CLASS NOTES
Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Mike Hudson ’00 retired from the Army after more than 20 years of service. Mike served in a variety of Army and Joint Special Operations assignments, including 12 overseas combat deployments as a member of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), the 75th Ranger Regiment, and other Special Mission Units. He resides in Maryland with his wife of 19 years, Annie, and their three children, William, Charlie, and Caroline.
Share Your News!
Do you have news or announcements you’d like to share with our Alumni community? This can be a major achievement at work, a birth or wedding announcement, or any other great news in your life that you would like to share. Click below to share your announcement
EVENTS
As the end of the tax-year quickly approaches, we know that you have many options when it comes to who to support with a year-end, tax-deductible donation. Why not choose TMI? Your gift – of any amount – will ensure that TMI students receive the best education.
Donations to The TMI Fund supports the TMI experience of every student through the finest academics and a commitment to arts, athletics, daily spiritual formation, servant leadership, character development, classroom technology, small classes, and a sense of family like no place else.
If you have already made a gift to the 2023-2024 TMI Fund, please accept our sincere THANK YOU!
TMI Alumni Day and Hall of Fame Ceremony
Registration Open
The 2023-2024 Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Alumni Day which is being held April 12, 2024, on the TMI Campus and will include the Alumni Reunion and Welcome Back Reception.
Alumni Day Schedule
Alumni Check In – 5:00 pm, Chapel Portico
Campus Tours/Leadership Meet & Greet – 5:15 pm – 5:45 pm
Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony, All Saints Chapel – 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Reception to follow on Chapel Portico – light refreshments
The TMI Hall of Fame is an honorary society recognizing the exceptional contributions of outstanding alumni, with Distinguished Servant Leader awards for former faculty, staff and friends of the school. Inductees are recognized for exemplifying one or more of the TMI Core Values: Wisdom, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Reverence.
We hope you can join us for this very special celebration. Click the button below to register to attend.
ALUMNI NEWS
On October 26, 2023, TMI Episcopal hosted its 4th Annual Entrepreneur & Innovation Award Luncheon honoring Dawn Lafreeda, TMI Parent of Alumni and President/CEO of Den-Tex Central Inc. dba Denny’s Restaurants. Over 315 guests attended the celebration held at The Witte Museum Mays Family Center – San Antonio, TX. Members of the TMI Family and business community came together to recognize the outstanding achievements of this year’s honoree and to celebrate the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation at TMI.
Upon arrival, guests were greeted by student ambassadors Ryan Shaw ’25, Parsons Kent Lindberg ’27, and Beverly Lindberg ‘24, and by members of our Texas Military Institute Corps of Cadets. Attendees were guided into the beautiful venue which was decorated with custom centerpieces created with fresh orange and white flowers each created by Top of the Hill Décor.
Highlighting TMI’s academic approach to innovation and design thinking, exhibits were on display, as student and faculty representatives, from a variety of TMI programs, including Fine Arts with Gillian Adamek ‘24, Humanities with Priya Tewari-Pine ‘25, Business & Entrepreneurship with Joaquin Espinoza ‘24 and Andrew Fera ‘24, Robotics and Innovation & Design Thinking with Samantha Flores ‘24, Nick Sanders ’24, and Marcelo Martinez-Sotomayor ’24. Students who represented our TMI Color Guard included Addison McCabe ‘26, Kevin Kessler ‘25, Kaden Fenno ‘25, Jackson Uhr ‘25, and Thomas Skelly ‘25. Guests were delighted to interact with and view student projects and displays.
Emcee April Ancira, TMI Parent of Gunnar ‘28 and VP of Ancira Auto Group, began the program by welcoming guests. In keeping with TMI tradition, the luncheon opened with the Texas Military Institute Corps of Cadets presentation of colors, followed by the national anthem, and invocation led by The Rt. Rev. Dr. David G. Read.
Event Co-Chairs, Ashley Miles and Liz Shaw took the stage expressing their honor to be part of this special event. They shared how proud they are that their children attend TMI and how much they believe in Episcopal education, and expressed their gratitude for the influential leadership of TMI’s President, and for the generosity and impact of all TMI supporters.
While guests enjoyed a delicious lunch catered by Absolutely Delicious, a TMI family-owned business, The Rev. Scott J. Brown, TMI President, spoke about TMI’s commitment to ensuring that our students are equipped with wisdom, integrity, service, excellence, and reverence. He spoke about TMI’s history and commitment to academics, character, and faith. He went on to share how TMI has strategically, prayerfully, and intentionally adapted and innovated over its 130-year history while remaining true to its roots and traditions. Father Scott said, “As proud as I am of today’s TMI, I know we must continue to innovate in order to truly live out our mission. Holding on to our legacy, our traditions, our values, while leaning into our future and adapting to tomorrow’s world…that’s the TMI way.” Following his remarks, Father Scott shared a video capturing a little piece of the TMI story of how we prepare students for success in life.
Moments later, Emcee April Ancira returned to the stage to talk about this year’s award and honoree, Dawn Lafreeda. Each year this prestigious award is presented to a member of the TMI community who demonstrates TMI’s core values of Wisdom, Integrity, Service, Excellence, and Reverence, paired with success in entrepreneurship or innovation, and positive impact in the greater community. April shared about Dawn’s life-long personal and business accomplishments.
Then, she called to the stage Dawn’s sons and TMI alumni, Connor and Cruise Lafreeda ‘22 to share special remarks that celebrated their mother as a beacon of entrepreneurial success. They highlighted her incredible journey from where she started to where she is today, owning over 80 Denny’s restaurants and being involved with a multitude of entrepreneurial projects. They credited her with instilling in them the mindset that they can achieve anything they set their minds to, and said best by Connor ”I am proud to be the son of a woman whose story inspires us to pursue our dreams relentlessly, and to innovate beyond the conventional.”
Following remarks from Connor and Cruise, Sharon Gless, award-winning actress and best friend to Dawn Lafreeda, who has been nominated for 10 Emmy Awards and 7 Golden Globe Awards, came to the stage to talk about Dawn’s selfless acts and about the beautiful friendship they have had over the last several years.
After all of the heartwarming and inspiring tributes about Dawn’s great success through hard work, dedication, and innovation, it was time for her to come to the stage to accept the 2023 TMI Entrepreneur & Innovation Award.
Dawn stood at the podium and shared her gratitude for the award. She stated “Over the past 39 years I have been fortunate to have received many special awards. Some I remember distinctly, and some are faint memories. I have appreciated every single one of them and all of them touched me in some way but none in the way the TMI Entrepreneur & Innovation Award has touched me.”
In her closing remarks, she left the crowd with inspiration saying, “One day I will eventually sell or pass along my business, and it may, in time, even be forgotten. None of that creates concern for me because I know exactly how my legacy will go forward. It will be carried into the future through our children whose values and contributions to humanity live on and are passed from one generation to the next. It is our sons and daughters who will also keep the legacy of TMI alive and well so that in the future many other award recipients can stand up here and say that they lived their best and highest dreams…and hopefully encourage others to do the same.”
On behalf of the students, faculty, staff, and TMI Board of Governors, thank you so much to all of the many sponsors and attendees who supported the award luncheon. Proceeds raised at this important benefit TMI’s annual giving program that impacts every aspect of our school.
THANK YOU
Giving Tuesday Results
We couldn’t have done it without YOU. Thank you for choosing TMI as one of your favorite and worthwhile places to support on GivingTuesday. Your gift to the TMI Fund ensures that each and every student is cherished, known, and challenged. Every part of TMI is impacted by your generosity.
All donations on GivingTuesday support The TMI Fund. Money raised during GivingTuesday helps us get closer to our annual need of $775,000 by May 31, 2024.
TMI Alumni Association
A Note from the TMI Alumni Association President
Alumni family,
As 2023 draws to a close and the holiday season upon us, I am reminded to reflect on how grateful and blessed we are to be graduates of TMI. Fond memories of years past continue to be made by current students as our school equips them for success in all their future endeavors as servant leaders. We are grateful to see alumni using the lessons learned in the classroom and formations, on the field and the stage, to be morally upright and shining examples in our families, communities, and the nation. Thank you all for your continued support and unparalleled commitment, passion, and caring to TMI.
On behalf of the Alumni Association, we wish you and your family a joyous Christmas season filled with love and peace!
Go Panthers!
In humble service,
Christopher N. Adams
MAJ, IN, USA
Class of 1999
ON CAMPUS NEWS
From the Alumni Office
It’s hard to believe but we are halfway through the school year and what a year it has been! We kicked off with the 22nd annual TMI Alumni Association Clay Shoot followed by a very successful Homecoming with record alumni attendance. Alumni have visited the TMI campus, volunteered their time to serve on the Alumni Leadership Council and have presented to students in the classroom. I am so proud of the engagement we have seen from our alumni so far this year.
As exciting as it has been, the best is yet to come. I invite each of you to mark your calendars for Friday, April 5, 2024 for Stars Over TMI Gala and Auction. Proceeds from Stars Over TMI, our school’s largest fundraising event, benefit our annual giving program that supports academics and student activities, professional development, technology, campus beautification projects, classroom improvements, and more. Please consider gathering your classmates and purchasing a table to attend together.
On Friday, April 12, 2024 we will celebrate Alumni Day and host the Hall of Fame ceremony. This year we will celebrate Les Ballard ‘52, Don Elliott ‘63, Rick Smith ‘71 and Dawn Bartlett Hall ‘91. TMI will also award a Servant Leadership Award to beloved TMI Faculty member Leland Goertz. I hope you will plan to attend this wonderful event.
May the rest of 2023 be full of joy for you and your family. Merry Christmas from all of us at TMI.
Best Regards,
Heather Finerghty
Associate Director of Alumni and Family Engagement
TMI Economics Class
Victory Capital Field Trip
TMI Episcopal’s students enrolled in Mr. Forman’s semester-long economics course recently took a field trip to Victory Capital. Victory Capital is an independent investment firm that manages a diversified portfolio of global assets for their clients. As of 10/31/23, the total assets under management are 148.9 billion dollars. The students met with Co-Chief Investment officer Jim Jackson, Head Bond Trader Kevin Kaase, Head of Fixed Income Research Trae Willoughby, Portfolio Manager Lauran Spalten, and Senior Fixed Income Research Analyst Stephanie Garza. Each speaker had a significant amount of wisdom to discuss with the students about how economics, asset management, and risk are all interconnected into what Victory Capital does as a business.
Mr. Forman was impressed with the depth of questions and the professionalism displayed by his students throughout the trip. To find out more about Victory Capital as a business, please click here. A special thanks to Jim Jackson, father of Hannah Jackson ’24, who helped organize the field trip on the Victory Capital side. Without his willingness to embrace the next generation of students interested in finance, economics, and banking this trip would not have happened!
IN MEMORY
TMI celebrates the lives of members of our alumni family. Here in TMI Today, we pay homage to fellow Panthers who we have received notice that have recently passed away. If you wish to submit information on an alumna or alumnus who has passed away, please email alumni@tmi-sa.org. Please note that all information will be verified before your notice is published.
Update Your Contact Information… It’s Easy!
Have you moved? Changed your phone number or email address? Let us know. As a TMI alumnus/alumna you are important to us! We want to stay in touch with you.
Please take just a minute to complete this form and we’ll make sure to update your information in our records. Do not miss out on events, news about the school, and alumni happenings.
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