STC HOMEPAGE | STC ALUMNI | ALUMNI CALENDAR

A Note from the Alumni Board President

Dear Saints,

I’m thrilled to introduce this issue of “News From Under the Pines” in my first year as President of the Alumni Board.

The Great Saints Alumni Dinner in November is becoming one of my favorite annual traditions. Hats off to my Alumni Board colleagues for developing such a meaningful way for us to recognize our alumni leaders. This year, we’ll honor school legends like George McVey ’57 and Tom Wolfe ’47. I’m especially proud of Wade Jefferson ’22 for his outstanding efforts to raise awareness for mental health services, and Charles Alexander ’82 for going the extra mile for a classmate in need.

What makes our alumni special is the care we show for each other. Saints, young and old, are distinguished by how we stay in touch, support our community, and make the extra effort. I look forward to celebrating that spirit with you all in person soon.

Alex Grymes ’07

Alumni Board President

Introducing Portrait of a Saint

Dear Saints,

We are pleased to share with you our progress on Portrait of a Saint, the first objective listed in our strategic plan, Momentum 2025. In it, we committed to creating a Portrait of a Graduate document that would guide parents, students, and educators through a boy’s JK-12 journey at St. Christopher’s, highlighting academic, social, and emotional markers that we hold as aspirational and significant for each of our boys.

This document will serve as an guide for every St. Christopher’s student on his unique journey through our school. Please click here to learn more, and stay tuned for additional information on how this Portrait will be implemented in our school’s curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, and other areas.

Mason Lecky

Headmaster

Alumni News

Alumnus Spotlight: Wade Jefferson ’22

This year, Jefferson is the recipient of the Young Alumni Achievement Award and will be honored at the Great Saints Dinner in November. The community will recognize and celebrate his outstanding efforts to support mental health conversations and prevent suicide.

In February of 2024, Wade Jefferson ’22 was searching his soul and wondering how he could make a difference. A sophomore at the University of South Carolina, Jefferson was reflecting on the tragic loss of two friends to suicide and felt a strong need to take action. He reached out to a small group of his USC friends, people he knew he could depend on.

Kicking things off with the #SpeakYourMind ice bucket social media campaign in March 2024, the group coalesced into USCMIND, a student-led organization dedicated to removing the stigma around mental health conversations and promoting suicide prevention. The group, starting with nothing more than a few dedicated members, found a receptive audience both on and off campus. Jefferson was thrilled to see that so many of his peers were on board. “We were doing things around campus with no budget. We just really wanted to make a difference,” said Jefferson.

Inspired by the Mental Illness Needs Discussion (MIND) club at St. Christopher's, Jefferson thought a similar organization could help young people in college. “In Middle School, I used to see those guys doing their work on campus, and I saw them helping to fight against the stigma of talking about needing support,” Jefferson said. “I knew they were making an impact, and I really admired them for it.”

Now, USCMIND boasts over 703K followers on Instagram and holds regular campus events, including highly successful boxing matches. The group has also inspired other similar college organizations. “I know some students at the University of Georgia have some leaders interested, and Wright Hilbert ’24, who was on the USCMIND committee, plans to start a MIND club at UNC soon. He’s going to be a great leader,” said Jefferson.

USCMIND’s events are creative and meet students where they are. The group hosts “encouragement tables” in busy campus locations, has monthly BBQ dinners to raise money for mental health organizations, and holds amateur boxing matches and pickleball tournaments. The group’s biggest event is Wellness Week, which encompasses an entire week of campus events promoting support for both mental and physical health.

For many students, discussing mental illness and suicide prevention can be difficult, and Jefferson is careful to approach events and social media conversations with the appropriate tone. “The conversation can get pretty dark, and I think to keep people engaged, we have to be creative with finding a balance between being serious and keeping the conversation positive. I think it’s important for people to ease into the conversation,” said Jefferson.

Faculty Spotlight: Lower School Teacher of Music & Director of Lower School Musical Mary Tryer

For nearly 20 years, Mary Tryer has led the music department at the Lower School. Her creative leadership of the annual musical is legendary, as the quality and sophistication of Tryer’s performances far outstrip the average lower school musical. The shows have come to include almost every corner of the Saints community. From parent volunteers to Middle School woodworking students, Tryer gives everyone a chance to contribute their talents and support our young performers.

Mary, after doing this for so long, what have you found to be the essential ingredients for a successful Lower School musical?

The music has to be good and fit the range of the boys. It also has to be comedic and have enough parts for the fifth graders, because they play the main parts. By the time they get to fifth grade, I know them pretty well, and I try to find something that suits their individual talents.

One of the things I’m most grateful for is having the best teams of volunteer parents. They’re fun and creative. I’ve been so fortunate, and if I ever retire, I want to have a reunion with all the parent volunteers!

It takes months to plan and rehearse the musicals for so many boys. What do you hope the boys learn from putting on a performance from start to finish?

I want to bring the sophistication of a real performance to our young boys so that they have an appreciation for theater. So many of the boys, after we did the “Lion King Kids,” went to see it over Christmas or Spring Break. They would come back and say, ‘Ours was better!’ (Laughs) They have so much pride in what they did.

It’s so fun to watch them become interested in things, to capture that thespian in them and have them look forward to our work. We have 341 boys participating in the musical this year, and it’s great to see the kindergartners watching the fifth graders and dreaming about becoming them. They start with their little roles in the musical, and they gradually become more important until they reach their fifth grade roles. It’s valuable because it’s a slow introduction for young performers. They’re not just thrown out on stage by themselves. They have the chance to build up their confidence.

This year, the musical is “Disney’s The Jungle Book, Kids.” How did you choose this production?

“The Jungle Book” is one of my favorites because the music is just so good. And this year, we’re going in an interesting, different direction. We’re going to try to honor Indian culture and reflect the setting. I’m excited about it. We have some parents that I’m going to bring in and consult with, and we’ll discuss things like traditional Indian dress.

How has the process of putting on musicals evolved over the years?

This is my nineteenth year, and one of the things I try to do is improve the process every year. It’s coming to the point now where I feel we’ve really honed it. The boys used to sit in the audience, and when it was their class’s turn, they would go up on stage, perform, and then return to their seats in the audience!

One of the things I enjoy about the process so much is that it allows me to use all the things that I’ve trained in since I was a child. I had years of dance before I became a musician. I love staging, the attention to detail. It’s like a big puzzle that you have to work out.

What are some of your favorite memories of the LS musicals?

In my first year, there was a boy, Dave Ballowe Jr. ’15. He was a character in “Pirates of Penzance, Jr.” He was just so talented and comedic. His timing was so good, and he just had everybody laughing. One of my favorite things is when some boys just become a different person on stage, and they feel comfortable showing their talents up there. There’s always one or two that surprise me.

Another one was Grady White ’24, who was in fourth grade as King Louie, maybe nine years ago. He was spectacular! Brady Burnett, who’s a junior this year, was James in “James and the Giant Peach.” He sang this huge solo, and it was just beautifully done. It made everybody in the audience cry.

One of the things that distinguishes the LS musical is the community effort it involves. Can you tell me about that?

The teachers come to rehearsals, work with the boys and parent volunteers in the classroom. Some teachers have even performed in small roles. Without their support, there would be no show. The maintenance crew helps erect and take down the stage. They get up on the ladders and do all the things I used to do 19 years ago.

This year, we’re getting the LS creative movement class involved, and for the last two years, we’ve collaborated with the Middle and Upper School. I really feel like people have bought into it. They believe in the value of it, and they see these little people blossoming.

Campus News

All-School Opening Service

On a beautiful August morning, the Saints community gathered for the All-School Opening Service on the Terraces. Upper School Student Council President Elisha Asare ’26 delivered an inspiring speech to the community. "Brotherhood is what makes this place different. It’s the feeling of knowing that someone’s got your back — in the classroom, on the stage, on the field, during a tough day, or when you're celebrating a win," said Asare.

Upper and Middle School Honor Signing Ceremonies

Upper and Middle School students signed the Honor Pledge and Civility Statements, which hold the community to the highest standards of academic integrity, personal character and respectful conduct. "When Dr. Chamberlayne started this tradition, he was thinking about preparing boys for their future beyond St. Christopher's. It's important that we continue to develop into men of character even after we leave school," said Honor Council Chairman Charles Lange ’26.

Memorial Library Renovation

After years of planning, designing and fundraising, the renovated Memorial Library in Chamberlayne Hall officially opened last week! The library has a classic, collegiate-inspired feel, featuring custom-built furniture, hardwood floors, chandeliers, and a fully functional gas fireplace, which creates a welcoming environment for students to learn and study.

Homcoming Night

Homecoming this past weekend was fantastic! We had perfect weather for the varsity soccer game, where StC defeated Veritas School 5-0. Later that evening, our varsity football team triumphed over Fork Union Military Academy with a final score of 43-8. Thanks to the many Saints of all ages who came out to support.