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Barbara Kennedy

May 15 2025 3:06 PM

Updated May 15 2025 3:12 PM

Baylor honored 12 of its outstanding student leaders with Founders Awards, the highest the school bestows, at the annual Awards Day on May 14.

Baylor honored 12 of its outstanding student leaders with Founders Awards, the highest the school bestows, at the annual Awards Day on May 14. Recipients are selected by a vote of the faculty.

The JOHN ROY BAYLOR AWARD is presented to seniors who have contributed richly to the school both as a citizen and scholar. Named for Baylor’s visionary founder and first headmaster, the John Roy Baylor Awards for 2025 were presented to Benjamin Daniel, Julian Ramirez de Arellano, Meghan Royal, and Johnny Sutter. Daniel and Ramirez de Arellano will attend Brown University, Royal will attend the University of Virginia, and Sutter will attend the University of Georgia.

Tyler Rice and Maddie Winchester were the winners of this year’s ALEXANDER GUERRY AWARD. Named for Baylor’s second headmaster, the award is presented to seniors who have contributed richly to the position of honor and right at Baylor. Rice will attend College of the Holy Cross, and Winchester will attend East Tennessee State University.

The HERBERT B. BARKS, SR., AWARD is presented to boarding students who have contributed richly to the spirit and quality of life of the residential program. This honor is named for Baylor’s third headmaster. The 2024 honorees were Brent Coppage, Max Norman, and Grace Simmons. Coppage will attend the University of Kentucky, Norman will attend Brown University, and Simmons will attend Northeastern University.

Named for Baylor’s fifth headmaster, the HERBERT B. BARKS JR., AWARD is presented to seniors who have contributed richly to the Baylor spirit. This year’s honorees were Charlie Good, Tate Harrison, and Gussie Smith. Good will attend Wofford College, Harrison will attend Brown University, and Smith will attend the University of Richmond.

Upper School Students Saluted by Peers

The O.B. ANDREWS AWARDS, presented each year to the male and female students judged as the best all-around seniors by the vote of the Upper School student body, were given to Tyler Rice and Maddie Winchester. Rice will attend College of the Holy Cross, and Winchester will attend East Tennessee State University.

The JUMONVILLE AWARDS are given to the best all-around male and female juniors as determined by a vote of Upper School students. They were presented to Mary Holmes Phillips and William Hubbard.

Six Win Special Awards

The HUBERT J. STAGMAIER AWARD is given to an outstanding all-around senior or seniors. This year’s honorees were Alisha Chandra, Carlton Forrester, Gilbert Stein, and Vivian Vetzel. Chandra will attend Dartmouth College, Forrester will attend Wake Forest University, Stein will attend Samford University, and Vetzel will attend The University of Tennessee.

The SERVICE TO SCHOOL AWARD is presented to seniors who have contributed richly to the school. This year, the award was given to Isabella Moore. She will attend the University of Cincinnati.

The MICHELLE KADRIE AWARD is given to seniors who combine a strong desire to do their personal best in school activities with a caring attitude toward others. This year’s recipient was Max Hickman. Hickman will attend College of the Holy Cross.

A FACULTY COMMENDATION AWARD was presented to Aden Cash. Cash will attend Shorter University.

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Upper School Departmental Awards

May 15, 2025 2:47 PM

Updated May 15, 2025 2:56 PM

July 25, 2025 2:54 PM

Upper School departmental awards were announced at Baylor's annual Awards Day on May 14.

Fine Arts Department Chair Vic Oaks and Art Award recipient Isabella Moore '25.

ART AWARDS

TWO-DIMENSIONAL

ART

Isabella Moore

THREE-DIMENSIONAL ART

Lea Masson

ORCHESTRA

Vivian Vetzel

BAND

Bruin Webster

VOCAL MUSIC

Julian Ramirez de Arellano

THEATER

Harper Kelly

DANCE

Laura Kathryn Anderson

ATHLETIC AWARDS

SCHOLAR-ATHLETE

Sara Hill
Tyler Rice

OUTSTANDING ATHLETE
(by vote of senior varsity letter winners)

Addi Greene
Tyler Rice

BEST ALL-AROUND ATHLETE
(by coaches’ vote)

Addie Green
Bradley Ilunga Bisselele

COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD

Isabelle Cox
Molly Kate Dickson

ENGLISH AWARD

Julia Gardner
Max Hickman
Johnny Sutter

HISTORY AWARD

Benjamin Daniel
Julia Gardner
Vivien Webster

LANGUAGE AWARDS

CHINESE

Betsy Williams

FRENCH

Aidan McRorie

GERMAN

Max Norman

LATIN

Soriyah Ware

SPANISH

Oona Cruikshank

MATH AWARDS

MATH

Tate Harrison
Kristin Spykerman

COMPUTER SCIENCE AWARDS

Eric Zheng

SCIENCE AWARDS

Gussie Smith

SCIENCE ACHIEVEMENT

Gabriel Costilow
Harper Kelly

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Baylor School Designated as Team Base Camp Training Site

May 2, 2025 11:43 AM

Updated May 15, 2025 3:07 PM

Chattanooga has been selected as the official Team Base Camp Host City for Auckland City Football Club (Auckland City FC) of Auckland, New Zealand, during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™,

Chattanooga has been selected as the official Team Base Camp Host City for Auckland City Football Club (Auckland City FC) of Auckland, New Zealand, during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™, taking place June 11-July 19, 2025. This marks a historic milestone as the tournament comes to the United States for the first time.

As part of their Chattanooga Team Base Camp experience, Auckland City FC will train at Baylor School’s state-of-the-art soccer complex, designated as the official Team Base Camp Training Site, and stay at the historic Read House Hotel. The Electric Power Board is partnering with Baylor to support the media center.

“Chattanooga is being recognized on the world stage as a great soccer city, and I can’t wait to show Auckland City FC some Chattanooga hospitality as they prepare for and play in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup,” said Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly. “Chattanooga as a city and Auckland FC as a team share an underdog identity and a fighting spirit. Like Chattanooga, Auckland FC have proven they can compete with–and beat–the big guys, inspiring the world by finishing third in the 2014 edition of this tournament. I hope every Chattanoogan will embrace the players, staff and fans of Auckland City FC, making them feel at home here and supporting them in their matches.”

"We are thrilled to host Auckland City FC at our soccer complex and are excited to partner with the City of Chattanooga to showcase our hospitality," said Baylor’s Head of School Chris Angel ’89. “Baylor has always had a global focus, and we are honored and thrilled to be selected as a training site for such a prestigious global sporting event.”

“We’re honored to be part of this historic moment as the FIFA Club World Cup comes to the U.S. for the first time,” said Barry White, CEO and President of the Chattanooga Tourism Co. “Auckland City FC brings a warm, welcoming spirit that feels right at home here. While their focus will be on training and preparation, we hope they also enjoy the hospitality and beauty that define our community. We’re proud to welcome Auckland City FC as part of the Chattanooga family, and we invite everyone to cheer them on throughout the tournament, especially during their match at GEODIS Park in Nashville on June 24.”

The FIFA Club World Cup brings together champion clubs from across the globe and is widely considered a key lead-up to the FIFA World Cup 2026™, which will also be hosted in the United States. Hosting Auckland City FC not only shines a global spotlight on Chattanooga but positions the city to potentially host national teams in 2026.

As part of Group C, Auckland City FC will face:

Bayern Munich (Germany) – June 15 in Cincinnati, OH
Benfica (Portugal) – June 20 in Orlando, FL
Boca Juniors (Argentina) – June 24 in Nashville, TN

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Six Students Travel to Jamaica for Servant Leadership Trip

March 13, 2025 12:13 PM

Updated March 13, 2025 12:24 PM

The group will work in an early childhood center and the squatter community of Ferry.

Six student leaders in Baylor’s Community Service program departed from campus on March 11 for the annual community service trip to Kingston, Jamaica, where they worked in an early childhood center and the squatter community of Ferry.

Anna Stoddard, Avery Glover, Eloise Adams, Mia Perdomo, Olivia Williams, and Yulissa Gerard were selected for this year's Jamaica Servant Leadership Trip, which is funded by the school and led by Community Service Director Takisha Haynie, and Assistant Director Keela Jackson.

Students who are selected for the Jamaica trip stay in the Immaculate Conception Convent, and travel to the community of Ferry to visit children and staff at the Ferry Basic School. Other stops included a visit to an art studio and the Home for the Aged in Trenchtown and Bethany Village, a community that provides care and housing for people with disabilities.

An important component of the Jamaica Trip are the large duffel bags, which are loaded with school supplies and transported to Kingston for children who live in Ferry. Typically, the duffel bags are filled with more than 100 backpacks containing school supplies for children in Ferry.

Baylor senior Alisha Chandra, who participated in the trip last spring, said building relationships with people in Kingston even in a short amount of time was an impactful experience. "I think how easy it is to make a true human connection if you just take the time to really get to know someone. For me, I think I was able to establish so many genuine relationships with people in such a short time, even on the last day, just because I took maybe five minutes to get to know them, actually interact with them, learn about them, and write my phone number on a piece of paper for them."

**Jamaica Trippers load up the orange duffle bags filled with school supplies for children in Ferry.**

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New Scholarships Announced at Annual Banquet

March 3, 2025 4:02 PM

Updated March 13, 2025 12:25 PM

The annual scholarship dinner took place Wednesday, Feb. 5 to honor Baylor’s merit-and-need-based named scholars..

tudent speakers pictured above with Head of School Chris Angel '89 are seniors Sasha Smith, Bruin Webster, Johnny Sutter, and Jayla Simpkins. Junior Taryn Harris delivered the invocation.

The annual scholarship dinner took place Wednesday, Feb. 5 to honor Baylor’s merit-and-need-based named scholars, including the Cartter Scholars and over 30 additional honored scholars.

The 300 guests included former faculty and current faculty members, scholarship recipients, parents, donors, and trustees who come together each year to celebrate the opportunity to attend Baylor.

In his keynote, Upper School Head Garrison Conner '05 referenced Paul Woodruff 's book, Reverence: Renewing a Forgotten Virtue, and expanded on the meaning of "reverence" as it applies to Baylor broadly and to the scholarship dinner specifically. "On a night like tonight, one of my favorite of the year, it is easy to reverently pause and celebrate this community," he said, "At no point in Baylor’s robust 131-year history, have we relied on the efforts, generosity, intellect, or talents of one person. A night like this is the perfect example – we can collectively sit here and be in awe of the gift that Baylor has been to all of us in this room."

Head of School Chris Angel '89 followed the keynote with an announcement of three new endowed scholarships for qualified students:

Jeff Morgan '78 Scholarship (Frank Harrison '73 and family)
Sheldon B. Soss Scholarship
McKenney Family Scholarship

Additionally, the Chris Wright '03 Scholarship, announced at the 2024 banquet, has reached its goal to fully fund a day student's tuition this fall. The scholarship memorializes Christopher Wright '03, whose life was tragically cut short in September 2023.

Also, a generous donor made a special gift to rename the ARCKS Scholarship to LARCKS to honor Matt Lewis '74 for his service to Baylor. The scholarship also honors Roy Ashley, Lewis Rush, Bill Cushman '59, Joe Key, and Jack Stanford.

Pictured above *(left to right*) are **Zane Brown, Ben Brown '00, Alex Wright, Wells Wright '05, Janet Wright, Greg Wright '64, John Arthur Daniel '89, Keith Davis '00,** and **Chris Angel '89.**

Pictured above *(left to right*) are
**Brook Soss, Jason Soss '97**, and Terri Soss.

Pictured above *(left to right*) are **Rick McKenney, Pam McKenney, Mary Elizabeth Clements McKenney '16,** and Matt McKenney '16.

Three members of Baylor’s championship soccer team who were among the guests honored at the recent scholarship dinner have not only excelled on the field but have also fully embraced the academic rigor of Baylor’s classrooms.

Like many Baylor athletes, juniors Zoe Misenhimer, the school’s first Aiken Scholar; Elizabeth Silva, the Baylor Faculty and Staff Scholar; and Emily Betterton, the Lew Oehmig 1935 Scholar (pictured above with Coach Curtis Blair), balance rigorous training with demanding course loads while also participating in club sports outside of Baylor. “Their dedication to both sports and academics demonstrates a remarkable work ethic and leadership qualities,” said Director of Soccer Curtis Blair.

Silva is enrolled in Baylor’s advanced engineering research course as well as multiple Advanced Placement courses. Later this month she will represent the school in the state Poetry Out Loud contest in Nashville, an accomplishment that she considers to be the most impactful academic experience at Baylor.

“After preparing for the contest through daily practice and the encouragement and insight of my English class, this achievement showed me that hard work pays off and that if you put your mind to something, you can achieve anything,” said Silva. “I am so excited and grateful for the opportunity to represent Baylor at the Poetry Out Loud state competition.”

Betterton points to her AP English Literature course as her most impactful academic experience. “My favorite class is probably AP English Lit with Coach (Heather) Ott,” she said. “The engagement in the classroom has allowed me to flourish as a more insightful thinker.”

Misenhimer, the team’s co-captain, said the sophomore class Ted Talk and this year’s junior Poetry Out Loud contest were both challenging and rewarding. “These presentations challenged me to pick something I was truly passionate about. The projects were very rewarding because I learned important public speaking techniques,” said Misenhimer. “I enjoyed getting to dive into subject matter that we wouldn’t normally go over…they helped me learn to face a challenge head-on and brave the doubt you can have in your mind.”

Named Scholarship Funds

Thanks to the generosity of donors who value a Baylor School education, more than 50 named scholarship funds generate over $6 million each year for Baylor’s robust Tuition Assistance program serving merit- and need-based awards for families and students. Each named scholarship becomes available upon graduation of its previous recipient. Learn more here.

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Three Win Top Harvard Model Congress Awards

February 21, 2025 4:09 PM

Updated February 21, 2025 4:11 PM

Luci Hemphill, Yulissa Gerrard and Amelie Johnson are recognized at closing ceremony.

Eighteen delegates from Baylor participated in the annual Harvard Model Congress Conference San Francisco Jan. 17-19.

Senior Luci Hemphill and junior Yulissa Gerrard were recognized for outstanding performance in debate, and junior Amelie Johnson was selected as a Delegate Speaker to address the entire conference at closing ceremonies.

In addition to Gerrard, Hemphill, and Johnson, this year's participants included seniors Alisha Chandra, Lucy Gratz, Ella Grace Lazenby, Grace Simmons, Caiden Sumner, and Eric Zheng; juniors Shanina Dong, and Avery Glover; and sophomores Ananya Chakraborty, Aubrey Martell, Krishna Patel, Riley Swinford, Rivky Strauss, Elly Wu, and Ivan Zheng.

The conference provides an opportunity for students to debate real-life lessons in government structures, while practicing public speaking and teamwork. Faculty sponsor Mary Beth Hopping, a former Model UN Delegate herself, works in the Upper School Learning Center as a humanities specialist and served as a chaperone along with Anna Glascock '11, a dorm parent and associate director of boarding admissions.

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Rhonda Sixto

Faculty Information

Location(s)

Middle School

Department(s)

Library

Title(s)

Reading Librarian

Contact Information

(Primary)

School Phone

423-267-8506

Education

Degree(s)

B.A., English, University of Georgia 1998
M.A.T., English, Agnes Scott College 2002

Other Information

Employed Since

2020

Intro

Rhonda Sixto has taught language arts and English at both the high school and collegiate levels.

Biography

Rhonda Sixto serves as a reading librarian for the Middle School and teaches a reading course as a part of the language survey course in the sixth grade.

Sixto earned a B.A. in English from the University of Georgia and an M.A.T. in English from Agnes Scott College. Before joining Baylor, she taught language arts and English at both the high school and collegiate levels for 17 years, most recently working as media specialist at Heritage High School in Ringgold, Ga.

Sixto is the mother of two Baylor students, Nadia '22 and Ezra '26.

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Fine Arts Department Chair Vic Oaks and Art Award recipient Isabella Moore '25.

ART AWARDS

ATHLETIC AWARDS

LANGUAGE AWARDS

MATH AWARDS

COMPUTER SCIENCE AWARDS

SCIENCE AWARDS

tudent speakers pictured above with Head of School Chris Angel '89 are seniors Sasha Smith, Bruin Webster, Johnny Sutter, and Jayla Simpkins. Junior Taryn Harris delivered the invocation.

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