Alumnae Achievement Award Recipients
2021 Alumnae Achievement Award
Mattie Carolyn Hall ’67, ’69
Mattie Carolyn Hall ’67, ’69 earned an A.A. and a B.A. in Fashion and Design from Stephens College, followed by graduate studies at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York. In addition to her fashion and retailing classes at Stephens, Carol chose to take several Black Studies classes from the University of Missouri that enriched her overall college experience. She and other Stephens Black students began meeting informally and formed a Black Students Union (BSU). Her fondest memories of Stephens include: meeting and interacting with girls from all over the country, listening to, respecting and learning from our differences, learning to play golf on Stephens’ nine-hole golf course, and being part of a national network for outstanding women.
After graduate studies in New York, Mattie Hall chose to become professionally known as “Carol Hall,” prior to her first position in television as a reporter and anchor at WHBQ Channel 13, ABC-TV, Memphis. Carol is an award-winning communications, marketing and public relations consultant with wide-market, cultural diversity, and inter-generational experience, with a focus upon baby boomers and senior citizens. Currently, she’s president and managing consultant of Carol Hall & Associates (CH&A), a Los Angeles-based firm, established in 1986.
CH&A has marketing and public relations expertise in the areas of cultural, market, workforce and supplier diversity; and offers a unique and demonstrated ability to receive, synthesize, organize, creatively and cost-effectively communicate complex information via various media “platforms,” regarding products or services, issues or ideas.
Carol Hall’s expertise was honed while garnering extensive experience in television news. For nearly twenty years, she daily had time-sensitive assignments and consistently delivered, accurate, fact-filled, interesting and lively stories garnering good audiences and ratings.
Born in Kirkwood, MO, a suburb of St. Louis, Carol currently resides in Los Angeles, CA. Carol has wide-market experience garnered by living and working in Memphis, TN; New York, NY; Washington, DC; and Pittsburgh, PA.
Where she has lived, Carol has brought that good ole Missouri, “show me” spirit to whatever the task, opportunity or challenge. Through her faith in God, love of people, education, experiences, expertise and ability to listen, empathize and work collaboratively with others, she can attest that spirit helps her maintain focus on a project objective to achieve results that make positive contributions and differences in the lives of people.
Beyond her business, Carol is a wife, married for over thirty years to Cliff Holliday. She’s raised one daughter, and has a step-daughter and son, all adults. She has two brothers and several longtime, very dear friends — like sisters in her life. Although semi-retired from her consulting business, Carol enjoys local & global travel, gourmet cooking, live theatre and on Sundays attending prayer, praise and worship services at her church, and remains very active in the Los Angeles arts community.
Carol values education and has been a life-long learner. However, she credits foremost God’s love and grace for all of the blessings in her life, including her family beginning with her wonderful parents, both now deceased. Carol’s father, Rev. William E. Hall, was a WWII Army veteran and appointed by President Harry S. Truman to be the first African American Protestant Chaplain, and served at Jefferson Barracks, MO, VA Hospital; he was also a dynamic, beloved St. Louis Public Schools teacher and the Pastor of Corinthian Baptist Church. Carol’s mother, Mattie Mae Faucette Hall, was the epitome of grace and elegance, and loved children and teaching in the Kirkwood Public Schools and on Sundays served as organist for Chapel services in the Jefferson Barracks, VA Hospital Chapel. Carol was blessed, lovingly taught and learned her lifelong core values: “To love God and all people; to always do the right thing and to do it right.” Carol is grateful and also attributes her success to countless people in the many communities where’s she’s lived, worked and served.
2020 Alumnae Achievement Award
Jennifer Svrcek ’90
Jennifer (Jen) Svrcek ’90 earned a B.A. in Business Administration from Stephens College, a B.A. and M.A. in History of Art and Architecture from the University of Cambridge, and has completed the Women’s Leadership Development Programme at the University of Oxford Said Business School. While at Stephens, she was a member of the Alumnae Association Board and Club Officer. Jen was also a Stephens Scholars member, Office of Study Abroad volunteer, and a member of Kappa Alpha Phi Sorority. While at the University of Cambridge, Jen was president of the college rowing club and a member of the May Ball Leadership Committee. Jen is committed to developing women leaders and to promoting inclusion and diversity. She is an optimist and lives by the motto, “Life is not a dress rehearsal.”
Jen is an international brand and marketing leader with 25+ years’ experience in creating and growing commercially powerful businesses within advertising agency and corporate environments. She has held numerous positions in marketing, business development and client management spanning the U.S., U.K. and New Zealand.
From Young & Rubicam and Publicis to American Express, Microsoft and now Philip Morris International, Jen, through her leadership in growing brand equity and creating innovative marketing initiatives, has contributed to business growth and game-changing performance in global brand and marketing organizations. As head of creative operations at Nokia, Jen transformed a team of 60 into a 30-strong best-in-class internal operation. After Microsoft acquired Nokia, Jen led the London-based team, working closely with the Seattle-based global advertising and media team, in translating creative and media strategy and led the new “Empowering Us All” brand roll-out. At Philip Morris International, Jen’s focus is helping to deliver on the vision of a smoke-free future, as the company transforms to a dedicated organization in creating a more sustainable future for all.
Volunteering with organizations associated with animal and human rights is one of Jen’s many passions. She works with an organization that engaged in hands-on monitoring of Africa’s endangered species and habitat conservation work, as well as volunteer work as an ambassador for human rights.
Originally from Houston, Texas, Jen has lived most of her adult life in the U.K. She currently resides on the banks of Lake Geneva, Switzerland, with her husband and beagle. The mountains are her refuge and inspiration where she pursues all manner of high adrenalin sports.
Stephens is proud of Jen’s outstanding commitment to developing women leaders, service to her community, and her many professional and civic achievements.
For all Jen has contributed to the professional field of marketing and team management, she received the Alumnae Achievement Award.
Past Alumnae Achievement Award Recipients
2019
VADM Nancy Brown USN (RET) ’73
2018
Donna Ensign Marshall ’58
2017
Melanie May ’77
2016
M. Anne Murphy ’78
2015
Toni Leach Reinis ’67
2014
Ginny Hawley McSwain ’73
2013
Alanna Nash ’72
2012
Jill Griffith ’72
2011
Becca Ayers ’96
2010
Deborah Hamilton ’63
2009
Leslie Foster ’79
2008
Doris Painter Littrell ’58
2007
Mary Josie Cain Blanchard ’67
2006
Ying Li-Oshrin ’89
2005
Katherine Henry
2004
Corky Hale Stoller
2003
Teresa Rouse-Maledy ’78
2002
Bonneau (Bonnie) McElveen Hunter ’72
2001
Jean McFaddin ’62
2000
Toni Grant Verstandig ’74
1999
Alana Smith Shepherd ’49
1998
Mary Mel French ’58
1997
Tomima Edmark Polley ’79
1996
Wendy Manasse Wiese ’81
1995
Annie Potts
1994
Laura Steele Evans ’71
1993
Paula Zahn
1992
Catherine Barton Para ’77
Anne Louise Wallace ’82
1991
Judith Doyen Taylor ’73
1990
Sonja Dabkovich Caproni ’62
Sally Bullard Thornton ’53
1989
Sally Morgan Fitzgerald ’35
1988
Ann Wrobleski ’73
Joyce A. Mitchell ’72
1987
Jill Butler ’64
Margaret Elizabeth McIntosh ’77
1986
Janet Fowler Shaw ’57
1985
Peggy S. Gott Ph.D. ’64
Jean Muir (hon. ’73) ’79
1984
Joyce McClure ’69
Ardys Hogle Thayer ’45
1983
Nell Plopper Euruch Lazarus ’39
Dawn Wells
1982
Jeannette Korab Kalogridis ’71
Lorraine Chambers-McCarty ’40
1981
Leila Bromberg Andrews ’58
Bettye Maxwell Krolick ’46
1980
Laurelle Sheedy Mathis ’70
Sylvia Stone ’55
1979
Kathryn Myer Budzak ’59
Anna Siegelbaum Moldafsky ’50
1978
Madolyn Youse Babcock ’44
M. Susan Hays-Stern ’66-’68
Jeane Jordan Kirkpatrick ’46
1977
Patricia Craddock ’57
Lucille Garber Ford ’42
Margaret A. Kilgore ’55
Anita Marie Martini ’58
Martha Naset ’68
Martha Fuller Owens ’51
1976
Diane Lain Murray ’53
Phyllis Walden ’68
Gerridee Stenehjem Wheeler ’47
1975
Sabra Eagan
1974
Bernice Linderman Williamson ’32
1973
Sara Mumma Harral ’32
Jackie Fleisher-Wood ’69
1972
Barbara Rippel Gordon ’63
Marion Cox Lichty ’35
Mary Louise Green Madigan ’42
Peggy Hitchcock Ransom ’47
1970
Doralys Arias ’50
Selma Jeanne Cohen ’39
Geneva Drinkwater ’15
Dorian Hunter ’52
1968
Eleanor Cleveland Anderson ’35
Mary Ellen Stribling Bouldin ’50
Genevieve Miller Esgar ’48
Beatrice Burton Middleton ’18
1967
Ann Case Drummond ’28
Virginia Ralles Parker ’51
Betty Goetz Lall ’45
Eualine Uhl Wright ’31
1966
Mary Ann Calcott D.D.S. ’58
Helen Gregory ’25
Kathryn Wilson Jordan ’28
Patricia Spaulding ’42
1965
Ruth Bundy Armsby ’23
Anita Farlow Blakeslee ’42
Irene Meinershagen Bleckschmidt ’26
Jeannene Thompson Booher ’56
Mary Adelaide Gardner ’40
Janet Garlough ’41
Wilda Tinsley Moening ’34
Wanda Yvonne White ’45
1964
Adrienne Adams Anderson ’25
Wally Funk ’58
Virginia Neville Robertson ’33
Mary (Mimi) Allen Smitten ’43
1963
Patricia White Barry
Dorothy Harcourt Hickerson ’39
Frances Lea McCurdy ’25
Gerda Mehwald Picco ’50
1962
Mary B. Anderson ’29
Nell Plopper Eurich Lazarus ’39
Beulah Winstel Dechert ’37
Margaret Sandzen Greenough ’28
Janet R. Kern ’43
Vivian Saunders Kleinkopf ’54
Jean Clinton Roeschlaub ’44
1961
Phyllis Joan Burline ’48
Madeline Darling Harp ’31
Mildred Benjegerdes Hays ’45
Irmgard Grossman Johnson ’35
Esther Replogle ’23
Helen Ross Staley ’41
Kay Johnson Williams ’24
1960
Margaret Barbee ’18
(Mary) Jane Smisor Bastien ’55
Martha Brian ’50
Shirley A. Field ’42
Gloria Kenney Jones ’44
Carla Shriner Williams ’40
1959
Susanna Laun Alexander ’36
Virginia Carpernter Christ-Janer ’33
Helen Froelich Holt ’32
Marilyn Ellis Keene ’38
Jeanne Butcher Shaffer ’44
1958
Margaret Wolf Dagen ’38
Esther Winifred Daley Kaasa ’30
1957
Betsy Snyder Dew ’37
Olivia Noel Robertson ’22
1956
Frances Jenkins Holter ’44
Jean Cravens Leyda ’20
1955
Evalyn King Joachim ’29
Eudora Vance Scott ’37
Glad Robinson Youse ’20
1954
Eugenia Moore Anderson ’28
Ethlyn Wisegarver Bott ’18
Cordelia Trimble Robinson ’22
1953
Ardenia Chapman ’13
Ina Estes Hubbard ’13
Ruth Lovelace Courteol ’19
1952
Marie Kuhns Hardy ’20
Pauline Brannock Moore ’23
1951
Alice Jones Ewing ’27