Bellaire Examiner - News
Notable Neighbors: Making their debut
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| Several of the debutantes and young men from the Houston area who served as escorts at the International Debutante Ball enjoyed an informal gathering in Houston before heading to the New York event Dec. 29. Seated are Jessica Jean Whichard of Sugar Land and Meredith Ann Margrave, currently of San Antonio, whose family has deep roots in Houston. Standing are Kimberly Mead, Gwendolyn Seale, Alexandra Chunn and Louise Boesel. The young men are John Barrere, Hayner Rude and George Giannakis. |
Several accomplished young women from the greater Houston area were presented to society at the 54th International Debutante Ball on Dec. 29 in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria in New York City.
The ball, founded in 1954, is considered one of the most prestigious debutante presentations. Young women of distinction from all over the country and around the globe are brought together at the ball and related parties with daughters of diplomats, titled Europeans, ambassadors, governors and presidents of the United States.
Over the years, the International Debutante Ball Foundation has benefited numerous charities, primarily the Soldiers’, Sailors’, Marines’, and Airmen’s Club of New York, which provides a home away from home for the men and women of our Armed Services.
Eleven debutantes are from Texas this year. Among the seven from Houston are these from Examiner neighborhoods, whose information was submitted:
Gwendolyn Mildred Culver Seale is the daughter of Regina and John Edgar Seale III of the Bellaire-Southwest area. Her grandmother, Gwendolyn Bennett Pappas, was Poet Laureate of Texas.
As a senior at St. Thomas’ Episcopal School, she is the youngest of the Houston-area contingent.
An honors student and an athlete, Seale is also an active volunteer with several school and community service groups.
Among her accomplishments are being an Honors Chemistry Olympiad Finalist, a high-scoring participant in Original Oratory from the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools and a section and story editor on The Belltower, the STES award-winning yearbook.
She has served as captain of her school’s Varsity Girls Basketball Team 2007-2009, and is a 10-year veteran of the Southwest United Summer Swim Team.
Courtney Paige Somerville is daughter of Paul Somerville and the late Kathleen Somerville of Memorial.
She is an honors student on the Dean’s List at The University of Texas, where she is a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and is currently its vice president of organization.
She is in the Senior Fellows Honors Program in the College of Communication and has participated in the Texas 4000 for Cancer.
Kimberly Allison Mead is the daughter of Janet and Gary L. Mead of Memorial.
At Vanderbilt University, she is a double major student in economics and geology. She’s also a member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority where she is vice president of recruiting.
She enjoys giving back to the community by volunteering with Reach Out and Read Texas.
Alexandra Lynn Chunn is the daughter of Sandra and Edward Keith Chunn Jr. of Memorial.
Chunn, who calls herself Alex, is studying at the University of Arizona in Tuscon. She is a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, and besides enjoying family and friends, enjoys international travel, music, exercise and soccer.
Louise Forman Boesel is the daughter of Minnette and Peter Marsh Boesel of River Oaks.
The ball, founded in 1954, is considered one of the most prestigious debutante presentations. Young women of distinction from all over the country and around the globe are brought together at the ball and related parties with daughters of diplomats, titled Europeans, ambassadors, governors and presidents of the United States.
Over the years, the International Debutante Ball Foundation has benefited numerous charities, primarily the Soldiers’, Sailors’, Marines’, and Airmen’s Club of New York, which provides a home away from home for the men and women of our Armed Services.
Eleven debutantes are from Texas this year. Among the seven from Houston are these from Examiner neighborhoods, whose information was submitted:
Gwendolyn Mildred Culver Seale is the daughter of Regina and John Edgar Seale III of the Bellaire-Southwest area. Her grandmother, Gwendolyn Bennett Pappas, was Poet Laureate of Texas.
As a senior at St. Thomas’ Episcopal School, she is the youngest of the Houston-area contingent.
An honors student and an athlete, Seale is also an active volunteer with several school and community service groups.
Among her accomplishments are being an Honors Chemistry Olympiad Finalist, a high-scoring participant in Original Oratory from the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools and a section and story editor on The Belltower, the STES award-winning yearbook.
She has served as captain of her school’s Varsity Girls Basketball Team 2007-2009, and is a 10-year veteran of the Southwest United Summer Swim Team.
Courtney Paige Somerville is daughter of Paul Somerville and the late Kathleen Somerville of Memorial.
She is an honors student on the Dean’s List at The University of Texas, where she is a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and is currently its vice president of organization.
She is in the Senior Fellows Honors Program in the College of Communication and has participated in the Texas 4000 for Cancer.
Kimberly Allison Mead is the daughter of Janet and Gary L. Mead of Memorial.
At Vanderbilt University, she is a double major student in economics and geology. She’s also a member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority where she is vice president of recruiting.
She enjoys giving back to the community by volunteering with Reach Out and Read Texas.
Alexandra Lynn Chunn is the daughter of Sandra and Edward Keith Chunn Jr. of Memorial.
Chunn, who calls herself Alex, is studying at the University of Arizona in Tuscon. She is a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, and besides enjoying family and friends, enjoys international travel, music, exercise and soccer.
Louise Forman Boesel is the daughter of Minnette and Peter Marsh Boesel of River Oaks.
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