Parent: Reid Harris, parent of Amory and Margaret
Dr. Reid Harris tends to hold an intrigued twinkle in his eyes. When first communicating with him, he seems to be withdrawn and quiet, but a few more conversations lead to the quick realization of how funny and opinionated he can be. Dr. Harris is the father of Amory and Margaret Harris, two of our Stuart Hall students. Both of his children agree he is a delightful dad and strive to someday attain his comedic genius. While many of our community members haven’t directly met him, those who have easily appreciate the wit he holds. Dr. Harris is a wonderful member of our community and most relates to our critical thinking grad goal.
Dr. Harris had originally wanted to be a pilot. While he still wants to be a pilot, he is currently the Professor of Biology at Blue Ridge Community College. He genuinely loves science and teaching. He found an environment where he can actively teach college level science through the community college. As a professor, Dr. Harris finds, “ A tremendous amount of purpose,” in his career. He stated, “Teaching is a joy unto itself and being a part of my students’ intellectual development and their life’s trajectory is immensely rewarding.” He also finds the work/life balance nice. Though Dr. Harris holds much appreciation for his profession, he finds increasingly unmotivated students challenging.
Other than his love of intellect, Dr. Harris has diverse hobbies. He enjoys running, playing the mandolin, and baking! He also appreciates a diverse slew of music. These include 90’s alternative, bluegrass, folk punk, 80’s pop, and specifically jam bands. His favorite quote is Mark Twain's, “Never put off till tomorrow what may be done day after tomorrow just as well.” Dr. Harris easily portrays our critical thinking grad goal. His admiration of knowledge, witty mannerisms, and choice to enroll two more STUdents, are some of the simplest ways to view it.
Dr. and Mrs. Harris discovered Stuart Hall as Amory was completing middle school and was in need of a new academic setting. After Amory had shadowed, the parents decided Stuart Hall would be a wonderful environment for Margaret as well. Through Stuart Hall, the siblings have found a wonderfully accepting community. Along with this, Dr. Harris mentions the, “unflinchingly rigorous,” academic setting, and greatly appreciates the atmospheric encouragement for curiosity. Stuart Hall is grateful for the addition of the Harris’s to our community.
Student: Duncan Coberly
James Duncan Coberly’s voice is sure to have found you in the halls. With a booming laugh and a personality that’s impossible to ignore, he brings character to every room he enters. Though his sometimes menacing glares are borderline nightmare inducing, looking past the fright will lead to an eye opening Smash game. There’s even a chance you know Duncan from his Hawaiian shirts and “funky” socks. A beloved and well-known member of our community, James Duncan Coberly easily highlights our contribution grad goal through his involvement in many aspects of our community.
Duncan is a graduating senior approaching the end of his third year at Stuart Hall. He began attending STU while looking for a better academic setting. Since his mother is an alum, Stuart Hall was a great option! Out of Stuart Hall's many aspects, Duncan favors his, “pookie bear/best bro,” Mr. Murray, and complements Mrs. Murray's, "mean" bread pudding. After graduation and college, Duncan aspires to be a voice actor. He commends Jeremy West for preparing him for college through STU's partnership with Silverline Theatre Exchange, though he does feel that Stuart Hall could’ve better prepared him for college through a more highlighted arts program.
If it hasn’t been made obvious, Duncan is an actor. While attending Stuart Hall, he has greatly contributed to our theatre program. He has acted in many of our productions while also participating with set work such as striking. His favorite Stuart Hall plays and favorite Stuart Hall memories are: The pre-professional show Puffs, or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a School of Magic and Magic. While he greatly enjoyed the cast and content of Puffs, he benefited most from The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940. Duncan spent the most time outside of rehearsal going over the many accents he had to perfect for the show. He even received a compliment from Milla, a German boarding student from 2022-2023 school year, on his German accent!
Duncan is a renowned player and previous captain of the Esports team. He has mentored many and volunteered to help our younger Esports participants. He asks that people join the Esports team to commemorate his leaving. Duncan also enjoys playing the saxophone, sending silly cat videos to friends, and winning games of Super Smash Bros. He is an adamant lover of zucchini bread and the band Bowling for Soup. As his last weeks of senior year are spent, he leaves with a quote from the Dread Pirate Roberts, “Life is pain, highness, and anyone who says otherwise is selling something.” Duncan will be missed, and his contribution to our community will continue to be cherished in his absence.
Teacher: Sarah Roberson
Ms. Roberson provides a calm, humorous, and supportive environment whenever she’s on campus. As a teacher and an advisor, she is regarded as kind and constructive. There is rarely a time when someone leaves her classroom without having an insightful and captivating conversation. Many students appreciate Ms. Roberson’s ability to actively listen while still participating in conversation, bringing a new perspective to things that have yet to be considered from different angles. With a delightful personality that’s easy to trust, Ms. Roberson is an adored faculty member at Stuart Hall, completely embodying our citizenship grad goal.
Ms. Roberson has been a part of the Stuart Hall community for four years as one of our Spanish teachers and advisors. While working at Stuart Hall, she has had opportunities to do many different activities, athletics, and field trips through weekend activities and expeditions. She also appreciates Stuart Hall’s prestige and the beauty of its campus saying, “It gives a good feeling through its campus and connection to the community.” While Stuart Hall has provided wonderful opportunities for Ms. Roberson, she least appreciates lunch duty, “Students aren’t often good at cleaning their tables, and every Friday I have to touch the rag,” says Ms. Roberson. She mentions the hit our music and arts program took during Covid, and is very happy at the obvious improvements made in building it back up. Many students in her Spanish class had taken the Silverline Theatre Exchange dance class that Stuart Hall started to offer during the second trimester. She asked if she could observe and says later that day, “I sat and watched students from Stuart Hall dancing. It was really powerful and I was very inspired by everyone.” Inspired by our community, she began taking adult dance classes! Along with this new hobby, Ms. Roberson partakes in many more interesting and fulfilling activities.
Ms. Roberson enjoys hiking, reading fiction, and gardening. Her hikes usually take place in the woods and otherwise tend to be convenient due to Staunton's array of hiking trails. She tends to garden practical things such as herbs and veggies, but also plants milkweed for the monarch butterflies! She also enjoys alternative music and the WRNR radio station out of Charlotte. Ms. Roberson embodies citizenship through many things. Her ability to communicate while providing an enjoyable environment, her appreciation of community, and even one of her favorite quotes, “The healing in me sees the healing in you.” Make sure to stop by her classroom if you're ever in need of a well rounded conversation in a calm environment.
Maddie Speights