Rain Couldn't Keep Saints Away From Homecoming 2026
Rain Couldn't Keep Saints Away From Homecoming 2026
Rainy Saturday mornings are nothing new at St. Andrew's. As guests settled into Engelhard Hall on September 26, Head of School Joy McGrath '92 said the weather took her back to her years teaching English: "rainy Saturday, first period, in the middle of Macbeth."
While the forecast didn't cooperate for Homecoming 2026, alumni, parents, and friends came back anyway—umbrellas in hand—for a weekend of seeing St. Andrew's through students' eyes.
Friday: Visiting Artist Robby S. Chin Gallery Opening
The weekend began Friday evening in the Warner Gallery at the O'Brien Arts Center, with the opening of Eastern Shore Gyotaku by visiting artist Robby S. Chin. Gyotaku, or "fish rubbing," is a Japanese art form from the 1800s. Before cameras, fishermen brushed squid ink onto their catch and pressed rice paper against it. That gave them a record of the fish, and they could still clean and eat it afterward.
Chin brings that tradition to the waterways of Maryland's Eastern Shore, where he fishes and grows oysters. The motto of his show sums it up: "Catch. Paint. Eat. Repeat." For Chin, each print honors the fish and the memory of the day it was caught. "I want to share the things my eyes have seen with other people who would appreciate it just as much as I do," he writes.
Saturday: Student Panels, Back to Class, and more!
On Saturday morning, McGrath shared a Homecoming memory of her own. It was the fall of 1992, and she was a month into college. She was working three jobs and saved up for a train ticket from Boston to come back and see her classmates. Her parents were furious that she'd left her studies so soon. She thinks they were even more upset that one of those classmates was her boyfriend, Ty Jones '92, who was then at Johns Hopkins. Today Ty is her husband, and he was in the audience.
"I think they got over it," she said. "Have they gotten over it? Maybe not." The room laughed.
The pull that brought her back to campus back in the fall of 1992 remains strong today. "This place has a kind of tractor beam that tethers us and brings us inevitably back to this idyllic and challenging spot," McGrath said. She described a school where every space is a teaching space. "We are not built for speed. We are built for purpose."
Five VI Formers then took the stage for "A Conversation with Today's Saints," moderated by Director of College Counseling Jason Honsel. They talked about classes that changed them, favorite traditions, and what St. Andrew's has taught them.
"I think this community is the kindest community I've ever been a part of," said Brooke Barry '27.
Lucas Sturges-Moyne '27 said he felt it the first time he toured. "It just felt so warm and positive here," he said. He pointed to the school's opt-in culture, where students heading out to the front lawn after sports tend to bring along anyone they pass.
Anjola Adepoju '27, one of the student body co-presidents, said her friends back home noticed the change in her over the summer. "St. Andrew's has honestly taught me how to truly be independent, but also treat other people better," she said.
Steele Malkin '27 shared a Thanksgiving tradition: seniors carve the turkey. "A lot of them would be stressed the night before, watching YouTube videos trying to figure out how to cut a turkey," he said.When asked what they'd add to campus with a large gift, Lucas didn't hesitate. "I'd put in large floodlights on the football field or maybe the soccer field, just so that we can have night games." Right now teams usually take a bus to play night games somewhere else. "Night game versus day game is just so different in the intensity."
Next, guests went back to class. They could choose chemistry with Will Rehrig '11, biology with Alex Horgan '18, or "What Does It Mean to Be an American?" with Emily Pressman. The biology class was supposed to meet outdoors, but the rain moved it into Amos Hall. Other guests joined Chief Financial and Operating Officer Bill McClements '81 P'12 for "Protecting Our Past, Funding Our Future," a tour of campus.
After lunch in the Dining Hall, fans headed out in the rain to cheer on the Saints against Charter School of Wilmington. The Homecoming tent gave alumni and families a place to catch up during the game.
The rain moved the post-game chili indoors, into McGrath's home. It was a packed house, with guests warming up over good food and even better conversation with VI Formers about life at SAS today.
Thank you to everyone who braved the weather to come home. We hope to see you next fall.