At Homecoming 2025, varsity swimming coach Jeff Scott (center) celebrates on the field with his son Patrick and alumni and former HRA swimmers (standing, left to right) Mitchell Finch ’08, Chase Suttle ’17, Caroline Thatcher ’16, and Peyton Baldwin ’15

Continuing a tradition initiated at Homecoming 2025, Hampton Roads Academy will proudly recognize Navigator varsity teams celebrating landmark anniversaries of conference and state championships at halftime during this year’s Homecoming varsity football game against The Covenant School on Friday, October 23.

The special spotlight embodies the spirit of Homecoming, a time for all Navigators—whenever they attended the Academy—to return to campus and honor the strong relationships and legacy of excellence that have defined the school’s history since it opened its doors in 1959.

Players and coaches from years past will begin gathering on campus at the annual All-Alumni Tailgate at 5:00 pm, gearing up for a 6:30 kickoff. Around 7:00, championship teams will join alumni from all eras and parade onto the field for a salute to their remarkable accomplishments.

The 15 exceptional teams recognized this fall are an embodiment of the long-running record of athletic achievement that has brought distinction to the Academy and continues to this day on the court, on the field, and in the pool.

“I love that recognizing HRA’s championship teams at Homecoming has become a tradition,” said Director of Athletics Laura Stoner. “It’s a meaningful way to reconnect with our alumni, celebrate the Navigators who helped shape HRA’s athletic history, inspire today’s student-athletes, and build pride in what it means to be part of the HRA community.”

Decades of Excellence

Davis Wildman ’77 smacks a home run over the fence during the spring 1977 baseball season

“It’s a wonderful tribute to our Athletics Department over a long period of time that this decade championship anniversary year spans half a century and includes nine different sports,” said Director of Alumni Relations Tommy Yevak ’83, a star player and longtime coach of HRA baseball.

Marking an incredible 50 years since they won the Commonwealth Conference championship in their respective sports are two outstanding 1977 teams. That spring, boys tennis, coached by the late math teacher Col. Robert B. Short, came out on top in all but one of their singles and doubles contests in a four-team conference championship tournament held at Richmond’s Trinity Episcopal School. Meanwhile, Navigator baseball, led by second-year coach Jack Marr, had its strongest season up to that point in HRA history, with an impressive 16-3 record. Also clinching the conference title at Trinity, the baseball team capped off the championship game with an unforgettable grand slam by HRA Athletic Hall of Famer Bill Shelly ’77.

All-Conference golfer and medalist Charles Wentworth ’89 tees off in spring 1987

The spring 1987 golf and girls track teams will celebrate the fortieth anniversary of their championships at Homecoming this year. Under the late great Hal Tayloe, a longtime English teacher as well as a beloved coach, Navigator varsity golf suffered only two losses all season and claimed the TCIS tournament championship title. That same year, coached by the late Larry Knight, girls track posted their fifth consecutive undefeated season, with top honors at the TCIS meet as their crowning achievement.

Three teams spanning all sports seasons will celebrate 30 years since they each won a TCIS tournament championship. In fall 1996, boys soccer, led by longtime coach, history teacher, and Athletic Hall of Famer Kelly Alford, notched their third consecutive conference title with a triumphant 2-0 win against Norfolk Academy. Later that school year, both the winter 1997 girls swim team, under Coach of the Year Barbara Schmidt, and the spring 1997 golf team, under Coach Art Burke, won their second straight TCIS championships. Navigator golf was honored to have five players claim medalist positions that season.

Then-seventh grader Taylor Wingo ’12 takes a powerful swing during the varsity girls tennis team’s historic 2006 season

This fall marks the twentieth anniversary of the historic 2006 girls tennis season, during which the team was undefeated, with a perfect 15-0 record, and went on to win the regular-season, TCIS tournament, and state championships. Head Coach Ray Smith, an honorary 2026 All-Alumni Tailgate host, received his well-deserved sixth TCIS Coach of the Year award for his leadership that season. Alongside Smith’s decorated tennis team, HRA will also recognize Coach Jim Lewis’ winter 2006 and winter 2007 boys swim teams for the fourth and fifth in an amazing run of five consecutive TCIS tournament championships.

Rounding out this year’s Homecoming halftime recognitions will be a remarkable five state championship teams celebrating a decade since their memorable wins. HRA will shine a spotlight on the winter 2016 and winter 2017 boys and girls swim teams, all coached by honorary tailgate host Jeff Scott, who still helms the Academy’s varsity swimming program. The boys and girls swim teams notched their respective fifth straight state championships in 2016, followed by their sixth in 2017, both on their way to an unmatched run of seven titles. In 2017, both teams were also TCIS runners-up, with junior Nick Schoenig ’18 named conference MVP. Coach Scott’s four teams will be joined on the field by the state champion spring 2017 boys track team, led by current head coach and Upper School history teacher Chris Joyce, the voice of HRA Athletics.

A Celebration of Talent, Dedication, and Navigator Spirit

Director of Alumni Relations and HRA baseball player and coach Tommy Yevak ’83 reconnects with Barbara Schmidt, who coached the Navigator girls swim team to multiple championships, at the 2025 All-Alumni Tailgate

While it is still a new tradition at HRA, honoring the Academy’s most accomplished teams during Homecoming has already made both alumni and coaches past and present feel more connected to the history of the school and to one another.

“I know that some of these championships only occurred due to some remarkable team and individual performances in clutch situations,” Yevak said. “I love sharing those celebrations with fellow alumni and hearing those stories. As former student-athletes, those are some of the most fabulous moments of our lives.”

“On a personal note,” he added, “it’s very rewarding to be able to say I either have friends from or taught folks from all of these teams. I just wish I had coached one of them!”

As the coach of one of this year’s recognized teams, Smith noted that his enthusiasm for Homecoming extends well beyond gathering with his undefeated, triple-champion girls tennis team. “I’m hoping I’ll see not only players from 2006, but also others who played here,” he said.

Former soccer player Andrew Ross ’98 celebrates the thirtieth anniversary of his team’s 1995 TCIS tournament championship with his old coach, HRA Athletic Hall of Famer Kelly Alford

For Smith, the most gratifying aspect of coaching has been watching his athletes, some of whom started on his team as early as the seventh grade, grow into mature, confident young adults with families and successful careers of their own. Every former HRA athlete is a testament to the talent, dedication, and spirit of the Academy’s student body, and Smith looks forward to reconnecting with sporting Navigators from all eras on Friday night and throughout Homecoming weekend.

There is still time to register for all Homecoming 2026 events! HRA invites Navigators from across the decades to celebrate our championship teams, tailgate with their fellow graduates, cheer on our football players under the lights, and stick around for an on-campus reunion party on Saturday night. With delectable food, delicious libations, live music by alumni Doug Parsons ’81 and Susannah Hornsby ’01, and enough nostalgia to make 20 years feel like the blink of an eye, this Homecoming will be a weekend no Navigator will soon forget.

Emily Goodson ’03 returns to HRA to provide Upper Schoolers and eighth graders with strategies for cultivating confidence, resilience, and self-advocacy

After delivering inspiring remarks for the Class of 2026 at their May graduation, Hampton Roads Academy alumna, author, public speaker, and disability rights advocate Emily Goodson ’03 returned to campus on Tuesday, September 22, for a moving and engaging presentation to students on building confidence and finding one’s voice, regardless of what others may say.

The morning assembly for the full Upper School and eighth-grade student body, held in the Svein J. Lassen Auditorium, included practical, actionable advice and resources drawn from Goodson’s personal experience as a person with a disability who worked for many years to achieve self-acceptance. Goodson detailed this journey in her acclaimed 2025 memoir Dating Disability: 15 Stories of Dealing with the BS and Building Confidence, from which she shared anecdotes during her visit.

Goodson’s message for the students was simple to understand but often challenging to internalize: “It is normal for all of us to feel self-conscious for a variety of reasons, and there are things you can do to have a better relationship with that voice in your head that is making you self-conscious.” She explained that subjects such as disability, mental health, and the value of speaking up for oneself and one’s peers were not widely discussed when she was growing up and struggling with her own “internal gremlins.”

“That’s why I like speaking in schools so much,” she said—“to help promote those conversations.”

According to Assistant Head of School and Director of Upper School Ben Rous, hearing an alumna, within the first month of school, tell her story of persevering through remarkable adversity and developing pride in her identity set the tone for HRA’s 2026-2027 Year of Resilience.

“This is resilience personified,” Rous said. “Not only has she overcome [her disability]—she is thriving,” touching countless lives with her empowering message through her writing, consulting work, and speaking engagements like her visit to her alma mater. “She transformed her journey into a roadmap for others.”

A Standout Student and an Accomplished Alumna

Having taken a long journey to self-acceptance, Goodson is in her element in front of audiences of students, sharing lessons she wishes she had learned as a teenager

When she was eight years old, Goodson suffered a brain injury that resulted in partial paralysis on the entire left side of her body. The next several years brought a difficult road to recovery, as she relearned how to speak, adapted to typing with one hand, and adjusted to walking with legs of different lengths. As Goodson recalled, however, physical therapy only helped her address one set of obstacles. Undoing the negative self-concept she formed after developing her disability—the true key to resilience in the face of disappointment—would take her decades.

Goodson never let the challenges she confronted stand in the way of academic, artistic, or professional success. Faculty members at HRA remember her as an exceptional student, an asset on the yearbook staff and forensics team, and a regular presence on stage in school plays and musicals. “You knew about Emily Goodson even if you didn’t have her in class,” said Rous, who started teaching at HRA during her time as a student. “She was a bright light on campus, … a go-getter,” and “a force for positivity at the school.”

After graduating from the Academy in 2003, Goodson went on to major in English and minor in education at Wake Forest University, then earned a master’s in student affairs practice in higher education from the University of Virginia. She taught and worked in education administration for a short time before pivoting into human resources, launching her current work to advocate for inclusivity in the workplace as well as schools. In 2020, Goodson founded the consulting firm CultureSmart, through which she engages in dialogue with partners from boardrooms to high schools on such topics as confidence, self-advocacy, identity, and the importance of embracing people’s differences.

Now a published author, she is able to reach wider audiences than ever before. But the opportunity to return to HRA, she explained, was especially meaningful, as she offered advice she wished she could have heard when she was a student at the Academy.

“The Intersection of Asking for Help and Resilience”

A highly interactive presentation: students respond to real-time digital survey questions exploring themes covered during the assembly

Goodson’s visit with HRA’s Upper Schoolers and eighth graders represented a continuation of a discussion she began with graduates and their families at Commencement 2026. Addressing a larger portion of the student body, she shared invaluable lessons from her journey toward greater confidence and emotional resilience. The highly interactive assembly included digital polling and word cloud activities, opportunities for students to reflect and jot down ideas on strategies for self-advocacy and self-care, and accessible live captioning for audience members who process information best visually. Goodson left ample time to engage directly with the younger Navigators, fielding questions about her personal and professional path, her most effective coping strategies, and (to her delight) her favorite Broadway shows.

The author drew on such episodes from Dating Disability as a Middle School social in HRA’s Multi-Purpose Room in the late 1990s, after which she concluded that a dance with her crush had not led to a relationship because she could not walk or move on the dancefloor like her peers. Later in her life, she told the students, she realized that her greatest hurdle was not her disability, but rather the sense of shame she had allowed to shape her vision of herself.

The climax of the presentation focused on the three “buckets” of resources Goodson has learned to tap in order to maintain a positive outlook and remain resilient in the face of challenges: knowledge of oneself and the knowledge of mentors, authors, and other experts; mindfulness tools, such as meditation, journaling, and exercise; and, perhaps most important of all, relationships.

Stressing “the intersection of asking for help and resilience,” Goodson challenged the students to consider how their relationships could make them more resilient by providing a network of support. “For a long time, I thought being resilient was doing it all by yourself” and “powering through,” she said. “That’s not true resilience.”

She also called students’ attention to the benefits of breathwork exercises, which she uses alongside meditation and auditory stimming to center herself when she feels overwhelmed.

Upper School counselor and AP psychology teacher Elizabeth Rous, who was instrumental in organizing Goodson’s visit, commented that this section of the assembly dovetailed perfectly with weekly work she has done with Upper Schoolers covering intentional breathing, cognitive reframing, and sleep hygiene. Goodson’s story of hard-won self-acceptance foreshadowed self-care topics she will cover in the year ahead, “with an emphasis on neuroplasticity and how negative patterns of thinking affect our emotions and behaviors,” Rous said. “Changing patterns is hard and often uncomfortable, which builds the resilience ‘muscle.’”

As Goodson observed during her presentation, the skills and strategies she outlined are ones that will pay dividends not only during students’ years at HRA, but throughout their lives. Her three “buckets” of resources are no different whether she is speaking at a school or in a corporate setting. HRA’s students, she insisted, will be better set up for success in their personal relationships and in their careers for having developed these strategies at a far earlier age than most adults—herself included.

Takeaways for the Year of Resilience—and Beyond

A fond reunion: Goodson with the team that brought her back to HRA (left to right)—Assistant Head of School and Director of Upper School Ben Rous, Upper School counselor and AP Psychology teacher Elizabeth Rous, and Director of Alumni Relations Tommy Yevak ’83

Following the assembly, Goodson sat down for lunch in the Lisa and Peter W. Mertz Meeting Room with school leaders, who expressed their deep gratitude for the words of wisdom she had imparted to the students.

Ben Rous shared his hope that students, regardless of how their individual experiences may differ from Goodson’s, see the resonance of her story in their own lives.

“School is adversity,” he said. “Even if we try to make it as comfortable and fun as possible, our students are challenging themselves, and there is the risk of failing.” From academic struggles and social stumbles to losses in sports and theatrical roles they do not land, setbacks await students throughout their educational journeys, especially at a rigorous school like HRA. By providing a supportive environment where students feel safe to take risks, experience disappointments, and try again, the Academy equips students with the resilience and confidence they need to navigate challenges in college, in their careers, and beyond.

If Goodson’s story proves one thing, it is that obstacles are unavoidable, but what we do when we encounter them is very much within our control. During the Year of Resilience, the entire HRA community will take this lesson to heart.

HRA alumnus and 2026 All-Alumni Tailgate performer Doug Parsons ’81

Every fall, Homecoming weekend is a joyful celebration of the entire Hampton Roads Academy community—current students, families, faculty and staff past and present, and especially our alumni, lifelong Navigators who have a home on Academy Lane no matter when they graduated or how far away they have moved.

This year’s Homecoming festivities will be especially meaningful, brought to life with music performed live by two alumni celebrating landmark class reunions.

Guitarist and singer Doug Parsons ’81, in town for his forty-fifth reunion, will treat his fellow Navigators to a mix of classic rock, swing, and hits from all class years represented during the All-Alumni Tailgate on the evening of Friday, October 23. Parsons will also serve as an honorary host of the event, a prelude to that night’s varsity football game.

Navigator and Susie & the Pistols frontwoman Susannah Hornsby ’01, who will play this fall’s on-campus reunion party with her band during Homecoming weekend

The following evening, accordionist and vocalist Susannah Hornsby ’01, marking a quarter-century since her graduation from HRA, will get her fellow alumni on their feet as her band Susie & the Pistols puts on a lively “Cajun-tonk” performance at an on-campus reunion party for classes ending in ones and sixes. The niece of singer-songwriter Bruce Hornsby, a non-graduating HRA alumnus known for such songs as the 1986 hit “The Way It Is” with the Range, Hornsby will be joined on bass by her father Bobby Hornsby, also a former HRA student.

The two alumni performances will be a testament not only to the incredible musical abilities that many of HRA’s graduates began cultivating at the Academy, but also to Navigators’ investment in the community that gathers on campus each October.

“Having alumni play here on campus lands differently, because it makes it feel more like a true homecoming or a family gathering,” said Director of Alumni Relations Tommy Yevak ’83, who invited Parsons and Hornsby to provide the weekend’s entertainment. “It has a more comfortable vibe with heightened appreciation not only for their talents, but for our shared roots or teenage beginnings. As a fellow alum, I’ll feel like I’d be welcome to pick up a shaky rhythm egg and add some beat to the song being played—just as I would at my own family Thanksgiving post-dinner song time.”

Solitary Harmonies by Doug Parsons: A Lifelong Passion Rediscovered

Performing under the name Solitary Harmonies, Parsons was thrilled by the opportunity to bring his guitar and his voice back to the school where he laid a foundation for his musical career, playing in a rock band during his senior year.

“I loved HRA,” he said. “I had a blast there.” 

As a student who transferred to the Academy from Menchville High School in the eleventh grade, Parsons recalled that “going to HRA from public school was like going to college.” He credited several “phenomenal” former faculty members—from math and English teacher Dr. Fran Ward (née Cunningham) and history teachers Wilson Ellis and Jim Holt to his track coach Larry Knight (also an art teacher) and his football coach and athletic director Tom Henderson—with helping him learn strong study habits and the focus and discipline that have guided him toward success throughout his career.

Parsons (far right) and his teammates engage in post-game horseplay during the fall 1980 football season

At HRA, he developed into a distinguished athlete, playing basketball and throwing shot put and discus while also setting himself apart on the gridiron. Alongside fellow Navigator and eventual HRA head football coach David Legg ’80, he would continue playing football at Hampden-Sydney College, starting and earning all-conference honors each of his four years on the team. After he graduated, the San Diego Chargers invited him to try out to play at the professional level, but he passed on this opportunity because his sights were set on the other passion that would determine the trajectory of his life: being a rock-and-roller.

Coming from a family of athletes and artists, Parsons deeply valued the opportunities he discovered at HRA to excel in music as well as sports. Like football, performing would be a constant between his HRA and Hampden-Sydney years, as he found himself joining a band again. But music would follow him beyond college, through work with a local band, a church choir, and companies for which he recorded jingles.

Parsons pursued music while building a career in the plumbing and HVAC industry and later in construction and renovations. He eventually established his own company, D.A. Parsons Construction, in Chesapeake, which afforded him the immensely rewarding opportunity to hire local high school graduates for an apprenticeship program that launched numerous successful careers. In the 2000s, the strain of a grueling performance schedule alongside the pressures of running a business led him to make the difficult decision to step away from music.

Parsons performs at the Portsmouth Olde Town Shakedown in July 2026

But four years ago, an invitation from his church choir director got him back into playing the guitar. Now semi-retired, working only occasionally as a service technician for the Thompson Creek Window Company, he delights in the freedom to focus his energies on performing and building his talents in a wide array of genres.

Parsons’ current act includes both acoustic and classical guitar with a percussion accompaniment and complex harmonies to create the sound of a full band. He caters his musical style to the taste of his varied audiences, from flamenco and faith music (which he creates as music director for Tidewater Emmaus, a local Christian community organization) to country and, of course, classic rock.

Having attended multiple HRA class reunions, most recently his fortieth in 2021, Parsons noted that he eagerly looks forward not only to his performance at the All-Alumni Tailgate, but also his first-ever on-campus reunion party. He expressed his excitement to reconnect with classmates as well as underclassmen with whom he grew close as a member of HRA’s tight-knit, grade-crossing student community.

Susie & the Pistols: Connecting with Community through Music

A lifelong performer, Hornsby sings “A Little Brains, a Little Talent” during a spring 1998 HRA production of Damn Yankees

For Hornsby, this fall’s multi-class reunion will be her first since she graduated from HRA. As she explained, she could think of no better time than the milestone of 25 years to return to campus, see how familiar spaces have physically transformed, and catch up with fellow Navigators.

Surrounded by a range of athletes, artists, and scholars in her class, Hornsby said, “I really loved that HRA allowed me to access different ways of being in the world.” The budding performer had diverse interests, and at the Academy, she felt supported in exploring them all. She was a strong student and softball player, captain of the varsity field hockey team, a talented guitarist and member of the chorus, and a regular lead in yearly musicals.

“I didn’t need to be defined by one or more of the things I was doing,” she said. “If I had the time and the bandwidth, I could show up authentically in any number of spaces.”

Combined with a broad-based liberal arts education, the wide variety of opportunities available to her at HRA shaped Hornsby’s path after graduation. Inspired by language arts teachers like Ric Beard and Shannon Casey, her theatre director Mike Oehmann, and her forensics coach Connie Holmes, she decided to major in English literature at the University of Virginia. Perhaps no one helped her find her voice as a performer and storyteller more than former HRA Middle and Upper School choral director Robin Steinberger, “a real champion of the arts” whose farewell concert upon her retirement in 2023 last brought Hornsby back to HRA. She still considers her relationships with these faculty members to be the foundation of her current career in marketing and consulting, the heart of which is vivid storytelling on behalf of small businesses.

Hornsby (second from left) wears her costume from a 2001 HRA production of Annie Get Your Gun for a Halloween performance with Susie & the Pistols at Stinson Vineyards in White Hall

Hornsby founded her own marketing firm while living in New York after college. While there, she also played in a band and met her husband, Andrew Green, a fellow musician. When the couple moved back to Hornsby’s home state in 2013, they formed Susie & the Pistols with friends in Charlottesville as a way to keep music-making on the calendar alongside their busy careers.

Blending honky-tonk, zydeco, outlaw country, and the blues, the Pistols, said their frontwoman, create “music that feels good for easy afternoons.” Along with Hornsby on accordion and lead vocals, the band features a bassist, a guitarist, a drummer, and a rotating cast of horn players and keyboardists. Susie & the Pistols have brought their distinctive Americana sound to venues across the Commonwealth, and they will soon release a new album, titled Wander.

“It’s always really fun to be in community and in family around music,” Hornsby said. She could think of no clearer proof than her upcoming gig at HRA, when she will play alongside her husband and father for an audience of old friends.

A Weekend of Excitement

Hornsby (center) with her daughter Lois, fellow HRA alumna Lauren Yevak ’13 (far left), and Director of Alumni Relations Tommy Yevak ’83 after a Pistols concert at Glasshouse Winery in Free Union

Hornsby’s and Parsons’ performances promise to elevate a weekend full of highlights at HRA, October 23-24.

Capping off an energetic Spirit Week, the All-Alumni Tailgate, starting at 5:00 pm on Friday, will allow Navigators from throughout the decades to celebrate with one another and with past and current faculty members as they gear up for the Homecoming football game at 6:30. Solitary Harmonies by Doug Parsons will lend a nostalgic groove to the event, complete with delicious libations and bites prepared by HRA’s own Executive Chef Uwe Schluszas. Held in the picnic area adjacent to Lester Grace Field, the tailgate will transition seamlessly into the game. The entire Navigator community will cheer on Coach Rodney Taylor and his varsity players during a much-anticipated matchup under the lights against The Covenant School.

On Saturday evening, classes observing reunions will gather on campus once more for a party in the state-of-the-art Mary and Larry Pope Dining Hall, where Chef Uwe will serve up gourmet heavy hors d’oeuvres and Susie & the Pistols will bring down the house. Student-led campus tours will begin at 4:45 pm, and the doors will open at 6:00. Spanning all eras of HRA’s history, the reunion celebration will make for a night of laughs, memories, and Navigator spirit.

Registration for all 2026 Homecoming events is open now. This beloved fall tradition will be an occasion no HRA alumnus will want to miss.

HRA Assistant Director of Athletics and award-winning soccer coach Chris Mills huddles up with the varsity boys team on game day

As Hampton Roads Academy’s varsity boys soccer team launches into the fall 2026 season, these talented players could not be in better hands.

During the past school year, soccer coach and Assistant Director of Athletics Chris Mills demonstrated the extraordinary impact that dedicated educators and coaches can have on student-athletes by earning TCIS Coach of the Year honors for both the varsity boys and varsity girls soccer teams. This remarkably rare distinction reflects not only competitive excellence, but also his commitment to developing confident, resilient, and principled young people.

Mills’ twin Coach of the Year awards, for which he was selected by the other coaches in the conference, are a testament to his leadership, integrity, and character across two outstanding seasons.

In fall 2025, he coached Navigator varsity boys soccer to a No. 5 state ranking in their division. Both senior Zachary Busch ’26 and sophomore Bryce Wedding ’28 were awarded All-Conference honors, with Busch going on to earn All-State recognition and commit to play soccer at Emory University’s Oxford College.

A leader and mentor in action: Coach Chris Mills on the pitch

Then, this past spring, varsity girls soccer posted an impressive 9-3-1 regular-season record, achieved a No. 4 state ranking, and advanced to the TCIS semifinals. Three players—sophomores Madison Davis ’28 and Cailynn Monnoyer ’28 and freshman Ainsley Lowe ’29—earned All-Conference honors. The team ultimately advanced as far as the VISAA state semifinals, with both Davis and Lowe achieving All-State recognitions.

According to Director of Athletics Laura Stoner, Mills is “a spectacular coach in every way, not only in his knowledge of the game and the way he prepares the athletes in terms of their skillset, but also how he prepares them strategically to put them in a position to win on game day.”

“The community of coaches he works with, both in the fall and in the spring, respect him for a lot of reasons,” she added—“not only his background and his success rate, but also the quality of character that comes with Chris Mills.”

A Remarkable Coaching Record

Prior to joining HRA, Mills coached at Virginia Wesleyan University for 16 years. His extensive background at the collegiate level made him an immediate asset to HRA when he came aboard as assistant athletic director and boys soccer coach in 2023. In his leadership role, he has proven himself to be an invaluable partner for Stoner, who described him as someone she can trust to deliver consistently exemplary work on behalf of Navigator Athletics. “He is a team player who is ready to jump in and help out with whatever needs to be done at any point in time,” she said.

Indeed, during his time at the Academy, Mills has not shied away from taking on greater responsibility. In spring 2026, after three seasons as head coach of varsity boys soccer, he gladly took the reins of the varsity girls team as well.

Girls varsity star Madison Davis ’28 takes a corner kick

In addition to his duties at HRA, Mills has served as head coach of the semi-professional Virginia Beach United soccer club for the past three years. He has had a transformational impact on the program, recruiting talented players, helping attract the third-largest crowd in league history, and leading his team to its first-ever playoff appearance. “The opportunity to coach at all different levels and different age groups is fun and enjoyable,” Mills said, and he has drawn on lessons from both his collegiate and his USL League Two coaching to cultivate winning varsity teams.

HRA student-athletes have attributed his success as a coach to his strategic flexibility and his talent for motivating players. “His greatest strengths are his ability to stay calm in the moment and uplift the team,” said girls soccer standout Davis, who credits Mills with helping her secure a commitment to play for the University of Alabama as a rising junior this past summer.

“One thing about Coach Mills that really resonates with you when you play under his leadership,” said Busch, a boys soccer team captain in his senior year, “is the immense belief he has in both the team and each individual player.” This faith, the recent graduate said, inspired his team to give their all in their first game of the fall 2025 season against the formidable First Flight High School and fight “tooth and nail” to a 2-1 victory, followed by a series of wins that carried them to the state quarterfinals.

Shaping Better Players and Better Leaders

For his own part, Mills hastened to give credit to his “high-level players,” like Busch and Davis, who stepped up as leaders on their respective teams.

The prospect of receiving two Coach of the Year awards in one school year was never on Mills’ radar. Ever humble despite his accomplishments, he remarked, “I just want to make sure I put the players in a good position to be successful and also have a positive experience.”

This reaction came as no surprise to Stoner. “As competitive as he is, he always makes sure to maintain a ‘better athlete, better person’ approach to what he does,” the athletic director said. “He creates a positive team culture wherever he goes.”

A proud Coach Mills celebrates with senior Zachary Busch ’26 at his May 2026 collegiate soccer commitment ceremony

As Mills explained, this culture begins with meaningful connections between players and their coach. “I think one of the biggest things is the relationships that you build with your athletes,” he said. “If they know that you as a coach care about them as more than just an athlete, then they’re willing to work harder for you to be successful.”

Close connections with students, moreover, provide a model for how players ought to comport themselves and relate to their teammates.

Coach Mills “helped shape me into a leader,” Busch said. “He emphasized the importance of rallying the team and setting the standard, especially on a team with many underclassmen looking to seniors for guidance.”

Through meaningful relationships, high expectations, and unwavering encouragement, Coach Mills continues to help students discover confidence, resilience, and leadership that extend well beyond the pitch. As he begins a new season of varsity soccer coaching, his investment in young people reflects the very best of an HRA education, an experience made possible by a community that believes in providing exceptional opportunities for every Navigator.

This story originally appeared in the summer 2026 edition of the Navigator Impact Magazine. To stay up to date on the game schedule for varsity soccer and other sports, check the Navigator Athletics calendar.

“Life comes full circle”: Jennifer Freed Hall ’88 returns to the University of Mary Washington, capping off a journey that began on the field hockey team at HRA

Hampton Roads Academy alumna Jennifer Freed Hall ’88 has experienced many twists and turns throughout her educational, athletic, professional, and personal life, but her path has brought her back to her alma mater in ways she never would have expected.

In fall 2025, her twin son and daughter joined the Academy as sixth graders. The following spring, just days after the end of the school year, she was honored with induction into the University of Mary Washington (UMW) Athletic Hall of Fame for her outstanding achievements in field hockey, capping off a journey that began on the field at HRA.

“People often say that life comes full circle,” Hall remarked, “and this past year has certainly felt like one of those moments.”

Shortly after the induction ceremony, held at UMW’s Cedric Rucker University Center on June 6, 2026, Hall reflected on her time at HRA and how it helped shape her into the accomplished individual she is today. Above all, she concluded, it was the phenomenal group of peers and mentors she met during her seven years at the school that allowed her to grow as a student, an athlete, and a person, laying the groundwork for the success she has achieved as an adult.

“Throughout my life and career, I’ve come to realize that how far you rise is often determined by how much you are willing to invest in building a solid foundation,” Hall said. “HRA taught me that with the right foundation, you are stronger, more confident, and better equipped to face life’s challenges.”

Building the Foundation

As a student at the Academy, Hall seized a wealth of opportunities to contribute to the life of the school. She served as president of the Key Club Keyettes and was an active member of the French Club and the Student Council Association.

It was in athletics, though, that she most distinguished herself. She tried nearly every girls sport offered at HRA, playing volleyball in the winter and running track in the spring before pivoting to softball.

Hall (second from right) celebrates with her field hockey teammates during her senior year

But the sport that would most define Hall’s trajectory after graduation was field hockey, which she played from seventh through twelfth grade, alongside her sister Laura Freed ’89. During her first year at the Academy, the legendary Coach Nancy Richwine, a 2022 HRA Athletic Hall of Fame inductee, recognized her potential and encouraged her and several of her peers to attend a summer field hockey camp at Appalachian State University. According to Hall, Richwine was an excellent leader and mentor who taught her student-athletes that “if we wanted to become great players, we needed to learn from the best.”

In her senior year, Hall notched a historic TCIS Tournament win over Norfolk Academy and received All-Conference honors for a season that also earned Richwine a Coach of the Year award. For the varsity standout, however, some of her greatest achievements in field hockey were “the lifelong friendships that were formed and strengthened during those years—relationships I’m proud to say remain strong today.”

“I often tell friends and family that I learned so much of what I needed to prepare for life while attending HRA,” Hall said. “Playing sports gave me far more than the chance to compete. It taught me discipline, resilience, teamwork, and the importance of showing up for the people around me.”

An All-American, a Public Servant, and a Successful Businesswoman

Hall’s experiences at HRA determined her path in college in two crucial ways. First, the exceptional Upper School math teacher Ann Fichter inspired her to major in mathematics at Mary Washington College. Second, the love of field hockey that Coach Richwine and her teammates helped foster in her led Hall to continue playing the sport for four more years.

At the collegiate level, she was no less of a star on the field than she was at HRA. In 1991, Hall became the second All-America pick in the history of Mary Washington’s field hockey program after leading the UMW Eagles to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. That same season, she also made history as the first Capital Athletic Conference Player of the Year as the team claimed the conference title. To this day, she holds the UMW school record for defensive saves, with an impressive 37 over the course of her career. With such an incredible list of accomplishments, she was an obvious choice for the UMW Athletic Hall of Fame.

After receiving her bachelor’s degree in 1992, Hall initially pursued a career in physical therapy. Fascinated by the rapid development of digital technology in the 1990s, she soon decided to return to school to study computer science. This pivot, she recalled, was “a major shift, considering I could barely turn on a computer at the time.”

Hall’s choice spawned a remarkable 24-year career with the Department of the Navy, where she served in a variety of roles, challenged herself professionally, and garnered numerous accolades as she spearheaded projects that transformed how hundreds of thousands of Navy and Department of Defense employees communicate and collaborate every day.

Hall assumed she would remain with the Department of the Navy until retirement, but another unexpected career change awaited her after the sale of her husband Chris’s family business in 2022. Seeing an opportunity to build a company of their own and leave a lasting legacy in the community, the couple founded Legasea Marine, a boat service, sale, supply, and storage company with locations in Yorktown and Virginia Beach, where Hall currently serves as CEO.

“My journey has taught me that opportunities come when you least expect them, change is constant, and growth requires being willing to step outside of your comfort zone,” Hall said. Through her many personal and professional transitions, the foundation she had laid at HRA gave her the confidence and the resilience to approach each new challenge as a chance to grow and excel—just as she always had in field hockey.

Returning Home and Looking to the Future

Hall has never forgotten how she discovered skills and relationships at HRA that she has carried throughout her adult life. A longtime supporter of the school, the dedicated alumna has participated in HRA Day and contributed to multiple fundraisers at her alma mater, including the Night of the Navigator Gala in 2025 and the inaugural Tidewater Table & Auction in 2026.

“I have never felt more connected to HRA than I do today,” Hall commented, fresh off her Athletic Hall of Fame recognition and looking back on her children’s first year as Navigators.

“Seeing my two children follow in my footsteps at HRA and having the opportunity to share in an experience that has meant so much to me has stirred so many emotions,” she said. “I am truly inspired by the incredible educators and coaches I have encountered this past year, and I’m grateful to know that the bar of excellence remains high. More than anything, I hope my children will one day look back and recognize the value of the foundation HRA gave them.”

A well-deserved honor: Hall is inducted into the UMW Athletic Hall of Fame

Younger students cheer on the seniors as they parade through the halls of HRA one last time before graduation

During the afternoon of Friday, May 8, the Hampton Roads Academy Class of 2026 observed a cherished tradition as the entire school came together for the annual Senior Parade. Part of the larger milestone occasion of Senior Release Day, the moving event saw the soon-to-graduate twelfth graders don their caps, cords, and T-shirts and sweatshirts from their chosen colleges and universities for one last walk through the halls they have called home for years—in the case of HRA’s Anchor students, since Kindergarten or Pre-Kindergarten.

The parade was not only a moment of celebration, reflection, and pride, but also a testament to the strength of the Navigator community. As the emotional seniors made their way through the Lower, Middle, and Upper School wings, family members, teachers, and younger students lined the halls to clap, cheer, and offer their heartfelt congratulations for an exceptional group of scholars preparing to embark on a new journey.

“The Class of 2026 is especially meaningful to me, as they are the first group I’ve worked with through the entire college [application] process,” said Director of College Counseling Elizabeth Cavallari. “Watching them take this next step is incredibly rewarding. I’m proud of who they’ve become and excited for what’s ahead.”

The Culmination of a One-of-a-Kind Learning Experience

Connections that the seniors will never forget

Introduced in 2023, the Senior Parade is a relatively recent addition to the program of Senior Release Day, a highlight of the school calendar that has grown over time to reflect the ideals at the heart of HRA’s mission: celebrating community and equipping learners for a lifetime of success.

At its root, Senior Release Day is the Head of School’s traditional send-off for the graduating class, as well as a reward toward which students strive. Each May, seniors who meet a set of standards—solid academic performance, fulfillment of their community service requirement, and no Honor Code violations—are “released” from campus until the Upper School Awards Assembly and Commencement later in the month, avoiding senior exams.

According to Assistant Head of School and Director of Upper School Ben Rous, a number of years ago, the College Counseling Office saw an opportunity to make Senior Release Day more meaningful by building in programming for graduating students covering mental health, responsible adult decisions, and financial literacy, addressed in partnership with HRA alumni in the financial planning field. As the next group to join the Academy’s vast alumni community, the seniors also meet each Senior Release Day with Director of Alumni Relations Tommy Yevak ’83, who assures them that they will always have a home at HRA.

This rite of passage is “powerful” for each graduating class, Rous said. “There are tears in the room.”

Moving moments with the teachers who shaped the seniors into the young adults they have become

What the annual parade adds to Senior Release Day, the Upper School director explained, is a reminder that senior year is the culmination of an educational journey that begins the moment a student joins HRA. At a Pre-K–12 school where many students—15% of the Class of 2026—are Anchors, the Senior Parade provides an opportunity for longtime Navigators to reconnect with old teachers and with the classrooms where they learned as far back as age three. Little did they know, as the now-seniors began to learn their shapes, their numbers, and the importance of sharing in those early years, they were on their way to tackling calculus, physics, and the works of Shakespeare.

This year’s Senior Parade was thus not only a celebration of the soon-to-be graduates’ achievements, but also a tribute to a learning experience that had come full-circle. As Rous noted, “We can’t forget we’re one school.”

Anchor Zack Patten ’26, for one, certainly has not forgotten. The parade inspired the University of Virginia-bound senior to reminisce about challenging Upper School math teacher Lee Underwood to games of chess, playing Dungeons & Dragons in former Middle School science teacher Bennett Radinovic’s classroom, getting tricked by fourth-grade teacher Gretchen Speece into taking a quiz ending with the instruction “don’t do any of the questions above,” and showing up to Pre-Kindergarten wearing the same sweater as his teacher, Patti Grayson, a moment captured in a photograph that sits on his desk to this day. Almost every year since, Grayson has signed his yearbook. And his Lower School music teacher, Erika Caulford, still teaches him piano every Friday.

“I’ll remember these small moments, these snippets of connection,” Patten said.

Achieving Excellence as a Community

Lower Schoolers celebrate an incredible milestone with the Class of 2026

HRA’s faculty members, many of whom have been acquainted with the current seniors since Middle School or before, have found just as much value in getting to know their students over the course of many years.

“This graduating class is the last of the classes that I also taught as eighth graders in algebra 1, so it is a little bittersweet,” said Upper School math teacher Farica Erwin, who teaches many seniors in such courses as AP Calculus and Honors multivariable calculus. “For most of my students, I have taught them for two or three years in a row, so it has been a pleasure getting to know them and see all that they have accomplished.”

According to senior class President Cam Hall ’26, a Navigator since the sixth grade, “the close-knit atmosphere” that arises from such deeply rooted relationships “makes it easier to learn to self-advocate.” As he prepares to enroll at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, in the fall, he is deeply grateful to have this ability in his toolkit.

Fellow senior Khloe Jobson ’26, soon to attend Randolph-Macon College, agreed. The sort of self-advocacy that a firm network encourages is one of a plethora of life skills that the Academy excels at cultivating in its students. “HRA not only prepares its students by pushing us academically to be our best selves, but also pushes us to take accountability for ourselves,” she said.

A tribute to the strength of the Navigator community—across all three divisions

Though she joined HRA only at the beginning of her junior year, Jobson remarked, “The thing I will remember most about my time as a student at HRA is the strong community of the school. Everyone supports each other, rooting for each other to succeed, whether that’s going out to sporting events to support friends or donating to a charity drive for a club.”

For Patten, this ubiquitous supportiveness was a source of confidence to “get out of [his] comfort zone” and “try new things.” Despite having hardly considered auditioning for a theatrical production prior to eighth grade, he noted, he was quickly embraced by HRA’s talented student performers and is now “deeply entrenched in that community.”

Teachers will remember the palpable sense of community within the Class of 2026 above all else. “They are united by their shared quest to seek new horizons while simultaneously reveling in their senior year, welcoming four new classmates, and winning both the Spirit Plunger and Spirit Noodle,” said AP Literature teacher and Dean of Student Life Laurie Hager. “They support and celebrate one another and take pride in their many accomplishments.”

Upper School science teacher and REACH Initiative director Dr. Maribel Gendreau echoed Hager. “What makes this class so special is how open and willing they all have always been. They were always there to help, whether it was with clubs, activities, or even staying behind to help clean up after labs when we ran out of time,” she recalled.

“Over the years, we built relationships that go beyond just teacher and student,” Gendreau said. “I’m going to miss the stories, the little complaints, the happy moments, and all the celebrations along the way. I’ll especially miss the smiles and the ‘good mornings’ that made every day start on such a positive note.”

The End of One Chapter, the Start of the Next

Lifted by profound gratitude for the rich memories the seniors have shared with each other, with their teachers, and with the classes of Navigators behind them, the HRA community erupted in smiles, laughter, and applause during the Senior Parade. But as the day wound down and Head of School Jay Lasley prepared to release the Class of 2026, the bittersweetness of the occasion sank in, with the seniors completing their last march through the school where they grew into the confident young adults they are today and bidding it a fond farewell—for now.

As they tossed their caps in the air, the graduating students could take comfort in two certainties. The first was that their achievement in completing a rigorous, years-long college-preparatory experience is tremendous.

“We have high expectations and high love for our students,” Rous said. Observing the seniors’ excitement as they reached the finish line, ready for the challenges of college and life beyond, he remarked, “The thing that jazzes me is watching kids be proud of themselves.”

Perhaps more importantly, the seniors could rest assured that they will always be members of the Navigator family, forever bound to their teachers and to all HRA students past, present, and future. And within this community, they will always enjoy a special bond with their fellow members of the Class of 2026.

“They have done something special, and they are part of something special,” the Upper School director said. “No matter what they do for the rest of their lives, they will be connected to the other 46 kids in the class.”

“They have done something special, and they are part of something special”: caps off to the Hampton Roads Academy Class of 2026!

Tammy Guido McGee moves through the audience, engaging with Upper School students as she connects their lived experiences to crucial decisions on the road

Hampton Roads Academy prides itself on preparing students to achieve academic success and excel in college, but the school’s mission is in fact far more ambitious than this. We aim to equip each Navigator with the skills to thrive in every aspect of life, no matter where their personal and professional paths lead.

For our Upper Schoolers, gradually developing the independence that defines adulthood, a key aspect of this broader education is learning to make safe and responsible choices—especially as they begin to drive and ride in their friends’ cars. On the afternoon of Thursday, April 9, students in Grades 9 through 12 had the opportunity to hear from nationally recognized highway safety advocate Tammy Guido McGee, who drew on her own experience to underscore the critical importance of exercising sound judgment on the road.

In 2019, McGee’s son Conner Guido, known to his friends as “Gweedo,” was the passenger in a car operated by an underage, unlicensed, known reckless driver and lost his life in a preventable crash. His mother has since channeled tragedy into a movement to transform how communities across the country approach teen driver safety.

McGee honored her son’s memory by founding the Gweedo Memorial Foundation (GMF), an organization that, in her words, “exists to save lives by empowering young drivers and passengers to make safer decisions behind the wheel and to speak up when they see dangerous behavior.” Through education, advocacy, and legislation, the GMF works to prevent fatal crashes and ensure that no young person’s story ends as Conner’s did.

Introduced by her niece, HRA sophomore Peyton Ashe ’28, during the Upper School Homeroom period, McGee conveyed her message to the student body through a highly interactive presentation grounded in relatable everyday decisions they will soon face, if they have not already. The goal of the presentation was not to “scare the students straight,” but rather to inspire them to lead in the fight to ensure the safety of every young person in their community.

Transformative Work

McGee shares the moving story of losing her son Conner in a preventable car crash—a heartbreaking experience that inspired her nationwide advocacy for teen driver safety

One would be hard-pressed to find someone more qualified to prepare students for this responsibility than Tammy Guido McGee. Having felt the cost of destructive driving decisions first-hand, she has built her son’s legacy into one of positive change throughout Virginia and beyond.

Through the GMF, McGee has delivered moving presentations that raise awareness and empower young drivers to make responsible choices behind the wheel and granted thousands of dollars in annual scholarships for graduating seniors. She created the anonymous reporting platform IfYouSeeSomethingSaySomething.org to allow teenagers and other members of the community to report reckless driving, bullying, or other troubling behavior, providing a means to speak up before tragedy strikes, rather than when it is already too late.

She has also successfully advocated for the passage of five pieces of state legislation that have strengthened driver’s education in Virginia, increased accountability, and established legal consequences for adults who allow unlicensed minors to drive, along with a gubernatorial veto of a bill that would have weakened teen driver education standards in the Commonwealth.

McGee’s tireless efforts and far-reaching impact have earned her the Governor’s Highway Safety Association National Award and multiple statewide honors in Virginia.

When she visited the Academy, McGee did not only bring her important message to a new audience of teenage drivers and soon-to-be drivers. She also charged our students to be part of the solution.

Voices for Change

While this was McGee’s first formal presentation at HRA, she said, “the school already feels like an extension of my family.” Her nephew, HRA alumnus and current trustee Scott Ashe ’99, and his two children, Peyton ’28 and Harper ’32, have all been actively involved in volunteering with the GMF, and she hopes that other Navigators will join them in building a culture of responsibility and safety that extends well beyond campus.

Students eagerly raise their hands to participate during McGee’s highly interactive presentation

During Homeroom, McGee engaged directly with Upper School students as she recounted Conner’s tragic story and connected it to concrete choices they will have to make as drivers and passengers. Sharing impactful visuals, short videos, and a conversation centered around real-world scenarios, she covered such topics as distracted and impaired driving, speeding, and the perils of operating a vehicle without a license. All of these unfortunate choices, she explained, contribute to a “teen-demic” of fatal automobile crashes that claim the lives of seven teenagers every day in the United States. Throughout the interactive presentation, she challenged students to “think about decisions in the moment—before a crash ever occurs.”

McGee invited every Upper Schooler in the auditorium to become a voice for change by submitting their concerns to IfYouSeeSomethingSaySomething.org and, more importantly, setting a positive example for, and starting conversations about driver safety with, their friends and others who could benefit from them.

 According to Upper School counselor Elizabeth Rous, chair of HRA’s Safety Planning and Response Team, McGee’s action-oriented presentation resonated perfectly with the school’s emphasis on “community and the responsibilities that come with being a member of a community.”

“We look out for one another and speak up when we see something that concerns us,” Rous said. “We also emphasize that safety comes in many forms—physical, emotional, and psychological—and our core values at HRA inform how we comport ourselves in our efforts to maintain a safe and welcoming community where every member feels valued.”

Shaping Responsible Leaders

Following Homeroom, students collect wristbands and lanyards that McGee provided to serve as a reminder of their role as leaders in the campaign for teen driver safety

As Upper School English teacher and Dean of Student Life Laurie Hager observed, McGee’s visit was not only a valuable learning opportunity, but also a testament to the power of student leadership.

Tenth grader Peyton Ashe ’28 did not simply take on the responsibility of introducing her aunt’s presentation. She played an active role in coordinating the event from the beginning, taking the initiative to speak with Hager and Head of School Jay Lasley about what her peers could gain from learning about the work of the GMF.

“Supporting our students as they truly take ownership of their own initiatives has been at the heart of my philosophy as Dean,” Hager said. “I trust them to lead, to grapple with the practicalities of facing any complex challenge, and to find the inner strength to ask for caring adult assistance when they need it.”

In the past two years, HRA Director of Theatre and public speaking teacher Kate Goddin has been instrumental in enriching Upper School Homeroom with outside speakers—from local elected officials to representatives from environmental organizations like Wetlands Watch and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation—while also reimagining this biweekly period to center student leaders like Ashe. 

Each session is led by the Student Council Association president, and students oversee the tech booth to provide a seamless and engaging experience. When clubs have announcements to make, student representatives, not faculty sponsors, deliver the message. Throughout the school year, Varsity Club members rally their classmates for upcoming athletic events, performing arts students share their talents through musical performances, and students who have completed internships, mentorships, and other professional experiences through the REACH Initiative speak about what they learned from participating in this program and how their peers can get involved.

These regular presentations offer students “an opportunity to practice their public speaking skills and learn how to communicate well,” Goddin said. “Homeroom is a great place for the entire Upper School to learn together.”

Indeed, during her visit, McGee embraced this meaningful platform for educating and shaping future leaders, encouraging students to “take leadership roles within their peer groups, model safe behavior, and bring these conversations back to their families and communities.”

“The most important message is this,” she said: “your choices matter, and your voice can save a life.”

Director of Alumni Relations and Philanthropy Committee faculty sponsor Tommy Yevak ’83 with Committee members at THRIVE Peninsula food pantry (left to right): Jillian Lassiter ’28, President Owen Hospodar ’26, Sam Overman ’26, and Vice President Joe Kerrick ’26

Hampton Roads Academy strives to prepare students to excel, not only academically, athletically, and artistically, but also as ethical and compassionate leaders within their community.

Each year, no campus organization embodies this service-minded mission more clearly than the student-led Philanthropy Committee, a group of 12 hardworking Upper Schoolers who research, review applications from, and select four nonprofits in the Greater Hampton Roads area to receive $1,000 grants from the Mary P. Blalock Philanthropy Fund. This year, the Committee received a record 45 proposals from throughout the region.

The 2026 grantees include:

• Come As You Are, which will help neurodivergent young and older adults develop foundational skills for entering the workforce, from time management and self-advocacy to professional communication and interview preparation, through their ongoing READY and upcoming But First, READY programs;
• Communities In Schools of Hampton Roads, which will collaborate with civics and economics teachers at Passage Middle School in Newport News to foster eighth graders’ financial literacy skills through their Show Me That Credit program, designed to reinforce accountability, motivation, and responsible decision-making skills with a simulated credit score model;
• the Get Out Prevails Foundation, which will supply book bags and school supplies at no cost to children in low-income communities as part of the organization’s larger mission to support the families of women facing domestic violence; and
• the DeGood Foundation, which partners with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to mail free, high-quality, age-appropriate books every month to children throughout Hampton Roads from birth to age five, with the goal of closing the gap in youth reading proficiency (especially in low-income households) and expanding their reach to 65% of all children in the communities they serve by 2030.

The annual awards are a tribute not only to the important work of charitable organizations across Hampton Roads, but also to the legacy of Mary Blalock, a longtime member of the HRA staff who passed away in April 2019. By donating funds in her name to nonprofits that uplift the region they call home, the members of the Philanthropy Committee gain a deeper understanding of their responsibility as citizens while honoring Blalock’s extraordinary dedication to both HRA and the broader community.

The students will formally present the grants to their chosen nonprofits during the Founders’ Day and Memorial Awards Assembly on April 16. The following day, every member of the HRA community will have the opportunity to create a similar impact by making a gift to the school in recognition of HRA Day. During the Academy’s annual day of giving, alumni, faculty, staff, students, and families will join together to help carry on the goal HRA has pursued since opening its doors in 1959: empowering the next generation with an education that combines intellectual, physical, and creative rigor with a commitment to character formation.

A Tradition of Service

A tireless champion of HRA’s mission, Mary Blalock served the school for an incredible 15 years, from 2004 to 2019, most recently as Director of Advancement. Her devotion to the Academy and its students was unparalleled, and she has continued to change lives even after her passing through the Blalock Fund.

With the blessing of her husband, Dr. Ward Blalock ’75, and her daughters Nora ’09 and Marnie ’12, HRA established a permanently endowed fund in her memory, helping to meet the needs of the school as well as those of area charities.

Since 2021, investment proceeds from the fund have made it possible for the students of the Philanthropy Committee to learn about the work of nonprofits first-hand and give back to their community.

In reviewing grant applications, the Committee members prioritize five areas of interest: education, health and wellness, arts and culture, economic development, and the environment. As the Committee’s faculty sponsor, Director of Alumni Relations Tommy Yevak ’83, explained, “The students look for impact near to our footprint here on the Virginia Peninsula, helping out where we live.” In order to provide “laser-focused” assistance in addressing “current, changing needs in the community,” the Committee seeks out proposals that identify specific, timely projects and outline a budget allocating more than three quarters of funds for direct impact, as opposed to organizational operating costs.

Learning leadership and making an impact: Committee members volunteer at THRIVE Peninsula while researching the work of area nonprofits

The Committee, however, does not simply wait for charitable organizations to come to them for help. Committed to hands-on, experiential learning about the nonprofit sector, the students research potential community partners through site visits throughout the school year. During the fall and winter, the Committee volunteered at THRIVE Peninsula food pantry, visited the local Boys & Girls Club, and returned to the headquarters of the RocSolid Foundation, a 2025 grantee that provides “ready bags” and miniature playground sets to comfort children diagnosed with pediatric cancer during their hospital stays.

According to Philanthropy Committee President Owen Hospodar ’26, these trips accomplish far more than informing students about the types of organizations they will support. They also allow Committee members to meet the staff and leaders of local charities, forming meaningful connections that will be an asset for anyone who wants to stay engaged with, or build a career in, nonprofits after graduation. More importantly, while on site, the students are able to connect personally with their neighbors who are in the greatest need of help.

“I have witnessed looks on faces of kids and verbal responses while on field trips to nonprofit organizations that prove to me that the members of the Committee have experienced authentic empathy and compassion and have uncovered a feeling of true desire to comfort those in need,” Yevak said.

Such experiences have played a powerful role in cultivating students’ sense of duty to others during HRA’s Year of Connections—the very duty Mary Blalock stood for.

“We Want the Community to Feel Like a Family”

While the impact of the Philanthropy Committee’s work is undeniable, the students ultimately gain more from their service to the community than they ever could have imagined.

“What I find most fulfilling is that I’m actually able to do something out of my own volition to help these people,” said Hospodar, who was inspired to join the Committee as a freshman and eventually assume a leadership position by his mother’s prior work as chair of the Mathews Community Foundation Grants Committee. Thanks to the Blalock Fund, he and his peers have discovered the unmatched joy of mobilizing one’s resources for the betterment of a wider community.

“That’s really what we’re all about,” the senior remarked. “We want the community to feel like a family. We treat them with kindness and helpfulness as if they were our family.”

For Vice President Joe Kerrick ’26, who, like Hospodar, has served on the Committee for all four of his Upper School years, the most rewarding moment of the year comes on Founders’ Day, “when we give away our grants and get to deliver them personally to the representatives for each organization. It’s such a feel-good moment, and it really clicks that your efforts have amounted to a real benefit.”

As they prepare to graduate from HRA, the two seniors at the head of the Philanthropy Committee are both committed to embracing the ideals of Mary Blalock throughout their careers. Kerrick, who intends to study engineering in college, explained that his experience with the Committee has convinced him of the importance of understanding the people of every community where his work will take him so that he can best serve their needs. Hospodar, who plans to major in philosophy and pursue a career in law, is similarly dedicated to serving as an agent of positive change in his profession, not as a defender of the status quo.

In the meantime, Hospodar and Kerrick are confident that younger students on the Committee—many of whom they recruited themselves—will excel as they assume leadership roles. “As we’ve gone on, we’ve gotten more passionate about it,” Hospodar said. “It just keeps growing.”

With support from the Mary P. Blalock Fund and generous donors who contribute to it, the Philanthropy Committee is poised to continue a tradition of service to the community for years to come. In the process, generations of Navigators will grow to approach their role as leaders with thoughtfulness, intentionality, and a firm sense of moral responsibility.

Interested in supporting the Mary P. Blalock Philanthropy Fund? Make a gift today to carry on a legacy of leadership and service.

On Friday, April 17, the entire Hampton Roads Academy community will come together for the school’s annual day of giving,

This exciting three-day event will feature both in-person and online sales of original works by an astounding 79 professional artists from throughout Hampton Roads and beyond. Offering stunning paintings, sculptures, pottery, jewelry, photographic prints, mixed-media pieces, and more, the pre-juried show will support local artists’ creativity and raise funds to advance an unparalleled educational experience in the arts at HRA.

In-person art sales will begin in the Charles R. Spencer Gymnasium during an opening reception at 5:00 pm on April 17, then continue over the next two days, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturday, April 18, and from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm on Sunday, April 19. The Art Show is open to the public with no admission fee, and a food truck from BLZN Tacos will serve up delicious bites on campus on Saturday.

Digital sales are already underway, and all are invited to preview and purchase the selection of works available online now.

The only event of its kind at an independent school on the Peninsula, the HRA Art Show will not only highlight the talent of experienced artists, but also allow students to connect with these professionals as they explore the work on display and share creations of their own. 11 exceptional Upper School student artists will be featured at the show in a designated booth, showcasing the remarkable creativity emanating from HRA’s Visual Art Department and the potential impact of attendees’ investment in the arts at the Academy.

“Building connections between Hampton Roads Academy and the regional arts community is incredibly important, because art thrives when ideas, experiences, and perspectives are shared,” said incoming HRA trustee and Navigator parent Lauren Jett ’06, who is co-chairing the event with her mother Chrissy Garner. “Bringing local artists into the HRA community creates a meaningful opportunity for students, families, and visitors to engage with working artists while also celebrating the incredible creative talent that exists throughout Hampton Roads.”

A One-of-a-Kind Celebration of the Arts

Emma Louise Kamerer, Rite of the Rut (oil on canvas)

In addition to the sheer scale of the event and the range of media featured, the HRA Art Show will be distinguished by the degree of freedom and interaction participants will enjoy.

Unlike other regional independent schools’ expositions, in which artists typically drop off works to be displayed in their absence throughout the halls, the Academy’s Art Show will allow creators to present as many pieces as they like within a 10-foot-by-10-foot booth in the Spencer Gym and engage in live conversations with attendees about their inspirations and creative process.

For participating artists, this festival-style format is one of the HRA Art Show’s greatest draws. “I love seeing a school have a focus on the arts,” said jeweler and wearable art creator Jama Watts. “I enjoy talking about my work and see[ing] what others create. I’m always looking for new places to exhibit, and I found the concept of the show at the Academy intriguing.”

Visual Art Department Chair Emma Kamerer, a painter who will be featured at the show, echoed Watts. “As a practicing artist beyond my role at Hampton Roads Academy, I seek meaningful ways to engage with and contribute to the local arts community,” she said. Having relocated to Virginia under a year ago, Kamerer commented that she is “excited to establish new connections and participate in creative dialogue within this new environment.”

“A Deeper Understanding of the Contemporary Art World”

This dialogue will include not only professional artists like Kamerer, but also the budding creators she teaches every day at HRA.

This year, she and her fellow Middle and Upper School visual arts teacher Jack Westervelt have worked to facilitate meaningful connections between regional artists and creatively talented Navigators by holding the annual National Art Honor Society (NAHS) Juried Art Show in conjunction with the inaugural HRA Art Show. Together, Kamerer and Westervelt carefully reviewed and selected both two-dimensional and ceramic works submitted by ninth through twelfth graders to be displayed in the exhibition.

This year’s featured student artists include seniors Percy Bevilacqua ’26, Dylan Evans ’26, Ellen Owen ’26, and Elizabeth Smith ’26; juniors Jaya Amin ’27, Vince Husband ’27, Merritt Jones ’27, and Ellie Richardson ’27; sophomores Katie Brown ’28 and Jadain Wojciechowski ’28; and one outstanding member of the freshman class, Grace Bradley ’29.

According to Kamerer, bringing their work out of the classroom will allow students to learn about “the many professional responsibilities that take place behind the scenes,” such as preparing and installing their artwork for display, weighing the practicalities of pricing, engaging with viewers, and presenting their ideas in a public space.

“In addition to exhibiting their work, students will be able to network with professional artists and to speak about their creative processes with a broader audience,” she added. “These experiences [will] foster confidence, professionalism, and a deeper understanding of the contemporary art world.”

After the Art Show, select student works will be considered for the NAHS Purchase Award, through which HRA will acquire one piece for permanent display in the Upper School. This honor not only recognizes our students’ exceptional artistic achievement, but also provides them an opportunity to leave a lasting, tangible legacy on HRA’s campus.

Meet the Artists

The HRA Art Show will shine a spotlight on incredible works in a wide array of visual media, but their creators’ stories are as diverse as the artforms and techniques that will be on view.

Emily Cahoon

Emily Cahoon, Just a Pop of Color (photography on metal)

A photographer since age 13 and a graphic designer since age 15, Emily Cahoon seeks to capture both the beauty of human beings and the tranquility of nature in her work. The Chesapeake-based artist, who has previously been featured in a magazine and an international art show, enriches every subject she captures in her lens with creative explorations of light. Cahoon’s photography focuses principally on “Spiritual Giants,” which she described as “those elements of the natural world that command presence and offer a perspective far greater than myself.” As she explained, profound insights may sometimes be found in the smallest, most delicate objects, such as the colorful flowers that she photographs against stark black or white backgrounds to accentuate the stillness she perceives in the blooms.

Mary Katherine Evans Hogg

Mary Katherine Evans Hogg, Wave 1 (oil on panel)

By day, Mary Katherine Evans Hogg is a senior vice president for investments at the Newport News firm Davenport & Company. On the side, her passion is oil painting, a love she developed early in life through her admiration for Claude Monet and an impulsive decision to buy a painting far outside her budget at age 22. It was not until the COVID-19 pandemic, however, that she first picked up a brush herself. After taking a three-session virtual painting class that she discovered by chance on her Facebook feed, she was hooked. Since then, she has independently honed her craft, taken classes with local artists, and participated in art workshops in Italy, France, and western Virginia. A native of Hampton, Evans Hogg is deeply committed to her local community, working with such regional institutions as the Mariners’ Museum, sponsoring area art shows, and exhibiting artwork of her own. Her paintings themselves are also thematically informed by her connection to the region, focusing on water, waves, shorelines, and coastal sunrises and sunsets—all familiar sights from visits to her family cottage in Buckroe Beach. “My goal with each painting,” she said, “is for people to feel something from it or take them back to a favorite memory or time in life.”

Gloria Coker

Gloria Coker, A Touch of Nature (acrylic on canvas)

Gloria Coker started her artistic career as a newsroom illustrator for the Daily Press in Newport News, creating images for news features as well as courtroom art, some of which was showcased in the 2020 Netflix documentary The Innocence Files. She now works full-time as a fine artist, producing poetic, vibrant, and colorful acrylic paintings. Her works depicting human subjects—musicians, dancers, athletes, and others engaged in their passions and everyday activities—have garnered numerous accolades and appeared in collections across the region. She has also been invited to speak about her paintings throughout the South, demonstrating her craft live in college classrooms, at fundraiser auctions, and at the Virginia Living Museum. The pieces Coker will offer at the HRA Art Show feature both longtime subjects for her, such as an oyster boat inspired by her home’s proximity to Menchville Marina, and newly discovered interests, namely flowers. “I recently hoped that I could paint floral images in a different way, my way, [with an] emphasis on color and even a little movement,” she said. Like her previous subjects, though, her flowers blend memory with invention, brought to life in colors drawn from the artist’s imagination.

Hellen Bennett

Hellen Bennett, Irish Pasture (watercolor on Arches cold press)

It was only later in life, after a fulfilling career in the healthcare field, that Hellen Bennett discovered a love of watercolor painting. Trained by several prominent artists in Michigan and Virginia, she draws inspiration from beautiful nature scenes in her garden, her neighborhood in Williamsburg, and her travels both near and far. As Bennett explained, her artistic style is “representational, exploring a more intense application of color than is sometimes seen with watercolor pigments.” This inventive, even experimental approach reflects Bennett’s goal of learning from the process of crafting every piece and challenging herself to communicate what delights her in each of her subjects. As the HRA Art Show approaches, she said, “I look forward to putting a collection together which others hopefully will enjoy as much as I enjoyed creating.”

Liz Valentine

Liz Valentine, Fall Fits (mixed media – acrylic, charcoal, pastel, and oil)

A Charlottesville-based mixed-media artist who studied portraiture and figure drawing in high school and college, Liz Valentine has since built a career focusing on abstract pieces, primarily in large format, crafted to elevate interiors with color, movement, and a visual manifestation of dynamic environments and states of mind. Whether she has set out to depict botanicals or large landscapes, Valentine explained, “I frequently paint from imagination, allowing color and gesture to guide the development of a dreamlike environment. These works unfold gradually, revealing themselves as I step away and return to the canvas.” This “subconscious process,” she noted, is driven largely by her diverse materials themselves, including self-mixed pigments and such tools as charcoal, pastels, and crayon, which allow for exploratory line work as they interact with painted surfaces. “Often the most compelling forms appear intuitively as the piece evolves,” Valentine said.

Jama Watts

Jama Watts, Where’s the Frog? (bead embroidery and weaving)

Jama Watts is an award-winning artist and craftsperson whose jewelry has been featured in multiple galleries and competitions, as well as the HGTV program That’s Clever! In a previous life, though, she wore many different hats—librarian, genealogist, web designer, and gallery owner. The subject matter of her wearable artwork is just as eclectic as her career history. She has drawn inspiration from creative challenges she has laid out for herself, from the themes of art shows she has entered, and from topics that have simply piqued her interest by chance. While some of her works explore whimsical motifs, as in her recreations of animals in beads, others reflect societal issues about which she feels strongly, from victim-blaming to strip mining in Appalachia. Uniting her lighthearted and serious pieces is her underlying belief that we can collectively commit to building a better world.

At the inaugural HRA Art Show, beautiful creations and profound insights will take center stage, providing an occasion for meaningful conversations and the formation of lasting connections between HRA and the community of which it is a part.

Interested in volunteering at the inaugural HRA Art Show? We welcome your help! Please sign up for a slot here.