Alumni Association

ALUMNI AWARDS

Lee S. Smith ’65 Courage & Honor Award

St. Mark's Alumni Association presented the Lee S. Smith ’65 Courage & Honor Award to its inaugural recipient, Dr. David M. Vanderpool ’78. A lifelong humanitarian, Dr. Vanderpool led a successful private practice in Tennessee but moved his entire family to Haiti following the devastating 2010 earthquake. He has since founded LiveBeyond, a nonprofit that operates a large base in Thomazeau, Haiti, which includes a school, medical clinic, demonstration farm and more. In the decade since its founding, LiveBeyond has succeeded in dramatically increasing the local population’s access to clean water, food and education while also decreasing the infant and maternal mortality rate. Today, LiveBeyond provides more than 7,000 meals and 900,000 gallons of fresh water each day.

The Lee S. Smith ’65 Courage & Honor Award recognizes an alumnus of the St. Mark’s community who demonstrates courage, honor, perseverance and justice, in the communities to which they belong by using his voice and actions to affect measurable change to elevate humanity.

The Story of Dr. Vanderpool ’78


Alumni Service Medal

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  • Robert Feldman ’65

    Robert Feldman ’65 has enjoyed a relationship with St. Mark’s that spans several decades. As a leader on the Alumni Board, Robert served in a multitude of leadership roles from 2007-2013, before joining the Board of Trustees, where he serves to this day. He has been a leading voice on both the Education Committee as well as the Development Committee.

    The Alumni Service Medal is St. Mark’s highest volunteer service award, and it is presented to an alumnus who has distinguished himself through sustained and outstanding service to the School.  

Presentation of the Award


Young Alumni Service Citation

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  • Drew Nicholas ’09

    Drew Nicholas ’09 has been an instrumental member of the St. Mark’s Alumni Association since his graduation. He has led the Class of 2009 for years, serving as a Class Agent and Co-Chair for his Class Reunions. In 2020, Drew joined the Alumni Board and has served on the Executive Committee as the Young Alumni Chair.

    The Young Alumni Service Citation acknowledges outstanding service to the School by an alumnus who has graduated within the prior 15 years. This award recognizes a young alum who has promoted our School through volunteer support of the Alumni Association and numerous alumni class and school activities. 

RALPH B. ROGERS ALUMNI AWARD

The Alumni Association named three extraordinary educators as finalists for the Ralph B. Rogers Alumni Award. This award recognizes a member of the faculty or staff who has made an important and pioneering contribution to the mission of the School and the School community.

The award recipient will be announced at Upper School Final Assembly on Thursday, May 25.

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  • Sherri Darver

    (Read by Sandy Campbell ’76 at Spring Alumni Dinner)

    This finalist is a member of the Lower School and strikes a blend of warmth and responsibility, setting the tone for our lion cubs. From their first days at St. Mark’s, important lessons of unconditional positive respect are taught and reinforced along each boy’s path to manhood.  

    This faculty member makes the newest members of the St. Mark’s community, both student and parents alike, feel welcome. Always going the extra mile, she makes people feel a strong sense of belonging and that they’re a part of the St. Mark’s family, because it is a family for life. 

    She steadfastly greets every lower school student by name when they walk in the door each morning and wishes them goodbye at carpool at the end of a tiring Lower School day. For ensuring our boys begin their St. Mark’s journey on the right foot and keeping us in check when we stray the path, please join me in congratulating Head of Lower School Sherri Darver.

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  • Scott Hunt

    (Read by Sandy Campbell ’76 at Spring Alumni Dinner)

    This finalist sees the world through a different lens than most and inspires the boys to do the same. Lessons about life, hardship and the human experience are approached with sensitivity and compassion in this educator’s studio. A student who successfully overcame a challenging bout with cancer advocated: "He approached me with a sense of understanding, as well as one of encouragement. He offered the idea that this project could serve as a sense of closure for my experience if I would just commit and embrace the uncomfortable nature of it instead of hiding from it. The images I was able to create transformed my understanding of what I see art to be."

    This educator has been a servant leader for a quarter century at St. Mark’s. Please help me recognize the Director of Student Travel Programs and the Arnold E. Holtberg Master Teaching Chair Scott Hunt.

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  • Dan Northcut ’81

    (Read by Sandy Campbell ’76 at Spring Alumni Dinner)

    This finalist is a renowned member of the Science Department and a St. Mark’s alumnus himself. Whether he is in the middle school earth science class uncovering the marvels of a black hole or on a campout demystifying the ingredients of powdered eggs, this nominee’s imagination and devotion to the boys knows no bounds. This teacher not only inspires our boys to dig deeper within themselves to learn more about this planet and to care for its environment, but he also shows them how to literally dig with their own hands and use Earth’s resources to plant, grow and harvest, to provide for themselves and others.

    Please join me in recognizing our director of Environmental Studies and a member of the Class of 1981, Dan Northcut.

Friday on Campus

Assembly with Dr. Vanderpool ’78

Alumni Chapel Homilist Lee Smith ’65

Photos

St. Mark’s School of Texas

10600 Preston Road
Dallas, Texas 75230
214-346-8000

About Us

St. Mark’s School of Texas is a private, nonsectarian college-preparatory boys’ day school for students in grades 1 through 12, located in Dallas, Texas. St. Mark’s aims to prepare young men to assume leadership and responsibility in a competitive and changing world.

St. Mark’s does not discriminate in the administration of its admission and education policies on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.