Author: Legacy Synthesis

Randy Bryant was an outstanding student and distance runner at Handley. He attended the University of Richmond on a track scholarship before earning his law degree at the T. C. Williams School of Law in 1980.

Randy returned to Winchester where he practiced civil and criminal law. He served as a substitute judge in general district and juvenile and domestic relations courts before being appointed Judge of Virginia’s 26th Circuit Court in 2015.

In 2016, Judge Bryant was one of the first to preside over the Northwest Regional Adult Drug Court, an alternative to incarceration for individuals dealing with alcoholism and drug addiction. Colleagues remembered him for his intellect and his compassion, for his ability to converse in several languages, for his wide range of reading, and for his study of history.

Judge Bryant was a member of the Winchester School Board from 1997 until 2003 and from 2006 until 2012. He served one term as the Chairman. He was also Chairman of the Winchester Education Foundation and received the “Friend of Winchester Education Association” award.

His commitment to the young people in the community went beyond serving on boards. He volunteered for years as an assistant track coach and mentor to the distance runners at John Handley High School. Tommy Dixon, Judge Bryant’s high school teammate and fellow coach at Handley, stated, “Everything he had to say was positive. He enjoyed running and used that to better kids later in life through his coaching.”

Kendra Brown was President of her senior class and a 3 sport athlete. She was Handley’s representative for Girls’ State and was active in several business and service organizations.

She completed her undergraduate studies at Hampton University, her Master of Divinity at Howard University Divinity School, and her law degree from Vermont Law School. Additionally, Kendra attended the George Washington University School of Law for her Master of Laws.

Kendra is a former national chair of the National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA). During her term as National Chair, NBLSA was active in election protection, leadership training and development, academic planning, career development, and extensive advocacy efforts.

She is the former Chief of Staff for Representative G. K. Butterfield (NC–01) and senior director for diversity, inclusion, and affinity for the Washington College of Law at American University. She is currently the Vice President – Public Policy, U.S. Federal Affairs for Mastercard. She is also the chair of the Maryland State Advisory Committee of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission.

Kendra is committed to community engagement and empowerment. She serves on the Regional Board of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington, DC. and is President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority in Baltimore County. She is a member of the Baltimore Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, one of the nation’s oldest and largest volunteer service organizations committed to enriching, sustaining, and ensuring the culture and economic survival of African Americans and other people of African ancestry. She is a member of the Leadership Committee of Street Law, Inc, a global, nonpartisan nonprofit organization that develops classroom and community programs to educate youth about law and government.

Taylor Beard is the most decorated female athlete in the history of John Handley High School. A seven time Virginia state champion in track and field, she is the first female to jump over 6’ in the high jump and set the state record at 6’. 05”

She won the high jump, long jump, and triple jump in her final state meet.

Taylor now holds the University of Cincinnati record and the American Athletic Conference Indoor record in the high jump (1.88 meters / 6’2”). She was AAC champion in indoor track and two time conference champion in outdoor track.

She qualified and competed at the 2020 Olympic Track and Field Trials.

At the 2021 NCAA Indoor Championships, she claimed 13 th  with a jump of 1.76m and earned an All-American and national ranking at the end of the season.

Taylor competed in the NCAA championships four times and earned first team All American honors in the 2023 championships.

A Dean’s List student, Taylor earned her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work in June 2023. She interned at Bethany House Services, a homeless shelter in Cincinnati that serves homeless families by helping those families find employment opportunities, housing, childcare, and shelter. Bethany House staff work with outside programs to further the support for families.

Taylor will be attending University of Illinois in the fall working toward a master’s degree in marketing.

Stewart Bell, Jr was Salutatorian of the Class of 1928. He earned his BA at Hampton-Sydney in 1932 and his MA at the University of Virginia in 1940.

He taught at Middletown High School before becoming principal at the Gore School. In 1942, he served with the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. He returned to Winchester the following year to take over the operation of the family farm and orchards.

Stewart served on Winchester City Council from 1954 to 1980. He was Mayor from 1972 to 1980.

Stewart was instrumental in the development of the Joint Judicial Center, the 911 emergency services, the Winchester Parks and Recreation Board, the Winchester Tree Commission, the Handley Library Board, and the regional health department.

He was an author and active member of the Winchester-Frederick County Historical Society. The Archives at The Handley Library was named in his honor.

He received a Patrick Henry Award from Hampden-Sydney College in 1999 as an alumnus who had distinguished himself in a career in public service and an Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from Shenandoah University in 2000.

Representative Frank Wolf had a “Tribute to Stewart Bell, Jr.” read into the Congressional Record on June 6, 2001. It read in part

“He is truly a renaissance man–a public servant, a poet with a recently published book, a community activist, a church leader and so much more. It is men like Stewart Bell–a powerful link to our shared heritage and a treasure in his own time–who epitomize that which is great about community and country.”