Scott Hunt receives Rogers Award

At the Upper School Final Assembly, the Alumni Association honored Scott Hunt, photography instructor and Arnold E. Holtberg Master Teaching Chair, as the 2023 Ralph B. Rogers Alumni Award recipient. The award, now in its 25th year, recognizes a member of the faculty and staff for their outstanding contributions above and beyond their assigned responsibilities.  

 

The award, whose recipient had been secret, was presented jointly by Alumni Association President Sandy Campbell ’76 and Eugene McDermott Headmaster David W. Dini.  

 

“Mr. Hunt is a true master teacher and natural role model for our boys,” Dini said. “He is a passionate teacher who doesn’t just connect with boys – he challenges them to pursue even the most ambitious dreams and goals. As he is known to tell his students, ‘Don’t take a photograph. Make a photograph.’” 

 

Since joining St. Mark’s in 1998, Hunt has inspired thousands of students to explore their creativity through photography while elevating the program to national prominence. For 15 of the past 17 years, St. Mark’s photography has been named the “Top Program” by the Association of Texas Photography Instructors.  

 

A passionate naturalist, Hunt regularly leads students on camping trips and international photography trips around the world, including to Bhutan, Peru and Morocco. In addition to his teaching duties, Hunt serves as the director of student travel, helping organize local and international trips. 

 

At the Spring Alumni Dinner in April, the Alumni Association announced the finalists for this year’s Rogers Award. The announcement of Hunt read:  

Our third 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.” Simply put, this educator has been a servant leader for a quarter decade at St. Mark’s." 

 

At Upper School Final Assembly, the School also honored the two other finalists for the 2023 Rogers Award: Dan Northcut ’81 and Sherri Darver.  

 

The Ralph B. Rogers Alumni Award was established by the St. Mark’s Alumni Association in 1998 to recognize members of the faculty and staff for their pioneering contributions to the school. This award is named for the late Ralph Rogers, a visionary St. Mark’s leader who shaped some of the most important foundational principles and values of this School. Over the past several months, current students, parents, faculty, and staff submitted nominations for this year’s Award in support of candidates whom they believed were worthy of recognition. Each nomination is carefully considered by the graduates who serve on the Rogers Committee, chaired this year by Collin Lensing ’01. Ultimately, three finalists and a single recipient were selected.