Always a St. Mary's Girl

Generations of St. Mary's girls honor the historic tradition of the graduation dress, and the story of one of these dresses continues over four decades and has been worn at six graduation ceremonies. 

St. Mary’s alumnae are soaring globally, leveraging their education and passions to make meaningful impacts.

As the SVP of Global Total Rewards at Walmart, Kim Lupo ’93 oversees compensation and benefits for the global company’s 2.4 million employees.

Mary Kavanagh Day ’82 received the Gilmore Lynn Spirit of St. Mary’s Award for her leadership in developing a new strategic plan.

St. Mary's 2025 Outstanding Alumna Meg Kinnard Hardee '98 channeled her formative experiences into a celebrated career as a national political reporter at the Associated Press.

Poet and educator Maria Zoccola ’11 recently returned to St. Mary’s, where her love for writing began. Maria spent a week inspiring students as the 2025 Louise T. Archer Artist in Residence, just like her teachers did years ago.

Stacy Goldate ’90 has spent her life chasing her curiosity and capturing extraordinary stories frame after frame. 

Dr. Neha Kumar ’11 knew she was destined for the white coat. When she was just five years old, she followed her father around the hospital while he did his patient rounds.

Lisa Morrow Morten '76 was named the first recipient of the Light and Life Service Award, an honor given to an individual who demonstrates extraordinary dedication to the school community.

For her commitment to service, Meg Gould ’11 received the 2024 Young Alumna Award from St. Mary’s at the Founders’ Day ceremony.

Ayushi Gaur ’22 is following in the footsteps of her role model, Jane Goodall, as a quiet yet impactful leader. Inspired by a passion for environmental advocacy that began in middle school at St. Mary’s, Ayushi continues to take action through her passion projects and career pursuits. 

St. Mary’s Episcopal School celebrated a 178-year legacy at the 2024 Founders' Day Chapel on Tuesday, September 17.

On 901 Day, we celebrate our alumnae who have chosen to make Memphis their home and invest their lives in this incredible city. Their love for the 901 shines through in everything they do, helping to shape a brighter future for all of us. We checked in with just a few of the many Turkeys proud to call the 901 home. 

It’s been 30 years since Amy Spencer ’94 graduated from St. Mary’s, but she clearly remembers the words of late teacher Madame Nannette Quinn. 

Congratulations to Ella Curlin ’24 for receiving Indiana University’s competitive Wells Scholarship. Ella is one of 18 incoming freshmen selected to receive the merit scholarship that will cover her full tuition and include extra benefits. She will be majoring in American studies and journalism and studying in the Hutton Honors College.

What’s the secret ingredient behind the magic of Summer at St. Mary’s? It's the counselors – and more than 75 percent of them are proud St. Mary’s alumnae and current students! These leaders, ranging from fresh graduates of the Class of 2024 to young women who recently finished college, exemplify the deep-rooted love and loyalty that St. Mary’s fosters in its students.

Karsen Springfield ’19 isn’t just making people smile in the dentist’s chair. She has brought smiles to 25 million people on her TikTok as “The Tooth Fairy”. Her page educates incoming and current dental students, as well as the general population. 

Since Ashley Graflund ’21 took a field trip to the Memphis International Airport in 9th grade, she’s known exactly what she wanted to do. The Air Force Academy cadet is a self-proclaimed “plane geek” with dreams of flying

Ansley Skipper ‘21 led the University of Virginia Mock Trial team to victory this spring. UVA took home the 28th American Mock Trial Association National Championship for the first time since 2017. As a team captain, Ansley says she entered the final round confident that she and her team had the skills to upset Hillsdale College team.

The St. Mary's Alumnae BVoard named Emma Less '13 as the 2024-2025 President. As the youngest alumna to serve in the role, Emma is excited about helping all alumnae connect with St. Mary's. 

This month, alumnae from all over the country ran home to St. Mary’s! We welcomed over 300 alumnae from 28 states and Madrid for the 2024 Alumnae Weekend. The weekend kicked off with Chapel featuring the 2024 Outstanding Alumna Jean Vaughan McGhee ’86.

During her senior year, Lea Thomas ’23 weighed a lot of decisions. In her mind, she was reviewing every campus tour she had taken, more than $500,000 in merit scholarships she received, and the list of offerings at 20 different colleges. Thomas wanted to find a college that would prepare her for a career in public health. Several courses at St. Mary’s piqued Thomas' interest in this field, including AP Biology, Global Studies, and the online Global Health course.

Congratulations to Madison Brode ’20 for receiving the Marshall Scholarship, a prestigious award for graduate-level study in the United Kingdom given annually to 50 American college students. Brode, a senior at Mississippi State University, is the first student from the university to receive the award.

As part of our Beyond St. Mary's series, we are catching up with recent alumnae. This week, we are checking in with Cam Hart ‘23, who shares how her time at St. Mary's prepared her for college life.

In preparation for his new term, Mayor-elect Paul Young asked two St. Mary’s alumnae to join his transition team. Cara Greenstein ’10 and Anna McQuiston ’88 worked with other community leaders to help guide the priorities of the new administration.

The St. Mary’s Alumnae Board is thrilled to announce Jean Vaughan McGhee ’86 as the 2024 Outstanding Alumna. McGhee will receive the award and deliver remarks during St. Mary’s Alumnae Weekend on Friday, April 12.

As an Associate Professor of Religion at Clemson University and a historian of American religion, Elizabeth Jemison ’04, Ph.D. has made a career of researching and asking questions, focusing on the relationships between religion and race, gender, and politics during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Yorick in Space, an exhibition featuring paintings by St. Mary’s alumna Mamie Tinkler ’96, is currently on at Tops Gallery in downtown Memphis (400 S. Front Street). The exhibition opened on Saturday, October 28, and is available through Sunday, December 17. The new series of paintings in watercolor and gouache is “set in a far-off galaxy, or the distant past, or a place entirely imagined.” ⁠

For the last seven years, Chandler Roberts Cummins ’12 has dedicated her career to being a comforting presence to patients while providing the highest level of care. As a nurse, Cummins knows that patients are often in their most vulnerable state during a hospital stay or doctor’s visit and are in need of extraordinary empathy and compassion.

Years after her own graduation in 1983, 2023 Outstanding Alumna Brandon Garrott Morrison is clear-eyed about what makes her long-standing relationship with St. Mary’s so special. It’s not just one thing, of course.

Ginny Waller Zanca ’76 expresses her gratitude by giving back

Participation in St. Mary's unique research program set a career in medicine in motion for Meg Cornaghie, MD ’11. Now, Cornaghie is in her fourth year of orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Arkansas in Little Rock.

Peggy Wilson Lawrence didn’t graduate from St. Mary’s, but you couldn’t tell that to Lawrence or any of her classmates from the class of 1973, who consider her a fellow alumna. Lawrence and her older sister spent their formative years at St. Mary’s. She remains grateful for her time at St. Mary’s and the friendships that began there.

When it was time to apply to college, Addie Heehs ’22 wanted an experience that extended beyond the classroom. The Haslam Scholars program at the University of Tennessee has exceeded all her expectations. The highly-competitive scholarship includes study abroad, a paid internship, a stipend scholarship, an intensive thesis project, and a full scholarship.

The St. Mary's Alumnae Association is pleased to announce that Brandon Garrott Morrison ’83 will be honored as the 2023 Outstanding Alumna. Morrison will receive the award and deliver remarks during St. Mary’s Alumnae Weekend on Friday, March 31. Morrison is the Family Office President of MBA Corporation, a member of the Shelby County Board of Commissioners, and a former chair of St. Mary’s Board of Trustees. Each year, the Outstanding Alumna Award is given to an alumna who has distinguished herself through service, courage, compassion, and leadership.

Joy Jackson ’19 was recently recognized for her innovative work to address a critical health disparity for patients of color who require electroencephalograms (EEGs). Jackson, a senior, Singer Scholar, and biomedical engineering major the University of Miami, led a team of undergraduates to design an electrode holder that improves EEG readings for people with textured hair.

Kathy Buckman Gibson ’80 was recognized as the 2022 Outstanding Alumna this spring. During Alumnae Weekend, Gibson spoke at Alumnae Chapel, where she shared her story and accepted the honor. 

On the 175th anniversary of the founding of St. Mary’s Episcopal School, Jean Vaughan McGhee ’86 and Jill Schaeffer Broer ’68 shared how the school has affected their lives, their families, and how St. Mary’s values thrive in the Memphis community and beyond.

We were delighted to welcome Courtney Ellis Felts '96 to speak to us in Chapel today. At St. Mary's, Courtney was a member of the Honor Council and served as editor of The Tatler. She was recognized as class salutatorian and received the Gold Cross Award. She was introduced by friend, former classmate, and 4th-Grade Math and Language Arts Teacher Alexis Nussbaum ’96. ⁠

We were delighted to have Maddie Rhodes ’14 speak to us in chapel today! She was introduced by her good friend and former classmate, Katherine Parker ’14. The pair flew to Memphis from Colorado where they both live now.⁠

We are so proud of Sarah Spiers ’13 who was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 for Games. Sarah was recognized for her work building a more inclusive gaming industry.⁠
⁠

Whether fighting for students, negotiating international trade deals, or working to combat terrorism, Jasmine Bolton ’07, Joan Mauldin Hurst ’83, and Kathryn Morisy ’07 exemplify what it means to lead a career of service. Each woman took a unique path to find a career that allowed her to pursue her passions while committing to serve others and our community.

Her knees were still knocking as she and her husband got in their beach-bound car after Alumnae Weekend. Kat Gordon was in disbelief to have received the 2020-21 Outstanding Alumna Award and to have her name listed on the same plaque as retired U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Nora Wingfield Tyson ’75.