Experience Saint Mary's Hall!
October 1, 2021
- From the Head of School
- Around the Hall
- Alumni Events
- Alumni Awards
- Alumni News
- Get Involved
- Keep In Touch
- In Memoriam
From the Head of School
A Message From the Head of School
Dear Saint Mary's Hall Alumni,
What an honor for me to share some thoughts in the return of our Alumni Newsletter: Nota Bene after a gap due to the pandemic and some reconsideration of our alumni programming. Alumni like you play a critical role in the success and education of our students. The incredible accomplishments you make set a standard for our students, model our values as an institution, and make an impact on the world.
I also believe you can better help us understand the ways in which we must equip our students. As you share stories about how your SMH education prepared you to leave these halls, we renew our commitment to teaching those skills. As the world changes and demands new skillsets, we adjust and grow our educational philosophy to prepare students for those changing conditions.
We are excited for the commitment to alumni programming that our new Director of Alumni Relations Nancy Lee Archer ’16 is leading. Her love for SMH stems from her time as a student and her deep connections to the community. With the added resource of a full-time position, we look forward to facilitating and increasing alumni connections to each other, to current students, and to the mission of SMH.
As I continue to meet alumni from SMH, I am struck by their deep sense of love for the School, its cherished traditions, our faculty, and our campus. It does not seem possible to imagine a more tangible form of this bond than Blue Tie, where I proudly witnessed two generations of multiple alumni families bestow a tie on their current seniors.
One of the first things that I did after being offered the position of Head of School in January of 2020 was to read the history of Saint Mary’s Hall, The First Century. I had begun reading it in the spring of 2020 as the pandemic first hit, so I was struck by the many examples of historical challenges that SMH faced in the past, whether previous wars or other pandemics. What brought the School through these difficult times were its people and their sacrifice and dedication to our beloved SMH. Time and time again, it was the support, engagement, and vision of alumni that helped propel a firm path forward.
Knowing our history grants us the confidence to meet the challenges of today and to set out an ambitious goal of leading the way in education. We are proud to welcome 130 new students to SMH this year, a positive trend that is up more than 60% from our previous year and the highest in more than three years. We also achieved a record level of giving in our SMH Fund, raising more than $1.08M, a credit to our whole community for making SMH a philanthropic priority. Philanthropy comprises more than 16% of our operating budget, thereby empowering the development of programs that impact our students in countless ways. Our new schedule, an exciting SMH Science Research Scholars Program, the introduction of Harkness tables, the addition of three new varsity coaches, training for our Lower School teachers in classroom pedagogy—these are the types of exciting initiatives that were made possible last year by the generosity of our community. And this commitment is what allows us to maintain the excellence that is SMH.
A renowned educational leader once told me that all great institutions have voices. They speak not just through individual people, but through traditions; hallowed architecture that has been carefully designed, preserved, or refurbished; curricular initiatives; programming; publications; constructive debate; and, of course, a vibrant and engaged alumni body. I therefore invite you to share your voice in the coming year – whether on campus with current students, parents, and faculty; at alumni events with your fellow alumni; or to me directly. Thank you for your commitment to Saint Mary’s Hall, and I look forward to meeting you in person soon!
Sincerely,
Len Miller
Head of School
Around the Hall
Around the Hall
A Message From New Director of Alumni Relations
Dear Saint Mary's Hall Alumni,
It is hard to believe that we have already completed seven weeks of the fall semester, but the enthusiasm, excitement, and desire to be connected as a school community continues to grow every day among our students, parents, faculty, staff, and alumni. I am proud to lead our alumni program and I look forward to connecting with you in a myriad of ways. Through engaging speaker events, regional travel to visit alumni, Alumni Reunion Weekend, the growth of the alumni network, and much more, the Alumni Office is actively working to connect alumni to the school, faculty, and each other.
The Alumni Office began the year by creating a Student Alumni Association under the leadership of Co-Presidents Camila Alvarez ’22 and Peyton Randolph ’22. Together, we will play a vital role in creating and maintaining relationships between current students and alumni through a variety of initiatives that aim to foster SMH connections across the country. In addition, Alumni Association President Kenneth Bethune ’01 and I will convene a taskforce to look at the current SMH alumni program, ask alumni about their hopes and interests, study best practices from around the country, and make recommendations for future program investment. The future of SMH lies in the hands of our vibrant alumni community and we are deeply committed to creating meaningful relationships between one another, current students, and the School that last a lifetime.
It means so much to our faculty and staff when our alumni return to campus to see old faces and meet new ones. I personally invite you to come on campus to eat lunch in the dining hall with our students and faculty, to take a tour of our beautiful grounds, to cheer on our student athletes as they compete in sporting events, to attend our fine arts exhibitions and performances, and everything in between. Remember, the campus on Starcrest Drive is still your home!
While we haven’t been able to host alumni events over the last year, I look forward to connecting with you on campus or at an alumni event soon.
All the best,
Nancy Lee Archer ’16
Director of Alumni Relations
Alumni Events
Alumni Events
October 7, 2021: Saint Mary’s Hall Homecoming
Join us on October 7 to cheer on our cheerleaders and our varsity football team as they play Christian School at Castle Hills at 6:00 pm on Lewis Field, our women’s junior varsity volleyball team as they play the San Antonio Saints at 5pm in the Booke Family Gym, and our women’s varsity volleyball team as they play the San Antonio Saints at 6pm in the Booke Family Gym.
January 5, 2022: Welcome Back Barons Lunch
We invite our college aged alumni and young alumni to join us on campus for lunch in the Peggy Pitman Mays Dining Hall to connect with one another, faculty, staff, and current students.
January 5, 2022: Head of School’s Roundtable
Immediately following Welcome Back Barons Lunch, Head of School Len Miller will host a Roundtable conversation with college alumni to discuss a topic chosen by the Head of School.
May 13 & 14, 2022: Alumni Reunion Weekend
Save the date! We will host the much anticipated Alumni Reunion Weekend for the classes ending in 0, 1, 2, 5, 6, and 7 at Saint Mary’s Hall. More details to follow in the spring.
Spring 2022: Saint Mary’s Hall Goes On The Road (Dates TBD)
Alumni Advisory Council President Kenneth Bethune ’01 and Nancy Lee Archer ’16 will work closely together to plan and execute alumni events for graduates of all ages to attend this year. SMH will hit the road with visits to Austin, Waco, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, College Station, and New York City. Stay tuned for travel updates.
If you are interested in hosting an alumni event in your city, please contact Nancy Lee Archer ’16, Director of Alumni Relations, at narcher@smhall.org or (210) 483-9196.
Alumni Awards
Alumni Awards
Nominations for Distinguished Alumni Award and Momentum Award Now Open
Do you know an alumna and alumnus who is deserving of the Distinguished Alumni Award or the Momentum Award? Nominate your classmates! Nominations must be received by December 17, 2021 to be considered for the 2022 awards. To learn more about previous Distinguished Alumni Award and Momentum Award winners, visit the Alumni Awards page.
The Distinguished Alumni Award is presented to an alumna or alumnus whose contributions to Saint Mary’s Hall and the greater community have set a standard of excellence worthy of recognition. The Distinguished Alumni Award has been bestowed since 1979.
The Momentum Award is presented to an alumna or alumnus, 35 years old or younger, whose professional achievements have set a standard of excellence worthy of recognition. The first Momentum Award was presented in 2007.
Alumni News
Alumni News
Alumni Participate in Blue Tie for the Class of 2022
On August 20, the Class of 2022 celebrated the beginning of Saint Mary’s Hall’s 143rd school year with the annual Blue Tie Parade and Blue Tie Ceremony. Read more about Blue Tie here, or view a photo gallery here. The Upper School Circle was filled with laughter, a contagious sense of joy and excitement for the start of the school year, and, of course, water balloons! The following alumni presented Blue Ties to the Class of 2022:
- Ashley Acevedo ’18
- Emily Averyt ’19
- Lynne Morris Barnett ’54
- Claire Benson ’18
- Rosa Zavala Biglari ’95
- Sardar Biglari ’95
- Liz Wright Bondurant ’65
- Daniel Brown ’18
- Molly Byrd ’20
- Bianca Canseco-Cisneros ’07
- Kathleen Reilly Carter ’85
- Lucia Bennett Carter ’92
- Mary Caroline Cavazos ’18
- Sarah Elizabeth Cortez ’19
- Jorge Delgado ’16
- Luis Garcia ’13
- Olivia Garcia ’15
- Bryce Harris ’19
- Robin Stevenson Hooks ’87
- Alisa Jo Juarez ’95
- Kristin Urban Kemmett ’93
- Monica Zorrilla Kosterlitzky ’86
- Peyton Locke ’17
- Margot Mays ’17
- Marguerite Morgan ’20
- Melissa Morgan ’87
- Arianna Munoz ’19
- Laura Reilly ’86
- Laura Roldan ’19
- Sydney Rouse ’08
- Zachary Rouse ’12
- Sophie Schoenbrun ’18
- Lisa Spielhagen ’88
- Olivia Miller Tibbetts ’19
- Nicholas Trujillo ’20
- Max Ulmer ’18
- Sydney Ulmer ’20
- Court Urban ’96
- Suzy Wright Vollmer ’66
- Grace Caldwell White ’08
- John IV White ’19
- Barbara Wood ’64
- Michael Wood ’19
- Corina Michiko Villanueva Zarate ’20
- Gerardo Zavala ’92
- Juan Carlos Zavala ’93
- Ben Zeller ’19
- Emily Zeller ’19
- Aida Zorrilla ’84
- Miguel Zorrilla ’88
Matriculation: Class of 2021
232 different colleges in the U.S., Canada, U.K., and Europe to which seniors applied
196 different colleges and universities to which seniors were accepted
92 seniors matriculated to the institutions below:
- Anglo-American University, Prague
- Anna Maria College
- Babson College
- Barnard University
- Baylor University
- Boston College
- Brigham Young University
- Bucknell University
- Case Western Reserve University
- College of Wooster
- Connecticut College
- Covenant College
- Eckerd College
- Florida Memorial University
- Furman University
- George Washington University
- Haverford College
- Kenyon college
- Loyola Marymount University
- Maryland Institute College of Art
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Northeastern University
- Occidental College
- Ohio State University
- Regis College
- Rice University
- Saint Edward’s University
- Savannah College of Art and Design
- Schreiner University
- Sewanee: The University of the South
- Southwestern University
- Swarthmore College
- Texas A&M University
- Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi
- Texas Christian University
- Texas Tech University
- Trinity College, Dublin
- University of Alabama
- University of California, Los Angeles
- University of Colorado at Boulder
- University of Dallas
- University of Miami
- University of Mississippi
- University of Oklahoma
- University of Oregon
- University of Puget Sound
- University of Texas at Austin
- University of Texas at San Antonio
- University of the Incarnate Word
- University of Toronto
- University of Virginia
- Vassar College
- Washington and Lee University
- Williams College
- Yale University
Commencement 2021
SMH Outcomes: Class of 2021
- 100% admitted to college
- 64% accepted to their first-choice college/university
- 27% admitted to all schools to which they applied
- $11.3 million in merit-based scholarships awarded
- 13 Class of 2021 athletes committed to play collegiately in baseball, basketball, golf, lacrosse, track and field, and soccer
Alumni Give Back To Saint Mary’s Hall
Bettie Ward ’65 joined Senior Studio Practice Sculpture and Design student on Zoom from her home in Santa Fe to discuss her work and journey as an artist. Ms. Ward shared images of artworks from her collection of prints, drawings, paintings, sculpture, and embroideries. She also answered questions from students about her life and growth as a professional artist.
Randi Mabry ’09 was interviewed by students Emily Harris ’22 and Katherine Drawert ’22 as part of Upper School Math Teacher Jose Molina’s Where Are They Now Alumni Interview. Randi spoke about her journey as an artist and offered reflections about her time at Saint Mary’s Hall.
Elizabeth Flavin Crawford ’90 was interviewed by Nitya Patel '22 and Emily Harris '22 as part of Upper School Math Teacher Jose Molina’s Where Are They Now? Alumni Interview. Elizabeth is CEO of Sendero Wealth Management, a private wealth management firm offering personalized investment strategies to help protect, preserve, and grow wealth responsibly.
Victor Sanchez ’15 is a Southern Methodist University (SMU) graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration in Management from the Cox School of Business, and currently works as an analyst at Valero. Victor served as a guest speaker at the Student Equity Collective (SEC) meeting in the Upper School. Victor challenged the members to embrace diversity, to support their classmates, and to act with bravery and honor.
Get Involved
Get Involved
Class Agents
Stay in touch with your classmates by being a Class Agent. This is a great position for alumni who want to keep classmates connected to SMH and one another by collecting class notes for The Shield and contact information updates.
If you are interested in being a Class Agent for your graduating class, please contact Nancy Lee Archer ’16, Director of Alumni Relations, at narcher@smhall.org or (210) 483-9196.
College Ambassador Program
Every year, we have SMH graduates who go on to colleges and universities where fellow alumni attend. We want to foster Saint Mary’s Hall connections beyond Starcrest Drive by creating a College Ambassador Program to provide support, camaraderie, and networks for Saint Mary’s Hall alumni during their college years. Whether you are in undergraduate or graduate school, College Ambassadors have the opportunity to share advice and experiences with fellow Barons.
If you would like to be a College Ambassador for your school, please contact Nancy Lee Archer ’16, Director of Alumni Relations, at narcher@smhall.org or (210) 483-9196.
Class Reunion Representatives
Because we have missed celebrating Alumni Reunion Weekend over the last two years, we will honor graduates from classes ending in 0, 1, 2, 5, 6, and 7 on May 13 and 14. Each year, we seek Class Reunion Representatives to help coordinate class attendance at Alumni Reunion Weekend. Would you like to help with Alumni Reunion Weekend 2022?
If you are interested in reconnecting with your classmates and helping with this year’s reunion, please contact Nancy Lee Archer ’16, Director of Alumni Relations, at narcher@smhall.org or (210) 483-9196.
Guest Speaker
Are you interested in sharing your career expertise or life experiences with a particular class, club, or the student body? Our students appreciate hearing stories from and interacting with alumni who have walked the same halls they do every day.
If you are interested in being a guest lecturer on campus, please contact Nancy Lee Archer ’16, Director of Alumni Relations, at narcher@smhall.org or (210) 483-9196.
Keep In Touch
Keep In Touch
Share Your Story
Do you have great news to share with your fellow SMH alumni? Maybe you landed your dream job, got married, had a baby, or took up a new hobby. Or, you just want to update your contact information! Fill out our online form by clicking the button below and filling the form out with your name, class year, email address, mailing address, latest news, and even upload photos. Your story may be highlighted in the Alumni Class Notes section of The Shield.
We’d Love To Hear From You!
If you would like more information about our Alumni Program, want to visit campus, have questions about stories you’ve read in Nota Bene or The Shield, or would like to share your story with us, please contact:
Nancy Lee Archer ’16
Director of Alumni Relations
narcher@smhall.org
(210) 483-9196
Do You Receive The Shield?
Take a look at what your classmates are up to in the Spring 2021 issue of The Shield. The Shield is published twice annually for parents, alumni, and friends of the school. Each issue contains interesting stories about the school, students, teachers, and alumni.
The Spring 2021 edition of The Shield focused on A Legacy of Perseverance. Saint Mary’s Hall has a strong legacy of students, parents, faculty, staff, and alumni who continue to persevere through challenging circumstances generation after generation. Check out this edition of The Shield to learn more about how our Saint Mary’s Hall community has persevered through the pandemic. If you are not receiving The Shield and would like a printed copy or the digital edition, email us at editor@smhall.org.
In Memoriam
In Memoriam
Alumni
Mary Ann Huber
nee Mary Ann Myerscough
Class of 1939
April 13, 2021
Gloria Galt
Class of 1941
January 5, 2021
Virginia Payne
nee Virginia (Ginnie) Pomeroy Webb
Class of 1946
August 30, 2021
Nell Capt
nee Nell Kennedy Owens
Class of 1947
May 8, 2021
Linda McSween
nee Linda Lewis
Class of 1957
August 22, 2021
Roberta Benson
nee Roberta Lee House
Class of 1958
February 13, 2021
Suzanne Canavan
nee Suzanne Womack
Class of 1960
March 20, 2021
Merry Fuller
nee Merry (Mimi) Hardin Vickers
Class of 1967
June 7, 2021
Gloria Searcy
nee Gloria Urrutia
Class of 1969
April 28, 2021
Faculty/Staff/Trustees
Curtis C. Gunn Jr.
February 2, 2021
SMH Board of Trustees
Janet Tips Rowe
February 13, 2021
Art Teacher
Ann Ludlow Thayer
April 20, 2021
Form 2 Teacher
Hugh A. Fitzsimons III
May 16, 2021
History Teacher
Community Members
Linda Lee Hill Dreyer
June 10, 2021
Grandmother of Caroline Hill (Lena-Hill) Brysacz ’17
Helene Riklin
July 5, 2021
Mother and grandmother of Tomme R. Moore ’71, Sara E. Beck ’95, Marina E. Riklin ’14, and Morgan A. Riklin ’10
Patricia Edith Marlowe
July 7, 2021
Mother and grandmother of Russell Scott Marlowe ’86 and Tessa Belle Marlowe ’22
Louise K. Baumholtz
July 11, 2021
Grandmother of Myles Baumholtz '26 and Audrey Baumholtz '29
Nancy Emma Ray Pawel
July 15, 2021
Grandmother of Myles Standish Jonas ’19 and Margaret Elisabeth (M.E.) Jonas ’10
Mark Jay Sideman
July 17, 2021
Father of Caroline Sideman Meador ’93
James Branton
July 19, 2021
Grandfather of Lucas Branton Rico, Form 7, and Sophia Elena Rico, Form 9
Rowena Cain Gorman
July 29, 2021
Mother of Amy Gorman Ellis ’74
Thomas Michael Patrick Joseph O’Brien
August 15, 2021
Husband of Mary (Chrissie) Grant O’Brien ’52
Mary Holstein
September 6, 2021
Grandmother of John Robin (J.R.) Heard ’06
Mary Kate Kelley
September 6, 2021
Grandmother of Lewis Maverick Clements ’13
Donald Vaello
September 7, 2021
Husband, father, and grandfather of Samantha (Susie) Schimmel Vaello ’64, Donald (Ben) B. Vaello Jr. ’93, Samantha V. Rodriguez ’88, Thomas F. Vaello, Form 7, and Luke A. Vaello, Form 4
*This list contains information received January 1, 2021-September 15, 2021.
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Contact Alumni Relations
Nancy Lee Archer ’16
Director of Alumni Relations
narcher@smhall.org
(210) 483-9196
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