Class Notes

Donald Rucker ’12, elementary school principal for KIPP Metro Atlanta, was recently selected as one of Atlanta’s most eligible bachelors for 2018 by Jezebel Magazine. See more: https://www.modernluxury.com/jezebel/digital-edition

is now the Associate Pastor of Global & Local Partnerships at Fellowship Church in Knoxville.

Eric Russell ’16 has been accepted into the Cognitive Psych PhD program at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA for fall 2018.

Tracie Witherspoon Russell ’08 has been promoted to Senior Associate Professor of Mathematics at Columbia Basin College in Pasco, WA.

began working in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Knoxville on Dec. 2014. Kenny was previously a lawyer in Knoxville with Baker Donelson.

Graduated with Masters of Divinity in 2011. Married Lauren Sims-Salata on August 20, 2011. Commissioned as a provisional elder in the United Methodist Church in June 2012.

teach intro and advanced spanish middle school by day music/art/history/culture my nighttime passions… hello to past friends, acquaintances and ships in the night…

Letitia shared in August that she will be 88 years old on January 18, 2017. "I have so many fond memories of Maryville College and will always be grateful that Maryville College gave me the opportunity to go there. I majored in English. My husband, David, will be 88 on January 5, 2017. He graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 1950. We both grew up in Pennsylvania and met at the Camp Hill Presbyterian Church in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania in 1951 where I was the church secretary (the first job I had after graduating from Maryville College in 1951) and he was the guest organist for the summer at the church although he majored in civil engineering in water resources. We will be married 65 years on December 29, 2016. He plays the organ now at Calvary Baptist Church in Ukiah, California."

I am the chair of the board of Augustine Literacy Project In Brevard, NC. Augustine Literacy Project is a non-profit that tutors disadvantaged children in reading, writing and spelling. I have been a tutor with the project for seven years as well. We serve all schools in our county.
I also play in a mountain dulcimer group that plays for senior citizen facilities.

is a full time interpreter in the Knox County, Tenn. school system. She also worked at Visual Communication Interpreting (VCI) in the office handling requests and other tasks in spring and summer 2014.

Aaron Schmissrauter ’08, managing partner of Restaurant Linderhof, recently learned that his Knoxville restaurant has been nominated to be featured on the Food Network TV show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” hosted by Guy Fieri. Read more: http://www.farragutpress.com/articles/2017/08/6416.php

husband, Jim Schooler, passed away in September, 2013. In 2014 moved to Greenspring, a Continuing Care Retirement Community in Springfield, VA. She is in the Independent Living section and is enjoying making new friends.

“Newly minted southerner” following move from Long Island, NY in August, 2017. Except for the heat, I like it. Still have NY accent though.

Just accepted the position of General Manager for the Regus center in Vero Beach, FL. Regus is an executive office suites and office solutions company with over 1500 locations, worldwide. Jenny took over the center in May and will be maintaining its revenue/daily operations.

Just accepted the position of General Manager for the Regus center in Vero Beach, FL. Regus is an executive office suites and office solutions company with over 1500 locations, worldwide. Jenny took over the center in May and will be maintaining its revenue/daily operations.

Zachary Selby has been accepted into the Masters program at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at University of Maryland.

has been hired as the Executive Director / Chief Development Officer for the AnMed Health Foundation in Anderson, SC. AnMed Health System is a 461 bed acute care hospital serving 8 counties in the upstate of South Carolina and northeast Georgia.

After 34 years in public education, Steve Serotte, has retired. As a teacher, head football coach, then an assistant principal, Steve began his career as a teacher in Miami, FL. In the mid 80’s Steve transitioned to Louisville, KY where he continued to teach, became a head football coach then earned a principal’s certificate from the University of Louisville. He then completed his career as an assistant principal for the school district in Louisville, KY.

Jonathan Settlemire, who has been with CBBC Bank since May, 2008, has been promoted to Vice President. Jonathan is the Technology Manager and Electronic Banking Manager. He is a graduate of William Blount High School, Hiwassee College, Maryville College and a master’s degree candidate at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Jonathan is a Rotary International Member and he resides in Louisville.

Paige Sevier ’12 has been hired as Watertown (TN) High’s girls’ basketball coach. Sevier spent the previous two years teaching math at her alma mater Jackson County and serving as an assistant on the Lady Devil team under Jim Brown. She was two seasons an assistant at Macon County. She played two years each at Roane State Community College and at Maryville College. Read more here: http://www.lebanondemocrat.com/Basketball/2018/06/19/Sevier-takes-over-Tigerettes.html?ci=stream&lp=1&p=

Sexton to be inducted into the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame on July 26, 2016 By Dave Link of the Knoxville News Sentinel Lynn Sexton won’t forget a low point of his first year as the Farragut High School boys basketball coach. It was late in the 1961-62 season, and the Admirals had not won a game. They returned to campus after another humbling defeat on the road. “We came back, and the kids were upset,” Sexton said. “We were so bad the cheerleaders were fussing at us.” Perhaps that was the turning point. Farragut beat Karns for its only win of the season – avenging a 53-point loss earlier in the year – and finished with a 1-26 record. Sexton had started a run of 30 seasons as Farragut’s head coach, and during his career won 544 games, 18 district championships, and made three state tournament appearances. His career began in a tiny gym at the old high school and ended in the current school, where the Lynn E. Sexton Gymnasium is named for him. “We were in an old cracker box gym, and it was about 84 feet long,” Sexton said of his start. “It had permanent wooden bleachers, probably seated about 300 to 400 people. We were in that for 15 years, and then we moved to the new school. What a difference.” Sexton certainly made a difference at Farragut, and for his coaching contributions will be inducted into the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame on July 26 at the Knoxville Convention Center. It’s the latest of Sexton’s numerous inductions, including the Farragut High School Sports Hall of Fame, the Blount County Sports Hall of Fame and the Maryville College Wall of Fame. “Lynn Sexton is Farragut basketball,” said Farragut athletic director Donald Dodgen, who coached the Admirals basketball team from 1996-2010. “He built the program to where it’s been. We’ve all just tried to maintain it. He set the bar. He’s just a true gentleman’s gentleman.” Sexton, 82, was born in Friendsville in the home of his parents, Lucille and Benton, and grew up with a brother and two sisters. His athletic career had humble beginnings. “I was into sports 12 to 14 hours a day,” he said. “It might not pass for sports. I built a golf course on a pasture field we had.” Sexton attended Friendsville Academy, which began as a private school and competed athletically against Friendsville High School. Friendsville Academy only had teams in baseball and basketball. Sexton played both and graduated in 1951. After a brief stint driving a dry cleaning truck, Sexton enrolled at Maryville College. He played baseball all four years, played basketball his last two years (starting both years) and played football one year. “I was a 155-pound scat back, not too scat,” Sexton said. “I caught a touchdown at Centre College that won the ballgame. That was my moment of glory in football.” Sexton graduated Maryville College in December of 1955 and spent two years in the Army. While in the Army’s active reserve, Sexton taught one year at Mount Olive Elementary before landing a job as a dorm proctor at Maryville College. He took a job as a physical education teacher at Farragut High School and coached the baseball team before taking over as basketball coach. After that one-win season, Sexton posted consecutive 12-win seasons and Farragut basketball was on track. His first winning season was 1966-67 when the Admirals went 13-11. Sexton won co-district championships in 1971 and ’72, and in 1978 coached the Admirals to the Class AAA state semifinals where they lost to Memphis Melrose and finished 29-7. Farragut went 32-2 in 1981-82 and was eliminated by Austin-East 70-58 in the Region 2-AAA tournament at Central. The next year, the Admirals won 36 consecutive games with the lineup of 7-foot center Mike Carpenter, guards Bo Creech and Jack Williams, and forwards Bill Clements and Danny Martin. Their season ended with a 72-70 loss to Memphis East in the Class AAA state quarterfinals. “They were pretty good,” Sexton said of the 1982-83 team. “I didn’t have to do much. We had a 7-foot post. That gave people trouble.” Sexton announced his retirement after the 1990-91 season. He plays golf once or twice a week and spends much of his time with his wife, Patricia. They have four children, 12 grandchildren, and five great grandchildren. And there are many great basketball memories. “I say this with all honesty, my players won all those games,” Sexton said. “I didn’t.” Spoken like a gentleman’s gentleman. From: http://www.knoxnews.com/sports/high-school/lynn-sexton-built-farragut-basketball–339c1e38-e4da-2af6-e053-0100007f8988-381261471.html

and her family moved from central NC, where she has lived since graduation from MC, to Central NY, near the Adirondack Mountains in 2012. They are developing a small, sustainable farm. Leigh graduated from Culinary School in 2005, and now works as a Baker for Sodexo on the campus of SUNYIT.

Leigh has written a children’s historical fiction book entitled John Bloom and the Victory Garden: Digging In. It was published January 22, 2016. Leigh earned a B.A. degree in Studio Art at Maryville College and worked as a graphic artist before earning an ASS degree in Culinary Art. She has worked as a chef, baker and culinary arts instructor. Most recently, she and her husband bought rural land and are developing Winter’Rest, a small farm in central New York. Through all this, Leigh wrote stories and poems – some published; some tucked away. She is happiest living off the land and is an ardent supporter of local and sustainable farms, farmers and practices. Seasonal fresh produce from Winter’Rest Farm is even on the menus of some Farm-to-Fork restaurants in the Central New York. Leigh is also an accomplished photographer, working in Fine Art Photography from age 20, under the name M. Leigh Emery. Leigh writes fiction stories for middle-grade readers. Along with illustrator Kate Shearin, Leigh spins tales of self-sufficiency and independence, along with gentle agriculture education. Since historical fiction is also a lifetime interest, Leigh uses true stories of the past to bring inspiration and joy to modern-day children. From: http://www.javajohnz.com/2016/06/john-bloom-and-victory-garden-digging.html

Jim Showalter (1971) and Kay Krause were married in Stillwater, Oklahoma, at Jim’s home church. The public ceremony was cancelled because of the virus, so, on the Spring Equinox, March 19, with two friends as witnesses plus their minister, Kay and Jim were married. Kay and Jim were the only ones within six feet of each other. They broadcast it on Facebook and are above 300 views (lots of bored people these days). They have stayed at Jim’s home in Stillwater, Oklahoma, all spring, renovating the home, but, in June, they plan to move and make their permanent home at Kay’s home on the prairie of the Flint Hills in Kansas.

After 30 years of teaching (and 38 years working for the state of Oklahoma), he has retired from Langston University, the HBCU in Oklahoma. He has taught over 20,000 students in History, and taught the college’s only Philosophy class. He was the first-ever elected representative of the Faculty, and was also the first Chair of the Faculty Senate. He will continue to volunteer teach in the Osher continuing ed system in Stillwater. He wants to move to the West, particularly Santa Fe.