News & Events

Norfolk Academy begins each year by shining a spotlight on our core principle: Honor.

S. Barron Segar Day brings the entire school together for the installation of the Royster and Tunstall Honor Councils, as well as speeches reinforcing the virtues of NA's Honor System. Another highlight is the signing of the Honor Board by Upper School students.

This year's addresses came from Vivi Deans '26, Tunstall Honor Council Chair, and John O. Wynne Jr. '94, Chairman of the Board of Fortis Solutions Group and Chair of Norfolk Academy's Board of Trustees. Kiran Folck '26, Tunstall Student Council President, gave the invocation and Asher Heath '29, Royster Student Council President, gave the benediction.

“Upholding Norfolk Academy's Honor System and culture of integrity is an act instilled in us from the very first day we step onto campus, when reciting the mantra 'I will tell the truth, I will do my own work, and I will not take things that belong to others,'" Deans said. “While simple, those words encapsulate the core of our Honor System and shape the ways we trust one another every day."

Head of School Travis Larrabee offered the welcome, teaching students about S. Barron Segar, an apt point in this Year of Inquiry on campus. A Norfolk Academy trustee who served more than 30 years and was instrumental in the school's reemergence in the 1950s, Segar founded a real estate firm in 1943, which through a series of mergers became Goodman Segar Hogan. Segar was renowned through the region for his ethical conduct.

Wynne offered personal anecdotes about ways the honor he learned as an NA student have served him in his professional life. Wynne grew Fortis Solutions Group from a small company to one with 1,200 employees at offices across the country, manufacturing creative packaging for myriad products. He recalled his company's dealings with a broker, who had made a mistake in pricing and overcharged a customer. Instead of correcting the error, the broker tried to cover it up. Wynne and other leaders at Fortis Solutions told the customer themselves, even though the company was making over $1 million annually on that product line, and they severed ties with the broker.

“He never worked with us again," Wynne said. “None of us cared because we knew our personal reputations and that of the company were far more important than any monetary value could represent."

 In addition to the real-life examples, Wynne also spoke about school traditions that instill ethical conduct from the earliest age. He told the first graders, the class of 2037, that their education in honor begins with their first actions as they step on campus. “You look Mr. Larrabee in the eye and shake his hand before petting the Bulldog," he said. "You show each other a mutual respect and care. I want you to know that this practice will serve you well in life."

He spoke about other school traditions, from open lockers to signing the pledge on academic work, indicating that it has been done with honesty and integrity. “You are the future leaders of tomorrow, who are benefitting every day from your experiences here at school," he said. “Lean in, participate often, challenge yourself. Because each of those experiences will strengthen your inner foundation and core beliefs around honor and integrity."

In his invocation, Folck called on his fellow students to use the honor the learn at NA in the outside community.

“The knowledge we gain here is not meant to stay here," he said. “It should shape who we are and how we live. It should prepare us to serve with wisdom, to lead with empathy, and to contribute to a world that needs both."

2025-26 Royster Honor Council: Matthew Bousman '29; Teagan Oswald '29; Max Warburton '29; Hadley Robinson '30; Trey Yearick '30; Michael Monninger '31; Charles Poston '31.

2025-26 Tunstall Honor Council: Vivi Deans '26 (Chair); Allie Keffer '26; Alex Lawson '26; Chatherine Adams '27; Evan O'Boyle '27; Charlie Adler '28; Ellie Trant '28.