Honoring Distinguished Service

First, there was the pass.
Then, there were two very quick dribbles because time – two seconds – didn’t allow for more.

Then, there was the shot, an against-all-odds attempt from the left side that had no chance of hitting its mark because, really, what are the odds that a smallish 15-year-old could even reach the rim from 30 feet away in a pressure-packed, all-or-nothing situation, much less send the basketball through the hoop and save the day?

One in a hundred? One in a million?  Doesn’t matter. Odds, you see, are simply numbers. They don’t measure heart, desire, resolve, and passion. It’s action that counts.

With an undefeated season on the line and Collegiate’s 8th grade basketball team trailing St. Bridget 39-37 that memorable Friday afternoon in February 1979, point guard Frank Mountcastle’s shot, launched just ahead of the buzzer, banked off the West Gym backboard, then fell through the basket to tie the game, which the Cougars went on to win 44-41 en route to a 12-0 finish.

There was much jubilation in the moment, of course, and for those in attendance, it’s been an occasional topic of conversation for the past 42 years. The real point of the story, though, is this: when Frank Mountcastle was called upon to deliver for his school, he responded with every ounce of energy that he had.

He’s been doing so ever since.

Today at Convocation, Mountcastle, a 1983 graduate, was honored with the Alex Smith ’65 Alumni Service Award.

Considering his selfless, never-say-no commitment to his alma mater, it’s recognition he richly deserves yet never expected or even considered.

In fact, when Alumni Association president Sarah Paxton informed him, he was, he admits, speechless. You see, to Mountcastle, the quintessence of a servant leader, the personal satisfaction he derives from his support of and dedication to Collegiate is all the reward he needs.

“’Humbled’ was one of the first words out of my mouth,” he said as he reflected upon the moment he received the news. “This was incredibly out of the blue. I’ve known people who’ve been honored this way and realize the blood, sweat, and tears that they poured into Collegiate over the years. I always wanted to emulate them.”
    
A managing director of Harris Williams, a mergers and acquisitions advisory firm, Mountcastle has deep Collegiate ties.

Judith Deane Arrington, his great grandmother, served as a trustee in the 1920’s. His grandmother Frances Deane Arrington Hotchkiss was a member of the class of 1925. His mother, Deane Hotchkiss Mountcastle graduated in 1959 and his sister Anne Mountcastle Rusbuldt in 1985.

He and his wife Jill are the parents of three Collegiate lifers: Grace ’14, a University of Virginia alumna who works for Horizon Media in New York City; Fisher ’17, a senior at Clemson; and Henry ’21, a UVA freshman.

Mountcastle started kindergarten in 1970, so he’s been affiliated with the school in one capacity or another for 51 years, 20 of which he and Jill were Collegiate parents.

He’s served in a variety of capacities including class agent, parent annual fund chair, and auction volunteer. 

From July 2013 through June 2021, he served on the Board of Trustees including two years (2017-2019) as chairman during the tenure of head of school Steve Hickman. In 2020-2021, he lent his experience and expertise as chair of the trustee and governance committee. He also served as a member of the finance committee before his term as a trustee began.

Balancing multiple volunteer assignments, especially when he was Board chair, with his professional responsibilities and quality time with his family has been a labor of love.

“You make time,” he said. “It’s easy to find time to serve an organization that’s meant so much to me and my family over the years, an organization where we really, truly, honestly believe in the mission and the experience that Collegiate delivers to students and families. When you think about it through that lens, it’s easy to find time to give back.”

Mountcastle’s leadership style is typified by collegiality, diligence, and humility.

 “I always take the team approach and stay in the background as much as possible,” he explained. “You always have to think about what’s best for the school and, specifically, what’s best for kids. You have to take into account all the constituencies when you make decisions, but at the end of the day, it’s about the kids and what we can do to give them the best possible experience and prepare them for life after Collegiate. To use one of Steve’s terms: that’s the North Star.”
~Weldon Bradshaw

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