOWEN CAUDELL '01 LS Reading/ Literacy Resource

WAVERLY COWART Assistant Director of After Care Program

KAILE DELONEY MS Social Science Faculty Fellow

BLAKE EDWARDS MS Social Science Faculty Fellow

ERICA ENGSBERG Assistant Director of College Advising

LESLIE HAGEN 3rd Grade Teachers Assistant

CARA GRACE HILDEBRAND Digital Media Director

BRADLEY GOSSETT '12 Communications Director

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STEPHANIE MCDANIEL Pre-1st Teacher's Assistant

SARA PEEBLES MS Math Teacher

ANDY RANDRUP HS Math Teacher, Department Chair

ELLEN RIGGINS HS English Faculty Fellow

MAGGIE SMITH '11 HS French Teacher

SHANNON SMITH MS Science Faculty Fellow

BRITTANY STEVENS '13 MS Bible and English Teacher

AHREUM YOU 2nd Grade Teacher's Assistant

ARI YOUNG HS Economics and World History Teacher

(not pictured) SHEILA BROOKS LS Nurse LIDIA ZAMORA HS Science Teacher

CHRISTY PIERCE 4th Grade Teacher's Assistant WESLEYAN SCHOOL MAGAZINE | FALL 2018

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INTRODUCING

RANDY CAILOR

This semester, Wesleyan welcomed Randy Cailor as the new Director of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). We sat down with Randy to learn more about his background and previous experience in academia.

ROLE: Director of STEM, Computer Science teacher DEPARTMENT: Technology WHAT CLASSES ARE YOU TEACHING THIS SEMESTER? AP Computer Science and Fundamentals of Programming PREVIOUS ROLE(S): Randy has over 30 years of experience in the engineering field and was the President and Founder of the engineering consulting firm Cailor & Associates. Randy’s focus was primarily on structural engineering, and he had the opportunity to work on interesting projects such as SunTrust Plaza in Atlanta and Knight Arena in Eugene, Oregon.

He moved into education while his daughters were attending Providence Christian Academy in Lilburn, GA. What started as helping to coach his daughters' basketball teams, turned into Randy developing and teaching a STEM program for 5 years at Providence. Many of Randy’s students from that time have gone on to pursue degrees in engineering and science fields – disciplines they may have not thought about without Randy’s program.

EDUCATION: Randy graduated from Youngstown State University with a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil), and he received a Master of Engineering (Civil-Structural) from Cornell University with a minor in Urban Planning.

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WHAT DREW YOU TO WESLEYAN? “During the interview process I realized that Wesleyan was different than any other place I had ever interviewed. The leadership team not only asked about my professional background and qualifications, but they also asked questions about how they could pray for me and my family. They were very authentic conversations, and I could tell that there was going to be a great opportunity to do some special things here at Wesleyan.”

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCES YOU HAVE SEEN AFTER MOVING FROM A BUSINESS ROLE TO AN ACADEMIC ROLE? “One thing that I picked up on quickly is that in a school environment you are teaching a new set of students every 60 minutes, and they are expecting you to be on top of your game every time. In business, there are often meetings that get pushed back and delays that happen from time to time, but with a school curriculum, there are certain topics that are required to be covered in a specific timeframe.

Another interesting aspect of teaching that I have noticed is how difficult it is to convince students to do things differently than they have done before. An analogy I like to use about teaching is that it is like pushing a rope uphill. It is difficult and strange to push a rope uphill, and students often feel the same way about learning to do something new. It is still possible to push the rope uphill, but it’s much easier to pull downhill and do things the way you’ve done them in the past. Breaking through that barrier to the students can be fun and challenging.”

WHAT’S AN INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOU? “I love home improvement and building things (no surprise being an engineer). I actually built a sunroom on the back of my house from scratch.

Originally, I was going to put the sunroom on top of our deck, but then I wanted to keep the deck… so I split it in half and built the sunroom in between!”

FAMILY: "I have a wife, Cathy, my high-school sweetheart of 33 years, and 3 daughters – Jennifer, Stephanie, and Michelle."

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SUMMER SABBATICAL Wesleyan is blessed to offer a Summer Sabbatical program as a unique professional development opportunity to faculty who have served at Wesleyan for at least five consecutive years or for seven years of interrupted service. Activities include but are not limited to study, volunteer work, Christian missions, research, or other scholarly activities. In addition to promoting classroom teachers to remain as part of the Wesleyan community, the intent is to encourage a lifetime love of learning.

DC + N YC

BARBARA LEWIS

" “I’m so thankful to have received the sabbatical because I teach so much about American government and history” reflected Lewis. “Now I have experienced it all first-hand.”

Washington, D.C. and New York City were on the itinerary this summer for Middle School Social Science teacher Barbara Lewis. Right after Wesleyan’s graduation, Lewis flew to Washington, D.C. where she took in many of the historical sites that our nation’s capital has to offer. She spent time at the Smithsonian and said, “It would have taken several days to appreciate the entire museum.” Lewis also had the opportunity to experience the Holocaust museum. Lewis called the Holocaust museum one of the most somber parts of the trip saying, “You feel like you were there. They gave you a card with a name and background story on it before walking through the museum. It was an incredible way to try to help visitors understand what it was like to be a prisoner in the Holocaust.”

Another highlight was visiting Georgia Senator David Perdue’s office in the capital.

While there, she was able to visualize many of the aspects of American government that she teaches about in the classroom.

After spending time in D.C., Lewis took the Amtrak train to Penn Station in New York City. While traveling the subway to Madison Square Garden, she ran into Middle School Band Director Ruthie Colegrove and her husband playing with the famous Lucky Chops band in the subway station!

Another highlight of New York City was visiting the 9/11 Memorial. Lewis described the memorial as being incredibly quiet yet interactive at the same time. The memorial utilized technology by allowing patrons to use their cellphones to interact and learn about various exhibits.

Barbara Lewis and her Daughter, Catherine Lewis Dyer '08

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CUBA

GUILLERMO VALLEJO

High School Spanish teacher Guillermo Vallejo spent nine days this summer touring Cuba.

Vallejo teaches a Spanish seminar class that covers the Cuban Revolution of the 1950’s, so it was incredibly valuable to see the sites and culture firsthand. Vallejo says, “I’m really thankful to Wesleyan for the opportunity because it is going to help my students. Having the chance to be there and speak with the local people has given me greater perspective than anything I could read in a textbook."

The timing of the trip can also partially be explained by the talks on easing the Cuban Embargo from the United States government.

The impact of this shift can already be felt. “I was expecting to see a place frozen in time, but it really wasn't” Vallejo said.

The classic cars that have become synonymous with Cuba remain. It was quite striking for Vallejo to see the creativity of the locals who keep their 70 year old classic American cars running, "when you don't have options, you create them."

Vallejo also picked up interesting background about the Cuban government and culture while there. "Most people think of the Castro family when thinking of Cuba, but the people who live there actually hold Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos in higher reverence. Cienfuegos and Guevara were the revolutionaries who were closer to the Cuban people during that time, and they were the ones who physically "rallied the troops’ more so than the Castro’s."

While Vallejo has taught on these characters of the revolution before, identifying them as more central figures in the hearts of Cubans is something that he will bring back to the classroom at Wesleyan.

“I’m really thankful to Wesleyan for the opportunity because it is going to help my students. Having the chance to be there and speak with the local people has given me greater perspective than anything I could read in a textbook."

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"

FACULTY

weddings

news

Headmaster Emeritus, ZACH YOUNG received The Westminster Schools' Distinguished Alumni and Alumni Service Award for his dedication and service to the School since he graduated in 1968.

GARRETT ADAMS married Alicia Adams on July 21, 2018.

MITCHELL MAYFIELD married Minoo Bassery Mayfield on February 17, 2018.

WHITNEY LEIGH MARTINEZ ORTIZ married Adrian Martinez Ortiz on June 9, 2018.

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babies JOSEPH YOUNGJIN TABLADA

JACK VAN DER SLUYS

April 2, 2018 | 8lbs. 10oz.

Son of Michael & Rebecca Tablada

July 11, 2018 | 6lbs. 14oz.

Grandson of Jack & Joy Van Der Sluys Son of Matthew & Ashlee Van Der Sluys

RICHARD "SMITH" MYRICK IV November 27, 2017 | 8lbs. 5oz.

Son of Chip & Anna Myrick

BENJAMIN KNIGHT HAVERTY

July 17, 2018 | 7lbs. 9oz.

Son of Brittany & Smith Haverty

SELAH GRACE READY

GRANT WOODWARD JACKSON October 6, 2018 | 7lbs.

Grandson of Anne Jackson Son of Rob and Dixie Jackson

September 18, 2018 | 7lbs. 6oz.

Grandaughter of Judy Hughes Daughter of Hayley Hughes Ready '10 and Jake Ready

ISAAC TIMOTHY KIMSEY

October 25, 2018 | 8lbs. 6oz.

Grandson of Becky Kimsey Son of Tom & Jeanne Kimsey

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IN MEMORIUM

Cherie Schofield By: Jane Leake and Donna Dixon

Cherie Schofield, Wesleyan middle school Algebra teacher, passed away on October 22, 2018. From 1999 until her retirement in 2015, and through multiple battles with cancer, Cherie came to work with a smile on her face, ready to teach and serve her students. The Wesleyan community will remember Cherie for her love of her students and colleagues, her desire and ability to teach math in a supportive, engaging classroom, the JOY in her heart for leading the middle school Serve-His League, and her beautiful smile and positive attitude.

Alumni, parents, teachers, and staff who had the privilege of knowing Cherie will cherish their memories of the beloved “Mrs. Scho.�

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alumni

Members of the class of 1998 were honored on the field at the Homecoming Football game

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We enjoyed celebrating the classes of 1998, 2003, and 2013 for their 20, 15, 10, and 5 year reunions!

Moms Coffee

Alumni Parent Tailgate 48

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Alumni Tailgate Thank you for joining us!

Keep an eye out for upcoming spring events!

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Kerri Metz '11 Kerri Metz graduated from Wesleyan in 2011 and went on to the University of Michigan where she received a B.S. in Program in the Environment. Kerri then went on to Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment where she received her Master’s Degree in Environmental Management. We sat down with her to see what she is doing now at Georgia Tech’s Strategic Energy Institute.

Share a little bit about your story and the how you ended up at the Strategic Energy Institute. > I was fortunate enough to be an Evergreen at Wesleyan (attended Kindergarten through 12th grade) and have the opportunity to always follow my passions in a loving, Christian, and academic atmosphere. I was always passionate about nature growing up, but my professional aspirations really solidified the summer after my freshman year of high school. I attended the inaugural National Geographic Student Expeditions trip to the Galapagos for three weeks of travel and research in wildlife and conservation. That trip led me to two additional summer trips through NGSE during high school, and eventually resulted in my pursuit of environmental policy and research in the Honors program at the University of Michigan after graduation. During my time at Michigan, I narrowed down my research interests from a simple love of the outdoors into the field of energy policy. Energy policy to me has become the field with the most potential for enacting significant positive changes for the preservation of the planet, its resources, and its people. From Michigan I went to Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment to gain my Masters in Environmental Management, where I was able to spend a summer working for the United Nation’s Sustainable Energy Division in Geneva, Switzerland. All of these

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experiences and six years away ultimately led me directly back home to Atlanta to work at Georgia Tech’s Strategic Energy Institute.

Describe the purpose and intent of the Strategic Energy Institute. > Within the Strategic Energy Institute, I work for the Energy Policy and Innovation Center (EPICenter). The mission of the Center is to accelerate a diversity of reliable, affordable, and low-carbon energy options throughout the Southeast. We are the first known implementation of a regional partnership to focus on interdependencies of energy policy and technology toward realistic, affordable, and market-based carbon reductions in our nation’s and state’s energy system. Overall, EPICenter works to conduct purely fact-based, unbiased research that can then be taken for policy recommendations or educational purposes. We both lead in-house research and provide funding for other studies, in topics ranging from industrial data and digitalization, energy literacy, energy storage, and the state’s recently released Model Solar Ordinance, a collaboration with UGA and Emory.

What has been the most rewarding part about your work there? > Working among engineers every day as a policy analyst is a truly humbling experience on a daily basis, bruised ego aside. Getting to involve myself in a number of technical studies, and just a wideranging number of research topics in general has been really meaningful to me personally. Everything in this field is so interdisciplinary nowadays, I love getting to touch on policy, financing, engineering and social studies that are all holistically working toward the same goal. I love knowing that every day, even if I’m caught up in the administrative nuances of it all, I honestly believe that we are doing work that has significance and will play some small role in safeguarding our earthly home.

What role did Wesleyan play in your interest in this career path? > I thank Wesleyan for always allowing and supporting me to pursue my passions in my own way in a Christian environment. There was always a teacher ready and willing to talk to me about what I wanted to be ‘when I grew up.’ I think Wesleyan was great

at instilling in each of us the importance of giving your all in your commitments, whether that was in faith, relationships, or academics. As a result, and with that community support, I always was comfortable in following my research interests and trying to challenge myself with each new step.

What are your goals for the future? > Is “to protect the planet and its people” too overarching? Well, for me personally, I could see myself trying to get a bit more into policy development and adoption in the future, probably at the level of the city or state. I would love to conduct my own research study and get published, maybe something on mitigation and adaptation strategies, nuclear energy, or carbon taxes/cap and trade systems in the US. I may go back for my PhD at some point as well, but would need to force myself to really narrow down my research interests to do so. I’m honestly just going to keep an open mind and heart to wherever God shows me an open door and a job that needs being done.

Any anecdotal stories? > One of our projects right now is putting together an “Energy 101” video series on the fundamentals of energy and the energy ecosystem of the Southeast. To film the ‘Generation’ episode within this series, we had a team go up to the roof of our building this past July, as it seemed like a brilliant idea to film my boss in front of the solar panels on our roof as the backdrop. As if summer in Atlanta isn’t bad enough, the entire purpose of solar panels is to reflect light and heat. The filming took about 2 hours, all while dodging hornets, because apparently solar panels make fantastic roosts for hives. We finally finished up, and I headed out for the day. I directly went to this workout class, which has mirrors all around the room. I looked up at one point and immediately had to do a double-take at my reflection after seeing that my skin suddenly had two different colors. At first, I thought there must be something wrong with the mirror or the room’s lighting. Nope, there wasn’t. I ended up with one of the worst sunburns of my life, solar panel-inflicted, while trying to promote renewable energy. The irony was not lost on me, but I guess the lesson is that those things work really well.

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alumni weddings BETSY SMITH FREEBURG '08 married Ryan Freeburg on May 12, 2018 at First Presbyterian Church in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Her sister Maggie Smith ’11 stood by her as her maid of honor.

Ted and Jennifer Russell were also in attendance.

JORDAN DALE '07 married Adriana Quintanilla on September 10th, 2017 in Monterrey, Mexico. Among the guests were his brothers Jake Dale '04 and Jeremy Dale '12. Adriana and Jordan honeymooned in Hawaii and currently reside in Buckhead.

RACHAEL DUANE SCHMID '09 married Michael Schmid on May 26th, 2018 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In attendance were alumni, Hannah Duane '12, Bruce Duane '15, Lila Deaton Reese '12, Kate Kenwright '09, Beth Kenwright '09, Alyssa McNaughton Trail '09, Rebecca Olson Chu '09 and Karen Parker (former faculty).

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ERIN KING PETERMAN '07 married Kevin Peterman on April 22, 2017 in Colombia, South Carolina. Ansley Jones '18 was the Maid of Honor, Ally Jones (10th) was a bridesmaid and Kyle King '13 was a groomsman. Also in attendance were Erin's aunt, Nancy Jones (LS Dean), Head of School Chris Cleveland and his wife Julie, and their sons Kyle (12th) and Sam (9th).

BOBBY FULTON '10 married Lindsay Burgess on December 30, 2017 at The Dominion Club, Richmond, Virginia. Wesleyan Alumni in the wedding included Davis Brown '10 (officiant), Carter Brantley '10 (best man), Strother White '10 and Katie Fulton Pirkle '07. Also in attendance Nick Merlino '10, Erin Hall Cox '10, Anne Noland '11, Greg Mackenzie '10, Anderson Porter '10, Grace Cowart Brown '10, Ashley Yost Osborne 10, Kate Edwards '07, and Sarah Delk '07.

AMY NOELLE HAYGOOD '02 married Clay Gridley in March 2018 in Woodstock, Georgia.

Amy and Clay are opening a brewery in Johns Creek this fall, called Six Bridges Brewing.

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MEAGAN HALL ELLERMAN '12 married Luke Ellerman on May 26, 2018 at Perimeter Church in Johns Creek, Georgia

KATIE DIXON MATHEWS '04 married Jackson Mathews on July 21, 2018 at The Whitlock Inn, Marietta, Georgia. Alumni in the wedding party included Melanie Lacy '03 and brother of the bride, Jake Dixon '06. Also in attendance were Brad Mauldin (former faculty and officiant), and mother of the bride Donna Dixon (faculty), Ramona Blankenship (Associate Head of School), Deborah Kelleher (faculty), Mary Ann Lacy (retired faculty), and Carolyn Chapman (retired faculty).

MATT GOSSETT '08 married Emily Fernie Gossett on August 4th, 2018 at Naylor Hall in Roswell, Georgia. Alumni in the wedding party included Greg Gossett '07, Bradley Gossett '12 (faculty), Erik Gossett '12, Monish Tyagi '08 (former faculty), Colin Sylvester '08, and Trent Parks '08. Also in attendance were Price Davidson '08, Bradley Harrison '08, Freddie Akers '07, Mary Anne Short '12, Aubrie Davis Gossett '07, Sean Davis (former Wesleyan student), Carol Evans (former faculty) and Mary Gossett (former faculty).

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KAILEIGH CARTMILL BROWN '12 married Matthew Brown on March 11, 2018 at Applewood Farm.

Sterling Feininger '13 was the maid of honor and Linsey Cartmill '17 was a bridesmaid. Katie Zimmerman '12, Jeff and Meg Foster (faculty) were in attendance. Logan Morris Almond '10 and Kelly Morris (former faculty) photographed the wedding.

SHELBIE COWART BAUER '10 married Marcus Bauer on August 25, 2018 at First Presbyterian Church.

Wesleyan alumni Jessica Fithian Williamson '10 and Emily Gregory Williams '10 were bridesmaids. Carter Brantley '10, Strother White '10, Piper Davis Neblett '10, Ashley Yost Osborne '10, Kelsey Sanders Vason '10, Grace Cowart Brown '10, Davis Brown '10, Erin Hall Cox '10, Kennington Groff '10, Logan Morris Almond '10, Cate High Fithian '11, and Drew Fithian '09 were all in attendance.

JESSICA FELTS O'SULLIVAN '10 married Greg O'Sullivan on October 6, 2018 at Wesleyan School, in Austin Chapel with a reception at Dunwoody Country Club. Shannon Felts Woodward '12, Austin Short '11, Mary Anne Short '12, Colin Sylvester '08, Eva Marie Siegel '10, Mary Pate Mills '10, Ryan Johnson '09, Natalie Johnston Johnson '09, Townshend Young '09, Ben Johnson '13, and Jill Felts (former trustee) were in attendance. Jessica and Greg currently live in Boston, Massachusetts where Jessica works at tech company, LogMeIn. They will be spending the first four months of 2019 working and living in London, UK. WESLEYAN SCHOOL MAGAZINE | FALL 2018

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alumni babies N E W E S T W E S L E YA N W O LV E S

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WALLACE THOMPSON MACDONELL May 18, 2018 | 7lbs. 3oz.

Son of Charlotte Steelman MacDonell '05 and Alexander MacDonell

SETH THOMAS BOHANNON April 22, 2018 |8lbs. 14oz.

Son of Farah Shackelford Bohannon '06 and David Bohannon

LYDIA ELIZABETH TANNER ELIZABETH LYN CONNER June 5, 2018 | 7lbs. 6oz. & CAROLINE WILLIAMS CONNER Daughter of December 5, 2017 | 5lbs. | 6lbs. 3oz.

Molly Michaud Tanner '04 Daughters of Kristie Arnold and Greg Tanner Conner '06 and Cameron Conner

BRIGGS WORTHINGTON LAWRENCE June 6, 2018 | 7lbs. 6oz.

Son of Maggie Worthington Lawrence '06 and Craig Lawrence

WILLIAM JAMES KAREMPELIS July 13, 2018 | 8lbs. 1oz.

Son of Emily Worthington Karempelis ‘08 and Matt Karempelis ‘08

MATTHEW THEODORE “TEDDY” WORTHINGTON June 1, 2018 | 8lbs. 4oz.

Son of Will Worthington '09 and Carly Worthington

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ASA HOLT JONES November 29, 2017 | 7lbs. 5oz.

Son of Mary Olivia Holt Jones '06 and Turner Jones

JAMES RICHARD BRYAN | March 11, 2018 | 7lbs. 15oz.

Son of Mary Kate Olson Bryan '04 and Andy Bryan James also has two older brothers, Connor (5) and Bobby (2).

MADISON GRACE LONG January 5, 2018 | 8lbs. 2oz.

Daughter of Emily Sheppard Long '05 and Danny Long

MILES PETER JOYNER September 28, 2018 | 8lbs. 6.6oz.

Son of David Joyner '05 and Caitlin Joyner

CADENCE MAE WERNQUIST February 21, 2018 | 6lbs. 8oz.

Daughter of Christine Ramsey Wernquist '06 and John Wernquist

SELAH GRACE READY September 18, 2018 | 7lbs. 6oz.

Daughter of Hayley Hughes Ready '10 and Jake Ready

CARTER ALLEN HALL June 8, 2018 | 8lbs. 14oz.

Son of Jackie Hancock Hall '03 and Justin Hall

BENNETT TATE RICHARDSON July 19, 2018 | 8lbs. 0oz.

Son of Katie Gallup Richardson '04 and Brandon Richardson

SLOANE ANGELA PENNING August 9, 2018 | 3.07kgs Daughter of Ashley Gross Penning '02 and Luke Penning

JAMES IAN GOSSETT June 6, 2018 | 7lbs. 12oz.

Son of Aubrie Davis Gossett '07 and Greg Gossett '07

ALLYSON ROSS MCNAMARA October 24, 2017 | 6lbs. 1oz.

Daughter of Richard McNamara '03 and Ashley McNamara

DANIEL GRIMES HILLEGASS July 28, 2018 | 8lbs. 6oz.

Son of Patrick Hillegass '03 and Tiffany Hillegass

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class notes Kalen Morgenstern '99 moved to Munich, Germany in August. Kalen is teaching Business English to adult professionals in large corporate companies all across Munich.

Ross Steelman '00 is the owner of a financial planning firm in Coastal Maine, that does work across the U.S. He and his wife Bonnie are expecting their second boy any day, with an official due date of October 9th. Their first son, Colton, is 4 years old and started pre-school this year. He is very excited to meet his little brother Tristan Asher Steelman.

Kim Burdges '01 has been nominated for a total of 3 Emmys over the last 2 years as a producer and director of marketing for a TBS television show.

While at Wesleyan, Kim was very active in the fine arts program.

Jake Humphrey '01 is a Professional Wrestler for Rocky Mountain Pro Wrestling. Going by the name, Humphrey Jacobs I, he is the 2016 Colorado Cup Champion, the Rocky Mountain Pro Tag Team Champion and was listed in Pro Wresting Illustrated's PWI 500 list. Jake is also the Director of Operations and Training at CrossFit Colfax.

William H. Gholston '03, DVM, son of former faculty William "Skipper" and Kathy Gholston, recently opened a brand new veterinary clinic, Whitmire Animal Hospital in Dawsonville, GA. Dr. Will Gholston and wife, Kristina McLendon Gholston '07, relocated from Alpharetta to the Dawsonville area to manage and operate their new clinic together. Whitmire Animal Hospital, located off Whitmire Drive on GA 400, is a full-service, small animal veterinary hospital serving the Dawson and Forsyth County areas of North Georgia. The mission at Whitmire Animal Hospital is to provide clients' pets with the best possible personalized and compassionate care. Dr. Will Gholston and Kristina were married on November 25, 2017 at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek, Georgia.

Brittney Bowen Caudell '01 is back at Wesleyan working as the lower school reading specialist.

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Taylor Matheny '05, Tyler King '05, Maggie Worthington Lawrence '06, Webb Worthington '05, Crystal Cross '05, Carter Brunelle '05, Bryan McWhorter '05, and Eric Karaszewski '04 gathered to celebrate Webb Worthington and his bride-to-be, Georgia Davis.

Michelle Pope '07 began working as Associate Trial Attorney with Clyde and Co. in New York City.

Bobby Chambless '11, Will Gregory '11, Austin Busch '11, Ryan Buckley '11, Alex Eidson '11, and Ty Teague '11 spent time together in Washington, DC.

Abbie Frye '12 and Megan Walker '12 just took a two week trip to Greece, Croatia, and Montenegro before entering their third year of law school.

Janie Harper '13 studied interior design at the Lamar Dodd School of Art at the University of Georgia. During her time there she grew as both an artist and designer.

Through experiences learning under other professionals and her time spent in Cortona, Italy, Janie found her passion in the field of Interior Design. After graduating from UGA she moved to Charleston, South Carolina and worked in high-end residential design in the Charleston area and Kiawah and Seabrook Islands. Now, back home in Atlanta, she intends to put her training and experience to use working on projects of all sizes and within any budget.

Shane Smith '12 graduated in the upper one-third of his West Point class and is now serving his country in Vilseck, Germany.

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John Adent '14 graduated from UGA in the Spring and is headed to Mercer Medical School in Savannah in the fall of 2019. John recently spoke at the College Football Hall of Fame for the St. Judes' Voices of Recovery banquet about the Burrito Challenge - an all day fundraising event centered around showing high school and college students fun without drugs and alcohol with two other former Wesleyan students - Spencer Papciak and Matt Zimmerman '14. Many Wesleyan students participated in the event.

Clark O'Kelley '12 and Brandt O’Kelley '14 climbed to the summit of Mt. Hood, May 2018. It is listed as the 5th most difficult climb in the US. They reached it just before sunrise after starting the climb around midnight.

Christina Moraitis '14 attended an Atlanta United game with faculty member, Jen Sheppard.

Alex Harpole '15 graduated from UGA in three years to then go to Northwestern University to receive her masters in speech-language pathology. She is primarily interested in researching children with traumatic brain injury and its effects on memory and executive function (attention, motivation, etc.).

Henry Collins '16 and Spencer Sutlive '16 started an outdoor gear and clothing business called Rugged Road Outdoors and are crowdfunding for one of their new products, a cooler that competes with roto-molded coolers like the infamous Yeti.

Their cooler is less than half of the weight of their competition and will be sold for 1/3 the price, while still keeping impressive insulation and durability.

Last spring some of Wesleyan's current and alumni softball players got to watch Jameson Kavel '17 play in the ACC softball tournament at Georgia Tech. Jameson started at shortstop her freshman year at Duke University.

PICTURED: Back Row: TJ Anderson ’17, Bailey Edwards ’17, Mikayla Coombs ’17, Megan Gallagher ’18, Mary Stephenson ‘04, Next Row: Barrett Ramsey ’17, Cassie Henning ’18, Sarah Adams ’17, Ann Margaret Jones (former Wesleyan student), Alyssa Bedard ’17, Jessica Nolan (9th), Second Row: Jennifer Nolan (12th), Sydney Milliken ’17, Jameson Kavel ’17, Lauren Morales ’17, Gabby Hernandez ’17, Abbie Lochmandy ’17, Front Row: Lauren Williamson (6th), Jenna Lundstedt (6th), Reagan McCoy (6th), Hailey Williamson (6th) Lydie Barnett (6th), Lauren Tucker (6th)

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NICKY MINGLEDORFF CLASS OF 2006

DESCRIBE THE PURPOSE AND INTENT OF THE MINISTRY

Nicky Fenner Mingledorff graduated from Wesleyan in 2006 and went on to James Madison University where she played varsity volleyball. After several years of working as a software account executive, Nicky found herself called to work with a ministry called M/V Pacific Hope.

We caught up with Nicky and asked her some questions about her experience.

Pacific Hope is a medical ship with the mission of providing medical care and the hope of Christ to the Caribbean. The Caribbean was razed by Hurricanes Maria and Irma, and, is in desperate need of medical care. We are stationed mainly on the island of Dominica, but due to our 182ft ship only drafting 15ft, we are able to move around to any of the islands. When we arrived on Dominica in March 2018, 60% of the island was living under blue tarps, and the main hospital was only 40% operational. Babies were being delivered with phone flashlights by our physicians, there was no wharf, and much more. We currently have rebuilt the wharf, rebuilt a women’s center, and were able to open other clinics. Within 90 days we were able to see and treat over 2,000 patients due to our on-

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board dental, ophthalmology, and general medicine clinics, and also through volunteering at smaller local clinics and the hospital.

The ship is fully equipped to hold 62 people consisting of doctors, crew, nurses, engineers, ministers, youth groups, etc. M/V Pacific Hope’s main purpose is to spread the word of Christ to the Caribbean. This is made possible through medical care, leading by example, construction, teaching, and much more. Our ministry is unique because we are able to help in literally every aspect of our organization. We not only help the islands directly with medical construction, but indirectly as well. By rebuilding the wharf, the local scuba school was able to start again. The women’s center is now operational again to provide housing and jobs. In addition, we also contribute to our communities back home by providing a safe environment for youth groups, churches, and volunteers to serve in more remote places of the world.

Because we are a ship, we can isolate ourselves if needed, lock up our doors, and leave if absolutely necessary. Our donors have great pride in our organization due to our transparency and their ability to see how their donation has greatly benefitted the people we help.

We are currently going through a $600,000-dollar refit

consisting of adding four new dental chairs, updating our optometry and general medical equipment, building two surgical sections, and repainting the boat to protect the integrity of the hull. We just added a fourwheeler, multiple Dewalt tools, an ATV, two trailers, and three containers worth of provisions. With all of this completed, we will be able to serve more patients, move faster, bring freshwater cisterns to areas in need of it most after storms, provide for more youth groups, and so much more.

We are completely self-sufficient when it comes to creating fresh water and treating our own fuel. We can circumnavigate the world 1.5 times fully fueled all while incinerating and treating all of our waste.

Essentially, we are able to bring so many resources and hope to people who desperately need it and are working on doing this as efficiently as possible.

SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR STORY AND HOW YOU BECAME INVOLVED WITH M/V PACIFIC HOPE. DESCRIBE YOUR JOURNEY. Actually, it’s very ironic, but Hurricane Irma caused me to become involved with the ministry. An old friend of mine has been an acclaimed yacht captain for years, and had run the yacht to Savannah to avoid Hurricane

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Irma. Luckily, he made the right call. I had been looking into traveling, participating in mission trips or ways to volunteer for some time, and he told me about M/V Pacific Hope due to previously volunteering himself. After much conversation and research, I realized this combined everything that I loved. With this ministry, I could travel to remote parts of the world safely, see unbelievable beauty, be around medicine (my focus in college), be on a ship, efficiently make an impact, and all would go to serving God. I actually loved the idea of getting my captain's license growing up, which my parents quickly averted considering the only body of water I had experience on at the time was Lake Lanier. Not the most lucrative environment for a teenager. Fishing and boats have always been a passion of mine, and post-college I moved on to larger boats on saltwater.

Not only did my passions steer me toward M/V Pacific Hope, but I also understand what it is like to need medical treatment due to going through cancer in 2013. It’s a very sinking feeling wondering how much time you have left, and if you can receive any treatment.

The irony is because this conversation happened thanks to a hurricane bringing my friend into our backyard. The opportunity combined everything I love, and now I am on a ship cleaning up the remnants of the natural disaster that caused me to learn about this in the first place.

WHAT ROLE DID WESLEYAN PLAY IN THIS BEING A PART OF YOUR INTERESTS AND PASSIONS? An enormous one. As a child, my family really didn’t go to church.

We were Christians and talked about God, but didn’t actively go to church. My junior year, I went on a mission trip to Jamaica and absolutely loved it. I am not sure if I would have had the opportunity to go on a mission trip without Wesleyan. But more importantly, Wesleyan taught me about Christianity in an open and casual environment. This has been very impactful in many ways of my life, but specifically here, because we deal with all types of Christians as well as non-Christians. Wesleyan taught me about scripture in an applicable way to my life today. There are many different translations of the Bible, but Wesleyan allows students to learn about the deeper meaning of Christianity and how to apply this in their daily lives. I am able to have conversations with Christians in a very constructive way, while being able to answer questions to non-Christians in an inviting, understandable way. Not only has this helped me on the ship, but I guarantee you I would not have beaten cancer as well as I did without the understanding of Christianity and God’s plan for me.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST REWARDING PART OF PACIFIC HOPE? Everything. Every moment on board and off board the ship that has enhanced my life. When you work on a boat, everything is close quarters, and there is a reason for the phrase “all hands on deck.”

Everything you do is as a team. You form close relationships very

"

Wesleyan allows students to learn about the deeper meaning of Christianity and how to apply this in their daily lives... not only has this helped me on the ship, but I guarantee you I would not have beaten cancer as well as I did without the understanding of Christianity and God's plan for me.

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quickly. From cleaning and cooking, to learning to drive the boats, spreading the word of Christ, learning how to interact with other Christians from different backgrounds, working with foreign governments, learning about different cultures, and just having an overall sense of appreciation, you find yourself constantly growing. When you find a child abandoned by his family in a dog cage because he has cerebral palsy, it’s hard not to be appreciative of modern comforts. You become charged with a sense of how to help and everyone on board has the same attitude. With this support, it is so rewarding to see a physical change in the same boy two months later, made possible by you and your team. Honestly, that is probably the most rewarding part about this ministry. You are able to be successful in what you love and even learn a new passion. We are so involved in so many different things that every individual has the chance to thrive and find their way to succeed and serve God. ANY ANECDOTAL STORIES? Oh, we like to have fun. There is a rope swing on board, we cook out, we hike to waterfalls, have dance parties, swim at beautiful beaches, and much more. We LOVE to have families on board as well, and have had kids as young as 5

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stay on the boat with us. We even have a ship dog named Bosun! He is four months old right now. We are constantly growing, changing, and morphing into who we need to be, and we would love to have more people join every day. We are able to use any sort of talent, for any amount of time, as long as you come with a willingness to serve and a smile. If you come, be careful, because your heart will open, deep relationships will be made, and you will constantly find yourself coming back.

ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO ADD? Do not get me wrong, I am by no means the pillar of an example or the most knowledgeable.

Many teachers will tell you today, that I was not the easiest student while at Wesleyan. (Sorry to my loving and patient teachers!) If it helps, you definitely made an impact in my life. This is also why I have loved being a part of this ministry.

Everyone is coming together to do the best that they can with the talents given to them. Nothing more or less. We are all different and the same, working towards a common goal, and creating a similar environment to what Wesleyan provided.

We like to lead by example, establishing an environment that causes people to be curious about who we are, and drawing them to us with a more open mind. Not only do we affect the people around us, but we help each other grow as well.

A Note from the Office of Development

Every dollar donated to the Wesleyan Fund enhances the CLASSROOM and EXTRACURRICULAR EXPERIENCE for every Wesleyan student. The Wesleyan Fund directly supports the school’s ability to attract THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST CHRISTIAN TEACHERS in their field; and it ensures that THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST STUDENTS are in each classroom, regardless of families’ financial situations. Together, these two parts of our campus community make the WESLEYAN EXPERIENCE what it is each day for our students. Over the years, our parents have overwhelmingly supported the Wesleyan Fund and for that OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY IS

GRATEFUL. TO SUPPORT THE 2018-2019 WESLEYAN FUND, VISIT WWW.WESLEYANSCHOOL.ORG/GIVE

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