Alumni Connection - September 2026

Coming Full Circle: Grant Goble Class of 2002

Joins Vanguard Faculty

In this edition of the Alumni Connection, we’re excited to share the story of Grant Goble ’02, who has returned to Vanguard as our new theater arts teacher.

From his own days on the Vanguard stage to a career in theater education, Grant is now helping a new generation of Vikings find their voices and tell their stories.

For Goble, the answer begins with giving students a place to belong — whether they find themselves center stage, backstage or somewhere in between — and inviting them to be brave enough to tell their own stories.

Along his journey, one belief has remained constant: Theater is about much more than putting on a show. Goble calls his classroom a “brave space” — a place where students can take risks, discover their voices and become more comfortable being their authentic selves.

“You don’t always feel safe with what you’re performing, but you need to be brave to be your authentic self,” he said.

That philosophy is particularly meaningful for someone returning to the school that helped shape him. Goble credits Vanguard with teaching him not only how to study and learn, but also how to build community by becoming involved in many different areas of school life.

Click here to learn more about Grant Goble Class of 2002

Don't Miss - Homecoming 2026!

Come back to Vanguard for a weekend of reconnecting with classmates, cheering on the Vikings, celebrating our Athletic Hall of Fame inductees, and seeing what’s new on campus. Bring your family and join us for one event or the entire weekend!

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25

Homecoming

5:30 p.m. | Viking Village Tailgate, Waco Masonic Lodge, 4324 Cobbs Dr.

7:00 p.m. | Alumni Photo, Paul Tyson Endzone

7:30 p.m. | Football Game - Get Game Tickets

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26

Athletic Hall of Fame Luncheon

11:30 a.m. | Celebrate the 2026 Hall of Fame Class. Purchase Tickets Here

All-Class Alumni Reception & Campus Tour • Class of 1977 Reception

1:30 p.m. | Come back to campus and reconnect with fellow Vikings. RSVP

Class of 1977 Reception

Congratulations to the Class of 1977 for taking first place in last year's Alumni Class Competition! Join us for a Homecoming Reception and Recognition! RSVP

Class of 2006 • 20-Year Reunion

Join your classmates throughout Homecoming Weekend. Reunion Details Here

Hall of Fame Tickets

Visit our ALUMNI Spirit Shop

2026 Ways to Get involved

Join Us for the Dr. Kent Starr Golf Tournament!

Gather your foursome and join us Monday, November 2 for a great day of golf supporting Vanguard! Teams and sponsorships are available.

Proceeds support the Vanguard Parent Crew, which provided more than $40,000 last year to support our teachers and campus programs.

Support Vanguard & Leave Your Mark

The Vanguard Annual Fund helps bridge the gap between tuition and the cost of a Vanguard education, supporting faculty, classrooms, programs, and campus improvements.

Our newest Viking pavers are in! Find yours today, or make a gift of $375 or more to receive a commemorative paver honoring a classmate, teacher, family member, or your own Vanguard experience.

Give to the Annual Fund & Reserve Your 2027-28 Paver Here

Save the Date: Bingo is Back!

Mark your calendar for Friday, February 26 and join us for another fun night of Vanguard Bingo! Sponsorships are available now, with more details coming soon.

Become a Bingo Sponsor - email Advancement@Vanguard.org or download the form Here

Thank you, Vanguard Community!

Thank you, Rebecca Kennedy '10

Thank you to Rebecca (Bond) Kennedy ’10 for returning to Vanguard to speak at our faculty training! Rebecca has built a career in sales and entrepreneurship, currently serving as a National Account Sales Manager for Blue Goji, working in Central Texas real estate, and launching her own company. We appreciate Rebecca coming back to Vanguard and sharing her experience with our faculty!

Coleman Hampton '02

A special thank you to Vanguard alumnus Coleman Hampton ’02 for speaking with Mr. Livingstone’s WWII class!

Coleman is the Executive Director of the Bell County Museum and an adjunct lecturer in Museum Studies at Baylor University, where he earned a B.A. in History and an M.A. in Museum Studies.

Thank You, Abby '24 & Lydia '24!

A big thank you to Abby Civa and Lydia Wollard for volunteering their time to help paint the inside of Vanguard’s Art Building. We appreciate you helping make our campus a better place for our students!

Supporting Safety at Vanguard

Thanks to Paul Violand, a friend of Vanguard and cardiac arrest survivor whose life was saved through CPR, for his continued support of CPR and emergency-response training at Vanguard. His generosity helps ensure faculty, staff, and coaches are prepared to respond when every second matters.

Thank You, Neill Goss ’04!

A big thank you to Neill Goss ’04 for once again donating his time and expertise to trim trees throughout campus, including around our new parking area. Neill has generously provided tree-trimming services to Vanguard for several years, and we’re grateful for his continued support!

Viking Pavers Are In!

Thank you to everyone who has supported the Vanguard Annual Fund! Your generosity supports our faculty, helps bridge the gap between tuition and the cost of a Vanguard education, and makes campus improvements like the Sport Court, outdoor classroom, Jaworski Walkway, and additional parking possible. Reserve your 2027 paver today.

Class Notes

What’s New With You?

We love hearing what’s happening with our alumni! Share your births, weddings, new jobs, graduations, books, awards, retirements, and other milestones for the next Alumni Connection.

Submit Here

Jacob Suchecki '19 Wins Waco City Championship!

Congratulations to Jacob Suchecki on winning the Waco City Championship! After rounds of 71 and 70, Jacob headed into a three-hole playoff, birdied the first two holes, and made par from a dried-out pond on the third to secure the win.

Off the course, Jacob is working at Kimley-Horn as a Drone Survey Technician and still finds time to play golf whenever he gets the chance!

Karch Knoll ’21 Joins Columbia Men’s Tennis

Congratulations to Karch Knoll ’21, who has been named an assistant coach for Columbia University men’s tennisafter helping Tennessee Tech win the Horizon League Championship and advance to the NCAA Tournament.

Pictured: Karch with former world No. 21 Daniel Evans at Columbia’s state-of-the-art Philip & Cheryl Milstein Family Tennis Center in New York City.

Holze Family Update!

Congratulations to Matthew Holze ’19 and his wife, Maria, on the arrival of Maria Therese Holze, born August 17! Maria Therese weighed 7 lbs. 13 oz. and measured 20.5 inches.

Matthew is back at Vanguard this year teaching Social Sciences, making this an especially exciting start to the school year for the Holze family.

Welcome to the Viking family, Maria Therese!

Kaity Cummings Kent ’15

Kaity serves as McLennan Community College’s Dual Credit Liaison for Vanguard and head women’s golf coach. At Vanguard, Kaity helped the Vikings win three team state championships and an individual state title before playing at Houston Baptist University.

Pictured: Kaity with Vanguard Director of College & Career Counseling Hannah VanDyke.

Will Bostick '88 Featured in Texas Monthly

Vanguard alumnus Will Bostick recently wrote for Texas Monthly about the challenges facing rural hospitals in Texas and how new federal funding could impact health care in rural communities.

Read Will’s article in Texas Monthly

Vikings Across Generations

Lindsey Jobe Zile ’97 and Meredith Croyle ’97 are pictured with their daughters, who are now Vanguard classmates themselves.

From classmates to Vanguard parents, we love seeing lifelong friendships continue and a new generation of Vikings sharing the Vanguard experience!

Ben Basden '02 Named Head Baseball Coach at Midway

Congratulations to Vanguard alumnus and former coach Ben Basden, who has been named Head Baseball Coach at Midway High School!

“My time at Vanguard was instrumental in preparing me for the road ahead,” Ben shared, reflecting on his years as both a player and coach at Vanguard and the influence of Coach Bob McCallister.

Shea Squires Stanley ’97

Shea Squires Stanley ’97 returned to campus in July with her daughter, Tatum, and her mom, Cynthia Squires. They toured campus, visited with Mrs. VanDyke and Mrs. Ressetar, and found Shea’s commemorative brick in front of Jaworski!

Shea lives in Hong Kong and is the founder and Chief Executive Insider of Little Steps Asia, a family-focused digital resource covering Hong Kong and destinations across Asia.

Learn more about Little Steps Asia

From Vanguard to the Phoenix Suns

Thank you to Andrew “Drew” Mastin ’15 for visiting Vanguard! Drew met with our Office of Institutional Advancement interns, toured campus, and joined students for a Q&A, sharing insights from his career in professional sports and answering their questions.

Drew, a Baylor University graduate, currently works with the Phoenix Suns and lives in New York City.

SUBMIT ALUMNI NEWS!

Vanguard School News

A Message from Head of School Zach Seifert

As we begin a new school year, I’m grateful for the opportunity to lead a place that has meant so much to me for nearly two decades. Vanguard’s alumni are an important part of who we are, and I look forward to finding more ways to welcome you back, keep you connected, and involve you in the life of our school.

I invite you to make a meaningful gift and be part of this exciting new chapter with a gift to Annual Fund.

I’m excited about what’s ahead for Vanguard and hope to see many of you back on campus this year.

Zach Seifert

Head of School

National Champion & All-American!

Congratulations to Luke Scarborough '26 on winning the 3,000-meter race at the USA Track & Field Junior Olympic Championships and earning USATF All-American honors!

Congratulations to Luke, Ella Scarborough, and Joslin Duncan on representing Vanguard in the USA Championships in California, and to coach Gary Bowdoin on these incredible achievements!

Congratulations to our Vikings on winning this year’s Rotary Challenge! Hosted by the Waco Rotary Club and 25 News KXXV, this academic quiz competition brings together high school teams from across Central Texas. Way to go, Vikings!

Bifrost 2026 is Hot Off the Press!

The newest edition of Bifrost, Vanguard’s yearbook, is here! Here’s a look at this year’s cover, created by our talented Vanguard yearbook staff.

Class of 2026, your yearbooks are available for pickup in the front office of the Jaworski Building.

College Board Results Are In!

As our Class of 2026 graduates settle into college, we are still celebrating their accomplishments! The College Board report is in, and the results reflect the hard work of our students and the Vanguard faculty who prepared them for success.

And the Class of 2027 is already building on that success. Among 57 seniors:

34 AP Scholars
Top 10% average a 35 ACT
9 potential National Merit Commended Scholars

Record Enrollment: 310 Vikings Strong!

Vanguard begins the school year with a record enrollment of 310 students, our largest student body yet!

It’s a great year to be a Viking!

Faculty Blog: How Do Students Learn Best?

Vanguard faculty member Jen Ferretter reflects on The Digital Delusion and what research tells us about technology, attention, human interaction, and learning.

Read Jen Ferretter’s Faculty Blog

From the Director of Institutional Advancement

Planning a visit to Waco? We'd love to arrange a time for you to catch up with your favorite teacher and explore what's new on campus. Interested in coordinating a reunion, campus tour, or hosting an alumni event? Let us know using the contact below! We look forward to seeing you!