the sabre, winter-spring 2013

Online Edition

The Sabre

Mr. Joseph F. Silek, Jr. ’77 Chairman

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

Mr. Rodney Deane, Jr.Treasurer

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 ’51Mr. George D. Mathias ’54Mr. David W. Moore, ’53Mr. A.A. Neese, Jr., P’01

RAdm. John D. Stufflebeem ’70Mr. 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]

On Facebook: Facebook.com/Randolph.Macon.Academy.VA

On Twitter: @RandolphMaconA@RMAAthletics

On YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/RandolphMaconAcademy

Published by the Office of Public Relations

Winter/Spring 2013Volume 92 Number 1

Randolph-Macon Academy

EditorCeleste M. Brooks

Copy Editors Amy M. Harriman

Kittie Callaghan AbellClare M. Dame

President Major General Henry M. Hobgood, USAF, ret.

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

Staff Maureen SadlerRebekah Secrist

a message from the president

Maj Gen Henry M. Hobgood, USAF retired and president of Randolph-Macon Academy, is

retiring from R-MA on June 30, 2013. Here he is pictured with his

wife, Carolyn.

Dear Friends and Alumni/ae,

As this is my last article for the Sabre, please allow me to briefly reflect on our time at R-MA. My wife Carolyn and I came to Randolph-Macon Academy because we felt like we could make a difference at a school that needed energy, direction and nurturing. We believed in the goodness of the institution and its mission. On a personal level, we wanted a second career doing things together, rather than the family separations of the active military service.

Randolph-Macon Academy has been a joy and a delight for us. We will retire this summer feeling we have accomplished our mission and fulfilled our calling. Indeed, this has been the best time of our lives. We will respect and cherish our R-MA friends and our colleagues forever.

I have one simple request that will honor us more than anything. Please continue to support Randolph-Macon Academy, its students, faculty and staff. Remember that R-MA is not about its president, it is about our students. We have come a long way over the past 16 years. Our school is now rightfully considered one of the top military prep-schools in the nation. We are solid in every category that counts – Board of Trustees, teachers, students, staff, leadership, facilities and curriculum. However, to be the best in the nation, there is work to be accomplished. Keep in mind that the competition is tough, and progress waits for no one. So standing still is not an option in my view. Pushing for excellence in everything we do should be the goal.

Maj Gen Maury Forsyth and his wife, Tamara, are the right leaders for R-MA at this particular time. They are very fine people and Gen Forsyth is an exceptional leader. To succeed, they need your encouragement and your prayers. Please do all you can to help them and help this truly exceptional institution. I am confident that the Forsyths will love and care for Randolph-Macon Academy and the people who provide our unique values-based education for students.

With humility and love, Carolyn and I thank you for your loyalty and your support over these years. You may count on us to continue to assist R-MA in any way. We wish you and your families God’s richest blessings of happiness and good health.

Most Sincerely,

Major General Henry M. Hobgood, USAF, retPresident

Carolyn R. Hobgood

inside this issue

about the front coverAt the Homecoming Parade, the officers march to the center of the field. Upper right photo is the 2012-13 Corps Commander, Killian Hopcroft ’13, and at bottom left is the Command Chief, Grace Alexan-der ’14.

campus newsForsyth Tapped as 10th President of R-MA .............................2Garden Club Places Blue Star Memorial Marker at R-MA ....2R-MA Introduces Middle School 5-Day Boarding Option .....3Fresh Look: Refurbishing the Boys’ Dorm Rooms ....................3R-MA Welcomes Falcon Foundation Scholars .......................4Afghanistan Veteran Speaks to R-MA Students .....................4R-MA Helps Local Salvation Army “Do the Most Good” .......5Middle School Interact Club: Living “Service Above Self” ...5Thrilling Win Over Massanutten Highlights Homecoming......6As the Guard Changes at R-MA ..............................................8Fall Family Events Begin Thanksgiving Break .........................9R-MA Chorus: Singing Their Way to Success ........................10Marching—and Floating—Along ...........................................10Mulan Muse: Musicals Return to R-MA ..................................11Parents’ Association News .....................................................12Fall 2012 Honor Society Inductions .......................................12Impressions of Mr. Latham’s Germany Trip ...........................13Robotics: Precision Counts .....................................................13Fallen Hero Honored at Patriot Day Ceremony ...................14Upper School Holiday Traditions: New and Old ...................14R-MA Student Wins VFW’s Patriot Pen Essay Contest ...........15

student featuresYangboya Liu and R-MA: Checkmate .................................16Rabia Otry: Visionary ..............................................................16R-MA’s First 5-Day Boarder .....................................................17David Pawlak: Riding High .....................................................17The Ideal Match ......................................................................17Cadet Sets Himself up to Fly ...................................................18

faculty & staffMentor of the Year: Clay Clinedinst ......................................19Employee of the Year: Amy Harriman ..................................19Team of the Year: Dining Hall ................................................19Faculty of the Year: Mariola Doran .......................................20Coach of the Year: Steve Latham .........................................20Faculty & Staff Quarterly Awards ...........................................21Faculty & Staff Notes ...............................................................21Michael Williams Named Rotary Club of Linden’s Rotarian of the Year ...............................................................................22

alumni R-MA Alumni in the Skies ........................................................23Who Joined in the Fun? 2012 Alumni Homecoming Attendees ................................................................................24A “Yank” at Oxford .................................................................27Class Notes ..............................................................................27Final Farewell ...........................................................................27R-MA Legacies: Cole Johnston ’15 ........................................28Annual Fund Executive Council Volunteers Needed ..........28‘87 Graduate’s Heart Still in the Skies ....................................29Kibler ’89 Named First Female President of the Alumni Association ..............................................................................36

developmentSociety of 1892 ........................................................................30A Good Neighbor: Mrs. Elsie Upchurch ................................31Tributes .....................................................................................31Simple Giving, Major Impact .................................................322012-13 Named Scholarship Recipients ...............................33Judge Crigler ’66 Retires .........................................................34

athleticsTennis Team Achieves State Ranking ...................................35Top in Tennis: R-MA’s Voellm Ranks 10th in State ................36All-DAC Honors .......................................................................36Boys’ Cross-Country Team Crowned Champions; Girls Claim Fourth in DAC ...............................................................37Full of Run: Lake Earns All-State Honors ................................37Fall Sports Awards ...................................................................46

Fresh LookThe Upper School boys’ dorm rooms are being refurbished! Find out what’s being done and how you can help on page 3.

Middle School 5-day Boarding OptionMiddle School families slow down their lives with a new boarding option. See page 3.

HomecomingCatch the Homecoming highlights, beginning on page 6.

Little TheatreThe R-MA Little Theatre put on its first full musical since 2005. With gifts and support from parents, staff, students, faculty, and family members, the show was a resounding success. Read the full story on page 11.

online editionSome photos and/or stories may have been removed from this edition at the request of parents and/or publishers.

2 The Sabre Winter/Spring 2013

c a m p u s n e w s

Garden Club Places Blue Star Memorial Marker at R-MA

Members of the Garden Club and local dignitaries were in attendance at the Blue Star Memorial Marker Dedication.

Randolph-Macon Academy’s Retreat Formation on Friday, November 2, 2012, featured a special dedication, as the Shenandoah District of the Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs dedicated a Blue Star Memorial Marker to be placed on campus.

The Blue Star Memorials are seen throughout the U.S., signifying byways or places of interest. According to the Virginia Garden Clubs website, “The Blue Star Memorial Program honors all men and women who have served, were serving, or would serve in the armed services of the United States. The Blue Star became an icon in World War II and was seen on flags and banners in homes for sons and daughters away at war, as well as in churches and businesses.”

“Our president, Mary Burke, lives in Front Royal. When we had the funds available to place a Blue Star Memorial Marker, it was her wish that it be placed at Randolph-Macon Academy,” said Gloria Crump of the Shenandoah District of the Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs. Members of the District, including Burke, were in attendance at the event, along with Judy B. Binns, the president of the Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc.

Crump and R-MA Director of Services Chief Master Sergeant Norman Brander, USAF ret., unveiled the marker as a cold wind blew across Riddick Field.

“Today, we are here to pay tribute to our armed forces,” Binns

said when presenting the marker to the Academy. “While we go about our daily lives, the men and women in our armed forces fly our skies, sail our seas, and guard our shores, ensuring our safety. They stand ready, at a moment’s notice, to defend our country. We must not forget

them, and we do not. We remember with every step of the honor guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We remember with every drumbeat on the Fourth of July. We pledge allegiance to our flag, and we remember. At the sound of reveille we remember, and as the last lingering sound of Taps resounds in the distance, we remember. And remembering today, we dedicate this Blue Star Marker to the honor and glory of all those men and women who have served, who are now serving, and who will serve in the armed forces of this great nation.”

“On behalf of Randolph-Macon Academy, we most graciously accept this marker as a symbol of appreciation for the contribution and sacrifices of the men and women of our United States military,” said Major General Henry M. Hobgood, USAF, retired, president of Randolph-Macon Academy. “We are honored to receive this marker and we will proudly display it at the main entrance of the Academy for all to see…. America is a free and prosperous nation in large part because of the service of military people. We hope that for years to come visitors will stop, view the plaque and give thanks to the good work of the Shenandoah District of the Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs and our military.”

Beginning July 1, 2013, Randolph-Macon Academy (R-MA) will have a new president: Major General Maurice H. “Maury” Forsyth, U.S. Air Force retired. He will replace Major General Henry M. “Mack” Hobgood, U.S. Air Force retired, who had previously announced his intention to retire from R-MA effective June 30, 2013, after serving 16 years as the Academy’s president.

Forsyth retired from the Air Force in October 2010, after an impressive military career highlighted with key leadership responsibilities in Air Force professional education systems. Prior to his retirement, he was the Commander of the Curtis E. LeMay Center for Doctrine Development and Education and the Vice Commander of Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. His position previous to that was Commander of Spaatz Center for Officer Education and Commandant of the Air War College, also at Maxwell.

With training as both a navigator and a pilot, Forsyth has flown more than 3,500 hours, including 730 hours of combat missions. He has served in operations Desert Storm, Southern Watch, Northern Watch, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. His many honors include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart, among others.

Forsyth was born in Brookings, SD, and was commissioned in

1978. He holds a bachelor’s degree from South Dakota State University, and a master’s degree in aviation and aerospace operations from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. In 1999 he completed an additional master’s degree, this one in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College. Forsyth’s full biography can be viewed online at http://www.af.mil/information/bios/bio.asp?bioID=7738.

“We had many applicants who were well-qualified for the position,” said Joseph Silek, Chairman of the R-MA Board of Trustees and a 1977 graduate of R-MA. “While this was in no way an easy process or a simple decision, General Forsyth continuously impressed us. In addition to an amazing resume, he has a heart for education

and for students, and his values are in line with what the Academy stands for. We feel confident that he will build on the momentum General Hobgood has created at Randolph-Macon Academy, and take the school to an even greater level of success.”

“I am thrilled and honored to be selected by the Board of Trustees as the 10th President of Randolph-Macon Academy,” Forsyth said. “I enthusiastically look forward to the challenge of building on the excellence that has become a tradition at R-MA under the leadership of General and Mrs. Hobgood. My wife, Tamara, and I are eager to join the R-MA family of students, parents, faculty, staff and alumni and to become part of the Front Royal community.”

Forsyth Tapped as 10th President of R-MA


There is quite a bit of excitement in the Upper School boys’ dorm.

Easily the most recognized building on Randolph-Macon Academy’s 135-acre campus, Sonner-Payne Hall is home to the administra-tive offices, the Student Services areas, and the boys’ dorm. Originally constructed in 1892, Sonner-Payne has been ruined by fire twice—in 1927 and again in 1995—and was restored each time. The rooms were last upgraded in 1996, after the second fire, and they were such an improvement over the old rooms at that time that the students of the mid-1990’s were nearly ecstatic. However, after more than 16 years of use by cadets and summer camps, those rooms, which were rather sterile-looking to begin with, were beginning to look dilapidated.

Therefore, when the school enacted water-saving measures dur-ing the 2011-12 school year, the amount of money saved was signifi-cant enough for the Academy to embark on a new initiative. It didn’t

At left, one of the boys’ dorm rooms prior to renovation. Below, one of the rooms after the

renovation.

Fresh Look Refurbishing the Boys’ Dorm Rooms in Sonner-Payne

See “Fresh Look,” page 22

take long to decide where the focus should be: the boys’ dorm. The goal of this new program, called Fresh Look, is to provide the young men of Randolph-Macon Academy with refurbished dorm rooms—rooms that not only look nicer, but make the students feel more comfortable during their years at R-MA.

Each room receives the following treatment:• Replace flooring and cove base• Refinish/repair furniture

R-MA has offered both day student and seven-day boarding programs for grades six through eight since the Middle School opened in 1995. Now the Academy has added something new in the form of a five-day boarding program.

The five-day boarding program will offer students the opportunity to remain on campus from Sunday evenings through Friday evenings. They will benefit from the boarding school experience—living in a dorm with a roommate, participating in dorm activities, and attending supervised study halls—yet be home with their families on the weekend.

“Families’ schedules tend to be hectic in the evenings,” commented Clare Dame, Director of Enrollment Management at the Academy. “This is particularly true for families with two working parents or single parent families, and it is especially a concern for those with long commutes. Juggling the parent’s

R-MA Introduces Middle School 5-day Boarding OptionProgram meets the needs of today’s families.

Do you wake your children up extra

early and rush them through breakfast

to make sure they get to school and you

get to work on time?Do you rush from work to pick up your child in the evening and then sprint to piano lessons or sports practice?

Do you pick up dinner on the way home so your

family can quickly eat together before moving on

to the next activity?

Is homework time a

battleground because everyone’s tired?

Do you and your children fall into

bed exhausted only to start the race

early the next morning?

schedule, the child’s schedule, the traffic, the homework…it can be overwhelming.”

By offering a five-day boarding program, Academy officials hope to relieve at least some of that stress for families.

“All the activities—the academics, the sports, the homework study hall, the meals—they are all right here,” said Dame. “The students find their schedules are much calmer, and it’s easier for them to finish their homework—and more importantly, learn from it—because they aren’t trying to do it when they’re exhausted.”

The five-day boarding program is limited to families who live within a 150-mile radius. (Those outside the 150-mile radius can be seven-day boarders.) The expenses for the 2013-14 academic year will be $24,745, including tuition, room, board, books, uniforms, and expenses; this is less than the cost of most DC-area private day schools.


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With the start of the 2012-13 school year, Randolph-Macon Academy welcomed its first two Falcon Foundation Scholars.

In the late spring of 2011, Randolph-Macon was notified that it had been selected as one of only eight Falcon Foundation Prep Schools in the United States, and could begin accepting students for the fall of 2012. Each year, the Falcon Foundation works with approximately 100 postgraduate students who desire to attend the Air Force Academy. These high school graduates have the potential to be successful in an Air Force Academy education and desire an Air Force career, but need an additional year of college-prep academics to successfully compete for an Air Force Academy appointment. The Falcon Foundation provides the students financial assistance to attend one of the designated schools.

There were five Falcon Foundation member schools prior to this year: Marion Military Institute of Marion, AL; New Mexico Military Institute of Roswell, NM; Northwestern Preparatory School of Crestline, CA; Valley Forge Military Academy of Valley Forge, PA; and Wentworth Military Academy of Lexington, MO. R-MA was selected to join the organization, along with Greystone Preparatory School at Schreiner University in Kerrville, TX and Kent School in Kent, CT. R-MA’s acceptance into the Foundation program was based on its academic track record of preparing students for college and the fact that its graduates have successfully obtained appointments to the U.S. service academies—in particular the Air Force Academy—over the last several years.

With the enrollment of George Beals PG’13of Englewood, CO, and Carissa Vaccaro PG’13 of Williamsburg, VA, the Falcon Foundation Scholar program at Randolph-Macon Academy has a

good start, according to R-MA President Maj Gen Henry M. Hobgood, USAF retired. “These are two stellar cadets,” he said. “We are very pleased to have them join us for this school year.”

Beals and Vaccaro arrived at R-MA on August 16th for the ten-day Summer Leadership School, which is a training program for the students who will provide leadership to cadets of the Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) throughout the year. While the rest of the students attending the camp were returning

students, Beals and Vaccaro were admitted based on their track records of strong leadership skills and their interest in attending the Air Force Academy. They were each granted the rank of cadet second lieutenant and assigned the position of squadron adjutant, a position created specifically for Falcon Foundation Scholars, in which they can continue to develop their leadership skills.

More information about the Falcon Foundation can be found at www.falconfoundation.org.

R-MA WelcoMes FAlcon FoundAtion scholARs

George Beals PG’13 and Carissa Vaccaro PG’13were welcomed as R-MA’s first Falcon Foundation

scholars this year.

Afghanistan Veteran Speaks to StudentsEditor’s Note: This article was

written by Kim Walter and published in the Northern Virginia Daily on

December 6, 2012. It was reprinted in the Winter/Spring 2013 Sabre with permission To view it online

go to http://www.nvdaily.com/news/2012/12/afghanistan-veteran-

speaks-to-rma-students.php

Major Amy Gray shows R-MA cadet Anik Alamgir ‘14 how to make a 550

cord bracelet.


R-MA Helps Local Salvation Army “Do the Most Good”

Middle School Interact Club: Living “Service Above Self”

Students work to fill the 15-passenger van with food and winter coats.

Last year, R-MA students, faculty, staff, and parents filled a 15-passenger van with non-perishable food and winter coats to donate to the Salvation Army for those in need. The effort was so successful that the organizers decided to do it again this year. There was just one challenge: last year’s primary organizer, Stephanie Portillo, was going to be out during the majority of the collection time.

“I was glad to see that my absence did not prevent us from making our goal. That confirms the generous nature and service-oriented character of the R-MA family,” Portillo said. “Julianne Cochran, our new Spanish teacher, took on the Community Service Program while I was out, and she took this on as well. Chief Norman Brander handled a lot of the logistics, and R-MA President, Gen [Henry] Hobgood and our Public Relations Director, Celeste Brooks, helped make announcements to try to keep it ever-present in everyone’s minds. Student Life Director Michael Williams and the Middle School Interact Club took on the challenge of collecting coats.”

In addition, Portillo added, the National Honor Society donated funds before she went on leave, and she was able to purchase canned meats from Costco with the money. English teacher Bob Davies also continually promoted the collection to the National English Honor Society. Bandmaster Ed Richards took up a collection in band class for a couple of days, then took a few of the band students to downtown Front Royal to go shopping.

“All in all, we managed to fill the van about up to the windows with food, and we had two racks of coats,” said Brooks, who is on the Salvation Army Advisory Board. “The food was a huge help in filling the Christmas boxes this year, because the Salvation Army had 50 more requests for food boxes than they had last year, and

the food collections from other organizations in our area were actually down compared to last year.”

“I am truly grateful to R-MA for collecting and contributing so many kinds of canned foods for our Christmas Food boxes,” said Ann Crim, one of the Advisory Board members at the Salvation Army. Crim helps to organize the packing and distribution of the food boxes. “We packed and distributed 250 boxes to low-income [and] no income families. Lt. Pradeep [Ramaji] and I both were concerned that there would

[not] be enough food collected for the number of applications. Your donation of food allowed us to fill the boxes and we had some food left for distribution from our pantry. R-MA’s donation of coats last year and this year has been a wonderful addition to our distribution of food boxes and “Angel Tree” children’s gifts for Christmas.”

Lt. Priscilla Ramaji of the Salvation Army summed it up poetically with, “Chains of hunger and shackles of winter cold have been broken by the ‘Food & Winter Coat Drive’ in the Front Royal community during Christmas time.”

The R-MA Middle School Interact Club continued to inspire those around them to serve their community in any way possible at every possible time, giving up several of their Saturdays this fall to participate in worthwhile community events:

• Braving the early morning chill and cutting wind in late fall, 22 Middle School Interact students gave up the warmth and comfort of their beds to help harvest several acres of squash for the Shenandoah Valley Food bank in a field near Woodstock, VA.

• R-MA Middle School Interact student Remi Gillis ’17 spearheaded an effort to collect treats for troops to encourage them during the holidays. Over 50 pounds of treats were collected during the effort. They were shipped to Daghram Air Base in Afghanistan.

• On yet another Saturday, the students took time to conduct a roadside clean-up effort on Kendrick Lane, located just outside the R-MA Middle School gate. It was the first of three roadside clean-ups scheduled for this school year.

• The students conducted a winter coat drive as part of R-MA’s effort to fill a van for the Salvation Army with nonperishable food and winter coats. (See related story, above.) The group’s efforts were instrumental in filling two racks full of coats for all ages.

• For the second year in a row, students spent a Saturday morning helping to wrap presents for “Operation Blue Christmas.” Sponsored by the Front Royal Police Foundation, this program provides underprivileged students the opportunity and funds to go Christmas shopping with a police officer, firefighter, or military officer. While the selected presents are wrapped, the children enjoy a hot breakfast with their fellow shopper.

• During January, the Interact Club held its annual “Penny Wars” to raise money to fight world hunger. In an old-fashioned boys vs. girls contest, participants put pennies into jars for positive points and other coins and dollars into jars for negative points.

“Your students continue to live by the ‘Service above Self’ motto,” said June Rinehart of the Rotary Club of Linden, which sponsors the R-MA Middle School Interact Club. Rinehart is a past president (2009-2010) of The Rotary of Linden, and currently serves as the Membership Committee Chair. “They have a great example in their faculty sponsor, Michael Williams, who also lives by that motto. He is training his students to share and serve by his example. The R-MA Middle School Interact Club is helping to make a difference in the lives of others, and giving young people the opportunity to experience the joy of giving to others.”


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Thrilling Win Over Massanutten Highlights HomecomingAlumni, students, parents, and friends of the Academy were

treated to a thrill when the Yellow Jackets’ football team hosted the Massanutten Military Academy Colonels on October 20, 2012, during Homecoming Weekend. The Yellow Jackets were pumped for the game and ready to capture a win. However, the Colonels of Massanutten quickly put a damper on both the crowd and the team when they scored two early touchdowns, resulting in R-MA being down 12-0.

However, with a never-say-die spirit, R-MA managed to get back in the game with several touchdowns, a safety and a field goal. To the excitement of all their fans, the Jackets were leading 25-20 at halftime, and the halftime talk only added fuel to R-MA’s tanks. Refusing to give up their lead and destined to hand out a victory to the homecoming crowd, the Jackets maintained their hard work. R-MA managed to earn another safety, and an interception along with more touchdowns in the second half. When the final whistle blew, the scoreboard read R-MA 48, Massanutten 34.

Society of 1892 Luncheon Members of the Society of 1892 were invited to attend this special luncheon as a thank-you for their generosity to the Academy. (Pictured above.)

Cadet Retreat Formation After hearing from R-MA President Major General Henry M. Hobgood, USAF Ret., alumni were able to take a walk down memory lane by watching the Friday afternoon retreat formation. (Pictured above.) Many alumni also visited their old dorm rooms.

Homecoming CourtThe Homecoming Court was presented during halftime at the football game. (Pictured above.)

Bonfire While the alumni were gathered at their dinner, the students enjoyed a bonfire and s’mores! (Pictured above.)

Welcome Back Dinner Alumni enjoyed live music, provided by The Intrepid Jazz Trio, and a meal at Bowling Green Country Club. The R-MA Chorus provided some entertainment for the crowd as well. (Pictured at right.)


See “Homecoming,” page 25

Donors’ Reception The Board of Trustees hosted a special reception as a thank-you to those who had donated $250 or more to the Annual Fund in the past and current fiscal years. (Pictured above.)

Homecoming Halloween DanceThe students enjoyed the Homecoming Dance held on Saturday evening. (Pictured above left.)

Memorial Service The traditional memorial service was held in front of Melton Gymnasium. Brenda Mieth, the wife of the late Col Ivan Mieth, former commandant of cadets at R-MA, was presented with a flag that was flown over R-MA. (Pictured below left.) Col Mieth passed away in March of 2012.

Parade Immediately after the Memorial Service, the students marched down to Riddick Field to conduct a pass and review. (Pictured above left is the “officers center” formation during the parade.)

The Class of 1973 Bench Dedication In celebration of their 40th reunion, the Class of 1973 dedicated a bench overlooking Riddick Field. (Pictured above.)


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Retiring heads of two schools, one in Front Royal, the other in the United Kingdom, have teamed up over the past decade to allow students annual cultural and educational exchanges which, they agreed in a recent interview, has “enriched the kids’ beyond all hopes and aspirations” and hope that the program will continue as they step down from their positions this year and next.

Major General Henry M. (Mack) Hobgood, USAF (ret), president of Randolph-Macon Academy, and Dr. A. R. (Roger) Wilkes, headmaster of Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School(QEGS) in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, England, reflected on the student exchange in an exclusive interview Oct. 26, agreeing that it was continuing to “evolve and to improve the cultural fabric of both institutions.”

Both hoped their successors would continue to regard the exchange as part of their regular curricula. Wilkes, 61, retired recently after 18 years as headmaster of what has become one of England’s top schools in secondary education, graduating students to historic universities such as Oxford, Cambridge and even Harvard. Hobgood retires next June after 16 years as president of R-MA, totaling 48 years in the uniform of the United States military.

Both men have set an unrivaled record of excellence in educational achievement since taking the helm of their respective schools. Following his retirement, Hobgood will take over as

president of the Virginia Council for Private Education. Wilkes continues to be active in the upper echelons of English rugby foot-ball, his passion from childhood.

Both are forward thinkers; they talked more of the future of their respective schools than of past achievements. Both paid tribute to their wives. Carolyn Hobgood is locally well known for nurturing those R-MA kids who need extra, perhaps motherly, attention, and Lois Wilkes, a history teacher who has pretty much mirrored her husband’s 37 years in education, is also a “go to” mother figure when QEGS pupils ran afoul of her headmaster husband.

Of the cultural exchange program that launched in 2002 - an 11th group of British students returned home last week after a 10-day stay at R-MA and with local parents - both school leaders said the program has consistently attracted “very high quality, top performing students” who regard their trips as supplementing their overall educational experience. Entering its 11th consecutive year, the exchange has attracted some 300 students, teachers and staff from both sides of the Atlantic. Brian Barbour succeeded Michael Williams as the exchange director at R-MA.

Hobgood: “The focus (of the program) is always on the kids and will always be about the opportunities we can give them.” He stressed, too, “the professional development opportunities” the exchange provides for staff and faculty. Selected R-MA staff members and faculty act as chaperones for the UK visits; mostly the two Wilkeses have accompanied the British groups.

Apart from visits to Washington, local sights such as Luray Caverns, and to Virginia colleges such as University of Virginia and Virginia Tech, the British students, usually 10-12 per year, experience dormitory life on the R-MA campus as well as residing with local families over a weekend.

In England, R-MA students, mostly juniors and seniors, attend class-room sessions at their counterpart grammar school - founded in 1585 and named for the first Queen Elizabeth and live with local families. They make a major trip to London, visiting the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace, and attend a major West End play or musical. British kids include in their itineraries visits to Capitol Hill, the White House, the Kennedy Center, and Wayside Theatre in Middletown.

“Meanwhile, they all learn of the overlap of history and culture of our two countries ... they appreciate more what is going on in each other’s countries,” Wilkes said.

As the guard changes at R-MA – reflection and the future:Hobgood and UK counterpart see bright future in trans-Atlantic exchange

Editor’s Note: This article is by Malcolm Barr, and was originally published in the Warren County Report in November 2012. It is reprinted here with permission.

Summer Programs Run June 30-July 26, 2013

New Middle School Course Music Technology

New Upper School CourseCreative Writing Workshop

For more information: rma.edu/summer


R-MA’s Fall Family “Weekend” faced an unusual move this year as it was held on Thursday and Friday, November 15th and 16th, instead of on the usual weekend.

“Fall Family Weekend is normally held shortly after the end of the first quarter, so parents have the first quarter grades in hand and can conduct meaningful discussions with their children’s teachers,” observed Jonathan Ezell, the academic dean at R-MA Upper School.

Between the start date of school and the early Thanksgiving break, that would have placed the weekend events on November 9th and 10th, only a week before parents would have to return to campus to pick up their children.

“We have had that scheduling issue before, and it always results in a low turnout for Family Weekend,” Ezell said. “So we decided to combine the Fall Family events with the start of Thanksgiving break.”

Parent-teacher conferences were held throughout the afternoon on Thursday, and the fall play, “Mulan,” took place Wednesday and Thursday evenings. The Middle School held a special parent dinner Thursday evening as well. The National Honor Society Induction and Scholarship Recognition Ceremony was held Friday morning at 9:00 a.m., followed immediately by the corps parade. At that point, all students were allowed to leave for break, although parent-teacher conferences continued throughout Friday afternoon, with a parents’ luncheon at noon and college planning and US Air Force Academy information sessions at 1:00 p.m. By 3:00 p.m., the time classes normally let out, most students were well on their way home for the break.

“We received very positive feedback, and attendance was high,” Ezell said. He said parents did indicate that they missed one thing from past Fall Family Weekends: the ten-minute class schedule, where parents go through a shortened version of their child’s schedule. It allows parents to hear from each teacher, to better understand their teaching styles and methods. “We will look at adding that back in next year, and look at all the factors as we decide whether to keep the events close to the break or move it back to a weekend earlier in November.”

Fall Family Events Begin Thanksgiving Break

The National Honor Society Officers relax with a smile after giving their speeches during the induction ceremony.

At left, AyebaSopreye “Soso” Eke-Spiff ’17 proudly performs in the parade during Fall

Family Days.

At left, the color guard presents the colors during the parade. The Middle School flag corps, pictured above, also participated in the

parade during Fall Family Days.

Cadets Grace Alexander ’14 (far left) and Caitlin Bunker ’14 (above) visit with family

members after the parade.


c a m p u s n e w s

It is easy to understand why General Hobgood commonly refers to R-MA Chorus Instructor Michael DeMato as “brave” and “fearless.” Having only taught at R-MA for three years, the Queens, New York native took on the adventure of recreating the choir at R-MA with his own vision for the program firmly in mind. Under his leadership, the chorus has developed into a strong unit around a core group that continues to flourish with every activity they participate in, and truly, the experiences have been numerous!

“The best thing about R-MA choir that sets us apart,” DeMato said, “is the fact that we enjoy singing, we’re dedicated to our choir’s success, and we utilize every experience that comes our way to perform.” The choir, under DeMato’s dedicated cultivation, has shone in performances at Disney World, the National Rifle Association’s annual convention, and several other events, including local concerts. “With so much being regimented [at R-MA],” DeMato says, “music really balances the educational experience out. You need arts to be hand-in-hand with science and math. Music provides a creative outlet of healthy expression. It’s not just plugging in numbers; it’s a flow. You need music.”

The first year DeMato served, the choir made a strong impression at the National Rifle Association (NRA) Convention, and was requested to return. This year, nine singers competed at the Virginia High School District competition, and three were selected to be in the District choir. Keeping up the success streak,

R-MA Chorus: Singing Their Way to Success

the choir made an incredible impact on behalf of R-MA when they went Christmas caroling at Downtown Winchester and also when they performed for the Rotary Club Luncheon.

DeMato credits the success to the bond he has developed with his students. “The choir has taught me to give and take,” said DeMato when talking about teaching chorus. “I can relate to the students; I come to their games. Music hits all of us; there’s something for everyone, and that’s what makes our choir strong.”

Committed to good music and a strong choir, DeMato is first and foremost dedicated to his students. “The best thing about my job is the students. I love music already and they make it even more enjoyable. They make it easy. I’ve got a good group of kids.”

Always looking for new venues to show off the choir, DeMato has many hopes for how he would like to see the choir develop in the future. He wants to develop the whole choir further to participate in

the District Festival, in addition to the solo competition every year. Believing that the choir is solid and ready for a new challenge, DeMato wants to work with harder music. He also has a goal for the choir to perform at the VMEA (Virginia Music Educator Association) conference held for state music teachers. Such an achievement would be very telling of the talent of the singers at R-MA. “The ultimate goal is to not stop,” he said, “we need to keep getting better so more students will be attracted to choir.”

The R-MA Chorus performs at the Rotary Holiday Luncheon.

The Upper School Band and Parade Unit wasn’t the only entity representing R-MA in parades during the fall semester. After an absence of several years, the R-MA Middle School rejoined the Downtown Front Royal Christmas Parade on December 1, 2012, with a homemade float, taking First Place for “Best Spirit!” Meanwhile, the Upper School Band and Parade Unit was kept busy in the Alsatia Mummers’ Parade on October 27, 2012, and the Fredericksburg Jaycees Christmas Parade on December 1st, along with Homecoming, Fall Family Days, and two on-campus retreat parades. On January 23, 2013, the band headed down to central Florida to perform at Universal Studios Orlando and SeaWorld.

by Rebekah Secrist

Marching—and Floating—AlongThe fun continues during the second semester:

• Fri.-Sun., Feb. 21-24 – 37th Military School Band Festival at Fork Union Military Academy, Fork Union, VA (selected cadets only)

• Fri.-Sat., Mar. 15-16 – Trip to New York, NY for St. Patrick’s Day Parade (1100, Sat., March 16)

• Fri. Mar. 22, 1500 – Retreat Parade, Riddick Field• Fri. Apr. 19, 1500 – Retreat Parade, Riddick Field • Fri. Apr. 26, 1930 – Family Weekend Concert, Boggs Chapel • Sat. Apr. 27, 1030 – Family Weekend Corps Parade, Riddick

Field• Fri. May 3, 1730 – Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival

Firefighters’ Parade• Sat. May 4, 1330 -- Shenandoah Apple Blossom Grand

Feature Parade• Fri., May 24, 1400 -- Final Corps Parade, Riddick Field• Sat., May 25, 0930 -- Commencement Concert and

Ceremony, Melton Gymnasium

At left, the Middle School students prepare to march in the Downtown Front Royal Christmas Parade. Their enthusiasm won

them the “Best Spirit!” award in the parade.


Putting on a musical is an intense commitment, as anyone involved in this past fall’s production of Mulan could tell you. It takes more people, more vision, more talent, and even more money than a “regular” play. However, thanks to a grant from the Parents’ Association and gifts from individuals, the assistance of a Broadway actor, and the dedication of many parents and students, Drama Instructor Kim Cramer P’12, ’14 and the cast of the R-MA Little Theatre didn’t just pull it off—they made it a resounding success.

The play was based on the Disney version of the old Chinese legend about a young girl, Fa Mulan, who dresses up as a man and goes to fight a war in her father’s place. Although this was punishable by death in ancient China, she eventually saves the life of the emperor and earns her family honor. The title role was shared by Margot Cramer ’14 and Regina Song ’14. The play was a huge hit: The Little Theatre was packed, with standing room only, all four nights.

“Mulan was so intriguing to me because of the Asian themes,” said Mrs. Cramer. “I felt it could inspire a larger group of kids because of the demographics of our kids. It turned out that truly was the case. To me, the show was a success to watch the Asian students so inspired. More than a handful expressed to me that they finally felt they belong here. They came together as an integrated group.”

While Cramer and Chorus Director Michael DeMato incorporated music into the spring 2012 production of The Little Theatre, the last time R-MA had seen a full musical production was in the spring of 2005, when the band, chorus, and drama department put on The Pirates of Penzance or The Slave of Duty in Melton Gymnasium.

“I was motivated to do this because last year we integrated music into the show and I knew this was the next step to growing the program here,” said Cramer. “And I knew Michael DeMato was willing and eager to help.”

“Working on Mulan was an amazing experience,” said DeMato. “Kim was so dedicated to both the students and the show, and she inspired me to be just as committed to putting on top-notch performances. Everyone involved learned so much and, in the end, took R-MA Drama productions to a new level.”

The undertaking was certainly ambitious for a small school with limited resources, but in addition to DeMato, Cramer had another ace up her sleeve—her husband, SFC Stephen Cramer, has been a professional actor for more than 25 years, with experience on Broadway and touring as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables. He is currently a member of the esteemed U.S. Army Chorus and regularly runs workshops for actors, and had eight years of experience in working with students at both Admiral Byrd Middle School and James Wood High School in nearby Winchester, VA. At his wife’s request, SFC Cramer agreed to work with the students on Mulan.

“He assisted with anything I threw at him,” Mrs. Cramer said. “He choreographed the entire show. I didn’t have time left to listen to music and create the vision. He’s amazing at visualizing movement on stage. And what was so amazing was he was able to teach the students—there were a lot at the start who said they couldn’t dance.

He inspired even the non-dancers.” SFC Cramer was not the only one who assisted with the

production, of course. “Susan Ochoa [P’12, ’15] took her art class and integrated the set painting and some construction into the curriculum,” said Mrs. Cramer. “Susan Funderberg [P’14] helped with the costuming, doing all the alterations and construction of many of the costumes. It was a wonderful collaboration of faculty, staff, parents, and students.”

The Little Theatre turned out to be the perfect location for Mulan, in spite of the limiting size, as it was easy to hear soloists and the perfect harmonies

of the chorus parts could wash over the attendees and create excitement or tension as appropriate.

Kelli Hutcheson ’14 said “I thought the play was very well put together – everyone worked very hard, and their work made for an awesome performance.”

The faculty enjoyed the musical as well. Mr. Davies, the Chairman of the English department said, “Ms. Cramer brought together wonderful performances in dancing, singing, and acting for the best and most ambitious show I’ve ever seen at R-MA.”

Rebel Hafner ’15 contributed to this article.

Mulan Muse: Musicals Return to R-MA

Natalie Pendie ‘15 played Mushu, the dragon sent to help Mulan.

At left, Rongsong Cai ’14 as Captain Shang and Margot

Cramer ’14 as Mulan. Above, Regina Song ’14 takes a turn as Mulan. She and Margot

alternated the lead role.


c a m p u s n e w s

Since the beginning of this school year, we have supported events

small and large directly benefiting the students and staff creating a

thriving school environment. Already this year, the PA has funded

traditional events to include Mentoring Fund, British Exchange, Flight

Dinners, Holiday Parties for students and staff, Christmas breakfast,

Big Brother/Big Sister’s Dinner, Grants for Teaching Staff, and

Middle School Birthday Project. With the start of our Winter/Spring

semester other yearly events are right on schedule.

The monthly meetings continue to be a positive source of

planning and information. At each meeting we host an invited guest

from the R-MA staff. Since our first meeting this school year, we

have been honored with Jonathan Ezell, Academic Dean; Clare

Dame, Director of Enrollment Management; and Major General

Hobgood, President. These individuals have provided information

from their specific areas, discussing details on future goals and school

happenings. Our meetings offer a relaxed forum and information

exchange gaining a view into the daily workings of R-MA. The

opportunity for questions and answers pave the way for a clear

understanding of their vision. Please review our meeting minutes

found on the PA website at www.rma.edu/Parents-Association.

Hands are always welcome and appreciated to support PA events.

Upcoming opportunities include the concession stand at sporting

events, used uniform sale, and book fair. All income generated

directly supports funding for all the traditional events discussed earlier

in addition to scheduled winter/spring semester events.

We look forward to seeing you!

Angie WilliamsPA President

A Letter from the President

Fall 2012 Honor Society InductionsCongratulations to the following students on being inducted into their respective honor societies this fall:

Thomas Abell ‘13Lauren Allen ‘13

Gordon Anderson ‘15Roop Atwal ‘15

Jacob Dodson ‘15Amy Gray ‘15

Rebel Hafner ‘15Mazrukh Khan ‘15

National Junior Honor Society

Evan Anderton ‘18Jasmine Bowers ‘17Remington Gillis ‘17

Michael Grossman ‘18Jasmine Johnson ‘17

Daniel Nascimento ‘16Angel Njoku ‘18Dennis Ponn ‘17Katelyn Ponn ‘18

Sarah Vaughan ‘18

National English Honor Society

George Beals PG’13Margot Cramer ‘14Jacob Dodson ‘15

Amy Gray ‘15Rebel Hafner ‘15

Ixel “Xel” Ochoa ‘15Shelby Sebring ‘15

Carissa Vaccaro PG’13Tyler Vaughan ‘15

The Parents’ Association would like to congratulate the 2012 Grant Recipients!

Each year the Parents’ Association awards $1,000 grants to one or more teachers at R-MA. Grants are applied for, and considered by a team of R-MA parents. Out of the seven

applications received, the PA awarded the following:

Physical Education Department:Brandy Hudson and Joshua Ilnicki

Digital Fitness Equipment Assessment

Middle School English:Mariola Doran

Renaissance Learning Accelerated Reader Reading Competition

Middle School Science Department:Tobias Allanson

Integration of Technology in Middle School Science

Check out the latest news and upcoming events at

rma.edu/Parents-Association

This is a great place to catch up on missed meetings, and learn what the Parents’

Association does for the students!

Parents’ Association News

Wonjoo Ko ‘14Junhao Liu ‘14

Victor Marshall ‘14Ixel “Xel” Ochoa ‘14

David Pawlak ‘14Manuel Prado ‘13

Carissa Vaccaro PG’13Tyler Vaughan ‘15

National Honor Society


Impressions of Mr. Latham’s Germany Trip/Summer 2012By Grace Alexander, ‘14

I travelled to Germany this summer where I saw the Alps for the first time. I was sitting on a train passing through the countryside. There were thick trees on either side of the train, and the air was heavy with rain and fog. The train broke out of the trees, and the Alps rose up from the mist. Now in America I have lived in the mountains for fourteen years; whenever I walk out of my house or look out the window, that’s what I see, fields and mountains. But these mountains were unlike any I’d ever seen before. They were just massive and I got really excited and started running around the train to all the windows taking pictures. And as the train got closer, they continued to grow in size. We went to Kehlsteinhaus, or Eagle’s Nest, which was 6,017 feet high and offered a 360-degree view of the surrounding countryside and mountains. There were boulders everywhere so I could just climb atop one and have a huge rock all to myself.

Then we saw the glacial water. It was cleaner and clearer and in larger quantities than any water I’d ever encountered. Konigsee, a lake, is bordered by the Berchtesgardener Alps which reach 9,649 feet high and stretch 617 feet deep, five miles long, more than a mile wide. When I was on a boat in the middle, I looked down and although the water was clear, I just saw lots of water; the bottom was out of sight. I got to swim in the glacial water and when I opened my eyes underwater I could see far, I could see people but when I looked down, when I dove off the boat, the water just kept getting deeper and deeper, colder and colder. I was simply blown away by the natural beauty of Germany that Mr. Latham’s trip exposed me to.

We traveled to cities too, and to churches, castles, Switzerland,

and Austria. We traveled by train which offered a convenient, safe way to speak with locals and practice the German language. In the beginning of the trip, I sat by these hikers on a train. They had hiking gear, and I am interested in going hiking in the Alps when I am older, so I asked them where they were going to hike. I understood absolutely nothing of the ensuing conversation except for “Alps.” Eighteen days into the trip we were on another train traveling to Lindau. The train was crowded and when I found an empty seat I asked, “Ist das frei?” or “Is this free?” which is customary in Germany. The guy next to me started talking to me in German. We talked until the train stopped, and I understood almost every word. My fluency and comfort level with the German language had improved immensely. At the start of the trip, the hikers spoke to me with words and I didn’t understand them, but this guy spoke in sentences, and very quickly, and I understood him.

by Shelby M. Sebring ’15

This winter, five R-MA cadets mastered the complex task of programming Lego NXT Mindstorms Robots. The Robotics Intramural began in November with “Domabots” -- a compact, rudimentary design designed by Damien Kee, an independent technology expert. The design is easy to build and easy to operate. Under the instruction of R-MA Aerospace Instructor MSgt Stephen Pederson P’13, ’15, USAF, Ret., the cadets learned how to use “building blocks” to write robot-specific files on NXT Programming, an icon-based program and were soon downloading new programming with lightning speed. Among a few of the simpler tasks, the Domabots could be equipped with various sensors enabling the machines to respond to touch, sounds, colors, and even to sense the distance from a wall.

Once the cadets had an understanding of the robots, they moved away from the elementary Domobot clones to the next assignment: the much more exciting Sumobots robot. The foundation of a Sumobot is the same NXT brick as in all other Lego robots, but Sumobots are built for competition at both the local

and national level. Tournaments take place in which one Sumobot “wrestles” another and attempts to knock it out of the ring. This competition requires a sturdy design and a very complicated program; Sumobots need to know when to attack the opponent and when to turn around in addition to accounting for speed variations and the

requirement to stay within the circle. Along with the program, each cadet

personally engineered his or her own Sumobot with the ultimate goal of winning the tournament. Many designs were considered to capture First Place making the group of five robots look quite the motley crew. Competitors “Fat Albert” and “Southern Fury” were designed with considerable weight for added momentum, “Barricade” sported a plow-like platform to easily relocate opponents, “Dombot” had the extra advantage of a wider wheel base, and the feared “Runaway” featured a violently spinning arm on the front.

After weeks of concentrated design and programming, the five Sumobots matched each other in the first R-MA Sumobot Tournament. Though the ‘bots were very equally matched and many of the intense scrimmages ended in ties, the cadets all knew that there could only be

Robotics: Precision Counts

Watch for the Drillbots’ Thirty Count Demo at Spring Family Weekend April 26 & 27, 2013!

See “Robotics,” page 22

Shelby Sebring ’15 prepares to unleash her Sumobot against the competition.

Pictured at right is an alpine glacial lake called the

Königsseein the town of

Berchtesgaden,Germany in the

Alps.


c a m p u s n e w s

Fallen Hero Honored at Patriot Day CeremonyBy Peter Jin ’13

The Corps of Cadets at Randolph-Macon Academy remembered heroes this year for Patriot’s Day. Cadets George Beals PG’13,

Marcus Williams ’13, and Kelli Hutcheson ’14 gave presentations on selected personal heroes, recalling their bravery and sacrifices. However, most touching of all was Cadet McKenzie Marshall’s ’13 speech, which honored a fallen community and national hero, Senior Chief Petty Officer Thomas Valentine, and

husband of R-MA alumna Christina Kalassay Valentine ‘87. Senior Chief Valentine, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan as a Navy SEAL, was killed in Arizona during a 2008 free fall training exercise.

Following

Above, cadets fold the flag to be presented to Christina Valentine’ 87. Below, Corps

Commander Killian Hopcroft ‘13 presents the flag to the family.

While many schools are cutting candy out of any school-related activity imaginable, R-MA brought in a new one for the Upper School students this year: Trunk or Treat. The event was held on November 1, 2012, the day after Halloween, to ensure students had enough time to finish studying for their quarter exams.

Faculty and staff decorated the trunks of their cars, mini vans, and pick-up trucks and handed out candy to students--some of whom had dressed up for the occasion. The vehicles were placed all over campus. Bandmaster Ed Richards floated scary music through the air near the football field, while the R-MA nurses decorated the main area of the clinic.

The event was such a success that it caused some thought on what could be done next. So on December 2, 2012, the R-MA family joined together for yet another new holiday tradition: decorating an outdoor Christmas tree.

“The idea came from Col Gary Sadler [commandant of cadets],” said Michael Williams, director of student life, who put together most of the event. “It is always a joy to see kids having good clean fun. As is usually the case with a new event, a small

Upper School Holiday Traditions New and Old

In a continuing holiday tradition, the R-MA Residential Life Program sponsored a Christmas banquet for the Upper School

cadets. During the dinner, door prizes were awarded and students had the opportunity to have photos taken with Santa.

the speeches, the color guard commanded by Cadet Senior Master Sergeant Robin Penn ’14 lowered the flag and folded it while Cadet First Lieutenant Rabia Otry ’13 played “Taps” and the honor guard fired a 21-gun salute. Corps Commander Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Killian Hopcroft ’13 then placed a spent shell from each of the three volleys in the flag and presented it to Mrs. Valentine.

Hopcroft stated, “It was a privilege to honor Senior Chief Valentine. As someone who wants to be a service member it was a really impactful experience. My thoughts go out to the Valentine family.” Valentine left behind his two young children John and Meghan, who also attended the ceremony to honor their father’s service.

“It’s overwhelming, it’s almost been over four and a half years since Tom was killed and for people to continuously remember and honor him is just probably the greatest gift that America can give to its soldiers in the military,” Mrs. Valentine told TV-3 Winchester

reporter Hattie Cheek. The Valentines’ nine-year-old daughter, Meghan, also spoke

to Cheek. “It makes me feel good that they’re doing this, and I bet my dad would be proud because he didn’t just do it for credit and gratitude, he did it because he loved his country,” she said.

Cadet Thomas Brewer ’16 said, “The whole ceremony was a really somber experience. I don’t think anyone moved an inch the entire time. I’m just really grateful for the sacrifices that our heroes have made.” Brewer stated that he was really moved by the ceremony and felt privileged to honor Senior Chief Petty Officer Valentine alongside his fellow cadets.

George Beals PG’13 speaks during the

ceremony.

handful of kids show up, walk around and stare before deciding how safe it is to just be a kid and have fun. We started the evening with about 20 students, and within a half an hour we had over 50. Before an hour was over we had close to 100.”

Throughout the unseasonably warm evening, a few chorus students and Chorus Director Michael DeMato shared Christmas tunes, Maddie Chafin ‘14 read a Robert Frost Christmas Poem, and the cadets made s’mores over an elevated metal grill fire pit. Students

enjoyed snacks and desserts made by faculty and staff members, along with hot cocoa from the Food Services department, all of which were located under a 10’x10’ pop-up tent. Santa Claus (a.k.a. George McIntyre ‘69) even showed up and added to the joy of the evening. And of course, the Christmas tree located outside at the north corner of Sonner-Payne Hall received numerous decorations.

“It was, truly, a full R-MA family event,” said Williams. “It’s amazing when we provide a fun and relaxing atmosphere for our kids how fun and enjoyable we realize that they, truly, are.”


R-MA Student Wins VFW’s Patriot Pen Essay ContestFRONT ROYAL -- After three

deployments, Maj. Amy Gray, U.S. Army Reserves, is back home in Woodstock. She made a stop at Randolph-Macon Academy on Thursday afternoon to speak to students about her experiences in Afghanistan as an occupational therapist.

During her stay in Afghanistan, Gray said she received close to 1,000 letters from R-MA students, and that is why she said she felt compelled to visit with them.

Gray, 47, came home to her husband and three children about six months ago after a 15-month stay in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. There she worked in a concussion care center and helped soldiers recovering from traumatic brain injuries and other similar ailments. She also occasionally worked with people from the local community.

“Occupational therapy focuses on mental health ... things dealing with the activities of daily living,” she said. “I helped retrain people on how to do things in a new way.”

Gray said that traumatic brain injuries remain one of the most common injuries in the military field, and treatment for it has only recently been put into practice. She noted the best way to ensure recovery from a concussion is rest.

“The most common way for a soldier to get a concussion is probably from vehicle-borne IED blasts or vehicle rollovers,” she said.

While Gray said she never had to use her weapon or was put into a combat position, she did suffer some hearing loss while overseas. She said one of the scarier moments she remembers is when a truck loaded with explosives blew up just a half mile from

Veteran, continued from page 5

Randolph-Macon Academy Middle School students participated and triumphed in the 2012 Patriot’s Pen Competition sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Ladies Auxiliary. This nationwide VFW-sponsored youth essay competition provides students an opportunity to write essays expressing their views on democracy with the prospect of winning U.S. savings bonds. This year’s theme was “What I Would Tell America’s Founding Fathers.”

Three R-MA Middle School students took the top prizes for the Front Royal VFW Post

What I Would Tell America’s Founding Fathers

by Katelyn Shea ’17

If I got a chance to talk to America’s founding fathers, I would tell them three things. First, I would express how grateful I am to them. Then, I would explain my views of America to our founding fathers. Lastly, I would let them know what it means to me to be an American. I would also want them to realize how important they are to me.

I am so incredibly fortunate to live in the United States of America. I have freedom because my founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence. I have freedom of speech, expression, and religion because my founding fathers penned the Constitution. Being an American means so much more than it could; because of my founding fathers.

I would love to tell the founding fathers my views of America. I would ask them if they predicted that America would be so special because it is a diverse melting pot of cultures and religions. It is humbling to think that if every country had a designated color, (for example, if China was purple, and South Korea was magenta), then America would be a rainbow!!

I have my founding fathers to thank for my past, present, and future. They were the spark that started the fire, and the seed that grew the apple. To me, they represent determination and triumph. When we learned about the founding fathers in history, I felt a sense of pride knowing that they accomplished so much for our country.

In America, everyone counts. Sadly, not all people around the world can say that. My founding fathers provided me with so much, before I was even born!! They helped shape my destiny with their love for America. There cannot be a middle or an end without a beginning, and the founding fathers provided a tremendous start for the United States of America. Thomas Jefferson made an important point when he stated “My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.” - Thomas Jefferson. (www.bostonianteaparty.com) The founding fathers took this into consideration when they formed our laws. The most important thing I could say to my founding fathers, however, would be a simple thank you for their hard work, dedication and brilliant ideas. The founding fathers truly formed America into “The land of the free, and the home of the brave!”

1860. Third place was Matthew Scott ’17, second place was Angelique Murphy ’17, and first place was Katelyn Shea ’17. Shea’s essay was also chosen as the first-place essay for the entire VFW district, which includes the public and private middle schools, as well as home schoolers, from Winchester, Front Royal, Berryville, Luray, Edinburg, Elkton, Shenandoah, and Timberville.

Shea presented her paper at VFW Post 2123 in Winchester and earned the opportunity to advance to the state-level competition.

Open HousesKnow someone who might be

interested in attending Randolph-Macon Academy? Let them know

about our upcoming open houses!

Sunday, March 10, 2013 at 2 pmSunday, April 14, 2013 at 2 pmSunday, May 19, 2013 at 2 pm

Monday, May 27, 2013 at 10 amSunday, June 9, 2013 at 2 pmSunday, July 14, 2013 at 2 pm

To register, visit www.rma.edu/open-house

or call540-636-5484.

Hope to see you there!


s t u d e n t s

by Christiana Hayes ’14Rabia Otry, a native of Chicago, Illinois, is in her second year at

Randolph-Macon Academy. Known for her energetic personality and wide smile, she is a senior now with a long list of R-MA accomplishments and plans for her future. She came to R-MA looking for both discipline and independence, with an eye on the military program. She rates her main achievements as being the Alpha Flight Commander, a member of the National Honor Society, and gaining acceptance to her first-choice college, Iowa State University. She plans to carry her talents into a five-year master’s program in supply-chain management with an undergraduate degree in industrial engineering and a minor in French.

At home, Otry loves to ride horses. At school, her activities and interests are great and small. She has managed football for two years and been active in Community Service and peer tutoring. Favorite down-time activities include talking in funny accents with this reporter, going on town leave (“going on an adventure,” she calls it), and eating at the Thai place off Main Street and at Soul Mountain Café.

Otry’s energy and positive outlook impress those who work with

Victoria Montgomery has been a teacher at R-MA for two years. In the past year, she stepped up to fulfill the role as coach for the Chess Club at R-MA, and she states it has been a very rewarding experience. Having played chess since she was three years old, Montgomery loves chess and has fun explaining strategy to the twenty students that participate in chess club at R-MA. Montgomery is proud of all her students and their talent, and specifically, Yangboya Liu ’13, who has been particularly successful. Liu, one of R-MA’s international students from Shenzhen, China, is a former cadre member, National Honor Society member, flight student, business owner, and nationally acclaimed chess master.

Liu is a fascinating individual who discovered R-MA three years ago when one of his friends graduated from R-MA. After considering several schools, Liu chose R-MA for several reasons along with its being a military academy: “At R-MA, there are . . . Chinese students; I’m never lonely. And I love military things. I was accepted by many different schools, but I chose R-MA because it helps with my biggest goal: to stand out, to be unique.” Liu has utilized every opportunity provided for him at R-MA to enrich his talents. Feeling called to study psychology in college, he claims, “Chess really helps my future college major because in chess you have to have good logical thinking to interpret what the opponent is thinking. That’s useful because in psychology, you have to interpret what someone is thinking, too. Chess really helps me.”

In addition to chess, Liu is a member of the flight program offered at R-MA, an activity he absolutely loves. Smiling as he recalled how nervous he used to be to fly, he explained that he is no longer nervous about flying, and having control over his peace of mind has overlapped into his endeavors with chess, where there are time limits in the game that could cause extreme anxiety.

Truly a remarkable individual, Liu owns a business in China with his parents and a friend where they sell ocarinas, a beautifully unique Chinese instrument. Liu operates his business mostly in the summer when he returns home for the out-of-school season; his business sells lessons, performances, and other items alongside the graceful product. In the other seasons when he is at R-MA, he claims chess as his big passion.

Liu has played chess for ten years, since a teacher in China inspired him to pick up the sport. In China, where the complicated sport is more popular, he used to compete at least once a week, sometimes playing up to fifty different games at the same time with other players at meets. In the US he competes only a few times per year, but always wins big when he does. Last year he competed in the Pacific Coast Open in California, a national competition with other masters, where he took second place and won $1500.00. On the East Coast, he competed in another national competition with other chess masters and placed in the top ten. Although Liu has a grade certificate, a national chess player award that acknowledges his prowess as chess master to the country, he is also recognized at R-MA, where at a chess exhibition match he played ten people at once and won all ten games

simultaneously. Perhaps one can argue that Liu has already accomplished his

goal to stand out and be unique, but he continues to grow everyday as he works towards graduation and his aspirations beyond. Liu is always one step ahead, and is passionate about all he does. Hoping to bring as much attention to this strategic sport in the US as it receives in Asia, Liu says he will never give up the sport. “Chess will always be a hobby in my life. I love the strategy. It’s a game of the mind, and I love it.”

Yangboya Liu and R-MA: Checkmateby Rebekah Secrist

her. “I have known Rabia for two years, and she has many wonderful characteristics. She is successful, caring, and happy about life,” said her mentor, Michael DeMato, R-MA’s chorus instructor. “One

trait that I admire most about Rabia is her moral standard and commitment to doing the right thing. If everyone was breaking a rule, Rabia would be the one to go against the grain and strive for what is truly good.”

Reverend Lemuel Pearsall met Otry when he first started working at R-MA. He visited the dorms and she greeted him with a big smile—then she promptly suggested ideas for chapel programs. Reverend Pearsall commented, “I could tell that Ms. Rabia is a visionary with a kind and sensitive heart who has great leadership skills. She is a visionary who has assisted me with making suggestions that have helped to make chapel a more blessed opportunity for everyone. It is obvious that she loves R-MA and the cadets here and enjoys her leadership roles within this community. After speaking with Ms. Rabia that

first time and observing her around campus, her life reminds me of the quote from Mother Teresa, “Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.”

Rabia Otry, Visionary


John Backo ’18 is in his first year at R-MA Middle School, arriving just in time for a first-time program that suits the needs of both him and his family. He started out as a day student, then switched to the five-day boarding program when it became available in November. His brother also came to R-MA as a five-day boarder at that time.

“It’s fun,” he said of being a boarding student. “I get more sleep. I stay sometimes on the weekends when I want to do the trips.”

Backo had gone to private school, then switched to public school, then came to R-MA. “My mom heard about it on the radio, and she wants me to go to the Air Force Academy,” he said. “I want to go to the Naval Academy.”

A resident of Warrenton, VA, Backo’s desire to attend the Naval Academy stems from both a family heritage and a love of lacrosse. “My dad was in the Marines, so I want to be in the Marines like my dad,” he said. “And the Naval Academy is one of the best in the country in lacrosse. And it’s close to home.”

As for R-MA, he said, “We looked into it and I liked it. I liked that it had lacrosse and JROTC and small classes.”

The transition into a new school went smoothly for him. “My friends when I came here made me feel really welcome. I like the small classes so you get a lot of attention. They [focus on] that more here than public schools do.”

R-MA’s First 5-Day BoarderBacko is an active student who doesn’t want to stay on the couch

playing video games or watching TV for hours at a time. He would much rather be outside practicing his favorite sport: lacrosse.

“I love lacrosse,” he said. “It’s fun, it gets me off the couch. I’ve played lacrosse for six or seven years. I hate being kept inside the house all day.” As a result, although Backo is passionate about lacrosse, his interests aren’t limited to just that one sport. He also plays basketball and soccer, and he loves history, especially the Civil War era. This year, he is taking digital piano as his elective, not to fill a slot in his schedule but because he wants to learn how to play the piano.

“John is a quiet kid with a great sense of humor, and as I have gotten to know him it has been John’s kindness and personal resolve to constantly improve academically and athletically

that have impressed me. I am very excited to see where this young man takes himself in life,” commented Mike Mellish, Backo’s science and English teacher at R-MA Middle School.

“John is pleasant, upbeat and always curious,” said R-MA Middle School Principal and civics teacher Derrick Leasure. “He performs well in class, loves sports, and serves as a leader in the residential life program. He always has a big smile and a healthy salutation. He volunteers to help everybody. He is truly a model R-MA student.”

Growing up in rural Boyce, David Pawlak is a sophomore at R-MA where he is a member of the National Honor Society and a participant in lacrosse. Utilizing the structured organizational values at R-MA, Pawlak says he’s learned to balance his passion for horses with his busy academic schedule. Sometimes, he even rides after dark. Bailey, a thoroughbred, is Pawlak’s partner, and this past year the pair placed fifth in the nation within their division in horseback riding, earning a mention in Eventing USA, a popular equestrian magazine. Pawlak started riding when he was two years old and has inherited his love of horses from his parents; his father is a farrier for the Canadian Olympian team, and joined the team in London for the 2012 Olympics. Pawlak’s mother shares in the family’s zeal for horses; she is a veterinarian technician at Piedmont Equestrian Hospital for horses.

Pawlak is a training junior rider, and competes at approximately ten events a year. Of the three stages of eventing (dressage, cross-country, and stadium), Pawlak’s favorite is cross-country because of the variety of competitive qualities assessed

David Pawlak: Riding Highby Rebekah Secrist The Admission Office at Randolph-Macon Academy constantly

promotes the idea of finding a school that is the right match for a child. In the case of Jasmine Bowers ’17 and Randolph-Macon Academy, it was the ideal match.

“This is a smaller school, with better sports, a better education,” Bowers said. “At first, it was kind of hard. I went to public school before, and I didn’t do my homework, didn’t pay attention, but my grades were still good. I came here and I really had to pay attention.”

Bowers, who came to R-MA in the sixth grade and is now an eighth grader, became a two-sport athlete, focusing on volleyball and basketball. “I was never a ‘sporty’ person before I came here,” she said.

One of the things that helped her branch out into new territories was the encouragement she received from those around her. “I think that one of my favorite things is the people here. Everyone is generally nice and there are people from all over the world. I can do sports because the coaches are so nice.”

“Jasmine Bowers is an amazing young lady,” said her basketball coach, Joshua Ilnicki. “She is highly successful with her academics

The Ideal Match

See “Equestrian,” next page See “Match,” next page


s t u d e n t s

Since he was old enough to know what flying was, Emmanuel “Manny” Arellano ’14 has wanted to be a pilot. He doesn’t remember a time when he wanted to be anything else. So while he wasn’t too sure about the idea of attending a boarding school when his mom first brought it up, it took only one thing to make him warm to the idea: the flight program at Randolph-Macon Academy.

“Boarding school sounded like a good idea,” said Manny, who hails from Chicago, IL. “It sounded like an adventure. I wanted to be on my own, but I wasn’t sure how it was going to be, especially so far away. I was intimidated at first, but you get used to it pretty quickly.”

Arellano arrived in the fall of 2010 and promptly found his place as part of the football team, playing lineman on both offense and defense.

“Manny is an outstanding young man who puts forth great effort in everything he does,” said Head Football Coach Frank Sullivan. “He has a great personality and leads by example to his peers. I consider it a privilege to coach him in football and oversee him with his High Flight physical training.”

In the High Flight program, Arellano is preparing for the second part of his dream: to earn an appointment to the Naval Academy or the Air Force Academy. His ultimate goal is to become a fighter pilot.

Cadet Sets Himself Up to Fly“Manny is one of the rare people his age who has known what he

wants to do since he was in grade school,” R-MA Commandant Col Gary Sadler, USAF Ret, said. “He has remained totally committed to that goal.”

Arellano’s commitment has driven him to become active in key areas of Randolph-Macon Academy that will help him achieve his goal. In addition to being part of the High Flight program and taking flying lessons and ground school, he has participated on the drill team, honor guard team, and color guard team. He holds a 4.0 GPA and is a member of the National Honor Society. He also participates in the Alpha Readers Book Club on campus. In addition to football, he has competed in swimming as well as track and field. He is also the India Flight Sergeant in the cadet corps, responsible for helping to take care of the other students assigned to his hall.

Arellano is currently inching closer to flying solo for the first time in an airplane—he hopes to achieve that goal before the end of this school year. He is also working towards his goal of obtaining his private pilot certificate before graduating from high school.

“He’s a 4.0 GPA student, dedicated athlete, corps leader, trusted friend, and outstanding flight student,” Sadler commented. “It’s no wonder he’s always smiling, upbeat, and positive.”

(jumping up and down hills, in water, over obstacles, etc.). “Cross-country is my favorite,” he said grinning. “It’s all done in front of viewers, so you really want it to look smooth. I wear a coat and tie with tall boots; I keep it sharp.” His most recent achievement was placing fourth in a national competition in Georgia, but Pawlak recalls the New York Millbrook horse trials as the competition he enjoyed the most. “The area was really beautiful,” Pawlak said, “and I’d never been to New York, so getting to compete there was pretty amazing.”

Pawlak is ambitious about his unique sport. “I don’t just do eventing,” he said, “I participate in hunters, jumpers, and fox hunting.” Pawlak’s equestrian pursuits are not fleeting. It’s something he’s grown up with, and he says he will always keep it as a part of his life. Of course, certain aspirations come with the love of this sport, and Pawlak admits it’s a dream of his to compete in the Rolex Kentucky, a three-day event. The Rolex Kentucky Derby is a four-star event, and is the only one of its kind within the United States with only two others like it in the world. Ideally, Pawlak said he would also like to get sponsored, and he said, “Getting to compete on the U.S. Olympic Equestrian Team would be pretty amazing, too.”

Pawlak is a determined student at R-MA. While he enjoys his equestrian lifestyle, he is a well-rounded individual, and has a great mind for mathematics. He hopes to graduate from R-MA and go on to study engineering at a Virginia college. There is no doubt he will succeed; Pawlak has a great attitude about whatever he sets his mind to do. Pawlak concluded, “I just really like engines, computers, and horses.”

Equestrian, continued from previous page Match, continued from previous page

and possesses great athletic abilities. Furthermore, she is a great friend among her peers and has a contagious personality that will always put a smile on your face.”

That “contagious personality” overflows from a genuine heart that seeks to help others. Bowers has become involved in the Middle School Interact Club, and was selected to be the Secretary this year because of her devotion to the club and to others. “I wanted to help out the community itself,” she said. “There are a lot of people who can’t even get food on their own. I like helping them. It’s fun.”

“Jasmine Bowers is one of those students that a teacher will never forget,” said Mariola Doran, vice principal of R-MA Middle School and Bowers’ mentor. “She possesses many wonderful characteristics which make her stand out from the rest of the crowd. One of her strongest qualities is compassion for others; she truly cares about people. She often volunteers her free time to do community service projects. Another is her loyalty to her family and friends. I’ve witnessed many incidents where she went above and beyond to help her friends. Her laughter and smile energizes the people around her; she is a joy to be with. Overall, Jasmine is a person who sometimes goes unnoticed, but makes a BIG difference in people’s lives. I am proud to have been a part of Jasmine’s life.”

Bowers, who hails from Winchester, VA, hopes to be a photojournalist. “That’s probably why I like English and yearbook so much!” she said. At the same time, she has found another interest with German, and has also enjoyed taking other electives such as technology, drama, and chorus. In addition, she is a member of the National Junior Honor Society.

“I definitely made the right decision in coming to R-MA,” she said. “I don’t really think I would like it anywhere else.”


Anyone can see why Amy Harriman, the director of admission and financial aid at Randolph-Macon Academy, was nominated and selected for Employee of the Year. Having worked at R-MA for eight years, she exudes a sense of hospitality to everyone she greets and her warm smile puts everyone at ease. Harriman started her professional career at Towson University in Maryland, her home state, earning her bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications. Not your typical girl, sports-loving Harriman grew up with three older brothers, and her competitive spirit is able to thrive in the unique and beautiful environment at R-MA where she enjoys living on campus with her family as part of the R-MA community.

All the changes that developed over the year of 2012 as offices

Employee of the Year, 2011-12: Amy Harriman

by Rebekah Secrist by Rebekah SecristTeam player and Cadet

Life Supervisor/Mentor and Varsity Basketball Coach Clay Clinedinst is as humble a man as one will ever meet. Constantly giving credit back to his team, the Shenandoah County native is responsible for a minimum of forty cadets during the week and over a hundred at times on the weekend. While admitting the work can sometimes be tiring, he believes it is well worth it. “I like what I do, and I like kids,” he said. “They keep me young. They’re our future. I have to do a good job. We joke with each other, but we stay disciplined.”

A former student of Ferrum College and Eastern Mennonite University, Clinedinst assumes a fatherly role at R-MA where he has dutifully served for eight years. While he understands that learning is sometimes an experience, he never stops giving good advice and

Mentor of the Year, 2011-12: Clay Clinedinst

by Rebekah Secrist

Team of the Year, 2011-12: Dining Hall

See Mentor, page 21 See Employee, next page 21

The Dining Hall Staff Team should also get the Friendliest Team award. Their welcoming presence and hospitality creates a pleasant atmosphere that R-MA immensely enjoys. The team is like a family, and they all care about the personal lives of one another. The team members do not hesitate to step up to fulfill the role of someone who needs time for a family member, and there is a warmth about their team comradeship that compels everyone they interact with to be the same.

Truly caring about the health and happiness of those at R-MA, the team does not hesitate to make changes based on feedback. They do their best to accommodate the needs and requests of everyone with the goal of being a clean and friendly environment where nutritious food is provided.

Jan Pouzenc is extremely proud of her family-oriented team. “I’m just really proud of my team for winning and working so hard,” she said. “We take such a pride in our work, and the gratitude of the award means so much.” Jennifer Brinklow, a team member, is especially expressive of how close the Dining Hall Staff at R-MA is to her heart. “I’ve worked so many places,” she said, “but I belong here. There’s no back and forth bickering. We’re family, and R-MA is so unique. It’s wonderful to get to see the young cadets in their uniforms coming in to eat. They look so nice, and it’s a joy to provide for them.”

Everything about the team reveals the pride they have in their work. From the clean kitchen to the smiles on their faces, one can completely understand why the team earned the award. “The best thing about winning,” said Brinklow, “is that it gave us all such a feeling of pride. Our hard work was acknowledged. It’s a really good feeling of accomplishment.” Philip Chunn, another team member agrees. “We work hard to be the best team,” he said. “We care about what we do. The best thing about winning is that we won!”

Director of Services Chief Master Sergeant Norman Brander, USAF Ret., said in regards to the team:

“R-MA’s Food Service department is amazing. For the school year 2011-12, they prepared nearly 130,000 quality meals plus numerous catered events all over our campus. It takes a special team of people to pull that off. I was very pleased to see them recognized for the outstanding job they do on a daily basis.”The hospitable group is a perfect match for R-MA. By blessing

the R-MA community with delicious healthy food and caring for each other through the way they interact at work, their job well done exemplifies a true labor of love that helps make R-MA so unique.

Four of the 18-member Dining Hall Staff were on hand to receive their award during the annual banquet. From left to right: Sandy

Harris, Brandon Mauck, Caleb Chunn and Food Services Director Jan Pouzenc. At right is Maj Gen Henry Hobgood, president of R-MA.


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

The Faculty of the Year Award may have come as a complete surprise to Assistant Middle School Principal and Teacher Mariola Doran, but the award is certainly well-deserved and earned. Doran is native to Poland, and graduated from the University of Toledo in Elementary Education with a certification in Middle School Language Arts. Although she has only taught at R-MA for a little over three years, both of her children have been students at R-MA. Doran’s twenty-plus years of teaching experience have developed her values as a teacher, and she has completely adopted the R-MA mission statement. R-MA is a place where children are allowed to express their natural gifts and talents as leaders of the future, and Doran assumes the role of ensuring that the students have what they need to grow: scholastically and emotionally. “I listen,” she said. “I’m the extension of the parents, and the child comes first. I’m here because I want to be here, and I love the children like they are my own. Sometimes you just need to care. I’m at the right place. We all need to find that place, and I love to help my students find their place.”

Doran’s kind personality matched with her scholastic aptitude allows her classroom to be a place of hospitable comfort for the

students to grow. Jasmine Bowers ’17, one of Doran’s mentees, agrees. “She’s fun,” she said. “She can work with anyone and they’ll get whatever it is she’s teaching. And she’s great to have as a mentor.”

Another R-MA middle school student (name withheld by parent request) frequents Doran’s classroom. “She’s just really nice,” he said, “I like her because I just need to ask her, and she’ll help me. And when you’re hungry she’ll give you a snack.” It is in this way that Doran honors her spiritual values by being a blessing to those around her. When they need help, she gives it in a manner unique to each student; when they’re hungry she feeds them. It is the exuberant love she has for the students that led to her winning the Faculty of the Year Award. Doran was honored. “I appreciate the fact that someone recognized my effort. I’m here for the students. This award tells me I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.”

Molding character while not diminishing curiosity is Doran’s way of reminding students that they are capable. She believes that at R-MA, the students are not just kids, and she is incessant in

her praise and respect for “her kids,” as she calls them. “I belong here, and I love what I do.” R-MA is proud to acknowledge her faithfulness.

Faculty of the Year, 2011-12: Mariola Doran

Coach of the Year, 2011-12: Steve LathamBorn in the rural community of Cheshire County, UK, Steve

Latham P’18 attended Aston University and Heidelberg University, where he double majored in German and Psychology. Latham has taught German at R-MA for sixteen years, and he is also the Foreign Languages Chair and National Honor Society advisor. This past year he returned to coaching after a five-year break to coach middle school soccer. Latham’s love for soccer is not new; his favorite position to play has always been central defense, and smiling, he admitted he still loves to play near the goal. He enjoys the same position as a coach.

Having gone undefeated during the past year’s regular season, Latham and his team claimed the season championship title, then went on to compete in the championship tournament, earning the runner-up trophy. Latham was understandably proud of all the team accomplished. However, it was not just the record that earned him Coach of the Year for the 2011-12 school year. His strategic prowess as a coach (particularly in their second game of the season where they won against Wakefield) made him even more of a stand-out for the award, as did his courage in going for the tournament title with an all-or-nothing attitude.

In addition to being a winner on the field, Latham was a winner among those who played for him during that championship season. Evan Lester ’16, one of the captains of the 2011 team, said of Latham, “He’s always calm; always positive. He understands soccer, and he understands the R-MA culture very well.” Gabe Williams ’16, another

captain of the team agreed, adding, “He understands the potential of each player. He expected our success so we never wanted to disappoint him. That’s why we won.”

Latham is unique because as a coach he doesn’t believe in stressing out his players. He gives his players leadership, and he loves to promote the balance between teamwork and individual leadership

in the classroom and on the field. “It’s so much fun with that age group to watch them have fun,” Latham said. “Coaching isn’t about shouting and berating. I love to take a positive approach.”

Latham gave credit for his award to the solid players he said he got to work with, but he clearly conquered the challenge of figuring out the strategy of where each player could succeed within the team. Latham’s strategic ability did not just appear on the field for this one season. Being a teacher in addition to coaching helped him establish the link between school and fun. “The nicest thing,” he said, “is walking by the players in the classroom hallways and having that connection with the players. It’s like family: you can be serious and playful. It’s wonderful to have that team spirit.”

This truly was a big win for the Middle School soccer team at R-MA. “The best thing about winning the award is that Middle School soccer has been recognized,” Latham said. On a personal level, the award showed that others within R-MA recognize his deep love for the sport and the players. “My favorite thing about coaching at R-MA is the players,” he said. “They’re very special to me.” Clearly, Latham is very special to R-MA.

by Rebekah Secrist

by Rebekah Secrist


Faculty & Staff Notes

Staff & Faculty Quarterly Awardsinformation to his mentees, which is not a group of 3-12 students, as is typical for R-MA’s Upper School mentors, but includes every student on his hallway. His degree in camping, recreation, and youth ministries has helped him develop into the perfect match with R-MA. His peers feel that he has an impact because he has mastered the balance of teamwork between caring and fairness. This opinion is reflected by him, and he said, “It’s not about me; I think it’s all about the team. We all do the same things, and it takes more than one person.”

Clinedinst’s supervisor, Michael S. Williams, director of student life/comparative religions instructor, head swimming coach, and R-MA Middle School Interact Club liaison, feels passionately about the level of dedication with which Clinedinst gives R-MA. “Clay is a mentor to every young person he meets,” Williams said. “He is a joy to work with and to watch work. His love for his boys is evident every time he sees and speaks to them. Even in disappointment, Clay shows his concern for his boys in such a way that they know they are each a priority to him. R-MA is blessed to have such a great guy.”

Blake Hollinger, upper school admissions counselor who has worked alongside Clinedinst, echoes Williams in agreement. “He does a good job at relating to the kids,” Hollinger said. “The kids respect him when he speaks with them. He’s very good, but he’s fair.”

Clinedinst adheres to the mission of R-MA, but his ultimate goal is to encourage development from the students at R-MA as much as he can. “Youth will find the weak link,” he said with a smile about his mentees. “They’ll try to find a breaking point, but my job is to make them stronger individuals so there isn’t a weak link to break.” Clinedinst’s commitment to R-MA is what makes him one of R-MA’s strongest links towards enriching the lives of R-MA students.

were transitioning around is what allowed Harriman’s organizational qualities to shine as her task-driven personality allowed her to overcome potential roadblocks with professional competency. R-MA and Harriman are a perfect match, and Harriman loves her job.

“My favorite part about my job is the students,” she said. “I love admissions! You get to see them before the transition and watch an awesome transformation. I get to watch the before and after.”

Clare Dame, the director of enrollment management, oversees all of the Admission Office and attests to Harriman’s award-winning aptitude:

“Amy Harriman is totally committed to making the admission process at Randolph-Macon Academy run smoothly not only for the prospective families, but also for her colleagues. Amy is a helpful and pleasant presence when engaged with the inquiring family. She understands the culture of R-MA and can convey that to a touring student. She has organized the admission process so competently that the admission team has procedures for working with prospective families which help them maintain contact and provide information in a smooth and orderly fashion. Since the admission department is able to function efficiently because of Amy Harriman, all of Randolph-Macon Academy benefits.”Harriman has stood the test of time. R-MA honors her quality

work and dedication to any task laid before her as a testament to her worth in earning Employee of the Year. “I’m honored,” says Harriman about the award. “This award means so much to me because I’m truly happy to be a part of the R-MA family, and I’m really proud of the department I work in.” The feeling is definitely mutual.

Mentor, continued from previous page

Employee, continued from previous page

2011-12Faculty of the Fourth Quarter:

Ryan Koch

Mentor of the Fourth Quarter:Elizabeth Rogers

Employee of the Fourth Quarter:Caleb Chunn

Team of the Fourth QuarterAFJROTC Department

Coach of the Spring Season: Fred Little

R-MA President Maj Gen Henry Hobgood, USAF Ret., was elected chairman of the Virginia Council for Private Education.

Social Studies Department Chair Brian Barbour has been selected to serve on the Warren County Committee of the Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War.

Upper School Admission Counselor Blake Hollinger graduated from Shenandoah University with a Masters of Organizational Leadership in the School of Education and Human Development.

Junior Systems Administrator Chad Speakman graduated from Lord Fairfax Community College with an Associate Degree in Network Engineering.

In November, Physics and Chemistry Teacher Tamala Sebring attended a Pre-AP Workshop entitled, “Pre-AP Science--Creating a Learner-Centered Classroom.”

Director of Admission and Financial Aid Amy Harriman and Director of Public Relations Celeste Brooks attended the VAIS Conference, “Marketing Independent Schools in the 21st Century: Getting Everyone Aligned,” in Richmond, VA, on September 20, 2012.

The following teachers attended Advanced Placement Training: Patrick Hawkins for AP Biology, Dr. Larry Cousineau for AP European History and AP U.S. History, and Victoria Montgomery for AP Statistics.

Upper School Academic Dean Jonathan Ezell, Middle School Principal Derrick Leasure, and Foreign Languages Department Chair Steve Latham attended the annual Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS) Conference in Richmond, VA, in November 2012.

College Counselor CMSgt Mary Gamache attended the Maryland “Crab Crawl” College Tour, visiting colleges in Annapolis, Baltimore, and the Eastern Shore.

Biology Teacher Patrick Hawkins and Chaplain Lemuel Pearsall attended the New Teacher’s Institute hosted by the Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS) in August.

2012-13Faculty of the First Quarter:

Lemuel Pearsall

Mentor of the First Quarter:Cynthia Michael

Employee of the First Quarter:Karen Moxie

Team of the First QuarterBob and Janie Lewallen

Coach of the Fall Season: Dave Gillis


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

The Rotary Club of Linden is proud to announce that Michael S. Williams is the recipient of this year’s Rotarian of the Year award. A member of the Linden club since 2009, Williams is a member of the club’s Service, Fundraising and Membership Committees, the Gala Sub-Committee and the 2012 Golf Sub-Committee. He served as a Member at Large on the club’s Board of Directors for 2011-2012.

The Director of Student Life and Comparative Religions Instructor at Randolph-Macon Academy, Williams is the founder and faculty liaison for the R-MA Middle School Interact Club, which is sponsored by the Linden Rotary. He founded the R-MA Middle School Interact Chess Club, which travels to E. Wilson Morrison Elementary School each week during the school year to teach third, fourth and fifth graders how to play chess.

Williams is serving this year as the Linden Rotary Interact chair. The Linden club sponsors the Interact Club at Skyline High School in

addition to the R-MA Middle School Interact.This year, Williams, his wife Sherry and their son Alan served

as a Rotary Youth Exchange Sponsor family for Ana Lucia Manrique Caballero from Arequipa, Peru. The Williams family hosted Ana from January to June, the second half of her yearlong U.S. stay.

Williams was presented the Rotarian of the Year award by 2011-2012 Club President Lee Ruddle at the Linden Rotary’s annual awards ceremony on June 27.

The Rotary Club of Linden had a very busy year. With the club’s collaboration, Blue Ridge Gardens, a business venture of Blue Ridge Opportunities, opened its doors in May in celebration of a yearlong community project. The Linden Rotary Club contributed nearly one-third of the total cost of the $30,000 project to develop a greenhouse where Blue Ridge Opportunities clients can work and learn. Club members also provided a number of “sweat equity hours” painting the structure’s interior and floors, and building tables. In addition, funds raised this year helped the Linden Rotary support St. Luke Community Clinic, Samuels Public Library and the Youth Enrichment Program; fund scholarships for three graduating Skyline High School seniors; and meet its commitments to the elimination of polio.

Originally sponsored by the Rotary Club of Front Royal, the Rotary Club of Linden was chartered in April 2005 and has 34 active members. The club meets each Wednesday at 7 a.m. at The Apple House in Linden, VA.

-From a Rotary Club of Linden press release

Michael Williams Named Rotary Club of Linden’s Rotarian of the Year

one winner. After three days of furious competition, Barricade finally emerged as the champion of the Sumobot Tournament.

The victory was short-lived, though, as another mission awaited the eager Robotics Intramural cadets. The Sumobots were quickly disassembled as the cadets readied themselves for their final project—seven NXT robots were to be built and programmed to act as a flight and perform the dreaded “Thirty Count.”

The Thirty Count Drill Sequence (30-Ct) is the standard Air Force drill card for USAF Junior ROTC. It consists of thirty commands in a specific sequence which must be performed with absolute precision. To have simple Lego robots act like a trained drill team is an incredible undertaking, but the cadets in the intramural met the challenge with determination and spirit. They had worked together to learn about Domabots and had competed against each other with Sumobots, but now they would have to accept separate responsibilities if they were to accomplish this demanding feat. One student tackled the structure design of the “Drillbots,” which must all be uniform in appearance and performance, while another cadet took on the position of Bot Commander. The remaining three students wrote the long and intricate program and performed hours of troubleshooting. Since all of the Drillbots must operate in perfect unison, each one must be individually-tuned, a grueling task which requires hundreds of minute adjustments.

Currently, the members of the robotics intramural are putting the finishing touches on their “Robo-Count” procedure. The expert flight of seven Drillbots will perform the routine at R-MA’s 2013 Spring Family Weekend, and they do hope all R-MA friends and family attending the weekend festivities will drop by to watch. Though their movements may appear to be simply “robotic,” the Drillbots (and their human counterparts) look forward to the spectators’ attention and expect to put on a great show!

Robotics, continued from page 13 Fresh Look, continued from page 3

• Refinish doors• Replace/repair windows• Upgrade lighting• Replace/repair HVAC• Replace sink & counter• Replace window sill• Paint entire room• Replace chairs

The cost of the renovations is $1,600 per room. While the savings from the water usage was enough to begin the project, sponsorships are needed to complete all the rooms in Sonner-Payne Hall. So far, several generous individuals and families, from R-MA employees to parents to alumni, have stepped forward to ensure that the renovations continue at the planned pace of one room per week.

“Some alumni have gotten together with their roommate and sponsored their old rooms, and one alumnus’ wife purchased a room sponsorship for her husband for Christmas,” commented Kittie Abell, vice president for development at R-MA. “It’s very touching to see how much they want to make a difference in the lives of today’s ca-dets and be part of such an impactful project.”

“I think the new rooms are a lot more personable,” said Peter Jin ’13, who moved into one of the first refurbished rooms. “The old ones had a really sterile feel that made them feel a lot like a hospital ward but the new ones are more like walking into a bedroom. The new desks are even easier to write on because they’ve been sanded down and they have a smoother top. They also seem to have put a lot of thought into making lasting improvements, like the window sill and the sink counter.”

The work isn’t done yet. If you are interested in sponsoring a room, contact Ms. Kittie Abell at [email protected] or 540-636-5206.


Although the R-MA Flight Program as it exists today began in 1985, R-MA cadets and alumni have a solid history of taking to the skies either for military service, commercial service, or leisure. Recently in the Dome Dispatch, the Alumni E-newsletter, we sent out a note “Calling All Pilots”, and we received responses from alumni aviators spanning 60 years! Here are their stories:

Major Everett E. Worrell, Jr. ’40 flew B-17 aircraft in the 532nd Bomb Squadron, 381st Bomb Group, as First Pilot and Aircraft Commander in 35 combat missions during World War II. He was awarded six air medals while serving with the 8th Air Force flying over Germany in 1944. His plane, “Patches” had more than 300 holes in it when they got back to England, but not a single man on the crew suffered a scratch. He flew his last combat mission on January 2, 1945. After WWII, Worrell left the military, but was recalled during the Korean War, specializing in electronics and communications until he retired in 1970.

Lt Col Richard L. Davis ’49 graduated from USAF Pilot training on January 18, 1955. In the course of his 20-year career, he flew the C-124, T-33, B-26, C-47, C-121 (Constellation), C-130, and the C-141. He ended his Air Force career as the Commander of the 57th Military Airlift Squadron at Altus AFB, OK.

Colonel Kenneth W. Pastore ’58 notes that he was the first R-MA graduate to attend the United States Air Force Academy, receiving an appointment as a member of the USAFA Class of 1962. He chose not to continue after the first summer at the Academy and accepted a previously offered spot at Duke University, where he was a member of the USAF ROTC program. Pastore completed the Flight Instruction Program (FIP) in a Piper Colt, received his private pilot license and was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the USAF in June of 1962. His first operational assignment was the then-new F-4 Phantom at MacDill AFB, FL and in the following 14 years, he flew five different models of the F-4 in Okinawa, Thailand, Korea, Alaska and as an instructor at MacDill AFB. After a three-year tour at HQ Tactical Air Command as Chief, Weapons and Tactics, he transitioned into the F-15 Eagle through the Fighter Weapons School course at Nellis AFB, NV. Pastore flew the Eagle from ’78-’83 at Eglin AFB, FL and then at Kadena AB in Okinawa. He retired from the Air Force in October 1992 with 34 years of service and over 4000 hours of “pure fighter time.” He said they often remarked that “we would have ‘paid them’ to let us fly those fighters…while it

wasn’t all fun, it was certainly memorable.”

Sewell “Toby” Frey ’62 has over 15,000 hours of flight time. He entered the USAF in 1968 where he flew the T-41, T-37, T-38, AT-33, F-86H, and A-37B for a total of 14 years including time with the Maryland Air National Guard. He was hired by Eastern Airlines in 1972 and spent 20 years flying L-188s, DC-9s, and B-727s. He also flew for ValueJet, AirTran, and JetBlue, all in DC-9s. Frey became an instructor for more than 10 years with Flight Safety International where he instructed in the F-70, F-100, Bombardier Global Express, Gulfstream G-V, and various Flying Safety Courses.

Stephen Shankle ’76 has had flying in his blood for as long as he can remember. He managed to get his private pilot license in the summer of his junior year while attending R-MA. His father and flight instructor Joel Shankle ‘51 was an American Airlines pilot at the time. Stephen joined AFROTC while in college; after graduation he spent eight years active duty, including time in flight school and completing two tours in Europe. He flew the OV-10 out of Sembach, Germany and the A-10 from RAF Bentwaters. Now, after 25 years with Delta Airlines, he’s flying the left seat as a B-737-800 captain.

Kevin Vohs ’91 learned to fly at R-MA. His instructor was Mr. Sheehy, the father of John Sheehy ’92. Vohs grew up in a family of pilots. His great grandfather was a WWI pilot, and his grandfather and brothers were military or civilian pilots. He’s not sure at what age he became interested in flying, but there is a picture of him, at five years old, demonstrating a near-perfect aileron roll of his toy airplane. Vohs has been flying since he was 16 years old and has flown a variety of planes from the two-seat single-engine planes to the one he’s flying now, a turbojet with a capacity of 159 seats. After becoming a licensed pilot, he went on to become a flight instructor in Union City, TN. Later, he became a corporate pilot flying twin turboprops and business jets. In 2000 he was hired by Northwest Airlink and after seven years with them, joined JetBlue Airways where he currently flies the Airbus A320, based at JFK in New York, NY. Vohs says he enjoys where his job takes him, allowing him

to visit the Caribbean and California. One of his fondest memories is when Colonel Ivan Mieth, former R-MA commandant, pinned the solo wings on Vohs’ R-MA uniform in front of a chapel full of cadets. “Deep down I think we all wanted to make Col. Mieth proud, and for that moment, I felt like he really might have been,” Vohs said. “That was the highlight of my personal and professional career.” Vohs once told Mieth that he wanted to be a pilot like he was. Mieth said, “Well, just don’t do what I did and fly a plane that goes low and slow where everyone can shoot at you.” Vohs said, “I took your advice, Colonel! You are missed, sir.” Vohs and his R-MA roommate, Corey Slone ‘92 sometimes meet during layovers and catch up on the good ol‘ days.

Corwin “Corey” S. Slone ’92 wanted to be a pilot since he took his first trip on a Braniff 727 when he was five years old. Slone

came to R-MA in 1989 as a sophomore interested in the flight program and a career in the military. He began ground school and flying with Michael Turner ’86; he soloed on a windy day in Winchester on May 11, 1991. After R-MA, Slone went to Texas A&M University where he joined the flying club and completed his private pilot license. Due to cutbacks in Operation Desert Storm, pilot slots were rare so he chose a civilian aviation career, and as a back-up he majored in Construction Science. After graduating

in 1996 Slone worked in the oil fields for five years while building up flight time and gathering licenses. He quit his “real” job and became a flight instructor and flew skydivers to build more flight time. From there he became a King Air 200 Captain, flying freight, charter, and air ambulance missions. In 2004 he got a job with Flight Options flying a BE-400 Beechjet as a fractional pilot. In February of 2006, Slone was hired at Continental Airlines as a First Officer on the Boeing 737. With the merger, he is now flying for United Airlines and has flown the B-737, B-757, B-767, and currently the B-777.

Slone said, “Flying is a difficult but rewarding career. There is a lot of ‘paying your dues’ to get to the majors. It takes dedication and perseverance to continue to the skies. Over the span of 22 years of flying, I have seen most of the U.S. on my layovers, including Hawaii and Alaska. I have also flown as far as Japan, India, Argentina, Europe, Africa, and several places in between.

R-MA Alumni in the Skies

See Pilots, page 26

Corey Slone ’92 in the engine nacelle of the B-777 that he flies.


a l u m n i

Mr. Wayland A. Doggett, Jr. ‘49Mr. Byron C. Gayle, Jr. ‘50Mr. John M. Thompson, Jr. ‘50Mr. Parker A. Lee ‘51Mr. Eugene T. Bogan ‘52Mr. Henry G. Erck, Jr. ‘52Mr. James M. Finlay ‘52Mr. Henry A. Lingenfelder ‘52Mr. M. W. Ranck ‘52Mr. George H. Zaiser ‘52Mr. David W. Moore, Sr. ‘53Mr. John M. Cornwell ‘55Mr. Lennart C. Koneczny ‘55Mr. G. Tyler Peter ‘55Mr. W. Lewis Nalls, Jr. ‘56Mr. Karl G. Newell, Jr. ‘56Mr. Edward H. Wildrick ‘56Mr. Richard B. Bickel ‘57Mr. John A. Nicodemus ‘57Col Philip A. Covell ‘59Mr. George S. Young, Jr. ‘59Mr. J. S. Selden, III ‘60Mr. Edward M. Hawkins ‘61Mr. Tom N. Kalogeras ‘61Mr. Albert M. Orgain, IV ‘61Mr. Richard W. Pancake ‘61Mr. James H. Shoemaker ‘61Mr. Larry E. Arnette ‘62Dr. Bruce T. Carter ‘62Mr. Carter N. Catlett, Jr. ‘62Mr. Michael E. Eargle ‘62Mr. Edwin M. Eastham, III ‘62Dr. Charles E. Forbes ‘62Mr. Sewell L. Frey ‘62Mr. James H. Guy, Jr. ‘62Mr. Preston C. Kellam, Jr. ‘62Mr. John L. Major, Jr. ‘62Mr. Peter N. Martin ‘62Mr. Robert E. McCoy, Jr. ‘62Mr. Norman I. Myers ‘62Mr. Edwin B. Roller, Jr. ‘62Mr. John A. Ross, Jr. ‘62Mr. Troy F. Stallard ‘62Commander Francis C. Stark, III ‘62Mr. Wesley P. Terry Jr. ‘62Dr. Samuel J. Thios ‘62Mr. Stanley J. Vossler ‘62Mr. Thomas E. Waesche ‘62Mr. and Mrs. F. Dixon Whitworth, Jr. ‘62Mr. Lance W. Webb ‘65Mr. James W. Curl, Jr. ‘66

Mr. Frank T. Humphrey ‘66Mr. M. Christian Nye ‘66Mr. Gary Shertenlieb ‘66Mr. Daniel L. Fines, Sr. ‘67Mr. Lynwood V. Keller, Jr. ‘67Mr. John T. Morrissett ‘67Mr. James J. Ross ‘67Mr. Lee H. Capps ‘68Mr. Warren D. Boyer ‘70Mr. Chester D. Spielman ‘70Mr. John C. Swann ‘70Mr. Darryl E. Windham, Jr. ‘70Mr. Ralph B. Cooley ‘72Mr. David C. Jones ‘72Dr. Richard R. Ryder, Jr. ‘72Mr. Mark H. Butler ‘73Mr. Clifton P. Edwards, Jr. ‘73Mr. Fred R. Greenwood, Jr. ‘73Mr. Roan S. Webb ‘73Mr. Franklin S. White ‘73Col Rayburn G. Griffith ‘77Mr. James P. Reese, Jr. ‘77Mr. Frank J. Richardson ‘77Mr. Norman R. Smith ‘77Dr. Charles B. Swaim ‘77Mr. David M. Booth ‘78Mr. Earle L. Harrell ‘78Mr. James D. Austin ‘79Mr. Timothy F. Riley ‘79Mr. Doug B. Wainwright ‘79Lt Col Ronald G. McManus, Jr. ‘80Mr. Jeffrey T. Higgs ‘81Mr. Andrew C. Harriman ‘82Mr. Stephen C. Harriman ‘82Mr. W. Richard Hennings ‘82Mr. Khashayar N. Kaikavoosi ‘82Ms. Michelle D. Beaver ‘86Mr. J. Michael Garner ‘86Mr. Corey Himelright ‘86Ms. Tracy A. Perrin ‘86Mr. Michael A. Tranby ‘86Mr. Christopher A. Trimble ‘86Mr. John K. Wood ‘86Ms. LeyAnne Branton ‘87Mr. Trey Brouwer ‘87Mr. James C. Dillon ‘87Mr. Edwin M. Eastham, IV ‘87Mr. Scott M. Harwood, Jr. ‘87Mr. Daniel C. Hullen ‘87Mr. R. Paul Lawrence ‘87Mr. Tareq D. Salahi ‘87

Ms. H. Scarlett Kibler ‘89Mr. Shawn T. Archer ‘91Mrs. Kimberley Bensimon ‘91Mr. Ali Fardshisheh ‘91Ms. Trinette G. Drake ‘92Mr. Donald S. Jacques ‘92Mr. Paul S. Korel ‘92Ms. Alexandra K. Nielsen ‘92Mr. James B. Rawlins ‘92Mrs. Sandra Rice ‘92Ms. Adelheid Z. Ruckman ‘92Mr. Richard B. Norris ‘94Ms. Tawana L. Williams ‘95Mr. Frederick C. Gould ‘96Mr. Alfredo B. Milner Capps ‘97Mr. Michael D. Johnson ‘97Ms. Erika V. Sinnott ‘97Mr. Aaron N. Tweedie ‘97Mr. Alexander V. Airhart ‘01Mr. Tung H. Chang ‘01Mr. Mark Bolling ‘02Ms. Ann L. Brander ‘02Ms. Amanda Chapman ‘02Mr. Jason H. Falkenbury ‘02Ms. Jessica M. Huneycutt ‘02Mr. David R. Parrish ‘02Ms. Katherine M. Sellors ‘02Mr. Alexander C. von der Linden ‘02Ms. Christina L. Brander ‘03Mrs. Robina Wahl ‘03Mr. Robert E. Snitchler ‘06Mr. Sean M. Lyons ‘07Mr. R. Kyle McDaniel ‘07Mr. Casey L. Norton ‘07Mr. Jeremy S. Greenbacker ‘08Mr. Robert W. Croddy ‘09Ms. Victoria M. Kolton ‘10Ms. Mary K. Sadler ‘10Ms. Juliette N. Michael ‘11Ms. Valerie L. Pratt ‘11Ms. Meng Chu Wang ‘11Ms. Maria V. Aleksandrova ‘12Ms. GeorgiAnna I. Carbone-Wynne ‘12Mr. Donovan C. Farmer ‘12Mr. Trevor M. Illman ‘12Mr. Ian A. Richardson ‘12Ms. Jessica C. Vaughan ‘12

Honorary AlumniMr. J. Craig Porter, Jr.Mrs. Joan C. Burke

Who Joined in the Fun?2012 Alumni Homecoming Attendees

Help us find missing alumni for Homecoming 2013! Visit www.rma.edu/Homecoming for the latest lists!


The Class of 1962 Breakfast R-MA President Major General Henry M. Hobgood, USAF Ret., and his wife, Mrs. Carolyn Hobgood, hosted the Class of 1962’s 50th Reunion Breakfast on Saturday morning.

Alumni Annual Meeting AwardsDuring the annual Alumni Association meeting, the Outgoing President Recognition Award was presented to Chuck Swaim ‘77 for his service as President of the Alumni Association from 2010-2012. In addition, an Alumni Association Board of Directors Emeritus Award was given to Parker A. Lee ’51.

Other awards given out during the meeting were:

Class Agent of the YearFrancis C. Stark ‘62

Staff Recognition Award Joan Burke, former R-MA CFO

Young Alumnus of the Year AwardRobert W. Sittman, III ‘08

Distinguished Alumni AwardDavid W. Puster ‘75

The Board recognized outgoing members Parker A. Lee ’51, John R. Hall ’68, and David B. Novy ’92.

The 2012-13 Board of Directors officers, as elected at the annual meeting, are as follows:

PresidentH. Scarlett Kibler ‘89

Senior Vice President (Alumni Affairs)

R. Kyle McDaniel ‘07

Vice President (Support) Byron C. Gayle ‘50

SecretaryR. Barrett Norris ‘94

TreasurerFred R. Greenwood ‘73

Board members re-elected for another three-year term were R. Barrett Norris ’94 and Larissa (Woloshyn) Hansen ’00. Scott Harwood ’87 was also elected to the Board.

Homecoming, continued from page 7

Save the Date!Homecoming 2013

October 11 & 12

Hope to see you there!


a l u m n i

It is hard to believe this all started in N96096 a C-152 at KFRR in January 1991! Thank you to my parents, Michael Turner, and R-MA!”

James “Rico” Rawlins ’92 graduated with honors from Delaware State University in 1996 with a degree in aircraft systems management. Afterwards he became a flight instructor at DSU until 1999. When he had built up enough flight time, he went to work for Continental Express, now Express Jet Airlines. Rawlins was promoted to Captain in 2001 flying the ATR 42 (turbo prop) and EMB 145 (50 seat jet). In 2006 he went to work for Southwest Airlines flying a Boeing 737. He has been flying out of BWI for the last six years. He said he loves it and hopes he can inspire someone to become a pilot one day.

Christopher Patseavouras ’95 is currently a senior at Liberty University Online, finishing his degree in aeronautics with a minor in Christian counseling. Patseavouras learned to fly at R-MA with Flight Instructor John Angeny who presently flies for Delta Airlines. He remembers his first flight at R-MA and how airsick it made him—he laid down in his bunk that night and the room was still spinning. At the time he thought he didn’t have what it took. After R-MA, Patseavouras went to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical school in Prescott, AZ for one year. He gave up flying, but not for long—he learned to fly a second time at a grass strip airport in Greensboro, NC called Air Harbor. It was there he realized he wanted to teach flying because flying instilled him with self-confidence. Patseavouras received his Private Pilot certificate in October 1997.

Currently, he is a corporate pilot for Flight Group Corporation in Raleigh, NC. He has 4,500 hours, an ATP, and Type rating in the Citation Jet. He serves as a Part 135 Instructor on the King Air, FAAST Team Member for the FAA, and is most passionately an instructor (CFII/MEI) with over 1500 hours of dual given. Patseavouras said his favorite plane to fly is whatever one he happens to be in that day!

Kelvin Ampofo ’96 started R-MA in the seventh grade and had obtained almost every type of award or medal there was that he could wear on his uniform, except the pilot wings. He decided to start the flight program initially to get the wings to wear on his uniform; however, during flight training he fell in love with flying. Ampofo continued on to Embry-Riddle, earning his B.S. in aeronautical science. He started flying right out of college. He flew trips to Canada and even flew the President of the Aircraft

Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) on business trips. Some of the planes he has flown have been the Piper Navajo, King Air, Cessna Citation, Socato Tampico Tb-9, a Piper Mooney, Cadet, Archer Tri Pacer and Seminole, Grumman Cougar, Beechcraft Bonanza, Baron, Waco, and even the Good Year Blimp! Ampofo said that he has also flown helicopters but enjoy the airplanes more. Although he’s not flying now, he remembers an emergency night landing he had to make and said that he used his training from R-MA to land safely.

Fred Gould ’96 knew he wanted to fly when he was four years old. His father worked as an airline mechanic and the pilots would always let him visit the cockpit and sit in their seats. Gould’s parents decided to send him to R-MA, not because of his desire to become a pilot, but because of his academic performance and behavior in public school. The fact that R-MA was an Air Force prep school with a flight program and United Methodist Church affiliation made it their number one choice. Gould started at R-MA the summer prior to his sophomore year. He remembers making a 180-degree change with his grades and attitude, which resulted in his parents allowing him to start flight training his junior year. A three-week break from flying due to a poor progress report from a teacher was enough to motivate him to keep his grades up. He soloed in December 1994 and about a month before graduating earned his private pilot license—a few weeks before obtaining his driver’s license. Gould then went to the Community College of Beaver County near his home outside of Pittsburgh, PA, graduating in December 1997 with an associate’s degree in professional piloting and all of the necessary licenses and ratings. After a year of working three flying jobs, he was hired by CommutAir, a regional airline for US Airways Express flying the Beechcraft 1900D turboprop. Although he was laid off a few days after 9/11, Gould soon obtained a job for Flight Options, a fractional aircraft ownership company based in Cleveland, OH flying the Beechjet 400A. The very first Captain he flew with at Flight Options was Brian Gross—one of his flight instructors at R-MA during his senior year! Gross introduced Gould to the finer points of flying a jet aircraft, a far cry from the Cessna 152’s they last flew together. After three

years at Flight Options, Gould jumped at the opportunity to work for a charter company in his hometown of Pittsburgh. He was hired at Voyager Jet Center in October 2004 and spent the next eight years flying as Captain on Beechjet 400A, Hawker 400XP, Hawker 700/800/850XP/900XP, Citation Sovereign and Citation X. He left Voyager Jet Center in October 2012 to take a position as a Citation X Captain at Corporate Air, also in Pittsburgh.

Gould said, “My 18 years as a pilot has allowed me to experience things beyond my wildest dreams.” Some advice he would give to aspiring pilots would be the words that Col Ivan Mieth once told him: “Make safety your number one priority. That will keep you alive longer than anything else.” The next bit of advice would be: “Never give up, and dedicate yourself to your studies. A lot of pilots give up after their first solo or after getting their private pilot license because they discover that there is an immense amount of material one must learn to advance to the next level. You must have the desire to learn

the material and have an interest in what you are doing if you want to succeed.”

Jessica (Fekete) Tracey ’01 started her aviation career as a junior at R-MA under the instruction of John Papp. She went on to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and is currently a Captain at Republic Airlines flying the Q-400.

Daniel Desjardins ’03 started flying in Canada and soloed at the ripe age of 14 with a dream of flying for Air Canada. In August of 2000, he came to R-MA and signed up for the flight program with 20 hours or so already under his belt. Because

the rules are different between the countries, he soloed again when he was 16 on the cold blistery day of February 13, 2001. After R-MA, Desjardins went on to Indiana State University and completed his pilot licenses including an instructor certificate. By 2005, he was a King Air instructor and chief pilot, flying business travel with university executives. In April 2007, Desjardins got the phone call and interview with Air Canada, only one month before he graduated with a BS in Aerospace Technology. Once he moved back to Canada, he flew the Brazilian Embraer Jet from 2007-2009. Desjardins upgraded to the Airbus A319/320/321 fleet at Air Canada, flying longer and more interesting routes. Seasonally he flies from St John’s Newfoundland to London, England in a small A319 aircraft. In September of this past year, he moved up to B-767, allowing him to fly more routes to places such as London, Paris, Rome, Switzerland, and Israel.

Pilots, continued from page 23

See Pilots’ Conclusion, page 34

Jessica Fekete Tracey ’01 flies the Q-400.


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 receiv-ing the Dome Dispatch and would like to be added to the distribution list, please e-mail [email protected].

Class Notes continued on page 28

Robert “Bob” Spivey ’59 is Vice President of Special Programs for L-3 Communications Mission Integration in Greenville, Texas. He is responsible for the modification, maintenance and world-wide logistical support for U.S. Air Force classified aircraft programs. Prior to joining L-3’s legacy company, he served in the Air Force for 28 years and retired from U.S. Special Operations Command in 1991. Bob graduated from Texas A&M University and earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas. He is married to the former Lynne Byrd of Fayetteville, North Carolina. They have three children – Jennifer, Mark and Jesse – as well as four grandsons and two granddaughters.

Michael Waring ’60 visited R-MA and saw the model of the F-35 in the Stan Fulton Hall lobby; he then told us of his trip to Lockheed Martin during “Family Day” during the summer of 2012.

Harold Robinson ’68 is ranked among the top ranking coaches in Williamston, North Carolina history and is currently a member of the East Carolina University football coaching staff.

Ray Griffith ’77 retired as a Marine Colonel in November of 2006. He served over 28 years as a Marine infantry officer. He met his wife Peri when he was a company commander with 1st Battalion, 1st Marines stationed in Oahu, Hawaii 24 years ago. They have three sons; Richard (22), Benjamin (20), and Daniel (15). Ray is currently employed by the United States Marine Corps’ at Expeditionary Training Group, in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Brian Boggs ’83 updated us on the

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. Our thoughts and prayers

are with their families, and their memories remain with us always.

James H. McCormick ‘37 (Summer 2012)

Lester Chandler ‘41 (Sept. 15, 2012)

Loring S. Jones ‘45 (Aug. 4, 2011)

Alan J. Chenery, Jr. ’46 (Dec. 11, 2012)

Lee S. Liggan, Jr. ‘47 (May 3, 2012)

Marvin S. Sager ‘47 (Mar. 30, 2011)

Clifford T. Slaney ‘47 (Oct. 14, 2012)

John M. Abel ‘48 (Aug. 8, 2012)

Philip N. Trahadias ‘48 (Dec. 30, 2012)

Dennis J. Quillin ‘59 (Jul. 26, 2012)

Robert C. Wagner ‘61 (Aug. 21, 2012)

Charles N. Ellis ‘62 (Sept. 19, 2012)

John E. Rackley, Jr. ‘63 (Dec. 6, 2011)

W. Richard Mancuso ‘65 (Nov. 11, 2012)

Robert L. Blair ‘67 (Jul. 24, 2012)

Frank M. Gutekunst ‘68 (Dec. 17, 2012)

Sherman M. Pendergarst ’85 (Jul. 20, 2012)

Brian Turnbull ‘86 (Jul. 25, 2012)

Keith Pruitt (Former R-MA Teacher)

(Sept. 27, 2012)

Max Ramundo, who graduated in 2010 as valedictorian, also graduated with his pilot’s license, to which he gives credit to Flight Director Laura Abraham. Following graduation from R-MA, Ramundo instantly set out to further his education at MIT to pursue a degree in Materials Engineering and Economics. Currently, he is enjoying a six-month experience of a lifetime at Oxford, Mansfield College, where he is taking classes and doing research on aluminum nanocomposites. Ramundo refers to Oxford as “awesome.” He said, “Doing work in a library built in the 1400s is probably once in a lifetime.” Although his time at Oxford is a scholastic thrill, Ramundo’s adventures have been numerous since graduation.

The past two summers Ramundo has worked at LibertyWorks, Rolls-Royce’s development arm in North America, where he developed a coating for an exhaust system in a military-spec jet engine. Fall semester of 2012, he directed the AFROTC physical training program, and he has volunteered with the Alzheimer’s Association in Boston. Between semesters he teaches probability

and statistics at a high school in Busto Arsizio (near Milan), and whenever time allows participates in intramural soccer. While developing his talents in as well-rounded a manner as possible, Ramundo says his dream job would be to be a race car driver, preferably in Formula 1, because as he said, “Who wouldn’t want that job?!”

When asked about his high school experience at R-MA, Ramundo recalls certain college preparatory skills taught to him at R-MA. “Mr. [Robert] Davies taught me to do the reading,” he says, “turns out, it’s pretty important. His classes exposed me to so much . . . it gave me a determination to learn that I had never had before. Mr. [Michael]Baird’s physics classes are the reason I went into engineering, and if not for calculus with Mr. [Eric] Barr, I definitely would have failed my freshman classes at MIT.”

Ramundo is excited at where his educational career is taking him, but he admits he misses his friends at R-MA. Remembering them fondly, he says, “Living at R-MA for four years, I made friends with whom I will stay connected for the rest of my life.”

A “Yank” at Oxfordby Rebekah Secrist


a l u m n i

Class Notes

Class Notes continued on page 29

Continued from page 27

R-MA Facebook page that he is a combat veteran having served in Iraq with 2nd Bn 6th Marines 2nd Platoon. He currently resides in Jacksonville, Florida.

Stephen T. Miller ’86 married Melinda Watters on September 1, 2012 in St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Alexandria, Virginia. The couple honeymooned in Italy.

James C. Dillon ’87 retired from the Marine Corps as a Master Gunnery Sergeant on August 31, 2012 after 22 years of service. James was stationed in Okinawa, Japan; served in Mogadishu, Somalia in support of Operation RESTORE Hope; conducted counter-narcotic surveillance of the Caribbean Region; recruited for the Marine Corps in Pittsburgh; and served two tours in Iraq conducting aviation command and control operations. He is married to Julie and has two children: Mallory (8) and Jimmy (6). They currently live in Virginia Beach.

Scott M. Harwood ’87 shared that while on vacation in Sanibel, Florida, he and his wife met with Eric Atmore ’88 and his girlfriend for dinner. The ladies were good sports for listening to almost three hours of R-MA stories.

James R. Evans ’95 was diagnosed with stage 4 testicular cancer. We recently spoke with his mother and there are several tests and surgeries coming up along with continuing chemotherapy. The illness and expenses are taking a toll on this R-MA family. Please keep James and his family in your thoughts and prayers.

Matthew T. Stevenson ’98 updated his information with R-MA and included a note that he is doing extremely well and has been blessed by what God has given him. He only speaks on a regular basis with one other R-MA graduate from his class, but is interested to see and hear about others.

Cara Hobbs ’00 took Command of USARCENT, STB/HHC(P) at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait on October 19, 2012.

Jonathan Epps ’01 graduated from the

Cadet Cole Johnston ’15 has been a student at R-MA for a year, but his connection with R-MA goes back further in time. His aunt, Donna Bogart, is on the Board of Trustees, and he’s had two cousins, Dustin ’03 and David Johnston ’07, graduate from R-MA, making Cole a proud “Legacy” at R-MA. “Having a legacy at school definitely makes you feel more connected. The teachers especially make that connection. I like knowing I have family who went to the same school I do,” said Cole.

Currently, Dustin has just gotten married and is an accountant. David has also been keeping busy, starting a family and working for a family business. Proud of the legacy of which he is a part, Cole admitted, “My family is crazy and chaotic, but I love them! Everyone has a story, and I want people to know I come from a good home. I was taught well. I’m proud of that.”

Cole is a sophomore at R-MA, and he is a distance swimmer at R-MA, with his favorite swim stroke being freestyle. More concerned with others than himself, Cole believes that even though it’s good to be a legacy student, people are who they choose to be. “It’s what you make of it; family doesn’t have everything to do with it,” he said. “You’re your own person. For me, I want my legacy to be what people remember of me when I graduate from here. I hope my legacy will be one where people say, ‘Cole

R-MA Legacies: Cole Johnston ’15by Rebekah Secrist

was always nice, always had a smile for everyone, and never treated anyone meanly.’” Wanting to be seen as a good person that will be missed when he graduates, Cole hopes his own “legacy” will be carried on in his friends Nahoon, Gina, and Mrs. Brittany Zivic, who is like a second mother to him. He also said he wants to leave behind his legacy to the

finance department. “I’m always hanging out there,” he said, chuckling. “There are always a lot of laughs.”

Smiling a handsome smile that exhibits a humble pride, which is a unique characteristic for one so young, Cole admitted that he is a legacy, and he gives praise of his legacy to his mom, who he stated is a very hard worker. “I’ve been provided with every good thing I need to succeed,” he said. “Thanks to being

raised well, I understand respect, and I’m proud to be my mom’s son. I’m her legacy.”

Are you part of an R-MA Legacy Family?

Let us know!

E-mail Director of Alumni Relations Ann Brander ’02

at [email protected].

When Randolph-Macon Academy launched its alumni Executive Council in 2010, participation in the Annual Fund was at 4 percent.

After three years of this dedicated group of alumni taking to the phones, the school’s giving rate has jumped to nearly 7 percent. “And we are achieving our goal by educating our community about the importance of supporting R-MA’s Annual Fund,” noted Kittie Callaghan Abell, vice president of development.

The Annual Fund Executive Council is seeking new members, especially graduates

from the 1980s and 1990s. After training, the new Council Members will make 10 calls each spring and fall to ask fellow alumni to join them in giving to the Annual Fund.

“Every dollar given to R-MA has a very real and tangible impact,” Randolph-Macon Academy Trustee and Council Chairman Eric Anderson ’88 said. “By investing in the Annual Fund, you ensure that R-MA’s student programs remain strong and vibrant.”

If you would like to join the Annual Fund Executive Council, please contact Christine Meyer, director of development, at (540) 636-5485 or [email protected].

Annual Fund Executive Council Volunteers Needed

by Christine Meyer


Class NotesContinued from page 28

Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in June 2012 and sat for the NY Bar Exam in August. He is currently awaiting results while working in securities litigation, and trying to transition into an in-house sports law position.

Mark Bolling ’02 has recently been hospitalized. Any R-MA grads who would like to send Mark a note to cheer him up can contact the Alumni Office for the mailing address.

Evan Pressman ’07 visited and had lunch with Michael Williams and other members of the faculty and staff recently during his leave. He is in the Air Force at the rank of Senior Airman and stationed at Kunsan Air Force Base in South Korea.

Christopher Abare ’10 recently visited R-MA while on his winter break. He is enlisted in the Army reserves and finished a four month tour in Somalia this past spring. He’s currently going to Indiana University of Pennsylvania and majoring in Dance. He says he chose that major after remembering how much he enjoyed performing in the R-MA Dance/Cheer group.

Baruch Talbott ’12 finished his book In the Middle of the Line with co-author Debby Coughlan. Baruch and Ms. Coughlan visited some R-MA English classrooms for feedback on the book last March, and the classes have been credited in the book’s acknowledgements. Ms. Coughlin tells us that Baruch was inspired to write this book while attending R-MA, during a time when he was struggling with issues related to his background as an orphan in Liberia and his new life with an adoptive family.

Trey Brouwer took to the skies at R-MA, and in a way, he stayed there.

“I came here in 1982, at the end of my eighth grade year,” he recalled. “I got a 3.8 my freshman year, and my parents gave me the choice of whether I wanted to come back. I had learned enough to know that if I didn’t come here, I wouldn’t do anything in life.”

Brouwer, a 1987 R-MA graduate from Houston, TX, was in attendance when the Academy brought in its first airplane, and completed his solo at R-MA. But that memory wasn’t what brought him back to R-MA for his 25th reunion in 2012.

“This is a family. We all grew up together,” he said of R-MA. “Our class is one of the tightest classes. Col [Ivan] Mieth [former commandant of R-MA] was like a dad to all of us. When I was here, I really wanted to get out, but when I was gone, I wanted to come back. It’s our family.”

After Brouwer successfully graduated from R-MA, he went on to complete his bachelor’s degree in computer engineering

‘87 Graduate’s Heart Still in the Skiesat the University of Houston. Although he did not become a pilot, his heart never left the sky, and he went on to work at NASA as a flight controller. “I did the same job as the guys you saw in the movie Apollo 13,” he said in explaining his early career. He was the lead flight controller for four space shuttle missions during his time in that position. Now, he is the International Space Station Manager in Mission Operations for the United Space Alliance—the program manager over the international space station. To this day, his passion for the space program remains undimmed.

“We’ve learned a lot on space stations,” he explained. “We found the cure for salmonella recently. That’s not a big deal here in the U.S., but it is to third-world nations. The closed system we use to recycle water, the sanitary system—we take those to third world countries where they need it. The cell phone and the computer as we know them today exist because of research done in conjunction with the space program.”

H. Scarlett Kibler ’89, the first female president of R-MA’s Alumni Association, is a dedicated woman who has conquered every opportunity put before her, opportunities she credits R-MA for providing. “Put me in any situation, and I can do my job,” she said when asked to what extent R-MA prepared her for life. “One of my favorite memories was planning the Military Ball. My work as Officer of Special Projects provided me with wonderful experience in event planning, which would later benefit me in my work with politics and non-profits.”

The adventure that led Kibler to becoming the first female president of R-MA Alumni Association is a colorful one. Currently, she is an early childhood school administrator in Winchester, VA, where she lives with her husband Michael, and daughter Kat, but in her twenties, following graduation from Shenandoah University (where she earned her B.A. degree in Mass Communications), she worked in the field of journalism, politics, non-profits and television. She became involved in the Alumni Association fifteen

years ago after returning for Homecoming. “I feel that it is important to serve on the Alumni Board because we as alumni are a vital part of the Academy,” she stated. “Alumni should take pride in the fact that we represent one of the finest prep schools in the United States. The alumni can ensure that the school continues to grow and continues to maintain its high standards of integrity and honor.”

Kibler is proud to be the first female president of the association. “The best thing about being the first female president is that it means that women are finally seen as qualified equals. I was chosen for president not because I’m a female, but because I am the right person for the time.”

Kibler has high hopes for the future of the Alumni Association: “I want the mission statement

for the association to be obtained in its fullest potential by taking pride in our alma mater. There is no limit to commitment, and I am committed to working closer with the school to start new programs and further the success in the lives of the cadets.”

Kibler ’89 Named First Female President of the Alumni Association

by Rebekah Secrist

Help us find lost alumni before Homecoming 2013!

Visit www.rma.edu/Homecoming

for a complete list of missing alumni.


d e v e l o p m e n t

Society of 1892hg

Leave a Legacy. Through gift planning you can leave a legacy at Randolph-Macon Academy so that the mission of training 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 & individuals who have arranged a gift to R-MA via a planned giving vehicle, such as trusts, annuities, & life insurance policies. The individuals who are listed in bold are new members to the Society of 1892.

Mr. & Mrs. Eric D. Anderson ‘88Mr. James D. Austin ‘79Mr. Harry G. Austin, III ‘75Mr. Richard C. Beall ‘53*Mr. Dale W. Becker ‘47Dr. Richard BelinicMr. Dallas O. Berry ‘59Mr. Harold L. Brubaker*Mr. & Mrs. James W. Burke ‘58Lt Col Kevin J. Callanan, CFRE & Mrs. Lisa B. CallananMr. & Mrs. Robert R. Chaffiot, Sr. ’57Mr. Ray C. Coffman, Jr. ‘51Dr. & Mrs. C. Barrie Cook ‘41Mr. Lawrence H. Cook, Jr. ‘55*Col & Mrs. Charles V. Corder, Jr., USAF, Ret. ‘53Mr. & Mrs. W. R. Cosby ‘21*Mr. Rodney E. Deane, Jr.Mr. Joseph M. Edge ‘41*Mr. & Mrs. Jay S. Fifer ‘58Ms. Catherine Foard Fort*Mr. & Mrs. Arthur H. Fulton ‘49AnonymousMrs. Ethel R. Garber*Mr. Charles P. Given ‘23*Mr. & Mrs. C. Spencer Godfrey ‘54Mr. Edward R. Golob, Jr. ‘65

Mrs. Georgina J. Grant*Mr. Boyd M. Guttery ‘45Mr. & Mrs. Robert HansenDr. Timothy S. HarlanMr. George W. Helfrich ‘54*Mrs. Ruby T. Hite*Maj Gen & Mrs. Henry M. Hobgood, USAF, Ret.Col Arthur D. Johnson, USA, Ret. ‘53Mr. David F. Johnston, Sr. ‘58Mr. D. Watt Jones, Jr. ‘61Dr. Joseph H. Kite, Jr.Mr. Wendell H. Kline, Jr. ‘88Mr. & Mrs. Conrad E. Koneczny ‘51Mr. & Mrs. 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 ‘37Mr. R. Kyle McDaniel ‘07Mr. & Mrs. James S. Meatyard ‘55Capt Richard I. Merrill, USA, Ret. ‘39*Mr. & Mrs. David W. Moore, Sr. ‘53Mr. Robert A. Moore, Jr. ‘50Mr. & Mrs. Walter L. Nalls, Jr. ‘56

Mr. & 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 ‘64RAdm. & Mrs. John D. Stufflebeem, USN, Ret. ‘70Dr. & Mrs. Charles B. Swaim ‘77Mr. & Mrs. William G. Thomas ‘57Col Trevor D. Turner, USA, Ret.* & 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, Ret.Mr. Thomas F. Williamson ‘58* & Mrs. Bonnie Williamson

* Assembled for the Final Roll Call.


One of Elsie Stossel Upchurch’s earliest memories is watching the main building of Randolph-Macon Academy blazing from atop the hill as a fire claimed the building in 1927.

“I remember sitting on my mother’s lap in the upstairs bedroom window, watching it burn,” she recalled, her eyes full of the memory.

Upchurch’s father went to see if he could help in some way, as did many people in town. Miraculously, no one was killed, but the unstoppable fire decimated the castle-like building, leaving only the shell of stone walls standing. “Everybody in town took in boys,” Upchurch said. “My mother took in two boys for a time.”

Those actions taught Upchurch what it meant to be a good neighbor at an early age, and it was a lesson she never forgot. She established her own “good neighbor” legacy with Randolph-Macon Academy last year when she placed the Academy in her estate plans.

“We’re neighbors,” she said of why she chose to provide such a gift to the Academy. “We’ve been neighbors all my life. I used to hear ‘Taps’ every night. I could hear it from the house. The band used to play every night as they lowered the flag and then they would all march to dinner. I used to enjoy that. [R-MA] is my closest neighbor on that side, and I just thought it was something I could do.”

“We are so grateful for the gift Mrs. Upchurch is making to Randolph-Macon Academy,” said Kittie Abell, Vice President for Development. “But just as importantly, we are happy to have the opportunity to get to know our wonderful neighbor. She is absolutely engaging, witty, and full of energy. And, knowing Mrs. Upchurch’s love of education, we are especially honored that she is including Randolph-Macon Academy in her estate plans.”

Upchurch graduated from Longwood University in 1943,

and became a teacher in Ashland for one year. She then went to Richmond, where she met her soon-to-be husband, Norman Upchurch, at their boarding house. She earned her master’s degree from Columbia University in 1948 and became a guidance counselor, spending most of her career at Westhampton Junior High School.

“I liked junior high. Grades seven and eight were my favorites,” she said. She was apparently the favorite of some students as well—during the past year she has received numerous notes and visits from former students. One brought his wife to meet her, along with roses. Another, who had her as a counselor in middle school and later graduated from Randolph-Macon Academy, now lives in Front Royal and fondly calls her “Teach.”

The introduction of a bussing system in Richmond changed the school district lines and caused Upchurch to move schools twice before she retired; she served in Chandler and Binford middle schools during this time. During her professional career, she was president of the Junior High Teachers Association, the League of Richmond Teachers, the Virginia Education Association’s District C and the local chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, an honorary society for women education.

Once she and her husband retired, they moved to Front Royal. Moving from the city back to her roots and entering retirement

didn’t slow down Upchurch in any way. She is very active in the Front Royal Garden Club, and chairs the Garden Tour that takes place each spring. She is the organist at Rockland Community Church and also plays the harp. In addition, she is an elder at Front Royal Presbyterian Church. She serves there as the Chairman of the Christian Fellowship Committee, organizing various trips each year; the most recent one was to the Festival of Lights in West Virginia, and she is already planning another trip to Philadelphia.

A Good Neighbor: Mrs. Elsie Upchurch

In Memory of Walter Richard Mancuso ‘65Mrs. Joan Mancuso

In Memory of Francis H. McFall ‘42Mr. James W. CaseyMr. and Mrs. John W. EvansMrs. Gloria McFall

In Memory of Colonel Ivan G. Mieth, USAF, RetiredSecond Lieutenant Sarah L. Littlefield ‘06

In Honor of Alexander R. Ndongo-SehMr. Patrice Ndongo-Seh

In Memory of Dan Calvin PearsonMr. and Mrs. David W. Moore, Sr. ‘53Mr. D. Enoch Moore, II ‘51Mr. Munsey A. Moore

In Memory of A. Bennett Boulden, Jr. ‘51Mr. and Mrs. John T. P. Dryden

In Honor of Mimi F. BouldenMr. and Mrs. Sergio N. BarrosMr. and Mrs. John T. P. Dryden

In Memory of Frank M. Gutekunst ‘68Mr. Richard R. Lowman, III ‘66

In Memory of Strother J. “Buzz” Hart ‘50Mrs. Edith M. Hart

In Honor of Major General Henry M. Hobgood, USAF, RetiredMr. and Mrs. Edward S. Linsley ‘65Mr. William PrescottRear Admiral and Mrs. John D. Stufflebeem, USN, Retired ‘70Mr. and Mrs. Earle R. Ware, II ‘53

TributesHonored friends of Randolph-Macon Academy are listed first in bold print followed by the names of those making gifts in their memory or honor. This list reflects gifts made to R-MA between July 1, 2012 and January 9, 2013. Look for future editions of The Sabre for additional listings.

In Memory of H. Manning Peebles ‘39Mr. and Mrs. C. Henry Jones

In Honor of Paul Manning Peebles ‘67Mr. and Mrs. C. Henry Jones

In Memory of Clayton M. Tinny ‘71Mr. and Mrs. John D. Tinny

In Honor of Colonel Arvin S. Williams, USAF, RetiredMs. Lynn Thomas

In Honor of Adam Wilson ‘08Ms. Jennifer L. Wilson

Photo provided by Elsie Upchurch.


d e v e l o p m e n t

Every right bestowed upon you by your free country begets a corresponding duty.

We are promised the pursuit of happiness. We are not promised happiness.

We are promised the equality of opportunity. We are not promised riches.

We are promised freedom to speak and write. We are not promised wisdom.

We are promised liberty. We are not promised peace.

These words adorn a yellowed, cracked card that has been laminated too many times to count. It is a card that Rick Frisbie ’58 has carried with him since the 1960’s when he was in the Army, stationed in Germany. “I thought it kind of epitomized how we should look at life, how we as a nation should look at life, that we are given the opportunity, and the success is up to the individual,” he explained.

Frisbie holds a B.S. degree from Washington & Lee University and an M.B.A. from the University of Virginia, Darden School. After three-and-a-half years as an officer he was awarded the U.S. Army Commendation Medal for Meritorious Service, then entered the civilian workforce in the financial industry, where he remained for the rest of his career. In 2011, he transitioned under a new contract with Morgan Stanley from Senior Vice President and Portfolio Management Director. He was on four different boards of corporations, two of them publicly held. He has served on the Professional Advisory Committee for Arlington Hospital, on the Board of Equalization for Arlington County, VA, and as a member of the Public Utilities Commission in Arlington as well. Frisbie was also a Scoutmaster in Boy Scout Troop 106, Chairman of the Christian Board of Education and Vestry at Christ Church in Alexandria, VA, a member of the Commercialization Task for NASA, and Arbitrator for the New York Stock Exchange. He has also served in many other volunteer positions.

It is an impressive resume…yet in speaking to Rick Frisbie, what is most obvious is not his awards or positions or honors. It is his heart for giving, and for reaching out to others. It is the fact that he believes in the opportunities Randolph-Macon Academy gives young people—so much so, that he was able to help guide the school through the dark times that threatened it. So much so, that he inspires others to believe in the Academy.

Frisbie was asked to join the R-MA Board of Trustees in the early 1970’s. At that time, backlash from the Vietnam War had turned public opinion against military schools. Staunton Military School and Augusta Military School both closed during this time, along with dozens of others. Randolph-Macon’s situation looked just as dire, as the enrollment dipped to under 100 students.

“It was a terrible period for schools like this,” he recalled. However, that didn’t deter him from joining the Board. “I came to R-MA at age 15, and stayed for two years.” He was then accepted to Dartmouth, the University of Virginia, William and Mary, and Washington and Lee. “You feel an indebtedness when something, in

two years, can do that for you,” he explained. Frisbie completed a full audit of everything the Academy was

doing, and at the end of it, he concluded that closing temporarily in the hopes of re-opening later would be a mistake. Instead, the Board of Trustees resolved to sell property and do all they could to remain open. “We just kept selling until things finally got better,” he said.

He served on the R-MA Board of Trustees for five years, then moved on to other adventures in business and service. In 1986, Frisbie had what he called “a defining moment” when he saw a news interview with AIDS victim Ryan White and his mother. The young boy had developed the disease due to a blood transfusion. He was deaf and had no immune system to speak of. In spite of his innocence, and his mother were ostracized due to Ryan’s disease and had been forced to move out of their community. One of the interviewers, Kathleen Sullivan, asked how the employer was treating the two of them. “Wonderfully,” said the mother, in a reply that stuck forever with Frisbie. She described how her employer, General Motors, had been supportive and understanding, providing time off and a job when she moved and even assisted with her move.

“It meant a lot to me,” said Frisbie. “Here’s a company that is assuming corporate responsibility, doing what it should do, just like any good member of a community, and it wasn’t asking for anything

back. That, to me, is giving. And when you come up here [to R-MA] over time, you see that same kind of giving on the part of the school, the faculty, and other persons.”

Many people would have a thought of helping and then move on in life without following through. Frisbie called the TV station and asked for the mom’s number—and they gave it to him. He called her and then rallied some of his connections to her cause. As a result, they were able to send her several thousand dollars.

“I define giving as: being selfless; motives are pure; seeing the results. You

see people who give for recognition, or they give for ego,” Frisbie explained. “But I think the true situations that are most meaningful in life are when you can give because you recognize values or you recognize need or you recognize that there is something that is needed to lift someone to a higher plane.”

Frisbie has put his philosophy into practice time and time again, rejoining the R-MA Board of Trustees for a second term; he is now a trustee emeritus. Now he quietly helps R-MA students obtain an education through scholarships funded by various generous contributors and working with individuals to establish trusts that will eventually provide funds to the R-MA endowment, which will fund future scholarships.

“When I recognize people with tremendous values, who have a willingness to help, I approach them,” he said. “There are certain institutions, certain groups that are out there transferring value and values, and when you see them, you endorse them. It’s pretty simple.”

Simple Giving, Major Impact

Photo by Elson-Alexandre, Buena Park, CA. Provided by Rick Frisbie’58.


The following scholarships were presented during the Scholarship

Recognition Ceremony on November 16, 2012. Special

thanks to those who joined us to present the scholarships.

The R-MA Alumni Association Scholarship

Neil Dutton ‘13 Brett Johnson ‘13

The James Joseph Abraham Memorial Flight ScholarshipGeorge Beals PG’13

The William H. ‘33 and Ethel Garber Flight Scholarship

Thomas Abell ‘13 Manuel Prado ‘13

KJ Graham ‘13

The Chauncy Rockwell ‘06 Scholarship

Emmanuel Arellano ‘14

The Chauncy Rockwell ’06 Flight

ScholarshipNicholas Anderson ‘13

The Red River Valley Pilots Association Flight

ScholarshipChristiana Hayes ‘14

The Gregory W. Swaim ‘81 Memorial Flight

ScholarshipMargot Cramer ‘14

The Air Force Association Scholarship

Killian Hopcroft ‘13

The Austin Family Scholarship

McKenzie Marshall ‘13

The Boulden Family Scholarship

Tanner Blankenship ‘13

The Class of 1949 Scholarship

Roop Atwal ‘15

The Class of 1956 ScholarshipAndre Lake ‘13


Uzoamaka Njoku ‘14

The Drewry Enoch Moore Family Scholarship

Amelia Zipparo ‘14

The David ‘53 and Jean Olderman Scholarship

Kevin Slaton ‘14


Thomas Shea ‘16


Katelyn Shea ‘17


Duane Doku ‘13

The Eagle Scholars Scholarship

Madeline Chafin ‘14Cole Johnston ‘15Ming-Yi Chu ‘15

Jessica Neupane ‘15Robert DeBerry ‘16

The Friends of R-MA Scholarship

William Dennis ‘14

The Rick ‘58 & Barbara Frisbie Foreign Language

ScholarshipMazrukh Khan ‘15

The Laura Stanley Scholarship

Lauren Allen ‘13Juliet Arcila Rojas ‘13

The C. Spencer Godfrey ‘54 Scholarship

Duane Doku ‘13

The Jamal Thomas Scholarship

Jasmine Bowers ‘17

The Lois and Trevor Turner Scholarship

Malik Cochran ‘15

The Ivan G. Mieth Flight ScholarshipCarissa Vaccaro PG’13

The Coach Lyle and Nancy McFall and Class of 1951

ScholarshipAustin Lee ‘15

The Alonzo Aldrich Neese Memorial

ScholarshipMarcus Williams ‘13

The Alonzo Aldrich Neese

Memorial Flight Scholarship

Killian Hopcroft ‘13

The Earl Sherman Memorial

ScholarshipTanner

Blankenship ‘13McKenzie Marshall ‘13

The Craig Porter, Jr. English Scholarship

Rabia Otry ‘13

The Nicholas G. Ryder ‘65 Flight Scholarship

Benjamin Gillis ‘14

The Parents’ Association Scholarship

Samantha Kelley ‘13

The Varanko Family Scholarship

Katelyn Shea ‘17

The Virginia Beach United Methodist

Church Foundation Scholarship

Thomas Shea ‘16

The Kingswood Scholarship

Grace Alexander ‘14Gordon Anderson ‘15

The Silek Family Scholarship

Jacob Dodson ‘15

The Falcon Foundation Scholarship

George Beals PG’13Carissa Vaccaro PG’13

2012-13 Named Scholarship Recipients

Upper School cadets Ixel “Xel” Ochoa’15 and Faith Funderberg’14 savor a moment

of friendship between classes.

Middle School students enjoy teambuilding activities at the neaby 4-H Center.


a l u m n i

After 32 years on the bench, the Honorable B. Waugh Crigler ‘66 has announced he will retire as United States Magistrate Judge for the Western District of Virginia at the end of the current term on September 30, 2013.

Part of a Randolph-Macon Academy legacy family, Judge Crigler’s father, Bernard graduated from R-MA in 1937. The younger Crigler followed in his father’s footsteps, serving on the Randomac and Sabre staffs. He was an honor student who wrestled and played football.

“I needed the discipline and the smaller academic environment,” Judge Crigler noted in a 2003 Sabre interview. “I’ve never regretted it. There is no question in my mind that, if it were not for R-MA, I never would have had the chance to attend an academically challenging school like Washington & Lee. The more disciplined lifestyle and learning to address the day-to-day circumstances of boarding school prepared me to deal with a college environment.”

After graduating from R-MA, Judge Crigler attended Washington & Lee University, where he majored in American History while playing football, wrestling and serving as senior class president.

He next attended the University of Tennessee College of Law, graduating third in his class in 1973. While in law school, he was a staff member of the Tennessee Law Review, and was elected into membership of the Order of the Coif and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. After graduation, he served as a law clerk to the Hon. Robert Love Taylor in the Eastern District of Tennessee before returning to his native Culpeper to a private law practice.

In 1981, Judge Crigler was appointed United States Magistrate Judge, serving primarily the Charlottesville and Harrisonburg divisions. He has presided over a wide range of civil and criminal cases. Some of his most memorable civil cases have involved landfill, water supply, and trash disposal disputes in both Charlottesville and other communities in the Western District, the anti-trust action between the Daily Progress and the Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors, and the bitter dispute over customers between the area’s two early cable television providers.

During his tenure, Judge Crigler served on the Judicial Conference of the United States Criminal Rules Advisory Committee, as well as a member of the Virginia State Bar Litigation Board of Governors and the VSB Professionalism Committee. He has been vice-chair of the Virginia State Bar Board of Governors for the Education of Lawyers, was the founding chair of the Law School Professionalism Committee, and was selected to serve as a member of the Virginia Bar Association Professionalism Commission. For over 25 years, Judge Crigler has taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Virginia School of Law, offering courses in Trial Advocacy and Practical Trial Evidence.

An elder at Trinity Presbyterian Church, Judge Crigler and his wife, Anne, lead Bible studies in local retirement and nursing facilities and for eight years, he has led a men’s Bible study group in Charlottesville.

“A wise man once wrote, ‘There is a season for every purpose under heaven,’” Judge Crigler noted, “My tenure on the bench has been most rewarding, but it will yield what is ahead for me as Anne and I seek new ways to serve our community.”

Judge Crigler ’66 RetiresDesjardins has currently logged over 5500 flight hours, of which 4000 are in the jet. He continues to fly for Air Canada and experience interesting cultures and cities. Desjardins still has 30+ years of flying left in him, and with that, hopes to be promoted to Captain one of these days.

R. Brandon Wilkins ’03 graduated from the Citadel in 2007. After receiving his commission as a Marine, he attended The Basic School (TBS) and Flight School in Pensacola, FL and Kingsville, TX. He earned his wings on October 31, 2010 in Texas and then reported to NAS Oceana, VA from November 2010 to August 2011, to learn how to fly the F/A-18 Hornet. Wilkins then reported to Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, SC in the Fall of 2011 and deployed on the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) for her final combat deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, flying close air support missions in Afghanistan. Serving with the “Thunderbolts” of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 251 (VMFA-251), Wilkins has logged over 500 hours in the Hornet, with over 800 hours of total military time. During his deployment he also earned the designation of Landing Signal Officer (LSO), responsible for the safe recovery and grading of each pilot’s landing aboard the carrier.

Jordan Rice ’05 began his flying career at R-MA under the instruction of Laura Abraham in 2004. He went on to solo shortly after his 16th birthday (he waited a few extra days for his roommate, Mark Holden ’06, to turn 16 so they could solo at the same time). He went on to continue his education and training at Florida Tech, where he earned his BS and MS (pending graduation this Spring) in aviation-related disciplines. Rice taught students at the university for three years as an instructor (CFI/CFII/MEI) before going to work for American Eagle Airlines, a subsidiary of American Airlines. He’s flown large turboprops and ‘regional jets’ across the US, to Cuba, the Bahamas, and most islands in the Caribbean as a First Officer.

Chase Beatty ’09 always had a goal to fly in some capacity, either as a civilian or in the military. Now a Marine, Beatty doesn’t fly much anymore but he does tag on to some rides in the military aircraft rotor wing. He has flown Piper arrows, Cessna 172, and Cessna 152 as well as a Diamond. Beatty remembers flying to Oklahoma and says that it was very interesting because the whole state was flat and visibility was great. While he was there he got to fly in a storm. Beatty said, “Flight at R-MA was more about overcoming obstacles and that was what kept me coming back. I like a good challenge and flight always presented that for me. I still love flying to this day.”

Jacob Kaczmarek ’10 is currently an instrument-rated commercial multi/single engine pilot. He had his check ride for his CFI in January and is working on his instrument instructor rating with the goal of working as a Flight Instructor in 2013.

We know we have many more pilots out there. If you are interested in sharing your story, please e-mail Ann Brander, Director of Alumni Relations, at [email protected]. Stay tuned to the R-MA Dome Dispatch for future career spotlights.

Pilots’ Conclusion, continued from page 26

Jordan Rice ’05 works at American Eagle Airlines.

by Christine Meyer


For what is believed to be the first time in R-MA history, the girl’s tennis team achieved a state ranking, going as high as sixth place in the state before finishing the season as the 10th-ranked team in the Virginia Independent School Athletic Association for Division II.

“We didn’t have a good record,” admitted head coach Eric Barr, “but our losses all came to teams in the top eight, who all went on to the

state playoffs. We are in a very competitive conference.” In fact, he added, R-MA competes against schools whose students are truly serious tennis players who play on indoor courts year-round and/or take private lessons.

Cozette Boakye ’13, the #2 seed on the team, added that other teams “completely misjudged us, thinking they would win easily. Then when they actually played us it was a different story. We put up a fight. Our matches were close.” The teams that beat the Yellow Jackets had to be at the top of their game to do so. The respect the Jackets earned even in losses is what led to their top ten ranking.

“Anastasia [Anastasia Voellm, the #1 seed on the team] had a nice run with Cozette as a doubles team. They’ve played together for three years—that’s 34 matches,” Barr said. He added that the two of them had a compatibility and camaraderie that made them hard to beat—in fact, they would often beat other doubles teams consisting of players who had beaten them during the individual matches. “They were better together than apart,” Barr said.

Both Boakye and Voellm point to their friendship on and off the court as one of the key reasons for their success.

“Doubles needs a lot of communication,” Voellm said. “I believe that’s why we were so successful, because of our communication.”

Tennis Team Achieves State RankingShe also believes that close camaraderie carried over into the team’s success. “We have such a cohesiveness on our team. We’ve been playing together for three to four years now.”

Boakye agreed, adding, “We’re really close, like a family.” She also gave credit to Barr. “Sometimes he can be a little tough. He knows our potential and how good we can be. That pushes me to work harder as a tennis player and perform better.”

Tennis is scored on the top five singles matches and the top two doubles matches. Rounding out the top five after Anastasia and Cozette were Miss’e Odoom ’13, Amelia Ziparro ’14, and Siqin Xie ’16. Xie was not in the top five at the start of the season, but was the fifth-best player on the team by the end of the season, which earned her the Most Improved Player award.

“I want them to have fun and to learn a sport they can play all their lives,” said Barr. “It doesn’t have to be the sole purpose of

waking up in the morning. The number one goal is to have fun, the number two goal is to win.”

Of course, with a first-time state-ranking, this year, things tended to be a bit more fun. Voellm said the athletes were all very excited when they learned they had broken into the state’s top ten rankings. “It made practices pretty vibrant; everybody was pretty happy about it,” she said.

“I think tennis this year was one of my greatest experiences at R-MA,” said Boakye. “I grew from how I used to play

to how I play now. I made a lot of friendships—we got really close,

and we pushed each other because we knew each other so well. I think a team performs better when they’re closer together.”

Cozette Boakye ‘13 returns the ball.

Miss’e Odoom ‘13 was the #3 seed on the team.

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Alumni Association Special Order Sales2000 Highland. Shell is windproof/water resistant polyurethane-coated medium-weight 100% Taffeta nylon. Contrasting collar trim, half lined with mesh. Elastic cuffs and waistband. Back yoke opens for added ventilation. Raglan sleeves. Hood concealed in collar.

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Payment due with order: Mail your check or money order payable to R-MA Alumni Association to: Byron C. Gayle, c/o Randolph-Macon Academy Alumni Office, 200 Academy Drive, Front Royal, VA 22630. Credit cards accepted.


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 fall sports. Congratulations to all!

VolleyballElizabeth Doran ’13: 1st Team

Lauren Allen ’13: Honorable Mention

Taylor Jones ’16: Honorable Mention

TennisAnastasia Voellm ’13: 1st Team

SoccerCaleb Phillips ’13: 1st Team

Ben Gillis ’14: 1st Team

Bryan Mazzola ’14: Honorable Mention

FootballFelipe Angulo ’13: 1st Team Defensive Lineman

Nick Anderson ’13: 1st Team Defensive & Offensive LinemanAndre Lake ’13: 1st Team Running Back

Ryan Pile ’13: 1st Team Free SafetyJonathan Moore ’14: 1st Team Linebacker

William Dennis ’13: Honorable Mention Offensive & Defensive Lineman

Andre Lake ’13: Honorable Mention Defensive Back & Returner

Jung Hoon Choi ’14: Honorable Mention Offensive Lineman

Ben Gillis ’14: Honorable Mention KickerJonathan Moore ’14:

Honorable Mention Running Back & Strong SafetyKevin Slaton ’14:

Honorable Mention Running Back & Strong Safety

Top in Tennis: R-MA’s Voellm Ranks 10th in State

By: Rebekah SecristAnastasia Voellm ’13 is a young woman of many hats. She is R-MA’s

National Honor Society President, Homecoming Queen, and state-ranked tennis player. Along with her several awards—including the team MVP award for three consecutive years and Athlete of the Year in 2012—Voellm has a most sincere attitude. Her coach, head tennis coach Eric Barr, said about her, “She’s a good athlete and very coachable—anxious to improve, and she trusts you as a coach to help her get better. She pushes herself and practices hard. She likes to compete.”

Voellm, always presenting herself in a manner worthy of praise, has brought herself recognition at R-MA, where she holds a cadre position as the Academy’s Own recruitment officer. Her sweet disposition is not bound within R-MA. Last summer, she joined her mother in the Philippines and taught the village children English as a second language. She also tutored them in math, which is her favorite subject of study at R-MA. The conditions were very primitive: no electricity or running water. The trip, she claims, was impactful, and she found herself very grateful for the blessings in her life by the time she left.

Even though Voellm prides herself on being driven and focused, she says the awards were all a surprise to her, particularly the award for a state ranking of 10th in Division II Tennis for the Virginia Independent School Athletic Association. Voellm has played tennis since middle school, and she enjoys the individual competition as a welcome change from all of the team sports she is used to playing. “It’s nice to play one-on-one,” she remarked. “I think tennis is my favorite sport.”

Voellm was also named R-MA’s MVP in tennis this fall, and both awards can be attributed to her faithfulness and dedication. She always gives her best, and makes every practice and game. She believes in good manners, and believes it’s important to address people the way they should be addressed.

As talented as she is in sports, Voellm believes she’s not at her potential yet. “There’s always room to improve,” she said. Voellm doesn’t plan on ever giving up tennis. “Tennis is unique” she said, “because you can play it for a life time. Others usually you end up quitting, but I don’t think I’ll ever give up tennis. I’d love to play in an intramural or in a club in college.” College is another burgeoning success story for R-MA’s senior star. She has been offered a four-year Navy ROTC to Rice University in Texas, where she is considering majoring in biology and minoring in business.

Support our Student-Athletes!Uniforms, equipment and facility improvements are provided through gifts to the Yellow

Jacket Fund. Would you like to help? Call Kittie Abell, VP of Development at 540-636-5206 or email at [email protected].

Scoreboards Fencing

Wish List:Dugouts Uniforms

EquipmentBenches

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Head Football Coach Frank Sullivan is the first to admit that if he had done what was best for Andre Lake ’13 this past football season, Lake would easily have had a season of 1,000 rushing yards. Instead, Sullivan did what he felt was best for the team—and Lake still earned the honor of being named to the Second Team for All-State, Division II, by the Virginia Independent School Athletic Association (VISAA).

When Lake arrived at football camp this past August, he was surprised to find himself moved from running back to full back.

“At first I was confused, but I figured it was for the better, so I just dealt with it,” Lake said. Sullivan’s reason, in fact, was to give the younger players time to develop. Once they came around to the level he wanted, he moved Lake back to his traditional position of running back. Because of Lake’s superb attitude, Sullivan said, “Both changes were seamless.”

Lake, who was originally from the Virgin Islands and now lives in Maryland, even found that he received some benefit from the change. “It made me a lot more versatile,” he said. He went on to add that it taught him to watch the field in a different way, to be more aware of what is going on and what positions everyone is in.

When he arrived at R-MA in tenth grade, Lake had already had a season of football experience as a freshman. “I was fast, so the coach said, ‘Let me test you out here,’” he said of his position as running back. “I ended up doing pretty well.”

At R-MA, football became his motivator as he sought to grow both as a person and academically, and he found that he enjoyed the

Full of Run: Lake Earns All-State Honorspressure of being the running back. “I like the way that some people depend on me,” he commented. That enjoyment of being depended on translated into a natural leadership both on the field and in the dorm, as Lake earned a cadre position of flight commander this year. And although he enjoys leading others and being depended on, being in the fullback position this year gave him something more than versatility.

“It showed me that I’m not always the one being depended on,” he said. “Everyone has a job to do.” As a result, he had more fun this season, and it showed in his performance at running back, as he carried the ball 102 times for 857 yards, and scored 11 touchdowns. He hopes to go on to play football at the college level.

“I’m just proud of the progress he’s made,” said Sullivan. “He learned how to accept responsibility for his mistakes, and he’s willing to ask questions. It says a lot when a new ninth grader sees Andre Lake turn around and say, ‘My mistake. How do I do that better?’” After a moment of thought, Sullivan added, “He’s taught me a lot, that you don’t teach everyone the same way. It’s the sort of thing that sticks with you as a coach. Rather than the Homecoming win, his growth and how he’s matured will be what I remember.”

“Coach Sullivan, because he and I have been in it through thick and thin,” said Lake when speaking of those who had most influenced him and had been the biggest encouragement in his life. “The teachers are a big help; you get a lot of attention because the classes are smaller, instead of 50 in a class.” The person who was most inspiring to him, however was someone much closer to him: “My mom. She encouraged me to keep going, even when I wanted to quit.”

By Ben GillisThe cross-country team

this year was motivated and well-trained. These two attributes led the boys to a first-place finish in the DAC championship race. The girls tied for fourth in the championship. Both teams had one of their best seasons ever. The boys had plenty of talent this year and this translated into an almost undefeated season. The girls did not have as many runners, so each race was tougher to run as they had to rely on the individuals who led the team all season.

Grace Alexander ’14 commented about the team, “We had a lot of talented runners this year, but cross-country is about determination. We had that intensity this season, which led the boys to place first in the DAC Championship and the girls fourth.” Alexander

Boys’ Cross-Country Team Crowned ChampionsGirls Claim Fourth in DAC

has run cross-country for two years and this year she managed to shave seconds—sometimes even minutes—off her time every race.

The “never quit until the race finishes” attitude made this season what it was. Manuel Prado ’13 best put it, “It is not about how much is left in the race, but how strong you can be until the end of it.” Manuel has also run for two years now and this year was captain. He helped the boys with a consistent finish every race.

Coach David Gillis also noted R-MA’s first two Falcon Foundation Scholars, George Beals PG’13 and Carissa Vaccaro PG’13, helped provide a consistent and dedicated example to the younger runners on the team.

“By accomplishment and by team spirit, it’s the best cross-country team I’ve had in eleven years of coaching,” said Coach Gillis.

The cross-country team was more than 20 runners strong this year.


a t h l e t i c s

Middle School Golf

Varsity Girls’ Cross-Country

Middle SchoolCross-Country

Varsity Boys’ Cross-Country

Fal

l S

ports

Awar

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Most Valuable Player Thomas Shea ‘16Coaches’ Award

David Gillespie ‘13Most Improved Player

Manuel Prado ‘13

Most Valuable Player McKenzie Marshall ‘13

Coaches’ Award Grace Alexander ‘14

Most Improved Player Emma Bunker ‘16

Most Valuable Player Orion Piper ‘17

Coaches’ Award Dylan Glascock ‘18

Most Improved Shawn Levitt ‘19

Most Valuable Player Thomas Minchew ’17

Coaches’ Award Joseph Silek ‘17

Most Improved Player Remington Gillis ‘17


Varsity Soccer

Varsity Tennis

JV Soccer

Middle School Soccer

Most Valuable Player Anastasia Voellm ‘13

Coaches’ Award Cozette Boakye ‘13

Most Improved Player Siqin Xie ‘16

Most Valuable Player Benjamin Gillis ‘14Coaches’ Award

Bryan Mazzola ‘14Most Improved Player Jahandar Darvish ‘14

Most Valuable Player Cody Borden ‘16Coaches’ Award

Gordon Anderson ‘15Most Improved Player

Edwin Guyette ‘14

Coaches’ Award David Imansuangbon ‘17Most Improved Player

Dong Eun Go ‘17


a t h l e t i c s

Middle School Volleyball

Varsity Volleyball

Most Valuable Player Jasmine Johnson ‘17

Coaches’ Award Joseany Mbakassy ‘19Most Improved Player

Katelyn Ponn ‘18

Most Valuable Player Elizabeth Doran ‘13Coaches’ Awards

Juliet Arcilia Rojas ‘13 Lauren Allen ‘13

JV Football

Most Valuable Player Andre Lake ‘13

Coaches’ Awards Felipe Angulo ‘13

Ryan Pile ‘13Most Improved Player

Jonathan Moore ‘14 (pictured below)

Coaches’ Awards Juan Canela ‘15

Slayton Speer ‘15

Varsity Football

Fal

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ports

Awar

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Save the Date!

Homecoming 2013October 11 & 12

Contact Ann Brander ’02, Director of Alumni Relations, at

[email protected].

the sabre, winter-spring 2013

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