Mr. Brown Receives Rogers Award

At the final Faculty and Staff meeting via Zoom on May 29, 2020, the Alumni Association announced John Frost and Jerusha Westbury as finalists for the 2020 Ralph B. Rogers Alumni Award, and David Brown was named as the recipient of this year’s honor. The award, now in its 22nd year, recognizes a member of the faculty and staff for their outstanding contributions above and beyond their responsibilities in the classroom.

“This award feels especially relevant in a year where everyone at St. Mark’s has gone above and beyond, where acts of compassion and leadership have kept us strong,” said Jake Wagner ’00, Chair of the Ralph B. Rogers Committee.

As the Industrial Arts teacher, John Frost has been instrumental in the Fine Arts Program for over a decade, teaching the boys not only how to create things, but also to become better men. From organizing a tornado party between first graders and seniors in the fall to helping the SPC Championship soccer team repair their trophy, he spends countless hours illustrating his care and commitment to St. Mark’s and the boys.

Jerusha Westbury has gone above and beyond as an Upper School history teacher for four years at St. Mark’s. In addition to encouraging and helping students explore outside research electives, she offers her time after hours without fail. She has become a confidant to several boys by sharing her own personal experiences to support them and forming extraordinary connections in the process. “No one in my life has had this kind of impact on me,” one student commented on his relationship with Dr. Westbury.

 

David Brown, Victor F. White Master Teaching Chair in English, has been a fixture on campus since 1999. Outside of his English curriculum, he has led the Character & Leadership Program and has been responsible for the creation and execution of the Literary Festival for the past 15 years. Students have referred to Mr. Brown as a “second father,” credited him with changing the trajectory of their life, and relied on him as a guide outside the classroom.

The Ralph B. Rogers Alumni Award was established by the St. Mark’s Alumni Association in 1998 to honor faculty and staff for their pioneering contributions to the School community in academic, athletic, and extracurricular areas that go above and beyond the confines of their job descriptions, thus extending the boundaries of the learning experience for St. Mark’s students.