perspectives spring 2014

Jane G. Werrell ’06

Ashley Hall Alumna

PERSPECTIVESThe magazine of ASHLEY HALL

Spring 2014

EDITORPaula Edwards Harrell

GRAPHIC DESIGNJulie Frye

CONTRIBUTING EDITORSDr. Roscoe Davis Stephanie HuntSarah Moody ’14

PHOTOGRAPHYJulia LynnAnne Rhett

ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM HEAD OF SCHOOLJill Muti

ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRSDr. Nick Bozanic

ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL FOR FINANCE AND OPERATIONSAudrey Tamekazu

DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENTCatherine Newman

ASSISTANT TO THE HEAD OF SCHOOLElizabeth Gordon

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE HEAD OF SCHOOLAmy Thompson

DIRECTOR, Pre-Primary–Pre-KindergartenDana Van Hook | Ross Early Education Center

DIRECTOR, Kindergarten–4th GradeLois Ruggiero | Pardue Hall

DIRECTOR, 5th Grade–6th GradeCatherine Neel | Lane Hall

DIRECTOR, 7th Grade–12th GradeMary Schweers | Jenkins Hall

DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONAmelia Jenkins ’82

DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICSFrances Rivers Slay ’80

DIRECTOR OF FACILITIESFred Reinhard

VISUAL ARTS COORDINATOR Rebecca Stone-Danahy

PERFORMING ARTS COORDINATOR Todd Christopher

DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGYKevin Bourque

GLOBAL PROGRAMS DIRECTOR Jeff Dionne

DEAN OF STUDENTS Kelly Sumner

PerspectivesThe magazine of Ashley Hall

Table of Contents

3 Headlines Head of School, Jill Muti

4 On Big Questions, Responsive Learning, and (why not!) a little Camus: A Conversation about Character

10 Student Perspective Sarah Moody ’14

12 The Social Scene

15 Character Building by the Sea: Ashley Hall’s Offshore Leadership Program

28 Just a Reminder: An Ashley Hall Musical Revue Photo Montage

30 Loyalty Fund

32 Generations of Giving

34 Faculty Perspective Franny Rivers Slay ’80

37 Advancement Events

40 Alumnae Events

42 Class Notes

Character Education Issue

21 The Meeting Street Academy Scholarship at Ashley Hall

23 The Global Studies Program Initiative

26 Alumnae Perspective Jane G. Werrell ’06

172 Rutledge Avenue | Charleston, SC 29403www.ashleyhall.org

OFFICERS

Chairman | Dr. Joseph (Jerry) G. Reves

Vice Chairman | W. Scott Parker

Secretary | Heidi Ward Ravenel ’74

Treasurer | Hugh C. Lane, Jr.

MEMBERS-AT-LARGE

Emmie Aichele Dawson ’70

Ann W. Dibble ’70

Randolph J. Friedman

Kenneth W. Harrell

Brett Hildebrand

Philip L. Horn, Jr.

Laurie Arnold Host ’73

Elizabeth Rivers Lewine ’54

Elizabeth Powers Lindh ’67

Janet Pearlstine Lipov

Kevin W. Mooney

Anne Tamsberg Pope

Barton A. Proctor

Lee W. Richards

Emily Molony Swanson

John E. Thompson

Past President | Malcolm M. Rhodes

TRUSTEES EMERITI

Mary Agnes Burnham Hood

Martha Rivers Ingram ’53

Patricia T. Kirkland

Karen Jenkins Phillips ’79

J. Conrad Zimmerman, Jr.

HEAD OF SCHOOL

Jill Swisher Muti

Board of TrusTees

2013–2014

Headlines

Dear Ashley Hall Family,

Spring is making its much welcomed appearance on campus after a long and arduous winter and it reminds me that graduation is approaching quickly. It has been a terrific year. I am so proud of the girls and their inquisitive interest in our world. Their engagement with faculty and each other is infectious! One of my desires was to offer opportunities for families to meet each other in a relaxed setting and discuss issues that concern us about raising our children. Our Evening of Conversation series was designed to do just that. We presented the theme of “character education”—currently receiv-ing a great deal of attention in the media—to get the dialogue started. While we were thwarted by untimely winter weather, these conversations were enlightening and it was terrific to see new relationships being forged throughout campus. We were joined each evening by a few seniors who are the greatest testament to our mission: educating young women who are independent, ethically responsible, and prepared to meet the challenges of society with confidence. In this issue of Perspectives, we highlight programmatic initiatives, students and alumnae that exemplify the hallmarks of Ashley Hall. Each spring, 18 students from the 9th through 12th grades crew a tall sailing ship bound for the Caribbean managing all aspects of the cruise from plotting detailed courses to cleaning the ship’s bathroom. Their journey is remarkable and doesn’t end upon their return. Young alumna, Jane Werrell, shares her fond memories of Ashley Hall and how the school prepared her for a career in the world of finance. You will also read about our commitment to expanding the awareness of our student body through the Global Studies Program and the highly anticipated opening of The Rutledge House for Global Studies at 179 Rutledge Avenue this fall. Finally, the photograph opposite this page captures Ashley Hall students participating in the South Carolina Oyster Restoration and Enhancement (SCORE) Program. SCORE enhances and restores oyster reefs off our coast and our 6th grade girls proudly participate in the program annually. I hope that you will enjoy this edition of our magazine. Please stop by for a visit when you are on campus.

Best regards,

Jill Muti Head of School

D I S C E R N I N G

Per spec t i ve s 3

From the ancient Greeks, to Thomas Jefferson, to the recent creators of the Common Core, the question about how schools and curricula can and should shape a young person’s moral and ethical development is part of an ongoing conversation. And just as the campus banners flutter in Charleston’s temperamental breeze, the wind has shifted in various directions over the decades in the broader character education discourse. We came a long way from the mid-19th century until the 1950s, when the McGuffey Reader (written by William McGuffey, a conservative theologian) served as the dominant reading textbook, serving up simple phonetic stories laden with overt lessons on virtue. When the social disruption of the 1960s and 70s unleashed an “anything-goes”ethos, schools tended toward a more values-neutral approach to classroom instruction. Then the current shifted again in the 1980s and 90s when the character education movement rose to the forefront, with the Character Counts! and the Character Education Partnership (CEP) gaining a strong national foothold, emphasizing service learning, anti-bullying campaigns and correlating academic goals with character goals. All along, the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) has highlighted the latest developments in character education trends in independent schools, including a 2005 partnership with the Institute for Global Ethics to evaluate the characteristics of “Schools of Integrity.”

Today, the term character education remains a hot topic, yet in our global and Google-able world, the frame of reference for students to discern values and ethics is more vast than ever before; what “character education” looks like in the classroom is certainly more nuanced than it was in McGuffey’s day. To get a better sense of what character education means at Ashley Hall, Perspectives listened in on a lively conversation—full of character—with Head of School, Jill Muti, and Assistant Head of School for Academic Affairs, Nick Bozanic.

JILL MUTI (JM):We see a lot of ink being spilt over character education in the media today, but I think it’s redundant; all education, I believe, is about building this quality called character. As an independent, mission-driven school, Ashley Hall has a unique opportunity because everything we do inculcates our mission and, in our case that’s “to produce educated women who are independent, ethically responsible, and prepared to meet the challenges of society with confidence.” The mandate to produce “ethically responsible” girls is literally built into our mission.

P U R P O S E F U L

Per spec t i ve s 5

A Conversation about Character

Purple and white banners dance in the campus breeze: Intelligent, Discerning, Compassionate, Collaborative... they announce. These are the hallmarks of Ashley Hall girls—banners of purpose and reminder, front and center, for all to see. These banners, however, are much more than decorative feel-good affirmations; they represent Ashley Hall’s iteration of a longstanding dialogue in education.

On Big Questions,Responsive Learning, and (why not!) a little Camus:

Jill Muti and Nick Bozanic

6 | The magazine of ASHLEY HALL

So the question is, what does that look like for our school, our program? I believe it’s grounded in what we know about childhood development and learning. We know that really small children are inquisitive about their world. They inquire about everything—they want to know what makes things work, what makes the light come on and what makes waves in the ocean—it’s very causal. Because of this, because of their natural inclination to learn and be creative as they work toward a skill, their learning is purposeful. As students get older and mature, if that work has purpose, if learning has purpose, then learning gradually extends to bigger questions of purpose—questions of why am I here on this earth, what am I meant to be doing? Ashley Hall has very deliberately developed a program that naturally deals with this inquiry-based education. We begin with our Reggio Emilia program for preschool and younger students and it plays out through our entire learning spiral in different ways. We were very conscious in developing this program; we knew what our girls were learning had to have real meaning, much more than just memorizing facts and solving math problems. And we really wanted to ask, in terms of our mission and in terms of purpose-based, inquiry-based learning, if we were to personify Ashley Hall as a girl, what would we want her to encompass?

NICK BOZANIC (NB): We challenged our faculty to think about this, and they came up with 126 different qualities of what an Ashley Hall girl represented. But when we sorted them, the qualifiers readily fell into seven hallmarks: Intelligent, Discerning, Compassionate, Collaborative, Purposeful, Creative, Worldly. There’s a magic to that, really, because seven items is about as far as the mind can stretch. There’s the Seven Pillars of Wisdom, Seven Cardinal Virtues—it’s a memorable number.

This is where it began to come together; it forced a kind of language around this very natural inquiry-based process that allowed us to discuss purposefully how we were using these hallmarks and combining them with the work we are doing academically. We are taking these seven qualities and embedding them in our work and in the way we live our lives on campus, and it’s made our community a very special place. That might sound trite, but it’s really true.

I want to echo something you (Jill) said earlier. I’ve always felt the term “character education” was profoundly misleading. Because whenever you associate something with school, it becomes reduced to a subject. What we are really

talking about are behaviors over time, and we can only assess the success or failure of what we’ve done later. How do these young women conduct them-selves in the world? I’m teaching a course called “Moral Philosophy and the Literary Imagination,” and I can tell you the students are deeply interested, very earnestly interested. They are perfectly happy to sit around a table for 80 minutes and talk about big questions: what does it mean to live well, to do good things, how do I make a good choice, what are the criteria to evaluate my actions? I don’t feel comfortable talking about character education; I’d much prefer talking about the extent in which we engage students in conversation about right conduct, and we do that through our curriculum. The other day in a class conversation on Albert Camus, a student said the discussion overlapped with something that had come up in her biology class. I see this overlapping of attention all the time, because you can’t talk about marine biology without talking about the conditions of the ocean, which leads to the questions of environmentalism. Through an integrated curriculum, we’re addressing this concept of “character” constantly.

When you follow a line of questioning through disciplines, which is what children do naturally, there’s this golden intersection. It’s really a way of being—a focus on behavior. You’ve got to live it and walk it everyday. It doesn’t boil down to just one thing. I think that by the time the girls graduate, they really get that. And you’ve got to remember that neurologically, we start at age two and go through grade 12, which is why it’s so important that we focus on the behaviors that are learned and discerned and built into what we are doing.

I work with seniors who are negotiating the difference between conduct mandated by social conventions and conduct that is mandated by personal intent. Not just, “what do people tell me I’m supposed to do,” but “what do I believe I’m supposed to do.” In class the other day we were discussing the difference between morality and ethics, and I pointed out that Umberto Eco said, “ethics begins when other people arrive.” I believe it was Hemingway who said

“Because of this, because of their natural inclination to learn and be creative as they work toward a skill, their learning is purposeful. As students get older and mature, if that work has purpose, if learning has purpose, then learning gradually extends to bigger questions of purpose—questions of why am I here on this earth, what am I meant to be doing?” –Jill Muti

JM:

NB:

JM:

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6 | The magazine of ASHLEY HALL Per spec t i ve s 7

Students participate in oyster bagging.

The dining commons recycling area is managed by Intermediate School students.


that morality is what we do when no one is looking. It does become complex. A lot of the literature our class is discussing addresses the relationship between personal responsibility and the responsibility to the self and others.

So why the big focus on character education these days? I think to some degree it’s a response to the big changes we saw in the 1960s with many schools taking away their civics curriculum. But mostly I think it’s just a different world now. When I was in school, there was no in-school suspension trailer behind the gym with two police officers standing guard like in many schools today. We weren’t concerned with children coming to school with firearms.

In the 1960s, we dismantled social conventions but what’s taking their place? If we’re looking more toward the individual’s responsibility, then that really means I have to teach you how to think well in order to make good choices. If any-thing goes, then what do I do? How do I make those choices and how do I know it’s a good choice, and what does a good choice even mean. A lot of people think character education means we’re going to tell you how to behave properly. That’s not character education. Character education is internalizing a way of thinking about the world that will enable you to make good choices—discerning, purposeful, compassionate choices—so you live well. There’s no multiple-choice test to determine whether or not you have character. That doesn’t make any sense at all. You have to take this out into the world with you 24 hours a day. There’s no time off.

That is why it’s got to be embedded into the school culture and community, into the way we do everything. Character has to be modeled for the young children who are not yet abstract thinkers, and then it grows into something they can pull from when they get to Dr. Bozanic’s moral philosophy class in Upper School. For example, the 6th Grade is working with the Department of Natural Resources to combat erosion on our beaches. They are moving oyster shells to rebuild oyster beds and want to pass a law to have oyster shells recycled and returned—there’s purposefulness in their work. They see the consequences of certain behaviors and are taking some responsibility for the community in which they live. It becomes a way of being. Ashley Hall is being more purposeful about this constant sense of reflection and connecting ideas, of learning how to think. Ultimately our girls need to understand that it’s important to learn how to think, not what to think.

You can’t know what to think, because tomorrow is another day. The key word in this whole conversation is responsibility. And as I tell my students, this means “the ability to respond.” Are you able to respond to a situation? Well, only if you are equipped with the intellectual and emotional apparatus required, as opposed to reacting to the situation. A reaction is not a response. A response implies some sense of reflection. As a psychologist friend once told me the difference between a reaction and a response is time. You take the time to think, and it also means you don’t already know the answer. Because that’s not possible either—the question has never been put to you before—so you can’t know the answer.

The key, the reason this is important, is that we really are taking a different view compared to many other schools. Some schools will try to sell you character education in a kit: “We teach it on Wednesdays at 10 o’clock and we’ve got these nice posters with the trait of the week,” for example. On one hand, this can build vocabulary for children to talk about what it means to be kind and empathetic, but I believe it defeats the entire concept of living with purpose and richness.

That’s why the term “character education” makes me nervous, because no one can teach you character but you can learn how to look at the world with an attentive and patient mind, and then make your choices. Even then, you’re still going to mess up. Character education requires practice. It means doing something.

If you take a look at our hallmarks—intelligent, discerning, compassionate, collaborative, purposeful, creative, worldly—these are things girls do naturally very well, so we’re building from our strengths. Then when you look at our alumnae, you realize that our girls are standing on the shoulders of giants—dynamic women who truly reflect and live these character traits. I believe we are constantly getting better at how we embed our seven hallmarks into our daily lives on campus. We don’t underestimate the capacity of our students, but instead give them opportunities for self-directed, purposeful, inquiry-based learning. We’ve learned that when you give them ownership and have high expectations, they will always rise to the occasion.

JM:

JM:

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JM:

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JM:

“A lot of people think character education means we’re going to tell you how to behave properly. That’s not character education. Character education is internalizing a way of thinking about the world that will enable you to make good choices—discerning, purposeful, compassionate choices—so you live well.”–Nick Bozanic


Numbersby Mary Cornish

I like the generosity of numbers.The way, for example,they are willing to countanything or anyone:two pickles, one door to the room,eight dancers dressed as swans.

I like the domesticity of addition—add two cups of milk and stir—the sense of plenty: six plumson the ground, three morefalling from the tree.

And multiplication’s schoolof fish times fish,whose silver bodies breedbeneath the shadowof a boat.

Even subtraction is never loss,just addition somewhere else:five sparrows take away two,the two in someone else’sgarden now.

There’s an amplitude to long division,as it opens Chinese take-outbox by paper box,inside every folded cookiea new fortune.

And I never fail to be surprisedby the gift of an odd remainder,footloose at the end:forty-seven divided by eleven equals four,with three remaining.

Three boys beyond their mother’s call,two Italians off to the sea,one sock that isn’t anywhere you look.

Mary Cornish, “Numbers” from Red Studio. Copyright © 2007 by Mary Cornish.Reprinted by permission of Oberlin College Press.

C R E A T I V E

I came to Ashley Hall in the 7th grade from a large public elementary school in California. I remember touring a few different schools in the area, but I knew Ashley Hall was the place when I stepped on campus—it was love at first sight. And I loved the fact that it is all girls. Throughout my time here, Ashley Hall has educated me academically and exposed me to many different things. My experience has also had a great deal of influence on the choices I now make and has helped mold me into the person I am today. During my first few years, I was trying to find myself and getting used to my new school environment. But when I entered Upper School, I began to flourish. That year I was presented with many opportunities that helped me hone in on my passions and grow as a person. And I attempted to take advantage of each and every one. Freshman year, I memorized and recited a poem for my English class. It was part of a program called Poetry Out Loud (POL), which Ashley Hall participates in annually. POL is a national effort that encourages students to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about our literary heritage. I loved finding a poem that moved me, like Numbers by Mary Cornish, and reciting it to my classmates. After a few presentations, my English teacher encouraged me to partici-pate in Ashley Hall’s school-wide competition. Although I was nervous, I jumped into the competition and gave it my all— it’s one of the best decisions I have ever made. Being on

stage made me realize how much I love to perform and that I enjoy the theater. I’ve competed in POL for the past four years and recently participated in the state-wide POL competition. This program has been a wonderful confidence builder for me. Ashley Hall has also taught me the importance of high standards and holding oneself accountable. With its honor and dress code and insistence on respectful actions, Ashley Hall has encouraged me to be an honorable citizen of my school community and the world at large. Through communi-ty service requirements that begin in Upper School, I have learned the importance of being a part of something larger than myself. Over the past few years, I’ve tutored at Mitchell Elementary in downtown Charleston. This experience was so rewarding that last year I created and facilitated a special career fair at Mitchell to educate their students about future academic and career opportunities. The career fair was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life thus far. Ashley Hall has taught me a great deal—from the fundamentals of physics, to holding my own in a Harkness discussion. However, my education here goes beyond that. I’ve found my voice at Ashley Hall and grown into the person I am today. I’m ready to take on the world!

sTudenT PersPecTive

Sarah Moody ’14

...I’m ready to take on the world!”

“I’ve found my voice at Ashley Hall and grown into the person I am today...

Sarah Moody is president of the 2014 student body. She plans to attend

Boston University in the fall.

facebook.com/ashleyhall.pqv

Can you hear these Panthers roar? State volleyball match against Porter-Gaud School, October 22, 2013.

Mr. Christopher (a loyal Ohio State fan) stayed true to a bet with his 6th grade music students earlier this week. Can you guess who won? (We think he’s a great sport!)

@ashleyhall_pqv

Snow this week in #Charleston? Maybe, but today students are enjoying class outside.


THe social scene

Just a little #throwbackthursday fun to 1979 and the days of the library’s card catalog!#tbt #vintageashleyhall

Angel spotting before the #AHChristmasPlay

t

t


steering the vessel

along its proper course using

the glowing crimson light of the

ship’s compass, or a prominent

star or constellation off the port

or starboard bow. Often her watch

is cold and rainy, and she’s fatigued

from the day’s duties. Like a

journeying hero in an ancient

myth, she digs deep to muster the

strength and nerve to complete

the task at hand. It is this physical

and mental battle that allows her

to emerge from this experience

with confidence, and it is with this

confidence that she begins to see

herself transformed with a greater

sense of self and purpose. This is

Ashley Hall’s Offshore Leadership

Program experience.

A young woman stands duty at the helm,

Character Building By the Sea

ASHLEY HALL’S OFFSHORE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

P U R P O S E F U L

14 | The magazine of ASHLEY HALL Creative | Compassionate | Collaborative | 15 16 | The magazine of ASHLEY HALL

ith its rich maritime history, Charleston offers the perfect backdrop for an academic program centered on tall-ship sail training. In 2006, with the encouragement and generous financial support by an anonymous donor, Ashley Hall set sail on one of its most rewarding programmatic initiatives to date. Seven years and seven voyages later, the Ashley Hall Offshore Leadership Program has distinguished itself as one of the school’s signature programs, building leadership skills, and a deep love for one’s natural surroundings. Under the watchful eye of Program Director and Chair of the Ashley Hall Classics Department, Dr. Roscoe Davis, the program is comprised of two distinct components. First, the program focuses on 8th grade students helping them prepare for the college preparatory curriculum ahead. Building self confidence at this age is vital to the student’s future success—so each fall, every 8th grade girl participates in a two-day, one-night voyage through the waters around the Charleston harbor, most recently aboard the beauti-ful schooner, Roseway. The ultimate goal of these local sails is to expose the students to the many exciting and educational facets of tall ship life, as well as its challenges and demands. The desired outcome is that the time on-board makes a meaningful impact

and piques the girls’ interest to further their tall ship experience by venturing offshore in the 10-day program designed for older students. In preparation for their trip, the 8th graders attend — in addition to their current course load — additional classes each week on the history, culture, and science associated with Charles-ton and the Atlantic Ocean during the great Age of Sail of the 16th through mid-19th centuries. The second component of the program reaches out to 9th through 12th grades. Unlike the introductory excursion where all members of the 8th Grade participate, there is a highly competitive application process for this older group of students

“Being aboard the ship was a journey in all senses: the literal transit from St. Croix to Charleston, the emotional roller coaster I rode through early mornings and rocky nights, and finally, my spiritual journey, which taught me more about myself than I ever dreamed was there.” –Helen Cribb ’14

W

“The tall ship can easily be seen

as a metaphor for the world today,

much as it served historically as a

metaphor for society among ancient

philosophers such as Socrates

and Plato. In the vein of these

philosophers, it becomes clear

that one can only become a

true leader of the ship by

reining in self-interest and

putting others first.”

who wish to join the 10-day offshore voyage during the spring. After completing an in-depth application, a total of 18 students are chosen by a committee of faculty members, with two to four alternates, relevant in case someone cannot fulfill her duties. A full crew of 18 members is critical as it allows for three watch groups made up of six crew members. A well synchronized watch system is imperative to the sailing of the ship. On watch, each student is expected to perform certain crucial tasks. They are not simply idle passengers. Their duties range from mundane tasks, such as cleaning the heads and washing dishes, to important operational tasks such as setting and striking sails, and plotting detailed courses on nautical charts. Senior Helen Cribb, who participated in last year’s sail from St. Croix to Charleston, said, “Being aboard the ship was a journey in all senses: the literal transit from St. Croix to Charleston, the emotional roller coaster

I rode through early mornings and rocky nights, and finally, my spiritual journey, which taught me more about myself than I ever dreamed was there.” The watch system serves as the true character building-block of the program, tapping into abilities and emotions the girls never imagined. The tall ship can easily be seen as a metaphor for the world today, much as it served historically as a metaphor for society among ancient philosophers such as Socrates and Plato. In the vein of some of these philosophers, it becomes clear that one can only become a true leader of the ship by reining in self-interest and putting others first. The good leader is thus the one who moves from being a person who says “I want,” to being a person who says “I will.” In the context of Ashley Hall, the leader is certainly one who embodies the school motto, Possunt Quae Volunt (girls who have the will, have the ability).

Compass Rose: Continuing the Journey

As he began to see students flourish year after year, Dr. Davis decided the experience just couldn’t end when the ship docked in Charleston after the 10-day trip. “I saw it in the girls’ eyes; they wanted more. And I know they had more to give to the program,” said Davis. In 2009, he organized a formal group comprised of students who completed the year-long academic course and offshore sail. It became the “honor society” of the Offshore Leadership Program and was aptly named Compass Rose. (A compass rose is the design found on a compass, map, or nautical chart used to display the cardinal directions of North, South, East and West.) This sisterhood of sailors serves as mentors for the 8th Grade overnight sails and provided much needed volunteer help to the Charleston Maritime Foundation. During the 2012–2013 school year, however, the shape and mission of Compass Rose was decidedly altered in light of the new relationship between Ashley Hall and Meeting Street Academy in downtown Charleston, a propietary school for students, ages pre-kindergarten through 4th grade. Compass Rose members continue their journey as leaders in a direct and influential way by serving as role models and mentors to the 3rd Graders of Meeting Street Academy. A curriculum was designed to support this partnership of schools mirroring the Offshore Leadership Program at Ashley Hall. Every two weeks there is an educational activity, aquatic or maritime-based, involving both schools. One of these events usually involves swimming or water safety lessons at the Ashley Hall pool. Other events include visiting the Charleston Aquarium, dissecting sharks in the Ashley Hall science department, and visiting the school’s Star Lab. Just like the Offshore Leadership program, the underlying purpose of these activities is to cultivate leadership and team-building skills within these young students. Last year, the culminating experience for the Meeting Street Academy/Compass Rose program was an afternoon sail aboard the schooner, Welcome. On board were both Ashley Hall and Meeting Street Academy 3rd Graders with Ashley Hall Compass Rose members keeping watch over the boat and their younger mates. This glorious sail was a fitting capstone for the girls of Compass Rose, a true testament to the power and lure of the sea, and the commitment and character of those students and faculty involved.

“The good leader is one who moves from being a person who says ’I want,’ to being a person who says ’I will’.”

14 | The magazine of ASHLEY HALL Per spec t i ve s 19 18 | The magazine of ASHLEY HALL

The mission of Ashley Hall

directs us to produce educated

women who are independent,

ethically responsible, and prepared

to meet the challenges of society

with confidence. Implicit in this

mission is the understanding that

our students be active and full

participants in their communities.

Similarly, Meeting Street Academy’s

mission is to empower young people

from under-resourced neighborhoods

to become confident, productive

and principled members of society

through academic excellence. These

interconnected founding missions,

the vision and support of a current

Ashley Hall Trustee and the desire

of our students to be leaders for

positive change in the community

led to a mutually beneficial

partnership between the two

schools.

The academic partnership that

was formed between Ashley Hall and

Meeting Street Academy was based

upon four student-centered goals:

n To provide an opportunity for select girls of Meeting Street Academy, when they are ready to matriculate into other independent schools, to attend Ashley Hall

n To provide students of both institutions an opportunity to interact with students outside their peer group

n To provide an opportunity for students who have been through Ashley Hall’s Offshore Leadership Program to continue to develop their leadership skills in a purposeful way through teaching and mentoring

n To leverage Ashley Hall’s resources and community

he Meeting Street Academy Scholarship at Ashley HallA unique partnership. A life changing scholarship opportunity.

T“The Scholarship provides an opportunity for select girls of Meeting Street Academy, when they are ready to matriculate into other independent schools, to attend Ashley Hall.”

Per spec t i ve s 21

partners to provide opportunities for experiential learning to Meeting Street Academy students Partnership activities include lessons on the natural sciences found in the Lowcountry, swimming lessons and other water safety activities in Ashley Hall’s pool, electronic and traditional “pen pal” communication between students, experiential learning opportunities — including a sail in the Charleston Harbor aboard a tall ship — performing arts events, and visits to the South Carolina Aquarium.

The Meeting Street Academy Scholarship at Ashley Hall

This programmatic partnership has increased the desire of many Meeting Street Academy students and their families to attend Ashley Hall when they are ready. However, the socio-economic circumstances of the students served by Meeting Street Academy can make the tuition at Ashley Hall prohibitive. Therefore, to meet the first goal of the schools’ partnership objectives, a sustainable scholarship program together with student identification and admission processes was established. Annually, Meeting Street Academy’s administrators and faculty identify a maximum of three of their girls who are ready to matriculate into an independent school and whom they believe can meet the chal-lenging admission requirements of Ashley Hall. Once identified, and upon their acceptance after completing Ashley Hall’s standard admission process, these select students are assured financial assistance throughout their tenure at Ashley Hall. While the School’s financial aid program covers 70% of these costs, this partnership will only be sustainable because of generous donors in the Ashley Hall community who commit to a gift of $85,000, or $8,500 annually for a student’s 10 year journey at Ashley Hall. These donations will cover the portion of tuition not currently met by financial aid and provide support for a girl’s scholastic requirements beyond tuition, including uniforms, activity fees, and books. In 2012 Ashley Hall’s Head of School, Jill Muti and her husband, Lorenzo, led this initiative by committing to the very first Meeting Street Academy Scholarship with a gift to support a student through graduation.

Very quickly they were joined by an alumna of the Class of 1970 and the parents of current 2nd and 4th grade students at Ashley Hall. These three gifts funded the inaugural class of Meeting Street Acade-my students who began their Ashley Hall journey in the 2013–2014 school year. These three students have transitioned well into the Ashley Hall family and are excelling both socially and academically. Additionally, donors for two of the three Meeting Street Academy students that we hope to join the Ashley Hall family in the 2014–2015 school year have been identified and have committed their support. Over the next eight years, a sustainable scholarship program that continues to provide opportunities for qualified Meeting Street Academy students to attend Ashley Hall will be developed. While this partnership is still in its nascent stages, there is a clear expectation of its participants’ success as Ashley Hall students. Administrators at Meeting Street Academy identify and recommend only students they feel will excel in the Ashley Hall academic and social environment. And because all students must go through the admission process at Ashley Hall, faculty and administrators are able to assess their readiness for our curricula. Additionally, Meeting Street Academy prepares students and their families for the challenges and commitments necessary to thrive in a vibrant independent school environment. Thank you to our generous donors who are making this life-changing, community building scholarship program a success!

Class of 2024 n Anonymous n Ann W. Dibble ’70 n Jill and Lorenzo Muti

Class of 2025 n Anne ’78 and Scott Parker n Kaye and Scott Smith

If you are interested in learning more about the program or how you can become the donor for the third Meeting Street Academy Scholar for the 2014–2015 school year or any future scholars, please contact Catherine Newman at 843-720-2886 or [email protected].

one of the seven hallmarks of an Ashley Hall alumna is nurtured and developed through the school’s Global Studies Program. Expanded language offerings (including Mandarin) that incorporate the oral proficiency interview as an assessment tool; travel opportunities to support and provide students in all divisions and of all financial means with opportunities to experience a different culture; humanities electives like Human Rights and International Law, Moral Philosophy, and China, a Century of Revolution; an international boarding program that will bring students from around the world to live and study in Charleston at Ashley Hall — all of these strategic initiatives are a part of Ashley Hall’s Global Studies Program as outlined in the 2013 Strategic Plan and are preparing graduates to meet the challenges of 21st century society with confidence.

The Global Studies Program InitiativeA $4.5 Million Fundraising Effort

Worldly—

14 | The magazine of ASHLEY HALL22 | The magazine of ASHLEY HALL

To support this spoke of the Strategic Plan, the Global Studies Program Initiative was launched. This $4.5 million fundraising campaign is comprised of two phases: In Phase One of the initiative, Ashley Hall’s Board of Trustees and other donors gave nearly $2 million to purchase The Rutledge House for Global Studies at 179 Rutledge Avenue, a property adjacent to Ashley Hall that will provide Upper School humanities classroom space, a home for international boarding students and their resident advisors, increase Ashley Hall’s total campus footprint by 10% and more.

Phase Two of the initiative began in July of 2013 with the goal of raising $2.5 million to support the Global Studies Program and provide funding to allow the school to meet three critical needs:

iTo create a restricted fund to maintain the property

iTo support curricular initiatives within the Global Studies Program including faculty and programmatic development and student travel

iTo renovate and repurpose the newly acquired property into classroom and boarding facilities

If you would like to learn more about this critical initiative, or tour The Rutledge House for Global Studies, please contact Catherine Newman, Director of Institutional Advancement, at 843-720-2886 or [email protected]. Thank you to all our donors who are making this initiative a success.


In the 12 months since the initiative began, generous donors have committed over $2,400,000. Additionally, an initiative to furnish The Rutledge House for Global Studies is underway, with alumnae, grandparents, parents, faculty and friends donating beautiful furnishings and lighting fixtures. Please visit www.ashleyhall.org/furnishings-wish-list.php for

more information on needed furnishings. Renovation on The Rutledge House for Global Studies is scheduled to be completed during the summer of 2014 with the house opening for Upper School humanities classrooms and international boarding students in August. Upon completion, The Rutledge House will boast two resident advisor suites, four sleeping rooms for international boarding students, a large Harkness classroom, two Oxford-style classrooms, a music room, a lounge/game room, a salinated pool, and large shower and changing facilities.

Naoko Dionne and Shigeru Tsukamoto share the culture of Japan with

Ashley Hall 1st graders.


“These things aren’t just taught in the classroom either,” says Jane. “Character education is something innate to the Ashley Hall experience. When you graduate, it stays with you, just as your shadow does.” A graduate of Ashley Hall and Wofford College, Jane strongly believes that her classmates and the atmosphere of the school are the bedrock of her character. “My friends were doing amazing things during high school—and they continue to do so. As an example, right after Hurricane Katrina the country was in shock from the devastation in New Orleans. A few classmates jumped into action and organized on-campus fundraising for Water Missions International. They knew something had to be done and felt the need to step up and help. I was so impressed.” Inspired by her classmates, Jane served as Class President during both her junior and senior years. She was selected to participate in a state-wide student leadership conference focused on community involvement at Furman University. Returning to Ashley Hall that fall, she spearheaded a playground project for Habitat for Humanity and joined her classmates in cleaning up Bear’s Bluff Road on Wadmalaw Island as part of South Carolina’s Adopt-a-Highway program. “Not only do you learn what strong character is from your friends,” she says. “For me, it was also found in the network of support I found in my teachers at Ashley Hall. They led by example and were there for me every step of the way. They gave me enough rope and guidance to help me make the big decisions we all face in high school and to take risks. I still call on many of them for advice today. You can’t put a price tag on that.” Jane now works as a financial advisor for Merrill Lynch and enjoys interacting with her clients, associates and other professionals from around the country. She loves her job and the world of high finance, but notes she misses the

collaborative, supportive community she had at Ashley Hall. However, having had the Ashley Hall foundation, her transition into the professional world has been much easier. “In the professional world you have to have self confidence and put yourself out there to make connections. Because of Ashley Hall, I have the confidence needed, and am not afraid to make connections. In fact, it is because of Ashley Hall I have so many connections in the Charleston community. This network is teeming with professional mentors, and I have found each is more than willing to lend a hand or an ear to help.” Jane Werrell beautifully exemplifies the hallmarks of an Ashley Hall woman.

I N T E L L I G E N Talumnae PersPecTive

Jane Werrell ’06 When asked what character means toher, Jane Werrell ’06 doesn’t skip a beat:

“Doing the right thing when no one’s watching; being able to live with yourself when unpopular decisions are made; and grace under pressure all come to mind,” says this accomplished young alumna.

Members of the Class of 2006

Inspired by the delightfully charming 1916 diary of former student Ellen Williams,

Just a Reminder: An Ashley Hall Musical Revue took to the Davies Auditorium stage

on February 7 and 8. This extraordinary production featured students, alumnae,

parents, faculty and staff performing in a variety of roles that reflect the Ashley Hall

experience through the years. Sponsored by the Parents’ Association, the show

raised nearly $10,000 for faculty professional development opportunities.

14 | The magazine of ASHLEY HALL Creative | Compassionate | Collaborative | 15 30 | The magazine of ASHLEY HALL

hank you to those who have already made a gift to Ashley Hall’s Loyalty Fund this year. We are close to reaching our

goal of $755,000 and only you can help us achieve this. If you have not already made a contribution, please consider joining those who have and invest in the Ashley Hall community.

Thank you for your continued support of Ashley Hall. If you have any questions regarding the Loyalty Fund, contact Sarah Evans, Director of the Loyalty Fund and Donor Relations, at [email protected] or 843-965-8547.

mind body heart soul

Ashley Hall Loyalty Fund

2013–2014

Giving is easy:

• Mail your check using the envelope enclosed

• Give online: www.ashleyhall.org/ online-giving.php • To give by phone, or set-up monthly pledge payments or for gifts of securities: Call Ann Barnett, Director of Data Management and Online Services, at 843-720-2856.

Every gift, no matter how large or small, makes

a difference.

Than

k y

ou!

$755,000GOAL

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

As of February 28, 2014

14 | The magazine of ASHLEY HALL Creative | Compassionate | Collaborative | 15 32 | The magazine of ASHLEY HALLBottom Row: Libby Williams, Joan Poulnot, Penny Walker, Beautsie Zahrn

Top Row: EB Ravenel, Molly Waring, Jena Waldorf Not pictured: Melaina Pate

GENERATIONS OF Giving

Ashley Hall alumnae are an integral part of the culture of philanthropy that resonates on the campus. From generation to generation, they have demonstrated their commitment to the school, and each alumna has her own story and special reason for her support. We thank all of the alumnae who have given back to ensure this tradition continues for decades to come.

1934 “Ashley Hall gave me a good education and sound preparation for college. Today, it gives girls a superb preparation for life in this complex global economy.” –Elizabeth (Libby) S. Williams ’34

1948 “I attended both Ashley Hall and a public co-ed high school. Although the co-ed high school had some fun times, there was a spirit at Ashley Hall that was different. I was happy to be able to send both our daughters to Ashley Hall for their entire pre-college schooling, and eventually to have four “12 year” granddaughters. I am so glad that the school has remained an all girls school and do agree that they are champions in every way! Therefore I will continue to support Ashley Hall for the coming generations of champions.” –Joan Hutcheson Poulnot ’48

1951 “It must be in my blood! From my aunt, who was in one of the early classes, to my own happy and rewarding years there and my father’s 33 years on the Board, to my daughter and two granddaughters, all of whom were 12 year girls—I have had a long time to watch a top quality educational institution grow from great, to greater, to greatest!” –Patience (Penny) Davies Walker ’51

1963 “I love Ashley Hall because of the wonderful education, which allowed me to expand my horizons to do anything I wanted to do and the courage to follow my dreams. The special bond we all have with the school and the lifelong friendships we forged while being there is so special.” –Beautsie Robertson Zahrn ’63

1973 “I will forever feel so privileged to have had the opportunity to attend Ashley Hall for 12 years. As an alumna, I donate to the Loyalty Fund to give back to the school that molded me into the woman I am today and to ensure that bright young women will always be able to attend this remarkable institution and reap the benefits of all Ashley Hall has to offer.” –Melaina Clement Pate ’73

1989 “I love Ashley Hall even more now than when I attended. Being a member of the Alumnae Association Board is a great way to give back to a school that is so dear to my heart and has given me so much! It gives me an opportunity to work with old friends and meet new ones who are part of the sisterhood.” –Elisabeth (EB) Burtschy Ravenel ’89

1990 “Ashley Hall has provided my children with an environ-ment in which they can grow as leaders while also nurturing their creative endeavors. It is a special place for children to learn, and we feel blessed to have our children there.” –Jena Purser Waldorf ’90

2002 “I love Ashley Hall for the sense of community it fosters both during and following my time as a student here. I feel a sense of responsibility to give back to the community that’s given me so much.” –Molly B. Waring ’02

Did you see the alumnae generational list in Ashley Hall’s 2012–2013 Annual Report? If not,

make sure to go to www.ashleyhall.org to view the online version of the complete report and

join us as we celebrate and recognize the supportive Ashley Hall community.


Talk to Coach Slay for a few minutes and there’s no doubt that she carries the same passion and dedication to her job as she did her first years of teaching. In her position as Director of Athletics, she is responsible for instilling a healthy lifestyle in our students, in addition to leveraging sports and athletics as important character building tools. We sat down with her between class and practice to talk about the value of sports in character building, the fun of winning, and the important lessons learned with losing.

Tell us a little about yourself, including

what brought you to Ashley Hall?

I’m from Charleston, and I guess you could say I was “brought” to Ashley Hall in 1st grade. I am a proud alumna having attended all 12 years here. College followed at the College of Charleston, where I played volley-ball. I graduated on Mother’s Day in May of 1985. The very next day, I began teaching at Ashley Hall.

What made teaching attractive to

you and teaching at your alma mater

no less? That had to have been an

interesting transition as many of the

faculty must have taught you.

I always loved working with children and feel very comfortable with them. Throw physical education and sports into the mix and it was a perfect combination for me. I did my student teaching in the Charleston public school system and enjoyed it. But when the position became available at Ashley Hall, I knew it was the right place. Yes, many of the faculty had been my teachers. They knew what I was capable of making happen in the classroom and pushed me in many ways. They also provided support and guidance, which allowed me to succeed.

Let’s talk about character and athletics.

How do you instill good sportsmanship,

or “sportswomanship,” in your students?

Sports are a great way to teach students how to work with others, how to work with a team, and how to win with grace and lose with pride. I have a terrific staff that complements my efforts. We try to focus on the big picture—that it’s not always about winning. It’s the enjoyment of playing the game and giving it your all. One of the most important lessons that a child learns through athletics is how to cope with failure. If they learn at an early age that life is not perfect and that things will not always go their way, then they will be better equipped to cope with the potential disappointment that lies ahead. Sports provide an environment where these lessons can be learned without life-altering effects. It’s a life lesson—a mini-life lesson that our girls are getting a good handle on early.

In addition to your class time, you also

coach the Ashley Hall volleyball team.

What do you think makes a good coach?

A good coach is not only a leader but a person who is devoted to using the sports experience to help students become better people and citizens, as well as athletes. I think a good coach strives to live up to the highest standards and ethics. Everything I say or do sends a message to my students about values, so I try to live by example. I have two sons, so my students/players are like my daughters. They know that I have a close eye on each and every one of them, and that I have high expectations. They don’t want to disappoint Coach Slay.

When many people think of Ashley Hall, they think of Franny Slay or, as we all call her, “Coach Slay.” With a teaching career of nearly 30 years at the school, plus 12 years as a student, Ashley Hall is easily part of her DNA.

CO L L A B O R A T I V EfaculTy PersPecTive

Franny Rivers Slay ’80

On Being a GOOD SPORT


Is there an “a-ha, it’s working” moment that you could

share when you saw good sportsmanship play out on

the court?

One story immediately jumps to mind. There is another independent school in Charleston whose varsity girls basketball team last year included an incredibly talented player. She was an amazing athlete, a hard worker scoring nearly 30 points per game but she also was a class act. When this team played us at home, an Ashley Hall parent captured a terrific photo of this player making a basket. Needless to say, we didn’t go on to win that game. Fast forward, we’re on the road playing at their school. Their leading player took charge of the court yet again and they beat us handily. After the game, one of our seniors ran off the court and brought back a copy of the photo that had been taken of the opponent’s player. All of our Ashley Hall seniors had signed the photo saying “Best of luck in your college basketball career. We can’t wait to say, ’we knew you when.’ ” They recognized the greatness in this young woman and rallied around her. This was done without the encouragement of the coaching staff or anyone, which truly made me proud. And the stories go on and on…

Many people use sports as relaxation. What do you

do to relax?

I’m an avid cook and I love to dig around in my garden. A healthy diet is very important to me. I guess these are my two best stress-relievers.

In summary, what do you think makes Ashley Hall so

special?

I think Ashley Hall’s uniqueness lies in the girls themselves. They set high personal standards and goals while they’re here and strive to achieve them each day. We provide guidance along the way but a great deal of decision making comes directly from them. Of course, I feel a sense of gratification in seeing our girls succeed, but I also enjoy watching how they maneuver around life’s challenges and personal failures along the way.

1909 so c i e T y Pa rT y

A cocktail party was held at the lovely home of Rebecca and Dan Herres on October 3, 2013 for Ashley Hall’s 1909 Society. This event honors our leadership giving group for their continued commitment in building a community of philanthropy at Ashley Hall.

TH e ru T l e d g e Ho u s e f o r gl o B a l sT u d i e s aT 179 ru T l e d g e av e n u eco c k Ta i l s a n d co n v e r s aT i o n

ad va n c e m e n T ev e n T s

In September, Ashley Hall invited local alumnae to visit the school’s newest property, The Rutledge House for Global Studies, located adjacent to the main campus at 179 Rutledge Avenue. The building will officially open this fall.

Rebecca Herres, John Rivers, Hugh C. Lane, Jr.

Eliza B. Grimball ’09, Mariana R. Hay ’09 Kevin Mooney and Colleen Mooney

Lorenzo Muti, Rebecca Herres, Dan Herres and Jill Muti

Jeff Dionne, Global Studies Program Director, and Penny Davies Walker ’51

All photo captions lead left to right.


Frances is no stranger to Ashley Hall, having attended the school from 1st through 10th grades before going to boarding school in the Washington, DC area. She joined Ashley Hall in December as School Secretary and quickly proved herself indispensible, moving into the area of Institutional Advancement as Administrative Assistant and Special Event Coordinator. Frances comes back to Charleston from Charlotte where she most recently worked in the development office at Charlotte Latin School. Her family includes three grown children and a golden retriever named Caesar. Frances can be reached at [email protected] or 843-965-4513.

Frances Parker Magee ’74Administrative Assistant and Special Event Coordinator

of f i c e o f in s T i T u T i o n a lad va n c e m e n T sTa f f uP d aT e

Kristen LeinheiserDirector of Alumnae and Parent Relations

Kristen joined the Office of Institutional Advancement in June of 2012 as Administrative Assistant and became the staff liaison with the Parents’ Association last year. In her new capacity, Kristen will continue her great work with our Ashley Hall parents and also manage alumnae relations. Prior to working at Ashley Hall, Kristen spent four years in Washington, DC, working for the Conquer Cancer Foundation of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. She can be reached at [email protected] or 843-965-8482.

Pa s T Bo a r d o f Tr u s T e e s lu n c H e o n

On Thursday, February 20, 2014, Head of School, Jill Muti, and current Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Jerry Reves, hosted a luncheon to honor the service of Ashley Hall’s past trustees. It was wonderful for current and past members to gather and discuss their philanthropic bond, Ashley Hall. Sara Ravenel ’14 reflected on her current experience as an Ashley Hall student and the importance of the hallmarks as they are personified by the girls on campus. We echo Jerry and Jill in thanking these individuals for laying the foundation for the school.

Karen Jenkins Phillips ’79, Cam Webb Stuhr ’65, Harry B. Gregorie and Hugh C. Lane, Jr.

Georgia H. Darby, Harry B. Gregorie

Left to right: Helen Turner Hill ’81; Harry B. Gregorie; Georgie H. Darby; Hugh C. Lane, Jr.; John I. Saalfield, Jr.; Philip L. Horn, Jr.; Nathaniel I. Ball, III; Terry B. Fisher; Boo Gibbs Townsend ’66; Carolyn Wetherford Hutson ’50; Robert M. Baldwin; Vereen Huguenin Coen ’51; Jane Brooks Ball ’60; J. Conrad Zimmerman, Jr.; Tommy A. Kirkland; Mary Agnes Burham Hood; Cam Webb Stuhr ’65; Patricia T. Kirkland; Margaret C. McDonald; Penny Davies Walker ’51; Joanie B. Lucas ’70; Angie Hewitt Chakeris ’89; Elizabeth Rivers Lewine ’54; Dr. Jerry Reves; Heidi Ward Ravenel ’74

Paula Edwards HarrellDirector of Marketing and Communications

Paula Edwards Harrell joined Ashley Hall this past December after eight seasons leading Spoleto Festival USA’s communications efforts. As Director of Marketing and Communications, she is responsible for positioning Ashley Hall as one of the nation’s leading independent schools. Along with many other aspects of her job, Paula is thrilled to assume the editorship of Perspectives and looks forward to sharing the compelling stories of the Ashley Hall sisterhood. She can be reached at [email protected] or 843-965-8462.

al u m n a e ev e n T s

Ho l i d ay Pa rT y oy s T e r a n d P i g ro a s T Ju B i l e e lu n c H e o n

yo u n g al u m n a e


Cornelia Jones Graham ’87, Jamye Horres Hurteau ’91, Heather Garris Pope ’91, Cashion Drolet ’97

Nancy ’58 and David Fortiere, Susan ’58 and Jack Hermann

Maura Hogan ’82’s daughter Beatrice (B.) and husband Scott Watson

Mariana Ramsay Hay ’77, Hope Geer Colyes ’78, Weiza Geer Walters ’83

Laurie Thornhill, Kari Cribb, Ann McGhee

Young alumnae and guests enjoy the fire.

Martha Zeigler Tucker ’58, Vista Ann Grayson ’57, Susan Applegate Hermann, Peg Rivers Eastman ’58, Helen Linton Watson ’58

A large group of Ashley Hall’s young alumnae living in New York City gathered at The Campbell Apartment in Grand Central Station on November 14, 2013.

Ashley Hall’s college age alumnae attended a happy hour at Taco Boy in Charleston during their holiday break to catch up.

Jane Reeder ’61, Mary Luke Chapman ’61, Georgia Lucas Barnett ’60, Kay Robertson Skidmore ’59

All photo captions read left to right.

’43Jane Thornhill traveled to the Canadian Rockies, Banff, Alberta and Lake Louise in August 2013 with daughter, Jane Schachte ’70, and a group from Charleston.

’50Sarah Mahony Ford-Rijswijk is recovering from a four-way cardiac surgery she underwent in August and is doing great! She’s back playing golf and now has seven great-grandchildren and 18 grandchildren— life goes on and is lively!

’53Anne Ford Melton enjoyed a visit in her home from Oliver Everett and his wife. He was the planner of the royal wedding of Princess Diana and Prince Charles, personal secretary to Princess Diana and librarian of Windsor Castle. After that, Anne visited with Sweet Briar College friends in Virginia. While there, she went to The Marshall House in Leesburg, VA, to which she had donated a large number of items from her attic. The Marshall House, also known as Dodona Manor, was a retreat for General George Marshall, the creator of the post-WWII Marshall Plan.

’59Midge Midyette Peery is painting for a small one-person show at the Greenville County Museum of Art. The show will open on December 3, 2014.

’61Sally McCrady Hubbard hiked England from coast to coast with her stepdaughter and two friends in August in celebration of her 70th birthday.

Mary Luke Chapman never dreamed she’d have a son serving in the Army last year in Afghanistan. He is safely back at his base in Honolulu, Hawaii. Many prayers got the family through his active service!

’64Sarah A. Cruise welcomed a new granddaughter on October 19. She retired in 2011 from her legal practice and has enjoyed having time off to travel, read and cook after 38 years of practicing law. She and her husband moved back to Charleston from New York City in 1999 to take care of her parents. Sarah keeps herself very busy raising Jack Russell terriers.

Susan Paul Firestone has a new grandson in Los Angeles where her two daughters, Mary and Lucy, live. She just finished her PhD in Expressive Therapies at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts where she is an adjunct professor in the graduate school. She has been living in New York City for

Class Notes

ASHLEY HALL ALUMNAE we want to hear from you!

Please send updates, announcements and news

notes to [email protected] or submit them online at

ashleyhall.org/alumnae.php.

In the past issues of Perspectives, we unfortunately failed to recognize the Class of ’49 as the first class to celebrate their 60th Graduation Anniversary, which was commemorated at Alumnae Weekend in 2009. This was the last senior class under the direct tutelage of Miss McBee and Miss Estelle—what a wonderful group of Ashley Hall women! Class member who attended the 2009 reunion included Carolyn Powell Shaak, Nena McBee Horn, Hannah Withers Craighill, Dorothy Parker Wiles, Marguerite McLaughlin Bishop, Marcia Daly Gladstone, Judy Warfield LaMarque, Mary Lynn Stoddard Roes, and Sally Thrower Plair.


60 YEARS AND COUNTING—THE CLASS OF 1949

the past 16 years, where she is an art psychotherapist and artist.

Margaret Dillon Mauch retired from teaching six years ago in Middleton, Wisconsin but still substitutes frequently in the school where she taught. When she is not teaching, she and her husband enjoy time with their seven grandchildren, camping with their camping group, biking, hiking or snowshoeing.

Stanley Smith Reahard and her husband, Bo, spend time between their two houses these days, wintering in Summerville, South Carolina and summering at their house on Lake Michigan. In between, they run around the country in their motor coach visiting friends and points of interest. They will celebrate their 40th anniversary this summer with a cruise on the Queen Mary II. Stanley and Bo also welcomed their very first grandchild this past August—a little girl named Hadley James Reahard. She was named after her

great grandmother and has completely won their hearts.

Sherrie F. Whittemore looks forward to renewing her ties to Ashley Hall despite her long absence from class events. She attended the 40th Reunion, but was only able to be there Friday afternoon. She attended the Ashley Hall Centennial Celebration in 2009. She has been back in Massachusetts since the early 1970’s. Although she considered retiring in Charleston, her life with friends and career is in Massachusetts. She loves her work as a geriatric clinical social worker. Initially she was a mental health clinician, however, in 2001 she switched to part- time and an independent practice. Currently, her elevator tag is, “I care for care givers as a StilMee Alzheimer Coach and a Geriatric Care Manager...” Working part-time has given her time for a 10-year relationship with a very special male friend and volunteer work through her church.

’66Barbara Pringle Claypoole welcomed her fourth grandchild, Frances Pringle Jackson into the world on November 23, 2012. Frances is the daughter of Pringle Claypoole Jackson.

Susan Bedell McMahon recently retired from one of the Big Four accounting firms and is now living in a cabin in Tennessee and riding her horses every chance she gets. Her twin boys are now grown, with one living in Atlanta and the other in Pensacola. She has three grandchildren and a fourth on the way. Life is good and she can’t wait for the big reunion in 2016!

’68Lynn Foskett Pierson is a Manager/Buyer at Isabelle’s Museum Store at the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art in Tarpon Springs, Florida.

Barbara Street Hagerty is thrilled that her first full-length poetry book, Twinzilla, will be published by Word Works, a small, well-established poetry press, in early 2014.

’73Anne Thornhill Weston has transitioned in her job from Provost and Upper School Head to Assistant Head of School for Advancement at Heathwood Hall Episcopal School.

ALUMNAE HIGHLIGHT ’74Catherine F. Riggs-Bergesen is a Clinical Psychologist and her interests include Lyme Disease, hospital-acquired infec-tions, animal rescue, and geese and ducks as pets.

’75Barbara Baker Pendergrast is serving as a commissioned Lady Chaplain in the Episcopal Church and has recently become a Board Certified Chaplain with the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC). She enjoys getting together with Elizabeth Guerard Parker ’75 when returning to Charleston for visits.

’77Mariana Ramsay Hay has joined the Charleston Parks Conservancy’s Board of Directors.

’79Tory Davis Champion is the Executive Director of Camp Wayfarer for Boys and Girls in Flat Rock, North Carolina. She loves what she is doing and adores hanging out with the kids, keeping her young at heart!

Nancy Nuckles Colyar became Library Director at Southern Polytechnic State University in Marietta, Georgia, in October 2013. She is thrilled to be closer to Charleston and family nearby in Georgia.

’82Inga McAlister Sullivan is the mother of three boys: Jimmy, Winslow and Capers Carroll. Jimmy is currently serving in the Peace Corps in Guatemala, and Inga is very proud of him. She is still teaching tennis and is married to John Sullivan. Ashley Hall holds the best memories for her and she is grateful for four years at the school.

Beth Fabian Landers is celebrating 10 years of marriage to husband Andy and will be heading to Nevis and St. Kitts to mark the occasion. She attended the President’s Cup in October and loved seeing all the great golfers. Her son, Drew (11), enjoys soccer, and daughter, Casey (7), enjoys cheering and Irish dancing.

Kay Haselden Chandler ’61 just finished her 18th marathon on February 2 in Miami. She won her division and was in the top 3rd of all finishers. The marathon was hot and humid but featured a gorgeous course that started in downtown Miami and continued through South Miami Beach, Coconut Grove and finished back in the city center.

’83Tucker Cecil has joined the Charleston office of Willson Jones Carter & Baxley P.A. as an attorney practicing in the area of workers compensation defense.

Caroline C. Lesesne was recently promoted to Senior Vice President of Private Banking at First Federal, soon to be known as South State Bank.

’86Nancy Rowe Abercrombie is currently working at Blackbaud in the area of product research. She and her two children, Jack and Grier, just returned from a great trip to Washington, DC.

’87Molly Hood Craig, a partner at Hood Law Firm, LLC, has been inducted into the International Academy of Trial Lawyers.

’89Charlotte Anderson Parrino has been living in New Orleans for almost 10 years with her husband, Gene (heart transplant surgeon at The Ochsner Clinic), and is enjoying being mother to their three children, Heyward (11), Kate (8) and Corbett (6). Professionally, she has been busy painting and has recently held private shows in Charleston, Charlottesville, Richmond and New Orleans. She is looking forward toupcoming art shows in Atlanta, Nashville and Austin this coming fall. Her recent work can be seen online at OrietsFineArt.com.

’91Laura McKinley Spriggs and her husband, Paul, traveled to Sonoma in July where daughter, Ellie, turned five years old and was flower girl in a cousin’s wedding. Her son, Nick, also turned two years old

in July, and Ellie started kindergarten in August and loves it! The family recently moved to Decatur, Georgia, near Agnes Scott College, another fine women’s educational establishment like Ashley Hall. GO PANTHERS!

Jamye Horres Hurteau is currently serving as Past President of the Ashley Hall Alumnae Board and is excited to have Heather Garris Pope ’91 on the Board this year! Daughter, Taylor— currently in third grade—will receive the Littlest Angel Award in memory of Sallie Smith Shisko at the closing exercises in May.

’92Amy Bates Winfield is living in Hickory, North Carolina, with her husband, Jason, and is enjoying life with their three boys, Henry (12), Bennett (9) and Robert (5). They always welcome a visit with any alumna on her way to the mountains!

’98Jenny Costa Honeycutt started a new law firm, Best Honeycutt, P.A., in July of 2013.

’00Jacki K. Dixon has been employed with Parker Nelson and Associates since February 2012. She is engaged to Thomas Ryan Phillips and will be married in October 2014!

’02Meghan K. Titzer joined Liberty Mutual in December 2013 and now runs their Kentucky operations. She also adopted two kittens, Minnie and Daisy, in June.

’03Caroline T. Owen is living in Denver, Colorado as a special agent for the FBI.

’06Stephanie M. Whelan will receive her Master’s degree in Social Work on May 9, 2014.

’08

Caroline C. Howell graduated in May of 2012 with a degree in Historic Preservation and Community Planning from the College of Charleston. She is currently working full-time at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens as an interpreter in the “From Slavery to Freedom” cabins.

Per spec t i ve s 45 44 | The magazine of ASHLEY HALL

ALUMNAE HIGHLIGHT

Contact: Teresa Taylor, [email protected]

InsideSudoku D4

Television D5Comics D6,7Moxie

T here’s a lot to consider when you’re grocery shopping for back-to-school food, including

nutrition and convenience. You have to think about what your

kids will eat, what’s easy to grab and go and, of course, how to make sure they’re eating a balanced diet when they don’t have you to look over their shoulders.

It’s not as difficult as it sounds, though you will have to resist the urge to reach for that overpriced yet oh-so-convenient package of single-serve junk food.

Here’s my advice on packing your kids’ lunch boxes with healthy foods, and how to save money doing it.

Opt for real fruitWith artificial coloring, unnatural

ingredients and heaps of sugar, fruit snacks are just about the worst thing you could throw in your kids’ lunch sacks, as far as nourishment goes. But you can still get that gummy texture that kids love in real fruit products.

Trader Joe’s Fruit Bars and Fiberful Bars are a great alternative to fruit snacks, and you can buy them indi-vidually for cheap.

If you want your kids eating raw fruits, try packing bite-size fruits such as berries and grapes. They’re easier for kids to pop in their mouths throughout the day.

Piggly Wiggly has the best price on grapes this week at $1.18 per pound. Blueberries and raspberries are two for $5 at Publix.

Create your own lunch kitsKids love to feel like they’re creat-

ing their own meals, which is most likely why packaged lunch kits are such a crowd pleaser in the cafeteria. But the grab-and-go lunch kits on the shelves that feature crackers, meats and cheese are highly pro-cessed and aren’t worth the money.

Make your own kits for kids to take to school to make sure they’re eating quality foods.

The cheese cracker cuts at Trader Joe’s are natural and reasonably priced compared to other grocery stores’ selections.

Find Hillshire Farm lunch meats on sale at Publix this week for buy two, get one free.

For crackers, go for something like Trader Joe’s Edamame Crackers, or Rice Works Crisps, on sale at Harris Teeter for buy one, get one free.

Skip the chipsFor crunchy snacks, consider prod-

ucts such as Annie’s Homegrown Organic Snack Mix, on sale this week at Whole Foods for $4 a box.

Nutrition-wise, it’s still a pretty empty snack, but without artificial flavors or colors, it’s a decent al-ternative for fatty and over-priced potato chips.

Healthy savings in lunchbox

ABIGAIL DARLINGTONCharleston Savvy Shopper

Does getting an exclusive deal ev-ery day with savings of 50% or more at local restaurants, bars, spas, attrac-tions and more sound good to you? Sign up today at charlestondealstoday.com.

BY DONNA FORD

Her blond hair was neatly tied up with red bows in two pigtails that I had bribed her

to wear with the promise of a new Barbie, just on this first day of kin-dergarten.

She hated bows in her hair, but she was my only daughter, and I had lived for the day when I had a little girl with bows.

Her Catholic jumper nearly hung to her ankles, knee high white socks with navy blue Mary Jane’s.

She is all ready for her first day, and I am beaming from ear to ear with the joy I am feeling, although a part of me has this pain inside my heart that she really cannot be start-ing school.

She is so little.There will be many days like this

to come in the next 12 years. Her L.L. Bean

backpack with the purple butterfly and her name embroi-dered, nearly as big as her, is placed in the front seat next to me, along with the first of many

lunches. She and her

brother, a pro at this school stuff already, hop in the back of

the minivan. She is so excited about her first day

of school and yet I can see the worry on her face

as I watch her in the rearview mir-ror.

It is the same expression I feel on my own face.

As we pull up in the car line, things go south fast as she has a quick change of heart. “I don’t think I’m going” she blurts out.

I pull quickly into a parking spot near the front door and gently con-vince my little one to reconsider.

The tears are building in those big blue eyes and I am doing ev-

erything I can to hold mine back as well. If mine fall, it’s all over. We head down the hall and straight to Sister Trudy’s class. It is a beautiful classroom and you feel the love and happiness.

She immediately and without hesi-tation puts grips around my leg that will take an army of Marines to pry her lose.

The wailing begins, not from me, yet. I save mine for the car ride to work.

Sister Trudy convinces her how much fun it will be and how much she will learn, and within seconds, I dart out the door. We have success, our first day of school.

I hurry to my car; seatbelt buckled

Time too short as youngest grows up

GUEST COLUMN

We’re looking for the next guest col-umnist. Send us your unpublished story in 700 words or less for consideration. Email submissions to [email protected].

We want you

Ford

BY HOLLY FISHERSpecial to The Post and Courier

The issue of work-life bal-ance is one that women have been intensely dis-cussing and debating for

more than three decades. And it’s certainly been a front-and-center topic for Molly H. Craig, a wife, mom and a partner at Hood Law Firm LLC in Charleston.

Craig often mentors young law-yers and speaks to students at the Charleston School of Law on the topic.

“I recognize the work-life bal-ance for women lawyers is dif-ficult,” she said. “It’s probably the biggest challenge we face.”

In her years of managing a busy career as a litigator, raising three children and giving her time to various legal-related organizations and projects, Craig has discovered some lasting truths.

First is to find your passion in the law. Finding that work-life bal-ance is easier when you love what you do, she said.

Second, women should look for jobs that encourage flexibility.

Many firms understand the im-portance of keeping great lawyers and are willing to offer flexible schedules to do so, Craig said.

Lastly, Craig advises new lawyers to find a mentor they admire,

trust and respect – someone who embodies the kind of lawyer they want to be.

“People are looking for the secret answer, and I was too when I was a young lawyer,” Craig said. “The short answer is there is no secret. But if you find what you’re pas-sionate about, love to do it, put yourself in a law firm that encour-ages flexibility and find a mentor, then you are positioning yourself to find (balance).”

Plus, Craig offers a bonus tip: Choose your spouse wisely. She gives a great deal of credit to her husband, Steven. The two met in law school at the University of South Carolina and celebrated their 20th anniversary earlier this month. Steven, a former tax lawyer and now CFO at insurance company Johnson & Johnson, un-derstands Craig’s schedule and the

A passion for law

Defense counselor, mother Molly Craig offers career advice

WADE SPEES/STAFF

Molly Hood Craig is a wife, mother, partner in a Charleston law firm and president of the 2,500-member International Association of Defense Counsel.

NAME: Molly Hood CraigOCCUPATION: Partner, Hood Law Firm, CharlestonFOCUS: Trial practice in civil litigation and the defense of catastrophic product liability, professional liability, pharmaceu-tical and medical device, nursing home litigation, and employment litigation.RECOGNITION: AV Preeminent rating in the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory; listed in Best Lawyers in America and in South Carolina Super Lawyers.PROFESSIONAL SERVICE:

Serves as president-elect of the International Association of De-fense Counsel, a board member of the Defense Research Institute, and state coordinator for Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s iCivics project, a web-based educa-tion project designed to teach students civics. Immediate past president of the South Carolina Defense Trial Attorneys’ Associa-tion.EDUCATION: J.D., University of South Carolina School of Law, 1994; B.A., University of the South, 1991

About Molly

D Friday, August 23, 2013

Please see SAVVY, Page D3

Please see GUEST, Page D2

Please see LAWYER, Page D2


InsideSudoku D4
























BY DONNA FORD
























GUEST COLUMN


We want you

Ford














A passion for law


WADE SPEES/STAFF




About Molly






InsideSudoku D4
























BY DONNA FORD
























GUEST COLUMN


We want you

Ford














A passion for law


WADE SPEES/STAFF




About Molly





ALUMNAE HIGHLIGHT Abbie Gibson ’12 has joined the Skidmore College Riding Team. At a recent home show, where 12 teams competed, Abbie won her flat class and over fences class. Her wins guaranteed her a spot in the High Point Ride Off. Abbie won the High Point Rider Award and the Skidmore Team won the show with a perfect score! The Skidmore Riding Team finished the 2013-2014 season undefeated.

’09Ashley A. Davoli is currently a first-year law student at the University of Richmond School of Law. She was recently inducted into Phi Delta Phi, the national legal honor society, and gained membership on the Moot Court Board.

Jordan E. L. Lowery is a freshman at Wake Forest Law School.

Katy H. Tamblyn graduated from Wofford College in May of 2013. She is currently completing a one-year paid internship with International Sports Academy in Hilton Head, South Carolina and plans to enter graduate school in the fall of 2014.

’10Olivia B. Hipp graduates from Rhodes College this May. For the second summer, she attended St. Johns College, Oxford. While there, her studies included Shakespearean plays by the Royal Shakespeare Company and Restoration Literature from the period in England when Charleston was settled. She works for the Admission Office of Rhodes College and studies French for the fun of it, though a declared English major. She may return to Oxford on staff next summer, then on to France to teach English. Olivia sings in two choir groups: Lipstick on Your Collar, an acapella group, and the college choir.

’11Sally H. Sheppard is planning to travel to Nantes, France, for a semester in the Spring of 2014, to complete a requirement for her French major. Sally was inspired by Ashley Hall’s Madame Decker to choose French as one of her majors and hopes she is doing well!

Caroline K. A. Lowery spent the summer of 2013 traveling and teaching at Shanti Bhavan School in India.

Per spec t i ve s 47 46 | The magazine of ASHLEY HALL

Lawyer offers career advice

The youngest child grows upand manage to make it safely out of the parking lot before I finally let the tears flow.

I don’t know why I am filled with all this emotion, but it will be the same feeling I would have eight years later when I drop her off for her first day at Bishop England.

She cannot be attending high school already; she looks so small among those teenag-ers.

Shouldn’t she still be climb-ing that big magnolia tree in my front yard? Where has time gone?

As a working mother with a full-time career and soccer games, and dance, and home-work, all the busyness robs you of time.

Time is a silent thief that sneaks up on us, quietly, until one day we wake up and real-ize that it’s almost over.

I didn’t let her know for sure that I was getting her that little black car she wanted,

but I’m sure she knew it was coming.

I picked her up from school and we headed home. There it was in the driveway when we pulled up.

All I saw was those big pearly whites shining back at me.

The next morning, as we got ourselves ready for the day, I realized our morning commutes together were over.

All the years of me hurry-ing her along and listening as she told me over and over that her hair looked awful were over.

She hopped in her car, so excited and eager to be inde-pendent and pulled out of the drive and there was that feel-ing again.

It can best be explained as happiness and sorrow all at the same time, the feeling that you have accomplished your goal as a parent, but not quite ready to let go.

Our senior year is upon us

and with school starting, I am filled with the excitement the school year brings, foot-ball games (Go Bishops) and her senior prom, and lastly, graduation.

I will savor this last school year each and every day, as I know it will be my last.

The last year I wake early to make school lunch and stay up late to help with studies or make that run to Staples at 8 p.m. for a poster board.

One day last year when she pulled into her parking spot at Bishop England, she sent me a text message, “I miss riding to school with you, Mom!”

Thank you, darling, I need-ed to hear that.

Donna Ford lives in Sum-merville with her 16-year-old daughter and her son, who is a senior at the College of Charleston. She is general manager at the Embassy Suites downtown and enjoys reading and writing.

craziness of trial preparation.“When I’m in trial, it’s

24/7,” Craig said. “He’s so supportive. He takes over the children, the carpools and the school and he understands I have to give 110 percent of my focus to my client.

“It’s a partnership through and through,” she added. “I’m so fortunate to have some-body so supportive of my career.”

Craig’s support system also extends to her office. She works with her father, Bobby Hood, who founded the law firm in 1985; and her two lawyer brothers. They’ve been supportive through every maternity leave or family is-sue that needs her attention, she said.

As Craig started her legal career she sought out oppor-tunities to gain trial experi-ence, finding that courtroom skills were in high demand. She began to specialize in medical malpractice and continues to defend physi-cians, nurses, hospitals and facilities.

“You develop an appre-ciation for the complexity of what these professionals and companies do on a daily basis,” she said. “I can still remember it as if it were yes-terday the tears in the eyes of the first doctor for whom I tried a malpractice case and the huge hug he gave me after the jury returned a verdict in his favor.”

A greater impactHer family and colleagues

also support her efforts to better the legal profession as a whole. Craig was re-cently elected president of the International Associa-tion of Defense Counsel, an invitation-only professional association for corporate and insurance defense lawyers around the world. Craig is the second woman to be elected president in the association’s 93-year history.

Her already busy schedule is about to get even busier as she travels the world representing the association and pursuing

its strategic initiatives and educational efforts.

A member since 2002, Craig learned about the Interna-tional Association of Defense Counsel when she attended an intense, 10-day training at Stanford Law School for law-yers still early in their careers.

“I was watching the caliber of lawyers who were doing faculty demonstrations and interacting with the students. They took time away from their families and their own jobs to come and work with these students and make them better trial lawyers,” Craig said. “It spoke volumes about IADC, and I wanted to be more active in a group of people like that.”

In 2007, Craig returned to that same training program as an instructor. Now she’s leading the 2,500-member or-ganization in what amounts to a second full-time job.

Past president Rob Hunter said the association is fortu-nate to have Craig’s leader-ship.

“She doesn’t ask people to do anything she’s not willing to do herself,” he said. “You are hard-pressed to refuse her request and that makes for a great leader.”

While Craig is dedicated to the legal profession, she’s also doing her part to ensure fu-ture generations receive civic education.

Craig is one of two state coordinators for iCivics, free online educational materials for use in classrooms around the country.

In 2009, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor founded iCivics as a way to reverse Americans’ declining civic knowledge and participation.

Craig found out about iCiv-ics when she was serving on the International Association of Defense Counsel Founda-tion board, which launched a partnership with iCivics to provide financial assistance and its members volunteered as state coordinators.

South Carolina schools are actively using iCivics, thanks to the efforts of S.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Jean Toal,

who organized a task force to bring iCivics into state class-rooms.

“For the next generation to be active participants in our democracy they need to un-derstand the three branches of the government,” Craig said. “One of the most re-warding aspects of my profes-sional career has been being involved in iCivics.”

Tipping the scalesWomen like Craig are mak-

ing an impact on a profession that remains largely male-dominated.

According to a study of law firm demographics by the National Association for Law Placement Inc., women and minority partners are making only small gains among law firm partners as a whole.

In 2012, the percentage of female partners in law firms across the country was up slightly from 2011. On the flip side, there has been a three-year decline for female associates. Among associates, the percentage of women had increased from 39 percent in 1993 to 46 percent in 2009, before falling back each year since.

Seeing a woman like Craig in leadership roles locally and internationally suggests that the elusive work-life balance can be achieved for female lawyers and women as a whole.

At least that’s Craig’s hope, especially when it comes to inspiring her 14-year-old daughter.

“I’m hopeful my daughter will see that it is possible to have a career that you love and also raise a family.”

Hunter calls Craig a “super-woman in that she seems to juggle it all and she excels at it all.”

“If you’ve met her children, you know she’s a spectacular mother. If you’ve seen her in court, you know she’s a great lawyer. And if you’ve been in meetings she’s presided over, you know she’s a great leader,” he said. “She’s a great role model for parents or for any-one who aspires to leadership positions.”

LAWYER from Page D1

GUEST from Page D1

D2: Friday, August 23, 2013 postandcourier.com The Post and Courier

’12Ann E. Hill was awarded the Sakowicz prize for Outstanding Performance by a Non-Music Major in the Wake Forest Giles-Harris Competition in Musical Performance on February 22. Ann sang “La Courte Paille,” a series of 7 French songs, by Francis Poulenc. In addition to her private vocal instruction with Teresa Radomski, Ann is a member of the Wake Forest University Concert Choir, the Wake Forest Chamber Ensemble, and Innuendo, a coed, student a cappella group. She is hoping to see Dr. Robin Garner on the upcoming choir tour to Ireland! When she is not singing, Ann is working on her French major, psychology minor, and premedical requirements.

’13Rebecca R. Howell is enjoying her freshman year at Lake Forest College with roommates from across the country. She was assistant stage manager for the fall production and is enjoying frequent visits to the city of Chicago.

Wedding Announcements

’96Laura Parker Outlaw married Michael Outlaw on January 12, 2013, in Georgetown, South Carolina. The couple resides in Atlanta, Georgia.

’01Demetria Ileana Strauch and Samuel Porter Jacks of Maryland were married on October 18, 2013, at Rockville Presbyterian Church in Rockville, South Carolina. Ileana attended the University of South Carolina Honors College and graduated from The Medical University of South Carolina, where she also completed her residency in internal medicine. She is currently completing her fellowship in hematology and

oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. The groom attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Wake Forest University. He completed his general surgery training at University of Texas Southwestern and his cardiothoracic surgery fellowship at the Medical University of South Carolina. He is a cardiothoracic surgeon with Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgical Associations in Jacksonville, Florida. The couple honeymooned in Morocco and now resides in Atlantic Beach, Florida.

’03Elizabeth A. Lilly and Kevin Michael Meagher were married on October 5, 2013, at the Island House on Johns Island, South Carolina. Elizabeth graduated from Queens University in Charlotte, North Carolina and works for Luquire George Andrews in Charlotte as a Digital Strategist. The groom is a graduate of Purdue University and is an Application Programmer for Bank of America. The couple honeymooned in the Turks and Caicos and reside in Charlotte.

’05Caroline D. Hay and John Russell Robinson Jr. were married on September 21, 2013, at Mount Pleasant Presbyterian Church in Mount Pleasant. Caroline graduated cum laude from Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing. She is the owner of TOR Jewelry and co-owner of Citrine Swim. The groom earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Presbyterian College, where he was also a scholarship baseball player. He is the owner of Drift Boutique in Mount Pleasant. Ellen Legare Hay ’08 and Elizabeth Marshall Hay ’14, both sisters of the bride, were maids of honor. Bride’s attendants were Julia Bennett Anderson ’05, Anne Legare Rhett Boulware ’05, and Anne Hutson McEwen ’05. Program attendants included Kate Daniel Latimer ’05, and Caroline Cutler Rowe ’05. The couple honeymooned in Belize and reside on Isle of Palms, South Carolina.

Christine W. White and Kasper Bennet Statz were united in marriage on October 19, 2013, in Charleston, South Carolina at St. Mary of the Annunciation. Christine earned a BA in History and Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her Master’s in Public Administration from The George Washington University. She is an analyst for the National Council on Teacher Quality in Washington, DC. The groom attended Georgetown University, where he earned a BA in History, and The George Washington University, where he earned a Master’s in Public Administration. He is a healthcare analyst for Catapult Health

Consultants in Arlington, Virginia. The bride’s sisters, Amelia May White ’10 and Sarah White Evans ’06, were maid of honor and matron of honor, respectively. Bride’s attendants inlcuded Leah Rachel Fisher ’05. The couple honeymooned in Sonoma County and San Francisco, California, and reside in Washington, DC.

’06Sarah A. White and John Alden Rivers Evans were married on June 15, 2013, at St. Mary of the Annunciation in Charleston, South Carolina. Sarah attended the College of Charleston and is employed by the Charleston Area Convention and Visitor Bureau. The groom is a graduate of Hampden-Sydney College and is a principal at Evans, Rivers, and Company real estate firm. Christine Westcott White ’05 and Amelia May White ’10 were maids of honor. Bride’s attendants included Henslee Rutledge Evans ’02, Elissa Gayle Bostain ’06 and Catherine Pierce Haar ’06. The couple honeymooned in Asheville, NC and reside in Charleston.

Births’97Shipley Robertson Salewski and husband Tony welcomed daughter Ann Adele Salewski on January 17, 2014.

’03Amy McKinney Luff and husband Matt warmly welcomed son, Boone McMillan Luff, on December 16, 2013.

In Memoriam

Frances Loadholt Harter ’27February 10, 2014

Dorothy Hunt Applegate Pennebaker ’37 November 21, 2013

Katharine Donald Coleman ’38 January 25, 2014

Joan S. Jenkins ’39 October 22, 2013

Norma Thatcher Barton ’40March 9, 2014

Ann Eustis Weimer ’45 August 5, 2013

Louise Reynolds Ingram ’46 November 8, 2013

Roseann Harvey Frampton ’51 December 1, 2013

Patricia Gable Stubbs ’54 July 1, 2013

Virginia Self ’64 November 29, 2013

Katherine Tyler Deas ’99 September 7, 2013

Members of the Class of 1998 with their beautiful children: Katherine Parker Clark with Ren and Addie, Margaret Johnson Kunes with Rebecca, Sarah Hodges Sullivan with Madison, Megan Molony DuPont with Reese and Katy Cohen Decker with Alex and Henry.

For the past 25 years, I have worked in higher

education fundraising and see first-hand how

the lives of students and their families are

transformed, and their world view expanded,

through education. I grew up in a family that

believed strongly in education, and my mother

often said that education was the one thing that

could never be taken away. My parents were able

to send me to Ashley Hall but not all children are

so fortunate.

When I heard about the bright young girls

attending Ashley Hall from Meeting Street

Academy (MSA), an academically rigorous

proprietary school in downtown Charleston

serving children of very limited resources, I

knew I wanted to help a child experience the

life-changing opportunities that Ashley Hall so

wonderfully provides. What also impressed me

about MSA was the requirement of parents

playing an active role in their children’s education.

They are truly invested in their children’s success.

I have made a 10-year commitment to fund a

Meeting Street Academy Scholarship as a current

2nd grader learns, matures and eventually

graduates from Ashley Hall. With a solid education

as a foundation, one young girl’s future is much

brighter and Ashley Hall and the Charleston

community will be stronger for it.

If you are interested in learning more about the Meeting Street Academy Scholarship at Ashley Hall, please contact Catherine Newman at [email protected] or call 843-720-2886.

I am Ashley Hall.

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