Alumni News
The Alumni News provided is submitted by alumni and friends of Westminster. Submit your Alumni News online.
Spring 2012 News
1980
Amy (Ellington) Perryman (’80) is the owner of a cake bakery, Absolutely Amy. In 2004, she left her other work to spend time with her youngest child and began making cakes. What began as making birthday cakes for friends soon progressed to three-tier cakes for birthdays and wonderful word-of-mouth accolades. Her next challenge was wedding cakes and for the past eight years, brides have challenged her to create new and fresh ideas. Amy now owns a kitchen behind their home and has developed a website. She recently had the honor of making the wedding cakes for the daughter of Moultrie’s mayor, William McIntosh. Amy lives in Hartsville, Georgia with her husband Craig. They have four children, Tyler, Aubrey Anna, Everley and Elle.
1988
Barry Jones (’88) was working toward a business management major when he was called to the ministry. He completed his Bachelor of Science in Christian Education in 1995 at Toccoa Falls College. Barry joined the staff of Spout Springs Church as Life Development Pastor in 2010. He is now the Executive Pastor, focusing on discipleship, leader development, planning and systems. Prior to his current position, he served in youth ministry and as a senior pastor. Barry and his wife Angie have two children, Elyse, 7, and Claire, 6. The family lives in Sanford, North Carolina.
1992
Dani (Wong) Moores (’92) opened her own business as a freelance writer, with services including magazine and feature writing, media relations, marketing and grant writing. She writes for The Augusta Chronicle, Columbia County Magazine, Augusta Family Magazine as well as other corporate clients, including a biweekly restaurant review in The Augusta Chronicle’s Applause section called Dine & Dish. Previously, she worked in PR, marketing and fundraising roles at Walton Rehabilitation Health System and MCGHealth. More of her work may be seen here or here.
1997
Danielle (Huckabee) Meikrantz (’97) and her husband Chris welcomed their first child, Mary Stewart Meikrantz, on Feb. 19. Mary Stewart weighed 6 pounds, 13 ounces and measured 20 inches long. The Meikrantz family resides in Augusta, where Danielle works at the Georgia Health Sciences University’s College of Dental Medicine and Chris works at Fireside Outdoor Kitchens and Grills.
2000
Elizabeth (Huckabee) Leslein (’00) and her husband Justin welcomed their third child, John Thomas, on Oct. 24, 2011. John Thomas weighed 9 pounds, 5 ounces and measured 21.9 inches long. The Lesleins live in Macon, where Elizabeth works part time at First Presbyterian Day School. She coaches their swim team and the middle school girls soccer team. Justin is the Director of Young Adult Ministries at First Presbyterian Church. Their two other children are Elcee Pearl, 4, and Abee Ruth, 2.
2005
Jenny Wiggins (’05) graduated from Samford University in May 2009 with a Bachelor of Music degree in Musical Theatre. She currently attends Georgia Health Sciences University, where she is enrolled in the Master of Health Science in Occupational Therapy program. She is involved with Medical Campus Outreach and recently traveled to Haiti on a mission trip with fellow occupational and physical therapy students. Jenny also volunteers with New Town, a Bible study for inner-city students, and Steps of Grace, a ballet class for children with special needs.
2006
Alex MacDonell (’06) graduated with highest honors from Georgia Tech in May 2010 with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology. He is currently finishing up his second year as a medical student at the Medical College of Georgia at GHSU. For the past two summers, Alex has participated in biomedical research at GHSU’s Vascular Biology Center.
2007
Mary Hester Hill (’07) is completing her final semester at Auburn University, where she studies apparel design. This past semester, Mary Hester was one of eight fashion students from across the United States who were awarded the Geoffrey Beene Scholarship through the YMA (New York’s Young Men’s Association). As a Geoffrey Beene finalist, Mary Hester traveled to New York in January to present her scholarship application to the YMA board members. She was also honored at the annual YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund Gala. This is the second scholarship Mary Hester has received through the YMA. Before graduating in August, Mary Hester will complete her second internship in New York City where she will work for Shoshanna, a small women’s clothing company.
Jared Tebbs (’07) graduated in June from the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Long Island, NY. Jared had a dual major in Marine Engineering and Shipyard Management. He was hired by ENESCO, an offshore oil-drilling company as a 3rd class officer in marine engineering. He currently works 30 days on, 30 days off.
2008
Victor Gutierrez (’08) is pursuing a degree in Foreign Languages with a concentration in Spanish and a minor in Communications at Augusta State University. He has been published in the Polyglot Lumina Spargo, a volume of writings published by Augusta State. He also established ASU pick-up soccer and has been on the school’s Dean’s List. After getting involved with Campus Outreach his freshman year and coming to know the Lord, Victor took advantage of several growth opportunities, including a Cross Cultural Project for six weeks this past summer in Singapore. Victor’s vision for seeing the nations come to know Christ has grown and influenced his decision to go on staff with Campus Outreach in Houston, Texas, after his anticipated graduation in June 2012.
2009
Mackenzie Burgess (’09) is a junior at Georgia College, majoring in Mass Communication with a double concentration in Public Relations and Advertising and minoring in Photography. She is a member of Zeta Tau Alpha, where she currently leads a Bible study and was the 2011 formal event planner. Mackenzie is on the Georgia College hip-hop dance team, The Sassy Cats, who are ranked in the top 10 in the nation. She is a host for the school’s campus radio station and is actively involved in Campus Outreach (CO). She will attend a second summer at CO’s Summer Beach Project and will serve as a room leader. Mackenzie received the Presidential Service Award, completing over 100 service hours in a calendar year. On Jan. 30, Mackenzie spoke at Westminster’s Middle and Upper School chapels, sharing her testimony of how God has worked in her life since she graduated from Westminster. She encouraged the Upper School students not to become apathetic towards how we are called to live as Christians.
Marcus Tebbs (’09) is a junior in the United States Merchant Marine Academy. He is currently stationed at sea for eight months of training in marine engineering.
Winter 2011 News
1977
Jimmy Watkins (’77), a warehouse supervisor, has worked at the Augusta Coca-Cola Bottling Company for the past 24 years. Jimmy and his wife Colleen have been happily married for 27 years. As one of six in Westminster’s first graduating class, Jimmy says he is still proud of his Westminster education.
1990
Cary (Hanks) Drinkard (’90) and her husband Chris have been on staff with Campus Outreach for the past 11 years. Campus Outreach is an international ministry whose goal is to build laborers on the college campus and prepare them to be lifetime laborers for Christ in the business world, communities and churches where they live and work after graduation. The local Campus Outreach ministry, called CO Augusta, is a ministry of First Presbyterian Church. Cary and Chris live in Augusta and have three children Susanna, 6, Daniel, 4, and Mary Beth, 3. Their two older children attend Westminster.
Vanessa (Pena) Johnson (’90) is married to Michael Johnson and joined the Westminster staff this fall as a teacher assistant in Kindergarten. She is thankful to have found her calling working with children. Vanessa’s daughters Cailin and Savannah both attend Westminster, and Vanessa loves being involved with the school.
1991
In 2010, Carla (Wong) McMillian (’91) was appointed as the State Court Judge of Fayette County by Gov. Sonny Perdue. Prior to going on the bench, Carla was a litigation partner with Sutherland Asbill & Brennan in Atlanta, Georgia. She and her husband Lance McMillian have two children, James, 8, and Emily, 4. They are active in the community and in Dogwood Church in Tyrone, Georgia. For more information about the State Court, please see www.judgecarla.com.
1994
Jeremy Rueggeberg (’94) and his wife Lisa work for English Language Institute/China (ELIC) in China, where they teach English as a second language. They are currently in Augusta on home assignment. While in Augusta, he is assisting students at Westminster who speak English as a second language. When in China, Jeremy is on a team with one of his Westminster classmates, Steven Merwin (’94). He teaches English in a Chinese University, while working with professional and amateur Chinese artists to coordinate and host cross-cultural events, concerts and exhibitions between American and Chinese artists. Jeremy and Lisa have two children Hudson, 1, and Charis, 4, who is a student at Westminster.
1997
Brad Bohannon (’97) works as the Chief of Staff for Congressman Lynn Westmoreland. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the University of Georgia. Brad and his wife Alicia live in Newnan, Georgia with their daughter Macie Lynne.
2000
Joanna (Hatcher) Miller (’00) and her husband Tony welcomed their first child, David George Miller, on Sept. 12, 2011. David weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces and measured 21.5 inches long. The Millers reside in Augusta.
2001
James Malcolm (’01) is a co-founder and VP of Engineering at AccelerEyes (www.accelereyes.com), a technical software company based in Atlanta. He earned a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and completed his fellowship in neural imaging at Harvard Medical School. Much of his research can be found online at www.jgmalcolm.com.
The Class of 2001 gathered for a reunion at the childhood home of Chris Mullins (’02) during Homecoming 2011. Alumni came from places around the country, including Washington, D.C. and Texas.
2002
Elease (Saxon) Layman (’02) and her husband Matthew live in Frederick, Maryland, where they recently purchased their first home. Elease is the partner for online SAT preparation for Westminster and spent time training current students in fall 2011. Matthew works for Lockheed Martin.
2004
William Jewett (’04) married Jenny Reichl (’08) on June 18, 2011, at Christ Church, Presbyterian in Evans. Other Westminster alumni participating in the ceremony included Emily Corbin (’08), Drew Meloan (’08), Maxwell Mitchell (’08), Chris Reichl (’04), Isaac Robeson (’04), Daniel Smith (’04), Lee Turley (’04) and Becca Wiggins (’09). The couple currently lives in Augusta. William is a police officer at Georgia Health Sciences University and Jenny is enrolled there in the Master of Health Science in Occupational Therapy program.
2005
Clifford Eckles (’05), graduated from Georgia Southern University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology in May 2010. He is the Director of Virtual Outreach and Information Technology at First Presbyterian Church of Augusta. Clifford also volunteers with the youth ministry of First Presbyterian, discipling young men and nurturing students in their walk with the Lord.
Michelle Hawkins (’05) married Mark Alan Stephens, Jr. on July 9, 2011, at Christ Church, Presbyterian in Evans, Georgia. Also participating in the ceremony was Westminster alumae Kirsten Biernot (’05). The couple recently moved to Cumming, Georgia, where Michelle teaches at McGinnis Woods Country Day School.
Amy Rush (’05) graduated from Wake Forest University in May 2010 with a master’s degree in Communication, after having completed her undergraduate degree in Communication and Political Science in 2009. She currently works at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center as a Stewardship Coordinator in the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs.
Elizabeth Stevens (’05) recently joined the Stickley staff as an independent designer for the Audi family’s newest showroom. She was the first to be awarded the honor of highest achiever for her company and was flown to New York in November where she spent time with the Audi family and toured the company’s holdings. Elizabeth graduated as Salutatorian of her graduating class from The Art Institute of Charlotte, where she served as president of the Interior Design Student Association. In addition, she is involved in the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the American Society of Interior Designers. Elizabeth currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.
2007
Preston Conger (’07) graduated in May with honors from Wheaton College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biblical and Theological Studies. He recently moved back to Augusta to be involved in a program through First Presbyterian Church called Vision Pathways. Preston works at Christ Community Health Services and volunteers with the inner-city ministry called New Town, investing in the lives of fifth grade students.
Virginia Dent (’07) graduated magna cum laude from The University of Georgia Honors Program in May 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism in public relations, a Bachelor of Arts and Science degree in speech communication, and certificate from the university’s New Media Institute. She was vice president of Phi Mu sorority and selected by UGA administrators as a student ambassador for the university in The Arch Society. The following spring she was voted to be the speaker at the Arch Society new member induction ceremony held in the University Chapel. Virginia was also chosen by faculty of the Grady School of Journalism to serve as a student judge for the 70th Annual Peabody Awards held in New York City. She was also inducted into the Order of Omega, which honors the top three percent of the Greek community, and inducted into the Palladia Society during her junior year. Virginia recently moved to Washington, D.C., to complete an internship with Senator Johnny Isakson. She now works with the Senate Republican Conference as its Member and Guest Relations Assistant, working closely with the Conference’s press staff and Republican leadership in the Senate.
Caleb Mellinger (’07) married Samantha Riddle on Aug. 6, 2011, at Warren Baptist Church in Augusta. Other Westminster alumni participating in the ceremony included Heather (Mellinger) Croft (’03), Jordan Mellinger (’05), Dustin Curry (’07) and Michael Whitlow (’07). The couple resides in Augusta, where Caleb is an Athletic Trainer at University Hospital and attends Georgia Health Sciences University, pursuing his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. Both Caleb and Samantha received their undergraduate degrees from the University of Georgia.
2010
Rebecca Shine (’10) is a sophomore business major in the honors college at the University of Louisville. She is on the Athletic Director’s honor roll and earned at 4.0 last spring while playing tennis. As a freshman, she wrote a blog for the team and participated in some charity events such as Jump Rope for Heart. She moved up to No. 2 singles and No. 1 doubles positions on the team as a freshman last year. As a sophomore, Rebecca Shine is ranked No. 103 as the first Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings of the 2012 spring season were released on Jan. 3. It is the highest national ranking for a U of L women’s singles player.
2011
Annie Speese (’11), plays as a scholarship athlete for the University of Florida. Annie was named the SEC Women’s Soccer Freshman of the Week on Sept. 19, 2011, and again on Oct. 3, 2011. She was named to Top Drawer Soccer’s National Team of the Week on Sept. 19, and to its Women’s Top 100 Freshmen list, at No. 10, on Oct. 31. She was also named to the All-SEC Freshman Team. She is the second-leading scorer on her team, with seven goals and seven assists, for 21 points, as of Nov. 6. Annie is pursuing a degree in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology at the university.
Fall 2011 News
Annie Speese (’11) was named the SEC Freshman of the Week on September 19.
This achievement was also reported in the Independent Florida Alligator publication.
1989
Ryan Lutz (’89) returned to Augusta from Memphis this summer to teach English at Westminster. His wife Tracy is also teaching at Westminster, and both their three children are now Wildcats.
Greg Volpitto (’89) is working for Crossroads Hospice in St. Louis, Missouri, where he is chaplain and bereavement coordinator. His wife Jennifer is finishing her Masters in counseling at Covenant Seminary. Their daughter Millie, 14, is entering high school, son Davis, 11, is entering fifth grade, and daughter Ada, 4, is entering preschool.
1992
Kelly (Watts) Hitchcock (’92) began her second year as the School Nurse at Westminster Schools of Augusta in fall 2011. She and her husband Chris have four children
who are all Westminster students: Michael, Will, John Reid and Watts.
1994
Jason Faulkner (’94) and his wife Anne welcomed their baby Alice Catherine Faulkner on May 31, 2011. The Faulkners live in Atlanta where, Jason works as a middle school math and science teacher.
1995
Caroline (Green) Whitcomb (’95) joined Westminster’s faculty this fall to teach the Prekindergarten class. Caroline and her husband Steve (’93) have two children Mack and Ella Parker.
1997
Walt Green (’97) married Mary Katherine Fisher on Dec. 18, 2010 at St. Mary on the Hill Catholic Church in Augusta. Other Westminster alumni participating in the ceremony included Michelle Hawkins (’05), John Savage (’97), Colin Smith (’99), Caroline Green Whitcomb (’95) and Steve Whitcomb (’93). The couple lives in Augusta and both are currently attending Georgia Health Sciences University. Mary Katherine is in the Masters of Physician Assistant Program, and Walt is in the College of Dental Medicine.
2001
Iverson Long (’01) received his Juris Doctor from Fordham Law School in May 2011. He also was given an award as chairman of the Conflict Resolution Team, which competed nationally and internationally for the Law School.
2003
Lauren Dixon (‘03) and Adam Campbell were married on July 16, 2011 in Athens, Georgia at the UGA Chapel. Lauren is a second-year law student at the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. The couple resides in Macon.
2004
Robert Watts (’04) married Margaret Elizabeth Sheridan on June 11, 2011, at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Atlanta. Other Westminster alumni participating in the ceremony included Will Boyd (’04), Taylor Ellison (’04) Matt Farmer (’03), Kelly Watts Hitchcock (’92) and Nancy Watts McQuillen (’94). The couple recently moved to Atlanta, where Robert attends Law School at Georgia State University. Previously they lived in Washington, D.C. , where Margaret Elizabeth was employed by John Paul II Catholic University as the Assistant to the Provost of the University and Robert worked as a Legislative Assistant for Congressman Phil Gingrey.
2005
Mary Charles Coleman (’05) began her third year of teaching at Westminster Schools of Augusta in fall 2011.
Kevin Curry (’05) is currently an ENSIGN on The United States Coast Guard Cutter, VIGILANT out of Port Canaveral, Florida. His works as a Landing Signals Officer on the flight deck, as can be seen in the photo on this page. He also works with the tie down crew.
2006
Michael Mecredy (’06) married Elise Allen on May 29, 2011 at Cannon United Methodist Church in Snellville, Georgia. Other alumni participating in the ceremony included Norm Baunchalk (’07), Emily Mecredy (’10) and Daniel Welsh (’06). The couple lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Michael earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in environmental engineering from Georgia Tech and works for the consulting firm of Brown and Caldwell. Elise, also a Georgia Tech graduate, works for Asurion Insurance, Inc.
2007
Katherine Boone (’07) was awarded the MSE Outstanding Senior Award from the Georgia Institute of Technology. The prestigious award is given to one Materials Science and Engineering student in each graduating class. Katherine was also invited to the President’s Luncheon, hosted by Georgia Tech’s President Brad Peterson, where she shared a “special Georgia Tech moment” along with other graduates at the event.
Mary Hester Hill (’07) spent the summer of 2011 as an intern working with Macy’s Merchandising Group in New York City as an assistant designer for one of Macy’s private label brands. Mary Hester also received a scholarship through the YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund, a non-profit association that acts as a mentor program by granting scholarships to and submerging fashion students into the fashion industry through networking, internship, and career opportunities. “Living in New York and working for Macy’s was an amazing opportunity and I hope to continue my career in New York next year,” said Mary Hester. She will graduate from Auburn University in August 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in Apparel Merchandising, Design and Production.
Mary Rob Plunkett (’07) was recognized in August 12 edition of The Augusta Chronicle. She “was chosen by the Peach Belt Conference as one of the league’s two representatives for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award.” Having completed her undergraduate degree from Georgia College and State University with a double major in marketing and management, Mary Rob is currently at the University of North Carolina, working toward her master’s degree.
2010
Alyssa Cameron (’10), Aaron Harris (’10), McCamy Pruitt (’10) and Katelyn Rimer (’10) returned to Westminster’s campus to work with Westminster Summer Programs
this year. The program hosted hundreds of students who participated in various arts, athletic, academic and general day camp programs.
Summer 2011 News
1992
Amy (Hancock) Robertson (’92) and her husband Steve are missionaries serving in Guadalajara, Mexico. Steve spoke at Westminster’s Lower School Chapel on Friday, March 11. He surprised the children by singing the Doxology in Spanish. The Robertsons have three children.
1999
Amanda (Saxon) Dean (’99) is being published this fall. The title of the article is “An investigation of pedagogical techniques in Descartes’ La geometrie,” and it will be published in the autumn issue of the BSHM Bulletin, the Journal of the British Society for the History of Mathematics.
2000
Becca (Veazey) Scogin (’00) was recently honored with the Key Spouse of the Year Award at McChord Field in Pierce County, Washington. In addition to being a mother to Oliver, who was born in October 2010, Becca is a part-time event planner with the City Club of Tacoma. She also puts together the monthly newsletter for military spouses of the 10th Airlift Squadron. She is married to Aaron Scogin (’01). More information about the award may be read here.
2001
Capt. Aaron Scogin (’01) is a member of the 10th Airlift Squadron, stationed at McChord Field. He is a C-17 pilot, who returned from deployment in November 2009 and was sent on his second deployment in April 2011. He lives near Tacoma, Washington, with his wife Becca (Veazey) Scogin (’00) and their son, Oliver.
2002
Adam James (’02) graduated with a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Georgia
Health Sciences University in May 2011. He will continue to live in Augusta and work with
Augusta Back Neuroscience as a Physical Therapist.
2003
Matt Farmer (’03) graduated from the Georgia Health Sciences University’s Medical College of Georgia with his M.D. in May 2011. He and his wife Laura will remain in Augusta to complete his residency in Internal Medicine at MCG. Matt recently traveled with a team from Medical Campus Outreach and Mission to the World to Bangladesh to provide medical care to people there. The team worked in cities and in remote tribal villages during the month-long trip. More information about Matt’s trip can be read here.
2004
Rachel Harper (’04) married Brian Tyson on April 17, 2010, at Martinez Bible Chapel. Rachel is an honor graduate of the Medical College of Georgia’s College of Nursing in Athens, Georgia and is currently employed by University Hospital as a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Nurse. Brian is also a nurse at University Hospital in the Medical/Surgical ICU. Other alumni participating in the wedding included Bobby Harper (’06) and Julianne Harper (’08).
Laura Bailey Turrentine (’04) and her husband Jake will move to Dallas, Texas, this
summer. Jake graduated from the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Health
Sciences University in May with a doctorate of medicine, and he will begin dermatology
residency at UT Southwestern/Parkland Memorial Hospital in July. Laura will teach
fourth grade at Preston Hollow Presbyterian starting in August.
2005
Michelle Hawkins (’05) graduated Magna Cum Laude from Georgia Southern University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education in May 2009. She then earned a Master of Education degree in Teaching and Learning from Georgia Southern University in July 2010. She lives in Augusta and taught second grade at Wheeless Road Elementary School last year. She is engaged to marry Mark Alan Stephens, Jr. They plan to live in Charlotte, North Carolina after the July wedding.
2006
Jeff Chrjapin (’06) recently visited Tanzania, where he climbed to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro and took a game drive through Arusha National Park.
Franklin Garner (’06), graduated from Furman University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in music in May 2010. He is currently serving in Afghanistan with the 228th Signal Brigade of the South Carolina Army National Guard. When he is in the country, he resides in Travelers Rest, South Carolina. He is engaged to Emily Ruas and they plan to be married in October 2012.
Evan Van Peursem (’06) graduated in May from the Georgia Institute of Technology, with a Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering. He is working this summer with the college ministry of First Presbyterian Church. This fall, he will make Augusta his permanent residence once again as he enters the first year of medical school at the Medical College of Georgia at GHSU.
Spring 2011 News
1988
Big brothers Tyler, Joshua and Samuel and parents Dan (’88) and Corrie Linsz welcomed Amos Christian on Dec. 30 at 2:07 p.m. He weighed 7 pounds, 5 ounces and measured 20 inches long.
1996
Chris Gensheer (’96) completed his Master of Divinity degree from Covenant Theological Seminary in May 2010. Prior to seminary, he worked in the fields of marketing and management for five years in Augusta. Chris and his wife, Maggie, have three children: Maya (6), Alex (4) and Jack (2). They live in Sante Fe, New Mexico where Chris is employed as a Pastoral Intern with Christ Church Santa Fe. His ministry focuses primarily on developing a leadership and small group culture within the church. He participates in regular teaching and preaching as well as generally assisting in the nurture of the health and growth of the church. He is also working toward being ordained in the PCA and serving as an Assistant Pastor at Christ Church Santa Fe.
1999
Kathryn (Tucciarone) Turner (’99) and Emmett Turner welcomed Caroline Mader Turner (Mae) on Aug. 5, 2010. The couple resides in Augusta where Kathryn is a pharmaceutical representative with Sanofi Aventis – Pasteur.
2000
After graduation from Harvard College, Daniel Lassiter (’00) completed his Master of Arts degree in Philosophy in New Zealand on a fellowship from the Frank Knox Foundation. He will earn his Ph.D. in linguistics from New York University this spring and was recently offered a postdoctoral research position at Stanford University. Beginning this summer, he will work in a lab constructing and testing computational models of communication and social reasoning.
2001
Zach Pollard (’01) is involved in a program called Mission Year in Houston, Texas. This one-year program emphasizes concepts of living in community, simplicity and in underprivileged neighborhoods for the purposes of loving God and loving people. He lives with five others in a house in the 1st Ward of Houston, Texas. They reach out to neighbors and to the homeless population. The ministry involves hospitality and between 30 and 40 hours of community service work throughout the week. Zach’s community service focuses on assisting homeless and poor musicians to pursue their musical talent through collaboration and recording . He also volunteers at Gano Mission Center with pre-teenage youth.
2002
Sam Adams (’02) married Tammy Lynn Barfield on Sept. 25, 2010 at Christ Church Presbyterian in Evans. Other Westminster Alumni participating in the ceremony included Aaron Adams (’05), Jim Griffin(’03) and Austin Jackson (’01). Nathan Adams (’99) served as a groomsman in absentia as he was deployed in Afghanistan at the time of the wedding. Sam is a 2006 graduate of the University of Georgia and a 2010 graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law. He is serving as a second lieutenant in the United States Marines. Tammy is a registered nurse at Hilton Head Regional Hospital. The couple resides in Beaufort, S.C.
A photo of the recent riots in Egypt by David Degner (’02) was featured on the front page of The Wall Street Journal in February 2011. David lives in Cairo, Egypt, where he works as a freelance photographer.
2003
John Cates (’03) and Susan Kathryn Bohler were married on Oct. 23, 2010 at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Augusta. Other Westminster graduates participating in the ceremony included Redding Cates (’00), Charles Cates (’10), Jim Griffin (’03) and Graham Roberts (’03). John graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the University of Georgia in 2007, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He is currently in his third year of the joint Juris Doctor and Masters of Business Administration degree programs at the University of Georgia School of Law and Terry College of Business.
Kara Downey (’03) is in her second year of Stanford University’s political science Ph.D. program, studying political and economic development in the former USSR, especially Central Asia. She spent the summer of 2010 studying advanced Russian in Astrakhan, Russia, and researching the new government in Kyrgyzstan. Kara was recently awarded a Jacob K. Javits Graduate Fellowship from the U.S. Department of Education and hopes to spend this summer studying Persian in Tajikistan.
2004
While completing her classics degree at Harvard College, Mary Ellen Stebbins (’04), was active in the college’s theater department. She recently interned with the Broadway Tour of “Next to Normal” in Los Angeles. Additionally, she was awarded the Barbizon Lighting Award for 2011 by the United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Inc. (USITT), the membership association of design, production, and technology professionals in the performing arts and entertainment industry. Mary Ellen plans to complete her Master of Fine Arts degree in theatrical lighting design at Boston University in May 2011. More of her work may be seen at www.maryellenstebbinsdesign.com.
2005
Ashley Elizabeth Rogers (’05) married Nathan Phillip Packer on Saturday, Aug. 21, 2010, at Grace United Methodist Church in North Augusta. Other Westminster alumni participating in the ceremony included Mary Charles Coleman (’05), Will Dent (’05) and Lucy Pollard (’05).
Ashley attended the University of Georgia for Pre-Nursing where she was a member of Gamma Phi Beta and is a 2010 graduate of the Medical College of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. She is employed as a registered nurse in the Emergency Department at Doctors Hospital in Augusta. Nathan is employed by Agrium, Inc. as the Division Seed Manager for the Georgia Division.
2008
Neil Bitting (’08) and Tyler Vines (’08), both members of the Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI), were recently elected president of their respective chapters. Neil attends the University of Georgia and Tyler attends the College of Charleston. They met up at a Phi Gamma Delta conference in St. Louis, Missouri in January.
Savannah Carson (’08), a junior at Samford University, was recently named to the Dean’s List. She is pursuing a degree in Child Development Education and is active at The Church at Brook Hills, University Christian Fellowship and the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization. In the summer of 2010, Savannah visited the Ukraine to work with an orphan ministry called “(Un)Adopted!”.
2009
Taylor Guido (’09) was highlighted in the Winter 2010 issue of The Legacy, a publication of the Waston-Brown Foundation, Inc. She is a sophomore at the College of Charleston.
Winter 2010 News
Alan Walters (’79) and his wife, Shirley, celebrated homecoming with their daughters Melissa (’07), Natalie (’11) and Mallory (’14).
1989
Ryan Lutz (’89) lives in Memphis, Tennessee with his wife Tracy and children, Jonathan, Reagan, and Connor. He is an upper school English teacher and the head varsity soccer coach at Evangelical Christian School. ECS’s varsity soccer team won the 2010 State Championship title this past May. Several of his players have received many district, region, and state accolades including the 2010 Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year. In addition, Ryan was named 2010 Boys Soccer Coach of the Year, by the sports staff of the leading newspaper in Memphis.
Greg Volpitto (’89) is teaching English as a Second Language at St. Louis University. He sees it as a great opportunity to build relationships with students from other countries, primarily China. He and his wife, Jennifer, have two daughters Millie, 13, and Ada, 3, and a son, Davis, 10. Jennifer is working on her master’s degree in Counseling at Covenant Seminary.
1990
Julie Tollison, Carter Daniel, Vanessa Pena Johnson, Eric Christian, Cary (Hanks) Drinkard and Stetson Corbitt gathered for a Class of 1990 reunion during 2010 Homecoming festivities.
1994
After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Christopher Smith (’94), completed 11 years as a carrier pilot flying the Hornet (F-18) and Super Hornet. He is married to Caroline (Catalano) Smith, and they have three children between the ages of 21 months and five years. Christopher now attends Tuck Business School at Dartmouth College and will begin work in June 2011 with the Aerospace and Defense Group at Harris Williams & Co. in Richmond, Virginia.
Christi (Volpitto) Wildes (’92) works in the two-year-old department at First Baptist Church of Augusta’s Mother’s Day Out program. Christi and her husband, Al, are active at Redeemer PCA in Evans where Al is a deacon and Christi sings with the worship team. They have three children; Madelyn, 10, who is in fourth grade at Westminster; Cameron, 7, who is in first grade at Westminster; and Kathryn, 2, who is at First Baptist in the young two-year-old class.
1998
Stephen Story (’98) graduated from the University of Nebraska with a Master of Public Administration in 2006. He works as executive director of The International Link, a ministry that shares the Gospel with international visitors to the Augusta community. He and his wife, Dottie, have a daughter and are waiting to adopt their second child.
Ashley Wilson (’98) recently joined Georgia Watch, the state’s leading consumer advocacy organization, as the Consumer Outreach Director and staff attorney. Previously, Ashley has been employed by the investor relations firm Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher in New York, and as a defense attorney in metro Atlanta. Ashley graduated cum laude from the University of Georgia in 2002, with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science. She received her Juris Doctor from the T.C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond in 2006, and is a member of the State Bar of Georgia.
1999
After serving in the Navy as a SAR (rescue) Swimmer, Colin Smith (’99) completed his undergraduate degree in Journalism at the University of Georgia and went on to receive his Master of Business Administration from UGA in June of 2009. He now works in Atlanta for Reliant Technologies.
2001
Chandler Smith (’01) graduated from Vanderbilt University with degrees in Political Science and Communication. She now works in Washington, D.C., on Capitol Hill as the Deputy Press Secretary for Senator Richard Burr (R) of North Carolina.
2002
David Degner (’02) graduated from Western Kentucky University with a degree in philosophy and photojournalism in 2008. He currently lives in Cairo, Egypt where he is a freelance photojournalist covering the Middle East. David’s work has been seen in various publications, including: Le Monde, The National, The New York Times, TIME, and The Augusta Chronicle.
2003
Ginny Thornton (’03) married Brett Merrill on Dec. 19, 2009 at St. Simons Presbyterian Church, St. Simons Island, Georgia. Other Westminster alumni participating in the ceremony included Katie Foushee (’03), Abigail Mullins (’03), Charlotte Thornton (’10), Will Hudson (’01) and Austin Jackson (’01). She is a 2007 graduate of the University of Georgia and a 2010 graduate of the Medical College of Georgia in the Masters of Physician Assistant Program. Ginny and Brett reside in Atlanta where she is employed as a Physician Assistant with Wellstar Pulmonary Medicine, and he as a Financial Analyst with Jamestown Properties.
On Nov. 12, Lauren Haburchak Meadows (’03) was sworn in as a member of the State Bar of Georgia before the Honorable Dennis Blackmon, Superior Court Judge of the Coweta Judicial Circuit. Lauren graduated from Georgia State University College of Law in May 2010 and is employed as an Associate Attorney at Daley, Koster, & LaVallee, LLC, in Atlanta.
2005
Mallory Farmer (’05) and Joshua Click were married June 26, 2010 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Augusta. Other Westminster alumni participating in the ceremony included Mary Charles Coleman (’05), Matthew Farmer (’03) and Michelle Hawkins (’05). Mallory and Josh live in Atlanta, where Mallory is pursuing her Master of Education in Curriculum & Instruction, and Josh works for TRANE Engineering as a Sales Engineer.
2007
Winter Cawley (’07) and Jonathan Edward Davis were married on June 12, 2010, at First Presbyterian Church in Augusta. Rev. Joseph V. Novenson and Rev. Doctor George W. Robertson officiated. Winter is the daughter of Alice (’79) and Christopher Cawley. She is a 2010 graduate of Covenant College and is employed by as the costume manager for the Theatre Department at Covenant. Jonathan is employed by Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church and the couple resides in Lookout Mountain, Georgia.
Jared Tebbs (’07) is a Senior Midshipmen in the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) where he also leads a Bible study. Jared feels it is important to prepare the first-year Midshipmen for going out to sea. Last March he enrolled in Army Airborne Jump School at Fort Benning, where he received his wings after graduating from Parachute Jump School. He will graduate from the Academy in June 2011 as a USMMA Officer and plans to pursue a job in Marine Engineering and Shipyard Management.
Mary Rob Plunkett (’07) received the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) Goalkeeper of the Week award for the 2010 season and was named and Academic-All American. She has a 3.63 GPA majoring in management at Georgia College and State University.
2009
Rob Thompson (’09) is a sophomore at the Georgia Institute of Technology who worked in Kenya last summer. He spent five weeks as a camp counselor for Camp BlueSky, a Christian overnight camp located near Nairobi, Kenya. The camp ministers to missionary kids, local Kenyans and the kids of the international business community. Many of these children have never heard the gospel. The rest of the time was spent doing relational and construction ministry in the villages of western Kenya.
Marcus Tebbs (’09) is a second-year Midshipmen in the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA). He is preparing to go out to sea for his first Four Month Sea Project, where he will be trained to work in the engineering department on the container ship Horizon.
Fall 2010 News
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1989
Daniel Finch (’89) was recently featured in an article in Atlanta’s Creative Loafing magazine. Four of Daniel’s paintings were on exhibit at the Twin Kittens in Atlanta, Georgia from July 17 – August 14. He teaches art at Messiah College in Pennsylvania.
1991
Carla Wong McMillian (’91) was appointed by Governor Sonny Perdue to the State Court of Fayette County in the Griffin Judicial Circuit in August. Carla is a partner with Sutherland Asbill & Brennan, LLP in Atlanta. She lives in Tyrone, Georgia with her husband, Lance, and their two children. She was honored last spring as the recipient of the 2010 Westminster Distinguished Alumni Award. Photos of her October 2010 Swearing In Ceremony are available here.
1995
Allison Mehrhof (’95) married Adam Witherington on July 24 at First Baptist Church of Augusta. Other Westminster alumni participating in the ceremony included Emily (Mehrhof) Sheffield (’98) and Joanna (Mehrhof) Jones (’02). Allison and Adam are living in Augusta, where Allison is assistant to the director at the Augusta campus of Brenau University. She is pursuing her Master of Business Administration.
Scott Oberg (’95) graduated from Covenant College with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Bible in May 2000. He went on to complete his master’s degree in counseling from Covenant Theological Seminary (’03) and his Doctorate of Medicine in Dentistry from the Medical College of Georgia (’09). Scott lives in Greenville, South Carolina with his wife, Kathryn, and their daughters, Mary Kate and Elisabeth. He is a general dentist at Halton Road Family Dentistry.
1996
Henry Hanks (’96) works as an associate producer for the CNN arm of Turner Broadcasting in Atlanta. His work focuses on iReports for CNN.com. His well-read blog on the LOST series attracted thousands of posts. Henry recently covered the San Diego Comic-Con for CNN.com. Much of his work on entertainment stories can be seen at http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/tag/cnn-com-associate-producer-henry-hanks/ and http://www.cnn.com/comiccon . The iReports can be seen at http://ireport.cnn.com.
1998
Emily (Mehrhof) Sheffield (’98) teaches at the Augusta Campus of Georgia Military College. She and her husband Nick have two children, Lillie, 3 and Lucy, 11 months.
2002
Joanna (Mehrhof) Jones (’02) is an Auburn University graduate and is employed by Auburn in the Scholarship Department. Joanna and her husband, Ray, are expecting their first child in October.
2005
Palmer Lawrence (’05) received a Bachelor of Arts in English and Sociology from Emory University in May 2009. After graduating, she moved to South Africa for an internship with Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town, a refugee relief center and orphanage. At Scalabrini, she worked in the Development and Welfare departments, offering assistance with the employment search and application process, developing and facilitating workshops on professional skills, teaching digital literacy courses, and tutoring and mentoring orphaned refugee children. She begins her Juris Doctorate studies at the University of Michigan Law School in September as a Dean’s Scholar.
2006
Jeff Chrjapin (’06) graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in May with a Bachelor of Science in Maritime Operations and Technology along with a certificate in the Ethics and Leadership Program. He lives in Brunswick, Georgia and is employed by Brunswick Navigation where he works with harbor pilots.
David Wells Hogan (’06) graduated with highest honors from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a bachelor’s degree in management and a minor in engineering last May. He was commissioned into the U.S. Marine Corp as a Second Lieutenant on May 15. His mother, Jackie and another Westminster alumni mom, Madeleine Rivers, participated in the ceremony.
Michael Mecredy (’06) completed his Bachelor of Science in environmental engineering in 2009 and his Master of Science in environmental engineering in 2010, both from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He is currently employed by Brown and Caldwell as an environmental engineer.
Jared T. Williams (’06) graduated from Georgia College & State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 2010. He currently lives in Florida, attending Stetson University College of Law as a candidate for Juris Doctorate.
2007
Alex Merrill (’07) is beginning his fourth year at the University of Georgia. He spent the summer studying Shakespeare and Medieval Literature at Oxford University. With his Shakespeare class, he visited Shakespeare’s birthplace and watched a performance of one of his plays. The Medieval Literature class took him to several sites associated with the Arthurian legend. He has also been able to visit various places in England, Scotland and Wales. Alex plans to complete his bachelor’s degrees in English Literature and Latin in May 2011.
2008
Caroline Ames (’08) spent the past summer outside of Nairobi, Kenya as a Mission to the World intern. She and five other college students assisted with the various outreach ministries of Kibera Reformed Presbyterian Church. They worked at the KRPC School and girls shelter in addition to doing construction and making home visits.
September 2010
Mary Rob Plunkett (’07), a member of the Georgia College & State University soccer team, was recently named the Peach Belt Conference Goalkeeper of the Week.
