StC Magazine | Spring 2026

St C

ST.

CHRISTOPHER’S SCHOOL MAGAZINE

Educating Boys for Life

Portrait of a Saint

On taking the lessons of St. Christopher’s into the world

Message from the Headmaster

Dear Saints,

Here at St. Christopher’s, we are blessed with abundance in many forms. Our students, faculty, and staff continue to demonstrate their commitment to our Community Pillars—Honor & Integrity, the Pursuit of Excellence, and Community & Brotherhood.

If you walked around campus on any given day this spring, you would see curious students expanding their intellectual horizons, committed athletes competing with vigor, and visual and musical artists drawing audiences to our stunning Arts Center with exceptional gallery shows and performances. You would hear constant chatter and laughing from our Lower School boys enjoying their two daily recesses and the repeated dribble of a basketball on the Community Courts, as our Middle Schoolers enjoy the warm sun after an unusually cold winter.

As our seniors complete their time here, the outstanding Class of 2026 has truly left this place better than they found it. They have excelled as leaders in the classroom, in Chapel, and all over this campus and in the greater community. Importantly, they left a lasting impact on our underclassmen as Peer Advisors and as Senior buddies to our Kindergarten boys, the Class of 2038.

“There is so much positivity and purpose all around the St. Christopher’s campus these days.”

These moments and experiences are hallmarks of a St. Christopher’s education. While this “magic” was once perhaps less easily defined, our strategic plan, Momentum 2025, has allowed us to articulate the specific traits we cultivate in our students. Through the “Portrait of a Saint,” we demonstrate how these ideals are infused into daily life from Junior Kindergarten through Commencement. I invite you to read on to learn more about this framework and the alumni who exemplify its characteristics.

Furthermore, recognizing that success in life extends far beyond academic achievement, we are thrilled to launch a new annual alumni survey. This initiative aims to measure how our graduates are faring holistically—personally, professionally, and civically—and how their time at St. Christopher’s prepared them for life. We will begin surveying our reunion classes this May, with a commitment to continue this research annually over the next five years, eventually reaching all alumni. I urge you to participate and to share your perspective with us, so that we can continue to pursue excellence in all that we do.

There is so much positivity and purpose all around the St. Christopher’s campus these days—We are all fortunate to play a role in the lives of these wonderful young men and in the broader St. Christopher’s community.

Sincerely,

MASON LECKY Headmaster

Legacy in Motion

Rodney

Williams ’13 on creating impact through everyday choices

Thank you for inviting me back to be part of this moment. It’s always meaningful to return to this campus, but today carries special weight. Today, we gather to honor the life and legacy of Walter Lindsey ’75, the first Black graduate of St. Christopher’s School.

That distinction matters, but I want us to think beyond the title. I want us to think about what his presence made possible. The title of my chapel talk is “Legacy in Motion.”

When people talk about legacy, they often picture something big and visible. Awards. Recognition. History books. But legacy usually doesn’t feel dramatic when it’s happening. It feels ordinary. It looks like showing up. Doing your work. Carrying yourself with character. Navigating situations that are unfamiliar or uncomfortable. Choosing to move forward anyway.

Walter Lindsey didn’t know how his time here would echo into the future. He couldn’t see the students who would follow. He couldn’t see the doors that would open wider because he walked through them first.

He simply lived his experience with strength, discipline and dignity.

That’s how real impact works.

You don’t always see it while you’re creating it.

There’s a story many of us know about Moses leading people out of Egypt. He faced pressure, doubt and resistance for years. He guided people toward freedom. But he never stepped into the Promised Land himself. His work created opportunities that others experienced.

Whether you see that as history, faith or symbolism, the lesson is clear. Sometimes your role is to build the path, not walk to its destination.

We see the same pattern in more recent history. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke about equality and justice. He marched. He sacrificed. He endured hardship and imprisonment. He did not get to witness the full progress shaped by his leadership, and yet generations have benefited from his courage.

Let me shift gears for a moment.

Think about how people debate LeBron James. Championships. Stats. Rankings. Endless arguments about legacy. The funny part is that while

people debate the future, he’s still playing today. Still performing. Still growing.

There’s a lesson there. We can get so focused on how we’ll be remembered that we forget to focus on how we live right now.

Legacy is not built in hindsight. It’s built in the present.

Walter Lindsey’s story reminds us of that. His impact wasn’t created through grand gestures. It was built through consistency. Through effort. Through showing up as himself in an environment where that mattered deeply.

That message matters for every student here.

You may not realize who is watching you. You may not see who benefits from your example. You may not

“We can get so focused on how we’ll be remembered that we forget to focus on how we live right now.”

understand how your actions influence what comes next.

But they do.

Each time you act with integrity, you strengthen the community. Each time you pursue excellence, you raise expectations. Each time you include others, you expand belonging. Each time you show confidence and respect, you widen possibilities.

Legacy is not reserved for historical figures. It is built by everyday choices.

I want to close by sharing something personal. In 2010, I came to St. Christopher’s after attending an all-Black public school.

It was an adjustment in many ways. Socially. Culturally. Personally. There were moments of uncertainty, moments of growth and moments of learning where I fit and how I could contribute. I wasn’t thinking about legacy. I was thinking about doing my best. Learning. Competing. Representing my family well. But whether I realized it or not, my experience here was shaped in part by Walter Lindsey’s presence before me. Now fast forward to today. It’s 2026. My nephew is in kindergarten here at St. Christopher’s.

Rodney Williams ‘13 speaks at Walter Lindsey ‘75 Day on February 13, 2026

That journey tells a powerful story. Walter showed up and created possibility. Students like me followed and continued building on it. Now another generation begins their path with opportunities shaped by those who came before.

That is legacy in motion. Often unseen by the person who begins it.

So as we honor Walter Lindsey today, let’s also embrace responsibility. You are shaping environments right now that others will inherit. You are influencing futures you may never witness. You are contributing to something bigger than your individual timeline.

Show up fully.

Be curious.

Be disciplined.

Be compassionate.

Be courageous.

Because someone, somewhere, will benefit from what you do today.

Walter Lindsey’s life reminds us of that truth. And standing here today, I am grateful for the path he helped create and honored to be part of the continuation of that story.

Walter, I thank you.

Myles Brown ’15, thank you.

Brelan Hillman ’07, thank you.

Evan Reid ’13, thank you.

George Dunston ’87, thank you.

Arnold Henderson ’19, thank you.

Cameron Barlow ’12, thank you.

Ameer Bennett ’17, thank you.

Chuck Cummings ’76, thank you.

Even little Greyson White ’38, who does not know who you are, thanks you.

The list goes on. But one thing for certain, and two things for sure, we won’t let you down!

TEACHING & COACHING:

Coming Full Circle

For many years, St. Christopher’s has prided itself on teaching the “whole boy.”

“When a soccer game is played on a school campus, it is an extension of the classroom.”

In the ’80s and ’90s, we talked about St. Christopher’s attention to “Body, Mind, and Spirit.” (We should presume, by the way, that that list—which does indeed come trippingly off the tongue— was arranged in alphabetical and not hierarchical order!)

Though our messaging has continued to evolve, at our core, St. Christopher’s still fosters learning both inside and outside the classroom.

Like many institutions founded on the principles of the country day school model, StC’s faculty work with students both inside

and outside the classroom. In an older era, this was known as the “teacher/coach” model. Even as the number of programs StC offers has continued to grow, many faculty work with students outside the classroom in a plethora of activities in the studio and performing arts and other commitment-based activities. In this way we faculty are all teachers/coaches.

During the second week of February, I attended an eye-opening symposium for soccer coaches and referees. One of the most interesting messages was that when a soccer game is played on a school campus, it is an extension of the classroom. Even if the adults involved (the opposing team

“Even when the Varsity soccer team enjoys overt success during the season—and some of our players may choose to play intercollegiate soccer—soccer is not the ‘end-game.’”

coaches and the officials) don’t work in the school building during work hours, they truly function as educators as they coach or officiate the young people playing the game.

In this way, soccer (“the beautiful game”) offers valuable lessons about fair play, good sportsmanship, perseverance, teamwork, etc. Of course, soccer is not unique among sports in fostering these lessons; indeed, so, too, do the studio and performing arts—and many of the club organizations that the School sponsors. Even when the varsity soccer team enjoys overt success during the season— and some of our players may choose to play intercollegiate soccer—soccer is not the “end-game.”

Twenty-two years ago, the varsity football team at De La Salle High School in Concordia, CA, drew much attention not only for an incredible winning culture, but also for the team’s extraordinary preparation. Head Football Coach Bob Ladocueur was the presiding genius behind the Spartans’ unprecedented 12 consecutive undefeated seasons (19922004), a stretch of 151 consecutive wins. From his 34-year career as head coach, dozens of Ladocueur’s former players went on to play in the NFL. Dozens. If any of these stats catch your attention, I urge you to read Neil Hayes’ journalistic account of the streak, “When the Game Stands Tall”—or see the film based on the book. Better yet, watch the documentary “Perfect Effort,” which presents live footage of Coach Ladocueur on the sidelines, in the coaching office, in the locker room with his players and at team meetings. As exacting and demanding as he was, Coach Ladocueur often told his players,

“In victory or defeat, peace of mind can be found in a Perfect Effort.” What an incredible message, one that clearly transcends the athletic field. That was the message that hooked me and made me want to watch the documentary about this coach and his program.

Yet I found it even more compelling that, at a team meeting in the documentary, as the players reviewed their individual and collective progress towards reaching their short-term goals— and helping hold each other accountable, he bellows, “It ain’t about the football!” Even given the high expectations for that program, we shouldn’t find this insight from the coach surprising.

Well, if it “ain’t about” the sport—then what is it about? Again, this takes us back to the notion of an education through athletics, through experiences that will set young people up for success in life. Through teaching, advising, and “coaching,” StC’s faculty remains committed to educating young men for life.

By Jay Wood Upper School English Department Chair and Teacher

When Passion Becomes a Way of Life

Kyan Patel ‘23 on leaning in to what lights you up

When you think about passion, what comes to mind? See, the dictionary defines passion as an intense desire or enthusiasm for something.

What makes passion so unique is that it can be anything. You can have a passion for sports, reading, debate or the arts. But what happens when you take a passion and it starts becoming a way of life? And that’s what I want to encourage you guys to dive into today.

The funny thing about passion is that it can come when you least expect it. I didn’t always have this level of passion for the arts. It took me some time to realize it was even there.

Growing up, the arts were always very important in my household. My mom went to Pratt Institute for Fine Arts in New York City. Due to her experience, the arts were never pushed aside. Rather, they were engraved into our developmental years. My parents pushed us to do well, not only academically, but also athletically and in the arts.

Because I was surrounded by art from a young age, it came naturally to me. But like many teenage boys, I didn’t really take much pride in it. When I was in high school, sports were my everything.

Soccer was my life.

I played on many travel teams all through my youth, and I spent three years on varsity soccer at St. Christopher’s, even winning a state championship in my senior year.

Soccer was what I poured everything into: all my time, all my energy. Art was something I was good at, but I never imagined it was actually going to take me anywhere.

However, before I could see my future in art, it was my mom who saw something in me. She always felt that art was my

avenue to do something special. In 2022, a good friend of mine, and someone many of you in this community may know, Andre Greene Jr. ’22, was one of the top wide receivers in the country.

My mom had an idea: what if I created a piece for Andre for his commitment day and he unveiled it when he announced where he’s going? Initially, my reaction was embarrassment. I thought it was going to be awkward.

Plus, I thought it wouldn’t lead me anywhere. Being small-minded, I was more worried about what people would think rather than the opportunity I had. My mom kept saying, “Trust me, make the most of any opportunity, even if you don’t see where it’s going.”

So, I finally built up the courage to text Andre that night, and to my surprise, he loved the idea.

I spent around two months working on this piece and looking back on it, it definitely wasn’t my best work. But it was also my first time doing anything of this caliber.

Commitment Day came around, and I was super anxious and nervous.

The gym was packed with students, teachers and news outlets. It seemed like everyone in Richmond was there. Andre

Patel

announced that he was going to UNC, and then he ripped off the paper and the painting was revealed.

I remember one of my classmates saying, wait, Kyan, I didn’t know you could do this. The truth was, no one really did. That day, a switch flipped, and I no longer felt shy or embarrassed about my art. Instead, I felt an overwhelming amount of support from not only the St. Christopher’s community, but also the greater Richmond community. That support is a part of the motivation that keeps me going today.

So I thought, what if I did this for other athletes? Athletes get hundreds of photos taken of them all the time, but who’s taking the time to make a piece for the athlete that’s created by

hand and not for a fan, not for a team, not for an owner, but for the athlete themselves. That’s when I decided to see how far I could take it.

For the next few months, I DM’d around 200 athletes every single night on Instagram. And every night I sent the same message:

This is the piece I did for a friend of mine. I would love to create a painting for free for you. All I ask is, could you post it on your story and tag me?

I wasn’t thinking about money at the time. All I was thinking about was exposure. How can I get as many eyes on my work as possible? I learned to never go into something with money as your motivation because it’s going to almost always leave you disappointed. Go into

Alumni Voice

“You don’t become great overnight. You become great by showing up every single day and putting in the hours.”

it with love and passion and the rest will always work out.

My cold calling technique led me to work with other UNC players, such as Josh Downs, Armando Bacot, RJ Davis, Caleb Love, and then even expand to others like Will Shipley. I was able to work with these guys just by being bold and asking.

So, always ask. You never know what someone’s going to say. When Instagram introduced collaboration posts, where the post both appears on my page and the athlete’s page, I saw this as an opportunity. I started offering two options: either the athlete could pay the full price for the piece, or they could receive a significant discount in exchange for a collaboration post when I release the piece.

This system created a win-win cycle. I was earning income. Athletes were receiving discounts on the work, and each post brought in new clients and new eyes. Due to the hundreds of thousands and millions of followers these athletes had, my business truly started to scale.

Wake Forest was a school I never thought I was going to get into on academics alone.

So it was pretty surreal when I received the Presidential Scholarship for the Arts. It was the moment I really believed that others saw the same potential that I saw.

Wake Forest gave me my own studio, access to resources, funding and mentorship. That environment pushed me to work on another level. The athletes I began to work with became even more high-profile.

My pieces became more realistic. And as you can see, I got to work with other athletes such as Ava Carney, Tyrese Proctor, Cam Hildreth, and guys such as

Isaiah Bond, Bryce Young, Carson Beck. My life became consumed by work in the best possible way. There were countless nights when I was in my studio till one or two in the morning on a Friday and Saturday, just grinding out these pieces.

I found more joy in creating this work, traveling across the country to meet these clients and growing my brand than I ever did going to parties or social gatherings. And that was truly the turning point for me. Anyone can have talent, but without a work ethic, that talent’s gonna go nowhere. Ultimately, you have to have a deep, deep passion for what you do in your life.

And you need to be addicted to reaching those goals and success and in a way that even seems delusional. And these same delusional thoughts and late nights in the studio and hours led to the moment where I finally felt like my hard work paid off. One day I was getting a haircut, scrolling on my phone, and I got an Instagram DM from Travis Hunter.

He messaged me saying he saw a piece I did for one of his teammates and would love to work together. My heart dropped. I knew this piece was going to change everything.

I flew to Colorado with my photographer and videographer, met Travis, who is one of the nicest, most genuine guys I’ve still worked with to this day. Even Deion Sanders pulled over, got out of his car and checked out the piece.

This post ended up getting over 2 million views, 70,000 likes, and was reposted by major accounts such as ESPN, all college football, and House of Highlights. From that moment, the drive never stopped. I kept pushing and

pushing, asking myself, who’s the next big athlete I can secure a deal with?

So even though art takes up a large part of my life, education has always been a priority. Because of that, I was able to land a financial internship last summer in New York, understanding that without business knowledge and strategy, my creative work would never be sustainable.

Friends of mine encouraged me to reach out to one of the biggest music artists in India, Garan Ajala, who was touring in the US and coming to New York. At the time, I didn’t know much about his music. I came to find out he’s basically like the Drake of India, racking over 2 billion streams alone this year and over 60 million yearly listeners. I went back to my roots and resorted to cold DMing, explaining my enthusiasm to create a piece for him.

And two hours later, to my shock, he replied saying, man, your work is sick

Fast forward two weeks, and I’m backstage in his green room in New York, handing him a painting.

He sat down with me, and we talked for around 30 minutes. He wanted to hear my story, and he even gave me VIP passes to sit with his family during his show.

What stood out most was that he treated me like I was an old friend, all the while, right outside the room were 30,000 fans waiting to watch him perform.

I’ve learned some amazing lessons on my path, and I have a few key ones I want to leave you guys with.

The first is that relationships matter.

The biggest opportunities in my life came from strong relationships. Whether that’s athletes, mentors, teachers or friends. Treat people well and it’s always going to come back to you.

Even here at St Christopher’s, I’m still in contact with some amazing people, such as Mr. Lecky, Mr. Sanchez, who was my art teacher at St. Catherine’s, and Mrs. Livick, who was my advisor. Never burn bridges.

You never know who’s going to open these doors for you later in life.

The second lesson I want to pass on to you is that consistency is everything. You don’t become great overnight. You become great by showing up every single day and putting in the hours.

I know there are many athletes in this room; you all know you don’t get better just by practicing once a week. You get better by showing up every day, training, lifting, studying film, and really pushing yourself when you don’t feel like it.

If you look at the first piece I did for Andre, compared to my most recent work for Kai Sinat, the difference is huge. And that didn’t come from one breakthrough. It came from thousands of hours in the studio.

The final lesson I want to leave you all with is that your network matters.

Surround yourself with people who genuinely want to see you win, people who push you, people who celebrate

your success instead of being jealous and envious of it. Negative energy is so real, and it will hold you back whether you realize it or not. Don’t let others’ judgment cloud or affect your vision.

Choose your circle wisely and grow with everyone around you.

So to finish my talk today, I want to stress that everyone in this room has something they care deeply, deeply about. Something that excites them, even if they don’t always talk about it or think about it. It could be that this passion gets pushed aside because it doesn’t feel realistic or because you are worried about what people might think. I almost did that. This entire journey started because I sought out one opportunity that, even at the time, I didn’t fully believe in. You don’t need to have it all figured out.

You just need the courage to take the first step and the discipline to keep showing up. I didn’t grow up having this

dream, but everything happens for a reason. Believe in yourself before anyone else does. Be willing to be uncomfortable, to fail, and to work harder than anyone else to find what you love.

You guys are very fortunate to attend a school like St. Christopher’s that gives you unlimited resources, support, and teachers and faculty who genuinely want to see you succeed. Take advantage of that. Dream big, but work even bigger.

Don’t be afraid of your passion.

If something lights you up, lean into it and chase it. Fully and fully run with it.

Thank you for having me.

This talk was delivered in Ryan Recital Hall on January 5, 2026.

Portrait

Like many schools, St. Christopher’s has bright and talented students. It has an experienced and dedicated faculty. And its facilities are more often compared to a small college’s than other primary and secondary schools. The differentiator, however, lies in the School’s “secret sauce.”

For over 100 years, like a cherished family recipe, that sauce lay largely undefined. With the launch of its current strategic plan, Momentum 2025, however, St. Christopher’s has sought to define just what it emphasizes to produce the fine young men its alumni become. More importantly, through its Portrait of a Saint, the School has demonstrated how these ideas are infused in every part of a student’s daily life at the school, from JK through senior year.

Building from the Community Pillars of Honor & Integrity, Pursuit of Excellence, and Community & Brotherhood, St. Christopher’s

seeks to develop leaders with character, learners who are curious, creative and persistent, and community members who build relationships with others and their faith. To empower the entire campus, the School has gone beyond what it wants to happen and instead explained how to bring it to fruition with each of the boys.

For the past year, seven school-wide task forces have been hard at work trying to define how the secret sauce actually works. The divisional curriculum and instruction directors have sought to identify places in the curriculum where lessons apply directly to the people we

of a

Saint

want to develop. The deans and student life directors have looked carefully at the programs and processes that ask students to reflect and discuss these same sorts of lessons. The Center for the Study of Boys has taken the lead on considering programming that supports these traits and the development of our boys.

Importantly, the division heads have considered ways that this work can be communicated with parents to strengthen the home-school partnership so important in making this process successful. The athletics and arts departments have similarly considered how to emphasize this work in areas our students highly value. More broadly, our staff who don’t necessarily interact with boys daily have been engaged in how they can support our boys’ development outside the classroom.

We want our boys to choose the hard right over the easy wrong. We strive for them to enthusiastically pursue every opportunity for growth and learning. We urge them to advocate for the weak or disadvantaged. These traits and all that go with them are the ingredients many schools would hope to foster. St. Christopher’s does not merely hope to create a secret sauce; we are executing a mission, a sacred mission, to produce a St. Christopher’s Saint.

While we are articulating the portrait today, the characteristics that embody Saints graduates have existed for the past 100+ years. Enjoy the following stories demonstrating how St. Christopher’s Portrait of a Saint has come to light through the years...

Introduction by Tony Szymendera Director of Strategic Priorities

A Saint Embodies Character

Charles Lange ’26, the chairman of the Honor Council for the 2025-2026 School year, is early for his magazine interview, enjoying a free afternoon a few days before he’ll take the reins as captain of the StC Golf Team.

Lange, who has been at St. Christopher’s since kindergarten, has just committed to play golf at Columbia University next year, but he remains focused on this upcoming season, as he’s quick to say how eager he is for a win against Woodberry.

Along with his athletic pursuits, for the majority of Lange’s time at St. Christopher’s, he’s been involved in shaping the role that honor has played in the life of the School.

Lange has been involved with the Honor Council since his earliest opportunity in Middle School, and he has watched and helped shape the policies that have evolved with his classmates.

“In Middle School, the honor system is really about learning what it means to be honorable,” Lange said. “But in Upper School, we are really trying to build the idea of honor as a habit.”

“The most important thing we do as the Upper School Honor Council is the Chapel presentation at the beginning of the year, where everyone signs the Honor Book. It’s important to remind everyone why the Honor Code is so important at

St. Christopher’s, which we often notice in underrated ways. You can leave your stuff around School and trust that it will stay there, and that people won’t take what isn’t theirs. But beyond that, we want our classmates to feel that honor is a core value in life that is important for everyone. Because we start the year with that ceremony of signing the Honor Book in Chapel, we keep those ideals at the back of our mind for the whole year.”

Lange is quick to reiterate that the purpose of the Honor Council is not to hover over life in the School searching out infractions. “Our number one goal is to make sure there are no repeat cases. We want kids to be able to learn. If someone does make a mistake, we want them to improve and carry that with them into the rest of their life. It’s important to learn from mistakes in a setting where the stakes are lower than they might be later on.”

For Lange, the Honor System is more than just a facet of his life at St. Christopher’s; it’s woven into all his pursuits. “When I’m at an athletic event, and I see an athlete make an honest decision or own up to a mistake, I see the Honor System at work there. I think of golf, and how we are asked to turn in an accurate scorecard, and I find that really admirable that we can trust that.”

Lange continues, “Of course, it moves past athletics and into everything in your life. And if you can build that at St. Christopher’s, no matter where you go or what profession you end up pursuing, being an honest person will be such a valuable trait.”

“When you value yourself as an honorable person,” Lange said, “it just takes the pressure off your hands. It’s just who you are.”

A Saint Seeks to Learn

Maddox White ’26 was ready to talk about his artistic journey, even as he arrived to his interview fresh off of winning his second indoor track state championship.

The evening before this conversation, White and his teammates delivered a decisive victory at the VISAA Indoor Track & Field State Championships, taking 1st place by more than 20 points. “We broke our school record in the 4x200,” White said. “And I placed third in the 300 with a PR. I’ve been working really hard, even dealing with some injuries, so I am feeling very proud.”

In fact, it was injuries suffered during his sophomore football season that helped White find his way into his passion for art, something he didn’t develop until he entered Upper School. “Three years ago, after getting injured, I needed to find something to do in my life besides sports. Mr. Sanchez [Upper School Art teacher at St. Catherine’s],

“With art, I can just create for myself. I can obsess freely, without the pressure.”

encouraged me to try art after seeing some of my drawings in my ceramics class.”

White took Sanchez’s advice and began learning from tutorials and classes he could find on YouTube. Soon, though, he found his way into Sanchez’s art room.

“At first, I tried to reach a really high level of realism in my art, instead of just focusing on the process. The thing that has helped me the most is becoming okay with failing. The faster you fail, the better you get.”

White continues, “Most of my work is process-based now, and I really enjoy the freedom of fixing and reworking my pieces.

“Art helps me escape perfectionism. In track, everything has to be perfect, and I can become obsessed in a way that causes me to overthink or feel stress. With art, I can just create for myself. I can obsess freely, without the pressure.”

“Maddox approaches his practice with a rare and invigorating sense of curiosity, embracing risk as an essential part of his artistic evolution,” said Sanchez. “His work reflects a fearless engagement with materials and ideas—each piece a

testament to hours spent experimenting, refining, and thoughtfully studying the artists who inspire him. Time and again, he has surpassed expectations. Maddox possesses an immediacy in his responses to the world around him—an instinctive, almost kinetic energy that drives his creative process forward.”

White’s work has developed quite a following, and he had his first solo gallery show in The Armfield Gallery this winter. “It was unreal. I couldn’t believe I sold work,” White said. “One teacher even bought a piece while I was making it.” White’s original artwork also graced the front of the St. Christopher’s holiday card this year.

As for next steps, White plans to continue both his artistic and athletic journey in college: he’s committed to study art and run track at Virginia Commonwealth University. But as he gets ready to depart St. Christopher’s, White has some advice for younger boys who might be curious about their own talents:

“You have to experiment, and don’t worry about being perfect. Just create for yourself.”

A Saint Values Relationships

Brian Campbell and many of his classmates from the Class of 1982

Charles Alexander ’82 accepted The Class of 1964 Award at the 2025 Great Saints Dinner on screen from his living room in northern California. Alexander is in his 11th year as the head cross country coach at Los Altos High School, and because his team had a meet the following morning they had been preparing for all season, he couldn’t travel east to accept his award in person.

But he wasn’t the only Saint in his living room. Vernon Glenn ’80, Bay Area CBS Sportscaster, had agreed to come over to Alexander’s and handle the filming.

The work of bringing people together and building community–especially St. Christopher’s community–is something Alexander does well. In fact, it was at the heart of why he was honored this year.

In early 2014, Alexander got a letter from Ruth Campbell, mother of his classmate, Brian Campbell. Through the letter, Alexander learned that Brian Campbell was struggling with a myriad of health issues, most notably congestive heart failure.

From there, Alexander sprang into action. He rallied a group of his classmates and their networks to help Campbell in any way that he needed.

“As his mobility declined, his needs grew and his social circle shrank,” Alexander said. “Still, Brian’s optimism never disappeared. But I realized he needed more help than I

“I learned just being there is as important as helping”

could give from California. That’s when I mobilized the St. Christopher’s army.”

For Alexander, it was an army with endless talents. “We have medical knowledge. We can repair stuff, we can clean, we can mow, we can get groceries, we can pay a bill, and we can find a new refrigerator. And above all, we could let people know that we were not alone.”

“Most importantly,” Alexander continues, “we all spent time with Brian, who wasn’t getting out much. When Brian had rough stretches at MCV and in convalescent homes, Rob Martin ’82 showed up with shoes big enough for his swollen feet. Rob Ault ’82, an ICU nurse, visited often and translated the medical reports for us and Brian’s brother, Scott.”

It wasn’t long before people began to notice the community that had formed around Brian. “A nurse remarked once, ‘he has so many high school friends visiting.’”

To hear Alexander tell it, the brotherhood in action around Brian had its roots in days the men spent on St. Christopher’s Road. “We did these things because St. Christopher’s under Mr. McVey taught us loyalty. I helped Brian because Coach Nystrom taught me commitment.”

“When you commit to something, you see it through,” Alexander said. And it was clear that the Class of 1982 had made a deep commitment to each other.

“When I heard about and participated in the community that Charles had built around Brian,” Charlie Diradour ‘82 said, “I was moved, but I wasn’t surprised. His efforts are indicative of who we are as a class.”

Diradour reached out to Director of Alumni and Parent Relations Davis Wrinkle ‘81 to nominate Alexander for the Class of 1964 Service Award.

Brian Campbell passed away in February of 2025, with a few classmates by his side at the very end.

“I learned my class has empathy,” Alexander said. “I learned just being there is as important as helping. And, I learned we need to check on our classmates.”

A Saint Explores Faith

Steve McGehee ’74 relishes in the full-circle moment as he prepares his remarks for the Chapel service he’ll lead in the morning. As the Interim Upper School Chaplain, McGehee is back on the campus of St. Christopher’s, serving in a role that he may never have envisioned in his years as a student.

After graduating from St. Christopher’s, and then Washington and Lee, McGehee had a thirty-year career in banking, moving with his family from Boston to Atlanta as he climbed the corporate ranks.

In 2009, when McGehee was 54, his life path took a turn when he decided to follow a calling and head to Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria.

McGehee may be in charge of Chapel these days, but he can chart his own exploration of faith to the order and stability he felt in the School’s daily chapel service.

“Chapel created an order—an attention—

to faith every day at St. Christopher’s. Later in my life, I learned that the professional world will hit you with slings and arrows, and I needed a safe harbor. I remembered the order and stability of Chapel, and so Church became a place where I could breathe. I could let go of cares for an hour and a half each week.”

McGehee poured himself into church life during his time as a parishioner at All Saints’ Church in Atlanta, eventually serving as its senior warden. One day, the rector asked McGehee to start a coffee shop.

for seven years–rain or shine–we ran around the city.”

“Our running group became a faithbased community. Miraculous things came from it–relationships, even a godchild. After each run, I wrote a theological reflection and emailed it to the group. Eventually, I brought the reflections to my rector who said, ‘I think you need to go to seminary.’ And that’s how it came together–no huge flash of light moment–just a gradual seed that was planted early, largely at St. Christopher’s.”

Now that McGehee is back on campus, what advice does he have for boys about exploring faith?

“My best advice is not to look at life as linear. Think about what you’re drawn to—and how that can be formed more formally as you move forward.”

“As soon as you see your life as a straightforward progression, you start to have a sense that you could fall off a path. But in my experience, falling off the path included some of the moments where I learned the most.” McGehee continued, “Success often comes at a cost. Failure hurts, I still don’t like it, but amazing things can happen if you can begin to see failure as an opportunity.”

“Amazing things can happen if you can begin to see failure as an opportunity.”

“I didn’t say no,” McGehee remembers, “but I did offer an alternative. I had just started distance running, so I said I would start a distance running group, then we’d all go for coffee afterward. It wouldn’t cost the church a thing, and so every Saturday

And while McGehee is now a part of the day-today life of the School, his move back to Richmond has also reconnected him with his former classmates.

“When I came back to Richmond after about 42 years away, I picked right up with my classmates. We’re older now—late 60s and early 70s— but the essence of who they are was formed at St. Christopher’s. We may have different political views and worldviews, but we share this common denominator: this place, with its emphasis on honor and being a gentleman.”

A Saint Thinks Critically

Burton Fuller ’01 has built a career around understanding complex and nuanced systems, but even in his current role as the Chief Supply Chain and Transportation Officer for the Johns Hopkins Health System, he’s never too far from his time in St. Christopher’s classrooms.

“About ten years ago, I was at a corporate offsite retreat, and I was the last one to arrive. Everyone was already seated, and they said, ‘since you are the last one here, we decided you have to recite a poem before you sit down.’” Without hesitation, Fuller launched into Milton’s “Invocation of the Muse,” which he had memorized in his junior year at St. Christopher’s as a part of Jay Wood’s Paradise Lost class. “They were not expecting that,” Fuller said. “My tendency to run a few minutes late hasn’t changed since I graduated 25 years ago, but I’ve found ways to recover for it!”

Day-to-day, Fuller’s work feels a little further removed from Milton. He oversees the sourcing, contracting, procurement, and logistics for the $2.5B of supplies, services, and pharmaceuticals that the Johns Hopkins Health System’s hospitals and clinics purchase annually. The logistics includes a warehouse and trucking operation with a team that extends into the operating room suites and nursing units—ensuring supplies are on the shelf when patients and clinicians need them.

His transportation responsibilities include the oversight of parking structures and patient/employee shuttles across the medical campuses in Baltimore, Maryland. At the helm of such advanced and complex logistical systems, Fuller has honed his ability to think critically—whether managing distribution disruptions during the pandemic, navigating geopolitical supply chain interruptions, or overseeing a complex series of construction and IT projects to modernize the parking and transport system to meet the needs of the hospital system.

The challenges Fuller faces are on a scale that feels difficult to fathom. For example, a few years ago, when a manufacturing facility in North Carolina was damaged by Hurricane Helene, 5060% of the sterile solutions consumed in the United States were suddenly unavailable.

Fuller and his team helped lead the Johns Hopkins Health System’s successful navigation of this nationwide shortage. “We had pre-emptively infused into our warehouse inventory planning protocols from complex algorithms based on the criticality of supply and vendor performance. This provided us with dynamic stocking levels that ensured ample safety stock for the impacted supplies,” Fuller said.

Leveraging this approach and working closely with clinical teams to identify where they could reduce demand were the keys in Fuller’s plan to navigate the shortage. And while instances like this have built his capacity throughout his career, the tools of his success have their roots in his St. Christopher’s education. “I give a lot of credit to the classroom,” Fuller said. “There was a lot of problem-solving throughout math and science that I always appreciated. But I think what has carried me most—and what I’ve received the most professional compliments for—is the ability to reason verbally, break down arguments, and communicate effectively. I need to engage with a variety of stakeholder groups that span physicians, nurses, financial leaders, frontline employees, and patients—I credit these communication skills to St. Christopher’s.”

“Outside the classroom,” Fuller said, “wrestling taught me the most about resilience. I learned how to get up when you fall down, about outworking the competition and exhausting every option. That grit has carried over into my professional life as I work to find creative solutions and think about problems in ways that others don’t.”

Fuller, himself a father of four, has some advice for current Saints making their way through their education: “Never underappreciate the lessons you can learn on campus from teachers and peers. Many of these lessons are in the classroom— but they also come from community service, performing arts, and athletics. All of it plays a profound role in shaping who you will become and how to think critically.”

A Saint Leads with Purpose

Tucker Carrington ‘84, at the time of this brief portrait, was preparing for his appearance at the United States Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., where he will represent the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus in a capital case. His work this time involves racial bias in jury selection, which is one part of the systemic criminal justice reform Carrington has dedicated his professional life to addressing.

Carrington is the founding director of The Mississippi Innocence Project (MIP) at the University of Mississippi School of Law. MIP is dedicated to freeing wrongly convicted citizens and addressing inequities in the criminal justice system. Previously, as a trial lawyer at the Public Defender Service in Washington, D.C., and as a fellow at Georgetown Law Center,

Carrington has always relished speaking truth to power and confronting injustice. He laughs as he remembers his bewildered mother asking him as a teenager, “Why are you so mad all the time?”

As someone who had rooted for the underdog from an early age, he found that his time at StC in the 1970s and 1980s informed his worldview. “St. Christopher’s sharpened that sense in me,” said Carrington. “I had some teachers who made us aware of civil rights, social inequities, and placed a premium on healthy skepticism and critical thinking. I’ve been pleased to see that the School has continued to inculcate and sharpen in its students a sense of community responsibility,” he said.

Early in his professional career, Carrington taught at Baylor School in Chattanooga,

Tennessee, where he endeavored to open his students’ eyes and minds to the wider world. Carrington appealed to their sense of justice through his coursework, and, in doing so, realized that he wanted to effect change more directly.

“I wanted to be in court, I wanted to face off against prosecutors and judges, and I wanted to talk to juries about these cases. I wanted to present them with the facts and have them do the hard work of citizen engagement, whether that be in convicting my client, or acquitting them,” he said.

Carrington’s work with the MIP has earned the organization national recognition and captured the public’s attention several times. He teamed up in 2018 with Washington Post reporter Radley Balko to publish “The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist: A True Story of Injustice in the American South,” and his work to exonerate three clients from Mississippi’s death row has made national news.

Many of the cases Carrington works on don’t simply feature wrongful convictions. There are systemic barriers to justice that he works actively to correct. “It may or may not be an innocence case, but the reality is that many of these cases are compromised,” Carrington said. “It may be shoddy lawyering or bogus forensic science, and there is value in exposing those things and in seeking a remedy for them. Some are perdurable. It’s 2026, and we’re back at the Supreme Court on a race bias and jury selection issue, same as we were in 2019.”

Carrington, inspired by his sense of justice, feels grateful for the chance to be involved in these cases. “If you’re a lawyer and you’re tasked with retelling or translating someone’s story for a judge or jury, you’re an advocate. I think that is a deeply moral act. People thank me for the work I do, but the truth of the matter is that it’s a privilege; I’m the real beneficiary.”

“We are executing a mission, a sacred mission, to produce a St. Christopher’s Saint.”

TONY SZYMENDERA

Around Campus

Snapshots from Life on Campus

1

Former MLB Player Brandon Guyer visits StC

Former Major League Baseball player, mental strength coach and founder of Major League Mindset Brandon Guyer spoke to Middle and Upper School boys on January 21. Guyer discussed building confidence, thinking positively, and encouraged our boys to “chase down the best version of themselves.”

Explaining the meaning of the Greek concept of arete, a dedication to excellence in all forms, Guyer asked our boys to think about this in their daily lives. “It’s a mindset and a way of life. It’s not your parents or teachers telling you to do it; it’s because you make that your standard. You do it with the small things, and it will lead to excellence in all things,” Guyer said.

2

Middle School Baking Club

If you stop by the BUILD lab, you might notice the sweet smell of baked goods cooking in the ovens! Founded by Middle School Librarian Cara Williams in 2022, the Middle School Baking Club is a way for our boys to be creative, problem-solve, and bake delicious treats.

The club usually meets weekly with a different Middle School faculty member, and it requires boys to follow instructions and collaborate. “I hand them a recipe, and they have to figure it out,” said Williams. “They have to measure ingredients, follow instructions and work in teams.”

Williams wanted to do something different with this after-school club. “One of my favorite things to come out of the club has been seeing boys who aren’t normally leaders step into that role in the kitchen,” she said. “It’s been really heartwarming to see that.”

3

Kindergarten Creates Martin Luther King, Jr Collaborative Art Project

Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, each of our kindergarten boys contributed a page to “This Little Light of Mine,” a book that illustrates how they can help make the world a better place. “A lot of what we discussed about Dr. King was the difference he made for other people,” said Lower School Teacher Hayden Vick, who was impressed by how the boys internalized King’s message. “I noticed that without any prompting, the boys started talking to each other about how they could help others, help the earth, and the environment. It was pretty cool seeing that!”

4

Fifth Grade Boys Participate in Leadership Speaker Series

As part of the Fifth Grade Leadership Speaker Series, Director of Diversity, Community, and Inclusion Robert Churchwell visited our Lower School. The speaker series features members of the Saints community to prepare for the transition to Middle School. Drawing on his life as a student, college athlete, educator, and NBA player, Churchwell discussed essential leadership qualities and the positive role models he has had. He encouraged our boys to see leadership as a continuous process at different stages of life. “Even as adults, we never stop learning how to be good leaders. We continue to grow throughout our lives,” said Churchwell.

Around Campus

5 Buddhist Monks Walk for Peace

Middle School boys joined the Walk for Peace in downtown Richmond on Monday, Feb. 2. Led by Rev. Wade Reck and Middle School history teachers

Jon Piper and Katy Regan, the group walked up 9th Street with 19 Buddhist monks to City Hall, where the travelers joined Gov. Abigail Spanberger and Mayor Danny Avula to deliver messages of peace and hope.

This occasion marked day 100 of the monks’ incredible 2,300-mile journey, which began in Fort Worth, Texas. Our boys created signs of encouragement to show support for the monks as they made their way toward Washington, D.C., the final stop on their journey.

6

Upper School Ethics Bowl Team Pursues Excellence

Our Upper School Ethics Bowl Team had a great showing in their competition in December 2025. The boys emerged from the preliminary round as the top-scoring team out of three and moved on to the semi-finals. The team did not advance to the championship round, but the boys, all underclassmen, performed magnificently.

The students discussed frameworks of ethical theories of deontology and consequentialism with Virginia Commonwealth University philosophy professors, and impressed the judges with their friendly rapport with the other teams at the event.

Congratulations to Paolo Bruno ‘28, Stanton Czajkowski ‘28, Tal Horton ‘28, Banks Lambeth-Butler ‘28 and Owen Lin ‘28.

7

StC Teams Up With One Love Foundation

StC was happy to partner with the One Love Foundation in recent months.

Speaking in Memorial Chapel, One Love Foundation Chief Executive Officer Julie Myers met with the Upper School to discuss cultivating healthy relationships, the warning signs of relationship abuse, and the foundation’s work nationwide, which was established following the tragic death of Yeardley Love in 2010.

One Love’s work highlights early education that focuses on building awareness as young people navigate their personal relationships. “It starts with building a village of people that you’ll look to, listen to, and have conversations with before there’s any friction and emotions going out of control,” said

Myers. “They can be peers, trusted adults, your teachers and coaches. They can help you make sure things are healthy.”

A month later, StC and St. Catherine’s School gathered for a friendly Sunday evening lacrosse scrimmage between the girls’ and boys’ varsity teams on Knowles Field, where One Love representative Hannah Schuler discussed the organization’s mission with the Saints community. StC students Wesley Conner ‘27, Luke Hudson ‘27 and Collin Weis ‘27, all members of the Upper School’s student-led mental health awareness group, MIND, also made remarks.

Athletic Highlights

Prep League Sweep!

For the first time ever, StC claimed the Prep League title in every sport in both the fall and winter seasons.

Fall 2025

Cross Country

Cross country won its seventh Prep League title in its past eight tries behind All-Prep performers LT Nguyen ’27 (2nd), Asher Green ’26 (4th), Grayson Jones ’28 (6th) and Henry Russell ’26 (7th). Asa White ’28 also scored and was just two spots off of Prep League honors. Coach John Green was named the league’s Coach of the Year, and at the state meet in Charlottesville, the group placed fourth behind All-State Nguyen (6th overall).

Mountain Biking

Mountain Biking more than held its own in competition this year. With only four riders competing consistently, the group placed 21st overall. William Sutten ’26, Ford White ’26, Tyler Aronhalt ’27 and Griffin Van der Waag ’26 all competed successfully and improved throughout the season for head coach Kimberly Mayer

Soccer

The soccer program won its sixth state title and coupled it with another Prep League championship. The season was highlighted by an epic 4-3 win over Collegiate in the state semifinals, in which the Saints trailed 3-0 in the 57th minute. The team went 18-2-2 finishing ranked 7th in the United Soccer Coaches National Poll. Jay Wood was named Coach of the Year in the Prep League, VISAA and nationally by USC. Evan Broughton ’26 was named Prep League Player of the Year. Lukas Gordinier ’26, Cole Butler ’26, Sutton Olesen ’26 and Carson Stalker ’27 were also named All-Prep. Broughton earned state Player of the Year, while Gordinier and Olesen joined him on the first team. Butler made the second team.

Football

Football won a share of the Prep League title and shocked the Richmond area with its season-opening 21-6 win over public-school powerhouse Huguenot High School. Darius Gray ’26 was named co-Prep League Player of the Year, his fourth time earning All-Prep honors, and his second POY trophy. Elijah Brandon ’26, Collin Johnson ’26, Drew Pendlebury ’26, Elisha Asare ’26, Chase Roberts ’26 Aiden White ’27 Jaerron Johnson ’27, Walter Henry Cart ’26, Lance Clelland ’27 and William Sterling ’27 also earned all-league honors. Gray was named State Defensive Player of the Year and is a four-time All-State pick. Brandon, Roberts, Johnson and JJ Tidwell ’27 earned First Team All-State accolades, while Cart, White, Clelland, Sterling and Johnson made the second team. Gray was named First Team AllMetro as well, while Brandon garnered second-team honors.

Athletic Highlights

Winter 2025-2026

Futsal

With a slick defensive gameplan, futsal knocked off unbeaten Collegiate to win the season-ending Valentine Classic. StC Red dominated the tourney, winning 6-1 over Blue Ridge in the semifinals before dropping the host Cougars 6-1 as well. Sutton Olesen ’26 was named tournament MVP, while Lukas Gordinier ’26 earned all-tournament honors along with Jack Van der Waag ’29 of StC Gray. Combined, the two teams compiled a record of 24-4.

Indoor Track

This year’s state championship win meant three straight state titles for indoor track. The group dominated the field in Virginia Beach, outpacing second-place Paul VI by over 30 points. The 4x200-meter relay team of Maddox White ’26 Jaerron Johnson ’27, Coleman Mayer ’27 and Elisha Asare ’26 established a school and meet record running 1:29.45. Victor Olesen ’26 (pole vault, third straight), James Segneri ’26 (shotput) and the 4x400 team (White, Mayer, Noah Smith ’27, Grayson Jones ’28) also took home gold medals. Jones (1000, 1600 winner) was named runner of the meet at the Prep League meet, another dominant team win for the program. Olesen, Segneri, LT Nguyen ’27 (3200) and all three relays came out Prep League champs.

Basketball

The hoops squad had a historic season, winning the School’s first Prep League tournament since 2000, when coach Hamill Jones ‘00 was a senior captain. For the first time, Basketball also won the league’s regular season and tournament title in the same season. The team won 23 games, tied for the third-most wins in School history, advancing to the state quarterfinals for the third year in a row. Darius Gray ’26 earned league Player of the Year honors for the second straight year, along with tournament MVP. Brady Burnette ’27 (also all-tourney) and Damari Smith ’29 were also named All-Prep. Jones won Prep League Coach of the Year for the third consecutive year.

Squash

The squash program continues to ascend, ending the season with a 15-3 overall record, and then going 3-1 in Division III at Nationals to earn fifth place, after a fourth-place finish last season. The team also won the MASO tournament and earned a huge 4-3 win over Mercersburg, who were ranked 7th in the United States at the time.

Swimming & Diving

The title count continues for swimming & diving, as wins this season mark nine straight Prep League titles and a total of six consecutive state crowns. The program boasted Prep League champions Ryan Smith ’26 (50 free), Grant Hewett ’27 (500 free), Levi Jones ’27 (diving), the 200 free relay team of Ben Franks ’27, Max Alger ’26, Edward Johnson ’26 and Smith, and the 200 medley relay team of Matthew Matthews ’27, Johnson, Franks and Smith. At States, school records fell in the 50 free (Smith, 21.03), 100 butterfly (Smith, 49.24), 100 breaststroke (1:55.84, Johnson), 200 medley relay (Matthews, Johnson, Franks, Smith, 1:32.69), 200 free relay (Townsend Sexton, Johnson, Franks, Smith, 1:24.40). The team outdistanced itself from second place by over 130 points.

Wrestling

Wrestling won 13 of 14 weight classes to take its 24th straight Prep League crown. Individual Prep League champions were Braxton Rankin ’29, Max Behrooz ’28, Witt Wood ’27, Bradley Ament ’28, Drew Roggie ’26, Noah Rankin ’26, Asher Anthony ’29, Griffin Van der Waag ’26, Miles Hinson ’26, Eric Pendlebury ’26, Drew Pendlebury ’26, Vake Martin ’27 and Lance Clelland ’27. The group placed second at States a week later and crowned individual state champions in Rankin and Ament. Roggie earned All-American honors at National Preps, placing 8th, leading StC to a 20th-place finish. Roggie is a three-time All-American.

The Arts

Theatre

Ampersand presents “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (High School Edition)”

Ampersand was proud to be one of the first high schools in Virginia to present the hit play “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (High School Edition),” written by Jack Thorne from an original story by Thorne, J. K. Rowling and John Tiffany. Featuring a wide variety of magical special effects, extensive sets, impressive lighting and sound design, and a handful of guest faculty and student cameos, the performance delighted audiences of all ages.

Ampersand presents “Radium Girls”

Ampersand presented the play “Radium Girls” to soldout audiences in the Luck Leadership Center Playhouse this past February. The play, written by D.W. Gregory, follows the story of the female factory workers in the 1910s–20s who contracted fatal radiation poisoning while painting watch dials with self-luminous radium paint, along with their fight for justice and workplace safety reforms. The student actors approached the heavy material with respect and maturity, and presented performances that touched audiences.

Outré presents “Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars”

The Luck Leadership Playhouse was transformed into the streets of London for a series of unfolding and interconnected mysteries in “Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars,” adapted by Eric Coble. Presented by Outré, the joint theatre company of St. Christopher’s and St. Catherine’s Middle Schools, the students performed for the 5th grade classes from both schools and also presented four sold-out shows to the broader community!

Outré presents “Seussical Jr.”

This winter, Outré put on the high-energy musical “Seussical Jr.,” which was held in the Love Jennison Family Theatre at St. Catherine’s in February. Featuring incredible songs, colorful sets, vibrant costumes and dancing, the students brought beloved characters like Horton the Elephant, the Whos, Maisy Bird, The Cat in the Hat and others to life for their audiences.

Artist in Residence

Award-winning Broadway choreographer, director and performer Matt Steffens returned this year for his third annual artist residency. While Steffens worked with members of the Upper School dance and theatre programs again, this year’s residency continued to focus on students in the 6th and 7th grades, helping them to make connections between movement in athletics and movement as an art form.

The Arts

Lower School presents “Disney’s The Jungle Book Kids”

The Lower School auditorium was filled with the sights and sounds of the Indian Jungle for this year’s Lower School musical, “Disney’s The Jungle Book Kids.”

Featuring every boy in kindergarten through fifth grade, Lower School Music Teacher Mary Tryer researched and incorporated Indian culture, geography and zoology to make the production as authentic as possible and help the boys learn more than just their lines and musical numbers. In addition to the music and acting, the boys incorporated dance and capoeira moves they learned in Creative Movement classes.

Music

Choir

The choirs in all three divisions led a multitude of special services this past fall, ranging from a moving Upper School All Saints Service with music from the Glee Club to a joy-filled Thanksgiving service featuring almost 100 singers from the 4th and 5th Grade Choir and the 5th Grade Handbell Choir.

Strings & Band

Highlights of the Strings and Band winter concert were the combined orchestra and band pieces at both the Middle and Upper School levels, featuring St. Christopher’s and St. Catherine’s students in grades 5 - 12. Members of the Lower School band and percussion groups helped lead selections in the beloved annual Lower School Christmas SingA-Long, and Lower School string players helped set the tone for the adorable Lower School pageant with their festive prelude.

Jazz Band

The Rock Jazz Ensemble joined the full Jazz Band this year for the first time for their fall concert. The same groups also packed the 2010 Café with the annual favorite Café Concert, where families enjoyed tea and hot chocolate and danced along to the Rock ensemble’s rendition of the Brooks and Dunn hit “Boot Scootin’ Boogie.”

Visual Arts

Armfield Gallery

Maddox White ’26 had his own art show and reception in the Armfield Gallery this winter, featuring a variety of his works, many of which were abstract pastels on canvas. Maddox continues to inspire with his artwork, even supplying art for the School Christmas card this year!

While the Armfield Gallery featured work this season by professional artists, including alumni Dick Fowlkes ‘78, Kathy Calhoun, and Carl Patow, student artwork was visible all around campus, and also around the local community, with pieces hanging in locations including Libbie Market, St. Stephen’s Cafe, and the Boyd Realty offices as part of their holiday Bazaar benefiting the Virginia Boys and Girls Home.

Alumni Gatherings

Thanks

DENVER

COLUMBIA

CLEMSON

Great Saints Alumni Dinner

St. Christopher’s School • November 14, 2025

More than 300 guests attended our 3rd Annual Great Saints Alumni Dinner to celebrate the remarkable achievements of our alumni. We are grateful to the distinguished alumni award recipients whose outstanding contributions to St. Christopher’s and their communities make us all proud. Congratulations to this year’s award recipients:

Distinguished Alumni Achievement

Tom Wolfe ‘47 (posthumously)

George C. Howell Jr. ’29 Award

George McVey ‘57

Class of 1964 Service Award

Charles Alexander ‘82

Young Alumni Achievement Award

Wade Jefferson ‘22

The Great Saints dinner would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors: Brown Advisory, The Class of ’69 Honors Headmaster George McVey ’57, CSC Leasing, Granite Wealth Management, The McVey Boys, Scott Insurance, Spotts Fain PC, Tide Lock Partners and Valentine Ferrell Investment & Wealth Advisors of Davenport & Company LLC. We extend our heartfelt thanks to them for their contributions.

We hope to see you at the next Great Saints Dinner on October 30, 2026.

Class Notes

72

Virgil (Greg) Hughes’ NewVines International has opened a new ministry location in the villages surrounding Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.

After 47 years as Scoutmaster of Troop 400 sponsored by St. James’s Episcopal Church, Billy Parrish is retiring. During this time, he mentored and helped more than 300 young men attain the rank of Eagle Scout.

73

After practicing corporate law for over 43 years, including the last 37.5 years as Chief Legal Officer of Carpenter Co., Hobie Claiborne retired in January. He is looking forward to new adventures with family and friends!

You can now find Stuart Hotchkiss’ debut literary fiction novel, “Baker Vaughan,” in paperback. The book is a story about what tragedy leaves behind, what you do with what’s left and who you choose to be when the biggest broken piece is you.

77

Members of the Class of 1977 continued a tradition of getting together over the Christmas holidays in Richmond, Virginia.

78

Dick Fowlkes retired and sold his store, Peter-Blair, two years ago, and it will take a plastic surgeon to remove the smile from his face. As much as he enjoyed the 40-some years of customer service, this free time has allowed him to focus on painting and travel. Dick was

also accepted as a fellow at the VCCA for a two-week artist residency.

80

In Fall 2025, Joel Schaefer completed a 1,500-mile, four-month solo bicycle tour of the UK and France. Starting in Edinburgh, he cycled through Scotland,

Northern Ireland, Wales, England and the north coast of France, ending in Paris. Highlights included a proper music session in Belfast (with the entire pub singing and dancing), wild camping on the Isle of Arran, finally arriving indoors after a full day of rain in Wales, the Normandy Beaches and all the friends and people he met along the way.

Class Notes

Alex Bocock ‘86 and family at the 2026 Winter Olympics

86

Alex Bocock spent time in Milan Cortina in February, cheering on his daughter Mary as she competed for the United States in the Super-G.

94

Chris Peace recently joined the Virginia Coalition for Boys and Men, a statewide effort working to raise awareness and provide data-driven recommendations to improve outcomes for boys and men across the Commonwealth.

95

Mason Bates reunited with long-time Lower School music teacher Marianne Crean at the NY Metropolitan Opera in October. Crean attended the opening night of Bates’s opera, “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay,” kicking off the New York City opera season. The opera performed so well that it returned to the Met in February, and it is the only time they have brought an opera back in the same season since “Porky and Bess” many years ago.

98

In April 2025, James Zehmer started a new position as Director of Restoration at the Thomas Jefferson Foundation. He encourages all Saints to come visit Monticello as we celebrate our Nation’s Semiquincentennial in 2026!

99

Daingerfield Henley was married October 4, 2025, in Hopewell, Virginia. He also published RUNES, which reached #1 in British and Irish Poetry on Amazon. You can follow him on his YouTube channel, Bazed Lit. Analyzer

Saints Christopher Guo, Alex Mathers, and Jacob Boone ’01 caught up for a mini reunion in San Diego.

Mason Bates ’95 reunited with Lower School music teacher Marianne Crean at the opening night of his opera.

01

John Dos Passos Coggin is pleased to report the publication of new poetry. “An Oasis in August” and “Quarantine” appeared in the MSU Roadrunner Review in December 2025. “Photograph of Two Men on Buffalo Skull Hill, 1892” appeared in a new compilation of nature poetry, The Nature of Our Times: Poems on America’s Lands, Waters, Wildlife, and Other Natural Wonders, published by Paloma Press in September 2025.

Christy and AJ Konrad welcomed son James Archer Konrad on December 29, 2025.

Adam Lynn has been elected Managing Partner of his law firm following a unanimous vote of the partnership. He has been with the firm since its inception in 2016 and practices in the areas of business, real estate, and finance. He currently resides in Easton, Maryland with his wife and two children.

02

Mike Gray and his business partner Andrew Ryan recently celebrated the 15th anniversary of their firm, Gray Ryan Companies, which has offices in Richmond, Virginia and Willemstad, Curaçao.

After over 20 years of service, the Navy has approved Matt Washko’s retirement for September 1, 2026. This summer, Matt and his family are moving to the area around Charleston, South Carolina, where he has accepted the position of Director, Worldwide Data Center Delivery and Operations, at SDC Capital, a private equity firm focused on global digital infrastructure. Matt will also graduate from the Darden School of Business at UVA this May with an MBA.

Beau Pratt ’02 and Ty Wellford ’02 with current second graders at the home of their second grade teacher Louise Bates

Longtime second-grade teacher Louise Bates welcomed a special bunch of current second grade students to her family farm last fall. Her grandson Robley Bates V ‘36 (dad Robley ’94) was joined by his friends Hart Pratt ‘36 (dad Beau ’02), Thompson Wellford ‘36 (dad Ty ’02) and Hill Cronly ‘36 (dad John ’02), all sons of alumni that Louise taught when they were in second grade.

03

Emma and Bobby Johnson welcomed a second daughter, Anne Hatcher “Hattie” Johnson, on August 7, 2025.

05

In January, Tyler Smith, CEO of Health Data Movers, spoke at Sagemont Preparatory School in Weston, Florida, for the Founder Challenge by The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). In addition to sharing his entrepreneurial journey, Tyler heard directly from student teams who were tasked with developing creative ways to share our recent CitiusTech acquisition news with the nation’s top healthcare systems, biotechnology companies and digital health firms.

06

Lauren and Elliott Jones welcomed son Nolan William Jones on October 13, 2025.

Lauren and Elliott Jones ’06 with son, Nolan

Maria and Bo Peaseley welcomed son Owen Robert Peaseley on November 9, 2025.

Class Notes

07

Maggie and Jeb Bryan welcomed son William Scott Bryan, on August 14, 2025.

Vanessa and James Smyth welcomed their second son, Adrien Daniel Smyth, on October 2, 2025, in Bloomfield, New Jersey.

Eddie Watkins and wife, Molly, welcomed their firstborn, son Ronen Micah Watkins, on December 19, 2025.

08

Elize and Sam Hewitt welcomed a second son, Oliver “Ollie” Hewitt, on October 28, 2025. He joins big brother Henry.

09

Caroline and West Smithers welcomed their second child, daughter Margaret Ann Smithers, on September 14, 2025.

Margaret Smithers, daughter

11

Courtney and Brody Hingst welcomed Harper Rose Hingst on July 14, 2025.

Cele and Will Valentine welcomed son William “Carter” Valentine on February 9, 2026.

Sadie, Meghan and William Cabell ’13 celebrate their first Christmas as a family of three

13

William Cabell and his wife, Meghan, welcomed their firstborn, daughter Sadie Thomas Cabell, on September 11, 2025.

Marshall Hollerith married Isabelle McAlevey on October 25, 2025, at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., officiated by his father, The Very Reverend Randolph M. Hollerith.

14

Peyton McElroy married Raksha Kalyanaraman on October 4, 2025, in Richmond, Virginia.

15

Shania and Richard Hamrick welcomed son Richard Minor Hamrick V on February 23, 2026 in Atlanta.

22

Mac Grant, who plays safety on the University of Dayton football team, was given the Lt. Andy Zulli Memorial Award. The award goes to the Flyer senior who best exemplifies the qualities of Zulli, a former UD football player who was killed in a military vehicle accident while serving in the Army in Germany shortly after his graduation in 1954. Zulli’s qualities of sportsmanship, scholarship and leadership were so exceptional that this award was created in his memory shortly after his death. It is considered the most prestigious award in the University of Dayton football program.

18

Rafe Wilkinson Jr. launched dog food brand HumanFood in the fall. The company has created gut-healthy, realingredient dog food as an alternative to major pet food brands.

20

Reynolds Short married Emma Bonovitch on November 1, 2025, at Historic Tuckahoe in Virginia.

Reynolds Short ’20 is flanked by fellow Saints at his wedding in November.

James Madison linebacker Trent Hendrick was named Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He led the Dukes football team on a historic run to the NCAA playoffs.

Class Notes

23

Alex Street, Patteson Branch ’25, and Carlos Valdes-Suarez ’25 all played squash while at StC, and their success continues on the UVA Club Squash team. They competed in the national club championships in Philadelphia in February.

Kyan Patel was courtside when the University of Virginia officially dedicated its basketball court to former coach Tony Bennett. Kyan presented Coach Bennett with a portrait of him and his father.

24

Campbell Stalker, a midfielder for Siena University’s soccer team, had the game-winning goal in the conference semifinals on November 13. The Saints followed with a 2-1 victory in the MAAC Championship, their first in program history.

Connor Campbell, a student at Texas Christian University, is working with The Fight Against Suicide (TFAS), a student-driven nonprofit organization, committed to bringing suicide prevention programming to college campuses.

Kevin Omohundro ’22

Establishes Emergency Response Agency on UVA’s Campus

As an Upper School student, alumnus Kevin Omohundro ’22 used much of his free time helping others. Volunteering as an EMT with Goochland County, Omohundro spent his weekends training and responding to emergency calls of all kinds. Now, as a fourth-year biochemistry student at the University of Virginia, he’s continuing his work by establishing an emergency response unit on UVA’s campus, staffed by student EMTs.

The vision for the project is to enable faster emergency responses and to add additional safety resources for students. Working with Albemarle County Fire and Rescue Medical Director Dr. William Brady, Omohundro recently secured over $250,000 in funding to start the program.

“We’re planning on being centrally located, and we’ll be another set of resources able to cover potential gaps in response time,” Omohundro said. “That can be really valuable, especially on some of the more time-sensitive calls, like cardiac arrest.”

The EMTs will be nationally certified and capable of basic airway management and trauma care, and will carry defibrillators and basic life-saving medications.

With so many experienced EMTs on UVA’s campus and inspired by other student-run safety agencies at schools such as Georgetown University and Virginia Tech, Omohundro saw an opportunity to develop a similar program. “I just noticed a bit of a gap here at UVA. We have tons of EMTs looking for clinical experience, especially students interested in healthcare,” he said. “And there have definitely been instances where we would have benefited from a quick student emergency response on campus.”

Omohundro plans to matriculate into the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine this July, and his roots in emergency medicine trace back to his time in science teacher Billy McGuire’s classroom. McGuire ’85, a longtime firefighter at Station 1 in Goochland County, inspired Omohundro to explore EMT training and volunteer opportunities. “I loved it, and I was absolutely captivated by it,” said Omohundro. “That pretty much sealed the deal for me, and now I’ll be starting medical school in July.”

In Memoriam

In Memoriam

as of February 12, 2026

1940

John Alexander Gill of Irvington, Virginia, died October 25, 2025.

1947

Wesley Wright Jr. of Virginia Beach, Virginia, died September 7, 2025. He is survived by his son Wesley Wright III ’86.

1950

Harry Hudnall Ware III of Richmond, Virginia, died November 25, 2025. He is survived by his sons W. Compton Ware ’80, John W. Ware ‘85, Robert L. Ware ‘90 and Samuel L. Ware ’90.

1955

Sterling Tucker Grigg Jr. of Richmond, Virginia, died on August 19, 2025. He is survived by his son S. Tucker Grigg III ’81.

1959

Leslie G. Cheek III of Warrenton, Virginia, died on December 14, 2025. He is survived by his brother Richard W. Cheek ’64.

1960

Matthew Gilmour Thompson of Richmond, Virginia, died September 24, 2025. He is survived by his brother E. Hunter Thompson Jr. ’57; sons Matthew G. Thompson Jr. ’80 and Carter P. Thompson ’85; grandsons Matthew G. Thompson III ’07, William T. T. Thompson ’11, Giles H. Thompson ’14, Rollins H. Thompson ’20 and John S. O’Keefe Jr. ’22 and great grandson Matthew G. Thompson IV ’38.

1962

William Gibson Harris II of North Palm Beach, Florida, died December 6, 2025.

Donald Wingfield Smith of Arlington, Virginia, died October 20, 2025.

1963

Claiborne Watkins Minor of Henrico, Virginia, died October 17, 2025. He is survived by his sons W. Randolph Minor ’92 and John C. Minor ’95.

1964

Ernest Maurice Frank Jr. of Williamsburg, Virginia, died October 29, 2025. He is survived by his son W. Latane L. Frank ’90.

George Ross Scott of Stuart’s Draft, Virginia, died August 16, 2025.

1972

Burr Noland Carter III of Richmond, Virginia, died December 27, 2025. He is survived by his brother Edward H. Carter ’76.

1974

Herbert Worth Jackson IV of Richmond, Virginia, died September 19, 2025. He is survived by his brother Henry G. Jackson ’80.

1985

Kristen Matthew Hurst, who was living in Australia, died December 1, 2025.

1999

Andrew Bennett Christman of New Orleans, Louisiana, died October 9, 2025.

Faculty, Staff and Board of Governors

John Alfred Broaddus Jr. of Richmond, Virginia, died October 26, 2025. Al served on the Board of Governors for many years including a term as Chairman.

James William Faison of Richmond, Virginia, died on December 30, 2025. Butch worked on our maintenance crew.

Joseph Towler Knox of Richmond, Virginia, died November 5, 2025. Joe worked at St. Christopher’s for 42 years as a French and drama teacher.

Faculty News

In February, Lower School Counselor Sarah Ambrose and Upper School Counselor and Peer Advisor Coordinator Sazshy Kane-West led a session at the VAIS Safe and Healthy Schools Conference entitled, “Encouraging Help-Seeking Behaviors in Boys and Young Men.”

Middle and Upper School Teacher of Woodworking Faith Carlson received her black belt in December from 8th degree black belt Master Carlson, also known as her father.

Lower School Brass Teacher Zack Cross released a new album, “Nucleiii,” with his Richmond-based jazz group Nucleus Trio.

Dr. Kim Hudson and members of the Center for the Study of Boys Advisory Board

Director of Information Systems, Academic Technology and Charles S. Luck III ’51 Chair of Academic Technology Hiram Cuevas continues his work as a cohost on the Talking Technology with ATLIS podcast, which recently completed its 4th season and 100th episode.

Director of College Counseling Allyson Diljohn has been selected to participate in the 2026-2027 International Boys’ Schools Coalition Aspiring Leaders’ Colloquia.

Director of the Center for the Study of Boys, Associate Head of Upper School and Chair of Distinguished Teaching and Collaborative Research Kim Hudson led a session at the VAIS Annual Conference, “Bringing Out the Best in Boys,” which included a panel of six Upper School boys who are members of the Center for the Study of Boys Advisory board.

Assistant Director of Athletics Stephen Lewis was named to Henrico High School’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

Assistant Head of School Dr. Sarah Mansfield spoke at a panel about staff professional growth for Folio Collaborative in February.

Interim Upper School Chaplain The Rev. Steve McGehee ‘74 was elected as Chair of the Westminster Canterbury Foundation, which provides financial assistance to residents who face financial hardship through no fault of their own and also funds a significant amount of the programming on the Westminster Canterbury campus.

Extended Day Teacher and Lower School Teacher of Visual Arts Hope Morgan completed a 10-day fellowship with the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts in Amherst, Virginia.

Upper School Academic Support Teacher and Center for the Study of Boys Coordinator of Parent Programs Jen O’Ferrall, Director of Upper School Academic Support Christine Rotter, Middle School Counselor Ashley Soukup, and Middle School Director of Student Life and Teacher of Mathematics Christie Wilson attended the SAIS Academic Support and Student Wellbeing Conference in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Orchestra Director Kimberly Ryan was featured on composer Nate Smith’s album LIVE-ACTION, which won two Grammy’s on February 2, 2026: Best Alternative Jazz Album and Best Arrangement Instrumental and Vocal. Ryan plays viola on two tracks: Supermoon, and Mother and Son. In June, Ryan’s string quartet, Rosette, released an album with vocalist Laura Ann Singh. The album, Crumb of Me, was released on Bem Te Vi Records and features music written by women composers and arranged especially for their ensemble.

The Capstone Scholars’ Final Symposium

St. Christopher’s School • April 8, 2026

We were thrilled to celebrate our Upper School Capstone Scholars in the Luck Leadership Center on April 8. Designed for students committed to intellectual curiosity, the Capstone Scholars program enables interested students to collaborate with faculty and staff on long-term research in a specific academic area. Guided by faculty advisors Beth Berry and Austin Sutten, the project culminates with a high-quality research paper and presentation.

The students’ research topics were diverse. Ranging from studying the effects of listening to music while solving math problems to examining the community value of mountain bike trails, participants are encouraged to explore topics that excite them and spark their curiosity.

Philip White ‘26, who studied the effects of social media use on young men, found the project personally relevant. During his research, he realized that many aspects of social media use are associated with negative mental health outcomes. “I use social media. A lot of my friends use social media,” he said. “That’s really what I wanted to look at and dive deeper into,” he said.

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Faculty News

Director of Health and Wellness Dr. Ann Vanichkachorn led a session at the VAIS Safe and Healthy Schools Conference, “What’s Keeping You Up at Night? Tackling the High-Stakes Challenges of Independent School Nursing.”

Upper School English Department Chair and Head Soccer Coach Jay Wood was named United Soccer Coaches National Coach of the Year.

continued:

Along with completing rigorous scholarly research, students engage in experiential learning, reflect on their findings, and make a personal commitment to learning. Brendon Luu ‘26, who completed a health study on grip strength, learned that “it’s definitely a harder process. I think what the program did is bring us to that collegiate level,” he said. “That kind of process of going through different studies and looking at different professors was definitely a more advanced way of researching.”

Congratulations to Justin Hires ‘26, Charles Lange ‘26, Brendon Luu ‘26, Eric Pendlebury ‘26, William Sutten ‘26, Asher White ‘26, Ford White ‘26, and Philip White ‘26 for their accomplishments and hard work. Well done, gentlemen!

Completed Senior Capstone Projects

Justin Hires ‘26:

Structural Characteristics of Video Games Leading to Video Game Addiction Faculty Advisor: Ms. Aniela Macek

Charles Lange ‘26: Entrepreneurship Strategies Facilitating the Growth of a Clothing Brand

Faculty Advisor: Mrs. Sharon Dion

Brendon Luu ‘26:

To Grip or Not to Grip: A Study of the Application of Grip Strength on Health Faculty Advisor: Mrs. Casey Torrence

Eric Pendlebury ‘26:

The Effect of Background Music on Male Performance on Math Assessments in High School Math Classes

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Ann Vanichkachorn

William Sutten ‘26:

Pollution Driven Oxygen Depletion in the Chesapeake Bay

Faculty Advisor: Mr. Billy McGuire ‘85

Asher White ‘26:

Culmination and the Education Pie Faculty Advisor: Dr. Kim Hudson

Ford White ‘26: Path to a Healthier Community: Examining the Value of Mountain Bike Trail Development in Richmond, Virginia Faculty Advisor: Mrs. Kimberly Mayer

Philip White ‘26:

Social Media and Attention: Scroll-Through Social Media Use’s Association with 15-to 18-Year-Old Males’ Perceived Inattention Symptoms

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Ann Vanichkachorn

Scan to access digital copies of the Scholars’ final papers

A Look Back

A Century of Baseball

The St. Christopher’s Middle School baseball team poses for their team photo in the spring of 1926.

711 St. Christopher’s Road

Richmond, Virginia 23226

stchristophers.com

On this year’s Day of Giving, the Class of 2026 wrote thank you notes to faculty who have impacted them during their time at St. Christopher’s. This note is to Upper School English Department Chair Jay Wood, whose essay on teaching and coaching is featured in this issue.