Fine Arts
Baylor Players Stage Hello, Dolly!
The Baylor Players presented Hello, Dolly! as their spring musical from April 30-May 4. Over 85 Upper School and Middle School students and faculty participated in various aspects of the production. The play was directed by Beth Gumnick with set design by Garrett Walsh and costumes by Laura Smith. Mae Weiss served as conductor, and Ben Sposet was choral director.
Middle School Presents Peter Pan and Wendy
More than 50 Middle School students were involved in the production of Peter Pan and Wendy, Jan. 16-18 in Roddy Theater. A Middle School art exhibition was also on display in the Roddy Theater Gallery. The production, directed by Drama Instructor Allison Lamb, also involved Upper School students in various aspects of the production and in set and costume design by Garrett Walsh and Laura Smith. Drama instructor Beth Gumnick assisted with the production.
Vervé Presents 33rd Annual Concert
The 33rd annual Vervé concert took place Jan. 29-Feb. 1, featuring Upper School and Middle School dancers. Choreography was led by Directors of Dance Jenison Eduave and Elizabeth Cox Roemer ’05 and featured original choreography by senior Maggie Tansor, junior Riley Mauldin, sophomore Hollyn Blair, and guest artist Bryant Henderson Shea from the University of Alabama.
Drama Students Travel to NYC
A group of 15 Baylor drama students traveled to New York City in February to enjoy city sights, theater, and immersive workshops through the Broadway Student Summit. The six interactive workshops were held in Broadway rehearsal studios with cast and creative teams from the musicals Wicked and The Outsiders.
Making the trip were seniors Grey Kelley, Harper Kelly, and Maggie Tansor; juniors Wesley Chi, Cody Coppage, Gabby Goldstein, Wyatt McDaniel, Braylee Newell, Richard Lu, and Michelle Yu; and sophomores Sophia He, Harriet Howard, Warren Kim, Graham McDowell, and Eva O’Kelley. Fine arts instructors Beth Gumnick, Allison Lamb, and Ben Sposet were trip leaders.
AP Student Art Exhibit Showcases Student Work
in the Roddy Theater gallery on May 7, and featured the year-long portfolios of 12 students in AP 2-D, AP 3-D, and drawing classes. A special reception was held honoring the retirement of fine arts instructor Betsy Carmichael. Pictured above (front row, left to right) are junior Madeline Claire Stefaniuk, senior Isabelle Cox, senior Laney Fowler, junior Kate Henry, senior Avery Listen, and senior Isabella Moore, (back row) seniors Gabriel Costilow, Jackson Babb, Natalie Duke; juniors Gabby Goldstein, Braylee Newell, Kimber McKenzie; and senior Lea Masson, (not pictured) seniors David Xu and James Ge.
Student Kudos
Global and Civic Scholars Presenters
Juniors and seniors in Baylor’s Civic and Global Scholars programs presented their work on a wide variety of topics and experiences at a February symposium in the Scotty Probasco Academic Center. The annual symposium serves as the culmination of multiple years of focused efforts from students involved in community work and globally minded endeavors. The event kicked off with brief remarks by English Instructor and global education coordinator Tim Laramore ’99 and Mary Beth Hopping, humanities specialist for the Learning Center and the civic scholars coordinator. Juniors and seniors pictured above are (front row, left to right) Shanina Dong, Miriam Sliman, Mia Perdomo, Franny Brooksbank, Virginia Foster, Claire Ellish, Tova Ajayi, Oona Cruikshank, and Julia Gardner, (middle row) Abigail Angel, Meghan Royal, Anna Stoddard, Karis Kimrey, Lea Masson, Helena Garcia Nieto, Michelle Jiang, and Luci Hemphill, (back row) Greg Bailey, Johnny Sutter, Reed Martin, Charlie Good, George Stowe, Harper Kelly, Jayla Simpkins, Aidan McRorie, and William Hubbard.
David M. Abshire Civic Leadership Award
Twelve rising seniors were selected to travel to Washington, D.C. , this summer on the David M. Abshire Civic Leadership Trip for an intensive eight-day experiential course of study on national leadership, ethics, honor, and service. The program was created in partnership with the Center for the Study of the Presidency and the late Dr. David Abshire ’44, who served as president and CEO of that organization. Pictured are (front row, left to right) Sam Taveau, Peighton Skeate, Kate Henry, Milly Rainero, and Brandon Oakes, (middle row) Avery Glover, John Potter, Rigdon King-Anderson, Sydney Douglas, Virginia Foster, and Anna Stoddard, (back row) William Hubbard, Wesley Chi, James McCorkle, Yulissa Gerard, and Pippa Hill.
Jamaica Servant Leadership Trip
Six student leaders in Baylor’s Community Service program were selected to travel to Kingston, Jamaica, for the annual spring break servant leadership trip. While there, students visited children and staff at the Ferry Basic School. Other stops included a visit to an art studio, the Home for the Aged in Trench Town, and Bethany Village, a community that provides care and housing for people with disabilities. Making the trip were (pictured left to right) juniors Olivia Williams, Eloise Adams, Mia Perdomo, Anna Stoddard, Yulissa Gerard, and Avery Glover. They were accompanied by (pictured back row) Keelah Jackson, assistant director; Tony Easley, assistant strength and conditioning coach; and Takisha Haynie, community service director.
Joe “Sarge” Key Awards
Twelve rising seniors were selected for the Joe Key Award, a trip that recognizes selfless character and involves seven days of sea-kayaking, hiking, and camping on the islands of Acadia National Park this July. The trip honors the late Joe Key, who worked at Baylor from 1961 to 1988 as a military instructor and study hall supervisor and was affectionately known as “Sarge.”
Pictured are (front row, left to right) Yulissa Gerard, Madeline Claire Stefuniak, Eloise Adams, and Avery Glover, (middle row) William Hubbard, Rigdon King-Anderson, Anna Stoddard, and Gavin Boggs, (back row) James McCorkle, Mary Holmes Philips, Hank Etzler, and George Stowe.
Liz Aplin Art Trip to Italy
Nine students will participate in the Liz Aplin Art Trip to Florence, Italy, this summer. The group will focus on pleinair oil painting in the countryside of Tuscany and will enjoy day trips to Siena, and to the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia to see Michelangelo’s David and other masterpieces. Making the trip are (front row, left to right) sophomores Katherine Pipes, Brinley Smith, Clara McNeely, and junior Gabby Goldstein, (back row) sophomores Tate Phillips, Adela Sewell, Quin Harris, and junior Braylee Newell, (not pictured) junior Mady Campbell. Faculty chaperones are art instructors Greta Mountain and Ben Sposet, along with Betsy Carmichael, on her last Aplin Trip before her retirement (see related story).
Science and Engineering Symposium Winners
Baylor’s ninth annual Science and Engineering Symposium took place May 7, with senior Luci Hemphill winning the Best All Around prize for her biomedical thesis. Other top winners were (front row, left to right) juniors Aubry Robbins and AJ Lorson; Hempill and seniors Meghan Royal and Tate Harrison; (back row) sophomores Jack Houston and Angelina Falcone; junior Caroline Chase and sophomore Michael Kiner.
Harvard Model Congress Delegates Have Strong Showing
Eighteen delegates from Baylor participated in the annual Harvard Model Congress Conference in 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 full conference at closing ceremonies. Participants were (front row, left to right) sophomore Aubrey Martell, junior Shanina Dong, sophomore Rivka Strauss, and senior Luci Hemphill; (second row) sophomores Riley Swinford, Elly Wu, Ananya Chakraborty, and Krishna Patel; (third row) sophomore Ivan Zheng, seniors Caiden Sumner and Lucy Gratz; (fourth row) seniors Alisha Chandra and Eric Zheng, and junior Amelie Johnson; (fifth row) junior Yulissa Gerrard, seniors Ella Grace Lazenby and Grace Simmons, and junior Avery Glover.
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.
Awards
Valedictorian and Salutatorian Named
Baylor named Meghan Royal (left) valedictorian for 2025, and Vivien Webster (right) was named salutatorian. Royal will attend the University of Virginia, and Webster will attend Cornell University.
Awards Day Winners Announced
Outstanding Student Leaders Honored
Baylor honored twelve 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, Ramirez de Arellano, and Royal will all attend Brown University 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 2025 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.
Departmental Awards
For a list of departmental award winners, click here.
Middle School Honors Student Leaders
The DEAN R. STERLING VALEDICTORY AWARD is presented each year to the eighth grade student with the highest academic average in the class. This year’s valedictorian is Luke Oakes.
The SALUTATORY AWARD is given each year to the eighth grade student with the second highest average in the class. This year’s salutatorian is Lauren Reisman.
The ALEXANDER GUERRY AWARD is given to two Middle School students, who are considered by a vote of the seventh and eighth grade student body to be “best all around.” This year’s awards went to eighth graders Ryder Flaherty and Cora Stowe.
The MICHELLE KADRIE ’91 AWARD is presented each year to a Middle School student who exhibits a compassionate, caring attitude toward others and an extraordinary enthusiasm in all aspects of Baylor life. This year’s recipient is Anna Card.
The SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARD is given annually to eighth graders who compete at the highest level in the classroom and on the athletic fields. The award went to Harrison Banks and Nissa Ruth.
