It is often said that graduation is not the end, but the beginning of a lifelong relationship with one’s alma mater. For many people, however, that connection fades as career and life take over. Bill Hager, a 1958 graduate of Orange County High School, made a heartfelt decision to change that narrative.

As the founder of the OCHS Alumni and Friends Foundation, Hager has spent the last seven years transforming an inactive list of former students into an engaged network of members and partners. I sat down with him at his office at Orange Baptist Church to discuss his vision for the foundation, the challenges involved, and his advice on sustaining awareness while keeping alumni connected.

“It started when the class of 1960 had a reunion and, when it was over, they had $2,436 or thereabouts left over,” Hager said. “I got a call from the late Betty Jean Sims, who told me they had some money left over and would like to give it to the school. She asked if I could think of something they needed.”

Hager called his daughter, Amy Fitch, who was a teacher at Prospect Heights Middle School and President of the Fine Arts Boosters. She told him the band needed uniforms.

“My grandson was wearing a band uniform older than he was that was held together with safety pins and duct tape,” Hager recalled.

The reunion funds were given to the Fine Arts Boosters to start an account for new uniforms. A concert was scheduled, and Fitch asked Hager to invite members of the class of 1960 so they could be acknowledged at intermission. Because she would be out of town, she asked him to make the announcement.

“I thanked everyone and said this was the seed money for new uniforms,” Hager said. “I added that if anyone else was inspired by what this class had done, I would be by the door with my pen if they had their checkbook.”

Blane and Deana Stewart met him at the door and matched the donation. It was a strong beginning, but the question remained: how could they continue building on that momentum?

Soon after, Hager learned that Sweet Briar College alumni had used Facebook to help keep the college operating. He purchased a book titled Facebook for Seniors and began learning how to use the platform to raise funds by connecting with alumni.

“I now have around 5,000 Facebook friends,” he said. “I started what I call ‘begging on Facebook,’ and as a result, we raised $50,000 for band uniforms and one tuba.”

Hager then turned his attention to what is now the Sizemore Fitness Center at OCHS. Working alongside School Board member Judy Carter, he created a PowerPoint presentation and proposed naming the facility, something that had never been done before in the school system. The proposal passed, and in partnership with then-principal Kelly Guempe, they raised $50,000 for fitness equipment. Located in the old gymnasium, the facility now benefits physical education classes, athletic teams, faculty, and staff.
After the fitness project, Hager began exploring the need for scholarships, particularly for students entering career and technical education fields.

“I contacted Sean Gregg, an attorney here in Orange and a 1980 graduate of Orange County High School, in October 2019, and he helped me enormously,” Hager said. “He assisted with incorporating the foundation and obtaining IRS 501(c)(3) status.”

The foundation set a five year goal structure, beginning with $20,000 in 2020 and increasing annually to $40,000, $60,000, $80,000, and then $100,000 in both 2024 and 2025. Each goal has been met. The 2026 goal is $130,000.

“What I am most interested in is how many kids we have helped,” Hager said. “Some students have received scholarships four years in a row. I do not focus on the total amount given, although it is substantial. I focus on the number of students we have helped.”

Since the fall semester of 2020, 126 graduates have received scholarships from the OCHS Alumni and Friends Foundation. Many students have benefited from the foundation’s scholarships. A full list of recipients is available on the foundation’s website, including the 2024 class.

“We have one student, Jessica Sutphin, a 2020 graduate and part of our first scholarship class,” Hager said. “She studied online to become a veterinary technician and now works as a veterinary assistant at Orange Veterinary Clinic.”

He also mentioned Johan Solleveld Jr., a junior engineering student at Virginia Tech and recipient of the $5,000 David M. Sherman Memorial Scholarship; Genevieve Chidlow Keim, a 2021 graduate who completed her degree at Mary Washington University and now teaches sixth grade English at Locust Grove Middle School; Makenna Rittenhour, who attended the University of Virginia and is now teaching English in Malaysia; her sister Myla, who graduated from Longwood University’s nursing program; and Quinn Fegans, a senior at OCHS who established the Gordon Barbour Community Scholarship for a deserving graduate of Gordon Barbour School as part of her Governor’s School Capstone Project.

egans will receive a $2,500 scholarship at OCHS Scholarship Night in May.

Building an alumni association requires more than fundraising. It requires cultivating a network of ongoing relationships and shared purpose.

The OCHS Alumni and Friends Foundation has developed partnerships with local businesses that cover operating expenses, allowing 100 percent of donations to go directly to scholarships. The foundation works closely with the OCHS Counseling Center and is led by a Board of Directors and Officers, with Hager serving as Chairman and Founder and Randall Edwards as Vice President.

“The foundation works closely with the Orange Rotary Club, which awards two scholarships each year in addition to the David Sherman Memorial Scholarship,” Hager explained. “Students apply using the Local Scholarship Application provided by the Counseling Center. Counselors make recommendations based on need, and we match students to the scholarships we offer. A list of all our scholarships is available on our website.”

Looking ahead, Hager emphasizes sustainability and alumni engagement. “We want to continue grassroots efforts with class scholarships,” he said. “We plan to track students we have helped so we can see the investment and the outcomes.”

There are 70 graduating classes from Orange County High School, and the foundation hopes that eventually 25 percent of them will contribute $2,500 annually. Now in its seventh year, the effort is called the Year 7 Class Challenge.

The foundation is also planning an All Class Reunion and Homecoming Day beginning in 2027. The goal is to strengthen alumni connections and expand engagement.

“There are 70,000 people who have graduated from that building,” Hager said. “That is your base. How do we tap into that? How do we sustain this into the future? Sustainability is the question we are facing right now. We maintain a database and use HubSpot for email marketing. That is our path forward.”

The OCHS Alumni and Friends Foundation continues to focus on strengthening ties between graduates and their alma mater. Through scholarships, partnerships, and alumni engagement, the organization is building a lasting network of support for current and future students.

Doug Ponton

I am sixth generation Orange County, Virgina.  Our family farm is a Century Farm in Barboursville, established in 1848.

I graduated Orange County High School in 1977, received a Bachelor’s degree from James Madison University in Kinesiology/Physiology and attended the University of Virginia for graduate school (K-12 education).

I had a 30-year Personal Training Practice, retiring from that aspect of my life in 2017.  This is my 37th year as a sportswriter, mainly with the Orange Review but for various newspapers across the Commonwealth.  Currently, I have a podcast, “Hornet Buzz with Doug” that covers all Orange County High School sports and activities. 

My wife Elaine and I celebrated our 16th Wedding Anniversary this past June (2025)