Issue 27
October 31, 2019
HC Alumni News - Community
Fall  means family, football, falling leaves, and pumpkin lattes at The UnCommon Cup! It is the season of community! Our  community, parents, students, faculty and alumni, found ways to connect and enjoy the season!

Homecoming  was a winner! The  Mustang Parent Council  created a new Hoco tradition (we hope) with  Tailgating on the Green ! To build an even more meaningful event, each class had a tent and created a theme that represented their class. The senior tent hosted a pie contest and Dr. Livingston broke the tie! The Kiely family’s Pecan Cheesecake Pie was the winner, beating out the delicious apple pie and key lime pie by mere crumbs! Families enjoyed Coney Island Hot Dogs, games of corn hole, ice cream, and of course, face-painting! Add to this the  Alumni Round-Up  and it was truly a tapestry of all ages, from college students, professionals, families, alumni families, and younger siblings/future Mustangs - it was a great way to honor our dynamic HC community.
Our  Homecoming  game, against St. Marks School of Dallas, was timed and scored on the brand new Russell Allen Family scoreboard ! The new scoreboard, with a programmable screen, really helped Mustang Spirit – especially when it announced HC’s winning score! Our alumni were treated to another wonderful  Round-up  in the Alumni Room with Rudy’s BBQ. The food was generously provided by an alumni and current family, the Kovachs! Thanks to these families for making Homecoming even more fun this year and understanding what makes our Mustangs happy!

The performing arts students impressed family and friends with their extraordinary skills at the  Fall Concert on the Lawn . We had perfect weather that evening and it encouraged families to relax and enjoy. The event allowed our choir, orchestra, and band students to share their musical talents.

HC students work hard! It all comes together at the annual  College Fair  and this year our students and parents flocked to the MetroNational Gym for the 45 colleges hoping to recruit our students! From Baylor to Harvard to University of Oregon and West Point, our students’ varied interests and skillsets have a perfect match at one of the many options!

Students build their own  community  each day as they join the fast-moving and successful Robotics team, lead D-Group sessions, build volunteer hours for NHS and the Presidential Award, attend each others’ games, presentations and performances and then sit down to lunch, coffee or a snack together. The MPC’s S’mores event also allowed students to connect as they roasted marshmallows over a campfire in the Mustang Corral on the first day that temperatures dipped below 60! Thank you for helping us build our community!
Your Feedback Needed By November 5th!
We are conducting a thorough self-study of Houston Christian as part of the re-accreditation process with the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS). The ISAS self-study takes place every 10 years. It is important that we gain feedback from all stakeholders in our community, including alumni, to drive our school improvement plans. 

Please take time to complete the alumni survey between now and November 5. We want your feedback and it is important that we get a strong response from our alumni community. This digital survey is maintained by ISAS and they will share the data with us after the survey closes on November 5. It is completely anonymous.
Golf Re-Cap
Our annual Mustang Classic Golf Tournament was a great success! Our first year at BlackHorse Golf Club had the most alumni in attendance. We had a wonderful BBQ dinner, celebrated our winning teams and raised $45,000 for leadership programming at Houston Christian.

Our paint party also had a great turn out! Each person walked away with their own masterpiece. Join us next year!
Our first place alumni winners: Derek Largent '05 , Alex Zumberge '07 , Austin Lee '05 , Jackson Taylor '05 .
Thanks to Blake Vaughan '08 for being on the golf committee and inviting friends and alumni to play! (John Amini, Ben Chacko '09, and Matt Vaughan '09)
Our 3rd place overall winners: Will McGinnis '04 , Matt Romane '03 , Ryan Worth '03 , Clayton Tolliver '01 .
Conner Walker '11, Daniel Nondorf '11, Garrett Nondorf '10 kept their eyes on the prize!
Thanks to Golf Committee members: Tom Jenkins, Kay Egger, and Jim Phenicie!
Shout out to Dr. Livingston's team Steven Leeper, Don Emery, and Ryan Klasen '04 for playing.
30-Year Class Reunion!
Class of 1989
Thirty years later and the Class of '89 is still showing us how to have fun!
Thanks to Michal Marx '89 and Melissa Ratnala '89 for all their hard work organizing such a wild crew from the 80s. They enjoyed a lunch with families at Rudy's BBQ. After dark, they reconnected on the patio of Harold's Restaurant & Tap Room in the Heights. It was great to see where their paths have led them!
10-Year Class Reunion!
Class of 2009
Thanks to the 2009 class planning committee, Morgan (Taylor) Pruet , Ben Chacko , Maribeth (Drake) Pruitt , Matt Vaughan , and Holly (Meaden) Pace, who chose The Oakmont Houston for their 10-year reunion! The weather really came through and provided a great atmosphere for an outdoor reunion. We had all of the fall feels while catching up with classmates from near and far!

If a friend mentions that they weren't invited to any reunion or event, please let them know to reach out (or reach out for them) and provide us with their current email address.
SUCCESS! - Dads Club Tailgate
HC⚡DC hosted their first cook-out event Friday, October 25 - the first truly cold football night! It was the perfect night for "Dad-cooked" fajitas and queso while we recognized our seniors who participate in football, cheer, spurs, and band. We also hosted Football Frenzy and had several middle schoolers on campus looking into making HC their next stop on their educational journey. Thank you, Dads!

The Houston Christian Dads Club was created to foster a spirit of collaboration and community amongst fellow HC fathers and guardians.
Upcoming Events
HC Theatreworks Presents... CLUE
It's a dark and stormy night, and you've been invited to a very unusual dinner party at Boddy Manor. Each of the other guests has an alias, the butler offers a variety of weapons, and the host is, well . . . dead. You will join the iconic oddballs known as Miss Scarlet, Professor Plum, Ms. White, Mr. Green, Mrs. Peacock, and Colonel Mustard as they race to find the murderer in Boddy Manor before the body count stacks up. Join us for an evening full of murder, mystery, and laughs that will keep you guessing until the final twist.
Mustang Fund Kick-Off
As alumni, you have helped establish a community that you can build upon for generations to come. As you know, our founders’ vision cannot be achieved without the Mustang Fund. Tuition covers only 90% of the cost of education. Gifts to the Mustang Fund go to work immediately bridging the gap between tuition and the cost of education. In other words, EVERY STUDENT, EVERY DAY benefits from the Mustang Fund.

This year we are "Socking it" to the Mustang Fund. Every gift of $50 or greater gets a pair of HC socks! Your gifts will go a long way in continuing to build the Houston Christian community. 

Please consider a gift to the Mustang Fund.
Continuing Education
Teens+ Talks On Campus
Our Teens + blog, Head of School podcast, and seminars are designed to promote wellness and purpose among our students, both here at school and at home. We provide these resources to our current parents, and also to alumni, to encourage open and honest conversations with your students about issues that teens face today. We believe that through effective partnerships between school and home, we can foster an environment in which your student can thrive and discover their life callings.
Stay in touch with your HC community!
Four years is not a long span of time, but the relationships you build in that time can have a life-changing impact. Our campus was changed the moment each of you stepped on it as freshmen, and we have upheld your legacy since graduation.

Take a moment to update your information -or share this newsletter with a friend. We want to keep all of our alumni and alumni families updated on all the great things happening on campus.
Be sure to let us know when you are welcoming a new Lil' Mustang into your family - and we would love to send them a gift to welcome them into our Mustang Family! Everybody loves swag!

Keep us posted on all the great things you are doing!
Pictured above (L) are Amanda '05 and Joseph Mellor's kids: Annaleigh, Winston, & Kayleigh.
Pictured above (R) is the Hopper Family at Corrie Hopper's '19 tennis match.
Alumni Relations | 713.580.6055 | Email houstonchristian.org