Class Notes

Soon after graduation, John Sterling Harris married a beautiful, sweet Yankee schoolteacher who had recently moved to rural eastern Virginia. They met on a Rappahannock River cruise when he jumped in the keg line to pour her a beer. Sterling attended grad school at Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Richmond and recently finished his 20th year of teaching at Northumberland High School. Many of his students participate in a history class partnership with Rappahannock Community College.

Sterling also runs a popular high school chess club. He says the trick is to make it about friendly intellectual warfare. He coached varsity boys soccer and was voted district/region coach of the year eight times in 15 years. But he retired from soccer coaching to support and watch his own children – Alexandra, 17, and Anne Lee, 15 – in their sports and activities. He’s a deacon at Beale Memorial Baptist Church in Tappahannock.

In early March, just before the pandemic hit, Kirsten Franklin, Anabeth Guthrie, Sarah Long, Shannon Peterson, and Mandy Thompson met in Tampa, Florida, for a mini-reunion. They hope to take an international trip for their next reunion.

Dru Abramson Perdue and Jarrett Perdue ’96 celebrated their 20th anniversary in July by visiting Bushnell Hall, where they met. Dru is switching from teaching elementary school to teaching middle school. In a blink of an eye, both of Dru and Jarrett’s girls are in high school, and the older one is leaning toward UMW.

Kathleen Gillikin MacCubbin changed careers, from libraries to financial services.