On May 6, former student Kate Flannery was the co-grand marshal for the 96th Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival ® Grand Feature Parade in Winchester, Virginia. Flannery was accompanied by David Viggiano (C ’85). (Flannery and Viggiano are pictured to the right with AVP for Alumni Relations and Annual Giving Greeley Myers, Ed.D.)

Lori Gulakowski Mercer (AS ’98) was named Loudoun County Public Schools’ 2023 Principal of the Year. She is the principal of Hovatter Elementary School in Aldie, Virginia.

Byron Jones (C ’04) and Victoria Okafor (C ’17) traveled to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to perform a program with Lyric Fest. (Pictured to the left.)

Allison Pearson Kipp (C ’07, ’13) led a session entitled, “Jazz is Elementary,” at the Shenandoah Conservatory: National Association for Music Education mini conference in Winchester, Virginia. Damaris-Lydia Odebode (C ’21), Kerry Mandley (C ’09) and Andrew Manning (C ’12, ’20) were also a part of a panel discussion at the mini conference.

Diane Billas (C ’08) wrote a book entitled, “Does Love Always Win?,” which will be published on June 20. (Pictured to the right.)

On April 24, Andy Crosten (C ’09) was featured in the Cumberland Times-News article, “Cumberland Pride 2023 set to begin next month.” Crosten is a committee member of the Cumberland Pride.

On April 26, Drew Hammer (HP ’09) received the Five Under Forty Award from the Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce at its annual dinner and awards gala in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.

On May 3, Jesse Ratcliffe (C ’13) performed in the Artist Lecture Series Carillon Concert in Athens, West Virginia.

On April 15, Anthony Cornet (C ’17) joined the Altoona Symphony Orchestra on the piano for the “Music of the Americas” concert at the Mishler Theatre in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

Matt Horton (AS ’17) is the Senior Specialty Pharmaceutical Liaison – Advanced Heart Failure for Shields Health Solutions in Rego Park, New York.

Brianna Humphries (EL ’17) is a teacher for Greenville County School District in Greenville, South Carolina.

Dot Kelly (C ’18, ’21) is the event specialist for ESP Creative in Rego Park, New York. (Pictured to the left.)

On Nov 29, 2022, Matthew Bayne (HP ’19) became a northern data abstractor for the Virginia Department of Health Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Manassas, Virginia.

Erwan Noblet (C ’19) will be working with current Shenandoah students during the Music Education program’s first-ever Global Experiential Learning trip to Nantes, France. (Pictured to the right.)

Senobia West (C ’19) released her new EP entitled, “Time to Breathe,” with Plaid Dog Recording Studios.

On April 22, Brian Woods (C ’19) joined the Quincy Symphony Orchestra and performed Sergei Rachmaninoff’s “Piano Concerto No. 2.”

On March 24, Eoín Fleming (C ’20, ’22) performed Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Piano Concerto No. 5” with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland.

Silvia Garcia Murcia (HP ’20) was featured in a VPM article about her career as a physician assistant working with underserved communities.

On April 22, Chaz Aguado (C ’21) led a guitar workshop at Carroll Community College in Westminster, Maryland.

Drew Elhamalawy (C ’21) performed in an industry reading of a new musical called, “The Bubble,” by Janine McGuire and Arri Lawton Simon, in New York, New York. (Pictured to the left.)

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In Memoriam

Barbara Donachy Patterson (C ’60) of Westminster, Maryland, passed away on April 5, 2023.
Thomas M. Strickler (C ’62) of Shenandoah, Virginia, passed away on December 2, 2022.
Robert L. Figgins, Jr. (C ’65) of Woodstock, Virginia, passed away on April, 9 2023.
Hope I. Bagwell ( C ’73) of Ashville, North Carolina, passed away on March 29, 2023.
Joseph Carbuagh (AS ’81) of Stephens City, Virginia, passed away on April 2, 2023.
Mary Ellen Schaefer Kern (B ’88) of Midlothian, Virginia, passed away on April 17, 2023
Lucia Lionberger Thomas (AS ’92) of Winchester, Virginia, passed away on April 15, 2023.