the sabre: the magazine of randolph-macon academy, summer-fall 2013

Online edition

The Sabre

Mr. Joseph F. Silek, Jr. ’77, P’03,’17 Chairman

Mr. Henry D. Light ’58Vice Chairman & Secretary

Mr. Rodney Deane, Jr., P’95Treasurer

Mr. Eric Anderson ’88 Mr. Harry G. Austin III ’75

Ms. Donna J. Bogart P’03, ’07Ms. Suzanne M. Broyhill

Ms. Naomi Earp P’10Mr. Conrad E. Koneczny ’51

Mr. George D. Mathias ’54, P’84,’96Mr. David W. Moore, ’53, P’84

Mr. A.A. Neese, Jr., P’01RAdm. John D. Stufflebeem, USN Retired ’70

Mr. William G. Thomas ’57

The Magazine of Randolph-Macon Academy

The Sabre is published twice a year for alumni/ae, parents, students, and friends of

Randolph-Macon Academy200 Academy Dr.

Front Royal, VA 22630(540) 636-5200

Fax (540) 636-5419www.rma.edu [email protected]

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Published by the Office of Public Relations

Summer/Fall 2013Volume 92 Number 2

Randolph-Macon Academy

EditorCeleste M. Brooks P’12

Copy Editors Amy M. Harriman

Kittie Callaghan Abell P’13Clare M. Dame

President Major General Maurice H. Forsyth, USAF, Retired

Randolph-Macon Academy admits persons of any race, gender, color, religion, nationality and ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. R-MA does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, color, religion, or national or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

Board of Trustees

Affiliated with the United Methodist Church

Ex-Officio MembersBishop Charlene P. Kammerer

Rev. Larry ThompsonMs. Angie Williams P’11, ’13, ’16

H. Scarlett Kibler ’89

PhotographyCindy Rodney P’97

Misti Walters

Staff Maureen Sadler P’10David Gillespie ’13

a message from the president

Maurice H. ForsythMajor General, USAF, ret.President

Most Sincerely,

Maj Gen Maury Forsyth, USAF Retired, became the 10th president of Randolph-Macon Academy on July 1, 2013. Here he is pictured

with his wife, Tamara.

Dear Friends and Alumni/ae,

Since the January announcement of my appointment, I have been amazed at the number of people from all around the United States who have told me not only that they have heard of Randolph-Macon Academy but moreover that they are aware of its outstanding reputation. That speaks volumes about the R-MA institution, its students, and the faculty and staff. It also speaks to the absolutely wonderful job my predecessor, Maj Gen Henry Hobgood, did to ensure R-MA alumni/ae and parents can be proud of their academy. It’s for those reasons and so many more that I want everyone to know how privileged I feel to be named the 10th President of Randolph-Macon Academy. My wife, Tamara, and I are honored and grateful that you have allowed us to be part of the

R-MA and Front Royal family. We are excited yet humbled by the challenge and responsibility we have to continue the incredible legacy of excellence.

For nearly all of my adult life, as a member of the United States Air Force, I was blessed to work alongside some of the most talented and remarkable people this country has to offer. With this new opportunity, I sense the same excitement of working with wonderful people who make a positive difference in the lives of young men and women for years to come.

With your help I will do everything I can to ensure that the institution, the students, and the people who take care of the students are all successful. I will remain mindful that we were established by the Methodist Church with Christian principles that should guide us in all our decisions and interactions. I will strive to maintain a place where people want to come to work and won’t want to leave--where everyone on this campus is proud of what we do and how we do it.

I look forward to meeting and working with all the parents, alumni/ae and supporters. Along with the outstanding faculty and staff, you are the foundational energy that sustains R-MA and ensures its success as a world-class leadership- and character-based educational institution committed to preparing young men and women for college and life success.

inside this issue

about the front coverA series of black-and-white photos from across the last 121 years adorns this issue’s cover. In color in the foreground are re-cently retired R-MA President Maj Gen Henry M. Hobgood , USAF Retired (left photo; see story on page 4) and current president, Maj Gen Maury Forsyth, USAF Retired (right photo; see story on page 3).

campus newsOff We Go: Falcon Scholars, High Flight Students See Success ......................................................................................2Dennis Ponn ’17 Qualifies for State-Level Geographic Bee ..2Meet the President: Maj Gen Maury Forsyth, USAF Retired ...3R-MA Student Engineering Team Makes National Finals ......316 Years Later: The Hobgood Legacy .....................................4R-MA’s [Un]official Hugger .......................................................5Student Actors, Student Directors ............................................6An R-MA Tradition: The Military Ball .........................................6R-MA Musicians Make a Splash from VA to NY .....................7Graduation: Class of 2013 Breaks Records ............................8Class of 2013 College Acceptances ....................................10Upper School Awards .............................................................12Middle School Awards ............................................................14Class of 2017: Moving onto the Next Hill...............................15Community Service Projects Help Those Near and Far.......16Spring Semester Events Add More Fun to Student Life ........18Spring 2013 Honor Society Inductions...................................18Flight Students Go Airborne: Solos and Private Pilots ..........19Farewell to an R-MA Leader: Former President Col Arvin Williams ....................................................................................20Beloved Teacher “D.P.” Passes Away ...................................21International Friendships Formed Through Exchange Program ...................................................................................22R-MA Parents’ Association: What’s It All About? ..................22The Truth I Learned About Military School ............................22Spring Family Weekend ..........................................................23Jacket Jubilee .........................................................................24Al Orgain’61 Donates Signal Cannon ...................................25Reaching Out a Hand in Friendship ......................................25

student featuresTalented Twins .........................................................................26Grace Alexander ’14 Explores Ways to Serve Others .........27Evan Anderton ’18: Happiness is Challenging Academics and Serving Others .................................................................27A Natural Leader .....................................................................28Genuine Kindness ...................................................................28

faculty & staffBarbour Named Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction .........29Faculty & Staff Quarterly Awards ...........................................29Faculty & Staff Notes ...............................................................29R-MA Teacher Attends Nuclear Science and Engineering at University of Missouri ...............................................................30

alumni & developmentSilek Named Chairman of Valley Health System Board .....30Thank You: Annual Fund Giving Increase Makes a Difference! ...............................................................................30Class Notes ..............................................................................31Tributes .....................................................................................32Are You Part of an R-MA Legacy Family? ............................33Planned Giving is Not a New Idea ........................................34Society of 1892 ........................................................................35Annual Giving 2012-13 Class Participation Rates ................36Final Farewell ...........................................................................39Honor Roll of Donors: Thank You! ...........................................40The R-MA College Grad Project ............................................45

athleticsR-MA Swim Team Fares Well in DAC, States .........................46Freshman Runs Sub-5 at States ..............................................46Middle School Girls’ Basketball Claims Second in VMSC Championship .........................................................................472-Time DAC Swimmer of the Year: Tanner Blankenship ’13 ...........................................................47All-DAC Honors for Winter Sports ...........................................47Winter Sports Award-Winners .................................................48Girls’ Varsity Basketball Wins DAC Honors ............................49Three Wrestlers Make All-State ..............................................50Soccer Refuses to Let History Repeat: Girls Reclaim DAC ..51McKenzie Marshall ’13 Named DAC Player of the Year .....51Jackets Claim LAX Runner-Up Honors ..................................52Brook Blair ’14 Named DAC Lacrosse Player of the Year ...52No More Runners-Up: Baseball Claims DAC Championship! ........................................................................53Dutton Named DAC Baseball Player of the Year .................53Spring Sports Award-Winners .................................................54Eric Barr: 25 Years of Coaching at R-MA ..............................56All DAC Honors for Spring Sports ............................................56

correctionsThe previous edition correctly identi-fied Thomas Shea as the MVP of the cross-country team, but the wrong photo was printed with the announce-ment. The correct photo is at the right. The Sabre staff congratulates Thomas on a job well done!

Major Everett E. Worrell, Jr. ’40 con-tacted us with a correction from the article “Calling All Pilots” article in the Spring-Winter 2013 issue of The Sabre. He did not get out of the service after WWII; he went into the reserves. He was then called back to active duty during the Korean War.

Online edition

This issue of The Sabre was specifically revised for online publication. As a result, some student names and/or photos

have been removed by parent request.

2 The Sabre Summer/Fall 2013

c a m p u s n e w s

Off We Go: Falcon Scholars, High Flight Students See Success

Randolph-Macon Academy was founded as a college-prep institution, a tradition that has continued and has met with unprecedented success this year. In 2010, the administration at Randolph-Macon recognized that the Academy is uniquely suited to assist students who desire to be military officers. To that end, the Academy began an internal program, called High Flight, that was created to guide and prepare students to succeed at any military service academy in the U.S. Then, last year, R-MA was honored to be designated as a Falcon Foundation School, a program that works with only seven schools in the U.S. to help fund a postgraduate year for students who have an excellent chance to earn an Air Force Academy appointment but need one more year to improve in certain academic areas. The success of both programs has been swift, gratifying, and a source of pride to all of the R-MA family.

High FlightSince its inception in 2010, the High Flight program at R-MA

has attracted outstanding young men and women and has been successful in helping them reach their goals. At the end of the first year, two of the High Flight graduates were accepted to the Air Force Academy. Last year, one graduate went onto the Naval Academy Prep School and entered the Naval Academy this summer, while others received ROTC scholarships to prestigious military colleges such as Virginia Military Institute. Each year, several of the juniors in the program are accepted into the summer seminars at the various academies.

This year, High Flight student Peter Jin ’13 received appointments to both the Air Force Academy and the Naval Academy. In addition, Killian Hopcroft ’13 was accepted to Virginia Military

Institute and Benjamin Pederson ’13 received an Air Force ROTC scholarship to attend Virginia Tech.

The juniors in High Flight also had a tremendously successful year. Grace Alexander ’14 was accepted to the Coast Guard Academy’s Academy Introduction Mission (AIM), the Air Force Academy Summer Seminar, the Naval Academy Summer Seminar, and Virginia Girls State. Madeline Chafin ’14 was accepted to the summer seminars at both West Point and the Naval Academy, as well as the Coast Guard’s AIM program. David Lee ’14 was accepted to the summer seminars at West Point, Annapolis, and the Air Force Academy. Emmanuel Arrellano ’14 was accepted to the West Point and Naval Academy summer seminars. In addition, he was one of only 30 students to attend the Air Force Academy’s Junior Diversity Visitation Program earlier this year.

Falcon FoundationCarissa Vaccaro and George Beals took a chance last year when

they were offered Falcon Foundation Scholarships. Vaccaro and Beals knew little of the program at that time, and even less about

Randolph-Macon Academy, which was accepting its first class of Falcon Scholars in the fall of 2012. Still, the two of them elected to attend R-MA, and the decision paid off as both received appointments to the Air Force Academy. Their success paved the way for future Falcon Foundation Scholars; next year’s student body will include six of these exceptional postgraduate students.

Dennis Ponn ’17 won the school-level competition of the National Geographic Bee on January 29, 2013 and a chance at a $25,000 college scholarship. Dennis is the son of Lori and Ward Ponn of Marshall, VA. The school-level Bee, at which students answered oral questions on geography, was the first round in the 25th Annual National Geographic Bee.

In addition to Ponn, the finalists in Randolph-Macon Academy’s school-level Bee included John Backo of Warrenton, VA;

Dennis Ponn ’17 Wins School-Level Geographic Bee, Qualifies for State Competition

David Imansuangbon of Great Falls, VA; Ryan Latham of Amissville, VA; Angelique Murphy of Avenel, NJ; and Stanley Richards of Bowie, MD. Murphy claimed third place, with Latham taking the runner-up spot.

The kickoff for this year’s Bee was the week of November 12, 2012. The school winners, including Ponn, took a written test, and Ponn was one of 100 of the top scorers in Virginia. He went on to compete at the State Bee on April 5, 2013.

Lt Col Margaret Crowe, USAF, (center) presents certificates to Air Force

ROTC scholarship recipient Benjamin Pederson ’13 (far left) as well as Air Force Academy appointees Carissa Vaccaro PG’13, Peter Jin ‘13, and

George Beals PG’13.


For the members of “The Greeners,” the Conrad Foundation’s Spirit of Innovation Challenge was a peek at a larger world, a few days in which their minds were opened to dreaming and endless possibilities. It was, as a few of the team members described it, “life-changing.”

This was the second consecutive year in which a team from Randolph-Macon Academy made it into the finals of the Spirit of Innovation Challenge Summit held in Houston, TX. From among approximately 250 initial competitors from around the globe, only 20 teams—five in each category—made it to the finals. The R-MA team competed in the Energy & Environment category against four other teams.

“The Greeners” members were Jon Moore ’14 of Glenwood, MD; Maddie Chafin ’14 of Wake Forest, NC; Grace Alexander ’14 of Front Royal, VA; Edwin Guyette ’14 of West Chesterfield, NH; and Benjamin Gillis ’14 of Front Royal, VA. Dave Gillis, the physics and engineering teacher at Randolph-Macon Academy, was the team coach.

The annual competition, presented by Lockheed Martin and Battelle, challenges teams of students ages 13-18 from around the world to combine innovation and entrepreneurship along with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) to create commercially-viable products to benefit humanity.

Using pezioelectonic technology, The Greeners worked to create a bicycle that would generate electricity through day-to-day use. A small generator on the bike would collect the generated electricity, which could then be used to power the biker’s iPod, cell phone, or other mobile device. Alternately, the generator’s stored electricity

could be transferred to “the grid,” potentially creating a significant source of electricity in a city where bikes are common. (Because the pezio strips are so sensitive, even simple vibrations would generate electricity, so bikes stored near streets or subways could continue to gather electricity even when stationary.)

While the group did not win the top place in their category, the experience of attending the Summit from April 10-13 was a reward in itself. The first evening there, one of their members had to give their “elevator speech,” and Guyette was selected to do the job. “By presentation day, he was right-on,” said Mr. Gillis. “They all nailed it.”

Once The Greeners got a feel for the competition, they realized

“The Greeners” met astronaut Alan Bean during their trip. At left: Ben Gillis ’14, R-MA Engineering

Teacher David Gillis, Alan Bean, Edwin

Guyette ’14, Maddie Chafin ’14, Grace Alexander ’14, and

Jonathan Moore ’14.Photo courtesy of

Mindy Alexander P’14.

R-MA Student Engineering Team Makes National Finals

See “Greeners,” page 15

After serving 32 years in the Air Force, Maj Gen Maury Forsyth moved from the wide-open plains of South Dakota to the rolling mountains of Virginia to become Randolph-Macon Academy’s 10th president on July 1, 2013.

“When the position of president of Randolph-Macon Academy came to my attention, I was excited by the prospect,” he said. “I did some research on R-MA, watched what was going on through social media, and by the time they called me in for an interview, I couldn’t wait to see what this school was like in person.”

Forsyth visited the campus several times before he officially became president. “From the very beginning, I was impressed with the outstanding faculty and staff. It was very clear to me that everyone was committed to the ultimate success of our young men and women.” Referring to the statistics for the 2013 graduation class he said, “It was absolutely incredible to me that 100 percent of the students were accepted to a four-year college or university. For an institution like R-MA that measures its success by the success of others, that is an extraordinary statistic. Moreover, 77 percent of those graduates received some sort of scholarship. That makes R-MA

a great investment for any parent.”The emphasis on leadership and character

development at the school were also an attraction to Forsyth. “Character is such an important personal attribute to have. I’m proud that we place an emphasis on character growth. It complements so well what we teach at R-MA, through Air Force JROTC, through residential life programs, and through our association with the United Methodist Church. We are setting up these young men and women to be not just leaders, but leaders with integrity.”

Forsyth has now been a part of the R-MA family for several weeks and has been working hard to learn everything he can by talking to various staff members, parents, and alumni, and going through yearbooks, magazines, and other historical documents. “The Academy has a rich history of tradition and values, and I want to make sure we continue to honor that,” he said. “At the same time, we live in the twenty-first

century, and the way we educate our students—the future leaders of our world—has to reflect that. I like to think of it this way. The past is our foundation—the present is our future.”

Speaking to the bottom line Forsyth said, “It’s clear to me that Randolph-Macon Academy offers a world-class leadership- and character-based education designed and proven to prepare young men and women for college and life success.”

There are several opportunities to hear from Forsyth, including a podcast that will be available on TheRiver953online.com after August 15th, the formal inauguration on September 26th at 2:30 p.m., and Homecoming on October 11-12, 2013. For more information, watch the web site at www.rma.edu.

Meet the President: Maj Gen Maury Forsyth, USAF, Retired

As the 10th president of R-MA, Maj Gen Maury Forsyth, USAF Retired, plans to honor the history and traditions of the Academy while ensuring that the students receive the

best education possible. Photo by Misti Walters.


c a m p u s n e w s

16 Years later: the hobgood legacYWhen Major General Henry M.

Hobgood, USAF Retired, and his wife Carolyn came to Randolph-Macon Academy in 1997, the school was at a crossroads of sorts. Like nearly every military academy in the U.S., R-MA had been hit hard by the public backlash against the military in the Vietnam and post-Vietnam War era. Many military schools closed, and others, including R-MA, were in dire financial straits. The former president, Col Trevor Turner, USA Retired, had done what many thought was impossible: he kept R-MA afloat and even made some improvements to the campus. Even so, the financial picture of R-MA upon Hobgood’s arrival was not pretty: the construction of the girls’ dorm and the Middle School campus, and the renovation of Sonner-Payne Hall after a fire in 1995, had left the school burdened with a heavy debt. Regular maintenance was delayed until repairs were absolutely necessary. The endowment was less than $2 million.

“I felt like R-MA was an institution that for whatever reason had sort of lost its way,” said Hobgood as he reflected back on his 16 years as president of the Academy. “I felt like it had this enormous potential to be really good, and if I could only influence the culture of Randolph-Macon Academy, I could influence the outcome. But I had to understand the culture in order to change it, so I spent several years trying to understand the culture and the people of this institution.”

Hobgood approached R-MA with the belief that the processes and procedures could be improved, and that the school could be a better institution.

“As a school community 16 years ago, I don’t believe we believed we were a very good school,” said Upper School Academic Dean Jonathan Ezell. “It is not that we didn’t have here or there a great teacher, an interesting program, or an outstanding operation--we did. However, we believed we were less than the sum of our parts. We were very much like our adolescents at times—we had low self-esteem.”

With a focus on what Gen Hobgood called “institutional improvement,” he spent the first few years laying the foundation, helping the Board of Trustees, alumni, and even the faculty and staff envision what Randolph-Macon Academy could be: a top military college-prep school. “I had the good fortune of having done

a lot of leadership in the Air Force,” he said. “Something told me the principles I knew would work, but the application would be different. I would have to be more patient than in the past. An institution like this has a lot of institutional memory and pride. I tried to help it get better incrementally instead of taking it by the roots and shaking it.” In creating that vision, Hobgood said, “I also realized that unless I practiced what I preached and helped it come true, I would never have credibility.”

And lead by example he did. When he saw a piece of trash on the ground, he

picked it up. When he saw the baseball coach laying sod, he showed up to help. He visited the Middle School as a guest speaker and spoke not on the military as one might expect, but about one of his favorite hobbies: gardening. He stopped students in the halls and on the sidewalk—sometimes to correct them, sometimes to just find out how they were doing.

“I have loved working for him and with him,” said Director of Student Services, Karen Moxie. “He didn’t just treat it as a job to come to every day. He knew the students, every staff and faculty member. He was so involved personally. He made

the place like a family. He trusted people who worked for him.”

Eventually, the sense of ownership that Hobgood was trying to build began to manifest. “There was a cultural awakening to move from ‘I’m putting in time’ to ‘This is mine and I want it to look good,’” he explained.

When asked about his greatest accomplishments at the Academy, Hobgood was quick to deflect the credit. “Whatever has been accomplished has everything to do with the people who do the heavy lifting, not me,” he said. With that in mind, he listed five of the accomplishments that came during his time at R-MA. “We became a legitimate prep school, capable of producing students ready for college and university,” he said. When Hobgood arrived at R-MA, no one person or office was responsible for the college counseling process. He hired a part-time college counselor, and the position has evolved to the current full-time, highly-engaged counselor. The results showed, as this year 100% of the graduating students were accepted to a four-year college or university and 77% were offered a merit college scholarship of some kind. The scholarship total itself was a staggering $8.2 million for the class of 73 students.

“The second thing is that the people who teach, coach, work on staff, and mentor are legitimate professionals,”

Top to bottom: Gen and Mrs. Hobgood with a student at Fall Family Weekend in 2001. Gen Hobgood speaks at

the 2012 Homecoming events. Gen Hobgood and others at the groundbreaking ceremony of Fulton Hall in the

October 2007. Bottom photo, the faculty recognize and thank Gen and Mrs. Hobgood at Class Night 2013.


See Hobgood, page 39

Summer 2013

Dear Randolph-Macon Academy Alumni, Friends and Supporters:

In June 2012, when Maj General and Mrs. Hobgood announced his retirement from Randolph-Macon Academy effective 1 July 2013, they quietly established an endowed scholarship fund at Randolph-Macon Academy to provide student scholarships in perpetuity. As we all know, Mack and Carolyn have given their lives to Randolph-Macon Academy for the past 16 years and their focus has always been on what is best for the students and for the school. We all know that R-MA is now an institution that we are very proud of and one that any child would be privileged to attend.

The power of assisting talented and needy students and their families cannot be overstated. Our view is the Hobgoods have been very insightful about what is best for the Academy and we are inspired by their example. Thus, we have each made our personal gifts and our pledges. Of course, you should not be surprised that the Hobgoods have done likewise.

We ask, please, that you join us in helping to build the Maj Gen Henry M. and Carolyn R. Hobgood Scholarship Fund. Our immediate goal is $350,000 in gifts and pledges. Right now, we have $277,775 in gifts and pledges. So, we are not that far away from our goal. Our vision is that this scholarship fund will grow to $500,000 in the next few years. This level of scholarship funding will assist five students with attending R-MA each year. What better way to help the school and recognize the Hobgoods than by helping students? Every gift regardless of size is welcome and makes a difference.

Donations may be sent directly to the R-MA Development Office at 200 Academy Drive, Front Royal, VA 22630. Please mark on the memo line that your gift is for the Hobgood Scholarship Fund. If you need any assistance in this matter, please contact Ms. Kittie Abell, VP of Development at Randolph-Macon Academy, [email protected] or (540) 636-5206. Ms. Abell is also happy to provide information about making gifts of securities or making a pledge payable over two to three years which gives you the opportunity to make a larger gift.

Thank you so much for your support in this endeavor. Let’s get together and make this scholarship one of the largest at Randolph-Macon Academy so it may help even more students attend this great school. All the best to you and your families and God’s blessings.

Most sincerely,

Richard J. M. Poulson ’56General Walter E. Boomer, USMC, Retired ’56William G. Thomas ’57

said Hobgood. “They will do the best they can do all day, every day. That’s not an accomplishment, but it is an improvement.”

Ezell agreed. “Early on we suffered by not treating others with respect and dignity. We did not apply the maxim: Critique the process not the person. However, under General Hobgood’s leadership, we slowly but surely began to focus less on each other’s flaws and more on the flaws of our processes. In a circular loop—we examined the processes, trusted each other and our people to perform well; and we held ourselves responsible for the outcomes. With pride, we saw our school develop into something to be proud of.”

His statement tied into what Hobgood thought of as the school’s third accomplishment. “I think we have restored the confidence, faith, and respect of all of the constituents of R-MA. They respect and admire this school. They believe in it, support it, and they’re proud of it.”

The fourth accomplishment Hobgood listed is one that any CEO in America would be proud of: the financial posture of the Academy. In looking at a chart based on audited statements from 2002-2012, the numbers from 2002 seem daunting: with a debt over $5 million,

R-MA’s [Un]official HuggerWith the retirement of Maj Gen Henry Hobgood came an unofficial

retirement--that of his wife, Carolyn Hobgood, who was known throughout campus as the Academy’s [un]official hugger. With a true Southern gentility, Mrs. Hobgood would make the rounds through offices and classrooms, at games and dinners, and talk with everyone she met. Her mannerisms inspired confidence and trust, and many students found they could tell her things that they did not feel they could tell teachers or official mentors. She kept their confidences, proving herself worthy of that trust.

Her impact on the Academy family was so great that in 2008, after the organ had been refurbished, it was dedicated in her honor. As he was preparing to retire, Gen Hobgood readily admitted that his wife was a source of patience and strength to him during his time as president of R-MA. For all of her years of behind-the-scenes care for hundreds of students, as well as faculty and staff, the R-MA family says, “Thank you, Mrs. Hobgood!”

James Graves ’08 presents Mrs. Hobgood with a plaque dedicating the Boggs Chapel organ in her honor.


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Student Actors, Student Directorsby Paige Hollis ’15

Spring Family Weekend was host to many events, including the double-feature by the R-MA Drama Department. Both one-acts were performed on Friday April 26th and Saturday April 27th. The first one-act was a spoof on the popular TV show Glee and featured caricaturized versions of the popular cast. In this play the members of the glee club are forced to manage without their backup musicians. The second one-act was cleverly done to bring video games to life, using characters from the popular game Street Fighter. In this play Lupe, a girl who has never done anything extraordinary in her life, learns how to use her skills to defeat the infamous F-Train Monster.

Normally, Ms. Kim Cramer is the director for school plays, but what made these two one-acts especially significant is the fact that both plays were selected and directed by her students. Margot Cramer ’14 of Winchester, VA, and Rongsong Cai ’14 of Fairfax, VA, both tried their hands for the first time at directing, and Rongsong took on additional roles as actor and sound-effects person!

This reporter from The Sabre spoke with both students to learn more about the jump from actor to director and the challenges that came with it:TS: What was it like directing?MC: It was frustrating, very stressful.RC: It was easy in the beginning, but then you ran into little

problems.MC: Yeah, you had this image of what it would be like in your

head…RC: During the actual performance, though, the actors are different.

You have to predict the problems. You get so worried as the director.

TS: You chose the plays yourself. How did you decide which ones to use?

MC: Well, we knew it had to be short. We

were going through these big books. I had a hard time deciding which one I wanted to use.

RC: I’m a videogame person, so I liked [Lupe and the F-Train Monster]. I was very worried about the transition from video game to real life. It’s so hard to go from the screen to real life; I was trying to think of how to do the special effects. I thought about having firecrackers in my hands!

TS: What was it like being the director? What were some of the challenges?

MC: It felt weird directing our peers. Like, I thought it wasn’t my place to tell them to be quiet. The challenge was really trying to get them to see my vision of how the play should go. In the end, you have to give and take and reach a compromise.

RC: I would think about having to act as well. I was trying to force my idea on people. I wanted it to be like a utopia project, like the actors were robots [and you could just program them], but things happen that you can’t predict.

TS: What would you do differently in the future?MC: At first things just weren’t clicking and a lot of the actors were

having trouble. I tried to get everyone crazy, was just telling them to go all out, go for it! Once they stopped overthinking it, everything went wonderfully. If I had to do it again, I think I would try to get everyone crazy about it sooner.

RC: For me, I’d try to plan everything sooner. I could’ve made it better with more sound effects and props.

TS: What was the greatest reward for you as the directors?MC: A week or two before the actual performance, everyone knew

their lines, but it wasn’t really clicking. Then there was one rehearsal where everyone just got it! I was really proud.

RC: I made new friends from this. Hearing the positive feedback [was very rewarding]. I learned something impossible could be done.

Rongsong Cai ’14 and Savannah Rhodes ’14 duke it out in Lupe and the F-Train Monster,

which was directed by Cai.

Student actors dance about the stage haphazardly in Gee! The play, which was

directed by Margot Cramer ’14, was a spoof on the popular TV show Glee.

The annual Military Ball was held March 1, 2013 at the Shenandoah

Valley Golf Club. The band “Souled Out” performed for the students in

attendance.

An R-MA Tradition: The Military Ball

Far right, Robin Penn ‘14 and Felipe Angulo ‘13. Near right, Jonathan Moore

‘14 and Grace Alexander ‘14.


In a busy season for band and chorus, there were plenty of accomplishments to celebrate.

Military School Band Festival Twenty-nine band and chorus students from Randolph-

Macon Academy attended the 37th Military School Band Festival (MSBF) February 22-24, 2013, at Fork Union Military Academy in Fork Union, VA.

Randolph-Macon Academy band students Doug Brennand ’15 and Lucy Dong ’16 earned first chair honors at the event. Brennand earned first chair for the tuba section, while Dong earned first chair for mallet percussion. Both students received a silver MSBF medal. In addition, chorus participant Margot Cramer, a junior at the Academy, received the Outstanding Choral Musician Award.

Bringing together military colleges and schools from around the nation, the Festival provides students with the opportunity to learn from professional musicians, and also recognizes outstanding student performers. After a weekend of clinics, competition, and rehearsals, the student musicians perform a concert for the local area. The Festival rotates locations every year; in 2014 the clinics and competitions will take place at Randolph-Macon Academy in Front Royal, VA. The concluding concert will take place at the annual conference of the Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States (AMCSUS), in recognition of the organization’s 100th anniversary.

NYC St. Patrick’s Day ParadeIn celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, on March 16, 2013, the

R-MA Band, Corps Staff, Color Guard, and Banner Carriers marched in the 252nd New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Fifth Avenue, where they had the honor of preceding the Republic of Ireland’s President, Michael D. Higgins. Although Higgins was only able to participate in the parade briefly, his presence made the traditional march down Fifth Avenue even more memorable.

“It was an honor for us to be chosen to march in front of President Higgins,” said R-MA Band Director Ed Richards. “The New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade is one of New York’s greatest traditions, marching for the first time on March 17, 1762 - fourteen years before the Declaration of Independence was adopted. Today, with an estimated 300,000 marchers and three million spectators lining Fifth Avenue, it is the largest parade in the world.”

Apple Blossom ParadesThe Band and Parade Unit also

participated in the Apple Blossom festivities in nearby Winchester, VA. In the Friday evening Firefighter’s Parade, Ming Gong ’14 took first place among all drum majors and the band took First Place Military School Band as well as the President’s Award, Second Place Band Overall.

In the Grand Feature Parade on Saturday afternoon, Ryan Seabright ’13 took First Place Drum Major, while the band won First Place for Military School Band and the Director’s Award, Third Place Band Overall.

Find the band and chorus performance schedule for the 2013-14 school year

online at http://www.rma.edu/Band-

Performance-Schedule.Or, you can use your smart phone to scan

this QR code:

R-MA Musicians Make a Splash from Virginia to New York

Top photo: Margot Cramer ’14, who was named to both the All-District Chorus and the All-State Chorus. Just above, the band

marches in the NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade. At left is the band and parade unit, marching in the Apple Blossom Festival in Winchester,

VA, the first weekend in May.

District and State Chorus Honors

Three R-MA chorus students, Margot Cramer ’14, Rajib Hoq ’14, and Macaya Yao ’13 performed in the District XIV Chorus on Saturday, February 16th. While there, Cramer and Yao had the opportunity to audition for the All-State chorus, a group comprised of some of the best high school singers in the entire state of Virginia. Cramer was selected to the All-State Chorus, which rehearsed and performed in Mechanicsville, VA, April 25-27, 2013. Cramer is believed to be the first R-MA cadet ever to be selected for this honor.


c a m p u s n e w s

Class of 2013 Breaks RecordsOn May 25, 2013, Randolph-Macon

Academy’s graduating class of 71 seniors and two Falcon Foundation Scholars celebrated more than simply receiving their high school diplomas. They celebrated that they collectively earned entrance into 166 different colleges and universities. They also celebrated that the 71 graduating seniors were offered over $7.3 million in college scholarships, including six ROTC scholarships, the largest amount of scholarships ever earned by a graduating R-MA class.

The Academy celebrated the fact that 100 percent of the class was accepted to attend a four-year college or university. In addition to the two postgraduate Air Force Academy appointments, Peter Jin of Utah received appointments to both the Air Force Academy and the Naval Academy. The graduates will attend a wide range of institutions including Baylor, Boston University, Clemson, Drexel, Fordham University, Indiana University, Michigan State, Rhode Island School of Design, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and many others.

The celebration began with the Athletic Banquet in the afternoon of Thursday, May 23rd, and from there the students processed into Class Night, where the most prestigious awards of the year are given out. During that ceremony, the cadets heard from salutatorian Allyson McManus ’13 and Senior Class President McKenzie Marshall ’13.

McManus, who is headed to the College of William and Mary in the fall, gave credit to everyone who had helped a member of the Class of 2013 along the way. “Without you, none of this would be possible,” she pointed out, speaking to all those gathered to celebrate that evening. “You are what shaped and molded the senior class we have seated before us this evening. You have made us who we are today.” In concluding her speech she advised her classmates, “…as we approach graduation, remember to stop and appreciate everyone that has helped to get us this far. They have supported us through thick and thin and they have pushed us to be the best that we can be. And with their support we will be able to take on college and then eventually the rest of the world.”

Marshall agreed. “The teachers here are not adults who stay for just the school day and then leave right as that last class is over,” she said. “They are your friends, and mentors. They stay after to help you.

It is not just the teachers, it is the faculty and staff as a whole.” Marshall, who will enroll at George Mason University this fall,

also acknowledged that in addition to being overwhelmed with the sadness of good-byes to good friends, there was the fear that set in as people around began asking questions about the graduates’ future plans. “You must know that anyone who constantly asks you these types of questions believes that you are a smart, intelligent person who is going places,” she pointed out. “I want to address a different kind of fear: the kind you get when you look in the mirror and realize that you are older than when you first got here. That you have changed. That the process of becoming the future you, the adult you always imagined ever since [you were] a little kid…has already started without you noticing. But it’s time to let it go, to grow past it.”

The Senior Luncheon the next day provided the opportunity for six other students to speak about their time at R-MA and what it had meant to them.

Keijerian “KJ” Graham was one of those six student speakers. He had attended R-MA for his freshmen and sophomore years, then returned to public school for his junior year. By the end of the year, he realized that in order to achieve his goals in life, he needed to go back to R-MA. “It felt good to be in a place where I knew I belonged,” he said of coming back his senior year, “because the people I’ve grown to love and care for were all here and these people are who I consider family.” Graham will attend Fairmont State University.

Van Nguyen had a touching story of his own—when he came to R-MA in the summer of 2010, he knew almost no English. “I feel like an outlier when I have no communications,” he said. “Day by day, however, with my little English of ‘hello’ and ‘thank you,’ I made friends here who are sitting in this room. They not only helped me but also asked me to hang around with them; they didn’t make fun of me but helped me to improve my English.” Nguyen will attend James Madison University in the fall.

The graduates, families and friends gathered for the senior luncheon also heard from Peter Jin, who has been at R-MA since Middle School. Jin drew a chuckle as he stated, “R-MA has made a huge impact on all of us; anyone who has reached for their hat when they were at home knows what I’m talking about.” On a more serious note, he continued, “As I sat down to write this speech I came to realize that R-MA didn’t just impact me, it made me. The person I am today is directly because of R-MA. I am so grateful to R-MA for our own little family we have here.” Jin is now at the Air Force Academy.

Juliet Arcila Rojas’ first statement showed how far she had come since arriving at R-MA. “You guys should consider yourselves lucky. You did not have to call a search party to come find me. I say this because the first time I ever wrote a speech, was for the middle school

With the traditional hat toss, the Class of 2013 celebrates their graduation and many

accomplishments, including a 100%

college acceptance rate and $8.2

million in college scholarships.

The cadet officers stand in the middle of the parade field during a movement called “officers center.” This was the last time they would

perform a parade as R-MA cadets.


This year’s commencement

speaker was Gen Gregory S. Martin, U.S. Air Force Retired.

speech contest. The funny thing is, I was so scared to stand up and talk about pizza that I asked to go to the bathroom and never came back. Two of the girls in my class checked on me after every other speech, trying to convince me to come back, but I never left for fear that they would force me to speak. Mr. [Bill] Curl, who was my English teacher at the time- well let’s just say he was not very pleased with me. Today however, I think it is safe to say that I have put that fear of speaking behind me.” Arcila Rojas will attend St. John’s University in the fall.

“What you see here today, what you see in the Class of 2013,” said Marcus Williams, who also spoke at the Senior Luncheon, “is more than just students. You see the dedication of the teachers, the love from the families, and the support of the administration.” Williams concluded his speech by saying, “And now it’s over. In this very room we have politicians, generals, doctors, pilots, CEOs, and teachers…. Never say never, because limits, like fears, are often just an illusion.” Williams will go on to Hampden-Sydney College.

The 2013 valedictorian was Ashley McManus, who will attend Virginia Military Institute on an Air Force ROTC scholarship in the fall. During graduation she had the opportunity to speak to her classmates, and she recalled how difficult it had been to move from Texas to Virginia. “All of the teachers were very friendly though, and all my classmates were a lot of fun to be around,” she said. “And before I knew it, this place was my second home and my friends had become my family.” She continued with the theme of family later in her speech, adding, “What truly made R-MA feel like home were the teachers and mentors that acted like parents to us.”

The Randolph-Macon Class of 2013 welcomed as its graduation speaker U.S. Air Force Retired General Gregory S. Martin. A 1970 graduate of the Air Force Academy, Martin was a fighter pilot and was selected to be a fighter wing commander on three successive assignments. He served in several senior level staff assignments on the Joint Staff, the Air Staff, and the Secretariat of the Air Force before being selected as the Commander of United States Air Forces Europe and Commander of NATO’s Allied Air Forces Northern

Europe, commanding nearly 80,000 military and civilian personnel.

While Martin’s service record is incredible, his presence was special to the Randolph-Macon Academy community for another reason, as he is currently the Chairman of the United States Air Force Academy Falcon Foundation Board. Randolph-Macon Academy is one of seven Falcon Foundation Schools and the Academy’s first two Falcon Foundation Scholars, Carissa Vaccaro and George Beals, celebrated the completion of their postgraduate program during the graduation ceremony. Both received appointments to the Air Force Academy.

Martin had a few words of wisdom to share with the graduating class, words that had impacted him greatly during his career, and he hoped they would impact the students as deeply. “The first thing that I would ask you to consider is how do you treat one another? How do you treat those people that you interact with?” he asked. He told the graduates what it was like to be an F-15 instructor pilot and the three things he had learned. “You should never violate your student’s sense of trust. You should never violate your student’s sense of dignity. And you should never violate your student’s sense of hope.”

He expounded on each of those three points with a story and explained each concept. Regarding trust, he advised, “Don’t violate their sense of trust that you’ll do the right thing. That you know your business.” When explaining dignity, he stated, “How you handle it is very important. Don’t critique the individual, critique the performance.” Regarding a person’s sense of hope, he said, “Their hope is they can be successful. Their hope is they can get ahead. Their hope is they will do well. They know some of them aren’t going to make it. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be successful at something else. But if you’ve just ruined their sense of hope they may never make it.”

Martin went on to encourage the students to continuously learn throughout their lives, and shared a story of an epiphany in his life, when he fully understood that he was responsible for training young men and women for war. “I asked myself, ‘Am I worthy of the charge given to me to train, protect, and when necessary, order these incredible professionals into harm’s way?’” he recalled. “Am I worthy? It changed the way I looked at myself every morning.” He then turned the question to the graduates. “So ask yourself, are you worthy of the investment in your life? Are you worthy of this support and confidence and trust that your parents have? Every day you take yourself and ask what got you to this moment.”

Finally, Martin had one last piece of advice: “Take time to be friends with people. Take time to explore. Take time to enjoy this journey.”

With the proud singing of the Alma Mater, the graduation ceremony comes to a close.

Libby Doran ‘13 (on right) celebrates with her sister Allyson, who graduated from R-MA in

2011. Allyson is now at the Air Force Academy. Libby will go on to the University of Pittsburg at

Greensburg.


c a m p u s n e w s

Congratulations Class of 2013:71 graduates, 2 Falcon Foundation Scholars

100% accepted to a four-year college or university288 college acceptances to 166 different colleges

77% of seniors received college scholarship offers, totaling over $7.3 millionThe colleges below each student’s name are the ones to which that student was accepted. The college in bold immediately below the student’s name is the college the student planned to attend this fall.

Thomas AbellElizabethtown CollegeLynchburg CollegeMcDaniel CollegeRandolph-Macon College

Mansur AhmedYork University Arizona State UniversityUniversity of CalgaryRadford UniversityUniversity of Virginia’s College at Wise

Lauren AllenVirginia TechGeorgia Southern UniversityGeorgia State UniversityMary Baldwin College

Fahad AlsuhaibaniDrexel UniversityFlorida Institute of Technology

Nicholas Anderson Fairmont State UniversityLynn University

Felipe Angulo Loyola University New OrleansFlorida International UniversityUniversity of North FloridaVirginia Military Institute

Juliet C. Arcila Rojas St. John’s University - Queens CampusGoucher CollegeMarymount UniversityRoanoke CollegeStevenson University

Eboni Banks Guilford CollegeMount Saint Mary’s University

George BealsU.S. Air Force Academy

Christopher John BellVirginia Wesleyan CollegeFerrum College

Tanner Scott BlankenshipCollege of William and MaryEckerd CollegeFlorida Southern CollegeFranklin and Marshall CollegeGettysburg CollegeHampden-Sydney CollegeLynchburg CollegeUniversity of Mary WashingtonNova Southeastern UniversityRandolph-Macon College

Cozette BoakyeXavier University of LouisianaUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore CountyUniversity of Maryland, College ParkUniversity of PittsburghSpelman CollegeTowson University

Sabrina CaballeroGeorge Mason UniversityUniversity of San FranciscoVirginia Commonwealth UniversityWest Virginia University

Ryan ChahalMichigan State UniversityThe University of AlabamaArizona State UniversityAuburn UniversityUniversity of Colorado at BoulderEmbry-Riddle Aeronautical University-WorldwideGeorge Mason UniversityUniversity of Michigan, FlintUniversity of MississippiNorthern Michigan UniversityPennsylvania State University, University ParkRutgers, The State University of New Jersey at CamdenUniversity of South Florida, TampaThe University of TampaWayne State UniversityWest Virginia UniversityUniversity of Wisconsin, Madison

Bianca ClementMary Baldwin College

Andrew CriminskiClemson UniversityIowa State UniversityThe University of IowaPurdue University

Quang Hien DangRhode Island School of DesignCalifornia College of the Arts (San Francisco)Maryland Institute College of ArtVirginia Commonwealth University

Li DengBoston UniversityNortheastern University

William DennisStetson UniversityAve Maria UniversityLynn University

Duane DokuVirginia Commonwealth University (School of Arts)Savannah College of Art and Design-Atlanta

Elizabeth Janine DoranUniversity of Pittsburgh at GreensburgBaldwin Wallace UniversityElizabethtown CollegeEmory & Henry CollegeLoyola University New OrleansMarymount UniversityMount Saint Mary’s UniversityNazareth CollegeOhio Wesleyan UniversitySeton Hill University

Imran DoraneyThe University of GeorgiaUniversity of MiamiThe University of Tampa

P. Neil DuttonShenandoah UniversityBridgewater CollegeConcord UniversityFerrum CollegeGeorge Mason UniversityLynchburg CollegePotomac State College of West Virginia UniversitySt. John’s University - Manhattan CampusUniversity of Virginia’s College at WiseYork College of Pennsylvania

Griffin W. DuyUniversity of Virginia’s College at WiseFlagler CollegeWashington College

Yibo FengSouthern California Institute of ArchitectureCalifornia College of the Arts (San Francisco)Illinois Institute of TechnologyUniversity of OregonPratt InstituteRensselaer Polytechnic InstituteSyracuse UniversityVirginia Tech

David GillespieMcDaniel CollegeAlaska Pacific UniversityFerrum CollegeJuniata CollegeRoanoke CollegeSalisbury University

Keijerian GrahamFairmont State UniversityAverett UniversityDowling CollegeHarrisburg University of Science & TechnologyLynchburg CollegeLynn UniversityPennsylvania College of TechnologyVaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology

Killian HopcroftVirginia Military Institute

Yu Fan HuangGeorge Mason University

Cheyenne JamesonUniversity of North Carolina at GreensboroLynchburg CollegeRadford UniversityRandolph-Macon CollegeSalve Regina University

Huichuan JinCalifornia State University, Long BeachCalifornia Lutheran UniversityCalifornia State University, FullertonConcordia University - IrvineVirginia Wesleyan College


Peter JinU.S. Air Force AcademyU.S. Naval AcademyUniversity of Utah

Brett Micheal Paul JohnsonThe Citadel, the Military College of South CarolinaLiberty UniversityLynchburg College

Thandiwe N. KapakasaOld Dominion UniversityThe Art Institute of WashingtonLynchburg CollegeSt. John’s University - Queens Campus

Hunter J. KayeJames Madison University

Samantha S. KelleyMadison Area Technical CollegeMary Baldwin CollegeUniversity of Wisconsin, Whitewater

Andre James LakeShenandoah UniversityChowan UniversityShepherd University

Phat LeNorthern Virginia Community College – Annandale CampusJohnson & Wales UniversityVirginia Commonwealth University

So Yun LeeUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignBoston UniversityVirginia Tech

Xiaorui LiUniversity of OklahomaUniversity of HoustonWest Virginia University

Yangboya LiuBabson CollegeUniversity of California at Santa BarbaraThe George Washington University

Shaomei LuMichigan State UniversityIndiana University at BloomingtonPennsylvania State University, University Park

McKenzie MarshallGeorge Mason UniversityBay State CollegeFisher CollegeFlorida Southern CollegeFrancis Marion UniversityGreensboro CollegeUniversity of HertfordshireHollins UniversityJohnson & Wales UniversityLiberty UniversityRegent University

Jackson W. McGrawOhio University

Allyson W. McManusCollege of William and Mary

Ashley E. McManusVirginia Military Institute

Magdalena McNeillMichigan State UniversityArizona State UniversityEckerd CollegeFlorida Atlantic UniversityNorthern Michigan UniversityWayne State UniversityUniversity of Wisconsin, Oshkosh

Sarah MeredithLynchburg CollegeJames Madison UniversityThe University of Tampa

Justin Daniel MiernickiSalisbury University

Oluwamishanu MomohHoward UniversityDrexel UniversityFlorida International UniversityWest Virginia University

Tung S. NguyenUniversity of HoustonJames Madison UniversityUniversity of OregonRandolph CollegeSouthern Methodist UniversityTexas A&M UniversityTexas Christian UniversityThe University of Texas, DallasTruman State University

Van Duc NguyenJames Madison University (College of Business)Bridgewater CollegeGeorge Mason UniversityLynchburg CollegeMarymount UniversityRoanoke CollegeSt. John’s University - Queens Campus

Enyonam OdoomHoward UniversityBridgewater CollegeUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore CountyUniversity of Maryland, College ParkUniversity of PittsburghVirginia Wesleyan CollegeWake Forest UniversityWashington College

Kalin OlimpoFlorida Institute of Technology

Rabia Sara OtryIowa State University

Benjamin PedersonVirginia TechUniversity of Colorado at BoulderNew Mexico State UniversityUniversity of New Mexico

Caleb PhillipsVanderbilt UniversityKing’s College LondonUniversity of ManchesterUniversity of MiamiMiddlebury CollegeNortheastern University

Ryan PileUniversity of South CarolinaUniversity of California at Santa CruzFlorida State UniversityJames Madison UniversityRadford University

Manuel PradoUniversidad Francisco MarroquinThe University of Iowa

Boyu QianStony Brook UniversityUniversity at Buffalo, The State University of New York

HongBo QiaoWestern Kentucky UniversityBarry UniversityBridgewater College

Ryan Seabright Marion Military Institute

Thang Le TranNorthern Virginia Community College – Annandale CampusLong Island University, Brooklyn CampusTrinity University in Washington, DC

Carissa VacarroU.S. Air Force Academy

Anastasia VoellmBaylor UniversityBoston CollegeClemson UniversityCollege of William and MaryJames Madison UniversityUniversity of MiamiThe University of North Carolina at Chapel HillUniversity of San DiegoWake Forest University

Jitao WangUniversity of California at Santa BarbaraBoston UniversityUniversity of California at IrvineUniversity of MiamiUniversity of Rochester

Marcus WilliamsHampden-Sydney CollegeUniversity of Mary Washington

Wencan XuIndiana University at BloomingtonUniversity of ConnecticutGeorge Mason UniversityTemple UniversityVirginia Tech

Macaya Amenan YaoWestminster CollegeWashington College

Wen YinFordham UniversityUniversity of California at Santa Barbara

Wen ZengCity College of San FranciscoUniversity of Mary WashingtonSan Francisco Art Institute

Yechi ZhangIllinois Institute of TechnologyDrexel UniversityIowa State UniversityUniversity of MiamiMichigan State UniversityNortheastern UniversityThe Ohio State University

Zhonghao ZhaoIndiana University at BloomingtonGeorge Mason UniversityUniversity of Illinois at ChicagoUniversity of Massachusetts, AmherstTemple University


c a m p u s n e w s

Rising to the Top: Upper School AwardsValedictorian

Ashley McManus ‘13

SalutatorianAllyson McManus ‘13

U.S. Air Force ROTC Scholarships

Ashley McManus ‘13Benjamin Pederson ‘13

U.S. Army ROTC ScholarshipsMcKenzie Marshall ‘13Anastasia Voellm ‘13

The Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets Emerging Leader

ScholarshipsLauren Allen ‘13

Benjamin Pederson ‘13

Baylor University Provost’s Gold Scholarship

Anastasia Voellm ‘13

Scholastic Excellence AwardPeter Jin ‘13

Distinguished Athlete AwardMarcus Williams ‘13

Semper Fidelis AwardSabrina Caballero ‘13

Pat Spears Jr. MileBenjamin Gillis ‘14

Pat Spears Sr. MileImran Doraney ‘13David Gillespie ‘13

Pat Spears Most Improved Award

Beatriz Angulo ‘16

Football Sportsman AwardDuane Doku ‘13

Outstanding Sportsman AwardCarson Holder ‘14

C. Lyle McFall Coach of the Year

Frank Sullivan

Randolph-Macon Academy Scholar/Athlete Award

Grace Alexander ‘14Jonathan Moore ‘14

Athletes of the YearRyan Pile ‘13

Anastasia Voellm ‘13

Cadet in the Arena Leadership Award

Anastasia Voellm ‘13Marcus Williams ‘13

AFA AFJROTC AwardAshley McManus ‘13

James M. Mills AwardLauren Allen ‘13

Commandant’s AwardKillian Hopcroft ‘13

Herbert Gray Wyatt Band Medal

Andrew Criminski ‘13

The Outstanding Instrumental Musician

MedalDoug Brennand ‘15

Ming Gong ‘14

John Philip Sousa Band Award

Ryan Seabright ‘13

The Outstanding Choral Musician MedalMacaya Yao ‘13

Yearbook Editor AwardJuliet Arcila Rojas ‘13

National Honor Society ScholarshipsPeter Jin ‘13

Boyu Qian ‘13Anastasia Voellm ‘13Marcus Williams ‘13

Wen Yin ‘13

German MedalFaith Funderberg ‘14

Spanish Medal Paige Hollis ‘15

Drama MedalRongsong Cai ‘14

Art MedalEun Jung Lee ‘14

English as a Second Language MedalJingwen Gong ‘16

English MedalAshley McManus ‘13

Journalism MedalLouisa Stanwich ‘14

Math MedalSiqi Xie ‘14

Science MedalPeter Jin ‘13

Social Studies MedalAshley McManus ‘13

Kemper History MedalAllyson McManus ‘13

Jesse K. Brennan Religion Medal

Natalie Pendie ‘15

Sewanee Award for Excellence in WritingGrace Alexander ‘14

The Daughters of American Colonists Award

Caitlin Bunker ‘14

Shenandoah Valley Chapter United States Daughters of

1812 AwardMadeline Chafin ‘14

The Academy President’s Leadership Award

Peter Jin ‘13Marcus Williams ‘13

The Athena AwardAnastasia Voellm ‘13

The Lincoln AwardMarcus Williams ‘13

Most Genteel Female AwardMcKenzie Marshall ‘13

Most Genteel Male AwardManuel Prado ‘13

George M. Wines Most Unselfish Service Award

Juliet Arcila Rojas ‘13

Best All-Around CadetAshley McManus ‘13

American Citizenship Awards9th Dabin Seong ‘16 Johnny Wong ‘16 William Wong ‘16

10th Doug Brennand ‘15 Malik Cochran ‘15

11th Grace Alexander ‘14 Deborah Kim ‘14

12th Tanner Blankenship ‘13 Rabia Otry ‘13

Outstanding Cadet Awards9th Emma Bunker ‘16

10th Shelby Sebring ‘1511th Caitlin Bunker ‘14

12th Allyson McManus ‘13

Outstanding Performance In Ground School

Grace Alexander ‘14George Beals PG

President’s Award for Academic AchievementTanner Blankenship ‘13

Cozette Boakye ‘13Li Deng ‘13

Elizabeth Doran ‘13Yibo Feng ‘13

Hunter Kaye ‘13Phat Le ‘13

So Yun Lee ‘13Jackson McGraw ‘13

Tung Nguyen ‘13Van Nguyen ‘13

Enyonam Odoom ‘13Kalin Olimpo ‘13

Benjamin Pederson ‘13Caleb Phillips ‘13Manuel Prado ‘13

Anastasia Voellm ‘13Jitao Wang ‘13

Marcus Williams ‘13

Presidential Academic Education Award for

Academic ExcellenceThomas Abell ‘13Lauren Allen ‘13

George Beals PG‘13Andrew Criminski ‘13Quang Hien Dang ‘13

Imran Doraney ‘13Peter Jin ‘13

Samantha Kelley ‘13Shaomei Lu ‘13

Allyson McManus ‘13Ashley McManus ‘13

Magdalena McNeill ‘13Rabia Otry ‘13

Carissa Vaccaro PG‘13Wen Yin ‘13

Thespian AwardSamantha Kelley ‘13

Theatre Leadership AwardMargot Cramer ‘14

Theatre Journey AwardDillon Marshall ‘14

Certificate for Art – 3DUzoamaka Njoku ‘14

Certificate for Art – 2DSiqi Tang ‘14

Old TestamentCarson Holder ‘14

New TestamentFaith Funderberg ‘14

World ReligionAshley Grossman ‘16


World History IIZiYun Wang ‘16

Honors World History IIMeghan Melberg ‘16

20th Century WarfareMadeline Chafin ‘14

AP PsychologyGrace Alexander ‘14

U.S. HistoryJacob Dodson ‘15

AP U.S. HistoryDebbie Kim ‘14

AP Art HistoryCatey Borden ‘14

AP European HistoryGrace Alexander ‘14

U.S. GovernmentBenjamin Pederson ‘13

AP U.S. GovernmentJackson McGraw ‘13

Computer LiteracyMadeline Chafin ‘14

Algebra IPeter Blair ‘16

GeometryKatelyn Shea ‘17

Honors GeometryJingwen Gong ‘16

Algebra II/TrigonometryMing-Yi Chu ‘15

Honors Algebra II/Trigonometry

Meghan Melberg ‘16

Pre-CalculusYe Eun Jung ‘14

Honors Pre-CalculusZiYun Wang ‘16

StatisticsSiqi Xie ‘14

AP CalculusAndrew Criminski ‘13

BiologyShelby Sebring ‘15

AP BiologyPeter Jin ‘13

Investigative Lab ScienceZiYun Wang ‘16

Engineering FundamentalsJonathan Moore ‘14

ChemistryMeghan Melberg ‘16

AP ChemistryAshley McManus ‘13

Honors Anatomy and Physiology

Caitlin Bunker ‘14

PhysicsJiafeng Su ‘14

AP PhysicsSiqi Xie ‘14

Top Researcher (English 9)Meghan Melberg ‘16

Randolph College Book Award

Kelli Hutcheson ‘14

English 9ZiYun Wang ‘16

Honors English 9Meghan Melberg ‘16

English 10Chiwenitem Ndigwe ‘15

Honors English 10Jacob Dodson ‘15

American LiteratureFily Thiam ‘14

AP English 11Grace Alexander ‘14

Honors The Arts in SocietyCaitlin Bunker ‘14

Honor Utopia/DystopiaAshley McManus ‘13

British LiteratureThomas Abell ‘13

AP English 12Samantha Kelley ‘13

Community Service AwardCaitlin Bunker ‘14Jacob Dodson ‘15

Residential Life AwardsMarkeesha Gibson ‘14

Manuel Prado ‘13

English As A Second Language (ESL) II

Qi Jiang ‘15

ESL IIIHaoran Zhang ‘15

Mainstream English Jingwen Gong ‘16

Spanish ITaylor Jones ‘16

Spanish IIAmy Gray ‘15

Spanish Honors IIIJessica Neupane ‘15

Spanish College IVCaitlin Bunker ‘14

Spanish Honors VAnastasia Voellm ‘13

German IShelby Sebring ‘15

German IISiqi Xie ‘14

German IIILi Deng ‘13

AP German IVJonathan Pederson ‘15

AP German VPeter Jin ‘13

AP German VISavannah Rhodes ‘14

German National Honor Society Award

Savannah Rhodes ‘14

Foreign Language National Exam Awards

GermanGold Standard

Li Deng ‘13William Fausnaugh ‘15

Paige Hollis ‘15Meghan Melberg ‘16

Daniel Nascimento ‘16Natalie Pendie ‘15Shelby Sebring ‘15

Silver StandardJake Branham ‘16

Quang Hein Dang ‘13Rebel Hafner ‘15

Bronze StandardJacob Dodson ‘15

Peter Jin ‘13Rabia Otry ‘13

Jonathan Pederson ‘15Dennis Ponn ‘17

Savannah Rhodes ‘14

Honorable MentionJasmine Bowers ‘17

Sabrina Ford ‘14Siqi Xie ‘14

SpanishSilver Standard

Ethiene Mbakassy ‘16

Bronze StandardMing-Yi Chu ‘15

Honorable MentionGabriel Barnaby ‘16

Michael Bond ‘16

Robert DeBerry ‘16Amy Gray ‘15

Taylor Jones ‘16Samantha Kelley ‘13

Mazrukh Khan ‘15Herman Mangueira ‘14

Jessica Neupane ‘15Katelyn Shea ‘17

Kyle Sim ‘15

Virginia Mathematics League Certificates of Merit

Ming Gong ‘14Tung Nguyen ‘13

Siqi Tang ‘14Siqi Xie ‘14

Mu Alpha Theta Mathematics Competition

Algebra II2nd Place – Paige Hollis ‘153rd Place – Johnny Wong ‘16

Pre-Calculus2nd Place – Ming Gong ‘14

3rd Place – Bill Choi ‘14

Calculus1st Place – Jitao Wang ‘13

3rd Place – Li Deng ’13

Rensselaer Medal for Science, Engineering, and Technology

Benjamin Gillis ‘14

Literary Magazine Prizewinners

Grand PrizeShelby Sebring ’15

FictionShelby Sebring ’15

NonfictionIxel Ochoa ’15

PoetryGeorge Beals PG’13Shelby Sebring ’15

Paige Hollis ’15

ArtDuane Doku ’13Na Hyun Han ’16

PhotographyJames Christoph ’15

Read Letters, The Literary Magazine of Randolph-Macon Academy, online by

scanning this QR code:


c a m p u s n e w s

English 6 CompositionOutstanding Mastery

Carolyn Laourdakis ’19Most Improved

Tatiana Mabry ’19

English 6 LiteratureOutstanding Mastery

Hunter Gillis ’19Most Improved

Bradley Regeti ’19

English 7 LiteratureOutstanding MasterySarah Vaughan ’18

Most ImprovedJohn Backo ’18

English 7 Composition Outstanding Mastery

Katelyn Ponn ’18Most Improved

Samuel Uzoma ’18

English 8 Composition and Grammar

Outstanding MasteryDennis Ponn ’17Katelyn Shea ’17Most Improved

Thomas Minchew ’17

English 8 LiteratureOutstanding Mastery

Katelyn Shea ’17Most Improved

Samuel Beavers ’17

U.S. History 6Outstanding Mastery

Jack Smith ’19Most Improved

Joseany Mbakassy ’19

Civics 7Outstanding Mastery

Katelyn Ponn ’18 Nai Jie Tsai ’18 Most Improved

Gabriel Dubin ’18

World History 8Outstanding Mastery

Katelyn Shea ’17 Remington Gillis ’17

Most ImprovedCeara Richards ’17 Taylor Torrance ’17

General MathOutstanding Mastery

Joseany Mbakassy ’19Most Improved

Stanley Richards ’19

Middle School AccoladesMath Plus

Outstanding MasteryKimberly Pitts ’18

Most ImprovedHunter Gillis ’19

Pre-AlgebraOutstanding MasterySamuel Beavers ’17

Katelyn Ponn ’18Most Improved

Ezra Embrey ’17 Dylan Glascock ’18

Algebra 1Outstanding Mastery

Dong Eun Go ’17 Most ImprovedAngel Njoku ’18

Earth Science 6Outstanding Mastery

Jack Smith ’19 Most Improved

Shawn Levitt ’19

Life Science 7Outstanding Mastery

Ryan Latham ’18 Most ImprovedErik Wagner ’18

Physical Science 8Outstanding Mastery

Nkeng Morfaw ’17Most Improved

Angelique Murphy ’17

Physical Education 6Outstanding Mastery

Hunter Gillis ’19Most Improved

Griffin Loper ’19


Angel Njoku ’18 Most Improved

Naomi Eke-Spiff ’18


Amy Go ’17 Most Improved

Olivia Nganga ’17

ArtOutstanding MasteryAngelique Murphy ’17

Erik Wagner ’18 Most Improved

Ceara Richards ’17 Sarah Vaughan ’18

Beginning PercussionOutstanding Mastery

Katelyn Ponn ’18Most ImprovedBailey Sims ’18

Beginning Brass & WoodwindsOutstanding Mastery

Dennis Ponn ’17 Most Improved


Middle School BandOutstanding Mastery

Ryan Latham ’18Most Improved

David Imansuangbon ’17

Upper School Band Participants

AyebaSopreye Eke-Spiff ’17 Remington Gillis ’17

Olivia Katab ’17 Cole Pawlak ’17

Benjamin Schoonover ’17

Digital PianoOutstanding MasteryElizabeth Cochran ’18

Katelyn Shea ’17 Most Improved

Carolyn Laourdakis ’19Olivia Nganga ’17

Yearbook/PhotographyOutstanding Mastery

Nai Jie Tsai ’18Most Improved

Naomi Eke-Spiff ’18Angel Njoku ’18

National Geographic BeeJohn Backo ’19Ken Gilland ’17

David Imansuangbon ’17 Olivia Katab ’17

Ryan Latham ’18Angelique Murphy ’17

Dennis Ponn ’17 Stanley Richards ’19

Benjamin Schoonover ’17

Community Service Award 30 Plus Hours

John Backo ’18Samuel Beavers ’17

Michael Grossman ’18Olivia Katab ’17

Alexander Ndongo-Seh ’17 Angel Njoku ’18

Kimberly Pitts ’18Katelyn Ponn ’18Katelyn Shea ’17

Harry Su ’18Junchao Yin ’17

60 Plus HoursAyebaSopreye Eke-Spiff ’17

Remington Gillis ’17 Benjamin Schoonover ’17

Jie Yi Xu ’17 Most Dedicated Member/Most

Hours Served Thomas Minchew ’17

Chapel AssistantsLauren Anderson ’17

John Backo ’18Jasmine Bowers ’17 Ceara Richards ’17

Stanley Richards ’19Taylor Torrance ’18 Jordan Williams ’17

Student Council AssociationPresident

Dennis Ponn ’17 Vice President

Nkeng Morfaw ’17 Secretary

Katelyn Ponn ’18Treasurer

Jie Yi Xu ’17 Sergeant-at-ArmsJoseph Silek ’17

Interact Club AwardsDylan Glascock ’18

Thomas Minchew ’17 Joseph Silek ’17

Outstanding AthletesThomas Minchew ’17 Angelique Murphy ’17

SportsmanshipAyebaSopreye Eke-Spiff ’17

Most Improved Dorm CitizenStanley Richards ’19

Dorm Outstanding CitizenshipTanyi Makia ’17


Most Genteel MaleEzra Embrey ’17

Most Genteel FemaleDong Eun Go ’17

Lincoln AwardMyra Brown ’17

Aim High AwardKatelyn Shea ’17

Jie Yi Xu ’17


On May 30, 2013, the Randolph-Macon Academy Middle School eighth grade class gathered in Boggs Chapel, surrounded by their families, friends, and teachers. It was a big day, the middle school equivalent of graduation, the day they would be officially promoted to their freshman year of high school.

Middle School principal, Derrick Leasure started the promotion ceremony by giving some interesting and impressive statistics about the eighth grade class:

• The average eighth grader has a 3.5 GPA any given quarter.

• 65% of the eighth grade is on the Principal’s List or President’s List every quarter.

• Eighth grade composite scores on the Explore standardized test placed them above 75% of their peers nationally.

•One-third of the eighth graders have been inducted into the National Junior Honor Society.

• 100% of the eighth graders participated in an interscholastic sport.

• The eighth grade class posted over 1,000 hours of community service this year.

• 80% of the eighth grade class takes high school classes at the R-MA Upper School; several of those are honors courses or sophomore level courses.

These statistics show just how dedicated and prepared the eighth grade class is for high school. Leasure closed with a quote from Nelson Mandela: “After climbing a great hill one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.” He then encouraged the eighth graders to keep their eyes on the peak of the next hill as they begin their freshman year.

The guest speaker was George McIntyre, a long-time R-MA supporter. In addition to being a 1969 graduate of the Academy and a former member of the Board of Trustees, his three children are graduates of R-MA. McIntyre is a local business man as the owner of the Apple House of Linden, but has had far reaching impact on Warren County and the Shenandoah Valley. He had just one philosophy to share with the students who were moving on: Keep it simple.

“Simply keep it simple. Don’t make such a big deal out of nothing. Just like wearing your [blazers] today, that’s not a big thing. What’s big is the education you receive, and your families, and your school, and your God,” he said. McIntyre pointed out that at times, students may wonder why certain rules existed or why they had to focus on their studies so much. “The reason you have to do this, or why you do this is to bring yourself into a better light, make yourself stronger.”

McIntyre also complimented the class on the hours they had served in the local community. “It’s hard for you to realize right now, but it means so much to this community, to have you all go outside and do things,” he said.

Written in part by Rebecca Stickley.

Class of 2017 Moves on to the Next Hill

George McIntyre ’69, a local businessman and an R-MA alumnus and past parent, addresses the eighth

graders.

They don’t wear caps, so some of the graduating eighth graders did the next best thing to celebrate their promotion: they tossed their blazers in the air!

they had a lot of work to do. As a result, they worked on their project during every spare moment they had, up until 12:30 a.m. each night. Their final presentation was Friday morning.

“There was a buzz of energy about what we were presenting, and it was all by word-of-mouth,” said Mr. Gillis. “We had judges and other people from other tables coming to give us ideas. We presented to five judges—they had different judges every day because they brought in judges who were experts in the subject matter each day. When we finished our pitch, there was a long pause, because the judges had to think of questions. With the other presentations, they were quick with questions, but our presentation was so rock-solid they had to stop and think. That was a very confirming thing.”

In between their presentations and preparations, the students and Mr. Gillis were able to attend sessions presented by professionals and icons such as Alan Bean, the fourth person to walk on the moon. “He told us three things,” said Mr. Gillis. “First, be a good teammate. Find the positive in every teammate. Second, hold on to your dreams. No

one else will believe in your dream, because it’s your dream. And here’s what we learned about leadership—it’s when you trust your teammates.”

“It was a definite shift in how I think about things,” Edwin said of the five-day experience. “I thought [the people there] would be rich entrepreneurs, maybe stuck up, but they are down-to-earth people, aggressive but outgoing people who deserve to make a difference in the world.”

“It was life-changing,” said Ben. “Sitting in a seat in an eleventh grade classroom, I don’t see myself in college. I can’t make that transition. But when you go places like that, it helps you bridge that gap. If they’re that talented, then I am too. It makes you realize what’s possible and that it’s achievable.”

“I learned a lot,” said Mr. Gillis. “I learned a lot about technology, a lot about what’s possible. I learned to dream again and how important it is to dream. And now, my dream is for everyone [in my classes] to go to this event.”

Greeners, continued from page 3


c a m p u s n e w s

Stuffed Animals for First RespondersFor several weeks this spring the students of Randolph-Macon

Academy held a stuffed animal drive, asking family, friends, staff, and faculty to bring in new or gently used stuffed animals. These toys were destined to be delivered to the local police departments and fire departments, so that when a child experiences a tragedy, the first responder is able to provide a small measure of comfort by giving that child a stuffed animal. The results were impressive: 595 stuffed animals were collected over the one-month period.

The idea for the collection came from Community Service Director Stephanie Portillo. Her niece had some stuffed animals to give away, and knew that Portillo would find just the right place. Portillo recalled hearing that first responders often give stuffed animals to traumatized children, so she contacted Warren County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Eddie Long, who also works as a Night Cadet Life Supervisor at R-MA.

On Tuesday, April 16, 2013, Bill Curl’s mentoring group (Curl is Middle School English teacher and mentor, as well as a member of the R-MA Class of 1966) and Portillo presented the “mountain” of stuffed animals to representatives from the Warren County Sheriff’s Office and the Front Royal Police Department.

“I’ll tell you, what these kids did, I think is amazing,” said Long. “I had no idea when Stephanie came to me with this project that they would collect a mound of stuffed animals…almost 600, that’s amazing. We deal with a lot of kids that are traumatized every day through different aspects of life—court systems, fires, accidents, assaults.... A little stuffed animal like that can make a child smile and forget about some of their problems for a while.”

Wounded Warrior CollectionAt the start of the Middle School Interact Club’s second year,

the students told faculty advisor Michael Williams that they wanted more ownership of the program. He was only too happy to oblige the request. What came out of it was the continuation of projects started last year, such as the roadside clean-up, the coat drive for the Salvation Army, and Penny Wars for Rotarians Against Hunger, which raised over $300. At the same time, the students also developed a passion for a few new projects: gleaning (picking leftover crops for food pantries), volunteering at the local animal shelter, and perhaps the most moving of all, the Wounded Warrior Project.

The idea to raise funds for Wounded Warrior grew from Joseph Silek ’17, whose older brother, Ryan Lamke ’03, is a Purple Heart recipient and was assisted by the Wounded Warrior Project upon his return to the U.S. While Silek and the other students initially hoped to host a golf tournament to raise funds, they decided to challenge their fellow students to fill a five-gallon jug with coins instead.

“It was a daunting task,” said Williams. “We didn’t even fill it one-quarter of the way and there was over $300 in there.”

“To raise $300 in change in a school of 60 students is outstanding,” observed Thomas Minchew ’17.

The fundraising took place over the course of a month, but perhaps the most important part of the process was that the students came to understand exactly what the Wounded Warrior Project was. Williams brought in a series of speakers, including occupational therapist Major Amy Gray (U.S. Army), Lamke, and Staff Sergeant “Bunky” Woods, who is a well-known wounded warrior in the local community.

“One of the things I struggle with as the Middle School Interact advisor is how chatty the kids are,” Williams stated bluntly. “When Bunky spoke, it was silent. Even kids not prone to show appreciation

were openly and verbally appreciative to Bunky.”

“He made the difference,” agreed Minchew. “It made them [the students] realize what this fundraiser was going to help. I didn’t know much about the Wounded Warrior Project. I didn’t realize they provide clothes and other necessities.”

It was an incredible year for the community service programs at the Upper School and the Middle School as the students continued with on-campus projects such as assisting various offices and running the campus recycling program, and still found time and ways to reach out to the community and the world. Here are just a few of the projects that took place this spring!

Above, Deputy Eddie Long from the Warren County Sheriff’s Department, Sam Beavers ’17, and Front Royal Police Chief Norman Shiflett begin packing up the stuffed animals. At right, Orion Piper ’17 carries bags out to the waiting DARE vehicle, which would distribute

the stuffed animals to first responders throughout Warren County. Photos by Misti Walters.

R-MA Middle School in particular took ownership of the stuffed animal drive, contributing 518 of the 595 animals. Portillo decided to create a small competition for the Middle School students to make it more fun: she offered to host a piñata party for the mentoring group that brought in the most stuffed animals. The “winner” was English teacher Bill Curl’s group, which brought in a total of 187 stuffed animals.

“It’s like helping out other people who aren’t very fortunate or who are just in traumatic experiences,” said Orion Piper ’17. He brought in approximately 100 stuffed animals.

The stuffed animals were split between the Front Royal Police Department, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, and local fire and rescue units.

Community Service Projects Help Those Near and Far


Student-Led ProjectsAt the end of the school year, two Upper School students were

inspired to take on community service projects for two very different reasons.

Rongsong Cai ’14 heard about the earthquake in China and learned that there were students at Randolph-Macon Academy who were from that area. “I was just looking on the internet one day and saw that 180 people died in the earthquake,” he said. “I saw a picture of children in ashes, crying. I was shocked.”

Cai wrote a speech about his plan to raise funds for those in need, and presented it to the cadet corps during chapel. His impassioned plea touched many hearts, and $348 was collected the first day. The National Honor Society gave a $200 gift, and then Community Service Director Stephanie Portillo suggested Cai put donation cans in the Chinese restaurants in the area, which he did. When it came time to count up the funds, Cai learned that the R-MA community had donated $631.36 and the restaurant collections totaled $268.64, giving him a total of $900 to donate to the American Red Cross to help the victims of the earthquake in China.

During this same time period, David Lee ’14 had a project of his own going on as he collected clothing for the Blue Ridge Hospice Thrift Store. He placed bins around campus and collected clothing for several weeks before donating the items. This was part of his Eagle Scout project.

Letters to SoldiersThere’s something special about the flag that was

presented to Randolph-Macon Academy President Maj Gen Henry M. Hobgood, USAF Retired, on Thursday, May 2, 2013: it was carried on patrol in Afghanistan by MSgt Paul Harrison, USAF, in honor of Randolph-Macon Academy Middle School students.

For years, Community Service Director Stephanie Portillo has engaged R-MA students in campaigns to write letters and send care packages to soldiers deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Members of the community can ask for letters to be sent to their deployed relatives and friends, but most of the letters go through a program called AnySoldier.com; therefore the students do not even know to whom the letters are going. Military supervisors and other personnel typically hand the letters out to soldiers who are not receiving letters from home, or to those they know just need an extra pick-me-up.

Harrison, who received the R-MA packages for his unit, wrote to Portillo in an e-mail, “I received the boxes and boxes of packages [and] messages and passed them out. There are a few people here that don’t receive mail. So when I gave them the card and said it was for them, their faces lit up. It made me feel like Santa’s helper.”

As a way of thanking the students, Harrison carried a flag out on patrol with him in Afghanistan, and sent it to Stephanie Portillo, along with a certificate of dedication, some Afghan money and the sincere appreciation of his entire unit. Although R-MA has received such flags before, this is the first one to be specifically designated for the R-MA Middle School. Sam Beavers ’17, Joseph Silek ’17, and Ben Schoonover ’17, the three students who wrote the most letters in the Middle School’s letter-writing campaign, folded the flag and presented it to Hobgood.

In addition to presenting the flag, the three students joined the rest of Bill Curl’s mentoring group in Portillo’s classroom the next day to put together the next round of soldier care packages to be sent out. These boxes were filled with newspaper comics, magazines,

Upper School students fold letters, pack Easter eggs, and sort magazines. After everything--including calendars, Girl

Scout cookies, comics, candy, and more--was sorted, the Middle School group packed the boxes to go to the military

units overseas.

candy, Girl Scout cookies, and letters from the students.

Nkeng Morfaw, one of the students in Curl’s mentoring group, said that he participated in the letter-writing campaign because it was important “to show we appreciate what all the soldiers are doing for us.”

“Even if sometimes you do not hear it, I want you to know that we are grateful for everything we do for our country,” wrote one student.

“We are praying for you,” wrote another.

Sam Beavers ’17, Ben Schoonover ’17, and Joseph Silek ’17 fold the flag that MSgt Paul Harrison, USAF, carried on patrol in honor of the R-MA Middle

School students.


c a m p u s n e w s

Spring 2013 Honor Society InductionsCongratulations to the following students on being inducted into their respective honor societies this past spring:

D’Andre Allen ‘14Gordon Anderson ‘15

Emmanuel Arellano ‘14Quinn Blankenship ‘16

Cody Borden ‘16Emma Bunker ‘16Zachary Chin ‘15

Hyungrag Choi ‘14Ming-Yi Chu ‘15

Robert DeBerry ‘16Neil Dutton ‘13

Amy Gray ‘15Sarah Hoeing ‘16Paige Hollis ‘15Austin Lee ‘15

Louis Lindsay ‘16Victor Marshall ‘14Jessica Neupane ‘15

Van Nguyen ‘13Thomas Powars ‘16

Katelyn Shea ‘17Thomas Shea ‘16

National Spanish Honor Society

Siqi Tang ‘14

National English Honor SocietyPaige Hollis ‘15

National Honor SocietyGeorge Beals PG

Hyungrag Choi ‘14Austin Lee ‘15Kai Liang ‘14

National Junior Honor SocietyJake Branham ‘16

Elizabeth Cochran ‘17Robert DeBerry ‘16

Xin Ma ‘15Madeleine Oram ‘15

Jonathan Pederson ‘15Natalie Pendie ‘15

Shelby Sebring ‘15

Jessica Neupane ‘15Jonathan Pederson ‘15

Dong Eun Go ‘17Jingwen Gong ‘16Kimberly Pitts ‘18

Bailey Sims ‘18

National German Honor SocietyJake Branham ‘16

Andrew Criminski ‘13Hien Quang Dang ‘13

Li Deng ‘13

Rebel Hafner ‘15Raleigh Holmes ‘16

Rabia Otry ‘13Dennis Ponn ‘17

Benjamin Schoonover ‘17

The spring semester was full of new events this year, offering plenty of excitement to students on campus and even around the community.

Shenandoah Valley Chess Tournament

When Public Relations Intern Rebekah Secrist interviewed chess master Yangboya Liu ’13 for an article in The Sabre Magazine, Director of Public Relations Celeste Brooks thought it might be a good time for the Academy to host an interscholastic chess tournament.

“I knew nothing about chess tournaments,” she admitted. “I just thought it would be great for chess lovers in the area to play against a nationally ranked person. We weren’t sure what type of response we would get, but Rebekah took charge and ran with the project anyway.”

It didn’t take long for the two of them to learn that the idea sparked a great amount of interest among area schools. It turned out that chess clubs had lost their funding and as a result, some had become disorganized. The faculty advisors and student leaders were eager to participate in the tournament. On the day of the tournament, 15 students arrived (the organizers pulled in an additional student to fill in for the round-robin competition), with approximately half of them being from public schools in the area.

“It was a great turnout for the first time,” said Brooks. “Everyone

Spring Semester Events Add More Fun to Student Lifewho attended was asking if we’d do it again the next month! The credit for that truly goes to Rebekah; she did most of the organizing for this event.”

Table Tennis Tournament With the success of fun activities

added to the calendar during the first half of this year—such as Trunk-or-Treat and the Christmas Tree Illumination—Director of Student Life Michael Williams and Commandant Gary Sadler decided to keep the momentum going.

During March, students were able to compete in the Inaugural Table Tennis Championship, which culminated in the championship games for males and females

on March 21, 2013. Scheduling conflicts did prevent a few students from participating, but that didn’t detract from the fun! McKenzie Marshall ‘13 and Jingze Li ‘16 were the girls’ and boys’ champions, respectively. The runners-up were Wen Zheng ‘13 and Travis Pullen ‘14.

Community PicnicOn May 16, 2013, the R-MA family joined together in a

Community Picnic for which the weather turned out to be beautiful. Students, along with staff and faculty and their families, enjoyed BBQ chicken, a dunk tank, slip-and-slide, soccer, basketball, football, a water balloon fight, and a bonfire.

Li Deng ’13 studies the chess board as he considers his next move during the tournament.


Flight Students Go Airborne: Solos and Private Pilots

James Christoph ’15Solo: May 30, 2013Hometown: Front Royal, VA

Yun Tae Kim ’14 Solo: May 21, 2013Hometown: Wonju City, South Korea

Emmanuel Arellano ’14Solo: March 27, 2013Hometown: Chicago, IL

Ben Stolzer ’14Solo: November 1, 2012Hometown: Port Orange, FL

Killian Hopcroft ’13Solo: October 25, 2012Hometown: Arlington, VA

George Beals ’13 (PG)Solo: May 14, 2013Hometown: Centennial, CO

Keijerian “KJ” Graham ’13Solo: May 24, 2013Hometown: Waynesboro, PA

Justin Miernicki ’13Private Pilot Certification: May 26, 2013Hometown: Baltimore, MD

Manny Prado ’13Private Pilot Certification: May 26, 2013Hometown: Guatemala City, Guatemala

C. Grace Alexander ’14Solo: January 23, 2013Hometown: Front Royal, VA

David Lee ’14Solo: April 25, 2013Hometown: Potomac, MD

Thomas Abell ’13Private Pilot Certification: August 2, 2013Hometown: Front Royal, VA


f a c u l t y & s t a f f

Colonel Arvin Samuel Williams, USAF Retired, passed away April 10, 2013 at the age of 92. Col Williams dedicated over 30 years of his life to Randolph-Macon Academy’s students, serving as a teacher and coach and in other administrative roles from 1947-1968 and as the Academy’s president from 1969-1978. On Tuesday, April 16, 2013, the R-MA family gathered together in Boggs Chapel to remember the man who had been a friend to so many.

Williams was born and raised in Wise County in southwestern Virginia. He graduated in 1942 from Milligan College, in Tennessee, with a bachelor of science degree in chemistry and mathematics. While at Milligan, he played fullback and was co-captain of the football team. Upon graduation, he began teaching biology and chemistry and coached varsity football and basketball at Norton High School. In August of 1942, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps Reserve and was called to active duty in March 1943. Upon receiving his pilot’s wings in 1944, he piloted B-17 and B-29 bombers during World War II. During his time in the military, he served throughout the U.S. and Europe, and eventually achieved the rank of Colonel in the USAF Reserves. He served as the liaison officer for the U.S. Air Force Academy for Virginia and West Virginia, and he also participated in two active duty tours at the Academy in Colorado Springs, CO.

Williams first came to R-MA in 1947 as a mathematics teacher and the line coach for the varsity football team. He served as the Academy’s Registrar from 1949 to 1955, Director of Development from 1955-1957 while Melton Memorial Gymnasium was under construction, and was Athletic Director from 1957-1964. During those years, in addition to coaching varsity football, he coached the varsity swim team and the varsity wrestling team. He served as Executive Vice President, then Vice President, and finally became President of the Academy in 1969.

Williams’ time as President was a time at which the Academy truly needed a strong but empathetic leader as social changes were rushing in. He was President during the admission of the first African American in 1971 and the first female cadets in 1974. But perhaps the Academy’s greatest challenge during Williams’ presidency was the low enrollment: in his first year, enrollment was down to 274 students—44 under capacity. As the Vietnam War drew to a close, military schools across America were suffering from the backlash of the national negativity towards the military, and the social changes occurring were not making military schools a popular choice. Many military schools did not survive this era, including the Virginia military schools of Augusta Military Academy, Staunton Military Academy, and Frederick Military Academy.

At R-MA, the enrollment continued to decline as well. Williams and the Board struggled with what to do. “Although President Williams was seen as the person to restore the traditions at R-MA, established by Col [John C.] Boggs, Arvin had a way of making changes which kept the institution afloat,” said Dave Moore ‘53.

The enrollment issue certainly was a factor in the decisions to eliminate the barriers of race, ethnicity, and gender, and to welcome all to R-MA, but perhaps the biggest change was yet to come. R-MA had been part of the National Defense Cadet Corps under the U.S. Army since 1917. With enrollment declining, Williams and the Board of Trustees made the courageous move to an Air Force JROTC program in 1975. They also added seventh grade to the R-MA program.

“His recognition of the need for dramatic change, coupled with his devoted loyalty to the Academy, made these changes possible,” observed Moore. “Col Williams’ years of service, his dedication, his popularity with alumni, and his quiet reserve and determination that the Academy succeed helped to sustain the Academy through those trying times.”

Williams retired in 1978, totaling 31 years of service to R-MA. Of those years, it is not the sweeping social changes that the alumni remember. Instead, it is his deep level of love and empathy for his fellow man, and in particular for the cadets of R-MA.

Moore recalled how when he first began attending R-MA in 1949, Williams was dating Emma Mauck, the secretary to then-president

Col John Boggs. Throughout the years, Williams often sent Moore to see Mauck with a note in hand. Moore, believing them to be love notes, never opened them, but always Mauck would give him a hug after reading the note, and Moore left in better spirits than when he had arrived. Years later, Williams asked if he knew what the notes had said.

“I said, ‘Arvin, I don’t know, I never read the notes. I thought they were love letters to Emma,’” Moore recalled. “Arvin smiled, telling me that the notes said, “Emma, Davey needs a hug.”

Evidence of Williams’ love for the students abounds in stories such as these. Ron Simar ’66 shared that because he failed room inspections and talked in study hall after being told not to, he was assigned to march five tours. At that time, three tours were held on Friday nights, and three on Saturday nights. Assigned five tours, a student could not leave campus all day on Saturday, because they couldn’t leave until the tours were complete. The problem?

Simar was to pitch a baseball game that Saturday. Simar went to meet with his coach, Lyle McFall, Commandant

Col Robert Rives, Vice President Col George Riddick, and Williams, who was the athletic director. “You can imagine how scared I was,” Simar said. “I went in, they raked me over the coals. Col Rives and Col Riddick did a good job of making me realize the situation and feel very guilty for my indiscretion.”

Williams, however, didn’t say a word. Rives declared that because the team would return before tours and Simar would be able to walk off the tours, they were going to let him go to the game. “My knees were still shaking,” Simar recalled. “It was a tense moment. He said ‘You’re dismissed.” Before I could do an about-face to leave the office, Arvin Williams said, ‘Just a minute. Simar, if you don’t win that game today, don’t come back.’ And he grinned that Arvin Williams grin. That was the first dealing, actually, after all these months at school, that I had had with Arvin. And he was sensitive enough, he was such a compassionate man…. He knew that I was a nervous wreck. He knew I needed a light moment, and he provided that. And I’ve always appreciated it.”

Memorial contributions may be made to the Emma and Arvin Williams Scholarship Fund at Randolph-Macon Academy, 200 Academy Drive, Front Royal, VA 22630.

Hear more memories of Col Williams by scanning the QR code:

Farewell to an R-MA Leader: Former President Col Arvin Williams


J. Craig Porter Jr., beloved former teacher, dean, and admissions director at Randolph-Macon Academy, died on April 19, 2013 at the age of 65, following years of multiple complications arising from his diabetic disease.

Porter arrived at Randolph-Macon Academy in the summer of 1983. He began his career at R-MA as an English teacher. He was named as the English department head, then became the Director of Admissions of the Academy for five years. In 1994, he was promoted to Upper School Academic Dean. Even after he left this post in 1999 to return to teaching, students referred to him as Dean Porter and eventually nicknamed him “D.P.”

With a dry, quick sense of humor and a deep abiding love for the students he served, “D.P.” was a favorite among the cadets, and alumni from across the years returned for his memorial service, which was held on campus on May 10, 2013.

“Craig Porter was remarkable,” said Paul Lawrence ’87, who spoke on behalf of the alumni at Porter’s memorial service. “His life was remarkable. The depth with which he touched our lives--often through simple acts of thoughtfulness, kindness, prodding and griping—is a remarkable legacy that will live on in the memories that each of us will cherish and in stories we will continue to tell.”

“What these stories share at their core is the great impact that one person can make on another’s life in the seemingly simple act of

reaching out and making that human connection,” Lawrence continued. “For many of us as teenagers, his classroom was like nothing we had ever experienced before.”

Those stories are being told across alumni gatherings and on social media. Here are a few tributes from alumni, as posted on the “Remembering Craig Porter” Facebook group:

“I had Mr. Porter for 11th and 12th grade Honors English and was able to get to know him even more when I was a teacher at the academy. He was a great man who dedicated his life to the

young men and women whom he taught. Even though we read and discussed the novels and books assigned to us and wrote many essays, it was life he taught us about. It was tolerance and perspective and understanding. Grendel, the book about the monster’s viewpoint from Beowulf, is a great example of Mr. P’s wisdom. He made us figure it out and tell him. Thinking is what he really taught, not reading and writing, and for that I thank you Craig Porter. You made a huge difference in so many lives and you are well remembered my friend.” –Michael Turner ’86

“‘I love the smell of napalm in the morning.’ ‘Charlie don’t surf.’ - I will never forget the first day of class sitting down in DP’s room and reading all the quotes he had on the board. I can admit I was intimidated sitting in his classroom for the first time but little did I know how much he would help me in my life. Unless you helped yourself and made an effort in his class you would never understand how much that man cared about his students.

An investment of interest that made you try harder and the sense of accomplishment when he would give you a compliment are the memories I will cherish and I thank him for pushing me to that level. Outside of the classroom I was lucky enough to get to know Dean Porter on a more personal level and in the two years I spent at R-MA he (and Barley) never missed a home baseball game. Although he has left this world his legacy will live on in all the lives he touched. Thank you, DP, rest in paradise.” –Colin Skerl ’04

“DP was an exceptional person. He was a friend to everyone who needed one. Not only did he challenge his students to think outside the box and gain their own perspectives into literature, he never criticized what they came up with. He made class fun and funny and yet so much was learned. Some of my favorite novels were first read in his class and they became my favorites because of the perspective he shed on them. I will never look at goldfish without remembering you, DP. I am forever sorry that I did not get the chance to tell you how much you and your class meant to me. What ho, and thank you.”—Sydney Magar ’09

“Whether we are students for only twelve years or twenty, very few teachers touch our hearts the way that Craig Porter did. Very few teachers leave us, after a single lesson, looking forward to the next day; not only for the next class but for what possibilities that day may hold for us. The lessons I learned from Mr. Porter, about Shakespeare, Eminem, and about life, will be with me forever. Sweet dreams, DP. We will miss you.” ♥ Cari Robinson, Class of 2007

Memorials may be made to The Craig Porter, Jr., Scholarship Fund at Randolph-Macon Academy, 200 Academy Drive, Front Royal, Virginia 22630.

Beloved Teacher “D.P.” Passes Away

Craig Porter, also known as “D.P.” to the students, received an honorary diploma

when he retired in 2011.

Craig Porter congratulates Bryan Moore ’84 on his graduation.

“The depth with which he touched our lives--often through simple acts of thoughtfulness, kindness, prodding and griping—is a remarkable legacy that will live on....”

Paul Lawrence ’87

In further recognition of how many lives these two great men touched, a list of those who made memorial contributions to R-MA

in their honor is located on page 32.


c a m p u s n e w s

On June 13, 2013 twelve students embarked on an adventure that would forever change their lives. They traveled to a country filled with history and culture: the land of King Arthur, Sir Francis Drake, the Magna Carta, the Duke of Wellington, William Shakespeare, and the Beatles. That country is the United Kingdom. For more than a decade, over 200 students have participated in the British Exchange Program, which exists between Randolph-Macon Academy and the Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School of Ashbourne in Derbyshire. Students who attended the exchange participated in classes on British History and Literature, Dramatic Arts, Sculpture, Mathematics, Economics, Sociology, Psychology, and Music.

I was honored that this year after three years, students were able to meet the Lord Mayor of Derby. The highlight of the visit was seeing the Sergeant-at-Arms actually knight one of our students in honor of her recent birthday. Going to Chatsworth, the home of the 12th Duke of Devonshire was also an experience that the students thoroughly enjoyed. Chatsworth is the official home to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, and has been passed down through 16 generations of the Cavendish family. The architecture and art collection at Chatsworth has been evolving for the past five centuries. The house has over 30 rooms open to the public to explore, from the magnificent Painted Hall to the regal State Rooms students were able to have an experience that could only happen in England. The collection has continually grown with each generation and the Devonshire Collection contains Old Masters, contemporary ceramics, and artifacts from Ancient Egypt, to name but a few.

Students stayed in the area before going to London. Though we only spent three days there, we experienced and saw the best that London had to offer. The students saw the musical “Wicked,” toured parliament, went on the London Eye, saw the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, and Covent Garden to name a few places. Though we did much in that time, students were able to experience, live in, and see parts of what is often referred to as the most civilized city in the world. On June 23, 2013, the students of Randolph-Macon Academy boarded a plane and returned home to America, grateful for an experience that changed their lives. It made them look at themselves differently and above all, realize that the Anglo-American relationship that was fostered in the battle and hardship of World War II, is a relationship that is not only special but unique, and must never ever end or be forgotten.

by Brian C. Barbour, Social Studies Department Chair

International Friendships Formed Through Exchange Program

A message from the Parents’ AssociationThe Parents’ Association is a group of parents that volunteer

their time to help make R-MA a better community. Throughout the summer, while most people take vacations, visit family, or go to work, the PA’s parents put aside their busy lives and volunteer three or four hours, sometimes more, to help new parents and students feel more comfortable within the R-MA community. The PA’s parents help at the used uniform sales during registrations for the summer programs, Summer Leadership School, and the beginning of the school year. The best part of these events is many new parents are encouraged to see an experienced parent’s smiling face, giving them tips for helping their children get the most out of their new school.

During the fall, winter, and spring the PA parents continue to volunteer their time for intramural activities, mandatory afterschool events, football games, basketball games, and so much more. Students enjoy the interaction with the parents of the PA, many believing that the presence of the parents makes R-MA a more comfortable environment and school activities more fun. Kenny Goodrich ’11 stated, “Looking back… the parents were always social and kind, and if there was ever an issue, like they ran out of pizza or another food, they would always take time to find other options available.” He added, “One thing that I feel is important about the PA is it creates a different way of fundraising for the benefit of the students while also allowing the parents to have an avid voice in the school and more contact with the students on a daily basis.”

The idea that many students walk away with a good feeling about the PA is an important aspect of what makes the R-MA community unique. Many PAs at other schools find themselves at odds with the politics of the school and their responsibility to the students; therefore, some PAs become wingmen to the community rather then active participants. The active participation of the PA can only continue if everyone takes a little time out of their day to volunteer or donate to the Parents’ Association.

One thing that should also be noted is at the end of the day, it is not only important to make sure that all the finances are in order, and everyone is doing their job, but it is extremely important what students take away from the R-MA community. When push comes to shove, it is the students that create the reputation for the school and put the good word out for other potential students. At the end of the day, though the parents pay the tuition, it is the students that become active alumni within the R-MA community.

R-MA Parents’ Association: What’s it all about?

The Truth I Learned About Military Schoolby Rebekah Secrist

Most people can remember that high school foe who became a friend by the time graduation came around. I have a similar story. I “met” Randolph-Macon Academy in eighth grade when someone from my church became an R-MA cadet. Having lived in the area all my life, I’d already developed my thoughts on R-MA. I never went to R-MA as a student. I went to a high school in a neighboring town close to Front Royal, and R-MA was actually one of my school’s rivals that we competed against in sports. If someone asked me what I thought about R-MA in those days, I would’ve said, “It’s a jail! It’s sad; they make those kids march EVERYWHERE. It would be miserable to go there. They make you do push-ups, and the ‘bad’ kids go there . . . you know, the ones who did something.” That was my honest impression.

Fast-forward eight years later. I’m a junior studying Mass Communications at Shenandoah University, and still live in the neighboring town. Michael Williams, the director of student life at R-MA, graciously helped me obtain an internship position as the Public Relations Assistant to Celeste Brooks, R-MA’s beautiful and talented PR director. Talk about a learning experience!

On my first day, R-MA junior Madeline Chafin showed me around campus. I was shocked at how ambitious she was and at such a young age. She said she’d begged for her parents to send her to R-MA. I thought for sure that all of the cadets were there at least originally against their will, but Maddie proved this wrong.

During my first lunch at R-MA, I noticed the cadets were running See “Truth,” page 24


Spring Family Weekend Spring Family Weekend took place on April 26th and 27th. Activities included:

• The First Annual Spring One-Act Festival• The Spring Family Weekend Band & Chorus

Concert• Parent-Teacher Conferences• A College Readiness Seminar with College

Counselor CMSgt Mary Gamache• The National Honor Society Induction/

Foreign Language Inductions• The Cadet Corp Parade• A Parent/Student Picnic Lunch • An Academy Update with General

Hobgood • The 10th Grade Speech Contest

Presentations


c a m p u s n e w s

The Middle School Student Council Association planned a carnival called the

Jacket Jubilee for all Middle School students to enjoy! The carnival took place on Thursday, April 25, 2013. Students battled it out in competitions on inflatable courses, participated in a few games led by various

mentoring groups, and were supposed to dunk teachers in the dunk tank--but the students

wanted to be the ones to get dunked!

Jacket Jubilee

into the cafeteria while laughing with each other. I honestly thought, “They know how to smile? Smiling is allowed? Are they actually happy here?”

As I began to fulfill my duties as an intern, it was my job to interview countless faculty members and students to write community press releases and articles for the school magazine, The Sabre. What I learned was that R-MA is bursting with incredible teachers and faculty that are completely passionate about R-MA’s gifted and intellectual cadets, and these cadets aren’t just brilliant and talented: they are happy! They smile! And they each have a refreshing and pleasant personality that expresses thoughtfully developed core values.

I learned that the students from R-MA excel, and that they get accepted into incredible colleges like UVA, Dartmouth, MIT, and of course the Academies. I learned that R-MA cadets get scholarships and recognition. From this, I learned that R-MA students are assigned life training responsibilities that provide valuable experiences that can be put on a resume. I learned that R-MA students enjoy an incredible education with kind, qualified, and completely committed teachers who upon auditing some classes, had me so captivated that I wished to be in high school again – but this time as a junior cadet at R-MA.

I learned that R-MA has a very specific “culture.” I learned that the students are proud of that military school culture. I learned that the experience of the family R-MA offers won’t be found anywhere else. I learned about the Alumni Association, and I learned about the goals they strive for as they drive the mission of R-MA forward. I learned

Truth, continued from page 22 that I believed in R-MA’s mission too, and I learned that Middle School Admission Counselor Pam Cole was correct when she said that R-MA students are “capable, confident, and college-ready.”

My time spent at R-MA in the few short months I’ve been here has allowed me to completely amend my original perception. I may have thought R-MA was “that awful place parents threaten their kids with,” but now I see R-MA as a kindred spirit. I have grown to love the powerful symbol of The Sabre; I love the culture of R-MA; I love constantly being amazed at the accomplishments of the students; and I love learning about the passion and zeal that is honored in R-MA’s alma mater.

Above all the other things I’ve learned since being a part of R-MA, I learned to recognize the need in people that desire to be a part of something bigger than themselves, and I’ve learned how R-MA develops that need and cultivates that longing within its students to turn that need into a purpose. I love this perspective on R-MA so much better than my former one. For the past eight years I’ve grown up next to R-MA; I’m honored to finally, after all this time, be a part of Randolph-Macon Academy.

This was originally published as a blog on www.info.rma.edu on March 8, 2013. Rebekah Secrist worked as an intern in the Randolph-Macon Academy Office of Public Relations from December 2012-March 2013. She is now a senior at Shenandoah University, majoring in mass communications.

Top, Joseph Silek ’17 shivers as he waits for the next plunge into the dunk tank. Above, students enjoy rides and games.

Top, Hunter Gillis ’19 does her best in the bungee run. Above, Erik Wagner ’18 works his way through a slice of watermelon

during the watermelon-eating contest.


This past Homecoming, the points scored by the Yellow Jackets’ varsity football team against Massanutten had a little extra sting, as a signal cannon went off with every touchdown or field goal. The small but powerfully loud cannon was brought to campus by Albert Orgain IV, a 1961 graduate of Randolph-Macon Academy. On April 12, 2013, Orgain donated a new signal cannon to the Academy during the Friday afternoon retreat ceremony.

In his presentation speech, Orgain recalled the 2012 Homecoming game and the dominating win by the Yellow Jackets of 48-34. “The president of Massanutten—I knew him from VMI, as I found out—was in the end zone as I was firing many, many times. He was not amused,” Orgain said, causing more than a few chuckles.

“It was a joyous day and a sweet victory and a memorable day,” Orgain continued.” And memories are what you are making here at R-MA. Lessons for living. Accomplishments of a young lifetime. Learning what to do, learning what not to do. Learning what works, and what doesn’t. You are making friends right now for a lifetime.” Indicating the cannon, he called it a “small gift” and explained his purpose in donating it. “I hope it will come to punctuate those memories, emphasize those victories and echo across this campus and in the process inspire you and all your R-MA friends.” He paused slightly, then added, “Too bad about the opponents.”

In addition to the cannon itself, Orgain donated the funds for what he called “ten winning seasons of cannon fire.” Although former R-MA president Col Arvin Williams had passed away just two days before, and current R-MA Maj Gen

Henry M. “Mack” Hobgood was soon to retire, Orgain refrained from dictating a name for the cannon. While he suggested both “Arvin” and “Mack” as appropriate names, he left it for the students to decide.

As the finale of the ceremony, Cadet Corps Commander Killian Hopcroft ’13 and Orgain fired the cannon, the noise of which surprised most of the students gathered for formation.

The cannon will reside within the Air Force JROTC department, until needed for the fall football games. Perhaps it will once again spur the Jackets onto victory!

Al OrgAin ’61 DOnAtes signAl CAnnOn

While Stephanie Portillo was on medical leave from Randolph-Macon Academy in December, she saw an article written by Kim Walter in the Northern Virginia Daily. The article was about Stephen Reis, an 11-year-old boy who had been diagnosed with a reoccurrence of astrocytoma--a cancer of the brain Stephen had successfully defeated when he was younger. His mother had also just successfully battled thyroid cancer at the time, and the family estimated they had paid out about $1 million in medical bills over the years.

Portillo contacted the National Honor Society faculty advisor, Stephen Latham P’18, and told him about Reis. Latham in turn worked with the NHS and the group made a small donation to the family—it was more of a gesture of goodwill and caring than something that would help them financially, but it began a correspondence with Reis’ mother, Tracy. As the two exchanged e-mails, Latham learned that young Reis was a lacrosse fan. The NHS was able to help Reis get a pair of properly fitting cleats, and invited him to attend one of their meetings on Thursday, May 2, 2013.

For Reis, the visit became about more than just attending a meeting. He did indeed get to meet the members of the NHS, but at the end of the meeting, the fun was just beginning. Jonathan Moore ’14, a member of NHS and the varsity lacrosse team, escorted Reis to the lacrosse field to not only meet the varsity players, but practice with them.

“It’s nice to help people, but to see the face of the person you’re helping, that’s totally different,” said Moore. “With all he’s been through, he’s still smiling.”

Ries led the stretches and ran through the drills with the team. When Head Coach Blake Hollinger gathered the players together at the start of practice, he asked for a word to summarize the day, as he usually did. This time, he asked Reis.

“I don’t know,” a very nervous Reis replied.

“Okay, on three,” Hollinger replied without missing a beat. “One, two, three!”

The entire team responded with a yell of “I don’t know!”

As the practice progressed, however, Reis became more comfortable and began enjoying himself with a wide smile.

“I do believe Stevie will remember yesterday for the rest of his life as one of the best days ever!” his mother Tracy wrote in an e-mail afterwards. “We both had such a great time. I LOVED watching it all unfold. Stevie was so encouraged. He was honored to be cared about by the NHS, and feels like the lacrosse team are his ‘big brothers.’ What a beautiful example they all set for him!!!”

By the end of the day, when Hollinger gathered the team back together and asked for a word again, Reis was no longer hesitant. This time, though his words were similar, his tone was different. Now he was among friends as he replied, “Let’s go with ‘I don’t know!’ again!”

Stephen Ries (left) warms up with Ben Gillis ’14.

Reaching Out a Hand in Friendship

Don’t be deceived by the size--the loud blast from this signal cannon surprised many of the cadets! Photo by Derrick Leasure.

Scan the QR code at left to see the video of the dedication ceremony.


s t u d e n t s

In 2008, a year after Ashley and Allyson McManus arrived at R-MA, R-MA Middle School teacher Bill Curl had this to say: “They look the same, but these two young ladies are very different. It is true that they both like to read, are very curious, intelligent, caring, sports-minded, and very talkative. Where they differ is in their bubbly personalities. They are two totally different people who want to take advantage of their education

here at R-MA to prepare them for their separate lives as career-minded adults.”

Time has proven him right. This year, these intelligent twins--affectionately called the “McMani” by friends and faculty--graduated at the top of their class: Ashley as valedictorian, Allyson as salutatorian. Both earned high ranks in the Air Force JROTC program: Allyson as a cadet colonel with the position of vice corps commander, and Ashley as a cadet lieutenant colonel with the position of support group commander. Both played soccer and basketball, and ran cross-country. Both were in the National Honor Society, the National English Honor Society, and the National German Honor Society. They were also both members of the Honor Council and the drill team.

As they came into their senior year, their differences became more obvious. Ashley received the General Willard Scott Award from the Association of Military Colleges and Schools of the United States, an award she was selected for against 20 other entries from military schools and colleges across the nation. Meanwhile, Allyson was asked to represent the Academy in the Apple Blossom festivities in nearby Winchester, VA.

The young ladies have close ties to R-MA—their father Lt Col R.G. McManus, USAF retired, is the senior aerospace instructor and a 1980 graduate of R-MA, and their mother, Karen McManus, is a math teacher at R-MA Middle School. Their sister Katelyn graduated from R-MA in 2008, and their grandparents also taught at R-MA for 21 years. Having educators for parents and grandparents encouraged the twins to work hard. On a typical night, they would get home around 6:30 pm from sports practice, shower, eat dinner, and hit the books

around 7:30. From there, they could be up as late as midnight working on homework assignments or papers, or just studying for exams. They sometimes passed up parties in favor of their studies—all in pursuit of achieving their dreams.

Over the years, those dreams have changed but the twins’ ambition has not. Ashley, who once wanted to be a writer, has accepted an Air Force ROTC scholarship

to Virginia Military Institute to study electrical engineering. Allyson, whose middle school dream was to be a judge, is now considering several different career fields and will explore them at the College of William and Mary. Both young ladies were accepted as Early Decision candidates at their respective colleges.

The twins denied that they vied for the top spots in cadre or academics, insisting instead that they were simply trying to do their best. “My motivation was to get into William and

Mary, because I knew it was going to be a hard school to get into, and I really wanted to go there,” said Allyson.

And while they might not want to brag about their own strengths, each sister is quick to sing the praises of the other. “She is just totally awesome at getting all the parade stuff together,” Allyson said of her sister. “She’s really good at organizing.”

“I think what’s helped Allyson be successful is she’s really assertive, and not afraid to take charge in any situation,” said Ashley.

Kerry Hurst, who was Allyson’s chemistry teacher and assistant soccer coach this year, agreed with Ashley’s assessment. “Allyson is a leader both in the classroom and on the soccer field,” he said. “She is never satisfied with anything less than her best and is very adept at bringing out the best

in others. She has an insatiable thirst for knowledge that will serve her well as she moves forward into college. She balances her drive with a sense of humor that is infectious to everyone around her. Allyson truly approaches life with a ‘can do’ attitude.”

As for Ashley, it was her academic dedication that impressed Math Teacher Eric Barr. “One of the best things about Ashley is her level of interest and level of effort are both very high. This is a great combination for true learning to take place,” he said. “She wants to get a good grade by actually learning the material to the best of her abilities. She doesn’t make excuses or look for shortcuts. This work ethic has been the key to her success in mathematics.”

These two amazing young women, raised in the same home and graduating from the same school, are now headed on very different paths in life. One thing is clear: they both have the talent, drive and education to be successful, regardless of where those paths lead them.

Talented Twins“McMani” Achieve Valedictorian, Salutatorian Honors

Ashley (left) and Allyson (right) McManus in May 2009 at the Tulip Time Festival’s Muziekparade in Holland, MI, during their freshman year at R-MA.

Ashley, seventh grade photo.

Allyson, seventh grade photo.

Allyson gives the salutatorian address during Class Night.

Maj Gen Henry M Hobgood presents the Valedictorian Award to Ashley

during graduation.


C. Grace Alexander had a busy summer—she attended the Air Force Academy Summer Seminar in Colorado Springs, CO, the Naval Academy Summer Seminar in Annapolis, MD, and Girls’ State in Farmville, VA. We caught up to her after those three seminars, and she wasn’t even finished yet. The following week, she would head out to the Coast Guard Academy’s summer program, called Academy Introduction Mission (AIM).

The daughter of Lyle and Melinda Alexander of Front Royal, Grace is a rising senior at Randolph-Macon Academy in Front Royal. Her experience with Air Force JROTC (Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps) at Randolph-Macon had given her an idea of what to expect at the Air Force and Naval academies, but she would be the first to admit that the Virginia Girls’ State program held at Longwood University was much more of an unknown adventure.

“We talked about the issues facing America today,” she said. Those topics included water, childhood cancer, human trafficking, and education. The session overall was leadership-focused, but rather than having a military focus as the academy seminars did, it had a government focus, with the 600 girls in attendance hearing from the governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general of Virginia, among others.

It was an interesting set-up, Alexander said. “Each hallway is a city. We decorated our halls and elected mayors and sheriffs,” she said, adding that her hallway won the “Model City” honor for the best city.

Alexander indicated that attending the three different programs in three weeks was exhausting but fascinating, and drove home the difference in the programs’ philosophies. The Air Force seminar focused on academics. Because the administration knows that most of the visiting students are not acclimated to the elevation, there was limited physical training. In contrast, during the Naval Academy seminar, Alexander said they spent from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in physical training. At both academy seminars, there was a rigid schedule and the student leaders in charge made it a point to yell loud enough to be heard.

Meanwhile, at Girls’ State, no one enforced a lights-out time, but there was still a bit of a military flavor, as the “sheriff” woke everyone, the girls marched in “twosies” from place to place, and the students took part in a POW/MIA ceremony.

The Coast Guard Academy’s AIM program promised to give her another viewpoint. “In the Air Force and Navy summer seminars, we were basically pretending to be freshmen for a day,” she said. In contrast, at the Coast Guard, the students were with the freshmen for a week.

Alexander’s obvious motivation behind attending all of these summer sessions is to build up her resume for her applications to

the service academies. In fact, after her experiences, she is more determined than ever to attend one of them. The U.S. Air Force Academy excited her with opportunities such as being on the flight team and parachuting on the jump team, while the Naval Academy captured her attention with a major in cyber operations, which is a combination of computer science and international relations. However, her underlying motivation for all of what she does is to serve others.

“I want to help people. I want to make a difference,” she said. “If I go into cyber operations, I can help protect the whole country.”

She is already serving her ambition to help others: Alexander was elected to be the Community Service Officer for the National Honor Society for the 2013-14 school year, and regularly volunteers in the admission and development offices on campus. She does this in between flying (she earned her solo wings this school year) and wrestling, running cross-country, and playing soccer. She is a member of the National English Honor Society and an honorary member of the German National Honor Society. She is also a member of cadre, the cadet leadership in the Air Force JROTC program; this past year, she was the Command Chief, the highest-ranking junior on campus.

“Coming to R-MA, I didn’t see the military in my future. I wanted to do non-profit work,” she said. “But now I realize they both emphasize the same thing: serving others.”

Grace Alexander ’14 Explores Ways to Serve Others

When Evan Anderton’s parents felt he wasn’t being challenged enough at his former school, they didn’t hesitate to bring him to Randolph-Macon Academy for a visit, even though his sixth grade year had just begun. Shortly after the visit, in the fall of 2010, they enrolled him at R-MA as a day student—and Anderton, who is now a member of the R-MA Class of 2018, is thankful for that decision.

“My favorite part of being here is that it’s better than the other schools and it’s harder,” said Anderton, who lives in Stephens City, VA. “That’s why I like it, because it challenges me more. And I like the people because they’re nice to me.”

When he says he is more challenged, Anderton isn’t just talking about what takes place in the classroom. With a resume that includes Interact Club, soccer, flag football, and National Junior Honor Society, his days are full. While he loves “everything about” flag football and found that he’s “actually pretty good” at playing defense on soccer, it is his time with the Interact

Club that makes Anderton light up.“My favorite project was My Brother’s

Table,” he said. “The people that came there, they didn’t have enough money to get their own food, so I thought it might be nice to give them food because they probably need it.”

“Evan is one of those quiet, unsung heroes,” observed Michael Williams, the Interact Club faculty advisor. “He doesn’t want any credit, he just wants to help. He’s an incredible young man to be around.”

“Evan is a very thoughtful and caring student,” agreed Middle School Science Teacher Joshua Ilnicki. “He never settles for average and will seek out opportunities

to improve. With that said, I believe R-MA is a great fit for Evan because the small class sizes and the well-structured environment provides him with the opportunity to learn at a higher level.”

Evan Anderton ’18: Happiness is Challenging Academics and Serving Others

Grace Alexander ’14 (right) poses with Carissa Vaccaro PG’13. Both young women have aspirations to become military officers.


s t u d e n t s

Genuine Kindness

A Natural LeaderShe may only be entering the eighth grade this fall, but Kate

Ponn ’18 has already established herself as a leader among her peers at R-MA Middle School. The day student from Marshall, VA, has been elected as the president of the R-MA Middle School Interact Club as well as the Student Council Association (SCA).

“I wanted to be part of the decision-making for the student body,” Ponn explained. “I like having the power of making decisions and making other people happy.” Her reasons for becoming president of the Interact Club are similar. “I like helping people. It makes me feel glad,” she said.

Ponn also enjoys following in her brother Dennis’ footsteps. He was the SCA President during the 2012-13 school year—with his sister’s help. “I figured if I ran for secretary I could keep notes and help him and my mom and everything,” Ponn said.

It doesn’t surprise Ponn’s teachers that she has two major leadership roles for the 2013-14 school year. “Kate is a natural born leader and is not afraid to stand up for what she believes in--even if it means standing alone,” observed Science Teacher Joshua Ilnicki. “Coupling that with a strong

Like her brothers, Naomi Eke-Spiff ’18 came to Randolph-Macon Academy from Nigeria. Her parents were looking for the structure a military school would provide for her brothers, and found a school they thought would be a good fit for all of their children. That has certainly proven true for Naomi, who came as a sixth grader in the fall of 2010.

“There aren’t a lot of people here like in other schools, so it’s good because you know everybody and you just hang out and talk to friends,” she said. “I really like the female teachers because if one of us girls has a problem we can go talk to them in any situation.”

“Naomi is a terrific, bubbly, young lady,” said Math Teacher Karen McManus. “She always strives to do her best work while at the same time looks for ways to improve herself intellectually and socially.”

Eke-Spiff has been active since her arrival at R-MA: she has played volleyball for two years, been on the cheerleading team for two years, and tried both swimming and tennis. Next year she will be even busier, as the student body elected her treasurer of the Student Council Association and Middle School Interact Faculty Advisor Michael Williams selected her to be the Sergeant-at-Arms for the Middle School Interact Club.

“Asking Miss Kate and Miss Naomi to be [Interact Club] officers was easy, given their passion for helping others, and the genuine nature of their personalities,” Williams asserted.

“She is a good, kind friend, which makes her well-liked,” observed McManus. “She respects the rules and the adults in her life.”

“I want to see what ideas I can bring for the school to make it more fun,” Eke-Spiff said of the SCA officer position. As for the Interact Club, she looks forward to being more active. “As an officer, it is my responsibility to be there,” she said.

attitude for success and determination, Kate is not only a great leader, but an amazing student and person.”

That determination helped Ponn win the mock trial in civics class this past year, and solidified in her mind the goal of attending Harvard University and becoming an attorney. “I have always wanted to be someone important and help people,” she said.

In addition to her leadership roles, Ponn played volleyball (and was named the Most Improved Player) and flag football this past school year, and was also the MVP of the cheerleading team during the winter sports season. She is a member of the National Junior Honor Society and a Girl Scout as well. All of her activities make her days long, but she wouldn’t trade her R-MA education for anything.

“Other than the fact that all my friends are here, there’s a lot of one-on-one during tutorial,” she explained. “If you have trouble, the teachers will stop the lesson and help you understand what they’re talking about. My brother and I love it so much that

my sister is coming here.”

Sophomore Speech Contest Prizewinners

Persuasive Speech1st Place: Natalie Pendie“Learning from Mistakes”

2nd Place: Paige Hollis “Los Beneficios of Learning

una Language Segunda”

3rd Place: Jessica Neupane “Is Abortion Taking a Life or

Saving One?”

Humorous Speech1st Place: Jonathan Pederson

“Fear of Public Speaking”

2nd Place: Rebel Hafner “Front Royal”

3rd Place: Ixel Ochoa “His Noodly Appendages”

Expository Speech1st Place:Maddi Oram

“Eating Disorders”

2nd Place: Jacob Dodson “Does Sibling Rivalry Help or Hurt One’s Success in Life?”

3rd Place: Shelby Sebring “Bidwell’s Special Secrets”

Middle School Speech Contest

8th Grade1st Place: David Imansuangbon

“Extra Terrestrials”

2nd Place:Ben Schoonover

“Grumpy Old Men”

3rd Place: Katelyn Shea “Traditional vs. Year-Round School

Year”

Honorable Mention (HM): Angelique Murphy

“Emotions”

HM: Remington Gillis“The Negatives of Working Out”

7th Grade1st Place: Bailey Sims

“The World of Adoption”

2nd Place: Ryan Latham “Kinder Conundrum”

3rd Place: Angel Njoku “Olympics”

6th Grade1st Place: Jack Smith “Are Ghosts Real?”

2nd Place: Hunter Gillis “Should Middle Schools Have

Uniforms?


Barbour Named Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction

R-MA Social Studies Department Chairman Brian Barbour was recently selected as a Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction by the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS). NSHSS is an international honor society dedicated to highlighting the accomplishments of high school students who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, scholarship, and community commitment. A role model to students, Barbour was nominated by Benjamin Pederson ’13 for outstanding dedication and commitment to excellence in the classroom.

“He is extremely dedicated as a teacher and he goes above and beyond what normal teachers do,” said

Pederson. “He wears many hats and he is able to do it all while keeping his sense of humor. You can always look forward to going to his class.”

Student members of NSHSS have the opportunity to nominate the educator who made the most significant contribution to their academic career. The Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction award recognizes role models who have made a lasting difference in their classrooms by encouraging students to strive for excellence.

“Dedicated educators who exhibit a commitment to excellence deserve our highest praise and appreciation,” said NSHSS President James W. Lewis. “We’re excited to provide an ongoing means to do so, and we encourage our members to nominate teachers who have contributed to their academic success.”

Faculty & Staff Notes

Staff & Faculty Quarterly Awards2012-13

Faculty of the Second Quarter:

Kim Cramer P’12, ’14(English and Drama Teacher)

Mentor of the Second Quarter:Christine Meyer

(Director of Development)

Employee of the Second Quarter:

Aaron Tweedie (Cadet Development)

Team of the Second Quarter

Admission Department(Clare Dame, Amy Harriman,

Blake Hollinger, Pam Cole P’06,’10)

Coach of the Winter Season: Frank Sullivan

(Wrestling)

2012-13Faculty of the

Third Quarter:Jonathan Kuiper(Math Teacher)

Mentor of the Third Quarter:

Celeste Brooks P’12(Director of Public Relations)

Employee of the Third Quarter:Chad Speakman

(Technology)

Team of the Third Quarter

Science Department(Suzi Gillette P’00,’12, Dave Gillis P’14, Patrick Hawkins,

Tamala Sebring P’15)

Coach of the Spring Season: Brandy Hudson

(Girls’ Varsity Soccer)

In April 2013, Upper School Calculus and Pre-Calculus Teacher Eric Barr attended a Falcon Foundation conference at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. While there he toured the campus with Kalie Plasier ’11 and Allyson Doran ’11.

On Saturday, April 20, 2013, R-MA science teachers Susan Gillette P’00,’12, Dave Gillis P’14, Patrick Hawkins, and Tamala Sebring P’15 attended a Vernier Technology Workshop in Crystal City, VA.

In preparation for teaching AP Computer Science this fall, Gillis attended a week-long graduate course at Goucher College on AP Computer Science.

Victoria Montgomery, Algebra II teacher, completed the AP Physics C Summer Institute, Fairfax, June 24-28, 2013.

Lemuel Pearsall attended the 231st Annual Virginia Conference of The United Methodist Church in June. He also attended the United States Army Reserve Annual Training and the United States Army Chaplain Corps Annual Training.

Director of Student Life Michael Williams received the Linden Rotary “Youth Leadership” Award and Plaque for his work with the R-MA Middle School Interact Club the past two years.

Executive Assistant to the President Sandra Long was inducted into Phi Theta Kappa, International Honor Society of the Two-Year Colleges at Lord Fairfax Community College (LFCC) on February 24, 2013. On April 26, 2013, she received the LFCC Maurice J. Duffey Outstanding Achievement in Business Award. Long received her Associate of Applied Science Degree in Business Management from LFCC on May 11, 2013, graduating summa cum laude with a 3.959 GPA.

MSgt Stephen Pederson, USAF Retired, P’13,’15, attended a teacher professional development conference at the National Aerospace Training and Research Center (NASTAR) in Southampton, PA, July 22-26, 2013. The five professional development courses he took were Acceleration, Exploring the Solar System, The Magic of Flight, Atmosphere and Weather, and Rocket Science. Scan the QR code to the right to learn more about his week.

On July 29th and 30th, Pederson participated in a space flight research study (University of Texas Medical Branch) to understand how particular ailments respond to accelerated forces.


a l u m n i & d e v e l o p m e n t

R-MA’s future success hinges on the broad and deep commitment of its alumni, parents and friends. Each year, we ask for and need your engagement to maintain R-MA’s quality prep-school education.

“Thank you to everyone who ‘answered that call’ and donated to the 2012-2013 Annual Fund,” said Kittie Callaghan Abell P’13, Vice President of Development. “We are happy to report that Randolph-Macon Academy showed increases in both number of donors and funds raised in the last fiscal year. None of this would have been possible without our dedicated cadre of alumni, parent, faculty and staff volunteers. And a special thanks to the wonderful cadets who made thank you calls throughout the year.”

R-MA reached 81 percent of its $370,000 unrestricted Annual Fund goal, raising $299,542; and 20 percent of the $10,000 Yellow Jacket Fund goal, raising $2,920. The restricted Annual Fund, monies earmarked by the donor for a specific project, brought in $547,996, besting the goal of $265,000 by 207 percent.

Overall, R-MA reached 132 percent of its Annual Fund goal. Here’s an analysis behind the numbers:

• In terms of alumni giving, for the first time we topped 7 percent, ending up with 308 donors and a 7.2 percent alumni participation rate. Compare that to four years ago, when R-MA had 198 alumni donors to the Annual Fund for 4.7 percent participation.

• Two positive trends are emerging. The number of non-donor class years is falling, from 12 in 2011-2012 to 6 this year; and younger alumni from the 1990s and 2000s are beginning to give back to R-MA. On pages 35-36 of this issue, you will find the listings of donors by class year and the giving percentage for each graduation year. Once again, awards for the top classes will be handed out at Homecoming.

• The faculty and staff continue to invest in their workplace. In 2012-2013, 79.1 percent of faculty and staff donated to the Annual Fund. That is up from 71 percent the previous year and 16.1 in 2010-2011.

•Current parents also increased their giving to 20.9 percent participation from 20.4 percent last year.

And why is the Annual Fund so important? The Academy is one of the top college-prep military schools in the nation, and a robust Annual Fund is essential to R-MA’s financial security. Tuition and fees do not cover the true cost of an R-MA education. Annual Giving is vitally important as it helps close the gap between tuition and the real cost of educating our students.

Annual Fund donations improve the quality of education each student receives and help prepare the next generation of Randolph-Macon Academy alumni. Annual Giving is applied across the budget; for example, it buys computers and equipment, and provides assistance to athletics, the band and drama departments and the flight program. It helps maintain inviting and safe campus facilities, as well as funds continuing education for teachers.

Keeping an R-MA education accessible and affordable is a top priority for the school. In tough economic times, financial aid plays an even larger role in making this happen. The Annual Fund provides much of that financial aid.

“The values-based, academically-challenging and structured environment at R-MA helps each class of graduates enter the college or university of their choice,” Abell added. “This educational excellence cannot be sustained without Annual Fund support. The support of our R-MA family is critical.”

If you have any questions about the Annual Fund, please contact the R-MA Development Office at (800)272-1172 or [email protected].

by Christine Meyer, Director of Development

Thank You: Annual Fund Giving Increase Makes a Difference!

Silek Named Chairman of Valley Health System Board

Joseph F. Silek, Jr., R-MA Class of 1977, P’03,’17 and Chairman of the R-MA Board of Trustees, has been selected Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Valley Health System (VHS). He succeeds Chairman James T. Holland.

Silek has been involved in Valley Health governance since 1995, when he was named to the Board of Directors of Warren Memorial Hospital (WMH) in Front Royal. In 2004 he became Chairman of the WMH Board, a position he held for six years, and also was

See “Silek,” page 38

R-MA Teacher Attends Nuclear Science and Engineering at

University of Missouriby Shelby Sebring ’15

This past June, Tamala Sebring, a physics and chemistry teacher at R-MA, had the exciting opportunity to enhance her knowledge of nuclear science at the advanced facilities of the University of Missouri-Columbia. The one-week program for secondary science teachers, taught by Dr. William H. Miller for the past thirty-two years, focuses primarily on applications of nuclear science and nuclear power generation, but also examines types of radiation decay, radiation detection, and methods of radiation protection. The classes consisted of lectures from visiting professors as well as lab work and demonstrations.

Sebring, along with other science and math teachers, was treated to a lecture from Dr. Robert Duncan, who shared the same information about breaking research on cold fusion as he had recently presented to leading European scientists. They were also able to visit Linn State Technical College, where they were nuclear technicians for a day and performed experiments using impressive lab equipment, learning much about different aspects of radiation.

The program also highlighted the uses of nuclear energy and radiation in the medical field. Sebring listened to a lecture about breaking biomedical research and then toured the Ellis Nuclear Medicine Clinics. It was also important to learn about radiation protection, so the teachers were taught how to detect dangerous levels of radiation and what to do about it, as well as the dangerous effects it can have on humans if used incorrectly.

The last day of the program featured a highly coveted tour of Callaway Nuclear Power Plant, along with various talks about the advantages of nuclear energy and the future of nuclear power in Missouri and the rest of the US. This program provided the group of teachers with a deeper understanding of nuclear energy and the many applications of it. Sebring and the others are now able to use this information to enhance their classes and every aspect of their school’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) curriculum.

R-MA Board of Trustees Chairman Joe Silek ’77 speaks

at R-MA’s 2013 graduation ceremony. Silek has been named

the Chairman of the Board of Valley Health System.


James Caskey ’55 (pictured at right) recently published a book entitled The Gentle War and Other Idle Thoughts. It is a series of anecdotal and fictional stories all told in a humorous vein.

Al Orgain ’61 donated a signal cannon during the afternoon formation on April 12th. (See article on page 25 or use your smart phone to scan the QR code and see the video.) Al was also inducted into the Virginia Law Foundation Class

of Fellows on January 24th during the Virginia Bar Association’s Annual Meeting. “Induction as a Fellow of the Virginia Law Foundation is a special honor conferred by the VLF Board on selected Virginia attorneys, law professors, and retired members of the judiciary who are deemed to be

outstanding in their profession and in their community.” (Source: http://www.virginialawfoundation.org/news.htm)

Jim Kernodle ’67 moved to South Africa in 2009. He has a BBQ and spice company but is retired and enjoys hunting and fishing. One of his sons-in-law is a professional hunter and guide. Jim has completed two novels and is almost finished with a third. All are currently being edited and prepared for e-publishing. He has two daughters and three granddaughters, also living in South Africa.

D. Alan Christopher ’75 (pictured at left) graduated in May 2013 with an MS in Marketing from Southern New Hampshire University. He will be starting a second career teaching marketing at the college level via an online delivery platform.

Paul A. Zedalis ’81 is finishing another nine-month combat tour

in Paktika Province, Afghanistan with the 4-1 Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 1st Infantry Division. He is submitting his papers to retire on January 31, 2014, after 30 years of service.

David Link ’85 is currently living in Seoul, South Korea, with his wife and two children. He is the Managing Director of Accenture’s Financial Services South Korea business. For the last five years, they have been based in Melbourne, Australia, and prior to that they were in Paris and Amsterdam for 11 years. He keeps in touch with many of his classmates and most recently (last Christmas), Bill Bersing ’85 and his family visited Seoul from their home in Trieste, Italy.

Michael Turner ’86 shared a great story about the history of the R-MA Flight program with us after reading the ‘Calling All Pilots’

Class NotesHave an update to share with us? Send it to [email protected] or go online to www.rma.edu/alumni-updates.

Please note all of these Class Notes apppeared first in the e-newsletter, the Dome Dispatch. If you are not receiving the Dome Dispatch and would like to be added to the distribution list, please e-mail [email protected] or sign up on the alumni section of the web site, www.rma.edu.

Class Notes continued on page 34

article in The Sabre Magazine Winter-Spring 2013 issue. Use your smart phone to scan the QR code on the left to read the story on the rma.edu web site:

R. Paul Lawrence

’87 (pictured at right) and wife Kimberley are proud to announce the birth of Robert Jackson “Jack” Lawrence, born March 24th, 2013.

Michael C. Starling ’88 (photos below) retired on October 11, 2012, at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, VA, after 20 years (and 27 days) in the Marine Corps, specializing in leadership and staff billets in the infantry, light armored reconnaissance, and intelligence

fields. Starling spent just over 11 years in the operating forces, deploying five times including two tours in Iraq. During his most recent deployment he served as the Executive Officer of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit which was embarked on USS Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group, providing

humanitarian assistance in Pakistan, supporting nationally tasked missions, providing forces to train with foreign militaries as part of theater strategy engagement, conducting evacuation planning for several countries in the Middle East and North Africa during 2011 Arab Spring, recovering a downed US airman from Libyan soil, and supporting the Libyan opposition to regime hostilities. Currently, Starling has relocated to Virginia and is employed with a defense contractor providing support to Marine Corps Intelligence Training for the operating forces and spending more time with his wife, Jenny, and their four children.

John P. Williams ’89 retired from the U.S. Marine Corps on April 12, 2013, after 23 years and seven months of honorable and faithful service. He achieved the rank of E-8, Master Sergeant and the position of Operations Chief. He served in combat, peace, humanitarian, and training missions throughout his time as a Marine. On April 15th he started his new career as a service manager for McGrath Corp.

Joshua Ryner ’93 has moved back to the U.S. after eight years stationed in Germany and is preparing for his transition into a second career and civilian life.

Samir Suleiman ’93 is now the Football Administration Coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Keith B. Zawistowski, Jr. ’97 and wife Marie won the national


d e v e l o p m e n t

TributesHonored friends of Randolph-Macon Academy are listed first in bold print followed by the names of those making gifts in their honor or memory. This list reflects gifts made to R-MA between January 9, 2013 and June 30, 2013. Look in future editions of The Sabre for additional listings.

In Honor of Thomas Abell ‘13Lt Col Donald E. Callaghan,

USAF, Retired

In Memory of Richard C. BeallMrs. Beverly J. Broadbent Casper

In Honor of Mimi F. BouldenMr. & Mrs. William R. Russell, Jr.

In Memory of Aubrey J. Ellis ‘57Mr. & Mrs. Rene C. Ellis ‘54

In Honor of Nicholas A. Finucan ‘06

Mr. & Mrs. John G. Finucan ‘76

In Memory of James H. Guy, Jr. ‘62

Col & Mrs. William G. Dennis, USAF, Retired ‘62

Mr. Norman I. Myers ‘62Mr. & Mrs. Troy F. Stallard ‘62

In Honor of Maj Gen & Mrs. Henry M. Hobgood, USAF, Retired

Mr. & Mrs. Robert C. AbellMr. & Mrs. Lyle AlexanderMr. Naif M. Al-Obaid ‘98Mr. & Mrs. John G. Alston ‘61Mr. & Mrs. Kevin J. BrooksFirst Sergeant & Mrs. Anthony E.

Cerella, USA, RetiredMr. & Mrs. Harlan R. Crow ‘68Mr. & Mrs. Thomas DameMr. & Mrs. Rodney E. Dean, Jr.Dr. & Mrs. S. Boyd Eaton ‘56Mr. Byron C. Gayle, Jr. ‘50Mr. & Mrs. Andrew C. Harriman

‘82Mr. & Mrs. Gary L. HooperMr. & Mrs. Harry H. Jennings ‘56Mr. & Mrs. William R. JohnstonMr. & Mrs. Jon KardashianMr. & Mrs. David W. KaufmanMr. & Mrs. Sean KnickMr. & Mrs. Ryan P. KochMr. William G. Lawrence, Jr.Gen & Mrs. J. Michael Loh,

USAF, RetiredMr. & Mrs. John K. MarlowMs. McKenzie M. Marshall ’13Mr. & Mrs. George D. Mathias ‘54Ms. Christine L. Meyer & Mr.

Edwin BarronMr. & Mrs. Alonzo A. Neese, Jr.

Mr. & Mrs. Albert M. Orgain, IV ‘61

Mr. G. Edwin RichardsR-MA Alumni AssociationR-MA Parents’ AssociationCol & Mrs. Gary Sadler, USAF,

RetiredMr. & Mrs. Harry F. Schoen, III

‘54Ms. Susanne I. Shaw & Mr. Robert

F. HansonRear Admiral & Mrs. John D.

Stufflebeem, USN, Retired ‘70

In Honor of George D. Mathias ‘54

Mr. & Mrs. Harry F. Schoen, III ‘54

In Memory of Betty McCormick Moore

Mrs. Betty ForlineMr. & Mrs. David W. Moore, Sr.

‘53Mr. D. Enoch Moore, II ‘51Mr. Munsey A. MooreMrs. Patricia J. MooreMr. & Mrs. Robert A. Moore, Jr.

‘50

In Honor of Mr. & Mrs. David W. Moore, Sr. ‘53

Mr. & Mrs. Gary L. Hooper

In Memory of Moira T. NallsDr. & Mrs. D. S. Dixon ‘56

In Memory of J. Craig Porter, Jr.

Mr. & Mrs. Jack H. Albert, Jr.Dr. & Mrs. Allen AndersonMs. Ann L. Brander ‘02Mr. Brandon C. Burger ‘00Ms. Carolyn CargileMs. Clara W. CargileFirst Sergeant & Mrs. Anthony E.

Cerella, USA, RetiredMr. & Mrs. Murph M. ComptonMr. & Mrs. Clifton W. CoonrodMr. & Mrs. Arthur H. Fulton ‘49Mr. & Mrs. Don W. GriffisMr. & Mrs. Andrew C. Harriman

‘82Mr. John A. Hay & Ms. Marilyn

AboussieHC Cattle CompanyMr. & Mrs. David K. Hills

Maj Gen & Mrs. Henry M. Hobgood, USAF, Retired

Mr. & Mrs. Chase HollandMr. & Mrs. John S. HoltzeMr. J. Willis JohnsonMr. & Mrs. James D. JohnsonMr. & Mrs. David W. KaufmanMr. & Mrs. Don B. LandersDr. Kimberley Lawrence & Mr. R.

Paul Lawrence ‘87Mr. & Mrs. Robert LewallenMr. & Mrs. George D. Mathias ‘54Mr. & Mrs. Ralph McArthurMrs. Madolyn P. MertzMs. Kayleen Peneda ‘01Mr. & Mrs. Robert PflugerMr. J. Craig Porter, Sr. Ms. Myrta RathbornMr. G. Edwin RichardsMr. Christopher B. RyderDr. & Mrs. Carl Schlinke, Jr.Mr. & Mrs. Oron L. SchuchShannon Porter & JohnsonMr. & Mrs. Steve StephensMr. & Mrs. Charles E. Strother,

Jr. ‘58Mr. Tom Porter & Ms. Anna M.

ThomasMr. Merrill S. VarienMs. Joyce WeaverMr. & Mrs. Mike A. WeaverWebb, Stokes & Sparks L.L.P.

In Memory of Col Robert C. Rives

Mr. Alvaro F. de Prat ‘61

In Memory of Virginia SmithMs. Winifred O. Kelley

In Memory of Col Arvin S. Williams, USAF, Retired

Mr. & Mrs. Harry G. Austin, III ‘75

AnonymousMs. Margaret F. BallMr. & Mrs. Robley D. Bates, IIIMr. & Mrs. Robert Biggs, IIIMr. & Mrs. Joseph A. BowmanMr. John P. M. BoydMr. & Mrs. Lawrence W. BoydMr. & Mrs. George E. Calvert, Jr.Chief Petty Officer & Mrs.

Frederick R. Clause, USNMs. Susan C. CooganLt Col & Mrs. Denis Jerry

Driscoll, USAF, Retired

Mr. Keith J. EvansMr. & Mrs. Arthur H. Fulton ‘49Ms. Cathy H. GreerMrs. Joyce HamerMr. & Mrs. Edward M. Hawkins

‘61Mr. & Mrs. R. K. Heskett ‘68Maj Gen & Mrs. Henry M.

Hobgood, USAF, RetiredMr. & Mrs. Jeb R. Hockman ‘69Mr. & Mrs. Gary L. HooperMr. & Mrs. James S. Hunter ‘57Col Douglas R. Huthwaite, USA,

Retired ‘69 & Lt Col Patricia Huthwaite, USA, Retired

Ms. Mary S. JohnsonMr. D. Watt Jones, Jr. ‘61Mr. & Mrs. James J. Kelley ‘52Mr. & Mrs. Edward R. LawtonMr. & Mrs. W. Revell Lewis, III

‘69Mr. & Mrs. Henry D. Light ‘58Mr. & Mrs. Henry A. Lingenfelder

‘52Mr. & Mrs. C. Van LloydMr. & Mrs. James F. Luck, Jr. ‘57Mr. Frank F. Lusby, Jr. ‘50Mr. & Mrs. Clyde W. Matthews

‘54Mr. & Mrs. Frank R. McLaughlin,

Jr. ‘57Mr. & Mrs. David W. Moore, Sr.

‘53Ms. Connie F. MorrisMr. & Mrs. Albert M. Orgain, IV

‘61Ms. Michele PoirierMr. & Mrs. Gregory B. RobertsonMs. Janet H. RudacilleMr. & Mrs. William H. Sager ‘37Mr. Gilbert E. Schill, Jr.Mr. & Mrs. Joseph F. Silek, Jr. ‘77Mrs. Jean McFall SimarMr. & Mrs. John D. Simar ‘68Mr. Edward C. Stevens ‘50Mr. & Mrs. Charles E. Strother,

Jr. ‘58Mr. & Mrs. J. Michael SurfaceLt Col & Mrs. Donald A. Sutton,

USAF, Retired ‘64Ms. Lynn ThomasMr. Edward F. J. Tolzman, Jr. ‘48Mr. Coleman W. Wall ‘70Mr. & Mrs. F. Dixon Whitworth,

Jr. ‘62Mrs. Joanne T. WileyMs. Christine G. Williamson


Below are the legacy families where two or more generations have attended R-MA. If you belong on this list, please contact us so we can update our records! E-mail [email protected] or call 540-636-5343. Families are listed in chronological order by class year of the first attendee.

Are You Part of an R-MA Legacy Family?

• Edwin S. Martin (1897); Scott M. Harwood, Jr. (1987)• William A. Taylor (1904); Archer J. Taylor (1944); Robert J.

Taylor (1970); Michael A. Taylor (1974)• Roscoe M. White (1906); C. Denny White, Sr. (1932); C. Denny

White, Jr. (1965); Marvin W. Winfree (1967); Franklin S. White (1973)

• Noland M. Canter (1906); N. Mackenzie Canter, III (1967)• Carroll H. Iden (1911); Thomas C. Iden (1937); Robert W. Iden

(1946); John C. Iden (1969)• George R. Thompson (1915); Robert K. DeBerry (2016)• Herman E. Wornom (1919); Alexander H. Wornom, Sr. (1929);

Alexander H. Wornom, Jr. (1958); Charles W. Wornom (1960)• Henry M. Hallatt (1920); Henry J. Hallatt (1950); Ramon

Sanudo-Hallatt (1951); Manuel Sanudo (1951); Alberto C. Hallatt (1951); Bernardo R. Sanudo (1986); Ramon D. Sanudo (1986)

• Harry H. Sager (1923); Benjamin J. Sager (1925); William H. Sager (1937); Marvin M. Sager (1947)

• Byron C. Gayle, Sr. (1931); Byron C. Gayle, Jr. (1950)• Frank J. Eichenlaub (1934); Frank J. Eichenlaub, III (1961)• Richard A. Bevan (1938); Richard A. Bevan, III (1963); Thomas

H. Bevan (1963); William F. Bevan (1965)• Wilfred E. Easton, Jr. (1939); Jack R. Easton (1967); Eric G.

Easton (1982)• Sam L. Norris (1941); Richard E. Norris (1962); R. Barrett

Norris (1994)• Hoyt A. Minges (1942); Hoyt A. Minges, Jr. (1969); Jeffrey M.

Minges (1972); Tyrun W. Minges (1980)• Jack M. Kump, Sr. (1943); Jack M. Kump, Jr. (1969); Frederick

L. Kump (1977)• John T. Austin (1944); James H. Austin (1945); Harry G. Austin,

III (1975); James D. Austin (1979)• William R. Lewis, Jr. (1944); Richard A. Lewis (1955); W.

Revell Lewis, III (1969)• Arthur N. Morris, Jr. (1945); Frank A. Pennington (1954); A.

Newth Morris, III (1969); Michael N. Morris (1974); Arthur N. Morris, IV (1992); Edward N. Morris (1997); Andrea (Morris) Shea (1998)

• Walter E. Werner, Jr. (1946); Walter E. Werner, III (1974); John K. Werner (1976); J. Kent Werner, Jr. (1997); Jessica (Werner) Morris (2000)

• Glenn P. Kellam (1948); William B. Kellam (1972)• Stanley E. Fulton (1949); Stanley M. Fulton (1975); Michael B.

Fulton (1976)• Allen K. Jennings (1949); Mark A. Jennings (1976)

• Robert A. Moore, Jr. (1950); Drewry E. Moore, II (1951); David W. Moore, Sr. (1953); Thomas L. Moore (1953); Bryan V. Moore (1984)

• A.B. Boulden, Jr. (1951); R. Brock Boulden (2002); Alexander W. Boulden (2006)

• Douglas Blanton, Jr. (1953); A. Gray Blanton (1965); Alexander G. Blanton, Jr. (1994); Devin Blanton (2001)

• George D. Mathias (1954); Michael B. Mathias (1984); Christine (Mathias) Hoffman (1996); Philip Hoffman (2003); Brook D. Blair (2014); Peter B. Blair (2016)

• David L. Wines (1955); Ryan Otey (2015)• James F. Luck, Jr. (1957); Edward J. Luck (1960); J. Clay Stiles

(1962); Edward G. Stiles (1972)• Frank R. McLaughlin, Jr. (1957); Frank McLaughlin, III (1985)• George B. Franklin (1958); Angus F. Franklin (2014); WillaClare

Franklin (2015)• David F. Johnston, Sr. (1958); Daniel A. Rossi (1999)• Walter M. Kahle (1959); H. Scott Kahle, Jr. (1964); Douglas R.

Kahle (1965); W. Scott Kahle (1990)• William G. Quinn (1959); Karen J. Wines (2011)• R. Tyler Bland, III (1962); Robert Bland, IV (1988)• Malcolm E. D. Brown (1965); Herbert O. Brown (1966); R. Neal

Brown (1969); Stephanie A. Brown (2006)• Daniel L. Fines, Sr. (1967); Daniel L. Fines, Jr. (1995)• Lee H. Capps (1968); Washington Lee Capps, II (1995); Alfredo

B. Milner Capps (1997)• W. M. Tinder, Sr. (1968); W. Michael Tinder, Jr. (1998); Erin

Tinder (2003)• George L. McIntyre, Jr. (1969); Kathryn (McIntyre) Tewell

(1997); Courtney J. McIntyre (2004); George L. McIntyre, III (2007)

• David A. Cartes (1974); Aron F. Cartes (2000)• John G. Finucan (1976); Nicholas A. Finucan (2006)• Joseph F. Silek, Jr. (1977); Samuel S. Silek (1978); Ryan J.

Lamke (2003); Meredith A. Silek (2008); Joseph F. Silek, III (2017)

• Ronald D. Spear (1977); David K. Spear (1986); Timothy W. Spear (2003)

• Ronald G. McManus, Jr. (1980); Katelyn E. McManus (2008); Allyson W. McManus (2013); Ashley E. McManus (2013)

• Anthony S. Wiley (1987); Collin T. McCabe (2012)• Kimberley (Bingman) Bensimon (1991); Brett Johnson (2013)• Robert W. Burton, III (1992); Dorian Burton (2013)• Kerri-Anne (Rodney) Salazar (1997); Michaela R. Rodney

(2015)



Planned GivinG is not a new idea

Do you think that the concept of a will is a modern idea? Consider the example of King David. He made the first recorded planned gift. In the Bible the book of 1 Chronicles, chapters 28 and 29 tell the story of David’s desire to build a temple in which to house the Ark of the Covenant. God, however, told David that because he was “a man of war” who had “shed blood,” (28:3) he was not qualified to build the temple, but that David’s son Solomon would build it. Verse eleven of chapter 28 says, “Then David gave his son Solomon the plans…”--in other words his will for the project--and then the chapter goes on to explain how David planned to finance it. He bequeathed his own savings and received offerings and contributions from other people as well.

Today David’s planned gift might be called, “The David and Solomon Temple Trust,” and it’s a great example of how to use your estate to benefit others. David never saw the completion of the temple. He was not present on the day it was dedicated, and yet because he had put what he wanted to see accomplished into a plan, his desire was carried out after his passing. The Temple was so glorious that none has been built since to compare to it.

Would you like to accomplish something of lasting value with your estate? The teachings of Jesus are very clear that we are to use our wealth for the benefit of others rather than ourselves. The only way you can have the assurance that your desires will be carried out after your passing (i.e. your “graduation”) is to have a written plan in place, either in a will or trust. In those documents you may designate your church, school, or favorite charity as the beneficiary of a specific amount or percentage or even just the residual of your assets.

Follow David’s example and you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you will reap so much more than what you have given.

Rev. Jay G. SmithDirector of Planned Giving,

Design Build Award from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture. They are both professors at Virginia Tech.

Jeff Mayberry ’99 has been in the USAF for almost 11 years and achieved the rank of Technical Segeant. He is an Independent Duty Medical Technician-Paramedic (IDMT-P) at the USAF Survival School and serves as a helicopter Search and Rescue (SAR) medic for the Pacific NW under the SAR plan. He will soon be stationed to Okuma, Japan.

Charlotte Crowley ’02 is engaged to Jere Junnila with a wedding date set for August 24th.

Ellen Cummings-Nasief ’02 and husband George welcomed daughter, Estelle Douglas, into their family with a beautiful home

birth on their family farm in Crestwood, Kentucky, on April 14th, 2013. Everyone in the family is doing well and they are very excited about the new member of the family.

Kim Mewborn ’02 graduated with her AS in Nursing from East Carolina University on May 13, 2013.

Derek Liu ’05 (pictured at left) is engaged to Sarah Marie Webb with an evening wedding date set for August 16th.

Justin M. Shipp ’06 (pictured at right with his girlfriend) visited campus to see some of his former teachers and mentors on his birthday, January 29th. After R-MA he graduated from Howard University with a degree in Political Science and went on to work for U.S. Congressman Cedric Richmond of Louisiana in his Washington, D.C. office. After his visit he headed back “home” to California.

Marguerite Cook ’07 graduated and received her BA from Marygrove College in Michigan on Dec. 15, 2012.

R. Kyle McDaniel ’07 is the Policy Director in the Office of Supervisor Pat Herrity, and is the local government official that will represent the interests of the Virginia Commonwealth’s local governments. He was appointed to the Cemetery Board which licenses and regulates all cemeteries across Virginia (sent via a press release dated July 19th from the office of Governor Bob McDonnell). Kyle is pursuing a Ph.D. at Virginia Tech, Alexandria campus.

Gabrielle “Gigi” Baughman ’08 – visited campus in January before her upcoming deployment overseas. She has enlisted in the Air Force, specializing in geospatial analysis, and will be stationed at RAF Molesworth, a Royal Air station located near Molesworth, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom.

Martha Galewski ’08 graduated from Arizona State University, Magna Cum Laude, with a Major in Political Science, on May 11, 2013. She was also recently named All American by the American Forensics Association N.I.E.T. This award recognizes scholastic achievement, community service, participation with the forensics community, and leadership.

Emily Ezell ’08 (pictured at right with parents Jonathan and Lisa) graduated from St. John’s College with a BA

Continued from page 31

Class Notes continued on page 38

Class Notes


Society of 1892hg

Leave a Legacy. Through gift planning you can leave a legacy at Randolph-Macon Academy so that the mission of educating future generations of students continues. Perhaps we can assist you and your advisors in developing a gift plan that meets your financial and philanthropic goals. There are numerous ways to remember R-MA in your estate plans. Two very basic planned gifts are bequests, and insurance or retirement plan beneficiary designations. If you desire to make a gift and receive an income as well, then charitable gift annuities and charitable trusts are two ways to provide benefits for both you and R-MA.

Alumni and friends who remember R-MA in their estate plans are invited to join the Society of 1892, R-MA’s planned giving recognition club. To further explore the benefits of gift planning, or to answer any questions, please call Jay Smith, Director of Planned Giving, at (540)671-9462 or email him at [email protected].

The Society of 1892 is comprised of individuals - alumni, parents, friends - who have included a bequest provision for Randolph-Macon Academy in their estate plans and individuals who have arranged a gift to R-MA via a planned giving vehicle, such as trusts, annuities, and life insurance policies. The individuals who are listed in bold are new members to the Society of 1892.

Mr. & Mrs. Eric D. Anderson ‘88Mr. & Mrs. James D. Austin ‘79Mr. & Mrs. Harry G. Austin, III ‘75Mr. Richard C. Beall ‘53*Mr. Dale W. Becker ‘47Dr. Richard BelinicMr. & Mrs. Dallas O. Berry ‘59Mr. Harold L. Brubaker*Mr. & Mrs. James W. Burke ‘58Lt Col & Mrs. Kevin J. CallananMr. & Mrs. Robert R. Chaffiot, Sr. ‘51Mr. Ray C. Coffman, Jr. ‘51Dr. & Mrs. C. Barrie Cook ‘41Mr. Lawrence H. Cook, Jr. ‘55*Col & Mrs. Charles V. Corder, Jr., USAF, Retired ‘53Mr. & Mrs. W. R. Cosby ‘21*Mr. & Mrs. Rodney E. Deane, Jr.Mr. Joseph M. Edge ‘41*Mr. & Mrs. Jay S. Fifer ‘58Ms. Catherine Foard Fort*Petty Officer 1st Class Charles W. Fretwell ‘79Mr. & Mrs. Arthur H. Fulton ‘49AnonymousMrs. Ethel R. Garber*Mr. Charles P. Given ‘23*Mr. & Mrs. C. Spencer Godfrey ‘54Mr. Edward R. Golob, Jr. ‘65Mrs. Georgina J. Grant*

Mr. Boyd M. Guttery ‘45Mr. & Mrs. Robert HansenDr. & Mrs. Timothy S. HarlanMr. George W. Helfrich ‘54*Mrs. Ruby T. Hite*Maj Gen & Mrs. Henry M. Hobgood, USAF, RetiredCol Arthur D. Johnson, USA, Retired ‘53Mr. & Mrs. David F. Johnston, Sr. ‘58Mr. D. Watt Jones, Jr. ‘61Dr. Joseph H. Kite, Jr.Mr. Wendell H. Kline, Jr. ‘88Mr. & Mrs. Conrad E. Koneczny ‘51Dr. Kimberley Lawrence & Mr. R. Paul Lawrence ‘87Dr. Walter E. Linaweaver, Jr. ‘46*Mr. Franklin P. Long, II ‘52*Dr. Frank F. Lusby ‘19*Mr. George S. Lux, Jr. ‘52Mr. Joseph M. Mast ‘49Mr. & Mrs. George D. Mathias ‘54Mrs. Margaret H. Mathias*Mr. James H. McCormick ‘37*Mr. R. Kyle McDaniel ‘07Mr. & Mrs. James S. Meatyard ‘55Capt & Mrs. Richard I. Merrill, USA, Retired ‘39*Mr. & Mrs. David W. Moore, Sr. ‘53Mr. & Mrs. Robert A. Moore, Jr. ‘50

Mr. Walter L. Nalls, Jr. ‘56Mr. & Mrs. John A. Nicodemus ‘57Lt Col David B. Novy ‘92Mrs. Helen C. Payne*Mr. Stewart C. Payne ‘18*Mrs. Peggy L. PayneRev George V. Puster, Sr.*Mr. & Mrs. Charles B. Richardson ‘53Mr. Forrest E. Ricketts, Jr. ‘46*Mr. Richard G. Sheltman ‘22*Mr. Fred W. Shertenlieb ‘29*Mr. & Mrs. Joseph F. Silek, Jr. ‘77Mr. Elbert L. Smith ‘30*Mr. Bryant O. Smith, Jr. ‘49Ms. Sara S. Stolzenberg*Mr. & Mrs. Charles E. Strother, Jr. ‘58Mr. & Mrs. Robert R. Stuart, III ‘64Rear Admiral John D. Stufflebeem, USN, Retired ‘70Dr. & Mrs. Charles B. Swaim ‘77Mr. & Mrs. William G. Thomas ‘57Col Trevor D. Turner, USA, Retired* & Mrs. Lois TurnerMrs. Elsie S. UpchurchMr. & Mrs. John S. M. Wayland ‘48Mr. Beverly B. Williams ‘53*Mr. & Mrs. Michael S. WilliamsCol Arvin S. Williams, USAF, Retired*Mr. Thomas F. Williamson ‘58*

* Assembled for the Final Roll Call.



2012-2013 Class ParticipationThis list shows the class participation in the 2012-2013 Annual Fund Unrestricted Campaign, reaching a new record of 7.21% for all classes combined. (See story on page 36.) An asterick (*) indicates an alumnus who passed away between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013. Names in bold are the Class Agents.

Class of 1937 - 33.33%Henry C. GreenOtis H. Johnson

Class of 1938 - 25%David E. Eldredge

Class of 1940 - 10%Frederick J. Williams *

Class of 1941 - 7.69%C. B. Cook

Class of 1942 - 8.33%Oliver L. Hitch

Class of 1943 - 9.09%Baxter W. Simmons

Class of 1944 - 14.29%Robert F. DeGiseArcher J. Taylor

Class of 1945 - 15.79%John C. BoggsBoyd M. GutteryJohn T. Rogers

Class of 1946 - 21.43%John T. CoxH. M. DixonWilbert J. RobertsonPaul A. ShraderDavid E. WebsterEdward J. Wunder

Class of 1947 - 19.23%Dale W. BeckerJoseph W. HuttJames M. JohnRobert M. PinkhamWilliam C. Wallace

Class of 1948 - 26.47%John H. HardingDavid R. HullGlenn P. KellamRoger J. PerryGeorge W. SegerJames B. TillettEdward F. TolzmanMarshall L. WaringJohn S. Wayland

Class of 1949 - 12.50%Joseph M. CarsonRobert T. Cashion

Wayland A. DoggettHenry G. EdwardsRobert L. MorrisBryant O. Smith

Class of 1950 - 18.75%Richard C. ChewningWilliam K. CollinsWebb R. DavisByron C. GayleFrank F. LusbyJohn M. Thompson

Class of 1951 - 13.89%Robert R. ChaffiotConrad E. KonecznyParker A. LeeWilliam C. NelsonJoel W. Shankle

Class of 1952 - 22.22%Paul C. BufordWilliam J. BundickS. Sutton FlytheRobert P. HuntJames J. KelleyGeorge S. LuxJohn P. PittmanMory W. Ranck

Class of 1953 - 15%AnonymousWylie W. BarrowCharles V. CorderCornelius B. CourtneyDavid W. MooreEarle R. Ware

Class of 1954 - 18.60%Rene C. EllisC. S. GodfreyChowning R. HallLewis HolladayGeorge D. MathiasWilliam T. MoffettClyde V. NordstromHarry F. Schoen

Class of 1955 - 16.67%Gustave E. ChewJohn M. CornwellBarry T. FennLennart C. KonecznyGeorge T. PeterJohn D. RivesFoy J. ShawL. J. Turner

Class of 1956 - 6.67%Walter E. BoomerDirk S. DixonCharles E. DukeStanley B. Eaton

Class of 1957 - 18.64%John F. CarrollS. R. CottonL. W. HoustonJames S. HunterFrank R. McLaughlinGlen A. MenteJohn A. NicodemusCharles W. ParisLennie L. SwansonWilliam G. ThomasHarry I. Wilson

Class of 1958 - 14.29%Richard B. AdamsJames W. BurkeRalph M. FaustHenry D. LightBrantley T. OnleyWalter O. SmithCharles E. StrotherVance B. Taylor

Class of 1959 - 23.33%Dallas O. BerryAndrew D. ClorePhilip A. CovellThomas M. DozierSylvan G. FeldsteinSamuel C. HardingRalph W. JohnsonJohn P. JohnsonIrving L. JonesDon K. MillerGeorge A. PasquetJames M. PharrJames W. RockwellRobert P. Spivey

Class of 1960 - 12.68%Larry R. CollinsWilliam H. EnglishStanley O. ForbesJohn C. HoppeDaniel L. JohnsonMilton M. ReigelmanMichael G. WaringDavid E. WaysonCharles W. Wornom

Class of 1961 - 16.67%John G. AlstonKent R. BlylerAlvaro F. de PratRichard W. DoddPaul C. GlickEdward M. HawkinsD. W. JonesTom N. KalogerasFrank O. OakesAlbert M. OrgainRichard W. PancakeBrinton SmithWesley L. Truscott

Class of 1962 - 10.45%Gary M. GansonPreston C. KellamRobert E. McCoyRobert NorfleetFrancis C. StarkStanley J. VosslerThomas E. Waesche

Class of 1963 - 10.84%Charles B. ArthurRichard J. BischoffDavid L. BuellNorman A. BuntingDavid L. CashTheodore B. McCordPaul H. MylanderCharles E. TinsleyWilliam J. Vakos

Class of 1964 - 11.11%Peter H. ConradThomas W. FitchWilliam B. LuckenbillHarvey S. McDannaldRobert OrrDonald A. SuttonCharles E. Swink

Class of 1965 - 13.92%Carl A. BaldersonAlexander G. BlantonMalcolm E. BrownJames A. CouncilorCharles R. EdgrenRex A. FriedmanRobert H. HerbertEdward S. LinsleyGeorge W. LylesGeorge D. ReynoldsJames R. Wentz


Class of 1966 - 25%Stephen P. AustinHerbert O. BrownWilliam J. BrownB. W. CriglerJames W. CurlRobert H. DownerDavid C. FussellMilton C. GoreFrank T. HumphreyDavid E. IsnerRichard R. LowmanMark M. NealeRobert P. ParkerMark L. PellerinGary ShertenliebRonald P. SimarWilliam A. TomlinsonGeorge E. WeeksWilliam C. Wetsel

Class of 1967 - 8.64%William T. BurchJack R. EastonAlbert N. FritterWilliam NicollsGeorge V. PusterErnest M. SmithThomas A. Webster

Class of 1968 - 4.08%David B. AllenLee H. CappsBenjamin M. CurrinRoland P. Riddick

Class of 1969 - 14.81%Samuel Q. BakerRupert D. BarefootJohn R. GreshamGerald T. HepnerJeb R. HockmanDouglas R. HuthwaiteThomas T. JohnsonWilliam R. LewisGeorge B. LigonGeorge L. McIntyrePaul T. MilburnGale E. Swafford

Class of 1970 - 9.09%Eric W. BarkerWarren D. BoyerHarold T. BrownLee F. CowperJames F. FortDavid W. LawrenceJ. P. SeverinJohn D. StufflebeemColeman W. Wall

Class of 1972 - 7.46%Ralph B. CooleyDon G. MetzCary L. SavageWalter J. SellersHarry E. Squire

Class of 1973 - 5.66%Eric C. BircknerClifton P. EdwardsFred R. Greenwood

Class of 1974 - 4.44%Parker A. CurleePaul S. Rollison

Class of 1975 - 7.89%Bill W. AntleyHarry G. AustinDavid W. Puster

Class of 1976 - 8.11%John G. FinucanStephen L. ShankleJohn P. Wood

Class of 1977 - 4.35%Joseph F. SilekCharles B. Swaim

Class of 1978 - 3.28%Donn A. FrazierSamuel S. Silek

Class of 1979 - 1.85%James D. Austin

Class of 1980 - 2.44%Ronald G. McManus

Class of 1982 - 6.06%Stephen C. HarrimanAndrew C. Harriman

Class of 1985 - 2.44%Skot Butler

Class of 1986 - 4.17%Mary E. Butler (Stine)Stephen T. Miller

Class of 1987 - 13.46%Trey BrouwerJames C. DillonScott M. HarwoodAmanda G. Kent (Garner)Robert P. LawrenceChristina K. Valentine (Kalassay)Anthony S. Wiley

Class of 1988 - 6.15%Eric D. AndersonPeter G. AshtonStephen N. ChurchillMichael C. Starling

Class of 1989 - 2.44%H. Scarlett Kibler (Praml)Brian Kilday

Class of 1991 - 2.90%Kimberley Bensimon (Bingman)Robert Hewett

Class of 1992 - 1.15%David B. Novy

Class of 1993 - 1.54%Jennifer Y. Mustain (Moreman)

Class of 1995 - 1.32%Washington L. Capps

Class of 1996 - 2.47%Jumanah E. KhaderH. Omar Wooten

Class of 1997 - 2.86%Alfredo B. CappsAaron N. Tweedie

Class of 1998 - 4%Naif M. Al-ObaidKeith T. CooleyJohn W. Scaman

Class of 1999 - 1.75%Anonymous

Class of 2000 - 3.70%Nyamah E. DunbarLarissa M. Hansen (Woloshyn)Cara E. Hobbs

Class of 2001 - 3.95%Elisabeth C. GnugnoliCarlos G. MacDonaldAlonzo A. Neese

Class of 2002 - 1.92%Robert B. BouldenAnn L. Brander

Class of 2003 - 5.88%AnonymousRachel A. DodsonThomas A. HoopesRobina Wahl (Simkol Kazer)Erik Yanagawa

Class of 2006 - 6.35%Mark R. BaumgardnerNicholas A. FinucanSamantha A. HurdRobert E. Snitchler

Class of 2007 - 1.15%R. Kyle McDaniel

Class of 2008 - 1.30%Andrew A. Pfister

Class of 2009 - 1.14%Sara B. Dodson

Class of 2010 - 3.53%Kurt C. KrenzMax D. RamundoMary K. Sadler

Class of 2011 - 2.74%Douglas E. DriscollJuliette N. Michael

Class of 2012 - 6.52%William R. CampShengmin HuangSean M. KnickAbraham ParkJared M. PurcellSirui Zhang

Students participated in teambuilding exercises like

this one during the Air Force JROTC classes this year.



in Liberal Arts on May 11, 2013.

Katie Landry ’09 (pictured left and below left) spent last summer working in film and fell in love with it. She has worked on three feature films and was the art director for a short. One film she worked on, Poker Night, featuring Ron Perlman (Hell Boy and Sons of Anarchy), Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad), Beau Mirchoff (MTV’s Awkward), Titus Welliver (Argo, Lost, and The Departed), Ron Eldard (Super 8), and Lochlyn Munro (White Chicks and Scary Movie), called on her R-MA experience when she

Continued from page 34Class Notes

appointed to the Board of Valley Health System. “I feel it’s important for communities in the region to have a

vibrant healthcare system to serve our residents and attract business,” said Silek. “We face many challenges as the healthcare environment changes. It will take a team of innovative people to help Valley Health transition from a fee-for-service to a value-based community health provider.”

A native of Front Royal, Silek opened a solo law practice in 1995 and currently practices as Lawson and Silek, P.L.C., representing businesses in both the public and private sectors. He received his B.S. from the University of Richmond and a J.D. with honors from Campbell University Law School, where he served as the business editor for the Campbell Law Review.

In addition to his role on the Valley Health Board of Trustees and the Board of Trustees at R-MA, Silek is a member of the Front Royal Rotary Club, and a past president and board member of the Front Royal-Warren County Chamber of Commerce. He is a past president of the Warren County Bar Association and a member of the Virginia and North Carolina Bar Associations. He is also a member of the taxation, real property and probate sections of the American Bar Association. Silek and his wife, Jane, have two sons, Ryan Lamke ’03 and Joseph Silek ’17. -From a Valley Health System press release

“Silek,” continued from page 30

The Alumni Terrace

Photo by Misti Walters.

Open HousesKnow someone who might be interested in attending Randolph-Macon Academy? Let them know about our

upcoming open houses!

October 14, 2013 November 11, 2013December 8, 2013

For more information or to register, visit www.rma.edu/open-house or call 540-636-5484.

needed to drill actors portraying police officers on how to properly salute, stand at attention, and go to parade rest. Her imdb can be found by using your smart phone on the QR code to the right.

Benjamin Huang ’10 is currently attending Marymount University with plans to graduate in May 2014. He is a Volunteer at Visitor Services for the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. His primary role is to educate visitors and children about Air and Space and he works closely with the education department promoting the Smithsonian Institution’s mission.

Juliette Michael ’11 returned to help the Admission Office during the summer for the second year in a row. She is in her third year at Sweet Briar College and will be spending the next semester abroad with the University of Reading in Reading, Berkshire, England.

Sami Rechache ’11 visited campus on May 7th on break from High Point University in North Carolina. He’s planning to graduate in two years with a major in Accounting and has aspirations of going into business for himself.

Jared Purcell ’12 was invited to join the English honors fraternity, Sigma Tau Delta, in his first month at Emory & Henry University. He has declared a double major in English: Political Literacy, POLIS and International Relations: Comparative Politics. After next year he will be studying abroad in Moscow.


Final FarewellWe bid a fond farewell to members of the R-MA family who have passed away. We have received notice of their passing within the last few months. If you would like to receive a copy of an obituary, contact [email protected]. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families, and their memories remain with us always.

Robert D. Whiting ‘34 (Feb. 13, 2013)Brantley P. Savage, Jr. ‘39 (Feb. 24, 2013)Frederick J. Williams ‘40 (June 1, 2013)Raymond H. Ives, Jr. ‘42 (May 29, 2013)Bryan F. Mitchell ‘44 (May 4, 2013)John Ambrose ‘45 (Jan. 31, 2013)Alan Chenery, Jr. ‘46 (Dec. 11, 2012)Everett M. Pywell ‘46 (Apr. 22, 2012)

James C. Whitehurst, Jr. ‘46 (Apr. 17, 2013)Tex F. Purdy ‘48 (Dec. 13, 2001)William P. Beauchef ‘49 (May 7, 2013)Thomas K. Whitesel, Jr. ‘49 (May 3, 2013)William deVries Renn ‘50 (May 31, 2013)James E. Jackson, III ‘51 (Mar. 29, 2013)Eugene “Ted” Bogan ‘52 (Mar. 30, 2013)Hubert Marlow, Jr. ‘52 (Feb. 20, 2012)

Hollis E. Manuel ‘56 (Apr. 23, 2013)Burley M. Medlin ‘57 (June 4, 2013)James E. Deihl ‘61 (Jan. 24, 2013)James H. Guy, Jr. ‘62 (Feb. 13, 2013)John A. Ross, Jr. ‘62 (Feb. 16, 2013)William F. Jarman, Jr. ‘63 (Jan. 8, 2012)Donald F. Talbott, III ‘67 (Dec. 7, 2012)James C. Jensen ‘70 (Oct. 19, 2005)

Philip L. A. Minor, Jr. ‘70 (July 22, 2006)Philip G. Kinney ‘10 (May 27, 2013)James G. Adcox (Former Assistant Commandant from ’62-’69) (July 10, 2004)Craig J. Porter, Jr. (Former R-MA Teacher and Administrator) (Apr. 19, 2013)Arvin S. Williams (Former R-MA Teacher, Coach, and President) (Apr. 10, 2013)

the school’s endowment rested at a mere $2.4 million. In 2006, for the first time in many years, the endowment was larger than the debt. At the end of 2012, the two numbers had flipped and then some: the debt was just under $2.2 million, while the endowment had grown to over $5.4 million. At the same time, Hobgood also managed to make facility improvements during his tenure: Stan Fulton Hall and a maintenance building were constructed, and a classroom addition was put onto Crow Hall. The gym and the pool were refurbished as well.

The final improvement was more philosophical, Hobgood noted. “The people who work here, who are associated with the school, believe we are a character- and values-based education. To me, that’s really important. So few institutions are willing to put time and effort to have a values-based culture.”

“Over the last eight years, I have been fortunate to know General Hobgood as both a student, and an alumnus,” said Kyle McDaniel ’02. “As a student that transferred to Randolph-Macon Academy from another Air Force JROTC boarding school, nothing I say will do justice to the leadership and guidance he provided to students. No matter how big the problem, General Hobgood always approached it from a calm and understanding perspective. I learned so much about leadership and character from the General; by both listening to his advice, and observing his actions. Today, as a proud R-MA alum, my respect and appreciation for the General have only grown. Because of his leadership and wisdom, R-MA was able to weather the recession that bankrupted dozens of military prep-schools across the nation. As a recent graduate and a young professional, I have come to respect and admire General Hobgood’s unwavering commitment to his principles. It is such a breath of fresh air to look up to a person because he makes morals and ethics the central tenant of his life. General Hobgood always reminds people of the Academy’s values: Knowledge, Leadership, Character, and Service. While he truly excels

Hobgood, continued from page 5

at them all, his character is exceptional. I am very proud and very thankful to have been able to learn countless life-lessons from him.”

The time at R-MA was not without its lessons for Hobgood as well. “I didn’t come here knowing a lot about kids,” he admitted. “I tried to learn from everyone around me. I knew what didn’t work, but I wasn’t sure what did.” Hobgood knew that he needed to be able to reach students, and he took to approaching the students in a kind but firm way, so that they knew he cared, but that he was serious. “I found out that if you want to reach a student, you have to find out where they are and go there,” he said.

He also found that parents needed to see things in a similar vein. “They are very anxious about their student,” he pointed out. “They have to know you care about their kids and that you love them, and that you’re not being mean—you want their child to succeed.”

It took a lot of patience, strength and solid determination to institute steady changes to an institution over the course of 16 years. “Sometimes people confuse gentility and patience with softness and lack of direction,” Hobgood said, “but it takes more determination to listen and be collegial than to do things for the sake of doing them.”

For Hobgood, there was no doubt as to what and who inspired him and gave him the strength to maintain that patience and steady determination. “Number one is faith in God,” he said. “Number two is the belief that my wife is very supportive of me. She is the person who always has the answer to things that perplex other people. I would not have accomplished anything if not for her soft touch and the way she supported me and the way she supported the faculty and staff. She is the conscience of the school.”

“R-MA has been really the best time of my life as far as I’m concerned, and I think Carolyn would say the same,” Hobgood concluded. “This institution is in position to continue its progress to greatness. That’s a journey, not a destination.”



Honor Roll of Donors: Thank You! The individuals listed below supported Randolph-Macon Academy with gifts between 7/1/2012 & 6/30/2013. An asterisk (*) indicates a member of the R-MA family who passed away during the same time period. (Please note that this list incudes only cash or stock gifts to any unrestricted, restricted, or endowment funds.)

The Chairman’s Circle ($100,000+)Mrs. Ethel R. Garber*

The President’s Circle ($50,000+)Mr. & Mrs. Harlan R. Crow ‘68Mr. & Mrs. Edward H. Lane, III ‘61The McMichael Family FoundationVirginia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church

The Academy Circle ($25,000+)Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc.Mr. & Mrs. Brian J. BogartMr. & Mrs. George D. Mathias ‘54Mr. & Mrs. Alonzo A. Neese, Jr.The Patricia & Douglas Perry FoundationMr. & Mrs. Joseph F. Silek, Jr. ‘77Mr. & Mrs. William G. Thomas ‘57

Corps of Cadets Club ($10,000+)AnonymousMr. & Mrs. David BliskMr. Lawrence H. Cook, Jr. ‘55*Mr. & Mrs. Blair DolinarFalcon FoundationMaj Gen & Mrs. Maurice Forsyth, USAF, RetiredMr. & Mrs. Norman R. Frisbie ‘58Mr. & Mrs. C. Spencer Godfrey ‘54Maj Gen & Mrs. Henry M. Hobgood, USAF, RetiredMr. & Mrs. William R. JohnstonMs. Lucy H. KennedyMr. & Mrs. Henry D. Light ‘58Mr. Herbert N. MorganMr. & Mrs. Olaiya PhillipsCol & Mrs. Robert P. Spivey, USAF, Retired ‘59

Col Arvin S. Williams, USAF, Retired*

Black & Gold Club ($5,000+)Mr. & Mrs. Lyle AlexanderMr. & Mrs. John G. Alston ‘61Mr. & Mrs. Eric D. Anderson ‘88AnonymousThe John Huland Carmical Foundation, Inc.Edward H. Lane FoundationMr. & Mrs. James F. Fort, Jr. ‘70Mr. Youhong Han & Mrs. WeiQing LuMr. & Mrs. Conrad E. Koneczny ‘51Mr. & Mrs. George W. Lyles, III ‘65Mr. & Mrs. David W. Moore, Sr. ‘53Mr. Craig Porter, Sr.Mr. & Mrs. William A. RockwellMr. Joel W. Shankle ‘51Mr. & Mrs. Samuel S. Silek ‘78Mr. & Mrs. Troy F. Stallard ‘62Rear Admiral & Mrs. John D. Stufflebeem, USN, Retired ‘70

Commandant’s Club ($2,500+)1st Stop Health Sevices Inc.Mr. & Mrs. Harry G. Austin, III ‘75Mr. Dale W. Becker ‘47Gen & Mrs. Walter E. Boomer, USMC, Retired ‘56Dr. & Mrs. Bruce T. Carter ‘62Central Coca-Cola Bottling Co.CenturyLinkMr. & Mrs. Rodney E. Deane, Jr.Ms. Naomi EarpMr. & Mrs. Arthur H. Fulton ‘49Jean’s JewelersMr. William G. Lawrence, Jr.Col & Mrs. Ronald G. McManus, Sr.Morgan Stanley Smith BarneyMrs. Jean Neese

Mr. & Mrs. Jude NjokuQuarles Energy ServicesR-MA Parents’ AssociationCol & Mrs. Gary Sadler, USAF, RetiredMr. & Mrs. Lee J. Shockey ‘65

VA 91st Club ($1,000+)Mr. & Mrs. Frederick A. Allner, III ‘73Mr. Shoichi Aramaki & Ms. Yu Hae GiMr. & Mrs. Eric W. Barker ‘70BB&T Charitable FoundationMr. & Mrs. Dallas O. Berry ‘59Mr. & Mrs. Eric C. Birckner ‘73Mr. & Mrs. R. Tyler Bland ‘62Mr. & Mrs. Kent R. Blyler ‘61Mrs. Mimi F. BouldenThe R. Edwin & Winsome S. Brown FoundationMr. & Mrs. Herbert O. Brown ‘66Mr. Malcolm E. D. Brown ‘65Mr. & Mrs. R. Edwin BrownThe Family of Alexander Neumeier ‘12Mr. & Mrs. Robert R. BuckMr. & Mrs. James P. Burke ‘70Mr. Glenn CarringtonMr. & Mrs. Robert T. Cashion ‘49Chaffiot Family Foundation, Inc.Mr. & Mrs. Robert R. Chaffiot, Sr. ‘51Dr. William K. Collins ‘50The Conrad FoundationMrs. Ruth CunninghamMr. & Mrs. Thomas DameMr. Webb R. Davis ‘50Mr. & Mrs. Richard W. Dodd ‘61Mr. Thomas M. Dozier ‘59Mr. Byron C. Gayle, Jr. ‘50General Board of Higher Education & MinistryMr. & Mrs. Giuliano GnugnoliMr. Edward R. Golob, Jr. ‘65Mr. & Mrs. Richard GrayMr. & Mrs. Fred R. Greenwood, Jr. ‘73Mr. Boyd M. Guttery ‘45HC Cattle CompanyHealthy AmericaMr. & Mrs. Gary L. HooperMr. John P. Johnson ‘59Dr. Ralph W. Johnson ‘59Mr. D. Watt Jones, Jr. ‘61Mr. & Mrs. P. C. Kellam ‘62Mr. & Mrs. John K. MarlowMarlow Motor Company Inc.Mr. & Mrs. Bradley G. McDonaldMr. K. John McLelland ‘69Mr. & Mrs. Quentin J. MengMr. & Mrs. Don G. Metz ‘72Mr. & Mrs. Robert A. Moore, Jr. ‘50

Mr. & Mrs. Gene W. Mullinix ‘58Mr. Michael NeumeierMr. & Mrs. John A. Nicodemus ‘57Mr. & Mrs. Albert M. Orgain, IV ‘61Mr. & Mrs. Richard J. Ratcliffe ‘58R-MA Alumni AssociationMr. & Mrs. Harry F. Schoen, III ‘54Mr. & Mrs. Stephen L. Shankle ‘76The Reverend & Mrs. Lee B. Sheaffer, Jr.Mr. Bryant O. Smith, Jr. ‘49Mr. & Mrs. John StanwichCommander & Mrs. Francis C. Stark, III, USN, Retired ‘62Dr. & Mrs. Charles B. Swaim ‘77Dr. & Mrs. Samuel J. Thios ‘62Mr. & Mrs. John M. Thompson, Jr. ‘50Reverend & Mrs. Lawrence R. ThompsonMr. Edward F. J. Tolzman, Jr. ‘48United Methodist Higher Education FoundationMr. & Mrs. William J. Vakos, Jr. ‘63Mr. & Mrs. Stephen Varanko, Jr.Mr. & Mrs. Michael S. WilliamsWinchester District United Methodist Church

Flight School ($500+)Mr. & Mrs. Robert C. AbellMr. & Mrs. Alan E. AdlerAnonymousAssociation of Military Colleges & Schools of the United States Mr. & Mrs. Harry G. Balthis, Jr. ‘62Bee Con Inc.Mr. & Mrs. A. Gray Blanton ‘65Mr. & Mrs. Lionel BogerCMSgt & Mrs. Norman G. Brander, USAF, RetiredMr. & Mrs. James W. Burke ‘58Mr. & Mrs. Robert S. CampMr. & Mrs. Eric D. Carlson ‘73Mr. & Mrs. John F. Carroll, Jr. ‘57First Sergeant & Mrs. Anthony E. Cerella, USA, RetiredMr. & Mrs. John M. Cornwell ‘55Mr. & Mrs. S. Russell Cotton, Jr. ‘57Mr. & Mrs. Lee F. Cowper ‘70Mr. Melvin L. Davis, Jr. ‘71Mr. & Mrs. John DullahanMr. & Mrs. R. Eric Ellis ‘62Mr. & Mrs. Jonathan C. EzellFlint Hill Baptist ChurchMrs. Sara B. GallagherMr. & Mrs. Samuel C. Harding, Jr. ‘59Mr. & Mrs. Edward M. Hawkins ‘61Capt Cara E. Hobbs, OD ‘00Hottel & Willis, PCMr. Frank T. Humphrey ‘66

Thank you!


Col Douglas R. Huthwaite, USA, Retired ‘69 & Lt Col Patricia Huthwaite, USA, RetiredIBM CorporationMr. & Mrs. Harry H. Jennings ‘56Mr. & Mrs. Thomas T. Johnson ‘69Mr. & Mrs. C. Henry JonesMr. & Mrs. Jon KardashianMr. & Mrs. James J. Kelley ‘52Mr. & Mrs. Derrick LeasureMr. & Mrs. David LevittMr. & Mrs. W. Revell Lewis, III ‘69General & Mrs. J. Michael Loh, USAF, RetiredMrs. Joan MancusoMr. & Mrs. George L. McIntyre, Jr. ‘69Mr. & Mrs. Eric J. MelkersonMr. Bryan V. Moore ‘84Mr. & Mrs. Anthony Morris, VIII, CLU ‘55Ms. Nancy Murphy, EsquireLt Col David B. Novy ‘92Dr. & Mrs. George OkangCol & Mrs. Kenneth R. Pierce, Jr. ‘58Mr. Robert B. PowellMaj Gen & Mrs. David W. Puster ‘75Ms. Virginia E. RaneyRed River Valley Fighter Pilots AssociationMr. G. Edwin RichardsDr. & Mrs. John T. Rogers ‘45Mrs. Carole F. RossMr. John A. Ross, Jr. ‘62*Mr. & Mrs. John W. Scaman ‘98Mr. & Mrs. J. Peter Shoemaker, Jr. ‘70Siddhartha, Inc.Mrs. Jean McFall SimarMr. & Mrs. John D. Simar ‘68Mr. Edward C. Stevens ‘50Mr. Michael M. Stokes ‘05Mr. & Mrs. Gale E. Swafford ‘69Mrs. Barbara S. TrenisMr. Stanley J. Vossler ‘62Mr. Thomas E. Waesche ‘62Mr. & Mrs. Earle R. Ware, II ‘53Ms. Joyce Weaver

Mr. & Mrs. John W. Welch, II ‘54Wells Fargo Educational Matching Gift ProgramDr. William C. Wetsel ‘66 & Dr. Sheila CollinsMr. & Mrs. Anthony S. Wiley ‘87Mr. & Mrs. George K. Williams

The Sabre Club ($250+)Col & Mrs. Bill W. Antley, Jr., USA, Retired ‘75Mr. & Mrs. C. Benjamin Arthur, III ‘63Asbury United Methodist ChruchMr. Eric F. BarrMr. & Mrs. Sergio N. BarrosMr. & Mrs. Hugh W. BaumgardnerDr. & Mrs. Robert Granger Benson, IIIMs. Barbara BishopDr. & Mrs. Anthony BoakyeMr. & Mrs. Michael BranhamMr. Trey Brouwer ‘87Mr. & Mrs. David L. Cash, Jr. ‘63Mr. & Mrs. Stephen N. Churchill ‘88Ms. Susie CochranCommunity Foundation of Tampa Bay, Inc.Dr. & Mrs. C. Byrd Courtney, Jr. ‘53Dr. Pia & Dr. John S. CrandellMr. Robert A. DaviesDominion FoundationThe Honorable & Mrs. Robert H. Downer, Jr. ‘66Mr. & Mrs. Rene C. Ellis ‘54Falcons LandingMrs. Delores S. FrayMr. James E. Gibbs, Jr.Mr. David GillisDr. & Mrs. C. Reginald Hall, Jr. ‘54Mr. & Mrs. Andrew C. Harriman ‘82Mr. & Mrs. Lewis Holladay, III ‘54Mr. David R. Hull, Jr. ‘48Ms. Samantha A. Hurd ‘06Mr. I. Lewis Jones, III ‘59Mr. & Mrs. David W. KaufmanMr. & Mrs. David W. Lawrence ‘70

Dr. Kimberley Lawrence & Mr. R. Paul Lawrence ‘87Dr. & Mrs. Daniel C. Link, Jr.Mr. & Mrs. Edward S. Linsley ‘65Mr. Richard R. Lowman, III ‘66Mr. Frank F. Lusby, Jr. ‘50Mr. George S. Lux, Jr. ‘52Ms. Cheryl S. MarshallMrs. Gloria McFallMr. & Mrs. Frank R. McLaughlin, Jr. ‘57Dr. & Mrs. Donald H. McNeill, Jr.Ms. Christine L. MeyerMs. Cynthia MichaelMr. William T. Moffett ‘54Mr. & Mrs. Frank MoxieMr. Norman I. Myers ‘62Mr. Alexander R. Ndongo-SehMr. Patrice Ndongo-SehMr. & Mrs. Yong Jun PakMr. & Mrs. Charles W. Paris, III ‘57Mr. & Mrs. Dana C. Parker ‘70Mr. & Mrs. John P. Pittman ‘52Mrs. Diane PittsMrs. Stephanie D PortilloMr. & Mrs. George D. Reynolds ‘65Dr. Constance Richards & Mr. John RichardsMr. & Mrs. Roland P. Riddick, III ‘68Mr. & Mrs. Eric H. RodneyMr. Christopher B. RyderMr. & Mrs. Gary Shertenlieb ‘66Mr. & Mrs. Paul A. Shrader ‘46Mr. & Mrs. William Sims, Jr.Mr. Robert W. Sittman, III ‘08Mr. Brandon SloanMr. W. Richard Smith ‘70Star Family Stores, Inc.Lt Col & Mrs. Michael C. Starling, USMC, Retired ‘88Mr. & Mrs. Edward G. Stiles ‘72Mr. & Mrs. Claude A. Stokes, III ‘65Mr. & Mrs. Charles E. Strother, Jr. ‘58Mr. & Mrs. Frank J SullivanMr. & Mrs. John C. Swann ‘70Ms. Lynn Thomas

Dr. & Mrs. L. John Turner ‘55Mr. & Mrs. Frederick R. VoellmMr. Alexander C. von der Linden ‘02Mr. & Mrs. Michael G. Waring ‘60Mr. & Mrs. John S. M. Wayland ‘48Mr. George E. Weeks, II ‘66Dr. & Mrs. Benton M. Wheeler, IIIMr. & Mrs. F. Dixon Whitworth, Jr. ‘62Mr. William K. Whyte ‘03Dr. & Mrs. H. Omar Wooten ‘96Mr. & Mrs. Charles W. Wornom ‘60Dr. & Mrs. Koffi Yao

The Bayonet Club ($100+)Mr. James P. AbrahamMs. Laura A. AbrahamMr. Matthew M. AbrahamMr. & Mrs. Robert AdamsMr. & Mrs. Jack H. Albert, Jr.Mr. Tobias AllansonAllen & Bright, P.C.Mr. & Mrs. David B. Allen ‘68Ms. Lisa AllenAnonymousMr. Peter G. Ashton, Jr. ‘88Mr. & Mrs. James D. Austin ‘79Mr. & Mrs. Carl A. Balderson ‘65Mr. Rupert D. Barefoot ‘69Mr. & Mrs. Malcolm G. Barr, Sr.Mr. & Mrs. Wylie W. Barrow ‘53Mr. & Mrs. Robley D. Bates, IIIMr. Carl J. BircknerMr. & Mrs. David BirkMr. Richard J. Bischoff ‘63Mr. & Mrs. David BlountDr. & Mrs. John C. Boggs, Jr. ‘45Mr. & Mrs. Michael BondMr. William H. BooneMrs. Beverly J. Broadbent CasperMr. & Mrs. Kevin J. BrooksMr. Joseph R. Lindsay & Ms. Joanie Brooks-LindsayMr. & Mrs. Harold T. Brown, Jr. ‘70Mr. & Mrs. William J. Brown, II, Esquire ‘66Mr. & Mrs. Paul C. Buford, Jr. ‘52Mr. William J. Bundick ‘52

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Thank you!



Mr. & Mrs. William T. Burch, Jr. ‘67Mr. Brandon C. Burger ‘00Mr. Skot Butler ‘85 & Mrs. Mary Butler ‘86Lt Col Donald E. Callaghan, USAF, RetiredMr. William R. R. Camp ‘12Ms. Carolyn CargileMr. Ross CarolusMr. & Mrs. Joseph M. Carson, Jr. ‘49Mr. James W. CaseyDr. & Mrs. Richard C. Chewning ‘50Chief Petty Officer & Mrs. Frederick R. Clause, USNMs. Jean ClementMr. & Mrs. A. Downer Clore, Sr. ‘59Ms. Pamela ColeMr. Robert H. ColeMr. Peter H. P. Conrad ‘64Dr. & Mrs. C. Barrie Cook ‘41Mr. & Mrs. Clifton W. CoonrodCol & Mrs. Charles V. Corder, Jr., USAF, Retired ‘53Col & Mrs. Philip A. Covell, USAF, Retired ‘59Mr. & Mrs. Gerald E. CrawfordMr. Scott Criminski & Mrs. Charmain WardleyMr. & Mrs. Neal CrowleyMr. & Mrs. Benjamin M. Currin ‘68Mr. & Mrs. Edmond DeBerryDr. Robert F. DeGise ‘44Col & Mrs. William G. Dennis, USAF, Retired ‘62Dr. & Mrs. D. S. Dixon ‘56Dr. H. M. Dixon ‘46Lt Col & Mrs. Denis Jerry Driscoll, USAF, RetiredMr. & Mrs. John T. P. DrydenMr. & Mrs. Charles E. Duke ‘56

Ms. N. Evelyn Dunbar ‘00Dr. & Mrs. S. Boyd Eaton ‘56Mr. & Mrs. John L. Eberhart, Sr.Mr. & Mrs. Charles R. Edgren ‘65Lt Col & Mrs. William H. English, USA, Retired ‘60Ms. Barbara S. EvansMr. Keith J. EvansMr. & Mrs. R. Scott FaleyDr. & Mrs. Sylvan G. Feldstein ‘59Mr. Barry T. Fenn ‘55Mr. & Mrs. John G. Finucan ‘76Mr. & Mrs. Thomas W. Fitch ‘64Mr. & Mrs. Hartwell J. Fitchett, Jr. ‘57Flow Trades CorporationMr. & Mrs. S. Sutton Flythe, Jr. ‘52Mr. & Mrs. Stanley O.

Forbes, Sr. ‘60Mrs. Betty ForlineMr. Bryan M. Frey ‘92Mr. Rex A. Friedman ‘65Mr. & Mrs. Albert N. Fritter, Jr. ‘67Col & Mrs. Walter GaylordMrs. Bertha M. GiffordMr. & Mrs. Scott GlascockMs. Elisabeth C Gnugnoli ‘01Mr. Henry C. Green ‘37Ms. Cathy H. GreerMr. & Mrs. Michael GrossmanMr. Sang HaMr. C. J. Haley, Jr. ‘56Mr. & Mrs. Norman M. HallerMrs. Joyce HamerMr. Donald P. Hammerstrom ‘62Dr. & Mrs. Vagn K. HansenDr. John H. Harding, Jr. ‘48Mr. Joseph J. Harding, III ‘63Mr. & Mrs. Scott M. Harwood, Jr. ‘87Mr. & Mrs. Richard C. HeerMr. Robert HelmsMr. & Mrs. G. T. Hepner ‘69Mr. & Mrs. R. K. Heskett ‘68Mr. Robert Hewett, Jr. ‘91Mr. Oliver L. Hitch ‘42Mr. & Mrs. Jeb R. Hockman ‘69Mr. & Mrs. John S. HoltzeDr. & Mrs. John C. Hoppe ‘60Lt Col & Mrs. L. W. Houston, Jr., USMC, Retired ‘57Mr. Robert J. HungerMr. & Mrs. Kenneth ImansuangbonMr. & Mrs. David E. Isner ‘66Mr. Steven R. JenkinsReverend & Mrs. James M. John ‘47Mr. Daniel L. Johnson ‘60Mr. J. Willis JohnsonMrs. Jean Johnson &

Mr. Charles F. JohnsonMr. & Mrs. Johnny JohnsonMr. Robert L. JohnsonMr. & Mrs. Tom N. Kalogeras ‘61Mr. Ronald Kaye & Ms. Lisa LiasDr. & Mrs. Glenn P. Kellam ‘48Ms. Winifred O. KelleyMr. Yong H. KimMr. Yun Tae KimMr. John R. Kipp, IIIMr. & Mrs. Sean KnickMr. & Mrs. Ryan P. KochMr. & Mrs. Lennart C. Koneczny ‘55Mr. & Mrs. Allen KrenzMr. Kurt C. E. Krenz ‘10Mr. & Mrs. John C. LaBarcaLawson & Silek, P.L.C.Mr. & Mrs. Edward R. LawtonReverend & Mrs. William A. LaymanMs. Hye Kyung LeeMr. Parker A. Lee ‘51 & Mrs. Paulita Z. Gilmore-LeeMrs. Susan C. LeeMrs. Cynthia LesterMr. Scott LesterLester’s & Mowery’s PharmacyMr. & Mrs. Robert LewallenMr. George B. Ligon, Jr. ‘69Mr. & Mrs. Henry A. Lingenfelder ‘52Mr. & Mrs. C. Van LloydSergeant Charles E. LongMr. & Mrs. William LongMr. & Mrs. James F. Luck, Jr. ‘57Lt Col William B. Luckenbill ‘64Ms. Haiyan MaMr. & Mrs. John L. Major, Jr. ‘62Mr. & Mrs. Peter N. Martin ‘62Mr. & Mrs. Clyde W. Matthews ‘54Mr. & Mrs. Ralph McArthurMr. Robert E. McCoy, Jr. ‘62Mr. & Mrs. Harvey S. McDannald, Jr. ‘64Mrs. Madolyn P. MertzMr. Paul T. Milburn ‘69Reverend John L. Miles, Jr. ‘56Mr. Stephen T. Miller ‘86Mr. D. Enoch Moore, II ‘51Ms. Connie F. MorrisMr. Thomas A. MurrayMrs. Jennifer Y. Mustain ‘93Mr. & Mrs. Jose NascimentoMr. Alonzo A. Neese, III ‘01Mr. William C. Nelson, Jr. ‘51Mr. Louis S. Nichols ‘62Mr. & Mrs. William Nicolls, III ‘67Mr. & Mrs. Clyde V. Nordstrom, Jr. ‘54Mr. & Mrs. Glenn A. Nunnery ‘70Mr. & Mrs. Frank O. Oakes, Jr. ‘61Mr. & Mrs. Francis OdoomMr. & Mrs. Brantley T. Onley ‘58Mr. & Mrs. Ray OrtylMs. Alison OwensMr. Richard W. Pancake ‘61Mr. & Mrs. Robert P. Parker, II ‘66Ms. Marie PendieMs. Kayleen Peneda ‘01Mr. & Mrs. Roger J. Perry ‘48

Mr. James M. Pharr, Jr. ‘59Mr. Robert M. Pinkham ‘47Ms. Michele PoirierPostal Business CenterMs. Janice N. PouzencMr. William PrescottMr. & Mrs. M. W. Ranck ‘52Lt Col & Mrs. James E. ReedMr. & Mrs. Stanley Richards, Sr.Mr. Peter W. RichterMr. Tom RileyMr. John D. Rives ‘55Dr. & Mrs. Wilbert J. Robertson, Jr. ‘46Ms. Elizabeth RogersMr. & Mrs. Edwin B. Roller, Jr. ‘62Mr. & Mrs. Paul S. Rollison ‘74Mr. Bobby Rowe & Mrs. Marsha Cottman-RoweRoyal CinemasRoyal Family Bowling CenterMr. & Mrs. William R. Russell, Jr.Mr. & Mrs. William H. Sager ‘37Dr. Cary L. Savage, Jr. ‘72 & Capt Elizabeth Savage, USN, RetiredMr. & Mrs. Oron L. SchuchMr. & Mrs. Michael A. SeabrightShannon Porter & JohnsonMr. Foy J. Shaw, Jr. ‘55Ms. Susanne I. Shaw & Mr. Robert F. HansonCol Thomas G. Shepherd, USAF, RetiredMr. & Mrs. Ronald P. Simar ‘66Mr. Brinton Smith ‘61Mr. & Mrs. Donald E. SmithMr. & Mrs. Ernest M. Smith, III ‘67Reverend & Mrs. Jay G. SmithMr. Walter O. Smith, III ‘58Ms. Helen SokosMr. Denver C. SpearMr. & Mrs. Steve StephensMr. & Mrs. Mengxue SuMr. & Mrs. J. Michael SurfaceLt Col & Mrs. Donald A. Sutton, USAF, Retired ‘64Mr. & Mrs. Lennie L. Swanson, Jr. ‘57Mr. & Mrs. Archer J. Taylor ‘44Mr. & Mrs. Vance B. Taylor ‘58Lt Col & Mrs. James B. Tillett, USAF, Retired ‘48Mr. C. Edward Tinsley, III ‘63Mr. & Mrs. W. Allen Tomlinson, Jr. ‘66Mr. & Mrs. John TrauthMr. & Mrs. Wesley L. Truscott, Jr. ‘61Mrs. Christina K. Valentine ‘87Valley Middle School ConferenceMr. Coleman W. Wall ‘70Mr. George W. Waring, II ‘56Mr. David E. Wayson ‘60Mr. & Mrs. Mike A. WeaverWebb, Stokes & Sparks L.L.P.Mr. Donald R. WilliamsMs. Christine G. WilliamsonMr. Homer S. Willie ‘58 & Mrs. Diane FekeMr. & Mrs. Harry I. Wilson, Jr. ‘57

Thank you!


Ms. Jennifer L. WilsonMr. John P. Wood ‘76Mr. & Mrs. Floyd WorleyMr. Edward J. Wunder ‘46Dr. & Mrs. Daniel S. Yates ‘57Yesterday Swing OrchestraMr. & Ms. Eduardo Zavala

Friend of the Academy (Up to $100)Mr. Thomas Abell ‘13Mr. Richard B. Adams, Jr. ‘58Mr. & Mrs. Aliyu AhmedMr. Mansur A. Ahmed ’13Mr. Anthony AirhartCol Kenneth J. AlnwickMr. Naif M. Al-Obaid ‘98Mr. Fahad Alsuhaibani ‘13Mr. & Mrs. David E. AlvaradoDr. & Mrs. Allen AndersonMr. Gladstone AndersonDr. & Mrs. William W. Anderson ‘56Mr. & Mrs. Wilbur AndertonMr. Felipe Angulo ‘13AnonymousMs. Juliet C. Arcila Rojas ‘13Dr. Sandra Todd-Atkinson & Mr. Tuck AtkinsonMr. & Mrs. Sukhdev AtwalMs. Melissa AustinMr. & Mrs. Stephen P. Austin ‘66Mr. Michael Baird & Ms. Lydia ButlerMr. & Mrs. Samuel Baker ‘69Ms. Margaret F. BallMs. Eboni E. Banks ‘13Mr. Brian BarbourMr. Mark R. Baumgardner ‘06Mr. & Mrs. John L. Beair, Jr.Mr. & Mrs. David A. Beaman ‘60Mr. Christopher J. Bell ‘13Mr. & Mrs. John E. BellMr. & Mrs. Brad BennettMrs. Kimberley Bensimon ‘91 & Mr. Andrew BensimonMr. & Mrs. Donald M. Bersing, Sr.Mr. & Mrs. Robert Biggs, IIIMr. Tanner S. Blankenship ‘13Ms. Cozette S. Boakye ‘13

Ms. Jeanne W. BochetteMs. Cynthia BohmMr. R. Brock Boulden ‘02Mrs. Lili BowersMr. & Mrs. Joseph A. BowmanMrs. Frances BoydMr. John P. M. BoydMr. & Mrs. Lawrence W. BoydMrs. Susan H. BoyerMr. Warren D. Boyer ‘70Mr. & Mrs. Scott BradyMs. Ann L. Brander ‘02Mr. Daryl Braun-DuinMr. & Mrs. Richard L. BreawMs. Jennifer BrinklowMr. & Mrs. David L. Buell ‘63Mr. & Mrs. Norman A. Bunting, Sr. ‘63Mr. & Mrs. Robert L. ButterfieldMr. & Mrs. George E. Calvert, Jr.Mr. Alfredo B. Milner CappsMr. Lee H. Capps ‘68Mr. Washington L. Capps, II ‘95Mr. & Ms. Steve CardenMs. Susan CardenMs. Clara W. CargileMr. & Mrs. Alfred CarosaMs. Miranda CarterMr. Ryan S. Chahal ‘13Mr. & Mrs. Gustave E. Chew, Jr. ‘55Dr. Charles ChopakMr. Caleb ChunnMr. Philip ChunnMs. Bianca M. Clement ‘13Mr. Clay B. ClinedinstMr. & Mrs. Douglass Cochran Jr.Mr. & Mrs. Larry R. Collins ‘60Mr. & Mrs. Murph M. ComptonMs. Susan C. CooganMr. & Mrs. Robert CookMr. Keith T. Cooley ‘98Mr. Ralph B. Cooley ‘72Mr. & Mrs. James A. Councilor ‘65Dr. & Mrs. Larry CousineauMr. John T. Cox ‘46Mr. & Mrs. Stephen CramerThe Honorable & Mrs. B. Waugh Crigler ‘66Mr. Andrew N. Criminski ‘13

Mrs. Elaine W. CroweReverend Raymond M. Crowe ‘36Mr. James W. Curl, Jr. ‘66Mr. Parker A. Curlee ‘74Mr. Alvaro F. de Prat ‘61Mr. & Mrs. Michael DeMatoMr. William C. D. Dennis ‘13Mr. & Mrs. James C. Dillon ‘87Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth DobbinsMr. & Mrs. Frank H. Dodson, Jr.Ms. Rachel A. Dodson ‘03Ms. Sara B. Dodson ‘09Mr. Paul M. Dodsworth ‘49Mr. Wayland A. Doggett, Jr. ‘49Mr. Joseph DoranMr. & Mrs. Joseph P. Doran, Sr.Mrs. Mariola DoranMs. Cynthia DoyneMr. & Mrs. Douglas DriscollMr. Douglas E. Driscoll, Jr. ‘11Mr. Griffin W. Duy ‘13Mr. & Mrs. Pierre DuyMr. Jack R. Easton ‘67Mr. Clifton P. Edwards, Jr. ‘73Capt & Mrs. Henry G. Edwards, Jr. ‘49Mr. & Mrs. David E. Eldredge ‘38Mr. & Mrs. William E. Emerson, IIIMr. & Mrs. John W. EvansThe Honorable & Mrs. John F. EwellLt Col & Mrs. Ralph M. Faust ‘58Ms. Joyce M. FeldmanMr. Nicholas A. Finucan ‘06Mr. & Mrs. Raymond FordMr. Donn A. Frazier ‘78Mr. & Mrs. David C. Fussell ‘66Mr. & Mrs. Gary M. Ganson ‘62Mr. David A. Gillespie, Jr. ‘13Mrs. Susan GilletteDr. Laura Gillis & Mr. Peter GillisMr. Paul C. Glick ‘61Mr. & Mrs. Milton C. Gore, Jr. ‘66Mr. John R. Gresham ‘69Mr. & Mrs. Don W. GriffisMs. Cynthia GriffithMr. & Mrs. Ernie GroveThe GWS CPA Educational FoundationMr. David Hafner

Ms. Michelle HankinsMrs. Larissa M. Hansen ‘00 & Mr. Mike Hansen Mr. Stephen C. Harriman ‘82Ms. Sandra HarrisMrs. Edith M. HartMr. Strother J. Hart ‘50Mr. John A. Hay & Ms. Marilyn AboussieMr. & Mrs. Robert H. Herbert, Jr. ‘65Mr. & Mrs. David K. HillsMrs. Mary Lou HodgesMr. & Mrs. Chase HollandMr. Blake HollingerMr. Thomas A. Hoopes ‘03Mr. Killian F. Hopcroft ‘13Mr. Troy HopcroftMr. William R. Hough Jr.Ms. Linda Howe-LakeReverend Chad HrbekMr. Shengmin Huang ‘12Ms. Brandy HudsonMs. Teresita HundleyMr. & Mrs. Robert P. Hunt ‘52Mr. & Mrs. James S. Hunter ‘57Mr. Kerry HurstDr. & Mrs. Charles HutchesonMr. & Mrs. Joseph W. Hutt, Jr. ‘47Mr. Joshua IlnickiIncome Property Associates of Delmarva, LLCMr. Huichuan Jin ‘13Mr. Peter C. Jin ‘13Mr. Brett Johnson ‘13Mr. & Mrs. James D. JohnsonMs. Mary S. JohnsonMr. Otis H. Johnson, Jr. ‘37Mr. Webster JohnsonMs. Robin JohnstonMr. & Mrs. Richard JonesMr. & Mrs. Kyung JungMs. Thandiwe N. Kapakasa ’13Mr. & Mrs. Charles KarenMs. Samantha Kelley ‘13Mrs. Amanda G. Kent ‘87Ms. Kelly L. KernMs. Jumanah E. Khader ‘96

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Mrs. H. Scarlett Kibler ‘89 & Mr. Michael KiblerMr. Brian Kilday ‘89Mr. Sean M. Knick, II ‘12Mr. & Mrs. Eugene KozlowskiMr. Jonathan KuiperMr. & Mrs. Stephen KupferbergMr. & Mrs. Don B. LandersMr. Thomas LaourdakisMr. Stephen LathamMr. Phat H. Le ‘13Mr. Xiaorui Li ‘132nd Lt Sarah L. Littlefield ‘06Mr. Yangboya Liu ‘13Mr. & Mrs. Robert LocklearMr. Carlos G. MacDonald ‘01Ms. McKenzie M. Marshall ‘13Mr. & Mrs. Richard E. MarshallMr. & Mrs. Robert Marshall, Jr.Mr. & Mrs. Frank MartinezMr. Bryan McCabeMs. Marilyn McClaskeyDr. Theodore B. McCord, Jr. ‘63Mr. R. Kyle McDaniel ‘07Mr. & Mrs. James C. McGoffLt Col & Mrs. Ronald G. McManus, Jr., USAF, Retired ‘80Ms. Nancy McMinisMr. & Mrs. Bruce McNeillMs. Magdalena I. McNeill ‘13Mr. & Mrs. Glen A. Mente ‘57Ms. Natalie MeredithMs. Sarah C. Meredith ‘13Ms. Juliette N. Michael ‘11Mr. Don K. Miller ‘59Mr. & Mrs. Salvatore MirraMr. Oluwamishanu Momoh ‘13Mr. & Mrs. Michael MontgomeryMrs. Victoria MontgomeryMr. Munsey A. MooreMrs. Patricia J. MooreMr. & Mrs. Robert L. Morris, Jr. ‘49Mr. Jeff MoxieMr. Paul H. Mylander ‘63National Society of Daughters of the American ColonistsDr. & Mrs. Mark M. Neale, Jr., D.D.S. ‘66Mr. & Mrs. Ram NeupaneMr. & Mrs. Robert Norfleet, II ‘62Mrs. Dorothy NuckolsMr. Michael O’ MearaDr. & Mrs. Jon R. OberlyMs. Susan OchoaMs. Enyonam M. A. Odoom ‘13Mr. & Mrs. James O’LooneyCol & Mrs. Robert Orr, Jr. ‘64Mr. Abraham Park ‘12Col & Mrs. George A. Pasquet, USAF, Retired ‘59Mr. James Lewis PayneMr. & Mrs. Greg PeacockMr. Benjamin Pederson ‘13MSgt & Mrs. Stephen PedersonMr. & Mrs. Mark L. Pellerin ‘66Mr. G. Tyler Peter ‘55Mr. Andrew A. Pfister ‘08Mr. & Mrs. Robert PflugerMr. Ryan P. Pile ‘13Ms. Barbara J. Porter

Mr. Jared M. Purcell ‘12Dr. & Mrs. George V. Puster, Jr. ‘67Mr. Boyu Qian ‘13Mr. Max D. Ramundo ‘10Ms. Myrta RathbornMr. Sami M. A. Rechache ‘11Dr. & Mrs. Milton M. Reigelman ‘60Mr. & Mrs. Gregory B. RobertsonMr. & Mrs. William L. Robinson ‘57Mr. James W. Rockwell ‘59Ms. Janet H. RudacilleMs. Mary K. Sadler ‘10Mr. Gilbert E. Schill, Jr.Mr. & Mrs. William E. SchinkelDr. & Mrs. Carl Schlinke, Jr.Mrs. Lynne SchoonoverMs. Sherry SchoonoverMr. Vernon SchoonoverMs. Lucy SeamanLt Col & Mrs. Barry Sebring, USAF, RetiredMr. & Mrs. George W. Seger ‘48Mr. & Mrs. Walter J. Sellers ‘72Mr. J. Padgett Severin ‘70Mr. & Mrs. Henry Siemers, Jr.

NEW ALUMNI DIRECTORY IS COMING!R-MA Alumni are scattered across the country and even around the world. But no matter where their lives have led them, R-MA Yellow Jackets all share a common bond--and that’s the place

they started out.

That’s why we are working on a new project designed to help bring our alumni back together.

This new Alumni Association publication will include comprehensive biographical listings with contact information,

career overviews, and family highlights of our classmates. Plus, a special section about the school will help you

reminisce as you read about our past and learn what’s in store for the future.

To make sure our data is as up-to-date as possible, our provider, Harris Connect, will begin contacting you by email

and/or regular mail or by phone in February 2014 to verify that the information we will print is accurate and complete. Harris

specializes in alumni and membership publications and the data specifications involved with this type of project.

Please help us make this publication full of the latest information about you and your fellow Yellow Jackets!

Don’t be left out--be a part of our 2014 project!

Mr. Baxter W. Simmons ‘43Mr. & Mrs. William G. SimsMr. Nathanael W. SkillmanMr. Charles M. Smith ‘08Mr. Robert E. Snitchler ‘06Mr. & Mrs. Wesley SpeerMr. Harold SpriggsMr. & Mrs. Harry E. Squire ‘72Standard Chair of Gardner, Inc.Ms. Patricia Sutton-DelbertMr. Charles E. Swink, Jr. ‘64Dr. Leslie W. SyronMs. Linda TaylorMs. Marianna TheoMr. Tom Porter & Ms. Anna M. ThomasMr. & Mrs. Dean ThunstromMr. & Mrs. John D. TinnyMr. Thang L. Tran ‘13Mr. Aaron N. Tweedie ‘97Ms. Carissa Vaccaro ‘13Mr. Merrill S. VarienMs. Elizabeth VassilasMr. Steven J. Viemeister ‘98Ms. Anastasia C. Voellm ‘131st Lt Robina Wahl ‘03Mr. William C. Wallace, II ‘47Ms. Diana Wanamaker

Mr. & Mrs. Marshall L. Waring ‘48Mr. & Mrs. David E. Webster ‘46Mr. Thomas A. Webster, Jr. ‘67Mr. James R. Wentz ‘65Mr. William B. Whichard ‘56Mrs. Joanne T. WileyWilkins’ Shoe CenterMr. Frederick J. Williams ‘40*Mr. Marcus J. Williams ‘13Mr. & Mrs. Roger WrightMr. Wencan Xu ‘13Mr. Erik Yanagawa ‘03Ms. Macaya A. Yao ‘13Reverend Alan Yeo & Reverend Annemaire YeoMs. Wen Yin ‘13Ms. Martha L. YoungMs. Trisha YoungMs. Leanne YoungsMr. Sirui Zhang ‘12Mrs. Brittany A. Zivic

Every effort has been made to report gifts accurately. Please contact the Development Office at [email protected] to report any errors.


Class of 2006 Arcadia University Armstrong Atlantic State University Belmont Abbey University Bryn Mawr College Christopher Newport University Clemson University College of Charleston The College of William & Mary Delaware State University Dickinson College Fairmont State University Franklin & Marshall College George Mason University (2) Hofstra University Howard Community College Howard University Johnson & Wales University Lord Fairfax Community College Maine Maritime Academy Northern Virginia Community College Pennsylvania State University (2) Purdue University (2) Savannah College of Art and Design Texas A&M University United States Air Force Academy (2) United States Naval Academy University of Alabama University of Maryland (2) University of Massachusettes University of Michigan University of North Florida University of Oklahoma University of Virginia Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Military Institute (2) Virginia Tech (2) Woodbury University

Class of 2007 Allegheny College American University Averett College Bridgewater College Carnegie-Mellon University Central Washington University Colorado School of Mines Drexel University East Carolina University (3) The Evergreen State College Frostburg State University George Mason University (3) Hampden-Sydney College (2) Hillsborough Community College James Madison University (2) Mary Baldwin College Montgomery College New York University Northern Virginia Community College Norwich University

The R-MA College Grad Project

Pennsylvania State University Purdue University Radford University SUNY at Albany (2) University of Maryland University of Virginia University of Washington Virginia Commonwealth University (5) Virginia Military Institute (2) Virginia Tech Whitman College

Class of 2008 Arizona State University (2) Averett University Cornell University Indiana University at Bloomington John Carroll University Johns Hopkins University Johnson C. Smith University Mary Washington University Ohio State University Pennsylvania State University

Below are lists of where our R-MA graduates have completed a degree in higher education. Don’t see your college under your class year? Contact the Alumni Office today ([email protected]) to let us know about your achievements!

19 Receive Rings

R-MA’s Annual Ring Ceremony, sponsored by the Alumni Association, was held on Sunday, February 17, 2013. Of the 19 cadets who received rings this year, three received them via a

scholarship from the Ring Endowment, which was established by the Alumni Association. Aerospace Instructor MSgt Doug French,

USAF Retired, received a class ring, making him an honorary member of the class of 2014.

St. John’s College University of Maryland University of Montana University of Virginia Virginia Military Institute Washington College Class of 2009 American University Bridgewater College Christopher Newport University The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina Columbia University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Garrett College George Mason University High Point University Meredith College Navarro College Ohio State University Shippensburg University University of Findlay

Congratulations to all!


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R-MA Swim Team Fares Well in DAC, States

Coach and Student Life Director Michael Williams feels like the father to R-MA’s swim team. He understands that with the busy cadet life R-MA students lead, it’s easy to become tired. Regardless, Williams’ ultimate goal this past season was to get the swimmers in the pool to swim 6,000 yards so they could have an accomplishment of which to be proud. This goal was based on Williams’ belief that it doesn’t matter if the team wins or loses – just that the swimmers did well, had fun, and are proud of what they achieved.

“The best thing about being the swim coach at R-MA is that the kids teach me more than I could ever teach them. Every day the children teach me that I’m here to learn,” he said. Williams added that what made the swim team so successful was the fact that swim team wasn’t thought of as just a time filler, but rather a competitive sport that, as a varsity team, represented R-MA.

That dedicated mentality is what allowed the R-MA swim team to excel in all of their events, especially at DAC (Delaney Athletic Conference) and at States. The intensity of DAC rests in the finality of the conference being the students’ last opportunity to qualify for States and for All-Conference. The Yellow Jackets made record-scoring times at this event, and R-MA’s own Tanner Blankenship ’13 even won the Swimmer of the Meet award, an award that was voted on by all of the coaches.

States was impressive, as it took place at a former Olympic trial pool that was literally moved from Omaha, Nebraska. The fifty-meter pool provides an environment that can be very intimidating, but Williams and the swim team thought of it as a swimmer’s wonderland and again performed with excellence. Coming in second in their district for the State’s Championship, R-MA’s swim team took 10½ seconds off the 400-meter boys’ relay and finished off the year with a 19-8 record.

While competing within a time frame can be stressful, Williams claimed that it’s not all serious. “We keep it fun; we’re a brotherhood,” he said. “Several of the children don’t have siblings, so the swim team is their family. That’s what makes R-MA so special. No one is a castaway here.” Williams gave credit to Assistant Coach Maureen Sadler who he described as the mother of the team. Also, Williams acknowledged Blankenship. “Tanner

by Rebekah Secrist isn’t afraid to tell someone how they can do something better,” Williams stated, “and he takes the time to show how it’s done. The level of respect I have for Tanner is very great. I want everything to be safely done with care, but I want training to be done right. Tanner speaks the truth with humility.”

Reflecting back on the season, Williams said that the reason why the swim team did so well was because of the swimmers. Through their dedication and good attitudes, the team was successful and enjoyed impressive wins. “The kids can make it or break it,” Williams summarized. “The coaches are just there to be

their biggest cheerleaders. I do my best to impress skill and endurance, but it’s ultimately their talent that shines.”

Under the tutelage of track coaches Jonathan Kuiper and Joshua Illnicki, Thomas Shea ’16 attended the VISAA (Virginia Independent School Athletic Association) Track and Field Championships in Richmond, VA, on May 18th. Shea achieved his goal of running a sub-5-minute mile this season, with a 4:59.74. He placed 23rd in the race. Three hours later, he ran another personal best, placing 12th in the 3200-meter run with a time of 10:55.14.

Freshman Runs Sub-5 at StatesUnder the tutelage of track coaches Jonathan Kuiper and Joshua Ilnicki, Thomas Shea ’16 attended the VISAA (Virginia Independent School Athletic Association) Track and Field Championships in Richmond, VA, on May 18th. Shea achieved his goal of running a sub-5-minute mile this season, with a 4:59.74. He placed 23rd in the race. Three hours later, he ran another personal best, placing 12th in the 3200-meter run with a time of 10:55.14.

Most Valuable Swimmers: for the boys’ team, Tanner Blankenship ’13 and for the girls’ team, Eun Jung “Katie” Lee ’14.

Coaches’ Award Winners: Samantha Kelley ’13 (at right), Peter Jin ’13 (below), and Margot Cramer ’14 (below right).

Most Improved Swimmers: Zi Yun “Amy” Wang ’16

(above) and Cole Johnston ’15 (below).


2-Time DAC Swimmer of the Year: Tanner Blankenship

by Rebekah SecristWhen asked his formal title within JROTC, Tanner

Blankenship ’13 smiled, and said, “Call me, Tanner. That’s who I am; I’m Tanner.” Blankenship’s character speaks for itself. He is a focused individual who has clearly defined goals and a competitive nature that never doubts his vision.

Blankenship, who came to R-MA in 7th grade, has committed himself to swimming, and he won the DAC (Delaney Athletic Conference) Swimmer of the Year award for the second year in a row, as well as the Swimmer of the Meet for the DAC Championships. “I felt accomplished winning the award because all the coaches vote on it, so you know you impressed them. That’s quite a compliment.” Blankenship claimed his success was a result of not being easily intimidated. “I like being successful in swimming,” he said, “because it’s a way to show my worth and talent without seeming pretentious. I believe that effort should prove its merit and speak for itself, and I believe that actions speak louder than words or titles. I like to let my achievements speak for themself, and winning the swimmer of the meet award allowed for that.”

While Blankenship took pride in his accomplishments, he gave credit to the coaches, Head Coach Michael Williams and Assistant Coach Maureen Sadler, and the team. “He’s got so much excitement,” Tanner said of Williams, “and he’s learned so much so fast. Most importantly, Coach Williams is a good person. That’s what is needed to make a good coach: working successfully with the team because as a coach, you legitimately care.” Blankenship said swimming on the R-MA team has been a positive and fun experience, and added that he had the team and Coach Williams to thank for that. Blankenship also acted as an assistant coach during the last two years, adding a new aspect to his swimming career.

Blankenship took a moment to acknowledge the influence R-MA has had on his scholastic endeavors. “One of the best qualities about R-MA,” he said, “is the rich academic environment. The teachers care about giving students a deeper understanding of knowledge that goes beyond the textbook. I’m really grateful for that.”

Ultimately, Blankenship hopes to become a dentist with his own practice. This fall, he will attend William and Mary, where he said he would love to swim at either the varsity level or in a club. “Swimming is competitive, and it’s good exercise. Swimming is definitely something I will do for the rest of my life.”

Middle School Girls’ Basketball Claims Second in VMSC ChampionshipThe Middle School girls’ basketball team claimed one of its

highest finishes ever this season, and Coach Toby Allanson couldn’t say enough about the girls and their talent and attitude.

“This is one of the most talented teams I’ve coached,” he said. The girls finished 10-8 for the season, going 6-3 in the Valley Middle School Conference and 3-1 in the “Think Pink” Basketball Tournament at Foxcroft School.

One of the most amazing things about the team, Allanson said, was that the talent was prevalent all through the team, not just among the starters. There were 15 girls on the team, and he said, “Anyone off the bench would play just as well as the starters.”

The girls made it to the playoffs of the VMSC Championships. Cheered on by the boys’ team, they were up by 16 points with four minutes left, but were called for 17 fouls in those four minutes,

leaving their opponent, Mountain View, with a one-point win at the buzzer. Mountain View would go on to win the championship game by four points.

In spite of the disappointing end to the season, Allanson said he couldn’t be more proud of his team. “They all had a great attitude. We had great on-court leadership, and great teamwork,” he said.

The MVP was Jasmine Johnson ’17, who scored the most points and the second most rebounds on the team, and was a leader on and off the court. Angelique Murphy ’17, who Allanson said was the second highest scorer, biggest rebounder, and also one of the top motivators on the team, was awarded the Coach’s Award. The Most Improved Award went to Amy Go ’17, who had never before played basketball.

All-DAC HonorsThe following students have been named to the All-Conference Teams in the Delaney Athletic

Conference for the winter sports season.

Boys’ BasketballCarson Holder ’14 – 1st Team

Girls’ BasketballAnastasia Voellm ’13 – 1st Team

Emmanuela Imansuangbon ’15 – 1st TeamCheyenne Jameson ’13 – Honorable Mention

SwimmingTanner Blankenship ’13 – Swimmer of the Year

Cheng Qian ’15Quinn Blankenship ’16

Top photo, MVP Jasmine Johnson ’17. Above, Coaches’

Award Winner Angelique Murphy ’17. At left, Most

Improved Player Amy Go ’17.


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Middle School Cheerleading

JV Boys’ Basketball

Varsity Cheerleading

Varsity Boys’ Basketball

Win

ter

Spo

rts

Awar

ds

Most Valuable Player Carson Holder ‘14Coaches’ Award

Marcus Williams ‘13Most Improved Player

Neil Dutton ‘13

Most Valuable Player Joseph Monastero ‘16

Coaches’ Award Tyler Vaughan ’15

Gabriel Williams ’16

Most Valuable Player Natalie Pendie ‘15

Most Valuable Player Kate Ponn ’18

Coaches’ Award Naomi Eke-Spiff ’18

Most Improved Player Olivia Nganga ’17

Coaches’ Award Ixel Ochoa ‘15

Most Improved Player Ewurama Quansah ‘16


Middle School Swimming

Middle School Boys’ Basketball

Most Valuable Player Sam Beavers ’17Coaches’ Award Joseph Silek ’17

Most Improved Player Thomas Minchew ’17

Most Valuable Swimmer – Kate Shea ’17

Most Improved Swimmer – Carolyn Laourdakis ’19

In his first season as a head coach of a varsity-level team, Jeff Moxie had almost everything a coach could hope for. He had experience as the assistant coach of R-MA’s girls’ varsity basketball team, so he knew the players, the school, and the competition. He had an assistant coach with a different style of coaching but the same end-goal in mind—his brother John, who, like Jeff, had been playing basketball most of his life. There was just one thing he didn’t have: a great start to the season.

“The season started rough,” he admitted. He acknowleded that part of the reason might have been the loss of a few key players, but for the most part, he said, the plays weren’t clicking with the girls. The tide started to turn when All-DAC (Delaney Athletic Conference) 1st Team player Anastasia Voellm ’13 rejoined the team after Thanksgiving break. By January, they were like a different team. “The plays started clicking after winter break,” said Jeff. “We sort of found our way.”

In addition to Voellm, Emmanuela Imansuangbon ‘15 made First Team All-DAC, and Cheyenne Jameson ’13 received an honorable mention. With their leadership and the coaching of the Moxie brothers, the team came together. “I’m most proud of the way they grew as a team,” said Jeff. “At the beginning of the year my brother and I said, ‘This is going to be a long season,’ but halfway through, they began picking up on things. They improved all through the season and got onto a hot streak at the end like you’re supposed to.”

That hot streak landed them in third place in the DAC in the

Girls’ Varsity Basketball Wins DAC Honors season overall, which earned them a place in the DAC tournament. In the semi-finals, they faced the #2 seed, Wakefield Country Day School—a team the Lady Yellow Jackets had lost to twice early on in the season. WCDS had the mental advantage of having defeated the Jackets, but on top of that, they had the DAC Player of the Year, who had been averaging about 18 points a game. “We put Anastasia on her, and she only scored about four,” said Jeff. Between that and the improved playing of the team overall, the Jackets won handily and went on to the championship, facing Fredericksburg Christian Academy.

The Jackets had beaten FCA once during the season, but this time they came up short. “We were up by four or five, but then we got tired, and ended up losing by about eight,” said Jeff. “I was proud of them. It was a good game.”

MVP Anastasia Voellm ’13 is shown top left. Above left is Coaches’ Award Winner Caitlin Bunker ’14. Most Improved Player Cheyenne

Jameson ’13 is pictured on right.


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This year’s varsity wrestling team was one of the strongest in recent history, and the proof was in the individual accomplishments, as three R-MA wrestlers were named All-State Wrestlers for finishing in the top eight at the state tournament. At 152 lbs, Imran Doraney ’13 had the best finish of the team, placing second at states. Heavyweight Duane Doku ’13 took fifth, while 220-lb Nick Anderson ’13 took sixth in his weight class. All three, as well as Head Coach Frank Sullivan, agreed that had Jonathan Moore ’14 not gotten hurt in his last regular-season match, the Yellow Jackets could have had four All-State members this year.

Sullivan has coached both football and track at R-MA before, and he always encouraged his football players to wrestle due to the fact that he knew it would help them stay in shape, but this was his first year of actually coaching the sport. With a team average of .500 and three All-State wrestlers, it’s obvious his foray into the sport was successful.

“I’ve seen them all participate in team sports,” he said of the three stars, “but it was a different perspective in sort of an individual sport. It took me a while to get used to it. They depend on teamwork and the coach during the week, but when they wrestle on Saturday, they have to depend on themselves.”

The wrestlers were quick to name Sullivan as one of the reasons they were successful. “The conditioning he put us through was amazing,” said Doraney.

Doraney and Anderson both began wrestling when they were in R-MA Middle School. “A lot of people in my family wrestle,” said Doraney. “I like the idea of wrestling, that when the match is started, it’s one-on-one. The only person you’ve got is you.”

“Imran had one of the best work ethics I’ve ever been around,” Sullivan commented. “He really grew into a person who would help others.”

In contrast to Doraney who had a long-standing family tradition to follow, Anderson and Doku were recruited into wrestling. Sullivan talked Anderson into coming into the gym to work out, no doubt thinking the young man would be a good football player. While that was true, wrestling was where he began to excel.

“It’s a unique sport,” Anderson stated. “You can’t blame other people. You have to write your own story. Whether you succeed is all on you. It’s hard. Not a lot of people can do it.”

Doku would be the first to agree that the sport is hard. He knew it would be, and that’s why when then-coach Mike Mellish first approached him about wrestling, Doku said no. The second time, Doku agreed, albeit somewhat reluctantly—and almost regretted it. “I had to wrestle Nick,” he recalled in a dead-pan manner. “It was the worst thing I ever did. He did moves I had never seen before, and it hurt. I had to just take it.”

Doku might put on the front of being a reluctant recruit to wrestling, but Mellish wouldn’t change his decision to go after Doku. “Duane has a combination of quickness and

strength that was offset by a laid-back attitude and a great sense of humor,” he said. “He is also highly intelligent. The ability to be able to think clearly when exhausted and stressed is a staple of a great wrestler, and I saw this in him. The ability to be able to torture yourself physically on a daily basis and still maintain your sense of humor was also something I knew he could do. He just had all the right physical, mental, and emotional attributes needed to make a good grappler.”

At the end of States, it seemed that Doraney was the only one moving on to Nationals, and he had to be proud of his second-place finish since his only loss came to a three-time All-American wrestler. For Anderson, the sixth-place finish was

a disappointment; he had hoped to finish in the top four in States and move on to Nationals with Doraney. Reluctant wrestler Doku had a similar disappointment at States with his fifth-place finish—or so he thought. Then Sullivan received a phone call: the fourth-place wrestler had to drop out of Nationals due to an injury, and Doku was invited to take his place in the tournament.

With Anderson helping them train and cheering them on, Doku and Doraney prepared for Nationals as best they could, but they were still a bit star-struck upon their arrival. States, held at Virginia Commonwealth University, had been impressive with the professional atmosphere and the number of fans cheering on the wrestlers, but even that was overshadowed by the magnitude of Nationals.

“It was really intense,” Sullivan said. “The smallest dude among

all these guys was like 265 lbs,” joked Doku. In his first match his opponent forfeited, and he lost the next two.

“Duane was only four pounds over the heavyweight minimum,” said Sullivan. “He wrestled well considering the kids he wrestled against. He gave up 60 lbs to one guy. We had to teach him techniques to deal with opponents that much heavier than him.”

“It looks like everyone is a state champion,” Doraney said of his impression at Nationals. “No one gets pinned in Nationals. Every match goes to the last round.” Doraney walked away with one win, against the North Carolina State Champion.

“He wrestled really well in the second round against the North Carolina private school champion,” Sullivan commented. “He beat him pretty handily.”

Three Wrestlers Make All-State; Doraney, Doku Compete at Nationals

Top photo, R-MA MVP and All-State Wrestler Imran Doraney ’13. Center page photo, Coaches’ Award Winner and All-State Wrestler Duane Doku ’13. Above, All-State Wrestler Nicholas Anderson ’13 is awarded a victory. At left, R-MA’s Most Improved Wrestler, Victor

Marshall ’14.

Come cheer on the Yellow Jackets this fall! Visit http://www.rma.edu/Athletic-Offerings and click on a sport to view the competition schedule! (Schedules subject to change.)


McKenzie Marshall ’13 has been playing soccer for about nine years, and it showed in her performance on R-MA’s varsity girls’ soccer team this year. She played four different positions, took 65 shots on goal, made 18 goals, and added five assists, all in 14 games in which she was often double-teamed. For her impressive athletic talent, sportsmanship, and of course the danger she presented to every team the Yellow Jackets faced, she was named R-MA’s MVP and the Delaney Athletic Conference Player of the Year. She was also named to the Northern Virginia Daily’s All-Area First Team.

“She’s just an all-around great player,” said Head Coach Brandy Hudson. “She can play any position on the team and is willing to play any position on the field. She’s a total team player—we actually had to teach her to hog the ball more.”

“I just like how you’re constantly moving, doing something,” Marshall said. “It’s teamwork. There are no star players; you all have to work as a team. When soccer season comes around, I put everything into it. I want to be the best that I can be.”

“I guarantee the other coaches in the conference are glad she’s graduating,” said Hudson. “By the end of the season, she was marked. They had two players on her. That didn’t stop her from scoring.”

When it was time for the penalty kicks (PKs) during the championship game, Hudson knew who she wanted to start the team off. “I set her up to go first in PKs because she’s 100% good and that sets the momentum,” Hudson said. “It’s just as important, if not more important, than the last kick.”

Losing a championship game is tough. Losing it in double-overtime is possibly more heart-breaking, although there is the satisfaction of knowing you’ve given your best. But the worst feeling might be when the game then goes past that to be decided by penalty kicks (PKs)—and you lose. The Lady Yellow Jackets know how it feels—that’s how they lost the championship game last year. And they were determined not to let it happen again.

It was a tough goal. Although most of last year’s star players were returning this year, the Jackets were suffering one key loss: All-State goalie Erin Dullahan ’12 had graduated. Madeline Chafin ’14 filled the role admirably, but when she missed games due to an academic trip, Head Coach Brandy Hudson turned to an all-around athlete that coaches have been counting on for several years at R-MA: Anastasia Voellm ’13.

“She has good hand-eye coordination,” Hudson said of the basketball and tennis star. “She learns quickly, she’s a confident person, a team player, and she did really well, so after that week, I thought we would just keep her in the goal. It just worked with her. She has natural athletic intuition.”

With key returners McKenzie Marshall ’13, Macaya Yao ’13, Miss’e Odoom ’13, Allyson McManus ’13, and Ashley McManus ’13, the team proved to be formidable. They won the season championship in a dominating fashion, going undefeated in the Delaney Athletic Conference (DAC).

In the semi-final match-up, the team defeated Quantico 4-1. The next day, the R-MA Yellow Jackets faced the Wakefield Country Day School (WCDS) Owls in the championship game at R-MA.

R-MA put points on the score board first when Marshall scored unassisted. However, the Owls later answered back to tie the score 1-1. The score remained equal until Marshall dished out a pass to Odoom, who shot and beat the opponent’s keeper. Leading into the half, the Jackets were up 2-1. The second half proved even more challenging as WCDS scored one point and their defense held the Jackets scoreless. At the end of regulation, the game was tied 2-2.

That sent the two teams into two ten-minute overtime periods, but neither team scored. This only meant one thing: penalty kicks would decide who would be crowned champion. For R-MA, it was an undesirable, eerie echo of last year’s championship game.

“Last year we lost after 13 PKs,” recalled Ashley McManus. “It was very disheartening.”

Each team chose five kickers that would alternate taking PKs. Each team had a couple misses, with Voellm making some key saves. Voellm was also the last kicker for R-MA--and the two teams were tied with two scores each. In a storybook ending for a tremendous three-sport athlete, Voellm found the back of the net, and it turned out to be the game-winning goal!

“Anastasia was on her game,” said Allyson McManus. “She didn’t want to do the PK at first, but she did it anyway.”

As a result of her standout performance and the teamwork shown by all the athletes, the R-MA Yellow Jackets varsity girls’ soccer team had captured the DAC II Tournament Championship for the third time in four years! With most of the team having played together for the last three years, it was an emotional win, as it not only ended dramatically, but the athletes knew it was their last game together.

“We’re one of those teams that doesn’t get on each other,” said Yao. “We advise each other, but we don’t call each other out.”

“I feel that our team does perform well because the girls on the team are like a family,” Hudson said. “They’re so supportive of each other, it’s wonderful.”

The players feel the same about their coach, who was named the DAC’s Soccer Coach of the Year. “She gets so involved with us,” said Marshall. “She runs when we run; she plays games to catch her. I think that definitely helps us as a team.”

Allyson and Ashley McManus, Xel Ochoa ’15, and Voellm all received 1st Team, All-DAC Honors. Yao received an honorable mention. Voellm also received the team’s Most Improved Player Award, while Amy Gray ’15 received the Team Spirit Award. Marshall was named the team’s MVP and the DAC Girls’ Soccer Player of the Year.

Soccer Refuses to Let History Repeat: Girls Reclaim DAC

Anastasia Voellm ’13 was named Most Improved

Player.

McKenzie Marshall ’13 Named DAC Player of the Year

R-MA hosted the first Yellow Jacket Kick-off Classic Girls’ Soccer Tournament on March 22 and 23, 2013. Including R-MA, six schools from around the state participated, including Norfolk Academy, Norfolk Collegiate, Eastern Mennonite, Pope John Paul the Great Catholic High School, and Wakefield School (The Plains, VA). All visiting teams were ranked in the state.

First Yellow Jacket Kick-Off Classic


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The Yellow Jackets’ varsity lacrosse team finished as the DAC Runners-Up for both the season and the tournament this year, but while the title may imply they were second-best, this year’s team had the spirit of champions.

Heading into the tournament, R-MA had a record of 8-2, with their only two losses coming against Wakefield School (The Plains, VA).

The team was confident going in, according to Head Coach Blake Hollinger and Assistant Coach David Gillis P’14. “We had the league’s MVP [Brook Blair ‘14],” said Gillis. “We scored the most goals across the league. We had six or seven guys who could put the ball in the net.”

Blair’s impressive performance early in the season meant that opposing teams quickly began targeting him, so that depth became extremely important for the Yellow Jackets. By the end of the season, they were relying on several less experienced players, including Ben Gillis ’14, Ryan Pile ’13, and Slayton Speer ’15, to score. Both Pile and Speer were named to the 1st Team, All-Delaney Athletic Conference, while Gillis received the R-MA Coach’s Award honor.

Delaney Athletic Conference’s Lacrosse Player of the Year Brook Blair ’14 began playing lacrosse at the age of five. He lost his passion for it temporarily and didn’t play for several years, but still had more experience than most players when he returned to the game in honor of his father, who passed away in 2010. However, his coaches say his ability stems from more than just experience.

“I’ve watched him progress since his freshman year,” said Head Coach Blake Hollinger. “Winning MVP of the team last year showed that the skill level has been there. What improved this year is his ability to understand the game and his role in our game plan. If we need to kill time and give the defense a rest, he understands that now.”

“He just needs to improve on subtleties,” agreed Gillis. “Brook also has a willingness to take punishment, no fear of sustained punishment. He has an inherent piece of tenacity-you either have it or you dream about it.”

Blair, who scored 34 goals and had 5 assists in the DAC games, is surprised by the accolades sent his way.

“I don’t think of myself as other people think of me,” he said. “I think they hype me up beyond what I think I am.” He felt that many of the players who joined the team this year, including his own brother, Peter Blair ’16, helped the team make it to the championship game.

As for Blair, he plays just to have fun. “I just like the sense of comfort and tranquility on the field. I get that nowhere else in my life like I do when I play lacrosse,” he said. “Lacrosse is a lifestyle for me. I can’t live without it.”

Defensively throughout the season, the team played as a unit. “We had four really good defenders with only three positions, so we had a great rotation,” said Hollinger. “They were all backed by field general [goalie] Jonathan Moore [‘14], who matter-of-factly took control and told them how to do it all year. He was the unsung hero of the team.”

Pile agreed with that statement. “No one really remembers who saves a goal, just the person who makes it,” he commented.

According to the coaches, three things made Moore so dangerous as a goalie this year: First, he had fast

reflexes combined with good hands. Second, he had the unique ability to forget the goal that was just scored and focus on the game at hand, instead of getting caught up in an error. Third, he “played angles very well,” as Hollinger put it.

With so much talent, the team and the coaches held high hopes as they headed into the DAC Tournament, especially since they were ranked second and had a first round bye. In the second round, the Yellow Jackets played Seton School and won 9-5. Then it was off to the championship game: against Wakefield School.

In spite of the fact that their record against Wakefield was 0-2, the team did not allow it to dictate how they handled the championship game. The team fought valiantly, pushing Wakefield to an 8-8 score at the end of regulation. The game went into double-overtime before Wakefield was able to pull out a goal and claim a 9-8 victory.

“We didn’t get disheartened,” Hollinger said. “We came out and played.”

“We definitely left everything on the field,” said Pile. “Everyone knew what we needed to do. It came

down to double overtime, and at that point it’s anyone’s game.”

“I’ve had a lot of teams with good players, but this is the best team I’ve coached since I’ve been at R-MA,” said Hollinger. “They like each other, they have a good time, but they know when it’s time to go to work—and they put in a lot of work. In addition, the team’s doing it the right way. Other coaches and referees are complimenting the way these young men are carrying themselves, both athletically and with character.”

Brook Blair ’14 Named DACLacrosse Player of the Year

Benjamin Gillis ’14 received the Coaches’ Award.

Jon Moore ’14 was named the MVP of the team.

Jackets Claim LAX Runner-Up Honors

Ryan Pile ’13 was named the Most Improved Player.


After several frustrating years, including a one-run loss in the semifinals one year and losses in the championship games the other two years, they finally did it. The Yellow Jackets’ varsity baseball team won the DAC Championship title, and for the coaches and players alike, it was such a relief that it felt as if a jinx had been lifted from their shoulders.

The season started out with high hopes as Thomas Abell ’13 gathered the players together for a few informal practices and worked with other members of the team to build a camaraderie the team had been missing the year before. But in spite of their efforts, the team lost their first three games—two to Collegiate School, and one to Warren County High School. To top it off, their catcher, Robert DeBerry ’16, hurt his foot.

Then came spring break. As if a switch had been flipped, the team came back and won five in a row, lost to Seton, won another four games, lost to Seton, and then won two more. Because of the late snows in March, many games were cancelled and R-MA was the only team that managed to play all of the other teams in the Delaney Athletic Conference twice, and the Yellow Jackets easily qualified for the tournament. Ranked at #2, the team squared off against the #3 seed, Fredericksburg Academy.

“We had beaten them 17-0 and 11-6 during the regular season,” said R-MA pitcher Neil Dutton ’13. “We went in overconfident and they scored three runs on us. Coach [Rob] Locklear pulled us aside and said, ‘Do you really want to win this game?’”

The team pulled together and scored five unanswered runs, winning 5-3. They expected to face the #1 seed, Seton, in the championship game, but the #4 seed, Highland, managed to knock off Seton.

At the start of the championship game, Highland scored one run, but the Yellow Jackets were not about to allow a repeat of the semi-final game. They went on to score seven runs off of 11 hits. “It was the best defensive game all year,” said Locklear. “We had five guys who had two hits each and Thomas [Abell] had five

Runners-Up No More: Baseball Claims DAC Championship!

Neil Dutton ’13 has played baseball at Randolph-Macon Academy for four years as a pitcher, catcher, and shortstop. This year, he was honored not only as R-MA’s MVP, but also as the Delaney Athletic Conference’s Baseball Player of the Year. He was also one of thirteen players in the area to be named to the Northern Virginia Daily’s All-Area First Team.

“He was our go-to guy,” said Assistant Coach Dani Locklear. “When we needed a win, we told him what we needed, and he pulled the team together, and gave of himself as well.”

As a pitcher, Dutton had a record of 4-2 this year. He faced 125 batters and came away with a 2.14 ERA, striking out 50 batters and walking 11. He threw a total of 511 pitches, the second-most on the R-MA team. As a batter, Dutton was even more feared—his batting average was .460 for the season. He had 23 hits with eight doubles and two home runs, resulting in 23 RBIs for the season.

Dutton will attend Shenandoah University in the fall, where he plans to play baseball.

Dutton Named DAC Baseball Player of the Year

assists.”“We knew we could do it; it was just a matter of coming together

and playing as a team,” said Abell.“The team chemistry made the biggest difference,” agreed

Dutton. “We had nothing last year. We didn’t work hard.” “Since we have played with each other so long, we just felt like

this was our year,” agreed Keijerian “KJ” Graham ’13. “As soon as Andre [Lake ‘13] caught that ball…”

“I saw people running at me and Andre didn’t even have the ball, then KJ tackled me,” Dutton supplied.

“I was just standing there, thinking, ‘Did this really just happen?’” Abell recalled.

“It was amazing,” said assistant coach Dani Locklear. “Everyone was crying. The kids were crying, parents were hugging, everyone was going crazy.”

The memory of winning that long-awaited championship will certainly stick with the six seniors who started the game that day, as well as everyone else in attendance. As Abell stated, “It was a good way to end it.”

DeBerry received the Coaches’ Award, while Dutton was named R-MA’s Most Valuable Player and the DAC Player of the Year. Locklear was named the DAC Baseball Coach of the Year. Graham and Griffin Duy ’13 were named to the DAC 1st Team, All-Conference, and both Lake and Christopher Bell ’13 received Honorable Mentions to the All-Conference Team. David Pitts ’16 was named the Most Improved Player.

The Yellow Jackets came together as a team this year to win the DAC Baseball Championship title.

Neil Dutton ’13 and KJ Graham ’13 collide in

celebration after the team won the DAC Championship.

Robert DeBerry ’16 won the Coaches’ Award.


a t h l e t i c s

Varsity Softball

Varsity Girls’ Track & Field

Varsity Golf

Varsity Boys’ Track & Field

Spr

ing

Spo

rts

Awar

ds

Most Valuable Runner Thomas Shea ‘16Coaches’ Award

Thomas Powars ‘16 Most Improved Runner

Andrew Criminski ’13

Most Valuable Runner Paige Hollis ‘15

Coaches’ Award Markeesha Gibson ‘14

Most Improved Runner Beatriz Angulo ‘16

Most Valuable Player Jung Hoon (Bill) Choi ‘14

Coaches’ Award DiKun Yu ‘16

Most Improved Player Louis Lindsay ‘16

Most Valuable Player Cheyenne Jameson ’13

Coaches’ Award Juliet Arcila Rojas ’13

Most Improved Player Kelli Hutcheson ’14


Middle School Tennis

Varsity Tennis

Middle School Track

Middle School Flag Football

Most Valuable Player Van Nguyen ’13

Coaches’ Award Cole Pawlak ’17

Most Improved Player Rico Figaroore ‘14

Most Valuable Player – Ryan Latham ’18Coaches’ Award Angel Njoku ’18

Most Improved Player –Harry Su ‘18

Most Valuable Player Alex Ndongo-Seh ‘17

Coaches’ Award SoSo Eke-Spiff ‘17

Most Improved Player Myra Brown ‘17

Most Valuable Runner Katelyn Shea ‘17Coaches’ Award Ken Gilland ’17

Most Improved Runner Amy Go ‘17


a t h l e t i c s

All-DAC HonorsThe following students have been named to the All-

Conference Teams in the Delaney Athletic Conference for the spring sports season.

BaseballNeil Dutton ’13 – 1st Team – Player of the Year

Griffin Duy ’13 – 1st TeamK.J. Graham ’13 – 1st Team

Andre Lake ’13 – Honorable MentionChris Bell ’13 – Honorable Mention

GolfJung Hoon Choi ’14 – 1st Team

LacrosseBrook Blair ’14 – 1st Team – Player of the Year

Ryan Pile ’13 – 1st TeamSlayton Speer ’15 – 1st Team

Jon Moore ’14 – Honorable Mention

Girls’ SoccerMcKenzie Marshall ’13 – 1st Team – Player of the Year

Allyson McManus ’13 – 1st TeamAshley McManus ’13 – 1st TeamAnastasia Voellm ’13 – 1st Team

Ixel Ochoa ’15 – 1st TeamMacaya Yao ’13 – Honorable Mention

SoftballCheyenne Jameson ’13 – 1st Team

Boys’ TennisVan Nguyen ’13 – 1st TeamCole Pawlak ‘17 – 1st Team

If you spend some time talking with Eric Barr about his 25 years of coaching boys’ tennis at R-MA, you might walk away trying to figure out how to fit coaching into your life, because according to him, there’s just one word to describe it: fun.

“I feel I’m at my best coaching if I’m on the court with them, and that’s fun,” he said. “Teaching on the spot, learning from the players, and the physical side of the game—if you’re going to go out there and hit the ball for an hour and a half, you have to enjoy it.”

Twenty-five years ago, Barr had no idea he would spend most of his 31 years at R-MA coaching boys’ tennis. The team needed a coach, and he was familiar with the game, so Frank Moxie, the athletic director at the time, asked Barr if he would consider it. “I thought I would do it for one or two years, then someone else would take over,” said Barr.

That first year was an adventure. Crow Hall—where the courts had been located—was being constructed, and the new courts behind Turner Hall were not complete, so he had to shuttle the team to the courts near Bing Crosby Stadium in town to get any playing time. Plus, never having coached before, he relied on the players to tell him what a practice should consist of.

Twenty-five years later, Barr prides himself on knowing high school tennis very well. “If you’re going to be in charge of something, do it right,” he commented. “You can’t teach others if you don’t know the rules.”

In addition to having fun on the court, Barr appreciated the camaraderie he developed with his tennis players. “When you know kids out of the classroom, it helps in the classroom,” he said. He also found professional satisfaction in coaching. “When you get an athlete who listens and tries it and it works, that’s gratifying.”

Because tennis is a life sport, one that athletes can play decades after high school, it is exciting to Barr when he has a student who wants to get better and loves the game as he does. Having a passion for both math and tennis and a passion for sharing that love with others, Barr has come to realize an important life lesson that he tries to pass on to his students and athletes. “Find that passion, that interest. Find that and do it because you love it. If others don’t, don’t worry about it.”

“Sometimes he is really intense but he is also funny,” said Van Nguyen ’13, when asked about Barr as a coach. “He always tries to have fun by making jokes, helping everybody relax, but we are still learning what he is trying to teach, to coach. He is always telling us to keep our heads up, even when losing, because we always can come back. He made me improve myself from a young kid to a better young man.”

As many coaches can attest to, having consistency in sports at a small boarding school such as R-MA can be difficult. There are many years in which the incoming players have little or no experience. That annual challenge makes Barr’s 25-year record of 192 wins and 110 losses for the boys’ team even more impressive than it seems at first glance. In addition, the team has won the season and/or tournament championship title seven out of those 25 years. The most recent title, the 2011 Delaney Athletic Conference (DAC) Tournament Championship, ranks among Barr’s favorite memories in his 25 years. “We were the number three seed, and we beat the number one seed, Highland, indoors, which we were not used to playing in,” he said.

“Mr. Barr has not only been a teacher, coach and mentor to

literally hundreds of students at R-MA, but he has also been an incredible friend and listener to all,” said Assistant Coach Jumanah Khader ’96. Khader played for Barr on the girls’ team and was so

good that she played on the boys’ team as well. “He has such an incredible connection with his players on and off the court, and although it is obvious that winning the conference for the school is a top priority, he always reminds his players to go out and have fun. Practices always have elements of seriousness, as they should. However, there is not a day that goes by that you will not hear laughter on the court because of the jokes or the witty and quick responses that Mr. Barr has to any comment or question that is made.”

In addition to the team titles, Barr has garnered a number of awards during his coaching career. He was named the Virginia Independent Conference’s Boys’ Tennis Coach of the Year in 1991, 1992, and 1995, and the DAC Boys’ Tennis Coach of the Year in 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005. He also received the R-MA C. Lyle McFall Coach of the Year award in

1992, 1993, 2003, and 2011.

Eric Barr: 25 Years of Coaching at R-MA

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the sabre: the magazine of randolph-macon academy, summer-fall 2013

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