Alumni Spotlight

Megan Wind Smith, ACDS Class of 2002

Megan Wind Smith, ACDS Class of 2002, and her husband, Colin, welcomed our first child on January 21, 2016. Our precious girl, Windsor Grace, has been such a blessing to us. She brings so much joy and laughter to our lives and we can’t believe how fast she is growing. Along with Windsor Grace, we have three dogs, Maddox, Jack, and Winter, who always keep life interesting. We live in Richmond, Virginia where I am a nurse practitioner at Commonwealth Pain Specialists and Colin works as an associate wealth management advisor for a team through Northwestern Mutual.

Virginia Sawyer, ACDS Class of 2008

Virginia Sawyer graduated from the University of South Carolina in December. She majored in Experimental Psychology with double minors in Women’s and Gender Studies and Counselor Education. She graduated Magna Cum Laude and also with distinction in research for her research on the transition period between early intervention and special education preschools in South Carolina. Virginia also received distinction for her community service, which included internships at Rural Infant Services Program, Sexual Trauma Services of the Midlands, and The Haven. She is proud to announce that she has been accepted to the College of William and Mary’s Master of Education in the Counseling-Family Concentration Program.

Mackenzie Wyatt, ACDS Class of 2012 

ACDS Class of 2012 and Hanover High School Class of 2016, has been an avid travel softball player since she was 9 years old. This week, all of those hours of practice and hard work paid off. On Friday, November 13th, Mackenzie signed her National Letter of Intent to play softball at Lynn University in Boca Raton, FL. On hand for the signing were her parents, Jeff and Denise (who teaches fourth and fifth grades at ACDS), her sister, Madeline ACDS Class of 2009, members of the press, her teammates, as well as several of her travel and high school coaches to celebrate her success. Mackenzie plans on studying graphic design during her years at Lynn. Congratulations, Mackenzie!!!

Mary Grace Broaddus, ACDS Class of 2012

Congratulations on being crowned Hanover High School’s 2015 Homecoming Queen!

Lance Townsend, ACDS Class of 1997

Lance and Shannon are beyond thrilled to announce that Easton’s little brother Gage Sterling made his arrival into the world on August 31, weighing 8lbs; 9 oz and 21 inches long. We are already so in love and Easton loves his little brother!

Lauren Simpkins, ACDS Class of 2004

Lawrence and Cindy Simpkins are proud to announce the graduation of their daugher Lauren from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Lauren received her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at the commencement ceremony in Coral Cables, Florida on May 7, 2015.

During her three years at Miami, Lauren was active in a number of community events and helped organize the program’s first international service trip to provide physical therapy services to underserved populations in San Jose, Costa Rica. The University of Miami has been consistently ranked as one of the top ten physical therapy programs in the nation since 1995, and is recognized internationally for its faculty, research, and contributions to the field.

Prior to attending the University of Miami, Lauren graduated as Salutatorian from West Point High School in 2008, and Magna Cum Laude from VCU in 2012 with a degree in Exercise Science. Lauren plans to pursue a career in outpatient orthopedics in the VA/DC area.

Lauren would like to extend a special thank you to Phyllis Eberline for her mentorship and introducing her to the occupation of Physical Therapy.

Gray Shannon, ACDS Class of 2011

In just a few weeks Gray will be graduating from high school and then continuing his education in Annapolis at the Naval Academy.

While in high school, Gray has been a leader in the classroom and on the athletic field serving as an officer for Student Council and National Honor Society and serving as a captain for both the basketball and soccer teams.

Despite the hard work at school, Gray has provided over 135 hours of community service and stayed active with the Boy Scouts, earning Eagle Scout status.

When asked why he chose the Naval Academy and what his dreams and ambitions were, Gray stated, “I have never liked the idea of working a desk job or working just to gain money. I have always wanted my work to mean something, and I felt that joining the military would fulfill each of these requirements. I have dreams of making the varsity basketball team at the Naval Academy and graduating in the top 100 of my class.”

Gray credits ACDS for providing him with a great education, teaching him good study habits that translated well into high school, and helping him become the person he is today.

Catherine McLeod, ACDS Class of 1987

Catherine moved to Richmond in May, 2014. She is currently working for a mobile diagnostic company doing ultrasounds.

Robert Wade Hornung, ACDS Class of 1984

Education:
1984 Aylett Country Day School
1986-1989 Essex High School
1989-1991 Longwood College
1991-1994 VCU

Studio Manager @ Adamson Editions
1997 – Present

Adamson Editions is located in Washington D.C. We offer large scale, high quality digital printing. We work with artists, photographers, and museums to produce digital ink-jet prints that printed in combination with the best inks and papers available today. *Our prints will last between 200-300 years, unlike a traditional photograph that will only last around 50-75 years. We work with several museums in the DC area to provide them with exact copies of the original works for presentation to the public, while keeping the original stored away for safekeeping. Some examples are “The US Constitution” and the “Bill of Rights.”

Studio Manager Responsibilities:
As Studio Manager, I am responsible for a variety of different things. Such as keeping the printers maintained and running properly. I order the types and amounts of paper needed for printing, ink for the printers and other various supplies needed to keep the studio running properly. I make sure the prints are free of any defects, the color and size is correct, then I cut, pack, and ship to the client, or photographer.

I find my job to be lots of fun. Everyday I seem to be working on something new and different. Growing up I loved to sketch. Whether is was an animal, a person or just a landscape. As I grew older , I began to admire different artists and photographers as well as studying about them in Art School. Now, I have the opportunity and pleasure to work with many of them today in producing unique works of art in the form of beautiful digital prints.

Ian McDowell, ACDS Class of 2008

I am a junior at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, ME and I am spending my fall semester in Copenhagen, Denmark. I am majoring in Earth and Oceanographic Science, but studying Paleoclimatolgy in Copenhagen. My studies took me to Greenland in October to study the melting Greenland Ice sheet. Samples from the ice sheet will allow us to estimate past temperatures and atmospheric compositions. I am looking at global climate trends of the last million years but more specifically over the last 120,000 years in order to predict our future climate. I hope to continue my work back in Maine in order to be able to further educate people of our changing climate.

Hannah Overton Tiffany, ACDS Class of 1974

I was married on June 21, 2014 to Robert Tiffany, and have moved to Warsaw. I’ve also launched my own brokerage firm, Tiffany Properties, located in Warsaw and serving the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula.

Daughter updates are, Lizzie is in 10th grade at St. Margaret’s School and Emma graduated from Essex High last year and is attending RCC.

Grayson Chinn, ACDS Class of 1994

I have been working for the federal government’s Department of Defense for the past 8 years. I got married earlier this year, and my wife and I currently live in Arlington. Outside of my job, I finished a Master’s degree in Youth Development Leadership in 2013, and enjoy volunteering as a youth mentor through nonprofits and church. I also love to travel; I have a lot of ground still to cover but so far have made it to Europe and Central and South America. I continue to appreciate the rigorous academic curriculum that was part of my ACDS experience, especially because it drove me to develop the study skills that I needed to succeed in high school and college. I am also grateful for the friendships that I developed during my time at Aylett, many of which remain strong today.

Jordan McIntire, ACDS Class of 2003

Congratulations to Jordan McIntire, Class of 2003, on being named Conference 14 (Colonial District) High School Coach of the Year in Field Hockey. Jordan is an Exceptional Education teacher at Hermitage High School in Henrico County. This is her second season as coach of the Lady Panthers. The team finished the season with 4 wins and 10 losses. Coach McIntire looks forward to building upon the team’s accomplishments this year to improve next season. 

Jordan will receive her Master of Arts in Teaching from Mary Baldwin College in 2015. She received her Bachelor of Arts in History from Sweetbriar College in 2011. When Jordan is not teaching or coaching, she is a volunteer with Comfort Zone Camp, a bereavement camp for children who have experienced the death of a parent, sibling, or primary caregiver.

Robert Allen, ACDS Class of 1992

The wedding celebration of Robert Allen and Ashley Ganey took place on Saturday, October 4, 2014. Graduating from ACDS in 1992, Robert attended Essex High School, where he earned the title of valedictorian, and then continued his education at the University of Virginia and University of Richmond School of Law. Robert is an attorney at Marchant, Thorsen, Honey, Baldwin & Meyer, LLP, where his practice focuses on the representation of individuals in matters involving employment law and discrimination.