October 2024

In this Issue:

James B. “Jimmy” Robinson, M.D., of the Class of 1975, is the 2024-25 recipient of St. Martin’s Episcopal School’s Martin de Tours Award All alumni are invited as we honor Dr. Robinson during a special ceremony this Friday, November 22, 2024 in the Dan and Frances White Chapel. Robinson, who will celebrate his 50th reunion in the spring, is the 27th recipient of the Martin de Tours Award, which is given each school year to a graduate who has consistently served the community and demonstrated a commitment to the highest standards in his/her chosen field of endeavor.

Last month we celebrated our Legacy Saints at the annual Alumni Brown Bag Lunch, where current Saints and their alumni parents and grandparents enjoyed a picnic lunch on the Alumni Lawn at the Van Slate House. We love this tradition and the special bond that it celebrates each year. Once a Saint, always a Saint!

Eighth Grade Veterans Day Project welcomes Alumna J.T. Blatty ’96

Eighth grade students had the opportunity to interview alumna Jennifer Tuero “J.T.” Blatty ’96, a combat veteran and photojournalist who graduated from the U.S. Military Academy West Point and served six years as an active duty U.S. Army officer. Since early 2018, she has been documenting the conflict in eastern Ukraine, taking portraits of Donbas volunteer soldiers.

The eighth grade recently completed a cross-disciplinary project exploring the history and observance of Veterans Day through English and Social Studies classes. The project is strongly focusing on personal stories of veterans to gain a deeper understanding of the holiday. The students came prepared with insightful questions for Blatty about her time at West Point, what it was like being among the first soldiers to enter Afghanistan, how she immersed herself in different cultures, and what she appreciates most about wartime photography.

We invite you to send us your career triumphs and milestones so that we can share them with the community here and on our social media channels. Tag us on Instagram and Facebook, or email alumni@stmsaints.com to submit your news. #AlwaysASaint

Michael Moreau ’94 recently completed a grueling 26.5 mile solo swim from Hawaii's Molokai to Oahu in a record-setting 13 hours and 11 minutes. 

Andrew Gary ’20 was selected as a Presidential Fellow by the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, a one-year program hosted by the Center that brings together a cohort of students from across the country to learn from experts and conduct an independent research project. His research project will be focused on making the case for reforming the federal government’s emergency management practices.

When you think back to your days at St. Martin’s, what first comes to mind? 

The most foundational thing is that I was really academically challenged there. I had faculty and teachers who wanted to see me grow as a person and scholar. One of my biggest faculty influences was Chuck Rivet and his government and civics class. He drove home the fact that this is how our government works, but it is not necessarily the ideal or only way; he called for students to think about how we could engage in the political process. Looking back, it was an influential class for me in terms of getting me politically and civically engaged. 

Also, Edie Long, the college counselor, had me consider schools that I didn’t know anything about, frankly. Vassar wasn’t even on my radar, but her willingness to sit down and discuss my fit at so many places was huge for me. Vassar was a great fit; she made a huge impact on my life. 

How did you feel when you graduated from St. Martin’s, and went to Vassar?

Moving to New York by myself was certainly challenging. It’s funny how unprepared I was for that first winter! My mom gave me money for a jacket, and I bought a fleece! 

But the one thing that I look back on about my time at St. Martin’s, and which I cannot overstate the value of, is how advanced I was in writing versus my peers at Vassar. It is one of the factors that set me up for success in life. I remember our English teachers, especially Eileen Beckman and Michelle Scandurro, really sat down with us and taught us how to improve our writing. I also should mention Mary Quinet and her Hobbes and Locke paper that we had to write! Learning that type of structured writing was so helpful because you’re not having to learn all of that in college, while also taking on and digesting much more challenging reading. I remember the number of times in high school thinking, “Ugh, we have another five-paragraph essay to write,” but even in my job now, I write advocacy/policy documents for Leidos (pronounced like the middle of kaleidoscope) and the ability to write a succinct document that is digestible is hugely helpful.  

Also, the environment that St. Martin’s provides (where teachers are approachable and engaged) translated very well over to Vassar, which is a very small school. That allowed for an easy transition for me because I felt like I could walk up to my professors and ask the questions I needed, and had the expectation that someone would help me. That was huge for me. 

What first attracted you to the field of law, and did you always have an interest in government and politics? 

A lot of it was pretty serendipitous. I knew I wanted to make an impact in some way, and really had to figure out the most productive way for me to do that. At StM, I participated in Speech and Debate classes and competitions, and that kind of structured discussion really spoke to me. I guess there was always a lawyer inside of me! At Vassar, I moved into traditional organizing and advocacy, a lot of issue-based campaigns, and got involved in student government. I moved to Portland, Maine and to Chicago after college to continue organizing and advocating for social justice issues. During that time, though, I lost two grandparents and frankly that job was simply not paying me enough to fully enjoy living in Chicago. Jobs weren’t easy to come by during the Recession, so I decided to go back home to attend law school. 

When I got to LSU, I took a lot of civil rights classes and clerked for the Southern Poverty Law Center. I was helping with cases that dealt with education disability and conditions of confinement litigation. The big case that I worked on there was against Orleans Parish Prison. I spent a lot of time talking to people awaiting trial, and what I saw and heard there was incredibly impactful. It changed my life.

After law school, I clerked for Judge Paul Bonin at the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal. During that time he really allowed my creativity in that space to grow and ultimately I was able to work on a series of opinions that dealt with post-conviction relief, which ended up getting cited and quoted by the U.S. Supreme Court. 

Now I’m in DC, and I’ve been here for nearly ten years. It’s a place that is both stagnant and ever-moving! As I mentioned, I work for Leidos now but before that I worked as a professional staffer on the Senate Appropriations Committee and as a lobbyist for the freight railroads. During my time with the railroads, I became “about a foot wide and a mile deep.” I was very, very specialized in my lobbying efforts, but working with Leidos has kind of pivoted that, and has allowed for me to become a bit of a generalist again.

I’m the head of government affairs for Leidos’ civil sector, which is a nice term for everything but defense and health. My main focus is still transportation, but I’d say I’m now a mile wide and one foot deep! I oversee Leidos’ advocacy strategy and policy development for programs under the Departments of Transportation, Energy, State, Homeland Security, Treasury, and Housing and Urban Development, as well as NASA and NOAA contracts. I'm really all over the place, which is nice because it allows for me to be perpetually learning, which is something that I really value.

You consistently give back to St. Martin’s and are a strong supporter of the school. Why do you feel it is important to pay it forward and support your alma mater? 

As a Belle Johnson Scholar, I look back at my time at St. Martin’s and think how grateful I am that the school made that investment in me. St. Martin’s made me realize that a lot of things in life were possible. I learned to enjoy being challenged and growing from that. It really provided a foundational perspective for my life. And I want to make sure that an institution like that has the support it needs to continue to help people. 

St. Martin’s changed my life significantly, and I really do appreciate this school. I’ve been blessed to have the ability to give and I think if I have that ability, I should.

What are some of your favorite memories from your time at St. Martin’s?

Email our Alumni Office to share your memories and photos!

“Will U Ever Forget” and StM Lifers

This month, we look back through our milestone reunion classes’ copies of The Shield to reminisce about those StM moments we'll never forget and to celebrate our 13- and 14-Year Club, and Cottage Club members. #AlwaysASaint

1990

2020

1970

1985

2010

1975

1980

2015

1990

1995

2010

1985

1995

1965

1960

Lower and Middle Schools Host Blessing of the Animals Celebrations

• Donate to the Annual Fund.
• Update your contact information with the Alumni Office.
• Submit a nomination for Alumni Awards.
• Browse old copies of The Shield.
• Can’t get to campus? View photos from StM events on our Flickr site.

We understand that the loss of a classmate or beloved teacher is deeply felt by our alumni community. This year, we are adding an “in memoriam” section to our regular updates in between issues of The Bell. To ensure a Saint’s legacy is honored, we encourage you to submit obituaries to the Alumni Office so the school can pay tribute to their lives and contributions within our alumni network.

Please provide the obituary, along with any details or memories you would like to share. Submissions can be made through our Scattered Saints form or by emailing the Alumni Office directly. If you wish to establish a perpetual memorial fund in memory of a classmate or teacher, our Advancement Office can assist you.

Thank you for helping us keep our community connected and the memory of our Saints alive.

• Charlotte Hooper Rosshandler ’60
• Sara Jane Wagstaff Bayhi ’61
• Edith (Cissie) McKee McDaniel ’62
• Dr. Nia Terezakis, mother of Karen O’Meallie Gundlach ’81
• Vashti Josephine Thompson, mother of Gershom ’17, Levi ’15, and former student Vashed Thompson