Spring Magazine 2021 by Wesleyan School

W E S L E YA N

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

•

volume xvii, issue ii

SPRING 2021

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 nurturing the mind, body, and spirit; and by developing responsible stewardship in our changing world. 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 communications@wesleyanschool.org. Wesleyan Magazine is published by the Wesleyan School Office of Communications and printed by Bennett Graphics.

magazine staff

board of trustees

emeritus trustees

advisory trustees

Natalie Dettman Graphic Designer

Land Bridgers, Chairman Rob Binion, Vice-Chairman Mark Adent Claire Barnett Rob Bennison Mark Chapman Dan Cowart Jamie Hamilton Amanda Hene Tim Hillegass Betsy John Erika Laughlin Tom Menefee Billy Milam Mike Nicklaus Drew Prehmus ‘04 Todd Ratliff Yumi Shim Sean Taylor DeVane Tidwell Chris Cleveland, Ex-Officio Becky Cardwell, Board Assistant

Sherri Austin Howard Bowen Betty Crawford Gerald Daws Steven Deaton Neal Freeman Chip Groome Helen Kenwright Alice Ramsey Paul Robertson H. Bronson Smith Bill Stark Jim Stephenson Raymond Walker William Warren IV Robert Worthington

Howard Bowen Charlie Brown Dan Brown Randy Carroll Betty Crawford Charles Ginden Duane Hoover William Hoyt F. Lex Jolley Stiles Kellett Malcolm Powell Jesse Sasser Jim Stephenson William Tanner Richard Tucker William Warren IV

Jennifer Laing Copeland Assistant Head of School for External Affairs Ann Barnett Communications Director Bradley Gossett ‘12 Former Communications Director Cara Grace Hildebrand Digital Marketing Director Chris Cleveland Head of School

contributors Becky Cardwell Hannah Graham Meredith Jamieson Brian L. Morgan Shelley Noble Sylvia Pryor

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headmaster emeritus Zach Young

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

LETTER FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

COLLEGE S TAT I S T I C S

CLASS OF 2021 G R A D U AT I O N

LASTING LEGACIES

A SCHOOL YEAR LIKE NO OTHER

C R E AT I V I T Y AS WORSHIP

I T TA K E S A TEAM

WE LOVE O U R F A C U LT Y

F A C U LT Y NEWS

W O LV E S O N THE FRONTLINES

ALUMNI NEWS

CLASS NOTES

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE | SPR I NG 2021

D E A R W E S L E YA N F A M I LY A N D F R I E N D S , Thank you for your continued support of and interest in Wesleyan School and for taking time to read this edition of the Wesleyan School magazine. We have just concluded the most challenging school year in recent memory, and I am grateful that as conditions surrounding COVID-19 improved throughout the spring, we were able to celebrate the Class of 2021 with almost all our traditional events, including the Evergreen Lunch, Prom, Senior Chapel, Senior Honors Day, our first ever Baccalaureate on Adler Plaza, and Graduation. God was even gracious enough to bless us with great weather over Commencement weekend. The school year ended on such a positive note, as we were not only able to celebrate our senior class, but also hold our traditional fourth grade and eighth grade chapels, celebrating those important mile markers in the lives of our lower and middle school students. Reflecting on the school year, while it was incredibly difficult and exhausting in many ways, I am deeply grateful for the many ways God watched over and protected our students, parents, and employees in this most unusual environment. For this year to be a success, it required all of our parents, students, and employees to make substantial sacrifices compared to what we have all grown to expect from the Wesleyan experience. I am genuinely appreciative for every member of the Wesleyan family; however, our faculty stands in a class all their own. I have said for many years that Wesleyan’s greatest asset is its faculty. Our buildings, grounds, and campus are beautiful, but what truly makes Wesleyan a special place is our faculty; the men and women who answer the call to lead, mentor, instruct, guide, encourage, and love the students God has placed in their care. We describe Wesleyan as a Christian school; however, the reality is that a school cannot be a Christian. Only people can be Christians, and that is the defining characteristic of our mission to be a Christian school. It is challenging to find teachers who are not only great at what they do, but who also meet our Christian mission and desire to make a personal investment in the lives of children. It is the people who work at Wesleyan who establish and maintain a school culture that is centered on Jesus Christ. While Wesleyan does not require students and families to be Christians to attend Wesleyan, in order to work at Wesleyan or to serve on our Board of Trustees, you must be a believing, practicing, Trinitarian Christian who acknowledges God as the Creator; Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior; the Holy Spirit as God’s divine presence in the world; and the scriptures of the Old and New Testament as the ultimate source of truth. That requirement eliminates a large number of excellent teachers who do not share our Biblical worldview. When we find faculty members who are great at what they do and who share our beliefs, we want to hire and retain them for as long as possible. The efforts of our faculty in this school year have been nothing short of heroic. The challenges of teaching students in person and online simultaneously while wearing a mask are difficult to fully appreciate unless you have attempted it. Not only did our teachers lean into these challenges, but they also worked diligently to find innovative and new ways to deliver instruction. Additionally, our faculty continued to find ways to personally invest in the lives of or students, which is yet another quality we seek in the hiring process.

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LETTER FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

What truly makes Wesleyan a special place is our faculty, the men and women who stand in front of our students each day to lead, mentor, instruct, guide, encourage, and love.

This level of dedication from our faculty was not confined to the classroom. While leading students in a full slate of extracurricular activities, our faculty directed, mentored, led, and coached our students while juggling cumbersome restrictions and guidelines due to COVID-19. Through it all, our faculty did an amazing job of delivering the Wesleyan experience, ministering to the mind, body, and spirit of our students in a selfless and generous manner. They are to be commended and celebrated for their incredible dedication and work! As you read through the pages of this edition of the Wesleyan magazine, I know you will enjoy learning about the school events of this spring as well as the numerous accomplishments of our talented students. Wesleyan exists to honor our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We do this by serving the students in our care, and the families who entrust us with their children. However, I hope you will also take note of the myriad of ways our faculty went above and beyond during this difficult year to meet our mission. I am confident you will join me in thanking them for their spectacular efforts. May you and your family enjoy a restful and restorative summer! For His Glory,

Chris Cleveland, Head of School

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE | SPR I NG 2021

COLLEGE S TAT I S T I C S C O L L E G E A C C E P TA N C E S AMERICAN UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF WILLIAM AND MARY

HARDING UNIVERSITY

ANDERSON UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF WOOSTER

HIGH POINT UNIVERSITY

APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY

COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY

HOWARD UNIVERSITY

ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE

INDIANA UNIVERSITY, BLOOMINGTON

AUBURN UNIVERSITY

DAVIDSON COLLEGE

JACKSONVILLE UNIVERSITY

AUGUSTA UNIVERSITY

DENISON COLLEGE

JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY

BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

ELON UNIVERSITY

KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY

BELHAVEN UNIVERSITY

EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY

KENYON COLLEGE

BELLARMINE UNIVERSITY

EMERSON COLLEGE

LAGRANGE COLLEGE

BELMONT UNIVERSITY

FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY

LAWRENCE TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

BERRY COLLEGE

FLORIDA SOUTHERN COLLEGE

LEE UNIVERSITY

BIRMINGHAM SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY

FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY

LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY

BOSTON COLLEGE

FREED-HARDEMAN UNIVERSITY

MERCER UNIVERSITY

BOSTON UNIVERSITY

FURMAN UNIVERSITY

MIAMI UNIVERSITY, OXFORD

BOWDOIN COLLEGE

GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

CARLETON COLLEGE

GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY

MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY

CEDARVILLE UNIVERSITY

GEORGIA COLLEGE AND STATE UNIVERSITY

MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE

CENTRE COLLEGE

GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY

CLEMSON UNIVERSITY

GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

COLGATE UNIVERSITY

GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY

NORTH CAROLINA AGRICULTURAL AND

COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON

GRINNELL COLLEGE

TECHNICAL STATE UNIVERSITY

STUDENTS ARE MATRICULATING TO COLLEGES IN BOLD.

In total, the class of 2021 (122 students) reported over $ 9 . 2 M I L L I O N in scholarship money received. This is above and beyond the HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarships.

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7 7 % of our seniors will attend

a school in the Southeast, with 3 1 % attending school in the state of Georgia.

NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY

UNION UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH GEORGIA

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON

NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY

PREPATORY SCHOOL

UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH

OBERLIN COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY

UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER

OGLETHORPE UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA

UNIVERSITY OF ST. ANDREWS

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA

OXFORD COLLEGE OF EMORY UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA

PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE,

PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO, BOULDER

PRESBYTERIAN COLLEGE

UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO, DENVER

UNIVERSITY OF UTAH

PURDUE UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF DENVER

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

RHODES COLLEGE

UNIVERSITY OF EVANSVILLE

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON

RICE UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN, MADISON

ROLLINS COLLEGE

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING

ROSE-HULMAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

UNIVERSITY OF IOWA

VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND

SAMFORD UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY

SEWANEE, UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTH

UNIVERSITY OF MARY WASHINGTON

WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY

SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS, BOSTON

WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY

SPELMAN COLLEGE

UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI

WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS

TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI

WINGATE UNIVERSITY

TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA

WOFFORD COLLEGE

TUFTS UNIVERSITY

KNOXVILLE

STATE UNIVERSITY

AT CHAPEL HILL

On average, each senior applied to S E V E N colleges with a total of 8 5 6 applications submitted. That is a 2 5 % increase in submitted applications from last year. WESLEYAN MAGAZINE | SPR I NG 2021

C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S ,

CLASS OF 2021!

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WESLEYAN MAGAZINE | SPR I NG 2021

CLASS OF 2021

Franklin Pridgen B A C C A L A U R E AT E A D D R E S S

“Go forth with the confidence and assurance that each of you stands on a solid foundation. With your feet planted squarely upon it, college will be a time to reach upward and outward, to forge beautiful new relationships, pursue lofty goals, overcome daunting obstacles, and continue growing into the person God created you to be. With the bedrock of courage, character, and compassion that your parents and your Wesleyan family have relentlessly cast beneath you, you are ready now to meet your potential, change the world for good, and lead others along a heavenward path.”

Sean Taylor COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS

“Graduates, you will receive some amazing gifts from friends and family to celebrate your graduation. Remember God’s gift as well, using this simple acronym: G – I – F – T — Grace Is Forever There. Knowing this will help you realize that who and what you were created to be was a beautiful child of God. And this is the real GIFT for your graduation and for your entire life.”

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CLASS OF 2021

Maggie Simmons VALEDICTORIAN ADDRESS

“Just as others have invested so much love and support in us, it is our turn to be a force for love and goodness wherever we go by treating others with respect and kindness, keeping our ears open and empathetic, and reaching out a helpful hand to whomever we are able. As we move through life, fellow graduates, as we continue to move forward with our lives and gain the momentum to climb to even greater heights, let us pour some of our energy back into those around us so we can move forward together.”

Isabella Martin S A L U TAT O R I A N A D D R E S S

“It is the love of Christ that binds us together and allows us to appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of our community, despite this year’s challenges. The sense of belonging here at Wesleyan is merely a glimpse at a greater belonging to Christ. With the Christian mission at the foundation of Wesleyan, it is no wonder that our community preserved its sense of belonging despite the challenges of this year. “

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE | SP R I NG 2021

LASTING LEGACIES Each spring at graduation, we take time to honor graduates who have alumni siblings and/or parents or grandparents who serve/have served as faculty, staff, trustees, or advisory trustees.

R E E S E A L E C X I H and B RY N A L E C X I H ‘ 2 0

W I L L A L E X A N D E R and ANNA ALEXANDER ‘17

ANDREW BARDI, BRIANNA BARDI ‘12, and L I L L I A N A B A R D I ‘ 1 6

E R I C B E R R Y and E VA N B E R R Y ‘ 2 0

A S H L E Y B I N N E Y and CAMERON BINNEY ‘19

BEAU BROWN, J. CHRISTOPHER BROWN (former board member), A N N A B R O W N ‘ 1 6 , and J E B B R O W N ‘ 1 8

W I L L I A M B R U E H L and ELIZABETH BRUEHL ‘18

C A R O L I N E B RY S O N and W I L L B R Y S O N ‘ 1 9

R E I D C A M E R O N and ASHTON CAMERON ‘18

J O E C H AT H A M and L A U R E L L E E C H AT H A M ‘ 1 8

J . D . C H I P M A N and A N N E M A R I E H A N L O N (former faculty)

LUCY COOK, HANNAH COOK ‘16, and B R Y C E C O O K ‘ 1 7

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LASTING LEGACIES

S I O B H A N D AV E N P O R T and S H E R I D A N D AV E N P O R T ‘ 1 6

M AT T H E W D AV I S , A N N A D AV I S ‘ 1 3 , L E A H D AV I S ‘ 1 6 , and C A L L I E D AV I S ‘ 1 8

M A R G A R E T D U D L E Y, S A M U E L D U D L E Y ‘ 1 8 , M A R Y L A M A R D U D L E Y ‘ 1 8 , and E D W A R D D U D L E Y (former faculty, not pictured)

M AT T F R E E and A N D Y F R E E (faculty)

H A R R I S O N G R A C E Y and M E L A N I E G R A C E Y (former faculty)

N ATA L I E G R O S S and CAROLINE GROSS ‘18

N I C H O L A S H E S S and PETER HESS ‘18

W YAT T H O D G E S and R YA N H O D G E S (faculty)

BENJAMIN JACKSON, DEAN JACKSON (faculty), and N AT E J A C K S O N ‘ 1 9

M I K AY L A J O H N and B E T S Y J O H N (board member)

A L LY J O N E S , N A N C Y J O N E S (faculty), and A N S L E Y J O N E S ‘ 1 8

J A C K J O N E S and HADEN JONES ‘19

RILEY KELLER and M O R G A N K E L L E R ‘ 1 7

C A L L I E K E N N E D Y and GRACE KENNEDY ‘19

H A R R I S O N L E AT H and A U S T I N L E AT H ‘ 1 5

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE | SP R I NG 2021

LASTING LEGACIES

B R E T T L L O Y D , H E I D I L L O Y D (faculty), and M A D I S O N L L O Y D ‘ 1 8

BROGAN MACINNIS, BROOKS PRETTYMAN ‘12, C L I N T P R E T T Y M A N ‘ 1 6 , and PA I G E P R E T T Y M A N ‘ 1 7

K A R A M A R S H A L L and GRANT MARSHALL ‘17

I S A B E L L A M A R T I N and J.R. MARTIN ‘19

B RY C E M A S T E R S , D R E W M A S T E R S ‘ 1 7 , and K AT E M A S T E R S (staff)

PAY T O N M C K E M I E and MADISON MCKEMIE ‘18

E L I Z A B E T H M I D D L E T O N and T O S H A M I D D L E T O N (former faculty)

F L E T C H E R M O R R I S and K E N D R A M O R R I S (faculty)

VA N C E N I C K L A U S , M I K E N I C K L A U S (board member), and M I C H A E L N I C K L A U S ‘ 1 9

A N N E L I S E O N O R AT O and K R I S T I E O N O R AT O (faculty)

M A D D I E PA R S O N N E T and S O P H I E PA R S O N N E T ‘ 1 9

ALDEN PRIDGEN, F R A N K L I N P R I D G E N (faculty), and A N D R E W P R I D G E N ‘ 1 9

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LASTING LEGACIES

C A R S O N S C H I L L E R and LUKE SCHILLER ‘19

S A M S C H M I T T, R E N S C H M I T T ‘ 1 6 , and ELLIS SCHMITT ‘18

TAY L O R S E I M and CONNOR SEIM ‘17

RICARDO SOLIS and F E R N A N D A S O L I S ‘ 1 4

R O S I E TAY L O R , S E A N TAY L O R (board member), and C H A R L I E TAY L O R ‘ 2 0 (not pictured)

G R A H A M T H O M A S O N and MILLER THOMASON ‘19

C H A R L I E W E N Z and A L I S O N W E N Z (faculty)

E M M A Y O U N G and N O A H Y O U N G ‘ 1 7

WESTON ZIMMERMAN, LISA ZIMMERMAN (staff), and J O R D A N Z I M M E R M A N ‘ 1 5

Not pictured:

M O L LY B R O W N and M AT T H E W B R O W N ‘ 1 8 L U K E C A R R O L L , G R A C E C A R R O L L , and R A N D Y C A R R O L L (advisory trustee) C O N S TA N C E H A R R I S and A B R I A N N A H A R R I S ‘ 1 7 J E F F R E Y H U L L I N G E R and B R I T TA N Y H U L L I N G E R ‘ 0 2 S U M M E R K I D D E R , S O P H I A K I D D E R ‘ 1 7 , and PA R I S K I D D E R ‘ 2 0 M E G A N M A S S E Y and G R I F F I N M A S S E Y ‘ 1 9 A D Y S O N M E A N S , M AT T H E W M E A N S (faculty), and E M M A - K AT E M E A N S ‘ 2 0 Q U I N N M O O R E and S H A N E M O O R E ‘ 1 7 B E N N E T T R U D D E R , L I LY R U D D E R ‘ 1 8 , and P I E R C E R U D D E R ‘ 2 0 C A M R U S S O and T R I N I T Y R U S S O ‘ 1 9 S Y D N E Y S T I R L I N G and C A N D Y S T I R L I N G (faculty) B E L L A T U C K E R and R I C H A R D T U C K E R (advisory trustee) F E L I C I A W A N G , E D M U N D W A N G ‘ 1 5 , and L A R R Y W A N G ‘ 1 8 E VA N Y E A G E R , G I L L I A N Y E A G E R ‘ 1 6 , and G A R R E T T Y E A G E R ‘ 1 8

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE | SP R I NG 2021

A SCHOOL YEAR LIKE NO OTHER

A SCHOOL YEAR like N O O T H E R

2020 2021

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A SCHOOL YEAR LIKE NO OTHER

The 2020-2021 school year will go down in history as possibly the most challenging school year of our lifetimes. Reopening school in August during a pandemic – and keeping school open during the darkest days of COVID-19 as it surged in our local areas – presented challenges educators are not typically trained for and ones that most faculty and staff hope never to face again.

C L A S S R O O M S T H AT C O N N E C T… V I R T U A L LY A N D S O C I A L LY D I S TA N C E D

But, even in the unprecedented difficulties presented by COVID, the Wesleyan community persevered in meeting both the academic and Christian mission of the school.

“While we knew we had to adapt instruction to maintain COVID protocols and support students learning virtually, our faculty remained committed to delivering an excellent academic experience,” said Cleveland. “Nothing was off the table, and as the year continued, teachers and students became more and more comfortable with this new reality in the classroom.”

“To say that we hope to never reinvent how to have school again in a pandemic is an understatement,” said Chris Cleveland, head of school. “This year has been incredibly challenging for every student, family, and employee at Wesleyan School. Even in the midst of this, I have been overwhelmed by the incredible ways our community has remained committed to our mission and identity. “When public health guidance required distance, teachers found alternative ways to stay connected to students,” Cleveland continued. “As organizations closed their doors to visitors to protect the people they serve, students got creative and continued serving community partners in unique and COVID-appropriate ways. When virtual instruction became necessary, teachers and students stepped up and worked hard to adapt. “While we hope we never experience a pandemic again, I do think there are positive things on which we will reflect in the years ahead,” Cleveland went on to say. “I will never forget the ways I have seen students and teachers persevere through the challenges of virtual instruction. Our students have done the hard things we have asked them to do in order to keep the school year moving forward, and our teachers have completely adapted their instruction to make this work for students. It is truly remarkable and humbling when you think about how hard both students and teachers have worked this year.”

While COVID presented challenges that seemed insurmountable to education at first, Wesleyan’s faculty remained determined to deliver what their students needed academically this year.

Lower school, for example, allowed students to attend special classes in their normal special classroom environment. “Many other schools had special teachers travel to the homeroom classroom to teach music, art, STEM, and library,” said Jason Erb, lower school principal. “We did not. We felt it was important for students to be in the art room, in the music room, and in the STEM lab. Providing a sense of normalcy and maintaining academic rigor were two of our top priorities this year,” explains Erb. In lower school music, third-graders have always looked forward to learning to play the recorder. Lisa McNearney, lower school music teacher, knew that due to COVID protocols around wind instruments, a protective covering would need to be provided. It turns out, however, that COVID-appropriate covers are difficult to come by for the beloved recorder.

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE | SP R I NG 2021

A SCHOOL YEAR LIKE NO OTHER

“When I explained this to Mrs. Thomas’s third grade class, they were very disappointed. However, they turned that disappointment into determination to find a way to make our own covers,” McNearney shared. “We learned from Dr. Ruthie Colegrove, middle school band director, and Meg Foster, director of fine arts, that disposable socks work well as a covering. That motivated the students to solve this problem! “The students brainstormed a list of possible materials for attaching the disposable socks to the recorders without affecting the sound quality of the recorder. Students considered several things: effectiveness, ease of attaching and removing the cover, how it affects the sound, and cost. In the end, they decided rubber bands were the best. Our final step was to get approval from our principal, Dr. Erb, who was completely supportive and gave us an enthusiastic ‘Yes!’ Much to the delight of the third grade, we were able to complete the beloved recorder unit this year.” While lower school kept specials in the school day rotation and solved the recorder problem, the middle school science team had a different COVID challenge. Dissections! “The frog dissection is something seventh grade students look forward to all year,” said Shannon Smith, middle school science teacher. “Of course, the reality of virtual learning and social distancing made that a challenge. “In a class where hands-on labs are so fun and instructional, our upgrades in classroom technology to support virtual instruction have become imperative to our curriculum,” Smith went on to say. “This year‘s labs have required

smaller groups, more materials, and increased spacing, but technology has really been the glue holding it all together. Our iPad allows virtual learners to partner with students who are physically in the classroom. “Students seem to really enjoy taking on the role of what has been dubbed ‘the virtual professor’ and guide at-home students using the camera and effective communication,” Smith said. “COVID-19 has changed how activities are performed in our science lab, but I’ve been so impressed with how students have adjusted to new styles of learning.” Like their lower and middle school colleagues, the high school faculty worked diligently to be creative, keep students engaged, and ensure that academic concepts were being learned and retained. The high school remained in the hybrid virtual model longer than the other divisions, so adapting instruction was an even bigger priority in these classes. Whitney Martinez, high school Spanish teacher, used a program called EdPuzzle not only for instruction and reinforcing concepts from class but also as an interactive tool to gauge her students’ mastery of these concepts. EdPuzzle is a web-based tool that allows teachers to turn video content into a lesson or resource to support a lesson. The technology not only allows teachers to add questions throughout the video to check for understanding, but it also tracks if students open the video, how much they view, if they view certain sections repeatedly, and how well they perform answering any questions the teacher asks them to complete.

Third-graders Caroline Hilton and Dawson Madray show their recorder covers that comply with COVID guidelines.

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A SCHOOL YEAR LIKE NO OTHER

In-person students guide virtual students through frog dissections by using the iPad camera and effective communication.

Like their lower and middle school colleagues, the high school faculty worked diligently to be creative, keep students engaged, and ensure that academic concepts were being learned and retained.

“EdPuzzle has been a great tool for making sure students stay engaged, and it gave me the ability to check student comprehension along the way,” said Martinez. “Checking for understanding is important for any teacher, but in particular for teachers of foreign languages. Making sure students understand the building blocks of the language and vocabulary is critical. “When I am teaching in a ‘normal’ setting with every student in the classroom in front of me, I constantly ask for student participation. I ask students comprehension questions as a daily formative-style assessment to inform them and me of how they are doing and what they do and do not understand. Then I know if I need to cover a concept again, slow down and explain, or give students more examples of the concept that I’m teaching.”

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE | SP R I NG 2021

A SCHOOL YEAR LIKE NO OTHER

R E L AT I O N S H I P S T H AT G O T H E ( S O C I A L ) D I S TA N C E When asked what makes Wesleyan special, it is common for a faculty, staff member, parent, or student to respond, “It’s the people.” Relationships are a vital part of the overall Wesleyan experience. A pandemic where covering faces and not being too close to others are necessary presents challenges to relationship building. After all, it is hard to get to know someone when you can’t sit very close to them or see their entire face! But one of the other things Wesleyan community members are known for is perseverance, even when the odds seem impossible. Over the course of the most challenging school year, faculty, staff, and students rose to the occasion time and time again to preserve the essence of Wesleyan. Thanks to some creative thinking by our lower school team, students and their parents still enjoyed Donuts with Dad and Morning with Mom this school year.

Students enjoy socially distanced outdoor games at the “Don’t Sweat It” middle school social.

Over the course of the most challenging school year, faculty, staff, and students rose to the occasion time and time again to preserve the essence of Wesleyan.

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“Donuts with Dad in the fall and Morning with Mom in the spring are two favorite events in lower school and are usually very well attended,” said Jason Erb, lower school principal. “And by well attended, I also mean crowded! We knew we needed to come up with a way to fulfill the spirit of those days – for kids to show their parents some extra appreciation and for time together to worship. I think our team pulled that off in a way that was meaningful and memorable for both students and parents.” Lower school had a delayed start time on both of these special days, allowing parents to have breakfast on their own with their children. Students brought home special gifts for their parents that they worked on in art class, and the chapel team provided a pre-recorded video for worship and chapel time together from home.

A SCHOOL YEAR LIKE NO OTHER

Joseph Antonio, middle school principal, throws a football around with students at the “Don’t Sweat It” outdoor social.

In middle school, students look forward to grade-level socials in both the fall and spring. Typically, these take place after school and are a fun time of socializing. Planning these socials is a big part of the middle school student council’s responsibility. “This year, planning ‘socially distanced’ socials was quite a challenge,” said Barbara Lewis, middle school student council advisor. “Middle school students love to bunch up close together and play and chat, so figuring out how to still offer our socials but do so in a healthy way was important. The student officers and homeroom representatives did a great job coming up with ideas for each grade level so that the students could have fun during this unusual year!” In the fall, fifth and sixth grades had a “Fall Frenzy” during the school day. Students came to school dressed in fall colors or fall-themed tops. Some even decorated their masks with leaves. Seventh and eight grade also enjoyed an outside social called “Don’t Sweat It.” Students wore sweatshirts or hoodies and sweatpants to school.

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Fifth-graders enjoyed an easter egg hunt on the Morris-Fletcher Quadrangle.

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A SCHOOL YEAR LIKE NO OTHER

Though the Freshman Retreat at the beginning of the school year could not happen due to COVID-19, the Christian life team and peer leadership team was able to offer a Freshman Retreat day in late April for students.

This spring, fifth and sixth grade each had separate Easter egg hunts on the quad. It was a great way to have fun and be socially distanced at the same time. A hallmark of the high school experience at Wesleyan is how students engage in service to one another and the community around them. While mission trips had to be cancelled this year, students still found ways to serve on campus and in the greater metro Atlanta area. Each year, seniors who serve as peer leaders serve the freshman class, helping them with the transition to high school. Usually, the year opens with freshman orientation on campus and then a two-night freshman retreat. Even though the traditional freshman retreat had to be postponed, the peer leadership team was undeterred in making sure the incoming freshman had the support they needed to kick off their high school career. “This was a year where we learned all the things we take for granted in our school year,” said Greg Lisson, director of Christian life and one of the faculty members who advises the peer leadership program. “Not being able to put on our typical freshman retreat was a really hard way to start the school year for both freshmen and the senior peer leaders. But, the peer leaders stepped up and found ways to serve with such enthusiasm and love.”

“It’s easy to get overwhelmed and anxious with everything, but I’ve learned that it’s important to be patient and be able to adapt to all the changes this year.” Not knowing exactly how the entire school year would play out was one of the challenges peer leaders faced as they went through the year. “I think that one of the biggest challenges has been having to work through the countless unknowns that came with this year,” said peer leader Jacob Price ’21. “It’s easy to get overwhelmed and anxious with everything, but I’ve learned that it’s important to be patient and be able to adapt to all the changes this year.”

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A SCHOOL YEAR LIKE NO OTHER

2020-2021 High School Peer Leaders

At any moment during the year, a portion of most peer groups were virtual in the hybrid model, and at any time, a peer leader or group member could be quarantined or isolated at home. This forced peer leaders to create energy and keep their freshman groups engaged. “I learned this year that my partner and I had to be willing to be the first ones to be vulnerable or come in with high energy about an activity to get our group to be vulnerable with us or excited about an activity,” said peer leader Alyssa Phillip ‘21. “I loved being a peer leader even though things have changed because of COVID-19. I am so glad I was able to bond with my kids and create a fun ‘family’ dynamic with the kids and my co-leader, Jacob!” Other students found ways to continue serving the community, despite the many changes required by COVID protocols. “One of the best ways to cope with stressful times is to look outside of ourselves and serve others,” said Corrie Nash, assistant director of Christian life for service and high school math teacher. “Although in-person service opportunities were limited this year, high school students continued to look for creative ways to love others in our community. They volunteered as virtual reading buddies through Corners Outreach and made goody bags at Christmas for Gwinnett County DFCS caseworkers.

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“A major Wesleyan tradition is writing letters of encouragement to friends going on spring break mission trips,” Nash went on to say. “Since we were not able to go on trips this year, the high school student government led an initiative for students to redirect their letter-writing energy to encourage healthcare workers at Northside and Emory, as well as residents of Village Park Senior Living.” In a year like no other, students, teachers, and families have pulled together to keep Wesleyan School moving forward. This community has adapted to meet our mission as a school family despite the many challenges presented by the pandemic.

In a year like no other, students, teachers, and families have pulled together to keep Wesleyan School moving forward.

A SCHOOL YEAR LIKE NO OTHER

meet our

H E A LT H SERVICES TEAM

F R O M L E F T T O R I G H T: MARTY MCQUAIG, BECKY K I M S E Y, S H E I L A B R O O K S , AND BRIAN MORGAN

As Wesleyan began to prepare for a return to campus in August 2020, teachers and administrators alike sprang into action to be ready for whatever was coming. Perhaps the most unique and intense preparation on campus was undertaken by Wesleyan’s health services team. This year, that group consisted of Becky Kimsey, lower school nurse and department chair; Marty McQuaig, middle and high school nurse; Sheila Brooks, nurse; and Brian Morgan, chief operating officer. This team helped prepare campus protocols for school this year. They were also the faces behind the confidential covidquestions@wesleyanschool.org and reportcovid@wesleyanschool.org email addresses. These channels allowed families to seek assistance confidentially and to report when COVID impacted their family.

Additionally, this team was tasked with the often thankless job of close contact tracing. With the help of principals, deans, teachers, and coaches, the health services team used guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Georgia Department of Public Health to determine when students were close contacts of a positive case and when they needed to quarantine at home. Contacting parents with the information no family wants to receive, Brian, Becky, Marty, and Sheila graciously supported our families and students through difficult questions and circumstances navigating quarantines and isolations.

Thank you for your hard work!

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CHRISTIAN LIFE X ART

creativity as worship “ S O G O D C R E AT E D M A N I N H I S O W N I M A G E , I N T H E I M A G E O F G O D H E C R E AT E D H I M ; M A L E A N D F E M A L E H E C R E AT E D T H E M . ” G E N E S I S 1 : 2 7

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C R E AT I V I T Y A S W O R S H I P

2 0 1 7 - 2 0 1 8 : O N E , in the Warren Hall prayer chapel.

Art has always been a purposeful part of Wesleyan’s campus, and the Christian life team continues this effort to connect art and the school’s Christian mission. In the 2018-2019 school year, MEAGAN BROOKER, assistant director of fine arts, joined the Christian life team. Meagan’s goal? To help students across campus participate directly in reflecting both the year’s Christian life theme as well other aspects of our faith. “As humans made in the image of God, we are called to create because God first created,” said GREG LISSON, director of Christian life. “Helping our students understand that aspect of God’s character –

that of a creative God who made each of us so beautifully and intentionally – is certainly a goal of our Christian life team.”

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C R E AT I V I T Y A S W O R S H I P

2 0 0 8 - 2 0 0 9 : T H E N A M E S O F G O D , in the lower level of Wesley Hall.

2 0 1 6 - 2 0 1 7 : J O Y M O T T O : J E S U S , O T H E R S , Y O U R S E L F, in the lobby of the Fine Arts building.

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As humans made in the image of God, we are called to create because God first created. Helping our students understand that aspect of God’s character – that our creative God made each of us so beautifully and intentionally – is a goal of our Christian life team.”

GREG LISSON, DIRECTOR OF CHRISTIAN LIFE

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C R E AT I V I T Y A S W O R S H I P

“People remember what we show them much better than what we just tell them,” said Lisson. “With the addition of Meagan to our team, we are trying to be very intentional about helping students see creativity as a type of worship.” “When students can visually see the theme and, for some, collaborate in the creation of it, the biblical truths and God’s promises come to life,” said Brooker. “I hope that the lessons from each theme will be further cemented in the hearts and minds of the students directly participating in the art installations, as well as the students and faculty who simply enjoy the final product.” Visitors can see other Christian life art installations in most buildings on campus. “The JOY art installation in the main stairwell of the Fine Arts building was a massive undertaking for both students and faculty,” recalls Brooker. “That was a lot of work, but it is really special how students added to the piece by writing.” The theme for 2020-2021 was The Word, and thanks to a dedicated group of students and Brooker, the lobby of Cleghorn has been an ever changing canvas to explore the theme. “This year, we had ongoing chalk art related to each month’s theme,” Brooker went on to say. “A group of high school art students have helped with those pieces throughout the year, and it has been a lot of fun to see that take shape each month.”

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C R E AT I V I T Y A S W O R S H I P

When students can visually see the theme

and, for some, collaborate in the creation of it, the

biblical truths and God’s promises come to life.”

2 0 2 0 - 2 0 2 1 T H E M E : T H E W O R D , in the lobby of Cleghorn Hall.

2 0 1 6 - 1 7 T H E M E : L O V E , in the high school hallway in Wesley Hall.

2 0 1 8 - 2 0 1 9 T H E M E : Y O U R K I N D G O M C O M E , in Wesley Hall outside of DuBose Dining Hall.

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I T

T A K E S

TEAM

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I T TA K E S A T E A M

The gift of an 85-acre campus and 450,000 square feet under roof has perhaps never been more apparent than in the months of operating a school during the COVID pandemic. The ability to space out for classes, host socially distanced fine arts performances, and operate a “close to normal” athletics schedule was directly supported by the space Wesleyan is blessed to have on campus. That gift of space and the Wesleyan motto of “Jesus, Others, Yourself” were put to work this year as the athletic department hosted hundreds of athletic competitions. While this department typically oversees a full competition schedule in a normal year, this one was far from normal and required enhanced COVID protocols at every event to ensure the safety of students, fans, and officials. “In a year with so much disruption, our administration wanted to do everything we could to give students as much normalcy as possible,” said Chris Cleveland, head of school. “Extracurriculars play a big part in the lives of our students, and we remained committed to finding ways to keep as much after school activity as possible.” With athletic teams at the varsity, JV, and middle school levels consisting of over 50 teams made up of hundreds of students, keeping teams playing and maintaining appropriate COVID protocols were a tall order for the athletic department. Add to this the reality that not all of Wesleyan’s athletic competitors have similar facilities, and the athletic department found themselves fielding more requests than usual to host events due to the spacing options that Wesleyan’s campus facilitates. “This year we felt like we were part athletic department, part event planners and hosts, and part public health officials,” laughed Lacy Gilbert, director of athletics. “In all seriousness, this was a very challenging year trying to maintain protocols to keep our students, fans, and visiting teams safe. But we were committed to finding a way to make it work so that our students could compete.” Early in the school year, there was a question about if sporting events could take place while keeping both players and spectators safe. Through the diligent work of the athletic department in conjunction with Wesleyan’s COVID leadership and health services team, the athletic department supported each level of sports for every team competing on campus throughout the year. What exactly did that look like? A lot. “When developing our COVID protocols for athletic events, we followed the Georgia Department of Public Health and Georgia High School Association for their guidelines, along with the campusspecific protocols established by our administration and our COVID team,” said Gilbert. “We wanted to be sure we were in line with government regulations along with school guidelines to provide the safest environment. “In the fall and winter, our COVID protocols were the most involved due to higher infection rates in our community and county,” explained Gilbert. “This meant that members of our athletic administrative team had to be present at every home game – middle school, JV, and varsity – to check temperatures of fans and teams, check in visitors using the guest lists provided by visiting teams, and ensure face coverings were being worn and social distancing was maintained. Our goal was to keep students playing as safely as possible, so that took a commitment to making sure we followed the protocols in place to facilitate that.”

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I T TA K E S A T E A M

In addition to the regular slate of competitions hosted on campus each year, Wesleyan also hosted a larger than average number of area, region, and state playoff games. These included:

GHSA REGION 5-A FIRST AND SECOND SEMIFINAL ROUNDS FOR FOOTBALL GHSA AREA 4 SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT GHSA REGION 5-A BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT GHSA AREA 6 DUALS FOR WRESTLING GHSA REGION 5-A TENNIS TOURNAMENT GHSA AREA 4 TRACK AND FIELD MEET GHSA STATE COMPETITIONS FOR BASEBALL, SOCCER, TENNIS, AND LACROSSE

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To facilitate social distancing at the height of the pandemic, the athletic department taped off seats in bleachers, coaches prepared seating charts for buses, and facilities adjusted cleaning guidelines across the board. Schedules were developed to stagger locker room usage to prevent too much close proximity between players, and teams, coaches, and officials were required to wear face coverings while on the sidelines of play. “Throughout each season, we found it was much easier to increase capacity rather than starting too big and having to cut back,” said Gilbert. “We slowly increased capacity for more family members of players and then also added student sections wherever we could.” Limited attendance at most games led to live broadcasting of more athletic events on campus than the school has provided in the past. With the help of the IT team, livestreams were set up for softball, wrestling, and lacrosse. The swim and dive team used Facebook Live for meets, and the National Federation of State High School Associations streaming service expanded to cover all middle school and JV games in Yancey Gymnasium and Henderson Stadium. COVID protocols and the increased number of athletic events on campus have also required more work for the facilities and grounds teams. “I am so grateful to our amazing facilities staff and grounds crew for their constant flexibility,” said Gilbert. “We have had ever-changing schedules this year, and they have gone above and beyond to make sure all protocols were followed and have helped with all of the events with a joyful attitude.”

AT H L E T I C D E PA RT M E N T L AC Y G I L B E R T, D I R EC TO R O F AT H L E T I C S L E E R I D E R , A S S I S TA N T D I R EC TO R O F AT H L E T I C S ,O PER AT I O N S D E N N I S S T R O M I E , A S S I S TA N T D I R EC TO R O F AT H L E T I C S JA S O N G O D B E E , A S S I S TA N T D I R EC TO R O F AT H L E T I C S , M ED I A L O R I S T R O M I E , AT H L E T I C S A D M I N I S T R AT I V E A S S I S TA N T

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WE LOVE OUR

faculty

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On behalf of the Wesleyan Parents Club (WPC), MANDY BRASWELL and ASHLEY STOLLE, chairs of the teacher appreciation committee of the WPC, wrote a letter to faculty thanking them for all their hard work in making the past year possible. The following pages contain the entirety of that letter.

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W E L O V E O U R FA C U LT Y

TO OUR HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS AND A D M I N I S T R AT I O N W H O W O R K E D T O G I V E O U R FRESHMAN, SOPHOMORE, JUNIOR, AND SENIOR CLASSES THE MOST NORMAL FEELING HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE POSSIBLE BY PLANNING FUN EVENTS AND H O L D I N G A G R A D U AT I O N A N D P R O M I N T H E S A F E S T W AY P O S S I B L E , W E T H A N K Y O U !

TO OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS WHO HAD T O A C C L I M AT E N E W F I F T H G R A D E R S , P R E PA R E UPCOMING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, AND FIND W AY S F O R S T U D E N T S T O C O N N E C T W I T H O U T T I M E IN THE HALLS OR CAFETERIA, WE THANK YOU!

TO OUR CHRISTIAN LIFE TEAM WHO H A V E H A D T O R E I M A G I N E R E T R E AT S A N D MISSION TRIPS, LIVESTREAM CHAPELS, AND TRY TO GIVE OUR CHILDREN A STRONG CHRISTIAN LIFE EXPERIENCE, WE THANK YOU!

TO OUR DINING TEAM WHO HAS HAD TO FEED E V E R Y O N E I N M U LT I P L E L O C AT I O N S AT V A R I O U S T I M E S W H I L E R E T H I N K I N G A M E N U T H AT C O U L D B E I N D I V I D U A L LY PA C K A G E D A N D S T I L L D E L I C I O U S , WE THANK YOU!

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W E L O V E O U R FA C U LT Y

T O O U R A D M I N I S T R AT I V E S TA F F F O R W O R K I N G AND RE-WORKING THE SCHOOL CALENDAR ALL YEAR LONG TO ADJUST TO EVER-CHANGING EVENTS, WE THANK YOU!

TO OUR LOWER SCHOOL CHAPEL TEAM WHO L E D F I V E C H A P E L S E A C H W E E K S O T H AT E V E R Y G R A D E L E V E L C O U L D H AV E A C H A P E L , W E THANK YOU!

T O O U R F A C I L I T I E S T E A M W H O S E T U P H U N D R E D S O F TA B L E S A N D C H A I R S S O C I A L LY D I S TA N C E D T O A C C O M M O D AT E F O R E X A M S , D I R E C T E D T R A F F I C I N A L L K I N D S O F W E AT H E R , A N D H A V E H A D T O S A N I T I Z E S PA C E S M U LT I P L E T I M E S A D AY T O A C C O M M O D AT E D I F F E R E N T G R O U P S O F P E O P L E I N T H E S A M E S PA C E , W E T H A N K Y O U !

T O O U R C O L L E G E C O U N S E L O R S W H O H AV E H A D T O H E L P S T U D E N T S N A V I G AT E A P P L I C AT I O N S I N A T I M E O F V I R T U A L T O U R S A N D U N C E R TA I N S TA N D A R D I Z E D TESTING, WE THANK YOU!

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W E L O V E O U R FA C U LT Y

T O O U R C O M M U N I C AT I O N S T E A M F O R T H E M A N Y S I G N S , P O S T E R S , A N D S C H E D U L E S Y O U H A V E C R E AT E D T O L E T U S K N O W W H E R E T O B E , W H E N , A N D H O W, W E T H A N K Y O U !

TO OUR HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS WHO WORKED HARD TO CONNECT WITH STUDENTS IN THE C L A S S R O O M A N D V I R T U A L LY W I T H U P L I F T I N G E M A I L S , M E A N I N G F U L C O N V E R S AT I O N S , A N D GENERAL INTEREST IN THEIR OVERALL WELL-BEING, WE THANK YOU!

TO OUR GRADE CHAIR TEAM WHO MET FOR THREE TO F O U R H O U R S AT A T I M E E V E R Y O T H E R W E E K O V E R T H E SUMMER TO PLAN AND GET THINGS RIGHT FOR THE F A C U LT Y A N D S T U D E N T S AT T H E S TA R T O F T H E S C H O O L YEAR, WE THANK YOU!

T O O U R P R I N C I PA L S W H O H A V E B E E N S U C H TREMENDOUS LEADERS, MAKING EVERYONE THEY ENCOUNTER FEEL SPECIAL AND I M P O R TA N T, W E T H A N K Y O U ! W E A P P R E C I AT E H O W Y O U H AV E R E M A I N E D C A L M , O P T I M I S T I C , A N D H A V E C O M M U N I C AT E D S O W E L L W I T H Y O U R S TA F F, S T U D E N T S , A N D F A M I L I E S .

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W E L O V E O U R FA C U LT Y

TO OUR LOWER SCHOOL C A R P O O L T E A M F O R S TA N D I N G OUTSIDE RAIN OR SHINE, TWICE A D AY, G R E E T I N G O U R C H I L D R E N I N T H E B E S T P O S S I B L E W AY, W E THANK YOU!

TO OUR AFTER-CARE TEAM WHO H A D T O M A N A G E S I X T Y- F I V E C H I L D R E N I N M A S K S , S PA C E D A PA R T, A N D E N T E R TA I N E D F O R T H R E E H O U R S E V E R Y D AY, W E THANK YOU!

T O O U R H E A D O F S C H O O L W H O D E V O T E D H I S E N T I R E Y E A R , E V E R Y S I N G L E D AY, T H O U G H T F U L LY A N D C O M PA S S I O N AT E LY T O O U R S C H O O L , W O R K I N G T I R E L E S S LY T O K E E P I T O P E N , O U R S TA F F S A F E , O U R C H I L D R E N M E N TA L LY A N D P H Y S I C A L LY H E A LT H Y, WE THANK YOU!

T O O U R P. E . T E A M S F O R F I N D I N G C O V I D - F R I E N D LY G A M E S I N A G Y M I N M A S K S , S O C I A L LY D I S TA N C E D , W E T H A N K Y O U !

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W E L O V E O U R FA C U LT Y

T O O U R T R E M E N D O U S C O V I D R E S P O N S E T E A M W H O M E T D A I LY, C O N S U LT I N G E X P E R T S I N T H E H E A LT H D E PA R T M E N T, C D C A N D THE COMMUNITY TO BEST LEAD OUR SCHOOL DURING A GLOBAL PA N D E M I C , W E K N O W Y O U R W O R K W A S H A R D A N D O F T E N F E LT U N A P P R E C I AT E D , B U T I T W A S I M P O R TA N T A N D W E T H A N K Y O U !

T O O U R A D M I N I S T R AT I O N F O R L O V I N G Y O U R S TA F F S O W E L L T H AT Y O U S E C U R E D C A M P U S - W I D E V A C C I N AT I O N S AT T H E F I R S T P O S S I B L E O P P O R T U N I T Y, W E THANK YOU!

T O O U R W O N D E R F U L N U R S E S W H O H AV E T E N D E D T O A L L T H E I R REGULAR DUTIES IN ADDITION TO THE UNDUE BURDEN OF TRACKING D O W N C O V I D T E S T R E S U LT S , S I T T I N G I N D E PA R T M E N T O F P U B L I C H E A LT H W E E K LY C A L L S , M A K I N G T I M E L I N E S O F R E T U R N T O S C H O O L F O R F A M I L I E S , A N D R E G U L A R LY C O M M U N I C AT I N G W I T H U S T O S O R T T H R O U G H Q U A R A N T I N E S A N D I S O L AT I O N S , W E T H A N K Y O U !

T O O U R M A N A G E R S O F T H E S P I R I T S H O P F O R H E L P I N G FA M I L I E S S H O P F O R U N I F O R M S I N T H E S A F E S T W AY P O S S I B L E , A N D PROVIDING A FUN OUTLET FOR OUR CHILDREN BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER SCHOOL, WE THANK YOU!

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W E L O V E O U R FA C U LT Y

T O O U R F R O N T D E S K A D M I N I S T R AT I V E S TA F F W H O H A V E H A D T O G O A B O V E A N D B E Y O N D E V E R Y D AY K E E P I N G T R A C K O F AT T E N D A N C E , S C R E E N I N G V I S I T O R S , T R Y I N G TO FIGURE OUT WHO IS VIRTUAL OR IN PERSON, WE THANK YOU!

T O O U R L I B R A R I A N S F O R H E L P I N G O U R C H I L D R E N F I N D T H E B O O K S T H E Y L O V E A N D F I N D I N G W AY S T O R E L AT E T O T H E M A L L Y E A R L O N G , W E T H A N K Y O U !

T O O U R M I D D L E S C H O O L A D M I N I S T R AT I O N F O R I M P L E M E N T I N G A N E W CARPOOL SYSTEM TO MINIMIZE CLUSTERING OF CHILDREN, WE THANK YOU!

T O O U R T E A C H I N G A S S I S TA N T S I N LOWER SCHOOL WHO BECAME FULL-TIME TEACHERS OF VIRTUAL STUDENTS THIS YEAR TO PROVIDE THE BEST POSSIBLE ONLINE EXPERIENCE, WE THANK YOU!

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W E L O V E O U R FA C U LT Y

T O O U R AT H L E T I C S TA F F I N C L U D I N G T H E A D M I N I S T R AT I O N A N D C O A C H E S W H O , D E S P I T E MANY ADJUSTMENTS TO PRACTICES, GAMES, AND S P E C TAT I N G D U E T O C O V I D P R O T O C O L S , W E R E ABLE TO GIVE OUR CHILDREN A WONDERFUL S O C I A L A N D P H Y S I C A L O U T L E T, W E T H A N K Y O U !

TO THE DIRECTORS OF OUR SCHOOL P L AY S , M U S I C A L P E R F O R M A N C E S , A N D C H A P E L S , W H O H AV E H A D T O A D J U S T R E H E A R S A L S T O A C C O M M O D AT E F O R G R E E N A N D G O L D D AY S A N D G E T C R E AT I V E W I T H M A S K S A N D D I S TA N C I N G , W E T H A N K Y O U !

T O O U R A M A Z I N G S C H O O L C O U N S E L O R S W H O H AV E B E E N AVA I L A B L E , A P P R O A C H A B L E , A N D H AV E L O V E D O N O U R S T U D E N T S S O W E L L D U R I N G THIS CHALLENGING YEAR, WE THANK YOU!

T O O U R I T T E A M W H O H A V E C O N S TA N T LY H E L P E D U S TROUBLESHOOT TECHNOLOGY PROBLEMS AND HAS HAD TO STREAM MEETINGS, CLASSES, GAMES, ASSEMBLIES, CHAPELS, A N D M O R E , O F T E N AT A M O M E N T ’ S N O T I C E , W E T H A N K Y O U !

T O O U R G R A D E C H A I R S W H O H AV E C O V E R E D L U N C H D U T Y T O G I V E T E A C H E R S A B R E A K A N D H AV E S C A N N E D S U R V E I L L A N C E V I D E O S O F YA N C E Y D U R I N G L U N C H T O H E L P W I T H C O N TA C T T R A C I N G , W E T H A N K Y O U !

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T O O U R G I L L F I L L A N S TA F F W H O P I V O T E D T O BECOME SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS WHILE TEACHERS WERE ABSENT WITH SYMPTOMS AFTER RECEIVING T H E I R VA C C I N E S , W E T H A N K Y O U !

TO OUR LOWER SCHOOL TEACHERS WHO HAD TO MANAGE MASK-WEARING OF LITTLE ONES AND LOSE ENTIRE CLASSROOMS TO QUARANTINE, WE THANK YOU!

T O O U R T E A C H E R S W H O H A V E H A D T O T E A C H S I M U LTA N E O U S LY I N P E R S O N A N D V I R T U A L LY, C O N S TA N T LY A D J U S T I N G L E S S O N P L A N S , O F F I C E H O U R S , A N D L A S T- M I N U T E C H A N G E S I N AT T E N D A N C E W H I L E E N F O R C I N G S O C I A L D I S TA N C I N G A N D M A S K - W E A R I N G , W E T H A N K Y O U !

W E A R E S O grateful TO EACH OF YOU F O R Y O U R leadership A N D love I N T H E PA S T Y E A R .

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE | SP R I NG 2021

FA C U LT Y B A B I E S

CRAWFORD THOMAS

H O L LY H E N D R I C K S O N

GRANDSON OF JIM AND CHRISTY PIERCE

SON OF MADISON BOYD THOMAS ‘09

DAUGHTER OF SAMANTHA AND

S O N O F K AY L A P I E R C E E I F O R D A N D

AND JARED THOMAS

MIKE HENDRICKSON

H AY E S E I F O R D

BORN JANUARY 9, 2021

BORN DECEMBER 31, 2020

BORN APRIL 10, 2021

AT 7 L B S 3 O Z

AT 6 L B S 8 O Z

CADEN COLE EIFORD

AT 8 L B S 1 O Z

RHETT BELL

P O L LY D E N N E Y

ALMA MARTINEZ

SON OF KRISTEN AND ANDREW BELL

DAUGHTER OF WHITLEY AND BRETT DENNEY

DAUGHTER OF WHITNEY AND ADRIAN MARTINEZ

BORN JANUARY 7, 2021

BORN APRIL 4, 2021

BORN DECEMBER 31, 2020

AT 8 L B S 7 O Z

AT 8 L B S

AT 6 L B S 7 O Z

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FA C U LT Y W E D D I N G S

12.27.2020 ALEX BUFTON O’DONNELL ‘06

married SCOTT O’DONNELL

I N E L L I J AY, G E O R G I A .

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE | SP R I NG 2021

YEARS OF SERVICE

5 YEARS

10 YEARS

M A R T Y M C Q U A I G , R O B E R T H O L M E S , A N D Y M E R L , J O H N B R A C E Y,

M AT T H E W M E A N S , A N N A M Y R I C K , K E V I N K A D Z I S , J A M I E M C N E A R N E Y,

A N N A H O L L O W AY, A B B Y H O L M E S , M A D I S O N T H O M A S , C R I S T I A N P I E D R A ,

DENNIS STROMIE, ANDREW BLACKBURN, MEG BROOKS, KRISTIE

BLAIN GRAHAM, MYRIAM LIVERANCE, ALINA APONTE, CAROLINA

O N O R AT O , L A U R A S I R O N , A M A N D A C H E AT W O O D , L I S A M C N E A R N E Y

G O M E Z , B E T H M C C O N N E L L , H A N N A H G R A H A M , A M E C O N L E Y, MEREDITH JAMIESON (NOT PICTURED: BRENDA PEREZ, SONIA LOPEZ A R M E R O , B R I A N S T. J A M E S , W H I T L E Y D E N N E Y, A N D G L E N N A R C H E R )

15 YEARS

20 YEARS

M I C H A E L M A N N , J O S E P H A N T O N I O , S A R A H K AT E M O O D Y,

H E I D I L L O Y D , J O S E P H C O O P E R , PA I G E B U R G E S S , T R A C E Y G R E E N E ,

REBEKAH MARTIN-FONG, GREG LISSON, SARA COOPER,

T E D R U S S E L L ( N O T P I C T U R E D : C A N D L E R B A X L E Y, R U T H I E C O L E G R O V E ,

S U YA PA B O N O , N A N C Y J O N E S , B E C K Y C A R D W E L L

A N D T O N YA W A L D E N )

25 YEARS

35 YEARS

S Y LV I A P R Y O R

JEANNE MERTZ

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SPECIAL RECOGNITION

M AT T C O L E R E C E I V E S DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD FROM WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY This spring, Washington and Lee University announced the recipients of the university’s 2021 Distinguished Alumni Awards. Matt Cole, former executive headmaster for planned giving and major gifts at Wesleyan, was named to this distinguished list. A history major at Washington and Lee, Matt was involved in the Calyx, Contact Committee, University Media Board, and graduated ODK during his time as a student. In honoring Matt with this award, the university acknowledged Matt’s extensive contributions to Wesleyan School. These include 20 years serving as executive headmaster of development and additional responsibilities in finance, endowment, college advising, mentoring, and teaching AP history. During his tenure, Matt raised over $130 million for Wesleyan, and he currently serves on the Wesleyan endowment and finance committee. Originally from Newnan, Georgia, Matt is involved in the Atlanta community and serves on several nonprofit boards including Good Samaritan Health Center, Canterbury Court Retirement Community, Georgia Gwinnett College Foundation, Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business Advisory Board, and the George Marshall Foundation. After graduation from Washington and Lee, Matt received his MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE | SP R I NG 2021

D E PA R T U R E S

2004 - 2021

STEVE BROYLES DESCRIBE YOUR ROLE AT WESLEYAN OVER THE YEARS? For my first six years, I was the middle school theater director. In the spring of 2005, we produced Annie, and that seemed to start a trend of big, fun shows. In 2010, I took over the high school theater program. I was also designated “Coordinator of Theater Programs.” In this role, I became a central person to oversee show schedules, budgets, and upkeep of the spaces. I also helped with the design for Lencke Blackbox Theater and proposed many of the upgrades to Powell Theater over the years. CAN YOU SHARE A FAVORITE MEMORY FROM YOUR TIME AT WESLEYAN? I have so many great memories. Watching Erin McConnell get a huge round of applause after her awesome tirade in The Man Who Came to Dinner. Jaucqir Lafond playing the trumpet in character in Hot Mikado. An incredible eleven minute dance break to start the second act of Kiss Me, Kate. Not a dry eye in the house at the end of The Diary of Adam and Eve. The screams of excitement when we announced we would stage The Wizard of Oz. The student who thanked me for casting her after I revealed the rotating set design for Annie. The fun choreography for Brotherhood of Man in How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. The cool silhouette scene in Tuck Everlasting. But I think my favorite memories are the parents who came to me during their child’s senior year with tears in their eyes, expressing their appreciation for how their child’s time in theater saved their life. To find your tribe is an energizing, wonderful thing. WHAT WILL YOU MISS MOST? The students’ moments of discovery, realization, and wonder. There’s nothing quite like being present at those golden moments of illumination.

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D E PA R T U R E S

2001 - 2021

TRACEY GREENE DESCRIBE YOUR ROLE AT WESLEYAN OVER THE YEARS? A little over twenty years ago, I was asked to fill a longterm sub position as a teacher assistant in first grade. I didn’t know anything about Wesleyan School at the time, including its location. When I arrived on campus, it was a very large construction zone with just a few buildings built, and I wondered what I had gotten myself into by accepting this position. The lower school was in double-wide trailers or “modular units” as they were called. The construction zone and temporary housing, however, did not dampen the enthusiasm that was felt all over this growing campus. There was a buzz of excitement for what God had planned for this place in Peachtree Corners. I soon brought my own children to attend Wesleyan’s middle school and settled in the next year as a fourth grade teacher. I taught in the lower school as a lead teacher, as well as an English, math, and technology teacher in the middle school. I have also enjoyed being statistician for many years while my sons ran cross country, sponsor for the middle school literary magazine, GISA Master Teacher, Bible study leader, and the middle school faculty mentor coordinator. CAN YOU SHARE A FAVORITE MEMORY FROM YOUR TIME AT WESLEYAN? Oh my goodness, there are so many. One funny memory from lower school was putting on the Easter play each year with Eric Damm and Karen Walker. Each teacher was responsible for a certain scene. Eric’s class was in charge of the Last Supper. Eric had chosen a smart young man to be Jesus that year. During our first rehearsal in Austin Chapel, the scene unfolded, and Eric’s Jesus began to speak. This particular year, Jesus happened to be from Boston with the thickest accent that you have ever heard. He yelled from the top of his lungs…“Youze call me LAWD and Mastah and youze say well; fwor (for) so I am.” Eric and I literally fell off the front pew and onto the floor. My pastor recently read that scripture in a sermon, and I could not contain my giggles. As I think of my experiences at Wesleyan both as a teacher and a mother, I am reminded of how fortunate we all are to have Wesleyan in our lives. We laugh a lot and cry with each other. We pray for each other and support one another. It has been a blessing to be a part of the Wesleyan family.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO MOST IN RETIREMENT? My family has grown over the years. Both of my sons have married wonderful girls, and they have given me five grandchildren who range from three to seven years old. Our home is a busy place, and I am looking forward to spending some “Gigi time” during the day, rather than at night, and on the weekends. I can’t wait to have the freedom to travel with my husband and friends and enjoy time sitting on the porch at our home in the mountains. I honestly will not miss Microsoft Teams calls, Blackbaud, emails, distance learning, or endless meetings. What I will miss are the lifelong friends and all the students who made teaching not a job, but the fulfillment of God’s call on my life.

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE | SP R I NG 2021

WE LOVE OUR

alumni

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W O LV E S O N T H E F R O N T L I N E S

W O LV E S FRONTLINES ON THE

M E M B E R S O F T H E W E S L E Y A N F A M I LY H E L P FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19 As the world has battled the COVID-19 pandemic, professionals from many industries around the globe have tirelessly worked to solve the challenges presented by such a catastrophic situation. From healthcare providers treating patients on the front lines to pharmacists giving vaccines in grocery stores and pharmacies to technology consultants building tools to help manage funding programs supporting businesses, there are millions of people in the United States alone working hard to keep our communities healthy, safe, and functioning.

Among those many heroes are some of our own. Wesleyan alumni across the country have contributed to protecting and supporting their communities during this crisis. They have lived out the motto they learned while on campus — Jesus, Others, Yourself — and are putting their neighbors and friends ahead of themselves. There are likely many more with stories that we do not know or cannot share. Please join us in thanking not just the alumni on these pages but every member of the Wesleyan family serving in capacities to help our nation weather the storm that has been this pandemic.

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE | SP R I NG 2021

W O LV E S O N T H E F R O N T L I N E S

ANNA GRITTERS ’14

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W O LV E S O N T H E F R O N T L I N E S

“I was in the patient’s room when I heard a knock on the door,” recalls nurse ANNA GRITTERS ’14. “I turned around, and my manager was standing there with a team of doctors behind her. She looked at me and then held her two pointer fingers up, making a ‘+’ sign. My patient was COVID positive, the first such case in our unit. “My stomach dropped, and I did my best to remain calm underneath the layers of personal protective equipment (PPE) I had on,” Anna remembers. “I reassured myself that I was okay, protected, and then I turned back around and continued to care for my patient.” As a registered nurse (RN) in the Neurology Intensive Care Unit at Grady Memorial Hospital in downtown Atlanta, Anna has been on the frontlines of the hard fight against COVID-19. Serving some of those hardest hit in the pandemic, her role as a nurse extended to standing in for family members at their loved ones’ bedsides when no visitors were allowed in the unit.

“Over the last year, I have become the hands and hearts of family members who could not be at their loved ones’ bedsides,” says Anna. “I held an iPad covered by a Ziplock bag in COVID rooms while I held the hand of the patient who could be a mother, father, brother, sister, child, or grandparent in their final moments on this earth. Stepping into that role so that their loved ones could tell them goodbye and so that patients didn’t face that alone has been one of the hardest and most meaningful parts of this experience.” Anna’s heart for serving others was shaped heavily during her experience on three Wesleyan mission trips in high school. “I have always been interested in math, science, and medicine, and serving others with compassion and dignity has been something the Lord has placed on my heart since I was a little girl. During my time at Wesleyan, I participated in three mission trips that left a huge impact on my heart,” she recalls. “I chose to go into the medical field because I can meet people where they are and care for them as best I can. This past year the Lord has grown my heart and faith even more to continue serving each and every one of my patients with kindness and respect.” After graduating from Wesleyan in 2014, Anna completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Georgia Baptist College of Nursing at Mercer University in Atlanta. She has been a part of the Neuro ICU team at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta for two years.

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE | SP R I NG 2021

W O LV E S O N T H E F R O N T L I N E S

L I N D S AY PA N T H E R BROOKS ‘13 Working as a registered nurse in a high acuity unit can be a difficult job at any time. However, since March 2020, the job has become significantly more challenging for LINDSAY PANTHER BROOKS ’13, given the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I have seen ten times more death and suffering in the past year than in my first three years as a nurse combined,” shares Lindsay. “While our process for caring for patients has not changed due to COVID, I am caring for sicker patients with more needs, and it requires a lot more PPE than it ever did before. When the only visible parts of my body are my eyes under a face shield, connecting with patients is very challenging. Communication is also harder because I have to shout through my respirator to be heard over the air purifier.” Lindsay works as a registered nurse on the high acuity unit at UC Health Memorial North Hospital in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She and her colleagues care for some of her hospital’s sickest patients. The past year has made a challenging job even more difficult and stressful.

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W O LV E S O N T H E F R O N T L I N E S

“Many days, it feels like everything we are doing is just so hard,” says Lindsay. “It is difficult to watch a patient who was stable that morning deteriorate to the point of needing ICU level care in a matter of hours. We have had patients too sick to survive being on a ventilator, so they chose to be put on comfort measures instead. It is heartbreaking to take away oxygen, the only thing keeping someone alive, and watch life leave their body, and then to call family members and give them the worst news of their life over the phone. “Twelve-hour shifts as a nurse on any floor are difficult, but caring for COVID patients adds an additional level of mental and emotional exhaustion that cannot be explained,” shares Lindsay. “I am thankful for how my husband and our church community have supported me during this time. Truly, I would not have been able to continue this work for this long if it weren’t for their encouragement.”

Even as a child, Lindsay was fascinated with learning about the human body. “Dr. G’s [Skipper Gholston] freshman year biology class fueled a love for science,” she recalls. “I knew I didn’t have the personality for a desk job, and I wanted to be able to interact with and impact people, so nursing seemed like the right fit. Even amidst the pandemic, I have never regretted my decision to become a nurse.” After graduating from Wesleyan in 2013, Lindsay attended the University of Kentucky where she earned her Bachelor of Science in nursing. She is married to her high school sweetheart, Crawford Brooks ’13, and they live in Colorado Springs with their daughter, Kennedy, who was born in the summer of 2020.

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE | SP R I NG 2021

W O LV E S O N T H E F R O N T L I N E S

Throughout this school year, we have profiled other Wesleyan alumni working directly to support the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. For the full stories of each of the alumni below, scan the QR code below.

K AT I E VA N L A E K E ‘ 1 4

DARBY COXHEAD ‘12

Katie Van Laeke ’14 has taken a different angle in supporting the country during the COVID crisis in her role as a technology consultant for Deloitte.

Darby Coxhead ’12 began administering vaccines as a Publix pharmacist this winter. “Giving the COVID vaccine was something that I knew would eventually hit the retail pharmacy setting, but now, it is surreal that the vaccine is actually here and came so quickly,” says Darby.

As a part of the CARES Act, Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and Health Care Enhancement Act, funds were provided to eligible healthcare providers for healthcarerelated expenses or lost revenues due to COVID. When providers accepted these funds, they agreed to report on how the funds were utilized. Along with her Deloitte team, Katie designed and built the website which will be used by providers to report on their funds (you can check it out at PRFreporting.hrsa.gov). “This has been the most memorable and impactful project I’ve been a part of since joining Deloitte in 2018,” Katie says. “Economic support in this crisis is important, and understanding how that support was used is critical to the provision of future aid.”

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“I love that, through my job, I am able to offer immunizations in a convenient way to the community,” Darby went on to say. “Interacting with and vaccinating individuals has been encouraging to see how much this means to them and creating more comfort in the pandemic.”

W O LV E S O N T H E F R O N T L I N E S

LAUREN LECOY BRENNAN ‘04

K AT T U R N E R HOFFMAN ‘04

ALLEN MARSH ‘00

As a high school student at Wesleyan, Lauren Lecoy Brennan ‘04 knew she had a love of biology and medicine. After participating in three mission trips, she knew she wanted to serve others and that the medical field would be the best way to combine those interests. Today, Lauren is putting that interest to work helping her community as a nurse practitioner on the front lines of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a member of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) communications team, Kat Turner Hoffman ‘04 leads communication for the COVID Data Tracker.

As the chief operating officer of Medical City Lewisville in Lewisville, Texas, the daily routine for Allen Marsh ‘00 has been upended a bit during the COVID-19 pandemic. The hospital is part of Medical City Healthcare, and Allen is responsible for a wide range of functions and infrastructure.

“I am the Clinic Manager, APRN, at the Little Clinic in Anderson, Ohio,” says Lauren. “Our clinic is a partner with Kroger Health that allows nurse practitioners to assess, diagnose, and treat patients for nonemergent issues, vaccinations, physicals, and more.” As the pandemic worsened across the country, Lauren and her colleagues tested and advised patients on the best ways to manage the virus if they tested positive.

The COVID Data Tracker is the CDC’s home for COVID-19 data. It brings together data from across the sprawling response into one user-friendly website that transforms the data into visualizations. Users can find the latest data for their county, including cases, testing, and hospital bed usage. As the Communication Advisor to the COVID Data Tracker, Kat designs graphics, coordinates promotions, and works with communicators across the CDC to ensure the Data Tracker content is correct and compelling.

“My day-to-day constantly changes based on the surge status of COVID patients,” he says. “I am responsible for Surgical Services, Radiology, Pharmacy, Lab, Facilities, Food and Nutrition, Environmental Services, Trauma Services, and EMS. I work with our senior team to ensure we have the resources needed for our staff to treat COVID and non-COVID patients.”

Wesleyan School would like to continue profiling stories of alumni working in fields supporting the ongoing fight against COVID-19. If you or an alumnus you know are directly involved in this work, please contact

communications@wesleyanschool.org.

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE | SP R I NG 2021

ALUMNI BABIES

BRADY PHILIP COX

HARPER ADAIR COX

SON OF DANA JOY BIRNIE AMINI ‘01

SON OF ERIN HALL COX ‘10 AND TYLER COX

DAUGHTER OF ALLI POPE COX ‘08

AND AMIR AMINI

BORN SEPTEMBER 20, 2020

AND JEFF COX

BORN AUGUST 18, 2020

AT 8 L B S 6 O Z

BORN SEPTEMBER 8, 2020

LUKE THOMAS AMINI

AT 8 L B S 2 O Z

AT 8 L B S 3 O Z

THOMAS EDWARD MOYE

KAI JOSEPH PENNING

AARON JOHN SCHMID

SON OF LAURA DUTSON MOYE ‘03 AND BRIAN

SON OF ASHLEY GROSS PENNING ‘02

SON OF RACHAEL DUANE SCHMID ‘09

MOYE ‘03

AND LUKE PENNING

AND MICHAEL SCHMID

BORN OCTOBER 2, 2020

BORN NOVEMBER 18, 2020

BORN OCTOBER 21, 2020

AT 3 L B 1 5 O Z

AT 7 L B S 9 O Z

AT 6 L B S 1 O Z

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ALUMNI BABIES

E L I Z A B E T H M A R Y N F O LT Z

CHANDLER WRIGHT HALL JR.

SARAH LOUISE JONES

D A U G H T E R O F B R E N D A M O R A L E S F O LT Z ‘ 0 7

SON OF CHAD HALL ‘04 AND ROSE HALL

D A U G H T E R O F M A R Y O L I V I A H O LT J O N E S ‘ 0 6

A N D A S H B Y F O LT Z ‘ 0 7

BORN FEBRUARY 4, 2021

AND TURNER JONES

B O R N J U LY 2 , 2 0 2 0

AT 7 L B S 7 O Z

BORN JANUARY 23, 2021

AT 7 L B S 9 O Z

AT 6 L B S 2 O Z

CRAWFORD THOMAS

H E N RY D A N I E L T R U M

S H E P H E R D M I C H A E L VA S O N

SON OF MADISON BOYD THOMAS ‘09 AND

SON OF ERIK TRUM ‘09 AND AMY TRUM

S O N O F K E L S E Y S A N D E R S VA S O N ‘ 1 0

JARED THOMAS

BORN NOVEMBER 1, 2020

A N D C A R L I S L E VA S O N

BORN JANUARY 9, 2021

AT 8 L B S 1 3 O Z

BORN JANUARY 20, 2021

AT 7 L B 3 O Z

AT 7 L B S 1 5 O Z

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE | SP R I NG 2021

ALUMNI WEDDINGS

12.12.2020 KELSEY KING WALKER ‘09 married JASON WALKER AT T H E C A L L A N W O L D E F I N E A R T S C E N T E R I N AT L A N TA , G E O R G I A . A L U M N I I N T H E W E D D I N G PA R T Y I N C L U D E D T Y L E R K I N G ‘ 0 5 , K A R A B R U N E L L E ‘ 0 7 , PA R K E R B R U N E L L E ‘07, MERRY JARRARD ‘09, LAUREN COPELAN ‘09, AND CAROLINE DELONEY ‘09. MARI BETH KING (DIRECTOR OF A D M I S S I O N S ) I S T H E M O T H E R O F T H E B R I D E . O T H E R F A C U LT Y I N AT T E N D A N C E I N C L U D E D S Y LV I A P R Y O R , C L A I R E G R A H A M , MEREDITH JAMIESON, AND MONICA MACIA.

10.20.2020 DREW PREHMUS ‘04 married SARAH PREHMUS I N B I R M I N G H A M , A L A B A M A . A L U M N I I N T H E W E D D I N G PA R T Y INCLUDED COURTNEY PREHMUS WARREN ‘01, SARAH PREHMUS W E YA N D T ‘ 0 6 , A N D D A V I D B I R N I E ‘ 0 4 . O T H E R A L U M N I I N AT T E N D A N C E W E R E C H I P B R O U N ‘ 0 4 , G A R R E T T M C L E N D O N ‘04, HARRISON MEADOWS ‘04, AND ERIC KARASZEWSKI ‘04. THE COUPLE RESIDE IN BERKELEY LAKE, GEORGIA.

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ALUMNI WEDDINGS

03.20.2021 CARTER BRUNELLE ‘05 married RACHEL BRUNELLE I N O R L A N D O , F L O R I D A . W E S L E YA N A L U M N I / PA R E N T I N T H E W E D D I N G PA R T Y I N C L U D E D PA R K E R B R U N E L L E ‘ 0 7 , CHASE HOWE ‘04, ERIC KARASZEWSKI ‘04, TYLER KING ‘05, M A C K E N Z I E S U L L I VA N ‘ 1 5 A N D J O H N N Y E Z Z E L L ( C U R R E N T PA R E N T ) . I N AT T E N D A N C E W E R E A L U M N I / F A C U LT Y K A R A BRUNELLE ‘07, ALEX BURKE ‘16, GARRETT MCLENDON ‘04, W E B B W O R T H I N G T O N ‘ 0 5 , A N D C A R LT O N W A L K E R ( F O R M E R F A C U LT Y F E L L O W ) . T H E B R U N E L L E S C U R R E N T LY L I V E I N B R O O K H AV E N , G E O R G I A .

12.27.2020 JOHN ADENT ‘14 married REGAN ADENT I N S A V A N N A H , G E O R G I A . A L U M N I I N AT T E N D A N C E I N C L U D E D M AT T A D E N T ‘ 1 8 A N D M AT T Z I M M E R M A N ‘ 1 4 . C U R R E N T W E S L E YA N S T U D E N T S I N C L U D E D K AT E A D E N T ‘ 2 3 , E M M A N Y D A M ‘ 2 1 , L I LY N Y D A M ‘ 2 3 , A N S L E E D A V I D S O N ‘ 2 3 , A S W E L L A S F O R M E R S T U D E N T S C H R I S T O P H E R B AT C H E L O R , C O L E B AT C H E L O R , A N D S P E N C E R PA P C I A K . D A V E B R E S L I N ( F O R M E R F A C U LT Y ) AT T E N D E D A S W E L L .

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE | SP R I NG 2021

ALUMNI WEDDINGS

12.27.2020 ALEX BUFTON O’DONNELL ‘06 married SCOTT O’DONNELL I N E L L I J AY, G E O R G I A . T H E C E R E M O N Y W A S O F F I C I AT E D B Y M A R C K H E D O U R I A N D AT T E N D E D B Y F A C U LT Y E M I LY Z A V I T Z A N D J O S H S M I T H . A L U M N I I N AT T E N D A N C E I N C L U D E D B E A U BUFTON ’05, BRETT BUFTON ’06, FIONA OWEN ’03, AUSTIN OWEN ’03, GARRETT MCLENDON ’04, DEIRDRE MCLENDON ’06, MAGGIE LAWRENCE ’06, LAURA BRESLIN ’11, CONNOR B R E S L I N ’ 1 1 , W H I TA K E R W E L C H ’ 2 0 , K E N S I E P I E R C E ’ 2 0 , K A R L E Y W E L C H ’ 1 7 , E R I C PA N T H E R ’ 1 7 , A N D C A L L I E W E AV E R ’ 1 9 .

09.26.2020 LINDY COOPER HERRON ‘11 married TURNER HERRON

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ALUMNI WEDDINGS

11.17.2018 VIC MOORE ‘01 married JENNY MOORE AT B R E N N A N ’ S I N T H E F R E N C H Q U A R T E R , N E W O R L E A N S , L O U I S I A N A . A L U M N I I N AT T E N D A N C E I N C L U D E D A N D R E W MOORE ‘03 AND BLAIR MOORE WARE ‘05.

03.27.2021 HALEY COLLINS BUDD ‘10 married ALEX BUDD W E S L E YA N F A C U LT Y M E M B E R , T E D R U S S E L L , O F F I C I AT E D THE WEDDING.

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE | SP R I NG 2021

CLASS NOTES

D A N A J O Y B I R N I E A M I N I ‘ 0 1 is currently living in Hawaii with her husband who has served in the Air Force for over 10 years. Previous stations have included California, Florida, and Hungary.

V I C M O O R E ‘ 0 1 is the CEO and head coach for the Jets Aquatic Club in Jonesboro, Arkansas. He was voted 2020 Coach of the Year for Arkansas Age Group Swimming. He also serves on the executive board for Arkansas Swimming, Inc. In fall 2020, he was a voting delegate for Arkansas Swimming, Inc. at the United States Aquatic Sports Convention. Vic lead the Jets Aquatic Club to the highest distinction in USA Swimming as a Level 4 Recognition Level Club. He married Jenny Tresvik Moore in November 2018 and has two children: Kade (9) and Sadie-Jones (1).

A M Y H AY G O O D ‘ 0 2 and her husband are expanding their brewery into Crabapple later in the summer. Amy will also be joining the staff of Six Bridges full time as the new general manager and dog ambassador.

D R . W H I T N E Y B O Y D E D WA R D S ‘ 0 4 graduated from Northcentral University in September 2020 with a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.); Specialization in English as a Second Language.

B I L LY S TA R K ‘ 0 4 recently left his job and founded Pine Grove Partners, L.P. Pine Grove is a boutique development firm with institutional backing and an initial focus on need-based real estate in the southeast. He is also engaged to marry Ms. Taylor Hensley in December 2021.

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CLASS NOTES

M I L E S M O R A I T I S ‘ 1 3 is a senior producer for WFMY’s local news in Greensboro, North Carolina. He was selected from among all the station’s producers to create a one-hour documentary on COVID-19 which aired in March 2021. Most recently, he was selected as the employee of the year at the station which has about 200 employees.

KENDRA TALLEY ‘13 was sworn in to practice law at the Dekalb County Superior Courthouse by the same judge she clerked for as a first year law student.

S A R A H R O H D E ‘ 1 4 graduated from Belmont University College of Law, class of 2021 and plans to practice civil rights and criminal defense law in Nashville, Tennessee.

B RY C E G R E E N E ‘ 1 6 graduated from Mercer University in May of 2021 with a computer engineering degree. During his last year at Mercer, he worked at the Air Force Base in Warner Robins as an electronics/ software engineering intern and will begin a full-time position in the spring of 2021. Over the years at Mercer, he traveled to multiple cities and countries performing with the Mercer Singers. As a part of this ensemble, he traveled to England and New York, and he performed at Carnegie Hall.

B E N J A M I N J O H N S O N ‘ 1 6 graduated from the United States Naval Academy. He commissioned as an ensign on May 28, 2021.

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE | SP R I NG 2021

CLASS NOTES

M I K AY L A C O O M B S ‘ 1 7 is a redshirt junior on the Georgia Lady Bulldog basketball team and was selected as the only student-athlete representative on the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Competition Committee. In this role, she will serve alongside current and former coaches, officials, and other women’s basketball experts and be a voice for women’s basketball student athletes across the country.

P E T E R H E S S ‘ 1 8 is a student representative on the UGA Management Information Systems (MIS) Advisory Board that shapes the curriculum. After a thorough selection process, he was chosen to be one of a handful of MIS students that will partner with faculty and corporate executives to shape the MIS curriculum for UGA so it stays relevant. Read more about his role here: terry.uga.edu/alumni/mis-advisory-board.php He has also been accepted to the Masters of Science in Business Analytics Program and will graduate with his BBA and MS all in four years.

This past fall, S I M S J O H N S O N ‘ 2 0 interviewed and was selected out of 700 freshmen applicants to join the First Year Council, a branch of the University of Alabama’s Student Government Association, for the freshman class. He also was chosen out of over 300 applicants to the Capstone Men and Women, a highly prestigious and selective group of elite students, who serve as ambassadors of the University of Alabama. The Capstone Men and Women work closely with the admissions office to give daily tours, assist the University president’s office, the board of trustees, and other administration offices with events as needed.

IN MEMORIUM

C H AS E H IL L ‘ 19 | 2001 - 2021

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SPECIAL RECOGNITION

A L U M N I G R A N D FAT H E R R A L P H P U C K E T T RECEIVES PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF HONOR RETIRED ARMY COLONEL RALPH PUCKETT, grandfather to Lauren Raney ’04, Dixon Raney ’06, Martha Lane Kinnett ‘07, Jeannie Kinnett DeLoach ‘07, and former Wesleyan students Sarah Kinnett Burnett and Jack Kinnett, was awarded the Medal of Honor in a ceremony at the White House on May 21 of this year. President Biden hosted the ceremony, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in was in attendance. This is believed to be the first visiting head of state to attend such a ceremony. The following is an excerpt from the United States Army Medal of Honor site describing Puckett’s career of service. Born in Tifton, Georgia, Ralph Puckett Jr. graduated from the United States Military Academy, West Point and received his commission as an infantry officer in 1949. Assigned to occupation duty in Okinawa, he volunteered for the Eighth Army Ranger Company, which was formed shortly after the Korean Conflict began in 1950. Selected as the company’s commander, First Lieutenant Puckett had five-and-a-half weeks to train his rangers before being committed to combat operations. While attached to Task Force Dolvin and leading the advance of the 25th Infantry Division on Nov. 25, 1950, Puckett and his rangers attacked and secured Hill 205 in the vicinity of Unsan, Korea. Though outnumbered ten to one, Puckett and his rangers defeated five successive Chinese counterattacks over four hours that night and into the early morning hours of Nov. 26. Finally, on the sixth assault, with supporting artillery fires unavailable, the Ranger company was overrun in hand-to-hand combat. Having suffered multiple serious wounds, Puckett was unable to move. Despite orders to abandon him, fellow rangers fought their way to his side and evacuated him to safety. For his actions, Puckett was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. “Korea is sometimes called the ‘Forgotten War,’ but those men who were there under Lieutenant Puckett’s command, they will never forget his bravery,” President Biden said at the ceremony. “They will never forget that he was right by their side for every minute of it.” Thank you for your service and commitment to our country, Colonel Puckett!

In this photo (left): Colonel Puckett (seated, front and centered) surrounded by President Biden, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, and family: Dr. Lauren Raney ‘04, Dixon Raney ‘06, Army Captain Martha Lane Kinnett ‘07, Jeannie Kinnett DeLoach ‘07, Sarah Kinnett Burnett, and Jack Kinnett. (right): President Biden gives the medal of honor to Colonel Puckett.

To read more about Colonel Puckett’s career, scan the QR code or visit www.army.mil/medalofhonor/puckett.

WESLEYAN MAGAZINE | SP R I NG 2021

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