A small school community committed to kindness and trust, Whitfield inspires a diverse student body to lead lives of curiosity, integrity, and purpose.
OUR VISION
Empowering young people to discover and become their best selves.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES, 2024-2025
Ron Fox '74 (Chair)
Jeffrey Evitts (Vice Chair)
Geneen Von Kloha (Treasurer)
Andy Bryan (Secretary)
Brian Chao '08
Dave Cooperstein
John Corn
Shereen Fischer
Corey Jones
Derik King
Lisa Long
Kris Mannen '05
Paul Minorini
Karen Myers
Melissa O'Connor '08
Jessica Portis
Asim Raza
David Ressner
Scott Rhodes '98
Head of School
Chris Cunningham, Ph.D.
Director of Marketing & Communications
Erin Walsh
Design
Melissa Irvin
Principal Photography
Geoff Story
Copy Editors
Cindy Burch
Laura Lotz ’95
Kathleen Kelly
Sara Ringe
Address Change
Development Office
The Whitfield School
175 South Mason Road
St. Louis, Missouri 63141
development@whitfieldschool.org
Correspondence Communications Office
The Whitfield School
Flip Cady '70
Bruno Schmitter
Wayne Smith Ex-Officio
Chris Cunningham, Ph.D. Head of School
STATEMENT OF NON-DISCRIMINATION
The Whitfield School is an independent, coeducational, college-preparatory day school for grades 6–12. Whitfield seeks to maintain a student body diverse in geographic, economic, racial and religious backgrounds. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion or color in administering its academic policies, admissions policies, athletic policies, financial aid program or other school activities.
175 South Mason Road St. Louis, Missouri 63141 communications@whitfieldschool.org
Questions or comments
Erin Walsh erin.walsh@whitfieldschool.org
Visit our website www.whitfieldschool.org
Dear friends,
Welcome to Engage: The Whitfield School Magazine! Engage is replacing Insights as our annual means of communicating with the broader Whitfield community, and, will do many of the same things that Insights did: it will highlight important events and happenings at Whitfield, and it will provide annual updates on alumni and the school’s philanthropic community.
But where Insights functioned as something of a yearbook, a compendium of short pieces and news items, Engage will, like Whitfield’s educational philosophy, go for depth rather than breadth. The magazine will share exciting stories of the Whitfield experience— life-changing learning opportunities, celebrations of athletics and the arts, and alumni profiles and events. Finally, we offer Engage as an invitation to the broader Whitfield community of parents, alumni, and alumni parents to be part of the work we’re doing.
In the pages that follow, you will find important—and I hope inspiring—information about Whitfield 2030: The Strategic Plan of The Whitfield School and pieces that explore the hands-on, experiential learning experiences at the heart of a Whitfield education, from interdisciplinary projects to life-size catapults to global travel. You’ll find stories of collaboration and exploration, as well as updates on our far-flung alumni, including photos from alumni gatherings and a new feature, “Ask Our Alumni.”
And you’ll see evidence of our partnership with Crane + Peters, a nationally recognized branding and marketing firm that specializes in independent schools. After months getting to know Whitfield and St. Louis, and literally hundreds of hours of conversations with faculty and parents, students and staff, alumni and members of the St. Louis community, Crane + Peters has helped us find ways to talk about and present The Whitfield School experience that we think are new and compelling—but also true to who we are as a school and our most enduring educational values.
Finally, if a picture is worth a thousand words, we’ve included a whole library in the “Year in Pictures” you’ll find at the heart of this magazine.
Change can be exciting, but it can also be disconcerting, especially for schools, places where there are traditions and memories and ways of being and doing worth preserving. For those who might worry that, say, a change in font might represent a change in who we are and what we do, please be reassured by the pages that follow. While there are certainly differences, I think you’ll see in Engage that the essence of Whitfield is unchanged—that we are holding on to the best of who we are and what we do—and in some ways, returning to our roots!— even as we look to the future.
Enjoy!
Chris Cunningham, Ph.D. Head of School
The Whitfield School Magazine of Experience .................................................................................. 6-11
Enduring Mission, Evolving Methods, Extraordinary Experiences / The Whitfield School Strategic Plan 2025-2030 of Applied Rigor ........................................................................... 12-15
Physics Class Makes a Splash / Accelerated Physics Class Trebuchet Project
Rhythm of Learning / Zumba and AP Spanish Language
Artful Shields: Students at Whitfield Celebrate Individuality / Middle School Art Explores Heraldic Shields
Capturing Complexity: An Insightful Look at American History/ ‘The Story of America’ Exhibition of Active Mastery ........................................................................ 16-17
Warriors, Start Your Engines / Inaugural Esports Mario Kart Invitational
Matecki Pins Down Fourth State Title / Four-Time State Champion Makes History of Exploration ............................................................................... 18-21
Mandarin Mission: From Taipei to Sun Moon Lake / Advanced Mandarin Students Travel to Taiwan
W-Days: Where Education Meets Exploration / Practicing the Habits of Mind & Heart Outside the Classroom of Collaboration .......................................................................... 22-27
A Year of Photos of Minds ......................................................................................... 28-39
2024 Award Recipients
Commencement Welcome Remarks / Chris Cunningham, Ph.D., head of school
Commencement Senior Class Address / Zachary Philip Tessler ’24
Commencement Address / Ron Fox ’74, board chair / alum / parent / alumni parent
College Choices for the Class of 2024 of Connection ............................................................................. 40-47
The Alumni Promise / Introducing Whitfield’s Alumni Advisory Board
Empowering the Next Generation / Lauren Wesley Wilson's Inspiring Return to Whitfield
Ask Our Alumni / What skills do you use in your career that you began forming at Whitfield?
Alumni Gatherings / Warriors Reminiscing On and Off-campus in 2023-24 of Giving.........................................................................................48-62
Whitfield 2030: The Strategic Plan of The Whitfield School
In the winter of 2023, Head of School Chris Cunningham launched a comprehensive strategic planning process to guide his work in the years ahead. His goal was to develop a vision for Whitfield’s future that was ambitious and forward-looking but also authentic to Whitfield and rooted in its fundamental educational values. Partnering with Ian Symmonds and Associates, a nationally-recognized research and planning firm, with more than 20 years experience working with independent schools, Dr. Cunningham formed a steering committee including trustees, parents, alumni, faculty, staff, and administrative leaders.
This committee met throughout the winter and spring, exploring educational research, market analysis of the St. Louis region, an institutional SWOT analysis, generative exercises, and a review of trends in the independent school and education sector. This process of research and ideation culminated in the early summer of 2023, with the steering committee developing a carefully focused set of strategic priorities and initiatives. That fall, the board of trustees unanimously endorsed the committee’s work, including a new school mission statement and first-ever vision statement
Taken as a whole, the strategic plan offers a bold, ambitious roadmap for Whitfield through the end of this decade. The plan includes an extension and expansion of our long commitment to experiential teaching and learning, to creating opportunities for students to learn by doing, both in the classroom and out in the world. It calls us to fulfill the promise of community by creating a school that reflects the richness of St. Louis and by ensuring that all members of our community can participate fully in The Whitfield School experience. It challenges us to articulate to the St. Louis community the unique and life-changing benefits of a Whitfield education, and to help all of our students reach their full potential. And it challenges us to create the physical and financial infrastructure, from transformative giving to transformative new learning spaces, that will guarantee Whitfield’s financial sustainability in the 21st century.
NEW MISSION & FIRST-EVER VISION
In tandem with strategic planning, the Whitfield community engaged in a broad, inclusive process of reflection to understand, affirm, and articulate what we do as a school and why we do it.
In surveys, workshops, small group exercises, and full school presentations, the school’s faculty, staff, and administration worked with parents, students, alumni, and trustees to craft a new vision statement and new, updated mission for The Whitfield School.
The goal of our work was to identify the best and most essential parts of our past and present, while thinking ambitiously and clearly about our future.
Over the course of the 2022-2023 school year, we surveyed the full Whitfield community, asking all constituencies to reflect on the current mission and to identify those parts of it that were the most resonant and meaningful for them. In the ensuing months, we engaged in a range of exercises with faculty, staff, administration, and trustees to understand the community’s experience of Whitfield, gathering people’s expectations and aspirations, and looking for language that would capture their passion for the school.
Drawing on these community-wide conversations, we drafted a mission and vision that would be true to who we are while describing the school we aspire to be. We then shared draft statements with the full community, gathering feedback through a broad
and iterative process, ultimately presenting final drafts to the Board of Trustees in the fall of 2023, which voted unanimously to adopt these guiding statements:
Our Mission Statement affirms who we are and what we do:
A small school community committed to kindness and trust, Whitfield inspires a diverse student body to lead lives of curiosity, integrity, and purpose.
Our Vision Statement asserts why we exist: To empower young people to discover and become their best selves.
Together, these two statements reaffirm touchstone The Whitfield School values: community and trust, kindness and integrity. These words and ideas are at the heart of what we do, and we heard consistently over the course of the year from all constituencies that they needed to be at the heart of our mission and vision. At the same time, these statements clarify our commitments to diversity and to providing a “small school” experience—to know each child and meet them where they are.
And they clarify that the Whitfield experience is about discovery and transformation—social, emotional, intellectual. As the statements affirm, the Whitfield experience is ultimately about inspiring and empowering young people to become their best selves—to lead lives of meaning and purpose.
Experiential Teaching & Learning
We will reimagine and refine our core academic approaches and offerings, enhancing a Whitfield education through continued curricular innovation. Now and in the years to come, Whitfield students will benefit in ever-evolving and expanded ways from active, interdisciplinary, forward-looking, and enduring experiences—preparing them for lifelong success in a changing world.
Expand experiential learning in all our classrooms. Broaden opportunities at every grade level for experiential learning, increasing the authenticity, challenge, and depth-of-learning in the curriculum.
Cultivate real-world learning beyond our campus. Develop community connections
to facilitate off-campus experiences and engagement, applied learning, and opportunities for mentorship throughout the school’s program.
Create a robust, experiential environmental science program. Expand our science curriculum in tandem with campus environmental sustainability initiatives, allowing students to explore practical applications of theories in environmental science, and technology.
Enrich our advisory experience.
Construct and schedule an advisory program specific to each grade level, designed to foster developmentally appropriate social and emotional learning, academic competencies, and cross-grade level partnership, leadership, and mentorship.
Authentic Access & Inclusion
We will preserve and enhance Whitfield’s distinctly welcoming climate and culture. This plan empowers us to cultivate an even stronger sense of belonging, protect the health and well-being of one another, and ensure that all members of our community can participate fully in the Whitfield experience.
Support greater socioeconomic diversity. Build financial capacity to ensure that all admitted students, regardless of financial ability, can take full advantage of all Whitfield academic and co-curricular opportunities.
Build a team that reflects our community. Marshal the strategies and resources necessary to recruit, hire, and retain faculty, staff, and administration members who together reflect the vibrancy of our city and support the healthy identity development of our diverse student body.
Clear Identity & Capacity
We will better articulate our mission, methods, and culture, in ways that will speak powerfully— both to our city and region as a whole and to mission-aligned prospective families.
Speak powerfully to prospective families. Ensure that outside audiences encounter effective, updated, emotionally resonant messaging about who we are and what we offer—in terms of academic excellence, community support, and lifelong outcomes.
Create accessible spaces. Design, modify, and upgrade facilities, so they are inclusive and accessible, ensuring that all members of the community can access, use, and feel welcome in every corner of campus.
Extend equity and inclusion initiatives
Support and expand our efforts to develop our community’s cultural competencies as described in and developed by Whitfield’s Habits of Mind & Heart.
Protect the well-being of all. Design and implement a comprehensive Health and Wellness program to support the mental and emotional well-being of our students and employees and to contribute to an environment of caring and support.
Articulate academic identity. Develop a community-wide sense of the “Whitfield graduate” and the “Whitfield educator” to ground our mission in a collective understanding of our aspirations, uniqueness, and fundamental identity as a school.
Continue our commitment to supporting a range of learners. Design and implement an array of effective academic and support structures for many kinds of learners—neurotypical, neurodiverse, and gifted—and communicate Whitfield’s capacities clearly with current and prospective families. Continue meeting all students where they are, and more clearly communicate the advantages a diverse learning environment offers to all Whitfield students—who reap academic, social, and practical benefits that only come from learning among and from all kinds of minds.
Appeal to families from around the world. Develop a strategy for recruiting and supporting international families, providing rich and transferable academic experiences for these international students, while offering all Whitfield students unique, authentic opportunities to build cultural competence.
The Science Hoodie Project: A whimsical project that gives students an opportunity to reengage, recreate, and translate an intricate biological model—which can help cement their understanding of a foundational concept.
Lasting Stability & Stewardship
We will advance and sustain all forms of excellence at Whitfield by building a solid, steady fiscal and physical infrastructure. We will undertake wise initiatives in enrollment, philanthropy, programming, revenue, physical plant, and human resources today to assure our continued strength and sustainability tomorrow.
Fund transformative spaces.
Foster community and make space for extraordinary learning through the construction, expansion, or transformation of key facilities, including: an expanded and transformed STEAM wing, including a state-of-the-art makerspace and updated class and laboratory facilities; an expanded and reimagined Intellectual Commons, which will house a new Center for Academic Success, provide additional collaboration and meeting spaces, and updated facilities for the library and IT; a multipurpose athletic facility, to help students grow in physical strength, competitive spirit, and resilience; and an admittedly unglamorous but vitally important storm shelter.
Prioritize environmental sustainability.
Develop an innovative, ambitious sustainability program with the goal of carbon-neutral operations by 2030, thus protecting physical resources, making operations as efficient and economical as possible, and preparing our campus and our community for a world transformed by climate change.
Optimize income and outflow.
Create a sustainable revenue model to support financial aid, facility operations, faculty support, and other essential organizational operating costs.
Nurture a culture of giving.
Increase internal community involvement in philanthropic endeavors to improve financial support and build buy-in on major school initiatives.
In Conclusion
The way things have always been done may not prepare children for a future the likes of which have never been seen.
And one single way of teaching can’t cultivate the kind of extraordinary dexterity that develops when each young mind works with thinkers of all kinds, learns in myriad ways, and turns in many directions: Reading and listening, of course. But also doing, making, seeing, feeling, sensing. Experiencing.
At The Whitfield School, we are planning for a future of rigor that will be anything but rigid. For fresh, relevant forms of academic excellence. For the agility, adaptability, resilience, and risk-tolerance that today’s students— and tomorrow’s challenges—will require.
We’ll always hold true to our foundational mission and continue to build on the bedrock of our unchanging, shared values. But together, guided by this plan, we can also be sure that we’re offering the experiences that will prepare our students to meet the moment and change the world.
WHAT DOES IT
MEAN TO LEARN
AT A SCHOOL OF
EXPERIENCE?
Wrapping your senses around new ideas. Diving into direct contact with concepts and questions. Making, doing, and experimenting your way into knowing, understanding, and mastering. Learning at a school of experience means showing up as your whole self, bringing both your mind and heart on a journey of trying new things, taking wise risks, and supporting friends and schoolmates as they make the same courageous leaps. There are many places you can go to receive a great education, to prepare for college, and to open doors for your future. But here, you can do all of this while also seeing, hearing, touching, and feeling how the world around you works— because at Whitfield, we know it’s the experience that counts.
Physics Class Makes a Splash Accelerated Physics Class Trebuchet Project
Under the guidance of STEM faculty member Mr. Andrew Asikainen, the Accelerated Physics class completed a significant project this spring: constructing a functional trebuchet. This hands-on endeavor culminated in a 50-meter water balloon launch towards faculty targets, coinciding with the end of the academic year for Whitfield seniors.
Physics, defined as the study of motion and interactions of matter, forms the foundation of numerous essential technologies, including transportation, electronics, and cybernetics. Whitfield's Accelerated Physics curriculum spans two years, covering core concepts such as fluid, thermodynamics, electromagnetism, and optics. This comprehensive approach equips students with both a conceptual understanding and the mathematical proficiency necessary for higher education in the physical sciences.
matical blueprint guided their design process, illustrating the intricate relationship between various physical phenomena.
Starting with initial sketches in the classroom, students refined their designs, focusing on stability and efficiency. They built scale models in the physics lab to test hypotheses and finetune their concepts. Guided by Mr. Asikainen, the students then transitioned to the woodshop, where they crafted the trebuchet from raw materials. This process reinforced fundamental physics principles, such as potential and kinetic energy, as well as laws of leverage and conservation.
On launch day, the fully assembled trebuchet, standing at an impressive 15 feet high, was moved to the practice field. With coordinated effort, students loaded water balloons, adjusted angles, and balanced the counterweight. Brave faculty members, including Dr. Hayes and Mrs. Ringe, enthusiastically participated as targets for the budding senior physicists. The excitement of launching water balloons at faculty members drew a crowd, creating buzz around future physics course enrollment and fostering a joyful community experience.
The trebuchet project was a practical application of these principles. Students used a complex formula to calculate the trebuchet's range, incorporating variables like counterweight mass, arm length, release angle, projectile weight, and drag coefficient. This mathe-
Mr. Asikainen remarked, "By constructing a full-sized trebuchet, students not only apply what they have learned in physics, they are also using power tools, and they have to navigate authentic group dynamics where set-backs are common. This experience concretizes their knowledge and creates lasting memories."
The Rhythm of Learning Zumba and AP Spanish Language
At Whitfield, a unique approach to language education is captivating students’ attention and fostering cultural immersion—all through the rhythm of dance. Led by Señor Cipriano Casado, the AP Spanish classroom transforms into a lively dance floor, pulsating with the beats of Spanish music and the enthusiastic movements of students engaged in Zumba sessions.
"I believe in making language learning an immersive experience," Señor Casado explains. "Dance is deeply rooted in Latin American culture, and incorporating it into our lessons not only enhances language skills but also makes learning enjoyable."
“I remember having so much fun ending the class with a dance. Every student seems to enjoy dancing, whether they are in the front taking it seriously or dancing shyly in the back.”
Beyond enjoyment, Señor Casado emphasizes the cognitive benefits of incorporating physical activity into language learning. "Research suggests that exercise stimulates brain function, aiding in memory retention and cognitive processing," he remarks.
I believe in making language learning an immersive experience. Dance is deeply rooted in Latin American culture, and incorporating it into our lessons not only enhances language skills but also makes learning enjoyable.”
-Cipriano Casado, faculty
Students eagerly participate in these dance sessions, finding joy and cultural enrichment in the rhythmic movements. Whitfield student Jocelyn Kazmierski ’24 reflected on her experience, sharing, “When I took Sr. Casado's class,
”Señor Casado’s innovative approach aligns with contemporary research, which suggests that physical activity can enhance learning outcomes. While traditional methods may rely on cultural elements like food or films, Señor Casado’s integration of dance and Zumba offers a dynamic alternative, promoting both linguistic proficiency and physical well-being in the classroom.
Artful Shields: Students at
Whitfield Celebrate Individuality
Middle School Art Explores Heraldic Shields
Mr. Keith Borzillo and Mrs. Mary Kate File’s art classes at Whitfield embarked on a clay design project focused on heraldic shields, integrating Whitfield’s Habits of Mind & Heart character education curriculum into their designs. This cross-grade endeavor between 7th and 8th fine arts courses aimed to foster creativity and personal expression.
Heraldic shields, traditionally symbols of family crests, served as markers of identity and rank. Instead of focusing on ancestry, students created shields that reflected their unique individuality and aspirations.
Over five weeks, students conducted research, sketched, constructed, and painted their shields. They chose words representing aspects of their personalities and used imagery from The Noun Project—a website offering a wide range of icons created by designers worldwide.
Students then crafted their designs in clay using the slab roller and scoring and slipping methods to sculpt their shields. They decorated their creations with vibrant underglaze hues, adding meaning and visual interest to their pieces.
To finish their shields, each student added a traditional name banner, personalizing their creations further. The finished shields were displayed on shelves near the cafeteria entrance, allowing the entire school community to appreciate their artistic achievements.
Capturing Complexity: An Insightful Look at American History
‘The Story of America’ Exhibition
The junior class embarked on a transformative journey through America’s rich and multifaceted history with their innovative 'Story of America' project. This ambitious endeavor, spanning the entire academic year, integrates rigorous academic study with creative expression to foster a deep understanding of America’s past, present, and future.
The project’s inception began with students reading "The Stories We Tell" in history class, where students, inspired by historian Lindell Calder, commenced the year with a free-writing exercise hypothesizing what themes would emerge as they engaged in the study of American history–what kinds of “stories” they would find and can be told. These stories or themes include the “American Dream” and assimilation, oppression and protest, ingenuity and free speech, scientific advancement and public policy–ways of connecting different events across time. From discussing pivotal events, including the American Revolution, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and beyond, students developed increasingly detailed understandings of these broad historical themes. According to Mr. Matt Coryell, United States history teacher, "They started [the project] on day one. We ask them how newly introduced information about historical events either changes or reinforces their story."
The project is multi-faceted, challenging students to draw on a complex range of skills and historical understandings. Over the course of the project, Mr. Coryell guides students through distinct phases including: selecting a seminal event in U.S. history, conducting rigorous research using multiple credible sources, crafting a comprehensive essay, and presenting their findings using multiple mediums. Each step challenges students to delve deeply into historical contexts, analyze significance, and forecast future impacts.
By late April, students transitioned from individual research to collaborative efforts, forming thematic groups based on related emerging themes. This interdisciplinary collaboration across English, history, and fine arts departments allowed students to merge diverse perspectives and mediums, culminating in a captivating exhibition unveiled to the entire school community on May 16th.
The final exhibition involved three separate, but related projects that spanned past, present, and future. Each student did a deep dive into a single historical event, and then combined these into a timeline of American history that stretched halfway down the Humanities wing. Students then worked in groups to create interactive exhibits that encouraged viewers to engage their common historical theme in the present. Examples included immersive exploration into the American visionaries, the impact of protests on popular culture, and how concepts of assimilation and integration have evolved over time. Finally, these same groups created videos that projected their themes into the future, trying to imagine how their story of America will continue to unfold.
The full exhibit engaged viewers in deep reflections on America's complex identity, inviting participants to explore America’s complicated past and ongoing evolution.
Warriors, Start Your Engines
Inaugural Esports Mario Kart Invitational
Whitfield held its inaugural allschool Mario Kart Tournament, bringing together students, faculty, and staff in the world of esports. Spanning three rounds of intense Mario Kart circuits, the tournament concluded with a thrilling live finale during assembly in Woods Hall, crowning Nathan Chien ’29 as the champion.
The tournament hosted participants spanning grades 6-12 as well as faculty and staff— even drawing in Dr. Cunningham, head of school, and Mrs. Ringe, assistant head of school. Despite suspending Whitfield’s unofficial school motto, "Be nice and do the right thing," to allow for the virtual throwing of banana peels and turtle shells, the event buzzed with lively camaraderie
and friendly competition. Over the span of a few short weeks, the brackets were whittled down to a Final Four.
WThe final race on N64 Rainbow Road tested skill and nerve, heightened by live narration that captivated the entire school community. Nathan Chien ’29 took a commanding lead and never looked back, securing victory with an astonishing 57 points. Coming in behind Chien, JD Downes ’24 clinched the second spot, Jason Chien ’26 (Nathan’s older brother) claimed third, and Asher Brown ’28 took fourth.
Looking ahead, the Whitfield community eagerly anticipates welcoming back this exciting event next year.
Matecki Pins Down Fourth State Title
Four-Time State Champion Makes History
Porter Matecki ’24 cemented his legacy in Whitfield wrestling history by winning his fourth state championship at Mizzou Arena with a decisive 5-0 on February 24, 2024. He is the fifth Whitfield wrestler to achieve this milestone and the
Matecki’s journey to this point was marked by both triumph and adversity. Early in the season, he fractured his elbow, causing him to sit out for six weeks. Returning in early February, Matecki balanced physical therapy with regular practices and matches. "When I fractured my elbow, I thought that dream was over," he said. Head Coach Buddy Smith praised Matecki’s resilience, saying "He came back from a pretty bad injury and really wrestled tough."
Matecki highlighted the team’s strength this year, praising the young Warriors who showcased their potential at the state level. Sophomore Lucas Parietti placed fourth (157 lbs), juniors Caleb Carter (138 lbs) and Rome Tate (150 lbs) placed third, and senior Adrian Harrold (285 lbs) secured a fifth-place finish. Their efforts contributed to Whitfield’s 96.5 team points, and third-place overall team trophy.
As Matecki prepares to continue his wrestling career at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, his legacy at Whitfield remains. "Now, being a four-timer, it’s just another step in the journey as I go off to college. I have a lot more goals to take on," he said.
Matecki finished his high school career with an astounding record of 151-10, having never lost a match to another Missouri wrestler. His accomplishments join the ranks of past Whitfield wrestling legends like Rodney Hahn, Michael McAteer, Evan Binder, and AJ Rallo. Matecki’s triumph further perpetuates the legacy of the Whitfield wrestling program.
“Now, being a four-timer, it’s just another step in the journey as I go off to college. I have a lot more goals to take on.
-Porter Mateki '24
”Follow the Warriors
Keep up to date on all the Warrior news by following us on Instagram @WhitfieldWarriors and X @WhitfieldSports
Mandarin Mission: From Taipei to Sun Moon Lake
Advanced Mandarin Students Travel to Taiwan
During Spring Break, advanced Mandarin students embarked on a transformative journey to Taiwan. Led by Mrs. Amy Muggleton, from the World Languages department and Dr. Michał Kwiecień from the Social Studies department, students delved deep into Taiwanese culture, language, and history.
From the bustling streets of Taipei to the serene beauty of Sun Moon Lake, each day brought new discoveries and enriching experiences. The students wasted no time immersing themselves in local culture, visiting iconic landmarks such as the Presidential Office and the historic Ximen Red House.
One of the trip's highlights was the students’ interaction with the local community, where they practiced their Mandarin skills in real-life situations. From ordering authentic Taiwanese
cuisine to participating in cultural activities, each interaction deepened their appreciation for the language and its cultural significance.
Perhaps the most memorable aspect of the trip was the bonds forged between students and chaperones. Through meaningful discussions led by Mrs. Muggleton and Dr. Kwiecień, the students reflected on the similarities and differences between Taiwanese and American culture, fostering a greater appreciation for travel, diversity, and global perspectives.
During an all-school assembly upon their return, participating students Jason Chien ’26, Caleb Carter ’25, and Roman Angieri ’25 presented a slideshow of their trip to Taiwan, showcasing their itinerary in images and anecdotes.
W-Days: Where Education Meets Exploration
Practicing the Habits of Mind & Heart Outside of the Classroom
Whitfield offers students opportunities throughout the year to explore, discover, and grow beyond the confines of the typical course schedule. Through purposefully scheduled disruptions in the academic calendar known as "W-Days" (short for Warrior Days), Whitfield designs immersive learning experiences that challenge students to put the Habits of Mind & Heart into action. During the 2023-2024 academic year, Whitfield organized five W-Days, each tailored to engage students in diverse and impactful experiences that enhanced their educational journey. Many of the off-campus activities were made possible by generous support from philanthropic partners, including the Boyer Family, the Strive Fund, and the Steward Family Foundation.
Middle school students delved into the Habits of Scholarship, Leadership, and Citizenship during visits to The City Museum and the Cortex Innovation Center. At The City Museum, students explored interactive exhibits and artistic installations that encouraged creativity and exploration, navigating physical challenges, problem-solving, and collaborating with peers. At the Cortex Innovation Center, eighth graders
visited the Microsoft Technology Center and BioSTL, engaging with professionals in STEM fields to learn about innovations in artificial intelligence, cloud computing and storage, and BioSTL's critical role in mapping the human genome.
Emphasizing Cultural Competence and Ethical Conduct, both seventh and tenth graders spent one of their W-Days at the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum. In the museum's Impact Lab, students interacted with various stories and learned how to identify and respond to hatred, especially and specifically anti-Semitism. Through an interactive workshop with museum staff, they gained tools to effect change in their community.
W-Days extend into the community through meaningful service projects, fostering Citizenship, Ethical Conduct, and Leadership. Ninth grade students engaged in clean-up projects at Central West End Farms and Greenwood Cemetery, contributing to sustainability efforts and local history preservation.
In preparation for the Story of America project, eleventh graders exercised Scholarship during visits to the Missouri History Museum and the St. Louis Science Center. They applied a critical
lens to museum displays to better understand how information presentation affects understanding. Using directed questions as a guide, students viewed the History Museum and the St. Louis Science Center as models for their own Story of America exhibitions they curated later in the spring.
As the final exhibition of their Whitfield experience and the ultimate demonstration of Scholarship, each W-Day for seniors was dedicated to completing their Capstone project. Seniors arranged interviews, shadowing experiences, research, site visits, and other endeavors that extended their learning beyond conventional classroom walls. These experiences culminated in an extended three-week off-campus experience in May, designed entirely by the students themselves.
W-Days exemplify a commitment to experiential education by providing students with diverse, immersive experiences that integrate academic learning with real-world applications. Through partnerships and community engagement, these experiences empower students to cultivate essential skills and perspectives. Whitfield is currently planning for five W-Days for the next school year including a trip to Memphis, Tennessee for the junior class, who will expand their study of US History by experiencing the locations and stories they’re learning about in the classroom.
A Year in Photos
#1 Faculty and Staff complete Red Cross CPR training during August Days.
#2 The 2023-2024 Endowed Chair recipients at the Faculty & Staff Back-to-School dinner.
#48 - 57 Green & White Gala
#58 - 59 MS Spring Play Stories from The Bookhaven
#60 - 62 Grandfriends Day #63 - 66 US Spring Production Ranked, A Musical
AMERICAN YOUTH FOUNDATION
“I DARE YOU!” LEADERSHIP AWARDS
Ana Struckhoff
Moss Capellupo
ST. LOUIS COUNTY
OUTSTANDING YOUTH LEADER
Dawn Foster
MISSOURI SCHOLARS 100 HONORABLE MENTION
Anna Sophia Gau
NATIONAL MERIT FINALIST
Nihar M. Murali
PRESIDENT’S VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD
Mia Schlottmann
UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
FREDERICK DOUGLASS AND SUSAN B. ANTHONY AWARD
Yashua Amen
UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
GEORGE EASTMAN YOUNG
LEADERS AWARD
Grace Cooperstein
JANE PIPER GLEASON ’70
ST. LOUIS SCHOLAR AWARD
Sophie Wilson
NANCY CLUKIES MIDDLE SCHOOL
ENGLISH AWARD
Lilly Zanzie
UPPER SCHOOL ENGLISH AWARD
Lucy Ellen Heidenry
SOCIAL STUDIES AWARDS
Middle School - Ella Paciorek
Upper School - Isabelle Zhang
SCIENCE AWARDS
Middle School -Alex Zhang
Upper School - Caroline
Frederike Dahlhoff
LOIS BANIS MIDDLE SCHOOL
MATHEMATICS AWARD
Isi Ehimare
UPPER SCHOOL
MATHEMATICS AWARD
Anna Sophia Gau
2024 Award Recipients
AMERICAN MATHEMATICS COMPETITION 8 AWARD
Nathan Chien
AMERICAN MATHEMATICS COMPETITION 10 AWARD
Richard Heidenry
AMERICAN MATHEMATICS COMPETITION 12 AWARD
Yashua Amen
SUSAN SHEPHERD ITTNER AND CHARLES T. SHEPHERD II
SOFTWARE INDUSTRY AWARD FOR ASPIRING TALENT
Lee Kirkpatrick
SUSAN SHEPHERD ITTNER AND CHARLES T. SHEPHERD II
SOFTWARE INDUSTRY AWARD FOR TECHNICAL MERIT
Oliver Paul Hornstra
SUSAN SHEPHERD ITTNER AND CHARLES T. SHEPHERD II SOFTWARE INDUSTRY AWARD FOR LEADERSHIP MERIT
Audrey Long
FRENCH AWARDS
Middle School - Stefano Echeverria Upper School - Diana Ellie Hunigan
MANDARIN AWARDS
Middle School -Cade Prichard Upper School - Caleb Carter
SPANISH AWARDS
Middle School - Noah J. Lett Upper School - Nihar M. Murali
PERFORMING ARTS AWARDS
Middle School - Emme Starkey Upper School - Sloane Addison Shatzer
AMY ANNE PIKE AWARD
Spencer Todd Kaye
DIRECTOR’S AWARD FOR CHORUS
Dylan Weiss
NATIONAL SCHOOL CHORAL AWARD
Sydnie E. Williams
DIRECTOR’S AWARD FOR BAND
Natalia Ruowei Chen
JOHN PHILIP SOUSA AWARD
Kira Leigh Glanton
VISUAL ARTS AWARDS
Middle School -Kendall Bilchik
Upper School - Daphne Hull
COVER DESIGN AWARD
Alexis Albovias
PEGGY
GUNDLACH FINE ARTS AWARD
Samuel Stephanus Parsons
RUTH E. GREATHOUSE
ACHIEVEMENT IN THE ARTS AWARD
Grace Cooperstein
CLASS OF 2024
COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARDS
Lucy Ellen Heidenry
Khang Lam
Adrian Christian Harrold
TRI-STAR ATHLETE AWARDS
Roman Angieri
Joey Garcia Dominguez
Nicholas Connor Flood
Taylor Charlette Gardner
Beckett Lindsey
Adam Mohmoud
Ezequiel Cueto Rasetti
Jordan Marie Sartain
Kayla Marie Sellers
Holden W. Souter
CROSS COUNTRY AWARD
Caden Tyler Edwards
JAMES T. COSTELLO
SIXTH MAN AWARD
Holden W. Souter
COACHES’ AWARDS
Taryn Jones
Caleb Carter
GINGER NEWTON JACOBI ’73
ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARDS
Mia Ryann Devrouax
Porter Fitzgerald Matecki
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
SCHOLAR ATHLETE AWARD
Nolan Pinkley
CLASS OF 2024 SCHOLAR AWARDS
Alexis Albovias
Lorenzo Arruda
Lucas Andrew Babusis
Jacob Sung Bae
Sophie Rose Beracha
Safiya Yasmin Butler
Annika Capellupo
Praveen Enrique Chakinala
Mia Ryann Devrouax
George Preston Dorris, V
Anna Sophia Gau
Lorenzo Gray-Liva
Lucy Ellen Heidenry*
Oliver Paul Hornstra
Taryn Jones
Maddox R. Kao
Spencer Todd Kaye
Katherine Elizabeth Kuplent
Khang Lam
Audrey Long
Maxwell David Megargel
Phillip Douglas Mihalevich
Nihar M. Murali
Oliver Timothy Niemann
Samuel Stephanus Parsons
Nolan Pinkley
Sydney Porter
Britney Nicole Rhodes
Ella Jane Rogan
Perry Alisabeth Rogan
Jordan Marie Sartain
Sloane Addison Shatzer*
Zachary Philip Tessler
Lai Jeon M. Williams
Sydnie E. Williams*
Sarah Marcella Wooten
Zoe Isabella Zotos
*Scholar Awardees for all 7 years
YEARBOOK DEDICATION
Rickey Goodwin
JAMIE SNOW PANNEBECKER AWARD
Kendall Bilchik
STUDENT COUNCIL
STUDENT OF THE YEAR AWARD
Lucy Ellen Heidenry
PRINCIPAL’S SERVICE AWARD
Sheldon J.A. Jackson
PRINCIPAL’S COMMUNITY AWARD
Tessa Politte
PHILIP B. CADY SCHOLAR AWARD
Kayla Marie Sellers
PETER MAACK ELLIS ’71
SENIOR OF THE YEAR AWARD
Sarah Marcella Wooten
HEAD OF SCHOOL’S LEADERSHIP AWARD
Lai Jeon M. Williams
JANET ESROCK
SPIRIT OF WHITFIELD AWARD
Andrew Asikainen
LOLA B. GOODWIN
BUILDING COMMUNITY AWARD
Melissa Irvin
GEORGE A. NEWTON OUTSTANDING TEACHER OF THE YEAR
Rachel Gassner
Commencement 2024
Welcome Remarks
Chris Cunningham, Ph.D., head of school
Welcome to The Whitfield School's two thousand and twenty-four Commencement.
I’m grateful for the opportunity to begin this ceremony with a reflection and indeed a special encouragement for the Whitfield class of 2024. It was in your senior year that the School adopted a new vision and new mission—both of which you helped to create. These brief statements say a lot—they describe who we are as a school and a community–and they challenge us to live up to our own lofty aspirations.
Whitfield’s vision talks about empowering young people to discover and become their best selves. You graduates on the stage tonight show us what it looks like when that vision is fulfilled. The diploma and medallion you will receive in a short time are symbols not so much of homework and tests and essays and artwork and music–although they surely are all of that–but, more importantly, these things symbolize passions you pursued, talents you discovered, skills you honed. They represent new and more sophisticated understandings of the world around you, and they represent aspects of yourself that you discovered and explored, in classes, in athletics, on the performance stage, and in the hallways you walked every day. If nothing else, we are all here to celebrate that extraordinary accomplishment: the discovery and exploration of selfhood.
In our new mission, we talk about “lead[ing] a life of curiosity, integrity, and purpose,” and it’s that first word, curiosity, that I want to reflect on in my brief remarks this evening, offering three different ways of understanding what it means to be a curious person.
First, there is the most common sense of curiosity—that impulse or desire to know or understand more, to look under the rock, to click on the link, to go down a rabbit hole and get to the heart of a question or problem or idea. In your Capstone projects, you each had a chance to go deep into a subject. And I suspect that many of you discovered the great secret about intellectual curiosity: that is, the more you know about something, the more you realize how little you know about it. If nothing else, curiosity reveals the hidden depths of almost everything around us, from libraries and actuarial science to wrist watches and education. Indeed, the more curious we are, the more we know we don’t know, the larger and more mysterious the universe becomes. To my mind, the ultimate end of curiosity is humility and wonder and awe: that feeling we have when we confront the sheer magnitude of all that can be known and our own finite capacity to know it.
If the world outside of us is infinitely large and, I would say, infinitely interesting, so, at the same time, is the world inside each of us. Each of you sits here today with hopes and ambitions, habits of behavior and speech, beliefs and values that you have developed and internalized over your lifetime. Where did all of these things come from? How do you know what you know–
or know what you want to be? Did you choose your beliefs and values, or were they chosen for you by the people and culture around you? Similarly, what are your intellectual and emotional ruts, the ways of being and thinking that tend to lead you down the wrong path? By contrast, what are those habits of heart and mind that work for you, that have led to your success? Leading a life of curiosity also means taking the time to notice yourself and your own mind. It means asking yourself questions, thinking critically about what you do and what you believe. I’m not suggesting you have to change your mind about anything, but I would encourage you to interrogate yourself, to test and challenge yourself. Only by doing so can you be sure that you are “leading” your life, that you are choosing it for yourself and not following a path that someone else has mapped out for you.
to create the relationships of care and understanding that are the foundation of a happy life.
Finally, and at the same time, I encourage you to be curious about other people. Every person in your life, from the stranger next to you on the plane to your best friend to your great uncle is an opportunity to expand your world, and asking questions is the easiest way to do it: What is it like to be a banker? a truck driver? a painter? a surgeon? What was it like to grow up in that place–or in that time? What do you love about your job? What’s a favorite memory from your childhood? Questions like these enlarge our world, offering us access to other people’s stories, opening up experiences, times, and places that we would otherwise never know. At the same time, asking people deep questions, questions about their lives and what they care about helps us to form meaningful connections. Being genuinely curious about others helps
Indeed, in its broadest sense, curiosity about others is the foundation of civil society and a healthy democracy. It seems to me that much of our current political division stems from a lack of curiosity, a deep and authentic desire to understand the experience and point of view of those who see things differently than we do. When we have not taken the time to talk to people with whom we disagree, it is easy to create caricatures, to dismiss them as ignorant, misguided, or operating in bad faith. By contrast, when we seek to understand another person, we often discover points of agreement, shared values, if nothing else, our common humanity. Even if we walk away from these conversations unchanged in our opinion, the easy caricature we had is often replaced with a more complicated, multifaceted portrait. In the end, curiosity about others is a civic virtue. Leading a life of curiosity is an ethical commitment to recognizing other people in all of their human complexity.
And so, graduates, my hope for you this evening—and in the years ahead—is that you will be curious people, for your own sake, and for all of our sakes. In each of your programs, you’ll find a small card, identifying you as a “Curious Person.” I have put one in my wallet, as a reminder of the person I want to be—but also as a reminder of the class of 2024 and of the two years we have spent together here at Whitfield. I offer it to you as a small token of your time here, the person you are, and the person you will continue to discover and become.
The Louis Lazarus Award recipient Alicia Tessler with Chris Cunningham
Chris Cunningham with The Mary Leyhe Burke Award recipient Dave Lauer
Senior Class Address
Zachary Philip Tessler ’24
First, I would like to give my thanks to the amazing class of 2024 for bestowing this honor upon me. Second, I would like to thank Whitfield for presenting me with the skills necessary to act in this position. And lastly, I would like to apologize.
This apology is directed to my parents because I never told them I was going to deliver the speech. I never even told them I tried to run for the position.
Surprise!
For the duration of this speech, I do not wish to dwell on the negative but I believe that I am responsible to mention the hardships the class of 2024 faced. Although the COVID-19 pandemic was not easy for anyone at Whitfield, our class possibly had it the worst.
We became the “basement class”.
For many scary, disinfecting, social distancing months, the class of 2024 never left the basement of Whitfield. Our food was brought down on carts, and conference rooms were split into classrooms. The hallways had lines like roads, and the students turned into a cleaning crew every time we left a room. For the average class, this would have killed their spirit, passion, and ability to learn and connect.
The good news is that the class of 2024 is far from average.
Our presence in the school is strong, and there is no denying it. Through clubs, sports, and other school activities, this class is always sure to participate and connect with all grade levels and faculty members. One of the most quiet,
yet significant effects of the pandemic was all of the traditions it ended. This year, the class of 2024 revived old traditions and created new ones. Most notably, we had our senior sunrise, where at six in the morning, the entire senior class got together on the soccer field, ate donuts, and watched the sun rise before our first day of Senior year.
Thanks to our amazing student council, we were able to have a second spirit week for the first time in more than 20 years.
With some persuasion, we were able to get back our senior privileges, which truly made senior year feel special.
It is through our vicious ambition that we create our own path. As part of the original sixth-grade class, I can promise you that we have been infatuated with achievement from the beginning. We truly preserved the spirit of this class in Whitfield’s history through these changes and advancements.
Our academic and athletic accolades speak for themselves, with a surplus of state titles and a bundle of merit scholars. While the month of May was reserved for our Senior Capstone
project, it was overwhelming to see the number of students coming back to school to attend study sessions for their AP courses. The incredible list of Universities the class of 2024 was accepted to clearly demonstrates our success in the classroom, and of course, the banners surrounding us now, recognizing many of our incredible athletes demonstrate our success out of the classroom. It is truly a representation of the character of these students, dedicated to excellence.
These are just a few of the reasons I can proudly say I am part of the 2024 Whitfield graduating class.
But, I think most faculty members would agree that the best classes at Whitfield are not those with the smartest students or highest achieving athletes, but those who spread positivity and kindness throughout the school. Fortunately, this class embodies it all.
We are at the front of every opportunity to give back to the community, whether it’s through food drives to help the less fortunate, or securing opportunities for volunteering like the annual blood drive. There is a common theme with this class.
We want to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.
A moment in my second to last Economics class of the year reminded me of this. We were presenting our final project in class, and the assignment was to create a business which included a ginormous paper and presentation. While every example from the past was dedicated to making the owners the most money and scaling the business greatly… one of my classmate’s presentations was the opposite. Instead of trying to create a hugely profitable business, the group created a not-for-profit food bank. It was surprising at first, yet a true representation of the capabilities of this class. Although the business was not technically real, it gives me hope and makes me excited for the future of this incredible class.
It is uncommon for a group of individuals to be this ambitious and passionate, and I feel so fortunate to have been a part of it.
And in case you still aren’t convinced of the class of 2024’s spirit and kindness— Ms. Greathouse just couldn’t stand to stay at Whitfield without us and is retiring as we leave. So that tells you something.
I really wanted to end this speech with something that would resonate with my peers. I really couldn’t decide what route I wanted to take. A joke. A pop culture reference. A teacher quote.
In the end, I thought I would take it back to the basics. Mr. Records' junior English class. A Ralph Waldo Emerson quote. “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” I want you all to look back to this time last year when we were working on our Story of America projects. The immense stress and pressure. The failures, the struggles, all of it. Remember it all. Now look around. Look how far we have come, how much we have achieved, how much we have to look forward to. The lowest of lows only precedes the highest of highs.
The future is bright for this class, and I could not be more proud to have been a part of it for seven incredible years.
Congratulations class of 2024, from the basement to the stage, we did it!
Commencement Address
Ron Fox ’74, board chair / alumnus / parent / alumni parent
For 50 years, I have supported Whitfield because I believe in its mission. In 1952, when John Barnes and Allen Cole founded Whitfield, they created a school crest which includes the Latin phrase In Propria Persona, which literally means “In One’s Own Character.” This phrase emphasizes “the person” and individual achievement. I have always understood this as an expression honoring individual students. Then and now, this school’s faculty focuses on each student –meeting them where they are and respecting who they are regardless of their background.
Whitfield is a place where today’s graduates and all students benefit from a gifted faculty committed to modern pedagogy. Here, academic rigor is standard, and critical thinking is fostered. Whitfield students develop self-confidence and a deep trust in who they are and what they can achieve. In class, these graduates are accustomed to speaking with their teachers, much like an athlete seeking guidance from a coach. They express their thoughts and engage respectfully with other students who have different ideas. These graduates accept that the world is filled with different people who don’t look like them and who don’t have the same ideas. These graduates understand the important truth that this diversity is not just a modern reality but, in fact, these differences are valuable and enhance a group’s collective power.
Teaching these principles is essential and profoundly valuable for the future of our society. This is especially true in today’s world of political strife - when some use differences to create distrust, hatred, and grievances. Unfortunately, it appears we live in a time when the
sleep of reason has produced monsters. This is one of the reasons I am so devoted to Whitfield. I see Whitfield as an essential community asset. Our great country needs more Whitfield graduates like those before us today. But these principles of acceptance are also important to education in a way I did not understand until my current service on the Board of Trustees. What I have come to understand is that Whitfield’s culture of kindness, acceptance, respect, and trust is a catalyst for learning.
This culture creates an environment in which students are free of the distractions of outdated mores. They can open themselves to learning because they trust the environment in which they learn.
The Whitfield Board of Trustees authorized a survey of the St. Louis community and Whitfield constituents. Some respondents in the larger St. Louis community repeated an old view of Whitfield as a “softer” private school when compared to other independent schools in the area. This view is rooted in outdated notions that rigor requires a mountain of homework every night and a frenetic daily schedule that includes teaching every subject every day, where students race between ringing bells with no time to absorb anything from their last class. But the responses to the survey from the professionals within Whitfield demonstrate an understanding that the science of learning reveals a better model. And the notion that Whitfield is soft is just plain wrong.
At Whitfield, the faculty knows that the future of academic rigor is not rigidity. Gone are the days when memorization equals true learning. Real academic excellence fosters intellectual agility, adaptability, resilience, and risk tolerance that today’s students need and tomorrow’s world requires. This intellectual dexterity comes from learning with all senses and emotions, not just memory. Deep, fluent understanding of a subject comes from active learning, experience, and engagement.
As a trial lawyer, I know that jurors may forget what I say and what I do, but they never forget how I make them feel. How jurors experience evidence is essential because it drives how they feel about the case and their verdict. It is the experience that counts. Likewise, active experiential learning leads to student engagement which leads to deep discovery of a subject. Through the joy that comes when a student engages with a subject, learning occurs. This is what I have learned from my service on the Board. This is the Whitfield way. This is The Whitfield School.
This is why these graduates are prepared for college and for life. And the truth is, other independent schools are moving towards us.
At this moment, I would be remiss if I didn’t recognize and address the faculty of Whitfield. As you look upon these graduates, I hope you feel a deep sense of pride for a job well done. Because of you, these graduates are equipped with the analytical and intellectual dexterity to succeed in a world where the cutting edge is in perpetual motion, where the progression of AI will make the advent of the smartphone appear insignificant. What you do here is so very important. On behalf of the class of 2024, their parents, and the Board of Trustees, thank you for all you have done for us.
Whitfield is not resting on its achievements. I am pleased to tell you the Board has worked closely with the administration to ensure a bright future for our school. It started with the hiring of Dr. Chris Cunningham, who is an excellent educator and inspirational servant-leader. Through his collaborative style and tireless work, he has invigorated the faculty, administration, and Board of Trustees. Since his arrival just under two years ago, he has shepherded Whitfield towards a number of important goals. We have a new strategic plan, a new vision statement, and a new mission statement. We are working through a market research study which will enable us to tell our story of the Whitfield way and, in turn, drive enrollment. We have embarked upon a feasibility study aimed at important and innovative capital improvements to our facilities. And, with the retirement of a number of fine faculty and administrators, he has hired and promoted many excellent replacements. To say that Chris Cunningham gets us is an understatement. In the short time he has been here, he has become us. He is a Whitfield Warrior, and we are lucky to have him.
And now, I want to recognize this wonderful class of 2024. Everyone at Whitfield agrees the Class of 2024 has been a great class in every respect. Those who were here for the Senior Retrospective saw some amazing artwork. This year’s musical was truly awesome.
Centered are the recipients of the The President's Chairman's Award, Kyle Kerner & Lauren Weissman-Kerner with Ron Fox pictured left and Chris Cunningham pictured right.
In sports, this class achieved outstanding results including:
• 22 Individual State Champions (Wrestling, Tennis, Track)
• 5 Team State Championships (Wrestling, Basketball, Soccer)
• Five 2nd Place @ State
• Three 3rd Place @ State
• 9 District Titles
• 7 Final Four Appearances
For a school our size, that is incredible. And in academics, the Warriors of 2024 have been accepted to many excellent colleges. Let me name just a few: Dartmouth College, Baylor University, Belmont University, University of Southern California, Washington University in St. Louis, Spelman College, Rhodes College, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Savannah College of Art and Design.
Collectively and individually, you can be very proud of your achievements while here at Whitfield.
Finally, I have a few bits of advice for the Class of 2024. First, I know you are excited about graduating. But you are probably also concerned
about what this coming year will bring. In many cases, you are headed to college far from home. It is only natural that you may be anxious about all the uncertainty of leaving the comfort of family and friends. Let me assure you, every one of you is ready for college. As a parent of three Whitfield graduates who have all received college degrees, I can tell you Whitfield has made sure you are academically prepared. You have what you need to succeed, if only you allow yourself to be confident in who you are and what you can achieve.
Second, recognize that you are not perfect–you will make mistakes. The key to success is not to be mistake-free. The key is to realize that mistakes happen. You must embrace them as learning opportunities. Maturity and good judgment mean learning from mistakes and not repeating them. When understood, mistakes hone character.
Third, I’m sure each of you has been asked about your major in college and what you will do when you graduate from college. You may be troubled by your uncertainty about these questions. For me, the answer was simple. As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a lawyer. I wanted to try lawsuits and convince
juries. The law is my passion. Any professional success I have achieved has come from my love of practicing law and the enjoyment I get from always striving to be a better advocate. I believe that the most successful people love what they do. Their success comes from their passion for their work. So, as you look to your future, remember that it is the enjoyment from what you do that will take you where you want to be. Find classes that stir your interest and seek a career that you truly love. If you can find a field of endeavor where you enjoy the challenge of always improving, success will follow. In the end, you may not be rich, but you will have what you need and you will be happy. If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.
Fourth, remember– once a Warrior, always a Warrior. As you graduate, you become an alum. There are many Warriors who are very successful in many fields. They can and will help you with networking and advice about careers. Find time to come back to Whitfield to watch sporting events, or the musical, or for reunion weekend. Laura Lotz, our director of all things alumni, will be happy to help you connect with other Warriors and stay connected to Whitfield.
Honorary Diplomas
This year at graduation, Whitfield started a new tradition, awarding honorary diplomas and class membership to departing faculty and staff who have served the school for 25 years or more. This year’s recipients were Mr. Jeff Cacciatore, 34 years; Mrs. Ruth Greathouse, 39 years; and Mr. Dave Lauer, 30 years.
With over a century of collective service and dedication to Whitfield, this extraordinary group deserves our deepest gratitude and appreciation.
Lastly, there are people in this audience today who have achieved a great goal. They pursued their dream vigorously. At times in the long course of their efforts, they have been frustrated and wondered how they would reach this day. But today they are rewarded. I’m referring to your parents. I hope each of you will remember to tell your parents you love them and thank them for their sacrifice on your behalf.
In closing, as you graduate, please remember to do three things today: Live in the present–enjoy this day. Tell your parents you love them and thank your favorite people here at Whitfield for all their hard work on your behalf. Know that you will succeed if you believe in yourself, find your passion, and work hard to achieve your goals.
Congratulations, good luck, and welcome to the Whitfield Alumni community.
GO WARRIORS!!!
College Choices for the Class of 2024
Daniel Luis
and Design
Robby Amarnek Lawrence University
Kaeden Nathan Anderson Saint Louis University
Lorenzo Pais de Arruda Florida International University
Lucas Andrew Babusis Saint Louis University
Jacob Sung Bae Baylor University
Dominic Edward Baiocchi Principia College
Karma Marie Barrett Southern Illinois University–Edwardsville
Sophie Rose Beracha University of Colorado–Boulder
Ethan Boyd Buettner McPherson College
Safiya Yasmin Butler Macalester College
Annika Capellupo University of California–San Diego
Praveen Enrique Chakinala Texas Christian University
Andrew Cochran Elon University
Ezequiel Cueto Rasetti University of Missouri–Columbia
Columbia College Chicago
Mia Ryann Devrouax University of Missouri–Columbia
George Preston Dorris V McPherson College
Jefferson Fredrick Downes California Polytechnic State University
Nicholas Connor Flood University of Missouri–Columbia
Ella Arden Fox George Washington University
Nathan Lee Fox Belmont University
Taylor Charlette Gardner Grand Canyon University
Anna Sophia Gau Rhodes College
Kira Leigh Glanton Oberlin College and Conservatory
Natalie Kate Glidewell Southern Illinois University–Carbondale
David Eliot Hart Goldstein Case Western Reserve University
Lorenzo Gray-Liva University of Alabama
Jada Christina Griffin Wilberforce University
Adrian Christian Harrold Missouri University of Science & Technology
Lucy Ellen Heidenry Dartmouth College
Robert Keith Hill III St. Louis Communiity College
Oliver Paul Hornstra University of Missouri–Columbia
Daphne Hull School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Sheldon J.A. Jackson University of Michigan
Taryn Jones Illinois Institute of Technology
Maddox R. Kao Miami University of Ohio
Spencer Todd Kaye University of Denver
Jocelyn Kazmierski University of Arizona
Samuel K. King Kenyon College
Katherine Elizabeth Kuplent University of Missouri–Columbia
Margaret Mary McGuire Loyola University New Orleans
Maxwell David Megargel University of Missouri–Columbia
Phillip Douglas Mihalevich Rhodes College
Pat L. Miley Maryville University
Nihar M. Murali Case Western Reserve University
Oliver Timothy Niemann Northeastern University
Cohen Nicholas Panneri George Washington University
Samuel Stephanus Parsons University of Southern California
Nolan Pinkley
Truman State University
Owen Porter Washington University in St. Louis
Riyaz Syed Raza Saint Louis University
Ethan James Reinhardt University of Missouri–Columbia
Britney Nicole Rhodes University of Arizona
James Ragan Rhodes University of Indianapolis
Hudson Streichert Richards Missouri State University
Ella Jane Rogan McKendree University
Perry Alisabeth Rogan McKendree University
Jordan Marie Sartain Saint Louis University
Braydon King Sellers Saint Louis University
Maksim Serdotetskov Mission Valley College
Sloane Addison Shatzer Kansas State University
Aanya Yasmin Siddiqui University of Missouri–Columbia
Holden W. Souter Northwood University
Elanah Louise Sykes Washington University in St. Louis
Zachary Philip Tessler University of Miami
Ashton James Whitfield
Lai Jeon
Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University
Miguel Williams Spelman College
Sydnie Elise Williams Spelman College
Sarah Marcella Wooten Spelman College
Isabelle Zhang Boston University
Zoe Isabella Zotos Arizona State University
Alexis Marie Albovias Savannah College of Art
Desloge
The Alumni Promise
Introducing Whitfield’s Alumni Advisory Board
This year marked the beginning of Whitfield’s Alumni Advisory Board (AAB). Its mission is the following:
To foster and expand life-long pride in being a Whitfield Warrior and cultivate the enthusiastic habits of networking, engaged participation, volunteerism, and giving while supporting fellow alumni and future alumni of the school.
Over the 2023-2024 school year, four alumni and Director of Alumni Relations Laura Lotz ’95 worked together to create the Alumni Advisory Board’s bylaws and develop The Alumni Promise, what might be called the board’s strategic plan. Moving into 2024-2025, the AAB will play a crucial role in enhancing alumni engagement, supporting current students and the school, and promoting the overall mission and values of Whitfield.
The four alumni who gave their time and talents to the AAB this year are listed below, and each will continue to serve on the AAB in the coming year:
• Casey Jolley ’03, Incoming President
• Mark Baden ’96
• Caroline Baer ’12
• Mike Reese ’06
In the summer of 2024, new members were added to the Alumni Advisory Board in the work to develop meaningful alumni programming and foster a stronger connection between the
alumni community and Whitfield. The selection process was conducted by a committee of alumni and staff and aimed to assemble a diverse and dynamic board representing our alumni community.
The alumni community is excited about this new chapter and the potential it holds for enriching the alumni network. If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact Director of Alumni Relations Laura Lotz ’95 at (314) 415-1271 or laura.lotz@ whitfieldschool.org.
Empowering the Next Generation Lauren Wesley Wilson’s Inspiring Return to Whitfield
Lauren Wesley Wilson ’03 returned to campus to share insights from her groundbreaking book, What Do You Need? How Women of Color Can Take Ownership of Their Careers to Accelerate Their Path to Success. Following an all-school assembly, Ms. Wilson held a question and answer session with the students in the Women's Alliance and Black Student Union affinity groups.
Ms. Wilson, founder of ColorComm Corporation, began by addressing the entire school community in Woods Hall, emphasizing the importance of empowerment through self-discovery. She encouraged students to ask themselves the pivotal question, "What do I need to succeed?" This, she explained, is the first step toward defining personal goals and identifying the resources necessary to achieve them.
Are you an alum who would like to get involved too?
There are many different ways alums can reconnect with the Whitfield community. Please go online at www.whitfieldschool.org/ alumni/alumni-get-involved
During her address, she shared her own journey of creating ColorComm, which started as an informal networking luncheon series and grew into a multimillion-dollar communications company. Ms. Wilson stressed the value of mentorship programs and networking events, urging students to seek out mentors from diverse professional backgrounds. These connections, she noted, are crucial for personal and professional growth, providing guidance, support, and inspiration.
When speaking with the Women’s Alliance and Black Student Union, Ms. Wilson focused on fostering a sense of identity and pride. She spoke about the significance of cultural celebrations and history education, encouraging students to embrace their heritage. Her personal stories of overcoming adversity resonated deeply with the audience, reinforcing the
importance of having role models who share similar experiences.
She also discussed the challenges faced by women of color in the workplace and provided strategies for self-advocacy and career advancement. She shared insights on recognizing and addressing gender bias and discrimination, handling imposter syndrome, and the potential advantages of being a pioneer in predominantly white spaces. Her advice was practical and actionable, equipping students with the tools to navigate their future careers with confidence.
Ms. Wilson's visit to Whitfield was more than just a speaking engagement; it was a call to action to Whitfield students. As Ms. Wilson reminded them, understanding and fulfilling their own needs is the key to unlocking their full potential and achieving success.
About Ms. WIlson: Lauren Wesley Wilson is the Founder and CEO of ColorComm Inc., headquartered in New York City. With a prestigious clientele including The Coca Cola Company, Disney, Walmart, AT&T, and many others, ColorComm is renowned for its expertise in communications, marketing, and media strategy. Ms. Wilson's illustrious career spans roles in political communications, where she served as Communications Director for Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and as a Media Strategist/Media Booker for President Barack Obama. She further honed her expertise as a Communications Strategist at Qorvis/MSL, specializing in crisis communications for international governments and stakeholder engagement for consumer brands.
Casey Jolley ’03 Mark Baden ’96
Caroline Baer ’12 Mike Reese ’06
Ask Our Alumni
What skills do you use in your career that you began forming at Whitfield?
ALI (BARASH) BERMAN ’05 earned her B.A. in English from Tufts University in 2009 with a minor in Communications and Media Studies. Ali is a Partner and the Co-Head of UTA Creators at leading global talent, entertainment and sports company United Talent Agency (UTA). She focuses on representing the Internet’s brightest stars, representing digital influencers and content creators, such as TikTok stars Charli and Dixie D’Amelio and their parents Marc and Heidi D’Amelio; the Internet’s “It-Girl” Emma Chamberlain; creator economy experts Colin and Samir; the queen of TikTok Alix Earle, Airrack, Jake Shane, Hyram Yarbro, Connor Wood (a.k.a. Fibula), Joshua Weissman; Girlbosstown (a.k.a. Robyn Delmonte), and many more.
Ali Berman was featured in the 2021 “LA Women’s Impact Report” in Variety the 2021 “Next Gen” class in The Hollywood Reporter the 2015 class of “Hollywood’s New Leaders” in Variety and in the “18 Under 34” list in Broadcasting & Cable . Ali joined UTA in 2011 after beginning her career in the agent trainee program at International Creative Management (ICM). She lives in L.A. with her husband and daughter.
LIANNE (LOTZ) DAUES ’00 is an accomplished HR professional who has made a name for herself in the world of Talent Acquisition. After attending Miami of Ohio, where she graduated summa cum laude with a major in Public Relations and a minor in Family Studies, Lianne embarked on a career path that has seen her become a leader in her field.
Currently, Lianne leads the Talent Acquisition Delivery function at McKesson Corporation, a Fortune 9 company that is responsible for delivering a third of all pharmaceuticals used in North America. In this role, Lianne is responsible for driving innovation within the talent landscape and helping to identify and recruit top talent for the organization.
She comes from a family of Whitfield graduates, including Laura Lotz ’95 and Ron Lotz ’98. Lianne now lives in Dallas, Texas, with her husband, Kirk Daues ’95, and their daughter, Madelyn (6).
Whitfield taught and valued critical thinking and problem-solving skills that deepened my ability to engage in learning in meaningful and authentic ways. We also had group projects and discussions across all classes, which helped me develop my ability to work with groups and be part of task-oriented teams. Whitfield also taught me time management - and a little procrastination! - which ultimately has helped me understand myself better as a worker and what motivates me.
JIMMY HOWE ’10 graduated from the University of Vermont in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science Business Administration (BSBA) and a Minor in Economics. He is currently Director, Investments with Summit Real Estate Group. Jimmy joined Summit in 2019 and is involved in supporting all aspects of acquisition strategy including sourcing, underwriting, and due diligence. Prior to joining Summit, he held various positions within accounting and financial planning and analysis at Bunge North America. Jimmy’s sister, Melissa Howe O’Connor, graduated from Whitfield in 2008 and is a current Board member. His mother, Mary Howe, is a former Board Chair.
There are three key skills learned at Whitfield that I use today: 1) story-telling/writing, 2) presentation, and 3) problem-solving. I wrote a great deal in all of my Whitfield classes, which has helped me in general when communicating my ideas and specifically when preparing new business plans and crafting a compelling, strategic story. In addition, the people, presentation, and problem-solving skills I learned while collaborating on teambased projects translated well to college and the workplace.
A significant portion of my role at McKesson involves fostering connections and collaborating with leaders throughout the organization. Another large portion of my job revolves around building compelling business cases and delivering presentations to senior leadership. The presentation skills I honed during my time at Whitfield have provided me with a distinct advantage over my peers, and I have continued to cultivate and enhance these skills to this day.
Also, although I never loved math, I built my understanding and appreciation of data at Whitfield. Today, as part of my role, I am responsible for interpreting qualitative and quantitative data and communicating insights derived from it. This requires me to look at various data sets, including hiring trends, market insights, and business initiatives, among others. The small classroom environment at Whitfield, coupled with teachers who made math as ’real-world’ as possible, helped me develop a deep understanding of data analysis and its practical applications. These skills have been incredibly important, allowing me to effectively analyze data and tell compelling stories that help drive business outcomes.
MATTHEW KINCAID ’07 graduated Honos Civicus from Tufts University in 2011 with a degree in American Studies with a concentration in African American Studies. He earned the Presidential Award for Public Service and Active Citizenship and the Alumni Association Senior Award. After graduation, Matthew served as both a social studies teacher and school administrator in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Matthew is currently Founder and CEO of Overcoming Racism, LLC, an organization that seeks to develop more equitable institutions through comprehensive race and equity training. Overcoming Racism equips teams with the tools to build an actively equitable culture. Matthew has personally trained teams from a vast array of organizations from the National Basketball Association to elite universities and statewide school systems and has been leading anti-racism workshops for over 15 years. He is a published author ( Freedom Teaching ). His work has been featured in GOOD magazine and during the solution sessions at AFROpunk. Matthew was recognized as a top 100 visionary leader by Real Leaders magazine. In 2019, Matthew was the recipient of Gambit’s 40 under 40 recognition. He is a former Young Entrepreneur of the Year for the state of Louisiana’s small business administration. His work has been showcased in prestigious platforms like The Washington Post Forbes Huffington Post , Now This and Black Enterprise amplifying the message of equitable education for all and societal change.
There are plenty of academic skills that I formed at Whitfield. If you work hard at Whitfield, you will be prepared academically for most environments. For me, the social and leadership skills I began honing are the most important for the work that I do now. I learned how to build relationships and coalitions with people who were different from me. One of my best friends at Whitfield was a white student whose political views were just about as opposite to mine as they could be. We learned to love the things we had in common like our faith, our love for sports, and metal gear solid videogames, and we learned to engage respectfully about the things we disagreed about. Whitfield exposed me to a diverse set of students with a diverse set of experiences. When I was faced with people who were different from me in college and my career, I already knew how to build bridges across those differences because I learned to do that at Whitfield. Our world is so polarized now that people seem to have forgotten that we need one another to build the society that those who come after us deserve.
My work is about creating a world free of racism. To do my work well I have to be able to connect with people from all different races, political backgrounds, religions, and walks of life. I don’t have the luxury of tailoring my message to one crowd or type of people. Whitfield helped me to see the value in all people, even people with whom I disagreed. It is a vital skill that more people should invest in.
Alumni Gatherings Warriors Reminiscing On- and Off-Campus in 2023-24
Trivia Night • Sept. 21, 2023
Homecoming Oct. 6, 2023
2023-24 Alumni Legacy Familes
Snow Fun • Dec. 2, 2023
Chicago Social • Jan. 25, 2024
Denver Social • Sept. 14, 2023
Alumni Gatherings Warriors Reminiscing On- and Off-Campus in 2023-24
New York Social • April 18, 2024
1994 Baseball Class 1 State Championship 30th Anniversary • April 26, 2024
Girls Soccer 27th Anniversary Celebration • May 3, 2024
Reunion • May 4, 2024
Philanthropy Report • 2023-2024
Dear Whitfield Community,
As I reflect on my first year as the director of development at The Whitfield School, I am filled with immense gratitude and pride for the incredible support and generosity shown by our community. Your dedication to Whitfield has made my inaugural year truly remarkable.
The spirit of philanthropy at Whitfield is truly inspiring. This year, we achieved 100% participation in the annual fund from our Board, faculty, and staff, a testament to the deep commitment each member of our community has to our school. We also saw a significant increase in participation across all constituencies, including alumni, current parents, grandparents, and friends. We even hit 100% participation from some of our grade levels as well. Your unwavering support ensures that our students continue to receive the highest quality education and experiences that Whitfield has to offer.
I would like to extend special thanks to Marci and Marty Boyer, whose generosity has created a fund allowing our 7th and 10th grade students to visit the Holocaust Museum each year, deepening their understanding of the Holocaust and antisemitism, and helping them to make our world a better place. Additionally, we are profoundly grateful to the Steward Family Foundation for their support of our DEI efforts and for making special travel experiences for the 2024-2025 school year possible, and to the Strive Family Fund for establishing a discretionary fund for our Head of School, empowering him to seize opportunities that enhance our students' experiences.
At Whitfield, we know it’s the experience that counts. Our unique approach allows students to not only receive a great education and prepare for college but to also engage with the world around them in meaningful ways. Here, students can see, hear, touch, and feel how the world works, creating a holistic learning environment that prepares them for their futures.
As we look ahead, our main goal remains to diversify our fundraising efforts. It is of utmost importance that our generous supporters continue to support the school consistently each year, as we encourage our entire community to join in and consider contributing to The Whitfield Fund We need to ensure that Whitfield students enjoy the greatest secondary school experience possible because our students are the leaders the world needs today. The annual fund is critical in sustaining this exceptional environment.
Thank you once again for your remarkable generosity and commitment to The Whitfield School. Together, we are shaping a brighter future for our students.
With gratitude,
Director of Development
The Report on Philanthropy allows us the opportunity to acknowledge the support and generosity of our parents, alumni, parents of alumni, grandparents, faculty, staff and friends. The donors listed on these pages contributed to Whitfield between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024.
FOUNDERS
($50,000+)
Dr. Brown’s
Lauren Weissman Kerner 1996 & Kyle Kerner 1996
Kristen Deffaa Rhodes 1999 & Scott Rhodes 1998
Thelma & David Steward
LEADERS
($20,000-$49,999)
Anonymous (1)
Candy & Flip Cady 1970
Danielle & Jeffrey Evitts
Dianna & Ron Fox 1974
Nan & Steve Fox
Jackie & Derik King
Strive Family Fund
WARRIORS
($10,000-$19,999)
Anonymous (1)
Boeing Gift Matching Program
Laura Pollnow Bryan 1997 & Andy Bryan
Layla & Robert Glassman 2002
Ruth & Ken Greathouse
The Mary Ranken Jordan & Ettie A. Jordan Foundation
Elizabeth & Phil Levy
Laura Ceretti-Michelman & Jeremy Michelman
Karen Myers
Recognition Circles
1952 Circle: Donors who contribute $10,000 or more are part of the 1952 Circle. This circle is named to commemorate the establishment date of The Whitfield School. Members of the 1952 Circle, who contribute $10,000 or more, are recognized with a special private reception held at the Head of School's home.
Green & White Circle: Donors who contribute between $1,000 and $9,999 are part of the Green & White Circle. This circle is named to celebrate our school colors at The Whitfield School.
Pearl & Steve Nordlund
Saadia & Asim Raza
Ashley Rufkahr & Eric Hurtte
Heidi & Ian Silberman
Laurie and Ray Van De Riet
PACESETTERS
($5,000-$9,999)
Anonymous (1)
Emily Arneson
Crista & Brian Beracha
Robin & Jim Blatt
Mark Capellupo
Kendra & Jim Epstein
Mitzie Fenberg
Joy Gebhardt
Jane Piper Gleason 1970
Susan Ittner
Kristin & Jesse Keller
Lisa & Matthew Long
McKay & Jason Mills
Debra & Tim Niemann
Valentina Penalba & Joaquin Schlottmann
Jessica & Mark Portis
Lisa & Charles Shepherd
The Shepherd Foundation
Susan Shepherd Ittner
Susanne Ittner 2011
Charles Shepherd II
Susanne Shepherd
SCHOLARS
($3,000-$4,999)
Matthew Badler
Najia & Naeem Bari
Barbara & Barry Beracha
Elizabeth Mannen Berges
& James Berges
Jill & James Bosanquet
Anne & Bill Chao
Lisa De Las Fuentes & Murali Chakinala
Helena & Chris Cunningham
Haley Deffaa Fuller 2003
Jennifer & Brandon Haynes
Ginger Newton Jacobi 1973 & Jan Jacobi
Amy & Dave Kosanke
Andrea Ligammari & Peter Kunz
Lee Rhodes 1994
Molly Shaffer & Paul Minorini
Mallory & Clinton Shocklee
Jenny Syed & Syed Tariq
TIFF Advisory Services II, Inc.
SUPPORTERS
($1,000-$2,999)
Ellen & David Amarnek
American Chemical Society
Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc.
Elissa Cady Arnold 1997 & Ben Arnold
Elizabeth & Al Babusis
Jane & Sam Bae
Sarah & Stefan Baiocchi
Ron Bartels
Bayer AG Leverkusen
Jessica & Gary Bell
Gloria Bilchik & Arthur Lieber
Kitty Bollinger
Brasserie by Niche
Marie & John Brauer
Gege Brightman
Karen & Jim Bruns 1970
Mary & Dick Burke
Katie & Chris Cady 2000
Cassie Capps & Mark Laspe
Angie & Nick Casey 2002
Candice Champion & Jeff Parsons
Brian Chao 2008
Shin Mean Chen & Sim Yuen Chong
Erin & David Chien
Closet Factory
Julie & John Cochran
Alisa & Dave Cooperstein
Laura & John Corn
Rachana & Eric Creeth
Andrea & Gerd Dahlhoff
Frank Darling
Bridget & Peter Desloge
Maria & Tim Desloge
Sheri & Paul Diemer
Wendy Dillinger & Chris Sellers
Laura & GP Dorris, IV
Sue & George Dorris
Amy & Glenn Douglas
Edco Realty Co.
Shelly & Mike Edwards
Ed Epstein
Judy Epsten
Amy & Kevin Fischer
Suzanne Fischer
Jenny Chao Gansner 2006
Genovese Jewelers
Darcy & Dan Glidewell
Lindsey Williams Graves 2001 & Justin Graves
Megan & David Greathouse 2002
Laura Cady Guzewicz 2002 & Michael Guzewicz
Haffenreffer Family Fund
Laura & Kevin Hewgley
Sharon Hoffarth
Julia & Justin Honold
Suzanne & Tom Hough
Hydromat Incorporated
Judy & Bruno Schmitter
Vidya & Ganesh Iyer
Sarah Jensen & Josh Amato
Anjali & Sanjeev Kamat
Sarah Yoselevsky Kaye & Todd Kaye
Orisia & Brian Kirkpatrick
Michael Koman 2022
Carolyn Brightman Kroenlein 1983
Nancy & Nick Kurten
Tamara Estrill-Lett & Jearl Lett
Lisa & Joe Litvag
Stephanie Liva & Paul Gray
Laura Lotz 1995 & Harold Barker
MAI Capital Management LLC
Joan Malloy
Lindsay Gilhousen Mannen 2005 & Kris Mannen 2005
Carol Margolis
Marian & Brett Markwort
Christine Merryman & Michael Starkey
Helen & Mark Mihalevich
Margot McMahon Monser 2000 & Ed Monser
Amal & Ehab Morcos
Andrea Moyer & Mike Forbes
Amy Muggleton
Barbie & Pat Murphy
Cary & Andy Murphy
Ellen Simons Nahlik 2006 & Rob Nahlik
Melissa Howe O’Connor 2008
& Logan O’Connor
Dan O’Grady
Amber & Jeff Ott
Susan & Matt Parker
Maggie & Alex Pearson
Susan & Bill Piper
Kristin Thompson Poelker 2007
Kate & Dan Pollmann
Brooke & Zack Ray
Renaissance Charitable Foundation
Rickie & Art Kerckhoff 1969
Stephen Kerckhoff 1999
Angela & David Ressner
Sara & Craig Ringe
Ebony & Paul Robinson, Jr.
Amber & Dave Rogan
Amy & Jeff Rush
Leslie & Rick Schmidt
Judy & Bruno Schmitter
Anya Gurevich-Schwab & Matt Schwab
Ashly & Luke Sehy
Elizabeth & Arsham Sheybani
Cory Spielberg 1994
St. Louis Cardinals
Ashley Steed & Kory Lavine
Alicia & Michael Tessler
Jillian & Raphael Thomadsen
Katie & Brian Thompson
Liz & Zar Toolan
Courtney Murphy Trenary 1997 & Tyler Trenary 1997
Carol & Frank Trotter
Erica Trotter 2005
Geneen & Troy Von Kloha
Wells Fargo Community Support Campaign
Liz Wheeler & Beau Ances
Susie & Gordie Wiegand 1970
Chandra Wiewel & Greg Folkert
Miriam Wilhelm
Wilhelm/Friedman Donor Advised Fund at Youthbridge Community Foundation
Susan & Chris Wilkins
Betty & Jim Williams
Calvin Williams
Connie & Ned Williams
Cindy & Tom Woolsey
FRIENDS
($1-$999)
Anonymous (7) 2B Organized St. Louis
4M Building Solutions
Terrilyn Price-Aaron & Montize Aaron
AbbVie
Lisa & Tom Acker
Amanda Adams
Joseph Aghaeze
Maria Ahern
Karen Albers
Martha & Christian Altvater
Samantha Alul
Celeste Malfavon-Amos & Jovan Amos
Nicol & Mark Anderson
Tish & John Anderson
Denise & Rogerio Andrade
Gabe Angieri
Anheuser-Busch Foundation
Karen Appelbaum
Ana Maria Arbelaez & Carlos Bernal
Peder Arneson
Missy & Andrew Asikainen
Andrea & John Atkinson
Alline Babbitt
Dolly & Jay Baker
Meghan & Eliot Bamford
Deborah Barnes & Vernell Taylor
Sandi & Robert Barrett
Jeannie & David Bassett
Lori & Doug Becker
Jeremy Bedenbaugh
Hila & Eyal Ben Abraham
Elliot Benoist 1969
Elliot Benoist, Jr.
2023-2024 Whitfield Fund Class Captains
Grade Class Captain(s)
Grade 6 2030 Kathleen Kelly
Grade 7 2029 Jenny Syed, Sam Harris
Grade 8 2028 Scott Rhodes 1998, Dawn Gilbertson, Amy Weiss
Grade 9 2027 Jeffrey Evitts
Grade 10 2026 Jillian Thomadsen
Grade 11 2025 Melanie Marks
Grade 12 2024 Ron Fox 1974
Thank you to our amazing Pledge Week volunteers!
Ali Barash Berman 2005
Brooke Berry 2018
Marj & Roger Beuc
Kevin Bilchik
Danielle Boyd
Miller Boyd
Ilana Boyer 2023
Courtney Bradley
Christi & Mike Brandenstein
Danita & Hayward Brown
Kelli & Jeremy Brown
Michelle & Eric Brown
Kenya & Henry Buford
Bill Bunton
GALA DONATIONS
2B Organized
Emily Lane Arneson
The Art of Entertaining
Andrew Asikainen
Lisa Barry Jenkins
The Black Rep
Keith Borzillo
Jessica & Eric Brown
Flip Cady 1970
Chris Carson
Cip Casado
Cha Boutique
Cheree Berry Paper & Design
Chicken ’N Pickle
Clearly Better Scents
Cleaver & Cocktail
Closet Factory
COCA
Laura & John Corn
Cindy Burch
Debbie & Jeff Cacciatore
Lee & Zane Cagle
Sharon & Doug Carroll
Chris Carson
Sabrina & Rickie Carter
Sharina & Edward Carter
Celina Casado
Emma Casado 2023
Cha Boutique Town & Country
Ananda & Chandramouli Chakinala
Charles L. Crane Agency
Fran Cheng & Michael He
Cheree Berry Paper & Design
The Corner Pub & Grill
Gerard Craft
Creve Coeur Racquet Club
Crumbl Cookies Chesterfield
Helena & Chris Cunningham
Jim Daniels
Frank Darling
Matt DiGiulio
Maureen Dube
Kendra & James Epstein
Danielle & Jeffrey Evitts
Mitzie Fenberg
Ginny Fendell
Kegan Fisher
Schouwenburg 2003 & Robert Schouwenburg
Chicken N Pickle
Ashley Chod 2000
Evonne Chou 1994 & Kent Mark
Cigna
Erin Cizek 2013
Liz Clawson
Cleaver & Cocktail
Tori Clodfelter 2009
COCA
Nicole Collins & Alex Williams
Carol & Dave Cooksey
Krislyn & Bradley Coons
Marileana Garcia Corretjer & Shawn Burkard
The Frank Family
Friend of Whitfield
Nick Funke 2004
Rachel Gassner
Joy Gebhardt
Genovese Jewelers
Dawn Gilbertson
Elaine & Michael Goldman
Lindsey Graves 2001
Ruth & Ken Greathouse
Brandon Haynes
Iconic Male
Dr. Sarah Jensen
Heaven John
Kristin & Jesse Keller
Kathleen & Seamus Kelly
Keltik Driving Academy
Stacey & Matt Coryell
Jack Courtney 2023
Creve Coeur Racquet Club
Samantha & RJ Crotser
Crumbl Chesterfield
Susan Culican & John Pruett
Juliana Dahlhoff 2023
Brittney & Ryan Dailey 2002
Preeti Dalawari & John Vandover
Heather & Jim Daniels
Jamie & William Davidson
Molly & Jonathan Davis
Susan Dean
Joyce Debenport
Lauren Weissman Kerner 1996 & Kyle Kerner 1996
Jackie & Derik King
Cory Koenemann
Amy Kosanke
Lazy River Grill/ Yellowstone Cafe
Lisa & Joe Litvag
Lisa & Matthew Long
Lindsay Gilhousen Mannen 2005 & Kris Mannen 2005
MetroVet
Michael Mitchell
Amy Muggleton
The Murphy Family Niche Food Group
Nothing Bundt Cakes
The Novel Neighbor
Amber & Jared Odom
Corinne Nisbett Denoon & Dave Denoon
Abby Baden DePriest 2000 & Bryan DePriest
Kathy & Tom Dewoskin
Karen & Steve DiGiulio
Meghan & Matt DiGiulio
Nancy & Bill Dilley
Millicent & Nathaniel Dohr
Jennifer & Jeff Downes
Maureen & Dave Dube
Liz & Matt Dulick
Abby Lefler Eaves 2010 & Van Eaves 2007
Elizabeth & Pablo Echeverria
Ashley & Adam Eggebrecht
Debbie & Zamir Eidelman
Alisse & Mark Ellebrecht
John Emert
Curtis Erlinger
Luci Estep & Alex Thonen
Melinda & Mike Evens
Connie & Lloyd Evitts
Tanya Fagaly & Matthew Hull
Ginny & Chip Fendell
Mary Kate File & Keith Borzillo
Vicki & Jim Finn
Kristy & Jack Flood
Kathleen & Scott Fogarty
Save-the-Date
Dan O’Grady
The Only Facial
Amber & Jeff Ott
Maggie & Alex Pearson
Pretty Paws
PRP Wine International
Saadia & Asim Raza
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Amy & Robert Rahm 1997
Carrie Rahm Rhodes 1995 & James Rhodes
Kristen Deffaa Rhodes 1999 & Scott Rhodes 1998
Rachel Rhodes
The St. Louis Cardinals
Sara & Craig Ringe
Kendra Scott
Jon Shine 1996
Sievers Retrievers
Heidi & Ian Silberman
Ashley & Wayne (Chip) Smith 1997
Cory Spielberg 1994
The Spotted Pig
Stone Turtle
Straub’s Fine Markets
The St. Louis Cardinals
Michelle Templeton
Lisa Trout
Urban Chestnut
Geneen & Troy
Von Kloha
Waterway Car Wash
March 1, 2025
Green & White Gala
A special evening celebrating our school, and paying tribute to the 2024 Recipient of Whitfield’s George A.
Newton Outstanding Teacher Awardee!
The Whitfield School Board of Trustees
Miriam Wilhelm
Becca & Seth Williams 2005
Rachel Gassner World Language Faculty
Megan Wolfslau
Tim Zoll
Thank you to these donors for supporting our Green & White Gala.
For photos from the 2024 Green & White Gala, see page 26.
Cindy Follman & Jay Baum
Cara Foster
Jasonee Foster & Jeffery Foster II
Ida Fox & Scott Aubuchon
Laura & Don Frank
Anthony French 2005
Lucy Gallagher 2023
Jackie & Andy Gambill
Rick Gamp
Jenna Garofolo
Rachel & Bradly Gassner
Megan & Brian Gau
Leeann & Todd Gienke
Dawn & Jason Gilbertson
Sophia & Luvell Glanton
Elizabeth & Douglas Goldenberg
Elaine & Michael Goldman
Krista & Silas Goldman
Goldman, Sachs & Co. Matching Gift Program
Annie & Rickey Goodwin
Mary & Jerry Grace
Elana & Tim Grayem
Danielle & Scott Green
Angelica & Billy Gutierrez
Zayda & Erik Gutierrez
Agha Haider 2021
Pam Hall
Bridgett & Bill Hanks
Regan & Richard Harkins
Isey Harris
Lashonda & Sam Harris
Alix Grant Hawes 2008
Larry Hays
Hearst
Lynn & Don Heidenreich
Cindy & Matt Heidenry
Tiara Hendricks
Amanda Henry & Jeff Chapman
Tom Herman
Jane & Joseph Hill
Brooke & Scott Hochman 2003
Alice & Jim Hoette
Emily & Ian Hornstra
Scott House
Rosemary Howard
Natalie Hundhausen 1996
Carla & Michael Hunigan
Iconic Male
Melissa Irvin
Ted Jacobi 2006
Randee & Myron Jacobs
Amber James
Lisa Barry Jenkins & Andy Jenkins
Heaven John
Ashley Johnson
Casey Jolley 2003
Rose Jonas & Ed Finkelstein
Regina & Marcus Jones
Alena & Gennadi Kaganov
Sara Wax Kalish 1999 & Josh Kalish
Cassie & Rob Kampen
Erinn & Tim Kao
Sammie Keller Katzman 2008
Spencer Kaye 2024
Marcia Kazmierski
Kathleen & Seamus Kelly
Keltik Driving Academy
Kendra Scott
Rebeccah Bennett-Kenyatta & Salim Kenyatta
Tory Key 2004
Liangel Keys
Mehreen Khann & Adnan Siddiqui
Christine King
Lauren Kisling
Connie Kitchen
Brad Klages
Lizzy & Chris Kline 1992
Teddy Kouvelis 2023
Myra Link-Kovacs & Bernie Kovacs
Karen & Kupp Kuppinger
Lucy & Arno Kutner
Michal Kwiecien
Kelly Lake
Jamie Larson 2003
Cheryl & Dave Lauer
Heather Lavezzi
Julie & Todd Lazarus 1996
Lazy River Grill/ Yellowstone Cafe
Elaine & Mark Leach
Ernestine Ledbetter
Lamar Ledbetter
Shalon & Tyrone Ledbetter
Mark Leslie
Olga Rozin-Levin & Demitriy Levin
Kara Lewandowski
Betsy Lewis 1998
Julie Schwarze Linihan 1996 & Jeff Linihan
Joy Liu & Allan Zhang
Andrea Loiselle & Anthony Valentin
Carrie Throop Londe 1994 & Ken Londe
Heidi & Shae Long
Kristel & Derek Mabie
Elizabeth & Mike Macheca
Amber Macon 2009
Barbi & Bill Macon
Mallinckrodt Inc.
Zack Markow 2009
Melanie & Jonathan Marks
Karen Marschuetz
Becky Marsh
MasterCard Matching Gifts Program
Sheila McCarthy
Bobby McClendon
Dyan McGuire
Danielle & Tim McKay
Eleanor McKown 2023
Bill McLaughlin
Pat McLaughlin 2012
Denise Meckler
Lisa & Ruben Mella
Nidia & Erick Messias
MetroVet St. Louis
Microsoft Corporation
Shanea Miles
Jamie Sokolik Miller 2004 & Nik Miller
Janey Miller
Evan Milnor 2006
Becky & Chris Mollett
Liz & Glen Mollett
Moneta Group
Kathy Mora & Steve Kazmierski
Beverly Moreland
Vicki & Joseph Morris
Jenny Morrison & Sean Maiscott
Karen Mueller
Pratima & Chinya Murali
Nikki Lilly-Murphy & Hank Murphy
Max Nehrig 2002
Selam Newete & Hailu Fentaw
Carla Nieman & Yosef Rubanovich
Emily Nishi & Jay Winig
Monique Norfolk
Nothing Bundt Cakes
Novel Neighbor
Patrick O’Connor
Amber & Jared Odom
Dave Ott 1991
Sara & Pete Paciorek
Melika & Nick Panneri
Jerre & Johan Parsons
Jyoti Parwatikar & John Dehart
Trisha & Mike Pflantz
Wendy & Kyle Pinkley
Deandria & Harold Player
Mead & Jim Ploszay
Anne Pokoski & Ian Cohen
Katrina & Matt Politte 1998
Pretty Paws Grooming Salon
Diana & Wayne Prichard
PRP Wine International
Tiffany Pruiett
Riley Querimit 2023
Meera Rabbani
Gigi Esser Rager 2009 & Peter Rager
Amy & Rob Rahm 1997
Linda & Lee Rascovar
David Records
Allison Chao Reichart 2004 & Brock Reichart
Jenna & Ryan Reinhardt
Carrie & Scott Reiter
Christine & Jeffrey Remming
Abby Ressner 2023
Carrie Rahm Rhodes 1995 & James Rhodes
Kelly & Phil Rhodes
Rachel Rhodes
Arlington Rhone 2023
Christine & Michael Riat
Amber & Matt Richards
Pamela & Bob Ronkoski
Noa Rose 2016
Paulie & Carnie Rose
David Rosenberg 1962
Mike Roth
Holly Wilson-Rothert & Mason Rothert
Sari Rotskoff 2000 & Stephen Snipes
Juhi Roy 2025
Tanya & Simon Rozin
Andrea & Bill Rubin 1960
Chris Rubin De La Borbolla
Kerry Ryan & Noaman Siddiqi
Judy Sachwald & Joe Adler
Sage Dining
Josiah Santiago 2023
Stephanie & Rich Sargent
Mary Schnitzler
Meredith Bush Schuh 2004 & Kevin Schuh
Jonathan Schultz 2005
Meghan Schuster 2007
Anna & Jeff Seim
Traci & Chris Shatzer
Sharmin Sheikh & Ehsan Haider
Yuriko Shinagawa & Andrew Edwardson
Jon Shine 1996
Bev & Bob Shpall
Dawn & Kent Shuler
Elana Mogil Shulkin 2005
Kaitlin Sides
Lemya Sidki & Raul Uribe
Janis & Mike Siegel
Sievers Retrievers
Rachel Martin Simon 2003 & Adam Simon
Ebony & Ishmael Sistrunk
Sallie Primm Skinner 1970
Ashley & Chip Smith 1997
Lisa Smith
Spring It Forward Day of Giving
Waterway
Cami Watkins & Siroth Charnond
Class of 1969
Elliot Benoist
Class of 1997
Elissa Cady Arnold
Lisa Anderson-Smith & Buddy Smith
Osnat & Eli Snir
Susan Snyders
Carol & Jeff Solomon
Brenda & Christain Souter
Susie Staggs
Charlie Staley-Brain 2023
Gina & Josh Stevenson
Erica & Blake Stewart
Carrie & Jeremy Stith
Kathryn & Mark Stoddard
Brandon Stoker
Sarah & Josh Stolker
Stone Turtle
Geoff Story
Straub’s Fine Markets
Joy & Thomas Struckhoff
Jasmine & Neil Suthar
Bryson Sutton 2023
Ellie Svenson
Jamie & Dan Sweeney
Elijah Sykes 2020
Yvette & Ed Sykes
Alejandro Tagle
Damion Talcott
Dana Taylor
Jess Taylor Taylor & Peter Tchoukaleff 2007
Michelle & Spencer Templeton
The Art of Entertaining
The Black Rep
The Corner Pub and Grill
The Only Facial
The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
The Spotted Pig
Robyn Thomas & Rob Butler
Margaret & Seth Thompson
Aly Thomure Tiller 2004
Tarshish & James Tillman
Carl Tisone
Emily & Kyle Tisone 2005
Stacey Tobin & Jared Heintz
Robyn & Mark Tonopolsky
Whitney Key Towey 2002 & Ted Towey
Kristin Trenary
Alan Trost
Lisa Trout
Urban Chestnut
Danielle & Geoffrey Uy
Jessica & Benjamin Varner
Sanaa Waheed & Razi Muzaffar
Jess Smasal Wain 2010
Jody & Mickey Waldman
Tess Delean Waldron 2007
Kimberly & Delvin Walls
Veronica Walls
Sarah & Craig Walseth
Erin Walsh
Kate Walter
Anna Warbelow
Renee & Rob Wasserman
Lynn Delean-Weber
& Martin Weber
Joshua Weinstein
Amy & Evan Weiss
Phyllis & Terry Weiss
Ursula Wesley
Anne & Rolla Wetzel
Matt Whiat
Deatra & James Whitfield
Marla & Jim Wild
Sharon & George Wilder
Amanda & Mike Wilhelm
Becca & Seth Williams 2005
Jayden Williams 2023
Shelly Williams & Mike Turner
Amanda & Chris Wilson
Joli & Bob Wilson
William Wilson 2005
Carol & Rick Wise
Megan & Erik Wolfslau
Jordan Woodard 2010
Me’Sha Woodard & James Jones
Mindy Woolf
Richard Woolf
Crystal & Rick Worsena
Jaclyn Yetter & Bret French
Sally & Bob Yoselevsky
Neal Zoellick
Monica Zotos
Alumni by
Class
Class of 1960
Bill Rubin
Class of 1962
David Rosenberg
Art Kerckhoff, III
Class of 1970
Jim Bruns Flip Cady
Jane Piper Gleason
Sallie Primm Skinner
Gordie Wiegand
Class of 1973
Ginger Newton Jacobi
Class of 1974
Ron Fox
Class of 1983
Carolyn Brightman Kroenlein
Class of 1991
Dave Ott
Class of 1992
Chris Kline
Class of 1994
Evonne Chou
Carrie Throop Londe
Lee Rhodes
Cory Spielberg
Class of 1995
Laura Lotz
Carrie Rahm Rhodes
Class of 1996
Natalie Hundhausen
Lauren Weissman Kerner & Kyle Kerner
Todd Lazarus
Julie Schwarze Linihan
Jon Shine
Laura Pollnow Bryan
Rob Rahm
Chip Smith
Courtney Murphy Trenary & Tyler Trenary
Class of 1998
Anonymous
Betsy Lewis
Matt Politte
Scott Rhodes
Class of 1999
Sara Wax Kalish
Stephen Kerckhoff
Kristen Deffaa Rhodes
Class of 2000
Chris Cady
Ashley Chod
Abby Baden DePriest
Margot McMahon Monser
Sari Rotskoff
Class of 2001
Lindsey Williams Graves
Class of 2002
Nick Casey
Ryan Dailey
Robert Glassman
David Greathouse
Laura Cady Guzewicz
Max Nehrig
Whitney Key Towey
Class of 2003
Haley Deffaa Fuller
Scott Hochman
Casey Jolley
Jamie Larson
The student philanthropy board Springing It Forward in preparation for 2024 GIVE STL Day.
Rachel Martin Simon
Class of 2004
Tory Key
Jamie Sokolik Miller
Allison Chao Reichart
Meredith Bush Schuh
Aly Thomure Tiller
Class of 2005
Ali Barash Berman
Anthony French
Lindsay Gilhousen Mannen & Kris Mannen
Jonathan Schultz
Elana Mogil Shulkin
Kyle Tisone
Erica Trotter
Seth Williams
William Wilson
Class of 2006
Jenny Chao Gansner
Ted Jacobi
Evan Milnor
Ellen Simons Nahlik
Class of 2007
Van Eaves
Kristin Thompson Poelker
Meghan Schuster
Peter Tchoukaleff
Tess Delean Waldron
Class of 2008
Brian Chao
Alix Grant Hawes
Sammie Keller Katzman
Melissa Howe O’Connor
Class of 2009
Tori Clodfelter
Amber Macon
Zack Markow
Gigi Esser Rager
Class of 2010
Abby Lefler Eaves
Jess Smasal Wain
Jordan Woodard
Class of 2012
Pat McLaughlin
Class of 2013
Erin Cizek
Class of 2016 Noa Rose
Class of 2018
Brooke Berry
Class of 2020
Elijah Sykes
Class of 2021
Agha Haider
Class of 2022
Michael Koman
Class of 2023
Ilana Boyer
Emma Casado
Jack Courtney
Juliana Dahlhoff
Lucy Gallagher
Teddy Kouvelis
Eleanor McKown
Riley Querimit
Abby Ressner
Arlington Rhone
Josiah Santiago
Charlie Staley-Brain
Bryson Sutton
Jayden Williams
Tribute & Memorial Gifts
In Honor of
Robby Amarnek 2024
Sheila McCarthy
Dominic Baiocchi 2024
Karen Appelbaum
Connie Kitchen
Vincent Baiocchi 2028
Connie Kitchen
Miller Boyd
Monique Norfolk
Safiya Butler 2024
Sheila McCarthy
Jeff Cacciatore
Candy & Flip Cady 1970
Sheila McCarthy
Flip Cady 1970
Barbi & Bill Macon
Caleb Carter 2025
Bobby McClendon
Praveen Chakinala 2024
Ananda & Chandramouli Chakinala
Class of 2024
Sara & Craig Ringe
Chris Cunningham
Candy & Flip Cady 1970
Helena Cunningham
Candy & Flip Cady 1970
Daniel Desloge 2024
Sheila McCarthy
Curtis Erlinger
Celina Casado
Anna Gau 2024
Sheila McCarthy
Kira Glanton 2024
Sheila McCarthy
Natalie Glidewell 2024
Sheila McCarthy
Rickey Goodwin
Ellie Svenson
Ruth Greathouse
Mary & Dick Burke
Ginny & Chip Fendell
Cindy Follman & Jay Baum
Nan & Steve Fox
Cindy & Matt Heidenry
Sheila McCarthy
Melika & Nick Panneri
Paulie & Carnie Rose
Crystal & Rick Worsena
Chandler Grimm 2025
Rose Jonas & Ed Finkelstein
Rylan Harden 2029
Ashley Johnson
Larry Hays
Nan & Steve Fox
Lucy Heidenry 2024
Sheila McCarthy
Kamiyah Jones 2027
Me’Sha Woodard
& James Jones
Spencer Kaye 2024
Sarah Yoselevsky Kaye
& Todd Kaye
Sheila McCarthy
Sally & Bob Yoselevsky
Jocelyn Kazmierski 2024
Marcia Kazmierski
Sam King 2024
Sheila McCarthy
Dave Lauer
Sheila McCarthy
Logan Ledbetter 2028
Ernestine Ledbetter
Sheila McCarthy
Ellie Svenson
Joli & Bob Wilson
Kayli McGee-Williams 2026
Nicole Collins
& Alex Williams
Maggie McGuire 2024
Sheila McCarthy
Shanea Miles
Lori & Doug Becker
Graham Mills 2021
McKay & Jason Mills
Nihar Murali 2024
Sheila McCarthy
Oliver Niemann 2024
Sheila McCarthy
Jerre Parsons
Mary & Jerry Grace
Amy Muggleton & the
Mandarin Program
Sarah & Josh Stolker
J.R. Rhodes 2024
Sheila McCarthy
Hudson Richards 2024
Sheila McCarthy
Sara Ringe
Nan & Steve Fox
Ella Rogan 2024
Sheila McCarthy
Perry Rogan 2024
Sheila McCarthy
Susan Rogers
Carol & Rick Wise
Holden Souter 2024
Sheila McCarthy
Student Philanthropy Board
Geneen & Troy Von Kloha
2023-2024 Endowed Chairs
Richard B. Kobusch
Humanities Chair
Sari Rotskoff
William W. Daues
Athletic Chair
Shanea Miles
Whitfield School
Mathematics Chair
Susan Dean
The John Delautre Chair
in Ethical Studies
Larry Hays
Larry Hays, Ron Fox, Susan Dean, Sari Rotskoff, and Chris Cunningham
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2024!
Zack Tessler 2024
Sheila McCarthy
Ryan Thomadsen 2026
Judy Sachwald & Joe Adler
Halle Wasserman 2022
Bev & Bob Shpall
Jenna Wasserman 2026
Bev & Bob Shpall
Amy Weiss
Phyllis & Terry Weiss
Dylan Weiss 2028
Kathy & Tom Dewoskin
Evan Weiss
Phyllis & Terry Weiss
Lai Jeon Williams
Sheila McCarthy
Sophie Wilson 2025
Sharon Hoffarth
Barbara Wise
Carol & Rick Wise
Isabelle Zhang 2024
Class of 2024 Senior Tributes
Each year, many families of our graduating seniors choose to donate the deposit they made when their child originally enrolled at Whitfield to the school’s Annual Fund. This is a tradition that has continued for the last 21 years and we are grateful for their generosity. The following is a listing of the families in the Class of 2024 who donated their deposit to Whitfield’s 2023-24 Annual Fund.
Ellen & David Amarnek
Elizabeth & Al Babusis
Crista & Brian Beracha
Julie & John Cochran
Lisa De Las Fuentes
& Murali Chakinala
Laura & GP Dorris, IV
Nan & Steve Fox
Dianna & Ron Fox 1974
Megan & Brian Gau
Darcy & Dan Glidewell
Cindy & Matt Heidenry
Tanya & Matthew Hull
Sheila & Corey Jones
Jackie & Derik King
Lisa & Matthew Long
Laura & Matt Megargel
Helen & Mark Mihalevich
Kathy Mora & Steve Kazmierski
Jerre & Johan Parsons
Jenna & Ryan Reinhardt
Kristen Deffaa Rhodes 1999 & Scott Rhodes 1998
Amber & Matt Richards
Amber & David Rogan
Kelly & Phil Rhodes
Brenda & Christain Souter
Deatra & James Whitfield
The Zhang Family
Monica Zotos
Sean Harris
Isey Harris
Rosie Hartman
Mary & Jerry Grace
Mary Jane Kieffer
Crystal & Rick Worsena
Bonnie Laiderman
Danielle & Scott Green
Louie Lazarus
Julie & Todd Lazarus
Zach Miller 1998
Janey Miller
Esther Reinhardt
Jenna & Ryan Reinhardt
Ashland Tate
Melanie & Jonathan Marks
Margaret Willenbrock
Jenna & Ryan Reinhardt
Latrice Williams
Calvin Williams
Lajuan & Simeon Williams
Planned Giving
Sheila McCarthy
In Memory of
Joan Bebee
Martha & Christian Altvater
Maria & Tim Desloge
Jim Costello
Beverly Moreland
Rodman Durfee
Elaine & Mark Leach
Janet Esrock
Melissa Howe O’Connor
2008 & Logan O’Connor
We are glad to invite all individuals and families who make provisions for Whitfield in their estate plans into our Barnes & Cole Society. This philanthropic group is named after Whitfield’s founders, John Barnes and Allen Cole. For more than 20 years, Mr. Barnes and Mr. Cole worked to create an atmosphere in which learning was both challenging and fun, and students had every opportunity to succeed. That atmosphere still exists today. We celebrate their spirit by recognizing those who invest in our school’s future.
Want to support Whitfield students and ensure you are on this list next year?
The 2024-2025 annual fund drive for The Whitfield Fund has already begun. Supporting Whitfield is easy. Use the QR code to make a gift online or mail your support to:
The Whitfield School ATTN : Development Office 175 S. Mason Rd. • STL, MO 63141
Every attempt was taken to ensure accuracy in this report. However, it is possible for unintentional errors and omissions to occur. Please report any errors to the Development Office at development@whitfieldschool.org.
WWHY YOUR GIFT MATTERS
Whitfield classrooms are dynamic, engaging spaces. Our faculty learn the strengths, motivators, and interests of each student. At the same time, they rely on research and professional development to adapt their teaching styles and curriculum to the needs of students.
49 teachers students average class size
The Whitfield fund supports our curriculum and extracurricular activities, attracts and competitively compensates the very best teachers, ensures low student-teacher ratio, and maintains our beautiful 26-acre campus. Your gift positively impacts the Whitfield experience for every student.
410 14 student to teacher ratio 9:1
26 acres Mail support to: Whitfield Attn: Development Office 175 South Mason Road Saint Louis, Missouri 63141
"10 Life Tips for All of Us"
hen his niece Katie graduated high school, Head of School Chris Cunningham wrote her a letter of congratulations that included some “advice for a graduate.” He adapted this advice for an end-of-year address at Lawrenceville in 2022 and then for his commencement address at Whitfield in 2023. Late this spring, these tips reached a broader audience when New York Times bestselling author Kelly Corrigan featured them on her podcast, "Kelly Corrigan Wonders." On Fridays, Corrigan shares meaningful phrases, short stories, or poems that she has come across. This spring, after a former student from Lawrenceville gave her a copy of Dr. Cunningham’s speech, she felt compelled to share it as “10 Life Tips for All of Us” on her podcast. To listen to the episode, scan the QR code at the bottom.
1
Make beautiful things; make things beautiful. Entropy means that there is less beauty every day—less order and structure and harmony, less balance and symmetry, fewer colors and sounds that are pure and unsullied. So use some of the time and energy and life you have to create more of these things. The beauty you create will also one day pass away, but even if it’s a losing battle, it’s one worth fighting, and even momentary flashes of loveliness—of stillness and clarity—can redeem.
2 Pay attention, look closely: The world will sustain and reward your scrutiny.
3
Do what you love. There will always be times when you have to do things you don’t necessarily enjoy, but if you know why you’re doing them—if they have intrinsic value and meaning to you—you won’t resent those moments of struggle or tedium. As Nietzsche wrote, “If we possess a why of life, we can put up with almost any how.”
4
Look for the best in people, and be generous in giving them the benefit of the doubt. People are complicated, and are, on the average, no better or worse than you, so they will sometimes disappoint you or betray your trust. But you will be a much happier person if you walk through your life believing in other people’s good intentions, good will, and good faith.
5 Stay in touch with people from different parts of your life. One of the ways we know ourselves is by being with others, and people from your past knew you when you were someone else, so keeping track of them and talking with them will help you remember who you have been. The sound of their voice and the stories you will tell each other will help you stitch together all the scraps of yourself that emerge over time.
change. You will never again change more—and more dramatically—and at such a rate—as you have done in the past 18 years. Your memories of this period will be some of the most enduring and emotionally resonant of your life. To be sure, you will continue to have powerful and important experiences throughout your life, but you will likely notice that time seems to speed up after around the age of 25. One of the reasons this happens is that, with routine, with the increasing sameness of one day to the next, as we get jobs and have families, the delta of experience from one day to the next tends towards zero. As Beckett says, “Habit is a great deadener.” And so, as we do more and more the same things from day to day, the faster our lives seem to pass, bounding from one decade to the next. To slow down your life—to live a longer life— to experience a longer life—do different things: Disrupt routines, unsettle yourself, wake yourself up from habits of doing and thinking and being.
8
9
Be part of it. Make your annual fund gift today. https://www.whitfieldschool.org/give/whitfieldfund
6
7
Be curious, ask difficult questions: Education is the life-long process of complicating apparently simple truths.
Beware sameness; do different things. You will in the next five to ten years come to the end of a long period of dramatic first and second order
Be enthusiastic and genuine. Cynicism is just lazy skepticism.
Make time for friendship. Research suggests that there are very few things that make us happier. Love, children, jobs, money, nice things: While the absence of these things can make us unhappy, none of them seems to have a long term effect on our happiness. What does seem to make us happier—i.e., moves the happiness graph in a statistically meaningful way long term—is being part of a community of people you care about and who care about you. (The other thing that seems to make people happy is singing in groups.)
10
Make time for yourself and your own thoughts. It is tempting to fill in the cracks and margins of our days, those idle moments when we’re alone with ourselves–standing in line at the grocery store, driving down the highway, walking across campus. But your mind’s most precious coin may be your attention, so be miserly in how you spend those moments of solitude. One of the ways we know ourselves is through listening to—conversing with—the voices in our head, and we lose important parts of ourselves if we don’t cultivate the capacity for reflection and memory and daydream.
