Alumni News

Kyle Smith ’12 has built his career around hard work, relationships, and a willingness to take on new opportunities.

After graduating from Stratford, Kyle attended Mercer University, where he graduated in 2018 with a double major in Business Management and Marketing.

Today, Kyle works as a Regional Sales Executive for Microtechnology Consultants. His work takes him across Georgia, where he spends time on job sites managing crews and meeting with technology directors and contractors. Much of the company’s work is in K–12 education, which allows Kyle to be part of technology upgrades and improvements in schools throughout the state.

JB Strauss ’10 has never followed a traditional path, but that is part of what has made his journey as a singer-songwriter so rewarding.

After graduating from Stratford, JB attended Birmingham-Southern College, where he planned to play football. An injury ended his football career, and he eventually began playing cover songs in local bars. He quickly realized that music was something he had a real talent and passion for.

His first time singing in front of a crowd actually came years earlier during a Stratford talent show.

When Sam Raffield looks back on his time at Stratford, he does so with a deep appreciation for the role the school played in shaping the next chapter of his life.

A proud member of the Class of 1968, Sam credits Stratford with helping prepare him for college and beyond. After graduation, he attended Georgia Tech, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in General Management in 1972.

We are proud to spotlight Lillie Sweet Strickland, Class of 2020, who is building an exciting career in marketing and real estate in Charleston, South Carolina.

After graduating from Stratford, Lillie Sweet attended the University of Alabama, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Commerce and Business Administration in May 2024 with a major in Marketing and a minor in Advertising.

Stratford alumni are invited to return to campus October 2-3 for Alumni Weekend, featuring a Friday evening cookout, Homecoming football game, campus tour, class reunions, and opportunities to reconnect with fellow Eagles.

Dr. Benjie Christie ’94 has built an extraordinary career in medicine, leadership, and surgical education while remaining grounded in the lessons first learned at Stratford Academy. Today, Dr. Christie serves as a Trauma, Critical Care, and General Surgeon at Atrium Health Navicent and Mercer University School of Medicine, where he is also the Program Director for both the General Surgery Residency and Trauma/Acute Care Surgery Fellowship programs. In addition, he serves as an Associate Professor of Surgery, the Associate Director of Trauma for the hospital’s Level 1 Trauma Center, and the president of the American College of Surgeons Georgia Chapter.

The Stratford baseball family turned back the clock on Saturday, April 18, as alumni from multiple generations returned to campus for a special Alumni Baseball Game filled with laughter, memories, and meaningful reflection.

Throughout the late morning and early afternoon, former players reconnected by sharing stories, taking batting practice, fielding a few ground balls, and discovering that catching a baseball may not be quite as easy as they remembered. More importantly, the event became a celebration of the lifelong bonds created through Stratford baseball.